On a holiday visit to Athens, Ga. last week, I checked out some of the weird new restaurants along Prince Avenue and Broad Street; heard some loud music at the 40 Watt Club; drank some bourbon at the 283 Bar, Tasty World, the Manhattan, and the Rye Bar; and caught up with a few old pals. I also spent some time at my old friend and musical colleague Peter Alvanos’ pad near Five Points. A native of James Island, Alvanos grew up listening to ’60s rock ’n’ roll, ’70s AM radio hits, and pop and plenty of Let’s Active. While attending the College of Charleston in the late ’80s, he acquired a vintage set of orange-swirl Ludwig drums and started bangin’ around with a variety of local garage and guitar-pop bands. Picking up bass and guitar along the way, Alvanos spent time with local combos Honey Wagon, Vroom, The Ferns, and others before relocating to N.Y.C.
He moved to Athens seven years ago and played drums and guitar with a handful of local acts, including Sunshine Fix, The Empties, The Modfathers, King of Prussia, The Observatory, and several others.
His latest endeavor in Athens is a long-running solo project (often with accompaniment) called Fabulous Bird. While the melodic jangle and percussive twist of most of the FB tunes reflect a healthy sonic dose of British Invasion and ‘80s power-pop influences, the Beatles paraphernalia around the Alvanos home reflects a distinctively “British Mod” visual sensiblity and cultural style. I clicked a few pics:
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