The music of Athens, Georgia includes a wide variety of popular music and was an important part of the early evolution of alternative rock and new wave. The city is well known as the home of chart-topping bands like R.E.M., Widespread Panic, The B-52's, and several long-time indie rock groups. Athens hosts the Athens Symphony Orchestra and other music institutions, as well as prominent local music media, such as the college radio station WUOG. Much of the modern Athens music scene relies on students from the large University of Georgia campus in the city. The University sponsors Western classical performances and groups specializing in other styles.
Pylon performing at AthFest. 2005
Oh-OK performing in 2007. From left to right: bassist Scott Rowe, drummer Chad Williams (obscured except for his hands), singer Linda Hopper, and guitarist and backing vocalist Ruthie Morris.
Athens is a consolidated city-county and college town in the U.S. state of Georgia. Downtown Athens lies about 70 miles (110 km) northeast of downtown Atlanta. The University of Georgia, the state's flagship public university and an R1 research institution, is in Athens and contributed to its initial growth. In 1991, after a vote the preceding year, the original City of Athens abandoned its charter to form a unified government with Clarke County, referred to jointly as Athens–Clarke County where it is the county seat.
Athens City Hall
Historic American Buildings of Athens in 1936
City Hall on College Avenue in Downtown Athens, seen across Washington Street
Broad Street in Downtown Athens at an entrance to North Campus of the University of Georgia