Local Music News

“This song goes out to anyone making a statement.”

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Saturday night at The Dream Operator turned out not just to be a fun party, but also a great showcase of some the best punk and hard rock Athens has to offer.

Starting out the night was Brooklyn, NY seven-piece Ava Luna. They played a short set of spastic funk rhythms, synth flourishes, and girl group harmonies. They might be what the Dirty Projectors would sound like if the Dirty Projectors weren’t so terrible. They’re sound didn’t really fit in with the rest of the bands that night, but they still put on a great show.

The next band to play was relatively new local band Cold Ones. They were extremely loud and raucous with good stage banter, in other words, a lot of fun. They’re set was unfortunately really short, but you can get your Cold Ones fix by going to their page and downloading their free demo.

The third band to play (and my personal favorite of the night) was The Agenda! They played a great set of fun, danceable punk tunes with a few covers thrown in (I just about lost my mind when they started to play Rebel Girl), and their singer performed with the swagger and confidence of Mick Jagger, running through the crowd and gyrating on the floor. Really, really great stuff.

Next was Marriage. They played to a crowd packed into a tiny room with little space to breathe, but that didn’t stop them from tearing it up. They played fast punk tunes with metal breakdowns with some impressive guitar work for good measure. The crowd was especially rowdy making the floor feel like it was about to break through. Another awesome show.

The final set came from Athens legends Cinemechanica and what a set it was. They played in the largest room of the house and filled it up easily. The crowd was also the craziest of the night. A couple guys crowdsurfed and the guy next to me had to block guitarist’s pedals to keep them from being stepped on. This was all for good reason though, the band played a great set of their intricate mathcore songs. A great finale to an already great night.

Turf War is an Atlanta band that has been making quite a buzz in the scene lately, opening for acts such as Black Lips, Free Energy, and Titus Andronicus. They’re sound is reminiscent of a southern version of the late Exploding Hearts: fun, lo-fi power pop. I saw them at the aforementioned Free Energy and Titus show and they really tore it up. The crowd seemed wary at first, but became much more enthusiastic as the show went on. They also made fans of the other bands as the guitarist of Free Energy wore a Turf War shirt for most of the night. Luckily for us, they posted their 4-song EP for free on their Tumblr!

Click here to get it! It’s great!

Chrissakes Photo by Mike White

On Friday night, the metal fest was down the street, but a definite contender for craziest show of the night was at Go Bar as three bands took the stage, and tore the tiny bar (and my eardrums) apart.

First up was Atlanta band The Sunglasses. They played a short but sweet set of loud, dirty and complex punk rock. The crowd was sparse but you couldn’t tell from watching the band. They played as if the bar was packed. I’m definitely going to have to see them again.

Next was Providence, Rhode Island noise rock nightmares Tinsel Teeth, the most unhinged band of the night. This band is a must see. They’re part rock band, part performance art piece. The singer came out dressed as Lady Gaga, but her wig quickly fell off as she trashed and threw herself around the bar. As the show went on she broke blood capsules in her mouth, drenching her face, and smearing blood on anybody close enough, myself included. It was absolutely insane.

The last (and loudest) band of the night was Athens’ own Chrissakes. They started late so their set was cut short, but there was more than enough energy to make up for it. Their mix of math rock riffs, hardcore screams and psychedelic solos completely pummeled my ears. The perfect set to end the show.

I left the show partially deaf and covered in fake blood. It was a good night.