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Athenaeum, Mars Music Superstore, October 28, 1998Athenaeum played an unusual venue this afternoon. They were on the stage at Mars Music Superstore for a lunchtime show prior to their evening show at Instant Karma. Doing a five song acoustic set, this band from Greensboro, NC showcased their pleasant pop/rock songs along with some very charming banter. 107.5 The Buzz sponsored this show and played it live on the radio during lunchtime. This is definitely a great way to see a band, scaled back, no crowds, very relaxed atmosphere, up close and personal with the artist. The stage at Mars is actually fairly sizable compared to other Instore venues. Plugging into amps that had price tags on them, Athenaeum started out with what will probably be their next single, "Flat Tire", with the catchy hook, "the truth is gonna come out" which is pretty indicative of their body of work, teen angst, introspection... but they do it within a tight format and melodic riffs. The lead singer, Mark Kano, has a deep, sexy voice (reminds me a bit of Crash Test Dummies at times) and with the help of guitarist Grey Brewster, they produce some nice harmonies. While the banter was limited due to the radio broadcast, Mark spoke of being confused in Austin the night before and calling it Dallas and then later thanked Mars for letting them play on their showroom floor equipment. I had seen Athenaeum before opening up for Semisonic at Astroworld. They did a nice job on the warmup, which is often difficult at an outdoor venue, without the benefit of lights and the cover of darkness. Plugged in, they are full of energy and emotion, but their acoustic show made up for that with their interesting arrangements and versatility. They closed with the hit, "What I Didn't Know". They kindly stayed around after the performance to sign autographs for the handfull of folks and were very sweet and charming, seeming sincerely interested in some friendly conversation with fans. Athenaeum is a very talented group working their skinny little butts off around the country hoping to make good on their major label release Radiance. Their material certainly has radio quality and their live show, while not exactly unique, is tight and genuine. We should be hearing lots more from them. On That Note, I'm outta here...... C |
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