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Scope out killer vinyl at Athens music mainstay Wuxtry Records.
(Photo: Courtesy of Wuxtry Records) |
After immersing yourself in Athens style, soak up the rich history of the Athens music scene. Ease into the day with brunch at the Last Resort Grill, a former performance venue where the B-52s played their first public show, now known for locally sourced fare like shrimp and grits ($9.50) and crab benedict ($9.95). From there, it’s a short drive to Morton Theatre, where legends like Count Basie and Otis Redding graced the stage; the building also was featured in the music video for R.E.M.’s �The One I Love.� Opened in 1910, it’s the oldest still-operating African-American-built-and-operated theater (come back in the evening for a UGA theater production or comedy performance). From there, head to Wuxtry Records in the downtown area, stuffed with vinyl, posters, and memorabilia from the city’s music scene. Continue to the Steeplechase Apartments, where a crumbling steeple in the parking lot stands as a testament to the church where R.E.M. had their first official performance. Nearby are two other R.E.M. landmarks: lime-green soul-food restaurant Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Food, whose slogan �Automatic for the People� inspired the name of the group’s best-selling album, and, in Dudley Park, the kudzu-covered train trestle whose image is on the band’s first full-length, 1983’s Murmur. For dinner, dig into Mediterranean-leaning dishes like patatas bravas ($6) and pan-roasted salmon with red-pepper-saffron broth ($27) at the National, owned by James Beard�winner Hugh Acheson. Wrap up the day with a nightcap like the Angry Pirate, made with spice chai, rum, and coffee ($6)�and a final soulful performance from a lineup of mostly Athens and southern groups and artists�at Hendershot’s, a cozy coffee-house-bar-music-venue a few blocks away.