Host: Suzanne Rust

Suzanne: [00:00:02] Welcome to The Moth Podcast. I'm Suzanne Rust, the curator at The Moth and your host for this episode. 

In these next two stories, we'll be taking a trip to Birmingham, Alabama, where we've been hosting StorySLAM since March 2019. Each StorySLAM we produce really reflects the city it's a part of. There's some hilarious behind the scenes Hollywood tidbits in the LA StorySLAM. The New York StorySLAM have a real “I'm Walkin' Here” vibe. And the Birmingham StorySLAMs bring that wonderful sense of being on the front porch as the sun goes down, listening to a story in the dim twilight. 

Birmingham was one of the cities on The Moth's Pop Up Porch Tour in 2022. I was lucky enough to spend a week there getting to know hundreds of locals and hear their stories. Great town, even better people. 

First up, we've got Anne Wheeler, who told this story at a Birmingham StorySLAM, where theme of the night was Vices. Here's Ann, live at The Moth. 

[audience applause]

Anne: [00:01:01] One Sunday afternoon, I opened The Birmingham News Section 8 Art and Entertainment. On the second page down on the left-hand side about two-thirds of the way down, there was a little one column inch notice, open call auditions, Birmingham Festival Theater, Sunday two to five needed, three males aged 20 to 35, three females aged 20 to 35, one female aged 35 to 50. 

Next Sunday, I was there. I walked into theater and the whole lobby was full of people. They were sitting on the floor and lounging against the wall, leaning over the counters, filling out the audition sheets. When I got my audition sheets, I started to fill it out, name, contact information, theater experience. And then, I got to the bottom. There was a line that said, put a check next to the box of all of the following instruments that you can play. [audience laughter] It was going to be a musical. Yes. Okay. Piano, no. Keyboard, ah, no brainer. I was a piano major in college. 

Now, if you know how to play the piano and you got to play the keyboard about, all you need to know is where's the power switch and where's the volume control. Check, keyboard. Next one, guitar. Now, I'd never had a guitar lesson in my life, but I am a child of the 1960s. And back then, no self-respecting teenager got to their 18th birthday without at some point picking up a guitar and figuring out how to play a C and a D and a G chord, right? If you could play those three chords and had a capo, you could play any tune that was on the radio back then. It was great. Check, guitar. 

Next one, accordion. Now, I had never played an accordion in my life. At that point, the only thing I wanted to do was go into theater, interrupt the audition, “Excuse me, Mr. Director, could you please tell me what instrument the female, age 35 to 50, has got to play?” Because if it wasn't the accordion, I didn't have to worry about that box. But there was no way to find that out. 

In that moment, the only thing I knew for certain was the more boxes I checked, the better chance I had of getting a part in that show. So, here my professional training kicked in. I was a lawyer. I was used to telling people how to testify under oath. One thing we always say is, “Listen carefully to the question. Only answer the question that is asked. Never volunteer.” So, I read that line again. Put a check in all of the boxes next to the instruments that you can play. [audience laughter]

Now, I had never played an accordion, but I had played the concertina, the squeeze box, like it's that thing with the buttons on the edges and all the bellows in the middle. After all, what is an accordion? But half of a squeeze box over here, glued together with an upright keyboard over here. Can I play the accordion? Of course, I can play the accordion. Check, accordion.

The last box. Drums. My favorite. Again, never had a lesson. But I played the hammer dulcimer. It's like this. I played rhythm and backup all the time. I knew from my drummer friends that the way you move and do things to play that dulcimer, it's exactly what drummers do, plus I had an ace up my sleeve. Back home ,I had a teenage son who was the drummer in a heavy metal punk rock GarageBand. 

I already had a 20-piece drum kit, red with sparkles all over them. And I had a built-in tutor. Check, drums. Well, I got up, and went to hand my audition sheet in and I confess I had a few qualms about that checkmark next to accordion, but I really wanted that part. I turned it in, waited my turn, they called my name, I went in the theater, I read the part, went home, and then you wait. A week later, I got the call. I had the part. 

So, I didn't know which part, except that it was female, 35 to 50, that I was sure. Got down to the first read through. It turned out the show was about four women who were friends. They decided to start a rock band, because they wanted to compete in the local Battle of the Bands, because they were going to get a $5,000 first prize. These four friends thought, we can do this. So, at the end of the first act and the end of the second act, these four women are on stage, and there's a great rock band and we deliver a showstopper big rock number at the end of each act. 

Well, it turned out I didn't need to worry about the accordion. That part went to the gorgeous buxom blonde who could belt out a song like Nobody's Business, and prance up and down in front of the audience while pretending to play the accordion. What did I get? Well, let me just say this. But the run of that show extended four weeks. From Thursday night through the Sunday matinee, I got to put on my black tights, and my black turtleneck, and high-top boots and a sleeveless red leather jacket covered with zippers. And I got to live the dream. 

For those four weeks, this otherwise respectable middle-aged lawyer got to be the drummer in a pug rock band on stage with lights and everything. It was great. But I have to confess, in the years since then, I have from time to time had occasion to ponder my behavior in that audition. And I have asked myself, is it possible that your eager desire to get a part in that play pushed you up to, and maybe even across that very thin line between vice and virtue? 

I think if I had to make the argument in my defense, I would probably lose. [audience laughter] But I'm sure of one thing. I am very confident, that if the occasion arose again, knowing what I know, with all the guilt that's been weighing on me through these years. Keyboard, check. Guitar, check. Drums, big check. Accordion, check.

[cheers and applause]

Suzanne: [00:07:59] That was Anne Wheeler. Anne is a storyteller and musician, who divides her time between her native Birmingham, and the mountains and rivers of Western North Carolina. In addition to family and local history stories, she loves telling tales from ancient Scotland and Ireland, often accompanying them with her Celtic harp. 

From Birmingham to Miami, London to Los Angeles, there are Moth StorySLAMs happening throughout the world. If you've only listened to Moth stories on the podcast or Radio Hour, you're missing out. There's something special about hearing them live, and maybe you'll be tempted to tell one yourself. You can find upcoming shows, themes and dates by visiting our website at themoth.org/events. 

Our next story is from no points for guessing, a Birmingham StorySLAM. We met Anthony Underwood at a Green Market in Birmingham, where his bright smile and banana patterned pants drew us over to him. When he found out what we did at The Moth, he was intrigued. He came to a SLAM, threw his name in a hat and got up on stage to tell his story. Here's Anthony Underwood, live at The Moth. 

[applause]

Anthony: [00:09:08] My mother made the best banana pudding in the world. Now, this is fighting wars. This is the south. You make those statements at a church, somebody going to end up having a brawl and somebody get hurt. But I trust this is a safe environment that I can share that, okay? [audience laughter] 

My mother, Ruby Lee Underwood, she was born in 1929 in hard times, Alabama. You can't Google that. That's not on the map. It's just a condition that you live under during that time. My mother had a first child when she was a teenager, so she had to quit school. By the time she was 33, she had eight of us, and I was the sixth of eight kids. She was a fighter. I remember when I was five years old, we moved to government housing. And I know how The Beverly Hillbillies felt when they moved to Beverly Hill, because to me, that was a whole new world.

So, we moved from a shotgun house to a house that had three bedrooms. Most importantly, we had a stove and a refrigerator. You cannot appreciate those things until you live a short period not having those things. With that stove, my mother worked magic. We had beans every other week, but she made those beans very special. We had cornbread. But one thing that she made special, and to my heart, it must be my birthmark, that she made a great banana pudding. 

Now, those who know about real banana pudding, it's not easy to make. You got to stand over that stove, and do some stirring and make something happen. But someone who worked six days a week in domestic work, to come and do that for her loved ones, it was very special to me. My job at the time was to clean the pot. That was the best job a kid can have. [audience laughter]

So, I used that big spoon, we call a tablespoon, and scrape that pot like a surgeon and make sure all that pudding was gotten out of that pot. I cannot tell you there was any greater joy than that. When she made the banana pudding, she said, “Sing those gospel songs. The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow.” She'd always give us some type of motivation about life. I tell you though, when she gave me that pot and I cleaned it with that spoon, I don't know what she was talking about, but the Lord had made a way for me somehow with all that pudding that I was able to eat from that spoon. 

When I finished high school, I left home. My mother used to always called me, said, “I got something special for you.” I knew what it was. It was that good old banana pudding. So, I come and spend time with my mother, and share ideas and thoughts. In 1997, she died. The phone calls, of course, stopped, as well as a banana pudding was no longer available. So, I find myself going to different restaurants. When I see a banana pudding on the menu, I get excited, “Wow, banana pudding.” But more often than not, it wasn't the type of banana pudding my mother made. 

There was a pop-up shop in a property that we was managing, and lady was selling banana pudding. It was very attractive, looked good. I bought three. Banana pudding, like religious. If you like, you're going to share with someone else. When I ate it, I realized it wasn't real banana pudding. So, I went and told her my dissatisfaction. I said, “This is not real banana pudding. This is fake.” [audience laughter]

My wife heard about the conversation, and thought that she would console me and say, “Don't worry, honey. We'll find this banana pudding one day.” But she turned on me. [audience laughter] She said, I was wrong by speaking to a lady about banana pudding. Everybody make banana pudding different. She said, “By the way, if you think you can make one better, make it yourself.” That wasn't what I wanted to hear. [audience laughter] So, I didn't tell her. But at that point, I decided to find a way to make banana pudding.

So, that next day, I formulated a plan. I read, went on eBay, I went on YouTube and did my research about banana pudding. I talked to relatives who knew about my mother banana pudding, and I got some ideas from that. So, one Saturday evening, I went to Walmart and I spent $35 to buy the ingredients for banana pudding. 

Now, I know some of the ingredients we probably had in the house, but obviously, I figured I want to do it this way. If I did not succeed, I put it all in the garbage can and never tell my wife about the banana pudding trial. But I made the banana pudding. I put it in the refrigerator to chill. Woke my wife up the next morning and say, “Hey, I got something I want you to try.” I told her I made a banana pudding. She didn't believe me. She thought maybe it was too fairy might have brought a banana pudding or something, I don't know. [audience laughter]

Yeah. But anyway, she tried it and she told me something I couldn't believe. She said, “This is the best banana pudding I ever taste.” I took it to work, people loved it. One lady said, “Why don't you make one for us, for our gathering, for Thanksgiving?” I did that. She said, “What you charge me for?” I said, “$50.” I figured I'd pay $35 for my initial ingredients and $15 for the hand mixer. And she paid for it. I cannot tell you the joy that someone willing to pay that money for the banana pudding that I made. I thought, by my mother, she worked probably a whole month, and she didn't make $50 back in those days. So, it was a confirmation. 

My banana pudding now is being sold at pop-up shop. We got a certain restaurant carry the banana pudding. And people love it. They always say the same thing, “It tastes like mama banana pudding.” So, somehow her transcending to me how to make a banana pudding, I was able to do what she did, and it's made with love. Thank you. 

[applause]

Suzanne: [00:15:09] That was Anthony Underwood. In 2003, Anthony Underwood was on the cover of Used Car Dealership Magazine as The Automotive Dealer of the Year. Now, he produces and sells his mom's home style banana pudding online at nannaspuddin.com and at local Birmingham merchants. 

After Anthony told his story, he actually shared some of his legendary banana pudding with the audience. I can confirm that it is delicious. Remember, you can find Birmingham StorySLAM dates at themoth.org/events, where you can also find details about all of our other open mics and shows. We'll also have a link in our episode description. 

That's it for this episode. If you like these stories, be sure to share this podcast with a friend and tell them to subscribe, so they can take a listen as soon as it comes out. From all of us here at The Moth, we hope to see you and hear your stories soon. 

Marc: [00:16:04] Suzanne Rust is The Moth's Senior Curatorial Producer and one of the hosts of The Moth Radio Hour. In addition to finding new voices and fresh stories for The Moth stage, Suzanne creates playlists and helps curate special storytelling events. 

The rest of The Moth leadership team includes Sarah Haberman, Christina Norman, Jenifer Hixson, Meg Bowles, Kate Tellers, Marina Klutse, Brandon Grant-Walker, Lee Ann Gullie and Aldi Kaza. 

The Moth would like to thank its supporters and listeners. Stories like these are made possible by community giving. If you're not already a member, please consider becoming one or making a one-time donation today at themoth.org/giveback. All Moth stories are true, as remembered by the storytellers. 

For more about our podcast, information on pitching your own story and everything else, go to our website, themoth.org. The Moth Podcast is presented by PRX, The Public Radio Exchange, helping make public radio more public at prx.org.