Formed in Atlanta, GA in 1989, Magnapop played a rock 'n' roll-infused pop punk sound that got them a moderate amount of MTV video play in the '90s. Their album Hotboxing (produced by Bob Mould of Hüsker Dü and Sugar fame) was their breakthrough into the larger alternative scene. Five Eight were conceived in Athens, GA, and have toured with R.E.M., Cheap Trick, Ramones, and other notable bands. After an extreme nervous breakdown after forming the band in 1988, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mike Mantione became a prolific songwriter. They have released ten albums to date. Don't let age fool you, both bands have maintained their energy, and are both very very loud. Magnapop played a mix of old and new, with covers of Big Star and Fugazi. Bassist Shannon Mulvaney banged his bass on the open garage door and kicked his monitor over. Singer Linda Hopper jumped around the stage and sang like she hasn't aged a year since Hotboxing. If you saw her outside of Magnapop, you think she'd be tending to her garden and baking cookies, with her grey hair, white button-up shirt, and mom jeans. However, this just made the show even better, because it shows that age doesn't always matter when you're in a rock band. I can just imagine it: Linda Hopper– gardener by day, rock singer by night. Man, I hope she has a good sense of humor. Now, I said both bands were very very loud, but let me add a third "very" for Five Eight. Those fuckers were loud. Their first song was full of energy and raw emotion, Mike driving the bulk of the show. He even left the band behind at some parts, playing songs others didn't know. You'd think it would fall apart at some point, but it never did– the perfect thrill. They jumped and thrashed around, and played songs from all over their discography, mixing their softer tracks with their louder, noisier tunes. While they did drag on for quite a while, I will say that they were a lot of fun, and I enjoyed their time on stage. Local legends Magnapop and Five Eight both formed in the late eighties and put on one hell of a show thirty years later. Magnapop released a new album this year, and Five Eight released their 2017 album Songs For St. Jude on vinyl this year. You can check out both bands on Spotify, but I recommend buying their physical releases, of course, for bands make more money off of physical sales than they do off of streams. Stay safe out there everyone, and remember, do it your fucking self!!
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 It's finally here. The second annual Big Gig has been announced. Taking place at the Masquerade on Saturday January 4th, 2020, the second installment in the Big Gig franchise already has some good acts in the lineup. Well-renowned local bands such as Blurry, Stay Here, and Challenger Deep are on the bill, including locals Mighty and regionals Harm. Out-of-towners the Fairview are making a return, hailing from Massachusetts. Ticket prices are up from ten dollars to fifteen dollars this time around, most likely due to the popularity of this year's past installment. But before I go too much further, I will dive into what the first Big Gig was like, and what we can expect from this upcoming event. In January of 2019, the first annual Big Gig took place on a chilly Saturday evening. Doors opened at four pm. I was joined by Sunny and our friends for the rest of the night. There were fifteen bands, all ranging from math rock, indie pop, indie rock, shoegaze, dream pop, alt-rock, metal, and so on. There were locals and there were out-of-towners. The bigger names on the bill were Tenth Row, the Callous Daoboys, Stay Here, and Harm, among more. Three of the bands we saw, the Callous Daoboys, Kid Macho and Clavicle, became my local favorites, and bands like Satyr and Harm were equally important in helping me discover diversity in the scene. I had been trying to find any sort of sign of a local scene for two years before I finally found it. The first annual Big Gig was an eye-opening experience, but will the second annual Big Gig have as big of a pay off? Probably not for me, given the situation I was in, searching and searching until I found what I was looking for. However, I have high hopes that this show will be just as fun, if not more fun than the first Big Gig. The show will take place at the Masquerade in the Hell stage on Saturday January 4th, 2020. Doors open at 2 pm. Not all of the bands have been announced yet, but I will make another post for the updated lineup. Anyway, I hope to meet new people there! If you don't know what I look like, here's a picture:  Okay, see you guys there! And remember: do it your fucking self!!
Last Saturday, I posted a review of Kid Macho's last EP, Alternative Stress. It was not a very positive review. However, my friend and contributor, Sunny, told me that it would be contradictory to hold up the scene and then criticize it at the same time. Of course, the scene needs to be held accountable for morals and quality, but negative reviews would lead readers to not listen to the release being reviewed. That is not what we want here. We want the scene and it's contributors to be successful, no matter if we don't like their content or not. So, I have decided not the post anymore reviews until further notice. I have also deleted that particular Kid Macho review. Thank you to all who support this decision. I feel that it's for the best of the scene.
In other news, I will be posting every Saturday, so look forward for that!! Please keep creating and do it your fucking self!!! |
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