Closing time
This is the final post on the Sipsey Tavern website.
At the end of July, we will no longer be open at our location in 5 Points.
This isn’t due to the economy, or poor management (although no one would ever accuse us of savvy management). After a year and a half, we had worked out the kinks and were making money. Not an outrageous amount of money–but enough to pay the bills and put some in the bank.
The reasons that we are moving on, we probably can’t go into. Suffice it to say, we want to continue operating in our current location. But, for reasons beyond our control, that is not going to happen.
There are many people that put a tremendous amount of work into renovating the bar. When we first occupied the building, it was in pretty rough shape. It’s just now starting to feel like we’ve moved in, and we’ll be moving out in less than a month.
We were fortunate to have so many dedicated friends that kept us in business. The saving grace of Birmingham is that we have so many talented and creative people that live here that refuse to let the city die. 5 Points is not the busy, thriving hub that it was 10 years ago, but there are still plenty of people who support the district. We made some great friends over the year, and we look forward to seeing you at our next bar–wherever that happens to be.
Please continue to support our friends in 5 Points–Dave’s, J Clyde, Cosmos, Mellow Mushroom and all the others. Come out for Birmingham Restaurant Week this Fall. The district is having a tough time weathering the storm through recessions and the realities of the economic climate in the city. But 5 Points is worth saving, and there are dedicated people who are working hard to preserve it.
We’ll miss all the bands that came through. We got to hear some great music, and the lineup for the rest of the month is strong. Alabama is producing some great music right now, and we are grateful to so many bands (Jasper Coal, Dai Kaiju, Doc Daily & Magnolia Devil, Red Mouth, Voices in the Trees, Rollin’ in the Hay, Banditos, the mighty Renegades of Folk, Motel Ice Machine and on on…) that stopped in to play on several occasions. Special thanks to Arturo for setting up his Sunday night showcase, and to Randy for running Open Mic’s throughout the year.
Finally, we could never have made it this far without our bartenders. Ryan, Gretta, Leslie, Jay, Jennifer and everyone else who worked here–thank you for working so hard to make sure everyone had an excellent time. The most important asset for any bar is a good bartender, and we were lucky that you all were there to help out.
Thank you all for supporting the Sipsey Tavern. We’ll see you again soon.
It’s So Damn Hot…
You've got better options out there...
Get out of the heat and get a cool, refreshing adult beverage this weekend. Great music lined up, with Ghost Herd tonight. As always, the Sipsey is your home for late night good times.
Stay classy, Five Points.
Jason Bailey & Banditos THIS WEEKEND!
Jason Bailey at the Sipsey tonight
I’m not going to sugarcoat it–it’s hot out there. But you can’t beat the summer nights in the South, and we’ve got great music to check out this weekend.
Jason Bailey is playing tonight, Friday June 17th. Jason is a part of a number of Birmingham-based acts such as celtic-infused Shilleleagh Law, folk/rock Three Man Stone, bluegrass group The Bluegrass Cartel and the regional touring jazz/bluegrass/southern jam band Tonal Vision. He’s a mandolin virtuoso, and he’s played City Stages, Do Dah Day, Mobile’s Bayfest, and hundreds of bars across the region. You can check out Jason’s music here.
Saturday night, Banditos make it back to the stage. They recently got rave reviews from their set at Secret Stages. The Renegades of Folk will be kicking things off. It’s a vintage Sipsey Tavern lineup.
Also this month–we are selling paper fish to benefit the Black Warrior Riverkeeper. Sweetwater Brewing Co. is sponsoring the event, so come out and grab a Sweetwater 420 and pitch in a few bucks for the cause. Click here for more info on the “Save the Black Warrior” campaign.
Enjoy your summertime, citizens of Birmingham.
The Baja Team always does it with Force
The UAB Blazer Motorsports Baja Team is off to their competition in Illinois, and they’ve planned a benefit with local musicians this Satuday, June 4th.
Come out and support the engineers and drivers who will be making the trip. The Baja SAE competition simulates real-world engineering design projects and their related challenges. Engineering students are tasked to design and build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain and sometimes even water.
The bands are kicking off at 7:30 P.M. Lineup is as follows:
8pm Eric Culberson (Acoustic)
9pm Rabid Stick (Instrumental rock)
10pm Jason Wideman and the Sexual Chocalates (70′s-90′s Cover band)
11pm Abandon August (Progressive Rock)
12am Wolf Creek ( Alternative Southern Rock)
1am Thothamon (Doom Metal)
Tickets are $6 at the door, all proceeds benefit the team as they prepare for the trip to the national competition in Illinois.
Go Blazers!
Check out Matt Woods new album "Manifesto."
It’s Memorial Day weekend–nothing better than good music on a holiday weekend. Once you’re done grilling at the homestead, the Sipsey has some solid music to round out the good times. You don’t have to work on Monday, so really, you have no excuses.
Friday night, locals Voices in the Trees make it back to the bar. The Voices always play loud–it’s alt-rock with viola, a heavy foot on the wah pedal and Seth Richardson’s screaming vocals. It makes for a great show. Did we mention viola? Check out the Voices Facebook page for more info. The Voices are joined on the bill by the Twin Heart Trap, a B’ham trio that lays down melodic indie rock constructions of superior quality.
Saturday, Matt Woods makes his way to town and will join Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil on the bill. He is barnstorming–50 states in 50 days. The Knoxville native is influenced by a wide range of Southern music, and his songwriting covers the spectrum of classic country, southern rock and Americana. He’s putting some serious miles on the road this summer, come out for a great set. His new CD “Manifesto” is available, you can visit his site here.
Doc Dailey & Magnolia Devil return to the bar after a solid run of shows, they played the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville recently, and continue to gain followers after every set. The Muscle Shoals natives are part of a strong contingent of Alabama musicians making their mark on the music scene right now. You can visit the Doc Dailey website for more info on their latest release “Victims, Enemies and Old Friends.” And check the video below for Doc Dailey’s song “She’s Gonna Love Me.”
Come out and see us. We are still raising money for tornado relief victims–thanks to everyone who has supported the Red Cross and relief efforts throughout the state.
Jasper Coal Returns!
St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone, but we’re excited that Jasper Coal is booked for this weekend. Raise a Guinness, let’s toast to Summer and another quality set from the men of Jasper Coal! The show is set for Saturday, May 21 at 9pm.
There’s going to be a lot of this on Saturday:
Raising Money for Tornado Relief
The tornadoes have caused immeasurable damage, let's raise some money for the Red Cross...
We’ve all witnessed the devastation that the storms caused Wednesday afternoon. Towns and cities across the state have lost businesses, homes and churches. The people in the state are in desperate need of supplies and medical care, and then there is the rebuilding process that needs to take place.
To help out, we are donating $1 to the Red Cross for every sale of Kiltlifter and Heineken on tap at the bar. The more you get your kilt lifted, the more money we raise to help out those in need. The program lasts through Saturday, April 30th.
And come out Saturday when Tuscaloosa locals Cy Simonton and Ham Bagby will be performing. Ham has been evacuated from his home in Tuscaloosa, and he may not be allowed back into his neighborhood for weeks. You can preview Cy’s latest CD The Thing With the Stuff here.
We’ll be collecting donations at the bar all weekend, but if you want to help out, you can text “REDCROSS” to 90999 and donate $10 to the relief efforts.
Isn’t it about time for a Cold Beer?
You've worked too hard to drink bad beer.
If you’re like us, you’ve been out doing your part this week by dutifully filing your taxes and cleaning up the environment for Earth Day. Isn’t it about time you made it down to the bar for a cold beer?
If you haven’t tried the Moylan’s line of beers yet, you’re missing out. We feature their Imperial Stout, a rich bold stout with a chocolaty/nutty finish. We also have the Moylan’s Kiltlifter on tap, a Scottish style ale with an intense flavor owing to a high level of hops. The Moylans line has been a popular choice among the Sipsey regulars, try one on your next trip.
Also, as it’s Earth Day, a Sweetwater is always a good idea. They helped sponsor the Black Warrior Riverkeeper campaign earlier this year, and are releasing a new riverkeeper brew in the near future. We’ve got the 420, IPA, and Sweetwater Blue in bottles at the bar.
And the Good People Brown Ale is back on tap. Nothing is finer than a Brown Ale this time of year, and the Good People version is one of our favorites.
Come out Saturday for the High Fidelics plus Mississippi David Hornbuckle for a fine show from some Birmingham locals. See you this weekend in 5 Points!
Locals THIS WEEKEND! Rearvue Mirror + Those Charming Devils
Bob Marston of Rearvue Mirror is back at the Sipsey this weekend.
Great to have 2 solid Birmingham bands in the bar this weekend to celebrate your tax refund. Rearvue Mirror kicks things off on Friday, Bob and the band are back for another show of solid Southern music. The band always brings a lively crowd around, should be a good night on the Southside.
Those Charming Devils are playing Saturday night. The three piece outfit has been tightening up their rockabilly sound and playing some shows across town, we are glad they’re back in the Sipsey for another great round of live entertainment.
We’ll see you this weekend in 5 Points. Be careful out there kiddos.
Banditos + Anthony Concepcion
Big weekend of local music, kicking off with the Banditos Friday night, April 8. They have a big sound, check the video below for a preview of the band. Good mix of instruments, blending rockabilly with a straight rock edge. Good beats, Banditos are a good time.
Saturday, Anthony Concepcion is on stage. We’re your destination for quality local music, and we are open late. Plus, trivia night on Sunday with Ryan O’Connor, Birmingham’s premier trivia host. We’ll see you this weekend on the Southside.
Banditos from joshua shoemaker on Vimeo.
