Athens After Dark. A Different Kind of Fieldwork

There are evenings we plan and evenings when we simply end up… nowhere. Literally. But before we get there, a few words about Athens after dark.

Since arriving here, our schedule has filled up with meetings, presentations, visits, and conversations about the university and the community. But we have also started discovering the side of town that comes alive when our academic day ends. So we put our notes aside and headed downtown. We did bring our phones, though. The documentation continued.

Downtown sits right next to UGA’s historic campus, with many of its bars, restaurants, and music venues just a few minutes’ walk from one another. Much of the city’s nightlife fits into this relatively small area.

Groups gather on the sidewalks, lines form outside the entrances, and we try to take it all in amid the cars, motorcycles, and glowing signs. Outside some venues, the lines stretch along the buildings. A few steps farther, another door, different music, a different atmosphere.

What we find interesting is how naturally an evening unfolds from one place to the next. Some of it happens inside, some out on the sidewalk, between conversations and photographs. The street has a life of its own, every bit as busy as the bars. We take another photo. And then another.

Another thing that has caught our attention in Athens is live music. Local bands and solo artists perform in some of the bars, and a night out can easily include a small concert. We are beginning to suspect that almost everyone here plays an instrument, has a band, or is looking for people to start one with. For now, we contribute from the audience. Between stops, we discover this side of the community too: the people who make music and the people who come to listen. Our fieldwork is acquiring a soundtrack.

One of our stops is Nowhere Bar, which also hosts live shows. So we can honestly say we went out and ended up… nowhere. This particular “nowhere” is a local hangout, with a stage, colorful lights, and walls covered in photographs, posters, and assorted objects. Among everything on display, one message catches our eye: DON’T fuck up.

Some places display inspirational quotes. Nowhere Bar prefers more practical instructions. After so many presentations about goals, strategies, and best practices, we appreciate the brevity. Message received.

At one of our stops, we also get our hands stamped: THUG LIFE. For a group attending an academic program, that is quite a change in credentials.

At 9d’s, we move on to the practical component: dancing. Between disco balls and colorful lights, we also attempt a few group photos. Our coordination is better on the dance floor than in front of the camera.

At The Clayton Social, we settle on the wooden steps beneath a screen showing football. Two teams, two activities: theirs playing on screen, ours posing for a photo. One shot comes out tilted. After a few weeks in America, we are adapting to new coordinate systems too.

We came to the United States for a four-month academic program. That means classes, meetings, field visits, and plenty of notes. But our time here also has room for evenings like these, with dancing, conversations, and walks through downtown. After all, if we want to understand the place we are living in, we need to investigate all the environmental factors. Fieldwork completed. No major incidents. And, at least this time, we followed the instruction on the wall: we didn’t fuck up.

The views expressed on this blog are our own and do not reflect the official positions of the Fulbright Program, the University of Georgia, or the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest.

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