ONE DAY AT A TIME: There is still far too much to be done to repair the tornado damage from April 27. In order to continue to rebuild, the effects of the storm have to remain in the forefront of our minds. Just one month before the tornadoes hit, I wrote this, regarding the recent earthquakes in Japan: “All it makes me think about is how quickly it could happen anywhere in the world, at any time. Obviously, America has had their devastations, and most people know in some way or another what it is to lose decades worth of effort in one fleeting storm. But while we may understand and sympathize, and we’re always quick to show support, our relief efforts never last as long as they should. As many have repeated before me, we lose one problem in favor of the next news.” Now, I don’t expect we’ll forget about this damage anytime soon, but in order to show our support, and to demonstrate to others the need for that support, we have to keep doing what we’ve been doing—organizing events like this week’s Benefit Concert for Tornado Victims at Aldridge Botanical Gardens. The fundraiser hosted by city of Hoover employees will feature live music from the Blue Galaxy String Project. The show starts at 7 p.m. and is free with a donation, with proceeds going towards relief efforts. For more information, call (205) 682-8019 or visit www.aldridgegardens.com.

20 FRIDAY

BOTTOM’S UP: There isn’t a better place I can think of to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream than in the middle of a park. I’ve never seen an adaptation performed in one, but I have seen one on stage, and the play seems better suited, with its large ensemble cast and multiple plots, being performed outside, around real-life foliage and wildlife. Fortunately, the Birmingham Park Players, an indoor/outdoor nonprofit theatrical organization that specializes in Shakespeare, is around to satisfy that notion. They will perform the play at Homewood Central Park starting this Thursday, May 19. You can catch the performances on select dates until May 28 at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10. For more information, call (205) 332-6705 or visit www.bhamparkplayers.com.

21 SAT

PUPPY POWER: This year’s Do Dah Day in Caldwell Park will be its 32nd annual event. For those who aren’t familiar, the day is one big tribute to pets—mostly dogs. Attendance has risen to over 40,000 people in the last few years, and the whole event runs on 100 percent volunteer help. Attendees can enjoy the many options for food and the schedule of live music. It all starts with the Do Dah Day parade at 11 a.m., which participants can join for a fee between $5 and $50. The event itself is free, and starts after the parade has come to an end. This year, organizers are asking for cash contributions to help families and their animals affected by the recent storms. Proceeds will go to the Greater Birmingham Human Society and the Friends of Cats and Dogs Foundation. Look for the “Shelter From the Storm” tent to make your donation. Also check out the Do Dah Day eve party at Nana Funk’s in Lakeview at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.dodahday.org.

22 SUN

ORIGINAL TWEETERS: Bird watching gets a bad rap. I mean, I never quite understood the appeal behind it, until I considered how interesting birds can actually be. Who isn’t fascinated by winged creatures? And I considered the social aspect of it all. Who doesn’t want to kick back with some friends (or some strangers) in the woods every once in a while? The Alabama Wildlife Resource Center certainly understands the appeal, and they’re gathering advocates together on Sunday for their most recent edition of their “Audubon Teaches Nature” series, a bird watching walk entitled “Spring is Here: Time to Learn our Bird Songs.” Not only will you learn about bird appearance and habit, you’ll come away from the lecture with an extensive knowledge of bird calls. Instructed by Greg Harber of the Birmingham Audubon Society, a non-profit National Audubon Society chapter advocating the knowledge, appreciation and conservation of birds and other wildlife. The event starts at 2 p.m., and is free with the $3 park admission. For more information, call (205) 663-7930 or visit www.awrc.org.

23 MON

WHAT TO DO? If you’re a trivia buff, you may find that it’s hard to find a game consistent with your schedule. Oftentimes it’s even hard to find one that continues its run for more than a few months. “Trivia With Reed” is certainly one of the most consistent games around town, and it happens two nights a week, leaving you some more room to find time for it. Every Monday, Reed brings the event to Innisfree Pub, and on Tuesday, he switches it to Steel Urban Lounge. Each event involves giveaways with multiple prizes, plus food and drink specials from the venues involved. They suggest an early arrival if you’ve yet to form a team. Monday’s event starts at 8:30 p.m.; Tuesday’s at 8 p.m. Both are free. For more information, call Innisfree at (205) 252-4255 or Steel at (205) 324-0666.

24 TUES

SWEET BABY JAMES: Anyone who’s at least a little familiar with Birmingham’s music scene knows that the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex is where we get the “big” acts.
That is, there isn’t anywhere (save the Verizon Wireless Music Center and Oak Mountain Amphitheater) that has close to the amount of space or seating the BJCC provides. Sometimes a venue of its size can have a negative impact on a show—particularly if the artist or group is experiencing that type of fame for the first time, and haven’t retooled their show to account for it. Generally, bands that made names for themselves as indie acts, spending years on independent labels, can’t measure up in larger spaces because they’re so used to smaller rooms with intimate crowds. Luckily, James Taylor has never been what most would consider “indie,” and he and his Legendary Band should feel right at home onstage at the BJCC this Tuesday. The singer-songwriter and recent inductee to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been making music professionally for over 40 years now, and he’s light years away from the man he was in the late 1960s, but the talent remains, and is still absolutely worth seeing. Even if just to say you saw him. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are between $65 and $85. For more information, call (205) 485-8400 or visit www.bjcc.org.

25 WED

FRIED GOODNESS: Southern chef Martha Hall Foose’s first book, Screen Doors and Sweet Tea: Recipes and Tales from a Southern Cook was a national bestseller.
Audiences responded wholeheartedly to Foose’s recipes, taken from her experiences growing up in the South. Foose has trained in France as a pastry chef, but when it comes to food she wants to recommend to other people, she always comes back to her roots. She isn’t from Alabama, but Mississippi is close enough for you to relate to her experience at her book reading and signing this Wednesday at Alabama Booksmith. She will be there to promote her most recent cookbook, another celebration of the Southern cooking aesthetic—A Southerly Course: Recipes and Stories from Close to Home. The book features more of her personal twists on Southern favorites, including fried corn, braised pork, peanut chicken and grilled green onions. The book also contains more than 100 color photographs. Her signing starts at 4 p.m. Admission is free, but you’ll need to buy a book if you want an autograph. For more information, call (205) 870-4242 or visit www.alabamabooksmith.com.

26 THURS