THE CLASSICAL MUSIC WORLD IS VERY CLOSED AND SEPARATE: And, frankly, inadequate to contain the exquisite energy of cello virtuoso Melora Creager, the wonder-wench and creative force at the center of Rasputina. Perhaps the universe’s first cello-rock ensemble, Rasputina was borne out of Creager’s wild-hearted desires to take the classical instrument into the rough-and-tumble world and play it in an unwavering way. She sought and found a few other like-minded cellists, one or two of whom have been mixing it up with her for more than a decade. The latest CD, Oh Perilous World, features fellow cello player Sarah Bowman and Jontathan TeBeest on percussion and vocals. The trio will be at WorkPlay on Tuesday, playing glorious sonic collages on such diverse subjects as the destruction of Fallujah, Mary Todd Lincoln as the Queen of Florida and the meteoric rise of Fletcher Christian’s son Thursday as a resistance icon on Pitcairin Island. The show starts at 8 p.m. and tickets cost $15. My Brightest Diamond will open. For tickets, call 380-4082 or go to www.workplay.com

Popularity: 4% [?]

UPDATE: He did it — 500,000 down and 500,000 to go.

He’s halfway there — almost. About five weeks ago, Jeremy Harper began his count to one million, live on the Internet, refusing to leave his apartment, setting aside his job, his friends, his social life, all for Millioncount.com. Some thought he would go crazy. Others thought he already had.

Today he passes a milestone, the halfway point — 500,000. Harper is donating most of the proceeds to Push America, a charity for children with disabilities. Ten years ago, Harper participated in Push America’s Journey of Hope, a cross-country trip on bicycles. Another Journey of Hope team is cycling across the country this year, and today they will stop in Birmingham to visit Harper. They’re trip is almost done, but Harper’s … well, everything he’s done so far, he has to do it again.

Since the beginning, the Barking Kudu has been Harper’s biggest supporter, setting up a widescreen TV (one patron calls it “HarperTV”) and another camera in the bar so Harper can watch the action there. This evening, the bar will be celebrating with Harper as he passes the half-million mark, and they’re going to party like it’s 999,999.

RELATED STORY: Up for the Count, Jeremy Harper’s one to a million shot.

Popularity: 4% [?]

A federal jury today found that Drummond Ltd. was not liable for the deaths of three union leaders from its La Loma, Colombia, mine. The verdict in the civil suit came after about two weeks of trial and about a day of deliberations.

Lawyers from the United Steelworkers of America and the International Labor Rights Forum had sued the company on behalf the of the victims families. Throughout the trial, juror heard testimony from other union leaders, victims family members and company officials, but in the end, it was not enough to convince the jury that Drummond had assisted rightwing paramilitaries in the country in exchange for the murders.

Read the full story

Popularity: 4% [?]

A civil lawsuit against Birmingham-based Drummond Ltd. is now in the hands of a federal jury which will decide whether the coal mining company was liable of abetting war crimes and having a hand in the deaths of three Colombian union leaders in 2001.

“The company equated the union with the guerillas and Drummond aligned with the warring party that would advance its interests,” Rusty Johnson, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, told the jury in closing arguments Wednesday.

Lawyers from the United Steel Workers of America and the International Labor Rights Fund are suing on behalf of the three slain union leaders — Valmore Orcasita, Victor Lorcano and Gustavo Soler. Lawyers from Drummond questioned the credibility of the plaintiffs’ witnesses and argued that the company played no part in the murders.

“It was vital to Drummond to stay out of the conflict,” defense lawyer William Jeffress told the jury. “That is the way you put your company at risk. That is the way you put your people at risk. That is the way you become a target.”

Read the full story

Popularity: 4% [?]

It’s halftime in the Drummond trial. After nearly two weeks of testimony and taped depositions from union leaders, company managers and former paramilitaries, the plaintiffs’ attorneys rested their case Monday afternoon. A civil suit, brought on behalf of three slain Colombian union leaders under the Alien Tort Statute, accuses the Birmingham-based mining company of aiding rightwing paramilitaries in the South American country’s four-decade old civil war. In 2001, those paramilitaries murdered three union leaders from Drummond’s mine there. The La Loma mine is the world’s largest open pit coalmine, producing about 25 million tons of coal per year.

READ OUR RELATED COVER STORY HERE.

On Monday, plaintiffs’ attorneys called their last witness, Drummond Ltd. President Augusto Jimenez. Previous witnesses, including union leaders, claimed that Jimenez and Drummond were unresponsive to their requests for protection from paramilitary activities.

But on the stand, Jimenez gave a different perspective to a similar story. According to Jimenez, he was not trying to threaten union leaders when he told them to turn down their rhetoric. Rather, he said, he was encouraging them not to antagonize the right-wing paramilitaries or put themselves in danger.

Read the full story

Popularity: 4% [?]

YOU HAVE NEVER TASTED ANYTHING LIKE THIS

We at the Weekly pride ourselves on our good taste. That pride, we figure, makes us imminently qualified to partner with Whole Foods Market to present a special tasting series that features a rotating panel of local chefs tasting and rating edibles of the highest order. The first-ever Local Dish tasting, scheduled for this Monday at 5:30 p.m., promises to be finger-licking good. Barbecue is the featured cuisine and a trio of local ‘cue gurus (Dreamland BBQ pitmaster Greg Roy, the 2006 “Stokin’ the Fire” competition winner Rod Tuggle and
Golden Rule franchise owner Billy Battle) will taste and rate bottled barbecue sauces sold at Whole Foods. Meanwhile, the public in attendance will get to sample a selection of meats smoked in-house, barbecue sides and beverages, including “7 Deadly Zins,” since zinfadel makes the perfect wine complement to barbecue. The recommended donation of $10 will mean more than just feeding your face. All proceeds will benefit the Sloss Metal Arts program. Future Local Dish events include at Whole Foods include a tomato and salt tasting on Aug. 20, a tailgating primer on Sept. 17 and a sausages & mustards tasting on Oct. 15 to celebrate Oktoberfest. For complete details and reservations, call 912-8400.

Popularity: 4% [?]

HEART ART

Located in Irondale, Studio By the Tracks offers free art classes and programs to troubled children and adults with autism, Asperger’s Disorder or mental illness. Since SBTT doesn’t charge one penny, as a 10-year-old named Peter states on the studio’s website, support comes from the community, art classes offered to the public and the annual Art From the Heart auction. This year’s event will be Sunday, July 22, at B&A Warehouse, located at 1531 First Ave. South, and will feature live and silent auctions from over 200 local artists as well as artists who participate in the programs at SBTT. Catering will be by Kathy G, with complimentary beer and wine. You don’t even have to bring out your tux or any other semi-formal attire for this one — the dress code is very casual. A $50 donation gets you into the event, and $100 gets you into the event, a private patrons’ party that begins at 5:30 p.m. and a special gift. Auctions begin at 6 p.m. For more information, call 951-3317 or visit www.studiobythetracks.org.

For more Weekly Picks, check out www.bhamweekly.com.

Popularity: 4% [?]

THIS CITY HAS FOLK ART FEVER
If you haven’t already checked out the folk art exhibit at the Birmingham Museum of Art, you can get your dose at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Saturday, July 21. Mississippi native Melinda Dalton Hollingsworth will share her contemporary frescoes with all you folk art fanatics through August 31 in the gardens’ main gallery. Hollingsworth got her start using found objects from behind a local grocery store and along the creek where she lived, and now uses paint and plaster to create works of animals, flowers and people. Her bright colors and simple style give her frescoes and cryptograms an edge reminiscent of modern pop art — she may be self-taught, but her work is definitely not amateur or mundane. Check it out for yourself. The gardens are located at 2612 Lane Park Rd. Admission is free. Call 414-3931 for more information.

For more Weekly Picks visit Bhamweekly.com 

Popularity: 4% [?]

It’s not often that anybody gets to write about the Alien Tort Statute outside of law school. That’s because for most of two centuries, it was pretty rare for anybody to break the law, which says that American government, military, and corporate leaders can be held accountable for human rights abuses committed as a result of their presence in a foreign country. Nowadays, the law is a favorite new tool of labor unions and foreign plaintiffs to sue American corporations for human rights abuses in developing countries. The trial against Birmingham-based Drummond Ltd. currently taking place should prove an intriguing test of this new use for the old law.

Other trials taking place around the state this week include Alabama NOW vs. Operation Save America and the brave Mrs. Barbara Wilson of Jacksonville vs. Alabama Power. Certain parties in those proceedings could stand a lesson in civility.

On a lighter note, the fud jors at Little Savannah can now learn you a thing or two about how to shop, then cook, then eat. And local music mainstay Damon Johnson is at again, this time with an all-new gig. You Kill Me is staying at local theaters another week and we went ahead and ran Allen Barra’s review of Rescue Dawn, hoping against hope that some Birmingham theater will actually get that movie in the coming weeks. If not, at least we have Sidewalk, with its upcoming Scramble screening featuring the handiwork of the original J’migga.

Finally, the regulars of one of our favorite local watering holes are mourning a major loss this week. Go by and buy the good barkeeps a drink, why don’t you. It’ll make everybody feel better.

Popularity: 11% [?]

THE PEOPLE ARE THE CITY

That’s what it says on the seal in City Hall, but Birminghamians don’t always act like they know the city motto. Hopefully the citizens who Get Downtown this Thursday, July 19, will be ready for revelry and community-building. From now through October, a sweet street festival will take place on the third Thursday of every month, featuring live music, food and family activities in the streets of downtown Birmingham. All proceeds will go toward restoration of the lovely Lyric Theatre. Featured performers for the July “Get Downtown” include the Charlie Soul Band, Harold & Jim, Frankie Velvet & the Mighty Veltones and Josephine Sweet. The party starts around 6 p.m. on 19th Street in front of the McWane Science Center. For more information, check out www.downtownbirmingham.org.

For more Weekly Picks visit Bhamweekly.com 

Popularity: 5% [?]