Double Issue OPENING SOON IRON CITY Birmingham a LIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE UNLIKE ANY OTHER in BIRMINGHAM
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Double Issue OPENING SOON IRON CITY Birmingham A LIVE ENTERTAINMENT VENUE UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN BIRMINGHAM SOPHISTICATED, INTIMATE SETTING • 100% RENOVATED SPACE STATE OF THE ART LIGHTING, AUDIO, AND VIDEO SYSTEMS NATIONAL TOURING BANDS • LOCAL MUSIC • COMEDY SPORTS ON THE BIG SCREENS • PRIVATE EVENTS VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WWW.IRONCITYBHAM.COM AS WE BEGIN POSTING INFORMATION ON LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCES AND SPECIAL EVENTS. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. BOOKING INFORMATION: CONTACT MIKE CREAGER AT (205) 994-1992. AN EXTRAORDINARY HOME FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT 25,000 SQUARE FEET • RENT IN PART OR THE ENTIRE ROOM TWO LARGE BARS • OPEN AIR FULLY FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN IN-HOUSE CHEF • DEDICATED EVENT MANAGER For more information and/or a private tour, call 205-202-5483 IRON CITY BIRMINGHAM • 513 22ND STREET SOUTH • IRONCITYBHAM.COM Contents (-3HWWLQJHU·V FRS\ULJKWHG Mild Abandon ³,EURXJKW\RXDSDLURIWKH5HOD[HG)LW WKH/HWKDUJLF)LWDQGWKHQDFXWZHFDOO'RUPDQW´ Feature . 4 Beer Hopping . 15 Fixtures on the local entertainment New laws, new bottles, new brew- scene, Glen Butts and Libba Walker eries—the greatest local beer have been performing together for moments of 2012. more than three decades, and have a Books . 16 few stories to tell. The story of Columbia Records, Feature . 5 America’s oldest label still in existence. Rudolph and the New Social Music . 17 Conscience: Is there a connection New DVD and CD releases by some between the civil rights movement jazz icons. and a beloved holiday TV special? Cover: “Red Tree” by Julie Keaten-Reed. See more of her works at www.juliekeatenreed.com. For over 90 years, Levy’s has been Birmingham's Specialist in Antique and Executive Editor REGULAR FEATURES Alison Nichols Estate Jewelry as well as Fine Diamonds, Art Events Calendar . 8 Concert Calendar . 17 Associate Editor David Pelfrey and Antiques. Outdoor Calendar . 13 Live Music/Clubs . 18 Staff Writer Food & Drink Calendar 14 Strange Tales . 22 Ed Reynolds Contributing Writers Bart Grooms Danner Kline J.R. Taylor Calendar Editor Lindsey Christina Art Director Cris Strickland Number 458 Black & White (ISSN 1064-0134) is published every other Thursday, 26 issues a year, by Black Intern & White, Inc. Business Offices: 2210 2nd Avenue North, Floor 2, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203. Jessica Mitchell (205) 933-0460. E-mail: [email protected]. Postmaster: Please send change of address to Black & White, 2210 2nd Avenue North, Floor 2, Birmingham, AL, 35203. Contents ——— © 2012 by Black & White, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written Executive Staff: approval of the Publisher is prohibited. The publication is free, limit two per reader. Removal of more than two papers, per person, from any distribution point constitutes theft. Violators Publisher are subject to prosecution under city ordinances. Charles S. Geiss All letters sent to Black & White will be treated as intended for publication unless (205) 251-3381 otherwise noted by author. Letters may be edited for space and content. Annual subscriptions General Manager QG$YHQXH1RUWK (26 issues) are available for $50 for first class delivery. Send checks attention to “Subscriptions” at the address above. Publishing history: Black & White’s first monthly issue was published on Kerry Echols www.levysfinejewelry.com April 30, 1992; the first bi-weekly issue was published on October 2, 1997. 3 black & white • www.bwcitypaper.com • December 13, 2012 FEATURE a week or two,” says Libba. “It wasn’t The group’s sound evolved over like the one night stands of the late the years, from the jazz fusion of Birmingham’s Musical ‘80s and ‘90s. It was actually kind of Forecast—which included lots of cool; You’d move in for two weeks.” instrumentals—to a funky sound that Eventually, the bar business shifted eventually became heavy funk after King and Queen to less residencies and more one- bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers night shows. Driving as far as Little and Living Colour became popular. Fixtures on the local entertainment scene, Glen Butts Rock and returning to Birmingham “We were always evolving,” says immediately after the gig was not Libba. “Then suddenly, record deal! and Libba Walker have been performing together unusual. They caught us doing something at for more than three decades. By the late ’80s, the group had that one moment. That’s who you changed their name to The Cast. are at that point. We would’ve just By Ed Reynolds Butts and Walker are an amusing kept evolving but that’s just the pic- pair, arguing about timelines and ture the record company took right memories, interrupting one another then.” The band was forced to play ew singers possess the sexy, cool semester and then when I came back frequently, especially when dis- showcase gigs for music industry F detachment on stage that Libba I joined the band River with all these cussing the name change. “We executives and other low-paying jobs Walker radiates, regardless of how guys that I grew up with in played and played as Forecast and to promote the record. “The publish- uncomfortable she might feel in the Guntersville. Every band I’ve been then we dropped the ‘Fore’ and ing money was nice, though; a little spotlight. Having a masterful guitar in, we’ve always had the weirdest started calling it The Cast,” says nest egg,” she admits. accompanist like Glen Butts eases song lists because I’m a flute player!” Glen. “People used to come and “But the whole thing is, it ruined most anxiety, she admits. The two Glen Butts, age 61, grew up in shout: ‘Go Cast! Go Cast!’ Honestly, playing, because you just really have been performing as “Glen and Tuscaloosa, playing as a teen with a it really wasn’t a good name at all couldn’t come home and play,” com- Libba” for the past 14 years after young Chuck Leavell after he and but we didn’t want to lose the peo- plains Glen. When they did finally playing for the previous 20 years in Leavell convinced their parents to let ple who knew who we were. Neither return to Alabama, the crowds were various lineups of local bands them quit high school. They relocat- Forecast or Cast were good names, I great. “But what I noticed,” Libba Forecast, The Cast, and Vova Nova, ed to Macon, Georgia, home of thought, even though I’m probably adds, “and this is me being cynical, and they continue to make a living Capricorn Records. Leavell, of the one who came up with the maybe—as soon as it got around that doing what they love best. “My course, went on to fame and fortune names.” Libba disagrees with Glen’s the record deal was over, the rats Daddy was an engineer,” says Libba. as pianist for the Allman Brothers explanation of the change in names, jumped ship. And I went, ‘Well, “He said that most people don’t before eventually joining the Rolling replying, “We found out there was a good. We know who our friends are, enjoy their jobs. Most people don’t Stones. “Chuck stayed but I came band in Texas named Forecast.” Glen who’s listening and who isn’t.’ But get to drink on the job, either. Sleep back to Tuscaloosa, and you see claims he doesn’t remember that but yeah, I enjoyed the gigs much better late and drink on the job! No health where his career went compared to Libba doesn’t miss a beat. “Well, you after that deal was over because we benefits, though.” mine,” Glen says with a self-deprecat- don’t remember a lot of things,” she could finally do something that’s not On a recent afternoon, the pair ing grin. After returning to Alabama, scoffs good-naturedly, adding, “The on the song list [approved by the shared their history outside a pizza Butts joined the group Chair, which name Forecast actually had to do label]. Butts believes that Vova Nova joint in Cahaba Heights across from traveled to California to record for with [jazz fusion band] Weather was too old to succeed in a business Satterfield’s, an upscale restaurant Warner Brothers. “It was a Southern Report.” where successful bands were at least and bar where they’ve played every rock-blues band,” Butts says. “We ten years younger than they were. Wednesday evening for the past five played all over the South and “Oh, no shit!” Libba interjects. “I was years. As the sun sets, Glen greets a worked out a record deal in 1969. The Record Deal supposed to be the female Anthony late-arriving Libba by wiggling his fin- We stayed at the Tropicana [in By the early ‘90s, The Cast was gar- Kiedis. I said, ‘Shit! He’s a guy and ger in her palm. “That means ‘Don’t California] when Frank Zappa was nering overtures from major labels. he’s 22! He could kick my ass so eas- f*** up, Libba,’” she explains, laugh- staying there and we went to They eventually signed with ily.’ It’s awful to have somebody ing. Disneyland with The Mothers of Chameleon, a subsidiary of Elektra telling you how you’re supposed to The pair started playing together Invention.” Records. The band changed their wear your hair and that you’re sup- in 1978 as members of Tuscaloosa Forecast worked frequently in name to Vova Nova at the insistence posed to jump around on stage.” jazz fusion group Forecast. The 59- the 1980s, often traveling on the of the group’s publisher, according In a recent telephone conversa- year-old Walker, who plays flute and road for two or three months at a to Libba. Signing a major label deal tion, the band’s longtime drummer harmonica in addition to being a time.