Tasty World

Many of the young people who would become local musicians, artists, and bohemians in the mid-1980s arrived in Athens already knowing the local scene. Bands emerging in these years as part of a new way of local music-making worked to fill gaps in the local sonic landscape. Influenced by different performers and art than that of the earlier scene, the guiding principle was the same—diversity. Participants brought do-it-yourself (DIY) methods of production to bear on other kinds of creative projects. In all of these mediums and forms, participants pushed against the styles, aesthetics, and concerns of the bands, artists, and other bohemians that came before. What was important was to be more than a passive consumer of art and music; you had to make your own culture. Much of this new music was called “college rock,” suggesting it was produced for a small audience and came from a middle-class background with a certain level of intellectualism. The designation also meant most participants were white. Critics and fans pushed back on the “college rock” label, instead adopting the labels “indie” or “alternative,” which they found more expansive and “real.”