Five Eight

with The Ladies of… Ft. James Hall

Smith’s Olde Bar • Atlanta, Georgia • December 12, 2025

by Charles D.J. Deppner

Some lucky ones were able to open their holiday gifts early this year and catch a combined swat of music royalty in James Hall fronting for The Ladies of… opening for Five Eight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

Five Eight is on a bit of a victory lap, having fought hard for and clawed back some of the critical recognition and sentiment they had been denied. But this isn’t some token legacy or reunion tour. They set the tone with “Weirdo,” but deliver a setlist well-packed with new and upcoming material: “Take Me to the Skatepark,” “Help a Sinner,” and “I’m Alone.” The new being as great as the old, new is now. Is it a comeback if they never left?

Five Eight captures the zeitgeist and angst of where both they and the world are now. Mike Mantione and Five Eight are in it to win it, and they haven’t missed a beat. Emerging on the other side of a 30-year vortex with the same energy and strength that propelled them to one of the most unjust near-misses in Athens music history, the band is honed, sharpened, and polished, wearing the sheen of continued purpose and maturity.

Smith’s Olde Bar befittingly offered a historic, warm, and familiar embrace, packed out with longtime and regional fans as well as recent converts. Still, this was not a sentimental, nostalgic vibe, because Five Eight still lays it all out and manages to challenge the audience in a post-crisis revelry.

As an opener, The Ladies of… Ft. James Hall provided equal billing and proved once again true rock stars still exist. The real “gift” for the night was hearing “Christmas Without You,” a collaboration between Five Eight and James Hall. Upon hearing it live, it’s obvious it’s an instant classic, as it squats on your brain like it’s been there for twenty years. Never has holiday heartache with a hook sounded and felt so good.

Being that a lot of holiday playlists are padded out with disingenuous, pandering gimmicky schlock, it’s nice to (finally) have some real “sugarplums” for once.

When the music is earnest, good and real, Survival is Victory. If anything, it’s time for critics and fans to sidestep the buffet and finally order Five Eight straight from the menu. ◼

Five Eight • The Ladies of… Ft. James Hall • Smith’s Olde Bar