Terry Tunes Tailgate

Start Rocking Early

originally published September 24, 2008

The late-night music scene can be immensely rewarding for those willing and able to put in the long hours, but for the day-jobbers, family folk and “regular people” in Athens, it can be an impenetrable and inaccessible entity. Looking to ameliorate that divide between audience accessibility and the dug-in habits of local musicians, the UGA music business program - part of the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business - is adjusting the scope and aim of its outdoor Terry Tunes concert series, as well as putting on a concert series at Nuçi's Space, the local musician’s resource center.

For years Terry Tunes was a polite daytime affair during the week. The school sponsored jazz bands, marching bands and salsa groups to perform at noon, offering wandering students and faculty a chance to relax for a minute. Since the institution of the music business program a few years ago, though, the school has since recruited local rock acts - still of a more palatable, mainstream-friendly sound like Modern Skirts or Bain Mattox. This year another change is underway, as the series moves from a weekday to a gameday, taking over Herty Field on Saturdays when football crowds swarm through town.

“The Terry Tunes concert series is one we used to do on Friday afternoons, but we decided to move it to Saturdays to reach more people, including alumni,” says Bruce Burch, a longtime songwriter who works as director of the music business program. “It basically is a promotion for our program as well as some of  the artists we are working with at New West [Records], such as Randall Bramblett. We also want to feature some of the artists who are up-and-comers such as Sonia Leigh and Blue Flashing Light.” 

Sonia Leigh kicked off the series three weeks ago playing on the Saturday of the UGA/Central Michigan blowout. This Saturday sees the Athens mainstay Randall Bramblett perform, and his rough-edged Southern styles should go over well with the UGA/Alabama crowd. The polished-to-a-sheen, oversize rock of Blue Flashing Light takes the North Campus stage on Oct. 11 for the Tennessee showdown, and things wrap up on Oct. 18, the day of the UGA homecoming game against Vanderbilt, with Tongue and Groove kicking out acoustic and electric party-friendly covers.

Says Burch, “Our goal for the Terry Tunes also is to raise awareness for our program, not only with students but with alumni. We are still a new enough program that a lot of people are just now finding out about us. We hope to do other concert series throughout the year.”

A series of concerts organized, promoted and set up by the program's students also takes place at Nuçi's Space starting this week, allowing the students an educational experience while raising the profile of the local non-profit resource center's mission to provide support for the local scene.

“The main goal with  both the series at Nuçi's Space and with Terry Tunes is to give the students some real-world, hands-on experience in promoting, producing and staging a concert,” says Burch.

Local acts Pholksinger Josh and Stegosaurus are confirmed for the first show at Nuçi's Space on Thursday, Sept. 25. The following shows on Oct. 23, Nov. 6 and Nov. 13 are still being confirmed.

Chris Hassiotis

WHO: Randall Bramblett, Blue Flashing Light, Tongue and Groove
WHERE: Herty Field
WHEN: Sept. 27, Oct. 11, Oct. 18
HOW MUCH: FREE!