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tĞ͛ƌĞ,ĂǀŝŶŐŶ Friday, March 16th, 2012 Open House Party! 10:00 am ʹ 5:00 pm Enjoy Food & Refreshments PLUS Enter For A Chance To Win: ϰϮ͟&ůĂƚ ^ĐƌĞĞŶds PlayStation III ϭϵ͟&ůĂƚ ^ĐƌĞĞŶds iPod Nano (3 Chances) Digital Camera (3 Chances) GRAND PRIZE = iPad Get Up To 7KUHH0RQWK·V)5(( On 205-538-2890 www.AbbeyStoneRidge.com 2-Bedroom Apartments!! 2-Bedroom Apartments From $667 For over 90 years, Levy’s has been Birmingham’s Specialist in Antique and Estate Jewelry as well as Fine Diamonds, Art and Antiques. 2116 2ND AVENUE NORTH 35203 • (205) 251-3381 WWW.LEVYSFINEJEWELRY.COM • FACEBOOK.COM/LEVYSFINEJEWELY In the Vicinity . 4 Beer Hopping . 17 Cherry blossoms at the botanical Actually, bigger is better. gardens, comedy deconstruction, Music . 18 classic opera, and other things to Remember that cool local band see and do. from the late 1980s? St. Patrick’s Day Calendar . 5 Cinema . 20 Holiday-related events. For the 70th anniversary of Warner 3/31/12 Theatre . 16 Bros.’ masterpiece Casablanca, the Two local productions take a hard legendary picture is screening at look at people behaving badly. Rave Theatres for one day only. Cover: A detail from “Info Storm,” by Paul Cordes Wilm. View Wilm’s exhibition, “Silent Majority,” at Art Folk Gallery 3/31/12 through March 31. 1731 1st Avenue North; 313-4103; www.artfolkgallery.com. Opening reception: Friday, March 9. Executive Editor REGULAR FEATURES Alison Nichols 3/31/12 Associate Editor Events Calendar . 5 The Set List . 21 David Pelfrey Day Trips . 12 Concert Calendar . 22 Staff Writer Ed Reynolds Food & Drink . 13 Live Music/Clubs . 23 Contributing Writers Bart Grooms Outdoor Calendar . 14 Strange Tales . 26 Danner Kline 3/31/12 J.R. Taylor Calendar Editor Jane Longshore Editorial Assistant Lindsey McLain Art Director Number 439 3/31/12 Cris Strickland Black & White (ISSN 1064-0134) is published every other Thursday, 26 issues a year, by Black & White, Inc. Business Offices: 2210 2nd Avenue North, Floor 2, Birmingham, Alabama, 35203. Account Executive (205) 933-0460. E-mail: [email protected]. Postmaster: Please send change of address to Black & White, 2210 2nd Avenue North, Floor 2, Birmingham, AL, 35203. Contents Warren Caldwell © 2012 by Black & White, Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part without express written ——— approval of the Publisher is prohibited. The publication is free, limit two per reader. Removal of more than two papers, per person, from any distribution point constitutes theft. Violators Executive Staff: are subject to prosecution under city ordinances. Publisher All letters sent to Black & White will be treated as intended for publication unless Charles S. Geiss otherwise noted by author. Letters may be edited for space and content. Annual subscriptions (26 issues) are available for $50 for first class delivery. Send checks attention to “Subscriptions” General Manager at the address above. Publishing history: Black & White’s first monthly issue was published on April 30, 1992; the first bi-weekly issue was published on October 2, 1997. Kerry Echols 3 black & white • www.bwcitypaper.com • March 8, 2012 IN THE VICINITY irreplaceable treasure” by The Dance Heritage Coalition, is not afraid of controversy, or of wrestling with big questions in his work. One question Jones returns to repeatedly through- out A Good Man is, “What does Lincoln have to say to us today?” Above, a detail from “Head” by Justin Cooper. To some extent, the film is about the mechanics of creating Scott called Carmen “Bizet’s One- leave the audience feeling slightly Cherry Blossom Festival Fondly Do We Hope, which was Opera Hit Parade,” and it is indeed off-balance and discomfited. A 2009 commissioned by Illinois’ Ravinia ripe with songs that have become review of a St. Louis performance For the past few months, the Festival to commemorate Lincoln’s firmly embedded in popular culture. described Moreno’s segment as Birmingham Botanical Gardens has bicentennial in 2009, but it’s also a The toreador march will be familiar being comprised of the artist— been renovating the Japanese fascinating look at what it takes to to fans of the Marx Brothers as the dressed in a rainbow wig, sus- Cultural Pavilion. The renovation make an intellectually ambitious basis for the “I lost my shirt/I found penders, and a Speedo—attempting will culminate on Saturday, March work of modern dance/theatre. We my shirt” scene in Cocoanuts. to break the Guinness World Record 17, during the Japan-America Society see Jones and his New York-based for the Most Balloon Animals of Alabama’s (JASA) annual Cherry company practicing the steps, creat- Twisted in One Hour with increasing Blossom Festival. The festival will ing the music, and writing the text ineffectiveness and agitation before feature the planting of three Yoshino of the piece (Jones uses quite a bit finally shouting at the audience, “I cherry trees to mark the centennial of spoken word in his work, another twist for tips!” A review of a recent of Japan’s original 1912 gift of more element that may surprise fans of performance by the duo in the than 3,000 flowering cherries to the classical ballet). We see some of the Brooklyn, New York-based L U.S., which line the Tidal Basin in outbursts we’ve come to expect Magazine featured the phrases Washington, D.C. Representatives from “artistes”—at one point he “comedic awkwardiana,” “quasi-mag- from the office of the Consul- says, “I’m not a saint. I don’t aspire ical tom-trickery,” and “hilariously General of Japan in Atlanta will be in to be one, yet. I want to be a two- tragic soliloquies,” so there you go. attendance to provide consular fisted maker.” Even if you don’t The story centers on the gypsy One thing’s for sure—Birmingham resources and information to quite get his choreography, or every- femme fatale Carmen, who seduces audiences probably won’t have an Japanese nationals. The festival, thing he says, it’s worth watching a the inexperienced young corporal opportunity to see anything like it which takes places from 11 a.m. to 4 master’s creative process in action. Don Jose. The affair incites him to for some time to come. p.m., will also have Japanese-themed A Good Man will be shown leave his former love interest, mutiny Cooper’s Thin Lines installa- performances, demonstrations, and Thursday, March 15, at the Alys against his superiors, and join a tion and exhibition of works on exhibits. Admission is free. For more Stephens Center at 7 p.m. Editor criminal gang. When Carmen even- paper will be on display at beta information, visit www.jasaweb.org David Simpson and directors Bob tually leaves him for the charismatic pictoris gallery March 16 through or www.bbgardens.org. Hercules and Gordon Quinn will be bullfighter Escamillo, Don Jose mur- April 14. The opening reception present for a question-and-answer ders her in a fit of rage. Carmen’s featuring a performance of Yeti Bill T. Jones: A Good session after the film. General overt sensuality was considered scan- and Firebush will take place Friday, admission tickets are $10, $8 for stu- dalous at the time of its premiere, March 16 from 6 to 9 p.m. For Man at ASC dents. For details, call 205-975-2787 and was not a critical or commercial more information, visit Early in Bill T. Jones: A Good Man, or visit www.alysstephens.org. success. Then Bizet died at age 36 www.betapictorisgallery.com. the independent film about the near the end of its initial run, adding acclaimed modern dance choreog- Art & Arias Celebrates an element of real-life tragedy to Book Blog Launch Party rapher that will be shown as part Carmen’s mystique. Subsequent per- of the Southern Circuit Film Series Carmen formances were roaring successes, at Communicating at the Alys Stephens Center, an On Friday, March 9, from 6 to 9 p.m., and the work began its ascent into Vessels Music Studio audience member at the premiere Opera Birmingham’s Amici young the canon of French opera. of Jones’ ode to Abraham Lincoln, patrons group and the Birmingham Performances take place Friday On Sunday, March 11, Crestline’s Fondly Do We Hope . Fervently Museum of Art Junior Patrons will at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 Church Street Coffee and Books will Do We Pray, tells the filmmakers, “I host Art & Arias, a night of Spanish- p.m. Tickets range from $20 to celebrate the launch of their new e- have a conflict when you’ve got art themed entertainment celebrating $90. For details, call 205-322-6737 book blog and online store and politics together. I don’t want Opera Birmingham’s upcoming per- or visit www.operabirmingham.org. PostScript at Communicating Vessels’ that—I want to get away from it formance of Georges Bizet’s Carmen. music studio in Woodlawn. The party when I go to see something.” She The event will feature live Spanish will feature beer, raffles for free should have done a little home- guitar music, performances of arias Yeti and Firebush books and coffee, and live music by work before buying her tickets. from Carmen, a fortune-teller, and The Hill and Wood and others. The sangria and tapas. The art galleries Performance at beta blog will encourage bloggers to cre- Jones, a MacArthur genius grant will be open for guests to explore the pictoris gallery ate daily book reviews, recommenda- recipient and winner of two Tony museum’s collection. Admission is tions, and book-related content. The Awards who has been named “an $10 for Junior Patrons/Amici mem- The opening reception of New party will begin at 7 p.m.