ACRN Date Auction / February 13, 2014 / The Union

By: Garrett Bower, Staff Writer

The Union was true to its name last night. The ACRN Date Auction was fraught with love and alcohol. I couldn’t tell you who sold for what—or who even sold, for that matter—but what I can tell you is that between loud and amazing sets by four awesome bands, I was an inebriated cupid, scrambling to spread the love and hug anyone I had ever met or maybe even heard of once in passing.

On the stacked line-up was Friends In Distraction, Nightstalker, Hundos and Zaleski. It was one of the more well-rounded shows I’ve been to in recent memory, with each band offering up a nice spin on their loud, punk archetype. From Nightstalker’s fabulous, kimono-clad psychedelic set, to Zaleski’s unrelenting fury, everything clicked magnificently.

So it’s the day of sickly sweet mushiness and I’ve got a spectacular headache and a few fuzzy memories of me kissing a distraught Rob Kerr passionately on the cheek to recall Date Auction 2014. If you excuse me, I’ve got a hot date for hella free wings—more spoils of the evening.

Uptowne Buddha, Bright at Night & Mrs. Helen Highwater / February 7, 2014 / The Union

By: Alexa Smith, Staff Writer

A great group of pals and sibs assembled Friday night on Union and good times were had. The night reeked of insane musical talent that certainly revealed some wicked dance moves from the crowd. And what a crowd they were, reacting to the sweet sounds their ears beheld them with nothing but smiles and endless energy. You know the night was a success, for when they left, all were noticeably sweatier from when they had arrived.

Mrs. Helen Highwater heated things up in a big way. They proved themselves as newcomers, and certainly impressed. The early crowd was into it, and those who came later missed some great stuff. No worries, though! Redemption is available Friday for a V-Day party at the Skull or Saturday at Jackie O’s. Be there or be square.

On deck was Bright at Night, also keeping their word in their one goal of the night: to get everybody dancing. They had a very likable quality and rare, distinctive excellence that made them stand out as a group. Bartlett hypnotized with his deep rasp, a voice that is individual and uncommon. Big fans of guest performers that they are, Bright at Night invited Emcee Schwartz from The Dysfunktional Family to mix things up a bit. It was happenin’.

Feeling pretty good from some complementary "to-kill-ya" from a kind sir named Ernie, the anticipation of the Buddha was piling high. When the jams started, something about them made you want the show to never end. So fresh and so clean. They had an old school feel about them that reminds me of the days when a crowd’s heart was really in it, no matter who was playing—live music is live music. An overwhelming sense of togetherness was happening and it was pretty cool to be a part of it. A collective love of music that could bring a tear to your eye.

Left exhausted and fulfilled, the night came to a close, but with sore-legged reminders of a truly splendid time.

Speaking Suns & The Big Cover-Up / February 1, 2014 / The Smiling Skull & The Union

By: Alexa Smith, Staff Writer

Damn, was it a good night for music in Athens.

Being the eager beaver that I am, I was way too excited for a night of live music and way too early for the night’s activities. Turns out most things start two hours after the time given and the cool kids show up an hour after that. Lesson now learned.

In the meantime, I got the tip of a show at the Smiling Skull. A young sir opened (name unknown, sadly), but I give mad props to anyone who can get up in front of a bar of people and do their thang, so shout out to that guy.

The discovery of Skull’s rooftop surely had me in smiles. What a wonderful oasis to take advantage of the gorgeous weather we were having.

I was summoned downstairs with a text reading, "Yo come down they jam," and jam they did. The Speaking Suns were hella good. They had a wicked bass line that didn’t stop grooving and the doll on keyboards had some great hair that, when I later saw him at The Union, was gathered into a quality bun. Sending a virtual high five to the Speaking Suns for playing a bangin' set.

I got a little distracted and might have missed a good bit of the Union’s Big Cover-Up, but I got there in time to catch the ass-end of some wicked Bowie covers. The guys went all out--they were decked in sequin armor and really got into character with some intriguing face paint. They had a great time and so did the crowd, without a doubt.

Blond, the entire reason for the night, didn’t go on until about midnight 30, but the wait was 100% worth it. Saying I’m a big Dr. Dog fan would be huge understatement, so I was very excited. Blond put its own spin on many of Dog’s tracks, doing a rendition of “The Truth” that I actually preferred to the original. Conor Stratton did Toby Lehman good with a passionate “Die, Die, Die” and Jamie Scott had a voice that I was certainly not expecting, but was left in literal awe.

Like the preview recommended, I got a little too drunk and belted out the lyrics, cheesing the whole time. Top night.

ACRN Presents: Small Steps, Frankie Teardrop, Shower Beers & Stella / November 23, 2013 / The Union

By: Garrett Bower, Contributor

Saturday night at The Union was a departure from commonality for those who attended. With scene staples Shower Beers, Frankie Teardrop and Small Steps, as well as the lesser-known Stella, the show was a disorientating blur of screaming, violently bashed guitars and furious drums with a hell of a lot of noise to drive the whole thing over the edge.

It felt like too much Dramamine or some other dissociative. Listeners were thrown into this abrasive world of sound, wholly disorientating. The members of each band slowly succumbed to the delirium as the night drew on, with brief fits of sanity where the music reformed into tangible cohesiveness before being beaten back down with a scream or beat that bled the entire spectacle back into one inescapable din.

I’m not entirely sure what’s to be taken away from nights like this. To me, it felt like a showcase of subversive anger, with the bands demonstrating violence for violence’s sake. Perhaps that’s the point--to leave preconceptions at the door and be buried in something alien and think outside of what you know and what’s familiar.

Method Air, Busy Busy, Night Stalker, & Slut Castle / August 31, 2013 / The Union

By: Ross Lockhart, Staff Writer

Once upon a time, I worked at summer camp, and while working at this summer camp, I wore a decrepit pair of moccasins that were probably never intended to be worn outside. I liked them despite their impracticality and wore them on the walk to the waterfront every day. Inevitably, a huge hole appeared in the right and shortly after, the left. The day the first hole materialized, another counselor named Bret, undeniably the biggest tool I have ever met in my life, suddenly surprised me with a moment of profound sincerity. As I raised my defeated shoe in mourning, he rested his hand on my shoulder and looked at me.

"All good things must come to an end, man," he said.

While I never wish to see Bret again, his corny pseudo-philosophical instance of empathy has stayed with me to this day. I still have the moccasins somewhere. They're wearable, but remain embalmed in a kind of stasis, preserved in a bubble of fond memories. To take them out again would be a violation of their retirement, a breach of the unwritten code of old shoes. Extracting any more use from them would only result in their needless destruction. It's best to leave them in a nice dry spot, out of view, simply for the thrill of discovering them years later. I remember these shoes. I had a lot of fun in these shoes.

All good things must come to an end.

Walking into The Union, I felt like Keanu Reeves after waking up from the Matrix. Dripping umbilical fluid across the black and white floor, all my friends were there and I felt really good about that night. Drinking some beers with the boys. Everything was great. Busy Busy, a noisy, mostly instrumental band made up of a bunch of my good buddies, started off the music with a short but ear-splitting performance. Forgoing their usual sprawling sound for a tighter, more concise set, they sounded great and I couldn't stop smiling. They'll hopefully be playing the odd show now and then, so be sure to catch them if you get the chance.

After that, I went across the street and ate my first chicken waffle. While it was certainly unlike anything I've ever eaten before, I can't say I enjoyed it the whole way through. The bizarre honey mustard/maple syrup sauce they drench those things in kept me coming back for more, but when it was all over, I immediately regretted touching my lips to that evil nectar. It felt like I just eaten a brick of fiberglass insulation. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was going to vomit and the beer didn't help much, either. In spite of this, both Slut Castle and Night Stalker were great. They are both relatively new local bands you'll probably see a lot of this year. There was an older lady wearing a pink cowboy hat who was really loving it. She would dance nonstop around the bar, get another drink and be back on the floor, ass shaking and waving her hands in the air.

When Method Air finally went on, everyone was ecstatic. I felt so proud seeing Sam and Danny up there. We all became good friends over the summer and they have remained one of my favorite bands, period. They opened with a new song, “Noise Violation,” which was inspired by the fun-hating, party-ruining, cop-calling lady who lives up the street from us. I looked around and the crowd was an ocean of smiles. Instant magic. Ripping into a Guided by Voices cover, Sam played his guitar and sang with the care and finesse of a father quieting a crying baby. When Shower Beers' Jon Gordon joined the band on stage for a rendition of the Smashing Pumpkins' “Starla,” IT happened.

IT is when everyone is perfectly in tune with the music, when the separation between audience and performer completely disappears. IT is when every component of the experience becomes important, which is a fragile thing, but there comes a realization that everything is perfect--a visceral connection with the music and the people around you. Each person in the room becomes essential to the moment and everything falls into place. My face started to hurt and I realized I had been smiling like a fucking goofball from the second they took the stage.

They finished the song and the crowd immediately screamed, "ENCORE!" Sam looked like such a rock star as he strummed the opening to “Election Day.” “Every morning I forget the night before / Emptiness is swept up off the kitchen floor,” he sang. Everyone joined in. “What's the deal with everyone? / Why do they look that way?” To see my friends up there, playing music that means so much to them surrounded by people with unwavering love and support for their art, suddenly brought from me such a tide of emotion that I felt like crying. This is IT, I thought. This is fucking IT. Sam wailed on his guitar until his face was red, Grant's hat flew off, and when the song ended everyone screamed and cheered and hugged. It was the most beautiful thing I've seen in a very long time. I left the bar last night in a strange euphoria, intoxicated by the energy of the show and my friends around me, feeling like anything is possible with a clear head and a chicken waffle bubbling in my tortured stomach.  

Ghostwriter, Hairspray Blues & Bram Riddlebarger / April 29, 2013 / The Union

By: Travis Boswell, Contributor

Maybe I really haven't been paying attention, but has The Union always had those multicolored spotlights? Throughout Monday night's show, I kept getting distracted by these "hype lights" (the name I will call them from now on) shooting all kinds of crazy circle patterns, regardless of the amount of hype on stage! But there were plenty of good uses for it that night.

First up was Bram Riddlebarger and His Lonesome Band. I'm extremely unfamiliar with country music, but even I can tell that this is good country music. The singer had some real emotion in his voice, the bassist was on point and the pedal steel guitar player shredded. Seriously, I want to learn the pedal steel guitar. It sounds cool and you can sit down while you play it!

Up next was Hairspray Blues, all the way from Portland. I remember this from the conversation the drummer had with a drunk patron, the latter of which was trying to figure out where Portland is. There's two of them in America. It's very confusing.

Anyway, this was not a blues group. Well, maybe a blues group from Hell. With a little bit of rockabilly from Hell. In a good way! They're like punk, rockabilly, sprinkle in a couple sludge metal breakdowns, and lots of screaming. The crowd really got into it, and the set was extremely loud and fast for just a two-piece band. My ears were ringing after the set because I think they both requested for the mikes to be louder instead of more balanced. In this case, focusing on the sheer attack made much more sense than "precision" or "sticking to a setlist." As you can probably guess, the hype lights went crazy throughout the whole performance.

The last act I saw was Ghostwriter, also from Portland. It's one man with an electric guitar, banjo, harmonica, bass-pedal-hooked-up-to-a-tambourine percussion and one of the meanest growls I've ever heard. I suppose I could classify it as "roots rock" or "folk," but with a vocal delivery that I did not expect. He could've sung about puppies taking a bath and made it sound completely menacing with his low, brooding growl. As someone who grew up listening to the greatest deathcore and screamo bands of our time, I was totally into it.

So, Monday was one of the most musically diverse shows I've seen at The Union. Bram Riddlebarger is someone to look for if you have even the slightest taste for country, and hopefully Ghostwriter and Hairspray Blues make their way back to Athens eventually. Now I'm going to see how much pedal steel guitars are because they sound so good.

ACRN Birthday Bash / April 4, 2013 / The Union

By: Xavier Veccia, Staff Writer

Thanks a lot, Mom.

What do you mean why am I being snippy with you? You know damn well why. You never throw me any good birthday parties! I mean, pin the tail on the donkey? That's some baby stuff. You know what ACRN had at their party? Freaking indie bands! Where's my indie bands, huh, Mom?

One of them, The Saturday Giant, even did a cover of “Gangsta's Paradise” and “Where is My Mind?” And all I get is grandma singing me “Happy Birthday” on the phone. Off pitch, too, might I add.

And it was at The Union. There were a bunch of people there, just fooling around and having a good time. That's much better than our moldy basement and my cousin with the sticky hands.

Oh, and ACRN even had a dance party. Overwaves a.ka. Kyle Rutherford a.k.a. “The Mixologist” a.k.a. The Mr. 11Fest runner-runner-runner-up played a killer set while a bunch of drunk people danced the night away. And no, Mom, the chicken dance doesn't count as dancing the night away.

You know what, I'm just going to live with ACRN from now on. They know how to party. Unlike you, Mom.

ACRN Date Auction / February 14, 2013 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

The ACRN Date Auction. A time to help raise money for Lobsterfest, listen to great band, and make your drunk friends spend more money than they should. Thursday night was exactly that, with a large crowd happy to dance along to quality music, buy their friends and hopefully get a good little prize out of it. 

People were pretty quick to bid on some lobsters, bidding $12 - $20 before the show had even started. A young man named Steve in a red jacket was constantly outbidding everyone, making him a man of many dates and spent cash. 

The music portion started with the sounds of Columbus' The Saturday Giant. Having played all over the state and even throughout the country, Phil Cogley definitely knows a thing or two about quality performing. Playing with a guitar, looping pedals, a drum machine and a sampler, Cogley used his beatboxing and vocal skills to maintain a smooth, upbeat indie pop performance. Fortunately not separated from the crowd, Cogley worked his way through songs about reincarnation, beating death and even covered a Pixies song, all while spinning around stage and maintaining a strong, full singing voice. He ended up getting auctioned off for $20.

After a few more were auctioned off, on came Columbus' Emily & The Complexes. A favorite for many in attendance, The Complexes brought their blend of indie punk to The Union stage in an energetic, fun manner. The four members played all their songs from their full length, Styrofoam Plate Blues. There was the melancholy, like "Styrofoam Plate Blues" and the ever so hygienic "I Don't Want to Brush My Teeth." Just in time for Valentine's Day, there was also the cutesy "Would You" and "If I Had Money." For the miscellaneous pleasure, there was "Social Skills" and "Two States Away." The road has definitely been good to the boys, giving them stronger stage presence and a more powerful, yet cleaner sound. Hopefully their future tours are just as good on them. 

As the last few lobsters were auctioned off and a few members off Athens' Small Steps were bought for $10, a strong fan base stayed around for the final acts. The three-piece Small Steps was everywhere. Yes, there was structure, but the vocals and instrumentals didn't exactly go that well together. Both entities would have done better in their own, respective genre. But the band knew what their fans liked and had them dancing and moshing throughout their short set. 

Wobble on the Bricks / November 16, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

On a cold night in Athens, The Union was heated up by bass music and the sweat of many satisfied attendees. The latest edition of Dave Rave’s Wobble on the Bricks hosted a variety of talent from all across the state.

The first DJ to grace the stage was Kingpin of Columbus. Having played the Athens DUB101 spot this past April, it was obvious he would bring a diverse set. True to his name, the capital city DJ performed with a bowling pin at the front of his setup.

Much of his set didn’t rely on bass music, but sort of up-tempo stuff. There were disco-sounding tracks, but also a bit of trap music. The variety was a good match for the beginning of the night. Shout out to James Castrillo for wearing a tie and cardigan while he played. Classy!

Columbus' Magua played a very heavy set. The beginning of his set started out pretty glitchy, but varied through dubstep and a bit of trap. Magua is a very exciting DJ to watch, in that he practically balls up energy behind the decks and throws it back at the crowd. He jumps and throws down to songs, works the mic and is just an overall fun person to dance to. Kudos.

Out of Cleveland, Thunder St. Clair brought yet another heavy set. Having killed it while opening for Crizzly back in April, it was pretty much impossible not to get him back ASAP. He definitely didn’t disappoint, mixing behind clean bass music, grimey dubstep and upbeat trap music. The talented and experienced DJ was downright fantastic in his mixing and song choice. Plus, the lucky dude gets to open for Zeds Dead next Wednesday.

Last out was Ohio University student DJ Paulo. According to Dave Rave, he is a student from China via Brazil. Much of the beginning of his set began with glitch and a little bit of moombahton. But as his set wore on, a few dubstep songs were added in. All of this was very minimal compared to the remaining drum n’ bass & drumstep that was played.

His music soaked up all remaining energy by show attendees, even with his somewhat different style of mix ins/outs. The only problem was a friend of his acting as a sort of MC. It was cool in that it kind of gave you the feel of an underground Los Angeles or London DNB club, but the man occasionally went a bit over the top.

Killer Mike / November 12, 2012 / The Union

By: Ross Lockhart, Staff Writer

Tickets were 12 bucks, and despite my honest recommendations, no one could be persuaded to go with me. Fuck it, I thought. I never ride solo. It’ll be a character-building exercise. I bought my ticket ahead of time, which I thought would ensure an opportunity to buy drinks at the bar. Doors were at eight, so I rolled up to The Union at a quarter past nine thinking that the action would be starting relatively soon. All my preemptive measures proved to be for nothing. The guys at the door asked for my ID, and I gravely told them I was underage. No 21+ wristband. All wasn’t lost, I hoped. Maybe the dude working the bar wouldn’t notice.

I walked up to the counter, two dollars in my hand and a fat “how’s it going, man?” look on my face. The bartender reciprocated my warm greeting and asked me what I would like. 

"One PBR please."

"Can I see your wristband?" he asked kindly. My heart sank. 

"Oh, uh… I didn’t get one." He was nice about it, and politely told me that he couldn’t sell me drinks if I didn’t bear the mark of a 21-year-old. I was embarrassed. This was basically my worst nightmare turned reality. I thanked him anyway and retreated to the back of the bar, where I sat and thought angry thoughts about the government for a few minutes. When my internal hissy fit was over, I decided that if I wasn’t going to get drunk, I may as well take advantage of my forced sobriety and drain every little detail out of my surroundings.

I’m groomed to believe that liking hip-hop involves a certain amount of nerdiness, but looking around, I felt like the biggest goober in the room. I desperately scanned for someone lamer than me so I could displace my self-consciousness onto them. The bartender came over and asked if I wanted a soda. Fuck no I don’t want a soda. I don’t drink soda, thanks. I’m not fucking 12. How degrading. I had hit an emotional rock bottom. Some other nerdy dudes walked in. Thank God. Like any normal human being, I judged the shit out of them to make myself feel better.

After an eternity of sitting alone at the bar, eavesdropping on everyone’s conversations like an asshole, the Dysfunktional Family took the stage to get the crowd pumped up. I was impressed. They had commanding stage presence and energy. The ladies were digging it. Looking up at those dudes, surrounded by a mob of goofy-looking white people steadily bouncing their middle fingers up and down, I came to a realization. The hip-hop scene in Athens, small as it may seem, reaches out far beyond the walls of a small-town bar. The Dysfunktional Family is made up of people who, like in a real family, support and love each other unconditionally. It’s all about community and brotherhood. They truly could give a shit about what people on the outside think about them and their scene. It’s the people inside it that matter. At that moment I stopped feeling like such an alien and more like a privileged guest. Everything was going to be okay. I was a part of something special, even if just for a night.  

Of course, once the music stopped and The Dysfunkt Fam wrapped its set, the familiar pangs of isolation returned. This time, though, it was kind of funny. I laughed it off. A beaming Hil Hackworth stepped off stage. I gave him a tearfully limp handshake and a “that was sick, man.” He thanked me and continued to the bar, leaving me alone with myself. I walked in little circles pretending to have a purpose for about 10 minutes.

There was one more guy to perform before Killer Mike. He was wearing an Atlanta Falcons beanie. I forget his real name, so I’ll just call him Mr. Meanie Beanie. He was alright, but I’ll say that his flow was weak compared to Hil and Schwartz. Those dudes set the bar pretty damn high. By then the crowd had grown to a decent size and everyone could barely keep their anticipatory boners down. Mr. Meanie Beanie knew the score. He wrapped it up before everyone got too bored. Without further intermission, Killer Mike burst on stage.

He was a big motherfucker. Even bigger than I had expected. He immediately set it off with his explosive verse from R.A.P. Music opener, “Big Beast.” Fuck yes! Everyone went nuts. He was rapping so fast and so hard I couldn’t believe it. His eyes were red. I felt his anger. His passion. I stood frozen to the spot, too terrified to move. This was only the first song. Holy shit! The song came to an abrupt end. A toothy grin emerged from beneath his jungle of a beard. Suddenly he wasn’t so scary after all. He gave a heartfelt monologue honoring the people of Ohio.

“I’m in the Midwest now, where people work their asses off. For six years I worked MY ass off to get here. There’s no place I’d rather be.”

He couldn’t have chosen his words any better. The crowd went berserk and he unleashed a volley of songs like a fucking machine gun. Each was more intense than the last. I was dumbstruck. It felt like I was being physically attacked and I was loving every minute of it. He gracefully wiggled across the stage like a circus elephant. Someone passed him a blunt and it disappeared after one mighty puff. When he stoically invited us to join the political party of “I don’t give a fuck” to segue into his government-bashing hit “Reagan,” I found myself joining a sinister chorus of “Fuck Ronald Reagan!” To hear that song on the album is one thing, but to experience it first-hand and feel the hatred and damnation in his words was nothing short of visceral. Had I died and gone to heaven? I may or may not have came in my pants.

Unfortunately, contrary to what everyone in attendance (including myself) may have thought, Killer Mike is only a man. After a scathing a cappella rendition of “Go!” there was a crack in his voice. A collective gasp echoed through the room. The big guy had gone and overdone it. Wounded, but far from dead, he kept on going, even harder than before. This brought the crowd into even more of a frenzy. I winced as his vocal cords strained and splintered. Sweat ejaculated from his big chocolatey brow. Never before had I been witness to such conviction. At last, he just couldn’t go any longer. He wiped his soggy face with a towel and swung it over his shoulders like a heavyweight boxer. This was a knockout victory, not a defeat. His shirt was soaked through save for a lonely spot on his belly. I felt as though I should bow or something . He was Jesus, but better.  

It was all over. I floated to the stage. He knelt down and took my trembling hand in his. I was a child. “Thank you,” I whispered. Through his sunglasses his eyes sparkled and said, “Thank YOU, Ross Lockhart.” I blushed. He disappeared. I stumbled out of The Union in a daze. The people who had been my brothers and sisters for the brevity of the show stood around, smoking. I took a drag of the night air. It was pure and clean. I walked home in the dark, listening to the streets of Athens sing their old songs as the stars smiled down at me.  

DUB101 / September 28, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Photo By: Kyle Rutherford

The first of Cumulus Entertainment’s dubstep 'n bass music tour, DUB101, came through Athens Friday night. The Union was infiltrated by two up-and-coming dubstep DJs/producers, Eric Evasion and Sean 2:16 of Cleveland.



First to play was Capt. PlannedIT of Athens. PlannedIT stayed with a light hip-hop sound to begin with, and then moved on to some upbeat glitch hop. While playing a remix that he produced, PlannedIT was joined onstage by a friend with a guitar. The light, elongated notes rang through the music and created an interesting sound that one doesn’t always hear in electronic. As his set winded down, Capt. PlannedIT threw around a little bumpin’ trap music to finish off. 



Next out was Easty of Athens. Personally, I have seen Easty perform many times with his intense dubstep style, but this evening was something different. The man had to have been touched by Zeus because he brought it hard. The energy was intense as Easty faded in and out of each song, mixing through remixes of Diplo & Lil’ Jon and SKisM. Easty, whose real name is Matthew Roberts, was bombastic while on stage, moving from mixing to speaking into the microphone to jumping around like a madman. 



Next out was Eric Evasion. Eric played one of the first DUB101 shows in Athens about a year ago, and he certainly brought back his same intensity. Having played The Werk Out Festival this past month and the Big Dub Festival in August, Eric has a lot following him. His music choice is heavy, grimy, dirty and pretty much any other word that is used to describe dubstep these days. He had the feel of producers like Datsik and Excision, with crazy bass throughout the set, which was sometimes difficult to dance to.



Out to clean up was Sean 2:16. While focusing on the American side of dubstep, Sean also had a heavy trap side to his set. Songs like “Booty 2 the Ground” by ƱZ x CRNKN, as well as “Original Don (Flosstradamus remix)” by Major Lazer were mixed in for the trap side, but Digiraatii’s remix of “Cleveland” by MGK brought the crowd to the more dubstep side of his set. At one point during Sean’s set, a college age student repetitively asked Sean to played the ever so popular “Gangnam Style.” The night’s MC promptly replied with, “Ya’ll want some K-Pop?," to which I repeatedly replied “Hell no!”



Bright at Night & Burning River Ramblers / September 15, 2012 / The Union

By: Mike Kasarda, Contributor 

I haven’t seen a live act in weeks. And by weeks I mean probably months.

Saturday night’s groovy get-down at The Union featuring Bright at Night and The Burning River Ramblers remediated the situation indefinitely. Amidst a sizeable crowd of sweaty, giddy and blissfully drunk friends and strangers, I felt a surge of energy emerge from the soles of my shoes, through my legs, around my hips and all the way out my fingertips. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time, but surely one I remembered.

Whether I knew the person next to me or not, it was apparent that these restlessly determined 20- or 30-somethings had one objective in mind: dance until they summoned the gods of funk and breezy alternative rock, or at least until they collapsed in a heap of sweat, PBR and chicken-and-waffles.

Bright at Night kicked off the show around 10:30 with boss beats, groovy bass lines, a smooth pairing of trumpet and saxophone, and rousing, energetic, hip-hop flow from Emerson B on the mic. Bright at Night’s rich, tight sound was exceptional and seemed to possess some voodoo magic that sent arms and legs flailing about. The band brought guest after guest on stage, including Dysfunktional Family and members of The Burning River Ramblers, that made every song fresh and exciting. These funky dudes know the art of jamming well and displayed a proficiency in improvisation in songs like “Has Anybody Told You?” With reggae/funk style strumming and silky notes from the horns section similar to newer Slightly Stoopid, Bright at Night produced a set that made me delirious with dance fever.

It was no wonder then that by 12:30 everyone was ready to take this party into the early-morning hours and proceed into the alternative rock adventure led by The Burning River Ramblers. Hitting on what seemed every conceivable genre, BRR provided a plethora of polished tunes that swayed the crowd, ignited enthusiastic moshing, and even sparked a little square dancing and feet stomping – all within the first ten minutes. This breezy bunch fed off the energy from the crowd (which by now had grown to the size of the entire top floor of the bar) and jammed with a zealous enthusiasm that burned hotter than the Cuyahoga River Fire of ’52. The Ramblers stoked the excitement on the dance floor, inviting guest appearances on stage (from musicians to fans and friends) and collaborations with Bright at Night that were true crowd pleasers. The Burning River Ramblers’ performance was a perfect nightcap to a dance-filled evening that more than satisfied all fans new and old.

All in all, Saturday’s show was the perfect physical and musical therapy after a much too long live music hiatus, and reminded me how some good tunes to dance to with some funky friends can really make your weekend outstanding.

Skeetones / September 8, 2012 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer

Photos By: Kyle Rutherford

The Union was straight up funky Saturday night with a night of bumping music. There were saxophones playing, DJs DJing and the floor quaked from the amount of dancing.

The night started out with a set by DJ More. The OU sophomore kept it down tempo, mixing through a variety of hip hop, bass music and trap. The empty dance floor was a downer, but More still played through a great set.

Next out was DJ Pro Bono, keeping it funky with a variety of genres. He started his set with a bit of classic Top 40, throwing in some Michael Jackson and other funky stuff. As his set moved along, Pro Bono spun some harder electro house, making the venue’s floor vibrate. This vibration was only a test for what was to come. Pro Bono also played a heavy bass and house set during the later set change.

Skeetones, the night’s headliner, were an interesting Cincinnati five-piece. They had the style of a jam band with very minimal vocals, but with a very heavy electronic influence (four of the five band members had laptops in front of them). Much of the music was upbeat to ambient dance music, with songs that typically ranged from 7-10 minutes long. The band’s drummer had an energetic style, playing from simple backing to beats to a near drum 'n bass style.

Last out was Sassafraz from Athens. The six-piece group played the funkiest set of the night, with a sound that mixes funk, hip hop and just a bit of jazz. The heavy bass parts, inclusion of saxophone and trumpet and rapped vocals gave the band the feel of Flobots and even Elemental Groove Theory. Emerson, the band’s lead vocalist, led a well-orchestrated set, able to go from soft, jazzy vocals to up-tempo rapping. The dance floor was shaking through the whole set, definitely making The Union the funkiest place to be in Athens.

ACRN's Lobsterfest 2012 / Day One / May 31 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Staff Writer


Lobsterfest started with a bang Thursday night at The Union. The night had mostly an electronic feel to it, with genres ranging from ambient free-form to chillwave.

The first group out was Whirl, a Columbus two-piece playing their second Athens show. The duo, consisting of ACRN alumnus Ty "Death Beef" Owen and Tin Armor's Matt Umland, plays a free-form style of electronic that is full on synth worship. The music doesn't stop until they are done playing, adding to the effect of what it all sounds like. There is an underlying structure to it, but the music is obviously impromptu, full of sound manipulation, synthesizers and digital sequencers. The two seemed focused during their entire set, constantly doing something to change around their ambient sound. The addition of a projected logo image in the background and the ever-changing lights of The Union made it seem eerie and apocalyptic, but one could only stand, listen and just feel.

Next out was Blithe Field, a sample-electronic artist from Athens. The creation of Spencer Radcliffe, the sound is just pure and fun. Even with how chilled out the music was, Union attendees were eagerly dancing and enjoying everything that Radcliffe threw in. Spencer seemed very relaxed and comfortable playing on The Union's stage, playing very loose, but focused all the while. He played tracks from his most recent release Warm Blood and his 2011 album Two Hearted, such as the ever popular "People I Love." Radcliffe ended his set with "bible school," a song from his album Beautiful Wave '74. I especially enjoyed it because I was screaming at him to play it right before he dropped it. 

John Jagos, the sole brain behind his chillwave/nu disco project Brothertiger, gave his last (and best) Athens show to date. The whole crowd was supportive of Jagos throughout his entire set, singing and dancing along to the songs they knew and even the ones they didn't. Jagos played songs that ranged from his two EPs to his full length, opening with "Vision Tunnels" off of his Vision Tunnels EP, then playing "A House of Many Ghosts" off the Point of View EP. Jagos ripped through some of his more recent songs off of his Golden Years full length, including the upbeat "Golden Years," the heavy bass-driven "Out of Line" (a song that belongs in the 80's) and the ever popular "Lovers." After working the crowd into a fever, Jagos covered "Ask" by The Smiths, which sounded great with his synthy feel and breathy vocals. Before closing his set with "Feel," Jagos, through near teary eyes, graciously thanked everyone for the support over the years and expressed his love for everyone in attendance. Best of luck to him.

Last out was Lazer Babez. The Athens six-piece was the only band that used any drums or guitars throughout the night, but they were distorted and affected like crazy. The only sort of vocals that came from the group were little hums and whistles expelled from the bongo player, then heavily distorted. They too had an underlying structure through drum beats, bass lines and drum sampling, but mini Korg-playing and guitar riffs gave them the feel of a free-form noise band. Ambient and experimental, the group ended the night in a great way. 

Big Freedia / May 24, 2012 / The Union

By: Ross Lockhart, Staff Writer


Having just turned 21, I knew this was going to be a legendary night.


I started out the night by crushing a flask of Seagram's gin with an OJ chaser. Yum. We listened to "The Bad Touch" and "Love In This Club." Need some help finishing that bottle of Southern Comfort, Jess? No problem. Hand it over. After an impromptu class on proper booty bouncing technique, it was time to go. We walked outside. Emi puked already? Game on.

It took every ounce of restraint in our bodies to keep ourselves from sprinting to The Union. Once inside, I was graced with a coveted 21+ wristband. Yes! B-Funk was playing. Beer #1 went down so smooth. DJ Barticus showed up and killed it. He played "Hot in Here" by Nelly and set it off. My heathens and I proceeded to get our sweat on to various tunes. Diplo's bounce track "Express Yourself" featuring Nicky da B came on and I was so psyched.

I almost forgot to mention that I was wearing super small blue shorts with my keyboard cat T-shirt tucked into it. This outfit was designed for maximum azz shaking performance, although I was a little worried at first that my nuts would fly out and maim someone. As I was re-upping on brews at the bar, a guy complimented me on my shirt. Sweet. Thanks, brother. Okay, bring on Big Freedia. Barticus was killing it, but I wasn't there to stare at his frizzy ponytail all night.

After grueling anticipation, she appeared. The mere sight of Big Freedia brought the crowd into a frenzy. Standing up on stage before her army of wasted dance floor warriors, she was more magnificent than I ever could have imagined. Tears streamed from my eyes and I decided right there and then that I would die for Big Freedia.

From here, I don't remember much. The beat dropped and the room exploded. Everyone went fucking berserk. Azz everywhere. So much azz shaking. Everyone was instantly soaked with sweat. A certain drummer from Cop Hugger had his cheeks all over me. I slapped a random girl's azz. She was into it. I climbed on stage. This was my show now. Some dude kept smacking my azz but whatever. It's all love. I kissed someone and touched Freedia's huge biceps. She was in total control, a stoic conductor before an orchestra of chaos. Y'all get back now. Best night of my life.

Then, as soon as it had begun, it was over. The Queen Diva stepped off stage and I touched her one last time. The music ceased and the crowd abated. It was then I realized I was missing my azz. I looked everywhere and couldn't find it. Did someone steal it? It must have come loose from all that shaking. At the time of this writing, I still do not have a bottom. If anyone finds an azz, size medium, anywhere around Athens, please contact me at 734-347-6659 as soon as possible. Thanks.

The OU Society of Professional Journalists presents: Battle of the Bands / April 26, 2012 / The Union

By: Nadia Kurtz, Staff Writer
Photos By: Nadia Kurtz

Tonight at The Union, a little friendly competition was in the air.   The local bar was hosting a Battle of the Bands between Ohio University’s own Friends In Distraction and The Lost Boys.  The two bands have totally different styles, but they both kept the audience rocking until the end.

The Lost Boys dominated the first act, opening with a beautiful “Amazing Grace” cover played by Ben Leeson on the accordion.  When Mitchell Toler and Kyle Stansell joined in singing in perfect harmony, you know the show is about to be good.

The band of Ohio University freshmen formed only last quarter.  Since then the multi-talented musicians have put together an impressive repertoire of original songs along with a number of well-arranged covers.  The band has been seen at The Front Room and Donkey Coffee and performed their first official show last Friday alongside none other but tonight’s competition.

After their impressive opening, things began to go slightly awry.  The sound was muffled and the microphones were screaming.  As cringe-worthy as it was at first, The Lost Boys  easily masked the awful sound with their upbeat tunes.  Mitch gets the crowd moving with his original “My Hearse” while Ben is on the keyboard and Kyle joins in on the chorus with his signature falsetto.

Kyle then performs his only original of the show as front-man while Mitch comes in with his sporadic guitar solos and jumping all over the stage as usual.

Next, we begin to see some variety.  Kyle moves to the back on the cajon drum and sings background harmonies while Ben takes the front.  His husky yet melodic voice hushes the crowd with his original, “Noise.”  Then the band goes into some of their catchier songs and gets the crowd clapping along to “Redundant Days” and “My Confusion.”  At this point, Ben is on the ukelele which adds a tinkling melodic effect.  Kyle then comes in on the accordion for their second to last song, “Crumbling.”  This song slows things down a bit.

It does not last long, however, as The Lost Boys close their set with the crowd-favorite, a cover of “Shout.”  By the end of their act, the band has the crowd dancing and screaming the words to the song.  The Lost Boys were definitely a hit.

Next up was a slightly different band both musically and content-wise.  Friends In Distraction are folksy, crazy, and somewhat obscene lyrically.  But who doesn’t like a band with a rebellious side?

The three-member band has been playing together since last quarter as well, with sophomore Dan Baker as their frontman, freshman Garrett Hood on lead guitar and freshman Dylan Sams on the djembe drum.

The band starts off their performance with an upbeat cover of “Your Gonna Go Far Kid” originally by The Offspring.  The start to act two is quite shaky as the sound is back to being awful and you can hardly hear Dan singing.  The trio, or rather Dan, puts on quite a show, however, as he runs all over the stage like a mad-man.

The band is pretty much a combination of folk and rock and are continually upbeat.  Dan goes into an original called “1993,” the sound is adjusted, and then they're rolling with Dylan going to town on the djembe.  They reel in the crowd with some audience participation, and then transition into a lengthy ballad called “Nester.”

Then the band plays a song called “Caked.”  If you have been to Front Room for open mic night, I guarantee you have heard this song.  Dan invites anyone who knows the lyrics to the stage and the crowd goes nuts.

The next song is quite different.  Dan switches over to a midi controller and Garrett takes the mic.  Next is a cover of “Oh, Comely” by Neutral Milk Hotel, which slows down the overall pace of the show.

The mic goes back to Dan as he invites a childhood friend to the stage and sings about his hometown, New Jersey, in an original called “Colonia.”  The band closes the show while the crowd is clapping along and obviously wanting more.  Unfortunately though, the show is over and a decision must be made.

It was difficult at that point to come up with a winner.  The show had been pretty consistent as far as excitement from the audience went.  Both bands were totally different in style but really revved up the mood and had a lot of versatility.  As both bands and the audience anxiously awaited the announcement which band would win the five hours of free studio time (which is the winning prize), the verdict came: and the winners are The Lost Boys!

The crowd went wild, of course, including Friends In Distraction.  The Lost Boys graciously took their award and offered to split the five hours between the two bands.  I think it is safe to say the night was a success.

Dave Rave presents: Love and Light / February 15 / The Union

By: Kyle Rutherford, Contributor

Wednesday night drew a small crowd to the Union for what was probably one of the most insane shows the place has seen in long time.

Currently on their North American tour and moving on toward their set at Miami, Florida's Ultra Music Festival, glitch/crunk/dubstep duo Love and LIght killed the small show, and left me wondering why there were so few people there. Then I remembered that people need sleep for class the next day... fuck it.

The first DJ supporting was DJ Pro Bono, who started off the night with a nice house-infused dance set.

Next out was Capt. PlannedIT, who played a heavy Drum and Bass set, infusing some elements of dubstep and glitch in.

Last supporting was DJ Technician, who played a set consisting mainly of very heavy dubstep, something the crowd didn't seem used to and didn't know how to react to, prompting the DJ to as "What? You guys don't like real dubstep?"

Love and Light started and ended their set heavy and upbeat, bringing so many elements of heavy electronic music together that bass drops rattled speakers harder than ones at a 3-day metal festival.

Their original tracks blew me away and they seemed like they were having so much fun on stage, compared to some DJs who seem all business and focus.

The unfortunate part, as usual, were the many drunk attendees, ruining it for the others that came to see a good show, by heaving their friends up so high that they hit the ceiling. Not Cool.

But, throughout the set, all was not lost, and the thumping beats brought a great night to a small but worthy crowd.