Show Preview: Blackout Fest Day 2
The Union / Friday, April 18, 2014
By Zack Baker, Editorial Director
Look, I get it. You’re hungover from last night’s show, tired and are finally done with classes for the day. But instead of hitting the hay, you should work your way up those precarious stairs at The Union to see a night of insanely banging tunes.
With a lineup this stacked, it’ll be tough to go to this show without finding at least one new band to fall in love with. Bands from all over Ohio and even one from Nashville are making their way to Athens to provide the jams for all of us here in this weird little pocket of Appalachia.
The night is jam-packed with both Athens locals and visiting bands as well. Ghost Boat, Dead Hand of Man and The D-Rays are all reppin' Athens, with Messrs, Lo-Pan, Washington Beach Bums, Buffalo Killers and Cheap Time are all descending upon The Union from locales both near and far.
Fresh off of an EP release, Bram Riddlebarger’s latest project Dead Hand of Man will be bringing a no-frills punk-fueled spirit to the second floor of The Union. The group’s self-titled tears its way through five tracks of head-nodding rock in a flash, and the band’s live performance is sure to carry that hyperkinetic energy as well.
An Athens favorite, The D-Rays are in for another night of their raucous “Appalachian Ohio Surf Rock” for the masses. The band has certainly learned how to work the crowds around here, and are sure to be a three-man party-to-go.
But among the sea of wonderful bands, two are leaving this writer stoked beyond belief. Nashville’s Cheap Time and Cincinnati’s Buffalo Killers are headlining the night and will leave the crowd stunned. Between Cheap Time’s rockin’ good vibes and Buffalo Killers’ new-with-the-old jams, no one will be walking down those stairs at the end of the night.
Buffalo Killers hail from Cincinnati, Ohio and make fairly frequent visits to Athens. Every time the band rolls through, they bring the good vibes. Crafting a perfect blend of ‘70s jamminess and modern sensibilities, Buffalo Killers’ music is the perfect mood-setter for a night of great energy and maybe even a blackout.
Cheap Time, on the other hand, are all about rocking the audience’s face off. Relentlessly loud, infinitely commanding, Cheap Time will make sure that no one in the room forgets about them by the time its set is finished. Bringing the southern-rock roots to terms with a punkier, more psychedelic vibe creates a sound that is all their own and one that’s hard to forget.
Friday is sure to kick Athens’ teeth in, with a line-up of bands both familiar and brand new. Cover is $8 per night or $20 for all three. The show kicks off at 7 p.m.; you don’t want to miss this.
