FP240515

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER Alicia Nickles

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Larry Tenner

ADVERTISING SALES Jessica Pritchard Mangum, Dave Martin

CITY EDITOR Blake Aued

ARTS & MUSIC EDITOR Jessica Smith

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Sam Lipkin

OFFICE MANAGER & DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Jennifer Keene

CLASSIFIEDS Jennifer Keene

AD DESIGNERS Chris McNeal, Cody Robinson

CONTRIBUTORS Chris Dowd, Hillary Brown, Gordon Lamb, Rebecca McCarthy

CARTOONISTS Missy Kulik, David Mack, Klon Waldrip, Joey Weiser

CIRCULATION Jennifer Bray, Charles Greenleaf, Joe Rowe

EDITORIAL INTERNS Mary Beth Bryan, Xinge Lei

PHOTOGRAPHERS Mason Pearson, Jake Zerkel

SPECIAL AGENT Pete McCommons

Shane Parish by Alex Cox

San Angel Cocina and Cantina, in the former Applebee’s on Broad Street, is now

Mitti Desi Cuisine on South Milledge Avenue, next to Achachi Market, is also now open. G Brand BBQ has opened a second location in Watkinsville, and Small Cakes Athens has opened a branch in Bogart. Birdie’s on Prince Avenue now offers online ordering for lunch.

See “San Angel Cocina Is Open and More Food News” at flagpole.

Athens musician Spencer Thomas will

full story, go online at flagpole.com.

Follow the Money

WHO GAVE WHAT TO WHICH COMMISSION CANDIDATES AND MORE NEWS

By Blake Aued, Chris Dowd and Rebecca McCarthy news@flagpole.com

Three candidates—Jason Jacobs, Stephanie Johnson and Carol Myers—have vastly outraised their opponents in Athens-Clarke County races this spring.

Johnson, who is running for the District 6 seat being vacated by Jesse Houle, reported raising $23,850 and spending $11,450 during the period from Feb.1–Apr. 30, according to documents filed with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission earlier this month. The other candidate, Rashe Malcolm, reported raising $3,250 and spending $2,802.

Johnson’s donors include Black leaders like physicians Diane Dunston, a Watkinsville resident and former chief medical officer at the Athens Neighborhood Health Center, and Cshanyse Allen, founder of the Inner East Athens Neighborhood Association. They also include Republicans like Kevin Epps, the Oconee County lawyer who is suing District Attorney Gonzalez, and Steve Middlebrooks, a car dealer who co-founded the Athens Classic group that backs moderate and conservative candidates. She also received $200 from Richie Knight, a 2018 mayoral candidate who, as Flagpole uncovered during the campaign, was not paying his marketing firm’s employees. Knight was arrested the following year on felony check fraud charges. He is now a consultant in Fresno, CA.

Johnson has also gotten a boost from a political action committee called Athens for All that has ties to Republicans. In its initial filings, Athens for All shared a chair, treasurer and P.O. Box with another PAC, Neighbors for a Better Community, that spent more than $61,000 in 2022 on behalf of commission candidates John Culpepper, Dexter Fisher and Asia Thomas. Athens for All’s filing indicated it has not raised or spent any money, but the group’s name is listed on at least two mailers supporting Johnson. Under state law PACs are not required to file campaign finance disclosures until they hit the $25,000 mark.

Malcolm’s donors include business owner Isaiah Ellison, former District 7 commission candidate Carl Blount, former DA candidate Brian Patterson and former Federation of Neighborhoods president Wendy Moore. Contributors to Jacobs’ campaign include Commissioner Mike Hamby, former commissioner Sharyn Dickerson, former commission candidate Danielle Benson, developer Grant Whitworth and Republican activist John Marsh. Jacobs reported raising $22,175 and spending $7,641.

District 2 incumbent Melissa Link reported raising $6,714 and spending $4,086. Fellow progressive commissioners Houle and Carol Myers were among those who gave to Link’s campaign.

National publicity from Fox News did not translate into fundraising success for District 8 candidate Sidney Waters, who raised $3,980 and spent $2,921. Athens GOP Chair Gordon Rhoden and his wife, Joan; local Republican activist Michael McLendon, former commissioner Tom Chasteen, former school board president

Charles Worthy, Atlanta political pundit Bill Crane and Loco’s Grill & Pub founder Jamey Loftin contributed to Waters’ campaign. Myers, the incumbent, reported raising $16,263 and spending $5,338. She counted Houle, former mayor Heidi Davison, R.E.M. lawyer Bertis Downs, Linnentown author

fees, and rent and security deposits on an individual basis as recipients strive to overcome barriers to permanent housing.

Divas Who Win, Family Promise of Athens, Athens-Area Habitat for Humanity, Project Safe, the Athens Wellness Clinic and the Economic Justice Coalition are other groups that received awards to support projects that include workforce training, housing renovation and homelessness prevention programs.

The commission approved the funding in an 8-1 vote, with Commissioner Patrick Davenport voting in opposition. In Mayor Kelly Girtz’s absence for a planned vacation, Commissioner Ovita Thornton was acting as mayor pro tem and was unable to vote.

and

Homelessness Funding Approved

The Athens-Clarke County Commission allocated almost $3 million last week to homeless service agencies to implement their strategic plan to reduce and prevent homelessness.

ACC staff recommended that the nonprofit Advantage Behavioral Health Systems receive most of the available funding, which it will use to continue a crisis response team and contribute to a previously approved mental health facility designed to accept residents turned away by other agencies.

The facility is described as “low barrier,” meaning it won’t discriminate against those with a history of drug or alcohol abuse, as long as the residents don’t endanger others. In fact, Advantage said it will prioritize those “demonstrating high-risk behaviors” because these individuals often have the deepest need but are rejected from shelters elsewhere.

The facility will have 60 beds and cost $16 million in total. Besides the $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding designated May 7, Advantage has also received funding from state grants and voter-approved SPLOST 2020 sales taxes. Advantage will construct the shelter on its campus on Mitchell Bridge Road—the former Clarke County School District headquarters Advantage purchased in 2016. Construction is scheduled for October and expected to take a little over a year.

Advantage will also receive $200,000 to support a crisis response team that helps people living in unsanctioned camps find housing and other assistance. The team provides hotel vouchers, recovery program

saying, “I misspoke and did not mean to offend any of our homeless population.”

The commission also approved $871,000 of general taxpayer funds for various partner agencies, including the Athens-Area Homeless Shelter, Envision Athens, the Athens Land Trust, the Athens-Area Diaper Bank, the Sparrow’s Nest and other agencies. The Athens Area Homeless Shelter is the biggest recipient of funds with a $220,000 award.

The ACC Vision Committee had recommended that the Athens Area Homeless Shelter and three other organizations receive significantly less funding, but commissioners Dexter Fisher, Jesse Houle and Melissa Link suggested taking $321,000 from the county’s “rainy day” fund balance to make up the difference. Other commissioners agreed, allowing these organizations to maintain the same level of local government funding as they received last year.

These community partners were previously called “independent agencies,” in local government parlance, and they received annual funding for providing essential services. Starting this year, they are no longer guaranteed funding, instead competing with other groups for a limited pool of taxpayer dollars. Commissioners felt that a competitive process will be more transparent and fair to other nonprofits, some of which may not have been given a good reason why they were excluded in years past.

Davenport questioned some of the groups receiving funding, including the Economic Justice Coalition, an organization for which he has served as a board member for over a decade. The Economic Justice Coalition plans to train people experiencing homelessness to become certified nursing assistants as part of its Above and Beyond home care cooperative.

“The logistics of hiring homeless people from the street to go into people’s homes to care for people raises a lot of red flags,” Davenport said at the commission’s agenda-setting meeting last month. He apologized for that comment last Tuesday,

Decisions on another source of funding for local nonprofits, the federal Community Development Block Grant program, have been delayed for a week due to an unexpected funding cut. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development informed the local government on the very day the vote was scheduled that they were cutting the award by $170,000. ACC Manager Blaine Williams asked that the vote be delayed until May 13 so he could find a way to supplement the budget. The commission agreed.

The commission also delayed approving the criteria for choosing a new location for Fire Station No. 5 on the Eastside until next month. This is yet another delay for the construction of the new fire station, which has become a controversial project.

activist Hattie Thomas Whitehead, UGA professor Janet Frick and retired judge David Sweat among her supporters. [Blake Aued]

The Athens-Clarke County Commission is meeting in the Clarke County School District’s headquarters, where guns are banned, while security improvements are made at City Hall after several disruptive events and reports of people bringing guns to commission meetings.

CHRIS DOWD

The commission rejected all of the candidate sites in November, causing the site selection committee to start from scratch and draft another set of criteria for the new site. The ideal location for the new station is determined primarily by the need to expand fire department services throughout the county. Currently, the Southeastern portion of Athens is outside of the boundary for acceptable response times.

That’s a problem, because residents along Morton Road and Old Lexington Road don’t want a fire station in their neighborhood. In November, they lined up during public comment to express concerns about traffic, noise, light pollution and the possibility of damaging wildlife habitats if a fire station were built nearby.

Complicating matters further, some commissioners oppose the potential use of eminent domain to purchase property for the fire station, which may end up being necessary. Davenport, who represents the area, asked to delay the vote for a month so he can consult with fire department officials about widening the search area to find a more suitable site for all parties involved.

In other business, the commission voted unanimously to approve $155,000 to fund the local government’s non-police alternative response team through the end of June. This team of unarmed licensed social workers is dispatched through the 911 system in place of police for calls involving mental health issues when a law enforcement response is not needed. This team offers medical treatment, peer counseling and follow-up supportive services regarding behavioral health. They supplement the work of the related Jerry NeSmith Co-Responder Teams, which pair a social worker with a police officer.

From March 2023 through March 2024, the alternative response team has answered 95 calls, sometimes dispatched by 911 operators and sometimes called to the scene by a co-responder team.

Until now, this team has been funded through ARPA. With the gradual drawdown of federal funds, Williams did not recommend the program in his draft of this year’s budget. However, Mayor Kelly Girtz’s budget draft did include the program and it appears the commission is also supportive of it based on this vote.

This commission meeting was held at the Board of Education meeting room on Prince Avenue due to security concerns after a major disruption at last month’s meeting. Commission meetings will be back at City Hall by August, after the 110-year-old building is retrofitted with enhanced security. [Chris Dowd]

School Board Passes Budget

The Clarke County School Board approved a proposed budget for 2024-2025 of $240.6 million, keeping the millage rate at 18.8, as it has been for the past two years. It represents an increase of $26.5 million over last year’s budget. For taxpayers, this means a house valued at $350,000 will pay an approximately $167.57 more in taxes, according to school district officials. During the work session prior to the May 9 vote, Chief Financial Officer Chris Griner said administrators had considered hiring two new paraprofessionals for each of the district’s 14 elementary schools, but had decided not to do so. Board members voted to add those positions, saying that parapros are “a good investment,” helping

classroom teachers. The cost for those positions is $1.175 million.

The budget includes funding state mandates as well as school district initiatives. There is $1.6 million for creating an alternative school in the former Rutland Academy building on Oglethorpe Avenue. School staff includes a director, five teachers, a receptionist, registrar, nurse and two custodians. Both Cedar Shoals and Clarke Central high schools will each be getting another mental health counselor, and the district will hire an additional translator and an information technology analyst. Four unarmed security guards will be joining the CCSD workforce as well.

The state requires the district to provide all certified employees—meaning teachers—with a $2,500 salary increase and all custodians with a $1,000 salary supplement. The school district added a $1,750 increase for all classified staff who aren’t in custodial jobs. The General Assembly and Gov. Brian Kemp have also given each school $45,000 in additional funding for school security improvements as part of the state budget.

The general budget includes “absorbing” 12-and-a-half positions in schools that were paid for with federal American Rescue Plan Act money and nine other positions in the district.

During the public comment period, a parent with a child at Timothy Road Elementary School complained about the recent appearance of former Republican U.S. Senate candidate Hershel Walker at the school. She said that inviting someone with “a history of criminality, misogyny and child abuse” may not have been the wisest choice. She wanted parents to be notified earlier about “who our children are hearing from and not hearing from.”

There will be three hearings on the budget at school district offices. Speakers must sign up in advance with Lisa Palmer (palmerli@clarke.k12.ga.us) or sign in at the door before the meeting starts. The meetings will begin at 6 p.m. on June 3, June 4 and June 12, and the board will take a final vote on the budget at its June 13 meeting. All three hearings will be live streamed and available for on-demand viewing on the CCSD YouTube Channel. [Rebecca McCarthy]

GBI Solves Cold Case

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Athens-Clarke County Police Department have made an arrest in the Tara Louise Baker case 23 years after the University of Georgia law student was murdered.

On May 9, GBI agents charged Athens resident Edrick Lamont Faust, 48, with Baker’s murder, along with aggravated assault, concealing the death of another, arson, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, tampering with evidence and aggravated sodomy. The GBI did not give a motive for Faust’s alleged actions. The GBI’s Cold Case Unit, created last year by a law named after Baker, began working with ACCPD on the investigation in September.

Originally from Lovejoy, Baker graduated from Georgia College (Now Georgia College and State University) in Milledgeville, then enrolled at UGA for law school. She was 23 when she died. The GBI said a news conference would be scheduled in the coming days. Check flagpole.com for updates. [BA] f

Perspectives on Palestine

STUDENTS REACT TO PROTESTS AGAINST ISRAEL’S GAZA OCCUPATION

By Xinge Lei news@flagpole.com

Since late April, mass demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war have swept across college campuses. ProPalestine protests have intensified as students demand that their universities divest from Israel and act to stop what they call a genocide occurring in Gaza.

After a series of occupation protests conducted by students at Columbia, Yale, the University of Southern California, Emory and more, students at UGA followed suit.

On the morning of Apr. 29, 16 protesters were arrested on criminal trespassing charges after creating a “liberation zone” on the quad near Old College on North Campus. Nine among the 16 arrested were UGA students. They were all issued interim suspensions and barred from campus.

“The image of students getting forcibly arrested on their own campus while expressing their free speech was unsettling,” said fourth-year political science and history major Dan Catanese, who took classes on North Campus during the spring semester. “The actual actions of the students were non-disruptive, especially compared to the force with which they were removed.”

Moreover, she said that the student protesters were given very little time to contest their suspensions, which in her opinion is an unethical way of carrying out discipline. Others, like third-year human development and family science major Analiese Evans, believe that the recent protests caused disruption to the order of campus, and that UGA police were justified in their actions, especially after issuing multiple warnings that were ignored.

“I understand fighting for what’s right, like the freedom of speech and everything. However, if you’re asked to leave, I think the respectable thing to do is to pack up your stuff and not cause a scene, because that will create even more disruption and distrust in the police,” Evans said.

As the protesters linked arms that morning, campus police and state troopers physically separated them and placed them in handcuffs or zip ties before taking them to jail.

Catanese said the situation in Palestine is “incredibly concerning” as the U.S. continues to fund Israeli operations in Gaza, and that the new wave of protests reflects the public’s frustration and disgust with the national government. He said that there aren’t many serious pro-Palestine voices in positions of power, and this kind of direct action is necessary for those voices to be heard.

Fourth-year cognitive science major Simone Mba expressed the same sentiments. Mba said that protests exist to spread a message and to strike a chord in the government’s heart for change. In the case of pro-Palestine protests, students do not want money from the school’s endowment fund to be distributed toward companies actively supporting Israel, she said.

“It is extremely heartbreaking to witness a genocide happening in our present day and seeing how universities across the nation are finding ways to censor students by changing and enforcing policies that restrict our ability to protest such an issue as oddly divisive as this one,” Mba said.

Mba also said police used unnecessary force while arresting the students, and should have handled things better.

While Evans is against the idea of suspending the student protesters, thereby hindering them from receiving an education or graduating, she thinks detaining them was appropriate. She said that peaceful protests can occur with respect to other people and their surroundings, but setting up the encampments was clearly against university policy. In Evans’ perspective, many protesters are not thinking rationally because of the sensitive nature of the issue. Although she sees that these actions contribute toward an important cause, the protesters’ obtrusiveness ultimately overshadowed their good intentions, she said.

Since the occupation protest on North Campus, more than 200 UGA faculty members have signed on to a petition calling on the university to un-suspend the arrested students, citing a lack of due process. The university has not responded to the petition. However, in a May 2 open letter, administrators wrote that, “These individuals chose to be arrested, and they chose to resist arrest. They are all adults, and they consciously made these unfortunate decisions. But actions have consequences.”

The brief occupation occurred in an area where the university requires a permit to protest. UGA has “free speech zones” around campus, most notably outside the Tate Student Center. Students and others also often gather on Athens-Clarke County property near the Arch to protest. f

Protesters regathered on North Campus the afternoon of Apr. 29 after 16 people who set up tents there that morning were arrested.

Election Preview

WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT MAY 21

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com

Elections for nonpartisan local offices, and partisan primaries for some local, state and federal offices, will take place Tuesday, May 21. For many of these races, the outcome will be decisive, so don’t wait until November to make your voice heard. Flagpole has more extensive coverage at flagpole.com, but here’s a summary of each race in a nutshell to help voters decide.

Nonpartisan Races

Commission District 2: Incumbent Melissa Link—who returned to the commission in a 2023 special election after Republican state legislators drew her out of her previous district—is facing a surprisingly strong challenge from business owner Jason Jacobs, a former UGA and minor league baseball player. Link has been a progressive stalwart as an activist and elected official since the 1990s, known for her scorched-earth rhetoric. That can be a plus if you believe she speaks truth to power, or a minus if you believe she puts her foot in her mouth more often than not. Link has some NIMBY tendencies on housing, and Jacobs is running to her left on that issue, but his primary concern is that providing resources for the homeless like a low-barrier shelter will merely draw more unhoused people to Athens. In a district that includes liberal neighborhoods like Boulevard and Normaltown, Link’s endorsement by the ACC Democratic Committee could prove decisive.

Commission District 6: With incumbent Jesse Houle stepping down, restaurateur Rashe Malcolm and former ACC auditor Stephanie Johnson are seeking the Westside seat. Neither has put forward many concrete policy proposals; in general terms, Malcolm’s platform includes economic development and safe transportation options, while Johnson (whose husband is a police offi cer) is running on support for law enforcement, government transparency and fiscal responsibility. Johnson is facing renewed scrutiny of her performance as internal auditor—a job the mayor and commission fired her from three years ago—and subsequent lawsuit against the ACC government, which the two sides recently settled. Besides her business experience, Malcolm serves on the Georgia Square Mall redevelopment board and the Athens Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors. Malcolm has been endorsed by the ACC Democratic Committee, which declined to endorse Johnson due to her ties to Republicans.

in the aforementioned special election, the BOE chose Claudia Butts to serve out the rest of her term. Butts is now running for a full term, while Gallagher wants her seat back. Also in the running is Mary Bagby, who has applied for and run for the seat several times. (It’s seen quite a bit of turnover in the past few years.) The ACCDC endorsed Gallagher, while Butts narrowly missed the cut.

Georgia Supreme Court: Pledging to protect women’s reproductive and health-care rights, former Athens congressman John Barrow is challenging Justice Andrew Pinson. The race is technically nonpartisan, but Barrow is a Democrat and Pinson is an appointee of Gov. Brian Kemp who is backed by anti-abortion groups.

Democratic Primary

10th Congressional District: There is little to separate Lexi Doherty and Jessica Fore from a policy standpoint—both are running on fairly standard Democratic platforms of protecting voting and reproductive rights, expanding health care and raising the minimum wage. With her deep ties to the Methodist

Tax Commissioner: For a position that tends to be handed down by the previous office-holder to a chosen successor, JP Lemay has a huge advantage in an endorsement from current Tax Commissioner Toni Meadow. Lemay, a planner for the ACC Leisure Services Department, says he learned the ropes as an IT specialist assigned to the offices of the tax commissioner and tax assessor. He wants to update software for the tax commissioner’s office and play a role in the construction of a new courthouse. Brant Spratlin is an Athens native and insurance agent who describes himself as an independent and says he wants to improve customer service. There is no Republican candidate in November.

Coroner: Both Michael Eberhart and William Gaulden are veterans of the funeral business. Both want to expand the office of coroner to match Athens’ growing population. Eberhart has more experience, while Gaulden argues that because he’s younger, he can serve for longer in an office that’s rarely contested unless an incumbent steps down, as Sonny Wilson did. There is no Republican candidate.

House District 124: Melanie Miller, a paralegal from Greensboro, is running against Rickie Glenn for the right to face state Rep. Trey Rhodes (R-Greensboro) in November. Since Miller is running an active campaign and Glenn does not appear to be campaigning at all, this seems like a no-brainer.

Republican Primary

House District 121: State Rep. Marcus Wiedower (R-Athens) often lets his colleague Houston Gaines do the talking, but Wiedower has amassed quite a bit of power in the Georgia House during his three terms in office, rising to chairman of a House Appropriations subcommittee. His opponent, nurse practitioner John Michael Grigsby, is running on a platform of better health care, term limits and cybersecurity.

Senate District 46: Businessman and Marine gunnery Sgt. Ross Harvin is challenging state Sen. Frank Ginn (R-Danielsville) for a second time. While Ginn won a three-way primary in 2022 with 66% of the vote, Harvin is picking up some endorsements from local officials in Jackson and Madison counties this time around. Ginn—the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee—is facing allegations profited by selling steel beams that a bridge contractor gave him for free.

Party Questions

Commission District 8: Incumbent Carol Myers is seeking a second term representing the Eastside. A wonky, center-left type, she is a strong supporter of walking and biking infrastructure, clean energy and new amenities for the Eastside like a library and youth center. Opponent Sidney Waters decided to run at the last minute, inspired by the murder of Laken Riley, allegedly at the hands of an undocumented immigrant. She announced her candidacy on Fox News, decrying ACC’s “sanctuary-type” policies. Myers was not on the commission in 2019 when the body passed a nonbinding resolution welcoming immigrants to the community, but says she would have signed onto it. Waters has also been critical of efforts to help the homeless and highrise developments she claims are pushing out longtime residents. The ACCDC endorsed Myers.

School Board District 2: When Kirrena Gallagher stepped down from the Board of Education to run against Link

church, Fore makes the case that she knows how to communicate with conservative evangelicals. However, that did not appeal to a majority of voters when she lost the 2022 primary to Tabitha Johnson-Green, who is not running this year. Meanwhile, Doherty has a fundraising edge, and she enjoys endorsements from the AFL-CIO labor union and ACC commissioners Dexter Fisher and Carol Myers. In reality, either one would be an extreme longshot against Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins in this deep-red district.

Sheriff: During his first term after unseating incumbent Ira Edwards in 2020, Sheriff John Q. Williams has focused on reducing the pay gap between deputies and police, along with establishing mental health and community outreach programs. The former police detective is facing Tommy Dorsey, once a deputy under Edwards and currently a Clarke County School District officer. Dorsey says he’s running because morale among jail staffers is low—a longstanding problem—but he has also made some odd statements, like saying that he would seek to dismantle the ACC Police Department and make the sheriff’s office the “primary” law enforcement agency in the county. There is no Republican candidate in November, although the local GOP is unofficially backing Dorsey.

These are nonbinding—just a way for party leaders to gauge the opinions of the rank-and-file on certain issues. Answer however you’d like, or don’t answer at all.

How and Where to Vote

Early voting runs through Friday, May 17 at six sites: the ACC Board of Elections office, Miriam Moore Community Center, Athens Regional Library, ACC Cooperative Extension Office, ACC Tennis Center and Winterville Cultural Center. For more information, visit accgov.com/ 243/Advance-Voting.

On Election Day, May 21, vote at your assigned precinct. Precinct lines and some polling places have changed, so double-check your latest voter registration card (mailed in February) or go to the Georgia secretary of state’s My Voter Page at mvp.sos.ga.gov to find your polling location. That site also allows voters to view a personalized sample ballot.

All voters will receive a nonpartisan ballot, but voters must choose between voting in the Democratic or Republican primary. Voters can also choose neither and just vote on nonpartisan races. f

MUSIC | WED, MAY 15

Meridian Brothers

40 Watt Club • 7 p.m. (doors) • $21 (adv.), $26

Combining the avant-garde with Colombian and Caribbean musical motifs, Meridian Brothers’ neo-tropicalista sound has garnered it a cult following and made the group a seminal part of Latin America’s psychedelic movement. The band formed in Bogotá, Colombia in 1998 and became a live act in 2007, bringing university friends Eblis Álvarez, María Valencia, Damián Ponce (later replaced by Mauricio Ramírez), Alejandro Forero and Cêsar Quevedo to the stage to perform their unique fusion of electronica and traditional Latin styles for audiences worldwide. They now have 11 studio albums, the most recent being 2022’s Meridian Brothers & El Grupo Renacimiento, the latter of which is actually an imaginary ’70s salsa band created by Álvarez himself, pointing toward the group’s clever and creative approach to its projects. Presented by

Attaboy Tapes, the show will be opened by local acts TaxiCab Verses and Jay Gonzalez, along with Atlanta musician Klark Sound. [Mary Beth Bryan]

MUSIC

| MAY 16–21

Chamber Music Athens Festival

Multiple Locations • Times Vary • Prices Vary Chamber Music Athens Festival brings acclaimed musical artists and UGA faculty and students together every year for a series of concerts, masterclasses, panel discussions, rehearsals and chamber music coaching. This year’s CMA Festival began by celebrating two vibrant music cultures with programs titled History of Tango and From Opera to Hip Hop: A Celebration of American Voices. The next event in the festival is Dispersions in Watercolor on May 16 at the Georgia Museum of Art, a free event where Amy Yang will be joined by UGA faculty and students to perform three new compositions inspired by visual art, poetry and the environment. On May 17 at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s Day Chapel, An Evening in Paris will feature works from Debussy, Bizet, Saint-Saëns, Francis Poulenc and Gabriel Fauré. On May 19 at First Baptist Church, The Art of the String Quartet will showcase the renowned Borromeo String Quartet performing Jean Sibelius, Eleanor Alberga and Franz Schubert pieces. The Chamber Music Athens Gala Finale is May 21 at Ramsey Hall, during which the Borromeo String

Quartet will lead an ensemble of UGA faculty and students in performances of pieces from Bach and Tchaikovsky. Visit chambermusicathens.org for more information on event times and tickets. [MB]

MUSIC | FRI, MAY 17

Patty Griffin

Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall • 7:30 p.m. • $10 (w/ UGA ID), $40–70

Pulling from the deepest emotional experiences of her own life, artist Patty Griffin combines folk, Americana and gospel into heart-wrenching reflections of the human experience. Griffin was born in Maine, but found the influence for her debut 1996 album, Living With Ghosts, after becoming immersed in the music scene in Austin, TX. Her standout songwriting throughout her two-decade career has led to her material being performed by artists like Linda Rondstadt, Emmylou Harris and Jeff Beck, but her voice has also been lauded by listeners, with Jason Davidson writing for American Highways that it is a “warm and weathered… emotional gut punch.” Her work has secured her two Grammy Awards, one in the Traditional Gospel Album category and one for Best Folk Album, along with several other nominations. [MB]

ART | SAT, MAY 18

Skateboard Art Show

Ciné • 7 p.m. • FREE! California-based skateboard brand Brothers Kinetics and Californiaborn artist Chris Hobe, A.K.A. Art Revolts, have come together to create “Wolves and Rabbits,” a special edition skateboard deck inspired by the theme of war and its sad truths. Chris Hobe’s eye-catching retro pop art style is at the center of the collaboration, matched by the meticulous craftsmanship of Brothers Kinetics’ board-building and unique B-link layer embossing. Hobe is currently based in Georgia, and Brothers Kinetics has a historical connection to Downtown Athens’ Hot Corner, making it the perfect city to debut this collaboration. The extremely limited edition release includes five uniquely stained boards that will be signed and numbered and stored in “WAR chests.” [MB]

MUSIC | SAT, MAY 18

Albert Cummings

The Foundry • 6 p.m. (doors), 7 p.m. (show) • $20 (adv.), $25

Albert Cummings began his musical journey at just 12 years old when he took up the five-string banjo, and since then he has carved out his path to becoming an immensely successful blues musician. He has worked closely with other blues legends like Stevie Ray Vaughn, B.B. King and Buddy Guy, as well as released 11 of his own solo albums. The most recent of these is the scorching and soulful Strong, a narrative-driven project that even earned Cummings the #1 position on the Billboard Blues Album Sales Chart. It includes many originals along with covers of “Goin’ Down Slow” by Jimmy Oden and “Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?” by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Athens blues musician Rick Fowler is opening the show. [MB] f

feature

Gilbert Lawand COMEDIAN BRINGS

‘IRAQ YOU BREAK’ TOUR TO ATHENS

By Jessica Smith arts@flagpole.com

Atlanta-based comedian Gilbert Lawand describes his style as silly and absurd sometimes, yet rooted in his personal background and the juxtapositions that can come along with a multicultural identity. Born in Baghdad to Catholic parents, Lawand moved with his family to the small town of Warm Springs, GA (population: under 500) when he was 6 years old to live on a farm. Much of his stage act centers around this unique position of identifying as a Southern, left-leaning person of color navigating conservative narratives of the Middle East.

“It’s coming from a Southerner who didn’t start off in this part of the country or even this hemisphere,” says Lawand. “I love the South but also like to point out some of the injustices of the past and present. It’s the ‘duality of the Southern thing’ as [The Drive-By Truckers frontman] Patterson Hood would say. It’s also the duality of the Middle Eastern thing, as Gilbert Lawand would say. Did I just refer to myself in the third person? I sure did.”

After graduating from the University of Georgia with a double major in accounting and finance, Lawand received his MBA at Emory and briefly worked in corporate America before deciding to venture into comedy only three years later. After several years of performing stand-up and producing comedy shows in Atlanta, Lawand and his friend Mike Albanese relocated to New York City.

May 16. Though he has previously opened for other comedians at the 40 Watt— namely Scovel, whom he’s opened over 150 shows for—this will be Lawand’s first time headlining at the venue. The event is one of 10 stops on a Southeastern tour leading up to a live comedy taping at The Earl in Atlanta on May 24, which happens to be Lawand’s 50th birthday.

“This hour that I’m touring called ‘Iraq You Break’ is very personal,” says Lawand. “It’s about my background and my worldview seen through that lens. It’s silly while still addressing heavier subject matter, such as immigration, right wing politics, war in Iraq and racism.”

Inspired by the abundance of talented comedians surrounding them, Lawand and Albanese soon co-founded the annual Red Clay Comedy Festival, which has since expanded into a multi-day festival featuring over 50 comedians performing across a half dozen venues in East Atlanta Village. The festival’s name pays homage to the iconic red clay that defines so much of Georgia’s natural landscape, but is also a reference to a lyric in the song “Bulldozers and Dirt” by one of Lawand’s favorite bands, The Drive-By Truckers. Currently in its ninth year, the festival has hosted an impressive roster of headliners, such as Eric Andre, Maria Bamford, Janeane Garofalo, Nikki Glaser, Kyle Kinane and Rory Scovel.

“Red Clay is a festival that creates a comedy camp or mini-vacation type of atmosphere for the comedians,” says Lawand, who aims to always take good care of the performers every year. “We’re not a competition, and we don’t go out of our way to court industry types, so it’s not a stressful environment whatsoever. We put all the comics up in hotels, mostly in bunk rooms at the Hotel Clermont.”

Hot off the heels of the festival, which was held May 9–11, Lawand will return to Athens to perform at the 40 Watt Club on

The live taping will be Lawand’s firstever special, and in some ways represents the culmination of the last 17 years spent honing his craft. He jokes that he must be on some sort of timeline coinciding with the cicadas, but the truth is that he hit a few health-related speed bumps after moving back to Atlanta in 2017. It took a little while to get back up to speed, but now he feels that his standup career is in its best place yet in terms of creativity and passion.

“Audiences in Athens have been fantastic,” says Lawand. “It’s one of those places where I don’t have to tone down some of my leftist beliefs. It’s not an overt theme in my act, but it’s amazing how those that scream the most about freedom of speech and cancel culture are often the most sensitive and also the least funny. The scene has always been great in Athens. It seems to maintain a steady state of great comics and shows. I love it.” f

WHO: Gilbert Lawand

WHEN: Thursday, May 16, 7 p m (doors) WHERE: 40 Watt Club HOW MUCH: $15

Chris Hobe

Michael Carnes’ Hiatus

PLUS, MORE MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP

By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com

LET THE SUN SHINE IN: If you thought you were going to get through the whole spring without a new song from Cowboy Kerouac, well, you were wrong, buddy. A single-song release named “Somehow I Survived” just came out, and it’s funny (“What’s an email?/ Why the f*#@ do I have to send emails?”), poignant and uplifting in all under two minutes. Musically speaking it’s pretty straight-up folk-punk, with a lot less country about it than previous Cowboy releases. Not much else to say except check it out at cowboykerouac.bandcamp.com.

PRESSING PAUSE: Songwriter Michael Carnes is a whole mood. He already has a few full-length albums under his belt, and his newest, Hiatus, is out now. Working primarily under a tent held up by a big framework built from the bones of folk and pop, his vocals are rarely urgent, but mostly reserved and often seemingly resigned.

While this album is pretty long at 15 songs—a number very few artists should ever consider putting on a single album— there are several moments of grandeur here that might have been missed otherwise. For example, “Replacement” is a hit waiting to happen with its relatable lyrics and catchy riffing. Another highlight is the title track itself. It’s nearly hymn-like at times, and the lightly played chimes really round the whole thing out. Find this and the rest of his catalog on Spotify, and for more information, please see instagram.com/michaelcarnesmusic and facebook.com/bigzebratunes.

LISTEN WITHOUT PREJUDICE: Athens musician Parker Lusk released his debut EP late last year, but it’s only just now crossed our desks here at the ol’ cultural arbitration board, so that’s what’s taken so long. It’s titled Something Scary, and it runs six tracks long, although the last two songs (“Make It Free” and “Concentration”) were each released as singles in 2022. At first ear-glance, this all feels and sounds highly derivative of any number of 1990s-ish

alt-rock high flyers, but subsequent listens reveal a lot of subtlety and texture. Opening track “Darkest” is a great example of this with its multiple layers, thoughtful playing and really imaginative instrumentation. “Aliens” is similar in its success, but also rocks just a bit harder. Honestly, this whole record was surprisingly creative and worth most of every second spent listening to it. Find this on Spotify.

FREE PALESTINE: Brooklyn, NY label Hate To Quit (stylized as HATETOQUIT) just released an obnoxiously gigantic international compilation. It’s titled Merciless Accelerating Rhythms: Artists United for a Free Palestine, and it includes a few Athens artists. These are, namely, Telemarket, SCHMUK and Honeypuppy. And, in addition to them, there are 52 other artists for a total track listing of 55. According to the label statement, “All proceeds from sales of this compilation will be donated directly to Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) and Palestine Legal.” Now, I listened to this all the way through, and I can report it’s easily among the most listenable compilations of this size I’ve ever encountered. Most of the time stuff like this is just full of garbage throwaway tracks, but not this one. That said, the chances of you ever playing all 55 tracks of this are probably nil. Even so, if you wanna check it out head to hatetoquit. bandcamp.com.

ALLOCATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!: AthFest

Educates, the nonprofit educational organization behind all AthFest events and activities, has opened its grant application season for its 2024–2025 school year grants. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 24. There is a total pool of funds of $65,000 to be awarded, and applicants may request up to $5,000. These grants are open to teachers, community educators and youth development professionals. AthFest Educates released information that says these grants are to provide “1) music and arts based non-consumable equipment, such as musical instruments and audio/ visual equipment; 2) programs and experiences for students that are music and arts focused; and 3) music and arts-based professional development for educators and/ or youth development specialists.” For more information and to apply, please see athfesteducates.org/apply-for-a-grant.

NEW MOTHER NATURE: You already know that AthFest is huge, right? Well, the 2024 AthFest Music & Arts Festival is even more huge. Plus, you’re incredibly likely to stumble across many, many groups and artists that you’ve never seen nor heard before. Nor even heard of. Sure, there’s still plenty of reliable, old school Athens bands playing to serve as aural comfort food but this year is really shaping up to be a discovery festival and I couldn’t be more pleased. Look online at flagpole.com to see the full lineup, and for all information concerning club crawl ticketing, etc. please see athfest. com. f

Stand By For Failure

NEGATIVLAND DOCUMENTARY AND PERFORMANCE

By Gordon Lamb music@flagpole.com

While it seems odd to designate any particular group of subversive artists as being America’s preeminent group of such, the idea being that such an activity would ideally reject hierarchy, there’s just no denying that if anyone deserves the honor, it’s Negativland.

The group originated in the San Francisco Bay Area over four decades ago, and now its operations are based out of North Carolina. The group’s cut-up aesthetics, its early reliance (out of necessity) on mechanical sound manipulation processes, and

us back all the way to the group’s infancy in 1978, the film does a wonderful job of humanizing a group that, for the most part, has often existed as relatively faceless. Beginning as a recording project among Wills, Hosler and late member Richard Lyons, one of the great points made in the film is by Hosler, who said, “I remember saying we should say we’re a band. Let’s just pretend we’re a band! ‘Cause I think it’d be more interesting if our records show up in the Popular Music section and don’t get relegated to being in the contemporary, you

rarely changing targets of mockery and/or satire (i.e. religion, popular culture, capitalism, consumerism, etc.) are all elements that have helped Negativland build a reputation and legacy, perhaps even more than they’ve built an audience. They come from the same generation of creatives that gave us Phone Phreaking and Mail Art.

Longtime listeners can recognize certain members by their inhabitation of certain personas as much as by their given names. The most immediately recognizable of these is David “The Weatherman” Wills, whose telltale voice is exactly what the perfect cartoon game show host would sound like and is often a very sympathetic presence.

When the group, which for this current tour is composed of members Mark Hosler and Jon Leidecker, returns to Athens this week, it will be under the auspices of its host JOKERJOKERtv. Although certainly no strangers to Athens—especially Hosler, who has performed here as recently as 2018—the convergence between these two outfits feels especially serendipitous. JOKERJOKERtv has always felt, at a minimum, a spiritual heir to Negativland’s philosophy of “culture jamming,” which itself is intellectually connected to several other radical arts movements. The practice—shortly defined as remixing and repurposing cultural signifiers, detritus and value systems—now exists in such a huge way that it’s easy to fall short of fully understanding how radical this was before the rise of internet meme culture, record albums full of nothing but samples, and publications like Adbusters

The actual story of Negativland is pretty straightforward, though, and told in the entirely enjoyable new documentary from director Ryan Worsely Stand By For Failure: A Documentary About Negativland. Taking

know, 20th century experimental music section.” The next line, from Wills, is the kicker, though. “I still don’t think I’m worthy of ‘a band’! I have no business being in a band. I’m not a musician. I’m this thing [gesturing toward himself]. What I do here with this weird stuff.”

It also explores, as fully as possible, the international scandal—and subsequent legal problems—of its 1991 release U2 In that case, the band had parodied and sampled “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” and backed it with an entirely not-fit-for-broadcast rant on the Irish hitmakers by American Top 40 host Casey Kasem. It’s packed with vintage footage and photographs, clips of old interviews and the like, and carries the story all the way into the present day with the band collaborating with SUE-C (Sue Slagle). The band designates Slagle, an award-winning video artist and engineer, as part of the extended Negativland family.

Attendees at this week’s appearance by Negativland will be treated to both a screening of the film and a live performance by Hosler, Leidecker and Slagle titled “We Can Really Feel Like We’re Here.” Music and sound are handled by Hosler and Leidecker with Slagle performing live image manipulations for the screen behind them. It’s quite an intense undertaking and a treat to be in its presence. f

WHO: Stand ByForFailure:

ADocumentaryAbout Negativland, Negativland and SUE-C

WHEN: Friday, May 17, 6 p m (doors) WHERE: Ciné HOW MUCH: $20 (adv ), $25

Negativland and SUE-C

NEGATIVLAND AND JENNIFER BENNETT

Michael Carnes

The Reinvention of Repertoire

SHANE PARISH ARRANGES SONGS FOR ACOUSTIC GUITAR

By Chad Radford music@flagpole.com

The press release accompanying guitarist Shane Parish’s latest album, Repertoire, includes an essay penned by his collaborator and fellow guitarist Wendy Eisenberg. In the essay, Eisenberg describes Repertoire as an album that, “… brings you into the room and the breath of a true musician whose mastery does not overshadow his appreciation of the music that inspired it.”

The mastery to which Eisenberg refers is Parish’s seamless ability to rise above his highly evolved technical skill level as an improviser, arranger and composer, always allowing the true beauty of the music he’s playing to shine above all else.

Throughout Repertoire, released May 10 via Palilalia Records, Parish reduces 14 outsider standards from various musical genres—Kraftwerk’s “Europe Endless,” Alice Coltrane’s “Journey Into Satchidananda,” Aphex Twin’s “Avril 14th,” John Cage’s “Totem Ancestor” and more—allowing their melodies and their vital essences to take on a gently glowing body via the resonating steel strings of his guitar.

of The Electric Nature and John Kiran Fernandes of The Olivia Tremor Control, Organically Programmed and The Rishis.

He is also the driving force behind the math-punk mania of Ahleuchatistas. The trio’s current lineup is rounded out by bass player Trevor Dunn of Mr. Bungle, Melvins and Fantômas fame, and drummer Danny Piechocki, who played on the 2022 album, Expansion. The group wields an intensely composed and motorik lilt that Dunn describes as “pan-tonal poly-metric counterpoint.”

More recently, Parish played a key role in bringing to life avant-garde guitarist Bill Orcutt’s masterpiece LP Music For Four Guitars

Since relocating from Asheville with his wife and daughter in 2021, Parish has taught guitar lessons to children at Lay Park Community Center.

“They call it the Beginner’s Guitar Club,” Parish says. “We have a lot of fun,” he laughs. “We’ve had some pretty rowdy sessions, but teaching these classes allows me to reach a larger community than my

role in Bill Orcutt’s Guitar Quartet, playing alongside a world-class assemblage of guitarists, featuring Orcutt, Wendy Eisenberg and Ava Mendoza.

Orcutt is an influential musical figure known for his role in the experimental and noise-punk scenes. His abrasive and improvisational approach to guitar in the Miamibased outfit Harry Pussy bore a striking influence on acts ranging from Sonic Youth and Royal Trux to Wolf Eyes and Oneida.

Parish met Orcutt in 2016 when they were both booked to play a small music festival in Durham. Parish’s solo acoustic CD, Undertaker Please Drive Slow, had recently been released by John Zorn’s Tzadik Records. “[Bill] watched us play that night,” Parish says. “I don’t know how to work a room or anything like that, so I just gave him a CD right after the show and left him alone.”

Parish also hails from Miami originally. Orcutt now lives in San Francisco but returns to play an annual Miami show. He invited Parish to play with him.

For years, Parish had been posting to YouTube and Instagram his arrangements of some of his favorite songs. Some of the videos went mildly viral, and started people talking about the music. It was his interpretation of Alice Coltrane’s meditative “Journey in Satchidananda” that piqued Orcutt’s interest.

sions upon the Quartet’s songs recorded in the Netherlands and Denmark.

The live LP captures the twisting and clanging strings moving in unified rhythms and structures as though Orcutt’s propulsive musical motions could continue expanding outward forever.

“As an arranger and transcriber, Shane has incredible attention to detail and a devotion to get it right,” Orcutt says. “As a performer and improvisor, he’s passionate and has terrific drive and charisma. On stage, he’s impossible not to like.”

In time, Orcutt approached Parish about releasing an album of the arrangements he’s been posting online.

Big band leader Duke Ellington once famously said, “I don’t need time, I need a deadline.” Parish invokes these words while explaining how the album’s constituent parts had been amassing for years. “I had made all of these arrangements for these videos over years, and after I’d get a good take I never looked back,” Parish says. “But I still had those arrangements somewhere. When Bill offered to pay for me to go into a studio to record these songs and to press them on vinyl, I thought, ‘I’d better get cracking!’” Parish goes on to say. “That helped me organize my time around hitting that single goal.”

“It’s a beloved song that’s not easy to play on guitar,” Orcutt says. “I thought Shane’s version really captured the spirit of the composition.”

Parish teaches a youth class for kids aged 8–12 and one for teenagers aged 12–17, playing everything from Raffi Cavoukian’s children’s classic “Down By the Bay” to improvising around an original tune that his younger students wrote together.

Parish teaches his older students “Malagueña,” Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona’s 1930s song featuring a traditional Spanish melody. “I had been teaching it for a while,” Parish says. “When I read Keith Richards’ biography, I learned it was a song that his grandfather—a jazz musician—taught to him. His grandfather said, ‘If you can play ‘Malagueña’ you can play

One of Parish’s recent gigs landed him a

Later, Orcutt approached Parish to transcribe the material he’d worked up for Music For Four Guitars

“It was clear from his videos that he was skilled at transcription, and as a full-time musician he was probably looking for paid work.”

Orcutt hired Parish to transcribe the record and a working relationship was born.

“When I heard the Guitar Quartet it was clear to me what a score would look like and that it was doable in an orderly fashion,” Parish says.

The two started playing shows around the world with the Guitar Quartet. In March, Orcutt’s label Palilalia Records released a double LP featuring live expan-

On its own terms, Repertoire is a stunningly gorgeous show of melodies being stroked with exquisite passion. The pure sounds that Parish elicits are as arresting as the songs he chose to arrange. In the end, the album illustrates that Parish is more than capable of playing in a traditionally, romantically beautiful way. It adds depth to his presence while defying the polarity in the mania of Ahleuchatistas or the intense structures of Orcutt’s Guitar Quartet. Here, he makes each song his own, all the while defying flash and acrobatics, drawing out the essential beauty of each song. f

WHO: Shane Parish, John Kiran Fernandes WHEN: Thursday, May 23, 8 p m WHERE: Hendershot’s HOW MUCH: $10

live music calendar

Tuesday 14

40 Watt Club

7 p.m. (doors). $21 (adv.), $26. www.40watt.com

THE LEMON TWIGS Rock band formed by brothers Brian and Michael D’Addario whose music has been described as operatic psychedelia and glam-prog.

CRYSTAL EGG Trio that combines vocal, drums and synthesizers into something between the ’60s Manhattan fringe scene and ’70s no wave.

Flicker Theatre & Bar

8 p.m. (doors). $10. www.flicker theatreandbar.com

RONNIE STONE Brooklyn-based ’80s synth-pop and dance music.

TWIN POWERS Local DJ who is also a member of DJ trio Booty Boyz.

TOKYO TEENS ’80s-inspired darkpop from Atlanta.

Hendershot’s

No Phone Party. 7 p.m. www.hender shotsathens.com

KENOSHA KID Instrumental adventure-jazz group centered around the rollicking compositions of Dan Nettles and featuring Josh Allen, Seth Hendershot and various guests. Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall

7 pm. FREE! music.uga.edu

GEORGIA CHILDREN’S CHORUS

Singers age 7-18 from the greater Athens area who are trained inresidence at Hugh Hodgson School of Music.

Morton Theatre From Opera to Hip-Hop: A Celebration of American Music. 7:30 p.m. FREE! pac.uga.edu

JOSHUA STEWART The acclaimed guest tenor joins UGA faculty to perform operatic and jazz selections.

ATHENS HIP-HOP HARMONIC A genre-bending collective bringing together Athens hip-hop artists and UGA musicians.

Normal Bar

8–11 p.m. FREE! booking@rudymontayremusic.com

OPEN MIC Held Every Tuesday evening.

Nowhere Bar

9:30 p.m. $10. www.facebook.com/ NowhereBarAthens

SGT. SPLENDOR Musicians Kate Vargas and Eric McFadden join forces to create Tom Waits-inspired alt-funk, desert roots, dirty blues and rock.

The World Famous

8:30 p.m. $10 suggested donation. www.facebook.com/theworldfamous athens

SCARYSPIES Melancholic, powerful and gentle Montreal-based singer-songwriter.

LIZ FARRELL Jeff Buckleyinspired vocals accompanied by intricate ukulele.

ORGANICALLY PROGRAMMED

Electronic space-themed act utilizing primitive drum machines and synthesizers to create disco-pop, jazz and easy listening inspired compositions.

Wednesday 15

40 Watt Club Attaboy Tapes Presents. 7 p.m. (doors). $21 (adv.), $26. www.40watt.com

MERIDIAN BROTHERS Avantgarde band formed in Bogotá in 1998 that experiments with mixing popular Caribbean rhythms and electronic music.

TAXICAB VERSES Local group fronted by Jim Wilson and inspired by the traditional sounds of Ghana.

JAY GONZALEZ Athens songwriter and multi-instrumentalist with an affinity for ’70s power pop melodies.

KLARK SOUND Atlanta musician with folk and prog influences. Ciné

8 p.m. (doors), 9 p.m. (show). $10. www.athenscine.com

AMY JAY Singer-songwriter from New York.

JOSEPH BONES Athens indie folk artist.

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

HIBBS FAMILY BAND Quartet of family members combining the textures and rhythms of bluegrass and folk music with alt-rock melodic sensibilities and lyricism. (6 p.m.)

Porterhouse Grill

6–8:30 p.m. www.porterhousegrill athens.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 16

Flicker Theatre & Bar

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

PARKER WIERLING Athens-based upbeat alternative musician blending elements of roots rock, indie pop and Americana.

DESMOND MYERS Atlanta-based singer-songwriter who is influenced by rock, blues, southern hip hop, R&B and EDM.

ANDREW SCOTCHIE Musician with the spirit of a jam band and a punk rock fierceness and energy.

HONEYPUPPY Four-piece indie rock band self-described as a “menace to society.”

Georgia Museum of Art 7:30 p.m. FREE! music.uga.edu

DISPERSIONS IN WATERCOLOR Amy Yang, Dean of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, joins UGA student composers and performers as they explore newly created, multidisciplinary works inspired by poetry, art and the environment.

Hendershot’s 7 p.m. (sign-ups), 8 p.m. (show). FREE! www.hendershotsathens.com

JAZZ JAM Seth Hendershot and the house band Unstarched host an open jazz jam.

Hotel Indigo

Live After Five Series. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www.facebook.com/Aubrey EntertainmentAthensGA KIP JONES Local songwriter playing all your favorite folk, rock, R&B and country covers and some of his own tunes.

JOKERJOKER Gallery

LIVE In The Studio. 6:30 p.m. FREE! www.jokerjokertv.com/watch NEGATIVLAND JOKERJOKERtv presents a virtual performance. This experimental group that originated

in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late ’70s is known for incorporating sound collage and culture jamming into their performances.

Madison-Morgan

Cultural Center

Chamber Music Festival: Grand Finale. 7:30 p.m. $35–75. www. mmcc-arts.org

LLEWELLYN SANCHEZ-WERNER

Virtuosic pianist who graduated from Julliard and has performed worldwide.

YOUTH MUSIC COMPETITION

WINNER Special performance from this year’s winner of Madison-Morgan Cultural Center’s Youth Music Competition.

Georgia Theatre

7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $17 (adv.), $20. www.georgiatheatre. com

SPENCER THOMAS Drummer, singer and songwriter from Jackson, MS who has since moved to Athens and worked with local legends from Drive-By Truckers, Reptar, Heffner and Futurebirds to create his forthcoming album The Joke of Life. Hendershot’s

8 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com

TERRAPLANE BLUE Local bluesrock band featuring Doug Peters, John Straw and Dean Johnson.

MRJORDANMRTONKS Tommy Jordan and William Tonks’ collabo-

Nowhere Bar 9:30 p.m. www.facebook.com/ NowhereBarAthens

SOLID COUNTRY GOLD Diablo boys playing country jams. Southern Brewing Co.

6–10 p.m. www.sobrewco.com

KARAOKE NIGHT Every Thursday evening.

Friday 17

Buvez

7 p.m. $10. www.facebook.com/buvez athens

MURDER THE MOOD Local riffladen alternative rock trio.

GRUDGESTEP Atlanta band blending alt-metal and hardcore punk.

SWEAR JAR ’90s inspired rock group that explores new horizons in punk, indie and alternative music.

Ciné

6 p.m. (doors), 6:45 p.m. (film), 9 p.m. (concert). $20 (adv.), $25. www.athenscine.com

NEGATIVLAND AND SUE-C Following the screening of Stand By For Failure: A Documentary About Negativland, Negativland and SUEC will perform “We Can Really Feel Like We’re Here.”

Flicker Theatre & Bar

8 p.m. www.flickertheatreandbar.com

YER FLOWERS Knoxville, TNbased quartet whose sound is a healthy blend of honky-tonk, country, pop and punk energy.

TERRESTRIAL TROUBADOURS Cosmic country act from Chattanooga.

NEWPORT TRANSPLANT

Dynamic honky-tonk band straddling punk rock and sci-fi wonder.

COWBOY KEROUAC Athens queer anarcho cowpunk. State Botanical Garden of Georgia Day Chapel. 7:30 p.m. $15 (w/ UGA ID), $40. music.uga.edu

AN EVENING IN PARIS Tonight’s program includes Debussy’s “Sonata for Flute, Viola, and Harp,” Bizet’s “Jeux d’enfants,” Saint-Saëns’ “Fantasy for Violin and Harp,” a selection of songs by Francis Poulenc and more.

Saturday 18

40 Watt Club Classic City Wrestling. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $15–25. www.40watt.com

THE PINK STONES Local cosmic country band with a lighthearted, twangy charm.

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

DAVID COURT One-man band playing harmonica, dulcimer and foot tambourine. (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

Attaboy Tapes Presents. 8 p.m. (doors). $12. www.flickertheatreand bar.com

TERRY’S DOLMEN Project featuring Graham Ulicny of Reptar and Thick Paint.

YOUR EX’S PETS New band featuring members of Dadgum, Jake Brower Band and Liz Farrell. SONGS FOR SLEEPING DOGS

ration features rootsy guitar picking and paired vocal melodies.

Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall

7:30 p.m. $10 (w/ UGA ID), $40–70. music.uga.edu

PATTY GRIFFIN Double Grammy Award-winner whose deeply personal and emotional songs are a rich combination of Americana, folk and gospel.

Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture

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

SHAUNA & THE JAYWALKERS

Led by frontwoman Shauna Harris, this Athens-based band features an array of revolving instruments, playing Harris’s original compositions with some classics sprinkled throughout.

Morton Theatre

8 p.m. $30–45. www.mortontheatre. com

TED TORRES MARTIN Musician and actor presents all of The King’s hits in “ELVIS The Show.”

Nowhere Bar

9:30 p.m. $15 (adv.), $20. www.face book.com/NowhereBarAthens

BLOODKIN Originally formed in Athens by Eric Carter and the late Daniel Hutchens in 1986, this gritty rock and roll group has accumulated a catalog of more than 500 songs.

Red Line Athens

7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. www. instagram.com/redline_athens THE CHODES Punk from Panama City, FL.

GEBIDAN Athens post-punk. BEAT UP Local punks resisting the darkest timeline.

Nowhere Bar 9:30 p.m. $10. www.facebook.com/ NowhereBarAthens

DON CHAMBERS Longtime local favorite who delves into pastoral folk and experimental rock with equal passion. THE LANES The world’s heaviest easy listening band. Oglethorpe Fresh 7 p.m. $10. oglethorpefresh7@gmail. com

JEF WHATLEY AND THE VINTAGE PEOPLE Member of Classic City Jukebox, Brown Dwarf, Normaltown Sound Machine, TaxiCab Verses, Pilgrim. etc. performs a solo set of originals and favorite songs from throughout his time in music.

Sunday 19

First Baptist Church

The Art of the String Quartet. 3 p.m. $5 (w/ UGA ID), $30. pac.uga.edu

BORROMEO STRING QUARTET Renowned string quartet that has been performing for over 25 years. Program includes “String Quartet in D minor” by Jean Sibelius, a short work by Eleanor Alberga and Franz Schubert’s “Quintet.”

Hendershot’s Brazil Night. 7 p.m. www.hendershots athens.com

BRAZIL NIGHT Live bands playing Brazilian music.

Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture

7 p.m. $15. www.marigoldauditorium. com

New ambient project led by Ben Hackett.

JOHN FERNANDES Local Elephant 6 stalwart and multi-instrumentalist who works his improvisational magic on the clarinet and loop pedal.

The Foundry

Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 6 p.m. (doors), 7 p.m. (show). $20 (adv.), $25. www.facebook.com/Aubrey EntertainmentAthensGA

ALBERT CUMMINGS BAND

American blues musician who has played alongside B.B. King, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy.

RICK FOWLER BAND Original, guitar-driven local blues-rock group.

Front Porch Bookstore

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

NORMA RAE Songs about the South that blend original lyrics with inescapably Southern vocals into an Americana sound.

Marigold Auditorium for Arts and Culture

Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $20 (adv.), $25. www.facebook.com/Aubrey EntertainmentAthensGA

SONS OF SAILORS A Jimmy Buffett cover band that has been performing together since 1980.

Memorial Park

AFMDS Contra Dance. 6:30 p.m. (lesson), 8–10 p.m. (dance). FREE! (17 & under), $10 (w/ student ID), $12. www.athensfolk.org

NEVERLAND RAMBLERS The Athens Folk Music and Dance Society presents a community contra dance with live music and live calling by Stuart Whipple.

KLEZMER LOCAL 42 Local sevenpiece klezmer band specializing in Jewish and Romani music. The Roadhouse 10:30 p.m. www.instagram.com/road houseathens

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

Tuesday 21

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

KENOSHA KID Instrumental adventure-jazz group centered around the rollicking compositions of Dan Nettles.

Normal Bar 8–11 p.m. FREE! booking@rudymontayremusic.com OPEN MIC Held Every Tuesday evening.

Ramsey Hall

7:30 p.m. $5 (w/ UGA ID), $30. pac. uga.edu

CHAMBER MUSIC ATHENS GALA FINALE Borromeo String Quartet, guest artists, UGA faculty and students perform Mendelssohn’s “Overture to The Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3” and Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence.”

Wednesday 22

Creature Comforts

Brewery Athens Farmers Market. 5–8 p.m. FREE! www.athensfarmersmarket.net THE NEW ORLEANS JAZZ

STOMPERS New Orleans style music played by members of The Dixieland Five. (6 p.m.) f

GARRETT

CARDOSO

The Pink Stones will play at Classic City Wrestling on Saturday, May 18 at the 40 Watt Club.

event calendar

Wednesday 15

ART: Tour At Two (Georgia Museum of Art) These drop-in public tours feature highlights of the permanent collection. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org

CLASSES: Smell the Flowers! Wines for Spring (Foxglove Plantbar) Learn about and taste a variety of the school’s favorite wines for the spring season. 6 p.m. $20. www. pintaschoolofwine.com

CLASSES: Salsa Dancing (El Carretonero) Join SALSAthens for Cuban salsa lessons that meet a variety of dance abilities, including beginners. Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. (advanced), 7:30 p.m. (beginner/ intermediate). $10. SALSAthens Dancing@gmail.com

COMEDY: Gorgeous George’s Improv League (Buvez) Townie improv that invites you to bring suggestions to help create improv magic. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. $5 suggested donation. www.flying squidcomedy.com

COMEDY: Hendershot’s Comedy (Hendershot’s) Enjoy a lineup featuring comics from Athens and Atlanta as well as newcomers. Hosted by Noell Appling. Third Wednesdays, 8 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com

FILM: Three Star Cinema (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of the 1985 comedy film Mismatched Couples. 7 p.m. FREE! www.flicker theatreandbar.com

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

KIDSTUFF: Wellbeing Walk (reBlossom Mama & Baby Shop) Join other members of the community for a walk. Third Wednesdays, 9:30 p.m. FREE! www.athensparent wellbeing.org

OUTDOORS: ‘Normal’ Run (Athentic Brewing Co.) Join the Athens Road Runners for a 1–3 mile run that starts and ends at Athentic Brewing. Every other Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com

PERFORMANCE: Irish Step-Dancing (Oconee County Library) The Dancers of the Carpenter Academy of Irish Dance in Athens perform, teach basic dance steps and answer questions about the art form. 6–7 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

Thursday 16

ART: Pop-Up Gallery (tiny ATH gallery) Artist Lisa Freeman’s exhibition “Shock & Awe: Guns, God & the American Way” will be on view. 6–9 p.m. FREE! www.tinyathgallery. com

CLASSES: Adobe Premiere Pro Video Editing (ACC Library) Learn to import your video, cut and splice scenes, insert transitions and titles, and more. 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org

CLASSES: Yoga in the Galleries (Georgia Museum of Art) Enjoy a yoga class in the art galleries led by instructors from Five Points Yoga. Open to all skill levels. Attend in person (first come, first served) or via Zoom. 6 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org

COMEDY: Gilbert Lawand (40 Watt Club) The Atlanta-based comedian’s style is a mix of social commentary and silliness drawn from a unique background. 7 p.m. (doors). $15. www.40watt.com

COMEDY: Comedy in the Cellar (Onward Reserve) Athens Comedy presents a lineup of touring and local comedians. Thursdays, 8 p.m. $7–12. www.facebook.com/ athenscomedy

EVENTS: Business After Hours (Classic City Flowers & Nursery) The Oglethorpe County Chamber of Commerce will host a gathering at the nursery with tours of the grounds and refreshments. 5:30–7 p.m. FREE! www.classiccityflowers. com

GAMES: Mahjong Club (Winterville Cultural Center) Learn to play the ancient Chinese game of Mahjong. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1–4 p.m. $1. www.wintervillecenter.com

GAMES: Thursday Trivia (Johnny’s New York Style Pizza) Test your trivia knowledge with host Jon Head. 6:30 p.m. www.johnnyspizza. com

GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (The Foundry) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Thursdays, 7 p.m. www.facebook.com/baddog athens

GAMES: Rock ’n Roll Trivia (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host The Music Man. 7 p.m. FREE! www.athentic brewing.com

KIDSTUFF: Read to Rover (Bogart Library) Drop in to read a story to Maisy Jane and her furry friends. Ages 4 & up. 4–5 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/bogart

KIDSTUFF: Teen Dungeons & Dragons (Bogart Library) Join the volunteer led role-playing adventure where you can fight dragons, join an army, go on a quest in distant lands or find hidden treasure. 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

MEETINGS: Coffee Hour (Oconee County Library) Drop in to drink some coffee, while supplies last. Thursdays, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee

MEETINGS: KnitLits Knitting Group (Bogart Library) Knitters of all levels are invited to have fun, share craft ideas and knit to their hearts’ content. Thursdays, 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 1:30 p.m. info@petanque.org, www.athenspetanque.org

Friday 17

ART: 90 Carlton: Spring (Georgia Museum of Art) Featuring “Nancy Baker Cahill: Through Lines” and a celebration of the new spring exhibitions. 6:30–8:30 p.m. $15. www. georgiamuseum.org

COMEDY: The Hothouse (work. shop) True-to-life improv comedy inspired by audience suggestions featuring Jade Fernandez, Bradley Bazzle and Matt House. 8 p.m. $10. www.flyingsquidcomedy.com

EVENTS: Terrapin Mobile Food Pantry (Terrapin Beer Co.) First come, first serve rain or shine food distribution for those in need who meet income eligibility require-

ments. Third Fridays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.terrapinbeer.com

FILM: Stand By For Failure (Ciné) Screening of the Negativland documentary by filmmaker Ryan Worsley followed by a Q&A with members of the group and a live performance. 6 p.m. (doors). $20 (adv.), $25. www.athenscine.com

FILM: Movies By Moonlight (Bishop Park) Screening of Paw Patrol – The Mighty Movie with a “Touch a Truck” activity area before. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. 7 p.m. FREE! www.accgov.com

GAMES: Chess Club (Winterville Cultural Center) Join others for a weekly chess competition. Fridays, 6–10 p.m. FREE! www.winterville center.com

GAMES: Friday Night Initiative (Online: Tyche’s Games) Learn how to play a RPG game with others on Discord. New players welcome. 7 p.m. FREE! www.tychesgames.com

KIDSTUFF: Fantastic Friday (Bishop Park) An instructor supervises while a parent/caregiver leads their little ones through obstacle courses. Ages 1–4 years. Register online. 10–11:30 a.m. $7.50 (ACC residents), $11.25 (non-ACC residents). www.accgovga.myrec.com

KIDSTUFF: Spanish Storytime (Oconee County Library) Listen to and practice Spanish songs and stories for any skill level. All ages. 5 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee

MEETINGS: Help I Yarned (Bogart Library) Learn new patterns and techniques for knitting and crochet. 1–2 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart

PERFORMANCE: Operation: Transformation! (40 Watt Club) This fundraising drag show will benefit Athens Pride & Queer Collective’s trans surgery scholarship. 8 p.m. (doors), 9:30 p.m. (show). $20–40. www.40watt.com

THEATER: The Cemetery Club (The Elbert Theatre) Three Jewish widows navigate life, new love and the challenges of friendship in this heartfelt performance. May 17–18, 7 p.m. May 19, 2 p.m. $9-17. www. bigtickets.com/events/elbert-theatre

Saturday 18

ART: Opening Reception (Ciné) Brothers Kinetics Skateboards and Art Revolts are hosting a “Wolves and Rabbits” skateboard deck release. 7–10 p.m. FREE! www. instagram.com/brotherskinetics

CLASSES: Family Movie Morning (Oconee County Library) Stop in for a photo opportunity with The Princess of Athens as “Cruella” and then watch a children’s movie about Dalmations who number over 100. 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee

CLASSES: Home Buyer Seminar (Coldwell Banker Upchurch Realty) Get first-hand insights and expert advice from realtors and industry professionals about buying a home. 11 a.m. FREE! www.upchurchrealty. com

CLASSES: ARTWORK Workshop Series (Lyndon House Arts Center) Artists and creative professionals will learn about starting a creative business with Willow Tracy. Registration suggested. 5:30–7 p.m.

FREE! www.facebook.com/Lyndon HouseArts

EVENTS: Hummingbird Festival (Classic City Flowers & Nursery) Browse arts, crafts, flowers and more along with local musical acts and a food truck on site. 9 a.m.–6 p.m. www.classiccityflowers.com

EVENTS: West Broad Farmers Market (Rocksprings Park Pavilion) Vendors will be on site with fresh produce, local fare, rare plants, artisan goods and more. Saturdays, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. FREE! www.athens landtrust.org/wbfm

EVENTS: Historic Athens Preservation Celebration (Morton Theatre) Before the 55th Preservation Awards ceremony, enjoy behind-the-scenes tours of historic buildings and a reception with live music and treats. 2–8:30 p.m. $35–65. bit.ly/55tour

EVENTS: 9th Annual Bark & Wine (Historic Smithonia Farm) The Madison-Oglethorpe Animal Shelter’s largest fundraiser of the year features dinner, dessert, wine, live music, silent auctions and raffles. 6–10 p.m. $60. www.moaspets. com/barkandwine

GAMES: Chess Club (Oconee County Library) Drop in for open chess play for all skill levels. 3 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee

KIDSTUFF: Family Day: Eye Witness (Georgia Museum of Art) View the exhibition “Kei Ito: Staring at the Face of the Sun” with interactive gallery activities and a take-home art project. 10 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org

MEETINGS: Atheist Society of Athens Meet & Greet (ACC Library) Non-prophet discussions with friends and neighbors. Third Saturdays, 4 p.m. FREE! www.atheist societyathens.org

OUTDOORS: Shoal Lily Float (Broad River Campground) Join the Broad River Watershed Association for this annual float and hike to see the shoal lilies. Email for registration and detailed directions. 9 a.m. $25. info@brwa.org

PERFORMANCE: Classic City Wrestling (40 Watt Club) A night of high flying, power slamming independent wrestling, with a side of rock and roll by The Pink Stones. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $15–25. www.40watt.com

SPORTS: Classic City Petanque Club Tournament (Lay Park) The second annual FPUSA SE Region Mixed Triples Petanque tournament will feature 26 teams competing from around the Southeast. May 18–19, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. FREE! www. athenspetanque.org

THEATER: The Cemetery Club (The Elbert Theatre) Three Jewish widows navigate life, new love and the challenges of friendship in this heartfelt performance. May 17–18, 7 p.m. May 19, 2 p.m. $9-17. www. bigtickets.com/events/elbert-theatre

Sunday 19

ART: Opening Reception (State Botanical Garden of Georgia) Painter Kathy Rogan sells her original oil paintings to benefit Parkinson’s research. 12–2 p.m. FREE! botgarden.uga.edu

ART: Art + Wellness Studio (Georgia Museum of Art) Art therapist Meg Abbot will lead in exploring art

and creating something together. RSVP by email. 2–4 p.m. FREE! gmoa-tours@uga.edu

ART: Sunday Spotlight Tour (Georgia Museum of Art) This drop-in public tour features highlights of the permanent collection. 3 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org

CLASSES: Athens YOGA Collective (Athentic Brewing Co.) Enjoy a yoga class on the patio. First and third Sundays, 12 p.m. FREE! www. athenticbrewing.com

COMEDY: Best of Athens Comedy (The Globe) Athens Comedy presents a lineup of touring and local comedians. Sundays, 9 p.m. $7. www.athenscomedy.com

COMEDY: Tournament of Topics and Live Podcast (The Globe) Competition with a variety of comedians riffing on random topics head-to-head hosted by Levi Crumely. 9 p.m. $5. www.athens comedy.com

EVENTS: Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Luncheon (UGA Center for Continuing Education & Hotel) The class of 2024 will be introduced along with the winners of the Fosky Henderson Community Service Awards. 1 p.m. $35. www.athens halloffame.com

EVENTS: Pups & Pints (Athentic Brewing Co.) The patio will be full of adoptable dogs with a free pour for every adoption. Third Sundays, 3–6 p.m. www.athenticbrewing.com

EVENTS: Remembering Those Who Served (Oconee County Library) A reading of the names and ranks for the WWII veterans who will be honored on dedication pages as well as an opportunity for families to share memories. 3 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee

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

PERFORMANCE: Athens Showgirl Cabaret ’80s Drag Brunch (Hendershots) Enjoy some brunch and 8’0s themed drag entertainment. Open to all ages. 11 a.m. $35. www.athensshowgirlcabaret.com

SPORTS: Classic City Petanque Club Tournament (Lay Park) The second annual FPUSA SE Region Mixed Triples Petanque tournament will feature 26 teams competing from around the Southeast. May 18–19, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. FREE! www. athenspetanque.org

SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. info@petanque.org, www.athenspetanque.org

THEATER: The Cemetery Club (The Elbert Theatre) Three Jewish widows navigate life, new love and the challenges of friendship in this heartfelt performance. May 17–18, 7 p.m. May 19, 2 p.m. $9-17. www. bigtickets.com/events/elbert-theatre

Monday 20

COMEDY: Sake Bomb Open Mic Comedy (Cozy Bar) Watch a variety of comedians perform new material or join in with your own standup routine. Mondays, 9 p.m. FREE! www.athenscomedy.com

EVENTS: Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet (UGA Center for

Continuing Education & Hotel) The formal induction ceremony will recognize the class of 2024 and community service award winners. 6 p.m. $60. www.athenshalloffame. com

GAMES: Open Chess Play (ACC Library) Drop in for a game open to all skill levels with light refreshments served. Mondays, 3–5 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org

GAMES: General Trivia with Erin (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Erin. Mondays, 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

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

GAMES: Team Trivia (Southern Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host Team Trivia. Mondays, 7 p.m. www.sobrewco.com

GAMES: Trivia with Marissa (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Test your trivia knowledge with host Marissa. 8 p.m. www.flickertheatreandbar. com

KIDSTUFF: Teen D&D Club (Oconee County Library) Join a one-shot game open to all skill levels, including Dungeon Masters, with a prize drawing at the end of the evening. Grades 6–12. 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/oconee LECTURES & LIT: Third Monday Book Club (Oconee County Library) Discuss books chosen by the group. New members welcome. Third Mondays, 7 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/oconee

MEETINGS: Classic City Rotary (Athentic Brewing Co.) The local chapter meets weekly. Mondays, 11:30 a.m. FREE! www.athentic brewing.com

Tuesday 21

CLASSES: ESOL (Bogart Library) Learn or polish your English skills using Mango languages online and in-person basic conversation and vocabulary. 12:30 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/bogart COMEDY: Open Toad Comedy Night (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Comedy performed by a mix of newcomers and local favorites from Athens and Atlanta. 9 p.m. (doors). $7. www.flickertheatreandbar.com

EVENTS: Tiki Taco Tuesday (Live Wire) Enjoy live music, craft cocktails and a taco pop-up from Don Carne. Tuesdays, 5–10 p.m. www. livewireathens.com

GAMES: Mahjong Club (Winterville Cultural Center) Learn to play the ancient Chinese game of Mahjong. Tuesdays & Thursdays, 1–4 p.m. $1. www.wintervillecenter.com

MEETINGS: Knot Just For Knitters (Oconee County Library) Bring your own crafting project to work on while chatting with fellow crafters. Tuesdays, 3–5 p.m. FREE! www. athenslibrary.org/oconee

SPORTS: Athens Athletic Hall of Fame Golf Tournament (UGA Golf Course) Compete on the green with a reception and awards ceremony at the end of the afternoon. 7 a.m. www.athenshalloffame.com 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.

AAAC QUARTERLY GRANT (Athens, GA) The Athens Area Arts Council offers $500 grants to visual and performing artists in any medium to support specific projects that enrich the culture of Athens. Rolling deadlines are June 15, Sept. 15, Dec. 15 and Mar. 15. Apply online. www. athensarts.org/support

BIPOC ARTIST/CURATOR PROJECT OPEN CALL (Lyndon House Arts Center) Seeking BIPOC individuals residing in Georgia to develop an art exhibition to be on display for 6–8 weeks at the LHAC. A stipend of $1500 is provided. www.accgov. com/9799/ArtistCurator

CALL FOR ART (Oconee Cultural Arts Foundation) Seeking submissions for the annual Members Exhibition. Every member is invited to submit one recent work of art of any size or medium. New members welcome. Fill out online form. Deadline May 21. Exhibition on view June 21–July 26. www.ocaf.com

CALL FOR COLLECTORS (Lyndon House Arts Center) The LHAC’s “Collections from our Community” series features unique collections of objects found in the closets, cabinets and shelves of Athenians. Email if interested in displaying your collection. shelby.little@ accgov.com

CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Artists, artist groups and curators can submit original exhibition proposals for consideration in the arts

center’s gallery schedule. Arts can also submit images of their work for consideration in larger group or themed shows. Deadline Sept. 20, 11:59 p.m. www.accgov.com/6657/ Exhibition-Proposal-Form CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (Athens, GA) The Athens Downtown Development Authority and Lyndon House Arts Center are seeking proposals for Art Decko, a public art project consisting of 4’x8’ murals in a downtown parking deck stairwell. Selected artists will receive a $1,100 stipend and a three-month studio membership at LHAC. Application deadline June 2. form. jotform.com/241293354723153 EMERGING BLACK ARTIST SCHOLARSHIP (Athens, GA) The Athens Area Arts Council will award a $500 scholarship annually to one Black artist from a Clarke County high school who is attending, or has been accepted to, a college or university to study the arts. Deadline June 30. www.athensarts.org/ support

JOKERJOKERTV CALL FOR ARTISTS (Online) JOKERJOKERtv is actively accepting proposals for collaboration from visual, musical and video artists and curators living in Athens. Artists worldwide can also submit music videos, short films, skits and ideas to share with a weekly livestream audience. www. jokerjokertv.com/submit

MUSIC AND ARTS EDUCATION GRANTS (Athens, GA) AthFest Educates will award a total of $65,000 to music and arts education programs for local students. Applicants

art around town

ACE/FRANCISCO GALLERY (675 Pulaski St., Suite 1500) Jason Thrasher’s exhibition of photographs, “Kashi Washi,” documents his return to a specific street corner in Benares, India 25 years after his first visit in 1998. Through May by appointment.

ATHENS INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART: ATHICA (675 Pulaski St.) Curated by Jon Vogt and Christina Habibi, “Parameter” includes the works of Candace Hicks, Claude-Gerard Jean and Timothy McCool. Through May 19.

ATHICA@CINÉ GALLERY (234 W. Hancock Ave.) Jason Matherly presents “What Will He Do with It?,” an exhibition of early ink drawings and new paintings emphasizing the relationships between shape and color. Through June 25. • Brothers Kinetics Skateboards and Art Revolts host a collaborative pop-up event to release skateboard decks featuring the retro-pop art style of Chris Hobe. May 18, 7–10 p.m.

BOGUE GALLERY AT ACC LIBRARY (2025 Baxter St.) The Athens Photography Guild presents a collection of images. Through June 23.

CLASSIC CENTER (300 N. Thomas St.) In Classic Gallery I, “Spotlight” features works by painters William Ballard, Jaci Davis and Ella Hopkins. • In Classic Gallery II, Kristin Roberts’ “The Fables” illustrates Aesop’s Fables with detailed works that are both whimsical and dangerous.

GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) “Nancy Baker Cahill: Through Lines” is a mid-career survey demonstrating the artist’s progression from drawing into digital works of art in augmented reality. Through May 19. • “Richard Prince: Tell Me Everything” includes a suite of works based on the joke archives of comedian Milton Berle. Through June 16. • “Decade of Tradition: Highlights from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection.” Through July 3. • “Kei Ito: Staring at the Face of the Sun” uses photography to examine the intergenerational trauma of nuclear disaster and the possibilities of healing and reconciliation. Through July 14.

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 “Room by

may request up to $5,000. Check website for requirements. Applications accepted through Aug. 24. www.athfesteducates.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

PUBLIC ART SELECTION PANELS

(Athens GA) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission is seeking community members to participate in upcoming public art selection panels. Panels review, evaluate and select from submitted proposals for ACC-funded public art commissions. www.accgov.com/9656/ Public-Art-Selection-Panels

Auditions

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG

(Elberton Arts Center) Seeking six adult men and two adult women for a comedic production. Be prepared to read excerpts from the script. Open reading held June 5, 5:45 p.m. Auditions held June 17–18, 6–8 p.m. Performances held Sept. 27–29 & Oct. 4–6. tking@cityof elberton.net

Classes

A COURSE OF LOVE (Unity Athens Church) Learn a positive path

for spiritual living based on A Course in Miracles. Wednesdays, 10–11:30 a.m. FREE! www.unity athens.com

ART CLASSES (K.A. Artist Shop) The shop offers a range of fine art classes and workshops for adults, private classes and parties, summer camps, and art clubs for youth. Topics include acrylic, aqua oil, bookmaking, calligraphy, gouache, printmaking, and watercolor. Register online. www.kaartist.com

ART CLASSES (Winterville Cultural Center) “Beginning Watercolor Class” covers different techniques and styles. Mondays, May 20–June 17, 7–9 p.m. $75. “Beginning Acrylic Painting” covers the basics of value, composition, opacity and hue. Mondays, June 3–July 1, 7–9 p.m. $75. “Beginning Relief Printing” covers how to design, carve and print blocks. Thursdays, June 6–July 11, 7-9 p.m. $75. winterville campus@gmail.com

BLACKSMITHING CLASSES

(Greenhow Handmade Ironworks, Washington) A variety of classes include “Forge a Railroad Spike Knife” (May 24 or July 26), “Forge a Three Hook Rack” (May 25), “Forge a Spear” (May 31 or July 27), “Forge Grilling Tools” (June 1) and “Forge a Bottle Opener” (June 7). Classes run 10 a.m.–5 p.m. www.greenhowhandmade.com/ blacksmith-classes

CANOPY CLASSES & SCHOLARSHIPS (Canopy Studio) Canopy offers a variety of trapeze and aerial arts classes for children and adults. Scholarships and financial aid are available. outreach@canopystudio. org, www.canopystudio.org/ outreach/scholarships

COOKING CLASSES (Athens Cooks) “Bao Bliss” will be held May 15, 6–8 p.m. $103. “Fundamentals of

Room: The Kitchen Set.” Through mid-July.

JITTERY JOE’S DOWNTOWN (297 E. Broad St.) Susan Pelham’s collages are influenced by Magic Realism, nursery rhymes, limericks and children’s camp songs. Through May.

JUST PHO… AND MORE (1063 Baxter St.) Oil paintings by Joseph Leone. Through May.

LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (211 Hoyt St.) The Window Works series presents a site-specific artwork by Atlanta artist Michael Reese that questions the perception of the Black Body against cyanotype photography popular with architectural blueprints. Through spring 2025. • Guest curated by Lizzie Zucker Saltz, “RESCUE: Waste and Redemption” presents 22 artists who transform industrial byproducts into artworks or craft objects. Through June 15. • “Inflections: Works by Kaitlin Thurlow, Maria Canzano & Morgan Auten Smith” brings together three painters who create intimate worlds to enter and reflect upon. Opening Reception May 9, 6–8 p.m. Through June 15. • Collections from our Community presents Nate Mitchell’s 45 record box collection. Through June 22.

MADISON-MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER (434 S. Main St., Madison) “John Lewis Series: Painting by Benny Andrews” features 17 paintings by Andrews depicting the life of late U.S. Congressman John Lewis and the Civil Rights Movement. • In celebration of National Women’s History Month, the gallery shares 13 photographs by Frances Benjamin Johnston (1864–1952) taken in Madison in 1939 of seven antebellum homes and one church as part of the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South. Through May.

OCONEE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION (34 School St., Watkinsville) “Southeastern Pastel Society: All About Pastels” is a juried members exhibition featuring works from across the region. Through June 1. • “Perspective: A Journey into Mental Health” is a solo exhibition by Bobbi Johnson. Through June 1.

OGLETHORPE GARAGE (1560 Oglethorpe Ave.) Bart King’s exhibition consists of images produced with a flatbed scanner and natural objects. Through mid-June.

PORCELAIN AND DECORATIVE ARTS MUSEUM (2450 S. Milledge Ave.)

Two new collections celebrating the connection between art and nature include a complete Jasperware tea set from Wedgewood in England and a series of hand-carved coconut vessels.

THE ROOK & PAWN (294 W. Washington St.) “Serenade” features works

Wine & Food Pairings” with Pinta School of Wine will be held May 16, 6–8 p.m. “Not Your Momma’s Cookout” will be held May 22, 6–8 p.m. $103. “Making Brunch, Not so Basic” will be held May 25, 9–11 a.m. $75. “Giro Italiano” will be held May 30, 6–8 p.m. $105. Register online. www.athenscooks.com

PÉTANQUE CLUB OF ATHENS (5 Alumni Dr.) Learn to play Pétanque. RSVP for a free Wednesday introduction. athenspetanqueclub@ gmail.com, www.athenspetanque club.wixsite.com/play

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. qpr@nuci.org, www.nuci.org/qpr

TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS

CLASSES (Live Oak Martial Arts) Traditional and modern-style Taekwondo, self-defense, grappling and weapons classes are offered for all ages. Classes in Jodo, the art of the Japanese staff and sword, are held Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. Visit the website for a full schedule. liveoak martialarts@gmail.com, www.live oakmartialarts.com

WINE CLASSES (J’s Bottle Shop Tasting Room) “Smell the Flowers! Wines for Spring” will be held at Foxglove Plant Bar on May 15, 6–7:30 p.m. $20. “Portuguese Wines: Beyond Port” will be held May 23 at 6:30–8 p.m. $25. www. pintaschoolofwine.com

Help Out

ADOPT-A-MOM (Athens, GA) The Ark’s 10th annual Adopt-a-Mom distributes flower bouquets and cards to nursing home patients and single mothers. Donate $25 to “adopt a mom” for Mother’s Day. Proceeds also benefit The Ark’s Single Working Mother’s Fund. Through May 31. www.athensark. org/adopt-a-mom

SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS (Sandy Creek Nature Center) Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc., is seeking new members for its board of directors. Brochures and applications are available online. scncinc@gmail. com, www.sandycreeknaturecenter inc.org/board-members

Kidstuff

AN EPIC ADVENTURE AT SEA (First Baptist Church) Children who have completed Pre-K through 6th grade can participate in a summer camp. June 10–13, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! sharon@firstbaptistathens.org ATHENS FOREST KINDERGARTEN (Sandy Creek Park) Now enrolling children ages 3–6. AFK is a cooperative preschool that aims to develop initiative, persistence, interdependence, and empathy. www.athensforestkindergarten.org BLACKSMITH SUMMER CAMP (Greenhow Handmade Ironworks) Ages 13 and up can learn basic blacksmithing skills through different hands-on projects like making fire pokers, tomahawks, scrolls, hooks and more. Materials, fuel and tools are included. July 8–12, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. $525. www.greenhow handmade.com/blacksmith-classes BRELLA ACTIVITIES (’BRELLA STUDIO) After-school art lessons for ages 6–11 include drawing and mixed media activities and are held Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Family Playgroups are for ages 0–5 and their caregivers. Check website for descriptions and meeting times. www.brellastudio.com/events

CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES (Treehouse Kid & Craft) Treehouse offers a variety of art-centric activities for children, such as “Crafty Maker Mondays,” “Storytime with Mr. Doodles,” “Digital Art Designer,” “Baby Artists,” “Toddler Process Art,” “Creative Playtime,” “Saturday Craft” and more. Check website for current schedule. www.treehouse kidandcraft.com

FARM CAMP (Sweet Olive Farm) This all-outdoor camp for ages 6–12 includes caring for and

by over 20 artists including Keith P. Rein, Sierra Kirsche, Kendall Rogers, Jesse Raven and Delaney Dusch. Through June.

STATE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF GEORGIA (2450 S. Milledge Ave) Kathy Rogan’s oil paintings raise funds for Parkinson’s research. Opening Reception May 19, 12–2 p.m. Through June 23.

STEFFEN THOMAS MUSEUM OF ART (4200 Bethany Rd., Buckhead) “Peace in Our Time: Steffen Thomas Meisterwerke from the Lowrance Collection” shares works collected by Marjorie and Richard Lowrance over the span of 60 years. Through July 23.

TIF SIGFRIDS (393 N. Finley St.) “Bedroom Furniture” includes artwork by Austin Eddy, Carol John, Albert Mertz, Jorge Pardo and Adrianne Rubenstein. Through May 17.

TINY ATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) Lisa Freeman’s pop-up exhibition, “Shock & Awe: Guns, God & The American Way,” contemplates Christian Nationalism and the American adoration of guns through mixed media collages and assemblages. Reception May 16, 6–9 p.m.

UGA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER LOBBY GALLERY (230 River Rd.) The new gallery debuts with large-scale paintings from Margaret Morrison’s “Paradigm Shift,” a series created after Morrison began questioning historical aspects of her closely held Mormon faith. Through July 26.

UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “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. • “Legacy: Vince Dooley, 1932-2022” celebrates the life and career of the late UGA football head coach and athletic director through photographs and artifacts. Tours held before home games on Fridays at 3 p.m. Through spring 2024. • Developed by James W. Porter, Meigs Professor of Ecology emeritus at UGA, “Sunken Treasure: The Art and Science of Coral Reefs” explores the marine lives of coral through specimens and photographs. Through July 3.

UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF ATHENS CLEMENTS

GALLERY (780 Timothy Rd.) “The Three Graces” is a collaborative art exhibit by Elizabeth Bishop-Martin, Starr Ramsey Helms and Kim Kendall. Through June 23.

WINTERVILLE LIBRARY (115 Marigold Ln., Winterville) The 2024 Marigold Festival Art Show features this year’s winning festival artwork by Mary Ann Cox as well as other entries from the call for art. Through May.

interacting with the animals, creek time in the woods, outdoor crafts, games, music, art-making, writing and exploring the farm. Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. during the summer. Register online. www. sweetolivefarm.org

GROUPS AT REBLOSSOM

(ReBlossom) A variety of classes, playgroups and support groups are offered for parents and young children. Topics include birth and breastfeeding, prenatal and parent-baby yoga, instrument play, maternal mental health and more. Check website for a schedule. www. reblossomathens.com

LEARN TO SWIM (Multiple Locations) The ACC Leisure Services Department offers swim lessons for children ages 3 and up at Heard Park, Lay Park, Memorial Park and Rocksprings Park including “Swim School” and “Parent/Tot Swim School.” $33 (residents), $50 (non-residents). The department’s Kinderswim program is offered to five-year-olds at no cost. www.acc gov.com/myrec

LIBRARY STORYTIMES (ACC Library) Storytime for preschool aged children and their caregivers is offered every Tuesday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. www.athens library.org

LUTHEROAD DAYCAMP (Holy Cross Lutheran Church) Camp for rising 1st–6th graders runs June 24–27, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. and June 28, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. www.holycrossathens.com/ lutheroad

NATURE AND FARM SUMMER CAMPS (Foxfire Woods and Farm)

Offering three weeks of outdoor summer camp, including a half-day camp for preschoolers ages 3.5–6. Themes include survival skills, kinetics and simple machines, and outdoor exploration. www.foxfire woodsandfarm.com

SUMMER ART CAMPS (K.A. Artist Shop) Art Camps for Promising Young Artists are offered for half or full days Mondays–Fridays during the summer. Activities range from drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, illustration, calligraphy and character design. www.kaartist.com

SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION (Athens, GA) ACC Leisure Services Department offers camps highlighting art, nature education, sports and theater. Now registering. www. accgov.com/myrec

TREEHOUSE SUMMER CAMPS (Treehouse Kid & Craft) Camps are offered in a variety of themes including “Mini Museum,” “Wonderful Wizards,” “Craft Inc. Business,” “Mouse Palace Camp,” “Camp Swiftie” and more. Visit the website for details, dates and to register. www.treehousekidandcraft. com

UGA SUMMER ART CAMP (Lamar Dodd School of Art) High school students with a passion for the arts are invited to participate in a fourday camp featuring drawing, painting, printmaking and photography. June 24–27. summerartcamp@ uga.edu, art.uga.edu/programs/ community-programs/uga-summerart-camp

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL (Athens First United Methodist Church) Kids entering grades K-5 in the fall can participate in a summer camp exploring faith and the deep blue sea through various games, music, snacks and activities. June 3–6, 9 a.m.–12:25 p.m. www.athensfirst um.org/scuba

WILD EARTH CAMP (Piedmont Preserve) Wild Earth Camp offers summer camps and homeschool programs for ages 4–13. Participants explore the natural environment through games, storytelling,

free play and teaching earth skills. Register online. www.wildearth camp.org

WORKSHOPS (On Stage Playhouse)

“Villains!” is a theater workshop for rising kindergartners through third graders. Workshop held June 3–8, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Performance held June 8, 11:30 a.m. $95.

“Improv-ability Two!” is an improv workshop for rising fourth through eighth graders. Workshop June 17–22, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Performance held June 22,11:30 a.m. $95. www.onstagewalton.org

Support Groups

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

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

BRAIN INJURY SUPPORT GROUP (St. Mary’s Hospital, 5th Floor Therapy Room) This support group for survivors of traumatic head injury, their families, friends and caregivers offers friendship, information about resources and opportunities for advocacy. Every third Monday, 4:30–6 p.m. Contact Floretta Johnson, 706-353-1892, floretta. johnson@stmarysathens.org

NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP (Oconee Presbyterian Church) Peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Second Monday of the month, 6:30–8 p.m. FREE! joannehnamihallga@gmail.com

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. Second and fourth Wednesdays, 10 a.m.–12 p.m. FREE! www.byyourleave.org

POLYAMORY SUPPORT GROUP (Revolution Therapy and Yoga) This open support group for adults practicing or considering polyamory or nonmonogamy discusses navigating jealousy, polysaturation, relationships with metamours and polyamorous parenting. Thursdays, 6:30–7:30 p.m. $10 donation. www.revolutiontherapyandyoga. com

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. www.athensrecoverydharma.org

SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE (Nuçi’s Space) SOS is a support group for anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide. Meets the third Wednesday of every month, 5:30–7:30 p.m. www.nuci.org

Word on the Street

ANNUAL SHOAL LILY FLOAT

(Broad River Campground) The Broad River Watershed Association hosts a guided kayak trip to see the rare shoal lilies. Bring your own kayak or canoe. A walk to the lilies is also available. RSVP. $25/float, $5/parking. May 18, 9 a.m.–3 p.m. (float). 10 a.m. & 1 p.m. (walk). info@brwa.org

BIKE REPAIR STATIONS (Multiple Locations) Over 15 free bike repair stations are located across Athens with tools, an air pump and a QR code for quick guides on basic bike repairs. Visit the website for participating locations. www.accgov. com/10584/Bike-Repair-Stations

DIAMOND HILL FARM CSA (Athentic Brewing Co.) The Community Supported Agriculture program offers a variety of seasonal vegetables, fruits and/or flowers directly to consumers each week. Check website for weekly pickup locations, home delivery details and to register. $15 (flower share), $25–35 (farm box). www.diamondhillfarm athens.com

POOL SEASON AND REPORT

CARDS REWARDS PROGRAM

(Multiple Locations) ACC Leisure Services pools will be open May 25–July 28. Students in Kindergarten through 12th grade can receive a free pool pass by bringing a report card will all A’s or E’s. A report card with all A’s and B’s or all E’s and M’s can earn 10 free swims. www. accgov.com/pools

RABBIT HOLE EVENTS (Rabbit Hole Studios) Weekly events include Open Mic (Tuesdays, 7–11 p.m.), Acoustic Song Circle (Thursdays, 7–11 p.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

SEEKING MUSIC (Athens, GA) Seeking music submissions for the third season of “View Finders,” a locally produced TV series that will air on national PBS. Music can vary from electronic, ambient, hip hop, folk, Americana, rock, country, blues, classical and beyond. Contact for submission form. chrisgreerphotography@gmail.com

SEVENTH GENERATION (Multiple Locations) Seventh Generation Native American Church hosts gatherings on Sundays at 11 a.m. at Rabbit Hole Studios. Men’s Group meets Tuesdays at 6 p.m. at Healing Path Farm. www.seventhgenerationnativeamericanchurch.org

SPLASH PADS (Multiple Locations)

The Walker Park Splash Pad will be open weekends only May 11–19 and Aug. 3–Sept. 2, plus regular hours May 25–July 28. The Rocksprings Park Splash Pad opens for the season on May 25. www. accgov.com/splashpad

SPRING TIRE ROUND-UP (ACC Landfill and CHaRM) Bring unwanted tires to dispose of at no charge. Limited to six tires per person. May 20–25. www.accgov. com/8116/Tire-Round-Up-Event 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 f

food & drink

Skillfully-Crafted Bar Eats

PLUS, TREATHOUSE’S PLAYFUL NON-DAIRY ICE CREAM

By Hillary Brown food@flagpole.com

PALOMA PARK (235 W. Washington St., 706-850-7356, palomapark.com): When Paloma Park opened in the spring of 2021, I didn’t give it a proper review. If you knew the number of “restaurants” I’ve gone to that turn out to be bars serving fried whatnot from Sysco and that smell like stale beer in the middle of the day, you’d understand. The owner’s having been involved in college bars like Buddha Bar, Centro, Double Barrel, Sandbar and more didn’t exactly inspire culinary confidence. So imagine my surprise to find the menu far more than tolerable and the atmosphere kind of… nice?

Don’t get me wrong: Paloma Park is a bar. There’s a guy at the entrance checking IDs even at non-peak times. But it’s also a good brunch spot or a place to get some early snacks before the bass starts thumping and the giant TV starts blaring. There’s a cute mural about the process of making tequila and a couple of disco balls with a six-foot diameter. Whoever’s in the kitchen has some skills, because the eats, while not totally consistent, are vastly better and more creative than they need to be. Prices are a little high ($5 a pop for tacos, $12 for six wings), even considering the current economic situation, but if you’ve had a few drinks, your tolerance for spending money might be loosened up. You also might not notice the automatic fees for using a credit card (4%) and for counter service (14%), given that there’s a line for “additional tip” on the receipt. Those tacos might be pricey and not huge, but they are fun and creative, with the fried chicken one incorporating pimento cheese and the catfish taco seasoned with orange and gochujang. The wings are good stuff and come in flavors like truffle agave (pleasant and not overwhelming) or peach bourbon barbecue, with avocado ranch on the side rather than blue cheese. Go on a Sunday and they’re 99 cents. Generally, if something sounds snackier and stronger flavored, it’s better. The elote corn ribs, curled sections of corn cut off the cob, fried and sprinkled heavily with Tajín, cotija and cilantro, easily top the big ol’ burrito, which ends up being mushy and bland. The birriaquilles, a Sunday hangover concoction that cooks tortilla chips in salsa roja before topping them with fried eggs, birria and cotija, are in between, a huge platter that wears a bit thin by the time you make a dent in it, but pretty good at the start. Cocktails, ordered at a different place from the food, are mostly tequila based and don’t have prices listed; anything can be made non-alcoholic if you prefer. Give them a little more acidity (both the

Park Paloma and the Blackberry Smash are $12 and too sweet) and they would improve a lot. Would I go on a Friday night? Heck no. I’m too old for that. But would I go back for smoke-fried wings and beers on a Sunday? I might!

Paloma Park is open 11 a.m.–4 p.m. for Sunday brunch, 5–11 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to whenever on Friday and 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Saturday.

TREATHOUSE (585 Barber St., 706-8508226, treehousekidandcraft.com): Here’s a similar situation: Treehouse Kid and Craft, the magical toy store that moved from Broad Street to Barber Street recently, opened a candy and ice cream shop by its roll-up door. After one attempted visit that was thwarted by the ice creamery keeping different hours from the store and another by the ice cream maker being on the fritz,

I forgot about it for a while. But I’m glad I went back. The oat milk-based vegan product isn’t quite as good as a cow-originating one would be; I tend to find oat milk a little thin and slightly too sweet, but the toppings make up for it. More than one person looked at me with skepticism when I recommended the Salt n Pepa (salted blue corn cone, vanilla soft serve, spicy salsa macha dripped around it, a big strip of salty dried mango), but if you like a savory dessert, it’s made for you. Who woulda thunk hot sauce and ice cream make such a great team? The EVOO-OOOH, a sundae topped with olive oil, Condor Chocolate magic shell, sea salt and absolutely killer slices of dried orange, could use a little more savory oomph but is still lovely. Kids are more likely to go for the Party Animal (birthday cone, sprinkles, frosted animal crackers, a lit birthday candle), which is more visual than taste-based delight. Don’t skip the fruit fluff, a dairyfree strawberry soft serve, and enjoy the Astroturfed, brightly colored patio. It’s a good bit pricier than Hodgson’s, but you can’t get chili crisp, edible flowers or black sesame seeds on your ice cream there. The ice cream is available 12–6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 12–4 p.m. on Sunday, the soft-serve gods willing. f

Paloma Park

COURTESY OF PALOMA PARK

classifieds

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

HOUSES FOR SALE

Looking for a house or a home? Condo or land? Call Daniel Peiken. REALTOR 5Market Realty. Selling in and around Athens for over 20 years. 706-296-2941

Sell or rent your property in the Flagpole Classifieds! Call 706-549-0301 or email class@flagpole.com.

FOR SALE

MISCELLANEOUS

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

MUSIC

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Nuci’s Space is always accepting and selling used gear and instruments. All profits go toward our mission of ending the epidemic of suicide. Visit nuci.org/ rewired.

INSTRUCTION

Athens School of Music. Now offering in-person and online instruction in guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, brass, woodwinds, strings, banjo, mandolin and more. From beginner to expert, all styles. Visit www.athens schoolofmusic.com. 706543-5800

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

Need old papers for your garden? We have plenty here at Flagpole! Call ahead and we’ll have a crate ready for you. 706-549-0301

SERVICES

CLEANING

Peachy Green Clean Cooperative, your local friendly green cleaners! Free estimates. Call or go online today: 706-248-4601, www. peachygreencleancoop. com.

HEALTH

Pain? Depression? Insomnia? Call us today to find out how we can help you using natural plant medicine. 888-4203848 . Use coupon code “Athens24” for 15% off your first order.

HOME AND GARDEN

Woman-Run Gardening Services: Prep for spring! We offer garden clean-up/ maintenance, invasive plant removal, raised beds, personalized native/edible gardens for home/business and more! Call/Text: 706395-5321.

Flagpole ♥s our advertisers, donors and readers! Thanks for your support!

JOBS PART-TIME

Experienced tutor to teach reading basics to adult male. 1-2 hours a week, flexible. Located on Oglethorpe Ave. Call Jen at 352-239-3484.

Join a diverse, inclusive workplace and get paid to type! 16–40 hours, Mon–Fri. NEVER be called in for a shift you didn’t sign up for. Must type 65+ wpm. Make your own schedule and work independently with no customer interaction. Starts at $13 with automatic increases. www.ctscribes. com

White Tiger is now hiring for all positions at the Athens and Watkinsville locations! No experience necessary. Email work history or resume to catering@white tigergourmet.com.

Get Flagpole delivered to your mailbox! Weekly delivery straight from the source. Only $55 for six months or $110 for one year. Purchase at www. flagpole.bigcartel.com, call 706-549-0301 or email front desk@flagpole.com.

NOTICES MESSAGES

Do you have a message for Flagpole readers? Place an ad in the Flagpole Classifieds! Call 706-549-0301 or email class@flagpole.com today.

Hummingbird Festival is looking for local artisans to sell their wares. Festival will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Classic City Flowers and Nursery on May 19th. Email joe@classiccityflowers.com for more information.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024 from the staff at Flagpole!

Margie E. Burke

Borromeo String Quartet

CLASS 2024 of CONGRATULATIONS TO THE

Acton B. Jackson

Athens Tech

Congratulations on your Graduation!

– Mom and Dad

Adeline Baugh

Clarke Central

You’ve done it, kiddo! So excited for your next adventures at sea and Mount Holyoke College. Love you so - Mama, Daddy, & Verity

Augie Koons

Clarke Central

Congratulations! You have all our love and support for the future. Let’s try to keep the yellow cards to a minimum though!

Love, Dad, Mom, Ish, and Em

Ben Montgomery

Cedar Shoals

Congratulations to our fun-loving, caring, athletic, and creative graduate. We’re excited for your journey ahead and are there to support you all the way.

Love, Mom, Dad & Ethan

Alora Collazo

We are so proud of all that you’ve achieved and know your beautiful heart and mind will guide you well on this next part of your journey. May light continue to surround you, love! We love you! Love, Mom, Dad & Eliana

Ava VanHull

Cedar Shoals

Amos

Clarke Central

Follow your dreams! We’re all here in love and support! Mom, Dad, Elias and all the rest!!

I’m genuinely inspired by you. Your integrity, compassion and intelligence make me immensely proud. Remember, the goal isn’t perfection. Embrace authenticity; happiness lies in being true to yourself. Congratulations, mija!

Carswell Hickey

Cedar Shoals

Congratulations Carswell! We are beyond proud of you. May your heart continue to lead you forward.

Love, Mama & Dad

Chloe Marie Wallace

Clarke Central

We wish you many parties, new friends, some learning; don’t call us if arrested. JK Love, Mom and Dad

Cedar Shoals

BRENDAN, COLE,

DC, JUDE, LUKE, PATRICK, REECE, WADE, + CREW

ACAD + CCHS

Way to go guys! You did it. You’ve had so much fun and been so good to each other. I know you’ll stay friends for a lifetime! I’ve loved having you around these last 4 years. It’s about to get very quiet here at 108!

FOREVER 108! Love, Jennifer

Charley Chastain

Augustine Classical Academy

Congratulations Charley!

You have worked incredibly hard to accomplish your goals. We are so proud of the young man you have become. Keep chasing your dreams!

We love you, Mama & Daddy

Emil Madden

Clarke Central

We are immensely proud of your hard work on this long journey. Congratulations!

Love, Mom, Dad, & Suzie

Ike McKim

Chloe Smith

Cedar Shoals

Congratulations, Chloe! We are so proud of you! Go beyond! Plus Ultra!

Love, Papa, Mama, Caitlin, Cairo, and Cleo!

Ella Meyer

Cedar Shoals

Ella, We are so very proud of your accomplishments and who you have become. Don’t ever give up, don’t be afraid, create many adventures, and accept life as it comes. Your future is bright, WCU awaits, and we support you every step of the way. We love you so much.

Your biggest fans, -Mom, Dad, Claire, Luna, and the gang.

Destiny Harris

Cedar Shoals

We are so proud of you!! I’ve always known you were capable of amazing things, and your graduation is proof of that. Congratulations on this achievement!

We love you! Mom, Dad, Darrell, Aunt Can Can and Rebbie

Clarke Central and excited for what’s to come!

Melina De la Vega

Cedar Shoals

Melina, our dearest hija! Time has flown by. We love you so much, are so very proud of you, and will always support you in your heart’s desires! Mama and Papa

CLASS 2024 of CONGRATULATIONS TO THE

JeNaii Jackson

Clarke Central

Congratulations on your graduation Pidge! Thank You for being our personal superhero. Love, Mom & Squeally

Niko Cope Clarke

Central

So proud of you Niko. You have been always so adventurous. We cannot wait to see what your next chapter at Davidson College brings.

Love you so much. Mom & the entire extended family, friends and neighbors who helped you become YOU.

You've worked hard and sacrificed so much. We couldn't be more proud! Love, Jack, Dexter, Chadwick, and Lena.

From the very break of day, before the children run and play, Before the darkness turns to gold, Tomorrow you will be out of high school. Congrats! Mom, Dad, Cal Oliver Domingo Clarke Central

Oliver Cedarbaum Clarke Central

Congratulations Tyus! We are SO proud of you! We love you, support you, and look forward to the many things you will accomplish.

Love, Mom, Dad, James, and Deborah

Tyus Rabun Dekle Clarke Central

XAVIER HARDMAN CEDAR SHOALS

Congratulations on your many accomplishments! Seize the day and conquer the world! In the wise words of your grandparents, WE LOVE YOU, BUT GOD LOVES YOU BEST! Love, Your Family