Summer 2023 includes concerts, theater, movies, book events, an interactive murder mystery
Mark Hughes Cobb
Though it's technically still spring until June 21, the coming of the sixth month and the departure of masses of students signals the start of what we in the working world still cling to as vacation time.
In Tuscaloosa, there's less to do in summer than when the University of Alabama is in full session, but far more than a dozen or more years ago, before the city of Tuscaloosa and others began to recognize the need for non-student hot-months recreation.
Here's a look at entertainment options in Tuscaloosa over the summer months:
June
Ongoing through JUNE 4: Theatre Tuscaloosa is performing the comedy "The Hallelujah Girls," by Jamie Wooten, Jessie Jones, and Nicholas Hope, through June 4, in the Bean-Brown Theatre at Shelton State Community College, 9500 Old Greensboro Road. In Eden Falls, Georgia, five best gal-pals set out to start a new life by renovating an old church into their dream beauty parlor, the SPA-DEE-DAH. When their arch-rival announces she will stop at nothing to shut them down, the ladies band together to keep their dream alive. The cast includes Alisa Beckwith, Bradley Logan, Louise Manos, Kim C. Palm, Valerie Trull, Ernie Turley, Tina Turley, and Shenika Willams, with DeAnthony Mays serving as understudy. The show is being directed by Dianna Brown Shaw. Due to mild language and discussions of adult relationships, this show is recommended for ages 13 and older. Performances will be 7:30 p.m. June 1 and 2; with 2 p.m. matinees May 31, and June 3-4. Tickets are $19 general; $17 for seniors, military, and Shelton State employees; $14 for students and children; $7 for Shelton State students. For more, see www.theatretusc.com, or call 205-391-2277.
JUNE 1: Kentuck Art Night, 5-8 p.m., free and family-friendly, 503 Main Ave., Northport. Monthly first-Thursday celebration of art and artists, with an opening of "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" by Aaron Sanders Head, artist talk at 6:30 p.m., Kentuck's Members Juried Show in the Teer Gallery, with awards at 6:15 p.m.; live music by Levi Ransom; pop-up shops; open artists' studios; cob oven pizza and more. www.kentuck.org.
JUNE 1: Daniel Markham, 7:45 p.m., Druid City Brewing Co. Moon Room, 700 14th St., Parkview Plaza, Tuscaloosa. druidcitybrewing.com. www.danielmarkhammusic.com.
JUNE 2: Tyler Sellers & The Wreckers, Plato Jones, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. Sponsors for Live at the Plaza 2023 are Coca-Cola and The Avenue Pub and Wine Market. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JUNE 2: Mike Woodard, 6-9 p.m., free, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road, across from the west side of Sokol Park, adjacent to Tree House Farm and Nursery. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.
JUNE 2: Roaring '20s interactive murder mystery dinner event, 7-10:30 p.m., $65, Drish House, 2300 17th St., Tuscaloosa. Hosted by the Southern Ghost Girls. Email lesleyhyde7480@gmail.com, or visit www.southernghostgirls.com.
JUNE 2-4: "Murder on the Orient Express," stage adaptation by Ken Ludwig of Agatha Christie's novel, performed by The Actor's Charitable Theatre, 7:30 p.m. June 2-3, 2 p.m. June 3-4, in The ACT's Theatre, in the old Holt High School, 3801 Alabama NE Ave, Tuscaloosa. Tickets are $20 general, $15 for students and seniors. https://theact.online.
JUNE 3: Sonik Jones, 6-9 p.m., free, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road, across from the west side of Sokol Park, adjacent to Tree House Farm and Nursery. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.
JUNE 3: Wanda Wesolowski: 8 p.m., Druid City Brewing Company Moon Room, 700 14th St., Parkview Plaza, Tuscaloosa. www.wandaband.com. www.druidcitybrewing.com.
JUNE 6: "Jaws" (1975), 7 p.m., Bama Theatre, as part of the summer Bama Art House "nostalgic blockbusters" series. Rated PG, running 2 hours 4 minutes. Written by Carl Gottlieb, based on the novel by Peter Benchley, directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw, Lorraine Gray, Richard Dreyfuss, Murray Hamilton, and Bruce the shark. One of the seminal horror-thrillers of contemporary filmmaking, and the movie credited with launching the "summer movie" trend, "Jaws" follows an old seafarer, a young marine biologist and an aquaphobic sheriff hunting down a killer great white shark off the coast of a Cape Cod beach community. All Bama Art House movies will screen at 7 p.m., with the doors, box office and Bama Bar (concession stand) open at 6. Tickets are $10 general, $9 for students and seniors, and $8 for Arts Council members. Punch-card tickets are available for $70, giving 10 admissions to any films in the ongoing series. For more, see www.tuscarts.org/bama/bama-art-house.
JUNE 7: 1831 Art On The Rocks, 6:30 p.m., Tavern 1831, 2304 Fourth St., downtown Tuscaloosa, inspired by Pride Month, painting Styrofoam heads into drag-queen images. $35 tickets includes all supplies needed; a portion of each sale will be donated to Druid City Pride. www.facebook.com/bar1831.
JUNE 8: Debbie Bond Blues Band, Carroline Shines, 6-9:30 p.m., Druid City Brewing Co. Moon Room, 700 14th St., Parkview Plaza, Tuscaloosa. Bond and Radiator Rick are heading out for a European tour afterwards, so donations will be accepted. druidcitybrewing.com. www.debbiebond.com.
JUNE 8: Russell L. Estes, author of "Southern Roots: Lessons From a Southern Upbringing," 6 p.m., free, Tuscaloosa Public Library main branch, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway. Books will be available for purchase, and Estes will be signing.
JUNE 8: "13 Going on 30," Midtown Village green, screening at sunset. Bring chairs and blankets. The 2004 body-swap comedy "13 Going on 30," rated PG, stars Mark Ruffalo with Jennifer Garner as a 13-year-old who has her birthday wish come true, and wakes up as her 30-year-old self. Also featuring Judy Greer, Andy Serkis and Kathy Baker. www.midtownvillagetuscaloosa.com.
JUNE 9: Legit, 6-9 p.m., free, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road, across from the west side of Sokol Park, adjacent to Tree House Farm and Nursery. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.
JUNE 9: John Wilson Band, The 3 Thirty Three Band, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JUNE 10: Fathers in the Park, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., free and family-friendly, Snow Hinton Park, bounce houses, activities and games, and food.
JUNE 10: Brad Sellers, 6-9 p.m., free, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road, across from the west side of Sokol Park, adjacent to Tree House Farm and Nursery. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.
JUNE 12: Benefit performance of "Launch Day (Love Stories from the Year 2108," by Michael Higgins, $25, 7:30 p.m., Bama Theatre, performed by Theatre Tuscaloosa. The company's sending its cast and crew to Louisville, Ky., to represent Alabama in the national American Association of Community Theatre Festival (AACTFest) June 12-17. To defray costs, which include transportation of set and equipment, cast and crew, festival fees, meals, and accommodations, Theatre Tuscaloosa will perform the competition version at the Bama. Visit www.theatretusc.com/launch-day-benefit to buy tickets, or sponsor an actor for the trip.
JUNE 13: 2023 Celebrate Local, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m., free and family-friendly, Tuscaloosa River Market. Featuring dozens of retailers and vendors from across West Alabama, Celebrate Local showcases a wide range of products and services. Attendees can shop for a clothing, jewelry, home decor, art, gifts and more. Several restaurants will also be on hand to offer samples of their most popular entrees. Presented by Visit Tuscaloosa. www.visittuscaloosa.com.
JUNE 13: "The Goonies" (1985). All Bama Art House movies will screen at 7 p.m., with the doors, box office and Bama Bar (concession stand) open at 6. Tickets are $10 general, $9 for students and seniors, and $8 for Arts Council members. Punch-card tickets are available for $70, giving 10 admissions to any films in the ongoing series. For more, see www.tuscarts.org/bama/bama-art-house.
JUNE 15: Ernest and Hadley open book club, with author Patricia Correll, 5:30-6:30 p.m. It's an online event, so register through www.tinyurl.com/4vaa6m2. Discussion will center around Correll's "Monstrous Creatures." www.ernestandhadleybooks.com.
JUNE 16: AJ and The Midnight Soulz, John Bull Trio with Peggy Walker, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JUNE 17: Leah Myers book signing and talk, noon-1:30 p.m., Ernest and Hadley Booksellers, 1928 Seventh St., downtown Tuscaloosa. Myers will discuss "Thinning Blood: A Memoir of Family, Myth, and Identity." www.ernestandhadleybooks.com.
JUNE 17: B.G. Hines will be signing his book "The Wattson Brothers Go West," noon-4 p.m., Barnes and Noble, Midtown Village, 1800 McFarland Blvd. E., Ste 200.
JUNE 20: "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" (1982). All Bama Art House movies will screen at 7 p.m., with the doors, box office and Bama Bar (concession stand) open at 6. Tickets are $10 general, $9 for students and seniors, and $8 for Arts Council members. Punch-card tickets are available for $70, giving 10 admissions to any films in the ongoing series. For more, see www.tuscarts.org/bama/bama-art-house.
JUNE 21: Children's musician Roger Day, 10-11 a.m., Tuscaloosa Public Library main branch, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway, Tuscaloosa. www.tuscaloosa-library.org.
JUNE 23: Sadie McClendon, 6-9 p.m., free, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road, across from the west side of Sokol Park, adjacent to Tree House Farm and Nursery. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.
JUNE 23: Adam Hood, TBS Band, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JUNE 23: The Ultimate Summer Night, Midtown Village, free, featuring a concert on the green by Fents, food trucks, local vendors, kid-friendly activities. Bring lawn chairs. www.midtownvillagetuscaloosa.com.
JUNE 27: "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981). All Bama Art House movies will screen at 7 p.m., with the doors, box office and Bama Bar (concession stand) open at 6. Tickets are $10 general, $9 for students and seniors, and $8 for Arts Council members. Punch-card tickets are available for $70, giving 10 admissions to any films in the ongoing series. For more, see www.tuscarts.org/bama/bama-art-house.
JUNE 28: Tommy Johns magic show, 10-11 a.m., Tuscaloosa Public Library main branch, 1801 Jack Warner Parkway. www.tuscaloosa-library.org.
JUNE 28: Barenaked Ladies, Five for Fighting, Del Amitri, 7 p.m., Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Amp box office, for $89.50, $79.50, $59.50, $49.50 and $29.50, plus fees. For more, see www.tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.
JUNE 28-JULY 1: "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare comedy performed by The Rude Mechanicals, 8 p.m., Allen Bales Theatre, Rowand-Johnson Hall on the University of Alabama campus. Live pre-show music begins at 7:30. No admission charged, but donations will be accepted. www.facebook.com/TheRudeMechanicalsUA.
JUNE 30: Plato Jones, 6-9 p.m., free, The Venue Tuscaloosa, 6052 Watermelon Road, across from the west side of Sokol Park, adjacent to Tree House Farm and Nursery. www.venuetuscaloosa.com/events.
JUNE 30: CashBack, Cotton Mouth Creek, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
July
JULY 4: Celebration on the River, 6-9 p.m., in and around the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Free-family-friendly event sponsored by the city of Tuscaloosa. Kids' zone games and actiivities 6-7:45; DJ Tank performance 6-7:50; Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra pops concert 7:55-8:55. Fireworks show will start at 9 p.m., after brief remarks by Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox.
JULY 6: Kentuck Art Night, 5-8 p.m., Kentuck Art Center, 503 Main Ave., Northport. Free and family-friendly, first-Thursday celebration of art and artists, with live music, exhibit openings, open artists' studios, cob-oven pizza and more. www.kentuck.org.
JULY 7: The Locked Band, Tranquility, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JULY 11: "Back to the Future" (1985). All Bama Art House movies will screen at 7 p.m., with the doors, box office and Bama Bar (concession stand) open at 6. Tickets are $10 general, $9 for students and seniors, and $8 for Arts Council members. Punch-card tickets are available for $70, giving 10 admissions to any films in the ongoing series. For more, see www.tuscarts.org/bama/bama-art-house.
JULY 14: Stone Harbor, Mach Ten, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JULY 15: Sho'Nuff Comics Reunion Gathering, 3 p.m., Druid City Brewing Co., 700 14th St., Parkview Plaza, Tuscaloosa. Gathering of former comics shop's friends, customers and artists. druidcitybrewing.com.
JULY 15: Seventh Annual Wonder Woman Day, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., The Comic Strip, 505 Hargrove Road E., Suite 10, cosplayers, artists, raffles, as a benefit for Turning Point women's shelter. www.thecomicstriptuscaloosa.com.
JULY 20-23: Musical "Sister Act," performed by Theatre Tuscaloosa, directed by Stephen Tyler Davis, who has directed "Grease" and "Mamma Mia!" for Theatre Tuscaloosa in recent years. In "Sister Act," singer Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder by her gangster boyfriend, and goes via witness protection program into a Philadelphia convent. Her flamboyant personality causes friction among the community of more self-restrained nuns, but she finds her place helping transform the convent's struggling choir. The group's rising notoriety makes it much harder for the police to protect Deloris. Performances will be 7:30 p.m. July 20-22, with 2 p.m. matinees July 22-23. Tickets will be $24 general; $20 for seniors, military and Shelton State employees; $16 each for students, children and groups of 10 or more; $8 for Shelton State students. www.theatretusc.com. 205-391-2277.
JULY 21: Jackson Chase, Lock 9 Band, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JULY 27: Year of October, 8 p.m., Druid City Brewing Co. Moon Room, 700 14th St., Parkview Plaza, Tuscaloosa. www.druidcitybrewing.com. www.yearofoctober.bandcamp.com.
JULY 28: Hannaward Pass, Zach Guffrey Trio, 6-9 p.m., Government Plaza, 2106 Sixth St., for the city of Tuscaloosa's Live at the Plaza series. The concerts are free, and family- and pet-friendly. Free parking is available in the parking deck abutting Government Plaza, on 23rd Avenue between Sixth and Seventh streets. Patrons can bring blankets, chairs and picnic baskets, though concessions will be sold. www.tuscaloosa.com/latp.
JULY 28-29: 21st Annual Hot Hundred, hosted by the Tuscaloosa Mental Health Alliance (TMHA) and the Druid City Bicycle Club (DCBC). Bike ride ranging in length from 30 to 116 miles Benefit for TMHA. www.bikehothundred.com.
August
AUG. 3: Kentuck Art Night, 5-8 p.m., Kentuck Art Center, 503 Main Ave., Northport. Free and family-friendly, first-Thursday celebration of art and artists, with live music, exhibit openings, open artists' studios, cob-oven pizza and more. www.kentuck.org.
AUG. 5: 3 Doors Down, Candlebox, 8 p.m., Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Tickets for $99.50, $79.50, $59.50, $49.50 and $39.50, plus fees, through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Amp box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway. www.tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.
AUG. 6: Jason Aldean, Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent, Dee Jay Silver, 7:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Amphitheater box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway, for $179.75, $149.75, $119.75, $89.75, $79.75, $59.75, and $44.75, plus fees and taxes. For more, see www.tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.
AUG. 22: Mark and Laura Steltenpohl book signing and talk, 5:30-7 p.m., Ernest and Hadley Booksellers, 1928 Seventh St., downtown Tuscaloosa. The Steltenpohls will discuss their new book "Roadside Geology of Alabama." www.ernestandhadleybooks.com.
AUG. 22: 50 Cent, Busta Rhymes, Jeremih, 7 p.m., Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Amp box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway. Prices, not including taxes and fees, will be $149.50, $119.50, $99.50, $69.50 and $39.50.
AUG. 24: Moon Taxi, The Stews, Druid City Music Hall, 8 p.m., $30, 1307 University Boulevard, on The Strip. www.druidcitymusichall.com/shows.
AUG. 26: Elvis tribute artists Cote Deonath and David Lee, backed by The Infinit-E Tribute Band, 6-8 p.m., Bama Theatre. Tickets $26.50-$68, at www.elvisinconcerttickets.com.
September
SEPT. 1: Hardy, Lainey Wilson and Dylan Marlowe, 7:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or at the Amp box office, 2710 Jack Warner Parkway, for $101.25, $91.25, $61.25, $41.25, not counting taxes and fees.
SEPT. 7: Kentuck Art Night, 5-8 p.m., Kentuck Art Center, 503 Main Ave., Northport. Free and family-friendly, first-Thursday celebration of art and artists, with live music, exhibit openings, open artists' studios, cob-oven pizza and more. www.kentuck.org.
SEPT. 8: Parker McCollum, Jackson Dean, 7:30 p.m., Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. Tickets through www.ticketmaster.com, or the Amp box office at 2710 Jack Warner Parkway, for $84.50 (general admission pit), or $69.50, $54.50, $34.50 or $24.50 for reserved seats. For more, see www.tuscaloosaamphitheater.com.