The mini-concerts take place at DISCO’s space on the ground floor of Woodrow Hall in Birmingham’s Woodlawn neighborhood. There is no set ticket price – the idea is to pay what you like (or what you’re able) while also getting a chance to learn more about the programs being offered by this nearly 3½ year old nonprofit.

This month the series continues with a performance by Birmingham-based act Velouria on Friday, May 24. It will also double as an album release party for the band’s latest effort, Smile Until It Hurts. The band Early Americans will serve as their opening act.

NOTE: Doors open at 8 p.m. and beer and wine will be available for purchase.

While the other scheduled guests may be reason enough for you to tune in (Vin Diesel and Jeff Foxworthy), we’re thinking the chance for Birmingham to see one of their own performing on television is a pretty good one. Brian Murphy is currently based in New York City, but he is a native of The Magic City, having worked for what is now the Birmingham Business Alliance and as a photographer and musician. He’s also the guy currently playing keyboards for The Lone Bellow’s touring ensemble (he’s also done some engineering for them in the past, including working on this video for the single “You Never Need Nobody”).

Now that we’ve got your attention, you may want to check out the band’s latest YouTube upload, the video for the single “Bleeding Out.” BTW – it’s the one they’re playing on Leno tonight.

Photo: Courtesy of The Lone Bellow’s Facebook fan page.

A Facebook event created late last month invites folks to visit its nearly 1½ year-old Avondale Market on May 15. According to the event’s description, 10% of all in-store sales will go to directly benefit Avondale Elementary School. They’ve already held similar fundraisers for both Red Mountain Community School and the Alabama Waldorf School earlier this month.

The two year old business is continuing an unbeaten streak similar to the ones SEC football fans hope for each season. Just last week the store was named one of the winners of Intuit’s Small Business Growing Strong initiative, securing $5,000 to improve the physical store’s lighting. This came on the heels of wrapping up an IndieGoGo campaign to add a café, a month after it reopened following a renovation of their space. Their Occupy:Avondale win presented them with the opportunity to open in the space in addition to six months free rent.

You could even say they started off with a (bang). Area schools have the privilege to benefit from their efforts while residents enjoy locally sourced food options. Sounds like a win for everybody.

Why? One reason given was safety – something could come off a truck and fly off the expressway, fall through the 4-foot gap between the north and southbound lanes, and hurt someone. Another was the state agency not wanting anything under the overpasses. This reason confuses some as it appears to not apply everywhere in the city. For example, there is parking currently available under I-20/59 near the BJCC.

Thirty years ago a farmers market occupied the DIY site but shuttered in the 1980s, and it remained mostly unused until the skaters arrived last year.

ALDOT’s spokesperson recently explained in an interview with AL.com that moving the skateboarders (and the homeless) out of the area was necessary due to soil testing for the I-20/59 bridge replacement project – one that includes, interchange modifications at I-65 and 31^st Street and upgrades to 11^th Avenue North.

The Bridgespot’s short lifespan was not unusual; most DIY sites last no more than a year and a half. Skaters find a spot, start skating and making additions and improvements to a site, and the area evolves. One of the great things about the Bridgespot was the support the skaters received from their neighbors.

Peter Karvonen of Faith Skate Supply, located just two blocks west of the former DIY site, explained how the skaters had that support as well as the immediate community. Business owners and clientele would often stop by the store and donate money to support its development.

The Bridgespot gained some regional notoriety thanks to social media. Karvonen recalled meeting skaters from all over the state, as well as Nashville and Atlanta as they came to check out the site over the past several months..

The DIY site replaced another one, The Shoe Factory, located across from Railroad Park at 17^th Street and 1^st Ave. S. The owner of that property lived outside Birmingham and allowed local skaters to use it – with the caveat that it could be sold at any time. Once the city announces plans to move forward with Regions Field, the site was no more.

Skaters also lost a mini-skatepark located in Homewood’s Central Park in 2008. Complaints began rolling in about the space soon after a nearby condo construction project had been completed.  As comments on the AL.com piece demonstrate, much of the general public’s stereotyping of skateboarders as a bad influence likely had a lot to do with the complaints.

Supporters suggest a sanctioned skatepark project would continue to attract users from throughout the southeastern U.S. as the Bridgespot did as well as the residual economic impact of spending money at local businesses and contributing to the tax base. Patti Ferguson, a City Administrator in Armstrong, British Columbia, explained “It actually becomes a draw for your community if you have a good skatepark. Skaters want to come and try it. Never underestimate the power of a teenager to sway his or her parents’ travel plans!”

Skateboarding’s positive benefits

In Alabama, a state with one of the highest rates of obesity in the country, skateboarding is seen by some as a way to encourage activity in children and teens. Rather than sitting in the basement playing Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, they can go out and BE a skater. There are a variety of parks in Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee that could serve as examples for Birmingham.

When referring to a planned skatepark and splash pad, Heavener, (Oklahoma) City Manager Mike Kennerson explained, “Not only will these promote a healthy lifestyle, it improves the recreational life for our youth, and it has the potential to have an economic-development impact on our community. This is to create opportunities for kids to do positive things.”

The Tony Hawk Foundation states skateboarding and skateparks “provide a place for kids who aren’t attracted to traditional team sports to express themselves in an individual and athletic manner. Getting kids, particularly at-risk kids, involved in a personal and esteem-building activity like skateboarding helps them build the confidence to do well in other aspects of their lives.”

And in Somerset, Ohio, Councilman David Snider concluded, “The whole skatepark experience has been a wonder to skaters and non-skaters alike. Senior citizens marvel at the athleticism and imaginations of the skaters, and skaters have a new respect for how a small-town village government can work if patience and fortitude are applied.”

Five years ago, the city began looking at the potential of a skatepark on city land. Working with Karvonen and the skateboarding community, discussions began about locations and park designers. The Tony Hawk Foundation expressed its support of a Birmingham skatepark in the 2008 letter to Langford. Those plans seemed to have disappeared when Langford left office.

Hawk shared his thoughts on the impact on skaters and the community in that letter to Langford:

“And when parks are built right – with local skater input and involvement throughout the process – those youngsters develop a sense of ownership and pride. The very existence of the park is the result of their hard work. They negotiate with civic and local business leaders, with each other on design elements, and with the community to find a suitable location. These previously disenfranchised skaters, who once ran from the police, find themselves working with the police and the city and community as a whole. It’s a transformational (sp) process for these young people.”

A skatepark also provides opportunities for a wide variety of special events as well as clinics for teaching kids how to skate. A current effort could provide a home base for clinics held by the A.Skate Foundation. The foundation was created to teach skateboarding to autistic kids as well as teach skateboarders about autism. In 2011, A.Skate was a Pepsi Refresh Project grant recipient for a skatepark.

What’s next?

So, what now? With no skatepark available in the immediate area, skateboarders are skating along sidewalks and on the streets or heading out to Battleground, an indoor skatepark and ministry near Bessemer. Unfortunately, Battleground is only open limited hours, with both free and pay to skate sessions.

Mark Leo, instructor at Jefferson State Community College, understands the need for a skatepark: “ I’ve been skateboarding for about 25 years. I feel the local skate community needs a skatepark because, as I’ve grown older, I’ve realized how dangerous it really is to skate around the Birmingham metro area…the normal skateboarder encounters speeding cars and other hazards they normally wouldn’t in a sanctioned area.”

The City of Birmingham seems to be warming up to constructing a skatepark. There has been talk about using space at George Ward Park on Greensprings, as it would be easily accessible to visitors because of how close it is to an exit from I-65. As of press time, the idea of a skatepark in Birmingham is still in the preliminary planning stages.

The A.Skate Foundation, the skateboarding community, and Karvonen have been a part of the proposal and planning of a potential skatepark in Birmingham. Karvonen explained, “After ALDOT recently demolished the Bridgespot skate area, the city officials in Birmingham have responded to the desperate need for a skatepark and are proactively working with the skate community now to secure land for a skatepark within the park and rec system.”

Karvonen said the skatepark was to be an agenda item at the April meeting for the Glen Iris Neighborhood Association, but was absent. They have been assured it will appear on the May meeting agenda. The neighborhood association meets on the first Monday of the month.

“Thankfully the city officials in Birmingham are embracing the need for a public skatepark and working alongside us to see the facility become a reality hopefully in the very near future,” Karvonen added.

Supporters of the project know that it will not come cheaply; a quality skatepark can cost around $400,000. Quality is important. Concrete ramps provide stability and reduce maintenance costs as wood ramps are subject to rot and insects. Safety issues for both skaters and spectators also will need to be addressed.

Photo: courtesy of Faith Skate Supply.

Performances will take place April 26 and 27 in the campus’s Great Hall. Auditions are being held today (March 9) and Tuesday (March 12) at the Hill University Center (HUC) at the following times:

Saturday, March 9, 1 – 3 p.m., HUC 412
Tuesday, March 12, 6 – 8 p.m., HUC 411

The HUC is located at 1400 University Blvd. in the heart of UAB’s campus.

Those interested in volunteering or performing should check out the efforts fan page on Facebook for updates.

The Vagina Monologues is a play based on playwright – and V-Day founder – Eve Ensler’s interviews with more than 200 women. As the V-Day website explains:

“With humor and grace the piece celebrates women’s sexuality and strength. Through this play and the liberation of this one word, countless women throughout the world have taken control of their bodies and their lives. For more than 12 years, The Vagina Monologues has given voice to experiences and feelings not previously exposed in public.”

The audience, obviously familiar with Jones’s work, is enthusiastic, singing along and providing appreciative feedback. There is a young woman near the front of the space celebrating her birthday and the singer eventually leads the crowd in a chorus of “Happy Birthday.”

The Nashville-based musician drove down to Birmingham specifically for the taping, and would be heading back immediately after the show. However, the intimate venue provided many of his fans access for photos, handshakes, and autographs after his two-part set.

This weekend kicks off a new music series on the University of Alabama’s WVUA/WUOA-TV. AFTERHOURS: Live at The Red Cat Birmingham features performances and interviews with singer-songwriters. The show will air on Sundays, beginning February 10, at 5 p.m. Jones’s performance, filmed Friday, January 18, will be the third act featured. They began filming the series at the coffeehouse in December.

The show’s producers came across The Red Cat while conducting research for the series. It was recently voted “Best Coffeehouse” in the 2012 al.com “Best of Birmingham” poll. Perusing the old promotional posters on the venue’s walls, they decided to see if the coffeehouse’s owners were interested in their concept.

Charlie Mars is the next act scheduled to be filmed at the coffeehouse on February 23. Garrison Starr (March 14), Amber Rubarth (April 4), and Sandra McCracken (April 12) round out the spring sessions – with three more acts already scheduled. There are currently plans for a total of 12 original shows for this season.

The live performances featured on AFTERHOURS will be along the lines of Sessions at The Cactus, filmed in Austin by the University of Texas. The series is part of an effort to upgrade the station’s content. It currently reaches 800,000+ households throughout the state, and is easily accessible in Birmingham on cable and over the air (on Channel 23).

Although somewhat similar to  We’ve Got Signal, the producers believe the AFTERHOURS concept is different as it specifically features singer-songwriters.

The sign over the entrance to Todd English P.U.B. (short for Public Urban Bar) now lights a portion of the base of the anchor to the city’s newest entertainment district, Uptown. Workers were inside the space last night making sure it’ll be ready for when the hotel is scheduled to open – February 14.

UpTown’s Twitter account and the BJCC’s Facebook account have announced a way for you to score access to an invite-only preview of the restaurant on February 12. Considering the only way to try the food before then is a trip to the other location is in Las Vegas (it opened in March 2010), it sounds like a pretty interesting contest to enter.

Now you’ve got to wonder if the seven-second beer slam mentioned in the Twitter profile for the Las Vegas location will apply here too…

Many doctors stayed in Birmingham to nurse the sick and help bury the dead – and so did the girls employed by our most famous madame, Louise Wooster. The prostitutes working for Wooster assisted doctors and undertakers until the disease was under control.

Local businessman Charles Linn hosted the Calico Ball to celebrate the end of the cholera epidemic and everyone’s return to the city. Doctors, lawyers, businessmen, society dames – the invitation list was a veritable “who’s who” of early Birmingham.

Conspicuously absent from the Ball were Ms. Wooster and her ladies.

Almost a century later, the “residents” of Oak Hill Cemetery are righting that wrong. They will leave the comfort of their resting places and mingle with the living at Avondale Brewing Company to celebrate the Calico Ball After-Party.  Host Louise Wooster and her sister Maggie Bracken welcome Charles Linn, John Milner, and many others for an evening of period music and dancing while dancing to the sounds of The Calico String Band. Slots on the ladies dance cards will be available for a small donation.

Avondale Brewing Company’s historic home has a rich and infamous history, having been home to a several businesses – including a post office, a firehouse, and the Long Branch Saloon. The upper floor of the building was at one time a secret bordello, servicing the saloon’s patrons below, making it a somewhat ideal location for the fundraiser. There are even rumors the building is haunted by a former lady of the brothel.

Terri Hicks, aka Louise Wooster, has been a volunteer at Oak Hill for over four years. “Oak Hill Cemetery is not only a beautiful and historic location that requires a lot of upkeep and maintenance, but it is also a repository for the early history of the Magic City, said Hicks.

She continued, “Many of the movers and shakers who came to Jones Valley in the 1870s with stars in their eyes and money in their pockets, are buried there. From iron and steel magnates to infamous murder victims, the cemetery houses them all.”

“It is important that the citizens of Birmingham remember what a diverse and exciting place the city was from the very beginning and how many people were involved in creating the place that has grown into The Magic City that we know now.”

The Calico Ball is the anniversary fundraiser for the Oak Hill Memorial Association to support activities at the Cemetery, the oldest working cemetery in Birmingham.

“The cemetery is an outdoor museum that is open to the public every day of the year. It was the first Alabama cemetery to ever be placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The cemetery only hosts approximately 12 burials per year, and although there is still limited space available for purchase, it has virtually no avenue to produce income,” said Stuart Oates, cemetery director. “The cemetery was initially known as the City Cemetery, and to this day is property of the City of Birmingham. The City does provide funding for routine maintenance, but the Oak Hill Memorial Association is dependent on gifts and donations to continue restoration and preservation efforts that lie beyond the scope of routine operations.”

The Calico Ball After-Party takes place this Saturday, February 2, from 7-10 p.m. Tickets are available in advance for $20 via TicketLeap; they will be available at the door for $25. The event is sponsored by The Magic City Post, Weld for Birmingham, and Naked Art Gallery.

According to their website, Rave Cinemas gifts cards and Director’s Tickets will be honored at the Vestavia, Hoover, and Lee Branch locations through May 15.

Over in Crestwood, The Edge recently announced a policy change via their fan page on Facebook that seemed to make many patrons quite happy.

Over the past few weeks, The Edge has had an issue with rowdy and disruptful youth. Due to this fact no patrons under the age of 18 will be admitted without a parent or guardian after 6:00 pm.

The status update went on to say the purpose of the change was to “ensure a safe and great movie experience.” Patrons appreciated the gesture; it’s been shared on the social networking site at least 14 times as of this posting. The Birmingham-based company is also excited about hosting Sunday’s (January 13) slate of screenings for the 3^rd annual Birmingham Jewish Film Festival.

John Scalici’s Juka Tribe and the tribal belly dance group Erynias Tribe will perform at Bottletree on December 18 to benefit Magic City Harvest. Admission is $10 at the door plus a non-perishable food item. Tickets can also be purchased via The Bottletree’s website.

A Very Juka Christmas will be an evening of both music and community drumming, with a full-blown community drum jam to wrap up the night. Guests are welcome to bring their own percussion instruments, and drums will be available for those without.

According to their website, Juka Tribe’s sound can be summed up as World Boogie – a “mosaic of Middle Eastern, Brazilian, and West African rhythms.” In addition to Scalici, Cody McIain, poet Sharif Simmons, and bassist Jay Johnson have joined the Tribe. Performances often feature both live and sampled music.

Magic City Harvest was founded 17 years ago as a response to the hunger and homelessness issues in Birmingham. Its mission is to alleviate hunger, malnutrition, and food waste. The group distributes food, educates the public on the affect of poverty, and participates in collaborative efforts to combat hunger in the city. Magic City Harvest distributes 50,000 pounds of food annually to those in need.

Do some good. Have some fun. And get your groove on this holiday at A Very Juka Christmas.