Gwen DeRu
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**KOFFIN KATS WITH V-8 DEATH CAR & CRYPT 24 at The Nick.
**EVERY THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR, 5:30 – 9 p.m. at the Kappa Komplex, 45 6th Avenue South.
**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.
**TASTEMAKER THURSDAY – Every Thursday at Blaze Ultra Lounge, 228 Roebuck Plaza Drive, 8 p.m.- 12 a.m. with DJ Ace Twon (95.7 JAMZ) in the mix hosted by Audio Life and GMC Promo.
**THIRSTY THURSDAY at Hookah 114 17th Street No.
**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**TRIBUTE TO THE LADIES OF THE ’80s with VOCALIST DEIRDRE GADDIS at Perfect Note.
**BRICKFAIR ALABAMA at the BJCC, Friday, 10 a.m. through and Saturday, 4 p.m.
**CHEYLOE AND HER SLEEPLESS KNIGHTS at The Nick.
**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afro Beats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.
**EVERY THIRD FRIDAYS with DEIRDRE GADDIS at Perfect Note.
SATURDAY…
**SATURDAYS IN THE GARDENS at Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**WINE DOWN HAPPY HOUR, 4 p.m.- 9 p.m. at Saferoom Lounge Bar.
**MS. JOHNNIE AND THE JAMMERS Live After Five, 7-10 p.m. at Bistro on 19th located at 109 19th St. N ., Bessemer. EVERY 2nd and 4th SATURDAY!!
**THE BARBER SHOP featuring ASHLEY THE BARBER, JASON, NATE and D SMOOTH at Perfect Note.
**BARBAROSA JONES with HAM BAGBY and ANNA HOPE at The Nick.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**WOODLAWN STREET MARKET, 12 p.m. at Woodlawn Street Market.
**HAPPY HOUR WITH ANNA HOPE, 5 p.m.– 7 p.m. at The Nick.
MONDAY…
**REGGAE MUSIC EVERY MONDAY NIGHT with DJ DUSTY, 8 p.m. at Black Magic 2904 Lomb Avenue.
**EVERY MONDAY is MONSLAYYY – THE CARIBBEAN WAY, 8 p.m. at the Vault with TRINI and BRENT TRINI-FRESH PIERRE. FREE.
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND (Open Mic) at The Nick.
TUESDAY…
**EVERY TUESDAY – TRUE STORY BREWING PRESENTS TUESDAY JAZZ SESSIONS, 7- 10 p.m., 5510 Crestwood Blvd.
**TASTY TUESDAYS at Platinum of Birmingham.
**EVERY TUESDAY LIT AND JAZZ with DAVID TALLEY AND FRIENDS, 7 p.m. at Lit on 8th, 518 Rev. Abraham Woods Blvd.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**WEDNESDAYS WEEKLY JAZZ JAM, 7- 10 p.m. at True Story Brewing Company, 5510 Crestwood Blvd. Food until 9 p.m. Music until 10 p.m. and Drink until 11 p.m.
**REGGAE WEDNESDAY NIGHTS, 8 p.m. at Blue Onyx.
**AMACIO FAVOR at The Nick.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
NEXT FRIDAY…
**QUE’S BAR & GRILL GROOVIN’ on 19th Street in Ensley.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**7EVEN RICH HONORS MISSY ELLIOTT at Perfect Note.
CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH…
**FOUNDERS DAY 02.02.2022 – A Public Policy Issue Virtual Great Debate, 6- 8 p.m. with (3) positions by: PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY in Texas, CHEYNEY UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA in Delaware County and TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY in Nashville. The Great Debate was founded at Tennessee State University by Dr. Amiri Yasmin Al-Hadid in the fall of 1986. Historically, the “Great Debate” has served as an intellectual and cultural forum for debating current issues from the perspectives of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X) and a Synthesis of these two perspectives. The Great Debate Honor Society is sponsoring a Founder’s Day Celebration of the 37th Anniversary of the Great Debate Productions and 30th Anniversary of the Great Debate Honor Society. The public policy issue for this Virtual Great Debate is “Black Colleges need Reparations and Africana Studies Departments to overcome decades of arrested development and cultural alienation.” This Virtual Great Debate will be held on Wednesday, February 02, 2022 from 6 – 8 p.m. EST. If you remember the GREAT DEBATE as a student or community member of TSU beginning in 1985 OR are a TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT or just interested, make plans to kick your African American History Month off with the Great Debate. Schedule your calendar for February 2, 6-8 p.m. www.GreatDebateUniverse.com. (Check out the Great Debate Honor Society page on Facebook.)
NEWS TO USE…
**CITY WARMING STATION – The City of Birmingham will open a warming station January 20-26 at the Boutwell Auditorium, 5 p.m. – 8 a.m. ALSO, Donations of toiletry items, snacks and sanitizing products are needed and will be accepted on Thursday, Jan. 20 and Friday, Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in front of Boutwell Auditorium. Items needed are toilet paper, paper towels, spray disinfectants, disinfectant wipes, individually wrapped snacks, hand warmers, bottled water and washable blankets (twin bed size). Please do not bring clothing or shoes.
**COVID TESTING – If you are interested in being tested, here is some information:
1. Morgan Pediatrics (in the alley behind the building), 2010 Avenue F, (Ensley), 35218 until 5 p.m. M-F – 205-785-7337.
2. Dr. Celeste Reese Willis (in the parking lot) 401 Tuscaloosa Avenue, 35211 until 4 p.m., M-F. – 205-291-8842.
**FREE COVIDE-19 TESTING KITS – Go to special.usps.com and apply for FREE COVID-19 Testing Kits. Limit 1 order per residential address includes 4 individual rapid antigen COVID-19 tests.
**KIM SCOTT THREE-TIME #1 BILLBOARD CHARTING FLUTIST PERFORMS IN TUSCALOOSA – Birmingham native KIM SCOTT is Breakout Artist of the Year in Smooth Jazz. Scott has the #2 Song of the Year on the national Billboard charts. Scott is also the three-time #1 Billboard charting flutist on the Innervision Record label. Her 5th album release concert – “SHINE” is in Birmingham, Ala. at the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater on Feb. 5. She performs in Tuscaloosa on February 3 at the University of Alabama School of Music and on February 21 with the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. Scott is in Birmingham again on May 29 with the Eric Essix Jazz Escape. Kim is also the nationally syndicated jazz radio host of Block Party Show that airs in 30 markets across the country, and she is the Director of Student Support Services at Alabama School of Fine Arts. For more about Kim Scott, go to www.kimscottmusic.com. Check out Kim Scott when she is in Birmingham as she travels the world.
FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT…
**BROADWAY COMES TO BIRMINGHAM – DEAR EVAN HANSEN, a Tony Award winning musical opens at the BJCC Concert Hall 21-22 Broadway season with seven performances through Jan. 23. Performance schedule is: Today – 7:30 p.m., Friday 8 p.m., Saturday – 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday – 1 and 6:30 p.m. The winner of six 2017 Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and the 2018 Grammy Award for Best musical Theater Album, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. DEAR EVAN HANSEN is part of the BROADWAY IS BACK IN BIRMINGHAM SERIES. The American Theatre Guild is a 501(c)(3) organization and the largest not-for-profit touring Broadway Presenter in the nation, supports Broadway seasons in 14 markets including: Birmingham, Ala. The American Theatre Guild is dedicated to providing the experience of love theater to foster passion, inspire creativity and empower youth within each community. For more, BroadwayinBirmingham.com or DearEvanHansen.com.
**UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL COMEDY SHOW REUNION TOUR, TODAY, 7 p.m. and 21st at the StarDome Comedy Club featuring JAYMOE DA ROOKIE, LATRESSA THE INVESTOR, LEX LUGA, STEPHANIE “LADY B” BYRD, and JOSH BOLLINS, also featuring THE CARIBBEAN CUTIE and THE ORIGINAL STEVEN T. HAMMOND.
**RESTAURANT WEEK, January 20-29 all around town.
AT SIDEWALK FESTIVAL…
**FILMMAKER HAPPY HOUR – Join the Sidewalk Cinema every 3rd Thursday. No registration and FREE. Get to the Cinema Bar, TODAY, 5-7 p.m.
**SIDEWALK CALL FOR ENTRIES – Submit your short or feature screenplay to Sidewalk. Check out Film Freeway and submit before the next submission deadline at Sidewalkfest.com.
AT THE WORLD GAMES 2022…
The World Games is bringing greatness to The Magic City!
**NEWSWEEK NAMES THE WORLD GAMES ONE OF 22 GREAT THINGS IN 2022…The World Games Birmingham was named one of the 22 Great Things that will take place in 2022.
**CONDE NAST TRAVELER NAMES BIRMINGHAM ONE OF THE 22 BEST PLACES TO GO IN 2022 partially because the city is hosting The World Games 2022.
**THE WORLD GAMES 2022 BIRMINGHAM takes place from Thursday, July 7 to Sunday, July 17. This will be the 40th Anniversary of the event. There will be more than 100 countries, 3,600 athletes that will compete for gold in 34 unique, multi-disciplinary sports that include artistic sports, Bali sports, Martial Arts, precision sports, strength sports and trend sports. Tickets are available. Go to www.Twg2022.com for more.
FOR ART LOVERS …
IN TUSCALOOSA…
At THE PAUL R. JONES GALLERY – BLOODLINES through February 22, with a Reception on Thursday January 31, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at 2308 6th Street, 35401. For more, 205-345-3038.
AT BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**LOST REALMS OF THE MOUNDBUILDERS OF THE SOUTH AND MIDWEST explores the archaeology and history of the Mississippi Moundbuilders. If you grew up in Alabama, you may be familiar with Moundville, located just south of Tuscaloosa. These ancient builders of North America, aka the Mississippians, were one of our country’s most important Native American Cultures. According to historians, the world they created was equal to that of the Aztec, Maya or Inca. The exhibition features objects from four major Moundbuilder sites: Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma, Moundville in Alabama, Etowah Mounds in Georgia and Cahoka Mounds in East Saint Louis, Illinois. This exhibition runs until February 6, 2022. Next stop Dallas. Curated by Dr. Emily G. Hanna, Senior Curator, Arts of Africa and the Americas and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Birmingham Museum of Art.
**VOICES SO TRUE: NEW NATIVE AMERICAN ART from the Clyde Oyster Bequest – This exhibition is now until January 30, 2022. OT features the work of seven contemporary Native American artists: NORMAN AKERS, SHAN GOSHOM, LARRY MCNEIL, KAY WALKING STICK, WENDY RED STAR, EUGENE TAPAHE and ZOE MARIEH URNESS. They are affiliated with different tribal nations including Crow, Eastern Band Cherokee, Mohawk, Navajo, Osage, Tlingit and more. The exhibition includes photographs, prints, paintings and basketry.
COMING SOON…
**JULY 7-17, 2022 – THE WORLD GAMES are coming. Look for more!
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: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
