McCandless Hall was the place to be Thursday night as Atlanta based speed metal band Paladin gave a high energy performance to an energetic crowd. While Paladin headlined the concert benefitting the Scout House, area bands Cestus, Temple of Blood, and Nolan’s Flight also had a chance to bring their talents to the stage.

Athens Arts League President and member of Temple of Blood, Garth Lovvorn, has worked tirelessly for many years promoting local musicians and creating opportunities for them to showcase their talents. Being welcomed at McCandless Hall was like a “dream come true” for Lovvorn.

As he took the stage Thursday with his bandmates, he thanked the Athens Arts League and Athens State University for their support in making Thursday’s concert possible. The crowd reciprocated with a booming round of applause in appreciation of Lovvorn’s efforts to bring diverse styles of live music to their hometown.

Paladin kicked off their 2023: A Hyperspace Odyssey tour Thursday and they had the crowd on their feet for the entire performance.

Paladin guitarist Alex Parra said, “It was awesome. The venue, I know it’s not usually meant for metal shows, but it was put together in a way that really works.”

Parra was impressed with the history of the Athens State University campus and enjoyed playing at such a “beautiful” venue and the quality of the acoustics.

“It’s always a pleasant surprise when you get a venue that is set up to project well. Mostly, it’s like dive bars where it’s not. The way it is set up here is really nice. You can see from every angle no matter what and the balcony, that’s always great,” Parra said.

From Athens, the band will travel to New Orleans for a Friday night show. They will make their way through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver, B.C.

“Our main thing we are doing is playing a festival in Vancouver called Hyperspace Metal Fest,” Parra said. “It’s awesome, what y’all are doing here. It’s a work in progress, and we look forward to coming back to Athens.”