Pnuma Trio, Dirty Dozen Brass Band - Athens, GA (3.27.2010)

Terrapin Beer Co.
Dirty Dozen Brass Band - The Melting Point
Pnuma Trio - New Earth Music Hall


Terrapin Beer Co. was my first order of business in Athens. Terrapin, in addition to Sweetwater, seems to be one of the only Georgia beers I can purchase on store shelves down here. But there’s no question it’s tasty. If you go during tour hours, ten bucks gets you a souvenir glass and 8 drink tickets. What they don’t tell you… one ticket only gets you a half a beer (regular ales, etc.) and it’s two tickets for a half a glass of something a bit stronger. If you want them to fill up your glass with a nice, hefty beer, it will cost you four. Most importantly, they fail to inform you that they allow everyone and their dog inside this massive brewery, forcing people to wait in line for 25 minutes just to get their paws on a cold one. I literally saw people getting a fresh beer and then walking straight to the back of the line so they could find themselves at the front again by the time their glasses were empty. They didn’t advertise the tour very well either. At Sweetwater, they walked around with big signs letting people know that another tour was about to begin. Not here. I must have been waiting in line, cause I missed both of the scheduled walk-throughs. Despite this misfortune, as well as having to listen to one of the shittiest cover bands I have ever heard, the outside scene was really hoppening. An enormous backyard area allowed patrons enough room for frisbee, bean bags, croquet, and general hootenanny while their ears were pierced by this Steven Tyler meets Prince character on the outdoor stage. Younglings were running around, enjoying the spring weather. I think I even saw a few people with picnic setups. All in all, it was a pretty chill atmosphere. With a few friends and a different band on the billing, Terrapin would be a legitimate good time. I gave the remainder of my drink tickets to a gracious young couple and headed towards downtown Athens.


Athens, GA – home of the University of Georgia and recognized by Rolling Stone Magazine as the “#1 College Music Scene in America”. Not that Rolling Stone should have the final say or anything… but Widespread Panic (and R.E.M.) did get their start in Athens. And there is certainly no disputing the fact that this city attracts a constant wave of some of the most well known up-and-coming artists and musicians from all over the Southeast. It is a truly notorious medium for the arts and I would have given my left eye to have such a prominent live music scene back home in East Lansing. Not that I don’t consider The Green Door to be a second home for me. But the occasional UV Hippo appearance at Mac’s Bar (dirty, stinky old Mac’s Bar) and Wednesday evenings with Griff and John at Crunchy’s just can’t compete with the ever-flourishing scene around Athens. Although my visit was brief, I took note of the strong sense of community that was present amidst this downtown area. Local shops dominated the storefronts and there were no McDonald’s or Starbucks polluting the atmosphere (although I’m sure there are numerous within city limits). An assortment of bars, eateries, and nightspots flooded the area, all with patios set up so that patrons could soak in the environment around them. It sort of reminded me of the Ann Arbor culture. “Artsy-fartsy” as Kerry Drake would say. He means liberal.

The Melting Point definitely fit the bill. A skinny patio area sandwiched between two large brick buildings accommodated the smoker’s lounge. Inside it was a classy, multi-layered venue fit for live music. Everything seemed to be centered around providing a view of the stage. I think more venues should be constructed in this way. After a tasty chicken salad and a $2 PBR, the Dirty Dozen Brass Band was ready to go. DDBB has been around since the late 70’s and I knew for a fact that they were about to bring some serious New Orleans flavor to downtown Athens. The stage presence of the Dirty Dozen (more like the Dirty Half Dozen Brass Band) was immense. Right from the opening notes, this band was blowing their horns with a heated passion. A drummer, tuba player, two trumpet players, as well as a tenor and baritone sax player were laying down some of the funkiest, dirtiest, most soulful sounds that I had ever heard live. The guitar player, although appearing slightly out of place amidst his large, African-American band mates, was stomping all over his wah pedal and adding a really groovy jazz-funk sound to the mix. In fact, the whole band had the ability to break into these jazz-fusion sort of jams that really caught me off guard. Needless to say, these guys knew how to throw a party. In the right venue, with the right crowd, you could be in for one raucous good time. But I had seen all I needed to see and after the first set, I was off to my next location for my weekly dose of electronica.





The New Earth Music Hall, from what I can see, plays host to an almost exclusive list of electronic musicians and DJ’s from around the country. It was most definitely a club sort of atmosphere with very minimal seating, a jam-packed dance floor, and a heavy, heavy bass sound that hit me square in the chest as soon as I walked in. Pnuma Trio had just gotten started. The live art theme remained steady once again as two painters huddled around their canvas off to the side of the room. In addition, the same fluorescent purple Tyrannosaurus Rex from the EOTO show last week decided to make an appearance. The Pnuma Trio, who began playing in Memphis, TN about 6 years ago, has been making all kinds of waves since then. These guys have become regulars on the festival circuit and after having seen them, it is easy to understand why. The Trio consists of Alex “B” Botwin on bass guitar, Lane Shaw on drums, and Ben Hazelgrove on keyboards who, in my opinion, really puts this group in the spotlight. Having studied classical music at Berklee College of Music, Hazelgrove brings a real acid-jazz sort of feel to this music that I think is unique amidst the electronic genre. In a similar yet very different way, his playing reminds me of Garaj Mahal keyboardist Eric Levy. He brings to the table a quick pair of hands that strike a lot of notes that seem to be a bit unconventional in the realm of electronic music. When you combine this with the undeniable presence of Alex B on bass, and the steady, powerful beats of Shaw, you have a trio of talented young artists who are relentlessly making a name for themselves in the underground electronic music scene.

The bass inside of New Earth was rattling my bones. It was one of the heaviest sounds that I have heard in a long time. The bass inside the Tripolee Domes is heavy, but it’s outdoors. Inside New Earth, it engulfs you. It takes a hold of your entire body and just vibrates you from the inside out. Whether it was the venue, or the band, is still up in the air. I guess I will find out next month when Lotus comes to town. In summary, it was a beautiful evening in a city that I will undoubtedly re-visit. Athens is alive and kicking and I am glad that I took the opportunity to check it out. The Dirty Dozen Brass Band was as funky as funk could be and The Pnuma Trio turned my organs inside out. Check em’ out if you have a chance. These two very different acts will surely show you a good time in their own two very different ways.