BY GWEN DERU
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**BILLY BRONCO with PLAYTO at the Nick.
**KARAOKE, 5-9 p.m. at Courtyard Alabaster Bar and Grill.
**THIRD THURSDAY BLUES JAM, 7 p.m. at True Story Brewing.
**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.
**TEQUILA THURSDAY at the Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**THROW BACK THURSDAY at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge, 3801 Richard Arrington, Jr., Blvd.
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 LADIES OF THE ’80S with R&B DIVA DEIRDRE GADDIS at Perfect Note.
**PALM GHOSTS, HAPPY LEMMY and YEAR OF OCTOBER at The Nick.
**THE MOLLY RINGWALDS at Iron City.
**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…
**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!!
**COGNATE SOULS, DIRTY STREETS & EVA LAVANTE at The Nick.
**TRIBUTE TO THE WHISPERS and O’JAYS with YUNG VOKALZ at Perfect Note.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**SUNDAY FUN DAY with TAYLOR HOLLINGSWORTH at The Nick.
**DIZZY BATS, OCEANS IN THE SKY, BUGWHORE & BROTHA JOSH at The Nick.
**SUNDAY FUNDAY for the grown Folks Kickback at Tha Vibe Bar & Lounge.
**ZOSO THE ULTIMATE LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE at Iron City.
MONDAY…
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at the Nick.
**EVERY MONDAY is MONSLAYYY – THE CARIBBEAN WAY, 8 p.m. at the Vault with TRINI and BRENT TRINI-FRESH PIERRE. FREE.
TUESDAY…
**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.
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.
**EVERY 4th WEDNESDAY at FACE’S LOUNGE KARAOKE hosted by ARETTA, 6:30 p.m. at 7070 Aaron Aronov Dr. in Fairfield.
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.
**TRIBUTE TO BOBBY BROWN with DONALD SHIPMAN at Perfect Note.
**CRYPT 24 with 2DN and DIRTY HOLLY at The Nick.
**COREY SMITH at Iron City.
IT’S 2023! NEWS TO USE…
**2023 VISION BOARD WORKSHOP AND CONFERENCE, January 29, Sunday, 3 p.m. at 109 19th Street N., Bessemer. Call 205-962-2490 for more.
**WOMEN EMPOWERED CONFERENCE AND LUNCHEON, March 11, Saturday with 8 dynamic women. The theme is A Lifetime of Transformation.
FOR LOVERS OF REGGAE, ISLAND TIMES AND TUNES… CARRIBEAN…if you will…
**7TH ANNUAL TRIBUTE TO THE KING OF REGGAE BOB MARLEY, February 4th, 8 p.m. at L.I.T. on 8th Bar. TRINI FRESH 7 DJ PUMPKIN are playing the best Dancehall, Reggae, Soca, Afro-Caribbean and a little Hip Hop. Tell RICH MUZIC and LISA D that you read about it in PPT in the Birmingham Times. …Gwen told you!
AT ALYS STEPHENS CENTER…
**HELEN SIMONEAU DANSE, “Delicate Power” is at Alys Stephens Center on January 21, 8 p.m. Alabama Dance Festival and UAB Alys Stephens Center present Choreographer and 2021 Guggenheim fellow Helen Simoneau’s investigation of command without force. “Delicate Power” is an investigation of command without force. It examines the different ways we yield, share or exert power as individuals and within communities. The work subverts expectations of power by asking: What does power look like without the need for dominance? How is power embodied when innate and not hard-fought? What is power rooted in respect? Power without ego? Movement and intricate structures of design convey the strength within softness, the potency of empathetic exchange, resilience forged in reflection, and propulsion stemming from confidence and trust. This dance features an original score by Pulitzer prize-winning composer and musician Caroline Shaw, with dramaturgy by Melanie George, costume design by Quinn Czejkowski and lighting by David Ferri.
Simoneau is a French-Canadian choreographer exploring themes of intimacy, agency, identity, sexuality and power. Rooted in form, her movement is created in reverence to its lineage, yet subverts traditional ways of being within dance by proposing new ones, according to her artist’s statement. The performance is at 8 p.m. in the Alys Stephens Center’s Jemison Concert Hall.
**GUITARIST TOMMY EMMANUEL is at the Alys Stephens Center on January 22, 6 p.m. He is considered by those in the know to be among this planet’s greatest guitarists, according to his bio, and his playing is simply miraculous, as it would take three musicians, or more, to do what Emmanuel does solo. Guitarist GARETH PEARSON will be the opening artist. Pearson is referred to as “The Welsh Tornado” for his combination of finger style pyrotechnics with explosive lead runs. Pearson has a distinctive style that can be heard through his creative and innovative arrangements, which cover a wide spectrum of genres, including country, folk, classical, pop, rock, jazz, swing and bluegrass music, along with his own beautiful and often intricate original compositions.
**WINNIE THE POOH: THE NEW MUSICAL ADAPTATION is at UAB, Sunday, January 29. The performance is presented by UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center. Featuring the Sherman Brothers’ classic Grammy-Award-winning music with further songs by A.A. Milne, the stage adaptation is told with stunning life-sized puppetry through the eyes of the beloved characters, in a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood. This event is suitable for all ages. ArtPlay Community Education will have a free family art activity in the lobby from 3:30-4:30 p.m. The performance is at 5 p.m. Call 205-975-2787 or visit AlysStephens.org.
FOR ART LOVERS…
**SPACE ONE ELEVEN presents “In Case of Emergency, Break Glass, a new work by John Fields and Surplus in Pantomime curated by Y. Malik Jalal. The exhibitions opens Friday, February 3, 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Anne Arrasmith Gallery in Space One Eleven.
**15th ANNIVERSARY HARLEM FINE ARTS SHOW – CELEBRATING ART AND CULTURE IN AMERICA- The Harlem Fine Arts show returns to New York City to celebrate the 15th Anniversary, February 24-26th at The Glass House. t is the largest traveling African Diasporic art show in the United States. This 3-day event serves as an economic platform for the multicultural, general market and arts communities to empower and increase market share in numerous regions throughout the United States.
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.
**WINTER REVIVAL, January 23rd-25th, 7 p.m. with Dr. Bruce Williams, Guest Pastor, Bates Memorial Baptist Church in Louisville, KY.
FOR BUSINESS LOVERS…
**COMPUTER CLASSES AT THE FIVE POINTS WEST LIBRARY every Tuesday and Thursday.
**TOP 40 UNDER 40 – Birmingham Business Journal (BBJ) is honoring up and coming individuals who will be the leaders in Birmingham’s economy on February 16, 5-7:30 p.m. For more go to the BBJ website to register your suggestions.
FOR LOVERS OF HEALTH AND WELLNESS…
**WELLNESS WEDNESDAY – Here is a list of organizations that need volunteers, your help and can, also, assist with the food struggle in Alabama: Alabama Childhood Food Solutions in Birmingham and Sylacauga, Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, Community Kitchens of Birmingham, Hoover Helps, Downtown Jimmie Hale Mission Birmingham, Jones Valley Teaching Farm Birmingham, Magic City Harvest Birmingham, Mothers Milk Bank of Alabama, Oak Mountain Missions-Pelham, P.E.E.R. (Promoting Empowerment & Enrichment Resources)-Birmingham, Woodlawn Community Table, RIVER REGION: Montgomery Area Food Bank, SOUTH ALABAMA: Feeding the Gulf Coast-Mobile, The Cookery Project-Mobile, STATEWIDE: Auburn University, College of Human Sciences, Hunger Solutions Institute (Double Up Alabama Program), Society of St. Andrew Alabama, TUSCALOOSA: Tuscaloosa Community Soup Bowl. Learn more about ways to stay healthy with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama.
**WORKOUT WEDNESDAY – Meet all of your 2023 fitness goals at Five Points West Library. So…if you are looking for a joint-safe, low-impact workout, head to the library every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. for chair yoga and other chair exercises.
**THE DANIEL FAST – Sixth Avenue Baptist Church family is devoting 21 Days to Spiritual Preparation for 2023. It is modeled after the biblical figure that followed a similar pattern. A devotional guide – The Daniel Fast Devotional Guide was created to help the church members and others focus on material things to give up such as food. The guide is intended to help move through the days of fasting in an intentional manner. Suggestions: Ten minutes in the morning before you go to work, share during the evening around the dinner table with your family, meet with a friend or two on the phone or by email and/or share verses, phrases or your own thoughts with others through Facebook or Twitter. Their purpose in fasting is to join hearts together. The devotional guide is a suggestion for you. It has a fasting diet, foods to avoid, snacks, scriptures, and recipes for breakfast, lunch, sides, salads, vegan, smoothies, soups, and even scriptures to read during the fast, as well as additional information about fasting. If you are interested in getting more information or knowing where to get a copy of the devotional guide, contact Sixth Avenue Baptist Church Office.
**UAB WELLNESS SCREENING, January 31, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Five Points West Library.
FOR GARDENERS…
**COMMUNITY SEED SWAP, January 21, 8 a.m. at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.
**NATURE AT NOON SERIES 2023 for short nature breaks in Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Walk and look for winter birds on the lush sixty-seven-acre park housing thirty separate garden installations, water features and an array of native plants. Call for info and to register. Hosted by Alabama Audubon.
FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS…
**DESOTO FALLS, AN ALABAMA WATERFALL – Alabama has many beautiful waterfalls. One that requires no strenuous hike is DeSoto Falls, part of the DeSoto State Park. It is located atop Lookout Mountain in the tiny town is Mentone. It is one of Alabama’s tallest waterfalls and plunges 104 feet. You can view the upper waterfall by following a paved path from the parking lot. It is one of the South’s most recognizable waterfalls and flows year-round. To view the main waterfall, using caution, walk down a set of steps and head to the overlook area.
FOR OPERA LOVERS
Opera Birmingham continues its successful chamber opera series with dwb (driving while black) beginning Friday, January 27. This new one-act opera explores issues of racial injustice, juxtaposing the story of an African American parent (as her son reaches driving age) with contemporary news bulletins highlighting the dangerous world beyond a parent’s control. dwb continues our Birmingham Speaks initiative, using this production as a springboard for community conversations where art and life intersect. WHEN: Friday, January 27, 2023 | 7:30 P.M; Saturday, January 28, 2023 | 7:30 P.M.; Sunday, January, 29, 2023 | 2:30 P.M. WHERE: Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus – Discovery Theatre
FOR ART LOVERS…
AT BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**EXPANDING SARSHAN: MANJARI SHARMA, TO SEE AND BE SEEN through January 15.
**LIGHT PLAY through January 29.
**HAND-HELD: THE FOUR SEASONS IN CHINESE PAINTING through March 5.
**WAYS OF SEEING: SPORTS AND GAMES through May 21.
**NOTINEE DARSHAN DANCE PERFORMANCE, February 26, 2 – 4 p.m.
**WALL TO WALL: RICO GATSON through July.
FOR FILM LOVERS…
AT SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL…
**MOVIES EVERY THURSDAY – SUNDAY/HAPPY HOUR, 2-5 p.m.
**25th SIDEWALK FILM FESTIVAL is AUGUST 21-27 in the Downtown Birmingham’s Historic Theatre District.
*Filmmaker Happy Hour – Every 3rd Thursday with other filmmakers and discuss your newest projects.
FOR MUSIC AND COMEDY LOVERS…
**MAGIC CITY BLUES SOCIETY BIRTHDAY BASH, January 29, 4 p.m. at Ranelli’s Deli & Café.
**WANDA SYKES, January 29, 7 p.m. at the Lyric Fine Arts Theatre
**FACE’S LOUNGE KARAOKE hosted by ARETTA, EVERY 4th Wednesday, 6:30 p.m. at 7070 Aaron Aronov Dr. in Fairfield.
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time. People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send events, your things of interest and more to my emails: gwenderu@yahoo.com and thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com.
