Local Music Scene:

The Union

At first sight, The Union seems like the typical college bar; complete with smoke, beer, dim lighting and its own unique smell. Still, somehow, there seems to be so much more to it than that. Despite the loud music, dark and dusty surroundings and hard punk vibe, I feel like this is a welcoming place. Old friends are mingling; introducing one another to new comers. I stop fidgeting in my rickety booth, and take a look around, as I'm joined by a regular, who informs me that his religious attendance has to do with the three essentials of college music: cheep beer, good bands, and good friends, all of which are in abundance here. As my new friend leaves to join his buddies in the front, I look around the room. Dusty pictures on the wall showcase past acts. These pictures are like The Union’s very own scrapbook. Frame after frame exhibits a little piece of history that has added to The Union’s wonderfully long past. Band stickers dress the backs of chairs and tables. Wall graffiti stares back at you everywhere you look. A black light glows on a mural that depicts the stage area during one of its crazier nights. This place oozes with history. It is dripping with a past.

Hot Dogs, Rock & Roll & Crime Fighting

The Union, Athens oldest bar, has its own story, begining somewhere during the early 20s, when prohibition was at an all time high. The bar survived through the ban on alcohol by selling hotdogs, a tradition that they are still known for today.
“Old timers, who have been getting hot dogs since they were young, come in like clock work,” said Chris Biester, an employee of The Union since 1993.
Later, as I venture to the downstairs bar on what I would consider a typical afternoon, The Union is occupied by a different group of regulars. The lunch-crowd. Customers vary greatly in age, intellect and even background, but their unity remains the same, perhaps a reason The Union is what it is.
Over the years, The Union has developed a fan base of its own, one so strong that it's attracted everyone from the local pastors to wanted criminals. Accoring to Biester, a bank robber was caught at The Union after while waiting for a hotdog order. Yes, they are that good.
Of course, hotdogs and crime fighting arn't the only things that The Union is known for. The bar is a stop for tons of bands on tour. The upstairs is home to a large stage that has been graced by a number of up-and-coming acts. Bands such as The White Stripes, Jesus Lizard, Jonathon Richmond and The Googoo Dolls have played at The Union before making it big. Just a few weeks ago, November 9, 17-time Grammy winner, Allyson Kraus made an appearence, and rumor has it ate some hotdogs.

Welcome Home

Pre-airplanes and tour busses, bands living out of vans knew the bar as their sweet abode. “Bands that tour around the country call this place home, ” says Biester.
That at-home feel is no different with local musicians. Zach Catania of the local heavy metal band, Mutalitia, says the same. “It was the first place we got gigs, and we got a lot of support. It was definitely our home.”
Cantania goes on to say that The Union has a huge impact on local bands and artists. “Underground bands,

like We March, are pretty well-known now because they play at The Union, and if you look around, local artists' work covers the walls.”
In addition to providing local bands a springboard into stardom, the bar also promotes area artists. Art shows, which rotate monthly, give local artists a chance to showcase their work. Even the mural upstairs was created by local artist Tracy Duncan.

Numerous Owners, One Goal

From live shows to the infamous Dance or Die, a night of booty shaking and disco balls, The Union almost always has something going on. It seems amazing that a bar could stay true to its roots after all these years, especially while under decades of different owners.
Whether it was Mary Weaver's family, Mary Weaver herself, or current owner Lou Lennart, The Union has preserved its history and unique atmosphere. “I grew up going to shows at The Union, and my experiences here make it imparitive to preserve that atmosphere for future generations,” says Lennart.
As I return to the beat-up bench I began my journey through The Union's past in, I no longer wonder what I’m doing here. The jumbled array of sounds slicing through the bar signals that the band is only beginning to warm up, but I don't even consider the 'leave-an-hour-after-the-band-is-scheduled-to-play' rule, because I am amond friends, now. And, whether these friends come for beer, hotdogs or good music, one thing will will always stay the same: Athens oldest bar will always be a place I can call home.