Athens: Not just for Naked, Ancient Greeks Anymore

Clemson lacks a lot of the basics that make a truly great college town. Don’t get me wrong, two and a half sub shops per capita is an impressive statistic, but other than that, Clemson is miles behind other great college atmospheres. One of my favorite spots to hit up for a day trip is the Georgia Theatre in Athens. The Georgia Theatre is completely unrivaled for top-notch music entertainment in the area. The Joint is certainly a cool place for shows and always offers a great time, but it still can not touch the aura one feels during a typical night in Athens, nor does it bring in nearly the number of quality performances.

The Georgia Theatre is rustic in appearance and inviting in demeanor. The marquee on the façade of the building is almost too good to be true, and once inside, the vintage red satin curtains appear straight out of a 1930’s burlesque house. The no-thrills stage and lighting seem taken directly from your average high school musical production. The elevated ceiling decorated with stained, missing tiles and an old-school balcony, along with the aforementioned qualities make the great music that fills the house all the more brilliant. The acoustics in the old building are great, and the bands, both local and well known in certain circles, keep the house full till the early morning hours. The shows pull in people of all ages and backgrounds, making it a comfortable environment for all who wish to enjoy a night of great music - not to mention drink deals and ticket prices that most college kids can easily afford. For example, the last show I attended cost only ten dollars and had three solid acts on the ticket that played from 9:30pm till past 2am, with only minimal time in-between sets.

Some notable performances to visit the intimate Georgia Theatre this past year have been Old Crown Medicine Show, Stewart & Winfield, and local favorites The Zac Brown Band. Coming to Athens in the next few months will be North Mississippi Allstars, G Love and Perpetual Groove. Of course, often the lesser known or local bands that come turn out to be the best shows, so almost any night is guaranteed to be well worth the trip south.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this little city of Clemson that has become my home over the past three years, but when it comes to live music, nothing contends with a night of good friends and top-shelf music in Athens, Georgia. So hop in the car, scrounge up twenty bucks, play rock-paper-scissors for DD, grab a case for the road (shhhhh I didn’t say that!) and I hope to see you there!

For more information or to see future line-ups visit www.georgiatheatre.com.