You may disagree with me on a lot of things, I’ve met quite a few people who do. And neither of us may agree with the next person on the best character in Ed, Edd, and Eddy (Plank), which hand Chipper Jones would be better at thumb wrestling with (left), or the most underrated invention of all time (I need to know who invented the belt). But we can all agree on one thing: Music is one of the primary forces that keeps us all together and makes this life so beautiful, and live music is an even stronger amplification of these facts for many. I actually listened to a podcast recently that informed me Jeff Bezos does not enjoy music, but the other 99.99% of people who call this planet home (full-time) find tunes quite charming. The lack of concerts and festivals over the last couple years has been one of many blows to the general public’s morale, and it’s been brightening in the last couple months to see people enjoying shows they love with those they love. Birmingham’s concert promoters and venues have shown they are just as excited as concert attendees about the return to live music by releasing a thrilling string of shows, and even bigger events are yet to come. 

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Just last week in the Avondale area local favorites Little Raine Band played an album release show at Saturn while hip-hop legend Tommy Wright III came through Firehouse to rock the house with Bham legends like Black Plastique and Mel. Crozby. All while the Birmingham Punk Rock Art Show had heads banging at the new Ghost Train at the exact same time country superstar Chris Lane was impressing fans at Avondale Brewing. That was one Friday in one section of Birmingham. And the crazy thing is that’s no longer crazy. That’s just another night in the Magic City. The past few months have seen Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, The Zombies, Maxo Kream, Isaiah Rashad, Wale, Salvo, Man Or Astro-man?, Waxahatchie, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, and so many more come through our beautiful city. They join top comedians like John Mulaney, Katt Williams, Jeff Dunham, FunnyMaine, Chris Ivey, and countless others who see the importance of a Birmingham tour date. This city is ready to have a good time. 

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And the shows only get more exciting from here, Birmingham. Buckle up as we take a little gander at what lies ahead in the world of Magic City live music. These are just a few of the many great opportunities to take in over the next few months.

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  • The Burning Peppermints with Ranger, Jive Talk, and Stevo Blaque at the new Ghost Train on Friday, April 29th

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  • Spaceface Free Music Video Filming (complete with bring your own pillow and onesie contest) with The Burning Peppermints at Ghost Train on Monday, May 2nd

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  • Birmingham R&B Experience with Keith Sweat, Monica, Tamar Braxton, and 112 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC on Sunday, June 5th

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  • Machine Gun Kelly and Avril Lavigne with iann dior at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC on Saturday, June 18th

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  • Marcel P. Black and Alfred Banks at The Nick on Thursday, July 14th

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Which of these looks the most fun to you? Any genres or venues you feel we missed? The beautiful part of the vast diversity of shows coming into Birmingham is that there’s something for everyone, whether it’s a local indie act or a superstar rapper coming through town. 

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Cover photo by Josh Weichman at St. Paul and the Broken Bones at Alabama Theatre on April 16, 2022

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