ALABAMA MUSIC

Latest news and music listings for Alabama

Go see Thomas Function and Digital Leather on Wednesday (August 20) at Vertical House Records, located on 2211 Seminole Drive.

The show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $5.

Here's a sample of the Arizona-based syth punk band's music:

http://www.myspace.com/digitalleather

Photo by Polly Higgins

Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977. I was negative 5 years old.

But that doesn't mean I don't know almost every word to Elvis' biggest hits.

On Saturday, Scot Bruce, a spot-on look-a-like of the King, made a stop at Merrimack Hall. The concert, in honor of the King's death 31 years ago, was a special engagement for people like me who never had a chance to see Elvis live.

Now, I know the real Elvis would have put on an incredible show filled with dancers, musicians, strobe lights and costume changes. Bruce's show doesn't have the budget of the real Elvis, but the show was great.

Delta Highway from Memphis plays at the Magic City Blues Society Junkyard Juke, August 16, 2008.

From our real-time news blog: Avondale blues show draws 200 people

Stone Temple Pilots will bring its reunion tour to the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Pelham on Oct. 31. Fall tour dates have been listed on the band's Web site, and the Alabama show is last on the agenda.

SPECIALStone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots, a rock group led by singer Scott Weiland, is best known for 1990s hits such as "Creep," "Plush," "Interstate Love Song," "Sour Girl" and "Vasoline." The band broke up in 2003.

Weiland then joined Velvet Revolver, a hard-rock supergroup formed by Slash, Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan of Guns N' Roses.The singer's stint with Velvet Revolver was successful at first, and lasted through two albums: "Contraband" (2004) and "Libertad" (2007).

Weiland announced his split with Velvet Revolver and decision to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots earlier this year. His exit wasn't cordial; Slash and Weiland exchanged barbed remarks and made bitter comments about each other to the press.

Weiland, infamous for his drug and alcohol problems, also gave some erratic performances on Velvet Revolver's last tour. During an October appearance in Pelham, for example, his singing was hoarse and inconsistent and his behavior was odd. At one point, Weiland appeared to nod off on stage while singing "Patience."

Reviews of Stone Temple Pilots' reunion tour have been mixed.

As Scott Register left the air this morning, officially announcing the format changeover to Live 100.5 in Birmingham, he told listeners, "It's been a long time coming. I'm excited about it."

Here is the first hour's worth of songs from the new station's playlist:

The lyrics from the first song of a special edition of Reg's Coffee House this morning said it perfectly: "I think I like how the day sounds through this new song" (-- Greg Laswell, "How the Day Sounds")

The new logo for Birmingham's WWMM, Live 100.5.