Athens Popfest 2006: Day TwoAthens Popfest 2006: Day Two
While walking back to Little Kings from the drugstore in downtown Athens after picking up the requisite hearing protection one needs for an event such as Popfest, I turned the corner and nearly bumped into Mike Mills who was on his mobile discussing shooting a video of some sort. While R.E.M. encounters are probably normal for Joe or Jane Athenian, I grinned ear-to-ear and set out for what *had* to be a great day of pop music.
I expected to be treated to an afternoon of twee, twee and more twee. Enough sugary sweetness to put a long-distance runner into a diabetic coma. Maybe that's overdoing it, but that's what I prepared for.
Right out of the gate, The Specific Heats, who just released an album on HHBTM, certainly delivered what was expected with saccarin ballads of innocent love and anti-road-rage PSAs. A guest appearance was made by one of the gals from The Besties, who had an early set on Day Three.
My Parents, whose parents were appropriately perched at the far end of the bar, have a sound that yearns for a more experimental Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! without the polish. As an aside, the bassist has this uncanny knack for buckling his knees and swaying completely akimbo to any beat or syncipation without throwing the rhythm section off. It was fairly clear a couple of the band members had the jitters, but it didn't affect their performance. As this group tightens up, their unique sound and storytelling (see: "It's hard to be dead and be in love") should propel them forward.
Velcro Stars (whom all night I wanted to call "Velvet Stars") played a fun set and have an album soon to be released on Grand Palace.
Baby Calendar from Miami (another HHBTM group) have the chemistry of Mates of State with a stronger performance and much more energy. Their tunes are quite catchy and they put on one of the best sets of Popfest.
How I Became The Bomb was an absolute hoot. Their geek-rawk seems tailor made for an '80s comedy soundtrack. HIBTB takes the synth-based anthems found on their album, Lets Go!, and puts in a performance as over the top as Sly Stallone in ... well ... Over The Top. Songs like "Secret Identity" and "Kneel Before Zod" are crack-cicle addictive.
So Many Dynamos brought unbridled energy to their indie-rock set. So much energy that a couple members seemed on the brink of a bar brawl. A great set -- and palindromic to boot.
The Instruments and New Sound Of Numbers played the next two very different sets rotating instruments in the Elephant Six idiom. For instance, the drummer of The Instruments (whose set I really enjoyed) plays 12-string and sings lead for New Sound Of Numbers.
To close the night, gamer Noah McCarthy conquered Mega Man II in 45 minutes without being killed, while Megaband (the members of Cinemechanica with a different bassist) laid down the entire soundtrack. What is really striking about the Megaband performace is how physically gruelling it is on the artists. In a normal set, a band plays a song for a few minutes, takes a break, plays another song for a few minutes... lather, rinse, repeat. Not so for Megaband. Since the soundtrack shifts from theme to theme without any gaps, the artists are forced to hammer through the whole game. Drummer Mike Albanese looked absolutely shot by the time the game reached Dr. Wily's fortress. All in all, an absolutely amazing set to end another great day of music.
Bands that played but aren't mentioned until now: Gift Machine, Flash To Bang Time, The Maybellines
Best performances of Day Two: Baby Calendar, How I Became The Bomb, Megaband
