City Stages - RIP

It was with deep regret but not without total surprise that I read today about the death of City Stages. Should you wish to read the obituary, you may do so by going to al.com.

As I have chronicled previously in this space, I loved City Stages and have enjoyed it immensely since I moved to Birmingham in the Summer of 1998.

Yes, I know there are other musical festivals and, yes, I know there are other musical events, but City Stages held a special place in my heart. It was mine.

Where else will smaller and more eclectic acts be heard and seen? That was the genius of City Stages, really.

But like so many businesses, Stages lost its vision and tried to grow and expand beyond its means. It morphed into something it was never intended to be -- Bonnaroo 2.

I lift my glass to you, City Stages, it was a great and fun ride.

--30--

City Stages 2009: 3rd and Final Day

Sursum Corda performs at the Music Oasis Stage for City Stages 2009

For the third and final day of City Stages, it is tradition that I (dad) go it alone. It's Father's Day and by now the other members of the household have had their fill.

So I trotted over to the Stages around 1:30. Found the park to be all but empty. There were a few souls wandering about but most stayed home waiting on the oppressive heat to subside (I suppose).

My third day at City Stages means heading to the Music Oasis. The heat, the rain, the cold or whatever other inclement weather elements eventually take their toll on even this most hardy of souls and I must seek refuge in the confines of the Church of the Advent. To relax and enjoy the sounds of Gospel and classical music.

Unfortunately, the City Stages of late has seen a precipitous decline in the gospel offerings on Sundays. Oh. . .alas, I remember the days of old when Sundays at City Stages meant all day gospel singings at the First United Methodist Church.

Today's gospel selection fill onto the shoulders of but one group -- the Sixth Avenue Baptist Church Progressive Choir. And, let's face it, if there had to be but one group shouldering such a heavy burden, it would need to be this group.

They raised the roof. They lifted spirits. They called down angels (and manna) from heaven. It made one long for the days of old when the shouts of "Amen" and "Hallelujah" could be heard all over Linn Park.

Look up "gospel" in the dictionary and there should be a picture of The Progressive Choir. It truly was awesome.

Next up at the Music Oasis was Isla Duo. They brought songs of celtic origins sung in a lowland Scot dialect. It was fine but they were not on their best game. Missed notes both sung and played broke the rhythm of the music.

The final act for my 2009 City Stages' experience was Sursum Corda. A quick disclaimer here -- I know most of these fine folks from my church (Canterbury United Methodist), but they were phenomenal.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. . .choir director Lester Seigel can do more with a few people and a few notes than anyone I've ever seen. His direction makes the fairly small group sound much bigger than they are. Their talent is apparent but he draws them beyond themselves.

To add to the enjoyment, watching Sursum Corda directed by Seigel is a quick lesson in music. He gives background and history on the pieces they are performing and he clearly enjoys the work. They all do. And it shows.

Thus, my 11th year of City Stages comes to an end. My hope is that this is not the end. But, I fear, that without a fresh perspective and a major restructuring, the 2009 edition of City Stages may be the last. And that would indeed be a sad state of affairs for the City of Birmingham.

I love City Stages.

---- 30 ----

Notes from City Stages: Day 2 (cont'd)

Eric Hutchinson at the Miller Lite Stages. City Stages 2009.

Left and got the fam. Got back in time for Eric Hutchinson, who was terrific. But missed Matt Kearney.

Ran into good friends.

Set up camp at Miller Lite Stage with my two redheads.

Listening to Jonny Lang tearing up the guitar.

Nice night with a good breeze -- pleasant change from the hellish inferno that was this afternoon.

Only one issue: got a hot beverage from vendor. They were kind enough to trade for a nice, cold beverage.

Anyone seen the hair wrappers? Must shut down at night. Disappointment of 11 year old assuaged with cotton candy.

Enjoying early Father's Day present -- ginormous folding chair made out of some space age material that can support my big a** but is so light you forget you are carrying it.

I love City Stages.

Notes from 2009 City Stages: Day 2

Brandon Young at the Legacy Credit Union Stage. City Stages 2009.

Got a late start on Saturday. Hit my first stage around 2:30 or so. Temp = 96. The crowd is light.

Missed Abram and Sara, dang it.

Where are the signs telling me who is on stage?

Listening to Drive South at Boost stage but am distracted by the 95 JAMZ truck that is playing music so loud it can be heard in space.

I love the age verification tent. Show ID once. Get armband. Good to go.

Set up at Legacy Stage and listened to Brandon Young. He was great. But the noise and ruckus from Playstation truck interfered with his set. Same thing happened with Zee Avi.

Spoke with Brandon briefly after his set, Nice guy from Los Angeles. Was genuinely appreciative of being able to play here.

At 4:15, I find myself at Legacy stage with cold beverage listening to the pleasant sounds of Zee Avi.

I love City Stages.

The Plain White T's at the Boost Mobile Stage Friday night.


City Stages 2009 Briefings

This is my 11th City Stages and it is the first year that I am truly worried it may never return. The crowds early on Friday did nothing to allay that fear. The crowd was sparse to say the least. Yes it got more crowded as the night wore on, but it certainly wasn't packed.

Sticker shock -- Domestic Beer is $6. Soda is $4. Wow.

I was sad to see that the Legacy Credit Union area was not divided between people who use chairs and people who choose to stand.

When we entered the festival, we noticed that the print-outs of the Ticketmaster tickets were not being scanned. The lady at the gate just took the piece of paper and dropped it in a box. What's to prevent me from mass printing free tix?

Looking forward to putting in a full day today.

City Stages, B'ham, Ala. - June 19-21, 2009

The relationship began 10 years ago. I can’t explain it. It was love at first sight. And to think, I was actually discouraged from entering into the relationship.

The Pippens had moved to Birmingham in late June 1998 so our first date with City Stages did not come until a year later. Offhandedly at work one day in June, I mentioned that the Pippens were planning to venture downtown to attend City Stages. We were met with shocked looks and mouths agape in surprise.

What? Seriously?

I was told that people who live in Birmingham do not go to City Stages. It’s too crowded. It’s too hot. It’s too dangerous. The music stinks. The food is too expensive. True Birmingham folks get as far away from City Stages as possible.

Wow. But, guess what, we decided to go anyway. I’m glad we did, and we’ve been advocates for City Stages for 10 years. Yes, we’ve had our challenges. Our struggles. What relationships haven’t?

There have been hot years. There have been cold years. There have been dry years. There have been rainy years. There have been lean years. There have been scary crowded years.

We’ve been through a lot together and the relationship has only grown stronger. And, yet, people still ask year after year – why? Why do you like City Stages so much? What’s the deal?

And I’ll be honest, here, and say it’s hard to explain fully but I like the whole experience. Of course, the key piece of the puzzle is the music. Yes, I enjoy the headliners and sincerely hope each year that the big acts draw the crowds necessary to sustain the festival. But, for me, it’s the smaller acts. The ones that I would never get to see if it weren’t for City Stages.

One of our favorite activities is to put our chairs up at the singer/songwriter stage then wander. We’ve wandered into some good music. L’Angelus. Tift Merritt. Tony Joe Whie. Elizabeth Ball. Ashley Cleveland. Ralph Stanley.

That’s what draws me – what gets me there. The idea of having an opportunity to hear many different kinds of music all available to you on any given day within walking distance of a given point.

There are other aspects to the relationship. I enjoy seeing the same group of folks each year. There’s a certain core group of people who I see only at City Stages. Each year we wave, we nod and we acknowledge that we’re all here for the same purpose – to hear great music and just enjoy each other’s company.

Really, if you live in and around Birmingham, the question shouldn’t be: “Why do you go to City Stages?” The question should be: “Why would you not go to City Stages?”

I encourage all of you to attend City Stages the June 19-21. Visit citystages.org and check out the acts. Be sure to come early and catch some of the smaller acts.

Look for the Pippens. We’ll be the ones enjoying the music, enjoying the people, and relishing the joys of eating fried food on a stick.

Does it get any better than that?

For Those About To Rock - We Present Handel's "Messiah"

The week of December 15, 2008, will go down in Pippen history as one of the oddest in recent memory.

It started in 1981 or thereabouts.

My friends and I had tickets to see my favorite rock band. We were headbangers and we had already seen Quiet Riot, KISS, and others. Now it was time for the coup de grace, the piece de resistance.

The concert was slated for Boutwell Auditorium in good old Birmingham, Alabama – only a short road trip from our stomping grounds of Decatur. We were ready. AC/DC was coming to a city near us and we would be there.

They were fresh off the release of “Back in Black” and “For Those About to Rock.” Easily two of the best albums they have ever made with “Back in Black” being one of the best hard rock albums ever made.

Then the unthinkable happened – they cancelled. My memory on this point is fuzzy but it seems that there was some strong local religious resistance. No matter. The opportunity was gone and would never come again until. . .

I couldn’t believe it. I heard AC/DC lead singer Brian Johnson interviewed on XM Radio’s “The Boneyard” and he said that lead guitarist Angus Young and his brother, Malcolm, were in the studio working on new stuff.

Seriously?

Yes. The announcement was made. AC/DC’s new album, “Black Ice,” would be released in October 2008. I pre-ordered it. I immediately began pulling strings to get tickets to the inevitable tour. Sure enough. Philips Arena. Atlanta. December 16.

I know. It’s hard to imagine a 40+ year old getting excited about seeing a band whose members average around 50 years of age. But you have to understand. . .I had those tickets in the early ‘80s. I had my shot.

Did I mention I have two young daughters? That I live in “sugar pop” hell? Jonas Brothers. Demi Lovato. Hannah Montana. Miley Cyrus. Chris Brown. Ne-Yo. Rihanna. Did I mention the Jonas Brothers?

When they are in the car, my XM radio is tuned to the same stations so we can listen to the same crap over and over and over. Everyday. Every week. Every month.

That is. . .until “Black Ice.”

Dad tuned the XM to the AC/DC channel. It was a breath of hard rock fresh air. I had forgotten the driving force behind Angus’ guitar. I had forgotten what a true hard rock vocal sounds like when growled by Brian Johnson.

Every time my kids would get in the car, they wept with anguish over having to listen yet again to those “old men.” And every time, I would smile satisfied with the knowledge that my old men could crush the Jonas Brothers with their bare hands. I rolled the window down, turned the volume up and enjoyed the added benefit of being a total embarrassment to my children.

Then it was time. My day had arrived.

I bargained with the wife. Let’s go to Atlanta. We’ll shop. We’ll stay overnight in the Omni. We’ll walk over to see AC/DC at Philip’s. It’ll be awesome.

And it was awesome. Sold out crowd. Massive stage show. They took the stage at 9 p.m. and didn’t stop playing until 11 p.m. It was one hit after another. We never sat down. We never stopped singing. My ears didn’t stop ringing for a week. It was thoroughly magnificent and worth every single penny.

Now, it’s Friday, December 19. My mom and dad are in town because my mom, my oldest daughter and I are headed to Birmingham’s Alys Stephens Center for our annual visit with the Alabama Symphony Orchestra and Handel’s “Messiah.”

The “Messiah.” A masterpiece of sacred classical music written by a not particularly religious man that proves the existence of God. Why, you ask? Why does this particular piece of music prove the existence of the Almighty? How is it that Handel can write a piece of music like the “Messiah” in three weeks? Three weeks. It defies the imagination.

Yes, he had good material to work with. I will grant you that. But the genius and the inspiration it must have taken to pull all of the disparate parts together to produce this majestic piece of music is beyond the pale. It had to have been inspired by the Holy Spirit.

And the Alabama Symphony was wonderful with it. The four soloists were fantastic. The Birmingham Concert Chorale was phenomenal. We were blown away.

Tears come to my eyes every time I hear certain parts of the “Messiah.” I’m not sure why. I think it is because it is my instinctive reaction when confronted with such overwhelming beauty. I close my eyes and let the music wash over me. I imagine each note in color and like a wave the spectrum of color envelopes my body. Then, when I open my eyes the vision is blurred with tears. I was not even fully aware that the tears were there.

When done correctly, the “Messiah” can be rapturous.

And on December 19, 2008, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra did it right.

My goodness, it was a beautiful week.

That Beautiful Instrument (October 2008)

Music.

My life is accompanied by a constant soundtrack. No iPod necessary.

I’ve been told that I have a fairly eclectic musical taste and I suppose I do. I just like music. Sacred Harp. Hip Hop. Hard Rock. Opera. Show Tunes. This is probably why I am drawn to City Stages each year – the opportunity to hear so many different styles of music just by walking from one block to the next.

Out of the music of my life, certain instruments stand out.

The cello. Not sure why I’m drawn to the cello. I’m sure there is some deep psychological meaning here but there it is. Jacqueline Du Pre. Yo Yo Ma. Their phenomenal abilities and talents jump out and grab me by the throat.

The violin. Itzhak Perlman is the best I’ve ever heard. I had the opportunity, actually, to here him right here in Birmingham, Alabama. There’s playing the violin and then there’s having the violin become a part of your body – your consciousness. That is Perlman’s relationship with that beautiful instrument.

The voice. This is my favorite instrument. I’ve always fancied myself somewhat of a singer, and I’ve done the occasional voice lesson, but I don’t have the discipline to really develop the instrument as it should be. Because of that desire, I have a particular appreciation for those who do it well – extremely well – and make it seem effortless.

Pavarotti. It’s become cliché but the man was simply the best tenor since Caruso. I vividly remember the first time I heard this man’s voice. I was probably 10 years old and walked into my grandmother’s apartment. Luciano was playing on the stereo. I sat down and was mesmerized. I had no idea that anyone’s voice could sound like that. The power. The warmth. The emotion.

Other voices jump out and capture the imagination. At the Alys Stephens Center, I’ve been blessed to hear two of the great voices to grace the stage – Denyce Graves and Renee Fleming. I had front row seats (okay. . .close to front row) to hear Denyce. To this day, I remember her encore rendition of the “Habenera: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle” from Bizet’s “Carmen.” She sings it like it is supposed to be sung – making grown men blush.

I decided at the last minute to hear Fleming so I was stuck with seats in the Alys Stephens in the very back of the building. The good news is there really is no bad seat in that phenomenal facility. The better news? Fleming’s voice is such that it reaches your ears with no effort. It’s like she is sitting next to you and singing to you personally.

We Birminghamians have an opportunity this Saturday to hear another one of these great voices. k.d. lang comes to the Alys Stephens Center at 8 p.m. After years of listening to her unique voice in recorded form, it is my distinct pleasure to be able to see her in person. Oddly enough, my first memory of Kathryn Dawn was watching her traipse out onto the “Hee Haw” Stage in some kind of crazy cowgirl get-up. But it was clear after about three notes, that this young Canadian lady owned a truly gifted voice. I’m not sure where tickets sales are at this time, but if you have an opportunity, you should go hear her. Especially if you have a true appreciation for a finely tuned instrument.

Interested in local talent? I’ve always been amazed at how much true local singing talent we have, but I’ll admit to a bias for the female voice. Here are three of my local favorites:

Libba Walker. I’m a self-confessed groupie of Glenn Butts and Libba. Some people may call it stalking. I call it a true appreciation of terrific talent.

Kristi Higginbotham. I know, I know. This is a given. But let’s face it – when you’re good, you’re good. And, dang, Kristi is just good.

Jan Hunter. What’s great about Jan is she just lets it all hang out (vocally). She lays it all on the line. Hearing her sing one of the great torch songs is a truly emotional experience.

Get your tickets to k.d. lang and prepared to be mesmerized by a true gift.