Sam Lipkin

Ghavi’s The Steak Place opened at the corner of Prince and Hawthorne avenues, in the former Synovus Bank property, under owner Bahman “Dr. G” Ghavimi with local chef Mimi Maumus as senior executive chef. The renovation and expansion has been under development since 2023, and the bright interior is now Athens’ largest restaurant space. Reservations can be made by calling 762-246-3078 or 844-246-3078. Chain coffee drive-thru Dutch Bros opened at 3131 Atlanta Hwy. serving hot and cold coffee drinks, sparkling sodas, energy drinks, refreshers, lemonade, iced teas, shakes, smoothies and more. Local coffeehouse Hendershot’s is now open on Mondays, with lots of internal renovations that took place over the summer. Foxglove PlantBar added a fully-functioning cocktail bar to its space […]

The Portico in Good Hope, just 20 minutes outside of Athens, is an event space in the restored former High Shoals Baptist Church, which was built in 1868. North Georgia-based recording company Piedmont Sound is hosting its first music performance open to the public in the space, featuring Americana songwriters Gabe Lee, Tyler Key and Cody Marlowe. The ticket price includes a lowcountry boil dinner served at door time before the intimate show begins. Over the past year Piedmont Sound has hosted video and audio recording sessions at The Portico, and this will be a behind-the-scenes look at the space for guests ahead of Piedmont Sounds’ first annual festival, Piedmont Stomp, that will be held Nov. 21–22. Session videos from […]

When reflecting on your teenage years, you can relate to the process of forming your own identity while also still being stuck in situations outside of your control, and starting a healing journey from childhood trauma. Now imagine that and opening yourself up to the world through raw, vulnerable music. Throw in navigating the music industry and going straight from long days at high school to long days touring on the road, and you’re completely out of your depth.

The Segar Jazz Affair is celebrating its 17th anniversary and 105th show with a special performance by contemporary jazz alto saxophonist Marcus Click. There will be two sets hosted by DJ Dwain Segar, who has successfully made it his personal mission to bring live jazz to Athens over the years. Alongside the smooth jazz show he hosts on WXAG 92.7 FM, the Segar Jazz Affair concerts have brought the sounds and styles of musicians from around the nation to Athens. Click received the InterContinental Music Award for Instrumentalist of the Year for his performance on “Higher Ground” last year, and he released a single earlier this year, “Gratitude,” that was produced by Grammy-, Stellar- and Dove Award-nominated Mel Holder. Advance tickets for the night are available for $20 at bit.ly/HendershotsAug23.

Gabe Lee performed with Tyler Key and Cody Marlowe at The Portico in Good Hope on Sunday, Aug. 23. This intimate concert was the first hosted by Piedmont Sound, and the recording company will put on a two-day festival in the historic space later this year.

Selling out a reunion show nearly a month in advance is what any band hopes for, although it being the first time the band has ever sold out the 40 Watt Club naturally comes with a little amusing irony—but times are different than when Athens country luminaries The Star Room Boys last hit the stage together in 2002. “Capacity at the 40 Watt was a little bit more on the generous side. That was probably three or four fire marshals ago, right? I don’t think they even hit 700 anymore,” says Dave Marr, frontman and rhythm guitarist of The Star Room Boys. The 40 Watt website says the official capacity is 460, which it seems to stick to nowadays. Together […]

While guitarist Stephan Eutsler has the chops to put out an impressive instrumental album for fellow musicians, his new solo album, Meditations of the Infinite Mind, is a tasteful practice in balancing knowledge and feeling. It’s an organic journey built from a strong foundation of music theory that realizes itself through stream of consciousness, leaning heavily on improvisational songwriting. Athenians may know Eutsler as a member of Larry’s Homework, a manager at Nuçi’s Space or even as their guitar teacher, but Meditations of the Infinite Mind is a vehicle for Eutsler’s “pure voice” as an individual. It’s the product of writing pieces over the years and strengthening skills like drumming to create a truly solo album, although Eutsler did have […]

Eihwar played with Frayle at The Georgia Theatre on Wednesday, Sept. 2. Check out the photographs below.

Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and humanitarian Angélique Kidjo recently added a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to her accolades on Aug. 18, making her the first African musician to receive the honor. Born in Ouidah, Benin, Kidjo has become one of the world’s most celebrated global music artists, drawing on musical traditions of West Africa while incorporating elements of Afrobeat, jazz, funk, R&B, Latin rhythms and pop to weave a tapestry of what it means to be human. The Beninese musician will be making a stop in Athens Sept. 8–10 as UGA’s Willson Center for Humanities and Arts annual Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding. Each day there will be a free event open to the […]

Local business owner Jeff Stover and his wife recently opened the casual American restaurant