Athens Band Rocks Beyond its Years

The Athens band knows what it’s doing. It’s clear as soon as the musicians take the stage.

Launching onto an original song, “Animals (Mama Said),” the band—named for our city and made up of Beau Anderson, Chase Brown, Justin Granados and Zak Smith—thrash around the stage, long hair flying, radiating enough energy to power a city. The audience is family-friendly, full of teenaged fans and their parents, all dancing to the music and throwing the occasional devil’s horns.

On stage, they are a solid unit, as polished as any arena act, pushing themselves so hard that if you squint, you can almost see the pyrotechnics exploding behind them.

The oldest person on stage is 17.

Three of the band members are in high school; the fourth is in seventh grade. And yet their talent, music knowledge and stage presence is mature far beyond their years. During a cover of “Crazy Train,” Chase lifts noticeably petite Beau onto his shoulders during the latter’s guitar solo.

It is the perfect replica of Ozzy Osbourne famously hoisting Randy Rhoads into the air in concert.

In a world of Justin Biebers, the Athens band stands apart in the pantheon of teenaged musicians. The band formed in 2008 when lifelong friends Beau and Chase met Zak at a Guitar Center in Atlanta and Justin at a session of Camp Amped at Nuci’s Space. Together, they play covers and write original music that is solidly grounded in classic rock with roots in Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, Van Halen and The Runaways.

The band members take their job very seriously. They recently obtained booking agents Elizabeth Callaizakis in Georgia and John Bradford with the Texas-based William Ware Agency; they already have a producer, Steve Taylor, who plays lead guitar for Bill Gentry and was a founding member of the early 90s-hair metal band, Blonz.

Before their recent set at Hendershot’s—part of “Concert for Kids,” a benefit that raised money for two Clarke Middle School families—the Athens band made time for an interview before their set. Sitting on a curb outside near their trailer, admiring Beau’s Sharpie tattoos (including logos of The Runaways and Van Halen) on his forearm, they reminisced on when and how they all became involved in music.

At 10, “I heard Joe Perry and I was like, I want to play guitar,” said Chase, now a 16-year-old homeschooled high school sophomore.

Zak, a 17-year-old junior at Banks County High School, was inspired by a drums-playing cousin to take up the instrument.

Beau, 13 and a homeschooled seventh grader, cited Guitar Hero as an inspiration to try out the real thing, but then paused, recalling an even earlier influence. “The band would be nothing without The Wiggles,” he laughed. “That was my first introduction to music.”

“The Wiggles are actually amazing,” said Justin, a 16-year-old Madison County High School junior who has been playing music for at least 10 years. “’Hot potato, hot potato!’ I sing it all the time.”

“Fruit salad!” Chase chimed in.

Beau’s dad (and Athens band manager) Jimmy Anderson, who was hanging out with the guys, broke in, revealing that for a week in his son’s early childhood, “He wouldn’t answer to Beau. We had to call him Murray”—his favorite Wiggle.

 “The Wiggles are like the Beatles of our generation,” Justin proclaimed.

“Don’t put that in there,” his bandmates suggested.

They take a more serious approach to writing music, working in shifting pairs before “getting together to jam,” says Beau, and bringing a finished song to their producer.

“We all have very diverse tastes in music,” says Justin. “When we mix it together, it comes out the way we sound.”

For instance, Zak is a metalhead. Beau is, too, but also likes punk. Chase is into 80s music (Justin: “If I could describe Chase in one word, it’d be ‘Kickstart My Heart.’” Chase: “That’s three words”). Justin likes classic rock and more modern stuff, like Nirvana, The Strokes and Foo Fighters.

They meld those disparate influences into a cohesive rock sound which they deliver on stage bombastically. Zak casually twirls and tosses his drumsticks, expertly catching each one; Beau earns his nickname of “Monkey” with his explosive dancing. Chase and Justin alternate singing lead, and both are marvels: Chase is melodic and sweet, even when wailing; Justin is a plaintive mix of Bon Scott, Axl Rose and Joan Jett.

Steve Sacco, sixth-grade social studies teacher at Clarke Middle School and an organizer of the benefit, booked Athens’ very first gig for another school fundraiser.

"They're very dedicated to what they do and they have the support they need from their parents,” he said. “They have God-given talent to begin with, and they've developed it…(their stage presence) sort of reminds me of really great young actors. And they have the chops. They're well-rehearsed. They're like the teenaged AC/DC, plus they write their own songs."

The band is clear on their long-term goals.

“Rock the world,” Beau said.

“I want to play before an audience who has no idea who we are and blow their minds,” said Justin, then clarified: “That’s a short-term goal. I’d like to do that tomorrow.”

You can download their album, “Animals,” for free at their bandcamp. For music videos and clips, plus information on upcoming shows, find them on Facebook or visit their website.

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