originally published August 2, 2006

Okay, sucker, bust a move and start reading…

It’s Almost Too Late: If you haven’t picked up your passes for next week's 2006 Athens PopFest, then I just don’t know what.   All I can say at this point is you need to run, don’t walk, or surf the web really fast and pick them up. Available locally at Wuxtry Records and SchoolKids Records, the passes for the whole week are only $40 and individual day passes are $10. However, with the exception of the first night (Tuesday, Aug. 8) at Little Kings, which is free for everyone, the shows at Little Kings will be open only to those folks who have a full pass. Individual day passes will only work for the night shows at the 40 Watt. So, head over to www.hhbtm.com/popfest and check out the lineup, then buy your passes. Damn, you’d think I was in the hand-holding business, wouldn’t you?

Well, It’s The Thought That Counts: The almost year-old local band Lerú weighed in last week to let me know it had a show coming up that was going to be a benefit for the American Cancer Society. So I shot the group an email and waited a week, which in the cyber age is the equivalent of forever, for a response which merely pointed me toward the most bare-bones website ever created, www.myspace.com/lerutheband. In all fairness, it had only just been created a few days before, but still, it’s pretty inexcusable to not even list the bandmembers' names. So, the deal is this: this band Lerú will play on Wednesday, Aug. 2, with classic Texas band The Tombstones, and then again on Saturday, Aug. 12, both times at Tasty World, with the first date being the benefit. The band is described as “jammy-jam-rock-reggae.”

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: Former Athenian band Great Lakes will make a stop nearby on Sunday, Aug. 6 when it performs at The EARL in Atlanta. Although Great Lakes has included a veritable who’s who of the Athens music scene over the years, the group has always been centered on the compositions of Ben Crum and Dan Donahue. The band's newest album Diamond Times will be out in September on Empyrean Records. Check out samples over at www.myspace.com/greatlakesband.

Here Comes The Thunder: Although they’ve been rocking together for about nine months or so, I had yet to actually hear the local dudes in Thunderchief until they slid me a copy of their demo. For a three-piece band, they’re pretty solid and are farming the 1970s proto-metal/ proto-punk field. Interested parties can catch them live when they play Lunch Paper on Thursday, Aug. 3. See www.myspace.com/thunderchizzle for more info. The band just wrapped recording a new album with Asa Leffer up at DARC.

Finally A Reissue Worth Paying For: On Sept. 12, R.E.M. will see the release of two incredible sets of music. The double CD And I Feel Fine... The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982–1987, will feature 21 songs spanning the band's earliest years and the second disc of the set features live tracks, alternate mixes and demos. A companion DVD release, When The Light Is Mine… The Best Of The I.R.S. Years 1982–1987 Video Collection, though, is the real treat. Featuring all 11 of the band's promotional videos from those five years, the DVD also features unbelievably rare performance footage from television shows "The Old Grey Whistle Test," "The Tube" and IRS’ "The Cutting Edge." The "Cutting Edge" footage, in particular, is a wonderful document of a time when MTV actually had something to offer viewers, as the label-sponsored show was produced specifically for MTV broadcast. These releases coincide with the band's induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame, which also occurs during the same month.

Keep On Spyin’: Local pop wonder Russian Spy Camera reports that it has added musician McGregor Button to the lineup; he will play some piano and bass depending on which song needs what. The new lineup makes its debut the opening night of Popfest (Tuesday, Aug. 8) at Little Kings. The band also reports receiving rave reviews for its debut album You Are A Vulture from locales as far away as the Netherlands and Portugal. Well, damn, guys, good show.

With This, All Rumors Are Quashed: Although there has been much speculation and rumor as to the future of local dreamy glam band Boulevard, main man Benji Barton has announced that he and lanky lovemaster Stephen James have reassembled the group with new members and made the bold move of replacing the lead guitars with synthesizers. Barton also reiterated the loose plans the guys have for making a jump to New York in the early part of next year. Aw, man, like there’s anywhere to live or practice up there! At least here we have good barbecue and cheap drinks. Either way, Boulevard’s next local show will happen Aug. 19 at the 40 Watt with local success story Of Montreal.

Change The Name, Save The Date: It’s been announced that Jucifer has changed the title of its upcoming Relapse Records debut album from the already-taken At The Hands Of Our Intercessors to If Thine Enemy Hunger. The release date is set for Sept. 5 and, as would be expected from the road-hungry duo, they will tour extensively in support of the release, including a stint on the multi-act Relapse Records Contamination Tour. Locally, fans can catch Jucifer on record-release day Sept. 5 at the Georgia Theatre and then three nights later at Atlanta venue The Star Bar.

Plan Now, More Later: Go ahead and make your plans now to attend the Tribute To Joe Strummer & The Clash taking place at the Caledonia Lounge on Saturday, Aug. 19. Featured performers include Chop Top, Don Chambers + GOAT, Geoff Reacher, David Barbe, Tiny Velveteen Mice (featuring members of Star Room Boys and Hayride) and The Oil Drums (members of Ceiling Fan, The Shut-Ups, Hayride and The Scalded Dogs). Oh, um, yeah, I’ll be playing this one, too. The event is a benefit for the Whit Davis Elementary School music program to assist its instructor Rachel Osborne in obtaining instruments for her classes. Hard-rocking drummer and man about town Dave Gerow is the organizer of this whole shindig, so many thanks to him.

Finally… Something: Those kids in SIDS have been pretty quiet around here for a while, mainly due to screamer Adam Stroupe being holed up in Chapel Hill, NC, doing scientific research. Seriously. But, as the summer wanes, the band has some plans up its collective sleeve. Although no shows are scheduled in our immediate area, those willing to make the drive can catch SIDS in the surrounding areas. Maybe soon the group will record some new tracks and can stop milking the last drop out of its debut 7” from last year. Check out tour dates at the most irritatingly busy webpage ever over at www.myspace.com/suddeninfantdeathsyndrome.

People Come, People Go: One of the constants in a college town is a fluidity in its population, and so people come and go. Jorge Torres (ex-Pacific UV), a filmmaker and musician, is heading up to Brooklyn, and so his days as a local music video maker wrap up. Ceramic Dvck, the latest band to carry Torres' influence, played its final show this past weekend at the DIY venue Secret Squirrel. In other music-related news, local music writer Ben Gerrard, who wrote the weekly Flagpole column Club Notes, among a bevy of other stuff, has moved to Kansas. Any local bands who wish to keep in touch can email him at gerrardbau@yahoo.com.

Places Come, Places Go: In that same vein, there are changes afoot for several local music venues in the coming month. Word is that Last Call will change its name, although calls to owner Eyal Reisen went unreturned and so details are, um, nonexistent. Sadder news, though, is that after 12 years and two locations, Lunch Paper will permanently close down on Thursday, Aug. 31. Monte Koster has already sold the bar, which has proven vital to Athens' rock and punk scene, and another will take its place, though no word on whether it'll also double as a venue. The entire month of August will see good-bye celebrations and music performances, so as stuff becomes clear Flagpole will keep you up to date.

Now, let’s make a sandwich! Be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. There stands the glass via email to music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 706-549-9523, ext. 203, or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.

Gordon Lamb

Gordon Lamb