FP040523

Chickasaw Mudd Puppies

First Album in Over 30 Years p. 17

1962

Come in, and Joy in Art! 35 minutes south of Athens

steffenthomas.org

706-342-7557

4200 Bethany Road Buckhead, Georgia 30625

As seen in the film by Jesse Stephen Freeman!

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ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alicia Nickles

PUBLISHER Pete McCommons

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Larry Tenner

ADVERTISING SALES Fabienne Mack, Jessica Pritchard Mangum

CITY EDITOR Blake Aued

ARTS

Zaria Gholston AD DESIGNERS Chris McNeal, Cody Robinson PHOTOGRAPHER Suzannah Evans

CONTRIBUTORS Hillary Brown, Stanley Dunlap, Sarah Kallis, Gordon Lamb, Jill Nolin, Ross Williams

CIRCULATION Jennifer Bray, Gerald Burris, Charles Greenleaf

INTERNS Patrick Barry

COVER PHOTOGRAPH of Chickasaw Mudd Puppies and Johnny Gordon by Jason Thrasher (see story on p. 17)

online exclusive

advice@flagpole.com

Bruno Rubio, of Cali ‘n’ Tito’s, has purchased what was the Heirloom Cafe building to bring back the family’s Pollo Criollo restaurant. The Grill has reopened, chicken and waffle chain Bruxie has opened downtown and Four Fat Cows closed on Baxter Street. Whataburger has broken ground on its Atlanta Highway location.

See “Pollo Criollo Will Takeover the Heirloom Space in Boulevard” at flagpole.com

Travel back in time to ancient China through the art of classical Chinese dance with Shen Yun at The Classic Center Theatre on Tuesday, Apr. 11. For more information, visit classiccenter.com.

Historic Hot Topics

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com

The Clarke County School District is looking to sell two historic houses on the former Piedmont College campus it bought to serve as its central office in 2020. A third, however, could be moved, because CCSD administrators want to put a new building in its place for students to register.

CCSD has applied for a rezoning from institutional to commercial office for one building (Rogers Hall, facing Prince Avenue) and residential-multifamily for another (the Mitchell House, facing Hill Street). A hearing before the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission is scheduled for Thursday, Apr. 7, but both buildings are already listed for sale. CCSD is asking $900,000 for Rogers Hall and $400,000 for the Mitchell House.

The third building is known as Ellard Hall, and it faces the parking lot. CCSD is seeking a buyer to move that building because administrators determined that renovating it would be more expensive than building anew.

A basic renovation would cost $384,000, Director of SPLOST John Gilbreath told school board members at a Mar. 2 work session, but to bring the building up to CCSD standards would cost $1.7 million. Constructing a new building with a larger footprint more appropriate for student registration, along with a handful of Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant offices on the second floor, would cost $1.4 million, he said.

“Isn’t there a middle ground?” school board member Tim Denson asked.

Gilbreath noted the single-paned windows, asbestos in the basement and lead paint underneath the vinyl exterior of a building where children will be present. “A lot of the original characteristics that made that house historic are no longer there,” he said. But that’s true of many historic buildings

in Athens, including some on campus that serve as offices, Denson replied.

CCSD is selling the other two outbuildings for similar reasons. “Both houses have been put up for sale because they are not really suited for office space or institutional use,” spokesperson Cyndee Moore said. “They are not ADA accessible and contain lead paint. Further, the crawl spaces are raw dirt and would require mitigation efforts in order to make them suitable for CCSD. In short, to bring them up to the standards required by CCSD would be quite expensive.”

The school board has not yet made a decision on Ellard Hall. Some Cobbham residents are lobbying the district to keep it as a gesture of goodwill to the surrounding community. Yet there is also some fear of a protracted political stalemate similar to the West Broad School, which has sat vacant for more than a decade because school board members, ACC commissioners, nonprofits, and four school superintendents and counting cannot agree on how to use the property or even how much can be preserved.

At the suggestion of former superintendent Xernona Thomas, CCSD bought the Piedmont College campus—previously Prince Avenue Baptist Church, now located in Oconee County—for $8.2 million. The district had been searching for a more centrally located headquarters ever since former superintendent Philip Lanoue, seeking a more accessible location, sold the Mitchell Bridge Road building, a former hospital, to Athens Behavioral Health Systems and relocated the administration to the H.T. Edwards complex in 2015. That building proved too small to share with the career center; the West Broad School lacked parking; and the school board shot down superintendent Demond Means’ proposal to purchase a building on Milledge Avenue for $11 million in a deal brokered

by a real estate agent who was among the school board members that hired Means. Piedmont University is now housed in the four-story Normaltown building where Allen’s and Foxz Tavern used to be.

Saye, Saye, Saye

Four years after the imminent demolition of the Saye Building downtown spurred Athens-Clarke County commissioners to create a historic district around the Hot Corner area, First United Methodist Church still wants to tear down the building.

The church appealed county planning staff’s rejection of an application to demolish the building. Jake Evans, First United Methodist’s attorney, argued at hearings last month that the application should have been approved because the church applied for the demolition permit before the commission declared a moratorium on downtown demolitions.

ACC officials, however, said that staff

acted properly because the permit had not been approved when the commission declared the moratorium in January 2019. Commissioner Melissa Link had placed a 90-day hold on the permit.

While several members of the Hearings Board—a seven-member body that weighs requests for minor zoning variances and hears appeals of staff decisions—said they disagreed with the way the commission went about creating the historic district, ACC attorneys said they couldn’t second-guess policy, only rule on whether staff applied it correctly. Lawyers for the county also said the church should have instead asked the Historic Preservation Commission for permission to demolish the building. The board denied the appeal.

The Saye Building, located at the corner of Hancock Avenue and Lumpkin Street, is about 100 years old, with an addition that dates back to the 1940s. If the building is torn down, First Methodist plans to use the property as a parking lot. f

Sine Bye!

BILLS THE GEORGIA LEGISLATURE PASSED BEFORE LEAVING ATLANTA

By Various Authors news@flagpole.com

The final day of the Georgia legislative session comes with many traditions, like throwing fistfulls of paper, wearing seersucker suits in early spring and, in recent years, failing to pass a bill to allow for medical cannabis.

Sine Die, pronounced “see-nay dee-ay” in Latin but “Sigh-nee Die” in Georgia, typically sees lawmakers scramble to get their favorite bills past the finish line before the 40-day session expires.

The legislature’s only constitutionally required job is to pass the state’s budget. This year, the House and Senate approved a $32.4 billion spending plan. Here’s a look at what other legislation made the cut—and what didn’t—in the last 24 hours of this year’s convening of lawmakers under the Gold Dome in Atlanta.

THE BUDGET: The version of the $32.4 billion budget that both chambers passed featured increased funding for mental health services, foster children and salaries for law enforcement. It made cuts in other areas.

The budget allocates $117 million to the Department for Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) for developmental disorders and mental health treatment. It also increased funds to address hoteling foster children. Hoteling is the process where high-needs foster children are placed in hotels if there is no foster home available.

The budget made space for a $4,000 or $6,000 raise for some law enforcement officers and a salary increase for teachers and custodians. The budget restored HOPE Scholarship to cover 100% of tuition costs at public Georgia colleges. The budget for higher education was reduced overall, but the Board of Regents can decide where those cuts apply.

The budget also cut Georgia Public Broadcasting’s state funding by about 10%. House Appropriations Chair Rep. Matt Hatchett (R-Dublin) thanked the late Speaker David Ralston while presenting the budget. He said Ralston was like a father to him.

“I want to thank him for giving me the opportunity and teaching me how to persevere, because that’s what we’ve all done in this session,” Hatchett said while wearing one of Ralston’s ties given to him by Ralston’s widow.

HOPE AND HIGHER ED: The budget includes a $66 million cut to public colleges and universities, on top of $72 million from the state’s funding formula due to declining enrollment. University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue, a former governor, said the additional cut will hurt the 20 of 26 institutions that don’t have carryover funds from this year to fill the gap. The USG is also dealing with a pandemic-related 10%

cut in 2020—about $231 million—that was never restored.

“This is an incredibly disappointing outcome, given the work done over the years by our state leaders to elevate higher education and send Georgia on a path to ascension,” Perdue said in a news release. “It will have a significant impact on institutions and the services that students and families depend on to advance their prosperity and help Georgia succeed.”

year budget adjustments. Gov. Brian Kemp said the budget as passed includes “significant holes.”

Lawmakers did find funding, though, to boost the HOPE Scholarship back up to full tuition. Other than for a small group of elite Zell Miller scholars, the legislature cut back HOPE benefits during the Great Recession because of falling lottery revenue. That was done over the objections of some Democrats who argued for an income cap instead.

PRIVATE SCHOOL VOUCHERS: Fans of school vouchers were hoping this would be the year Georgia would finally expand its nascent program to use millions in state taxpayer money for private school tuition.

Supporters say the plan would allow parents the choice to take their children out of poorly-performing public schools.

for recruiting minors, meaning those convicted will not be eligible for reduced time.

Sen. Randy Robertson’s Senate Bill 63 would have added more than 30 criminal charges to the list of offenses, including marijuana possession, that require a person arrested to put up a cash bail or property as collateral in order to be released from jail.

Democrats said the bills could result in harsh sentences for people convicted of minor crimes, reversing years of progress in criminal justice reform. Both bills failed.

MEDICAL CANNABIS: A planned fix for Georgia’s medical cannabis distribution fizzled in the Senate after senators were affronted at a 50-plus page bill that the House sent to their desks.

Parts of the bill were aimed at allowing the Secretary of Agriculture’s office to grant more licenses to produce low-THC oil for patients on a registry with serious illnesses. It would also abolish the state Medical Cannabis Commission and provide new regulations on hemp products.

Athens Republican Sen. Bill Cowsert said it would be impossible for lawmakers to know what was in the bill. “We are known as a deliberative body,” he said. “This is making a mockery of deliberations. You will remember back before Crossover Day, parts of this bill were on our floor, the hemp bill, and it was such a disaster, it ended up being reconsidered, being tabled, never got out of this chamber. This has been on our desk literally maybe two minutes before it was called up, three minutes, I haven’t had a chance to even read it.”

MISSED AT THE BUZZER: The 2023 legislative session ended just past midnight without the Senate considering a bill legalizing sports betting.

The University of Georgia is one of the six institutions with enough reserves to cover its $12 million share of the $66 million cut. However, the University of North Georgia, which has a campus in Watkinsville, will take a $2.5 million hit.

The USG found itself caught up in hospital politics during the session. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, whose father wants to sell property in Butts County for a new hospital, unsuccessfully sought to loosen regulations requiring a “certificate of need” to build a new hospital. Certificates of need are intended to ensure that hospitals provide a wide variety of medical services, rather than cater to the most financially lucrative patients and procedures, and to keep a new hospital from driving an older one out of business. Wellstar Health System, which owns a hospital nearby, opposed the legislation.

At the same time, Wellstar also has a letter of intent with Augusta University to take over operations of the medical school’s health-care system. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Blake Tillery (R-Valdosta) cut $105 million from the higher education budget, which the House partially restored. $105 million is the amount the legislature, at Kemp’s request, had earlier given Augusta University to improve its record-keeping system.

There is a chance the rest could be restored, as well, when the legislature convenes again next January and passes mid-

Opponents call the plan a trick to siphon money from public education to less accountable private schools.

The plan got further along in the process than any other voucher plan in recent years, passing the Senate on a party-line vote, but it failed in the House, where a handful of Republicans joined nearly all Democrats to scuttle the bill.

MENTAL HEALTH: A closely watched mental health bill stalled this year after getting caught up in the end-of-session politics between the legislature’s two chambers, though the Senate did end up passing a small portion of the measure before the clock ran out. That bill remains alive for next year, and proponents vowed to continue working on it.

“I’m disappointed, again, that the value that we saw in the mental health legislation was not shared in the Senate,” House Speaker Jon Burns told reporters after the final gavel. “It was not able to be moved forward. So we’ll continue to work together. We’ll continue to work with all the senators, not just the lieutenant governor, to ensure they see the value in the propositions we put forward that impact every family in this state.”

CRIME BILLS: Sen. Bo Hatchett’s anti-gang bill imposes a mandatory minimum sentence of five years for street gang offenses and a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years

Lawmakers wagered political capital on several failed attempts this session to open up the state to letting adults bet on sporting events. The last attempt, House Bill 237, never reached a full Senate vote.

A variety of sports betting bills failed to make it out of either chamber, from online wagering to voting on-site at licensed locations and other events via kiosks to a push to open up several horse race tracks.

The final gambit steered by Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and Economic Development and Tourism Committee Chairman Brandon Beech was to tack sports betting onto a bill sponsored by Lyons Republican Rep. Leesa Hagan, who intended to get the southeast Georgia city’s 31-year-old soapbox derby declared the state’s official version of the homespun event.

A hijacked HB 237 called for the Georgia Lottery Corp. to have oversight over sports betting and for the revenue to be used for the same purpose as the state lottery’s HOPE collegiate scholarship and Pre-K programs.

MORE ELECTION ‘REFORM’: The controversial elections bill SB 222 won final approval from the Senate. The bill bans outside donations to elections boards. Republicans say it will prevent partisan interference in elections boards, but Democrats said that it will hurt underfunded and overburdened

Throw your paper in the air like you just don’t care.

ROSS WILLIAMS / GEORGIA RECORDER

elections offices. The bill passed the Senate 32–21 and now heads to Kemp’s desk.

TRANSGENDER CARE: Two other controversial bills—one banning gender-affirming health care for minors and another creating an oversight board for prosecutors—passed earlier in the session. Kemp has already signed the former and, at press time, was expected to quickly sign the latter.

The bill to ban doctors from providing surgical or hormone treatments to transgender people under 18 years old was unexpectedly brought up for a vote Mar. 15 and quickly passed both chambers. Kemp signed it last week.

“Today, I signed SB 140 into law to ensure we protect the health and wellbeing of Georgia’s children,” Kemp wrote in a statement. “I appreciate the many hours of respectful debate and deliberation by members of the General Assembly that resulted in the final passage of this bill. As Georgians, parents and elected leaders, it is our highest responsibility to safeguard the bright, promising futures of our kids—and SB 140 takes an important step in fulfilling that mission.”

Doctors who violate the law could lose their licenses and, thanks to a House committee amendment, potentially be subject to civil or criminal action.

The bill is set to go into effect July 1, and transgender minors prescribed hormones before that date will be able to continue treatment. The bill will not limit puberty blocking medications, a provision author Sen. Carden Summers, a Cordele Republican, said is intended to offer a cooling down period before young people make a decision they may later regret.

Lawmakers said they had been contacted by Georgians who transitioned at a young age and grew to regret it, but none spoke at any of the bill’s legislative hearings. A large number of transgender youths, their parents and other supporters did come to the Capitol to plead against passage of the bill. One of them was Adam Phillips, 15, a transgender Savannah resident.

According to a 2018 American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement, surgical intervention is typically reserved for adults, but it can be offered to adolescents “on a case-by-case basis with the adolescent and the family along with input from medical, mental health, and surgical providers.” The APA notes that transgender children who receive care that acknowledges their gender identity tend to experience better academic and social outcomes. In practice, doctors say surgeries on minors are extremely rare, and hormones are not prescribed without much consideration.

“I started testosterone about a week before I turned 14, which is obviously very young, and it’s very unusual, but that was because I came out at eight years old, and I was in therapy for five years before the conversation of HRT even was brought up,” Phillips said.

Phillips said hormone replacement therapy has improved his life, and though he may be grandfathered in, he worries for younger kids who will not be able to receive the care he did. “Before I was on HRT, I struggled to interact with my peers. I struggled to go outside and talk to people because I was just so scared and self conscious, and it was really negatively impact-

ing my health and my mental well-being,” he said. “Being on HRT, it’s really just improved my well-being in every aspect and has really allowed me to thrive in school and with my peers. By not allowing people younger than me these opportunities, you’re not giving them the chance to really experience life.”

Litigation is expected. Democrats have argued that the bill could violate the 14th Amendment. “We will use every legal means at our disposal to block this bill from hurting children and families. It’s disturbing how quickly the governor acts to sign bills that take away people’s rights,” said Andrea Young, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia. Meanwhile, right-wing groups and individuals are calling on the legislature to go further. In a tweet after the bill passed the House, U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene criticized the bill for not restricting puberty blockers and for its “vague language that could make it easily thrown out in the courts.” Janae Stracke, Vice President of Field Operations for the right-wing lobbying firm Heritage Action, pledged to continue the fight to expand on the bill.

PROSECUTORS PERSECUTED?: On the 39th day of the 40-day legislative session, the GOP-controlled House approved the creation of a prosecuting attorneys oversight commission by a 92-77 vote, largely along party lines. The commission would have a five-member investigative panel and a three-member hearing panel to review complaints lodged against prosecutors and dish out punishment that could include removal from their elected office.

Senate Bill 92 also specifies the prosecutor’s and solicitor’s responsibilities, including reviewing each case individually to determine probable cause and making a charging decision based on the details of the case.

Democratic lawmakers and other critics argue that the Republicans’ plan removes prosecutorial discretion to deciding how cases should be prioritized in each community. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, investigating former President Donald Trump for election interference after he lost to President Joe Biden in 2020, called the legislation an overreaction. Republicans also criticized Athens-Clarke District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez after she said she would not prioritize low-level marijuana possession charges.

“We have grounds for removal, and it’s very narrow,” Dallas Republican Rep. Joseph Gullett said while defending the legislation. “If there’s a complaint there must be a sworn affidavit detailing personal knowledge of the facts supporting the complaint. If there’s disciplinary action, that can be appealed to the Superior Court of the county where the district attorney or solicitor general served.”

According to Lilburn Democratic Rep. Jasmine Clark, the bill gives the commission too much latitude to dismiss a prosecutor from office, including for not pursuing cases at their discretion. “Who decides what’s the willful and persistent failure to carry out their duties?” Clark asked during an hour-long debate Mar. 27. If the bill is signed, the commission will write and adopt the rules. f

Church and State

FROM JAIL, MLK TOLD CHRISTIANS TO FIGHT INJUSTICE

By Ed Tant news@flagpole.com

Civil rights champion Martin Luther King Jr. is remembered for soaring oratory such as his “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington in 1963, but in that same year King also penned a memorable essay, his “Letter From Birmingham Jail.”

Sixty years have passed since King wrote his jailhouse jeremiad answering moderate Protestant, Catholic and Jewish religious leaders in Birmingham, AL who had questioned the tactics and timing of peaceful protests in the city. King was jailed in Birmingham for leading racial justice demonstrations in what he called “probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.” His letter was written during his confinement on Apr. 16, 1963, and its criticisms of institutionalized injustice and feckless religion resonate today.

“The contemporary church is so often a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound,” wrote King. “It is so often the arch-supporter of the status quo.” A Baptist minister himself, King reminded his fellow ministers in 1963 that it was white churches and religious leaders who often colluded with police and politicians in Birmingham and across the South to enforce Jim Crow laws. He scorned ministers who “have been more cautious than courageous and [who] have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained-glass windows.”

In his prison epistle from the Birmingham jail, King called on religious ministers and their congregations to join the movement for justice in Alabama and the rest of this nation. He lamented white churches that “stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities.” He underlined the truth that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” With writing reminiscent of the words of 19th century African American activist Frederick Douglass, King’s 1963 letter exclaimed that “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. It must be demanded by the oppressed.”

When King wrote his jail letter 60 years ago, he expressed disappointment that his fellow clergymen called him an extremist for his nonviolent protests against injustices that had been ignored or endorsed by churches at the time. “Will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice—or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?” he asked religious leaders.

King’s question is still relevant today

when so many “evangelicals” support a former president, Donald Trump, who led a rally of his MAGA cult followers in the right-wing mecca of Waco, TX while lionizing those who were jailed for extremist actions during the insurrectionist violence that rocked Capitol Hill on Jan. 6, 2021. On Apr. 4, 1967—exactly one year before he was murdered in Memphis, TN in 1968—King gave an oration at Riverside Church in New York that angered Americans on both sides of the political aisle. In the four years that had passed since he had led protests in Birmingham, the Vietnam War had escalated into a major conflict. King’s opposition to the war was blasted by his longtime conservative detractors who called him a communist and by mainstream liberals who claimed that dissenting from the war in Vietnam could dilute the struggle for racial justice here at home. In his Riverside Church message, he said that he felt compelled to speak out against a war waged by what he called “the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today—my own government.”

Twenty years ago, in 2003, King’s words resounded again as an American dissident movement rose up in opposition to the Bush-Cheney administration’s invasion of Iraq. During the MLK holiday in January 2003, I was in Washington, DC with thousands of other Americans who gathered to protest the impending war. Before speaking to the crowd, Vietnam War veteran and

Born on the Fourth of July author Ron Kovic told me that he was there because “my love of country brings me here today and my faith that my country is going to renew itself.” Actress Jessica Lange warned against efforts to “turn back the clock on civil rights, on women’s rights, on social justice and on environmental policies.” The spirit of Dr. King was a palpable presence during that massive march 20 years ago. His warning that “we face the danger of a right-wing takeover and eventually a fascist society” is one that should be heeded today. f

Flagpole News Editor Blake Aued; Ross Williams, Jill Nolin and Stanley Dunlap of the Georgia Recorder; and Sarah Kallis of GPB News contributed to this report.

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested during civil rights protests in Birmingham, AL in 1963.

“ King lamented white churches that ‘stand on the sideline and merely mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities.’

Upscale Chain Dining

PLUS, A LOCAL HANG FOR WINING

By Hillary Brown food@flagpole.com

THE CHOP HOUSE (2055 Oconee Connector, 706-395-7855, thechophouse. com): Picture yourself on hold for a long time, with Charter, say, or AT&T. You fancy yourself a slightly cool person, but as the Muzak plays a familiar tune, you find yourself absent-mindedly humming along, perhaps even enjoying it. This kind of thing is a metaphor for eating at The Chop House, a smallish steakhouse chain out of Knoxville

Alps Nutrition Center

you could get at a legit Mexican grill, but that would have an egg on the side, perhaps some sausage, some grilled onions, rice, beans, salad and possibly a couple of other things. In other words, I’d rather pay a dollar or two more and get a more satisfying result. Maybe that choice was a mistake!

Go to the dinner menu, under Steaks & Chops, and get the lamb chops. Simply but well cooked (medium rare!), presented with a mint sauce on the side and a very loaded baked potato, plus one of those giant salads.

It will run you $32–40, but the lamb chops feel more worth it than some of the less expensive items. The shrimp and crab cake combo, with a small tangle of fettuccine on the side, is also straightforward (little container of melted garlic butter for the shrimp, fancy tartar sauce for the crab cake) but well done.

Shout out to these businesses who supported local journalism in Athens by advertising with flagpole (in print or online) in the month of March. Show your support by thanking these business for keeping flagpole free for readers like you!

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with locations in Tennessee, Ohio and Georgia. And it also happens to play a very chill brand of Muzak in its dining room.

Occupying the former Bone Island Grill in the Epps Bridge Parkway area, it fits right in with the Home Depot, Walmart, Starbucks and all the other things you can find nearly anywhere in the country. The building was unexpectedly nice when it was built, and it’s still a bit swanky for the area, with a large fireplace, a lot of cushy seating and a large staff eager to take care of your every need. It opens promptly at 11 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. (11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday). It has a full bar, and it takes reservations. The after-church crowd shows up steadily.

Order a salad and it will be a feast, served ice cold and pre-dressed from the refrigerator—an “Olive Garden salad,” as a friend of mine called it; not chef-driven but kind of good against one’s will. Even a side salad is pretty much big enough for a meal, especially considering that it likely includes bacon, cheese, tortilla strips, rice noodles and/or avocado. Six out of seven salads are not vegetarian, and the seventh can be made not vegetarian. That’s no surprise. It’s a steakhouse, and meat is the focus. There is a Beyond Burger available, and there are a few appetizers that don’t have meat in them. Vegans are probably out of luck. The lunch menu is your best bet if you’re looking to save a little change, with a series of plates that are smaller versions of the main entrees and priced between $13–16. The petite pork chops are served with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, both of which are fine but not great. Pounded thin and well salted, the pork chops may remind you of the kind of plate

The sirloin isn’t anything special. The corn crème brûlée is technically a side and not a dessert, but it could be the latter. The menu is huge, as one would expect. The experience is entirely predictable, but that’s what you want out of this kind of thing, isn’t it?

The restaurant has ample parking.

THE LARK WINESPACE (493 Prince Ave., 706-850-5455, thelarkwinespace. com): Occupying the former location of Avid Bookshop on Prince Avenue, this wine shop/wine bar from Krista Slater (of The Expat, among other projects in town) has fit smoothly and neatly into a community that can be prickly about new places replacing old places. It helps that it’s simple, without fussy attitudes about wine. The bottles on the shelves are priced at a wide variety of pain points, including not painful at all, with each price written directly on the bottle in white pen, making the system nice and clear. Sit at the cool marble bar or at a small table and order yourself a full glass of a variety of fun wines or opt for several 2 oz pours, priced to encourage sampling. The menu has about eight glasses on it, changing regularly and described at length, but with clarity and what are essentially hashtags. Need some food? There are a bunch of different snacks: almonds, French onion dip with kettle chips, olives, cheese, a lot of kinds of tinned fish, mackerel toast, truffles from Condor. It’s not really enough for a meal, but it’s enough to let you hang out and try a bunch of wines. You can buy most of the ingredients for the snacks to enjoy at home, too. It’s a bit shoppy shop, but it’s also cute, and the service is as smooth as can be, always present when needed but never intrusive. The Lark is open 12–8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 2–7 p.m. Sunday and Monday. f

Avid Bookshop Bark Dog Spa Blue Moon Electric

Boulevard Animal Hospital Boybutante Broad River Outpost

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Chess and Community City of Madison

Classic Center Clocked! Cook and Tolley Cord Sibilsky

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The Chop House

threats & promises

AthFest Announces First Wave of Acts

PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP

By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com

BACK IN THE HIGH LIFE AGAIN: AthFest Educates’ 2023 AthFest Music & Arts Festival is poised to roar back to its status as the premier musical tourist draw in Athens, as well as its position as the highest visibility event for Athens musicians. For the upcoming event, which takes place June 23–25, the popular club crawl will return and include performances at the Georgia Theatre, 40 Watt Club, Live Wire Athens, Hendershot’s, The Foundry, Ciné, Flicker Theatre & Bar, Nowhere Bar and Paloma Park. On the main stage outside, attendees will be treated to performances by Family and Friends, Linqua Franqa, Bea Porges, Nuclear Tourism, Hunger Anthem, After Hourz Band, Monsoon, BlackNerdNinja, The Bad Ends, Elf Power, Dayroom, Mack2Tone, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Klezmer Local 42, Squallé, L.G. The Heart of the City and more. Club crawl wristbands are on sale now for an exceedingly reasonable $20. Actually, considering that most local shows these days are running in the $10 area, this price is basically unbelievably accommodating for nearly all budgets. Find them and more details over at athfest.com.

WATCHING SOME PEOPLE MOVE THEIR MOUTHS: On Friday, Apr. 7, Ciné will host the Athens big screen premiere of The Elephant 6 Recording Co. which is the documentary by director C.B. Stockfleth about, uh, The Elephant 6 Recording Company. There are three screenings scheduled for this night (8:00 p.m., 10:15 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.), and as a special treat, Elf Power will perform a sold out show in the Lab at Ciné immediately following the first screening. John Fernandes and Friends will perform Saturday night, with doors opening at 9 p.m. I assure you that everything I’m telling you about will sell out, so don’t waste time jumping fences. If you miss out on this event, you can catch the Elf Power lineup (i.e. movie and rock show) the very next night 339 miles away in Jacksonville, FL, so, at the bare minimum, let this be your motivation. Both you and I know you’re not going to want to ride the cranberry lifecycle that far. Additional screenings are to be scheduled throughout this weekend, too. Tickets for the film are available at athenscine.com/ movie/the-elephant-6-recording-co. Follow that link, scroll to the bottom of the page to select your desired screening time, and then you make the choice. Tickets to the performances can also be reserved at athenscine.com. For more information on the film itself, please see elephant6movie.com.

I’M SO PRETTY, WE’RE SO PRETTY: Athens rapper Uniqe (yes, pronounced as if it were spelled “unique”) will release his newest project

Pretty Boys Driving Beautiful Cars across all

major streaming platforms Friday, Apr. 7. The following week on Friday, Apr. 14, he’ll host a release party at Wonder Bar. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet been able to hear the release, but if it’s anything like his previous releases, you can expect some fairly hyperbolic, but ultimately pretty lighthearted, party-time hip hop. Not like club bangers or anthems or anything, but tunes and rhymes catchy enough to place a bug in your ear. Also appearing on his release show bill are Donny, Blesstheplaya, Goodie, BYV_Trubb and 1dad0kids. Dude is also super into cars and car culture, and told me via email, “I think something important to understanding the album is the love I have for cars and the extensive club that comes with it.” I don’t know. Honestly, this is all my very first introduction to him, and he seems like a nice enough guy. Here’s to the record being solid.

PERFECT SOUND FOREVER: Any of y’all inclined to head out to see the Elephant 6 movie mentioned above would do quite well to check in with Athens musician Jake Brower, whose latest album is an absolute psych-pop smash, even though it’s saddled with the unfortunate title Psychofunky Dancing. The reason I’m bringing this up now is because a fresh cassette version of this album, originally released last September, is coming out May 4 courtesy of Attaboy Tapes. There are too many musical touchstones here to dive too deeply in this space and, further, I don’t want to diminish in any way what Brower’s accomplished here by my comparing it to other folks just yet. Brower mentions in the album notes that this entire record except one song was recorded with the iPhone Garage Band application using a headphone microphone. Preorders are being taken as we speak over at attaboytapes.bandcamp.com/releases. If you’d like to stream the whole album, please head to Brower’s personal release page at jakebrower.bandcamp.com.

ODESSEY AND ORACLE: Immaterial Possession continues to up its own ante. Just when you thought they’d explored every thread of highly intelligent and deeply artful music and filmmaking, they swing back around to blow your mind again. The group’s newest mind bender is the single “Mercy of the Crane Folk,” and the video is a spectacular visual experience that, to my mind, draws on the work of Georges Méliès and other giants of the silent film era. The tune itself is another highly rhythmic and propulsive piece of mid-tempo psychedelia with a tinge of Spaghetti Western-isms. Find this on Apple Music, Spotify and immaterialpossession.bandcamp.com. For the video, just head to YouTube and do a quick search. You’ll find it. f

Niño Brown

EXPLORING HIP-HOP ROOTS IN SELF-TITLED ALBUM

By Sam Lipkin editorial@flagpole.com

When longtime Americana and folk singer-songwriter Cortez Garza decided to work on a hip-hop album under the moniker Niño Brown, he knew there would be backlash. Since beginning the project in January 2021, he’s leaned into the controversy at times, while also striking a balance between showing solidarity with his old folk community and forming bonds in his new hip-hop scene. It’s undeniable that Niño Brown has sparked strong feelings, particularly exemplified by his 2022 Athens Hip Hop Awards “Best Male Hip Hop Artist” win.

“I’m a 10, 15 year veteran of the Americana folk scene. The people in the community that have supported that and know me as that, I knew I would offend them. I mean, there’s just no way around it,” says Garza. “As a folk and Americana singer-songwriter, I felt like there were certain things I couldn’t say or do.”

As someone who grew up in Atlanta during the golden age of hip hop, Garza was drawn to creating music from the genre that was formative for him as a person in order to have more freedom to speak on cultural and social topics. The project has also been a cathartic vehicle for processing PTSD, which he recognizes now as triggering some of the criticisms of him. He knew what the album would be about before ever recording the first song.

“To me, the album is a social commentary on multiculturalism and diversity, and once I became committed to the concept, I started to see the similarities between genre classifications of music and race. Sometimes we put too much emphasis on these ideas,” says Garza. “It’s all just music, and I truly believe we are all just people. I definitely wanted to blur that line as much as possible for my hip-hop album, because I really believe that is what hip hop is and will always be: true artistic freedom of expression.”

The Niño Brown self-titled album has gone through a metamorphosis representative of the artist himself, but it will finally be released on Friday, Apr. 7. Garza originally planned to slowly release the album through a series of singles with music videos, which he has mostly done, but after a year and a half, he felt the need to wrap it up and move on. Of the album’s 11 tracks, “The Internet,” “Judge Judy,” “Here and Now,” “Summer Rain,” “Red and Black,” “Scarface” and “Love Sick” have already been released with music videos.

Garza’s goal was to create something timeless and original that could showcase his love for old-school and new-school hip hop. While merging the two and infusing elements from other genres, he pays intentional homage through the use of notable adlibs and historical benchmarks from the artists who have influenced him. For Garza, this album was also about filling a space of blurred genre lines that he wasn’t seeing in Athens at the time.

Starting as a genre purist, Garza’s var-

ious experiences in the music world and education about the roots of music led to him seeing how interconnected all of it really was. It wasn’t until his mid-20s when he began working in college radio at the University of North CarolinaGreensboro that he even began listening to folk music. At that time Garza was in a hardcore screamo band. Due to the area being a part of the same touring circuit as Athens, the radio station also introduced Garza to Athens bands like Hope for Agoldensummer and Cinemechanica.

After moving to Athens to be with his family, who relocated from Atlanta, Garza began working at the 40 Watt Club and going to open mics at Hendershot’s, amongst others. Once he integrated into the local folk scene, experiences like working with the initial Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Awards board and the North Georgia Folk Festival shaped him as an artist and a person.

“When you share time and space with people like that, you start to sort of believe in yourself that your ideas are valid,” says Garza. “My main takeaway is you’re never going to feel 110% ready or confident. You’re always going to have those reservations, and you just have to do it.”

Niño Brown was a “just do it” moment for Garza that jump-started a whole new era of growth in artistry and relationships. Upon its release, Garza states, “To some extent, Niño Brown is dead.” It’s a piece of himself and his journey that is now resolved, and his sights are already set on a new project under his given name, Joshua. This one he promises to be less controversial.

“I want to maintain relationships with people that brought out the best in me,” says Garza. “I still believe that the music I did on this record, and some of the songs that I did with some of these [hip-hop] artists, is the best music that I’ve ever done and maybe will ever do.” f

Note

Leah Macdonald

Wax Flowers

Exhibition: On view April 14 - June 2, 2023

Workshop: Photo Encaustic Floral

Saturday, April 15 & Sunday, April 16, 2023

By registration only

Generously sponsored by Heyward Allen Middlebrooks Automotive Foundation and C. Tucker & Co.

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Congress Week 2023

and the Decline of Democracy in the United States

Congress

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

5:30 - 7:00 p.m

Special Collections Libraries

300 S. Hull Street

Congress Week is an annual program sponsored by the Associations of Centers for the Study of Congress (ACSC). The Russell Library is a founding member of ACSC.

https://t.uga.edu/8Te

The Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation presents Visiting Artist

Loch K. Johnson Regents Professor Emeritus of Public and International Affairs

live music calendar

Tuesday 4

Hendershot’s No Phone Party. 7 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com

KENOSHA KID Instrumental adventure-jazz group centered around the rollicking compositions of Dan Nettles and featuring Luca Lombardi, Seth Hendershot and various guests. The March residency shows coincide with Hendershot’s No Phone Parties.

Hugh Hodgson Concert

Hall

7:30 p.m. $12. pac.uga.edu

UGA WIND ENSEMBLE UGA’s wind ensemble plays through a classic repertoire.

Wednesday 5

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.

Creature Comforts

Brewery

Athens Farmers Market. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.athensfarmersmarket.net

RED OAK STRING BAND Local

band playing a feel-good blend of bluegrass, blues, folk, rock and classic country. (6 p.m.)

Flicker Theatre & Bar

9 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreandbar.com

DR. FRED’S KARAOKE Featuring a large assortment of pop, rock, indie and more.

Georgia Theatre

Rooftop

8:30 p.m. $10. www.georgiatheatre. com

GIMME HENDRIX Jimi Hendrix tribute act.

Hendershot’s 8 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com

HENDERSHOT’S OPEN MIC

NIGHT Discover new Athens musical talent. Hosted by Lizzy Farrell.

Nowhere Bar

9:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/

NowhereBarAthens

SNEEZY Chicago act fusing pop, reggae, hip hop and rock.

Thursday 6

40 Watt Club

8 p.m. $10 (adv.), $15. www.40watt. com

GUARDIANS OF THE JUKEBOX

Tribute to MTV’s pop, rock, new wave and new romantic era.

Ciné 9 p.m. $10. www.athenscine.com

SWEAR JAR Four-piece band from Athens exploring new horizons in punk, indie and alternative.

WEAK DAZE Emo indie rock band from Nashville.

JACK AND JEALOUS Local emo rock duo.

Flicker Theatre & Bar

8 p.m. $10. www.flickertheatreandbar. com

ILL INTENTIONS Rock band from Greenville, SC.

SIX PAST SEVEN College jam band from Athens.

Georgia Theatre

7:30 p.m. $20. www.georgiatheatre. com

DEXTER AND THE MOONROCKS

Band from Abilene, TX playing a unique brand of “Western space grunge.”

RED MILE ROAD Local hard rock band influenced by Seattle grunge and classic Southern rock.

Georgia Theatre

Rooftop

6:30 p.m. FREE! www.georgiatheatre. com

THE BAND LOULA Folk and country duo from Gainesville, GA.

Hotel Indigo

Live After Five Series. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/AubreyEntertainmentAthensGA

MRJORDANMRTONKS Tommy Jordan and William Tonks’ collaboration features rootsy guitar picking and paired vocal melodies.

Hugh Hodgson Concert

Hall

7:30 p.m. $3 (w/ UGA ID), $12. pac. uga.edu

ARCO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

The program includes music by Handel, Bach, Grieg and SaintSaëns as well as the world premiere of “Old Blues, New Blues…,” a work for clarinet quartet, cornet and orchestra.

Low Yo Yo

7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ lowyoyostuff

MARCEL SLETTEN Ambient electronica musician and owner of the independent label Primordial Void.

FRESH AIR 4 Nashville-based freak folk/neo-psysch experimentalist group.

Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture

8 p.m. $15. www.facebook.com/MarigoldAuditorium

TÉADA Irish band performing traditional music on fiddle, accordion, flute, bouzouki, guitar and bodhrán. Rabbit Hole Studios

7 p.m.–12 a.m. Donations encouraged. www.rabbitholestudios.org

FULL MOON JAM Bring an instrument or borrow one from the Rabbit Hole’s extensive collection. Backline of gear and amps provided. A silent disco ($5 headphones rental) will happen indoors.

Southern Brewing Co.

6–10 p.m. www.sobrewco.com

KARAOKE NIGHT Every Thursday evening.

Friday 7

40 Watt Club

7 p.m. $10. www.40watt.com

CHICKASAW MUDD PUPPIES

Foot stomping honky-tonk band releasing its first album in over 30 years.

BEGGAR WEEDS Originally from Jacksonville, FL, this Stipe-produced band features Chickasaw

Mudd Puppies drummer Alan Cowart.

THE HOWDIES Local outlaw country act fronted by Austin Darnell.

Buvez

7–10 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ darkentriesathens

DARK ENTRIES KARAOKE Sing your favorite song from a curated catalog of classic to modern goth, post-punk, punk and industrial.

Ciné 10 p.m. $10. www.athenscine.com

ELF POWER Longtime fixture on the Athens scene playing crisp, melodic psych-pop. Tonight’s

performance will follow the Athens premiere screening of The Elephant 6 Recording Co. documentary.

Flicker Theatre & Bar Shadebeast Presents. 9 p.m. $10. www.flickertheatreandbar.com

DAYGLO MOURNING Doom metal trio from Atlanta.

AURALAYER Psych and stoner rock trio from Greenville, SC.

JET ENGINE DRAGONS Progressive death metal from Athens with melodic, technical and classical influences.

Georgia Theatre

7 p.m. $29. www.georgiatheatre.com

JOYWAVE Organic, electronic pop music.

DIZZY Moody and illustrative indie pop.

ELLIOT LEE Home recorded electronic rock music.

Georgia Theatre

Rooftop

6 p.m. FREE! www.georgiatheatre.com

RECESS PARTY A glittery, messy collage of rock, funk and alternative.

International Grill & Bar

7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ IGBAthensGA

DOOLEY & BALDWIN BAND

Previously a duo, the full band performs an assortment of alternative rock, country and pop. Tonight’s performance is the debut of the full band!

Morton Theatre

7:30 p.m. $12–15. www.mortontheatre.com

TUCK EVERLASTING: IN CONCERT The Athens Creative Theater’s Athens Musical Theatre Orchestra presents a concert version of the classic tale with a choir and orchestra.

Nowhere Bar

9:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/

NowhereBarAthens

GRITS & GREENS Powerful fourpiece rock and roll band with a soulful and jam-heavy delivery.

Terrapin Beer Co.

5–7 p.m. www.terrapinbeer.com

JIM COOK High-energy solo blues, classic rock and roots music.

VFW (Post 2872)

8 p.m.. $10. www.facebook.com/ vfwpost2872

CHRIS HAMPTON BAND Athensbased band performing a variety of country, western and rock dance music.

Saturday 8

40 Watt Club

9 p.m. $17 (adv.), $22. www.40watt. com

EMO NITE Emo dance party donating a portion of proceeds to Living The Dream Foundation.

Athentic Brewing Co.

6 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing. com

WADE NEWBURY Singer and guitarist playing an acoustic solo act. Bishop Park

Athens Farmers Market. 8 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.athensfarmersmarket.net

MARK PLEMMONS Talented local pianist. (8 a.m.)

ALYS WILLMAN Athens singersongwriter. (10 a.m.)

Ciné

9 p.m. www.athenscine.com

JOHN FERNANDES AND FRIENDS Fernandes performs ambient and minimalist looped

clarinet alongside guest musicians. Tonight’s performance follows the 8 p.m. screening of The Elephant 6 Recording Co. documentary. Flicker Theatre & Bar

8 p.m. $12. www.flickertheatreandbar. com

ROSEGARDEN FUNERAL PARTY

Goth post-punk band from Texas fronted by Leah Lane.

TEARS FOR THE DYING Goth deathrock band formed in 2003 by Adria Stembridge.

TOKYO TEENS Synth-based romantic goth-pop.

HIP TO DEATH Five-piece postpunk band from Atlanta.

Madison-Morgan Cultural Center Masters of Songwriting. 7:30 p.m. $75. www.mmcc-arts.org

RANDALL BRAMBLETT This established Georgia singer-songwriter’s Southern-tinged music pulls from a variety of influences. Tonight’s event, hosted by Nashville country artist Eric Dodd, takes place after the Masters Golf Tournament.

SHAWN MULLINS Atlanta-based singer-songwriter known for hits like “Lullaby.”

Morton Theatre

7:30 p.m. $12–15. www.mortontheatre.com

SEX CELLS Local alternative band influenced by grunge, garage and indie rock.

Tuesday 11

40 Watt Club

8 p.m. (doors). $10 (adv.), $12. www.40watt.com

WIM TAPLEY AND THE CANNONS Dangerously catchy pop band fronted by Washington, D.C. transplant Wim Tapley.

JIVE TALK Nashville-based indie rock band with synth-pop influences.

Flicker Theatre & Bar

8 p.m. (doors). $10. www.flickertheatreandbar.com

JOSEY Athens-based indie pop artist.

STICK No info available.

JOHNNY FALLOON No info available.

Georgia Theatre

7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). www. georgiatheatre.com

LUKAS NELSON & POTR The lead singer of The Promise of the Real is also the son of legend Willie Nelson.

DRAYTON FARLEY Alabama native with an honest voice delivering confessional songs pulled from real life experience.

Hendershot’s No Phone Party. 7 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com

Front Porch Bookstore

8 p.m. FREE! Find Front Porch Bookstore on Facebook

THE HOBOHEMIANS Six-piece acoustic band performing American and European roots music of the 1910s–’30s.

Georgia Theatre

7 p.m. $22. www.georgiatheatre.com

THE BROOK AND THE BLUFF Energetic indie rock with folky roots.

SAVANNAH CONLEY Nashville singer-songwriter with a confessional and introspective style.

Georgia Theatre

Rooftop

6:30 p.m. FREE! www.georgiatheatre. com

PARKER WIERLING Athens-based actor and singer-songwriter.

Georgia Theatre

Rooftop

11 p.m. FREE! www.georgiatheatre. com

ZAC CROOK Athens singer-songwriter.

Hendershot’s 8 p.m. $10. www.hendershotsathens. com

SWING THEORY Local jazz collective performing your favorite jazz classics.

International Grill & Bar

5–7 p.m. www.facebook.com/

IGBAthensGA

MK STROTHER Fiddle player and singer from Washington, GA performing country, bluegrass and old-timey melodies.

7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/

IGBAthensGA

THE FUSILIERS Athens band playing all acoustic “greengrass,” Americana, Irish traditional and Celtic rock.

TUCK EVERLASTING: IN CONCERT The Athens Creative Theater’s Athens Musical Theatre Orchestra presents a concert version of the classic tale with a choir and orchestra.

Nowhere Bar

9:30 p.m. $20. www.facebook.com/

NowhereBarAthens

BLOODKIN Long-running Athens band playing a bluesy style of roots-rock with big guitars and sharply written lyrics.

The Root

6–8 p.m. www.therootathens.com

CLASSIC CITY JUKEBOX Local rock and roll cover band.

Tif Sigfrids

Nora Riggs Opening Reception. 6 p.m. (doors), 7 p.m. (music). FREE! www.tifsigfrids.com

PANIC WAVE Young up-and-comers with a punky, melodic sound.

Sunday 9

Athentic Brewing Co.

2–5 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing. com

BLUEGRASS JAM Players of all skill levels are invited to take place in this open jam, which strives to unite members of the local folk music community.

The World Famous 9 p.m. www.facebook.com/theworldfamousathens

MONSOON Athens-based indie rock band weaving together unorthodox styles to create music that dips between the conscious and subconscious.

GROCER Philadelphia band with three distinct vocalists and a strong DIY aesthetic.

KENOSHA KID Instrumental adventure-jazz group centered around the rollicking compositions of Dan Nettles and featuring Luca Lombardi, Seth Hendershot and various guests. The March residency shows coincide with Hendershot’s No Phone Parties.

Wednesday 12

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.

Creature Comforts

Brewery Athens Farmers Market. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.athensfarmersmarket. net

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. (6 p.m.)

Flicker Theatre & Bar 9 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreandbar.com

DR. FRED’S KARAOKE Featuring a large assortment of pop, rock, indie and more.

Georgia Theatre

7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). SOLD OUT! www.georgiatheatre.com ORVILLE PECK Country artist known for his deep baritone voice and concealed identity behind a fringed mask.

Down the Line

4/14 Athens Mountain Singers (Athentic Brewing Co.)

4/14 Bridal Party, Dog Person, Handholder (Flicker Theatre & Bar) f

Grocer will perform at The World Famous on Sunday, Apr. 9.

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

CALL FOR ARTISTS (Athens, GA)

The first-ever Athens Twilight Artist Market is currently seeking artists to participate. Check website for vendor details. Apr. 22–23. $125/one day, $235/weekend. swgthestore. com/product/artist-market-fee

CALLS FOR PUBLIC ART (Classic Center Arena) Seeking public art proposals for the exterior plaza, exterior wall and interior entry of the new arena. Deadline Apr. 7, 5 p.m. Tatiana.veneruso@accgov.com, www.accgov.com/4161/AthensCultural-Affairs-Commission

GRADUATE SWEET DREAMS

SOCIETY (Graduate Athens) This artist-in-residency program is hosted at 10 Graduate Hotels across the country. Participants receive studio space, mentorship and resources to create. Applications due Apr. 17. www.graduatesweet dreams.com/apply

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

MUSEUM MADNESS (Georgia Museum of Art) As part of the museum’s 75th anniversary celebration, an art competition pits 64 works from its collection against one another to see which will emerge as the people’s favorite. Voting runs every weekday on Insta-

gram (@georgiamuseum) through July. Winner announced Aug. 26. www.georgiamuseum.org

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)

“Beginning and Intermediate Acrylics.” Thursdays, Apr. 6–May 4, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. $160–210. “Abstract

Exploration Courses for Acrylic, Watercolor and Water Soluble Oil

Painters.” Thursdays, Apr. 6–May 4, 12:30–2:30 p.m. $160–210. “A

Creative Writing Course with Heidi Nilsson.” Mondays, Apr. 10–May 8, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. $165–215. “Photo Encaustic Floral with Leah McDonald.” Apr. 15–16, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. $410–460. www.ocaf.com

ART CLASSES (K.A. Artist Shop)

“House Portraits in Watercolor.”

Apr. 23, 1–4 p.m. $45. “Photo + Edit Your Artwork.” Apr. 29 or May 20, 1–4 p.m. $75. “Pointed Dip Pen Calligraphy.” May 6, 1–3 p.m. $55. “Abstract Art in Acrylic.” May 9, 6–8 p.m. $35. www.kaartist.com

BLACKSMITHING CLASSES

(Greenhow Handmade Ironworks, Washington) “Forge a Fire Poker” covers tapering, bending and scrolling, forge welding, cutting with a chisel and more. Apr. 15, May 6 or June 24, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

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. Through mid-May.

ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY LIBRARY (2025 Baxter St.) Marisa Leilani Mustard presents a collection of colorful paintings in “WILD!” Through April.

ATHICA@CINÉ GALLERY (234 W. Hancock Ave.) “Solo: New Works by Heather Deyling” includes colorful and playful sculptures, wall works and installations inspired by research and observation of natural forms, eco-fiction and climate change. Opening reception Apr. 22, 6–8 p.m. On view Apr. 6–May 7.

DODD GALLERIES (270 River Rd.) On view in the C-U-B-E Gallery, “Split View” presents works by students taking Newly Formed, an experimental form-making elective taught at the Rhode Island School of Design. Through Apr. 5. • “Where the Sidewalk Ends” consists of two separate exhibitions that both showcase artwork by 42 graduating BFA students. The first exit show opens with a reception Apr. 7, 6–8 p.m. and lasts until Apr. 14. The second exit show opens Apr. 21, 6–8 p.m. and runs until Apr. 28.

FLICKER THEATRE & BAR (263 W. Washington St.) Artwork by Bernadine Sears. Reception Apr. 22, 5–7 p.m. Currently on view through Apr. 29.

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. • “Art is a form of freedom” is a collaborative project through which incarcerated women at the Whitworth Women’s Facility selected works for an exhibition and wrote prose and poetry in response to the pieces. Through July 2. • “Decade of Tradition: Highlights from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection.” Through July 3.

$150. “Forge a Bottle Opener” will cover making open face and church key style bottle openers. May 27, 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. Apr. 8 or June 3, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $150. “Forge a Throwing Tomahawk” is for experienced students. Apr. 1, May 13, May 27 or June 10, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $175. “The Art of Chain Making.” Apr. 29, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $165. “Forge an Iron Age Battle Spear.” May 20 or June 17, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $175. greenhowhandmade@gmail.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

GET FIT! (Lay Park) Ages 55 and older are invited to participate in aerobic walking classes to improve flexibility and strength. Mondays through Apr. 24, 1–2 p.m. 706613-3596

GROW YOUR BUSINESS WORKSHOP SERIES (Athens Land Trust or Zoom) The Athens Land Trust presents a course for budding entrepreneurs and existing businesses. Wednesdays through Apr. 19, 5:30–7 p.m. FREE! www. athenslandtrust.org

HOMEBUYER EDUCATION WORKSHOP (Zoom) Athens Land Trust presents an eight-hour, HUD-certified course for first-time homeown-

ers that covers the home-buying process in Georgia. Pre-registration required. Apr. 15, May 20 and June 17, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. $10. www. athenslandtrust.org

INTRO TO AQUA OILS (K.A. Artist Shop) This three-week class led by Lauren Adams covers the essentials of oil painting with solvent-free colors and the importance of value,

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.) Nirvinyl Album Art presents “Tax Season Session” featuring free and reduced rate canvas album art prints from the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Moody Blues and more. Through mid-May.

JITTERY JOE’S FIVE POINTS (1230 S. Milledge Ave.) Recent abstract paintings by Tom Hancock. Through Apr. 30.

JUST PHO… AND MORE (1063 Baxter St.) Susan Pelham’s collages are influenced by Magic Realism, Surrealism, fairy tales and nursery rhymes. Through May.

LAST RESORT GRILL (174-184 W Clayton St.) Michael Shetterley creates mixed-media, nature-based abstracts on canvas. Through mid-April.

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. • Juried by Maria Elena Ortiz, curator at The Modern in Fort Worth, TX, the 48th Juried Exhibition features 154 works by 107 local artists. Through May 6. • “Breathing Room” presents artwork by 16 past and present employees of R. Wood Studio, such as Amanda Burk, Kristen Bach, Rinne Allen, David Barnes, Michele Dross and Lou Kregel. Ikebana workshop Apr. 15, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Artist reception May 18, 6–7:30 p.m. Currently on view through June 8. • “The Green Life Art Contest” is an annual contest geared towards K-12 students that presents artwork inspired by environmental education and sustainability. Closing reception Apr. 29, 2 p.m. • Collections from our Community presents typewriters from Mike Kilpatrick, Tatiana Veneruso, Mike Landers and Lauren Fancher. Through July 1.

OCONEE COUNTY LIBRARY (1080 Experiment Station Rd.) The University of North Georgia Department of Visual Art presents student artwork in drawing, design, ceramics and painting. A reception will be held at UNG’s Oconee Campus Apr. 10, 5–6:30 p.m. Through April.

color and composition. Wednesdays, Apr. 12–26, 6–8 p.m. $75. www.kaartist.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

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.healingartscentre.net

PUBLIC DANCE (The Studio Athens) Beginner Rumba lessons followed

OCONEE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION (34 School St., Watkinsville)

Beatrice Brown’s “Quilt Stories of Time and Place” creates a timeline of motifs used in fabric quilting designs dating from ancient Egypt to the present day. Through Apr. 7.

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.

STEFFEN THOMAS MUSEUM OF ART (4200 Bethany Rd., Buckhead)

“Hinterglasmalerei: Reverse Paintings of Steffen Thomas” explores the range of experimentation Thomas did with the ancient technique. Through Apr. 22.

TIF SIGFRIDS (393 N. Finley St.) Massachusetts-based artist Nora Riggs presents “Creampuffs of Passage,” a collection of paintings depicting scenes and objects from everyday life in surreal settings. Opening reception Apr. 8, 6–8 p.m. Through May 13.

TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) Tim Root’s watercolors, wooden pieces, comics, zines and other odds and ends are brightly colored, funny and occasionally grotesque. Opening reception Apr. 7, 5–8 p.m. Open for Third Thursday, Apr. 14, 6–9 p.m.

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.)

On view in the Claire and Robert Clements Gallery, “Resonations: Marriage of Photography and Poetry” is a collaborative exhibition that pairs photographs by Lee Reed with poems by Clela Reed. Open Sunday mornings or by appointment at 706-546-7914 through June 25.

“Turquoise Summer” by Michael Ross is currently on view in the Lyndon House Arts Center’s 48th Juried Exhibition through May 6.

by DJ’d waltz, swing, salsa, tango etc. Every fourth Saturday. 7:30–10 p.m. $5 (students), $10 (non-students). www.gmdance.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

YOGA AND MORE (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) Revolution is a multipurpose mind-body wellness studio offering yoga and therapy with an emphasis on trauma-informed practices. Check website for upcoming classes and programs. www.revolutiontherapyandyoga.com

YOGA CLASSES (Let It Be Yoga Studio, Watkinsville) Classes are offered in Hatha, Vinyasa, Kundalini, beginner, gentle and other styles. Check online calendar for weekly offerings. www.letitbeyoga.org

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

MULTIPLE CHOICES BOARD MEMBERS (Athens, GA) Seeking a new board member for Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living, a nonprofit agency of disability advocates serving individuals throughout a 10-county area of Northeastern Georgia. Call for information. 706850-4025

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 artist James Greer, is held Wednesdays, 5–6:30 p.m. $25/drop-in, $180 (10-session pass). www.kaartist.com

CAMP REGISTRATION (Athens, GA)

The ACC Leisure Services Department offers a variety of summer camps. Now registering. www.acc gov.com/myrec

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

SPARK WEEKEND ACADEMY (UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel) “Be Audit You Can Be: Accounting 101” for ages 15–17 is held Apr. 22–23, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.

$15. www.georgiacenter.uga.edu/

youth/spark SUMMER ART CAMPS (K.A. Artist Shop) A variety of half-day or fullday camps are available for preteens and teens. Subjects include drawing, painting, calligraphy, creative journaling, printmaking, collage and more. Weekly camps run June 1–July 17, 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. or 1:30–5:30 p.m. $250/week of half days, $450/week of full days. www.kaartist.com

SUMMER CAMPS (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services is now registering for summer camps. www.accgov. com/myrec

SUMMER CAMPS (Treehouse Kid & Craft) Camps are offered a variety of themes including digital design and illustration, Halloween, apothecary and flora, glow in the dark and blacklight, food trucks, slime and more. Check website for dates and descriptions. www.treehousekidand craft.com

SWIM LESSONS (Athens, GA)

Swim lessons for children ages 3 and older are offered at Heard Park, Lay Park, Memorial Park and Rocksprings Park pools. $33–50/ session. The ACC Leisure Services’ Kinderswim program for 5-year-old children is free. www.accgov.com/ myrec

TUTORING (Online) The Athens Regional Library System is 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

ACA ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS AND DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES (Holy Cross Lutheran Church) This support group meets weekly. Tuesdays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. annetteanelson@gmail.com

AL-ANON 12 STEP (Multiple Locations) Recovery for people affected by someone else’s drinking. Visit the website for a calendar of electronic meetings held throughout the week. www.ga-al-anon.org

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

LGBTQIA+ VIRTUAL ALPHABET FAMILY GATHERING (Online)

This is a safe space for anyone on the LGBTQIA+/TGQNB spectrum.

Fourth Sunday of every month, 6–8 p.m. uuathensga.org/justice/ welcoming-congregation

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

OVEREATERS ANONYMOUS (24th Street Clubhouse) Learn to stop eating compulsively or curb other unwanted food-related behaviors.

Every Tuesday, 12 p.m. FREE! Text: 678-736-3697

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

AAMGA ANNUAL BULB SALE (Athens Clarke Co. Extension Office)

The Athens Area Master Gardeners Association hosts a sale of flower bulbs. Pre-order now through May 1. Pick-up in October for fall planting. tinyurl.com/aamag2023

bulbsale

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

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

RABBIT BOX (VFW Post 2872)

Seeking storytellers to share seven-minute true tales. Upcoming themes include “Awkward!” in April and “Gone but not Forgotten” in May. Email to participate. rabbitbox stories@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

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

WORK.SHOP (160 Winston Dr.) Open rehearsal and performance space for theater, comedy, dance, classes and events. $10/hour. lisayaconelli@gmail.com, www. workshopathens.com f

ART | FRI, APR. 7 & THU, APR. 13

Tim Root

tiny ATH gallery • Donations accepted

Local artist Tim Root will showcase some of his diverse works over two days in April at tiny ATH gallery. Root describes himself as a comic artist, which he certainly is. With what seems like a few strokes of his pen and

its official Athens premiere screening—if you don’t count the VHS screenings that have circulated under the radar over the past few years. After an in-depth production process, the film enjoyed a lengthy festival run, and it has finally landed back in the town that started it all. Chad Stockfleth’s telling of the story of the Elephant 6 Recording Co. will be followed by special performances of Elephant 6 acts Elf Power on Apr. 7 and John Fernandes and Friends on Apr. 8. Showtimes are 8 p.m., 10 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. on Friday; 3 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturday; and 3 p.m. on Sunday. [PB]

MUSIC | SAT, APR. 8

Rosegarden Funeral Party

some watercolor, he can create scenes of astounding expressiveness. Calling him only a comic artist, however, would overlook the wonderful work he does in other media, like puppetry, woodworking and salvaged materials. If you’re looking for zines, mini-comics, grotesque wooden puppets with their faces peeling off, and even homemade music boxes and decks of cards, look no further than Tim Root’s work. The gallery will be open during a reception on Apr. 7 from 5–8 p.m. and for Third Thursday on Apr. 14 from 6–9 p.m. [Patrick Barry]

ART | FRI, APR. 7 & FRI, APR. 21

BFA Exit Show

Dodd Galleries • 6–8 p.m. • FREE!

Forty-two graduating Bachelor of Fine Arts students attending UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art will present their final works in an end of the year exit show, “Where The Sidewalk Ends,” based conceptually on the beloved Shel Silverstein poem of the same name. Split into two separate groups, “Where The Sidewalk Ends” will feature works in ceramics, painting, metalwork and more by students transitioning into the professional art world. Featured artists include painters Wakefield Ausband and TM Pruitt, as well as jeweler Sarah Bird. The first show will open Apr. 7 and close on Apr. 13. The second show will open Apr. 21 and close Apr. 27. Both opening receptions run from 6-8 p.m. [PB]

FILM | FRI, APR. 7–SUN, APR. 9

The Elephant 6 Recording Co.

Ciné • 8 p.m. • $10

The Elephant 6 Recording Co., an award-winning documentary on Athens’ most influential indie collective, is holding

Flicker Theatre & Bar • 8 p.m. • $12 Dallas, TX band Rosegarden Funeral Party will headline a dark post-punk show featuring Tears For The Dying, Tokyo Teens and Hip To Death at Flicker on Apr. 8. RFP embraces a goth aesthetic with melodies firmly placed in the ‘80s and dark dance beats, featuring drum machines, synths and sometimes sitars. There’s also a healthy dose of rock thrown in there, too, for good measure. Following its show at Flicker, Rosegarden Funeral Party will embark on a tour of the United Kingdom in May. [PB]

ART | SAT, APR. 8

Nora Riggs

Tif Sigfrids Gallery • 6–8 p.m. • FREE! Nora Riggs, a Northampton, MA artist, will hold an exhibit, “Creampuffs of Passage,” at Tif Sigfrids Gallery through

May 13. Riggs presented her paintings a few years ago at Tif’s, and she’s back now with new works. Riggs’ work is two-dimensional, and it calls to mind the designs of a quilt or paintings on ancient vases. Many of her works also feature household scenes, or scenes of intimacy or routine. This will be Riggs’ second solo exhibition at Tif Sigfrids Gallery. [PB] f

Nora Riggs

Tim Root

event calendar

Tuesday 4

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

EVENTS: Film Athens (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Discuss films with other fans during happy hour. 8 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ flickerbar.athens

GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ ClassicCityTriviaCo

GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Amici Athens) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.facebook.com/baddogathens

KIDSTUFF: Friendship Bracelets (Bogart Library) Learn how to make bracelets with embroidery floss. Supplies provided. Ages 10 & up. 2–3 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart

KIDSTUFF: Crafternoon (Oconee County Library) Drop in for a craft or two. Supplies provided. 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

LECTURES & LIT: Bogart Bookies

Adult Book Club (Bogart Library)

Pick up a copy of The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson and discuss it with the group. 1–2 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ bogart

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 5

ART: Tour at Two (Georgia Museum of Art) These drop-in public tours feature highlights of the permanent collection and are led by museum docents. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org

COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s Improv League (Buvez) Homegrown 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

EVENTS: Athens Farmers Market (Creature Comforts Brewery) Markets offer fresh produce, flowers, eggs, meats, prepared foods and a variety of arts and crafts. Live music begins at 6 p.m. AFM doubles SNAP dollars spent at the market. Every Wednesday, 5–8 p.m. www. athensfarmersmarket.net

FILM: Truck Yaro VI: I Am A Man

Of Honor (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of the 1977 series film about a rowdy trucker with a heart of gold. 7 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreandbar.com

GAMES: Classic City Trivia (The Local 706) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/

ClassicCityTriviaCo

GAMES: Broadway Musical Bingo (B&B Theatres) Win prizes at this Broadway Musical-themed bingo night. 7:30 p.m. www.facebook. com/bbathens12

KIDSTUFF: Busy Bee Toddler Time (Bogart Library) Join Ms. Donna for

rhymes, songs, puppets and a simple story. 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

KIDSTUFF: Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories and crafts. Ages 5 & under. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee

KIDSTUFF: Homeschool Club (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for art and science projects and STEM challenges. 2:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

KIDSTUFF: Prism (Oconee County Library) This group is a positive safe space for teens to hang out as members play games, talk about their lives and make friends. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

LECTURES & LIT: Visiting Author (UGA Miller Learning Center) The UGA English Department welcomes Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi for a night of reading and audience interaction. Room 0248. 5 p.m. FREE! www.english.uga.edu

MEETINGS: Sewing Circle (Bogart Library) Bring your own sewing and crafting projects for dedicated time to work and discuss. First Wednesdays, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/bogart

Thursday 6

ART: Artist Gallery Talk (Lyndon House Arts Center) The 48th Juried Exhibition artists Adrien Helm, Kathryn Refi, Michael Ross and Abigail West will discuss their works on view. 6 p.m. FREE! www.accgov. com/exhibits

CLASSES: We Move Together (Athens Community Council on Aging) Choreographer Lisa Yaconelli leads kids ages 6–12 and their (great) grandparents in an intergenerational dance class inspired by participants’ shared stories and memories. 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! arippin@accaging.org

EVENTS: Diamond Hill Farm Produce and Flower Pickup (Athentic Brewing Co.) Vegetables and fresh flowers are available at this community supported agriculture pick up. Every Thursday, 4–6 p.m. www.athenticbrewing.com

EVENTS: Loran Smith Center Percentage Night Attendees can expect “Parks & Rec” trivia, food provided by Silver Queen and prizes from Avid Bookstore in support of the Loran Smith Center for Cancer Support. 5 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com

EVENTS: Community Events for Citizens, Landlords and Property Managers (ACC Library) Chad McCranie will discuss tenant’s rights and landlord responsibilities. ACC Code Enforcement will discuss fair housing and its department. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www.accgov.com

EVENTS: Headshot Happy Hour (Graduate Athens) Local photographer Macy Williams hosts a headshot session featuring drinks and food. First Thursdays, 5:30 p.m. $30. www.facebook.com/ graduateathens

EVENTS: Ladies Night Out (Boutier Winery & Inn) Enjoy a night out featuring buffet food and line dancing with two glasses of wine included. 6:30 p.m. $20. www.boutierwinery. com

EVENTS: Café Apollinaire (Ciné)

The Georgia Fine Arts Academy presents its sixteenth event showcasing artists’ work and inviting a sharing of ideas. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/BilboBooks-

Publishing

EVENTS: Boulevard Brass Band (595 Nanthahala Ave.) Bring your instrument, meet outdoors and rehearse songs for beginners and advanced musicians. Every Thursday, 7–8 p.m. FREE! calclements@ gmail.com

FILM: Movie Time (Bogart Library) Vote for a family-friendly movie in person or on Facebook, then join to watch. Snacks provided. 2 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

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: Tale Trackers (ACC Library) Enjoy a play for kids that’s fit for the whole family. 9 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org

KIDSTUFF: Open Playtime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for activities that help build brain function and encourage early literacy. Ages 5 & under. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee

KIDSTUFF: Lego Club (Oconee County Library) Create and enjoy Lego art and activities. Materials provided. Ages 5–12 years and their caregivers. 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

KIDSTUFF: Painting and Collage (Bogart Library) Create a color wheel and make a monochromatic collage. Snacks provided. Grades 8–12. 5–6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

MEETINGS: The Lady B Birthday Breakfast Network (IHOP) This get together provides opportunities to help other people find jobs, make connections and catch up on the news. 9 a.m.–12 p.m. basimswxag@yahoo.com

MEETINGS: KnitLits Knitting Group (Bogart Library) Knitters of all levels are invited to have fun, share craft ideas and knit to their hearts’ content. Every Thursday, 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

MEETINGS: Oconee Rivers Audubon Society (Sandy Creek Nature Center) Berkeley Boone, education supervisor for Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center, will teach attendees about Georgia reptiles and share live examples. 7 p.m. FREE! www. oconeeriversaudubon.org

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tues-

EVENTS: The Price is Right Live (The Classic Center) The classic interactive stage show gives eligible individuals the chance to “Come On Down” and play games made famous by the iconic TV show.

7:30 p.m. $27.50–50.50. www. classiccenter.com

KIDSTUFF: Meet & Play (Bogart Library) Drop in for facilitated open play with age-appropriate toys. Best for ages 6 & under. Every Friday, 10:30 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

KIDSTUFF: Conversations with Friends (Bogart Library) Make friends and learn about new cultures while practicing English through role-play, songs and storytelling.

3:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart

THEATER: Tuck Everlasting: In Concert (Morton Theatre) Athens Creative Theatre presents a concert version of the classic tale, featuring a choir and orchestra. 7:30 p.m. $12–15. www.mortontheatre.com

Saturday 8

ART: Opening Reception (Tif Sigfrids) Massachusetts-based artist Nora Riggs’ exhibition “Creampuffs of Passage” features paintings that cast scenes and objects from everyday life in surreal settings. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.tifsigfrids.com

this Cuban-style salsa class. Room 407. Every Sunday. 4–6 p.m. FREE! www.ugasalsaclub.com

COMEDY: Blaugez Open Mic (Buvez) This 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: Athens Culinary Showcase (VFW Post 2872) Attendees can expect live DJ music, a spades tournament and food. 6 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/vfwpost2872

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 (The Foundry) Test your vast trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Sundays, 7 p.m. www.facebook.com/ baddogathens

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

days, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.athenspetanque.org

Friday 7

ART: Opening Reception (tiny ATH gallery) Comic artist Tim Root’s works will be on display. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.tinyathgallery.com

ART: Opening Reception (Lamar Dodd School of Art) Lamar Dodd School of Art presents “Where the Sidewalk Ends, BFA Exit Show 2023” featuring graduating students’ work. 6–8 p.m. FREE! art. uga.edu

COMEDY: Fruit Salad (work.shop) Physical and clown-trained comedians Chase Brantley and Nicholas Hemerling bring a night of fruitbased hilarity. 8–9 p.m. $5. moonlight.theater.company@gmail.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). $12–50. www.facebook.com/aubreyentertainmentathensga

EVENTS: IPBGG & PBIO Plant Sale (Multiple Locations – Athens, GA) Fruits, vegetables and herbs will be for sale. Locations include the Tate Student Center and The Center for Applied Genetics and Technology. Apr. 7–8, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. FREE! www.plantbio.uga.edu

EVENTS: UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Open House (University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine) Run by firstand second-year students, this event helps raise money for their veterinary licensing exams. Activities include a student Q&A panel, face painting, a dog petting booth and more. 9 a.m.–4 p.m. FREE! www.vet.uga.edu

EVENTS: IPBGG & PBIO Plant Sale (Multiple Locations – Athens, GA) Fruits, vegetables and herbs will be for sale. Locations include the Tate Student Center and The Center for Applied Genetics and Technology. Apr. 7–8, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. FREE! www.plantbio.uga.edu

EVENTS: Really, Really Free Market (Reese and Pope Park) Just like a yard sale, but everything is free. Bring what you can, take what you need. Second Saturday of every month. 12–2 p.m. reallyreallyfreemarketathens@gmail.com, www. facebook.com/RRFMAthens

EVENTS: Wrestling at Southern: The Rising (Southern Brewing Co.) Watch solo and team wrestlers go head-to-head. 7 p.m. $10–15. www.sobrewco.com

KIDSTUFF: Bike Safety Rodeo (B&B Theatres) Young bike riders will learn the basics of bike safety and maintenance with a chance to win prizes. Call to register. 10 a.m. FREE! 762-400-8106, keith.sims@ accgov.com

KIDSTUFF: Memorial Park Easter Egg Hunt (Memorial Park) The hunting area will be divided into four sections by age group. 11:00 a.m. FREE! www.accgov.com/148/ Leisure-Services

KIDSTUFF: Easter Egg Hunt (Mack & Payne Funeral Home) The hunt will be divided into three age groups: 2–5, 6–10 and 11–15. 12 p.m. FREE! www.multiplechoices.us

THEATER: Tuck Everlasting: In Concert (Morton Theatre) Athens Creative Theatre presents a concert version of the classic tale, featuring a choir and orchestra. 7:30 p.m. $12–15. www.mortontheatre.com

Sunday 9

CLASSES: UGA Salsa Club (UGA Memorial Hall) No partner necessary and no experience required for

Monday 10

CLASSES: Gentle Hatha Yoga (Athens Community Council on Aging) 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: Get Fit (Lay Park) This senior fitness class consists of chair movements, the use of exercise bands, ankle weights and aerobic movements. Registration required. Every Monday, 1–2 p.m. FREE! www.accgovga.myrec.com

EVENTS: Ballroom Social Dance (Athens Community Council on Aging) Melissa Gogo and Geoff Newell demonstrate the steps for the dance style of the month, followed by a social dance. No partner required. April is Cha-Cha and May is Tango. Second Mondays, 3–4:30 p.m. $8 (CAL members), $10 (non-members). abarefoot@ accaging.org

GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Dooley’s Bar and Grill) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ ClassicCityTriviaCo

GAMES: Monday Trivia with Erin (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Erin. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing. com

KIDSTUFF: Monday Funday Story Time (Bogart Library) Join Ms. Donna for movement, songs, crafts and learning fun. Ages 3–5 years. Registration suggested. 10 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

KIDSTUFF: Tiny Tales at the Zoo (Memorial Park) Enjoy stories, crafts and animal encounters. Ages 6 & under. Every Monday, 10:30–11:30 a.m. $3, $4.50 (non-ACC residents). www.accgovga.myrec.com

BAHA’I WORLD NEWS SERVICE

Hoda Mahmoudi, current Bahá’í’ Chair for World Peace, will give talks on Apr. 10 and Apr. 12–13 at various locations in Athens.

KIDSTUFF: Mani Mondays (Oconee County Library) Drop in to use a selection of polish, glitter and bling solo or with a friend. Grades 6–12. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/location/oconee

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

LECTURES & LIT: A World Without War Is Possible (UGA Miller Learning Center) Professor Hoda Mahmoudi, current Bahá’í’ Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland, will give a presentation on the study of peace and conflict resolution. 4 p.m. FREE! www. bahaichair.umd.edu

MEETINGS: ACC Federation of Neighborhoods (Ciné) There will be a forum on the Georgia Square Mall redevelopment and the future of the Atlanta Highway corridor. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/ federationofneighborhoods

Tuesday 11

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

FILM: Foster Boy (UGA Fine Arts Building Room 400) A screening of the award-winning Foster Boy and a sneak peek at the upcoming movie musical 1660 Vine with producer Peter Samuelson will be followed by a Q&A. 5 p.m. FREE! ssw.uga. edu

GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/

ClassicCityTriviaCo

GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Amici Athens) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.facebook.com/baddogathens

KIDSTUFF: Toddler Tuesday: Earth Day (Georgia Museum of Art) Enjoy art and storytime together in the galleries, then complete an art activity. Ages 18 months to 3 years. RSVP by email. 10 a.m. FREE! gmoa-tours@uga.edu

KIDSTUFF: Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories and crafts. Ages 5 & under. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee

KIDSTUFF: STEAM Club (Oconee County Library) Learn about plants through hands-on activities. Register by email at oconeelibrary@ gmail.com. 3–4:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary/oconee.com

KIDSTUFF: Crafternoon (Oconee County Library) Drop in for a craft or two. Supplies provided. 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

LECTURES & LIT: Congress and the Decline of Democracy in the U.S. (Richard B. Russell Special Collections Library) UGA Public and International Affairs Professor Loch K. Johnson will deliver a lecture followed by a Q&A and catered reception. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www. libs.uga.edu/scl

PERFORMANCE: Shen Yun (The Classic Center) Experience a lost culture through the art of classical Chinese dance with stunning costuming, high-tech backdrops and an orchestra. 7:30 p.m. $85–200. www.classiccenter.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

Wednesday 12

ART: Faculty Perspectives (Georgia Museum of Art) Akela Reason, associate professor of history at UGA, will give a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition “Object Lessons in American Art.” 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org

CLASSES: Free Vietnamese Class (Oconee County Library) Instructor Martine Thy Nguyen will lead a class on the basics of Vietnamese. All ages. Register by email at jmitchell@athenslibrary.org. 6–7 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s Improv League (Buvez) Homegrown 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

EVENTS: Athens Farmers Market (Creature Comforts Brewery) Markets offer fresh produce, flowers, eggs, meats, prepared foods and a variety of arts and crafts. Live music begins at 6 p.m. AFM doubles SNAP dollars spent at the market. Every Wednesday, 5–8 p.m. www. athensfarmersmarket.net

FILM: Club Ned Anime Society (ACC Library) Join club members to watch anime series like “Mobile Police Patlabor,” “Jujutsu Kaisen,” “No Game No Life” and more.

6:30–8:30 p.m. FREE! www.discord.gg/Ma9BmSMG

FILM: Blood Everywhere (Flicker Theatre & Bar) After a masked maniac murders a fashion model, a diary detailing all of her coworkers misdeeds is discovered, and one by one, they each become either a suspect or a victim in Blood and Black Lace. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www. instagram.com/bloodeverywhere.

athens

GAMES: Classic City Trivia (The Local 706) Test your trivia knowledge with host Garrett Lennox. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/

ClassicCityTriviaCo

GAMES: The Big Lebowski Movie Trivia (B&B Theatres) Test your The Big Lebowski trivia knowledge.

7:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/

bbathens12

KIDSTUFF: Busy Bee Toddler Time (Bogart Library) Join Ms. Donna for rhymes, songs, puppets and a simple story. 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

KIDSTUFF: Storytime (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for songs, stories and crafts. Ages 5 & under. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee

KIDSTUFF: Homeschool Club (Oconee County Library) Join Ms. Carley for art and science projects and STEM challenges. 2:30 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

KIDSTUFF: A Night In Paris (Oconee County Library) Join to make crepes and watch Ratatouille Grades 6–12. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/location/oconee

LECTURES & LIT: Anti-Racism and Peace (115 Peabody Hall)

Professor Hoda Mahmoudi, current Bahá’í’ Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland, will give a presentation on the study of peace and conflict resolution. 4 p.m. FREE! www.bahaichair.umd.edu f

Chickasaw Mudd Puppies

FALL LINE MARKS FIRST ALBUM IN OVER 30 YEARS

By Jessica Smith music@flagpole.com

Georgia’s Fall Line is a geologic boundary marking the prehistoric shoreline of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the border between the state’s upper Piedmont and lower Coastal Plain regions. For the Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, it’s also a source of major inspiration and the grounding concept of Fall Line, the band’s first album in over 30 years. Slated for release on Apr. 7 via New West imprint Strolling Bones Records, the album portrays a distinct sense of place that’s rooted by a deep reflection on the relationship between environment and culture.

“It’s not just about history, but also about the people, nature, animals, tastes, smells and the seasonal sonic memories from either end of the Georgia Fall Line seen through the lenses of the Chickasaw Mudd Puppies,” according to the album’s liner notes. “The coast, ancient and otherwise, is where we all grew up.”

Recognizing the Fall Line as a thread that geographically connects the band members—Brant Slay in Columbus, Ben Reynolds from Waynesboro and Alan Cowart of Jacksonville—the album effectively plants itself within this middle ground. Often nicknamed “swamp rock” and “hillbilly blues,” The Mudd Puppies’ twangy, idiosyncratic sound draws on influences of old-school country, garage rock, gospel, blues and even punk. Transporting listeners to another time and place, these swaggering, boot-stomping tunes call to mind red clay, dirt roads and high humidity. Drenched in harmonica and peppered with unusual percussion, the band has retained its Deep Southern Gothic personality, but with a fuller sound and more worldly perspective.

“I jokingly have been referring to our little 30-year hiatus as, ‘We went out on a beer run,’” says Slay. “I guess our music was a bit like a delinquent dad—he went out for a pack of smokes and didn’t come home for 30 years. All kidding aside, music, writing and art have never not been a part of my life.”

After releasing the albums White Dirt (1990) and 8 Track Stomp (1991), both of which were produced by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, the band soon fizzled out, and the members eventually moved on to starting families and developing professional careers. Reynolds worked as a carpenter and hog farmer before landing a job teaching photography at UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art, and has continued playing music with various acts, including Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry. With degrees in art, forestry and wildlife, Slay has spent nearly two decades with the Georgia Chapter of the Nature Conservancy at the Chattahoochee Fall Line Program.

“The music that I’ve been making has been in the form of conservation real estate and land protection,” says Slay. “In the last two decades, we’ve been successful in protecting a little over 35,000 contiguous acres along the western Fall Line sandhills near Columbus. Our main goal is to restore all of that permanently protected landscape back to its historic fire dependent longleaf pine habitat. I’m pretty proud of that song.”

After taking an initial 20-year hiatus, a reunion was sparked by the band landing one of its songs on the soundtrack to the 2011 film The Mechanic, starring Jason Statham. To navigate around licensing issues with the old label, the band decided to return to John Keane’s studio and re-record the track, changing the title from “Ponky Knot” to “Chickenbone.”

“Pretty hilarious, but not surprising, that John still had that piece of heating duct we used as a drum on the first recording of the song,” says Reynolds. “Just like wood on a guitar, that sheet metal’s tone had sweetened with age. The session at John’s led Brant and me to start bouncing some ideas around. It became obvious to both of us that whatever separated us in the past wasn’t as strong as what connects us.”

The band has continued to receive a trickle of royalties from the movie over the years, but more importantly, that

experience creatively re-energized the bandmates and led them to rediscover their love for the Mudd Puppies. Soon, the duo called on their old pal Alan “Lumpy Weed” Cowart to join.

Back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, Cowart performed with the Beggar Weeds, a Jacksonville, FL-based act that toured across the country and stopped through Athens a handful of times. During a tour with the Mudd Puppies and Flat Duo Jets, Cowart began sitting in with the Mudd Puppies, which eventually led to additional tours with him on drums.

“I’ve always loved the percussion sounds of Jim ‘Bones’ McKay, the O.G. Mudd Puppies percussionist, and I’ve tried to replicate that sound ever since,” says Cowart. “The combination of trash cans, Charles Chips cans with nails driven in, and any and all assortment of found percussion that Jim used was magical. And although I play a full drum kit live and on the record, I’ve added a rig of galvanized buckets, wood blocks and cowbell, and a creation of my own that Ben Reynolds affectionately dubbed The Earpiercer, which is a film canister filled with BBs and a 13-inch hi hat cymbal attached. Crazy, but effective! So yes, absolutely, the original percussion sound of the early days totally shaped and drove my drum sound on the new record.”

Major advancements and increased accessibility of recording technology over the past three decades has made it possible for the bandmates, who live in three different towns across two different states, to virtually collaborate and take all the time that was necessary to really hone in on the sounds they sought to create. The majority of the album was recorded in Reynolds’ basement studio—all learning as they went along—before the songs were handed to Keane for mixing and mastering. The album also includes contributions from Curtis Crowe, David LaBruyere, William Tonks, Tom Baker and Don Drew.

“Neither the performances nor fidelity are perfect, but I think that suits my own sensibility, as well as the band’s,” says Reynolds. “It’s taken me all these years to stop apologizing for what we do and to recognize our natural approach as a strength.”

The Chickasaw Mudd Puppies will celebrate the release of the new album Fall Line at the 40 Watt Club on Friday, Apr. 7, where the band will also debut a new music video for “9 Volt” directed by Jason Thrasher. Local country western group The Howdies will also perform, in addition to the Beggar Weeds, who are reforming specifically for this special night. f

WHO:

Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Beggar Weeds, The Howdies

WHEN: Friday, Apr 7, 7 p .m . (doors)

WHERE: 40 Watt Club

HOW MUCH: $10

JASON THRASHER

classifieds

ROOMMATES

REAL ESTATE HOUSES FOR RENT

2BR/1BA, 900 sq. ft. W/D, lawn care. $1700/month. 285 Savannah Ave. Athens, GA 30601. Call for more information: 678-698-7613

4BR/4BA near UGA intramural fields on Riverdale Dr. $2,800/mo. Available August 4th. Contact Daniel Peiken at daniel@athens home.com or 706-2962941.

House, 3BR/2BA in Normaltown. Central air. Apartment, 2BR/1BA. Furnished. Washer/dryer. Wi-Fi. No smokers, pets. Calls only!

706-372-1505

Get Flagpole delivered to your mailbox!

$55 for six months or $100 for one year. Call 706-549-0301 or email front desk@flagpole.com.

College student may live rent-free w/ former teacher/ Christian missionary in exchange for assistance w/ packing/organizing missionary supplies. No smoking, drinking or drugs.

References req. 706-2966957

FOR SALE ELECTRONICS

Free compact e-paper reader! HiSense HLTE202N 6” w/ diagonal screen.

Functional. Language/ instructions are in Chinese ONLY. Email for more info. weaverhawn@hotmail.com

Need old newspapers for your garden? An art project? Well, we have plenty here at Flagpole! Call ahead and we’ll have them ready for you. Please leave current issues on stands.

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

HOME AND GARDEN

Advertise your service in the Flagpole Classifieds! Call 706-549-0301 today!

Plumber Pro Service & Drain. Upfront pricing. Free estimates. $30 Flagpole discount. Call 706-769-7761. Same-day service available. www.plumberproservice. com

UNITY COOPERATIVE

LABOR PARTNERS: Lawn care, debris removal, gutter cleaning, painting/ carpentry, construction clean-up, furniture moving. Under The Economic Justice Coalition. Insured and bonded. Call: 706-549-1142

Woman-Run Gardening Services: We offer raised bed building, garden maintenance, invasive plant removal, personalized native & edible gardens for your home or business. Call/Text: 706-395-5321

JOBS

FULL-TIME

Come work for a well-established catering company. Openings for serving staff and bartenders. Eat well, work hard and have fun. You determine the hours you’d like to work. Apply online: https://www.trumps catering.com/work-with-us

Classic City Installation: Starting @ $18–25/hr. Assistant Manager and Manager roles performing furniture installation on college campuses. Great benefits, travel as a team w/ food stipend and lodging 100% covered.

Email: caswall@classiccity installation.com or 706-3407694.

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.

UberPrints is now hiring for multiple positions! Both full and part-time positions available. For more information and applications, go to uberprints.com/company/ jobs

OPPORTUNITIES

Seasonal Pool Manager & Lifeguards : GAC Pool is now hiring staff for our summer season. Lifeguard certification required. Hours are flexible. Pay rate depends on experience. Apply online: www. greenacrespool.org/apply

Flagpole ♥s our advertisers!

Do you like driving, know your way around town and need some extra cash?

Flagpole needs reliable fill-in drivers for when our regular drivers are out!

Email frontdesk@flagpole.com to be included in emails about future Distribution opportunities. Own car, a bility to follow instructions, attention to detail and Tuesday availability required! Previous delivery experience preferred. No calls or walk-ins!

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

Liquor Express is looking for a Store Associate! In this role, you will provide prompt, efficient and courteous service and follow company policies and procedures. Candidates should have great customer service skills, be a team player, arrive on time and be ready to work, have basic math and computer skills and be at least 21 years old. $12–15 based on experience. 4450 Atlanta Hwy. Bogart, GA 30622

NOTICES

MESSAGES

All Georgians ages 6 months & up are eligible for COVID vaccines, and ages 5+ are eligible for boosters! Call 706-340-0996 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.) Pre-registration is highly encouraged! Visit www.publichealthathens.com for more info.

The Weekly Crossword

Margie E. Burke