We are heading up to The Standard Deluxe for the Dimmer Twins on Thursday. On Friday, we are going north for a family deal. I have talked the wife into a side trip to Muscle Shoals area on our way up. I have never been and have always been interested in this place for a lot of reasons. I am looking for any information anyone can provide regarding the must see places. I know I want to go by the recording studios, but I don't know if you can actually go in them. Keeping in mind we will only have an afternoon to spend there, can anyone give me any ideas about the area? If you want you can PM or post here.
Dear Mods, I know this isn't exactly DBT related, but I am asking for a little leeway for a long time member as my wife is not really on board with this side trip and I need to make it something more than getting a picture standing next to the studio Thanks bnzz
It's all good. Drop olwiggum a PM as he lives there. Lots of folks here have explored the area and "DBT landmarks" as well including my wife (Lurleen on here). I've been through there but very briefly.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
We've made the 26 mile drive. Circled around to the Wilson Dam. But my high light was the Coon Dog Cemetery west of Tuscumbia. The Music Hall of Fame is pretty cool too.
and that pussy Alec Baldwin blew that girl away, and speaking of pussy Steve got it all!
The Music Hall of Fame is closed, at least for now. Lots of political shit going on there.
Look up the FAME website and call them to see if they do tours. I guess it would all depend on if they have sessions booked or not. I know they have group tours now and then, but I don't know if those are a regular thing or not. You could drop by 3614 Jackson Highway for the original Muscle Shoals Sound building. It just got sold to a group of people (one of them being Rick Hall's son, Rodney) and I think there are efforts to get the building cleaned up and the area behind it as well, so there may be people milling about over there. The newer MSS building down by the river is now occupied by Kelvin Holly (Decoys) and his wife.
You could definitely check out Wilson Dam. It's nearby all of that stuff. But if you're looking for the Zip City area, it's a bit further away on the other side of Florence.
Not a lot to do there.The river is really cool, Wilson Dam pretty amazing (it was biggest dam in world in 1920 when it was built).
I grew up in Florence: Bunyan's BBQ is best in world, (get a BBQ sandwich and a hot dog. Trust me on this, I don't even like hot dogs). Trowbridges is a hot dog, sandwich and soda fountain place on Court St that my grandmother used to eat at as a little girl. Pretty much unchanged, although a little overpriced. If you are into clothes, Billy Reid (GQ designer of the year and countless other international awards) has his flagship store on Court St. He's doing a lot to fix up our downtown area and is big supporter of the music scene.
I've never been to Zip City. Don't think there's any real reason to go unless you live there or are trying to bone someone who does.
In Tuscumbia (one of the 4 towns that make up the Shoals Area) is Helen Keller's birthplace. Ivy Green. The fountain where The Miracle Worker miracle occurred. Tuscumbia is actually the best looking of the 4 towns, very old and historic. Cooley grew up just south of there.
FAME Studios is in Muscle Shoals on corner of Avalon and Woodward Av. There is no downtown MS, it's just a row of strip malls and fast food. FAME is next to a CVS I think. You would need to call ahead to have chance to see anything. It depends on who is there. When The Police played Bonarroo a few years back, Andy Summer and Sting drove down wanting to see the studio. Rick Hall's wife didn't know who they were and turned them away. When Rodney (who pretty much runs it now) got in the next day and saw Gordon Sumner on guest book, he about shit his pants. ("They didn't look like Policemen and I never saw any badges.")
The old Muscle Shoals Sound Studio is in Sheffield on 3614 Jackson Hwy. It was recently purchased and will open as a studio/museum (like Sun in Memphis) and that is a great thing. Right now I don't think it is accessible unless you get lucky. They closed the AL Music Hall of Fame down due to lack of funding (Thanks Alabama Republicans).
There's a shit ton of good and better bands coming up around there, but no really good venues to play so it's hit and miss catching any local live music. If you see The Decoys playing, go, and say HI to my Dad, as he plays bass for them.
There is a lot of golf. (As Isbell once said, they come for the golf, they stay for the cancer).
Have fun, be careful, the cops can be a bitch (wrote a song about it). Patterson
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
bnzz wrote:Thanks for the tips! Marriage just might survive this trip now
bnzz, I'll second Patterson's tip on Bunyan's BBQ btw (got the tip from him in the first place). The hot slaw is awesome as well as the things he mentioned. Oh and there's a park in Tuscumbia that's a really nice place to go for a walk or if you have kids with you I'm sure they'd enjoy it.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved
I read on FB that the FAME studio and MSS will be open for tours soon so you might be in luck. Maybe through Ala Music Hall of Fame (which may or may not be open now).
"If you love Muscle Shoals Music, you will be glad to hear that FAME Studios and 3614 Jackson Highway, (the original Muscle Shoals Sound Studio) are working together to have tours for the public! FAME has just begun tours and MSSS will soon be a partner in these expeditions through the past. Please go to the Fame Recording Studios and Muscle Shoals Sound Studios and "like" their facebook pages to keep up with the news!!!! They will be working together going forward." https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alabamas ... 71?fref=ts
BiloxiParish wrote:I find it awesome that Patterson Hood finds time to check these boards out and answer questions like this.
I agree, i'm still foggy from the Ziggy's weekend, but this jolted my memory of checking into our room Firday. My friends were in an elevator fairly full and I decided to wait on the next one as I was in no hurry. Struck up a conversation with a nice guy with a muscle shoals tshirt on that told me a great story about how he had known Patterson(lived in Florence at the time) since he was 10 and was in charge of the rec center there and would have dances for the kids on weekends. He noticed Patterson wasn't dancing with anyone so he(jay I think) invited Patterson to play records with him. He said Patterson claims that he turned him on to the rolling stones that night, changing his life. He was also quick to point out that this was really Patterson's story, not his! Brown Sugar, I believe....?
Anyway, that was one of the many highlights of my weekend which included going to 2 of the finest rock shows I have seen with 2 best friends I graduated with from high school in 80' and another good friend. All of us have been to DBT shows, but this was the first time we made it together. Saw and talked to 2 other people I went to high school with at the show.
It was an all around GREAT stress reducing weekend, THANKS DBT and to the great folks there.
I did miss seeing Craig.
Did I mention the shows kicked MF ass? Best time I've had since Ashville last year.
I guess this should be in th Ziggy's thread, I'm not good at blogging or whatever it's called!
I've seen my future and I'm scared to close my eyes
