Athens is home to many blooming musicians. With a name recognizable to many local people, the band Plato Jones travels throughout the South, as their MySpace headline says: “serving the world one ear at a time.”

Although they currently live in Tuscaloosa, the members of Plato Jones still call Athens their hometown. Tyler Crawford, Eric Fry, Jim McDole, and William Stephenson met in school. They started playing music in high school but did not actually form a band until they started college at the University of Alabama.

Although throughout the years, there have been different members in the band, guitarist and lead vocalist, Stephenson says, “It’s always been Athens kids in the band.”

Fry, the band’s drummer, says that Athens helped form the band mates into the musicians they are through the band programs at the Athens City Schools.

“Mr. [Pat] Bacon at the middle school and Mr. [Dan] Havely at the high school were very encouraging to us,” Fry said. “It was actually cool to be in the band and the bands were actually really good.”

Crawford, bassist and vocalist, adds that the culturally defining Tennessee Valley Old Time Fiddlers Convention impacted them as well.

“You never know how cool that is to have available to you until you don’t get to go to it every year.”

Local music has left a powerful impression on the members of Plato Jones. Stephenson mentions Athens native and bluegrass fiddler Daniel Carwile as an important influence. McDole remembers listening to the Pat and Cory Sowell, now in the Decatur-based band Bishop Black.

Fry adds that Halo Stereo, a rock band from Athens, is a big inspiration for him.

Audiences will thoroughly enjoy a Plato Jones show. With cover songs by The Band, The Beatles, The Grateful Dead, Beck, Cake, and more, this group will find every person’s interest.

Anna McDaniel tries to catch Plato Jones every time they perform locally. “I love going to see Plato Jones perform, not only because they are always so full of life, but because they play several songs that you wouldn’t expect them to perform,” she says.

“They never fail to get you out of your chair and dance along.”

Band members talked about their love of performing.

“The best thing about performing is seeing people’s faces,” Fry says. “You can tell who really loves it. Each night has an uncertainty. It all depends on who is out there.”

McDole adds: “Music is manipulative. If you write and perform a song and it makes someone happy or if it makes someone sad, you’ve connected with them. What you write is an expression and it’s an honor to perform it and have people listen to it.”

Crawford says: “Just knowing that people enjoy the music we’re playing is what I enjoy about performing.”

For Stephenson, not playing isn’t an option. “Some people have no choice,” he says. “Music, it’s just your purpose.”

To find out more about Plato Jones, and listen to the band’s music, or find out where it’s touring, visit the Web page www.myspace.com/platojones.