MESSAGE CENTER
Message Center
Sunday, July 30, 2006; Page P03
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Birmingham's Music Scene
AS A DIE-HARD fan of several local bands in Birmingham, I really enjoyed your article about the emerging music scene ["Tuning In to Birmingham," July 23]. In addition to the home-grown bands, we have talented bands from everywhere coming here to play. I was particularly excited when indie-rockers Matt Pond PA made an appearance at WorkPlay earlier this year. Thanks for shedding a positive light on our city. I'm glad you had a taste of what we enjoy on a regular basis.
Chez Knox Shaeffer, Homewood, Ala.
YOUR PIECE on the Birmingham music scene is solid. I'm originally from Alabama and find positive articles about the state few and far between -- but in a bizarre turn of events, "American Idol" has actually influenced people to take a fresh look at Alabama. I hope this is the beginning of a positive trend.
Aaron V. Latham, Washington
MY SIGNIFICANT OTHER is a professional musician in Birmingham, so I've been exposed to the amazing talent in that city for a while now. It is definitely one of the best-kept secrets, as far as original and raw talent goes. He has been saying since Ruben Studdard won "American Idol" that at some point the world is going to recognize the depth of talent in Birmingham and it is going to explode.
Lynn Rivers, Arlington
YOU RECOMMENDED picking up "any of the free alternative papers, such as City Scene . . ." In fact, City Scene is the weekly entertainment guide published Fridays in the Birmingham News. (City Scene is also distributed for free in some places around town.)
It's not often that the News, which is state's biggest newspaper, is called alternative! We'll take it as a compliment.
Scott Walker, Assistant Managing Editor, Birmingham News, Birmingham
European Rail Trips, Cont'd
AS AN ADMIRER of the European approach to serving the transportation needs of its people and the economy, I'd like to note some connections between your Coming and Going item on European rail passes and other pieces in the July 16 Travel section. One of your CoGo contributors complained that her Railpass did not cover travel on the high-speed trains in France and the Benelux countries. (The Paris-Amsterdam run is actually operated by, and goes by the name of, Thalys.)
As far as I know, Germany is the only country that does not charge passholders a supplement for its high-speed trains. Since all HST routes are heavily used, it is generally necessary to make a reservation, even in Germany where it is not mandatory. If you are not able to get on these trains, the standard international trains covered by the Railpass are almost as fast and may even be more comfortable. As noted in CoGo's response and in many travel books, a traveler needs to make informed decisions in order to make the best use of a Railpass. Having said that, I hasten to add that a Railpass can pay for itself by making it very easy to use Europe's wonderful rail system.
