Entertainment Schedule

• 10:00 a.m. Chair Yoga, with Frannie James
• 11:00 a.m. Market Begins
• 1:00 p.m. Patti Townsend and Gregg Staggs
• 3:00 p.m. Kokomo Blues Band, featuring Carroline Shines
• 5:00 p.m. Market Ends
• 8:00 p.m. Chocolate Lowfat Milk
• 9:00 p.m. The Hell
• 10:00 p.m. Opus Dopus
• 11:00 p.m. Raw Power CANCELLED

Market Vendors

• Blue Dogwood
• Carlos Otalora
• David Cox
• Dial Back Sound
• Druid City Comic
• Eli Ray
• Guitar Gallery
• Old Things Considered
• One-Off Creations
• Ragged Company
• Scott Fairchild Hamner

Debbie Bond & The Kokomo Blues Band, featuring Carroline Shines

Debbie and the band were a fixture at The Chukker throughout the 1980’s, keeping blues power alive in Tuscaloosa and all over The South. In addition to making original blues music they were also the band of choice for the legendary Johnny Shines. Making this reunion extra special is the voice and presence of Johnny’s daughter Carroline Shines. We can’t think of a better way to cap off a perfect fall afternoon on the bye week than a hot plate of food, a cold beer and the blues played by our very own legends. Let’s throw it on back to the good ol days!

It would be hard to overstate the importance of the dedication Debbie, Mike McCracken and their Kokomo cohorts put into performing blues music. While honing their craft they also fulfilled the need to document, preserve and provide education for new generations of blues musicians and fans. This is work that has continued long after The Kokomo Blues band went their separate ways. It’s been a lifelong labor of love from this crew connecting with aging performers, raising funds for their recordings and tours and making sure we can know about it through their efforts.

@southron_creative

Chocolate Lowfat Milk

CLM began in 1997 while the members were students at Tuscaloosa’s Hillcrest High School. They wanted to play the school talent show and needed a name for their punky, Ramones style project. They were sitting in the school cafeteria trying to decide on a band name when inspiration struck. It didn’t take long to catch the attention of the local rock and punk scene. The Chukker would allow the boys to come in long enough to play sets with Model Citizen, Dexateens, and many acts coalescing around the studio at the 600 House in Alberta City and their label Blaspheme Records. The band would eventually unleash their only complete album ‘Mine’s Bigger Than Everybody’s’ in 2000. The record displayed influences from the local scene, classic punk and greasy garage rock.

CLM played locally and toured when possible until 2002. A second album was shelved. Upon completing their last tour the band returned to The Chukker for a particularly rowdy homecoming concert.

After CLM some of the members formed a new band called Debbie & The Coke people. This new project drew more from the post punk scene of the day and showed considerable maturity. Singer and guitarist Michael Sullivan moved to South Alabama for work and family life. Bassist Matt Squires would do the same in Texas with wife Kirsten who was a regular at Chukker shows. Singer and guitarist George Frangoulis would end up in China where he taught English before moving back to Alabama in recent years. Drummer Chris Zeiler entered the medical field yet somehow managed to balance becoming one of the scene’s best and most reliable rock drummers. Many folks would recognize Chris as the drummer for Tuscaloosa’s long running post punk and math rock band Baak Gwai.

Image from a video by Robbie Kirk and Craig Gates.

The Hell

Led by Tuscaloosa native Jon Ezell, The Hell were one of the bands to emerge out of a social group jokingly referred to as “The Johnnie’s ”. When the Johnnie’s weren’t throwing the best theme parties or house shows in town they were making subversive art, putting on plays, sharing a mix of revolutionary and nihilistic viewpoints and starting rad bands like The Hell, Necronomikids and Melt Wizard. Although they were among the last generation to pass through The Chukker they were also among the most brilliant. The parallels between these kids and The Raudelunas was unmistakable.

Thematically The Hell was birthed out of a shared interest in Communist ideals. Band leader Ezell was studying Russia and the USSR at Bama. Bassist Adam Fargason made the best punk cassette comps in town, documented much of the emerging scene with his camera and eventually moved to Vietnam to teach English. Drummer Chad L’Eplattenier is one of 2 amazing punk drumming brothers. Chad resides in Nashville and still plays in bands like Thetan around the city. Some may also remember Ezell from popular Tuscaloosa heavy metal cover band Spread Eagle who helped shut down The Chukker that final night in 2003.

Very proud Chukker Meetup will host the first show from The Hell in nearly 20 years!

Image from video by Robbie Kirk & Craig Gates.

Opus Dopus

Opus Dopus is another fabulous band helmed by Robert ‘Rowbear’ Huffman that shows Tuscaloosa as a place firmly in the conversation during what is seen as the formative years of indie rock. Joining Rowbear are Ken Adams, Dan Hall, Glenn Mott and Steve Wallace.

Decades before Tame Impala, Polyphonic Spree or Brian Jonestown Massacre got their first Ya Ya’s out, Opus Dopus was blending psych and garage with a new consciousness. The recordings they left behind are as vibrant as any of their contemporaries out of Athens, Austin or Chapel Hill.

Let’s go Opus! Let’s go Dopus!

@600studios @southron_creative

Patti & Greg

Patti & Greg, two of our most beloved entertainers, will be drawing on a long history of making eclectic set lists of material sound cohesive, tight and fun. Making it all look easy while doing it! Don’t miss this hour of power, especially if you’re trying to Meetup before kickoff!

Image from video by @600studios and @southron_creative.

Frannie James Yoga

Frannie James will be leading a chair yoga class at Chukker Meetup 2024. This event takes place in the Moon Room inside Druid City Brewing Co at 10:00AM on Saturday October 5 with the opening of Ragged Company Vintage arts and vintage market to follow immediately thereafter.

A morning chair yoga session with @franniejamesyoga is the best way to face the day at Chukker Meetup 2024. Stay in it to win it! There’s so much entertainment, market shopping and catching up with friends to do you’ll need a good stretch! Relax away any social anxiety. Strengthen your arms and chest for better neck hugging. Stretch those legs before you’re on your feet all day and night. Most importantly Frannie will help you set your intentions for the day. Prioritize your needs before joining all the fun with everyone with this gentle chair yoga session.

Frannie James was once a co-owner of the Chukker and serves as the treasurer for Weekender and Meetup events. She has organized the GoFundMe at the link in the comments and would appreciate your contributions there to keep these events free to the public.

Druid City Comic

Old Things Considered

Ragged Company

Scott Hamner

Carlos Otalora

David Cox

Dial Back Sound

One-Off Creations

Guitar Gallery

Blue Dogwood

Eli Ray

Druid City Brewing Company

Bo Hicks says:

Howdy everybody. I own Druid City Brewing the home of the event! I just wanted to give an overview of Druid City and hopefully answer some questions you may have!

Druid City Brewing began on black Friday of 2012 with our friends the Alabama Shakes (playing under a fake name) and Lee Bains and the Glory Fires playing at Egans. Soon after this we knew we were gonna be a place that focused on art and music.

At first, we were in 1400 sq ft but would put on DYI shows, poetry readings and art shows. Not many years later we became the last place in Tuscaloosa that focuses on original touring and local bands. At the beginning of year, we moved 100 yards across the parking lot to a 5000 sq ft space with space for a dedicated music venue (the moon room), kitchen (more on that later), a bar made of a Leland Lanes bowling lane, many old Egan's pictures, a vinyl collection we let ppl pick and play, old tables from the Chukker. Here soon, with Rich Marks' hard work, the Sistine Chukker will be installed in the ceiling.

We of course have beer being a brewery but also offer a rosé wine and a dry cider for those that don't care for beer or are not into gluten. We also have N/A options. We have a kombucha from Harvest Roots in Birmingham, a sparkling hop water, a CBD delta 8 beverage and a whole line of Buffalo Rock sodas.

We have recently opened Ell's Kitchen named after my business partner Elliott Roberts who passed on earlier this year. We smoke our own pork and chicken and don't buy precooked. We are working on a quick service menu for the day and expect to offer many different 1/4 all-beef hotdogs, different nachos, our al pastor chicken sandwhich, BBQ sandwhich, giant freaking pretzel with beer cheese, bowls of chili (great for cornbread cooking contests). We will also offer a substitution of a plant-based Beyond Sausage for any hotdog.

We have worked with the City and received a special events license allowing us to extend our patio a good distance out to accommodate the market, music and people. We do however have to ask that ppl not leave the patio with a beer, cider or wine. We don't wanna get in trouble and want to continue being the funky chunk of weird Tuscaloosa needs.

Thank y'all and I hope this answers some questions!

DCBC Photos