originally published June 18, 2008

Before we get into this week’s news, I want to welcome all you out-of-towners that might be around for AthFest this week. Permanent locals get a huge nod this week, too, because if it wasn’t for your enthusiasm and years-long commitment to making Athens what it is, then we wouldn’t really have any reason for people to come visit us in the first place. Y’all be polite out there. Yeah, I know it’s hot and you’re probably drunk, but, still, act like your momma raised you right. Now, on with the news…

¿El Nuevo Rey De España?: Brandon Hanick, frontman for local popsters King of Prussia, will move to Spain soon, and the band will take a necessary hiatus from playing live shows. The last live show for the band in the foreseeable future is this Saturday, June 21 on the Hull Street outdoor stage. Hanick will perform as a solo artist in his new home of Barcelona, and King of Prussia will continue to record and compose via the Internet. But if you want to catch them live, you’d better do it now. Also, go check out the band's new video “Shades of Hippiedom” over at www.myspace.com/wearekingofprussia.

Milk Stream: Although technically released a couple of weeks ago via Hydra Head Records, the newest release by Harvey Milk, Life…The Best Game in Town, will have an official release hoo-ha over at the 40 Watt on Friday, June 27. Joining the band on the bill is Atlanta’s Tenement Halls. This show falls pretty much right in the middle of Harvey Milk’s mega-tour which will see the band heading over to Europe a few days afterwards. Want to stream the album before you buy it? No problem. Head over to www. life-thebestgameintown.com. Want to look at other stuff? Head to www.Harveymilktheband.com.

Auction-Matic for the People: Something you might not know about AthFest is that its stated mission is to educate people about music and arts in Georgia, and in particular, Athens. To this end, the festival is busy organizing programs which will bring more music into local schools in the form of classroom presentations, etc. To assist with this, Savannah, GA-based  Gretsch Guitars, through its Gretsch Foundation, has generously donated a brand-new, hollow-body, Brian Setzer-model guitar to this cause. The instrument has been signed by all four original members of R.E.M. and is being auctioned on eBay to assist the educational efforts of AthFest. Bidding begins June 18 and will run until June 27. Anything else you need to know can probably be provided by dropping a line to jeff@athensmusic.net, and if you want to drool over some gorgeous guitar photos, head to www.gretschguitars.com.

Records Last Longer: Are you itching to spend some cash this weekend on something more substantial than draft beer and funnel cakes? Then you should know about Kurt Wood’s Front Porch Record Sale. Yes, Athens’ supreme record hunter is hosting another one of his sales, literally, on his front porch. The hours are 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Saturday, June 21 and noon–6 p.m. on Sunday, June 22. Prices start at $1, and I can guarantee you that even Wood’s trash is better than most of our own collections. The address is 1080 Oconee Street and there’ll be thousands of records to dig through. So do it. You might also want to check out some of his pricier items over at www.kurtsfrontporchrecords.com.

One Door Closes, Another Door Opens: Local guitarist Samantha Paulsen resigned her long-held position as a member of rockers We Versus the Shark last week. After five years of touring, writing and recording, Paulsen announced last week that she came to the conclusion after some disagreements over the band's musical direction. Still, there’re no hard feelings at all between the members, and We Versus the Shark will continue on as a three-piece without her. Paulsen will play her last show with the band Saturday, June 21 at the 40 Watt Club, where We Versus the Shark will celebrate AthFest along with a. armada, Cinemechanica and Centro-matic. The band recently released its newest album, Dirty Versions, on local label Hello Sir. For other information, please see www.myspace.com/weversustheshark.

Ouch! Local artist Killick had to miss his show at the Caledonia Lounge a couple of weeks ago due to a duodenal ulcer in his small intestine. He spent some time in the intensive care unit at Athens Regional Medical Center, but is presumably doing better now. Well-wishers might want to drop him a line via iamkillick@gmail.com, and you know, wish him well.

Check It: New-ish Athens band Maximum Busy Muscle recently recorded a batch of songs with engineer Joel Hatstat and has posted a few online for your pleasure. The band, made up of Jay Roach on guitar and Mary Joyce on drums, plays “minimal metal” that is still pretty damn crunchy and loud. The band has some house shows coming up which I’m loath to print the addresses of in these pages, but you can check out www.myspace.com/maximumbusymuscle and get the scoop.

Got Cash? Those of you with hundred dollar bills falling out of your pockets might be interested in traveling to New York’s Madison Square Garden to witness The B-52s open for the last show of the reunion tour by The Police. The show will happen Tuesday, Aug. 7, and the trick is, you’ve got to get your tickets through pledging money to PBS ($150, $350, $750, $2,000 or $5,000). Can’t imagine a crowd that has to spend that kind of cash is really gonna put up with people wanting to see a tacky little dance band. Still, if you’ve got it to burn, check out www.thirteen.org or www.wliw.org.

Ease On Down the Road: Athens’ best friend toward the Southeast, Coco Rubio, has opened another venue in Augusta that seeks to emulate the production qualities and talent draw of our own local 40 Watt Club. Indeed, one of the sound consultants on the project is former Watt employee Keith Reardigan. Rubio, along with his brother Jayson Rubio, is the longtime owner and operator of Augusta’s popular Soul Bar which is still going strong. The new venue, Sky City, features a bar in front/venue in back setup, holds approximately 400 people and is located in the former location of The Mission at 1157 Broad Street in downtown Augusta. Quick thinkers and old farts will instantly recognize the name as taken from the chain of discount stores which had locations throughout the region, including up on North Avenue in Athens, as well as being the name of the early-'90s Athens band which counted Steve Fitzpatrick and the late Bo Tompkins among its members. But I digress, as always. For more information and booking, please drop a line to info@soulbar.com and tell him we all said congrats on the new place.

God Save Vaudeville, Variety, Etc.: Local band Folklore is in the midst of its demise, but the band has something special planned for its AthFest performance. The band will perform all, or as much as they can fit in, of The Kinks' legendary The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society at the Georgia Theatre this Friday, June 20. Word from the band is that this is most likely its last show together. Enjoy the tunes and check out more over at www.myspace.com/folkloreband.

And we’re out. Enjoy the week, and enjoy our town. Be proud. And, as always, be sure to keep your news coming in, and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. I am everyday people via email to music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 706-549-9523, ext. 203, or by post to P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA, 30603.

Gordon Lamb