After a long respite – those two Civil Wars concerts and the Book Fest must have exhausted poor Daren Wang – Eddie & Agnes is back!

On Saturday, December 8th, Eddie Owen returns to Decatur to present Shawn Colvin at Agnes Scott’s Presser Hall!  Colvin is touring in support of her latest album, “All Fall Down”.  Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 at the door and are available for purchase at www.eddieowenpresents.com.

After the jump, a short summary from the release regarding Colvin’s latest effort…

Read the rest of this entry »

I was trying to give the parties involved time to respond, but it looks like the word is out.   Eddie Owen announced via Facebook this morning that he was let go from Eddie’s Attic on Friday.

Owen had returned to the Attic last November, after a brief departure.

Note: Eddie’s Attic is a DM sponsor

Travis points out that Eddie’s Owen’s recent TEDx talk here in Atlanta is now online!

First on DM…

Feel like Decatur is due for some good news?  How about this?

Only a few days after it was announced that Eddie’s Attic was being sold by owner Bob Ephlin to well-known concert promoter Alex Cooley and his business partner, Dave Mattingly, vague rumors started swirling around Decatur that the Attic had some “exciting news” that would soon be announced.  Those rumors eventually got more specific, suggesting that founder and namesake, Eddie Owen, would be returning to the Attic to take up his old job as talent booker, just a little over a month after leaving that post to pursue a new opportunity at the Red Clay Theatre in Duluth.

Today DM confirmed it.

Owen tells us that he’ll be back after the sale on December 1st.  He adds, “We agreed last Saturday for me to assist them if they would assist me with Eddie Owen Presents in Duluth. I am honored to associate with [Cooley and Mattingly].”

He also relayed this interesting tidbit, “The 1st concert I ever attended was at the old Atlanta City Auditorium in 1972, the Allman Brothers, Marshall Tucker, and Wet Willie!  Great show and I will never forget it.  And yep…it was Alex Cooley Presents!!”

Welcome back Eddie.

Rick points out this AJC article…

On Monday night, the Duluth City Council approved a short-term management agreement with Owen, enabling him to take over the oft-maligned Red Clay Theatre and turn it into an entertainment destination.

“I’m now a freelancer, I now have wings and I’m looking to fly to Duluth,” Owen told the council. “I’ve never ever experienced the infrastructure in place like it is here in Duluth.”

DM was the first to report Eddie’s move to Duluth, HERE.

Photo courtesy of Red Clay Theatre website

In 1992, Eddie Owen opened Eddie’s Attic along North McDonough Street in downtown Decatur. A year later he got married there.

In 2002, he sold the business to Jennifer Nettles ex-husband, Todd Van Sickle. In 2005, Van Sickle sold it to Bob Ephlin, who brought Owen back to his namesake “attic” to book the talent.

And on Friday, Owen will depart again.

Taking his talents to Duluth, GA as early as next Tuesday, Owen is excited about the possibilities of a “turnkey ready” 250 seat theater with “killer sound and lights”, a green room, catering kitchen, rehearsal space, and office area. Though there’s currently “no contract in place, no launch date, no artists booked”, Owen already as plans for workshops and lessons to be a key part of this new concept. Says Owen, “I’m diving out on a limb, yet I’m more excited about this than I’ve been about anything since my marriage… and then the birth of my 3 children.”

Attic owner Bob Ephlin is supportive of Owen’s move and thankful for his years of service. “He’s been a great mentor to the Attic staff.”, Ephlin recalls.

As for the Attic itself, perched up in Decatur’s lower atmosphere, Ephlin says that he’s still getting a plan in place for the transition, and that he’ll stand in for Owen for the time-being while he assesses the Attic’s options in finding a replacement.

As for the longer term future of the Attic, “We have a great staff in place.” Ephlin points out. He reassures the Decatur community that Eddie’s Attic will continue to be about the listening room experience and the relationship between the artist and the audience. Ephlin says the Attic is already completely booked for the remainder of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, and will continue with its weekly radio show, which is now over 50 markets.

So life goes on for both parties.

But it doesn’t sound like Decatur has seen the last of Eddie Owen. He’ll be back in town next week for the sold-out Eddie & Agnes Civil Wars concerts and all signs point to that partnership continuing into the future.

We at DM wish all the best both to Eddie Owen and Eddie’s Attic as they move into their new phases of life.

h/t: Carl

Disclosure: Eddie’s Attic is a DM sponsor