It’s a new year and I’m ready with my favorite playlists to hit the road and get my long-awaited live music fix…but wait, not quite yet. Omicron beats me to the venues and sends me off course. Searching for an ember of music in a strangely quiet Athens, Georgia, I stumble upon a freak folk soundscape at Flicker Theater & Bar. Childlike wonder takes over as I’m bewitched by the wild sights and sounds of Cookie Tongue. This truly bonus episode will introduce you to Omer Gal, Cookie Tongue’s creator. He is also a stop motion video maker, puppeteer and simply fascinating. And you’ll meet a mouse; that’s a Concert Cast first! In between sets, we talk with Adam Wayton, the talent buyer at Flicker Theater who is also in a band called The Pink Stones. He talks about his approach to booking and we hear why Athens is such a popular music town. When you are on the other side of this episode, we hope you’ll be inspired to turn off your overly-played favorites and listen for something new.Concert Cast is a woman-owned rockumentary podcast network. Originating in 2019 as a road trip around Maine, Concert Cast has evolved into an audio atlas, guiding listeners through America's concert communities. During the pandemic, Kyle Lamont brought together industry leaders and artists for insightful discussions on the future of concert-going and culture and was recognized in 2022 as a Spotify Editor’s Pick for Lamont's energetic music journalism.