Hear John Pence, Julia Maher, & Jacob Morris (Moths) perfom at the April 2013 New Town Revue.

John Pence opened with a tale of near-death involving a sudden drop in temperature and a  motorcycle ride in the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Lots of insane details… Julia Maher read several poems from her work in progress, Inlet.  A man who didn’t know he loved poetry later confessed to me that she made him GET poetry.  I’m still haunted by her description of a bug bite.  Pence closed with Dicoteleydon, his saga of a plant that could solve virtually every problem known to man.  The ending was sudden, left us all stunned.

We were on full Revue style, with the Moths’ Jacob Morris playing songs between Julia and John. For years I’ve watched Jacob back others on cello–most notably with Vic Chesnutt (who our series is dedicated to). We were all slack-jawed to see him play sublime versions of “Spider” and “Flowers,” and to hear the story behind the penning of “Flowers,” which involves heat-exhaustion-induced paranoia, White Tiger, and members of Dark Meat.  We only wished he would have played more.  But maybe it’s best to leave us all wanting something.  Do yourself a favor, check out his work here.

Gordon Lamb of Flagpole showed New Town Revue some love in the latest Threats and Promises.

Read ‘Em and Weep:

The next installment of the literature and music series New Town Revue, hosted by Avid Bookshop (493 Prince Ave.), will happen Friday, Apr. 5 and feature writer John Pence, poet Julia Maher and songwriter Jacob Morris. With his newest album, Moths—a title he also performs under, so forgive yourself if this is confusing—released a scant few months ago via Cloud Recordings, Morris is developing a growing audience with his gentle, under-emphasized vocals and alternately salt-of-the-earth/angel-from-heaven compositions. It all starts at 6:30 p.m., so don’t let the sun catch you crying if you’re late.

We’ll feature prose by John Pence, poetry by Julia Maher, and music by Jacob Morris.

This Friday music, poetry and prose comes together to celebrate the creative forces that thrive in the Classic City, and remember a native Athenian and fellow artist.

New Town Revue is a hybrid invention drawing equally on the worlds of readings and musical performances.

The series of performances takes place twice a month putting on display the arts of Athens in musical and literary form.

The latest installment features the work of local poet Caroline Young, prose writer Johnny Damm and musician Peter Alvanos.

“A friend of mine and I were speaking about how in Athens we’re known for our music scene, but there are also a lot of writers,” said the series’ co-founder Deirdre Sugiuchi, a local writer. “We wanted more people to be aware that there were writers, but we also wanted to make something that was uniquely Athens, too.”

Ultimately the decision to create a hybrid reading and performance series wasn’t hard, Sugiuchi said.

“We just wanted to make our own intimate series here that incorporates the best of Athens, that incorporates the writing but also the music as well,” she said.

Young, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia, is looking forward to having a new audience for the poems she plans to recite.

“I’ve only read these poems to my dogs,” Young said. “That’s normal, but I normally don’t get out and do a reading of something that nobody has heard but me and my dogs.”

Young drew on her 14 years of experience in the advertising world for inspiration.

“The manuscript is two long poems that intersect and cross a span of 40 years,” Young said. “There’s one poetic sequence from 1973 called ‘The Price is Right,’ and then [another] sequence from 2013. It’ll bounce back and forth through time connected by advertising copy, as if they’re on two different channels.”

Fiction writer Damm, also a Ph.D. candidate at UGA, will read some of his work that’s in tune with Young’s experimental flair.

“I’m going to be reading from a multimedia project. The words that I read will be accompanied by images cut up from old comic books,” Damm said. “They’re old, classic illustrated comic books, so it’s actually gonna be [about] sad old authors in an apartment accompanied by images of the adaptations of their texts.”

Alvanos, frontman of Fabulous Bird, will perform at New Town Revue as well.

Alvanos, who has previously played with Casper & the Cookies, The Sunshine Fix, and is drumming for Elf Power, will be including a tribute to Craig Lieske, who died on Jan. 18.

Lieske, a well-known musician in Athens, previously managed the 40 Watt Club and once worked at Avid Bookshop. He was also merchandise seller for Drive-By Truckers, and would occasionally join them onstage during performances.

Even people not accustomed to such brazen creative expression will find something to enjoy, Young said.

“I think people have the idea that readings are very stuffy and they feel very socially awkward around them,” Young said, “but this is a bookstore. And they mix it up with poetry, prose and music, so it has something for everybody’s comfort zone.”

Sugiuchi, organizer of all previous New Town Revue events, never ceases to be amazed at the talent there is to be found in town.

“Every single one of them,” she said, “every time I’ve done it, it’s bowled me over.”

NEW TOWN REVUE featuring Caroline Young, Johnny Damm and Peter Alvanos

WHEN: Feb. 8, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Avid Bookshop

PRICE: Free

Thanks, Chelsey!

On Friday, January 18, we were saddened to hear of the loss of the amazing Craig Lieske. Peter Alvanos will pay tribute at this special New Town Revue.

Caroline Young will be reading poetry, Johnny Damm will share his fiction, and Fabulous Bird’s Peter Alvanos will be playing some songs.

Caroline Young writes poems, makes paintings, and cooks a lot of tofu.  She’s a PhD candidate at UGA and spends the rest of her time with trees. Her writing is out there somewhere.

Johnny Damm’s work has appeared in a variety of publications, including Word Riot, Asian Cinema, and the anthology Don’t Abuse the Muse, and is forthcoming this spring in Timber and The Newer York. He has taught creative writing at Tulane University and Stetson University and been awarded residencies at the Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center. He is currently an editor of A Bad Penny Review and Opo Books.

Fabulous Bird frontman Peter Alvanos has played with a variety of bands including Jim White, Casper & the Cookies, The Empties, The Sunshine Fix, The Mod Fathers, Thayer Sarrano, and Nikki Sudden.  He’s currently drumming for Elf Power, who are recording a new album.

Looking forward to seeing you there!