April 5, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - UAB's Alys Stephens Center will present a fun, funky new series, "Live on the Plaza," featuring four great outdoor dance and music parties at the center four Thursdays after work in May and June.
"Live on the Plaza" at UAB's Alys Stephens Center will feature:
- Thursday, May 6, Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience with zydeco dance lessons from the Association of Cajun Music Enthusiasts (ACME).
- Thursday, May 20, Johnny Angel & The Swingin' Demons with swing dance lessons from Birmingham Swing.
- Thursday, June 3, Serenata Latin Groove with salsa dance lessons from Latinsoul.
- Thursday, June 17, The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker with funk dance lessons from Dance Trance.
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| Terrence Simien. Download image. |
Each event will begin at 6 p.m. and include free dance lessons followed by live music from the evening's featured band. All four shows will take place on the center's outdoor plaza. The festivities will be moved inside in case of rain. Enjoy cash bars, food for sale, prize giveaways and contests at all "Live on the Plaza" shows. Tickets to each show are $15 in advance; $20 day of the show. Tickets are $15 at the door for members of the ASC Junior Patrons (JP). A VIP lounge for ASC-JPs will offer complimentary food and cocktails. The series is sponsored by Renasant Bank, with additional support by The Birmingham Weekly and the UAB Department of Neurology. Call 205-975-2787 or visit www.AlysStephens.org.
The "Live on the Plaza" bands:
Grammy award-winning Terrance Simien and his eclectic Zydeco Experience band mates have toured the globe from Cuba to Mali, Brazil to Australia and Finland to the Seychelles. Simien just received huge recognition for his song on Disney's film "The Princess and the Frog" soundtrack. He has performed and recorded with Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, The Meters and The Dave Matthews Band. In addition to his "Live on the Plaza" performance at the Alys Stephens Center, he will teach and perform for students that afternoon from his award-winning "Creole for Kidz" program.
Johnny Angel. Download image.
Offbeat magazine's "Entertainer of the Year," New Orleans' Johnny Angel doesn't just cover songs - he embraces them, making each melody his own. Angel truly redefines the music from this bygone era as he and his mates expand the ever-growing definition of "swing." Angel and the gang are frequent performers at New Orleans' Jazz & Heritage Festival.
Serenata Band has been voted Atlanta's "Best Latino Music Act" for several years in a row by Creative Loafing weekly newspaper. This energetic band gives crowds exactly what they want: electrifying music that makes them dance. The band draws influence from six countries, ripping out the rhythms of Latin jazz, salsa and merengue.
Charles Walker and The Dynamites are here to remind folks that "it's a sunny day." The Dynamites are 10 pieces of straight-up deep funk and super soul. The Dynamites' album "Kaboom!" evokes a late '60s funk concert at the Apollo Theater, and it's no accident. After all, that's exactly where Charles Walker, the band's singer and front man, first cut his teeth as a performer.
Serenata.
About UAB's Alys Stephens Center
UAB's Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center is one of the Southeast's premier performing arts centers, hosting the best in international, national and local performance. Home to the UAB departments of Theatre and Music and the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, the ASC also presents its own season, bringing the world's best music, dance, theater, comedy and family entertainment to Alabama.
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| Dynamites. Download image. |
