After a three-year hiatus, Artist2Artist is back to partying with a purpose at this summer’s Athstock, a full-day concert recreating the peace, love and magic of the legendary Woodstock festival of 1969. On Saturday, Aug. 5 at Southern Brewing Company, roughly five dozen musicians will come together to perform the timeless tunes of 13 iconic bands that graced the stage of yesteryear, such as The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Sly and the Family Stone, Jimi Hendrix and the Grateful Dead.
Artist2Artist was co-founded in 2016 by Jean Biddle and Lisa Mende, who felt inspired after collaborating together on a “Fillmore Athens” fundraising concert in support of Project Safe’s annual event, Dancing with the Athens Stars. Recognizing how many community members were left vulnerable by larger society, they set out to create a new flexible nonprofit that could address different obstacles as they arose.
“2016 was a volatile time, and we saw various groups in our community in danger of being forgotten with threats of repealing the Affordable Care Act and narrowing LGBTQ rights,” say Biddle and Mende over email. “So, we thought about starting our own nonprofit to be able to address them as they caught our attention. But, we also wanted to bolster our local performing artists. The focus is always on our beneficiary, but at the same time we wanted to treat our performers as the true artists they are by giving them exposure, treating them as the rock stars we believe they are… and be available to help them in some small way over the occasional speed bumps they face.”
The mission of Artist2Artist is two-fold: to promote Athens area performing artists while providing critical funds to underserved members of the community. This goal is accomplished primarily through eclectic concerts that celebrate the talents and creativity of local musicians, all while fundraising for those in need. Performers are compensated for their participation, and beneficiaries are kept front and center.
After obtaining 501(c)(3) status, Artist2Artist officially launched with a beatnik era-themed event to fundraise for the Athens Nurses Clinic and Athens Pride. Since then, the nonprofit has hosted cleverly themed concerts to support a variety of organizations such as The Cottage, DIVAS Who Win Freedom Center and the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia, as well as for veterans experiencing PTSD and homelessness.
In addition to fundraising for specific causes through creative events, Artist2Artist provides direct financial aid to individuals experiencing hardships. Whether it’s an unexpected medical bill, a stolen instrument or just needing a bit of gas money to get to the next gig, requests for assistance are reviewed by the board of directors and accommodated as possible. So far, Artist2Artist has awarded roughly $33,000 targeted to specific needs.
This year, proceeds from Athstock will benefit the Acceptance Recovery Center, an intensive recovery residence located in Athens that is dedicated to leading individuals displaced by addiction into long-term recovery through care, support and education. Beyond providing a therapeutic setting, accountability and evidence-based recovery support services, the program requires residents to maintain employment and be actively engaged with the community.
In addition to live entertainment, Athstock will host a live auction with items ranging from an original Woodstock ticket, a vintage leather motorcycle outfit, one-of-a-kind artworks, gift certificates and goodies from local businesses, a Tarot reading and tickets to Atlanta experiences such as the Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta Ballet, Computer Museum of America and Atlanta Botanical Gardens. A series of hand-painted tambourines were decorated by artists such as Vanessa Briscoe Hay, Kay Stanton and Lynda Stipe.
Naturally, Athstock will award prizes to the grooviest getups in a costume contest. For anyone looking to enhance their vibe, a Hippie Bazaar will offer rose-tinted glasses, flower crowns, love beads, commemorative T-shirts, incense, kites, bubbles and plenty of other accessories.
Athstock is an all-ages event, and children ages 12 and under can attend for free. To learn more about Artist2Artist, visit artist2artist.net.
WHO: Athstock
WHEN: Saturday, Aug. 5, 12–9:30 p.m.
WHERE: Southern Brewing Co.
HOW MUCH: $15 (adv.), $20
Schedule
12:30 p.m. Tre Powell as Richie Havens
12:50 p.m. Heli Montgomery & the Ash Haulers as Joan Baez
1:20 p.m. Cam and his Dam Jam Band as Creedence Clearwater Revival
2:10 p.m. Aquatic Soul Band as Sly and the Family Stone
3:00 p.m. Gimme Hendrix as Jimi Hendrix
3:50 p.m. Patio as Jefferson Airplane
4:35 p.m. Jim Kautz & the Vibratones as Ten Years After
5:25 p.m. Fester Hagood & Dangfly as The Band
6:15 p.m. Dire Wolf as Grateful Dead
7:05 p.m. Déjà Vu as Crosby, Stills & Nash
8:00 p.m. Rick Fowler Band as Johnny Winter
8:50 p.m. Classic City Jukebox as The Who
9:20 p.m. Seth Hendershot with Classic City Jukebox as Joe Cocker
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