ex-Verbena night at BottleTree

I remember--several years ago--editing a concert review for Tinymixtapes.com about a band named Verbena. As I read the review, I became interested when I learned that the band originated in Alabama, though this particular show was in Chicago. Since then, I have had several conversations with Duquette (Daniel) Johnston and have stuffed my mouth full of chocolate cupcakes alongside Les Nuby, yet only recently have I realized the connection. Small world, they say, small world.

Now, Verbena's ex-lead singer, A.A. Bondy (I think he used to go by "Scott") is getting his material back out there, and all that I've heard of it is lyric-driven and mostly stripped down to acoustic guitar and vocals, a far cry from the Verbena music I was able to track down. Folkies will love these songs for their pretty melodies, and folks in Birmingham can catch Bondy sing some of them live tonight.

Bondy and Johnston will be performing (separately) tonight at Bottletree, along with Red Blondehead favorite Stone Jack Jones from Nashville. The show starts at 9:00 p.m. with the dark, Appalachia-Americana flavored and trippy songs of SJJ, so don't be late!

Here's a preview of A.A. Bondy; these are mixes from his yet-to-be-released record Witness Blues:

Out with the Tide
American Hearts
Some Summer

And here's an older track from Stone Jack Jones' Narcotic Lollipop:

Gloria in Excess

If you haven't yet, check out some of the songs we posted from Duquette Johnston's Etowah a couple of months back.