Farm 255: Fresh food, fresh tunes

Right down the street from the 40 Watt Club, nestled in the midst of several other venues including the Caledonia Lounge and MAX, you'll find Farm 255.  The chill atmosphere of this place welcomes you in immediately, and the midsize outdoor stage, adorned with lights and surrounded by picnic tables, lends a festive air to the venue.  Ready to groove?  A patio, perfect for dancing to your favorite band's latest tunes, sits before the stage.

Inside the venue, you'll discover Farm 255's full bar which doubles as a restaurant during the day, the ideal place to eat fresh produce and listen to musicians rock it out.  In the winter time, bands even have the choice to play indoors after the tables are cleared away.  Had a bit too much to drink already?  Tucked into the back corner of the venue, you'll find two single person bathrooms complete with giant mirrors.  As restrooms go, these are certainly some of the nicer ones in downtown Athens.  Stepping back outside, the awesome sound of the latest band rocking into the night paired with the venue's decent acoustics follow you home as the show hits its last note.  Definitely a great place for those who like to sample the town's music scene!

Farm 255 at a glance: 

Ages: generally 21+

 Cost: Free

Venue Website: www.farm255.com 

Venue Phone Number: (706) 549-4660

Venue location & Google Map: 255 W. Washington Street, Athens, GA 30601


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Reviews of recent concerts/events at Farm 255
Hans Darkbolt
Dangerous Ponies/ Sam Sniper

Have any thoughts of your own about this venue? Dying to know something specific that I didn't mention? Be sure to comment below! Also, to read about all of the venues I've reviewed, visit my venues page!

The Max Canada: The place that has everything

Looking for a venue that's full of surprises? Well, right next to the Farm 255 courtyard, you'll find the Max Canada. Secrets and discoveries abound in this place!

As you enter through glass doors built into a window-filled wall, you'll find the first of many seating areas before you. A few comfortable booths rest beside the entrance near the first of at least three pool tables. Nestled between this pool table and one of two full bars is a giant TV wall projection that features everything from New Years Eve countdowns to old movies. Even more tables and chairs exist between the bars providing ample seating for all patrons. This already seems like an awesome place to visit, but this description hardly covers even a third of the Max Canada!

Colored Christmas lights and candle-lit chandeliers illuminate your way as you head down the hallway into the spacious arcade area. A small stage is tucked into the corner, perfect for winter shows, and there's no shortage of room for instruments and storage over on this side as well. Beneath a hanging disco ball, you'll find two more pool tables for your enjoyment. Best of all, soft seats line the walls, so everyone has a place to listen to their favorite cold weather tunes. Need to relieve yourself after all those drinks you bought at the bar earlier? Well, conveniently located in the dead center of the place, you'll find the restrooms. Now, admittedly, their cubicles may be some of the smallest ever encountered, but just like the rest of the venue, they're quite clean which is nice. And truly, the bathrooms seem to be the only place where they skimped on space.

Want to step outdoors? Well, you're definitely in luck here. The Max Canada has a massive gated patio complete with a stage area for warmer weather acts. A huge number of chairs and umbrella-covered tables are scattered about the patio making it a very chill place to hang out and take in a set or two. Basically, this place just seems to have it all!

The Max Canada at a glance:

Ages: generally 21+

Cost: Often free, otherwise $2 to $5

Venue Website: The Max Canada on Facebook

Venue Phone Number: 706-254-3392

Venue location & Google Map: 243 W. Washington St., Athens, GA 30601

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Reviews of recent concerts/events at The Max Canada

Pillage and Plunder/Arturo in Letto/Androcles and the Lion

Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings

Have any thoughts of your own about this venue? Dying to know something specific that I didn't mention? Be sure to comment below! Also, to read about all of the venues I've reviewed, visit my venues page!

Rye Bar: Down, down in the underground

Once you spot the elusive Rye bar sign and descend the steep metal stairs into this venue, you're in a completely different realm. Wonderfully painted walls greet you as you pass the resident smokers that often choose to relax in this underground spot on your way inside. Once you enter, you'll know why this is one of the greatest places to experience your favorite band. The intimate setting just can't be beat, and the bands perform on the floor just mere feet from the tables, chairs, and benches that are scattered around the room! Oh, and the acoustics. I wouldn't have expected them to be really good here, but indeed, they are. Nice. The full bar sits just a few steps away from the music as well, so you'll never risk going thirsty or missing any of your favorite tunes. And one of the best parts is, after the show, fans and bands are nearly always guaranteed to mingle in this cozy space. How exciting!

What if the band is still setting up, and you've got nothing to do? Never fear, there's a large screen TV right behind the bar for your viewing pleasure. Excellent! And, hey, I can't forget to describe the bathrooms for you. They're nice little single rooms for males and females right off the main performance space, so even if you need to step away for a second, you still get the full music experience. Just be sure before you get there that you look your best since there are no mirrors inside. Undeniably, though, Rye bar is the true essence of the underground music scene!

Rye Bar at a glance:

Ages: generally 21 and up (check before you go)

Cost: Varies depending on the band/event - usually under $5 and quite often free!

Venue Website: http://www.myspace.com/ryebarathens

Venue Phone Number: 706-543-9276

Venue location & Google Map: 140 E. Clayton St, Athens, GA 30601


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Reviews of recent concerts/events at Rye Bar:
Aman Amun

Have any thoughts of your own about this venue? Dying to know something specific that I didn't mention? Be sure to comment below! Also, to read about all of the venues I've reviewed, visit my venues page!

Sideways Bar: It must be time to dance!

You want to dance, but don't know where to go? Well, once you've turned the big 2-1, Sideways is the place to be! This full bar has quite a nice dance floor in front of its small stage, perfect for showing off your latest and greatest moves to some DJayed tunes or band's songs. The best parts of the floor, though, are the built-in cooling vents. The surface of the sun has nothing on the dance floor at Sideways once the party starts, so these vents provide a welcome blast of cool air and, as an added bonus, you can pretend to be Marilyn Monroe while standing over them!

Oh! Looks like it's time for a bathroom break. Once you manuver your way through the crowds to the hallway behind the stage, you'll find your destination. These bathrooms are pretty standard as far as Athens bar bathrooms go. Nothing to write home to Mom about, but they serve their purpose well.

As the bathroom door closes behind you and you step into the hallway once more, you'll probably notice another cool feature of this bar: the upstairs component. Want a party on the rooftop? Need to step out for air, but don't want to be bothered with finding your ID to get back in the bar? Just a few steps up the stairs, and you'll feel like you're in a completely different place. The atmosphere is more laid back up here, so many couples choose a spot here to get to know each other a bit better away from the loud music. If the upstairs isn't your scene, you might want to play pool by the entrance of the bar for a while instead. After a short break, though, I'm sure you'll be wanting to get back to the party. One small word of warning: by midnight, the floor will likely be covered in spilled beer so be sure to save your white knee socks for another downtown venture. All in all, though, Sideways is quite a bar!

Sideways Bar at a glance:

Ages: 21 & up

Cost: Generally free

Venue Phone Number: 706-559-9600

Venue location & Google Map: 364 E. Broad St, Athens, GA 30601


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Reviews of recent concerts/events at Sideways Bar:
DJRX

Have any thoughts of your own about this venue? Dying to know something specific that I didn't mention? Be sure to comment below!

Where are they performing again?

Have you ever found yourself wondering about that new music venue in town? How big is the stage? What are the acoustics like? Is it really as clean as their website says it is? Well, introducing my newest semi-regular blog series - Echoreyn of Athens: Music Venues! Now you'll know if you can (legally) bring your underage pals to your new favorite band's next show. Now even the most inexperienced Athens newcomers will have a reference guide of sorts for all of the places to be (and places to avoid) in this little town!

See, after struggling to find one site that gives a complete account of all of the things I need to know when I'm researching a stage that's playing host to one of my favorites each weekend, I finally threw up my hands in surrender. Hey, if I can't find a site that'll tell me what I need to know, I'll just make one myself! After all, I see quite a few venues as I traverse my way across town in search of new treats for my ears. Why not share my knowledge? Feel free, of course, to chip in with your own experiences in these places, too, as I document my findings. The more info, the better! Hope this page truly becomes a one-stop guide for all of your venue-related queries!