Off The Charts: Alabama Smoke Show

Bud Gambrell

Aug 1, 2024

Alabama Smoke Show proves that the future of music in Huntsville is bright!

On June 20, 2024, I booked a photography gig for the Alabama Smoke Show at the VBC Mars Music Hall in Huntsville, Alabama. At that time, I wasn't sure what it would be. I thought that I was booking just another show. To my surprise, this was more than just another show.

As I looked closer at the lineup, I saw some familiar names. Several artists I knew were playing. You may have become familiar with Brandon Elder in my last article, and you’ll hear more from him in this piece.

Yours truly arrived early to learn more about the Alabama Smoke Show, where I found my way backstage to spend time with old friends and make some new ones. Of course, one of the people I had to hunt down was my new friend, Brandon Elder. After my last article on Brandon, our paths crossed several more times in public. Isn't it wild how life works sometimes? I pulled Brandon aside first and asked his view on The Alabama Smoke Show.

Alabama Smoke Show at VBC Mars Music Hall in Huntsville, Alabama — Credit: Bud Gambrell

OTC: Brandon, what have you been up to since we last spoke?

BE: Man, I'm just gigging and trying to stay out there. I've been looking forward to this show!

OTC: For those who may not know, tell us what the Alabama Smoke Show is.

BE: So, I think this is the first year that they've done the Smoke Show, and it's just a lot of local, good guys just coming together and trying to put some country music together that people will enjoy. It's also a chance for all the local artists that play to take a breath for a minute and get to hang out and just have a night together. We don't get to see each other a whole lot. We all know each other, but we never see each other. We're all playing at different venues, so the Alabama Smoke Show is where we can get together, have a good night, and play music.

OTC: There is a lot of talent on that stage tonight. What does it mean to you to be playing on that stage tonight?

BE: Honestly, I'm just happy to be here! Most of the guys who will be on stage tonight are buddies of mine. There are only a couple of them that I have never met. Three of them went to the same high school I went to, so it's fun to be with these guys who share my interests, enjoy the music, and have a good time.

As I was hanging out backstage talking to the artists, I managed to find the organizer for the Smoke Show. When I learned who it was and dug deeper, I was surprised by a few things, mainly his age. At 18 years old, Jonah Evans put together The Alabama Smoke Show. Unbelievable. Jonah organized the event, booked the bands, and sang in the headlining band. He has been super busy leading up to the Smoke Show.

OTC: What led you to want to organize The Alabama Smoke Show?

JE: I'd say there are just a lot of young guys in Huntsville, in the North Alabama area, that people have turned their heads to because we're, you know, we're young. We should be heard because we are talented musicians, and I think we can hang with pretty much anybody. I want to let it be known.

OTC: How did you decide on the artists to invite?

JE: We opened for 5ive O'clock Charlie in Falkville, so I've been friends with Mike for about two years, and he told me he had a son named Jude. And then I knew Dylan through Jude because they were in a band called the Debriefers. Brandon and I went to the same elementary and high schools. I found Caleb on TikTok and became good friends with him. Then Dawson Slade I saw him on American Idol. He's my age, and he's good! And then Kade Pierce hit me on Facebook a while ago and wanted to write something. He's got some pretty dad-gum good songs, so I'll have him out for the writer's round. And then came Kam [Jones], who was big in the Huntsville scene, and Jude told me I must get this guy because he's got some pretty good songs, too. I love original music, so anybody who can write a good song will like it, and I will try to help them out the best I can.

Alabama Smoke Show at VBC Mars Music Hall — Credit: Bud Gambrell

OTC: Now, Jonah, walk me through the process and the time it took to put this all together.

JE: OK, I had this big show idea about a month and a half ago for a prominent global young artist showcase, and I wanted it to include everyone young and coming up—you know, the next generation of young Huntsville staples. I tried everywhere I thought would say yes, and my last shot was the Von Braun Center. I just sent the email, man, and it went straight from there.

OTC: You must be kidding me! With this much talent, this show took only a month and a half to assemble.

JE: Yeah, that was a month and a half of work. I did a lot of behind-the-scenes work, but we sold out the whole top row about an hour after tickets went on sale. It'll have a bigger turnout next year. I know it. Don't get me wrong, it was a great turnout this year, especially for something only advertised for a month, but I anticipate bigger crowds. The plan is to get a date down in December next year, and we'll have a lot more time to advertise.

While I was hanging out backstage, I ran into Bill Neal. Our ventures are similar because we both aim to promote artists and music. Bill runs a podcast called Pickletato. Trust me on this. It is a fun podcast. I will leave a link at the end of the story.

OTC: Bill, tell me what you are doing tonight representing the Pickletato podcast.

BN: So, tonight was the first time we went live. We were going to go live on YouTube, but we had some technical issues we weren't prepared for. We tried testing this out two or three days ago but couldn't get YouTube to work for reasons beyond our control. We were able to go live on Facebook, though. We just wanted to show people familiar with us some backstage stuff happening and get people out here for the Alabama Smoke Show.

OTC: What is the overall goal for your podcast?

BN: The overall goal is to get the podcast as big as possible. Once again, it's not selfish; the reason is that when somebody comes on the podcast, we want them to be exposed as much as possible. We're not getting any income from this. It's all on us. That shows people that we're not doing it to become Joe Rogan or anything like that. The main goal for the editor and I is that when we bring someone on the show, it will show their talent and story.

OTC: Tell me how Pickletato began and why you do it.

BN: My son and I discussed it in October and November 2023. Something happened to me that made me think, man, I know many people who have some great stories, and I needed to get these people out there because they should be famous for their actions. Some of their stories are just phenomenal.

OTC: After launching it, have you changed how you produce the podcast?

BN: If you compare the first season to what we're doing now regarding the intros, the outros, and the editing, the video is much better than it was in the first season. It has turned into something that we're proud of. So, we initially talked to a couple of people around here. 'Hey man, I want to start a podcast, but I want to do it because I want to get your story out there.' We just started talking to people, and they agreed. We didn't want any money, while we didn't have any money. After the first season, we're like, man, we got some excellent stories here. Let's step our game up with each season. So, for the second season, we invested in better cameras, and this season, we did some lighting, so we're deep into it now.

Regarding funding, we're still not monetized on YouTube or anything. We're doing it independently to get people's stories out there. It's not about us. It's about the people we're interviewing, and that's the big reason why we're doing it.

A couple of the band members I was familiar with were the singer and guitarists for The Alabama Heathens. I first met Jude Roberts through his father, Mike. Mike is a long-time staple in the Huntsville Music Scene. Off The Charts may have an article coming up sometime in the future that will feature Mike.

While backstage, I pulled Dylan and Jude aside from the band The Debriefers because I had previously met them while filming a music video for another well-known local band.

We had a great conversation; read more below.

OTC: Jude, what does it mean to you to share the stage with all this talent at Mars Music Hall?

JR: I'm honored to be able to play on this stage. I've seen a lot of acts that I look up to on that stage, like Gov't Mule. I've seen Drive-By Truckers, Gary Clark Jr., and Primus. All these big-name acts have shared this stage, and I'm honored to be able to share it. It is truly an honor! If you told me a year ago that I'd be playing in Mars Music Hall, I would have called you crazy!

OTC: What do you like most about the life of a musician, and what do you like the least?

JR: The music! It doesn't matter if you've had a bad day. But if I have a terrible day and go practice or play a gig, that makes me feel better because it's what I love to do. I wouldn't trade it for anything else. Driving home from Muscle Shoals at 3:00 in the morning is not very fun, though.

OTC: What was the funniest thing that happened to you while you were on stage?

JR: At a frat party in Birmingham, AL, I was playing, and somebody came up and licked my guitar mid-solo. I continued to play, and it was getting licked simultaneously. And then, not even five minutes later, you see them vomiting across the floor. I did not let him lick my guitar again.

OTC: I’m not sure what to say to that. That is an insane story. (laughs) Dylan, what does it mean to you to be playing here tonight?

DJ: Man, it feels great! We're stoked to get this opportunity. We never thought we'd be here this soon. All my idols have been here, so it's very special to me. It means a lot! I'm stoked! Alabama Heathens have been a band for about a year, so closing out our big July run by playing at Mars Music Hall is very special!

OTC: What got you into music?

DJ: I listened to records. When I was growing up, my father always had some music on the record player.

OTC: What is it about music that makes you feel passion?

DJ: The energy of the songwriting. If you hear an in-depth songwriter, you can almost feel like you've walked in their shoes.

As we approached showtime, I asked Brandon Elder about his mental preparation for a performance.

OTC: Do you follow a process or ritual to prepare for the stage?

BE: You would need more time to put it in the article. (laughs) I'm just kidding. I can tell you what we've done all day. We sound-checked, and once everybody finished sound-checking, we had some pizza and then wrote a song. We hung out and jammed, had a few beers, and had fun with the day and the event.

OTC: You all wrote a song backstage? Tell me a little about it or who was involved.

BE: Every artist in the Alabama Smoke Show was in the room. It was a song that I had had an idea for. I had four lines written for the song. We were bouncing the ideas off each other, and I said, hey, I got this song, and everybody liked it, and we just rolled with it. It's not finished, but it's close, so hopefully, you'll hear that soon.

Later in the evening, Brandon asked me if I wanted to hear a new song. You know I did!

Honestly, I had no idea what I was about to hear. Brandon, accompanied by fiddle player Joanne Moger, began to play a song called House Divided for me. I am glad no one took a picture of me during that song because you would have seen my jaw all the way on the ground! It was a fantastic song, and I hope you will hear it soon. Be on the lookout!

Backstage was like a cast of characters, and I loved every moment. Another musician I was previously familiar with was Kam Jones. Kam is a songwriter in Huntsville. He can be found playing in town solo or with his full band. I have enjoyed seeing both, and he is truly remarkable.

I swore I wouldn't tell this part of the night, but why not? Before I started my recorder to do the interview, Kam twisted my arm. I mean, he had it twisted high and tight to do a shot of whiskey with him. I tried to say no, but he insisted. Ok, maybe he didn’t have to twist my arm all that much. Read on below.

OTC: Kam, tell me a little about the Alabama Smoke Show from your perspective.

KJ: Jonah approached me to do this, as did everybody else. As far as I know, this was an idea that he put together. It is his brainchild. He's gathered some incredibly talented songwriters and performers here tonight to put on a hell of a show.

OTC: Now, Kam, you have already played your set. Tell me what it was like up there.

KJ: It was very joyous and a lot of fun! I felt like I had some good friends up there, and we were having a good time. Everything was light and loose!

OTC: Do you have anything coming up that you would like to tell us about?

KJ: My single, ' Southern Weather, ' is coming out on August 28th, and I'll be all over town in the meantime.

OTC: Where can we find the new single?

KJ: You can find it anywhere you listen to music. My grandmother says Spoofify, but it's called Spotify.

At first sight, the Alabama Smoke Show could have been brushed aside by most fans due to the age of the musicians. Please take my word for it: this event had the caliber of seasoned artists way beyond their years. Hopefully, this will be an annual event; I will watch for the dates if it returns next year.

It's not often that I get to hang out backstage. My role as a photographer is usually at the front of the house or in the pit, but tonight, I arrived early to hang out backstage and talk to the artists I knew, and I’m glad I did. I encountered a remarkable group of people, and I can’t thank them enough for talking with me.

After the night, one conclusion was clear: Huntsville has always been rich in talent. The youth on stage proved that the legacy and future of Huntsville's Music Scene are safe. The rising stars who performed at Mars Music Hall will carry the music torch in Huntsville for years. I know it.

Thank you for stopping by and staying with me for this latest edition of Off the Charts! As always, please drop me an email with your thoughts. Please tell me what you like or dislike about the column and articles. You may even have an idea for a future article; email me.

Somebody, please send me an email. Getting an email up and running costs millions of dollars, and mine needs to be used!

Just kidding. It didn’t cost millions, but I have your attention now.

I would like to hear from you! Reach out! Help me shine a light on all our great talents in Alabama and beyond!

Until next time,

Keep your diamond down in the groove!

Questions or comments? Hit us up at mixedalternativemag@gmail.com.

Off The Charts: Alabama Smoke Show

Where to find Bud:

Where to find Brandon Elder:

Where to find Jonah Evans:

Where to find Kam Jones:

Where to find The Alabama Heathens:

Where to find Jude Roberts:

Where to find Dylan Johnson:

Where to find Pickletato: