Tag Archives: alabama

a (mandatory) dance party

Let’s all be serious here. We love to dance, just not out on the street or, for that matter, anywhere in the general public. Maybe it’s just my gangly white femaleness, but still. ALAS! I think I met someone this week that will change my, err your, mind concerning all things “cuttin’ a rug” related.

Rebecca Davis started ROCK PAPER ROCK, a local booking agency that is responsible for a healthy percentage of Birmingham’s recent lucky streak when it comes to getting good bands (i.e. nationally known) to play our great city. She’s also a local girl who moved away, only to return with more love and affection for our great city. So, who better an ambassador to the indie music scene than her to introduce one of the best ideas I’ve heard about it a while?

KIDS GOT THE DISCO!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/A09PbCXYQsc" width="400" height="329" wmode="transparent" /]

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Speakeasy deals in the Black Market

The lede’s up on the front page; I’ll wait while you go check it out…

OK, I sat down and talked with George about a great upcoming development.

WHITNEY: Give us a quick description of what’s happening in Georgeland lately.
GEORGE: The Black Market Bar (BMB) is located at the Colonnade on Highway 280. It is somewhere you would find in the pages of a graphic novel or on screen in a detective noir film. The walls are dark with mood colors and low lighting. The staff is friendly, hip and well-versed on signature drinks, beer and wine. Coffee drinks too. The food menu is to the point and original. Our hours of operation are 4 pm to 5 am. (closed on Sundays & Mondays) The BMB is non-smoking, thankfully, BUT has a huge covered patio that is available for cancer causing habits. My theory is… If you go out late, then you want to go somewhere nice…

W: How did this idea for a new Birmingham bar come about? Was it a long time in the making?
G: I came up with the concept back in the fall of 2007. Since I opened the Speakeasy in ’06 I knew I wasn’t going to sit still with just one bar. I like the idea of a different location to try new things without betraying the atmosphere people are accustomed to at the Speakeasy. Black Market Bar + Speakeasy + Firefighting = no sleep, but thats ok. Continue reading

Got plans this weekend? 8.15 – 8.17

Details, here are the details.

Tonight is the last Art on the Rocks for the 2008 season. Your $20 gets you live music by Stoll Vaughan, food, art activities and there’s free parking in the deck on the corner of 8th Avenue North and Richard Arrington. Check out a video clip from our AOTR preview post to hear how he sounds. The Birmingham Museum of Art event is scheduled for 5-10 p.m. Buy tickets online or call 328-7628.

After you stroll around the BMA, head over to Workplay for the annual Birmingham Chicks Rockfest. And that’s exactly what it is … chicks who rock. Taking the stage are Kip Taylor, The Rowbuxx, Chrys Black, Kathyrn Delacruz, Peanut & Mother May I, Ava Garland and Something N Between. That’s a lot of music yet tickets are just $15.

More after the jump…

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Jubal and Kendra Jam on Friday!

For those of you familiar with local jazz/country siren Kendra Sutton, you’ll know that she’s more than just breaking into the business, it’s bending over backwards for HER.

Recently linked to possible development deals with country stars Big & Rich and complete with production by legendary session musicians Wayne Perkins (Bob Marley, Rolling Stones, Lynyrd Skynyrd), recent news about a show with her musical partner Jubal John at Java & Jams has spread faaast.

In fact, with the show starting at 8 p.m. and no cover, this is the perfect opportunity to see some real talent at work in one of The Terminal’s favorite hangout spots.

Check out the J&J website for directions (they are insanely convenient at the corner of 4th Ave. and 20th St. N. downtown) and more details about upcoming shows.

Whitney visits with 13ghosts

I talked with local (gone big time) band 13ghosts earlier this week and decided to share the spoils with you guys before they play the Mellow Mushroom in Tuscaloosa on Friday night.

For more info, check out their website or their MySpace profile.

Do you want to hear what their designated frontman (for this interview at least) Brad Armstrong had to say? Click on the “read more” link to find out…

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In Love With: The Perfect Day

candela photoAndré spilled the beans a few weeks ago about the reason for my protracted absence-wedding planning. I had assumed “a simple, no frills wedding” couldn’t possibly take more than a few weeks to put together. Life, and the Birmingham wedding industry, however had other agendas. Despite my best efforts not to let the process turn me into a harpy, there were a few months in there where silly questions like buttercreme vs. white frosting were far more present in my daily thought process than they really needed to be.

That’s a nice way of saying I bordered on “basket-case” for a few months. Eventually, I woke up to one truth that I clung to like a life vest in churning waters. If you don’t want to go nuts while planning a wedding, hire vendors you trust and work well with … and then get the heck out of the way.

So I want to give public props to the three vendors who made our Big Day come together. It was everything I could have hoped for, and even more important, trusting their experience and talent made it easy on me. In each case, a few meetings or phone calls was all it took to develop a working concept. Then I let them loose to do what they do best, tried not to hover, and ended up being as delightfully surprised on our wedding day as any of our guests with how everything had been realized.

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Got plans this weekend? 8.8 – 8.10

Hmmm … what to do, what to do? It’s still hot as heck outside, so I don’t really want to leave the house. On the other hand, I sure do love me a gigantic yard sale. Decisions, decisions …

Actually, this is a pretty easy decision for me. I do like driving the World’s Longest Yard Sale. And me and the hubby have found some goodies in the past. But some of the shopping/driving can be stop and go. Add in a toddler + heat and the logistic problems multiply. So go and discover your own treasures through Sunday. Take lots of small bills and water. And if you see the first issue of “Martha Stewart Living” in perfect condition, I’ll pay you back.

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Who is famous and what who?

Poster for 8.7.2008 Bottletree show Hello, hello.

I’ve been preoccupied for the past couple of days with the sheer lack of things to get me off the couch in our fair city. Well, today is a little different? I’ve read up (and heard raving reviews from people in my office) about the Austin, TX band playing Bottletree tonight: What Made Milwaukee Famous

I recently came across an IGN review where WMMF’s album What Doesn’t Kill Us was described using the line “If you buy one album this spring…”. Them’s powerful words.

I know, I know. Lots of bands with iffy names are lucky enough to entertain me and this one has a chance to win me over tonight around 7-8ish. It’s actually an all ages show, so bring the kids (or maybe not because this is all the research you get for free) and $10 and you’re in.

Also, Black Joe Lewis hails from Austin as well and this is an awesome chance to see local band the Photonicas (not listed on flyer) in action.

After the show, it’s the after party…

The White Oaks, courtesy of their MySpace profile 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.
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Folk Festival preview: Duquette Johnston

Photo by Morgan Jones, courtesy of Duquette Johnston's MySpace profile

Duquette Johnson. Photo by Morgan Jones.

Duquette is a seemingly soft-spoken guy with a hectic schedule and even more crazy background. But that’s what bios & MySpace pages are for.

What Duquette and I talked about yesterday was Birmingham and the endless possibilities that come from finally utilizing an (up until now) recently under-used venue: Avondale Park and specifically, it’s amphitheater.

“I hear guys all the time talk about the amphitheater but I can’t think of any of us that have played there,” he says. “I remember seeing pictures from the ’30s when people would be all decked out and bands playing…” Duquette played the first incarnation of an Alabama roots music type festival last year, at a farm in Hoover. This year, when time came for booking, he was one of the first on board. “I see myself in more of a rock and roll type deal, but this festival runs the spectrum from bluegrass to indie and even indie bluegrass.” He waits a minute, and reminiscent of a proud parent he says, “This is a good way to handle a festival”.

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