-David Doggett for ACME
Association
of Cajun Music Enthusiasts
Birmingham, Ala.
===== Sloss Furnaces
Dance this Friday =====
Friday
evening (Friday, Aug. 20) T-Broussard &
the Zydeco Steppers will perform for
a zydeco dance at the Sloss Furnaces "Stokin'
the Fire" BBQ & Music
Festival. Friday night admission is $11 at the gate, plus a $3 parking
fee. We'll be at the Water Tower stage dancing
on a concrete dance surface, so wear tennis shoes or other rugged shoes. Gates
open at 6:00 p.m. and there will be food, soft drinks, and beer available for
purchase. There will be metal folding chairs there, but you can bring your own
comfy lawn chair if you like. Bring a cup or water bottle for free ice water,
too. Dolores and I will offer a beginning zydeco lesson from 6:20 -
7:00 if there are any takers; come early and help out with the dance workshop.
T-Broussard will play from 7-10 p.m.
The
festival organizers think that if the weather is bad, the band and dancing can
be moved to under the SlossFurnace
viaduct. Keep your fingers crossed that won't be necessary. This
festival is a fundraiser for Sloss Furnaces.
The idea for this event came about in 2008 when the
the Sloss Furnaces festival organizers got in touch and suggested we
bring our ACME dance to their annual BBQ and music festival. We did and
Willis Prudhomme played that first year and it was a wonderful
night. Sloss Furnaces is a national historic landmark as an
industrial museum and it was such a cool place to have a dance. Last year
was another fun dance (featuring T-Broussard who
will be returning for this year's festival).
T-Broussard is a fast-rising
star from Jennings, Louisiana who learned to play
accordion from his mother and she learned from her two famous uncles --
"Bois Sec" Ardoin and Carlton Frank. "T" was
recognized in the 2003 Zydeco Music and Creole Heritage Awards with
nominations for Best Accordion, Best Singer, and Best Entertainer!
When "T" played
here before, his sets included a medley of 60's tunes performed
as zydeco. One dancer e-mailed me later: "They never cease to amaze
me. I never thought I would zydeco to 'Stand By Me' but it
worked." This band will surprise you -- and always in a good way.
Here is a link to photos that John Krupsky took at
last year's Stokin' the Fire BBQ Festival which featured T-Broussard's zydeco band.
These photos will give you an idea of the interesting site we have for this
dance.
===== Special Zydeco Events Calendar =====
Saturday, Sept. 25 - Lil' Malcolm & the House Rockers at
the Irondale Whistle Stop Festival, 20th Street and 1st Ave. South, Irondale, 7-10 p.m., free.
Dancing on asphalt in the parking lot near the Irondale caboose.
Saturday, Oct. 16 - Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble plus Zydeco T at the Attalla Heritage Day, Attalla, Ala., afternoon, free. Street dance.
===== ACME Dance Schedule
=====
Friday, Sep. 10 - Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys (Kelly Ingram VFW)
Friday, Oct. 29 - Chris Miller & Bayou
Roots (Cajun Halloween party, Concordia Club)
Friday, Nov. 12 - Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys (Kelly Ingram VFW)
Friday, Dec. 3 - Jambalaya Cajun Band (Concordia Club)
Friday, Jan. 7 - Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble (Concordia Club)
Friday, Feb. 4 - Dennis Stroughmatt & Creole Stomp (Concordia Club)
Dances are at the Concordia Club (3400 1st Ave. N.)
or Kelly Ingram VFW (1801 11th Ave. N.). BYOB is permitted at Concordia but not at the VFW. Dances run from 8-11
p.m., $13/person.
===== Dance Classes at Vestavia Hills Civic Center =====
Whiskey River Jitterbug - Aug. 16, 18, 23 (Prerequisite: Mamou I and Mamou II; $15/$10 to repeat)
Intro to Zydeco - Sept. 13, 15
(Prerequisite: none; $10/$7 to repeat)
Beginning Bop - Sept. 27, 29, Oct. 4
(Prerequisite: some dance experience; $15/$10 to repeat)
Bop II - Oct. 11, 13, 20
(Prerequisite: Beginning Bop; $15/$10 to repeat)
Intermediate Cajun Waltz
& Two-step - Oct. 25, 27 (Prerequisite: Beginning Cajun Dance; $10/$7 to
repeat)
Intro to Zydeco - Nov. 1, 3
(Prerequisite: none; $10/$7 to repeat)
Zydeco II - Nov. 8, 8
(Prerequisite: Intro to Zydeco; $10/$7 to repeat)
Class location: Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1973 Merryvale Rd.,
Dogwood Room from 7:00-8:30 p.m. each night. Instructors:
Dolores Hydock and David Doggett. Simply arrive 10-15 minutes
early to register before the initial class of each session. Please try to
attend all sessions of a two or three night class. You may attend classes
with or without a dance partner. Check web site www.acmedance.org for full class
descriptions. Call if you have questions (David Doggett, 951-3463).
===== Magical Mysteries of Zydeco Tour =====
Friday-Monday, September 3-6 in Lafayette, La. and surrounding areas. $285.00 from Birmingham includes round trip bus
transportation and hotel room based on double occupancy. Also includes dinner
before private concert with Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie.
Contact organizer Kay Wright at zydecotour2010@hotmail.com for more
information. It's getting down to the wire to sign up, so act now.
People who have gone before have had a fantastic experience. Great way to
see and dance your way through Louisiana - especially if it's your first
time to visit Cajun/Creole country.
===== Sad News: Tommy
Taylor =====
it is reported that Tommy spent "every
Father's Day weekend hanging out in the Dance Tent at City Stages." Tommy
discovered ACME in 1995 and was active as recently as a year ago when he took a
refresher zydeco class. He was an avid mountain climber, nature hiker, and
marathon runner who seemed to live life to its fullest.
I'm sorry I didn't learn of Tommy's passing in
time to alert those of you who might have wished to attend the visitation with
his family. You might want to send a card to his sister at this address: Lois Whitten, 1613 Colesbury Circle, Birmingham, AL 35226.
===== ACME New and
Renewing Members =====
Keeping your membership
current is an important way to keep ACME funded and this music coming to town.
You can join or renew a membership by sending a check for $10 to ACME, 5274 Paramont Drive, Birmingham, AL 35210. You
can also fill out a membership form at a dance class or ACME dance. Let us know
if you would like to receive e-mail only, postcard only, or both types of ACME
notices.
Many thanks to these people
who have renewed or joined ACME in the last few weeks:
Gary & Carolyn Bishop (Tuscaloosa), Janet
Cochran, Holley & Nell Cooper (Warrior), Mary
& Randy Dillard, Lucy Dingledy,
Toni Dutton, Debbie & Sherm Dye, Sharon Hines, Viki Hinkle,
Larry Jennings, Brent Lambiotte,
Elaine Miller (Ashville), Cheryl Todd, Lance & Mary White (Moody), Lynne
Wilbanks, and Ginny Wistuk.
=====
Info: Sloss Furnaces Stokin' the Fire BBQ and Music Festival
=====
Directions from
the Concordia Club: If you can first find
the Concordia Club (at First Ave. North and 34th Street in
downtown Birmingham) then drive to 2nd Avenue North which is the street just
behind the Concordia Club. Head West on 2nd Ave. N. (heading toward
downtown). Drive about 2 blocks to the stop sign. Drive straight across and
enter the gates of the Sloss Furnaces site where you can park in a
field (there is a $3 parking
fee).
Directions from
I-59/I-20: From I-59/I-20 take the 31st Street exit (exit # 126-B) and
at the traffic light turn south onto 31st Street (toward Red Mountain
and Vulcan). (Note: Don't be confused by the Highway 31 exit, look for
the31st Street exit.). On 31st Street
you will cross 10th, 8th, 7th, and 6th Avenue, then turn left onto the Messer Airport Highway.
Go one block (you will drive under two railroad trestles) and take the next
right onto 33rd Street.
Drive to the light and turn right onto 2nd Avenue North. Drive 1 block to the
stop sign at 32nd Street.
Drive straight across and enter the gates of the Sloss Furnaces site
where you can park in a field (there is a $3 parking
fee).
What to bring
to Sloss Furnaces: 1) tennis shoes or rugged shoes to dance
in on concrete surface, 2) water bottle or cup for free ice water, 3) lawn
chairs (optional) if you would rather not sit on the metal folding chairs
provided, 4) money to purchase food and beer that will be available at this BBQ
festival.