Music

What do you get when you mix 3,000 motorcycle fans and live rock 'n' roll music? A good time that's sure to be a lot louder than just a rumble.

The 4th annual Rumble on Noble festival takes place in downtown Anniston this Saturday. Instead of the quiet hum of cars and shoppers, Noble Street will be filled with motorcycles, motorcycle vendors and lots of rock 'n' roll.

"This is one of the most exciting events that takes place in east Alabama," said Randy Snyder, editor and owner of Full Throttle magazine, which hosts the event. "You can see motorcycles and hear great music at a very low price."

While the street festival doesn't begin until Saturday afternoon, the music actually starts Friday night with local country rock band Crossroads at the pre-Rumble kick-off party at Mt. Cheaha Harley-Davidson in Oxford.

"We're looking forward to playing," said Tyler Ward, the bass player for Crossroads. "We like that nice big stage down there." The band will also be playing at The Office Soft Rock Lounge on Saturday night.

The music starts at 4:30 on Saturday with Last Ride, a classic rock cover band from Hiram, Ga., that has played the Rumble all four years. "They're a fan favorite each year," Synder said. "A power rock band, ZZ Top style, that really just thunders the house."

The rock continues with GRIP, from Woodstock, Ga., north of Atlanta. While they have also played the Rumble before, the band's new lineup, with two new members, "is probably the most powerful yet," said Snyder. GRIP is a heavier rock band, mixing up their songlist with original and cover songs.

JB Walker and the Cheap Whiskey Band — "The World's Most Famous Biker Band" — is a natural match for the Rumble, and they've also played the festival since the beginning. "They are one of the largest biker bands in the world," Snyder said. "(JB) bills himself as American motor music. All original, classic rock 'n' roll style."

The show will shift into high gear with headliners Mother's Finest, a funk rock band from Atlanta. Mother's Finest has been around for more than 30 years, breaking music barriers with their fusion of funk, rock, R&B, gospel and metal. They've toured with Parliament Funkadelic, Aerosmith, AC/DC and The Who, and have released three gold albums.

"They've got tons and tons of fans who haven't seen them in years," Snyder said. "They're not burnt out on the motorcycle circuit." In fact, after the gig at the Rumble, Mother's Finest is leaving for a September tour of Switzerland and the Netherlands.

While the Rumble continues until about midnight, the Anniston chapter of the Wingmen Motorcycle Club has its own plans to keep the rock going into the early morning hours. They are hosting their second annual "Rumble after the Rumble" a free event featuring Anniston's own McPherson Struts, who played the first Rumble on Noble in 2004.

The festival begins at 4 p.m. Saturday. Along with the music and vendors, there will be a rock climbing wall, world-renowned motorcycle builders and a display of the 2009 Harley line from Mt. Cheaha Harley-Davidson. A portion of the proceeds of the festival goes to the Anniston chapter of the United Cerebral Palsy Association.

Rumble on noble

What: Motorcycle and music street festival featuring Last Ride, GRIP, JB Walker and the Cheap Whiskey Band and Mother's Finest
When: Saturday, 4 p.m.-midnight
Where: Noble Street, downtown Anniston
How much: $15 adults, $5 children age 5-12, children under 5 are free
Contact: (770) 943-4175 or www.rumbleonnoble.com