f r o n t s t r e e t s p y A spectator meows. Before participants take the stage, Steve shares a story about the time a rabid raccoon came to die in the playhouse in the backyard of his childhood. “Dad calls my Godfather, Uncle Rob, who shows up in full [cop] uniform,” says Steve. Uncle Rob shoots the critter in the middle of the playhouse kitchen. Steve watches as the playhouse is burned to the ground. You never know what you’re going to get.
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Jon Ripley takes the mic and embraces awkward silences. He talks of stalking hens and eagles and, somehow, ends on someone else’s joke.
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A black comedian says he was a latchkey kid then asks, “Anybody got two dads?” He’s comfortable onstage with his PBR tallboy, feeding off the energy of the crowd. “When I was a kid, test tube babies were real. Now they’re all grown up.” He paints a scenario in which the young adult brings his/her new boyfriend home to meet the fathers. The punchline is brilliant. “We’re not really into interracial dating.” He takes a seat beside his white girlfriend.
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Bobby Brandon Selling Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach since 1993
Cameron “Camboi” Smith wears sunglasses while he parodies a rap song with a beat based on a sample from a 1959 Italian pop song. Six-Beer-Steve calls Camboi a modern poet, reminds us that the Juggling Gypsy is a “judgment-free zone.”
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The carnival is not here yet. Gypsy-goers order $2 microbrews and marvel at the cafe menu, aka, the Grilled Cheese Empire. Brian recommends potato bread and provolone. He now sits at the bar with his after-shift hookah. The night owls begin to arrive. A man wearing a black porkpie hat stands silent by the bar. He looks like poet. Or an avantgarde performance artist. If he’s a fire breather, some of us may never know. Not all wild animals are nocturnal. b Front Street may be home base, but senior editor Ashley Wahl is prone to wander. The Art & Soul of Wilmington
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15 Bermuda Drive • Waterfront Recently Remodeled • Exceptional Quality & Detail $1,889,000 Wrightsville Beach
3 Palmetto Drive • 4 Bedroom/3 Bathroom $648,000 Wrightsville Beach Parmele Isle
202 Lee’s Cut Lane • w/Boat Slip $529,000 Wrightsville Beach
152 Driftwood Court • Remodeled w/35 foot Boat Slip $448,000 Channel Walk Wrightsville Beach
1057 Headwater Cove Lane $298,500 Bradley Creek Views
3112 Kirby Smith Drive • 4 Bedroom/3 Bathroom $294,500 Kingsland Woods
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8817 Ramsbury Way • 5 Bedrooms Community Pool & Clubhouse $437,000 Plantation Landing
8711 New Forest Drive • 5 Bedrooms $314,900 Oakridge at Plantation Landing
4559 Exuma Lane • End Unit Townhome Excellent Condition $125,000 Saylor’s Watch
618 Swann Street • Investment Property $59,000 Downtown
523 Causeway Drive • Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480 910.538.6261 • bobbyb@intracoastalrealty.com
Check out Bobby’s local videos at www.BobbyBrandon.com April 2014 •
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