All Montgomery photos by Paul Natkin
MONTGOMERY, Al.—The Malden Brothers Barber Shop has been in continuous operation since 1958 as part of the historic Centennial Hill neighborhood of Montgomery. The three-chair shop is around the corner from the Ben Moore Hotel, a shuttered four-story landmark where African American civil rights leaders stayed in the late 1950s and 1960s.
Montgomery was seriously segregated and the hotel was a safe haven.
The Rev. Martin Luther King had a lot of work to do in 1954 when he arrived in Montgomery to become pastor of the Dexter [...]
Akron Rock n’ Roll Bobble Head giveaways.
EASTLAKE, Ohio—With no surrender and lots of Mountain Dew I drove to Columbus, Ohio in mid-April to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. This marked my 30th Springsteen concert dating back to Sept. 6, 1978 at the Uptown Theater in Chicago ($7.50 ticket.) All those ticket stubs are bookmarks in my life.
The Holiday Inn in downtown Columbus was filled with Springsteen fans who were knocking around the region for his “High Hopes” tour. They had been to Virginia Beach, Va., they were heading to Nashville, Tn. for his next show.
I was surprised [...]
The Big Doors at Under the Hill, May 1, 2014
NATCHEZ, Ms.- It is hard to place a number on all the great things about drinking at the Under the Hill Saloon.
There’s the stunning sunset on the Mississippi River. The bar has a dwarf bartender. As my friend Bill FitzGerald pointed out last night there likely is no other tavern so close to the Mississippi River.
Then there are the characters you encounter.
I meet them every spring on my way to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Last night was no different. (For my 2002 take on Under the Hill circle back to this site’s [...]
