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Hello, from Athens. My name is Madeline Modeliste. I’m the big purse tottin, thick-rimmed lens-wearing girl, from Athens, you may have seen at your most recent concert experience. A friend asked me to write this here review. Why? Not because I’m the most articulate Athenian, but probably because he has a crush on me. But then again, who doesn’t.
I already know that I am going to get a lot of people saying that the two bands I reviewed are not jambands. But then again, what is a jamband anyway? What is a Grover or an Elmo? Well I guess they are monsters. Or are they Muppets? Or are they monster Muppets? You know what I mean? Cause I don’t. Anyway here it goes my first review:
For one reason or another, the town of Athens, GA has become a grooming house for great bands-bands of all different styles, yet all still distinctly Athens. We all know about the onslaught of popularity the town received after the B-52’s and R.E.M. turned on the lights for everyone else to see. We all know about the success of the rock-n-roll-raging, bass-bomb-dropping, soul-drenched-singing, locomotive trekking, and just good-ole-great-time-feeling Widespread Panic has enjoyed. But what now? What now for music in a town that lives, bleeds, and feels the panic...
At a Kevn Kinney show (the Former and current Drivin n Cryin front man) Kevn himself, was remarking on how he has been in Athens a long time now, and never before has the music been this damn good. And then, smartly he said, “so don’t tell anyone." And now stupidly I am telling all of ya’ll.
“This town is nuts, my kind of place.”
The music here is plenty abundant. For six bucks, I went and saw two up and coming bands of radically different sound and vibe, yet both with the same brilliant, can’t-contain-it-no-more energy.
The first was a free show at the Broad street bar called Tasty World. The Tasty World has two places for music. One upstairs and you guessed it, one downstairs. The show I went to was (nope not downstairs-you guessed wrong) actually it was upstairs. Just about every Thursday this summer the band that is calling themselves Dub Conscious
have been playing upstairs for free. People haven’t been paying a penny, but have quickly bought into their sound. They’ve bought into their feel and into their all-in-all-get-on-up-get-on-down-reggae-is-inside-you-rhythms. What started out as a group of 10 or 20 friends supporting their buds up on stage has turned into a 100 or so person grooving lower than you’d think time. (Mind you this is a summer in Athens).
I settled in, feeling out the scene. Lots of earthy folks, some fratters, some sorostitues, some elder Athens peeps, and a couple Rasta looking kinds. I tried to take in the tunes, see and understand what this band was trying to make with their music. That’s when I reached into my giant purse and jotted down a few words that came to mind. Not more than two sentences in, I got asked by some college kid, “what I was doing?” He wanted some of Mad Modeliste, but I wasn’t even gonna sweat this kid, so in my sweetest voice I told him to buzz off, and went to the back of the venue by the Ms. Pac Man to get my write on. It was there that I finally understood what was going on on stage, and throughout the venue.
The music was roots reggae, which at any second can drop into full on out dub reggae. Transing out on ya. The dub-c can get spacey. But never too far off, that you can’t see home.
“Married to their roots here”
The set up is a drummer, a percussionist, and that’s it. Just kidding, they have a drummer, a percussionist and a keyboard player and that’s it...just kidding again. To go with the drummer, percussionist, and keyboard player, they also have a bass player, and two guitarists. Both guitars can lead like a mother. But both are always very classy with their styles. Never jumping down each other’s throats, always adding exactly what needs to be added at the most precise moment. The shorter of the two bearded guitarists is the one that normally sings. A very unique honest voice. It is heavy and thick. Thick like maple syrup. And like maple syrup it’s better each time you taste it. All in all, this dub/roots rock reggae band is incredibly original, and has a rather refreshing sound. They stay true to the reggae they love and play it in their own voice, and should not be missed. I repeat, should not be missed.
That was only the first part of my Drunken Athens Thursday night. The rest was something of a different sort. I headed on down broad St., jogged past the arches, stumbled all the way to the complete opposite side of downtown to the 40 Watt Club, where the Drive-By Truckers were playing.
These folks you called the “Truckers” are rough, southern and like to play LOUD! By the time I had arrived, beer and whiskey seemed to already cover the crowd, literally. Spilling appeared to be encouraged at a “Truckers” show. Yelps could be heard; both, from the crowd and the stage. But what seemed to come most from the stage was this intense southern sound. Now I am not going to compare them to Skynrd. Most would but I am not going to. In fact I will not even bring up Lynyrd Skynyrd's name in this review, because that would not do justice to the unique southern sound that the Drive-By Truckers have made for themselves. But let’s just say they would make Skynrd proud.
To say they are a guitar driven band is a bit of an understatement. They do indeed have a drummer, and a bass player, but after that there are at least three guitars going at all times. It’s a party up on stage. At one point, Patterson Hood, the leader of them Truckers, was so into his singing, he didn’t even notice a friend who frequents the stage, came up under his guitar strap and made a clean swipe. The thief played Patterson’s guitar while Hood continued to sing his lyrics and laugh about the burglary. The band always seems to give off this nasty, dirty, rock n roll time vibe. And Patterson Hood’s Alabama enriched voice and lyrics always tell it like it is. This band may not be for everyone, they may be too hard, too rough, or too loud, but none can deny their energy. And I was not denying it either, I was completely engulfed in the dirtiness, till some indie rocker kid woke me from my musical dreaminess, and told me, “ I really like your glasses.” You see I have these thick-rimmed black glasses that are really fresh, so of course everyone would dig 'em. I told him very politely, “ Yeah so does Patterson Hood.” Playing like Patterson was my man or something, ha. The kid got scared and smiled hesitantly as he found his friends.
The night was fun and energetic. On an Athens scale of 5, I give Dub Conscious
a 4 Bluebird café tofu delights. And I give the Drive By Truckers 4 Ronnie B’s meat, veggie, biscuit lunches and half a drunken bottle of whiskey I found in a dirty corner of the 40 Watt club.
Till next time- Mad Modeliste.
Dub Conscious is playing on the same bill with The Wailers at the Georgia Theater on Thursday September the 19th. And with Basement at the Tasty World on Saturday September 21st.
The Drive by Truckers play at Rhythm and Brews in Chattanooga, TN on Wednesday October 2nd.
Madeline Modeliste
Photo by: James Adams
JamBase | Athens
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