Ashlyn Stallings is a junior at Samford and we’re guessing she’s a pretty, talented and well-spoken all around great gal because she’s going to be competing in some beauty pageants this fall, working her way toward Miss Alabama. She’s already got a platform — Breast Cancer Awareness — and she’s got an event — Pilates Painted Pink — to raise money for it. All-skill levels are welcome at Homewood Park this Saturday morning 11 a.m. for an outdoor class lead by Mary Margaret Scalici, instructor with the Alabama Ballet and The Pilates Place. Tickets are $25 with 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation of Alabama. For more information, check out Ashlyn’s blog on al.com, State of Pink. Samford newspaper staff, involved on campus — Ashlyn sure reminds me of someone so I’m wishing her success in all she does.

Space One Eleven is having a yard sale this Saturday. And not just any yard sale, it’s a Big FATT sale — a “Found Around the Town Treasure” sale in its studios downtown, 2409 2^nd Ave. North. I’m all for supporting this visual arts non-profit so go buy something from them. Sale starts at 8 a.m. and will wrap up at 1.

Then take your money over to Bluff Park for the 45th Annual Bluff Park Art Show. While most of the stuff there is out of my budget, I usually do walk away with a few unique Christmas presents. Besides it’s fall, and fall for me is outdoor art shows. The Lions Club will be cooking the BBQ, jazz will flow from the gazebo, craft area for the kids — I’ll admit this is one of my favorite fall events in the metro area. Remember, there is no parking at the park so take your car to Bluff Park United Methodist Church, Shades Mountain Independent Church, Shades Mountain Plaza, Bluff Park Village Shopping Center or Shades Crest Baptist Church to catch the free shuttles. Show runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Again fall is still prime festival season. Since we still have gas in Birmingham, you can top off the tank, load up the pooch and head down 65 to Alabaster Saturday for Bark in the Park. This big fundraiser supports the Shelby Humane Society and features music, food and fun in Veterans Park with performances by the Air Dogs and Birmingham Bandits Flying Team. And it’s not too late to register your mutt for the Mutt Strut. But if you just want to go, it’s free admission.

So have fun everyone and remember, be safe. Sorry, that’s just the momma in me.

Terminal music photog Tony Diliberto took one for the team Tuesday night while Whitney was sick. Hey, wait… sounds like Tony got the better deal, by shooting CC/M5 live at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Pelham. He got some amazing shots and had this to say about the live performance:

“This was a great show. I have been a Counting Crows fan since the early 90s. It was especially nice to be 3 feet from them. Maroon 5 played a variety of favorites and the intensity was outstanding.”

Venture on over to Tony’s page on SmugMug to check out the pictures from both bands.

Did you hear the news that the Alabama State Fair moved from the Fairgrounds to Pelham and the former Oak Mountain Amphitheatre*? Afraid you already missed all the rides and cotton candy and pig races? Not to fear, the fair is open until Sunday. Now it’s not cheap — tickets are $8, wristbands for the rides are $20 (but hey, every day is wristband day) and then add on another $5 for parking. But the fair only comes once a year and where else are you going to buy overpriced caramel apples? Go ahead and buy two, I’m not judging. And you look great in those jeans. Pass me the funnel cake.

If you want to get out and enjoy our beautiful weather, there are two art shows this weekend. The Hoover/Shelby Art Association will hold its Art in the Park fall show and sale Saturday from 10 to 5 at Heardmont Park, 5458 Cahaba Valley Road off Highway 119. The second show is down the road a bit but it gets points for being on a lake. Look for Artscape at Lakeside Park beside the Pell City Civic Center. Same hours, sponsored by the Council of the Arts.

We love trains in my household so there will be the mandated stop at the annual Whistle Stop Festival Saturday. Food, fun, stuff for everyone and I bet you’ll see a train. Irondale already has the signs up pointing the way. Hours are 9 to 4 and admission is free.

Last stop on this train of thought is to mention Vulcan AfterTunes on Sunday. The fall music series is back for its fourth year. Yea. Bring your chairs and blankets, buy an adult beverage and kick back for some relaxing music. It’s a great event to bring the kids. Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for kids 5-12 and under 4 free. Free for members too. Time is 3 p.m. This weekend’s musical act is Amy LaVere and the featured brews are from Terrapin. October 12 and 26 are the other dates for the series — same time, same place.

* I really don’t like the new name.

Dead Confederate performs live / George Atkinson

If you weren’t at Bottletree last night for the Dead Confederate/Wax Fang/Twin Tigers show, you missed one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

Any show that starts off with a girl wearing a Guitar Hero-esque haircut playing bass in a band that’s covering The Cure’s “A Forest” and ends with the headlining band playing in shadows reminiscent of  the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video is a mighty fine night indeed!

More photos and glorious details after the jump.

Twin Tigers/ George Atkinson

The night began with the opening band, Twin Tigers, reminding me so much of the music of my tapedeck teenagehood that I swept in from the sideroom in dismay. The noise factor was definite but, sound issues aside, this band was great!

Derivative of Joy Division, but with uptempo, garage like charm that can only be from Athens, Georgia. Distortion and atmospherics abounded and I whispered to my photographer, “This is my kind of music.”

Wax Fang/ George Atkinson

That’s when Wax Fang took the stage. Whoever booked this show/exact touring line-up was a GENIUS. I’m talking iTunes 8.0 type brilliant matching. I’d heard from a few people about Wax Fang’s often drawing comparison to My Morning Jacket. I was surprised. I found myself thinking that these guys are what I wished Kings of Leon would’ve become on their new album. They were catchy, raw, with a unified soun, not to mention prone to using some great seemingly non-musical instruments to achieve their sound live. I think George and I both fell for this band from Louisville, KY - along with the entire crowd at Bottletree that night.

Dead Confederate/ George Atkinson

As the crowd continued to grow as the night wore on, I stopped and did a little sociological theorizing to pass time between bands. I noticed buttoned-up college guys, moms with their sons who drove in for the show, the usual Bottletree suspects and finally, older professional types who all showed equal anticipation for the night’s headliner: Dead Confederate. The band began to play the first song and it was readily apparent that this was a rare moment in Birmingham music history. The music that I personally like had gained universal appeal across the broad spectrum of our city. Never in a million years did I think that a band fronted by a shaggy, wiry frontman droning along to the grunge of my childhood would be loved by almost every archetype of people we go to school and work with everyday. I loved it.

I can thank Dead Confederate for a heightened sense of hope for the music Bottletree brings to our city.

André reviewed their LP Wrecking Ball a few days back, so if you missed it live you can find out where to pick up their album.

Want to have a hand in wine making? How about a foot? The annual Grapestomp is Saturday at Morgan Creek Vineyards from 10 to 4. There will be music, food, and of course, wine tastings and tours all day. You can even leave with your own footprint poster. Cost is $5. Dress like Lucy for the look-a-like contest at 2 for a chance at a cash prize.

Considering I have one car fanatic in the house and another household member who points out every plane that passes overhead, it is a good guess that I’ll be at the Bessemer Airport this weekend. That’s where the Birmingham Aero Club is hosting its 75^th Anniversary Wings and Wheels 2008 Air Show and Car Show both Saturday and Sunday. Gates open at 10:00 a.m. each day and the show begins at 2. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for kids 12 to 6, and under 6 free. Follow this link to the show’s FAQ page to find out what you can and cannot bring and the answer to the question, “Can you fly your airplane to the show?”

There is just something about fall that goes very well with Americana roots music. While the Birmingham Folk Fest was under the hot, hot August sun, Leeds has picked a fine September weekend for its first Folk Festival. The two-event will be filled with music, food, vendors and a craft area for the kids. The entertainment runs through 9 p.m. Saturday night with a lighter schedule on Sunday. You can also take in a play on the life of John Henry at 10 and 3 on Saturday. Admission is free.

Or you can head to King’s Bend on the Locust Fork River in Cleveland on Saturday for a family -friendly bluegrass festival. The 3rd Annual River Revival will feature local bluegrass legend Glen Tolbert, as well as Jenny Leigh Obert and Who Shot Sally, The OxyMorons and The Embers. It may not say festival in the title but it will have all the usual fest stuff — food venders, arts and crafts, face painting for the kids. However, the focus is on the music. Tickets are $10 or $25/car. Kids under 5 free. Proceeds benefit the Alabama Rivers Alliance. Bring some chairs, and coolers packed with food and drink allowed too. Just no glass.

There is plenty of music over on Southside Sunday. The Magic City Blues Society will be across from Dreamland for its Phelan Park Music Series. Join them with your lawn chairs and coolers for a free show by Mo’ Blues from 3-6 p.m. It’s a toss up for what I like more — the Blues or anything that has the word free before it. You can also take the kids to check out the Rhythms of the Earth Festival at the Alys Stephens Center. Besides lots of music for listening, children can enjoy hands-on activities making crafts, musical instruments and some yummy dishes using organic fruits and vegetables. Hours are noon to 5 p.m.; tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for kids.

FYI, if you have some old electronics lying around that you know don’t belong in a landfill, take them to the Exchange Field parking lot in Vestavia’s Wald Park complex this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Just off Highway 31 behind the Civic Center at 1973 Merryvale Road. Thinking only computers? Think again: CD and DVD players, scanners, printers, fax machines, adding machines, cell phones, corded phones, cordless phones, answering machines, pagers, digital cameras, routers, remotes, PDAs, stereos, discmans, walkmans, VCRs, radios, tape players, keyboards, cables, mice, game hardware, modems, external drives and small kitchen appliances including can openers and blenders. They are NOT going to take big items like stoves, refrigerators, dishwashers, washers, dryers, microwaves and TVs. I did not see anything about residential requirements so if they fuss, tell them you’re not hauling it back home.

Hey guys! It’s that time again… five questions from yours truly. Who’s this week’s target? Why, one of our favorite blogger/musicians, former Terminal contributor Sam George!

His band Bright Henry is playing Zydeco tonight and therefore, we aim the spotlight in his general direction.

WHITNEY: Bright Henry performances are always so warm and lively. It seems like a collective. How did the idea for all of you guys playing together come about?

SAM: I recently moved here from NYC and was unwilling to be without a band for any kind of a sustained period, so I began to put one together almost immediately. I have this theory about finding musicians: It’s as important for your fellow band members to be folks you’d like to hang out with as it is for them to be musically talented. You ain’t gonna get chemistry without kinship. The way I deal with this is to ask everyone I meet who I enjoy spending time with if they play a musical instrument. My first job here in Birmingham was slingin’ coffee at O’Henry’s in Homewood, and that’s where I met the fellas. It was serendipity really. Matt (guitar) and Barrett (bass) both worked behind the counter with me, and Daniel (drums) was a regular customer. I couldn’t believe I had found such a good group of friends in one place, but there they were. It was gravy that they could all play like the dickens. The band is actually named after the founder of O’Henry’s, Henry Bright. So I guess my incredibly long answer to your question is that we’re warm and lively because we grew together as a group organically before we even knew we were a band.

WHITNEY: The band filmed the Odeyville Sessions and posted them for fans to watch on Youtube. Tell us a little about the recording itself and the response it has gathered.

SAM: Hah, I still think it’s amusing that Odeyville Sessions has become a thing. We’d been hashing out material for a couple of months and had some really bare bones recordings down. We snuck out one weekend to a great little hideaway in Odenville with the sole intention of practicing, but I brought the recording gear on a whim, and then my friend Clarke Williams agreed to come along and film too. What was going to be a relaxing weekend in the country turned into a knock-down late night recording session. We laid down a ton of material, some of which is pretty ridiculous. There’s a 15 person halloween themed round, with percussion accompaniment. I have the tape to prove it!

WHITNEY: I’m a big big fan of the Wood Brothers and nearly wigged out when I heard Bright Henry perform “The Luckiest Man” at a show. Would you list the Wood Brothers and other Americana bands as a big influence?

SAM: Well, I’m influenced by a lot of different genres and artists and though I love the Wood Brothers dearly, I wouldn’t call them an influence because I only just recently discovered that they exist. I absorb a lot of new music on a regular basis, and I find that bits of everything find their way into my music. My cell-phone ring is a blues piano riff, and and I realized recently that it’s also one of the best parts in the solo of our newest song! Oops and oh well. I think all genres contain music that is transcendant and music that is abominable. The test is in discerning the difference.

WHITNEY: If Sam George could build a dream lineup for a Bright Henry show, what would be the other 3 or 4 local bands you would pick?

SAM: Now that’s a question I can answer! Here it is:

Bright Henry (Headlining of course!)
The White Oaks
The Strife Rifle

I think that would be a night to remember!

WHITNEY: You hit the stage at Zydeco Thursday night. Any details people should know about that or any other upcoming shows/releases?

SAM: Well the most important detail is that THE SHOW IS NO LONGER AT WORKPLAY!! Due to mysterious scheduling conflicts, the show is now at Zydeco, same day same time. All of the Workplay tickets we sold will be honored at Zydeco though, so don’t fret. Otherwise, we’re working on a few things in the shadows that you’ll be the first to know about when we’re ready, and we’ll be putting up new recordings as we have them on our MySpace page.

P.S. Here is the full line up for tonight’s show: Nicholas Megalis with Vera, Bright Henry, Ben Smolin, Confidence Cohen, Stuck In Drive, and Malahide. Purchase your tix online here.

Image: CD case art for 2008 Skybucket Sampler. Courtesy of Skybucket Records.

Screenshot of justataste.org (Taste of 4^th Avenue Jazz Festival) website.

A redesigned website (courtesy of MBI) and a slight breeze in the air means that it’s almost time for the annual Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival. The fun takes place in the 4^th Avenue Historic District next Saturday. The parade starts at 12:30 p.m. and will include performances by Neo Jazz Collective, Eric Essix and Michael Ward. A perfect complement to that other event going on that weekend (and that conference we’re organizing).

The CD (and LP if you can find it) Wrecking Ball definitely has a haunting sound to it, slower than what some would want, but much befitting the name of the band. The 10 tracks take you through a great deal of the rock spectrum, though it seems to be taking you on a journey, which is something I’ve always thought music was supposed to do anyway. While folks would not consider them “traditional” Southern Rock if you listened to the beginning of the album only, tracks like Start Me Laughing and The News Underneath definitely provide hints of where Dead Confederate’s from.

I enjoyed the entire experience, especially considering that many of the CDs I listen to are not successful in getting me into another place so I can concentrate. The album’s title track is my favorite as I tend to love songs that take you to a climatic point and then actually deliver. It may sound cheesy, but I can see myself (when gas prices go back down, or I start making money) sliding this CD into the car and enjoying a nice long drive as I losing myself in the band’s 10 tracks, produced by Mike McCarthy (Spoon). You can see if I’m crazy or not about my pick - Spin Magazine’s band profile includes a video of them performing the song acoustically at Bonnaroo - while not as powerful as the studio version, it’s a great performance and something that just might get you to take a moment and enjoy it for what it is - great music. For the time being, it may just be a download on to the iPod so I can listen while walking and running around.

According to the press kit, members Hardy Morris (vocals/guitar), Brantley Senn (bass), Walker Howie (guitar), John Watkins (keyboard) and Jason Scarboro (drums) currently hold jobs doing everything from catering to construction. I’ve got a feeling they probably won’t have to keep them for much longer. Hopefully you’ll take a moment and check them out at Bottletree next week. Or buy the album.