5
It feels
I had never thought that the music of Michael Jackson would once become the soundtrack of my journey to Athens.
So here’s my personal review and some photos (and my little german accent;-)). Tips what to visit and where to eat etc. are already listed in another thread.
In dreams
It should be a pilgrimage. There was this longyears wish to visit the southern states. The home of “Gone with the wind” and “North and south”. The image of those big white buildings with columns. The wish of riding a motorbike and having someone with me with a camper to be independant… And the ideas of Athens you get in your mind when you read about R.E.M.’s history.
So, it just needed that one question in one thread: “Who’s coming to Athfest?”
The plannings started, the flight was booked, the camper became an inn, the motorbike a car, “the wind” a trip to Atlanta and “North and south” a trip to North Carolina. And Athens? So real!
That everything’s there for you
I arrived at the Atlanta airport at 1 pm, what meant that the greyhound bus office was closed and I should have ordered a ticket in advance. But there were the AAA shuttle busses with helpful drivers.
First thing after check-in in Athens I wanted to do was to make a phonecall. My cellphone didn’t work (you need at least a triband-phone), so I tried to find a public telephone. I found that one:
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
So I decided to go back and use the one in my hotelroom.
The town breathes and pulses
Nearly everything is in walking distance in Athens. Except when you need groceries like water, fresh fruits to get over that heat. But every thing you’re looking for is a reason to start to talk to someone and that has always been a pleasure, because everyone was so helpful and friendly – even when you ask the same person twice;-)…
I should have taken my notebook with me – nearly every café offers WI-FI but has no public computer for internet access.
But then the Athfest could begin and it was a good choice to get there at that time, because downtown is full, you meet a lot of different types of people, some of them you might have seen before ;-) … You get an impression of arts and crafts of the area. And last but not least you’ll hear and see the musicians you’ve read about.
I was impressed by the Music-Award-show on thursday! Beachboys, hoolahoopdancers, liveband etc. It was fun when someone sitting next to you got up to receive his award. I mean, this local music-scenery is vivid. And that person who said “Michael Jackson is dead”, while passing my room-door earlier that afternoon was so right, I thought…
First it seemed kinda strange to me, when the co-presenter of the show did some Jackson imitating. But well, they had Britney and Madonna before, so it seemed to be just part of the show and quite normal that the audience found that it sucked. Only when he said “Rest in peace, Michael!”, I began to understand in a way of disbelief and surprise but not being really shocked.
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
Smack, crack, jetlagged, I left “early” to get some sleep, finding the confirmation of Jackson’s death on every tv-channel, except HGTV.
As the (mostly) young audience was told at the opening of the award-show what they (and I) have missed of “The True Golden Era”, it began with the B-52’s over Mr. M. Stipe’s peculiarities (or did he say hair?), the different locations of the 40 Watt Club, not to forget the civil war to just name a view. All that to conclude that we “arrived too late!”
But something has remained and you can get an idea of it in what the owner of the Georgia Theatre said when he explained, why it is no question to rebuild it as soon as possible: he attended many of the great events they had there and got an agreeing murmur from the audience when he told how he had danced there next to Michael Stipe with the words: “I was so souled!”
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 [He somehow reminded me to a german comedian.]
To get into the right pilgrimage-feeling I took part in the music history tour on friday morning and enjoyed the anecdotes our guide told. We ended at Weaver D.’s, and I just can say: delicious!!
The bands and crowd were great at Nuci’s in the evening. At least one band I had seen/heard myself before: the Modern Skirts aka “the latest Flagpole kings” did a great job, especially the busy keyboarder.
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
The next day in the streets:
Something has changed: people wearing Jackson t-shirts, driving their cars with an extra-loud portion of his music, his songs coming from some bars… He died, get it!
Again some pilgrimage-memorable act: two films in the cinema: “R.E.M. 1984” and “Athens, GA Inside/Out” – now able to recognize several buildings and places. And yeah: That was all happening in Athens, Georgia!! Now I could feel the “Golden Era”, I could feel it - truly!
Some impressions from saturday:
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
Five Eight in the Melting Point were really fun – starting at 12 what meant feeling like 6 o’clock in the morning to me…!
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1 http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
Finally the street next to the Georgia Theatre was opened again and I found: a working public telephone!!
It’s all here where I keep it, it’s all in … my mind
I wanted to visit the fanclub-office, but someone told me that wouldn’t be a good idea. And by the way: where’s their entrance?
It was time the Georgia Theatre got its’ new programme:
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
R.I.P.!
http://www.murmurs.c...7785399&thumb=1
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
For all german-speaking:
you’ll find my collection of hints and links for a trip to Athens at the german fansite: FABLES
****[EDIT: **that was exactly my post no. 400**]****
Edited by Mottje t.H., 17 July 2009 - 11:20 AM.
