Area’s Cecil Washington Jr. Has Leading Role in RMT’s Kinky Boots Production
By Ryan Michaels
People, Places and Things
GWEN DERU
TODAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
**6th ANNUAL JAWBONE JAM at Iron City.
**SOUND AND SHAPE with YANCEY AND THE YAH YAH’S 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…
**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 BARRY WHITE featuring SAXOPHONIST J. HENRY at Perfect Note.
**FELIX TANDEM with BOSS RUSH and CARPOOL KIDS at The Nick
**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…
**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.
(Photo: Anita Baker) (Photo: lyreka.com)
**TRIBUTE TO ANITA BAKER at Perfect Note.
SUNDAY…
**WORSHIP AT THE SIXTH, 9:30 a.m. at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church.
**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.
**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.
**BIRMINGHAM BANDSTAND at The Nick.
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.
**LEONID & FRIENDS at Iron City.
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.
**OPEN BAR WEDNESDAY, 8 p.m. at Blu Onyx.
**YNGWIE MALMSTEEN at Iron City.
NEXT THURSDAY…
**READ THE BIRMINGHAM TIMES. Catch up on the news!
**THURSDAY NIGHT WORKOUTS with Live Females at the Blu Onyx.
**BIG K.R.I.T. DIGITAL ROSES TOUR at Iron City.
**TINY DINOSAUR WITH KAYDEE MULVEHILL AND REBECCA EGELAND 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.
**DNA presents A THIRD SHOW TRIBUTE TO ANITA BAKER at Perfect Note.
**JESSE CROWE WITH CHEYLOE AND HER SLEEPLESS KNIGHTS at The Nick.
**LEELA JAMES at Iron City.
NEWS TO USE…
FOR ART LOVERS….
AT THE BIRMINGHAM MUSEUM OF ART…
**ART IN CONVERSATION – ‘Hidden in Plain Sight: Queer Art in a Deep Southern Museum,’ June 1, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. In a richly illustrated talk, Dr. Graham C. Boettcher, The R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, will unpack the museum’s complex and sometimes surprising history of collecting the work of LGBTQ artists, sharing examples by Marie Laurencin, Paul Cadmus, Robert Mapplethorpe, Catherine Opie, Mickalene Thomas, Skylar Fein, and Paul Mpagi Sepuya, among many others. Boettcher will also discuss the work of Birmingham-based artists who explore LGBTQ subjects in their work, including Carolyn Sherer, Paul Cordes Wilm and Sonja Rieger.
**AFRICAN HERITAGE FESTIVAL – Join the BMA on June 4, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. as they celebrate the traditions of African Cultures and the Museum’s African Art galleries with the return of the African Heritage Festival. There will be food, games, dance and music including:
*AFRICAN DJEMBE DRUMS ART ACTIVITY, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Djembe means, “Gather in Peace.” Create your own traditional African Djambe drum with provided materials.
*SAHI ON KO DJONY WEST AFRICAN DANCE AND DRUMMING EXPERIENCE, 1 – 2 p.m. Enjoy the West African drumming, dance and folklore with a performance by Sahi On Ko Djony that dates back as far as 1400 A.D.
*JAMAICAN FOLK MUSIC WORKSHOP WITH STEVE HIGGINS, 10:30 a.m.-11:1 5 a.m. and 12- 12:45 p.m. Steve will perform favorites form Sacred, classical, Broadway, Ballads, Jazz to Folk musical genres with and infusion of island music from his native Jamaica. Join the interactive workshop featuring demonstrations of Jamaican music form as well as the stories behind specific songs and their historical contexts.
*DIY MANCALA GAME, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Mancala is a game invented in Africa that has become popular around the world for people of all ages. Create your own and enjoy!
*FOOD TASTING & FOOD TRUCKS, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Enjoy Jamaican cuisine from WOED Experience and Kenyan food from Sahani True Nairobi Cuisine.
*FACE PAINTING WITH YOGI DADA, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
**INAUGURAL ALABAMA TRIENNIAL EXHIBITION – This exhibition is from June 10 – August 12 and will feature some of the best and brightest contemporary Alabama artists. Opening Reception is 6 p.m. June 10, FREE, in Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts (AEIVA). The Lydia Cheney and Jim Sokol Endowed Director of AEIVA John Fields and AEIVA Assistant Curator Tina Ruggieri curate the first iteration of the Alabama Triennial. Guest curators from around the region will curate future iterations. Selections will include a wide range of artists of different ages, cultures, interests and artistic mediums. The show includes painting, photography, sculpture, textiles, neon, video, sound art, printmaking and more. Artists featured in the 2022 Alabama Triennial at AEIVA include:Tony Bingham, Jillian Marie Browning, Annie Kammerer Butrus, Tameca Cole, Derek Cracco, Lauren Frances Evans, Steven Mark Finley Jr., Sydney A Foster, Roscoe Hall, Chintia Kirana, Jonathan Lanier, Jasper Lee, Erin LeAnn Mitchell, Lily Reeves, Missy Roll and Lily Ahree Siegel. Each triennial will present a solo exhibition alongside the bigger exhibit to recognize and feature an Alabama artist of particular significance. For the inaugural event, a solo presentation of works by Mitchell, titled “What you don’t have in your head you’ve got to have in your feet,” will accompany the exhibition. Mitchell’s exhibition will occupy AEIVA’s Gallery One. A Free Screening of selected films by artist Lily Ahree Siegel is 6 p.m., July 28. Free Closing Reception and Alabama Triennial book release party is Friday, August 12 with rapid fire artist talks from many participation Alabama Triennial artists.
FOR PERFORMING ART LOVERS…
**MEN AIN’T SUPPOSED TO CRY – A Gospel Play, Saturday, June 18, 2 and 7 p.m. at C2Nation Bham, 420 Forest Drive in Fairfield, starring TIWONG SMITH, LILLIAN A. COLE, BRE ROBINSON, ERIN NICOLE, QUINCY WELLS, CONNIE SUTTLE and GABREAL LYRIX. “Men Ain’t Supposed To Cry?” written by CORTA is a powerful emotional dramatic rollercoaster of the Black family from the Black man’s point of view. Justin Newman with his beautiful wife that he adores, beautiful daughter that he cares for a lot, a high school buddy with a long time friendship, an over protected sister, and his wife’s best friend that he can’t stand sometimes all have his heart. Being the strong man he is, he battles with a lot within his family raising a daughter who battles with her sexuality, a wife that he wishes understands him and how close everyone around him is deep in his family business. Breaking down the stereotypes of the Black men being strong and not supposed to show emotion. This story will have you laughing, crying, mad, and walking away with millions of thoughts going through your mind.
FOR SPORTS LOVERS…
THE WORLD GAMES 2022
**YOUTH VOLUNTEERS FOR THE WORLD GAMES – The City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office Division of Youth Services will serve as a youth volunteer organization at The World Games this summer. Youth, ages 14 -17 years old, have an exciting opportunity to be a part of history being made around the Magic City. This opportunity creates a safe and fun environment for youth to participate in this once in a lifetime experience. Youth will serve in various roles that aid athletes and staff at The World Games. Opportunities for youth will include Sideline Volunteers, Scoring, Judges Support, DJ Assistants, Flag Bearers, Athlete Support and much more! If you are interested in being a Division of Youth Services World Games Youth Volunteer, complete the volunteer interest form. With limited spots available, interests forms will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis until June 1st or when capacity is reached. For more information on the DYS World Games Youth Volunteer Organization contact Austin.sledge@birminghamal.gov or call the Division of Youth Services at (205) 320-0879.
Miami Heat’s Victor Oladipo Battles A Familiar Foe: Adversity
Victor Oladipo and the Miami Heat face a tough challenge entering Game 5 of Wednesday’s Eastern Conference Finals at the Boston Celtics’ TD Garden. The best-of-seven series is tied 2-2, with Boston having the momentum after winning Monday night by 20 points.
It’s not as if the Silver Spring, Md., native hasn’t faced adversity before.
The 6-foot-4 guard described his journey during a recent edition of the Pivot Podcast. The wide-ranging interview was hosted by former NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor. Overcoming serious injuries was among the topics discussed with Oladipo, a 2013 alumnus of Indiana University.
Oladipo ruptured his right quadriceps tendon in January 2019 while playing with the Indian Pacers. He endured a second surgery on the quad last year but has returned to play a key role in the Heat’s pursuit of an NBA championship, which would be the team’s first since 2013.
“It tests you mentally, physically and emotionally. It makes you go through a whirlwind of emotions,” Oladipo said of the effort to recover from the quad injuries. “Literally you start thinking about if you’re good enough and if you should keep playing. I was sitting in a dark room, and I just broke down, in tears. I didn’t know where to go.”
At 30, Oladipo said overcoming such adversity helped him realize who was really backing him.
“It’s made me stronger in ways that I probably wouldn’t have been as strong if it didn’t happen the way it happened,” he said.
While Boston won the latest game in the series handily, the Heat’s two-time NBA All-star refuses to give in.
“I’ve come back from everything you can imagine. Why do I have to wait longer?” Olapido said. “There’s a certain level that I’m trying to get to. I have to understand that that’s not my role on this team. I have to understand that I have to be a star in this role that I’m in. To be honest with you, do I want more?”
“Of course, who doesn’t want more? Right now, in this junction, I have to be the best version of myself that this team needs,” he said “They need that version. Regardless of whatever my role is or what they ask of me, they need whatever it is they’re asking for. I have to embrace that.”
Oladipo has a positive outlook on the series, regardless of the Heat’s perceived underdog status.
“We know it’s not going to be easy. We knew it wouldn’t be easy no matter who we play. We know it’s going to be a fight, but we’re all about the fight,” he said. “We’re going to fight regardless, no matter what day it is or what time it is. … I’m sure Boston is similar. We’re looking forward to it.”
Oladipo said both the Heat and Celtics were “great defensive teams, with a bunch of guys who can guard multiple positions and also put it on the floor.
”It’s going to be fun,” he said of the rest of the series with the Celtics.
“I just want to make people remember. Some of them forgot, and it’s okay because it comes with the territory,” Oladipo added. “But I don’t plan on going anywhere but up. I’m just going to keep grinding.”
Edited by Richard Pretorius and Matthew B. Hall
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Hoof It – Iceland Trots Out Service That Lets Horses Reply To Work Emails While You’re On Holiday
By James King
Iceland has trotted out a service that lets horse reply to work emails when you’re on vacation.
The world-first ‘OutHorse Your Email’ service is designed to encourage travelers to take a break and have an uninterrupted trip to the countryside.
Using a large keyboard mat, the gaited horses are able to walk, trot, canter, tölt, and pace their way across the keys.
Tölting and pacing are a four-beat gait and a two-beat gait, respectively, unique to Icelandic horses that make riding very comfortable.
Unsurprisingly, when the horses use the cartoonish, outsized keyboard, the result is nonsense replies to corporate contacts, such as “þþnjifai=’.,,lmbmbnbbhgycdrgzw/’pfæ ndaiFVxhðut7r7r7djsmfdsm” and “þnjifai’/.p,oii9unnbhvggyvgjhbjm,kfæ,.iklp–jpomohu o/’k;,i,mumnf.”
A recent global study by Visit Iceland, the island country’s official tourist bureau, found that two fifths (41 percent) of people globally check their work emails between 1 and 4 times a day while vacationing, and 1 in 10 (14 percent) view them between 5 to 6 times every day.
Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, who heads Visit Iceland said: “When visitors travel to Iceland we want them to fully experience everything our nation has to offer, from breathtaking surroundings to endless landscapes and friendly faces.
“Our OutHorse Your Email service lets them do just that, taking away the pressure of feeling as if they have to be always on and instead allowing them to be present throughout their trip. With our world-first service we hope to encourage people to disconnect and take a well-deserved, uninterrupted break.”
Jelena Ohm, Project Manager of Horses of Iceland said: “Our talented horses took naturally to the OutHorse Your Email service, tölting and galloping their way across the fields and creating a range of unique emails that will help holidaymakers enjoy their trip without any interruptions. From curiosity, intelligence and independence, our horses are special for many reasons, and so now we can add email responders too.”
Due to the pandemic, over the last few years many workers have transitioned to remote working, finding that the lines between their work and personal lives have become blurred.
The research by Visit Iceland revealed that three fifths (59 percent) of people globally now feel as if their boss, colleagues and clients expect them to reply while on a break, while less than half (44 percent) of workers actually feel rested after a trip.
A further 1 in 10 (15 percent) have even canceled or postponed their vacation plans altogether due to work. That’s why Iceland is ‘outhorsing’ workers’ emails to its horses, asking them to trot out replies, so they don’t have to.
Visit Iceland added: “So, don’t be foal-ish, enjoy a distraction-free trip to Iceland and remember, if you do receive work emails while on holiday, Iceland’s horses have you covered.”
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VIDEO: Alping Hand: Couple Show Off ‘Iron Road’ Climb In Switzerland
A mountain climbing couple has revealed how they can scale the most dizzying heights using a special ‘iron road’ which makes mountains safer.
A video released by the pair shows them using a Via Ferrata (Italian for iron road) to climb a Swiss peak.
The system – little known outside climbing circles – is a secured climbing route or pathway of fixed pegs, cables, and even ladders leading up a mountain slope.
It means even the trickiest peaks can be conquered in relative safety.
The couple’s video of their climb was recorded in the municipality of Leukerbad, in the district of Leuk, located in southern Switzerland, and posted recently on social media.
They are shown using fixed pegs hammered into the sheer rockface as hand and footholds.
Then they are seen scampering up a metal ladder and using a metal cable rope bridge to reach the summit with a sheer 10,000 ft drop below them.
The climbers told Zenger News: “We are Boris Bettex and Bogna Klimek, a couple living in Geneva, Switzerland.”
They added: “We are both 31 years old have been mountaineering in our free time for 3 years now.
“The video was recorded on August 21, 2021 in Leukerbad, Switzerland. The name of the climb is Via Ferrata Daubenhorn.”
Via Ferratas are dotted around mountain peaks all around the world as a way of making climbs safer.
The couple said: “It is a beautiful and accessible way to discover the world of climbing and mountaineering.
“Via Ferratas allow non-expert climbers to reach high altitudes in a safe way, using minimum equipment.”
In 2020, they created their own Instagram account celebrating the method and their climbs of more than 30 different Via Ferratas.
They said: “Via Ferrata has become more and more popular during the COVID 19 pandemic. It is a great way to enjoy the mountains.”
The Daubenhorn peak that they climbed is located above the town of Leukerbad and has the longest Via Ferrata in Switzerland.
The route is built into the mountain’s southeastern face and continues to the summit.
As examples of such routes go, it is regarded as extremely difficult.
It requires good physical fitness to complete the six-hour climb to the summit at some 2,350 meters (9,652 ft) above sea level.
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It Mud Be Love: Bride Forgives Groom For Dropping Her In Slime
A long-suffering bride had her wedding vows tested to the breaking point when her groom dropped her in a puddle of mud as they posed for pictures.
The couple – named Murat Zhurayev and Kamilla in Kazakh media – had been posing for their wedding photos when the groom scooped his bride into his arms.
But as he struck a dramatic, arty pose, groom Murat slipped and both of them ended up sprawling in a muddy slime caused by a flash rainstorm in Almaty.
The first snap shows her looking lovingly at her man with the spectacular panorama of the mountains in the background and their images reflected in a water-filled puddle.
The next image shows water droplets scattering through the air as they slip in the mud and both end up flat on their backs.
In another of the snaps in which she is on her knees in a muddy puddle with him standing behind in a suit also covered in mud it looks as if she’s about to cry.
She was then seen walking away also close to tears with a completely muddy dress soaking wet from the puddle and him struggling to follow her.
But as he slogs through the mud and she realizes how it all looks, she then starts to laugh.
Photographer Askar Bumaga’s snapshots capturing how the pair landed in the mud, turning Kamilla’s dress from pristine white to dirty brown. have since racked up more than 41,000 ‘likes’ on Instagram.
Askar told Zenger News (in English): “My main specialization is the photography of lovers and weddings. I’ve been doing this for over 10 years.
“I planned this photoshoot as an experiment. Unfortunately, or fortunately, such failures, the mistakes of others and random situations attract more attention than standard photo sessions against the background of a beautiful sunset.
“Indeed…these photos have traveled the globe. We were interviewed from various TV channels in different countries.
“The photoshoot itself took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan. No one was injured during the filming of this project.”
Murat and Kamilla have actually been married for over two years and were simply doing a photoshoot in wedding attire at the time.
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