originally published August 16, 2006

Oh, sweet lord. After this year’s PopFest, you’d think I’d be done with talking about bands, watching bands and listening to bands. But, you see, I’m not merely mortal in that way. I can watch, talk and listen about bands for, like, ever. So rest your ears, folks, and relax while quietly catching up with this week's news. Drift down below…

Update Numero Uno: Following up on the news of a couple of weeks go that beloved downtown establishment Lunch Paper is changing ownership. Missy Koefod is the new owner of the space and will take over on Sept. 1. The bar that'll replace Lunch Paper will be called Repent, and live shows will continue at the space. At this early date, Koefod plans to have one night of karaoke a week in addition to a possible two nights of live music a week, "either deejays or live bands," she says. "For deejays we're open to anything from house to trance, pop, hip hop, and bands will be rock, folk, Southern country… a good mix." Though things are still coming together, Koefod is handling all the booking for the club and is available at 404-957-7151.

Update Numero Dos: In other news, local entrepreneur Mark Bell, part owner of the new gay-friendly dance club Detour, reports that its not quite ready to open yet. Bell says, “It’s going slowly but surely. And that’s more slowly than surely.” Well, we’ll still keep our fingers crossed on this one.

Update Numero Tres: In other other news, Last Call has changed ownership (adding partners, although Eyal Reisen, also of DT's, remains involved) and names. It’ll now be known as The Library and even the most drunk among you can instantly recognize that the name was clearly chosen to fool unsuspecting parents into believing their kids were really at, um, the library. It is undecided whether the space will still host live music, so stay tuned.

New Releases: You could do a lot worse than swinging by Little Kings the night of Friday, Aug. 18. That's when local pop band Casper & the Cookies celebrate the release of new album The Optimist’s Club, a loose concept album about two friends from Atlanta visiting New York and falling in love. This Little Kings show marks the beginning of the Cookies' big national tour, which sees them head through Texas to California, up to Oregon and Washington and then they'll spend about half of September tooling around the Midwest before ending back up here for a show at the Caledonia in October. See Flagpole's review of the disc over on p.40.

Bigger and Bigger: Ever growing in popularity, Of Montreal play the 40 Watt Club on Saturday, Aug. 19. With all the students back in town, expect the $8 show to be packed. The big news on the Kevin Barnes & Co. tip, however, is that next week, Polyvinyl Records will release a vinyl-only remix album called Satanic Twins. The limited edition (only 2,000 pressed) double-LP features remixes from the local sensation's two most popular albums, Satanic Panic in the Attic and The Sunlandic Twins; Broken Spindles, Grizzly Bear, I Am The World Trade Center, IQU and United State of Electronica, among others, contribute tracks. You can buy 'em at www.polyvinylrecords.com, although orders are limited to two per customer, and all the tracks will be available via iTunes, eMusic, etc. on Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Getting Heavy In Here: Relapse Records has announced the CD re-release of Harvey Milk’s majestic Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men. Originally released in 1996 on vinyl only, the album has been sought by collectors and fans alike for years. Available in stores Sept. 5, this event follows closely on the heels of the Athens debut of the Harvey Milk documentary Anthem, which screens in it’s entire three-and-a-half-hour glory on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at the fabulous 40 Watt. The screening begins at 8 p.m. and only costs $3. Dude!

Six Years Already: It’s hard to believe, but local venue/ resource center Nuçi’s Space is about to turn six years old. Although more details are yet to be hammered out, here’s some stuff we can let you know right now. On Saturday, Sept. 30, the space will host its 5K on-campus run, and then that evening is the big bash with free beer, food and an open house birthday party. Featured performers include Some Animal, Dodd Ferrelle, Mikey Dwyer, KP Devlin and Old Iron Shoes. Word is that the bands are to play quieter, more intimate sets. There’s gonna be an autographed memorabilia auction and some documentary footage of the space shown, also. Yeah, it’s a little bit in the future, but I’ll remind you as the date approaches.

Holy Shit!: I never thought this would happen, but Japan’s almighty Boris will hit Athens on Wednesday, Sept. 6 over at the Caledonia Lounge. Although the venue never really does this, there are advance tickets available for the show via www.ticketalternative.com for $8. You’re probably wondering why bother buying an advance ticket for a show at the Caledonia, right? Because, cowgirl, this show will likely sell out, and if you miss out you’ll just be weeping into your import CD collection. If you choose to take the chance then at least be prepared to spend $10 at the door that night. Pearls and Brass and Athens' own Pegasuses-XL round out the bill. Feel the doom, sucker.

DeYonker Goes West!: Former Athenian Nathan DeYonker (ex-Reading, ex-Big Gray) is in a new band called Warren Jackson Hearne & the Gloomandeers. Calling Denton, TX home, the band is still insisting on driving a converted school bus around the country during this awful heat and will head to Athens on Monday, Aug. 21 to play the Flicker Theatre and Bar with local Sleepy Horses dude Nic Goodson. Described by DeYonker as an “eight-piece acoustic gypsy orchestra with a lead singer who sounds like Nick Cave and looks like a rockabilly dude from Montana,” I have a feeling you won’t want to miss it.

Talk About A Dirty Movie!: I almost feel irresponsible for reporting this bit of news, but since some of you out there will undoubtedly be interested, I suppose I should forge ahead. On Sept. 11, the Georgia Theatre will host two screenings of the new documentary Dreadheads: Portrait of a Subculture. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., and tickets are $3. Reports from the producers tout the film as, “a sociological study focusing on the funky white kids that dread their hair and follow around bands such as The Dead, Phil Lesh and Friends and Widespread Panic.” Included are interviews with Panic members John Bell and Dave Schools and The Dead’s Phil Lesh and Bob Weir. A Q&A session with producer and co-director Steve Hurlburt will follow the 7 p.m. screening so you can thank him or ask him what in the world he was thinking.

Take It On The Road: Local jam band Little Green Chairs reports that after winning a 2006 Flagpole Athens Music Award for Best Jam Band, booking its first tour was surprisingly easy. The band takes off at the end of August for a 10-date tour up to Ohio and Michigan. In other news, the band reports it'll play both the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival in Silk Hope, NC and the Magnolia Festival in Suwanee, FL in October.

Life Is A Finished: After a protracted absence from the scene Athens/ Atlanta hardcore/ screamo band Life is a Fight has scheduled its final show. Yes, the dudes hung on this long just to finish recording and play a last show before everyone goes off and does other stuff. The band is comprised of Josh Wintje (guitar, vocals), Ajay Moti (guitar), Drew Smith (drums, vocals), Navid Amlani (bass, vocals) and Jake Duvall (vocals), but most of these guys have been better known for their other projects (including Gasmask & Matchsticks, Cobra Clutch and Coulier) than for their time in LIAF. Still, they once made a righteous noise together and should not be forgotten easily. Unfortunately, their final show is to take place all the way in Atlanta at the 11:11 Tea House, which is named suspiciously similarly to legendary Athens space the 11:11 Koffee Klub, on Saturday, Aug. 26. Their as-yet-unnamed album should see release at about the same time.

So much for all that. Be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. Tonight there’s gonna be a jailbreak 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