Spring Break
Music community gathers at Melting Point for Theatre benefit
CHELSEA COOK
Issue date: 6/24/09 Section: Variety
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Scheduled to play the Theatre Friday and Saturday nights, Perpetual Groove moved to the Classic Center Saturday to host the first of what Georgia Theatre supporters think will be many benefit concerts.
That same night, Melting Point director of operations Dee Dee Farmer was making phone calls and drafting fliers for a benefit she and her coworkers wanted to throw for the Georgia Theatre employees. Ninety six hours later, The New Familiars, Dead Confederate and The Whigs took the stage in their honor.
"I just think that's what it's like to be a part of the Athens community - especially the music community," Farmer said. "It's what our mama's taught us: It's the right thing to do, to respect one another and [to] want to help."
Farmer said several of her Melting Point employees were former Georgia Theatre employees and vice-versa.
Katie Carmody,a full-time Georgia Theatre employee who ran a lot of the venue's booking, promotion and band hospitality was still doing her job at the merchandise and donation table - but these hours would not be entered into payroll.
"The employees are the most immediate cause [that need support]," Carmody said. "Not only have we lost our jobs in the summer, when it is close to impossible to find a job in Athens, but we've lost so much emotionally, too."
Farmer estimated that the fire at the Theatre has left 30 to 40 people without their jobs.
But making rent next month will be a little bit easier for those employers thanks to Tuesday's show.
"We paid a whole Georgia Theatre payroll tonight," The Whigs' Parker Gispert said during their set. "Give yourselves a hand."
But most of the patrons - many drawn by the last minute announcement of some big name favorites - also expressed an amount of support that could not be expressed in a paycheck.
Stephanie Pope, 37 from Danielsville brought her two sons, Wylie and Cody - an aspiring guitar player - to show them the value of the Theatre to the community, and reflect on what she considered a sad, but historical event for Athens.
Field and John Manly, a senior and junior from Waynesboro, waited outside the Melting Point long after tickets had sold out, crossing their fingers that a ticket in will call would go unclaimed. Field admitted he was there for The Whigs - but said he also thought his memories from the Georgia Theatre - most of them foggy - would "gain historical value over the next 10 years."
Later they were both front row, moving their lips along to Gispert's lyrics.
Michael Lachowski, bassist for Pylon said he and lead singer Vanessa Briscoe-Hay recently realized their band was the first to play the Theatre upon its transition from movie theater back to music venue in 1989.
"Wes - the original sound guy at the Georgia Theatre just came up to me and said, 'I'm so glad you're here,' and I just thought, 'Well of course - I wouldn't miss it!'" Lachowski said. "It holds a very special place to people like him and me."
The Melting Point ballparked about 500 tickets sold at the show - meaning 100 percent of the proceeds, and 25 percent of Terrapin sales yielded more than $5,000 for Georgia Theatre's unemployed.
"It's something really valuable to see all of these people come out, and to see our staff come out - to see those faces - this is our community," Carmody said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Robert
posted 6/24/09 @ 8:48 AM EST
Good stuff. It makes me proud to live in a town with so many caring people and businesses. What would this town be without the music community?
J
posted 6/25/09 @ 11:18 PM EST
Plea deal: Tell us who the streakers were and we drop the charges against you and you trade places with the funny boys. Its only fair.
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