Hey man, are you here for the chill wave?

The Smiling Skull may just be one of Athens' most precious "hidden" gems; for the Union-dwellers who are low on cash and sick of the same 'ole crowd, The Smiling Skull is definitely the place to check out. And if you weren't there last night, I have to be honest when I say that you missed.

I've never seen The Skull so hoppin'; students and townies alike were diggin' the tunes brought to us by yours truly, ACRN. The night started off with Chiswola, who debuted last week at The Union's free show. Honestly? They weren't really my jam. I thought they sounded unrehearsed and a bit too off-the-cuff -- but I'm probably biased, just in that their taste didn't really align with mine. I'll hand it to them, though; they're doing something different, and for that I commend them. Plus, they got the crowd movin' and groovin', so kudos for that.

"Hey man, are you here for the chill wave?" <-- Decidedly the best pick-up line ever, Brothertiger came up next, bringing on said chill wave. I don't know if my "beverages" were slowly sinking in or if this music is truly just mesmerizing at any given time, but Brothertiger enchanted me into a stupor that I don't often fall into in public. I totally dug 'em, and based on the equally-entranced audience, I'd say they were altogether well received.

Sad enough, Whale Zombie was the last act I caught last night. The aforementioned beverages were consumed all too quickly, and my bed was a'calling. But Whale zombie, as usual, was a toe-tapping, dance-able success. They were the perfect end to my night, as ended my night squirming between too-full tables and too-drunk college kids towards my walk home. Whale Zombie's tunes reverberated in my brain for the remainder of my evening, and altogether the kick-off to ACRN's birthday weekend was a total success.

-Krisi Nehls, Blogs Editor