By Gwen DeRu
TODAY
VINTAGE PISTOL, JAMIE LOU AND THE HULLABALOO, and GHOSTWRITER at the Nick.
COMEDIAN KIER at the StarDome Comedy Club.
TIGERS JAW, 8 p.m. at Saturn.
COCKTAILS & CONVERSATIONS, every Thursday at Jazzi’s on 3rd.
30/40 HOOKAH LOUNGE, every Thursday, at Luxe Ultra Lounge.
EVERY FIRST THURSDAY. BIRMINGHAM ART CRAWL 2018, 5 -9 p.m. in Birmingham downtown. 120 19th Street North.
JOSE’ CARR WITH JAZZ ON FIRST, 7-10 p.m. at Jazzy’s on First Avenue North.
LIVE AT STEEL, 8 p.m. with SHARRON performing and DJ DUBB in the Mix at Steel on First at 23rd Street, downtown Birmingham. Get your live music and dance on every Thursday night.
AFTER WORK AFFAIR every Thursday, 4 p.m. at 1st and 23rd.
FRIDAY
COMEDIAN T.J. MILLER at the StarDome Comedy Club.
TIM SPINOSI’S COLOSSAL COMEDY SIDE SHOW at the StarDome Comedy Club.
THE BLACK JACKET SYMPHONY presents LED ZEPPELIN IV at Iron City.
LOOSE LIPS LIP SYNC COMPETITION, 8 p.m. at Saturn.
CHOIR OF BABBLE, THE JIMJIMS, (THE) DEAD SEA FLOWERS and SMOKING WITH THE BANDIT, at The Nick
TERRANCE YOUNG at the Perfect Note..
FUNNY FREE FRIDAYS (Comedy Show) at Good People Brewery, 9- 10:30 p.m.
FRIDAY NIGHT EXPERIENCE at Luxe Ultra Lounge.
JAZZ at FRIDAY UNWIND, 6 p.m. – midnight, at Jazzi’s on 3rd.
LIVE JAZZ at UNWIND FRIDAY, 8 p.m. at Jazzi’s on 3rd with great jazz.
PASSPORTS FRIDAYS, 10 p.m. – 4 a.m. at Legends Sports Lounge with Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, Afro-Beats and Top 40. FREE until midnight.
PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.
MUSIC, COMEDY AND MORE at VIP Lounge in Ensley.
SATURDAY
BRENT COBB at WorkPlay. He is one of the most sought-after songwriters in the music industry and now a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right.
WILLIE BRADLEY at the Perfect Note.
COMEDIAN T.J. MILLER at the StarDome Comedy Club.
EAT DRINK AND RIDE NIGHT FOOD TOUR WITH COMEDIENNE JOY, at 6 – 10 p.m., meet in Brookwood Mall, at Grille 29.
SNV – SATURDAY NIGHT VIBES, 10 p.m. at Platinum.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, every Saturday, at Luxe Ultra Lounge, 300 24th Street S with DJ CHOCOLATE.
HIGH UP, WHISPERTOWN and DEAD FINGERS at The Nick.
STEP PEPPER NIGHT, 10 p.m.at Saturn.
SUNDAY
SLOW ART SUNDAY, 2 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
SOULFUL SUNDAYS at Perfect Note.
COMEDIAN T.J. MILLER at the StarDome Comedy Club.
THE TENS and DYLAN LANCASTER at the Nick.
MONDAY
FLAMING LIPS with CHAPPO at Iron City.
KARAOKE NIGHTS WITH COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND, 9 p.m. at The Nick.
CARD PLAYERS SPOT at the TIDE AND TIGER, 6 – 12 p.m.
TUESDAY
CAVE OF SWIMMERS, ONEOFYOU and MILK JUG at the Nick.
FIESTA TUESDAY at 1st and 23rd, all night.
TIDE AND TIGER HOT TUESDAY, 3 p.m. until … on Graymont across from Legion Field with $.50 wings and drink specials until 9 p.m. For more call (205) 503-3880.
PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.
JOSE’ CARR at the Boss Lounge, 8:30 – 11 p.m.
COMEDIAN TIM STATUM at the StarDome Comedy Club.
CRIT CRUSADERS, 7 p.m. at Saturn.
WEDNESDAY
LIVE JAZZ, every Wednesday, at The Marble Ring, 430 41st Street South, Suite B.
WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY, every Wednesday at 30/40 Hookah Lounge
WINE AND JAZZ at the Perfect Note.
*DESERT ISLAND MONSTER MASH, CAHABA and BITCOIN BEBOP at The Nick.
OFFICIAL FLAMING LIPS AFTER PARTY with BROTHERS GRIIN 8 p.m. at Saturn.
NEXT THURSDAY
PUDDLES PITY PARTY at Iron City.
THE LADIES OF (featuring JAMES HALL, CAPTAIN KUDZU and DREE LEER at the Nick.
COMEDIAN BENJI BROWN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
NNAMDI OGBONNAYA, 8 p.m. at Saturn.
NEXT FRIDAY
COMEDIAN BENJI BROWN, at the StarDome Comedy Club.
TIM SPINOSI’S COLOSSAL COMEDY SIDE SHOW at the StarDome Comedy Club.
PUDDLES PITY PARTY at Iron City.
BELLE ADAIR, 8 p.m. at Saturn.
JUNA, HOLLIER, MOTH FACE and BACKYARD CAMPING at The Nick.
FOR FOOD LOVERS
17th ANNUAL TASTE OF HOMEWOOD, March 8, 5:30 – 8 p.m. in Rosewood Hall at 2850 19th Street South. 1918 CATERING LLC will be one of the local restaurants at the event. Chefs Jason and Jamal Brown will be on site to showcase their signature pecan-smoked turkey, pork butt and chicken. The barbeque duo will also feature their spin on a southern favorite, shrimp and grits, along with family desserts. There will be food and drinks from 30 eateries.
FOR WOMEN
Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Women Business Owners Forum, March 17 in Tuscaloosa.
FOR MOVIE LOVERS
BLACK PANTHER is still showing at theaters around town.
AT THE BIRMINGHAM PUBLIC LIBRARIES
FREE ENGINEERING WORKSHOPS – Teens Engineer BHM program begins this Saturday at Powderly Branch Library and continues at 10 other libraries before concluding at Powderly Library on May 3. It is for middle and high school students with in interest in math and science. Tuesday, 4-5:30 p.m. at the Five Points West Library. Next Thursday, 4-5:30 p.m. at the North Birmingham Library.
SPINNERS CLUB, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, is the club for people that enjoy listening to various music genres. The focus this time is jazz music. BPL Spinners Club meets in the Story Castle on the second floor of the Central Library, 2100 Park Place. The brainchild of Russell Lee, Library Assistant III in the Art, Literature & Science Department, BPL Spinners Club is a music-based program in which attendees will listen to preselected music recordings and then open the floor for brief discussions about them. The club, which debuted Feb. 6 with a spotlight on the blues, will explore a different genre of music monthly. No registration is required and the minimum age limit is 18. For more info, call Russell Lee at 205-226-3673.
2018 MOCK TRIAL PROGRAM through March 22 in the Central Library’s Teen Zone on Thursdays from 4-5:30 p.m. Students will conduct a mock trial at the Jefferson County Courthouse. TODAY, they learn how to cross-examine a witness. The program is for 6-12 graders to learn critical thinking and advocacy skills utilized in courtroom trials. Other dates – March 8 – Closing Arguments and Mock Trial Preparation. March 15 – Mock Trial Preparation and March 27 – Mock Trial at the Jefferson County Courtroom.
FOR THE COMMUNITY
ASK A LAWYER WORKSHOPS – NAACP will host a series of FREE “Ask A Lawyer” workshops, Saturday, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Peace Missionary Baptist Church, 1300 10th Street Pratt City. Contact Marshell Jackson Hatcher at (205) 972-8401 for more.
STEP 1-2-3: MENTOR FOR LIFE CONFERENCE – Step 1-2-3: Mentor for Life will host their inaugural conference, #IAMLOST: How to Secure the Bag, for youth and adults, Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. at The District Room. The conference will focus on empowering those who are in their final steps of obtaining their degree or education and are unsure of the next step. The conference will feature a keynote address from Chaucer Barnes, Chief Audience Officer at Translation LLC and United Masters, and testimonials featuring Kezia Williams, Herschell Hamilton, and Jessika Banks. The conference looks to give attendees a chance to learn and connect with other like-minded individuals in the community. Call (612) 701-2947 for more.
SAVEFIRST INITIATIVE – FREE TAX PREPARATION – Impact Alabama’s annual free tax preparation services for working families will be available at five locations in the Birmingham area – Bessemer, Roebuck, Smithfield, West End, and Woodlawn. The SaveFirst initiative will provide free income tax preparation services to working families making up to $54,000/year with kids in the home or $20,000/year without kids in the home. Interested individuals should call 1-888-99-TAX-AL for a free appointment.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS AND SPOKEN WORD
SUNDAY JAZZ, 5 p.m. at the Perfect Note.
MICHAEL NAU & THE MIGHTY THREAD at The Firehouse on March 10. Michael Nau returns this year with an expanded full-band lineup now known as The Mighty Thread, comprised of musicians from all over America who have been a part of his touring and recording life over the past few years, comprised of Will Brown on keys, Benny Yurco on guitar, Graeme Gibson on drums, Robinson Morse & Evan ApRoberts on bass. Lineup for the night is: Michael Nau & the Mighty Thread, Lady Legs, Timber, and Dogwood Lung.
SPOKEN WORD OPEN MIC NIGHT, every Third Sunday, 7 p.m. at the Carver Theatre.
CASHMERE WILLIAMS CD RELEASE PARTY, at the Perfect Note, March 31st.
16th ANNUAL ALABAMA JAZZ HALL OF FAME (AJHofF) STUDENT JAZZ BAND FESTIVAL – THE AJHofF is having its annual festival at Birmingham-Southern in Munger Hall Auditorium on April 5-7. FREE. There will be performances from college, high school and middle school jazz bands that will highlight both vocalists and players. The goal is to provide a wider variety of entry points for attendees to understand and appreciate jazz and its heritage.
FOR COMEDY LOVERS
AT GOOD PEOPLE BREWING
EVERY FRIDAY
FUNNY FREE FRIDAYS (COMEDY SHOW), 9 – 10:30 p.m., at Good People with Birmingham’s finest comedy show at a brewery. It’s free and features the best comedians from around the country.
AT THE STARDOME
NASTY SNACKS PODCAST in the Broadway Room.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
COMEDIAN T.J. MILLER. T.J. MILLER is one of the most sought-after comedians in the comedy world, but not in the drama world, or the finance world. He was named one of Variety’s “Top 10 Comics to Watch,” and EW’s “Next Big Things in Comedy”. Miller’s voice stars in Disney’s Academy Award-winning animated feature, BIG HERO 6. You may recognize his non-animated face and body from his roles in FOX’s big screen comic book adaptation of DEADPOOL, the highest grossing R-rated film of all time, 2014’s surprise indie hit TRANSFORMERS 4, and Mike Judge’s HBO comedy series SILICON VALLEY, now in its third season, for which he received the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy. His podcast “Cashing in with T.J. Miller” on nerdist.com is listened to by 12 and ½ people, and he is a nationally touring stand-up artist, crisscrossing the country listening to Kris Kross.
COMEDIAN RICKEY SMILEY ‘EVERY MONDAY NIGHT’ at the StarDome Comedy Club for Karaoke Nights.
TUESDAY: COMEDIAN TIM STATUM. Entertaining audiences wherever he goes, Tim is a Birmingham native who will keep you in stitches with his southern style humor and storytelling. Tim incorporates real-life stories of growing up in the country with classic stand up comedy to provide a hilarious evening.
FOR ART AND PERFORMING ART LOVERS
AT THE ALABAMA SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS
INNOCENT FLESH, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The play was written by Kenyetta Lethridge and directed by Susan McCain. This show explores the stories of four young girls, victims of human trafficking. This performance is poignant, but does concern a very heavy issue, human trafficking. There are mature issues and language of which the audience should be aware. Students younger than 14 should be accompanied by an open-minded parent.
AT UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA GALLERY
A HARDER TASK THAN MAKING BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW, an exhibition of artworks from the DOUG McCRAW COLLECTION, Friday – April 30 at the University of Alabama Gallery. Opening Reception is Friday, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Gallery in Tuscaloosa, 620 Greensboro Avenue.
AT THE BIRMINGHAM OF ART
SLOW ART SUNDAY, 2-3 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art with Master Docent Julia Stork leading a discussion on WOMEN IN A GREEN COAT by BETTY GRISHAM.
ART AFTER 5: MARCH MADNESS, Friday, 6-9 p.m. at the BMA.
SIXTEENTH EIVOR AND ALSTON CALLAHAN ASIAN ART LECTURE, Friday, 6-9- p.m. at the BMA. Free. Art Historian John Seyller will illuminate the career of a previously unknown Mughai court painter, Abd al-Karim, who until recently was only known as the Bodleian Painter. Seyller will demonstrate how under the master Farrukh Beg, Abd al-Karim affected traditions of paintings in Bijapur and went on to create a lasting legacy for his work.
HOLI: A FESTIVAL OF COLOR, March 10, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the BMA. FREE. Join the Indian Cultural Society for the 8th Annual Holi Festival, the Indian celebration of color. It will feature music, dance, food, henna, art-making and gallery exploration. Wear something that you don’t mind having to wash as at the end of the day guests gather outside for the throwing of powdered colors to welcome the spring season.
AT THE BCRI
MLK TAPESTRIES BY PETER SIS – Ireland-based Bill Shipsey is a human rights activist, artist event promoter and producer, barrister, and the founder of Art for Amnesty-Amnesty International’s global artist engagement program. Since 2012 he has conceived and commissioned 12 monumental memorial tapestries. These tapestries are on permanent loan at various airport and museum locations around the world. Three new Peter Sis-designed tapestries honoring Martin Luther Kigmng and the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. are on display at the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham. These tapestries are at the BCRI through March 16.
TEXTURES OF JAZZ”: THREADS OF CHANGE – A new art exhibit, “Textures of Jazz: Threads of Change,” by Leanna Leithauser Lesley, will debut at the Central Library downtown on run now through March 31.
COMING SOON
MARCH 10 – MICHAEL NAU & THE MIGHTY THREAD (COTTON JONES at The Firehouse).
MARCH 10 – CHARLIE WILSON, TYRESE and EN VOGUE LIVE IN CONCERT at The Legacy Arena (BJCC).
MARCH 17 – STEEL CITY BLUES FESTIVAL at The Bill Harris Arena (Fair Park)
MARCH 17 – TOBYMAC BRINGS HITS DEEP TOUR to BJCC.
MARCH 22 – MAX DIVERSE BUSINESS EXPO at the Doubletree Hilton.
MARCH 24 – JOKES FOR HOPE at WorkPlay.
MARCH 25 – ROMEO AND JULIET at Samford University Wright Center.
MARCH 29 – MEET AND GREET THE CANDIDATES at the Boutwell Auditorium.
MARCH 31 – CASHMERE WILLIAMS CD PARTY RELEASE at Perfect Note.
APRIL 28 – THE CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS at ZYDECO.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more next time.
(People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com or gwenderu@yahoo.com.)
