Athens reacts

Man, this is terrible for Wil Greene and everyone in Athens who loves live music. Wil(mont Green) has invested hundreds of thousands in upgrades in recent years - both exterier improvements like the art deco facade, and interior improvements live better ventilation and the sound system. I walk by the Theatre several times a week, and I've been looking forward to seeing Jenny Lewis there in a couple of weeks.

The most memorable show I saw there in the last year was the Fleet Foxes. I was there with Payton Bradford, and we were both blown away by the clarity of band's harmonies. Everyone who goes to listen to music regularly can tell you about PAs that make good musicians sound like sewage. However, the Georgia Theatre completely captured the spark of the band that night.

Some other memories ... Lucinda Williams on the "Essence" tour singing Skip James' "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" ... Paul Westerberg playing "Answering Machine" in '96 ... meeting Steve Earle on the street outside the back door ... R.E.M. with Bill Berry playing "Country Feedback" unannounced during a Minus 5 encore ... bouncing to the remnants of the Wailers with a thousand stoned undergrads ... The Blind Boys of Alabama doing a call and response as they marched through the crowd ... Patterson Hood opening a show with OutKast's "Roses" ... too many more to mention.
- Athens-Clarke County District Nine Commissioner Kelly Girtz

Oh, boy ... I have a lot, between covering music for a few publications, promoting bands for Sony, and just being a music and film fan:

I remember going to see "Kurt & Courtney" there in the late 90s and leaving because the film was boring, people were talking and smoking in the balcony, and my feet were stuck to the floor. But I also remember seeing "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" with a bunch of people who took it very seriously -- John Cameron Mitchell was there and so were a few "Hed Heads" -- people in giant foam Hedwig-like wigs who did a sort of proto-Rocky Horror audience participation thing. And I saw "Happiness" with what seemed to be a lot of people with some sort of stake in it. Michael Stipe, who was one of the musicians recording the title song, had brought a group of friends and everyone was very collegial and chatty and happy.

Once upon a time I had a british band which was playing there, and I had to ferry them all over town for promo appearances and such. On the way we chatted, they mentioned how cool the venue looked, and I told them a little about its history. Which was fine until I mentioned that it had been a morgue. "How long ago?" asked the bassist. I told him um, well, probably a century ago. "Where did they store the bodies?" he wanted to know. I told him um, I dunno. Probably in the basement -- where, you know, it's cool. "Where the stage is?" he asked. I dunno, I said. And he called his manager and told him he would not play there. He relented a little later, and they did play, but that show was insanity. We had promo items, including some stickers -- people would take one or two. But maybe halfway through the show I noticed that a guy kept picking up 10 or so stickers and going outside with them, then coming back and getting more. After the show, we walked downtown to get a bite, and about a block away we found what the guy had been doing with them -- he had COVERED someone's BMW with them, including the windows and mirrors. Dinner was great, but eaten in fear since we were mildly afraid we might get hunted down by the authorities for vandalizing the car.
- Nicki Hendrix, former blogger

Music at the Georgia Theatre has been a staple of this community for as long as many can remember. Having seen some of the greatest shows I have ever seen there from JJ Cale to Ziggy Marley and even Abbey Road Live last Saturday with my children, I am saddened by this tragic event.

Many people I know either work there or have worked there and it has been a stabilizing force in the ever changing downtown scene of bars and businesses. The owner Wilmont Green, has spent a great deal of money in the past few years, bringing the Georgia Theatre up to the wonderful high standard of quality it deserves.

The impact of the Theatre on the local economy will certainly be felt and Wilmont deserves credit for maintaining such a local and international landmark in our community. I hope that all Athenians in the private sector or the government, will join together in any effort to get this business back up and running and recognize the hard road that Wilmont has in front of him.
- Spencer Frye, executive director of Habitat For Humanity and local musician

There are so many things to think about. I remember being a freshman, 18-years-old, and going to see Mel and the Party Hats for the first time. I had heard of the Georgia Theater before, but never been. It was completely overwhelming to a guy just out of high school. Hot, sticky, sweaty ... the best. There’ll never be another.
-Scott Hartman, 2000 graduate of the University of Georgia