I’ve crossed the threshold at the Soul Bar for a lot of reasons. I’ve gone to hear music. I’ve gone to see art. I’ve gone to meet friends. I’ve gone to make friends. Sometimes I’ve even gone to have a drink. The point is that, for me, the Soul Bar has always been much more than merely a bar. It’s been a cultural anchor and clubhouse. It’s been a place to both sink into and to grow. It’s been a place, most importantly, that inspires.
And I know I am not alone.
This week, the Soul Bar celebrated its 27th anniversary. Appropriately, it involved music with Augusta’s own Death Star opening for legendary Athens act Five-Eight. Both bands have deep roots in the Soul Bar’s history, with appearances dating back to the venue’s earliest evenings. So, as it turned out, did the audience. Spanning generations of patrons, from Opening Night regulars to more recent fans who have grown up in a world where the Soul Bar always existed, the booths, backlit bar, mysterious back porch were populated by people who have formed their own Soul Bar relationships – both with the bar and the people who love it.
When people talk about the ongoing revitalization of downtown, the Soul Bar is always central to the conversation. It’s not just because it was among the first businesses to open on the then nearly derelict Broad Street. It’s not because it proved to be a survivor in the notoriously fickle bar business. It’s because it has affected people in small ways that, over the course of the past 27 years, has caused significant cultural ripples. Because of the Soul Bar, musicians have had a place to play. Because of Soul Bar, artists have had a place to hang their art. Because of the Soul Bar, countless people have seen an alternative, a way of thinking that embraces creativity and encourages entrepreneurship. Augusta is a broader, brighter and more cosmopolitan city because, for 27 years, the Soul Bar has made room for anyone looking to tap into its magic.
LETTERS AND NUMBERS
It reads a little bit like an algebraic equation. R.E.M. + Five-Eight =…
Well, as it turns out it equals the Bad Ends. It seems Five-Eight front man Mike Mantione and former R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry – who played his last professional lick 25 years ago – have had something cooking in the musical kitchen that is Athens. The band has a release planned for early 2023 and one has to wonder what the future holds for fans of both these artists. A video for the song “All Your Friends Are Dying” has offered a glimpse behind the sonic curtain. It reveals a real meeting of the minds, with the signature Mantione guitar swing buoying one of rock’s great drummers while Berry’s powerful metronome – seemingly undiminished after years away – brings real urgency to the arrangement. It’s a project that has evidently been in works for a while and I personally would like to thank Mantione for putting Berry, always one of my favorite drummers, back behind a kit.
I haven’t seen any tour plans yet but I have to wonder if Augusta might be a good place for an early out-of-town date. I feel certain this is a combo that could fill a seat or two.
| The Bad Ends – “All Your Friends Are Dying” [Official Video]From the upcoming album ‘The Power And The Glory’ out January 20th (@New West Records). Pre-Order + Listen: https://newwst.com/powerandgloryIDVinyl + CD: http…www.youtube.com |
BURIED TREASURE – SWAMP THING
I’m not an enormous comic book guy, but there are a few characters that I’ve come to love. I always liked Silver Surfer and enjoyed various iterations of The Shadow, for instance. But above all, I was and will remain a Swamp Thing man. Much is made of the 1980s run authored by the unrepentantly surly Alan Moore, with good reason. They elevate pulp fiction to something far more philosophical. But for those – and I probably include myself in this number – unwilling to invest in yellowing comic books for you Swamp Thing fix, might I recommend an alternative. The 2019 Swamp Thing television series. Although somewhat troubled – it was cancelled and clipped to ten episodes before the second even aired – it was a fine piece of television that managed to stay true to its monster mag roots as well its philosophical aspirations. It feels like this should have been ported over to HBO Max from the ill fated DC streaming network. Here hoping it is so a larger audience can enjoy it and perhaps convince Warner Brothers to resurrect this unlikely hero.
Steven Uhles has worked as a professional journalist in the Augusta area for 22 years, and his Pop Rocks column ran in The Augusta Chronicle for more than 20. He lives in Evans with his wife, two children and a dog named after Hunter Thompson.
