Limbo District Q&A with Henry Owings
Imagine the iceberg meme, but for Athens, Georgia bands. Tier 1 is R.E.M., The B-52s and Neutral Milk Hotel — they've permeated pop culture. Tier 2: Widespread Panic, Pylon, Drive-By Truckers, The Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal — fiercely beloved and critically adored, but by specific audiences. Tier 3: Vic Chesnutt, The Glands, Five Eight, Love Tractor, The Music Tapes, Harvey Milk. There's a whole mid-tier of the iceberg slotted for artists in micro-scenes that blazed hot for a few years, but managed some outside recognition (see: Dark Meat, Carrie Nations, We Versus the Shark, Reptar). A little lower than that, brilliant artists who rarely left town (Ham 1, Garbage Island, Bar-B-Q Killers). And so on, and so on…
And, down in the darkest depths, there's Limbo District. I don't place Limbo District here because the band released a 7" on some obscure European label and were never heard from again — they never released any recordings at all. And, yet, Limbo District's lore looms large for anyone who digs into Athens music history: An '80s avant-garde post-punk band with a revolving lineup, provocative performances and a penchant for Vaudeville. They appeared, briefly, in the must-watch documentary Athens, GA - Inside/Out, as beautiful nymphs in a field, but with no sound. They are referenced in books and old newspaper articles. Jerry Ayers, who co-wrote songs for R.E.M. and The B-52s, was a key member.
For the longest time, the only information I could find about Limbo District was from Henry Owings' Chunklet blog… and, at the time, he knew nothing. So it's only fitting that this Saturday, at the Lost Origins Gallery in Washington, D.C., I'm gonna talk to Henry about Limbo District, Athens in the '80s and preservation for a screening of the art film Carnival, which stars… Limbo District! Henry's been digging up some AMAZING footage and releasing, for the first time ever, records… I'm obsessed.
So if you're in D.C., buy a ticket for this screening and Q&A before Henry takes the carnival over to Europe. Hope to see y'all!