It’s been a whirlwind of a summer. I’m finally getting situated at our new house in Bloomington, Indiana. Boxes and suitcases are still overflowing but had to take a brake and reflect on The Southern C Summit in Athens.
Kickoff Cocktail: Epting Events did a wonderful job hosting presenters and sponsors the night before. It was a fun way for everyone to meet and enjoy fabulous Southern food, cocktails, and splendid company.
While studying historic preservation at the University of Georgia, we often heard about Mr. Epting and his love affair with old buildings. It was so much fun to meet him in person finally and see some of the historic houses he has saved by moving them to The Hill.
It’s hard to go home early in Athens, but I knew my 6am wake up call the next day was not going to be easy…
Summit Day: It was an awesome day filled with inspiring sessions, thoughtful conversation, and tasty food from some of the best Athens restaurants. And yes lots and lots of tweeting.
Shameeka Ayers of The Broke Socialite started things off with a bang. I was so excited to see her speak and she did not disappoint. Her session explored ideas of branding through the infamous Kardashian family- so smart and entertaining. Can’t stop listening to that Robin Thicke song either.
All of the speakers had common threads speaking to authenticity, self confidence, and enjoying your work. My takeaways: Be yourself; be your brand. Be your own junkyard dog..or hire one. Love what you do and you won’t have to “work” a day in your life.
Like any good Southern event, fabulous food was a centerpiece. I ate myself silly. But really how could I not with Epting Events serving up yummy Goo Goo Cluster desserts and restaurants like 5&10, The National, The Branded Butcher, Paulie’s, Hip Pops there representing Athens, Georgia.
Goo Goo Bonanza
One of the highlights for me was seeing the ladies from Beauty Everyday in action. I’ve been a huge fan of Rebecca Wood for a while and a reader of their blog for about a year. Not a traditional learning session by any means, the three artists moved props, set a tablescape, and started shooting without really even speaking. Wood, Rhinne Allen, and Kristen Bach have been working together for years and it shows. They talked about their experiences living in Athens, their thought process behind photo shoots, and their gorgeous new book entitled Beauty Everyday. They invited everyone to walk around the set to see what they were working on; I immediately jumped up there.
That evening we headed over to one of my favorite spots downtown- The Georgia Theatre for Cocktails and Conversation. Southern Living‘s Hunter Lewis moderated our panel of experts including Peter Dale of The National, Whitney Otawka of Farm 255, and Greg Best of Holeman and Finch. The party was a great success with delicious appetizers, seasonal cocktails, and thorough discussion about Southern identity, food, and drink.
Loved seeing these friends from #tscsummit Jekyll! Big T’s Crab Dip, Holly Phillips, and Maison de Macrons
I had a blast hanging out with some of my old grad school friends, connections made at TSC Summit on Jekyll, and meeting online friends in person (I finally met Angie Tillman from Phickles Pickles)! My sweet husband hears about The Southern C all the time so I was so glad he could come to the event and see what its all about.
Caty, Hollis, and me
Angie T and me
Cheri and me
Can’t wait ’til Nashville! For TSC Summit Nashville schedule and ticket info click here.
5 things I’m looking forward to at #tscsummit Athens!
5. I’ve gotten pretty attached to my home-base of Athens, Georgia these past three years. I’m so excited to share the Classic City with people from all over the South and beyond for this event!
Can’t wait to hear from this panel of experts: Southern Living Executive Food Editor Hunter Lewis with Executive Chef of Farm 255 and season 9 Top Chef contestant, Whitney Otawka, Holeman and Finch Public House Partner and James Beard Foundation Awards “Outstanding Bar Program” semifinalist, Greg Best and Food and Wine’s Best New Chef: Southeast Peter Dale of The National. Not to mention delicious food and drink provided by the Southern Living Test Kitchen, Epting Events, Cathead Vodka, and Charred Oak Spirits!
2. New Speakers
I’m so excited to see Shakeeka Ayers speak this go ’round! I’ve enjoyed following her sweet and sassy posts for a while now and can’t wait to hear her story. Her session is entitled- Everything I Needed To Know About Building My Brand, I Learned From The Kardashians (Yes, Those Kardashians…). Love it.
1. Connecting
Catching up with old friends and meeting new ones- This is what it’s all about.
To learn more or register for The Southern C Summit Athens click here.
According to Livability.com Athens, Georgia was named the #1 music scene outside of Nashville, NYC, and LA. Woo hoo! Although most Athenians probably know about the music scene and history here, the Classic City is definitely worthy of this national recognition. I’m pretty pumped about the article, gives me some more support for my thesis…that pile of Athens info is getting rather large.
With a long list of established musicians, Athens is home to some significant venues as well. Beginning with mid-century urban flight , historic theaters located in the urban core began to degrade as people shifted to the outskirts, and the big screen cinema followed. Many incredible theaters and venues have been lost due to disrepair or demolition to make way for “bigger and better” venues. Thankfully in recent years, there has been a resurgence in theater preservation. In Athens, Georgia we are lucky that most of our significant venues are still standing and celebrated. This post is dedicated to the venues that have set the stage for amazing performances by local Athens artists as well as those passing through. There are so many important venues in Athens; my list is just the tip of the iceberg.
The Georgia Theatre has a long history in Athens starting in 1889 as a YMCA facility. It has served the community as a Methodist church, Masonic temple, Sears and Roebuck, furniture store, movie theater, and finally a music venue. June 19, 2009, the Theater caught fire and the building was gutted. The Athens community and music lovers from all over came together to help raise money for the rebuild.
Local Athens brewers, Terrapin Brewery, released the Georgia Theater Sessions, a beer series dedicated to the Georgia Theater’s history. Funds generated by the sale of these beers will go to aid in the theater’s rebuilding.
The Georgia Theater Sessions
After a two-year rebuild, the Georgia Theater is open and thriving. Located on the corner of Clayton and Lumpkin streets, the original theater was the first YMCA in Athens, and was an impressive Victorian structure with large turrets on the sides. The ground floor was retail shops, and the other floors were occupied by the YMCA.
Old YMCA building photo courtesy of UGA Hargrett Special Collections Library
When the Elite Theater moved into the building, they decided to bring the theater into the popular Art Deco style, losing the majority of the Victorian stylistic elements.
When the theater was rebuilt, the theater facade was restored back to its Art Deco roots (notice the paint around the commemorative plaque, it covers the entrance facade). It has been inspiring to see the community and local Athens businesses come together to support this Athens landmark. The Georgia Theatre continues sit on the corner of Clayton and Lumpkin streets and is listed in the Downtown Athens National Register Historic District as well as the Downtown Local Historic District. The Georgia Theatre is once again alive and well in downtown Athens, serving up rock and roll every week.
Georgia Theatre entrance
commemorative plaque
interior photo taken from balcony original brick walls
behind the marquee
art deco ceiling at entrance circa 1920s as movie house
Grand Re-Opening poster
Gillian Welch, one of my favorites, performing with David Rawlings August 14th.
The 40 Watt Club originated from an impromptu concert on Halloween in 1978. The show was held in a loft on College Avenue owned by Curtis Crowe, of the band Strictly American. A guest of the show dubbed the 40 watt name because they had nothing more than a single 40-watt light bulb to light the event; and with that an Athens legend was born.
poster 1981
This Athens, Georgia venue, along with others like CBGB and Whiskey a Go Go, helped catapult “New Wave” music onto the scene in the 1980s. The 40 Watt club’s first location was on Broad street across from UGA’s North Campus, in a small space above what was once a sandwich shop (now the upstairs of Starbucks). The 40 Watt moved several times, outgrowing each space, and in 1989, moved to its current location at the end of Washington Street downtown. The 40 Watt isn’t on the National Register (yet), but it is included in the Downtown Athens National Register Historic District.
40 Watt Club
The club has a hefty show roster of artists, spanning a variety of genres that have played the 40 Watt. Some of the notable: R.E.M., Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Indigo Girls, Nirvana, Modest Mouse, Drive by Truckers, Run DMC, Smashing Pumpkins, Ween, Wilco, Widespread Panic, b-52s, Pylon, Love Tractor, Sonic Youth, and Salt n Peppa…this list also goes on and on. It remains a must go for music lovers everywhere.
Ween 40 Watt poster by Matt Leunig
Ween is another one of my favorites to see live, and they graced Athens with their presence at the 40 Watt in April 2011. Tickets went on sale in January for the show both online and at Schoolkids Records. Determined to get tickets, I headed downtown at 9:30 am to stand in the already long line to snag the coveted tickets. It was well worth it waiting in the freezing cold. Check the setlist.
The Melting Point is one of the newer venues in Athens, compared to the aforementioned. It is however, housed in the old Athens Foundry from the 1850s.
Sitting on the edge of downtown Athens, this industrial property was largely forgotten until the 1970s. It survived a brief stint as a motel in the 70s and 80s, and in the late 1990s a new developer came in to create a boutique hotel that incorporated the historic structures left on the property. The Foundry Park Inn was completed in 2001 and the Melting Point occupies three of the brick structures left from the old foundry complex, and serves as a music venue, restaurant, and special event space. The owners wanted to preserve a piece Athens’s industrial past, allowing the original brick and masonry to be seen in the new venue space. The Melting Point has excellent acoustics, and is a multi-level structure allowing fans optimal seating and standing room.
Tony Rice and Mountain Heart by Ryan Hines
This past January, Ryan took me to see one of his favorites, Tony Rice, perform with Mountain Heart at the Melting Point.
Mr. Tony Rice photo Ryan Hines
About halfway through the show, Tony was on stage alone with his guitar and he began talking about his time spent playing with Jerry Garcia. The two had met via David Grisman when Rice worked with Old and in the Way in the 1980s. While Rice gave a heartfelt shout out to his fallen friend, the room was silent. He then said this one’s for you and proceeded to play “Shady Grove” for us. It was a memorable moment; being in a smaller venue, so close to the stage watching one of the greats pay tribute to one of his best friends.
The Morton Theatre is a designated Athens landmark and community-based performing arts center; it’s also on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Morton Building
The theater is part of the Morton Building, built by Monroe Bowers “Pink” Morton, a prominent African American business man. Situated on the corner of Washington and Hull streets, the “hot corner” was the center of African American life in Athens. There were restaurants, a barber shop and the Morton Building that housed the offices of many prominent black professionals, a number of black-owned businesses, and the Morton Theatre.
courtesy of Morton Theater
The theater opened with a performance by classical pianist Alice Carter Simmons of Oberlin, Ohio Conservatory, attended by both black and white patrons. Then came Vaudeville and The Blues; it is believed that Louie Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Blind Willie McTell graced the stage here. It became a movie theater in the 1930s and remained a meeting hall for the African American community. Sometime after the 1930s renovation, a small fire broke out in the projection room and the theater was shut down, however not affecting the rest of the Morton Building businesses.
The Morton family continued ownership until the 1970s, where it changed hands several times. It was finally purchased by The Morton Theater Foundation in the late 1970s, in hopes to restore the theater to its former glory. The foundation sought help for further renovation of the theater and the community came to its aid in 1987, when the renovation project passed as part of the Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax (S.P.L.O.S.T.). The SPLOST included granting $1.8 million for the restoration of the theatre, whose roof had since caved in. The Morton Theater is currently owned by Athens-Clarke County, and managed by the Morton Theater Corporation, and is a popular community performing arts center.
Before the renovation in the late 1980s, the B-52s used part of the building as a rehearsal space, and after the renovation, R.E.M. filmed the video “The One I Love” here.
pressed tin ceiling in the lobby
In 2010, the Morton Theater celebrated 100 years in Athens, Georgia. It has and will continue to be a stronghold in the vibrant performing arts scene here.
Anybody out there have a favorite Classic City venue or show seen in Athens?? Do tell…
Shameeka Ayers of The Broke Socialite started things off with a bang. I was so excited to see her speak and she did not disappoint. Her session explored ideas of branding through the infamous Kardashian family- so smart and entertaining. Can’t stop listening to that Robin Thicke song either.
Can’t wait ’til Nashville! For TSC Summit Nashville schedule and ticket info click here.
Em's on the road 