Category Archives: music

Got plans this weekend? 10.19-10.21

It’s Friday. That usually means it’s time to finalize weekend plans. And we say, it’s time for a Fiesta … Fiesta 2007 that is. October is Hispanic Heritage Month. Head downtown to Linn Park Saturday to celebrate all things Latino from noon to 8 p.m. Take the kiddies — through music, art, food and cultural activities, they’ll have fun learning about Latin American countries and won’t even realize it’s educational. Cost: Free.

Not all the traffic heading to Tuscaloosa Saturday will be for the early football game. At least a few of those cars will be navigating to the Kentuck Festival of the Arts. Putting the highlight on folk and traditional crafts for 36 years, this art show has gained high status in the art community. Besides stuff to look at, there will be food, music and activities for the kids. Considering who Alabama is playing Saturday, we suggest you don’t wear orange.

Cost: $10 daily, children under 12 free. Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

It’s not too late to get tickets for the Original Blue Brothers Band appearing at the Alys Stephens Center tonight. But if it is too late for you, one of the guys is hanging around town all weekend. Saxophone guru “Blue Lou” Marini will give a free jazz workshop at the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame 10 a.m. Saturday. First come, first serve so don’t be late. Then Sunday, he’ll appear with members of the Magic City Jazz Orchestra and Night Fight Big Band to bring big-band sound to the Hall at 4 p.m. Cost: $10.

So what’s the local connection you ask? While “Blue Lou” has played with tons of stars over the years, it wasn’t until 2003 that he recorded his own work with the Magic City Jazz Orchestra backing him.

Just a quick mention. If you like … no, love motorcycles, Barber Motorsports Park is the place to be this weekend for the 3rd annual Vintage Festival. Get all the details here.

Got plans this weekend? 10.12 – 10.14

By Christina Tutor, assistant editor

There are tons of events this weekend to keep you busy. As brought to you every Friday, here are my top picks:

While the arrival for fall means football for most, to me it signals arts and crafts time. And while I hated to miss last weekend’s Bluff Park Art Show, there’s another one this weekend at the Vestavia Hills Civic Center, 1973 Merryvale Road (but it faces Highway 31). The Vestavia Hills Art Association is putting on its 36th Annual Arts and Craft Show from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. It’s free to look but you’ll have to pony up to take anything home. And don’t worry — If you want to know the score, it will be easy to find.

There are two options for the crowd with kids to hear music in kid-friendly settings. Friday night catch The Newgrass Troubadours at Aldridge Botanical Gardens, 3530 Lorna Road, Hoover, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Cost is $10 nonmembers/$8 members. Kids under 12 free. Then Sunday afternoon head to Vulcan Park for the second installment in the Vulcan AfterTunes Concert series. Gates open at 1 p.m. with Anders Osborne taking the stage at 3.

Additional parking is available across Valley Avenue at Jefferson County Board of Education — shuttle provided. Cost: $8, children 4 and under and Vulcan Park Foundation members free. Both events encourage lawn chairs and blankets.

Sure it’s very similar to the Greek Fest held at the end of September, but can you really have too much baklava? The Middle Eastern Food Festival at Saint George Melkite Catholic Church, 425 16th Ave. South, runs through Saturday. The weather should be nice today so consider eating lunch away from your desk. Click on the link for menu.

So what did I miss? Put it in the comments and let other Terminal readers know.

A taste of Wild Sweet Orange

Well, for those of you that just read about Wild Sweet Orange on our front page (and even for those of you that didn’t) here’s a video of the band playing at the former Moonlight Music Cafe in Vestavia Hills.

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Taylor Hicks is making appearances

One is where you’d expect him, the other not so much.

Taylor Hicks - 2006

Photo credit: André  Natta

Apparently Mr. Hicks is currently being featured on TMZ (link to post via AOL, thanks to the reader submission) for his upcoming appearance at The Oaks housing development at Lake Guntersville. He’s scheduled to be there with several other celebrities on October 26 for a private dinner with people who have already purchased property in the development.

While the guys over there may be thinking that he’s hit rock bottom, the folks over at HDNet are assuming that his upcoming performance on the cable station this Sunday, October 7, at The Warfield in San Francisco will satisfy those that are looking forward to actually seeing him perform, though this review of the performance by Jim Harrington was not encouraging. But not as interesting as the comments made on that post.

A Taste of 4th Avenue excitement

The 4th Ave Jazz Festival crowd

Photo credit: Chris Denbow/PhotoMojo.info

This is the scene along 4th Avenue North in downtown Birmingham during the annual Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival on Saturday evening. Terminal contributor/photographer Chris “Mojo” Denbow has more images from the event on his blog.

FYI: If you want to help us cover events and submit photos to us, there are two ways to do so. You can either send your photos to info@bhamterminal.com with photo submission in the subject line. If you’re a member of Flickr, you can tag your images bhamterminal and add them to The Terminal Flickr Group. We’ll also be starting to display the Magic City Flickr Group’s Photo of the Week on our front page in the near future. You may want to submit your photos to them too.

Don’t forget: Taste of 4th Avenue Jazz Festival today

Taste of 4th logo

If you’re still deciding on something to do today and the other options don’t sound very tempting, the annual music festival takes place in the city’s 4th Avenue historic district. Click here to read Mojo’s post from earlier in the month talking about the festival.

Vote for the ultimate American Idol

State tourism American Idol billboard

If you head on over to Ken Barnes’ Idol Chatter blog over at USAToday.com, you’ll find a post that explains how to vote for the Ultimate Revisionist Idol (hehe). Monday’s post actually tells you who’s on the ballot this time around. You just need to do it and show your love for our three Idol winners, so click here to vote.

Get Downtown returns tomorrow

Get Downtown logoLast month was just too hot to even think about doing anything outdoors, even if it was with promises of great music and good times. Well, tomorrow evening, September 20, Get Downtown will return to Birmingham’s city center. It’s perfect timing with the introduction of McWane Science Center’s Science Uncorked after hours series happening the same evening. Click here to learn more about this and other new adult after-hours events from our previous entry.

This month’s performers:

Peanut
Lost in the Ozone
Glenn Tolbert

This month’s event will also include a car show by the Mid-Alabama Corvette Club.

Check out the event’s website and keep in mind that if you can’t make it tomorrow night that the September event has been rescheduled for November, meaning that you have two more chances to enjoy some cooler weather and good music.

Big Julie’s Boom Boom Cocktail Room and Debate Club: A look inside

Editor’s note: This story was submitted by Mark Kelly. 

It started as an occasional after-work gathering, two or three guys bringing guitars to strum between swigs of beer and the resolution-or at least diagnosis-of the world’s problems. Then this person would invite that person, who might bring another person, who might be a singer or a flautist or just a damn good spectator. By the time the third harmonica player started showing up, it was a full-fledged happening, a semi-regular Monday evening hootenanny in the heart of the heathen wilds of Forest Park.

Having allowed things to progress to such a state, the proprietor decided a name was in order, and since this particular proprietor is in no way reticent, no one was surprised when he decided there was no more fitting namesake than his own self. Thus was christened Big Julie’s Boom Boom Cocktail Room and Debate Club.

[mygal=boom-boom]

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Vulcan After Tunes announces 2007 schedule

From the MySpace bulletin earlier today:

Birmingham’s unique music event returns this fall to Vulcan Park and Museum. This 3 part outdoor concert series features acts heard on Reg’s Coffee House, a weekly radio program heard in Birmingham Y94.5 FM.

Get ready for cool tunes, fresh brews, & sweet views!

vulcan after tunes logoNo word on the acts (though their site has been updated to reflect the announcement), but based on last year’s shows, they should be incredible as always. Like last year all of the performances are on Sunday afternoons. We’ll update this post as the acts are announced. You could also check out their MySpace profile.

September 30

October 14

October 28