http://www.offbeatauburn.com Who says that nothing ever happens in Auburn? Mon, 06 Jun 2011 05:00:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 There is a rich arts and cultural life in Opelika and Auburn, but sometimes the people behind it are so busy doing the things that enrich our community that they don’t have the time or the resources to let us know what they’re doing. That’s where OffbeatAuburn.com comes in. Our hope is to provide a quick, convenient, and entertaining resource to find the events and destinations in our community that make Opelika and Auburn an enriching place to live. Who says that nothing ever happens in Auburn? Offbeat Auburn http://a3.twimg.com/profile_images/710635915/OffbeatAuburn_bigger.jpghttp://www.offbeatauburn.com Offbeat, Auburn, Opelika, Alabama, arts, culture, theatre, music no Kelly Walker kellylwalker@gmail.com http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2011/05/26/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-dana-susan-robinson/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2011/05/26/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-dana-susan-robinson/#comments Thu, 26 May 2011 05:00:45 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1198 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2011/05/26/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-dana-susan-robinson/feed/ 0 We chat with Dana Robinson who is coming to the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series presents Dana & Susan Robinson at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (450 E. Thatch Ave.) on Friday, June 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at the door or at The Gnu’s Room. – Kelly Walker We chat with Dana Robinson who is coming to the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series presents Dana & Susan Robinson at the Unitarian [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2011/05/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-aacts-love-sex-the-irs/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2011/05/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-aacts-love-sex-the-irs/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 19:01:47 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1171 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2011/05/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-aacts-love-sex-the-irs/feed/ 0 We drop by an Auburn Area Community Theatre rehearsal to talk to some of the actors and director of Love, Sex & The IRS. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! When you walk into an Auburn Area Community Theatre rehearsal, it’s not immediately clear who is responsible for doing what because everybody pitches in to do everything. The night that I visited the cast and crew of their spring production, Love, Sex & The IRS, cast, crew, and volunteers were busily dressing the set, often with items of their own. A poster here, a stack of records there, and a grimy New York City apartment starts to come to life. The enthusiasm of the volunteers is infectious and the energy is palpable, which ought to serve this fast-paced comedy well. Auburn Area Community Theatre presents Love, Sex & The IRS on May 13-22 at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center (222 E. Drave Ave.). Tickets are $10, $8 for students and seniors. For reservations, call 334-332-2552 or email AACTReservations@gmail.com We drop by an Auburn Area Community Theatre rehearsal to talk to some of the actors and director of Love, Sex & The IRS. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! When you walk into an Auburn Area Community Theatre [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/11/02/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-gerry-obeirne/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/11/02/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-gerry-obeirne/#comments Tue, 02 Nov 2010 05:00:28 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1147 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/11/02/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-gerry-obeirne/feed/ 0 A Trans-Atlantic visit with the final artist in this year’s Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, Gerry O’Beirne. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The last time Gerry O’Beirne played Auburn it was for a packed “Moondilla” house concert. That was the plan for the Ireland native’s next trip through town, but when the folks at the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series looked at the calendar, they realized there was nothing preventing them from moving the show to their more spacious regular venue at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. The Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series presents Gerry O’Beirne at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (450 E. Thatch Ave.) on Friday, November 5th at 7:30 p.m. – Kelly Walker A Trans-Atlantic visit with the final artist in this year’s Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, Gerry O’Beirne. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The last time Gerry O’Beirne played Auburn it was for a packed [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/28/the-layman-group-presents-art/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/28/the-layman-group-presents-art/#comments Thu, 28 Oct 2010 05:00:31 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1124 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/28/the-layman-group-presents-art/feed/ 0 The cast and director of The Layman Group’s production of Art take a few minutes of valuable rehearsal time to talk about their upcoming performance. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! Art?The title of this article could easily be a declaration of the mission and day-to-day activities of The Layman Group. Just drop by their website and see how many times the word “art” appears. In this case, however, the title describes their next public event. Art is a play by Yasmina Reza. The casting and set are generally straightforward with four essential elements; three men and one very expensive, very problematic canvas. Together they provide all that is needed for an intensive exploration of the meanings of art, friendship, success, and personal fulfillment. Art is The Layman Group’s second offering for Theatre Communication Group’s Free Night of Theatre. Throughout the month of October, theatre companies all over have opened their doors to patrons free or charge for one night in celebration of the thrill of live theatre. The Layman Group presents Art at the Event Center Downtown (614 N. Railroad Ave.) in Opelika on Friday, October 29th at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Tickets may be reserved through the Free Night of Theatre website. – Kelly Walker The cast and director of The Layman Group’s production of Art take a few minutes of valuable rehearsal time to talk about their upcoming performance. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The title of this article [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/21/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-chuck-brodsky/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/21/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-chuck-brodsky/#comments Thu, 21 Oct 2010 05:00:03 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1110 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/21/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-chuck-brodsky/feed/ 0 We visit with the (now) penultimate artist in this season’s Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, Chuck Brodsky. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The folks with the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series say often (and justifiably) that the artists they bring to Auburn are world-class. That was especially true when they booked Chuck Brodsky last season. He was all set for a return visit when the Tai-Aš (This Is Me) festival in Lithuania called. Just a glance at that photo makes it clear it was a gig not to be missed. Still, our own Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is not without its charms. Acoustically, it’s a splendid room. The hospitality and attentiveness of the Sundilla audience is second to none. So, it’s with only a slight delay that Chuck is back for a return engagement. He brings his unique blend of story-telling, social commentary, humanity, and humor. Chuck also brings a new live double-CD appropriately titled Two Sets that he’s released since his last visit. Along with the live CD, Chuck has also been posting some wonderful live videos to YouTube. The Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series presents Chuck Brodsky at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (450 E. Thatch Ave.) on Friday, October 8th at 7:30 p.m. – Kelly Walker We visit with the (now) penultimate artist in this season’s Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, Chuck Brodsky. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The folks with the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series say often (and [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/04/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-cosy-sheridan/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/04/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-cosy-sheridan/#comments Mon, 04 Oct 2010 05:00:07 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1086 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/10/04/offbeat-auburn-podcast-sundilla-acoustic-concert-series-presents-cosy-sheridan/feed/ 0 We visit with the next artist in the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, Cosy Sheridan. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The artists who a appear at the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series are generally a pretty eclectic bunch. Their music usually draws on a diverse collection of influences. Many of them create art beyond the music that brings them to perform in Auburn. Cosy Sheridan is no exception. In recent years she’s developed a one-woman show, The Pomegranate Seed, dealing with issues of body image. She has provided music for best-selling author Robert Fulghum of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten fame. And beyond the usual places you expect a singer songwriter’s music to appear, Cosy’s songs have been featured on The Doctor Demento Show and NPR’s Car Talk. All of which is to say you can probably expect to be taken on quite a journey when Cosy returns to Sundilla this week with her partner TR Ritchie. The Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series presents Cosy Sheridan at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (450 E. Thatch Ave.) on Friday, October 8th at 7:30 p.m. – Kelly Walker We visit with the next artist in the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, Cosy Sheridan. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! The artists who a appear at the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series are generally a pretty [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-singersongwriter-dave-potts/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-singersongwriter-dave-potts/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:01:04 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1052 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-singersongwriter-dave-potts/feed/ 0 Dave Potts stops by to preview his upcoming appearance at the Sundown Concert Series. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! In the interest of full disclosure, I know and sometimes work with Dave Potts. We first met through the Sundilla Acoustic Concert Series, where we both volunteer and Dave performs from time to time. I’ll also be helping out with Dave’s sound when he performs at the Sundown Concert Series on September 23rd. That said, I won’t be there just because I know Dave and I work with Dave and Dave asked. I’ll be there because Dave Potts really is good folk. When it comes to singer/songwriters, he’s as good as they come. Dave has been taken it easy for a while now. As he says on his website, he’s not retired from the road, but he’s played a lot of shows over 15 years of touring and some time at home with family is due. He’ll pick up a show here and there when the gig and timing are right, but for now the audiences at venues like The Birchmere, Kerrville, and the Bluebird Cafe (to name drop just a few of the high-profile stages Dave has graced) will just have to wait. Fortunately, we won’t. Dave Potts performs as part of Auburn Parks and Recreation’s Sundown Concert Series on Thursday, September 23rd, 6:00 p.m. at Kiesel Park. Admission is free. – Kelly Walker Dave Potts stops by to preview his upcoming appearance at the Sundown Concert Series. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! In the interest of full disclosure, I know and sometimes work with Dave Potts. We first met [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-auburn-writers-conference/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-auburn-writers-conference/#comments Mon, 13 Sep 2010 05:00:38 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1065 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/13/offbeat-auburn-podcast-auburn-writers-conference/feed/ 0 Chantel Acevedo gives us an overview of the first annual Auburn Writers Conference. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! My mother-in-law is a professor whose areas of expertise includes children’s literature, but even without having an authority in the family, I know that writing for children is a pretty big deal. Setting aside for a moment the juggernaut that is a certain boy wizard, consider the answers you get when you ask people about their favorite books. Names come up like Austen and Faulkner and Dickens, but so do names like Anne Shirley and Laura Ingalls and Ramona Quimby. They were some of the first friends we shared adventures with and they’re friends we kept for life. The first annual Auburn Writers Conference is titled The Child on the Page. Over two days October 8th and 9th, aspiring writers, published authors, editors, industry professionals and, of course, avid readers will gather in Auburn to talk about the theory and practice of writing for and about children. There will be a little something for everyone, though I have to confess that the workshop “Are You There, Ghouls? It’s Me, Buffy: The Supernatural Coming of Age Story” sounds pretty much irresistible. That one is courtesy of Auburn’s own Rachel Hawkins, author of Hex Hall. The first annual Auburn Writers Conference is October 8th and 9th at the Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center. Sponsors include the Caroline Marshall Draughon Center for the Arts & Humanities, Auburn University College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University English Department, and Truman Pierce Institute, College of Education. Registration is available for the entire conference and each day individually. Chantel Acevedo gives us an overview of the first annual Auburn Writers Conference. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! My mother-in-law is a professor whose areas of expertise includes children’s literature, but [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/09/offbeat-auburn-podcast-woofstock/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/09/offbeat-auburn-podcast-woofstock/#comments Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:00:33 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1042 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/09/offbeat-auburn-podcast-woofstock/feed/ 0 Sydney risks almost certain adoption to get the details on this weekend’s Woofstock at Kiesel Park. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! In my print journalism training I’m taught that brevity is of utmost importance. It’s my job to tell the story quickly and concisely for very busy readers. Brevity was important in my interview with Stacee Peer from the Lee County Humane Society, not for the sake of listeners, but for me. Had I prolonged the interview any longerI probably would have gone home with a car full of dogs and cats. There was a particularly droopy hound dog that caught my attention, and the kittens in the lobby were irresistible. That being said, I probably won’t stay long at Woofstock on Saturday. If I did, I would adopt all the animals and there wouldn’t be any left for you. So please, play with the droopy hound dog and snuggle the kittens for me. I’ll be oohing and aahing from a safe distance. The Lee County Humane Society’s Woofstock 2010 happens Saturday, September 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Kiesel Park. Admission is free, though there is a small fee for some activities. – Sydney Fagen Sydney risks almost certain adoption to get the details on this weekend’s Woofstock at Kiesel Park. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! In my print journalism training I’m taught that brevity is of utmost [...] http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/03/offbeat-auburn-podcast-lonnie-glass-at-the-gnus-room/ http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/03/offbeat-auburn-podcast-lonnie-glass-at-the-gnus-room/#comments Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:00:35 +0000 KellyWalker http://www.offbeatauburn.com/?p=1026 http://www.offbeatauburn.com/2010/09/03/offbeat-auburn-podcast-lonnie-glass-at-the-gnus-room/feed/ 0 Musician Lonnie Glass visits with us in advance of his appearance at The Gnu’s Room. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! Lonnie Glass and my wife turn out to have something unusual in common. My father-in-law is a professor of Southern History. Family vacations for my wife involved a lot of trips to visit a lot of Civil War battlefields. When Lonnie was touring with rock bands, he used to rise early while his bandmates slept off the previous night’s gig (and everything that comes with it), and tour Civil War battlefields, museums, and libraries. These trips were the genesis of Lonnie’s latest album, Chapter of Night, and it was that CD that really caught my attention when Tina told me about his upcoming visit to The Gnu’s Room. When she told me that she was bringing an artist whose latest project was Civil War songs, I assumed vintage music, not originals. But, there’s strong precedent for such a project. Lonnie’s fellow Canadian Robbie Robertson drew on the Civil War for The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” Those years continue to capture our collective imagination, inspire art of all kinds, and even draw a touring musician to the site of battlefield early in the morning for quiet contemplation. The Gnu’s Room (414 S. Gay St.) presents Lonnie Glass on Wednesday, September 8th at 7 p.m. Musician Lonnie Glass visits with us in advance of his appearance at The Gnu’s Room. Just click on the button below to listen or check us out on iTunes! Lonnie Glass and my wife turn out to have something unusual in common. My father-in-law is a [...]