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This Is For You


So, books start with dedications. “This is for my husband Marcus.” “For Becky, my friend.” “To my grandparents.” That sort of thing. One of my favorites is from House of Leaves. “This is not for you,” reads the inscription that kicks off the head-trip of a novel. So, applying that to the 2004 Flagpole Athens Music Directory, do like Missy says: flip it and reverse it. Not literally, though. Whatever. Just know:

This is for you.

Whoever you are, whether you’ve picked this up randomly at Musician’s Warehouse or you’re glancing through the copy you keep under your bed: this is for you. What you’re currently holding in your hands is a directory to the information you need to know to get by in Athens music. It’s the skeleton, the just-the-facts-ma’am, on which the scene – and the weekly edition of Flagpole – is built.

As the Flagpole music editor, bands constantly ask me about what’s available to them in this town. Club owners ask for opinions on bands. Friends ask where to buy records. I point them in the direction of the Music Directory.

If you’re a musician, use this guide to find like-minded artists. In the “Musicians” section you’ll find all the contact information you need to make connections with your peers. Already in a band? Looking to book a show? The Music Directory puts you in touch with all the venues in town. You’ll also find information on where to buy new gear, how to get in touch with recording studios and who can help promote you.

If you’re a promoter, local or non, you’ll find information on bands from Athens and its outlying areas. Phone numbers, websites, mailing addresses… they’re all here. This is for you.

What good will this do you? Does any of this really help? Here’s a testimonial on the effectiveness of the Music Directory recently emailed to Flagpole:

“I have an amazing story for you. One of the bands I play in received an email from a mega-law firm in Washington, DC with 300 lawyers. They are planning a big party in Atlanta and need to hire a band that could play civil war music. After a few emails and a long phone conversation, we booked the gig. It pays $1,500!

We asked the law firm how they found us. We don’t have a web page, we don’t have a CD, and we’ve only been together a few months. As it turns out, the event planner was surfing the Internet, did a search for bands in Georgia, and came across the Flagpole Music Directory, and found our listing. We listed ourselves in the directory almost as an afterthought.

Thanks for the gig!”

And don’t think that since this Music Directory is published once a year, it’s the alpha and the omega for the entire calendar. New bands form all the time. Lineups change, people move. Music equipment stores relocate or open new branches. Clubs, promoters, radio stations, printing presses: all these components are in a constant state of flux. That’s one of the things that keeps Athens music so fresh, but it can make keeping up-to-date difficult. Swing by www.flagpole.com to view current information. You can make additions, changes or deletions to your information in the Music Directory – or submit new facts – on-line throughout the year. It’s easy, I swear.

The contents of the following pages will provide you with what you need to get going in the Athens music scene. But the best advice – besides picking up a Flagpole for weekly information as to what’s what – is to get to know people. Ask around for the best deals on guitar strings. See what bands are helpful in getting you an opening slot. The one best thing about the music scene in Athens is the fact that all the individual people involved are here because they love music and they love Athens. It’s only through interacting with the community that you’ll find the recording studio that best fits your needs, whether a country group or a hip hop act or a 10-piece death metal band. Who does the best job printing T-shirts? Ask around. That’s what all these musicians, these venues, these services, these radio stations and these publications are here for.

They’re here for music, and they’re here for you.

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