Last night was Friday 13th, 2018. Well I have always walked a little more weary and stepped a little more uneasy on FRIDAY the 13th because danger lurks and bad things might happen, according to traditional beliefs. I can tell you that this Friday 13th was grand…no danger, no bad things, just FINE music with talented artists.

My son, Eric Erdman and I were downtown for the SouthSounds Music Festival to see Frank Boots, Lisa P. Mills and Brenda Bledsoe at The Listening Room. I must say the trip was certainly worth it.

My hero is Lisa P. Mills who has the blues in her soul. She has called herself a balladeer many times. Of course I have a general idea of what ballad means but I looked it up to be certain and learned It is usually a story of emotional urgency. Bingo!…Lisa’s music always includes deep emotions, not necessarily in the words themselves but in her magical delivery. I believe she could sing the phone book and you would feel like you just got off of a high speed roller coaster. This lady has the music in her like no other. She has the music in her so much that she has to release it to the world to keep from exploding. She gets on the stage, plays that guitar and pushes out so much sound that you wonder how she had that much inside her small frame. It is amazing how she can go in to an empty space and fill it up with her voice from the rafters to the floor, she fills every spot when she sings.

I love her songs and my all time favorite line in any song ever is…”I don’t wanna be happy, I just wanna be with you!” I absolutely love this. I think most of us women have known that feeling at some point in our lives. It makes me smile every single time I hear her sing those words…that song just makes me happy. Lisa’s music does what music should do, it makes you FEEL!

I had not heard Frankie Boots before last night. He is a bit more on the country side of music and he looks the part with boots and that white cowboy type hat he wears.  He hails from Northern California but currently resides in New Orleans. I was not surprised to hear him say the biggest issue for him in our area (Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama) is our muggy, humid weather. It is not just hot down south, it is hot and wet and usually very difficult for those who are not accustomed to the Muggy side of life.  He sang a song called “Down on Geary Street” from his CD “Frankie Boots and The County Line”. (All songs on this CD were written by M.Vrankovich). This song says “I hang my hat but not my head down on Geary Street” “We put speakers in the window and bottles in brown bags down on Geary Street”…”Well I think I’ve seen it all down on Geary Street”.

Another song I remember was the one called “Cadillacs and Guitars”. He told the story of being the proud owner of a Cadillac convertible that caught fire soon after he bought it and it cost more to repair than the estimated value of the car. Yet he had it repaired and enjoyed it before it ended up in its resting place in a field with other cars in similar condition.

I met Frankie’s girlfriend as she was handling his merchandise in the back of the room. We talked for a while and I found her to be delightful. She was easy to get to know and was my kind of person to spend time with. I would love to call her a friend. I bought all three of his CDs.

Brenda Bledsoe also performed. I have known her for years as she has been at many of Eric’s shows and has performed with another musician in Mobile; his name is Stephen Lee Veal. For most of the time I have known Brenda, she played her flute. Then she would do backing vocals. Now she has evolved into a full-fledged singer/songwriter. I was pleasantly surprised by many of her songs. I loved “Dirty Water”. I really enjoyed the song about a mother’s love that never ends (as a mother who adores her sons…I felt it deeply).
The song about protecting the earth was wonderful too. The native American flute that she played at the beginning of that song blew me away. The deep sounds of that particular flute vibrated to my soul. Thank you Brenda for my first time hearing a native American flute played by a true flautist. You were wonderful tonight!

A well known trumpet player popped in and was asked by Lisa, to join her on the last song. It was the great Chip Herrington. He had his trumpet in the car and quickly retrieved it. The sounds that he made with his trumpet lifted everyone up and made for a grand finale to the evening. Lisa and Chip finished the show with perfection!


The Listening Room provided a show to remember and a grouping that worked well together.

Thanks to Jim Pennington, Lisa P Mills, Brenda Bledsoe and Frankie Boots for a great night!

Juanita Smith
Music Mom

Tim Jackson's Storytellers Tour

What is a Storytellers Tour?

A story can be told in many ways. My personal favorite is through music. On Saturday August 26th, I went to Lynn Haven, Florida to experience the Tim Jackson Storytellers Tour as they performed at Roberts Hall.

Music touches me unlike any other form of communication. This show was magic. The performers were: Tim Jackson, Lindsey Thompson, Duke Bardwell, Eric Erdman and the show was made even fuller with great guitar playing by Mark Gillespie. All of this group of musicians played and sang, except for Mark who was there to fill in with his fabulous guitar playing. His contribution was the whip cream on top of the sundae; he added sweetness with his guitar that made it more special.

I suggest you google these performers or check them out on Youtube. Duke Bardwell was the bassist in Elvis Presley’s band for a period of time. And please don’t ask who Elvis Presley is…that happened to me recently when I was talking with some people in their late twenties. They also did not know Marilyn Monroe! I suppose it means I am old that this surprises me. Ok, I accept it, but I remember musicians and other famous people from decades before I was born. The young people today are wonderful but in my opinion, they tend to live in the moment and don’t do much looking back. 

Tim Jackson and Lindsey Thompson often accompany one another and they have many songs they co-wrote. Both are extremely talented individuals. If you ever see any of these names on an upcoming show…drop what you are doing and make plans to go listen.

My son, Eric Erdman ended the show and then, for a grand finale sat on the edge of the stage with all of the other cast to play a song that is so new the ink is still wet to the touch. This song is one he wrote with Tim Jackson and it laments the pains of hurricanes that hit our southern border; such as those the people in southern Texas are suffering right now. It also reminds us of the resilience of the people who live in the path of these hurricanes. As the water recedes, they come out and build again. The song is called “Hurricane Scars”, if you live anywhere near a hurricane path as I do, it will touch you.

Many brand new original songs were played at Roberts Hall last Saturday evening and it was an honor to be one of the first to hear them come to life.

I want to thank Tim Jackson for his hard work and dedication to music. He is a shining star in the music scene today. I also thank the other musicians and Eric the sound man; they all worked hard setting up the stage and then putting their hearts into an absolutely perfect night of music. I believe everyone there enjoyed it as much as I did as witnessed by the standing ovation and the roaring applause!

I was surrounded by Greatness

Surrounded by Greatness

Sometimes in life you can feel the magic in the air around you, somehow you know you are standing in the same space that was filled with bravery and honor long before you got there. All around me I saw old military planes, jeeps, wagons and re-constructed POW dwellings where people risked their lives and in some cases lost them.

Looking up at those majestic wings my mind was filled with thoughts of the lifetime of this jet and the world it had grown up in and grown old in. It still had a look of great strength and pride but, just like me there had been bumps and bruises along the way. I was at the Pavilion at USS Alabama Park in Mobile that evening, turning in every direction to see these exhibits, aircraft, landcraft and other things I would never have expected to see.

My son Eric Erdman was performing for an annual celebration in honor of the workers at a company called Seabulk Towing.  In addition to live music; a feast of seafood and all of the trimmings was prepared and ready. Tables with brightly colored tablecloths filled a large cleared out section as they waited anxiously for the guests to arrive.

Eric began playing his music at 5pm and people began arriving shortly before that. It was a gathering of people who loved one another and seemed to be happy to be alive and happy to be  sitting in the middle of greatness as they ate this fabulous meal. The surrounding scenery could not have been better.

As the evening progressed, I decided to walk around and get a closer look at some displays I saw on Vietnam. I am happy I did that; yet it brought back some truly gut-wrenching times. 

When I was completing the last couple of years of my high schools days; Vietnam was the topic everyone was discussing. Many of my friends, my brother and my boyfriend were all soon heading off to fight a battle in a place most of us had not even known existed before the Viet Nam War grabbed us and would not let go. I lost friends and neighbors in that battle and my boyfriend was killed by a hand grenade. He was an exceptionally kind person and his passing left a huge, un-fillable void. Though I was only 18 years old at the time, it altered something inside of me for all the years that have followed. I still have a shoe box filled with his letters. It is a part of him that I can still touch and hold.

There was a section in this Vietnam display that focused on prisoners of war. It brought gruesome thoughts of what those guys went through. One display brought tears to my eyes the minute I realized what it was. The captured men had taken their government issued army green socks and positioned them into the shape of a Christmas tree on the wall of their tiny prison. They were imprisoned but their hearts were filled with thoughts of family celebration and the love they left behind.

Billy Joel is quoted as saying:
"The good ole days weren't always good and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems"

When it comes to war, the past is sometimes painful, but it is something we must never forget. 

It is amazing to me that in this huge pavilion lies every emotion. There is pride, pain, laughter, joy, and right now a celebration of teamwork, hard work and family. It is not easy to get so much between the walls of one building, but here it is tonight for us to experience.

Eric played his beautiful songs with a smile. I could see his excitement as he looked around at huge helicopters and airplanes, ground support vehicles and so much more. For a musician, it has to be awesome to be able to perform in the middle of all those things that represent great power and strength. For me it feels like touching the past as it is sitting all around us.

As I stepped out at the end of the evening, I glanced up at the stars and I felt the spirits of those I lost so many years ago. When I arrived home, I went straight to the letters for a touch.

This was a happy night, a night of remembrance. An evening filled with love, great food and music. I am so proud to have experienced yet another show that rebooted my soul.

Support Your Local Talent

If a person loves live music, original music and a quiet area that allows them to really hear the words and soak them in, the places that provide this are few and far between. House Concerts are the best, however a couple of public places are popping up that provide this too.

The Listening Room at 78 St Francis Street in downtown Mobile is devoted to the performer and puts the spotlight on them. It is small, nothing fancy to look at, except the art on the walls that was painted by local arts. Jim Pennington provides the place because he loves local talent and he wants to bolster this talent and give them a place to shine. 

In addition to the music, Jim Pennington provides a place for local artists to display their art and sell their art.  Occasionally Jim will have art exhibits that feature one artist, i.e. Robby Amonett who paints music scenes as they happen, in order to capture that moment in time. Robby’s art is unique and very special. He is a retired professional bull rider as well, if you see him painting at a music event, talk to him, he is an interesting guy for sure. I was recently there when Jim featured paintings by Ryan Balthrop.  Ryan is not only a fabulous musician and songwriter, he is a phenomenal artist. Check him out at southernwindowart.com; you will thank me later because he is absolutely the real deal! His paintings are done on actual windows and it makes you feel you are seeing this beautiful scene outside your own window. This young man is on the come-up in his music and his art; grab some of his music and paintings while you can still afford it.

The Listening Room does support art, but primarily it is there to support local and regional music. It allows a match-up of music makers and music lovers which is a perfect marriage. It provides a place where you can relax, and hear the story behind the song, then better understand that song as it is being presented. It is a place where one can be surrounded by like-minded music lovers and spend a few hours soaking it in; its an uplifting time for everyone.

As a town that has more than their share of talent, we must appreciate the people, like Jim Pennington who RECOGNIZE our talented folks and stretch their hand out to provide them a hand up.

In Fairhope there is a place called The Book Cellar, which is part of Page & Palette Bookstore and coffee shop. The Book Cellar, at this time, has music every Monday night. They bring in local musicians (usually solo, singer/songwriter type acts). There is no cover, there is a full bar with a sweet and beautiful bartender named Molly (who happens to also be a great musician). 

Every Monday for a month The Book Cellar features the same musician from 5-7pm. This allows everyone an opportunity to check them out while balancing their schedule. If they love the music and have room on their schedule, they can return to see them for all the Mondays in that month. The first Monday of each month a new musician will start their month of Mondays. These artists do not come here just for the money, it is not alot. However, the people of Fairhope are very generous and normally the artist makes as much in those two hours (through tips), as they make at a 3 or 4 hour show at a noisy venue. The real plus is that it is a listening room type atmosphere. Everyone is gracious, respectful and they cling to every word the musician sings.

These shows in Fairhope are special to the musicians and the music-lovers who attend. There is no noisy banter, smoke-filled room, pool tables with balls clanging, no screaming or loud voices that drown out the talent. It is a time and a place dedicated to our precious, talented musicians and it restores their souls. It helps them to rejuvenate, charge their batteries, and find a place of remembrance of why they are in this business. As the mother of a musician (Eric Erdman), I can tell you that it restores my faith in people. For me personally, I love books and I love live original music, so The Book Cellar and Page & Palette in Fairhope is awesomeness from the front door to the exit.

These two places are where you can go to forget all of the hate and frustrations in this topsy-turvy world. These are places that will crank your tractor and drive you right back to happy!

Support The Listening Room in Mobile and The Book Cellar on Mondays in Fairhope.

The local musicians will be forever grateful!

Here I am

Driving up the steep ramp onto the USS Alabama Battleship is something that never gets old. My son Eric Erdman has played on the deck of the Battleship many times and it continues to hold a place of respect and honor for me as men once fought for our freedom on this vessel and some lost their fight. I can feel the presence of greatness that lives here.

The event on the battleship last night was a gathering of people connected to Lifelines Counseling Services of Mobile. This program provides family counseling, rape and injury counseling, marriage counseling, financial counseling, pretty much any help like that you may need. I met people who served in different capacities for this wonderful service. There were officers and board members, speakers, counselors, office personnel, retired workers and contributors in attendance who proudly serve our community via Lifelines Counseling. I cannot recall ever meeting a more excited, eager group of people. I listened to them toast their success and honor certain ones in the group for going the extra mile. I listened as they said they had served over 19,000 people in need in our community last year. That is impressive.

We all have burdens on our shoulders, some greater than others and sometimes the load breaks us down and slows our pace. What a blessing to have people available to help us get a perspective on things and look to the promise of tomorrow with great anticipation. Often we feel like pack mules our load gets so heavy; these are the people who lighten that load while lifting our spirits. Counseling when its needed is as important as food when we are hungry. Food restores our bodies and counseling restores our spirit and our joy. It feels so good to know these services are available to those who could not otherwise afford it. Having the opportunity to meet some of these delightful people at Lifelines Counseling of Mobile was an honor.

They had Eric start off at the bow of the ship where a “toasting” area was set up complete with champagne, finger foods and smartly decorated standing tables. (Beer was also available). Eric played soft, mostly instrumental music for this meeting of new arrivals. After the toast was done and things were ready on the stern side of the ship, it was announced that dinner was ready and everyone made their way to the other end. Eric broke down his PA and gear, loaded it on a dolley and we rushed to the other end of this mighty ship to set up for the main show.

No one actually danced, but a few of the ladies began to feel the music in their hips and feet as they stood and talked. One person stood out in the crowd, she was a beautiful lady in white slacks who came to tell Eric how much she enjoyed the music.

At the end of the night, it was fascinating to me as I watched them breakdown the dining area. There was fine china, magnificent centerpieces, including a chandelier on the main table up front. One table featured cobalt blue stemware that I would love to have taken home with me. Everyone there was given original pieces of art created by local artists  (paintings were given to me and Eric as well). 

Many people came to speak to Eric about how much they liked his music. Several asked for business cards for future opportunities.

Now were were done and had the PA and guitar all packed to go. We waited for a van being packed with so many items that had been used that night  and that was now blocking the path to the ramp. As we waited, I looked upward. The skies were so fabulous I felt like I could almost see heaven. Then as I looked around, the water glistened with the light of the moon hitting each tiny wave and ripple. The brightly colored lights on the RSA building downtown screamed “look at me” and the incomparable battleship, on whose deck I stood, stole the whole show. 

Here I am just a girl from Alabama. Here I am in a town that is growing, improving and is filled with great people. Here I am standing on history with beauty and greatness all around me. I am so proud to say my name is Juanita and this is my world!

It was Not a Luau...it was better!

“A Pig Roast”…the words bounced around in my head and there were thoughts of a Hawaiian Luau themed party. In my mind were beautiful young ladies in grass skirts and coconut bra-type tops swinging their hips rapidly to the sound of hands pounding on drums and ukuleles sweetly holding them to a rhythm as voices chant a story of Polynesian warriors returning from the sea.

“Hold on Juanita, this is a Pig Roast in Selma, Alabama”…(the little voice in my head jerked me back to reality abruptly).

My son Eric Erdman (a musician) and I were headed towards an unknown adventure. Neither of us had any idea what to expect. The person who booked him for this show gave no real details that guided our minds..all we knew was it was “A Pig Roast” in Selma, Alabama. It had been on his calendar for months and each time I checked the calendar I paused as I read, “Pig Roast”.

Headed north on Highway 43, I remembered the trips I had taken on this same road as a child when we went to Winfield, Alabama to see my maternal grandparents and other relatives in the area. Such happy memories filled my head as I drove and immediately I could see that most of the area along this highway had changed. The little country road now becomes a four-lane highway for great lengths of the way. 

Once we got off the main highway, we would lose connection on our GPS and hold our breath in hopes of it returning so that we could get to the Spencer Farm in plenty of time for this event. The Gods were with us and GPS popped on, guiding us down long one lane roads for many miles. We even passed a sign that warned “ROUGH ROAD”. This was something we had not seen before and oddly enough, the miles just passed the sign were the smoothest.

While on the one lane road we passed bee-hives, farm animals of all kinds; we even observed at least one peacock along the way! I just knew at this point we were headed towards FUN.

Once we arrived at our destination, there was relief. Everything was set up fabulously on part of this huge farm owned by the Spencer Family. There was an enormous campfire type area that was surrounded by huge stones in a circle. There was a massive lake that looked so peaceful and sported a nice wharf to walk on and get a closer look. There was a 25 foot work of art that had the influence of American Indian Culture and at the top, it said “Welcome to Shangri-La!” 

Spencer Farm CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) is family operated and they produce vegetables, meat, eggs and honey completely free of synthetic chemicals. 

One of the largest tented areas I have seen contained many tables that bore beautiful white linen tablecloths and centerpieces of wildflowers in wonderful vases. Each place setting included real china and silver utensils (unusual out in the yard like this, I thought); each had a program with a menu inside and a beautiful napkin that included similar printing to the menus. This program explained that everything we would eat was grown on the farm(chemical-free). A 30 foot bar with waiters and bartenders all in matching tops, greeted us with smiles. They offered a huge array of liquors from beers to wines to mixed concoctions of your choice. Plus there was even a lemonade that included beet juice and rum. Eric tried that one (he asked me to taste it and see what I thought). I tried it but I will stick to my diet coke.

It was my first time to eat okra fritters with a sauce of maple syrup and thai sauce. (That was oddly delicious!) The grits with goat cheese was my favorite, followed closely by the muscadine tart with a dollop of homemade whip cream. 

The guests who came, paid $100 a plate and were proud to support such a cause.

Hundreds of people were there and I knew none of them. Most looked very upscale and were nicely dressed, also they were warm and welcoming. I learned that Chip Spencer (the owner) is a person who is constantly looking for ways to help his community. He is a sponsor of the community garden in downtown Selma and this was a fund raiser to help with that project. This was the third annual Pig Roast for the garden project. 

I met people who live on the farm who were displaced from the Louisiana flooding. They had lost everything and Mr. Spencer heard their stories and invited them to stay and be a part of his program. He also has a joint program with the local community college here and they offer a popular internship to the students for real experience and education on Spencer farm.

Night had come upon us, the keynote speaker had finally completed his talk (my personal opinion is it was WAY too long)…but he was done and everyone walked down closer to the lake and the firepit to take their places for the entertainment. 

Mr. Spencer is also a musician. He had his upright base and his guitar at the ready when the music part of the evening commenced. His 16 year old daughter (he introduced her as VK), played the violin like a pro and her singing voice was fabulous. It did not hurt that she is also gorgeous. In addition to them, there were three other musicians from different parts of Alabama, including my son. 

The show did not include hula girls, nor ukuleles, nor hands slapping drums, there were no stories of Polynesian warriors returning; but it was still an inspirational story.

I saw beautiful sights, I ate good food, I met wonderful, caring people who were helping other people. The people of Selma, through Spencer Farm CSA support one another; and support people who are in need throughout the south (i.e. flood victims from Louisiana).  I am impressed at the outreach and their reach up for help and reach down to give it where it is needed. Thank you to the Spencer family and the community they represent.

Humanity took a front seat in Selma, Alabama and I was honored to be along for the ride!

Mighty Proud I went!

It was an earlier start for us; these words were moving through my mind as I watched the scenery pass and “Welcome to Mississippi” was on the sign I read moments earlier. Our destination was still a good distance away. We would cross Mississippi, then Louisiana and find our place in Texas by the early afternoon.

Through a  series of texts with Eric, our friend Steve Belcher (who lives in Louisiana), learned we were approaching his city and he met us for lunch in Louisiana at a wonderful cafe filled with brightly colored pictures; all included a large dog. The cafe was named The Blue Dog Cafe and it had great, spicy, seafood dishes as you might expect in Louisiana. Steve bought our lunch, which was a sweet surprise. He grew up with a musician that we loved who is no longer living, Mr. Hank Becker. How could you not love someone who loved Hank Becker?

Getting off the interstate to meet our friend, caused us to pass homes and neighborhoods in Louisiana and it was an eye opener. I was fully aware of their flooding months ago and so many lost so much. Our area had many benefit shows and other events that raised funds and needed necessities for those in that area. Yet as time passes we tend to push that behind us and move on with life. I could see piles of household debris (old mattresses, broken furniture, and unrecognizable destruction).  Their loss and heartbreak was piled high at the curbs and I was shocked into the reality that many people in Louisiana are still hurting, still living the nightmare and braving it through on their own. The people of this area are strong of character, not afraid of hard work and genuinely nice folks! Their plight was heavy on my mind.

It was early afternoon and we were in the great state of Texas. This show would take place at a well known venue in Kemah, Texas; just outside of Houston. It is called T-Bone Tom’s and the event is sponsored by Pirates and Poets society.

This area of the world had not seen or heard of Eric Erdman until a few weeks prior to the show when a popular local radio station did an hour-long interview with Eric. They recorded and aired this interview and they followed up by playing Eric’s original music on the station on a regular rotation for weeks. It worked!

The place was packed and people we had never seen were calling out requests for his music. Many in the crowd sang along with his songs and they were eager to hear more. Now that is how a show in a new town should work!

Some of Eric’s cousins who recently moved to Galveston drove over for the show and a couple from Mobile that moved to Houston about 4 years ago; came and brought a group of their friends. So, we felt like we had a part of home with us even though we were three states away!

This small town is right on the water and yachts lined the basins in huge numbers. The homes were huge, modern and nice in every direction. There were some local restaurants and bars that had unusual names, i.e. “Tookie’s”; whose sign outside boasted, “We love big buns and we cannot lie!” It brought a big smile to our faces. The people here are true original music lovers and they are an attentive, listening crowd that is also very enthusiastic! They laugh at the appropriate points and clap during the song if it is a part they love. To me it is like musician heaven!

The next morning we were rolling west, back to sweet home Alabama. The trip was wonderful! We made new friends. Eric has new fans. The journey was great and we saw lots of things along the way. Before we left Louisiana on the way back, we pulled off the interstate as our appetites and intrigue fell prey to the billboard signs we read for miles, “TRY OUR HOMEMADE CRACKLIN’ AND BOUDIN BALLS!” We did just that and we were not disappointed. Prior to that experience I had had cracklin’ only twice in some cornbread my grandmother made. I was not a fan. But this was in a sack like chips or popcorn (Yes a brown greasy looking sack, but still a sack and not in cornbread). This cracklin' was awesome! I am glad we only got a small bag because we would have eaten a HUGE bag if we had gotten it and that is too much grease for anyone to consume.

Though our trip was wonderful in so many ways; so was the view of my own driveway and the sight of my own bed. 

This was another adventure in this life of mine and I am mighty proud to have been able to go.