athens music
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Environment
Keeping Guitars in Play: Sustainability at Classic City Vintage Guitars
In the heart of Athens, Classic City Vintage Guitars is giving new life to instruments that might otherwise be forgotten. Owner and luthier Dylan Keel believes in repairing guitars rather than discarding them, allowing them to live on for generations. “I think it’s worth preserving, because each one of these…
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Athens-Clarke County
From Load-In to Lights-Out: What It Takes to Keep Athens’ Iconic Sound Alive
Long before the first chord rings through the Georgia Theatre and hours after the last fan files out of downtown Athens, Colm O’Reilly is still working — loading out gear, wrapping cords and preparing for tomorrow’s show. He’s been there since 7 a.m. “When people think of Athens’ music scene,…
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Athens-Clarke County
Keeping Athens In Tune: How Two Venues Built a Music Legacy
Athens has long been a birthplace of musical innovation, launching acts like R.E.M., the B-52s and Widespread Panic. This project explores how two of its most iconic venues, the Georgia Theatre and the 40 Watt Club, collaborate to sustain the city’s vibrant music scene. Through interviews with venue staff, we…
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Athens-Clarke County
Beyond the Stage: Jim Wilson, Legacy of 40 Watt
For decades, the 40 Watt Club has been a cornerstone of Athens, Georgia’s music scene. But keeping a legendary venue running takes more than packed shows. In this story, we meet Jim Wilson, the man behind the curtain, who shares what it takes to preserve the club’s legacy while adapting…
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Q&As
Musician Nikki Shotz Finds Community in Athens Scene
Nikki Shotz is a musician, employee at Turnipblood Entertainment and a teacher assistant for the music business program at the University of Georgia. Q: What do you think sets the Athens music culture apart from that of other areas? The Athens music culture is more of a community. Everyone is…
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Athens-Clarke County
Nuçi’s Space Works to Destigmatize Mental Illness
On the corner of Williams and Oconee streets, people walking by often catch the sound of music filtering from the recognizable blue brick building. Nuçi’s Space looks like a recording studio and concert venue at first glance, but behind its long-standing walls, the nonprofit is working to destigmatize mental illness. …
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Athens-Clarke County
Singing the Blues: How Athens Musicians Survived the Pandemic
Listen closely — Camilla Sims, known as Convict Julie, tells an intimate story through each verse, chorus and bridge. From the honest and haunting “Dark Matter” to the punk-trap think piece “Drive Bys on Tractors,” Sims channels her innermost vulnerable feelings into every song she writes. For the 22-year-old musician,…
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COVID-19 Coverage
Athens Art Scene: The Return of Live Performance
Live performance makes its way back to the Athens community. After a year in the dark, performers like Convict Julie, are able to take the stage again. Business owners make a profit and people in the community are doing what it takes to be in social spaces again. Rachael Simpson…
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Athens-Clarke County
Hip-Hop Scene in Athens Blends Music, Politics to Drive Social Activism
When artists set foot on The 40 Watt Club’s stage, washed in hues of green and white, they bring with them more than beats and bars. They bring the baggage from recent headlines addressing another black child shot. They bring a fever for equity, reparation and for acknowledgement of the…
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Athens-Clarke County
Athens Music: 20 Years After New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Athens Music Hannah Zale Extended Interview North by North Extended Interview Vinyl Suns Extended Interview