Music comes to Court Street

by Chas J. Hartman
THE POST

Halloween is here again and that means plenty of live music Saturday night on Court Street. Six diverse acts are scheduled to perform, and some of them recently took time off from the local music scene while others are fairly new.

Leading off the night is Maximum Overdrive. This band is the closest example in Athens to those fabulous blues bands of Chicago. Expect to hear dueling guitarists and some amazing guitar solos. Guitarists for this band include Greg "Overjive" O'Brien and Catfish.

Second on the bill is the Uptown Funk Allstars. This particular band made waves across the Athens live music scene for many years before taking a break. With horns, guitars, flashy suits and former members of the Ohio University Marching 110, the Uptown Funk Allstars is quite a sight.

This band loves making the crowd move and maybe even swing dance. Even better, members aren't afraid to perform classic rock and funk covers. It's great that they decided to reunite for what is sure to be a memorable outing.

Following that unadulterated funk is The Kildorados. The Kildorados is Athens' equivalent to Black Sabbath; meaning one might experience a loss of hearing following this performance. It's a unique occurrence when one finds a three-piece that produces such "extra heavy" music, as their bassist/singer Pat Brown called it.

"This is a great opportunity to play in front of a lot of people," Brown said. "People can expect to see quite a spectacle."

After a set by The Kildorados, those stalwarts in Geraldine will bring their unique brand of "bastard rock" to the stage. This band has performed in Athens for quite some time. In addition to gracing The Union's fine stage on a regular basis, they have record albums and do short tours.

Bass player Scott Winland books bands at The Union, 18 W. Union St., and Matt Harvey does the same at Casa Cantina, 4 W. State St. Both of these influential Athens figures play essential roles in Geraldine. Harvey sings and plays the harmonica, and he promises that everyone in attendance is going to have "a f**king good time."

"People are going to get local rock and roll that kicks their ass," Harvey said. "There are so many people in this town that have never seen a local band before. This is a great opportunity for them to have a new experience."

The second to last band of the evening is Guest. One might consider Guest the closest thing Athens has to progressive rock. Mixing intricate rhythms with good vocals and amazing keyboard parts, Guest displays some of the best musicianship in the area.

Anyone who has attended shows in Athens or has been in a band knows how difficult it is to fill clubs in this area. Guest manages to fill clubs like Mama Einstein's, 55 N. Court St., and Swindlefish, 63 N. Court St., on a regular basis. In addition to that feat, this band never fails to get the crowd dancing, which is also another rarity in Athens.

The night's final band and headliners are The Misprints. The Misprints are a fairly new entity to the Athens scene, which makes this accomplishment even more impressive. Make no mistake about it though, these musicians definitely have garnered their share of experience in this scene. Included in the lineup are former members of Flying Mantra and the Voodoo Birds.

The term "dance band" may seem a rather odd label for a band, but it's the best way to describe the music created by The Misprints. Complete with funk-influenced guitars and a horn section, this band pulls out all the stops for their live performance.

And that's the basic rundown. Rock on this Halloween weekend.