Athens Music History Tour
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Walkin g Tour of Athens Music History Photo: Van Burns Athens Welcome Center / Classic City Tours 280 East Dougherty Street • Athens GA 30601 www.athenswelcomecenter.com 706-353-1820 / 706-208-8687 / 866-455-1820 his Walking Tour of Athens Music 1 300 N. Thomas Street : In the early History (keyed to the map on the 1980’s, in the present day location of The back cover) was initiated in 1998 by Classic Center, was Sparky’s , a seafood T Athens Welcome Center Director, establishment featuring local musical acts Laura Straehla with assistance from intern, and the Athens Folk Music and Dance Michelle Williams. With permission, Flagpole Society’s “Hoot” . In the Classic Center’s Magazine redeveloped the walking tour for loading dock area on Hancock Avenue, was a inclusion in their 1999-2000 Flagpole Guide popular dance-oriented college club called the to Athens. For this, Flagpole music editor Madhatter . It had a large back room, draw - Ballard Lesemann did additional research and ing sizeable crowds for national touring acts, interviews with those knowledgeable about the such as the Blasters, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Athens Music Scene ‘back in the day,’ includ - R.E.M., as they gained fame and required ing: John Seawright, Kurt Wood, William larger concert halls. Across Hancock Avenue, Orten Carlton, Greg Reece, Michael Lachowski, the Rockfish Palace was originally estab - Jared Bailey, Jeff Walls, Barrie Buck, Tony lished in 1987 by local musician Brian Cook Eubanks, and Curtis Crowe, among many oth - (of Time Toy) as a small dive for rock, blues, ers. The tour was revised in 2001, 2008, and and punk bands. The joint had a small bar, again in 2011, in its present form with updates small stage, and an open-air backstage. Early and editing assistance from Paul Butchart, gigs included Sleepy La Beef, Tinsley Ellis, and Greg Reece, and Van Burns, under direction of the Plasmatics. The venue became more of an Athens Welcome Center Director, Evelyn Reece. established club by the time J.R. Green took over in 1988. He booked such acts as To see early footage of the Athens music scene Widespread Panic, Bloodkin, Hasil Adkins, and for further commentary, watch the 1987 Southern Culture on the Skids, Gamble film Athens GA: Inside/Out , available for pur - Rogers, GWAR, and Five-Eight. The club closed chase at the Athens Welcome Center and in the early ‘90s and was reopened as a popu - athensmusic.net. While the focus of this Walk - lar dance club/cabaret Boneshakers before ing Tour is on the past, Athens music history being demolished in 2006. Today, The Classic is still being made every night in clubs, restau - Center is northeast Georgia's regional conven - rants, practice spaces, and parties throughout tion center and performing arts theatre. More the city. Some of the clubs on the Walking than 350,000 people from the Southeast Tour are still going strong. Many venues not attend over 800 events annually in this large listed in the Walking Tour are places where venue. Performances from Willie Nelson to future legends of the Athens music scene are Tony Bennett to Smashing Pumpkins, and being birthed today. Check out the weekly list - Broadway musicals Mama Mia and Cats are ings in Flagpole Magazine ’s “Live Music” just a few shows reflecting the variety of section in “The Calendar” to find out where entertainment that continues today. music is made and where you too can become part of our history. Call the Athens Welcome Center to book a guided Music History Tour 2 or other special tours at 706-208-8687. 2 260 N. Jackson Street : Off the beaten and regularly booked up-and-coming local path at the time, Wax Jr. Facts served as a bands like Harvey Milk, Redneck GReece, “junior store” for Atlanta’s popular Wax ‘n’ Kincaid, Jucifer, Trinket, Space Cookie, and Facts from 1982-1984. The shop was a focal Buzz Hungry. The club and also attracted point of the early Athens music scene. national touring acts such as Hole, Cake, Man Michael Lachowski (of Pylon) co-managed or Astro-Man?, the Oblivions, and Drivin’ N the store, which was well known for its occa - Cryin’. sional extravagant beer parties. Jackson 4 Street Books has long since occupied this 195 W. Washington Street : Monroe location. Bowers “Pink” Morton built the Morton Building around 1910, which housed one of 3 140 E. Washington Stree t: Kyle America’s first African-American built, owned, Pilgrim and Duck Anderson bought the and operated vaudeville theatres. Entertainers fledgling Uptown Lounge in April 1984 and gradually built it into a prime live music 4 venue. Early on, many up-and-coming local acts considered this venue a hip alternative to the larger 40 Watt Uptown. Widespread Panic started out here in the mid ‘80s as a weekly house band. By 1987, the Uptown was booking national acts such as the Pixies, Let’s Active, Alex Chilton, Soul Asylum, Jane’s Addiction, Butthole Surfers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Flag, Dinosaur Jr., Meat Puppets and hosting local favorites Mercyland, the Bar B Q Killers, Widespread Panic. R.E.M. also played a few legendary unannounced shows here, once under the name Hornets Attack Victor Mature, debuting songs from the album Life’s Rich Pageant . The Uptown closed at this location in early 1990. This location also housed various rock clubs and discos -- The Chameleon Club (AKA the “Ham Leon”, when two letters dropped from the sign), The Shoe Box , and the Atomic Music Hall from 1990-1997. The Atomic Music Hall gained recognition as one of the more vital underground rock clubs during the mid-to-late ‘90s. The Atomic hosted local benefit gigs and ‘redneck’ punk-rock show - cases, including Trash Fest and Beef Stock, 3 Photo: Van Burns including Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, 5 285 W. Washington Street : Jared Cab Calloway, and Bessie Smith performed Bailey and Barrie Buck moved the 40 Watt here through the 1920s, ‘30s, and ‘40s. Club to its present location in the old Potters Members of the B-52s worked in the El Dorado House building in April 1991, with shows by (later the Bluebird) restaurant in the north - the Flat Duo Jets and a reunited Pylon. The west corner of the building in the 1970s. space has decorative acoustic baffles by artist Several Athens rock bands including the B-52s Pattiy Torno and spacious backstage dressing and the Bar B Q Killers practiced in the back rooms. The club has continuously hosted a rooms through the 1970s and ‘80s. A segment wide variety of local bands and such major of the film, Athens GA: Inside/Out , featuring touring acts as: Jonathan Richman, an REM performance was filmed in the pre- Pavement, Run DMC, Snoop Dogg, The restored Morton Theatre. After extensive Cramps, Cracker, Junior Brown, Mike Watt, restoration in the early ‘90s, the theatre Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Salt ‘n’ Pepa, S reopened as a community performing arts ebadoh, Sugar, The Fall, X, Vic Chesnutt, OK Go, Nirvana, the Black Crows, Drivin’ N Cryin’, center. It is now a popular venue for a wide and Patti Smith. The 40 Watt still hosts variety of theatrical and musical perform - renowned local, national, and international ances, including the annual Flagpole Athens acts and continues as the longest running Music Awards . music venue in Athens’ history. 5 4 Photo: Van Burns 6 256 W. Clayton Street : Originally 7 184 W. Clayton Street : A music club known as the Coffee Club 11:11 , this was the and bar, The Last Resort began in 1966 location of R.E.M.’s second show, the first down the street from three finance companies. show using their official name. The police It was said that if you were turned down by all raided the club during that performance, three, the bar was your “last resort”. This pre- photographed drinking patrons, and closed it scene bar and music club mostly featured down for lack of a proper license. This spot bluegrass, folk, jazz bands and stand-up com - was also the third and the fifth location of the edy, such as Steve Martin. For a time, it was 40 Watt Club . Steve Allen, who invested in owned by pioneer Athens musician Terry “Mad the 40 Watt, moved it here in 1981. It hosted Dog” Melton. In 1978, the B-52s played their many local bands such as the Side Effects and fourth Athens show here – an amazing per - Oh OK, plus fledgling touring acts like Jason formance. Memorable performers included and the Nashville Scorchers. It was a real Randall Bramblett, the Sunbelt Millionaires, “dive” with a small stage and dressing rooms Gamble Rogers, and Jimmy Buffet. Guadal - off the front entrance. After the 40 Watt canal Diary played its first Athens show here. relocated to its fourth location on East Broad Under the ownership of Lynn Miller, the venue Street (see #17), Jared Bailey and Barrie Buck expanded to encompass the garage space next returned the 40 Watt to this location in June door, but the now larger music hall was un - 1987, for incarnation number five. able to draw crowds to fill it. The last Resort closed in the mid ‘80s. The space was briefly Housing 40 Watt Club number five, the ‘new’ occupied by a camera shop and in 1992, it was club was a decent room with a small bar, reborn as the Last Resort Grill. Today it re - small restrooms, and a solid stage. Bands mains an upscale restaurant identified by its loaded in from the Clayton Street entrance, expansive vegetable mural facing Hull Street, with patrons entering at the rear through the which was painted by artist Dave Jenkins over “beer garden” adjacent to the parking lot.