March 10, 2010

vol.

25 / pub 36 / FREE / MaRch 10-16, 2010

www.encorepub.com

Celebrate the green this Saturday at the St. Patrick’s Day Festival and Parade, Downtown Wilmington.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com

rev up the mean green party machine!

SHAKE YOUR KS C O R M SHA BABY!

LET THE MADNESS & BEGIN. Stop in for lunch &

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PLAY COL LE HOO GE BRA PS, C & BU KETS Z BEA ZER SPEC TER IALS !

HOOKY! Thursday & Friday March 18th & 19th MARCH HOOPS SPECIALS! ALL DAY. EVERYDAY.

$2.25 Miller Lite Bottles $2.00 Miller Lite Drafts

St. Patty's Day Specials $3 Irish Pints $2 Green Beers $4 Irish Car Bombs &9F<>9DD =FL=J c 'ADAL9JQ MLG>> ,G9< c c O O O O A D < O A F ? ; 9 > = ; G E encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

hodge podge

contents vol.

25 / pub 36 / March 10-16 2010

www.encorepub.com

What’s inside this week

PAGE 7: COVER STORY St. Patrick’s Day isn’t official for another week, Wednesday, March 17th. But thanks to Cool Wilmington, the party gets underway this Saturday, March 13th. There will be the parade, beginning at 11am, lasting for one hour and moving through downtown Wilmington. Then, at noon the celebration continues with live music in front of the Federal Building on Water Street, downtown. There will be vendors, food and beer sales, as well as Irish dancers and live music from the Wilmington Police Pipes and Drums band (featured), The Blarney Broughs, The Molly Malones, Out on the Ocean and The Malones.

Best of all, it’s free. Get all the info on page 37.

news & views............4-16

4-12 encore’s 2010 Best-Ofs: Read the final installment of who came out on top in our annual Best-Of poll, wherein over 3,000 ballots were cast by the local community. This issue announces best record store, thespian, hotel, Mediterranean food and so much more!

14 the cranky foreigner: He takes on Pat Robertson and his supposed claim of God’s natural-disaster wrath.

16 news of the weird: Chuck Shepherd reports on news of the strange and odd.

encore exchange......1x-28x

2x profile: Skeeball Eighth Season begins at Bluepost.

3-26x classifieds: Let our classifieds help

concert tickets

Want to see the best in music at Myrtle Beach’s House of Blues? Wilmington’s Soapbox Laundro Lounge? Or UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium? Visit, www.encorepub.com, to enter one of our many concert contests, and try for a chance to score tickets to area shows!

dog cover model contest

It’s back! We’re looking for the cutest dog in Wilmington to feature on our April 28th cover, previewing the annual Paw Jam. The event will take place May 1st at Battleship Park, 11am-5pm.

To enter the contest, here’s what you have to do: Send us a pic of your pooch with a check for $10 per entry (that’s per picture) made out to PAWS of North Carolina, the official Paw Jam organizer. All monies will be donated to the foundation, and if we choose your doggie’s pic, then he or she will grace our cover, and we’ll interview him or her, too, featured inside the pages of encore.

Questions need to be e-mailed only to shea@ encorepub.com. The deadline is April 20th, 5pm. encore offices are located at 210 Old Dairy Road, Suite A-2. If you’re mailing the entry, please do so to following address: encore magazine, c/o Paw Jam Contest PO Box 12430, Wilmington, NC 28405.

late-night funnies

“New Yorkers are desperate. They’re trying to get Paterson to leave early, and I said to myself, ‘That sounds like a job for Jay Leno.’”—David Letterman “Gay marriage now legal in Washington, D.C. How about that? So, if you’re a congressman, in bed with a lobbyist, if you like it, you better put a ring on it.”—Jay Leno “Did you hear that Rush Limbaugh’s Manhattan penthouse is on the market for $14 million? It’s an amazing property. Over 4,000 square feet. And that’s just the medicine cabinet.”—Craig Ferguson

EDITORIAL: Editor-in-ChiEf: Shea Carver

pRODucTIOn AnD ADvERTIsIng:

intErns: Sarah Boggs

AdvErtising sAlEs:

ChiEf Contributors: Adrian Varnam, Anghus Houvouras, Carolyna Shelton, MJ Pendleton, Claude Limoges, Jay Schiller, Lauren Hodges, Tiffanie Gabrielse, Tom Tomorrow, Chuck Shepherd, Chirstina Dore, The Cranky Foreigner and Lisa Hunyh

John Hitt: Downtown, Carolina Beach

The 19th annual Short Fiction Contest, sponsored by the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society and encore, is now open. Writers are encouraged to submit works of fiction-based upon the rich historical lore of the Cape Fear. Stories must be based on historical events or regional lore, and reflect the character, culture and history of the Cape Fear area (Pender, Brunswick and New Hanover counties). Any NC writer is eligible to submit one story, which should be original, unpublished and limited to ten doublespaced pages. Entries will be judged based on literary merit, historical accuracy and suitability for a general audience. The top entry will win $100 in cash. The winner and second and third place will also be published in encore.

Entrants should submit three copies of the manuscript. The author’s name should not appear anywhere on the manuscript. A separate cover page should give author’s name, address, phone number and the title of the work.

Manuscripts will not be returned. The deadline is April 11th. The winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society on May 16th. An entry fee of $10 is required. Make checks payable to the LCFHS. Mail entries, marked Short Fiction Contest, to the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, 126 S. 3rd St, Wilmington NC 28401; (910) 762-0492.

Art dirECtor Sue Cothran

Kris Beasley: Wrightsville Beach, N. Wilmington Shea Carver: Midtown, Monkey Junction Promotions mAnAgEr: John Hitt distribution: Reggie Brew, John Hitt

encore is published weekly, on Wednesday, by Wilmington Media. opinions of contributing writers are not necessarily the opinions of encore.

short-fiction contest

CorrespondenCe: p.o. Box 12430, Wilmington, n.C. 28405 email@encorepub.com • www.encorepub.com phone: (910) 791-0688 • Fax: (910) 791-9177

mother’s day entries

Also, we’re looking for funny, endearing, loving or any other kind of story readers would like to submit about their mothers. The best stories will be featured in our Mother’s Day edition, May 5th, and we’ll choose a winning entry, too, which will receive admission-plusone into our VIP kickoff party during 2010 Wilmington Restaurant Week. The party is April 27th, and the deadline for submission is April 20th. E-mail or mail entries to encore, c/o Mother’s Day Contest. Shoud not be longer than 600 words, please.

you sell or buy a home or a car. Crossword on page 25.

27x pet of the week: Find out what animals need adopting, and other breeds for sale.

artsy smartsy ............18-31

18 theater: MJ Pendleton reviews Guerilla Theatre’s latest production, “Namaste, Indiana.”

21 film: Anghus despises the Kevin-Smith drivel that is Cop Out.

22 art: Lauren Hodges previews Cameron Art Museums’ upcoming quilt exhibit.

23 gallery guide: Find out what exhibitions are hanging in our local art galleries.

25-26 music: Adrian Varnam talks to Brad Heller about his latest Fustics’ album and upcoming gig at Hell’s Kitchen; Sarah Boggs gets the scoop on The Love Language’s newest lineup, upcoming record and weekend show at the Soapbox from founder Stu McLamb.

27-30 soundboard: See what bands and solo musicians are playing in venues all over town.

grub & guzzle ............32-35

32-33 dining review: Kris Beasley talks lunch-bunch at Flat Eddie’s; Linda Grattafiori goes to the new Irish pub and restaurant, The Harp, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day. 34-35 dining guide: Need a few suggestions on where to eat? Flip through encore’s dining guide, and read about our featured restaurant of the week.

extra! extra! ..............36-43

36 fact or fiction: Claude Limoges delves into part 5 of her ongoing fictitious series, “An Involuntary Intimate.”

37 cover story: See black box.

38-43 calendar/’toons/corkboard: Find out where to go and what to do about town with encore’s calendar; check out Tom Tommorow and encore’s annual ‘toons winner, Jay Schiller; read the latest saucy corkboard ads.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com

below-12 2010 Best-Ofs 14 The Crany Foreigner

18 News of the Weird

The Best of the Best! encore announces its third batch of winners from the 2010 Best-Of Reader’s Poll

W

e’re into week four of announcing our Best-Of winners for 2010! It only took counting over 3,000 ballots, making 130 awards by hand, and throwing a party for 300-plus people at City Stage/ Level 5. But we’ve made it—and with a lot of laughter along the way, thanks to our comedian hosts of the Best-Of Party: Jef Pollock, Sandy Vaughan, Anthony Lawson, Val Watkins, Jonathan Guggenheim, Cullen Moss, Madison Weidberg and Janna Murray. They made the awards ceremony so much more than boring speeches and prim-and-proper decorum.

Make no mistake about it, readers: BestOf is not tabulated according to encore-staff

editorial by: Shea Carver and Emily Rea photos by: Jim Cirello, Chad Keith and Courtney Bridgers picks; nor are its winners relegated only to encore advertisers. We award the folks who get the most votes between November and January, according to ballots the community fills out at www.encorepub.com. And to set the record straight: We don’t mind when people campaign for it either. (Hey, isn’t it the American way?)

Without further ado, the people have spoken, and here are the results for the Best-Of 2010. Congrats winners and voters!

WE ARE ENCORE... Our hosts of the 2010 Best-Of Awards Ceremony opened the show with their own rendition of “We Are the World”—also known as “We Are Encore.” (l. to r.) Jonathan Guggenheim, Cullen Moss and Jef Pollock, Sandy Vaughan, Madison Weidberg, Janna Murray, Val Watkins and Anthony Lawson.

place to buy a used car

In some scenarios, new is better. Buying a toothbrush, for example—definitely better not already used. A Kleenex. A home pregnancy test... Readers get the idea. But in a world that’s going green more and more, where recycling is big, and sometimes, if it ain’t broke, we just shouldn’t fix it, buying a car is simply not in the toothbrush category.

In fact, buying used is the way to go if we’re stopping by Auto Wholesale.

Located at 6003 Market Street, Auto Wholesale has everything buyers are looking for in a used-car dealership. For starters, financing is available, with rates as low at 2.84 percent. Extended warranties are available, as well as Car Fax history reports for all vehicles. Most are still under warranty, but, if they are not, this dealership will still give a 30-day or 1,000-mile Powertrain Warranty with purchase. But not only does Auto Wholesale offer great features such as these, but they really care about their cus-

encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

tomers. “Are you upside-down in your current car or owe too much on your trade?” their Web site, www.autowholesalenc.com, asks. “WE WILL HELP!” Their claim to have the cleanest and bestquality cars at the lowest prices is affirmed through the majority vote of readers, stating that these guys are top of the line when it comes to buying used. And, hey—this is a MUCH weightier decision than a new toothbrush.

Runners up in the used-car category this year are Stevenson Honda and Bob King, respectively.

hair salon and spa

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. But whatever customers behold at Hypnotix Spalon is sheer gorgeous—at least, it MUST be since encore readers voted them not only Best Hair Salon but Best Spa, too! The fact is, Hypnotix is both: hence “Spalon.” It’s a one-stop shop beautifying entity that doesn’t stop with just the average wash and trim. No, Hypnotix obviously goes above and beyond—all the way to the top of two of our categories!

An exclusive Aveda Concept salon, Hypnotix specialties include precision hair-cutting and coloring services, manicures and pedicures, makeup applications, esthetics,

The most delicious week of Spring!

"QSJM .BZ

Some of the Port Cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest restaurants will offer awe-inspiring prix-fixe meals prepared especially for this week.

De Lara Mediterranean Cuisine

Caprice Bistro

Fat Tonyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

The Melting Pot

Heironymus

Jamaicaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Comfort Zone

Port City Chop House

Mixto

South Beach Grille

Pilot House

at the Holiday Inn-Wrightsville Beach

Banks Channel Pub & Grille

Elijahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Katyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Eats

Flat Eddies

Yo Sake

Henryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Flaming Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Eddie Romanelliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Aubrianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Verandah Cafe

Flaming Amyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bowl East

inside the Blockade Runner Hotel

o Sign up t ail receive em or updates f Week t n a r u a t Res 2010

Ruthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Steakhouse Priddy Boys The Little Dipper

Leland Location

Catch

Carolina Ale House

Siena Trattoria

Cape Fear Seafood

Wrightsville Grille

Sponsored by:

XXX 8JMNJOHUPO3FTUBVSBOU8FFL DPN encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com

and the complete line of Aveda professional products. Customized products include shampoos, conditioners and lotions, and anyone in the hair-cut seat will feel like a princess as they enjoy complementary relaxation massages and makeup applications! Besides being a salon and spa in one, Hypnotix is also unique in that it offers the only Cold Fusion So.Cap Hair Extensions specialists in Wilmington. All within a modern, trendy atmosphere that offers “gourmet coffee, great music, and great spirits to lift your spirits!” according to Hypnotix’s Facebook page.

Open every day except Sunday, Hypnotix is a place that will make your body and hair—and, therefore, overall confidence and demeanor—all kinds of happy. I mean, who doesn’t love a two-for-one?

Second place for the hair-salon category went to Bangz Hair Salon, while Rockin’ Roller Salon took third place. Runners up for the spa category were Ki Spa and Head to Toe Day Spa, respectively.

their Web site, www.fairycircleconsignment.com, declares. “We take items any time with no appointment needed, and sell them quickly to fellow clothing recyclers. After your things have sold, come in to pick up a check or use the credit to pick up a new outfit.”

At The Fairy Circle, there are no account fees; they offer a quick and convenient drop-off, and the credit customers accrue from selling can be used toward new fashions. It’s a perfect set-up, really—at least our Best Of voters sure thought so! Since opening in 2002, The Fairy Circle has quickly become a favorite shopping destination among locals and for good reason.

Also representing the best in vintage clothing according to our readers this year are Vintage Values and Flashbax.

dry cleaner

place to buy gas

In this economy, with fluctuating gas prices sometimes soaring into the $3 range, stopping at the pump is virtually no one’s favorite activity. There are errands, there are chores, and then there is the money-guzzling, no-fun duty of filling up the ol’ gas tank. Depending on readers’ personal vehicles, this may be more of a pain than for others. But many folks in Wilmington—particularly readers of

encore—can agree that a stop at GoGas to get our wheels movin’ makes the experience all the more pleasurable.

GoGas is a private company categorized under Gasoline Service Stations, located and operated locally here in Wilmington. By virtue of this fact alone, we already know that we are likely to be better taken care of than at the monster pump chains. Located at

SALON AND SPA WINNERS: The sassy ladies of Hypnotix were thrilled to walk away yet again with Best Spa and Salon awards.

both 6308 Market Street, 1976 South 17th Street, 3301 Burnt Mill Drive and 5648 Carolina Beach Road, this little gas station that could obviously makes buying gas convenient with its widespread and multiple locations. But it’s customer service that typically wins over customers the most, and word of mouth that backs it up. We have a pretty good idea that GoGas is treating its customers right, as it has appeared several times in our annual Best Of Awards. And with a getin, get-out set-up that’s quick and efficient, we see no sign of them slowing down as they continue to work diligently to get everyone else up and running!

Also revving the engines of encore readers in this year’s poll were the gas stations at Costco and Sam’s Club, respectively.

vintage/consignment clothing

Ahhhh, vintage. The word has such a distinct connotation to it: refined, distinguished, treasured, unique, antique, revered, adored.

Although rarely do we find the exact same vintage anything, this category of clothing itself is highly desired for all of these characteristics. Especially the ways in which we can dress them up, dress them down, pair them with a more modern flair or simply let each gorgeous piece speak for itself.

When it comes to the finest vintage clothing, The Fairy Circle knows just what to have in stock to get its clientele coming in flocks.

Here, the thrill of the hunt almost eclipses the treasure—if not for the fact that the treasures are usually so darn exquisite! Not only that but “We’re helping a new generation discover the advantages of consignment,”

encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

When it comes to all of our loveliest, most delicate articles of clothing—and even those down comforters, wool coats and more—a good dry cleaning should always set our minds at ease when thinking of their care and preservation. And folks in Wilmington certainly know who to trust with their dry-clean items: the famous Hangers/ Williams Cleaners.

What sets hangers apart is not only their concern for customers and customers’ items, but they are also highly concerned about the environment. Using Hangers Cleaners™ Micare® carbon dioxide technology (the biggest innovation in dry cleaning in more than 50 years), Hangers utilizes liquid carbon dioxide as its cleaning solvent instead of chemicals like perchloroethylene used in traditional dry cleaning. This is an effective, environmentally safe replacement for traditional dry-cleaning processes that also happens to cleans customers’ clothes as well or better than current methods: Because no drying cycle is required, heat damage, fading, and stain-setting are eliminated. The elimination of chemical solvents makes this process safe for the environment as well.

Add to that the fact that Hangers offers a 24-hour drop-off service and deliveries within the Wilmington city limits, and we have a practically perfect dry cleaner! Located in seven sites all over town, they are also very convenient and well-known. All of which makes for the perfect storm when encore readers have to decide who’s best.

Rounding out our dry-cleaning category this year were $2.25 Cleaners and $2.50 Cleaners, respectively.

dog groomer

Every once in a while, we catch wind of one of those amazing yet quite-simple ideas that causes us to scratch our heads and wonder, Why didn’t I think of that? Sometimes, the combination of customer service, convenience and quality cannot be underestimated enough. And when each of these characteristics are rolled into one, creating the perfect storm, we get a company like Ali’s K-9 Clips.

Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is brand new to our Best Of polls, and owner/founder Ali Krieger has taken Port City pooch owners by surprise. The fact of the matter is, Ali does not just offer dog groomingâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;she offers MOBILE dog grooming! Complete with an entire dog-grooming salon in the form of a big white van, Ali arrives at customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; homes and grooms their pets right in their driveways. The van itself is self-contained and state-of-the-art, fully equipped and air conditioned to make Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services convenient and hassle-free. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have the water and power we need, and leave no mess behind,â&#x20AC;? Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Web site, www.alisk9clips.com, declares. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll even groom your pet when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not home.â&#x20AC;?

Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s even uses gentle harnesses with safetyrelease buttons to minimize accidents, and they go the extra mile to spend more time with puppies, older and infirm dogs, and firsttime customers. And who can resist that every dog leaves the van with a complimentary bandana or bow? Aliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is the one-stop shop that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to leave home to find.

And like her slogan says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s] convenience for you... comfort for your pet!â&#x20AC;?

Other pet pals in the grooming world that round out this category include Olgaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dog Spa and The Purple Groomery

hotel

Locals and tourists alike know that Wilmington is just a great place to be. I mean, admit it: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got it all. From a picturesque coastline to a historic downtownâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and tons of fun, cuisine and shopping in betweenâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really no wonder so many tourists flock to our attractive abode.

And no matter how much patience it takes to deal with the influx at times, we also have to admit it sure does boost the local economy at the same time. But where do all of our lovely guests stay once here? If not with us, they make the Hilton Wilmington Riverside a top choice in sleeping arrangements, according to our voters.

The Hilton Riverside sits quite elegantly on the Cape Fear River downtown, its reflection shining impressively against the water and the familiar Hilton â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hâ&#x20AC;? blazing for all to see. But not only is this regal establishment easy on the eyes, it also takes to heart the phrase that true beauty is on the inside. The Hilton boasts 272 guest rooms with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;low-key style,â&#x20AC;? making lodging convenient by offering a complimentary airport shuttle. Others ways they keep guestsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; best interests in mind is by offering a serene outdoor pool and both a 24-hour fitness center as well as a 24-hour business center.

Not to leave the locals out of the equation, the Hilton is also a great place for meetings and conferences, offering 20,000 square feet of meeting space. These are also ideal for special events such as wedding receptions, with all-inclusive packages and two beautiful ballrooms from which to choose.

The most recent addition is the on-site, acclaimed steakhouse Ruthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chris Steak House. Yumâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;now that is a tasty choice.

Other top choices for the hotel category this year were the Holiday Inn Resort and Hampton Inn.

ALL FOR THE GOOD: Cape Fear Riverwatch was recognized bettering our local environment, while Jill Jones happily accepted Best Volunteer for her continued work with rescued animals.

environmental group

Perhaps the Native American proverb says it best that reads, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.â&#x20AC;? Or the founder of Earth Day, Gaylord Nelson, when he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The ultimate test of a manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.â&#x20AC;?

Not only does hurting the environment affect us all today, but it will absolutely affect the future. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where the Cape Fear Riverwatch (CFRW) plays a part in going green in our little corner of the world.

Since 1993 CFRW has been working diligently to protect and improve the Cape Fear River Basinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water quality. Not only do they exist in this capacity, but they also offer all residents of the Cape Fear River watershed a variety of environmental education, action and advocacy programs. As a nonprofit organization open to anyone, CFRW counts on its staff and board as well as community volunteers to take action in line with the vision as a whole: being â&#x20AC;&#x153;dedicated to the improvement and preservation of the health, beauty, cleanliness and heritage of the Cape Fear River Basin,â&#x20AC;? according to its official Web site at www.cfrw.us.

Under the umbrella organization The Water Keeper Alliance, CFRW is able to efficiently assess and implement what needs to be done, while also going above and beyond on their own: They offer such additional opportunities to the public as hosting ongoing Eco Tours and Bird-Watching Tours at Greenfield Lake. It seems as though nature is in good hands with CFRW aroundâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;at least in our little corner of the globe.

Coming in second place this year was Stop Titan, while third-place honors went to the Surfrider Foundation.

volunteer

It can be said for most any nonprofit organization that its volunteers are its heart and soul. These are the people who give their blood, sweat and tears to a cause they feel so pas-

sionately about that they will do most anything to see it cared for and maintained. They work irregular hours, go the extra mile and ask for little in return. Volunteers are the unsung heroes of the world who are making it a better place, each in their own little ways.

When it came time for Wilmington to vote on the best of the best in the volunteer world, such a task did not come easily, but it did eventually fall upon someone most worthy: Jill Jones of Adopt-an-Angel (AAA).

AAA is a nonprofit foster home network for cats and dogs. They adopt animals from New Hanover County and Brunswick County shelters, then seek to increase the adoptions at these two local animal controls so that more space for other homeless animals will open up. They provide satellite adoption sites to give the animals they take in more exposure until each one finds a forever familyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;wherein, after adoption, more dogs and cats are brought in to free up even more space at the shelters. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a wonderful concept and an incredibly worthy cause, but one of the most amazing aspects is that Adopt-an-Angel relies solely on volunteer labor.

Head contact Jill Jones is the major brains behind the operation, and her selfless compassion for homeless dogs and cats certainly makes life better for these animals in our area. Kudos to Jill and to Adopt-an-Angel!

Other stellar volunteers voted this year were Annie Anthony of Cape Fear Volunteer Center and philanthropist/news anchor Frances Weller of WECT.

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politician

moving company

The fact that moving is a pain is one of those universal truths in life. Kind of like the fact that, say, watching paint dry is boring.

Or that a root canal is not the most fun way to spend one’s afternoon. Moving in particular is just one of those activities we just wish could be over in the snap of our fingers. But, thankfully, with the help of Two Men and a Truck with two locations in Wilmington, moving can at least be a lot less painful and a lot more hassle-free.

SURPRISINGLY GREAT! (left) Mandy Houvouras accepts Nikki’s Fresh Gourmet and Sushi Bar awards for Best Sushi and Vegetarian; (right) the folks from Two Men and a Truck thank voters for Best Moving Company win again in 2010.

Perhaps they say it best when they say, “Two Men and a Truck is not just a moving company—it’s a customer-service company that moves!” There can be no doubt that Two Men is all about the customer service.

To Our loyal PatronsThank you for voting us

Best Waitstaff and Best Neighborhood Bar in Wilmington!

Join us again for our annual

From home moves to business moves, when two men in the Two Men shirts with the truck show up, we know we can rest assured that the moving process will be a smooth ride.

Of their many benefits, they offer a full line of moving and packing services, clean trucks complete with all the right equipment and moving pads, insured and bonded service, and scheduling for customer convenience.

“Our goal is to exceed your expectations by customizing our moving services to your specific needs,” their Web site, www.twomen.com, says.

Whether customers live in an apartment, condominium or own a home, if they just want to move a few large items, and even if there’s kids involved (they offer Truckie’s Treasure Chest and the “Traveling with Truckie” journal!), Wilmington voters agree that Two Men and a Truck are the way to go for moves.

Second place in the moving-company category is Mayflower, and in third place is Coastal Carrier.

He’s the man with a plan, heading up our town making major decisions as well as making noted appearances at various events and functions. He is well-known, highly respected and a huge part of what makes Wilmington the city it is today: He is Mayor Bill Saffo.

Perhaps what voters have found so appealing about Mr. Saffo is the fact that he truly cares about the city he leads—after all, he is a lifelong resident of Wilmington.

A graduate of Hoggard High School and then UNCW, he has seen the city progress, stumble and keep moving forward through its growing years and valleys, too.

He decided to play an active role in the politics and development of his hometown when he became mayor, and the issues he took on include economic development, our sewer system and green space.

But don’t expect Mayor Saffo to take all the glory for his strides all by himself. As written in a letter to Wilmington residents on his official Web site, www.billsaffo.com, he states, “I have learned very quickly that to get anything accomplished in government as well as in life, people must work together. It is through collaborative efforts, hard work and determination that allowed us to get things done.” Perhaps it is also this community-focused attitude that put him at the top of Best Of poll yet again.

Other politicians voted for this year was second-place Julia Boseman and third-place Jason Thompson.

—Emily Rea

sushi and vegetarian

Full disclosure: I sling sushi once or twice a week at a beloved spot around town that takes top votes every, single year in our poll (and, no, it’s not because I work there, despite what some like to assume). Nikki’s Fresh Gourmet and Sushi Bar sweeps encore’s sushi category, hands down, annually—and they were doing so way before I started socializing among its fine customers.

What’s so divine about Nikki’s, aside from the fact they serve quality rolls, sushi and sashimi, is they appeal to everyone—non-sushi lovers and especially vegetarians. How?

St. Patty’s Day Celebration and

7th year Anniversary Party!

THANKS WILMINGTON for making us your favorite CONSIGNMENT & ANTIQUE STORE

The Ivy Cottage

We look forward to continuing our tradition of great food, drinks & service

Everything for your home at a fraction of the origial cost.

throughout 2010!

www.copperpennync.com encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

Over 25,000 square feet of Classic Furniture, Antiques, China, Crystal, Silver & Fine Jewelry

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Well, the restaurant maintains a complete varied menu, from hearty Japanese and Mediterranean fare, to a lengthy carnivorous and herbivorous sandwich selection, to some of the most creative sushi on the planet.

“I think the people of Wilmington are wise with the ways of the fish and the veg,” Daniel Roughan, Nikki’s regional manager, tells encore. “So wise that they know which house of sushi to call home ... so wise.”

I can attest to the customers’ intellect. They know the daily sushi special never disappoints, whether served in the form of a Jumbo Crunchy White Tuna Roll (crab, white tuna, avocado, cream cheese and roe, deep fried in tempura batter, and served with a sweet and spicy sauce) or a ? The roll is always accompanied by a cup of miso, and runs around $8.95—a daily deal not to miss.

Likewise, the sandwich special can be tempting, too, whether boasting a Chicken Club or a Veggie Quesadilla (veggie patty, carrots, mushrooms and Monterey Jack, with hummus, between two wheat quesadillas), served with one of many Nikki’s sides (go for the tempura-battered onion rings—yes, they, too, are vegetarian—or green-bean fries) and a drink for only $6.50.

Their appetizers, like the homemade BBQ eggplant and tofu, baba ghanouj and pita points or Yasai gyoza (veggie dumplings), always makes the start to every Nikki’s meal better, as does pork eggrolls, edamame, or a basket of their beer-battered or regular skinny fries. The ending couldn’t be more decadent either when ordering tempura-fried bananas and green-tea ice cream.

While the food makes the establishment a favorite, it has also become a second home for many, where not only the servers get to know their customers well but customers recognize one another, too. “We offer a hometown, intimate atmosphere,” Roughan explains, “with a high-quality product. And anywhere you can grab a Rainbow Roll, cheeseburger and a Veggie Wrap is a happy place ... so wise!”

With a changing economy, Nikki’s remains in the budget-friendly, too, as their regular rolls top off at $4.50 (for eight pieces), sandwiches remain competitively priced, and tempura or teriyaki entrées ($13.95 and up) are so large, they can actually be shared, paring the bill down nicely. Go Monday nights for half-price hot sake, Tuesdays for half-price beer, Wednesdays for half-price wine, and Thursdays for halfprice lychee and apple sake.

Other sushi establishments marking encore’s poll are Bento Box and Yo Sake. Also, the vegetarian’s finest can be found at Tidal Creek Co-op and Lovey’s Market.

simply humbled: A representative from Olympia thanks the audience for continuing to patronize the Best Mediterranean Restaurant in Wilmington.

mediterranean restaurant

They’ve been around town for over 15 years, and they’ve proven to know their fish quite well.

Back in the day, Olympia was located beside of the now-defunct Middle of the Island restaurant on Wrightsville Beach. Then they moved to Oleander Drive’s Bradley Square a handful of years ago, where they’ve continued tempting Wilmington diners with their fine preparation of Mediterranean cuisine.

Open for lunch and dinner, every day beginning at 11:30am, Olympia boasts traditional Greek cuisine so many adore: spanakopita (spinach and cheese in phyllo dough), saganaki (a baked cheese dish) and dolmadakias (stuffed grape leaves). They serve lunch specials made for a king, like seafood-stuffed flounder, traditional Gyros, as well as pizzas, pastas and even burgers. Dinnertime will appease even more die-hard Greek fans, as their moussaka (sautéed eggplant, tomato and minced meat, topped with a white sauce and baked), lamb chops and kabobs come dressed by only the best culinary skills from Nick Voulgaris. The recipes here taste like they came from the islands, were perfected by a great-great-great grandmother and passed down generation upon generation.

Weekly specials keep frugal diners happy at Olympia, when Gyros and chicken or veggie pitas are on special on Mondays and Wednesdays, along with select beer; Greek or spinach pizzas on Tuesdays, along with martinis; halfprice bottles of wine on Thursdays; and pasta entrées on Sunday, along with Bloody Marys and Screwdrivers.

Sahara Pitas and Subs and Pita Delight round out the Mediterranean category.

“Julia’s Florist would like to thank both encore magazine and it’s readers for voting us

‘Best Florist, 2010’ We never take winning for granted and invite everyone to stop by and smell the flowers at the corner of Wilshire and Kerr Avenue!”

900 S Kerr Ave Wilmington, NC 28403 910-395-1868 Toll Free: 800-325-5743 Serving the Wilmington area for over 12 years

juliasflorist.com encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com

dj

His alias is Swinzel Washington. His favorite color is blue. He likes lasagne. He’s a Gemini.

No, this isn’t a Match.com profile. It’s an encore Best-Of DJ profile—one that keeps topping our poll year-in, year-out.

Originally from Bridgewater, New Jersey, DJ Battle has settled nicely on the turntables in the South, as well as our poll yet again for 2010. His popularity continues manifesting, most likely padded from his stints as a DJ on Coast 97.3 FM. Yet, he’s been slinging tunes left and right around Wilmington since he moved here in ‘95 to attend UNCW, where he worked on the college station, 89.1 WLOZ, hosting its toprated show, “The Jeff and Jeff Show.”

Since, he’s culled quite the résumé, scoring music for Swirl Films, starting a production group, Beets No Vegetables, as well as a record label, Battlesound Music and Entertainment. But his skills behind the turntable prove most impressive, as he deejayed for Kaze’s North Cack Tour in 2007 and continues playing across Wilmington’s clubscape, including Thursdays at The Dirty Martini (Best Martini Bar, 2010) and Sundays at Fibber’s Public House. And he always keeps the dance floor packed, rounding out inspiration from many of his own favorite performers: Public Enemy, Redman, Doug E. Fresh,

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Rass Kass, Outkast, De La Soul, Bob Marley, Herbie Hancock, The Police, Gang Starr, Funk Master Flex, Buju Banton, Mary J. Blige and many more.

Other DJs spinning into the category are DJ Time and A Webb.

place to buy cds

In the age of music downloads, it’s quite exciting to know independent music stores still pepper the nation’s retail-scape with such a vengeance. In fact, if Matt Keen and his Gravity-Records crew have anything to do with it, they’ll be around for quite a while.

Voted Best Place to Buy CDs—which will need an updated category listing, considering this store has upped the ante on selling beloved vinyl, too—Gravity Records is going on five-plus years of serving our community the best in music of all genres. They buy, sell, and trade used and new music, DVDs and even turntables, going the extra mile to help repair them if broken.

While their products are always superior, sold with a vast amount of knowledge to back them (these fellas love music—from all angles!), the extremes that Gravity goes to stay a viable part of the community remains even more impressive.

They host Street-Date Tuesdays from 4pm to 5pm on the Penguin 106.7 (Best Radio Station, 2010), showcasing new records released every Tuesday. They also maintain themselves a ticket retailer for local shows, so if ever a big act comes through town, most likely they’ll have some stubs to sell concert-goers.

Open Monday through Saturday from 10am-8pm, and on Sundays from noon to 5pm, these music maestros have become the soundboard for the Port City. Need a

BUY MORE MUSIC! Matt Keen, owner of Gravity Records, encourages support of local independent record stores and gladly accepts the award for Best Place to Buy CDs.

new-music suggestion? Just stop by and strike up a conversation; they’ll oblige any friendly customer with friendlier, one-on-one customer service—something just not obtainable from any music download site.

Music stores also ranking on our Best-Of poll include Yellow Dog Discs and the nowdefunct CD Alley.

thespian

With so much outstanding talent taking our stages practically every week, this category came with many votes, as one would imagine. But it was the steadfast convincing

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portrayals of every Linda Lavin character in ‘09 that impressed voters most.

Linda Lavin has become a major force on Wilmington’s theater scene—not only because she’s so bewitching when she takes the stage, but because her contribution to Wilmington’s community continues evolving thanks to Red Barn Studio’s ground-breaking productions. Lavin and her husband, Steve Bakunas, opened the studio almost three years ago, stunning audiences with shows like John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt” and David Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.” Yet, her most recent transition into Ms. Daisy in the Alfred Uhry-classic “Driving Miss Daisy” proved one of the most encompassing performances last year. The street was abuzz with every nuance she acted out, every phrase uttered from her lips.

Even though Lavin has graced national and international stages, as well as won a Tony Award in 1987 for her role in Neil Simon’s “Broadway Bound,” the “Alice” star remaines completely humble and excited for her local recognition in our annual Best-Of poll. “Wow,” she told encore. “Thanks so much, and what a thrill and an honor for me to be awarded this recognition!”

We look forward to more of what she brings to Wilmington in 2010!

Other actors awarded votes in our poll include Anthony Lawson, Tony Rivenbark and Steve Vernon.

theater production company

For five consecutive years, the Thalian Association has scored the Best Theater Production Company award from encore voters. They continue their commitment to better the scope of theatre in Wilmington by bringing in stellar productions and spell-binding talent with every show, from the actors to the set designers.

“We are fortunate enough to showcase the very best of Wilmington’s theatrical talent, both on- and backstage,” Tom Briggs, executive director, told us.

Crowned the “Official Community Theater of North Carolina,” Thalian Association isn’t new to the expansion of arts and cultural appreciation. It’s being doing so since its inception. “Our organization was founded in 1788,” Briggs continued, “and we have always represented the cultural heart of Wilmington.”

Thalian isn’t only gearing its talent toward adults either; its children’s theatre, Thalian Association Children’s Theatre (TACT), hosts numerous shows a year, offering “theatrical training and production opportunities for ages 7 through high-school seniors,” according to www.thalian,org.

Their continued popularity and support can only be assessed by one motto: “Stay true to your vision and share that vision effectively,” Briggs stated.

Striving to entertain audiences through the expected and unexpected, Briggs loves it when patrons insist, “You made me to forget about the trials and tribulations in my

own life for a couple of hours.”

It’s entertainment at its finest.

So, “turn off the TV, shut down Facebook, get out of the house, and support live theater in Wilmington. It just might make you look at yourself and the world around you in a different way!” Briggs promised.

Also ranking in this year’s tally is City Stage and Opera House Theater Company.

Alliance Nonfiction Book of the Year, we know she covets the “e” as tenderly as her readers covet her.

Other writers penning their way onto our poll include Steven Gibbs and Clyde Edgerton.

place to board a pet

tattoo parlor

What’s that? I got a monkey on my back? Well, as a matter of fact, I do.

And his name is ... Jade Monkey!

Whether inking the back, the forearm, the forehead, the nape of the neck or the inside of the thigh, the folks over at Jade Monkey, off Kerr Avenue, between Wrightsville Avenue and College Road, have honed their artistic skills better than many in Wilmington.

What?

Don’t believe me?

Fine, believe the thousands of voters whose voices were counted in encore’s poll.

Jade Monkey houses the steady hands of owner Chew, Noel, Michael and Zachariah, where their specialties range from Japanese-style art to traditional tatt work—and they even do piercings. All of the fellas pride their store on its cleanliness, but they’re especially proud of their dedication to keeping skin-art vibrant and meaningful to our culture.

What’s that?

Want a specialty design?

Well, look no further, the talent here is incomparable. Whether scouring their catalogues of detailed, impressive art, or requesting something free-style or even a specialty piece, they’re up for the challenge.

More importantly, they’re up for making customers happy, which they’ve been doing quite well, as this isn’t their first dance at an encore rodeo—we expect it won’t be their last, either.

Hardwire Tattoo and Artfuel Inc. round out the category.

writer

She’s Southern. And she’s funny. Her charm comes through every elongated syllable and draw, whether reading her weekly syndicated column in the Star-News or one of her many books. In fact, ask any woman who has read Mrs. Celia Rivenbark, and she’ll tell you Celia helps everyone’s day get along a tad bit better, with side-splitting workouts and ab scrunches, courtesy of the rolling laughter she ensues.

Born and raised in Duplin County, Rivenbark spent her early career writing for Wallace, NC’s, Enterprise, where, according to the wordsmith, she could “write about a dead body being hauled out of a river in the morning and then write up weddings in the

INKY TROIS: The fellas from Jade Monkey celebrate their Best Tattoo Parlor win with Sandy Vaughan, host of encore’s Best-Of Party, held February 9th, downtown.

afternoon.” But when an editor at the thentitled Morning Star (Star-News) read a humorous quip Rivenbark wrote about the birth of a mule (“Her mother was a nag and her father was a jackass.”), her life in Wilmington began.

From copy editor to weekly columnist, Rivenbark moved up the writing ladder. It wasn’t until after the birth of her daughter, she retired her office job to take on full-time mommy. But once the li’l one was down for her twohour nap, Rivenbark’s voice let loose, and the weekly columns began taking on their signature sarcastic, silly and irreverent undertones of life in the South, as a mom, raising a family, and just living in general.

Her columns were published by Coastal Carolina Press in 2000 in a book, BlessYour Heart, Tramp, which has paved the way for her many follow-ups: We’re Just Like You, Only Prettier, Stop Dressing Your 6-Year-Old Like a Skank, Belle Weather: Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Scattered Hissy Fits and her most recent, You Can’t Drink All Day if You Don’t Start in the Morning.

Twenty-ten makes the ... well, we stopped counting the years, actually; Rivenbark sweeps the floor in this category annually and deservedly so. While she has been nominated for many prestigious awards, like James Thurber Prize for American Humor, even winning the Southern Independent Booksellers

Having won encore’s 2010 Best Place to Board a Pet, Dog Club of Wilmington is a resort for dogs, made up of 12,000 square feet of inside play area and 15,000 square feet of outdoor area for dogs to frolic (separated by size, age and play styles, of course), not mention the numerous overnight rooms that help keep Fido comfy and relaxed.

Dyana Sholz—beloved mom to Chloe, Maxwell, Charlie and Molly Anne, who also help run the Dog Club and are experts on what dogs want, seeing that they’re rescue animals—is the human hand behind the establishment’s success. “I have always loved animals,” Dyana concedes of her brood. “I was raised around dogs, cats, guinea pigs, birds, turtles, bunnies—you name it, our family had it. It was the most natural decision for me to have a business dealing with animals.”

The Dog Club is a resort of sorts in doggie daycare, where “one price gets your dog everything he or she wants.” Dyana maintains that all animals remain completely supervised just as a child would be at any summer or day camp. In fact, it’s their policy to be like a second family to the animals who stay with them, and the praise thus far has been considerable.

“I have been told that we are second to having a family member take care of their dog,” Dyana reveals. “Watching dogs come bounding into play makes everyone smile.”

The care which the nine employees take in nurturing their visitors is energetic and steadfast. “We return each night to let our boarding dogs out to go to the bathroom around 9:30pm,” Dyana explains. “We treat each dog as if they were our own family.”

It’s no wonder they keep taking over this

category year after year. Other boarding houses to satisfy our readers are Pups Play & Stay and Pet’s Pal Inn

place to buy men’s clothes

Fashion isn’t just for the ladies. No, sir.

Men have their own set of needs when it comes to sporting the hottest duds in town. Oliver, off of Military Cutoff Road, in the Renaissance, is the place they turn to when in need of a wardrobe update.

Owned and operated by Kelly and Ken Oliver since 2002, the husband-and-wife team run this boutique not only with quality in mind but with community in mind, too. The two work hard at keeping their customers happily returning.

“We’ve just tried to keep things down to earth,” Kelly told us last week. “Even when the economy was booming, and stores were selling $500 embellished jeans we refused to go there. There’s no question we carry some expensive things, but we really try to offer a range of price points. We want everyone to be able to shop at Oliver, even if they’re just grabbing a cool tee or some fun earrings.”

The fellas come most definitely for their “premium denim selection and a carefully edited assortment of the latest and greatest contemporary clothing designers.”

Oliver carries Diesel, True Religion, Converse John Varvatos, Chip-Pepper and dozens upon dozens more.

“Ken and I both share a love of fashion, design and working with the public,” Kelly said, which is most likely why they keep taking over the men’s category in our poll numerous years running. “We have been lucky to have such great patrons,” she continued. “Over the years we’ve received kind letters, generous gifts and gracious compliments.”

Their friendly and knowledgeable staff makes the experience of shopping at Oliver one to relive time and again. Go any day of the week, as their hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am-7pm, and Sunday, noon-5pm.

Belk and Express also keep the males dressed to the nines, according to encore voters.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 11

motorcycle shop

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They opened 18 years ago in Wilmington, serving riders and building a community around the love of the bike. Carolina Coast Harley Davidson still maintains their dedication to showcasing the best in Harley and Buell motorcycles, custom and new, as well as extends their philanthropic hands throughout our city to help many nonprofit agencies, including Muscular Dystrophy Association.

With 10,000 square feet featuring everything from Harley gear to accessories, and the ‘cycles themselves, their state-of-the-art equipment and services continuously makes them the best motorcycle dealer in Wilmington. They’re so revered, the “e” award isn’t the only gold they can claim; they’ve also received the prestigious Harley-Davidson Bar and Shield Circle of Excellence Award multiple times.

But their true superiority shines through thanks to the many charity rides and events they hold annually. Upcoming March 27th they’ll be holding Revving It Up for the Cure Ride in association with the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. There will be door prizes, a 50/50 raffle, and food and drinks provided, as the ride leaves the Wilmington location and goes to the Jacksonville, North Carolina, location, New River Harley Davidson. Also, the organization will hold their Spring Bike Swap, where motorists can buy, sell or trade their goods, on April 10th, from 10am-3pm. Their 5th annual Officer Ride, a community benefit ride to show true appreciation for the men and women who risk their lives to protect our community, is planned for April 17th. To register for any of these events, just visit their Web site at www.carolinacoasthd.com.

Britt Motorsport and Precision 5 come in second and third respectively.

use of city money

Head downtown, and folks will notice the “detour“ or “road closed” signs become a dime a dozen. Many find the inconvenience of Front Street’s renovation—replacing old sewer and water lines, as well as constructing new sidewalks, lights, and traffic signals—rather frustrating. Customers gawk at the hassle of redirecting their normal routes to downtown shops, restaurants and bars, while merchants may find their foot-traffic has lessened.

When it comes down to it, the downtown revitalization that we’re seeing is all for the greater good of our city—bottom line. While tearing something up to make it better may be unpleasant, in the end it should pay off tenfold. Thus, encore readers find the best use of our city’s money to be its investment toward a better downtown.

Just look at the Riverwalk: It’s transformed Water Street into a quaint boardwalk, where folks can stroll from one shop to the next and take in the public art work, as well as

12 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

AND THAT’S A WRAP! Jef Pollock and Anthony Lawson duke it out over Best Funny Guy, 2010. It was a draw. Until next year, stay the best, Wilmington!

the Cape Fear’s intriguing waters and bridge.

The upkeep of our city’s historic buildings has helped bring in a variety of businesses, which we can only hope will continue with greater care. And the addition of the upcoming convention center will only add to the happenings along our river front.

Now, if only the city would consider making our boring all-brick public library and the gazilions of downtown parking decks more appeasing to the eye, we’d be in business.

We are an artistic city of patrons; we should be able to showcase the brilliancy of our imaginations—especially if it beautifies and colors our city respectfully.

Ahhh, perhaps next year...

The addition of more bike paths and the ongoing construction of our convention center also made the list.

shameless self-promotion

At the beginning of the year, local headlines were all over the New Hanover County ABC board and the salaries of its members, specifically Alcoholic Beverage Control Administrator Billy Williams. Williams’ salary jumped 143 percent since 2000 (from a little over $100,000 to almost $300,000), according to the StarNews—a staggering number that was approved by its board members, something they claim was relegated by Williams’ record of increasing liquor sales and boosting store count—without appropriate documentation to prove it.

Between Williams’ bonuses topping off at $30,000 last year and his padded travel expenses, which eventually stopped in 2008, the monies came a pouring. Yet, his practices came under fire in ‘08, too, after showing support for tearing down historical homes and commercial properties to expand the 17th-Street ABC headquarters. The outcry from the public and historic preservationist became heard,

and from there it all began to unravel, including the discovery of good old-fashioned nepotism. As it turns out Williams’ son, Bradley, had been serving as assistant administrator for a good 10 years, also receiving over $130,000 salary with bonuses and longevity pay.

Add to it all a little law-breaking—receipts show Billy Williams received high-end meals with two liquor industry representatives, which according to North-Carolina law isn’t allowed—questionable bids always allotted to the same contractors, with whom Williams had worked previously, and the finger-pointing led to stoning.

And so the ABC board, including Chairman Charles Wells, attorney Stephen Culbreth, and retired businessman Richard “Dick” Hanson, each resigned, after unsuccessfully proving documentation of their decisions to increase Williams’ pay.

Oh, and Williams’s 23-year service ended, too. Hey, sometimes it’s tought being the best at what you do.

Other shameless self-promoters include Mayor Bill Saffo and Rockin’ Roller Salon.

golf course

For the first time, Echo Farms makes an appearance on our Best-Of poll—and like any other first-timer, we have rung a cow bell in their honor.

Having served Wilmington golfers since 1974, the 18-hole championship golf course was designed by Gene Hamm and later redesigned in 1998 by re-nowned British architect, Ian Scott Taylor. Taylor gave the course more of a Scottish-links feel.

“The course offers challenge and enjoyment for all levels of golfing skill, with four sets of tee placements, providing play from approximately 5,000 to a little over 7,000 yards,” according to their Web site, www. echofarmsnc.com.

Lying adjacent to the Cape Fear River makes for a relaxing, natural terrain of playtime. Rates vary from $22.15 to $43.15, and the course is open Monday through Sunday.

Tee times can be made 14 days in advance for annual members, 10 for Preferred Player Club members, and seven days for the general public.

Echo Farms also books tournaments, whether for charity or clubs. They work closely to help organizers put on a worldclass event, complete with help in production and making the tournament stand out in the minds of participants. Call them to get price quotes.

Welcome to the ranks of the best, Echo Farms. We hope the win continues to echo for years to come.

Other golf course worth of a hole-in-one are Landfall Country Club and Magnolia Greens.

—Shea Carver

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Pat Robertson in Drag?

It’s God’s wrath on America

“G

od is even angrier with Chile than with Haiti.” Pat Robertson said it last week, so we know it’s true. He doesn’t just make up this stuff. It seems that General Pinochet, ex-Chilean dictator, world-class murdering torturer and all-around CIA stooge, was a favorite of Reverend Robertson. And it seems that the Chilean people’s desire to get their democracy back has earned the horrible punishment of a major earthquake.

If we follow Pat‘s logic, God hates democracy.

Some of us in America can relate. We’re not too happy about our own democracy right now. Still, the hand of God is confusing. Haiti was just punished in the same way, and democracy had nothing to do with it. There, it seems, the punishment was for a deal the Haitian people made with Satan about 200 years ago. Or so Reverend Robertson stated on his personal TV network.

And that statement got a letter to the editors of a Minneapolis newspaper, from Satan himself. (I always assumed that Satan would read the Washington Times.)

by: The Cranky Foreigner Satan was very upset, because Pat was giving him a bad name.

“When you make a deal with me,” Satan fumed, “I pay off big time, every time—big-ticket items. Look at Haiti, a miserable hopeless country for most of the last 200 years. That’s not the way I pay people for their immortal souls. They’d have mansions, SUVs, millions of dollars and their own personal TV networks, just like the one I gave to Pat.” So, Wilmington, what should we do?

Elementary geology shows us that in this part of the world, rivers zig-zag their way to the sea—and they are shallow. The Cape Fear River is straight and deep, because it’s on a tectonic fault line. The last time it rattled a bit was in the 1880s when the same fault, sitting under Charleston, let go with the second worst quake in US history. Pat never explained why the people of Charleston were being so punished, but I assume Mint Juleps were involved.

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But back to our problem.

Oh, good people of Wilmington, what do we do to keep Landfall from becoming landfill? I’m looking around for evil dictators in our area so we can make sure not to upset

them and earn the wrath of God. Representative Mike McIntyre is the closest we got, and, frankly, like him or not, he’s nowhere on the Pinochet Evil Scale.

As for deals with Satan, the new Convention Center is the closest I can think of, and who knows where that rates.

So. what do we do? It’s not too late. Let’s bring Pat Robertson here, in disguise, of course, to avoid the papparazzi, and dress him in drag like that great scene at the end of Le Cage au Folles. We can pretend he’s a back-up Azalea Queen or something. They would never get a second glance. Let’s take him to Mayfaire. He’ll feel really at home there—no poor people and all that. He can have one of those chats with God and tell us what to do.

And don’t despair. Maybe it’s as simple as changing the name of MLK Parkway, or just asking the big guy in “Changing Channels” to keep his clothes on, or perhaps hiring real writers for “One Tree Hill.”

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d r i e w e h t f o s w e n Chuck Shepherd digs up the strangest of the strange in world news

LEAD STORY Anthropomorphizing Little Muffy: A February St. Petersburg Times report found several local people who regularly cook gourmet meals for their dogs and who revealed their dogs’ (or maybe just “their”) favorite recipes. “Veggie Cookies for Dogs,” for example, requires whole-wheat flour, dried basil, dried cilantro, dried oregano, chopped carrot, green beans, tomato paste, canola oil and garlic. Asked one chef: Why feed “man’s best friend” what you wouldn’t eat yourself? A day spa for dogs (“Wag Style”) in Tokyo offers sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, supposedly easing doggy arthritis, healing wounds and halting aging.

(Some racehorse owners are certain that the chambers help with equine muscle and joint problems, but an academic researcher told a BoingBoing.net writer that evidence of benefit is “anecdotal.”)

Compelling Explanations At first, Rev. Fred Armfield’s arrest for patronizing a prostitute in Greenwood, S.C., in January looked uncontroversial, with Armfield allegedly confessing that he had

bargained Melinda “Truck Stop” Robinson down from $10 to $5 for oral sex. Several days later, however, Armfield formally disputed the arrest, calling himself a “descendant of the original Moro-Pithecus Disoch, Kenyapithecus and Afro Pithecus,” a “living flesh and blood being with sovereign status,” and someone who, based on his character and community standing, should not be prosecuted. Also, he claimed that any payment to “Truck Stop” with Federal Reserve Notes did not legally constitute a purchase since such notes are not lawful money.

Lame: Glenn Armstrong, 47, had a defense ready when police accused him of taking restroom photographs of boys in Brisbane, Australia, in January. He said he was having an ongoing debate with his wife and was gathering proof that most boys are not circumcised. Sheriff’s deputies in Austin, Texas, arrested Anthony Gigliotti, 17, after complaints that the teen was annoying women by following them around in public and snapping photographs of their clothed body parts.

Gigliotti told one deputy that he needed the photos because the sex education at his Lake Travis High School was inadequate.

Fredrick Federley, a member of the Swedish Parliament, said he has always campaigned as someone who does not take gifts from those he is responsible for regulating, but he was called out by the newspaper Aftonbladet in February for having accepted a free travel holiday from an airline. Federley denied that “he” accepted the trip. He reminded reporters that he is a notorious, flamboyant cross-dresser, and thus that it was his alter-ego “Ursula” who received the free holiday.

Ironies In February, the trade group Mortgage Bankers Association announced the sale of its Washington, D.C., headquarters for $41 million. The association had purchased the building in 2007, at the peak of the real estate bubble, for $79 million.

Our Litigious Society Craig Show, 49, filed a lawsuit in January against the Idaho State Police and the Bonner County Sheriff’s Office, demanding compensation following his DUI arrest in August. Show said the cops had seized a “medicine bag” on his motorcycle and, in opening it for inspection, permitted the “mystical powers” inside to escape. The bag was blessed by a “medicine woman” in 1995 and, Show said, had been unopened since then.

Sabrina Medina filed a lawsuit against the Hyatt Regency Waikiki Resort in Hawaii in January, claiming that an employee had caused her husband’s death. The late Humberto Murillo had swiped two 12-packs of beer from a store at the resort, but the manager pursued and confronted him.

Murillo started punching, and bystanders came to the manager’s aid, restrained Murillo and held him down. Murillo, who was bipolar and had marijuana in his system, passed out and asphyxiated.

Clumsy: Teacher Karen Hollander filed

a lawsuit in November against the New York City Department of Education after taking a fall on “slippery foreign substances,” including condoms, on the floor at the High School of Art & Design.

Since schools distribute condoms on campus, she said, the department is responsible when students open them and discard them during the lunch period, littering the floor. Anthony Avery, 72, a retired insurance underwriter, filed a lawsuit in December against the exclusive Rye Golf Club in East Sussex County, England, for lingering injuries caused when he slipped on the wet floor of the club’s shower room. The floor, he said, was “too” slippery.

Fine Points of the Law Arrested in January in Memphis, Tenn., anHuman Rights Law: Iraqi immigrant Laith Alani murdered two doctors in a British hospital in 1990 and has been confined to mental facilities ever since, taking clozapine to control his schizophrenia. Since Alani is not a citizen, the government has sought deportation, but in January the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal ruled that that would violate Alani’s “human rights.” Only the British hospitals, reasoned the judges, can guarantee that Alani will receive uninterrupted clozapine, without which he would become dangerous to himself and to others (that is, fellow Iraqis, after repatriation).

Orthodox Jewish Law: Israel Elias and his then-wife Susan Zirkin were divorced under British law in 1962, but Zirkin has been unable to remarry since then because Orthodox Jewish law does not recognize divorce unless the husband grants the wife a “get,” and Elias has refused. Within the Orthodox community, Zirkin would have been shunned had she remarried, as would any children she had. A few rabbis try to work around the system, but their attempts are not widely accepted. Zirkin, now 73, was believed to be the world’s longest-standing “chained” wife, but in February, after 37 years, she became a free woman. Elias passed away, and the “get” is no longer necessary.

Least Competent Criminals Myesha Williams, 20, and a friend walked in to the police station in DeLand, Fla., in January and demanded to know why their photos appeared in local crime news on TV. Following questioning, police decided Williams was the woman on their surveillance video robbing a beauty shop and arrested her (but since Williams’ friend had left before the actual robbery, she was not charged). The burglar who stole already-filled prescription orders from the West Main Pharmacy in Medford, Ore., in January puzzlingly limited his take to the pickup-ready packages filed under “O.” Police guessed that the burglar must have been after the commonly stolen “oxycodone” and was unaware that outgoing prescriptions are filed by customers’ last names, not their medications.

Read News of the Weird daily at www.WeirdUniverse.net. Send your Weird News to WeirdNews@earthlink.net or P.O. Box 18737, Tampa Florida, 33679.

16 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

UNCW BASEBALL Friday, March 12 UNCW vs Duquesne 6:00pm Saturday, March 13 UNCW vs Duquesne 4:00pm Sunday, March 14 UNCW vs Duquesne 12:00pm Wednesday, March 17 UNCW vs. NC State 6:00pm (Premium tickets prices apply)

5P QVSDIBTF UJDLFUT VODXTQPSUT DPN $MJDL PO 5JDLFUT encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 17

below Theater

21 Film

22-23 Art

25-30 Music

Good Vibes Guerilla Theater Presents: Namaste, Indiana

N

amaste, Indiana is delightful. The opening music, Mellencamp’s Small Town sets the mood for a sweet and easy evening of entertainment. Playwright/director John Grudzien has utilized a film backdrop effectively to move the story forward and enhance the stage set. The set is fixed and split; one side is a drugstore counter with stools and the other side is a yoga studio. The plot is fairly simple. Korean War veteran Orville Powell moves to a small town, opens a yoga studio, and changes the lives of the people he meets. Both plot and protagonist are slightly reminiscent of It’s a Wonderful Life.

Grudzien’s hero is human and, though infinitely patient and impossibly good, he displays occasional frustration and despair. Kil-

by: MJ Pendelton

Namaste, Indiana Brown Coat Pub and Theatre 111 Grace Street March 4-6 and 11-13, 8pm Tickets: (910) 341- 0001

H H HH H

by O’Rourk is fabulous in the role of Orville.

He is believable as the bohemian ex soldier, who has chosen to pursue a gentle dream.

O’Rourk humanizes the character with an unassuming air of self-confidence. The fa-

EGG HUNT AT FIT FOR FUN! For kids ages 5 & under Fit For Fun, 302 S. 10th Street Wed., March 24, 2010 10am-12pm Doors open at 9am Cost: $5 per child

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Pre-register for our preschool friendly egg hunt! Children will have a chance to hunt for eggs with others in their age group. We will have a guest bunny helping them along the way, a special snack, and other fun activities! Call 341-4630 for more information.

SPRING EGGVENTURE AT HALYBURTON PARK Halyburton Park, 4099 S. 17th Street Thursday, April 1 • 1-4pm Egg Hunts will take place at 1:30pm, 2:30pm & 3:30pm Space is limited. • Cost: $5 per child

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

Join the eggcitement at Halyburton Park. Programs and activities for the day include Animal Eggs and Nest, Egglympics, Storytime, and Spring Nature Hike. Call 341-0075 or TTY Relay 711 for more information

18 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

therly pharmacist, Klessie, is the other fully developed character in the play. Like Orville, his good nature is plausible and endearing.

Though not exactly a mental genius, he has learned a few life lessons, yet remains open-minded and ingenuously happy. Randall Lucas is perfect in the role. The audience adored his singing in the empty drugstore and his one-liners were injected with great comic timing and expressive mugging.

The other characters, though somewhat stereotypical, are still effective.

Grieving mother Marion is controlling and judgmental in response to her son’s death, though there is evidence that she was always a bitch. Suzanne Nystrom is a wonderful villain. Farmer/ violinist Jeremy is a sweetly sympathetic character with a dream. Kameron King is good in the role and develops the character’s contrasts of childishly violent frustration and gentle delicacy with his violin. Unfortunately, there’s not much Jana Allen can do with her character, Clara. Pretty, Vapid, and wimpy, perhaps the character is meant to symbolize middle America in the fifties.

Henry and Margaret, though, are hilarious! Matt Warzel and Terrie Batson stole the show and seemed to have a lot of fun in the process. The audience loved Warzel’s attempt at yoga and Batson simply va va voomed the stage. With precise, yet seemingly spontaneous comic timing, the actors’ chemistry was magic. When outrageously vampy Batson turned on the radio and danced seductively for her man (who was actually blushing) the audience interrupted the play with applause.

This production was the first in the Leonard Melfi New Play Series at Guerilla The-

FRESH THEATRE: John Grudzien’s “Namaste, Indiana” kicks off the Leonard Melfi New Play Series at the Brown Coat Pub and Theater.

atre. According to creative director Richard Davis, the audience was supposed “to be invited to participate in the creative process” probably with comment cards at the end of each New Play performance.

Though the playwright/director was in the audience, there were no cards on Friday night, but the audience obviously enjoyed the show.

Like most of the theater this season, Namaste, Indiana is a feel-good show; it begins with a bang and ends with a kiss.

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encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 19

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s

Limp Mainstream Filmmaking:

reel to reel

Cop Out flops in every frame

T

his is bad—like, unforgivable bad. As I watched Cop Out, the new comedy starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan, these crazy little thoughts kept buzzing through my head. I kept thinking how poorly this movie was constructed. From a screenplay so hackneyed, it could have been written by Joe Ezsterhas during an eight-day coke bender. To a story so worthless that it makes episodes of “The Hills” seem riveting. This movie is just terrible. The kind of empty, useless movie that almost makes me angry after considering the talent involved.

And I’m not talking about Bruce Willis. I love Bruce Willis. I’m a Bruce-Willis apologist. But the man would do any movie as long as a check was cut for his asking price.

Bruce would star in Bruce Willis Sodomizes the Dead if $10 million were attached to it. I recycled that joke from a review I did in 2007. And guess what: I’m fine with that.

Because this movie is so fucking lazy that it doesn’t deserve my “A” material.

The lapse in talent falls squarely on the director, Kevin Smith. I was a product of the revolution in independent filmmaking that took place in the early 1990s. These were the days where names like “Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino, Stephen Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez” were being introduced to the film world. This was a great time for modern cinema, where a new generation of mavericks were being introduced. Kevin Smith was one of those filmmakers who took a little movie with a microscopic budget, and showed audiences and critics alike that the boundaries could still be pushed. Clerks was, and is, one of my favorite movies.

Since, I have been a fan of Kevin Smith.

Cop Out is the eventual product of his descent from indie darling to mainstream filmmaker. And the end result is just worthless. It’s an un-comedy—a movie with a thin premise, where the actors resort to mugging faster than a crack addict in Trenton during a Shriner’s convention. It’s supposed to be a throwback to the 1980’s buddy cop movies; yet, it lacks the very things that made those cornball movies so damn entertaining.

Instead of charismatic leads and an interesting story, we’re treated to a couple of hams involved in some cockamamie scheme that involves a baseball card, a wedding debt and a Mexican drug lord.

Bruce Willis is slumming it harder than Section 8 housing in Newark. Tracy Morgan leaps to the big screen with a mouth full of marbles. His performance should have come with subtitles. I like Tracy Morgan’s shtick on “30 Rock” and “SNL,” but the big screen requires more than his TV persona can

a few must-sees this week by: Anghus

Cop Out Starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan

ZILCH!

ing suspended for a month because he was “counting on the money to help pay for his daughter’s wedding.” In the next, he is discussing the almost $50,000 price tag for the ceremony. On a cop’s salary, one month’s pay might cover the cost of the invitations.

It’s that kind of lazy that makes me angry.

Alice in Wonderland

Regal Mayfaire Cinemas 900 Town Center Drive • (910) 256-0556 Call for times • $6.50 - $9.50 (pictured) A young girl when she first visited magical Underland, Alice Kingsleigh (Mia Wasikowska) is now a teenager with no memory of

the place—except in her dreams. Her life takes a turn for the unexpected when, at a garden party for her fiancé and herself, she spots a certain white rabbit and tumbles down a hole after him. Reunited with her friends the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Cheshire Cat and others, Alice learns it is her destiny to end the Red Queen’s (Helena Bonham Carter) reign of terror. PG LAZY FILMMAKING: Starring Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis, Kevin Smith made Cop Out with lazy directing hands.

deliver. The flaws are all laid out on the big screen. The man does not possess an ounce of sincerity. This is fine when playing “Astronaut Jones.” However, when it requires audiences to sympathize with a character, Morgan better have something more to offer than loud outbursts.

As I watched the movie, I just marveled at the casting of Rashida Jones as Morgan’s onscreen wife. I cannot fathom a world where someone as lovely as Rashida Jones would end up with a crazy bastard like Morgan. Suspension of disbelief is one thing, but we’re talking ruptures in the space time continuum that would make Stephen Hawking stand up and say, “God damn!”

So Cop Out consists of bad writing, piss poor acting and lazy direction. How lazy?

Smith doesn’t even bother to pay attention to the internal logic of the film from scene to scene. In one scene, Bruce Willis is a down-on-his-luck cop, complaining about be-

Cop Out is a disgrace. Cinematic flop sweat. The kind of film that should anger both audiences and people who work in the film and television industry. I can’t even begin to figure out how this movie got made. How the talent was not only attached, but how so many talented people just phoned it in. This movie doesn’t just insult us as an audience: it throws salt in our eyes, calls us fat, and gets our daughters pregnant.

Just avoid Cop Out; instead, seek out film prints and burn them so that others won’t be infected by its malaise. Sure, it’s a buddy cop comedy—a genre not exactly revered for being genius or exhibiting a lot of originality. But take a similar film: Rush Hour, directed by a hack like Brett Rattner, and starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Even though the title makes little sense, the plot makes even lesser sense. Does anyone actually know why the movie was called Rush Hour? But there’s enough there to make it entertaining.

Bruce Willis coasts through Cop Out with dead eyes, and Tracy Morgan acts like he’s on fire. This movie is everything wrong with the film industry. A textbook example of the limp-dick mentality in mainstream filmmaking.

www. encor epub.com

The Maid

Cinemaqtiue Thalian Hall • 310 Chestnut Street March 10-14th: Wed-Sat., 7:30pm • Sun., 3pm • $7 The gulf between the upstairs and downstairs lives of servants and their employers has never been more intriguingly and psychologically explored than in The Maid. Forty-one-year-old Raquel has worked for the Valdez family for 23 years. They depend on her for succor and support as she maintains the household, but she is slowly showing signs of strai.

The concerned family hires another maid to assist her, and the delicate household balance changes, which Raquel responds to unexpectedly. Starring Catalina Saavedra, Claudia Celedón, Mariana Loyola and Alejandro Garcia-Huidobro. In Spanish with English subtitles. 95 minutes. Not rated.

Mysterious Skin

Juggling Gypsy’s Subversive Film Series 1612 Castle Street • (910) 763-2223 Sunday, March 14th, 8pm • free In 1981, in Hutchinson, Kansas, 8-year-old Neil McCormick is sexually abused by his pedophile baseball coach, and his deranged and promiscuous mother does not pay attention. Meanwhile, 8-yearold Brian Lackey awakes from a brief amnesia of four hours with a bleeding nose, but his negligent father does not pay attention to the event. The two grow up eventually meet, and reveal their darkest, innermost secrets. 104 minutes; NC-17.

All AreA movie listings And pArAgrAph synopses cAn be found At encorepub.com.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 21

Crafting Communities: CAM’s newest exhibit displays a patch work

S

pring is approaching quickly in our calendars, promising warmer days and new beginnings. Yet, the days of February and March help us remember struggles overcome. As Black History Month transitions into Women’s History Month, the staff of Cameron Art Museum has become inspired to join the poignant pasts together in a brand new show featuring quilts from three artists.

“In looking at a number of possibilities for the exhibit, I knew that I wanted contemporary African-American artists represented and, eventually, specifically, female,” Daphne Holmes, the curator of public programs at Cameron Art Museum, says. “I narrowed it to artists that use a lot of texture and color; objects found and created that have a strong, consistent link to the past thematically but are rooted in the present-day.”

The three quilters selected pull strong inspirations from their backgrounds while still holding significant influence in modern-art communities. Amalia Amaki, Lillian Blades and Beverly Buchanan have several

by: Lauren Hodges

Recollection: The Past and the Present

Featuring the works of Beverly Buchanan, Lilan Blades and Amelia Amaki Cameron Art Museum 3201 South 17th Street March 18th • 6-9pm awards, fellowships and exhibits between them. Buchanan’s shacks, churches and houses have a Southern gothic quality and a high attention to architectural detail. Amaki’s emphasis lies in her encrusted accessories, like fans and jewelry boxes, along with salvaged materials from old churches and houses. Blades’ large-scale quilts hang confidently from the walls, the images of eyes and Southern artifacts incorporated with pieces of glass. The African and Carribbean influences are strong in the images, paying tribute to cultures from the artists’

SUNSET ON THE BEACH by Lillian Blades is one of many works showcased in CAM’s latest exhibit, opening the 18th.

families. “Together, the works give viewers a glimpse into the familiar, as well as the unknown,” Holmes says.

The featured quilts might look familiar— and for good reason. They were acquired by the museum from the Mississippi Museum of Art, which featured the works of a contemporary quilt collective, called the “Mississippi Cultural Crossroads.” The collective, which is based out of Port Gibson, Michigan, was featured in a 2006 PBS

22 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

series, “Craft in America.” The aired segment was called “Community.”

Holmes could easily articulate the connection.

“Quilts are timeless pieces of the family history for so many,” she says.

“As objects, they have moved from purely functional, necessary household items to craft. Now, with years of exhibitions in art museums across the country, they have progressed to a level of fine art.”

As the quilts are carefully hung on the walls of the museum, Holmes and her colleagues are hoping to provide a rich experience for the Wilmington community. The show has the ability to mix the accessible with the mysterious, a quality that Holmes is confident will speak volumes to the public.

“The point of the exhibit is to point out that we all remember the past in the same way: by design or stumbling upon things or situations that jar our memories,” Holmes says. “When remembered or talked about by others, the past suddenly is in the forefront of our thoughts if only for a fleeting moment.”

Holmes believes that feelings of the artists can be communicated through the familiar symbols used in the quilts, specifically the buildings. “Anywhere in this country or in the world, we can stumble upon the ruins of shacks, houses and entire small communities and wonder about the lives lived there; we can wonder where they all went.

These are thoughts which can be both fanciful and sad at the same time.”

“Recollection: The Past is Present.” featuring the works of Beverly Buchanan, Lillian Blades and Amalia Amaki, will have an opening reception on Thursday, March 18th from 6-7pm with film screenings beginning after 7. The opening will coincide with the North Carolina Black Film Festival, formerly called CineNoir. In the exhibit space will be a 50-minute DVD loop featuring the “Craft in America: Communities” segment on the quilters.

The show’s influence will continue well into the spring. On April 25th painter/poet Ann Parks McCray will discuss the exhibit in her writing and visual experience program “The Poetry of Time in Visual Images.” On May 20th, the Forward Motion Dance Company will give a performance inspired by the exhibit. Finally, on June 13th, E.J. Stewart will give her presentation “The Forgotten Rural Black Women,” funded by the NC Humanities Council.

Visit online at www.cameronartmuseum. com for more information.

Artfuel.inc

1701 Wrightsville Ave 910 343 5233 Mon-Sat, 12-9pm; Sunday, 1-6pm www.artfuelinc.com www.myspace.com/artfuel_inc Artfuel.inc is located at the corner of Wrightsville Ave and 17th st. Housed in an old gas station, we offer resident artists working in studios alongside a gallery space used to exhibit other artists work.

We hope to connect artists with each other and offer many styles of work to fuel the public’s interest. Currently, Artfuel, Inc. will showcase Volume 22, a graffiti extravaganza, featuring Stevie Mack, Kid Mike, Mathew Curran, Camden Noir and Eye Dee. Live tagging will be done throughout the evening on a wall built specially for the event. All are welcome.

Crescent Moon

332 Nutt St, The Cotton Exchange • (910) 762-4207 Mon.-Sat., 10am-5:30pm; Sun., 12-4pm www.crescentmoonnc.com Eleven Wilmington glass artists as well as four regional NC artists are now showcased at Crescent Moon at the Cotton Exchange. There is always room for more in our little glass and metal art gallery. So if you are a glass blower or flameworker, fused glass or stained glass artist, or metal sculptor contact us to be juried in.

Crescent Moon won a 2009 Top Retailer by Niche Magazine for supporting and promoting hand-made craft. It is what we stand for.

Hours: Monday- Saturday 10am-5:30pm and Sundays 12pm-4pm. Crescent Moon is located in The Cotton Exchange where parking is FREE while shopping or dining. Call 910-762-4207 or visit HYPERLINK “http://www.crescentmoonnc. com”www.crescentmoonnc.com Follow us on twitter as CrescentMoonNC or become a fan on our Facebook page!

Hampstead Art Gallery

14712 Hwy. 17 N. • (910) 270-5180 Mon.-Sat. 11am-5pm, or by appt.

Hampstead, NC “Beautiful; lots of variety.” “Love the place.”

“Beautiful art work.” “Very nice.” “Art rocks your socks, and you know that.” These are just what a few customers had to say about Hampstead Art Gallery. Come and tell us what you think.

Affordable prices on prints and originals. Local artists with various styles and taste are just excited about having the opportunity to share their work with all art lovers. Our artists offer different sizes from what we have on display and low rates on commissioned work.

Owner Charles Turner invites all artists and art lovers to just hang out in our new Artist Lounge any time. Look for our upcoming Expos and Open House. Hampstead Art Gallery is located in Hampstead on the corner of Factory Road next to CVS Pharmacy.

New Elements Gallery

216 N. Front St. • (919) 343-8997 Tues-Sat: 11am-5:30pm or by appointment www.newelementsgallery.com

New Elements Gallery presents Color Stories, a collection of recent works by the gallery’s artists, including Bruce Bowman, Nancy Carter, Richard Garrison, Jack Ketner and Sally Sutton. Exhibition Show will hanf through March 20th.

New Elements Gallery changes its exhibitions each month to coincide with Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, which takes place next on March 26th.

pattersonbehn art gallery

511 1/2 Castle Street • (910) 251-8886 Tues.-Sat. 11am-5pm (Winter: closed Monday) www.pattersonbehn.com pattersonbehn will be featuring the work of Michelle Connolly. Michelle is a remarkably, prolific artist who has managed to stay connected to her inner child by channeling it through her artwork.

Though so much of her work comes from her personal memories and her very active imaginationthere is also a strong sense of depth and maturity to many of her pieces. The show will be hanging from Feb. 18th- Mar. 18th. Opening will be Friday, Feb. 26th 6:00-8:00 pm. pattersonbehn is open Tuesday-Saturday 11-5.

The gallery also carries works by Bob Bryden, Virginia Wright-Frierson, Rachel Kastner, Pam Toll, and Katherine Webb, as well as a large selection of works on paper in numerous media.

Sunset River Marketplace

10283 Beach Dr., SW (NC 179) • (910) 5755999 Tues- Sat. 10am-5pm Closed Mon. in winter sunsetrivermarketplace.com myspace.comsunsetrivermarketplace This eclectic, spacious gallery, located in the historic fishing village of Calabash, N.C., features fine arts and crafts by some of North and South Carolina’s most creative, successful artists. Almost every genre is represented here—oil, pastel and watercolor, clay and glass art, fiber art, turned wood, metal works, artisan-crafted jewelry and more. Classes, workshops, pottery studio, custom framing, Creative Exchange lecture series and Coffee With the Author series are also offered on-site.

Wilmington Art Association Gallery

616B Castle St. (910) 343-4370 www.wilmington-art.org The Wilmington Art Association will hold its 28th annual Spring Art Show and Sale during the Azalea Festival week-end of April 9-11. The venue takes place at Perry Hall at St. James Episcopal Church, Fourth and Dock Streets Friday and Saturday from 10am-5:30pm and Sunday from noon-4pm. Free and open to the public. Check out Betty Brown’s winning “White Azalea” poster.

There is still time to enter the show. Deadline: March 15. Register online at www.wilmington-art.org.

Currently showing is Gordon Webb, photographer, radio producer and scriptwriter. Webb’s art photography will hang through March 24th.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 23

8FEOFTEBZ .BSDI UI 8am-11am AnnuAl ‘Kegs And eggs’ KICKOFF PARTY

FIRsT 100 PeOPle ReCeIVe FRee guInness PInT glAss After 11am TRAdITIOnAl IRIsh FOOd seRVed All dAY! 12pm-3pm BlARneY BROughs In The PuB! 3pm-6pm FRed FlYnn And The sTOnes In The TenT! 7pm-10pm BIBIs And The sPARe ChAnge BAnd In The TenT! 11pm-2am MIllenIA FunK’n In The PuB! Live DJ on the lounge side from 8pm-2am!

1610 Pavillion Place • Wilmington, nC 28403 (910) 256-0102 24 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

Love is Back!

New lineup of The Love Language staged at Soapbox

“Y

by: Sarah Boggs

The Love Language Featuring Lonnie Walker and Rio Bravo Soapbox Laundro Lounge 255 N. Front Street March 13th; 8pm • $10

tracks pass the car test for me, they’ll be ready to go.”

And as soon as Libraries hits the shelves, fans, too, will most likely be cruisin’ around the Port City with new “love” spreading throughout the town. Until then, plan on seeing McLamb at the Soapbox as The Love Language performs on March 13th with Lonnie Walker and Rio Bravo. Tickets are $10; doors at 8pm.

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ou’re an artist with a steady wrist/And I’m just a sad scientist/Singing about who I kissed last night.” These few lines from The Love Language’s song “Nightdogs” essentially summarize the band’s self-titled album: a collection of laments for lost loves and anthems, reclaiming righteousness paired with spirited beats and orchestral fullness. Despite the been-there-done-that aspect of the songs—heartbreaks, tough breaks, breaking out of melancholy—this maiden album, a sort of mix between Beatles-esque backbeats with The Decemberists’ catchiness and Dashboard Confessional’s storylines, has certainly something with which to reckon.

“It all comes from a place of sincerity,” Stuart McLamb, the mastermind behind The Love Language, told encore when asked from where his soul originates. “The emotion and passion that goes into such tough times just carries through into my songwriting and recording.”

This passion and emotion translates not only into tortured grievances about the past, but mostly into the kinds of “if love be rough with you, be rough with love” rally-tunes— the relatable kinds of anthems expected out of someone regaining his footing and giving the finger to the past.

Having bitterly ended a relationship in Raleigh, McLamb found himself back in Chapel Hill living at home and working crappy jobs just to afford gas. His musical past—a few projects in earlier days, namely, a Skynyrdinspired Southern-rock outfit back in middle school—motivated him to turn his anguish into lyrical form. So, he recorded his 9-track album on his own hand-me-down equipment.

Once the record was finishedm and McLamb decided to perform his songs live, he formed a band of friends to play the instruments, as he sang his heart out and rocked the electric guitar onstage.

“It was pretty terrifying at first,” McLamb said. “But now—the album’s been out almost three years now—the songs are less personal and more universal. Those wounds have healed, and I have a much different connection with [them] now.” After three years of salting his scars, the first album’s stories have evolved into something different, something that McLamb, his bandmates and his audience can all live through, even though McLamb was the one who experienced all the heartbreak firsthand.

“It’s never been a collective thing. It’s always been my songs performed the way I wrote them, and the band understands that,” McLamb confessed. “The former Love Language band is actually no more. It was hard to incorporate seven people into recording a new record of my songs, so we

8129 Market St. 686-6297 Mon.-Fri 8aM-6pM Sat. 8aM-12pM STU-ED UP: Stuart McLamb performs with his new lineup of The Love Language this Saturday at the Soapbox—new album out this summer!

parted ways.” The first band had a friendly breakup, reforming into two separate entities. The Love Language has formed a new band to perform the songs from McLamb’s upcoming album, Libraries, expected for release mid-July, with a tour to follow.

Libraries, like McLamb’s first album, “isn’t collaborative. I had some help on a couple of tracks with instrument parts I couldn’t play myself, but I wrote it all, just like the last album,” he explains. That being the case, fans may expect the same energetic beats, perhaps with a fuller sound, and a new arsenal of stories to tell. McLamb explains: “It’s really an actualization of all the sounds from the last album that I tried to achieve. The album has the same ‘60s-pop, Beach-Boys, full-spectrum feel—only this time it’s bigger.”

McLamb is ready to perform a new repertoire, now feeling the wear on his debut release. “There’s always something really transcendental about performing, especially when you’re enjoying the music as much as your audience,” McLamb explained. “I’m just ready for some new songs to play. It’s time.”

McLamb looks forward to performing the new tracks from Libraries, but not until the record passes the “car test.” “You know, music just sounds its best in the car,” McLamb mused, “so as soon as the new

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encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 25

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Socially Sonic: Brad Heller talks songwriting and the Fustics’ new album, Beyond This Life by: Adrian Varnam

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Brad Heller and the Fustics www.myspace.com/thefustics Hell’s Kicthen • 118 Princess Street March 13th • 9pm Admission: $5

I

n a local music scene that seems to turnover bands as often as it turns over bars, few have the tenacity, dedication and commitment to stay together and continue performing as much as Brad Heller and the Fustics. Although the lineup has waxed, waned and evolved over the years, it’s Heller who remains the centerpiece of a band that has called Wilmington its home for almost 10 years.

Known for their live performances and dedicated touring schedule all over the Southeast, Brad Heller and the Fustics have just released their newest album, Beyond This Life. Their most complete and produced effort to date, Beyond This Life proves that the Fustics are more than just an average bar band.

“I think it’s our best record—production-wise, sonically—to date,” Heller says.

“The thing that I like about it is it’s so diverse.

There’s rock ‘n’ roll, country, folk, and blues. I think it has a good universal appeal. And the album represents the past couple of years for me: the events going on around the world and also personal satisfaction that I’ve found, which I’d struggled to find for so long.”

According to Heller, balancing personal satisfaction and the problems of the world is a difficult task. Always mindful of others’ struggles, he has spent most of his adult life writing and singing about issues that affect the world around him—from the poor, to the downtrodden, to the disenfranchised. As an artist, it’s what has attracted his songwriting most.

“That’s just how I write,” he says. “The way I produce my artwork is through serious matters, social matters and universal matters that effect everybody. You see the ills of society, and you can either address them, discuss them, and do what you can to change them, or you can ignore them. For me it’s a driving force. But I don’t think my songs subscribe to a certain political affiliation. Even though I have strong opinions about things, I think the songs are more social than anything.

They tell stories, and my goal is for the listener to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. I would love to write about simpler things and maybe not be so serious, but I don’t know how to write like that.”

Still, Heller is well aware of his role as a

26 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

AMERICANA ROOTS: Brad Heller and the Fustics play Hell’s Kitchen March 13th and release their latest album to fans, old and new alike.

storyteller—that if he doesn’t package his message in a manner that’s pleasing to his audience, he doesn’t get an opportunity to get his message across. The result is a sound that is purely Americana, with acoustic guitar-driven rock ‘n’ roll and country-tinged blues. With every album and every live performance, Heller’s music sounds more like Springsteen and Son Volt than Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger. For him, it’s a balance that he works hard to achieve.

“With music I try to make sure that the songs lyrically are challenging and intellectual, but at the same time, are pleasing, poppy and melodic,” he says. “I’ve come to realize that I am an entertainer, and I’ve accepted that. If I wanted people to only listen to the lyrics, I’d strictly play coffee shops or just play by myself, [with] a guitar. But I want people to listen to the whole concept; I want them to listen to the other musicians. I want them to hear the beat of the drums and the pulse of the bass, and I want them to hear the ensemble.”

Playing with his band over the years has allowed him to share his message to audiences whom may not normally think about such things; Heller has grown well aware of this fact. Thus, he has become more comfortable being a serious artist in rooms that aren’t

always listening for the storylines. He’s learned to become a little more balanced, not take his job too seriously—even if his subject matter sometimes is—and to be thankful for the experience he lives every night.

“I’ve matured a lot over the years,” he says. “I appreciate it when people clap, when they listen, when they just react. Because it’s hard. When you’re go on the road as much as we [are], one person clapping can make the whole night. When I first started playing music professionally, I might have wanted people to react more genuinely, but, man, now I’ll take whatever reaction I get— whether it’s genuine or not.”

Even though being a professional musician is a tough career path for most, Heller knows that he’s lucky to be doing what he loves for a living. Like many of the characters in his songs, he knows how difficult life can be for some and he tries to stay focused, driven, and happy forging his path through this life.

“The one thing I don’t want to become is bitter,” he says. “I refuse to become bitter regardless of how hard it gets. I just keep writing songs, challenging myself and believing that what I’m doing is right. That’s all I can do. That’s all you can do in life, really.

You have to do whatever it is that makes you happy, because at the end of the day, if you’re not happy, it’s a life wasted.”

Brad Heller and The Fustics play this Saturday, March 13th, at Hell’s Kitchen. Admission is $5 and the music starts at 9pm.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 27

soundboard

a preview of tunes all over town this week

WEDNESDAY, MArch 10

CheaP girls, the slow Death, PinK Flag â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

ThUrSDAY, MArch 11

CoUrtesy oF artist

nUtt hoUse iMProv, KaraoKe Kong KaraoKe with DJ Urban â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Nutt Street Comedy Room, 255 N. Front â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 St.; 251-8500 KaraoKe with bob Clayton george Davis trio â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Midtown Seafood, 4106 Oleander Dr.; â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Dead Dog Saloon, 760 Coastal Grand, 792-6880 Myrtle Beach, SC; 843-839-3647 DJ P. FUnK the strangers, MonKey JUnCtion â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Fibber McGeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 1610 Pavilion Pl; reUnion show 509-1551 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Liquid Room, 23 Market St.;910-343oPen MiC night 3341 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; DJbe eXtreMe KaraoKe 763-2223 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff Rd.; DJ JUiCe 256-3838 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Rhino Club, 125 Market St.; 762-2206 KaraoKe w/ DJ biKer rob roger Davis, ron wilson â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Katyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; DJ JePh CaUlter 763-3737 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 eriC anD Carey b.

Piano show â&#x20AC;&#x201D;El Zarrape Cantina, 103 Lake Park Blvd.; 458-5255 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Rum Runners, 21 N. Front St.; 815-3846 anDrew ChaDDerton oPen MiC night with gary allen â&#x20AC;&#x201D;The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Rusty Nail, 1310 S. 5th Ave.; 251-1888

LOOK MEXIcO is playing Friday night at The Soapbox Upstairs. Go check them out!

GRAND UNION PUB 1125 Military Cutoff Road (910) 256-9133

117 Grace St. Downtown 910-763-3456

wed 3.10

dj be karaoke thurs 3.11

team trivia with

dj richtermeister fri 3.12

sound dog sat 3.13

live music with

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,ANDFALL #ENTER s 1331 Military Cutoff Rd

910-256-3838 wildwingcafe.com

28 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

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LIVE BELLY DANCING Every Friday and Saturday 10pm - 12am

All-natural homemade fruit tobacco TRY ONE OF OUR SIGNATURE MIXES www.arabiannightshookahcafe.com

WEEKLY EVENTS TUESDAYS &WEDNESDAYS

NUTTHOUSE IMPROV

$5 COVER $1 FRONT STREET BREWERY BEERS!

THURSDAYS

NUTT STREET OPEN MIC ALL SHOWS 8:00 DOORS 9:00 SHOW CALL 251-7881 FOR MORE INFO

46/%": 25 oz. draft mugs $5 12.50 pitchers â&#x20AC;˘ $5 wings .0/%": $ domestic btls â&#x20AC;˘ fish & chip special 56&4%": $3 english beers shepherdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pie, banger & mash special 8&%/&4%": $3 guinness, $4 irish car bombs turkey or corned beef reuben special 5)634%": $3 pints â&#x20AC;˘ $1.50 burger sliders '3*%": $2.50 mexican beers, $3 margaritas $5 nachos and quesadilla special 4"563%": $3 well drinks, $4 bombs, $15 domestic buckets -*7& .64*$ '3* 4"5 3-12 Blivet/ 3-13 Fred Flynn & the StoneS/ 3-17 St. patrickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S day party irish music in the afternoon, Jeremy norris @ 10:30/ 3-19 BigFoot 3-20 Jeremy norriS & FriendS 3-26 on diSc play/ 3-27 traviS Shallow & Band March 14 @ grand union pub Surferâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S healing fundraiSer

gUitarist Perry sMith â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Caffe Phoenix, 9 S Front St.; 343-1395 KaraoKe Kong â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Orton Pool Room, 133 North Front St.; 343-8878 DJ stretCh â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Trebenzioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 Fire & DrUM JaM, DJ Mit, PsytranCe â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 oPen MiC w/ JereMy norris â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Katyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 DJ â&#x20AC;&#x153;Mr leeâ&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595

Feature your live music and drink specials!

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a low-cost high-impact way to send encore readers your way!

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KaraoKe w/ DJ Steve —The Toolbox, 2325 Burnette Blvd.; 343-6988 KaraoKe w/ BoB Clayton —Midtown Seafood, 4106 Oleander Dr.; 792-6880 KaraoKe —Yosake Sushi Lounge, 31 S. Front St.; 763-3172 Hip-Hop nigHt —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 tHe StaBle HanDS —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 Caltrop, Mortal Man, MuSiC HateS you, SalvaCion, teMple Detroyer —Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 tHe DiSCorDian SoCiety —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 DJ riCHterMeiSter —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff Rd.; 256-3838 ClaSSy KaraoKe witH ManDy Clayton —Remedies, Market Street; 392-8001 DJ Don’t Stop —Slick and Reds, 2501 S. College Rd.; 798-5355

DJ CoMpoSe —Port City Pub, 121 Grace St.; 251-3791 DJ CeD —The Rhino Club, 125 Market St.; 762-2206 FaMily KaraoKe —Alfie’s, 2528 Castle Hayne Rd.; 251-5707 toM rHoDeS —Firebelly Lounge, 265 N. Front St.; 763-0141

friDAY, mArch 12 DJ —Level 5/City Stage, 21 N. Front St.; 342-0872 DJ CeD —The Rhino Club, 125 Market St.; 762-2206 FriDay nigHt FollieS —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 overtyMe —Holiday Inn Sunspree, 1706 North Lumina Ave. Wrightsville Beach; 256-9208 Hip-Hop DJ —Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach; 256-2776

JUNCTION PUB AND BILLIARDS 5216 Carolina Beach Road MONDAY MADNESS: Domestic Pints: $225 Well Vodka Drinks: $350 FREE POOL AFTER MIDNIGHT TASTY TUESDAYS: CALL NIGHT All call liquors: $400 Drinks or Shots WET WEDNESDAYS: Smirnoff Flavor Liquors $400 Drinks or Shots LATE NIGHT!!!

Domestic Light Beer $225

(Bud Light, Miller Light, Natural, Coors Light)

THIRSTY THURSDAYS: 22 Oz. Domestic Beers $400 FINALLY FRIDAYS: Cream Drinks $450 Blue Moon Draft $325 SATURDAYS: Corona & Corona Lts $250 Cuervo Silver Shots $300 Dox Equix Draft $300 POOL HAPPY HOURS 3pm-6pm $5 per player SUNDAYS: Service Employees Night Jager Shots $325 Jager Bombs $425 Coors Light Bottles $225 FREE POOL AFTER 10pm Every Mon-Wed-Fri Happy Hour Pool!

FREE POOL from 3-5pm!

Every Saturday, Sunday and Monday $3.50 25oz. Draft Special .0/%": 5.99 Cheeseburger & Fries All Day

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56&4%": Double Lunch Punch from 11am - 3pm 8&%/&4%": 10 Boneless Wings & Domestic Draft for $ 5.99 All Day or 10 Boneless Wings, Curly Fries & Dressing for $ 5.99 All Day 5)634%": $2.50 Wells

5112 Market Street (910) 791-0799

Melvin anD Sayer —El Zarrape Cantina, 103 Lake Park Blvd.; 458-5255 DJ —The Sandbar, 417 S. College Rd.; 791-6080 KaraoKe w/ BoB Clayton —Midtown Seafood, 4106 Oleander Dr.; 792-6880 DJ —Yosake Sushi Lounge, 31 S. Front St.; 763-3172 KaraoKe Kong —Slick and Reds, 2501 S. College Rd.; 798-5355 Dane Britt —Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.; 689-7219 DJ CHaMp —Rox, 208 Market St.; 343-0402 piano SHow —Rum Runners, 21 N. Front St.; 815-3846 Daniel pariSH —Henry’s, 2806 Independence Blvd.; 793-2929 looK MexiCo, MuSeuM MoutH, Mourning iS For SuCKerS, FraCtal FarM —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

Tuesday & Wednesday Martini Madness $2 Martinis Music by DJ TiMe Thursday ILM Electrotheque $2 Shots Music by GUeiCe & DST Friday & Saturday Discotheque $4 infused Vodkas Music by DJ DUSTiN CooK Sunday Open Mic $3 Drafts MUSiC BY YoU (instruments provided) 23 N. FroNt St. DowNtowN wilmiNgtoN

Spring BreaK 1931 —Lucky’s, 2505 S. College Rd.; 792-1812 SCott Carter —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133 MaSonBoro SounD —Sweet & Savory Cafe; 1611 Pavilion Plc., 910-256-0115 Blivet —Grand Union Pub, 1125 Military Cutoff; 910-256-9133 CoMeDian Mary MaCK —Nutt Street Comedy Room, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 little MiSS SaBotage & CornFlowerS, a Furry green Fox —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 latino nigHt witH DJ —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 roBBie Berry —Southpaw Sports Bar, 123 Princess St.;338-1886 DJ StretCH —Trebenzio’s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 DJ tiMe —Fibber McGee’s, 1610 Pavilion Pl; 509-1551

1/2 priced select apppetizers m-f 4-7pm MONDAY $10 Bud/Light Buckets $4 Jack Daniels • $3 Capt. Morgan TUESDAY $1 Tacos 4-7pm • $3 sauza $15 margarita pitchers $3 Mexican Beers $5 Top Shelf Tequila • $7 Patron WEDNESDAY $3 Pints (10 Drafts) $5 Jager Bombs • $2 wells THURSDAY Mug Night $2 Domestic Drafts w/HK MUG $5 Bombers • $4 Jim Beam $3 pinnacle flavored vodkas $3.50 MicroBrews FRIDAY $3 Select Draft $4 Fire Fly Shooters $5 Red Bull Vodka SATURDAY $2.50 Miller Lt or Yuengling Draft $8 Pitcher • $3 Kamikaze $4 Well Drinks SUNDAY $2.50 Bud/Light Draft $8 Pitcher • $5 Crown Royal $4 Bloody Mary

CATCH ALL THE ACTION WITH NFL SUNDAY TICKET ON 10 HDTVs and HD big screen Your Team - Every Game, Every Week 118 Princess St • (910)763-4133

onwarD SolDierS —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 KaraoKe w/ DJ val —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 Sai CollinS —Firebelly Lounge, 265 N. Front St.; 763-0141

SAturDAY, mArch 13 Hip-Hop DJ —Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach; 256-2776 DJ StretCH; live JaM witH Benny Hill —Trebenzio’s, 141 N. Front St.; 815-3301 DJ p. Money —Rox, 208 Market St.; 343-0402 piano SHow —Rum Runners, 21 N. Front St.; 815-3846 Dane Britt —Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.; 689-7219 DJ —Level 5/City Stage, 21 N. Front St.; 342-0872 ClaSSy KaraoKe witH ManDy Clayton —Remedies, Market Street; 392-8001

A SAmpling of SpECiAlS noW AVAilABlE AT BoTH loCATionS! SundAy Any pitcher and a large pizza $20

DJ SCooter FreSH —The Rhino Club, 125 Market St.; 762-2206 guitariSt perry SMitH —Caffe Phoenix, 9 S Front St.; 343-1395 DJ Foxxy —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 DJ —Ronnie’s Place, 6745-B Market St.; 228-8056 KaraoKe w/ BoB Clayton —Midtown Seafood, 4106 Oleander Dr.; 792-6880 BeaCH & SHag nigHt —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 DaMona waitS, Silver JuDaS, treaSon at Sea —Lucky’s, 2505 S. College Rd.; 792-1812 tHe love language, lonnie walKer, rio Bravo —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500 tHe FuStiCS —Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 763-4133

visit our website www.ruckerJohns.com for daily specials, music and upcoming events monday All Pizzas $5 in the bar after 5pm 22oz Domestic Draft $200

mondAy All craft beer pints $3

tuesday Live Jazz in the Bar Half Price Bottles of Wine Absolut Dream $5 22oz Yendgling Draft $2 Pacifico $2.50

TuESdAy Two for Tuesday Two slices and any pint for $7.00.

wednesday Corona\Corona Light $250 Margarita\Peach Margaritas $4 10 oz domestic draft $1

WEdnESdAy pint of the week: $2.50 THurSdAy All-you-can-eat pizza buffet for only $6.

Two Wilmington locations near unCW 250 racine drive • 910-452-9000 downtown 131 n. front St • 910-343-8881

See all the specials at www.fatpub.com

thursday Gran Martinis $7 • Red Stripe $250 friday Cosmos $4 • 007 $350 Harps bottles $250 saturday Baybreeze\Seabreeze $4 22oz Blue Moon Draft $3 Select domestic bottles $150 sunday Domestic Draft Pints $150 Bloody Marys $4 White Russians $4 5564 Carolina Beach Rd 452-1212

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 29

SteVe todd & FriendS —Ocean Grill, 1211 S. Lake Blvd; 458-2000 MedUSa Stone UnplUgged —Firebelly Lounge, 265 N. Front St.; 763-0141

sunday, march 14

JaM with Benny hill —Rusty Nail, 1310 S. 5th Ave.; 251-1888 dJ Big KahUna —The Sandbar, 417 S. College Rd.; 791-6080

dJ p. Money —Rox, 208 Market St.; 343-0402 FlUtiSt niKKi wiSnioSKi —Caffe Phoenix, 9 S Front St.; 343-1395

dJBe extreMe KaraoKe —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088

dJ Big KahUna —Rum Runners, 21 N. Front St.; 815-3846

SUnday night FeVer —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301

couP de Grace playing Monday at The Soapbox Lounge.

100 S. Front St. Downtown 251-1832

RACK ‘EM PUB TUESDAY

TExAS holD Em ToUrnAmEnT $4 jAgEr $2 bUD lT $2 millEr lT $5 chickEn clUb piTAS Call to hear our daily specials DBMM UP QMBO ZPVS GSFF QSJWBUF QBSUZ UPEBZ 1610 Pavilion Place 910.256-0102

galen on gUitar (BrUnch) —Courtyard Marriott, 100 Charlotte Ave., Carolina Beach; (800) 321-2211 dJ ced —The Rhino Club, 125 Market St.; 762-2206 dale “FUlly aUtoMatic SoUnd Machine” dJS —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 StriKe anywhere, white tiger and the Bed oF roSeS, worn in red —Soapbox Upstairs, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

coUrteSy oF artiSt

BarBee & Maxwell UnplUgged (10-2aM) —Longstreet’s Irish Pub, 133 N. Front St.; 343-8881 Fred Flynn & the StoneS —Grand Union Pub, 1125 Military Cutoff; 910-256-9133 oUt on the ocean (12-3pM), the Blarney BroUghS (4-7), the phantoM playBoyS(8-Mid) —Fat Tony’s’ 250 Racine Dr, 910-343-8881 Bella Vita —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 iaMhUMan —Yosake Sushi Lounge, 31 S. Front St.; 763-3172 John MeilcarSKi —Holiday Inn Sunspree, 1706 North Lumina Ave. Wrightsville Beach; 256-9208 roBBie Berry —Smileys Tavern, 723 N. 4th Street; 399-1669 KaraoKe w/ dJ Val —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 aMelia’S MechanicS, poSSUM creeK —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088

415 South College Road MONDAY MADNESS: Domestic Pints: $225 Miller Light, Yuengling: $350 Well Vodka Drinks: $350 FREE POOL AFTER MIDNIGHT TASTY TUESDAYS: CALL NIGHT All call liquors: $400 WET WEDNESDAYS: Smirnoff Flavor Liquors $400 Drinks LATE NIGHT!!!

Domestic Light Beer $225 (Bud Light, Miller Light, Natural, Coors Light)

THIRSTY THURSDAYS: Import Beers $300 (Red Stripe, Heineken, New Castle)

FINALLY FRIDAYS: Cream Drinks $450 Blue Moon Draft $325 SATURDAYS: Corona $250 Cuervo Silver Shots $300 POOL HAPPY HOURS 3pm-6pm $5 per player SUNDAYS: Service Employees Night Bloody Marys $300 Jager Shots $325 Jager Bombs $425 Coors Light Bottles $225 FREE POOL AFTER 10pm

30 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

.0/%":

Weekly SpecialS

.0/%": $2.50 Budweiser Draft $4.00 Well Liquor FROM 4 UNTIL CLOSE $.50 Wings Buffalo, BBQ, or Teriyaki 56&4%": $2.50 Miller Lite Draft, $4.00 Hurricanes FROM 4 UNTIL CLOSE $6 Buffalo Shrimp or Chicken Tenders 8&%/&4%": $2.50 Yuengling Draft, $2.50 Domestic Bottles FROM 4 UNTIL CLOSE $2 Sliders 5)634%": $3.00 Coronas, $4.00 Margaritas FROM 4 UNTIL CLOSE $5 Cajun Shrimp or Fish Tacos '3*%": $3.00 Select Pint 4"563%": $5.50 Cosmos, Dirty Martinis or Apple Martinis 46/%": $5 Bloody Marys Half Priced Appetizers After 9:00 p.m.

Monday through Saturday.

monday, march 15 open Mic night —Port City Pub, 121 Grace St.; 251-3791 dJ p. FUnK —The Sandbar, 417 S. College Rd.; 791-6080 open Mic with BeaU —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 colBy wahl, FUzz Jax —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 open Mic with ViVa —El Zarrape Cantina, 103 Lake Park Blvd.; 458-5255 dJ richterMeiSter —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff Rd.; 256-3838 KaraoKe —Level 5/City Stage, 21 N. Front St.; 342-0872 coUp de grace (leFt), Sleep BellUM Sonno, rapid citieS —Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

tuesday, march 16 dJ doUBleclicK —The Sandbar, 417 S. College Rd.; 791-6080

5001 Market Street (attached to the Ramada Inn)

1/2 PRICE APPS. 4-6PM

910-791-7595

$2 Budweiser $2.25 Heineken $3 Gin & Tonic

SHAG LESSONS

$5 Sausage and Kraut $4 Tailgate Burgers $4 BBQ Plate 56&4%":

1/2 PRICE APPS. 4-6PM $2 White Wolf $2.50 Redstripe $3.50 Wells 35¢ Wings at 8pm 8&%/&4%":

1/2 PRICE APPS. 4-6PM $2.50 Blue Moons • $2.50 Corona/Corona Light 1/2 Priced Wine Bottles 5)634%": $2 Domestic Bottles,

TUESDAYS

LIVE MUSIC

@7:30 with Brad & Dancing with

GABBY’S LOUNGE

DJ “Mr Lee” $2 DOMEStic BOttLES THURSDAY LADiES NiGHt 1/2 PricE wiNE & $5 MArtiNi LiSt Line Dancing lessons with DJ “Mr Lee” and instructor Barbara Braak 7:30 FRIDAYS ArGENtiNE tANGO LESSONS WITH INSTRUCTION at 7:30 and

SALSA LESSONS at 9:30 with live DJ

$2.75 Import Bottles, $3 Rum and Coke

$2 Tequilla - $3 Corona - $4 Margarita’s

'3*%":

SATURDAY BEAcH & SHAG NiGHt, 8:00 BESt iN BEAcH & SHAG MuSic & DANciNG

LIVE MUSIC IN THE COURTYARD $3 Landshark • $3 Kamikaze • $5 Bombs 4"563%":

LIVE MUSIC IN THE COURTYARD Rooftop open by 6pm Dance floor open by 10pm 46/%": $5 Tommy Bahama Mojitos $2.75 Corona $3.50 Bloody Mary’s • $3 Mimosas

KaraoKe —Yosake Sushi Lounge, 31 S. Front St.; 763-3172 dane Britt KaraoKe —Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.; 689-7219 dJ “Mr lee” —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595 KaraoKe with dJ BiKer roB —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 radio hayeS and echopoint21 —Goat and Compass, 710 N. 4th St.; 772-1400 cape Fear BlUeS JaM —Rusty Nail, 1310 S. 5th Ave.; 251-1888 the BiBiS elliSon Band —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 KaraoKe w/ dJ Be —Ultra Classics Pool and Bar, North Hampstead KaraoKe with BoB clayton —Midtown Seafood, 4106 Oleander Dr.; 792-6880 KaraoKe Kong —16 Taps, 127 Princess St.; 251-1616 traViS Shallow —Wrightsville Grille, 6766 Wrightsville Ave.; 509-9839

March 21st

BAND Of Oz 4-8pm

Private Parties are available for booking 791-7595

Fri., March 12

OverTyMe 8-11PM Sat., March 13

jOHn MielcarSki 8-11PM Fri., March 19

l SHape lOT 8-11PM Sat., March 20

jOHn TOppinGS 8-11PM 877-330-5050 910-256-2231 wrightsville.sunspreeresorts.com

500 MileS tO MeMPHiS —Soapbox Lounge, 255 N. Front St.; 251-8500

WEDNESDAy, MARCH 17 KaraOKe WitH DJ urBan —Ibiza, 118 Market St.; 251-1301 KaraOKe WitH BOB claytOn —Midtown Seafood, 4106 Oleander Dr.; 792-6880 DJ P. FunK —Fibber McGee’s, 1610 Pavilion Pl; 509-1551 rOGer DaviS, rOn WilSOn —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 DJ Juice —The Rhino Club, 125 Market St.; 762-2206 OPen Mic niGHt —Juggling Gypsy Cafe, 1612 Castle St.; 763-2223 DJ —High Tide Lounge, 1800 Carolina Beach Ave., Carolina Bch; 458-0807 eric anD carey B. —El Zarrape Cantina, 103 Lake Park Blvd.; 458-5255

SMOOtH OP —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.; 763-3088 KaraOKe W/ DJ BiKer rOB —Katy’s, 1054 S. College Rd.; 395-6204 ten BelOW —Liquid Room, 23 Market St.; 910-343-3341

DJBe eXtreMe KaraOKe —Wild Wing Cafe, 1331 Military Cutoff Rd.; 256-3838 PianO SHOW —Rum Runners, 21 N. Front St.; 815-3846

uPStartS, rOGueS —Bottega Gallery, 208 North Front St.; 763-3737 DJ JePH caulter —Carolina Lounge, 5001A Market St.; 791-7595

OPen Mic niGHt WitH Gary allen —Rusty Nail, 1310 S. 5th Ave.; 251-1888 caSSerOle —Goat and Compass, 710 N. 4th St.; 772-1400 JereMy nOrriS —Grand Union Pub, 1125 Military Cutoff; 910-256-9133

All entertainment must be turned in to encore by noon every Thursday for consideration in the weekly entertainment calendar.

Venues are responsible for notifying encore of any changes, removals or additions to their weekly schedules.

Show Stoppers: Concerts around the region HOUSE OF BLUES 4640 HWy 17 S., Myrtle BeacH, Sc 843-272-3000 3/12: reO Speedwagon (right) 3/13: Ben Folds, Zach Williams 3/14: Project Haiti THE ORANGE PEEL 101 BiltMOre avenue, aSHeville 828-225-5851 3/10: robert earl Keen, Paco Shipp 3/12: Bela Fleck 3/13: ani DiFranco, erin McKeown 3/15: rodrigo y Gabriela, alex Skolnick trio

3/17: G. love & Special Sauce, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad

annie & the Beekeepers 3/16: Kool Keith

AMOS’ SOUTHEND 1423 SOutH tryOn St., cHarlOtte • 704-377-6874 3/11: StS9 3/12: MothersFinest, rough Draft 3/13: 42 3/17: alkaline trio, cursive

ALABAMA THEATRE 4750 HWy 17 SOutH, n. Myrtle BeacH, Sc 843-272-1111 3/13: Kingston trio 3/20: Drifters, coasters, Platters

LINCOLN THEATRE 126 e. caBarruS St., raleiGH 919-821-4111 3/12: Sherwood, Hot chelle rae, Black Gold, reece 3/13: night Prowler, the Static Minds 3/14: landon Pigg

CAROLINA THEATRE 309 W. MOrGan St., DurHaM 919-560-3030 3/10: train CAT’S CRADLE 300 e. Main St., carrBOrO

N. CHARLESTON PERFORMING ARTS CNTR. 5001 cOliSeuM Dr., cHarleStOn, Sc 843-529-5000 3/16: rodrigo y Gabriela

919-967-9053 3/10: the trails, Old 86 3/11: circa Survive, Good Old War, the christmas lights 3/12: Kickin Grass Band, adrienne young 3/13: the low anthem, lissie,

GREENSBORO COLISEUM 1921 WeSt lee St., GreenSBOrO, 336-373-7400 3/15: John Mayer

GE

Cruisers Car Wash and Detail Center kI

LOT GS

sorts.com

The Cruisers team sincerely thanks you, once again, for voting us the #1 Car Wash in Wilmington for the eighth year running. We promise to continue our daily commitment to excellence.

Clint James

Brandon Blizzard

Curtis Boyer

The Cruisers Management Team

Cruisers Mobile Express Onsite Wash & Detail 798-0123

Cruisers Car Wash and Detail 3835 Oleander Drive 799-6511

Cruisers Car Wash and Detail 325 South College Road 799-0070 encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 31

below Lunch Bunch 33 Restaurant Review 34-35 Dining Guide

Hail the Flatbread!

Flat Eddie’s offers different fare from Eddie Romanelli’s

I

t had been awhile since the encore crew got together for a lunch bunch, so the office was abuzz when Flat Eddies made its request.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Flat Eddies is where Eddie Romanelli’s used to be on Oleander Drive—same owners, new concept.

They redesigned the interior, making it a bit more chic and hip, featuring a cascade of chain “walls” that hang from the ceiling in the center of the dining room. We were immediately seated window-side at a big round table—kind of like the ones the mob dines at in the Godfather movies.

“I feel like we’re in Vegas,” Shea quipped before we sat. “Like in those old-school restaurants that have been updated with modern appeal.”

It would be apropos. The mob loved Vegas.

But Flat Eddies—despite its new, kitschy name—isn’t mob-or Vegas-related. They’re in the business of making Wilmington diners happy and comfortable, and perhaps even help them save a few pennies (rather than lose a few) with an affordably priced menu.

I was happy the entire staff was able to make it for lunch. John (sales and distribution) was afraid he would be too busy delivering encores, but I think I made him feel so guilty, he showed up. Shea (editor) was experiencing a horrible migraine after indulging in a hectic Wednesday morning—including her recurring guest spot on the Penguin 106.7—but two, three or four Excedrin later, she was good to go. Emily (former assistant editor) was in her last week of work but happily rearranged her schedule to attend.

Lauran (intern) was all over the idea of free lunch, and Sue (art director) and I (sales) were in from the start.

We decided to order a variety of appetizers—as most know, we lunch-bunchers come hungry. John chose the fried green tomatoes; Emily, the crab dip; and I went with the home-cooked potato chips. Before the feeding frenzy began, we talked about a slew of topics: Ellen’s first appearance as a judge on “American Idol,” if anyone had seen Shutter Island and what reality shows we were watching. Embarrassingly enough, “Keeping

by: Kris Beasley

Flat Eddie’s Lunch Bunch 5400 Oleander Drive • (910) 799-7000 Sun. - Mon. : 11am - 10pm Tues. - Thurs.: 11am - 11pm Fri. - Sat.: 11am - 12am Up With The Kardashians” seemed to be the table favorite.

And then there were appetizers.

The fried green tomatoes were awesome and the presentation exceptional: four slices of green tomatoes, lightly fried, stacked atop each other and sitting on a bed creamy tomato sauce, with a thin slice of Reggiano cheese layering each stack. The crab dip, once a Romanelli’s classic, hadn’t veered much from its original deliciousness. It came with largely grilled “croutons,” also known as perfectly buttered, soft and crunchy bread. I think I could have eaten the entire serving of the hot, bubbly and fantastic dip by myself.

Admittedly, I’ve always been a sucker for potato chips, so when I saw the words “home cooked,” I had to try them. Again a Romanelli’s classic, the new version doesn’t come with flat chips but ridged ones—and they are huge! Rather than serving them with the standard Ranch dressing, Flat Eddies churned out a side of honey Sriracha that tasted sweet, with just the right amount of heat on the back end. Shea claimed she could drink it from a straw; we advised against it.

Though, we probably should have all followed Sue’s footsteps and ordered a salad, the menu at Flat Eddies proved too tempting—especially when perusing their new specialty items, grilled flatbreads. I couldn’t resist going with the grilled shrimp with red sauce, roasted tomatoes, fennel, mozzarella cheese and a balsamic glaze. Shea followed suit with a smoked-chicken version, featuring

The most delicious week of Spring is April 28th - May 5, 2010

www.WilmingtonRestaurantWeek.com 32 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

FAR FROM FLAT: From theirs starters, like the homemade chips, to their salads, entrées and flatbreads, the food at Flat Eddies is full of flavor.

mandarin oranges, cranberries and asparagus, with roasted garlic and cream cheese.

Lauran and John got the fresh catch of the day, which turned out to be mahi, and Emily also went the seafood route, ordering the brown-sugar and rosemary salmon.

The blackened mahi or the brown-sugar salmon, served with rice pilaf and a mix of zucchini, carrots and squash, would make anyone happy to be ordering a healthier and tasty lunch option from Flat Eddies. But what would make them happier? The flatbreads.

Smothered in just the right amount of cheese—from blue cheese to feta to cheddar—the crust is cracker-thin and crispy, and

the toppings turn the whole flavor around into something like that of a gourmet pie.

Sue’s spinach salad looked like a trough of spinach, it was so large. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t put a dent in it. Sue wasn’t alone; no one finished their plates, except those of us with the flatbreads. Honestly, though, it was because we kept sharing our food and filling up too quickly.

When asked if we wanted to try dessert, we moaned. However, having already been to Flat Eddie’s for my daughter’s birthday, I can personally attest to a fine carrot cake, with cream-cheese icing oozing from the middle, and a peanut butter-mousse cake that will bring droves of people back alone.

In fact, my daughter informed me last week she wanted to return to her new favorite restaurant very soon.

Needless to say, it was a lovely lunch bunch, with lovely company and scrumptious eats. I feel lucky to work with a staff that is like family—and so it was with great sadness we were spending our final lunch bunch with Emily, who was leaving for her new job a week later. We cheers-ed her one last go-round, but we have a feeling she’ll be tagging along in the future. The encore lunch bunch is hard to beat; Flat Eddie’s is another on its list to relish, too.

Blessings in Disguise: The Harp opens to happy customers by: Linda Carol Grattafiori

The Harp Restaurant Profile 1423 South 3rd Street (910) 763-1607

“M

ay your glass be ever full.

May the roof over your head be always strong.

And may you be in heaven Half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead.”—Irish blessing Of course, heaven can wait until you’ve tasted the delicious fries, crusty bread and scrumptious apple torte at the newest Irish restaurant in town, The Harp.

“In Ireland, the potato is king,” co-owner Margaret Jennings, the youngest of 13 children born to an Irish mother (who is still a very good cook), said. “My husband taught me how to select a healthy potato, and our fries are made fresh daily from scratch.”

Val Cleary, husband to Jennings and the youngest son of 12 Irish children, realized a rite of passage in opening a neighborhood tavern that serves authentic Irish fare. He taught his wife to avoid “green or sunburned” potatoes that may produce harmful toxins.

Together, they selected a menu that is similar to that found in a traditional Irish pub.

Open less than two months, word is out about the excellent mix of a quality meal in Celtic ambiance. Sunset Park neighbors—where Cleary and Jennings formerly live—plus four generations of discriminating taste from the whole Wilmington area frequent The Harp.

One young married couple, Kim and Droo Skidmore had the Irish soup, a smooth, sump-

tuous, gluten-free dish, and the bacon and cabbage. The “bacon” is really a wet-brined pork loin, cured in-house—a dish not found anywhere else in North Carolina.

“It is the best I have ever had,” Droo said, seriously.

The Skidmores are likely to drop by The Harp on St. Patrick’s Day, where a large celebration will be in effect. Open 11am until 2:30am, the menu will feature corned-beef hash, shepherd’s pie, bangers and mash (sausage and mashed potatoes), Irish pudding or custard, and, of course Guinness, Smithwick’s and Harp on tap. The Blarney Broughs Irish Band, showcasing the brilliant and ever-affable Craig Thompson, Matt Malloy and Tim Kelly, will play Irish pub and drinking songs from 5pm ‘til 8pm.

But St. Patrick’s Day isn’t the only time to be a frequenter of this new establishment.

Every regular weekday evening, 7pm ‘til 8pm, The Harp features ambient jazz musician James Jarvis, and fellow entertainers Faith Coleman, Robert Godfrey and Karl Metzger. Betsy Jarvis, wife to James and sister to Jennings, an exquisite cook in her own right (and the best nurse I’ve ever seen assess and give care to a patient) may be singing along—and she won’t be afraid to put in her two cents about the menu.

“This pub aims to please all nationalities,” Jennings, who also practices immigration, criminal and family law in her office across the street, said. “We’re definitely open to new ideas, as long as we can insure the highest quality.”

Chicken Kiev and Curried Chicken grace The Harp’s menu via the Russian and Indian

LUCK O’ THE IRISH: True Irish fare comes to Wilmington at The Harp, located on South 3rd Street at Greenfield Street.

populations in Ireland. There is even Jennings’ crusty Irish brown bread, slathered with butter, begging the taste buds of any discerning

COLLEGE OF WILMINGTON 4348 Market Street 910-763-4418 www.CollegeOfWilmington.com

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5740 Oleander Drive. Wilmington • 392-4501

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person to resist drooling.

With farms in Brunswick County and in Wallace, Cleary and Jennings are growing healthy vegetables to enhance carefully selected entrées.

Owner of Harp Builders, Cleary handmade the plaster moldings adorning his restaurant’s ceilings. Jennings is particularly fond of the fireplace mantle corbels, replicated by Val from the Kenan House.

Framed prints of Ireland light up the walls, the harp symbol represents both Ireland and peace to Cleary, and the large Celtic knot stands for continuity. “Consistancy is key,” Jennings said, “in preparation, in presentation and in service.

That’s our main goal.”

Proof of the pudding will be in the eating and merry-making at The Harp on St. Patrick’s Day—it’s the hot spot come Wednesday, March 17th. Sláinte!

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TUBSUJOH!TPPO; DPTNFUPMPHZ! NFEJDBM!CJMMJOH!!

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www.bertsurfshop.com encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 33

dining guide aMerIcan brIxx Wood FIred PIZZa A short drive from the beach, Brixx Wood Fired Pizza in Mayfaire Town Center is a fun, friendly neighborhood restaurant. Serving the best brickoven pizzas around, Brixx also offers a fine selection of signature focaccia sandwiches, pastas, fresh salads and desserts. Stop in for a quick lunch, or kick back on the patio with one of 24 beers on tap or 14 wines by the glass. Brixx is also a late-night destination, serving 2-for-1 pizzas and appetizers after 10 p.m. Open until 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 p.m. on Sunday.6801 Main Street, Wilmington, NC 28405. 910-2569677. www.brixxpizza.com.

blueWater Enjoy spectacular panoramic views of sailing ships and the Intracoastal Waterway while dining at this popular casual American restaurant in Wrightsville Beach. Lunch and dinner are served daily. Favorites include jumbo lump crab cakes, succulent seafood lasagna, crispy coconut shrimp and an incredible Caribbean fudge pie. Dine inside or at their award-winning outdoor patio and bar, which is the location for their lively Waterfront Music Series every Sunday during the summer months. Large parties welcome. Private event space available. BluewaterDining.com. 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach , NC . 910.256.8500.

chrIs’ cosMIc KItchen cosmicKitchenonline.com Serving breakfast all day as well as lunch and handmade cheesecake, Chef and Owner Chris Lubben loves to make many of his menu items from scratch. Whether you’re in the mood for a fluffy 3-egg Omelet, Shrimp & Grits, Prime Rib Sandwich or Andes Mint Cheesecake, Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen is your “Out of this World” Breakfast/Lunch Destination. Evening restaurant rental is available, as well as a Personal Chef service.

Chris’ Cosmic Kitchen is located at 420 Eastwood Rd, Unit 109, on the corner of Racine Dr. and Eastwood Rd. Closed Monday. Open Tues-Sat. from 8am-4pm with Sun. Brunch from 9am-2pm.

Take-out calls welcome, 792-6720. Follow us on Twitter @CosmicKitchen.

c.g. daWgs For great traditional New York style eats with Southern charm look no further than C.G. Dawgs.

You will be drawn in by the aroma of fine beef franks served with witty banter and good natured delivery from the cleanest hot dog carts in Wilmington. Sabrett famous hot dogs and Italian sausages are the primary fare offered, with a myriad of condiments for all of your mid-day or late night cravings. You may find them daily at their new location on the boardwalk of Market and Water St. from 11am to 5pm. Saturdays at the farmers market. Thursday-Saturday nights they are on Market St. between Front and 2nd St. from 10pm to 3:00am. Then they finish the week off at Fibbers on Sunday nights until 3am. To busy to leave the office? Ask about their lunch time delivery service for downtown!!

Flat eddIe’s Are you ready to eddie? FLAT eddie’s upbeat, modern dining room & bar makes eddie’s the new “it” place to dine in Wilmington for New American Cuisine. Why FLAT eddie’s? Their signature flatbreads! These flavorful creations start with scratch-made dough, stretched thin and piled high with ingredients like roma tomatoes, succulent shrimp and luxurious cheeses. All sandwiches and burgers are under $8 and their entrees are unique and bold. FLAT eddie’s bar serves up $2 and $3 beer and cocktail specials daily. Private dining area available. Large groups welcome.

Family-style meals to go available. FlatEddiesRestaurant.com. 5400 Oleander Drive, Wilmington .

910.799.7000.

hells KItchen This former Dawson’s Creek stage set has been turned into a lively pub in the heart of Downtown Wilmington. Their extensive menu ranges from classics like a thick Angus burger or NY style reuben to lighter fare such as homemade soups, fresh salads, and vegetarian options. Whether meeting for a business lunch, lingering over dinner and drinks, or watching the game on the big screen, the atmosphere and friendly service will turn you into a regular. Open late 7 days a week, with a pool table, darts, weekly trivia, and live music on the weekends. Offers limited lunchtime delivery during the week and can accommodate large parties. M-Sat 11am until late, opens Sundays at noon. 118 Princess St, (910) 763-4133.

henrY’s A local favorite, Henry’s is the ‘place to be’ for great food, a lively bar and awesome patio dining. Henry’s serves up American cuisine at its finest and offers daily blackboard specials that include entrees with fresh, local ingredients. Come early for lunch, because its going to be packed. Dinner too! Henry’s Pine Room is ideal for private functions up to 30 people.

Henry’s is home to live music, wine & beer dinners and other special events. Check out their calendar of events at HenrysRestaurant. com for details. 2508 Independence Boulevard, Wilmington, NC. 910.793.2929.

holIdaY Inn resort The Verandah Café Restaurant located in this oceanfront resort is a wonderful find.

This is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh Seafood & Steak dinner while dinning outside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Chef Eric invites you to experience his daily specials in this magnificent setting. Open daily for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner. 256-2231 Wrightsville Beach.

KeFI Kefi, founded in 1981 by a group of friends, has a long-standing tradition as a favorite local watering hole. This Wrightsville-Beach eatery is open at 6am for breakfast, offering everything from omelets and pancakes, to shrimp and grits. Take a break from

34 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

the beach and visit Kefi’s, where their menu features a variety of salads and sandwiches. There is even a “working man’s lunch,” served Monday through Friday, all for under $6. At night Kefi comes alive by serving dinner with a Southern flare. From the fried pickles appetizer to their the shrimp or oyster Po’boy to their nightly dinner specials, there is something that will make your taste buds sing.

Then stick around for live music on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; nightly drink specials are offered.

Go online at www.kefilive.com for more info and full music schedule. Open 6am-2am, seven days a week, with full ABC permits. Lunch deliveries available in the Wrightsville Beach area. Located at 2012 Eastwood Road, 910-256-3558.

the lIttle dIPPer Wilmington’s favorite fondue restaurant! The Little Dipper specializes in unique fondue dishes with a global variety of cheeses, meats, seafood, vegetables, chocolates and fine wines. The warm and intimate dining room is a great place to enjoy a four-course meal, or indulge in appetizers and desserts outside on the back deck or in the bar while watching luminescent jellyfish. Open Tuesday-Sunday, serving dinner at 5pm. Reservations are appreciated for parties of any size. Located at the corner of Front and Orange in Downtown Wilmington. 138 South Front Street • (910) 251-0433

PIne ValleY MarKet Pine Valley Market has reigned supreme in servicing the Wilmington community for years, securing encore’s Best-Of awards in catering, gourmet shop. Now, Kathy Webb and Christi Ferretti are expanding their talents into serving lunch in-house, so folks can enjoy their hearty, homemade meals in the quaint and cozy ambience of the market. Using the freshest ingredients of highest quality, diners can enjoy the best Philly Cheesesteak in Wilmington, along with numerous other sandwich varieties, from their Angus burger to classic Reuben, Italian sub to a grown-up banana and peanut butter sandwich that will take all diners back to childhood. Served among a soup du jour and salads, there is something for all palates. Take advantage of their take-home frozen meals for nights that are too hectic to cook, and don’t forget to pick up a great bottle of wine to go with it. Mon.-Fri. 10am-7pm; Sat. 9am-6pm; closed Sunday. 3520 S. College Road, (910) 350-FOOD.

MelloW MushrooM Mellow out and relax in the comfortable atmosphere that Mellow Mushroom offers. From the giant psychadelic ‘shroom located in the bar area to the Cadillac hanging on the wall, this restaurant is far from ordinary. The open kitchen brings live entertainment as pizza dough flies in the air. Their hand-tossed, spring-water dough brings new meaning to pizzas and calzones—healthy!! With 20 drafts and an array of microbrews, domestic and import bottles, Mellow Mushroom has an extensive beer list and full bar. Also, check out their lunch specials and

only $7.50 4-6pm, wh chicken or 4pm-10pm and Sund Eastwood the Web s variety of sandwiches. Their menu also caters to everyone and offers many vegetarian dish-Indoc es. Live jazz on Wednesdays. Hours: Mon-Sat,loung 11am-10pm; Sun., 12pm-9pm. 4311 Oleander Drive, 452-3773. the Orient join us at In trollY stoP Indochine Trolly Stop Hot Dogs are family owned with the Port C six locations. Since 1976 we specialize in Vietnames homemade chili, slaw and sauces. Dogs include transport Smighfield (beef & pork), Southern Dog, Sabrett elegantly d (all beef), Northern Dog, Carolina Packers Pork antique A Dog (smoke sausage), Oscar Mayer 98% Fat artwork an Free Dogs (turkey) and Light Life Veggie Dog ficient staf (soy). Locations are: 126 N. Front Street Open dishes ful six days including Thurs., Fri., and Sat. night sure to tr from 10pm-3am; 343-2999, 94 S. Lumina Ave, and savor Wrightsville Beach, 256-1421; 4502 Fountain Dr., the beauti 452-3952. Open at 11am on Sat.; South Howe and Scallo St. in Southport, 457-7017; 103A Cape Fear Blvd in Carolina Beach, 458-5778. Catering cart avail-for our wo roll! We t able all year from $300. 910-297-8416. ingredient taste. Afte asIan koi pond in double haPPIness every Frid Double Happiness offers the Port City finecated at 7 Asian dining at reasonable prices. We preparetage), 251 flavorful dishes inspired by the cultural richness of Malaysia, Thailand and authentic China. We’re now serving traditional dim sum, and good health J special vegetarian dishes, such as Soy Peking Ribs, homemade tofu and homemade Malaysian sponge cake. We are dedicated to branding thethentic Car exotic flavors of fresh ingredients and a romanticat 417 S. C spice in all of our cooking techniques. Our friendlyoffer exqu staff is always willing to help customers, and wetaste buds serve beer and wine for lunch and dinner. Banquetjerk chicke and tatami rooms are available for large parties.curry goat Open Monday through Saturday, 11am-10pm;Jamaican and Sunday 3pm-10pm. 4403 Wrightsville Av-menu sele enue; 910-313-1088. www.doublehappinessres-mosphere, gae music taurant.com.

– 8:00pm sZechuan 132 – 9:00pm Craving expertly prepared Chinese food inca’s Comfo an elegant atmosphere? Szechuan 132 Chi-Check us nese Restaurant is your destination! Szechuanor call us 9 132 has earned the reputation as one of the finest contemporary Chinese restaurants in the Port City. Tastefully decorated with an elegant atmosphere, with an exceptional ingeniousca menu has deemed Szechuan 132 the best Chinese restaurant for years, hands down. 419found at C South College Road (in University Landing),borhood generous 799-1426. is the atm hIro JaPanese steaKhouse plates and What better way to celebrate a special oc-up the dec casion or liven up a dinner out than to dine in aple, as a c place where every meal is an exciting presenta-innovative tion. Knowing that a meal should be more thanwith a ple just great food, Hiro adds a taste of theatre andand desse a amazing atmosphere to everyone’s dinning ex-non-intrus perience. Also serving sushi, Hiro surprises itsunpretenti guests with a new special roll every week andupstairs in nightly drink specials to complement it. From 4-an after-di 7pm enjoy half-priced nigiri and half-priced reg-as a lightular makimono. Nigiri makimono combos arealways on

only $7.50, while early-bird specials last from 4-6pm, where diners can choose two: shrimp, chicken or steak. Open Monday thru Thursday 4pm-10pm; Friday and Saturday 4pm-10:30pm; and Sunday 11am-10pm. Located at 222 Old Eastwood Road (910) 794-1570. Please visit the Web site at hirojapanesesteakhouse.com.

inquire frequently about their artist show receptions. Voted “Best French Restaurant” three years in a row! 10 Market Street, downtown Wilmington, 815-0810.

IndochIne restaurant and lounge

Antonio’s Pizza and Pasta, simply known as Antonio’s, is anything but simple. From scrumptious appetizers to signature pizza to some of the best traditional Italian pasta dishes in town, it’s the perfect place to enjoy a cozy dinner for two or bring the whole family in for pizza and fun. Offering beer and wine at their Monkey Junction and Porter’s Neck location and live music Friday and Saturday nights with all ABC permits at their Leland location, Antonio’s has thought of everything for you to enjoy your dining experience with them. Monkey Junction across from Super Walmart off South College Road (910) 792-0000, Porter’s Neck Shopping Center next to Kiva Grill off Market Street (910) 686-7774, Cross Creek Commons across from Magnolia Greens (910) 383-0033. www. antoniospizzaandpasta.com

If you’re ready to experience the wonders of the Orient without having to leave Wilmington, join us at Indochine for a truly unique experience.

Indochine brings the flavors of the Far East to the Port City, combining the best of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine in an atmosphere that will transport you and your taste buds. Relax in our elegantly decorated dining room, complete with antique Asian decor as well as contemporary artwork and music. Our diverse, friendly and efficient staff will serve you beautifully presented dishes full of enticing aromas and flavors. Be sure to try such signature items as the spicy and savory Roasted Duck with Red Curry, or the beautifully presented and delicious Shrimp and Scallops in a Nest. Be sure to save room for our world famous desert, the banana egg roll! We take pride in using only the freshest ingredients, and our extensive menu suits any taste. After dinner, enjoy specialty drinks by the koi pond in our Asian garden, or be entertained every Friday night with a Balinese dancer. Located at 7 Wayne Drive (beside the Ivy Cottage), 251-9229. Indochinewilmington.com.

carIbbean JaMaIca’s coMFort Zone Jamaica’s Comfort Zone is Wilmington’s Authentic Caribbean Restaurant conveniently located at 417 S. College Road in University Landing. We offer exquisite Caribbean cuisine to satisfy your taste buds, whether they are for spicy Jamaican jerk chicken, mellow flavors of our curry chicken, curry goat or our ox tail skillfully flavored by our Jamaican chefs. Come in and enjoy our many menu selections, our warm décor, smoke-free atmosphere, excellent service and our smooth reggae music. Operating hours are: Sunday 3:00pm – 8:00pm; Wednesday – Saturday 11:45am – 9:00pm (Closed Monday and Tuesday). Jamaica’s Comfort Zone is family owned and operated.

Check us out at www.jamaicascomfortzone.com or call us 910-399-2867.

French caPrIce bIstro Wilmington’s finest French cuisine can be found at Caprice Bistro, a small informal neighborhood restaurant, serving hearty food in generous portions at affordable prices. Simple is the atmosphere in the bistro, as plain white plates and tables dressed in white paper make up the decor. However, the food is far from simple, as a combination of fresh ingredients and innovative preparation delight the taste buds with a plethora of unique appetizers, entrées and desserts. The service is fast, efficient and non-intrusive, and the ambience is friendly and unpretentious. After dinner, be sure to venture upstairs into their cozy and relaxing sofa bar for an after-dinner martini, or enjoy your meal there, as a light-fare and full menus are served. Art is always on display in the sofa bar, so be sure to

ItalIan antonIos PIZZa and Pasta

eddIe roManellI’s Eddie Romanelli’s is a family-friendly, casual Italian American restaurant that’s been a favorite of Wilmington locals for over 16 years. Its diverse menu includes Italian favorites such as Mama Romanelli’s Lasagna, Baked Ziti, Rigatoni a la Vodka and, of course, madefrom-scratch pizzas. Its American influences include tasty burgers, the U.S.A. Salad and a 16oz. Marinated Rib Eye Steak. Romanelli’s offers patio dining and flat screen TVs in its bar area. Dine in or take out, Romanelli’s is always a crowd favorite. Large parties welcome. RomanellisRestaurant.com. 503 Olde Waterford Way, Leland. 910.383.1885.

gIorgIo’s ItalIan restaurant Giorgio’s is a locally owned, one-of-a-kind restaurant. Offering age-old traditions and timeless recipes, perfection is accomplished by combining the perfect cuisine and atmosphere for a dining experience that is not soon forgotten. With over 50 years of cooking experience under one roof, the smells of old-fashioned home cooking float through the air creating that comforting feeling of home-away-from-home! From old world style dishes to modern day creations, the menu showcases multiple flavors that will tempt the palate of the most discriminating connoisseurs.

A Monkey Junction landmark for over 12 years! www.giorgios-restaurant.com. 5226 S College Rd.,Wilmington 910-790-9954.

slIce oF lIFe “Slice” has become a home away from home for tourists and locals alike. Our menu includes salads, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, homemade soups, subs and, of course, pizza. We only serve the freshest and highest-quality ingredients in all of our food, and our dough is made daily with purified water. We have the largest tequila selection in Wilmington. Voted “Best Pizza” and “Best Late Night Eatery.” Stop by for lunch dinner, or a late-night treat, open from 11:30am until 3am, seven days a week, 365 days a year, all ABC permits. 122 Market Street between Second and Front, downtown Wilmington. 251-9444. Visit our 2nd

location at 1437 Military Cutoff rd., next to PT’s! 256-2229 www.grabslice.com.

organIc loVeY’s MarKet Lovey’s Market is a true blessing for shoppers looking for natural and organic groceries, or just a great place to meet friends for a quick, delicious, and totally fresh snack. Whether they are in the mood for a veggie burger, a bean burrito or a chicken Caesar wrap, shoppers will find a large selection of nutritious meals on the a la carte café menu at Lovey’s. The food bar—which has cold salads and hot selections that can be eaten in the café seating or boxed for take-out—can be enjoyed all day long, while the juice bar offers a wide variety of juices and smoothies made with organic fruits and vegetables.

Specializing in bulk sales of produce, grains, flours, beans and spices at affordable prices, Lovey‘s also carries grass-fed and free-range meats and poultry. Wheat-free, gluten-free, products are in stock regularly, as are vegan and vegetarian groceries and wholesome pet foods. For anything shoppers want that is not in stock, Lovey‘s will be happy to find it.

Stop by Lovey’s Market Monday through Friday, 9am to 7pm; Saturday, 9am to 6pm; and on Sundays, 10am to 6pm. Café hours: Monday-Friday, 11am–6pm; Saturday & Sunday, 10am-6pm.

Located at 1319 Military Cutoff Road; 910-5090331. Online at www.loveysmarket.com.

tIdal creeK co-o Tidal Creek Deli offers a wide array of exceptional and unusual organic foods, all of which taste as good as they are for you. The salad bar and hot bar incorporate flavors from around the world; each item is prepared by hand using only fresh and local ingredients. The chefs are constantly experimenting to create new and exciting dishes. Choose from made to order smoothies with almond butter and hemp milk, salads with locally grown greens or, special order a wedding cake made from scratch to your specifications. Whatever your tastes, Tidal Creek Deli is a place to rejuvenate the mind and body while enjoying the company of a friendly and relaxed organic community.

seaFood docK street oYster bar Voted Best Oysters for over 10 years by encore readers, you know what you can find at Dock Street Oyster Bar. But we have a lot more than oysters! Featuring a full menu of seafood, pasta, and chicken dishes from $4.95-$25.95, there’s something for everyone at Dock Street. You’ll have a great time eating in our “Bohemian-Chic” atmosphere, where you’ll feel just as comfortable in flip flops as you would in a business suit. smoke-free! Located at 12 Dock St in downtown Wilmington. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week. 762-2827 www.dockstreetoysterbar.net.

east at the blocKade runner hotel The Blockade Runner offers an array of seasonal seafood specials, certified Angus beef, lobster menu on Friday evening plus a spectacular Sunday brunch. Romantic al fresco dining is available on our dinner deck located in the center of a lush garden overlooking the ocean

far away from the traffic and noise. We offer live entertainment on Saturday evening and Sunday brunch. Our smoke-free lounge is eco-friendly and offers light fare nightly. 275 Waynick Blvd.

Wrightsville Beach. 910-256-2251.

hIeronYMus Proving that excellent seafood isn’t just for the eateries at Wrightsville Beach, Hieronymus Seafood is the stop for midtown Wilmington seafood lovers. In business for 27 years strong, Hieronymus has made a name for itself by consistently providing excellent service and the freshest of the fresh in oceanic cuisine.

Complete with a full-service bar and a fireside oyster bar, it’s the place to be if you are seeking top-quality attributes in atmosphere, presentation, flavor and ingenuity. Signature dishes include Oysters Hieronymus and the Scallops Fra Diavlo. Hieronymus has all ABC permits and also provides catering. Voted “Best Seafood” in 2007. 5035 Market Street; 392-6313.

oceanIc Voted best seafood restaurant in Wilmington, Oceanic provides oceanfront dining at its best. Located in Wrightsville Beach, Oceanic is one of the most visited restaurants on the beach. Choose from a selection of seafood platters, combination plates and daily fresh fish. For land lovers, try their steaks, chicken or pasta dishes. Relax on the pier or dine inside.

Oceanic is also the perfect location for memorable wedding receptions, birthday gatherings, anniversary parties and more. Large groups welcome. Private event space available. Family-style to go menu available. OceanicRestaurant.com. 703 S. Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach. 910.256.5551

southern hall’s troPIcana restaurant Hall’s is a Wilmington tradition! Originally opened in 1901 as a drug store, Hall’s has been serving the Downtown community for over 100 years. We serve traditional Southern fare, including a classic breakfast with the accompaniments you’ve grown to love. Lunch includes a Southern buffet Monday-Friday with pork, chicken, all the fixin’s, and a special addition every day! Don’t forget our unique menu, which includes everything from specialty sandwiches to fried seafood. Most importantly, at Hall’s everything is fresh! Open Monday-Friday, 7am-2pm (buffet 11-2), and Saturday from 7am-12:30pm with breakfast and menu items only. 421 Castle St. 910-762-2210.

sPorts bar carolIna ale house Voted best new restaurant AND best sports bar of 2010 in Wilmington, Carolina Ale House is the place to be for award-winning food, sports and fun. Located on College Rd. near UNCW, this lively sports-themed restaurant is home to over 40 HD TVs and the biggest HD projector TVs in Wilmington. Covered and open outdoor seating is available. Lunch and dinner specials are offered daily, as well as the coldest $2 and $3 drafts in town. Carolina Ale House serves its full menu from 11a – 2a daily. CarolinaAleHouse. com. 317 South College Road, Wilmington, NC. 910.791.9393.

encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 35

below Fact or Fiction

42-46 Calendar / Toons / Corkboard

An Involuntary Intimate, Part 6: George jumps

I

nsulator-hunting induced its own species of terror. After the train had passed through Maco, George experienced this terror when his father made him retrieve the pliers and insulator Chad had left atop the telephone pole. Having taken an hour to make the climb, George at last clung to the cross beam; the splinters buried in his arms and legs, the brutish summer heat, the smell of creosote and bird droppings, the smallness of the tracks below, and the possibility of another train bulleting by with no regard for the life of a young fool trying to earn his father’s approval. It all begged a question: What do you think you’re doing?

In answer, George let fly his breakfast.

Standing below George, Jack Fincannon doffed his Blue-Devils cap, tapped regurgitated egg off it, then, shaking his head, returned to looking for a 19th-century signalman’s skull among the vines and

by: Claude Limoges bushes beside the tracks. Having dodged George’s breakfast, Chad came to stand again directly below his brother, and sent up silent pity and concern. That all three knew the task would have been nothing for Chad to accomplish and made George all the more miserable.

When the insulator budged free, George unscrewed it, tossed it down to Chad— the pliers following—and then began the equally terrifying descent. It introduced the possibility of being eye-to-eye with a train that could kill him with the ease of a dog snapping a flea.

That not all fathers chased ghosts, stole insulators, or forced sons up telephone poles was lost on George and Chad for the first—and in Chad’s case, the only—two decades of their lives.

Flaming Amy’s is looking for Wilmington’s next Big star!

We need a song/jingle to use in radio and television advertisements, and we want YOU to write it!

Bands, Singers, Closet Music Makers…ANYBODY. Just put together a 30-60 second song or jingle, Burn it to a CD and drop it off at any Flaming Amy’s or Gravity Records.

Taking submissions through March 31st, 2010

Pick up entry forms and details at any Flaming Amy’s or Gravity Records.

Winning song will be used for Flaming Amy’s commercials and advertising.

Top 10 entries will be asked to perform their song/jingle live at Soap Box. Winner will be chosen by our Celebrity judges, musical experts form Gravity Records and some help from the live audience!

All Top 10 winners will receive a Flaming Amy’s Gift Bag

36 encore | march 10-16, 2010 | www.encorepub.com

1st place: $200 CASH MONEY and $100 Flaming Amy’s Cash 2nd place: $150 CASH MONEY and $75 Flaming Amy’s Cash 3rd place: $100 CASH MONEY and $50 Flaming Amy’s Cash

* * * At least George had made it well into the third decade before slamming into a wall called “Nothing To Live For.” Now, for the first time since Chad had been found, George understood why his brother had not even bothered to tell him goodbye.

George pulled from his pockets a note to Melissa, his cell phone, wallet and car keys, and laid them all on the bridge’s railing. It was a brilliant day to die—the sky so blue, it hurt the eyes and all freshly washed from days of rain. The world gleamed so new it appeared to have already forgotten George and all the misery of no job, no girlfriend, no home and only disgrace. There was simply the matter of climbing and then leaning too far. A fall, and then the water would do the rest. But the climb up the bridge’s railing brought back the days of swaying atop that telephone pole to steal those infernal insulators, and so it took a good hour for George to talk himself into planting his foot on the first rail, then the second, then the third, and, finally, eyes closed, he eased his rear onto the hand rail, keeping his back to the thin air and water below.

Lean back, his mind commanded. Don’t think. Just keep leaning and gravity will do the rest. The top half of George refused to budge, so he resorted to inching his lower half further and further back until he was folded in two, and hanging on only by hands and the crook of his knees. He opened his eyes and glimpsed at a couple performing Tai Chi some yards away. They look ridiculous waving about like that, George thought, hanging off the bridge. The guy’s on forearm crutches, and the woman’s got hair like squid. Wait, I know...

Then George was falling.

The splash plunged him into a dark liquid chaos before the icy water brought him keenly to his senses. Then he righted himself. He stood chest-deep in water and knee-deep in muck. Up on the bridge, his cell phone rang. A man in a hooded jacket and knit cap strolled to the middle of the bridge, picked up George’s cell phone, and answered it with, “Yea.” George wriggled trying to free his legs from the muck.

“You George?” the man called down.

“Yea,” George said.

Into the phone the man said, “Yea,

he’s here. …Greenfield Park. …No, he’s swimmin’.” Pulling the phone from his ear, the man called down to George: “It’s Melissa.”

George held out his hands to catch the phone, the man tossed it, and the phone slipped like a bar of soap through George’s fingers and into the water. The man pointed to the wallet and car keys.

“Want these too?”

George shook his head while Ruth Oglesby and the programmer named “Martin,” leaving their Tai Chi, came to stand beside the man. All three peered down at George.

“Can somebody get me unstuck?” * * * Long ago, someone ought to have pulled George aside and told him: “Listen, Buddy, if you plant this camera in the ladies restroom, then in a few months you will be unemployed, bereft of Melissa, and soaking wet and shivering, riding down Market Street in the back seat of that Pontiac Aztek—yes, that Darth Vader black cross between a bole weevil and a constipated spaceship—the one with the orange racing stripes and camo interior; the very one that makes you sneeze every time you see it in the parking deck— and you will be wishing you had died and gone to Hell.”

Nobody had done George that service.

He huddled under Martin’s wool army blanket and tried to forget that what he was riding in looked the way Montezuma’s revenge feels. At least the ride was smooth, he had to admit, and at least once inside, a person was safe from seeing the car’s outside.

“Stormwater runoff, man,” Martin, who was in the passenger’s seat, said. “That’s why that lake’s so shallow. Stuff coming in from the streets every time it rains. All that nasty—like fecal coliform—not the compadres I’d want to spend my last minutes with.”

“They should dredge it,” Ruth said while driving. “Then Mr. Fincannon’s objective would have been achievable. MBO and implementability and all that—right, Mr. Fincannon?”

“George,” George said quietly. “Just George.”

Celebrate the Green: St. Patrick’s Day festival and parade takes place Saturday

S

t. Patrick’s Day in America can be interesting. The bars open in the morning, serving “Kegs and Eggs” to those among us who might like an early start to the festivities. Throngs of green people move about town, screaming, “Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” (a popular phrase that may or may not anger people of real Irish heritage). Some take the historical reason for the celebration seriously, while others are just looking for an excuse to imbibe.

Either way, people celebrate. And they celebrate hard.

Believe it or not, St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland hasn’t always been the crazy party we’ve come to expect in the States. It has been celebrated for over a 1,000 years as Feast Day for the Patron Saint of Ireland.

Originally, people went to church in the morning and celebrated afterward. Indeed, for most of the 20th century, pubs in Ireland were (gasp!) required by law to be closed on St. Patrick’s Day. The first St. Patrick’s Day parade was held not in Ireland but in the New York in 1762. Over the years the holiday became a

Hampstead Arts Memberships • Classes

by: John Hitt

St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations Saturday, March 13th Parade: Water Street, 11am Festival: Federal Building, noon, FREE Rain or Shine (in the Water St. parking deck for rain)

PIPE IT UP: Hear the sounds of the Wilmington Police Pipes and Drum band, kicking off the St. Patrick’s Day festivities at noon on Saturday.

time for celebrating Irish-American strength in response to the anti-Irish sentiment of the early United States—a goal that was achieved through public celebrations that weren’t necessarily a part of the original Irish holiday. Today, millions of people celebrate every year stateside, with green beer, green clothing and silly green sunglasses, paying homage to the Irish roots of the holiday.

Still, there are efforts to ensure that true traditions are recognized for St. Patrick’s Day. Locally, the 11th annual Wilmington St. Patrick’s Day Parade will combine with the Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Festival to offer ways to cheers real Irish culture. The parade, presented by Friends of the Hibernians, begins at 11am on Saturday, March 13th.

The route starts off at Red Cross, bringing it south, down North Second Street, then down Dock to Water streets, and back up north to Red Cross. The parade will last for about an hour, showcasing community pride, imagination and Irish spirit.

The Guinness St. Patrick’s Day Festival takes place at noon on Friday in Riverfront Park in front of the Federal Building. The Wilmington Police Pipes and Drums band will kick off the festivities, followed by live entertainment from The Blarney Broughs, The Molly Malones, Out on the Ocean, and The Malones. In addition to the live music, expect Irish dancers, cultural vendors, and food and beer sales. Admission is free, and families are encouraged. The event is rain or shine, but in the event of rain, head a half block down, beneath the Water Street Parking Deck.

The festival is organized by Cool Wilm-

! n w o t n Best i Tuesdays 1/2 lb. cheese burger & fries $5.99 All pints $2.50

s! parent & child

New Clas

handbuilding & sculpture

Sat. mornings 11am-1pm

OPEN FOR LUNCH AND DINNER

aFter schOOl actiVities

COLLAGE MAKING pictures with various paper decorations.

EASTER EGG TRAVAGANZA, KIDS ON WHEELS March 27, Wednesday 3:30-5pm Easter egg dying pOtterY With anne & Wednesday Nights 6-8pm decorating Party. studiO tiMe 11am-1pm Tue. Nights, 6-8p & Sat. Mornings10am-1pm

Visit cwilmington.com for Class Schedules!

ington, an event production company headed

by David Grace and longtime downtown Wilmington booster Chris Andrews. “The idea of Cool Wilmington,” Andrews explains, “[is] to put together fun events, and to use them to showcase our beautiful and historic downtown area.”

Both the parade and the festival have taken place before, but this is the first time both events have been coordinated together.

“Two years ago, both were held on the same day,” Andrews says. “But this is the first time that we’ve really embraced each other to promote it as one festive day, in celebration of St. Patrick.”

Although the combination of the events might seem like a no-brainer, Andrews says it took a lot of time and coordination. “There had been some dialog between the Friends of the Hibernians and us, [to consolidate] our efforts and resources to create a greater awareness of the festivities. As this year rolled around, we continued these conversations and have created a base, which we hope to continue building upon for a great Wilmington tradition.”

So celebrate Irish pride the right way: with an eye on tradition and respect for history. But that doesn’t mean you can’t party. Just avoid the green beer.

14663 Hwy. 17 North (at the intersection of Hwy. 210 & Hwy.17)

OPEN: Tues.-Fri., 10am-4pm,Sat. 10am-1pm • 910-270-3003

Serving “Private Reserve” steaks starting at $1399 steaks

wings

ribs

salads

In the Cotton Exchange Downtown Wilmington

762-4354 FREE PARKING www.paddyshollow.com encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 37

calendar

where to be, what to do in Wilmington and beyond

Events GUINESS ST. PATRICK’S DAY FESTIVAL See page 37.

CAPE FEAR MATERNITY AND BABY EXPO Coastline Conference & Event Center501 Nutt St. Sat. 3/13 9am-4pm. $5 Adult admission, Kids 12 and under free. 60 Exhibitors expected! Enter your baby in the Baby Crawl-A-Thon to win prizes throughout the day.

Shopping, Free Samples, Clothing, Photographers, Toys, Nursery Furnishings, Gifts for Babies & Moms, Food, Door Prizes, Demonstrations, Pre/Post Natal Fitness, Kids Corner, Dads Lounge, Health & Community Services and much, much more! “The ultimate source for couples expecting a baby or families with young children.” 910617-8666, maternityandbabyexpo.com.

UNCW PRESENTS ARTS IN ACTION 3/19, Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story, the signature literary program of New York’s Symphony Space broadcast live ea. wk. through National Public Radio, is performed live on the UNCW stage. Hosted

by David Rakoff, Selected Shorts presents fine actors reading classic and bold new short fiction. • 3/26: Chris Potter’s Underground presents an exciting jazz concert.

Equally adept on soprano, alto or tenor saxophone, the Grammy-nominated Potter has carved out a singular niche in an all too competitive field. 962-3500 or 800-

732-3643, 10am-6pm, Mon-Fri. EMPTY BOWLS 3/19: local community members will come together and share a meal of delicious soup and bread at the Empty Bowls event. Area potters and restaurants will give of their time and resources to help fight hunger in our community. Community members will purchase tickets for a meal of delicious soup and bread. Local restaurants will be making the soup and local potters will be creating ceramic bowls. Each ticket holder will select a bowl and will take it home as a reminder of the meal’s intent to fight hunger. Proceeds go toward helping both Good Shepherd Center and Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard.

Good Shepherd Center works to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless in the Wilmington community, while Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard focuses on providing nonperishable emergency food to the hungry in the area.

(910) 763-4424 x101, dj.goodshepherd@gmail.com or www.goodshepherdwilmington.org COASTAL LIVING SHOWCASE This year’s Coastal Living Showcase, Sat., 3/20, 105pm and Sun., 3/21, 11-4pm at the Schwartz Center, will features over 90 vendors showcasing their services and wares. Find everything from beautiful jewelry and pottery to rain barrel technology to the perfect hurricane shutters for you home. In addition to vendors there will be great door prizes and raffles. All proceeds from the show will go back into the community to support such organizations as Boys and Girls Home, health

care for teens through WHAT and scholarships for students at Cape Fear Community College. Visit www. wilmingtonwomansclub.com HERB AND GARDEN FAIR An annual rite of spring, Historic Poplar Grove Plantation offers everything you’ll need to get started having fun in your garden. Top quality regional farms sell fresh herbs, annuals, perennials, hanging baskets and more, all locally grown. In addition to the great greens you’ll find goats milk cheese, herbal soaps, hand crafted lawn furniture, fountains, birdbaths and one-of-a-kind garden whimsies to make you smile. Fun, educational classes in cooking, nature arts and gardening, as well as an early morning bird hike are offered ($5 per class or hike). Admission to the fair is free. Come on out to the old plantation for a great start to the spring season. Sat. 3/27 from 9am-5pm. Sun. 3/28 from 10am-4pm. 10200 US 17.www.poplargrove.com. 910-686-9518 ext. 26 CAPE FEAR WILDLIFE EXPO Outstanding fishing, hunting, boating, and camping opportunities in Wilmington & North Carolina’s Cape Fear Coast provide an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise.

On 3/20-21, the 2nd Annual Cape Fear Wildlife Expo comes to Wilmington. During the 2-day expo, more than 100 exhibitors will showcase products and services for outdoor enthusiasts. Billed as a family event, the expo will feature wildlife art and decoy displays; book signings by regional outdoor writers; hunting and fishing products; boats and accessories; truck and ATV displays; fly-

fishing and decoy-carving demonstrations; conservation exhibits; outdoor sports guides and outfitters. Coastline Conference & Event Center (501 Nutt Street). Sat. 3/20, 9am-7pm, Sun. 3/21, 9am-5pm. Admission $6 for one day or $10 for both days. Children 10 years old and younger get in free when accompanied by an adult.

Ample parking is available at nearby parking lots and garages. www.capefearwildlifeexpo.com, 910-7950292 or 910-327-0309.

TIDAL CREEK CO-OP EVENTS Sat. 3/20 from 11am-3pm: Spring Food Fair. Samples, demos, raffle, and a spinach cook-off. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for kids under 12. Register at te Customer Service Desk or call 910-799-2667.

SPRINGBROOK CARRAIGE/TROLLEY TOURS Narrated horse-drawn tours of historic Wilmington by a costumed driver. Enjoy a unique adventure along the riverfront and past stately mansions. Open daily. Sun.Thurs. 11am-4pm, Fri. and Sat. 11am-10pm. Market & Water Streets. $12 per adult, $5 per child under 12.

Tours leave continuosly throughout the day without a reservation. 910 251-8889. horsedrawntours.com.

Charity/Fund-raisers NHMC BLOOD DRIVES New Hanover Regional Medical Center and Cape Fear Hospital are hosting Community Blood Drives on 3/10, 10:30am-3pm. Open to the public. 343-2545 or for Cape Fear Hospital, contact Nancy Kafina at 452-8110. www. membersforlife.org/cbsr/schedule.

WOMEN ON THE MOVE LUNCHEON Women on the Move Luncheon invites local businesses as sponsors for National Multiple Sclerosis Society, scheduled for 3/11 at Eastern North Carolina Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Networking reception: 11:3 am at Holiday Inn SunSpree Resort on Wrightsville Beach. Tickets $75 each.www. nationalMSsociety.org/nct or call Bethany Owenby at (919) 792-1004.

LA SOIREE PAMPER PARTY Learn about the hottest new beauty trends while getting pampered from local salons and spas while raising money for The Domestic Violence Shelter! The Dirty Martini presents the 3rd Annual “La Soiree” Pamper Party on Thurs. 3/11 at 6pm. Wilmington’s Best Beauty Experts will reveal where and how to find the industry’s best products and services. Complimentary beauty services including massage by Sweet Surrender Inc., mini makeovers by Blush, hair styles and nail services

by Bangz Salon & Spa, and hairs teasers by Lavish Salon, w/lash extensions and spray tans by Beauty Revolution. Other contributors to both the raffle and the event include: Ziabird, Island Passage, Beanie+Cecil, La Bella Forma, Oliver, Head to Toe Day Spa, Julie’s Boutique and fabulous chocolate fondue from the Melting Pot. Raffle tickets purchased at door for $10 each. All proceeds benefit The Domestic Violence Shelter. www.domesticviolence-wilm.org BOOKS AND BLING Fri. 3/12, 6-9:30pm. Hampton Inn and Suites, Landfall, 1989 Eastwood Rd. behind Port City Chop House. Try on a little Bling, meet Celia Rivenbark and Give Back!

Silpada Jewelry Rep has agreed to donate all profit from the evenings sales to be split between Lump to Laughter and JDRF. Meet and Greet and Bling Shop from 6-9:30pm Meet Celia Rivenbark 7:30-8:30pm.

Secure your place in line to meet Celia with your Silpada order or cash donation of $25 or more. Spend $100 or more and be entered into a drawing to win 50% off your Silpada order. Benefit will support Lump to Laughter’s Angel Fund that provides financial assistance to women in need during treatment for breast cancer andJDRF’s Artificial Pancreas Project. 910-617-4455.

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AZALEA FESTIVAL TEA Cape Fear Volunteer Center marks 3/21 as the date for this year’s Azalea Festival Children’s Tea, at Saint Thomas Preservation Hall, 208 Dock St., must be purchased in

advance. By RSVP only and a first-come, first-serve basis. Tickets: $30 ea. and can be purchased by check only through the Cape Fear Volunteer Center. Checks should be made out to Cape Fear Volunteer Center and mailed or delivered to 925 S. Kerr Suite K Room 2, Wilmington NC 28403. Tickets can also be purchased at the Azalea Festival office this year. One seating: 3:305pm. Tea will feat. Azalea Belles, Azalea Princess and her Court and a special guest, Hello Kitty. Proceeds benefit the operations of the Cape Fear Volunteer Center.

NIBBLE WITH NOTABLES On Tues. 3/16 from 8am-2pm local personalities will be at your service to benefit three nonprofits: DREAMS of Wilmington, Tileston Outreach, and Family Neighborhood Institute. Savor a delectable breakfast, lunch, or midday snack, delivered to your table by local personalities. To reserve a spot with your favorite server, call 910-763-6555.Jester’s Java, 602 Castle St. or Courthouse Cafe 7 N. 3rd St. WHQR SPRING PLEDGE DRIVE The WHQR Spring Pledge Drive is just around the corner (3/16-26) and we are still in need of some help answering our pledge phones, supporting our member challenge, providing food and more. Here are some ways you can help your public radio station • Volunteer: We are looking for volunteers to answer phones from 3/16-26. Answering phones is a great way to show your love for WHQR and meet other WHQR supporters. • Make a Donation to our Member Challenge: 910-3431640 with your Member Challenge gift today. • Make a Corporate Challenge: Your business may become a Corporate Challenger for WHQR’s Spring Pledge Drive beginning 3/16. As a Corporate Challenger, you’re telling WHQR listeners that your business supports a nonprofit community resource they rely on every day. In exchange for a small corporate donation, you’ll receive on-air promotion in thanks for your support.

David Howell (343-1640 or dhowell@whqr.org). • Help Feed Our Volunteers: We are looking for food donations from caterers and restaurants to feed our hardworking volunteers (catering, pizza, breakfast, sandwiches, drinks and more). Tony Ventimiglia: 343-1640 or tventimiglia@ whqr.org.

BEST FRIENDS 1 MILE WALK On Sat. 3/20, at 10am, EARRS and YWCA will host a “Best Friends” 1 mile Walk/5K Run, starting at Holly Tree Elementary School. At this fun event dog owners are encouraged to walk the 1 mile course or run the 5k course with their dogs. There will be water for human participants and special water stations along the way specifically set up for the dogs. The event is designed to bring together friends, service dogs, pet dogs, families, and all who want to walk for peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all! The entry fee is $10 for individuals and $25 for a family of three or more which includes free gifts for you and your dog. Checks should be made out to YWCA Lower Cape Fear. 2815 S. College Road. www.ywca-lowercapefear.org. You may also register the day of the event at Holly Tree Elementary, 3020 Web Trace. 910-799-6820.

BUDWEISER WING FLING 14th Annual Budweiser Wing Fling—Battle of the Wings—will take place at Battleship Park near the USS North Carolina on 3/20. Information and tickets at www.

Wilmingtonwingfling.com. Benefits local Wilmington charity WRAAP (Wilmington’s Residential Adolescent Achievement Place), an after-school program helping local children improve grades, test scores, graduation rates, and community spirit. Headlining Wing Fling is The Breakfast Club from Atlanta. Several local Wilmington restaurants will serve wings and compete for top prize in Wilmington! Advance purchase: $15 general admission and $25 VIP. Parking lots at 9:30am and transportation to Battleship Park available from Cape Fear Community College and from the River Taxi at the bottom of Market Street. 910-617-9164.

WILMINGTON TWESTIVAL Wilmington Twitterers invite you to the annual Twestival event. Hosted this year by The River Room at 18 S Water St., this event will take place from 5:30-10pm on 3/25 and will benefit Concern Worldwide. Attendees will enjoy refreshements and food from local businesses and restaurants, while being entertained by local acoustic bands, wii bowling tournaments, silent raffle, and a Twitter Blue themed photo booth. Local radio stations Z1075 and Surf98.3 will have live broadcasts from the event. Cost to attend is just $20 and attendees will receive a t-shirt, two drink tickets, and a raffle ticket. Additional raffle and drink tickets can be purchased at the event.

Even if you’re not on Twitter you are encouraged to attend and help an amazing charity as part of a global effort.

Contact Ty Downing, 910-332-4163, ty@perspectiveim.

com. http:www/wilmingtontwestival.com SEA DAWGS VOLUNTEERS Wilmington Sea Dawgs are looking for elite level volunteers (ages 15-18) for the 2010 season. Duties will consist primarily of concessions operations, selling tickets, helping with equipment, assisting the staff, setting up and tearing down operations, etc.

Games are generally played on weekends at the Schwartz Center. The most promising “Teen Elite” volunteer applicants will complete an interview process.

Applications are available on the website www. wilmingtonseadawgs.com.

RUN FOR THE RED EVENT American Red Cross Cape Fear Chapter presents Run for the Red 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Fun Walk at Mayfaire Town Center (outside TrySports), 3/27, 8am.

Register: www.arccapefear.org or fill out brochure and mail/fax back to the chapter. All proceeds from the race will go directly to the Cape Fear Chapter to support the disaster-related community services that the Red Cross provides. Autum Mihm: autum.mihm@arccapefear.org or 910-762-2683 ext. 361 GREATER WILMINGTON RECYCLE REVIVAL Greater Good Productions, in partnership with WECT, is proud to announce the first annual Greater Wilmington Recycle Revival, 3/27, 11am-5pm at Legion Stadium (rain date: Sun., 3/28). The Revival will be a celebration of everything secondhand, recycled, and environmentally friendly that contributes to an overall healthy and sustainable community. Free event centers around a massive community yard sale that will provide spring cleaning and fund-raising opportunities to area families, civic groups, clubs and churches. Also feat. artists and crafters that work in recycled or earth -riendly materials, a Farmer’s Market sneak preview, local products and food, area “green” businesses and organizations, music, vintage and second-hand fashion, and more. 30 percent of proceeds benefit Cape Fear River Watch, PenderWatch and the NC Coastal Federation, and their efforts to keep our coast clean, healthy and beautiful.

Persons or groups interested in a yard sale, crafter, or exhibitor application should visit greatergoodwilmington. com or 910-409-5771.

BRINGING BACK GREENFIELD LAKE On Sat. 3/27, UNCW and the Cape Fear River Watch will host a day of Recreational Eco-Events at Greenfield Lake from 10am-4pm at 617 Surry St. The day will be packed with events for everyone including: paddle boat time trials, environmental science stations, arts and crafts, and live music. the park is dog friendly and there will be a dog trick competition running throughout the day. Admission is $10 per family, or $5 per person.

Admission gets you pizza lunch and entry to all of the day’s events. All proceeds benefit Cape Fear River Watch. Contact Lindsay Leblang at 954-803-9697 or at lml2429@uncw.edu.

SUNSET RIVER MARKETPLACE FASHION SHOW Calabash, N.C. art gallery Sunset River Marketplace is set to host a fashion show and luncheon to benefit Brunswick Family Assistance Program (BFA), nonprofit agency that provides a range of programs to low-income families in Brunswick County, N.C. Fashions from the popular Calabash women’s clothing store, Victoria’s Ragpatch, will be featured with store manager Roseanne Hodge making the dynamic presentation. Calabash Garden Tea Room caters luncheon. Door prizes from local merchants and restaurants, and a silent auction.

3/29, 11am-1pm. Tickets are $25. All proceeds from the event will go directly to Brunswick Family Assistance Program (www.brunswickfamilyassistance.org). Sunset River Marketplace is located at 10283 Beach Drive S.W. (N.C. 179) in Calabash, N.C. Call 910-575- 5999 or visit the website at www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com.

Theater/Auditions MULLIGAN’S WAKE DINNER THEATER Mulligan’s Wake is an interactive, portable dinner theater.

Dress up or down for the funeral and be prepared upon arrival to meet a crazy Irish-Catholic family who has all gathered for a final, over-the-top farewell celebration.

Audience members can interact with the cast, join in or sit back and relax. There will be a traditional dinner and then a wake to honor the memory of dear ole’ Rory. Full of drinking, toasting, dancing and singing—a hilarious form of entertainment full of twists and turns that will leave you and your friends in stitches. RSVP: 910-2326611 or porchtheatre.com THE ODD COUPLE

The Odd Couple (Female Version) By Neil Simon Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. New York City. 3/12-13 at 8pm; Sun. 3/14 at 3pm.

Sneads Ferry Community Center, 126 Park Lane.

Tickets are $12 at the door. Doors open 45 minutes before curtain. To reserve seats for parties of 10 or more.

910-327-2798. Play is intended for an adult audience and may contain adult language and situations. www. sneadsferrycommunitytheatre.com DESSERT THEATER Dessert Theater, an afternoon of bite-sized entertainment and sweet treats, returns to the New Hanover County Senior Resource Center on four Friday afternoons in March. Enjoy coffee, dessert and two comedies by award-winning playwright Kathryn Martin at each 2pm performance. $8 per person. Seating is limited and reservations are required: 910-398-7871.

“FOR COLORED GIRLS...” AUDITIONS Auditions for the popular off-Broadway production “For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf” will be held at UNCW on 3/17-18. The production is also seeking crew members (co-director, choreographer and music director). Play features seven poems that reveal the everyday realities of black women, all presented as different colors of the rainbow while dancing, moving and singing. The play’s fusion of movement and language is referred to as a “choreopoem.” Auditions: 6:30-8:30pm in Randall Library Auditorium. To apply for a crew position, contact McLaughlin-Smith at 910-962-4274 or smithkm@uncw. edu. All cast and crew positions are voluntary. Rehearsals are scheduled to begin in August when students return for the fall semester, and the play will run in November.

YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU Thalian Association presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy, “You Can’t Take It With You” by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. Directed by Tom Briggs, runs 3/1828 at the Hannah Block 2nd Street Stage, 120 S. 2nd St. Thurs., Fri. and Sat. at 8pm and Sun. at 3pm. $20 with senior, student and group discounts. For tickets call 910/251-1778 or online at etix.com.

SELECTED SHORTS The popular public radio series “Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story” comes to the UNCW stage on Fri. 3/19 at 8pm in Kenan Auditorium. The signature literary program of New York’s Symphony Space, Selected Shorts offers some of the finest actors of the American theatre reading contemporary and classic short fiction. Acclaimed actors Russell Joel Brown, Patricia Kalember and David Rakoff will read three stories by Southern writers about life in the South.

Tickets to this special presentation are free and seating is general admission. Kenan Box Office 910-962-3500, www.uncw.edu/presents. Box office hours are 12-6pm, Mon.-Fri. and before event.

NEW PLAY FESTIVAL Big Dawg Productions 14th Annual New Play Festival.

Before local playwright Virginia Davis passed away last October, she served on the Big Dawg Board of Directors for many years, and she was instrumental in helping create the New Play Festival and guiding emerging playwrights to find their voice and improve their writing.

As a tribute to her amazing legacy, this year we will present some new plays, along with some of the best from past festivals. This year’s festival will feature new plays by Emily Milkes and Madison Godfrey, two young playwrights who benefited from Ms. Davis’ guidance.

We will also present the previously presented “Love Raft” by Lily Radack and the award-winning “When Will The Violence End” by Katie Shucavage, as well as “The Takeover,” a past favorite written by Virginia Davis herself. You won’t want to miss this extraordinary showcase of the best plays by local writers. Shows are 3/19, 20, 26 & 27 at 8pm and 3/21 & 28 at 3pm at the Cape Fear Playhouse, 613 Castle St. Tickets $18 general, $15 students and seniors and are available at the Newcastle Antiques Center, 606 Castle St. or by calling 910-341-7228.

OPERA HOUSE AUDITIONS Auditions on Sat., 3/27, for “Five Guys Named Moe,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Music Man,” and “The Secret Garden.” Auditions for children 13 and younger, 9am-11am; audition for teens and adults over 13 at 11am. Lucile Shuffler Center, 2011 Carolina Beach Rd. Prepare song and sheet music (an accompanist will be provided). Also prepare to dance. Roles in all five shows are available for men and women in a wide range of ages; there are multiple roles available for children in Fiddler on the Roof, The Music Man, and The Secret Garden.

Opera House: (910) 762-4234.

READERS THEATRE AUDITIONS Sneads Ferry Community Theatre, 126 Park Ln. 3/18-19 at 7pm. This will be a cold reading, 3 men and 3 women needed. Readers theatre requires no memorization and few rehearsals! This is your chance to “get your feet wet” in theatre! Planned show dates for this theatre are 4/24 and 25 and 5/1 and 2. Contact Katina, 910-328-2534.

AUDITIONS FOR MUSICAL GODSPELL Thalian Association Children’s Theater (TACT) will hold auditions for the musical “Godspell” on 3/20, 10am. Open to ages 11-18. Prepare a song to sing a cappella and be prepared to dance (no sandals or flipflops). The production, directed and choreographed by Kendra Goehring-Garrett with music direction by Linda Carilse-Markas, runs 4/30-5/9 at the Hannah Block 2nd Street Stage, 120 S. 2nd St. where the auditions will be held. Contact Suzanne Ralke-Smith, 910-232-6611, dylansparents@yahoo.com

Comedy COMEDY CABANA LINE-UP Wed. 3/10 Manny Olivera; Cooter Douglas at 8pm. $15. • Thurs. 3/11 Josh Blue; Manny Olivera at 8pm. $20/Advance, $22 Day Of Event . • Fri.-Sat. 3/12-13 Josh Blue; Manny Olivera at 8pm. $20/Advance; $22 Day Of Event. Comedy Cabana 9588 North Kings Highway, Myrtle Beach. 843-449-4242.

PORT CITY’S TOP COMIC 2010 Nutt Street Comedy Room and Comedy by the Beach present, the third annual Port City’s Top Comic stand-up comedy contest and comedian networking event. Each comedian will be given between five to seven minutes to perform on 5/14,15, 21 or 22. These are the dates for the preliminary rounds of Port City’s Top Comic held at Nutt Street Comedy Room . Each of these nights 16 comics will perform and only 4 will advance to the Semi-Finals on 5/26 at City Stage at Level 5. Of the 16 that perform at the Semi-Finals, 8 will advance to the finals on 5/27 at City Stage. Only one comic will emerge as Port City’s Top Comic. This comedian will win a trophy for being the top comic along with other prizes that will be announced via email in the coming weeks. supercatmatt@gmail.com.

NUTT ST. COMEDY ROOM Tuesdays and Wed. Improv with the “Nutt House” troupe ($5 cover and $1 Front St draft beer), Thursdays Open Mic Stand-up, Fridays and Saturdays Nationally Touring Comedians. All shows 9pm, 8pm doors. 255 N. Front Str. 910-251-7881

Music/Concerts BARROWBURN Soup to Nuts Live! on Thurs. 3/11 at 7:30pm, Barrowburn plays an early St. Patrick’s Day concert at our studios. We also invite you to come early at 6:30pm for a pre-concert reception -- meet the musicians and staff and enjoy wine, beer and snacks. Tickets are complimentary, but seating limited; RSVP: 910-343-1640 or tventimiglia@ whqr.org. Please include your name, phone number, and the number of tickets you’d like. A donation of $5 is suggested at the door.

WILMINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY Wilmington Choral Society pring concert, “Made in the USA,” featuring traditional spirituals, American folksongs and Hollywood showtunes. Sat., 3/13, 7pm at Roland-Grise Auditorium, 4412 Lake Ave. Tickets available at door, or 910-254-1044 for reservations.

General Admission $12 ,seniors 60+ $10, children under 12 free.

WILMINGTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA On Sat. 3/13, 8pm in Kenan Auditorium, the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra presents “A Tribute to Rodgers & Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber,” an unforgettable evening of Broadway favorites from Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella, Oklahoma, Evita, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera.

Joining the Wilmington Symphony in the featured vocal roles are: Sophie Amelkin, Karri Compton, Mary Claire Curran, Steve Gallian, Alex Gazda, Ashley Gladden, Jamey Graves, Dana Harrison, Colby Lewis, David Lorek, Allan Nicosia, Newlin Parker, Chelsea Timmons, Alecia Vanderhaar, John Walters, and Stephanie Williams.

Kenan Auditorium Ticket Office: 962-3500, or www. wilmingtonsymphony.org, $35.

PROJECT HAITI

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FRIDAY, MARCH 12

REO SPEEDWAGON w/EDWIN McCAIN

(ADV) $ 34.00 / (DOS) $ 37.00

SATURDAY, MARCH 13

BEN FOLDS

Project Haiti, a concert benefiting the American Red Cross: Haiti Relief Fund will be Hosted by One I Open at the House of Blues Myrtle Beach on 3/14. Doors open at 2pm. Join One I Open Sun. 3/14 for an afternoon of live entertainment to benefit American Red Cross: Haiti Relief Fund. The event is scheduled from 2-7pm. The afternooon will include entertainment by Freedom Street Prison, That’s Cool & Stuff, N’Tranze, Peggy Lynard and One I Open. Greg Rowles will host the event. Tickets will be available for pre-purchase at the House of Blues Box Office or available the day of the event. Tickets are $5. All proceeds benefit Haiti Relief Fund. Bill Hein: getbill37@yahoo.com.

HOPE COLLEGE CHAPEL CHOIR The Hope College Chapel Choir will perform music of the 16th-20th centuries, both sacred and secular, modern and old, for both mixed and women’s choir. Sat. 3/20 at 7:30pm at St. Andrew’s Covenant Presbyterian Church, 1416 Market St. Contact Sharon Miller, 910-752-9693, ext. 212.

CAPE FEAR CHORALE The Cape Fear Chorale will present its 2010 Spring Concert on 3/28, 4pm, Grace Methodist Church, 401 Grace St. The Chorale, soloists, and 13 instrumentalists will perform F. Joseph Haydn’s The Seven Last Words of Christ. www.capefearchorale.org.

SONGWRITING CONTEST Put together a 30-60 second song or jingle, on a CD and drop it off with an entry form. Submissions through 3/31. Top ten will be asked to perform their submission at The Soapbox where the winner will be selected by Gravity, celebrity judges and the crowd. All entries must be family-friendly. Flaming Amy’s Burrito Barn and Bowl should be mentioned. Cash prizes for 1st-3rd.

and A Piano

(ADV) $ 21.00 / (DOS) $ 24.00

FRIDAY, MARCH 19

GEORGE THOROGOOD

SAM BUSH BAND Atlantic Rim Entertainment presents Sam bush Band in concert with Missy Raines at Greenfield Lake Ampitheatre 4/17. Tickets are $35 available at www. atlanticrimentertainment.com. 910-399-1820 or info@ atlanticrimentertainment.com.

Dance SATURDAY EVENING SOCIAL DANCE 3/13 at the New Hanover County Center Ballroom, 2222 S. College Rd., corner of Shipyard Blvd. presented by Azalea Coast USA Dance Chapter #6031. 6:45pm Entry level ballroom dance lesson given by Babs McDance Studio staff. 7:30pm to 10pm Full spectrum of ballroom dancing to recorded music. $10 per person. Couples and singles welcome. Smoke and alcohol free environment.

910-799-1694. azaleacoastNCUSADance.org

AND THE DESTROYERS W/DAMON FOWLER

(ADV) $ 21.00 / (DOS) $ 24.00

61$0.*/( 4)084 03/20

BADFISH w/ Scotty Don’t & Full Service

04/23

TRACE ATKINS

04/02

DANNY GOKEY

04/24

DELBERT McCLINTON w/ Jim

04/03

CHAIRMEN OF THE BOARD

Quick and the Coastline Band

04/09

STYX

04/27

BEN HARPER and the Relentless 7

04/10

DARIUS RUCKER

04/16

GEORGE CLINTON and Parlament Funkadelic

05/04

HIM plus Special Guests

We Are The Fallen, Dommin & Drive A

THE CIRCLE Free form movement session every friday 6-7:30pm at Dance Cooperative 118 s.17th st. Free - $5 donation suggested albanelved@albanelved.com. No experience needed. www.albanelved.com BABS MCDANCE NEW SCHEDULE West Coast Swing: Mondays 6-7pm • Rumba: Mondays 7-8pm • Basic Shag: Tuesdays 6-7pm • Night Club Two Step: Tuesdays 7-8pm • Basic Salsa: Tuesdays 7-8pm • Progressing Salsa: Tuesdays 8-9:30pm • Swing & Lindy: Wednesdays 6-7pm • Cha Cha: Wednesdays 7-8pm • Mambo: Wednesdays 8-9:30pm • Waltz: Thursdays 6-7pm • Progressing Shag: Thursdays 7-8pm • Foxtrot: Thursdays 7-8pm • Argentine Tango: Thursdays 89:30pm. Full schedule:babsmcdance.com.

FIREHOUSE STUDIO BELLY DANCING Bellydance Classes at Firehouse Studio, Mon. nights. Private and semi-private, $50/hour-and-a-half instruction and $30 apiece/2 people for same duration. divyawaters@yahoo.com or 910-620-3566.

CAROLINA SHAG CLUB DJs play favorite beach music and shag tunes every Sat, 8pm to close. $4/members; $6/guests. Carolina Shag Club, 103 N. Lake Park Blvd. Carolina Beach, NC 620-4025 76’ERS SQUARE DANCE CLUB Modern Western Style Square Dance. Club meets Thurs. nights at 7pm at the Senior Center for a new workshop on square dancing. Info: 270-1639

FOR TICKETS: Livenation.com or Charge By Phone 877-598-8698

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WILMINGTON SALSA CLUB Salsa Lessons, 8:30pm, Wed., Garibaldi Night Club, 4418 Market St., Wilmington, NC • 8pm, Fridays, Sywanyk’s Night Club 222 Henderson Ave., Jacksonville, NC. Dawn: (910) 471-6809 DANCE LESSONS AT CAROLINA LOUNGE

Tues, 7:30pm, shag lessons with Brad and DJ Lee Pearson. • Fri., 7:30pm, Tango workshop with Paula.

9:30pm, salsa lessons with DJ Lalo. • Line Dancing lessons with DJ Lee and instructor Barbara Braak 7:30pm. Cover charge $5, lesson free. • Sat., Latin ryhthm. Doors open 9pm. 5001-a Market St, (910) 790-8598

Art PHOTOGRAPHING AMERICA The Art Gallery in the Cultural Arts Building at UNCW will be holding Tom Rankin’s exhibit Photographing America through 3/31. Tom Rankin is Director of the Center for Documentary Studies and Associate Professor of the Practice of Art and Documentary Studies at Duke University. Photographer, filmmaker, and folklorist, Rankin is formerly Associate Professor of Art and Southern Studies at the U-Miss. and Chair of the Art Dept at Delta State University. 910-962-7958.

MAKING WAVES The Boseman Gallery is transformed into an urban street scene with an interactive audio component. Exhibition is a collaboration among student graffiti artists, student sound artists and creative writers. Graffiti artists tell an urban ‘womb to tomb’ narrative through the use of spray paint and wheat paste applications. Images are paired with sound recordings activated by buttons and a poetic narrative which tells the story. Gallery hours: Mon.-Sat., 10am-8pm. www.uncw.edu/presents, 910-962-7972.

CALL TO AUTHORS Art Soup, a non-profit arts organization in Wilmington, NC is currently seeking published or self-published authors and poets to participate in an annual, large outdoor arts festival, Sat. 9/11. The Wilmington Art Walk is an artist market throughout the streets of the historic downtown area, featuring visual artists, crafts, music and more. Literary participants are welcome to sell and sign copies of current or previous work at individual booths in a special section of the festival dedicated to writers. Spaces available at a discounted rate of $35 per participant. 910-620-2047 or info@art-soup.org.

KEYS NEEDED Wabi Sabi Warehouse is currently seeking submissions for a juriedexhibition based on ‘keys.’ Symbolic or literal, this theme is wide open for interpretation. We welcome all media, including performance,creative writing, and ice sculpture—providing artwork fits throughthe door and doesn’t attract vermin. The only common denominatoramong selected works is the key. Submissions inspired by the Key Fenceinstallation in downtown Wilmington will be given special consideration. Jurors: Richard Scieford, President, North Carolina Museums Council Bob Unchester, Exhibition Manager, Cameron Art Museum Pam Toll, UNCW., 4/18.

Exhibition dates: 5/7-6/12. Selected artists notified by 4/25. Email questions, comments, and up to 3 jpeg images to: dixonstetler@gmail.com DIVE MADE EXHIBITION OF ART Diva Made, a creative women’s exchange, presents first all-female art exhibit, “Diva Made Exhibition of Art” at Bottega Gallery & Art Bar. Among the participating artists: Monika Winters-Sanchez, Dixon Stetler, Bonnie England, Jude Eden, Abby Spangel Perry, Kate Cathey, Rachel Kastner, Gayle Tustin, Pamela Toll, Rachel Willoughby, MJ Cunningham, Kelly Marquis, Erica Morgan, Leigh Fowler and Angela Johnson. Dates: 3/154/25, w/opening reception to be held Fri. 3/26, 6-9pm w/most artists in attendance, light hors d’oeurve and live music by female performers. Diva Made: “a creative women’s exchange” hosts meet and greet meetings the first Wednesday of each month at The Green Light Lounge (female owned) on Front St. Meetings are held from 7-9pm and are informally informative, supportive, encouraging and of course, creative! Membership is free and open to the female public. divamade.com.

BOTTEGA BAR AND GALLERY EXHIBITS: Jazz Rode: A Solo Exhibition, Through 3/7, w/ opening reception on Fri, 1/15, 6-8pm. Designing surf art is just one of this local artists amazing talents—also includes; Intaglio, Lithography, Mixed Media and Painting and will all be displayed in this eclectic exhibit at Bottega Gallery.Start 9pm unless noted; free. 208 North Front St.; 910-763-3737. www.bottegagallery.com • 3/22: Wine Class 6pm • Tues. 3/23: Starving Artist night • Wed. 3/24: Weekly Wine Tasting 7pm (Roger Davis & Ron Wilson music) • 3/25: Beer & Cheese Party with host Steven Gibbs • 3/26: 4th Friday Gallery Walk 6pm!

Diva Made Exhibition Opening Reception/ Jim Ashley

tributaries of the North East Cape Fear River. • Paddling Club—Waccamaw River: Mon. 4/5 8am-1pm. Meet at Halyburton Park at 8am. $20 using our canoes, $10 bringing your own canoe/kayak. This is a 2.5–3.0 mile paddle beginning and ending at the south shore of Lake Waccamaw. Ages 12 and up, 17 and younger must have parent present.

performs • 3/29: Open Paint & Create (Bring art in progress & drink wine!) • 3/30: Starving Artist night • 3/31: Weekly Wine Tasting 7pm (5th Wednesday Band performs) • Sign up for Wine School today. Held Mon. 3/22 with host and educator Steve Gibbs. $30 for the class and includes everything including plenty of tasting!

• Bottega is taking submissions for Spring/ Summer exhibitions. We are currently looking for works related to domestic pets. 50% of proceeds will go to a charity for animals (yet to be decided). Excepting works in all genres: paint, sculpt., film, mixed media, more. Please submit 5-10 images in jpeg format to bottegaartbar@ gmail.com. All mediums accepted. 910-7633737.

FOURTH FRIDAY GALLERY NIGHTS Fourth Friday Gallery Nights 2010, 6-9pm on the fourth Friday of each month: 3/26,. No admission. All ages. Several downtown galleries, studios and art spaces will open their doors to the public in an after-hours celebration of art and culture. The Art Walk is a self-guided tour featuring exhibitions of various artistic genres including oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, photography, metals, ceramics, mixed media and more. Includes opening receptions, artist discussions, live music, wine, food and other traditional art-activities; www. wilmingtonfourthfridays.com.

ARTISTS AID THE ANIMALS 6th annual Artists Aid the Animals art show and sale is seeking artists and fine craftsmen to particiapte in a two day show on 6/5-6 at the Elks Club at 5102 Oleander Drive. Deadline to enter is 5/4. Art or craft does not have to be animal realted. Space is limited to approx. 80 artists, so early entry is important. Cost for the 2-day event is $125 per booth, or $200 if sharing booth with other applicant. Pictures of your work must be submitted alone with an autobiography and your application. Please email normat1@bellsouth.net with cc to llefrog@aol.com. For application form, visit pchsdreams.org. Please enter “Arts and Crafts show” in subject line. Call Gloria at 910-799-5401.

ZIABIRD SPRING CALENDAR Through 4/15 Niki Hildebrand’s ‘Capturing the Body and Line’ in paintings and glass. Artist Reception Fri. 3/12, 5-7pm at Ziabird. • Get Dressed for the Derby’ Hat Social featuring Joanne Miranda designs 4/1, 6-8pm at Ziabird. • 5/8, 12-5pm, Trunk Show with Wilmington clothing designer Amanda DeLeon. New Spring looks.

• 5/9, 12-5. Mother/Daughter Day at Ziabird and Lumina Station • 5/38-7/5. Ivey Hayes artwork at Ziabird. • 6/3, all day celebration. E-commerce website launch, magazine cover, 1 year anniversary. • 6/12, 12-5 pm. Trunk Show with Moonrise jewelry, designers of the real orchid line of jewelry. • 7/9-8/18. Andrea Peterson’s artwork at Ziabird. 1900 Eastwood Road • 910-208-9650.

Museums NC AQUARIUM AT FORT FISHER Aquarist Apprentice: Sat. 3/13 at 2pm. Be responsible for the aquarium critters; join staff on a behind-the-scenes tour, learn about our animals and their diets, and assist our staff in the preparation of food and feeding of some of our animals. Open to 10 participants. Ages 10 and up. $25. • Behind The Scenes Tour Sun. 3/14 at 2pm, Thurs. 3/18 at 11:30am, Sat. 3/20 at 11am, Sun. 3/21 at 2pm, and Sun. 3/28 at 2pm. Accompany aquarium staff on a guided tour of animal quarantine, life support, food preparation, and access areas. 10 participants. Children under 8 are not permitted. $15. • Children’s Discovery Time, Thurs. 3/18 at 10am: Reptiles. Creatures come alive in this story-telling and critter-creating program.

For pre-school children. $5. Parents pay admission only. • Daddy and Me, Sat. 3/13 at 9am. Dads and their children interact and learn together about aquarium animals. Afterwards, you can enjoy free playtime in our Freshwater Wonders Room, which will be reserved just for program participants. Ages 1-3. $13/one adult and one child ($1 for ea. add. child) • Mommy and Me, Sat. 3/20 at 9am. Moms and their children interact and learn together about aquarium animals. Afterward, enjoy free playtime in our Freshwater Wonders Room, which will be reserved just for program participants. Ages 1-3. $13 for one adult and one child ($1 for ea. add. child).

• Salt Marsh Exploration, Sun. 3/14 and Sun. 3/28 at 3:30pm. Hike the salt marsh trail and view first-hand the activities of marsh-dwelling animals and the variety of

plants found in this rich environment. $15t, $7/aquarium members. • Alligator Egg Hunt, Sat. 3/24 at 10am. Kids get to see a live baby alligator and learn about these fascinating animals. They create their own special alligator egg basket and then go search for candy filled “alligator eggs.” kids 3 - 10. Limited space is available. $8 per child plus admission. Adults will need to pay admission to Aquarium. Pre-registration required. www. ncaquariums.com CAPE FEAR MUSEUM Museum is in the process of renovating its core exhibit space to make room for a new, immersive exhibit experience. EXHIBITS: Land of the Longleaf Pine will open 4/2. • Going to the Movies Exhibit—Experience the history of a century of movie-going in the Lower Cape Fear region; where people went to the movies, how the theater experience has changed over the years, etc. • Conservation Matters—Explore the art and science of artifact conservation; what it is, who does it, and why it matters to museums. Beautifully conserved furniture and other wooden objects from the permanent collection on display.• Cape Fear Treasures: Drink Exhibit—Glimpse a selection of drinking vessels, as you explore treasures from Cape Fear Museum’s collection. From 18th-century bottles, to fancy teapots, to modern-day souvenir mugs,and more! EvEnTS: Discover how to become a volunteer. Opportunities are available in the Museum Store, working with the historic collection, and as an education docent. Open House is held the first Wed., every month. 910-798-4366. • New Hanover County Residents’ Day—admitted free to the Museum the first Sunday of every month. Museum is open Sundays from 1-5pm. • Winter Jazz: The Bob Russell Quartet Fri. 3/12, 6pm. Pack a picnic, bring your chairs and enjoy evening jazz at the New Hanover County Government Center.

Presented by Cape Fear Museum. Winter Jazz held one Friday a month, Nov-April, 6-8pm in Government Center. Admission free for museum members; $8 for nonmembers. Bring your own chair. Food and drink are encouraged, no glass please. • Learning Center: Light & Sound Sat. 3/13, 20 and 27. Why is the sky blue?

Explore fun mysteries of light and color and even make an object disappear! What does your own voice sound like? Create a model eardrum and conduct exciting experiments with sound. Open Sat., 10 am-4pm. Free with Museum admission. Appropriate for ages 5 to 12.

Parental participation is required. • Pi Day Tues. 3/16, 9am-2pm—extravaganza of high-energy, hands-on, facilitated mathematics activities will excite and motivate learners of all ages. Discover the Meaning of Pi.• Cape Fear Skies: Objects in Space Sun. 3/21, 1:30, 2:30 & 3:30 pm. 3….2….1…Blastoff! Venture into Cape Fear Museum’s portable planetarium and explore the night sky in the daytime. Journey into the depths of outer space to discover comets, meteors and asteroids.Offered three

times every third Sunday. Free with Museum admission and appropriate for all ages. Parental participation is required. • Community Conversation: Industry & Environment Tues. 3/23, 7pm. Listen to three different perspectives (historic, economic, public health) on the topic then participate in a lively discussion. Conversation moderated by WECT’s Jon Evans. Program fee is $5 for Museum members, $7 for nonmembers. Mix and mingle with light refreshments before and after the 7pm presentation. • Conservation Workshop: Photos & Paper Sat. 3/27, 9am-12pm. Get tips on how to preserve your family treasures the way the Museum preserves theirs.

Work with and take home your own photo and paper conservation starter kit. Workshop is $40 per member; $50 per nonmember. Photos & Paper is part one of a three part conservation workshop and lecture series.

814 Market Street.

HIDDEN BATTLESHIP Behind the Scenes at the Battleship NC Hidden Battleship: 3/13 8:30am-12:30pm and 1:30-5:30pm Unique, behind-the-scenes tour of un-restored areas of the Battleship. The four-hour tour consists of small groups with guides. Guests explore the bow (officers’ country and boatswain locker), third deck (Radio II, brig, after gyro, storage rooms, ammunition handling, Engineer’s office, torpedo area), engine room #3, the cold storage compartments, and up inside the fire control tower to the top of the ship. The Azalea Coast Radio Club will be in Radio II to explain their work on the ship’s radio transmitters.Ticket sales stop one hour before closing. www.battleshipnc.com.

BELLAMY MANSION MUSEUM Mondays at the Mansion. Star-News Columnist Susan Hartpresents, “The Gardens of Hever Castle: Anne Boleyn’s Childhood Home.” Mon, 3/15, 11am, Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market St.Tickets: $10 each, includes lunch. 910-251-3700 x104. • African-American History Day. Sat., 3/27, 10AM- 4pm.

Experience the domestic life of the mansion from a 19th century perspective. The Bellamy’s household included eleven family members and nine enslaved African-Americans who lived on the site and worked throughout the house. Learn about their lives as well as those of the free blacks and hired slave artisans who built this grand house, the carriage house and the slave quarters. Admission: $10 for adults, $4 for children 5-12, free children under 5. Students with ID $3 for this event only.

PADDLING PROGRAMS Paddling Club Long Creek: Mon. 3/1 8am-1pm. Meet at Halyburton Park at 8am. $20 using our canoes, $10 bringing your own canoe/kayak. Paddle in one of our canoes, or bring your own (canoes and kayaks are welcome). This is a 2.5–3.0 mile paddle on one of the

CAMERON ART MUSEUM MARCH PROGRAMS EXHIBITS: Toying with Art is an exhibition of toys designed and fabricated by more than 50 artists.

Remains open through 3/28. Brings together several different kinds of toys: games, robots, plush toys, puppets and action figures all come together in this exciting exhibition. • Kaleidoscope: Changing Views of the Permanent Collection. Feat. art from the Cameron Art Museum’s collection: paintings, prints, drawings, sculptures, photographs, furniture, decorative arts, from the museum’s permanent collection. Configuration will change through the year as individual works are rotated. • Recollection: The Past is the Present: Visual and thematic references of the past while being rooted firmly in the present connects the art work of Amalia Amaki, Lillian Blades and Beverly Buchanan to the historical-tinged quilts by African American women in the exhibition. Admission charge. Thurs. 3/18 6pm opening, 7pm film screenings begin. Recollection: The Past is Present. The contemporary work of Amalia Amaki, Lillian Blades and Beverly Buchanan dovetails and resonates with quilts made by members of the Mississippi Cultural Crossroads collective, which are on loan for this exhibition from the Mississippi Museum of Art. • North Carolina Black Film Festival Thurs. 3/18–Sun. 3/21. The Black Arts Alliance presents the North Carolina Black Film Festival. In its ninth year, the four-day juried and invitational festival of independent motion pictures by African-American filmmakers showcases features, shorts, animation, and documentary films.

Visit www.blackartsalliance.org. • Diana Hume George, author. Thurs. 3/25, 8pm. Free, donations appreciated.

Diana Hume George is the author or editor of eight books of nonfiction and poetry, including The Lonely Other, The Family Track, and Phantom Breast, as well as two literary studies, Oedipus Anne, The Poetry of Anne Sexton, and the Pulitzer-nominated Blake and Freud. • Movement Lab with Karola Luttringhaus Sun. 3/28 3–4:30pm. $15, cash and checks only, checks payable to Alban Elved Dance Company.

Karola Luttringhaus, choreographer and dancer of Alban Elved Dance Company, offers a movement lab workshops focuses on physical freedom and creativity.

Appropriate for all body types and experience levels.

Bring layers of clothing for various activity levels. www. dynamic-body.net/workshops.html. • Hand and Wheel Pottery Techniques: Mon/Wed, 3/29–5/19 9am-12pm. $250 orTues/Thurs 3/30–5/20 6pm–9pm. $250. Hiroshi Sueyoshi teaches handbuilding, wheel throwing, glazing and finishing techniques. Class size is limited. Open to all skill levels, ages 16+. • Yoga: Thursdays at 12pm. $5 members, $8 non-members, w/Sara Jo Nelson. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a yoga mat. Beginners are always welcome. • Tai Chi:Wednesdays, 3/10 & 24, 12pm. $5 members, $8 non-members per class.

Beginners are always welcome. • Kids @ CAM: Sat. 3/13, 12-3pm. $3 per child (family membership), $5 per child (non-members), adults free. Come out and drum, dance and sing with Perry Smith and friends. Perry will guide us through movement games, take turns drumming and more. No pre-registration necessary. • Cameron Art Museum is located at the corner of South 17th Street and Independence Boulevard. Visit http://www. cameronartmuseum.com or call 910.395.5999.

LATIMER HOUSE Victorian Italiante style home built in 1852, the restored home features period furnishings, artwork and family portraits. Tours offered Mon-Fri, 10am-4pm, and Sat, 12-5pm. Walking tours are Wed and Sat. at 10am. 126 S. Third St. Adults $8, children $4. 762-0492. www. latimerhouse.org BURGWIN WRIGHT HOUSE 18th century Burgwin-Wright House Museum in the heart of Wilmington’s Historic District, is the oldest museum house in NC, restored with 18th and 19th century decor and gardens. Colonial life is experienced through historical interpretations in kitchen-building and courtyard. 3rd and Market streets. Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm.

Last tour, 3pm. Admission rqd. (910) 762-0570. www. burgwinwrighthouse.com.

Sports/Recreation ROWING CLASSES

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CFCC offers new class for people interested in rowing.

Entitled Rowing on the River: An Introductory Course in Recreational Rowing, the class is a four-session introduction to rowing, held in partnership with the Cape Fear River Rowing Club. The course will provide students with the knowledge and skills required to participate safely as a member of a rowing crew. There will be some classroom participation, but the majority of the course will be on the water. The class will start on 3/22-4/7. Classes meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:-7:30pm.

Students must be able to swim at least 50 yards and possess enough upper body strength to return to a rowing boat after entering the water. Students should wear athletic clothing, appropriate to weather conditions, which allows freedom of leg and arm motion. Socks are required. Contact Morris Elsen at melsen@cfcc.edu or call 362-7301. Limited to eight students.

SEA DAWGS SPRING BREAK SKILLS CAMP The Wilmington Sea Dawgs will be hosting a spring break basketball camp. All boys and girls ages, 7-16, are welcome to unleash their basketball potential. Mon. 3/29-Thurs. 4/2 at the Wilmington Family YMCA located at 2710 Market St. $90 clinic fee for single participants at a special YMCA membership discount, and $115 for single participants at a community rate. Before and after care for participants is available at a nominal charge. Registration forms at Sea Dawgs Web site or at the YMCA. Clinic includes a Wilmington Sea Dawgs T-shirt, two tickets to a Sea Dawgs home game during the 2010 season, team photo with coaching staff, competition skills, and professional coaching. www. wilmingtonseadawgs.com or 910-791-6523.

BIRD TOURS 100-acre lake within a larger city park is one of the great birding destinations of the Southeast and a featured portion of the NC Birding Trail. See Wigeon, Gadwall, Cormorants and Egrets roost in and around the Bald Cypress, and more! 5 miles around the lake, guidebook in hand; or guided 1-hour tour on the lake itself comfortably seated in River Watch’s electric canoe. 6 passengers; tours on Wed/Thurs/Sundays through March, weather permitting, or by special app. The one-hour tours leave the dock at 10am, 11am, noon and 1pm with a special “roosting hour” tour leaving apprx 3:30pm. Group prices available; RSVP recommended. $15/person. 910-7625606 or 910-200-4002.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH PARKS & REC Adult Flag Football League Register Now. Registration ends February 5th or when the league becomes full. Games are played on Sun. • Beginner shag lessons on Sun., Fran Russ Recreation Ctr, no partner needed. • Beginner II Bridge Lessons, Thurs, 10amnoon, 3/11-4/8 Intermediate II Bridge Lessons, Thurs, 12:30pm–2:30pm. 3/11-4/8 • Currently registering for group tennis lessons, adult, youth, and tots. Classes meet Mon/Wed, at tennis courts at Wrightsville Beach Park. Adult, Youth ages 9-12, and Tots ages 6-8. • Yoga: Tuesd/Wed, 6:30pm. Classes meet in the Fran Russ Recreation Center. • Pilates. Mon/Wed/Frid, 10:1511:15am. Beginner Pilates on Tues/Thurs, 7:30-8:15am.

• Low Impact Aerobics. Mon/Wed/Fri, 8-9am and 9-10am. All ages welcome, catered toward ages 60+.

• Tone & Stretch. Tues/Thurs, 8:30-9:15am. All ages welcome, catered toward ages 60+. • Boot Camp fitness class meets Tues/Thurs, 6-7am. • Cape Fear Cotillion—lessons in ballroom and popular dance along with etiquette and social skills! Thurs. afternoons, 4/8-5/6, 3-7 and 8-12 years old. • Performance Club—structured theater games, kids can exercise their imagination and have fun by performing. Tues. afternoons, 2/2-3/23. Grades K-2nd and 3rd-5th. Meets in the Fran Russ Rec Ctr. 910-256-7925; pre-registration rqd. Wrightsville Beach Park. • Adult Co-ed Softball League. Open Registration begins, Tues, 3/2. Reg. ends 3/19 or when the league becomes full. Games are played on Sat/Sun 3/27 & 3/28. For registration information and other details, call the Wrightsville Beach Park Office 2567925. • Wrightsville Beach Shag Lessons. Beginner shag lessons on Sundays at the Fran Russ Rec Ctr. HALYBURTON PARK PROGRAMS Halyburton Park is located at 4099 S. 17th St. 910.341.0075 or TTY Relay 711 www.halyburtonpark. com • Camouflage in Nature: Ages 2-5, $3 per child. Mon. 3/15 10-11am, Tues. 3/16 10-11am. Learn how animals hide to protect themselves from predators by going on a hike, and playing a game to see what animals camouflage well in nature. • Signs of Spring: Ages 2-5, $3 per child.

Mon. 3/29 10-11am, Tues. 3/30 10-11am. Learn what happens during spring with plants and animals that live in the forest by taking a nature hike, then doing a fun spring craft. • Backyard Birding and Feeding: Sat. 3/13, 4/10 9:30-11:30am. Join a park naturalist into the world

of birds and discover what tasty treats and feeders will attract these fantastic creatures each season. Discover how you could build your own backyard bird oasis. Later, receive tasty treats for your new feathery friends. Age 10 and up. $5/participant. • Discovery Hike: Sat. 3/27, 4/24 1:30-2:30pm. Join park naturalist as we hike into a Long Leaf Pine Savannah. Explore nature up close as we discuss the many properties of this type of ecosystem. $1/participant. • Snake and Turtle Feeding: Wed. 3/17, 4/14 4-4:30pm. Enjoy a brief presentation about the live animals on display in the Events Center and then watch them feed. At least one snake and a turtle will be fed during the demonstration. Ages 3 and up. $1/participant.

Film SUBVERSIVE FILM SERIES Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St. Sundays, free! • The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (3/21) Never-beforeseen testimony is included in this documentary on Emmett Louis Till, who, in 1955, was brutally murdered after he whistled at a white woman. • Elephant (3/28) A day in the lives of a group of average teenage high school students. The film follows every character and shows their daily routines. However two of the students plan to do something that the student body won’t forget.

WE FEST ACCEPTING FILM SUBMISSIONS The Wilmington Exchange Festival XIV (We Fest) is currently accepting film submissions for this years event. The deadline is 5/1 for all submissions. We fest is scheduled 5/27-31 at the Soapbox Laundrolounge. The festival begins at 3pm every day. All entries must be in .mov or .avi format on a DATA dvd or HARDDRIVE. Mail to: Attn We Fest Film: 4905 Brenton Ct, Wilmington, NC 28412 joevideos@yahoo.com.

NC BLACK FILM FESTIVAL 9th annual NC Film Festival (formerly Cine Noir Film Festival) is a 4-day juried and invitational competition & screening of independent films by African-American filmmakers with guest artists, panel discussions, workshops, and more. Genres include features, shorts, animation, and documentary films. Sponsored by the Black Arts Alliance.Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington.

910-612-7832; www.blackartsalliance.org; www. cameronartmuseum.com LUNAFEST 9th Annual National Touring Film Festival Lunafest Short Films By, For, About Women Lunafest, the fundraising film festival dedicated to promoting awareness about women’s issues, highlighting women filmmakers, and bringing women together in their communities, will be hosted by Luna Moms Club Powered by Stroller Strides at Brown Coat Pub & Theatre, 111 Grace St. on 3/26-27 AT 8pm. This unique film festival highlights women as leaders in society, illustrated through nine short films by women filmmakers. The films range from animation to fictional drama, and cover topics such as women’s health, motherhood, body image, sexuality, cultural diversity, and breaking barriers. All proceeds from Lunafest will benefit the Breast Cancer Fund. $20 Advance/$25 at the Door includes dinner from Blue Plate.

Available to purchase at Brown Coat Pub & Theatre.

800.691.6154.

Kids Stuff 15TH ANNUAL CHILDREN’S MARKET Sponsered by Mothers of Preschoolers, Sat., 3/13, 8:30am-12pm. Schwartz Center, 610 N. Front St. Gently used and new children’ clothings, toys, equipment, furniture, books and maternity items. There will also be unique finds and pampering products available.

Admission cost $3. Please bring exact change! Also fantastic prizes to win. Raffle tickets will be on sale for $1 each. No strollers, please.

HALYBURTON PRESCHOOL PROGRAMS Nature programs for preschoolers, ages 2-5: Camouflage in Nature, Mon/Tues, 3/15-16, 10-11am • Signs of Spring, Mon/Tues, 3/29-30, 10-11am. Cost for all: $3/child; pre-ref rqd. 4099 S. 17th St. (910) 3410075.

EGG HUNT AT FIT FOR FUN For children ages 5 and under. 302 S. 10th St. Wed. 3/24 10am-12pm. $5 per child. Children will have chance to hunt for eggs with other preschoolers with the help of a guest bunny. Special snack and other fun activities will be provided. 910-341-4630.

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DR. SEUSS WEEK AT MAYFAIRE Kid-Friendly activities by the Children’s Museum, crafts from Michales, book readings at Barnes&Noble and the opportunity to see and purchse limited edition Dr. Seuss prints! Purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win one of two limited edition Dr. Seuss prints, values at over $500 each. 3/26-4/3 at Mayfaire Town Center. www. mayfairetown.com.

SPRING EGGVENTURE Spring Eggventure at Halyburton Park, 4099 S. 17th St. Thurs. 4/1 from 1-4pm. Egg Hunts will take place at 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30pm. Space is limited, preregistration encouraged. Ages 3-10, $5 per child. Programs and activities for the day include Animal Eggs and Nests, Egglympics, Storytime, and Spring Nature Hike. 910341-0075.

Lectures/Readings TWO SISTERS BOOKERY MARCH MADNESS On Sat. 3/13 from 2-4pm, Ellen Elizabeth Hunter’s Murder at the Bellamy Mansion; reading and signing books. All of her other titles also be available. Homemade refreshments. 762-4444. • Children of all ages are invited to a Mad Hatters Tea Party from 9:30-10:30am on Sat. 3/20 in celebration of the recent release of the movie Alice in Wonderland. Author and storyteller Brooks Preik will be reading selections from the book and showing several different versions that are available for purchase at the bookstore. Children are encouraged to come in costume and a prize will be given for the best costume. Cinnamon tea and homemade cookies served. A pair of free tickets to the movie and a beautiful, newly illustrated version of Alice in Wonderland will be among the door prizes. RSVP recommended because space is limited. • Karen Spears Zacharias is on the program Fri. 3/26 from 2-4pm with a discussion of the stories in her newest book Will Jesus Buy Me a Doublewide? (‘Cause I Need More Room for a Plasma TV). Signing copies of the book. Delicious homemade goodies will be served. 762-4444.

UNCW PRESENTS LECTURES SERIES Speakers include an award winning novelist and poet, an acclaimed political journalist, a National Book Award winner and social justice activist, and a green business advocate and CEO.Lectures are Mon., 7pm, UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium,followed by Q&A and book signing.

3/22: Gary Hirshberg—Green Business: The Next Frontier. Author Gary Hirshberg has been a proponent of environmental and social change for over 25 years.

From his early days as an educator and activist to his current position as CEO of Stonyfield Farm—the world’s largest organic yogurt company, and one netting $300 million in annual sales—Hirshberg’s positive outlook has inspired thousands to recognize their ability to make the world a better place. www.uncw.edu/presents. Tickets are $9 for the public and free to UNCW students and employees. 962-3500 or 800-732-3643.

Classes LOIS DEWITT MARCH ART CLASSES Water Color, Wed., 3/10–31, 11am-1pm .Learn basic watercolor skills: mixing and blending colors, light and shadow, wet and dry brush techniques and basic drawing skills. • Drawing, Wedn, 3/10–31, 3-5pm. Learn drawing basics: line, shading, composition and how to draw what you see. All classes: $60/4 wks; maximum 4 students. Material lists available. Lois Dewitt: loislight@ bellsouth.net. www.free-online-art-classes.com POPLAR GROVE Classes: Pilates, Mon. 4:30-5:30pm • Colored Pencil Drawing, Wed. 3/10 & 3/17 6:30-8pm. $30 • Quilt Square, Wed. 2/24 6:30-8pm. $30 • Glass Bead Making, Sat. 3/13, 3/20, 4/10, 4/24, 5/8, 5/29 11am-4:30pm. $175. 18 and up. • Wire Wrap Beading, third Wed. of each month 11am-12pm & Mon. 3/29, 4/26, 5/17, 6/21 6-7:30pm. $35 • Bracelet Making, first Wed. of each month 11am-12pm & Mon. 3/15, 4/12, 5/3, 6/7 6-7:30pm. $50. • Rug Hooking, 3-week class 3/15-29 Mon. 10am-12pm. $50. • One Stroke Painting, 4-week class 3/4-25, 4/1-22, 4/29-5/20 Thurs. 6-8pm. $60. • Zentangle Art & Design, 4-week class 3/16-4/6 Tues.

10am-12pm. • Tae Kwon-Do, Tues. & Thurs. 6-7pm. $75/month. • Self Defense for Adults, Wed. 1-2:15pm, 5:45-7pm. $40/4 classes. • 910-686-9518 ext. 26, www. poplargrove.com HOW TO GET YOUR LEGISLATOR TO LISTEN The League of Women Voters of Lower Cape Fear will present a free workshop to help all interested

citizens effectively express their opinions to their legislators. Will fully explain how to write a letter or email or to talk with the legislator by phone or in person.

Learning what information you should include, how to emphasize why the issue is important to you and the way to present your viewpoint will be discussed . Leading this workshop will be board members Carole Ellis and Laurie Goldwasser with NC Representative Carolyn Justice also offering suggestions from a legislator’s viewpoint. The civics workshop is entitled “How to Get Your Legislator to Listen” and will be presented on Tues.

3/16 from 6:30-8pm at the Children’s Developmental Services Agency, 3311 Burnt Mill Dr. CREATIVE WRITING CLASS Exploring Creative Writing is a class designed to equip writers with the tools and community they need to grow as artists. Each week we will meet and read, do collaborative and individual writing exercises and discuss topics relevant to writers today. Writers of all experience levels and from all genres are welcome. The three-week workshop will run from 3/20-4/3. We’ll meet each Saturday from 9-11:30am. Class will meet at 621 North 4th St., the historic Modular Graphics building. The cost is $60 and class sizes are limited to 12 to ensure the highest level of individual attention. Registration deadlines is March 13th. www.explorecreativewriting. wordpress.com, email us at bjasonfrye@gmail.com or lafrye@gmail.com or call us at 910-431-0274.

STORMWATER EDUCATION SEMINAR Cape Fear River Watch will host a Seminar on Conservation Landscaping followed by a tour of local examples on Sat. 3/20 starting at 9am at Cape Fear River Watch’s Environmental Education Center at 617 Surry St. The seminar will be conducted by William Hunt, Ph.D, PE of NCSU’s Biological and Agricultural Department. Dr. Hunt’s presentation at CFRW will focus on the functions and benefits of constructed storm water landscape practices for homeowners, businesses, and municipalities in southeastern North Carolina. He will discuss design and installation practices of rain gardens, cisterns, green roofs and constructed wetlands. Dr. Hunt’s presentation will be followed by a guided tour of various local stormwater control examples in Wilmington.

Conversation will continue over a brown bag lunch back at CFRW following the tour. The seminar and tour are offered at no charge to current CFRW members. Nonmembers are asked to contribute $5 for the event. Box lunches from 17th Street Deli are available. Contact Joe at Cape Fear River Watch at 910-762-5606.

WEIGHT LOSS CLASSES Series of 8 weight loss classes from a holistic standpointby Cortney Shallow, Certified Holistic Health Counselor. Beready to feel completely energized and motivated, so that you can look great and feel great by summer! Classes will be held at NaturalTherapies Institute from 7-8pm on Wed. starting 3/10. Costis $150.

Prizes will be awarded! cortney.shallow@gmail.com.

Clubs/Notices WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS Celebrate Women’s History Month! Nominate a great woman or young leader that you know in Wilmington for the 26th Annual YWCA Cape Fear Women of Achievement Awards. Celebrates the accomplishments of women and youth in Brunswick, New Hanover & Pender counties. 26th Anniversary Celebration will be held on 5/20, in the Coastline Convention Center in downtown Wilmington. Nomination information: Mary Martin, 799-6820, x120. Sponsorship information: Suesan Sullivan, 799-6820, x102.

AZALEA FEST CAKE CHALLENGE The NC Azalea Festival proudly announces the addition of the Azalea Cake Challenge to the annual festival.

Local bakers will be challenged to construct elaborate “centerpiece cakes” featuring themes which represent the best of the Azalea Festival. Contestants representing local bakeries, restaurants and catering services will compete in the professional division, while novice bakers can also compete in the amateur division. Cakes in both categories will be critiqued by a professional judging team consisting of local baking experts and Azalea Festival celebrities. Event ticket-holders will also be invited to judge in various “people’s choice” categories, and will have the opportunity to sample cakes in the professional category.Takes place: Sun. 4/11, noon4pm, CFCC Schwartz Center: ncazaleafestival.org GAMBLER’S ANONYMOUS Wilmington Gambler’s Anonymous Meeting, 6:30pm, Cape Fear Presbyterian Church. 2606 Newkirk Ave. Casey F.: (910) 599-140

CORKBOARD Available for your next CD or Demo

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AUDIO ENGINEERING CLASSES Music Recording, Mixing, Pro Tools, Studio Production Classes offered in Jan., Apr. and Sept.

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Happy Hour acupuncture $10 For stress, aDDictioNs & balaNce!

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encore | march 10-16 , 2010 | www.encorepub.com 43

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