YES! Weekly - January 3, 2024

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OnYourFeet

THE ESTEFAN MUSICAL COMES TO TANGER

VALENTINE’S DAY CHOW P. 3 WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

THE IRON CLAW

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SQUATWEILER JANUARY 3-9, 2024

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JANUARY 3-9, 2024 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 1

10 5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III

ON YOUR FEET

publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS

IT’S TIME!

NOMINATIONS OPEN JAUNARY 7

Gaby Albo and her colleagues are preparing to dance and sing their way into your hearts as they share the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan and how they became cultural icons.

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chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD JIM LONGWORTH

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NAIMA SAID DALIA RAZO LYNN FELDER PRODUCTION Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com

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Restaurants book up earlier for VALENTINE’S than any other night in the year. Make your reservation soon, or risk losing out! Chow Down with John Batchelor for Valentine’s Day. 6 Say what you will about the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, but truth is the most connected man in Hollywood is ED BEGLEY, JR. That’s because Ed knows or has worked with just about every major celebrity in the universe. Now, thanks to his new memoir, we can all feel connected to Ed. 7 The Von Erich saga has been brought to the screen as THE IRON CLAW, so named for the clan’s signature wrestling move, by writer/producer/director Sean Durkin, who made an impressive feature debut with Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) and recently earned plaudits for the Amazon mini-series remake of Dead Ringers in 2023.

7 The animated feature MIGRATION is preceded by a short called Mooned, an interstellar spin-off of the Despicable Me/ Minions franchise. Any time spent with the Minions is time well spent, even if Mooned

is only modestly enjoyable.

12 The first time Daryl Myers’ wife

Jennifer brought their then one-year-old son Trey to visit him in prison, Daryl had already decided to turn his life around and work for his family’s future. Now Trey is 13 and helps his father invent new flavors for his popular Winston-Salem-based business DJ’S CHEESECAKES. 13 Having celebrated the holidays with such yuletide favorites as Gremlins (1984), Die Hard (1988), and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), the OLD TOWN FILM SERIES is ready to roll into the new year with a fearsome foursome of wintry selections.

14 ...the Winston-Salem art punk band, SQUATWEILER, pulled for their 1993 debut release “Full Bladder”; and one that expresses a certain joy they’ll relive at their upcoming sold-out reunion-show 30-some years later, as ‘Squatweiler Live: A Full Bladder Shindig’ comes to Gas Hill Drinking Room January 12.

ADVERTISING Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2024 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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chow

Chow Down with John Batchelor: Valentine’s Day

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

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estaurants book up earlier for Valentine’s than any other night in the year. Make your reservation soon, or risk losing

out!

See the issuu.com/yesweekly website for restaurant recommendations in previous columns. This list is selected for ambiance as well as food. I have provided a few examples from online postings, so you can get an idea of what to expect. But restaurants usually run special menus for the occasion, in addition to their regular offerings, so check closer to February 14th.

GREENSBORO

I rank The Undercurrent (undercurrentrestaurant.com, 327 Battleground Avenue, 336-370-1266) among a handful of the best in the Triad. The ambiance is elegant without feeling stuffy. This gets my top recommendation for Fried Oysters or have them added to a spinach salad. Among the entrées, I gravitate toward Marinated and Grilled Joyce Farms Chicken Breast with parsnip-potato mash, grilled asparagus, country ham, and plum-red pepper mam; Duck Confit Cassoulet, made with Joyce Farms duck leg, cannellini beans, house-cured bacon, and sage-peppercorn cream; Seared Sea Scallops presented over tamarind-ginger Carolina gold rice, with fava beans, roasted carrots, and crisp parsnips. Meats are solid here, too. Don’t skip dessert — get the Bread Pudding.

Marisol (themarisol.com, 5834 West Gate City Blvd., 336-852-3303) is another of the Triad’s top-ranked restaurants. This place exudes sophisticated ambiance.

First course samples: Flash Fried Buttermilk Shrimp with spicy sweet chili sauce; Seared Canadian Foie Gras with spiced tomato jam. Selected entrées: Crispy Twice Roasted Half Duck with passionfruit harissa glaze; Grilled Center-cut Filet in shiitake black truffle Madeira veal stock; Garlic Rosemary Thyme Marinated Lamb in red wine black pepper gastrique. Seafood entrées will be based on whatever is available fresh, that day.

Osteria (osteriagso.com, 1310 Westover Terrace, #101-A, 336-275-2550) is upscalecasual Italian. Focus on the homemade pastas for a moderately-priced evening, or WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Shrimp Tacos at MJ’s

Sea Bass at 1618 W

move to the seafoods and meat section of the menu for more sophisticated dining: Osso Bucco — braised veal shank with saffron risotto; Lamb Shank with Parmesan risotto; Chicken Francese — dredged in egg batter and sautéed, augmented with lemon-caper beurre blanc; Grouper Montepulciano- with shrimp, artichokes, and asparagus in lemon-butter sauce; Grilled Bronzino with lemon truffle oil; or Grilled Wild Salmon with warm black French lentils, arugula, and avocado salad.

At MJ’s (mjs620.com, 620 Dolley Madison Road, 336-852-4889), Chef-Proprietor Tad Engstrom holds forth in a repurposed home in the Guilford College neighborhood.

Poutine with French fries, cheese curds, and onion gravy will get you started on a chilly winter night. My wife’s favorite is Fried Shrimp Tacos with spicy aioli. Among the entrées, Braised Short Ribs are deeply flavored and supremely tender, over cream mashed potatoes and bordelaise sauce.

His Shrimp and Grits rendition is one of the best, combining sausage, mushrooms, onions, gravy, and cheddar grits. Also consider Buttermilk Fried Chicken.

At the upscale 1618 West Seafood Grille (1618seafoodgrille.com, 1618 West Friendly Avenue, 336-235-0898), each plate displays color and angular structures that create works of culinary art. A Prawn is plated with blackened jumbo lump crab meat in a crisp parmesan wafer. Tuna Poke kind of sails along the plate, a function of a large wonton wafer that sticks up out of the side. Grouper is caught by a boat crew off Emerald Isle that has a cooperative relationship with the restaurant. A shredded sweet potato nest covers Sea Bass. Snapper gets a mild blackening treatment. The

menu is not restricted to seafoods. Beef and chicken entrées get a solid recommendation as well. This is another restaurant that ranks in the elite.

Café Pasta and Grille (cafepasta.com, 305 State Street, 336-272-1308) gets a solid recommendation for pastas, but the menu offers a wider range as well. Start with homemade Italian Sausage with roasted red peppers and caramelized onions. Breaded Three Cheese Ravioli are fried crisp, topped with marinara sauce.

Firecracker Shrimp are pleasantly sweetspicy. Among the pasta entrées, I hold their ricotta-based Lasagna in high esteem.

South Beach is sprightly: scallops and artichoke hearts plus roasted red peppers in Parmesan cream sauce. I often get the Grilled Salmon here, blackened or almondcrusted. It normally comes with fresh vegetables and roasted potatoes, but I special order spinach instead of potatoes to hold down carbs and calories. The Chicken Piccata comes with spinach, a good complement to the lemon-butter flavors.

Green Valley Grill (greenvalleygrill.com, O.Henry Hotel, 624 Green Valley Road, 336854-2015) and Print Works Bistro (printworksbistro.com, 702 Green Valley Rd, 27408, 336-379-0699) are the restaurants in Greensboro’s local luxury hotels. These offer the most elegant experiences in town.

At Green Valley, Crab and Spinach Dip and Sicilian Meat Balls are winners. Consider the Braised Pork Shank or the Wood-Fire Grilled Filet Mignon among the entrées.

I really like the Crispy Brussels Sprouts and the Mussel starters at Print Works.

Entrée favorites include Steak Frites, Short Ribs, and Trout Meuniere.

In concert with the occasion, consider

booking a room for the evening.

Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen (lucky32. com, 1421 Westover Terrace, 336-370-0707) is the standalone restaurant from the same corporate family. Deep Grits illustrates the concept, with country ham, Texas Pete hot sauce, and onions, as does Pimiento Cheese Dip with fried pork cracklins. The Chicken entrée is skillet fried, with ham hock collards, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cornbread. Catfish is cornmeal-crusted and fried, served with grits, coleslaw, green beans, and Creole mayonnaise.

B.Christopher’s (bchristophers.com, 201 North Elm, 336-274-5900,) is my favorite Greensboro steak house. This restaurant serves only all-natural foods, local when possible. Oysters Rockefeller is traditional, blending butter and Parmesan cheese with spinach over oysters in the half shell.

Crumbled pieces of bacon lend additional flavor. I especially like the Blackened Cajun Ribeye, coated with blackening spices that impart flavor but balance the beef flavor.

Roasted Free Range Chicken uses heritage birds from Ashley Farms. Seared Scallop Risotto is especially tasty, imbued with a mild smoky effect from the wood grill, extended by Reggiano Parmesan cheese in creamy risotto.

Imperial Koi (facebook.com/imperialkoiGSO, 1941 New Garden Road, upper level, 336-286-3000) has long been my favorite for Asian and sushi. This is one of the few restaurants in the Triad that actually has some semblance of a view. Sushi provides a visual as well as taste knockout.

Entrées on the back page of the menu are traditional Western in style, also excellent.

Kau (kaugreensboro.com, 2003 Yanceyville Street, 336-656-2410) is the restaurant in the repurposed Revolution Mill. Pulled Pork is available in Nachos (starter), Tacos, or sandwiches. The Soul Roll is hearty, with fried chicken, bacon, and rice wrapped in fresh collard greens. Sandwiches and burgers are robust in flavor.

The Blackened Tuna entrée is a standout.

If you are a fan of mac and cheese, three versions are available here — Classic, Beef Brisket, or Buffalo Chicken. The steaks and chops section of the menu makes use of the restaurant’s own upscale butcher shop next door.

GIA (drinkeatlisten.com, 1941 New Garden Road, 336-907-7536) is one of JANUARY 3-9, 2024

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the most upscale bars in the Triad, where tapas-style portions and flatbreads also encourage leisurely dining. I am especially enamored with the Brussels Caesar Salad — shaved Brussels sprouts scattered with croutons and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, with a Caesar dressing.

Garlic Oregano Frites are some of the best French fries in the Triad. Fresh Artichokes are lightly battered and fried, served with an herb aioli. The kitchen takes particular pride in its Charcuterie menu, especially the imported Italian meats cut with special equipment. Cheeses are well represented as well.

Reel Seafood Grill (reelseafoodgrill. com, 2002 New Garden Road, 336-6174200) provides an exceptionally wide variety of seafoods, prepared in a style that allows natural flavors to stand in the forefront. Consider Fried Shrimp or Prince Edward Island Mussels and Middleneck Clams in a luscious broth of white wine, cream, and garlic. Smoked Trout is accented with capers, pickled red onions, dill mayonnaise, and chipotle aioli. A chalkboard lists the day’s fresh oyster selections. Seafood Chowder is especially welcome in winter. A light coating of crushed wheat crackers and sesame seeds forms a crust for Sesame Flounder. Halibut Piccata provides thinly sliced onions,

Jewel

An Evening of Conversation and Music January 12, 2024 8:00 PM UNCG Auditorium

Tickets at ucls.uncg.edu

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Brussels Caesar Salad at GIA

Deviled Eggs at The Katharine

Lamb Osso Buco at Lulu and Blue

capers, lemon, and white wine sauce.

The name Pangaea (pangaeabistro. com, 230 South Elm Street, 336-5799962) reflects the owners’ international culinary experiences. Partner-manager Juan Cirino and partner-chef Carlos Roman grew up in in Puerto Rico. A lot of the menu is devoted to starters, small plates, and salads. Scallops Rockefeller is an interesting twist on a classic. Grilled Cabbage is novel, charred around the edges. Ahi Tuna Huevo Roto (ahi tuna broken egg) should be savored. Choripan is a blend of sausage, made in-house from lamb, chicken, and pork — and bread.

Sweet Plantain and Potato Gnocchi is a knockout. Robust chorizo sausage ragu is covered with grated Manchego cheese

“snow” plus a light application of serrano peppers.

Chef Sean Reaves of Cille and Scoe (cilleandscoe.com, 312 S. Elm Street, 336-522-6592) terms his cuisine “Southern Redefined.” His Shrimp and Grits flank three fried grits cake triangles, fried Neese’s sausage scattered alongside.

Bite-sized pieces of Cauliflower are lightly fried to create Popcorn Cauliflower. Slow & Low is a slow-braised Short Ribs entrée with au gratin potatoes, pan-dripping gravy, and crispy tobacco onions. My wife and I love his food!

Sweets are especially important for this occasion, and Greensboro is fortunate to have several good venues: Dolce & Amaro (dolceamaroartisanbakery.com, 1310 Westover Terrace, Suite 110, 336763-4349); Delicious Bakery (deliciouscakes.com, 3700 Lawndale Drive, 336282-1377); Maxie B’s (maxieb.com, 2403 #7 Battleground Avenue, 336-288-9811); and Augustino Gusto Bakery (facebook. com/augustinogustobakery, 2508 New Garden Road E, 336-740-7005).

choices. I am especially fond of seafoods here. You might not expect a fried seafood platter in a restaurant this upscale, but missing Bleu’s Crumb Fried Seafood would be a serious mistake.

At Rooster’s (roosterskitchen.com, 380 Knollwood Street, 336-777-8477), the aroma from the wood-fired grill is enticing.

Lots of wood creates an elegant look, while avoiding formality or stuffiness. Noble’s restaurants are justifiably famous for Tomato Basil Bisque. Oysters are especially well prepared here. Among the entrées, the Filet Mignon is as good a steak as I have ever had. Rotisserie Roast Chicken from Joyce Farms is simply the best roast chicken I’ve ever had, no reservations. The menu changes often enough to preclude other recommendations. I just look forward to returning here.

I have long admired Chef-Proprietor Tim Grandinetti of Spring House (springhousenc.com, 450 North Spring Street, 27101, 336-293-4797). The restaurant is housed in one of Winston-Salem’s classic residences from the 1920s. First course suggestion: Baked Oysters, covered with soft pimiento cheese flecked with crisp bacon, presented over fresh spinach leaves.

Entrées: Moravian Chicken Pie with carrots, peas, mushrooms in a smoked Gouda cheese crust; Roasted Lamb Loin; HoneyDijon Salmon with paprika foam.

Jeffrey Adams on Fourth (jeffreyadamsws.com, 321 West 4th Street, 336-4481714) is sleek and urbane. In a first course of Smoked Bacon Crab Dip, the addition of bacon pays off. A main course of Fried Chicken uses a large breast coated with panko breadcrumbs to yield a strikingly crisp crust. Grouper is pan-seared, with fireroasted tomatoes, artichokes, and capers, accented with lemon. In Land and Sea, the core element is a four-ounce beef tenderloin, several pieces of butter-poached lobster, plus scallops.

Six Hundred Degrees (sixhundreddegrees.com, 450 North Patterson Avenue, Suite 120, 336-283-6754) bears an industrial-chic look, a function of its location in a repurposed facility, formerly the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company power plant. Burnt Ends are thick slices of pork

WINSTON-SALEM

The Katharine Brasserie & Bar (katharinebrasserie.com, 401 North Main Street, 336-761-0203) is an art deco French brasserie. Starters highlights: Cocktail de Crevettes — poached jumbo shrimp cocktail with smoked tomato vinaigrette; Oeuf Mimosa au Foie Gras — French deviled egg, foie gras mousse, and crispy duck prosciutto. Admired entrées: Canard aux la Ronce — five-spice maple leaf farms duck breast, parsnip purée, pomme fondant, blackberry demi; Truite Grenobloise — North Carolina rainbow trout, lemon, capers, roasted fingerling potatoes, and haricot vert. Consider an overnight in the hotel after dinner.

Bleu (bleurestaurantandbar.com, 3425 Frontis Street, 336-760-2026 occupies a modern building designed specifically to house this restaurant. Crispy Calamari is coated with black-eye pea flour, creole mustard, and sweet chili sauce on the side. Crab and Shrimp Cake is served with creamy grits and andouille sausage jus.

Bleu is not a steakhouse, but it could pass for one. All of the beef entrées are good

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belly, leaner than usual, but with enough fat to help convey hearty bacon flavor.

Steaks are major league here, often cooked over a large wood-burning grill, the source of the restaurant’s name. Seafoods are appropriately represented among the entrées.

Fratelli’s (fratellissteakhouse.com, 2000 Reynolda Road, 336-682-2290) combines the steakhouse concept with upscale Italian. It occupies one of the Reynolda neighborhood’s classic white brick buildings. Crab-Stuffed Shrimp are large, split to allow insertion of crab dressing, placed over garlic scampi cream sauce. The entrée price includes a house salad, served from a shared bowl. In a Filet Mignon, a lot of flavor was evident from the browned exterior. Parmesan Fries actually taste like real potato, dusted with Parmesan cheese.

A Chop Steak, although low-priced, nevertheless produced deep flavor augmented by soft-cooked onions and mushrooms.

Downtown Grille (downtowngrille.com, 500 West 5th Street, 336-930-1485) is a true white tablecloth restaurant. Panoramic windows look out from the ground floor of a downtown office tower. First course samples: Foie Gras Torchon on grilled brioche bread with damson plum marmalade, Doppio Ravioli, handmade pasta shells enclosing braised rabbit and lemon herb ricotta cheese. Classic beef (from Apple Brandy Beef — an exceptional product) and pork cuts are well represented among the main courses. Take special note of Poulet Rouge — a superior chicken, grilled and roasted, with garlic herb butter.

At Meridian (meridianws.com, 411 South Marshall Street, 336-722-8889), panoramic windows look into a section of Old Salem. Tables are placed far enough apart to allow conversation. The cuisine “is inspired by the bright flavors of the Northern Mediterranean, as well as local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. Everything is made in-house, from breads and hand rolled pasta to house-made sausages and mozzarella.” If you are a fan of French Onion Soup, this is your place. Steamed Mussels rest in a chardonnay cream broth that also hosts garlic, shallots, and fresh herbs, flanked by grilled bruschetta. Calamari is sautéed, plated over spicy crushed tomatoes, enhanced with Genoese basil strips, laced with lemon pepper aioli. Steaks and Duck are from Joyce Farms, one of the best suppliers. Seafoods offerings depend on what is fresh that day. All recommended.

cia toasts. Fish entrées — salmon, tuna, halibut, and mahi — can be ordered with a choice of sauce: orange-chipotle glaze, piccata, lemon-old bay compound butter, or soy-ginger — or in more elaborate constructions. Chicken is from Ashley Farms, pan-fried, served with fingerling potatoes, shallots, spinach, heirloom tomatoes, and a white wine-lemon feta broth. Steak Frites uses a Manhattan strip, plus hand-cut Old Bay fries, garlic parmesan aioli, and a black pepper demi-glace. The Tomahawk Pork Chop is presented bone in, aged goat cheese polenta alongside, with braised kale, horseradish-mustard butter, and smoked chipotle-apple jus.

The noise level at Lulu and Blue (luluandblu.com, 2140 North Main Street, 336-886-1077) is moderate to soft, attractive for this occasion. Although the cuisine is primarily Italian, lots of small plates are offered that are bound by no particular tradition. One version of Gnocchi is joined by truffles and Romano cheese, pan-roasted, which gives them a light brown crust.

Wagyu Beef Sliders are hosted in a toasted brioche bun, the deeply flavored beef patties are covered with warm, soft buffalo mozzarella cheese, a slice of smoked bacon, and a sun-dried tomato aioli. Pasta main courses are particularly enjoyable.

This kitchen makes Osso Bucco with lamb shanks, for a really robust result.

Earl’s Landing (earlslanding.com, 400 West English Road, 336-882-0044) is the new, upscale restaurant in Congdon Yards.

King Prawns are plated over arugula pesto plus toasted pine nuts. Roasted Cauliflower arrives in a whole head, lightly browned.

The nutty flavor is augmented with crispy chickpeas and lemon herb yogurt. Beef Tartare is raw, marinated in olive oil, salt, pepper, and chives, supplemented with capers and Dijon mustard. This kitchen achieves an exceptional sear on their steaks — a dark, firm crust that gives way to an interior that is cooked precisely to the requested temperature. An airline-cut breast is split and inserted with spinach mousseline to create Pan Roasted Chicken. Spaghetti is prepared with basil, ricotta cheese, pomodoro sauce, and breadcrumbs.

HIGH POINT

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.

At Blue Water Grille (bluewatergrillenc. com, 126 State Avenue, 336-886-1010), Fried Oysters are lightly crusted and fresh tasting, augmented by a white barbecue sauce. Crab Dip blends Boursin cheese and artichoke hearts with large lumps of fresh crabmeat, served with Parmesan focacWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

I am not qualified to make recommendations that will enhance your love life, but dining in one of these restaurants on Valentine’s should certainly set the stage for a flavorful evening! !

[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]

OCEANIC THEMES IN A CONCERT REFLECTING ON THE REFUGEE EXPERIENCE

Douglas Cuomo French composer Claude Debussy was enthralled by the sea. His masterpiece “La mer” paints a vivid sonic portrait of the ocean’s vast beauty and mystery.

Against this backdrop, the Winston-Salem Symphony presents a powerful work that it co-commissioned along with the Fort Worth Symphony and the London Philharmonic.

The Symphony engaged Douglas Cuomo to compose “a raft, the sky, the wild sea” in early 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo has carved a distinctive niche in the realm of contemporary music. His compositions span various genres, from classical and jazz to world music. With a notable body of work from film and television to the concert hall, Cuomo is perhaps best known for composing the theme to HBO’s Sex and the City. His saxophone concerto “a raft, the sky, the wild sea” combines improvisation and gripping melodies to depict the difficult journey of those seeking refuge and hope on the open water.

Cuomo described composing the piece as “imagining an inner voyage, one that is sometimes calm and reassuring, sometimes startling and turbulent.

You’re being taken somewhere, but you’re unsure where you’re going or how you’ll get there. This uncertainty about the big picture puts the focus on what’s happening right now, in this instant. And then in the next instant, and the next, and the next. This is all of us, each on our own metaphysical raft under the open sky, trying to cross the wild sea. But for millions of people throughout the world this is not a metaphor. For those who are forced to flee their homeland to seek safety and a better life, it’s a description

Joe Lovano of a harrowing physical reality.”

Recognizing the arduous path refugees face, the Symphony has partnered with the local agency World Relief Triad for the concert series. World Relief Triad serves incoming refugee families in partnership with the local community. In 2023, it resettled and served 394 people from 23 countries. Over the past 35 years, World Relief Triad has assisted over 11,000 refugees, many of whom are based in Winston-Salem. The Symphony is proud to provide tickets for this concert so that resettled families and staff can attend.

Cuomo conceived and composed this concerto for his Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist friend, Joe Lovano. A living legend in the jazz world, Lovano has delivered critically acclaimed releases for decades and released 25 albums with Blue Note Records. This concert marks Lovano’s debut performance with the Winston-Salem Symphony.

The Saturday evening performance is also the debut of a new pay-what-youlike seating option starting at just $15 for young professionals. The Sunday afternoon performance will include several music and water-themed pre-concert activities for youth and families beginning 1 hour before the concert; special youth and family ticket packages are available for this performance.

“Enchanted Waters” occurs on Saturday, January 6, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, January 7, at 3:00 p.m. at R.J. Reynolds Auditorium, 301 N. Hawthorne Road.

Tickets begin at $29 and are available by calling the Symphony Box Office at 336-464-0145 or online at wssymphony. org. More information about World Relief Triad is available online at worldrelief. org/triad. !

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Catching Up With Ed Begley, Jr.

ay what you will about the six degrees of Kevin Bacon, but truth is the most connected man in Hollywood is Ed Begley, Jr. That’s because Ed knows Jim Longworth or has worked with just about every major celebrity in Longworth the universe. Now, at Large thanks to his new memoir, we can all feel connected to Ed. “To the Temple of Tranquility…and Step On It!”, takes us on a no-holdsbarred journey with Ed, who, at age 74, still looks like he could pass for a member of the Beach Boys. In the book we learn of his early struggles with alcohol (drinking a quart of vodka daily), and his more recent battle with Parkinson’s.

We discover that Ed didn’t know the identity of his biological mother until he was nearly 16 years old, yet, despite the trauma of that revelation, he didn’t hold a grudge against his Dad. Just the opposite. Ed Jr. revered his famous Oscar-winning father and was in awe of his talent. And of course, we get to learn about Ed’s celebrity friends (both famous and infamous), and what led him to become an environmental activist.

I first got “connected” to Ed back in 1997 when I was writing a series of articles about “St. Elsewhere”, the groundbreaking medical drama that launched the careers of Denzel Washington, Howie Mandel, and Mark Harmon. It also made Ed a major celebrity in his own right, garnering six straight EMMY nominations for his portrayal of Dr. Victor Ehrlich. The issues-driven show also taught Ed about the impact that television has on people’s lives. During a taping of “Donohue”, the “St. Elsewhere” cast heard from one audience member who said, “I was in the hospital for 21 days with colon cancer. Friends, God, and St. Elsewhere were responsible for healing me.”

“It made me feel good being attached to that show,” Ed told me.

Today Ed’s Parkinsons is under control, and he is still acting, most recently as the professor in Young Sheldon. He lives in a LEED-certified house with his wife Rachelle Carson who has served as

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his partner and foil both on TV and in real life for the past 24 years. I recently spoke with Ed about his new book, his health, and his commitment to protecting the environment.

Jim: Soon after your father told you the identity of your biological mother, you began to abuse alcohol. But what else drove you to drink?

Ed: Well, I really admired guys like Richard Burton, Oliver Reed, and Peter O’Toole. They were incredible actors and I wanted to be like them. I thought it was the drinking that made them great, so I actually pursued alcohol when I was just 15 and a half years old. I wanted to drink like them, drink like a man, and not like my Dad who quit drinking when I was about three years old.

Jim: You caught the acting bug from your father. Tell me about that.

Ed: When he was in a play, I would go backstage, and I went on tour with him for shows like “Look Homeward Angel” and “Advise and Consent.” I’d go backstage and I could feel the energy in the audience. So, I wanted to do what my Dad did, but I had it all wrong, Jim. I’m thinking, “Dad makes it look easy, and I’m a charming guy, so just give me a role on Gunsmoke or Ben Casey.” But I didn’t train.

Jim: Did your Dad’s name ever open doors for you or land you any jobs?

Ed: At first, I wanted to change my name and not trade off of my father’s reputation, but I quickly realized how hard it was to get into the business. I could also see how much it would hurt my father’s feelings if I changed my name and didn’t carry on the Begley tradition, so I became Ed Begley, Jr. Jim: Who were your favorite film or TV actors when you were a kid?

Ed: I liked John Wayne and Rock Hudson ..but it never occurred to me to put my father in that group because I had no idea what a great actor he was, and how incredible he was in 12 Angry Men, or how great he was in Sorry Wrong Number. I finally developed a sense of gratitude for being born the son of Ed Begley. I had won the lottery, Jim, and I didn’t even buy a ticket. Yeah, I was a “nepo” baby but I didn’t know what that was. I finally took acting classes to get some finer level of skills, and then I’d get a call from somebody saying to come in and read for a part on a TV series, and it turns out it was my father who had set it up. I just had very little

gratitude for being born on second base.

Jim: You and I are both children of the 1950s, which was hardly an era for environmental responsibility and awareness, so what led you to become an activist?

Ed: I saw the smog around Los Angeles. I saw the Santa Barbara oil spill. And I saw pictures of the Cuyahoga River catching fire in Cleveland. Well, rivers aren’t supposed to catch fire.

So when they had the first Earth Day in 1970, I said “Sign me up.” I started recycling and composting, and I bought an electric car.

Jim: You talk a lot about our carbon footprint. What do you mean?

Ed: Our carbon footprint is the net result of how much CO2 it takes to do any job or activity. It takes a certain amount of CO2 to make a mountain bike or solar panels, or a wind turbine.

But if you build them right, they last 30 or 40 years and they will give you a net savings of CO2 over the life of those items. The point is if you make your decisions with a little bit of education and a little bit of thought, you can beat the dealer, if you will. You’re using less CO2 than you are making. I have been cardon negative since 1985 thanks in part to investing in a wind farm, and installing a solar roof.

Jim: When did you first suspect that you had Parkinson’s?

Ed: Back in the late ‘90’s I’d try to do

something with my left pinky finger, and it would twitch, and I’d think, “What the hell is that?” Then I had to get special boots made because of problems with my left heel. I had pain in my left arm that lasted for months and months. All of the problems were on the left side of my body, and that was a sure sign of Parkinson’s. In 2004, I started having trouble with my balance, and my body would twitch, but I didn’t report it to the doctor. Then in 2016, I went to a speech therapist because I was starting to slur my words and couldn’t articulate them the way I used to. That’s when I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

Jim: You probably know more celebrities than anyone else in Hollywood. Your friends include Taylor Swift, Nicholson, DiCaprio, Denzel, Meryl Streep, and hundreds of other A-listers. Even so, how is it you came to cook dinner for DeNiro, Tommy Lee Jones, Daniel Day Lewis, and Hugh Jackman all on one night?

Ed: That was the brainchild of Howard Koch, Jr. a friend of mine who was president of the academy and I was on the board. And Howard said, “I have a great idea, let’s have the governors of each branch cook dinner for a group of 2013 Oscar nominees. So, I cooked a vegan meal for those guys. They all had a great time interacting with each other and enjoyed each other’s company.

Jim: Why did you decide to write this book now?

Ed: Two years ago, my daughter Hayden came to me and said she wanted to record some stories of what it was like when I was growing up, and some of the famous people I had known. It was kinda fun talking to her about that, so I started taking some notes on my computer, and typing up all those things that were in the attic of my mind.

Jim: You wrote in the book that you were once attacked by 25 guys, stabbed repeatedly, and almost died. Is it true that those guys were oil lobbyists?

Ed: (laughs) It was not true, and it wasn’t 25. It was maybe a dozen.

“To the Temple of Tranquility…and Step On It!” is available from Amazon. !

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) and streaming on WFMY+.

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flicks

The Iron Claw details the tragic downfall of a dynasty

D

uring the late 1970s and early 1980s, the Von Erich family was a force to be reckoned with in professional wrestling circles. Yet Mark Burger there were always rumors of the “Von Erich Curse,” which Contributor transpired when patriarch Fritz opted to use his mother’s maiden name as opposed to her married name (Adkisson) because Von Erich sounded more forceful and formidable.

The Von Erich saga has been brought to the screen as The Iron Claw, so named for the clan’s signature wrestling move, by writer/producer/director Sean Durkin, who made an impressive feature debut with Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) and recently earned plaudits for the Amazon mini-series remake of Dead Ringers in 2023.

For those who remember the era, it’s fun to revisit the big hair, outlandish costumes, and vintage trash talk. The endless debate

about whether wrestling is more of a staged spectacle than a legitimate sport is addressed by Durkin, who seems to want to have it both ways. Nevertheless, the wrestling choreography by Chavo Guerrero Jr. (who also appears as “The Sheik”), is utterly convincing. There’s no question the wrestlers take a beating, whether it’s merely for show or otherwise.

As portrayed in the film, the Von Erichs are a close-knit, church-going family. Fritz (Holt McCallany) is the proud patriarch who demands only the best from his offspring: Kevin (Zac Efron), David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), and Mike (Stanley Simons). (Another son, Chris, has been omitted altogether.)

A former pro wrestler himself, Fritz is determined that his sons will surpass his accomplishments in the ring. If that means fanning the flames of sibling rivalry, so be it, and his single-minded obsession is essentially shared by wife Doris (Maura Tierney), herself no pushover.

The Von Erich Curse is occasionally referred to by members of the family, and although they try to laugh it off it lingers in the back of their minds. The familial chemistry established by the actors never feels forced and goes a long way toward making The Iron Claw as emotionally affecting as it

is, despite some melodramatic missteps along the way.

When the curse hits, it hits hard and rapidly, as David, Kerry, and Mike (who never wanted to wrestle in the first place) are befallen by setbacks and tragedy in quick succession. Only Kevin begins to consider that Fritz’s desire to achieve greatness is what’s destroying the family from within.

Fritz preaches a united front, but only so long as he’s calling the shots. Like a latter-day King Lear, he’s blind to the emotional upheaval he fosters among his children. He’ll take the credit when things go right but is singularly unable to acknowledge blame when they go wrong.

Efron, whose remarkable physical transformation to portray Kevin is nothing short of extraordinary, is the heart and soul of The Iron Claw, so much so that Durkin cannot resist scrutinizing the confusion

and grief the actor expresses ad infinitum.

It’s one of Efron’s best performances, and McCallany, long one of our best character actors, delivers a knockout turn of his own. Lily James also registers strongly as Kevin’s wife Pam, desperately trying to save him — literally — from himself.

The narrative is never quite able to pull itself out of the emotional hole it digs for itself, however. The downward spiral of the Von Erichs is conveyed in an admittedly effective but undeniably protracted fashion. The Iron Claw is much longer than it needs to be. Although the end credits indicate there was a happy ending for Kevin and Pam, the film is more downbeat than uplifting. Durkin’s sincerity is evident throughout and is manifested in the performances he elicits from his talented cast. It’s a flawed but worthwhile film, and a fitting tribute to the Von Erich family and their legacy. !

Migration is a mild family diversion The animated feature Migration is preceded by a short called Mooned, an interstellar spin-off of the Despicable Me/Minions franchise. Any time spent with the Minions is time well spent, even if Mooned is only modestly enjoyable.

The same could be said of Migration, a pleasant, family-friendly comedy about a family of mallard ducks — named “The Mallards,” no less — that impetuously opts to join their fellow flying fowl rather than spend the winter in the sleepy New England pond they call home. Their ostensible destination is Jamaica, and the film’s ostensible intention is that getting there is all the fun.

Running a mere 83 minutes long (not inWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

cluding the short), Migration cannot be accused of overstaying its welcome, and it’s not a chore to sit through. There are some chuckles and titters here and there, but no real belly laughs. The screenplay by Mike White, who collaborated on the story with director Benjamin Renner, is simple and straightforward, and clearly aimed at smaller children, the majority of whom will likely be charmed by the film’s often-impressive visuals. Yet there’s an air of predictability to the proceedings, as nicely rendered as they are.

The voiceover cast adds some spark: Kumail Nanjiani (sounding a bit like Martin Short) and Elizabeth Banks as Mr. and Mrs. Mallard (“Mack” and “Pam,” respectively),

Caspar Jennings and newcomer Treci Gazal as their children, Danny DeVito as the quintessentially grumpy but lovable Uncle Dan, Carol Kane, Awkwafina, Isabela Merced, David Mitchell, and Keegan-Michael Key, whose accent playing the Jamaican macaw Delroy is far better than the thick New York accent he adopted in the recent Wonka.

There is a villain, although the film doesn’t need one, an obsessive, heavily tattooed Gotham chef whose specialty, coincidentally, is duck l’orange. He barely utters a word throughout, and the character’s fate is literally left dangling, as if the filmmakers simply forgot about him.

Better that the film had stuck to slapstick shenanigans and dispensed with the action.

It’s revealing nothing that the door is left wide open for further Mallard misadventures, but Migration doesn’t necessarily warrant them. It’s simple, easily digestible, none-too-memorable holiday fare. It’s not bad, just merely passable. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies.

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leisure [NEWS OF THE WEIRD]

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VOTED THE TRIAD’S BEST RIBS

BRIGHT IDEA

If you’re looking for a crafty project for 2023, the online shop Savor has you covered, Slate reported. For the low, low price of $46.95, you can put together your own “In Case I Go Missing” binder, which Savor says “makes it super easy for the true-crime obsessed to record their key stats for their loved ones.” Those facts include medical and financial information, fingerprints and lists of “hangout spots.” One woman said she added “a hair sample just in case they need it for DNA testing.” Elizabeth Jeglic, a professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, soothingly says, “The majority of adults will not go missing or be kidnapped.” Her colleague Patrick McLaughlin offers some ideas for the kit, though: recent photos, the unlock code for your phone, pics of tattoos, scars or birthmarks, handwriting samples — but he warns that such binders might not be admissible as evidence.

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Wow! Things went literally and physically south on July 11 at a press dinner on New York’s Upper East side in support of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s presidential campaign. According to Page Six, as Kennedy answered questions, someone posed one about climate change, but before Kennedy could answer, Doug Dechert, the event host, screamed, “The climate hoax!” Which brought a scold from art critic Anthony Haden-Guest, who called him a “miserable blob.” The two continued their exchange, with Kennedy calmly looking on, until Dechert loudly released a “prolonged fart” while yelling, helpfully, “I’m farting!” After attempts to change the subject and more verbal antics, the evening wound down.

The next day, Dechert told Page Six, “I apologize for using my flatulence as a medium of public commentary in your presence.” How do I get on this guest list?

BRIGHT IDEA

Michael Raduga, 40, founder of the Phase Research Center in Russia, but — critically — NOT a doctor or neurosurgeon, nearly lost his life in June when he tried to implant a chip in his brain on his own, in his living room in Kazakhstan. The Daily Mail reported that Raduga lost more than a liter of blood in his quest to control his dreams. He said he practiced on five sheep’s brains and watched hours of neurosurgery

on YouTube before starting on his own head. “During the first 30 minutes I was ready to give up many times because ...

I was afraid I could just lose consciousness,” Raduga said. “I finished the surgery, I took a shower and I worked for 10 hours straight. People didn’t know.”

But neurosurgeon Alex Green of the University of Oxford wasn’t having it.

“This is an extremely dangerous thing to do,” he said. “We are probably decades away from being able to synthesize new experiences.”

CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE

Pastor John Lindell of the James River Church in Springfield, Missouri, claimed on the congregation’s livestream on March 15 that a “creative miracle” had taken place the day before at the church’s Joplin location, the Springfield News-Leader reported. Lindell explained that “prayer team members” had prayed over Kristina Dines, who had had three toes amputated after her husband shot her in 2015. “As the ladies prayed for Krissy ... all three toes grew, and by that point, were longer than her pinky toe,” Lindell said in the livestream. “Within an hour, nails began to grow on all the toes,” he added. While Dines hasn’t commented to the paper, she said in a video on Twitter that she saw the toes reforming. “Listen, do you understand? I can stand on tippy toes.

No, I couldn’t do that (before) because I didn’t have toes to tippy on,” Dines said. During the livestream, Lindell also suggested to parishioners that other miracles are coming: “... some people in this room — you’re gonna raise people from the dead. It’s going to happen.”

Stay tuned.

CREME DE LA WEIRD

The Mondaiji Con Cafe Daku (loosely translated: Problem Child Concept Cafe) in Sapporo, Japan, was forced to fire one of its waitresses in April after she was discovered to be adding her own blood to cocktails, the Daily Mail reported.

The cafe owner called her actions “absolutely not acceptable” and said the establishment would close while every drinking glass was replaced. “We will hire a contractor to clean the store, change glasses and dispose of alcoholic beverages that may have been contaminated,” he said. He called her actions “part-time job terrorism.” A local doctor said anyone who had patronized the cafe should visit a doctor and have a blood test. !

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[KING CROSSWORD]

[WEEKLY SUDOKU]

CALCULATING CHARACTERS

ACROSS 1 4 8 14 19 21 22 23

24 25 26 29 30 31 32 37 39 40 44 48 49 50 51 52 53 55 57 58 63 66 67 68 69

Pet doc “Come again?”

Treats maliciously Tennis player Borg Narcissist’s problem Actress Andress Ate, as prey Football Hall of Famer Bronko Arrive on wheels Frankie or Cleo of song Start of a riddle Noise in a comic book gunfight Exotica singer Sumac “The Human Stain” novelist Philip Cure-all Race of people in an H.G. Wells novella Some sorority letters Donations to the destitute Riddle, part 2 Like much greasy food See 83-Across Corp. leader Skip over, as a vowel World War II film, when tripled Charged bit Place — (be active on eBay, say) Cheap cigar Riddle, part 3 Simile middle Chaney of film Song-belting Merman On a pension, maybe: Abbr.

Military draft gp.

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70 75

Riddle, part 4 ZZ Top album whose name is Spanish for “The Crazy One” 76 Hamm and Farrow 77 Neither’s partner 78 Tingly feeling 82 Totally tired 83 With 49-Across, touter of green eggs and ham 84 “Yes” vote 86 Early arcade giant 87 End of the riddle 93 — -Flush (bathroom brand) 94 Architect I.M. — 95 Made angry 96 Florida fruits 97 R&B great Marvin 99 Not at all new 100 Golf club 102 Riddle’s answer 111 Stalin-era labor camp 112 Polecat’s kin 113 Urge against 114 Muscat native 115 Do over 116 Office squawker 117 Fender dings 118 Mimics a mad mutt 119 Helper of Frankenstein 120 Inventor Whitney

DOWN 1 2

3 4 5 6 7

“—, vidi, vici” “The Keep” novelist Jennifer Forum wear Angel’s instrument Drunk Writer Gogol Third-largest city in

Israel Ride a wave Eighth-brightest star in the sky 10 Like a hajji’s religion 11 Second-largest city in Oklahoma 12 Charles Lamb’s alias 13 Bay Area California city 14 Equivalent of A sharp 15 Lee Tracy’s “Bombshell” co-star 16 Like praiseful poetry 17 Gossipy Barrett 18 Bakersfield-to-Boise dir.

20 Letters before 39-Across 27 Swiss watch brand 28 Clueless 32 Fizzle sound 33 Sleek, informally 34 Hair removal brand 35 Top squad 36 Mooer’s mouthful 38 On the — (fleeing) 39 “— say more?”

41 Actresses Vivien and Janet 42 In — res (mid-plot) 43 Clay pigeons to be shot, informally 45 Three x three 46 Frozen spear 47 Eats away at 53 “Were — it all over again ...”

54 “It can’t be!”

55 One of the Three Musketeers 56 Nickname for singer Justin, with “the” 57 Derisive smile 59 One of the three Furies 8 9

60 61 62 63 64

R&R alone “— boy!”

Pisa’s river Nuclear trials, for short Class of antimicrobial drugs, in the British spelling 65 Actress Sorkin who once hosted “America’s Funniest People” 71 Like animals that don’t roam 72 So-called “fifth taste” 73 Apartment near the super’s, perhaps 74 Mesh well 79 Piquancy 80 Ontario tribe 81 Cat’s warning 83 Pittsburgh footballers 84 “Chances —” 85 “Catch my drift, bro?”

86 Pie-mode link 88 1974 CIA parody film 89 More lacteal 90 Not cardinal, as a number 91 Plundering 92 Writer Sabato 98 Patronage 99 “— Loompa” 101 Half-diameters 102 Journalist Brit 103 Zing 104 Lucy Liu’s “Kill Bill” role 105 Insect traps 106 Exploiter 107 Mongrel mutt 108 Frilly material 109 Shrine figure 110 Moore of “G.I. Jane” 111 Shrine figure

SAT, FEB 10, 2024 STEVEN TANGER CENTER, 8PM

One of the most successful rock groups of the 70s and 80s, Jefferson Starship performs their top hits with the GSO. GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY! 336-335-5456 x 224 | Greensborosymphony.org Ticketmaster.com JANUARY 3-9, 2024

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feature

PHOTO BY DOUG HINEBAUGH

On Your Feet: The Estefan Musical comes to Tanger

G

Chanel Davis

Editor

aby Albo and her colleagues are preparing to dance and sing their way into your hearts as they share the story of Gloria and Emilio Estefan and how they became cultural icons.

“Be ready to have fun and go on a journey of Gloria Estefan’s biggest hits.”

“On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan” will be performed at the Steven Tanger Center, located at 300 North Elm St. in Greensboro, on Tuesday, January 16 beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets start at $29.

“On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan” is an inspiring musical about two people who believed in their talent and each other that played on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre. Based on the lives and music of 26-time Grammy Award-winning husband-andwife team Gloria and Emilio Estefan, the musical has a book written by Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and a score built around the Cuban-fusion pop music made famous by Gloria Estefan. The songs featured include “Get on Your Feet,” “Conga,” “1-2-3,” “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” and “Coming Out of the Dark.”

Albo, of Mexican descent, has won a Helen Hayes Award for her role as Gloria Estefan. She is an AMDA graduate and has participated in shows such as “A Chorus Line,” “West Side Story,” “Cats,” “Mentiras,” “Alad-

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JANUARY 3-9, 2024

dín,” “Broadway Rising Stars,” and the world premiere of On Your Feet! en Español. She was a semifinalist on the TV competition La Voz and has sung around the world on Norwegian and Regent cruise lines.

Albo, cast as Gloria, said that the musical highlights the duo’s musical hits and, in two acts, gives you an in-depth look at Gloria’s life and her rise to fame. Act One focuses on how both Gloria and Emilio met and fell in love, got their start, and fought in the Latin and mainstream music arenas to be heard.

“It starts back in her younger years and shows how they made their path to the United States and the struggles they had because everyone wasn’t understanding their music,” she said of Act One. “In the show, you can see their struggle. They would go to some radio station and they would say ‘This is too Latin’ and then some would say ‘This is too American.’ So it was definitely a new thing to bring both sounds together.”

She said the second act of the show is her favorite.

This act focuses more on Estefan’s life after hitting the top of the music charts. That success doesn’t come without its trials, tragedies, and ultimately triumphs.

“I love the second act because I think that is where people can see them as people and relate to them more, no matter the challenge. People are going to leave the theater inspired. The second act you’re going to need to have to bring out your tissues.”

The responsibility of playing such a big role of Gloria Estefan as a person of Latin/Hispanic descent is not lost on Albo.

“It’s joyful, for sure, but a lot of responsibility. I enjoy my job. It’s really demanding for me. It’s a lot of go,

PHOTO BY DJ COREY

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PHOTO BY SANTIAGO FELIPE

High Point Theatre presents

Emma Langford in Concert

2023-24 Season

SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2024 DOORS @ 6:30PM // SHOW @ 7:30PM

Emilio Estefan, Gloria Estefan, Gaby Albo, and Samuel Garnica go, go for two and a half hours straight without a break. But it is cool to be challenged in so many ways. You have to go from young Gloria to older Gloria and the choreographer/director knows that I love dancing, so even though the original show didn’t have Gloria dancing as much, he did let me do that,” Albo said. “So it’s a lot of dancing, singing, and acting the whole time. It’s definitely challenging for me as a performer, which I like. But also, on the other hand, it’s a big responsibility to portray this worldwide internationally known artist that has been important in so many ways. She opened the doors, not just for herself, but for so many others like Shakira, Ricky Martin, and huge stars after them just because they decided to be persistent about their projects and make it happen.”

Albo said she hopes attendees join the cast in singing and dancing throughout the show.

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“I would ask everybody to feel free to dance and sing. Don’t let the theater setting make you think you have to stay seated and quiet. We love when people actually get on their feet, dance, and sing,” she said. “Be ready to have fun and go on a journey of Gloria Estefan’s biggest hits. But also be prepared to go through every emotion possible. Second act you’re going to feel deeply touched in the end. You see the struggle with her mom, almost losing her life, and how love can change lives.”

For more information on the show and tickets visit, www.https://www.tangercenter.com/events/detail/on-your-feet. !

Emma Langford is a Limerick-based songwriter with strong traditional influences. Storytelling sits at the heart of everything she does, interweaving her live performances, and shining through her recorded works.

Hers is an inimitable, dreamy voice in the new wave of Irish folk. Emma’s music focuses on fascinating women in Irish history, bringing Ireland’s past into the present through modern interpretations of these stories.

JANUARY

11 Cirque International

FEBRUARY

17 Take 6 in Concert

MARCH

07 The Tartan Terrors 14 Comedy with Cathy Ladman 25 BANFF Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Acts and dates subject to change.

For a full line up of events, and up to date news, visit our website.

VISIT: HighPointTheatre.com for more information | FOR TICKETS CALL: 336-887-3001

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.

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JANUARY 3-9, 2024

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11

DJ’s Cheesecakes and the sweet taste of redemption The first time Daryl Myers’ wife Jennifer brought their then one-year-old son Trey to visit him in prison, Daryl had already decided to turn his life around and work for his family’s future. Now Ian McDowell Trey is 13 and helps his father invent new flavors for his popuContributor lar Winston-Salembased business DJ’s Cheesecakes.

“Trey’s the one who got me to start thinking outside the box, and to consider flavors like Pop Tarts, Fruity Pebbles, Captain Crunch, and Cinnamon Bun. He’ll throw out an idea, I’ll try it and it almost always comes out good and sells like crazy. My daughters Ahnya and Nevaeh are also great taste-testers, and they come up with good ideas, too.”

It’s been more than a dozen years since the Winston-Salem native got into trouble. “I’d fallen in with the wrong crowd after I got out of high school. Got locked up at the end of 2010 and had to do 16 months. During that time, I thought about my life and reevaluated my decisions. Trey was born right before I went in, and before I got out and went home, I’d come up with a plan of how to do things differently.”

His first job on the outside involved working with autistic adults in a group home. “I really enjoyed doing that, but wanted more. I wanted to have my own route of making my way. Then I found out about Triad Community Kitchen, which began as a nonprofit partnership between Second Harvest Foodbank of Northwest North Carolina and Goodwill.”

Now known as Providence Culinary Training, it has graduated 830 cooks, chefs, bakers, and baristas since it was

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founded in 1982, and has provided over 8,000 meals to the community.

“I already enjoyed cooking for my wife and kids, so I was drawn to the culinary route. Triad Community Kitchen had a scholarship program where, if you wrote a short essay about yourself and your goals in the class, they would review it, and if they liked what you wrote, you wouldn’t have to pay for the class. So, I wrote about my past and how I wanted to change my life and prove myself, and I got the scholarship.”

Myers loves cooking multi-course meals, and his initial goal was to own a food truck. “But we made cheesecakes in the class one day, and there was something about the process that just grabbed me.

The first cheesecake we made was a strawberry one. I decorated it and took a photo and put it on Facebook, and before I knew it, I had all these likes, the most likes I’d ever gotten for anything at one time, just hundreds of them! This was in 2016, right before Thanksgiving, and suddenly, all these people were asking me how they could get some of this greatlooking cheesecake.”

That’s when Daryl and Jennifer knew they were on to something.

“We went to Sam’s Club and found a KitchenAid Mixer just like I’d been using at school, and that became my first investment. Made my first cheesecake by myself without any help from my instructors at school. It was a Red Velvet Oreo. Sliced it, photographed it, and posted on Facebook that I wanted the community to try it.

People inboxed me and gave me their locations and I just rode around that whole day, dropping off samples. I was all up and down the highway delivering those.

And the response was so overwhelming, I knew I really had something here.”

Then the Thanksgiving orders started pouring in.

“I was still in the class at this time.

Daryl Myers Jr. They allowed me to use their commercial kitchen there at the school to fill all those orders I received, and I was able to sell 75 cheesecakes over Thanksgiving of 2016.”

Myers graduated from the course in January 2017 and began marketing his cheesecakes to various businesses in Winston-Salem and its environs.

“The first place I visited, I had the presentation all decorated and looking good, but when I sat down with the head chef and he asked me what ingredients I used, I was so nervous I drew a complete blank. Couldn’t remember anything. The sampling session still went well, but not like I wanted it to. So, I went back to the school and told my instructors I was trying to build a business. At that time, the school had a restaurant they operated inside the Doubletree Hotel on University Parkway, called Providence, which later shut down around COVID. The chef looked at my portfolio and said he’d love to sell my cheesecake at that restaurant.”

When he delivered his first shipment there, Myers had a big but very pleasant surprise.

“He’d picked out Red Velvet as the cheesecake he wanted to feature there, and so I took three whole ones to his restaurant. After I dropped them off in the kitchen, I was getting ready to leave, but they stopped me, and said, hey, did you see your name on the menu? The chef went and grabbed a menu and showed me where it said DJ’s Red Velvet Oreo Cheesecake! Beside it was a small bio where it called me a Triad Community Kitchen Alumni with a great story. It blew my mind just to see my name printed on a menu with all these decadent foods and stuff.”

He managed not to cry there in the restaurant, but by the time he was back in his delivery vehicle, the tears were flowing.

“From there, it snowballed. That one business turned into four, and I was post-

ing a menu on Facebook on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, to let the community know what slices I’d have available. I’d get up in the morning, slice all the cheesecakes, organize and label them, and go to each location. It would be homes, jobs, or other designated spots.”

At first, he sold between 15 and 20 slices a day, but within months was delivering over 150.

“Orders would come in from the hospital, where I’d be on different floors delivering to different nursing stations.

And then the three locations carrying me became five, and then seven, and then nine. It got all the way up to 15 locations when COVID hit, but I was still doing the slice runs on top of that. I was at a place where I wanted to get out of the door-todoor sales and concentrate solely on the commercial establishments.”

While COVID meant no more face-toface meetings with the people eating his cheesecakes, more restaurants and stores began asking for them. “Of course, I lost some with the lockdown, and at one point, it dropped from 17 locations to five.

But I managed to evolve and adapt even with COVID happening and concentrated on selling whole cheesecakes rather than slices. As the pandemic receded, the numbers picked back up.”

DJ’s Cheesecakes are currently sold at 18 different locations in Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Lexington, Mocksville, Greensboro, and Charlotte. “It’s still continuing to grow. I use social media as my main way of marketing, so check me out on Facebook.”

Despite his happy present and bright future, Myers makes a point of not hiding his past.

“One of my most difficult memories is Trey taking his first steps on the prison yard. My wife brought him to visit me when he had just turned one, and I was sitting at the table watching them come through the gates into the visitation area.

When Jennifer stepped inside, she put him down and he started walking towards me, and I realized that if I didn’t change my life, I might be watching him grow up while I’m inside the penitentiary. That’s something I keep with me to this day. It’s not your mistakes that define you, but how you respond to them.”

Information on how to order Myers (and Trey’s) cheesecakes can be found at www. djscheesecakes.com. !

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.

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Old Town Film Series kicks off 2024 with a chilling quartet of screenings TH E

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fan: Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 adaptation of The Shining, based on Stephen King’s 1977 best-seller. The Overlook Hotel is the setting for this grisly ghost story starring Jack Nicholson as struggling writer Jack Torrance, Shelley Duvall as wife Wendy, and screen newcomer Danny Lloyd as their son Danny, whose clairvoyance (referred to as “shining”) warns him that the Overlook Hotel is most certainly not the place to spend the winter months in isolation.

Despite mixed reviews upon its initial release — to say nothing of King’s criticism over Kubrick’s alterations to the text — The Shining has gone on to become a genre classic and arguably the film Kubrick is best known for. The film earned Scatman Crothers (as Dick Hallorann) the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor as well as nominations for Best Horror Film, Best Director, and Best Music.

The month wraps on January 25th with co-writer/director Brad Anderson’s awardwinning (and self-explanatory) 2008 thriller Transsiberian, which is set aboard the Transsiberian Express during its journey from Beijing to Moscow, at eight days the longest train ride in the world. Woody Harrelson and Emily Mortimer portray an American couple who unexpectedly find themselves enmeshed in international intrigue. They are the quintessential “innocents abroad,” but those around them are not quite so innocent — as they are soon to discover. Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara, Eduardo Noriega, Thomas Kretschmann, and Colin Stinton also appear, and the film earned Saturn Award nominations for Best International Film, Best Actress (Mortimer), and Best Supporting Actor (Harrelson).

Next month marks the first anniversary of the Old Town Film Series, which was initiated by Michael DeVitto Kelly, the recreation center supervisor, who previously created a similar program in South Florida when he worked for the Broward County Library System. A life-long film aficionado with a predilection for scare fare (as the titles above indicate), “I wanted the cold and snowy bleakness of winter to be the backdrop for each film,” he said. “When I lived in New Jersey, I was a member of a ski club, so Frozen definitely made me shiver!”

Kelly will introduce each film and there will be an informal discussion after each screening. For more information, call (336) 922-3561 or e-mail michaelke@cityofws. org. !

8900 Ellisboro Road Stokesdale, NC 27357 HOURS Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm Sunday 10am-6pm (336) 643-5249 | www.stokesdalebirite.com

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Having celebrated the holidays with such yuletide favorites as Gremlins (1984), Die Hard (1988), and The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992), the Old Town Film Series is ready to roll into Mark Burger the new year with a fearsome foursome of wintry selecContributor tions. The films will be screened each Thursday throughout the month at 7 p.m. at the Old Town Neighborhood Center, 4550 Shattalon Drive, Winston-Salem. Each film is rated R. Admission is free and refreshments will be available for purchase during the screenings.

The shudders begin Thursday with Wind Chill (2007), which stars Emily Blunt and Ashton Holmes as college students who share a ride home for the holiday break, only to have their car break down on a remote stretch of road, where they begin to encounter the ghosts of people who have died there over the years. Will they manage to survive the elements, or will they eventually join those specters that have been terrorizing them? Martin Donovan and Ned Bellamy also appear in the film, which was directed by Gregory Jacobs (Magic Mike XXL).

The chills continue on January 11th with writer/director Adam Green’s aptly titled Frozen (2010) — which is most definitely not to be confused with the animated Disney film — stars Shawn Ashmore, Emma Bell, and Kevin Zegers as skiers unexpectedly trapped on a ski lift during a weekend getaway. Green, who also appears briefly in the film, eschews any supernatural trappings, as the terrified trio is exposed to the punishing elements while a devastating winter storm approaches, forcing them to make life-or-death decisions from which there is no going back. At the 2010 Fright Meter Awards, Frozen copped the Best Director award for Green and Best Supporting Actor for Zegers, with additional nominations for Best Horror Movie, Best Actor (Ashmore), Best Actress (Bell), and Best Screenplay.

The film also earned a Saturn Award nomination for Best Horror Film.

The January 18th selection scarcely needs any introduction to any horror

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Reliving Spirits with Squatweiler

To relieve a full bladder is one of the great human joys,” wrote Henry Miller in his 1936 “Black Spring” collection of short stories — a quote from which the WinstonKatei Cranford Salem art punk band, Squatweiler, pulled for their 1993 debut Contributor release “Full Bladder”; and one that expresses a certain joy they’ll relive at their upcoming sold-out reunion-show 30-some years later, as ‘Squatweiler Live: A Full Bladder Shindig’ comes to Gas Hill Drinking Room January 12.

“Honoring the ever-burning punk-rock spirit” and “wild, free spirit nights of our city and our youth,” the Squatweiler lineup features founders: guitarist Trip Costner (WS expat, Huel Records co-founder) and Haydee Thompson (West End Art Hotel owner and curator); along with drummer Lauren Myers (Camel City Yacht Club, Easybake, and Ladies Auxiliary), and Kat Lamp (visual artist for bands like Wilco and The Avett Brothers) on bass.

They’ll rock songs off the first two Squatweiler records: “Full Bladder” and “All Tempo Hot Pants,” reflecting the DIY punk rock, riotgrrrl days before the group’s move to DC and disbandment in 2001.

“It’s like riding a bike,” Thompson said of prepping their return, ”but like one of those party bikes!”

Rolling down memory lane, Squatweiler came together during Thompson’s days as a student at UNC-School of the Arts. “I delivered pizza at The Screamin Deacon which was on Trade Street, where the bus station parking lot is now,” she explained. “It really was the only thing downtown at the time, and had a pretty big stage with music on weekends. Trip’s band, Soda Can, would play there and we all hit it off and started to play music at the ‘Waffle House’, aka ‘the Wake Forest Weirdo Artist house’.“ Costner echoed the downtown dissolution.

“You could rent an abandoned storefront downtown and put on a punk show from a desperate real estate company for like a hundred bucks,” he said. “We rented the Huel Records office — where Yamas on 4th St. is now — for only $75 a month.”

“It was this quiet, abandoned tobacco town,” Thompson affirmed. “We had the

14 YES! WEEKLY

JANUARY 3-9, 2024

run of the place!”

As frat-house genres dominating Deactown gave way, “the main scene at the time was these big funkyish bands like Sex Police, Johnny Quest, and Dillon Fence,” Costner recalled.

“So when Soda Can ended, it seemed to be the right time for some back to basics, vulnerable, free from stereotypes, kickass punk rock music.”

With the underdog spirit biting hard at both bands and Triad cities, “It was the perfect fertile ground for the creative explosion of the early-90’s,” Costner said. “Winston and Greensboro really offered a forum stage for new bands to play out, learn on the job, and say what they needed to say in places like Miracle House (where Lauren played with Barbaloot Soup), New Start, Wake Radio House, and Pablos.”

For Squatweiler, homebase stemmed from a ”dilapidated house overrun with cats” behind Hill’s BBQ on Patterson Road.

“We were four folks at the right place and at the right time who didn’t want to be pigeonholed as anything specific,” Costner said, digging into their DIY ethos. “We all loved to rock, stir up a little trouble, and live the artist’s way: poverty, adventure, and fun.”

“Bands like Avail, Fugazi, and Super Chunk set the blueprint to follow,” he continued, blending ideals for his band and the Huel label behind Squatweiler’s first two albums.

“Owning and operating your own destiny was the only way forward. At the time I felt that a lot of the bullshit of being in a DIY punk band was worth it, as punk rock legends like Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, Exene Cervenka, were just aware of our art and we were respected.”

Thompson agreed.

“When Rollins wrote in Spin Magazine that he was ‘listening currently to Thin Lizzy and Squatweiler,’ I thought: well DAMN!,” she said. “It was like, ‘we’ve made it. This is it, no more peanut butter sandwiches!”

“I was a child,” she laughed.

Looking ahead, Squatweiler is stoked to play as proper adults these 20 years on — an event fueled by the hard realities of life’s march forward.

“Pursuing joy, human connections, kindness, forgiving and accepting all past bullshit is a major part of my life now,” Costner said, reflecting the personal revelations that followed his father’s death in 2021. “Spending time back in NC made me

realize that I love the state, my memories there, and my dear creative community,” he explained. “This all led me to driving down to Winston with a tiny practice amp, guitar in hand; and dreams of playing the early Squatweiler music again.”

The process of turning that dream into reality has been, “slow, nurturing, and steady,” he noted. “We practiced off-and-on for a year-and-ahalf before we booked a show, and we got lucky getting Kat Lamp on bass for this show. She rocks!”

Longtime fan, former bandmate in other projects, and all-around merch design master, Lamp has also drafted new Squatweiler designs for merch available online and at the show. “It’s been a very long time since I’ve played music with people,” Lamp said, ”and creating art for friends I’m playing music with has felt so good.”

Thompson agreed.

“Kat was my first pick!” she said. “We were in All Astronauts together, she’s a sick bass player — and a great friend — plus, I remember her from Squatweiler shows! She already knew the words!”

Knowing the words — and the “cute and demonic” suggested vibe — Lamp’s a natural fit to help deliver Squatweiler’s “forceful, but hook-laden tunes,” Costner described.

“We’re a beautiful marriage of fringe Grunge bands like Screaming Trees or Mudhoney with the larger-than-life choruses of Zeppelin, The Who, and Black Sabbath, expressed from the first-person POV of super badass women.”

Getting down to gear, Costner’s early-60s Harmony Stratotone encouraged songs with “big open chord structures,” he explained. “I was also a Minutemen fanatic at the time, so danceability was important.”

Drawing the general jam econo punk rock influences, Costner also points to albums like DeLa Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising” highlighting the value of a song’s groove along with other elements. “I was hosting the ‘Funk Odyssey,’ an early hip-hop and classic funk show on WAKE Radio; and it inspired several hip-hop influenced breakdowns in the early Squatweiler songs like ‘Full Bladder,’ ‘4th of July’, and ‘73 Degrees’.”

Honoring that influence, Emceein’ Eye is on deck to open the show — with noted surprises and special guests planned throughout the evening, as the band

celebrates their earliest material.

“These songs represent vulnerability,” Costner explained of the set selection. “They follow the absurdity of life, portraits of the people who come and go, and add to the cannon of DIY punk rock being a great way to spend your youth.”

“As Rollins and Mike Watt say,” Costner continued: “Get your friends, grab some instruments, and get in the van.” Relishing their experiences doing just that, Squatweiler’s move to DC came with a deal from the NYC-based SpinART Records; as well as tours supporting Bad Religion, Henry Rollins, and Gwar and shows with bands like X, Sleater Kinney, and Babes in Toyland.

Costner stuck around the DC area following Squatweiler’s 2001 split; playing the Whips and artists in the Dischord Records: periphery like Arika Casebolt, James Brady, and Matt Burger. His latest project is the Nomad Showers Collective.

Thompson returned to Winston-Salem as part of the Wherehouse Arts Collective, after years in NYC, touring the country in musicals, and working for David Byrne. Her latest endeavor, the West Salem Art Hotel, will unveil a new upstairs gallery space (featuring an exhibition from painter Clarence Hines) opening on January 18; and they’ll host a doom folk performance from Night Teacher on January 20.

Thompson and Costner both continue viewing the world through the same punk lens that first fueled Squatweiler. “I love that we all placed no boundaries or limits on what we were doing or the places we could go with our art,” Costner said. “As we grow older — I’m 55 — the world has a way of giving us all joy, sorrow, heartbreak, and hope for the future.”

And in that future, the prospects remain unwritten.

“We’re going with the flow and the vibrations in a RZA/Wu-Tang way,” Costner explained. “The vibe will tell us what to do next if we’re listening. I have no choice but to write music till I die, so it’s all about working with the right people that bring your creativity and music joy to the surface.”

For now, however, the vibes are strong for their first show back. “I feel bad we sold out this show so quickly!” Thompson said. “We might have to do another one so our friends who couldn’t get a ticket in time can come!

We’ll see.”

Squatweiler returns, January 12 at Gas Hill Drinking Room in Winston-Salem. !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

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last call [SALOME’S STARS]

[TRIVIA TEST]

Week of January 8, 2024

[SCORPIO (October 23 to Novem-

new year holds promise for all you Lambs who know how to take advantage of the opportunities out there. The key is keeping a positive attitude.

ber 21) Developments in the year ahead can be more challenging than you had expected, but the rewards will be well worth your efforts.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Over

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to

the course of this new year, you beautiful Bovines will continue bulldozing the barriers that stand between you and the success of your long-term plans.

December 21) You are the Philosopher of the Zodiac, and your wisdom will go a long way in helping you deal with the challenges of the upcoming year.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) The new year kicks off with a major decision about a job change that could involve a lot of travel. The choice you make could influence other decisions down the line.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Take stock of what you propose to do in the new year and get started as soon as possible. On another note, last year’s critics turn into this year’s admirers.

Familial relationships continue to have a strong influence on whatever long-term decisions you make involving both your career and your personal life.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Any decisions that you put off making last year should be confronted and dealt with as soon as possible. You need to clear away the past and make room for the future.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Last year’s disappointments are history. Expect to see more opportunities opening up and waiting for you to use them to your advantage.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You still have some trouble spots lingering from last year. Resolve them so that you can move on to tackle more rewarding situations.

crossword on page 9

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[2. TELEVISION: In the drama series

[7. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of nut is

Mad Men, what product is presumed to be Don Draper’s last advertisement?

[3. GEOGRAPHY: What is a chain or col-

© 2024 by King Features Syndicate

used in marzipan?

[8. MUSIC: What is the gift on the 11th day in the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas”?

[4. MOVIES: To which city is the Mc-

[9. SCIENCE: How much of the Earth’s

Callister family traveling in the holiday classic Home Alone?

[5. LEGAL: What is a moot court?

surface is covered with water?

[10. HISTORY: What are the two Japanese cities that the United States hit with atomic bombs in WWII?

answer

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Although new friends open up different social vistas, your penchant for privacy is still strong and allows you the quiet time you need to indulge in your creative gifts.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You have deep reservoirs of strength that give you extraordinary staying power amid the most difficult conditions.

the heroine in “The Scarlet Letter”?

lection of islands called?

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) This year, the typically gentle Water Bearer can reveal a hidden streak of steel that few people suspected you had; they will be surprised to see how you use it.

© 2024 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

TR ASURE The

CLUB

A D U L T E N T E R TA I N M E N T A N D S P O R TS B A R & C LU B

answers [CROSSWORD]

[6. LITERATURE: What is the name of

Three King’s Day celebrated typically?

6. Hester Prynne.

7. Almond.

8. 11 pipers piping.

9. Almost 71%.

10. Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22)

[1. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: When is

1. Jan. 6, the 12th day of Christmas.

2. Coca-Cola.

3. An archipelago.

4. Paris, France.

5. A simulated court to give law students a chance to practice what they have learned.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The

by Fifi Rodriguez

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