The first rain in almost two weeks threatened Historic Athens Porchfest hours before the outdoor festival began, but a light breeze and blue sky dispersed the clouds before Sunday’s event was halfway over.
First-time host Shawn Baker smiled as the sun emerged, although he was prepared for rain with a new carport to protect performers and their equipment.
“It was easy, it’s fun, it’s nice, it’s good to support the Porchfest event,” he said.
We’ve been attending Porchfest for at least three or four years now … and we’re thrilled to be part of hosting.”
There were 262 performances across seven neighborhoods from 1-7 p.m., spanning genres from rock to jazz to indie to country, according to the Porchfest website.
Baker indicated on the host-band matching form that he was open to anybody and was paired with Mannequin Party, an Athens-based indie band.
Lead singer and guitarist Spencer Paul returned to Porchfest for the third time, but his first time with a full band.
“I like playing music by myself, but there’s something about being part of a unit and doing something greater than you could ever do alone,” he said. “You’ve got people like Shawn that are offering their spaces for no compensation, just to help strengthen the community … I really like it.”
An expanded Indie South vendors market, which took place a short walk along the train tracks from the Mannequin Party show, offered attendees a hub to purchase local art and goods.
“Porchfest is a great, awesome celebration; not just of local bands and music, but also, I feel, of neighborhoods, and I really love the way that it brings the community together,” said Serra Jaggar, owner of Indie South. “I just think it’s good for artists to get in front of people and be able to connect with them directly and personally.”
The vendors market had 60 booths, up from around 40 last year, but that number will continue to increase, Jaggar said.
Porchfest ended in Pulaski Heights with the Mayor’s Show, where Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz, Winterville Mayor Dodd Ferrelle, Historic Athens staff and attendees gathered to celebrate.
Girtz has been to every Porchfest since it began in 2019, and he has seen it grow in number of bands and breadth on a map, he said.
“This is a place where people take care of each other, and look out for each other and lend each other books and records, but you also see people who come from other places to enjoy the vibe,” he said, as Ferrelle’s band played in the background. “This embodies the best of Athens.”
Evan Frilingos is a journalism major in Reporting I in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia.
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