Athens – Rocking Out On The Track Of REM

WOULD you trek out to see a decrepit railway trestle simply because – covered in kudzu, a noxious Japanese plant – it featured on the cover of REM’s 1983 debut album, Murmur? Folk do. Less daft than making a pilgrimage to a block of flats only ‘on the site of’ a much-loved club called the Hacienda? Or picking on the scraps of the Factory Records legacy, while ignoring how great Manchester is today?

We had to go down to the river for fried chicken and catfish at Weaver D’s

But then musical tourism is big business. REM weren’t the main reason we took a detour on our Deep South road trip to visit Athens, Georgia. Here Stipe, Buck, Mills and Berry formed the band as part of a vibrant boho music scene that also spawned the B52s. At the time they were living in an abandoned church (now demolished, steeple apart). The band still have strong connections in the town after splitting up in 2011... but they are history. Athens still rocks without them.

We were seeking a chilled out small town furlough before tackling our ultimate destination – Atlanta, all six lane blacktops, heavy retail and hip-hop. Hence our retreat to this civilised student town, 70 miles to the east and, if we got sucked in to retracing key parts of REM’s past, well, we really couldn’t avoid it.

Graduate Hotel – a cool place to stay to explore a fascinating town

Take our base, the Graduate Hotel, a five-minute walk from the historic district. Their performance space, The Foundry, is one of the liveliest, most eclectic music spots in a town packed with them. They also arrange a Beats and Brews package that includes accommodation, insider music tips, a craft brewery visit, a free bottle of Ivy Mountain Georgia Sour Mash Whiskey and a free vinyl record of your choice.

Hitting the decks in our suite; below

Cafe at the Graduate

Upgraded to a fabulous suite with all the rock trimmings and a turntable, we had access to the entire vinyl range – kicking off with a bout of Widespread Panic, then (metaphorically) waving our lighters in the air to REM’s Nightswimming. 

Weaver D – legend behind the counter

Our lunch and dinner in Athens couldn’t have been more different. Come noon we had to go down to the river for fried chicken and catfish at Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods. The man himself was there behind the counter of this basic shack diner, the cuttings on the walls confirming his claim to immortality. Weaver's catchphrase "Automatic for the People" became the title of R.E.M.'s blockbuster 1992 album.

Seabear oysters

After this satisfying soul food, washed down with lemonade, we sought out in the evening the Seabear Oyster Bar for West Coast oysters, sustainable fish and Picpoul de Pinet (first a frozen Negroni to freshen the palate). Seabear is part of a cool cluster of eateries in The Bottleworks on Prince, built in the late 1880s for the Athens Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Neighbours are Viva!, doing Argentine cuisine, and Hendershot’s Coffee Bar, another cool music venue.

In between we’d done an obligatory REM recce, visiting indie champions Wuxtry Records, where Peter Buck worked and first met Michael Stipe, and the 40 Watt Club, the incubator for every big Athens band. Alas, we couldn’t take in a gig that night. Geeks take note – the club is now on its third site but is still owned and run by Barrie Buck, former wife of guitarist Peter.

As everywhere in America these days craft brewing is the new rock and roll. I particularly recommend in Athens two breweries and two bars:

Creature Comforts Brewery Barely a year old, this state of the art brewery and huge tap pulls in the crowds. If you can’t make it, their benchmark brews, Athena Berliner weisse and fruity Tropicalia IPA, are distributed in cans.

Terrapin Beer Co It’s less central than Creature Comforts but longer established, kicking off the craft beer boom in the town back in 2002 with their Rye Pal Ale – still a winner in a wide-ranging list

Trappeze Pub  This buzzing Hull Street fixture has fine cocktails as well as an encyclopaedic collection of beers from across he States and cheese plates that go perfectly with them. Heartiest of the pub mains is Double Pig with braised pork, spiced bacon, and pickled green beans. Live music, too.

The Globe  A different vibe at this clubbable beer mecca up on North Lumpkin Street. Back in the Nineties there were sightings of Michael Stipe in hereand you can imagine little has changed. With its big brass bar dispensing an eclectic range of beers and sofas you can sink into, it was our perfect Athens refuge along with nearby Jackson Street Books – a great bookshop.

Idyllic campus afternoon

It’s a reminder that Athens’ raison d’etre is as home to the University of Georgia. These days there are 35,000 students in residence – so nos shortage of gig goers. The beautiful campus is worth a ramble around in daytime, but Athens really comes to life after dark when the amps are turned up.

Check out the first four sections of Neil Sowerby’s Deep South Road Trip: New Orleans, Cajun Country, Natchez Trace Parkway and Nashville. 

Downtown Athens; below, the town boasts some elegant architecture

 

The Globe; below, Trappeze