Georgia Theatre
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| Georgia Theatre | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Georgia Theatre |
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| Location(s) | Athens, Georgia | |
| Years active | 1978 – 2009 | |
| Owner | Wilmot Greene Randy Smith |
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| Website | georgiatheatre.com | |
The Georgia Theatre was a prominent music venue in Athens, Georgia, located in an old cinema. Many prominent acts from the early music of Athens, Georgia performed at the Theatre, including a range of folk, popular and country acts. The Theatre is on the Athens Music History Walking Tour sponsored by the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau.[1] The Theatre opened as a music venue in 1978, with the band Sea Level playing. The Police played a show at the Theatre in 1979, on their first American tour. The Theatre then shut down again in the early 1980s, and spent a few years as a movie house with occasional shows. It was reopened as a venue in 1989, and the Theatre has since hosted many of the major touring acts that come through Athens.[1]
The Georgia Theatre was reopened by the owners of the Uptown Lounge (Kyle Pilgrim and Bill "Duck" Anderson), in October 1989, after an extended period of being known as the Carafe and Draft. The first band to play was Pylon. It has since been the host to many shows including R.E.M. and Widespread Panic. The Derek Trucks Band recorded their 2004 concert album Live at Georgia Theatre at the venue.
In November 2004, the Georgia Theatre was sold to Wilmot Greene and Randy Smith who renovated and restored the venue to its former condition.
On June 19, 2009, at around 7 a.m., a major fire erupted in the Georgia Theatre, inflicting severe damage to the building, including a roof collapse.[2][3]
Coordinates: 33°57′31″N 83°22′38″W / 33.958614°N 83.377111°W
[edit] References
- ^ a b Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau
- ^ "Fire heavily damages historic Georgia Theatre", Athens Banner-Herald, June 19, 2009
- ^ "Roof collapses as Georgia Theatre burns in Athens", by Chip Towers, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
- Unterberger, Richie (1999). Music USA: The Rough Guide. The Rough Guides. pp. 133–140. ISBN 1-85828-421-X.
- "Athens Music History Walking Tour". Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau. http://www.visitathensga.com/music_tour.cfm. Retrieved on March 6 2006.
[edit] External links
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