Photos by Adam Johnson
Umphrey’s McGee performed to a sold-out crowd at Avondale Brewing Co. on Sunday night. The show included a surprise guest appearance by Taylor Hicks and an inspired opening set by Spafford. We were on hand to capture the excitement!
A conversation with drummer and founding member Kurt Sodergren
By Brent Thompson
An 80-year-old and an 8-year-old can equally enjoy a Big Bad Voodoo Daddy show – how many bands can make that claim? Formed 25 years ago in Southern California, the swing revivalists have performed more than 2,800 live shows – including appearances at the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center and the halftime show of Super Bowl XXXIII – while releasing 11 albums and being prominently featured in the 1996 Vince Vaughn film Swingers. On Thursday, August 9, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will perform at the Lyric Theatre. Recently, drummer and founding member Kurt Sodergren spoke with us by phone about swing, the road and the unifying power of music.
Birmingham Stages: Kurt, thanks for your time. Where are you right now?
Kurt Sodergren: We are home. Summer’s not been as busy as normal. It’s been kind of nice because I’ve gotten to spend a lot of time with family.
Birmingham Stages: A lot of artists I interview these days discuss adjusting their touring schedules to spend more time at home.
Sodergren: We actually just had a band meeting and talked about that very thing. Everyone wanted to do what we needed to do to make a living, but we didn’t want to go overboard and get burnt out. It really helped us a lot when we made that change.
Birmingham Stages: What first comes to mind when you reflect on 25 years of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy?
Sodergren: Where’d the time go? It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. It seemed like it happened so fast, but I guess it didn’t because we started touring in a van and probably drove to New York and back three times in that van – we still have it, actually. It seems like a blur right now, but we put a lot of time in to get to where we are and it was always a lot of fun. There was never a question about whether we wanted to continue to do it. Even now, there’s no end in sight that I can see.
Birmingham Stages: There has to be a satisfaction – and even some job security – to playing a timeless form of music.
Sodergren: Oh, for sure. There are whole generations of families that come out. There are people who brought their kids in utero and now the kids are 12 or 13. It’s an American art form, so it’s pretty great to be involved in it.
Birmingham Stages: When the band started, did you ever think that you would be responsible for starting a revival and that your band would turn future generations on to swing music?
Sodergren: That’s a lot of kudos and I don’t think we can accept all of them because there are other bands. We do think that what we’re doing is unique and the energy we bring to the stage is definitely one-of-a-kind. We were just doing it for the love of the music. It was Scott’s [Morris, guitarist and vocalist] idea – we were playing heavy blues at the time in a trio and he said he wanted to change and start playing swing. It was a little confusing to me, but I was into the sound – it feels really good. It’s great to bring the music to people that don’t normally like to go out. That’s the way I grew up – going out to see music. It would be a shame if people stopped doing that, so if we can have any part of people still going out and having a great time – or if someone’s having a bad day, they come see us and it becomes a great day – we’re happy.
Birmingham Stages: To the point of having a great time, it’s nice to see a show that provides an escape from the world around us. Obviously, a lot of great music has been made using politics and world issues as platforms, but sometimes it just needs to be about fun.
Sodergren: I agree. To the point of politics, I think there are always things that can bring people together and music is one of them and food as well. No matter what someone’s opinions are about what’s going on in the world or who they support, I think that music is a place where we can all come together and agree. That’s really super important, especially now when people are so divided. That’s why we’re an apolitical band – we’ve played for a lot of different Presidents and were excited to do it.
Birmingham Stages: If I understand correctly, swing music is in your blood as your grandfather was a musician.
Sodergren: He got drafted two weeks shy of his 38th birthday into World War II and played sax, so I think that saved him. He spent most of it playing for soldiers on R&R and officers’ parties and so forth. He enjoyed it but he missed my dad and my grandma for a year. So, whenever I’m on the road for two weeks and get homesick I try to keep a little perspective [laughs].
Birmingham Stages: How do you view the current climate and model that exists for musicians?
Sodergen: When we first started, we did two music videos and they were pretty pricey. They got played on MTV and VH1. Now, we record our own for peanuts. Our latest video, “Why Me?,” is on Youtube. It has a lot of views and we did it ourselves in Andy’s [Rowley, saxophonist and vocalist] house. On the other side, there’s not a lot of money to be made selling records like there used to be – unless you’re Taylor Swift or someone like that – so our bread and butter is the live show. We bring merch with us and it definitely helps pay the bills. It’s a double-edged sword.
Birmingham Stages: As a drummer, are you out scouring music stores for new gear or do you basically stick with what you already have?
Sodergren: I used to really enjoy it. That’s one thing Scott and I did when we first met – we would go to music shops. There’s a local place here in town that had a lot of vintage gear and I was super into it. But I’ve got five kits now – I’ve pared it down a little bit. I have one I bring on the road and one in my rehearsal room and it’s exactly what I want, so I really don’t spend a lot of time now looking for new stuff; I have a lot of friends that do. I try to get into the drum room everyday to practice, but I don’t think much about the gear.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy will perform at the Lyric Theatre on Thursday, August 9. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $27.50 – $42.50 and can be purchased at www.lyricbham.com.
By Brent Thompson
The Sloss Music & Arts Festival (July 14 & 15) offered its most diverse lineup to date. Hip-Hop, Americana, Electronica, Country and beyond were all represented at this year’s event. We were on hand to capture the excitement!
Artist Photos (Top to Bottom): Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Vance Joy, Aracde Fire, 21 Savage, Nikki Lane, Griz, Margo Price
By Brent Thompson
Rayland Baxter has only released three full-length albums, but it seems his career has extended for much longer (that statement is meant as a compliment). The son of renowned multi-instrumentalist Bucky Baxter [Bob Dylan, Steve Earle, Ryan Adams, R.E.M.], Rayland writes songs that declare him wise beyond his years. His latest album, Wide Awake [ATO Records], finds the singer/songwriter addressing the universal theme of decision-making over its 10 tracks. On Friday, July 20, Baxter will perform at Saturn. Okey Dokey and Brett Bigelow will open the 8 p.m. show. Recently, Baxter spoke with us by phone about Wide Awake, isolation and pop songs.
Birmingham Stages: Rayland, thanks for your time. We are looking forward to your show at Saturn.
Rayland Baxter: It’s going to be awesome – the best green room in the United States. The bands can stay there when they play there.
Birmingham Stages: We are really enjoying Wide Awake. If you will, talk about the creation of it.
Baxter: The oldest song is “Casanova” and that song I wrote on the way up to Lollapalooza four years ago to see Cage The Elephant. I wrote it in the back seat of my buddy’s car and it sat around because it was out of my style. Other than that song, most of these songs came to life up in Franklin, Ky. – where I lived the winter before last – at my friend’s studio called Thunder Sound. At the time, it was just becoming a studio and it was in an old rubber band factory. I was in the clerk’s office living with a Wurlitzer and an acoustic guitar by myself. I stayed there for three months straight and wrote about five albums’ worth of songs.
Birmingham Stages: Did you enjoy the isolation surrounding that process?
Baxter: I loved it – I’ve spent a lot of time up there since then. I love being by myself and I love writing and diving into my mind and following the greats and trying to make my footsteps a little different than theirs.
Birmingham Stages: Would you like to write in that same environment again?
Baxter: I’ll do that again and I’m preparing by taking voice notes on my phone and dating and labeling them. When I get time to write, I’ll go back to that room and test it out again. Kentucky’s maybe my favorite state. I love cornfields from being a Field of Dreams fan as a kid – the mystery of the cornfield. Thunder Sound is surrounded by cornfields and orchards and the stars.
Birmingham Stages: The press release for Wide Awake mentions the album’s recurring theme of decision-making. If you will, talk about the material’s lyrical content.
Baxter: We’re all faced with decisions – thousands upon thousands of them a day from how tight to tie my shoe, should I open my mouth, should I have an opinion. All of these decisions. Humans make decisions and it’s our legacy we leave behind. I’m just exploring my mind and humanity.
Birmingham Stages: Your lyrics somehow manage to sound personal and universal at the same time.
Baxter: We’re all feeling the same things on some level. That’s why pop songs are fun to listen to – they talk about middle of the road issues like love, loss, right and wrong. It takes a special pairing of words and melody to cut through the crust of the same old shit that’s being poured out. I love the pop form of a song on a Beatles level. I want people to hear my point because it’s there point as well.
Rayland Baxter will perform at Saturn on Friday, July 20. Okey Dokey and Brett Bigelow will open the 8 p.m. show. Advance tickets to the 18+ show are $13 and can be purchased at www.saturnbirmingham.com.
Photo Credit: Shevin Lainez
By Brent Thompson
Music can take listeners to faraway places and Noah and Josh Thompson are living proof. Growing up in Mobile, Ala., the brothers and guitarists took to the exotic sounds of Flamenco, Latin Jazz and Gypsy Jazz. These days, the Thompson brothers comprise the instrumental duo Roman Street (named for a street in the Alps). On Saturday, July 21, Roman Street will appear on the bill of the Eric Essix CD Release Concert at the Lyric Theatre. Recently, the Thompson brothers spoke with us by phone about speaking through your instrument and creating the latest Roman Street album, Bohemia.
Birmingham Stages: Noah and Josh, thanks for your time. If you will, talk about your writing process and how that process applied to the creation of Bohemia. Were the album’s songs newer compositions, older ones or a combination of both?
Noah Thompson: Josh and I both composed a little independently on this one, but most of the material was made for that album.
Josh Thompson: We work on each other’s songs, but I wrote the majority of mine – four or five of them – for the CD. I have a loop station at my house and every week or so I’ll go work on an idea. I’ll look back and find something I made two years ago that I forgot about and I’ll listen to it. There are one or two pieces on this CD where the ideas predate the CD by two or three years, so it’s a little bit of a mix of old and new stuff.
Birmingham Stages: Being from the Southern U.S., how did the two of you get turned on to World Music, Gypsy Jazz and Flamenco?
NT: There’s a story I like to tell because we get asked that question a lot. Josh and I grew up here and went to high school here and went to college in the South. Our parents are really musical and we had different types of music played around our house when we were younger. I just frankly was bored with learning the normal stuff that aspiring guitar players learn around here – Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jimmy Buffett and Dave Matthews. Not that it’s a knock on that music, but I always found the Spanish and European stuff so much more challenging and interesting. I never thought that I’d be playing it professionally – I just liked the way it sounded and the way it made me feel. The rubber hit the road when Josh and I met a guitar duo called Tonic Strings – they were here coming through the South and we heard it and fell in love with it and the rest is history.
Birmingham Stages: These days, people can easily find Jazz via satellite radio, Internet and iTunes. How do you feel about the state of Jazz in the era of these modern outlets?
NT: We don’t play a mainstream genre of music, especially in the American South. But I think the way people consume music has helped us. People keep coming to see Josh and I play because they like to see guitar players improvise and play onstage and we have a good time and jam. I think people have become more open-minded given the way people consume music these days.
Birmingham Stages: This may be an odd question, but is there a sense of relief in playing instrumental music? By that I mean having no pressure to tie lyrical content to your music.
JT: I think that Noah and I realized pretty early that vocals were not our forte [laughs]. We weren’t born with that gift. It was great to find out that you could still have a fulfilling career as an instrumental musician – there was a relief with that. The whole point is to make the instrument speak. That’s the highest praise you can get – people come see you and say, “You can really make that instrument talk.”
NT: [Writing lyrics] is challenging. I’ve tried to put some lyrics to our songs – that’s a completely different skill set that some people have. But, like Josh said, I love the fact that people dig instrumental music and enjoy it in a different way. With instrumental music, people can make of it what they want – you don’t have people telling you a story. We’re just giving them rhythms and sounds. The same song will make people feel chill or elated.
Live at the Lyric: Eric Essix CD Release Concert with special guest Roman Street takes place on Saturday, July 21. Tickets to the 8 p.m. show are $20 – $30 and can be purchased at www.lyricbham.com.
By Brent Thompson
An incredible roster of national and regional acts will converge on Birmingham this weekend for Sloss Music & Arts Festival 2018. Sloss Furnaces – The Steel City landmark – will provide the backdrop for the event that takes place on July 14-15. Visit www.slossfest.com to purchase weekend and single-day passes.
By Brent Thompson
Jerry Castle took his frustration of the 2016 election results into the recording studio and created an upbeat album for troubled and confusing times. The result, Brand New Hello [My World Records], is a collection that weaves a story of despair and redemption over its 14 tracks. On Thursday, July 12, the Nashville-based singer/songwriter – by way of Virginia – will perform at The Nick in a double-bill show with Iron Mike Norton. Recently, Castle corresponded with us via email about Brand New Hello, songwriting and the notion of creating full albums in a singles-driven musical climate.
Birmingham Stages: Your bio mentions the election being the inspiration for the material on Brand New Hello. Were all of the songs written after the election or had some of the songs been around for awhile?
Jerry Castle: I wrote one song before the election, “Watered Down Wine,” and the rest were written after. I felt like it fit into the story line of the album so I included it. I started writing the rest of the songs the day after the election and wrote the majority of them by the end of 2016. It’s the quickest I’ve ever written an album.
Birmingham Stages: Brand New Hello plays like an upbeat-sounding album for troubled times in our country. Was that approach intentional or did the songs just come out that way?
Castle: I wouldn’t say that my intent was to be upbeat during troubled times but that’s the way it came out. I did feel a bigger divide in our country than I’ve experienced in my lifetime. Like a lot of other Americans, I was overwhelmed with politics. I poured that frustration into writing and recording this album. I think there was a therapeutic element to the process. I knew that I wanted to learn to program and explore songwriting via that avenue, so I did. I learned to program while writing the songs and in recording them in the studio. It had a real impact on the overall vibe of the album. On at least half of the songs on the album, I wrote the music before writing the lyrics. Historically, that’s highly unusual for me.
Birmingham Stages: How would you describe your writing process? Do you continually lay down ideas or do you shelve writing while on tour?
Castle: I’m continually keeping track of my ideas, usually on my phone, but I’m not sitting down, digging in and hashing out those ideas. I’ll let a song idea unfold as much as it naturally does but then I’ll leave it until I’m ready to do the work. Editing is hard work and it’s really time consuming. I have to be in the right mindset to do it.
Birmingham Stages: Do songs still evolve even after you take them into the studio – for example, does the finished product ever come out darker, brighter, more sparse or more full than you would have originally thought?
Castle: Oh absolutely! I try not to get overly tied to ideas until I’m in a studio setting. What the life or vibe of a song should be seems to become more apparent in a studio setting.
Birmingham Stages: How do songs stay fresh and relevant for you even after you’ve played them dozens of times?
Castle: Frankly, I’ve always had a hard time with that and it has probably hurt my career a bit. Generally speaking, I support my albums via touring for three to four months and then I’m so burned out on playing the same songs over and over, that I get off of the road and start writing another record. I’ve put out five albums over the past eight years. I’m addicted to the feeling of hope that a new song seems to bring me. So once I tap into that, I usually abandon the touring part and focus on recording a new album. I’m really trying to make a focused effort this time around to ease into the Brand New Hello tour. I want to give this album a real chance to be heard and that just can’t happen when you support an album for such a short amount of time.
As far as things that I’m doing in the live show to help avoid burning out so quickly on this tour, I’ve included a fair amount of improvisational sections in the set. That unpredictability creates an energy that forces me to stay in the moment. Being that the new album has more up-tempo songs than previous albums, I think that energy helps to keep things fun.
Birmingham Stages: Some artists say the current climate – Youtube, iTunes, satellite radio – is great for artists given that fans have so many avenues to access music. Some artists say for that same reason it’s difficult to separate yourself from the crowd and be heard. How do you feel about the current climate?
Castle: I don’t think there’s a clear-cut answer. There are benefits to the current music environment and there are negatives. It’s like the Wild West these days in that there are less steadfast industry rules than ever. It has never been easier for an artist to put out music and I think that’s good for singer/songwriters and bands that are truly approaching their music as art. However, with that comes over-saturation. I think one of the big negatives to the current environment is that full-length albums seem to be more of an antiquated way of putting out music. I think a lot fewer singer/songwriters and bands are capable of consistently putting out full-length albums. I think if you take a look at artists that do, you’ll find an overall higher quality of music than an artist that only puts out singles. Artistically, you learn so much more through the process of putting out entire albums.
At the end of the day, I think that you still separate yourself from the fray by being great live. You don’t ever want someone to come and see you live and leave saying “that’s not as good as the record.”
Jerry Castle will perform at The Nick on Thursday, July 12. Doors open at 9 p.m. and showtime is 10 p.m. Tickets to the 21+ show are $6 and can be purchased at www.thenickrocks.com.
Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins
By Brent Thompson
41 years of existence in retail is impressive – 41 years of existence as an independent music retailer is astounding (just proves that downloading and streaming can’t keep the good ones down). On Thursday, July 12, Charlemagne Records will hold 
its 41st anniversary celebration at Brennan’s Irish Pub. Featuring jazz performed by Charlemagne owner Marian McKay (photo inset), the festivities will take place from 7 to 10 p.m. Brennan’s is located at 1108 20th Street South.
http://brennansirishpubbham.com
By Brent Thompson
Photo Credit: Joshua Black Wilkins
If I could buy myself a conscience that wasn’t broken
Mend every fence I drove my hard head through
Re-lock all the doors I wish I never opened
Unlearn all the things I wish I never knew
And it came out through this bottle
It came out through my fists
It came out way too early
I wish it never did
These are the opening lyrics to “Sideways,” the first track on Travis Meadows’ latest album, First Cigarette [Blaster Records]. Anyone familiar with his material knows that the singer/songwriter isn’t afraid to lyrically rip off the bandage and expose the wound. The third album in a quasi-trilogy of self-reflection tied to his sobriety, First Cigarette – the follow-up to 2010’s Killin’ Uncle Buzzy and 2013’s Old Ghosts and Unfinished Business – is no exception. Dubbed “Nashville’s Favorite Underdog” by Rolling Stone, Meadows’ fellow artists have taken note of his talent as Eric Church, Dierks Bentley, Wynonna Judd and Mary Gauthier – among many others – have recorded his songs. on Friday, June 29, Meadows will perform at Saturn as the supporting act for American Aquarium. Recently, Meadows spoke with us by phone about First Cigarette, vulnerability, sobriety and the evolution of his adopted hometown of Nashville.
Birmingham Stages: Travis, thanks for your time. With such an honest and open writing style, do you feel a sense of relief when you record songs or do you feel vulnerable and exposed?
Travis Meadows: This is the third record with the “vulnerable” Travis, so it’s not really as terrifying as the first one was, Killin’ Uncle Buzzy. What’s funny is I’ve kind of built a fan base from Killin’ Uncle Buzzy, which documented me getting sober. Actually, the thing I was more nervous about was not having every song being heavy in content. I’ve been touring for quite some time post-rehab and I put myself in the listener’s shoes and thought, “If I had to listen to 90 minutes of this kind of depressing shit, I’d want to shoot myself in the face.” So I put some levity on this record on purpose. That was actually more terrifying to me. Would fans think I’ve sold out? But the reality is A: I’m happy and more content in life and B: The last couple of records were really self-indulgent with me processing things. On this record, people can catch their breath and smile and bob their heads and then onto the next heavy one [laughs].
Birmingham Stages: You seem to accomplish the difficult task of writing personal songs that also have universal themes.
Meadows: That was also a little bit of an on-purpose. The record that started all of this was documenting me getting sober, so that was deeply personal and self-indulgent and I never intended for anybody to hear those songs. One of my counselors suggested I keep a journal and I said, “I’ll write songs about it of you think it’ll help,” and all of this kind of happened accidentally.
But I’m in a different place now. I’ve been in a vulnerable place before and people do identify with that and I think it gives people permission to be okay with themselves in going through hardships. Scars and all, we do an injustice to ourselves sometime. We think, “If I was married to this lady” or “If I had this job instead of that one” or “If I made this much money instead of that much money, I’d be happy.” The reality is the secret to happiness in life is being content with who you are and where you are, scars and all. I think that’s what some of this music does. If this guy can survive this kind of stuff and process it and stick it out there, maybe it’s okay for me to talk to somebody about what I’m going through. It seems to be working.
Birmingham Stages: Your bio details your struggles as a child – witnessing death and enduring divorce – and your later battles with cancer and addiction. Are you tired of discussing those topics or is helpful and cathartic to do so?
Meadows: When I first started talking about it, it was helpful and cathartic and it kept me out of trouble. I think now I don’t need to talk about it so much to keep me out of trouble, but it does still serve as a good reminder of how far I’ve come, which is important as well.
Birmingham Stages: How does your writing process tend to work? Do you write on the road?
Meadows: I don’t know how some of my extremely famous friends do it with this kind of schedule. I can’t write [on the road]. Literally, I’ve just laid down across the bed and I’m trying to rest because I just rode seven hours and I’ve got an hour before soundcheck. I don’t know how they do it. I’m putting down ideas and song titles and lyrical ideas sometimes, but to flesh them out on the road for me at this stage of my career is impossible. It has to be when I’m back home on the clock.
Birmingham Stages: Speaking of your “extremely famous friends” – to use your words – how do they end up recording your songs? Do they hear them on your records or do the songs reach them through publishers?
Meadows: Both of those – they listen to my records and I have publishers working the songs. The third option is that I actually write with them. Every time Eric [Church] is getting ready for a record, I get this phone call [saying], “Meet Eric on the bus at such-and-such time” – it’s like Mission Impossible. It’s like working for the CIA – it’s awesome. There’ll be a nondescript bus in the corner of an alley at three o’clock, so I just show up and hop on the bus and we write for his records. So, you named two of the three options. The third one is to actually write with the artist.
Birmingham Stages: You’ve seen a lot of changes in your 16 years as a Nashville resident.
Meadows: Oh, my Lord. I can’t even pull in and out of my driveway for the traffic now. I’m about ready to get some elbow room. The appeal of Nashville when I first moved there was it had all the art and culture of a big city, but it had a small-town feel. Now it’s starting to feel like a big city. I don’t want to be the old guy that hates change, but when I can’t even park in my own driveway, there are considerations of moving somewhere a little outside of town with a little elbow room.
Birmingham Stages: If you will, talk about the experience of touring with American Aquarium and the band’s frontman, BJ Barham.
Meadows: It’s been really good. I’ve got a new agent that helped make all of this happen. Up until now, I’ve been playing little small venues for 50 people. So the whole idea of doing opening slots is a little foreign to me and I and honestly felt at times like I was taking up space. But BJ and the band have been so welcoming and made me feel like a part of this tour and not just the guy that’s filling up a little space at the beginning of the show. We’ve had some nice conversations and the rapport and kindness backstage says a lot about BJ as a human being. The people showing up to the venue have also been very kind because most of them – I do have two handfuls of people that are showing up to hear me – are showing up to hear him and they’ve been kind and attentive and not talking while I’m performing. It’s been really eye-opening and quite a pleasant experience.
Birmingham Stages: Do you feel like you’ve grown your fan base on this tour?
Meadows: Yes, totally. There have been lots of conversations after my set and after the show of, “I came to hear these guys, but you made a new fan tonight.” It’s telling the truth at the merch table, I’ll put it that way. The fans aren’t going to buy your freaking record if they don’t like you. So it’s good, man – a nice pat on the back.
Travis Meadows will perform in support of American Aquarium at Saturn on Friday, June 29. Showtime is 9 p.m. Advance tickets to the 18+ show are $15 and can be purchased at www.saturnbirmingham.com.
By Brent Thompson
Photo Credit: Rick Tarbell
Gold Connections, the musical brainchild of singer/songwriter Will Marsh, has supported acts including Car Seat Headrest, The Districts and Futurebirds. Now, with the recent release of its full-length debut Popular Fiction [EggHunt Records] – the band’s follow-up to its acclaimed, self-titled EP – it’s time for Gold Connections to take center stage. Bridging the ’70s power pop of Cheap Trick and Big Star with the ’90s indie sounds of Modest Mouse and Conor Oberst, Marsh has incorporated his musical influences into a style of his own. On Saturday, June 23, Gold Connections will perform at Trim Tab Brewing. Showtime is 8 p.m. and admission is free.
