BUSINESS IN BLACK, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Cantina Laredo.
LIVE BAND KARAOKE OPEN MIC at Perfect Note.
JIMBO MATHUS and KATE TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH at The Nick.
COMEDIAN BODACIOUS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
TRAP COMEDY at StarDome Comedy Club.
LIVE BAND KARAOKE OPEN MIC at Perfect Note.
SAXOPHONIST JOSE CARR at Tutwiler Bar and Grill.
LIVE JAZZ EVERY THURSDAY, 9 p.m. at Jazzi’s on 3rd.
MUSIC, COMEDY AND MORE at VIP Lounge in Ensley.
PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.
LIVE BAND KARAOKE OPEN MIC at Perfect Note.FRIDAY
ALTHEA RENEE & JEANETTE HARRIS at Perfect Note.
SEVEN-YEAR WITCH, THE TWOTAKES and BLACKBERRY BREEZE at The Nick Rocks.
VELCRO PYGMIES at Iron City.
COMEDIAN D. L. HUGHLEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
SEBADOH and ELEANOR FRIEDBERGER at Saturn.
UGLY BABY LIVE, 9:30 – 11:30 p.m. at Birmingham Improv Theatre, 2208 7th Avenue South, Birmingham, 35233.
FACEBOOK FRIDAYS, every Friday, at the Legion in Fairfield, 5 p.m. Happy Hour, 7 p.m. Line Dance, 9 p.m., DJ Vick Goes Live and Ladies are free until 10 p.m.
MUSIC, COMEDY AND MORE at VIP Lounge in Ensley.
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.
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.
EVERY FIRST FRIDAY AT ZANZIBAR Bar and Grill, 9 p.m.
SATURDAY
PEPPER PLACE MARKET, 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.
MOUNTAIN BROOK VILLAGE’S 18th ANNUAL MARKET DAY, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. in the Village.
KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE, every Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. on V94.9 FM with Curtis Bell. Request Line (205) 994-8949 (V949).
GOOD JAZZ with BO BERRY at Jazzi’s on 3rd.
MAN MAN and REBECCA BLACK at Saturn.
EVERY SATURDAY AFTER HOURS AT ZANZIBAR INTERNATIONAL BAR AND GRILL, 9 p.m., 2024 Green Springs Highway with Caribbean, African, Latino music, Signature Dish Suya and Drink Specials.
CORAL, THE DIAMOND VEHICLE, BERLIN TAXI and TONY HERNANDEZ at The Nick Rocks.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, every Saturday, at Luxe Ultra Lounge, 300 24th Street S with DJ CHOCOLATE.
EAT DRINK AND RIDE NIGHT FOOD TOUR WITH COMEDIENNE JOY, at 6 – 10 p.m., meet in Brookwood Mall, at Grille 29. For more www.diningoutwithcomediennejoy.com.
PEARL LOUNGE in West End.
SNV – SATURDAY NIGHT VIBES, 10 p.m. at Platinum.
CLARENCE (I BE STROKING) CARTER AND SWEET CHARLOTTE, 8 p.m. at Roscoe’s Bar and Lounge in Lipscomb.
COMEDIAN D. L. HUGHLEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
SOUL GUITARIST DENNIS “LIL MAN” MITCHELL at Perfect Note.
SUNDAY
SLOW ART SUNDAY, 2 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
SOULFUL SUNDAY with GOOD FELLAS at Perfect Note.
BATTLE OF THE BLUES BAND at Iron City.
PONY BRADSHAW, KAYDEE MULVEHILL and SARAH LEE LANGFORD at the Nick Rocks.
COMEDIAN D. L. HUGHLEY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
MONDAY
MO MONEY MONDAYS at the Eastside Lounge.
BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at The Nick Rocks.
TUESDAY
TASTY TUESDAY, 5 p.m. doors open, (30+ before 9 p.m.) (21+ after 9 p.m.) at Platinum of Birmingham, every Tuesday. Free Dinner buffet for Birmingham’s Best Happy Hour.
FIESTA TUESDAY at 1st and 23rd, all night.
PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.
JOSE’ CARR at the Boss Lounge, 8:30 – 11 p.m.
COMEDIAN WILL JACOBS at StarDome Comedy Club.
MIKE KROL, THE BURNING PEPPERMINTS and COSMONAUT ON VACATION at Saturn.
WEDNESDAY
LIVE JAZZ, at The Marble Ring, every Wednesday, 430 41st Street South, Suite B.
WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY, every Wednesday at 30/40 Hookah Lounge.
WINE AND JAZZ at the Perfect Note.
COMEDIAN WILL JACOBS at StarDome Comedy Club.
TELETHON, MONIKA, BATTITO and JOHN THURSDAY at The Nick.
NEXT THURSDAY
THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE WITH VOCALIST DOMINIQUE POSEY at Perfect Note.
THE BLAM BLAMS at The Nick.
COMEDIAN WILL JACOBS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
EX HEX and SPIDER BAGS at Saturn.
NEXT FRIDAY
VOCALIST JAZZ McKENZIE at Perfect Note.
MERCURY BLONDE, TOWARD SPACE, BOSS RUSH and BILLIARDS at The Nick Rocks.
FRANK FOSTER, KYLE DANIEL, and BAILEY INGLE at Iron City.
COMEDIAN JOHN WITHERSPOON at the StarDome Comedy Club.
THE REGRETTES and LADY LEGS at Saturn.
FOR BUSINESS LOVERS
BLACK IN BUSINESS NETWORKING MIXER, 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. at Cantina Laredo.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS, SPOKEN WORD AND DANCE
CLARENCE (I BE STROKING) CARTER AND SWEET CHARLOTTE, 8 p.m. at Roscoe’s Bar and Lounge in Lipscomb. For more, call (205) 223-4432.
PEARL LOUNGE, Saturday, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 3132 Boise Avenue S.W. Everyone free before midnight, Summer Time Fly attire and soundtrack provided by DJ CHOCOLATE and DJ PAKK. Pearl’s Famous Kitchen will be open. RSVP at www.urbanham.com.
SUNDAY JAZZ, 5 p.m. at the Perfect Note.
SPOKEN WORD OPEN MIC NIGHT, every Third Sunday, 7 p.m. at the Carver Theatre.
FOR ART AND PERFORMING ART LOVERS
SLOW ART SUNDAY, 2-3 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
ART ON THE ROCKS – Art on the Rocks at the Birmingham Museum of Art kicked off in June with visual and performing arts from live music and DJ dance parties to artist demos and interactive mural making. The last date is: August 9, 7-11 p.m.
FOR THE COMMUNITY
18th ANNUAL MARKET DAY, Saturday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. in Mountain Brook Village.
MAGIC CITY CLASSIC PARADE REGISTRATION DEADLINE is August 30th.
ENSLEY ALIVE LAUNCHES “BRANDING ENSLEY” – Ensley stakeholders have launched an initiative to honor Ensley jazz greats while enticing patrons to visit downtown Ensley retailers. Branding Ensley is an initiative developed by Bettina Byrd-Giles, CEO of The Bethesda Life Center, Inc. and Ensley Alive co-founder as her culminating initiative for the Culture of Health Leaders program. The Culture of Health Leaders is one of four programs sponsored by the Leadership for Better Health Initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Byrd-Giles was one of 40 selected for the inaugural class of The Culture of Health Leaders in 2016. For Byrd-Giles, Ensley was a natural selection. She has been working in Ensley since 2010 when she was asked to direct The Bethesda Life Center, Inc. The Bethesda provides healthcare regardless of one’s ability to pay. Byrd-Giles found the narrative around Ensley through the news, crime reports, and Census data to form a negative and incomplete story. She knew the community has several assets that should be highlighted and built upon. However, the perception internally and externally held Ensley back from its potential. Ensley Alive set out to change the perception and focus on Ensley’s assets. It uses the cultural arts, social media and articles to accomplish their goals. Byrd-Giles captures their mission in the article, “The Revolution will be Painted, Planted and Photographed.” Branding Ensley builds upon work of Ensley Alive and is an opportunity to operationalize Ensley Alive’s social capital to bring foot traffic to downtown Ensley by highlighting its jazz heritage. Three teams have been commissioned to design t-shirts honoring jazz greats from Ensley and the surrounding communities. The teams consist of a design mentor and a group of students who are interested in learning graphic design, production, marketing, and entrepreneurship. The t-shirts will be available in retail stores located in downtown Ensley. Their initial collaboration was a photo voice project called, “100 Lenses Ensley.” Other former Ensley residents and stakeholders joined them to create, Ensley Alive, a movement to spark a renaissance in Ensley. Branding Ensley builds upon work of Ensley Alive.
SPECIAL ELECTION IN BIRMINGHAM – The Birmingham Election Commission has set October 8 as the date of a citywide referendum to renew ad valorem taxes for Birmingham City Schools. For more, call Birmingham City Council, (205) 254-7726.
FOR FOOD LOVERS
ZANZIBAR BAR AND GRILL – If you love good ethnic food, then Zanzibar Bar and Grill is the place to go every Saturday night. Get your groove on with all kinds of favorite foods from Africa, Caribbean, and more. Enjoy music of all kinds including Caribbean, Soca, African, and Reggae.
PEPPER PLACE MARKET, Saturdays, 7 a.m. – 12 p.m.
SHADES VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN FARMERS MARKET, Wednesdays, 3 – 6 p.m.
MOUNTAIN BROOK PRESBYTERIAN MARKET, Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
2019 BIRMINGHAM RESTAURANT WEEK – The 10th annual Birmingham Restaurant Week (BRW) presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama will be held Friday, Aug. 16 through Sunday, Aug. 25. The 10-day event celebrates the city’s acclaimed culinary culture by offering incentives for Birmingham residents and visitors to dine at their favorite restaurants or try something new, all while celebrating the landmark eateries that helped put Birmingham on the map as one of “The 50 Best Foodie Towns in America” by The Daily Meal. From fine dining to down-home cookin’, food lovers with a taste for adventure can enjoy special lunch or dinner prix-fixe menus. BRW will give 60 restaurants the opportunity to showcase all the ways they are feeding the city – from filling vacant spaces and creating locally-sourced dishes to mentoring the next generation of culinary greats.
FOR LOVERS OF THE OUTDOORS
SATURDAY DAY OUTING, Meet 8:45 a.m. – Southeastern Outings Swimming, Boating, Picnic, Lake Activities at Lake Martin near Alexander City, Alabama – DETAILS: Enjoy a lake outing on Lake Martin. The center of our activities will be the shore of a secluded cove on the lake by the Albrecht house. You can swim, float, kayak, canoe, sail (if someone brings a sailboat) and probably go for motorboat rides courtesy of Don Albrecht. Bring your swim things, river shoes, picnic lunch, drink, towel, small boat (if you have one and are willing to bring it) and a change of clothes. Optional dinner after at a specialty deli near the lake. Meet 8:45 a.m. at the parking lot of the Publix in The Village at Lee Branch in Greystone. Depart from there at 9 a.m. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 10 and older welcome, but parents are responsible for all risks to their children.
Reservations: Not required. Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net or (205)631-4680.
FOR COMEDY LOVERS
AT BIRMINGHAM IMPROV EVERY FRIDAY…
UGLY BABY LIVE, 9:30 p.m. at Birmingham Improv Theatre, 2208 7th Avenue South, 35233.
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
TODAY…COMEDIAN BO DACIOUS..,.Bo last name Dacious is a stand-up comedian from the Hampton Roads area of Va., and has a long storied history on stage and on radio. Bo has shared the stage with the likes of Dave Chappelle, Paul Mooney, Cedric the Entertainer, Mike Epps, Sommore, Monique and the list goes on and on. Currently D.L. Hughley’s opening act over a span of the last six years, Bo is known for quick wit, all races humor and a remarkable singing voice. Bo has NO boundaries and is among the most diverse comics working today.
FRIDAY, SATURDAY and SUNDAY… COMEDIAN D.L HUGHLEY … Darryl Lynn “D. L.” Hughley is an American actor, political commentator, radio host, author and stand-up comedian. 
Hughley is best known as the original host of BET’s ComicView from 1992-1993, the eponymous character on the ABC/UPN sitcom The Hughleys and performed in The Original Kings of Comedy.
TUESDAY through THURSDAY…COMEDIAN WILL JACOBS…An attorney by trade, Will brings his engaging brand of comedy from the courtroom to the comedy club. Audiences will undoubtedly find him funny as charged. Will’s comedic perspective on everything from his career to marriage have made him one of the hottest acts on the comedy circuit today. His comedy has been featured on the FOX TV show Laughs. As a touring comedian, Will performs across the country for clubs, companies, churches and charities. He’s worked with comedy greats like D.L. Hughley and Bob Saget. He is also the host of the Comedy Zone Podcast where he does in-depth interviews with celebrities about their careers and lives away from the spotlight.
NEXT FRIDAY…. COMEDIAN JOHN WITHERSPOON at the StarDome Comedy Club.
COMING SOON
JULY 26 – MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA at Avondale Brewing Company.
JULY 27 – BIRMINGHAM FREEDOM FEST.
AUGUST 16-25 – 2019 BIRMINGHAM RESTAURANT WEEK.
AUGUST 17 – THE DIRTY GUV’NAHS LIVE IN CONCERT at the Avondale Brewing Company.
AUGUST 18 – L’CHAIM at the Alys Stephens Center.
SEPTEMBER 1 – THE 85 SOUTH SHOW at the Alabama Theatre.
SEPTEMBER 15 – WOLDER WOODS LIVE IN CONCERT at WorkPlay Theatre
SEPTEMBER 28 – FIESTA 2019 in Linn Park.
NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 5 – 3rd ANNUAL ALUMNI GETAWAY CRUISE.
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 and gwenderu@yahoo.com.
