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Athens Face/Off Returns


Athens is a collaborative town by both nature and necessity, and nowhere is that more evident than its famously interconnected (some might say incestuous) music community. One concert series celebrates this spirit and takes it a step further, pairing Classic City musicians together and challenging them to put together a new band in the span of a month.

Former Athens musician (and occasional Flagpole contributor) Jeff Tobias created the Face/Off in 2007 to inject some energy and spontaneity into the music scene. The concept—randomly joining members of various local bands together into groups of twos and threes and inviting them to create 10 minutes of original music—produced totally unpredictable, often thrilling results, the sound of “a lot of lightning striking once,” as Tobias puts it.

After heading up seven installments, the last of which took place in December 2011, Tobias moved to New York and Face/Off was no more. That is, until earlier this year, when two musicians, Naoko Uno and Flagpole Arts Editor Jessica Smith, decided to resurrect the event.

Smith discussed with Tobias about taking up the mantle much sooner, but “the idea of organizing a Face/Off without Jeff never felt quite right, maybe because he’s such a living embodiment of what the event represents,” she says. “So, I let the project quietly fade into Athens mythology.” But when Uno expressed interest in helping to bring back the series, the Face/Off was reborn.

This weekend’s show will feature randomly assembled trios featuring members of Elf Power, Cinemechanica, Muuy Biien, Shehehe, Hot Fudge, Future Ape Tapes, Nihilist Cheerleader, Faster Circuits, Wanda, Art Contest and dozens of other bands.

“There’s such a dense concentration of driven musicians here, and it was surprisingly easy to confirm a lineup of players who hardly raised an eyebrow at the idea of being set up on a blind date with bandmates,” Smith says. “The beauty of Face/Off is that it really levels the playing field in a peculiar way, often by pairing higher-profile mainstays with performers who are still finding their own voice.”

Elf Power’s Bryan Poole, who participated in the second-ever Face/Off in 2008 and returns for Saturday’s show, says he relishes the communal aspect of the event. “Face/Off is great because it pairs up people with different backgrounds and tastes,” he says. “I’m sure there are groups that don’t mesh well, but hopefully each individual learns something about collaboration and, in the process, makes some new friends.”

Smith adds that the event is an excuse for musicians to venture outside of their comfort zone, experimenting with new sounds and even new instruments.

“Some trios will create a set blended from their distinct styles, while others could potentially scrap everything and stage a puppet show, conceptual performance art piece or 10-minute staring contest instead,” she says. “We intentionally don’t place any parameters, aside from the time limit, because we want the performers to feel comfortable bringing forth their hidden talents.”

About half of this weekend’s Face/Off performers have participated in the past, says Smith, the goal being that those veterans will help guide the newbies through the process.

Yet familiarity with the concept does not necessarily make for smooth sailing when it comes to putting together a brand-new band in four weeks. Poole, by all rights an Athens-music linchpin, admits that his group has been beset by scheduling issues.

“We had one of our members bow out three days ago,” he says. “We had a big concept we were working on, but I’d hate to foist the concept on a replacement member. It seems unfair to the new recruit. Matt Garrison has a backup plan if needed. It’s another mini-opera, but it shall remain a secret.”

Until Saturday, when all will be revealed. Smith says she enjoys the mystery of it all, explaining that, rather than aim for purposeful pairings of like-minded musicians in an attempt at predictability, “it’s much more interesting and challenging to leave it up to fate.”

Athens Face/Off Schedule:

9 P.M. Triple Nipple—Laura Carter (Elf Power), Chip McKenzie (Still, Small Voice and the
              Joyful Noise), Tyler Walker (Harvey Funkwalker)

Bed, Bath & Beyoncé—Jacob Morris (Moths), Christina Rowland (Outersea), Hale Woods (Swamp)

Avocadolypse Meow!—Raleigh Hatfield, Mike Merva (Tabloid), Adriana Thomas (Partials)

Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeahs—Emily Armond (Sea of Dogs), Jason Roach (Maximum Busy Muscle), Jef Whatley (Still, Small Voice and the Joyful Noise)

Glass Horse—Seth Barham (LeAnn Peppers), Patrick Carey (The Ginger Envelope), Eric Hernandez (Los Meesfits)

10 P.M. Fleetwood Slack—Hana Hay (Green Thrift Grocery), Steve Hendriksen (Timmy &
                the Tumblers), Blake Stewart (Tabloid)

lady danger—Avery Draut (Wanda), Sean McDonald (Heat Sureens), Nick Robbins (Velveteen Pink)

Drügs—Margo Fortune (Street Sweeper), Walter Lane (M-Tank), Dain Marx (Green Thrift Grocery)

No Third Person—Winston Barbe (The Hernies), Eddy Lezama (The Fuzzlers)

Safe Space—Derek Almstead (Faster Circuits), Michael Lauden (Group Chat), John Spiegel (Cult of Riggonia)

11 P.M. The Pepperboxers—Emileigh Ireland (Helen Scott), Jason Trahan (Old Smokey),
                Jeremy Wheatley (Eric Bachmann)

It—Matt Garrison (Shoal Creek Stranglers), Bryan Poole (The Late B.P. Helium), Paul Trudea (Harvey Milk)

Ric Flair—Garrett Burke (Art Contest), Ryan Vogel (Blunt Bangs), Xander Witt (Muuy Biien)

Superfood—Bren Bailey (Tongues), Kris Deason (Hot Fudge), Andrea DeMarcus (Cicada Rhythm)

The Grass That Grows—Cash Carter (Blunt Bangs), Thom Strickland (Smokedog), Garrison Taylor-Bates (WUOG)

12 A.M. Mossy Bathhouse—Chris Ellenburg (Southern Bitch), John Fernandes (New
                 Sound of Numbers), Richard Hunsinger (Tug)

Lease to Moan—Patrick Morales (Mothers), Zach Spires, Scott Woodward (T.S. Woodward)

Tongue Biter—Charlie Bond (Richard Gumby), Flynne Collins (Nihilist Cheerleader), Christopher Ingham (Christopher Without his Liver)

National Lemon—Claire Campbell (Hope for Agoldensummer), Keiko Ishibashi (Athens Hot Club), Mat Lewis (Grape Soda)

Areola Borealis—Luke Fields (Bit Brigade), Thomas Valadez (Future Ape Tapes), Derek Wiggs (Shehehe)

1 A.M. Black Gutters—Mike Albanese (Cinemechanica), Lydia Brambila (LYR),
              Brian McGhee (Waitress)

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