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MusicThreats & Promises

Lera Lynn Returns to Town; T.S. Woodward Completes Thesis Album


LOW PRICE LEADER: AthFest Educates—the organization behind what we all know as AthFest—is now selling wristbands for this year’s music and arts festival for a mere $20. These are what grant you access to the club shows, allow discounted entry to several related events (e.g. the Flagpole Athens Music Awards, the LaughFest comedy showcase, the Wired Electronic Music Festival and some film screenings at Ciné) and just generally help you feel like a good citizen. The price goes up to $25 on Apr. 30 and $30 on June 1. Visitors to athfesteducates.org can also get a good gander at the new AthFest merchandise, designed by Athens artist Matt Blanks, and there are multiple items available to take a piece of his talent home with you. This year’s AthFest happens June 24–28 and will feature headliners New Madrid, of Montreal, The Whigs, The Baseball Project and, of course, many more.

WELCOME HOME: Songwriter Lera Lynn, whose star has risen exponentially since she left Athens—although we hope Athens will always be in her heart—returns to town this week. She’s opening for Idahoan Josh Ritter—no schlub in his own right and about whom hundreds of words could be written—at the Georgia Theatre Friday, Apr. 3. Tickets are $20 and available via georgiatheatre.com or at the box office. For a primer (or a refresher), on Lynn, see leralynn.com.

IN MEMORIAM: This year’s AlanFest, created in honor of the memory of former UGA landscape architecture student Alan Lewis, is dedicated to the event’s founder, Kevin Carlan, who passed away only a few weeks ago. There are multiple happenings during this year’s event—which takes place Apr. 3 and 4—and full details and schedules can be found at astoryworthhearing.org. All proceeds benefit the David Alan Lewis Memorial Scholarship in Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia. See feature story here.

ACADEMIC FOR THE PEOPLE: Athens composer T.S. Woodward has completed the album that constitutes his senior thesis for his interdisciplinary popular music composition major at UGA. It’s been a long time coming, but Woodward will present this thesis Wednesday, Apr. 1 at the Dancz Center for New Music, where he says the majority of it was recorded and mixed. His recital consists of two parts. The first is a complete playback of the album, How to Breathe Underwater, and the second is a live performance of  “B-sides and other material.” Woodward will be at the piano, of course, joined by Zeke Sayer, Nicholas Mallis, Dave Kirslis, Jeff Webber, Matthew Garrison and Ember Remliel.

MYSTERY DATE: Longtime Athens musician Laura Morgan told me that her band Ranch is playing with The Knockouts in a benefit for Project Safe on Saturday, Apr. 4 at Flicker Theatre & Bar. The show costs $5, and that’s literally all I know. No, there’s nothing on the web to help you, either. Vaya con dios, hombres.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!: Because it seems like we can’t even go one week around here without Mux Blank having some sort of thing going on, let’s not break tradition and go ahead and mention that his Moonlight Gypsy Market happens Saturday, Apr. 4 at Iron Factory. Featured performers are Mr. Blank’s Weird & Wandering Sideshow, of course, along with Xulu Prophet, Dux, In Sonitus Lux, The Psychedelic Wolf Folk Harmony and Genetic Outcast. For more information, see facebook.com/moonlightgypsymarket.

BITS ’N’ BOBS: Hope for Agoldensummer is doing a short spring tour and will play Athens twice in the space of just over a week. The first show is Apr. 2 at Normaltown Hall, and the second is Apr. 11 at the Athens Farmers Market at Bishop Park. Please note, this second show is at 10 a.m.… Secret Europeans is playing a release show for its debut album, Love Don’t Stop, Saturday, Apr. 4 at the Caledonia Lounge. This time, the Mandy Branch (Motherfucker)-headed project will feature Gene Woolfolk (The Powder Room) and Patrick Ferguson (The Powder Room, Five Eight). Also on the bill this night are rapper Donny Knottsville and the brand new group Noseeum, which includes such mid-2000s Athens superstars as Drew Smith (Life Is A Fight, Chrissakes, Chartreuse), Gabe Vodicka (Erutrevo, Long Legged Woman, Flagpole) and Keven Gilbert and Shannon Rupp (Kilroy). Recognize! See facebook.com/secreteuropeans and facebook.com/NoseeumBand for more information.

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