FP230809

DIRECTOR Larry Tenner

SALES Fabienne Mack, Jessica Pritchard Mangum

online exclusive

Guthrie’s is promised to return to Athens in the space that was the Dairy Queen by the Marathon gas station on Jefferson Road.

NEWS: news@flagpole.com

ADVICE: advice@flagpole.com

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams is open in Five Points in the former itty-bitty bank building. Athens local Ted Lahey will be opening a Southern counter-service restaurant named Preacher Green’s sometime next year.

See “Guthrie’s Returns to Athens, Jeni’s Ice Cream Opens and More Food News” at flagpole.com.

Comedian Lanny Farmer is one of many locals on 1UP Comedy’s The Athens Summer Comedy Jam at the 40 Watt Club on Saturday, Aug. 12. Be prepared to laugh, and find more information at 40watt.com.

city dope Commission Funds Youth Programs

PLUS, AN UPDATE ON THE BETHEL REDEVELOPMENT AND MORE NEWS

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com

The Athens-Clarke County Commission voted last week to give the Boys and Girls Club of Athens $2.9 million to open two new satellite locations and start a “delinquency prevention initiative” at all six outposts, and to partner with the Clarke County School District on more youth programs.

The funding comes from the federal American Rescue Plan Act passed in 2021. The ACC government received $58 million through the COVID relief package and designated $7.5 million for “youth development and violence prevention.” The commission has already awarded $836,000 to various community groups for summer camps in 2022 and 2023.

The Boys & Girls Club will use the funding to open satellite locations at the Parkview and Broadacres public housing complexes, keep open locations at Nellie B and Rocksprings that opened last year, provide transportation to those four locations, and open the Smilow and HT Edwards locations on Saturdays.

In addition, the delinquency prevention initiative at all six locations will aim to discourage children from joining gangs.

The commission also approved a rare partnership between CCSD and ACC to go in 50-50 on youth sports programs at elementary and middle schools. ACC is contributing $155,000 for after-school football, cheerleading, track and field, volleyball, basketball and soccer for third- through seventh-graders. In addition, the county will spend $75,000 on a facilitator to help an 11-member committee—five appointed by Mayor Kelly Girtz, five by school board President LaKeisha Gantt and a chair selected by those 10 members—evaluate programs for the remaining $3 million in ARPA funds for youth development. “We’ll seek to work with the school district to positively direct those funds for the benefit of youth in the community,” Girtz said.

Those allocations fulfill campaign promises from commissioners Tiffany Taylor and Dexter Fisher, who both ran on beefing up youth programs in 2022. While one-time ARPA money expires in 2026, Fisher said he hopes the commission will continue funding those programs with local tax dollars.

The commission also voted to narrow down the search for a new courthouse site to two properties: the Stephens Federal Building on Hancock Avenue and county-owned parking lots along Dougherty Street, in hopes that the federal government can be talked into a property swap for the mostly vacant building. Commissioners Patrick Davenport, Carol Myers and Ovita Thornton opposed narrowing down the search and wanted all five sites identified by a committee considered. “We don’t just want downtown or the westside or whatever,” Thornton said. “We want all our areas to grow. Of course I’m pushing North Avenue.” But county officials have

said the Piggly Wiggly shopping center is relatively inaccessible except by car, would be expensive to acquire, take property off the tax rolls and force the closure of the neighborhood’s only grocery store, and Commissioner Jesse Houle noted that each site will cost $40,000 to evaluate. After Davenport’s motion failed, those three commissioners voted in favor of the twosite final list.

A list of four finalists for an Eastside library was approved, with opposition from Taylor, who said the late addition of Southeast Clarke Park is not walkable from her district, which runs from East Athens to Winterville. Myers, who chairs the site selection committee, described Southeast Clarke Park as “a backup backup plan” because other sites under consideration all have flaws. They include the old Gaines School, the Kroger shopping center off College Station Road and vacant ACC-owned land off Barnett Shoals Road. In other business, the commission voted unanimously to deny a rezoning for the University Gardens apartment complex near the ACC Library. The complex’s owners wanted to rebuild two buildings that had burned down, but residents of nearby Fortson Drive argued that the rezoning would open the door for a much denser redevelopment. “This would basically be giving them a blank slate to put The Mark right there on Baxter Street,” said Commissioner Melissa Link, referring to the massive development at the corner of Broad and Oconee streets. Commissioners asked for a binding site plan instead of a straight rezoning.

During the public comment period, a group of Pittard Road residents called “Justice 31”—in reference to the 31 of about 200 residents they said have been diagnosed with cancer—called on the commission to further investigate potential contamination from a shuttered DuPont yarn factory. A recent report by an environmental lawyer ACC hired to look into the claims found no evidence of toxic chemical leaks or dumps, but the residents said they are skeptical of the report and want further water and soil testing done. In response, several commissioners made vague promises to take further action.

Concerns Linger on Bethel Project

As the Athens Housing Authority prepares to kick off Phase 2 of the Bethel Midtown Village redevelopment, residents still have questions about whether they’ll be able to move back into the neighborhood once the project is complete.

One 20-year Bethel resident at an Aug. 4 forum organized by First AME Church— just a block away, at the corner of Hull and Dougherty streets—said residents have

been receiving “mixed signals” about their ability to return. “They don’t want to be pushed out and new people come into what was home for them,” she said.

Athens Housing Authority CEO Connie Staudinger was unequivocal: “Yes, ma’am, absolutely they will be able to come back,” she said. Staudinger, who spent most of her career in the affordable housing field in Charlotte, took over for the retired Rick Parker in January.

Demolition, grading and infrastructure work is nearly complete on Phase 1, which will consist of 80 subsidized and 40 market-rate units, Staudinger said. “We’re hoping by this fall that you’ll start to see some things rising out of the ground,” she said. That phase is expected to be finished in 2025.

Phase 2 tentatively includes 150 units wrapped around a parking deck. All of those units will be public housing or subsidized using federal tax credits that housing authorities sell to corporations seeking a tax writeoff. Athens-Clarke County is paying for streets and other infrastructure with $44 million from SPLOST 2020, a sales tax referendum passed by voters.

In total, the Bethel redevelopment will include about 700-800 units, replacing Bethel’s 190 units and 32 other public housing units located just north. The project will also recreate the street grid that was destroyed during Bethel’s construction in the late 1960s and include amenities like a park. The AHA has long pledged that no public housing units will be lost, and the project will include more affordable units than currently exist, with a split of twothirds subsidized to one-third market rate. “It could be very transformative for downtown when this is all built out,” Staudinger said.

The number of units is subject to change, though, because like all pre-pandemic construction projects, it’s been beset by rising costs and interest rates. In fact, it’s lucky to have survived, she said. “A lot of projects ended up getting a bullet put in them,” she said.

Residents said the property management company hired by AHA to run the formerly privately owned apartment complex

in 2020 has been telling them that if they’re late on rent or cited by police, they won’t be allowed to return to the new development once it’s finished. They also complained that rock blasting during construction has been a literal headache, on-site washers and dryers aren’t working, and demolishing several buildings has made an already-bad pest problem worse. Staudinger apologized for a lack of communication and urged residents to come to the AHA if they have problems with the management company. AHA is scheduling more meetings on the Bethel property later this month, she said.

Odds and Ends

A Korean manufacturer is building a new facility in Athens that will employ 100 people, Gov. Brian Kemp and Mayor Kelly Girtz announced last week. Seoul-based Duckshin Housing builds metal decks and frames used in construction. The company will be hiring welders, machine operators and forklift drivers for its new $15 million facility at the Athena Industrial Park on Olympic Drive. “By coming to Athens, we can be closer to growing and new construction projects in Georgia and all states of the U.S.,” Myung Hwan Kim, chairman of Duckshin Housing, said in a news release. “We are excited to join the Athens-Clarke community and look forward to this new opportunity.”

The University of Georgia has promoted deputy chief Jeffrey Clark to chief of the campus police department. Clark, who joined UGAPD in 2021, spent 20 years with the ACC police department and was a sergeant in the U.S. Army. He replaces Dan Silk, who was promoted to associate vice president for public safety. The other finalist was Greg Williams, a former UGAPD officer and current police chief for the University of North Georgia.

While many Athens residents may have already noticed the erratic drivers and long lines at big-box stores indicating that summer is over and UGA students are returning, the true crush starts Friday, Aug. 11, when about 9,000 dorm-dwellers move into on-campus housing. Be wary of U-Hauls, and avoid Target at all costs. f

“ We’ll seek to work with the school district to positively direct those funds for the benefit of youth in the community.

School’s In

NEW CCSD SUPERINTENDENT IS MAKING HIS MARK

By Rebecca McCarthy news@flagpole.com

AsRobbie Hooker enters his first full year as superintendent of the Clarke County School District, he’s already switched to a new reading curriculum, added an AP class in African-American Studies, tamped down on testing and more. Here’s a rundown of changes for the new school year:

Students at Cedar Shoals High School can now earn Advanced Placement credit in African-American Studies—the same course attacked by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. It’s an interdisciplinary course,

number of 14,870, but up from the 2021 total of 12,170. More students equals more funding from the state. Registration will continue through the middle of August, and officials expect enrollment to rise.

Students in kindergarten through third grade will be using the Fundations reading program, which involves a minimum of 45 minutes of phonics every day. And every elementary school grade, K-5, will be using the Wit & Wisdom curriculum, which is based on “the science of reading,” said Jennifer Scott, CCSD chief of academics and student support.

The Fundations program costs $297,226, and Wit & Wisdom costs $455,933. “In doing this, we are going to reset our reading instruction,” Hooker said. “We’re not the only district struggling.”

taught by Montu Miller, that includes art, political science, history, literature and other subjects. Clarke County is the only school district in Georgia to offer the pilot course, and one of 60 districts across the country. “We were excited about offering it,” said Hooker, who took over for the retired Xernona Thomas in November. “They picked us, and said they would help us implement it.”

Workers are demolishing parts of Clarke Middle School and constructing a new building on land near the public library that had been used as a soccer field. Students are being housed in large portable buildings, though the lunchroom, front office and library are all intact. The 2021 estimated cost was $33 million. Post-pandemic, the BOE approved a contract for $55.8 million with Grahl Construction in December. The new Clarke Middle will be able to accommodate 1,000–1,200 students and will have a new gym.

During the pandemic, the number of bus drivers fell in the Clarke County School District and in school systems across the country. A pay increase, to $23.73 an hour for beginning drivers, coupled with aggressive recruiting, has bumped the number of drivers in the Clarke County School District to 114 as of Aug. 3, with 26 on-call drivers who are either training or filling in when needed. However, that’s still short of the 125 drivers which administrators are hoping to have for staffing away games and field trips.

The number of students enrolled in district schools as of July 24 was 13,843, about 1,000 fewer than the pre-pandemic

Some 800 K-8 teach ers in CCSD came volun tarily during the summer to learn how to use the materials, and profes sional learning will con tinue during the school year. Over the past sev eral years, Clarke County has used more than a dozen different reading curriculums and programs, leading to con cerns among teachers that the district was looking for “the next shiny thing” without giving anything a chance to work.

The Georgia legislature has mandated that all kindergarten children be screened for dyslexia, so Clarke County schools are doing just that, and the district wants par ents to notify it if their child is dyslexic. However, the state hasn’t allocated money to school districts specifically to help those children with dyslexia to learn to read.

The use of daily iReady tests is going to be more flexible this year, according to Hooker. Parents, teachers and students have complained for years that iReady takes away from instructional time, with little to show for it.

CCSD is continuing to help students recover from trauma experienced during the pandemic. Each middle school has a mental health specialist, and social workers are each responsible for two schools. Behavior specialists from the district office were moved into individual schools.

Rutland Academy—a school off Oglethorpe Avenue in the Georgia Network for Educational and Therapeutic Support that served students with severe emotional and behavioral disorders—has closed. The students came to the Athens facility from 13 different school systems. Now they’ve returned to their home districts. In Clarke County, three students who were at Rutland are attending Coile Middle School, while nine high school students are at Cedar Shoals. They will be receiving psychological counseling and behavioral support, as well as an academic curriculum, officials said. f

Superintendent Robbie Hooker speaks to staff at Stroud Elementary on Aug. 1.

SCOTT THOMPSON / CCSD

Restricted Reading

BOOKS SHOWCASING DIVERSITY ARE UNDER FIRE IN GEORGIA

By Aaleah McConnell news@flagpole.com

Asself-affirming titles representing marginalized students are getting swept up in the undertow of book bans throughout the South, advocates say educators who choose the wrong titles for story time are now facing harsher consequences. School and public libraries around the country are experiencing a rise in challenges to books that parents complain are too sexually explicit and racially divisive for their children to consume without their consent.

Books such as Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye and Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer are among the titles showcasing LGBTQ characters and the experiences of Black and brown people that are being called into question. But the sweep of censorship has some concerned that banning these books will in turn criminalize educators, said Amanda Adams Lee, a member of the Georgia Library Media Association.

Lee, along with state lawmakers and other activists, spoke at the MoveOn Banned Bookmobile rally last month in Marietta, a Georgia stop on their tour across the country until they reached the Florida governor’s mansion. The goal is to promote inclusive learning in schools, and to advocate for educators’ right to engage with the topics of diversity, equity and inclusion in their classrooms.

The consequences for teachers are being seen in real time, Lee said, referring to Cobb County teacher Katie Rinderle, who is fighting to keep her job after she was fired for reading the children’s book My Shadow is Purple to her fifth-grade gifted class. Groups like Moms for Liberty, which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls “a farright organization that engages in anti-student inclusion activities,” have expanded book-banning efforts across the country. A collection of legislation responding to the conservative pushback to LGBTQ+ and

racial inclusivity passed in states such as Florida, Illinois and Georgia.

Last year, Georgia lawmakers passed Senate Bill 226, which prohibits the sale and distribution of harmful materials to minors. It has since led to a state board striking common words like diversity and intersectionality from teacher training materials, as well as Rinderle’s firing.

Aireane Montgomery, president of Georgia Educators for Equity and Justice, said that parents who are interfering with the educational infrastructure tend to be far removed from the academic experience. Allowing such groups to have this much influence can be detrimental to marginalized students who already don’t find themselves in the lessons being taught. “It’s very unfortunate that we’re allowing teachers, who are the professionals, to have their autonomy taken when they have invested so much of their time and money into their profession,” Montgomery said.

Sen. Chuck Payne, a Dalton Republican who was a sponsor of SB 226, said students should be shielded from sensitive subjects until they’re older, and that “we shouldn’t be trying to rush them into the world of politics.”

Even though one teacher has already been terminated in the aftermath of this legislation, Payne said school faculty should not have anything to fear as long as they are not teaching so-called divisive subjects—a standard not clearly spelled out in the law.

“There’s not gonna be a police agent out there monitoring classrooms to make sure that teachers are not saying the wrong words,” Payne said. “But at the same time,

to give us a basis for [when] a teacher does go down that path, they start trying to bring an agenda into the classroom to teach kids, then it gets back to the parents, at least it gives those parents recourse.”

Others disagree. “I see this as an attack on teachers,” said Rep. Terry Cummings, a Mableton Democrat. “You know, so many things have been taken away from teachers. And now you can’t even pick up a book without being fired or terminated from your job. And so I’m here to say we’re not going to put up with it.”

Last year, Georgia ranked No. 12 among the states for banning the most titles, contributing to the 1,269 orders nationally

outcomes,” said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

New Disabled South is a coalition of activists and organizations based in Atlanta focused on quality of life for people with disabilities. Though most of its advocacy focuses on equity and accessibility of care, intersectional representation is a key component to the fight for disability justice, said Dom Kelly, president and CEO of New Disabled South.

“We know that trans youth are three to six times more likely to be autistic and neurodivergent. That’s just a reality,” said Kelly. “And what they’re doing here in Georgia and across the South is they’re weaponizing autistic identity and disability to justify banning gender affirming care for trans kids.

“Their parents may not be affirming. So they’re not getting that education, and they’re not seeing themselves in these books. And that does so much harm to someone’s identity,” Kelly said.

to censor library books and resources, a record-breaking trend of censorship for libraries around the country, the American Library Association reports. Of those challenges, 58% targeted materials in schools, while 41% targeted public libraries. Nine in ten challenged books were part of an attempt to censor multiple titles at once.

“When students who are part of groups that are experiencing challenges—whether it’s because they have physical challenges, mental health challenges or are part of a marginalized group in the school community—finding books that address their concerns and answer their questions really contributes to improved educational

Two counties, Forsyth and Cherokee, drove most of the book bans in the state last year, according to Pen America, which advocates for free speech on school campuses. A U.S. Department of Education investigation found that the book bans in Forsyth County may have created a hostile environment for some students. Banning books has been an issue in America since the years soon after the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. Critics argue this modern crusade against intersectional teachings has been fueled by a small but boisterous few that do not represent the majority of Georgia parents.

“This is why Georgia is struggling to retain teachers. This is why our public education system is failing,” Lee said. “We want our educators to be treated with respect and our children to learn diverse perspectives. It’s time for all of us to stand up and fight back.” f

This article originally appeared at georgiarecorder. com.

AALEAH

M c CONNELL

The Story of the B-52s: Neon Side of Town

A Q&A WITH AUTHORS SCOTT CRENEY AND BRIGETTE ADAIR HERRON

By Gordon Lamb music@flagpole.com

When authors Brigette Adair Herron and Scott Creney, each of Tunabunny and each recognized as an award-winning writer, first conceptualized their new collaborative book on the B-52s, the pair originally conceived of the project as a straightforward critical analysis of the group’s music. What they produced with The Story of the B-52s: Neon Side of Town was not just that, but an uncovering of a heretofore mostly whispered history of gay and queer life and associated activism in the Classic City circa 1970s, a robust exploration of the critical role UGA’s art school had in shaping both local culture and creative minds, and how these and other factors likely, and often seemingly necessarily, played a role in the creation and buoying of the group that may forever occupy the role as “the ultimate party band.”

Originally slated for release by the University of Georgia Press, the book was published recently to much acclaim by London, England’s Palgrave Macmillan. Flagpole was able to speak with the authors briefly following their quick book tour around the Northeast in advance of their virtual appearance for Avid Bookshop. Currently living in New York state, they have plans to return to town later this year for an in-person event. Some items have been edited for length and clarity.

Flagpole: When you had the first kernel of an idea for a book specifically about the B’s, did you imagine it being one that was part and parcel of this specific (i.e. queer) history in Athens, or did that take form more as your research continued?

Brigette Adair Herron: Definitely the latter.

Scott Creney: Initially, we thought most of the book would just be our analysis of the band’s music. As we learned more about their story, and how tied it was to their music, the more it turned into a critical biography.

FP: The actual text of the book is very much of one voice. But, as a practice, how did you make this happen? Was it the work of one of y’all doing most of the “typing” or was it an effect of editing?

BAH: It always began first as a conversation. Then, Scott assembled the material into a loose narrative, and I gave feedback. Once Scott had a solid draft, we would sit

together, and I’d read it out loud. We’d make notes about what worked and what didn’t.

SC: It was fairly painless, in the sense that Brigette and I have pretty similar ideas about what’s good. There were a lot of debates, but we were always trying to get to the same place.

FP: The number of footnotes is positively nuclear.

SC: It’s an Oppenheimer tribute. Finger on the pulse.

FP: So, given that, was this number of citations an imperative or simply something nice to do?

SC: In telling the band’s story, we wanted that story

to be told by the band members themselves as much as possible. This meant quoting them at length, and making sure we cited where the quote came from. We also hid some good jokes and asides in the footnotes as well. Easter eggs for the dedicated readers.

FP: There seems to be a mood that it was slightly disappointing for the band to lean into its “party band” status.

BAH: Not a disappointment.

SC: I’d say it hurt their critical reputation.

FP: At first, you seem to frame that embrace as a protective stance for their personal lives, but eventually it just became a path-of-least-resistance career reality.

SC: I think there was also a fear of seeming pretentious. They weren’t going to present themselves as an arty band like Gang of Four or Wire.

BAH: Being a party band is just one aspect of their identity. Their power comes from their complexity, and anything that presents an oversimplified version of the band does them a disservice.

FP: End-to-end, how long would you say you worked on the book? From concept to completion?

BAH: About six months in writing. The editing process was stop-and-start over the next year.

FP: How did you discern what to include and what to jettison?

BAH: While it’s tempting to include every last detail… whatever is superfluous can always go in a footnote.

SC: We kept having to remind ourselves that this is a book about the B-52s, not necessarily everything that we find fascinating. The audience wants to read about the B-52s, not Scott’s opinions about NYC art in the 1980s.

FP: During the process of research and writing, did y’all come upon any other book ideas? Things you’d like to explore?

BAH: We thought someone should do a book about the UGA art department in the ’70s, especially one that incorporates what was happening through the Georgia Museum of Art and the events there.

SC: I realized I would love to assemble a book of Vic Chesnutt lyrics laid out like poetry. f

WHO: A Virtual Evening with Scott Creney and Brigette Adair Herron

WHEN: Thursday, Aug 17, 7 p m

WHERE: Zoom

HOW MUCH: FREE! (RSVP required on avidbookshop .com)

threats & promises

Annie Leeth’s New Album

PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP

By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com

CLICK AND GIVE: Longtime Athens musician and all-around great guy Ian Werden (Vinyl Strangers, Slackdaddy, et al) suffered a tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizure while driving a few weeks ago. He has unpredictable seizures due to epilepsy. During this incident, his car was totaled, and he broke his back, which, according to a recently launched fundraiser, also “furthered aggravated existing vertebrae problems.” Even if you’re not familiar with his music, you have most likely encountered his smiling face and helpful disposition when shopping at Musician’s Warehouse. The fundraiser to assist Ian with medical bills, lost wages and other accumulating expenses can be found via gofund.me/934cc1cf.

I BEFORE E EXCEPT AFTER C: The new album by electro-experimental-pop musician, engineer and highly accomplished session player Annie Leeth comes out Aug. 10, but she’ll play a release show Wednesday, Aug. 16 at Ciné for it. Also on the bill are Cicada Rhythm and Karezza. The new album is a nicely packaged set of nine tunes arranged such that the album builds as it progresses.

deservedly riding a high wave from the release of its massive October Book triple LP release. These shows are also billed as “No Phone Parties,” so try to be a decent citizen and keep your phone put away during the performances. Who you gonna call, anyway? For more information, please see kenoshakid.com/tuesdays.

MUSIC FOR FILMS: Composer and musician Rachel Evans (Motion Sickness of Time Travel) announced that she spent multiple years composing the soundtrack for the recently premiered film An Evening Song (for three voices). The film, from director and writer Graham Swon, is synopsized as “1939, somewhere in the American Midwest: to combat former child-prodigy writer Barbara Fowler’s (Hannah Gross) debilitating agoraphobia, she and her pulp-fiction scribe husband, Richard (Peter Vack), move to the countryside where they become entwined in a love triangle with their deeply religious maid (Deragh Campbell) in this trance-like examination of a world destined for extinction.” The film has enjoyed a French premier at the Marseille International Film Festival and is scheduled to appear at Mexico City’s Black Canvas Festival de Cine Contemporáneo in September. Evans reports that September dates for the United States are still being finalized. Evans’ score is in talks to be released as a stand-alone item either this fall or next year through West Virginia label Flag Day Recordings, whom you can catch up with at flagdayrecordings. bandcamp.com. You can keep up with Evans’ other work via hookervision. bandcamp.com.

MUSIC | THU, AUG. 10

The Baseball Project

40 Watt Club • 8 p.m. (doors) • $25

The Baseball Project, a supergroup with an all-star lineup, includes Peter Buck and Mike Mills from R.E.M., Scott McCaughey from The Minus 5, Steve Wynn from The Dream Syndicate, and Linda Pitmon from Filthy Friends. The band will perform in celebration of its brand new album, Grand Salami Time!, which was released June 30 by Omnivore Records and engineered by R.E.M. producer Mitch Easter (Let’s Active, The dB’s). This is the group’s fourth studio album and first in nearly a decade, and it’s currently receiving praises from the likes of Associated Press, American Songwriter, Brooklyn Vegan, AllMusic, WXPN and more. The 16 alternative rock songs on the album focus on nostalgia and esoterica to find fresh subject matter. [Analiese Herrin]

THEATER | AUG. 11–20

Last Summer at Bluefish Cove

Town & Gown Players • $12–20

Athens. If you find a golden ticket and bring it to the show, you win a free copy of the new record and a T-shirt. [AH]

FILM | MON, AUG. 14

Open Doom Crescendo

Flicker Theatre & Bar • 7 p.m. • FREE!

Robert Newsome will host a screening of the 2022 film Open Doom Crescendo by breakout Montreal DIY filmmaker Terry Chiu. Chiu’s goal when creating films is

This is most evident by the time song No. 4 (“Go Somewhere”) rolls around. Up to this point on the record things are slightly, but deliberately, glitch, but by this song the focus is in full relief and really honed in. There’s timelessness to Leeth’s music such that a listener could throw this on and not know if it was released in 1982 or 2023. Leeth’s production skills absolutely shine on this. Close listeners will hear shades of Laurie Anderson, Thomas Dolby, the production side of Missy Elliott, Yaz/Yazoo and others. Presumably this new album has a title but, if it does, no one told me what it was. At any rate, find this on major streaming services and hopefully at annieleeth. bandcamp.com. For more information, please see annieleeth.com.

THE BEAT WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE

IMPROVES: Kenosha Kid has resumed its Tuesday night residency at Hendershot’s. Each night features two sets of music from this popular jazz group. These evenings begin at 7 p.m. Word is these will continue into the future unabated until, you know, they become abated. Kenosha Kid is still

NEW POLLUTION: Andrew Steck continues to stretch the scope of his label Arfus Records to include other artists, and there’s a new single available from Jumping Through Fiery Hoops available as we speak. This is the long-running project of Jeff Fox (Ham1) and this two-track single is a really cool addition to the label’s stable. The A-side is “Warning Shots,” which is a steady and stompy rocker a’la Beck, and the B-side is “Swiss Army Spoon,” which is of similar tempo but with a noted psychedelic-carnival mood about it. Look for these to be streaming via jumpingthroughfiery hoops.bandcamp.com and then across all major streaming services as of Aug. 11. For more information, see arfusrecords.com.

AND ANOTHER ONE: Continuing with this week’s slew of new releases, feel free to go enjoy the new one from No Yonder. This is a project of songwriter Brad Gerke and his team of crack players. This is a two-song release, and the first (“Break My Heart Already”) is a great pop Americana song very much in the vein of, say, Counting Crows and Canada’s Northern Pikes. The second (“Falling Skies”) is a straight up country number whose intensity increases as it moves along. Find both at noyonder band.bandcamp.com. f

Town & Gown Players will perform Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, a riveting play written by Jane Chambers in 1980 that is widely considered to be the first mainstream theatrical representation of lesbian experiences. The play centers around the main character, Lil, and her female friends who annually vacation at Bluefish Cove, which has become a safe space for lesbian women. A woman fleeing her marriage eventually turns up at the cove, and the women take her into their circle. The women’s relationships grow over the course of this drama. With a cast of only women, this play explores the intricate relationships and suffering among them. Showtimes will occur Aug. 11–12 and 17–19 at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees held at 2 p.m. on Aug. 13 and 20. [AH]

MUSIC | SAT, AUG. 12

Way Past Cool EP Release

Flicker Theatre & Bar • 9 p.m. • FREE!

Five-piece Athens punk rock band Way

Past Cool will host a release party for its very first EP, It’s Fine, I’m Fine, Everything’s Fine, performing alongside fellow local bands Here Be Monsters and That’s Rad! Way Past Cool’s first public performance occurred in 2022. Since that time, the band has been gaining traction in the local scene with catchy songs influenced by classic pop-punk and emo bands of the ’90s and 2000s such as Green Day, Blink 182, Avril Lavigne and Paramore.

With a lineup featuring members of Burns Like Fire, Gimme Hendrix and Swear Jar, the band prides itself on songs that entail a guitar-driven sound with an angsty feel. The band will place a few “golden ticket” flyers around

to explore the deteriorating future that modern young people face. Through his production company, Crescendo Angst Cinevision, Chiu has created a feature that explores the hyper anxiety of this subject. Open Doom Crescendo centers around a group of warriors who travel through an apocalyptic wasteland in search of an Oz-like figure called the Embodiment of Angst. This figure can supposedly answer life’s biggest unanswered questions. The film is a lo-fi saga stretching three hours in length and fantastically created on a small budget. [AH]

ART | TUE, AUG. 15

Jackie Dorsey Artist Talk

Lyndon House Arts Center • 6 p.m. • FREE! Athens artist Jackie Dorsey will offer an artist talk in conjunction with her exhibition at the Lyndon House Arts Center at which the audience can hear about her plethora of watercolor portraits of musicians. The works are collectively entitled “Legendary Georgia Musicians in Watercolor.” From Big Boi of Outkast to Emily Sailors of the Indigo Girls to Mike Mills of R.E.M., Dorsey has created a show-stopping collection of many great Georgia musicians using photographs taken at sessions in her own home as well as sessions in the subject’s home or at a venue. This has been an extensive five-year process

for the artist, and her exhibition will remain on display in the Upper Atrium Gallery until Sept. 1. Audiences can attend the artist talk to receive a first-hand glimpse into her creative process. [AH] f

JACKIE DORSEY

Michelle Malone

Where Shadows Cross

JIM FISCUS CREATES CINEMATIC PHOTOGRAPHS

By Jessica Smith arts@flagpole.com

A visual storyteller at heart, Jim Fiscus has pioneered a distinctive, cinematic style of photography that is capable of portraying complex narratives within a single frame. With an element of magic realism, his photographs elevate seemingly ordinary or overlooked places into extraordinary scenes full of unusual detail. Currently on view at the Georgia Museum of Art, the exhibition “Where Shadows Cross” features 13 elaborately constructed photographs that suggest stories through shadow and light.

Specializing in conceptual advertising portraiture, Fiscus’ professional career in photography has led him to produce images for household names such as Levi’s, Nike and Samsung over the last 30 years. His artful style is even interwoven across several streaming platforms, including Showtime, HBO, Netflix and Disney, through campaigns for “Dexter,” “Kidding,” “Billions,” “Penny Dreadful,” “Tidelands,” ”Homeland” and others.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the world nearly ground to a halt and commission work slowed down, Fiscus suddenly found himself with both the time and headspace necessary to focus on personal projects. He soon began embarking on a series of road trips with a camper and a friend, and his new exhibition shares several of the single-frame stories he created along the way.

“They’re all found locations populated with found people to illustrate a story that hopefully doesn’t really conclude for you,” he says.

Following the gravitational pull of places that embody a special sort of strangeness,

Fiscus would observe how lighting naturally changed and interacted with objects within the setting over the course of time. Once he found a location that spoke to him, he’d return during peak lighting to direct real

to create a library of images from which he can later fuse together a completed picture. Each title card includes a date and duration of time, ranging from one minute to well over an hour, to acknowledge the specific environmental conditions and process required to achieve the final image.

The exhibition’s title, “Where Shadows Cross,” carries multiple meanings. Because the locations are often lit with multiple sources of illumination—some visible as part of the scene and others hidden outside of the frame—shadows may criss-cross or subtly contradict each other. In addition to referencing his creative process and lighting

to other shapes. In still images they reveal motion. The anchor point in this entire series is made of shadows, which keep the balance and bond everything together.

“The crossing of shadows embodies the time spent with a person—the days it takes to make these images. In a diner or under a streetlight, you cross shadows with somebody you just met, and you are getting to know them.

“Shadows stand for my attraction to people who live in places normally unseen. There are people left behind in the shadows against their will, but also those who chose to be there—an entire world we either avoid or experience only superficially. I choose the shadows.”

While shadows are an integral part of every image, Fiscus also puts a considerable amount of thought into creating shapes. Every line, angle and instance of symmetry feels intentional, not unlike hitting pause on a film with a well-crafted set.

Though Fiscus begins each shoot with an initial concept and structure in place, he remains open to improvisation and lets the image shift and unfold naturally through the participation of the subjects. Narratives are intentionally left ambiguous and inconclusive, which allows for multiple interpretations and the freedom to imagine both the past and future of depicted characters.

“I’m trying to create a framework that allows us to look at things differently,” says Fiscus.

people—often strangers he had met serendipitously—within meticulously orchestrated scenes set with props.

“The light itself is a character, or a presence, within each of these stories, and so I’m not altering it, I’m waiting until the time when it’s beautiful,” says Fiscus. “Usually when it’s beautiful, it’s kind of dim… It’s a peculiar time of day.”

While a few of the images were captured by a single shot, many are the result of a bit of post-production wizardry. During photo shoots, Fiscus often takes multiple shots with different poses and lighting variations

technique, the idea of “Where Shadows Cross” also represents the connectedness between people and objects as their shadows come into contact with each other.

In his exhibition statement, Fiscus says, “A single source of light casts parallel shadows that can also overlap or even run away from each other. Multiple separate points of illumination make the shadows cross and form patterns. In these pictures the shadows partake in a game with all other shapes. Shadows are a seminal part of the composition. These forms ground the eyes or guide it forth to another area of the frame,

Each scene is accompanied by a title card that shares intentions, narrative prompts and other interesting behind-the-scenes details. Several of the images also make art historical references, which provides another framework for interpretation.

“Where Shadows Cross,” which was curated by the museum’s Parker Curator of Russian Art, Asen Kirin, will remain on view through Oct. 8. Fiscus will offer an artist talk on Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. The exhibition will additionally be highlighted during 90 Carlton: Autumn, a quarterly reception hosted by Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art, on Sept. 15 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. f

“Heard Not Seen” by Jim Fiscus

JUMP!

JAMESON TANK ON BUILDING A BAND AND PODCAST

By Sam Lipkin editorial@flagpole.com

Sitting down with Jameson Tankersley, lead singer and guitarist of high-energy rock band Jameson Tank and host of the “Jameson on the Rocks” music podcast, to discuss the success and future of his band, there was one question that felt particularly pressing: What’s the deal with the kick?

“The kick is a weird thing,” laughs Tankersley. “I noticed a theme of things in our whole career… I mean, very little thought went into it. Then the next thing you know, our logo is me doing the kick. I’ll see somebody in a bar practicing, and they won’t even say anything to me. I’ll just see them over there doing it and looking at me. I’m like, ‘Oh God. So what have we done here?’”

Tankersley’s passion to make a career out of music and his entrepreneurial spirit have been driving Jameson Tank forward since its inception in 2019. Likewise, as a University of Georgia graduate, his

approach to college— which he refers to as a “good gig”—as a means of getting to Athens and auxiliary to forming a sustainable, long-term band seems to have helped avoid a post-graduation breakup, the fate of many local college bands that have made waves. However, Jameson Tank is far from a solo show now in its third fully formed year. Jokingly yet truthfully referring to it as a “Craigslist band,” fellow members Conner Ankerich (drums), Javier Solorzano (bass, vocals) and Bryce Burnette (lead guitar, vocals) joined in 2020.

Tune In To Local Podcasts

Athens is home to many podcasters covering local topics ranging from music and culture to history and crime. During the COVID pandemic, there was a bubble of podcasts, and although quite a few are no longer active, many have stood the test of time (and boredom). Here is a list of some of the active podcasts in Athens we recommend to get a better understanding of the city and its people:

“Athcast” hosted by Matt Pulver

Get insight into local news, politics, music and culture, including special topic episodes. buzzsprout.com/2186682

“Athens 441” hosted by Joe Silva

Georgia Public Broadcasting’s indie music show discusses the scope of modern music. wuga.org/show/athens-441

“ATHistory Podcast” hosted by the ACC Inclusion Office

This program features the stories of residents from diverse backgrounds and interests. accgov.com/9985/ATHistory-Podcast

“Classic City Business Podcast” hosted by John Gluck

The host talks with the people behind local businesses from a range of industries. theclassiccitybusinesspodcast.libsyn.com

“Classic City Crime” hosted by Cameron Jay Dive into local true crime cases spanning decades, many of which remain unsolved. classiccitycrimepodcast.com

“Classic City Vibes” hosted by Athens Regional Library System

Enjoy conversations with musicians, artists, creatives and others working in the community. classiccityvibes.buzzsprout.com

“Hot Corner” hosted by Alexander Stephens and Broderick Flanigan

This limited series audio documentary documents the history of Hot Corner. cornerhistories.com

“Jameson on the Rocks” hosted by Jameson Tankersley

This passion project spotlights musicians who share their stories and perspectives. jamesonontherocks.podbean.com

“The Saturday In Athens Podcast” hosted by Seth and Boss Your stop to hear about all things Georgia Bulldogs, the “Church of Tailgate.” saturdayinathenspodcast.com

“The Sweaty Palms Podcast” hosted by Zoë Hear from a variety of people in the music industry, from photographers to booking agents. instagram.com/sweatypalmspodcast

Growing up in the small town of Gibson, Tankersley put out a solo EP as Jameson Tank with the intention of moving to Athens for college with some leverage to get a band started. Despite the name, it was never intended to be a solo project or directly tied to Tankersley, other than as a brand he could claim if other members decided not to stick with it. Luckily, he found three likeminded college students who have helped to mold the band and invest in its identity.

Jameson Tank is known for playing a mix of covers and originals with a strong influence of ’80s rock, including prioritizing a “larger-than-life” live performance— minus the leather pants, spandex and makeup. Forming as a modern party-rock band, Tankersley explains that what drew him to that era of classic rock was it felt like it was more about having fun and having an energetic stage presence, which feedback from fans has proven to still be desired. Thus far, creating a captivating show and keeping the calendar booked with tour dates has been the band’s main priority.

“We really had to get good at playing together. Playing 50-plus shows a year really forces you to get better and better each night,” says Ankerich. “Also getting used to touring has been a big change in each of our lives. None of us had any experience with touring going into this band, so we have all really just been learning as we go.”

The band recently completed a 50-date tour run and has another close to 50 dates coming up for the end of the year. Selling out the Georgia Theatre twice and other venues in both Georgia and South Carolina, Tankersley says that a focus has always been on being able to sell tickets, and touring so extensively has helped them gain solid out-of-state fanbases. However, the members also just prefer to be playing on stage instead of hunkered down in a studio. When asked about their most memorable performance, Solorzano and Burnette both bring up the time they were playing in Charlotte, NC and Burnette played a guitar solo while crowd surfing.

“The craziest part was that he played in time the whole time while being tossed mid-air,” says Solorzano.

Even though their hearts remain on the stage, Tankersley says that they’re currently working in the studio to tighten and establish the sound they want Jameson Tank to be known for when the debut album finally comes out next year. Having accumulated a steady and growing audience, it’s time to deliver a product to enjoy from anywhere. In the meantime, there are singles slated to be released this month and next before a six-track EP comes out in October that is said to be more cohesive than the previously released EPs.

While the band has been in the studio in between rigorous touring schedules, Tankersley has also taken a three-month hiatus from his music podcast “Jameson on the Rocks” to build on its success by releasing episodes with bigger artists and longer intervals in between. It started in 2020, right before the band was fully formed but after UGA closed campus due to COVID-19. After a few episodes discussing favorite albums with a friend, Tankersley invited Cannon Rogers of local rock band CannonandtheBoxes on to talk about his musical journey and successes. From there it became an outlet to spotlight bands, especially those that didn’t have many other opportunities.

Over the last two years, the podcast has seen a large number of musicians and bands, some newly formed and others veterans, as well as both touring and popular acts. As an unexpected result, Tankersley says that he’s been recognized at out-ofstate gigs specifically for the podcast from interviews he’s done with bands from those areas. However, the band occupies Tankersley as his full-time job, and both it and the podcast must remain sustainable, which has prompted the new business model moving forward.

“I’m kind of stoked about this new era of the show that’s about to come up, which is going to be very well produced adventures with established bands,” says Tankersley.

But as for its own adventures, Jameson Tank has established a sizable base that it promises to expand on by delivering a better understanding of its identity on record outside of the high-energy kickin’ live stage performances. f

live music calendar

Tuesday 8

40 Watt Club

7 p.m. $23 (adv.), $30. www.40watt. com

ALEXANDRA KAY Independent country music artist who has supported Tim McGraw, Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker. TANA MATZ Up-and-coming pop country artist from Ohio.

Athentic Brewing Co.

6 p.m. www.athenticbrewing.com

MARY & THE HOT HOTTY-HOTS

Hot jazz and swing band offering music from the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s.

Ciné 8 p.m. FREE! www.athenscine.com

KARAOKE WITH THE KING Show off your pipes to the world. Every Tuesday.

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 Josh Allen, Seth Hendershot and various guests.

Wednesday 9

Creature Comforts

Brewery

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

net THE HUMDINGERS Acoustic interpretations of pop and soul. (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.

Hendershot’s

7 p.m. (sign-ups). FREE! www.hendershotsathens.com

BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE

OPEN MIC Emcees, poets, rappers and freestylers of all styles are invited to perform with the backing band playing the tempo of their choice.

Porterhouse Grill

6–8:30 p.m. www.porterhousegrillathens.com

JAZZ NIGHT Longest running jazz gig in Athens captained by drummer Mason Davis and featuring a

rotating cast of familiar faces performing American songbook, bossa nova classics and crossover hits.

Thursday 10

40 Watt Club

8 p.m. (doors). $25. www.40watt.com

THE BASEBALL PROJECT Allstar supergroup featuring R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Mike Mills, Scott McCaughey (The Minus 5), Linda Pitmon (Filthy Friends) and Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate).

Athentic Brewing Co.

Blues and Brews Residency. 6–8:30 p.m. www.athenticbrewing.com

RICK FOWLER ACOUSTIC BAND

Original, guitar-driven local bluesrock group.

Buvez

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

THE LICKSKILLETS Southern gothic band playing traditional Appalachian murder ballads, original murdery ballads, and murderadjacent classic folk and country tunes. Come for the murder, stay for the murder.

NOEL HOLLOWAY Local singersongwriter and member of Gourdhead.

ETHAN HARRISON-SMITH North Georgia singer-songwriter playing emotional folk and Americana.

Ciné

10 p.m. www.athenscine.com

FLEABATH Swampy garage rock from DC.

JOE ORR BAND Local three-piece performing hooky, original power pop.

DOOLEY & BALDWIN Previously a duo, the full band performs an assortment of alternative rock, country and pop.

Flicker Theatre & Bar

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

THAYER SARRANO Hazy

shoegaze-inspired songwriter whose sound is described as a “Southern-psych dreamland.”

DAVID BARBE Local luminary and studio engineer who has played in bands such as Mercyland and BarB-Q Killers.

Hendershot’s

7:30–11 p.m. $10. www.hendershotsathens.com

SABACHA DANCE SOCIAL DJ

L.A. Darius leads a Latin dance

party with salsa, bachata, merengue and cha-cha-cha. An hour-long lesson is followed by open dancing.

Rabbit Hole Studios

7 p.m. FREE! ringunn6.wixsite.com/ athcommunitychorus

ATHENS COMMUNITY CHORUS

New community chorus dedicated to holding and providing space for community-led singing for social connection and unity. Second and fourth Thursday of each month.

Southern Brewing Co.

6–10 p.m. www.sobrewco.com

KARAOKE NIGHT Every Thursday evening.

Friday 11

Flicker Theatre & Bar

Belle Misfits Dance Party. 8 p.m. (doors). $10. www.flickertheatreandbar.com

CASSIE CHANTEL Athens-born recording hip-hop artist with a soulful sound touching on political and introspective themes.

JULIA NYUNT Multi-talented violinist, pianist, guitarist and singer. MAYDA R&B-infused pop artist from Minneapolis who incorporated funkadelic blasts.

The Foundry

6:30 p.m. www.graduatehotels.com

THE ORIGINAL SPLITZ BAND A mixed drink of the classic Motown sound, part 1970s funk and disco flavor, a dash of the old-school and contemporary R&B, and a guaranteed good time.

MaiKai Kava Lounge

7 p.m. FREE! jmerrittmusic@gmail. com

JULIANNE MERRITT Member of indie-folk duo Honey and B celebrating the release of her second album, Strange Forest!

IAIN COOKE Songwriter, teacher and multi-instrumentalist who has performed on stage with the likes of Swing Theory, Sun Trick Pony, Marie Marie and Cassie Chantel.

Southern Brewing Co.

Laughs on Tap: A Night of Improv, Comedy & Music. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (event). $8 (adv.), $10. www. sobrewco.com

FREEMAN LEVERETT Dreamy, hypnotic and danceable songs with thoughtful lyrics and cosmopolitan influences.

VFW Post 2872

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

facebook.com/vfwpost2872

PRINCESS IN ROYAL BLUE BAND No info available.

Saturday 12

Athentic Brewing Co.

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

NICKALOUS BENSON The Orange Constant’s vocalist and guitarist performs solo.

Bishop Park

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

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

TRACY & JEFF Jazz, blues and new and old classics from the voice of Tracy Brown and the guitar and harmonica of Jeff Lustig. (10 a.m.)

Flicker Theatre & Bar

8 p.m. (doors). FREE! www.flickertheatreandbar.com

THAT’S RAD! Pop-punk cover band playing all the classics.

WAY PAST COOL Fast, catchy, melodic sing-a-long pop-punk anthems with a classic ’90s vibe. EP release show!

HERE BE MONSTERS Folk-punk solo act with history-laden lyricism atop melodic guitar wizardry.

The Foundry

7 p.m. www.graduatehotels.com

CLAY MELTON Louisiana-born and Texas-based blues rocker.

EVERYDAY DOGS Skateboarding, Capri-Sun drinking, surfer-punk rockers of Atlanta.

Georgia Theatre

Rooftop

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

THE FOURFATHERS Funky soul organ quartet comprised of Dwayne Holloway, Jason Ogg, Chris Queen and Justin Willis.

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

BERTIS DOWNS BIRTHDAY

BOWIEOKE Play and sing the music of David Bowie with a live backing band for Bertis’ annual fake birthday celebration.

Nowhere Bar

9:30 p.m. (show). www.facebook. com/NowhereBarAthensGA

DRUG DUCKS Seasoned Athens musicians play covers, originals and space jams.

Sunday 13

ACC Library

3–4 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org

PADDY LEAGUE Traditional music of the Greek Isles.

Athentic Brewing Co.

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

OPEN BLUE GRASS JAM A come-one come-all event to connect folk artists from around the Classic City.

Creature Comforts

Brewery

3–5 p.m. www.creaturecomfortsbeer. com

LIVE JAZZ Every Sunday afternoon.

No. 3 Railroad Street

6 p.m. $10 suggested donation. www.3railroad.org

FESTER HAGOOD’S MOJO

CONFESSIONAL SONGWRITER

SHOWCASE Tonight’s featured guests are Levi Lowrey, Jefferson Ross and Mark van Allen. Second Sunday of every month.

Red Line Athens

6 p.m. $7. Find Red Line Athens on Facebook

NEVERFALL Ripping thrash metal from Greenville, SC.

RED HOT EMPTY Angry music for angry people.

SANITY SYNDROME Atlanta punk band.

WEAPONIZED FLESH Loud, fast thrash metal with intense energy and elements of d-beat punk and hardcore.

MULTIPLE MIGGS High-octane local hardcore band.

Monday 14

Georgia Theatre Rooftop

7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $10 (adv.), $12. www.georgiatheatre. com

WELL KEPT Athens alternative rock band led by Tommy Trautwein that combines modern indie and classic emo.

PARK NATIONAL Emo indie rock from Boston.

Tuesday 15

Ciné

8 p.m. FREE! www.athenscine.com

KARAOKE WITH THE KING Show off your pipes to the world. Every Tuesday.

Flicker Theatre & Bar

9 p.m. www.flickertheatreandbar.com

SHOTWELL Bay area punk band formed in 1994 by Jim Broustis (Strawman).

NIHILIST CHEERLEADER Raw

Riot Grrrl-inspired punk sound that’s a pitch-perfect blend of snotty and sunny, earnest and sardonic.

COMMÜNE Local political/feminist punk band living in revolt.

Wednesday 16

Creature Comforts Brewery

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

MARY & THE HOT HOTTY-HOTS

Hot jazz and swing band offering music from the 1910s, ’20s and ’30s. (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.

Porterhouse Grill

6–8:30 p.m. www.porterhousegrillathens.com

JAZZ NIGHT Longest running jazz gig in Athens captained by drummer Mason Davis and featuring a rotating cast of familiar faces performing American songbook, bossa nova classics and crossover hits. The World Famous 9 p.m. www.facebook.com/theworldfamousathens

JOSHUA HEDLEY Guitarist and fiddler putting a new spin on old school country and western.

TYLER KEY Multi-instrumentalist of T. Hardy Morris, The Howdies and others plays his own set of folk rock.

Down the Line

8/17 Karaoke Night (Southern Brewing Co.)

8/18 Recess Party (40 Watt Club)

8/18 Athens Choral Society (Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture)

8/19 Athens Choral Society (Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture) f

event calendar

Tuesday 8

EVENTS: West Broad Farmers Market and Garden (Athentic Brewing Co.) Vendors will be on site with fresh produce, local fare, rare plants, artisan goods and more. Tuesdays, 5–8 p.m. FREE! www. athenticbrewing.com

FILM: We Were Famous, You Don’t Remember (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Attaboy Tapes presents the premiere of a documentary about the post-punk band The Embarrassment. 9 p.m. FREE! www.flicker theatreandbar.com

MEETINGS: Memoir Writing Group (Bogart Library) During this monthly group, hear memoirs from others and learn tips on how to write your own. 5:30–7 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/bogart

Wednesday 9

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.georgia museum.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 more. Live music begins at 6 p.m. AFM doubles SNAP dollars spent at the market. Every Wednesday, 5–8 p.m. www.athensfarmersmarket.net

GAMES: Music Bingo (Athentic Brewing Co.) Win prizes at this music bingo night with host Mari. 7–9:30 p.m. FREE! www.athentic brewing.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: ’90s Boy Bands Music Bingo (B&B Theatres) Enjoy ’90s Boy Band-themed music bingo and win prizes. 7:30 p.m. FREE! 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: Afternoon Play Group (reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop) Meet new friends and build current relationships with indoor and outdoor play for little ones. Ages 1–4. 3–5 p.m. FREE! www.reblossom athens.com

KIDSTUFF: LEGO & Builder’s Club (Bogart Library) Young engineers can drop in to use LEGOs and other building materials. All ages. 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart

LECTURES & LIT: Book Lovers Day Book Swap (Athentic Brewing Co.) Presented by Avid Bookshop, browse free books to take home or settle in to read in the front lounge. Donating books is encouraged but not required. 5–10 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m; Wednesdays at 6 p.m. www. athenspetanque.org

Thursday 10

EVENTS: Diamond Hill Farm Stand (Athentic Brewing Co.) Vegetables and fresh flowers are available on hand and pre-ordered. Every Thursday, 4–6 p.m. www.diamondhill farmathens.com

GAMES: Thursday Trivia (Johnny’s New York Style Pizza) Test your trivia knowledge with host Jon Head. 7–9 p.m. www.johnnyspizza.com

LECTURES & LIT: Bon Appetit

Meets Athens Flavor (ACC Library) Explore the link between food and human connection with this weekly series in August. This week Kelly Codling, owner of Kelly’s Authentic Jamaican Food, will discuss recipes. 6–8 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org

LECTURES & LIT: Author Talk

(Online: Avid Bookshop) Laura Warren will lead a discussion with Edan Lepucki about their book Time’s Mouth. Register for link. 7 p.m.

FREE! www.avidbookshop.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

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m; Wednesdays at 6 p.m. www. athenspetanque.org

Friday 11

ART: Opening Reception (Lamar Dodd School of Art) There will be a back-to-school exhibit opening with a chance to meet six new faculty members and an incoming cohort of graduate students. 5–7 p.m.

FREE! art.uga.edu

COMEDY: Laughs on Tap (Southern Brewing Co.) Hosted by Miles Bunch, standup headliner Shaunak Godkhindi will be supported by comedians Lanny Farmer, Ngozi, PJ Audenzia and Luke Bentley with improv from Flying Squid Comedy and music by Freeman Leverett. 7 p.m. (doors). $8 (adv.), $10. www. facebook.com/AubreyEntertainment

AthensGA

KIDSTUFF: All Ages Playgroup (reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop) Join caregivers with their little ones (typically ages 1–5) in play clothes for indoor and outdoor activities. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.reblossomathens.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.athens library.org/bogart

THEATER: The Little Mermaid (Oconee Youth Playhouse) Based on the classic story and Disney film, the cast is drawn from schools around the area. Aug. 11–13 & 19–20, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 & 20, 3 p.m. $15–20. www.oconeeyouth playhouse.com

THEATER: Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (Town & Gown Players) Written in 1980, this play looks at the diversity of lesbian lives when a group of women on vacation encounter a woman fleeing her marriage. Aug. 11–12 & 17–19, 8 p.m. Aug. 13 & 20, 2 p.m. $12–20. www.townandgownplayers.org

Saturday 12

ART: Opening Reception (Steffen Thomas Museum of Art) The exhibition “Something to Declare/ Algo para Declarar” will be on display featuring artists from nine Latin American countries. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.steffenthomas.org

CLASSES: Indigo Dyeing Workshop (Lyndon House Arts Center) Andrea Trombetta will lead attendees in dyeing all-cotton fabric with dye made from the Indigo plant. Registration required. 2 p.m. $18. www. facebook.com/LyndonHouseArts

COMEDY: The Athens Summer Comedy Jam (40 Watt Club) 1UP Comedy presents standup by Owen Hunt, Phillip Broughton, Lanny Farmer, Britt Ammons, Kavita Pandit, Matthew English, Lauren Jones and Noell Appling. 7 p.m. (doors). $8 (adv.), $10. www.40watt.com

CLASSES: Athens Westie Night (The Studio Athens) Join a beginner dance lesson for West Coast Swing at 7 p.m. before the floor opens up for social dancing. No experience or partner required. 7–10 p.m. $5–10. www.facebook.com/AthensSwing

Central EVENTS: Athens Farmers Market (Bishop Park) Markets offer locally grown groceries and handmade goods. Attendees can enjoy free live music and children’s activities. AFM doubles SNAP dollars spent at the market. Every Saturday, 8 a.m.–12 p.m. www.athensfarmersmarket.net

EVENTS: West Broad Farmers Market (West Broad Farmers Market) The market offers fresh produce, locally raised meat and eggs, baked goods, flowers, artisan goods and more. Online ordering is available Sundays–Thursdays for drivethru pick up. Saturdays, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. www.wbfm.locallygrown.net

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. 12–1:30 p.m. reallyreally freemarketathens@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/RRFMAthens

EVENTS: August Mini Market (Athentic Brewing Co.) This minimarket features a small, curated group of local vendors. 1–6 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com

EVENTS: Pop-Up Art Show (Little Kings Shuffle Club) Browse wares from local artists and vendors featuring art, jewelry, plants, clothes and more with live music to follow. 1–7 p.m. FREE! www.sierrak ceramics.com

EVENTS: Ecstatic Dance (Work. Shop) This ceremony of rejuvenation and inspiration is a substance-free and inclusive musical celebration. 1:30–3:30 p.m. $10–15. www.ecstaticdanceathen. wixsite.com/xstaticdanceathensga

EVENTS: Sylvanus Zeke Turner Day Proclamation (The Classic Center) Mayor Kelly Girtz will honor

Sylvanus Zeke Turner for providing over 70 years of gospel music to Athens and beyond. 2 p.m. FREE! www.classiccenter.com

THEATER: The Little Mermaid (Oconee Youth Playhouse) Based on the classic story and Disney film, the cast is drawn from schools around the area. Aug. 11–13 & 19–20, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 & 20, 3 p.m. $15–20. www.oconeeyouth playhouse.com

THEATER: Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (Town & Gown Players) Written in 1980, this play looks at the diversity of lesbian lives when a group of women on vacation encounter a woman fleeing her marriage. Aug. 11–12 & 17–19, 8 p.m. Aug. 13 & 20, 2 p.m. $12–20. www.townandgownplayers.org

Sunday 13

EVENTS: Athens Drag Brunch (Hendershot’s) Enjoy some brunch and drag entertainment. Open to all ages. 11 a.m. $25. www.athens showgirlcabaret.com

GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Southern Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Sundays, 4 p.m. www.facebook.com/baddog athens

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m; Wednesdays at 6 p.m. www. athenspetanque.org

SPORTS: Classic City Rollergirls vs. Soul City (Fun Galaxy Athens) Watch CCRG take on the Soul City Sirens of Augusta. 10:30 a.m. $12. www.facebook.com/classiccity rollergirls

THEATER: Last Summer at Bluefish Cove (Town & Gown Players) Written in 1980, this play looks at the diversity of lesbian lives when a group of women on vacation encounter a woman fleeing her marriage. Aug. 11–12 & 17–19, 8 p.m. Aug. 13 & 20, 2 p.m. $12–20. www.townandgownplayers.org

THEATER: The Little Mermaid (Oconee Youth Playhouse) Based on the classic story and Disney film, the cast is drawn from schools around the area. Aug. 11–13 & 19–20, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 13 & 20, 3 p.m. $15–20. www.oconeeyouth playhouse.com

Monday 14

CLASSES: How to Get Started in Beekeeping (Oglethorpe Co. Library) Cory Momany, journeyman beekeeper and owner of Flying Pigs Honey, will give a presentation on beekeeping and answer questions. 12 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oglethorpe

CLASSES: Gentle Hatha Yoga (Athens Community Council on Aging) McKenzie Raymond from Feel Free Yoga leads this class. All skill levels welcome. Mondays, 1–2 p.m. $5 (CAL members), $10 (non-members). abarefoot@ accaging.org

EVENTS: Monday Marigold Market (100 North Church Street) The market features fresh produce, preserves, snacks and meat with a lunch special available (until 2 p.m.). 11 a.m.–6 p.m. FREE! www.

facebook.com/marigoldmarket

winterville

FILM: Open Doom Crescendo (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of Terry Chiu’s film about “people battling to the death in a seemingly endless wasteland searching for the Embodiment of Angst.” 7 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatreandbar.com

GAMES: Game Night (Rabbit Hole Studios) Play board games like chess and Catan, systems like Wii and PlayStation, and outdoor sports. Every Monday, 7–11 p.m. FREE! www.rabbitholestudios.org

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

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

KIDSTUFF: Monday Funday (Bogart Library) Join Ms. Donna for songs, fingerplays, storytelling and STEAM activities. Ages 3–7 years. Registration suggested. 10 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

MEETINGS: ACC Federation of Neighborhoods (Ciné) The Federation of Neighborhoods informs neighborhoods about local issues that affect them. This month’s topic is restorative justice. 7 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/federationof neighborhoods

Tuesday 15

ART: Artist Talk (Lyndon House Arts Center) Jackie Dorsey will discuss her exhibition “Legendary Georgia Musicians in Watercolor,” featuring painted works celebrating Georgia music. 6 p.m. FREE! www.accgov. com/exhibits

EVENTS: West Broad Farmers Market and Garden (Athentic Brewing Co.) Vendors will be on site with fresh produce, local fare, rare plants, artisan goods and more. Tuesdays, 5–8 p.m. FREE! www. athenticbrewing.com

EVENTS: Historic Athens Porchfest Announcement and Beer Release (Athentic Brewing Co.)

Historic Athens will reveal its map and lineup for Porchfest 2023 and celebrate the collaborative release of the Sour Townie beer. RSVP encouraged. 5 p.m. FREE! bit.ly/ townierelease

EVENTS: No Phone Party (Hendershot’s) Disconnect to connect with a phone-free, laptop-free happy hour. Every Tuesday, 6–9 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com

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

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

KIDSTUFF: Toddler Tuesday (UGA Special Collections Library) Enjoy enrichment activities like storytime, music and crafts. Ages 1–4. Registration required. 10 a.m.–11 a.m. FREE! jess.grant@uga.edu

KIDSTUFF: New Parents, Infants and Crawlers Play Group (reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop) Meet other parents and their babies

to discuss how you’re feeling and what’s new. Ages 1 & under. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.reblossomathens.com

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m; Wednesdays at 6 p.m. www. athenspetanque.org

SPORTS: Watch Party: WNBA Championship (Athentic Brewing Co.) Join APQC Queer Sports League for a watch party to cheer on the WNBA Championship. 9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com

Wednesday 16

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.georgia museum.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: Blood Everywhere (Flicker Theatre & Bar) After a break-in at a secretive genetics institute, a retired, blind journalist teams up with an intrepid reporter to crack the case in Dario Argento’s The Cat O’ Nine Tails. 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

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: Afternoon Play Group (reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop) Meet new friends and build current relationships with indoor and outdoor play for little ones. Ages 1–4. 3–5 p.m. FREE! www.reblossom athens.com

KIDSTUFF: LEGO & Builder’s Club (Bogart Library) Young engineers can drop in to use LEGOs and other building materials. All ages. 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart

MEETINGS: Athens Reparations Action (Athentic Brewing Co.) Learn about Athens Reparations Action’s mission to promote recognition of the financial impact of urban renewal and other racist policies on members of the Black community in Athens. 7–9 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 10 a.m; Wednesdays at 6 p.m. www. athenspetanque.org f

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.

ArtCALL FOR ARTISTS (Lyndon House Arts Center) The upcoming exhibition “Rescue: Waste and Redemption” seeks artists who transform industrial byproducts into artworks or craft objects. Artists whose practice involves the use of environmentally conscious processes or materials are encouraged to apply. Fill out online form. Deadline Sept. 20. Exhibition runs Apr. 6–June 1, 2024. www.accgov.com/exhibits

CALL FOR ARTISTS (Winterville Cultural Center) Submit up to three images by email that interpret the theme “anticipation” for a chance to win an award of $200. Deadline Sept. 11. Reception held Sept. 28. Exhibition runs through Nov. 20. $15 entry fee. wacartshows@ gmail.com

CALL FOR ENTRIES (ATHICA) Artists are invited to submit up to three contemporary works in any media exploring or referencing “surface,” this year’s theme for the 2023 juried exhibition. Fill out the online form. Deadline Aug. 31, 11:59 p.m. Exhibition runs Oct. 14–Nov. 19. www.athica.org

CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOS-

ALS (Lyndon House Arts Center)

Artists, artist groups and curators can submit proposals for original exhibition ideas. Artists can also submit images of their work for consideration in larger group or themed shows organized by the center. Proposals will be reviewed Sept. 20,

11:59 p.m. www.accgov.com/6657/

Exhibition-Proposal-Form

CALL FOR PHOTOS (Athens, GA)

Seeking water and nature-themed photos taken in Athens-Clarke County for the 2024 Stormwater Calendar. www.accgov.com/1764/

Stormwater-Management-Program

JOKERJOKERTV CALL FOR ART-

ISTS (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. 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. Vote in person. Winner announced Nov. 5. 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

Auditions

A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (On Stage Playhouse, Monroe) Audi-

art around town

ACC LIBRARY’S BOUGE GALLERY (2025 Baxter St.) Sandy Creek Nature Center presents “50 Years: Inspired by Nature” with artwork by David Hale, Margret Agner, Will Eskridge, Susie Criswell and 26 other artists. Through Aug. 20.

ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: ATHICA (675 Pulaski St.) Artist-in-ATHICA Mickey Oscar Boyd will develop an installation entitled “The Vernacular of Placeless Architecture; or Stairs and Portals to the Same Place” beginning Aug. 12. Open studio hours held Aug. 18, Aug. 25 and Sept. 8, 10 a.m.–12 a.m. and Sept. 1, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Artist Talk Aug. 17, 6 p.m. Reception Sept. 21, 6–8 p.m. Finished exhibition on view Sept. 15–Oct. 12.

ATHENTIC BREWING CO. (108 Park Ave.) Emma Knapp and Peyton Bailey present “The House is a Wreck,” an exhibition of individual and collaborative works from both artists as well as an immersive space. Through Aug. 12.

ATHICA@CINÉ GALLERY (234 W. Hancock Ave.) “Exhibit A” features paintings by Teresa Abel, an Athens-based artist who works with oils and cold wax to create abstracted views of the natural world. Through Aug. 25.

CLASSIC CENTER (300 N. Thomas St.) Classic Gallery 1 shares “Flourish,” an exhibition of artists inspired by the botanical world including Dallis Foshee, Mary Mason Sams, Marisa Mustard and Zahria Cook. Classic Gallery 2 shares “Works by Bess Carter,” a series of brightly painted interior spaces.

DODD GALLERIES (270 River Rd.) New York-based artist Stacie Maya Johnson presents “Twelve Paintings.” • “Hard Fork” is a solo exhibition consisting of a mult-channel video installation, photographs and prints by Athens artist CC Calloway. • “Counterpoint—Part I: The Tambour” is a collaborative kinetic sculpture of a drum led by Martijn van Wagtendonk.

• Curated by Visiting Artist Craig Dongoski, “MYSTERIUM” was a collaborative project in which participants created a collective drawing over a 36hour period. Opening reception Aug. 11, 5–7 p.m.

FLICKER THEATRE & BAR (263 W. Washington St.) Artwork by Denise Gorrio of Turtle Grenade. Through August.

GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) In “Sky Hopinka: Lore,” the artist layers imagery, sound and text to center personal perceptions of Native

tions consist of cold readings from the script. Contact for details. Aug. 9, 6:30–9 p.m. or Aug. 12, 1–3 p.m. director@onstagewalton.org, www.onstagewalton.org

PERFECT ARRANGEMENT (Town & Gown Players) Inspired by the true story of the earliest stirrings of the American gay rights movement, madcap classic sitcom-style laughs give way to provocative drama as two “All-American” couples are forced to stare down the closet door. Auditions consist of cold readings from the script. Aug. 14–15, 7–10 p.m. info@townand gownplayers.org

Classes

ART CLASSES (K.A. Artist Shop)

A variety of classes are taught in acrylic painting, watercolor painting, brush pen calligraphy, digital editing, photographing artwork, analog black-and-white photography, aqua oil painting, pet portraits and more. Visit the website for dates and to register. www.kaartistshop.com

ART CLASSES (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) “From the Heart and Soul: Collage with Eileen Driscoll.” Mondays, Sept. 11–Oct. 2, 12:30–3 p.m. $160–210. “Beginning & Intermediate Pastels with Ann Dodys.” Tuesdays, Sept. 12–Oct. 17, 1–4 p.m. $160–210. “Intuitive Painting with Eileen Driscoll.” Wednesdays, Sept. 13–Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. $160–210. www.ocaf.com/courses

BLACKSMITHING CLASSES (Greenhow Handmade Ironworks, Washington) A variety of classes include “Basic Blacksmithing” (Aug. 12, Sept. 9 or Oct. 7), “Forge a Tomahawk” (Aug. 19 or Oct. 21), “Forge a Firepoker” (Aug. 26 or Sept. 23), “Basic Tong Making” (Sept. 2), “The Art of Chain Making” (Sept. 16) and “Forge a Bottle Opener” (Oct. 28). Classes run 10 a.m.–5 p.m. www.greenhowhandmade. com/blacksmith-classes

COLLAGE FROM THE HEART & SOUL (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Use a variety of colors, textures, images, photos and mediums to express yourself. Participants will learn the fundamentals of composition, line, color and more. Mondays, Sept. 11–Oct. 2, 12:30–3 p.m. $160 (members), $210 (non-members). www.ocaf. com/courses

COMMUNITY DANCE IMPROV (work.shop) No experience necessary. Vaccines and boosters required. Sundays, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. Donations accepted. lisayaconelli@ 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

INNOVATION BOOTCAMP (UGA Delta Innovation Hub) Entrepreneurs in hospitality can learn the fundamentals of building successful startup teams, funding sources, effective branding and marketing strategies, and more. Sept. 18–Oct. 30. research.uga.edu

INTUITIVE PAINTING (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Explore your inner creative voice through painting. Wednesdays, Sept. 13–Oct. 4, 9:30 a.m.–12 p.m. $160

homelands. Through Sept. 24. • “Where Shadows Cross: Photography by Jim Fiscus. Through Oct. 8. • “Southern/Modern” explores themes of social issues, urbanization, religion, the environment and artists’ colonies through the artwork of Southern artists working between 1913–1955. Through Dec. 10. • “In Dialogue: Power Couple: Pierre and Louise Daura in Paris” features paintings by Louise, engravings by Pierre and several objects that appear in their images. Through Feb. 11. • “Decade of Tradition: Highlights from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection.” Through July 3, 2024.

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 “Summer Set ’23.” Through August.

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. • “Story as Jewel: Metalworks by Charles Pinckney” shares jewelry and small sculptures made from metal, stones, bone and wood. Through Sept. 1. • “Paradigm Shift” by Margaret Morrison is a suite of seven large oil paintings exploring Caravaggio’s dramatic staging and lighting. Artist talk Aug. 24, 6 p.m. Through Sept. 1. • “Indigo Prayers: Works by Charmaine Minniefield” are large painted works contemplating ancestral memories of resistance in response to both contemporary and historic acts of erasure. Through Sept.

1. • “Legendary Georgia Musicians in Watercolor” by Jackie Dorsey honors the legacies of musicians such as Big Boi, Emily Saliers, Mike Mills and Vanessa Briscoe Hay. Through Sept. 1. • “Mythical Reality: Paintings by Lois Thomas-Ewings” depicts dancers and Black mythology. Through Sept.

1. • “Georgia Theaters: A Ballad Surrounding the Proscenium” features photographs by Brandon Narsing of empty theaters during the pandemic. Through Sept. 1. • Collections from our Community presents Nena Gilreath’s collection of toe shoes. Collector’s Talk Aug. 17, 6 p.m. Through Oct. 7. • “Love.Craft Athens” is a two-part exhibition of artworks created by the crew of Love.Craft Athens, a nonprofit organization that serves adults with developmental disabilities. Ceramics are on view through Oct. 7. • “The Fables” by Kristin Roberts consists of illustrations inspired by Aesop’s

(members), $210 (non-members). www.ocaf.com/courses

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.healingarts centre.net

PETANQUE CLUB OF ATHENS (Athens, GA) Weekly games are held every Wednesday. Email to participate. RSVP to attend a free

Monday intro class, 10–11:30 a.m. athenspetanqueclub@gmail.com, www.athenspetanqueclub.wixsite. com/play

PUBLIC DANCE (The Studio Athens) Beginner Rumba lessons followed by DJ’d waltz, swing, salsa, tango etc. Every fourth Saturday. 7:30–10 p.m. $5 (students), $10 (non-students). www.gmdance.com

QPR SUICIDE PREVENTION

TRAINING (Nuçi’s Space) Nuçi’s hosts free monthly QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention sessions for anyone interested, not just mental health professionals. Nuçi’s also offers free training for businesses and organizations. Next session held Aug. 24, 3:30 p.m. qpr@nuci.org, www.nuci.org/blog/ qpr-upcoming-dates

Fables. Through Oct. 7. • “Sanctuary: Works by Mary Engel and Cheryl Washburn” combines works by two artists who share a passion for animals. Through Oct. 7.

MASON-SCHARFENSTEIN MUSEUM OF ART (567 Georgia St., Demorest)

“Bud Lee Picture Maker: Photographs from 1967 to 1972” spotlights the Florida-based photojournalist and artist through his work for national publications. Closing reception Aug. 24, 4–6:30 p.m.

STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF GEORGIA (2450 S. Milledge Ave)

“Camera and Canvas” is a collaborative exhibition featuring nature photographs by Chuck Murphy paired with paintings by Babs McDonald, an individual in stroke recovery who uses painting as a therapeutic modality. Through Aug. 12.

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

“Something to Declare/Algo para Declarar” represents nine Latin American countries through the works of Jorge Arcos, Yehimi Cambron, Marisa Cerban, Franklin Delgado, Pedro Fuertes, Catalina Gomez-Beuth, Dora Lopez, Morgan Lugo, Paula Reynaldi, Maria Sarmiento, Carlos Solis and Melvin Toledo. Opening reception Aug. 12, 5–8 p.m. Through Jan. 6.

TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) Manda McKay presents “Raindrops and Reflections,” a collection of still life oil paintings of natural objects like feathers, bones and shells assembled in thought-provoking ways. Closing reception Aug. 17, 6–9 p.m.

UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “It Goes to the People: 75 Years of Free Inspiration at the Georgia Museum of Art” includes historical records, photographs and other memorabilia that traces the growth of the official state art museum. Through Aug. 26. • “The Fourth Grade Project” is a sample of photographs by Judy Gelles, who interviewed and photographed over 300 fourth-grade students all over the world. Through August. • “House Party” explores Athens’ house show history through photos and artifacts from The Green House on Milledge across from Taco Stand, The Landfill, Spillage, The Lounge, Saint Mary’s Church, The Ultramod Compound and others. Through December. • “HBO at 50: The Rise of Prestige Television” highlights some of the groundbreaking programming created by and aired on HBO with items selected from the Peabody Awards Archive. Through May 2024.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF ATHENS (780 Timothy Rd.) “Encounters” features artwork in different media by Linda Gilbert and Hilda Kurtz.

The Steffen Thomas Museum of Art will host an opening reception for the group exhibition “Something to Declare/Algo para Declarar” on Saturday, Aug. 12, 5–8 p.m. Pictured above is “Catalina, Colombia” by Melvin Toledo

SALSA DANCE CLASSES (Starland Lounge & Lanes) Join SALSAthens for Cuban style salsa dance classes. No partner necessary. Beginners welcome. Every Wednesday, 7:30–8:30 p.m. $10. gwyneth. moody@abby-kacen

SUMMER SCENE WORKOUT (work. shop) In this series of classes, participants will work on building scenes based in reality, believable characters, listening and reacting. Tuesdays, 6–8 p.m. $30/week. www.flyingsquidcomedy.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. liveoakmartial arts@gmail.com, www.liveoak martialarts.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.revolutiontherapy andyoga.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

YOGA WITH CAITLIN GRIFFIN (555 Research Dr.) Community yoga classes are offered three days a week. Check website for details. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 a.m. $5–25 suggested donation. www.celestial griffin.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

RIVERS ALIVE (Dudley Park) Wade into local rivers, lakes and streams as part of a statewide campaign to clean and preserve over 70,000 miles of Georgia’s rivers and streams. The annual cleanup event will happen Oct. 21. accgov.com/ riversalive

SEEKING MENTORS (Athens, GA)

The Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement’s End School to Prison Pipeline Program seeks community members to support and mentor students who are experiencing bullying, have been suspended/ expelled, or need to complete court-ordered service hours. www. aadmovement.org

Kidstuff

ART CLUBS (K.A. Artist Shop) Draw, paint, collage and create during weekly Art Card and Button Club meet-ups. Fridays, 6:30–8 p.m. Drawing Club, taught by local artist Holly Hutchinson, is held Wednesdays, Sept. 13–Nov. 15, 5–6:30 p.m. For ages 10–17. $25/drop-in, $200 (10-session pass). www.ka artist.com

ATHENS FOREST KINDERGARTEN

(Sandy Creek Park) Now enrolling children ages 3-6 for fall. AFK is a cooperative preschool that aims to develop initiative, persistence,

interdependence and empathy. www.athensforestkindergarten.org

GROUPS AT REBLOSSOM (ReBlossom) All Ages Play Group is for children (typically 1–5 years old) and their caregivers to play outdoors. Fridays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. New Parents, Infants and Crawlers Play Group is for babies ages 0-12 months and their caregivers to discuss parenthood. Tuesdays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. Afternoon Play Group is for children (typically 1–4 years old) and their caregivers to meet each other and build relationships. Wednesdays, 3–5 p.m. www. reblossomathens.com

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

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

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. Text 678736-3697

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

RECREATE JOY (Sunny Days Therapeutics) Nuçi’s Space hosts a recreational therapy support group. Improve coping skills and self esteem while reducing depression and anxiety through adaptive yoga, games and leisure education. Sixweek sessions. Wednesdays, 5–6 p.m. tinyurl.com/rnvuhesa

RECOVERY DHARMA (Athens Addiction Recovery Center) 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.athensrecoverydharma.org

SEX ADDICTS ANONYMOUS (Athens, GA) Athens Downtown SAA offers a message of hope to anyone who suffers from a compulsive sexual behavior. Contact for location. athensdowntownsaa@gmail.com

SOCIAL ANXIETY SUPPORT GROUP (Oconee County Library) Created by and for socially anxious young adults. Meets every other Sunday. Contact for meeting information. Jake@avoidendsnow.org, www.avoidendsnow.org

SUPPORT GROUPS (Integrity Counseling & Personal Development) ICPD offers several support groups. “LGBTQIA+ Young Adults Group” is offered for ages 18–30. “Survivors of Suicide Loss Group” is offered the first Wednesday of every month, 7–8 p.m. “Veterans, Dependents & Caregivers Benefits Resource & Claim Assistance Group” is offered the first Saturday of every month, 9–10 a.m. www. integrityofjefferson.com

Word on the Street

ATHENS BEER TRAIL TROLLEY

TOURS (Athens, GA) A new trolly tour will provide transportation between six local breweries: Akademia, Athentic, Creature Comforts, Southern Brewing, Terrapin Beer and Normaltown Brewing. Tours run every Thursday and Friday from 3–9 p.m. www.athenstrolleytours.com/ beer-trolley-tour

FALL ACTIVITIES (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services will offer a variety of arts, environmental science, recreation, sports and holiday events this fall for all ages. Now registering. www.accgov.com/myrec

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 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.). Wednesday Yoga (5 p.m.) is followed by Meditation and Integration (6 p.m.). Events are free or donation based. www.rabbitholestudios.org/ calendar

VHS DIGITIZATION (Athens, GA)

Brad Staples (of the Athens GA Live Music crew) is seeking previously recorded concerts and events on VHS, VHSC or DVDs to digitize and archive on his YouTube channel, vhsordie (@vhsordie3030). Original recordings will be returned, and credits and dates will be included in the online video description. Digitization services are free. Contact for details and to coordinate shipping. bradley.staples88@gmail.com

WILD RUMPUS PERFORMERS (Athens, GA) Submit an application to perform at The Wild Rumpus Parade and Spectacle. Deadline Aug. 17. Event held Oct. 28. bit.ly/ WildRumpus2023Submissions

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

hey, bonita… Relationship Age Gaps and Negative Attitudes ADVICE FOR ATHENS’ LOOSE AND LOVELORN

By Bonita Applebum advice@flagpole.com

Hey Bonita, What do you think about large age gap relationships? Are they always problematic, or is it really not that big of a deal?

Anon

Hey Anon,

It’s subjective to the relationship. I feel like most people can agree that 26-yearolds have no business dating 16-year-olds, but a 46-year-old and a 56-year-old being together doesn’t seem like a big deal. In my opinion it’s about life experience and knowing oneself. I know lots of energetic 50-year-olds who may skew younger in their romantic interests, and I know plenty of chilled-out twentysomethings who want their bills paid. That’s a symbiotic relationship if I ever heard of one.

Hey there Negz, Harboring negative thoughts and expressing them has become a habit for you, and it’s something you’ll have to slowly unlearn. I also used to be a real sourpuss, and it took work to not be a Debbie Downer all of the time.

I think you can start with gratitude. I know it sounds cheesy, but you need to hold space for positive thoughts as much as you hold space for the negative. And you do have positive thoughts. You’re just not giving them the same respect that you give to the crappy ones. Next time you’re happy or excited about something, sit in for a little while. Pause and practice some mindfulness—notice the feeling in your head, your face, your limbs, your chest. Feel the smile on your face. Be present in your joy.

A lot of people think of this issue in terms of exploited young women being skulked upon by old men, and yes that does happen, but that’s also a subjective experience specific to a relationship. I can’t paint the issue with a broad brush. Love is powerful and real, and I am happy for all people who are experiencing true love.

Hey Bonita,

I’ve become a real Negative Nancy. In all fairness I’ve been dealing with a lot, and there’s the whole state of the world and all that. But I’ve caught myself always bringing up negatives in conversation, always brushing off other people’s attempts to comfort or give a bright side with a “yeah but…” and more downsides. Whenever a friend asks how I’m doing, I don’t have anything nice to say or good to report. I’m so aware of this, and I don’t want to be this person. But I. Can’t. Stop. It. I can set myself straight and think about mind over matter and worry other people are getting drained by my negativity. But then I just blurt it out. It feels like a habit, and like I said, I just don’t want to be that negative person always bringing myself and everyone else down. I’m personally so consumed by these negative thoughts and aggravations and frustrations, though, so how do I stop it?

Negative Nancy

Another mindful-

nique is to let feelings pass. It’s easy to get fixated on bad things to the point that you don’t notice a good thing—maybe you scowled through all of the Barbie movie because your roommate pissed you off that morning, something like that. Why keep on thinking about that bad interaction when you’re about to see a summer blockbuster? Smell the popcorn, look at the moviegoer’s outfits, and get into the previews instead. Be present!

Some people keep gratitude journals where they write down the positive things that happened in the day and what they’re looking forward to doing later in the week. Having that physical, visual reminder of the good things can be powerful. And when it comes to interacting with friends, you don’t want to lie about how you’re feeling with them, but you also don’t want to be so curmudgeonly that they stop seeking you out. You don’t have to lie “I’m fine” when they ask how you are, but perhaps you can lead those conversations with something fun and cool before you dive into the bullshit.

Shifting paradigms is a slow process that takes kindness, patience and work, but your desire to do this work already counts for a lot. f

Need advice? Email advice@flagpole.com, or use our anonymous form at flagpole.com/get-advice.

REAL ESTATE HOUSES FOR RENT

House, 3BR/2BA in Normaltown. Central heat/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 today.

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.athensschoolofmusic.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

MISC. SERVICES

Business Water Solutions offers the cleanest drinking water available through innovative bottle-less water coolers and ice machines. Call 706-248-6761 or visit businesswatersolutions. com to set up a consultation.

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

JOBS FULL-TIME

Needed: Ecological landscape and garden technicians. Clean driving record required. On the job training for installation and main tenance, our proj ects range from heavy machinery installation to hand weeding polli nator gardens. Email us! office@royallandsca pedesign.com

The Georgia Review is hiring a Marketing and Out reach Manager. Full-time UGA job. $50k. Benefits Eli gible. Apply by August 31. https://thegeorgiareview. com/opportunities/

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

Find employees by adver tising job positions in the Flagpole classifieds! Call 706-549-0301 or email class@flagpole.com today!

SERIES CONNECTION

In addition to our ticketed series, the Hugh Hodgson School of Music offers the “Connection Series.” These are concerts and guest artist performances are COMPLETELY FREE with no tickets required.

Join us for a full year of incredible music.

“Vida” - UGA Choral Project

V I D A

UGA Choral Project presents “Vida,” a concert celebrating life and living with music from composers like Stephen Paulus and Ysaÿe Barnwell. Choral Project provides a nearprofessional rehearsal experience to the students.

Faculty Chamber Recital with Guest

Kenn Wagner, violin, from ASO

Program: Beethoven, Gipps, and Haydn. Kenn Wagner has been a first violinist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra since 1994, and has also served as acting assistant concertmaster of the ASO.

These events are free. No tickets are required | music.uga.edu