Casual Future | AQUABEAR LEGION

Venue Spotlight: ARTS/West

by Kris Poland - Go West, Young Bands There is a place on West State Street where Athens music lovers can see some of the area’s best musicians display their talents. It is a place where engaging local paintings and photographs adorn the walls and where community members meet to consolidate support for the arts. It is a place that has been an invaluable resource for area arts organizations and individual artists since its inception. But its staff is unlikely to serve you vegan burritos. The place is ARTS/West, and Emily Prince hopes that it will increase its presence in the regional arts community for years to come. Prince is ARTS/West’s program specialist and directs many of this venue’s day-to-day activities. She describes her place of work as, “a venue and a little bit more.” Indeed. The administrative and artistic support that ARTS/West provides to Athens’ performing artists includes establishing press contacts and authoring press releases, organization of events, skilled instruction, technical equipment, as well as additional resources and services. A little bit more than a venue? Prince has a knack for understatement.

by Rick Dodgson, Foreign Legion Correspondent It’s been a long time coming music lovers, but the end is nigh so raise your glasses and rejoice over the passing of the music industry as we have known it. Sony BMG, Universal, Warner Music and all the other corporate music money-pigs have been condemned to die, guilty of excessive greed and staggering cluelessness. 2008 will be the year of their destruction and I for one will be shedding no tears over their passing. Let’s face it, the major labels have been hanging around like rotting corpses for the past decade or more, putrid, wide-eyed and helpless in the face of new technologies and a disinterested MySpace generation. Stuck in an outmoded model of consumption, the majors have been desperate to recover the golden age of the 1970s with its pass-me-down groupies, mounds of cocaine and cash-cow platinum albums. But those days are long gone (unless you happen to be in Skeletonwitch). In 2007 you could make the top forty by selling just 20,000 CDs. That might sound like a lot to a Casual Future or a Southeast Engine, but in corporate terms those numbers speak only of failure.

The 3rd Annual Aquabear County Fair March 5-7, 2009 in beautiful Athens, Ohio Thursday, March 5th Kickoff at The (Bruce) Manor with Russenorsk Dinner of Swords Battle Rabbit 7pm Friday, March 6th Night One at Casa Cantina with Brainbow Casual Future Five Deadly Venoms Weedghost 10:30pm Saturday, March 7th L’Aqua Porter Film Festival at ARTS/West Ohio films! 2pm Saturday, March 7th Night Two at The Union with We March Dragline Bros. Kaslo Flotation Walls She Bears Bram Riddlebarger and His Lonesome Self 8pm FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.myspace.com/aquabearcountyfair or www.aquabearlegion.com Based in Appalachian Ohio, The Aquabear Legion provides a community network for creative people. We are dedicated to supporting and enhancing independent music and art in our community and elsewhere. We focus on collaborative relationships to create opportunities for independent musicians and artists.

Aquabear Live @ ARTS/West on Friday 9/19, Union show on 9/25

Aquabear continues our monthly concert series at ARTS/West in Athens on Friday, September 19th at 8pm! This month we will feature: Casual Future – www.myspace.com/casualfuture Flotation Walls – www.myspace.com/flotationwalls Weedghost – www.myspace.com/weedghost Come on out and support local music and still make it out to see some great shows in uptown Athens afterward… AND… Next week we are having an Aquabear Legion Noise Showcase at The Union in Athens on Thursday, September 25th at 10pm (sharp). There will be a whole bunch of Athens noise makers doing drone, freeform stuff, improv, and probably just banging on things to some sounds come out. Look for an update this weekend with a full lineup and poster… And don’t forget: Saturday, Sept. 27th: RECLAIM MUSIC FESTIVAL (www.reclaimmusicfestival.com) Sunday, Sept. 28th: Monthly Noise Night @ ARTS/West, 6pm

Compilation Release Show: Sat. 7/26 @ Casa

The Aquabear Legion is celebrating the release of yet another compilation (Volume 3!, our 5th overall..) on Saturday, July 26th at Casa Cantina here in Athens. The compilation features music from: We March, Southeast Engine, Machine Go Boom, Casual Future, Silo Circuit, Russenorsk, The Makebelieves, The Hiders, Woody Pines and The Lonesome Two, The X Bolex, 1point3, Kaslo, Mike Elliott, Spooktober, Men of Gentle Birth, Sun God, (the) Giants of Gender, and maybe even a few more. Machine Go Boom (Cleveland) Casual Future (Athens), 1point3 (Columbus) Weedghost (Athens) will be featured at the party on Saturday, July 26th at Casa. 10pm. The compilation will be available and there will be some other new Legion merchandise as well including buttons, stickers, and more. Come on out and help us celebrate and here some really great music.

Aquabear Summer Schedule! Aquabear Legion has a lot going on this summer… 6/28: Monthly Noise Show @ ARTS/West, 6pm 7/12: Aquabear Monthly Show @ ARTS/West w/ Spooktober and Sad Bastards, 8pm 7/26: CD Release @ Casa w/ Machine Go Boom, Casual Future, 1point3, Weedghost, 10:30pm 7/27: Monthly Noise Show @ ARTS/West, 6pm 8/16: Aquabear Monthly Show @ ARTS/West with TBA 8/24: Aquabear Record Swap and Potluck @ ARTS/West (day after ACMF!), 2pm visit for more information: www.aquabearlegion.com www.myspace.com/aquabearlegion And if you are on Facebook you can become a fan here: http://www. facebook. com/pages/Aquabear-Legion/16073679690