originally published April 30, 2008

As we plow full into late spring, things just seem to be getting busier, at least for me they do. Such is the case, too, with all the bands and people you’ll read about this week. Take their stories with you. Get grabbing below…

Hey All You Volunteers! So, the headliners have been announced along with several other bands, plans are being finalized and the overarching organizational aspects of the 2008 AthFest seem to be pretty much completed. However, lots of folks are needed to help out with various tasks ranging from unloading trucks and setting up booths, to selling wristbands, to helping with KidsFest. All in all, it’s a great way to get some hands-on experience in one of the biggest civic events our city has, and get a close-up look at how much work goes into staging an event of this size. Get more information over at www.athfest.com.

These Colors Don’t Run: Those local masters of the auditory landslide, Harvey Milk, will invade Europe and the UK for the first time this summer. The band will play shows in France, Belgium and Germany along with a few UK dates that still need to be nailed down. Significantly the band received near-headline status for the 2008 Supersonic Festival in Birmingham, England on July 12. The band will also play the stupidly huge Dour Festival in Dour, Belgium on July 18. In almost-related news, guitarist Creston Spiers will play an early (as in 6 p.m.) solo set at the Caledonia Lounge on Thursday, May 1 and new member Joe Preston (ex-Melvins) will bring his one-man-band Thrones to the lounge on Tuesday, May 13. Congratulate them over at www.myspace.com/harveymilk.

Woo Light Up My Life: From the “well, finally!” department comes news that local rockers Down with the Woo have finished the new album. Recorded over at member Eric Friar’s Downtown Athens Recording Company, the new collection is titled Thylacines and the band is now on the hunt for a label to release it. Hopefully, this won’t take too long because this is a band that people should hear. In other news, Down with the Woo has been busily working on completing a video for its song “Muscle Minus Brain” via the nimble fingers of member Winston Parker. Drop them a line and tell them you need these things over at www.myspace.com/downwiththewoo.

Two Days, Two Shows: Athens band The Complete Adventurer has announced that its debut album is finished. Billed as a concept album, the record follows a narrative concerning a central character who despairs at city living, goes mad when isolated, has hopes of giving up and leads a dull, boring existence. The band, which takes its name from a Dungeons & Dragons rulebook, has titled this epic It’s Not Science, It’s Science Fiction. A staple of the band’s live shows is that local visual artists join them onstage and create paintings while the band plays. You’ll have two chances to pelt them with 20-sided dice when they play the Rye Bar on Thursday, May 1 and Go Bar on Friday, May 2. For other secrets please see www.myspace.com/thecompleteadventurer.

New Tracks: The newly-resurfaced Iron Hero has some new songs you can dig over at www.myspace.com/ironhero. The new songs were recorded by engineer Joel Hatstat (Pegasuses-XL) and mastered by M. Cadet honcho Martin Brummeler (Mass Solo Revolt). Go listen to them and then you can shout out in-the-know requests when the band plays Friday, May 2, along with the new project from Hank Sullivant (ex-Whigs) named Kuroma and Chattanooga, TN band Coral Castles.

Old’s Cool: Yeah, Elf Power is gonna rock the Caledonia Lounge on Saturday, May 3. But the Athens rock gods would smite me immediately if I didn’t mention that this night marks the return of 1990s-era Athens band Space Cookie. Although named after a hippy acquaintance of bandleader Chief Ruiz, the band itself was at one point among the most outrageous acts to ever hit an Athens stage. Incredibly tuneful punk played at an early-1980s hardcore pace (before "hardcore" meant heavy metal). Although the members are scattered 'round the country now, Space Cookie has been playing a few shows lately and still insists the band never broke up. This is the only do-not-miss thing happening this night, and I expect to see you there. Go listen at www.myspace.com/fuckspacecookie.

Raise Awareness, Raise Consciousness & Raise Hell! The 30th Annual Athens Human Rights Festival occurs this Saturday and Sunday (May 3–4), and as usual, a variety of speakers and bands will be featured. Featured music performers include an acoustic version of classic Athens band Squalls (featuring three original members and billed as Squallz), Goodbye Donovan, Tacit, Art Rosenbaum, Fleeta Mitchell, The Suex Effect, Jackpot City, Kite to the Moon, Breathlanes, Michael Guthrie Band, Diva Experience, Vic Chesnutt, Gabriela Mejias, Jimmy Parr & Michael Crowe, Paul Lombard, Tommy Jordan & String Theory, Sursie, Squat, Grogus, Music Hates You and Dubconcious. The two-day event will occupy College Square and be unavoidable to anyone in the center of downtown, so, even if you weren’t planning on going, if you happen upon it, stick around and listen for a while. A full list of speakers, etc., can be found over at www.athenshumanrightsfest.org.

Save Someone’s Life Tonight: The 3rd Annual Gimme Shelter Benefit will happen Friday, May 2 at the 40 Watt. The annual event is a benefit for the Athens Area Homeless Shelter and each year sees the various performers covering a particular artist's songs. This year the bands are covering the songs of Elton John. The good news is that tickets are a very reasonable $10 and a pre-party is planned for the same night from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Ciné. The early event will feature tapas from restaurant Casa Mia, a cash bar and a local version of popular 1950s game show To Tell the Truth featuring local celebrities. Tickets for the pre-party are $20 each, but if you buy tickets for the show and the party together you can get your whole night covered for $25. If you want the combo-package you can order them via the shelter's website. Tickets for the 40 Watt show are available there, too, or you can just pop down to Schoolkids Records and grab them. All pertinent info is available over at www.athensareahomelessshelter.com. You’d do well to hang around the site for a while, too, and read about all the good work these folks do. It’s more than you probably think.

Head Up the Highway: The Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau is hosting an event named Athens Day in Augusta and they are seeking an acoustic band, duo or solo performer to represent the Classic City. As per its duty, the bureau (the membership of which is composed of several local businesses, attractions and hotels) is promoting Athens as a tourist destination to out-of-state travelers. The event will take place at the Georgia Visitors Information Center on I-20 in Augusta on Friday, May 16. If you're interested in being the performer selected, you must agree to play several sets between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., and be willing to engage audience members between sets with conversation as to why Athens is awesome and people should come here and visit us. No payment is provided, but you'll get fed and can possibly carpool up there with a bunch of Athenians already attending. Please contact Jared Bailey via director@athfest.com or call him at 706-613-3810. But, seriously, if you're interested, do this soon.

Vote or Die: Well, not really. But I'd like to point your attention to the ballot for the 2008 Flagpole Music Awards in this issue. A couple of weeks back several Athens music folks were tapped to be this year's nomination committee, spent several hours hashing out ideas and came up with what you see. There have been some changes in the categories this year, but, as always, you do not have to vote for the people nominated. You can always write in the artist of your choice. Nor do you have to vote in each category. But what you can't do is vote for the same artist in each category or stuff the ballot box. So, with that said, either use the ballot or the handy online form and vote.

Blurb: Some news occurred last week when it was announced that guitarist Jef Whatley joined Still, Small Voice & the Joyful Noise. His debut show with the band took place at Farm 255. And, um, that’s all there is.

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. We got the beat 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