Loretta Lynn, Buddy Guy and Los Lobos

The Alys Stephens Center has been lining up another star-studded lineup for its 2009-2010 season. According to Pollstar.com, much of the calendar has been set (see list 1 and list 2).

The lineup so far (links to iTunes/Amazon.com pages):

2009

• Sept 26: Buddy Guy
• Oct. 16: Loretta Lynn
• Nov. 12: The Wailers
• Nov. 13: Bruce Hornsby

2010

• Jan. 22: Los Lobos
• Jan. 29: McCoy Tyner, Savion Glover
• Feb. 12: Three Dog Night
• March 21: Spanish Harlem Orchestra
• March 28-29: Peking Acrobats (on MySpace)

No date has been announced for the remainder of the lineup or for ticket sales. No prices have been announced.

Birmingham film festival to hire leader by month’s end

The next person in charge of the state’s largest film festival will need to be an organizer, a fund-raiser, but not necessarily a film buff. So says Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival’s Alan Hunter.

The Birmingham event finds itself seeking a new executive director for the second time in two years. Catherine Pfitzer was let go in February.

Hunter, president of the board, discussed by phone the challenges ahead for the 10-year-old festival for this exclusive Wade on Birmingham report.

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The Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil has added more big names to its 2009 lineup. (We told you about Jason Mraz last week in our exclusive scoop.)

Also playing May 1:

• 311
• LL Cool J
• Shinedown
• Saving Abel

And playing May 2:

• Snoop Dogg
• All-American Rejects
• Katy Perry
• Everclear
• Filter
• Shiny Toy Guns

The festival will be next to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex [satellite view]. Tickets, $20 per day or $35 for both days, go on sale Saturday through Ticketmaster and Merrell at the Summit.

Video previews, after the jump …

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Jason Mraz (“The Remedy,” “I’m Yours”) will be part of the lineup of the 2009 Schaeffer Eye Center Crawfish Boil in May, as confirmed on the singer’s Web site. He performs May 1 downtown as part of the 24th annual music festival.

Organizers are expected to announce the lineup Friday. The festival, May 1-2, takes place next to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex [satellite view]. Tickets, $20 per day or $35 for both days, go on sale March 7 through Ticketmaster and Merrell at the Summit.

If you have cable, or satellite, or Amish beliefs, stop reading: You’re not affected.

(Also, if you have a newfangled DTV-ready TV set, you can also stop reading.)

Otherwise, if you’re a TV watcher in Birmingham, you might still be confused about the digital TV transition. We certainly are. But we’re here to help.

If you currently watch regular broadcast television, the kind that comes in for free via antenna, your free ride may be coming to an end — though it may end either late Tuesday or June 12. Yeah, see, confusing.

The federal government has required TV stations to switch from analog to digital transmission. The switch was to take place at 11:59 p.m. Tuesday, but the DTV Delay Act gives those stations the option to switch now or on June 12.

Conversion schedule

Switching 11:59 p.m. Tuesday:

• Alabama Public Television (WBIQ 10)
• CW21 (WTTO)
• My 68 (WABM)

Switching June 12:

• ABC 33/40 (WBMA)
• CBS 42 (WIAT)
• Fox 6 (WBRC)
• NBC 13 (WVTM)

So if you do nothing, starting Wednesday, you will not receive APT, CW21 or My 68 on your TV set.

Making the conversion

What do you need to do to keep receiving that sweet, sweet signal?

1. Either buy a DTV-ready TV set.

2. Or, buy a converter box. (The federal government has $40 coupons, but they take awhile to arrive. To order, visit the DTV Web site or call 1-888-388-2009.)

3. Connect antenna to converter box, then connect the box to old TV set.

For more assistance, the United Way of Central Alabama will help the estimated 36,000 area households make the conversion. To request help, call 211.

Barely two years on the job, executive director Catherine Pfitzer is out at Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. She was fired Wednesday, according to an e-mail sent by board president Alan Hunter.

Pfitzer had been promoted from program director to festival head in February 2007, following the departure of previous executive director and co-founder Erik Jambor. He resigned in November 2006 citing differences with the board over the festival’s direction and his role in it.

Hunter announced the change in an e-mail to festival staffers and volunteers. While he praises Pfitzer’s work, he says the board felt she wasn’t the correct choice for the future:

“After much deliberation we decided we needed to go in a new direction for the sake of the AMIA down the road. We wish Catherine all the best, and we are grateful for her hard work over the last several and sometimes difficult transitional years. She stepped up when times were shaky and helped get us back on our feet. But as is sometimes the case, the people who get the ball rolling or work hard during shifting times aren’t always the right fit for the future.

That said, we are optimistic about the future and will be on the hunt for a new Executive Director almost immediately. We hope this person exists in our area, but we want to make sure the rest of the country knows we’re searching.”

When asked by e-mail to explain what had happened, Pfitzer replied:

“Wish I could. Trying to figure that out myself.”

The festival, which started in 1999, runs for three days each September.

Update: Pfitzer sent out an e-mail on Feb. 15, thanking supporters. An excerpt:

My time with the festival has been truly amazing: chock full of challenges and triumphs, of high highs and low lows. The intrinsic satisfaction I’ve enjoyed by being a part of Sidewalk and all things AMIA over the past six years can’t be measured — from providing opportunities for filmmakers, to supplying access to independent films to a hungry audience, and most of all contributing to efforts that make Birmingham a better city.

It’s because of these reasons that I encourage you to continue to support Sidewalk, Birmingham Shout and all AMIA programs, now more than ever. Not simply because the organization is enduring another challenging transition, but because these are difficult times for all of us, and during times like these it is art and entertainment that allows us to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and get us up and running again.

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More Sidewalk coverage.

As has been expected for some time, the FBI arrested Birmingham mayor Larry Langford this morning. He was taken into custody at his place of business, Birmingham Budweiser.

Also arrested are William Blount, an investment banker at Blount Parrish and Co. in Montgomery, and Langford’s friend Al LaPierre. The three face charges of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, money laundering and filing false tax returns.

U.S. Attorney Alice Martin detailed the federal government’s investigation into Langford’s side business deals while he served on the Jefferson County Commission.

During the news conference, Martin said between 2003 and 2006, Blount paid about $235,000 in clothing, jewelry and charge account bills.

Martin also said, Blount gave Langford an $11,000 Rolex watch.

Martin said it was all in return for steering Jefferson County bond business to Blount’s Montgomery firm, including the multi-billion dollar sewer bond business.

Martin said “He (Langford) sold his public office to friend.”

During the news conference Martin said Langford received bribes from Blount, through friend Al LaPierre, to buy clothes and jewelry from expensive New York boutiques and high end stores in Birmingham as well.

At 10 a.m. in Birmingham federal court, Langford, in leg shackles, pleaded not guilty. He and LaPierre are both out on $50,000 bond. Langford cannot travel outside the Northern District of Alabama without court approval.

Blount also pleaded not guilty and is out on $100,000 bond.

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Down from No. 6 last year

Birmingham remains in the Top 10 cities in major crime, according to Washington-based CQ Press. The city ranked No. 8 on the Most Dangerous Cities list for 2008, while Alabama ranked No. 15 among most dangerous states. The list came out Monday.

Birmingham-Hoover is No. 31 among most dangerous metropolitan areas.

The publisher used crime data reported to the FBI in six areas: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and motor vehicle theft. For more, see “City Crime Rankings 2008-2009.”

Other Alabama cities ranked:

83. Huntsville
90. Montgomery
131. Tuscaloosa
156. Mobile

New Orleans is No. 1 on the list.

Birmingham has 79 homicides to date this year, compared to 93 for 2007.

For more, see “Birmingham Ranked 8th Most Dangerous City.”

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Visit our Crime Watch page.

A few closing thoughts on President-elect Obama and Alabama:

• Condi’s congratulations: Secretary of State and Birmingham native Condoleeza Rice offered her congratulations to the winner.

“I want to note that President-elect Obama was inspirational and I’m certain he will continue to be. As an African-American, I’m especially proud, because this is a country that’s been through a long journey, in terms of overcoming wounds and making race (less of a factor in life). That work is not done, but (this) was obviously an extraordinary step forward.” [AP: “Rice congratulates Obama”]

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A quick rundown of results for Alabama from Election Day 2008:

• President: John McCain (R) beat Barack Obama (D) by 21 percentage points, winning the state’s nine electoral votes.

However, Obama handily defeated McCain to become the first black president of the United States.

• Senate: Republican incumbent Jeff Sessions crushed Democratic challenger Vivian Davis Figures to earn his third term.

• House of Representatives: In contested races, Republican incumbents Mike Rogers and Bob Aderholt held onto their seats, while Democrat Parker Griffith defeated Republican Wayne Parker Jr. in the Fifth District (vacated by outgoing Democratic Rep. Bud Cramer).

The big surprise? In the Second District, Bobby Bright (D) defeats Jay Love Jr. (R) for the seat held by retiring Republican Rep. Terry Everett. So Alabama flips a House seat from GOP to Dem.

Updated with called races on jump …

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Thanks to everyone who joined us last night for our four-and-a-half hour(!) live blog of Wade on Birmingham Election Night Live Blog, part of our Vote 2008 coverage.

My special thanks to pundit extraordinaire Jen Barnett and comedian Christopher Davis for their tireless contributions to the cause. I loved having the opportunity to share such a historic night with all of you.

On the jump, the full minute-by-minute transcript from the live blog …

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Welcome to the Wade on Birmingham Election Night Live Blog!

Sign in, join the conversation, and leave comments below.

Or if you want to e-mail us, send it to Vote2008 [AT] wadeonbirmingham.com.

Our full live blog, plus up-to-the-minute coverage maps, after the jump …

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The polls are open! You have until 7 tonight cast your ballot in this historic election.

Q: Where do I vote?

A: The answer is a call away. Jefferson County: 325-5550, Jefferson County (Bessemer only): 481-4105, Shelby County: 669-3913.

Or try AlabamaVotes.gov and click on “Search for My Polling Place.”

Join us from 7 to 11 tonight for the Wade on Birmingham Election Night Live Blog.

Remember, if you have problems at your polling place:

• Notify a poll worker immediately.
• Obtain a complaint/evaluation form (or download jpgs of pages 1 and 2). Print it, fill it out, copy and mail it.
• Call the state attorney general at 1-800-831-8814 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Wednesday or fill out this online form.
• Call the secretary of state at 1-800-274-VOTE (8683) or visit her site, StopVoterFraudNow.com.
• And tell the probate court for Jefferson County (325-5203) or Shelby County (669-3713).
• Contact us at Vote2008 [at] wadeonbirmingham.com.

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In 12 hours, the polls open in Alabama. Election Day will finally be here.

And in 24 hours, we’ll start our special live blog, right here at Wade on Birmingham. For the latest election results from local, state and national races, turn to CNN. But for the funniest, trippiest, most unbalanced coverage, turn to us.

Sure, we’ll keep you apprised of the counts as they come in, but we’ll also be fielding questions, comments, horror stories and outright lies from you, the voters.

Join Wade and Ginny and comedian Christopher Davis and any other pundits we can chain to a computer for four (or, Ohio willing, more) hours of Election Day coverage.

Whether you’re at a red party, a blue party or a party of one, log on to Vote 2008 to join the action.

And be sure to vote. See our special Vote 2008 section for sample ballots, bonus coverage and more.

Remember: Join us from 7 to 11 p.m. CST Tuesday for the Wade on Birmingham Election Night Live Blog.

Election Day is tomorrow!

• • •

Complete Vote 2008 coverage.

Alabama may be a solid red state, with polls predicting a 20-point John McCain victory come Election Day, but the newspapers have endorsed Barack Obama by a more than 2-1 by a 5-3 margin by a 2-1 margin. [See third McCain endorsement by the Opelika-Auburn News, added Oct. 28, and sixth Obama endorsement by the Selma Times-Journal, added Nov. 4.]

Of the eight nine 10 newspapers that have published endorsements in the presidential race, five six support Obama, two three support McCain, and one endorsed neither. Before the cries of “liberal media bias” ring out, keep in mind that most of these same papers endorsed Republican George W. Bush in the previous two elections.

See what the editorial boards had to say …

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