It Happened Last Night
Elvis Perkins, Okkervil River Keep Fans Warm on a Cool Night
ATHENS, GA: Crowds came in from the rain, crowding into the intimate Caledonia Lounge to see the blues-folk artists.
By Spin Staff 10.20.06 3:00 AM
On an uncharacteristically dreary Athens evening last night, no soundtrack was more befitting than the contemporary blues-folk of Elvis Perkins and Okkervil River. Fans crowded into the intimate Caledonia Lounge, pouring out of the venue's front and back doors as Perkins (son of Anthony Perkins, aka Norman Bates in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho) supplied the warmth with his earnest, stripped down catalog. Playing the majority of his set alongside instrumentalists from Okkervil River, Perkins channeled legends like Bob Dylan and Neil Young with his energetic harmonica, lyrical cadence, and sway-inducing beats. Headliners Okkervil River showcased their great versatility, balancing simplistic, bittersweet songwriting with grand musical arrangements. Throughout a late night set tinged with pop-rock, rambling blues, and rockabilly folk, the passion of lead singer Will Sheff and energy of the band's multi-instrumentalists were vividly evident. STORY BY SAMANTHA PROMISLOFF. PHOTOS BY COLIN SMITH
We asked: Given that Elvis Perkins' father is classic actor Anthony Perkins, we want to know, if you could have a famous father, who would it be? COMMENT
Name: Tyler Smoak
Age: 20
Hometown: Statesboro, GA
Occupation: Pharmacist
"Hunter S. Thompson. He's a crazy motherf--ker!â€
Name: Delia Neville
Age: 21
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Occupation: Hostess
"Christopher Walken. He's an icon to our generation for playing crazy roles."
Name: Morgan Catalina
Age: 21
Hometown: Athens, GA
Occupation: Local music publicist
"My dad is the tits. I'll keep him."
Name: Lisa and Andrea Bosshardt
Age: 25 / 22
Hometown: Sandy Springs, GA
Occupation: Real estate agent / Student
Lisa: "Jack Nicholson." Andrea: "Stephen Colbert. I would be laughing out loud always!"
Name: Celia Stephens
Age: 21
Hometown: Columbia, SC
Occupation: Barista
"Paul McCartney! I'd be inherently talented and popular."
Name: Joshua Aaron Lewis
Age: 21
Hometown: Denver, CO
Occupation: Lead guitarist for the Empties / sandwich artist
"Whoever is Paris Hilton's father."
Name: Madelline Hornig
Age: 20
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Occupation: Band-aid
"David Bowie because he is consistently AWESOME. And Iman would be my step-mom!"
Name: Ben Nelson
Age: 19
Hometown: Statesboro, GA
Occupation: Student
"Darth Vader. I would be born into royalty and have latent force powers. I mean, why NOT Darth Vader?"
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Okkervil River's Scott Brackett and Travis Nelsen
Elvis Perkins (left) and oversized drum
Perkins' band emotes right along with him.
