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JAKE ZERKEL

A group of Buddhist monks and their dog Aloka on a 2,300 mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, D.C. passed around the Athens area over the weekend. Many Athenians visited the group during their lunch stop in Bogart on Saturday, Jan. 3.

This Modern World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 NEWS: City Dope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Project Censored . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Mall Redevelopment Falls Through

Live Music Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

CALENDAR: Calendar Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Bulletin Board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

50 First Jokes

Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MUSIC: Feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Adopt Me . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Queer Joy Dance Party

Local Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

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F L A GP OL E .C OM · J A NU A R Y 7, 2026

news

city dope

Back to Square One

MALL REDEVELOPMENT FALLS THROUGH, AND MORE LOCAL NEWS

By Blake Aued news@flagpole.com For years Georgia Square Mall has been on variety of community benefits—among life support, and now it appears that a prothem 99 below-­market apartments, greenposal to redevelop it is on death’s door, too. space, walking trails and bike lanes, free An attorney for The Leaven Group, space for after-­school and other youth proheaded by local developer Mark Jennings, grams, below-­market rent for women-­and sent a letter to Athens-­Clarke County offiminority-­owned businesses, job opporcials recently stating that “there remains no tunities for Clarke County public school viable financing path… to begin construcgraduates and minority contractors, land tion of the proposed development.” Instead for a bus station and more. That agreement of using future property tax revenue from was approved by the commission in March the development to fund community bene2023. fits like affordable housing and greenspace The community benefits agreement through a previously established tax allocais now off the table, Girtz said. But the tion district (TAD), M. John Constantino local government will still be able to shape requested to work with the ACC governwhatever comes next through the overlay ment to establish an district. “I don’t want overlay zoning disto go into too many There remains no viable details, we haven’t met trict guiding the new development.

Leaven] to hash it financing path… to begin [with “In my experience, out,” he said. some projects are going construction of the proposed Girtz compared to spread their wings the overlay district to development. and fly, some projects what the commission are going to need a lot put into place for the of nurturing, and some are just not going to former Varsity property on Broad Street work out,” Mayor Kelly Girtz told Flagpole. at Milledge Avenue. In that case, the comThe mall redevelopment, he said, is one of mission put restrictions on housing types the latter. “Maybe it would’ve worked in popular among students, dictated setbacks 2018,” he said, but not in the post-­COVID to protect the surrounding neighborhood, economy of tighter lending, high interest and required that historic homes built by rates and high construction costs. “We’re prominent Black residents be preserved and starting from scratch,” Girtz added. converted to affordable housing.

As Jennings explained at a March town The overlay district will come with sevhall meeting, the TAD agreement would eral opportunities for public input. The only reimburse him for expenses already county commission has to pass a resolution incurred—an arrangement ACC’s attorneys telling the advisory planning commission to put into place to protect taxpayers in the create the district, then it will come back to event that the project went south. However, the county commission for a final vote.

Jennings said the lack of up-­front funding TAD funding will still be available for a left him with no collateral to offer Wall future developer, Girtz said, but he does Street financiers, creating a classic chicken-­ not expect it to be the Leaven Group. “My or-­egg conundrum. The Leaven Group expectation would be that they would sell bought the mall property and demolished the property, but that’s not a certainty,” he some outbuildings, but never made it any said. further on what would have been the largAnother alternative would be for the est development project in Athens history local government to buy the mall, giving the at approximately $660 million. public total control over its fate, as GwinJon Williams, president of W&A Enginett County did with Gwinnett Place Mall. neering, the firm that designed the mall But Girtz said ACC doesn’t have the roughly redevelopment, told Flagpole that he and $35 million it would cost to buy Georgia his client “need to hold off on this for a bit” Square Mall. “We don’t have a ready revebefore commenting. nue stream at this time,” he said.

TADs (also known as Tax Increment Still, Girtz said he’s optimistic about the Financing, or TIFs) are a widely used ecoeventual fate of the property, given that the nomic development tool in Georgia and Georgia Department of Transportation is other states, but this was the first one rebuilding the Loop interchange at Atlanta implemented in Athens. TADs are generally Highway, and the Westside is experiencing used to redevelop blighted areas by dedicat- residential growth. “This is a really well-­ ing future property taxes from redevelopsituated piece of property,” he said. ment toward infrastructure that makes the Other stories readers may have missed redevelopment possible in the first place. while Flagpole was slacking off for the holiThe ACC Mayor and Commission created days include: the Mall Area TAD in 2020 in anticipation LEGION POOL: The University of Georgia left of the half-­empty Georgia Square Mall—at coal in Athens townies’ stockings when it that point down to Belk as the sole anchor announced Dec. 26 that it would follow tenant, with Macy’s, Sears and JC Penney through on plans to demolish Legion Pool. closed—being ripe for redevelopment. The UGA’s statement reiterated the talking Leaven Group’s first proposal essentially points that will be familiar to anyone would have plunked down several apartwho’s followed the fate of the pool, while ment towers in the parking lot and was also accusing opponents of running an roundly panned by planners and the public.

Astroturf campaign to save it. Those oppoIn response, the developer requested $190 nents claimed that UGA was merely going million in TAD funding in exchange for a

“

through the motions and not acting in good faith while taking public comment, which ran overwhelmingly toward saving it.

Nonetheless, students will gain an extra 50 parking spaces.

him with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime. Authorities have not released a potential motive for the shooting.

DANGEROUS ROADS: Athens ended 2025 with a rash of three fatal wrecks killing a total of six people in under a week. One happened on North Avenue, where last year the ACC Commission rejected a $25 million federal grant to make the street safer. Another one-­ car crash on Barnett Shoals Road killed the driver on Christmas Day. And a wrong-­way driver on the Loop died in a head-­on crash that also killed a couple in the car she hit, as well as their unborn child. Drivers killed 14 people in 10 fatal wrecks in Athens last year.

CANDIDATE ANNOUNCEMENTS: Democrat Suzanna Karatassos formally announced her candidacy for Georgia House District 120 at Oglethorpe Garage on Dec. 16 in front of about two dozen supporters, including state Reps. Spencer Frye (D-­Athens) and Ruwa Romman (D-­Duluth), a candidate for governor, as well as Clarke County Board of Education members Tim Denson and LaKeisha Gantt, both candidates for mayor. Karatassos, a Jackson County resident who works in the apparel industry, said she is running on a platform of economic justice, reproductive rights and MAKE BROKEN KROGER BROKEN AGAIN: Another affordable health care, housing and utilities. driver injured five people when she Three Republicans are also seeking the plowed into the Alps Road Kroger near open seat—Ward Black, a business owner, the pharmacy departfarmer and son of former ment. Lonneshia Shafate agriculture commissioner Appling, 40, was charged Gary Black; Kris “KJ Allen” with serious injury by vehiKendrick, who owns a chain cle, a felony and several of radio stations; and Chad drug-­related misdemeanPaton, a UGA professor. ors. Police say she was The current representative, high on meth when she Athens Republican Housrammed through a glass ton Gaines, is leaving the wall and into the store’s seat next year to run for self-­checkout area on Dec. Congress. Current U.S. Rep. 16. Appling has a long hisMike Collins is running for tory of making the news U.S. Senate.

Suzanna Karatassos for shoplifting arrests.

Karatassos told Oconee She previously stripped County Democrats that naked while being arrested at an Ingles in she hoped to emulate Eric Gisler, who Madison County and pepper-­sprayed Piggly recently won a special election for another Wiggly employees while attempting to steal right-­leaning Athens area House seat in beer, bacon and chicken wings. neighboring District 121. Gisler’s campaign boosted Democratic turnout in Clarke and DOWNTOWN SHOOTING: Police recently arrested Oconee counties in defeating Republican a Madison man in connection with the Mack “Dutch” Guest IV for the seat recently shooting death of an Athens resident vacated by Marcus Wiedower, who resigned downtown. At about 2:23 a.m. on Dec. 18, to focus on a business opportunity.

26-­year-­old Anargyros “Cole” Mantas was Meanwhile, Guest announced that he found bleeding from a gunshot wound will seek a rematch with Gisler next Novemat the intersection of Broad and Pulaski ber, mirroring similar races in 2017 and streets. He later died at a hospital. The 2018, when Democrat Jonathan Wallace following day, police arrested Jamarious beat Wiedower in a special election but lost Clark, 25, in Newton County and charged the following year. f

J A NU A R Y 7, 2026 · F L A GP OL E .C OM

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news

feature

Project Censored

ANNUAL LIST OF BURIED STORIES HITS THE HALF-​CENTURY MARK

By Paul Rosenberg, Senior Editor, RLnews

H

alf a century ago, Peter Jensen launched Project Censored, in part as a response to how the Watergate break-​in was covered. Richard Nixon didn’t censor the initial reporting, but he didn’t have to. The press simply didn’t cover it with any serious scrutiny until well after Nixon was elected. The story didn’t reach the American people when it mattered most—when they could have done something about it directly themselves, before they went to the polls in November 1972.

Reflecting this, Jensen saw censorship as working differently in a democracy than in a dictatorship. He defined it as “the suppression of information, whether purposeful or not, by any method—including bias, omission, under-​ reporting, or self-​censorship—that prevents the public from fully knowing what is happening in society.”

That happened with Watergate, though the truth belatedly came out. And an echo of the same sort of thing happened just as I was writing this half a century later. Six members of Congress who had served in the military or the CIA released a video accurately informing those serving, as they had, that they have the right—and in some cases the duty—to refuse unlawful or unconstitutional orders. President Trump responded on social media by falsely claiming their video message was “SEDITIOUS BEHAVIOR, punishable by DEATH,” but the New York Times relegated the story to page 16, with a headline that didn’t mention Trump’s call for their execution. “No wonder Trump thinks he can get away with anything,” said Mark Jacob, a former top editor at both the Chicago Sun-​Times and the Chicago Tribune.

This was only a faint echo of what happened with Watergate—especially given the Times’ diminished gate-​keeping role. But those echoes are everywhere around us, every day. That same dynamic of suppression of information by under-​reporting and self-​censorship is constantly at play, with the same consequence of preventing the public from fully knowing what’s happening in society—particularly in time to do something about it.

For half a century now, Project Censored has been bringing these omissions to light, and while each story highlights a particular omission, they are often complex and interrelated to each other. There’s a perfect example in this year’s top censored story—“ICE Solicits Social Media Surveillance Contracts to Identify Critics.” Government spying on, suppressing and even criminalizing its critics goes back at least to World War I as a systematic endeavor, but new elements have intertwined with it over time. Racial targeting, private contracting and omnipresent surveillance technology are all present in this most recent example, and are routinely censored in other settings as well.

It’s also an example of systemic abusive policing, which shows up again in stories seven and eight, targeting the homeless for private profit in the first story, and killing four people a day in the second one, mostly in response to 911 calls, the majority of which involved a nonviolent offense, or no offense at all. Racial targeting is also involved in this story (with Black people and Native Americans far more likely to be killed), as well as in stories number three and four, regarding systemic exploitation of Native Americans and targeting of pro-​Palestinian activists, respectively.

Stories four through six involve tech surveillance in different ways, not just targeting activists but also systematically blocking data privacy protections for everyone, and using surveillance technology to harm workers and disrupt unionization at Amazon and Walmart, the largest private employers in America.

In turn, the class exploitation and oppression involved in this last example appear in two others as well: number seven, about private companies reaping over $100 million to sweep homeless camps in California (doing nothing to solve the problem), and number 10 about the extreme under-​representation of working class Americans in state legislatures—a censored story about censored voices that fittingly rounds out the list.

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F L A GP OL E .C OM · J A NU A R Y 7, 2026

This is the deeper point of Project Censored’s list: That it’s not just about this or that suppressed and under-​ reported story, it’s about a whole different way of seeing the world if that systemic censoring were stripped away.

Here, then, is Project Censored’s half-​century anniversary list, so you can see for yourself what that means.

ICE Solicits Social Media Surveillance Contracts to Identify Critics In February 2025, Techdirt’s Tim Cushing reported on Sam Biddle’s Intercept investigation into a new ICE bid solicitation seeking private contractors to “monitor and locate ‘negative’ social media discussion” about the agency.

The request, also covered by the Independent, appeared as the agency prepared for a more aggressive role under the returning Trump administration. ICE’s plan, Biddle wrote, could pull “people who simply criticize ICE online” into its surveillance dragnet.

Biddle noted the solicitation was “nearly identical” to a 2020 request that resulted in a $5.5 million contract with Barbaricum, a Washington-​based defense and intelligence firm. But the new version, arriving amid ramped-​up enforcement rhetoric, signaled a broader threat. Cushing observed that ICE justified the program by citing increased risks—yet provided no evidence.

The scope of potential targets is massive. Social media criticisms of ICE number in the millions, but contractors would be required to assess users’ “proclivity for violence” using “social and behavioral sciences” and “psychological profiles.” After scraping personal details—Social Security numbers, addresses, affiliations—contractors would deliver ICE dossiers containing photos, partial legal names, birth dates, education or work ties, and identified family members. The request also sought facial recognition tools capable of scanning the internet for additional information tied to a subject.

Although framed as a safety measure for ICE employees, Cushing wrote that the document “makes it clear ICE is looking for tech that allows it to monitor people simply because they don’t like ICE.” The First Amendment implications, he added, are unmistakable: The government should not monitor social media users to quantify criticism, especially when it conflates negativity with threats.

ICE’s digital surveillance ambitions are not new. Past investigations revealed fake ICE social-​media profiles, entrapment schemes and systems designed to flag “derogatory” posts. While Forbes and the New York Times have addressed ICE’s tech investments targeting immigrants, no corporate outlet has covered this planned monitoring of ICE critics.

Water Scarcity Threatens 27 Million People in the U.S. Nearly 30 million people in the U.S. live in areas with limited water supplies, Carey Gillam reported for The New Lede in January 2025. The finding comes from a first-​of-​ its-​kind U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study assessing national water availability from 2010–2020, including quality concerns. With climate change worsening droughts, floods and contamination, the crisis is expected to deepen.

Project Censored also highlighted two ongoing threats: saltwater intrusion and PFAS “forever chemicals,” linked to cancers, liver disease and birth defects.

USGS Director David Applegate warned of “increasing challenges to this vital resource,” noting that socially vulnerable communities face the greatest risks. Gillam reported widespread pollution in waterways across the

Midwest and High Plains tied largely to industrial agriculture runoff. USGS found “substantial areas” of major aquifers—supplying one-​third of public drinking water— contaminated with arsenic, radionuclides, manganese and nitrates. Low-​income, minority and rural, well-​dependent communities face disproportionate exposure.

Project Censored cited worsening shortages in Texas due to drought, aging infrastructure and international water disputes, and in Florida, where population growth and groundwater overuse have collided with climate-​driven storms and droughts. In Virginia, massive data centers consume up to five million gallons of water daily, Grist reported, straining already depleted aquifers.

Globally, the situation mirrors U.S. trends. A joint U.S./ UN assessment, “Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023–2025,” described current conditions as “a slow-​ moving global catastrophe,” with 48 U.S. states experiencing drought in 2024—the highest number on record.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that the Trump administration ordered the closure of 25 federal water-​monitoring centers, undermining the nation’s ability to track shortages.

Although major outlets like the New York Times and The Washington Post cover droughts, Project Censored noted they typically frame the issue as an economic threat to agriculture, not a direct danger to human life. As of July 2025, Newsweek was the only U.S. corporate outlet to report on the USGS water-​availability study.

Indigenous Communities in the U.S. Underfunded and Exploited A series of 2024–25 investigations by ProPublica, High Country News and Grist revealed how federal and state governments continue to underfund and exploit Indigenous communities—coverage largely ignored by corporate media. Matt Krupnick (ProPublica) documented the chronic underfunding of tribal colleges, institutions created in the 1970s to serve Native students harmed by generations of violence, dispossession and cultural erasure.

Although Congress set funding at $8,000 per tribal student in 1978, adjusted annually for inflation, the government has never met its obligation. Since 2010, per-​student funding ranged from $5,235 to just under $8,700—far below the roughly $40,000 it would be if federal commitments had been honored—totaling a $250 million shortfall. Under the Trump administration, conditions worsened as at least $7 million in USDA grants for tribal colleges were suspended.

Meanwhile, a joint High Country News/Grist investigation showed how states profit from “trust lands” located inside reservations. These lands, often seized during the 1887 Dawes Act Allotment Era, generate millions through grazing, logging, mining, and oil and gas production— funding state universities, prisons, hospitals and schools.

Earlier reporting traced this system to the 1862 Morrill Act, which granted nearly 11 million acres taken from nearly 250 tribes to states to build land-​grant universities.

The new investigation mapped 1.6 million acres of state-​managed trust lands within 83 reservations across 10 states, revealing how state control undermines tribal sovereignty and jurisdiction. In some cases, tribes must lease back what was once their own land—an estimated 58,000 acres—paying the state for agricultural or grazing use. One notable exception is the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana, which secured the return of nearly 30,000 acres through a 2020 water rights settlement.

Corporate media coverage of these injustices remained minimal, limited mostly to stories about Trump-​era layoffs that failed to address the deeper, long-​term history of governmental neglect.

Meta Undertakes ‘Sweeping Crackdown’ of Facebook and Instagram Posts at Israel’s Request Since Oct. 7, 2023, Meta has executed a massive censorship campaign on Facebook and Instagram, removing or suppressing posts critical of Israel or supportive of Palestinians, Drop Site News reported in April 2025. The report called it “the largest mass censorship operation in modern history,” based on internal Meta data provided by whistleblowers and confirmed by multiple sources inside the company.

Meta reportedly complied with 94% of takedown requests from Israel—the single largest originator of content removals worldwide—affecting an estimated 38.8 million posts. While most requests were classified under “terrorism” or “violence and incitement,” the complaints all used identical language regardless of the content, linking to an average of 15 posts each without describing the posts themselves.

The campaign disproportionately targets users from Arab and Muslim-​majority nations but has a global reach, affecting posts in over 60 countries. Drop Site News warned that Meta’s AI moderation tools are being trained on these takedowns, potentially embedding this censorship into future automated content decisions.

Project Censored noted that the Council on American-​ Islamic Relations condemned Meta’s actions, stating, “Meta must stop censoring criticism of the Israeli government under the guise of combating antisemitism, and Meta must stop training artificial intelligence tools to do so.”

The report also cited the Committee to Protect Journal-

ists’ findings that Israel controls coverage of its military operations.

Although independent outlets such as ZNetwork and Jewish Voice for Labour republished the Drop Site News report, no major U.S. newspapers or broadcast outlets had covered the story as of July 2025. Meta shows no signs of ending the censorship initiative, leaving critics concerned about the implications for free expression and the global reach of government-​directed social media moderation.

Big Tech Sows Policy Chaos to Undermine Data Privacy Protections

byist as “just what Big Tech wants.”

Step two: Complain about the “patchwork” of state laws, portraying diverse regulations as chaotic or unworkable.

Tobacco did this in the 1990s; today, tech lobbyists repeat it, even creating websites like United for Privacy: Ending the Privacy Patchwork.

Step three: Use federal preemption to erase state laws and block stronger local legislation. While federal law could set a floor—like the federal minimum wage—Big Tech pushes it as a ceiling, limiting grassroots influence. Snow notes that states and cities historically drive real change.

California, for example, enshrined a privacy right in its 1972 constitution, offering protections against modern abuses. Once state legislatures are sealed off, communities with limited access to Congress lose power.

These tactics are not hypothetical. The House version of Trump’s controversial “Big Beautiful Bill” included a provision shielding tech companies from state lawsuits for a decade over negligence, privacy violations or AI misuse.

Though removed by the Senate, similar efforts are expected.

Project Censored noted that while outlets like the New York Times and Time have reported aspects of Big Tech lobbying, no corporate coverage has fully captured the scale, coordination, or historical parallels Snow identified—leaving much of the strategy’s impact unexamined.

Amazon and Walmart Use Hostile Big Tech companies are actively attempting to underSurveillance Tech Against mine consumer data privacy laws, using tactics reminiscent Warehouse Employees of Big Tobacco in the 1990s, Project Censored reports. Jake Snow documented this in Tech Policy Press and the ACLU of Northern California in October 2024.

Snow outlined a three-​step strategy. Step one: “Respond to a PR crisis with a flood of deceptive bills.” Just as tobacco promoted “smoking sections” to weaken bans, Big Tech floods Congress with industry-​backed laws that replace meaningful privacy protections with weak alternatives.

Snow cites a 2021 Virginia law drafted by an Amazon lob-

Walmart and Amazon are the two largest retailers in America, with a combined workforce of over 2.7 million workers (not counting Amazon drivers), whose lives have been made more miserable by the use of surveillance technology, as documented in an April 2024 report from Oxfam America, “At Work and Under Watch.” The report finds that ➤ continued on next page

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J A NU A R Y 7, 2026 · F L A GP OL E .C OM

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Project Censored

continued from p. 7

“regimes of measurement, surveillance, discipline, and data collection deployed by both companies unduly punish workers, stifle worker voice, and have negative impacts on worker health, safety, and well-​being,” as Alex Press reported for Jacobin.

“An Amazon worker in North Carolina compares the experience to Netflix’s Squid Game, stating that ‘Every three days, first responders are called to [our] facility. And when I say that it’s like [Squid Game], you see co-​workers, you see friends, some workers have relatives, you see relatives who pass out, who are taken out of their facility on the stretcher,’” Press reported, adding, “If you get injured, a Walmart worker in California explains, it is ‘almost always your fault. Management would not negotiate this with you at all. You would be penalized for it because they would deem that you were working unsafe and ignore all the other possible reasons for why you got injured.’”

Key findings included: • Three-​quarters (75% for Amazon, 74% for Walmart) of workers reported feeling pressure to work faster at least some of the time (compared to 58% industry-​wide).

• More than half (54% for Amazon, 57% for Walmart) of workers reported that their production rate makes it hard for them to use the bathroom at least sometimes.

• Half of workers (52% at Amazon, 50% at Walmart) report feeling burned out from their work.

• 41% of Amazon workers and 91% of Walmart workers reported experiencing some level of dehydration over the past three months.

“One might argue that unionizing could help workers resist surveillance,” Project Censored noted, but Amazon defeated a unionization effort in North Carolina in February 2025. However, “union organizers believe the vote was the result of Amazon’s nonstop intimidation of its employees,” and an academic study of an earlier organizing effort in Bessemer, AL, backs them up, as reported by The American Prospect in March 2025.

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“The company manipulated workplace devices to send workers anti-​union messages and to ask questions that employees say were intended to assess their support for the union,” Project Censored summarized. “Amazon also monitored the social media activity of its employees—including Facebook groups, many of which were private, and subreddits—to investigate posts that contained complaints from warehouse workers or plans for strikes and protests.”

Aside from some coverage of these issues by independent and specialist news outlets, Project Censored noted, “there has been zero corporate media coverage of Amazon and Walmart’s surveillance and mistreatment of warehouse employees or of Oxfam’s ‘At Work and Under Watch’ report.”

Private Companies Reap More Than $100 Million to Sweep Homeless Camps Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t solve the problem— in fact, it makes things worse—but it does make some folks a lot of money.

“In total, private firms have been paid at least $100m to clear homeless camps, an investigation by The Guardian and Type Investigations has found,” Brian Barth wrote for The Guardian on Apr. 16, 2024. But that was a serious undercount, he hastened to add. “The 14 municipalities and public agencies from which spending details could be obtained represent a small slice of such spending in the state.”

Still, the wastefulness was still obvious. “It can cost millions to clear a single camp. Marinship, a Bay Area construction company, received $3.4m to dismantle an unhoused community with about 200 residents,” Barth wrote. In Silicon Valley, Santa Clara signed a three-​and-​a-​ half year, $1 million contract “despite having documented only 264 unsheltered residents at the time.”

And it costs cities even more. “The police presence at one sweep in Los Angeles cost an estimated $2m,” he noted.

As for what good it does, the answer is almost certainly none on two counts: It doesn’t reduce homelessness, but it does cause serious harm. “A 2024 RAND study found that policy change—such as encampment sweeps and camping bans—in three Los Angeles neighborhoods temporarily reduced visible homelessness, but within months the unsheltered populations rose slightly in two of the communities and doubled in the third,” Robbie Sequeira reported for Stateline in January 2025.

At the same time, “For homeless people, these sweeps take an enormous toll,” Barth wrote. “Many unhoused residents report being swept over and over, often multiple times in a year. Modeling based on data collected in Boston has shown that hospitalization and death rates are expected to increase significantly among encampment residents after sweeps—researchers projected that overdoses would rise 30%, for instance.”

In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that punishing homeless people for sleeping outside doesn’t count as cruel or unusual punishment, which allowed police sweeps to confiscate any property belonging to people sleeping on the streets. Since then, “roughly 150 cities in 32 states have passed or strengthened such ordinances,” Sequeira reported, with another 40 in the works at the time. “Bans often allow for steep fines and jail time,” he noted, but “Criminalizing homelessness doesn’t solve the problem—it just punishes people, makes it harder for them to find housing or jobs, and keeps them stuck in a cycle of instability,” Samantha Batko of the Urban Institute explained.

Homelessness is a worsening problem in Europe as well, The Guardian reported in September 2024, but Denmark and Finland are reducing it with a housing first policy, which shifts focus away from managing homelessness in the shelter system to solving it by providing housing. Finland started first, and has only a quarter of the number of homeless families it had in the early 2000s, and less than half the number of homeless individuals, with only a small fraction of those “unsheltered,” sleeping on the streets. So there are policies that work—they’re just not considered or reported on here.

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Antarctic Ice Sheets Approaching Tipping Point Rising ocean temperature could lead to a tipping point in the melting of Antarctic ice sheets, potentially triggering “runaway melting,” according to a June 2024 article published in the journal Nature Geoscience, and supported by two other recent studies. Robert Hunzikera in CounterPunch and Matthew Rozsa in Salon each reported on this research, warning of potential “tipping points” in Antarctic ice melt. “Scientists have debated whether a ‘tipping point’ exists for this ice sheet, or a moment when the effects of this melting would be suddenly both irreversible and catastrophic,” according to Rozsa. “A new study raises the bet on sea level rise, maybe by a lot,” Hunzikera summed up.

Drawing from recent evidence documenting that “relatively warm ocean water can intrude long distances” beneath the ice sheet and reach the grounding line—where the ice rises from the seabed and starts to float—the June Geoscience article warned that such “long intrusions have dramatic consequences for sea-​level-​rise contributions from ice sheets.” It proposed a new model accounting for these effects, which weren’t included in previous ice-​sheet melting models.

As Rozsa explained in Salon, when warm water moves under a grounding line, the ice melts at an accelerated pace and could pass a threshold where the body’s ultimate collapse is inevitable. While this process occurs, sea levels will rise at a much faster rate than currently predicted, resulting in millions of people from coastal communities being displaced over the upcoming decades and centuries.

In addition, “new studies show that small increases in ocean temperatures can have a big impact on melting,” Hunziker wrote. “These new facts raise very serious concerns about all projections of sea level rise.”

At the same time, ocean temperatures have been setting new records for over a year, and an earlier paper in Nature Geoscience offered stark evidence of how quickly massive

ice loss could happen. Researchers examined a 2,000-​foot-​ long ice core and discovered that 8,000 years ago, at the end of the Ice Age, part of the ice sheet melted by 450 meters in about 200 years. “Antarctic ice meltdowns can happen much faster than current sea level studies assume,” Hunziker wrote.

“Sea levels would begin to rise significantly in a matter of decades, rather than centuries, posing severe challenges for coastal cities, according to experts,” Project Censored summed up.

Underreported, Often Deadly Abuses of Police Authority U.S. police killed an average of nearly four people each day in 2024, disproportionately Black and Indigenous.

Police killed more people in 2024 than in any year since 2013, when data collection began, and nearly two thirds were in response to 911 calls, the majority of which involved a nonviolent offense or no offense at all. These were some of the topline results of analysis by Mapping Police Violence reported by Sharon Zhang in a February 2025 Truthout article. Black people, American Indians and Alaska Natives were three times more likely than white

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people to be killed by police, and Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders were almost eight times more likely. There were only 10 days in 2024, “when police did not kill anyone in the U.S.,” Zhang wrote. An earlier report covering 1,260 instances found that officers were only charged with crimes in nine cases.

Zhang noted that these figures line up with reporting from the Washington Post that 2024 was the deadliest year on record for police violence, with 10,429 people killed by police in the last decade. However, the Post was discontinuing its tracking. “The change comes as the publication’s billionaire owner, Jeff Bezos, has exerted an increasingly right-​wing influence on the paper,” Zhang observed. This came at the same time that Trump shut down a federal database tracking misconduct by federal law enforcement officers, which had only been in existence since December 2023.

“Mapping Police Violence was created by Samuel Sinyangwe, who is also the founder of Campaign Zero, an organization that advocates for a society not reliant on policing,” Project Censored noted. Its findings have been neglected by the establishment press, with two exceptions they cited: one USA Today story in February 2025, using its data “for a report on demographic and geographic patterns in police killings in the United States,” and a May 2025 New York Times story reporting that “police killings keep rising, not falling,” since the murder of George Floyd in 2020, touching off the Black Lives Matter protests, the largest civil rights protests in U.S. history.

Another ignored investigation, specifically focused on the Chicago Police Department (CPD), was carried out by Bolts and Injustice Watch and published in August 2024. A 2003 Illinois state law requires law enforcement agencies to report specific details of every traffic stop to the state Department of Transportation. But their investigation revealed 200,000 unreported stops.

“The significant number of undocumented traffic stops threatens to undermine any reform efforts and obscures the true impact of the police encounters from oversight ➤ continued on next page

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Project Censored

continued from p. 9

groups, preventing them from fully understanding which drivers are stopped, and where in the city they are concentrated,” journalist Pascal Sabino explained.

He had previously noted that these undocumented traffic stops amount to a new form of “stop-​and-​frisk,” a controversial practice that allows police to search persons, places and objects without making an arrest. CPD had officially moved away from using stop-​and-​frisk following the “botched investigation and cover-​up” of the murder of teenager Laquan McDonald. But now, Chicago police “fish for guns and evidence of other crimes… by stopping cars rather than pedestrians,” Sabino wrote.

Working Class Severely Underrepresented in State Legislatures People considered “working class” make up half the country’s labor force, but only 1.6% of state lawmakers, according to the 2024 results of a biennial study. That’s 116 of the nearly 7,400 state legislators, down from 1.8% in 2022. This seriously distorts the legislative process, both in terms of issues considered and solutions proposed, as noted in a Mar. 15, 2024, Stateline article by Robbie Sequeira.

“The only person that’s going to advocate for working-​ class people is a working-​class person,” said freshman Idaho state Rep. Nate Roberts, a lifelong electrician.

“Government works best when all types of personal experience are at the legislative table,” said Minnesota state Rep. Kaela Berg, a flight attendant who ran for office while living in a friend’s basement. “I knew that I was uniquely able to speak on issues that my other colleagues never experienced.”

The study by political scientists Nicholas Carnes and Eric Hansen defined “working class” as “those who have currently or last worked in manual labor, the service industry, clerical or labor union jobs,” representing 2% of Democrats and 1% of Republicans. Ten states have “no working-​class state lawmakers.”

Some members of the Utah legislature (which includes police officers and teachers) objected to the characterization that they had no working-​class members, but a 2024 The Guardian op-​ed explained that even including professionals like teachers and nurses, the number of working-​ class Democrats would still be under 6%.

“Low salaries for working-​class jobs are one reason why members of the working class rarely run for office,” Project Censored noted. Amanda Litman, co-​founder of Run for Something, which recruits candidates for down-​ballot races, also cited a lack of access to money from family or partners, as well as gatekeepers who typically recruit candidates based on their independent money-​raising ability.

Making things worse, only five states allow public financing options for state legislative candidates.

In Idaho, as a lone voice, Roberts spoke out against labor rollbacks “such as a Senate bill that would repeal limits on the number of hours and how late in the day a child under the age of 16 can work,” Sequeira reported. Pushback for opposing regressive child labor laws still shocked him, Roberts said.

In Minnesota, conditions were far more favorable. Berg helped pass the Minnesota Miracle, which included a major package of labor-​friendly laws, as well as a slew of tenant-​ landlord laws with renter protections. “Berg said the backgrounds of working-​class legislators like herself can inform

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America Is Drowning in Noise A WARNING FROM PROJECT CENSORED AND PRESIDENT OBAMA

By Terelle Jicks, Managing Editor, RLnews Project Censored released the 2026 edition of its State of the Free Press in November. About a week later, Random Lengths interviewed the book’s editors—Mickey Huff, Andy Lee Roth and Shealeigh Voitl—who, along with a team of student journalists and researchers, document the most underreported and censored news stories in the U.S. each year. The annual volume exposes media blind spots, analyzes misinformation and promotes critical thinking, all while urging the public to recognize the systemic biases shaping mainstream coverage.

Last month, former President Barack Obama was interviewed by Olivia Walton, chair of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and a former NBC/MSNBC correspondent. When Walton asked about his news diet, Obama admitted he doesn’t really have one—and hasn’t watched cable news in 15 years. That led to a brief tangent on why he always seemed so unflappable as president.

“People used to ask, ‘You seem so calm, Mr. president. Why is that?’” he said, invoking the old “No Drama Obama” moniker. “I said that’s because I don’t watch the news.”

Instead, he said, he reads: The Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Atlantic and various science publications. When Walton asked if there was a single outlet he found least biased, Obama praised traditional broadcast news for still “presenting facts,” but criticized the economic incentives driving cable networks toward outrage and conflict. Print media still offers strong reporting, he said, but it’s increasingly buried in “so much noise.”

That struggle—to sift reliable information from a sea of distortions—is exactly what Project Censored has tracked since 1976. And if you read every edition, you might wonder whether American journalism has ever been free of propaganda, sensationalism or censorship.

Huff—a media scholar, educator and director of Project Censored since 2010—doesn’t think so. He cites the era of yellow journalism and the penny press as clear precedents. Carl Jensen, Project Censored’s founder, coined the term “Junk Food News” in the early 1980s to describe the tabloidized, sensational content news outlets used to justify pushing aside more important stories.

“We’ve had a lot of what one could call a form of junk journalism or distracting journalism,” Huff explained.

“Junk food news is a term Carl Jensen coined in response to criticism of his critiques of the mainstream press censoring news. They said it wasn’t fair. And this is just at the inception of cable. There was no internet.”

Voitl, the project’s associate director and digital-print editor, emphasized that the term isn’t meant to shame audiences, but to raise awareness that trivial stories often replace those that actually impact people’s lives.

Roth, Project Censored’s editor-at-large, connected this history to the country’s founding, referencing Elizabeth “Betita” Martínez’s argument that the United States was the first nation “born capitalist and racist,” and that its media traditions reflect that legacy. Huff added that the 2026 edition’s foreword intentionally uses a rhetorical device describing the conditions of the 1970s—conditions that sound eerily contemporary—to show how history “rhymes.”

Huff argued that the assault on the Fourth Estate, the Department of Education and diversity/equity/inclusion initiatives all stem from the same well-worn authoritarian playbook. Despite today’s abundance of information channels, he said, people still struggle to get reliably informed. Independent journalists, meanwhile, are doing “intrepid and often dangerous work” to illuminate what major outlets avoid—an idea reflected in Anson StevensBollaen’s cover art depicting “circus tents” masking the truth.

This year’s Junk Food News chapter revisits Daniel Boorstin’s 1962 book The Image: A Guide to PseudoEvents in America, in which the conservative historian argued that television had turned politics and culture theatrical, creating an “unreality industry.” Voitl said Boorstin’s insights remain painfully relevant; Americans have become so accustomed to illusions that many now mistake spectacle for reality, leaving them ill-equipped to understand systemic inequities.

When asked whether better journalism could counter the rise of fascism, Roth responded, “Definitely not the whole antidote… Independent journalism has a vital role to play in the resistance to fascism.” The State of the Free Press yearbook critiques the corporate press while celebrating independent reporters, he explained, but press freedom itself remains “contingent” and under threat. News outlets often treat attacks on the press as a sidebar issue—even though it’s implicated in virtually everything else. Huff noted that the U.S. now ranks 57th on the World Press Freedom Index, down 12 places in two years, underscoring the importance of organizations like the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.

Huff described Project Censored as both a beacon and a “living pedagogy” that predates many major press-freedom institutions. Voitl called it a “living archive of media trends” meant to equip journalists, students and organizers with critical media literacy skills. Huff stressed the need to bring young people into the fold, saying the project is working to “listen to young people and lead by example” to ensure its longevity for the next 50 years.

The editors also highlighted the escalating dangers facing journalists in the U.S.: arrests, assaults and even being used for “target practice” by militarized police. Roth observed that police are “enemies of the press” in many cases, citing documented violence against clearly identified reporters, including incidents involving ICE agents. Voitl emphasized that resisting censorship now requires being “more interconnected, more imaginative and more committed to collective truthtelling” than ever before.

State of the Free Press 2026, Project Censored’s 50th anniversary edition, highlights the 12 most underreported stories of the year, examines press freedom, reviews “junk food news” and abuses, and celebrates journalists defending media democracy. Featuring contributions from independent reporters and activists like Mischa Geracoulis, Ryan Grim, Maya Schenwar and Joe Lauria, it opens with a foreword by Mickey Huff reflecting on the project’s history and ongoing relevance. In a time of growing distrust, media consolidation and threats to journalists under the Trump administration, this edition underscores the importance of an informed public.

Purchase the book at project-censored.org. f

statehouse conversations, even if lawmakers with different backgrounds support pro-​labor policies,” Sequeira noted.

In contrast, Project Censored notes the over-​representation of wealth in our politics: The majority of the members of the 116th Congress were millionaires, with the 10 richest having estimated fortunes in excess of $30 million.

There’s a new move to change things, Project Censored noted: the formation of a political action committee called the Working Class Heroes Fund, aimed at organizing

working-​class voters and funding working-​class candidates “across party lines to give the working class a seat at the table.” It was started by Dan Osborn, a pipe-​fitter and union leader who ran a surprisingly strong race for a U.S. Senate seat in Nebraska as an independent in 2024.

While there’s been no national corporate news coverage of the study on the class background of state legislators, there has been occasional mention in opinion pieces in both the New York Times and the Washington Post. f

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J A NU A R Y 7, 2026 · F L A GP OL E .C OM

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E N T ERT AI NM E N T CAL END AR COMING SOON

arts & culture

calendar picks

MUSIC | THU, JAN. 8

Randall Bramblett, Mike Mattison

Rialto Club • 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show) • $25 (adv.), $30

COMING TO THE CLASSIC CENTER THEATRE

JANUARY

17 Jason Isbell - Solo Tour 2026 - Part of the 25-26 20 Hadestown Broadway Entertainment Series - Part of the 25-26 21 Hadestown Broadway Entertainment Series

Longtime musician Randall Bramblett will perform the first of three shows for his Randall Bramblett and Friends residency at Hotel Indigo’s Rialto Room. Born in Jesup, Bramblett’s original plan was to join the seminary, but he left behind his studies in theology at the University of North Carolina to pursue songwriting, inspired by artists like Carole King, James Taylor and Bob Dylan. He then moved to Athens, and throughout the early ’70s he developed a career as a successful session musician with artists like Gregg Allman and Bonnie Raitt,

icana acts like Jamey Johnson and Ryan Bingham, but the influence of artists like Tom Waits and Nina Simone also direct his sound. Last year he released Grateful Blues, blending the spirit of Grateful Dead with the deep roots of the blues, and will release his “psych ward, freak out blues album,” Live From the Bottom, on Jan. 8. [MB] COMEDY | FRI, JAN. 9

50 First Jokes

40 Watt Club • 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show) • $10 (adv.), $12

50 First Jokes is a meeting place for Georgia’s best up-­and-­coming comics. For this annual event, 50 comedians are given up to two minutes to share their first new and previously untold joke of the year. The event is hosted by 1UP Comedy, a comedy

COMING TO AKINS FORD ARENA

JANUARY

Rock Lobsters vs.

9 Athens Pee Dee Ice Cats Rock Lobsters vs.

10 Athens Pee Dee Ice Cats Rock Lobsters vs.

11 Athens Columbus River Dragons Division I Hockey vs.

23 UGA Niagara Rock Lobsters vs.

24 Athens Biloxi Breakers Women’s Hockey vs.

25 UGA Auburn University

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F L A GP OL E .C OM · J A NU A R Y 7, 2026

going on to release solo work from the mid-­ ’70s until present day. Joining Bramblett for the first show of his residency is Mike Mattison, a musician known best for his work in Tedeschi Trucks Band and as a co-­ founder of Scrapomatic. Mattison is releasing his third solo record, Turn A Midnight Corner, on Jan. 16, with this show acting as a kickoff for his tour of the album with his current band Trash Magic. To describe its sound, he says, “We bleed a little bit into rural blues—even country itself—with a whiff of Tin Pan Alley, but at its heart, this record is the blues.” [Mary Beth Bryan] MUSIC | FRI, JAN. 9

club based in Atlanta that has been producing independent shows and open mics since 2012. The club was originally founded by self-­proclaimed “Mayor of Atlanta Comedy” Joe Pettis, who is known for being behind some of Atlanta’s best comedy shows, including the monthly Underwear Comedy Party at the Village Theatre and the Rolling Stone-­recognized Joystick Gamebar. 50 First Jokes is held in both Athens and Atlanta, with the Atlanta installment taking place Jan. 10 at Wild Heaven West End. [MB] MUSIC | SAT, JAN. 10

Dhemo, Annie Leeth

• 8 p.m. (doors), 9 p.m. (show) • $10 Workhorses of the Entertainment/ CinéIndie band Dhemo is the project of Richmond, VA-­based vocalist and guitarist Jake Recreational Industry Adams. Dhemo released its third record,

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Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry

Meg Hayes, MSW (She/Her)

The Foundry • 6 p.m. (doors), 7:30 p.m. (show) • $10 (adv. or w/ UGA ID), $15

Composed of veteran musicians Rob Keller (The Welfare Liners), Ben Reynolds (Chickasaw Mudd Puppies), Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz (Widespread Panic) and William Tonks (MrJordanMrTonks), Workhorses of the Entertainment/Recreational Industry is an Athens-­based band inspired by the sounds of acoustic rock, traditional folk, country and blues. As of late, the band has played several shows and is working on its album. In a bill presented by local promoter Aubrey Entertainment, the quartet will be performing alongside Scott Low & the Blue Bouillon. Seen sharing stages with artists like Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton and Shovels & Rope, Low is a folk musician whose sound has been compared to Amer-

Chasing Smiles, last year, blending elements of funk, soul and rock and addressing themes surrounding modern artist culture like the pressure of nonstop output and the hollowness of validation. The first act joining Dhemo for its Athens show is Annie Leeth, who is also from Richmond, but currently works locally and in Atlanta. Her solo work revolves around live-­looping her violin playing and vocals, often joined by other musicians for additional instrumentation.

She also works as an engineer and violinist at Chase Park Transduction and is a touring keyboardist and violinist with Faye Webster. Finally, atmospheric indie band Little Mae is performing. The group, headed by siblings Sam and Ethan Caspary, released its debut album, Painted Like Dandelions, in August of last year. [MB] f

live music calendar Tuesday 6

Hendershot’s No Phone Party. 7 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com KENOSHA KID The brainchild of guitarist Dan Nettles performs two sets of adventurous new music each week from his ever-­expanding catalog that exists “somewhere in the Schrödinger’s nexus of jazz, post-­rock and improvised music.”

Hendershot’s 7:30 p.m. FREE! www.hendershots​ athens.com OPEN MIC Hosted by Liz Farrell the first Wednesday of every month.

Sign up online.

Nowhere Bar 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/nowhere​ barathensga ERIK OLSON’S WRESTLE THE BEAR JAM Monthly jam session featuring a rotating cast of players and genres.

Porterhouse Grill 7 p.m. www.porterhousegrillathens. com JAZZ NIGHT Longest running jazz gig in Athens featuring a rotating cast of familiar faces performing American songbook, bossa nova classics and crossover hits.

Thursday 8 Flicker Theatre & Bar Attaboy Tapes Presents. 8 p.m. (doors). $12. www.flickertheatre​ andbar.com TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH Guitarist and singer-­songwriter from Birmingham, AL who is also a member of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band and Dead Fingers.

ROWAN NEWBY Poetic and humorous Americana music inspired by ’60s and ’70s songwriting.

DAVE’S BEES HONEY Dave (Cicada Rhythm) plays outsider folk for fans of Michael Hurley and Twain.

THE UNBELIEVING DOG Whimsical, sad music from Iain Cooke.

Hendershot’s 7:30–11 p.m. $7 (adv.), $10. www. hendershotsathens.com

Nowhere Bar 8 p.m. $12. www.instagram.com/ nowherebarathensga TANNER LAWS BAND Country music band out of Missoula, MT with heartfelt stories and smooth vocals.

Saturday 10 ATHICA 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $10. www.athica.org ETERNAL Dark doomy shoegaze.

influences such as Samia, Mercury and Alice Phoebe Lou. Flicker Theatre & Bar Attaboy Tapes Presents. 8 p.m. (doors). $10. www.flickertheatre​ andbar.com SLACK TIMES Jangle pop trio from Birmingham, AL. FELTIE Spacious freaky cloud folk from Atlanta.

THE FALLING SPIKES Local Beatlesque rock band.

The Foundry Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 6 p.m. (doors), 7:30 p.m. (show). $10 (w/

COMA THERAPY Muscular, dark post-­punk influenced by goth and no wave.

GLÁSS Post-­punk trio based in South Carolina fronted by Aaaron Burke.

JOHNNY FALLOON Deranged local band with hard-­hitting songs and complex theatrics.

Rialto Club Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 8 p.m.

SOLD OUT! www.facebook.com/ AubreyEntertainmentAthensGA KEVN KINNEY & PETER BUCK The lead singer and songwriter of

CJ BARTUNEK

Wednesday 7

SABACHA DANCE SOCIAL DJ L.A. Darius leads a Latin dance party with salsa, bachata, merengue and cha-­cha-­cha. An hour-­long lesson is followed by open dancing.

Nowhere Bar Indecent Artistry Presents. 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/nowherebar​ athensga BOG BOD Raucous indie rock from Athens. Reunion show!

VIOLENT VIOLET Loud and fun garage punk outfit.

VIV AND THE THINGS Alternative country noise for sweetie pies.

Rialto Club Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $25 (adv.), $30. bit.ly/AbbeyRoadLiveNov29 RANDALL BRAMBLETT This established Georgia singer-­ songwriter’s Southern-­tinged music pulls from a variety of influences.

MIKE MATTISON Musician known for his work in Scrapomatic and in Grammy Award-­winning blues rock/ soul group Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Album release show!

Friday 9 The Foundry Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 6 p.m. (doors), 7:30 p.m. (show). $10 (adv. or w/ UGA ID), $15. bit.ly/ TheFoundryJan9 WORKHORSES OF THE ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATIONAL INDUSTRY Acoustic, melodic, eclectic, modern folk rock featuring Rob Keller, Ben Reynolds and William Tonks.

SCOTT LOW & THE BLUE BOUILLON Rustic folk singer-­ songwriter and former Athenian whose music is also inspired by jazz, punk and Southern rock.

Hendershot’s 8 p.m. $10 donation benefiting Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition. www. hendershotsathens.com QUEER JOY DANCE PARTY Featuring Cara Piss, Organic Compound, Dr. Boygirlfriend, Christee Darling and Louie Simone.

Normal Bar Soul Spectacular Dance Party. 8 p.m.

FREE! www.instagram.com/normal_​ bar_athens DJ NATE & DJ KURT WOOD Two local vinyl hounds bringing you all the best ’60s soul platters that matter for your dancing pleasure.

SILENT DISCO Grab a pair of headphones, choose a music channel and dance the night away.

Sunday 11 Boutier Winery & Inn Wine Down. 3–5 p.m. www.boutier​ winery.com RAILTOWN Performing ’70s soft rock, Americana, country, pop and current tunes.

No. 3 Railroad Street 6 p.m. $10 suggested donation. www.3railroad.org MOJO CONFESSIONAL SONGWRITER SHOWCASE Every second Sunday. Bring a dish to share at the potluck.

Rialto Club Aubrey Entertainment Presents. 8 p.m.

SOLD OUT! www.facebook.com/ AubreyEntertainmentAthensGA KEVN KINNEY & PETER BUCK The lead singer and songwriter of the Atlanta rock band Drivin N Cryin & the co-­founder and lead guitarist of Athens alt rock legend R.E.M. MICHAEL GUTHRIE Musician whose band has been a staple of the Athens rock scene since the 1970s.

Tuesday 13

Klezmer Local 42 will play at The Foundry on Saturday, Jan. 10.

BIG TROUBLE Hardcore thrash gods.

WRITHE Extra filthy stoner grunge.

Boutier Winery & Inn 7:30 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $10. www.boutierwinery.com JUKEBOX COUNTRY BAND Performing timeless country classics.

Ciné 8 p.m. (doors), 9 p.m. (show). $10. www.athenscine.com ANNIE LEETH Local producer and violinist loops drums, synths and strings.

DHEMO Richmond, VA-­based artist whose sound spans from dream-­ like indie ballads to upbeat, funk-­ infused grooves.

LITTLE MAE Trio blending indie, pop and shoegaze, drawing from

UGA ID), $12 (adv.), $15. bit.ly/ TheFoundryJan10 KLEZMER LOCAL 42 Local seven-­ piece klezmer band specializing in Jewish and Romani music.

FAWNEY RIG Irish folk-­rock project featuring vocals by Claire Campbell (Hope For Agoldensummer) and Nathan Peters (Beat Up) backed by friends to play Celtic classics, foot-­stomping jigs, sweet ballads and even a few rockers.

Hendershot’s 8 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com WOLVES, LOWER R.E.M. tribute band performing a set of classics spanning the band’s entire career.

Nowhere Bar 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/nowhere​ barathensga

the Atlanta rock band Drivin N Cryin & the co-­founder and lead guitarist of Athens alt rock legend R.E.M. MICHAEL GUTHRIE Musician whose band has been a staple of the Athens rock scene since the 1970s.

The Roadhouse 9 p.m. (doors), 10 p.m. (show). $5. www.instagram.com/roadhouse​ athens MAB S-­BAN Wizard rock you can brood to from Charleston, SC. GODS. Charleston-­based, high-­ octane rock duo.

NINEVEH’S GARDEN Progressive metal and jazz fusion out of Athens.

The Root 10 p.m. FREE! www.therootathens. com

Hendershot’s No Phone Party. 7 p.m. www.hendershotsathens.com KENOSHA KID The brainchild of Dan Nettles performs two sets from his catalog that exists “somewhere in the Schrödinger’s nexus of jazz, post-rock and improvised music.”

Wednesday 14 Hendershot’s 7 p.m. (sign-­ups). FREE! www.hendershotsathens.com BEATS, RHYMES AND LIFE OPEN MIC Emcees, poets, rappers and freestylers of all styles are invited to perform with the backing band playing the tempo of their choice.

Porterhouse Grill 7 p.m. www.porterhousegrillathens. com JAZZ NIGHT Longest running jazz gig in Athens featuring a rotating cast. f

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bulletin board & classifieds BULLETIN BOARD: Listings from nonprofits, community resources and free opportunities. Print deadline is THURSDAY at 5 p.m. for the following Wednesday issue. Email calendar@flagpole.com.

CLASSIFIEDS: Rates are $10/individual * $14/real estate * $16/business. Deadline to place ads is FRIDAY at 10 a.m. for the following Wednesday issue. Email class@flagpole.com or call 706-549-0301.

Classifieds

Arts

MUSIC (Instruction) Athens School of Music. Now offering in-­person and online instruction in guitar, bass, drums, piano, voice, brass, woodwinds, strings, banjo, mandolin and more. From beginner to expert, all styles. Visit www.athensschoolof​ music.com. 706-­543-­5800 MUSIC (Services) Instant cash is now being paid for good vinyl records & CDs in fine condition. Wuxtry Records at corner of Clayton and College Dwntn. 706-­369-­9428 SERVICES (Home & Garden) Brrr… winter is here! A perfect time to tackle those invasive plants!

Woman-­Run Gardening Services: We offer garden maintenance, invasive plant removal, personalized edible and native gardens for your school, home or business! For more info call/text 706-­395-­5321.

SERVICES (Home & Garden) Hi! I’m Pablo, an expert gardener offering personalized care for your landscape.

I specialize in low-­maintenance, native gardens that support pollinators and biodiversity. Find me @​ pablo​from​seed, email pkozatch​@​ gmail.com or call 631-­903-­4365.

SERVICES (Massage) Best massage on Athens East Side. John Duello LMT. Incalls and outcalls. 80/hr or 100/90 minutes. Call or text: 706-­ 963-­0068

BIPOC ARTIST/CURATOR PROJECT OPEN CALL (Lyndon House Arts Center) Seeking BIPOC individuals to develop an art exhibition for LHAC. www.accgov.com/9799/ ArtistCurator CALL FOR ART (Amici at The Falls) Seeking artists to share artwork in monthly exhibitions. careywelsh20@gmail.com CALL FOR ART (Donderos’) Seeking new artists to exhibit works. contact@donderoskitchen.com CALL FOR ART (Lyndon House Arts Center) The Lyndon House Arts Center announces online call for artwork submissions for the 51st Juried Exhibition. Athens area visual artists 18 years and older can submit up to three entries for consideration. Open Jan. 6 through Jan. 20 with selections announced on Jan. 29. Entry fee is $35. www.accgov. com/exhibits, 706-­613-­3623 CALL FOR ART (Oconee County Library) Seeking local artists to share their artwork in monthly exhibitions. adial@athenslibrary.org CALL FOR ART (Winterville Library) Apply to be a featured local artist in the Front Room Gallery. The library accepts all 2D mediums. swatson​ @athenslibrary.org CALL FOR ARTISTS (ACCGov) The Leisure Services Arts Division is

seeking artists to create temporary light sculptures for display during the Flight of the Fireflies Lantern Parade. Submission deadline is Friday, Jan. 17 at 5 p.m. Event is Mar. 7, 2026.

CALL FOR ARTISTS (MAGallery) Now accepting artist applications.

MAGallery is a nonprofit cooperative gallery. Gallery Artists work one day a month and participate on a committee. www.themadisonartists​ guild.org/call-­for-­artists CALL FOR ARTISTS (Online) JOKER​ JOKERtv is accepting proposals from artists and curators living in Athens. Artists worldwide can submit ideas. www.jokerjokertv. com/submit CALL FOR COLLECTORS (Lyndon House Arts Center) The LHAC’s “Collections from our Community” series features objects found in the closets, cabinets and shelves of Athenians. shelby.little@accgov. com CALL FOR MUSICAL PERFORMERS (AthFest) Applications for AthFest 2026 now open. Selection based on musical talent, following and draw, self-­promotion and previous AthFest experience. Submission deadline Feb. 14. Event held June 26–28. www.athfest.com/ athfest-­music/ CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS (Athens Homeless Coalition) Seeking submissions for street newspaper.

ADOPT ME! ACC Animal Services 125 Buddy Christian Way 706-613-3540

www.accgov.com/257/Available-Pets

Athens Area Humane Society 1030 Mitchell Bridge Rd 706-769-9155 www.athenshumanesociety.org

DONATE! FOSTER! ADOPT! THANKS! 14

F L A GP OL E .C OM · J A NU A R Y 7, 2026

Poetry, short stories, visual art, song lyrics. enagementcoordinator​ @athenshc.org CALL FOR STORYTELLERS (Rabbit Box) Rabbit Box seeks story ideas for upcoming shows. www.rabbit​ box.org/tell POET LAUREATE (ACCGov) The Leisure Services Arts Division’s Poet Laureate program is now accepting applications. Deadline extended to Friday, Jan. 9 at 5 p.m. www. accgov.com/11626/Public-­Art LIFE DRAWING (Winterville Cultural Center) Open studios for artists 18 & up to draw unclothed models.

Every third Wednesday of the month, 1–4 p.m. Feb. class held on the second Wednesday. Registration required. www.drawathens.org OPEN STUDIOS (Lyndon House Arts Center) Studio members have access to spaces for photography, ceramics and more. www. accgov.com/7350/Open-­Studio-­ Membership PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST (Firefly Trail Inc.) Submit black and white or color photography for the categories “people enjoying the Firefly Trail” and “scenes of the Firefly Trail.” Photos will be judged by professional photographers, and winning entries will be displayed at the Winterville Cultural Center.

Deadline Jan. 8. Winners will be announced Feb. www.fireflytrail. com

PUBLIC ART SELECTION PANELS (Athens, GA) The Athens Cultural Affairs Commission is seeking community members to participate in upcoming public art selection panels. www.accgov.com/9656/ Public-­Art-­Selection-­Panels

Auditions ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (Athens Creative Theatre) Scheduled auditions for comedy set in 1960s England. Jan. 15–16. Performances held Mar. 26–28. act@accgov.com OPEN AUDITIONS (Athens Master Chorale) Seeking new members in all voice parts including high sopranos, tenors and basses. Scheduled auditions held at St. Gregory the Great Church. athmcdirector@ gmail.com OPEN AUDITIONS (Athens Symphony) The Athens Symphony is holding auditions for qualified musicians. www.athenssymphony. org/openings VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE (Town & Gown) Open auditions for an adult comedy.

Feb. 9–10. Performances held Apr. 10–19. www.townand​gownplayers. org

Classes A COURSE OF LOVE (Unity Athens Church) Learn a positive path for spiritual living based on A Course in Miracles. Wednesdays, 10–11:30 a.m. www.unityathens.com ACCENT REDUCTION CLASS (Covenant Presbyterian Church) Improve your American English pronunciation skills. For ages 18 & up.

Tuesdays, 12 p.m. marjoriemiller@ gmail.com BASIC CROCHETING (Winterville Cultural Center) Learn the basics of crocheting. Materials provided during class session. Every Thursday, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. or 6:30–8:30 p.m. $100 for project series, $20 drop-­in. www.wintervillecenter.com BOTANICAL SKETCH BOOK (Winterville Cultural Center) Learn a variety of methods of capturing botanical images in an 8 week series. All skill levels. Materials not provided. Fridays, Jan. 9 through Feb. 27 at 10:30 a.m. $80. www. wintervillecenter.com

CANOPY CLASSES & SCHOLARSHIPS (Canopy Studio) Canopy offers a variety of trapeze and aerial arts classes for children and adults.

Scholarships and financial aid are available. outreach@canopystudio. org, www.canopystudio.org/ outreach/scholarships CHAIR YOGA (Winterville Cultural Center) Learn basic yoga moves and breathwork with adaptive modifications for all skill levels. An 8 week series. Fridays, Jan. 9 through Feb. 27 at 9:30 a.m. $80. www. wintervillecenter.com CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS (Athens, GA) The Athens Land Trust hosts a variety of virtual and in-­person classes. Topics include “Affordable Housing Info” and “Homebuyer Education Course.” www.athenslandtrust.org/classes-­ events CLASSES, HIKES & PADDLES (Watson Mill State Park, Comer) The park offers a variety of events including “Cocoa & Trivia” and “Introduction to iNaturalist & Merlin,” morning and evening kayak sessions, firebuilding classes, various educational hikes including “A Bridge to the Past” and more. www. gastateparks.org/WatsonMillBridge CUBAN MUSIC & MOVEMENT (The Studio Athens) TIMBAthens offers multiple classes for different skill levels. Sundays, 3 p.m. (Level 1), 4 p.m. (Level 2 & 3), 5 p.m.

(Advanced). Classes resume Jan. 11. $10 drop-­in. timbathens@ gmail.com, www.timbathens.com CUBAN SALSA LESSONS (El Carretonero) SALSAthens offers multiple classes for different skill levels.

Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. (advanced) and 7:30 p.m. (beginner/intermediate). $10 drop-­in. www.SALS​ AthensDancing@gmail.com DANCE CLASSES (East Athens Educational Dance Center) The center offers classes in ballet, hip hop, jazz, modern and more for all ages and skills. www.accgov.com/myrec ENERGY PLAN STUDY GROUP CLASSES (Covenant Presbyterian Church) The Southern Sustainability Institute hosts a four week participatory study group series on ACC’s Clean and Renewable Energy Plan.

Wednesdays, Jan. 7–28. 11:30 a.m. Registration required. info@ sosuin.org FREE CLASSES (The Athens Free School) Learning network for

Help Out ANIMAL SERVICES VOLUNTEERS (Animal Services Adoption Center) Volunteers needed for daily interactions with the shelter dogs.

Sessions run Monday through Friday; training session required.

Individuals under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. www.tidycal.com/animalservices​ volunteer ATHENS REPAIR CAFE (Solid Waste Office) The repair cafe is seeking volunteers comfortable fixing a variety of items including: clothing, small appliances, tools and more.

Fourth Sundays. reuse@accgov. com, www.accgov.com/RepairCafe ATHENS SKATEPARK PROJECT (Athens Skate Park) Seeking volunteers and community input. Third Sundays. www.athensskatepark​ project.org BRAS FOR A CAUSE (Grail Bra Specialists) Seeking donations of gently-­used bras for distribution to local shelters, recovery centers and communities in need. Contact Athens Area Bra Bank at 706-­850-­ 0387. support@grailbras.com DIAPER DONATIONS (Athens Area Diaper Bank) Diaper donations needed for local infants. All sizes and open packs/boxes are accepted. www.athensareadiaper​ bank.com MEDICAL EQUIPMENT (Friends of Disabled Adults and Children) Free home medical equipment provided to those in need. Athens locations for pickup at Northeast Georgia Area Agency on Aging and Multiple Choices. Donations also accepted. www.fodac.org MEDICAL EQUIPMENT EXCHANGE & DONATION (Silver Lace) Open registration for consideration for free mobility and daily living medical items. Donations also accepted. www.silverlaceinc.org, info@ silverlace.org MLK DAY OF SERVICE (Athens, GA) Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by volunteering on Jan. 19.

Over 30 different community organizations, cemeteries, schools and government agencies will host service projects. Registration deadline Jan. 16. www.accgov.com/mlkday MULTIPLE CHOICES VOLUNTEERS (Multiple Choices Center for Independent Living) Seeking volunteers to assist a nonprofit agency that serves individuals living with disabilities throughout a 10-­country area of Northeastern Georgia. 706-­850-­4025, dmyers@ multiplechoices.us PET FOOD PANTRY (Animal Services Adoption Center) The Animal

Services community pet food pantry provides pet food to ACC residents at no cost. Donations always welcome. Monday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Sundays, 12–3 p.m. www.accgov.com/adoptioncenter SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS (Athens Area Arts Council) The council is accepting applications from individuals who can commit to monthly meetings and have a passion for the arts. www.athensarts.org SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS (Bigger Vision of Athens) The nonprofit homeless shelter Bigger Vision of Athens, Inc. is seeking new members for its board of directors. the​ biggervisionshelter@gmail.com, www.bvoa.org/boardmember SEEKING BOARD MEMBERS (Moms Adopting Moms) Local nonprofit seeks board members, including a chair and treasurer, to support foster children and families through mentorship and reunification. momsadoptingmoms@ gmail.com SEEKING DONATIONS (The Cottage) Seeking donations of single-­ serving, non-­perishable snacks to help children and adults navigating interviews, therapy sessions and court hearings. To arrange a drop-­ off please call 706-­546-­1133, ext 223.

SEEKING DONATIONS (Hands of Hope) Local homeless ministry accepting donations of winter clothing for their free distribution program. Other donations accepted for fundraising yard sale with proceeds benefiting program. 706-­207-­5172 SEEKING HOLIDAY VOLUNTEERS (Athens Area Humane Society) Temporary fosters and volunteers needed to help care for animals through Jan. Applications available online. www.athenshumanesociety. org SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (KACCB) Keep Athens-­Clarke County Beautiful has volunteer opportunities that include roadside cleanups, adopt-­a-­ramp and more. www. keepathensbeautiful.org SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (Marigold Collective, Winterville) Volunteers needed for community food distribution events including weekly food kitchen, meal deliveries and more.

Also accepting donations of canned and dry goods. wwwmarigold collectivewinterville.com SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (Meals on Wheels) Currently recruiting volunteers to deliver meals, engage in safety checks and more. eschley@ accaging.org SEEING VOLUNTEERS (Morton Theatre) Volunteers needed for upcoming events. Board Member opportunities also available. www. mortontheatre.com/volunteer SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (Shoal Creek Sanctuary) Volunteers needed for variety of events including invasive plant removal, plant adoptions and more. First Sundays, 1–3:30 p.m. www.shoalcreek sanctuary.org/volunteer SEEKING VOLUNTEERS (St. Mary’s Home Health & Hospice) Seeking volunteers to provide companionship or to help with simple tasks for those in hospice care. Training provided. 706-­389-­2273 TEACHER SUPPLIES (Teacher Reuse Store) Educators can access free creative supplies at the store.

Please bring credentials. www. accgov.com/trs TOWELS FOR ANIMALS (Animal Services Adoption Center) Seeking donations of gently used bath towels and hand rags for bathing animals and cleaning kennels.

Donations can be dropped off at the door after hours. www.accgov.com/ animalservices

VOLUNTEER NETWORK (Community Works, Watkinsville) A nonprofit organization that connects volunteers of all ages to events, resources and training opportunities. CWorksOC@gmail.com

Kidstuff HOMESCHOOL SCIENCE (Sandy Creek Nature Center) Nature centered programs for groups 5–7 and 8–12 years of age. Jan. 9 and Feb.6, various times. Registration required. www.accgov.com/myrec KIDS YOGA (Oconee Library) Free yoga classes led by certified yoga instructor. Tuesdays, 5 p.m. Registration required. www.athenslibrary. org/events YOUTH MENTORSHIP (Waymaker) Registration open to match teens with one-­on-­one flexible tutoring services. Focus on academics, confidence building, life skills and more. Volunteers are also welcome to apply. www.way-­makers.org YOUTH PROGRAMS (Sheats Social Services) Registration now open for a variety of weekly programs that provide educational and community support for K-­12 students.

Volunteers are also needed. www. sheatssocialservices.org WINTER PROGRAM REGISTRATION (Athens, GA) The Leisure Services Department offers a diverse selection of activities highlighting the arts, environmental science, recreation, sports and holiday events. Now registering. www. accgov.com/myrec

Word on the Street BIKE REPAIR STATIONS (Multiple Locations) Over 15 free bike repair stations located across Athens with tools, an air pump and more. www. accgov.com/10584/Bike-­Repair-­ Stations COMMUNITY RUNNING GROUPS (Athens Road Runners) Weekly community runs for all skill levels including “Speed Workout” (Wednesdays, 5:30 a.m.) and “Fun Runs” (Wednesdays, 6:30 p.m. & Saturdays, 7:15 a.m.). www.athens​ roadrunners.org MEDICAL ASSISTANCE (Nuçi’s Space) Direct connections to mental healthcare like counseling and psychiatry, medical care for physical concerns and more. www. nuci.org, 706-­227-­1515 MINDFUL BREATH SANGHA MEETING (Healing Lodge) In the Zen tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. Sundays, 1–2:30 p.m. Newcomers welcome.

Free. www.mindfulbreathsangha.org MICROCHIP SCANNING STATIONS (Multiple Locations) Connect lost pets with their owners via scanning stations. Available 24 hours.

Located at ACC Animals Services, Memorial Park Dog Park and Southeast Clarke Park. Instructions provided at each location.

SEVENTH GENERATION (No. 3 Railroad Street, Arnoldsville) Seventh Generation Native American Church hosts various gatherings on Sundays, 11 a.m. 706-­340-­7134 VHS DIGITIZATION (Athens, GA) Seeking previously recorded concerts and events on VHS, VHSC, Hi8, MiniDV and DVDs to digitize and archive. www.vhsordie.com VOTER REGISTRATION RESOURCES (ACC Library Atrium) Economic Justice Coalition community volunteers assist Georgia residents with registration, confirm prior registration and update voter registration information as needed. www.economicjusticecoalition. org f

music

feature

Queer Joy Dance Party

BLENDING ELECTRONIC MUSIC, LGBTQ CELEBRATION AND FUNDRAISING

By Joseph Mazzola music@flagpole.com

W

alking along the west side of These were usually punk and hardcore downtown Athens, the city’s shows, with occasional indie rock events rich music history is right under thrown in. They said it was an extremely your feet. The Athens Music Walk of Fame rewarding experience. “That’s really fulfillplaques highlight the classics of rock, ing. To be like, ‘I feel so helpless in this evil indie and hip hop, and legendary venues world,’ and then, if I can do one thing in my and organizations. Local bars and coffee community that at least means something shops have still-­thriving hardcore punk to one person, it just makes me feel better.” and singer-­songwriter scenes. But local But shows like those with multiple bands musician and visual artist Viv Awesome has required a lot of coordination. Queer Joy a question that more and more people are Dance Party simplifies that. asking: “Where the club at?”

“One-­off DJ sets are really easy to set up In August, the first Queer Joy Dance and tear down. You can have a pretty mixed Party answered this question. That night, bill, and they keep the room all night. Also, Flicker Theatre and Bar hosted a mix of I feel like the DJ space is so inherently alternative pop, dance music and punk rock. queer that it’s hard to find an electronic bill Proceeds went to the Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition, “a collection of Athens-­based groups with a shared goal of asserting justice for Athens area immigrants, regardless of legal status.”

Queer Joy Dance Party II follows on Jan. 9 at Hendershot’s, again benefiting the Athens Immigrant Rights Coalition.

Viv Awesome booked this event under Tame Meat, their moniker for booking mutual aid and benefit events. “We’ve got to bring the club to us,” they affirm. The presence of electronic music has waxed and waned in Athens over the last few years, and Viv Awesome sees the Queer Joy Dance Party series as a remedy for that.

“Originally, it was going to be ‘freak drag’ night,” they said, “and then I was like, ‘Guys, what if we just did a dance party, though?’”

The event includes Organic Compound, WUOG’s electronic music show hosted by Cannon Deringer that has recently made the jump from the airwaves to live DJing; Christee Darling, blending classic Viv Awesome Detroit house music and French house with international bass; and Dr. Boygirlfriend, Viv Awesome’s goth-­ that doesn’t have a queer person playing adjacent DJ project. Queer Joy Dance Party that night. And nobody [in Athens] is really goes beyond music. The night also features doing this right now, so you don’t have to Cara Piss’ genre-­pushing, horror themed answer to anyone, you know what I mean? drag and Louie Simone’s mime-­based perYou don’t have to ask permission.” formance art.

This blending of local community buildThe dance party is more than just a ing, expressions of LGBTQ life and art, and party. In politically troubling and uncertain fundraising for AIRC in a time of increased times for LGBTQ individuals, Viv Awepolitical turmoil for immigrants make this some wants Queer Joy Dance Party to be a event something larger than the night of release for marginalized people. “I wanted Jan. 9. Raising money for organizations it to explicitly be a community event that like AIRC who provide legal advocacy and celebrates the queer experience now, and support, social connection and an oft-­ having community and a joyful space and unconsidered electronic music event is what cathartic space, a space where you can many people in Athens are looking for right emphatically express something positive now. Queer Joy Dance Party II gives them with other people.” that “three-­birds, one-­stone” solution. f “A dance party is always dope. But… we can literally kill three birds with one stone here,” they explain. Queer Joy Dance WHAT: Queer Joy Dance Party Party fills the electronic music niche, gives WHEN: Friday, Jan. 9, 8 p.m.

LGBTQ people a community event, and it is WHERE: Hendershot’s a benefit show. They started booking benHOW MUCH: $10 efit shows for fundraising and mutual aid efforts with local organization Lemonaid.

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JASON THRASHER

community centered around compassion, autonomy and playfulness. Visit @athensfreeschool on Instagram.

GUIDED GARDEN TOURS (UGA Botanical Garden) Learn about various plants at a guided walk for groups of less than 10. Every Tuesday–Friday, 11 a.m. $5 per person. botgarden.uga.edu NETWORKING, LESSONS AND MEETINGS (Integrative Medicine Initiative) Free events for those in the local wellness sector seeking support and educational opportunities. admin@integrativemedicine​ initiative.org OPEN ICE SKATING (Akins Ford Arena) Athens GA Figure Skating Club offers open ice skating for all skill levels every Monday through Thursday, 4–5 p.m. $10 students, $15 general admission. RSVP required. Athensgafigureskating@ gmail.com, athens_ga_figure_​ skating_club

Tuesday 6

event calendar

ART: Tuesday Tour (State Botanical Garden of Georgia) Join a docent led tour of the State Botanical Garden’s Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum. Every Tuesday, 2 p.m. $5. botgarden.uga.edu GAMES: Lunch & Learn (Tyche’s Games) Bring your lunch and learn new games. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www. tychesgames.com GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Amici at The Falls) Test your trivia knowledge with host Miles Bunch. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/ baddogathens GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Paloma Park) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/baddogathens GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Winghouse Grill Hull) Test your general trivia knowledge. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Magnolias of Athens) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Benjamin. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. www. instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. info@athenspetanque. org, www.athenspetanque.org

Wednesday 7 ART: Tour at Two (Georgia Museum of Art) These drop-​in public tours feature highlights of the permanent collection. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org ART: Paint & Sip (Athentic Brewing Co.) Guided step-​by-​step instructions to paint a personalized work with local artist Robin Moore. Supplies provided. 7 p.m. $40. www. athenticbrewing.com FILM: Blood Everywhere (Flicker Theatre & Bar) A mute, traumatized woman faces new horrors when her cousin is murdered by a maniac

in Knife of Ice. 7 p.m. FREE! www. instagram.com/bloodeverywhere. athens GAMES: Shadowfist Power Lunch (Tyche’s Games) Come down with your lunch and play Shadowfist.

New players welcome. 12 p.m.

FREE! www.tychesgames.com GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (South Main Brewing) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzu​ nottrivia GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Normal Bar) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia GAMES: Classic City Trivia (The Local 706) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett.

Wednesdays, 7:06 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Locos Grill and Pub Eastside) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/ shihtzunottrivia KIDSTUFF: Story Time (Oconee County Library) Drop in for songs, fingerplays and early literacy skills.

Ages 3–7. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee LECTURES & LIT: Word of Mouth (The Globe) Athens’ longest-​ running spoken word open mic, with this month’s featured reader Abby Duran from Charleston. 6 p.m. (sign-​ups), 7 p.m. (poetry).

FREE! www.facebook.com/athens​ wordofmouth

Friday 9

ART: Art in the Park (Sandy Creek Park) Join staff to create tree ring prints inspired by nature. All ages.

Registration required. 10 a.m. $5 (ACC resident), $7.50 (non-​resident). www.accgovga.myrec.com COMEDY: 50 First Jokes (40 Watt Club) Hosted by Joe Pettis, 50 of Georgia’s best comics share their first new joke of the year. 7 p.m. (doors), 8 p.m. (show). $10 (adv.), $12. www.40watt.com

Thursday 8 CLASSES: Ladies Only Line Dancing (Boutier Winery & Inn) Line dancing led by Amy Sudy with a buffet-​style dinner and two glasses of wine. 6:30–9:30 p.m. $20. www. boutierwinery.com EVENTS: Knit Lits (Bogart Library) Knitters of all levels are invited to have fun, share craft ideas and knit to their hearts’ content. Thursdays, 6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/bogart GAMES: Bad Dog BINGO (Amici at The Falls) Play BINGO with host TJ Wayt. Thursdays, 6 p.m. www. instagram.com/baddogathens

art around town ACE/FRANCISCO GALLERY (675 Pulaski St., Suite 500) Heaven4theYoung presents “The Uncanny Valley” featuring ceramics, oils and watercolors by Frances Thrasher. Through January.

AMICI AT THE FALLS (8851 Macon Hwy., Suite 501) New works by artist and muralist Marisa Mustard are on view through January.

ATHENS-​CLARKE COUNTY LIBRARY (2025 Baxter St.) In the Bogue Gallery, “Over and Under: Woven by the Athena Weavers” features textile arts. Through Jan. 11.

ATHENAEUM (287 W. Broad St.) “Beverly’s Athens” is a concurrent exhibition with the Georgia Museum of Art featuring works by Beverly Buchanan.

The exhibition includes sculptures, drawings, photographs, print multiples, autobiographical ephemera and research materials alongside examples of her well-​known “shacks.” On view Jan. 16–Mar. 21. Opening reception Jan. 17, 4–6 p.m.

ARTS + ATHLETICS (130 The Plaza) Atlanta artist Paige Adair’s exhibition “The Swan’s Chamber and Other Enchanted Portals” features paintings, printmaking and works on paper. On view by appointment only through Mar. 21.

COMMUNITY (260 W. Washington St.) Paintings and collages by Don Chambers are on display through January.

GEORGIA MUSEUM OF ART (90 Carlton St.) “Beverly’s Athens” is a

16

GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Terrapin Beer Co.) Test your general knowledge. Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Butt Hutt) Test your general trivia knowledge. Thursdays, 7 p.m. www. instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia KIDSTUFF: 123 Toddler & Me (Lay Park Community Center) Bond with your toddler using fun gym games, arts and crafts, and kitchen goodies.

10 a.m. $3 (ACC residents), $4.50 (non-​residents). www.accgovga. myrec.com

F L A GP OL E .C OM · J A NU A R Y 7, 2026

The Don Toberman: Ping-Pong Champ comedy show will take place at Canopy Studio on Saturday, Jan. 10.

OUTDOORS: Social Skate Night (Firefly Trail) All ages and skill levels are invited to cruise while making friends and building skills.

4:30 p.m. FREE! www.accgovga. myrec.com SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.athenspetanque.org

EVENTS: Adult Trips (Howard Park & Community Center) Leisure Services offers roundtrip travel to Atlanta for a visit to The King Center. 9 a.m.–5 p.m. $15 (ACC resident), $22.50 (non-​resident). www.accgov.com/myrec GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Oak House Distillery) Test your general trivia knowledge. Fridays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia

concurrent exhibition with the Georgia Museum of Art featuring works by Beverly Buchanan. The exhibition includes sculptures, drawings, photographs, print multiples, autobiographical ephemera and research materials alongside examples of her well-​known “shacks.” Through June 28. • asinnajaq’s “Three Thousand” combines archival videos from the National Film Board of Canada with animations, soundscapes and contemporary video footage. Through June 28. • “Looking Through a Sewn Sky: Rachel B. Hayes” is a commissioned installation in the Jane and Harry Willson Sculpture Garden that blends sculpture, painting and craft. Through Jul. 30, 2027.

LYNDON HOUSE ARTS CENTER (211 Hoyt St.) In the Lobby Case, Katie Kameen recontextualizes plastic pieces to create new forms in her exhibition “Plastic Tense.” Through Jan. 24. • Also in the Lobby Case, Jeff Campana’s “Assemblage Vessels” features modular ceramic vessels produced using computer‑designed molds and CNC milling. Through Feb. 21. • In the lower and upper atrium, “Seams to Be: New Approaches to Textile Techniques” highlights innovative uses of needle and thread by 13 Georgia artists.

Guest curated by Didi Dunphy. Through Jan. 24. • In the West Gallery, “Interwoven Narratives: Caul and Response” is a collaborative work by twin sisters Sachi Rome and Tokie Rome-​Taylor. The exhibit explores southern folklore surrounding the caul and the concept of double consciousness.

Through Jan. 24. • In the Nancy Lukasiewicz Gallery, a two-​person exhibition features the abstract sculptural paintings of Sebastian Garcia Huidobro alongside the brutalist architecture-​inspired sculptures of Rachel Lea Seburn. Through Jan. 24.

GAMES: Friday Night Initiative (Tyche’s Games) Learn how to play a new roleplaying game. New players welcome. 7 p.m. FREE! www. tychesgames.com SPORTS: Athens Rock Lobsters vs. Pee Dee IceCats (Akins Ford Arena) Cheer on the home team in this hockey match. 7 p.m. $28–50. www.classiccenter.com

Saturday 10 CLASSES: Figure Drawing Open Studio (Georgia Museum of Art) Sketch from a nude model in this life-​drawing workshop. Registration required. 2 p.m. FREE! gmoa-​ tours@uga.edu COMEDY: Don Toberman: Ping-​ Pong Champ (Canopy Studio) Witness sports history as Don Toberman attempts to become the world’s most decorated ping-​pong player in this award-​winning clown spectacle by Chase Brantley. 8 p.m. $18. www.canopystudio.org EVENTS: OLLI Fest (River’s Crossing) Learn more about OLLI, the learning and social organization for adults over 50, with a drawing for free membership. 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

FREE! olli.uga.edu EVENTS: Really, Really Free Market (Reese and Pope Park) Just like a yard sale, but everything is free.

Bring what you can, take what you need. Second Saturday of every month. 12–1:30 p.m. reallyreally​ freemarketathens@gmail.com, www.facebook.com/RRFMAthens EVENTS: A Feast of Frost and Candlelight (Land Family Home) A classic literature and fantasy themed event with paper crown crafts, portraits and a nature inspired dining experience. Ages 18 & up. 5–9 p.m. $120. www.met-​ by-​moonlight.com GAMES: BumFit Demo Game (Oconee County Library) Join creator John Gholson for a demo play of his strategy fitness card game.

FREE! 3 p.m. www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: K-​Pop Winter Festival (The Meadow Montessori Play Studio) Enjoy winter-​themed activities in celebration of the snow and ice festivals of South Korea, plus a

meet and greet with Rumi from K– Pop Demon Hunters. $23. 10 a.m. www.themeadowplaystudio.com KIDSTUFF: Spelling Showdown (ACC Library) Compete on teams with a classic word tile board game to win prizes. Ages 8 & up. Registration required. 10 a.m.–12:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org KIDSTUFF: Chess Club (Oconee County Library) Drop in for open chess play for all skill levels. 3 p.m. FREE! ​​www.athenslibrary.org/ oconee MEETINGS: African American Genealogy Shared Interest Group (Oconee County Library) Learn and share research stories, problem-​solving techniques, and tools that are focused on African American genealogy. 10 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org SPORTS: Athens Rock Lobsters vs. Pee Dee IceCats (Akins Ford Arena) Cheer on the home team in this hockey match. 7 p.m. $28–50. www.classiccenter.com

Sunday 11 CLASSES: Mah Jongg (Oconee County Library) Adults of all skill levels are invited to learn and play American Mah Jonng. Every Sunday. 2–4 p.m. FREE! www.athens​ library.org/oconee GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (The Globe) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Sundays, 6 p.m. www. instagram.com/baddogathens KIDSTUFF: Kids Comedy Show (Flying Squid Comedy) Local comedians provide a comedic take on every sport with Total Sports Mania. 4 p.m. $5. www.flyingsquid​ comedy.com OUTDOORS: Tails on Trails (Watson Mill Bridge State Park) Bring your leashed dog and join a park ranger for a 1.5 easy hike. 2 p.m. $10 parking pass/vehicle. www. gastateparks.org/WatsonMillBridge SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. info@athenspetanque. org, www.athenspetanque.org SPORTS: Athens Rock Lobsters vs.

Columbus River Dragons (Akins

MADISON-​MORGAN CULTURAL CENTER (434 S. Main St., Madison) “Emergence – In Black & White” features charcoal works and figure studies

by Gary Hudson. Through Jan. 25.

OCONEE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION (34 School St., Watkinsville) In the Main Gallery, “A Way Among Ways” is curated by Beth Malone and features artists whose work explores labor, material and improvisation. On view Jan. 16–Mar. 7. • In the Members Gallery, “This Beautiful Tangle” includes paintings and illustrations by Jeffrey Whittle alongside prints and paper works by Melissa Harshman. On view Jan. 16–Mar. 7. Opening reception Jan. 16, 5–7 p.m.

STEFFEN THOMAS MUSEUM OF ART (4200 Bethany Rd., Buckhead) “Steffen Thomas Through the Eyes of Young Adults” is on display in the Educational Gallery. Final date TBA..

TIGER’S EYE GALLERY (675 Pulaski St.) “Animal Spirit” features prints, drawings and paintings by local artists David Hale, Tatiana Kiselyova, Valley StipeMaas, Jeffrey Whittle and more that are inspired by the animals both mythological and real. Through Jan. 15. Closing reception Jan. 15, 5–8 p.m.

TINYATH GALLERY (174 Cleveland Ave.) Works by artist Linda Macbeth on view through January.

UGA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARIES (300 S. Hull St.) “Captain Planet: The Power Is Yours” explores the origins and impact of the TV series.

Through May. • “Sustained Excellence: A History of UGA Swim & Dive” explores the program’s history through photographs and artifacts. Through May.

Ford Arena) Cheer on the home team in this hockey match. 4 p.m. $28–50. www.classiccenter.com

Monday 12 CLASSES: Coyote Hendy (Hendershot’s) The Dancing Ruth leads a line dancing class. Second Mondays, 6 p.m. www.hendershots​ athens.com GAMES: Chess and Community (ACC Library) Drop in for open chess play to learn the game, challenge skills and engage with other enthusiasts. Mondays, 3:30–5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Fully Loaded Pizza Kitchen (Normaltown)) Test your general trivia knowledge. Mondays, 7 p.m. www. instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Pancho’s Tacos & Tequila) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Ian. Mondays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Dooley’s Bar and Grill) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett.

Mondays, 7 p.m. www.instagram. com/classiccitytriviaco GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Grindhouse Killer Burgers) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Benjamin. Mondays, 7:30 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccity​ triviaco KIDSTUFF: Storytime with Miss Harli (Bogart Library) Build early literacy skills through songs, letters, language fun, stories and STEAM. Ages 3–7. Mondays, 10:30 a.m.

FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart

Tuesday 13 ART: Tuesday Tour (State Botanical Garden of Georgia) Join a docent led tour of the State Botanical Garden’s Porcelain and Decorative Arts Museum. Every Tuesday, 2 p.m. $5. botgarden.uga.edu CLASSES: Understanding Wi-​Fi (ACC Library) Learn the basics of home and public wi-​fi, what affects your signal and how to stay safe while browsing. 10 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org CLASSES: ESL (Bogart Library) Learn and improve English skills including speaking, listening, reading and writing. 12 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/bogart CLASSES: Family Craft Night (Lay Park Community Center) Bring the family to create an all occasions wreath. 6 p.m. $15 (ACC resident), $22.50 (non-​resident). www. accgov.com/myrec GAMES: Lunch & Learn (Tyche’s Games) Bring your lunch and learn new games. 11:30 a.m. FREE! www. tychesgames.com GAMES: Rock ’n Roll Trivia (Athentic Brewing Co.) Test your trivia knowledge with host The Music Man. Second Tuesdays, 6 p.m.

FREE! www.athenticbrewing.com GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Amici at The Falls) Test your trivia knowledge with host Miles Bunch. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/ baddogathens GAMES: Bad Dog Trivia (Paloma Park) Test your trivia knowledge with host TJ Wayt. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/baddogathens GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Winghouse Grill Hull) Test your general trivia knowledge. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Akademia Brewing Co.) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett. Tuesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco

GAMES: Classic City Trivia (Magnolias of Athens) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Benjamin. Tuesdays, 8 p.m. www. instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco KIDSTUFF: Jumping Gym (Howard Park & Community Center) Explore a bouncy wonderland with big jumps and soft landings. Ages 5 & under. 10 a.m. FREE! www. accgovga.myrec.com KIDSTUFF: Toddler Tuesday: Art from the Heart (Georgia Museum of Art) Enjoy art and storytime in the galleries, then complete an art activity. Ages 18 months to 3 years.

RSVP by email. 10 a.m. FREE! gmoa-​tours@uga.edu KIDSTUFF: Crochet Kids Workshop (Bogart Library) Join Ms. Harli to learn the basics of crocheting. 4 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary.org/ bogart MEETINGS: Memoir Writing Group (Bogart Library) During this monthly group, hear memoirs from others and learn tips on how to write your own. 5:30 p.m. FREE! www.athens​ library.org/bogart SPORTS: Classic City Pétanque Club (Lay Park) New players welcome. Scheduled days are Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. www.athenspetanque.org

BIRTH CONTROL Made Easy!

Wednesday 14 ART: Tour at Two (Georgia Museum of Art) These drop-​in public tours feature highlights of the permanent collection. 2 p.m. FREE! www.georgiamuseum.org CLASSES: Wired For Success: How Do You Work This Thing?

(Howard Park & Community Center) A hands-​on class that teaches computer basics, how to navigate cellphones and more. 9 a.m. FREE! www.accgov.com/myrec CLASSES: French Class (Oconee County Library) Join instructor Emma Auer to learn the basics of the French language. Ages 18 & up.

6 p.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee FILM: Pachinko Pop (Flicker Theatre & Bar) Screening of the Japanese action drama film Karate Warriors.

7 p.m. FREE! www.flickertheatre​ andbar.com GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (South Main Brewing) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzu​ nottrivia GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Normal Bar) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. www.instagram.com/shihtzunottrivia GAMES: Classic City Trivia (The Local 706) Test your general trivia knowledge with host Garrett.

Wednesdays, 7:06 p.m. www.instagram.com/classiccitytriviaco GAMES: Shih Tzu Not Trivia (Locos Grill and Pub Eastside) Test your general trivia knowledge. Wednesdays, 8 p.m. www.instagram.com/ shihtzunottrivia KIDSTUFF: Story Time (Oconee County Library) Drop in for songs, fingerplays and early literacy skills.

Ages 3–7. Wednesdays, 10 a.m. & 11 a.m. FREE! www.athenslibrary. org/oconee KIDSTUFF: Ready, Set, Grow (Heard Park & Community Center) An active program for toddlers and preschoolers with a weekly theme.

Ages 2–5. 10 a.m. $3 (ACC resident), $4.50 (non-​resident). www. accgovga.myrec.com MEETINGS: Athens Psychedelic Society (ACC Library) Meet like-​ minded individuals interested in topics related to expanded states of consciousness. 6 p.m. FREE! www. athenspsychedelicsociety.com f

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WE DO HAIR! J A NU A R Y 7, 2026 · F L A GP OL E .C OM

17

flagpole Tomorrow’s News Today music

threats & promises

A FORECAST OF THE ATHENS MUSIC SCENE IN 2026

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F L A GP OL E .C OM · J A NU A R Y 7, 2026

By Gordon Lamb threatsandpromises@flagpole.com Welcome back, my friends, to the news that never ends.

Now that we’ve entered 2026, hopefully safely and in good health, it’s time to crank up the machine again. In the interest of efficiency and maximizing your attention span, I’ve gone ahead and wrapped up the new year for you below.

Let’s just say that sometimes you can’t believe anything you read and, with regard to this week’s news, definitely shouldn’t.

JANUARY: The late December cold snap basically sent everyone inside, where plans were canceled, texts ghosted and Netflix streamed continuously. Those who ventured out spent $40 each way on Ubers, lost January’s rent money on booze and made multiple resolutions, all of which were abandoned by the next afternoon.

FEBRUARY: The music scene decided that, in 2026, Valentine’s Day was such a relic it should be ignored completely. Still, nature abhors a vacuum, so it was decided that National Tater Tot Day (Feb. 2) would take its place. To this end, burger joint Clocked (“Official Tater Tot Provider of Downtown Athens”) held a mini-​festival in its outside tent, but was apparently confused over the details and only booked little kids bands. You know, tots. One member of the staff who spoke anonymously said, “Man, I don’t know the point of this. These kids are horrible tippers and don’t know anything about music. One dude brought his three-​year-​old in wearing a Black Flag shirt, and the kid couldn’t even name three songs. Poseur.”

MARCH: Finally ready to stretch its legs and get moving, the music scene held a staring contest between itself, Austin, TX’s South By Southwest and a not-​emptied bank account. By the 12th of the month, both the scene and the stash cried uncle as our merry faithful made the trek to taco land.

Everyone seemed to agree that it was worth picking up all those extra shifts to fill the tank, drive 15 hours, play in some random alleyway and eat straight garbage for a week. Mike Mantione, Five-​Eight singer and guitarist for Athens heroes and multi-​year SXSW veterans Five-​ Eight, put it succinctly: “Yeah, it’s called paying your dues, and it never stops. So get used to it. This ain’t no picnic.

Whadya want? A cookie?” And, indeed, last year the band played at least two shows per day, but this year its publicist, who seemingly never sleeps, really encouraged the band to up that to at least eight shows per day.

APRIL: This month of showers saw new growth for the Athens music scene. Specifically, there were no major pranks pulled on April Fool’s Day, nor any shows booked with such a theme. Sully Holmes (Rubber Udder) allowed that this wasn’t exactly circumspection but, rather, inattention. He said, “Dude, we just forgot.”

MAY: Athens bands have a tendency to be incredibly short lived or remain alive well past their expiration date.

However, in May nature took her course, and multiple groups split organically as at least one member of each finally graduated college this month and left town. Then, dandelion-​like, the other members quickly found stations in other situations without ever considering if this was a good or necessary thing.

JUNE-​JULY-​AUGUST: Approximately 1,500 bands from around the Southeast performed “officially” during this year’s AthFest. To accommodate this sardine can of a schedule,

every artist submitted instrumental tracks and performed karaoke style. Longtime Athens musician Mike Mills remarked, “Yeah, this is some ‘American Bandstand’ shit for sure. Used to be bands fought against this kind of thing, but everyone’s gotta be in the spotlight. Bummer.” Mills’ former bandmate Michael Stipe took slight umbrage at his pal’s “spotlight” remark and was overheard whispering to himself, “Hey, that’s me.” The remainder of the summer was spent sweating that particular Southern sweat that appears instantaneously and never abates. Even so, 14 or so new bands formed, and at least one had plans to stay together for the rest of the year.

SEPTEMBER: Instructors at UGA’s music business program found themselves out of step with incoming certificate seekers, and spent the rest of the month reconciling how to teach this business to students who have never once read a bad review of an artist they liked.

OCTOBER: This year’s Wild Rumpus event joined forces with musicians who have been spending time as Teamsters with the film industry. There was no walking parade this year as the entire thing was held on flatbed trucks, each with its own band. And because no one needed to walk, there was also no map, because it was assumed everyone driving MIKE WHITE · DEADLYDESIGNS.COM

is seeking a news intern to help cover local government, 2026 elections, UGA campus events and more.

knew how to turn left and go in a circle. The lead truck, though, turned right, everyone followed, and now Augusta is tasked with dealing with all this.

NOVEMBER: This was the month the scene finally buckled down and got organized enough to start its ramp-​up to the holiday season and begin assembling items for sale. Not to be outdone by, really, anyone, Athens label Hard Tack put together a boxed set of every single cassette tape it ever released. This was easier done than said, even, as boxes are free behind the Alps Road Kroger. So, each set was unique in this respect, as there were only so many of one kind to go around. One label worker said, “The area that separates trash and bespoke is, really, such a fine line.”

DECEMBER: And another year in the Athens music scene came to a close with, not a whimper, but a yelp. Specifically, a Yelp review. A visitor to our town left his thoughts on the service-​review platform and said, “First time visitor. Will return. Went to World Famous to see some band, and a dude screamed in my face for a whole half hour. Then I went next door. The whole town seems to be decorated in thrift store art. Got a $20 parking ticket, which seemed quaint even though locals told me that’s pretty expensive for here.

Overall, people were friendly if a little self involved. Still, five out of five would recommend.” f

SUDOKU

Edited by Margie E. Burke

6

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LET PEIKEN HELP!

Difficulty: Easy

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Copyright 2026 by The Puzzle Syndicate

HOW TO SOLVE:

Each row must contain the numbers 1 to 9; each column must contain the numbers 1 to 9; and each set of by 3 boxes must contain Week of31/5/26 - 1/11/26 the numbers 1 to 9.

The Weekly Crossword 1

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Come together in 2026.

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by Margie E. Burke

36 39

Find 12 pleasing words and discover what turns you on!

42 46

64

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Copyright 2026 by The Puzzle Syndicate

ACROSS 1 Type of saw 48 Posh properties 6 Reunion 51 Tribal healer attendee 54 Mexican 10 Genghis or Kublai peninsula 14 Dote on 55 Pension 15 Ill-mannered alternative 16 Fancy trim 56 Fined, maybe 17 Scrabble pieces 58 Meadow sound 18 Kind of triangle 60 "If it ___ broke 20 Cry of triumph 61 Musical mark 21 Camper's need 62 Starbucks 23 Proof of pedigree serving 24 Vermont city 63 Spanish three 26 Sword handle 64 PRNDL pick 27 Some British 65 Cultural values nobles 28 Learn by _____ DOWN 32 Swagger 1 Mythical goat34 Bond flick, "No man ___ to Die" 2 Nice goodbye?

36 Butcher's stock 3 Shoring up 37 "… now ___ 4 Before, in poems the future" 5 Turn off and on 38 Went a-courting again, say 39 Athletic shoe 6 Noses' places? brand 7 Fall shade 40 Bergman's role 8 "Without further in "Casablanca" ___..."

41 Cozy lodgings 9 Couldn't stand 42 1998 film, "____ 10 Taking issue? of the State" 11 Alan of 60's TV 43 Lower in quality 12 Tennis whiz 45 Finn's creator 13 Capone nemesis 47 Mining finds 19 Storm preceder

22 Photo blow-up: Abbr.

25 Some coin-op establishments 26 1800s settler 29 New septuagenarian's birthday 30 "___ to please!"

31 Legal delay 32 Auction cry 33 Lauper hit, "___ Colors" 35 Charged bit 38 Adding lanes, say 42 Fit for consumption 44 Asia's dried-up "sea" 46 N.Y.C. financial daily 49 Poetic Muse 50 Fills up 51 Squabble 52 Will-reading attendee 53 Heche or Hathaway 54 Early release 57 Ballet-loving Muppet 59 Long. counterpart

Hint: Come Together

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J A NU A R Y 7, 2026 · F L A GP OL E .C OM

19

MUSIC STUDENT CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNER CONCERT with the UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Program: MOZART TCHAIKOVSKY PROKOFIEV and more!

ARCO Chamber Orchestra presents “The Journey”

THURSDAY, JAN. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Hodgson Concert Hall. FOR TICKETS: $20 - Adults $3 UGA students music.uga.edu 706-542-4400 Monday, October 20

FEATURING UGA MUSIC STUDENTS: Trey Floyd, tenor; Daniel Johnson, bassoon Hoberdan Peno, guitar; Luis Umbelino Da Silva, clarinet; Tzu-Wei Wang piano; and Josh Wood, horn. The soloists performing in this concert are selected after advancing through a rigorous competition process judged

by UGA Music faculty.

UPCOMING FREE PERFORMANCES Day of

FIRE AND

SUN

UGA CHORAL PROJECT Featuring Josquin Missa Pange Lingua. Music of DiOrio, Kačinskas, Monteverdi and more.

FRIDAY, JAN. 23 at 7:30 p.m.

Ramsey Concert Hall

GUEST ARTIST CALEB CARPENTER, saxophone

Community open House January 24, 10 a.m._____5 p.m.

Free!

Scan to register

Family Day, 10 a.m. – noon Cafe Racer food truck, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA WIND ENSEMBLE CHAMBER WINDS

Mini astrology readings and intuitive poetry writing station with Ghost Apothecary, 2 – 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JAN. 28 at 7:30 p.m.

Ramsey Concert Hall

Artist talk with Boramie Sao, 4 p.m.

January 24, 5_____7 p.m.

With sparkling beverages provided by the Lark Winespace (including fun non-alcoholic options) and light bites Free for members at the Reciprocal level or above

$15 for everyone else

FACULTY ARTIST SERIES JEAN MARTIN-WILLIAMS, horn JAMES NAIGUS, horn TUESDAY, JAN. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

Ramsey Concert Hall

Door prizes, drop-in art activities and photo booth, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

opening ReCeption

MONDAY, JAN. 26 at 6 p.m.

Edge Recital Hall School of Music Bldg, 250 River Road

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GUEST ARTIST ROBERT McDONALD, piano McDonald has toured extensively as a soloist in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and South America.

FRIDAY, JAN. 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Ramsey Concert Hall All Hugh Hodgson School of Music events take place at the UGA Performing Arts Center, 230 River Road in Athens unless indicated.

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