Presto Change-o! Terry Anderson to buy Swindlefish Instead of Mama E's
By Matthew Toledo - 6/19/2001
Just when the Athens music community
was getting comfy with the idea of a blues-only Mama Einstein's (related story), local bar owner Sean Jones has sold his interest in the Swindlefish to current
Mama Einstein owners, Terry Anderson and Joel Schechtman. On top of that,
Terry Anderson and Joe's Schechtman's lease on Mama's is about to run
out and it seems as if they have no intention of renewing it.
Scott Bell, who is now the new manager for the Swindlefish, contacted the AMN via yahoo messenger with the surprising news. "There will be two stages for bands," stated Scott, "the current stage upstairs, and a smaller one downstairs with a restaurant." Scott went on to state that the upper level of the Swindlefish will change very little as far as entertainment is concerned. The billiard tables will remain upstairs. The bar will still hold Latin dance night and will still book popular Athens staples like Peach Melba, Guest, Heavy Weather and the like. However, Scott Bell intends to inject a little diversity into the often predictable Swindlefish lineups by booking bands of different genres. Expect to see Rock, College Rock, Indie, Country, Jazz and the occasional band from Scott Bell's favorite musical genre, "prog rock." (definition) Local, regional and national acts will be considered.
The new Swindlefish downstairs will only book blues, jazz and soul bands. The new restaurant will serve traditional"blues cuisine" including meat, seafood, and all things Cajun. The remodeling efforts that were to go into Mama's will instead be used on the lower floor of the Swindlefish.
As for sound, Bob Dewey is out, but most of the current equipment stays. The new owners purchased the sound system as part of the deal.
With Sean Jones selling his interest
in Mama's and the Fish, it would appear that he is out of the local music
business (related story). The AMN sent email to Sean Jones, but he could not be reached for comment.
