3 days ago
BreastFest 2010
Saturday, March 20 at Terrapin Beer Company
Devon Young
Sara O'Brien and Megan Lewis
Five sisters. Ten ta-tas. One mission: breast cancer prevention. The O'Brien sisters have organized BreastFests to bring attention to and raise money for breast cancer prevention since 1999, following the death of their mother, Tyanna O'Brien. The festival features local music and food, a silent auction and raffle, and kids' activities. As this year's event is hosted by Terrapin Beer Company, brewery tours and Terrapin beer tasting will also be part of the fun. The music lineup includes Betsy Franck and the Bareknuckle Band, 16 Tons, 90 Acre Farm, Nathan Sheppard and John Keane, and the Sara O'Brien Band.
BreastFest stands as a testament to the O'Brien sisters' belief that humor is the best way to spread awareness and bring the topic of breast cancer forward. “We use humor, music, beer and wine to deal with it—that's all you really need, right?" says Sara. However, not all Athenians were initially receptive of the name "BreastFest."
“People were worried about offending cancer patients, but I've yet to meet someone that it actually offends," Sara contends. "They're like 'Yay. Let's actually do something about this.'”
The sisters describe the event as "a big party" in which attendees can expect everything from a round of "check the breasts" chants to the "We Are Family" dance. Proceeds benefit St. Mary's Women's Diagnostic Center, to support local women and families affected by breast cancer. Last year's event raised over $10,000. The tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 at the door and include the Terrapin beer tasting, brewery tours, food and the silent auction and raffle—all happening between noon and 5 p.m. Kids are free. Tickets are available at the St. Mary's gift shop and online at http://breastfestathens.org. A BreastFest 5K run will also take place the next day, Mar. 21, at 8 a.m., starting at Stegeman Coliseum.
3 days ago
Wizard Smoke
w/ Vincas, Untied States, Get Sad
Saturday, March 20 at Caledonia Lounge
What is Wizard Smoke? Not marijuana: "There was a day when I was 20 and unemployed. My friend came over; we couldn't get any weed, so we went to the head shop and bought some Wizard Smoke, and we smoked it, and it was fucking terrible. It did not get us high."
Wizard Smoke
James Halcrow's word to the wise regarding fake drugs is both: A) inversely accurate in terms of describing his Atlanta-based doom metal band of the same name and B) telling of said band's exogenesis. Ill-advised drug errands, working a day job, driving on 316: these are all the sorts of things that develop in a person the need to unwind. Wizard Smoke is the chosen outlet for Halcrow, Matt Cherry (also of Maserati), David Eidson, Dug Dawyer, Dan Nadolny and Ben Arnold to accomplish this goal. Their musical vehicle of choice is low-BPM heavy metal.
"It was an excuse to get together and hang out and drink beer, not really having any serious aspirations or anything like that," says Halcrow. Their debut release, Live Rock in Hell, is five extremely enjoyable, feedback-laden slabs of Roman-numerated sludge. The digital release is made freely available by the band, but the cassette/CD edition sweetens the pot. "The CD has all the tracks combined into one track played backwards in the back of it, as a sort of joke-bonus jam," says Halcrow. "It was definitely weed-inspired."
When faced with an inquiry about his lyrical content, Halcrow says, "I don't really take it very seriously. It's all just gibberish about Satan. If you looked at the lyrics, it would look like a five-year-old wrote it." And while Flagpole is half concerned about what kind of five-year-olds Halcrow is hanging around and why they'd be writing about Satan, this is beside the point. Wizard Smoke accomplishes the dual goals of being both an unpretentious meeting of friends and a welcome addition to the Southern metal scene. Look for a follow-up album, tentatively titled either The Speed of Sleep or Wizard Smoke Plays "Cold Steel," this summer.
3 days ago
Thee Vicars
Sunday, March 21 at Ben’s Bikes
One look at the four well-dressed, mop-topped lads of Thee Vicars doesn’t suggest they’re “so garage you can park your car in them,” but British music magazine Kruger swears it’s true. Stateside, Vice lends support by declaring them “the most authentic garage-punk band this side of The Mummies.”
Those are potent words, and Athenians will have a chance to judge for themselves whether the boys are worthy when they rock the Ben’s Bikes Soul Spectacular Mar. 21 after a four-party stint at SXSW.
The Bury St. Edmunds-based foursome, consisting of the reverends Mike Whittaker, Chris Langeland, Marcus Volkert and Will Pattenden, play some mean '60s-inspired punk rock reminiscent of a lo-fi, less tuneful Zombies, replete with wild screams, bratty Cockney vocals and what sounds like ample opportunity for go-go dancing.
It all certainly made an impact on Cool Kid Booking’s Nate Mitchell, who contacted them when he found out they had a March date with Atlanta’s Fringe Factory vintage psych-rock soiree.
“This will be the first Ben's Bikes dance party that I have added a live band to, so I wanted to make sure it was going to be someone special, who would leave quite a lasting impression on the folks that come out,” he says. “These youngsters (are) simply bursting with youthful, rock and roll energy and putting on absolutely manic performances, like an unholy alliance of Thee Headcoats and The Mummies.”
And adding a live act to Ben’s Bikes won’t upset the dynamic. Kurt Wood and DJ Mahogany will spin all night, the Eye Gate Crew will show off their psychedelic lightshow, and Sabrina Cuadra will debut new videos from Whistling School for Boys.
“A live set from Thee Vicars will just be an extra splash of gravy on the whole thing,” he says.
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