Sorry this recap is a day late, but I had to spend most of yesterday recovering and sitting at my computer and typing wasn't on the agenda.

Like a said on Saturday, I skipped most of the outdoor stuff until about 6 p.m. I figured that is might not be as hot after 6 (it wasn't) and I knew that Saturday would be a long night (and it was). I saw a few of the outdoor shows, but spent time with our photographer Tricia Spaulding to help her snag an interview with one of the Modern Skirts for her audio slideshow on the ABH's AthFest page. John, if you are reading this you guys have been a band since 2004, according your MySpace page, so that would be four years.

Or, Somewhere Something Cooler Is Happening and I’m Not There

Athfest was awesome. The worst part of the whole weekend was trying to decide who to go see. Here’s how it all went down:

• Dark Meat is not quite as mind-blowing when you’re standing 100 yards away from the stage surrounded by creepy 50-year-old dudes more interested in checking out high school girls than the music. I overheard a few hilarious conversations between parents and their kids involving the parents trying to look hip by saying how much they wanted to see Dark Meat. The band responded to the non-hipster segment of the audience by generally keeping it clean, encouraging the front rows to dance and substituting “hug” for an unprintable word in one chorus. It didn’t go over well – the crowd shrank by half by the end of the set.

Julie Phillips,

Arts & Entertainment Editor

also read this here

I mean that literally.

There are plans and then there’s what happens. My brain is rattled and my voice is hoarse. I have a low-grade headache and a nap is in my immediate future.

The Melting Point wasn’t in the cards last night, and no regrets. Leaving out extraneous details, there’s this that I re-discovered last night. Rock music is something that’s either embraced or embodied. Last night I witnessed the latter. Twice.

Yes Friday was a very long day and I am actually shocked I made it until 1:30 a.m. A couple of friends from college came down for the festivities, but they are going to miss out on today because they are going to see that other Athens band that is playing at Lakewood tonight.

Anyway, we spent much of the day at the outdoor stages but we parted way when Dark Meat performed. I've seen them once and well that was enough. And that is how it is with that band. You either love them or you hate them. I headed over to Caledonia Lounge to see Producto and The Golden Gates, the latter featuring my friends from The Empties (who are playing tonight at midnight at Tasty World) Peter Alvanos on drums and Chris Giddens on guitar.

I am so tired right now, and there will be a longer post tomorrow (well I guess I should say later on today). But I just needed to share this tidbit before I fall asleep.

Right before Five Eight was about to play the main stage, the man behind me said this ...
"I just realized where we are."

Really dude? The vendors, the stage and the giant sign that said "AthFest 2008" didn't give it away?

William Miller: “So Russell... what do you love about music?”
Russell Hammond: “To begin with … everything.”
— Almost Famous

And so it begins. Three days of the best local (and regional) music is coming to downtown Athens asAthFest officially starts today. Although the music doesn’t start until Friday night, there are plenty of other things to do. Some of those things are featured on the ABH’s AthFest page. That site will be updated throughout the festival with pictures and stories.

Well with the announcement of the AthFest headliners — Dark Meat (Friday), Modern Skirts (Saturday) and Dubconscious (Sunday) — it seems that the organizers are planning a little bit better this year.

Last year, Dark Meat played at Tasty World (to what I heard was a super-packed house) and Modern Skirts played a Little Kings, which I later found out has a fire code of something like 83. Hence the reason why scores of people who had to watch the band from the sidewalk and the fire marshal almost didn’t let the band’s drummer, John Swint, into the venue.