Authors | Flagpole Magazine | Athens, GA News, Music, Arts, Restaurants

Blog posts by Gabe Vodicka, Editor

Pinky Doodle Poodle Members Return to Japan After Work Visa Expires

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Whitley Carpenter

Pinky Doodle Poodle, we barely knew ye: After taking Athens by storm over the past year, touring the Southeastern U.S. and playing a particularly memorable set at the 2019 Flagpole Athens Music Awards, the Japanese punk band's work visa has expired, and core members George and Yuria Hattori will return to their home country this week.

By Gabe Vodicka | August 5, 2019
Photo Gallery: Here Are the 2019 Flagpole Athens Music Awards Winners

Blog: Homedrone

Pinky Doodle Poodle

The 2019 Flagpole Athens Music Awards show kicked off AthFest at the Morton Theatre on Thursday, where local musicians took home awards in 20 categories based on a reader vote. The night's big winner was folk-rock group Family and Friends, which took home both the Album and Artist of the Year awards.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 21, 2019
Flagpole Athens Music Awards Preview and Finalists

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Chelsea Kornse

Yip Decevier

Hundreds of readers voted for their favorite local musicians in 20 categories, and on Thursday, June 20 at the Morton Theatre, we’ll reveal the winners of this year’s FlagpoleAthens Music Awards, lovingly designed by local artist and musician Eli Saragoussi.

By Gabe Vodicka | June 18, 2019
RIP Athens Musician Jeff Walls

Blog: Homedrone

Remembrances poured in on social media Wednesday as friends and fans learned about the death of Jeff Walls, a longtime Athens musician known for playing in The Woggles and Guadalcanal Diary, among other well-loved bands.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 29, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Georgia Dish Boys, 'I Can’t Act (Like I Don’t Feel Good)'

Blog: Homedrone

As unpredictable as they are hard-working, Athens band Georgia Dish Boys are set to follow up last year's rocking Nine Song Movie, which blended trashy Crazy Horse riffage with aching alt-folk, with a new LP, Good Country Livin, in July.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 21, 2019
UGA Performing Arts Center Announces 2019-2020 Season

Blog: Culture Briefs

Photo Credit: Evan Neff

Kronos Quartet with Masha Vahdat

UGA Presents has announced the slate of performers who will appear at the university's Performing Arts Center during its 2019–2020 season.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 20, 2019
Lydia Brambila Wins Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Jason Thrasher

Thursday evening at The Foundry, the 2019 Vic Chesnutt Songwriter of the Year Award was presented to Lydia Brambila, a local singer-songwriter who was nominated for the song "Sirena," from her 2018 album Migraineur.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 17, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Kwazymoto, 'Death Gallop' Video

Blog: Homedrone

Athens band Kwazymoto has cemented itself as one of the most forward-thinking rock acts in town, thanks to its tireless search for punk's emotional and intellectual core, as displayed on recordings like last year's My American Family and 2017's Limerence Land.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 7, 2019
Organizers Cancel Athens Spring Fling

Blog: Culture Briefs

The Athens Spring Fling, scheduled to take place Saturday at Southeast Clarke Park, has been canceled by organizers due to the threat of bad weather, according to a post on the event's Facebook page.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 3, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Partials, 'Walls Fall'

Blog: Homedrone

With the release of last year's Glossolalia—one of Flagpole's favorite local EPs of 2018—Athens group Partials established themselves as the thinking-person's party band, blending heady funk and Afrobeat grooves with rich, provocative lyrics exploring themes of technology and isolation.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 3, 2019
Friends Host Medical Benefit Sunday for Local Musician Ty Manning

Blog: Homedrone

Ty Manning is an established and beloved Athens songwriter and guitarist known for his work with several local bands, including the Bearfoot Hookers and, more recently, Ty Manning and the Slawdog Biscuits—a nominee for this year's Flagpole Athens Music AwardsFolk/Americana category.

By Gabe Vodicka | May 2, 2019
Of Montreal, Linqua Franqa, The Whigs, More AthFest Performers Announced

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Stacey-Marie Piotrowski

Linqua Franqa

Following the recent announcement of this year's outdoor AthFest headliners, the festival has revealed more of the performers who will take the stage during the 2019 event, scheduled for June 21–23.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 30, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Dope KNife Featuring Linqua Franqa, 'Make Perfect Remix'

Blog: Homedrone

Though currently based out of Savannah, rapper and producer Kedrick Mack, aka Dope KNife, has formed a close relationship with the Athens scene over the past couple of years, appearing regularly on local bills and collaborating with local artists.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 30, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Cicada Rhythm Covers Simon and Garfunkel's 'Cecilia'

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Jason Huffer

Athens duo Cicada Rhythm released one of Flagpole's favorite local records of last year with the electrified Everywhere I Go, a cool and confident album that showcased the roots group's expanded palette. Today, we're excited to premiere another new Cicada Rhythm recording: the group's cover of Simon and Garfunkel's lovelorn pop song "Cecilia."

By Gabe Vodicka | April 19, 2019
Lucinda Williams, Son Volt to Play Wildwood Revival

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: David McClister

Son Volt

Wildwood Revival, the Americana-focused music festival that takes place at Cloverleaf Farm in Arnoldsville, just outside Athens, has announced some of the musicians who will perform at this year's event, happening Sept. 27–29.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 18, 2019
'Run It Up' Podcast: 4/20, Man

Blog: Culture Briefs

Photo Credit: Savannah Cole

In "Run It Up," Flagpole's new podcast, we take a deeper look at some of the stories from the current issue. In this week's episode, Gabe Vodicka, Blake Aued and Rosemary Scott discuss the state of marijuana in the state of Georgia, including a recently approved bill that will allow hemp cultivation, and CBD's explosion in Athens. Plus, they take a sketchy online pot quiz and preview Flagpole's guide to attending the G-Day game… on weed.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 17, 2019
AthFest Announces 2019 Outdoor Headliners

Blog: Homedrone

Dreams So Real

Right on schedule, AthFest Educates has announced the outdoor headliners for this year's AthFest Music and Arts Festival, which will take place June 21–23 in downtown Athens.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 16, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Walden, The Static EP Stream

Blog: Homedrone

Athens four-piece Walden boasts a soaring, radio-ready sound inspired by melody-drenched megastars like U2 and Coldplay. In a testament to its mainstream appeal, the band won the Road to Roo competition in both 2016 and 2017, earning it a spot on the Bonnaroo lineup and a legion of new fans to boot.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 4, 2019
'Run It Up' Podcast: Can the Murmur Trestle Be Saved?

Blog: In the Loop

In "Run It Up," Flagpole's new podcast, we take a deeper look at some of the stories from the current issue. In this week's episode, Gabe Vodicka talks with Blake Aued about what the future holds for the so-called Murmur trestle, the segment of abandoned railway made famous by its appearance on the back cover of R.E.M.'s debut album. Also, how Georgia's controversial "heartbeat bill" could affect abortion rights on a national scale—or backfire on the Athens lawmakers who supported it. Plus, a preview of this year's Classic City Brew Fest.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 2, 2019
Flagpole Premieres: Ryne Meadow, There Are Clouds in the Sky Album Stream

Blog: Homedrone

Singer-songwriter Ryne Meadow, an Athens native, moved to the New York City area a few years back, but a debilatating bout with depression and anxiety during what he dubs the "dark, two-year stint" left him unsteady and uncertain. Returning home, he "set out to create a new set of songs documenting his daily battle with mental health issues," according to a press release.

By Gabe Vodicka | April 2, 2019