A Free Independent Newspaper
Issue 06 OCTOBER 2013
News, Makers & Trends of the New South
A Chill In The Air:
Zombies, Oktoberfest & Shaun of the Dead
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PUBLISHER MADE Paper
Issue 06 OCTOBER 2013
EDITORS Brent Rosen, Anna Lowder, Caroline Nabors Rosen, Harvi Sahota CREATIVE DIRECTOR Harvi Sahota DESIGN Matter www.iheartmatter.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Brent Rosen, Caroline Nabors Rosen, Anna Lowder, Andrea Jean, Heather Steen, Tiffany Bell, Will Abner, Johnny Veres, Sam Wootten, Jennifer Kornegay, Scott Steen, Melissa Tsai, Joe Birdwell, Tom Jean, Edwin Marty, Evans Bailey, Tina Hofer Medico, Robert Wool, Will Steineker, Elliot Knight, Mark Bowen, Christian Kerr, Rebecca Seung, David Mowery, Brian Carroll, Josh Carples, Katie Lindgren, Natilee McGruder, Weston Markwell, CarolineTaylor
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Harvi Sahota, Grace Photography, Josh Moates, Jon Kohn, Ryan Muirhead, Luke Lindgren, Weston Markwell ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTORS Jay Wilkins, Robin Birdwell
Made is a free, independent newspaper published monthly. Modern design, authentic voices, smart articles and curated events. ISSUE 06 OCTOBER 2013
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COVER: Matter
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Column feature: Rob MCDANIEL Feature: oktoberfest interpreted architecture Makers Food & DRINK EAT SOUTH music feature: SFA TRAVEL
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MADE is a collective of citizens celebrating the local, the authentic, and the unique. We are creatives featuring other creatives and the engaging work being produced in our city. We call attention to all fields forging new pathways in expression and innovation. We are makers who love to eat, talk, collaborate, question, party, and laugh, and we want you to take part. Thanks for reading this and supporting the artists, craftsmen, creatives, and active citizens that make a city thrive.
The Ghost Stories We Tell Ourselves WORDS BRENT ROSEN Like most places with a long and colorful history, Montgomery is full of ghosts. Unlike most other places, Montgomery’s ghosts can’t make lights flicker, don’t stand at the foot of your bed silently watching, and won’t chase rebellious teenagers from graveyards. Montgomery’s ghosts aren’t that stereotypical, although some do wear sheets and some do drag chains. Take Dexter Avenue, Montgomery’s most haunted street. Powerful ghosts live there, tangling and swirling together like a Ying Yang, each with a small amount of the other, an amount even the most ardent had to begrudgingly respect. These ghosts remind us that perspective is the difference between a demigod, a demagogue and a demon. Their rhetorical fervor now reduced to a murmur, but a murmur that travels on the wind blowing from South Union Street to Dexter Plaza. Something about that murmur must be frightening, since what was once Montgomery’s most vibrant street is now mainly deserted. The haunting isn’t contained on Dexter. Scary ghosts have frightened away business on Cottage Hill and in Capitol Heights, turning Mobile and Mt. Meigs Streets into the forlorn, dusty, musty places where ghosts thrive. Were it not for the ghosts, commerce would have come back to Commerce long before 2007. Outside of downtown, the ghosts haunting Cloverdale and McGehee Estates have gotten so bad some folks established Pike Road, hoping - one can only assume - that a place without history is also a place without ghosts. If this seems like a particularly frightening ghost story, I have good news: ghosts are not real. Let me repeat: ghosts are not real. Not even a little. Montgomery’s ghosts are no more real than the Red Lady of Huntingdon, the maniac with the hook hand who prays on young lovers, or the comely hitchhiker who forgot her sweater. Remember - if you refuse to believe in ghosts, you take away their power.
I started thinking about Montgomery’s ghost stories after my visit to the Historic South Hull neighborhood and my conversation with Dr. Susie Paul. After our interview for the Cottage Tour last month, she sent me an email, an email that felt like a ghost story. Dr. Paul realized outsiders feared her neighborhood, as she explained that Historic South Hull had been “ravished by white flight for a good while,” yet she stressed “ALL of her neighbors had been welcoming and wonderful” to her. She went on: “I swear, in Montgomery, people do that ‘oh, I’m not a racist; I just want to be careful about my property value’ deal as an excuse for not moving into an area like ours. I absolutely hate to hear this. We really are black, white, and brown, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Atheist. And especially, we are affluent and poor over here.” Dr. Paul continued, “when you walk out the door here, you’re just not living in a place where you can take for granted that everybody agrees with you on most things. You have to stretch, and this makes for greater humanity in each of us.” Dr. Paul ignored the ghost stories about South Hull. She refused to believe the neighborhood was haunted, refused to see the “other” as a frightening presence. And Dr. Paul is right. Historic South Hull is beautiful, diverse, vibrant, not scary. Interestingly, Dr. Paul’s belief goes beyond anecdote: crime statistics offer hard facts, and those facts say Historic South Hull is no more dangerous than any other midtown Montgomery community including Old Cloverdale. Those who use words like “dangerous” or “dark” to describe places like South Hull are telling ghost stories, but once you remember there is no such thing as ghosts, you see that neighborhoods like South Hull are alive, not un-dead. So at the risk of being redundant, let me repeat: ghosts are not real. So now I am left to wonder something else: if there is no such thing as ghosts, what are all the people who fear Montgomery so afraid of?
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Photo SPRINGHOUSE
Photo SPRINGHOUSE 04
MADEPAPER.COM • OCTOBER 2013
WORDS BRENT ROSEN
The idea came from my sister. We were talking at the bar at True, she working, me drinking, when she said “doesn’t Rob kind of look like the Capital One Vikings from the commercials?” Why don’t you make something up about that.” Interesting, I thought - a profile as historic fiction. I went home, poured a tall glass of Weller, and came up with the following: “Rob McDaniel keeps a cluttered war room. Crumples of balled-up loose leaf strewn about the floor, the script so small you can barely make out words like “prosciutto,” “padron,” and “porchetta” among the folds. Dozens, maybe hundreds, of cookbooks: lining the bookshelves, stacked on the floor, some piled in a heap on the table, now used as a makeshift armrest. An apothecary cabinet bulged in a corner, its haphazard drawers of cumin, curry, coriander, cast jagged shadows in the low light coming through the room’s only window. In the middle of it all, a map. And over that map hulked McDaniel. There, in the map, Montgomery, beckoning - the prize of the River Region. McDaniel plotted for days in his stronghold on Lake Martin; he strategized, worked through plan after plan in his mind. This would not be Rob’s first invasion. In February 2012, Rob invaded Kitchen Stadium, ready to do battle with the culinary worlds keenest warriors. McDaniel used his secret weapon - Alabama Peach Moonshine - to help Chris Hastings unseat Bobby Flay, the “King of Sausage.” That invasion was successful, but Rob knew not to rest on his laurels. Montgomery would produce unique challenges all its own.”
That’s as far as I got before realizing fiction is much harder than fact. “Actually, that’s pretty accurate. Especially the part about the clutter. I like it” Rob told me, laughing, after I asked him to read those two paragraphs. Rob is an old friend, and someone I’ve written about at least a half dozen times for various publications and websites. I’ve interviewed him about the Front Porch Revival, Lambstock, winning Iron Chef, and opening Kowliga, as well as about various dishes served at SpringHouse, his restaurant on Lake Martin. I was hoping he’d hate the idea of Rob McDaniel, Food Invader - Rob bearded, in furs and horned helmet, ready to raid. I wanted him to get into “aw shucks” mode, turn a little red in the face, and tell me the Food Invader idea was cool, but too much. Unfortunately, He didn’t. “Well, I’ll probably hurt myself if I try to extend that metaphor any further than a couple of hundred words, so maybe we need to turn this into a more traditional newspaper piece.” I admitted, not wanting to figure out another dozen clever
puns, another hand-full of alliterative descriptions. “No problem,” Rob told me, maybe a little disappointed, “where do you want to start.” Realizing that all of my prior interviews concerned only Rob’s role in a particular event, I thought this interview could be different. More in depth. I realized I had no idea when he graduated college, where, or if, he attended culinary school, where he first worked in a kitchen. I told him “let’s begin at the beginning”. • • • Rob started working in kitchens while still at Auburn University. First at Ruby Tuesdays, then at Auburn’s chef incubator, Amsterdam Café. After his time at Amsterdam, he knew he wanted to be Chef, so Rob changed his major to hotel and restaurant management, and prepared himself for the graduate program at the Culinary Institute of America. Then, something unexpected happened -- The New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Vermont offered him a spot in its program. Rob left Alabama for New England, but only made it as far as the mountains of Tennessee before he panicked. “I got really nervous,” Rob said. Imagine Rob -- before any accolade, before any accomplishment, before he’d cooked with anyone of note -- doubled over on the side of the road, breathing hard, feeling smothered by the haze drifting down from the Smoky Mountains. What if I fail? What if I have to turn around and go back to Alabama with my tail between my legs? What if no one likes me? What if I make no friends? I’ve never been outside of the South, what am I doing going to Vermont? Don’t the girls there have hairy armpits? Do I even want to do this? If you haven’t been there before, you haven’t lived right, and that moment forced Rob to make a choice. Be comfortable, or be the best that he could be. Rob chose the latter. Shortly after arriving in Vermont, Rob realized his fears were unfounded. The people were great, he made lasting friendships and enjoyed his time in Vermont immensely. NECI taught him the skills of a chef, the techniques he would rely on for the rest of his career. He also learned he was a good cook, at least as good as his classmates. Upon graduation, confidence built, Rob left Vermont for Birmingham ready to show everyone back home his hard-learned culinary skills. After returning to Birmingham, Rob spent time cooking under Chris Hastings at Hot and Hot Fish Club, and then several years at Jim N’ Nicks before Russell Lands brought him to SpringHouse. SpringHouse features an open kitchen, allowing guests to watch Rob and his team at work. The first thing you’ll notice: Rob’s calmness, his near serenity in the kitchen. Activity whirls around him, chefs performing the complicated dance of prep, to stove, to finishing, but all the activity purposeful. There is economy in the kitchen Rob runs, no wasted movements, no extra processes, no unnecessary steps. Part of that is experience, but the rest is personality. He has the look of a raider, but the temperament of a yogi.
••• I asked Rob why he agreed to participate in the Food Invasion at EAT South’s Hampstead Farm at the end of October, and his answer bordered on riddle. “Alabama is in the moment,” he told me. Puzzled, I asked, “um… could you maybe elaborate a bit on that?” Rob further explained, “we are at a moment where we are on the fence. We can keep going as a food state, continuing to climb upward, or we can roll back down the hill into a rut.” For years, Alabama food had two names, Frank Stitt and Chris Hastings, and those two carved out a path leading people outside of Alabama to see our food scene as more than barefoot people eating boiled vegetables. Rob believes that as a younger chef with a growing profile, it is his job to keep clearing the path forward, to continue the work of Frank and Chris, making sure that their hard-won achievements aren’t swept under the rug, forgotten. This need to keep clearing the path, to keep pushing the boundaries of Alabama food forward makes Rob EAT South’s perfect partner for the Food Invasion. Rob already challenges himself to make certain the ingredients he uses are the finest and freshest available. While everything can’t be local -- for instance there isn’t a local producer of duck, or rabbit, or chicken -- Rob makes sure to use local, seasonal produce as frequently as he can. Rob buys vegetables direct from small farmers, and he picks figs and pears right from the trees of folks who live around Alexander City. Rob’s foraged for mushrooms in the woods and used hand-picked edible flowers in dishes at SpringHouse. The EAT South dinner will make Rob’s ingredient quest easy: every vegetable served at the dinner will come right from the farm. I asked about the menu, and Rob coyly referred to it as a variant on “Surf and Turf.” What, I asked, do you mean by variant? While Rob remained evasive, it sounds like the “Surf” portion of the dinner will be Gulf seafood. As far as “Turf,” think things that grow in turf, and not animals that graze on turf. Rob wants there to be some mystery to the dinner, so anything more concrete about the menu became an off-limit topic. Rob would say he intends to do much of the cooking on open coals in a pit dug close to the dining area, and that the entire idea of cooking without a kitchen presented an excellent opportunity to explore other, rustic cooking methods. Rob says he looks forward to cooking for Montgomery out under the stars, and those fortunate enough to have a seat at the table should prepare for a night of expanded expectations and culinary truth and beauty. ••• On the day I interviewed Rob he had just returned from Charleston, where he cooked in a “Young Guns” dinner fundraiser for the Southern Foodways Alliance. The dinner had been silent-auctioned at Blackberry Farms during “Taste of the South,” and the winning bid was somewhere pretty close to the federal poverty line. At the seated dinner for around 70 people, Mike Lata and Sean Brock -- two luminaries on the national food scene -- served Rob’s food. “It was pretty awesome” Rob undersold. He’d come a long way from Ruby Tuesdays.
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Photo KBK PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo KBK PHOTOGRAPHY
Photo KBK PHOTOGRAPHY
“With winter around the corner, root vegetables are plentiful. In this salad, we use baby beets which are sweeter than the larger ones. We shave the radishes thin, and finish it with walnuts and Belle Chevre goat cheese.” Chef Rob McDaniel Serves 4 25 Roasted Baby Beets (red, golden and candy-striped) Selection of Radishes, shaved (watermelon, French Breakfast, cherry belle, black and lime radishes) ¼ Cup of Toasted Pecans 4 oz. Belle Chévre (Any fresh goat cheese can be substituted) 4T of Orange Vinaigrette 1 Bunch Italian Flat Leaf Parsley (picked and chopped)
Roast the beets in a covered roasting pan seasoned with olive oil, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic and chili. The baby beets will take around 2040 minutes, but check them with a paring knife after 20 minutes every 5 minutes. Use whichever baby beets you prefer or can find, but be sure to keep the red beets separated. When the beets have cooled, peel using a kitchen towel and quarter the beets. Shave the radishes using a mandolin into thin rounds and place them in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes. After the radishes are shaved, and beets quartered, it’s time to assemble the salad. To assemble the salad, mix the golden and candystriped beets, shaved radishes and vinaigrette with parsley, salt and pepper, season and reserve. In a separate mixing bowl, season the red beets, build the salad on a platter or serving plates and sprinkle the Belle Chévre and toasted pecans around, enjoy!
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Photo SPRINGHOUSE Orange Vinaigrette Zest of 2 Oranges, peeled and julienned Pulp of ½ a Vanilla Bean 1 tsp. Minced Shallots 6 Sprigs of Thyme (picked and chopped) 1/8 cup Champagne Vinegar 1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Arbol Chili Chopped Scrape the pulp from half of a vanilla bean and place in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Using a peeler, peel the zest off of an orange being careful not to remove too much of the white. Julienne the zest and add it to the mixing bowl with the shallots, thyme, chili and vinegar. Let that macerate for 15 minutes, slowly whisk in the olive oil, season and taste.
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Friday October 4, 7pm Montgomery seem a bit dead? Maybe you just stumbled on the Zombie Walk and Prom in downtown Montgomery. This year’s night of the living zombie dead walk begins at S. Perry Street and Dexter Ave. Participants are asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Montgomery Area Food Bank (zombies don’t need food anyway), then stumble straightlegged down to the Riverwalk Amphitheater for the prom. Live music, slow dancing, and Carrie-style horror shall ensue. Photos WESTON MARKWELL
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Photos WESTON MARKWELL
WORDS ANNA LOWDER, BRENT ROSEN
Google “Oktoberfest” and you’re sure to find the usual suspects: damsels in dirndls and blokes in lederhosen, braids and brats, steins, pretzels and kraut. And while I’m certain our readers have few objections to most of the above, Oktoberfest can have an air of tongue-in-cheek cliché about it. So before you turn your nose up at the Lowenbrau-ness of it all, take a second to consider the history of the festival. Sixteen days dedicated to celebrating beer in Bavaria. The sheer enormity of that much revelry is laudable. 08
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Add to it that Oktoberfest (running late September through the first weekend in October annually) is the world’s largest fair with over 6 million participants in Bavaria alone, and you’ve got yourself a party. Montgomery is not ever going to have 6 million people at an event. That being said, there are still plenty of ways to celebrate Oktoberfest Southern style. Here are our picks of the best and most unique upcoming Oktoberfest events.
oldalabamatown.com 334.240.4500
If you had to guess the oldest building in Montgomery County, you’d probably say a church. Good guess, but you’d be wrong. It’s actually a tavern. Lucas Tavern, on N. Hull Street in Old Alabama Town is the oldest building in Montgomery County, and on Friday October 4, come out and celebrate the spirit of the old tavern at Tavernfest. There will be craft beer and wine tastings, music from The Goat Hill String Band, tavern-style food, and games for the childrens. Everything is set up in a courtyard behind the Tavern; tickets are $10. If you want to go all-in, for $125 you can purchase a “Porch Pass” that will give you and ten of your friends your own private porch on the courtyard, along with a table, chairs, and great views for the concert. All proceeds benefit the Landmarks Foundation. Octoberfest, restored buildings, and historical stories - this sounds like the recipe for making a Montgomery episode of “Drunk History.” I’ll call Comedy Central, you just go to Tavernfest. Gates open at 6pm, band starts at 7pm. For info call 334 240 4500. Proceeds benefit Landmarks Foundation and help bring more school children to learn about history at Old Alabama Town
Putting their usual spin on the celebration, El Rey and Leroy join forces tonight selling their famous chorizo dogs (house-made pork chorizo verde and vegan chorizo, no less). Live music with three bands - Eleven Year Old, Koko Beware and Burning Itch - is on the cards, and select Oktoberfest beers at both locations. For info visit burritolounge.com
The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts is hosting its second annual Art In Concert featuring two renowned up-and-coming bands, The Banditos and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. This event was a massive success last fall, so don’t miss these great musicians on their tour through Montgomery. A gorgeous outdoor setting (chairs and lawn blankets welcome), original music, and food and drink available for purchase … sounds like a great night to us. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door and are on sale now at www.mmfa.org/ museumInformation or call 334 240 4348.
Don’t let your furry pal miss out on the German fun. Bring your wingman along to BarktoberFest where you can both enjoy the great outdoors at Hampstead. This 3rd annual event features live music, a “Hot Dog Bar” and dogs of all shapes and sizes frolicking in The Tipping Point’s Beer Garden. Proceeds benefit the Montgomery Humane Society. Thursday 17th, 6-9pm, tickets $10 at the door. Weiner dogs obviously encouraged, just for the sheer fun of it. For info call 334 260 9110. OCTOBER 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM
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In the inaugural run of this column, I said we’d begin to seek out the dreams in the hearts of those who live in the “Capital of Dreams.” What better place to begin the search than right outside our front door, as there are a handful of characters here who have seen much and have been dreaming for a long time in this city. I like to inquire with the hope that all of the sudden “it” just clicks. My hope is that what follows is a dream we can all relate to, and one that lays a foundation to build dreams to come upon. “A man’s gotta do, what a man’s gotta do!” First of all, who says this anymore? I certainly say this is something I’d like to hear more often! These words were spoken to me by my neighbor, Mr. Miller, after he mowed my front yard, the first of a few more still to get to do on a hot Saturday morning. He said this in response to my question about his new and improved home he and his wife, Ms. Elaine as we call her around here, have recently moved in to. Mr. Miller’s proclamation hit me deep inside. Perhaps it’s because I believe this to be true of him. Mr. Miller loves Ms. Elaine and I’ve watched him “do what a mans gotta do” for over a year now. Along the way, we’ve talked about his life: Ms. Elaine, his sons, and how he’s always worked to provide the best he could for his family. Most importantly, we’ve talked about his dream to see his sons live their lives, and dream for a better future for his grandchildren, all the while making Ms. Elaine happy. The work has been hard - not a 9 to 5 in a cushy downtown office. Mr. Miller hasn’t had a perfect life. He’s had mishaps, ups and downs with Ms. Elaine, problems with his children, and at times struggled to pay the bills. No matter, Mr. Miller has pushed through the mud, always making sure his wife was happy and his two sons were taken care of. He prides himself in seeing them come into adulthood without selling drugs, carrying guns or serving time in jail, despite the odds. For him, his dream has kept him going for the long haul, even when it became blurry. Mr. Miller is now 65 years old and he continues to be one of the hardest workers
I’ve ever known. He’s well-liked around our neighborhood on the hill and you can usually find him walking somewhere with tools in hand - ready to work and help a neighbor, always with a smile on his face. There may be some who think differently but we all have our critics. From what I’ve observed, Mr. Miller is someone you can depend on to be there when you need a helping hand or an encouraging word. “A man’s gotta do, what a mans’s gotta do!” A life well-lived. A good dream. What are you dreaming?
Email us with your thoughts: dream@madepaper.com
WORDS CAROLINE TAYLOR
Oliver Michaels, Gamaliel Rodriguez and Harvi Sahota utilize individual approaches to architecture as a vehicle for narrative or story. Interpreted Architecture is the inaugural exhibition at Made Gallery. Artist Spotlight: Oliver Michaels Oliver Michaels, whether working in film, photography, or sculpture, creates structures that combine documentary and fantasy, resulting in objects or interactions that are impossible or irrational. The composite buildings in his most recent series, A Square in Square (above), shot primarily in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, lack windows and doors, or general function. Train pulls the viewer through a series of unconnected interior spaces – a dislocating journey in which narrative is clear but story undefined. A Journey Between Two Fixed Points glides from one unrelated interior or exterior to the next in an elegant rotation. Holding a BA from Central Saint Martins in Fine Art, Oliver’s works have been widely exhibited at venues including Cole Gallery, London; Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Santa Monica, CA; Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA; Krefelder Kunstmuseen, Krefeld, Germany; Tate Britain, London; and P.S. 1, Long Island City, New York. His work is included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Kreferlder Kunstmuseen, Krefeld, Germany. Join us on November 7 from 6-8pm for the Opening Reception of Interpreted Architecture. Interpreted Architecture Oliver Michaels, Gamaliel Rodriguez, Harvi Sahota Curated by Caroline Taylor MADE Gallery November 7 - 21, 2013 The A&P, 505 Cloverdale Road, Unit 102
ARTWORK COURTESY OLIVER MICHAELS, SQUARE IN SQUARE SERIES, 2013
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Words TIFFANY BELL
The first ever Design Week Birmingham (October 21-28) is being hailed as a weeklong celebration of great design to promote communication, collaboration and lasting relationships among the design community.
Photo PLENTY DESIGN COOP
From pop-up shops to a letterpress and screen printers fair (and a packed schedule in between), the event first caught our attention when we learned Jared Fulton of Plenty Design Co-op was at the helm. You may remember seeing Plenty’s modern furnishings at Southern Makers or in an earlier issue of MADE. Naturally, we sat down in one of our favorite handcrafted pieces to get the Design Week Birmingham scoop in a recent interview. photos MICHELLE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY How did the idea for Birmingham Design Week come about? A group of designers have been talking about it for years. It finally felt like the right time to try it. Birmingham has a wonderful design community and we want to celebrate that. Who is behind it all? Local design professionals in different disciplines. In May we started spreading the word about organizing it. By word of mouth and reaching out to design organizations we formed a team dedicated and passionate about the idea. We are all volunteers, doing this in our free time. It is pretty amazing to have 20 to 30 people from difference design backgrounds working together. Who are some of the designers featured and where are they coming from? Featured designers include Charles Spencer Anderson and John Peterson, as well as several other thoughtful and innovative designers. They come from San Francisco, Charleston, Atlanta, across Alabama, and many from right here in Birmingham. What shouldn’t we leave the house without when we come to DWB? A sketchbook for taking notes? Nope, leave that behind, come ready to have a good time and meet other likeminded people interested in good design.
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This is clearly not your average craft fair. What are some of the highlights of your multi-faceted event? Monday night is going to be a blast with a kick-off party at Bottletree Café and the viewing of the documentary Sign Painters. Friday night’s Rapid Fire powered by Pecha Kucha is a must see – 12 presenters have 7 minutes to rapidly show their work and what inspires them. The closing lecture is going to be amazing with two nationally known speakers, graphic designer Charles Spencer Anderson and citizen architect John Peterson, and an after party at Good People Brewing Company. Really, it’s hard to choose – they all are so great in their own way.
to host events around the theme of design awareness and why design matters can get placed on the schedule. These are either free, have their own tickets, or reservations are required due to limited space.
The bar seems to be set pretty high for vendors. How have you maintained the level of quality? It comes down to wanting to promote great designers making things regionally and locally. We want to include things that we as designers would find interesting and want to purchase.
Any strange requests from vendors/designers so far? The agent of someone we considered for our keynote said he would require 25K and a certified personal driver to escort him around town.
What’s the cost for admission to any DWB events? The way it works is Design Week Birmingham curates a few events including The Design and Thinking documentary viewing, Rapid Fire powered by Pecha Kucha, Saturday’s Printer’s Fair and the closing lecture ceremony with two great speakers. These are the events included in the premium pass for $35. Then, other organizations that want
Bring the kids or leave them at home for this one? Definitely bring the kids to the Printer’s Fair on Saturday, highlighting screen printers, letter-press artists, book makers, digital printers and anyone using printed media. The screen printers will be doing live demos which can be a very hands on experience for kids. For the most part though, DWB will include events geared toward an adult crowd.
Any plans yet to make this an annual fall event? Definitely. This year we will see what’s good and what isn’t, and tweak it to be even better next year. We have talked about home tours, open houses, and more interactive design events for next year. For tickets and details, visit dwbhm.com
FEATURE FILM
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October 3-5 The Color Purple: Presented by ASU’s Dept of Theatre Arts Leila Barlow Theatre
ASU’s Department of Theatre Arts presents The Color Purple, directed by Anthony Stockard. Performances 7p.m. nightly. For more information and tickets call 334.229.6929 or visit ticketreturn.com
October 11 Art InConcert
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts
WORDS EVANS BAILEY
Shaun (Simon Pegg), is a loser. Thirty-something, he works a dead-end job washing machines and TVs. He lives in a dumpy flat with two buddies from college -- one asshole and one dimwitted, part-time pot dealer, Ed (Nick Frost). When his girlfriend gives him an ultimatum request for one dinner date after he spends their anniversary at the local pub, the Winchester, Shaun is too lazy to get a reservation in time. He also thinks his step dad hates him, but isn’t man enough to talk it out. His sole ambition is to go to the Winchester (“we do the quiz”) and laugh while Ed imitates an orangutan. Sounds like a classic set up for a coming of age tale, right? The man-child gets a mentor or maybe faces some adversity, or both, and one montage later he can barely recognize his former self. He takes responsibility, takes initiative, and is interested in more than just the bottom of a pint glass. That’s probably what would happen in a shitty film. But Pegg, Frost, and director Edgar Wright (who co-wrote with Pegg), have something entirely different in mind. It’s nothing short of the zombie, sorry, “zed word,” apocalypse! The first zom-rom-com, Shaun of the Dead, is a fresh, funny film, which follows Shaun on the very bad, no-good day when the dead rise to feast on the living. Even after the zombies show up, he can’t quit the Winchester. Before stopping for a pint and a little listen to Queen from the jukebox, he first has to lead his mum, step dad, girlfriend, her flatmates (David and Lucy), and sidekick Ed on a violent romp through the zombie-infested gardens and streets of London. Back at the pub, he keeps his shit and what’s left of his gang together (except literally for David), while the oncoming hordes force all of his immaturity issues right to the forefront. Shaun finally meets his problems, and a slew of the undead, right on the head and finishes the film a better man. The high quality of the film is the product of the sharp writing from Pegg and Wright, who also teamed up on the underrated Hot Fuzz and this year’s World’s End. They make too many calls and reference to classic zombie films to mention, but showed such appreciation for the genre that George Romero cast Pegg and Wright as zombie extras in Land of the Dead. In the midst all that tongue in cheek, though, the film weaves equal parts slapstick, trivia nerd bait, touching moments and gory violence befitting any undead infestation into an engaging story. Combined with Wright’s energetic direction, Shaun is truly “fried gold.”
7 to 11 p.m. Bring blankets for live music in the park with the Banditos and St Paul and the Broken Bones. Tickets are only $10 until October 9; $15 at the door. Cash bar and food avaiable for purchase. Details at mmfa.org
October 17-19 Holiday Market Crampton Bowl
25th annual Junior League Holiday Market is moving to the new Crampton Bowl multi-plex with four days of shopping and events. Also new this year, a Preview Party & Silent Auction with Iron Chef winner Chris Hastings from Hot and Hot Fish Club October 16. For info and ticket outlets visit jlmontgomery.org
October 19 & 20 Kentuck
Kentuck Park, Northport, Al
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Named one of the Top 10 Fairs and Festivals in the U.S. by AmericanStyle, the annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts is happening for the 42nd hoorah. 270+ artists and craftspeople, art-making for the kids, demos, live music, storytelling & more. Tickets and info at kentuck.org
October 25-30 Muscle Shoals Capri Theatre
The documentary of the FAME studio and the stars who recorded there. Shows Friday and Saturday at 7 and 9 p.m., Sunday through Wednesday at 7:30 only. magpictures.com/muscleshoals/
Have an upcoming Makers Event? Email Made Paper with the details and we’ll help get the word out! events@madepaper.com
photo SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004): “UNIVERSAL PICTURES”
OCTOBER 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM
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The Montgomery Curb Market Southern Sweetie Pies WORDS KATIE LINDGREN I don’t know about you, but October marks the start of my favorite time of year. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and many of my favorite fall traditions have begun. Many people believe that when the weather changes and summer has come to a close, all the farmers markets have closed. I am happy to tell you that is not the case. Just because many of our favorite summertime vegetables are no longer in season does not mean that markets are closing up for the winter. At the Montgomery Curb Market and Fairview Farmers Market there are still a lot of great things happening. From now until Christmas, we will be taking a closer look at some of the vendors at the Montgomery Curb Market. It is a covered building, all the walls open up, and the booths are defiantly old-fashioned. This place is a gem, and stepping inside has an air of stepping back in time. If you have never visited the Montgomery Curb Market, take the time to stop by. It’s very fun. The market is located at 1004 Madison Ave, in historic downtown Montgomery. It is open year round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, from 6am - 2pm. I have to admit, I have a special interest in this market because I have a booth there. I love gardening and I truly appreciate the hard work that goes into it. But no matter how good my intentions are I cannot concoct the perfect tomato. I love meeting farmers, too. There is something about knowing where your food comes from, how it is grown and handled, that makes you feel better about eating. Maybe it is all in my mind, but I swear it tastes better, too. Southern Sweetie Pies (owned by myself, Katie Lindgren) specializes in Fried Pies. Growing up my family always had fried pies at Thanksgiving. I wanted to share that love with other people so I began making them. I am new to the market and so far it has been a great experience. I focus on made from scratch pies with seasonal fillings, and I hand make every single one of them. When possible I try to buy my produce from farmers at the Montgomery Curb Market. Every Saturday during fall I have apple, pumpkin, and sweet potato Sweetie Pies, and also bake blueberry, cherry, and peach during the spring and summer months. Sometimes I get adventurous and try different fillings, but these are the six essential flavors that I make. For updates and news you can find Southern Sweetie Pies on Facebook or on Instagram @SouthernSweetiePies. Starting this month I will begin taking orders for Thanksgiving and Christmas at SouthernSweetiePies@gmail.com.
Photo LUKE LINDGREN
Wet Your Whistle: Craft Whiskey News WORDS SAM WOOTTEN Whiskey season is upon us! Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! This is not an actual season that any true whiskey fan would recognize, as whiskey is a year-round endeavor with great rewards and exciting releases that know no season. However, as temperatures cool and nights grow longer, we may find the warm comfort of a wee dram just the thing to stave off loneliness or bolster courage in the face of Old Man Winter’s approach. Now is a good time to stock up, as shelves are brimming with new whiskies and exciting releases from old standbys. Statistics show that whiskey sales have increased steadily since the 2007 economic downturn, and are now leading market share again according to DISCUS. And craft distilleries, much like craft breweries, are the leading the charge. According to the American Distilling Institute, there are about 240 small distilleries in the U.S. and Canada. Some estimates suggest the number will likely jump to 400 to 450 by 2015. Craft whiskey is a huge part of that, and consumers crave libations with stories to match their slow food / buy local aesthetic. Industry insiders believe we will witness a localization of all our favorite beverages, so that “each town will have a brewery, distillery, coffee roaster and cacao artisan.” This makes some sense, as today’s beverage enthusiast finds knowing who is making your liquor is as important as who is mixing your cocktail. With that in mind, I thought it might be fun to explore some of the craft whiskeys being put together in our region. As you may have recently read in these very pages, Alabama is now finally jumping on that craft distillate trend with their first legal distillery since prohibition. High Ridge Spirits have begun making their “Stills Crossroads ’Shine” just down the road in Union Springs. Jamie Ray and the guys down in Bullock County are working hard and will have product on the shelves in a matter of weeks. Peaden Brothers Distillery in Fairhope is in the construction phase of 14
MADEPAPER.COM • OCTOBER 2013
Photo JON KOHN their facility, and fundraising to get product out as fast as possible. Two more licenses are in the early stages, and we may see a distillery renaissance here in Alabama to match the surging craft beer boom that has made our state the fastest growing market for new beer in the nation. This timeframe may not suit those of you who, like me, feel the slightest hint of a nip in the air at night and go for the pantry’s top shelf stash. You eager souls may want to research some of the other craft whiskies making a splash in the pages and on the palates of our dutiful staff from their travels hither and yon. Georgia’s Thirteenth Colony (available at your local ABC Store) is producing multiple-award winning Southern Corn Whiskey, and a tasty Rye Whiskey for those of you with more adventurous palates, as well as vodkas and gin. With roughly a half dozen micro-distilleries operating in Georgia, you have your pick of neighborly options, but without distribution, it may require a trip to Atlanta to stock up. Tennessee has long been a go-to state for whiskey fans, with Jack Daniels and George Dickel being the elder statesmen. However, craft whiskey fans will likely know Prichard’s (their Double Barreled offering is a personal favorite), and up-and-comer Corsair is quickly making a name for itself. For those of you traveling to the Carolinas, pick up some of Asheville’s Troy & Sons or Greenville’s Dark Corner whiskies and moonshine to taste what is a legal renaissance of the Appalachia’s rich distilling history. Of course, whatever you’re tasting, I hope it is warming your spirit and relaxing your woes. Please be responsible and safe, and SLÁINTE!
Words NATILEE MCGRUDER Photos JON KOHN
One early Wednesday morning, I meet Janet at D’Road Café, in the same shopping center as Virginia College and Mr. G’s, off the Atlanta Highway between Frazier Church and Bell Road. She greets me in Spanish as she quickly finishes mopping and then proceeds to wipe down the counters and tables. “Quieres tomar un café?” she asks me through the flurry of activity. I decline coffee and at her recommendation opt for “jugo de kiwi”, a simple smoothie with the sole ingredients being blended kiwis, ice and a dash of sugar, which tasted like the most delicious, creamy fruit smoothie. After heating up some homemade rolls for us, Janet is finally able to sit down for the interview. A few days away from 60 at the time of the interview, Janet Malpartida is spry and vivacious, an animated speaker who fills our lively conversation with sharp wit and laughter. She was often in trouble as a child, “for talking too much,” she confesses with a mischievous smile. When she was 12, her mother threatened to send her from their native Venezuela to the United States if she didn’t behave, and so it came to be that Janet learned Americanized English while staying with her uncle in Chicago. She stayed just long enough to learn the language and some of the culture but soon returned home after the devastating 1974 earthquake in Caracas. As Caracas rebuilt itself, Janet continued her studies and eventually graduated with a degree in tourism from the Instituto Universitario de Nuevas Profesiones. Her reputation as an excellent tour guide led to a colleague contacting her about an opportunity to work on a cruise ship, taking care of every need of valued passengers as they sailed around the world. She agreed and turned a two-week internship (during which that same colleague attempted to illegally pocket her pay) into 14 years of dedicated and acknowledged service aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, a 1,777 passenger ocean liner based out of Southampton, England, with regular transatlantic service to New York as well as world cruises. Janet found her calling, taking care of her clientele while gaining an invaluable education with 64 countries visited and countless experiences gained. She was prized so highly by her employer that on the rare occasion that she took off in order to take her mother on a 42-day cruise around the Mediterranean, the top brass at headquarters refused to let her pay. When her husband died in a plane accident, Janet took her baby daughter to Florida where she met her current husband of 10 years. They eventually settled in Montgomery where Janet had the vision of creating a coffee shop. Her dream became more solid when her brother, who had followed the family to Montgomery a year later, agreed to do the construction for D’Road Café while his employer did the plumbing and Janet the art and decoration. At the time she set up the coffee shop two years ago, her daughter was in 8th grade and home schooled, now she is at LAMP and looking towards college. Janet figured that, “maybe if I sell this coffee, maybe it will give me enough money for my daughter’s future.” One of Janet’s biggest challenges financially is to reach her capacity of 24 customers everyday for lunch and dinner. Culturally, Janet notes that people who like fried food are disappointed with her healthy home cooked fare, as are those who can’t wrap their head around the fact that neither she nor her food is Mexican. She says that some people who drop in don’t want to experience new things: they think they that since they know one “Mexican” place, they know them all. Janet uses fresh herbs and sea salt in her cooking, always buys the freshest meat and produce and tries to buy food that is organic and responsibly raised. After two years of surviving with no money behind her, sometimes she wants to close: a large catering order cancelled for a small operation like D’Road Café can be suicide, but Janet holds on to her unshakeable faith. Little by little she has been putting her business together, slowly adding to the menu and while she can’t say that she is currently turning a profit, all her equipment has been paid for and she makes enough
to stay open. She does not worry and she will not fear; her family and her bible class at Frazier help her to maintain her conviction to stick with her dream. Eventually she is looking to relocate to downtown or Old Cloverdale where she feels her unique offerings might be better received. She wants a better location but not necessarily a bigger space: she is determined to maintain an authentic Latin environment where she can sit and talk to her customers, get to know their favorite order and create dishes for them off the menu. As one Yelper described it, D’Road café is like coming to your grandmother’s to eat, if your grandmother was Venezuelan. One thing Janet would love to see in Montgomery is more encouragement and activities for younger people. She notes that old ways are on their way out, slowly but surely, and that even though sometimes breaking into Montgomery society can be challenging when your name and parents are not legacy, she freely acknowledges that it is a much improved city compared to 10 years ago. What Janet loves about Montgomery is the peace. According to her, it’s the best place to bring your children up—you have a little taste of big city offerings, but you can still make family time because it is not all about consumerism. Sundays for her, when D’Road is closed, are family time and God time. Janet has several unique offerings for the city: she makes dishes from various Latin American countries such as Columbia, Chile and her husband’s native Peru. Every Friday she features a different country to invite customers on a culinary tour. The week we spoke, she branched out of Spanish speaking countries and chose Russian cuisine. No doubt her travels, diverse co-workers and clients aboard the Queen Elizabeth taught her various cooking traditions that she combines with her natural talent of making guests feel like family. For her, preparing food from scratch, with quality ingredients, no flour and no chemicals is not about being skinny or fat but the high risk of diabetes, heart attack, and other markers of poor health. Janet has no plans on leaving town any time soon, when asked how long she would stay in Montgomery she replied, “until I die.” Visit Janet at D’Road Cafe Monday to Friday 9:00 am - 2:00 pm for breakfast and lunch, or 5:30 - 9:00 pm for dinner at 6250 Atlanta Highway (334-3561563). Check out D’Road Café’s Facebook page for the featured country of the week on International Fridays.
FOOD & DRINK EVENTS Fridays in October Desde el Jardin
Central - 5:30 to 11 p.m. Chef Leo Maurelli, III and the EAT South Downtown Farm join forces every Friday night for Chef Leo’s popular Friday night dinners. Menus are created based only on what’s fresh from the farm and sea. Follow Chef Leo to watch the meal unfold from delivery to finished product on Instagram @chefleo3
October 8 Trivia Night
Leroy 7 p.m. Come join the crew at Leroy for the monthly Trivia Night. leroylounge.com
Oct 10 – 13 42nd Annual National Shrimp Festival - Gulf Shores
Savor fresh from the gulf seafood at the 42nd Annual National Shrimp Festival during this four-day event that attracts more than 300,000 people. This year the festival will also play host to more than 80 hours of musical entertainment and 200 booths of arts and crafts vendors. No charge for admission. myshrimpfestival.com
October 9 & 23 Every Other Tuesday Dinners TRUE 7 p.m.
4-Course Tasting from Chef Wesley True every other Tuesday at 7 p.m. Reservations required. truemontgomery.com
October 13 Local Flavor Festival: Celebrating 10 Years of Breakin’ Bread
Birmingham’s Railroad Park - 1 to 5 p.m. The Birmingham Originals present the Local Flavor Festival: Celebrating 10 years of Breakin’ Bread. Enjoy samplings from more than 40 independent Birmingham restaurants with wine and beer tastings. A limited number of VIP tickets are available which include food items prepared by special guest chefs James Boyce, Wesley True, Rob McDaniel and Josh Quick, premium wine and beer, and covered area seating and service. birminghamoriginals.org
OCTOBER 2013 • MADEPAPER.COM
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E.A.T. South encourages healthy lifestyles through education and sustainable food production in urban areas throughout the Southeast. www.eatsouth.org
Words MARK BOWEN
There is no doubt that eating locally produced food has made its footprint in every part of this country. When we hear about eating local, buzz words come up like ‘locavore’ or ‘farm to table’. We also hear about all the positive economic and environmental benefits that come with eating locally sourced food. But what about the love for the food and the movement? If such a solid movement can sweep a nation, isn’t there a vibe that comes with it from the heart? Part one of this article featured two businesses discussing their reason why providing locally sourced food was important to them. Healthwise Foods has been into locavorism before it was cool, and Jim ‘N Nicks BBQ are pioneers in the direction local food is moving. Part two of this article is aiming straight for the soul to further explore why to choose local. “I don’t subscribe to labels, I’m not a big fan of the ‘farm to table’ label. To me if you give it a label, you create this idea that it’s temporary, it’s a fad, it will [eventually] pass”, says Chef Leo from Central. If you ask Chef Leo why local is important to him, its “Family”. Who is this family Chef Leo speaks of? Well, he means family quite literally when he states that “local is my son’s heritage: he deserves to experience a tomato off the vine.” But Chef Leo’s family extends beyond the home. He has soul food brothers and sisters. “I have fallen in love with the land, the vegetables, and
the celebratory way that food brings people together,” says EAT South farmer Jetson Brown, who supplies Chef Leo with sustainably grown food every Friday so Chef Leo can put together the increasingly popular “Desde el Jardin” menu. You have to admit, when someone can have food dropped off mid-morning and create a new menu by dinner time, that person not only has skills, that person has love for their craft. But Chef Leo harnesses his energy from others to make a miracle happen every Friday. “I can visualize and know the hard work it takes to grow, and I feel this sense of tremendous responsibility to it. I like that I can see the pride in Jetson’s face and everyone involved when you drop off the product. We can talk about it with excitement, we can discuss future crops, it stimulates ideas and creative juices.” Chef Leo’s sentiments compliment farmer Jetson’s pride of sharing food: “I love knowing that all of the produce I grow is being eaten by my neighbors, my friends, and my community.” I think it is fair to say that when you have a passionate farmer producing food for a passionate chef, the only result is some of the best food Montgomery has ever known. There is an underlying spirit moving from the soil, into the plant, through Jetson’s harvest, into Leo’s pots and pans, and into our stomachs. That interconnecting spirit that weaves everything together to make a blissful meal holds within it the ultimate answer to “why choose local?” photos LEO MAURELLI, III
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One common trick to get kids to try a new, healthy food is to lie to them and say it’s junk. Psychologists say it takes fifteen tastes of the stuff before they actually choose it for their own plates, but the seeds of a nutritious diet have to be planted one way or another. How close I came to lying to you, dear readers, but you are not children, so I’m going to be perfectly honest: Loud City Song is extremely good, and good for you. This third release in as many years from the classical-minded, LA-based multi-instrumentalist Julia Holter stands like a monumental stalk of broccoli, beaming with vitamins, in the landscape of teeth-rotting candy confections, cash grabs, and monotonous “party music” we listeners allow to define what pop music should be in 2013.
pines. By the time the blistering dissonance of an echo-drenched keyboard turns the melody black and wicked in the chorus, we hear a distinct eighties “goth beatles” vibe emerge from the record, as if straight out of the Souxie and the Banshees playbook. Ms. Holter here finally reveals herself to be a powerful witch, playing with our idea of her personality like a puppet master. Indeed, if female songwriters of this caliber were unleashed in less busy times and put on display for all to see, it is likely we’d find Holter burned at the stake for merely being so noticeable. Yet, in our culture of zero downtime, Holter’s music can stay in the shadows and be stunning and brilliant without anyone even noticing, merely because it takes a second to kick in, the average insectoid pop listener overlooking it completely for not kicking them in the groin within the first few seconds of playback.
The record opens not with a bang, but with a whimper. A particularly timid facet of Holter’s versatile singing voice opens the show, and though you can be pretty sure she’s just warming up, the silence surrounding her is strangely nerve-wracking. “Heaven / All the heavens of the world,” she honks like a trumpet, with a woozy exhaustion that implies she may be genuinely considering them all at once. The same trick is then applied to other, earthbound nouns throughout the song, to clever and wistful effect. You can hear the white noise of the unplayed instruments to follow hissing lightly in the background, and when they finally reveal themselves amid her sweet background vocal harmonies, it seems they aim to squish her like a bug. As the song unfolds, the ominous, bow-played classical bass, muted horn section, and harpsichord turn out to be hers to command, rather than the other way around. The world of inevitable disappointments from which she first appears to be hiding is consciously acknowledged to be a byproduct of her own toosensitive hyper-awareness, and she declares herself a coward, too afraid to leave her own home to find love.
I won’t spoil the rest, as the album’s remaining songs spiral around in a cosmic swirl that hints at the cheeky, jazzy pop of a pre-ambient Brian Eno and the ethereal lovestuff of sexy, late-night electronic groups from the nineties like Everything But the Girl and Massive Attack. Call it anti-pop, if you must, but Holter zigs where all others zag, and she has made, without a shadow of a doubt, the best female pop album since Bat for Lashes and St. Vincent came onto the scene, a couple of talented chanteuses who may soon be furious at this relative newcomer for reducing them to cartoon characters with a wave of her bookish hand.
By the end of the song, you’ll have traveled through musical history from the Gershwin era back three hundred years to the dreamy melancholy of Antonio Vivaldi. Ladies and gentlemen, this is complex, unnerving, juicy stuff, and that’s just the first song. That Ms. Holter is able to convey so much information in such a small space is a testament not only to her incredible talent as a songwriter, but to her sheer will to deprogram the stupid and lazy out of our ears.
the shape of the jaw-dropping production. This is an intentionally invisible, criminally fine work, and will likely be honored as the best overall album of the year by many critics come December. It’s a dark horse from a powerful nobody, armed with a small orchestra and a million ideas about what modern music should be. Classy, bold, and emotionally on point, Loud City Song is a piece of timeless architecture, constructed out of music so solid it will still sound pretty good five months, years, decades, and centuries from now. There is nothing terribly bad to say about this masterpiece, other than the fact that it is deliberately hiding from us all.
As the album progresses from that dark mood to the second song, we find our blood pressure raised again by an increasingly cacophonous smattering of jazzily played, sleepy cymbal washes. The music that follows a lead-in like that could be absolutely anything, and you begin to realize Ms. Holter stubbornly capitalizes on unpredictability. The music around which these cymbals are wrapped is decadent, atmospheric, glamourous, and halfway through the excessive shower of attention, fame, and riches she conjures on this song, Holter loosens up. She pulls out a new, playful voice from her bag of tricks, like a dinner date who suddenly realizes they may have more in common with their would-be suitor than initially realized, beginning to enjoy their company for more than an excuse to leave the house. A rock song, ‘Horns Surrounding Me,’ follows, featuring a Philip Glass-esque pattern of quarter notes stamping away from the horn section like a hellish death march over claustrophobic oompah organs. Holter’s no sell out, and strange as it sounds, this track could have been a hit single for demonstration purposes alone. But instead of starting in immediately, it begins with a radio un-friendly sample of a man running and panting, the singer depicting a chase between Little Red Riding Hood and The Big Bad Wolf that is taking them into that story’s creepy European forest, beset with unfamiliar dark
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Reminiscent of the calculating experimentation of Laurie Anderson, but reinforced by the trailblazing of Kate Bush, Joanna Newsom, Broadcast, and Portishead, Holter enjoys a unique position of complete creative control over her darkly romantic genius without the distraction of commercial attention, or even an audience. Loud City Song is not loud, but should be played at a high volume on nice speakers (or through a pair of nice headphones) to truly hear the intertwining instrumental play and really get a feel for
Even if you pirate music, you’ll want to pay for the obsession this album provides after hearing it a couple times. Despite being pretty good on first listen, it really gets under your skin after a few, eventually providing your flesh with goosebumps on nearly every track, especially the weepy ballad ‘Hello Stranger.’ The album is at its weakest when it sounds other people, even the best contemporary artists we know. In summation, Loud City Song is outstanding, bar-raising, filmic, mindboggling, and to give it the highest praise an album can get these days: It’s worth actual money! Holter puts everyone who has made a pop record in recent memory to shame. Big words, I know, but this is an album for people who use big words. It’s remarkable, and has to be heard at high volume to be appreciated. Destined for cult status due to its lack of marketability in a climate that rewards twerking with front page headlines, get this album (out on Domino) right now before it becomes rare in less metaphorical ways. Worth going without breakfast and lunch to hear over dinner. Vital music lives! Listen and purchase Holter’s album at www.dominorecordco.us
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Words BRIAN CARROLL
Words & photo WESTON MARKWELL
How did the band name come about? The original idea came from my restless soul of exploration, and my willingness to experience true happiness. Through moments of bliss, revelation, and vulnerability, Adventure the Great thrives. What genre do you consider yourselves? I like to consider ourselves Transcendental, but no one really knows what that means in music. Transcendental meaning a sound that transcends traditional ideas, and takes a strong naturalistic foundation, thus stemming from the Transcendentalist in literature. But on a more approachable and acceptable level, I would consider ourselves rooted in Americana / Folk with a dash of Indie rock and classical undertones. Who are your influences? When I first started writing songs at twelve, I was mainly influenced by the music my father played. Artists like Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, and Pink Floyd have always been very important to me. As I’ve gotten older my influences have ranged from Kurt Cobain to Andrew Bird. What types of instruments are featured in your music? I always have a tendency to think that bigger is better. Whether or not that stands true in this sense, you tell me. I sing lead and switch out between acoustic and electric guitar, and ukulele. We also have two violinist, a cellist, a backup singer, drummer, bass guitarist, and the
occasional trombone or xylophone. Favorite band you’ve played with? We played with a band at Workplay Theatre in Birmingham called Songs of Water who were absolutely incredible. They were all multi-instrumentalist and had a very worldly sound. They put us to shame, and I was totally alright with that. Favorite show you’ve played? Some of our favorite shows have been out at Standard Deluxe in Waverly. That place epitomizes the Southern experience. What are you trying to accomplish with your band? I simply wish to inspire those who hear us. Even if it’s just provoking a new thought or idea, or making one ask questions about things that they never knew to question. We are all on a journey searching for true beauty whether we realize it or not. I simply wish to provide the spark for that journey. Favorite breakfast food? The Oldtimer Breakfast Special from Cracker Barrel. It’s the only thing worth eating for breakfast. Most prized possession? A friend asked me a few days ago, “If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you would grab?” I had a hard time with this question because so much is
replaceable. I’ll never get rid of my granddad’s old watch. Or an old black and white photo I have of me as a kid sitting on my dad’s shoulders. Those things aren’t replaceable. What do you do in your down time? With the little down time that I have, I love to just go on country drives, get a little lost, and see what I can find. Where do you call home, and what do you like about it? I call Florence, Alabama my original home. It’s a very magical place in my eyes. The river has carved out beautiful bluffs that are inhabited by kudzu and forgotten bridges. People have always said there is magic in that river, and I believe them. Current reading list? I just recently wrapped up a Kerouac kick that I was on, and now I’m reading “A Moveable Feast” by Hemingway. He writes, “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” I hope to be one of the lucky ones. Current playlist you’re listening to? With autumn coming, it’s been Nick Drake’s “Pink Moon” record pretty nonstop.
Adventure The Great is writing a new record at the moment. Find its current album on iTunes.
MUSIC EVENTS October 4-5 Old Cloverdale OKTOBERFEST by Get Bent 7-9 PM: For All Ages
Friday 4th @ El Rey & Leroy: Burning Itch & Dan Sartain, Free Saturday 5th @ The A&P Courtyard behind Pine Bar: Eleven Year Old & Raidy and the Erasers, $5 cover
October 11 Cody Chestnutt
October 15 Jimmy Fallon
The famed Atlanta-native rock / neo-soul / roots musician is sure to put on a rousing show. His 2002 album, The Headphone Masterpiece, is still considered ground breaking and experimental. This intimate space is a great opportunity to see him up close and personal. workplay.com
So, technically not music, but Jimmy Fallon is damn funny so he gets a mention. Catch his stand-up show on the road and one of Atlanta’s ritziest venues. Tickets from $50 at ticketsnow.com
WorkPlay Theatre, Birmingham
Cobb Energy Perfoming Arts Centre, Atlanta
October 26 Willie Nelson & Family
MPAC 7:30pm, Tickets $35 - 75
The legend is on tour once again. Catch him for his signature classics and his new works at downtown’s largest music venue. This one is selling fast so don’t wait. Info visit mpaconline.org
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The Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium:
WORDS & Photos CAROLINE ROSEN
Consider the okra. The word originated in Nigeria, where abundant varieties of the vegetable grow freely. Not native to the American South, had West Africans never been forcibly brought to the United States as slaves, okra would not be served in every restaurant from New Orleans to Charleston. While we use the Nigerian word for okra, in other Bantu languages the vegetable is known as “kingombo.” Unsurprisingly, the vegetable stew that makes great use of okra goes by the name “gumbo.” The history of okra cannot be decoupled from the history of slavery. If you found that last paragraph interesting, then you will love the Southern Foodways Alliance. The SFA is a group of academics, chefs, food producers, food writers, and food lovers who study and celebrate Southern Food and Southern Culture. SFA calls Oxford, Mississippi home, based at the University of Mississippi’s Center for the Study of Southern Culture. The organization’s mission: “set a common table where black and white, rich and poor — all who gather — may consider our history and our future in a spirit of reconciliation.” SFA uses food as the starting point for conversations about culture, race, gender and religion in the South. Alabama features prominently in the history and leadership of the SFA. The organization was founded in Birmingham in 1999, and dinner at Highlands Bar and Grill was the SFA’s first act after its founding. Frank and Pardis Stitt of Highalnds Bar and Grill have served on the SFA board of directors at various times, and Jim ‘N Nicks BBQ Restaurant provides enormous financial support for the organization. SFA’s biggest event of the year is the symposium, held in and around Oxford, Mississippi annually in October. The symposium features speakers from across the United States who discuss different aspects of Southern food and Southern culture. For instance, a few years ago a speaker discussed a specific species of mirliton (or chayote squash) that grew in backyards in New Orleans. For decades, people in low-income areas of New Orleans grew mirliton in vines that wrapped around the chain-link fences of their backyards. The fruit grew prolifically, meaning neighbors constantly shared extra with neighbors, making slaws, salads, and seafood and breadcrumb stuffed mirliton during holidays. The mirliton was part of the fabric of life for these communities. Then came hurricane Katrina, flooding New Orleans and drowning all of the the backyard mirliton. After the storm, communities in New Orleans tried to re-introduce mirliton, but the Costa Rican variety brought to New Orleans failed to grow. Researchers determined that the pre-Katrina backyard mirliton had evolved to grow in the rough, shallow, wet and often contaminated soil of New Orleans. The new varieties, coming from Costa Rica, were acclimated to rich, tropical soil, having never been forced to develop the ability to grow in unfavorable conditions. Today, almost 10 years after Katrina, mirliton remains a casualty of the hurricane. While mirliton initially seems like a fairly limited topic, this lecture made it clear that an important part of New Orleans food culture was lost, and was likely never coming back. In addition to the lectures and speakers, the SFA symposium features food. Lots of it. Chefs from around the United States are asked to prepare meals for lunch, dinner, and a Sunday brunch to close the symposium. These meals have become a competition among the chefs, each trying to outdo meals cooked at the symposium the year before. The winners are the attendees, who have enjoyed dishes such as boiled peanuts and edamame from Chef Edward Lee of Louisville, a 12 course barbeque lunch made entirely of vegetables from Chef Ashley Christianson of Raleigh, North Carolina, and a brunch featuring squid-ink pasta from Alon Shaya of New Orleans, Louisiana. This year, the SFA is celebrating “Women at Work,” and women will do all of the speaking, cooking, and presenting at this year’s symposium. Although tickets for the event have already sold out, MADE will be there covering all of the talks and all of the food. Check our website regularly between October 4 and October 6 for updates. For information and SFA memberships, visit www.southernfoodways.org.
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MADEPAPER.COM • OCTOBER 2013
“ This place needs me here to start This place is the beat of my heart Oh my heart, oh my heart Oh my heart Oh my heart, oh my heart Oh my heart ” REM, Oh My Heart Words ANNA LOWDER Perhaps the best known product of Athens, Georgia for three decades, REM was a local institution. As residents, musicians, culture-makers and entrepreneurs, REM brought Athens street cred, authenticity and a voice on the world stage. The band made people ask “Why Athens,” precisely the question a small town wants people asking. It got visitors coming in droves and college students in line out the admissions door. The town has grown over thirty years into a small, walkable spot full of local restaurants (serving tofu skillets and local farm vegetables), coffee houses, and venues for leading edge live music. Throw in youthful energy, an arts scene, and a location 45 minutes outside Atlanta and it’s a serious mix. REM has dispersed but the band members still call Athens home, as its cultural and creative spirit only continues to thrive. Let’s take a listen to what Athens has to tell a wandering visitor.
A great idea that should be emulated is Full Moon Coop. This collective of sustainable farms in the Athens area works together to share produce and resources. At one point the coop featured its own Farm 255, a restaurant that sold food and drinks nightly with live music. Every city should combine local food and drinks, music and farming - especially in an urban setting. Spend time during a football game enjoying downtown Athens on foot. While the fans and frats are in the stadium, it’s a great time to walk the sidewalks and soak up the fall atmosphere. Preferably with a to-go cup in hand. You can look like a local by pilfering through the vintage stalls at Agora. Lucky shoppers will find retro ball gowns to pair with boots, and vinyl records galore. A local restaurant worth the buzz is Five & Ten. Hugh Acheson (again), boiled peanut hummus, raw oysters, grilled octopus, house made pasta - enough said here. The new location on Milledge Avenue remains small and lovely.
Best local music venue is The 40 Watt Club. Opened in 1979, the 40 Watt is an institution graced by Nirvana, The Strokes, The Killers, Neutral Milk Hotel and The Whigs, to name just a few. With capacity of only 500 this is the place to truly experience music in Athens.
Best cold drink is a local Terrapin beer. The Athens craft brewery features Seasonal Sessions (Maggie’s Farmhouse) , Monster Beers (Wake ‘N’ Bake) and trusty year round brews. Tour the Terrapin Brewery Wednesday - Saturday for tastings and hands on beer experience.
Happy Hour should be spent at The Globe - if your a gent. This worn in pub is all wood & leather. Think fireplaces and dark beer, like a comfortable old boot. For ladies, head to The National. Created by Chefs Peter Dale and Hugh Acheson, this welcoming spot draws on the culinary traditions of the Mediterranean (Spain, Greece, and so on) married with Southern produce and flavors.
Go-to hangover cure is undoubtedly The Grit. Bear with me here: this is “vegetarian food that appeals to everyone.” It’s no joke. Southern fried tofu, biscuits and gravy that’ll wake you from the dead. Brunch is a must. Once you’re addicted graduate to lunch and dinner for a Golden Bowl or plate-busting sandwiches.
photos FIVE & TEN
photos
THE GRIT
If all of this hasn’t convinced you to leave town yet, check out the live music in Athens this month: (PS all of these are happening at just one venue. That’s how cool Athens is.) October Shows at The 40 Watt Club White Violet with Velveteen Pink: October 10 Bowery Presents: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: October 11 Neutral Milk Hotel: October 22-24 Cold War Kids: October 30 Info visit www.40watt.com
Photo THE NATIONAL
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