Preview: Machine Girl, The Obsessives, Rollergirl, Shannon and The Tunnels / Feb. 1 / The Bat Lounge
By Jennifer Castaneda, Contributor
The Bat Lounge / Mon., Feb. 1
Not to state the obvious, but Mondays are a drag; you’re tired, dreading going back to class and already counting down the days until Friday rolls around. Start your week off on a bearable note by coming on down to the Bat Lounge this Monday night to see some great acts.
ACRN had the pleasure of speaking with the headliner Machine Girl, who describe themselves as being “producers from the inner circles of hell.” They shared that their inspiration is escaping reality for as long as possible: “Influences are whatever find their way into my ear holes and can’t find their way back out . . . the message I have for the audience is the same as it is for me: reality sucks and I’d much rather spend time traveling between planes of existence.” They describe their music as being “white noise with laser daggers and bioluminescent drum breaks.”
The Obsessives stand out within this set because their more punkish sound, which is remniscient of The Front Bottoms. The band shared that the origin of their name was obsessing over things: “We like to obsess over what we do. Let it be our lives ya dig?” They may not new to Athens, but they’re looking forward to having another show again: “We played Athens this time last year it was one of THE HOTTEST gigs we’ve ever played.”
Influenced by classic disco/funk, Rollergirl performs sample-based dance music and French house. They capture the essence of what it takes to be a real life rollergirl: smoothness and electricity. Being an Ohio University alumni, they’ve played many shows in Athens over the years. “I'm interested how these younger kids will relate to it,” remarked Rollergirl brainchild Adam Rich. “I do a segment where I mash up a bunch of Will Smith songs, and it's funny to see which song gets the biggest reaction!” On top of Rollergirl, Rich also helps with producing on the side. “I just helped produce a record for NC-based funk artist, 'Boulevards,' that's coming out on Captured Tracks, so I'll be playing some of those tracks, with my own spin on it!”
Shannon and the Tunnels are also based out of Athens; they’ll be playing some experimental tunes to get the flow of the night going. Getting people to a different state of mind is nothing new to them.
Bring your friends, donate $5 and come to the Bat Lounge Monday night to enjoy some music and have a good time!
