Hello folks,
OD, to be honest with you, I have been a bit slow lately posting on anything. Had a huge week last week and am sort of taking a breath before heading out next week for a week in Boston with Matt Casey,and a LOT of activity up there. Takes me a little while to recover more than it used to.
How Birmingham went was very interesting. I went down there with Tina, Tommy and Susie, Larry and Beckett Singleton. They wanted to see where I grew up, and I really wanted to take our "Where we eatin' Next" food group to some of my favorite eating spots in town. I had played till late on Friday night and Tina had two people in, her best friend Shelia and a guy she had been dating, came from out of town to stay the weekend. Even while we were out of town.
Getting to Birmingham always brings back a lot of old memories, and I showed them some of the places i grew up with. We found out a LOT OF THE TOWN was CLOSED! Memorial day was actually a no business weekend, because a lot of people go out of town to the lakes, rivers or beach. So I had sort of an ominus feeling.
We also had quite a rough start in that my cousins were trying to get my mother to let her visit another one of my cousins in the hospital. My Mother wouldn't come to the door, or answer the phone. As I have said before, My mother is nearly totally deaf, so it was some very tense minutes. I was getting ready to head over there (I was on the other side of town) when she ended up contacting us and everything was fine. She just overslept and was in the shower. But it was a hard breathing time.
As we got back to the "MAB history tour" I went by the club our band 24 KARAT used to play and it is completely closed and borded up. As well as pretty much every place i used to be involved with. Birmingham has changed mightily and like everything, everything changes.
But we did make it to DREAMLAND ribs, which is a very famous Alabama institution. Started in Tuscaloosa in the 60's, Keith Jackson, from ABC sports used to talk about it on television and the place became a huge tourist attraction. All they sell are Ribs and white bread. They have added a few sides over the years and have more locations now, but the ribs are just like I remembered them. Amazing.
The show itself was pretty interesting. I expected NOBODY,and got there a little late. MOONLIGHT ON THE MOUNTAIN, is one of those really unique songwriting theaters, that is very intimate and set up perfectly for it. Great sound, good lights and a nice dressing room. Megan Kane, opened the show and really has progressed a lot. Since I was running late, I really didn't have a chance to say very much.
to tell the truth, I am a little superstitious about shows and don't like to intereact or be seen before the show. Just a long standing tradition with me. Even on shows like the birthday show, you will not see me a lot before I play. Just my own little tradition.
I had no real idea how I was going to do this show, and didn't have a set list as much as a bunch of songs. I didn't know how many people would be there, how long I was going to play,. I was prepared to just get up, do a decent selection and get out with out a lot of fanfare. I get pretty weird about playing my hometown because I have been gone for so long and not many people remember me from there, and no one really goes out any more that I knew.
It turned out to be PACKED and people from my entire life. Girls I was in love with in High school, mentors, old band members, three cousins who have NEVER seen me play, people from all sorts of times, many I had totally forgot.
I started the show in chornilogical order and told stories on a lot of the songs. From the Christmas Eve 1973 phone call I got from a guy asking me to sing for his band, the first time I ever thought about singing, a slice of 'Mac Davis' "I Believe in Music"which was the first song I ever sang, the song "Stay With Me' that 24 KARAT one the ROCK TO RICHES contest with, to songs that took me to Nashville, like GRAND OPENING, my first cut, THAT'S WHERE IT HURTS, songs that were recorded like RESCUED ME, TOO MUCH BLOOD IN MY ALCOHOL LEVEL, then into the teaching thing with Frankie Ballard, songs with Dani Jamerson, my old R&B stuff, things I will be doing with the R&B band, and I thought they had had enough. I KNEW I HAD BECAUSE I HAD TO PEEE!!!!!
As it turned out, they wanted an encore, so I went to the bathrooom and came back for a seven song all request set, even doing songs I had not done in thirty years. Was quite a work out, but I think everyone enjoyed it.
Afterward, I took a lot of pictures, hugged a lot of necks and really enjoyed spending a few minutes with almost everyone. Was one of my favorite nights ever. And judging by private emails and Facebook comments, I think other people thought that also. Was really enjoyable.
So I've been recovering, watching old military movies, doing my own little Memorial day routine.
Tommorrow is Sam's Jams and getting them all ready for Larry, Moe and Curly's trek into Nashville in a few weeks. Great to see you again Shelly, OD and thanks for posting.
See ya,
MAB
Like