Conley is known for a lot of things, but most importantly it is how he shares his highly-contagious energy with any crowd. He is best known for his musical talents, but more recently for his involvement in the annual Wild Rumpus parade that takes place every October.
The Wild Rumpus is a two day festival organized to express the creativity of Athens and is an economic generator for locals businesses, and Conley is the "Grand Master of Ceremonies". He is also the founder and organizer of the event, but will also perform live with his band.
"When I was kid growing up there was never not a guitar in my house," said Conley. "To my mother's chagrin, about a month before my sister was born my father went out and bought a 1961 Fender Telecaster."
Conley says that throughout his childhood he was always interested in music, and that his father's was very influential. It was meant for him to be drawn towards music, and especially to the guitar.
Growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, he was always obsessed with music and art. In high school Conley played in a punk rock band called Disposable Dog Taylz with some of his friends. Back then Conley was influenced by artists like Jimi Hendrix, and bands like the Beatles and Duran Duran.
"Classic and punk rock were two of my favorite genres, but I absorb so much more. I like rap groups like Beastie Boys and OutKast too," said Conley.
After graduating high school he attended UMass Amherst in the early '90s where he studied painting, and during that time he and some classmates formed a band called Fuzzy Sprouts.
"Around the time that band was formed my girlfriend was a nude model in one of my art classes, and she actually said that my guitar playing was better than my painting. Which is something I really took to heart," said Conley.
That comment by his college girlfriend is a factor that drove Conley towards music. After college he and his bandmates relocated to the Classic City in 1991 after hearing of the great music scene. Throughout the '90s Fuzzy Sprouts was known as one of Athens favorite party bands. They played shows at venues all around town, but the band also traveled across the country as well.
"With Fuzzy Sprouts I did a lot of East Coast touring playing shows in New York and Boston," he said. "We also toured Colorado quite a bit and played ski towns. At one point we opened up in a brand new venue in Fort Collins with another band."
Fuzzy Sprouts is not the only band that Conley has toured across the country with. Abbey Road Live, which is a Beatles cover band, has traveled to Louisville, Kentucky, and has headlined large music festivals. That being said he likes playing his own material because it's a little more challenging, and he would rather play to a smaller audience because it's more meaningful. Currently Conley plays in a band called Wonderland Rangers that has had a lot of recent success.
Conley has lived in Athens for almost 30 years, and is very involved within the community. Not only is Conley a musician and founder of the Wild Rumpus, but is also an artist. His creative mind helped him think of the idea for Wild Rumpus, and his background in art led him to fully design all the logos and merchandise himself.
"Timi is a talented visual artist, and a great advocate for the Earth," said current bandmate Shelley Olin.
After turning 51 Conley said that he has noticed a new wave of young musicians and artists come onto the scene in Athens. To him the younger scene is wildly experimental and are doing great things for the community.
"Timi's just a guy that loves music, and is very a great performer, said A.J. Adams, a local artist. "From a younger person's standpoint we are just doing what he did 20 years ago."
Although he is known for his illustrious music career, Conley is also the founder of the Wild Rumpus parade.
Participants dress up in Halloween costumes to attend the Wild Rumpus parade that takes place the last weekend in October of every year. Wearing his costume that resembles Max from "Where the Wild Things Are", Conley then leads the roaring, drumming and high-energy revelers on a marching parade through the downtown streets. Eventually the parade comes to a halt near City Hall for a dance party that usually features crazy lights and a massive sound system.
Throughout the past decade the festival has grown more popular every year, but at first Conley didn't think the community would respond the way it did.
"Before the very first meetup in 2008 I thought it was going to be a flop, and I almost didn't go," said Conley. "It was raining and cold, and I thought it was going to be a failure."
Conley says that 30 minutes before he decided he might as well go, and if it was just him and a guy with a tuba that he would still represent. Upon arrival to his amazement there were hundreds of people.
Since 2008, the festival has gained national attention for being Athens' first one-of-a-kind Halloween celebration. Local businesses and nonprofits have started supporting the event by sponsoring it, including Creature Comforts, Graduate Hotel Athens and many downtown restaurants.
Additionally, Wild Rumpus sponsors a different local non-profit every year, and it's proceeds from fundraising are all donated to that organization. Conley not only thinks of the parade as a spectacle for locals, but also as a betterment for the community as well.
"It's a blast and Athens is lucky to have Timi so devoted to bringing this annual event to our community," said Olin.
28 years after moving to Athens, Conley is still performing live music and displaying his creative mind for people to see.
