FAIRHOPE, Ala. — Pirates Take the Pond, a fundraiser for Fairhope Middle School PTC will feature The Mulligan Brothers and Eric Erdman at the Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm on Jan. 25 from 6-9 p.m.

The Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm is a musical sanctuary on Cathe Steele’s 15-acre farm in Silverhill, Alabama that has concerts almost every Sunday from September through April. The Frog Pond is the stage that Steele and volunteers built in her backyard from salvaged wood. Shaded by an old cypress tree, the stage is lit by lamps and strings of Christmas lights with a front porch coziness that makes musicians comfortable and puts the audience at ease. Guests park in the side pasture, enter through a break in the fence, and settle in with lawn chairs and coolers just a few feet from the stage. Every seat is close enough to hear the chatter, teasing, cues, and praise among the musicians, and close enough for songwriters to see the movements of the audience.

The Mulligan Brothers, an emerging band from Mobile, Alabama, proves that good stories and lyrics still matter in music and well-written songs don’t need a catchy chorus or a happy ending to win over an audience or to be played over and over. The band's debut album, "The Mulligan Brothers" is a whole album of straightforward narratives with concise, original lines. It recently was picked as Alabama album of the year by readers of Mod Mobilian.

2014 is going to be a good year for The Mulligan Brothers. They have been have been invited to perform at this year's New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival on Sunday, May 4. The band is also playing on Thacker Mountain Radio on Thursday, February 27. The live radio show from the Square in Oxford, Mississippi features authors and musical performances for its weekly broadcast on Mississippi Public Radio. Musicians that have appeared on the show include: Elvis Costello, Marty Stuart, The Avett Brothers, and Marshall Chapman. In April, The Mulligan Brothers will play their first overseas shows in a tour of the Middle East. A fall European tour is also in the works.

Erdman is a singer/songwriter with a knack for punch lines, but he can fill any song with the pain of heartbreak or the joy of revival. His warm, honeyed voice is filled with melancholy shadows, bluesy turns, and country ache that can still soar over harmonies. He sings every line with a sincerity that feels like an intimate confession of a man sensitive to the emotions of life. He is a natural entertainer and draws listeners in to his songs and stories like he is sharing them with old friends. “I am a happy and optimistic guy and I love the interaction with people,” says Erdman. “When I am on stage, I am telling stories to the audience, I don’t want to be just talking to myself. If the audience is paying attention, and getting the punch lines and the meanings of the lyrics, we are in it together.”

Tickets to Pirates Take the Pond are $50 for VIP and $20 for general admission. VIP tickets include a BBQ dinner, the best seats on the farm, and the chance to win a goody basket filed with CDs, and gift certificates. General tickets are $20. Buy tickets and find out more about the event at www.BrownPaperTickets.com (enter Pirates Take the Pond). For information about The Frog Pond at Blue Moon Farm, visit the website.