Three different music performances will take place in Athens this weekend, attracting music listeners from all parts of the genre spectrum.
STEMS at The Union Bar and Grill
The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St., will host the mixed genre band STEMS on Friday night.
The band consists of rapper Kendall Martin, guitarist Mickey Shuman, drummer Zach Pennington and bassist Devon Buchanan.
Shuman said the band first officially formed when all of the members took a high school rock band class together, where they had to choose a band the first week of school. Martin, Shuman and Pennington were already friends at the time, but the class introduced them to Buchanan.
STEMS played a house show during Halloween weekend in 2017 at The New Happiness, a DIY venue. The group was later asked to play at ACRN’s Lobsterfest and at The Union.
Shuman said he introduced himself to the booking manager at The Union, and they set up a date for STEMS to perform at the bar.
“We have so many influences, I wouldn’t give us a label in genre terms,” Shuman said. “If you know us, you probably know why our music is the way it is.”
Moon Hooch at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium
Moon Hooch, a band that originated in Brooklyn, will be performing at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on Saturday. The group started out doing stripped-down performances in New York subway stations.
Corbin Marsh, assistant director of programming for the Performing Arts and Concert Series at Ohio University, discovered Moon Hooch at the Nelsonville Music Festival a few years ago.
Moon Hooch recreates EDM with brass instruments.
“For me, as a director, bringing Moon Hooch means connecting the two different worlds of instrumental enthusiasts and EDM lovers together,” Marsh said.
There will be two opening acts at the performance, including Akron rock group Perfect Girl and electronic artist Elena Shirin.
The stage of the performance with be built onto the MemAud stage, and the crowd will be able to stand on the remainder of the stage and enjoy the atmosphere.
“We’re doing more shows that create a collective experience and a sense of community,” Marsh said. “Like at the end of the show, you just want to hug the person next to you.”
Caitlin Kraus at Little Fish Brewing Company
Little Fish Brewing Company, 8675 Armitage Road, will hold a musical performance as well Saturday. Caitlin Kraus, an Ohio native, will perform her largely lyric-based, folk-influenced music.
Kraus is known for playing at Little Fish often at Wednesday Night Old Time Jams.
“I enjoy her music, it’s very mellow and gives off a good atmosphere for sitting in a taproom,” Beau Nishimura, taproom manager at Little Fish, said.
Nishimura said the turnout should be a success due to the warmer weather.
Saturday night music acts are not a rarity at Little Fish.
“We try to have live music every Saturday from 7 to 9 p.m.,” Nishimura said.
Some students at OU are grateful for the events administered on campus and by local businesses.
“I think it’s cool that there are opportunities here for students who are interested in live performances rather than the party culture,” Sarah Daniels, a junior studying communication sciences and disorders, said.
