I must say, some of y’all have been sending me great suggestions for Playpen topics. Today’s comes from JP McDonough:
… how many followers are UGA grads, and, more specifically, what was their favorite Athens dive…secondary subject, possibly being what was the best live performance music act they witnessed in their time in Athens?
Share it all in the comments, peeps.
Get The Picture 
Grad (’99). Flanigan’s (assuming we are talking about bars; if not, Peppino’s or Taco Stand). As for live shows, embarrassingly I’ll admit I was not one for live shows during my time in the Classic City. I remember a particular Better than Ezra show but that’s about it. I love music personally but I’ve never been much of a concert or live show person, for whatever reason.
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Was that the Better Than Ezra show at the 40 Watt in late August 1996? I was at that show and was really impressed by BTE — it was a great show!
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I’m vaguely remember the one I attended being in spring of 98 or 99. I also vaguely remember it being a good show. Then again, most of my night time recollections of Athens involve the word vaguely in there… somewhere.
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OK, I’ll bite, since I am here….
1995 Poly Sci/ROTC/Phi Kappa
Taco Stand on Broad – I actually wrote a Poem “Ode to Taco Stand” I read at Phi Kappa in creative writings and orations. And, to bring it to 2021, I have been recreating the quesadilla I go there at home, grilled chicken, black beans, lightly grilled onion, sauteed spinach (i am certain it was frozen, ive got that down), and their medium sauce. I’ll never get the sauce though. The cheese was super thin shredded, and may have just been food dealer mozzarella.
I don’t know I had a favorite live performance, but I saw Hootie and Dave of course. Dave was there so much that it was like “want to go” “no”. It was interesting to see him get so big right after. I think the thing with Athens is music was just “there”. You didnt have to find it or go after it. Even had drummers on the street!
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Graduated in ‘92, BMUS. Did my student teaching (middle school band director) at Russell middle school in Winder. I don’t teach anymore though.
The Globe.
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Small story about REM and the globe. I was poor AF in college, but my roommate and I went to the globe for the cheapest beer available just to see what it was about, Michael Stipe and others of the band and hangers on were there, right next to us. They got up and left, leaving 2 full glasses of wine, and maybe a half glass in the bottle.
Yes, we did.
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I sat next to Mike Mills at The Globe and had a nice conversation. This was around 2002 or 2003. Turns out we lived just a few streets apart.
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I had the nicest conversation with Stipe’s mom. I had always wanted to talk to her husband but waited too long and he died. He was a chopper pilot with thew 1st Cav and she was so sweet when I asked about him.
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Marianne was the secretary at the Air Force ROTC detachment for a while when I was on staff there. Super person. This was when REM was starting to go national, and she was so proud she was about to bust her buttons.
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I sat next to Mr. Stipe at the Globe one late afternoon, he was alone, and when he finished his beer, he took out a small toothbrush and gave the ole choppers a quick scrub. Interesting to say the least ! circa 1992, I was a 5th year senior.
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Summer 92 my pal Robert was tending bar at the newly reopened Last Resort on a Friday afternoon. Stipe came in and ordered some food to go. He remembered me from 1980 before he dropped out of school. Fuckn loser.
We drank a couple beers. Talked of politics, guns and the military. We are diametrically opposed but he understood my positions as he’s an Army brat and a Southern boy. Very respectful and nice gentleman. He paid for our beers and left Robert a good tip. Simply a nice fellow.
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Yep, just think how far Stipe could have gone if he had just stayed in school.
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Hehehehe. Yes sir.
When I attended UGA my opinion was the norm. It appears to have swung a full arc in Stipe’s direction.
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Michael Stipe smelled like he was homeless.
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looked and dressed like it too.
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He used to wander around barefoot in February wearing this great big ol’ WWII surplus wool trenchcoat that looked like the moths had eaten what some handrolled Bugler cigs hadn’t burned away. He had a rockstar vibe even then.
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i think he’s a weird goofy dude that i wouldnt ever associate with regardless. and Im not an REM fan to boot, i dont like a single thing they produced. lol
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Every time I saw him he had very young men with him.
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When I talked to him I’d just knocked off from a granite quarry in Oglethorpe county in August. Nobody was pointing fingers that afternoon.
I would never even think of going downtown looking and smelling like that now.
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I once ran into him while I was chasing a hippie chick in the mid 90’s. She wanted me to meet her at the Grit for lunch…I was a dumbass hillbilly from north Georgia…had no clue that was a vegetarian restaurant or even what a vegetarian was…figured it was similar to a libertarian or Episcopalian… as I was going in Stipe was walking out with a t-shirt that read “I’m a Tri-Sexual…I’ll try anything” I told him to rock on and he gave me a very awkward OK with his fingers and I darted inside to be utterly disappointed in the menu options…but the hippie chick did so many wonderful/unholy things to me that I briefly considered becoming an Episcopalian or vegan just to keep running with her…it all worked out…I friggin miss those glory days
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’93 grad. Definitely The Globe.
My roommate’s sister was REM’s secretary at their Athens office while we were students, so we hung out with the guys a LOT. Two favorite stories-
Sister got married during our Athens tenure, so we went to the wedding and the band came, along with Bertis. Stipe sang at the wedding solo, which was amazing.
One Tuesday afternoon at the Globe, Stipe was in there at the bar when we walked in, just hammering beers. He grabbed a flyer advertising some no-name band playing at the 40 Watt that night. “Think I’ll go check them out” he says. My roommate and I go, there’s about 15 people there, and REM comes out and plays the entire Automatic for the People album before it was released by the record company. Pretty damn fun night.
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Alumnus
1. Red Coat Band, 12 weeks a year.
2. Commodores, once in a lifetime in Stegeman.
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2 Time UGA grad 78 in Ag, 82 in Vet School. Loved TK Harty’s. Best live performance was probably The Commodores, though Greg Allman was pretty good.
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yea, Greg is alright.
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Zoo night. Then hit Herby’s on the way home.
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Also a ’78 graduate. Also a fan of TK Harty’s.
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TK’s and Bruce Crichton strumming the guitar. Many a relaxing evening on the deck there.
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’98
Too many spots, but Taco Stand, Uptown Lounge, Lowry’s (on Thursdays), Downstairs Washington Street, and Locos on Baxter.
Concerts – we used to love the ’80s cover band Mel and Party Hats, but the most interesting show was David Allen Coe at the Georgia Theatre.
And of course when they blocked off all of downtown for Widespread Panic.
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Mel and the party hats! Yes. And Jump little children.
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I was also 98. That Widespread Panic day was one to remember, if I could. I think we were in Washington Street Tavern all morning long and remember emerging to broad daylight and wondering WTF, and then enjoying the rest of the day on a slow long buzz.
Mel and the Party Hats and Kinchafoonee Cowboys were two regular no miss fun acts, and we might have been at the same David Alan Coe concert. The man was barely able to stand or sit on stage, from what I can remember.
Best live act in my time was Live performing at Legion Field.
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Forgot about the Live concert. I was a freshman at Lipscomb hall, and since I didn’t have a ticket, I just listened from behind the fence. DAC was in pretty bad shape – but we were hammered too! Great times all around.
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98 here as well and I was going to say the same 2 shows. Live was freshman year and I lived in Creswell so I also just sat outside the fence and enjoyed the show.
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Dang. Mel and the party hats. Great great band!
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Add Dash Rip Rock and the Connells to Mel and you have the great party bands of the early 90s in Athens.
Also saw Pearl Jam at Legion Field for Homecoming in 1991 or 92.
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@silvercreekdawg The Connells are still one of my go-to bands. They played AthFest a couple of years ago and have a new LP coming out soon.
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Grady grad ’01. As for dives that’s a tough call as to what qualifies, probably Roadhouse, but does Half Moon or Engine Room qualify? Musically, I’d have to say Derek Trucks/Susan Tedeschi. Even though they weren’t together yet and split the bill, she did come out and perform with him at the encore, and it was pretty badass. I’d give an honorable mention to Reverend Horton Heat just for stage show/presence. I went to see him on a lark, as I’d heard he was pretty unique, and, even though it’s not really my style, it was well worth the price of admission just to witness.
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Edit: I didn’t think about food — definitely Taco Stand, Little Italy and Gyros.
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Yudy’s downtown did a pretty good cheese steak
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Alum
#1 – Uptown Lounge
#2 – Tie – Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Coliseum, REM at Uptown, & Jason & the Scorchers at 40 Watt
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Uptown Lounge. If you know you know.
One NYE my buddies went there early and paid the bouncer $40 to let them in later and to clear a booth. We returned at 11, the bouncer let them jump the line and then kicked some poor kids out of the booth that was gold. Of course everyone stood in the booth the whole time.
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1998 Alum
The Roadhouse
Agree with comments above that music was everywhere I went, and too many memorable shows to name a top, but in no particular order: Widespread Panice (Halloween ‘95 run); Govt Mule 4/18/1998; Beck; David Grisman Quintet; White Buffalo; Drive-by Truckers 40 Watt runs;
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Townie and grad, ’83, ’88. Gus Garcia’s for best day drank’in after class, Foxz best dive. So many great bands through the 70s & 80s. Stand-outs include Dixie Dregs, Allman Brothers, BB King and the B-52s more times than I can count.
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Graduate
Harry Bissett’s
REM in an unannounced show or Dave Matthews who was a regular for a time on the fraternity band party circuit.
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1994 grad
Foxz or Coopers
Watched the Dave Matthews ascension in real time. Free at fraternity parties, then the $5-$20 progression at the Ga Theater. Wouldn’t pay whatever obscene price they charge now with a gun to my head.
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I remember singing karaoke a few times at Foxz. Always an interesting crowd there!
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2001 grad (but I was on the 5 year plan…). Glad to see the Taco Stand love. That was “our” bar for a while (Hi Chuck!). I saw a “secret” REM show as part of a political campaign. That was cool. Widespread Panic in ’98 was surreal.
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‘02
Roadhouse
Merle Haggard @ GA Theatre
StarRoom Boys @ 40 Watt
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Double Dawg (90/91)
Best dive: food – Steverino’s, bar – Odyssey
Best live performance – Liquid Pleasure at my girlfriend’s sorority spring party (that night confirmed what I had been thinking for the prior couple of months – she was the one – 31 years later it was still the best choice)
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Many steak and cheese subs from Steve’s delivered to my dorm room in Hill Hall.
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I was a Steve’s hot and all the way guy. Pitcher of beer typically to go along.
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I still have a Steverino’s mug somewhere.
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I kept the t shirt for about 20 years. Hated to throw that one out.
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BBA-1973. 3rd generation attendee,but first to graduate with a 4 year (it took almost 5) degree in my family. Favorite hangs were Allens and Poss. We saw the Allman Brothers, with Duane and Gregg, at the Steg. They were on first as the opening act for Pacific Gas & Electric.
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I wonder if Glenn Schwartz was still with PG&E? I saw him blow Jeff Bec off the stage in Chicago in 68. https://www.loudersound.com/features/glenn-schwartz-the-fall-and-salvation-of-the-white-hendrix
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Graduate 1999
Uptown Lounge
David Allen Coe at the Theater
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Nice. And how could I have possibly forgotten about Uptown Lounge? Friday fish bowl margarita happy hours was always a great time.
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BS Psychology ‘92.
Dive: Deck at Steverino’s on the first few Spring days of the year and Athens Yacht Club before I turned 21
Show: The Pixies(the only non-Athens band we tolerated, lol) at Ga Theater ‘91. Although, when Follow for Now filmed the Holy Moses video at the 40 Watt it was bonkers.
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ROTC upperclassman in those years loved Steverino’s deck.
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2004 graduate, Grady College degree in advertising. My favorite eating dive joints were the Mayflower, Five Star Day Cafe (may she rest in peace), and Wilson’s Soul Food (another one gone too soon). As for bars, it was The Globe and Gator Haters.
Like 3rdAndGrantham, I have never particularly enjoyed concerts. With rare exceptions live music isn’t as good as recorded, IMO. But anytime Kinchafoonee Cowboys played at Georgia Theater, I was there. I also remember a concert at the 40 Watt with Vertical Horizon and somebody else. It was surprisingly good.
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Wilsons Soul Food……
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+1 to Wilson’s and Five Star Day.
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Vertical Horizon played with Stroke 9 and the Marvelous 3. At the time, that was a great night. Looking back, those musical acts don’t hold up well. That said, I like Butch Walker.
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Double Dawg 2013 and 2018. My favorite bar was Magnolia’s (former Tasty World). Best show was NEEDTOBREATHE at the GA Theatre.
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If we’re talking eateries that are dives then Little Italy is undefeated. If we’re talking bars I’d say Molly O’Sheas. ‘06 grad.
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Not a grad but I live here and sell to bars/restaurants.
Best dive bar: The World Famous
Best show: Robert Earl Keen. They played ‘Merry Christmas from the Family’ in July.
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The World Famous is too new but I’ve enjoyed a happy hour or two there on more recent business trips.
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Shit, reading through some of these answers from the 70s and 80s confirms that the late 90s/early 00s sucked as far as music goes.
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M Ed. and Ed D. UGA. Coopers was quite a dive but I lived out that way when I first moved here. Best shows were Zevon followed by War at the theater and REM at Legion.
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+1 on Coopers.
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Remember the bumper stickers on the cash register? “Lost, one big black dog, call Vince Dooley” and “There Goes Herschel $$$$$$. . . “
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Just a great place.
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Home of the fishbowl!
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I bought my 66 chevy truck from an guy in Winterville and I used to run into his son there. He never forgave his dad for selling it! This is what it looked like then, it’s flat black now. https://live.staticflickr.com/5112/8412192156_fb68b1d7bb_b.jpg
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Very envious. I want one for a daily. They are crazy priced now.
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I sometimes wonder what it’s worth. I have a 350 that is about ten years old, new tranny, rear end, seat, hurst on the floor. It’s not perfect because I always want to use it as a truck and not a show car. When I bought it it had a nice camper shell, a GM AC unit (I traded it for a wiring harness) and it still. has power steering.
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Resto mod guys are eating them up. I love resto mod as a way to upgrade – but I am with you, i’d want the truck to use.
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mostly original, clean, restored, how about $25k. Resto mods – $50k.
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Prices vary widely as does condition. I bought my Father’s 70 C10 Stepside short bed back. It is a 250 inline 6 with a 3 speed converted to floor shift. I am planning on a 5.3 (early 00s truck LS motor) and 6 speed from an 04-06 GTO both of which I have. The C10 Groups on Facebook for Georgia and Tennessee are both active and have trucks come across for sale for fair prices. You can get a driver for ~$15k. They’re easy to work so don’t be afraid of some projects, spend the money to get a solid cab/frame. I have a friend in North Georgia who is making side money fixing up these old trucks on the side.
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My first vehicle was the step side version of this. Paid $350 for it and it drank oil because it had a cracked block. It still ran, though. It was like a vampire, you couldn’t kill it.
Oh, and I went to Cooper’s a couple of times but seems like the regulars there were more interested in fighting. I wasn’t interested.
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I had a 62 GMC with a 305 V-6. Standard Oil truck she was. https://live.staticflickr.com/62/193461165_016c7b01e9_o.jpg
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My Dad bought a pale yellow 65, pale yellow, HI Torque straight 6 with 3 on the tree, brand new from Martin Burke’s Chevrolet in Forest Park. I was 2. Learned to drive it when I was about 9. Good times.
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Three on the tree?
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Mine had 3 on the tree as well. It’s how I learned to drive.
We taught our daughter to drive stick as well. It’s a life skill.
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…three spend manual shift on the steering column.
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“speed” not “spend”
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Fish Bowls
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Yeah, baby!
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Mr Billy Cooper gave me a fishbowl before Cooper’s moved down the hill. Got it in my freezer still. He was a character. I asked him what he was going to do with the old building after the move.
“Ah mon ton into a ho house and run it by hand until Ah hire some girls.”
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Cooper used to have some loud conversations on the phone that usually concluded with “Ah got me a bunch these damn high-lives in hyear rat now. Ah’ll call you latuh!”
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They had coupons in the Red and Black…buy one fishbowl, get the second one for a nickel. And they’d get all pissy when you actually used the coupon. Great place.
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I remember seeing Neal “Big Daddy” Pattman at Cooper’s at least once.
A very good time was had by all.
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Dude could blow that harp!
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We loved Cooper’s. Even named our dog Cooper. Mr. Cooper would let us bring him in the bar when it wasn’t crowded. Miss that place.
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Law ’80. Lived by Coopers third year, great place, especially the fishbowls. Although I remember (kind of) a great bachelor party at the Red Dawg Saloon in ’78 before it burned down.
Best live performance was David Alan Coe at the Georgia Theater but Jimmy Buffett at the Steg was a close second.
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You’re welcome for the Buffett show. I was on the Contemporary Concerts Committee that put that one on. BB King was also in town that night at the Georgia Theater and JB and his whole band took straight off after their show to go see BB. BB and Bobby at the Steg in ’77 was quite the show. There may have been 1200 people in the whole place. Didn’t matter to BB.
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‘92
$1 pitchers of Natty Light on the deck at O’Malley’s
Violent Femmes at the Georgia Theater
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That deck was so much fun on Friday afternoon but the Jesters shows after the students left for Thanksgiving were off the hook!
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2003 Grad – BBA International Business and German.
DT’s Downunder was probably my favorite dive.
There are too many good shows to name so I’ll go with the most unusual…
Kevn Kinney, Edwin McCain and Gibb Droll did an acoustic ‘warm-up’ show at the 40 Watt prior to their weeklong screw-around van tour of the Southeast. Nobody knew about it so there were maybe 20 people there, 3 of whom ended up on stage…Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Arlo Guthrie (?!).
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95-01 thanks to a gap year working abroad, and a 5th year for good measure.
Half Moon Pub became the go-to dive thanks for friendships our group formed with the bartenders.
Taco Stand was great and my go-to for a couple of years. A lot of memories made at The Grill, too.
Music – was there for WP in the streets but spent most of the night in City Bar. A lot of good music throughout my time there, but probably had the most fun with friends following Dayroom concerts, and the most fun with my future wife at GA Theatre for Maceo Parker. We were clean, but almost certainly got second hand stoned – there was so much smoke in the air Cheech and Chong would’ve blushed.
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I tended bar at Loco’s on Baxter in the 90’s and, believe me, it was a dive.
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Harris Street actually.
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Drank many beers there playing the ring game.
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Still appreciate the waitress that drove us home after my roommate and I went “Around The World,” an old girlfriend ended up with the shirt, though
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It definitely was. I delivered for Harris St Loco’s for several years starting in ’98. When were you there?
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Got out in 4 1/4 years. Worst mistake I ever made. I had friends there 5-6-7 years. I’m still mad about that. At least I had a 5th fall. Hands down Georgia Theater was the best place in Athens. So many shows but WSPanic was probably the best. I also loved Allgood Music Company. They never “made it”.
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Panic and Blues Traveler was especially awesome.
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Blues Traveler was damn good at the Theatre.
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I always tell current students that if they’re not careful, the school will make them leave after 4 years. Gotta stretch it out. 🙂
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It took me 9 years to get my undergrad, got my masters at 41 and doctorate at 50! Knowledge is good!
https://www.bookofthrees.com/knowledge-is-good/
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Don’t let school get in the way of your education was my motto.
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“85 Banker’s on Broad. There were so many shows I saw it is hard to pick a favorite. The Psychedelic Furs on Legion Field stands out. I saw many great shows at the 40 Watt on Broad and The Uptown. Jason and The Nashville Scorchers stands out from 40 Watt as well as seeing Zeitgeist later The Reivers at the Uptown the summer of 85.
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Jason and the Scorchers were incredible.
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You don’t hear many folks comment about Zeitgeist/The Reivers. They were a great band that I wish would have produced more output. #TranslateSlowly
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Double Dawg in Ag Engineering 83 and 87. Most consistent hang out was probably the 5th Quarter (Swino’s) with Sky though I also spent time at Allen’s, B&L, and O’Malley’s. I’d sometimes hit the live music clubs downtown like 40 Watt or Uptown Lounge.
Favorite live shows were probably any number of fun shows by the (Normaltown) Flyers, usually at our frat house. Though when I was in grad school, I worked at Gumby’s and one night we got a call from the bartender at the 40 Watt (new location) saying to stop by around 9. So we closed early, went down and caught REM playing an unannounced show for their “Document” release and upcoming tour. First time I’d heard many of those songs, and I especially remember “It’s the end of the world as we know it”.
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I’m pretty much an Athens native – graduated Cedar Shoals in 1990. My hangouts back in the day were the Barmuda triangle (Roadhouse, The Georgia Bar (RIP) and The Globe) but later The Engine Room was the spot along with Lunch Paper.
Saw many many many shows over the years and as I stilll live in Athens I still go to many, but one that sticks out was Pearl Jam at Legion Field right before they blew up. Thing is, a popular local band called Follow For Now opened, and they almost completely stole the show, as much of the crowd was there to see them.
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Great show and Vedder diving in the crowd was awesome!
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He also stop singing one time and yelled at a security guy who was being rough with someone in the crowd.
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I’ve seen both and FFN is definitely the hotter live act. Just amazing energy from those guys.
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Was at that show. Follow for Now was bad ass. Man I loved them.
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I did work study at the Tate Center and helped set up Legion for that show. That was in 91 or 92.
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That was awesome, scd!
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That was suppose to be about your REM story, but help setting up is cool too!
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Proud UGA Alum.
Favorite Dive? I frequented all the usual downtown suspects so I’ll go against the grain with Spirits pub out on Gaines School. Why we would go out there occasionally I have no idea but it was a real dump and we always had a good time and managed to stay out of fights. Best show – gotta go with Drive by Truckers at the 40 watt.
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There was a bar/eatery called 50 Gaines School across the parking lot from Spirits. It was a bit classier but it was still a dive!
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It being classier must explain why I never went there! Spirits was where locals went to get DRUNK, not really a casual cocktail before dinner type of a place.
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Seeing Greg Reece ride both a Harley and a horse into the Watt was fun.
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1981 BS Microbiology
Original Papa Joes, Loved to eat at Shrimp Boat
REM @ 40 Watt, The Producers @ the Sigma Chi house, Eli,, The Backstappers and Mother’s Finest @ various Frat parties
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I loved the Producers. Always thought they should have been bigger.
An Mothers Finest is the best live band I’ve ever seen, bar none.
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I was at the Mother’s Finest show at the Georgia Theater around 1990-ish.
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bomp, ba bomp,. bomp ba bomp. I dont even have to click play.
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Backstabbers. mental error
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’04, Landscape Architecture. Spent a whole lot of time at Copper Creek (RIP) and the Globe. Several shows at the 40 Watt stand out: Drive-By Truckers (many times over), My Morning Jacket, Gnarls Barkley, and The Hold Steady were all personal favorites.
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RIP to Copper Creek! Great place!
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Used to go to Copper Creek a ton, usually at 3 in the afternoon. My buddies made great friends with the owners when we were only sophomores.
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Graduated law school in 1998.
Favorite dive was really our dive for my relatively small group of friends — we went to “Munchies” quite a bit because we drank cheaply and could always get a seat. Also enjoyed The Globe, Washington Street Tavern, Nowhere Bar, and Uptown Lounge (to dance on the bar and get my T-shirt, of course). High Hat was good too, and sometimes I’d end up at Georgia Bar or Lowry’s for a show or with friends for no apparent reason.
Best show? Better Than Ezra at 40 Watt in August/September 1996 was really good. Jack Logan and the Liquor Cabinet were excellent at a show in the spring of 1996. Five-Eight during the Olympics was actually a really cool vibe. Kinchafoonee Cowboys at the Georgia Theater always put on a good show of old country covers.
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Of course, I forgot Engine Room. Loved that place too. One spring break, I ran into Kevn Kinney from Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ there. He was talking to the bouncer and “checking” IDs. His eyesight isn’t great (neither are his teeth…) so he joked with me about my ID being fake because it was a Wisconsin DL (where I grew up and also where Kinney grew up).
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’75 ABJ grad here, but a double-decked career in Athens.
’69-’71 best Coliseum concert was Chicago; 5th Dimension and Guess Who tied for 2nd place. Favorite dive a tossup between Allen’s and the 5th Quarter, where we saw the Tams live. Best Frat’y Club (Theta Chi) party band was Joe Ray & the Spontanes, ft. Willie & Bill.
’74-’75 Leon Russell at the Coliseum, TK Harty’s & B&L Warehouse & Dog House for drankin’ (Friday afternoon happy hr), Steverino’s and the Greasy V on Atl Hwy for cheep food. Wall Street West was a hole-in-the-wall dive, I’d go in there during the week to sell them advertising for the Red & Black and the place stunk so bad of stale beer that I never went back on the weekends, but I remember they had good bands there.
Gotta ask: was anyone else there, January 1974, for the (in)famous Cheech & Chong concert? Can’t remember exactly where it was, some warehouse downtown (not the B&L tho).
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Used to love getting up on Sunday and going to the Greasy V for brunch and the Vince Dooley show.
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Ike and Tina Turner also played at the coliseum back in 69? 70? Beach Boys also played in 72, I believe.
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Hindu Love Gods at the 40 Watt (Broad Street location), about ’85.
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This show? https://live.staticflickr.com/7311/11577089993_dea860e022_b.jpg
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With Brian Cook obviously .
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Could be! I’m thinking when I saw them it was over the Christmas break, and the audience wasn’t real big, but honestly don’t remember.
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It’s hard to tell in the first picture but Mills is wearing a skirt. The whole GA Bar team would wear dresses in the summer bar softball league games at the intramural fields. https://live.staticflickr.com/7397/11577209854_5b2e670433_b.jpg
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I think that is Wheel of Cheese, an impromptu collection of Athens groups who played covers. That is Mark Cline of Love Tractor wearing the skit.
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78/81 grad 2x
What? No mention of the 5th Quarter? For shame.
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It was mentioned above.
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Undergrad and Grad – 2006 / 2007. I spent a lot of time at DT’s Down Under as we had many friends playing solo acoustic shows and stand-up comedy nights. Washington Street Tavern (RIP) was also a favorite for the $1 PBR’s. Drive-By-Truckers lived in Athens the entire time I was there, so…yeah – I saw them like everytime they played.
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Oh yeah – BBA / MAcc (Terry College). I also spent far too many nights at Firehouse and Molly O’Shea’s.
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1981 Grad. Best live performance was Pylon above Chapter 3 Records in 1979, followed by REM at Tyrone’s in March 1981, followed by the B-52’s at Memorial Hall in 1978. Best dive bar was Papa Joe’s.
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I must add that the J & J on rassling night rooting for the bad guys and “The Claw” with $1 32 oz. beers was a pretty good dive.
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I noticed no one has mention Effie’s House of Sin yet.
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It is hilarious that the former site of Epherelda’s is where the Athens recycling center is now. One former assistant coach at UGA said he and his buds used to chop wood and give it to Effie’s as a “barter exchange.”
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Not sure if any of you have heard this tune before:
“Down around the county line
there’s a great big neon sign
saying ‘Everybody Welcome. Come on in’.
If you stop in for a while
you will come out with a smile.
It’s that little place called Effie’s House of Sin”.
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I had not heard it, but I have committed it to memory now. My father said Herman Talmadge had Effie sign his diploma when he graduated. Supposedly she left a huge estate when she died (I don’t know who the beneficiary was). She was a mysterious woman who appeared from the Midwest; little is known about her.
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One night at the frat’y house, five of us with nothing better to do decided to put $2 each into a hat along with five folded-up scraps of paper. One of the papers had an X drawn on it. Then we each drew a paper out of the hat, the lucky guy to draw the X got the $10 and a ride to Effie’s & back with the four other brothers.
Guess who drew the X…
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Mr Billy Cooper was “High Sheriff”, as he called it, at one time. He said he preferred the black version of Effie’s. I shit you not.
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‘85 Marketing. Allen’s for beer and O’Malley’s for the girls. Best show I remember…Producers at the Warehouse. Best show I hated…REM at Legion Field. Didn’t get their music until 10 years later.
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I saw REM in the early 80’s at one of the downtown bars. It was packed and like you, I didn’t get the music. Graduated, left Athens and then grew to appreciate them, which made grad school much better since that was when they were really getting popular.
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I have no recordings of REM and only the B’s greatest hits. But I have a Producers vinyl album.
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I attended for a few semesters, but did not graduate.
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I was a student for my freshman year only. TBH it was a long time ago and hazy. Lots of drinking at frat parties, hall parties, and the pizza joint just up from Brumby off Baxter, I want to call it Express. No concerts, some Frat party bands that aren’t worth recalling. However…
I ended up back in Athens 2005ish through 2015 working for a mechanical company that in turn did a ton of work for UGA and UGAAA.
I’ve mentioned it here before, but being an adult in Athens is awesome. My good buddy is a guitar playing townie who knows everybody and every dive in town. He played Allen’s a couple of times, that was huge fun. All the bars are good, I got to see a couple of guys he knew play bars around town and that’s my favorite way to enjoy live music. Mellow Mushroom is a fave because they had Turbo Dog on tap. The spicy Cuban from the Blind Pig across from the old O’malley’s is my favorite sandwich. Poutine from the Royal Peasant, Soul food from the restaurant on Broad (The one in the green house, Can’t for the life of me remember the name).
The most memorable (And only) concert was Jason Aldean and some other bro country at Sanford. I’m not really a fan of that type of music but the atmosphere was great.
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Greshams?
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Oooooh…
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“Play all the latest.”
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That Cuban sound really good right now.
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UA grad. I’m here for the Senator’s take on college football stuff and the musical palate cleanser. I don’t read all the UGA football stuff but I read every barn, gator , and vile related submission.
The most fun I’ve had in Athens was Panic In The Streets.
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Hell of a gig!
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Glad I can be here for ‘ya. 😉
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where’s your bona fiddles?
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It’d be funny if he says “what me? Naw, I went to Emory”.
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“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Welcome aboard.
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Scotch story time, Unca Got. My friend Gary was a bartender at Seasons Restaurant my junior and senior year. All the JWB I could drink for free. Just leave a good tip. I built up quite a tolerance in the ensuing years. Also learned how to handle Mezcal the hard way.
Forward to summer 91. I’m up to no good in Ocean City, Maryland of all places. On the boardwalk. Ran into my old friend Sergeant Lawrence and his young mates from 3 Para, British Airborne. They were all from Newcastle, England with an accent that was unintelligible even to the Queen I’d think. Lawrence was the sophisticate of the group and hand to translate conversations. Really. They pronounced Sergeant Lawrence as Sonn Leu. Strange to this Ranger.
So we’re all sipping American suds, Bud I think, at M R Ducks and they’re making fun of weak beer. Rightfully so. One of the lads pops off with some gibberish and I asked Law to translate.
“He says yanks can’t drink. Can’t handle the strong stuff.”
Oh really? It’s, as we say, Go Time, muthafuka!
We agreed on the simple rules of a contest. We’d drink their choice and then my choice. No trepidation on my end as their drink of choice was Johnnie Walker Black. I didn’t let on that I’d been keeping that particular distillery profitable the last ten years. They were all in their early 20’s and were staggering after three or four liters. Even Law, who was holding up pretty well, was wobbly. M R Ducks would sell you an entire bottle at a time.
Now it’s my turn. Mezcal. They didn’t make it to the third worm and they’re blowing chunks like the rank amateurs they were.
The staff at M R Ducks was rooting for the home team and helped us get ’em out of there and to their hotel rooms.
Yanks? I don’t think so, mate. That’s one time I wish we all had camera phones. We would have left them some memories better than Magic Marker RLTW on the mouthy one’s forehead. They got off lucky.
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I’m here for your stories RR! All day!
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SD, in the UGA buses were signs stating, “Normal drinking at the University of Georgia would be considered alcoholism anywhere else” or something to that effect. Never really thought about it or gave it much consideration until I was a Company Commander in the yankee Army. MPs called me one Saturday night when my wife was out of town. They ran in one of my NCOs for drunk and domestic shit. Told ’em to call the First Sergeant as that was NCO business. They had and he told them to call me. Top had a couple drinks and didn’t know I even drank.
Made some coffee, met up with the 1SGT and handled that situation. Turns out neither of us is drunk, just drinking. Then he pulls a quart of that nasty ass Jack Daniels out of his truck and we sat on the tailgate and established some parameters for our mutual benefit. One of us would always be sober to avoid such situations. We watched the sun come up. It turned an aggravating incident into a memorable morning. If one was getting drunk we’d let the other know. Made for some interesting conversations, let me tell you.
That led to some changes in my personal life also. Either my wife or myself was always sober. And now? I’m pretty much always sober.
Shit man, I bore myself as well as GTP readers.
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Thank you for indulging me, RR! I’ve slowed down myself and I’m ok with that! Sounds like you had a good plan to me! It’s known that Athens is a drinking town with a football problem! (a good problem)
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I was 23 when I went into the Marines and 24 by the time I got to Okinawa. So while all of my friends wanted to show off and see how much they could drink I would just tell them that I was from Athens, Ga, and had joined the Marines to “dry out.” Fast forward to when I got out and had people come and visit me (except people from Wisconsin) and they would inevitably be staggering and looking pukey as we made our way across Legion Field Parking Lot amazed at sundresses, cowboy boots how many beers you can shotgun crossing Lumpkin.
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Siskey, I went to basic at 18. Had a Marine/now Doggie, go through 13E(FDC)AIT with us. He was 24 or 25. Of course we called him Pop. He’s the Jarheaded muthafucka that got me started drinking Johnnie Walker Red on the rocks. He was also a stabilizing influence on me and the squad.
He took me to the enlisted club where we sat on a balcony observing the antics of our brethren.
“Look at those cherry boots down there arm wrasslin’. They’ll be fighting shortly. Don’t be like that.” And he was right. I had ringside seats to the brutality of MPs barely out of Basic who lived for busting skulls.
Almost as important was his explaining how bourbon and coke was leading to nasty hangovers that you avoid with Scotch and ice.
It’s amazing the difference in maturity between a teen boy and a mid-twenties man. Especially a man that matriculated through PI.
One of our FDC instructors was GySgt Wiehre. Pop tried to keep a low profile, but the Drill Sergeants ratted him out to Gunney Wiehre. Pop did a lot of push-ups in that class and always one more for the Corps.
Hadn’t thought about Pop in along time.
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Ranger, I imagine you have been called a lot of things in your life, but boring ain’t one of them.
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Renting tiny houses reminds me of New Years 2OO3. Stayed at Ms Sandra Lumpkin’s place at Bluefield Bay, Jamaica. Back then it was akin to Wilkes County. Woods and water. Very rural without much tourism. Now there’s a Sandals resort on the bay. Not my style.
Didn’t have TV which is fine except we needed a place to watch the Dawgs beat FSU in the Sugar Bowl. Our house lady, Ms Williams, invited us to watch it at her home. We wanted to watch it at a bar, specifically the sketchy casino/restaurant about a mile west on the ocean. Ms Williams objected but wouldn’t say why.
My Clemson buddy, Grant, and I hoofed it down to the casino the afternoon of the game. Ordered a couple of Red Stripes, it’s beer mon!, and scoped the place out. Plenty of TVs. The place was basically empty and the manager said he’d gladly turn to the Sugar Bowl. Walked out the back to the ocean and dock. Nice place. Took note of three tiny houses on the point. Maybe 15’x15′, painted pink with light blue trim. Asked the bartender about them and he was a bit evasive.
“They’re for rent.” Nothing else. Wanted a Scotch and saw a gallon of Johnnie Walker Blue in the box on the shelf. Hell, I’m on vacation. Treat myself, right? Bartender got the dust covered box down, poured a lovely drink but didn’t know what to charge. The manager said he’d never sold any. Was $5 alright?
Sure. Make it a double. Gave him a $20 and told him to keep the change. Sucked that down, ordered another double, single for Grant’s candied ass, gave him a $50, keep the change and keep ’em coming. Now I’m feeling good, sipping on excellent Scotch at a discount price in a wonderful locale. Still only Grant and me in the casino until this gorgeous woman steps in. Jamaican lady is dressed to the nines, sits beside me and orders white wine and introduced herself. She smells soooo gooood. I bought her drink, she’s talking to us in that charming patois, laughing at all my jokes. Man, I’m having a grand ol time until she placed her soft, warm hand on my bare, cargo shorts-wearing leg.
That’s when it hit me. I just ain’t that damn charming. Yeah, I was born at night but not last night. Now I know what those tiny houses are for. I also figured they were rented by the hour.
Knocked my drink back, fist bumped the bartender, bowed to the lady who feigned disappointment and I got the hell out of Dodge.
“Enjoy your vacation. Please come back to see us.”
Grant says, “Man, that girl was smoking hot! I believe she liked you.”
Oh, you reckon? I had to explain to his provincial ass. We watched the game at Ms Williams’ home that night and her grandchildren watched White folks bark like Dawgs for three hours. The children came to see us off a few days later and hugged me and woof woofed.
Maybe I am that damn charming after all.
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Keep ’em comin’, RR!
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That’s fucking awesome, especially the reminder.
I’ll say this for your drink of choice: It’s excellent. Tastes like a warm fire on a chilly, damp evening…with a hint of caramel. In fact, I’ve got a corned beef brisket on the smoker for a traditional SPD dinner, While I’m getting everything else ready I’ll pour three fingers or so in a heavy glass and I even used distilled water in my bartender’s ice tray, so it’ll be poured over one big, clear cube. Looking forward to it already.
I guess my favorite drinking story involves a three-legged alligator. Me and couple of guys were on Sapelo Island doing some work for UGA. After work we’d fix something strong and head off to fish. On this particular day the beers were really good and plentiful. We were on the back side of the island on a dirt track coming from a tide pool where I had cast netted a bunch of mullet for supper and there’s an alligator in the middle of the track. A big one, ’bout 8ft long. So we sit there for a minute. The alligator doesn’t move. I blow the horn, gator stays right where he is. This goes on for another beer, gator still in the same spot, so I tell my associate to go get the gator out of the road. He responds with the appropriate “Fuck you. That’s a big damn alligator.” So we’re sitting in the truck drinking beer watching the alligator and I realize it’s missing a leg, port side front. I need another beer so I got out and went to the cooler, grabbed us another beer, and I don’t know what possessed me to do it (Thanks to Mr. Budweiser it never occurred to me to just drive around the damn thing) I grab a piece of electrical conduit about 4 feet long in one hand, beer in the other, walked up to Mr. Gator and whacked him on the head with the pipe.
I don’t know what I thought would happen, I guess I thought Wally-gator would just slink back into the bush having been put in his place. Actually, just the opposite happened. That fucking alligator did NOT like me whacking it. That fucker snapped at me and I swear he’d a got me if I hadn’t jumped straight up and as he lunged I came down on his back. I took one bound off the critters back and the next leap took me up on he hood of the truck of which the gator hit right behind me and knocked a big chunk out of the grill. By that time I was on the roof of the truck and the gator was back on the ground so I eased into the cab through the window and politely drove around Mr. Alligator. My helper is sitting scrooched up against the door starring at me saucer eyed so I say “What?”
He says: “You didn’t spill a drop of that beer.”
True story.
#FTMF
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A few years back, I had a part time job at a golf course down here in SWFL, and gators would always be sunning themselves on the fairway!
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LMFAO!
Some of the best advice I ever got was from CPT “Depends on whether you count a pregnant woman as one, one and a half or two”. In the swamps at Fort Stewart he told me to never forget that I wasn’t on the top of the food chain out there or during waterborne ops in the Atlantic.
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You know what? I think it’s time for that scotch…
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That’s my Dawg! I believe I’ll join you.
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Slainte.
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Salty Dawg, if you’re still living in SWFL then I am envious. Nothing I enjoy more than casting into the Gulf with a live bait and catching a Mangrove Snapper or even a sail cat for supper. Of course I do like a slab crappie or clean stream sandcat. I’ll enjoy if I get down there again I reckon.
Looking like Scotch and T Stand burrito tonight.
Ahhh memories.
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Jealous Bastard, he is…
Salty, I spent a lot of time down that way, in Hudson. Loved the golf and fishing. Also had a kayak trip from hell, back when kayak fishing was becoming a thing. My advice? Always start upwind…
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To your health my leg-humping, flea bitten friend, Uncle Got.
(Just received that text from a candy ass Sakerlina pal).
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Your Sakerlina pal, I mean is the jealous bastard…
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1988 grad, BBA
Enjoyed bucket night on the deck at Classic subs on Baxter St. and Herbie’s. Also, we used to go to Sonnys BBQ on Sunday night for their all you can eat deal. I was there once with Wycliffe Lovelace and Ronnie Smith from the football team and Shuler Hensley from the baseball team. They ate so much food, the manager agreed to waive our check if we’d leave without ordering anything else.
Best concert was unannounced REM at Legion Field and Sting Dream of the Blue Turtles tour at the Steg.
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Thomasons was quite a dive and had good music.
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’05 UGA Law. Loved the Manhattan. Saw Sleater-Kinney on the “One Beat” tour and GBV on the “Earthquake Glue” tour on back-to-back nights at the 40 Watt in the fall of ’02.
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Anyone else eat at the Race Inn? Mark didn’t suffer fools or people who took too long to order!
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UGA grad for undergrad (class of 2003) — favorite dives were Roadhouse, Flannagan’s and while it was around, Whiskey Bar
Some favorite shows from that time would include the Victor Wooten Band at the GA Theater (just 3 hours of ridiculously virtuoustic funk) and a Left Front Tire / American Hi-Fi show at the 40 Watt that was my first live show post-9/11
And for food, I still hate that Bissett’s is gone (and I want my early 20s metabolism back, as long as we’re wishing)
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Jim White and his wife opened Bleu Canoe up here in Clarkesville just off Lake Burton. He’s brought a lot of Bissett’s menu with him. The food is fantastic and the place gets packed. They’ve also have tiny houses you can rent. Check it out: https://www.bleucanoe.com/
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My HS friends were at their rich ass house on lake burton and i coordinated to do a fly by. I did so, flipping the bird at them top gun maverick style. With cell phones – no chance Id do it again.
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1977 grad; b&l warehouse; allman bros at steg.
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Class of ’98
As a freshman O’Malley’s or Sky’s. Later years Allen’s on Mondays and Flanigans and Half Moon other nights. I didn’t get into the music scene as much as I should have but remember being blown away early on by Neal Pattman and Healers show. Later accidentally saw him at Dave’s CC Club south of my hometown of Thomasville.
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Double grad: 74 & 79. Married an Athenian and lived there between ’87-’05, so I have a couple of eras to reference.
As a student, my drinking spots were Allen’s, TK’s, and O’Malley’s. Best concerts include a free triple-header at Legion Field with Wet Willie, Skynyrd, and the Allmans. Tied with, albeit a different genre, Jethro Tull and Capt. Beefheart at the Steg. Bringing home the bronze would be Shawn Phillips at the old Student Center building in the Reed quad. Honorable mention to the forever kings of regional cover bands: Eli at the B&L. (Cookie did a bang-up job on “Tie Your Mother Down.”)
As for my second time around, I’d drink at the Globe. Music hall of choice was the Uptown. Best show was Roger McGuinn (with special unannounced guests three-quarters of R.E.M.), followed closely by a New Year’s Eve show by Strawberry Flats.
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M.Ed. 2000. I’ve lived in the area since 1998.
Favorite dive? Manhattan Club, I’d say. I pretty much have always kept to the west side of Downtown.
Best show? Other than that time Billy Joe Shaver threaten to punch a guy in the face for chatting on his phone whilst Shaver intro’d “Live Forever”? Because that was epic. The Willie show at the Georgia Theater was pretty great, as was Dwight Yoakum. I recall one great Old 97’s show at the 40 Watt, too. I’m going to say my first Robert Earl Keen show in ’99. That show really opened up a whole new world for me with friends and it was pretty early on dating my bride, too.
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Lived in Athens since 1991
Best Dive Bar, Sky’s Place and Nowhere Bar (they still have the best jukebox in terms of selection that I know of)
Best Defunct Restaurant, Wilsons, 5 Star Day, Guthries before they started burning everything, Mean Bean, Peppinos when it was downtown, Steverinos
Best Performance, Steve Earle at the Ga Theater (2000?), Outkast at Legion Field (1995-1996?), David Allen Coe too many times to count and sometimes he was good, Sunvolt Ga Theater 2006ish, Jerry Jeff Walker Ga Theater 1998, DBT 2006 and 2010 at 40 Watt, Black Crowes 40 1997-1998 40 Watt.
Worst Performance- Dylan at the Classic Center in 1997-1998 or any jam band at any place ever.:)
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Agreed about the Jam bands. No apologies either. Saw Coe Nov 79 at the Georgia Theater. Good show. Paid to see him at the Armadillo Palace couple years later. The muthafuka wouldn’t get off the bus. Didn’t get my money back. Still pissed off.
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If that ain’t country…..
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The one on Kirby in west U?
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OutKast at Legion Field was amazing. Terrible weather, but everyone went crazy.
That concert was also the birth of Gnarls Barkley. Brian Burton aka DangerMouse won the student competition to open the show and first met Cee-lo back stage.
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I’m a grad. Since I was a bartender at T.K.’s that was naturally one of my favorite places. I’m old so we’re talking 1977 to 1980. But Cooper’s is where we hung out the most. I saw Asleep at the Wheel for the first time at the Georgia Theatre. Phenomenal show. Muddy Waters at the same venue was also incredible. Saw REM in the abandoned church among other places. Also saw the B-52’s at multiple venues but the most fun was a house party. Gamble Rogers at The Last Resort was always a great performance. Sea Level at the Georgia Theatre. Heck there were a LOT of great shows.
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1977
TK Harty’s
Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Coliseum. I think it was not long before the plane crash. ( a few months maybe?) I graduated just before the music scene exploded in Athens.
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Speaking of Athens and dives, can we pour one out for Craig “Sky” Hertwig? Just a great guy, always had a smile and when you saw him at away games years after graduating, he always acted like he remembered you and you were his long lost friend. Hated it when he died young. DGD on a great offensive line, and an Athens fixture during his time.
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Exactly, Russ. Always nice. We had a mutual friend in Kenney Helms and we’d tell Ken stories and smile. Both great guys. I saw Sky break up a bar fight once. Tossing fools one handed like I’d throw a child.
RIP Sky.
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He had big hands!
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Sky was awesome! I still can’t believe I ate the Monday night football hotdogs. lol
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The gentle giant. Saw him at a lot of away games over the years (Jax, knox, Columbia, Clemson) as well as his place and all around Athens. He kinda ‘stood out’ in a crowd.
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98 Grad…5th year Senior, took everything I could muster to leave Athens eventually. Food: Steverinos or Mexicali Grille…got pulled out of 40 Watt more times than I can remember…but my most memorable band was always catching the Kinchafoonee Cowboys at the old Ga Theatre…Eggs, Toast, Grits, and Bacon…still love that song…thanks Bluto for this topic…these posts are fun reads
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’07 Grad.
Nowhere Bar was probably my favorite dive, but I spent most of my time in Copper Creek.
“Best” show was probably a George Porter, Jr. show (either the Funky Meters or Runnin’ Partners, I can’t remember which) that was completely underattended because it was during finals one year. George was pissed that nobody came, but threw out the funkiest damn show ever. It was epic, felt like they were playing to just me.
Most memorable show was probably the Benevento/Russo Duo show that Mike Gordon from Phish sat in at. The (old) Theatre was completely packed to the point of being uncomfortable, and they played 1 song for the entire first or second set. That went on to get released as an early downloadable live show. I’m not a big Phish guy, but it was just a crazy show.
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Grad in 90. Allen’s and the Foundry (it was a dive then) were my go to spots. Also Boars Head Saloon (I think that was name) in 5 points.
All time favorite live band was Jason and Scorchers. Also was a regular for Normaltown Flyers at Allen’s on Wednesday nights. Peter Buck often sat in with them.
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Class of 00 and 04.
K Bob’s was a great place to eat, but not sure if it was a dive. Best show I saw was John Mayor before his career took off. Actually met him and told him his music sounds too much like Dave Matthews.
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LOL. Well, you weren’t wrong.
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But his Chapelle show skit was great!
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Knew Achim that started K-Bob. Great musician, cool guy, really enjoyed the food. Wish he would have had the success he wanted to turn it into a franchise, but honestly I think the food was too labor intensive and well made to easily scale. Just getting to 2+3 locations was too tough.
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Add Drug store…best grilled cheese and slaw dogs in Athens!
HELL yes I’m a grad…1986
Molly Hatchet in TK Hardy’s standing with Todd Williams on the front row!
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Molly Hatchett at Tk’s. No shit?
Saw them spring 83 at the i and i. They were so loud I couldn’t stay in there with toilet paper in my ears.
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Grad Winter 83.
T Stand burrito.
Frequented most those ^^^ places and saw many of those shows. I don’t know how I or any of you fuckers graduated with any brain cells remaining. Speaking of brain cells, a memorable show was Root Boy Slim and The Hope For The Criminally Insane Band at the i and i (old B&L Warehouse). I had to walk there as an old “friend” visiting from tech, who turned me on to RBS, had stolen my car. Coke freak. Talked to Root before the show and told him my tale of woe.
“Sounds like one of my fans.” ,he said. Then I bought him a Johnnie Walker Black. Great band. Great show.
Boogie Till You Puke.
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Non graduate here. Gonna show my age but summer of 77 . Lynyrd Skynyrd at the steg. Mother’s finest opened up. Great show. Later in years Umphreys McGee at Ga theatre. Great great guitar work.
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’06 grad, loved doing 2 for 2 Tuesdays at Wild Wings and then posting up at Washington St Tavern. Drive By Truckers & Zac Brown band at Georgia Theatre were pretty good back then. I was normally late to the music party though to be honest.
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I also lived across from Steverinos and Son’s of Italy so logged quite a few hours between the 2 of them
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2001 grad.
Taco Stand, Sons and Steverino’s
So many shows. Drive By Truckers at the 40 Watt was always special, but I remember the first time I heard Zip City and Women Without Whiskey at Tasty World; Drivin n Cryin as a power trio in the fall of 97 Halloween show; The Dandy Warhols had a key-bass player who was hot and there were only 20 people at the 40 watt that night, I think that was around Christmas 1998; I mentioned Butch Walker above, Marvelous 3 was always a good show; SOld 97’s at the 40 watt on the Fight Songs tour spring 99. And after I graduated, probably right after Dirty South came out, DBT with Jason Isbell pretty damn good as well.
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Matriculated Summer 1991, graduated Fall 1996
Allens, Foxyz, Skys, Uptown
Too many to recall. Each SuperJam was a highlight bc it was the precursor to spurn Horde then Lolla then most outdoor festivals today
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we crossed paths for sure.
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Tinsley Ellis at Rockfish Palace
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Y’all are babies; babies, I tells ya’!
Double Dawg, but when I was in Athens, there weren’t any clubs (maybe a few opened during law school), but the closest thing to live music was at The Last Resort (not a restaurant then, but only a few tables and chairs and they sold pitchers of beer). This is how long ago that was: my RA was a scholarship wrestler at UGA. How has is been since we had a wrestling team? He took a bunch of us there and this is another clue: I didn’t need an ID because 18 was legal then. A woman named Elizabeth was the usual music there and I admit I had a little bit of a crush on her even though she might have been old enough to be my mom. RA tried to teach us how to puke on demand so we could ‘make weight’. Not a talent I ever wanted.
There were no clubs. If there was music, it was connected the university, and usually at the Coliseum, where the acoustics were terrible. Sometimes at Legion Field. They did have some name acts: The Who, ELP, The Allman Brothers, Jerry Butler, Sam and Dave
are some that come to mind. Gamble Rogers at Legion Field was one I really enjoyed.
Restaurants? Not much. Lynn’s, Strickland’s and a Place I think was called Tony’s which I always thought was funny because the owner dressed like a maitre d’ and would show you to your seat with all the formality he could muster and then hand you a mimeograph menu to choose your meal from which was basically the same everyday. Mayflower was old even then. My wife tells me it is the same now as it was then, and that is kind of good. To really put the feed bag on you had to go out of town: Poss’ “out” on the Atlanta Highway, Charlie Williams or my favorite near Hull, Swamp Guinea.
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Swamp Guinea was legendary.
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I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned here before, but my family owned and operated the Swamp Guinea locations on Lake Hartwell and in Thompson. I don’t know that I ever actually went to the one in Hull. I’ve probably eaten a bazillion hush puppies in my lifetime.
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My SG story is about the last time I went there. We drove up and the place was obviously closed, but the door to the dining room was unlocked and when we walked in, the tables were fully set. It was like the staff just got up one day and left.
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If they’re my kin, leaving everything perfectly in order and walking out a la the Churchill War Rooms is on brand.
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It was one of the eeriest things I’ve ever seen.
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Class of 1969. Used to hang at at the 5th Quarter. James Brown and the Famous Flames at the Steg. They opened it up to the local and my date and I were in the minority, but unlike these days everybody was cool. Well it was a bit awkward when James went into “I’m Black and I’m Proud” and 95% of the crowd, which was black (60’s term) and stood up. Didn’t know what to do, so we just stood up with them.
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The only time I’ve felt like a celebrity is the time my wife and I went to the GA Dome for the Battle of the Bands of HBCUs. We were the only white people I saw among the 50,000+ crowd. Walking the concourse people were all taking pictures, saying hello, cracking (warm-hearted) jokes and asking if we were lost, haha.
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Graduated Spring 1983. Probably one of very few students to attend both MNC in New Orleans and Final Four in Albuquerque!
Mothers Finest at B&L Warehouse…..simply awesome!
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Sidewalk alum, Graduated from Ga State in Finance after changing majors and transferring schools. Family had UGA season tickets up until Donnan. If I get any crap for not attending I could count the number of home games I missed under Goff on 1 hand, even made it to the WLOCP on his watch. Worked my through school. Part of me wishes I went to UGA but I liked the spending money in my pocket. Attending schools in Metro Atlanta, I spent time at the Masquerade especially for 80s night, the Library, Wild Wings, Vortex etc.. I remember going to Wild Wings, Loco’s, and others in Athens in the late 90s.
Most memorable show was Greg Allman at the Tabernacle Jan 1, 2000 on free tickets thanks to a friend who worked for Z93. Saw a few shows thanks to them. I mentioned Memory Dean yesterday, saw them open for Bare Naked Ladies as they were breaking. Memory Dean was better in my opinion but I wasn’t a fan of Bare Naked Ladies. Butch Walker is a great show, Saw Drivin N’ Cryin a few times. They usually had a show in Atlanta around Thanksgiving, made it a couple times.
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I am from midtown….I knew the masquerade way back in the day, i mean way back. I saw Kitty there one night then Outcast the next at the Tab, my buddy said that was the hardest thing ever. hard in the slang meaning.
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Good times and very interesting how the crowd could change on the theme of the night or act they had performing. Foam parties, techno, metal, punk rap. 80s night was kind of low key, smaller crowds, and the cover was less if you showed up after midnight (worked out great for me). The regulars would get to know each other. The downside of night classes is I missed Stabbing Westward, Local H, Sevendust and a few others there.
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its funny to hear you say 80s night. Because I was there in 89 not long after it opened. lol
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I saw the Ramones at the Masquerade in 1990 or 1991.
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Saw Mothers Finest at the Roxy on NYE probably around 78 or 79. 688 Club on Spring Street had some good shows. And of course the Fox during Thanksgiving week for several years featured REM. Also saw the B52s there.
I grew up in SW Atlanta.
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Double Dawg 76-80. Loved Stricklins’ The Mayflower, Steverinos, and Swamp Guiney. I was a UGA cop from 74-77 so worked a lot of concerts at Stegeman. If I ever smelled something funny I told the offender to just go away so I would not have to make an arrest. Did not want to spend the night on paperwork when there was a show to watch,. My bride, also a dawg, was quite fond of the Georgia Bar.
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Graduated spring ‘99 with a BA in Marketing from Terry. I had punk shows at my house, the Dead Body House, on Lexington Rd (across from Badcock Furniture). I had Hot Water Music play there twice. Amazing shows. Also, Jeremy Enigk on the Frog Queen tour at the 40 Watt.
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Forgot my dive. Couple of bong rips and then $10 at Mean Mike’s for a couple Long Islands. Keep it classy.
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Feel like I’m too old for most to understand this. ’69 grad and strongly encouraged to withdraw from MBA program fall of ’70. Harry’s was Five Pts version of a dive, otherwise Allens. Great breakfast at Chase St Cafe about 8:30 when the students who drove school busses would come in. I passed on lunch because I could not finish all the food they put on your plate. Poss’s on Sunday night. Twice a week drive to Arcade to buy beer with my All SEC offensive tackle buddy. Great economic system. He would take a $10 bill and a check. Use the cash to pickup a check being held and used the check to pay for two cases of long necks. Best show was Ray Charles in the coliseum. Two songs in, the aisles in front of the stage were packed and then the whole place. Fire marshall must have been on vacation.
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Did you go to the rodeos and FFA at the Steg?
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No but it was easy to know when the sheds were full. I guess most would know the FFA animal shows and related were the only way funding for the coliseum passed the legislature.
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awesome
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’81 AB. Allen’s was my go-to dive. I cried when it closed but I got to take my boys there for a burger a while before it did. They were about 10 & 7 and were mightily impressed. They still talk about it.
Most of the music I got to see was University sponsored but there was an epic Mother’s Finest show around ’79 at either the Other Place or Jester’s(?). Somebody help me out here. It was the big club trying to rival the B&L down off Foundry Street. Saw Molly Hatchett there as well. My rememberer is slightly off these days.
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’04. Nowhere Bar. Food wise I’d say: east side Taco Stand, Kelly’s Jerk, Pepino’s, and Achim’s. There was also a good rib place on Baxter towards Clarke Central.
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2005 Grad. Worked at Flanagan’s but I also dug dive-barring at Washington Street Tavern. I saw some great shows but Ludacris and 112 at Legion Field may take the cake because it was just so surprising. Chappelle performed there, too, as did The Roots.
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’76
I worked at the bus station during school and so frequented the “Dawg House” next door. I worked with a couple of guys, Ricky Wilson and Keith Strickland, that were in the B52s. Allen’s in Normal Town the usual hangout when away from work. Most fun I Had at a concert was Vince Vance and the Valiants
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I am not for being older than i am, but dang, all yall with the mothers finest, molly hatchet, allman bros, just killing me
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lol, My mother saw Allman Bros play around Ga State when she was in school there. I am not gonna lie I’m kind of jealous of their time. They certainly got their money’s worth back then especially Dad which was on the decade long plan. I am from Marietta. My mother worked at Phipps and in midtown while at State. I knew my way around Atlanta before college
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Yes, grad.
Uptown Lounge for happy hour
Panic on Washington Street
Sigh.
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95 Grad
Hangouts changed through the years:
Papa Joes
Skys
Bissets
Gus’
The best shows were the Panic NYE shows at the Theatre.
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Damn Senator, this was too good.
I would go back to UGA today if someone would pay for it.
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I believe Joe Biden is going to make you that offer.
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O’Malley’s the best bar IMO and The Grill to eat
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Pulley bones from the Shrimp Boat on Baxter across from Russell.
https://uga.forums.rivals.com/threads/i-miss-the-way-my-grandmother-and-the-shrimp-boat-cut-chicken.430806/
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Alum and native
Cooper’s – but for real shady characters there was the, Frog Pond Lounge
Mother’s Finest at GA Theater
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I only went to the Hog Pond after midnight, and after several beverages.
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townie via SSI, arrived in 91. Worked downtown and practically lived downtown for at least a decade. Night manager at Frijoleros, doorman at Uptown lounge. Played in several bands. The Old 97’s show several have mentioned was a show they opened for my band at the time. Played shows regularly with DBT and Star Room Boys.
Bar favorites are too numerous to list. Best shows were Radiohead at Stan Mullins warehouse. Jesus Lizard at the 40watt. Morphine and 16 Horsepower at the 40watt.
Moved to Athens to play music and to get away from all the alcohol on St Simon’s (😂), was somewhat successful on one front.
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You and me are simpatico, man. Those were my salad days downtown too. I had to respond because my firends and I were HUGE frijoleros fans. First place I had green salsa and I think it was the first place to have the “subway” style of making a burrito. It was our first stop on a long night out.
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2004 drop out. I later graduated at another fine institution.
The Barmuda Triangle: Roadhouse, El Centro, Nowhere Bar, GA Theatre, GA Bar, and The Globe.
Best shows: hmm probably Panic in the Streets, David Byrne at the Theatre, or My Morning Jacket Prom at 40 Watt.
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Transferred to a damn Yankee school after 2 years at UGA (2000-02). Still regret it.
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Grad 1992. Papa joes and Sky’s place. Saw Pearl Jam front row at legion field 1992. NO ONE knew who they were. And they rocked that b—th. Setlist…. https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/pearl-jam/1992/legion-field-athens-ga-3d64917.html
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one of the handful of times i saw vic chesnutt at the 40watt.
dive: mahatten cafe.
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1997
Steverino’s, Gyro Wrap downtown, Sons (of Italy), Allen’s (incredible burger)
Dayroom at GA Theater
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I was too late for Allens. Must have been awesome – kind of surprised a place in normaltown was such a staple for so many
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Fall ’03 grad. I missed all day yesterday, but there are some notable exceptions that may really have just been figments of my imagination, because they can’t be real:
Gumby’s on Baxter used to have this thing where if you came in person at 4pm, you could get a pitcher for 25 cents. They would raise the price by a quarter every 15 minutes.
There was this place called Velvet Elvis that was in this spot just across from the Arch on College that nothing ever survived. I think it’s where CFA is now. Anyway, during their short stint, they had a Monday Night Football special where, from kickoff until somebody scored, you could drink pints of their cheap draft for free. It was Miller or something, but it was free, no strings attached. My buddies and I went a few times, and we were literally the only people there. Enjoyed a few first quarters of some pro games there.
We spent a ton of time in Copper Creek, because we made friends with the owner when we were 19, but somehow we would always end up at Molly O’Shea’s. I missed a lot of good shows but Seven Mary Three at the old Athens Music Factory was damn good.
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Seems like every bar I went to in Athens was a dive. But, without a doubt, the first time I saw R.E.M. at the I&I in ‘81. You knew something was about happen for this band.
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Jacket Prom @40 Watt is the only right answer if you were in Athens in 2007. Roadhouse and pre-fire Ga Theatre for dives. 2010 and 2013 grad here.
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