COLORBEARER OF ATHENS DOING OUR BEST BLEGH
FEBRUARY 15, 2023 · VOL. 37 · NO. 6 · FREE
LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1987
Beast Mode Seventh Solstice’s Dark Fury p. 10
The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation & Little Rose Nature Adventures present
Friends of Athens-Clarke County Library & Avid Bookshop present:
The Art of Nature
Lillah Lawson
The Birdsong with Chris Taylor (ages 6 to adult)
AUTHOR OF So Long, Bobby
Mini-workshops for K-12 students focused on creating art in and from nature. Saturday, February 18, 2022, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bring lunch. After listening and watching birds, and learning about their habitat, the nest and its design, students will collect objects from nature to adorn gourds using the principles of design to function as a bird house. Lessons will include design aspects of nest building and how it relates to the animal's survival and their role in the cycle of nature.
Movement and Cycles in Nature with Leigh Harvey and Mary Clair Mixon (Ages 6 to adult) March 18, 2023 (Rain date - March 25), 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bring lunch. Students will discuss the movement of wind, water and the cycles and patterns of nature. Students will use their senses to connect with plants, rocks, water, and other objects in nature, and be led in a somatic learning experience where they mimic the movement of an animal or aspect of nature with their bodies, such as the wind, the tree swaying in the wind, a bear, a soaring bird, etc. They will be led to listen, breathe, feel the ground beneath them and to connect to nature by any way they are led. The history of our indigenous peoples' dance rituals to celebrate the cycles of life and nature will be discussed.
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 7:00 pm Join us as we hear from Lillah Lawson as she shares her newest book, So Long, Bobby. The novel is a story of about strength under adversity, the scars (invisible and seen) that women often bear, and how the consequences of our actions can leave lasting impressions for generations to come. It's a story of female friendship, of mothers and daughters, of live and of finding your way home again. Books will be available for purchase and signing from Avid Bookshop.
Part of the Café au Libris series.
Athens-Clarke County Library 2025 Baxter St Athens, Georgia 30606 | 706-613-3650 www.athenslibrary.org/athens
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F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
contents
this week’s issue
YELP REVIEWS FROM OUR PATIENTS
SAM LIPKIN
“I get to en joy the flowers again , than ks to Boule vard” - Allie Wade
706-425-5099 i 298 Prince Ave. Across from The Bottleworks
www.downtownathensvets.com
The retail and outdoor recreation services corporation REI held its grand opening in the Beechwood shopping center on Feb. 10. To celebrate its opening, REI invested $10,000 each in Bike Athens and All Terrain Georgia.
This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 NEWS: City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Pub Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Activists Call for Police Oversight
Street Scribe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Delta 8’s Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Calendar Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
NEWS: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Threats & Promises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
New Bills Aimed at DAs
Beast Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
ARTS & CULTURE: Art Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Curb Your Appetite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Kara Walker’s ‘Back of Hand’
Live Music Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Event Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
FOOD & DRINK: Good Growing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Prepare April’s Harvest
Art Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alicia Nickles
Adopt Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
PUBLISHER Pete McCommons PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Larry Tenner
Sudoku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
ADVERTISING SALES Fabienne Mack, Jessica Pritchard Mangum
Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
CITY EDITOR Blake Aued
Hey, Bonita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
ARTS & MUSIC EDITOR Jessica Smith EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Sam Lipkin CLASSIFIEDS Zaria Gholston AD DESIGNERS Chris McNeal, Cody Robinson PHOTOGRAPHER Suzannah Evans CONTRIBUTORS Bonita Applebum, Richard Fausset, Erin France, Gordon Lamb, Rebecca McCarthy, Chad Radford, Ed Tant, Ross Williams
GREGORY FREDERICK
OFFICE MANAGER & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Zaria Gholston
Residential • Office • Construction • Move In • Move Out
DON’T DRAG 2022’S DIRT INTO THE NEW YEAR! Call today for a quote! Adilene Valencia 706-424-9810 aecleanathens@gmail.com
THANKS FOR VOTING IN THIS YEAR’S FLAGPOLE ATHENS FAVORITES CONTEST
Tears for the Dying
CIRCULATION Jennifer Bray, Gerald Burris, Charles Greenleaf EDITORIAL INTERNS Patrick Barry COVER ART by Jimmy Mendoza (see story on p. 10) STREET ADDRESS: 220 Prince Ave., Athens, GA 30601 MAILING ADDRESS: P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603 EDITORIAL: 706-549-9523 · ADVERTISING: 706-549-0301 CLASSIFIED ADS: class@flagpole.com ADVERTISING: ads@flagpole.com CALENDAR: calendar@flagpole.com EDITORIAL: editorial@flagpole.com
LETTERS: letters@flagpole.com MUSIC: music@flagpole.com NEWS: news@flagpole.com ADVICE: advice@flagpole.com
Flagpole, Inc. publishes Flagpole Magazine weekly and distributes 8,500 copies free at over 275 locations around Athens, Georgia. Subscriptions cost $90 a year, $50 for six months. © 2023 Flagpole, Inc. All rights reserved.
VOLUME 37 ISSUE NUMBER 6
PLEASE VAX UP SO WE DON’T NEED TO
Association of Alternative Newsmedia
MASK UP AGAIN
online exclusive With Gregory Frederick behind the camera, Athens GA Live Music documents artists gracing stages across the Classic City. Don’t miss footage from the recent performances by Commüne, Chelsea Lovitt, Tears for the Dying, Pylon Reenactment Society and more. See “Athens GA Live Music Recap” at flagpole.com.
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE MARCH 1ST ISSUE! F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
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news
city dope
Mall Plans Postponed A BARBER STREET BIKE PATH, TOO, AND MORE LOCAL NEWS
By Blake Aued and Rebecca McCarthy news@flagpole.com The Athens-Clarke County Commission voted unanimously last week to table the Georgia Square Mall redevelopment plan until Feb. 21. The vote came just hours after Dan McRae, an Atlanta lawyer hired by ACC to negotiate the use of tax funding for the redevelopment, told the county’s Mall Redevelopment Committee (MARC) that the two sides need more time to work out specifics for the $189 million in future tax revenue the developer, the Leaven Group, has requested. “I’m hopeful that we’re going to get all the information we need and get an agreement that’s to everyone’s liking in time for [the Feb. 21] meeting,” said Commissioner Jesse Houle, who represents the mall area. Almost a third of the funding for the approximately $600 million project would come from property taxes generated by the development over the next 30 years through a tax allocation district (TAD) created in 2021. ACC and the Clarke County School District would continue to receive the taxes they already collect based on the current value of the mall property, plus additional taxes from any other redevelopment projects near the mall and increased sales tax revenue. Scott Haines, a landscape architect with Athens-based W&A Engineering, supported the delay. “We understand that it is necessary to align the planned development vote with the community benefits agreement,” he said. The community benefits agreement outlines what public amenities ACC will receive in exchange for the TAD investment. In this case, they include setting aside 10% of the 1,200 planned residential units as affordable for the next 40 years, a new bus transfer station that will allow for expanded transit service, walking and biking paths through the development, greenspace and a Boys & Girls Club facility. The project is also expected to create at least 350 jobs and spur more redevelopment along the aging Atlanta Highway commercial corridor. The Clarke County Board of Education must also vote to extend the TAD period from 2040 until 2053 to accommodate the project. That vote was scheduled for Thursday, but Mayor Kelly Girtz told the MARC that he asked BOE President LaKeisha Gantt to schedule a called meeting next week. The mall’s current owner, the Herndon Group, set a deadline of Feb. 28 for the Leaven Group to exercise its option to buy the property, W&A President and CEO Jon Williams said last week. But the Leaven Group needs zoning approval and a TAD agreement in place before it can do so. Once all those pieces are in place, the group would go to private financiers for up-front funding. ACC would only be responsible for reimbursing the developer for eligible expenses after the fact. ACC could terminate the agreement if the developer doesn’t live up to its end of the bargain, according to McRae.
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In other business, the commission voted unanimously to authorize $525,000 for a new contract to provide medical services at the Clarke County Jail because Sheriff John Q. Williams said the current contractor isn’t providing enough services. The commission also tabled District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez’s request for $267,000 to form a three-member task force devoted to prosecuting gang-related crimes, preferring to deal with that request through the normal budget process. But it did vote to move forward with a study of ACC attorney’s salaries, which Gonzalez has blamed for numerous vacancies in her office. [Blake Aued]
Barber Bike Path Postponed Also tabled at the Feb. 7 meeting was a proposal for a multi-use path along Barber Street. Commissioners Allison Wright, Mike Hamby and Ovita Thornton said there has not been enough opportunity for public comment, because the plans have changed since the commission sent them back for revisions in 2021. They also wanted to wait until a new District 2 commissioner is in place before voting. Hamby also said that it was hard to justify $7 million for Barber Street when his constituents in Five Points are asking for sidewalks. The Athens in Motion citizens advisory group identified Barber as a top priority, along with Prince Avenue, Jefferson River Road, Cherokee Road and Riverbend Road. Commissioners John Culpepper, Tiffany Taylor and Dexter Fisher also voted to table the plans indefinitely, but did not give a reason. Before the vote, two ex-commissioners spoke from behind the podium. Melissa Link, who is running for the District 2 seat, urged her former colleagues to move forward with three phases while holding off on the segment between Prince Avenue and Boulevard. There has been plenty of opportunity for public input in the four years since the project was first proposed, Russell Edwards said, and the commission should go ahead with the entire project concept so that kids can safely ride their bikes. Before the 6–3 vote to table, Mayor Kelly Girtz implored the commission to approve the project concept, which involves three-laning the four-lane portion of Barber and removing on-street parking to create space for a 12-foot separated path for foot and bike traffic. The multi-use path emerged as the most popular option after an online survey, and doorknockers were hung at and postcards mailed to residences along the street, along with postcards mailed to landlords. The response rate was 30%, far higher than the typical 5%, according to ACC Manager Blaine Williams. Girtz said the Barber Street project would create “a web of connectivity” between Prince Avenue and the rapidly growing Chase Street/Newton Bridge Road area, where new developments are popping up around the Chase Park Warehouses, and
F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
adaptive reuse projects like Southern Mills and General Time are turning abandoned factories into housing and entertainment districts. Although several commissioners said they wanted more public input, tabling the project actually shuts down further opportunity to hear from the public, because staff will stop working on it. If the commission had approved the project concept, the public would have had more opportunities to comment as it moved to the engineering stage. However, the commission could have another crack at it if Girtz puts the project back on the agenda after the Mar. 21 special election. [BA]
Activists Call for Police Oversight Athens-Clarke County officials have been undermining the work of a newly formed civilian police oversight board, the board’s chair said at a memorial for Tyre Nichols and protest against police brutality last week. The ACC government is in the process of hiring a professional monitor who will investigate claims filed against local police. The person who holds that position is not supposed to have any connection to law enforcement so that police are not investigating police. But according to local musician Cassie Chantel, the chair of the Public Safety Civilian Oversight Board, Commissioner Dexter Fisher, a nonvoting board member, has said he wants the commission to remove that provision. Fisher told Flagpole that he feels excluding law enforcement officers from consideration for the position is discriminatory, and that county attorneys are looking into the matter. In addition, Chantel said that Fisher, Mayor Kelly Girtz and others won’t allow the PSCOB (pronounced “P-sob”) to observe interviews for the monitor position. The monitor will likely be a part of the auditor’s office, which reports directly to the Mayor and Commission, according to Girtz, who added that citizen advisory boards have never been a part of hiring decisions. “There are some officials who smile to our face when they need our vote, but
once elected, they do nothing,” said Mokah Jasmine Johnson, cofounder of the Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement, which organized the rally and also pushed for the creation of the PSCOB. About 100 people attended the rally outside City Hall, then marched through downtown. Cole Knapper, an interfaith chaplain, said that the fact that Black officers beat Nichols to death in Memphis illustrates the systemic nature of racism. “Right now in 2023, it is open season on Black people in America, open season on Black and brown folks in America,” Knapper said. Athens resident Chevala Hardy shared stories of how two of her sons faced violence at the hands of Athens police. In one instance, she said a white man followed and shot her son because he did not want Black people in the neighborhood, then falsely told police that her son had pulled a gun on him. In another, she said that police followed her son home while he was riding his motorcycle, then beat, tased and arrested him. He was held for nearly a week without bail on obstruction charges until she went to see the sheriff, Hardy said. “No matter what race you are, it could be your child, but it’s always Black people,” Hardy said. “We need to stand together and make it stop.” ACC Commissioner Tiffany Taylor also spoke at the rally, urging police to treat African-American men with respect and not as the enemy. Their job is “to protect and serve, not to over-police and murder,” she said. Her cousin, Edward Wright, was shot and killed by local police in 1995. Jess Martinez of Dignidad Immigrante En Athens spoke about her recent visit to the Atlanta Forest, aka “Cop City,” where the city of Atlanta plans to build a massive police training facility. Last month, state troopers and other law enforcement officers shot and killed Manuel “Tortuguita” Terán, one of many activists who’ve come from all around the country to occupy the property and try to prevent construction of the training facility. “This form of police brutality demonstrates that they have the power to control bodies and decide who lives and who dies,” Martinez said. [BA]
BLAKE AUED
news
pub notes
Editing Ort
RICHARD FAUSSET RECALLS HIS TIME WITH OUR ATHENS WRITER
By Pete McCommons and Richard Fausset pete@flagpole.com
About 100 people gathered at Athens City Hall Feb. 11 for a rally to mourn Tyre Nichols’ death at the hands of Memphis police and to call for more civilian oversight of law enforcement.
Chase, Alps Schools Renamed
tional time requiring technology. Clarify highest impact assessment practices.” • Ensure a high-performing environment for all students, which means to, “Ensure that every student is reading at or above grade level in every grade.” [Rebecca McCarthy]
After an hour of receiving primarily positive comments, the Clarke County Board of Education voted to change the names of two elementary schools. Chase Street Elementary will become Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary and Alps Road Elementary will be Bettye Henderson Holston Elementary. The two women were the first Black teachers joining the faculties of white schools in Athens in 1966, after A nondenominational mega-church is the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision planning to build a satellite facility in a of Brown vs. Board of Education that desegshopping center where parking is already at regated public schools was finally put into a premium, as residents of Beechwood Hills practice. have learned. Linda Davis and Heidi Hensley were the Housed in the former Walmart on only board members to vote against the Huntington Road, Athens Church is planre-naming. Instituting the new names will cost an estimated $150,000 for each school. ning to renovate 40,000 square feet in the back of what was Steinmart and the Clarke Middle teacher Chris Woodward basements of other businesses in Athens asked the board for some guidance on naviPromenade, including Michael’s. Church gating a state law about “divisive concepts” leaders plan to create a 1,000-seat audiand the teaching of history, particularly in torium and room for 500 children. Its regards to race. The law demands school website says it is, “Creating a church that districts deal harshly with teachers whose unchurched people love to words may upset students and their parents, and it Creating a church attend!” Lead pastor Sean Seay threatens to cut funding from districts that don’t that unchurched said in a YouTube video that he and other leaders began mete out punishments people love to attend! praying about creating a deemed severe enough. satellite operation two years In other school news, ago, adding that the finished space would be Superintendent Robbie Hooker released “absolutely awesome.” Married Groups and a 100 Day Report that outlines what he Starting Point Director Stephen Sowell will has learned about the school district and be in charge at Beechwood. the community since he arrived in early Beechwood Promenade LLC is owned by October. Trust in the school district has Dave Mulkey, who also owns the Market eroded in the last four years, and Hooker’s at Epps Bridge LLC, the shopping center report offers suggestions for building it where Trader Joe’s is located. back—with parents, teachers, business Athens-Clarke County officials are curleaders, community leaders and students— rently reviewing the plans, but they won’t and for moving the district to excellence. require commission approval because the The takeaway may be the “strategic prichurch is not seeking a rezoning or code orities.” These include: variance. • Stabilize CCSD around excellence in The transformation of the space is public education. One way for doing this is expected to cost $10 million and to take to, “Promote and support a positive work two years. Seay said in the video that environment, climate, and culture with disAthens Church has $5 million in hand, trict office personnel present and supportand that some attendees had contributed ive of the work being done in our buildings another $1 million. Cards with a QR code and classrooms.” were available so churchgoers could deter• Strengthen clear instructional stanmine how much they could afford to condards and student learning. To accomplish tribute to the building effort. [RM] f this, CCSD will need to, “Address instruc-
Newspaper editors are generally among those unsung heroes who get the paper out every day or every week, who—like the publishers and the ad reps and ad designers and the production directors and the office managers and distribution folks—work behind the scenes to meet the unforgiving deadlines. Richard Fausset, who grew up in New Orleans and graduated from the University of Texas, came to Athens, fell in love with the town, the music scene and a young woman; wrote a few columns for Flagpole, moved back to NOLA, wrote a “Letter from New Orleans” for us, married the young woman, got his masters in journalism from the University of Missouri, and then came back here while Kim earned her masters in Spanish at UGA. They live in Atlanta, and Richard writes for the New York Times. For the brief period he was here, Richard was the perfect editor for Flagpole and for Ort. Because he loved Athens, Richard immediately understood and bonded with Ort, as you can tell from what follows.
a sort of maximalist and willfully absurd application of the old journalism advice, ‘Get the name of the dog and the brand of beer.’ Don’t know about dogs, but Ort, who was a beer nerd before beer nerdery was cool, certainly took the beer part to heart (and, I suspect he would gleefully and self-deprecatingly add here, to belly). “The topics that Ort was most passionate about—low-power radio stations, hyper-obscure R&B, rock and novelty records, ZIP codes, micro-regional Southern foodways—didn’t add up to some easily classifiable body of knowledge. He was that body, and now that it is gone, it can’t be reconstructed. But that is not the only reason he was so widely beloved and is now so widely mourned. Ort did not follow his interests or cultivate his career with an eye to becoming a somebody, or monetizing his talent, or maximizing his clicks. And in this way, I’d argue, he was a pretty pure example of what has made Athens such a fertile and fascinating place for so long. Yes, big stars were launched from there, but
A good editor knows when to help a writer say what needs to be said and also knows when to just step out of the way of the writer who knows exactly what needs to be said and how to say it in an original voice that needs only the space to tell the story. Here’s Richard’s story of editing Ort: “Last Saturday, Athens, GA, said its goodbyes to William Orten Carlton, a.k.a., Ort, the great weirdo Southern college town’s legendary ambassador, barstool philosopher, columnist, polymath, record collector and friend to all. There was some Falstaff in him, and some Ignatius P. Reilly, all mixed up with heavy dashes of Calvin Trillin and Dr. Demento and Lewis Carroll. I edited Ort in the late ’90s. As a writer, his interests were esoteric in the extreme, and his style was playful, punning, unpretentious and gloriously (sometimes frustratingly) digressive. But he was also a writer of tremendous precision when it came to grammar, style and fact. Other editors of Ort can factcheck me on this, but it was a waste of time to fact-check him. Ever. He knew of what he wrote, and he knew that as a master of observation, it was crucial to observe every last detail, no matter how small. In fact, you could argue that his entire body of work was
the lifeblood of creative Athens has always been people being creative just for the hell of it, for amusing or impressing or moving the other creative (and often obsessive) fellow travelers who happened to be floating in or through town. Call it Ort for Ort’s sake. (Here, gentle reader, you are obliged to groan and raise your pint of 6.00% ABV Shelton Brothers Freigeist Abraxxxas, and offer an Ort-ish ‘Prost.’) “Ort left us at a time when this country’s leadership is increasingly skeptical of the value of the liberal arts, and of any of the branches of knowledge and experience that do not feed into the unrelenting vortex of American careerism, money-making and rigidly linear thinking. It’s a time when a certain presidential hopeful has been honing a punchline about how kids these days are wasting their time getting degrees in ‘Zombie Studies.’ I wish Ort were here to remind the kids that Zombie Studies are more than alright. He would have probably written numerous columns riffing on his knowledge of ’50s B-sides with zombies in the title. But now he’s gone, and the world is a more boring and predictable place. Goodbye, old friend. (30).” f
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PHOTOGRAPHER UNKNOWN
Church Takes Over Beechwood Space
F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
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feature
news
street scribe
The GOP Takes on DAs
Black History Month
By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com
By Ed Tant news@flagpole.com
Two Athens-area Republican legislators Circuit after Gonzalez won the DA race, but are sponsoring bills—apparently aimed at a state judicial committee said Oconee is local District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez, too small to justify its own circuit. among others—that would create more Gonzalez said in a statement to Flagpole oversight for top prosecutors and make it that she opposes HB 229 and HB 231. On easier to oust them from office. the recall bill, “it is clear political motivaHouse Bill 229, authored by Rep. tions play a larger role than the preserHouston Gaines (R-Athens), would require vation of integrity as it relates to elected district attorneys and solicitors general to officials,” she said, noting that it reduces review every individual case and make a the threshold to recall district attorneys decision on whether the facts warrant pros- but leaves the threshold for state legislators ecution. Failure to do so would open them intact. It would also require DAs to waste up to recall—and the threshold for a recall resources by prosecuting unwinnable cases, vote would be a petition with signatures she said. from just 2% of registered voters, compared On HB 231, “the proposed oversight to 30% for other elected officials. committee would not act as an oversight, “If a prosecutor is not doing his or her but rather an over step,” Gonzalez said. job, we need a system in state law to remove Checks and balances are already in place— that individual from office,” Gaines said in including elections, she said. a news release. “Communities across our “Introduction and support of this legstate cannot afford to wait; voters deserve a islation has been partisan, and that is remedy that will allow the same reason my them to protect their name continues to be counties, cities and brought up in this conneighborhoods. This versation,” Gonzalez bill would ensure that if said. “This committee prosecutors choose to would not protect the ignore the laws of this will of the people, and state, they will be subit would not promote ject to a recall, and it improved public safety. will be up to the people Instead, it weighs the to decide if that individsystem in a direction ual deserves to stay in favorable to the current office. It is past time we majority party and, in take on rogue prosecudoing so, weakens our tors in Georgia who are democracy.” putting lives in danger During the 2020 every single day.” campaign, Gonzalez HB 231, sponwas criticized for her sored by Rep. Joseph lack of experience—she District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez Gullett (R-Acworth) was an entertainment and cosponsored by lawyer who had never Gaines, would create an oversight compracticed criminal law—and that criticism mission with the power to remove prosehas continued throughout her tenure in cutors from office. Rep. Marcus Wiedower office. (R-Watkinsville) cosponsored both bills. Turnover in the DA’s office recently A third bill, HB 48, would make elections became an issue when Gonzalez requested for district attorney and solicitor general funding for a new unit focusing on gang-renonpartisan. (District attorneys prosecute lated crimes, and it came to light that felonies, while solicitors general mainly only eight of 17 authorized assistant DA handle misdemeanors.) That bill was intropositions were filled. Gonzalez blamed the duced by Rep. Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) turnover on low pay compared to other cirand is cosponsored by Gullett. cuits. Athens-Clarke County commissioners Chatham County’s Shalena Cook decided last week to table her request while Jones—like Gonzalez, Fulton County’s giving the go-ahead to a study on the salaFani Willis and others—were among a ries of attorneys employed by ACC. wave of progressive prosecutors who won Classic City News, a website run by forelection in 2020 on pledges to end mass mer Athens Banner-Herald crime reporter incarceration while focusing on violent Joe Johnson, has reported extensively on crime. Gonzalez, a Democrat, narrowly won the foibles involving Gonzalez’s office. For in a runoff over independent James Chafin example, a judge declared a mistrial in a while vowing not to prosecute nonviolent rape case involving two Oconee County drug offenses. She has also promised not to high school students because an assistant prosecute abortions under Georgia’s strict DA withheld evidence from the defense. In post-Roe v. Wade abortion law. another case, charges against an accused While Gaines did not single out Gonzalez sex trafficker were dismissed because a specifically, the two have a history. judge ruled the DA’s office violated the Gonzalez won a state House seat representdefendant’s right to a speedy trial. Troup ing Athens over Gaines in a 2017 special County prosecutors also accused Gonzalez election, but Gaines took back the seat for of botching a case against a LaGrange man Republicans the following year. Gaines and accused of child pornography and posting Wiedower also explored the idea of splitsecretly taped videos of women to porn ting off Oconee County from the Western sites while living in Athens. f
February is the shortest month of the year, 1960s, Lewis said, “I went to jail 40 times but it is also the most appropriate time to to help make our country a better place.” celebrate Black History Month. February He went on to become what the Atlanta is filled with dates that remind all citizens Journal-Constitution called “the conscience of the struggles of African Americans of the Congress” during his years as a U.S. over more than 400 years of this nation’s representative from Georgia. Speaking at history. Black History Month traces its the Athens Human Rights Festival in 2003, roots back to 1926, when educator Carter Lewis reminded his College Square audiWoodson led the campaign for “Negro ence, “We all live in one house. We are one History Week” every February because the martyred President Abraham Lincoln and pioneering civil rights leader Frederick Douglass both were born in February. In the decades since the observance began, the month of February has become an even more appropriate time to celebrate AfricanAmerican history. The exact birthdate of Frederick Douglass is unknown, but he said Feb. 14, 1817 or 1818. Douglass went from slave to respected orator, author, activist and slavery abolitionist before his death in 1895. His words still resonate today. “Find out what any people will quietly submit to,” said Douglass, “and you have Frederick Douglass the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.” Douglass people. We are one family. Our forefathers was a Black American who fought for the and foremothers all came to this great land rights of all men and women. “I am for any in different ships, but we are all in the same movement whenever there is a good cause boat now.” John Lewis made his mark on to promote, a right to assert, a chain to be history before his death in 2020. broken, a burden to be removed or a wrong An often forgotten tragedy in Africanto be redressed,” he said. American history was the Orangeburg If Douglass was the father of the Massacre of Feb. 8, 1968, when police in American civil rights movement, Rosa South Carolina killed three protesters and Parks certainly lived up to her sobriquet as wounded 28 others on the campus of South “the mother of the movement.” Born on Carolina State University during demonFeb. 4, 1913, she was arrested for defying strations against segregation at the town’s Jim Crow segregation aboard city buses bowling alley. The killings and woundings in Montgomery, AL in 1955. Her act of of Black protesters in South Carolina came civil disobedience sparked a year-long bus more than two years before the infamous boycott by Black citizens of the city. It is killings of white students during antiappropriate that Rosa Parks was born in war protests on the campus of Kent State February, when Black history is celebrated, University in Ohio in 1970, but the vicbecause her challenge to racial injustice tims of the Orangeburg Massacre are little brought the eyes of the nation onto the remembered today—unlike the “four dead segregated South and introduced a young in Ohio” at Kent State. Montgomery minister named Martin Today politicians like Florida Gov. Luther King Jr. onto this nation’s political Ron DeSantis are railing against teaching stage. Parks died in 2005, but statues of African-American history and “critical race her, Douglass and King can be seen today theory,” but Black history is part of the by visitors to the U.S. Capitol. “I want to be whole history of America. Black poet Maya remembered as a person who stood up to Angelou saw that the fabric of American injustice,” she said nearly 40 years after the history is woven together with threads of 1955 Montgomery bus boycott. many colors when she asked, “Won’t it be Born on Feb. 21, 1940, John Lewis was a wonderful when Black history and Native major contributor to African-American hisAmerican history and Jewish history is tory. Beaten by mobs and police in Alabama taught from just one book, just U.S. hisduring the civil rights struggles of the tory.” f
REPUBLICAN BILLS ARE AIMED AT PROGRESSIVE PROSECUTORS
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F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
CELEBRATING AFRICAN AMERICANS WHO MADE THEIR MARK
GEORGE KENDALL WARREN
news
news
feature
Will Delta-8 Be Ready When You Are? LAWMAKERS CONSIDER RESTRICTING THC-LIKE SUBSTANCE
By Ross Williams news@flagpolg.com
S
of CBD (products). And nobody really knows if what’s in the bottle is on the label. There’s very little consumer protection because it’s not FDA regulated.” Users have reported adverse effects, including hallucinations, vomiting, tremors, anxiety, dizziness, confusion and loss of consciousness, Raduka said. Kirkpatrick said she believes her bill may not end recreational use in Georgia. “Well, they might still be able to, it’s all about the dosage,” she said. “So you eat enough edibles,
JOHN McCOSH / GEORGIA RECORDER
tate lawmakers could soon consider a bill that experts say could prohibit the sale of Delta-8 THC, now readily available at Georgia health food stores and other retailers. Delta-8 is a compound found in small amounts in some types of hemp plant. It is similar to the Delta-9 compound, which produces the high marijuana users experience. In 2018, Congress passed an agriculture bill that, among other changes, made it legal to grow hemp with concentrations of Delta-9 THC below 0.3%. But the bill did not specify any other form of THC, including Delta-8, which opened a loophole for businesses to sell products containing Delta-8 even in states that do not allow medical or recreational cannabis use. Today, products can be found in head shops and gas stations as dried leaves, vape cartridges or cooked into food items. Some people use Delta-8 recreationally, others say it helps them sleep or deal with mental issues like anxiety. Forbes reported this month that Delta-8 THC sales topped $2 billion the past two years as an alternative to traditional marijuana. The Food and Drug Administration warns that Delta-8 products are not evaluated for safety or effectiveness. East Cobb Republican Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick has filed a bill that could close that loophole in Georgia. The bulk of the bill has to do with measures preventing the sale of hemp products to minors, but it also removes the reference to Delta-9 in state code, which would treat all products containing THC the same. “The intention of that is to broaden it to cover any product that has that THC concentration,” Kirkpatrick said. “So that would be Delta-8, Delta10, Delta-omega, Delta-whatever it is next year, so that all of those will come under the same testing and labeling requirements as Delta-9.” Separately, the Supreme Court of Georgia heard arguments this month from attorneys in the case of Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson’s attempt to crack down on stores selling the products. “The problem is that it’s a product,” said Gregg Raduka, executive director of Georgians for Responsible Drug Policy. “Man has a lot to do with the creation of Delta-8 THC, and
you’re still gonna be able to, but at least you would know what’s in it. And I don’t think we want our kids under 18—I put 18 in the bill, but some people want it to be 21—I don’t think we want our teenagers walking into these stores and buying gummies and getting high without even knowing what’s in the product.” Valerie Valdepena, executive director of Peachtree NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), begged to differ. Products with less than 0.3% THC will not get people high, she said, and she fears the bill’s effect on the state’s hemp industry.
It’s difficult to grow hemp plants with less than 0.3% THC because the amount a plant produces can change depending on growing conditions, and adding new requirements could make it even harder. “Our farmers are really having a hard time meeting the legal definition, it’s just a lot of back work,” she said. “So yeah, in theory, this would eliminate pretty much most of the products out there, and would just impact some of our farmers that they wouldn’t even want to grow, they would go to nearby states. So they’re basically pushing all the legal business to nearby states, more friendly states, and allowing the black market to take over.” Georgia Sheriffs’ Association Executive Director Terry Norris said his association had not taken an official stance on the bill, but he guesses the state’s sheriffs will like it. “There’ve been a lot of sheriffs that have talked to me over the past year or two about the stores selling stuff, and you’ve seen CBD stores jump up all over the place,” he said. “It is a very confusing proposition for the average street cop or even some of the investigators to know what’s legal and what’s not, so I think there’s a lot of clarity coming forth in this bill.” Two Democrats signed on to the bill, Minority Leader Gloria Butler and Sen. Michael “Doc” Rhett of Marietta. Stone Mountain Democratic Sen. Kim Jackson said she supports the parts of the bill aimed at preventing minors getting their hands on THC, but strongly opposes a full ban. “I very strongly do believe in what Kay is trying to do around protecting minors from a product that they may not fully understand, and I think that’s valuable and important that we do that,” Jackson said. “But for us to do that and therefore, create a full ban for adults being able to access it as well, that’s where I have a problem, and I hope that we can find a middle way that we can provide the protections that young people need while also allowing these products to stay on the market in our state.” In 2015, Georgia lawmakers approved a lowTHC form of oil for more than 20,000 patients suffering from a list of serious ailments, but today, there is still no pathway for those Georgians to get the medicine. Passing a law banning Delta-8 before helping those patients would not be a good look for the state, Jackson said. “We know that there are people in our state who are suffering, and that low-THC oil can help ease their suffering,” she said. “We need to do that, and we need to do that with urgency. Prosecuting on Delta-8 should not be a priority for this body.” f This article originally appeared at georgiarecorder.com
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arts & culture
calendar picks
LECTURES & LIT | THURS, FEB. 16
Lillah Lawson Book Release
... just listen TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14TH
SHAUN MARTIN TRIO
ACC Library • 7 p.m. • FREE!
Athens author Lillah Lawson is celebrating the release of her fourth novel with an evening event at Athens-Clarke County Library. Lawson’s novels defy genre, but often contain elements of Southern gothic, historical fiction and horror. Her upcoming
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15TH
and Angelica Risk against each other in a main event. This night will go down in Athens history as a night of unprecedented insanity, unmitigated chaos, floor-shaking heavyweight matches, heart-pounding tag team battles and reigning champions, two gold qualifying matches and a trios match. Alabama rock and roll band The Dexateens will also be tearing up the stage with live music throughout the night to break up the insanity of legends of the local circuit in heated battle. [PB] MUSIC | SAT, FEB. 18
HENDERSHOT'S COMEDY
P.O. the Priceless One Listening Party
HOSTED BY NOELL APPLING THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH
JAZZ JAM
HOSTED BY SETH HENDERSHOT & HOUSE BAND UNSTARCHED
Ciné • 9 p.m. • FREE!
Local hip-hop artist Anthony Hill, who performs under the name P.O. the Priceless One, will premiere his self-produced EP, Self Reflection, and music video for the single “Confidence.” The five-track EP carries its audience through a journey of overcoming adversities, gaining confidence and manifesting dreams with cinematic-style production and beat selections. Hill says that
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17
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LAUGHING SKULL AND AUBREY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENT:
BEST OF ATLANTA COMEDY SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH
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boys and king cake. Cafe Racer will also be there with its food truck for dinner service. Georgia band Blair Crimmins and The Hookers will light up the night with its music, described as “supercharged hot ragtime jazz with a touch of rock and roll.” The night will conclude with a best-dressed competition, where partygoers go head to head in hopes of winning a Terrapin prize pack. [PB] PERFORMANCE | TUES, FEB. 21
Poncili Creación work.shop • 8 p.m. • $10
“Poncili” is not a word in any language, except perhaps the one spoken by the strange forms and creatures which populate the landscape of the word’s namesake. Poncili Creación is composed of twin brothers Pablo and Efrain Del Hierro from Santurce, Puerto Rico. Although “poncili” is not a real word, it translates to the Del Hierro brothers as “chaotic tranquility,” a space in between the two in which their art frequently inhabits. By using a combination of large-scale puppetry, music, improvisational dance, costuming and what the Del
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novel, So Long, Bobby, is set in Athens following the lives of three women from the 1960s to 2018. Lawson explores themes of mother-daughter relationships, aging, addiction and what it means to be a family. So Long, Bobby also touches on many of the social and political issues in Athens throughout the years, as well as featuring many classic local landmarks. Copies will be available to purchase at the event. [Patrick Barry] THEATER | FEB. 16–18
The Vagina Monologues
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens • 8 p.m. • $16
The Cottage Sexual Assault Center & Children’s Advocacy Center presents The Vagina Monologues, a 1996 play by the playwright and activist V (formerly known as Eve Ensler). The play explores sexuality, reproduction and sexual violence in the form of monologues by women of various backgrounds. Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards furthering The Cottage’s goal of providing free services to survivors of sexual violence and child abuse in the Athens area. The V-Day campaign was launched around the production, which helps to stage local productions across the nation to raise money for organizations fighting to end domestic violence against women. Tracy Brown will make her directorial debut with the local production, which will be performed on three nights. [PB]
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F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
Poncili Creación
regardless of money, music is a passion that he can never stop pursuing and sharing. Through this project, he hopes that others can find a source of inspiration to speak what they want into existence. Hosted by Montu Miller and Budda with DJ Sean Swift on the 1s and 2s, there will also be performances by BYV_Trubb, Kxng Blanco, Niño Brown and KaMahri. [Sam Lipkin]
Hierros call “raw magic,” they have brought their performances across North America. They frequently use their artistic voices as a form of protest against social issues. Local band Immaterial Possession will be sharing the bill. It’s no stranger to theatrics, and a perfect fit. Wet Meadows will also bring its unique brand of “botanical rock.” [PB]
EVENT | TUES, FEB. 21
Cardiel, Beer Piss, Deaf Condors
Historic Athens Mardi Gras Masquerade
Terrapin Beer Co. • 6 p.m. • $40 (adv.), $50
Historic Athens continues its tradition of high quality events with the fifth annual Mardi Gras Masquerade, a night of food, drink, dance and revelry. Partygoers can enjoy mingling with other revelers, experience a New Orleans cocktail menu curated and prepared by Jerry and Krista Slater of The Expat and Slater’s Steakhouse, and enjoy tastings of traditional Mardi Gras dishes such as étouffée, jambalaya, po
MUSIC | TUES, FEB. 21
Flicker Theatre and Bar • 8 p.m. • $10
It’s going to be a loud night at Flicker. Athens punk band Beer Piss will open the night, delivering its PBR-soaked riffs like a rock to the face. Deaf Condors will also play, with its hard rock-centric music well-acquainted with the punk tradition. The main event of the night is Cardiel, a Mexico City skatepunk band well-ingrained in the city’s vibrant punk culture. The group includes elements of fuzz punk and psychedelic dub in its insane performance. [PB] f
music
threats & promises
Will Eskridge’s Life in Timelapse
Dog Spa
PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com GOODBYE, MY FRIEND: It is with a very heavy heart that I must report Athens musician, MC and producer Matt Lahey died after a very long illness Sunday, Feb. 5. Matt had a history in rock and roll but was best known for his work in hip hop, vaporwave and other electronic styles. He worked professionally under the monikers Astroshaman and Bills Clinton. Matt had an intensely absurd sense of humor, a loving heart and a gentle nature. About a decade ago he was misdiagnosed as having gastroparesis, but what he actually had was Crohn’s disease. This led to years of ineffectual treatment, incredible amounts of physical suffering and his eventual death. He is survived by his loving mother and caretaker Gini Collins Addington. A fundraiser has been set up to help with burial costs and leftover medical expenses. If you’d like to donate, please see gofundme.com/f/4u7n2-matthew. If you’d like to explore Matthew’s music, please visit astroshaman. bandcamp.com. Matthew was my friend. I loved him, and I’m sure going to miss him. He was 31 years old. WHITE DIRT REVISITED:
Tickets are on sale now for the upcoming record release show for Athens’ own Chickasaw Mudd Puppies. The new album is named Fall Line; it will arrive courtesy of Strolling Bones Records, and the release show is Friday, Apr. 7 at the 40 Watt Club. Also on the bill this night are longtime Mudd Puppies compatriots Beggar Weeds as well as The Howdies. The new record has 13 songs, two of which (“Smokestack Monkey” and “Scale”) are 1990s-era recordings done by engineer-to-the-stars John Keane, who also mixed and mastered the whole thing. The first single, “Flatcar,” is out now and can be heard at chickasawmuddpuppies.bandcamp.com. You can pre-order the album there, too, or via strollingbonesrecords.com/fall-line. For tickets, head to 40watt.com, and for all other tidbits, miscellaneous scraps and soup stock please see facebook.com/ChickasawMuddPuppies. REST IN PEACE: Former Athens musician Eric Agner died on Monday, Jan. 30. Agner was quite active in the Athens music scene beginning in the early 1980s with Banned 37 through his tenure with The Woggles, which ran from the group’s founding in 1987 through 1993, when he left town for the Washington, D.C. area. While he worked professionally as a graphic designer, he was still deeply involved in music and was a member of the groups The Judith Hour, The Racket and others. Agner enjoyed collaborating with others and dove head first into the mail-based-collaboration February Album Writing Month (FAWM) during
which participants record their contributions on four-track cassettes and mail them to each other until the songs are completed. He is remembered lovingly by his friends as a standup guy, an awesome bandmate and great songwriter. NO RETREAT, NO SURRENDER: Guitarist and vocalist Te Cool (Sunspots) is joined by his old bandmates Greg McCoy (drums) and John Peters (keyboards) on the new album Have We Nothing In Common? by new group Super Fury out now on Cool’s own Branch Street Records and Atlanta’s Mystic Sun Records. Recorded at Full Moon Studios in August 2020, the album also features Julian Duncan (keyboards), John Neff (pedal steel) and engineer Jay Rogers (bass). Musically speaking, this isn’t terribly different from his work in Sunspots, although it does lift its face more toward a Springsteen-ish Americana. At any rate you’ve got 16 tracks here to figure out where you stand on it. Due to pandemic boredom and delays in releasing this, Cool recorded two albums and three EPs under his electronic project Miami Death Cult. At its best, that project sounds like Nick Cave meets Daft Punk, and at all other times sounds nothing really like that at all. He also made a ton of videos for this Miami Death Cult stuff, which you can view at youtube.com/@ branchavenuerecordings1994/videos. Find the new album by Super Fury on Spotify, and look for physical copies (vinyl and compact disc) in April. WEIRD ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: Musician and visual artist Will Eskridge cycled through two other project names in the past two years—Beach Punx and Fog After Dusk— but his newest full-length is under his own name. It’s titled Life in Timelapse, which is an appropriately Brian Eno-esque title for this, even though it doesn’t really contain any other Eno-isms. This taut collection of 10 tracks begins with the Kraftwerk-y boom-bap of “Shades Of Nothing,” which quickly moves into an Amen-break inspired second movement before closing itself out with a third movement of bebop jazz. The second and third tracks (“Backwards Pink” and “Whiskers,” respectively) are similarly structured and run over 20 minutes each. It’s not quite as jarring as it sounds, but it is somewhat so. The 31-seconds-long “I’ve Got An Accordion” appears to be sample-based hardcore punk, but I’m not 100% certain if that’s the case. All in all, it’s another compelling collection of work from Eskridge that works as well via headphones as it does driving around in the car. Listen in at beachpunx.bandcamp.com. f
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F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
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music
feature
Solstice, Beast Mode shows measured musical evolution by offering three new cuts and revisiting two older numbers, fleshing out a current take on the group’s fierce body of work that’s wrapped in tales of the macabre.
it returns to its cave to sleep for another seven years, beginning the cycle all over again,” he says. It’s not quite standard fare for Athens’ lineage of world-renowned college rock, new wave, indie and jam bands. But Beast Mode roars amid a growing scene surrounding the loosely defined metal brand Shadebeast, which is hosting the EP release party at Flicker Theatre & Bar on Feb. 17. If Beast Mode’s previous release, 2021’s Pound of Flesh, came together in a chain of fast and brutal explosions, Seventh Solstice offers a complex refinement of the group’s primeval charge. It’s also one of the deepest
“Bones creak to life/ The night air fills my chest/ Eyes grown used to darkness/ Avoid the light!” Thus begins the title track to the group’s brand new five-song EP, Seventh Solstice. Flowers’ words grumble to life like some ancient and powerful incantation used to awaken a sleeping demon from a deep slumber. “The song tells a mini-horror story,” Flowers says. His measured and eloquent demeanor is a far cry from the growl vocal he brings to the songs. “Every seventh year, on the longest night, there is a creature that comes out and wreaks havoc. When the night is over,
male vocal deliveries to emerge from the Classic City. The Seventh Solstice EP features two brand new songs—a wicked instrumental opener titled “From Famine to Feast” and another titled “The Forge.” The title track is a revamped number that Flowers created for a conceptual super group, called Ølengeist. Other songs, “Becoming the Beast” and “Blasphemy,” originally appeared on Beast Mode’s first full-length, Blood Moon, which was released in 2016, before Flowers was in the band. Both of these older numbers—“Becoming the Beast” and “Blasphemy”—are still performed regularly during Beast Mode’s
The Dark Fury of Beast Mode SEVENTH SOLSTICE ’S REFINED SOUND
By Chad Radford music@flagpole.com
T
ALLIE O’NEILL
alking over the phone from his home in Athens, Beast Mode vocalist and guitar player Corey Flowers mulls over questions about how being trained as a classical musician affected his musical development later in life. Flowers holds a doctorate in guitar performance from the University of Georgia, with a minor in composition. Yet he’s made a formidable mark on the local music scene turning out rumbling death metal darkness and whiplash thrash. “There’s a meme that I’ve seen around that says, ‘Classical music was metal before there was electricity,’” he offers with deadpan subtlety. “It’s funny because it’s kind of true.” Flowers spent his formative years as a musician playing cello and later trumpet during junior high and high school. He recalls his early admiration for composers such as Antonín Dvořák and works such as Carl Orf’s bombastic “Carmina Burana.” But it was hard being exposed to more classical music, mostly because the other kids living on the same neighborhood blocks where he grew up in South Carolina and Georgia weren’t into it. Metal, however, was pouring from the speakers in a lot of kids’ bedrooms. In 9th grade, he started playing guitar, and naturally Flowers adapted to the style. In Athens, he first revealed his chops while playing with the progressive death metal outfit Jet Engine Dragons, which recently released the album Shell of Reverie last November. Then he joined ranks with Beast Mode, ultimately taking his place in a lineup alongside fellow guitar player Henry Mitchell III, bass player Cameron Yohr and drummer Guido Hrovat. With its latest EP, Seventh
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live shows. Re-recording them now places each one firmly in the group’s current body of songs. “Blasphemy” is the group’s first recording to feature both longstanding members Mitchell and Yohr adding vocals to a studio recording. “It’s similar to what we did when we did Pound of Flesh,” Flowers says. “When I joined the group, Beast Mode was a five piece. Then it became a four piece. Then we got a different drummer. But these songs were still in our setlist. I knew that with our current lineup we could really pull them off in the studio.” The EP was recorded just as COVID was bringing live music to a halt. “We wanted to build up more of a presence on streaming platforms before we started playing live shows again,” Flowers says. “Seventh Solstice further refines what we have always been going after: I have looked at the band from a modern death metal perspective and from a classic thrash side,” he adds. “Finding a balance between intricate and fun versus the groovy and mosh-worthy stuff, and this is where we are.” When it comes to reconciling his metal and his classical upbringing, Flowers admits that the more academic side of his output has often held him back from releasing some of his music, as he holds himself to impossibly high standards. “From this [metal] side of things, it’s always been a bit more relaxed,” he says. “I go through these phases where my mind works quickly. We can have something written and mostly recorded, but that doesn’t mean it’s going into the live set,” he goes on to say. “Sometimes it can lead to a bit of ennui.” But with Seventh Solstice, the music roars to life with pummeling fury. f
WHO: Shadebeast Presents Beast Mode, Giger, Kettle to Wake WHEN: Friday, Feb. 17, 8 p.m. WHERE: Flicker Theatre & Bar HOW MUCH: $10
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F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
13
ITALIAN CAFE FEB 24
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THE GRATEFUL BROTHERS
GRATEFUL DEAD / ALLMAN BROTHERS TRIBUTE BAND
ELI CAIN • DRUG DUCKS DOORS 7PM
BRINGING LIVE MUSIC BACK TO ATHENS! Mar 11th
Dirty Trick:
The Premier Cheap Trick Experience Doors 6pm 8pm Showtime
delivery through bulldawg foods delivery 401 E. Broad St. • 1965 Barnett Shoals Rd.&• cosmic 2080 Timothy Rd.
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20th annual madison chamber
MUSIC FESTIVAL DISABILITY LAW SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY Workers’ Compensation Long Term Disability Veterans’ Disability PHONE APPOINTMENTS • WEB • EMAIL 706-548-6869 • 877-526-6281 (toll free) 225 Hill Street, Athens, GA 30601
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SERVING NORTHEAST GEORGIA FOR 35 YEARS 14
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march 2 - 5, 2023
Festival Sponsor: The Brady Inn Founding Festival Sponsor:
Robert M. & Lilias, Baldwin Turnell Foundation
Scan to learn more & purchase tickets:
Thursday, March 2nd Musical Adventures of Babar, Ferdinand, and Skywalker
MMCC Auditorium, 4:30pm | FREE Ruby Sponsor: Betsy & Steve Briley
Friday, March 3rd Spanish Brass
MMCC Auditorium, 7:30pm | $50 Ruby Sponsors: Alla & Charles Campbell, Anonymous
Saturday, March 4th A Night at the Opera
MMCC Auditorium, 7:30pm | $50 Ruby Sponsors: Sharon & Bill Ross, Betsy & Sandy Morehouse
Sunday, March 5th Georgian Chamber Players
MMCC Auditorium, 4:00pm | $50
Ruby Sponsor: Wayne & Lee Harper Vason
Madison-Morgan Cultural Center • 434 South Main Street, Madison, GA • (706)-342-4743 • www.mmcc-arts.org
live music calendar Tuesday 14
Ciné Valentine’s Day Show. 8–11 p.m. $12. www.athenscine.com MARY & THE HOT HOTTY-HOTS Led by Mary Sigalas, the band plays hot jazz and swing music from the ’10s, ’20s and ’30s for your nostalgic partying pleasure. Georgia Theatre 6:30 p.m. $16 (adv.), $20. www. georgiatheatre.com UNDERGROUND SPRINGHOUSE Local jam band exploring the sonic palettes of reggae, country and folk. SUPPER CLUB Alabama rockers blending psychedelia, indie rock and folk. Hendershots 8 p.m. $20. www.hendershots athens.com SHAUN MARTIN TRIO Innovative musician known for his multiple Grammy awards and as a key member of Snarky Puppy. Ramsey Hall 7:30 p.m. $50. pac.uga.edu IMANI WINDS Grammy-nominated wind ensemble performs a program entitled “Black and Brown: Celebrating Composers of Color.”
NATHAN FORSYTH Atlanta psychedelic folk project with experimental influences. DRY COUNTY Blend of alt-rock and alt-country by Aidan Hill of lighthearted. Georgia Theatre 8 p.m. $20 (adv.), $25. www.georgiatheatre.com LILY ROSE Country artist from Georgia blending traditional country with R&B and deeply personal lyrics. Hendershot’s 8 p.m. FREE! www.hendershots athens.com
DARK ENTRIES KARAOKE Sing your favorite song from a curated catalog of classic to modern goth, post-punk, punk and industrial. Creature Comforts Brewery 7–9 p.m. www.creaturecomforts beer.com GARDEN VARIETY Funk and soul classics from the ’70s as well as originals. Flicker Theatre & Bar Shadebeast Presents. 9 p.m. $10. www.flickertheatreandbar.com BEAST MODE Blackened thrash metal from Athens. EP release show!
BASTARDANE Hard rock trio hailing from Savannah fusing fast, high gain riffs and grooves with clean, dissonant chord progressions to create a unique amalgamation of sludge, thrash and melodic rock.
Saturday 18 40 Watt Club Classic City Wrestling. 7 p.m. (doors). $10. www.40watt.com THE DEXATEENS Long-running Tuscaloosa, AL-based rock and roll band.
Gourdhead’s guitarist plays a solo acoustic set. Georgia Theatre 8 p.m. (doors). $16 (adv.), $21. www.georgiatheatre.com TAYLOR SWIFT DANCE PARTY A Taylor Swift-inspired dance party featuring a lip sync battle, costume contest and photo wall. Healing Arts Centre 7 p.m. $20 suggested donation. www.healingartscentre.net HINDUSTANI INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT Sitar and tabla for a journey into the soul. Appetizers and wine bar available.
Wednesday 15 Athentic Brewing Co. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.athentic brewing.com WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT Choose from a catalog of over 51,000 songs ranging from pop, rock, musical theater and more. Flicker Theatre & Bar 9 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreand bar.com DR. FRED’S KARAOKE Featuring pop, rock, indie and more. Georgia Theatre 7 p.m. (doors), 8 pm. (show). $22–25. www.georgiatheatre.com STRFKR High-energy electronica outfit from Portland, OR. Oconee County Library 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee TEEN KARAOKE NIGHT Compete for the winner’s trophy, or come sing for fun. Grades 6–12.
Thursday 16 Ciné 6 p.m. (doors), 7 p.m. (show). $10. www.athenscine.com ABE PARTRIDGE Gritty folk singer-songwriter and visual artist from Mobile, AL. DAVID CHILDERS North Carolina musician who has written hundreds of songs, recorded nearly 20 albums and collaborated with members of The Avett Brothers. KEN WILL MORTON With his gritty, soulful rasp, Morton blends folky Americana with rock and roll swagger. Flicker Theatre & Bar 8 p.m. (doors), 9 p.m. (show). $10. www.flickertheatreandbar.com FREEMAN LEVERETT Local songwriter with dreamy, thoughtful and danceable songs and cosmopolitan influences. HUNLO Introspective project of lighthearted’s Toni Hunlo inspired by folk rock, R&B, country and western twang.
player featuring Anatoly Sheludyakov and Evgeny Rivkin (piano), Shakhida Azimkhodjaeva (viola) and David Starkweather (cello).
Tuesday 21 Flicker Theatre & Bar 8 p.m. (doors). $10. www.flicker theatreandbar.com BEER PISS New Athens punk group. CARDIEL Psych rock-tinged skate punk duo originally formed in Mexico City in 2010. DEAF CONDORS Experimental garage rock duo comprised of two Peruvian brothers living in Athens and Atlanta. Southern Brewing Co., Monroe 7 p.m. www.sobrewco.com FUNKY BLUESTER Blues outfit inspired by traditional Chicago and Texas styles. Terrapin Beer Co. Historic Athens Mardi Gras Masquerade. $40 (adv.), $50. bit. ly/historicmardi23 BLAIR CRIMMINS AND THE HOOKERS Atlanta-based ragtime and Dixieland jazz revival outfit. Work.Shop 8 p.m. $10 (cash preferred). www. workshopathens.com PONCILI CREACIÓN Art collective composed of identical twin brothers from Puerto Rico, featuring puppetry and activism. IMMATERIAL POSSESSION Dark psychedelic band involving costuming and theatrics. WET MEADOWS Folky, botanical rock inspired by natural forms and rhythms.
Wednesday 22 Parathion will perform at Southern Brewing Co. on Friday, Feb. 17. JAZZ JAM Seth Hendershot and the house band Unstarched host an open jazz jam. Bring an instrument or your voice. Every Third Thursday. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall 8 p.m. pac.uga.edu UGA WIND ENSEMBLE Tonight’s performance includes two world premieres of new music and special collaborations with hip-hop artist Linqua Franqa and members of the New York Philharmonic. I Heart Mac & Cheese 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.facebook. com/iheartmacandcheeseathens SING ALONG CIRCLE Feel free to bring a song, friend or just yourself during an open jam of music new and old. Southern Brewing Co. 6–10 p.m. www.sobrewco.com KARAOKE NIGHT Every Thursday evening.
Friday 17 Butt Hutt 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ derekedwardsmuzic DEREK EDWARDS Local singer-songwriter. Buvez 7–10 p.m. FREE! www.facebook. com/darkentriesathens
GIGER Sludge, death and doom band from Columbus, GA. KETTLE TO WAKE Up and coming metal band from Athens. International Grill & Bar 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ IGBAthensGA SWING THEORY Local jazz combo performing swing classics. International Grill & Bar 10 p.m. (doors), 11 p.m. (show). www.facebook.com/IGBAthensGA JALEN TYRELL EBERHARDT Born and raised in Athens, Jalen has been playing saxophone since he was 11 years old. Nowhere Bar 9:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/ NowhereBarAthens ADAM & THE TESTIFIERS Atlanta funk and soul. The Roadhouse 9 p.m. www.instagram.com/road houseathens SCHMOOZE Athens alt-rock band. Southern Brewing Co. RPM Series. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $7 (adv.), $10. www. sobrewco.com PARATHION Athens death metal band founded in 2019 by brothers Jackson and Jacob Whitmire. KLEPT Swampy moss covered noise from Savannah for fans of Black Midi, Mr. Bungle and System of a Down.
Athentic Brewing Co. 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing. com STARDUST RODEO New local band featuring pedal steel and upright bass. Boutier Winery & Inn 8 p.m. $10. www.boutierwinery.com 2ND TIME AROUND Covering classic and modern rock songs, plus a few dance tunes. Ciné 9 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ brashermedia P.O. THE PRICELESS ONE Producer and hip-hop artist with an inspirational message. BYV_TRUBB Rapper blending punk rock and trap. KXNG BLANCO Local hip-hop artist delivering high-energy raps and R&B vibes. NIÑO BROWN Multi-genre sing-songwriter and rapper. KAMAHRI Rapper, singer and producer. Flicker Theatre & Bar 8 p.m. (doors). $10. www.flicker theatreandbar.com MRKELLERMRTONKS Rootsy guitar picking and paired vocal melodies. NORMA RAE This local four-piece plays soulful, distinctively Southern Americana. CHRISTOPHER HENDERSON
The concert will be preceded by a yoga class with live sitar music (5:30 p.m., additional $15). International Grill & Bar 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ IGBAthensGA KARAOKE NIGHT DJ Lynn and DJ Barbie lead an evening of karaoke. The Roadhouse 9 p.m. www.instagram.com/road houseathens PEACH ICE CREAM BLUEGRASS Local bluegrass collective. The Root 10 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ AubreyEntertainmentAthensGA SILENT DISCO Grab a pair of headphones and choose a music channel to dance to.
Sunday 19 Creature Comforts Brewery 3–5 p.m. www.creaturecomforts beer.com. LIVE JAZZ Every Sunday afternoon.
Monday 20 Ramsey Hall Faculty Artist Series. 7:30 p.m. $3–12. pac.uga.edu LEVON AMBARTSUMIAN Violin
Athentic Brewing Co. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com WEDNESDAY KARAOKE NIGHT Choose from a catalog of over 51,000 songs ranging from pop, rock, musical theater and more. Flicker Theatre & Bar 9 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreand bar.com DR. FRED’S KARAOKE Featuring a large assortment of pop, rock, indie and more. Hendershot’s 8 p.m. www.hendershotsathens. com NEW FACES NIGHT Hear musicians try out new material, or come share your own. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall 7:30 p.m. $3 (child or w/ UGA ID), $12. pac.uga.edu UGA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA UGA’s 90-piece orchestra plays some of the most coveted suites in the orchestral repertoire during the program “Suites and Chesnuts.” The World Famous 10 p.m. $5 suggested donation. www.facebook.com/theworld famousathens SOCIAL CREATURES Synth-centric indie rock from Brooklyn. SASHA STRAY Local band delivering social and political commentary through the lens of folk, rock and punk. HANDHOLDER Athens ambient electronic folk rock. f
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event calendar
Wednesday 15
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Thursday 16 ART: Opening Reception (Hotel Indigo) The “Classic Inspirations” exhibition of paintings by local artist Nancy Everett celebrates Athens and the Southeast. 5–6:30 p.m. FREE! info@indigoathens.com ART: Third Thursday (Athens, GA) Many local art galleries stay open late the third Thursday of every month for after-hours viewing. Check the website for this week’s participating venues. 6–9 p.m. www.3thurs.org ART: Artist Talk and Reception (Lyndon House Arts Center) Bess Carter is the recipient of the 2022 Art Center Choice Award, which includes a solo exhibition currently on view through Mar. 4. 6 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/Lyndon HouseArts ART: Georgia Museum of Art Student Night (Georgia Museum of Art) Join the Georgia Museum of Art Student Association for a night of music, fun and themed activities to celebrate the latest exhibitions, including “Reckonings and Reconstructions.” 6:30–8:30 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org CLASSES: Yoga in the Galleries (Georgia Museum of Art) Enjoy a
F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
yoga class in the art galleries led by instructors from Five Points Yoga. Open to all skill levels. Attend in person or via Zoom. Email to RSVP. 6 p.m. FREE! gmoa-tours@uga. edu, www.georgiamuseum.org CLASSES: Line Dancing Lessons (Athentic Brewing Co.) Becky and Patty will lead line dancing lessons in the taproom. 7–8:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com EVENTS: Boulevard Brass Band (595 Nanthahala Ave.) Bring your band instrument, meet outdoors and rehearse songs simple enough for beginners and open to improvisation for more advanced musicians. Every Thursday, 6–8 p.m. FREE! calclements@gmail.com
provided. Ages 5–12 years and their caregivers. 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Teen Studio: Object Stories (Georgia Museum of Art) Visit the exhibition “Object Lessons in American Art,” then create objects inspired by stories from the exhibition. Ages 13–18. Email to RSVP. 5:30–8 p.m. FREE! gmoa- tours@uga.edu LECTURES & LIT: Symposium on the Book (Richard B. Russell Special Collections Library) Professor Kim Coles will lead a lecture on “The Blood of Christians: Phillis Wheatley Peters and White Christianity” followed by a rare books centered workshop. 10 a.m.
and sustainable practices. 8–9:30 a.m. FREE! www.junksouth.com SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.athenspetanque.org THEATER: The Wolves (UGA Cellar Theatre) UGA Theatre presents a story following a high school girls’ soccer team during their pregame warmups contending with life’s big (and small) questions. Feb. 16–18; 22–25, 8 p.m. Feb. 26, 2:30 p.m. $12–16. www.ugatheatre.com/the wolves THEATER: The Vagina Monologues (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens) The Cottage presents this
ALLEN ROWELL
ART: Lunchtime Gallery Talk: “Insatiable Fire” (Lamar Dodd School of Art) Curator Jason Rafferty will lead a talk with the artists featured in the exhibition “Insatiable Fire.” Located in the Suite Gallery. 12–12:30 p.m. FREE! art.uga.edu ART: Artful Conversation: Vertis Hayes (Georgia Museum of Art) Callan Steinmann, curator of education, will lead an open-ended dialogue on Vertis Hayes’ painting “Juke Joint.” Registration required. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum. org CLASSES: Qigong and Yoga Flow with Paul Brooks (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Join Paul for a Qigong and yoga-inspired practice that moves energy to increase flexibility, release stress and improve overall health and vitality. Every Wednesday. Register online. 6–7 p.m. Donation based. www.revolutiontherapyandyoga.com COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s Improv League (Buvez) Home- grown townie improv that invites you to bring some interesting suggestions to help create improv magic on the spot. Every Wednesday, 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. www.flyingsquidcomedy.com COMEDY: Hendershot’s Comedy (Hendershot’s) Enjoy a lineup featuring comics from Athens and Atlanta as well as newcomers. Hosted by Noell Appling. Every third Wednesday, 8 p.m. www. hendershotsathens.com EVENTS: Sound Bath Experience (Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA)) The Center for Active Living and Feel Free Yoga & Wellness present an immersive, meditative sound experience. 11 a.m. $10 (CAL members), $15 (non-members). abarefoot@acc aging.org FILM: Green Snake (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of the 1993 film about a mischievous snake who assumes human form and interferes with the romance between her reptilian sister and a hapless man. 7 p.m. www.flickertheatreandbar.com GAMES: Classic City Trivia at The Local 706 (The Local 706) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www. facebook.com/ClassicCityTriviaCo GAMES: Princess Bride Movie Trivia (B&B Theatres) Teams of 2–6 will go head-to-head on their Princess Bride movie knowledge with Quizmaster David. 7:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/bbathens12 KIDSTUFF: Busy Bee Toddler Time (Bogart Library) Ms. Donna presents a highly interactive storytime featuring rhymes, songs, puppets and a simple story. 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. FREE! 706-441-9099, www. athenslibrary.org/bogart KIDSTUFF: Oconee County Library Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories and crafts. Ages birth to 5 years. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Open Playtime (Oconee County Library) Little ones can join Ms. Carley for open play to help build their brains and encourage early literacy. Ages 5 & under. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/oconee
KIDSTUFF: Homeschool Club (Oconee County Library) Homeschool families can join Ms. Carley for activities like art and science projects and STEM challenges. 2:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Lego Builders Club (Bogart Library) Lego lovers of all ages are invited; blocks will be available for younger builders under the age of 7. 3:30 p.m. FREE! 706-441-9099, www.athenslibrary. org/bogart KIDSTUFF: Elementary Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for an afternoon read aloud with a craft or activity to follow. 4:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Drawing Club for Teens (K.A. Artist Shop) In this weekly club for teens led by local artist James Greer, participants will learn a new fundamental skill for drawing with ink and graphite each week. 5–6:30 p.m. $25 (drop-in), $180 (semester pass). www.kaartist.com LECTURES & LIT: Book Talk: Trespasses by Louise Kennedy (Online) UGA professor and director of the Willson Center for Humanities and Arts Nicholas Allen will discuss the first novel by Belfast writer Louise Kennedy. Zoom registration required. 2 p.m. FREE! willson.uga.edu LECTURES & LIT: Current Investing Climate (Oconee County Library) UGA Professor Pekka Honkanen will talk about the current state of the stock market, returns in the past and the long run, crypto and other investment pitfalls. 7 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee MEETINGS: Athens Reparations Action (Athentic Brewing Co.) Learn about Athens Reparations Action’s mission to promote recognition of the financial impact of urban renewal and other racist policies on members of the Black community in Athens. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com
Town & Gown Players present Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing running Feb. 16–19. For more information, read Theater Notes from the Jan. 25 Flagpole issue online at flagpole.com. FILM: Black Art: In the Absence of Light (Georgia Museum of Art) Inspired by the work of the late artist and curator David Driskell, this documentary spotlights the contributions of some of the foremost African-American artists in today’s contemporary art world. 7 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org GAMES: Thursday Trivia (Johnny’s New York Style Pizza) Test your trivia knowledge with host Jon Head. 7–9 p.m. www.johnnyspizza. com KIDSTUFF: Infant Storytime (Oconee County Library) This program incorporates books, nursery rhymes, musical instruments and interactive play. Ages birth to 12 months. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Read to Rover (Oconee County Library) Come read with and meet the library’s new doggie friend, Grady. Reading aloud to a dog creates a relaxed, non- judgmental environment that helps children develop their reading skills and build confidence. All ages. 3–4 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee KIDSTUFF: Lego Club (Oconee County Library) Create and enjoy Lego art and activities. Materials
(lecture), 2 p.m. (workshop). FREE! www.libs.uga.edu LECTURES & LIT: Where Public History and Academia Collide (101 LeConte Hall) UGA alumnus and associate professor Robby Luckett will discuss his work with two small African-American history museums at Jackson State University in Mississippi. 12:45 p.m. FREE! history.uga.edu LECTURES & LIT: Unframed Images: Photography from the Collection of P.H. Polk (Mason- Scharfenstein Museum of Art) Learn more about Prentice Herman “P. H.” Polk’s work with a presentation by Dana R. Chandler, university archivist at Tuskegee University and assistant professor at Tuskegee Institute. 3 p.m. FREE! www.piedmont.edu LECTURES & LIT: Café au Libris (ACC Library) Lillah Lawson will discuss her various works and celebrate the launch of her new book, So Long, Bobby. 7 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org MEETINGS: Sustainable Industry Roundtable (Junk South) Learn about Junk South and its commitment to protecting the environment through mindful collection, sorting and diversion services. Bring ideas
performance with proceeds supporting the center’s free services to survivors of sexual violence and child abuse in the Athens area. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. $16. www.north georgiacottage.org THEATER: Much Ado About Nothing (Town & Gown Players) Town & Gown Players present Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, featuring an array of Elizabethan costumes and a few modern touches. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. Feb. 19, 2 p.m. $20. www.townandgown players.org
Friday 17 ART: Morning Mindfulness (Georgia Museum of Art) Instructor-led meditation, movement and mindfulness techniques in the galleries. No experience necessary. Email to RSVP. Every other Friday, 9:30 a.m. gmoa-tours@uga.edu ART: Pressed Flowers Crafts (Oconee County Library) Use pressed flowers to decorate candles, suncatchers, mason jars, bookmarks and canvas art. All supplies provided. Registration required. 4–5 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/oconee
CLASSES: Lettuce Eat Plants: Detox Winter Salad (Athens Cooks) In this hands-on cooking class, attendees will learn how to build a salad full of protein, flavor, winter veggies and much more. $50. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. $50. www. athenscooks.com CLASSES: Help I Yarned (Bogart Library) Learn new patterns and techniques for knitting and crochet. 1–2 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart COMEDY: Kelly & Matt (work.shop) Based on suggestions and stories from the audience, comedians Matt House and Kelly Petronis will perform a long-form story piece. 8 p.m. $5. www.flyingsquidcomedy. com COMEDY: Best of Atlanta Comedy (Hendershot’s) Laughing Skull Lounge and Aubrey Entertainment present the best of Atlanta’s comedians. 7 p.m. (doors). $10–45. www.facebook.com/aubreyentertainmentathensga EVENTS: Red Cross Blood Drive (Oconee County Library) Walk-ins are welcome and all blood types are needed during this blood drive. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/oconee EVENTS: Cruise-In Car Show (International Grill & Bar) Open to cars and trucks of all ages. 4 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ IGBAthensGA EVENTS: Zine Release (201 Lamar Dodd School of Art) Treehouse is a collaborative art zine hosting its first issue launch with food, live music, art vendors and a zine-making workshop. FREE! www.instagram. com/treehousezine KIDSTUFF: Storytime With Miss Alyssa (Brella Studio) Small children and their caregivers are invited to play, socialize and enjoy storytime with Miss Alyssa. Ages birth to 5 years. 9–10 a.m. FREE! www.brellastudio.com KIDSTUFF: Art Card Club for Pre- Teens (K.A. Artist Shop) In this weekly club for pre-teens led by local artists Katy Lipscomb and Tyler Fisher, participants will draw, paint, collage and create a collection of Art Cards. 4:30–6 p.m. $25 (drop-in), $180 (semester pass). www.kaartist.com KIDSTUFF: Art Card Club for Teens (K.A. Artist Shop) In this weekly club for teens led by local artists Katy Lipscomb and Tyler Fisher, participants will draw, paint, collage and create a collection of Art Cards. 6:30–8 p.m. $25 (drop-in), $180 (semester pass). www.kaartist.com THEATER: The Wolves (UGA Cellar Theatre) UGA Theatre presents a story following a high school girls’ soccer team during their pregame warmups contending with life’s big (and small) questions. Feb. 16–18; 22–25, 8 p.m. Feb. 26, 2:30 p.m. $12–16. www.ugatheatre.com/the wolves THEATER: Much Ado About Nothing (Town & Gown Players) Town & Gown Players present Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, featuring an array of Elizabethan costumes and a few modern touches. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. Feb. 19, 2 p.m. $20. www.townandgown players.org THEATER: The Vagina Monologues (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens) The Cottage presents this
performance with proceeds supporting the center’s free services to survivors of sexual violence and child abuse in the Athens area. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. $16. www.north georgiacottage.org
Saturday 18 ART: Opening Reception (ATHICA) The annual members’ showcase will open and be on view through Mar. 19. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www. athica.org CLASSES: The Birdsong with Chris Taylor (Little Rose Farm) After birdwatching, students will collect objects from nature to decorate their own gourd birdhouses. Ages 6 & up. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. $35–40. www.ocaf.com CLASSES: What the Hell is Milk Bread Anyway? (Athens Cooks) Local culinary enthusiast Emily Park will teach attendees how to make milk bread, a soft, fluffy and slightly sweet Japanese-style bread. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. $50. www.athens cooks.com CLASSES: Basic Blacksmithing: Forge a Fire Poker (Greenhow Handmade Ironworks) Students will learn basic forging skills while making a fire poker with a decorative handle. Additional skills including tapering, twisting, scrolling, riveting and more will be explained. All tools and materials included. 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $150. www.greenhow handmade.com CLASSES: Restorative Yoga (Healing Arts Centre) Practice yoga with live sitar music. 5:30–6:30 p.m. $20. www.healingartscentre.net CLASSES: A Valentine’s Tango (DanceFX Athens) Natalie Cox and Fuad Elhage will teach a tango lesson followed by an hour of social dancing to practice your new moves. 6:30–8:30 p.m. $10. www. facebook.com/dancefx EVENTS: Bird Walk (Wild Birds Unlimited) During this guided bird walk, learn about different species, their incredible natural history and tips on how to identify them. RSVP by email. 8–10 a.m. FREE! wbu511@georgiabirders.com EVENTS: Great Backyard Bird Count (Oconee County Library) Participate in the annual Great Backyard Bird Count where attendees will learn how to identify birds right in their backyard. There will be activities for children of all ages. 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/oconee EVENTS: Normaltown Brewing’s Third Anniversary (Normaltown Brewing) Celebrate with new brews, music, food and more. 12 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/normal townbrewingco EVENTS: Athens Black Market Shark Tank (Historic Athens) The Athens Black Market supports minority business owners and provides a marketplace for local vendors. This year Black and minority entrepreneurs can register ($25 fee) for the Shark Tank for an opportunity to win a $500 cash prize. 12–5 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/AADMovementjustice center EVENTS: Arbor Week Tree Giveaway (Bogart Library) The Georgia Forestry Commission is providing seedlings of native trees for planting while supplies last. 12:30–6 p.m. FREE! 706-441-9099, www. athenslibrary.org/bogart EVENTS: Birds & Trees (Bogart Library) Participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count and receive a tree to plant at home while supplies last. 2–3:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart
EVENTS: Annual SAVMA Auction (UGA Veterinary Teaching Hospital) Join the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine for a night of ’80s-themed fun. Tickets include dinner, drinks, dessert, raffles, access to both the silent and live auctions, a costume contest and more. 6–10 p.m. $38. www.eventcreate.com/e/ ugasavmaauction2023 KIDSTUFF: Planetarium Trivia (Sandy Creek Nature Center) Answer questions about space, physics and astronomy. Ages 5 & up. 10–11 a.m. $2 (residents), $3 (non-residents). www.accgovga. myrec.com KIDSTUFF: Lantern Making Workshop (Lyndon House Arts Center) Get ready for the ACC Lantern Parade in April by making your own lantern. Ages 7–15. Registration required. 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m & 1:30–2:30 p.m. $10. www.acc govga.myrec.com KIDSTUFF: Hike Into History (Ben Burton Park) Learn about the social, economic and natural history of our public spaces with a guided hike. Ages 8 & up. Registration required. 1–3 p.m. $2 (residents), $3 (non-residents). www.accgovga. myrec.com MEETINGS: Typewriter Club (ATHICA) Bring your typewriter(s) to share or just check out everyone else’s. Special guest, an Atlanta Typewriter Club guru, Typewriter Tom (Rehkopf) will conduct a little mini-cleaning/repair workshop. 1–3 p.m. FREE! www.athica.org PERFORMANCE: Classic City Wrestling (40 Watt Club) Athens- based professionals Classic City Wrestling presents a night of high flying, power slamming independent wrestling, with a side of live rock and roll from The Dexateens. Ages 18 & up. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $10–20. www.40watt. com PERFORMANCE: Poetry Performance (Buvez) Local artist Unfathomable Wonders will read poetry with themes of nature, nostalgia and mental health. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). Donations encouraged. www.unfathomablewonders. com THEATER: The Wolves (UGA Cellar Theatre) UGA Theatre presents a story following a high school girls’ soccer team during their pregame warmups contending with life’s big (and small) questions. Feb. 16–18; 22–25, 8 p.m. Feb. 26, 2:30 p.m. $12–16. www.ugatheatre.com/ thewolves THEATER: Much Ado About Nothing (Town & Gown Players) Town & Gown Players present Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, featuring an array of Elizabethan costumes and a few modern touches. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. Feb. 19, 2 p.m. $20. www.townandgown players.org THEATER: The Vagina Monologues (Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Athens) The Cottage presents this performance with proceeds supporting the center’s free services to survivors of sexual violence and child abuse in the Athens area. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. $16. www.north georgiacottage.org
Sunday 19 ART: Sunday Spotlight Tour (Georgia Museum of Art) This drop-in public tour features highlights of the permanent collection and is led by museum docents. 3–4 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org CLASSES: Sunday Meditation in the Gallery (ATHICA) Join Cal Clements of Revolution Therapy
and Yoga for two 30 minute meditations, with some ideas offered before and discussion after. All levels welcome. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Donations encouraged. www. revolutiontherapyandyoga.com/ booking-and-memberships COMEDY: Blaugez Buvez Open Mic (Buvez) This weekly show-up/go-up open mic is open to professional and amateur comics alike. Every Sunday. 7 p.m. (show). FREE! www. facebook.com/buvezathens EVENTS: Rabbit Hole Sunday Market (Rabbit Hole Studios) Small businesses, artists, farmers, musicians and creative entrepreneurs will be showcased. A drumming and song circle will be held for the last two hours. Every Sunday. 1–5 p.m. FREE! www.rabbitholestudios. org/markets EVENTS: Wake-n-Bake Off (Terrapin Beer Co.) The cooking and baking competition will feature local restaurants showcasing their recipes that include Terrapin’s Wake–n–Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout as an ingredient. 4–8 p.m. $20. www.terrapinbeer.com/ wake–n–bake–off GAMES: Dungeons and Dragons (I Heart Mac & Cheese) Join for an exciting role-playing adventure where you can fight dragons, join an army, go on a quest in distant lands or find hidden treasure. 3–7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ iheartmacandcheeseathens GAMES: Sunday Trivia with Solo Entertainment (Southern Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge. 4–6 p.m. FREE! www.sobrewco. com GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia at The Foundry (The Foundry) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Sundays, 7 p.m. www.facebook. com/baddogathens KIDSTUFF: Magic the Gathering Workshop (Oconee County Library) Learn the basics of Magic the Gathering and get your own starter kit. Ages 8–12. Registration required. 2 p.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/oconee LECTURES & LIT: Sexuality Book Club (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Join this book club for discussions about Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown. The discussion will give insight into pleasure: how to get it, what gets in the way and what it even means. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. revolutiontherapyand yoga@gmail.com LECTURES & LIT: Education as Resistance (ACC Library) Cheryl A. Fields-Smith, an expert on African Americans and home schooling, and Lora Smothers, founder of an Afrocentric school, discuss alternative education options for children of color. 3–4:30 p.m. FREE! www. athens-asalh.org SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.athenspetanque.org THEATER: Much Ado About Nothing (Town & Gown Players) Town & Gown Players present Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, featuring an array of Elizabethan costumes and a few modern touches. Feb. 16–18, 8 p.m. Feb. 19, 2 p.m. $20. www.townandgown players.org
Monday 20 CLASSES: Gentle Hatha Yoga (Athens Community Council on Aging (ACCA)) McKenzie Raymond from Feel Free Yoga leads this class. All skill levels welcome. Every Monday, 1–2 p.m. $5 (CAL members),
$10 (non-members). abarefoot@ accaging.org CLASSES: Community Meditation (Healing Arts Centre) Group meditation led by Uma Rose. Every Monday. 4–4:30 p.m. Donations encouraged. www.healingarts centre.net COMEDY: Comedy With Owen Hunt (I Heart Mac & Cheese) Laugh your way into the week with jokes from local comics and an open mic at the end of the night. 7–8:30 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/iheart macandcheeseathens GAMES: Classic City Trivia at Dooley’s (Dooley’s Bar and Grill) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ClassicCity TriviaCo GAMES: Monday Trivia with Erin (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Erin. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing. com GAMES: Trivia with Marissa (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Test your trivia knowledge with host Marissa. 8 p.m. www.flickertheatreandbar. com KIDSTUFF: Celebrating Inventions (Heard Park) Play trivia games, recreate inventions and celebrate Black History Month by learning about famous inventions by African Americans. Registration required. Ages 6–12. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $15 (residents), $22.50 (non-residents). www.accgovga.myrec.com KIDSTUFF: Break Down Build Up (Lay Park) Build giant structures then demolish them. Registration required. Ages 6–12. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. $15 (residents), $22.50 (non-residents). www.accgovga. myrec.com KIDSTUFF: Monday Funday Story Time (Bogart Library) Ms. Donna presents a highly interactive story time featuring movement, songs, crafts and learning fun. Ages 3–5 years. Registration suggested. 10 a.m. FREE! 706-441-9099, www. athenslibrary.org/bogart KIDSTUFF: NBA Math Hoops (Bogart Library) This program includes board games, curricula and apps that help students gain math speed and fluency using the game of basketball. Grades 3–8. 5–6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart KIDSTUFF: Dungeons & Dragons (Oconee County Library) All skill levels are welcome, and DMs are encouraged to join this one-shot interactive game. Grades 6–12. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee LECTURES & LIT: Nabil Ayers Book Tour (Sanford and Barbara Orkin Hall) Writer and music executive Nabil Ayers will discuss his recent memoir, My Life in the Sunshine, with David Barbe, director of UGA’s music business program. 4 p.m. FREE! willson.uga.edu LECTURES & LIT: Third Monday Book Club (Oconee County Library) This month’s book is Kate Quinn’s The Rose Code. Meets the third Monday of the month, and new members are always welcome. 7 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee
Tuesday 21 ART: Your New Favorite Artist: Alma Thomas (Bogart Library) Discuss the expressionist art of Georgia-born Alma Thomas. Following a short discussion and video, materials will be provided to create expressionist art. 1–2 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart CLASSES: Perfect Pie Pastry Class (Athens Cooks) Master the art of
flaky pie crust with Angela Meltzer, a seasoned culinary expert, in a hands-on workshop. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. $50. www.athenscooks.com CLASSES: Restorative Yoga with Nicole Bechill (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Join Nicole for a class that promotes deep breathing, mindfulness and inward listening. Every Tuesday. Register online. 12 p.m. Donation based. www.revolutiontherapyandyoga.com CLASSES: Kunde Family Vineyards Wine Tasting (Tapped Athens Wine Market) Meet with the Kunde Family Vineyard winemaker virtually while tasting the Sonoma selection in person. Registration required. 6:30–8 p.m. $40. www. tappedathens.com EVENTS: Historic Athens Mardi Gras (Terrapin Beer Co.) The fifth annual masquerade and block party’s theme is celebrating the historic businesses of Athens. Attendees can expect a best-dressed competition, costume masquerade, Mardi Gras court crowning and more. 6 p.m. $40–50. www.historicathens.com/mardigras EVENTS: No Phone Party (Hendershot’s) Disconnect to connect with a phone-free, laptop-free happy hour. Every Tuesday, 6–9 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com GAMES: Classic City Trivia at Akademia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7–8:30 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ClassicCityTriviaCo GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia at Amici (Amici Athens) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.facebook.com/ baddogathens KIDSTUFF: Oconee County Library Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories and crafts. Ages birth to 5 years. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Open Playtime (Oconee County Library) Little ones can join Ms. Carley for open play to help build their brains and encourage early literacy. Ages 5 & under. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee MEETINGS: Sustainable Athens Networking Night (Normal Bar) Businesses, nonprofits, academics and individuals are invited to discuss sustainability. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/KACCB MEETINGS: Writing Group (Hendershot’s) Informal meetup for creative writers to share their work and critiques. Bring at least one printed version because this meetup is during Hendershot’s phone-free/ laptop-free time. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.hendershotsathens.com MEETINGS: Athens Rock and Gem Club (Holy Cross Lutheran Church) After business is concluded, an educational program will begin at 8 p.m. presented by Jim Maudsley and Casey Gordon on pyrite. 7:30 p.m. FREE! www.athensrockandgemclub.org SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.athenspetanque.org
Wednesday 22 ART: Curator Talk: “Object Lessons in American Art” (Georgia Museum of Art) Jeffrey Richmond- Moll, curator of American art, will give a special tour of this exhibition, which features work that collectively explore American history, culture and society. 2 p.m. FREE! www. georgiamuseum.org/
CLASSES: Beyond Button Mushrooms (Athens Cooks) Sara Skinner, the mushroom maven of Classic City Gourmet Mushrooms, will lead a demonstration and taste test. 2–4 p.m. $50. www.athens cooks.com CLASSES: Qigong and Yoga Flow with Paul Brooks (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Join Paul for a Qigong and yoga-inspired practice that moves energy to increase flexibility, release stress and improve overall health and vitality. Every Wednesday. Register online. 6–7 p.m. Donation based. www.revolutiontherapyandyoga.com COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s Improv League (Buvez) Home- grown townie improv that invites you to bring some interesting suggestions to help create improv magic on the spot. Every Wednesday, 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. www.flyingsquidcomedy.com FILM: The Fan (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of the 1982 film about Simone who worships a pop singer until he tells her that he does not love her. 7 p.m. www.flicker theatreandbar.com FILM: Bad Movie Night (Ciné) Forced to avenge her murdered family, Sheila enlists the help of an all-girl biker gang to take down the evil Mr. Tiger and destroy his aphrodisiac drug ring in Virgins From Hell. 8–10 p.m. FREE! www. instagram.com/BadMovieNight GAMES: Classic City Trivia at The Local 706 (The Local 706) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www. facebook.com/ClassicCityTriviaCo GAMES: ’90s Music Bingo (B&B Theatres) Win prizes at this ’90s music-themed bingo night. 7:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/bbathens 12 KIDSTUFF: Busy Bee Toddler Time (Bogart Library) Ms. Donna presents a highly interactive storytime featuring rhymes, songs, puppets and a simple story. 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. FREE! 706-441-9099, www. athenslibrary.org/bogart KIDSTUFF: Oconee County Library Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories and crafts. Ages birth to 5 years. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Open Playtime (Oconee County Library) Little ones can join Ms. Carley for open play to help build their brains and encourage early literacy. Ages 5 & under. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www.athens library.org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Homeschool Club (Oconee County Library) Homeschool families can join Ms. Carley for activities like art and science projects and STEM challenges. 2:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Elementary Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for an afternoon read aloud with a craft or activity to follow. 4:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Drawing Club for Teens (K.A. Artist Shop) In this weekly club for teens led by local artist James Greer, participants will learn a new fundamental skill for drawing with ink and graphite each week. 5–6:30 p.m. $25 (drop-in), $180 (semester pass). www.kaartist.com THEATER: The Wolves (UGA Cellar Theatre) UGA Theatre presents a story following a high school girls’ soccer team during their pregame warmups contending with life’s big (and small) questions. Feb. 16–18; 22–25, 8 p.m. Feb. 26, 2:30 p.m. $12–16. www.ugatheatre.com/ thewolves 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 ACAC MEMBERS (Athens, GA) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission is seeking three qualified candidates to fill three-year volunteer positions. The ACAC’s mission is to foster the development of performing, visual, cultural and other arts in the community and make recommendations to the Mayor and Commission. Meetings are held the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. Fill out online application. Deadline Mar. 12, 11:59 p.m. www. athensculturalaffairs.org ARTISTS’ BOOK NIGHT (ATHICA) Now registering artists who would like to share their original artist’s books at an event held Mar. 1. All formats welcome: hardback, paperback, zine, comic, photos, drawings, paintings, text, collage, flipbook, unique or multiple copies. Register online. www.athica.org/ calls CALL FOR ART (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) The annual “Southworks National Juried Art Exhibition” is currently accepting online submissions. Deadline Feb. 27. Exhibition runs Apr. 21–June 2. www.ocaf.com/call-for-art JOKERJOKERTV CALL FOR ARTISTS (Online) JOKERJOKERtv is open to ideas and actively accepting proposals for collaboration from visual/musical/video artists and curators living in Athens. Artists worldwide can also submit music videos, short films, skits and ideas to share with a weekly livestream audience. www.jokerjokertv.com/ submit
OPEN STUDIOS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Studio members have access to spaces for painting, printmaking, photography, ceramics, jewelry, fiber and woodworking. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. $65/month. www. accgov.com/7350/Open-StudioMembership
Classes ART AND WRITING CLASSES (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) “From Dreamstorming to Reality: Writing to Practice & Polish Our Stories.” Wednesdays, Feb. 22– Mar. 29, 5:30–7:30 p.m. $160– 210. Heidi Lynn Nilsson offers “Writing Dialogue” Apr. 10–May 8, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. $165–215. www. ocaf.com/courses BLACKSMITHING CLASSES (Greenhow Handmade Ironworks, Washington) “Forge a Fire Poker with Decorative Handle” covers tapering, bending and scrolling, forge welding, cutting with a chisel and more. Feb. 18 or Mar. 11, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $150. “Forge a Bottle Opener” will cover making open face and church key style bottle openers. Feb. 25 or Mar. 25, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $150. In “Basic Blacksmithing, First Time at the Forge,” students will forge and assemble a wall mount rack with three hooks. Mar. 4, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $150. greenhowhandmade@ gmail.com, CHAIR YOGA (Winterville Community Center) Nicole Bechill teaches a well-rounded, gentle and accessible chair yoga class to promote breathing, mindfulness and inward
art around town ARTWALL@HOTEL INDIGO ATHENS (500 College Ave.) Nancy Everett’s solo show “Classic Inspirations” includes paintings that celebrate Athens and the Southeast. Opening reception Feb. 16, 5–6:30 p.m. Through midMay. THE ATHENAEUM (287 W. Broad St.) “Kara Walker: Back of Hand,” the first solo exhibition to be held in Georgia of the work of this internationally renowned artist, includes a series of new works on paper that examine themes such as complicity, racism, misremembered histories and the violence that undergirds the legacy of the South. Symposium on Feb. 25, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. Through Mar. 23. ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: ATHICA (675 Pulaski St.) The “2023 Members’ Showcase” spotlights artists who support the gallery as members. Opening reception Feb. 18, 6–8 p.m. Through Mar. 19. ATHICA@CINÉ GALLERY (234 W. Hancock Ave.) Atlanta-based artist Alice Stone-Collins shares “Domus Domus,” a collection of intricate hand-painted collaged pieces. Through Feb. 25. AURUM STUDIOS (125 E. Clayton St.) Susan Pelham’s collages are influenced by Magic Realism, Surrealism, fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Through March. CLASSIC CENTER (300 N. Thomas St.) “Spotlight: Paintings by Amy Watts” presents bold, colorful canvases full of cowgirls, farmers, miners and Indigenous people. • “Light Bright” presents works by Caitlin Gal, Allison McPheeters and Alivia Patton, who all utilize simple circles to create inspiring works. DODD GALLERIES (270 River Rd.) “Insatiable Fire” features new works by Atlanta-based artists Demetri Burke, Noah Reyes and Sergio Suárez. Through Feb. 23. • “Certainty Still Pending” showcases the work of firstyear MFA students at the Dodd. Through Feb. 23. • On view in the C-U-B-E Gallery, Erin Moore presents “Mycophilia,” a participatory installation that invites the audience to take part in mushroom cultivation by recycling paper waste. Through Mar. 3. • Zipporah Camille Thompson presents “HIGH
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listening. Mondays through Mar. 6, 9 a.m. $10. www.wintervillecenter. com COMMUNITY DANCE IMPROV (work.shop) No experience necessary. Vaccines and boosters required. Sundays, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Donations accepted. lisa yaconelli@gmail.com DEDICATED MINDFULNESS PRACTITIONERS (Online) Weekly Zoom meditations are offered every Saturday at 8:30–9:30 a.m. Email for details. richardshoe@gmail.com KUNDALINI YOGA (Let It Be Yoga Studio, Watkinsville) Held Mondays, 5–6:30 p.m. $11 suggested donation. harsimran@innergies yoga.com MINDFULNESS PRACTICE EVENINGS (Online) Discuss and practice how to change your relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions. Email for the Zoom link. Second Friday of the month, 6–7 p.m. FREE! mfhealy@bellsouth.net OIL PAINTING (Winterville Center for Community and Culture) Each class focuses on a different aspect of oil painting, starting with creating a color wheel and ending with the completion of a landscape. Wednesdays, Feb. 15–Mar. 8, 1–3 p.m. $40. www.wintervillecenter. com OPEN/COMMUNITY MEDITATION (Sangha Yoga Studio at Healing Arts Centre) Uma Rose leads a meditation designed to guide participants into stillness and silence. Mondays, 4–5 p.m. Donations encouraged. www.healingarts centre.net SALSA DANCE CLASSES (Cloud) Join SALSAthens for Cuban style
Susan Pelham currently has exhibitions of collages on view at the downtown Jittery Joe’s through February and Aurum Studios through March. salsa dance classes. No partner necessary. Beginners welcome. Every Wednesday, 7–8 p.m. $10. gwyneth.moody@gmail.com SONGWRITER’S WORKSHOP (No. 3 Railroad, Arnoldsville) Buddy Mondlock (Guy Clark, Garth Brooks, and Peter, Paul and Mary) leads a workshop on songwriting. Email to reserve a spot. Feb. 25, 1–5 p.m. $50. marynouri@bellsouth.net, www.3railroad.org SPANISH CLASSES (Athens, GA) For adults, couples and children. Learn from experts with years of professional experience. Contact for details. 706-372-4349, marina bilbao75@gmail.com, www.marina-spain-2020.squarespace.com TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS CLASSES (Live Oak Martial Arts) Traditional and modern-style Taekwondo, self-defense, grappling and weapons classes are offered for all ages. Classes in Jodo, the art of the Japanese staff and sword, are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. Visit the website for a full schedule. liveoak martialarts@gmail.com, www.live oakmartialarts.com
TIDE,” an installation reflecting on the roller coaster of heights and depths of post-grief triumph. Through Mar. 24. • “Kara Walker: Prince McVeigh and the Turner Blasphemies” is a stop-motion animation of cut-paper silhouettes who reenact several infamous acts of white supremacist history in the country’s recent history. Through Mar. 30. THE GEORGIA POTTERY COLLECTIVE (560 Caldwell Circle) Jen Graff, Yoon Hwang and other local ceramicists sell sculptural and functional pottery. Every Wednesday and Sunday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. FLICKER THEATRE & BAR (263 W. Washington St.) Paintings by Seth Martin. Through February. GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) Spanning the 18th century to the present, “Object Lessons in American Art” features over 100 works of Euro-American, African-American and Native American art from the Princeton University Art Museum’s collection. Through May 14. • “In Dialogue: Henry Ossawa Tanner, Mentor and Muse.” Through June 18. • “Decade of Tradition: Highlights from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection.” Through July 3. GLASSCUBE@INDIGO (500 College Ave.) Zane Cochran presents “Aurora,” a sculptural interpretation of the aurora borealis using 3D geometric figures and lights. HENDERSHOT’S (237 Prince Ave.) Paintings by Marisa Leilani Mustard. Through February. JITTERY JOE’S DOWNTOWN (297 E. Broad St.) Susan Pelham’s collages are influenced by Magic Realism, Surrealism, fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Through February. LAST RESORT GRILL (174 W. Clayton St.) Troy Ayers presents oil paintings while Amanda Ayers shares travel photography. Through March. LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (211 Hoyt St.) “Resilient Civic and Musical Life: Ware-Lyndon House Enslaved and Descendant Stories” includes a film; reading room of books relevant to the African American experience in art, music and heritage; and a visual timeline relating a fuller and more truthful story of the property and its inhabitants. On view Thursdays– Saturdays. • Bess Carter, the recipient of the 2022 Art Center Choice Award from the 47th Juried Exhibition, presents a solo show of landscapes, room interiors and still life paintings. Artist talk Feb. 16, 6 p.m. Currently on view
YOGA (Elixir Movement Arts, Mercury A.I.R.) Build a yoga practice, deepen connections to yourself and others, and learn to use yoga in everyday life. “Vinyasa Flow” is also offered Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. $10/class. shelley downsyoga@gmail.com, www. shelleydownsyoga.offeringtree.com YOGA AND MORE (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Jasey Jones leads weekly Raja Yoga classes covering meditation, pranayama, singing and discussion of yoga philosophy. Sundays, 5:05 p.m. Donations accepted. Private one-on-one yoga sessions with Kelsey Wishik can focus on strength building, mobility, relaxation and more. Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. $55. “Yoga Flow and Restore with Nicole Bechill” is held Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Online classes include “Trauma Conscious Yoga with Crystal” Thursdays at 6 p.m. and “Yoga for Wellbeing with Nicole Bechill” on Saturdays at 10:45 a.m. www.revolutiontherapy andyoga.com YOGA CLASSES (Feel Free Yoga + Wellness) The new studio offers various class times and styles Mon-
days–Saturdays. A 45-minute class is offered Tuesdays at 8 a.m. on the patio of Molly’s Coffee. www. feelfreeyogawellness.com YOGA TEACHER TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Revolution now offers a “Scholarship for Embodied Wisdom” during yoga teacher training for individuals interested in contemporary trauma-informed methods. Apply online. Sessions run Mar. 18–June 4. www. revolutiontherapyandyoga.com/ yoga-teacher-training 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
Help Out ATHENS TRANSIT PUBLIC INPUT (Athens, GA) The Athens-Clarke County Transit system is seeking public input on its five-year strate-
through Mar. 4. • “A Pattern of Moments” features works by Kate Burke, Rebecca Kreisler and Sylvia Schaefer. Through Mar. 4. • In preparation for “The Same, Yet Separate Artworks,” metalsmith and interdisciplinary craft artist J Taran Diamond toured the Ware-Lyndon Historic House Museum and created new objects in response. Through Mar. 4. MASON-SCHARFENSTEIN MUSEUM OF ART (567 Georgia St., Demorest) “Unframed Images: Photography from the Collection of P.H. Polk” spotlights the official photographer for Tuskegee University from 1939–1984 who photographed many Civil Rights events of the mid-twentieth century. Lecture on Feb. 16, 3 p.m. Through February. OCONEE COUNTY LIBRARY (1080 Experiment Station Rd.) The Athens Art Association shares a variety of works by its members. Through March. • Artwork by La Ruchala Murphy. Closing reception with live music by Trevon on Feb. 25, 6–8 p.m. ODUM SCHOOL OF ECOLOGY GALLERY (140 E. Green St.) Natural science illustrator C Olivia Carlisle shares insect, botanical and ecosystems illustrations using graphite, carbon pencil, watercolor, acrylic, ink, color pencils and Adobe Photoshop. Through May. STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF GEORGIA (2450 S. Milledge Ave) Elizabeth Barton’s collection of quilts and watercolors are inspired by the practice of shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing.” Through Mar. 5. UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “Unequal by Design: Housing in Georgia and America” draws upon historic government documents, photographs, historic newspapers and other records to trace the evolution of housing policy, tackling issues such as zoning, gentrification and suburbanization. Through May 26. • “A Chance to Play: Title IX and Women’s Athletics at UGA” celebrates 50 years of women’s sports at UGA. Through May. • “Freemasonry in Georgia: Ideals, Imagery and Impact” presents items that demonstrate the ambitions and tensions that existed within the secret society. Through July 7. UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF ATHENS (780 Timothy Rd.) The newly named Claire and Robert Clements Gallery debuts with a collection of oil paintings by Robert Clements. WINTERVILLE LIBRARY (115 Marigold Lane, Winterville) Nature photography by Ken Storey. Through Mar. 24.
gic plan. Fill out the online survey before Feb. 18. www.accgov.com/ transit BLING YOUR PROM (ACC Library) The library is currently accepting donations of new or gently used formal wear, shoes, ties, jewelry and unused makeup for Bling Your Prom, a program that offers free outfits and accessories to local teens. Accepting donations through Feb. 24. www.athenslibrary.org SCNC BOARD MEMBERS (Sandy Creek Nature Center) Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc., the founding support organization for SCNC, is seeking new members for its board of directors. Experience in accounting, social media or retail preferred. Apply online. scncinc@gmail.com, www.sandycreeknaturecenterinc. org/board-members
Kidstuff ART CLUBS (K.A. Artist Shop) Draw, paint, collage and create during weekly Art Card Club meet-ups. Fridays, 4:30–6 p.m. (pre-teens), 6:30–8 p.m. (teens). Drawing Club for Teens, taught by local artist James Greer, is held Wednesdays, 5–6:30 p.m. $25/drop-in, $180 (10-session pass). www.kaartist. com GREENLIFE ART CONTEST (Athens, GA) Students in K-12 can submit paintings, drawings, sculptures, poems or photographs inspired by environmental education and sustainability. This year’s theme is “‘Water’ You Going to Do.” Submissions due Feb. 24, 5 p.m. Selected submissions will be exhibited at the Lyndon House Arts Center Apr. 1–29. www.accgov. com/10573/Green-Life-ArtContest-Exhibit LUTHEROAD DAYCAMP (Holy Cross Lutheran Church) Activities include games, crafts, worship and special events. Register by May 14. Camp runs June 26–30, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. www.holycrossathens.com/ lutheroad READ MAKE PLAY (’Brella Studio) Various art activities for ages 0–5 are offered weekday mornings at 9 a.m. Check website for upcoming programs. Story time is also held every Friday at 10 a.m. www.brella studio.com RIPPLE EFFECT FILM PROJECT (Athens, GA) Pre-K through 12th-grade students write, produce and star in short, water-themed films. The film submissions moving to the finalist round debut on the big screen during the Blue Carpet Premiere, where filmmakers shimmer as they strut past the “dropparazzi” and enter the historic Morton Theatre. Deadline Feb. 19. www.rippleeffectfilmproject.org SPARK WEEKEND ACADEMY (UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel) “Writing Great Fantasy and Sci-Fi: Worldbuilding Workshop,” “Digital Film Special Effects & Editing” and “Storyboarding for ages 13–17 are all held on Mar. 11–12, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $120. “Be Audit You Can Be: Accounting 101” for ages 15–17 is held Apr. 22–23, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $15. www.georgia center.uga.edu/youth/spark STUDENT ART COMPETITION (State Botanical Garden of Georgia) Students in ninth grade and above (including college) can submit original artwork that may be used to create gift shop items such as note cards, T-shirts, scarves and mugs. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three winners. Deadline Mar. 31. botgarden.uga.edu/event/ student-art-competition-submission-deadline
SUMMER CAMPS (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services will launch registration for summer camps on Mar 18 at 9 a.m. for residents and Mar. 20 at noon for non-residents. www. accgov.com/myrec TREEHOUSE ACTIVITIES (Treehouse Kid & Craft) Saturday Crafterday is held every Saturday, 10 a.m. (ages 3–6) and 11 a.m. (ages 6 and up). Register by Friday at 6 p.m. $15. Storytime with Noah is all-ages and held every Monday, 11 a.m. FREE! www.treehousekidandcraft.com TUTORING (Online) The Athens Regional Library System is now offering free, live online tutoring via tutor.com for students K-12, plus college students and adult learners. Daily, 2–9 p.m. www.athenslibrary. org
Support Groups ATHENS COUNCIL OF THE BLIND (Athens, GA) Open to people of all ages with vision impairments, their families and friends. Topics include adaptive equipment, recreational and social opportunities, and advocacy. 706-424-2794, dlwahlers@ gmail.com GRIEF & LOSS SUPPORT GROUP (ACCA Center for Active Living) First Wednesday of the month, 10:30–11:30 a.m. abarefoot@ accaging.org MENTAL HEALTH PEER RECOVERY GROUP (Nuçi’s Space) Participants support each other through life’s challenges by sharing from their skills, experiences and proven coping mechanisms. Newcomers welcome. First Tuesday of the month, 4–6 p.m. pr@nuci.org, www.nuci.org NEW PARENTS AND INFANT FEEDING SUPPORT GROUP (BYL Family Resource Center) Come as you are for community, snacks and feeding advice from professionals. Babies and children of all ages are welcome. Wednesdays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.byyourleave.org PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP (First Baptist Church) This group is to encourage, support and share information with fellow sojourners who manage the challenges of Parkinson’s disease or other movement disorders. Second Friday of every month, 1 p.m. gpnoblet@ bellsouth.net PROJECT SAFE (Family Protection Center) Project Safe hosts a support group for survivors of domestic violence. Mondays, 6:30–8 p.m. www. project-safe.org RECOVERY DHARMA (Recovery Dharma) This peer-led support group offers a Buddhist-inspired path to recovery from any addiction. Visit the website for details. Thursdays, 7 p.m. FREE! www.athens recoverydharma.org SUPPORT GROUPS (Integrity Counseling & Personal Development) ICPD offers several support groups. “LGBTQIA+ Young Adults Group” is offered for ages 18–30. “Survivors of Suicide Loss Group” is offered the first Wednesday of every month, 7–8 p.m. “Veterans, Dependents & Caregivers Benefits Resource & Claim Assistance Group” is offered the first Saturday of every month, 9–10 a.m. www. integrityofjefferson.com
Word on the Street ATHENS BEER TRAIL TROLLEY TOURS (Athens, GA) A new trolly tour will provide transportation between six local breweries: Akademia, Athentic, Creature Comforts, Southern Brewing, Terrapin Beer
and Normaltown Brewing. Tours run every Thursday and Friday from 3–9 p.m. www.athenstrolleytours.com/ beer-trolley-tour FREE HEALTH CLINICS (Nuçi’s Space) Nuçi’s offers free health clinics on Feb. 27, Mar. 13 and Mar. 27. No insurance, no problem. Call to book an appointment. 706227-1515, www.nuci.org GREENLIFE AWARDS (Athens, GA) Nominate individuals, businesses and organizations to be recognized for their environmental stewardship, innovative sustainable design or community improvements. Deadline Mar. 3. www.accgov.com/ GreenLife MARGO METAPHYSICAL EVENTS (Margo Metaphysical) Monday Tarot Readings offered 1–5 p.m. ($6 per card). Tuesday Tarot with Davita offered 4–6 p.m. ($5 per card). Wednesday Night Sound Healing with Joey held 6–7:30 p.m. ($35). Thursday Tarot with Courtney is offered 12–5 p.m. ($10–45). Friday Henna Party with Aiyanna ($10–75). 706-372-1462 ODE TO THE COMMODE (Water Business Office) Pick up a free toilet dye tablet to check for leaks. Through Feb. 28. 706-613-3729 PAUL T. MARTIN HOSPITALITY EDUCATION FUND (Athens, GA) The Classic Center Cultural Foundation provides $25,000 from the education fund to individuals interested in pursuing careers in hospitality, event, music or sports management. Students enrolled in hospitality industry programs at UGA, Athens Tech and Athens Community Career Academy are encouraged to apply. Deadline Feb. 17. foundation@classiccenter.com RABBIT BOX (VFW Post 2872) Seeking storytellers to share seven-minute true tales. Upcoming themes include “Mystifying” in March, “Awkward!” in April and “Gone but not Forgotten” in May. Email to participate. rabbitboxstories@ gmail.com RABBIT HOLE EVENTS (Rabbit Hole Studios) Weekly events include Open Mic (Tuesdays, 7–11 p.m.), Acoustic Song Circle (Thursdays, 7–11 p.m.), Seventh Generation Native American Church services and community potlucks (Sundays, 11 a.m.) and Drumming and Song Circle (Sundays, 3–5 p.m.). Weekly Sunday Funday Markets held 1–5 p.m. Wednesday Yoga (5 p.m.) is followed by Meditation and Integration (6 p.m.). Events are free or donation based. www.rabbitholes tudios.org/calendar ROLLERGIRL BOOT CAMP (Fun Galaxy Athens) The Classic City Rollergirls host a spring boot camp for aspiring rollergirls or those who would like to learn some tips and tricks. Saturdays, 9–11:30 a.m. and Wednesdays, 6–9 p.m. Feb. 25– Apr. 5. $20 (gear rental), $3 (skate rental), $2 (mouthguard). www. classiccityrollergirls.com SPRING PROGRAMS (Athens, GA) The ACC Leisure Services Department offers a variety of activities highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports and holiday events for adults and children. Now registering. Scholarships available. www.accgov.com/myrec SUMMER JOBS (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services will hire over 100 summer positions including camp counselors, lifeguards and more. Hourly pay ranges $15.60–17. Now accepting applications. www. accgov.com/jobs WORK.SHOP (160 Winston Dr.) Open rehearsal and performance space for theater, comedy, dance, classes and events. $10/hour. www. workshopathens.com f
arts & culture
art notes
Back of Hand
KARA WALKER INVESTIGATES RACIAL VIOLENCE
By Jessica Smith arts@flagpole.com Internationally recognized for her prolific Blasphemies” is currently screening on a body of work, contemporary artist Kara loop. The title references the 1926 fairytale Walker is best known for her investigations film The Adventures of Prince Achmed by piointo the complex intersections of race, genneer silhouette animator Lotte Reiniger, as der, sexuality, violence and identity through well as The Turner Diaries, a 1978 dystopian panoramic scenes of black cut-paper silhou- neo-Nazi novel that describes a violent race ettes. Often startling and discomforting, war and has been cited as influencing many these candid depictions address the history contemporary far-right extremists to this and repercussions of racism and slavery day. in America. Currently on view at The Expanding her iconic style into animaAthenaeum, the exhibition “Kara Walker: tion, Walker uses her cut-paper silhouettes Back of Hand” offers an opportunity for the as shadow puppets to reenact brutal acts of New York-based artist to share recent works violence and illustrate the ongoing legacy of that break away from her iconic style but white supremacy in the U.S. Specifically, the remain steadfast in thematic influence. film includes scenes of the 1995 Oklahoma Born in California, Walker moved to City bombing by Timothy McVeigh and the Stone Mountain at the age of 13 and later 1998 murder of James Byrd Jr., and segues attended college at the Atlanta College of into the present with the Jan. 6 Capitol Art and Design. Though she did not begin insurrection. The film contemplates how addressing race with her artwork until she harmful ideologies and systems of oppreswas pursuing her MFA at the Rhode Island sion are protected and perpetuated across School of Design, it was during this chapter generations. of her life that she began understanding and unraveling the South’s horrific history. Themes of racism, complicity, structural violence, stereotypes and misremembered histories continue to permeate her work. The exhibition includes two suites of small works on paper from “Book of Hours,” an ongoing series that references medieval illuminated manuscripts. Walker’s illustrations in graphite, watercolor, gouache and sumi-e ink represent a stream-of-conscious outpouring of “First Effort” by Kara Walker emotions, ideas and reactions. Started in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, the The shadows of Walker’s hands frenetiseries’ title also alludes to the unusual outcally flutter across the background, moving of-time experience endured by many during her characters across the screen, a stylistic quarantine, as well as simply the actual choice that amplifies the storytelling and hours the artist dedicated to the practice handcrafted elements of the project. An of drawing itself. For Walker, drawing is original score by Minneapolis-based musia grounding activity that serves as a concian Lady Midnight, meanwhile, propels versation with her own mind to reconcile the narrative by quickly moving between the past and present and process the world marching band, ragtime, soul and rock around her. melodies. The inclusion of centaur-like crea“Back of Hand” also features the public tures adds a magical quality that brings the debut of two large-scale, mural-like pieces act of making mythologies to the surface, called “The Ballad of How We Got Here” and deepening the film’s interrogation of how “Feast of Famine.” Created last year and radical rhetoric becomes commonplace. representing a new direction for Walker, “Back of Hand” is currently on view both wall-spanning works include dizzying through Mar. 24 at The Athenaeum, which swirls of hand-written text. The streamis open Wednesdays–Saturdays, 12–6 of-conscious messages feel both chaotic p.m. The Athenaeum will host “Troubling and colossal, leaving the viewer with the Performance,” a one-day symposium emotional weight of what it’s like to have so focused on representations of race in permany thoughts left unresolved. formance on Feb. 25, 9 a.m.–7 p.m. “Prince More of Walker’s work can be found on McVeigh and the Turner Blasphemies” is UGA’s campus at the Dodd Galleries, where on view at the Dodd Galleries through Mar. her 2021 12-minute stop-motion animation 30 and can be visited Mondays–Fridays, 8 entitled “Prince McVeigh and the Turner a.m.–4:45 p.m. f
F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
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classifieds Buy It, Sell It, Rent It, Use It! Place an ad anytime, email class@flagpole.com
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REAL ESTATE HOUSES FOR RENT House, 3BR/2BA in Normaltown. Central air. Apartment, 2BR/1BA. Furnished. Washer/dryer. Wi-Fi. No smokers, pets. 706-3721505 Get Flagpole delivered to your mailbox! $50 for six months or $90 for one year. Call 706-549-0301.
MUSIC INSTRUCTION Athens School of Music. Now offering in-person and online instruction in guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, brass, woodwinds, strings, banjo, mandolin and more. From beginner to expert, all styles. Visit www.athens schoolofmusic.com, 706543-5800.
VOICE LESSONS: Specializing in older (50+) beginners and intermediates. Gift certificates available. Contact stacie.court@ gmail.com or 706-424-9516.
MUSIC SERVICES Instant cash is now being paid for good vinyl records & CDs in fine condition. Wuxtry Records, at corner of Clayton & College Dwntn. 706-369-9428.
SERVICES CLEANING Peachy Green Clean Cooperative, your local friendly green cleaners! Free estimates. Call or go online today: 706-248-4601, www. peachygreencleancoop. com Need old newspapers? There are plenty here at the Flagpole office! Call ahead and we’ll have them ready for you. 706-549-0301
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PSYCHICS Professional Psychic. Problem Solver. Advises in all matters in life. Stop worrying about everything. Let me give you answers! 706-548-8598. Call for free question by phone.
JOBS FULL-TIME UberPrints is now hiring for multiple positions! Both full and part-time positions available. For more information and applications, go to uber prints.com/company/jobs
Taste of India is now hiring (Busser, host, to-go specialist, floater). Paid weekly, employee meals, flexible schedules, full-time or parttime. $15–20. APPLY IN PERSON. Join our growing team of well-paid, motivated, hardworking individuals. Junk South offers starting pay w/ tips ~ $18–$24/hr. Learn more about Junk South at www.junksouth.com; email us at info@junksouth.com or call 706-424-4389.
OPPORTUNITIES Do you like driving, know your way around town and need some extra cash? Flagpole needs reliable substitute drivers for when our regular drivers are out! Email frontdesk@flagpole.com to be included in emails about future Distribution opportunities. Ability to follow instructions, attention to detail and Tuesday availability required! Previous delivery experience preferred. UU Fellowship of Athens seeks a Video Tech for at least one Sunday morning/ month. Learn more at uuathensga.org/employment
Purchased URL in 1999, hibernating local startup MrJacket.com is waking up and seeking a qualified programmer to build an online platform (portal) demo, and more. Founders team compensation in stock options only. Don’t apply unless you have the time to commit. Contact Richard@MrJacket. com White Tiger is now hiring for all positions at the Athens and Watkinsville locations! No experience necessary. Email work history or resume to catering@white tigergourmet.com
PART-TIME Join a diverse, inclusive workplace, and get paid to type! 16–40 hours M–F. NEVER be called in for a shift you didn’t sign up for. Must type 65+ wpm, wear mask, show proof of vaccination. Work independently. No customer interaction. Starts at $13 with automatic increases. www.ctscribes. com Weaver D’s is seeking an order filler and dishwasher! Open Tues.–Sat., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Fill out an application after 2 p.m. Restaurant experience preferred.
ADOPT ME!
NOTICES MESSAGES All Georgians over six months of age are eligible for COVID vaccines, and ages 5+ are eligible for boosters! Call 706-3400996 or visit www.public healthathens.com for more information. COVID testing available in West Athens (3500 Atlanta Hwy. Mon– Fri., 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. & Sat., 8 a.m.–12 p.m. At the old Fire Station on the corner of Atlanta Hwy. & Mitchell Bridge Rd. near Aldi and Publix.) Pre-registration is highly encouraged! Visit www. publichealthathens.com for more information. Need old newspapers for your garden? An art project? Maybe a new puppy? Well, there are plenty here at the Flagpole office! Call ahead and we’ll have them ready for you. Please leave current issues on stands. 706-549-0301
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F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
Caesar (59222)
Caesar is a sweetheart who’s house-trained, does well with cats and other non-aggressive dogs and even children. As long as he has his own space during meals, this guy’s golden!
Jekyll (58647)
Jekyll’s a fun pup who enjoys playing with toys, sitting for treats, and soaking up every ounce of love and attention she can get! She’s happy to pose for pictures and beams when she’s praised for being a good girl.
Violet (59256)
Violet is an adorable, stocky pocket pit! She likes pets and treats, but if something’s going on, investigating is what this girl loves the most! Call today for more about Violet.
These pets and many others are available for adoption at:
Athens-Clarke County Animal Services 125 Buddy Christian Way · 706-613-3540 Call for appointment
flagpole
SUDOKU
Edited by Margie E. Burke
Difficulty: Medium
5 6 3 7
4 3
6 1
8 9 6 4
2 9
2 5 1 7 5 2 4 1 1 6 7
6 3
600 Oglethorpe Ave. Suite 4
Copyright 2023 by The Puzzle Syndicate
706-548-2188 www.alaferasalon.com
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 2/13/23 - 2/19/23 The Weekly Crossword 1 13 17 20
2
3
4
5 14
6
7
by Margie E. Burke 8
9
15
16
18
19
Solution to Sudoku: 21
1 9 234 8 7 224 5 3 6 5 6 3 1 9 4 7 2 8 28 26 27 7 2 8 6 5 3 4 9 1 30 31 32 33 9 1 5 7 2 8 3 6 4 37 4 7 6 389 3 139 8 5 2 41 42 8 3 2 4 6 5 1 7 9 45 6 4 7 5 1 9 2 8 3 48 3 498 509 2 4 7 651 152 553 54 2 5 1 3 8 655 9 4 7
10
11
12
22 25 29 34
35
36
40 44
43 46
IN THE 2023 FLAGPOLE ATHENS FAVORITES CONTEST
47
56
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
57
58
67
Copyright 2023 by The Puzzle Syndicate
ACROSS 1 Part of GMAT 46 Vegas attraction 5 Gridiron play 48 Less of a risk 9 Call's companion 51 Kind of law 13 Some nerve 54 Platter holder 15 Chills and fever 56 Horse's hangout 16 Astronaut 59 Notion Shepard 60 Dick Van Patten's 17 Belt size, "Mama" role basically 61 Bert's buddy 18 Measuring 62 Told a tall tale instrument (var.) 63 Birch or beech 19 Roman 57 64 Axes 20 Like some angles 65 Rich supply 21 Rented pad 66 "___ It 23 Less of a mess Romantic?" 25 Valentine's gift 67 Amanda of 26 Toward the "Brockmire" rudder 28 Coffin stand DOWN 30 Serengeti grazer 1 Caesar's garb 31 Idle monitor's 2 Sony label display 3 Framework 37 Dumbo's are 4 Dot above the i jumbo 5 Heathen 39 "___ Johnny!" 6 Open-mouthed 40 In person 7 Sweet vegetable 41 Dashboard dial 8 Palmist, e.g. 44 Old Navy's par9 Royal castle in ent, with "The" Scotland 45 Hard to come by 10 Keebler's crew
THANKS FOR VOTING
11 Duvall's "Secondhand Lions" co-star 12 Makes a scarf, say 14 Toasting word 22 Uno, dos, ___ 24 Newsroom VIP 26 Many moons 27 Button alternative 29 Ladybug, for one 32 Brings to mind 33 Before of yore 34 Watchfulness 35 2007 movie, "___ Almighty" 36 Bank take-back 38 Woo with a tune 42 Old Dodge model 43 Pay increases 47 Persian governor 48 Movie photo 49 Part of a TV signal 50 Liberated 52 Type of wrench 53 Odometer button 55 Start to freeze? 57 Take a shine to 58 In the event that
WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE MARCH 1ST ISSUE!
INDOOR A TROCK GA H E N S , CLIMBING
INTRO BOULDERING CLASSES YOUTH TEAMS LADIES NIGHT STUDENT DISCOUNTS ACTIVECLIMBING.COM (706)354-0038
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F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
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food & drink
good growing
advice
hey, bonita…
Spring Is Almost Here
Three’s Company and Staying Sober
By Erin France news@flagpole.com
By Bonita Applebum advice@flagpole.com
February’s sludgy gray days switch to grass-greening clear skies in just a few weeks here in Northeast Georgia. Whether you have a few pots on your porch or a small plot in your yard, consider starting a spring veggie garden this month. By April, everyone’s in the garden centers looking at tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, but if you’re looking to get a jump start on the gardening year (and grow your own food to supplement those eye-watering grocery store runs), I highly recommend a spring garden. Here are a few good selections to get started:
Hey Bonita, My wife has a boyfriend, and I don’t know how to feel. Anon
BEFORE TOMATOES, PLANT THESE CROPS TO HARVEST IN APRIL
ERIN FRANCE
same plot ready to receive a summer crop in April. Beets don’t need protection for most Georgia freezes—I even had a few survive an 8 degree night. I’m not sure where exactly the line is for beets, but I’ll cover my beets if it drops to 25 degrees or below for the rest of the season. I plant my beets about 4 inches apart and start harvesting the leaves when the plants produce more than five or six leaves. If harvesting leaves, allow a few to remain and maintain chlorophyll production. Snow peas are a great late winter or early spring crop because they look so green and happy, and they germinate fairly quickly. Snow peas taste sweeter than some of the other spring produce, and, as a legume, don’t need great soil to throw up tasty produce. This veggie is more tender and can get frost burned, so it’ll need some sort of protection for nights that dip to freezing or below. I grew two varieties (Blizzard and Avalanche) last year that could handle light freezes, but I found that they didn’t grow as vigorously nor produce as much as some of the more tender varieties (Oregon Sugar Pod). I plant my snow peas anywhere Rainbow kale is a great variety because the stem remains tender and the from 2–4 inches apart, slightly frilly leaves give some flair, while remaining easy to clean. depending on how humid I think the rest I prefer rainbow kale to the popular of the season will get. My snow peas stop lacinato (also known as Tuscan kale or producing and start melting from disease dinosaur kale). Lacinato kale sports a in April or May—the wetter the spring, the thicker stem prone to woodiness if not less air flow between the plants, the more harvested regularly. Rainbow kale grows they die. If you’re really jonesing for some ruffled leaves with fine-toothed curls, but pea flavor but your vines haven’t produced avoids the super twisty nature of curly a pod yet, you can eat the soft tendrils. This kales. Curly kale types trap dirt in the folds will stunt the plant’s growth a bit, but you of their leaves during late winter and early can offset this by harvesting from every spring rains, and can be a real pain to clean. other one. Growing on a trellis will allow for Rainbow kale needs some protection from more air flow and slow disease progression, frost while young, but as an older plant, it but either way, when the snow peas are can survive most freezes with no protecdone, you’ll have a garden bed ready for a tion. Gardeners should consider covering summer crop. kale plants with frost cloth when temperaAll three of these veggies can be started tures go below 30 degrees or when the from seeds, with the packets generally plants are small. Kale plants need space to priced at $2.50. If growing in a pot, you’ll avoid early season disease and pests. I sugneed at least 8 inches of soil for the best gest spacing plants about 12 inches apart. results, but you’ll want to keep the above Beets are twice as nice because you spacing for excellent growth. One of the can harvest the root and the leaves. Beet best parts about a spring garden is that you leaves can add a little earthy flavor and usually don’t have to worry about watering a lot of color to a winter salad. The roots it! You will need to check daily or weekly can be eaten fresh or pickled or roasted. If lows and provide some sort of cover in red beets taste too much like dirt to you, cases when temperatures dip. I highly rectry growing golden beets. That distinctive ommend sticking to re-using old bedsheets earthy flavor is much reduced in golden or or ordering frost cloth online, as opposed to yellow beets. Beets generally take 60 to 80 frost cloth in stores. I find the frost cloth in days to come to maturity; if you plant them stores to be oddly shaped and much more now, you’ll have them harvested and the expensive than online offerings. f
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F L A GP OL E .C OM · F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023
ADVICE FOR ATHENS’ LOOSE AND LOVELORN
Hey Anon, There are a couple of ways to approach this. Are you two monogamous and her new relationship constitutes infidelity? There’s a way to handle that. Or, are you two non-monogamous, and the reality of what that means is hitting you now that she’s actually dating other people? There’s also a way to handle that. If you’re getting cheated on, then you should ask your wife what’s up and talk to her about what your monogamous agreement means to you. Only you know whether this is a bridge too far or if y’all can come back from this, but there are lots of couples therapy options here locally. I definitely recommend seeking out a professional to help you navigate any tough feelings, especially if you share children. Infidelity isn’t always the dealbreaker that we think it is. Plenty of couples are able to talk through these issues and strengthen their bond in the end, as well as many who just have to walk away from such a shattering of trust. I want
what’s best for you both, and it’s taken me a long time to stop just yelling “dump them!” at issues like this. People are complex, and love is strange. You’ll find your way through this, though I doubt it will be painless. Now, maybe I’m completely wrong about all of that, and she’s having more success at non-monogamy than you are, and that’s getting under your skin. All relationship models have their challenges, monogamy included, and jealousy is a big one in ethical non-monogamy. Maybe y’all have been keeping it very casual with others for a while, so her first emotional investment in someone else is blindsiding you. You have to remember that, while it’s an easy thing to read about something and give yourself the label of being a practitioner of it, the real hard work comes when those princi-
ples are put into practice. Navigating these feelings is part of the package of having an open relationship, and you have to sit with your jealousy and accept it for what it is. I recommend practicing mindfulness when you’re in those uncomfortable moments, and just letting yourself feel those feelings until they’ve lessened somewhat. THEN you can address the insecurities underneath that emotion. Hey, How do I stay sober in Athens? For a Friend Hey Friend, I used to drink so much that I would sneak entire six-packs into bars with me. I used to hang with a guy who was known for keeping a handle of cheap vodka in his backpack so he could top his drink off as needed in the bathroom. I know what it means to be sloppy and drunk in this town. You have to stop going out so much. Sorry, but that’s the answer. You have to go out for special events and shows, and not just for weeknight drinking. You have to make a trip downtown or to Hi-Lo Lounge or wherever into a special occasion instead of a necessary part of your daily life.
That’s not to say all barflies are alcoholics— plenty of folks just drink at home all day, every day, after all. But social life and drinking culture go hand-in-hand in Athens, so it’s best to get real about that and find places in your socializing where you can subtract the presence of drink from it. You can do this by finding hobbies that aren’t booze-adjacent, like hiking or gaming or becoming a barbecue pitmaster, who knows. Maybe start a garden or learn to code. I just think that boozing can be so fun sometimes that we forget that there’s plenty of other fun to be had in life. Seek out other fun stuff—and maybe some AA meetings, too. f Need advice? Email advice@flagpole.com, or use our anonymous online form at flagpole.com/get- advice.
F E B R U A R Y 15, 2023· F L A GP OL E .C OM
23
Hugh Hodgson School of Music
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