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| Pink Pompeii are playing Fri Jan 14th @ the Drunken Unicorn |
If you are a Georgian musician or local music fan, especially one in Atlanta, we are challenging you.
We all get into a rut of sorts. Not that we realize that its a rut. Its just a comfortable pattern actually. We go out to see the bands we know, with the friends we have on speed dial at the same old places we have been going for a decade. This is nice. This is comfortable. This is community. And it's one of the things I love about living here.
However, before I knew a soul here, I would venture out to see people I didn't know play in bands I had never heard of before and what did I find? Amazing music made by interesting people that made me want to put my roots down here in Georgia and stay put.
So, what if we go back? What if we approach things as if we weren't completely comfortable? Explore our own city through music we have never heard before? Challenge ourselves to show up for the openers, drag out friends that have never seen these bands and listen with open ears and minds.
For the year of 2011, we make this challenge: Each month, we want you to go see one (yes, only 1) local (non-national) band you have never seen before that is made up of people that are not close friends. It can be the guy who works at your coffee shop or the girl who makes your favorite vodka tonic but it can't be someone you can call up to help you move a couch or you have dinner with on a regular basis. It can even be the opener of your friends band, but to stay true to the spirt of things it would be really cool if it was a complete bill of bands you had never seen before.
That's 12 bands in 12 months. It's easy. It will be liberating.
And we want you to report back!
The Guidelines:
- 1 local Georgia (non-national) band you have never seen before
- Made up of people that are not close friends
- See 12 of these bands in 12 months (average 1 per month)
Resources for shows:
Stomp and Stammer's "Get Out"
Creative Loafing
A few suggestions of where you could start:
Fri. Jan 14th || The NEC @ the Earl Friday
Fri. Jan 14th || Pink Pompeii @ The Drunken Unicorn
Thurs. Jan 20th || Baby Baby @ The Drunken Unicorn
Fri. Jan 21 || Kuroma @ the 40 Watt
Sun. Jan 30th || Tag Team @ The Earl's Dunch
Mon. Jan 31|| Jan The Humms @ the 40 Watt
Let's challenge ourselves while supporting our music community.
January is already half over - Let's get to it!email suggestions for future shows to andy gish at g mail dot com
I think this is an excellent idea. Back in the day, my bandmates and I would occasionally grab a Creative Loafing and just choose a place to go see a band or two. Sometimes it was a band we'd heard of but never seen, sometimes it was just because we liked the name of a group.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I'll go out with the explicit intention of ONLY seeing the opening band. That saves me from having to hang around a club 'til one in the morning, an aspect of live music I've NEVER enjoyed, even when I was 23 and playing in bands.
Here's also a good place to start: http://clatl.com/atlanta/11-indie-acts-to-watch-in-2011/Content?oid=2637037
ReplyDeleteI've only seen one of the bands listed!
Thank K. Great list! Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteScott - you got the right idea. And yea, it's totally ok to just show up for the opening band but we might make fun of you as you leave ;) Pick a show for us to go to this month and I will go with you.
Tonight we are heading to "Ping Pong Alley" which is the Edgewood between Boulevard and the connector. We are starting as Sister Louisa's and then going to see Night Driving in Small Towns at the Music Room.
ReplyDeleteI've never seen "Night Driving" before and never seen a show at the music room: check, check.
Come on along guys!