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this week’s issue KATHRYN KYKER

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City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Places in Peril

Street Scribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Places in Peril . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 New Businesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Starting a Business During a Pandemic

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

ARTS & CULTURE: Flag Football . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Art Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Florida, Bloody Florida

Flag Football . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

ARTS & CULTURE: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Caledonia and Atomic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Hey, Bonita! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Lowdown on Caledonia and Atomic ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alicia Nickles EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pete McCommons PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Larry Tenner

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Property Management Investment Properties

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Rentals Buying Selling

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The Blue Wave Misses Athens ELECTION RESULTS, COVID ON THE RISE AND MORE LOCAL NEWS

By Blake Aued and Jessica Luton news@flagpole.com

be able to redraw districts unilaterally after the 2020 Census and likely cement power for the next decade. This is important: Before Republicans took control of state government, Athens’ legislative delegation consisted of three Democrats and one Republican. Now, due to gerrymandering, it’s four Republicans and one Democrat. The Supreme Court has already struck down a portion of the Voting Rights Act protecting Black communities, and with an even more conservative court perhaps poised to void the rest, the GOP could go after the delegation’s last remaining Democrat, Rep. Spencer Frye, giving the Athens majority no voice at the state level whatsoever .

State Senate candidates Zachary Perry and Dawn Johnson never stood much of a chance, given that those districts are dominated by the rural, conservative counties surrounding Clarke, but they weren’t helped by the dismal turnout in blue Athens. Same goes for congressional candidates Tabitha Johnson-Green—a no-show on the campaign trail, just like her first run against Rep. Jody Hice two years ago—and Devin Pandy, who actually tried, but lost to Bogart gun-store owner Andrew Clyde by nearly 60 points.

TYLER WILKINS

Dawn Dalton spent her Election Day wavthe hotel, but a Philadelphia lawn and garing a “Dump Chump” sign at passers-by den store next to a porn shop—Republican on Whitehead Road. “We have to show Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was [President Trump] who’s boss,” Dalton said. reassuring the nation that every vote would “We’re the boss.” be counted. “We are committed to doing Across town in East Athens, Sundra anything and everything to maintain trust Gartrell cast her vote for Joe Biden at in our electoral process here in Georgia, Howard B. Stroud Elementary School with regardless of partisan preference,” he said at police violence against the Black coma Friday press conference. munity on her mind. “We’ve been living Gabriel Sterling, whom Raffensperger through four years of hate, and it’s time for put in charge of implementing Georgia’s a change,” Gartrell said. new voting system, made a joke at the press Georgia did show Trump who’s boss and conference about taking a break for the will give its 16 crucial electoral votes to a Georgia-Florida football game on Saturday.

Democrat for president for the first time And in downtown Athens, that was seemsince Bill Clinton in 1992. But in Athens, ingly all that mattered. On the night when Election Day voters like Gartrell were Biden became president-elect, the Arch— the exception rather than the rule. After where four years ago, thousands gathered more than 40,000 people cast their ballots to voice their anger at Trump’s election— early—by mail or in person—less than 10,000 showed up at the polls on Nov 3. The 68% turnout hurt down-ballot candidates and nearly cost Biden his incredibly close win in Georgia.

Perhaps it was a lack of enthusiasm for Biden in a college town where half of Democrats backed Bernie Sanders in the 2016 primary. (By the time Georgia’s 2020 primary, postponed by coronavirus, came around, Biden had the nomination wrapped up.) AthensClarke County Commissioner Tim Denson, a veteran of a number of local campaigns besides his own, said the pandemic dampened getout-the-vote efforts. While campaigns were texting voters to the point of annoyance, there was little of the door-to-door campaigning that’s usually the backbone of local Democratic and progressive nonpartisan campaigns. “That was drastically suppressed by the panSpotted at Winterville City Hall: Gov. Brian Kemp dropping off his absentee ballot. demic,” said Denson, who added that he ordinarily would have knocked on “thousands” of doors this fall was deserted, save for a couple of skateIf a few more voters in Clarke County but only hit about 120. boarders. Instead of the joyous celebrations had turned out, though, progressive In any event, Georgia’s record-shattering after Barack Obama’s historic victory in Deborah Gonzalez might have avoided a turnout did not translate to Athens. (About 2008, groups of maskless men in red polo runoff in the Western Circuit district attor7,000 more Athens residents voted this shirts and young women in their going-out ney’s race. Gonzalez won 60% of the vote year than four years ago, but 16,000 more clothes crowded outside Clayton Street in Clarke County and 48% overall. Oconee people were registered, so turnout was bars. Call it the World’s Largest Apathetic County Republicans mostly backed prosewell under 2016’s 76%.) Biden’s win came Cocktail Party. cutor James Chafin, who will face Gonzalez primarily in Atlanta’s Democratic strongThe sorry turnout in Athens sealed the in a Dec. 1 runoff. They squeezed acting DA holds and the suburbs that flipped from fate of Democrats running for local offices.

Brian Patterson from the left and the right, red to blue in 2018. To paraphrase Hunter Mokah Jasmine Johnson and Jonathan leaving him with just 17% of the vote.

S. Thompson, you could go up on a steep Wallace, running for two swingy state There will also be another runoff on hill in Athens and look west to Gwinnett House of Representatives seats, lost by Jan. 5 for Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats.

County, and with the right kind of eyes, you 10-point margins. Those districts are split Democrat Raphael Warnock will face Sen. could almost see the high-water mark— roughly evenly between Clarke and Oconee, Kelly Loeffler, who bested fellow Republican that place where the wave broke and finally with a little bit of Jackson and Barrow Doug Collins in a special election. Sen. rolled back. in Johnson’s case. Clarke County’s votes David Perdue clocked in at just under 50%, After days of counting mail-in ballots went heavily for Wallace and Johnson, but so he and Democrat Jon Ossoff are going solidified the merciless math of Trump’s they were swamped by the 84% turnout into overtime as well. With Democrats Electoral College defeat, news outlets finally in Oconee, which is 70% Republican. Even currently holding 48 seats, control of the called the race for Biden on Saturday—first if turnout in Clarke had matched Oconee, Senate is at stake. in Pennsylvania, clinching it, then Georgia though, both would still have lost.

Beyond the statewide results, one of the as the cherry on top. While Trump ranted Their losses pretty much precluded any few bright spots locally for progressives was on Twitter about nonexistent voter fraud chance that Democrats might win the 16 Jesse Houle’s win over conservative Chad and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, held a surreal seats necessary to take control of the state Lowery in a special election to fill out the press conference at the Four Seasons—not House, which means that Republicans will last two months of the late Commissioner

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FLAGPOLE.COM | NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Jerry NeSmith’s term. Houle would have taken the District 6 seat in January regardless, but this win gives Houle some legitimacy after being anointed the winner because of NeSmith’s untimely death just days before the June election.

Alone among local candidates, Democrat John Q. Williams was unaffected by any disparity in turnout, winning the race for Clarke County sheriff by a 40-point margin over Republican Robert Hare. It was a foregone conclusion after Williams, an ACC police detective, bested incumbent Sheriff Ira Edwards in the June primary. [Blake Aued]

Another COVID-19 Surge Is Coming The University of Georgia’s weekly COVID-19 update showed a slight increase in positive cases again for the week of Oct. 26–Nov. 1.

According to self-reported data from the DawgCheck app, there were 79 positive cases this week, up from 64 cases last week. Of those cases, 57 were students, 20 were staff and two were faculty. This marks another consecutive week that positive staff cases have increased.

Surveillance testing rates were up again this week, with 2,108 tests given to asymptomatic individuals and 33 positive cases for a positivity rate of 1.57%. In the weeks prior to students going home for Thanksgiving and the semester, UGA will be ramping up surveillance testing to allow for 1,000 tests a day. Of those, 750 nasal swab tests will be available each day at the Legion Field site, and 250 saliva-based tests will be administered at three pop-up locations on campus. Those locations have not yet been announced.

Garth Russo, executive director of the University Health Center and chair of the UGA Medical Oversight Task Force, underscored the importance of students getting tested before going home to see family for Thanksgiving.

“Participation in surveillance testing remains one of our primary tools for keeping the spread of COVID-19 in check, and we are pleased to see that interest in UGA’s testing program remains high,” Russo said in a press release. “As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, we will be expanding our testing program. Those who are considering traveling to be with loved ones should know whether they are virus-free, and the best way to determine that is to have a negative COVID-19 test before heading home.”

The Medical Oversight Task Force released more details and recommendations for the UGA community to plan for going home at Thanksgiving, including when and how to get tested, details on options for quarantining if they test positive prior to the break for the semester and recommendations to prevent possible infection spread once at home.

At the University Health Center, where symptomatic tests are given on campus, there were 158 tests given and 12 positive cases for a positivity rate of 7.6%. That was up slightly from the previous week’s 10 positive cases and 6.9% positivity rate.

Additionally, there were 34 positive cases from tests given in the Athens community and other categories listed in the data.

creasing uptick in cases in Georgia,” said Amber Schmidtke, a public health microbiologist who has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation and produces a daily newsletter explaining the Georgia Department of Public Health’s pandemic data. “It’s happening across all county types. It’s all across the state. So, when you see that kind of widespread increase, it doesn’t necessarily point to a specific event.

This looks more like pandemic fatigue may be driving this increase.”

The White House Coronavirus Task Force Report for this week, which Flagpole obtained through an open records request, suggests that an increasing positivity rate throughout the state may mean that Georgia residents aren’t being tested enough.

“I think that we’re probably not looking for cases where we need to be looking for it,” Schmidtke said. “We’re in kind of a dangerous place right now. We’re seeing increases… the surge is coming. The language on the White House report says that. It’s spreading from the Midwest outward and to the South. We haven’t tipped over into exponential growth yet, but it’s coming.”

While the cases in Georgia are only about half of what we saw in the summer surge, the data suggests that further spread may be on the horizon. “I’m watching the case rates carefully, but we’re seeing that increases are happening in the 18–24-yearold age group,” Schmidtke said. “They sort of led the summer surge, and then it fanned out to other age groups. We’re seeing a pretty good week-to-week increase in the 18-59 ages—those working-age populations who are more likely to be out in society every day.”

Thanksgiving, she warned, may further increase the spread of cases across the state, especially with college students heading home, but it’s not too late to make changes now that will help us in the weeks ahead.

“This is the time to start being more careful,” Schmidtke said. “If this does surge, we can control how big that surge becomes with our actions today. Anything we can do—run one less errand or see one less person today—can make a big difference.” f

news

street scribe

President Chaos WIN OR LOSE, TRUMP CONTINUES TO DAMAGE AMERICA

By Ed Tant news@flagpole.com “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” said baseball No matter how the 2020 election turns great Yogi Berra. The Nov. 3 contest out, there are frightening forces in this between President Donald Trump and his land that will linger long after all the balDemocratic opponent, Joe Biden, turned lots are counted. White supremacists and into an all-nighter and a nail-biter that ain’t militia groups have long felt emboldened by over yet as I write this column on Nov. 4.

Trump in the White House, and they could Biden right now has a lead in the popular turn into sore losers with guns if their man vote, but the White House prize goes to the Trump is forced to vacate the premises. candidate who gleans the most votes in the Still, there are signs of hope no matElectoral College, where 270 votes is the ter who wins this presidential election. magic number to win. As of this writing, Millions of Americans are questioning the Biden leads in enough swing states to put usefulness of the Electoral College that can him over the top, but that could change as award the presidency to the person who election tallies come in from a handful of comes in second in the popular vote tally, battleground states—including, surprisas Trump did in his 2016 campaign against ingly, Georgia, where Republican candiDemocrat Hillary Clinton. The old civildates have won every presidential election rights-era call for “one person, one vote” is since 1996. But Trump has claimed victory in Georgia anyway, and he is threatening to challenge the results in Wisconsin and Michigan and trying to halt counting in Pennsylvania.

America is an angry and anxious country during this year of politics and pandemic. President Trump did nothing to calm the discord as the votes rolled in from some states while millions of other ballots were not yet counted in others. As Biden counseled patience, Trump walked onstage in the White House in the wee hours of Nov. 4 and launched into a dyspeptic diatribe reminiscent of a tin-horn despot from some banana republic backwater dictatorship.

“This is a fraud on the American people,” he huffed.

“This is an embarrassment to our country. We were Dawn Dalton spent her Election Day waving a sign on Whitehead Road. getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election… We want the law to be used echoed by those who want a popular vote in a proper manner, so we’ll be going to the so that the ballot of a voter in Manhattan, U.S. Supreme Court. We want all voting to NY counts the same as a vote in Manhattan, stop. We don’t want them to find ballots at KS. Other reforms that could come about 4 o’clock in the morning and add them to from this year’s election include easier and the list.” more accessible voting and much-needed Since record numbers of Americans scrutiny of the Supreme Court in a time voted by mail or by absentee ballot this when justices are appointed for life with year, a presidential call for “all voting to no term limits and “activist judges” are stop” is an authoritarian sentiment from welcomed on the high court as long as they the chief executive of a country that is are activist toward a conservative agenda supposed to be a democratic republic. For of curtailing Obamacare and abolishing the President Trump to assail the election as Roe v. Wade decision that established a right “a fraud on the American people” and “an to abortion. embarrassment to our country” is a morHistorians one day will judge this presidantly ironic statement coming from a dent and this nation. Longtime Washington president who has himself been a fraud and journalist Elizabeth Drew asked in an embarrassment to millions of Americans 1975 how future historians might judge who remain aghast at the corruption, President Richard Nixon’s Watergate scancontumely and cronyism of the Trump dal. Her questions still apply today with a administration. Still, Trump will always different Republican in the White House: play to his cultish base of voters, his hard“Will they know how it felt to be stunned— core supporters who go right along with the again and again—as we learned what had mendacious, the malicious and the militias been done by people in power? Will they that Trump stirs up with his endless rallies understand how it felt… when it seemed and incessant bellicosity. that there were no checks on power?” f

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

5

BLAKE AUED

UGA is still not releasing enough data to give the community a complete picture of what’s happening with COVID-19. Without knowing how much the DawgCheck app is actually being utilized to report symptoms and testing, it’s impossible to know whether the weekly data releases are at all reliable.

The failure of UGA to include a positivity rate for the university community as a whole, including both symptomatic and asymptomatic testing data, further blurs the true picture. UGA does not give enough information in their weekly data release on the total number of tests given to calculate a positivity rate. The key missing information is testing done outside of the University Health Center and the UGA surveillance site.

Expanding the Athens-Clarke County wastewater study may prove to give us a clearer picture in the coming weeks. Erin Lipp, a professor at the UGA Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease who heads up the project, said they are increasing weekly sample collection from once to twice a week. Also, they are now able to assess all three local wastewater plants in their data.

Wastewater data from last week did show a slight increase, but it’s too early to tell if that is an anomaly. “The seven-day running average for new cases has been about 24–25 for the last week,” Lipp said.

“It was running 21–23 the prior week. I am not sure if this is a real difference yet or not. If it is, it is still subtle.”

Last week, the United States saw over 100,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported in a single day for the first time. This significant milestone underlines just how much the pandemic continues to spread across the country.

Cases confirmed via rapid antigen tests are now being released daily in Georgia DPH updates. As of Nov. 5, Athens-Clarke County showed 1,071 positive tests via rapid antigen tests, for a total of 7,022 COVID-19 cases.

At the state level, cases are increasing in counties of all types—rural, urban and suburban. That suggests that the public is tired of following public health measures.

“So right now we’re seeing an ever-in-

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11/11 11/12

11/13 11/16 11/19 11/20

Julian Hoffman in Conversation with Nicholas Allen and Lisa Bayer Cinema Roundtable with Kristen Thompson, David Bordwell & Richard Neupert Silas Munro Lecture: “W.E.B. Du Bois’s Data Portraits: Visualizing Black America” “Cool Town: The Past and the Future of Athens Music” Panel Discussion with Grace Elizabeth Hale, David Barbe, Vanessa Briscoe Hay, Montu Miller, Moderated by Dave Marr Idea Lab Conversation: Arts + Funding w/ Brandon LaReau Kaitlyn Greenidge and David Hayden in Conversation with Nicholas Allen “Water, Immersion, and Community in Sarah Cameron Sunde’s ‘Durational Performance with the Sea’”: An Artist Talk and Panel Discussion Fred Moten in Conversation: “BLUE(S) AS CYMBAL” All events are virtual and many will be archived for viewing on demand.

Please visit willson.uga.edu for details.

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FLAGPOLE.COM | NOVEMBER 11, 2020

feature

BRITTANI MILES

news

Places in Peril HISTORIC SITES IN ATHENS IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com

T

BRITTANI MILES

he Hot Corner tops the preservation Downtown Historic District in January group Historic Athens’ 2020 Places 2019. Its current owner, First United in Peril list, but by next week it may Methodist Church, planned to tear down not be in peril any longer. the building for a parking lot—the same A long-delayed Athens-Clarke County fate as the Samaritan Building, among Commission vote on a local historic district others. for the western end of downtown is schedBy the 1920s, West Downtown was tranuled for Tuesday, Nov. 17. While victory sitioning into auto-centric uses, with serfor historic preservation advocates is by vice stations, tire stores and machine shops. no means assured, it appears that enough In the past decade or so, they’ve been commissioners support the district for it to replaced by entertainment-oriented estabpass. lishments like Creature Comforts, Ciné and The portion of downtown west of Ted’s Most Best, but all of those businesses Lumpkin street has a rich history as the have retained the buildings’ automotive center of Black commerce at the turn of the character.

20th Century, then as a hub for car sales As Historic Athens Executive Director and repairs as the automobile age began, Tommy Valentine points out, most, if not and since the 1980s as the beating heart of all, of the music venues downtown are in the Athens music scene. Yet it was excluded rehabilitated historic spaces. The 40 Watt from a local historic district created in 2006 Club was once a grocery store, and the that covers the older and grander buildings Georgia Theatre started out as a YMCA. to the east of the Khaki Line, historically Recently, though, the music scene lost home to more upscale retailers than the a landmark venue in Caledonia Lounge, largely blue-collar West End. which is located within the proposed The West Downtown Historic District district. would be anchored by the Hot Corner at Although the closing of Caledonia and the intersection of Washington and Hull nearby consignment store Atomic had streets, home to the Morton Theatre, built nothing to do with the threat of redevelopby Monroe “Pink” Bowers in 1910 and ment, and a historic district wouldn’t have restored by Athens-Clarke County in 1993 changed anything, it demonstrated again after it had fallen into disrepair. The Morton hosted vaudeville shows and legendary musicians like Cab Calloway, Blind Willie McTell and Bessie Smith and housed the offices of doctors, dentists, pharmacists, insurance agents and other Black professionals during segregation.

Before then, the area was, as Commissioner Melissa Link describes it, “kind of grungy,” populated by stables and blacksmiths. Bowers and other Black developers Judia C. Jackson Harris School brought more upscale white-collar AfricanAmerican businesses to the neighborhood. that beloved longtime locally owned busiSeveral of those buildings were demolnesses are always under threat. News that ished in the 1960s and ‘70s, including the the next-door bar Church would take over Samaritan Building, designed by Lewis H. those spaces created a furor. “What you saw Persley, the first certified Black architect in is how passionate people are about this side Georgia. Similar in style to the Georgian of town,” Valentine says. (See the story on Hotel, “it was probably one of the most elep. 14 for more.) gant buildings in downtown Athens,” Link “If we lose access to spaces that size, we says. lose access to those funky holes-in-theWhite developers and white-owned wall,” Valentine continues. But a historic businesses soon moved in. The 100-yeardistrict would create an extra layer of old Saye Building at the corner of Hancock oversight over new development, requirAvenue and Lumpkin Street, for example, ing approval by the Historic Preservation is one of the few Art Deco structures in Commission, ensuring that any new conAthens. It was once the headquarters of the struction fits in with the surroundings.

Southeastern Stages bus company, which That’s important because ACC’s downalso built the Art Moderne-style bus station town design guidelines “thoroughly suck,” on Broad Street that’s now Chuck’s Fish. “It according to Link. “It’s as much about proshowed the modern forward thinking of the tecting the future as it is about preserving transportation industry,” Link says. the past,” she says.

In fact, it was the Saye Building that The district has met with some pushprompted Link to propose the West back, though, most notably from churches

357 South Milledge Ave.

and David Montgomery, a lawyer who owns the “telephone building,” the threestory yellow building on Clayton Street.

Montgomery has argued that the historic district will hurt property values if owners, particularly Black owners, decide to sell.

Due to opposition from the owners, Link removed those buildings on the Manhattan Café block—they only date back to about 1970, anyway, she says—as well as First Methodist. Link’s map also adds the building housing Flicker Theatre & Bar, owned

by Drew Dekle, as a contributing property.

Outlying churches were already taken out of a much larger district county planners proposed. The local district lines closely follow the National Register of Historic Places.

Opposition to historic districts is common at first, Valentine says, but once property owners learn more about the benefits, they usually come around. Unlike the National Register, which offers little more than recognition, local historic districts come with a property-tax freeze, as well as access to state and federal grants and tax breaks.

Still, not everyone is happy. Commissioner Allison Wright has said she will make a motion that property owners be allowed to opt in or opt out of the district. However, that proposal is “of dubious legality,” Valentine says, because historic districts must be contiguous, and Wright’s proposal would create a bad precedent that commissioners have been unwilling to set with 16 previous districts.

Other properties listed as 2020 Places in Peril are: 357 SOUTH MILLEDGE AVE.: This former Beta

Theta Pi and Sigma Pi fraternity house has been boarded up since it failed to meet the ACC fire code in 2004. But like most Tudor-style houses, it was built to last. The house is distinguished by its earth tones, multi-paneled windows and half-timber facade.

SANDY CREEK PUMPING STATION: Hidden in

the woods along the North Oconee River Greenway is this architectural gem, with

Roman details and arched windows reminiscent of City Hall. Built by architect and city engineer J.W. Barnett in 1916, the pump station brought water from a reservoir to the growing population of Athens.

It sat unused and inaccessible until the construction of the Greenway and a pedestrian bridge over Sandy Creek, and it remains neglected.

ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH CEMETERY: Tucked away off Roberts Road in the northwestern part of the county, this 19th Century African-American cemetery is overgrown, undermarked and in need of care to ensure the proper respect for those interred within. The cemetery includes the graves of people born into slavery, sharecroppers, more prosperous individuals and veterans.

Some are marked with hand-carved stones, some with granite monuments, and others’ identities have been lost to time.

JUDIA C. JACKSON HARRIS SCHOOL: The first J.J. Harris—a much newer elementary school currently bears the name—was also known as the Model and Training Institute and was one of the first suburban schools for African Americans during the Jim Crow era. A fire burned down the original threeroom wooden schoolhouse in 1925, but Black and white residents worked to rebuild it. They received help from the Rosenwald Fund, founded by Jewish businessman and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald to build thousands of Black schools across the South.

2019 PLACES IN PERIL: Historic Athens and other organizations have made progress on some of the properties named to last year’s list. Funding is set aside in SPLOST 2020 to turn Beech Haven, a 149-acre wooded area along the Middle Oconee River amidst Atlanta Highway’s sprawl, into a city park.

Winterville installed signage at the recently rediscovered Central Baptist Church cemetery. Preliminary talks with the ACC government are underway to create a local historic district around the old mill town of Whitehall Village and preserve a historic Black schoolhouse at Billups Grove Baptist Church. Greater Bethel Baptist Church is currently fundraising to restore the Frank C. Maddox Center, an old American Legion post, based on plans drawn up by local architectural firm Arcollab with church and neighborhood input. Work to preserve the Reese Street School, now used as a Masonic lodge, is ongoing, as well. f

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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news

feature

for a local café in their neighborhood. The Martineacs filled the “void” by opening Café on Lumpkin in May, offering simple dishes they liked to prepare at home, Luke Martineac said.

Martineac started the process for opening his business months before the pandemic, but he later tweaked his plan by limiting in-room dining and pivoting toward a walk-up window, allowing customers to seat themselves outside. And considering he’s “never been a fan of grand openings,” the pandemic gave the business owner an extra push for a slow start, giving him more time to see what worked and what needed to be changed.

Taking a Chance THE PANDEMIC HASN’T STOPPED ATHENS ENTREPRENEURS

By Tyler Wilkins news@flagpole.com

B

efore opening the brick-and-mortar location of Nedza’s Waffles on South Lumpkin Street, owner Joe Nedza knew expanding a business would require long workdays and sacrifices in his personal life.

On a busy October day at the restaurant, all of its pies overflowed in the oven. Nedza planned to clean the ovens and prepare more pies, but he realized the restaurant lacked the ingredients needed for another batch. After running out to buy more ingredients and preparing a new batch, Nedza said he still needed to prep cookies and keep up with orders.

“I’m going to be here late,” said Nedza, leaning into one of the chairs on his restaurant’s covered back porch. “I thought I’d be done at 2 p.m., but it’s almost [that time] and I haven’t even started. That takes a toll on people.”

Entrepreneurs already faced challenges when opening a new business, but the global coronavirus pandemic added further complications to bringing a product or service to market. Between securing funding for the initial opening and training employees, restaurants that have opened during the pandemic have had to consider safety precautions for curbing the spread of COVID-19 and attracting customers at a time when people might feel unsafe leaving their homes for anything but necessities.

Nevertheless, U.S. business growth has continued throughout the pandemic. From April to June, the number of submitted business applications increased 2% nationwide and 31% in Georgia over 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. “The growth in startups has increased dramatically during the past six months,” said David Sutherland, an entrepreneurship professor at the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia. “People are out there trying different things, and oftentimes

Dog Spa

those things are related to COVID-19.”

Nedza secured funding for the physical location of his restaurant in January and signed the lease on Mar. 10, three days before “the world shut down,” he said.

While the pandemic led to a slight change in operations, Nedza said he enjoys a challenge, which is what originally led him to open the business.

“If you want [to open a business], it doesn’t matter what’s happening in the world,” said Nedza, who opened the restaurant in August after selling his waffles at catering events and out of a food truck for years. “If it’s something you’re passionate about and you care about it, you’ll find a way to make it work.

If you’re not adaptable and things going sideways makes you want to die, I’d say starting a business is not for you. But I love pressure, and I love when things aren’t the way they’re supposed to be, because I can use my brain.”

Indeed, it’s important for every entrepreneur to be adaptable and understand the cultural and social contexts in which they’re opening a business, even outside of a pandemic or economic recession, Sutherland said. “An entrepreneur that isn’t adaptable and isn’t willing Luke Martineac to change isn’t going to survive,” said Sutherland, who founded the technology scouting firm Launch Institute.

“COVID-19 was nice only in that no one “Another [trait for entrepreneurs] is underelse was open in Five Points at that time,” standing at a deep level what the customer’s Martineac said. “A lot of our success has need is and validating that, making sure been location and concept. The pandemic you got that right. You have to define in a was good for us in that people were tired robust way how you’re proving that there is of staying at home, so they wanted to walk a market.” around.”

After moving to Five Points three years Even after the days of social distancing ago, Luke and Rachel Martineac saw a need are gone, Martineac said he plans to keep

LOCAL NEWS

the walk-up window, as it feels “approachable” and less “formal” to the Five Points residents who regularly frequent his establishment. “I enjoy being able to make a space for people to interact,” Martineac said. “It’s unique that an idea from your head can bring some amount of enjoyment or utility to someone else. We’re all people, live in our own heads and try to interact with the world around us.”

With a love for coffee and the Athens community, Molly Stokes opened Molly’s Coffee Company off Macon Highway in July. While she hoped to host a grand-opening party for the coffee shop, Stokes opted for a scaled-down start. This allowed her baristas to learn in a slower environment and gave the business additional time to perfect its COVID-19 precautions, Stokes said.

“The planning portion of opening a company is always crucial, but it is even more important to think through scenarios carefully and try to understand the larger picture when you open during a health and economic crisis,” Stokes said. “When you create a company for the public, you have a responsibility to both your customer base and your staff to make thoughtful and tactful decisions. It can be difficult to remember this when you’re also worried about the stability of your company financially.”

The coffee shop is operating only its drive-through—with contactless transactions for the time being. It’s difficult telling people they can’t come inside for an in-person experience, but the loyal customers at Molly’s Coffee Company keep the business afloat, Stokes said.

“Fortunately, I feel like I don’t need to worry too much about when I should open the inside because sales are good,” said Stokes, who started her career in coffee as a Jittery Joe’s barista in 2013.

“Being something new and bright in the midst of a very stressful year has brought us a lot of customers in search of a safe and positive place. I hope Molly’s continues to offer positivity and safety to our customer base far past the pandemic.” f

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bulletin board Deadline for getting listed in Bulletin Board is every THURSDAY at 5 p.m. for the print issue that comes out the following Wednesday. Online listings are updated daily. Email calendar@flagpole.com.

Art ARTIST-IN-ATHICA RESIDENCIES (Athens Institute for Contemporary Art: ATHICA) Residencies provide administrative support, exhibition and performance facilities, and a small stipend. Artists may work in any or multiple disciplines and traditions, including but not limited to visual, curatorial, musical, performing, written, experimental, cinematic, digital and theatrical arts.

Residents can work independently or collaborate with others. Visit website for quarterly deadlines. www.athica. org/call-for-entries ATHENS CREATIVE DIRECTORY (Athens, GA) The ACD is a new platform to connect creatives with patrons. Visual artists, musicians, actors, writers and other creatives are encouraged to create a free listing (using a desktop computer) before the new website launches.

Make sure to include contact information, a description of work and an image. athenscreatives@gmail.com, athenscreatives.directory CALL FOR ART (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) The “Small Works Inspired by Poetry Exhibition” seeks works in any media that visually respond to one of five provided

poems. See website for submission guidelines. Deadline Dec. 1. $20–25 fee. www.ocaf.com CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (Lyndon House Arts Center) “The 46th Juried Exhibition” will be juried by Hallie Ringle of the Birmingham Museum of Art. Works in all media may be submitted online Dec. 1–Jan. 22.

Exhibition opens Mar. 11. accgov. com/9661/46th-Juried-Exhibition DEFIANCE AWARDS PROJECT (Morton Theatre) The Morton Theatre Corporation is accepting submissions for its new Defiance Awards Project, which will provide up to 10 cash awards of $500 to Black artists to support the creation and exhibition of short films or studio art that explore the Black Lives Matter movement and everyday experiences of Blacks in America. Deadline Nov. 30. board@mortontheatre.com GREENWAY CALL FOR PUBLIC ART (Oconee Rivers Greenway) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission invites professional artists to submit a proposal and images of a public art concept for the Oconee Rivers Greenway trail construction project.

Deadline Jan. 4 at 11:59 p.m. www. athensculturalaffairs.com OPEN STUDIOS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Studio members have access to spaces for painting, printmaking,

art around town ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART (ATHICA) (675 Pulaski St., Suite 1200) “Masked/Unmasked: Photographs by David Noah” is an online exhibition that features dual portraits and personal statements on mask-wearing from 70 individuals. Visit athica.org through Nov. 15. • Curated by Alex Christopher Williams of Minor League, “The Unseen Forest” features photographs by Southern photographers Nydia Blas, Jaclyn Kolev Brown and Aaron Hardin. Hosted by violinist Serena Scibelli, “A Social Conversation with Performance” will feature music by cellist Ismail Akbar online (athica.org) on Nov. 19, 7 p.m. Exhibition remains on view through Dec. 6.

CINÉ (234 W. Hancock Ave.) “The New Americans” features pop art paintings

by Atlanta artist Blair LeBlanc.

CLASSIC CENTER (300 N. Thomas St.) The Classic Galleries presents “Inside/Outside,” an exploration of domestic spaces and gardens through the eyes of artists. Christina Foard, Leah Mckillop and Cameron Bliss examine their surroundings, people, pets and furniture in Gallery I, while Richard Botters, Melanie Epting, Nancy Everett, Richard Huston and Beth Richardson invite viewers into their gardens in Gallery II. CREATURE COMFORTS BREWING CO. (271 W. Hancock Ave.) “Hope” by David Hale features nine new paintings made in preparation for the artist’s new mural, in addition to two new larger paintings. Through November.

FLICKER THEATRE AND BAR (263 W. Washington St.) A Flicker Art Auction offers donated works by local artists to help raise funds for the business. Through November.

GALLERY AT HOTEL INDIGO (500 College Ave.) “Athens Facades” presents Mike Landers’ photographs of buildings at dark in downtown and Five Points between 2000–2002.

GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) “The Art of Seating: 200 Years of American Design” presents a survey of exceptional American chair design from the early 19th century to the present day. Through Jan. 3. • “The Seated Child: Early Children’s Chairs from Georgia Collections.” Through Jan. 3. • “Carl Holty: Romantic Modernist” includes paintings and drawings that reflect the artist’s pursuit of modern art theory. Through Jan. 17. • Sarah Cameron Sunde’s “36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea” combines performance, video and public art to address climate change. Through Jan. 17. • “Contemporary Japanese Ceramics from the Horvitz Collection” represents three generations of artists dating from the 1940s. Through Sept.

26, 2021. • “Modernism Foretold: The Nadler Collection of Late Antique Art from Egypt.” Through Sept. 26.

LAMAR DODD SCHOOL OF ART (270 River Rd.) Located on the third floor, “Zoom Party” includes painting, photography, graphic design, printmaking

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photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber and woodworking. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $65/ month. nicholas.daglis@accgov.com

Classes DEDICATED MINDFULNESS PRACTITIONERS (Online) Weekly Zoom meditations are offered every Saturday at 8 a.m. Email for details. jaseyjones@gmail.com F3 FREE MEN’S WORKOUT GROUP (UGA Intramural Fields Parking Deck) Bring your gloves and a buddy for a socially distanced workout. Saturdays, 7 a.m. www. f3classiccity.com FALL PROGRAM REGISTRATION (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services hosts a diverse selection of activities highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports and holiday events for adults and children.

In-person and virtual programs are offered. Rolling registration is offered Saturdays through Nov. 28 for classes beginning two weeks later. www.accgov.com/leisure MINDFULNESS PRACTICE EVENINGS (Online) Discuss and practice how to change your relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions. Email for the Zoom link.

“Modernism Foretold: The Nadler Collection of Late Antique Art from Egypt” is currently on view at the Georgia Museum of Art through Sept. 26, 2021. Above is a limestone relief fragment of lions and an antelope from 6th or 7th century CE. Second Friday of the month, 6–7 p.m. FREE! mfhealy@bellsouth.net SPANISH CLASSES (Athens, GA) For adults, couples and children.

Learn from experts with years of professional experience. Contact for details. 706-372-4349, marinabilbao 75@gmail.com, marina-spain-2020. squarespace.com WATER JAR PAINTING WORKSHOP (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Art in History’s replica is an example of an Acoma Pueblo water jar. Learn about the history of the artifact, time period designs and motifs and decorating instructions.

Nov. 21, 11 a.m. $20–25. www. ocaf.com YAMUNA AND MORE (Elevate Athens, Online) Nia Holistic Fitness and Yamuna Body Rolling are held

and video installation by 10 BFA students. Nov. 13–19.

LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (211 Hoyt St.) Andrew Zawacki’s “Waterfall Plot” pairs 20 black-and-white photographs with short poems from his latest poetry volume. • In the Lounge Gallery, view paintings by Kendall Rogers, the recipient of the LHAC Choice Award at the “45th Juried Exhibition.” • “Boundless” features works by Don Chambers, Derek Faust, Alex McClay, Katherine McCullough and Paula Reynaldi. Faust, Rogers and Zawacki will participate in a 3Thurs Gallery Talk on Nov. 19 at 6 p.m.• “The Art of Jeremy Ayers” celebrates the artist, lyricist, activist and beloved member of the community, who passed away in 2016. • Organized by Christina Foard, “Imagination Squared: Pathways to Resiliency” consists of over 1000 five-inch works created by students and community members. Sharing a theme of resiliency, the small works build a collective story of recovery and strength. • The “Full House Online Exhibition” is an invitational extended to all the artist members in the groups and guilds who call the LHAC home.

Nov. 12–Jan. 9. • Online Collections From Our Community presents Claire Dunphy’s Czechoslovakian wooden bead jewelry that dates from the Depression era.

JITTERY JOE’S FIVE POINTS (1230 S. Milledge Ave.) Tom Hancock creates mixed media abstract assemblages.Through November.

MADISON-MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER (434 S. Main St.) “Suttles Art” features 88 original pieces ranging from paintings, oils and pastels by Bill Suttles, photography by Todd Suttles and sculpture by Pat Suttles. Through December.

OCONEE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION (34 School St., Watkinsville) “Romancing the Coast” features works by Karl Enter, John Weber, Harold Enter, Anna Desio, Celia Brooks and Alice Pruitt. Through Nov. 13.

SURGERY CENTER OF ATHENS (2142 W. Broad St., Building 100) Paintings by Susie Criswell. Through Dec. 11.

TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) Jamie Calkin presents watercolor and ink paintings of local scenes in “Athens in Silks.” Opening reception Nov. 13, 6–9 p.m. Artist talk on Instagram Live (@tinyathgallery) on Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m. 3Thurs on Nov. 19, 6–9 p.m. Open through Nov. 25 by private appointment at tinyathgallery@gmail.com.

UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “The Strategies of Suffrage: Mobilizing a Nation for Women’s Rights.” “Pylon: Tourists in Rock ’n Roll” celebrates the local band through photos, outfits, memorabilia and more. Through May 31. • “Election 1980: The Elephant in the Room” explores the historic change election. Through Feb. 26. Visit digilab.libs.uga.edu/scl/exhibits.

WILLSON CENTER FOR THE HUMANITIES AND ARTS (Online) As part of UGA’s Spotlight on the Arts, the Willson Center presents “Shelter Projects,” a virtual exhibition of over 30 projects created by graduate students or community practitioners who reflect pandemic experiences through the arts. willson.uga.edu

FLAGPOLE.COM | NOVEMBER 11, 2020

on an ongoing basis. $20/class.

Specialty classes range from selfcare to Yamuna foot fitness and more. www.elevateathens.com YOGA CLASSES (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) “Outdoor Yoga with Meg Brownstone,” every Sunday at 10 a.m. $5–10 suggested donation.

“Trauma Conscious Yoga with Crystal,” every Thursday at 6 p.m. $10 suggested donation. “Yoga for Well-being with Nicole Bechill,” every Saturday on Zoom at 10:30 a.m. Pre-registration required. rubbersoulcollective@gmail.com, www.revolutiontherapyandyoga.com ZOOM YOGA (Online) Rev. Elizabeth Alder offers “Off the Floor Yoga” (chair and standing) on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. and “Easy on the Mat” yoga classes on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Ongoing classes are $5/class or $18/month. 706-612-8077, ommmever@yahoo.com

Events ART EVENTS (Georgia Museum of Art, Online) “Artful Conversation: Romare Bearden”on Zoom on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. “Teen Studio: ‘Carl Holty: Romantic Modernist’” on Nov. 12 at 5:30 p.m. “Yoga in the Galleries” on Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. “Toddler Tuesday: Have a Seat” on Nov. 17. “Livestream of Sarah Cameron Sunde’s ‘36.5 / A Durational Performance with the Sea’” on Nov. 19 at 9 a.m. www.georgiamuseum.org ATHENS FARMERS MARKET (Bishop Park) The market is open with safety precautions in place.

Wear a mask, pre-order when possible, keep your family home and use cashless payments. Saturdays, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. www.athensfarmersmarket.net BREATHE (Online) UGA Theatre presents a multimedia work that focuses on social and political upheaval with an emphasis on action and “good trouble.” Actors will respond in real time using tweets, news articles and first-hand accounts. Live stream held Nov. 11–13, 8 p.m. www.uga theatre.com/breathe BROWN MEDIA ARCHIVE EVENTS (Online) UGA Libraries celebrates the 25th anniversary of its special collections with events that highlight the Walter J. Brown Media Archive & Peabody Awards Collection’s contributions to media preservation, scholarship and filmmaking.

Panel discussion with freelance filmmakers and footage archivists on Nov. 11, 7 p.m. facebook.com/ BrownMediaArchivesPeabody AwardsCollection

THE CRY BABY LOUNGE PRESENTS (Online) Eli Saragoussi hosts bimonthly shows using YouTube Premiere. Find The Cry Baby Lounge on Facebook. thecry babylounge@gmail.com, bit.ly/ TheCryBabyLounge FLICKER DEADSTREAM (Flicker Theatre and Bar) Flicker hosts virtual shows every Thursday through November. Upcoming shows include The Pink Stones and Palace Doctor (Nov. 12), Kalen & Aslyn and Seth Martin (Nov. 19) and Cicada Rhythm and Earle Grey (Nov. 26). Find Flicker on YouTube FOOD, POWER AND POLITICS LECTURE (Online) The Russell Library for Political Research and Studies presents Marion Nestle, author of Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Nov. 12, 3 p.m. washnock@uga.edu FRUITCAKES (Elbert Theatre, Elberton) Encore Productions presents its final show of the season.

Fruitcakes is a Christmas story about a young runaway finding forgiveness in his heart and the town of people nuttier than fruitcakes who help him find his way. Nov. 13–14, 7 p.m. Nov. 15, 2 p.m. $9–11. 706283-1049, tking@cityofelberton.net GONZORIFFIC UNDERGROUND MOVIE SHOW (Online) The annual event will be live streamed on Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 at midnight. The show will be hosted from Ciné with new short films, interviews with filmmakers and an introduction by indie horror legend Debbie Rochon. youtube.com/gonzoriffic HIKES (Multiple Locations) “Autumn Splendor: Lakeside Loop Trail” is planned at Sandy Creek Park for Nov. 21 at 10 a.m. “Full Moon Hike” is planned at Sandy Creek Nature Center on Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m. www. accgov.com/leisure INAUGURAL PEOPLES ASSEMBLY (Rabbit Hole Studios) People’s Budget Athens hosts an assembly to open a radically inclusive, non-partisan space to unify the community and propel Athens into direct action through participatory budgeting.

Nov. 21, 4–9 p.m. peoplesbudget athens.org LIVE JAZZ (Porterhouse Grill) Enjoy dinner and some smooth jazz.

Wednesdays, 6–9 p.m. www.porter houseathens.com LIVE WIRE EVENTS (Live Wire Athens) Wedding Industry Happy Hour is held every Wednesday from 5–6 p.m. Games of darts are held every Wednesday from 5–10 p.m.

Fresh Garden Jam with live jamming is held every Thursday from 5–10

p.m. Love Music Live Stream offers bands streamed from the main stage every Friday 5-10 p.m. www.livewire athens.com/calendar LIVES AT STAKE: THE TRANS RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS (Zoom) Watch the film and participate in a discussion. Nov. 21, 4 p.m. uuathensga.org/stay-connected NOVEMBER EVENTS (Southern Brewing Company) Monday Night Trivia every Monday at 6 p.m. Sunday Trivia with Solo Entertainment is held every Sunday at 5 p.m. www.sobrewco.com NOWHERE BAR LIVE (Online) Watch bands perform on stage through Facebook Live. www.nowherebarlive. com OPENING NIGHT: AN INTIMATE VIRTUAL CONCERT EXPERIENCE (Online) The Madison-Morgan Cultural Center hosts a series of performances and interviews with Southern artists. Performers include Justin Huff, Campbell Harrison and Jeffrey Vernon on Nov. 14 at 8 p.m.

Common Currents, Underground Springhouse play Nov. 21 at 8 p.m.

Annie Leeth, Andrew Blooms and a string quartet play Nov. 28 at 8 p.m. $10/episode. mmcc-arts.org/ opening-night POTTERY POP UP SALE (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Every two weeks, four new regional artists will be featured. Pottery by Nancy Green, Juana Gnecco, MInsoo Yuh, and Tripti Yoganathan Nov. 10–21. www. ocaf.com SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS (Multiple Locations) Presented by the UGA Arts Council, the festival includes virtual exhibitions,performances and events highlighting visual, literary and performing arts.

Select units will host in-person performances and exhibitions that maintain social distancing. Through Nov. 20. www.arts.uga.edu UGA PRESENTS (Online) Virtual fall programming includes performances by violinist Arnaud Sussman on Nov. 11–16, pianist Gloria Chien on Nov. 18–23, singer Kathy Mattea on Nov. 20–22. An Arts Chat will be held with Wu Han on Nov. 22. pac. uga.edu UUFA VIRTUAL FORUMS (Online) Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens presents a lecture series.

Shannon Caldwell and Nancy Sagar discuss” What You Can Do About Climate Change” on Nov. 15. 9:30 a.m. “Ask Morgan Anything: The LGBTQIA+/TGNQNB Ballpark” will be held on Nov. 29, 9:30 a.m. uuathensga.org/stay-connected VOTING IN 2020: A DISCUSSION AND DOCUMENTARY SERIES (Online) The UGA School of Social Work presents a series about the past, present and future of voting.

Nov. 11 and Jan. 27. danielle. breidung@uga.edu WATER BOOK CLUB (Online) Seth M. Siegel discusses his book, Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World. Nov. 19, 7 p.m. laurel.loftin@accgov.om

Kidstuff FREE FAMILY PROGRAMS (Sandy Creek Nature Center) “Critter Tales” will be held Nov. 14 at 2:30 p.m. www.accgov.com/sandycreeknature center

Support Groups AL-ANON 12 STEP (Multiple Locations) Recovery for people affected by someone else’s drinking.

Visit the website for a calendar of electronic meetings held throughout the week. www.ga-al-anon.org

ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) If you think you have a problem with alcohol, call the AA hotline or visit the website for a schedule of meetings in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee Counties. 706-389-4164, www. athensaa.org RECOVERY DHARMA (Recovery Dharma) This peer-led support group offers a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery from any addiction.

Visit the website for info about Zoom meetings. Thursdays, 7–8 p.m.

FREE! www.athensrecoverydharma. org SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) (Email for Location) Athens Downtown SAA offers a message of hope to anyone who suffers from a compulsive sexual behavior. www.athensdowntownsaa.com

SALON, INC.

Word on the Street ACRONYM (Athens, GA) ACRONYM is a new website compiling COVID19 aid for Athens-based live music venues and artists. Check the website for updated listings on funding and financial opportunities, mental health guides, organizational support, community resources and more. Visit acroynym.rocks FLUSH AWAY WATER WASTE (Athens, GA) Receive a free toilet flapper from Normal Hardware or Athens Hardware when you mention the ACC Water Conservation Office.

Through November INK JET AND LASER CARTRIDGE DRIVE (Athens) Recycle old cell phones, inkjets and laser cartridges.

Proceeds support Keep AthensClarke County Beautiful. Through Nov. 25. 706-613-3501 LIGHT UP ATHENS (Downtown Athens) In lieu of the annual holiday parade, the community will host an inaugural “Light Up Athens” this season. Downtown Athens storefronts will decorate with lights and decorations, and a variety of events will be held on Fridays and Saturdays through December.

Businesses and organizations can apply to “adopt” a location to decorate. Registration deadline Nov. 19. www.accgov.com/lightupathens MLK DAY OF SERVICE (Athens, GA) The Athens MLK Jr. Day of Service steering committee is seeking project sites for the 2021 event.

Hundreds of volunteers will work on community enhancement and beautification projects like invasive species removal, litter clean-ups, painting and more. Deadline to submit project proposal is Nov. 18 at 5 p.m. Event held Jan. 18. athens gamlkday@gmail.com, www.accgov. com/mlkday MUSICIANS (AND FRIENDS) HEALTH CLINIC (Nuçi’s Space) In-person and telephone appointments are available on Nov. 16.

Open to anyone on a low income who is uninsured or under-insured.

Call to book. 706-227-1515 STORMWATER CALENDAR (Department of Transportation and Public Works) Request a free stormwater calendar online in advance, then pickup in person. stormwater@ accgov.com SUNDAY MUSIC SERIES (Athens Regional Library System) The library is seeking musicians of all genres to perform through its Facebook Live series. Email your name, band’s name, contact information and a link to your music to jmitchell@ athenslibrary.org VIRTUAL LEISURE SERVICES (Online) A variety of activities are offered in arts, athletics, nature and recreation. www.accgov.com/ leisure f

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NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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For links to these virtual events, please visit the webpage below:

MUSIC.UGA.EDU/SPOTLIGHT-2020

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FLAGPOLE.COM | NOVEMBER 11, 2020

arts & culture

flag football

advice

hey, bonita…

Florida Ended Georgia’s Season Should I Unfriend My QAnon Buddy?

AND EXPOSED THE BULLDOGS’ QUARTERBACK PROBLEM

ADVICE FOR ATHENS’ LOOSE AND LOVELORN

By Cy Brown news@flagpole.com

By Bonita Applebum advice@flagpole.com

All good things come to an end. On Saturday in Jacksonville the end came for Georgia’s three-win streak over Florida in a 44-28 beatdown. The Dawgs’ three-year reign as SEC East champs also likely came to an end along with it.

Let’s not mince words. Florida beat the bejeezus out of us. Now we’re left with nothing to play for except pride. With our fate in the SEC East out of our hands for the first time since 2016, Kirby Smart’s first season in Athens, we’ve got nothing but time to think about how it all went wrong.

What went wrong against the Gators?

We lose big games against big offenses.

That’s been a problem for three seasons.

Although we’ve prided ourselves on our defense in that span, our defense hasn’t been enough. It’s the way of college football now. A great offense will almost always beat a great defense. Unfortunately, we haven’t had a great offense in years.

Fields was that Fromm did nothing to lose the job, which was true. But that same season, Dabo Swinney benched Kelly Bryant, who did nothing to lose the job, for freshman Trevor Lawrence because he recognized Lawrence’s talent. Clemson won a national championship with Lawrence that season. Ohio State may do the same this season with Fields.

That original sin of not dumping Fromm for Fields is still haunting us, and Smart has been rightly criticized for it. But if we move past it and just look at this season, his QB management is more forgivable. Don’t forget, he secured the transfer of Jamie Newman, thought to be a top-five QB in the country, before the coronavirus hit the U.S. This would be a very different offense had Newman not jumped ship a month before the season began.

The past is the past, and we play the hand we’re dealt. For the rest of this sea-

HANNAH WHITE

Run the dang ball, Monken.

Firing James Coley and hiring Todd Monken in the offseason means Kirby Smart recognized that this was an issue.

The issue. To be fair, I don’t think Monken’s scheme has been the problem. We’re seeing more big plays—like Zamir White’s 75-yard run on the first play against Florida—and receivers are often left open. The problem is execution by our quarterbacks.

Stetson Bennett’s struggles continued against Florida. He completed five of 16 passes for 78 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He got speared in his throwing shoulder on his lone touchdown pass, and Smart yanked him due to some combination of injury and poor performance.

His replacement, D’Wan Mathis, was even worse, completing four of 13 passes for 34 yards, a touchdown and two picks.

Part and parcel of Smart’s failure to produce explosive offenses has been his mismanagement of quarterbacks. That criticism stems from the 2018 season, when he failed to start Justin Fields over Jake Fromm. Fields transferred to Ohio State, where he’s made a name for himself as a generational talent.

The reasoning for playing Fromm over

son, that’s likely either Bennett or Mathis.

There’s also USC transfer JT Daniels, whom Smart insists is completely healthy despite Zapruder-like footage of him limping in Jacksonville. If he is healthy, I can’t imagine how bad he must be in practice not to have garnered a snap this season. There’s also the option of breaking the glass on freshman Carson Beck, who was fairly highly rated out of high school but not among the elite of the elite QB recruits.

Five-star Georgia commitment Brock Vandagriff out of Prince Avenue Christian School is among the elite of the elite, though. With nothing to play for this season, we move into a holding pattern, waiting for Vandagriff to arrive next season.

Then we have to hope he’s on the same level as Fields, Lawrence and Deshaun Watson, the last three Georgia-grown QBs who came out of high school in similar standing. No pressure, kid.

As much as it pains me to say—and my God it does pain me—Florida was the better team this season and deserved to win.

Now Smart has 12 months to make sure it doesn’t happen again next time around. The clock’s ticking. f

Hey Bonita, I have a lifelong friend that I mainly keep in touch with via Facebook and a few random text messages on the holidays. Lately he’s been posting a lot of QAnon conspiracy theory stuff and also some straight-up racist memes on social media. (Breonna Taylor deserved her fate, for example, since her name was on the warrant, too.) Thankfully, he hasn’t texted any to me—yet. I just hate looking at this stuff. It’s so disappointing and hurtful, because I’m not white like he is, and it makes me question if I’m actually safe around him, though we haven’t been in each other’s physical presence for years.

Lastly, he has bipolar disorder, and his condition is chronic, meaning that even when his medications are working properly, he still acts in a way that others would think of as wacky.

I worry that his diagnosis makes him more gullible to conspiracy theory stuff.

I know that people with mental

illness need support, but I really don’t want to read this ridiculous shit from him on social media. Should I cut off contact or try to talk with him about it? I kinda want to just cut him off. We rarely talk as it is.

I haven’t had to deal with anything this serious as far as friends getting sucked into conspiracy theories, but I do have a few friends who are preppers out West, real “sovereign citizen” types. They believe conspiracy theories that blow QAnon out of the water, and they think it’s really just a “psy-op” to distract people from the true workings of the deep state. Seriously, QAnon isn’t fringe enough for them. They changed their entire lives years ago in preparation for Armageddon.

The good thing about them is that, while they believe some out-there type stuff, most of it is fairly grounded in reality (secret shadow government that makes deals at Bohemian Grove, that kind of stuff) and they don’t have any mental health diagnoses that I’m aware of. They’re sane adults choosing what to believe and, for that reason, I don’t have any problem with it. I wouldn’t have any issue with your friend’s

perspective if it were more grounded, and if his mental health issues were not clearly exacerbating your concern.

Honestly, as a person of color like you, I find the racism to be almost the biggest issue for me. Also like you, I’ve had white people in my life who held blatantly racist opinions, and I’m willing to bet that this guy would not agree that he is racist if you confronted him about it. Been there, done that, and it’s rarely worth the triggering and hurtful argument it causes. I mean, it’s up to you if you wanna talk this out with him, but you already are not in contact with him much, so why change that? You do not need to subject yourself to racism or racist abuse, ever.

You saw some hateful crap on his Facebook page, but luckily he hasn’t directly reached out to you to try to indoctrinate you himself.

I think it’s in your best interest to unfriend and unfollow him on social media, and don’t start any conversations that you aren’t down to finish. Even if you do, you have every right to just walk away.

I have had relationships with people whose mental health diagnoses were chronic, too, and I’ve had to make hard choices about how much I can have them in my life. At the end of the day, you have to consider the good that comes from being friends with this person and how it measures up to the bad that comes along with it. We are not bad people for prioritizing our own mental health in the face of someone with their own struggles, and I think that for people of color, collective racial trauma absolutely affects our mental health. I’m sure he’d appreciate having another person out there to call a friend, but not at the cost at hand. You don’t have to make a scene of anything, but you don’t have to reach out to this guy, either. I think it’s time for a friends list cleanup, homie. f Need advice? Email advice@flagpole.com or use our anonymous online form at flagpole.com/ get-advice.

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

13

music

feature

the new pandemic flow, and in July Tatum announced that he planned to show the building to potential buyers. One of those potential buyers was Jon McRae, who owns the bar Sister Louisa’s Church next door and had expressed interest in the building multiple times to Tatum over the past several years.

“After our successful GoFundMe campaign, I 100% wanted to keep Caledonia with the many logistical obstacles of safely alive but felt that a fair chance was not on reopening a business that depends on high the table,” says Bryant Williamson, who foot traffic—in combination with the likesays he attempted to discuss formulating a lihood that the building would soon be sold long-term, sustainable fundraising plan for to a new owner—Stephanie Williamson Caledonia’s survival and requested—but began moving out of the Clayton Street could not get—a lease, for a sense of some storefront in early September. security moving forward. “I did not want “When I opened, I wasn’t sure how to Caledonia to close,” he says. step out of the successful shadow cast by In September, Tatum offered to rent the Agora and Airee,” says Williamson, who venue’s outdoor patio to McRae as a shortlaunched Atomic five years ago after the term, symbiotic setup to help keep things former tenant, Agora—Airee Edwards’ vinafloat. Aware of the looming reality that tage shop, where Williamson learned the the building could soon be sold—and with ropes as a seven-year employee—relocated no new renegotiations, no straightforward to Broad Street. path toward recovery or even a predictable “Atomic became what it is today thanks timeline—Williamson closed Caledonia to the talented vendors and artists we shortly thereafter. He hopes to be able to were fortunate to host, and because of the continue Caledonia’s legacy in some capacpeople who gave us so much love and supity in the future. port through the years,” Williamson says.

From here, the drama further splinters “We’ll miss seeing everyone in person. Our into fragments difficult to reconcile. Though address may have whispers had been circhanged, but our love culating underground We have lost a place that for a few weeks, news and support remain the same.” completely encapsulated finally broke through There may not be a social media that the vibe of the local scene. silver lining to any of Atomic and Caledonia this, but there is a silhad both closed, ver bullet. Specifically, the iconic Airstream with McRae in line to acquire the property. trailer that was previously used as a greenChurch’s expansion was immediately met room on Caledonia’s patio will be renovated with pushback. Longtime Church employinto a mobile storefront for Atomic. The ees Megan Sparks and Thomas Fletcher vintage Airstream perfectly embodies quit their positions and co-wrote a public the retro aesthetic of Atomic and, more statement raising concerns about McRae’s importantly, will offer a flexible solution for patterns of profiteering off queer and marnavigating through an unpredictable time. ginalized people and using his position Face-to-face connections have always been of power to manipulate young women. the charm and reward of Atomic’s storeThese sentiments were echoed in a statefront, and a smaller space will provide a ment, released in solidarity with victims, safer experience for those chasing the thrill through which the Kourtesans drag troupe of the treasure hunt for vintage gems. announced a decision to end a relationship with Church.

Though McRae has declined to comment to Flagpole, he is on record with the Athens March’s lockdown on non-essential busi- Banner-Herald confirming Church’s expannesses and subsequent loss of income left sion into the spaces formerly occupied commercial tenants across the state scramby Atomic and Caledonia. In the Oct. 28 bling to renegotiate rent payments and seek Banner-Herald article, he says that renovalegal protection from eviction. In terms of tions are underway, and that he intends to finding any compassion from a landlord, the continue operating Caledonia’s space as a initial arrangement with property owner performance venue.

Joey Tatum started off as a best-case sceDuring a phone call on Nov. 5, however, nario for the Williamsons. Tatum, who also Tatum told Flagpole the former Caledonia owns the Manhattan Café business as well building has not been sold or leased to as the Little Kings Shuffle Club and Hi-Lo McRae. According to Tatum, McRae has Lounge buildings, has a long history of only a “handshake” agreement to rent playing a role in helping to jumpstart small, the outdoor patio and was given a key to distinctive businesses.

Caledonia’s space in order to access the Tatum offered to waive rent while circuit breaker for the patio lights. Tatum the businesses were closed, and this plans to continue weighing all possible mutual agreement afforded time for the short-term and long-term options for how Williamsons to run crowdsourcing camthe space can be effectively occupied. paigns to offset Atomic’s lost vendor-booth In short, the story encompasses a series fees, which had previously covered of confusing communication breakdowns, rent, and to provide immediate relief to ill-fated survival strategies, grist for the Caledonia’s employees, who had an unclear Athens townie rumor mill and alternate path ahead of them seeking unemployment realities where everyone seems to lose. benefits. An Economic Injury Disaster Loan grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration was applied toward Every musician must start somewhere.

Caledonia’s rent.

With the exception of a few outliers who The months anxiously and slowly achieve a strange, overnight stardom via stretched along, as they now seem to do in

End of an Era

CALEDONIA AND ATOMIC CLOSE THEIR DOORS ON CLAYTON STREET

By Jessica Smith arts@flagpole.com

P

ause to take a headcount, and you’ll find that the 40 Watt Club, Georgia Theatre, Foundry, Morton Theatre and countless other performance spaces in town have yet to reopen after eight long months of the pandemic. Music venues depend on large gatherings. They were the first businesses to shut their doors, and as far as anyone can tell, they will be the last to re-open them— if they can hold on for that long.

According to a survey released in June by the National Independent Venue Association, 90% of 2,000 music-venue owners, promoters and professionals from across all 50 states indicated that they would have to close permanently if they did not receive federal funding within six months from the start of the pandemic.

Currently, NIVA is running an emergency relief fund for vulnerable venues and promoting a #SaveOurStages campaign as the Heroes Act awaits its fate in the hands of Congress. Billboard, meanwhile, is keeping a running list of venues closing across America, with over 80 so far and rising.

We were warned, and now we see the fallout within our own town as the beloved Caledonia Lounge—along with neighboring vintage emporium Atomic—closes on West Clayton Street downtown.

Caledonia and Atomic—owned by husband-and-wife Bryant and Stephanie Williamson, respectively—have always resembled entire ecosystems that buzz with creative energy. Caledonia, the ultimate Goldilocks of venues, is large enough to feel legitimate, yet intimate enough to provide a deeper sense of community, as those on stage and those on the floor swap places regularly. With its treasure trove of vintage clothing, knick-knacks, records, local artwork and one-of-a-kind finds, Atomic has always been a reflection of the 40 or so artists and collectors who share their side hustles under one umbrella.

Retro Fashion of the Future Like other businesses deemed non-essential, the fashion industry’s retail giants, independent brands and brick-and-mortar shops were severely affected by the pandemic’s lockdown. The resale industry, meanwhile, has experienced positive economic growth as sheltering-in-place shoppers have migrated to online consignment and secondhand platforms like Depop, Mercari, thredUP and Thrilling. If anything, the pandemic accelerated a trend toward vintage that was already underway, as an interest in sustainability has increasingly guided consumer behaviors in recent years.

Pivoting to online storefronts comes with setbacks—the tedium of describing articles of clothing in hyper-specific detail for listings, the general over-saturation and competitiveness of the online marketplace, the basic inability to try on different clothing—but it’s also been essential to the operations of many brick-and-mortar businesses struggling to survive. Still, these are two very different business models that require different spaces in the long run. Faced

14

“

Grist for the Mill

FLAGPOLE.COM | NOVEMBER 11, 2020

Small but Mighty

viral streaming, most musicians simply begin honing their craft at the small spaces available in their hometowns. From there, their audience grows as they move up the ladder of venue sizes, and this traditional framework includes touring to establish stronger fanbases in other cities over time.

Without small venues for up-and-coming acts to cut their teeth, the bottom simply falls out.

“For the local music scene, we have lost a vital part of the path for bands in Athens, both local and touring,” says David Barbe, the director of UGA’s Music Business Program and the owner of Chase Park Transduction recording studio.

“If you can do well at the Caledonia, you can get a shot at the 40 Watt,” Barbe says.

“If you can sell 450 tickets at the 40 Watt, that puts you on the path to sell 1,000 tickets at the Georgia Theatre. In the last year, we have lost both Caledonia and Go Bar, two prime system-feeders. This will only make it more difficult for the college-aged bands, on which our town’s famous music scene was built, to break in. At one time, every major musical act to come out of Athens started out playing to a handful of friends in one of our small clubs.”

Of course, not everyone is concerned with attendance numbers or national tours.

For many musicians in Athens, performing is a more primal, normalized activity within their routines: They walk their dogs, they ride their bikes, they play their instruments.

Small venues serve a crucial role in nurturing this lifestyle by providing low-stakes opportunities for public experimentation, playfulness and the pursuit of niche interests. Without access to space, there is less motivation to materialize new ideas, and the momentum of a music scene plateaus.

Small venues like Caledonia can also afford to take programming risks that larger venues with higher production costs often cannot, and this flexibility contributes to the success of numerous festivals, showcases and special events in return. More importantly, this enables direct leadership and active participation to come from independent organizers, instead of being controlled by industry gatekeepers. Local initiative reflects the wider community with greater authenticity. Intentional, mindful community-building is the crux of what distinguishes places like Atomic and Caledonia from bottom-line-focused businesses.

Finding Community Following in the footsteps of the 40 Watt Club, which had also occupied the space at 256 West Clayton St. once upon a time, Caledonia originally opened in 1999 under the ownership of Kaya Yamashita and Karen Sweeney Gerow. Bryant Williamson bought the club in 2010. Since its early beginnings, Caledonia has always held the longstanding reputation of being the prime destination for grittier, higher-decibel nights of punk and metal music. This remained true right up until the lockdown, with many of its recent shows orchestrated by local heavy-metal record shop and event promoter Shadebeast. Both Atomic and Caledonia have always been magnets for the artists, creative entrepreneurs, indierock enthusiasts and outright oddballs who populate any alternative scene. Over time, though, the Williamsons became increasingly dedicated to creating refuge for members of the community who have experienced marginalization.

Intrusive Thots, the Kourtesans, Queer Heaven! and other frequent drag shows served as spectacular celebrations of gender-bending, boundary-breaking performance art, with several even raising funds for Live Forward, Youth Pride and Stacey Abrams’ 2018 campaign for governor.

Quaint, a reoccurring art-making event organized by Abe Bocinec in partnership with The Cottage, provided a sober, safe space for queer individuals to find community and healing.

Even while their own doors were closed, the Williamsons offered space to the Athens Community Fridge, a 24-hour mutual-aid program that addresses food insecurity by providing free, fresh produce and staple items to anyone who needs them.

“We have lost a place that completely encapsulated the vibe of the local scene,” says Barbe. “You can’t just open a small room and call it good. You need the creative, can-do collective spirit that fuels a DIY indie music scene. Without it, you might have a PA, a bar and some colored light bulbs, but none of that is what makes a club special.

It’s the people. This cannot be overstated.”

shows at Caledonia through ATHfactorLiberty Entertainment. “The Black community, the hip-hop community, has had to fight an uphill battle to maintain just a small space where we are welcomed to be ourselves.”

“Downtown Athens is changing, and it probably will never be the same, but what are you going to do about it? Will you sit back and nostalgically complain, or will you demand that downtown reflect the people of Athens—because it has not been a reflection in a very long time. Caledonia, The Hot Corner, Tasty World and the other countless special places will only be missed if we let them be forgotten by allowing the essence of what they stood for die.”

Currently, the Athens-Clarke County Commission is considering a proposal to establish a historic district on the west end of downtown in an effort to preserve Black history landmarks and protect the current small businesses in the area from the encroachment by upscale developments. The proposed district includes the buildings on West Clayton Street that formerly housed Atomic and Caledonia and,

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Following the 2010 closure of Tasty World, a downtown venue widely considered the most hospitable spot for local hip hop at the time, Caledonia stepped up as a welcoming stage for hip hop artists to be unapologetically loud and proud.

Within a national music industry fraught with systemic racism, discrimination and exploitation faced by Black artists—only compounded by a small Southern town’s own history and legacy of social inequity— the importance of finding fair access to resources and simple space for fellowship cannot be overemphasized.

The disappearance of small, independently owned businesses from the downtown landscape is not a new trend. It is a steady downward spiral that began by displacing the majority of the Black entrepreneurs several decades ago. Centered at the intersection of Washington and Hull streets, the Hot Corner served as a business district and cultural hub for the Black community for decades. What was once the territory of over 60 Black-owned businesses has been whittled away to all but a few.

“When I hear people say downtown is changing, it will never be the same, I want them to remember it has been that way for many generations of Black people,” says Montu Miller, who has promoted countless

if passed, will set design guidelines and require property owners to gain approval before renovation or demolition. After several delays and revisions, the vote is now scheduled for Nov. 17.

No matter when and no matter to whom, the Clayton Street building will inevitably be sold at some point—that is inarguably the basic right of any property owner. According to Tatum, the building was last valued at $1.4 million by the tax assessor, though the market value likely would be much higher.

That’s a pretty penny for just about anyone in the business of slinging tallboys.

The downtown visual and economic landscape has shifted drastically * as monolithic apartment buildings, chains and franchises have choked out smaller independent businesses, making the barriers to entry nearly impossible to hurdle for members of the creative community. Recovery will require critical and creative thinking among entrepreneurs, organizers and all the artists, musicians and industry workers within their orbits.

In a town potentially left cratered by closures, where will the next generation play? f

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flagpole

SUDOKU

Edited by Margie E. Burke

Difficulty: Medium

5

1

9 2 1

9 3 8 5 1 7 1 4 9 3 2 4

7 6

7 2 5 9

3 6

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of 3 by 3 boxes must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Week of 11/9/20 - 11/15/20

The Weekly Crossword 2

3

4

5

6

7

8

by Margie E. Burke 9

10

14

15

16

17

18

19

20 23

2 5 32 8 37 7 41 6 9 45 4 1 55 3

6 9 334 4 5 1 748 8 2

5 426 9 6 1 7 249 3 8

24

3 1 8 9 4 6 827 2 3 7 2 7 1 5 356 5 238 9 391 8 942 4 7 2 3 846 3 4 6 5 1 5 3 8 509 7 6 5 574 2 4 9 6 7 1

12

13

29

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31

52

53

54

25 28 36 40 43

44

47 51 58

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59

11

22

21

Solution to Sudoku:

7 1 33 4 3 8 2 6 9 56 5

threats & promises

Wake Up & Die Right with Little Gold PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP

By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com FALL BREAK: The debut EP from fresh-faced duo The

Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

1

music

Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

ACROSS 1 Rough guess 46 Notable period 5 Game for high 47 Notion rollers 48 Desert basin 10 Fall shade 51 Specialized lingo 14 Part of GMT 55 Misbehave 15 Trojan War figure 57 Deceptive state16 Not duped by ment 17 Newspaper bio 59 Muffin type 18 High-society 60 Aesop's ending group 61 Pasty-faced 19 Pantyhose flaw 62 Rifle part 20 Amount rarely 63 "Gladiator" star paid 64 Kind of cell 22 Crown 65 Gets rid of 23 Prop for Picasso 66 Clergyman's 24 Genesis villain house 26 Rocker David Lee 67 Miffed 28 Sleuths, briefly 29 "Mr. Robot" netDOWN work 1 Mink, for one 32 They show the 2 Leg bone way 3 Off the mark 35 Torn's partner 4 More prosperous 37 Complaint 5 "Believe" singer 38 Stomping ground 6 Really enjoy 40 Rooney who 7 Brady houseplayed Lisbeth keeper Salander 8 Mary Martin role 41 Instructive 9 Sony on the 43 Logo, e.g.

NYSE 45 Whole bunch 10 Bow coating

11 12 13 21 22 25 27 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 39 42 44 47 49 50 52 53 54 55 56 58 60

Artificial Marquee name Robe for Caesar Till the earth Midterm, say Like some olives Casual garment Drought-ridden Eden dweller Aid in crime Change, as decor Put back to work Harbor craft Make flush Literary repetition Cry of pain Vegan no-no Spouse's family Female relatives Hammerin' Hank Enthusiasm Different Culinary herb "Dancing Queen" group Heart of the matter Head for the hills Turn-of-thecentury year

Puzzle answers are available at www.flagpole.com/puzzles

DuPonts is named Too Soon, and it’s a mixed bag of a couple of great things but about three-fifths filler, too.

The opening track, “Green World (Too Soon Version),” is a great example of measured but steady songwriting with a very cool main guitar refrain that is not at all unlike a very smooth adult contemporary hit from, say, 1983 or so. The rest of the record isn’t nearly as enjoyable, and it’s not so much that the ideas are bad; just for example, “Melt” has a very pretty U2-ish melody but is performed here halfheartedly. Similarly, “Lost Kids” is supported by a catchy keyboard and digital drum track but is ultimately a little dead on arrival. The vocals and melody on “Tide,” though, show a solid direction, and I hope they keep going this way. Check it out at theduponts.bandcamp.com.

ROCK ON: Sloan Simpson, the years-long live-show recordist

and webhost of Southern Shelter—a repository of literally hundreds of live recordings—has made the entry into songwriting. Writing and publishing under the band name Sloan Brothers, Simpson’s compositional ear is crafted by his expansive tastes but thus far feels influenced by 1970s FM radio (album format radio) and classic power pop. His first single, “For You,” is very indicative of the first, and his second single, “Live On,” is emblematic of the second.

Lyrically, “For You” reveals a certain level of vulnerability, and “Live On” is kind of a masked tribute to those who have left us, but with a wish for their memory to, you know, live on. Sloan Brothers is a perfect vehicle to invite guests to contribute, and these first two tracks have guest guitar from Kevin Sweeney (Hayride). I’m excited to see where this project goes, as I have it on good authority that more songs are already written and that additional collaborators are lined up, too. Check it out at sloanbrothers. bandcamp.com.

do a wonderful job of showcasing Money’s strong vocal range. This album follows a tradition of artistic statements very similar to those made by Sade, Kate Bush and Joni Mitchell. Money’s melodic instinct really shines here, and she never resorts to obvious structures. Highlights include “Pretty Words,” “Sad Sack” and “27,” but those are a mere three songs, and there are 12 total. So find your own highlights on all major streaming services and juliannamoney. bandcamp.com.

THIS BAND IS ¿BANANA? B-A-N-A-N-A: Folksters ¿Banana? have

gone from a trio to a duo but haven’t slowed down their songwriting at all. The latest example is the band’s new 11-song album Reading the Room. Just as they demonstrated on last year’s Highway Robbery, they’ve got a great grasp of the folk tradition and are generally adept at placing humor in just the right places while never letting it devolve into rote silliness. That said, the sentimentality of “Prancing Pony” is already a weak spot, and when the track slides into goofy laughs, it just falls flat. Alternately, “Keep

LET’S MAKE A RECORD THAT THE RADIO HAS TO ACCOUNT FOR: We enjoyed a taste of

the new album by Little Gold last June when the band released the smokin’ single “Rear House.” The whole new record, Wake Up & Die Right, is being released this Friday, Nov. 13. Nothing else on the record cooks in exactly the same kind of Replacementsish abandon as the single, but there are multiple instances of top-notch songwriting. The domestic unrest of “Living Under Books” increases in urgency as it glides along a locomotive beat nicely underscored by a poignant vibrato.

Similarly, ”Friends Are Hard To Bury” deceptively lilts along a minor-chord progression in a lighthearted way, but when matched with the exceedingly sad and suspicious lyrics, these chords actually just drive the whole thing into the ground. The album runs a very complete nine tracks, and I think that any more would have been too emotionally heavy to lift. Sit back and listen to this alone for a while.

It’s available via both digital download and vinyl. Please see littlegold.bandcamp.com for more information.

LEAN IN: It’s been over three years since Julianna Money,

now living in Atlanta, released her EP My Star—a collaborative effort with WesdaRuler—but she has a new album out now named In The Valley. The record is a slowly burning candle that doesn’t have any a-ha! moments or things that scream at the listener. What it is, though, is a great collection of thoughtful and incredibly well-arranged songs that

Me on the Water,” “Cancer Season” and “Here I Am (So Glad You Are)” are each nicely achieved modern acoustic tunes that support themselves very well. I’m probably much more on the fence with this one that I was with Highway Robbery, but it’s cool to see they’re still writing and recording when so many have given up. Check it out at bananatheband. bandcamp.com.

INTRODUCE YOURSELF: Local rockers PSYOP released the new

album Utopia Now a couple of weeks ago. It was engineered, mixed and mastered by Kyle Spence, and the group is composed of current and ex-members of The Grawks, Honey Sliders and others. This whole thing—from the title, to the music, to the band name and concept—is super reminiscent of a particular type of punk-metal hybrid that reared its head in the late 1980s. While not exactly “crossover” metal by any stretch, there’s still a distinctive denim-vest and Pony-high-top-sneakers feel about this. For the most part, this rocks a pretty steady line of chuggy and tuneful heavy rock with occasional deviations (e.g. the noodly psych tune “Homicidal Daydream”). Cover your buddy’s shift in the dish pit and then drop your tip-out bucks over at psyop. bandcamp.com. f

NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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NOVEMBER 11, 2020 | FLAGPOLE.COM

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— WE’VE PARTNERED WITH —

GIVING KITCHEN TO DONATE A PORTION OF proceeds from every to-go purchase at the brewery O R D E R O N L I N E AT S H O P.T E R R A P I N B E E R . C O M