Memories of Things Never Seen

The old, yellowed pages of Tasty World Magazine number 3 lay open on my desk, begging me to pay more attention. Here’s a feature on Mitch Easter, there’s an interview with Fred Schnider, and look! Michael Lachowski’s got his own column.

Funny how these pieces of paper and bits of ink are older than I am. I carefully turn each page, hoping that the movements won’t tear the delicate and worn edges any further. It’s just a peek at what life was like then. Back when Athens was a sleepy college town. Before all the bands got professional. Before I got here.

Who ARE some of these bands?! Cowface and Wheel of Cheese, Little Tigers, damn…. Moving on to the Old 40 Watt facebook photos. WOW. I know some of these people. HA! They’ve got to be younger than me here. Dancing like there’s no tomorrow cause really, there wasn’t much of one. People don’t dance much like that anymore.

And look at these posters! Half are just cardboard with scrawled chalk letters proclaiming that tonight’s show will be a whole dollar. The other half are these studies in hand copy/paste collage making. Here’s Hitler holding a sign, two dinos doing it while mentioning the Porn Orchard show. God y’all were insane. And those band names! Boat of, Mystery Date, Kilkenny Cats, Limbo District, Art in the Dark. Yeah, don’t wanna here any complaining about current band names. You started it!

I sit back in my chair and just try to picture it all. Everything’s in black and white of course. Color wasn’t invented yet back then, right? But all the same, I can’t help but wonder what would’ve happened had I been around. Would the 40 Watt still be my main haunt? Or would you find me at Tyrones? Seems like it was required to be in a band at that point so would the WUOGgerz let me play bass? So many possibilities. It’s all I can do to tear myself away and go to bed.

I’m one of those “it all happens for a reason” type people. So maybe one day I’ll be able to know why I’m here now and not there then. I just keep going, eyes to the uncertain future and the lessons of the past resounding in my mind. Have fun. Make friends. Be loyal and true. Dance, don’t think.

Yeah. Good ol’ Athens.