June 10, 2009 Connect Special

    Since 1997, AthFest has showcased the incredible musicians, artists, businesses and residents of the Athens community. In addition live music, this family-friendly festival also includes a juried artisan market, KIDSFest, and much more. Everyday with Rachel Ray calls it “…one of the country’s great indie music festivals.” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has named Athens at # 5 on their “10 Best Cities of 2009” list. Close to 200 bands and artists will perform over the course of the festival, which will be held June 25-28, 2009. Performances on the three outdoor stages are open to all ages and are free of charge to the public.
    The “headlining” artists on the outdoor main stage include: Black Lips, Dead Confederate, Patterson Hood and the Screwtopians, Randall Bramlett Band and Dreams So Real.
    Additional performers include Nappy Roots, Venice Is Sinking, Don Chambers + GOAT, Jason Ringenberg, Bloodkin, The Corduroy Road, Dave Barbe & The Quick Hooks, Grogus, Liz Durrett, Gabriel Kelley & the Reins, Pam Blanchard & The Sunny Side Up Band, and more!
    The evening’s “club crawl” takes place on the Friday and Saturday nights of the festival.
    Wristbands may be purchased for $15.00 in advance or for $20.00 at the festival that will give patrons entrance to close to 20 music venues (venue capacity and age restrictions apply).
    The “Club Crawl” features anywhere from two to five bands or artists performing nightly at a variety of participating venues, including: 40 Watt Club, Blur, Caledonia Lounge, Ciné, Farm 225, Flicker Theatre, Georgia Theatre, The Globe, Go Bar, The Green Room, The Library, Little Kings Shuffle Club, Melting Point, Morton Theatre, Nuci’s Space, Rye Bar, Square One Fish Co., Tasty World, and Wild Wings Cafe.
    A sampling of artists and showcases include: Kindercore Records showcase with The Buddy System, Grape Soda and more; Happy Happy Birthday To Me Records showcase with Casper and The Cookies and more; Americana Showcase with William Tonks, Dodd Ferrelle and more; Love Tractor, Time Toy and more for a night of “classic” Athens music; The Dexter Romweber Duo; The Incredible Sandwich; Ken Will Morton; Music Hates You; Madeline; and so many more! A full listing of bands can be found at www.AthFest.com.
    This year’s festival includes film and cinema events. On Friday, June 26 at 10 p.m. on the main stage, there will be a free screening of the highly acclaimed documentary, Darius Goes West, with clips from the movie interspersed with a live Q&A with the filmmakers and Darius Weems.
    Darius Goes West follows the story of Weems, a local Athenian who was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, who watched his beloved older brother Mario pass away from the same disease. Soon after, Darius lost use of the muscles in his legs and began using a wheelchair. A group of Darius's college-aged friends decided to take Darius on the adventure of a lifetime, renting a wheelchair-accessible RV and traveling cross-country. The film is suitable for all ages.
    Other film events include Rock Docs: Music Documentary Series at Ciné on Wednesday, June 24 through Thursday, July 2. Ciné will present a series of music documentary films, as well as a retrospective look at the early Athens music scene.
    Special guest filmmakers and musicians will introduce the films and lead a Q&A discussion afterwards. Ciné will also present Teenscreen Filmfest on Saturday June 27 at 8:30 p.m. featuring a lineup of diverse short films made by local teenage artists.
    Full details are at www.athenscine.com.
    Travel packages, available via the Web site, offer a variety of accommodations and include AthFest wristbands, AthFest compilation CDs and T-shirts, tickets for the Music Heritage Tour, a Downtown Gift Certificate and other cool AthFest gear delivered to your hotel.

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