No, resident Alabama Symphony Orchestra conductor Christopher Confessore has not gotten drunk with his power, he’s just conducting ASO’s Symphony 7: The Classical Edge: Under the Influence in Jemison Hall at the Alys Stephens Center. The concert, part of a series featuring compositions on the fringes of classical music, will spotlight Warren Samples, who has been ASO’s principal cellist for 22 years. Friedrich Gulda’s “Concerto for Cello,” which wanders into jazz, is one of the pieces in queue for tonight’s concert, as well as H. K. Gruber’s “Manhattan Broadcasts,” an excited musical take on the busy streets of New York. And if your kids start acting up and you just let them keep screaming and whining and don’t discipline them because you’re an awful parent, ASO’s got something to shut them up: George Gershwin’s “Lullaby,” a sweet song that ranks with the Beatles’ “Yesterday” as one of the most covered songs in the world. Let’s just hope ASO’s not under the influence of the Ella Fitzgerald and Satchmo rendition; Louis Armstrong comes in on vocals for the second verse and his deep, gravely voice isn’t quite as soothing as Fitzgerald’s. Confessore strikes up the band at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15.  For more information call 251-7727 or visit  www.alabamasymphony.org.

If you’ve been looking for an excuse to wear that beret and black turtleneck, then look no further. Local bookstore and publishing house Greencup Books is hosting a Spoken Word Open Mic Night and you’re invited to bring along some of your own lines or just listen and periodically snap. If you’re more of a spoken-word-type person that’s fine, feel free to bring along any “word music” you can scrounge up. The open mic is hosted by UAB English professor and creative writing instructor Tina Harris. If there’s one thing that poetry and spoken word can do better than music it’s give you chills, but you may want to keep that turtleneck in your closet for the time being — Greencup’s website warns that their cool space can get pretty toasty at times. Greencup Books is a 501(c)3 non-profit that publishes and sells books by Birmingham-area authors on 100 percent recycled paper; the space is located at 105 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. South (next to Bare Hands Gallery). This event is free, but you should consider bringing a little cash to buy a book or two and support Birmingham-area writers. Lines start forming at 7 p.m. For more information call 994-0960 or visit www.greencupbooks.org.

There are many people in this world that are gifted with a deep appreciation for visual art, people who can talk at length and with gusto about technical details, celebrate form and design, and even produce stunning paintings, sculptures, and photography. Then there are those — like the brave intern who authored this Weekly Pick — that, despite a deep interest in other arts and many years of education, fail to comprehend the allure of the visual arts. Maybe the fine people at Bare Hands Gallery realize this because they’ve put together a benefit that’s sure to interest even the most wretched of Philistines: the “Garden Party with a City View” at Jones Valley Urban Farm. What, you ask, could possibly motivate uncultured, soulless bastards into paying good money to support a non-profit art gallery? Three words, baby — libations, vibrations and alimentations. This benefit will feature complimentary beer and wine, musical entertainment by the White Oaks and Bo Butler and the Nice Boys, and a selection of complimentary vittles from a dozen local restaurants. Centerpieces created by 12 Alabama artists will be on display, and party-goers are encouraged to vote for their favorites. Despite the fact that this party starts at 7 p.m., the dress code is casual (in fact, attendees are urged to wear their “finest garden attire”). Tickets are $25 in advance, or $30 day-of. For tickets or more information call 324-2124 or visit www.barehandsgallery.org.

This Sabbath, you can skip the offertory and not feel guilty as long as you make time in your busy Sunday schedule to attend the Three Choirs Festival at Samford University’s Hodges Chapel. This aptly named event will feature three talented youth choirs from Independent Presbyterian Church, Canterbury United Methodist Church and Mountain Brook Baptist Church lifting up their hearts and giving thanks to the Lord (it is meet and right so to do) to benefit Jessie’s Place, a local shelter for women who are homeless or otherwise in need. Jessie’s Place offers counseling, career training, education, and child care programs. Jessie’s Place is no doubt a worthy recipient of your alms. The concert starts at 4 p.m. Attendees are asked to donate as they are able. For more information call 933-3700 or visit www.ipc-usa.org.

 The Bakery at Culinard on Vulcan Road never had any shortage of good eats, but its location (off Oxmoor) was an awkward drive for both morning commuters and Birmingham city workers looking for a mid-morning snack. Maybe that’s why it has now closed its doors for business. But don’t fret — this is actually good news for pastry-loving city-goers! Culinard at Virginia College is opening Culinard Café on Monday in a new location at Innovation Depot in the former Sears Building. The new 4,000 square foot restaurant will feature pastries, of course, along with a full lunch menu (salads, sandwiches, and the like) and gelato, which will be enjoyed best in the Café’s outdoor seating area. The expanded space will also accommodate Culinard’s ever-growing catering operation, Culinard Special Events, and serve the many folks who work out of the Innovation Depot. The old Bakery at Culinard location will remain closed to the public, though Culinard plans to reopen it as a teaching kitchen for its culinary students. Culinard Café is open weekdays from 6 a.m.-6 p.m., and is located at 1500 First Ave. North. For more information call 943-2136 or visit www.culinard.com.

On May 14, 1968, the modern nation of Israel was formed. The Levite Jewish Community Center is celebrating this anniversary with a showing of Arranged, a film in which two female teachers in a Brooklyn school, one an orthodox Jew and the other a Muslim, bond with one another over the fact that they both are expected to enter into arranged marriages. Unfortunately, things haven’t been so simple and sweet over in the Middle East. Two of the nation’s neighbors, Lebanon and Syria, aren’t on great terms with Israel (hell, there was a violent conflict with Lebanon/Hezbollah as recently as 2006), and the Palestinians aren’t either, though Egypt and Jordan are at peace with Israel. Maybe that’s why the Muslim woman in Arranged is from Jordan. If the plot of this film seems unlikely, that’s a fair criticism, but the point—that learning about and respecting commonalities between cultures humanizes both peoples and allows for mediation — is one that can’t be overstated in this ever-shrinking world. Though the problems of the Middle East seem so distant and foreign at times, the lessons of the Israeli-Arab conflict can easily be brought home to Birmingham, where we feel the aftershocks of the Civil Rights Movement almost daily. A $5 donation at the door gets you popcorn, a soda and a seat for the movie, which starts at 7 p.m. For more information call 879-0411 or visit www.bhamjcc.org.

We’ve already ranted on the glories of multi-cultural understanding in this week’s edition (see the last pick), but it was noted in that pick that those virtues can’t be overstated, and now we’re testing that not-so-bold assumption. Whatchoo talkin’ bout, Weekly? We’re talking about an all-day symposium being held at Samford University’s Brock Recital Hall called, “From Tolerance to Cooperation: A Path to the Future.” The symposium—hosted by the Birmingham International Center and Samford University—will feature such international dignitaries as Alan Baker, the Israeli Ambassador to Canada, and Senator Akel Biltaji, the Jordanian Heritage and Tourism Committee chairman, along with local presenters such as Birmingham-Southern College professor of political science Dr. Natalie Davis and Samford president Dr. Andrew Westmoreland, and many others. The focus of the day’s events will be the successful Israeli-Jordanian peace process and the ways in which lessons from that process can be applied to other conflicted areas. One exciting benefit of the Israeli-Jordanian relationship that will be highlighted at today’s symposium is the development of joint archaeological programs that allow for the exploration of the two countries’ historical connections. Registration (through BIC’s website) is required, and the full symposium will run you $40 ($10 for students) or $25 for just the luncheon with Dr. Fayez Tarawneh. The day starts at 8:30 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. For more information call 252-7652 or visit
www.birminghaminternationalcenter.org.

There are lots of reasons to hate the Amazon rainforests. They’re icky (that’s a fact), probably more humid than Alabama, licking the frogs in the Amazon is known to be hazardous, the people there don’t speak English very well, or at all, or know what English is, and not to mention, there’s really bad wireless coverage in many areas. Nevertheless, some people apparently think the rainforests are worth studying and even preserving — probably because the Amazon rainforests produce 20 percent of Earth’s oxygen. That’s not even a quarter of Earth’s oxygen! Who cares? Anyway, some tree-hugging human-lovers are having this all-day conference at the Birmingham Museum of Art called, “Vanishing Worlds: Art and Ritual in Amazonia”
(also the title of the brilliant BMA exhibit on Amazonia). There’s going to be a lecture by archaeologist Dr. Richard Diehl on the origins of Amazonian societies (those people didn’t even have MySpace!) and another one on the way Amazonian peoples use their precious rainforests to make tools and medicines (they didn’t have Wal-Mart either) by Carnegie Institute 2007 Professor of the Year, Dr. Lawrence Davenport. After lunch, which will probably be the best part, there’s a curator-led tour of Amazon artifacts like headdresses, costumes, basketry and weapons. If you want to attend (instead watching Survivor: Amazon on DVD) you’ll need to register. It’s $60, and the program lasts from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information call 1-800-454-5768 or visit www.elderhostel.org.