I CAN ALMOST SMELL THE LEDERHOSEN:
As far as I’m aware, I have no German ancestry whatsoever. But that doesn’t stop me from wearing lederhosen when I’m alone. What? It’s not weird to like the way tiny leather pants feel. It’s just not. Stop looking at me that way. Anyway, it is almost time for me to wear my leather shorts out in public, because this weekend is the 32nd Annual Oktoberfest! FDSK (that’s Freunde Deutscher Sprache und Kultur, duh), Birmingham’s German cultural organization, is having its family-friendly Oktoberfest celebration in the downtown loft district, at 2318 Second Ave. North on Friday and Saturday. We want to give you a heads up a day early so you can pull your crazy German clothing down from the attic. There will be lots of food (sausage will probably be prevalent), authentic German music and gifts, and beer and wine. And lots of grown men dressed in funny attire. Admission costs $5, and kids 12 and under get in free. The party gets started at 5 p.m. For more information call 677-0041 or visit www.fdskgermanclub.com.
A NEWGRASS BLAST:
 Bluegrass, newgrass, slamgrass, jamgrass, whatever you want to call it, it’s good stuff. Mandolins and guitars, banjos and basses, and voices singing and harmonizing — that’s all bluegrass is, and it’s wonderful. Recently some bands have taken the whole bluegrass thing a little too far into the modern, attempting some kind of acoustic psychedelic boondoggle that misses the point of roots music and is generally boring besides. But the Emmitt-Nershi Band is the real deal. Drew Emmitt (the former mandolin player of polyethnic Cajun slamgrass band Leftover Salmon) and Bill “The Nersh” Nershi (formerly the acoustic guitar player for String Cheese Incident) may have some drawn out jams, but they’re always entertaining and their rhythms make dancing a pleasure. The Emmitt-Nershi Band is stopping by Zydeco on Friday as part of a national tour that will culminate in a week-long stand aboard Jam Cruise 7. If you enjoyed either of their former bands or just want to catch some major-league bluegrass talent in action, make your way to Zydeco around 10 p.m.. Stuart McNair opens. Tickets are $10 in advance, or $12 day-of. For more information call 933-1032 or visit www.zydecobirmingham.com.
THERE’S GOOD BEER:
More Oktoberfest! More beer! More fun! That’s right, the wonderful merchants of SOHO Square in Homewood are hosting the third annual Harvest Brew. This beertastic festival features live music from Mile Marker Seven and (you guessed it) lots of beer. There will be unlimited samples of the newest imports and microbrews now available in our poor, beer-deprived state. The new offerings include Spaten Oktoberfest, Dinkelacker Dark, Harpoon Oktoberfest, Woodchuck Dark and Dry, Shock Top, Red Hook Late Harvest Ale, a delicious selection of Birmingham’s own Good People brews, and many, many more! Most of the beers listed above (except for the Good People) are either seasonal or hard to find in Alabama, so don’t miss your chance to give them a taste. If cheap, unlimited beer isn’t enough to get your butt down to SOHO, it may help to know that this wonderful event benefits the United Way and Birmingham Food Bank. Tickets are $15, and they can be purchased in advance at Tria Market, Jackson’s Bar & Bistro, or Greyhouse Grill. If buying in advance isn’t your thing, you can also purchase tickets when you arrive at Harvest Brew. The tasting and carousing last from 5-7 p.m. For more information call 776-8923 or visit www.triamarket.com (check the blog for a full listing of the available brews).
MONKEY AROUND IN PHELAN PARK:
Seriously, eight people in a blues band? That’s a lot of damn blues. And apparently, they play them right. I’m talking about Po’ Monkey, a Birmingham-based blues band fronted by guitarist Ross Roberts and vocalist/harmonica player Bruce Andrews. Po’ Monkey won Birmingham’s Battle of the Blues Bands this year, and consequently Andrews, Roberts, horn players Mike Lingo, John Remley, and Rick White, drummer Lewis Ross, keyboardist Clay Swafford, and bass player Eric Onimus (MAN that’s a lot of names) will be representing the great state of Alabama in the International Blues Competition in Memphis, in February. Today, the band is playing a free (yes, that means no money! I love the Magic City Blues Society!) concert for your enjoyment in Phelan Park. Po’ Monkey has come a long way fromits humble beginnings. Competing in the International Blues Competition was probably not on the radar (heck, the radar hadn’t even been built) when Roberts and Andrews started playing a Tuesday night jam session at an area establishment. As more and more band members started to show up (you’d think they took in strangers off the street), it became clear that something special was happening, and Po’ Monkey was created. If you’d like to see what collaboration has wrought, grab a deck chair or blanket, a cooler stocked with your favorite beverages, and some barbeque from Dreamland (just across the street from Phelan Park) and show up at 3 p.m. For more information visit www.magiccityblues.org.
TELL YOUR LIBRARY WHAT YOU WANT:
No, Sarah Palin, this does not mean you can try banning books again. (So what if your kids read Harry Potter? Won’t your witch-hunting preacher just chase them out of town?) What’s happening is that the Birmingham Public Library is revising and updating its collections management policy and wants input from you, as a citizen of Birmingham. The BPL is holding a series of Town Hall Meetings to facilitate this process. Each meeting takes place from 6-7:30 p.m., and there’s one on Monday, Oct. 13, at the Five Points West Branch. Other meetings are scheduled for Oct. 14 at the Avondale Branch, Oct. 20 at North Birmingham and Oct. 21 at Springville Road. So if you’ve got an idea for a new collection or a new policy, or you just want to see citizenship in action don’t miss your opportunity to improve your local library. For more information call 226-3746 or visit www.bplonline.org.
ARMS, HONOR AND MUSIC IN MEXICO:
 Is it just me or is there something deeply romantic about Latin American tragedy? I first discovered my own fascination thanks to a Jerry Joseph song called “Ten Killer Faeries,” which is based on a true story about a Mexican coastal fisherman who raised some money on the side by transporting drugs with his boat. When the local drug-lords discovered he was skimming profits, they rounded up the man and his family and dragged them to the village square, where they blindfolded the children and killed the family in front of the community. The story is awful, but the song is surprisingly beautiful. The worst line is, “But it’s hard to face the older children, who know enough to understand that they will soon be delivered into Jesus’ waiting hands.” Anyway, UAB’s Foreign Film Series is showing the Mexican film, The Violin, on Tuesday night. The black and white film (in Spanish, with English subtitles) tells the story of a Mexican family patriarch, a violinist and a farmer, whose town is taken over by an oppressive government force. The rebel force, which the violinist supports, is subsequently cut off from its stash of ammunition, and the violinist begins smuggling ammunition out of the town in his violin case. I don’t know if this story ends tragically (signs point to yes), but if you’d like to find out, come to Hulsey Recital Hall, 950 13th St. South, at 8 p.m. For more information call 934-8931 or visit www.uab.edu.
A GIFT FOR ALL SEASONS:
Maybe I should just start with the entry on the Bottletree website in regards to Wednesday night’s booking: “Yes, The Wedding Present is indeed f*#@ing playing Birmingham!” I don’t know how, but the Bottletree (and therefore Birmingham) has, in its short life, become a destination for world-class punk bands. The Wedding Present, a British post-punk/indie-rock band that’s been around since the mid-‘80s, certainly qualifies as a world-class act. The band is on a whirlwind international tour in support of its new album, El Rey, and Birmingham is one of the few U.S. cities on the calendar (again, how has Birmingham become the destination for these bands? Go Bottletree!), so catch them here while you can. Jealous Girlfriends is on the bill too, along with local favorites Teen Getaway. The show gets rolling at 9 p.m., and tickets are $12. For more information call 533-6288 or visit www.thebottletree.com.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Internationally renowned food writer, Cottage Living food editor and Birmingham resident Kim Sunée is the guest of honor on Thursday, Oct. 16, at a benefit for the UAB English Department appropriately titled “An Evening With Kim Sunée.” Sunée is the author of a memoir, Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home, which explores her journey from South Korea, where she was born, to her adoptive family in New Orleans, and her long-term relationship with L’Occitane cosmetics company founder Olivier Baussan. Sunée’s break-up with Baussan eventually led her here, to the Magic City, and then to the porch of the Fish Market Restaurant downtown, where she’ll be reading from her award-winning memoir, introducing some recipes, signing books and leading a delicious tasting. Tickets to the event are $30, and the event runs from 5:30-7 p.m. For more information call 975-9644 or visit www.uab.edu
Contact Birmingham Weekly Staff at events@bhamweekly.com