Slingshot Fest, Athens: 10 of the Weekend’s Must-Have Happenings
For the third year running, the weekend following SXSW will find downtown Athens’ venues packed to the gills with line-ups to drool over. This is Slingshot – a festival that was originally intended as a stop to catch bands in the post-Austin haze has evolved to an nth degree. Bringing focus to the blurred line existing between modern artistic creative process and technology, Slingshot features not just electronic-leaning music but visual art installations, film, comedy, and a free conference featuring panels and workshops.
Although previous years have flirted with international acts {last year’s headliners included Tinariwen and Kishi Bashi} festival producers have stepped up their nationalist line-up game fourfold. Saturday night brings three star players to the boards: James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem, Jamie XX, DJ Windows 98 aka Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler, and that’s just scratching the surface. Beginning Thursday morning, tech industry panels will discuss interactive sound design and ecosystem-scale datasets. Venues across town will showcase Athens’ own filmmakers and musicians, in addition to hosting bumpin’ dance parties featuring internationally acclaimed producers. Plus, interactive art will pop all up in the streets!
Every tidbit of this juicy schedule taunts me like a kid in a candy store. Venue-hopping, it seems, is a must. Feeling a bit overwhelmed with options? With the assistance of co-Head of Music Jordan Leman, we’ve scoured and picked our top ten uniquely Slingshot happenings across town, available to you with {and most of the time without} a festy wristband. Here’s what we are getting into his weekend.
{*Non-ticket holder price}
10. ALL WEEKEND: THAT LED DRESS
You will find interactive art everywhere this weekend, but Zane Cochran may present my favorite piece. Pixi is “an interactive dress…Embedded with 600 LEDs, each capable of producing an intense spectrum of color,” Pixi is “hyper-customizable” and “allows for dynamic designs that are reactive to both the user and its environment.” Stay tuned for experiential photos!
9. ALL NIGHTS @ Go Bar: Showcases curated by William Kennedy of Reptar
$5*
Besides playing a headline set at the Theatre on Friday, Kennedy returns this year to provide us with local curation of Go Bar. Highlights include: Sex BBQ and avant-hip-hop faves Cottonmouth on Thursday, John Fernandez of The Olivia Tremor Control performing solo on Friday, and Flamingo Shadow on Saturday.
8. SUN 7:30PM @Cine: Screening of “Salad Days” Documentary
$5*
Salad Days recounts the decade punk was born in the nation’s capital (1980 – 1990), with major emphasis on Fugazi. Interviews star Ian MacKaye, Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, and Thurston Moore. This will be the FINAL event closing out Slingshot.
7. SAT 7PM @ Morton Theatre: Comedy Night, hosted by Henry Owings
$20* ONLY A FEW TICKETS REMAINING
The ever-sardonic Owings; the Atlanta-based author, designer, and owner of Chunklet mag, will play host to one of the most popular events at Slingshot. I’ve been reading Chunklet for years, but I’m excited to find out if his mannerisms and voice match the character I envision. This year’s rockstar comedy line-up features Kyle Kinane, Ron Funches, Chad Cosby & Kurt Braunohler, in addition to some slapstick vids.
6. THURS 9:30PM @ Live Wire: JAPAN NIGHT Featuring Peelander-Z
$15* ONLY A FEW TICKETS REMAINING
“There’s a secret love of Japanese punk bands that bring Athenians out in droves,” Jordan tells me. Japan night evidently was one of the only sold-out shows last year, many attendees dressing up as anime characters. Organizers paid special attention to feature underground bands that are “big in Japan but don’t necessarily have any name recognition here.” Bo-Peep, Zarigani$, The fin., Quorum, and Tsu Shi Ma Mi Re play, with rage craze faves Peelander-Z headlining with their colorful action-comic-punk show of epic. 
5. SAT 10PM @ GA Theatre: DJ Windows 98 (and let’s play the game ‘where’s Michael Stipe?’) $30*
Two fun rumors surround this particular set. A) It was not the festival that contacted Butler but he who got in touch with them in order to open for Murphy. Makes sense, as these two go way back and have performed back-to-back recently. B) Organizers told Butler that they “would make sure Michael Stipe is there if he pulls out aun acoustically guitar and sings.” Who knows what to expect…but one thing’s for certain – this weekend, Stipe-spotting is a go.
4. SAT 12:30AM @ Creature Comforts Brewery: Awesome Tapes from Africa
$12*
Brian Schimkovitz got hooked on tapes whilst on a Fulbright in Ghana. As an ethnomusicologist, he spent five years travelling around the continent and discovering the best of underground African music. Closing the night out on Saturday performing the only set in this gorgeous downtown brewery, look forward to afro beat, disco soul, and afro funk, all straight from the decks.
3. THURS 9PM @ Cine Lab: Nosaj Thing performs at MOOG WERKSTATT WORKSHOP
FREE with online registration: http://www.slingshotathens.com/line-up/workshops-2015/
Earlier on Thursday, Christ David Howe, Creative Learning Developer at MOOG Music, Inc., will guide a group of participants in exploring the Moog Werkstatt subtractive synthesizer, building a synth, and helping them create an original drone patch (5-7PM). In culmination, LA-based producer Nosaj Thing will act as a conductor, mixing the twelve channels of drone patches to create a 30-45 minute soundscape.
2. SAT 4PM @ Little Kings Shuffle Club: Freeklife Day Party
$6*
Freeklife has “been on the ground floor of breaking new Athens artists for a couple years now through house shows and downtown exposure with a hand spun feel,” says founder Drew Kirby. “All the artists are very new and I think very cool…which is the purpose of Freeklife, getting the newest best sh*t in front of new audiences.” Day party highlights include the first performance in awhile from duo Kissing Booth, in addition to Juna and Jamaican Queens. Freeklife is known for its fantastical leanings – extreme decoration, morbid photo shoots, giant bouncy houses. Come expecting the unexpected.
1. SAT 12PM @ GA Theatre: James Murphy DJ Set $30*
Welcome a rare appearance of THE disco infiltrator. Primarily known for his brainchild LCD Soundsystem, Murphy runs DFA Records. First and foremost, though, he is and always has been a DJ; no, he’s THE DJ. Heavily influenced by Athen’s own Pylon, it only seems appropriate that opening for Murphy is the band’s founding member and longtime 40 Watt “Disco Night” DJ Michael Lachowski (9PM). Now the real question is…who’s bringing the disco ball?
Honorable mention, not-to-be-missed shows:
Molly Herndon / Glenn Kotche (of Wilco) / Omar Souleyman, FRI 9PM @ 40 Watt
Ryley Walker, THURS 9:30PM @ GA Theatre
Futo / Powerkompany FRI 10:30 @ World Famous
Skylar Spence, FRI 11PM @ GA Theatre
Single Mothers / Monsoon, FRI 11PM @ Live Wire
Remember, the only way to guarantee entry to headline shows and after parties is by purchasing a wristband ($70/$80 w/comedy) or day pass ($35). For purchases, additional schedule, and artist information, visit slingshotathens.com.
Follow @ladyhsquared & @southernbonvivant on Twitter for my live festival coverage! For up-to-date festival info, follow @slingshotathens.
Let’s get this party started.
Heather OUT.
