Ah, the holiday season has begun. We’ve eaten far too much turkey, watched far too much football, and now we’ll all go and get far too stressed out about what to buy for the loved and liked and barely tolerated ones in our lives. Shopping is annoying, it’s true. But no more Christmas Griping! Shopping can be fun! All you have to do is avoid those huge box stores and go local. With Flagpole sweetening the deal with a chance for $100 in gift certificates, you really can’t afford not to try!
Now, we’re all about the giving spirit here at AMJ. But we’re also all about the local too. It should come as no surprise that we’re doing most of our holiday shopping with Athens businesses. There wouldn’t be an Athens music scene without Athens itself! And let’s face it, many of us owe our paychecks to local businesses.
So you want the newest release from some obscure indie band. I’d head on down to Wuxtry Records or the equally awesome and nearby SchoolKids Records (which isn’t completely local but I love it and the people there are local at least!). Vinyl junkies will lean towards the former while cd hounds will like the latter. If you can’t make up your mind what you want to buy, both offer really nifty gift certificates that come in handy when something finally strikes your fancy.
Maybe you’re in the mood for something interesting, odd, or hard to find. We’ve got enough specialty and antique stores to make anyone happy. Spend a few hours in Agora or Junkman’s Daughter’s Brother and you may end up walking away with a Felix the Cat phone, tons of clothing, and a few lamps. There are SO many awesome shops and hideaways downtown that you’re bound to find something for everyone on your list. There’s a great list of stores here at the Official Downtown Athens site.
For out of towners with the Athens bug, might I suggest quenching your music cravings via Athensmusic.net? They’ve got just about everything you could ask for. Pylon t-shirts? R.E.M. Dvds? Random stickers and stuff? It’s all there. Or maybe start saving up for that pilgrimage to A-town that you’ve been meaning to take. Possibly around the time of Athfest 2010? Or to come throw down with a few of us around Aprilish?
Anyway, I’m just throwing this out there to ya. There’s tons of great stuff to see and do around town in December. Maybe we’ll see ya downtown…
athensmusicjunkie.com 