raleigh 1|31|18
Eat Your
HEART
The Indy’s guide to datenight dining
OUT
Where to Break Up p. 11
page 10
Freak a Leek p. 12
2 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK VOL. 35, NO. 5 6 Completing the beltway around southern Wake County could endanger two types of mussels.
DEPARTMENTS 6 Triangulator 8 News
8 Alliance Behavioral Healthcare returned $14 million in unspent funds to Wake County.
10 Dish
11 Where to go out to dinner on your last date is just as important as where to go on your first.
24 Arts & Culture
12 If you’re looking for Raleigh synth-funk star Boulevards, check for him at Capital Club 16.
29 Music Calendar
21 Music 26 What to Do This Week 32 Arts & Culture Calendar
15 Going out alone doesn’t have to be a bummer— in fact, it’s a whole lot of fun.
ON THE COVER
21 By embracing their eighties influences, Bat Fangs bite hard on their debut LP. 24 New venues at UNC and Duke respond to the demands of artists and fans for intimate spaces.
PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
Eliza Mathew tosses edamame to her boyfriend, Justin Laidlaw, Runaway’s director of operations, at Parts and Labor in Durham (see p. 12). PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
indy week’s bar + beverage magazine on stands march 28 reserve by february 23 Contact your ad rep or advertising@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 3
Raleigh Durham | Chapel Hill PUBLISHER Susan Harper EDITORIAL
EDITOR IN CHIEF Jeffrey C. Billman MANAGING EDITOR FOR ARTS+CULTURE Brian Howe DESIGN DIRECTOR Shan Stumpf STAFF WRITERS Erica Hellerstein, Sarah Willets MUSIC EDITOR Allison Hussey FOOD EDITOR Victoria Bouloubasis STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Caitlin Penna THEATER AND DANCE CRITIC Byron Woods CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS Amanda Abrams, Jim Allen,
Elizabeth Bracy, Timothy Bracy, Michaela Dwyer, Katie Jane Fernelius, Curt Fields, Spencer Griffith, Glenn McDonald, Neil Morris, Hannah Pitstick, Noah Rawlings, V. Cullum Rogers, Dan Ruccia, David Ford Smith, Zack Smith, Chris Vitiello, Patrick Wall INTERNS Ryan Elizabeth Haar, Caitlin Sloan
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Last week region’s bi really wan does not. of about tw ing at a p this single years. Wh “Any cit formed. It Raleigh. I Amazon a housing p sions with same hou fifty thous ers sittin nothing a a job? Of lot of that Also the fi people [do the other porting jo hotels, ot It’s proba thousand ple. Bump spouses. “I’m for er what s growth of adopt octu themselve role is, and economic as possibl slower, mo ing the cu region? ’C Mark Amazon’s because th out the T valid conc on the imp average-sa lies that i clarified t area, and that all fi ridiculous “It’s mo
backtalk
Generic, Gentrified, Expensive Last week’s cover story took a hard look at the region’s bid for Amazon’s HQ2 and asked if we really wanted it. Commenter JTt emphatically does not. “Raleigh-Durham has a population of about two million,” JTt writes. “We’re looking at a potentially 5 percent increase from this single thing alone in the span of a few years. What do you think is going to happen? “Any city that gets this is irreversibly transformed. It is too big not to. Personally I love Raleigh. I don’t think I would like RaleighAmazon at all. Massive traffic. Out of control housing prices. Even more clear-cut subdivisions with fifty of the exact same house. Do we have fifty thousand skilled laborers sitting around doing nothing all day, waiting for a job? Of course not. So a lot of that is new residents. Also the fifty thousand new people [doesn’t include] all the other people for supporting jobs at restaurants, hotels, other services, etc. It’s probably seventy-five thousand to one hundred thousand new people. Bump that to 125,000, including kids and spouses. “I’m for growth, but you have to consider what such a big hit would do. I like the growth of my family—but I’m not about to adopt octuplets. Regional leaders need to ask themselves what their purpose is, what their role is, and what they are working toward. Is it economic growth as fast as possible and as big as possible at the expense of all else? Or is it slower, more gradual growth while maintaining the culture, flavor, and uniqueness of the region? ’Cause all of that will be gone.” Mark Neill argues that concerns over Amazon’s impact on Raleigh are overstated, because that impact will be spread throughout the Triangle: “While much of this is a valid concern, almost all of the analysis done on the impact of adding fifty thousand aboveaverage-salary people (and whatever families that includes) was done before Amazon clarified that, by Raleigh, they meant the RTP area, and it seems to make the assumption that all fifty thousand people will, for some ridiculous reason, live in Raleigh proper. “It’s more likely that Amazon sites in RTP,
but even if they are in Raleigh proper, a significant number of those people will choose to commute, and live in Garner, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham, and Wake Forest. I’d be surprised if more than 60 percent of the new jobs would choose to stay in Raleigh itself.” Drawing on his experience in Seattle, Jeffrey David Zacko-Smith writes that “Anyone who thinks Amazon coming here is all good is a fool. First, I saw what they did to Seattle (resident from 1995–2008)—generic, gentrified, and expensive (of course, other tech companies contributed to this as well). Second, what pay is associated with the fifty thousand workers being added? We have low housing inventory under $400,000, and builders/ developers are only building at that price point and above for some odd reason (homes over that—especially $500,000 and above— are sitting on the market).” Finally, commenter LT looks askance at a story in last week’s paper on why you should forgo Dry January: “Don’t you dare shame people for making decisions about getting their alcohol use in check because of someone else’s bottom line. This article is ridiculous. “As a clinician, I can tell you that it is indeed recommended for regular drinkers to take a serious abstinence period. It tells you something about your relationship with alcohol; it gives your tolerance a chance to recover. You don’t feel the same at week one, two, or three. January is a good time for people because it is when people reassess. And they aren’t making resolutions they won’t keep, just doing a realignment. Some people discover that they need to stop altogether. Some people expand their non-drinking activities and keep them up. For whatever reason, they do it, it is their right. If you want to advocate for service workers, how about focusing on the living wage and health care?”
“I’m for growth, but you have to consider what such a big hit would do.”
Want to see your name in bold? Email us at backtalk@indyweek.com, comment on our Facebook page or indyweek.com, or hit us up on Twitter: @indyweek.
deep dive EAT • DRINK • SHOP • PLAY
The INDY’s monthly neighborhood guide to all things Triangle
Coming February 21:
Downtown Raleigh For advertising opportunities, contact your ad rep or advertising@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 5
triangulator
LAYING PAVEMENT
A proposal to build a highway across southern Raleigh is drawing fire from opponents who say it’s not worth the steep price tag or the negative environmental impacts. The six-lane highway, known as Complete 540, would run about twenty-eight miles and polish off a beltway around the greater Raleigh area, and the N.C. Department of Transportation is moving quickly. But will this project actually benefit residents of southern Wake County, or will it exacerbate sprawl and harm the environment? Here’s what you need to know. l The project will cost about $2.2 billion to construct; when finished, it will link the towns of Apex, Cary, Clayton, Garner, Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, and Raleigh, according to the N.C. Department of Transportation.
l Proponents tout its benefits for commuters, saying the completed beltway will reduce traffic and congestion for drivers making their way south and east of Raleigh during peak traveling hours. The county supports this route because it’s viewed as better than an alternative option, which would have cut through Garner. Moreover, officials note that this project has been planned for a quarter-century.
l Opponents argue that the project is unnecessary, expensive, and will damage the environment and lead to sprawl.
l The Southern Environmental Law Center, which represents the groups Clean Air Carolina and Sound Rivers in their opposition to the beltway, says it was led to believe that it could make its case before state and federal officials signed off on the Final Environmental Impact Statement, which the state said would happen this summer. Instead, officials published it a few days before Christmas, leading environmentalists to scramble ahead of the February 1 deadline for public comment, the N&O reported last week.
l According to that environmental standard, the endeavor would affect more than 1,820 acres of land and cause about 209 homeowner relocations. It would also cross a number of rivers and streams and could threaten two species of endangered mussels. (The NCDOT has pledged $5 million to help the mussels.)
l Emails obtained through a records request indicate that DOT and Turnpike Authority officials knew about the earlier timeline last year. In a September 13 email to his boss, project manager Brian Yamamoto wrote: “WARNING: Turnpike Authority has been very close to the vest with the schedule information that gets written, even on status reports like the one you are working on. If our likely litigants become aware of the schedule we are working towards, they will likely file FOIAs that will delay the schedule ... so be careful what you supply to this group in writing.”
l “The extremely high cost of the project—over $2 billion—coupled with the low expected traveltime savings for most commuters renders the project an absurd waste of North Carolina’s transportation resources,” the SELC wrote in comments submitted to the DOT in 2016. The organization plans to release an alternative to the proposed extension in the coming week.
l The DOT expects to issue its first contracts for final design and construction by this time next year.
Wake Forest
DURHAM
EXISTING 540 CARY
RALEIGH
NEW 540 maps4news.com/©HERE
6 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
Clayton
+ ROADBLOCKS
Last week, Politico obtained a six-page white paper circulating on Capitol Hill that purported to be a draft of the White House’s long-awaited infrastructure plan. The White House hasn’t confirmed the draft’s accuracy—and it’s not clear that, even if it’s legit, it’s the most current version. Regardless, it was enough to set off a wave of speculation and anxiety. The white paper proposes $200 billion in federal funding for infrastructure projects, a relative pittance the Trump administration hopes to leverage into $1.8 trillion in infrastructure spending when combined with state and local funding and public-private partnerships. As part of that shift from federal- to local-government spending, the proposal would lower the federal match on capital improvement projects from 50 percent to 20 percent. The potential problem: the DurhamOrange Light Rail Transit project relies on that 50 percent match for its $2.5 billion (not including interest) rail line. That cut would cost GoTriangle $700 million. Is that something the local transit agency’s worried about? “What it would mean for the program, we just don’t know,” says general manager Jeff Mann. There are many blanks to be filled in. But a key question is whether this funding change would only apply to future projects or also to projects, like the DOLRT, that are already already in-progress. Probably the former, says a Democratic congressional staffer who works on infrastructure legislation. The Federal Transit Administration has already given the DOLRT a thumbs-up to proceed to the next
phase of the project. In fact, the new program’s funding could be the bigger threat, the staffer says. If the White House gets its way, the $200 billion won’t come from new revenue but instead from cuts to current spending. And the Trump administration’s first budget zero-funded the grant program for which GoTriangle is applying. So it’s possible the White House will try to redirect those funds.
+BANNED IN THE DPS
Last week, the N.C. Department of Public Safety announced it would immediately remove The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness from its list of publications that are banned in state prisons and review whether any other publications should be removed from the list. The move came a day after the ACLU of North Carolina sent DPS officials a letter demanding they do so. Prohibiting Michelle Alexander’s awardwinning 2010 book is not only a violation of prisoners’ First Amendment rights, the ACLU said, but also “cruelly ironic given the critical role it plays to understanding the pervasive racial injustice behind our epidemic of mass incarceration.” North Carolina isn’t the only state where the book has been banned in prison. Earlier this month, under fire from that state’s ACLU chapter, New Jersey prisons lifted their ban on the book. It’s also banned in Florida. DPS policy lets a facility prohibit an inmate from receiving a publication for a range of reasons that largely fall under the umbrella of disrupting “institutional order, security and safety” and “inmate rehabilitation.” Sexually
explicit material (Booty! Pirate Queens Volume 1 is prohibited in N.C. prisons) as well as publications depicting violence (A Game of Thrones Volume 1) or insurrection (The Anti-Government Movement Guidebook) can be banned. How-to information on manufacturing weapons, drugs. or poisons, disabling communication or security systems, or escaping from confinement may also be grounds for prohibition. Large, hardcover books may also be banned (Encyclopedia of North Carolina), with an exception made for legal and religious publications. However, according to policy, “no publication or material will be withheld solely on the basis of its appeal to a particular ethnic, racial or religious group. A publication may not be rejected solely because its content is religious, philosophical, political, social or sexual, or because its content is unpopular or repugnant.” The most recent Disapproved Publications Report includes 480 titles prohibited in the past twelve months. Among the more unusual inclusions: Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, because it features the rape of a minor; Prison Ramen, a book of ramen recipes devised by inmatecooks that apparently includes instructions on how to stow a razor blade; Hope—A Memoir of Survival in Cleveland, written by the two women who in 2013 famously escaped ten years of captivity in a Cleveland man’s home; and the May 2017 edition of Elle Décor and the October 2017 issue of O: The Oprah Magazine, for reasons unknown. triangulator@indyweek.com
YOUR WEEK. EVERY WEDNESDAY. FOOD • NEWS • ARTS • MUSIC
This week’s report by Jeffrey C. Billman, Erica Hellerstein, and Sarah Willets.
PERIPHERAL VISIONS | V.C. ROGERS
INDYWEEK.COM INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 7
indynews The Case of the Unspent Funds ALLIANCE BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE RETURNED $14 MILLION TO WAKE COUNTY. IS THAT GOOD FOR PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES? BY THOMAS GOLDSMITH
P
eople with mental illness in Wake County could benefit from $14 million returned by Alliance Behavioral Healthcare, the publicly funded organization that provides care in Wake, Durham, Cumberland, and Johnston counties. Given the perennial shortage of money available to care for people with mental illness, the refund might come as something of a surprise. Denise Foreman, Wake County assistant county manager, told commissioners at their January 16 how it came about. “We’ve used state dollars instead of local dollars, or had projects that took a little longer to get started, so we have accumulated savings over the past five years,” Foreman said. Commissioner Matt Calabria called the leftover funding a “major, major deal.” “This is the first time we are really showing this publicly,” Calabria said at the commission meeting. “Through good management, we have saved fourteen million dollars.” However, some advocates for people with mental illness are looking askance at the return of unspent money to Wake County. Ann Akland has been a major voice for that constituency for more than twenty years, serving on state boards for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. “It has bothered us that there’s that money and that the county hasn’t used it, 8 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
and they know about all the needs out there for mental health,” Akland says. “We’ve been really concerned about the county sitting on that money. We’d be really concerned if it got directed toward building a park or bike lanes.” Like Foreman, Kelly Goodfellow, chief financial officer at Alliance, said the returned money represented savings in cases where programs didn’t pan out or were delayed, in addition to situations in which the organization used state funds first. Until this year, the unspent money appeared on Alliance’s books. This year, it’s available to Wake County. As one example of how Alliance saved money, the organization has contracted with medical professionals to look after the “Fragile Five Hundred,” Wake residents with complicated needs that might go unmet under Medicaid, the state and federal program for low-income people and children. The contractor for the Fragile Five Hundred is paid on a fee-for-service basis, not based on a set amount per person, as in managed care. “Instead of Alliance paying them one hundred dollars per person, they pay them based on the actual cost of the program,” Foreman said. Last year’s county and schools budget generated debate about what would happen
to extra revenue that accrued from property taxes. This year, county staffers are recommending specific uses for the money returned by Alliance. It’s currently restricted for use in behavioral health programs but could be moved to unrestricted status by vote of the Board of Commissioners. Members of the Wake County school board fought hard in the last budget cycle to add money for social workers and counselors to help at-risk students fare better in public schools. Commissioners turned down that request. “School counselors are in the realm of behavioral health,” Foreman said. “But they were asking for ten million dollars in recurring funds.” Adds Akland, “We wouldn’t want the school system to manage that money anyway.” Wake staff members planning the behavioral health spending from the returned money are proposing projects that will only last one year. “When it’s on their books, they have more flexibility,” said Goodfellow. “They have the ability to fund more quickly.” Commissioners agreed earlier this month to spend $325,000 of the money and heard plans for how to use the rest. Wake plans to spend $90,000 for expert help in planning permanent supportive housing for people getting out of inpatient care, $35,000 for a
consultant on special projects, and $200,000 for services to identify the people who belong to the category called “familiar faces”—those who have multiple encounters with the county jail, area hospitals, EMS, and other pieces of the sprawling network that takes on those with behavioral health problems. Last October’s packed Behavioral Health Summit produced a wealth of ideas for dealing with these folks and other consumers—ideas that are still being turned into reality, Foreman said. More approaches that hatched from the health summit could be funded by the money returned by Alliance. In planning for the fiscal year that starts July 1, county staffers have proposed spending $8 million for permanent supportive housing for people leaving institutional care, $2 million for adult crisis services, $2 million to expand the scope of next year’s contract with Alliance, and $1 million to turn the summit’s concepts into reality. Among the ideas advanced was the use of data analysis to coordinate care and information in ways that result in lower costs and better outcomes. At the commission meeting, Foreman faced a battery of questions on whether the county’s population with mental illness was being served well by the five-year-old relationship with Alliance, known as an LME-MCO, or local management entitymanaged care organization. Instead of providing care directly or through contractors, Wake County pays $27 million a year to Alliance, which selects companies or agencies to care for people with specific behavioral health needs. The LME-MCO approach is in use across North Carolina. “The promise was that, by more effectively managing these services in a professional environment, we could deliver better outcomes for our community at a lower price and controlled cost,” Commissioner Erv Portman said. “What do we do to get the money we fund for mental health to help people and not in our fund balance at the end of the year?” After five years of contracting with Wake County, Foreman said, Alliance is better equipped to match its $27 million annual contract to Wake County citizens’ needs. “We won’t see these types of savings in the future,” she said. backtalk@indyweek.com
Buzzkill!
A LOCAL IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY IS FACING CHARGES FOR LOOKING AT HER CELL PHONE IN COURT BY SARAH WILLETS Seven months ago, Raleigh immigration attorney Beckie Moriello was looking at her cell phone during an asylum hearing in Charlotte. And for that, she’s now looking at the possibility of fines—or even jail time. Moriello is being prosecuted for failing to comply with a judge’s orders to stop using her phone and for disrupting the performance of government employees’ official duties. On Thursday, a judge is expected to hear a motion filed by her attorney seeking to dismiss the case. Moriello doesn’t deny that she used her cell phone in the back row of Judge Barry Pettinato’s court while observing an asylum hearing on June 29. But she does argue that a directive from the Executive Office of Immigration Review allows attorneys to use cell phones in court for business purposes and that they do so frequently—making the regulations she is accused of violating vague and arbitrary. The attorney says a security guard
approached her during the hearing and asked her to stop using her cell phone. The first time, she responded that she was using the phone for work. The second time, Moriello refused his demand again, skeptical that Pettinato would ask the guard to deliver the order rather than make it himself. The third time, the guard returned with a Charlotte cop, and she was escorted to an office elsewhere in the building. Since then, Moriello has been in court twice and must check in with officials regularly, including for permission to travel out of state. Both sides say the case has gone too far. “There’s no doubt that this is a waste of resources,” Moriello says. “This is my tax money that is paying for them to prosecute me for sitting silently in the back of the court staring at my lap.” She feels singled out. Pettinato has chided her once before, she says, for “bringing weak cases and wasting the court’s time.” While the directive allowing attorneys to use their
“There’s no doubt that this is a waste of resources.” phones in court for work gives the judge discretion to order otherwise, Moriello says it’s “really allowing the judge to cherry-pick who he’s going to stop.” But the government says the case is clearcut. Moriello not only disregarded signs prohibiting the use of electronic devices and subsequent orders by a judge but also “created a disturbance,” according to court documents. Moriello’s attorney is seeking audio of the hearing (and the alleged disturbance), but the U.S. attorney on the case says it’s confidential.
“This case could not be simpler, yet Defendant has made much of it,” wrote assistant U.S. attorneys Corey Ellis and Daniel Bradley in response to a motion to dismiss the case as unconstitutionally vague and a violation of the Constitution’s Separation of Powers clause. “… It is past time for this petty offense case to proceed to trial.” (The Executive Office of Immigration Review declined to comment on pending litigation.) Each charge carries a penalty of fines, up to thirty days’ imprisonment, or both. Moriello may also face repercussions from the North Carolina State Bar Association. The association’s Rules of Professional Conduct broadly say lawyers can be subject to discipline if they commit a crime “that reflects adversely on the lawyers honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects” or engage conduct to the same effect. “I’m not going to lose my license over this, but they could reprimand me,” Moriello says. swillets@indyweek.com
Orange County Animal Services in partnership with Spay Neuter Assistance Program of North Carolina is hosting...
Spay Neuter Day February 27th, 2018
FREE!
for Orange County residents
sign up by February 13th
Orange County Animal Services
We are now able to help more Orange County residents than ever before! Call for more information: Sarah Fallin: 919-932-4966 or Cooper Hatch: 919-932-4965
Can’t make this date? No worries! We offer many other spay/neuter days throughout the year! Just give us a call!
1601 Eubanks Rd, Chapel Hill, NC 27516 INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 9
DISH
IT’S A DATE!
All’s fair in love and food
I have been sneak-dated so many times, I’ve lost count. It’s essentially when you’re tricked into going on a date that you thought was just a casual, friendly hang. Such are the perils of modern dating—where it’s scary to admit feelings! Or intention! You could be hanging out forever. Then there’s the opposite end of the spectrum, a first date so official (read: interrogative) that it feels like a job interview. Except it’s very obvious by the second or third question that there will be no upward mobility. In this vast sea of dating experiences, what truly keeps the ebb and flow bearable is the food. At the very least, you should enjoy a delicious meal (or stiff drink) to help you through boring conversation. But if a brewing attraction bubbles to the surface, a heaping plate of culinary magic can only enhance it. Food is sensory, after all. For this edition of Dish, we’ve waded through the endless options of food-focused date-nights (and date-days) to reinvigorate romance or fuel a budding, passionate tryst. And yeah, we’ve also included bars that will help ease jitters or just give you an excuse to get super sloppy—your call. We asked local celebrities where they get flirty (we know you’ve been waiting for Petey Pablo’s dating advice since "Freek-a-leek"), picked out our favorite spots off the beaten path, and even included places to go incognito when you know everyone in town. There’s also a generous timeline for planning an entire relationship’s worth of dinners, including where to break up (we’re realists), as well as the best spots to go as a family or to take your own damn self out, because you deserve it. Good luck out there. —Victoria Bouloubasis 10 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
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DISH
LOVERS’ YELP A cynic’s guide to where to eat at each stage of a budding, blooming, or busting romance BY BRIAN HOWE
H
uman beings enjoy a bewildering variety of pastimes. How are you supposed to guess if your date would like to be asked to the museum or the bowling alley, to go on a romantic adventure or just Netflix and chill? Food is the great equalizer because everybody gotta eat. Plus, dining out is a socially acceptable way to flex the plumage of your taste and the liquidity of your capital— and to have awkwardness-diffusing drinks in an environment that’s not expressly about getting drunk. Still, there’s a fine art to choosing the right restaurant for the moment. Follow this guide and you’ll be dinner dating like a pro in no time, if by “pro” you mean a single thirty-eight-yearold. (You probably don’t.)
FIRST DATE: OK, you only get one shot
at this. Resist the temptation to go too fance or too low-key. You want to shoot the gap between trying too hard and DGAF. Besides, a three-hour feast at Death & Taxes is going to be excruciating if it goes poorly, while an empanada plate at Luna is going to zip by too fast if it goes well. For somewhere impressive that doesn’t feel like you’re trying to impress, try Counting House, but not the dining room. The bar has all the art-hotel chitchat fodder— hey, is that a chicken wearing a rabbit
fur coat over there?—but with smaller, cheaper plates and cozy couches where curious knees can graze each other as you lean over a dish of oily olives. (And psst— if Date One was preceded by a Date Zero, like you randomly made out at an Arcana dance party or something, then you can probably skip this step and go straight to Date Three.)
THIRD DATE: Let’s not be coy. It’s 2018, and we’ve all been to this rodeo before. Three dates in, you are—how to put this delicately? You are open to certain possibilities. It’s entirely possible that events will arrange themselves in such a way that you’ll wish you hadn’t had all those raw onions or black beans or spicy curries. By date three, you and your date tacitly agree you’re worth splurging somewhere too expensive to go on the regs. Something light, luscious, and a little sexy, maybe. How about oysters at Saint James Seafood? TENTH DATE: Figure one or two dates a week and you’ve been hanging out with this person for a couple of months. Things are starting to accelerate and take shape. By now, you’ve had a particularly good date somewhere, and the memory is taking on the first tint of nostalgia. It’s time
to go back there. This is going to be “your place.” If you’re lucky, it’ll be somewhere like Garland, with consistent, inventive, James Beard Award-nominated fare that won’t break the bank.
FIFTIETH DATE: A couple of months
have somehow unspooled into a couple of years. Actual dates are coming slower. You keep talking about trying that hot new place, but the rez is a pain. After half an hour of listless deliberation, shrug and head to Spotted Dog for the millionth time, where everyone can get that perfectly good thing they always get and eat in patchy silence muffled by cheery eighties music and cute dog pictures. Oh, it’s crowded? There’s always Jade Palace take-out.
LAST DATE: Whether you’re calling it
quits or popping the question, you’re going to want to put on a clean shirt for this one. Why waste it? Familiar enough for consolation yet special enough for proposals, Lantern will do fine in either life-changing scenario. The dark back bar hides tears of sorrow or joy equally well, and the adjacent patio makes for a quick escape into the rest of your life, whether it’s back to Date Zero or whatever comes next. bhowe@indyweek.com
D R I N K
indy week’s
bar + beverage magazine Contact your ad rep or advertising@ indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 11
DISH
DINING WITH THE STARS We ask chefs and other local celebrities where they go for the best foodie dates BY VICTORIA BOULOUBASIS AND IZA WOJCIECHOWSKA
A messy dinner date at Parts & Labor in Durham
W
ith all the hype surrounding our food scene, we wondered which restaurants served the perfect date-night meals to a few of our most beloved residents. We asked local chefs, musicians, and artists where they get hopelessly romantic or simply go to spend quality time with the people they care about. JAMIL RASHAD AKA BOULEVARDS
“A perfect date night for me is going to my favorite restaurant, Capital Club 16. The atmosphere is vibey and makes you feel at 12 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
home and comfortable. Jake [Wolf ] is a great chef and serves a solid and diverse menu that I love. It’s a perfect setting for a date with someone you hope to find chemistry with.”
JUSTIN LAIDLAW, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT RUNAWAY
“My girlfriend [Eliza Mathew] and I are suckers for bar food. Parts & Labor is a go-to spot; we get a solid bite and start our night out in one place. The udon salad was my favorite for a long time. Eliza likes the chicken wings; we both enjoy the fries with a side of tomato chutney. Is it romantic? No. Can we live without it? Absolutely not. Plus, we love Geoff [Register]. Hands
down, the best bartender in town. We often treat ourselves to Sitar. Some chicken tikka masala goes a long way when you need a pick-me-up or want to reward yourself. I never had it before we started dating but now it’s in my top five favorite meals. Sitar is the only restaurant where I eat exclusively with her.”
JESSAMYN STANLEY, AUTHOR OF EVERY BODY YOGA
“It’s usually Dashi. I just like communing over a bowl of ramen. Accordion Club around seven p.m. on a weekday is nice and quiet. Gocciolina for the specials. It’s like being in someone’s house. Oh! And the ter-
rine. So good. El Chapin—that is the spot! All the food is really good: the tierra y mar plate, those potato turnovers. It gets packed, so I’ll do Uber Eats and order in for a cozy date.”
COLEEN SPEAKS, CHEF, HUMMINGBIRD
“For [my husband] Nick and me, Stanbury is one of our go-tos. It feels like walking into a party where everyone’s welcome, you can watch the chef at work in the kitchen, and the food and drinks are delicious and adventurous. It’s hard to beat chilled raw oysters, their brined bone marrow, saltcrusted ribeye, and pretty much whatever bartender Joseph [Jeffers] is pouring.”
MATT KELLY, CHEF, MATEO, LUCKY’S DELI, MOTHERS & SONS, AND SAINT JAMES SEAFOOD
“Chefs don’t get a lot of date nights, because we work at night. But for date lunch: Parker and Otis. I like it because I work nights and they’re open on Saturdays for lunch and brunch. It’s tasty, and you can get all kinds of chocolate there. It’s accessible too; it’s around all my restaurants, and I have to go to work afterward— that’s the honest reason I like it. But it’s also just really tasty.”
RICKY MOORE, CHEF, SALTBOX SEAFOOD
“Pizzeria Toro—that’s a good date night. First of all, my wife endorses it. She
appreciates how the food is being prepared there, and the simplicity of it, and the authentic welcoming experience. And in Raleigh, I’d say Bida Manda. They take it to another level with their style of food. If you go there at a certain time, around nine thirty, there’s romanticism to it. It could be a particular night when it’s raining outside, and we just come from a theater, and we’re walking in through the door and shake our coats off. There’s this warm light, we go to the bar and relax there and get a really thoughtful cocktail. Then we get a table for two in the corner, and all of a sudden some certain music comes on, and you weave into a conversation. And let’s not forget the food—perfectly seasoned, with gracious service.”
Eliza Mathew and Justin Laidlaw at Parts & Labor PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
JOE CHOI, CO-OWNER, NAMU
“When my wife, Shinae, and I go on a double date with Bo [Kwon, co-owner of Namu], and his wife, Kyuri, we go to Waraji in Raleigh. Their tatami-style rooms are fun and remind us of the way we sit in Korea. Our favorite dishes are the chirashi sushi and tempura udon. The quality and amount of food you get for the price is outstanding. We always ask for the grated wasabi, which brings out the truer flavors of the fish. For special occasions and celebrations, we go to Gocciolina. In fact, Shinae and I have spent almost every anniversary and Valentine’s Day there. We are in love with their great selection of Italian wines. Their food is nothing too complicated, but every dish is executed perfectly with the right balance of flavors. Every time we go, we order all the pasta [on the menu] and share. We request the bar seat close to the kitchen window; it’s really entertaining to see all the action going on in the tiny kitchen.”
DREW MAYKUTH, CHEF, STANBURY
Jamil Rashad with Megan McInerney at Capital Club 16
PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
“This date begins at a food truck, El Rey del Taco. These folks set the standard to judge all other tacos by. It’s simple food done right. I get a mix: the lengua, asada, pastor, and tripe. A couple each. Get ’em to go, bring a six-pack of Pacifico beer and lime, and take a little walk, less than a block, and jump on the greenway. Find a down tree by the creek to sit on. Eat some tacos, drink some beer, and if you’re lucky, you might see an old snapping turtle surface.”
REESE MCHENRY, MUSICIAN
“My husband, Justin, and I go to four different restaurants when we want to look at each other instead of the TV. The place we frequent most is Allen & Son on 15-501. It’s the best barbecue. Come at me. We also go to IP3 and get pizza that makes one repeatedly burn one’s mouth. The pizza is worth every third degree burn. In Durham we go to Thai Cafe. My favorite restaurant is Beasley’s Chicken + Honey, which I loved even before Justin’s cousin Chris Tobin was the head chef. Their chicken is divine and they have Stroh’s! Neither of us drink beer, but if we did, we’d be Stroh’s people.”
LILY BALLANCE, OWNER, WILLIAM & COMPANY
“I like taking my four-year-old son out after picking him up from school on Fridays. He loves Five Star, always orders the sesame chicken and asks for extra broccoli so that he can also have dessert! Then we go upstairs and play pool. He’s gotten really good and calls it ‘hustlin’.’ I like going out on grownup dates to Gallo Pelon, late, when it’s not crowded, for a mezcal and snack from the bar. I love the Blind Barber, quiet and tucked away and on the way home.”
PETEY PABLO, RAPPER
“I love to cook, so my perfect date would be a trip to the North Carolina Farmers Market to pick out fresh, local ingredients based on what is in season. We’d then have a night in experimenting in the kitchen with new recipes.” food@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 13
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At Mecca, there is no better indulgence than the blackberry cobbler.
S
ome people are, understandably, a little intimidated by the prospect of hanging out alone. Our culture socializes us in a way that tricks us into thinking only the socially inept hang out alone. But that couldn’t be further from the truth—once you get comfortable in it, there are few things better than rewarding yourself with some time that’s all yours, whether you’re partnered or not. First off, a high-quality self-date need not be reserved for nighttime hours. Three immediate places come to mind in Durham: the Lakewood Cocoa Cinnamon, Baby Scratch, and Monuts. Get up early and read a book over a slice of pie in Baby Scratch’s warm, sunny nook, or do the same with a churro (or four, no judgment) across the street at Cocoa. Especially on the weekends, Monuts can have a line out the door and down the sidewalk. But Monuts’ policy is that, if you sit at the bar, you don’t have to wait in such a line. It is much easier to find one of those cherished, abbreviated-wait bar spots when you only have one body to worry about. If you’re dead set on flying solo after the sun has set, all of your usual date spots
PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
will be just as welcoming to you alone as they would be with a companion—they’re a person, not a dinner jacket. But my alltime favorite solo evening jaunt is dropping into the Raleigh crown jewel that is Mecca, which offers affordable meals and a cozy ambiance. I have yelled at just about everyone I have ever met to eat Mecca’s blackberry cobbler, which is the food equivalent of receiving the best, warmest hug you could possibly imagine. There is no better indulgence. In Chapel Hill, Silverspot offers an easy dinner-and-a-movie combination, whether through its restaurant offerings that you can eat in the theater or its excessively stocked and gleaming snack counter. Splay out in one of their huge seats all by yourself, pick your way to the bottom of a plate of truffle fries, and see if you don’t feel like a damn princess. Another strong option is to grab a burger from Al’s Burger Shack, dip around the corner to Beer Study, and post up at the counter with a cold beverage of your choosing (a greasy slice from Italian Pizzeria III also does nicely). Or maybe you want to get dressed up
and go somewhere a little nicer, just to feel fancy. That’s cool, too! If you’re a whiskey fan, Raleigh’s Dram & Draught will feel like a godsend, but if wine is more your thing, stride over to Durham’s Bar Brunello and sip one of the special orange wines they’ve got in stock. Splurge on a custom-crafted cocktail, then order a plate of pimento cheese and toast points and crush it. The bar does tiki-themed Waikiki Wednesdays now, too, which is another dose of silly fun. If you’re feeling a little directionless, consider choosing a spot your usual dates would veto. Maybe you’ve been itching to try out a new vegan place, or you want to try a super-spicy dish from Gourmet Kingdom, but your best friend only likes mild stuff. A self-date is the time to go for it (and take home the leftovers). Adjusting to alone time out in public can make you feel a little weird and vulnerable, but it gets easier and more fun as you keep going. You spend more time with yourself than anyone else—so why not take the time to enjoy your own company? ahussey@indyweek.com
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HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY Your spots for dating incognito if you know everyone downtown BY VICTORIA BOULOUBASIS AND KARI SMITH
W
DURHAM
hether you work in the service industry or have long hung up your apron, you’ve built a roster of bars you frequent and suddenly know nearly everyone in town. Which is what makes our local watering holes great. But when you’d like to get a drink with a new romantic partner, Tinder match, or old flame, you don’t necessarily want to introduce them to half the bartenders working downtown. Here are some spots in Raleigh and Durham to hit up if you’re looking to keep a low profile.
GREEN ROOM
Green Room has it all: quick, not-too-chatty bartenders, a large bottle selection, and an array of activities, whether you choose to partake or not. The large half-circle booth tucked in the front corner is a great place to sit and chat. If the conversation gets weird or boring, or you just want to do something other than looking attentive, play darts and pool. Most nights it’s not too crowded, unless it’s league night, in which case all the tables are full and the regulars don’t have time to wait for your cute/awkward/terrible pool game to end.
RALEIGH
106 MAIN
MITCH’S TAVERN
Want a throwback to those college-day feelings? Cozy up in a wooden booth at Mitch’s Tavern and order a bowl of black bean chili. Then peruse the very decent (and very affordable) beer selection. Ask about the daily drink special ($3 highballs, anyone?). The service is quick and attentive, and the food is delicious (and, again, affordable). Bordering N.C. State’s campus, expect the hustle and bustle of a college-aged crowd. It’s your spot if you’re looking to keep it casual, grab some drinks or snacks, and catch news and sports highlights.
CIRCA 1888
Located in the Warehouse District, this is the place to play pool and show off your skills (or learn them). With multiple pool tables (including a tournament size), it’s easy to snag one on the weekdays. But if you have to wait, or pool isn’t your thing, this is still a great bar for a little one-onone conversation with your date. There are several couches to slip into, and a cozy corner out on the patio, with heat lamps in the winter. Bartenders are friendly and knowledgeable, with a decent house cocktail list and an extensive beer list.
THE HAYMAKER
Tucked away in Charter Square on Fayetteville Street, this is an easy craft cock16 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
A No. 1 spot for dates or girls’ nights. The staff is over-the-moon hospitable and pleasant and the solid drinks are cheap. This is definitely the kind of place to take someone if you want to show off a “hidden Durham gem” (all the cool kids already know about 106 Main) and also want to get to know each other. Comfy booths ensure it doesn’t get too rowdy. When it’s warm enough to sit out front, it’s a great place for people-watching.
Ponysaurus FILE PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER tail bar to forget about, but not one to miss. The ambience is cool, with the décor and soundtrack lending itself to a vibe landing somewhere between modern and Victorian with a spin of hip-hop. You can find $12 craft cocktails—or slightly cheaper classic cocktails, and punch bowls, which are great for a double date, recommended for three to five people. Drinks are served in lovely glassware, and if you go in late afternoon, the light in the space is gorgeous. And the bartender might even hand you a coupe glass full of goldfish crackers.
SKYE TOWER RESTAURANT & BAR (AT THE HOLIDAY INN)
OK, so it’s a hotel bar (and not a fancy hotel bar), but it does offer one of the most amazing views of the city from above, stiff drinks, and anonymity. If you’re looking to catch up with your BFF or partner and not be interrupted by music, friends, or TV, this is the
spot. Sure, some of the food is overpriced, and the lighting is a bit high, but none of that matters when you watch the sun set while sipping on a boozy martini. And the bar offers a bowl of house-made pub chips that’s hard to put down.
WATTS & WARD
Yet another basement cocktail bar, sure. But walking into this one feels more like stepping onto a movie set or back in time. It is a labyrinth of rooms with several bars positioned throughout, jazz notes stretching through the speakers. Grab a pour of your favorite spirit, your date’s hand, and wind your way through the nooks and crannies until you find a room to get lost in. Think: leather couches, velvet armchairs, pianos, low lighting. The prices are on the high end, but if sipping scotch in the library room with good conversation is your thing, don’t miss it.
THE TAVERN
Simply put, the Tavern is fun. It’s usually pretty popular for the forty-to-fifty-yearold crowd and Dukies. The drink list is jam-packed with cocktails and shooters that’ll lead to super endearing tales of college (even if reflecting on your first Blue Motorcycle makes you nauseous).
PONYSAURUS
Ponysaurus’s sprawling patio allows for finding a faraway table to chat unbothered. Good beer and wine are reasonably priced. There are often cute dogs to pet and young children to laugh at as they stumble across the grass. Food trucks frequent the lot, too. Stop in on a Tuesday evening for Chirba Chirba and a couple of pale ale pints, plus all the Swedish fish and Whoppers you could ask for at the bar, at just one dollar a scoop. food@indyweek.com
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CHEAP DATES Romance (or whatever) on a grad school budget BY MICHAEL BURROWS THE ATOMIC FERN
The Atomic Fern aims for a fun-loving aesthetic with stacks of old board games lining the walls, but it has the key characteristics of a great bar. Its long, accessible counter makes the most of a narrow space, and tall-backed booths lend intimacy to a pair or small group. Decent beers on tap are priced around $5; liquor is also approachably cheap. There’s no food, but you can order from Bull City Burger just across the street. Game nights can get rowdy, so stake out a good spot at the bar. If you and your date are ready to compete, jump into one of their quicker two-player games while you’re getting to know each other; swap out Catan for Love Letter if things are going well.
THE DEAD MULE CLUB
While East Franklin caters to undergrads and West Franklin is transformed by new condos, the Dead Mule Club hides in plain sight between them, consistently avoiding the attention of crowds. The few beers on tap are usually local, with a much wider assortment of bottles and cans. An excellent whiskey selection is a nice change from the sea of cheap liquor nearby. Signature cocktails start at $8. The food menu is limited, but decent. The bar, in a converted house, maintains a homey feel; if you’re lucky on a cold evening, you can nab a seat by the fireplace. When the weather is nice, the sweeping deck provides a comfortably distant view of passersby. food@indyweek.com
The Atomic Fern PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
T
he proverbial “going out for drinks” date as a grad student is challenging. Eighteen-dollar cocktails have limited appeal. And most first dates don’t lead to seconds, so it’s important to keep things fun. Here are a few good boozy options around the Triangle for the broke and potentially not-so-serious.
DOYLE’S SPORTS BAR
Venturing out to Doyle’s—a couple of miles outside Durham’s downtown— gives some breathing room from seven years of first dates gone awry. It’s a dive bar’s best format: cheap drinks, simple entertainment, and an easy departure from downtown pressure. Beer starts at around $3, wine and liquor at $5—but nothing is too pricey, and pours are generous. For food there’s Piper’s Deli next door and Tacos Nacos around the corner. Doyle’s is cool with people bringing in takeout food. Pool, darts, and foosball, plus Jeopardy! at seven p.m. on TV, help ease date-night nerves. A digital
jukebox provides music, so bring dollar bills to show off your good taste (the place vibes toward Prince, Bowie, and the like).
THE HIDEOUT
Lonerider’s quirky tasting room, The Hideout, is on the outskirts of Raleigh en route to Durham, close enough to the airport to watch planes come in. It’s a great spot to try a new craft beer after a fun activity, like an Umstead Park hike or quality time at Frankie’s Fun Park (both are right around the corner). The mock-Western interior is fun, and food trucks (at peak times) keep the outdoor area popular in nice weather. The bar can get crowded right after work, but things calm down quickly. Most Lonerider beers you’ll find at the grocery store are available on tap, but you’re better off sampling from their line of exclusive experimental beers, any of which will run you between $5 and $7 per pint.
Durham’s Classic Burger Restaurant and Oldest Brewpub B U L L C I T Y B U R G E R A N D B R E W E R Y. C O M
107 E Parrish St • Durham • 27701
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102 City Hall Plaza • Durham • 27701 INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 17
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Left to right: The sipping caramel at lucettegrace, a hotdog from Bull City Burger and Brewery, and a selection of donuts from Monuts FILE PHOTOS BY JEREMY M. LANGE AND JUSTIN COOK
PLAY DATES When kids get together, parents should click, too BY MEG NESTEROV
A
n unexpected challenge of parenting is other parents. You spend a fair amount of time talking to other adults around the swing sets, at birthday parties, and outside classrooms, and it can be harder to find a friend in another parent than it was to find your child’s other parent. But when you do, you plan play dates that are fun for all of you— and include a delicious meal for adults and kids that goes beyond the fruit snacks you packed. Whether it’s a birthday celebration, a school holiday, or just a regular Thursday, here are some ideas for a multifamily playdate in the Triangle (best for three or four families max). Pregame at Monuts. While coffee and donuts are a quick and easy fix, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and you’ll need protein. Fortunately, Monuts offers a diverse savory menu—like bagel banh mi or tostadas verdes—and maybe you get an egg or a peanut butter biscuit into your child. Check in for the day at Museum of Life & Science. Whether you have an imaginative 18 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
indoor kid or a boisterous climber, there’s an exhibit for every kid and family, and every season. Hot days can be spent in the outdoor mist exhibit or piloting a sailboat, cold days are cozy in the butterfly house and running around the Soundspace. (Pro tip: If you need to re-up on caffeine, skip the long cafe line and head back to the gift shop near the entrance, where there’s a coffee bar in the back.) Pacify the party at Locopops. Comedian (and extreme dad-of-five) Jim Gaffigan calls bribing children with ice cream “the methadone of leaving” any place your kids are having fun, but the promise of a popsicle might avert a meltdown when it comes time to end it at the museum. Locopops has moved to a newer and bigger space, with non-frozen treats and drinks for that weirdo in your crowd who doesn’t like ice cream. Fill them up and tire them out at Bull City Burger and Brewery. The downtown Durham gastropub is a guaranteed crowdpleaser with all pasture-raised beef, a play area for “future beer drinkers,” and
an Enomatic self-serve wine dispenser. Fact: if you’re celebrating a birthday, it’ll be cheaper (and more satisfying!) to buy a few friends a round and a meal than paying for your kid’s entire class to have a party at Chuck E. Cheese’s. Friends busy? Regular weekend? Just want to keep it in the family? In Raleigh, start at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Younger kids will enjoy trying on animal costumes in the Discovery Room, older ones can study specimens at the Naturalist Center, and everyone will delight in the butterflies and sloth at the Living Conservatory. It’s also free, so you can spend as much or as little time there as you want without guilt. Break for lunch at Raleigh Times, whose extensive menu can please all, from fish and chips to tacos to pork belly lettuce wraps, plus an effortless authenticism that can only come from a bar where Barack Obama stopped for a campaign drink in 2008. Save room for a treat at lucettegrace, like a pistachio-dotted baklava croissant or a birthday cake-flavored
macaron. Vow to spend more time in downtown Raleigh. A pub walk is somewhere in between a stroll about town and a mountain hike, just strenuous enough to justify a pint or two for the grown-ups at the end. Start at Hillsborough’s Riverwalk. Park on Nash Street by Hillsborough BBQ Company and enter off Calvin Street or through Gold Park to follow the Eno River toward Churton Street. Pause along the path for a game of hide-and-seek at Patrick Dougherty's Stickwork house before you exit the park by Weaver Street Market. Order the daily featured burger and a craft beer (the tap specials rotate) at beloved local Wooden Nickel Pub (small and big people love the fries and wings), and buy a round for the kitchen crew before you start the return walk. Before leaving historic Hillsborough, show the kids some relevant relics with vinyl records at Volume and glove clips and cufflinks at Carlisle & Linny Vintage Jewelry. Optional: pick up a growler for home at Mystery Brewing. food@indyweek.com
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Burritos-Tacos-Nachos-Housemade Salsa-Margaritas! 711 W Rosemary St • Carrboro • carrburritos.com • 919.933.8226
Feed me tacos. PHOTO BY CAITLIN PENNA
DASH AND DINE Where to find good date food on the spur of the moment BY VICTORIA BOULOUBASIS Making dinner reservations can be a drag, especially in our rapidly growing cities. I get the added bonus of being a food writer, which means most plans start with my date uttering my least favorite phrase: “You pick.” No, you pick. I pick all day! But I do love food, as most of you reading presumably do. And dates are the best excuse to indulge in shared plates, which, to me, is the ultimate test of compatibility. (Will they hoard their own entrée and get your goat or actually get the goat and share?) For a more casual date, take advantage of our sprawling food scene and test the waters at eateries off the beaten path. Here are my three go-to culinary adventures, perfect for dates or just a solid hang with a best friend. Himalayan Range in Morrisville serves Nepalese curries and dumplings at very affordable prices, which means you can order a meat entrée (get the coconut goat curry) and a plethora of inexpensive vegetable items and feast. If you feel like dealing with Brier Creek traffic, meet up at Flame Kabob. The super casual strip-mall restaurant offers shareable sampler platters, heavy on the kabob, perfect for getting to know someone while you linger over lunch.
For anyone (me) who has no qualms about messy eating, Raleigh’s Soo Cafe is the spot to dig into hot Korean fried chicken and K-pop videos. In warmer weather, stroll through east Durham’s Green Flea Market, past the sparkly tulle quinceañera gowns and norteño cowboy hats, to food stalls full of delicious options, such as Salvadoran pupusas, the most luscious pork tacos at Taqueria Jalisco, elotes, and churros. (Bring cash.) If you and a new love are at that lazy-Sunday-morning sweet spot, brave the drivethrough at Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen in Chapel Hill and take your breakfast next door to Caffè Driade. Sit at an outdoor table with a couple of books, submerged in a forest, and bask in your cuteness. In Hillsborough, a fun daytime date begins with an easy walk on the Occoneechee Mountain Loop Trail, before a stop at El Restaurante Ixtapa for a snack. Whatever you order from the coastal Mexican menu, make sure to indulge in a giant green coconut. You’ll catch someone slicing the top off with a machete out back, leaving you with a straw and a sense of adventure, no matter how the date ends. vbouloubasis@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 19
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indymusic
BAT FANGS
Saturday, Feb. 3, 9:30 p.m., $10 Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro www.catscradle.com
Fangs Out BY EMBRACING THEIR EARLIEST INFLUENCES, BETSY WRIGHT AND LAURA KING OUTSTRIP THEIR PARENTHETICALS BY PATRICK WALL
Bat Fangs PHOTO BY SOLEIL KONKEL
B
at Fangs guitarist Betsy Wright found herself with some time on her hands. Ex Hex, the power-pop band led by Mary Timony in which Wright plays bass, wound down for a breather following a rigorous touring schedule following the release of their Merge Records debut, 2014’s Rips. Staring down an extended hiatus, the everrestless Wright wasn’t up for sitting around Washington, D.C. with nothing to do. “Music’s pretty much the only thing I’ve ever cared about my entire life,” she says. “I just can’t get enough. I used to think that I wouldn’t always be this way, but it’s just not going away.” She returned to a collection of songs and riffs she’d be assembling over the years— songs that leaned toward arena rock and eighties pop-metal and didn’t quite fit Ex Hex’s sensibilities. Some of them were nearly fully fleshed out; others were little more than skeletons. But she couldn’t find a drummer in D.C. to jam on those songs with. Some were a good fit but just didn’t have time, Wright says, and some just weren’t a good fit. Eventually, she broadened her search. She had met the Carrboro drummer Laura King in late 2015. King was playing with Flesh Wounds, who were then serving as Merge Records boss Mac McCaughan’s backing band the Non-Believers, who were playing a few shows with Ex Hex. It turns out the two had a lot in common: Wright started play-
ing music when she was six years old with voracious listening habits, from the old 45s in her parents’ basement to the hair metal hits of the day. “That’s the stuff I was into when I was seven and eight—besides, like, Madonna and The Bangles,” Wright says. “I was obsessed with Bon Jovi and Poison and Warrant. I loved hair metal.” King keyed on the same things: She grew up about forty-five minutes north in Baltimore, and had her rock ’n’ roll epiphany at age ten when she saw The Bangles performing live on MTV. “That changed my life,” King says. “I was like, ‘I want to do that.’” Not long afterward, her dad bought her a drum kit, and she taught herself how to play in her parents’ basement, banging along to Guns N’ Roses songs. She, too, was obsessed with hair metal—Poison and Bon Jovi, in particular—and developed her powerful playing style fooling around with hair metal riffs with her shredder friends in grade school. So, on a whim and still searching for someone to play with, Wright emailed a few of the songs she’d been working on to King. “I was like, ‘There’s no way she’s gonna want to do this,” Wright laughs. “She lives so far away. She probably doesn’t have time.’” But King had time on her hands, too. Flesh Wounds had broken up in May of 2015 after
releasing In the Mouth, and she didn’t really have anything solid going on. “When she reached out to me, I was more than happy to jump on board,” King says. “At first, I was a little unsure how it was going to work, because she plays bass [in Ex Hex]. And then she sent me a couple of demos with her playing guitar, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god, she’s a super shredder.’ Wright drove down to Raleigh in October of that year, she and King holed up in King’s practice space, cutting a two-song demo with King’s friend, home-recording guru Charles Chase. “Everything really gelled,” King says. “It was such a easy process, so we were like, ‘Let’s do it again next month.’” By Halloween, they’d had a lead single, the snarling “Wolfbite.” By Thanksgiving, Bat Fangs was a full-fledged band with more or less a full record’s worth of material. “Usually these things take a lot longer to develop,” King says. “But when the chemistry’s right, you just gotta go with it.” That chemistry is what makes Bat Fangs’s brash, eighties-indebted riff-rock so immediately rewarding, like a huge endorphin rush. That their skill sets are simpatico helps, too: King and Wright’s preceding outfits display a knack for blending bulldozing rhythms with and big riffs. But their parentheticals skew heady. King gives her brawn extra brains in
the heavy improvisational drum duo Speed Stick. Before joining Ex Hex, Wright studied jazz piano at Bard College and earned a music degree from George Mason; later, she’d play keys in poetic New York City pop band The Childballads and guitar in swirly, dreamy Charlottesville-based rock band The Fire Tapes. That kind of “experimental, noisy, Sonic Youth-type stuff,” she says, was fine, but it wasn’t true to her roots. “That’s all good and cool, but the music that I’ve listened to and loved my whole life was not so much like that. I always thought that to be original meant I had to make something weird,” Wright says. “And now, that stuff’s just not that fun. And I want to have fun.” “You can’t escape who you are, as a musician,” King adds. “We were talking a lot at the time about hair metal, and classic rock ’n’ roll, like Roky Erickson and stuff like that, and listening to a lot of that music. We are who we are, and how we play is how we play.” Recorded in January 2017 with R. Ring’s Mike Montgomery at his studio in Kentucky, Bat Fangs’s self titled debut revels in those roots, but it isn’t solely motivated by retromania. Out of minimal resources—Wright’s guitar, King’s drums and very little bass—comes maximum impact. King and Wright whip through the nine songs on Bat Fangs in well under half an hour, riffing with frisky, infectious joy. Its songs recall the upper crust of upper-dial eighties rock: “Turn It Up” struts like Pat Benetar’s burnout, denim-jacketand-ripped-T-shirt rock songs; “Rock the Reaper,” with its Marshall stack crunch and insistent hook, sounds like a mix of Scandal and The Cars. “Fangs Out” is pure Sunset Strip metal, all thundering toms and thick riffs; “Bad Astrology” and “Wolfbite” roil with tongue-in-cheek references to the occult, like Thin Lizzy fronted by Patti Smyth, or maybe Black Sabbath via The Bangles. “A lot of people are like, it’s a guilty pleasure or something, but I love that stuff,” Wright says of her most deeply seated influences. “It’s fun, you know?” And guilty-pleasure listening is bullshit anyway, Wright adds. “Like, what does even mean? That you’re embarrassed or too cool to admit that you liked this thing when you were seven? No way,” she says. “I liked Bon Jovi. I was seven! Like, millions of people like Taylor Swift. You’re not the only one.” music@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 21
F E B R UARY
music
JENS LEKMAN
Friday, Feb. 2, 9 p.m., $15 The Pinhook, Durham www.thepinhook.com
FR FEB 2 • 8PM
KELLER WILLIAMS SA 3 TH 8 TH 8 FR 9 SA 10 SU 11 TH 15
PERPETUAL GROOVE 8p AJR: THE CLICK TOUR BIG GIGANTIC @ THE RITZ ID 8p FAR TOO JONES 7p SLEIGH BELLS 7:30p MUMU TUTU W/ DIRTY REMNANTZ SHAMROCK SAINTS 7p
FR 16 THE SHAKEDOWN SA 17 SU 18 FR 23 SA 24 SU 25 WE 28
(PLAYS TOM PETTY) WHO’S BAD (MICHAEL JACKSON TRIB.) Y&T 7p EMANCIPATOR ENSEMBLE 8p WEEKEND EXCURSION 7p ERIC JOHNSON W/ARIELLE 7p RAILROAD EARTH 7p
FR 2 SA 3 SU 4 SA 10 SU 11 TH 15 FR 16 WE 21
JAZZ IS PHSH 8p LOTUS 8p J.J. GREY AND MOFRO BOWIE BALL 8p KELLY HOLLAND MEMORIAL 4:30p JOHN KADLECIK BAND 7:30p J RODDY WALSTON & THE BUSINESS NEW POLITICS
MAR C H
W/DREAMERS AND THE WRECKS
FR 23 COSMIC CHARLIE PLAYS
“EUROPE 72” 8p SA 24 RIPE 8p SU 25 BIG K.R.I.T & TY DOLLA SIGN @
Love Letters
IN WHICH WE MAYBE MAKE JENS LEKMAN JUST A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE BY KNOWING WAY TOO MUCH ABOUT HIS MUSIC BY BRIAN HOWE
THE RITZ 8p
TU 27 BETTY WHO FR 30 THE BREAKFAST CLUB 7p SA 31 DELTA RAE 7p
PHOTO BY ELLIKA HENRIKSON
CO M I N G S O O N
4/6 RUNAWAY GIN (PHISH TRIB.) 9p 4/7 DAVID ALLAN COE 7p 4/12 SLIM WEDNESDAY FT. JOJO HERMAN 7p
4/14 THE SOUL PSYCHEDLIQUE & 4/17 4/18 4/19 4/22 4/28 5/2 5/4 5/12 5/26 6/2 6/7 6/9 7/7
LOVE TRIBE 8p TY SEGALL 7p GHOST LIGHT 7p OLD 97’S 7p ANDERSON EAST 7p PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG BLUE OCTOBER 7p CARBON LEAF 7p JUPITER COYOTE 7p JAKE MILLER 8p WHISKY MYERS 7p TASH SULTANA 7p RECKLESS KELLY 8p INTERSTELLAR OVERDRIVE W/ ABACAB 7:30p
ADV. TICKETS @ LINCOLNTHEATRE.COM & SCHOOLKIDS RECORDS ALL SHOWS ALL AGES
126 E. Cabarrus St.• 919-821-4111 www.lincolntheatre.com 22 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
“R
ight now, I’m not sure where I live,” the globe-hopping musician Jens Lekman said when we reached him in Gothenburg, Sweden, his hometown. If you’re a fan, you know the place as the setting of several of Lekman’s hilarious, insightful, elaborate indiepop autobiographies—but are they really as autobiographical as they seem to be? Being the INDY’s resident heart-eyed superfan, I probed this and other Lekman-esque mysteries in a chat that also revealed why he’s playing a venue as small as The Pinhook when he can sell out larger halls, why he writes so much about friendship, and why his sent email folder is his biggest inspiration. I didn’t solve every riddle of Jens—and who would want to? But I was delighted to find the unique blend of earnest empathy
and deadpan sarcasm that distinguishes his music fully present in his personality. INDY: Last year I saw you play at Union Transfer in Philadelphia, a much larger venue than The Pinhook. Is this a fill-in date, did you want to do a more intimate show, or what? JENS LEKMAN: I do weddings as a sort of side job. I got an offer for a wedding in Miami and another in Mexico, and there were three weeks between them. I thought, I can just do a little solo tour and see some friends. After I’ve done the album-cycle tour, which prioritizes the big cities, I always try to do a little tour where I play places we don’t usually hit. I’m going to play songs from all my records and probably some new songs. I’m not there to promote anything, really; I just wanted to play some shows.
But wait—one can book Jens Lekman for a wedding? That’s correct. I’ve been doing this ever since I started putting out music fourteen years ago. I had a song on my first record called “If You Ever Need a Stranger (To Sing at Your Wedding).” For some reason, people took that song literally and all these offers started coming in. I just did it for the fun of it, but then I realized it’s a really sweet way to see what your music means to people. You’re so honored to be there. Also, for me, it’s a way to make a living, to survive making music. I understand if there are some mysteries you don’t want to dispel, but I’ve always wondered to what extent your songs are autobiographical versus staged to seem
m., $15 am om
that way. Did you really chase Kirsten Dunst around Gothenburg while she was filming Melancholia? Do you really have a friend who carried around a 3-D printed model of his tumor? I think all my songs are emotionally autobiographical. I never write about something I haven’t experienced. Some songs are very indetail autobiographical. “Waiting for Kirsten,” for example, the lyrics are basically an email I wrote to a friend describing what happened that night. People keep asking me, did that actually happen? And I’m like, did it happen that I didn’t meet Kirsten Dunst? Yes, it happened. It happens to me every day. Other songs, I always use responsibility to not give up too much of my friends’ lives. I’ve become more interested in taking the experience and turning it into a completely different story. “Evening Prayer,” I wrote that song because I had a lot of friends who were going through chemo or had a tumor. At the same time, I read a story about a surgeon who was using a 3-D printer to study tumors. The last couple of years, that’s how things have been working for me: things go on in my life and a story happens on the side, and the story and the experience find each other. For me, that’s more fascinating, to work with fiction a little bit.
comes to storytelling, and I felt like it would be a perfect format for us, where you have a little more time to work on the stories, together with someone else. Postcards was a very lonely project. Your music deals with a topic that gets overlooked in pop music, which is friendship, not just romantic love. I’m thinking of songs like “A Promise,” “Evening Prayer,” and “How Can I Tell Him?” What draws you to write about it? I think a lot of my best songs are about friendship, like “A Postcard to Nina.” In today’s society, when we think about our romantic partners, it’s so overwhelming. We want our partners to be everything to us. I think we have a problem with romantic love right now. We have a more casual relationship to our friends and, in some sense, I feel that those relationships can go deeper because they’re more relaxed. We don’t project as much onto those people. I sort of feel like that with fans who write to me, too. I don’t think of them as friends, but there’s something very valuable in the relationship. Sometimes I get an email and I reply and that’s all, and I have no idea who these people are. But there can be something profound in that conversation because there’s no expectations of it.
“Did it happen that I didn’t meet Kirsten Dunst? Yes, it happened. It happens to me every day.”
On “A Postcard to Nina,” when you sang “Yours truly, Jens Lekman” at the end, A HENRIKSON did you have Leonard Cohen’s signoff on “Famous Blue Raincoat” in mind? Yeah, of course, that’s one of my favorite kman for songs of all time. That’s always been a very natural way for me to write. My sent foldthis ever er in my email is my biggest inspiration. I fourteen often write songs as letters or messages to st record friends, birthday wishes or a pat on the back nger (To or love songs. Right now, I’m doing this proje reason, ect called Correspondence, which is me being d all these in my element, in a way, because it’s about the did it for song as a letter. ’s a really means to And you did the whole Postcards project a ere. Also, few years ago. How did Correspondence with to survive Annika Norlin come about? After I did Postcards and Ghostwriting—a lot of positive things came out of that, but mysteries there were also things I missed, like the ve always ability to work on the storytelling a little bit songs are longer. I came to think of Annika because to seem we have a kinship of some kind when it
I feel like “To Know Your Mission” is kind of the key to the essential point of all your music. It’s about music as a kind of service, an antenna for listening and vessel for empathy. Does that reflect your feelings at all? I think that’s actually spot-on. It’s sort of a statement for Jens Lekman, maybe. I think … what was it you said about it again? It’s about why you make these elaborate songs, right? As a way to listen to people and their stories and then channel that into empathy. I think it’s like that, and I think that’s also some of why I play weddings. The whole idea of receiving something and giving it back is the beauty of it all. At weddings, I feel like I can connect directly with someone and get what they have been getting from my music and give it back to them. I feel that way every time I reply to an email from a listener as well. bhowe@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18| 23
indystage
CURRENT OPEN HOUSES
Friday, Feb. 2, 11–1:30 p.m. & 5–7 p.m.
PAUL DRESHER ENSEMBLE: SOUND MAZE
Friday, Feb. 2–Tuesday, Feb. 5 Current ArtSpace & Studio, Chapel Hill www.currentunc.org
RUBENSTEIN GRAND OPENING Saturday, Feb. 3, 1–4 p.m.
ANTONY HAMILTON & ALISDAIR MACINDOE: MEETING Thursday, Feb. 1–Saturday, Feb. 3 Rubenstein Arts Center’s von der Heyden Studio Theater, Durham www.dukeperformances.com
Small Wonders
UNC AND DUKE ANSWER ARTIST AND AUDIENCE DEMANDS FOR INTIMATE, ADAPTABLE VENUES WITH CURRENT AND VON DER HEYDEN STUDIO THEATER, BOTH OPENING THIS WEEK BY BYRON WOODS
Left: UNC’s Current PHOTO BY YORK WILSON Right: Duke's von der Heyden Studio Theater PHOTO BY CHRIS
T
he wall of windows gets your attention first, especially because you’re standing in what’s supposed to be a state-of-the-art black box theater—traditionally, a room with four dark walls, easily adaptable for different kinds of performances. Closer examination reveals retractable blinds, which can create a blackout on demand, and retractable seating. When extended, the rows of chairs reinforce the intimacy of a room designed to place no more than three hundred people near artists. With the seats pulled back, the room has options: it can be a ballroom, a cabaret, or a gallery. Two new university performing arts venues open this week, UNC’s Current ArtSpace & Studio at 123 West Franklin Street and Duke’s von der Heyden Studio Theater at the Rubenstein Arts Center at 2020 Campus Drive. In case you’re wondering which one we’ve been describing, the answer is both. These new venues are particularly welcome in a region that has grown accustomed to the loss of small, disproportionately influential performing arts spaces in recent years, 24 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
including Common Ground Theatre and, this spring, Manbites Dog Theater. Current and von der Heyden were independently developed over the course of years, but the similarities between them are startling. Both represent a clear departure from the monolithic theaters of yore, such as Memorial Hall and Page Auditorium, and from smaller, more recent additions like Reynolds Industries Theater and Fletcher Opera Theater. Perhaps that’s less surprising when you consider that they are responding to the same evolving market. Carolina Performing Arts and Duke Performances, the region’s largest academic arts presenters, downsized their new venues to meet the demands of performers and audiences. “Many presenters today are looking for ways to provide an intimacy, to make the interactions between artists and audiences transformative instead of simply transactional,” says Amy Russell, CPA’s director of programming and curator of Current’s inaugural season. One key to that transformation lies in changing the passive relationship
HILDRETH
between spectators and performers into a more active, collaborative exchange. Current opens with Paul Dresher Ensemble’s Sound Maze, in which groups spend hour-long sessions playing visually striking, wildly unconventional musical instruments. Devices like the Peacock, a fan of wooden pipe-organ keys played with mallets, and the Field of Flowers, an array of resonant wooden and metal blocks swaying on flexible metal stalks, are accessible to novices and musicians alike. Sound Maze and upcoming performances by collaborative theater groups Gob Squad and 600 Highwaymen are focused on co-creating an immersive experience with the public. “The closer we get an artist to an audience member, the more unpredictable and beautiful the experiences become,” Russell says. “Changing the nature of how we experience performance increases the probability that more people have access to those moments.” Active collaborations also figure prominently in Duke Performances’ plans for the von der Heyden. Its placement at the heart of Duke’s new Rubenstein Arts Center, a seven-
ty-five-thousand-square-foot facility across the street from the Nasher, makes it the nexus of a constellation of campus arts programs. The Rubenstein is the new home of Duke’s dance program. It also provides seminar and studio space for the visual arts and film programs. According to Scott Lindroth, Duke’s vice provost for the arts, it’s designed to bring disparate disciplines together. “To have a center where dance students are going to run into film students, painting students, and theater students gives us a better chance to consolidate the arts community and achieve a new kind of synergy,” he says. Off-campus presenters also figure into von der Heyden’s future. This summer, it will house selected shows in the American Dance Festival. Talks are underway for potential copresentations with Full Frame in the facility’s one-hundred-seat film theater. Both venues are proudly billed as “porous.” Current’s window-wall can open like a garage door to let performances spill out into the courtyard, while massive, sliding side doors at the von der Heyden give similar access to the Rubenstein’s lobby. But it remains to be seen how porous either venue will be for local, independent artists like those associated with Culture Mill, DIDA, or Bartlett Theater. Carolina Performing Arts’ marketing director, Mark Nelson, says the organization “really wants Current to be a resource for the community,” but its present rental policy states that non-university groups may only book the facility “on a date that falls outside the school year (such as summer break).” Similarly, Lindroth anticipates booking out the von der Heyden only when classes aren’t meeting, “during the winter break or immediately after commencement”—and that only after seeing how the theater functions during its first year to eighteen months in operation. For Duke Performances director Aaron Greenwald, the von der Heyden represents an exercise in “right-sizing” a venue. For decades, emerging dance and theater artists have created works to fit the small spaces they can afford to rent. Subsequent attempts
STAGE BRIEF THE MIRACULOUS AND THE MUNDANE ½
Through Saturday, Feb. 3 Manbites Dog Theater, Durham www.manbitesdogtheater.org Howard L. Craft’s domestic drama features some of the local playwright’s most vivid writing yet. In Trevor Johnson’s rock-ribbed performance, Percy Nelson’s contrary repartee with fellow ‘Nam veteran Uncle Bone (Gil Faison) and Percy's adult daughter and son, Chloe and Junior (Lakeisha Coffey and comedian Amadia Perez), crackles with an authenticity that’s simultaneously oldschool Southern and streetwise. But the play’s second appearance on local stages still hasn’t solved some of the difficulties of a March 2017 workshop production. Director Joseph Megel isn’t known for poor casting, but Perez is the second actor not to convince us in the role of a young Durham bike cop about to snap. Coincidence? The result of a too-small audition pool? Is there an element of Junior’s character that Megel hasn’t grasped, a deeper issue in Craft’s script, or a combination? I have no easy answer—not when Junior’s arguments with Chloe seem underfunded until one of several second-act revelations explains, probably too late, one source of their division. Craft knows this neighborhood and these characters; he knows the fears and resentments that slowly undermine these familial relationships; he’s clearly informed about dementia's gradual erosion of memory. Most of the dilemmas here are staged convincingly and with respect. The illicit joys of two oldtimers are all the sharper because we know how temporary they are. There is an unintended meta element at play. As Craft reminds us that the mundane is revealed as miraculous only when it’s departing, we know that Manbites Dog Theater itself is leaving us after three more productions. Savor those miracles while you can. —Byron Woods
to transport these works to proscenium stages aren’t always successful. Smaller venues give them the chance to stage such works as they were intended to be seen. Given Duke’s increasing emphasis on commissioning new works, Lindroth says, “We need a place to incubate that work, to build classes around it and ultimately share it with the public in more intimate venues like this.” bwoods@indyweek.com
Search Your Soul MONÉT NOELLE MARSHALL’S BUY MY SOUL AND CALL IT ART FORCES AN OVERDUE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE LOCAL AND NATIONAL ART SCENE’S RACIST FRAMEWORK BY KEVIN J. ROWSEY II
Buy My Soul and Call it Art PHOTO BY DERRICK BEASLEY
W
hat is black art worth to you? Monét Noelle Marshall, creator and director of the performance art installation Buy My Soul and Call It Art, immerses visitors in the problematic relationship between black art and the arts and entertainment industry. Historically and now, large radio, TV, and multimedia platforms benefit disproportionately from black art, with little to no
dialogue on the issue. The discussion is usually shallow, dominated by Grammy snub reactions, artist complaints about streaming services (TIDAL is blackowned and gives artists a larger streaming percentage), and debates about whether Migos had the right to sell black culture to the mainstream—twice. Buy My Soul and Call It Art deepens the conversation. Collaborating with amazing, diverse
BUY MY SOUL AND CALL IT ART
HHHH ½ Through Sunday, Feb. 4 Living Arts Collective, Durham www.livingartscollective.com
local artists including singer-songwriter A.yoni Jeffries, poet Mariah M., and Durham’s all-star DJ, Gemynii, Marshall utilizes the cast to embody the emotion of what it means to be a black artist in an area like Durham. She brilliantly places the audience inside the experience of the black artist in a way that has never been done before in the Triangle. The show forces you to question the worth of art, the value society places on the black community, and what role the consumer plays in the battle for artist equality. Upon walking into the Living Arts Collective, you’re given an amount of play money based on what you think black art is worth. You then spend it in the world Marshall has created: choosing if and how to participate in a charged art auction, for example. Each part of the installation is a sharp comment on some aspect of how the mainstream treats black people and culture. Each person’s experience of the show will be different, and it begs to be seen more than once to grasp every detail and nuance. With a topic so complex, the show does not come without an appropriate amount of controversy. While it’s engaging from entrance to exit, I found the conversations afterward most interesting. From my perspective as a black artist in this community, the experience portrayed in Buy My Soul and Call It Art is an everyday reality. I left the Living Arts Collective dazed, trying to understand what was part of the show and what was uncovered in my own reality. I haven’t experienced something as horrifyingly relevant to my life since watching Get Out. For those who call themselves allies to black artists in the Triangle, seeing this show is mandatory. Especially in Durham, with its growing mainstream acceptance of gentrification, Buy My Soul and Call It Art demands that we ask ourselves who benefits from this progress. While Marshall says this is a part of a series of performance exhibits, it stands on its own, making us face the pain of our past and present with few to no answers about where the future is headed. I am excited to see Marshall expand on what should be revered as a necessary first step toward a progressive dialogue. arts@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 25
1.31–2.7 WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2–MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5
PAUL DRESHER ENSEMBLE: SOUND MAZE This weekend, UNC-Chapel Hill opens its new Current ArtSpace & Studio, a black box theater and performance space, with an exciting, engaging offering from the composer Paul Dresher. His ensemble’s family-friendly Sound Maze, which you can explore from Friday through Monday, features more than a dozen unique instruments designed by Dresher and a few collaborators. There’s a sunshine-colored wheel of what look like tone bars from a marimba, a tumbling drum filled with palm-size balls, a giant swinging chime, and more. You don’t have to be a virtuoso to pull some beguiling tones out of the oddities on display in Dresher’s maze, and even practiced pros can find plenty of new ways to pique their interests. Sound Maze is an opportunity not only for play and contemplation but also to get an early look inside UNC’s new venue (see p. 24). —Allison Hussey CURRENT ARTSPACE & STUDIO, CHAPEL HILL Various times, $10–$20, www.carolinaperformingarts.org
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
JUSTIN TORNOW: NO. 22/PENUMBRA
On Friday, CAM Raleigh blooms with new exhibits, including Anne Lindberg’s thread sculpture, The Long Sun; a textile and print show by English fashion designer Zandra Rhodes; and a selection of fashion illustrations by Ann Thaden. But you’ll also want to put in an appearance the night before, when dance artist Justin Tornow and visual artist Heather Gordon add a new item to their long series of innovative cross-genre collaborations. Tornow’s solo, Penumbra, was created in dialogue with Gordon and her installation, And Then the Sun Swallowed Me, whose optically energizing black-tape drawing and projections leave CAM’s main gallery on the fourth of February. Developed while Tornow traveled in Germany, Amsterdam, and Finland last fall, the dance piece manifests the human element that is latent in all of Gordon’s deceptively abstract visual origami. Penumbra illustrates the line between “light and dark, transparency and obscurity, visibility and invisibility” with Tornow’s jagged, Merce Cunningham-infused choreography. —Brian Howe CAM RALEIGH, RALEIGH 7 p.m., free, www.camraleigh.org
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO?
BAT FANGS AT CAT’S CRADLE BACK ROOM (P. 21), BOB TROTMAN AT THE GREGG MUSEUM (P. 32), BUY MY SOUL AND CALL IT ART AT THE LIVING ARTS COLLECTIVE (P. 25), GRAND OPENING PARTY AT THE RUBENSTEIN ARTS CENTER (P. 24), ANTONY HAMILTON & ALISDAIR MACINDOE AT VON DER HAYDEN STUDIO THEATER (P. 36), JENS LEKMAN AT THE PINHOOK (P. 22), THE MIRACULOUS AND THE MUNDANE AT MANBITES DOG THEATER (P. 25), PRIVATE VIOLENCE AT CULTURE MILL (P. 35), COLSON WHITEHEAD AT PAGE AUDITORIUM (P. 34), YARN/WIRE AT UNC’S HILL HALL (P. 29) 26 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
Paul Dresher Ensemble: Sound Maze PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2 & SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
WKNC’S DOUBLE BARREL BENEFIT
One of the best breaks in the doldrums of mid-winter is the Double Barrel Benefit, the annual major fundraiser for N.C. State’s student-run radio station, WKNC 88.1 FM. In addition to being the most widely broadcast of the Triangle’s university radio stations, WKNC has long functioned as a hub for nurturing and celebrating young local talent, and DBB is always an excellent display of those efforts. The Friday night bill is features the cool, immersive electronica of Diaspoura and RGB, plus hip-hop from Well$ and JooseLord Magnus. Saturday brings more rock fare: radical punk from Pie Face Girls and The Muslims and explosive hardcore from Drugcharge. Night two offers an extra treat: a one-off reunion show from The Future Kings of Nowhere, the charming, ramshackle Durham band that’s been quiet for the better part of six years. Show up to support student radio, stay for the guaranteed fun. —Allison Hussey KINGS, RALEIGH 8:30 p.m., $13–$22, www.kingsraleigh.com
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Joey Collins and Nemuna Cessay in Tartuffe PHOTO
COURTESY OF PLAYMAKERS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1–SUNDAY, MARCH 11
THE CHRISTIANS & MOLIÈRE’S TARTUFFE
Though many religions make extravagant claims of purity, perfection, and the infinite, they are all embodied and enacted by fallible, finite people—people who don’t always make the best case for their cause. Ultimately, we encounter a faith only through its followers, a circumstance that raises questions about the nature of both. PlayMakers Repertory Company is preparing to investigate the topic in two rotating repertory productions. David Ball studies the effects of sanctimony on the upper class in his adaptation of Molière’s farce, Tartuffe. And Lucas Hnath questions just how monolithic modern-day Christianity is in his 2014 drama, The Christians, in which a megachurch fractures after its leader rejects a long-held tenet of faith and his congregation unexpectedly follows him. —Byron Woods PLAYMAKERS REPERTORY COMPANY, CHAPEL HILL Various times, $15+, www.playmakersrep.org INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 27
2/1 TYPHOON W/ BAD BAD HATS, SUNBATHE ($18/$20) 2/3 BOB MARLEY BIRTHDAY BASH: MICKEY MILLS & STEEL, JAMROCK, ZION PROJECT, DJ RAS J ($12/$15) 2/9 WXYC VALENTINES DANCE 2/10 WHY? W/ OPEN MIKE EAGLE ($16/$18) 2/11 NOAH GUNDERSEN ($15/$17) 2/12 DECLAN MCKENNA W/ CHAPPELL ROAN ($15/$17) 2/13 SONS OF APOLLO (FORMER DREAM THEATRE, GNR, MR BIG, JOURNEY) ($25/$28) 2/15 COREY SMITH W/KASEY TYNDALL ($20/$25) 2/16 UNO THE ACTIVIST/ THOUXANBANFAUNI/ WARHOL.SS ($20/ $24)
SU 2/11
NOAH GUNDERSEN CAT'S CRADLE BACK ROOM 1/31 THE DANGEROUS SUMMER
W/MICROWAVE, THE BAND CAMINO ($15) @ CAT’S CRADLE BACK ROOM
2/2 EMMA'S LOUNGE / MAGNOLIA COLLECTIVE / LESTER COALBANKS AND THE SEVEN SORROWS ( $7/$8 )
4/5 THAT 1 GUY ( $15)
2/3 BAT FANGS RECORD RELEASE PARTY W/ PIPE, SOLAR HALOS ($10) 2/5 CHARLIE HUNTER TRIO FEAT. SILVANA ESTRADA ($18/$20; 7 PM SHOW)
2/20 PHILLIP PHILLIPS ($27.50/$30)
2/6 WAR ON WOMEN ($10/$12)
2/21 PEDRO THE LION W/ MARIE/LEPANTO ($20/$22)
2/7 WILLIE WATSON W/ANNA TIVEL ($18/$20)
2/22 LIGHTS W/CHASE ATLANTIC, DCF ($20/$23)
2/9 YARN W/ JOHN HOWIE JR. & THE ROSEWOOD BLUFF ($12/ $15)
2/24 ANDREA GIBSON W/CHASTITY BROWN ($18/$21)
2/10 AMIGO ALBUM RELEASE PARTY W/ JON LINDSAY, AL RIGGS ($7/$8)
2/26 POP UP CHORUS CRANBERRIES, U2, CURE SONGS ($8/$13)
2/11 ADULT MOM / CHRIS FARREN ($10/$12)
3/1 QUINN XCIISOLD W/ CHELSEA CUTLER OUT
2/13 TINY MOVING PARTS W/ MOM JEANS, OSO OSO ($13/$15) 2/16 NORA JANE STRUTHERS W/ CHRISTIANE AND THE STRAYS ($12/ $15)
3/6 WALLOWS W/FIELD MEDIC ($15) 3/7 LP W/ NOAH KAHAN ($22/$25) 3/9 SENSES FAIL W/ REGGIE AND THE FULL EFFECT, HAVE MERCY, HOUSEHOLD 3/13 J BOOG W/JESSE ROYAL, ETANA ($20) 3/16 DIALI CISSOKHO & KAIRA BA AND THE OLD CEREMONY ($10/$12) 3/21 MOOSE BLOOD W/ LYDIA, MCCAFFERTY ($18/$22) 3/23 OF MONTREAL ($17) 3/24 TIMEFLIES: TOO MUCH TO DREAM TOUR ($25) 3/28 CRANK IT LOUD PRESENTS: OUR LAST NIGHT W/ I THE MIGHTY, DON BROCO, JULE VERA 3/30 CIGARETTES AFTER SEX ($20/$23)
2/17 HANK, PATTIE & THE CURRENT W/ CAROLINA BLUEGRASS BAND ($7/$10) 2/20 MAGIC GIANT W/ THE BREVET ($12/ $14) 2/22 LARRY CAMPBELL & TERESA WILLIAMS 2/24 CALEB CAUDLE ALBUM RELEASE SHOW W/ JAKE XERXES FUSSELL ($10/$12) 2/27 DIET CIG W/ GREAT GRANDPA, THE SPOOK SCHOOL 3/3 TAN AND SOBER GENTLEMEN W/ TUATHA DEA, CODDLE CREEK ($9) 3/5 KOLARS W/ ESCONDIDO ($12) 3/6 ELLIOT ROOT ($8/$10)
4/2 CRANK IT LOUD PRESENTS: UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER 4/3 ROGUE WAVE PERFORMING ASLEEP AT HEAVEN'S GATE ($17/$20)
3/9 VUNDABAR W/ RATBOYS ($10/$12)
TWO
4/12 JUKEBOX THE GHOST W/ THE GREETING COMMITTEE ($17/$20)
3/13 JESSICA LEA MAYFIELD W/ T HARDY MORRIS ($15) 3/18 MEN I TRUST ($10/$12) 3/19 BORN RUFFIANS
4/16 WOLF ALICE ($18/$20)
3/20 SHAME / SNAIL MAIL ($12)
4/18 DR DOG ($27.50/ $30)
3/21 COURTNEY MARIE ANDREWS ($12/$14)
4/24 THE MAINE W/THE TECHNICOLORS ($23/$25) 4/27 SUPERCHUNK W/ROCK*A*TEENS ($16/$18) 4/28 THE AFGHAN WHIGS AND BUILT TO SPILL ($35) 5/4 BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB W/PETE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ($25/$28) 5/8 BAHAMAS ($16/$18) 5/9 PANDA BEAR W/ GEOLOGIST ($22/$25) 5/18 DAVID BROMBERG (SEATED SHOW) 5/19 NEW FOUND GLORY W/ BAYSIDE, THE MOVIELIFE, WILLIAM RYAN KEY ($25/$29) 5/25 PETER HOOK & THE LIGHT ($28/$31) 6/23 THE FEELIES ($20/$23)
28 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
WILLIE WATSON 4/6 GRIFFIN HOUSE 4/12 MO LOWDA & THE HUMBLE ($10/ $15 FOR 2 TIX) 4/13 TYRONE WELLS W/ GABE DIXON ($25) 4/17 THANK YOU SCIENTIST ($15) 4/21 YUNG GRAVY (RESCHEDULED FROM 1/17) 4/23 DURAND JONES & THE INDICATIONS ($13/$15) 4/27 DEAD HORSES AND FRONT COUNTRY ($14) 4/28 LOMA W/ JESS WILLIAMSON ($12/ $14) CAROLINA THEATRE (DUR) 3/24 LUCIUS MOTORCO (DUR) 4/2 TWIN PEAKS W/ THE DISTRICTS 4/11 WAXAHATCHEE AND HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF ($20/$22) 5/5 ALVVAYS W/ FRANKIE ROSE ($15/$17) 5/7 HOP ALONG ($15/$17) 6/3 POND ($15) ARTSCENTER (CARRBORO) 3/3 AN EVENING WITH SOLD COWBOY JUNKIES OUT 3/21 NEIL HILBORN ($15/$20) 4/20 GREG BROWN ($28/$30) LOCAL 506 (CHAPEL HILL) 5/5 ROLLLING BLACKOUTS COASTAL FEVER ($10/$12) THE RITZ (RAL) 2/17 SNARKY PUPPY W/ SIRINTIP
3/7 SONREAL ($15/$17) 3/8 PRONOUN AND MICHAEL NAU & THE MIGHTY THREAD (COTTON JONES)
4/10 AND 4/11 SHOWS! YO LA TENGO ($22/$24)
WE 2/7
2/1 BE LOUD! CAROLINA: MKR, PEOPLE OF EARTH, LOCAL FLORA ($5; RESCHEDULED FROM 1/18)
2/17 THE BLACK LILLIES W/ SAM QUINN
3/2 JOYWAVE W/SASHA SLOAN, KOPPS ($15/$17)
TU 2/13
SONS OF APOLLO
3/22 MARTI JONES & DON DIXON 3/23 KYLE CRAFT 3/24 URBAN SOIL 3/25 STEVE GUNN W/ NATHAN BOWLES ($15/$17)
4/7 RAINBOW
KITTEN SURPRISE
NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS
5/9
W/ LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL 5/13 OH WONDER W/ ASTRONOMYY KINGS (RAL) 2/17 PHOEBE BRIDGERS W/ SOCCER MOMMY ($10) 3/30 SORORITY NOISE W/ REMO DRIVE, JELANI SEI ($17/$20) RED HAT AMPHITHEATRE (RAL) 5/3 FLEET
FOXES
HAW RIVER BALLROOM 2/1 THE DEVIL MAKES THREE W/ THE HUNTRESS, HOLDER OF HANDS
3/26 S CAREY W/ GORDI, XOXOK ($15)
3/3 BRETT DENNEN ($22/$26)
3/30 MOVEMENTS W/CAN’T SWIM, SUPER WHATEVR, GLEEMER ($13/$15)
3/23 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK SOLD EMPEROR W/KGD OUT
3/31 STOP LIGHT OBSERVATIONS ($10/$12)
5/12 TANK AND THE BANGAS W/ SWEET CRUDE ($16/$18)
4/1 NOTHING, NOWHERE. W/ SHINIGAMI, LIL LOTUS, JAY VEE ($13/$15)
NORTH CHARLESTON PAC (CHARLESTON, SC) 2/25 STEVE MARTIN & MARTIN SHORT W/ THE STEEP CANYON RANGERS AND JEFF BABKO
4/4 DYLAN LEBLANC AND THE ARTISANALS ($10/$12)
CATSCRADLE.COM ★ 919.967.9053 ★ 300 E. MAIN STREET ★ CARRBORO **Asterisks denote advance tickets @ schoolkids records in raleigh & chapel hill order tix online at ticketfly.com ★ we serve carolina brewery beer on tap! ★ we are a non-smoking club
music 1.31– 2.7 WED, JAN 31 BLUE NOTE GRILL: Bruce Katz Band; 8 p.m., $10–$12. CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): The Dangerous Sumer, Microwave, The Band Camino; 8 p.m., $15. THE CAVE: The Worst Residency Ever; 9 p.m., $5. IRREGARDLESS: Craig Thompson Band; 6:30 p.m. POUR HOUSE: Chris Larkin, Jacob Dixon, Rookie of the Year, Bobby Bryson and the Company; 8 p.m., $8–$10. THE RITZ: NF; 8 p.m.
THU, FEB 1 ARCANA: Danny Grewen Residency: Ellis Dyson and the Shambles, Swedish Wood Patrol; 8 p.m. BLUE NOTE GRILL: Nash Street Ramblers; 7-9 p.m. CAT’S CRADLE: Typhoon, Bad Bad Hats, Sunbathe; 8 p.m., $18–$20. CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Be Loud! Carolina: MKR, People of Earth, Local Flora; 8 p.m., $5. DEEP SOUTH: Brian Skilton and Friends, One 80, Zachariah Claxton; 8 p.m., $6.
The Devil Makes Three Trying to classify the music of The Devil Makes Three— Is it Americana? Punk? Bluegrass?—is a pretty useless exercise. What’s for certain about the Santa Cruz, California trio, though, is that, genre be damned, they’re a band built for the live stage. While their recordings, the most recent of which is 2016’s Redemption & Ruin, are decidedly nothing to scoff at, it’s their raw, rowdy live shows that make the band something truly special. They’ll bring their singular performance chops to Haw River Ballroom for a show that’s not to be missed. —Brittney McKenna [HAW RIVER BALLROOM, $25–$30/8 P.M.] IRREGARDLESS: Retro Candy; 6:30 p.m.
Ladies of the Eighties Dance Party There’s a saying that goes “The higher the hair, the closer to god,” attributed to a handful of women, including Dolly Parton. Consider Thursday night’s Ladies of the Eighties Dance Party to be a chance to commune with a higher power, then. Show up ready to dance your leg warmers/ shoulder pads/chunky jewelry off, to the videos and music of all your favorite eighties divas: Madonna, Whitney, Cyndi, Annie, Gloria, Janet, and more. The evening also features performances from Naomi Dix and Vivica C. Coxx, two of the Triangle’s finest and fiercest drag personalities. The party is sponsored by Alamo Drafthouse, the luxe new theater that’s set to open its first North Carolina branch in March. Hairspray isn’t required, but it’s certainly encouraged. —Allison Hussey [KINGS, $5/9 P.M.] LOCAL 506: Dude Ranch & The Girl at the Rock Show; 8 p.m., $10–$12.
Local Band Local Beer: Lacy Jags Chapel Hill space cases Lacy Jags headline the latest installment of Local Band Local Beer, which is sponsored by Winston-Salem’s Foothills Brewing this week. But even the DDs can get a hearty buzz from this loopy quartet, which takes listeners down a kaleidoscopic rabbit hole with echoing guitars, harmonizing vocals and ample percussion. Lacy Jags fit in with the retro revival trend while still sounding fresh. While light on releases, expect the band to fill the time with welcomed long-winding jams. Dim Delights and Stevie open. —Selena Fragassi [POUR HOUSE, $3–$5/9 P.M.] THE RITZ: Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Luther Dickinson; 7:30 p.m., $16–$27. THE WICKED WITCH: DJ Monsieur, DJ FemiTheFemme, DJ Gemynii; 9 p.m.
Yarn/Wire
PHOTO BY BOBBY FISHER
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
YARN/WIRE
It’s obvious to say, but it bears repeating: pianos are percussion instruments. They make sound only when felt-tipped hammers pound against strings. The thing that separates the piano from the harp, the guitar, or the harpsichord is that little ping the marks the birth of a note. That moment of violence is fundamental to the piano’s sound and, in many ways, defines its very nature. Yet so much of classical music seeks to hide or elide the metaphorical power of that collision, using it merely as an effect, an extreme, an aberration, a moment of contingency to be contained or domesticated. But when you acknowledge a piano’s dual nature and let its percussive side shine, interesting things happen. Composer Béla Bartók heard that duality, and consequently, his piano music feels different from that by his peers. In 1937, he made that connection even more explicit in his sonata for two pianos and two percussionists. That raucous work is part of what inspired percussionists Ian Antonio and Russell Greenberg to team up with pianists Laura Barger and Ning Yu to form Yarn/ Wire in 2005. Since then, the quartet has become one of the more inventive ensembles in the contemporary music scene. They have worked assiduously to expand the repertoire for this flexible and expressive combination of instruments. Every year, they run a series called Yarn/Wire/Currents in which they commission and record a handful of new works by some of the most exciting experimental composers around. Past collaborators have included Tyondai Braxton (Battles), Alvin Lucier, trumpeter Peter Evans, Sam Pluta, Catherine Lamb, and Pete Swanson (Yellow Swans).
Through the UNC-Chapel Hill Department of Music’s Conversations in Modern Music Series, the group is in residence in Chapel Hill for two days of lectures, readings, and performances. For their Saturday night concert, they’ll present three recent works that attempt to make music out of nature and physics. The concert begins with UNC composition professor Lee Weisert’s An Album of Fluid Motion. Based on the book of the same name by Milton Van Dyke, the piece attempts to turn the shapes of different kinds of fluid waves into sound. Vortices twirl, waves crest and retreat, and turbulence nearly rips everything apart. Misato Mochizuki’s Le monde des ronds et des carrés makes a contemplative, glistening ritual out of circles and squares. And Enno Poppe’s Field, built around his idea of “dented nature” where the music gradually starts to disobey its own rules, promises to be explosive and epic. —Dan Ruccia UNC’S HILL HALL, CHAPEL HILL 8 p.m., free, www.music.unc.edu
FOR OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITY CALENDAR WWW.INDYWEEK.COM INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 29
FRI, FEB 2 ARCANA: Super Secret Dance Party; 10 p.m., $5. BEYÙ CAFFÈ: The Black Out; 7 & 9 p.m., $15. BLUE NOTE GRILL: JW Jones; 9 p.m., $8. Duke Street Dogs; 6-8 p.m., free.
Aimee Mann Singer-songwriter Aimee Mann will probably be in a celebratory mood when she stops in Durham Friday night: on Sunday, she took home a Best Folk Album Grammy for last year’s Mental Illness (she last won a best packaging award in 2005 for The Forgotten Arm). As the record’s title indicates, Mann spends Mental Illness frankly and eloquently addressing the trials that come with wrestling with your mental health. “Gotta keep it together when your friends come back,” she sings on opener “Goose Snow Cone.” This one might be a tearjerker, so stick some extra tissues in your pocket. —Allison Hussey [CAROLINA THEATRE, $40–$50/8 P.M.]
CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Emma’s Lounge, Magnolia Collective, Lester Coalbanks and the Seven Sorrows; 9 p.m., $7–$8. CITY LIMITS SALOON: Jon Langston; 8 p.m., $10. CURRENT ARTSPACE + STUDIO: Paul Dresher Ensemble: Sound Maze; $10–$20. See page 26. DEEP SOUTH: Sunroom Salvation, The Big Oak Boys; 9 p.m., $8–$13.
anodyne and soulless in art. Omnipresent in public spaces and exceedingly beige, but there are far more interesting bands to dislike. —David Ford Smith [MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM, $37–$170/8 P.M.] MOTORCO: Shred for Music Ed; 8 p.m., $10–$12.
IRREGARDLESS: Blue T; 6:30 p.m.
NIGHTLIGHT: J20 Benefit: Nikki Dixxx, Concussion, Scarecrow, Crete; 9 p.m., $5–$10.
KINGS: Double Barrel Benefit 15; 8 p.m., $13–$22. See page 27.
THE PINHOOK: Jens Lekman, Peter Oren; 9 p.m., $15. See page 22.
LINCOLN THEATRE: Keller Williams; 9 p.m., $20.
POUR HOUSE: Of Good Nature, Porch 40; 9 p.m., $8–$10.
THE MAYWOOD: Era Gone, Through All This Time, Fear the Indifference, Year of the Ox; 8:30 p.m., $8.
THE RITZ: Cash Unchained; 8 p.m., $10.
MEYMANDI CONCERT HALL: N.C. Symphony: Dvorak’s Serenade for Strings; noon, $30.
Air Supply Though you may have ignored them since their stint in Time Life soft rock infomercials, eightiess light-FM kings Air Supply are still at it. Yes, their bland sophistipop has long been a kind of cultural shorthand for everything
SHARP NINE GALLERY: Will Caveniss Quartet; 8 p.m., $10–$20. THE STATION: Emily Musolino, The Nitrogen Tone; 9 p.m., $6–$8.
SAT, FEB 3 ARCANA: DJ Hubble; 10 p.m.
The Quebe Sisters A band made up entirely of fiddlers probably sounds like far too much fiddle for most folks.
THE MONTI 10TH ANNUAL HIPPO AWARDS TRANSACTORS IMPROV NO SHAME THEATRE – CARRBORO TH 2/15 POPUP BROADWAY IRA KNIGHT PRESENTS: SA 2/24 THE MAN’S GUIDE TO WRITING LOVE LETTERS TH 3/1 VIEUX FARKA TOURÉ FR 3/2 KAKI KING: THE NECK IS A BRIDGE TO THE BODY THE FREDERICK DOUGLASS SPEAKING TOUR FEAT. TH 3/8 NATHAN RICHARDSON PRESENTED BY ORANGE COUNTY ARTS COMMISSION CHARLIE CHAPLIN’S THE KID – LIVE FILM RE-SCORING SA 3/10 BY TIM CARLESS TU 3/20 OMAR SOSA & SECKOU KEITA: TRANSPARENT WATER
But hear us out: Texas’s Quebe Sisters are the perfect guides to lead you on a fiddle-heavy adventure. The three sisters— Sophia, Hulda, and Grace—are three of the country’s finest fiddlers, having won awards for their instrumental prowess several times over. Together, they deliver cheery, intricate licks and the tightest vocal harmonies this side of the Cold War. Their specialty is sweet Western swing, and among their originals, they put their charming spins on classic tunes like “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” “Roly Poly,” and “Georgia On My Mind.” If you’re aching for Andrews Sisters-style singing with none of the other bullshit of living in the 1940s, the Quebes are the perfect contemporary time warp. Little Suzy opens. — Allison Hussey [BLUE NOTE GRILL, $20–$25/7:30 P.M.] THE BULLPEN: Russ Varnell & His Too Country Band; 8:30 p.m. CAT’S CRADLE: Bob Marley Birthday Bash: Mickey Mills & Steel, Jamrock, Zion Project, DJ Ras J; 8:30 p.m., $12–$15. CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Bat Fangs, Pipe, Solar Halos; 9:30 p.m., $10. See page 21.
The Quebe Sisters
PHOTO COURTESY OF CONCORD RECORDS
THE CAVE: Zigtebra, Peachelope, Gorl Werewolf; 9 p.m., $5.
The Pinkerton Raid, Eric Scholz; 9 p.m., $5–$7.
CURRENT ARTSPACE + STUDIO: Paul Dresher Ensemble: Sound Maze; $10–$20. See page 27.
IRREGARDLESS: Michelle Cobley; 11:30 a.m.. Daniel DeLorenzo Duo; 6 p.m. Al Strong Quintet; 9 p.m.
DEEP SOUTH: The Antique Hearts,
KINGS: Double Barrel Benefit 15; 8 p.m., $13–$22. See page 27.
SA 2/3
SA 2/10 SA 2/10
WE 1/31 TH 2/1 FR 2/2 SA 2/3 SU 2/4 TU 2/6
BRUCE KATZ BAND NASH STREET RAMBLERS DUKE STREET DOGS JW JONES THE QUEBE SISTERS LITTLE SUZY WATCH THE SUPER BOWL WITH US TUESDAY BLUES JAM
8P $10 ADV $12 DAY OF 7-9PM 6-8PM 9PM $8 7:30P $25 SEATED $20 STANDING 6PM 7:30PM
Find out More at
ArtsCenterLive.org
300-G East Main St., Carrboro, NC Find us on Social Media: @ArtsCenterLive
YOUR WEEK. EVERY WEDNESDAY.
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LINCOLN THEATRE: Perpetual Groove, CBDB; 9 p.m., $20.
IRREGARDLESS: Gene O’Neill; 10 a.m.. Matt Riedl; 6 p.m.
LOCAL 506: Smoke From All the Friction, Ethan Lipscomb, Nevernauts; 9 p.m., $5.
LOCAL 506: Echo Courts, Stuyedeyed, Lacy Jags; 8 p.m., $8.
THE MAYWOOD: Beyond the Fade, The Fifth, Abstract Manner; 9 p.m., $10. MEMORIAL AUDITORIUM: The Wailin’ Jennys; 7:30 p.m., $42–$48. NCSU’S STEWART THEATRE: The Birdland All-Stars; 8 p.m., $9–$41.
Ken Vandermark’s Marker
A new Ken Vandermark ensemble is always a cause for celebration, and this one is a doozy. Vandermark has essentially created a free-jazz rock band, bringing RD RECORDS in a pair of guitarists (Andrew Clinkman and Steve holz; Marquette), keyboard and violin (Macie Stewart), and helle Cobley; drums (Phil Suddenberg). o Duo; 6 p.m. While the band has its moments of unbridled fury that call to mind groups like nefit 15; 8 Last Exit, it’s almost more interesting to hear them construct delicate mobiles or run through high-wire melodies. Vandermark’s compositions on their debut album Wired for Sound allow plenty of space for fire and contemplation, and his abiding love of a good, swinging riff. —Dan Ruccia [NEPTUNES PARLOUR, $10/9:30 P.M.] NIGHTLIGHT: Lady Fingers, Sponge Bath, Gallimaufry, KNLB; 10 p.m., $7–$8. POUR HOUSE: Groove Fetish, Jonathan Sales Fourchestra, Unaka Prong; 7 p.m., donations. THE RITZ: Nghtmre; 8 p.m. SHARP NINE GALLERY: Brandon Lee Sextet; 8 p.m., $10–$20. SLIM’S: Vacant Company, Horse Culture, Wailin Storms; 9 p.m., $5. UNITED CHURCH OF CHAPEL HILL: Sun-Stipe-Rice Piano Trio; 7:30 p.m., donations.
SUN, FEB 4 ARCANA: Dye Wells; 8 p.m. THE CAVE: Few Good Things, Worldsucks, Old Codger; 8 p.m., $5. CURRENT ARTSPACE + STUDIO: Paul Dresher Ensemble: Sound Maze; $10–$20. See page 26. DEEP SOUTH: Live & Loud Weekly; 9 p.m., $3.
NEPTUNES PARLOUR: Lola Pistola; 9:30 p.m., $8–$10. POUR HOUSE: School of Rock; noon, $5–$7. Radio Moscow, Amplified Heat, Demon Eye; 8 p.m., $15–$20. WEST END WINE BARDURHAM: Eric Meyer, Noah Sager & Friends; 4-6 p.m., free.
MON, FEB 5
CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Charlie Hunter Trio featuring Silvana Estrada; 7 p.m., $18–$20. CURRENT ARTSPACE + STUDIO: Paul Dresher Ensemble: Sound Maze; $10–$20. See page 26. IMBIBE: Grewen and Griffin; 7-10 p.m., free. MOTORCO: Flash Chorus; 7 p.m., $7–$10.
filigrees on his excellent 2016 record Paro—a weeping pedal steel here, some bowed piano there—these details come from careful observation, and are revealed upon careful listening as Bickford’s songs melt into fascinating shapes. Indeed, Bickford pulls off a rare trick, crafting music that’s immediate and affable but still holds its cards to its chest. Aurora Birch opens. —Patrick Wall [THE CAVE, $5/8 P.M.] IRREGARDLESS: Cole Koffi; 6:30 p.m.
The Temptations, The Four Tops
War on Women
Though legendary vocal groups The Temptations and The Four Tops are both immediately recognizable, the Motown icons are not what—or even who—they once were. With just one founding member remaining in each outfit—baritone Otis Williams and tenor Abdul “Duke” Fakir, respectively— the rest of the lineups are fleshed out by relatively recent additions whose tenures are more likely to be counted in years rather than decades. The trademark choreography is predictably toned down, too, but they’ve still got flashy outfits and fistfuls of familiar hits. The results are faint facsimiles of the original performances, despite ties that go back to the beginning. —Spencer Griffith [DURHAM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, $45–$175/7:30 P.M.] IRREGARDLESS: Mysti Mayhem; 6:30 p.m.
Brice Randall Bickford’s songs seem preoccupied with literal and philosophical motion: gravel crunches underneath feet and bus brakes screech, hair turns gray with age, alienation grows with distance. Like the
919-6-TEASER for directions and information
www.teasersmensclub.com 156 Ramseur St. Durham, NC
WED, FEB 7
TUE, FEB 6
Brice Randall Bickford
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SHARP NINE GALLERY: Triangle Jazz Orchestra; 8 p.m., $10.
RUBY DELUXE: DJ Lord Redbyrd; 10 p.m.
War on Women frontwoman Shawna Potter founded Hollaback! Baltimore, which is dedicated to curbing the scourge of street harassment. In War on Women, Potter and her bandmates have a much broader mission: speaking—or shouting, really—truth to power. The band’s punk- and hardcore blasts are explosive nuggets that push back against patriarchy, “pro-life” hypocrisy, and, yes, street harassment. If you’ve felt some combination of angry, frustrated, or overwhelmed lately, let War on Women offer some relief. —Allison Hussey [CAT’S CRADLE BACK ROOM, $10–$12/8 P.M.]
Member Admission Price
POUR HOUSE: Swimmer, The Snozzberries; 9 p.m., $6–$8.
BLUE NOTE GRILL: Marcia Ball Band; 8 p.m., $30–$35. CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Willie Watson, Anna Tivel; 8 p.m., $18–$20.
POUR HOUSE: Erin & the Wildfire, The Big Strong Amrs; 8:30 p.m., $7–$10.
Present this coupon for
LOCAL 506: The World, Inferno Friendship Society, Dollar Signs; 9 p.m., $15.
POUR HOUSE: Leaders of the Shift; 9 p.m., $8–$10. THE RITZ: Excision; 8:30 p.m.
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INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 31
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email calendar@indyweek.com (include the date, time, street address, contact info, cost, and a short description) OR enter it yourself at posting.indyweek.com/ indyweek/Events/AddEvent. DEADLINE: Wednesday 5 p.m. for the following Wednesday’s issue. Thanks!
OPENING
Matt Tomko: Feb 1-Mar 1. Artist at work on location Feb 19 and 24 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Bull City Art & Frame Co, Durham. bullcityartandframecompany. com. SPECIAL Transitivity: Group EVENT show. Reception: Fri, Feb 2, 6-9 p.m. Litmus Gallery, Raleigh. litmusgallery.com.
The 2018 Bettie Allison Rand Symposium in Art History | Taking Exception: Women, Gender, Representation in the Eighteenth Century: A symposium in honor of Mary D. Sheriff. In tandem with the Ackland Art Museum exhibition Becoming a Woman in the Age of Enlightenment: French Art from the Horvitz Collection. Feb 1-3. Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill. www.ackland.org. SPECIAL Acadia, The EVENT Badlands and Other National Parks: Photography of U.S. national parks. Feb 2-25. Reception: Sat, Feb 3, 2-4 p.m. Nature Art Gallery, Raleigh. naturalsciences.org. SPECIAL The Color Red: EVENT Fourteen N.C. artists. Reception: Fri, Feb 2, 6-9 p.m. Tipping Paint Gallery, Raleigh. tippingpaintgallery.com.
Jinxiu Alice Zhao: Chinese brush paintings. Feb 1-Apr 12. ERUUF Art Gallery, Durham. www.eruuf.org.
ONGOING America Wants: Photography by Owens Daniels. Thru Mar 8. Durham Arts Council, Durham. www.durhamarts.org. American Red Cross: Healing the Warrior’s Heart through Art: Thru Apr 1. NC Museum of History, Raleigh. ncmuseumofhistory.org.
Everything We’ve Ever Known: Immersive gallery installation and performance by Minneapolis artist Samantha Johns and N.C. State students. Fri, Feb 2, 6-10 p.m. NCSU Campus: The Crafts Center, Raleigh. www.ncsu.edu/crafts. SPECIAL Hope and EVENT Happiness: Abstract watercolors by Janie Johnson. Reception: Fri, Feb 2, 6-9:30 p.m. Local Color Gallery, Raleigh. localcoloraleigh.com. In Transit : Arts of Migration: Conversation on the artistic expressions and engagements of migrants around Europe with a group of artists, critics, and a Guggenheim curator. Thu, Feb 1, 5 p.m. Nasher Museum of Art, Durham. nasher.duke.edu. SPECIAL Peter Marín: EVENT Paintings. Feb 4-25. Reception: Sun, Feb 4, 2-4 p.m. Horace Williams House, Chapel Hill. chapelhillpreservation.com. SPECIAL Modern Japanese EVENT Shin-Hanga and Sosaku-Hanga Prints: Woodblock prints. Thru Mar 8. Reception: Fri, Feb 2, 6-9 p.m. Gallery C, Raleigh.galleryc.net. 32 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
Analog Art in a Digital World: Sculpture by Joe Coates. Thru Mar 10. Durham Art Guild, Durham. durhamartguild.org. LAST And Then the Sun CHANCE Swallowed Me: Black tape and video installation by Heather Gordon. Thru Feb 4. CAM Raleigh, Raleigh. www.camraleigh.org.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
BOB TROTMAN: BUSINESS AS USUAL This is big all around—the largest exhibit ever mounted of large-scale sculptures by a largelooming North Carolina artist. In Business as Usual, Bob Trotman delights the eye and dazzles the mind with satirical figures from the world of big business, wrought with a master craftsperson’s panache. Some of the works include motorized mechanisms that are triggered by motion sensors, implicating the viewer in the vast, mysterious whir of late capitalism, but even the stationary sculptures are so charged with life that you might think you glimpse them moving from the corner of your eye. After this opening reception, Trotman is in business until the first of July. —Brian Howe
Art to Live By: Paintings by Michael Banks. Thru Apr 22. Alexander Dickson House, Hillsborough. www.historichillsborough.org. LAST Black.: Documentary CHANCE photography by Evan Nicole Bell. Thru Feb 5. Duke Campus: Louise Jones Brown Gallery, Durham. duke.edu. C Note: Original work for $100. Paintings, sculpture, fabric, glass, clay, metal, wood, jewelry. Thru Feb 18. Hillsborough Gallery of Arts, Hillsborough. hillsboroughgallery.com.
FOR OUR COMPLETE COMMUNITY CALENDAR WWW.INDYWEEK.COM
Pedroza. Thru Mar 26. Durham Arts Council, Durham. www.durhamarts.org. Folk Art in the Library: Bailey Jack, Eric Legge, Irene Tison, Cher Shaffer, Michael Banks. Thru Feb 25. Orange County Main Library, Hillsborough. www.co.orange.nc.us/library. LAST Gutter Box: Ben CHANCE Alper: Photography. Thru Feb 1. Lump, Raleigh. www.lumpprojects.org. Light Cycles: Photography by JP Trostle. Thru Feb 17. Atomic Fern, Durham. atomicfern.com. Louis C. Tiffany: Art and Innovation from the Wester Collection: Stained glass windows, vases, lamps. Thru Mar 4. NC Museum of History, Raleigh. ncmuseumofhistory.org. MC Hues Iris Art Alumnae Exhibition: Thru Mar 11. Meredith College: GaddyHamrick Art Center, Raleigh. www.meredith.edu. Mike’s Attic: Partnership with Mike’s Art Truck. Self-taught artists. Thru Feb 28. Durham Technical Community College (Orange County Campus), Hillsborough. www.durhamtech. edu/orangecountycampus.htm. LAST More Than One CHANCE Story | Mas de una historia: Photography. Thru Feb 1. UNC Campus: Davis Library, Chapel Hill. www.lib.unc.edu. Paintings from the Estate of Wladimir de (Wlodzimierz) Terlikowski: Thru Feb 13. Gallery C, Raleigh. www.galleryc.net. Renzo Ortega: Paintings. Thru Feb 18. UNC Campus: Hanes Art Center, Chapel Hill. art.unc.edu. Packaging Space: Multimedia installation. Thru Feb 10. The Scrap Exchange, Durham. www.scrapexchange.org.
GREGG MUSEUM OF ART & DESIGN, RALEIGH | 6 p.m., free, www.gregg.arts.ncsu.edu
Austin Caskie: Artspace satellite exhibition. 3-D models. Thru Mar 31. HQ Raleigh.
Painted Medicine: A Ceremony of Color: Ashley Spero. Thru Apr 12. Durham Convention Center, Durham. durhamconventioncenter.com.
Bob Trotman: “Fountain”
Colors of Latin America: Paintings by Yholima Vargas-
Patchwork Market: Monthly market with local makers and
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GREGG MUSEUM OF ART & DESIGN
vintage vendors. Sat, Feb 3, noon-4 p.m. Fullsteam, Durham. www.fullsteam.ag. Raleigh Makers Market: First Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Benelux Cafe, Raleigh. www.raleighmakersmarket.com. SPECIAL Re(f)use: Triangle EVENT Book Arts Group. Thru Mar 3. Reception: Fri, Feb 2, 6-10 p.m. Artspace, Raleigh. www.artspacenc.org. RESOLUTE: Mixed media paintings by Antuco Chicaiza. Thru Mar 8. Durham Arts Council, Durham. www.durhamarts.org. Sentience: Paintings and drawings by Adam Cohen. Thru May 25. National Humanities Center, Durham. nationalhumanitiescenter.org. The Shape of Fashion: Dress trends from the 1800s to the 1900s. Thru May 6. NC Museum of History, Raleigh. www.ncmuseumofhistory.org.
Step Right Up: Sculpture by Patrick Dougherty. Thru Aug 31. Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill. www.ackland.org. The SuperNatural: We’ve lost sight of the seams, once considered inviolable, between nature, technology, and commerce. The SuperNatural explores how we see and shape the contours of our planet as the physical refuse of the industrial age shades into the digital refuse of the present. The show includes a generative digital video by Tabor Robak, a virtual reality installation by Jakob Kudsk Steensen, and photos by Lars Jan, among many others. Brooklyn artist Chris Doyle created “Dreams of Infinite Luster,” a digital animation. In it, “All the elements are rendered in gold, the color of lucre—the product, engine, and goal of capitalism.” Is a luxury hotel an odd site for post-
capitalist critique? Sure. But, as we’ve said, what seams? Thru Jul 1. 21c Museum Hotel, Durham. www.21cmuseumhotels.com/ durham. —Brian Howe LAST Test of Faith: Signs, CHANCE Serpents, Salvation: Photographs by Lauren Pond. Thru Feb 4. Duke Campus: Rubenstein Library, Durham. Michael Weitzman, Bob Dunham, John Parsons: Photography and oil paintings. Thru Feb 11. Halle Cultural Arts Center, Apex. www.thehalle.org. The Woman Who Made Snow: Photography by Anna Exum Snow. Thru Mar 31. Durham History Hub, Durham. museumofdurhamhistory.org.
This painting and others by Peter Marín are on view at Horace Williams House in Chapel Hill through Feb. 25. PHOTO COURTESY OF PRESERVATION CHAPEL HILL
Youth in Focus: Photographic quilts by the Corner Teen Center. Thru May 15. Carrboro Branch Library, Carrboro. www.co.orange.nc.us/library/ carrboro.
INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 33
page
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7
COLSON WHITEHEAD
deep dive EAT • DRINK • SHOP • PLAY
The INDY’s monthly neighborhood guide to all things Triangle
Coming February 21:
Downtown Raleigh For advertising opportunities, contact your ad rep or advertising@indyweek.com 34 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
“Carefully built and stunningly daring; it is also, both in expected and unexpected ways, dense, substantial and important.” So said The New York Times of The Underground Railroad, the most recent novel by Colson Whitehead, one of the nation’s most versatile authors. After putting his stamp on dystopian fiction, folklore, zombie horror, coming-of-age fiction, and more, he ventured an alternate history where the Underground Railroad was an actual subway, fusing the restive history of American slavery with the present through which it still reverberates. Whitehead is the 2017 Weaver Memorial Lecturer at Duke University; copies of his book will be on sale at the event. —Brian Howe
PAGE AUDITORIUM, DURHAM
6 p.m., free, www.english.duke.edu
READINGS & SIGNINGS
Tue, Feb 6, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. regulatorbookshop.com.
All Poets: Tue, Feb 6, 8 p.m. Arcana, Durham. www.arcanadurham.com.
Christina Baker Kline: A Piece of the World. In conversation with Therese Anne Fowler. Sun, Feb 4, 1 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. regulatorbookshop.com.
Crazy Love: Barbara Claypole White and friends. Wed, Feb 7, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. regulatorbookshop.com. Dorje Dolma: Yak Girl: Growing Up in the Remote Dolpo Region of Nepal.
Arnie “Tokyo” Rosenthal: Our Last Seder. Wed, Feb 7, 7 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill. www.flyleafbooks.com.
Colson Whitehead
PHOTO BY MADELINE WHITEHEAD
food Picnic Two-Year Birthday Party Pig Pickin and Oyster Roast: Food and beer specials, free birthday cake. With music by Counterclockwise String Band. Free-$22. Sat, Feb 3, noon-4 p.m. PICNIC, Durham. www.picnicdurham.com. Pies & Pints: Savory pot pies and beers from California brewery Laguanitas. Thu, Feb 1, 5-9 p.m. The Pie Hole, Durham. Spanish Language Lunch: Lunch where participants are encouraged to speak only in a foreign language. Featuring Cristina Carrasco, Teaching Associate Professor of Spanish. $20. Wed, Feb 7, noon-1:30 p.m. The Weathervane at Southern Season, Chapel Hill. www.southernseason.com/ weathervane. Winesday: Linger Long on Love Street: Early Valentine’s day wine tasting. Free. Wed, Feb 7, 5-7 p.m. Durham Co-op Market, Durham. durham.coop.
screen
? y d n i e h t e v o L
us... t r o p p u s o esses wh in s u b e h t Support
Private Violence PHOTO BY REX MILLER THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1
PRIVATE VIOLENCE One of the worst, most under-addressed ills of American society is pervasive domestic violence. In her 2014 documentary, Private Violence, filmmaker Cynthia Hill follows two survivors: Deanna, whose husband evaded punishment after kidnapping and nearly killing her; and Kit Gruelle, who became an advocate for others whose lives have been shattered by domestic violence. The documentary examines the direct cruelty of the epidemic and the latent brutality of a criminal justice system that discredits survivors who must recount their worst traumas to unsympathetic prosecutors, police, and judges. —Allison Hussey
CULTURE MILL LAB, SAXAPAHAW | 7 p.m., $5 suggested donation, www.culturemill.org
SPECIAL SHOWINGS
fantasy has one of Pixar’s richest worlds and weakest stories. Rated PG.
Motion for Pictures Screening Series: Jar of Bees, Whispers Among Wolves, Fish, Proximity, more. $5. First Wednesdays, 7-9:30 p.m. The Cary Theater, Cary. www.thecarytheater.com.
½ Darkest Hour—This Churchill biopic is bright and slight, but Gary Oldman turns in a tour de force performance as the UK’s iconic wartime prime minister. Rated PG-13.
OPENING
I, Tonya—This kinetic, sympathetic biopic of a disgraced figure skater borrows liberally from Scorsese. Rated R.
Winchester—Helen Mirren stars in this supernatural horror film about the widow of a gun manufacturer who suspects that the spirts tormenting her were killed by firearms. Rated PG-13.
N OW P L AY I N G The INDY uses a five-star rating scale. Read reviews of these films at indyweek.com. ½ Call Me By Your Name—If you can accept how walled off from the larger context of LGBTQ history it is, then this love story is nearly perfect. Rated R. Coco—This Day of the Dead-themed animated
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle—You’d need an awful lot of nineties nostalgia to see this reboot as anything but a utterly generic jungle adventure. Rated PG-13. ½ Justice League— Uneven but much better than Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, this collision of Zack Snyder’s bombast and Joss Whedon’s wit actually kind of works. Rated PG-13. Lady Bird—Greta Gerwig’s nostalgic coming-ofage debut as a writer-director is winning and alert to class but falters on race. Rated R.
Molly’s Game—You either dig Aaron Sorkin’s talkative style or you don’t, and he really lets it rip in this directorial debut about the high-stakes world of L.A.’s underground poker scene. Rated R. ½ The Post— Spielberg’s film about The Washington Post and the Pentagon Papers is a filmmaking master class and an ode to the free press. Rated PG-13. The Shape of Water— For better and worse, Guillermo del Toro’s fable of the love between a mute janitor and a strange undersea creature is like a children’s book for adults, beautiful but morally simplistic. Rated R. ½ Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri— Maybe the Coen brothers could have pulled it off, but Martin McDonagh has tonal problems with the weighty themes and discordant plot of this vengeful-mother tale. Rated R.
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stage THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1–SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 3
ANTONY HAMILTON & ALISDAIR MACINDOE: MEETING If current trends in technology hold, everyone better get used to doing stuff with robots. We could think of much worse ways to get started than to attend this rare American performance of an Australian sensation in which choreographer Antony Hamilton and sound artist/dancer Alisdair Macindoe contrive a performance for two dancers and sixty-four tiny, pencil-tapping automatons. Their algorithmic pitter-patter forms an improvised score, impatiently commanding the humans to get moving. Modern and hip-hop dance collide in a show that makes machines seem strangely human, and vice versa. —Brian Howe
VON DER HEYDEN STUDIO THEATER, DURHAM 8 p.m., $10–$28, www.dukeperformances.com
MEETING PHOTO COURTESY OF DUKE PERFORMANCES
OPENING The Christians: By Lucas Hnath. $15+. Feb 1-Mar 10. PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill. www.playmakersrep.org. See p. 27. Moliere’s Tartuffe: Adapted by David Ball. $15+. Feb 3-Mar 11. PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill. playmakersrep.org. See p. 27.
ONGOING An Act of God: Play scripts can come from any number of sources, including novels, biographies, and films. But An Act of God, whose two New York runs starred Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory) and Sean Hayes (Will and Grace), was adapted from a Twitter account. Former The Daily Show with Jon Stewart head writer 36 | 1.31.18 | INDYweek.com
David Javerbaum started the @TheTweetofGod account in 2010 to satirize religion, politics, and pop culture. (A sample post suggests the flavor: “Every day a billion people call My name seeking help and a billion more call it seeking orgasm. I don’t know which is more awkward.”) After gaining more than two million followers and generating a best-selling book, Broadway was the obvious next step, in a show where the fabled First Source sets the record straight and settles a few scores in the process. Stage veteran Bunny Safron directs this Actors Comedy Lab/NRACT co-production starring Alison Lawrence, Tom Barbieri, and Chris Maxwell as the Almighty. $17-$20. Thru Feb 11. North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre, Raleigh. www.nract.org. —Byron Woods
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Wed, Jan 31, 7:30 p.m. UNC Campus: Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill. Anything Goes Late Show: Saturdays, 10:30 p.m. Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh. goodnightscomedy.com. LAST ½ Buy My CHANCE Soul and Call It Art: Reviewed on p. 25. Pay what you want. Thru Feb 4. Living Arts Collective, Durham. www.livingartscollective.com. Eyes Up Here Comedy Showcase: Comedy by local women. $5. First Wednesdays, 8-10:30 p.m. Neptunes Parlour, Raleigh. neptunesparlour.com. The Harry Show: Ages 18+. Improv host leads potentially risque games with audience volunteers. $10. Fridays, 10 p.m. & Saturdays, 10 p.m.
ComedyWorx, Raleigh. www.comedyworx.com. Hush Hush: Audience confession comedy show. Wednesdays, 8-p.m. Thru Apr 25. Fullsteam, Durham. thisismettlesome.com. LAST Les Miserables: CHANCE Musical. Thru Feb 4. Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham. dpacnc.com. The Master Builder: By Little Green Pig Theatrical Concern. Review by Brian Howe at www.indyweek.com. Thru Feb 3. Mystery Brewing Company, Hillsborough. www.mysterybrewing.com. ½ The Miraculous and the Mundane: Reviewed on p. 25. $5-$20. Thru Feb 3. Manbites Dog Theater, Durham. www.manbitesdogtheater.org. LAST The CHANCE Normal Heart: Larry Kramer’s searing 1985 drama is
an autobiographical look back in anger at the dawn of the AIDS crisis from one of its epicenters: the thriving gay culture in New York City. When the HIV retrovirus tore through Manhattan during the early 1980s, its progress was largely unhindered because of homophobic neglect from the mass media and government leaders, disorganization and inadequate funding among medical researchers, and divisive politics within the gay community itself. The Normal Heart defines Kramer’s unenviable position as a Cassandra figure: an outspoken activist whose dire warnings that the disease was being sexually transmitted were frequently dismissed after an earlier satirical novel of his critiqued the promiscuity of the gay community. Under Emily Ranii’s lucid direction, authoritative
performances by Marc Geller as Kramer’s character, Ned, and Julie Oliver as the blunt Dr. Brookner, a physician on the front lines of the epidemic, redeem the opening’s thin expositional scripting and plunge us into a waking nightmare. As too few people tackle an accelerating catastrophe, we watch Mickey, a city health department worker and freelance journalist, crack under the pressure in a riveting, careerbest performance by Michael Babbitt. If the past goes unremembered, it doesn’t matter if gay history extends back to the philosophers of ancient Greece. Kramer must remind us: what we forget still makes us most vulnerable. $15$25. Thru Feb 4. Burning Coal Theatre at the Murphey School, Raleigh. www.burningcoal.org. —Byron Woods
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crossword
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1.31.18
solution to last week’s puzzle
# 43 www.sudoku.com 6 5 2 1 7 4 8 9 3 9 1 8 |5INDYweek.com 6 3 4 7 2 38 | 1.31.18 3 4 7 9 8 2 1 6 5 4 3 6 2 1 5 7 8 9 1 8 9 4 3 7 5 2 6 2 7 5 6 9 8 3 1 4
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CLASSY AT INDYWEEK DOT COM 30/10/2005
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last week's puzzle
YOUR WEEK. EVERY WEDNESDAY. MUSIC•NEWS•ARTS•FOOD INDYWEEK.COM Book your ad • Email kim: classy@indywEEk.com
INDYweek.com | 1.31.18 | 39
SINGLE? LOOKING FOR LOVE? Frustrated with Online Dating? Give Love Another Chance! Guaranteed Compatible Matches. Visit www.christiancompatibles.com or Call (919) 576-9385
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Weekly deadline 4pm Monday • classy@indyweek.com
PROFESSIONAL SINGING & CAREER INVIGORATING SPEAKING LAURECEWESTSTUDIOS.COM DANCE CLASSES IN SWING, LINDY, BLUES, TAI CHI At ERUUF, Durham & ArtsCenter, Carrboro. RICHARD BADU, 919-724-1421, rbadudance@gmail.com
CELEBRATE VALENTINE’S DAY
at a romantic seven-course gourmet chocolate tasting event. For details go to Facebook specialtreatschapelhill.
BEGINNING ZEN PRACTICE
Chapel Hill Zen Center with David Guy. Monday evenings, 7:30-9. 6 weeks, February 12th to March 19th. $60. Scholarships available. 919-641-9277 davidguy@mindspring.com www.davidguy.org
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The INDY’s monthly neighborhood guide to all things Triangle
Coming February 21:
Downtown Raleigh
For advertising opportunities, contact your ad rep or advertising@indyweek.com
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STEVEN & JOSIE WANT TO ADOPT Expenses Paid.
Call Josie: 1.800.717.8753 Anytime. We are certified and approved to adopt. Preplacement Assessment was completed by Lori Kling, LSMSW of Adoption Options in June 2016.
THOUSANDS OF EYES ON YOUR AD EVERY WEEK
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EMAIL KIM! CLASSY (AT) INDYWEEK (DOT) COM