Tag Archives: birmingham

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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Got plans this weekend? 8.1 – 8.3

To be honest, I don’t have much for you this weekend. Rightly so, the smart folk have left August alone to let us all stay in the pool or house, wearing as little clothing as allowed. And there is still a little time to head to the beach before school starts. If you are headed to school yourself, or have young’uns who are, then you may enjoy this weekend’s tax-free event to stock up on the needed supplies. Bookbags, clothes, computers all qualify – here are the offical rules. I suggest if you hate shopping, then stay the heck away from any big-box store near you.

More after the jump…

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Benefit v2.0

So, now the the Terminal’s benefit show went off without a hitch, local music fans can exercise that bleeding heart muscle for another cause: Cave 9‘s financial troubles.

Our good friends Vulture Whale are heading up a lineup for the venue tonight where all proceeds go to helping the DIY operation stay open. For a refresher of what’s going on at the Cave, check out the about section of their site (located on the front page).

ON DECK: The Photonicas, To Light a Fire and Vulture Whale. According to Cave 9’s MySpace profile, Kings of Metropolis and Fireflies are also playing.

DOORS OPEN: 7 p.m.

TIX: $6

THE2NDHAND takes over The Bottletree TONIGHT!

The folks from the Chicago/Birmingham/NYC literary broadsheet THE2NDHAND are taking over The Bottletree tonight starting at 7:30 p.m. for a reading. L.A. punk magazine Razorcake co-founder Sean Carswell, Atlanta’s Blake Butler (editor of literary zine Lamination Colony), Birmingham poet (and University of Montevallo English professor) Jim Murphy, and THE2NDHAND’s Todd Dills will help you unwind from a crazy day while enjoying the release of Carswell’s new novel, Train Wreck Girl.

If you click on THE2NDHAND’s link above, you’ll get a taste of what to expect tonight, podcast style.

In Love With: Night Life

Last weekend was proof that there’s plenty to do on a weekend night in Birmingham. But music and art and bars and coffeehouses are just the beginning. A while back, I heard about two unique after-dark activities that I have put on my must-do list:

Each year, the Cahaba River Society hosts moonlight canoe trips on the river. Imagine that—the moon shining down through the trees, dancing upon the water while crickets chirp and lightning bugs add mood lighting. Ahhh. Of course, the actual experience is likely to be muddy and shared with a multitude of mosquitoes, but it’s sure to give you a new vantage point on our bio-diverse river. You don’t even have to leave the city—the launch site is just off Highway 280 near Target. For dates (two more this summer), prices, and other details, see the Cahaba River Society’s canoe outings schedule.

If you’d rather not get your feet wet, try Ruffner Mountain Nature Center’s Full Moon Wine and Cheese Hike. You’ll climb to the heights of the nature preserve’s Hawk’s View Overlook, where you can enjoy wine and cheese as you watch the sun set, the moon glow, and the skyline sparkle to life. I missed this summer’s outing, so I’m planning to sign up for the fall hike in October. For full information on this event—and several other guided hikes (in the daytime) that sound fascinating—click the “Saturdays on the Mountain” link on Ruffner’s website. Again, you don’t have to leave the city limits for this one-of-a-kind nocturnal event, since the nature center is located just off I-59 in eastern Birmingham.

Do you know of any other unusual tours, events, or sights in the night?

Taylor Hollingsworth checks in

Taylor Hollingsworth performs live

Taylor Hollingsworth. Courtesy of the artist’s MySpace profile.

Last time we heard from Birmingham native (and international superstar, yay!) Taylor Hollingsworth, he left a tour stop in San Francisco minus a lot of valuable equipment. Here’s a quick interview I had with him this past week:

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The Farmer and his seeds

the green seed performingThe Green Seed are a Birmingham hip-hop group who have been performing for years. So why haven’t you been out to one of their shows yet? One of their MCs has a pretty logical explanation: “This is an untapped market, but mostly, we’ve come to realize that we are essentially best enjoyed on people’s iPods”. Kind of sad, when you think about it… but honestly, you haven’t thought about it, or you would’ve checked them out already!

The group is fronted by Randall Turner, a.k.a. R-Tist, Complet and their masterful DJ, FX. They provided, what was by far the most fun I’ve had at a dinner in a long long time. I met them at Surin West one week night after we’d all got off of work to talk local music and their take on rap/hip-hop in the Magic City. I quickly realized that these guys are different — very different. R-Tist is based out of Pell City and has a degree in agricultural engineering. DJ FX works for Southern Company, and Complet is a suburban dad based out of Hoover via Illinois. They’re big Star Wars geeks and throw the word fanboy around like a common adjective. They even debated working out an entire mixtape devoted to John Williams’ compositions. Yes, I’m serious.

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Got plans this weekend? 7.25 – 7.27

Again, it’s the last weekend of the month and I’m left wondering, where does the year go? Heck, after chasing a two-year-old around, I wonder where my day went. I know at least one hour was spent watching “Blue’s Clues,” five hours was spent “going potty” and the rest, who knows … but I do know that everybody’s working for the weekend. So come on baby let’s go … (name the band in the comments section and you’ll get a gold star).

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