YAY! All Jay-Z/R. Kelly lyric references aside, I’ve been all about this show since I found out two weeks ago. You see, I was stoked enough to find out Birmingham was putting on a Folk Festival (at Avondale Park, no less) and then, dun dun DUH, the afterparty!

I met with The White Oaks this past Wednesday. They were in the process of shooting a short film based around their song How Do You Sleep?. They were in full rehearsal mode at The Playhouse, complete with directors (Chad Crowley), storyboards and guest star Lonnie Holley (world renowned folk artist). This was an event. Lonnie’s work has been acquired by the American Folk Art Museum in New York and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. His work has also been displayed at the White House. This was an amazing opportunity for the band, and for Birmingham.

After settling in for a break, the guys were eager to talk about their set at the after-party, but I was interested in hearing about their music.

Noel Johnson and Matt Jackson both described their sound as “rooted in three-part vocal harmonies” with their bandmate, Scott Thrift. Their drummer, Michael Glaser remains quiet for the first few minutes, but it becomes obvious that the road to this particular version of the band has been an effort that required time and fine-tuning on all their parts. “They usually rehearse in a circle. Sometimes I drum, and sometimes I’m at home watching TV”, Michael says jokingly. “No, but really,” says Noel, “Matt’s got his bass amp… we’re in a circle. That’s how we finally felt solid about the 3 part sound”. Michael sums its up: they still rehearse with him on drums occasionally, so the other three can hone their vocals.

As if that description hadn’t appeased my appetite enough, Noel Johnson defines the tone of their self-titled EP as “southern gothic”. “I think it transcends literary in our case”. It makes perfect sense if you’ve listened to any of the songs from the EP or caught them live. There is something so southern and honest about it that you actually feel involved in a song. My personal favorite is “Stare It Down”, one that tiptoes in between indie, pop, classic rock and southern folk. They are about to begin their second recording experience, in their own studio for five new songs. Their first EP was recorded in one fell swoop at the studio owned by another local band, 13 ghosts. They don’t rely on much studio over-production, instead focusing on the feeling of being in a space. This provides for a more enjoyable live show, especially in their case.

So, tonight. TONIGHT! You’ll be at Bottletree at or around 10:30 for the show. You’re welcome. And like I said earlier, Sworn Enemies are there too, so it’s all you if you miss an amazing opportunity to drink to your heart’s content in the presence of a WASHBOARD!

Tickets are $12. This is the chance for all you “Alabama indoors” fans out there to support the Fest in your own special way.