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g in si de ha lt on .c om O ak vi ll e B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 5, 20 18 |TRAVEL/ARTS Follow the Georgia Music By David Bell While Florida may be the destination of many travel­ lers, the adjoining state, Georgia has much to offer, including Georgia's Music Trail. "Georgia's Music Trail" covers many cities. I explored five of them: Athens, Augusta, Macon, Columbus and Atlanta. Athens is home of the University of Georgia. The vi­ tality of this college town with its creative university stu­ dents has spawned many new bands including R.E.M, the B-52s and Pylon. It has been - and continues to be - a mecca for new bands and live music venues. Its nickname, "Liverpool of the South" is well deserved. Paul Butchart, a local musician and music historian, leads a downtown walking tour highlighting Athens' music history. The tour visits several live venues, old "hangouts" where the bands practiced, vintage record shops, recording areas, etc. The Georgia Theatre and the 40 Watt Club are included -- two of the city's most famous music venues with regular live performances. In Augusta, the influence of James Brown, "Godfa­ ther of Soul," lives on. The Brown Family conducts lo­ cal bus tours. Deanna Brown Thomas (James Brown's daughter) provided a personal perspective on her fa­ ther's life and music. The stops included Brown's child­ hood home, his elementary school, local businesses and radio stations that he owned. James Brown's stat­ ue in the city centre is a testament to his influence. The Augusta Museum of History, founded in 1937, docu­ ments "Augusta's Story" well. One section of it presents the story and memorabilia of the "Godfather of Soul" Macon is "Where Soul Lives." Other genres also in­ clude R&B, Southern rock and new wave punk. The city has played a major role - worldwide -- on the com­ mercial side of music including recording and records. Otis Redding, Little Richard and the the Allman Broth­ ers Band grew up and performed here. I started with The Rock Candy Tour, winding through Macon's legendary historic downtown residential and commercial district and had lunch at the "H&H" The walls of the restaurant are decorated with Allman Brothers Band memorabilia. When the Allman Broth­ ers were starting out, dollars were scarce. The H&H founder, Mama Louise, made sure they never went hungry. That generosity and close friendship was re­ ciprocated over many years as the band's popular­ ity and revenue grew. A visit to the "Allman Brothers Band Museum at the "The Big House" is also important. It has the largest collection of the band's memorabilia in the country. Columbus is an authentic " river town" -- home to the 15-mile trail known as the Chattahoochee RiverWalk. Nearby are two majestic structures - one old and one new - both vital to the music and culture of Colum­ bus. The "old" is the historic Springer Opera House -- a leading Southern cultural institution for 144 years. The Springer is Georgia's oldest professional theatre. The "new" is the RiverCentre for the Performing Arts. Take time to tour the facility. You may even be able to OPEN.AIR BALCONY U l R iv e r C r u is in g ! ! , V X 3 Join us for an informative presentation with the Award Winning Avalon Waterways River Cruises. We'll have refreshments, door prizes and a show special! Presented by Hektor Kaczuga - Specializing in River Cruising Date: Thursday April 12th 2018 -11:00 AM -12:30 PM Location: Maritime Travel Office, 300 North Service Rd. West, Oakville All sessions are free, but seats are limited so pre-booking is essential. Presentation begins at 11am followed by snacks and refreshments. Please RSVP by calling Maritime Travel in Oakville MaritimeTravel at 905 849 0333 °r Wc KnowTravcl Best, email 141@maritimetravel.ca by Tues, April 10th. Trail when heading south "sit in" -- as young musicians are practicing. The music genres in Atlanta range from hip-hop, R&B, neo-soul, gospel, classic, country and blues ... and beyond. "Eddie's Attic" is a popular live venue. Dine in the open " roof-top" area and then move to the "Listening Room" for the live performance. Another "must tour" is the "Fabulous Fox The­ atre" on Peachtree Street. This concert and event venue - now a National Historic Landmark -- is like no other. Its lavish Moorish mosque-style archi­ tecture, 4678 seat auditorium, overhead star-lit sky, ornate furnishings and appointments make it one of a kind. It also is home to the "Mighty Mo" Moller organ -­ the second largest theatre organ in the world. Georgia's music is authentic, distinctive and immer­ sive. It has influenced artists, bands and music genres worldwide. T he fun ch o ir for a n y o n e w ho lo v e s to sing ! No e x p e r ie n c e , no aud i t i ons . Join our spring choir! S e s s i o n s s t a r t A p r i l 10 f o r 10 w e e k s . Go to mypopchoir.com to register. M Y C H O I R S e e u s s i n g a t /mypopchoir @ /mypopchoir mailto:141@maritimetravel.ca