Heads and tales: The star report
By Wade KwonEntertainment o’plenty to round up:
Will they make us proud?: Birmingham has made “American Idol” the cultural phenomenon it is today. How else to explain the ties to city champions and runners-up Ruben Studdard, Diana DeGarmo, Bo Bice and Taylor Hicks? Now the show is stopping by to round up the next batch of pop stars (and reality whores) Aug. 21, part of the seven-city audition tour.
Up to 100,000 contestants age 16 to 28 are expected at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex, of which 250 will sing for judges Randy, Paula and Simon. (Hicks, by the way, returns Aug. 8 for a sold-out show at the BJCC Arena for the Idols tour.) Remember to smile and know your lyrics — and when all else fails, break out the harmonica.
- The Hoover High football reality show, “Two-a-Days,” has an hourlong premiere at 9:30 p.m. Aug. 23 on MTV. Seven half-hour episodes follow at 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays. The real Buccaneers start their season Aug. 26 with a “scrimmage” in Montgomery, then a real game against Union High in Tulsa(!), Okla., the following week.
- Can’t sing? Try out for “Deal or No Deal” (no deal!) July 22 in Mobile. Or try out for “Idol,” because they gotta fill the gag reel with someone.
- A Montgomery native is one of 15 hopefuls on “Project Runway,” which starts its third season at 9 tonight on Bravo. He said TV Guide called him “one of six designers to watch.” Watch what, cry and rant?
• City earns shot at ‘Idol’ audition [Birmingham News]
Taking the Sixth: As reported earlier, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute is kicking off its second year of Sixteenth and Sixth, a monthly mixer. Thursday’s $10 event includes jazz by Kenneth Davis and a spoken-word performance by Aisha “Brown” Johnson. Audra Buck, assistant professor of graphic design at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will talk about the “Sticks and Stones” exhibition. Admission includes food and drink. The event takes place at 6:16 p.m. at the museum, 520 16th St. N.
• Picks [Birmingham Weekly]
Spike! Dig! Chill!: Hoover has invested $95,000 and brought in tons of sand for its first beach volleyball event. The Met, which has seen Michael Jordan play baseball and high school football players strut for MTV, will have qualifiers on Thursday and a pro tournament on Friday through Sunday. And the dress code for fans (and there is a dress code): guys in shorts, gals in bikinis. Tournament tickets start at $10, and Thursday’s qualifying rounds are free.
• Beach comes to Hoover [Birmingham News]
Also:
- Protesters at fountain use come hither chants
- Arcade machines give 2-1 odds on Pac-Man, 5-1 on Ms. Pac-Man
- Ozone creeps in on little wheezing cat feet
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