A GOOD FALL QUARTER STARTS WITH THE SHANTEE
By Carly George - 9/15/2004
With the start of fall quarter every year, Athens musicians and listeners look forward to three quarters of packed bars, bigger acts and long sets. This year, The Blue Gator celebrated the first Friday after class by welcoming back The Shantee, a Columbus jam-band with growing popularity in the Midwest and especially in Athens.
The Shantee has played many shows since the release of their first studio album in 1998, and have since released two more and have earned a reputation for energetic live shows. The reviews were proven true when they played two long sets to a [slightly buzzed] Blue Gator filled with a wildly dancing and smiling crowd. Standing arm in arm with a group of friends was a dominating theme that evening as people were connecting through the music and enjoying the lyrics of songs such as "Lindsay" and "Happy."
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Lead singer Mike Perkins has performed solo and is noted for his rich voice by all types of music lovers. In the Shantee he works with lead guitarist Matt Morton to raise the crowds' energy level. Without the steady beats of the rhythm section and one of the best keyboardists around, the crowd would never have been so pumped and ready to twirl and dance to the music.
Friday night may have been accompanied by arrests, several noise ordinance violations and a few under-age music lovers getting thrown out of a bar, but on the upstairs level of The Blue Gator, the crowd connected with the music and used their energy to overcome their problems and dance away their stress. Welcome back students!
