YES! Weekly - February 7, 2024

FREE THE TRIAD’S ALTERNATIVE VOICE SINCE 2005

TRIAD STAGE

NO MORE

INVESTORS LOOK TO TURN THEATER INTO MUSIC VENUE

YESWEEKLY.COM

YOUR ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE

YOKAI

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

P. 4

ORIGIN

P. 8

GORYANGO

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

P. 16

YES! WEEKLY

1

GET

inside

w w w.y e s w e e k l y. c o m

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 6

12

TRIAD STAGE NO MORE

VOTE NOW

VOTE.THETRIADSBEST.COM

According to one of the local investors who purchased the Triad Stage building at 232 S. Elm St. in downtown Greensboro, the site will become a music venue rather than the acclaimed regional theater it was from 2002 until 2023.

2 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

4

8

16

5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD JIM LONGWORTH NAIMA SAID DALIA RAZO LYNN FELDER PRODUCTION Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com

4

From Tal Blevins and Chef Kevin Cottrell, the team that brought us the esteemed Machete, now comes Yokai...

YOKAI is a café, with most seating along

the bar or in front of the open kitchen.

Booths along one side and elevated chairs and tables down the middle constitute the rest of the accommodations.

6 “OUT at the Movies,” Winston-Salem’s popular LGBTQ+ screening series and annual film festival, kicks off its 2024 slate of events with a biggie: The world premiere of the pseudo-documentary OSCAR WILDE ABOUT AMERICA. 7 The Hispanic League’s Beating Hearts Zumbathon® is back and better than ever. The 2024 BEATING HEARTS ZUMBATHON® is scheduled for Friday, February 9th, at the Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness in WinstonSalem, from 5:30 to 8 p.m.

8 ORIGIN, writer/producer/director Ava DuVernay’s latest drama, is “inspired” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Washington’s book “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents,” which became a best-seller in 2020.

10 ...I’ve never been a parent, so there

is no way I can possibly know what it is to lose a child. I can, however, sympathize and empathize with GRIEVING PARENTS, especially when they had no control over the fate of their child.

13 This past Friday evening, the High

Point Arts Council celebrated 62 years of serving High Point as an arts hub, while revealing its rebranding and new strategic plan in “A NEW HUE: The High Point Arts Council Reimagined.”

14 A FEMA section chief and a successful filmmaker are among the distinguished alumni of the UNC-Greensboro ANTHROPOLOGY DEPARTMENT who condemn its recently announced termination.

16 GORYANGO is hosting a show with Secret Monkey Weekend, The Trick Threat at Gas Hill on February 16. What started as a mid-aughts trio between two siblings, bassist Christian Ryan and drummer Brett Ryan; along with their bud guitarist Matt Weiser, was revived as an alt-rock quartet in 2019 with guitar and mandolin offerings from John Richardson.

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.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

[SPOTLIGHT]

NCDOT TO HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING REGARDING THE PROPOSAL TO IMPROVE I-85/I-485 INTERCHANGE WEST OF CHARLOTTE IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY

RIVERRUN TO PRESENT SPECIAL ONE-TIME FREE SCREENING OF SIDNEY PRESS RELEASE

RiverRun International Film Festival will host a special one-time screening of Sidney, an acclaimed documentary from producer Oprah Winfrey about the life and career of Sidney Poitier, on Sunday, February 18, at 3 p.m. at Marketplace Cinemas in Winston-Salem.

Poitier’s daughter, Pamela Poitier, will attend this screening as a special guest.

Following the film screening, Poitier will participate in an on-stage interview with Jackie Alexander, Producing Artistic Director of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, producers of the International Black Theatre Festival.

This screening is free and open to the public, but reservations must be made online prior to the screening at riverrunfilm.com. Sidney is expected to be a very popular screening that will fill quickly.

Those who are interested are urged to register as soon as possible.

Sidney Poitier was one of the most acclaimed and recognizable stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood with a career spanning more than five decades and was the first Black man to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. Additionally, Poitier was also a director and an activist in the Civil Rights Movement.

Sidney was in development and production for five years and draws upon eight hours of interview footage with Poitier himself conducted by Winfrey in 2012 along with commentary from Winfrey, Spike Lee, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Quincy Jones, cultural critic Nelson George, and Lulu, Poitier’s co-star in To Sir, with Love. In an interview with Peter Hammond at Deadline, director Reginal Hudlin compared the use of Poitier’s own voice from the Winfrey interview in telling the story of his life to Miles Davis in terms of all the cadence and rhythms of how he told it. Having the footage was a godsend to Hudlin as a director.

The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. Reviewing the film for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw called it an “inspirational story” and noted, “The documentary does a very good job of showing just how astounding Poitier’s self-invention was, considering his early poverty, a story almost Dickensian in its drama and romance.” In Variety, Peter Debruge wrote, “Few movie stars have been more inspirational than Poitier, who was more than just a movie star but also a symbol to so many — be they aspiring Black performers or the public at large, who saw their own views on Civil Rights WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

STIP Project No. I-6016 CHARLOTTE - The N.C. Department of Transportation is hosting a public meeting to discuss the proposal to improve the interchange at I-85/I-485 west of Charlotte. The purpose of this project is congestion management and to improve safety.

Project details and maps can be found on the NCDOT project web page: https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-85-i-485-improvements/Pages/ default.aspx. The information will be presented at the meeting allowing for one-on-one discussions with engineers, but there will be no formal presentation.

embodied in the characters he played.”

The documentary had the full support of Poitier’s family.

ABOUT PAMELA POITER

Pamela Poiter is an accomplished and award-winning actor of theatre, television, and feature films. She has appeared in a number of plays including the Broadway production of “The Gospel of Colonus” with Morgan Freeman. Her feature films include Stir Crazy and Ghost Dad. As a writer and producer, Poitier has published a book of poetry, “A Woman’s Soul” and has written several television productions. A former teacher at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City, Poitier has taught acting and movement in New York, along with Los Angeles, Atlanta, and the Bahamas. She is a conservationist who lives totally off the grid on Cat Island in the Bahamas and is active in teaching children the importance of conservation and recycling. !

RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Founded in 1998, RiverRun is a competitive event that annually showcases new films from both established and emerging filmmakers around the world.

Each spring, RiverRun screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, offering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories.

WANNA go?

For more information, visit riverrunfilm.com.

Sidney is presented with the support of The RiverRun International Film Festival BIPOC Fellowship, which is a sponsored project of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County and funded through ARPA supported by the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners.

The meeting will be held Feb. 8 at Mount Carmel Baptist, 7237 Tuckaseegee Road, Charlotte. The public is invited to attend at any time between 4 - 7 p.m.

People may also submit comments by phone at 984-205-6615 project code 6824, email l85-l485-westcharlotte@publicinput.com, or mail at the address shown below by Feb. 27, 2024.

By Mail:

Radha Attaluri NCDOT Project Management Unit – Project Manager 1582 Mail Service Center Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1582

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 1-800-4816494.

Read us on your phone when you can’t pick up a paper!

THE ALL-NEW

YESWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

3

chow

4 YES! WEEKLY

EAT IT!

Soba Noodles

Tuna Tacos

Chow Down with John Batchelor at Yokai

F

Ramen

Read us on your phone when you can’t pick up a paper!

THE ALL-NEW

YESWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

rom Tal Blevins and Chef Kevin Cottrell, the team that brought us the esteemed Machete (600 C Battleground Ave., Greensboro 27401, 336-2658859, machetegso.com), now comes Yokai. Chef Cottrell formerly cooked at Reel Seafood Grill and One Restaurant in Chapel Hill. Tal Blevins graduated from Page High School and UNC-G, then relocated to San Francisco, where he spent 20 years as a tech journalist.

Yokai is a café, with most seating along the bar or in front of the open kitchen.

Booths along one side and elevated chairs and tables down the middle constitute the rest of the accommodations. Owner Blevins traveled extensively in Japan and Korea. The menu is based on impressions of Japanese food, not strictly an effort to create a pure Japanese restaurant.

The name comes from “strange, powerful spirits from Japanese folklore” (menu).

There is a whimsical air about this place, flowing from the big images behind the bar, continuing into menu blurbs that describe other characters in the genre.

A very brief wine list (five choices) suggests that management does not expect to engage in much wine traffic. This style of food is not about wine, however. A lengthy range of sake selections, plus lots of cocktails join Japanese and American artisan beers, all of which fit the food concept more closely.

A substantial portion of the menu is devoted to small plates. These encourage

sampling, drinking, and conversation. Not intimate conversation mind you — this is one of those high-energy places where techno music throbs.

Spicy Tuna Tacos are my favorite from this section of the menu. Sushi grade tuna, cut into small pieces, is marinated in kewpie — a tangy-sweet Japanese mayonnaise, hosted in crisp wonton taco shells. The shells convey good flavor and texture of their own, blending well with the fresh-tasting tuna.

Kalbi is this kitchen’s version of beef barbecue short ribs. A slice — about a quarter inch thick — of firm meat, decorated with white sesame seeds and seaweed, tastes primarily of Korean-style sweetish barbecue sauce.

Bao Buns are puffy-soft steamed bread that host a designated filling. Yokai offers fried chicken katsu or pork belly, or both.

(You get two in an order.) I ordered both.

The chicken is a fried cutlet, crispy, that gains flavor from tonkatsu sauce, a blend of carrots, onions, dates, and celery*. The pork belly is leaner than the term impliesa strip of fat around the edge, with most of the meat firm and flavorful.

I was especially taken with Soba Noodles. These are buckwheat noodles, served chilled, coated in sesame oil and sprinkled with white sesame seeds. The sesame flavor is great, and this kitchen gets the balance right — it’s not overpowering, and you can still taste the noodles themselves. Slices of pickled carrot peek out from the sides, while shreds of spring onion decorate the top.

From the “bigs” list, my wife ordered

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Rice Cakes Art displayed behind the bar Cheesy Tteobokki Rice Cakes. These are cylinders, fairly firm in texture, with a mildly spicy cheese flavor. Crisp rice flakes highlight the presentation. I tried Ramen noodles — chewy wheat pasta cooked in rich chicken broth. Two halves of a soft-cooked egg float in the liquid; the egg taste goes well with the broth.

You can choose an additional proteinchicken katsu or pork belly. I got chicken and found thin dark meat coated in a very crisp crust, decorated with white sesame

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

seeds. Triangles of seaweed complete the presentation. (Chicken Katsu is also available as sort of a sandwich, with cabbage, on Texas toast.)

An entry on the back of the menu explains, “Inspired by Japanese izakaya culture, the restaurant and bar Yokai is a meeting place for friends to catch up and have a few laughs in a casual setting over affordable drinks and food. Literally translating to ‘a place to settle and drink,’ izakaya are a melting pot of flavors,

cultures, and tastes where everyone is welcome, and it’s usually where you’ll find friends enjoying each other’s company after work and on the weekends.”

That explanation captures the essence of this restaurant. !

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.

Bao Buns

WANNA go?

Yokai 501 N. Greene Street Greensboro 27401 336-223-1927 yokaigso.com Hours: 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5-10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday (bar open one hour later), 3-8 p.m. Sunday bar service Smalls: $5-$11 Bigs: $11-$16 Desserts: $6-$8 Most recent visit: January 20

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

5

visions

SEE IT!

“

“OUT at the Movies” goes Wilde for world premiere screening

OUT at the Movies,” WinstonSalem’s popular LGBTQ+ screening series and annual film festival, kicks off its 2024 slate of events with a biggie: The world preMark Burger miere of the pseudodocumentary Oscar Wilde About America, Contributor which reimagines the famous novelist’s 1882 tour of America as taking place at a present-day coast-to-coast road trip. Wilde is played

by Oscar Conlon-Morey, a fast-rising and award-winning stage actor enjoying his first big-screen lead, with Kate Burton (recently seen in Dumb Money), Randy Jones, Michael Childers, and Tony Award winner

6 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

and Oscar nominee Rosemary Harris in support.

The premiere of Oscar Wilde About America will take place Saturday, February 24th, beginning with a “VIP Dinner With the Stars” at 6 p.m., the screening at 8 p.m., and a post-screening Q&A session with members of the cast and crew on hand to discuss the film’s production. Both the dinner and screening will be held at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St. in Winston-Salem. Tickets for the screening only are $20 and tickets for the “VIP Dinner With the Stars” and screening are $100, and can be purchased here: https://outatthemovies.org/worldpremiere-of-oscar-wilde-about-america/.

Writer/director James Walsh and actors Conlon-Morrey, Burton, Jones, and Harris are currently scheduled to attend the event.

In 1882, the 27-year-old Wilde embarked on a 150-city tour of the United States,

which set records for ticket sales at many of the venues he appeared and made nationwide headlines. This predated the publication of his classic 1890 novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and his back-to-back theater successes An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest (both 1895), as well as the sex scandal and subsequent lawsuits that derailed his career and remain controversial to this day.

Despite never having been to America before, Wilde was hailed and welcomed as a literary genius with an unflagging spirit and a unique wit — both of which are conveyed in the film. A famous quote attributed to Wilde is that “America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.”

Writer/director Walsh believes that the film’s humor and satire are as relevant today as in 1882. “The film is a fantastical journey through our wildly diverse country, as (our) Oscar searches for the joy and liberation that eluded (the real) Oscar Wilde 141 years ago,” he said. “WinstonSalem is part of a filming location lineup that includes London, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas.”

Thus, it’s appropriate to say that the premiere of Oscar Wilde About America is a homecoming, as portions of the film were lensed in Winston-Salem. Max Cullen, the director of operations and development for “OUT at the Movies” (and a former board president), is himself a filmmaker and worked on the production here.

“The world premiere event comes at the tail end of a long partnership with the film’s production company, Rhode Trip Pictures, which had brought films to our festival in the past,” he explained. “Early in the pre-production phase of the film, director James Walsh expressed interest in filming in Winston-Salem around the time of our summer gala fundraiser ‘Key West in Winston-Salem. We worked with him to make production in Winston-Salem a reality, gain accommodations for his crew, and identify locations for filming around the city. Later, our organization approved

making an investment to help finance the film.

This long and handson partnership made Winston-Salem the ideal place to premiere the film.”

“Because of past visits to Winston-Salem for the annual ‘OUT at the Movies’ film festival, my team and I had already fallen in love with the city’s vibrant and artistic spirit you feel the moment you arrive — (it’s) an ideal location to represent the American South in our film,” Walsh said.

“The crew spent about five days in Winston, filming throughout Old Salem, Buena Vista, and then at the Historic Reeves Theatre in Elkin,” Cullen said. “The WinstonSalem community serves as ‘extras’ in a lot of scenes, and really contributes to the spirit of the film. A dear friend of the festival, Amy Taylor North, opened her ‘Mansion on Main’ home in Old Salem, the original Schaffner family mansion, to the film crew for filming of a tea party scene with about 10 Winston-Salem women. In this scene, Oscar Wilde remarks that ‘the secret of life is in art.’ I can’t think of a more perfect line to sum up the passion and commitment for the arts that our community has held for years. Film is a very powerful, universally understood medium, and we are always finding new ways to utilize it to build understanding and a real sense of community in the Winston-Salem/Piedmont Triad area.

“Now that COVID is behind us, ‘OUT at the Movies’ is back to an ambitious screening of one screening a month, outside of our festival month, along with year-round parties and events,” Cullen said. “For this film to be our first big event of 2024 marks a bold launch to the 2024 programming year, and we couldn’t be more excited.

We’re flying in executive producers and cast from the film, holding a couple of events in addition to the main premiere, and really making the whole weekend a celebration of film in Winston-Salem.”

The official ‘OUT at the Movies’ website is https://outatthemovies.org/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]

BLACK SACRED MUSIC SYMPOSIUM TO BE HELD FEB. 15-18 “I am excited to bring the Black Sacred Music Symposium to Winston-Salem,” said The Thomas S. Dr. Davis. “I have long Kenan Institute for wanted to expand this the Arts and UNCSA time-tested model are hosting the first outside of Urbanaregional gathering for Champaign, and the the celebrated Black Kenan Institute for the Sacred Music SymArts and UNCSA are posium, Feb. 15-18 on the perfect partners to the UNCSA campus. make that happen.”

Founded in 1991 by The XVII Symposium Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, at UNCSA is an opporthe Black Sacred Dr. Ollie Watts Davis tunity for everyone and Music Symposium is a anyone with a passion four-day conference for and interest in choral music, specifidedicated to the study and perforcally Black sacred music, in the greater mance of Black sacred music traditions, Winston-Salem community to learn culminating in a large-scale community about and perform the music from vischoral performance to celebrate the iting instructors, Grammy-nominated music, methods and message behind artists and scholars. the impactful genre.

“Each symposium has a theme The concert, which is open to the around which the music is centered,” Dr. public in addition to symposium atWatts continued. “This year, the theme tendees, will take place on Sunday, is ‘Haven.’ Black sacred music has Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. in the Gerald Freedplayed a role throughout its history as man Theatre of Performance Place at a haven in times of difficulty and hardUNCSA (1533 S. Main St.); reception to ship. Today, as our communities, nation follow. It will feature works performed and indeed the whole world are facing by the symposium community choir turbulent times, I hope that we can all and band as well as soloists and feacome together and experience a sense tured performances from the University of peace and shelter, a haven from the of Illinois Black Chorus, the Winstonstorm as we embrace this music. I can’t Salem State University Singing Rams, emphasize enough what an uplifting a UNCSA string quartet, and liturgical experience the final concert is.” dance performed by UNCSA students.

Tickets to the concert are $15; the Black Sacred Music Symposium XVII four-day Symposium is offered without marks the first time that the sympocharge, and includes a non-transfersium will be held away from its home able concert ticket. For full details at the University of Illinois Urbanaabout the symposium and concert and Champaign, where it was founded. to register, including group sales, visit Dr. Ollie Watts Davis, associate dean uncsa.edu/bsms. for academic programs in the College Additional presenting partners for of Fine and Applied Arts and Suzanne the Black Sacred Music Symposium and William Allen Distinguished ProfesXVII include Wake Forest University sor of Music at the University of Illinois School of Divinity; Winston-Salem Urbana-Champaign, has directed the State University Department of Music; symposium biennially for 32 years. The Galilee Missionary Baptist Church; symposium has become a major event Union Baptist Church; Triad Cultural at the University of Illinois UrbanaArts, Inc.; and the City of Winston-SaChampaign, uniting the community lem Human Relations/Diversity, Equity and the university in a joyful experience and Inclusion Department. ! that celebrates the artistry and rich tradition of Black sacred music.

BY THOMAS S. KENAN Institute for the Arts and UNCSA

Hispanic League’s Beating Hearts Zumbathon® Returns for a Night of Rhythm and Charity PRESS RELEASE The Hispanic League’s Beating Hearts Zumbathon® is back and better than ever.

The 2024 Beating Hearts Zumbathon® is scheduled for Friday, February 9th, at the Intergenerational Center for Arts & Wellness in Winston-Salem, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. The Zumbathon is open to everyone, regardless of age or dance skill level.

The Zumbathon welcomes individuals of all ages and abilities to join the dance celebration.

To make the event more accessible for families, childcare services will be provided onsite, ensuring that parents can fully enjoy the Zumbathon experience worry-free. In addition to the dance extravaganza, the Hispanic League is having CPR classes and free health screenings during the event. Participants can take a break from dancing to learn valuable life-saving skills or add an educational component to the evening’s festivities.

“We are delighted to enhance the Beating Hearts Zumbathon® by offering childcare services, health screenings, and CPR classes. Our goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone can particiWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

pate, regardless of age or circumstance,” said Diane Massas, Development & Impact Director at Hispanic League.

Advance registration is encouraged and can be made online through the Hispanic League website (www.hispanicleague. org) or in person at the Hispanic League office by February 6th, 2024. Admission is $15 for Adults and Youth (13 and older) or $20 at the door. For children 12 and under, admission is $10 in advance or $15 at the door. All funds raised from the Zumbathon® will go towards continuing the Hispanic League’s commitment to promoting health, wellness, and community engagement in the Piedmont Triad and beyond. !

HISPANIC LEAGUE’s mission is to improve the quality of life of Hispanic/Latinos through promoting community inclusion, education, health, and multicultural understanding.

WANNA know?

For sponsorship opportunities or general information, contact: Mayra Ramirez Manriquez, Marketing Specialist , mayra@hispanicleague.org , (336) 560-1897

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

7

flicks

SCREEN IT!

Overemphasis overwhelms Origin

O

1345 North Main Street, High Point

8 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

www.simonjewelers.com

rigin, writer/ producer/director Ava DuVernay’s latest drama, is “inspired” by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel WashingMark Burger ton’s book “Caste: The Origins of Our Contributor Discontents,” which became a best-seller in 2020. It is a long and arduous movie about the long and arduous process of writing the book — although probably not in the way DuVernay intended.

The film opens with a re-enactment of the last moments of Trayvon Martin (played by Tony Award winner Myles Frost), the 17-year-old gunned down in Florida in 2012, before being introduced to Washington (played by executive producer Aunjanue Ellis-Turner). Approached to write a piece about Martin, she is surprisingly reticent, despite having written about similar incidents in the past.

Washington will ultimately change her mind — obviously, or there would be no book (and by extension, no movie) — but less out of a sense of moral outrage than her personal grief over the deaths of her husband Brett Hamilton (Jon Bernthal) and then her mother (Emily Yancy). It is here that DuVernay’s vision begins to fragment. Whether dramatizing the events in Washington’s life and the events in history that she is researching, Origin does so in overstated fashion that borders on soap-opera melodrama, and the flashbacks it employs — on both fronts — serve only to stop the momentum dead in its tracks. The film doesn’t simply rely on flashbacks, it is saturated with them.

In addition to Ellis-Turner, who is appropriately earnest as Washington, and the empathetic Bernthal, a good cast includes Niecy Nash, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Blair Underwood, Connie Nielsen, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Finn Wittrock, Victoria Pedretti, and Donna Mills. But there isn’t much for any of them to do. When Nick Offerman turns up as a plumber wearing a MAGA cap, it

would seem to portend a lively discourse between him and Ellis-Turner, but the character simply disappears, having evidently fixed the pipes.

During her globe-trotting research, Washington notices that certain elements of systemic racism tend to be universal — book-burning, the suppression of ideas (and ideals), and the persecution of minorities. The rhetoric behind it certainly has resonance in these supposedly “enlightened” times, but the odd thing is that Washington appears to be discovering this for the first time.

When she is told about these incidences in history, inevitably she will encounter someone — a friend or an editor, perhaps — and will explain to them, in just as much detail, as it was explained to her.

Ellis-Turner’s Washington doesn’t so much deliver dialogue as declarations and proclamations.

As a result, this extremely well-intentioned film becomes repetitious. It becomes a history lesson. DuVernay lays it on too thick. Everything is underlined, its message is spoon-fed to the viewer. Origin runs 140 minutes and it’s a long, laborious haul despite its urgent relevance. By the time the narrative comes full circle and Trayvon Martin is glimpsed again, one almost literally has forgotten him and his place in the story. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

[VIDEO VAULT]

BY MARK BURGER

“BUSTER KEATON COLLECTION VOL. 5: THREE AGES AND OUR HOSPITALITY” (Cohen Film Collection/Kino Classics): A self-explanatory Blu-ray twin bill ($29.95 retail) of silent comedy classics showcasing the legendary Buster Keaton (1895-1966), both released in 1923 and both of which he had a hand in directing: Three Ages marked Keaton’s first feature and spoofed the D.W. Griffith epics popular at the time; and Our Hospitality marked the final feature of Keaton’s then-wife Natalie Talmadage and included appearances by his father Joe Keaton and son Buster Keaton Jr. CUTTING CLASS (MVD Entertainment Group): Former John Boorman collaborator Rospo Pallenberg’s only stint as director (to date) came with this uneven slasher black comedy starring Jill Schoelen as a high-school student torn between furtive Donovan Leitch (recently released from a mental institution) and resident jock Brad Pitt while an axe-wielding murderer stalks their sleepy town. Filmed in 1987 but not released until 1989, this marked Pitt’s feature debut, and he and Schoelen were briefly engaged — which are probably the most interesting things about this innocuous outing, which wastes Roddy McDowall and especially Martin Mull in silly supporting roles. For some, a guilty pleasure. For others, simply guilty. The “MVD Rewind Collection” Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) includes both the R-rated and edited versions of the film, retrospective interviews, original theatrical trailer, and more. Rated R. THE FIFTH THORACIC VERTEBRA (IndiePix Films): The award-winning 2022 debut feature of writer/editor/cinematographer/director explores — in bizarrely stylized terms — the growth of a mysterious mold in an abandoned mattress as it feeds on human vertebrae and becomes a sentient creature. Extremely offbeat, to say the least, but a surefire cult contender — and it even has existential overtones (of a sort). In Korean with English subtitles, available on DVD ($24.95 retail).

GALATEA (Indican Pictures): Writer/ director Benjamin T. Wilson’s debut feature stars Russell Hawkins as a brilliant electronics student and producer Jess Paul (in an award-winning performance) as a classmate he befriends to voice to his latest AI project, which doesn’t quite go as planned. Faint echoes of Spike Jonze’s Her (2013) — and even Steve Barron’s Electric Dreams (1984) — but WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: MURPHY’S WAR (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group) This intriguing 1971 World War II saga, adapted from Max Catto’s novel by Oscar winner Stirling Silliphant (In the Heat of the Night) and directed by Peter Yates (fresh from 1969’s smash Bullitt), has long been overlooked. It’s not perfect but still packs a punch — especially the ending — and affords Peter O’Toole the kind of compulsive character he played so well throughout his career.

Naturally, he plays Murphy, an Irish seaman and the sole survivor after a German U-boat sinks his merchant vessel on the Orinoco River in Venezuela and guns down the crew members attempting to swim to safety — a direct and blatant violation of the Geneva Convention that Murphy witnesses in horror.

Bent on retribution, Murphy ingeniously rebuilds a downed seaplane with the express purpose of learning to fly it and bomb the U-boat. Yet as Murphy escalates his private war against the Germans, he becomes so consumed with revenge that he’s utterly blind to the consequences both to himself and the missionary settlement where he recovered from his earlier injuries.

The film was not a hit, and some disliked the shift in tone from a “Boys Own” adventure to an anti-war statement (the film was released at the height of the Vietnam War), yet that’s the entire point. That Murphy becomes as obsessive as his German counterpart (Horst Janson’s ruthless U-boat commander) is entirely credible within the story’s context. Strong supporting work is turned in by Sian Phillips (O’Toole’s then-wife) as a pacificist doctor and Philippe Noiret as a grizzled French expatriate who befriend Murphy but come to realize he’s too far gone — particularly when “Murphy’s War” continues even after the official cessation of hostilities.

The limited-edition Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) includes collectible booklet, vintage interviews, theatrical trailer, image gallery, and more. Rated PG. this interminable comedy/drama, which might have made an enjoyable short, combines humor and pathos in obvious, overlong fashion. Paul is appealing but Hawkins is trying too hard, and the pink helmet he wears becomes an irritating distraction despite its importance to the plot. A few nice moments, but shorter, tighter, and funnier would have been so much better, available on DVD ($24.99 retail).

THE INSPECTOR WEARS SKIRTS (88 Films/MVD Entertainment Group): A special-edition Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) of the popular 1988 martial-arts extravaganza (originally titled Ba wong fa and also released as Top Squad) in which Sibelle Hu’s “Madame Wu” is tapped by the Hong Kong Police Academy to train the all-female contingent of the Banshee Squad in order to nab a group of thieves on the rampage. Producer Jackie Chan also choreographed the fight scenes, this boosted co-star Cynthia Rothrock’s career and kicked off a long-running film franchise. Bonus features include original Cantonese (with English subtitles) and English-dubbed audio options, audio

commentary, retrospective interviews, and more.

THE MAN WHO WASN’T THERE (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Bumbling State Department official Steve Guttenberg is pursued by both American and Soviet agents when he comes into possession of a secret formula that turns him invisible in this dopey 1983 Cold War farce, one of several early ‘80s films that attempted to revive 3-D craze but ended up a box-office flop — deservedly. Only Jeffrey Tambor as a kooky KGB agent and Lisa Langlois as Guttenberg’s gorgeous love interest earn laughs, but the latter was upset by the nudity required — although it’s certainly memorable. Art Hindle, Vincent Baggetta, William Forsythe, Don Calfa, and Richard Paul are wasted in support. The specialedition Blu-ray ($24.95 retail) includes both 2-D and 3-D transfers (replete with 3-D glasses), audio commentary, and theatrical trailer. Rated R. S&M HUNTER BEGINS (Salvation Films/Kino Lorber): Originally titled Sakasa tsurushi shibari nawa, writer/ director Shuji Kataoka’s raunchy 1985

sexploitation opus details how randy Japanese businessman Shiro Shimomoto became a one-eyed master of bizarre sex practices with an insatiable appetite for humiliation and violence. Kataoka and Shimomoto reunited the next year for the follow-up S&M Hunter (Kinbaku/ SM/18-sai) which proved so popular that this was considered the prequel. Tacky and explicit, this is certainly not for all tastes but offers an undeniably fascinating glimpse into Japanese pop culture of the 1980s — for those who can take it. (It was promoted as a comedy in its native land!) Takashi Akutagawa’s incongruous score sounds like something out of an ‘80s-style spaghetti Western. In Japanese with English subtitles, available on DVD ($19.95 retail) replete with bonus features.

THE STING OF DEATH (Radiance Films/MVD Entertainment Group): A limited-edition Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) of writer/director Kohei Oguri’s awardwinning adaptation of Toshio Shimao’s autobiographical 1960 novel (originally titled Shi no toge) set in post-World War II Japan, starring Ittoku Kishibe and Keiko Matsuzaka as a couple whose desperate attempts to salvage their marriage after his long-term adulterous affair comes to light ultimately pushes them to the brink of madness. In Japanese with English subtitles, bonus features include collectible booklet, retrospective interview with film scholar Hudeki Maeda, trailer, and more.

THANKSGIVING (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment): Expanded from a faux trailer in 2007’s Grindhouse, producer/ director/co-story writer Eli Roth’s gory, giddy holiday-themed shocker sees a costumed maniac preying on the citizens of Plymouth, MA on the first anniversary of a superstore “Black Friday” catastrophe the year before, with Patrick Dempsey as the avuncular sheriff and Nell Verlaque the resident “final girl,” with Rick Hoffman, Milo Manheim, Jalen Thomas Brooks, Addison Rae, Derek McGrath, Lynne Griffin (who appeared in the original 1974 Black Christmas), and Gina Gershon on the hit list. Roth’s affection and admiration for the genre is evident throughout, and the film’s financial success portends a full-blown franchise — with a follow-up in pre-production.

Both the DVD ($34.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($38.99 retail) include audio commentary and featurettes. Rated R. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies.

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

9

voices

SEND YOUR LETTER TO THE EDITOR TO CHANEL@YESWEEKLY.COM

Suicide by Social Media?

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor.

Jim Longworth

L

ike most folks, I have suffered personal loss. I lost my parents many years ago, and I lost a number of very close friends who left us way too soon.

But I’ve never been a parent, so there is no way I can possibly know what it is to lose a child. I can, however, sympathize and empathize with grieving parents, especially when they had no control over the fate of their child. Parents can’t predict that their child will be killed by a drunk

Longworth at Large

driver. Parents can’t prevent a child from getting terminal cancer. Parents can’t stop a drive-by shooting or have x-ray vision to know that candy has been laced with a toxic substance. And parents can’t always know the extent of their child’s mental state or proclivity for committing suicide. Yes, there are signs to look for when a child is emotionally disturbed, such as certain changes in personal habits and behaviors, but parents are often not aware of the triggers that lead their child to take his own life. And that brings me to last week’s Congressional hearing, and the problem of and with social media.

On January 31, the United States Senate Judiciary Committee convened a hearing in which the chief executives of five tech companies were called to testify and be questioned about the dangers of social media on children, particularly teenagers.

Appearing were Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, Discord CEO Jason Citron, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino. In the gallery sat parents holding up photos of

Winston-Salem’s Hometown Station 96.7-FM / 980-AM / 1470-AM / wtob980.com

the good guys

Playing the Greatest Music of All Time

10 YES! WEEKLY

Local News, Weather, Traffic & Sports

stream us at wtob980.com

PROUD SPONSOR OF The Checkup with Dr. Jon - Wednesdays at 7pm Don Mark’s Surfside - Saturdays Piedmont Opry with George Hamilton V FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

their children who had committed suicide after being affected by content on and messaging through various social media platforms.

The hearing was ostensibly scheduled to address child sexual exploitation facilitated by those online platforms. But it also brought into focus the growing number of teen suicides that parents and politicians blame solely on social media, and which Louisiana Senator John Kennedy referred to as “killing fields of information.” Said Kennedy to the five CEOs, “You have convinced over 2 billion people to give up all of their personal information in exchange for getting to see what their high school friends had for dinner Saturday night.”

Trusting teens who do give up their personal information put themselves at risk for any number of traumatic outcomes including everything from blackmail over nude photos to agreeing to meet a pedophile who they thought was someone their own age. Social media has also been blamed for facilitating cyber bullying which has led many young teens to take their own life. It’s no wonder that Senator Josh Hawley asked if any of the CEOs would like to publicly apologize to the parents in attendance. Zuckerberg stood up, faced the parents, and expressed his regret for the lives lost.

Emotions ran high in the hearing room and for once, both political parties seemed to walk in lockstep, showing compassion for parents and contempt for the CEOs. But as with most all other

WE’RE NOT CHEAP, WE’RE FREE!

LOCAL & FREE SINCE 2005

televised Congressional hearings, this one was for show. It was a chance for senators to simultaneously express sympathy for “victims” of social media, and outrage over the greed of those whose companies profit from social media.

The question is, will anything positive come from the hearing? Sadly, it’s not likely. Similar hearings about school massacres have yielded no substantive gun reforms. For years now I and a handful of elected officials have called for the FCC to regulate social media platforms but to no avail. That’s because Congress is famous for grandstanding then doing nothing.

The good news is that in the absence of Congressional action, there is a simple solution for weakening social media’s hold on children and teens. It’s called parental vigilance.

Last year NPR reported that the American Psychological Association recommended parents should closely monitor their children’s social media feed, especially during early adolescence. The APA also said parents should “stop dangerous content that their child is exposed to.”

But with apologies to the APA, there are bolder steps parents can take to protect their child. For one, they can issue their kids old-fashioned jitterbug type phones, which do not allow access to the internet.

For another, they can block social media sites on their child’s home computer or laptop. These are easy steps to take which merely require parents to be assertive (and protective). That’s why I am a bit frustrated with parents who showed up at last week’s hearing and placed all of the blame on social media for the death of their children. Social media is a tool, but it’s also a weapon the same as a gun.

A parent who would never keep a loaded gun in the house has no problem arming their child with smartphones and the ability to access social media and download all sorts of apps.

Predators, blackmailers, and con men will always be with us, but they can’t ply their trade if their intended prey is unreachable. Until such time as tech companies and technology can fully protect kids, then limiting access is a parent’s best defense against the dangers of social media. !

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+.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

leisure [KING CROSSWORD]

[WEEKLY SUDOKU]

STORYBOOK SENTIMENT

ACROSS 1 8

15 20 21 22 23 25 26 27 28 30 31 38 40 41 42 43 44 47 49 51 54 57 58 59 61 62 63 67 68

Auxiliary professor Nickname for baseball great Ruth Cultural value system High-fashion clothing Knows someone at the company, say Reluctant (to) “Wait, my rant isn’t finished ...”

Private, as desires Agnus — (lamb figure) “Cool beans!”

Down dinner Look lewdly 2018 war documentary directed by Peter Jackson Composer — Sebastian Bach Hamilton/Burr confrontation Era upon era Turndowns Stati — (America, in Italian) Stage design La — Tar Pits Gp. opposed to leather Made a habit of taking risks Actress Cuthbert French for “summers” Bible book after Micah Dwell at —Ops (CIA mind games) Coffee holder In love Big name in candy wafers 2011-13 Fran Drescher sitcom

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

71 74 75

Give it — (try) Paris’ Champs- — Certain scanning device: Abbr.

76 St. crossers 79 First book section 81 Former U.N. chief Boutros Boutros- — 83 Stool or pew 84 Milk container 85 Just a tiny bit 90 Op-ed writer Maureen 91 Art of Erte 92 Once existed 93 Eldritch 94 Links gp.

96 Canon camera brand 98 — part (role-play) 100 1996-2002 sports sitcom 101 Song phrase following “See you later, alligator” 107 Amazes 108 Daddy’s boy 109 Prague citizen 110 Victor’s hand gesture 113 Prefix with type or plasm 115 What’s spelled out by the starts of six answers in this puzzle 121 Lot units 122 Countering an attack by missile, e.g.

123 Pundit Huffington 124 Hockey feints 125 Fill with more inventory 126 Like soon-to-beunveiled tech

DOWN 1 2 3

Mil. school Finished She won a Tony for “Hurlyburly”

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 24 29 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 44 45 46 48 50 52 53 55 56 60 62

Stage actress Hagen Pious sister Actor Hume of “Cocoon” Heads, to Henriette Iota preceder Novelist Robbins N.Y. hours Cranky cry Singer DiFranco Stanford- — test Occupy — Lilly & Co. Until this time “Just one moment” Verdi opera Tears to bits “Told ya so!”

Recurring themes Detests Author Blyton Oil, informally Dweeb’s kin Cassini of 20-Across Quick quip Minty Kentucky Derby drink — last legs (about to collapse) Biting turtle Ordinal suffix Like so, informally Correo — (Spanish airmail) — over (satisfied for the moment) “Movin’ —” (sitcom theme song) Tube prizes Brand of fruit drinks Year, in Brazil Signs up Multilevel structure for Fluffy

64 Suffix with chlor- or fluor65 Model Cheryl 66 “ER” or “CSI” 68 Get a move on 69 Lead-in to “So sue me!”

70 Caesar’s 202 71 N.C. State’s NCAA div.

72 “— Na Na” 73 Toiling away 76 Fetching 77 Certain surrealist paintings 78 Eye maladies 80 Funds 82 Sly — fox 83 Tortoise’s top 86 Calf product 87 Caesar’s “Behold!”

88 Campus mil. program 89 Singer Halliwell 94 Underside of a dog’s foot 95 Liftoff stress 97 Hebrew horn 99 With 106-Down, North Pole surrounder 100 Cling (to) 102 Perfumer Lauder 103 Absurd 104 Missouri’s — Mountains 105 Toon pic 106 See 99-Down 111 Kin of -ette 112 Novelist Jennifer 114 Pre-CIA gp.

116 “— a girl!”

117 Fabric dye brand 118 Retired NBAer Ming 119 Vote down 120 “True —” (“Indeedy”)

2023-24 Season

Take 6 in Concert

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2024 DOORS @ 6:30PM // SHOW @ 7:30PM Known as the most awarded a cappella group in history, and heralded by Quincy Jones as the “Baddest vocal cats on the planet,” Take 6 are the quintessential a cappella model for vocal genius.

With 10 Grammy awards, 10 Dove awards, 2 NAACP Image awards, a Soul Train music award, and more, this ensemble — comprised of Claude McKnight, Mark Kibble, Joel Kibble, Dave Thomas, Alvin Chea and Khristian Dentley — continues to bring extraordinary vocals to their worldwide audiences.

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 FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

11

feature

‘We probably will not keep the Triad Stage monicker’ Investors turn theater into music venue

A

ccording to one of the local investors who purchased the Triad Stage building at 232 S. Elm St. in downtown Greensboro, the site will become a Ian McDowell music venue rather than the acclaimed regional theater it Contributor was from 2002 until 2023.

“Probably not,” said Will Stewart when asked if he and his partners intended to continue its history as a creative and performance space for playwrights, directors, and actors. “I think in the main space, it’s fair to say our focus will be on music. Not to say there won’t be other stuff in there, including potentially some play productions, but not in the format that it was.”

Stewart, owner and president of the commercial renewable energy company Green State Power, is a member of Pyrle Partners LLC, the group of local investors that paid $1.35 million for the building and $50,000 for its contents, and is named after the Pyrle Theater, the former venue’s 300-seat main stage.

His partners in the venture include: • Durant Bell, principal and executive vice-president of Bell Partners, Inc., a national apartment management and investment company

12 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

based in Greensboro.

Daniel McCoy, retail market leader of Cardinal Financial and co-founder of Little Brother Brewing.

• Arthur Samet, chair and CEO of the construction firm Samet Corp.

• Jeff Yetter, owner of Iron Hill Investments, vice-president of real estate at Express Oil Change, board member of The Carolina Theater of Greensboro and Downtown Greensboro, Inc., and keyboard player for the funk/soul band doby.

According to Stewart, the new music venue will probably have a new name.

“I have to say we probably will not keep the Triad Stage monicker, but I think that part of that is going to rely on us really honing in on what it’s going to look like operationally, and that’s not dialed in yet.”

Neither is the timeline for when the venue will be open to the public.

“I wish I could give you a better answer there. Right now, Triad Stage really left everything that they had, so we’re in the process of going through and inventorying what we got. Some of that is costumes and dobby lights and sewing machines.

You name it, we’ve got it, it’s a really wide variety. So, we’re figuring that piece out, and trying to decide what is usable for our needs, what can we donate, what can we potentially monetize to help offset the upfit costs.”

Stewart said that because the sale included the contents as well as the space, there’s a staggering amount of stuff to inventory and decide what to do with, as •

well as the larger issues of redesign and renovation.

“From laptops to printers to costumes and stage lights, that we’re trying to hone in on what that will look like per individual items. We’re exploring to see what’s the best way to clean that stuff out. Certainly, what we don’t want is to throw it in the trash. Meanwhile, we’re working with designers on concept stuff and code review and what it looks like with the stage and what it will look like with people in there.

I wish I could give you a better timeline, but unfortunately, until we’ve gotten a concept better honed in, which we should in relatively shorter order, we won’t really be able to dial in what our construction timeline looks like.”

The upfit will include a new sound system.

“What we’re going to have to do is mostly associated with the shift in focus of the use. A theater sound system, particularly one that was mostly bought in 2001, is not at all the same as what a modern music sound system is like. A lot of that is just figuring that piece out. I don’t think it’s going to be a huge lift, but by the same token, we’ve only really got one opportunity to get that right.”

Stewart said that he and his partners have been in regular conversation with a variety of musical artists who tour venues this size.

“We’re asking them what really makes them want to come back and play a venue.

A lot of it is surprisingly small stuff, like if you’ve got a coffee maker and a washing

machine and shower, that’s great. One thing that’s awesome about the venue is because it was set up for actors, a lot of that stuff is all built-in.”

It also helps that the place has been kept up so well, and isn’t the long-abandoned space it was when the theater was founded in 1998.

“Triad Stage did a great job of keeping up with stuff, it wasn’t like we were dealing with a ton of different maintenance issues.

So, from that standpoint, it’s all good.”

What about tour bus access? As previously reported, the Cone Denim Entertainment Center on Elm Street closed, and its owner Rocco “Rocky” Scarfone sued the city, after construction of the still-uncompleted February One Parking Deck blocked the alley that previously allowed tour bus access to that venue’s back door.

“We don’t have that 100% solved yet,” said Stewart, “but I think we have some creative ideas. We’ll certainly be working with some bus-sized acts, but also with some van-sized and trailer-sized ones.

We’ll see a wide variety. And remember, there are music spaces this size in the middle of Manhattan, so our starting-off point is better than many major venues.

We really appreciate all the interest and feedback we’ve gotten from folks around town, and we’re excited to do something special with the space.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith will be published in September by Scuppernong Editions.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

tance of the community’s engagement, reminding the public the celebration was really about them and the representation of their voice in the council’s rebranding and new direction. With a new mission to enrich lives through the arts, the council’s new vision looks to unite people from all walks of life through art.

Marketing Committee Chair Hannah Ray, who is also the creative director for High Point Discovered, presented the organization’s new logo. Based on an old logo that inspired the team, the design of the new logo was centered on the storytelling of the organization and its new core focus areas and slogan: to unite, excite, and ignite.

“It’s telling a story that we’ve all been a part of, but also a story that we’re all going to help write as we go into the future together,” said Ray. “We feel the arts are something in High Point that’s going to blossom, something that’s going to grow.”

A collection of blue, purple, and red, these logo colors were chosen intentionally to represent the uniting, excitement, and igniting the council’s new phase is looking to bring. Blue stands for unity, purple for excitement, and red for the passion the arts will ignite. Through this rebranding, the organization will build policies and procedures centered on opening the Centennial Arts Center as a collaborative space for the arts community. Additionally, with a pressing need to build more financial sustainability while growing its team, the council intends to ensure the sustainability of the local arts for years to come.

During her presentation, Arpajian noted the diversity in the audience, including guests of all ages and races, and how richly this represented High Point, crediting the turnout to the power of the arts. Yet, the

organization is aware of those out in the city’s arts community who still don’t know about the High Point Arts Council. Arpajian and her team are determined to reach these artists from unchartered territory and welcome them into this new phase. In the following, the president and executive director addressed the various roles unity, excitement, and ignition will take moving forward.

“I think now more than ever, we need to come together,” said Arpajian. “We need the arts to help us experience something different than ourselves, to help us gain new cultural experiences that enrich our understanding, that make us more compassionate and more empathetic humans.”

Through bringing in exciting and unique programming, the council is already at-

tracting not just those in High Point, but residents from all over Guilford County.

Just this past month, in partnership with the Little Independent Theater Company, the council presented a sensory-friendly show for individuals with autism, ADHD, and other sensory sensitivities.

Committed to ensuring that programming is representative of High Point’s unique needs, the organization is bringing in inclusive programs that both serve and excite the entire community. Lastly, the High Point Arts Council is looking to ignite the spark for the arts through its various grant programs and partnership with the Arts Council of Greater Greensboro. Its overall strategic plan, developed from the community’s voice, will invest in community impact and operational infrastructures while augmenting brand identity and visibility, as well as financial and human resources sustainability.

After studying thoroughly the needs of High Point’s arts, the council found the community’s top need to be collaboration, and that many artists need additional help with marketing. In efforts to address this and continue to unite the community, the organization’s upcoming goals will also entail developing further collaboration opportunities to help lift artists’ voices while continuing to promote High Point’s art scene. To close the evening and launch the council into its new chapter, “A New Hue” wrapped up with local talent performances from the High Point Ballet, the High Point Community Theater, and the Titan Band. !

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

Chocolate & Cocktail Pairing FEBRUARY 10 4 seatings 4PM, 5PM, 6PM, & 7PM $35 Per Person

S C AN H E R E!

This past Friday evening, the High Point Arts Council celebrated 62 years of serving High Point as an arts hub, while revealing its rebranding and new strategic plan in “A New Hue: The High Dalia Razo Point Arts Council Reimagined.” A nonprofit organization Contributor located in the historic Centennial Station in downtown High Point, the council provides funding and leadership to stimulate and advance the arts in High Point. During this engaging celebration with interactive art experiences, the High Point Arts Council (HPAC) provided a magical evening, reestablishing what the city is made of and how much it has to offer.

The show started with a truly unique break dance performance by Activate Entertainment Project’s Dom Sebastian. A reinvention of street performance founded by circus director Houston Odum, Activate Entertainment Project focuses on making meaningful, live experiences accessible to the public. Sebastian undoubtedly made the start of the evening a meaningful one as he navigated the space, engaging with spectators and even sharing the spotlight with both adults and children. This contemporary circus company without a doubt empowers and unites artists of all backgrounds and disciplines.

Raven Jefferson, chair of the HPAC board of directors, brought forth greetings on behalf of the board, along with a heart full of gratitude to everyone who made Friday night’s event possible. Those she thanked included but were not limited to volunteers, donors, sponsors, staff, the president and executive director of the council Allie Arpajian, and of course, the public. Without Arpajian’s vision, creativity, and commitment, all of the council’s new happenings would have only been a thought. Without the public, who could have chosen to go anywhere else on a Friday evening, there would have been little to celebrate.

“You being here signifies that you believe in us, which we need desperately,” said Jefferson. “We need the community to believe in the High Point Arts Council and how the arts enrich our community, how the arts are the catalyst for creativity, cultural enrichment, and economic development.”

Arpajian further emphasized the impor-

PHOTO BY DAN KEENEY

High Point Arts Council celebrates 62nd birthday and Reimagined Hue

Mardis Gras Party

FEBRUARY 13

6-9PM | No Cover!

Beads, Hurricane & Sazerac Cocktails!

Valentines’ Day Mixer

FEBRUARY 14

6-9PM Champagne Tastings 6 Sparkling Wines for $8 Valentines Candy & Socializing

307 STATE STREET, GREENSBORO, NC | WWW.BITTERSSOCIAL.COM Tuesday & Wednesday: 4PM-9PM | Thursday 4PM- 10PM Friday: 2PM- 11PM | Saturday: 12PM-11PM | Sunday: 1PM-7PM FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

13

FEMA section chief & filmmaker join faculty/student fury over UNCG cuts A FEMA section chief and a successful filmmaker are among the distinguished alumni of the UNC-Greensboro Anthropology Department who condemn its recently announced terminaIan McDowell tion.

They also dispute Chancellor Franklin Contributor Gilliam’s allegation that student protests over both this and other program cuts have been stirred up by “falsehoods” from a “small but vocal group of UNCG faculty” who “have needlessly and unjustifiably put their interests above the interests of the university as a whole.”

When Jessica Haynes Titlebaum spoke to YES! Weekly, she made it clear she was expressing only her personal opinion as an award-winning 2014 UNCG Anthropology alumna and not as a Deputy Operations Chief for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. But she is angry with the termination of the academic program that trained her, which UNCG announced just four months after using her career to advertise itself in the October UNCG Magazine article “Anthropology Alumna Brings Her Skills to FEMA.” While she did not condemn any administrator by name, she made it clear she did not find the concerns expressed by faculty and students critical of Gilliam to be either unjustifiable or needless, and she called the program cuts “a disaster.”

“The most harmful, fear-mongering, and selfish things done here are the reduction of choices. It’s frankly insulting that the university seems to value and

14 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

Jessica Haynes Titlebaum

Filmmaker Phil Blattenberger with actor Arnold Vosloo

laud careers like mine all while kicking the ladder for anyone who wants to climb after me.”

For Titlebaum, the termination of the Anthropology program only reinforces an insulting and untrue cliché used to mock graduates like herself.

“The number of times I, and other Anth majors, were told we would be asking if a customer wanted fries with their order post-graduation was extraordinary. The fear this instills in people is formative. Like most glib ‘wisdom,’ it’s based on bad assumptions and poor rhetoric. I was by no means the most successful student in my year, and I shifted back and forth between cultural anthropology and archaeology so I found it hard to focus. Nonetheless, less than 10 years post-graduation, I make good money, and it’s a matter of public record how much.”

She then referred to several former classmates.

“Phil, who graduated with me, makes movies with big-name actors. My friend Lizzy is part of a non-profit that teaches transformative leadership and has a huge impact on the business world. My friend Stephanie helps UNCG students prepare

for and have extraordinary Study Abroad experiences. I was the least likely of any of these folks to make it. If I can do it, anyone can.”

She emphasized that anthropology students learn valuable professional skills.

“It’s clear to me that no one in administration asked alumni if their degree helped them or if they valued it. Decisions were made on assumptions and bad data.”

Titlebaum said she grieves for those turned away from her major by bad faith misconceptions.

“I just think about all the folks who could have used the toolbox of anthropology, and who, like me, had no idea it could be applied the way I’ve done it. The ones who heard the jokes and decided not to pursue the study of humans because someone lied to them and they had no evidence to the contrary. And now they might never have that evidence.”

The filmmaker friend and former classmate she referred to is director, writer, and producer Phil Blattenberger, whose credits include Point Man (2019) and Condor’s Nest (2021). Blattenberger was less filtered in his remarks about Gilliam.

Former UNCG Anthropology head Charles Bolton

“As the steward of a renowned liberal arts institution, it’s Gilliam’s sworn duty to maintain a stable of educational programs which reflect a broader duty to maintaining education as a public good, rather than a market commodity.

Unfortunately, following a national trend of subverting liberal arts in favor of academic models that transform universities into fluffed-up trade schools, administrators have given us just that, gentrifying neighborhoods to plant a 90-milliondollar Planet Fitness, for instance, at the expense of a vibrant program training undergraduates to frame enterprise in humanistic terms.”

Blattenberger’s “Planet Fitness” jibe was aimed at the $91 million rec center that UNCG opened on Gate City Boulevard in 2016, an expense cited by faculty as an example of misplaced priorities and bloated athletic expenditures.

“From an outside perspective, it’s understandable that common misconceptions about anthropology might leave it a target for budget cuts. But you’d think Gilliam and his subordinates, even while soullessly seeking bottom-line value, would peek beyond the surface

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

to the department’s alumni, and that even if they chose to ignore its qualitative reverberations — critically thinking, humanistic frameworks built into undergraduates who learn responsible, applicable scientific enterprise as an applied practice — they’d at least take a look at those outcomes, which, by my count include Peace Corps members, university administrators, teachers, professors, civil servants, cops who don’t murder people of color ... the list goes on.”

He then cited his career.

“I just directed a fucking Harvey Keitel movie after launching my career on the back of a film ginned together with project management experience learned in my anthropology class at UNCG (and featuring a bunch of scenes about antihumanist German anthropology learned there). I rank my own enterprises as lesser than all the other professions and accomplishments listed above, as theirs offer societal betterment and mine a 90-minute popcorn break on a streaming service, but if you’re looking for programs with worth proven in the workforce, how in the hell would Anthropology even sniff the chopping block, let alone find itself straddling it? One wonders if Gilliam wouldn’t have benefitted from a few of the Anthropology classes he has stolen from the very society he has been charged to mold.”

Blattenberger’s outrage is shared by Olivia Wood, a writer and editor for LeftVoice and lecturer at the City College of New York, who received degrees in Anthropology and English from UNCG in 2016. Wood expressed relief that, although Religious Studies will be discontinued as a department and undergraduate major, it will become a concentration within the Liberal and Professional Studies Program, rather than terminated like Anthropology.

“I’m very glad about religious studies faculty finding a way to save their jobs — Dr. Grieve had a profound academic impact on me — but the part [in Gilliam’s announcement] that ‘this comes with an expectation they will recruit new students and generate additional student credit hours with online offerings and shorter term semesters to meet a growing need for flexibility of working adults,’ makes it sound like maybe this isn’t a stable/ long-term situation for them if they fail to meet those recruitment expectations. The phrasing ‘generating additional student credit hours’ grossly reduces student learning into an economic commodity, but also sounds like a threat.”

Wood wrote that CUNY has announced the beginnings of its academic program review.

“I’m trying to tell everyone about what’s happening at UNCG as an example WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

of what might happen – everyone is shocked to learn that STEM fields are being affected too, or that a program with a lot of majors like anthropology is being canceled.”

Wood also took exception to Gilliam’s assurance to alumni that “these changes do not take away from the quality degree you earned.”

“This is so offensive to me. I was never worried for a moment that the quality of my degree would be impacted by these changes; I’m upset because I have empathy for all of the faculty, current students, and future students who will be affected.”

Wood also condemned Gilliam’s allegations of fear-mongering falsehood from the UNCG Chapter of the American Association of University Professors as “union-busting bullshit.”

While public statements by former interim Anthropology department head Dr. Charles Bolton, who resigned in protest over the program’s termination, have been more diplomatic than those of program alumni, Bolton questioned Gilliam’s truthfulness during a faculty senate meeting on February 1.

“The press reported that Chancellor Gilliam said, ‘The deans have been asked to review the programs within their schools and make recommendations, but there’s no mandate that each dean recommend one or more for elimination — it’s up to them what if anything, they recommend for closure from their schools’.”

Bolton said, “That did not happen in the College of Arts and Sciences. I know it has become common practice for some leaders, including our own administration, to charge those who disagree with them of using misinformation or Fake News. But the process Chancellor Gilliam described to the press was not followed in the College of Arts and Sciences.”

Nor, said Bolton, do faculty oppose the Academic Portfolio Review (APR) process because, in Gilliam’s words, they “favor the status quo.”

Bolton pointed out that he helped lead committees that changed the names of buildings once dedicated to the white supremacist and Wilmington Massacre instigator Charles Aycock, as well as other changes that generated intense opposition, “some of it directed at me personally.”

“What the faculty really dislike is not the notion of and the need for the Academic Portfolio Review, but how it has been mismanaged by this administration at every stage of the process.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith will be published in September by Scuppernong Editions.

IT’S TIME! NOMINATION PERIOD STARTS JANUARY 7 AND RUNS THROUGH FEBRUARY 16!

Those voted in the TOP 5 during the nomination period in each category will move on to Final Round of voting March 6-April 17.

VOTE.THETRIADSBEST.COM FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

15

tunes

HEAR IT!

G

GOryanGO gets One Step Closer

OryanGO is hosting a show with Secret Monkey Weekend, The Trick Threat at Gas Hill on February 16.

What started as a mid-aughts Katei Cranford trio between two siblings, bassist Christian Ryan and Contributor drummer Brett Ryan; along with their bud guitarist Matt Weiser, was revived as an alt-rock quartet in 2019 with guitar and mandolin offerings from John Richardson.

Together, the quartet ushers a new era for GOryanGO — they released the “One Step Closer” EP in 2023; and are trucking right into 2024 with a scheduled appearance on WTOB on February 7, at Gas Hill on February 16, and a string of shows at Tanglewood Pizza Company starting March 2.

“We are excited to sit in with Dr. Jon,” Brett said. “WTOB started playing our songs in 2020 and we’ve really enjoyed developing the relationship with them.

We find ourselves tuning in on Wednesdays and it’s exciting to hear our friends’ new songs along with our own!”

Going back to the beginning, “We met Matt in high school through mutual friends though we were in different grades,” Christian explained. “We had been in a previous band in 2006 and when that band ended, Brett, Matt, and I decided to start a new project that then became GOryanGO.” Initially dubbed “The Incomplete,” the soon group got going as GOryanGO. “It’s a variation of Brett’s license plate,” Weiser noted. “We always joked about different ways it could be read, so that made more complete sense. We decided to leave it all one word like it is on the license plate, but would make the ‘GO’s’ capitalized, with the ‘ryan’ lowercase.“ That preference for open-ended approachability resonates through the era of their work. “One of our biggest strengths in my opinion is that we all like such different bands and artists,” Weiser said. “We have common ground in bands like Goo Goo Dolls, Switchfoot, NEEDTOBREATHE, and things like that, but when we put songs together we’re all coming from a variety of backgrounds that always leads to the music sounding like us.”

16 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

PHOTO BY ABBY RYAN

The Goo Goo Dolls remain central in their catalog — offering a source of inspiration in the early years and a pathway to their present era.

“The band formed in 2007 and we played all around building up our original material until we eventually put together the ‘Driving Out The Silence’ EP in 2012,” Wieser recalled. “We played a number of shows all throughout the remainder of that year. Then our family lives began to change as our families grew and kids came into the picture. We stayed together and played off and on throughout that time and then returned to regular performances in 2019, starting with a gig as a Goo Goo Dolls cover set for Friday Night Music Club.”

“There’s so many of those songs that just didn’t work as a trio,” Weister continued. “So we asked John to come on for that and then asked if he would like to stay on going forward. Or we may have just told him he wasn’t allowed to leave.

One or the other.”

Richardson similarly recalls his invitation being one, the other, or perhaps a bit of both. “I think they just said ‘You know you’re in the band, right?’” Regardless, “I’ve been so happy to be a part of shaping what GOryanGO is today,” Richardson added. “After that first cover show, I fell in love with the back material they wrote and just really clicked with the band.” “...except for a lot of Family Guy references I still don’t get,” he admitted.

Offering a unified approach to their work — with references lost or found, “We write and perform music because we love it,” Richardson continued. “We push ourselves musically and it’s easy to bring the listener along because we write about relatable topics that mean something to us personally.”

Pointing to their latest album opener,

“Sorry,” “this was the first song after we became a four-piece that I contributed original material to and it quickly became my early favorite,” Richardson explained.

“It’s such a fun song to play live.”

Fun is a recurring element — offering the lighter notes to balance the janglepop and “full steam ahead” riffs that ring across the “One Step Closer” EP released in October. “This was a fun record to produce,” Christian emphasized. “It was the first time that we had written songs as a quartet with each of our styles having the opportunity to shine through. Playing bass, I’m usually so locked in on listening to the drums and vocals during live play that I don’t always realize the intricacies that Matt and John are adding on guitar.

So, as the songs are recorded and mixed it’s exciting to hear the song come to life as we add and layer the instrumentation.”

And for Weiser, a Beatles devotee, the fun continued into the mastering phase through Abbey Road Studios. “It was a dream come true,” he said. “That first playback that came through the monitors was a very special moment for us.”

Special moments extend — though perhaps a bit more somberly — into the lead single, “I Still Need You,” which reflects on the two decades since Weiser’s mother passed. “The very first GOryanGo song was written about her when she passed,” he explained, referencing “Climbing & Trying” off 2012’s ”Driving Out The Silence.”

Look backs continue in “Said & Done,” while Weiser offers a look forward in “Living Proof.”

“These are areas I like writing about,” he said. “How did I want it to go versus how it turned out; and appreciating the good that’s come from what I didn’t plan.”

In a similar vein, “To Never Fade” looks at experiences and friendships through senses of loss and feelings of hope. “This

one is pretty special to me,” Weiser said.

“I mean, they all are, aren’t they? Life experiences, and in this particular case, the experience of the loss of a friend aren’t typically viewed through positive lenses, but with this one, the hope and optimism that this friend brought will always stay with me even though they’re gone. Because of them, I’ll never be the same and I wanted to capture that in a song.”

“Themes that are universally relatable about events that are personal are ones that seem to come up the most,” Weiser continued. “Because they’re relatable there’s an accessibility there. I might be writing about a unique experience, but the emotion behind it has been experienced by a lot of people. I like the idea that it’s getting better all the time or at the very least will work out for the best even when it doesn’t seem like it at the time.”

And as it’s getting better, GOryanGo sets its sights on full-length plans and vinyl releases.

“We’re always working on something new,” Christian said. “Matt and I are both vinyl collectors, so to be able to have one of our records pressed would be an exciting accomplishment. As for hopes, dreams, and plans, right now, we’re excited to be exploring new cities and venues as we meet other musicians and bands in the area.”

With that, GOryanGo will join Secret Monkey Weekend and The Trick Threat at Gas Hill Drinking Room on February 16.

They’ll appear on WTOB’s “The Checkup with Dr. Jon” on February 7 and will be at Tanglewood Pizza Company on March 2. !

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

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Submissions should be sent to artdirector@yesweekly.com by Friday at 5 p.m., prior to the week’s publication.

Visit yesweekly.com and click on calendar to list your event online. home grown music scene | Compiled by Shane Hart

ARCHDALE

FIREHOUSE TAPROOM

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

ASHEBORO

Four Saints Brewing

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 www.foursaintsbrewing.com Thursdays: Taproom Trivia Fridays: Music Bingo Feb 17: Jason Bunch

CARBORRO

Cat’s Cradle

300 E Main St | 919.967.9053 www.catscradle.com Feb 7: The Hotelier + Foxing Feb 7: Darren Kiely Feb 8: G. Love & Special Sauce Feb 8: Pure Bred Mutts, Sugaree String Society, Chris Chism Feb 9: Josh Ritter 7 the Royal City Band Feb 9: Rachel Baiman x Highland Reverie Feb 9: Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and friends Feb 10: ericdoa Feb 11: The Hip Abduction Feb 14: Squirrel Flower Feb 15-16: The Stews Feb 16: Dylan Marlowe Feb 16: The Brook & The Bluff Feb 17: Dragmatic, Cage Bird Fancier, Secret Monkey Weekend Feb 20: Capstan Feb 20: My Sister Maura, Step Friends, Annie Collette Feb 21: Blonde Redhead Feb 22: Stolen Gin Feb 23: Ken Vandermark’s Edition Redux Feb 24: Keller Williams Feb 24: Lamont Landers

Charlotte

Bojangles Coliseum

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com Feb 18: Blackberry Smoke Feb 21: Gladys Knight

The Fillmore

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com Feb 7: Veeze Feb 8: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead

mwww.yesweekly.com

Feb 9: Joe DeRosa Feb 12: Caligula’s Horse Feb 16: Moon Taxi w/ The Hip Abduction Feb 17: Chelsea Cutler Feb 18: The Dead South Feb 19: Dustin Conrad Feb 20-21: LANY Feb 23: Two Door Cinema Club Feb 24: Twin Temple Feb 25: Babytron Feb 28: JP Saxe

PNC Music Pavilion 707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292 www.livenation.com

Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre

former Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre 820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com

Spectrum Center

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com Feb 9: WWE Feb 22: Lauren Daigle

Feb 17: Dancing with the Stars Live!

2024 Feb 19: Nickel Creek Feb 20: An Evening To Shine Feb 22: Gregory Porter Feb 24: David Foster & Katharine McPhee Feb 25: Joe Bonamassa

ELKIN

Reeves Theater

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com Wednesdays: Reeves Open Mic Fourth Thursdays: Old-Time Jam Feb 9: The Kruger Brothers Feb 17: Tommy Prine

greensboro

Barn Dinner Theatre

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com Feb 3-March 2: Secondary Cause of Death

Carolina Theatre

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com Feb 9: Dianne Reeves Feb 17: 2 Guys Names Chris Feb 18: Hope Fest 4 Hunger Feb 24: M’Soul in the Crown

Char Bar No. 7

3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555 www.charbar7.com

Comedy Zone

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com Feb 8: Derrick Stroup Feb 9-10: Cocoa Brown Feb 14: Chris Wiles Valentines Show Feb 16-17: Josh Blue Feb 22: Danae Hays Feb 23-25: Nephew Tommy

Common Grounds

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

clemmons

Village Square Tap House

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.facebook.com/vstaphouse Feb 8: Pushin’Georgia Feb 9: Exit 180 Feb 10: Jack of Diamonds Feb 16: Catastophe Journal Feb 17: Jill Goodson Band

durham

Carolina Theatre

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org Feb 8: Gipsy Kings ft. Nicolas Reyes Feb 9: Step Afrika!

Feb 13: The Robert Cray Band Feb 15-16: Drew & Ellie Holcomb

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Feb 7-11: Ain’t Too Proud Feb 14: Durham LoveRaiser Feb 15: Blackberry Smoke Feb 16: Nashville Songwriters FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

17

Cone Denim

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 www.cdecgreensboro.com

FLAT IRON

221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967 www.flatirongso.com Feb 7: The Bridge Brothers ft. Mark Kano, Jordan Power Feb 8: The Pink Stones Feb 9: Mike Garrigan + Alan Peterson Feb 10: Toothsome w/ Spirit System + Instant Regrets Feb 12: Jeffrey Martin w/ The Turkey Buzzards Feb 15: Crenshaw Pentecostal Feb 16: Virginia Man Feb 18: Local Nomad w/ Galloway + Sweet Dream Feb 19: Tommy Prine w/ Maggie Antone Feb 21: The Copper Children Feb 22: Echromatics Feb 23: Corey Hunt and the Wise w/ Carri Smithey

Garage Tavern

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro Jan 26: 8 Track Memories Jan 27: Brother Pearl

GrANDOVER RESORT

2275 Vanstory Street Suite 200 | 336.294.1800 www.grandover.com Wednesdays: Live Jazz w/ Steve Haines Trio

Greensboro Coliseum 1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Feb 23: The Love Hard Tour Feb 24: Winter Jam 2024 Feb 25: Los Angeles Azules

Hangar 1819

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480 www.hangar1819.com Feb 7: Crypta w/ Blackwater Drowning, Dying Oath, Bunkerhill Bloodbath, Deceptor Feb 13: Smile Empty Soul w. Sygnal To Noise, Heathensun Feb 15: Ov Sulfur & Mental Cruelty w/ Ghost Bath, Extermination Dismemberment, Detest The Throne Feb 17: Profanatica w/ Nunslaughter, Tombs, And I Become Death Feb 22: Silent Planet w/ Thornhill, Aviana, Johnny Booth Feb 24: Creed Fisher w/ Heartwreckers

Little Brother Brewing

348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678 www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew Wednesdays: Trivia Fridays & Saturdays: Free Live Music

Piedmont Hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Feb 8: Warren Zeiders Feb 16: Green Queen Bingo

Rody’s Tavern

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

Steven Tanger Center 300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500 www.tangercenter.com Feb 10: Jefferson Starship Feb 13-18: Hadestown Feb 27: Gladys Knight Feb 28: Diana Krall

The Idiot Box Comedy Club

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com Thursdays: Open Mic Feb 10: Ben Frank Feb 16-17: Mary Mack

White Oak Ampitheatre

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

WineStyles

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

high point

1614 DMB

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 https://www.1614drinksmusicbilliards.com/ Feb 10: The Resistance Feb 16: Sons of Bootleg Feb 17: Brother Pearl Feb 23: All Girl AC/DC w/ Stone Whiskey

Goofy Foot Taproom 2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567 www.goofyfoottaproom.com

High Point Theatre

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401 www.highpointtheatre.com Feb 16: 2 Guys Named Chris Feb 17: Take 6 In Concert

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR RENT EXCITING OPPORTUNITY AWAITS IN JAMESTOWN, NC! Unveiling a spectacular commercial space for rent at 206 E. Main St., Jamestown. Nestled at the hill’s pinnacle, this 3200 sqft gem on a sprawling 1 acre lot is your canvas for business brilliance!

The Sportscenter Athletic Club is a private membership club dedicated to providing the ultimate athletic and recreational facilities for our members of all ages. Conveniently located in High Point, we provide a wide variety of activities for our members. We’re designed to incorporate the total fitness concept for maximum benefits and total enjoyment.

We cordially invite all of you to be a part of our athletic facility, while enjoying the membership savings we offer our established corporate accounts.

3811 Samet Dr • HigH Point, nC 27265 • 336.841.0100 FITNESS ROOM • INDOOR TRACK • INDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • OUTDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • RACQUETBALL BASKETBALL • CYCLING • OUTDOOR SAND VOLLEYBALL • INDOOR VOLLEYBALL • AEROBICS • MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM WHIRLPOOL • MASSAGE THERAPY • PROGRAMS & LEAGUES • SWIM TEAMS • WELLNESS PROGRAMS PERSONAL TRAINING • TENNIS COURTS • SAUNA • STEAM ROOM • YOGA • PILATES • FREE FITNESS ASSESSMENTS F REE E Q U I P M E N T O R I E N TAT I O N • N URSERY • T ENNIS LESSONS • W IRELESS INTERNET LOUNGE

18 YES! WEEKLY

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

What makes it extraordinary:

• Prime location in Jamestown • Ample parking for your patrons • Spacious yard area to enhance your ambiance

Imagine the possibilities!

Formerly a chic high-end boutique that captivated hearts for 8 years, this space is now ready to be transformed into the next big thing.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity.

Rent terms: 5 years @ $5000 month Contact Charles at 336-253-6164 or email publisher@yesweekly.com

www.yesweekly.comw

Plank Street Tavern

Red Hat Amphitheater

Sweet Old Bill’s

PNC Arena

101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844 www.TheLibertyShowcase.com Feb 10: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage Feb 17: The Kevin Prater Band Feb 17: Mark Lowry Feb 23: Aaron Tippin

Oak Ridge

Bistro 150

2205 Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.6359 www.bistro150.com

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 Feb 9: Aaron Hamm and the Big River Band & The Mikele Buck Band w/ Dawson Write Feb 10: Mo Lowda & Illiterate Light Feb 11: Caprico Feb 15: Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country Feb 16: Stop Light Observations w/ Easy Honey Feb 17: Jupiter Cover Feb 20: Destin Conrad w/ Amaria Feb 23: Peekaboo w/ Lyny Feb 24: Kaivon w/ Drezo Feb 26: Stick men ft. Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto and Markus Reuter Feb 29: Marc Broussard w/ Joe Stark

mwww.yesweekly.com

T ES

The Liberty Showcase Theater

2023

winston-salem

EE

W

lIberty

Follow us on Facebook & Instagram!

IAD’S B TR

YES!

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.facebook.com/TheDeckJamestown/ Feb 8: Renae Paige Feb 9: No Strings Attached Feb 10: Southbound 49 Feb 15: Ethan Smith Feb 16: Wesley Bryan Band Feb 17: Basement Legends Feb 22: Danny Skeel Feb 23: Radio Revolver Feb 24: Retro Vinyl

E

The Deck

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

OIC

jamestown

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Feb 9: Winter Jam 2024 Feb 14: Andrea Bocelli Feb 16: Katt Williams Feb 17: Journey w/ Toto Feb 23: Lauren Daigle Feb 29: Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Pitbull

FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED SINCE 1965

K LY

CH

1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476 www.sweetoldbills.com

500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com

TH E

138 Church Ave | 336.991.5016 www.facebook.com/plankstreettavern

’S READER

S

Voted The Best Grocery Store in Guilford County & The Best Beer Selection at Grocery Store

Earl’s

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com Mondays: Open Mic Thursdays: Will Jones

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Fiddlin’ Fish Brewing Company

We are having our first ever Valentine’s Day Cookie Walk!

February 9th & 10th!

772 Trade St | 336.999.8945 www.fiddlinfish.com Tuesdays: Trivia

Foothills Brewing 638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 www.foothillsbrewing.com Sundays: Sunday Jazz Thursdays: Trivia

2

2

$ 48 /lb

$ 98

The Ramkat

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com Feb 7: Tori Elliot & Chaisaray Schenck Feb 8: Queen Bees Feb 9: Corey Smith, Jeb Gipson Feb 10: Kyle Caudle, Couldn’t be Happiers Feb 15: 49 Winchester, Colby Acuff Feb 16: GOryanGO, Secret Monkey Weekend, The Trick Threat Feb 17: Wafter Thin, Matt Smith, Lee & Susan Terry Feb 18: St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Sugadaisy Feb 20: Lettuce, Cimafunk Feb 22: Unspoken Tradition Feb 23: Cash Bash 2024 Feb 24: Pageant, Shaker Feb 27: Flogging Molly

FRESH FAMILY PACK GROUND BEEF

¢ 68 each

8

$ 99

HASS AVOCADOS

HOT & READY!

Fully Cooked Rotisserie Chickens

WE DO BULK PRICING FOR STEW SUPPLES!

Wise Man Brewing

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008 www.wisemanbrewing.com Thursdays: Music Bingo Feb 9: Megan Doss & Jon Montgomery Feb 10: Red Umber

12OZ GWALTNEY SLICED BACON

POND POUR HOUSE BAR Monday-Friday 3-7pm, Sat 12-7pm, & Sun 12-6pm

Call the store at (336) 643-5249 for more information and pricing!

Sales valid through February 13, 2024.

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

19

photos

[FACES & PLACES]

VISIT YESWEEKLY.COM/GALLERIES TO SEE MORE PHOTOS!

Natalie Garcia

YES! Weekly Photographer

20 YES! WEEKLY

Soft Opening of Barrel & Co 2.2.24 | Jamestown

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

T ES

TH E

IAD’S B TR

2023 W

K LY

CH

OIC

E

YES!

EE

’S READER

S

VOTED BEST CHICKEN WINGS IN GUILFORD COUNTY

Weekly Specials

MON: $2.50 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $10.99 TUE: 1/2 Price Wine | WED: $4 Draft THU: $8 Bud Light Pitchers & $3 Fireball

Band Schedule FEBRUARY 8 Becky and Zach

FEBRUARY 15 Metro Jethro’s

VOTED BEST BURGER IN HIGH POINT DURING EAT AND DRINK BURGER WEEK

1232 NORTH MAIN STREET, HIGH POINT, NC 27262 WWW.SWEETOLDBILLS.COM | (336) 807-1476 MONDAY-THURSDAY 11AM-10 PM | FRIDAY-SATURDAY 11AM-11PM SUNDAY 11AM-8PM | BRUNCH 11AM-2PM

Jess Klein & Sarah Sophia @ Gas Hill WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

2.3.24 | Winston-Salem

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

21

22 YES! WEEKLY

Travis Grubb and The Stoned Rangers @ Earl’s 2.3.24 | Winston-Salem

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

last call [SALOME’S STARS]

[TRIVIA TEST]

Week of February 12, 2024

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) As-

pects favor a quieter time to get closer to the people who are especially important to you. There’s always much more to learn and appreciate about each other.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The

concerned Crab will act to resolve workplace misunderstandings before they get out of hand and cause serious problems.

Co-workers rally to support your efforts.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) What the Big Cat might see as a disturbing act of disloyalty might just be a failure of communication on both sides. Take time for mediation rather than confrontation.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Be more patient with those who seem unwilling to accept your version of what’s right. The fact is, there’s a lot more to learn on all sides of this issue.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) It should be easier for you to assess the facts and make an important decision. But don’t commit if you still have

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your excitement level remains high as you continue working on a new project. Expect some setbacks, but on the whole, all will move pretty much on schedule.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to

December 21) It might be wise to be more prudent with expenses right now. But your financial situation should soon clear up, and you could be back shopping as happily as ever.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You might prefer sticking with your current schedule, but some newly emerging information could persuade you to consider a change. Keep an open mind.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You might want to reject a suggested change, but it could be wise to go with the flow, at least for a while. You can always return to your first plan if you like.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You’re bolstered by both the practical and poetic sides of your nature as you maneuver some unsettled emotional situations.

Things ease up by week’s end.

[BORN THIS WEEK: People respond to your generosity and wisdom. They consider you a treasured and trusted friend. © 2024 by King Features Syndicate

[1. MOVIES: Which movie has the

tagline, “May the odds be ever in your favor?”

[2. GEOGRAPHY: Which country pos-

[6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is an example of a macropod?

[7. TELEVISION: Gordon, Percy, James,

sesses Baffin Island?

Toby and Emily are characters on which children’s show?

[3. AD SLOGANS: Which company’s

[8. MATH: What is 1/60 of a degree?

slogan is, “You’re in good hands?”

[9. LITERATURE: Who wrote the book

[4. LANGUAGE: What is a common

series “The Chronicles of Narnia”?

saying for the Latin phrase “lapsus linguae?”

[10. ACRONYMS: What does the acro-

[5. MUSIC: What country was home to

nym SPF stand for?

reggae singer Bob Marley?

answer 6. Kangaroo.

7. “Thomas the Tank Engine.”

8. A minute.

9. C.S. Lewis.

10. Sun Protection Factor.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) The cooperation that you request could come at too high of a price. Since few can beat the Bovine at being clever and resourceful, why not see what you can do on your own?

doubts. There could be more you need to know.

1. The Hunger Games.

2. Canada.

3. Allstate.

4. A slip of the tongue.

5. Jamaica.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You might feel bolder as each new success falls into place. However, caution is still advised throughout the end of the week. Taking it step-by-step is the best approach.

by Fifi Rodriguez

© 2024 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

The

TR ASURE CLUB

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 11

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 11

FEB.11 THE BIG GAME SUNDAY Drink Specials!

FEB.13

Mardi Gras!

Drink and Dance Specials!

FEB.14 Valen�nes! $100 Champagne Couples get in FREE all day!

Dance Specials!

7806 BOEING DRIVE GREENSBORO NC

Exit 210 off I-40 (Behind Arby’s) • (336) 664-0965 • MON-FRI 11:30am – 2am • SAT 12:30pm – 2am • SUN 3pm – 2am TREASURECLUBGREENSBORONC • TreasureClubNC2 • THETREASURECLUBS.COM

FEBRUARY 7-13, 2024

YES! WEEKLY

23

CALL FOR FREE ESTIMATES! 336-689-7303

Custom Decking • Patios • Fencing Home Repair • Handy Work & More

Immediately Hiring Skilled Builders! Call Andy at 336-689-7303