New Earth Music Hall Making Its Way in Athens

The void of the Georgia Theatre may now be filled by a new music venue, New Earth Music Hall. New Earth took the place of the former dance club, Blur. Mark Bell, the owner of Blur, made some changes to better the venue for a larger concert capacity. Blur could only accommodate 300 people, where as New Earth Music Hall can now accommodate 400-500 people.

Blur has closed its doors because of changes in the cultural scene of Athens as well. Before, Blur catered to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender clients with dance parties and drag shows. Now, this population feels comfortable stepping into other traditional downtown establishments free of any discriminatory concerns.

New Earth Music Hall, having opened its doors on Aug. 28, now has a sprinkler system, sound system, and expanded stage to accommodate a larger audience. This fresh venue continues to host drag shows but also hosts a variety of concerts from all genres of music. Comedy is planned to mix up the scene, as well as daytime events for all ages. This addition to downtown Athens hopefully will liven up the music scene stunted by the absence of the Georgia Theatre.

I've been a part of Creative Consultants, a not-for-profit student-run public relations firm, for two years now. Last year, I was the junior account executive for the Ciné account and had the pleasure of working with Alyssa De Hayes, the account executive. Her blog, phonographs, is about the music and photography that inspires her. She also happens to be a music publicist for Team Clermont here in Athens. She posted some staggering pictures she took of the aftermath of the Georgia Theatre fire.

Local Athens artist, Jennifer Schildknecht, is the creative mind behind Georgia Theatre's art quilt project for restoration funds. Her blog, Mama In The Moon, showcases her artwork and projects, perhaps another source of inspiration.

Music to Sift Through the Ashes Again

I'll never forget driving to my summer school class on June 19 and wondering why there was so much traffic and black clouds of smoke rising from downtown Athens. When I finally arrived at my class, everyone was abuzz with the news of the Georgia Theatre being in flames. For the next couple of days, a steady stream of black smoke rose from the charred ashes of one of Athens' most beloved landmarks. It was an integral part of downtown Athens and had hosted concerts from every music genre possible. The Georgia Theatre had to be rebuilt.

Fast forward five months and fortunately progress can be seen from the rebuilding of the Georgia Theatre. Insurance covered the replacement costs, but in order for the Georgia Theatre to be built according to modern building codes, they have had to raise $3 million. The theatre has partnered with The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, a not-for-profit organization who restores historically and culturally significant landmarks, and created a tax-deductible donation fund. In addition to donations, local artist Jennifer Schildknecht has invited artists, musicians, businesses, and individuals to take part in creating an art quilt to be auctioned later for rebuilding funds. Schildknecht explains of the unconventional art piece, "this ain't your granny's quilt!" No sewing or fabric is required. Each of these quilt blocks will be an individual piece of art and can be made from a variety of materials, such as canvas, fiberfill, cardboard, paint, glue, or ink. All blocks must be turned in by Nov. 30. For more information on the Georgia Theatre art quilt, visit here. To donate to Georgia Theatre’s restoration fund, visit here.