Where: Athens, Georgia
When: year-round
If you like: music
Why you should go: In 1986, the world got a peek into one of the South’s most flourishing music scenes with the love-letter documentary Athens, GA: Inside/Out, featuring now-legendary natives R.E.M. and the B-52s, and cult favorites Pylon and Love Tractor. Forty years later, there’s a campaign to preserve the film for a wide rerelease, and live music in Athens remains as vibrant as ever. The Georgia Theatre still reigns as the premier midsize space, but the new and massive Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center kicks off the new year with Jason Isbell on January 17 and two nights of bluegrass wizard Billy Strings on February 6 and 7.
Any weekend in this college burg is reliably hopping, and the compact downtown puts most of the venues within walking distance of one another. The legendary 40 Watt Club will host four nights of the Drive-By Truckers early in the year, and two weeks later brings back the Michael Shannon and Jason Narducy R.E.M. tribute extravaganza, this time covering the Athens band’s 1986 classic, Lifes Rich Pageant. Next door to the 40 Watt abides the always reliable Flicker Theatre & Bar, but Athens also boasts a host of other cool dives with music, including Nowhere Bar, Normal Bar, and the World Famous. Locals swear by Hendershot’s, including R.E.M. manager Bertis Downs, who digs the coffee by day and the good vibes onstage at night.
G&G tip: Athens is buzzing about the return of concerts to UGA’s Sanford Stadium for the first time since 2013. Dubbed “Live Between the Hedges,” the inaugural April 25 date features Georgia natives Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean.
