Athenaeum was an alternative pop rock four-piece band from Greensboro, Nort… Read Full Bio ↴Athenaeum was an alternative pop rock four-piece band from Greensboro, North Carolina, USA formed in 1990 at an eighth grade dance by Nic Brown and Mark Kano.

After several personnel changes, Kano and Brown recorded an eight song EP in 1995 with bassist Alex McKinney and lead guitarist Grey Brewster. The "Green Album," as it is widely known, sold about 10,000 copies.

In 1996 the band was signed by Atlantic Records. They released their major label debut, Radiance, in 1998. The first single, "What I Didn't Know," was a minor hit. During the recording phase for their next album, Brown left the band to attend college. He was replaced by Jeremy Vogt, who performed with the likes of Tonic and The Connells. Brewster also dissolved his membership with the group and was replaced by Mike Garrigan, the lead singer and songwriter of Collapsis.

This new line up played their first show on March 31, 2001, at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The new set included Garrigan's Collapsis anthem, "October". [correction they actually played their first show with this lineup in Boone, NC]

Athenaeum's sophomore album Athenaeum was released on September 18, 2001. However, it received little promotion in the wake of the September 11th attacks.

Athenaeum was eventually dropped by Atlantic Records. They toured for an additional three years and released their final record, Hourglass, a collection of rare outtakes and demos, before performing their last show at Ziggy's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on December 28, 2004.

Kano and Garrigan subsequently formed the band mg4 (with Alex McKinney, the original bassist for Athenaeum and Jeremy Vogt), who released an EP in the summer of 2004 titled Gravity Affects Me. "mg4" continues touring to date and information on shows can be found at Mike Garrigan's official website.

Discography and stand-out tracks :
- Radiance (1998): "What I Didnt know", "Flat Tire", "Radiance"
- Athenaeum (2001) : "Comfort", "Frozen in time", "Suddenly"
- Hourglass (2002) : "On Her Way", "Family Tree", "One Day at a time"

Family Tree
Athenaeum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't talk too much to my family
I feel bad, they don't understand me.
I don't speak unless there's something really important to say.
I'm not weak,
Though quiet people often come across that way.

You and me and the family tree
That I can't seem to climb

There's something wrong, I guess I don't belong
And I don't really mind, no I don't really mind.

I don't talk too much to my family.
I feel bad, whenever they're around me.
But I might write, maybe send a postcard once a year.
To be polite, and tell them all the things they want to hear.

You and me and the family tree
Oh we made such a mess
But you gave it a shot, and look what you got
A son who's fatherless.
You and me and the family tree
That just can't seem to grow
But I just wanted to say
That I love you anyway
And I think that you should know.
I think that you should know.

I don't talk, I don't speak

You might say that I am weak
But I don't talk, and I don't speak.

Overall Meaning

The Athenaeum song, Family Tree, is a powerful and emotional reflection of a young adult's relationship with their family. In the first verse, the singer reveals that they don't communicate often with their family and that they feel misunderstood. They prefer to keep their thoughts to themselves and only speak when it's necessary. However, they are quick to point out that they are not weak despite their introverted nature.

In the chorus, the singer uses the metaphor of a family tree to describe their strained relationship with their family. They feel like they are unable to climb the tree and that something is wrong. Although they don't feel like they belong, they don't mind the distance. They accept their lack of connection to their family and appear at peace with it.

In the second verse, the singer mentions that they do try to maintain some form of communication with their family. Even though they struggle to find the words to say, they send postcards once a year to please their family members. The song ends on a bittersweet note as the singer acknowledges that the family tree may not have grown but they still love their family and want them to know.

Overall, 'Family Tree' is a moving piece of art that many can relate to. It shows the complexities that can come with familial relationships and the internal struggles of an introverted individual.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't talk too much to my family
I don't communicate much with my relatives.

I feel bad, they don't understand me.
I feel guilty that they don't comprehend me.

I don't speak unless there's something really important to say.
I stay silent until I have vital matters to discuss.

I'm not weak,
I am not frail.

Though quiet people often come across that way.
Although silent folks might appear that way.

You and me and the family tree
We three and our lineage.

That I can't seem to climb
A tree that I cannot scale.

There's something wrong, I guess I don't belong
Something is incorrect, and I suppose that I don't fit in.

And I don't really mind, no I don't really mind.
However, it doesn't matter to me, honestly.

I feel bad, whenever they're around me.
I feel guilty whenever they're near me.

But I might write, maybe send a postcard once a year.
But I may draft a letter, perhaps a greeting yearly.