Dearest Tuscaloosa

Thank you for a pretty awesome weekend.
I like your beer.
And the rock of Egan's.

Vulture Whale played there on Friday night.


Wes the McDonald

John Snowden's MOOOSTACHE (Kradackledack)

The NUBY

Dutch, my brother, fresh off the boat.


Tim Ros seriously hearts the Robots

Seriously.

Pictures of Ham Bagby's amazing Balloon Balancing Act:


Ham Bagby is Amazing



Ham Bagby is Tall



All the Balloons love Ham Bagby

Saturday:
Dutch stayed comatose all day (which is understandable, I'd want to spend 24 hours in a state of slumber too if I'd just spent 20 days swabbing decks). I did laundry, went grocery shopping, explored his house. All of my furniture, including my piano, are stored there for the time being. I've missed my stuff. It's funny, though, to see that my brother and I decorate the same. We have a mutual love for vintage pictures and fixtures and antique furniture. In his little house in Northport, he's even gone so far as to restore and install vintage appliances in his kitchen. The Frigidaire is positively lovely. That's an odd thing to say, but so so true.

I met Tim at around 9 for drinks at the Downtown Pub. He had promised beer and bad music. He delivered.

My friend Dan stopped by the booth where we were sitting. Dan played drums for Ralph Jackson at the Birmingham Sound show last August. As I was trying to explain Ralph to Tim, the story of Ralph and the Black Kat 45, Dan stopped me midway and said, "let me put it to you this way, if there hadn't been James Brown, there would have been Ralph 'Soul' Jackson." I smiled. At that moment I wanted to show Tim the Birmingham Sound DVD, I wanted him to see Ralph and his soul scream so he could know that Dan was telling the truth. Dan pulled out his cell phone and played a track for me from a band he discovered while on tour in England. He said that he could hear Ralph in their music. He could hear Ralph singing something like that. He fumbled with his phone and motioned to it and said that it was basically so awesome that he could strap himself to it and it would take him to the moon.

Sitting across from Tim in the booth, listening to Stroke 9 and Tal Bachman, watching the level of the beer in our pitcher fall and magically be renewed, I lost myself for a bit in the midst of conversation. We talked about school and music and family and working in record stores. All of the sudden, the lights went bright and I realized it was almost 2am.

Sunday:

In a dirty parking lot, within your fair city's limits, lies a treasure trove of musicness.

I bought a new CD organizer.
And I dropped it somewhere whilst running errands with Dutch.

So if you've been fiending some of Eddie Hinton's Southern Soul or have always wanted to own a copy of Will Johnston of Centro-matic's solo album, be on the lookout for a small burgundy nylon case. It should be glowing from the beauty of it's contents. (Check: Walmart, Target, Full Moon Barbecue, OZ Music)

All the best,

Sara Leah

Summer Dress

"summer dress makes you more beautiful than the rest
lovliest girl that i know, and the sweetest...."
- Mark Kozelek



When I think about Sunni, I always hear this song on the jukebox in my head. It's a sad tempo-ed little serenade, but the lyrics are beautiful and the guitar earthy and pretty, just like her.



Her head back and laughing, her slender arms gesturing, I looked up from the phone. Sunni was sitting in the armchair just to the right of me, her white peasant skirt wrapped wrapped around her long legs. Keelan stood by the sliding glass doors, one eyebrow cocked, grinning from ear to ear.



Today was their wedding day.

"summer dress separates you from the rest..."



Sunni & Amber

Les & Amber

It was the lovliest wedding reception I'd ever attended. When I arrived, I handed the groom a case of Amberbock. To the bride, I gave an embroidered linen handkerchief I'd found at the antique bazaar at Brookwood Mall. She loved it. Maid of honor (Amberoo) got a box of Tagalongs which were promptly consumed by all. Les Nuby stopped in soon after. We listened to music, looked at the pictures taken earlier in the day at the courthouse. We drank sparkling grape juice, played with the dogs. Keelan tried to master the wonderment of my camera phone. We couldn't stop laughing.





Congratulations, my lovely friends.

"A beer and a chocolate donut"

Seriously, Dan Beja...you've driven me through this day with your morphy dylan/drama voice and rolling groove rock. I love Destroyer. Another Travis Morgan gift. He's so good at that, knowing my tastes, throwing another suggestion of music sublime my way. I'll listen from now on, Trav, I'll listen.

I've been dethroned.
I've given up my title as Connect Four Queen of the Universe.



After extended volley of beer pong last night, Amber and I settled down in the freshly (and beautifully) painted Skybucket suite to play a bit of the old Connect Four. I think more than anything we were happy to get out of the muggy evening air of the warehouse and into the air conditioning. That's one thing I love about our new office in this wonderful season of drought and dreariness. I love the cool, cool air flowing from those vents.

Les showed up late in the evening to challenge the checker dropping champion for her newly won title, but to no avail. Amber continued to amaze us all with her cunning and verve.





Speaking of amazing, Tomorrow night (Thursday) is the Skybucket Songwriter's Round. I hope that you'll plan to attend. It is to be the very last of the Skybucket shows at the Moonlight, as this sweet little venue is due to close it's doors at the beginning of October. This makes me very sad. I've been with the Moonlight in some shape or shadow since 2003, and have been witness to some extraordinary shows over the years.

While I was in the hospital with my second MS attack in the Spring of 2004, I sat in the evenings with the phone to my ear and on the other end of the line, Joni held the phone in the air while Jason Bailey and friends played and played. It made me want to get better, get back to the music, that which I loved the most. That is what this place has always been about, the music. Keith has given so much to keep it alive these past three years... It's absolutely incredible to me.

In any event, please come out if you can:
Skybucket Songwriters Round

Moonlight Music Cafe
628 Montgomery Hwy
Birmingham, Al 35216
205.822.1400

Thursday July 20 8pm
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With performances by:

Jody Nelson (of Through the Sparks)
Wes McDonald
Brad Armstrong (of 13ghosts)
and friends...
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WHAT IS SKYBUCKET SONGWRITERS ROUND?
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This is what will happen...
These three amazing songwriters, some of the best in Birmingham, will rotate around playing a few songs at a time, sometimes solo, and sometimes collaborating. They'll trade up every so often and will randomly be joined on stage by various other musicians in the audience. This is a very unique offering that I can assure you is not a common thing for musicians and performances around here, or likely in many places. Judging by the last songwriters night, this should prove to be quite an amazing performance.