The Top 10 Bands You Need to See at Athfest this Year

We didn’t want to overlap with the Flagpole 20 too much(though there’s plenty of bands in that list we want to see) so we went ahead and made a list of folks WE think you should check out this weekend.

Monahan – Hull Street Stage Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
I cannot stress enough how badly you need to see Monahan. Rock with pop sensibilities often gets a bad rap around here but the sheer talent of this act will blow you away. Think a little bit Bono, a little bit Radiohead, a little bit Jeff Buckley…

Efren – Georgia Bar Friday, 9 p.m.
Ok, it’s not technically an “Athfest” show but you will still need to be here. Thoughtful vocals, delicious lyrics, and very cool tunes. If you dig Iron and Wine at all, this is your band.

Bambara – Caledonia Saturday
It’s the guys last show before leaving Athens. Seriously, if you have not seen this amazingly good, hard rocking trio, you have missed out. Don’t miss out again and get to this show. Experience the atmosphere and tension and sheer power of rock.

The Michael Guthrie Band – Melting Point, Saturday
Put simply: MGB rocks. Led by Master Guthrie, the band cranks out high energy rock tunes the way they’re supposed to be. Guthrie will wail on his guitar and you will cry tears of joy because you’ve finally found someone who does it right.

Guadalcanal Diary – Pulaski Street Stage, Saturday 9 p.m.
Oh how we have missed you. If you’re into the old school Athens scene, you are not allowed to miss this gig. Yeah, technically from Marietta but there’s enough kinship there to make it work. A can’t miss event.

The District Attorneys – New Earth Music Hall, Friday 10 p.m.
A relatively new face in town (if you call 09 new, which we do), The District Attorneys are a wonderful mix of rock and Americana. For those looking for a new band to check out, this one ranks pretty high on our list.

Gift Horse – Melting Point, Friday Midnight
We’ve been fans of these guys since their days playing the Caledonia with Sleepy Horses. Now they’re all grown up and kicking musical ass with haunting, atmospheric rock and roll. More trance than dance and that’s alright by us!

Matt Kurz One – Cine, Friday Midnight
The best damn one man band you will ever see. He plays bass with his foot, he plays guitar and drums. And it sounds amazing. Straight up rock and roll from an incredibly coordinated person.

Kevn Kinney Band – Pulaski Street Stage, Sunday 5:45 p.m.
You really need another reason to see this band?! It’s Kevn Kinney for cripe’s sake! Go!

The UGA Accidentals – Pulaski Street Stage, Saturday Noon
Dip into something different for a change and check out this pretty cool group of a cappella singers. It’s like Glee only not sucky.