And The Winner Is...

Last week, Missy and I attended the 2009 FLAGPOLE MUSIC AWARDS which kicks off the yearly ATHFEST music and arts festival...because Missy is a regular contributor to FLAGPOLE MAGAZINE, she's always on the guest list...and I'm always her PLUS ONE! The evening opened up perfectly with local poet, JEFF FALLIS, reciting his ode to "The Classic City", a poem called "THE TRUE GOLDEN ERA"...the poem describes perfectly the bane of anyone who has moved to Athens, or who was born just a little bit too late - that things were always better "before you got here"...he listed major events that are forever woven into the fabric of the local history, along with a list of local landmarks that are no longer here...of course, I was glad to bear witness to at least some of the events and landmarks listed. For anyone who lives or ever lived in Athens, the poem is "right on"...a total treat...

AWARDS 4605 from Raoul de la Cruz on Vimeo.

Afterwards, hip hop group, DEAF JUDGES, got things jumping, and then the hoop dancers demonstrated their HULA HOOPING skills. Then, we were treated to a surprise appearance by MADONNA and BRITNEY SPEARS (local singer-songwriter, MADELINE ADAMS, played the part of Britney, but I had no idea who the other girl was)...







There was a performance by local professor and folk documentarian (and GRAMMY AWARD WINNER) ART ROSENBAUM before THE MODERN SKIRTS accepted their award for "Best Album Cover Art"...

AWARDS 4772 from Raoul de la Cruz on Vimeo.

CASPER & THE COOKIES performed, followed by a presentation of the award for "Best Music Video", which was won by HOPE FOR AGOLDENSUMMER...we had posted that video to the blog a little over a month ago HERE:

AWARDS 4784 from Raoul de la Cruz on Vimeo.

We closed out the night with performances from all-girl group, CREEPY, and local shoe-gazers, DEAD CONFEDERATE...we actually left before the end of the awards ceremony, missing at least two more bands and awards for a bunch of other categories. We had work early the next morning, and a couple more music-filled nights that would stretch into the early morning hours...

AWARDS 4797 from Raoul de la Cruz on Vimeo.