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The Pleasure of Afternoon PopFest Shows At Little Kings

by Len Neighbors
08.07.2008

Everyone seems to know about the Black Kids afternoon performance at PopFest 2007.  The chance to see the next big thing perform is what brings a lot of people out to the afternoon shows, but they're my favorite PopFest sessions for entirely different reasons.

I like sitting in a comfortable chair, drinking something cold, and getting to watch bands from all over the country bless our fair city with their sound.  The atmosphere cannot be beat, given that going to a rock show often means a lot of sweat and a lot of people, but the afternoon sessions feel like fellowship to me.  Bands and fans from all over the country gather in a single place because they love the music.

On a Friday night in Athens we go see local music.  Most people in most places don't have the opportunity to do this, so we should count our blessings.  But in every city, and every town, there are supporters of homegrown music, and in the afternoon PopFest shows we get the chance to see what Friday night might look like to a music lover in Detroit (the Hotwalls!), or a college kid in Gainesville, Florida (Oh Sanders) or even down the road in Atlanta (Tendaberry, woot!).

I get to spend some time in someone else's shoes, and end up better for it.