GWEN DERU
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
**THE GAMBLE + THE SINGLES at The Nick.
**LIVE KARAOKE SHOWCASE hosted by LOGAN THE ENTERTAINER, every Thursday at Ruth”s Place in Irondale, 2404 Derby Way. DJ MOSE STOVALL is on crowd control.
**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.
**TEQUILA THURSDAY at the Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**THROW BACK THURSDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge, 3801 Richard Arrington, Jr., Blvd.
FRIDAY…
**30th ANNUAL MAGIC CITY ART CONNECTION at Sloss Furnaces.
**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.
**SAXOPHONIST JESSE J at Perfect Note.
**SHUGAPALOOZA at Iron City.
**SPIRITS REPUBLIC + JESSE CROWE + VEERIES at The Nick.
**LIT FRIDAYS WITH RIPCORD, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. at 4501 Gary Avenue in Fairfield.
**FREE HOOKAH FRIDAYS at Blu Onyx, 10 p.m.
**AFRO CARIBBEAN NIGHTS (Every Friday Night) at Ash’s on 2nd, 7 p.m. until with Reggae, Afro Beats, Dancehall and Top 40 Hits.
**FIREBALL FRIDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**FRIDAY NIGHT RAP, Every 1st and 3rd Friday at Crescent Cultural Center, 1121 Tuscaloosa Avenue, W.
SATURDAY…
**30th ANNUAL MAGIC CITY ART CONNECTION at Sloss Furnaces.
**SPRING FLING MARKET, 1-5 p.m. at Ross Bridge
**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!!
**SOLD OUT SATURDAYS at the Blu Onyx Every Saturday.
**CIROC SATURDAYS at Blu Onyx.
**VON STRANTZ with MEGAN MCMILLAN at The Nick.
**DNA presents TEAM BIRMINGHAM, 6 p.m. at Perfect Note with 2 shows.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**30th ANNUAL MAGIC CITY ART CONNECTION at Sloss Furnaces.
**WOODLAWN STREET MARKET, 12 p.m. at Woodlawn Street Market.
**FOODIES, BEATZ, VIBEZ, 2-9 p.m. at 604 Bar & Lounge at 604 9th St. No.
**SUNDAY HAPPY HOUR with JW TELLER at The Nick.
**MARBIN at The Nick.
**2 SEXY SUNDAY at the Blu Onyx, 8- 12 p.m.
**SUNDAY FUNDAY for the grown Folks Kickback at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
MONDAY…
**EVERY MONDAY is MONSLAYYY – THE CARIBBEAN WAY, 8 p.m. at the Vault with TRINI and BRENT TRINI-FRESH PIERRE. FREE.
**A DEER A HORSE WITH KAMIKAZE ZOMBIE + POWER SINK at The Nick.
**KARAOKE NIGHTS WITH RICKEY SMILEY at the StarDome Comedy.
TUESDAY…
**INDUSTRY NIGHT TUESDAY at Blu Onyx, 8 p.m.
**EVERY TUESDAY – TRUE STORY BREWING 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.
**FAT TUESDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**BLAC RABBIT WITH SATCHY at The Nick.
WEDNESDAY…
**INTERFAITH NOONDAY PRAYER SERVICES every Wednesday, Noon at Linn Park in Downtown Birmingham.
**JD PINKUS (OF THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS AND THE MELVINS)at The Nick.
**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.
**OPEN BAR WEDNESDAY, 8 p.m. at Blu Onyx.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
*WORST SPILLS + TREES ON THE MOON at The Nick.
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.
**OLD SCHOOL FUNK FEST with DENO POSEY at Perfect Note.
**TODD SNIDER – RETURN OF THE STORYTELLER TOUR at Iron City.
*DAMNED TO EARTH, THE GODDAMN RIGHTS & BIG OAF at The Nick.
THIS WEEKEND…
IN TALLADEGA…
**TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY GEICO 500…
*NEW ‘NEXT GEN’ CAR AND MORE – Not only will you see the New Next‘ Gen Car in play this weekend, but Talladega Superspeedway will pay a special tribute to one of NASCAR’s greatest drivers, fan favorite and hero – the late, great Davey Allison – on the 35th Anniversary of his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory, prior to the start of the GEICO 500 on SUNDAY. Two-time Talladega Superspeedway winner (2010, 2011) and FOX Sports Analyst Clint Bowyer will drive an authentic black, red-numbered 28 Ford Thunderbird during a ceremonial lap around the biggest and baddest race track on the planet just before the engines are fired to start the GEICO 500, which Bowyer and Mike Joy will call on FOX. The beautiful machine, which was driven by Allison in the 1993 DAYTONA 500, mirrors the car that Allison took to Ruoff Mortgage Victory Lane at Talladega in the 1992, his final Talladega triumph. The crew chief that day was none other than ‘America’s Crew Chief,’ FOX Sports’ Larry McReynolds.
*SPECIAL VIDEO ABOUT DAVEY ALLISON – A special video will be shown to those in attendance that will celebrate not only the Alabama native’s (Hueytown) initial premier series triumph 35 years ago in the spring of 1987, but also his other triumphs at Talladega. The car will be on display during the weekend (Saturday and Sunday morning) in the track’s one-of-a-kind Talladega Garage Experience, allowing fans to get an up-close view of the historic T-bird.
**NASCAR’s NEW ‘NEXT GEN’ CAR – The new ‘Next Gen’ car will see its first action on Talladega’s 33-degree banking in the GEICO 500. Debuting in the season-opening DAYTONA 500, the Next Gen car is a collaboration of the brightest engineering minds in racing and the automotive industry. It is designed to give the drivers greater control and will put an emphasis back on race strategies, team personnel and vehicle setups while returning the ‘stock car’ look to NASCAR.
(Photo: Actor Alexander Skarsgard) (Provided)
*GRAND MARSHAL ALEXANDER SKARSGARD – Actor Alexander Skarsgård from the new epic action film The Northman, will serve as the Grand Marshal for Talladega Superspeedway’s GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday. The Northman is an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father’s murder. The all-star cast includes Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe. So, in addition to the GEICO 500 NASCAR Cup Series race (2 p.m. CDT), which will see NASCAR’s Next Gen car on the 31-degree banking for the first time, Saturday will feature a doubleheader including the General Tire 200 (12 p.m. CDT) for the ARCA Menards Series and the Ag-Pro 300 (3 p.m. CDT) for the NASCAR Xfinity Series. KLĒNSKIN Pole Qualifying to determine the starting lineup for the GEICO 500 will also be on Saturday, beginning at 10 a.m. CDT. Fans with a Sunday GEICO 500 ticket will also get admission to the traditional Saturday Night Infield Concert featuring country music artist Riley Green. To see all weekend opportunities, visit www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA. Fans are encouraged to keep up with all the happenings at the biggest, baddest race track on the planet by following Talladega Superspeedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
IN MARION, AL…
**THE BLACKBELT REUNION BLUES SHOW AND TAILGATE, SATURDAY, 1 p.m. until with host PORTIA SHEPHERD, JAY MORRIS GROUP, OMAR CUNNINGHAM, MAC MAN MACK, P2K, TRAVIUS KEANDRIC, KING SOUTH, BIG YAYO, LJ ECHOLS and MC/DJ TRUCKER. Tailgate setup is 8 – 11 a.m.
IN MIDFIELD…
**WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL, SATURDAY featuring BIG FITZ THE POET, POETICALLY EMBODIED, MOTORCITY FATTS, CASH, FREANKNALDO, COMEDIAN EUGENE and GLENWOOD URBZ at A Place to Remember Event Center, 202 By Williams Sr., Dr. in Midfield, 7 p.m.
NEWS TO USE AND PEOPLE IN THE NEWS…
FOR FOOD LOVERS AND MORE…RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER…JUNE IS NATIONAL SOUL FOOD MONTH….right around the corner… Here is a little for getting you started looking for food recipes and articles on food and plenty of good food…..
**CCDN FOOD HUBWEDNESDAY, Every Wednesday of each month in Fountain Heights Old Sardis Baptist Church, 1240 4th Street North, 10 – noon. For more, www.communitycaredn.org.
**ROSS BRIDGE FARMERS MARKET, May 13, 4 p.m.
(Look for more about plants, gardening, food, environment and Mother Earth.)
**A CELEBRATION OF OUR JOURNEY: A VIRTUAL CULINARY EXPERIENCE – The Birmingham (AL) Chapter of The Links, Inc. will host ‘A Celebration of Our Journey: A Virtual Culinary Experience’ on Saturday, April 30, at 6 p.m. This fun-filled evening will spotlight food, music and culture and feature musical guests ANTHONY HAMILTON, CHRISETTE MICHELLE. The event will feature international acclaimed Food Historian and award-winning professor DR. JESSICA B. HARRIS who is considered by many to be one of the leading authorities on food of the African diaspora. (Netflix’s 2021 docu-series ‘High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America is based on several of Harris’ literary works about Black culinary culture.) Harris’ articles have appeared in Vogue, Essence, Food & Wine, and The New Yorker. The evening will spotlight several celebrity chefs, mixologists, and food influencers from across the country namely Chef Clayton Sherrod (World Chefs Tour Against Hunger), Chef Kolby Kash (The Culture’s Cook), Chef Alex Johnson (Executive Chef at Watkins Branch Bourbon and Brasserie) and Chef Phillip Ashley (Chocolate Artisan). They will demo their favorite cooking and cocktail recipes, share cooking tips, techniques and answer questions from a virtual live audience. The proceeds will benefit some of the Links, Inc. community service programs.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS…
**KEITH SWEAT, MONICA, TAMAR BRAXTON, GINUWINE and SILK, June 5 at Legacy Arena. This is Birmingham R&B Music Experience.
FOR THE CHILDREN…
**SUMMER CAMP – Birmingham Park and Recreation Summer Camp, June 6 – July 30, ages 5 – 12. Educational enrichment, athletics, arts and crafts and more! Call 205-254-2303 for information on a camp near you.
AT SIXTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH
…SEE YOU AT THE SIXTH …
**EVERY MONDAY MORNING MEDITATION WITH PASTOR CANTELOW, 7:15 a.m. Contact the church at (205) 321-1136 or (205) 321-1137.
FOR LOVERS OF FILMS…
**IN ATLANTA…ATLANTA FILM FESTIVAL 46th annual fest through – May 1 in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup includes Cooper Raiff’s Cha Cha Real Smooth, John Patton Ford’s Emily the Criminal, and Summering, a coming-of-age story directed by Georgia-native and ATLFF alumni James Ponsoldt. The opening film will be Abi Damaris Corbin’s 892 and the closing film will be Isabel Castro’s Mija. For more go to www.atlantafilmfestival.com.
FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS…
**SATURDAY KAYAK AND CANOE OUTING, Meet 9:45 a.m. for Southeastern Outings Kayak and Canoe Outing, Big Wills Creek near Gadsden, Alabama.
DETAILS: This is a scenic stretch of river located in a very rural area. See wildflowers and investigate islands and beaches. Each novice canoeist must be partnered with an experienced canoeist in their canoe. Rent canoes and one or two-person (tandem) sit-upon plastic kayaks and paddles from Big Wills Outfitters. Rental fees include life jackets and shuttle service. Also the outfitter will shuttle for a fee all private boats used on this outing. If you wish to rent a boat from Big Wills Outfitters, please call the outfitter BEFORE Saturday, April 23 at 256/538-3226 to reserve your boat and more details. Well-behaved, properly supervised children age 10 and over welcome. Plan to go to a restaurant in Gadsden for dinner depending on time we finish boating. Bring a change of clothes. Reservations Required: You must contact Dan Frederick, email seoutings@bellsouth.netor call 205/631-4680 if you plan to come on this trip. Meet 9:45 a.m. at the Applebee’s in Trussville. Depart from there at 10 a.m.
**SUNDAY DAY WALK, Meet 1:45 p.m. with Southeastern Outings Wildflower Walk in a Forest Preserve in Homewood at Homewood Forest Preserve- DETAILS: The City of Homewood owns two forest preserves on Shades Mountain adjacent to the Homewood High School. Spend a relaxing two hours walking and admiring spring wildflowers in the lower preserve. Rated moderately easy. Well-behaved, carefully supervised children age 6 and older welcome. Meet 1:45 p.m.in the Homewood High School east (nearest Brookwood Village Shopping Center) parking lot, just off Lakeshore Drive in Homewood. Depart at 2 p.m.Info: Dan Frederick, seoutings@bellsouth.net, or 205/631-4680.
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.
