June 2013, Caledonia Lounge, Athens, Ga.
As I looked about the crowd on this Saturday evening, the thought came to me: There are no bands playing in Athens at this moment because every musician in town is right here, waiting to see what happens with the four men setting up on the landing.
Musicians usually know when something momentous is about. For one glorious hour, Athens’ post-rock stalwarts Maserati worked through a thrilling set of power and tempo, making Caledonia’s Dirty Athens party into an epic event. Co-owner Bryant Williamson had to turn people away at the door due to overcapacity, but instead of leaving, they gathered outside Caledonia’s gates, stretching to see and hear the calamity going on inside.
And Coley Dennis, Matt Cherry, Chris McNeal and Mike Albanese were quite the calamitous crew, playing stunning tunes from its two most recent albums Maserati Vll and Pyramid of the Sun. Albanese, who took over drumming duties following the untimely death of the great Jerry Fuchs, paced the others to perfection with his violent yet controlled fury behind the kit. Dennis and Cherry roamed through their guitar avenues with aplomb with McNeal anchored the three with his sturdy bass lines.
With Monoliths, Martin Rev and the Pyramid of the Sun encased in the set, Maserati showed off its ability to move from melodic moments to ones of overwhelming brawn. Usually with AthFest crowds you find people on the move, stopping for a short while before going on their way to another part of the festival. But not here, people moved but only to get a different view — there was no better place to be.
A festival the size of AthFest isn’t judged in terms of winners and losers – it’s really a three-day party with extended moments of joy. But if ever one were crowned the best, Maserati would be the king.
