Wade on Birmingham

Archive for May, 2009

Weekend video preview: Jazz, Shout and Prom

Friday, May 29th, 2009

So much good stuff happening in the Birmingham area at the tail end of May …

First, the Preserve Jazz Festival at Moss Rock Preserve in Hoover, one of our favorite music festivals in town put on by our friend, jazzman Eric Essix. The lineup includes Jazz Attack (with Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler and Richard Elliott), Tracy Hamlin and Essix.

Tickets are $33, $38 at the door. 3 p.m. Sunday.

Video: Rick Braun interview

• • •

The Birmingham Shout film festival kicks off tonight at WorkPlay in Lakeview with “Sissyboy.” The two-day event features gay and lesbian feature films, documentaries and shorts from the folks at Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival.

Tickets for tonight’s film are $20, $25 at the door ($15 for members and students). Tickets for Saturday are $20 in advance or $12 per film ($15 in advance for members and students, $7 per film). 8 tonight, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.

Video: “Sissyboy” trailer

Also:

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Go back in time with the Birmingham Urban League Young Professionals Throwback Prom. Bust out the big lapels and ruffles and dance to the tunes of DJ Brian B. It takes place at Highland Conference Center on Southside.

Tickets are $20, $25 at the door. 8 tonight.

Video: DJ Brian B cutting it up and scratching

Art on the Rocks contest winner

Friday, May 29th, 2009

Birmingham Museum of Art - Art on the Rocks

And the winner of two tickets ($50 value) to tonight’s Art on the Rocks is …

Rebecca Whitten of Birmingham!

Congratulations! Enjoy the food, the art and the performance by Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, compliments of Wade on Birmingham and the Birmingham Museum of Art.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who entered. You can still sign up for brand new our free e-newsletter.

P.P.S. And of course, you still have time to buy tickets for Art on the Rocks.

streetlights

Friday, May 29th, 2009

The little town street
fills with ghosts of laughter. A
shimmer lights our way.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Win tickets to Art on the Rocks!

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Birmingham Museum of Art - Art on the Rocks

Can you believe Art on the Rocks has turned five? Five?!

The monthly cocktail party has brought thousands to the Birmingham Museum of Art for summer nights of live performances, hands-on crafts and mixing and mingling.

  • Friday: Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles
  • June 26: Ben Lee
  • July 17: Tim Brantley
  • Aug. 14: Courtney Jaye

To celebrate, Wade on Birmingham
is giving away
two tickets to Art on the Rocks.

That’s a $50 value!

Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles

Start the weekend in style with Boston rock band Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, pictured above.

To enter: Sign up for the brand new Wade on Birmingham free e-newsletter. Receive updates, discounts, exclusives and more, all in your In box.

Deadline: You must sign up by Friday, May 29, 2009, at noon CDT. Winner will be randomly drawn from entries. We will contact the winner by e-mail (duh!), so you better leave a working addy.

And be sure to check out Art on the Rocks this season. The events run from 5 to 10 p.m.; tickets are $20, $10 for members in advance, and $25, $15 for members at the door. Admission includes food, concert and all the art you can handle.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit the Art on the Rocks site.

Enter today!

Video: Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles, “Better at the End of the Day”

Update: Art on the Rocks contest winner

perils of pontification

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Old rule of TV:
The camera adds 10 pounds.
(So does Internet.)

• • •

Read more haiku.

hers without his

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Missing: one groom’s cake.
Two-foot-one, dark complexion,
stabbed with a big knife.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Happy Memorial Day

Monday, May 25th, 2009

Arlington

On this Memorial Day, remember those who gave their lives for our freedom.

• Forbes Traveler: “Crowds flock to America’s popular memorials”

“I think memorials and monuments act as physical symbols of our reverence,” says Gina Gray, Director of Public Affairs at Arlington National Cemetery.

• mental_floss: “10 Things to Remember About Memorial Day”

3. It was first known as Decoration Day: From the practice of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, the holiday was long known as Decoration Day. The name Memorial Day goes back to 1882, but the older name didn’t disappear until after World War II. Federal law declared “Memorial Day” the official name in 1967.

• Boston Globe: “The Big Picture: Memorial Day, 2009”

Collected here are a handful of photographs for remembrance, acknowledging some of the men and women who have passed in conflicts from the U.S. Civil War through Iraq and Afghanistan today.

Map the Fallen

This Memorial Day I would like to share with you a personal project of mine that uses Google Earth to honor the more than 5,700 American and Coalition servicemen and women that have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. I have created a map for Google Earth that will connect you with each of their stories—you can see photos, learn about how they died, visit memorial websites with comments from friends and families, and explore the places they called home and where they died.

insecurity, party of one

Monday, May 25th, 2009

He was raised better
than this, but sometimes shows his
insecurity.

• • •

Read more haiku.

creation and wonder

Monday, May 25th, 2009

A shaded brook, a
Spanish verse, a lover’s gaze …
all hold nature’s joy.

• • •

Read more haiku.

paired off

Monday, May 25th, 2009

In twos they parade
down the aisle to unite a
pair of meant-to-bes.

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Read more haiku.

the convening of men

Monday, May 25th, 2009

All that’s needed are
grilled meats and cold beers for a
roundtable of guff.

• • •

Read more haiku.

‘Tapestry’: The culture of blogging

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

tapestry wbhm 90.3 FMProgramming alert: Yours truly will be on tonight’s edition of “Tapestry,” the weekly arts and culture show on WBHM (90.3 FM).

It airs at 6:30 tonight, and repeats at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Of course, if you don’t own a radio, you can hear the program online. Our post over at the Birmingham Blogging Academy site goes into more detail about the show, the other interviewees and the in-studio taping.

virtually a community

Thursday, May 21st, 2009

They know each other
by avatars and user
names. Soon, in real life.

• • •

Read more haiku.

Prepare for the Ultimate Summer Movie Guide

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Share your favorite festivals; sponsor our exclusive guide

Wade on Birmingham - Ultimate Summer Movie GuideIt’s almost time for Memorial Day, summer getaways and the Wade on Birmingham Ultimate Summer Movie Guide. This annual guide lists the films and film festivals around Birmingham, with options a’plenty for kids, adults, freeloaders, outdoor lovers and anyone looking for a good time at the cineplex or beyond.

We’ll have dates, prices, blurbs, trailers, links and anything else you need to know.

Film fans: If you have a festival or movie to share, please contact us with the details. We’d love to include your films in our lineup.

Sponsors: Our movie guide is the best resource around for families, film buffs and daters. Be seen by thousands of savvy citizens looking for a night out in front of the big screen. If you’re interested in sponsoring our guide, contact us right away.

And get ready for another great summer of popcorn, candy, excitement and cinematic community.

that was the day that was

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

Once the day picks up
steam, it’s hard to know where you’ll
end up, who you’ll meet.

• • •

Read more haiku.