On the Road with Fred

Athens, GA… Still Breeding Music At Its Finest
November 2005

Athens, GA is a town like no other; a musical mecca that for decades has drawn diverse musical talents from across our nation. The town is known for giving birth to such acts as Widespread Panic, R.E.M. and the B-52's, bands that became so huge that the opportunity to see any of their members perform in town is virtually nil.

Panic's glory days at the Georgia Theatre are a distant memory, but Athens remains a breeding ground for some of the finest music being made today. On any given night, some of the world's finest players can be seen taking the stage, constantly joining each others bands for sit-ins, or forming bands to play one off gigs that constantly leave this fan amazed.

Here's a look at some of the local talent that continues to make Athens a premiere destination for fans of live music.

Wade Hester - Circa 1985, the general consensus was that Wade was the finest guitarist in town. Fronting both The Landsharks (Dave Schools' favorite band when he first came to Athens) and Strawberry Flats (with John Keane), Hester and his nimble fingered guitar work covered a huge spectrum ranging from technically precise jazz to blazing rock power chords.

Carlton Owens - If you're founding an Athens super group, you'd be hard pressed to find a drummer to lay down better beats than Carlton. Uniquely, Carlton actually grew up in Athens. He first drew attention of the downtown masses in the mid 90's as founding member of three distinctly different bands -jazz-infused Squat, hardcore alt rockers Prozac and the purest blues of Kingfish.

Paul "Crumpy" Edwards - The veteran of this group, Crumpy moved to Athens in the 1970s. Since then, he has performed with The Landsharks, White Buffalo, Bloodkin, and Barbara Cue, always bringing a funky bottom end and sheer sense of professionalism to every band he joined.

Jason Fuller - Few musicians epitomize the living spirit of music that is Athens more than Jason Fuller. Athens' resident Piano Man, Fuller's resume includes stints with dozens of bands. He first joined In Like Flynn in 1996, then formed King Daddy Zeb, along with former Flynn band mate Bentley Rhodes. When that group disbanded, Fuller decided to become a hired-gun rather than playing full time with one band.

Fuller can frequently be seen playing with just about everyone in Athens, including Tishamingo and the Kinchafoonee Cowboys, even singing the "Bobby" (Weir) role in the Grateful Dead cover band Cosmic Charlie. He organized the Santana Tribute, featuring Hester, Owens, A.J. Adams, Deane Quinter, Clarence Cameron, and Sunny Ortiz, a show that is commonly regarded as one of Athens finest live performances of the new millennium.

Fuller currently fronts King Daddy Conspiracy, showcasing his talents as a band leader extraordinaire.

The next time you find yourself in good old Athens, do yourself a favor and drop by any number of local venues. If any of the above mentioned musicians are on stage, you're guaranteed of heck of a good time.

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