YES! Weekly - January 18, 2023

4 SIX HUNDRED DEGREES opened last March, ... It already ranks high on my list of the Triad’s best, delivering creations that seem familiar at first glance, but reveal themselves as unique upon further inquiry.

6 This year marks the 70th birthday of Roman Holiday (1953), the classic romantic comedy that earned AUDREY HEPBURN an Academy Award for Best Actress and launched her to super-stardom.

8 The truth is, nationwide over 60,000 CHILDREN ARE INJURED each year in motor vehicle accidents, and that includes over 600 fatalities. Here in North Carolina, car crashes are the leading cause of unintentional death for children.

8 NATASHA YVETTE JONES WALKER was funeralized on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 1 p.m. at St. Thomas Chapel

Pentecostal Holiness Church before being laid to rest at St. Thomas Chapel Cemetery.

9 The latest Blumhouse blockbuster, M3GAN, follows the formula with entertaining results. Directed by Gerard Johnstone, it’s an enjoyable (if lightweight) yarn that provides thrills and spills in equal measure.

14 Sarah Mann and Paul Creely, who discovered and fell in love with AIR HOCKEY at the Raleigh Boxcar location, have formed the nonprofit North Carolina Air Hockey Foundation to promote the sport across the Triangle, Triad, and state.

16 THEM PANTS, a rock n roll outfit based out of Winston-Salem has released its debut album, “Jeffership Starplane,” and will coast into its release show at Gas Hill Drinking Room on January 28.

A sheboro native Laura Ashley Mo tt has quickly established herself as one of North Carolina’s most demanded speed artists.

NCDOT IN COORDINATION WITH THE TOWN OF MATTHEWS TO HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND GREYLOCK RIDGE ROAD FROM EAST JOHN STREET TO TANK TOWN ROAD IN THE TOWN OF MATHEWS

STIP Project No. HL-0025

MATTHEWS - The N.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting in coordination with the Town of Matthews to discuss the proposal to extend Greylock Ridge Road from East John Street to Tank Town Road in the Town of Matthews.

The project also proposes a 10-foot multi-use path along the south side of the Greylock Ridge Road Extension and a 5-foot sidewalk along the north side. The purpose of this project is to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists along the corridor.

The information will be presented at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions with engineers. No formal presentation will be provided.

The meeting will be held Jan. 26 at Matthews Town Hall, 232 Matthews Station Street The public is invited to attend at any time between 5 - 7 p.m

People may submit comments by phone or email at the address shown below by Feb. 13, 2023.

By Mail: Terry Burleson

NCDOT Highway Division 10 Phone: 704-983-4400 Email: ext-twburleson@ncdot.gov 716 West Main Street Albemarle, N.C. 28001

NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled people who wish to participate in this meeting. Anyone requiring special services should contact Tony Gallagher, Environmental Analysis Unit, at 1598 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1598, 919-707-6069 or magallagher@ncdot.gov as early as possible so arrangements can be made.

Those who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior by calling 1-800-481-6494.

Aquellas personas no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan llamando al 1-800-481-6494.

Chow Down with John Batchelor at Six Hundred Degrees

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

Winston-Salem has always had a vibrant downtown.

It is getting steadily better, as industrial sites on the fringes are redeveloped and repurposed as condos/apartments, retail shops, and, of course, restaurants.

Six Hundred Degrees opened last March, in the old Bailey South building, formerly the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company power plant, in the neighborhood now called Innovation Quarter. The category is certainly appropriate for this establishment. It already ranks high on my list of the Triad’s best, delivering creations that seem familiar at first glance, but reveal themselves as unique upon further inquiry.

Three partners own the restaurant.

Travis Myers is a CIA graduate, formerly chef at Willow’s Bistro and River Birch Lodge. The North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association named him Chef of the Year in 2018. Allan Coats owned Davie Tavern in Mocksville. The two met over a meal there. Ryan Oberle is also General Manager.

I would term the look industrial-chique. There’s a lot of exposed concrete. A glassed-in section houses wines. Tables are well separated. Seating at a long “food bar” allows a direct view into the open/glassed kitchen, where I enjoyed watching the culinary team work.

Dustin Tise drew special attention as he operated a large wood-burning grill, the source of the restaurant’s name. Wood turns to ash and coals at six hundred degrees Celsius. Tise monitors doneness most frequently by look and feel, but when cooking the Joyce Farms Bone-In Ribeye, I noticed him inserting a meat thermometer to ensure precision.

That’s a commendable practice. It probably also reflects a desire on the part of management to avoid returns of a $120 entrée. That number is not a misprint, and I confess that I have never seen its equivalent even in New York, Rome, or Paris. Whether it’s worth the cost is a matter of individual judgment, but I can tell you this is a truly exceptional cut of meat large enough to share, beautifully crusted, subtly redolent of wood smoke, tender and juicy inside, emitting exceptional depth of flavor.

Two menu sections, “For the Table” and “Small Plates,” list smaller courses. Pull Apart Rolls are actually a small loaf

of yeasty bread, augmented with thyme butter on the evening my party ordered it. Burnt Ends are thick slices of pork belly, leaner than usual (a good thing), but with enough fat to help convey hearty bacon flavor.

Shrimp and Grits deliver rich flavor from creamy texture, hosting deveined, tender jumbos, slices of andouille sausage, spinach, and tomatoes one of the better renditions of this perennial favorite.

Seared Ahi Tuna is obviously sushi grade, no white gristle evident, presented in a spicy, Thai-influenced sweet chili garlic sauce, decorated with pea shoots and sliced red onions.

Salads earn praise for appearance as well as flavor. The House is based on mixed leaf lettuces, plus sliced tart apples

and sugar-coated almonds, with hearth onions, all lightly tossed in a sherry vinaigrette. Little Gem provides a whole head, base removed, leaves spread, sprinkled with shiitake mushrooms, thinly shredded celery, and finely grated Parmesan cheese, dressed in buttermilk Caesar.

Returning to entrées, more game appears on this menu than usual among Triad restaurants. Venison is inherently very lean, which often leads to lesser flavor and a more firm texture than desirable. But my serving here, cooked in a cast iron pan, provided solid flavor, and it was quite tender, well-served by accompaniments of garlicky wilted kale, sweet potatoes, and cubed sunchokes. Bison can su er a similar too-lean fate, but here, the short ribs version is tender and richly

flavored,

confit onions.

Seafoods are appropriately represented among the entrées. I really liked my serving of Trout, sourced from a North Carolina mountain farm and decorated with trout eggs, presented over Carolina caviar blackeye peas and corn. King Crab Legs are huge- they hang over the sides of the plate simple, steamy-hot, otherwise unadorned. Everyone at our position thought the accompanying aioli was excessively salty.

Several vegetables are o ered as additional sides. The French fries should not be missed. Fresh-cut, skin-on, they are crisp and eminently tasty, blessed with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

joined on the plate by broccolini, sunchokes, sliced potatoes, and

Shrimp and Grits

House Salad

Pull Apart Rolls

Bone In Ribeye

Lemon Tart

Desserts emerge from the mind of pastry chef Sue Peel. A Lemon Tart is sharp-sweet, partially covered by a baked meringue. Tasty and lovely to boot!

Todd Allan Martin, Chef de Cuisine, completes the culinary team.

I look forward to trying more of the vegetables and desserts on future visits, and I’m looking forward to some new entrées, too. This place is downright vibrant. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

Audrey and Billie — both on the big screen

This year marks the 70th birthday of Roman Holiday (1953), the classic romantic comedy that earned Audrey Hepburn an Academy Award for Best Actress and launched her to super-stardom. Now, Fathom Events has teamed with Paramount Pictures to bring the film back to theaters this month. Of the hundreds of theaters nationwide offering this special presentation, two are located right here in the Piedmont Triad: The Regal Greensboro Grande Stadium 16, 3205 Northline Ave., Greensboro, and the Regal Palladium Stadium 14, 5830 Samet Drive, High Point.

Roman Holiday will be presented in both theaters at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. this Sunday (January 22) and 7 p.m. next Wednesday (January 25). Tickets are $13.34 (general admission) and $10.68 (children under 12) and can be purchased here: https://www.fathomevents. com/. The film will be preceded by an introduction from noted film historian and critic Leonard Maltin, who will discuss behind-the-scenes tidbits about the making of Roman Holiday

In her first starring role, Hepburn plays Ann, a wistful and restless young princess on a European tour. Exhausted by the breakneck schedule, she impetuously and surreptitiously slips out of her country’s embassy to tour the city of Rome on her own, unencumbered by security or paparazzi.

Princess Ann encounters Joe Bradley, an easy-going correspondent for an American news service who doesn’t initially recognize her, and a tentative relationship begins, amid the architectural and cultural splendor of Rome. When he realizes who his potential paramour really is, he initially envisions a big scoop, only to realize that his feelings for her are genuine. Adding to the fun is Eddie Albert as Joe’s best bud, the wisecracking shutterbug Irving Radovich.

Peck, an established star by this point, was initially promised solo billing above the title, but was so impressed by Hepburn’s performance that he requested Paramount to give the actress equal billing, a gesture that speaks volumes about the integrity of Gregory Peck.

In addition to Hepburn’s win for Best Actress, Roman Holiday also won Oscars for Best Costume Design (Edith Head) and, somewhat more controversially, Best Story. Although the credited writer was Ian McLellan Hunter, the actual writer was Dalton Trumbo, who had been blacklisted. Ironically, the very same thing happened three years later when Trumbo’s story for The Brave One (1956) won the Oscar in the same category under the pseudonym “Robert Rich.” It wasn’t until two decades later that Trumbo would receive his rightful due.

Roman Holiday was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor (Albert), Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography (black-and-white), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (black-and-white), and Best Editing.

The official Fathom Events website is https://www. fathomevents.com/.

For one night only — Friday, January 27 — Trafalgar Releasing will present the concert film Billie Eilish Live at the O2 (extended cut) in theaters around the world, including three right here in the Piedmont Triad: The Grand 18, 5601 University Parkway, Winston-Salem (7 p.m.); the Regal Greensboro Grande Stadium 16, 3205 Northline Ave., Greensboro (7 p.m. and 7:05 p.m.); and the Regal Palladium Stadium 14, 5830 Samet Drive, High Point (7 p.m.).

Tickets for The Grand 18 screening are $19.27. Tickets for the Regal Greensboro Grande and Regal Palladium screenings are $13.34, and tickets can be purchased at https://www.billieattheo2.com/home/.

Director Sam Wrench, who helmed Billie Eilish the World s A Little Blurry (2021), employed 20 full-censor cameras with cinematic glass to capture every moment of Eilish’s concert at the O2 in London, as part of her record-breaking “Happier Than Ever, The World Tour.” It was originally livestreamed as part of the Apple Music Live series and earned a nomination as Best Music Film

for the upcoming Grammy Awards. This extended version includes six previously unreleased performances that have been incorporated into this exclusive screening event.

During the concert, the Grammy- and Oscar-winning Eilish belts out such chart-topping fan favorites as “Your Power,” “bad guy,” “Therefore I Am,” “bury a friend,” “my future,” “everything i wanted,” and, of course, “Happier Than Ever.” The film also captures more intimate moments as Eilish interacts with audience members.

A mere 21 years old, Billie Eilish has emerged as one of the 21st century’s biggest music superstars. She was the youngest artist to sweep the Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 62nd Grammy Awards, and the youngest artist to write and record a James Bond theme song, “No Time to Die,” which earned her an Academy Award. Eilish is currently in the midst of a sold-out world tour.

For more information, visit https://www.billieattheo2.com/home/. !

See MARK BURGER ’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

Mark Burger

Contributor

BY JULIANA REYES

Bookmarks is excited to host 23 authors in Winston-Salem for their 11th Annual Movable Feast Weekend on Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5, 2023. Both days at Reynolds Place Theatre in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts will be filled with book readings, book signings, and conversations with authors. This event is presented in support from Salemtowne.

The weekend starts with an author showcase on Saturday night where attendees will hear from all the Movable Feast authors. The authors are personally introduced and given two minutes to read one to two carefully selected paragraphs from their most recent book. Following the event, there will be a wine reception for attendees to meet authors and have their books signed and/or personalized. Wine will be provided by Ra aldini Vineyards. Tickets for this event are $47 (plus tax & fees) per person.

Sunday afternoon is the traditional Movable Feast where each author visits ten tables for ten minutes each — think speed dating with authors! Each table will hear from a total of 10 di erent authors. Halfway through the author rotations, we will have a 30-minute beverage reception. There will be a booksigning following the event for attendees to have books signed and personalized. Individual tickets for this event are $60 (plus tax & fees). Table tickets for this event are $425 (plus tax & fees); each table seats eight.

The following is a list of the authors who will appear at the Movable Feast Weekend: Kimberly Belle, Kimberly Brock, Kristen Mei Chase, Johnny Compton, Ann Dávila Cardinal, Mazey Eddings, Scott Gates, Silas House, Timothy Janovsky, Pam Jeno , Lauren Kung Jessen, Jennifer McGaha, Jamila Minnicks, Wanda M. Morris, Adele Myers, Robin W. Pearson, Mark Powell, Mat-

thew

In addition to Salemtowne, this event is sponsored by Nova Triad Homes, Insider the Writer’s Studio Podcast, Z. Smith Reynolds Library, Ra aldini Vineyards, and Read Forever. Get tickets today and learn more about the featured authors at www. bookmarknc.org/MovableFeast2023.

Bookmarks is a literary arts non-profit that cultivates community by bringing people of all ages together with books and authors who educate, inspire, challenge, and entertain. For eighteen years, Bookmarks has hosted the largest annual Festival of Books & Authors, outreach into schools and community, year-round events for all ages, and opportunities to connect through the power of story. Bookmarks is located at 634 West Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem. Visit bookmarksnc.org for more information.

ARTS COUNCIL is the chief advocate of the arts and cultural sector in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Our goal is to serve as a leader in lifting up, creating awareness and providing support to grow and sustain artistic, cultural and creative o erings throughout our region We acknowledge that it takes every voice, every talent, and every story to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Arts Council is committed to serving as a facilitator, organizer, and promoter of conversations that are authentic, inclusive, and forward-thinking. There are over 800,000 art experiences taking place in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County annually. To learn more about upcoming arts and culture events happening in our community please visit www.cityofthearts.com.

Quick, Eden Robins, Saket Soni, Goldie Taylor, E.M. Tran, and Nicole Zelniker.

Children Dying from Lack of “Restraint”

ORandleman Road. His 4-year-old niece was killed. She was not wearing any kind of restraint.

Longworth Longworth at Large

n November 14 of last year, a Texas woman loaded her four children into the car and went for a drive. The children ranged in age from 8 months to 6 years. None were wearing seat belts and the baby was not in a car seat. Suddenly one of the unlocked doors flew open, hurling the 8-month-old infant onto the highway where he was struck and killed by oncoming tra c.

A similar incident occurred last month in Kentucky where a Mom crashed the car, killing her 8-year-old child and injuring an 11-year-old. Neither of the kids were wearing seat belts.

And, that same day, a Greensboro man ran a red light on Freeman Mill Road and crashed into a car that was turning onto

I wish I could say these three tragic incidents were isolated and rare, but I can’t. The truth is, nationwide over 60,000 children are injured each year in motor vehicle accidents, and that includes over 600 fatalities. Here in North Carolina, car crashes are the leading cause of unintentional death for children. Even more tragic is that most of these deaths could have been prevented. According to the North Carolina Department of Insurance, nine out of 10 children are unrestrained when riding in a vehicle. Given that statistic, one would think that child restraints are optional. Just the opposite. In fact, child safety seats are required in all 50 states. But even if a parent wasn’t aware of the law, wouldn’t common sense prevail? Parents are instinctively supposed to protect their children. They shouldn’t have to be told by the National Highway Tra c Safety Administration that car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71% for infants, and by 54% for toddlers (ages 1 to 4).

It shouldn’t take the death of a child to make someone a more aware and more responsible parent. We also shouldn’t let negligent parents o with just a slap on the wrist, and that brings me to enforcement.

Just as penalties for drunk drivers vary from state to state and county to county, so too do punishments for parents who endanger their children by not having their toddlers secured in car seats and their children buckled up in seat belts. Fines are often left to the discretion of local judges and are dependent upon a variety of circumstances.

Following the Freeman Mill road crash, for example, the Greensboro News & Record reported that police o cials issued a public reminder about car restraint laws, which include that children younger than 8 years old and who weigh less than 80 pounds must be properly secured in a child restraint or booster seat. Children younger than 5 years old and less than 40 pounds must be in the rear seat. And, when a child reaches age 8 regardless of weight or weighs 80 pounds, he must wear a seat belt. Yet parents who violate

these regulations will probably only have 2 points added to their driving record and pay a fine of less than $250. The exception is if a child dies as a result of the violation, in which case prosecutors could charge the parent with endangerment. But even that crime has no strictly prescribed penalty and could result in a sentence of as little as six months in jail. Meanwhile, a parent who is drunk while driving, and crashes their car resulting in the death of a child might only serve seven days behind bars.

Clearly what we need is for Congress to enact legislation that would make it a federal crime to cause the death of a child due to lack of a proper restraining device. That might not prevent some parents from breaking the law, but the severe penalties that it would carry might make others think twice about refusing to put their toddler in a car seat before pulling out of the driveway. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).

A King, Queen and their Legacies

This past weekend we celebrated the life and legacy of Civil Rights Icon Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Dr. King is known as one of America’s greatest nonviolence advocates and a true community servant.

It would seem only right that someone committed to serving her community and anyone else in need would be placed to rest that weekend.

Natasha Yvette Jones Walker was funeralized on Saturday, January 14, 2023, at 1 p.m. at St. Thomas Chapel Pentecostal Holiness Church before being laid to rest at St. Thomas Chapel Cemetery. There were hundreds of family, friends, and community in attendance in yellow, a hue as vibrant as Walker’s personality.

The 2009 Eastern Guilford High graduate made a name for herself as an entrepreneur, founding and operating Natasha Credit Services. “On this platform, she thrived and found her purpose. By being a tax professional consultant, Natasha brought great joy and positivity to her community. She truly enjoyed investing in her clients’ future - Making the impossible, become possible,” reads her obituary.

A self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur, Walker was a member of the Margaret Clinard Outreach Foundation, Co-Owner of Creative Space NC, and Co-founder of Hustle in Heels.

The 32-year-old wife and mother of two found the most success in this space. She networked throughout the Triad and on all social media platforms. This is where I first became aware of her. She was always clapping for others and celebrating success. She didn’t have to know you personally but she was genuinely happy to

see you win. It’s hard to find people like that.

She was constantly in service. A helping hand for anything that you may need her to do. Especially if she believed in the cause or if she simply believed it would benefit the quality of her community. If she wasn’t collecting toys for a toy drive, it was collecting school supplies for a school drive. If it wasn’t a drive then she was helping a family in need.

Which is what she died doing.

It has been reported by FOX 8 WGHP that Walker was attempting to help a victim of domestic violence when she was shot in her car near the intersection of Cridland Road and Wendover Avenue on New Year’s Day by Vashon Sigler.

While her husband, Jesse, their children, family, and friends will miss Walker, it’s fair to say that Greensboro will also miss her and her legacy.

She was a true gem to the community.

Like King, I hope we keep Walker’s drive to serve at the forefront of our minds. We can do this by doing what is best for our communities, stepping in when needed, and celebrating others. !

CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.

Jim

Chanel Davis

Editor

n its two-decade history, Blumhouse Productions has certainly done its part to bring horror and science fiction to the forefront. The company, founded by producer Jason Blum, has a knack for knowing its audience, be it the Paranormal Activity, Insidious, and The Purge franchises, resurrecting the Halloween series, or launching Jordan Peele (Get Out, Us, Nope) into the stratosphere.

By and large, these films don’t necessarily reinvent the genre, but at their best they upgrade it. They’re polished and professional, made by people with a genuine a ection for the genre. They may wink at the trappings, but there’s never a whi of condescension.

The latest Blumhouse blockbuster, M3GAN, follows the formula with entertaining results. Directed by Gerard Johnstone, it’s an enjoyable (if lightweight) yarn that provides thrills and spills in equal measure. The film was trimmed to achieve a more box-o ce-friendly PG-13 rating, but it’s a foregone conclusion that the home-video release will restore those nastier bits.

Allison Williams plays Gemma, a bril-

Iliant techno-wiz who unexpectedly finds herself caring for her young niece Cady (Violet McGraw), recently orphaned in a catastrophic car accident. Gemma is not particularly equipped to cater to Cady’s emotional needs, so she does the next best thing: She invents a lifelike android to be Cady’s friend and protector.

She/it is a Model 3 Generative Android, or M3GAN for short, and she’s a technological marvel. Gemma’s boss (Ronny Chieng) immediately sees dollar signs, but more importantly, Cady genuinely bonds with M3GAN. M3GAN helps Cady cope with her grief, is handy around the house, and takes the programming to protect Cady very seriously. M3GAN is too good to be true. Guess why?

The audience is way ahead of her, but it’s only a matter of time before Gemma realizes that M3GAN is a lethal little monster. Cranky neighbor Celia (Lori Dungey) and her aggressive dog aren’t long for the neighborhood (to say the least), and little bully Brandon (newcomer Jack Cassidy) gets his comeuppance after teasing and terrorizing Cady. Ironically, those who run afoul of M3GAN generally deserve what’s coming to them. It’s almost surprising that meddling therapist Lydia (Amy Usherwood) doesn’t meet a similar fate, although in the uncut version, she might well have, given that her character basically vanishes here.

M3GAN has any number of cinematic antecedents, the most obvious being the Child’s Play and Annabelle films.

(Annabelle’s James Wan produced and co-wrote M3GAN’s story with screenwriter Akela Cooper). Others would include Westworld (1973), Saturn 3 (1980), 1991’s Eve of Destruction (anybody remember that one?), and the Terminator films. Of course, it all goes back to Mary Shelley’s immortal Frankenstein. Creating artificial life is a risky business, to be sure.

Williams, also debuting as an executive producer, and especially McGraw play their roles with conviction, and Chieng earns some laughs as the blustery boss. But it should come as no surprise that the scenestealer is “M3GAN” herself, with Amie Donald providing the physical movements and Jenna Davis, who did the voiceover — providing just the proper — and amusingly ripe — combination of sweetness and menace, and she even carries a tune nicely!

And, yes, a sequel is in development. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

Mark Burger

leisure

CAVITY SAM LIVES

On Jan. 9 in Kyiv, Ukraine, a surgeon removed an unexploded grenade from the chest cavity of a 28-year-old Ukrainian soldier, The Guardian reported. The weapon lay just below the man’s heart, and two “sappers” (military engineering soldiers) were on hand during the delicate operation to neutralize the device after it was removed. Doctors were unable to use electrocoagulation, a method that controls bleeding, because of fear that the grenade might detonate. “I think this case will go down in medical textbooks,” said Anton Gerashchenko, Ukraine’s internal affairs ministerial adviser. No word about how the grenade ended up in the soldier’s chest cavity to begin with. He will now undergo rehabilitation.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS

Two arsonists were in the hot seat — and they hadn’t even been caught — after they set fire to a Bakersfield, California, immigration services building on Jan. 2, Fox News reported. Footage from a Ring security camera captured the masked individuals as they spread gasoline around the building’s base. But when one bent to light the fire, the flames spread to both people’s clothes, causing them to run away screaming. The suspects are still at large.

EYEWITNESS NEWS

Riders on the MAX light rail system in Gresham, Oregon, witnessed a brutal assault around 2 a.m. on Jan. 3, KPTV reported. A 78-year-old man on the train platform was attacked by another man, who “chewed off the victim’s ear and part of his face,” police said. “The injury was so severe that responders could see the victim’s skull.” The suspect did not provide investigators with a real name, but through fingerprints he was identified as Koryn Kraemer, 25, who had recently moved to the area from Georgia. He was charged with assault in the second degree.

AERO-NAUGHTY-CAL NEWS

Passengers aboard a charter flight on Jan. 8 from the Siberian city of Magan, Russia (where it was 41 degrees below zero), had to brave even more extreme temperatures when the rear door of the plane flew open in midflight, the New York Post reported. “People had their hats blown off,” said Sergei Lidrik, 33, a passenger headed to Magadan on

Russia’s Pacific coast. One man had just unfastened his seatbelt when the door blew open, and he was nearly sucked out, along with luggage and other personal belongings. The plane, an Antonov An-26, was manufactured between 1970 and 1986. The pilot turned back to Magan and made an emergency landing, and there were no injuries.

IT’S BAAAACCKKK

The atmospheric river battering California has another weird consequence, SFGate reported on Jan. 10. The storms are making the Golden Gate bridge eerily “sing.” Nearby residents first noticed the phenomenon during summer storms in 2020, when they heard a “screeching that sounded like torture.” A Building and Operating Committee report from 2020 said the cause was the retrofit of 12,000 slats on the west side of the bridge. The cost to add clips that would stop the noise is $450,000; officials said installation is due in the coming months.

INEXPLICABLE

In Coventry, England, someone dubbed the Cat Shaver is catching cats and shaving a square into their fur, Metro News reported on Jan. 11. Not just a small patch, either: 6-year-old Tallulah had a large bald spot on her stomach that owner Bonnie Towe noticed when her daughter picked the cat up. “Did someone take her and bring her back? Or did they do it in a car?” Towe wondered. “We did notice she wasn’t going out quite as much. She mostly sits at home and looks out the window.” Other victims’ owners have discovered one another on Facebook, speculating that the cats are being marked as targets. But no other harm has come to any of them.

MISTAKEN IDENTITY

A walker out for a stroll in Wickham, Australia, in early January came across what they thought was a dead body clothed in a tracksuit, according to ABC News. Police cordoned off the area and began an investigation, but later concluded that the remains belonged to a cow. Roeburne Police Sgt. Dale Harmer voiced his frustration: “It has caused police to use an entire day and three police officers guarding a scene for something which was never a human in the first place.” And what a waste of a perfectly fine tracksuit. !

©2022 Andrews McMeel Universal

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Asheboro Artist Gives Back with Speed Painting Career

Asheboro native Laura Ashley Mo tt has quickly established herself as one of North Carolina’s most demanded speed artists. Currently the o cial speed artist for the Petty Family Foundation and Jeep Beach Week, she hopes to expand her work this year to more organizations and events through which she can continue helping raise money with her live speed painting. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Mo tt has worked both as an arts educator and business owner prior to committing to a speed painting career.

Fresh out of college, Mo tt spent the following several years teaching art at a charter school, an experience to which she credits learning management skills, working under pressure e ectively, multitasking, responsibility at a whole new level, and maintaining focus. Along the way, she opened a “Wine and Design” franchise in Southern Pines, which she would run when she was not teaching until the pandemic arrived. “When Covid-19 hit I took myself out of the picture at the studio,” Mo tt said. “I wanted to keep my artists, I wanted to keep my sta , I wanted to keep my managers.”

Owners of other franchises resorted to cutting their teams and taking on all art studio responsibilities during this time. While it made sense for Mo tt to do this, it didn’t quite feel right for her, and instead, she sought a way to hold on to her team while producing an income for herself outside of the business. Finding motivation due to her extensive experience painting before groups of people while engaging them, she immersed herself in performing live wedding paintings during the following year, eventually catching the attention of the Petty Family Foundation.

Mo tt was invited to perform at the foundation’s first event since Covid-19, leading her to network and essentially

Dalia Razo

Contributor

PHOTO BY DALIA RAZO

pave a path for herself in the speed painting world with the many opportunities that arose from this one event. “From there I met all kinds of people and it just felt like speed painting is where I’m really meant to be,” said Mo tt. “It’s been history since.” When she’s not serving the Petty Family Foundation, Mo tt is in Daytona, Florida serving the Jeep Beach event, or in Tennessee working with moonshine distillers Mark Ramsey and Digger Manes, her main projects as of now.

Throughout her lifetime, the artist had seen speed painting here and there, gaining inspiration from a variety of artists she had seen perform, realizing it really wasn’t that much di erent from what she was already doing at “Wine and Design.” Leading a painting class at the franchise entailed painting an entire work in two hours in front of a class of participants who had signed up to produce a similar work during this timeframe. Mo tt began experimenting based on her experience at the studio, first condensing her production time to less than an hour until she managed to work her way down to painting a piece in a matter of minutes.

“I thought I would bring speed painting to this area of North Carolina and kind of ride with it, see what we could do,” said Mo tt. “See if we could fundraise with it and if people would even like seeing it, and so far we’ve had a really positive response.” Working o the adrenaline rush she gets with the process, at one point she even prepped for a potential performance with “America’s Got Talent” in which she managed to produce a Heidi Klum portrait somewhere between one and two minutes. Unfortunately, the show did not follow up with Mo t after reaching out to her initially.

Originally a Communications Studies major while playing softball for the University of North Carolina — Wilmington, Mo tt switched her focus to studio art going into her senior year. She hadn’t been necessarily nurturing her art-making during the previous years but painting had always come naturally to her. Upon making the change, she worried about being behind the rest of her peers, but her enthusiasm, passion, and overall gratitude for a second chance to make art pushed her quickly ahead in the program. Even her art history courses allowed her to develop an entirely new perspective and appreciation for history.

A lover of acrylic, the medium she has always been the most comfortable with, Mo t has recently begun experimenting with incorporating spray paint into her speed painting work. “We’re good

at so many things as artists that we get confused, but with this business, I’ve really got a system,” said Mo tt, “I’ve got a way to do it, certain criteria, methods and mediums, and I’m excited to expand a little but not too far o from the formula that’s working at the moment.” Mo t’s works can be found in her online store on her website when she’s not out and about producing live works.

The speed painter is eager to get involved with more organizations this 2023 in order to continue giving back through fundraisers and charity events regularly working to aid a greater cause. “It’s cool to sit there and paint something in thirty minutes and then see it go for thousands of dollars in front of the people that just raised the money for a charity,” said Mo tt. Some of her interests include seeking opportunities to work with

classic car events as her experience with automobiles has allowed her to play with movement, linework, and the blending and layering of various colors.

“I have a lot of crazy dreams and hopes,” concluded Mo t. “Like raising a million dollars for charity, I really hope I get to do something like that one day.”

The artist is without a doubt agile at what she does, but at her core, what truly drives her is the beauty of collaborating with those working towards a greater good, and the privilege of being able to contribute creatively to these e orts. Moffit’s work can be found at https://www. lauraashleyliveart.com. !

DALIA RAZO is a bilingual journalist, fine arts educator, and doctoral student at UNCG.

Petty Family Foundation Golf Tournament Fundraiser

Erik Jones Darlington, 30”x40”, 45 Minutes

Petty Family Foundation Annual Fundraiser The King’s Career, 36”x36”, 1 Hour

Private event to honor the Georgia Superior Court Clerks of the Year. UGA, Braves, Eagle, 30” x 36”, 20 Minutes

PHOTO BY DALIA RAZO

Air Hockey glides to new popularity with statewide nonprofit

“The Invention is a game to be played on an air cushion table of specific design,” begins a 1972 patent originally titled Air Cushion Table Game

In 1969, Phil Crossman, Bob Kenrick and Brad Baldwin, engineers and hockey fans working for the Chicago-based company Brunswick Billiards dreamed of a game table with an extremely low-friction surface, in which air pockets would replicate the way a hockey puck glides over an ice rink. With a few tweaks and the help of a fourth inventor, Bob Lemieux, the resulting tables were purchased by pizza parlors, bars, and recreation centers. Soon after in 1973, air hockey associations were formed in the Houston pubs Carnaby’s and Damian’s and the University of Houston game room, leading to codified rules and the creation of the Texas AirHockey Players Association.

The next year, the game would reach the east coast when 31 regional champs competed for a $5,000 prize and the title of “Best Air Hockey Player in the World” at the first national championship in Manhattan. In 2015, the Air Hockey Players Association was formed to further promote and organize the sport.

Now the sport is gaining new popularity in North Carolina, with 60 ranked players competing in free weekly tournaments at Boxcar Bar + Arcade in Greensboro, Durham and Raleigh, and a statewide championship planned for later this year. Sarah Mann and Paul Creely, who discovered and fell in love with Air Hockey at the Raleigh Boxcar location, have formed the nonprofit North Carolina Air Hockey Foundation to promote the sport across the Triangle, Triad, and state.

“The tournaments began at the Raleigh Boxcar in late 2018 or 2019,” said Mann, who is president of the foundation, “and had picked up a lot of players by 2020, but Paul and I didn’t start playing it until a little over a year ago.”

“The number of players at Boxcar in Raleigh and even in Greensboro has

grown exponentially since then,” said Creely, secretary of the nonprofit. “I got into it through skeeball,” said Mann, “which Boxcar also has tournaments in, and which became a big thing for me. I would go do all those tournaments. Then, when playing in one, I saw a sign for an upcoming air hockey tournament. I had never played air hockey in my life and had only been playing skeeball for a couple of months. This was when things started opening up after Covid, and I was looking for free things to do.”

Creely said the foundation would be sponsoring the North Carolina Air Hockey Tournament. “We formed the nonprofit as a better way to partner with other organizations and give back to our communities, and also to be able to read more players across the state. So, the goal is to host other events across the year as well as the state tournament.”

The sport attracts a very diverse range of players.

“For instance,” said Creely, “we have one who used to live in Colorado, where he was heavily into air hockey 30 years ago. He’d been living in North Carolina

for 25 years, and back in November, he came into Boxcar and began to casually play. People saw him and told him about the league of tournaments, and he said he had no idea it’s become such a thing in this state, and thought it was awesome so many people were playing it. So, we have some people like that, ones who are older and have families, but also freshmen and sophomores in college. For Boxcar, players have to be over 21, but we definitely have players as young as that, and as well as ones several decades older. And a lot of them are women, including some who beat me all the time.”

“We also had a kid’s tournament one weekend, for a couple of the people who have children,” said Mann. “They really enjoyed that. It was a lot of fun.”

Creely said they’re looking for a charity to which the state tournament can donate proceeds. “It’s a way of giving back. Doing that kind of thing is one of the biggest reasons we formed a nonprofit. We are actually in the process of finalizing a big partnership now.”

Mann said their ultimate dream is for air hockey to become an Olympic sport.

“That’s why our long-term goal is as

Ian McDowell

Contributor

much growth as possible,” said Mann.

Creely expressed excitement about their foundation’s recently formed partnership with the Colorado-based New Belgium Brewing Company.

“They said that the air hockey scene in North Carolina seemed really cool and they wanted to learn more about it. That’s going to be huge for everybody involved in that situation. We’re going to have plans to work with them for streaming of air hockey, and we’re going to hopefully have Mountain Time and North Carolina — themed items as extra incentives for competing in challenge matches and rankings. As far as I know, this is one of the biggest things to have happened with Air Hockey anywhere, so we’re really excited.”

While the initial interview with Mann and Creely was over the phone, they invited me to last week’s Greensboro tournament at Boxcar on 120 W. Lewis St., where around 20 players were competing. One was Seth Garrett, treasurer of the North Carolina Air Hockey Foundation.

“I started playing at Boxcar in Raleigh right after I graduated college,” said Garrett. “Me and my roommate would go there and play, and then one time, we met Joey Liss, one of the players who regularly compete in the Raleigh tournament. Joey said, ‘hey, we’re doing a Monday night tournament and you should come play.’ And so, I’ve been

competing for about a year and a half now, and it’s been so much fun.”

Greensboro resident Alexander King has been playing here since before the tournaments began. “I started casually about at Boxcar when it opened six years ago. It’s been great and I guess I’m kind of hooked but in a good way. It’s just a good friendly kind of thing.”

Then there’s Al Trayvon, a Boxcar employee in charge of the weekly Greensboro tournament.

“It’s been great because there’s such a sense of community among the players, whether it’s the ones who’ve been coming in for five-plus years or the ones who just joined us in the last few months.”

For more information about the weekly tournaments, which start at 8 p.m. every Wednesday, and at that same time on Mondays in Raleigh and Wednesdays in Durham, email ncairhockeyplayers@gmail.com

Tournaments are free and registration begins at 7:30 p.m. To learn more about the upcoming state and national tournament, check out ncairhockeyplayers. com, and the North Carolina Air Hockey Players Facebook page. !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

Sarah Mann

Al Trayvon

Puttin’ on Them Pants

hem Pants, a rock n roll outfit based out of Winston-Salem has released its debut album, “Je ership Starplane,” and will coast into its release show at Gas Hill Drinking Room on January 28. Taking Withdrew along for the release party ride, and dropping spacey factoids along the way, guitarist and vocalist Rick Randall (The Husbians, Alternative Champs) ponders his own sort of starryeyed experience. “It’d take 19 years to fly a commercial jet to the sun, and 600 years to Neptune. And to fly to the nearest star other than our sun, would take 5 million years. All this and we haven’t even left the Milky Way. We are tiny, alone, and very insignificant.”

Grounding notions of humanity and the cosmos through catchy lines and weird time signatures, here on earth Them Pants is a group of longtime friends and musicians who put on pants — one leg at a time — and are happy to finally put out their first full-length record. “I feel like we’ve been in a Covid coma for seven years,” Randall said, alluding to the widening expanse between the group’s first show back in 2019.

A quartet of musicians in a handful of bands across the state, Them Pants o cially cranked up in the basement of Krankies in Winston-Salem — a space Randall and drummer Brooks Carter (Jackonuts, Bandway) “inherited” following stints playing with Je rey Dean Foster. Bassist Andy Mabe (the Maybyrds, Red Lipstick Society, Finks!, and about a dozen others — including touring with Danielle Howle and Neko Case) soon came aboard.

Guitarist Sanders Trippe (Rebar, All Night, Vetiver) was the last to join, though he and Randall started their first band (Styrofoam Peanuts) back in their hometown of Charlotte at the ripe age of 13. “We used to play at the Jewish Community Center, church dances, and other little teen parties,” Randall explained. “We played in a variety of Charlotte bands through the years and put out a few records. In college, our bands (Husbians and Rebar) would gig and hang together.”

TThe pair have returned to the church circuit these days, on television at least, with Trippe joining Randall in Tears of David (the Gemstone Salvation Center church band) on HBO’s “The Righteous Gemstones.”

“Reconnecting with Sanders has been one of the best parts of Them Pants,” Randall insisted, despite the “bad omen” experienced in their beginning. “At our very first practice, just before starting to play, I kicked over my guitar and broke the neck,” he explained. Practice was canceled, with a pandemic shutdown not too far behind. “Covid has made us feel disconnected from any scene, really. We just sort of exist in our music space at Yeatts. I hope we can break out of hibernation this year now that we’ve finished the record.”

Dodging Covid variants and engaging a fresh set of DIY techniques, Them Pants put out “Je ership Starplane” in December.

“The project was part artistic, part engineering, and part project management as we had to figure out how to write a cool bunch of songs, in a totally new space, using whatever equipment we had,” Randall said. Bad omens be damned for a busy year. “The album was a labor of love done during an especially busy time,” he explained. “2022 was the busiest year of my life. I counted up like 20 songs between ‘Halloween Ends’, ‘Gemstones’, and Them Pants. I took on too much, but I just kept at it and persevered.”

Taking pride in his labor of love and friendship, the album itself is titled around band jokes ri ng the various incarnations of Je erson Airplane. “I got my old friend, cartoonist Dustin Harbin, to draw it for us. I had a feeling he could come with a ridiculous-looking vessel to match.”

“We spent more on the record cover than the recording,” Randall continued, relaying the daunting nature of their DIY approach. “Recording, mixing, and producing a record all by yourself is one hell of a colossal task.” And one which, for a bit, seemed uncertain–to the point they released the songs “Gentrified” and “Caveman” early.

“It felt like we’d never finish the whole thing,” Randall said, turning to “Gentrified,” the last song written, yet was the

BY LIZ NEMETH

fastest to record. “We barely did anything to that song editing-wise,” he added. “It has a kind of throwback to an early punk vibe, which is the best example of what Them Pants sounds like.”

Indeed, punk elements are part of Randall’s songwriting algorithm: “can’t sound like Blues. Can’t use many e ects pedals. Can’t sound like punk never happened. Can’t sound like tired dad-rock. Must have good melodies with lots of singing.”

Songs can, however, call-on dad moments. The track “(Brenda, I told you I was sick),” references a deep-sea fishing trip with his daughter. “We both immediately got seasick and were totally immobile for the entire trip until we were almost back to our port,” he explained, keeping the hook, “I told you I was sick” in mind. “The whole riddle of that song was figuring out how to land on that line.”

Seeing songs as an exercise of riddles, Randall points to “Caveman” as an example of blending the “occasional fucked up time signature” into the mix. “I love songs that have the perfect balance of fucked up-edness and catchiness,” he said. “Songs that don’t break a single rule are boring, but I hate songs that are too mathy, with no payo . Nineties indie-rock was full of bands that just cobbled together a bunch of dumb parts that didn’t really work together. The song has to work in the end. It’s a very complicated riddle that takes a lot of time to figure out.”

Within those riddles, Randall takes influences from bands like The Cars, Buzzcocks, Devo, Blue Oyster Cult, Parquet Courts, Weezer, and Dinosaur Jr. “We just tried to figure out how to make each song fly, whatever it takes,” he said. “Every song is di erent. Some may have some subconscious meaning, but most are just phrases that come out of the ether.”

The ether circulates at Yeatts Music Laboratory, aka “Them Pants Headquarters,” on a weekly basis. “We spend roughly half the time talking and laughing and the other half playing,” Randall noted. “We all love music, and it’s a fun, healthy outlet for nerds like us.”

In ridiculous nerd-alert fashion, Randall dropped the Ardmore-area space as being “voted the 79th best place to make music in Winston-Salem, one year in a row.” While a source on that figure remains unclear, his work in the lab did appear in the first 20 seconds of “Halloween Ends,” the #1 movie in America in October 2022–which certainly counts for something. In the end, “it’s a fantastic place to hang with my creative pals,” he said, “and it trips me out that so many ears have heard something I did in my little space.”

Folks can put on what Them Pants cooked up in that space. “Je ership Starplane” is out now via streaming platforms. The album release party, with Withdrew, goes down at Gas Hill Drinking Room on January 28. !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who spotlights area artists and events.

Katei Cranford

Contributor

PHOTO

ARCHDALE

FIREHOUSE TAPROOM

10146 N Main St | 336.804.9441 www.facebook.com/firehousetaproom/

Feb 18: Mardi Gras Masquerade Ball

ASHEBORO

FOUR SAInTS BREwInG

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 www.foursaintsbrewing.com

Thursdays: Taproom Trivia

Fridays: Music Bingo

Jan 28: High Cotton

Feb 5: Randolph Jazz Band

Feb 19: Honky Tonk Jam w/ Mark Dillion & Friends

CARBORRO

CAT ’S CRADlE

300 E Main St | 919.967.9053 www.catscradle.com

Jan 19: Hammered Hulls

Jan 20: Town Mountain

Jan 20: Chuck Prophet Trio

Jan 21: Cosmic Charlie

Jan 22: Quarters of Change

Jan 24: night Moves

Jan 25: John Craigie

Jan 27: Rubblebucket

Jan 27: Matt Heckler

Feb 1: Suki waterhouse

Feb 2: MJ lenderman

Feb 3: flipturn

Feb 3: Jon Shain & FJ Ventre

Feb 4: Bob Marley Birthday Bash

Feb 4: Colby Acuff

Feb 6: Patty Griffin

Feb 7: Durry

Feb 9: warren Zeiders

Feb 10: G. love & Special Sauce and Donavon Frankenreiter

Feb 10: 10 String Symphony, Vivian leva & Riley Calcagno

Feb

Feb

Feb

Feb

Feb

Feb

Feb

Feb

Feb

Mar

Mar

Mar

Mar 11: Curtis waters

Mar 13: Runnner

CHARLOttE

BOJAnGlES COlISEUM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com

Jan 29: Asphalt Meadows w/ Momma

Feb 3: Fantasia w/ special guest Joe

Feb 4: Vive Chuhuahua

Feb 8: John Mellencamp

Feb 15: Dancing with the Stars: live!

Feb 17: Katt williams

Feb 25: 2023 Blues Alright Tour

THE FIllMORE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com

Jan 20: Giggly Squid

Jan 21: Gregory Alan Isakov

Jan 25: Babytron

Jan 26: we Came As Romans

Jan 27: noel Miller

Jan 27: GloRilla

Jan 29: Steel Panther

Feb 1: Token

Feb 5: Big Gigantic

Feb 11: Jim Messina

Feb 13: lil Darkie

Feb 14: STRFKR

Feb 15: Parkway Drive

Feb 16: Russel Dickerson

Feb 18: Adam Melchor

Feb 19: Danny Ocean

Feb 21: Colony House

Feb 24: J.I.D & Smino

Feb 24: Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Feb 25: Subtronics

Feb 25: Eric Bellinger

Feb 26: K. Michelle

Feb 27: Ari lennox

SPECTRUM CEnTER

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com

Jan 21: Barry Manilow: Hits 2023

Feb 8: Carrie Underwood

Feb 17: Impractical Jokers

Feb 18: Adam Sandler

Feb 26: winter Jam 2023

CLEmmOnS

VIllAGE SQUARE TAP

HOUSE

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.facebook.com/vstaphouse

Jam 20: Smash Hat

Jan 21: Zack Brock & The Good Intentions

Jan 27: Kids in America Band

Jan 28: Ross Coppley Band

Feb 2: James Vincent Carroll

Feb 3: Hampton Drive

Feb 4: Black Glass

Feb 9: Soundkraft

Feb 10: Hawthorne Curve

Feb 11: Jill Goodson Band

DuRHAm

CAROlInA THEATRE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org

Jan 30: Kenny wayne Shepherd Band

Feb 11: Angel Olsen

Feb 18: Shana Tucker, ChamberSoul Cello & Songs

Feb 23: Tower of Power

Mar 10: Jerry Cantrell

Mar 23: HITS! The Musical

Mar 25: Orpheus and Eurydice

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com

Jan 18-22: Come From Away

Jan 31- Feb 5: Cats

Feb 8: Dancing with the Stars: live!

Feb 22: Brandi Carlile

Feb 24-26: Riverdance

Feb 28-Mar 5: Jagged little Pill

ELKIn

REEVES THEATER

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com

wednesdays: Reeves Open Mic

Fourth Thursdays: Old-Time Jam

Feb 3: Silk Groove Revue

Feb 4: Big Daddy love

Feb 11: Presley Barker

Feb 24: Tommy Prine

gREEnSBORO

BARn DInnER THEATRE

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com

Jan 13,14, 20,21: Ms. Mary’s Boys: Meet Me at Mary’s Place

Jan 28: The legacy

Feb 4-25: Murdered to Death

Feb 10: Soul & Inspiration: A Tribute to The Righteous Brothers

Feb 24: Encounter

CAROlInA THEATRE

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com

Jan 28: M’SOUl in the Crown

Feb 11: Rouge: A Cirque & Dance Cabaret

Feb 17: Jo Dee Messina

COMEDY ZOnE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com

Jan 20-21: Katherine Blanford

Jan 26-28: Damon wayans Jr.

Feb 3-4: Michael Palascak

Feb 10: Hypnotist leon Sankofa

Feb 14: Chris wiles

Feb 17-18: T.K. Kirkland

Feb 22: Casey Frey

COMMOn GROUnDS

602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.388 www.facebook.com/CommonGroundsGreensboro

COnE DEnIM

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 www.cdecgreensboro.com

HOURS: Tues-Fri: 3pm-unTil saT & sun 12pm-unTil 221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967 www.flatirongso.com

GaraGE TavErn

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro

Jan 13: Jukebox rehab Band

Jan 14: The Mighty Fairlanes

Jan 20: Wristband Band

Jan 21: Camel City Blues

Jan 27: The Tess Band

Jan 28: radio revolver

GrEEnSBoro ColiSEuM

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com

Jan 27: a night of Soul: Frankie Beverly & Maze, The isley Brothers

Jan 28: Toby Mac

Feb 3: Jurassic World live Tour

Feb 10: The legendz of the Streetz

Feb 11: Journey w/ ToTo

Feb 23: Blake Shelton

Feb 25: Winter Jam 2023

HanGar 1819

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480 www.hangar1819.com

Jan 21: Trial By Fire: Journey Tribute

Feb 12: Gideon w/ For The Fallen Dreams

PiEDMonT Hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com

Jan 27: Steel Panther

Feb 24: Green Queen Bingo

Feb 26: Big Head Todd and the Monsters

roDY’S TavErn

5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950 www.facebook.com/rodystavern

Jan 18: Daniel love

Jan 20: Coia

Jan 25: David lin

Jan 27: Mark Ficks

STEvEn TanGEr CEnTEr

300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500 www.tangercenter.com

Jan 18: Shen Yun

Jan 21: James Ehnes

Jan 24-29: Cats

Feb 1: Jason isbell + The 400 unit

Feb 7-9: riverdance

Feb 10: royal Comedy Tour

Feb 11: John Pizzarelli & Catherine russell

Feb 18: a German requiem

THE iDioT Box

CoMEDY CluB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com

Thursdays: open Mic

Jan 21: Drew Davis

Jan 28: Steve, aJ and Some lady

WinESTYlES

3326 W Friendly Ave Suite 141 | 336.299.4505 www.facebook.com/winestylesgreensboro277

Feb 11: Taylor Williams

high point

1614 DMB

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 https://www.1614drinksmusicbilliards.com/

Jan 20: lip Sync Battle

Jan 21: Kwik Fixx

Jan 28: Black Glass

HiGH PoinT THEaTrE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401 www.highpointtheatre.com

Feb 18: Triad Has Talent Showcase

SWEET olD Bill’S

1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476 www.sweetoldbills.com

Feb 9: Metro Jethro’s

Feb 16: Turpentine Shine

Feb 23: Tin Can alley

jamestown

THE DECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.thedeckatrivertwist.com

Jan 19: Ethan Smith

Jan 20: limited Engagement

Jan 21: radio revolver

Jan 26: renae Paige

Jan 27: unhinged

Jan 28: TJ The DJ

Feb 2: Dan Miller

Feb 3: retro vinyl

Feb 4: Brother Pearl

Feb 9: renae Paige

Feb 10: vinyl Tap

Feb 11: Soul Central

kernersville

BrEaTHE

CoCKTail lounGE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822 www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge

Wednesdays: Karaoke

Jan 21: vinyl Tap

Feb 24: SMaSHaT

liberty

THE liBErTY

SHoWCaSE THEaTEr 101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844 www.TheLibertyShowcase.com

Jan 20: The isaacs

Jan 28: Stephen Freeman and Echoes of a legend Show Band

Feb 3: Twitty & lynn: a Tribute to

Conway & loretta

Feb 4: lonesome river Band

Feb 11: Wonderwall: a Beatles Tribute

Feb 18: russell Moore & lllrd Tyme out

Feb 25: Wade Hayes w/ Dewey Brown

oak ridge

BiSTro 150

2205 Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.6359 www.bistro150.com

Jan 21: limited Engagement

Jan 28: Jordan & Madisen

Feb 4: Barefoot Modern acoustic

Feb 11: Two for the road

Feb 18: limited Engagement

Feb 25: Jordan & Madisen

raleigh

CCu MuSiC ParK

aT WalnuT CrEEK 3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com

linColn THEaTrE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com

Jan 18: Spafford

Jan 21: Weekend Excursion w/ runaway Cab

Jan 27: love Tribe & niito

Jan 28: Sarah Shook & The Disarmers

Jan 29: Daniel Donato

Jan 31: Tauk Moore

Feb 1: neal Francis w/ Danielle Ponder

Feb 9: Big Gigantic

Feb 9: The Stews w/ Easy Honey

Feb 10: Far too Jones w/ lauren nicole

Feb 15: The Great Mountain Groove Ft. Sicard Hollow, The Sweet lillies and Pixie & The Partygrass Boys

Feb 19: Cory Wong ft. victor Wooten & Special Guests Trousdale

Feb 19: Blanke w/ Crystal Skies, vndetta

PnC arEna

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com

Jan 21: CinCH World’s Toughest rodeo

Jan 28: Cody Johnson

winston-salem

Earl’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com

Mondays: open Mic

Thursdays: Will Jones

Jan 20: Zack Brock & The Good intentions

Jan 21: russ varnell

Jan 27: Time Bandits

Jan 28: Billy Creason

Feb 3: Drew Foust

Feb 10: Matt Dylan

Feb 11: Mike Cosner and the Fugatives

FooTHillS BrEWinG

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 www.foothillsbrewing.com

Sundays: Sunday Jazz

Thursdays: Trivia

Jan 20: Camel City Blues

Jan 22: David Childers

Jan 27: Patrick rock

Jan 29: Dana Bearror

Feb 5: Heather rogers

Feb 5: Megan Doss

Feb 10: inCogniTo

Feb 17: anne & the Moonlighters

Feb 19: Michael Hodgdon

Feb 24: Whiskey Mic

MiDWaY MuSiC Hall

11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter

Mondays: line Dancing

Jan 21: Matt Dylan and Honky Tonk outlaws

Jan 28: Jimmy Shirley Jr. and The Footlights

MuDDY

CrEEK CaFE & MuSiC Hall

137 West St | 336.201.5182 www.facebook.com/MuddyCreekCafe

Jan 21: led Head: led Zeppelin Experience

THE raMKaT

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com

Jan 20: Cosmic Charlie

Jan 21: Maiden Boyage: iron Maiden Tribute

Jan 28: Them Pants w/ withdrew

Feb 2: Mike and the Moonpies

Feb 3: The Steeldrivers

Feb 4: Squirrel nut Zippers

Feb 8: The Mountain Goats Duo

Feb 19: SuSTo

Feb 23: Catz in Pajamas

Feb 24: The Paul Thorn Band

Feb 25: Jeremy’s Ten

Feb 27: los lobos

Natalie Garcia

PRESENTS

hot pour

[BARTENDER OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA]

Check out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Holland Robinson

BAR: H.P. Trousers

AGE: 26

WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

I was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to High Point around the age of 2.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING?

I began bartending in March of 2021, but I was a server at multiple restaurants before transitioning.

HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER?

One of my friends was working at Plank Street Tavern and I was interested in learning how to bartend. Pam Hubay o ered me a job and the first weekend I worked I was “thrown into the fire.”

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING?

I enjoy meeting people and building relationships with them. I also get to have fun while making money. It helps to keep me out of trouble (for the most part).

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE?

My favorite drink to make is either a Bloody Mary or Dirty Martini. I enjoy the compliments I receive from customers on how good the drink is.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK?

My favorite drink to drink is either a Dirty

Martini or Espolón (tequila) with club soda and an orange and lime slice. I also love beer, specifically Natural Light or IPAs.

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK?

I recommend an Espresso Martini afterdinner. It’s sweet, but not overbearing, and gives you a boost to go to the bar and continue drinking.

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING?

I haven’t ever witnessed anything too crazy while bartending other than a few minor fights between customers. I have definitely exchanged words with some customers who I have had to cut o , but I take it with a grain of salt and keep going.

WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? $500

[1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the secondlongest river in North America? [

MOVIES: Which 1973 movie advertised itself as a place “where nothing can possibly go wrong”? [

GAMES: Which party game claims that it can “tie you up in knots”? [

first

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[SALOME’S STARS]

Week of January 23, 2023

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Shutting people out to avoid distractions, even under a deadline, can cause hurt feelings. Instead, return calls and emails, and explain why you need a zone of privacy for now.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Although your keen Bull’s eyes usually can discern what’s fact from what’s faux, that upcoming decision will need really solid data before you can risk a commitment.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) As your confidence grows, you should be able to work toward your goals with more enthusiasm. Open your mind to suggestions. Some of them might even work for you.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Reconnecting with someone from your past stirs up that old sense of adventure. But before you do anything else, be sure to get answers to any lingering questions.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Some people might resent the way you plan to resolve a di cult situation. But your commitment to making tough but fair

decisions soon wins you their respect and support.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Mixed signals could be causing that vexing workplace problem. Before you choose to leave the project, ask for a meeting so that you can get things out in the open.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your good intentions could backfire if you’re not careful with other people’s feelings. Try using persuasion, not pressure, to get others to see your side of the situation.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your dedication to finishing the task at hand is laudable. But be careful not to overdo the midnight oil bit. Take time for relaxation with someone very special.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Although your intuition will help you make some tough choices in the first half of the month, you’ll need more facts to back up your actions later on.

[cAPrIcorN (December 22 to January 19) All that hard work and research in the workplace finally pays off as you hoped it would. Ignore comments from jealous types who are out to get the Goat riled up.

[AQuArIus (January 20 to February 18) An unfair decision creates unnecessary problems. But avoid anger and move carefully as you work this out. Expect to get support from an unlikely source.

[PIsces (February 19 to March 20) A fuzzy financial vista persists until the end of the month, when things begin to clear up. You’ll also gain a better perspective on how to handle pesky personal problems.

[BorN THIs week: You have a wonderful way of being there for those who need your help in difficult times.

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