thomas08, on 16 January 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:
What's Athens like for R.E.M. landmarks? Is there a lot of sites to see? I understand it's where the bands from and they've so much history there, but is it enough to warrant a trip someday?
Also, R.E.M. stuff aside, what's the area like to visit?
These became such frequently asked questions that they were eventually turned into a sticky thread but since the most recent upgrade to the board I'm not sure how to direct you to it. Off the top of my head I would say, their old house on Barber Street, the steeple, the trestle, Wuxtry, the 40 Watt, the newly renovated Georgia Theatre (which I haven't had the pleasure of visiting yet), the Lucy Cobb Chapel, Weaver D's, the kudzu field where the cover of
Murmur was photographed, and the church (can't think of the name) where some of
Accelerate was recorded. I'm sure I'm leaving lots of stuff out but there is quite a bit of stuff to see for the R.E.M. fan. In addition to that there's all the cool things like the double barreled cannon and The Tree That Owns Itself. There's also lots of cool shops to visit as well as eating places (there's a guide to those on here somewhere too). All of this with WUGA as your background music. There was also a real nice old country station on AM when I was there in '94 but I'm not sure if it's still on the air or what it's call letters are.
As for when to visit, the first time I went was during the late summer before school had let back in so things were less busy without all of the students. I've also been when school was in session and the town was buzzing. I enjoyed both of those visits, plus the times I've been down for Murmurs meet ups during AthFest. It can be pretty sweltering in the South during summertime so if you don't like the heat and humidity I would suggest visiting in the Spring or Fall. The latter would be my preference just because Fall and R.E.M. seem to go together for some reason.
**Edited to add: Just realized you asked what it's like to visit not when it's best to visit. If you've ever visited the South before I'd say Athens is pretty typical for a college town such as Chapel Hill. Lots of nooks and crannies to explore, particularly if you like good eats, sightseeing in general and browsing bookshops, record stores and the like. Lots of friendly people too but as you'll probably read in the guides (
Flagpole publishes an excellent one), it's best not to travel alone at night. So far, all of my experiences have been good but during my last visit to Athens I was approached by someone who's intentions were less than good. Someone using a scam to try get money from my friend and I. So, unfortunately you need to keep an eye out for stuff like that. Most of the motels/hotels are close to downtown so it'll make the majority of your visit very walkable. The Days Inn (or the "Dazed Inn" as some like to refer to it) is within walking distance of the 40 Watt so that's perfect if you're in town for something like AthFest.
"We were listening to the UNC radio (station) there and they were playing an R.E.M. song. I like R.E.M. fine, but at the end of it, the DJ says, 'Ya that was R.E.M., the sound of the new South'. I looked at my roommate and we said, Gawd, if that's the sound of the new South, I preferred it when it was on the skids. That's how we got the name."
- Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids
2
A decent approach, in my mind.
