Moonlight: Music On a Mountain: The Detailed & Whimsical Diary of a 21st Century Deep-South Listening Room

By Keith Harrelson

"Moonlight: Music On A Mountain" is a compendium of over three hundred weekly newsletters emailed to the fans and supporters of an original acoustic music venue in Birmingham Alabama. Part diary, part blog, and part encyclopedia, this collection presents the proprietor’s voice, views, and visions regarding a unique miniature concert hall, creating a narrative of its uncertain yet glorious persistence, in a time of radical changes for the makers of contemporary folk, roots, country, and blues songcraft. Celebrating the inherent musicality of the English lexicon, these promotional missives feature arcane descriptions of The Moonlight’s scheduled performers, leavened with reflective and waggish commentary on cultural trends and current events. Covering a time frame from 2010 to 2016, this book archives a rich chronological text that invites either binge viewing or random sampling, as a reader may be so inclined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Nov 6, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543917161

Book preview

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 9781543917161

Table of Contents

Foreword

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

FOREWORD

Friends of The Moonlight–

If you bought this book, chances are you’ve already read a good portion of it— what you got for your money is a collective rendering of 317 weekly emails that I composed and sent to a list of subscribers, promoting upcoming events at Moonlight on the Mountain in Birmingham AL, a live acoustic music venue of which I was the founder and proprietor. These mailings cover the time frame from the first shows in early 2010 through the end of 2016, after which I retired and passed the business into a new owner’s hands.

If yours was one of the two thousand addresses that regularly took delivery of these messages, and you paid attention to them at all, you’ll recall that their prime purpose was to detail the coming week’s attractions, by way of breathless descriptions of each scheduled performer as a must-see talent. Every seven days I issued a mass invitation: Hey, we’d sure like it if ya’ll would pack a short bag of snackies and drinkies, tuck some folding money into yer pocket, and come on up to The Moonlight to see and hear a show you won’t forget. The newsletter was initiated as a simple vehicle, with that single function— in time it came to serve more than one purpose, and because so many of you sincerely claimed to enjoy reading it, these emails beg to be archived for whichever of you will find this comprehensive catalog either useful or entertaining.

My mom was more excited than anyone at the prospect of my becoming a writer— she’d dabbled in the language arts herself while in college, and passed to me her love of the English lexicon, whereby we both developed an aptitude for more precisely expressing ourselves. I agreed to chase some vague future in literature, diving into college as an English major, but I never got comfortable with the dictum that writing was a discipline. The idea of strapping myself to a chair in front of a typewriter for a requisite number of hours, inspired or not, just didn’t strike me as the portal to any sort of creative output— and not the kind of a daily professional activity I would naturally embrace.

But you can’t attract an audience to a little acoustic music room if you don’t constantly honk a horn about the exceptional performers that may be seen there. The never-ending need to shill the shows at Moonlight required me to lash myself to the mast of the ship of prose, in that the venue’s mission had to be repeatedly explained to a public who had no experience with any similar enterprise. Small children may be corralled into a classroom, their attentions focused and behavior dictated by command of authority, but free-willed grownups— seeking

entertainment and social interchange at their own out-of-pocket expense— required a different sort of persuasion to patronize the sit-down-and-shut-up small-theatre environment we created for our grateful performers.

A bit more historical detail will be helpful here— Moonlight was established in its first location in 2003, and persisted for three years as the area’s only acoustic listening room for original music, presenting itinerant and local artists almost every night of the week. As part of an overall promotion campaign, I built a nascent email list and took to hammering out a regular newsletter to its subscribers. This initiative started as a formless gaggle of paragraphs that went out to a hundred or so online mailboxes, in the hopes that a repeated halloo would cultivate a base audience for our shows. Over time, the list of recipients for this bulletin grew, as did my tendency to affect a casual and personal voice in its text– I thought that tone to be better suited to the intimate, homey atmosphere Moonlight maintained for performers and audiences to share. (In time, I may publish those fore-runner emails in a subsequent book, as they were a prototype for the later ones here reproduced, and led to the format I finally adopted for the second-generation Moonlight.)

In the gathering of these periodical messages can be seen the fitful growing pains and erratic fortunes of an enterprise based on a frankly ludicrous business model. The original Moonlight Music Cafe, after a three-year hiatus, begat Moonlight on the Mountain (or Moonlight 2.0) in 2010 at a new location, this time completely eliminating food and beverage service, looking for its chief revenue to be derived from ticket sales to the performances. Using a tactic by which I had seen other classic, legendary folk clubs survive, I established an auxiliary non-profit organization, linked by name to the venue, so that anyone who shared the idea of the room as a cultural arts activity could support it financially with tax-deductible contributions. 

As the running balance in Moonlight’s bank account rose and fell over the years, a corresponding share of the weekly messages took the form of fundraising appeals to potential donors— in desperate times, the intro paragraphs were simply plaintive cries for more robust attendance by our regular audience. A live music venue is a pillar-to-post proposition under the best of circumstances— much as I wanted to shape the public image of the room as a carefree refuge from the worries of real life, it was necessary to go beggarly on what feels like an awful lot of occasions. I’m glad to say we were gently and favorably indulged by the readership— Moonlight could not have survived very long at all without the generous additional subsidies of its patrons.

So— let me say a few things now that might shed further light on what follows—

As you embark on the body of this work in its earliest stages, you’ll see I squirmed around a lot in forging a standard template for the information it had to contain. Though the entries are, quite naturally, presented in chronological order, that doesn’t mean you have to read the whole shebang straight through, front to back— there are definite soft spots in the spirit and tone of what was served up each week, and I recommend the random sampling of pieces from different months and years. Every bit of it was written in niblets, especially at first, with minor regard to the thing as a whole— it’s turned out to be like a big bag of trail mix, each handful will have its own array of surprises— and to the degree by which your e-reader will allow you to flip the pages, I encourage you to skip around.

The prevailing characteristic of the verbiage is its density, and the nettlesome use of an unconventional vocabulary, leaning hard on multi-syllable words that for most people will require a visit to the dictionary. For me, the English language is a playground, and no doubt this style reflects the influence of our regular cavalcade of inventive songwriters, who could find the potential rhythm and sway in any given line by striking the offbeat notes. Reading this stuff is kinda like drinking a thick milkshake— you have to slow down, tug thoughtfully on the straw, and indulge yourself in the nuggets of flavor that reward your patience. I often told people that it helps to read some of it out loud.

I think it was widely understood that the newsletter had a single author, but I found it less self-aggrandizing, and a lot more inclusive, to write in a plural voice. That’s less an example of what The Dude Lebowski referenced as the royal we, than a comfortable editorial device meant to underscore the hoped-for communal nature of Moonlight, casting it as perhaps being directed by a small collective of volunteer advocates. Indeed, come showtime, I had indispensable help from many individuals who stepped up to assist in every evening’s production, so characterizing The Moonlight as a group effort would not be entirely inaccurate. I felt writing the newsletter from a first-person plural perspective would be a subtle way of honoring those contributions.

There’s only so many different ways to convey the same message again and again without losing your audience— ask any preacher who has to craft a new sermon to toss from the pulpit EVERY Sunday morning— so I’m proud that I always found myself able to spin new silk from the same old straw. Except for the rare instance in which I cadged lines from an artist’s promo/bio text, I tried hard to make each week’s piece entirely original. Of course, deadlines and circumstance would on occasion find The Muse taking a bathroom break— when the logs jammed, I’d reluctantly reuse an artist’s description from a prior mailing, so that the newsletter might be ready to Send by midnight every Tuesday. The last few years I did cut-and-paste the final-paragraph appeal for donations to the non-profit (those repetitions have been mostly scissored from this content), but at the same time, I somehow managed to find a completely new pitch for each and every bi-weekly Open Mic Session— all 159 of ‘em!

I never quit thinking I’d somehow get the newsletter into a more attractive and eye-catching form— sparkling with graphically exciting artwork, photos of the featured artists, the five-color Moonlight logo prominent in every mailing. Unable to transform it myself, I called for HTML upgrade guidance several times, but without success— so week after week I freighted out blocks of thick gray text. By segmenting the content with double- and triple-line spaces and snappy, all-cap exclamations, I employed various fragmentive techniques to make the thing less forbidding to plow through. I’m sure many subscribers quickly scanned each fresh week’s edition, saving it for a time when fully digesting a load of undecorated verbosity would be an acceptable way to kill a half-hour. I like to think those folks eventually returned to give it a second look; there were no doubt a great number of others whose limited leisure time or short supply of patience prompted them to hit the delete key, with little to no regret.       

I take that gamble again now, reproducing these mailings faithfully in the form by which they were originally sent, and depending on your email server, were hopefully received. A later edition of this book may feature pictures of our most notable— or photogenic— performers, as I also did my best to visually document each onstage participant in our parade of talent. The Moonlight’s blue-black, starry-sky stage curtains are highly identifiable, but they’re an unchanging backdrop in the thousands of digital images I compiled over the years, which to me seem too homogenous to display en masse. I do keep all those photos in a personal collection, if you might like to see any particular ones of them, you may contact me by _______ and I’ll do my best to dig up one or two that are good enough to share.

There are hundreds of weblinks included in this text— mostly portals to artists’ sites, others as needed for reference— and if your reading device allows, you should be able to click on any hot one, and go wherever it takes ya. The passage of time has rendered many of these links defunct, and more will become dead ends as years go by, but for the sake of those performers who are still pursuing their careers, I hope you’ll ring their online doorbells and check their progress since. Also, the text is searchable— which makes it easy to find the times or dates a particular artist appeared at Moonlight— happily, this feature replaces the need for an index in the final pages. Yay, e-books!

As of this writing, The Moonlight is still burning brightly on its Alabama mountaintop, under the direction of a young and energetic new owner— it remains a unique and valuable platform for hard-working, talented, and deserving artists to attract the audience so critical to their development and success. The final entry in this book expresses in detail my eternal gratitude for all those good people who made Moonlight the magic, marvelous world it has been from the very beginning. Please enjoy this look back at a very special time and place in my life, and quite probably yours as well— and thanks for being a continuing part of it all!

keith harrelson

2010-2016 Owner, Moonlight on the Mountain

Birmingham Alabama

2010

Feb 7. 2010

Friends of The Moonlight—

Thanks so much for signing on to the mail list! This is the very first message to go out to everyone, you haven’t missed a thing– I want to take a moment here to let you know what’s happening with the project, and give you my best estimate of when we’ll be presenting music.

The process of getting our approval from the City of Hoover has been tedious and protracted… but hey, good things are worth waiting for. What remains to be done are the modifications to the building, as mandated by local fire codes and service requirements— a rear exit, additional rest room, safety doors– and with luck, these should be finished up early in March.

Because of the uncertainty, I have not yet booked any confirmed artists until later in the spring… but as soon as a predictable opening date seems likely, I’ll be scrambling to fill the debut schedule with a lineup of premier performers, and you’ll be the first to know who they are.

To avoid contributing to the stream of flotsam jamming your mailbox, I’ll keep future messages brief, to the point, and very occasional… when you hear from The Moonlight, it’ll concern something I think you’ll want to know about. I’m happy to spotlight other traveling artists appearing in Birmingham (unless there’s a conflict with a Moonlight event!), so that original acoustic artists will find an ever more receptive audience as they come through our territory. For example:

*** RONNY COX and JACK WILLIAMS ***

Thursday, February 11th, 7pm, $15

at Caffe C, a songwriter series

Baptist Church of the Covenant, 2117 University Blvd., B’ham 35233

     Yes, Ronny Cox the famous actor, in duo with his longtime bud Jack Williams, both of whom bring many years of experience and critical acclaim to their performance. Caffe C has sneaked an amazing variety of top-notch folk and Americana artists into town for this series, and it’s high time that more of the available seats get filled by area listeners who don’t know what they’ve been missing. Reservations should be made at 205-425-8985, or by email through  [e-mail]

www.ronnycox.com

www.jackwilliamsmusic.com

Again, you have my deep personal gratitude for your interest in, and support of, the new Moonlight– in these challenging times, when only the most meaningful expressions of art and culture can expect to survive, your enthusiasm is a rare and wonderful thing. I appreciate it, and will do my best to keep earning it. Many thanks!

keith harrelson

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

— 

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Moonlight On The Mountain Message

Date: 7 March 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight–

Believe it or not, we are finally in the home stretch of the loooong process of getting Moonlight on the Mountain ready for presenting music… though construction isn’t complete, we can at least declare that the finish line is in sight, and we have decided to book our first performers in the belief that we ain’t bad wrong. Things always take longer than you want ‘em to, so we’ve held off committing ourselves to certain dates until sufficient progress had been made… but at some point you just have to set yourself a deadline, and make a promise to meet it.

Whatever may happen between now and then, Moonlight expects to be under full sail, with all lanterns burning, on Thursday, April 8th, for an evening’s entertainment and CD Release Party by KEVIN WELCH, one of the best-received songwriters ever to play our former stage… we got wind of a house concert with Kevin planned by our friend Kathy Troup, and offered her the greater capacity of our room so that his many fans would have a better chance to witness his return to Birmingham. Details so far– $15 admission donation, doors open 7pm, showtime at 7:30. Make reservations by replying to this email address…. until we get our automated res system in place (just one more thing to do), we’ll tend to each of your requests individually, and send you a confirmation note. We’ll cap attendance at 85, then begin a waiting list, since there are sometimes a small number of late cancellations.

www.kevinwelch.com

Because we are working so feverishly to be finished as soon as possible, there’s a slim chance we’ll be able to present music even earlier than 4/8– indeed, our friends from Austin TX, THE BLUE HIT, have asked us to let them schedule a provisional show for Saturday, March 27th… should all of our framing, wiring, plumbing, and dry-walling be blessedly behind us in the next twenty days, we will be pleased to present this eclectic guitar/cello/vocal ensemble as a breakout event. In our next email notice we’ll advise you of our exact plans– we want the stage to be lit and humming at the earliest opportunity!

www.thebluehit.com

Just a coupla teasers now to get you interested in what’s to come–>

Gretchen Peters, April 16th– www.gretchenpeters.com

Pierce Pettis, May 6th (or 8th)– www.piercepettis.com

Beth Wood, May 7th– www.bethwoodmusic.com

Malcolm Holcombe, May 9th— www.malcolmholcombe.com

and dozens of others ready to join these very soon—

There’s lots still to do as the days warm up, and as The Moonlight begins to draw breath once more– we have to flesh out the website so it can be the source for ALL current information for our planned concerts and activities– the photo/video production facility has to be equipped and configured– a Facebook page needs to be built and animated– and somebody’s gotta clean up this awful mess we’ve made of the premises in this past month of modifications. We’ll announce a Clean, Paint, and Garnish party as soon as the tools are all gone– if you’d like to come lift a hand to help, we’d be ever so grateful!

++++++++++++++++++

As always, we want you to be aware of these fine acoustic performers appearing soon at other locations… please support them if you can!

***REBECCA LOEBE, RAINA ROSE, AJ ROACH, & ROBBY HECHT***

Thursday, March 11th, 7pm

The Big Blue Bagel, 1101 Dunston Avenue, Crestline 35213

983-7681

Four normally-solo young songwriters/vocalists, wending their way westward to the SXSW Conference in Texas, saving gas by traveling together and gigging collectively along the way. When it became obvious that The Moonlight would not be ready to host their visit, this newly-opened Crestline java-and-sammich emporium stepped up to give them a fresh room to play. Distinct and diverse in their styles, each of these performers could handle the entire evening alone– by pitching in on each others’ material, they quadruple the quality quotient…truly!

www.rebeccaloebe.com

www.robbyhecht.com

www.rainarose.com      

www.roachmusic.com

—

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Moonlight On The Mountain Message

Date: 30 March 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight—

The day is almost here– or the night, actually– after so much hard work and anticipation, we are less than two weeks from the grand opening of Moonlight on the Mountain. There are still many details to which we must attend, and every hour counts in these last few laps… but much like the homework that isn’t yet finished, there’s some time on the school bus, and an hour in study hall before it has to be actually handed in. We’ll make it… we have no choice.

That first night– Thursday, April 8th– we welcome KEVIN WELCH to the new stage, in a transplanted version of what was to be a private house concert. Our friend Kathy Troup had arranged for Kevin to do a living room show at her home, which might have accommodated fifteen or twenty lucky listeners… we suggested that having as many as 85 in front of him would be a better outcome for all concerned. Though reservations have been snapped up quickly, there is still room for more– we’d love to have you on hand for The Moonlight’s first official show, and the chance to pick up Kevin’s brand new CD, The Great Emancipation, just released mere days before our concert. To make reservations, got to our website and open the Calendar link… the rest is easy. And while you’re waiting for the date to get here, enjoy this MOST appropriate video of what you might expect to hear that evening:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PctiJNoAG9Y

We expect every seat to be taken for our first show– as we reach capacity, we’ll start to put names on a waiting list, since there are sometimes last-minute cancellations. We’ll ask for a $15 cash donation to the artist at the door, no checks or credit cards, please…hit the link now, don’t wait to save yourself a place in the audience!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MORE MUSIC NEXT–

As you are connected to the Calendar page on our website, have a look at the upcoming artists we have managed to book on short notice– some of our favorites from the original Moonlight, and crowd-pleasers from recent house concerts. Many more are selecting specific dates to add to their travel routes, and will be listed on the Calendar shortly… bookmark the page, and check it often so you can make plans to be on hand when they come through.

We promise to offer a mix of styles and genres of music from outside our region, and to season the schedule with a hearty mix of top-notch local players as well. Your suggestions are welcome– we want to know who you’d like to see and hear! 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

WANT TO HELP?

Because we see The Moonlight as becoming much more than one person’s vision, we hope to recruit a core group of volunteers who’d like to help with the many little duties involved in running an event venue. We need someone to work the door and collect admission donations; we would like to have people who could act as artists’ hospitality guides, helping out-of-town performers find food, lodging, and odd items they may need to locate in a strange city; we can really use help with the setup and pickup of the room before and after the shows. We’d appreciate your offer of whatever time you have to help us operate smoothly.

IN FACT, we will host a Clean, Paint, and Garnish gathering on Sunday, April 4th– a general evening of tidying up the room for our Grand Opening a few days later. Yes, that’s Easter, but if you are all done with your holiday observances, come by the Moonlight between 2 and 6pm to swing a broom or a paintbrush for a few minutes, and to talk about what special skills you might have to contribute. Go to the website for directions, if you don’t yet know how to find us, or call 243-8851 to say you’re coming.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

PROTOCOL–

There are a few things to be aware of when attending events at our one-of-a-kind venue– after your first visit, you’ll have a better idea of the considerations we ask of our audience:

PARKING– should be adequate for all but our most heavily-attended shows. Please remember that we are located in a residential area, and hard by a main road with lots of passing traffic. If you’re part of a group, give some of those friends a ride, to keep the number of vehicles to a minimum– and try to be mindful of nearby private property and right of way when you choose where to park your car. Thank you!

SEATS– will not be available for everybody when the attendance is large. We have about 50 heavy wooden chairs on hand, but you should bring your own portable festival chairs as a precaution, especially if you aren’t among the first to arrive when the doors open. We want everyone to be comfortable and happy during the show, but we can’t currently guarantee everyone a house chair at every event…. you may not need to use your own, but if you do, you’ll be glad you remembered to bring it!

BEVERAGES AND FOOD— are not offered for sale at The Moonlight, which means you aren’t limited to our selection in your choice of comestibles for the evening. Keep in mind that our venue is family-friendly, and we may have patrons of all ages in the audience… that being said, you are welcome to bring a small cooler with you, containing a reasonable amount of whatever refreshments you may legally possess on private property. Cheers!

PURCHASES– are by CASH ONLY, from the suggested artists’ donation we collect at the door, to the merchandise you may buy directly from the performer. Unless we decide at some future date to add food and drinks to our offerings, we will not have a system for taking payment in any other form. The nearest ATM is a couple of miles down the road… please bring your folding money with you to avoid inconvenience and disappointment!

LISTENING– is what makes The Moonlight different from other live music venues. Here, the performing artist is the most important person in the room while they are on the stage, and we cater to an audience who comes to pay respectful attention to the talent being presented. Our town has plenty of other places where comrades can gather to drink, talk, smoke, and horse around with each other during a live performance–- this ain’t one of ‘em. Our events are bona fide concerts, and anyone whose behavior disturbs others’ right to enjoy the show will be asked to leave. Let’s keep it special!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OTHER EVENTS YOU MAY ENJOY–

In an effort to promote the support of original acoustic music in our community, we are glad to make note of some other remarkable performers appearing in this area soon– so long as they don’t conflict with our own schedule!

***PETER SEARCY and BRIGID KAELIN***

Thursday, April 15th, 7:30pm

A Small Stages house concert in a private residence– learn more and make reservations at:

www.smallstages.com

***AMY SPEACE***

Thursday, April 15th, 7pm

Caffe C, 2117 University Blvd, Birmingham 35233

The ongoing series hosted at a Southside church facility, more info at:

www.birminghamfolk.org

***KATE CAMPBELL***

Saturday, April 17th, 7pm

East Lake United Methodist Church

Literate Southern singer/songwriter, worth hearing in any setting, more info at:

www.eastlakeumc.net

***JENNIFER DANIELS***

Saturday, April 17th, 8:30pm

The Red Cat, 2901 2nd Avenue South, B’ham 35233

Lookout Mountain’s beguiling siren, part tease and part tantrum, info at:

www.okafes.com

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

THANKS for your interest and support… see you on the hilltop!

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

—

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Moonlight On The Mountain Message

Date: 14 April 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight–

YOW! OUR GRAND OPENING SHOW WITH KEVIN WELCH was a thundering success– full house, perfect weather, friendly crowd, and an artist in fine form and voice. After a very busy last few hours getting the place ready for launch, we can report that everything met expectations, according to each person we asked. The sound system was outstanding, the climate was properly controlled, the parking was sufficient, and the toilets flushed without incident… what else ya need?

MAY IS FILLING UP WITH MUSICIANS of remarkable renown, whether you’ve heard their names or not… check out their websites on our Calendar page for samples of audio and video, so you’ll come to know the standards we’ve set for ourselves in the artists we present. And remember, because you supply your own refreshments, you can enjoy these talents at a price that falls far below that of your typical night out.

ONE THING IS CLEAR– we have to find ways to keep the bills paid and the doors open– since there are no food or beverage sales, we will need to offer other things of value to our patrons. The most obvious of these is the use of the room for private events, on the nights we aren’t actually presenting music. Give The Moonlight a thought when you need to gather a group of people in a casual setting for a family, social, or business event– we’ll negotiate a rate that is sure to make you happy, and that will help us keep the public shows front and center.

SO WE ARE OFF AND ROLLING… and as we said to the audience on opening night, what happens now is up to you. The Moonlight will be here as long as–- and only IF– you claim a sense of ownership here, and show us your face often enough to maintain the momentum. It’s cool to say you live in a town where you can hear the best original music face-to-face, brought to your own neighborhood, home-cooked and comfortable… but like all special gifts, you must either use it, or lose it. Getcha butt up here when you can, so we can keep doing it for you…. please start NOW, and make this place YOURS. Everybody will thank you!

––––––––—

Reservations are NOT necessary for every show, just come on a half-hour before music starts, we’ll make sure you have a seat if we possibly can. Always bring a folding festival chair in the car, so if ours are all taken, you won’t be on your feet all night. And feel free to bring a small cooler with your own choice of beverage and snacks, like you would have at home. Where else can you do that?

OUR NEXT CONCERTS—

*Friday, April 16th, 7:30 pm, $15 donation—

GRETCHEN PETERS–— one of Nashville’s busiest songwriters and players, penned Independence Day for Martina McBride, plus a hundred others you know–

www.gretchenpeters.com

*Friday, April 23rd, 7:30pm, $10 donation–

DAVID JACOBS-STRAIN– riveting slide-blues from a wunder-kid barely old enough to SPELL Mississippi… an eye-opener from Song One!

www.davidjacobs-strain.com

Details on our Calendar page, at:       www.moonlighonthemtn.com

–––––––––

OUR FRIENDS NEARBY—

To promote the support of original acoustic music in our community, we are glad to make note of some other remarkable performers appearing in this area soon– so long as they don’t conflict with our own schedule!

***PETER SEARCY and BRIGID KAELIN***

Thursday, April 15th, 7:30pm

A Small Stages house concert in a private residence– learn more and make reservations at:

www.smallstages.com

***KATE CAMPBELL***

Saturday, April 17th, 7pm

East Lake United Methodist Church

Literate Southern singer/songwriter, worth hearing in any setting, more info at:

www.eastlakeumc.net

***JENNIFER DANIELS***

Saturday, April 17th, 8:30pm

The Red Cat, 2901 2nd Avenue South, B’ham 35233

Lookout Mountain’s beguiling siren, part tease and part tantrum, info at:

www.okafes.com

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Last Moonlight show this month–

Date: 22 April 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight–

We gotta be grateful for this fabulous spring weather, the sunsets up here at Lover’s Leap are incredible– makes us feel lucky to have a stunning view like this one, to enjoy any time we wish. Come hang yer toes off the ledge for a moment, and see what a hilltop can do for your spirits…

Just one more show in April to tell you about, this Friday night 4/23– 

DAVID JACOBS-STRAIN hasn’t had the blues for quite all of his twenty-three years, but he HAS had a guitar in his hands for most of that time, judging by what he’s able to do with it now. It’s been called Left-coast slide blues, and you can get a strong sample of what he’s known for if you visit his website:  

www.davidjacobs-strain.com

He’s a veteran of a decade’s touring, working his way onto shows and festivals alongside an impressive list of celebrated players many years his senior– to wit, Taj Mahal, Etta James, David Grisman, and more. He spent all one summer opening solo for Boz Scaggs….. and here he is on our stage, right in front of you, for just ten tiny bucks. Doors open at 7pm, David plays at 7:30.

Remember that all donations and purchases are in cash. You should bring a folding chair with you, in case ours are all taken– and you can tote a small cooler of your own choice snacks and beverages, since we won’t be trying to sell you any. Plan to pick up the artist’s CDs at intermission while you’re speaking to him, he’d appreciate it greatly– that’s what gets him to the next stop on the long, long road. No reservations should be necessary, just get here and come on in… and by all means, bring some friends!

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Though April has been sparse, with just three concerts to get us going, the month of May is gonna be something else altogether– if you have a quick look at our Calendar page, you’ll see that every weekend is loaded with the best original acoustic music to be found anywhere in this area. We attract musicians of such high caliber because they appreciate being able to do their best work in a comfortable, intimate, well-ordered, smoke-free

venue– playing to an audience who values the same conditions in a concert environment. That’s you!

And please remember….. since we do not operate a food/drink concession, we look to you to host your own private events in the space we’ve created up here– it’s a fine spot for casual family or social get-togethers, corporate presentations, or a meeting space for your organization. We could put live music in here every evening, but for the sake of community involvement, we want you to reserve some nights for other activities… come talk to us about it as soon as it crosses your mind…. we thank you!

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

Moonlight on the Mountain

585 Shades Crest Road

(In beautiful Bluff Park!)

Birmingham AL 35226

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: We May begin!

Date: 4 May 2010 

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

COMING SOON!– A FACEBOOK PAGE– Color pictures and graphics, not just boring gray typewriter fonts– in the meantime, thanks for reading!

Friends of The Moonlight–

So we’ve said once or twice already that we’ve begun our business, we had a big Grand Opening, then another show or two in April– but this weekend feels like it’s REALLY the start of our full-time schedule, with four consecutive nights of performers we are very proud to present. Since you have no doubt bookmarked the Moonlight website, it’s an easy matter for you to jump over there to get familiar with who, what and when… but hey, we can save you the trouble–->

THIS WEEKEND–-

Thursday, May 6th— PIERCE PETTIS– One of Alabama’s finest contributions to modern American songwriting… a wry, literate observer of our common complexities, speaking with a regional voice and view that we find all too familiar. Pierce has been acclaimed since his earliest days for his ability to be at once sentimental, witty, droll, and disarming… there’s four good reasons he has so many ardent fans. 7:30pm, $15 cash donation

www.piercepettis.com

Friday, May 7th— BETH WOOD— To borrow a line from the makers of another widely-appreciated confection, nobody doesn’t like Beth Wood— you can’t say whether she’s most impressive for her incredible voice, her funny/touching songs, her whole-girl American resplendence, or her unfailingly sunny disposition. All’s we know is that men and women alike are smitten with what she does– and every time we are privileged to present her again, we are treated to a new selection of better and better work, from a truly splendid entertainer. 7:30PM, $10

www.bethwoodmusic.com

Saturday, May 8th– FATS KAPLIN and KRISTI ROSE– Time for something completely new, forged from musical and cultural elements that were first in vogue decades ago…. master instrumentalist Kaplin, in complete command of anything with strings, reeds, resonators, or membranes, blends his inspired interpretations with Rose’s powerful, exacting vocals, in a mixture they’ve called Pulp Country. Stages worldwide, large and small, have hosted them as they’ve honed their stark Southern Gothic vision of the hooch-soaked, heartbroke netherworld…. a riveting celebration of lives haunted by ghosts of regret, disrupted by carnal dreams, yet often given over to rapturous joy.  7:30pm, $10

www.pulpcountry.com

***ALSO — JUST ADDED! *** Opener MELANIE DEKKER, Canadian songwriter fresh back from Europe, twenty-six shows in thirty days– a suddenly-cancelled date in Tennessee lets us have a brief glimpse of her folk-pop offerings, before she jumps back on a plane to another part of the planet. She’ll do a quick handful of songs at the start of the evening, just to see if you like ‘em– tips only, so bring a spot of folding money to tell her you did.

www.melaniedekker.com

Sunday, May 9th— MALCOLM HOLCOMBE– We’ve been trying to think of a way to suggest that treating your mother to Malcolm’s concert would be a great way to celebrate her special day… hang on here, bear with us…. true, he’s a looooong way from Perry Como or Tom Jones, what with his tendency to growl, snort, and mutter through a passel of his rawboned western Carolina originals, drifting on occasion from an obvious connection with reality. But once they become convinced that he’s not dangerous, ladies of all ages are surprised to find him truly lovable….. Malcolm’s marvelous guitar style is insistent and percussive, while his lyrics celebrate family, hard work, and home cookin’. He’ll have your old lady solidly in his corner when he starts into Sittin’ Sad and Wonderin’, half-spitting the chorus Mama’s mad and she’s DOG tired–  7:30pm, $10

www.malcolmholcombe.com

If you wish, you can make reservations for these shows on the website Calendar page, but they are not necessary–- pack your own nibbles and beverages, have a folding chair handy just in case the turnout is heavy, and pay back a favor that you might owe someone by bringing them with you.

Remember, parking at The Moonlight is problematic only if you’re careless– and cash is the only payment we handle for transactions here. Drop by the ATM and let us see you this weekend!

–––––

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND–

The Moonlight is available for private events on nights when a performer is not scheduled– indeed, since the admission donation you give at the door

goes to the artist, rentals are our chief source of revenue. Rates for use of the facility for social or business gatherings are flexible, and eminently

fair… contact us by clicking Reply to reserve a date for your party or meeting, before we book it for a concert…. and many thanks for your support!

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Moonlight this weekend!

Date: 12 May 2010 

Friends of the Moonlight:

A little mid-week notice here about our performances this weekend– lotsa other things going on, but you know it’s worth a short ride up here to see these players close at hand… no reservations needed, just come on!

***THURSDAY, May 13th, 7:30pm— SHADES MOUNTAIN AIR

Birmingham-based bluegrass/gospel band, hot pickers, some old standards, plus many original songs that SOUND like old standards–- plus opener Daniel Bailey comes down from Nashville to hand us a sample of what he does. A great evening of family-friendly entertainment, $15

www.shadesmountainair.com

***FRIDAY, May 14th, 7:30pm— CAHALEN DAVID MORRISON, and CARY HUDSON

Morrison wowed new listeners in a Birmingham show some months ago, his mastery of a half-dozen stringed instruments in support of his reel-roots material a thing of wonder indeed. Cary Hudson, founder of seminal alt-country band Blue Mountain, fills out a second half of the evening, in a solo precursor to his full-band appearance at next month’s Birmingham Brewfest. One night, two fine artists, $12

www.cahalen.com

www.caryhudson.com

***SATURDAY, May 15th– private event

Just a reminder here that The Moonlight is available for hosting family, social, or corporate gatherings of almost any kind–- indeed, that’s the

primary method by which we’ll pay the overhead here. Email, or drop by to discuss dates and ideas for your own meeting or celebration. Thanks!

SUNDAY, May 16th, 7:30pm– ROY SCHNEIDER, and JEFF and VIDA

Roy’s folksy repertoire features his set of clever, engaging tunes, interspersed with a unique monologue that makes you think he might be lost relative… he’s a traveler, a dad, and a part-time cartoonist… all of which gives him plenty of material to work with. Southern duo Jeff & Vida circle back to their bluegrass roots for their newest CD, bending the traditional instruments and vocal harmonies into edgier forms that reflect their country, blues, and rock backgrounds… both artists bring you their best for only $12

www.royschneider.com

www.jeffandvida.com

Photos and additional links are on the Moonlight website, which we sure hope you have bookmarked–

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

and by now you know that you can bring your own snacks and beverages to the shows, since we aren’t in the business of selling anything but the music. Good idea to throw a folding chair in the car, too, we might get lucky and run out of seats to offer you– bring your friends, and come see what we got happening here– many thanks!

–––––––––

ALSO–

The Small Stages House Concert Series presents ELIOT MORRIS in a living room show on Thursday, May 20th– to find out more, go to their website:

www.smallstages.com

to make reservations, and to encourage more traveling acoustic performers to make a stop in Birmingham!

From: Moonlight On The Mountain

Subject: Moonlight this week!

Date: 20 May 2010 

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

Friends of The Moonlight:

We’re still kinda finding our feet with this new location– the room is beautiful, the vibe is friendly, the sound is where we want it– we’re just anxious to share the place with more people. As spring starts to radiate into summer, we offer some late season songwriters to help with the transition— come have a listen…!

*****FRIDAY, May 21st, 7:30pm– BETTY SOO and JEFF TALMADGE

The most remarkable thing about this co-bill is that they were pre-reviewed by slash-and-burn critic J.R. Taylor in the current issue of Black and White– J.R. savages almost everyone who catches his notice, holding particular contempt for folk and roots songwriters. Somehow, though, he managed to compliment Betty and Jeff both, calling them (respectively) hypeworthy– an ambitious acoustic gal riding a ghost train into country rhythms, and a rare talent– truly smart without becoming ponderously literary. Many thanks, J.R.– not just for giving up a positive nod, but also for saving me the task of having to craft my own glowing description. See for yourself–  only $12.

www.bettysoo.com

www.jefftalmadge.com

*****SATURDAY, May 22nd, 7:30pm– NATASHA BORZILOVA and LOLLY LEE

Two widely-different artists tonight, one from these here parts, and another from the other side of the planet– both strong, eloquent singers with plenty to say. Natasha came to the US from Obninsk, Russia, as frontwoman for the Grammy-nominated rock band Bering Strait, and soon found her home and heart in Nashville, as a solo player in the mold of Tori Amos, Jewel, and Joan Osbourne. Lolly made a name for herself over two decades of Birmingham’s musical evolution, then pulled back for a few years’ reflection– she’s returned with some stunning new work, and would love to see some old friends turn out for her set in a smoke-free environment. $12

www.myspace.com/natashaborzilova

www.myspace.com/lollylee4free

******SUNDAY, May 23rd, 7:30pm– LINDA McRAE, with opener Arlene McCann

We talk a lot about roots music, and if you want a solid definition of what that stands for, here’s someone who can clear it up for ya… Linda earned more than her share of gold and platinum records as a member of the Canadian group Spirit of the West, but since going solo, she’s become a learned master of several traditional instruments, in support of her powerful 19th-century voice. A last-minute addition is one of Pennsylvania’s contributions to new folk, opener Arlene McCann… she’ll show us a few brief samples of her work as the evening begins. $15

www.lindamcrae.com

www.arlenemccann.com

Maybe by now you all know the drill– you bring your own eaties and drinkies, a folding chair in case we run out of solid ones, and cash money to gain admission and buy CDs. Early summer means you can catch the sunset off the crest up here, before stepping in for the show… this lovely spring has given us some incredible ones already… check our web Calendar for what’s a little further out, give some thought to having a private event here on the premises, and support original independent music wherever you can!

===========================

Just a note here to say– the Small Stages show with ELIOT MORRIS on Thursday, May 20th has been SOLD OUT for almost a week now… way to go, guys! To explore the future plans of our town’s most consistent house concert series, visit the website:

www.smallstages.com

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Moonlight for Memorial Day

Date: 26 May 2010 

Friends of the Moonlight—

Yes, it means summer is finally here– judging from the color sell sheets crammed in the Sunday paper, it’s all about barbecue sauce, bug spray, and a big blue bladder pool with five kids and a hot mom splashing around in it… Lowest Price of the Season!!! No doubt, we welcome the leisure time and indolent activities afforded us by late sunsets and the suspension of schoolwork– but just like another annual holiday now morphed into a retail orgy unrelated to its original purpose, we’d best take a moment to remember why the day is different from all the others– it’s because somebody offered to trade in their own life in order to make all of ours a little bit better. Though it’s hard to say Thank You as loudly as that gift deserves, at least once a year we set aside time to try…. and we hope you’ll find a few minutes this weekend to reflect on that.

We also hope you’ll treat yourself– and whatever friends have come to town to visit–- to one of the three shows we’ve scheduled for you. More details and photos can be found on our website’s Calendar page, but here’s a quick sketch of what you didn’t know you could expect–>

***Thursday, May 27– KIRA SMALL and BRYAN BELLER

If you can’t find something about these two that isn’t delightful, you are hard to please indeed… Kira makes the party happen just by walking in the room, her wit and whimsy well in gear even before she gets behind the keyboards, to unleash a soulful stream of R&B, jazz, and jump tunes. Her husband Bryan partners her on bass guitar, turning it into a separate sideshow of its own… together, they lead the audience in a conga line of originals and covers that span every genre they’ve mastered. ALSO— to begin the night, young Macey Rowland reveals her stunning voice in a brief opener that will make you doubt she’s only twelve years old. This show is only $10, and starts at 7:30pm

www.kirasmall.com

***Saturday, May 29– BRET MOSLEY

He looks like Russell Crowe, he dresses like Jack Sparrow, and he tours you through funky folk/blues territory like you’re riding a freight train out of the Delta. Critics struggle to describe his style, regularly employing hybrids such as Chris Whitley meets Marvin Gaye– somewhere between Son House and Leonard Cohen– dead center between Hank Williams and The Ohio Players— as if Van Morrison had come from a sharecropper’s farm. Whoa– all this to explain a guy with a dobro on his lap, a wink in his eye, and little beaded ribbons in his bad-ass ponytail. We couldn’t hand you anything more memorable for a holiday Saturday night…. 7:30pm, only $10

www.bretmosley.com

***Sunday, May 30– KARISA NOWAK, and KELLI JOHNSON with JASON BAILEY

Karisa started singing early in Winter Haven FL, got shuttled to Nashville as a directionless musical commodity, and finally found her voice and identity through the strength of her own songwriting skills. A quick visual appraisal will lead you to believe she’s a Hollywood starlet– two minutes later you’ll know she’s as honest, candid, and authentic as the country-pop originals she so ably offers. She shares the night with our own Kelli Johnson, who’s carved out a reputation for herself as a figurehead in east Alabama country/grass circles– Kelli’s driven by the fire of her own songwriting as well, and she brings her Sweetwater Road bandmate Jason Bailey to season her set with his stunning mandolin work. 7:30, $12

www.karisanowak.com

www.myspace.com/kellijohnsonmusic

Coming soon– Dana Cooper, Act of Congress, Steve Young, and Moonlight Open Mike! Check the Calendar on the website:

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

––––––––

Please keep in mind that The Moonlight gets its main revenue as a rental room for private events– that means YOU can use it as a location for whatever kinda get-together calls for a stage, sound system, chairs/tables/restrooms, and 2500 square feet of clean carpet– our rates compare very favorably to any similar facility you may be lucky enough to find. Grad parties, receptions, club meetings, corporate presentations, birthdays– all will fit very neatly into one of the coolest event spaces available, and one of the few that can be found south of Homewood. Get in touch with us now by email or phone— 205-243-8851– so we can save the date for you. Thanks!

––––––––––

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: June so soon?

Date: 2 June 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight–

This first month of Alabama summer rolls in with a few empty spots on our schedule– not by design, more just by happenstance. As our main objective is to bring more and more original acoustic music to this Birmingham hilltop, we are constantly finding and booking performers of exceptional quality, as they make their way around the Southeast on tour… turns out that lots of them take a little break in early June, to catch their breath and power up for the months to come. 

No matter– we keep hearing from a surprising number of well-known artists who want to take a night at The Moonlight, even on short notice…. so keep checking the website Calendar, you never know when we might add one of your favorites with only a few days’ notice!

This weekend–>

Friday, June 4– DANA COOPER, 7:30pm, $10

Might be a mistake to mention that Dana’s been a musician for forty years now– you’d think he was hide-bound and ossified in yesteryear’s traditions, croaking out the mossy chestnuts that defined the music way back when… nay, nay, good friends, he knows the path ahead of most of his contemporaries, constantly touring, traveling, tasting the influences that provide him fresh insight into what new people want from new folk music. Recent years spent cross-pollinating with artists in Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, and Germany have provided him with a perspective that overfloats his Texas/Nashville background– an extraordinary writer and an eternally gripping performer. You need this music in your life.– Robert K. Oermann, Music Row Magazine

www.danacoopermusic.com

Saturday, June 5– ACT OF CONGRESS, 7:30pm, $10

The last four years have been straight uphill for this gifted quartet of NewGrass alchemists– not in the sense that the road has been challenging, rather that their fan base has grown ever larger and more enthusiastic. All this for a number of reasons– their fetching, unconventional song arrangements; their jaw-dropping proficiency on the traditional guitar/mando/fiddle/bass instrumentation; their magazine-ad look; and a work ethic that’s created a sure-footed confidence evident in every show. All this time working without a drummer has made ‘em curious– so they’ve been experimenting with a local jazz percussionist, who will be introduced for part of our concert tonight. Gonna be a full house, no doubt– come early, we can handle up to 90 people before we have to call it sold out…

www.myspace.com/actofcongress

––-

We told ya it was coming– so let’s go ahead and do it–

Monday, June 7th– OPEN MIKE, 7:30pm, $5

Here’s your chance to get onstage yourself, and show us what you got as an acoustic performer… each person in the door gives $5, either to play or to listen. The five bucks from each player goes into a prize pot, and we’ll pick the best from all the night’s contenders as the cash winner. Each performer gets two songs or ten minutes, to keep it brief– points awarded for originality, musicianship, professionalism, and audience response. Open to solo and duo players only, come in at 7pm to sign up… this is how we find openers and co-bills for our upcoming shows. For now, we’ll be hosting Open Mike on the first and third Mondays of each month– future plans include a more structured competition over several weeks, with a big cash prize to the Best of All. Bring friends to support you, and come help us get this started!

–––––

We gotta say it again– The Moonlight makes a great place for you to have your own private event– to celebrate, orchestrate, or pontificate– with room to gather 85-100 people, depending on how many you want to have standing around. We’ve been making a list of other party rooms for rent in this part of town, and there just ain’t a whole lot of ‘em that we can find…. certainly none with the casual air that we’ve so painstakingly crafted. Price-wise, we’re somewhere between a library conference room and the Carraway-Davie House…. soon as you’ve picked a date for your down-home soiree, come chat with us so we can set aside a spot for you on the calendar. Thank you!

–––––—

Check the web Calendar for upcoming events—

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Steamy summer schedule

Date: 10 June 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight–

Maybe because this is the first flush of vacation time, we’re going kinda light on you this weekend with our scheduled music– but there ARE two solid shows to remind you of…

*** Friday, June 11–- TOM SMITH

Common name, unique entertainer… one of the nation’s premier guitarists, known and respected for many years now as a singular stylist and master of composition. His playing has been ranked alongside that of his contemporaries, including Leo Kottke and John Fahey, though he’s also an author, teacher, and raconteur of first order… which means he can tell the stew out of a story. Now a resident of Nashville, his recent release Juliet’s Window is a technical masterpiece, though it’s also so diverse that it could be thought of as jazz, folk, ambient/New Age– or even in some spots, blues. He’s also taken the banjo in a direction that defies description, and makes good use of it in his show– but his best chops are performed on a Sitka Spruce and Brazilian Rosewood guitar that he built for himself long ago— on top of it all, he’s one of a handful of fine instrument-makers that also plays at world-class levels. Show is at 7:30pm, donation of $10 requested at the door.

www.tomsmithguitar.com

www.myspace.com/tomsmithmusic

*** Saturday, June 12– STEVE YOUNG, and JUBAL LEE YOUNG

The legend looms large for Alabama native Steve Young, whose earliest days growing up near Gadsden led him to depart for California, where in the late ’60s he was one of the first to fuse country and rock flavors, to help create the genre that we now celebrate as Americana. Best known for a couple of iconic songs he wrote– Seven Bridges Road and Lonesome, Orn’ry, and Mean– Steve’s maintained his standing as one of the foundational figures in the progress of original acoustic music…. and kept his reputation as one of the most powerful singers to trailblaze the territory. In recent years, he’s forged a duo with his son Jubal Lee, a man of his own considerable accomplishments in the country-rock arena– they’ll do separate sets, then play together as the evening reaches a crescendo. Reservations are already running strong for this show… go to the 

website, and save yourself a space…. might be a while before Steve comes home again. Music begins at 7:30, $15 cash at door.

www.steveyoung.net

www.juballeeyoung.com

Next week we pick up the pace, including a couple of exciting nights of social interaction early on– check the website Calendar for links to learn more about the details–>

Tuesday 15th, at 7pm– OVER THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRATS gather to hob-nob, hug, and hash over the recent elections… great group of people coming to relax and enjoy each other’s convivial company, they’d be pleased to meet ya!

Wednesday 16th, 8pm– GRAYSON CAPPS leaves his band The Stump Knockers at home, and rolls in for a solo show like he used to love to do….  

Thursday 17th, 6:30-10pm— BACK STAGES 2010 is a reunion of City Stages’ earliest and most loyal volunteers, an open event that will find us all marking the first time in twenty-one years that our town’s signature summer event won’t be happening. This party doubles as a fund-raiser for one particular young woman’s fight against cancer– there will be lots of memories, wild tales told, and a DJ replay of tunes from CS artists going aaaallllll the way back… wear your old buttons and laminates! $10 donation

Friday 18th, 7:30pm– JENN FRANKLIN and MARIE McGILVRAY, two stirring Nashville singer/songwriters… plus a local player to be added!

Sunday 20th, 7:30pm— AMANDA PEARCY and COWBOY JOHNSON combine Texas and Florida influences to duel and duet in some unique– and classic– country folk originals. $12

As always, we ask that you consider The Moonlight as a place for your OWN celebrations, meetings, and presentations– our rates for private events are pretty dad-gum attractive… but we need to know when you want to set aside a date, or we’re likely to book a concert that night instead. Contact us by email, from the links on the website– thanky so much!

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: Moonlight for Father’s Day

Date: 17 June 2010 

Friends of the Moonlight–

Until we figure out how to add the pretty pictures and special fonts to these messages, we’ll keep ‘em brief and to the point— two shows to remind you of at The Moonlight this weekend, go to the website for more details– and pretty pictures– love to see you there!

www.moonlightonthemtn.com

–—

***Friday, June 18th, JENN FRANKLIN and MARIE McGILIVRAY

Two of Nashville’s upcoming songwriters and players, if you are a fan of Sarah McLachlan, Patty Griffin, Aimee Mann, etc. you will definitely be pleased with what you hear from these ladies. Chances are you’ve already heard a tune or two of theirs, covered by a more radio-ready artist, or on a TV series– the farmer’s-market outlet for the creations of many of today’s contemporary tunesmiths. This is a wine-and-cheese kinda thing, bring a brand new box of crackers, and someone you care for– ya’ll sure to like it.   7:30pm, $12

www.jennfranklin.com

www.mariemcgilvray.com

***Sunday, June 20th, AMANDA PEARCY and COWBOY JOHNSON

The Texas Gulf Coast is a hard place to be a young single mom, if you’re scratching out a living as a waitress, while struggling to make room for the songbird in you to take flight– luckily, the right people took notice, and have helped Amanda get a well-deserved start with her poetic roots/soul       offerings. Leavening her fresh, earnest approach is the many years’ experience of her partner and new husband, West American troubadour Cowboy Johnson, widely acknowledged as one of the best Mickey Newbury interpreters ever heard… he has his own tunes as well, of course, and when the two of them play together, they are nothing short of sublime.   7:30pm, $12

www.amandapearcy.com

www.myspace.com/cowboyjohnsonmusic

–

Next week’s peek– check ‘em out now–

Monday– OPEN MIKE

Thursday– TOMMY TALTON

Friday– ASLYN, and TOBY LIGHTMAN

Saturday– DAVID LUTES

Sunday– ED WHITEHURST

–-

And come out for into the Spring season’s final Small Stages show this Saturday, with Nashville duo TREES LEAVE– details about where and how can be found at the house concert’s website–  www.smallstages.com

Happy Father’s Day, daddies!

From: Moonlight On The Mountain 

Subject: June ends too soon—

Date: 23 June 2010 

Friends of The Moonlight–

A last little flurry of activity closes out a very successful month– we had several fat crowds, where everybody learned just how chummy it can get