Song Swap

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For the third week in a row residents came out to Berkeley Bob's and packed the house for yet another amazing performance. Saturday night the coffee parlor welcomed Fox 6 News anchor, Janet Hall O'Neil, Steve Norris of the Overalls and Joe Casey. The trio did what they like to call a "song swap" and by the reaction of the crowd it was a smashing hit.

Steve performed his ever popular songs including "BBQ" and crowd favorite "I Just Don't Look Good Naked Anymore" while Janet sang her originals, one being "Bad Attitude" which most everyone could relate to. Joe played great along with Steve as well as doing a few solo tunes.

Many people came out to see news anchor Janet Hall and all were interested to hear what she could do. Customer Jeff Ruzan from Detroit, Michigan came out Saturday night for more than just that reason.

"I've seen the Overalls before and enjoyed them and I was interested in seeing Janet Hall perform," he said. At the end of the night Jeff was very pleased by the show and said he really enjoyed it. The rest of the crowd all left in smiles after a great evening spent with the three of them.

CullmanSense Entertainment Reporter Katie Nelms sat down with the three of musicians after the show to learn more about their pasts and their interests.

KN- Steve, where are you originally from?

SN- I grew up in Northport. People say where's Northport? It's across the river from Tuscaloosa.

KN- Joe?

JC- I'm from Takoma Park, Maryland, Home of Goldie Hawn and Henry Vestine, the first lead guitar player of Canned Heat.

KN- How'd you end up here?

JC- I met a Birmingham girl. She moved across the hall and my life has changed.

KN- Janet?

JH- Born and raised in Birmingham. I have no story.

KN- Janet, how long have you been playing? Since junior high I guess.

JH- In college is when Danny Farmer and I started playing in places in Tuscaloosa. I started writing and kept it up over the years as a hobby. It's fun to get out and do this.

KN- So you first started on guitar?

JH- Sure

KN- Joe?

JC- I picked up guitar when I was a teenager

KN- It seems like everyone starts out on guitar.

SN- It's very affordable and you can carry it around.

JH- And you look cool.

SH- I took piano lessons when I was in elementary school but you couldn't tell it now. I started playing guitar; I'm ashamed to tell people because I should be good by now. I started to play when I was a senior in high school. For a lot of years I would play for two or three weeks and then the guitar would go back in the closet for 6 months to a year then I'd pull it out for a month so I never really played regularly until about 15 or so years ago.

KN- Did you teach yourself how to play?

SN- Yeah I guess you could call it that.

JC- You have a very efficient guitar style, very smooth, very efficient, good time.

KN- What was the first song you learned?

JH- I have no idea.

SN- Mine was probably, "Me and Bobby McGee."

JH- I know what it was! It was the "Secret Agent Man" chords.

JC- Mine might have been "House of the Rising Sun" but probably something by The Ventures.

KN- If you could trade places with a person or character for a day who it would be?

SN- Janet Hall. I'd be Janet hall for a day. I got a crush on Frank... No, I'm kidding!

JH- That's like a meaning of life question.

SN- Can we come back to that one?

KN- Sure, what is your favorite radio station or what is going to be on the radio in your car now?

JH- Satellite radio, I listen to a lot. A lot of news radio. And I hate this because radio folks are having the same problem as T.V. folks are. Everybody's watching the internet. They're getting their news and music from different sources these days. But you would most likely find a country station.

JC- Classical station, but I really just play CDs. I've been playing Janet's for about two weeks.

SN- NPR.

KN- Did we figure out who we want to be?

JC- My wife's husband.

JH- I just don't have an answer.

SN- I have no idea. Well If I traded places with someone for a day that means they'd have to be me. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

JC- Maybe a conductor. That would be a blast. I think that would be very exciting. That's live music. No synthesizers.

KN- Were any of you in band?

JH- I was. Alto Saxophone. I was in the Barry High School marching band in the 9th grade. It was the summer camp and we practiced on a parking lot and it was burning up and I was blowing my little heart out. I passed out and they marched right over me. So that was the end of my marching band career and I got into student politics, student government.

KN- What's some advice you would give to local musicians?

SN- Get a real job.

JH- I would say support Berkeley Bob's. This is a great place. They may not realize how unique and wonderful it is to have a place like this where singer-songwriters can play original music and where people really want to listen. It's very hard to find an audience that is open to hearing original music. So many crowds just want to hear the songs they know and can sing along to.

SN- I don't think there's a place like this in Birmingham. I can't think of one.

JH- Well real musicians should assume they're not going to make a living at it. There are too many extremely fantastic people that are in Nashville living under viaducts. It's something you do because you enjoy it.

JC- If you want practical advice, I'd say don't do anything that's not real to you. I wasted a lot of time. I used to play in bands a lot in Maryland and some around here. I wasted my time so much it was just people doing a lot of head trips, it wasn't like music. I love art. You write a song and you put it up and there it is. Whether people like it or don't.

JH- Even if you are discovered or whatever, if you're not doing the stuff you really enjoy and stuff that comes from you naturally, you're going to be miserable. Just watch MTV behind the band, they all have these terrible tragic lives because they aren't happy.