By Gwen DeRu
TODAY
NATURAL BORN LEADERS and Q DOT DAVIS at The Nick.
COMEDIAN MIKE MERRYFIELD at the StarDome Comedy Club.
JIMMY HERRING AND THE 5 OF 7 at Saturn.
TRUMPETER 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.
FRIDAY…
RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL, HEADWIRES and OLE ENGLISH at The Nick Rocks.
COMEDIAN JAMES GREGORY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
FRUIT BATS and SKYWAY MAN at Saturn.
R&B ONLY at Iron City.
TEDDY PENDERGRASS TRIBUTE w/ VOCALIST JAY LAMBERT at Perfect Note.
JAZZ at Jazzi’s on 3rd Music Gallery.
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.
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 at Jazzi’s on 3rd.
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.
SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, every Saturday, at Luxe Ultra Lounge, 300 24th Street S with DJ CHOCOLATE.
SNV – SATURDAY NIGHT VIBES, 10 p.m. at Platinum.
COMEDIAN JAMES GREGORY at the StarDome Comedy Club.
VOCALIST Y’ANNA CRAWLEY at Perfect Note.
SUGAR CANDY MOUNTAIN, KIBI JAMES, DJ KALLIMA at Saturn.
THE SMOKING FLOWERS, ZACH & CHEYLOE and CALLIOPE PETTIS at the Nick.
SUNDAY
SLOW ART SUNDAY, 2 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
SOULFUL SUNDAY WITH GOOD FELLAS at Perfect Note.
THE ROCK AND ROLL PLAYHOUSE: MUSIC OF ALLMAN BROTHERS FOR KIDS at Saturn.
COMEDIAN MO ALEXANDER at the StarDome Comedy Club.
THE SWEET THINGS, ALEXA FONTAINE and ROSE GARDEN at the Nick Rocks.
MONDAY
MO MONEY MONDAYS at the Eastside Lounge.
BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at The Nick Rocks.
THE BIRMINGHAM MOTH STORY SLAM at the Saturn.
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.
PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.
JOSE’ CARR at the Boss Lounge, 8:30 – 11 p.m.
BONSAI TREES at the Nick Rocks.
KELSEY WALDON and JANET SIMPSON at Saturn.
NEXT WEDNESDAY
INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENT: THE STORY OF WAX TRAXI RECORDS at Saturn.
AN EVENING W/GREENLEAF HUSTLE at The Nick Rocks.
NEXT THURSDAY
MOONLIGHT SOCIAL, TONY LUCCA and JACK THOMASON at The Nick.
COMEDIAN DESI BANKS at the StarDome Comedy Club.
CASPA and SKETCH MUSIC at Saturn.
NEXT FRIDAY
LOVE RAT, RESULTS OF ADULTS and RED HARP at The Nick Rocks.
COMEDIAN EDDIE GRIFFIN at the StarDome Comedy Club.
PERPETUAL GROOVE at Saturn.
SHOWTIME APOLLO WINNER VOCALIST TL DAVIS, JR. at Perfect Note.
FOR THE COMMUNITY
BHEC WELCOMES MELISSA SELF PATRICK – The Birmingham Holocaust Education Center (BHEC) new Executive Director is Rev. Melissa Self Patrick. Patrick is a native of North Alabama with over twenty years experience in the nonprofit community in Birmingham. She was an advisor during the establishment of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute (BCRI) before its opening in 1992, as well as a founding organizer and director of 
Anytown Alabama, a week-long residential leadership summit for high school students to develop leadership skills and learn about social justice issues and become change agents in their communities. Patrick established this camp through the National Conference of Community and Justice or NCCJ, where she served as Assistant Director and worked with other faith leaders and scholars. While Assistant Director, she co-authored curricula for NCCJ Teacher Training in human relations. Currently, Patrick is a member of the Interfaith Interpretation Committee of the Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP), working with communities who are coming together to bring Jefferson County’s lynching memorial home from its current location in Montgomery under the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI)’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice.
BLACK VIOLIN IN BIRMINGHAM – Black Violin Impossible Tour is 7 p.m., Saturday at the Historic Lyric Theatre. It is a fundraiser concert presented by The Links, Inc. Birmingham Chapter.
SOUNDS OF THE SEASON – Kick off the holidays with Sounds of the Season, a concert of holiday songs both sacred and secular, December 15, 2:30 p.m. at Brock Recital Hall, Samford University. Don’t miss your chance to experience this audience-favorite concert, jam-packed with classic Christmas carols and beloved holiday songs! It is a true gift of the Season! Opera Birmingham’s 2019-2020 season continues with Independence Eve on January 24 & 26, Cinderella on March 20 & 22, and the 42nd Annual Vocal Competition on May 16 & 17. For more information regarding Opera Birmingham and upcoming performances, visit OperaBirmingham.org or call 205-322-6737.
ESSAY CONTEST – The Jefferson County Memorial Project is now accepting submissions for the essay. Winners will be awarded prizes totaling up to $5,000 and will be recognized at a Jefferson County Memorial Project event in 2020 in Birmingham. The contest is open to all Birmingham City School high school students. The contest will run until November 22, 2019.
ALABAMA MULTICULTURAL NIGHT OUT –Join Alabama Multicultural Night Out at the Pizitz Food Hall, Every Second Friday night.
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE – The Crestline Village Open House is today, 4-6 p.m. The English Village Open House is November 21, 5-7 p.m. The Mountain Brook Village Open House is December 5, 5-8 p.m.
FOR ART AND PERFORMING ART LOVERS
ARTIST ARTHUR PRICE – Artist Arthur Price is showing at Gallery 1930 through November 14 at 1930 Cahaba Road.
SLOW ART SUNDAY , 2-3 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
PUBLIC CHARGE” DIASPORIC IMMIGRANT ARTISTS, through December 13, at the Paul Jones R. Museum, 2308 Sixth Street, Tuscaloosa. Closing Reception is December 5, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
AT THE VULCAN PARK AND MUSEUM
LET’S TALK TRAINS, Friday, 10 – 11:30 p.m.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS, SPOKEN WORD
JAZZ at Jazzi’s of Third
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 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.
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 MIKE MERRYFIELD… In 2006 Mike was invited to be part of the “Lucky 21”, a group of comics chosen to perform at the prestigious HBO Comedy Festival in Las Vegas. In 2004 Mike was invited to perform at the Boston International Comedy and Movie Festival. Mike also performed at “Harley Davidson’s 100th Anniversary Reunion” as well as “Harley Davidson’s 95th Anniversary Reunion”. Mike’s material can be heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. He has also done two specials for Sirius XM, “New Comic on the Block” and “Behind the HaHas”. You may also have heard Mike on the Bob and Tom morning radio show. Mike has ringtones and over 3 hours of material available for download at itunes. A sample of Mike’s audio clips can be found on the Media page. Mike brings his unique style and likeability to comedy clubs and corporate events across America. He has a refreshingly new style. His quick wit and adaptability make him a comedian that everyone will enjoy.
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY…. COMEDIAN JAMES GREGORY… The Funniest Man in America returns! For over twenty years, the unforgettable caricature of veteran comic James Gregory has stood grinning: his blue shirt untucked, his arms outstretched, a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious storytelling experience. The trademark caricature is the essence of James Gregory´s comedy: whimsical reflections on life from the front porch.
SUNDAY…COMEDIAN MO ALEXANDER…Mo Alexander is an American stand-up comedian and actor. Alexander was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He began his full-time professional comedy career in July 1996 and was headlining on stages throughout the U.S. within three years.
NEXT THURSDAY… COMEDIAN DESI BANKS…Desi Banks is a comedian, actor, and writer based in Atlanta. With over 2.8 million followers on Instagram he is best known for his characters Lil Johnny, Keisha, Grandma Reese, and Uncle Earl in his hilariously relatable online sketches that have featured other notable online personalities such as B. SIMONE and PRETTY VEE. His versatile comedy style was showcased on the YOU’RE MY BOYFRIEND TOUR and is now headlining his own shows across the country at various venues & comedy clubs. He can be seen in the romantic comedy LOVE BY CHANCE alongside TERRI J VAUGHN and CLIFTON POWELL as well as Will Packer’s LITTLE alongside ISSA RAE and REGINA HALL.
NEXT FRIDAY AND SATURDAY… COMEDIAN EDDIE GRIFFIN…A popular comedian turned actor who started his career on-stage as a dare, funnyman Eddie Griffin has built an ever-growing fan base since jumping onto the comedy scene in 1990. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Eddie was voted class clown three years in a row in high school. His first love was always dance and by the young age of 16, he opened his own dance studio and was choreographing the Kansas City Chiefs half-time shows. But all of that would soon change when one night his cousin dared him to go on stage at the local comedy club Sanford and Sons where he was told to do three minutes. He performed off-the-cuff for 45 minutes successfully. It was then that Griffin purchased a one-way ticket to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a stand up. He played The Pastor opposite Dave Chappelle, Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in 2018’s Academy Award Winning feature film A Star is Born. His Showtime Comedy Special Eddie Griffin: Undeniable is currently airing on Showtime to rave reviews.
COMING SOON
NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 5 – 3rd ANNUAL ALUMNI GETAWAY CRUISE.
DECEMBER 27 – CHARLIE WILSON, BJCC Concert Hall
DECEMBER 31 – ALL BLACK ATTIRE NYE 2020 at the UAB HILTON HOTEL
JANUARY 10 – JOHN OATES AND THE GOOD ROAD BAND at the Lyric Theatre.
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.
