Six Day Moon
Times were uncertain, thirteen years ago— compared to today, though, it was a period of relative bliss. Sure, stuff cost more than we thought it should, but hasn’t it always? The world oil market had come off its leash yet again, giving us fresh reason to kvetch and cuss while standing at the pump, sweat on our necks— just starting to realize that the millions of bbls of goop we were burning had some real connection to the too-early arrival of steamy weather.
Still, you could temporarily neuter the menace of the big picture by distracting yourself with the tickle of smaller ones, which Moonlight tried to provide in different flavors, as reg’lar as it could. Here, we held out most of a whole week without an off-night… it was a workable refuge.
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March 1, 2011
Friends of The Moonlight----
Gettin' a jump on summer here, it seems--- trees can't wait to bloom, grampa can't wait to put on shorts, gas can't wait to hit $4 a gallon.... there's the strangest sense that we hopscotched over some important part of this new year, and every day finds us in a different section of Unknown Territory. There's naught to do but launch each morning as we may, and hope we'll know the right thing to do, as each hour unfolds. We're convinced that part of the best plan is to save some time to make yourself merry, and that's the main mission of The Moonlight... we're in the business of Happy Surprises here, all you have to do is get ya shoes on, take a short hike, and make it through our door.... true rewards await you!
We got a long weekend coming for you, six nights in a row of some really gifted visitors, mixed in with some of our best locals. Something for everybody, which is the way we try to do it--- just pick ONE, if you can't make 'em all, we' sure would like to see you any time!
Thursday the 3rd-- SIMONE DURAND TRIO, CHICKEN LITTLE, BIDE MY TIME, $12
Two of our 2010 Open Mic winners come in to sandwich a unique Nashville post-punk duo, it'll be an evening of younger voices and irrepressible energy... Simone's guitar chops jump in sync with Ted Perry's squat-box percussion, now they've added another singer on bass, it's harmonic folk-rock at its liveliest--- Chicken Little storms the barricades with irreverent humor and ants-in-their pants urgency, acoustic guitar and accordion cutting the path for their razor-sharp lyrics--- and the former duo of Scarlet and Rogue has morphed into a foursome, their folk/blues/soul tunes served up with "Southern charm thick as sawmill gravy".... ya better come hungry for it! 7:30pm
www.myspace.com/simonedurand
http://www.facebook.com/chickenlittlemusic?sk=info#!/chickenlittlemusic?sk=info
http://www.myspace.com/bidemytime
Simone Durand, March 3 2011, 18 present
Bide My Time, March 3 2011
Friday the 4th-- RUPERT WATES and DAVID SEALE, $12
Rupert looks a little like Sting, another Londoner who's managed to make some marks in modern music--- but let's credit him with the guitar skills he'll surely show us on his return trip here tonight. Wates came through back in October, in a co-bill with North Carolina's Valorie Miller, and made us all sit up pop-eyed at what he could do with six strings, in service of some strong vocals and a foreigner's feel for American music.
www.rupertwatesmusic.com
Half the night goes to David Seale, same as half the weekly show he shares with his brother on Birmingham's fizzy new internet station The Mountain... you can hear him spotlighting local players every Tuesday night between 9 and 10pm on "Southbound". David should know something about the subject, he's been writing and performing his own folk/pop tunes since the days of the original Moonlight, where he opened once for the legendary David LaMotte. It's a Friday--- let's see how many of his friends he can coax up to the hilltop-- 7:30pm
http://www.cdbaby.com/all/dseale
Rupert Wates and David Seale, March 4 2011, 18 present
Saturday the 5th-- PETER BRADLEY ADAMS, Kate Klim opens, $12
It's almost exhausting to read the past exploits of this Birmingham native, who lit out for LA in the mid-90's to pursue a career in music-for-film... but that ain't exactly how it went. As half of the breakthrough folk/pop duo eastmountainsouth, he toured through the early 2000s with several big-big names, played Conan O'Brien's show, scored a #1 AAA radio hit, and finished out the band's run with a show at the Hollywood Bowl. Since going solo in 2005, Adams has continued to attract praise from the uppermost sources, including repeated "Best Of' designations from outfits like The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, and Sirius XM Radio.... plus, his music is regularly chosen for TV and film scores, as he originally intended.
www.myspace.com/peterbradleyadams
Kate Klim would have been successful as an entertainer, even if she didn't have the blessings of her songwriting skills, and a supple voice to give them her identity. She's a tiny thing, cute as a baby bunny, but armed with an astringent humor, and a willingness to see what else just might work better... unpredictable, you could say. She's been steeped in the sounds of everyone from Carole King to Jonatha Brooke, but what comes out of her piano keys and her head is undeniably her own.
www.kateklim.com
Peter Bradley Adams, March 5 2011, 38 present
Kate Klim, March 5 2011
Sunday the 6th-- RICHARD SHINDELL, A Moonlight Premium Event, $20
Now here's where we get a little proud of ourselves--- this is the first of two gleaming Premium Sunday shows we'll bring you this month (James McMurtry is coming two weeks later), in which we present artists of exceptional reputation, players who typically sell out much larger venues in other regions of the country. We don't expect you to know a whole lot about Richard, unless you followed
the richest beginnings of New Folk itself in the 1990s-- if so, you'll recall Shindell as one of the lynchpins of the genre, in collusion with Dar Williams and Lucy Kaplansky in the seminal trio Cry, Cry, Cry, and in six of his own luminous and classic albums from that period.
Shindell made his home in a dozen places around the world-- Baltimore, Paris, New York--- before he settled down in Buenos Aires, Argentina a decade ago. His latest CD is a collection of carefully chosen cover tunes, each one offering an expatriate's perspective on the nation he left behind. With guest appearances by Lucy Kaplansky, Viktor Krauss, Richard Thompson, Tony Trischka, Eliza Gilkyson and others, "South of Delia" offers up new interpretations of songs by his old friends Robbie Robertson, Bob Dylan, and Woody Guthrie, among others. 7:30pm
www.richardshindell.com
Richard Shindell, March 6 2011, 32 present
Monday the 7th-- BRUCE MOLSKY, $15
Long as we're presenting world-renowned players, let's make it a hat trick with a visit from the man called 'The Rembrandt of Appalachian fiddlers", by Darol Anger himself (who might be dubbed the "Jackson Pollock of American fiddlers"). Though he didn't take the pro road full time until he was into middle age, he's quickly risen to the top ranks of old-time and mountain music experts, and a favorite of contra dance groups across the country. Molsky doesn't limit himself to stateside endeavors--- he's a critical part of various international collaborations, in partnership with stellar players from Sweden, Hungary, and Scotland. We're honored that he's chosen The Moonlight for an Alabama appearance. 7:30pm
www.brucemolsky.com
Bruce Molsky, March 7 2011, 32 present
Tuesday the 8th--- OPEN MIC NIGHT, $5
More and more interesting and popular every time we do it--- the Moonlight's stage is yours for two songs, provided you get up here around 7pm to sign up for a slot... each week we make a friendly little contest out of it, awarding a first-place cash prize to the player who gets the most points, based on originality, musicianship, professionalism, and audience response. Come June, we'll have a
Grand Playoff of the previous winners, to give away a $500 demo recording package at Higher Ground Studios, and the perpetual glory that comes with taking those honors...! For the price, it's the best night of live music you can find on a weeknight anywhere-- bring your friends to raise the rafters for ya--- we get started at 7:30.
http://www.moonlightonthemtn.com/MOTM/openmike.html
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NEXT WEEK'S SPRING BREAK--- SO WHAT? WE'RE STILL HERE---->
Friday 11th-- SHANNON WHITWORTH, Hannah Miller opens-- two young women with old musical souls, strong songs for modern times
Saturday 12th-- WILDER ADKINS, GRAY PRESTON, PRESTON LOVINGGOOD, B'ham's premier acoustic frontmen go solo, all three!
Sunday 13th- THE MAIRTIN COGAIN PROJECT, Irish music distilled and blended, Fuchsia Band and Legacy Band smashed together
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