Birmingham’s top events: Russian Dashcam goes artsy, bartending with herbs, and Sidewalk! August 23rd through 29th

Top 10 Things to do in Birmingham

August 23-29 Edition

I found way too much to go out and experience this week!  So I’ll use this opening paragraph to plug a short film in Sidewalk that I couldn’t write a whole article on (because it had next to no connections with Birmingham, not because it didn’t deserve a whole article): Pavels Gummenikovs’ “Just Go” feels like Baby Driver minus the Hollywood corporatization.  Trust me, watch it!  I should also probably mention the mayoral election happening today (not Wednesday!), make sure you vote there if you’re eligible.

Fiber Arts on Fifth Avenue

• August 23 @ 2PM
• Avondale Library
• Free!

It always amazed me in highschool how common knitting actually was.  I don’t know why.  Anyway, there’s a social group that knits at Avondale Library!  If you need help with a certain stitch, want to offer help, or just want to hang out, you can find them Wednesday.  You can also get some needles and yarn, but supplies are limited.  Read more

PJ Morton

• August 23 @ 8PM
• WorkPlay
• $15

Maroon 5’s keyboardist quit and moved back to NOLA last year.  His first solo album released this year, so he’s touring to promote it!  “This is a new beginning for PJ and real soul.”  Read more

Patent basics

• August 24 @ 2:15PM
• Central Library
• Free, registration required

Learn about patents: why you need one, how to file successfully, and more.  If you have an idea for a new device, you need to attend this!  Read more

Vino and Van Gogh, benefiting United Ability

• August 24 @ 6PM
• BridgeStreet Gallery & Loft
• $35 for individuals, $45 for couples

Wine tasting, hor d’oeuvres, live music, and (duh) art!  Benefiting life-changing disability support services provided by United Ability, you’ll have the opportunity to buy great art knowing that the proceeds will go to a great cause.  Rare and fine wines from local collectors, a SEC all-inclusive championship package for two, and more will all be auctioned!  Read more

Nemesis, Sadistic Ritual, The New Masters of Evil

• August 24 @ 10PM
• The Nick
• $6

Cheap, pulse pounding, alcohol-fueled metal.  Bringing the soul of Slayer, adding Southern influence, and throwing in some cheek (check Atrocity Unleashed’s price on bandcamp) for good measure, every one of these acts is worth a lot more than $6.  Metal, as a genre, is pretty polarizing, but this is a great point of entry and a great way to take yourself back to what interested you in fast, drum-filled thrash in the first place!  Read more

Rick and Bubba outdoor expo

• August 25 @ 5PM
• BJCC
• $13-ish after fees

“All things hunting, fishing, and the great outdoors!”  Hundreds of booths and exhibitors, autograph sessions, door prizes, seminars, and more make this the place to go if you want to become a better outdoorsman.  Read more

Sidewalk Film Festival opening night: Step

• August 25 @ 8PM
• Alabama Theatre
• Free to anyone with a Sidewalk pass

A crowd-pleasing documentary about step might be great on its own, but you don’t have to find out: a live performance will immediately follow the film!  Opening night at Sidewalk starts off strong and only gets stronger, so get hype for a weekend of incredible films!  Read more

Cooperatives and Community Land Trusts webinar

August 26 @ 11AM

Online event, so here’s the website

Some weird pinko-commie sliding cost scale 🙂

This workshop explains the goings-on and concepts behind Community Land Trusts (CLTs) and cooperatives.  Why would you watch it?  Land ownership has given way, for the most part, to the far-less desirable idea of land as an investment real estate.  CLTs and coops enable everyone to own land, protecting the homes and lifestyles of those who would otherwise be impacted by gentrification.  Basically, CLTs offer a great solution to abandoned property, homelessness, and gentrification all at once!  Read more

The Road Movie, directed by Dmitrii Kalashnikov

• August 26 @ 3:15PM
• ASFA Dorothy Day Theater
• It’s Sidewalk, so free for anyone with a pass.  Otherwise $15

“Surreal white-knuckle roadtrip from hell” sounds pretty great, and it sounds even better when paired with “Russian auto dashboard camera footage.”  I really can’t pitch this better than our calendar entry already has – read it here

Cooling herbal cocktails

• August 26 @ 1PM
• Birmingham Botanical Gardens
• $40

Learn how to make great drinks out of plants (and presumably alcohol)!  Impress your friends by becoming an amateur bartender worthy of their own 80s training montage!  Support the “grow your own” and “eat local” movements (not to mention the Gardens)!  Read more