MTV Live Music Sessions and VH1 Unplugged offer various artists the chance to play their music in a setting other than a concert or recording studio. Whether the musician is a pop or rock performer, these music sessions allow artists to perform acoustically, displaying a different side of their talents.
Tonight, the Bama Theatre will be hosting Seth Glier and Sparrow + the Ghost for an acoustic opportunity of their own. Acoustic Night, which takes place throughout the year at the Bama Theatre, allows musicians to showcase their talents in an “unplugged” setting.
Doors open at 9 p.m. and there will be a $5 cover charge.
“It’s the only listening room in Tuscaloosa,” said David Allgood, manager of the Bama Theatre. “We’ve had a lot of good shows come from it.”
Seth Glier, a musician from western Massachusetts, will be performing tonight at the Bama Theatre. It is not his first time in Tuscaloosa, since he visited in October 2009.
“I can remember bringing back a liter of Full Moon barbecue sauce,” Glier said. “Right now in our touring, we’re loving the South — it’s a real fun spot for us.”
Glier, who is currently touring around the South, said his music could be described as pop music with a focus on storytelling.
“Acoustic Night gives us an opportunity to focus on those lyrics versus the pop aspect of our music,” he said.
Looking back on his musical influences, Glier said he believes songwriting and performing give people the opportunity to spread stories and beliefs.
“The lyrics are not your average love song,” he said. “Music gives you the chance to not use the truth to lift the mask off certain things, but then bring that truth to a lot of people.”
Performing alongside Glier are Tuscaloosa natives Sparrow + the Ghost, who frequent the Acoustic Night stage.
“Acoustic Night is a little different in that we perform with no bass, just acoustic,” Stuart Bond, singer for Sparrow + the Ghost, said. “It gives us a chance to showcase the songs.”
Acoustic Night served as the venue for the first performance of the band, which started performing in the Tuscaloosa area around this time last year. The band now plays about three shows a week in Auburn, Atlanta, Birmingham and other similar locations.
Sparrow + the Ghost describe their music as a mixture of country, rock and roll, blues and folk music.
Bond also said Sparrow + the Ghost would be performing new material, including a song Bond said was written this past Monday.
“There’s a little something for everyone in our music,” Bond said. “And these Acoustic Night shows are fun for us. The crowd is a real listening crowd.”
It’s the listening room aspect of Acoustic Night that makes the experience so unique.
“We’re excited to be in Tuscaloosa,” Glier said. “As we’re making our way through the region, the Southern hospitality has made us really comfortable and led to some great shows.”
Glier said “Trouble with People” and “Naia” are the two tracks that best exemplify his sound. Both can be found on sethglier.com and myspace.com/sethglier.
For more about Sparrow + the Ghost, visit hackberryrecords.com/sparrow for links to the group’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
