Culture
The Club is Open: The Union is Back in Action
By: Emily Votaw
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After 18 months of painstaking planning, waiting and rebuilding following a November 2014 fire, the The Union Bar & Grill will finally host a series of rock ’n’ roll shows this weekend; and, being that we are in Athens — this particular weekend happens to begin this (Wednesday) evening.
“I think a lot of folks have missed The Union, and have had some time to think about what it means to them… and our town. Since the fire it has been pretty incredible to read stories from all over the country about what The Union has meant to so many people,” said Scott Winland of Blackout Booking, the promoter for the Union. “For me, it means I’m back to work on something I have always loved contributing to.”
Winland has constructed a phenomenal line-up made up of mostly regional acts for the beloved institution’s first party of the warm weather season.
Kicking off at 5 p.m. tonight, Athens’ favorite rock club will host two nights of free shows, with the likes of Water Witches, Hex Net, the Summoners and DJ Barticus playing the re-opened venue’s debut night. May 26’s free lineup includes Hellnaw, Weird Science, Slackluster, Dysfunktional Family, Dune and Unmonumental. Friday May 27, a $5 cover will open attendees to a world of heavy metal, with Under the Combine, Bless the Child, Rogues and Watch Them Rot taking the stage throughout the night. The final show of the weekend, blasting off on May 28 at 8 p.m. (with another $5 cover,) has Skeletonwitch’s own S.W. Hedrick, Blam Blams (featuring Adam Remnant), the Snails and the D-Rays slated to perform.
This past weekend The Union hosted a “soft opening” that allowed patrons to check out some of the venue’s newest features, including a new sound system; higher stage; open air patio on the second floor; a new bar on the first floor that was constructed using wood reclaimed from the November 2014 fire; newly installed electrical and plumbing systems and two large windows built into the wall behind the stage, allowing passersby on West Union to catch glimpses of performers from street level.
Winland said that as a longtime affiliate with the bar, he is more than satisfied with the renovations that the building has undergone. “It feels like home!” he stated a few days before the bar’s grand re-opening.
Overall, not too many changes have taken place in the downstairs bar, although the upstairs now boasts considerably more space than it had before it was destroyed by the fire nearly two years ago. Among one of the characteristics of the establishment that has remained include the bar’s black-and-white checkerboard flooring; a sight that many a regular patron associates with the club that has hosted some of the largest rock acts that have come to Athens.
When asked what his hopes were for the bar’s opening weekend, Winland expressed that he’s just grateful that it’s happening.
“The fact that we are going to be open is good enough for me. I hope everyone gets a chance to come and see all the hard work that has been put into this place. It is pretty incredible. Like many others, I’ve been going to see shows at The Union since I was a kid,” said Winland. “There is truly nothing else like it in Athens. We’re glad to be back.”