Hey all. I used to always hear stories about how the summer heat in the South was particularly inspirational for visual artists and musicians. Well, I don't know about all that, but it certainly has me walking a few steps slower these days. Pour the mint julep and meet me on the porch…

Prima Donnas? Where?: One of the most impossible things for a band to do is pack over 100 people into a small, college town club on a Tuesday night during the summer. Still, Kill Rock Stars recording "artists" Gravy Train!!!! managed to do that this past week at The Caledonia Lounge. The band, which survives on more gimmicks than Barnum & Bailey, managed to complain throughout the night. Although their show was goofy and humorous, as far as I'm concerned it was nice to see them pack up and drive their little bitchfest straight out of town. Saving this bill from certain misery was the mighty SIDS and San Francisco's The Vanishing. SIDS did not disappoint. They are quickly becoming known in wider circles and things, hopefully, will only continue to improve for them. The Vanishing was a wonderful mix of semi-darkwave goth and synthesizer-punk. Sad to think that Athens used to run this type of stuff out of town (or ignore it until it died), but shit, fashion is cyclical so I'm content to enjoy it now. A small hint to anyone that was impressed by singer Jessie Eva of The Vanishing and her continuous flashing of the crowd: if you're going to keep lifting your shirt you should be sure that there's actually something worth seeing. Okay, so I'm an ass. Just sayin' is all…

Nothing Left To Do But Smile, Smile, Smile: Sometimes I think I've seen it all. Now I really think I have. The 10th Annual SmileFest will happen in Union Grove, NC, July 22—25, and not only will there be more hippies than you can swing a dead cat at, you can also catch a couple of Athens acts that have been added to the bill. The very enjoyable Athens reggae act Dubconscious and longtime Athens singer/ songwriter Leslie "Serpentfly" Helpert will be performing and should please the crowds very much. Reggae grandfathers Burning Spear will also perform. Beyond this, I say venture to SmileFest over there at your own risk. (I mean, come on, naming your festival SmileFest is just begging to be made fun of. I don't even have to try!) Tickets cost $85 for the entire weekend and the event is billed as "Three Days of Peace, Love and Music" which, incidentally, is the same billing used by the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in 1969. And we all know how that shit turned out. For more information please see www.smilefest.com.

It's Summertime. Let's Tour: Sometimes I wish that I could go on the road with bands from Athens and see how our hometown favorites are received in other towns. Mostly, I wish I were on the road this month with Hello Sir Records stablemates Cinemechanica and We Versus The Shark. Both bands will be on the road together for the entire month of July and will travel as far North as Buffalo, NY and as far West as Indiana. They will play their triumphant "return from tour" show at The Caledonia on July 31 with local punch-in-the-face Coulier [see ABC]. In other tour news, An Epic At Best will be traveling for a few dates this month, although I couldn't secure a schedule for them by press time. I guess stick your finger in the air and see which way the wind blows. For more information please see www.wevstheshark.com, www.cinemechanica.com and www.anepicatbest.com.

Turn And Face The Strange Ch-Ch-Changes: Athens musician and graphic artist Paul Nunn has left his former band Corsair citing that his leaving would be mutually advantageous for all concerned. Nunn is currently seeking new collaborative opportunities in town and working on his electronic/ down-tempo/ ambient project Penguine. Most recently Nunn received the Audience Choice Award for Best Music Video (in honor of his video for Ordinary Germans Like Yourselves' "Ratbot") at the Flagpole Athens Music Awards after being screened at the Sprockets Music & Video Show organized by The Athens Film Foundation. Local acts have already approached Nunn about working on their video projects, so don't ever count out those guys that always seem glued to their computers. They probably have a leg up on you. Contact him concerning any of these things via Loismustdie808@yahoo.com.

Hehe, You Said "Art": It's been advertised for months now and it's finally here. Of course I'm speaking of the "Rock, Paper, Scissors" art show at The Lyndon House Arts Center. While there have been probably hundreds of shows of this type around the country in the past 20 or so years, this is the first of its kind here in Athens. The show features the art, yeah I said it, of the rock music poster and features local artists Nick Canada, Matt Grant and Jeff Wood, among others. When I say "rock poster" I actually mean "music poster." It's just that most of this stuff focuses so heavily on rock music. At any rate, the artistry and craftsmanship that has been infused into the local poster-art scene in the past several years has been inspiring and gratifying. You've seen them around town, too. They're the ones that stand out on a kiosk covered in cheap photo-copied dreck. They're the ones people steal from bulletin boards (before their advertised event even happens) for fear that someone else will get it. The artwork in the show is for sale and proceeds benefit Nuçi's Space. Also, The Lyndon House is one of the nicest places in Athens, so that should encourage you to head over there also. The show runs until August 21. For more information, please call (706) 613-3623.

And that's all for this week. Please get your news in early and often and make sure that you always, always, always reference either me or Threats & Promises in the subject lines of all emails. Always. Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me via email at music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 549-2360; or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603
Gordon Lamb