Who: Athens Band
When: Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
Where: 40 Watt
Price: $6; $8 under 21

The ATHENS Band is on a high after a promising first half of the year.

“Athens,” as the members often refer to themselves, earned a spot on the main stage at AthFest this summer and won the audience over while performing at the 2010 Flagpole Awards.

But none of it would have been possible if their parents didn’t drive them to band practice.

Not your average after-school garage band, this head-banging quartet — ages 12 to 15 — can deliver impressive renditions of rock classics such as Van Halen’s “The Cradle Will Rock” and some notable originals

Don’t let the fact that none of the kids are old enough to drive deter you from seeing them film their new music video at the 40 Watt.

Stage fright is simply not an issue for the lead guitar player, who happens to be the youngest member of the band.

Beau “Monkey” Anderson, 12, can often be found rolling and writhing around on stage while rockin’ out to one of his favorites, as he did to AC/DC’s “T.N.T.” during a show at Gnat’s Landing last Friday.

Anderson describes a sort of out-of-body experience when he performs.

“The thing is, I can’t remember going on stage and coming off,” he said. “I just black out when I go on stage, I can’t remember a thing I do.”

But he does recall the day he hit up his best friend, who had already started dabbling with the idea of a band, and told him he wanted to play bass.

Chase Brown, 14, plays rhythm guitar and does lead vocals for the band. Brown received his call to rock three years ago when he heard Aerosmith for the first time on the Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster ride at Disney World, he said.

From there, Brown bought a Lyon Acoustic guitar and began lessons with Mike Guthrie of the Michael Guthrie Band.

After a fruitless attempt at a band with two other guitar players, Brown found his inspiration when Anderson asked for a crack at the bass. Anderson, who is praised by his bandmates for having the “most natural talent,” moved quickly from bass to lead guitar, he said.

With the guitar parts in place, Zak “Blonde Blur” Smith joined the band as its drummer, adding even more talent into the mix.

Smith, who turns 16 on Sunday, became interested in percussion after he received some basic lessons from his cousin.

“Now it’s all I do,” he said.

But it really can’t be all they do, because after all, they do have school.

When Brown dropped a grade in a class once, his dad pulled him from a show at The Masquerade in Atlanta, he said.

The bass player, 15-year-old Justin Granados, would say just fitting in with band is an understatement.

“I clicked with them instantly,” he said.

Although Granados is part of his school band at Madison County High School, he always wanted to play professionally.

“These guys really gave me the opportunity to do that,” he said.

The band credits good energy, professionalism and their parents for their success.

And why?

“Because they can’t drive,” said Kathleen Anderson, Beau’s mom.

But in all seriousness, the support of their parents is a huge factor. It was their parents who chipped in on purchasing all the equipment and make the effort to get them to practice.

“We all have parents with musical backgrounds,” Anderson said.

The band practices four hours on Sundays and three hours on Tuesdays, said Jimmy Anderson, the band’s manager.

So what’s in store for Athens?

“I’d like to see us get signed,” Brown said.

Right now, they are also trying to weed out the covers and focus on originals, Granados said.

Athens will be performing and shooting the music video for its original song “Animals” at the 40 Watt Saturday night.