Birmingham Magazine’s Top Culture Picks: September 2018

Published in Birmingham Magazine

What to Watch: "Gip" (Reel South)

Gravedigger by day, bluesman by night, Henry Gipson--informally known as "Gip" to most--is a living Alabama legend. After starting a juke joint in his Bessemer backyard back in 1952, Gip became the go-to guy for the blues--and he still is today. Reel South, a PBS documentary series, takes a look at Gip's storied past in its episode "Gip." The hour-long show sheds light on how Gip became Gip, and why his juke joint, the last of its kind in Alabama, is worth saving.

Like walking back in time, Gip's preserves a slice of Southern history. Drenched in Christmas lights, concert posters from days gone by, and a hodgepodge of memorabilia, the juke joint is an eclectic sight. One of the last relics of Jim Crow-era South, Gip's stands as a pillar for what music can do. Bridging gaps and bringing together folks of all backgrounds, the venue is one that all walks of life can enjoy.

Crack open a beer and settle into this must-see documentary. You'll have a new appreciation for the man who "is somewhere between 80 and 100 years old," and hasn't missed a Saturday party in decades. After watching the episode, get a group together and head out to the juke joint to see the place for yourself. Get ready to dance, though. Gip is a good host, and makes sure everyone who visits his juke joint has a good time.

What to Listen To: "Birmingham" by Randy Newman

The same year Lynyrd Skynyrd released "Sweet Home Alabama," famed pianist and composer Randy Newman dropped a little tune of his own, which--similarly to "Sweet Home"--makes a playful jab at the American South. "Birmingham," the second track off Newman's "Good Old Boys" album, is sung from the perspective of a jovial steel mill worker. "I'm a roller in a steel mill, in downtown Birmingham," Newman sings in his signature mordancy. "We live in a three-room house with a pepper tree, and I work all day in the factory, that's alright with me."

The character Newman creates in "Birmingham" paints a portrait of an everyday Southerner in the '70s. Listen between the lyrics, though. Masked by a toe-tapping melody, "Birmingham" satirically warns listeners against oversimplifying the nuances of Southern culture. It's a song every local should know about.

What to Download: Arc Stories Podcast
One voice, a microphone, and an attentive audience. Those are the only ingredients needed for a good story to take root. Arc Stories, a Birmingham-based storytelling organization, knows this well. Since 2010, Arc Stories has brought together countless people for the sake of the story. "We live in a world in which it seems like more and more barriers are thrown up between people..." says Chris Kinsley, Arc Stories media director. "But stories are the way that we can bridge those divides." Naturally, a podcast was born from the Arc Stories events--allowing the audience to grow beyond Birmingham. Listen at arcstories.com/listen-podcast.