Man, I was not in the greatest shape to be at this show. I’ve been battling this strain of ick that’s been floating around Athens for the last week or so. I spent most of Friday in the bed (missing Strawberry Flats dammit!) but I was determined to rock! So I took some Tylenol, wrote out a will, and left for the 40 Watt.
Kudos to the boss lady for my ticket. I got in, grabbed a water bottle ASAP to quash a coughing fit and propped my near dead body in the corner. I sat nursing my Dasani until Liz Durrett came on. In my sleep deprived state, I struggled to stay awake because Liz’s voice is just so comforting. It’s like her songs are a giant patchwork quilt. So I got up and walked around, got more water, then sat back down. Her most bold moment came when it was just her and the guitar. I swear to Ort you could hear a pin drop in the Watt. Not a single breath, glass clink, nothing. Just all of us, standing in awe of her.
Elf Power came up next for a change of pace. I’ve been spinning “Spiral Staircase” a lot on my show so I was very happy to hear it live. Last time I saw them, I was blocked by some oaf in a MGMT shirt. But it was a nice upbeat set. I went through a third bottle of water and the last of my cough drops. It was quickly becoming obvious that I would not be able to stay the whole night.
I propped up in a corner again and was happy to find some friends ready to chat. After a lovely discussion about the music business in general, we did some Athens, GA assessing and then got up for the main act. Chesnutt was a vicious wit on Saturday night. Talkative and ready to rumble, man, he was a sound to behold with Elf Power backing him. My personal favorite was the exchange before “Stop the Horse.” I don’t think I’ve been called a nihilist before. Sweet!
I made it about 2/3 the way through the show and finally had to go crash. My head was about to split open and I felt bad for the people having to deal with me coughing because it’s really not fair to them. So I very reluctantly left the awesome show and prayed that nothing TOO exciting happened afterward.
Thankfully, there is a solution for those of us who have to miss part of a show. Southern Shelter (big shout out!)!!! God, I love this site. So, if you want to hear the Vic/Power show, check out this link. Southern Shelter has fed my addiction to Athens music like nothing else. Check it out and click around. You never know what old shows you will find.
blueshades
athensmusicjunkie.com 