Rabbit Hole
(Nov. 1-8) The author of the quirky comedy Fuddy Meers, David Lindsay-Abaire, takes on more serious matters: a life-changing accident. The profound effects on a family and the stranger at whose hands the accident occurred will awaken powerful feelings in all of us. Rabbit Hole was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for drama in 2006. Birmingham Festival Theatre. 933-2383. bftonline.org

Mighty Musical Monday
(Nov. 3, noon) Come hear Big Bertha, the Alabama Theatre’s own Mighty Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. Listen to various tunes played by Cecil Whitmire, house organist of the Alabama Theatre for 30 years. Bring your lunch from home or pick it up at Lyric Hotdogs & Grill across the street from the Alabama. Soft drinks and bottled water will be available for purchase. Alabama Theatre. Free. 251-0418. alabamatheatre.com

UAB BookTalk (Nov. 4, 6-7 p.m.) Discussing Oral History by Lee Smith. UAB Mervyn H. Sterne Library. 934-4250.

Sidewalk Salon
(Nov. 4, 7 p.m.) An opportunity for Birmingham’s filmmaking community to meet. Free, at Rojo. 324-0888. sidewalkfilm.org

Buckethead
(Nov. 4, 8 p.m.) The ever mysterious and amazingly talented guitarist/theme park manager Buckethead has opened the doors to his famed Bucketheadland once again, and this time, he has asked his friends to help him provide thrills and chills to his guests. With That One Guy. WorkPlay. $15 advance; $18 day of show. 380-4082. workplay.com

Painting with Beverly
(Nov. 4-5, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) Join artists Beverly Klamer in one of two sessions to create your own masterpiece. Using acrylics, she’ll guide you in painting a natural palm setting. All materials and lunch are provided. Aldridge Botanical Gardens. $50 nonmembers; $40 members. 682-8019. aldridgegardens.com

Duncan Sheik
(Nov. 5, 8 p.m.) With original cast members of Spring Awakening. With the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Spring Awakening, composer Duncan Sheik has successfully accomplished what few pop or rock artists before him have done: create original music that seems right at home on Broadway yet feels very much his own, a natural progression from the recordings he had been making for more than a decade. His songs, with heartbreakingly poignant lyrics by poet-playwright Steven Sater, don’t try to move the story forward in the manner of a traditional musical, but refract the actions and emotions through a musical prism much in the way Bjork’s tunes revealed the interior life of the tragic character she played in Dancer in the Dark. WorkPlay. $20. 380-4082. workplay.com

Bowerbirds
(Nov. 5, 9 p.m.) The Bowerbirds of Raleigh, NC have a rich sense for highly emotive, beautiful folk songs without any sense of affectation or artifice. With A Crimson Dynamo and Slowmasters. The Bottletree. $8. 533-6288. thebottletree.com

Five Finger Death Punch
(Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.) Five Finger Death Punch has been pummeling audiences since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album, The Way of the Fist. With their hit single “The Bleeding” pulverizing the Active rock charts and MTV2’s Headbanger’s Ball, the album has been called a “Cowboys from Hell for this millennium (Outburn Magazine).” With Another Black Day (8:30 p.m.), Bury Your Dead (9:15 p.m.), In This Moment (10 p.m.) before Five Finger Death Punch (11 p.m.). Zydeco. $18 advance; $20 day of show. 933-1032. zydecobirmingham.com

.357 String Band
(Nov. 5, 10 p.m.) Steeped in old-school punk, outlaw country, Irish and mountain madness. The .357 String Band are here to break-open the mold of a genre vastly overlooked. The .357 String Band have built a following in and around Wisconsin at a break-neck pace. With The Honky Tonk Hustlas. The Nick. 252-3831. thenickrocks.com

Lauren LaChance Trunk Show
(Nov. 5-6, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m.) Browse the latest by Botanical Artist Lauren LaChance during this trunk show. Table Matters. 879-0125. table-matters.com

Birmingham Ducks Unlimited Dinner and Auction
(Nov. 6, 5:30 p.m.) Enjoy dinner, open bar, entertainment, silent auction, live auction and raffle with committed and influential conservationists and outdoorsmen. Rosewood Hall at SoHo, Homewood. $65 advance; $75 day of event; $35 students. 323-9275.

A Taste of Triumph
(Nov. 6, 6 p.m.) Enjoy a wine tasting and silent and live auctions, featuring hard-to-find wines not available in Birmingham. Wines will be available for tasting and purchase by the bottle. Benefiting Triumph Services, a community-based support system for adults with developmental delays to live their own, full life. Park Lane. $60; $100 per couple. triumphliveworkplay.com

Bama Mix
(Nov. 6, 7 p.m.) The Birmingham Art Music Alliance combines electronic mixed-media with classical chamber music. Pell City Center. $15; $10 seniors and students. 338-1974. pellcitycenter.com

the everybodyfields
(Nov. 6, 8 p.m.) the everybodyfields from Johnson City, TN are rapidly gaining a reputation as the front-runners of the newest generation of the alt-country movement. the everybodyfields offer melancholic interpretations of universal human stories set to achingly beautiful melodies. They put these interpretations to life with such instrumentation as lap steel, lead guitar, electric bass, piano and acoustic guitar. With Katie Herzig. WorkPlay. $10 advance; $12 day of show. 380-4082. workplay.com

Young Widows
(Nov. 6, 8 p.m.) Arriving two years after their debut, Settle Down City, Old Wounds completes Young Widows' transformation into a top-shelf rock band firing on all cylinders. Forging the best parts of Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, Fugazi and The Melvins, Old Wounds is a series of dynamic, thoughtful tunes anchored by cavernous grooves that will certainly push most speakers to their breaking point. With Fake Tyrants. The Bottletree. $8 advance; $10 day of show. 533-6288. thebottletree.com

Christmas Village Festival
(Nov. 6-8, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Nov. 9, noon-5 p.m.) Exhibitors from more than 35 states and Canada sell arts, crafts and gifts at a show that draws thousands. VIP hours will also be offered Nov. 5, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. BJCC. $9; $4 children; $18 show pass. 836-7173. christmasvillagefestival.com

West Side Story
(Nov. 6-8, 7:30 p.m., Nov. 9, 2 p.m.) For the enjoyment of patrons and the comfort of the cast and crew, children 6 and younger are not allowed to attend. Birmingham-Southern College. $10; $5 students. 226-4780. bsc.edu

Dancing at Lughnasa
(Nov. 6-8, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 9, 2:30 p.m.) A Samford Theatre production of Brian Friel’s Tony Award-winning play. Samford. $12; $9 seniors; $6 students and children. 726-2853. samfordartstickets.com

James Gregory
(Nov. 6-15) For more than two decades, the unforgettable caricature of veteran comedian James Gregory has stood grinning: his shirt un-tucked, his arms outstretched, a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious comedy experience. It’s storytelling at its best. The trademark caricature is the essence of James Gregory’s comedy: rib-tickling reflections on life from the front porch. Nov. 6 and 13, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 7, 8, 14 and 15, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. Comedy Club Stardome. 444-0008. stardome.com

Symphonies in C
(Nov. 7, 11 a.m.) The final symphony of Jean Sibelius begins this celebration of C Major. This inventive, one-movement epic builds organically to a dramatic conclusion. Schumann’s stirring Symphony No. 2 ends in a triumphant finale inspired by Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Coffee at 10 a.m. Alys Stephens Center. $15. 251-7727. alabamasymphony.org

Vienna Boys Choir
(Nov. 7, 7 p.m.) The Vienna Boys Choir is one of the oldest boys choirs existing in the world. For nearly 500 years they have been a symbol of Austria. Today there are around 100 choristers between the ages of 10 and 14, divided into four touring choirs. The four choirs give around 300 concerts and performances each year in front of almost half a million people. Sixth Avenue Baptist Church. Tickets are free but required; pick up in person or request via phone. 321-1145. sixthavebaptist.org

Sound Tribe Sector 9
(Nov. 7, 8 p.m.) STS9 thrives on friction. This may be surprising coming from five musicians who think of themselves as a collective as much as a band. But consider the title of the California-based outfit’s long-awaited fourth album: Peaceblaster. The two words rub against each other to create an image that is simultaneously utopian and violent, fraught with the very contradiction that permeates America circa now. Alabama Theatre. $23. 715-6000. ticketmaster.com

Asobi Seksu
(Nov. 7, 9 p.m.) Asobi Seksu have always been masters at creating musical textures; gauzy, cloudy dreamscapes for their slower songs and squalls of guitar and daisy-chained effect pedals for their barnstormers. What truly distinguishes them, though, is that the band has now married this ability to a finely honed pop sensibility. The Bottletree. $10. 533-6288. thebottletree.com

Jackopierce
(Nov. 7, 9 p.m.) Breaking up is hard to do. But staying together is nearly impossible. The average marriage lasts about six years, and 95 percent of new businesses fail within five years. Twenty years of anything, especially Jackopierce, an acoustic duo that got its start playing frat-parties in the late 80’s, is hard to believe. Add in the fact that Jack O’Neill and Cary Pierce did not speak for nearly five years before reuniting in 2002 makes twenty years a downright miracle. WorkPlay. $25. 380-4082. workplay.com

The Trampskirts
(Nov. 7, 10 p.m.) All-girl punk rock from Nashville, Tenn. With The Admirals Club, The Swear and The Drownout. The Nick. 252-3831. thenickrocks.com

Jason Robert Brown
(Nov. 7-8, 7:30 p.m.) Back by popular demand, Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown returns to Birmingham and RMTC for two incredible nights of original music with the Youth Programs. Jason is the composer and lyricist of the musical The Last Five Years, which was included as one of Time Magazine’s 10 Best of 2001 and won Jason Drama Desk Awards for Best Music and Best Lyrics. RMTC Cabaret Theatre. $30. 324-2424. redmountaintheatre.org

Say Goodnight Gracie
(Nov. 7-8, 8 p.m.) Say Goodnight Gracie is the hit Broadway play that invites you to spend a hilarious, heart-warming evening in the uplifting company of the world’s favorite and funniest centenarian. George Burns, who spanned one hundred years of American entertainment history, is now miraculously alive and kicking in a stunning tour de force. The Library Theatre. $22. 444-7888. thelibrarytheatre.com

Tum Tum Tree Foundation Wine Auction
(Nov. 7-8) This annual wine auction weekend begins Friday night with a wine tasting and silent auction at B&A Warehouse. Saturday morning, a fantastic, interactive Children’s Show is held for Magic Moments wish recipients and their families. Saturday evening ends the event with a black-tie dinner and live auction at Bottega. Various venues. 243-9326.

Symphonies in C
(Nov. 7-8, 8 p.m.; Nov. 9, 2:30 p.m.) Symphonies in C Major anchor this program of master composers: Sibelius dramatic one-movement Symphony No. 7 and Schumann’s uplifting Symphony No. 2. Celebrated for her “flawless technical command” and “profound interpretive instincts,” flutist Marina Piccinini makes her ASO debut in Nielsen’s witty Flute Concerto. Concert comments at 7 p.m. Alys Stephens Center. $12-$65. Nov. 9 at the University of Montevallo. $15. 251-7727. alabamasymphony.org

Iron and Bronze Casting: Artist Open Studio
(Nov. 7-9, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.) Open studios are for artists and others who have some experience with metal casting. Staff artists work closely with participants to realize individual projects. Participants should arrive at Sloss with a ready-made pattern. Sloss Furnaces. $100 plus materials. 324-1911. slossfurnaces.com

Cast Iron Sculpture for Beginners
(Nov. 7-9) This is a 3-day class that runs concurrently with the open studio. But no experience is necessary! You’ll leave the class with a clear understanding of how to cast metal sculpture and with several of your own works of art. Sloss Furnaces. $275. 324-1911. slossfurnaces.com

Duke Ellington’s Sophisticated Ladies
(Nov. 7-8, 13-15, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 9 and 16, 2:30 .m.) The musical legacy of Duke Ellington is celebrated in this stylish and brassy retrospective that has taken audiences and critics by storm throughout the world. From his early days at The Cotton Club through his widening acceptance abroad, Ellington was inspired by the glamorous nightlife and the sensuous high life he experienced. Virginia Samford Theatre. $25; $28 seniors; $18 students ($5 discount for advance purchase). 914-4648. mcactorstheatre.com

Black and White Ball
(Nov. 8, 7-10 p.m.) Dances being performed--or observed--at this year’s formal ballroom dancing event, the Black & White Ball, will include the foxtrot, cha cha, waltz, rumba, line dance, tango, merengue, mambo and East and West coast swing. If you decide you want to get up and dance, a free dance lesson will be offered at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to the American Cancer Society in memory of Louisa Strickland, a South Highland Presbyterian Church member involved in the start-up of the ballroom dance group. Heavy hors d’oeuvres. Semi-formal attire. South Highland Presbyterian Church. $10. 918-6615.

Command Performance
(Nov. 8, 8 p.m.) Queen and King Apollo join together with others to stage a night of entertainment, to benefit the Birmingham AIDS Outreach. Lakeview Yacht Club. $10. birminghamaidsoutreach.org

FOOTMAD Contra Dance
(Nov. 8, 8-11 p.m.) The Birmingham Friends of Old Time Music and Dance holds fun contra and squares dances with a live band and caller. Teaching session begins at 7:30 p.m. Downtown YWCA. $6 members and students; $8 nonmembers; $3 ages 3-15. bamalong.com/bcds.htm

Beitthemeans
(Nov. 8, 10 p.m.) With Dropsonic, Super Duper Scooper and Odist. The Nick. 252-3831. thenickrocks.com

Lights Up at the Summit
(Nov. 8) The holiday season officially begins when more than one million lights come alive on the rooftops and Santa throws the switch at Saks Plaza to light the Christmas tree. Fireworks and holiday music included. The Summit. Free. 967-0111. thesummitonline.com

Willie Mays’ Street of Dreams Weekend
(Nov. 8-9) Baseball Hall of Fame great Willie Mays left Fairfield in 1951 when he was signed with the New York Giants. Mays has traveled throughout the country and the world, but has always held a soft spot for his hometown. Mays returns for Street of Dreams Weekend, presented by his charity, The Say Hey Foundation. (Nov. 8, 10 a.m.) Public ceremony presenting Fairlfield’s Little Leaguers with uniforms, equipment and supplies. Willie Mays Park. Free. (Nov. 9, 6-8 p.m.) Fundraising gala. Celebrity friends of Mays and others will be on hand to help raise money to renovate Willie Mays Park and provide greater support to the Little League teams. Cahaba Grand Conference Center. 866-409-8050. williesstreetofdreams.com

Sixth Annual Jewish Food Festival
(Nov. 9, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.) If you’ve never had Jewish food, you are in for a treat! All of these recipes have been passed down for generations and are prepared with loving care by volunteer chefs. What could be better than an afternoon spent with friends enjoying great food and shopping early for a few holiday gifts? A market place offers wares from Jewish agencies, temples and businesses. Levite Jewish Community Center. 879-0411. bhamjcc.org

Shelby County Veterans Day Ceremony and Tribute
(Nov. 9, 1-2 p.m.) Join in this tribute honoring our nation’s veterans. Shelby County Courthouse lawn. 669-9075. southshelbychamber.com

Sunday Topic Tour
(Nov. 9, 2 p.m.) Sharon Louden: Taking Turns. Birmingham Museum of Art. Birmingham Museum of Art. 254-2565. artsbma.org

Showboat
(Nov. 9, 2 p.m.) Enjoy this classic film musical during Marvelous Musical Movie Sunday. Alabama Theatre. $6; $5 senior citizens and children younger than 12. 251-0418. alabamatheatre.com

Fall Colors Hike
(Nov. 9, 2 p.m.) Join one of Ruffner Mountain’s naturalists for a Sunday afternoon stroll on the mountain to enjoy the fall colors right here at home and learn about the role of the changing season on our forest habitat. Ruffner Mountain. $7. 833-8264 ext. 4. ruffnermountain.org

Alabama Youth Symphony Concert
(Nov. 9, 3 p.m.) The Alabama Youth Symphony made up of advanced student musicians from throughout the greater Birmingham area will open the concert season with this delightful performance appropriate for families. It is an excellent opportunity to introduce children to classical music. Indian Springs Concert Hall. Free. 231-9509. musicop.org

UAB Piano Series
(Nov. 9, 4 p.m.) Winner of the Gold Medal at the seventh Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Jose Feghali is a major presence on the concert stage. He has appeared in more than 800 performances worldwide, with such renowned orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw, London Symphony and others. Alys Stephens Center. $15; $5 students. 975-2787.

Marsalis Brasilianos
(Nov. 9, 7 p.m.) A celebration of the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos, featuring Branford Marsalis and members of the renowned Brazilian orchestra Philarmonic Brasileira. This fascinating new project commemorates the 50th anniversary of the revered Brazilian composer’s death. Enjoy a free prelude musical discussion at 6 p.m. and a tasting of Brazilian wines prior to the show. Alys Stephens Center. $45-$85; $20 students. 975-2787. alysstephens.or

Southern Obesity Summit
(Nov. 9-11) Fifteen southern states will convene in Birmingham to celebrate and publicize effective and emerging obesity prevention and reduction practices in the region and the energize grass roots efforts in each state. BJCC. texashealthinstitute.org

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