mw's blog

dear faithful blog readers,

sorry for the lack of updates but my day-to-day existence has been kind of craptacular lately, and I haven't had much time to dedicate to this here web pagina. not much has changed so I'll keep this brief. The rock/roll band from birmingham, alabam, that I'm spotlighting right here and now is called "gainer." I don't know where the name comes from, but I think there is a swimmer's dive called gainer, but I wouldn't know for sure because my limited diving chops meant I never accomplished anything beyond the skill level of cannonball....but I digress. These guys are pretty melodic for a punk-type band but they rock it out thick and chunky like Jif. just like Jif. some bald dude sings and plays bass and cracks wise on the mic, and everybody else rolls their eyes and cranks it out like they ought to, while young ladies swoon in satisfaction and meat sweats. to hear their glorious rock you'll have to tune to their myspace page because their other website went kaput. http://www.myspace.com/gainer

most punk-rock place in birmingham

Cave 9

Cave 9: This place impresses me. Cave 9 is a non-profit, all-ages music venue at 2237 Magnolia Ave., roughly two blocks from Five Points. A guy named Aaron runs the place, and he's like the patron saint of Birmingham underground rock, because before his little club came along, venues for all-ages shows were few and far between. But for several years now, he and the rest of his all-volunteer staff have sacrificed hours/days/weeks of their time to make sure the kids of Birmingham have a place to see, hear and play rock and roll. It's the first place a high-school garage band wants to cut their teeth. And its DIY-friendly reputation has made it the top spot for many punk, metal, hardcore and indie bands to play when they tour through the region. The place has really got the feel of a tight-knit community, very friendly, inclusive and tatooed. The place has art shows and potlucks, too. If you're a touring band, this is the club you want to book at -- but do so well in advance. they get swamped with requests.... www.cave9.com

All right, i'll be outta pocket the next couple of days (heading to Savannah, GA, for St Patty's Day -- woot!). So this here blog will have to suffice until I get back.

This is Round 2 of Cool Crap To Be Found in Birmingham, Alabama -- the Music Version...

This time the spotlight is on the one and only...

Dan Sartain
An honest-to-God troubadour from Center Point, Alabama, Dan Sartain has toured Europe, played the House of Blues in Chicago and been mentioned in Rolling Stone..... and he's only 24 years old. Sartain plays a swaggering throwback style of rhythm guitar, churning out charged-up blues songs and brokeheart barroom ballads to make the ladies swoon.

Birmingham, Alabama: I don't know what fellow PP readers think when they here my city's name. Not much, I would imagine.... These days the place is criminally overlooked as a big city, and seems to be but a blip on the map in the global "punk" community.

Or, maybe when one hears the name "Birmingham" they think of the city's admittedly racist past, the 4 Little Girls of the Spike Lee film, Rosa Parks, or even Eric Robert Rudolph and his abortion clinic bombing. All valid hallmarks of the city's checkered past.

For years the city has been poltically and culturally tumultuous. But, it's not all bad. There is high culture to be found.... a flourishing arts community, some excellent museums, highly ranked colleges and world-renowned health care facilities. And it's also got a kickass underground music scene. We've got more to offer than those "'Merican Idle" singers. There's actually some face-melting rock, too -- and THAT is the purpose of this blog..... to champion the music scene of my community in an international forum. Thanks for the opportunity, Punk Planet. I'll periodically update this space profiling an artist or venue from Birmingham that deserves a closer look from the world at large. And I'll start with one of my local favorites....