Trees with Bells - The last Sarashow at the Moonlight

This Thursday, September 28th, 8pm




So one day, I happened to look in the paper and saw that a good friend of mine from Illinois was playing that very night at a venue I'd never even heard of before called the Moonlight Music Cafe. I was a bit under the weather that day, it being the tail end of my rehabilitation at Healthsouth from my first MS attack, so I missed the show. I promised myself that as soon as I was able, I'd go up to Vestavia and check the place out, because if Bill Passalaqua of the infamous Poss family (the Music dynasty of Effingham) had played there, it must be something special.

I dropped by there one afternoon. I walked up the stairs and into a long purple room. The man behind the counter had a smile and handshake waiting for me, ready and willing to tell me all about the place, of his dreams of a venue for original acoustic music... Keith made me a latte and I sat at a table and thumbed through a magazine. Almost immediately the phone rang. Keith paced across the floor, looked at me and smiled. The manager, Lindsey Stone, had seen me walk from the car to the door as he left on some errands. He remembered me from my tenure at Slip Disc. "If she's looking for a job, give it to her."

Seriously, I did not walk into that door looking for a job. It had been enough, just to get where I was at that point, surviving, living my life again. It seems heavy to think of it now. It was heavy then. I had recently discussed with my parents about going back to school. I still had my Cobra insurance from Compass. I had left my music, my dreams of the store behind...it was time to start anew. And was this opportunity, amazing to me. It may seem small. In fact, I'm sure there are alot of people reading this who've never even heard of the Moonlight, let alone set foot inside the place... But let me tell you this....this little room...this candlelit bubblegum purple room gave me another chance. Not only that, it gave me a new family...Keith and Joni and Kristin and Greg, Herb and Cathy and Carrie and Jason, Adeebah and Jen, Taylor, Sunni and Amber...friends who've had such an impact on my life.




When I had my second attack in the spring of 2004, I was in the hospital, in a room at Brookwood, just over the hill from the Moonlight. I remember Jason Bailey played and Joni called me and held up that phone and I cried. I knew that I would get better. I knew that the MS would not lick me if there were such incredible sounds in this world, if there were people who cared that much.

After my recovery, I continued to work there, bartending. I met many more new faces, heard so much great music, Caroline Herring, Leslie Helpert, Andru Bemis. Bill Passalaqua finally came back.

I started working at St. Vincents. Still helped out a bit at the Moonlight. I kept up with Joni and Keith. I saw the many friends I made at the moonlight all over town. I kept intouch with artists that had played there and made sure to refer musicians I came in contact with to Keith. Somehow, somewhere, I started putting together shows. Not sure how that happened. How did that happen? I do know that I've been fortunate enough to put together some shows that I'm really proud of.

I also have found and can't believe that I've been fortunate enough to be a part of something that is truly unique and special. I can not believe that soon it will all be ending.

My last show for the Moonlight is September 28th. I've asked a Birmingham band to play that I truly admire and really think exude this sort of extraordinary spirit and talent that has claimed it's rightful place at the Moonlight.



That band is Trees with Bells.

Come out and celebrate 3 years of great memories and music with me.

Thursday, September 28th, 2006
Doors open at 8pm
$10

http://www.moonlightmusiccafe.com
http://www.myspace.com/treeswithbells

I bought a heart made of art in the deep deep south....

So--
One of my favorite bands in the wide wide world played at the Bottletree last Friday night.

I think it was February of 2005 that I first found Hope For Agoldensummer. I was playing the friend of a friend game on Myspace, going from Caleb engstrom, a boy I knew in college, on to a band he was friends with post Greenville, to a friend of theirs and so on.... I took the time to listen to the bands that afternoon that I would run across, band after band after band... and then there was this moment. I had stopped on the page of a band form Athens, and this beautiful xylophone and guitar intro danced out of the computer speakers and into my hungry workday ears. The recording was live, the song was Malt Liquor, and to be honest Claire Campbell's voice came across as this completely androgynous, heartfelt pleading raw piece of lovely. I didn't know what to do with it, except play it over and over and over.

As I started to book a few shows, here and there, for the Moonlight Music Cafe, I couldn't get the thought of Hope For Agoldensummer playing that small purple room out of my head. I heard from Chip, the drummer for Wild Sweet Orange and The Great Book of John, that Claire was interested in breaking into Birmingham, thinking of Workplay. I knew Workplay was not for them. The Moonlight show was very small, attended by a group of friends and family members, it was beautiful, this perfect night. At the Moonlight, a listening room, people were listening, catching every little moment of genius as it came whether by saw or skillet or accordion.

The next step, I thought to myself as I watched the band pack up their gear that evening, was to get them to the Bottletree.

So it happened, this last weekend, Hope For Agoldensummer played at the Bottletree with the Delicate Cutters. I don't think could be a venue in Birmingham better suited for them. This tribe of artists bringing together such vibrant and incredible sounds in a place where the increasingly eclectic, beautiful music scene of Birmingham has put in roots and has started to flourish. This makes me so happy.

.

http://www.thebottletree.com

"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.