ATHENS — Guided by a teenage obsession with R.E.M. in the late 1980s, Dave Thake conjured mythic scenes in his mind about this college town, where music legends walked ordinary streets.
Decades later, he made the pilgrimage from his home in Leeds, England, celebrating his 40th birthday at his first AthFest. The Classic City — and its legends — didn’t disappoint.
“It’s almost like being in a dream,” he said Saturday, sitting inside The World Famous bar during his fifth trip back for the annual music festival. “You’re in a meadow, and going back home feels like landing in the middle of a riot.”
On that first visit, he stayed two weeks. He recognized familiar faces — musicians, photographers, insiders — and his British accent made for an easy introduction. A few chance encounters led him to Bill Berry, R.E.M.’s drummer.
“I just told him he’s my hero,” Thake said. “I love Athens because of him. I play the drums because of him.”
Credit: Fletcher Page
Credit: Fletcher Page
Berry gave him a hug. They’ve been friends ever since.
Nearing 30 years in existence, AthFest remains both a gathering place to discover new bands and a chance to stumble upon threads of what built this scene in the first place.
“Athens is laid back, and I think that is portrayed in the way creatives interact with each other,” said Jeff Montgomery, Athens-Clarke County communications director.
In 1997, Montgomery worked in promotion for a record label and joined a committee tasked with creating an event to boost the local economy during the quiet summer months, when most University of Georgia students were gone.
The first AthFest was essentially a pub crawl. The next year brought an outdoor stage and activities for kids. Since then, it has grown into a three-day affair, drawing upward of 30,000 people in recent years, according to festival director and local musician Mary Joyce.
More than 140 acts were slated to play across 15 stages and venues this year. Most are local and regional, and the lineup included Nappy Roots and Bubba Sparxxx — both of whom found mainstream success in the early 2000s.
Troy Aubrey, who books the bands and has worked the festival since 1998, takes it as a compliment when people say they’ve never heard of most of the performers. He likes to remind people that John Mayer once played an AthFest show in a 10-by-10-foot pop-up tent.
“I’ve always thought of AthFest as a snapshot of where the Athens music scene is currently,” he said. “Once you get down here, you’re going to have a new favorite band.”
For some, like Thake, the experience changed a life. He left Athens in 2017 and quit his sales job. His friends back home started calling him “Athens Dave.”
On a return trip, he proposed to his now-wife, Lizi, at the rooftop bar of the downtown Hyatt.
This weekend, he brought his son. On Saturday, he was buzzing with the news that Berry might play drums for a song later that night.
“Most people in the U.K. come to America and do Disney,” Thake said. “But Athens is our priority. We have to do this every year.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
