Union newb!

Being the ignorant, baby freshman that I am, I’m slightly intimidated by the whole Athens music scene. Perhaps it’s because -- for such a small town -- the scene is bewilderingly flush with bands. Or perhaps it’s because I’ve never seen a prouder group of followers. Last night at The Union proved this point beyond belief in a form seemingly much less threatening -- dance.

I arrived too late, making it in time for only one and a half songs by In Silent Movies... and "silent" they were not. Only three guys cultivated a massive sound as people swung their heads with satisfaction. Then came Whale Zombie, and that’s when it all began.

There was so much dancing. Never in my life had I seen such movement. This wasn’t your junior year Homecoming kind of dancing. This was the real deal. Arms were flailing wildly. Legs were kicking recklessly. Hands were flicking to and fro, and faces were scrunched up into a whole new level of dance face. It was a combination of moshing, ballet, maybe some jiving. It fit the sound of Whale Zombie quite well though, with their mostly wordless creation of loud and animate discords.

The final band, Manor Animals, was a fine finish to the night. They were slightly off but had very well-placed vocals. The quintet collaborated well to produce a jumpy yet intense sound to which the whole crowd continued to dance.

The whole night was a great first impression of the Athens music scene. If one thing is for sure, it was a night that many people felt drunkenly content with the friends they were hanging on as they sang the familiar lyrics. People were there to support the music, and that was completely obvious and admirable, from my somewhat outsider point of few.

-- Hannah Cook, ACRN contributor