MUSIC&ARTS Wired for the winter

Eli Cain sings at Chords & Truth. [Courtesy/Eli Cain] by JESSE WOOD Garrett Gray, the bass player in Cam and His Dam Jam Band, knows rehearsals are important. But, he also knows live shows are even better.

“One good live show is worth 10 practices,” Gray said.

Live Wire, a music venue in the northwest corner of downtown Athens, has given the band — and many others — that platform. Since February 2022, the Athens-based psychedelic rock band has performed at the venue many times, often during its regular Wired N’ Weird shows.

“The staff and the stage and the lights and everything were just really great,” Gray said, “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to play at the Live Wire, because I love that stage. I think it’s one of the best stages and one of the best venues in Athens.”

Formerly a warehouse, in 2015 Live Wire was completely transformed by local owners into a hot spot for live performances by burgeoning artists, as well as private events.

Several indoor and outdoor spaces make Live Wire an all-seasons venue, with Robertson Hall indoors featuring a 15-foot screen, a large stage and a dance floor, and for mild winter nights, the Garden Courtyard and Upper Deck, home to a large outdoor stage and bar, food truck parking and an optional tent.

Wired Wednesday is one of the venue’s most popular nights. While the lineup changes week to week, each show brings together local artists with musical styles ranging from electronic to bluegrass.

On the second Wednesday of each month, the Wired Wednesday theme is Wired N’ Weird, when Cam and His Dam Jam Band often play. As a band gaining traction in the music industry, performing live is vital for building a reputation and a fan base. Gray said Live Wire has given the band the space to continue this growth.

“Live performance is what separates the men from the boys when it comes to a band,” Gray said. “For Wired Wednesday, we have the floor to do whatever we want. Performing here, we can bring new people in and make our name more heard around town.”

Every fourth Wednesday, you can expect to find yourself Peach Pickin’ if you visit Live Wire. This event showcases the country music scene in Athens with bluegrass tunes, local vendors and mason jar lighting.

Peach Ice Cream Bluegrass, a collective bluegrass group from Athens, has starred in the most recent Peach Pickin’ shows. Josh Bennett, who plays banjo for the band, says the setting has allowed Peach Ice Cream Bluegrass to play around with new sounds.

“We’re all in rock bands as well, so we add an element of funkiness,” Bennett said. “We play a lot of songs that you wouldn’t expect to be bluegrass. And, we all have pedals on our instruments. Those pedals make crazy effects. It’s pretty new to the bluegrass scene right now.”

In addition to Wired N’ Weird and Peach Pickin’, Live Wire’s shows take on other themes from week to week — one recent Wired Wednesday show was dubbed Chords & Truth. Eli Cain, a rising country singer in Athens, performed in the show, which is devoted to singer-songwriters showcasing their original songs.

“It felt like a real concert, not a gig,” Cain said. “People were there to listen to songs I had written, and that was their sole purpose. It was not like any other gig I’ve done.”

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