Birmingham’s Top 10 for May 3 – May 9

So I was looking through our calendar (plus a couple of my own sources, just to make sure I hadn’t missed anything), and noticed something: this upcoming week has a TON of incredible concerts!  Birmingham nightlife is picking up steam as we head into summer, and a surprising amount of it is free.  So apologies to those who don’t like music (you monsters!) for my recommendations this week (which aren’t ALL music, but there’s a lot)!

Gojira
May 3rd
$30-$35
Sometimes you just have energy that needs to be released.  Or maybe you’re a headbanger like me.  Either way, Gojira’s playing Iron City the 3rd, so get down there and make some noise!  For those who haven’t been to a metal concert before, just wear black, and jump around a lot, and avoid the pit unless you want to be pushed around, you’ll have a blast!  Read more

Long Bony Arms
May 4th
Free!
Birmingham locals Long Bony Arms know they can’t compete with a Barons game (which you should also consider heading over to).  So they’re not going to try!  Come hang out and listen to their soon-to-be hits, totally free, at Good People Brewing Company this Thursday, starting 9PM.  And hey, if you can’t make it, they have two singles available for free download on Bandcamp, and “Hey! Look!  Another show!”  – they play again on the 6th, after the Barons game (again)!  Read more

Nana’s Naughty Knickers
May 4-6
$20
Thursday “hobo night” – pay what you can afford!
If you had a wild family, you might be able to relate.  Even if you can’t relate, you can definitely have fun at this farce, written by Katherine Disavino and directed by Carron Clark.  Come out and support Birmingham’s theatre scene – every show is unique!  Shows are on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays starting 8PM.  Read more

Death Cab For Cutie
May 5th
$50ish
Death Cab for Cutie played Slossfest last year, and Birmingham made an impression on them!  The rock band is coming back to Sloss Furnaces May 5th, rain or shine.  If you haven’t seen them before, this is a great chance!  If you have seen them before, you probably already knew about this concert!  Read more

Strawberry Day
May 6th
Free!
I don’t know anybody who doesn’t like strawberries.  Just throwing that out there.  Urban Cookhouse is throwing a party starting at 10AM, all for strawberries!  Drink strawberry milkshakes, try strawberries from Cullman based Harvest Farms, and hang out.  My running theory is that this is mostly just an excuse to throw a party, which makes it that much sweeter (no pun intended)  Read more

Ghost Train Brewing Company Presents Dirk Quinn Band
May 6th
Free!
Dirk Quinn plays jazz, rock, and funk, all at once, and it’s incredible to listen to.  His music is best described as Coltrane, Monk, Scofield, Pastorius, and The Who, all wrapped into one.  But don’t just read a description, listen!  The concert will start at 7PM, and yes, there will totally be a food truck!  Read more

Twin Peaks
May 6th
$15ish
Feel-good and personal rock is the name of the game for Twin Peaks.  Having played at Lollapalooza and been named “Best New Band” by New Musical Express, they’ve set their sights to bigger accomplishments: playing at Saturn! Joining Twin Peaks are Chrome Pony  and Post Animal.  Come out to Saturn the 6th, the show starts at 9PM.  Read more

Open Lab at Red Mountain Makers
May 8
Free!
Makerspaces are, as I’ve no doubt mentioned before, awesome!  Soldering, playing with fiber-optics, poking circuits into each other, and generally making really cool stuff isn’t always easy, yet it’s almost always fun, and definitely always satisfying.  If you’re not already a member of Red Mountain Makers, here’s a chance to see what you’re missing!  Doors open 6PM.  Read more

The Main Squeeze album release party
May 8
$15ish
The first time I heard The Main Squeeze, I thought back to this birthday present my cousin gave me: a 16GB flash drive (mind-bogglingly huge at the time!) loaded to the brim with incredible music.  Hearing The Main Squeeze for the first time took me back to the first time I heard The Mars Volta – but this time, with a funkier, dirtier sound.  I know I’m going to be at their release concert, and you should join me!  Doors at Saturn open 8PM.  Read more

MONO
May 9th
$15ish
This might be one of the few times you’d go looking for MONO.  A hypnotizing combination of orchestral and shoegaze metal has led to both tours across the world and critical acclaim for this Japanese quartet, and that sound is soaring higher with their most recent release.  Heavy, precise, beautiful instrumental prog returns to Birmingham, accompanied by Holy Sons, May 9th starting 8PM.  Read more