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People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu

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Gwen DeRu

BIRMINGHAM’ S OWN CED DELANEY IN THE ‘HAM!

 

TODAY

CED DELANEY ONE NIGHT ONLY at the StarDome Comedy Club.

WORLD AIDS DAY, 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. at 2500 4th Avenue South with music by GABRIEL TAJEAU. Overflow parking with complimentary shuttle service at 416 24th Street South.

OLIVIA’S HAPPY HOUR, every Thursday at Olivia’s Bar and Lounge with $.50 wings and drink specials, 4 p.m. For more call (205) 326-2881.

BIRMINGHAM BUSINESS JOURNAL CEO AWARDS, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the Regions Field.

JOSE’ CARR WITH JAZZ ON FIRST, 6-9 p.m at Jazzy’s on First Avenue North.

LIVE AT STEEL, 8 p.m. with SHARRON performing and DJ DUBB in the Mix at Steel on First Avenue at 23rd Street, downtown Birmingham. Get your live music and dance on every Thursday night.

CEREUS BRIGHT, 7 p.m.  with SPIKE POLITE and SEWAGE NYC, ECONOMY CARTEL and THE MCRYATTS, 9 p.m. at The Nick.

 

FRIDAY

WINTER IN WONDERLAND AT THE ALABAMA – Join the lovers of Christmas music, 8 p.m. at the Alabama Theatre.

 ON THE PATIO AT THE TIDE AND TIGER on Graymont Avenue.

FRIDAY UNWIND, every Friday, 7 p.m. at Jazzi’s on 3rd.

COMEDIAN DeRAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.

FANCY FRIDAYS, 5 p.m. featuring JILLIAN GRAY with YARBROUGH & COMPANY every Friday at Legends on 18th Street North, Downtown. Birmingham. This is an After Work Experience hosted by Keely and Tiger and catered by Chef Jones. Call (205) 212-4406 for more.

PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.

SKEPTIC?, THE NEW MASTERS OF EVIL and RANDOM CONFLICT at the Nick.

DEIDRA RUFF, 8 p.m. at the Perfect Note. It is a Blues Night.

 

SATURDAY

PARADE AND TREE LIGHTING in the Five Points West Community, Noon. The Parade starts at noon with the Tree Lighting at 2 p.m.

RAILROAD PARK is where the fun is Saturday.

ON THE PATIO AT THE TIDE AND TIGER on Graymont.

COMEDIAN DeRAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.

SOULFUL SATURDAY at Steel 1st and 23rd Club.

HILLBILLY CASINO, GARNER SLOAN and MARTINI SHAKERS, 10 p.m. at The Nick.

KAYO BAND featuring Saxophonist Kelly O’Neal, 8 p.m. at the Perfect Note.

 

SUNDAY

UAB GOSPEL CHOIR featuring ALICIA OLATUJA at the Alys Stephens Center.

SLOW ART SUNDAY, 2-3 p.m. at the Birmingham Museum of Art.

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY BY DELORES HYDOCK, 3 p.m. at the BPL Central Library, LINN-HENLEY RESEARCH LIBRARY in the Arrington Auditorium.

COMEDIAN DeRAY DAVIS at the StarDome Comedy Club.

MOBLEY and CATCH FEVER at the Nick.

DANIEL JOSE’ CARR WITH JAZZ, 5-8 p.m. at Club M.

 

MONDAY

DJ RELVIS, 10 p.m.  at The Nick.

 

TUESDAY

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY, 5:30 p.m. at Linn Park, downtown.

TIDE AND TIGER ON THE PATIO, 4 p.m. until … on Graymont across from Legion Field.

OLIVIA’S HAPPY HOUR, 4 p.m., every Tuesday, at Olivia’s Bar and Lounge with $.50 wings and drink specials. For more call (205) 326-2881.

PLUM BAR on 17th Street, Downtown.

CRACKER with The Whiskey Gentry at the Saturn.

JOSE’ CARR at the Boss Lounge, 8:30 – 11 p.m.

GOD BLESS RELATIVE, MYFEVER and DUSTIN PRICE at The Nick.

DARREN KNIGHT at the StarDome Comedy Club.

 

WEDNESDAY

MASTER PASQUALE with dance classes and music at the Tide and Tiger on Graymont Avenue.

REVERENDS, LA COSA NOSTRA, PATRIMONY and OWEN NI at the Nick.

DARREN KNIGHT at the StarDome Comedy Club.

OPEN MIC NIGIHT at the Oak Hill Bar & Grill.

 PARAHUTEE PUNK SHOW with RADKEY and THE FAME RIOT at Saturn.

STEVE VAI at WorkPlay.

 

FOR MUSIC LOVERS

BO BERRY QUARTET, 7 p.m. to midnight every Friday at Jazzi’s on 3rd.

DIEDRA RUFF at the Perfect Note, Friday, 8 p.m.

SAXOPHONIST MARCUS ANDERSON at the Perfect Note, Saturday, 8 p.m.

UAB GOSPEL CHOIR featuring ALICIA OLATUJA, Sunday, 7 p.m. at the Alys Stephens Center. The UAB Gospel Choir is a cherished ensemble by the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Music under the direction of Kevin Turner. The choir performs traditional and contemporary American Gospel Music tours throughout the United States and abroad. Joining the choir is Alicia Olatuja, who has been praised by The New York Times as “a singer with a strong and luscious tone and an amiably regal presence on stage.”  Olatuja first came into the spotlight in 2013 while performing as the featured soloist with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration.

Alicia Olatuja
Alicia Olatuja

 

FOR BUSINESS LOVERS IN BIRMINGHAM AND JEFFERSON COUNTY

RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY – Official ribbon-cutting ceremony for “The Installation at Uptown”. This event celebrates the renovation of the former Jefferson County Employee’s Credit Union building and grand opening of SARCOR’s new headquarters, Friday, at 12:30 p.m.  Mayor William A. Bell, Sr. will join SARCOR President Selena Rodgers Dickerson, the City of Birmingham’s Economic Development Department, Birmingham Business Alliance, REV Birmingham, and others for a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Installation at Uptown District, 2112, 12th Avenue North.

 

FOR OUTDOOR LOVERS AND GARDEN LOVERS

DAYHIKE – WEDNESDAY, 10 a.m. with the Southeastern Outings Weekday Dayhike at the Veterans Park, 4800 Valleydale Road, Hoover, AL 35242

DETAILS: Enjoy an easy three mile weekday hike on trails in North Shelby County just off Valleydale Road. Veterans Park is an 82-acre park with numerous walking trails, a four acre lake and a one acre pond. This is a good hike if you are retired or not working on this particular Wednesday to get a feel for the location and scale of the land. This is a guided tour of easily walkable trails. Bring water and wear good walking shoes or boots. Dress appropriately for the weather. Depart 10 a.m. from the parking lot right beside the building with restrooms in it at the park. Optional lunch nearby at Mikey’s Grill after the hike. Admission to Park: Free. For more information, call Randall Adkins, (205) 317-6969 (cell).

BIRMINGHAM BOTANICAL GARDENS – Thyme to Read Book Club – The December selection for the Thyme to Read Book Club is Monet’s Palate Cookbook. Join us on December 6 at 6 p.m. to discuss.

 

FOR THOSE INTERESTED IN HEALTH CARE

LICENSE TO HEAL (JAMES BOND EDITION), next Thursday, 6 – 10 p.m. at the SCENE at Pepper Place Art Gallery 1930, 2801 2nd Avenue South, with music by LOGAN THE ENTERTAINER AND ALVIN GARRETT.  Join the A-List Networking Group as Bond Girls hosting the Second Annual Holiday fundraiser benefitting Children’s of Alabama NICU.  There will be door prizes, complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres.  For more, go to www.alistbham.com.

HEALTH CARE WORKSHOPS – Workshops will be held at the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) by the Alabama Regional Medical Services to present facts on the Affordable Care Act, better known as ObamaCare. No registration is required. The remaining location is at the Springville Road Regional Library on Wednesday, 10 a.m.  For more information, visit the website at www.bplonline.org.

 

FOR THE HOLIDAY LOVERS

NEAR IN MONTGOMERY: CHRISTMAS TREE ALIGHTING CEREMONY AT ASU, 4:30 p.m. today, at the ASU Academic Mall near the roadside on N. University, near the huge radio tower.

MILES COLLEGE CHOIR CHRISTMAS CONCERT – The Miles College Golden Voices will present its annual Christmas concert, Thursday, December 1, 2016 at 7 p.m. in Brown Hall Auditorium on the campus of Miles College.  The concert entitled, Christmas Expressions will encompass an array of music from different genres and promises to be a wonderful blend of Christmas music that will uplift and inspire. Special Guest will be David Bibbs, violist, from Alabama School of Fine Arts.  The event is free and open to the public.

WINTER IN WONDERLAND AT THE ALABAMA – Join the lovers of Christmas music on Friday, 8 p.m. at the Alabama Theatre.  Local favorite Kristi Tingle Higginbotham is guest artist with holiday favorites, and on the second half of the show will be the Academy Award nominated film The Snowman backed by the ASO!  Christopher Confessores, is the Conductor.

WESTERN AREA HOLIDAY PARADE/TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY – The Five Points West Community will host the Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony on Saturday, at Noon. The Parade starts at noon with the Tree Lighting at 2 p.m. Mayor William Bell and Art Franklin of WIAT Channel 42 are the Grand Marshals. Bands and schools that will be participating are Jackson-Olin Marching Mustangs, Parker Thundering Herd, Ramsay Rams and the Wenonah Dragons. Other schools participating are Bush Hills Academy Boy Scouts under the direction of Lester Montgomery, Troop leader and Dance Team under the direction of Kimberly Edwards. The Wilkerson Middle School Wildcats Dance Team will participate under the direction of Tanaha Sharpe and Andrea Johnson. Neighborhood Councilor Steven Hoyt, other councilors, Commissioner George Bowman and other neighborhood leaders will have cars, floats, etc. For more call (205) 746-0648.

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY BY DOLORES HYDOCK, 3 p.m. at the BPL Central Library, LINN-HENLEY RESEARCH LIBRARY in the Arrington Auditorium.

Dolores Hydock
Dolores Hydock

CHRISTMAS TREE CEREMONY – The City of Birmingham is hosting its Christmas Tree Ceremony on Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. at Linn Park , Downtown. There will music and more including Fourth Avenue Business Parade, high school marching bands, live music by Raquel Lily, Saxophonist Kevin Carter, Ramsay High School Choir, food trucks and giveaways. There will even be a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

CHRISTMAS IN TALLADEGA – Talladega’s Christmas Village lights up and around the square will be ready to go for opening day Dec. 9.  People selling handcrafted gifts and decorations and at least five food trucks will be set up around the square.  There will be a lighting ceremony for the 20-foot-tall Christmas tree Friday, Dec. 9, at 6:30 p.m. sponsored by the Talladega Superspeedway. The lighting ceremony will be followed by the weekend’s first appearance of Santa, for a meet and greet, followed by a screening of “The Polar Express” at the Ritz Theater.  The village will be open Dec. 9 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Dec. 10 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Dec. 11 from noon to 6 p.m.  For more information, please visit christmasintalladega.com or join the Talladega’s Christmas On The Square Facebook page.

SOUNDS OF THE SEASON – Opera Birmingham’s Sounds of the Season will start your holidays on a good note! This family-friendly concert of holiday favorites will be presented on Friday, December 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Samford University’s Brock Recital Hall. The heartwarming concert will feature a variety of solo and ensemble performances by native Birmingham artists, setting the perfect mood for the holiday season. The concert will also showcase the talent of the Opera Birmingham Chamber Choir: Colin Alexander, Brian Denton, Drew Duncan, Abbott Jones, Lauren Marino, Betsy Pate, Leah Pickett and Clay Walls.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING FOR CHILDREN – Holiday shopping can actually help fund child medical grants for Alabama families in need from United Healthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF), as one option.  Holiday gift ideas include:

  • Award-winning Oliver & Hope children’s storybooks, along with plush characters
  • Children’s joke books
  • Digit’y Do — a new numbers game that combines elements of strategy and probability with a high dose of fun.
  • Kid-designed holiday cards and 2017 wall calendars

.     Grins to Go bags— this nylon draw string backpack is filled to the brim with a dozen toys, games and activities that will inspire and amuse any boy or girl between the ages of 4 and 12.  All products are available at smile.Amazon.co (search for UHCCF) and 100% of the proceeds go to fund medical grants for children in AL and throughout the U.S.  Alabama families in need should go to www.uhccf.org to review criteria and submit an online application.

 

FOR ART LOVERS

SLOSS THEN AND NOW – Lawson State College is presents Sloss Furnace entitled SLOSS THEN AND NOW by Adjunct History Instructor Gregory Wilson.  This exhibition is about the Red Mountain

OUR VOICE, OUR WORLD – The Paul R. Jones Gallery presents the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art K-12 Fellows, Program Exhibit now through December 21. This is a collaboration between University Place Elementary School, Tuscaloosa Magnet Middle School and the Paul R. Jones Collection of American Art. The Opening Reception is December 2, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.  For more information, call (205) 345-3038.

“DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. & THE CHICAGO FREEDOM MOVEMENT: PHOTOGRAPHS BY BERNARD J. KILEINA Exhibition” is at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute displaying its collection of rare color photos, through December in the BCRI’s Vann Gallery.  This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Freedom Movement. These photographs are some of the only known color photographs of Dr. King in Chicago. Bernard Kleina was a priest in Chicago that wanted to get involved in the movement, who removed his collar, picked up his camera and marched.

 

FOR COMEDY LOVERS

Ced Delaney
Ced Delaney

AT THE STARDOME: CED DELANY -Birmingham’s own Ced Delaney has been co-host of several radio morning shows and has appeared on BET’s “Comic View”. He’s performed at Improv Comedy Clubs across the country, hosted monthly comedy nights at WorkPlay (Birmingham, AL) called The “Ced Delaney.COMedy Nite”, “Tickle Tuesday’s” at The Comedy Club StarDome (Birmingham, AL), and Jokes and Jazz (Desoto, TX). His other TV appearances includes the host of the “UPN Sunday Movie Showcase”, as well as the weekly televised “SWACtacular” which covers all events in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).

DeRAY DAVIS Friday through Sunday! DeRay developed and honed a hip, sardonic, streetwise mentality at an early age and parlayed it smoothly and efficiently into the comedy-club circuit. Davis achieved his career breakthrough at the Laffapalooza Festival in Atlanta, Ga., then scored a triple whammy by winning the Comedy Central Laugh Riots Competition and landing covetable spots in the Montreal Just for Laughs Festival and the Cedric the Entertainer Festival. Throughout, the comic wove vulgar and droll, yet also telling and deeply personal, routines around the subjects of race, poverty, and his challenging experiences growing up in the Windy City projects with a dysfunctional African-American family.

 

FOR HELPING YOUTH

HELP IMPACT ALABAMA – Impact will provide over 45,000 children across Alabama with free, high-tech vision care!  Please help FOCUS FIRST, the nation’s most successful early vision care initiative, receive a Challenge Grant from EBSCO Industries in order to further expand our work. Send your contribution to Impact Alabama, 1901 6th Avenue North, Suite 2400, Birmingham, Alabama 35203. Other programs by Impact Alabama are SPEAK FIRST and COLLEGE FIRST.

TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BRUNCH – TSU Tigers  Birmingham Chapter is hosting its annual Scholarship Brunch, January 7, 10 a.m. in the Harbert Center. The Honorable Harold Love is the Speaker.

 

FOR CHILDREN

TAKE OUT BULLYING – The Jefferson County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in conjunction with The Alabama School of Fine Arts present “Take Out Bullying.” The Alabama School of Fine Arts Theatre Arts Ensemble uses humor and personal experience to showcase skits which confront teen bullying and other social issues related to teens head on. The event will be hosted by Harmony Mendoza, Meteorologist at WVTM 13. The event is FREE and open to the public. Dates and locations: C. J. Donald Elementary School (K-6) – Jan. 11, Irondale Middle School – Jan. 18, Jonesboro Elementary School (K-6) – Jan. 27, Corner Middle School – Feb 8 (subject to change), Huffman Middle School – Feb. 28, and

Phillips Academy (K-6) – Feb. 28.

BPL TEENS PROGRAMS – Birmingham Public Library programs for teens and preteens include engineering workshop, knitting, and homework assistance.

Do you want to learn how to make and edit your own movies and podcasts? Have an interest in burning your words into new media formats for the world to see and hear?  Join the Central Library Youth Department, 2100 Park Place downtown, for HIGHKEY THURSDAYS, 3:30 -5 p.m. The class is free to all and will take place in the Youth Department on the second floor every Thursday afternoon through next Thursday. No programs will take place this Thursday.  The students will work with iMovie, Garageband, and more.  HIGHKEY Thursdays is among several free after-school programs the Birmingham Public Library (BPL) is offering in many of its 19 locations for kids of all ages, from babies to adults. The workshops include knitting, Teens Engineer Birmingham programs at Woodlawn and Southside Branch, and Central Library, and 1-2-3 Play With Me for babies.

FREE HOMEWORK HELP – REMEMBER!!! The library is offering free homework help for elementary- to high school-age students. Register by calling (205) 324-8428.  Check the calendar at www.bplonline.org.

 

FOR EMPOWERMENT

FROM DREAM TO DESTINY WORKSHOP – For mentally and spiritually preparing yourself for the coming year in a fun, positive and encouraging environment with other dreamers, join ASHLEY JOY and Special Guest MEG SAYLOR, December 10, 1 – 3 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott, Homewood.  Learn how to create a vision board that displays your dreams, goals and a clear vision for your future. You will learn how to set daily goals that will help move your dreams into destiny.

Bring personal photos, arts and crafts that you would like to include in your creative efforts.

 

AROUND THE STATE

FOR SMALL FARMERS, YOUTH COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATIONS & RURAL BUSINESS OWNERS

74TH ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE – The Annual Professional Agriculture Conference (PAWC) is this Sunday through Tuesday, at Tuskegee University. The theme is ‘Cultivating a Culture of Success through Innovation in Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources.‘

 

COMING SOON

DECEMBER 31 – MAGIC CITY  SMOOTH JAZZ “NEW YEAR”  EVE CELEBRATION at the Dannon Project Building.

JANUARY 7 – TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP BRUNCH at the Harbert Center, 10 a.m.

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 or gwenderu@yahoo.com.)