Fly Brothers at Wylie's 3/21

Seeing and listening to a good, tight band is one of the best ways I can think of to spend an evening. The Fly Brothers and Wylie's in Dahlonega provided both of those ingredients on a recent Friday night. A little blip about the venue-(see story on Eat & Shop page for more) Wylie's hosts local and regional bands and musicians in a very intimate and informal setting right on the square in downtown Dahlonega. Live music happens in the "Down Under" bar area below the main street level restaurant every Friday and Saturday night, with occasional weeknight shows.

The Fly Brothers are an Atlanta based band who, in the words of bassist/lead singer Justin Powell, "Love to play in the mountains every chance they get". They make the trip to play at Wylie's on a fairly regular basis in between dates all over the southeast. Joining Justin are lead guitarist Stephen Hendrix, drummer Scott Phillips, and Ben Farmer providing a second guitar and background vocals. The Fly Brothers create a sound that is hard to pin down-On this evening I heard the influences of reggae, funk, jazz, rock, bluegrass and even hip-hop within the first two sets. The guys worked off each other seamlessly to create a unique and energetic sound that is built around Powell's excellent 6 string bass foundation and vocals. This is fun music played by talented musicians..they can take you from jazz to reggae to bluegrass and back again within the space of minutes, all the while keeping the crowd into it and involved.
I was able to speak briefly with the band members between sets. They come across as nice, affable guys who love what they are doing and were happy to be there. That comes across in their music.
I would encourage all of you live music fans in the north Georgia mountains to get out and see the Fly Brothers on April 11, when they will be downstairs at Wylie's again-or check out their MySpace page for more dates, venues and information about the band.


SW-

Funky Chicken Art Project

Back in the mid 1980s I had friends with a cabin on Cochran Creek off Wesley Chapel Rd. not far from Amicalola Falls. A group of friends and I used that property as an access point for camping in the National Forest and exploring Cochran Creek Falls on numerous occasions. I remember seeing an old chicken house that was being converted into an artists' studio on the way to and from the area. At the time I was in my 20s and didn't have much interest in art of any kind, so I never stopped to investigate. Since then I've at least become curious about art and interested in southern folk pottery.
Recently I was making my way from Dahlonega over to the Jasper area and decided on a whim to check out the old stomping grounds off Wesley Chapel. This is when I came across The Funky Chicken Art Project. The old chicken house is gone but it's the same studio I remembered from years ago. This time I stopped. I'm glad I did.
I browsed for a while, enjoying the displays of contemporary fine art, folk art, pottery..and some unusual exhibits that defy explanation, at least by me...but help was on the way. I introduced myself to Christina White, one of the owner/artists, and she very graciously stopped what she was doing and enlightened me on the transformation from the old chicken house to the current studio. She also explained the setup, various artists exhibited, and anything else I inquired about. The highlight was when she brought out a story jug from a potter I had expressed interest in from her private collection.
The Funky Chicken Art Project is, in my mind, a "must do" if you are in the area. It is truly a unique experience that is hard to describe or explain and do it justice.

The Funky Chicken Art Project
1538 Wesley Chapel Rd.
Dahlonega. GA
706.864.3938
www.funkychickenartproject.com