Next Week Today (5/30 – 6/5)

Next Week Today is a selection of our picks from the upcoming week’s events. We’ll give you juuuuuust enough detail to whet your whistle, and then let you do the digging. In other words, these are the events we recommend giving a second, perhaps even third glance as you wend your way along the path to entertainment.

Lots to cover this week, let’s just dive right in. TL;DR, music for days, plus a few other nuggets.

TUESDAYMay 31

Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. (Sidewalk Cinema, 7 p.m., $12.25) — This is a one-off showing of 2021’s documentary homage to pioneering rock group Dinosaur Jr., chock full of archival footage and interviews with bandmates J Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph, as well as a star-studded parade of folks who they influenced. Sure to be a good time for Dinosaur Jr. fans, but interesting enough as a story on its own merits to be worth viewing for DJ novices.

WEDNESDAYJune 1

Hidden in Plain Sight: Queer Art in a Deep Southern Museum (Birmingham Museum of Art, 11 a.m., Free) — Dr. Graham C. Boettcher, the R. Hugh Daniel Director of the Birmingham Museum of Art, offers this talk on the history of LGBTQ art and artists in the BMA’s collection, including a section on Birmingham-based artists whose works include LGBTQ themes.

Yngwie Malmsteen / Kurt Deimer (Iron City, 8 p.m., $35-$45) — No matter what you feel about 80’s metal, there is no denying that when it comes to tickling the ol’ electrified six-string Yngwie Malmsteen is virtuosity personified. Once rated the ninth-greatest electric-guitar player of all time by Time magazine (Jimi was first), he name-checks Bach as inspiration for his “neoclassical” sound.

Flyin’ Hot Saucers with Vital & Moon Circle (The Nick, 9 p.m., $7/$10) — I’m always a little wary when a band describes themselves as the “mutant offspring” of this and that genre; it has the whiff of uncertainty about it. But Nashville duo Flyin’ Hot Saucers are certainly doing some confident pot-stirring with their stated genres (which include art-rock, psychedelic, progressive, experimental and indie rock). A quick trip over to Spotify reveals plenty of White-Rabbit-tinged vocals over indie-rock riffs, but also complete genre shifts into country and folk. Should make for an interesting evening.

THURSDAYJune 2

Big K.R.I.T. Digital Roses Tour / ELHAE / Price (Iron City, 8 p.m., $27-$212) — Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Big K.R.I.T.’s Wikipedia page name-checks Mayor Randall Woodfin, saying that according to an article in Birmingham Magazine Big K.R.I.T. is “one of the favorite artists of the current Birmingham Mayor” and that two of his tracks were on Mayor Woodfin’s Mayoral Mixtape Spotify playlist in 2021. I looked, and he’s also on a bunch of the mayor’s other playlists as well. So, I guess what I’m saying is…Big K.R.I.T. is great and all, but I think the mayor might be at this show, y’all! Wanna go say hi?

Alyssa Edwards: Life, Love & Lashes Tour (Lyric Theatre, 8 p.m., $35-$75) — Known for, among other things, her appearances on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 5 and RuPaul’s Drag Race: All Stars Season 2, as well as the Netflix docuseries Dancing Queen (which chronicles her hometown life and work as the head of a dance studio in Mesquite, TX), Alyssa Edwards is following up her successful run in London’s West End with a trip home to the states. Get ready for anecdotes, dance numbers, costumes and plenty of tongue pops.

Kishi Bashi – 151a 10th Anniversary Tour | Tall Tall Trees (Saturn, 8 p.m., $20) — Kishi Bashi’s debut album 151a was released in 2012 to widespread acclaim, and remains a delightful listen to this day, in this one’s opinion. Now he tours in honor of its staying power, promoting a simultaneous release of a special 10th anniversary edition of the album.

Tiny Dinosaur with Kaydee Mulvehill and Rebecca Egeland (The Nick, 10 p.m., $8/$10) — “Folk” seems an awfully simple shackle to bear for the genre-bending sound that Tiny Dinosaur make. Despite the instrumentation being folk-appropriate, they’re playing with all sorts of different textures, from Squirrel Nut Zippers-esque apocalyptic swing to loungey crooners.

FRIDAYJune 3

Leela James / Clinton Babers (Iron City, 8 p.m., $29.50-$600) — It seems contradictory that an artist could be labeled as both neo-soul and retro-soul, but whatever you want to call Leela James’s sultry-with-a-hint-of-grit sound, it’s a pretty sweet listen.

Kinky Boots (Red Mountain Theatre, 8 p.m., $20-$65) — It’s opening night for this film-to-musical production about the redeeming qualities of sexy footwear and the power of drag to save small business. Fans of the ’80s will be happy to hear that the music and lyrics are by Cyndi Lauper and the book by Harvey Fierstein.

Superchunk | Reigning Sound (Saturn, 8:30 p.m., $22) — Superchunk are some pretty cool cats, tbh. Dig those fuzz-punk melodies, and they chose freedom over dollars so many times throughout their career, you have to respect their belief in themselves. Hooray for happy endings.

SATURDAYJune 4

African Heritage Festival (Birmingham Museum of Art, 10 a.m., Free) — Get your Djembe on at the African Heritage Festival. Quite literally, in fact, since you will be able to make one for your very own at the event, but also quite figuratively, since Djembe means “Gather in Peace” according to the event’s website.

SUNDAYJune 5

Vulcan’s 118th Birthday Bash (Vulcan Park & Museum, 1 p.m., $6/$8) — Our big metal man is turning the page on yet another year since he was assembled from the bowels of Red Mountain, rejoice ye citizens of Birmingham. There will be free cookies and ice-cream. There will be live music and character appearances. There will be moonwalks and animal encounters and glitter tattoos, oh my! And most importantly, there will still be a giant iron god standing guard over our beloved city. When Godzilla comes, we’ll be ready.

The Bouquets’ Final Show with Special Guests: Seriously & B. Sonnier (Saturn, 8 p.m., Free) — It’s all-together too bad that this is the last show Birmingham band The Bouquets are going to play together. These alums of Birmingham label Earth Libraries and their spaced-out ’50s/’60s vibes are going to be missed, so come wish them a fond farewell.

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