Dave Bazan (Pedro the Lion):

"The Bottletree is the best club in the United States, and it’s located in Birmingham, Alabama, a somewhat unexpected place of residence for such a superb place to see music. The backstage is decorated like a combination of a junk store and my southern aunt and uncle’s house: wood paneling, old southern gospel records, pop art paintings of del monte canned fruit, plastic snowmen, and the like. The green rooms are two vintage campers equipped with a large flat-screen, an atari, a collection of about 20 books and 20 dvd’s (unique to each trailer), air conditioning, a basket of free socks for bands (!) and shag carpet pillows. The owners of this club obviously put in some time in touring bands. The room sounds great, is equipped with an actual, new, well-functioning PA, and the food is delicious (tofu peanut butter pie changed my world.)"

"Fuck yeah! I love their Buffalo wrap!" - Tom Gabel of Against Me!

DEAD CONFEDERATE show some love HERE

WILD SWEET ORANGE in the HOUSTON CHRONICLE:

Birmingham has become a favorite town for many touring indie-rock bands. Kilpatrick says the band sometimes wishes it wasn't from Birmingham so it could pass through town on a tour. "There's a great venue called Bottletree," he says. "They wanted to make the perfect place for bands; there are massage chairs and vegan food. They have this old Airstream trailer from the '70s. It's a fancy hangout, and not the typical bar you roll up to where nobody cares who you are.


from a CLIPD BEAKS article:

What makes a club great?
“Free socks. The Bottletree Cafe in Birmingham, AL is to our knowledge the only venue to provide this exceptional service — truly going above and beyond to meet the needs of pro gigging musicians. They actually have a basket from which you can select either white or black socks. This basket is contained in the Airstream trailer that’s parked out back which also serves as the green room for the bands. We watched Eddie Murphy’s Delirious” on DVD in the airstream. Free socks and Eddie Murphy, what else could you ask for?”
-Greg (Clipd Beaks)



from the ICY DEMONS' BLOG:

The Bottle Tree may very well be one of the finest small clubs ever. Run by former Man or Astroman, Brian Teasley, this finely staffed venue really knows how to treat bands on the road. Some of the highlights include the great food menu, (boasting delicious homemade vegan recipes), the very large projection screen in front of the stage, allowing showgoers to watch movies, (such as Peter Pan) while the next band sets up, and most importantly, the Airstream trailer green room that doubles as a place for bands to spend the night, (oh right, and the classic drum solos dvd).

We arrived at the gig early, which was a very nice change of pace. Before we even got a chance to load our gear in, we were treated to some warm pita and hummus and salsa that was, oh so good. We had a great soundcheck, the staff was super friendly and accomodating, we got to breathe for a minute and forget that touring is a pretty intense job. The show was great and the kids were really exciting.



from JOSH RITTER'S BLOG:

The Bottle Tree is a beautiful little club. It's well cared-for, colorfully decorated, and shines with the obvious love that has been put into it. An Airstream trailer out back serves as the band green room, and the coffee is hot and ready when we arrive in the morning. I can tell it's going to be a great night here.

from KELLY CRISP of THE ROSEBUDS' BLOG:

Yeah, there’s little venues all over the country. There’s this place in [Birmingham,] Alabama, The Bottletree. It’s new – [Brian Teasley] from The Polyphonic Spree opened it. He’s a touring musician, and he just knows how to accommodate, now. It’s just the best vibe, the best place to play, as a musician, because, at that point, you’re in kind of difficult area to travel, as a band, because there aren’t a lot of big cities. And there haven’t been a lot of big venues in Birmingham that wanted us to come and play, so that’s cool.

from THE COATHANGERS' BLOG:

Let it be known — there is no better venue in the world than the Bottletree. Thanks to Birmingham promoters Brian Teasley (Man Or Astro-Man?, Polyphonic Spree, Chunklet magazine) and Leah Hutchison, this place is any rocker’s dream.
You start with a solid foundation: hard-working promoters; an attentive sound crew; and a bustling cafe which provides bands with an endless supply of tasty, health-conscious food, including the richest tofu peanut butter pie. But that’s not all! There is a small team of strapping interns who help you load in, carrying your equipment from the van to the stage. The backstage area, reminiscent of a VIP area at a small festival, is fully stocked with beer and wine at all times, and is vigilantly maintained by Hutchison, a gracious, well-dressed hostess who worries herself about a constant flow of ice. This backstage area, restricted to bands only, is bigger than the club itself; but it’s a maze of cozy alcoves that make you feel like a kid at Grandma’s house — there’s a free pinball machine, buckets of candy, trashy celeb autobiographies, a shiatsu massage chair, multiple drum pads for backstage practicing, and a massive plastic tub of fun sports gear like skateboards, Wiffle® balls, and a baton, which the Coathangers goaded me into twirling during their set, reviving one of my long-forgotten childhood freak talents.We’re not through yet. The green room for the headlining band is a vintage Airstream trailer with two beds, an old school Atari, a hand-picked selection of rock band-related books and DVDs such as World’s Most Famous Drum Solos Vol. II, a mini-fridge of beer, a huge pump of hand sanitizer, a practice amp, and the real kicker — a bin of fresh socks, “Because your feet stink!” There’s a guestbook full of thank-yous from independent bands, most of whom say that the Bottletree is by far the best venue they’ve ever played. Who can argue with the truth?
The only thing missing…the crowd. Twenty-three people paid, but by the time These Are Powers take the stage, there are about eight left. The silkscreened posters for the night looked awesome, and there’s no doubt that the promoters advertised the show; but Brian says this is one of the lowest turnouts he’s ever had, to no fault of the bands. The door guy clarifies things by admitting that this has been one of the quietest weeks yet here at the Bottletree. We don’t really put two and two together until the next day…

THE DODOS in PITCHFORKMEDIA:

Pitchfork: Favorite venue?

ML: I feel like I should probably say something in San Francisco since that's where we're from, but I don't know...I think the Bottletree in Birmingham, Alabama.

Pitchfork: I used to live in Birmingham, but sadly it was before the days of the Bottletree.

ML: It's great, the venue is really nice, they have awesome food and the people there are so freaking nice. And it's in the middle of Alabama, too, where you'll play a string of horrible shows at horrible venues and then there's little oasis in the middle of Alabama where they have...the cooks there are amazing, the whole staff is just super nice. They have an Airstream in the back with DVDs to watch, and last time we played there there's this tall bartender with glasses, and while we were playing people were talking and he was literally screaming, "Shut the fuck up!" They have your back there.

ENON in PITCHFORKMEDIA:

Pitchfork: What's your favorite music venue?

John: Okay, I'm gonna say the Bottle Tree in Birmingham, Alabama. That's maybe the best new venue around.

from DONITA SPARKS' TOUR DIARY:
"There are clubs that totally make the bands and patrons feel like they're in a special, magical place. The Bottle Tree in Birmingham, AL. for instance is a cool club covered in GREAT, original art from regional artists, has healthy dinner options and a big back stage area with comfy couches, art books, and additional sleeping bunks in a vintage Airstream trailer out back. This club wins my "Coolest Club of the Tour Award"."

from MAJORIE FARE'S TOUR DIARY:
The Bottletree Café is artist owned-and-operated. We loved all the employees as much as the venue itself. There were original works of art on the walls, vintage lunch boxes around the bar, vintage 60s couches with a stack of indie zines on a coffee table and clever paint schemes on all the walls. It was strange to be back in a club after so many shows of the sound going out into a big manmade canyon. It just sounded so different. Everything was more in your face and raw. We made an announcement during the big show about our Birmingham performance and a few people from the club came out to hand out flyers for it.

from YIP YIP'S TOUR DIARY:
2007.02.10 Birmingham, AL after dropping Spanish dancer off at the airport, we headed for Alabama. We stopped a couple of times at some flea malls and antique shops. it was a pretty nice day, but it was starting to get pretty cold. The people at the bottletree were really nice and we got some really good food. They also had a sweet airstream trailer in the parking lot for us to hang out in.

from THE APES TOUR DIARY:
We are excited to arrive at the Bottletree and are warmly greeted by the staff. This is easily the nicest, most band-oriented club in the country. After we load in and order food, I get online. I need to upload some blogs. I haven’t uploaded anything since the first day. Naturally I get distracted while waiting for blogger to load. That site is hideously slow. I never do it. After we eat, we talk to our super friend and fan, Chris, who is now working the door.

Only two days after Art Garage, this night sets a new high-water mark for the Apes. Awesome club, with great design and decor; nice stage, with its own drum rug and wood block, outlets all over the place, and lots of monitors; great sound; big band lounge area with sofas, magazines, etc; a band trailer with beds and tv with dvds; and a fantastic, friendly, helpful staff. And the crowd was great, too. We played well and had a great time. Every band must play here.

Bottletree still reigns supreme as the best place to play in the country. Once again we had a fantastic time from the moment we loaded in to the moment we loaded out.

from THE DUKE SPIRIT TOUR DIARY:
Memorial Sunday (Liela Moss - vocals) Bottletree - Birmingham, AL:
A beautiful twist of fate means we get a last minute call from Brian T down there in the south, wondering if we’d forfeit our day off and scoot on down to his and his great lady’s new venue. We all think this sounds sweet, so we floor it out of Houston and drive through most of the night to make sure we get there. A sleep in one of the most desperate motels so far (lady and men hookers hanging around in the car park getting picked up by muscular men in stained wife-beaters in trucks, a van that comes past the lobby every fifteen minutes to fetch people and carry them to the casino and a itty bitty spider in the bed sheets) means we get the hell out of Dodge very early…
We love today. It is one of those life-affirming moments where the people you meet are kindred spirits, and welcome you into their world like you were part of the family.
A faux stag’s head on the wall of Bottletree twinkles in all it’s glittery glory, sparkling in the long mirrored bar, ooh this place looks great! They have made a bottle-tree outside on the veranda, and we get to learn about that tradition of outsider-art, making pretty stuff out of everyday throwaway things, and treasuring what you have instead of despising what you have not.
We play hard and demented in the heat. Too hard perhaps, for the poor little amplifier blows a fuse it got so hot and bothered. And so we have an unannounced interval in the show – great for me because I get to wash my face with ice-cold water and cool the pipes a little. Then it’s back on for an al-la-bammy-bound head and ear-fuck.
We end the night in a hot-tub under the stars with our new fine southern friends and wonder how it came to pass that we should end up knowing such good rocking people so very far from home.

from SATURDAY LOOKS GOOD TO ME TOUR DIARY:
Playing the Bottle Tree in Birmingham Alabama was amazing. Twenty people at the show or 2,000, it's the best venue and best vibes the band experienced on this tour. The food was great, the sound was great, the most relaxing, joyful and breezy kind of show, and so perfect after the ever turbulent SXSW schedule. Our endless respect and love go out to the place and it's people, and if you're involved in indie rock on any level and have a chance to check it out, you really should.

from BLUE MOUNTAIN TOUR DIARY:
7/5/07- Bottletree Café, Birmingham, AL
The Bottletree is by far the nicest, most band friendly venue that I have ever seen.  As soon as we arrive, Brian the show booker, helps us unload the equipment and sets us up in the backstage area which has couches, a beer cooler, wireless internet, free food and a trailer(!) for bands to sleep in (and, I imagine, carry on other band related indiscretions).  The stage area is great, and the bar is showing old movies on a giant pull down movie screen.  The band sounds as good as they have all tour and their old drummer, Matt Brennan, even jumps on stage for a song.  I sit with the opening band at the community merch table, they are thoroughly impressed by the fact that Frank was an extra in the movie Big Bad Love, adapted from the novel by late Oxford writer and friend of Blue Mountain, Larry Brown. 
 
It’s funny the way that being in a transitory situation helps you get to know people, it’s easier (for me at least) to talk to people you know you probably won’t ever see again.  You relate to people more quickly than normal, and try to get as much out of interactions that you can.  It’s fun to be on the move, but it does wear you out as the band can attest. 
 
We stay in the nicest hotel of the whole tour, courtesy of the venue, one more way they went above and beyond their obligation to the band.  Sincere thanks to Brian and the whole staff at the Bottletree, keep up the good work.

from MENONONMA TOUR DIARY

Our debut in Birmingham, Alabama was a lot of fun. The Bottle Tree is a wonderful venue with wonderful people making it exceptionally special and memorable. You really should go there sometime.
The crisp spring air was a sharp contrast to humid Atlanta. The green room was stocked with perfectly ripe fruit and the best trail mix I’ve ever tasted. A nice man named Possum (who actually resembled Michael Stipe, not a slow marsupial) cooked us yummy red pepper quesadillas. A nice woman named Rebecca made us feel at home with shared stories of mutual Portland friends, and then took us out to eat at a greasy (but great) Mediterranean place called “Al’s” after the show. I downed a flawless concoction of whiskey and antihistamines that made me forget about my three week-long cold for almost three hours straight.