I was booked in at the Athens Days Inn. No hostel in this small town, so I had a room all to myself! Of course including the luxurious amenities: small soaps, shampooos, coffee, tv, Bible etc. I turned on the tv and found Sergio Leone's "Once Upon a Time in the West". What a great film, with lines like "How can you trust a man who wears both a belt and suspenders? The man can't even trust his own pants." So that was my afternoon in Athens. Following that I walked downtown (about two blocks), found the infamous 40Watt club where I was going to a gig that night, and entered the diner next door. This place had the best fries and grilled cheese sandwiches. Wuxtry Records was the next stop. Like all the best record stores this had a lot of material in a small space. This is the record store where the members of REM met each other I think. I kept an eye out for Michael Stipe. I settled for a Rolling Stones album in Athens, unfortunately not the elusive Let It Bleed, which I have long been searching for. The guy at the desk found out where I was from, and asked if I knew the Tall Dwarfs (Alec Bathgate & Chris Knox). Yes, says I enthusiastically, trying to sound cool at the same time. I mentioned casually that I work in a library with Alec Bathgate's sister, and I told him (for those who know) about the Captain Hammer and the Gold Stars gig, featuring Chris Knox. He was highly impressed. Tall Dwarfs had actually played in Athens, and this guy had shown them around. Small world.
That night was the The Watson Twins & Magnolia Electric Co. An excellent show, though the bar was only half full. Door charge was something like $10! Back home a gig like that would've sold out at $30 each. I guess I'm lucky. It was the weekend, and apparently all the college students go out of town, for some reason. I don't know why; the closest city is Atlanta, and that city doesn't seem attractive. Anyway, the Watson Twins were very beautiful, as was Magnolia Electric, with a Carter pedal steel and all.
Slept in on Sunday. Went back to diner for grilled cheese sandwich. Walked to the public library. A very long and hot walk it turned out. But the town is pretty. I walked down a very green street lined with old brick mansions with greek letters above the entrance. Fraternity houses! They actually exist beyond the movies. The air-conditioning of the Athens Public Library was heavenly.
I walked out and saw International House of Pancakes across the road. Tom Waits and Iggy Pop like the coffee at IHOP. I thought it was ok, bordering on average. The blueberry pancakes were delicious though. They clogged my arteries in the tastiest way.
What was on the TV that night? Saving Private Ryan. This really was a great 'blob-out' weekend.
Monday morning (24 Sept). Packed up, raided the hotel's breakfast supply in the lobby (I was the only one there), taking two muffins, a danish and a bagel in my bag for lunch. The Greyhound was not too bad this time. Didn't have to wait too long in Atlanta. Took the bus up to Nashville. Fortunately I've been reading a book about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary, a truly enthralling tale involving murder and madness! On the road up through Georgia to Tennessee we saw the foothills of the Appalachians. A tad more scenic than the dust and scrub of southern New Mexico and Texas.
Arrived in Nashville on evening of Mon 24/9.
Athens, Georgia and the coffee at IHOP
