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Blog posts by Nathan Kerce

Matt and Kim's Matt Johnson on His Favorite Band Memories

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Colin Devon Moore

Electronic pop duo Matt and Kim are currently celebrating their 15th anniversary of being a band. Over the past decade and a half, musical and real-life couple Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino have become known for their catchy party tunes, over-the-top live shows and outlandish music videos. (They won an MTV VMA back when that still kind of meant something.) It didn’t take them long to go from writing songs in Matt’s childhood bedroom to playing massive festival stages on a regular basis, and they’ve held onto that position for well over a decade. Attendees of Wednesday’s Georgia Theatre show should expect plenty of singalongs, props and maybe a bit of light nudity.

Ahead of the show, we took a minute to talk with Johnson about his most notable memories from the past 15 years.

By Nathan Kerce | February 12, 2019
Our Six Favorite Sets at Shaky Knees 2018

Blog: Homedrone

The Shaky Knees Music Festival returned to Atlanta's Central Park last weekend. Here are correspondent Nathan Kerce's six favorite sets of the fest:

Photo Credit: Courtesy of aLIVE Coverage for Shaky Knees Music Festival

David Byrne

By Nathan Kerce | May 9, 2018
Chatting About America With Comedian Judah Friedlander, Who Plays the 40 Watt Apr. 10

Blog: Culture Briefs

Comedian Judah Friedlander ("30 Rock," Wet Hot American Summer) is coming to the 40 Watt Club Tuesday, Apr. 10 to promote his fictitious run for president that began in his new Netflix comedy special, America Is the Greatest Country in the United States. We hopped on the phone with Friedlander to discuss his special, comedy in the Trump era and what it means to be a real American.

By Nathan Kerce | April 6, 2018
Five Acts I Loved at SXSW 2018, Even Though I Was Sick as Hell

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Nathan Kerce

Gulfer

I spent last week in Austin, TX seeing as many bands as I could in an attempt to gain valuable content for Flagpole Music’s Instagram account. Just a few days into my trip, I contracted an intense infection that would push my body to its limits and turn SXSW’s already somewhat stressful environment into an Eraserhead-like nightmare. Here are five acts that I saw while sick that I still managed to love.

By Nathan Kerce | March 23, 2018
Live Review: Red Bull Culture Clash Hits Atlanta for the First Time

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Brian Hall/Red Bull Content Pool

EarDrummers

Last week, Red Bull held its annual Culture Clash event in Atlanta for the first time. For those who don’t know, Culture Clash is basically the summer blockbuster version of a sound clash competition. Originating in Jamaica, a sound clash features two or more groups of artists and DJs coming together to battle it out on stage, with the crowd deciding who reigns supreme by the end of the night. Crews spin their best tunes and bring out artists to perform and play “dubs”—remixed or re-recorded versions of popular songs that are meant to shout out their crew and diss the competition.

By Nathan Kerce | September 1, 2017
Five Athens Popfest Highlights

Blog: Homedrone

R. Ring

Palehound

Led by Boston-based musician Ellen Kempner, Palehound played a strong set at the Georgia Theatre Thursday evening. The band’s set mostly consisted of songs from its excellent, recently released sophomore album, A Place I’ll Always Go. Kempner’s wonderful, deeply personal and at times quite heavy lyrics were on display, and her exceptional and unique guitar playing grabbed everyone’s full attention from start to finish. Infectious song-of-the-summer contender “Flowing Over” was the biggest highlight of the band’s unfortunately brief performance.

By Nathan Kerce | August 15, 2017
Comedian, Actor and Musician Creed Bratton Speaks Ahead of May 8 Foundry Show

Blog: Culture Briefs

Photo Credit: Andrew Hreha

Best known for playing an exaggerated version of himself on NBC’s “The Office,” Creed Bratton has a storied history as an American icon. In the late 1960s, Bratton was recruited to be the lead singer and guitarist in folk-rock group The Grass Roots. During his brief time with the band, it released its most enduring single, “Let’s Live for Today." Years later, he began a new career as an actor, taking bit parts in a slew of TV shows and movies before landing the “Office” role and becoming one of the show’s most popular figures. Bratton has also released music under his own name since the early 2000s. His current tour is a unique mix of comedy and music that aims to please fans from every generation.

Ahead of his show at The Foundry Monday, May 8, Flagpole picked Bratton’s brain on his unique dual career, the current state of his live show and what he thinks the future may hold. (Warning: Some his answers may or may not be facetious.)

By Nathan Kerce | May 5, 2017
Q&A With Comedian Jim Breuer, Playing The Foundry May 2

Blog: Culture Briefs

Photo Credit: Greg Pallante

Comedian Jim Breuer has been active for nearly three decades, and shows no signs of slowing down. Anyone raised on copious amounts of Comedy Central will know Breuer for his late-'90s run on "Saturday Night Live," as well as his role in the cult-classic stoner film Half Baked. Breuer’s most potent material, however, is his unique stand-up comedy.

By Nathan Kerce | April 28, 2017
D.R.A.M. Plays 40 Watt Thursday for Red Bull Sound Select

Blog: Homedrone

Red Bull’s Sound Select monthly music showcase comes to Athens this week with a killer lineup of rising hip hop stars.

The event is being headlined by D.R.A.M., a Virginia-based rapper who recently attained superstar status with this year’s biggest hip hop crossover hit, “Broccoli.”

By Nathan Kerce | September 14, 2016
Scooterbabe Lives! A Q&A With JJ Posway

Blog: Homedrone

On Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the Caledonia Lounge, local band scooterbabe will play its first show in Athens in nearly a year. The indie-pop trio played what was erroneously labeled as its “final show” last Halloween right before lead guitarist and vocalist JJ Posway moved to Brooklyn.

In the last year, scooterbabe still managed to release a career-spanning compilation and a standalone single. The band also played one show in New York, with Posway serving as the only original member. Unfortunately, even though Posway is back in Georgia for the time being, original drummer Grafton Tanner is moving to Chicago. It’s unclear how or if scooterbabe will move forward after Wednesday's show.

Flagpole talked to Posway about the initial rise of scooterbabe, why he left Athens when he did and what it feels like to come back.

By Nathan Kerce | August 25, 2015
Live Review: Wrecking Ball ATL Festival

Blog: Homedrone

Braid

The Wrecking Ball ATL festival was held at the Masquerade on the weekend of Aug. 8 and 9. A huge number of emo, hardcore and pop-punk bands gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the historic Atlanta venue and its enduring legacy.

By Nathan Kerce | August 11, 2015
AthFest in Review: Dirty Athens, Birdhouse Collection and More

Blog: Homedrone

Photo Credit: Mike White

Muuy Biien

From the thick smell of dude-sweat to the garbage water that leaked all over my shoes halfway through Ruby the Rabbitfoot’s set, Caledonia’s fourth annual Dirty Athens day party lived up to its name.

Co Co ri Co was the first big highlight of the day, with a catchy-as-hell, fun performance. I suspect those who were disappointed by Reptar’s main stage set on Friday (and by all accounts, that seems to be a lot of people) would have appreciated this performance a lot more. Judging by the crowd’s positive reaction, this is the kind of avant-garde dance-rock people are looking for out of Athens right now.

By Nathan Kerce | June 22, 2014