Next Week Today is a selection of our picks from the upcoming week’s events, published every Sunday at 11 a.m. 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.
Let week two of the World Games begin, and please let it cool down just a little bit. Please?! We’re all embattled Alabama summer weatherers, but these poor folks from out of town, my gosh, they must think we’ve all collectively left the oven on. Stay safe out there, bhamsters.
MONDAYJuly 11
Horse Jumper of Love (The Firehouse Community Arts Center, 8 p.m.) — Boston-based “slow rock” band Horse Jumper of Love are making an under-the-radar stop at The Firehouse between their Atlanta and New Orleans shows, and hooray! Their stripped-down style is a nice contrast to the more energetic (and also awesome) punk shows that often grace The Firehouse.
Animal Collective / Sham (Saturn, 8 p.m.) — Animal Collective’s sound can be a hard thing to pin down, it varies so often and widely from album to album, but if their latest release Time Skiffs is any indication, their current work is a return to the approachable but still wildly eclectic moodscapes of their breakthrough album Merriweather Post Pavilion.
TUESDAYJuly 12
Purity Ring / EKKSTACY (Iron City, 8 p.m.) — Canadian duo Purity Ring are pure electro-pop confection, polished to a sheen. If you can handle the sweetness of their delivery, you’ll enjoy being surprised by the gloomy nature of the lyrics, but it’s like getting to the center of a Tootsie-Pop, it’s gonna take a lot of licks to get there.
WEDNESDAYJuly 13
The Audiovore (Saturn, 9 p.m.) — The Audiovore, aka Lee Shook, is more than a DJ. He’s like the audio-equivalant of Indiana Jones, diving deep into the recesses of the recording world to bring treasures back into the light where we can all enjoy them. Only this time it’s not a museum they belong in, it’s your ears.
Big Boi (World Games Plaza, 9 p.m.) — Half of the Legendary hip-hop duo Outkast, Big Boi will be gracing the World Games Plaza stage at the brand new Citywalk BHAM park under the 20/59 interchange, and it’s totally free! If you can find a spot for your body in among the masses, you should get down to this one.
THURSDAYJuly 14
Vince Gill (Alabama Theatre, 7:30 p.m.) — Vince Gill holds the honor of being the most Grammified male country artist of all time, and he’s riding his tsunami of awards (22 of those Grammys along with 18 CMA awards) into the Alabama Theatre for your listening enjoyment. Interesting fact: he’s been playing with The Eagles in place of Glenn Frey since Frey’s passing.
Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow (Zydeco, 8 p.m.) — The first of two, count ’em, two circus events in town this week. This one is definitely the edgier of the two. This “rock-n-roll circus sideshow” has made a career of opening for big-name rock acts, and it features a freakshow and many pain-defying feats.
Adam Guthrie “Stars” Album Release Show / Rebecca Egeland (Saturn, 8 p.m.) — Known best as the guitarist in the band Salvo (formerly known as Pain), Birmingham native Adam Guthrie has just released Stars, a dynamic solo album. Come on down and celebrate it’s release.
Marcel P. Black + Alfred Banks + Michael Kure + Beezie Conwell (The Nick, 9 p.m.) — Baton Rouge-based rap veteran Marcel P. Black is a Secret Stages (R.I.P.) alum, but since that 2017 appearance in the Magic City he’s been busy keeping his foot to the touring pedal while releasing a series of excellent albums. Definitely worth a watch.
FRIDAYJuly 15
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Alabama Theatre, 7 p.m.) — Grab your bullwhips and fedoras and come on down for a heavy helping of ’80s zeitgeist. I know you’ve seen this film at least, what, 18 times? But it doesn’t matter, you know you want to see it again, and on the big screen. It’s Nazi melting time!
Cinderella (Red Mountain Theatre, 8 p.m.) — It’s opening night for Red Mountain Theatre’s production of their modern take on the classic Cinderella story (don’t worry, it still has all those Rogers & Hammerstein showtunes). Grab a seat for yourself, and some more for the kiddos.
Parachute Punk Show: The Dreaded Laramie / Nowhere Fast / Penny Circus / Qualifier (Saturn, 8 p.m.) — Two Kentucky bands are coming to town, power-pop earworm generation machine The Dreaded Laramie and melodic punk band Nowhere Fast, backed up by a couple of quality local acts. The Dreaded Laramie in particular are just tons of fun, layered dynamic good-times music, and they alone are worth the price of admission. Oh what’s that? It’s free? It’s free y’all!
SATURDAYJuly 16
World Games Block Party (Cahaba Brewing Company, 12 p.m.) — Want to rub shoulders with athletes from the World Games (that is, if you haven’t already out and about in town)? Then this is the shindig for you. “Nearly 3,800 athletes from the World Games” will be in attendance, according to the event page. There will also be food trucks, live music, face-painting and bounce houses, so definitely a free-for-all kid extravaganza as well.
Stay Frozen Fest (Avondale Brewing Company, 1 p.m.) — Let’s talk weather, y’all. IT IS HOT. It’s so hot athletes are collapsing, for goodness sake. So let’s all give Avondale Brewing Company a big ol’ pat on the back for choosing this week to host Stay Frozen Fest, featuring more frozen beverages than you can shake a floorball stick at. There will also be food, music and vendors, so lots to do while you give yourself brain freeze.
The Electric Circus – World Games Celebration (Ghost Train Brewing 3rd Ave, 8 p.m.) — Didn’t get enough circus at the Hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow earlier in the week? Or perhaps wanted to bring your kids to something that doesn’t involve live body piercing? Ghost Train has you covered on that front. This event features DJs and live circus performers of the more traditional type, including clowns, acrobats, aerialists, fire dancers, belly dancers and stilt walkers.
SUNDAYJuly 17
The World Games: Closing Ceremony (Protective Stadium, 8 p.m.) — It’s ceremony time, to bookend these World Games of ours. Lionel “Hello” Richie is gonna be there, along with The Blind Boys of Alabama, the band Alabama, and a bunch of folks from, say it with me now, Alabama!
When the final strains of the orchestra fade from Protective Stadium, and we arrive on the other side of these World Games, will the city feel changed? Or will it be business as usual, but with some upgrades to the infrastructure? There’s no doubt that it feels measurably momentous now, while it’s happening, but I wonder how lasting that feeling will be. You know what, let’s just celebrate our and the world’s achievement, and leave the analysis to tomorrow. Cheers, everyone!
The Bouquets’ Final Show and Live LP Recording / Seriously / B. Sonnier (Saturn, 8 p.m.) — 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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