Honoring the originators of the past of the Blues and those forging its future, the 37th Annual Carolina Blues Festival goes down May 20th at LeBauer Park.
4 6 9
6 BURLEY HAYES going to the great beyond sent a shockwave through the Triad music community. The stalwart supporter of local, original music and operator of the Somewhere Else Tavern fostered generations of area musicians–who look back on his legacy with thanks and celebrate his life–and the lives of bands he helped bring into the world, through a three-day festival of shows, May 19-21, at the Rockhouse GSO.
7 Hideaki Anno now brings his unique vision to another cult favorite: The Japanese TV series KAMEN RIDER, which ran from 1971-’73 and has been a cult favorite ever since — as well as a personal favorite of Anno’s.
8 This fall will mark the 20TH ANNI-
VERSARY OF “TRIAD TODAY,” a weekly public a airs program that airs on abc45 and MY48.
9 Yes, the gang’s all here for GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3, the latest mammoth Marvel Comics big-screen blow-out, with writer/director James Gunn still evincing an appealing affinity for these characters and their misadventures.
14 “There are other notable book festivals, but GREENSBORO BOUND is the preeminent North Carolina one,” said acclaimed novelist Daniel Wallace about the free three-day celebration of reading, writing, and publishing taking place downtown on May 18-20.
16 The way artists come together for their own. It’s in that spirit — and to no surprise — that friends, family, and bandmates are coming together for Triad stringman extraordinaire, ALEX MCKINNEY, who is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 Tongue Cancer — despite leading a tobacco-free lifestyle.
5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 O ce 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
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 2023 Womack Newspapers, Inc.
BY JOHN BATCHELOR
Fratelli’s is part of the Crisp Hospitality Group, a Triad partnership that also includes Sammy G’s in High Point and Three Bulls American Steakhouse in Clemmons. Sammy Gianopoulos, one of the principals and Executive Chef at Fratelli’s, has quite a culinary history. He started out washing dishes, later moving into the kitchen, working for his father, Terry Gianopoulos, who was in the restaurant business for 50 years. A WinstonSalem native, Sammy graduated from Reynolds High School, attended Johnson and Wales Culinary School, then worked his way up to lead chef at Biltmore estate in Asheville. He created his first restaurant, Gianno’s Pizza in 2000, followed by Aquaria Seafood Grill in 2004, both in High Point. The High Point Chamber of Commerce named him Businessman of the Year in 2007.
Fratelli’s occupies one of the Reynolda neighborhood’s classic white brick buildings, easily recognizable even from the most casual drive-by view, due to the larger-than-life cow that stands alongside the entryway. Zach Vlahos is the General Manager. Nate Dabe is Kitchen Manager.
The large interior exudes a masculine, clubby, steakhouse ambiance. Seating is well separated into multiple sections, creating a closer sense that, while not intimate, nevertheless allows conversation.
A large wine cabinet occupies center stage. It houses a collection that I really like. Most of the list is easily recogniz-
able, all selections reasonably priced. I like to know in advance what I am getting. Other restaurants would do well by emulating this example.
Warm, crusty bread (no extra charge) accompanied by herbed olive oil arrives promptly, delivered by servers who team well with each other.
I have only had one starter. CrabStu ed Shrimp are large, split to allow insertion of crab dressing, placed over garlic scampi cream sauce. The result tastes of fresh, quality ingredients, in a tender host.
The starters list includes several other attractions, but my wife and I skipped them on subsequent occasions because we were just full. The entrée price includes a house salad, served from a shared bowl that you transfer into chilled metal bowls. Based on cut iceberg lettuce, augmented with candied pecans, dried craisins, diced Granny Smith apple, plus mozzarella and feta cheese crumbles, with a sweet creamy Italian dressing, it’s really tasty.
No reasonable person will ever leave this place still hungry. I will get some of the other starters on a future visit, as main courses, maybe with one of the made-to-order salads.
On these visits, we really enjoyed all the selections from the main courses section of the menu. One side vegetable is included.
Since at least part of Fratelli’s concept is steak house, we tried two beef entrées. The menu advises that meats are seared at high temperature — 1200 degrees — to create a crust. A Filet Mignon validated the claim, with a lot of flavor evident
from the browned exterior. But the interior remained juicy and tender, cooked correctly to the requested temperature. Anna ordered this with Parmesan Fries. The menu says hand cut, and appearance, flavor, and texture support the claim. These actually taste like real potato, dusted with Parmesan cheese. Sometimes, the lowest-priced selection on a menu reveals a lot about the kitchen, and that turned out to be the case here with a Chop Steak. This is ground beef, formed into a ball, covered with soft-cooked onions and mushrooms, producing a deep flavor interplay. Positive revelations, therefore. My wife chose a loaded baked potato for her side. It’s huge, filled with sour cream, chives, and freshly cooked crisp bacon. Several other steak selections, on and o the menu, are available, some reaching into the upper echelons, pricewise. A bone-in Pork Chop also benefitted from that high-temperature sear. The crust gives way to a lean, moist interior in this otherwise simple preparation, precisely trimmed to leave only a thin strip of fat (essential) around the edges. I ordered this with Brussels sproutscooked with apples and bacon. Very good flavor, but they revealed the only misstep we encountered: most were barely warm, others still cold, none hot.
Seafoods did not disappoint. Salmon, with a crusty sear and tender, moist interior, earns praise for creativity, topped with sundried tomato pesto, presented over creamed spinach. Sundried tomatoes bear strong flavor that in less skilled hands could have overpowered the salmon’s own flavor, but this kitchen
managed a good balance. A pasta cake on the bottom of this structure adds pleasant texture when you encounter it, in addition to soaking up the resident flavors in the dish.
I quite enjoyed an o -menu Blackened Mahi. It was just-right-tender, the spices assertive but not overpowering, allowing the taste of the fish itself to come through clearly. Lemon slices added color as well as taste enhancement. This was presented over new potatoes and broccoli florets. But it also generated recognition of a need for caution. Servers do not tell you prices of o -menu items unless you ask. And this turned out to be quite a bit more expensive than I would have anticipated. Not unreasonable, upon reflection, but most surprises on restaurant checks are not of the pleasant kind.
The other element of Fratelli’s concept is Italian influenced. The Lasagna here turned out to be one of the best renditions I have encountered. Ricotta cheese flavor blends with a deep, rich tomato sauce, studded with crumbled meatballs and pieces of Italian sausage. The meats add another taste dimension. Thanks to unindicted co-conspirator Jerry for sharing his serving.
Pleasantly stu ed, neither my wife nor our companions were willing to order dessert, as enticing as they sounded from our server’s description.
Those experiences lie in my future.
As you might have been able to tell, I like Fratelli’s. Quite a lot, for numerous reasons, in fact. And don’t just take my word for it. My wife is already talking about what she’s going to get when we go back. !
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.
Fratelli’s Italian Steakhouse 2000 Reynolda Road Winston-Salem 27106 336-682-2290
fratellissteakhouse.com
Hours: 4-10 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 4-9 p.m. Sunday
Appetizers: $10.49-$16.49
Salads: $9.59-$9.89
Soups: $7.69
Pizza: $11.59-$14.19
Burgers and Sandwiches: $10.99-$12.99
Entrees: $16.99-$29.99
Desserts: $7.99-$15.99
Most recent visit: May 10
PROUD
Burley Hayes going to the great beyond sent a shockwave through the Triad music community. The stalwart supporter of local, original music and operator of the Somewhere Else Tavern fostered generations of area musicians — who look back on his legacy with thanks and celebrate his life — and the lives of bands he helped bring into the world, through a three-day festival of shows, May 19-21, at the Rockhouse GSO.
BurleyFest will be free, with donations collected for his wife, Crystal, and memories to be collected and shared for everyone else. And memories abound.
For folks of a certain age — the whole gamut of area Gen-X and Millennial generations — Somewhere Else Tavern (a ectionately known as “the Tavern” or SWET), o ered a sense of belonging. A place to play and a place to hang. All ages, all creeds. No judgment. Just a weirdo tinderbox pumping original bands and a big ol’ dude — Burley — sitting like a shepherd atop the dive bar’s wooden stairs.
And like any good shepherd, Burley meant so much to so many — having almost inadvertently created a unique environment that fostered experimentation and opened possibilities for artists typically considered too young or too out there.
You may not have belonged much of anywhere, but you always belonged at Somewhere Else. And we have Burley to thank for that.
BurleyFest organizer, Louis Money, considers the festival a work of gratitude. His band, Trailer Park Orchestra plays Friday at 11 p.m. and was also the last band to play the Tavern. In booking the festival, he’s attempted to honor Burley’s memory and the openness and diversity that made S.W.E.T so special. “Burley would give everybody a chance — no matter the genre,” Money said. “He basically made me not be afraid to take a chance.”
Money has found keeping that spirit of variety fairly easy. “Everybody contacted me pretty quickly,” he explained. “And I didn’t turn anybody down that was doing original music — which is what you know Burley did. He never turned anybody down so I didn’t want to.”
For Richard Wilson of Orange Jumpsuit, who’ll play before Trailer Park Orchestra on Friday, being on the bill is an honor. “I can’t express the fun, the friends, and the memories we had playing at SWET. I can’t wait to play in remembrance of the man himself, along with all the other killer bands.”
Jeremy from We Rise to Fall (who follows Trailer Park Orchestra to close out Friday night) agreed. “Burley gave his life to music and to make sure all of us kids had a place to play and listen to the music we loved,” he said. “The world truly lost a special soul, but we’re all forever grateful for the memories, the love, and the music!”
It’s a sentiment echoed by “Whisky Christy” Hop-
kins — her Half Pint Orchestra plays at 7 p.m. on Friday. “Burley seemed to make everyone feel like a rock star,” she said. “He certainly made me feel like one. Not every band I saw there was good, but every musician was treated like they belonged. Ours is an acoustic band and he loved us anyway. His need for originals was a motivation to write songs before I started writing songs, even before I had to band to book. Burley believed in all of us. He knew I could, so I did.”
For Chris Powell and Royal Jelly (who’ll perform Saturday at 7 p.m.) and so many others — this writer included — the Tavern o ered a second home for the youth. “There will never be another place quite like Somewhere Else,” Powell said. “Burley was a steward of original music. Always with a good sense of humor, decency, and quick to forgive. He opened doors for everyone, and that’s something we could all reflect on in today’s society. He’ll be missed far and wide, but his spirit remains in everyone he reached.”
David Shoush from Despair the Plague (who plays before Royal Jelly on Saturday) holds a similar sense of home for the Tavern. “I’ve played at SWET all my life,” he said. “You could call Burley and always get a show. Never a no from him. He supported all local music types. I have so many great memories there. Burley will be missed.”
Logan Abdo from Lo (who plays Sunday at 4 p.m.) also credits Burley with opening the doors to his craft. “Burley was one of the first people who gave me a chance at playing a lot of shows and it’s impacted how I perform and make music now in tremendous ways,” Abdo said. “Burley was always the type to include everyone even if it meant having to go out of his way to help someone he would do it. He made the path to making a successful music career possible by allowing me, and many others, the opportunity to share our passion and make lifelong friends along the way.
Clay Howard feels the same — having found a home at the Tavern in tandem with performing his first o cial show — on Thursday, April 2, 1992, to be exact. “My first ‘real’ band played my first paid gig at the Tavern,” Howard said. “It was the first place I played original songs — I was scared to death to not be hiding behind a cover, but Burley gave us a stage. And it changed everything. It wasn’t about the money, it wasn’t about the size of the room or the size of the audience in it — it was the music. Burley supported us and we found our home in music because of that.” Somewhat retreating back into the coverden, Howard captains the Camel City Yacht Club along with an array of original outfits these days — he’ll play an acoustic solo set Sunday at 8 p.m.
Looking back, it was easy to take the Tavern for granted. Those degrees of openness and accessibility for artists can be a two-way street: for all the great bands I saw, I also spent the sets from just as many awful ones outside — making merry and underage mischief, along with memories I treasure and practices I continue to hone.
I can honestly say I don’t know how I’d have turned out without Burley and the Tavern. And the same is true for so many Greensboro folks I know — I’ve watched
artists who played some of their first shows at SWET go on to grace the covers of LA Weekly, or lead classes at esteemed recording schools in Nashville, or pack major festival stages, and even perform on the dang Tonight Show.
It’s where I first started taking photos of bands as my friends were forming them. It’s where I first started mulling the descriptors of artistry I have the privilege of unfurling for you fine readers today.
Growing up, I assumed every town had a weirdo dive bar that booked a group of gaggling eighth-grade punkers the exact same way it did seasoned professionals and national acts (fans of the 90s alt-rockers Morphine might enjoy the nod given to Burley and ”the crowd of 30 attentive fans,” around the 30-minute mark of the 2014 documentary “Morphine Journey Of Dreams”).
But it was a rare breed of a place, run by a rare breed of a burley man, who I’m beyond thankful to have known.
It’s hard for me to pinpoint a favorite Burley story, but I look forward to hearing what folks have to share. BurleyFest, a three-day celebration for Burley Hayes, goes down May 19-21 at Rockhouse GSO. A full lineup and more information can be found on Facebook. !
Having successfully resurrected such popular franchises with Shin Godzilla (2016) and last year’s Shin Ultraman, awardwinning filmmaker Hideaki Anno now brings his unique vision to another cult favorite: The Japanese TV series Kamen Rider, which ran from 1971-’73 and has been a cult favorite ever since — as well as a personal favorite of Anno’s.
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Kamen Rider’s cancellation, Fathom Events and Toei Company Ltd. have joined forces to present Shin Kamen Rider, which will make its U.S. theatrical premiere at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 31st at hundreds of theaters nationwide, including the Greensboro Grande & RPX, 3205 Northline Ave., Greensboro. Tickets are $14.95 (general admission) and $12.81 (children under 12) and can be purchased here: https://www.fathomevents.com/. The film will be shown in its original Japanese with English subtitles. Additional theaters may be added closer to the screening date.
Shin Kamen Rider adheres closely to the Shin Kamen mythos fashioned by series creator Shotari Ishinomori (1938’98), one of Japan’s most esteemed comic artists and widely revered as one of the architects of manga, having also created Astro Boy, 8th Man, and what would later be known as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The original Kamen Rider ran for 98 episodes and has been in syndication ever since, where it gained an international following among manga mavens.
The film version stars Sosuke Ikematsu as Takeshi Hongo, a hotshot biker who is kidnapped by the operatives of the Sustainable Happiness Organization with Computational Knowledge Embedded Remodeling — better known as “S.H.O.C.K.E.R.” — and transformed into a grasshopper-hybrid cyborg with amazing superpowers. (Folks, you can’t make this stu up!)
With the help of potential love interest Ruriko Midorikawa (Minami Hamabe),
Hongo is able to escape the S.H.O.C.K.E.R. stronghold in explosive fashion. Adopting the guise of the “Masked Rider,” Hongo declares war on S.H.O.C.K.E.R. and embarks on a one-man (or one-cyborg) crusade to thwart their plans for global domination while coming to terms with his new powers and the responsibility that comes with them.
Shin Kamen Rider is Anno’s love letter to one of Japan’s most enduring “tokusatsu” franchises and the motorcyclebound superhero he describes as his dearest childhood icon. Fans of the series will undoubtedly detect the many easter eggs and nods spanning the franchise’s history.
“Hideaki Anno is living the dream of every teenager with a video camera and some action figures,” wrote Matt Schley in The Japan Times. “With Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman, and now Shin Kamen Rider, the director has been handed the reins to Japan’s most beloved special-e ects franchises and allowed to run wild. Anno embraces the 1970s-style camp to its hilt. This film isn’t a parody, though: He’s having fun, not poking fun. The reverence for the material is evident.”
For more information, visit https:// www.fathomevents.com/. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2023, Mark Burger.
BY EILEEN YOUNG
The ‘80’s are back! Celebrate with Salem Band at our season-opening concert in Salem Square. This program includes a wide variety of musical styles. Want to sing along? No problem — we o er several opportunities led by song leader Michelle Rhodes. Love ‘80’s popular music? We have your favorites by Whitney Houston, Journey, and Gloria Estefan. Are you a fan of John Williams movie music? We have you covered with an excellent arrangement from the Superman film series spanning the decade of 1978-1987 and starring Christopher Reeve. Guest vocalist Michael Martinez will sing a jazzy Blue Moon with the band. Michael is a Music Educator, Vocalist, and Conductor in the area who specializes in coaching and arranging for a cappella vocal ensembles.
Visit the 1880’s and even the 1780’s with Salem Band through music from the hit show, Oklahoma, and the blockbuster 1984 film about Mozart, Amadeus!, The band will conclude the program with the dramatic Great Gate of Kiev by Moussorgsky — a grand ending to an eclectic concert.
Arrive early to enjoy pre-concert music at 6:45 pm by The Salem Band Flute Ensemble. This small group is sounding terrific and you won’t want to miss the tone that the bass flute adds to the
traditional flute ensemble! There’s nothing more All-American than enjoying a classic band concert in the town Square! Be sure to get your program upon arrival — if yours has a sticker on the inside, you will receive a free Salem Band 250th Anniversary t-shirt!
Food vendors Gunny Smitty’s Hot Dogs and To the Moon & Back will be on site with hot dogs, drinks, and ice cream/ Italian ice for purchase, or take your own picnic supper. Bring a lawn chair or blanket — there is no formal seating in Salem Square. Street parking is available in Old Salem as well as lot parking on Academy Street/Old Salem Road.
This event is free in Salem Square, Old Salem!. The rain date is Friday, May 26, 2023. Established in 1771, Salem Band is the oldest, continuous mixed wind ensemble in the nation, celebrating 250 years in 2021-2022. Contact Eileen Young, Music Director, for more information. Want to learn more about this historic band? Order our recently-released book, The Salem Band, tracing the history of Salem Band and the Moravian Church, with loads of historical photos: https://salemband.org/the-salemband/ . As per our Mission, all Salem Band concerts are free and open to the public so that the entire community may enjoy and experience the music.
MAY 23, 2023, TUESDAY AT 7:30 PM, SALEM SQUARE, OLD SALEM, WINSTON-SALEMMark Burger Contributor
Tan advocate. Moreover, it diminishes his many accomplishments while at the helm of the Federal Communications Commission, a post he was appointed to by President John Kennedy in 1961. And though he only held the job for two years, very few commissioners ever did more to advance the mission of broadcasting than Minow.
his fall will mark the 20th anniversary of “Triad Today,” a weekly public a airs program that airs on abc45 and MY48. There are a lot of folks to thank for the longevity of “Triad Today” but were it not for the e orts of one man, those TV stations wouldn’t have even been able to broadcast my program. That man was Newton Minow, an attorney and one-time FCC chairman who was an advocate for quality television. Minow passed away on May 6 at the age of 97.
Newton Minow is best known for referring to television as a “vast wasteland,” but that one phrase unfairly made him seem more like a critic than
It was Minow who shepherded the “All-Channel Receiver Act” which required manufacturers of TV sets to include UHF channels (those above channel 13) on their receivers. He made sure there was federal funding for educational programming, was an advocate for young viewers, and he pushed for the development of communications satellites. Minow also lobbied for political candidates to be given free airtime. Newton reigned at a time when mostly individuals and families owned local TV stations, and in an era when the FCC advocated for viewers rather than large corporations. That’s why his words carried a lot of weight with station owners
in speeches like the one he gave to the National Association of Broadcasters on May 9, 1961.
Associated Press correspondent Tammy Webber recently recounted that speech in which Minow challenged those in attendance to sit down and watch their station for a full day, “without a book, magazine, newspaper, profit-and-loss-sheet, or rating book to distract you. I can assure you that you will observe a vast wasteland. You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, Western bad men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And, endlessly, commercials, many of them screaming, cajoling, and offending.”
Minow concluded his remarks with a message of hope and a reminder of something that many of today’s corporate broadcasters have forgotten.
“My faith is in the belief that this country needs and can support many voices of television – and the more voices we hear, the better, the richer, the freer we shall be…A broadcasting license is an enormous gift from the government that brings with it a responsibility to the public… After all, the airways belong to the people.”
Thirty years after delivering those impassioned words, Newton Minow continued to be concerned about the quality of television programming, saying, “In 1961 I worried that my children would not benefit much from television. But in 1991 I worry that my grandchildren
will actually be harmed by it.”
That warning was issued a decade before network and cable channels started to be overrun by the likes of Honey Boo Boo, the Kardashians, Big Brother, Real Housewives, Duck Dynasty, and “Drag” races. And if that’s not bad enough, poor Newton Minow lived just long enough to witness the rise of Tik Tok. Talk about harming your grandchildren.
For the record, I never agreed with Minow’s belief that television in 1961 was a vast wasteland. True enough, the airwaves back then were replete with Western dramas in which bad guys got shot every week, but there was never any blood or gore, and there was always a lesson to be learned about good versus evil. And true enough there were lots of sitcoms on the air, but the good-natured comedy of those shows was generally born out of affection for the parties involved. Truth be told, Mr. Minow might have been somewhat of an alarmist then, but his prophetic warnings about the future were, I’m sorry to say, spot on. !
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+.
Yes, the gang’s all here
for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 , the latest mammoth Marvel Comics bigscreen blow-out, with writer/director James Gunn still evincing an appealing affinity for these characters and their misadventures.
Goodwill goes a long way here, because the franchise has lost some of its initial freshness, but there’s an air of conviviality to the proceedings that manages to shine through the bombast and spectacle.
Here again, we have Chris Pratt (as Peter Quill/“Star-Lord”), Dave Bautista (as Drax), Karen Gillan (as Nebula), Pom Klementieff (as Mantis), Vin Diesel (as Groot), Bradley Cooper (as Rocket), Gunn’s brother Sean (as Kraglin), Maria Bakalova (as Cosmo), and Zoe Saldana (as Gamora), whose seemingly dire fate in the last film hardly precludes an encore here. They remain an engaging bunch, their incessant bickering perennially tinged with affection and true bonhomie . Each character has a moment or two in the spotlight, committing some sort of heroic deed, and there’s the obligatory slow-motion shot of all of them walking en masse toward the camera.
Our heroes are pressed into action once more when Rocket is critically injured by the mysterious Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), a futuristic Frankenstein monster of sorts created by the (typically) despotic dastard known as the “High Evolutionary” (Chukwudi Iwuji), who fancies himself as a sort of god bent on creating scientifically evolved societies. Should those societies not measure up to his standards — whatever those may be — he’ll simply destroy them and start afresh. The High Evolutionary was responsible for creating Rocket and later trying to destroy him, so there’s no love lost between them.
If Guardians Vol. 3 follows a predictable narrative trajectory, it’s at least a
fun ride, and Beth Mickle clearly had a ball dreaming up the film’s outrageously trippy production design. The themes of friendship and loyalty, which have held the series in good stead through all three films, are still prevalent, and the playful sense of humor is still there, too. Resident baddie Iwuji is a flamboyant nemesis but not a particularly threatening one, and the film does have a tendency to run on too long — all the better, one supposes, to give the audience its money’s worth. Sylvester Stallone pops in briefly as Ravager leader Stakar Ogord (don’t you just love those names?), but it’s little more than a glorified cameo.
Die-hard mavens will likely lap up every bit of Marvel minutiae on display — and there’s plenty of it. Guardians Vol. 3 won’t disappoint the fans, but whether it wins over new converts is another matter. Then again, the fans have (predictably) lined up in droves to see it, some — if not most — more than once. After all, ‘tis the season of the summer blockbuster. !
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.
Even with declining occurrences of tornadic storms, Kansas is famous for its twisters (thanks, Dorothy). Some cause extensive destruction, but on May 9, one tornado took precise aim on an unexpected target: a coconut cream pie. KSNT-TV reported that a baker in Clay Center, Nancy Kimbrough, filed an emergency report with the details: Her son was delivering baked goods to the Clay Center Country Club when the storm boiled up. The wind was so strong that it ripped the meringue right o the pie and splattered it across the parking lot. The club repaired the pie with Cool Whip and served it to guests anyway, and Kimbrough got a good laugh out of the incident. “It’ll probably never happen again,” she said, therefore inviting another pie-eating storm.
A tourist identified as Mr. Zhang checked into a hotel in Lhasa, Tibet, on April 20, only to discover a foul smell in his room, CNN reported. He stuck it out for half a day, thinking it might be his own feet or the restaurant downstairs, but finally he asked to be moved. Two days later, he was informed about the source of the bad odor: a dead body under the bed. Police o cers questioned Mr. Zhang but said he was not a suspect because the body had been there before he checked in. He cooperated with police and then took his leave of Tibet, saying he was su ering from the shock of the incident. “I stay up until 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. every morning, and the slightest movement would wake me up,” he said. “It left me in a bad mental state.” So yes, Billy, there really IS something scary under the bed.
— David Neal, 52, is the night manager at the 4th Avenue South Hilton Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee — or he was, until a bizarre incident on March 30. WKRN-TV reported that around 5 a.m. that day, Neal allegedly made a key card to enter an occupied room and suck on the toes of the sleeping guest. When o cers arrived at the hotel, Neal admitted entering the room but said he had done so because he smelled smoke and wanted to check on the occupant. He was arrested on May 5 at his home and charged with aggravated burglary and assault.
— A cyclist and a hunter came to the rescue of a 51-year-old man who had been tied to a tree near the German town of Bueckburg on May 3, KRQE-TV reported.
The situation was the unfortunate outcome of a sex game he had been playing with a woman; he told police that after she tied him up, she got a phone call and suddenly fled. He was fully dressed and had pantyhose over his head when he was found, but the box cutter he had brought “for such situations” was unreachable. The man was unharmed and refused to identify the woman for authorities.
Beth Bogar of West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, was just finishing up a trip with her husband to Bali when things took a turn. WMUR-TV reported that the couple ended their tour at Mason Elephant Park & Lodge, where she got to swim with and ride an elephant. But when she posed with the pachyderm for a photo, her arm got “pushed” into the animal’s mouth. “I couldn’t get my arm out. I could just hear cracking and I just started to panic,” she said. Bogar was rushed to a hospital an hour away, where the surgeon was able to reassemble her arm with plates and screws. “It’s gonna be a long road,” Bogar said. She noted that she knew the risks going in and doesn’t blame the elephant.
— Ninety-two-year-old Colette Ferry of Frontenex, France, was surprised to answer her door recently and find two police o cers, The Guardian reported. The o cers informed Ferry that they would have to remove three large frogs who lived in her garden pond and had been croaking loudly enough to keep Ferry’s neighbor awake. Ferry said the frogs didn’t belong to her but were squatters. “They’re in and out of the water playing with my fish,” she explained. “There’s always someone ready to complain about someone else.” She’s looking forward to watching o cials try to catch the frogs. “That’ll be fun ... They jump.”
— In the Burns Beach community of Perth, Australia, a dispute has arisen between a woman named Sarah and her neighbor, Perth Now reported. “Could you please shut your side window when cooking please,” Sarah wrote on behalf of her family. “My family are vegan and the smell of the meat you cook makes us feel sick and upset.” On the front of the envelope, she wrote, “PLEASE TAKE SERIOUSLY.” But no such luck: The letter was posted to Facebook on May 5, where commenters were merciless: “I’m o ended by the smell of the kale she always cooks,” one said, while another said they’d be “firing up the bbq and inviting the entire street.” !
©2023 Andrews McMeel Universal
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
12 Range of the Appalachians
13 Actress Hedy
14 Composer Khachaturian
15 — Reader (magazine)
16 Turn a — ear
17 Hence
18 Hair colorer
20 “I love you,” to Juanita
27 — Christian Andersen
28 Opposite of old, in Germany
32 Plummer of “Pulp Fiction”
33 How cards are some times dealt
34 Gasoline rating
35 Exalting verse
36 Lower leg part
37 Feudal toiler
38 Source of some bran
39 Goose sound
40 1980s Dodge
41 Supermodel from Somalia
42 Hong Kong’s Hang — Index 48 Catering coffeepots 49 Vigoda of “Fish”
50 Tries to hit, as an insect 51 Cat variety 52 Sluggers’ stats 54 DJ Casey 55 Fall chill 56 Bear, in Baja 57 Gas in an atmospheric layer
59 Hayworth and Moreno
62 Certain garden worker 63 “The Simpsons” storekeeper
64 Sleuth, in old slang
Honoring the originators of the past of the Blues and those forging its future, the 37th Annual Carolina Blues Festival goes down May 20th at LeBauer Park.
Bringing artists like Charlie Musslewhite, Callie Day, and Little Pink Anderson in a revel of Blues, Gospel, and Piedmont Pickin’ to downtown Greensboro, the festival serves as the annual paramount endeavor from the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society; and will o cially cap o a jam-packed NC Blues Week.
A longstanding group of Blues lovers, the PBPS is a “501c3 historical, educational, and charitable nonprofit dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the culture and music known commonly as the Blues.” The group has dedicated itself to advocacy and exploration of ways “this form of music has evolved historically from the culture and experiences of AfricanAmericans including work songs and spirituals.” With a committed practice to representing Blues culture through education and outreach, focused on “historical accuracy and cultural authenticity.”
It’s with those ideals that the PBPS echoes the theme of “Origination” across the 37th Annual Carolina Blues Festival–aiming to take attendees “back to the roots of Blues.” As PBPS President Atiba Berkley, explained, “the theme ‘Origination’ was chosen by the board of trustees to acknowledge and honor the spirit of originators of blues music and participants of blues culture.”
“To honor this legacy, PBPS has programmed an eclectic lineup of performers that demonstrates the variety of blues music performances with the intent to grow interest in and understanding of blues culture,” he continued, turning to the latest round in the southeast’s longest-running Blues festival. “It a ords a unique opportunity to observe the range and depth of blues that inspired generations of blues players and was the beginnings of popular music as we know it today.”
Celebrating originators of an original genre from which so much of the contemporary sonic sphere has derived, the Caroli-
na Blues Festival has become an originator in its own right. From its own 1985 parking lot origins as the Carolina Blues & Gospel Festival at Friends Motor Lodge — the spirit invoked in that long-gone cheap motel carries on across 38 years.
And in those years, the festival has grown from a stand-alone a air to being the cornerstone of a week-long celebration across North Carolina–with a formal proclamation as “NC Blues Week,” to encompass the variety of programming, jams, and events in various venues around the state.
As organizers note, “growing up ain’t hard to do,” in this instance. “NC Blues Week o ers a variety of events to celebrate the origination of Blues and the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society both of which began with Piedmont-style guitar pickers and Gospel artists,” they said. “There’s something for everyone, including multiple farmer’s markets, electronic music, virtual panels, live performances, and community Blues jams.”
Already underway, NC Blues Week began with a breakfast serving of Blues & Greens, featuring performances by the Colin Cutler Trio at the GSO Farmer’s Curb Market on May 13; followed by a Blues Groove Beat Battle that evening at Common Grounds Downtown, which matched producers and DJs to remix Blues tracks, highlighting the journey of the blues into the pop music spectrum. The 2023 battle was hosted by Winston-Salem State University’s Hip-hop scholar and creative multi-hyphenate Chelli Broussard, who was joined by DJ Ena Pop on decks; with OC from NC, IllPo, and Skibo as featured judges.
Over in Sanford, 2023 Carolina Blues
Festival artist Alvin “Little Pink” Anderson performed at the unveiling of the Piedmont Blues Mural at Depot Park, which depicts Anderson’s father, Pink Anderson, along with fellow legendary Piedmont Bluesman (and Sanford resident) Floyd Council. Known amongst Blues fans for their fingerpicking prowess, the pair holds influence spanning genres and generations, with the seminal psychedelic-Blues rockers, Pink Floyd, having taken their name from a portmanteau honoring the two originators.
From originators to the next generation, the “Young, Black, and Blues” virtual discussion panel aimed to amplify voices, centered around those from women in the Blues community during the special Mother’s Day session hosted on May 14, by musician and activist, Gaye Adegbalola. A Books and Blues Club Reading continued the virtual programming on May 15, with an all-ages open discussion focused around “Libba — The Magnificent Musical Life of Elizabeth Cotten,” written by Laura Veirs and illustrated by Tatyana Fazlalizadeh; and “Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters,” by writer Michael Mahin and illustrator, Evan Turk.
The Dinner & a Dance Jam Blues Jam, Tuesday evening at the Blue Note Grille in Durham kicked o the midweek series of regular Blues Jams in the region. The Triad, Chuck Cotton, and Shiela Klinefelter host a jam on Wednesday at Ritchy’s in Greensboro; Klinefelter also hosts a jam on Thursday at Saw Mill II. Thursday nights are for jamming, with the weekly PBPS Backbeat Blues Jams in Mt. Airy and Kernersville. By Friday, festivities are gearing up, with an O cial Carolina Blues Festival Pre-Party
& Fundraiser at Joymongers Brewing in downtown Greensboro on May 19, with live performances from festival artists, the King Bees: Penny “Queen Bee’’ Zamagni & Rob “Hound Dog’’ Baskerville. Over in Lexington, PBPS will also host an evening with Bob Margolin at High Rock Outfitters. The Grammy-nominated blues guitarist and singer, also known for his time playing with Muddy Waters, will perform a special concert of songs while sharing the stories to celebrate the rich history of Blues within our region.
Come Saturday, the 37th Annual Carolina Blues Festival reigns over Lebauer Park — Berkley, along with the whole of PBPS, is thrilled to once again celebrate Blues in the Carolinas — with artists from all over the southeast, with performances by Missippi’s Charlie Musselwhite, Callie Day from Indiana, Florida Soulstress Kat Riggins, Atlantains Sandra Hall “Empress of the Blues” and The King Bees, Iowan Little Pink Anderson, the Triad’s own Wezo/Trollinger Band, and Mama & The Ruckus fronted by Melissa McKinney from Asheville. “This festival is a testament to the vibrant Blues community in North Carolina,” Berkley said, “and we’re excited to showcase the talent of musicians from all over the country.” He’s also excited to share that celebration with folks all over the world through virtual livestream tickets available for purchase online.
Folks around Greensboro can look forward to a post-festival dessert in the form of a Sunday afternoon Blues & Foods Market on May 21. The free event aims to celebrate the sounds of the Blues and o er a taste of regional flavors through food vendors and live music, 2 p.m.-6 p.m., in Center City Park, with performances from Appaloosa Redd, Tanner Lee, and a special second helping from Carolina Blues Festival artist, Mama and The Ruckus, to close out the festivities.
While the Carolina Blues Festival itself comes but once a year, PBPS programming, like the Blues & Foods Markets, runs all year long. And its all part of the PBPS mission to “create and present educational programs, cultural presentations, and experiences authentically representing Blues culture fostering sustainability for that culture.”
Blues & Foods o ers a schedule of free music events aimed at advocacy for arts and community. Vendors, food, and community resources are all set to the tune of live music during the monthly Sunday ses-
sions at the Renaissance Shops at Phillips Avenue in Greensboro. The 2023 schedule runs 2 p.m.-6 p.m. on June 11, July 23, August 20, September 24, and October 22.
Feeding the community is intrinsic to the PBPS mission and overall vision of promoting the continued origination of (and for) the originators. “To preserve, create, and sustain interactions with the Black American and North Carolina Blues traditions and to cultivate these interactions in communities-at-large with specific attention to Black communities by building Blues community, and supporting Blues culture and artists.”
The impact of which reverberates throughout the cultural and physical community. “We collaborate with other nonprofits and with regional and global businesses to highlight the Piedmont as a place to not only live but a place to experience rich culture,” PBPS board members said. In practice, they’ve developed the Blues Equity Institute, an educational program that “investigates Black art Culture through a Blues lens.” There’s also the community outreach program that facilitates performances at PACE of the Triad and After Gateway. And the PBPS Backbeat Blues Jams run Thursdays at venues across the Triad, providing an open-space welcoming players of all skills to share and engage the oral traditions of teaching and playing Blues music. “Our services support public health issues, educational initiatives, and societal concerns while promoting local businesses, tourism, the arts, and education in the true spirit of the Blues community.”
And spirits will come alive at the Carolina Blues Festival–spirits of the Blues and Triad musician communities intertwine through the Wezo/Trollinger Band. Centered around the guitar work of Jamie Trollinger and harmonica stylings from Mike “Wezo” Wesolowski, the group features staples of area artistry, including bassist Mark Bumgarner, Earl Austin on keys, and drummer Larry Carman.
“Their unique sound is in service to the searing guitar ri s of Trollinger and the
harmonica expertise of Wezo who will be playing a special edition Megatone Harp amplifier that bears his name,” festival organizers said. “These regional favorites are sure to move the crowd with their unique and infectious sound.”
A longtime fixture in the Blues community, Wesolowski brings the spirit and sound — as the namesake and designer of the Megatone Wezo Harp Amp used by the festival (and harmonica players worldwide). A 2006 recipient of the PBPS Keeping the Blues Alive Award, he’s no stranger to the festival stage — nor the work of PBPS in general — his wife, April served on the PBPS Board of Directors.
At Megatone, he worked with tone scientist and engineer Dale Laslie (the audio wizard behind DJL Vintage Audio that’s kept the spirit of Triad music alive through his repair work alone,) to design amplifiers specifically for harmonicas over the past 12 years — a process that culminates in the final Megatone Wezo Harp Amp hitting the festival stage. “We stopped building Harp Amps this year, mainly because of supply chain issues brought on during the pandemic,” Wesolowski explained. ”PBPS has kindly bought the amp as a gesture of Megatone’s contribution to the local Blues scene–and it’ll be available for other Harp players to use as part of their back line.” Laslie and Megatone are also supplying amps for a variety of festival
instruments — including Trollinger’s guitar and Austin’s piano.
Wesolowski himself is a Seydel Harmonica Endorsee, “they’re the oldest built Harps in the world,” he said–having carried the tunes of originators across various bands in the area since 1971 — one of which was with Bumgarner (who’d been a part of Jimmy Thackery’s band) were playing the clubs as Trollinger (then too young to get into clubs) would hang around outside. “Being in a band with them years later is more than a thrill,” Trollinger said.
While Blues remains a foundation of their set, the band doesn’t “shelter under a certain style or sound,” Trollinger noted. “We constantly push the boundaries looking for a new sound. Our writing generally stems from real past experiences. The good, and the bad.”
“The set focuses on original material from our last two albums, with one special Lonnie Mack cover,” he continued, reinforcing their preference for original craft, and pointing to their two studio albums: the aptly named debut, “The Best Of Volume 3” and its follow-up, “Tequila & Gumbo The Lost Sessions.”
Their song, “Super Power Mega Babe,” written about Wesolowski’s wife, appeared on the “Behind the Mask ‘’ compilation from the Winston-based Virtual Village (a music-focused fundraising group for service workers during the pandemic shutdown).
Tracked by Benjy Johnson at Earthtones
Recording Studio in Greensboro — a space that’s become something of a hub for award-worthy Blues this year. “We have a blast every time we work at Earthtones,” Trollinger said. “Benjy makes it easy, to say the least. Very professional, and a class act.” Wesolowski agreed. “Working with Benjy is great,” he said. “I’ve known Benjy for years — he’s a real pro and knows what he’s doing. He actually used to be located in the same building as Megatone Amps — right next door.”
Johnson’s praise is well-founded– the Greensboro-based audio-engineer is having quite the awards season, having worked on “Crown” by PBPS favorite and Carolina Blues Festival-veteran, Eric Gales–which snagged a nomination for Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards; along with a handful of nominations (including the B.B. King Entertainer of the Year Award, Song of the Year for “I Want My Crown,” and Best Blues Rock Album) at the Blues Foundation’s 44th Annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis. Johnson also worked on DaShawn Hickman’s “Drums, Roots & Steel,” which was nominated for BMA’s Best Emerging Artist Album.
Accolades are nothing new for artists on the Carolina Blues Festival bill. 2023 Carolina Blues Festival performer, Kat Riggins, was nominated for Best Soul Blues Female Artist at the Blues Awards; and her album “Progeny” went up for Best Soul Blues Album. “Mississippi Son” from 2023 headliner, Charlie Musselwhite, earned a Blues Music Award nomination for Best Acoustic Blues Album; along with a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional Blues Album.
From honors to originators all across the Blues spectrum, the lasting legacy of the genre continues to unfold at the 37th Annual Carolina Blues Festival, on May 20th at LeBauer Park in downtown Greensboro. NC Blues Week is happening now! !
“There are other notable book festivals, but Greensboro Bound is the preeminent North Carolina one,” said acclaimed novelist Daniel Wallace about the free three-day celebration of reading, writing, and publishing taking place downtown on May 18-20.
“It’s run meticulously, which is unbelievably di cult to do, as they’re dealing with hundreds of moving parts and Herculean scheduling, and they somehow pull it o . It’s also the best festival for showcasing Southern and, particularly, North Carolina writers, lifting their profile in a way no one other one does. I can’t believe we haven’t always had it, but it’s still relatively new.”
Wallace is one of 55 authors participating in the festival’s 32 events. His novels include “Big Fish”, which was adapted into a film directed by Tim Burton and starring Ewan McGregor. He’s been inducted into the Alabama Literary Hall of Fame and is the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Before its publication last month, his genre-bending memoir “This Isn’t Going to End Well: The True Story of a Man I Thought I Knew” was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by Garden & Gun, Goodreads, the Atlanta JournalConstitution, and “Deep South,” and has received rave reviews from the New York Times and Washington Post
The aptly titled “This Isn’t Going to End Well” is a moving meditation on memory, mortality, and masculinity and a beautifully written mixture of memoir and true detective story. Wallace’s longtime friend, mentor, and brother-in-law William Nealy, who committed suicide in 2001, seemed a man of endless capability and confidence, a fearless adventurer and MacGyver-like jack-of-all-trades who not only mastered whitewater kayaking but was a talented writer and cartoonist whose books made him a cult figure and hero to the extreme sports community.
Not everyone with a beloved older sis-
ter likes her boyfriend, but from their first meeting, which occurred when Wallace was 12, 19-year-old Nealy seemed like the model of everything a man should be.
Nealy and Holly Wallace fell in love and stayed that way until one abandoned the other and life. At 21, Holly was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, which put her on the cover of Newsweek as what Wallace calls “the unlucky but beautiful face of the disease.” She married William and was his partner in adventures even after she could no longer hold a paddle, her hands taped to the canoe’s stirrups and her shoulders doing the work. William took care of Holly until he killed himself, leaving his
disabled and dying widow to other caregivers, mainly Wallace, who now hated the man he once worshipped.
At least until he read the journals Nealy left behind.
“I found them after Holly died,” said Wallace. “When I finally read them, I realized that his dual self, the radically di erent way he portrayed himself in his journals and his everyday life, was emblematic of how we hide aspects of ourselves from even the people we’re closest to. I thought it would be fascinating to survivors of suicide, and a possible balm to them, as what I had was something they all wanted, an explanation of why something like this happened.”
At 5 p.m. on Saturday, Wallace joins Lee Smith, another nationally bestselling and award-winning North Carolina novelist, in the Van Dyke Performance Space of the Greensboro Cultural Center for “All’s Well That Ends Well: North Carolina Literature at Its Apex,” a celebration of Algonquin Books sponsored by the Historical Book Club of North Carolina. Another of Greensboro Bound’s most high-profile events occurs in that space
at 7 p.m. on Friday with Charles Frazier, the acclaimed and bestselling author of “Cold Mountain,” which was adapted into an Oscar-winning film. Frazier will discuss and read from his new historical novel The Trackers.
The festival opens on Thursday with the one event that isn’t free but has proved so popular it’s already sold out. In “Abide & Imbibe: An Evening with the Dude,” André Darlington, an award-winning beverage writer who abides (and imbibes) in Greensboro, presents recipes from his “The Uno cial Big Lebowski Cocktail Book.”
The festival’s events and authors are too numerous to completely list here, but include the following:
At 9 p.m. on Friday, Scuppernong Books will show the documentary The Renegade Legacy of Bleecker and MacDougal, about how a handful of cafes on those Greenwich Village streets launched the careers of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Wavy Gravy.
At 10 a.m. on Saturday in the Greensboro Cultural Center Greenhill Center,
children’s book author Shelly Anand will lead a read-along of her book “I Love My Body Because.” In the same space and time on Saturday, New York Times and Washington Post reporter Sindya Bhanoo, novelist Bushra Rehman (“Roses in the Mouth of a Lion”), and memoirist Neema Avashia (“Another Appalachia: Growing up Queer and Indian in a Mountain Place”) discuss “Belonging in a New America.”
On Saturday at 12:30 p.m. in the Greensboro History Museum Auditorium, politics and wrestling tag-team in “The Unmaking of America and the Future of North Carolina,” in which Gene Nicholas, author of “Lessons From North Carolina,” describes how this state’s politics have been a testing ground for national Republican strategies, and Abraham Josephine Riesman, author of “Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America,” argues that the WWE impresario reinvented not only wrestling and himself but contemporary politics.
At 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, banjoist and rapper Justin “Demeanor” Harrington” joins Kristina Gaddy, author of “Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo’s Hidden History” (which features an introduction by Harrington’s aunt Rhiannon Giddens) in the Greensboro History Museum Auditorium.
At 4 p.m. on Saturday, four authors of fantasy, horror, and speculative fiction discuss “The Revelations of Genre” in the Greensboro Cultural Center Hyers Theatre. The panel consists of Lambda Award finalist Chana Porter, whose “The Thick and the Lean” is about how an aspiring chef, a cyberthief, and a kitchen maid reclaim pleasure as a revolutionary act; Veronica G. Henry, whose “The Foreign Exchange” is the second adventure of Vodou priestess turned amateur detective Reina Dumond; and Erika T. Wurth, whose literary horror novel “White Horse” is about an urban heavy metal Indigenous woman in Denver who is literally haunted by her past. The panel is moderated by J. L. Herndon, a Black author of speculative fiction and poetry who resides in Greensboro.
At 5 p.m. on Saturday, activist and teacher D Noble joins minister, organizer, and author Brandon Wrencher and thought leader and speaker Rev. Doctor Leonard Curry at Scuppernong for a panel on the legacy of author, theorist and social critic bell hooks, whose writings on the intersection of race, class, and gender have become even more popular and influential after her 2021 death. Although Greensboro Bound began in 2018, this is only the fourth time the festival has been held in person.
“We canceled in 2020 for obvious
reasons,” said Brian Lampkin, who is cofounder of both Scuppernong Books and Greensboro Bound, and vice chair of the non-profit that runs the festival. “2021 was done virtually, with featured writers that included Roxane Gay, John Sayles, Nnedi Okorafor, and Billy Collins, so this is our second year back in person.
What’s di erent this year?
“We really tried to market the festival much more e ectively and will see if it worked! Otherwise, we lucked into the fact that a bunch of the major North Carolina writers had books published this spring, so Charles Frazier, Lee Smith, and Daniel Wallace provided an easy way to think about the major events on Friday and Saturday evenings. As always, we’re thrilled with the way we’re able to bring conversations around sometimes challenging issues and with the way we bring authors from a variety of racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds. We moved one of the major events, Marlon James, into April so that UNCG students could benefit from his appearance (which was sponsored by the UNCG University Libraries). I’m also happy to see that we keep expanding into other genres like sports, cooking, and film. I’ll o er one event as a surprise must-see: “The Unmaking of America and the Future of North Carolina,” which combines the history of professional wrestling with the treachery of the North Carolina State Legislature!”
“I’m always happy to be there, and one of the great things about publishing a new book is that you get to go back,” said Wallace.
In a March Triad Business Journal profile, Lampkin called both Scuppernong and independent bookselling in general “in many ways better since before the pandemic.”
Wallace agrees. “When COVID happened, there was a period when I thought a lot of independent bookstores would fail like one in Chapel Hill did when it opened weeks before we went into quarantine. But what happened for others is that book sales went up during Covid, and independent bookstores changed the way the way they sold books, and gave everybody a chance to safely buy them. And so many indy bookstores actually prospered, that may have slacked o now that we’re getting outside more and have less time on our hands at home, but I still think they’re in a stronger position now.”
For more information, check out GreensboroBound.com. !
IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.
Art has this amazing power to both uplift spirits — and secure funds — in times of struggle. Music has a way of soothing senseless tragedies, in our worlds both public and private. And it’s never short of amazing the way artists come together for their own.
It’s in that spirit — and to no surprise — that friends, family, and bandmates are coming together for Triad stringman extraordinaire, Alex McKinney, who is undergoing treatment for Stage 4 Tongue Cancer — despite leading a tobacco-free lifestyle.
With an active GoFundMe started by his sister, bandmates and buds are stepping in to do what they do best: playing good music and doing the most good possible through a series of fundraiser shows. The first kicked off on May 10 with “A Night for Alex” at Gas Hill Drinking Room featuring performances from a few of McKinney’s musical cohorts: Caleb Caudle, Martha Bassett, Tyler Nail, and Laurelyn Dossett.
McKinney has been a longtime part of Bassett’s fold — performing most recently as part of the house band making “good music for good people” on the Martha Bassett Show. He and Dossett share a similar longstanding collaborative partnership, with McKinney among the “island of misfit toys, and a somewhat unlikely bunch of musicians” brought together for the Songs of Hope & Justice programs; a part of Dossett’s Songs of Light and Wonder holiday show; and as a fixture at both her legendary Lucky 32 residency series and live shows in general.
With such an overarching presence in the Triad music community: it all boils down to sharing songs of hope, aimed at offering a means to help. “We’re raising voices, raising spirits, and raising funds for our dear friend and compatriot Alex McKinney,” Dossett said on Facebook, calling McKinney a “brother, bandmate, collaborator, and compatriot” in need.
Bassett and Dossett are also on the bill of the next installment: an acoustic showcase with Abigail Dowd, John Gillespie, Sam Frazier, Mark Kano, Mike Garrigan, Patrick Rock (and more surprise guests) on May 22 at the Flat Iron.
Kano, Garrigan, and Rock will also rock as part of the rock band installment, with the likes of Athenaeum, Old Heavy Hands, and The Finns at One Thirteen Brewhouse + Rooftop Bar on May 27. “Alex is one of my favorite people on this planet,” Kano said. The two were bandmates in Athenaeum, and buds both before and after. ”He’s a kind soul and a monster musician. My life wouldn’t have been the same without his friendship, intelligence, and creativity,” Kano said.
Rock agreed. “Alex is one of those guys a songwriter like me can only wish for,” said Rock, who’s spent the past 22 years playing music with McKinney. “He’s a multi-artist: bass guitar, guitar, dobro, pedal steel —
and he’s not a paint-by-numbers kind of musician, either: he takes his time, and crafts perfect parts and melodies to your songs.”
“Simply put,” Rock continued, “Alex makes your songs, and your live performances better! He’s selfless, funny, talented, and practically family. I’m looking forward to his recovery so we can get back to working on music which is the same as breathing air for guys like us.”
Dubbed “dean of the dobro” by Ogi Overman, the spectrum of folksters and rock’n’rollers highlight McKinney’s range — from his role in the radio alt-pop sensation Athenaeum, to his notoriety as an esteemed “professional sideman” with artists like Alan Peterson, Carri Smithey, Molly McGinn, and Andy Eversole.
“Looking at the lineups, it’s obvious that Alex is a common thread in our music community,” said Abigail Dowd. “He’s supported and uplifted all of us — on and off stage. Gathering together around him through music feels really powerful. It’s our turn to support and uplift him this time and raise all the funds he needs.”
McKinney not only appeared on Dowd’s “Beautiful Day,” he was also a noted musical figure that helped her feel at home in the Greensboro music scene — jumping in on dobro during a session with Dossett at Lucky 32 shortly after Dowd first got to town. “I could go on and on about Alex,” she said. “He’s as fine a man as he is a musician — and that’s saying a lot. When we played together last November, we thought that he was on the other side of his cancer diagnosis. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.”
Frazier, with whom McKinney often shares a stage, expressed similar affection. “As a musician, Alex operates on a fairly high level,” he said. “He listens intently to what’s going on around him and then spreads the good stuff where it needs to go. He’s always a real pleasure to play with and to hear. And I’m always glad to see him, whether it’s on stage or just around town.”
Artists spreading good, so artists can spread good, makes the good world go round. With McKinney’s absence felt in the hearts and lineups of those who hold him dear, Triad musicians hope to get him playing again.
“I know each of us are asked all too often to help in situations like these,” Kano said, “but until our healthcare system becomes a manageable one, it’s up to all of us to come together in times of need for those who we know and love. Alex has poured his heart and soul into so many musical creations — from his days in Athenaeum, to performing with countless other artists who have benefited from his stellar musicianship.” !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.
Friends and bandmates will host an acoustic benefit show for Alex McKinney at the Flat Iron on May 22; the rock’n’roll show goes down at One Thirteen Brewhouse on May 27. A Gofundme from McKinney’s family is online now. Visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-usget-alex-playing-again.
Four SaintS BrEwing
218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 www.foursaintsbrewing.com
thursdays: taproom trivia
Fridays: Music Bingo
May 27: william nesmith
Jun 24: 80’s unplugged
Cat’S CradlE
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053 www.catscradle.com
May 19: Sueco
May 19: Slow teeth
May 20: tim Barry
May 21: the new Pornographers
May 22: Matthew logan Vasquez
May 22: oFF!
May 27: Backseat lovers
May 27: thrice
May 27: westerman
May 28: K. Flay
May 28: Panchiko
May 28: tHe Crystal Casino Band
May 30-31: indigo de Souza
May 31: la luz
Jun 1: into the Fog
Jun 2l gEEKEd, Kal Marks, Cor de lux, tongues of Fire
Jun 3: the gone ghosts, Heat Preacher, Charles latham and the Borrowed Band
Jun 5: Fenne lily and Christian lee Hutson
Jun 5: Subhumans
Jun 7: ax and the Hatchetmen
Jun 8: declan McKenna
Jun 8: dave Hause Mermaid
Jun 9: Cracker
Jun 9: glove
Jun 10: Quadeca, quickly, quickly
Jun 10: reggae reunion
Jun 10: tank and the Bangas
Jun 14: black midi
Jun 14: nrBQ
Jun 16: wednesday
Jun 21: l’rain
BoJanglES ColiSEuM
2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com
May 26: ramon ayala
Jun 17: tink admat
Jun 24: grupo Frontera El Comienzo tour
Jun 26: tori amos
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970
www.livenation.com
May 17: Jazz is dead
May 18: Sepultura and Kreator
May 18: the warning
May 19: Plini
May 19: Bullet for My Valentine
May 20: KEnia oS
May 21: dark Funeral
May 21: Sleeping with Sirens
May 22: Band-Maid
May 25: Bryson tiller
May 25: Badflower
May 26: greg Puciato
May 26: the Backseat lovers
May 27: grandson & K.Flay
May 31: Eladio Carrion
Jun 4: Bones, Xavier wulf, Eddy Baker
Jun 4: Palace
Jun 6: Yong guk
Jun 7: Sam Morril
Jun 7: the 502s
PnC MuSiC PaVilion
707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292
www.livenation.com
May 21: godsmack & i Prevail
May 30: dead & Compamy
Jun 17: dierks Bentley
Jun 24: weezer, Future islands & Joyce Manor
Jun 27: Big time rush, Max & Jax
Jun 28: Shania twain
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
May 23: Paramore
Jun 9: Charlotte r&B Experience 2023
Jun 30: Banda MS
ClEmmOnS
VillagE SQuarE
taP HouSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330
www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
May 17: Kick Back trio
May 19: Hampton drive
May 20: Stereo doll
May 26: Vinyl tap
May 27: Hedtrip
Jun 1: James Vincent Carroll
Carolina tHEatrE
309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030
www.carolinatheatre.org
May 17: Crowded House
May 21: Spyro gyra
Jun 5: Happy together tour
Jun 12: toad the wet Sprokect
Jun 13: Menopause the Musical
dPaC
123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787
www.dpacnc.com
May 18: triangle rising Stars
May 19: get the led out
May 20: John Mellencamp
May 23: the Beach Boys
May 30-Jun 4: 1776
Jun 6-7: Bluey’s Big Play
Jun 8: indigo girls with Full Band
ElKIn
rEEVES tHEatEr
129 W Main St | 336.258.8240
www.reevestheater.com
wednesdays: reeves open Mic
Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam
May 19: the Classic drifters
May 20: the reeves House Band -
90’s Show
May 27: darin & Brooke aldridge
May 24: Fiddle dee dee
Jun 2: For the love of doc
Jun 10: tinsley Ellis
Jun 17: the Malpass Brothers
Jun 24: reeves House Band’s Big Blues night w/ Seth walker
Barn dinnEr tHEatrE
120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211
www.barndinner.com
apr 22- May 27: the Sweet delilah
Swim Club
Jun 3- Jul 15: legends diner: a Musical tribute
Carolina tHEatrE
310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605
www.carolinatheatre.com
May 27: Mellencougar: John Mellencamp tribute
Jun 3: adam Ezra
Jun 24: Maritzada
CHar Bar no. 7
3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555
www.charbar7.com
May 18: darrel Hoots
May 25: Kelsey Hurley
CoMEdY ZonE
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034
www.thecomedyzone.com
May 19-20: darren Fleet
May 26-28: tommy davidson
Jun 2-3: guy torry
Jun 4: the Christi Show
Jun 5: Sam Morril
Jun 9-11: Capone
CoMMon groundS
602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.388
www.facebook.com/CommonGroundsGreensboro
Jun 7: Eli lev
Jun 14: Bryan Bielanski
ConE dEniM
117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646
www.cdecgreensboro.com
May 18: Jackyl
May 17: John Papa Gros
May 18: Dance From above
May 21: Eric Johanson
May 22: alex McKinney’s Benefit Show
May 26: Shame Gang
May 27: Slow Teeth
w/ No One Mine
May 28: Wyatt Easterling
May 30: american Part Two
HOURS: Tues-Fri: 3pm-unTil
saT & sun 12pm-unTil
221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967
www.flatirongso.com
GaraGE TavErn
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020
www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
May 18: Tatum Sheets
May 19: Spindle 45
May 21: Irish Jam Session
May 25: Dustin York
May 26: Gipsy Danger
May 27: Wristband
May 28: Patrick rock
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
May 17: Kevin Hart
HanGar 1819
1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480
www.hangar1819.com
May 17: against The Current, Trophy Eyes & Yours Truly
May 19: nekrogoblikon
May 20: bloodywood, vended, Wargasm uK
May 21: Converge, brutus & Frailbody
May 23: born Of Osiris
LITTLE brOTHEr
brEWInG
348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678
www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew
Wednesdays: Trivia
Fridays & Saturdays: Free Live Music
May 19: Tre. Charles Duo
May 20: big bump and the Stun Guns
rODY’S TavErn
5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950
www.facebook.com/rodystavern
May 17: Kelsey Hurley
May 19: Patrick rock Trio
May 24: Daniel Love
May 26: Elena Hores
May 31: William nesmith
STEvEn TanGEr CEnTEr
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500
www.tangercenter.com
May 17-Jun 4: Frozen
high point
HIGH POInT THEaTrE
220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401
www.highpointtheatre.com
May 25: Letters From Home
jamestown
THE DECK
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999
May 18: Dan Miller
May 20: retro vinyl
May 25: The aquarius
May 26: Huckleberry Shine
kernersville
brEaTHE
COCKTaIL LOunGE
221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822
www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktail-
Lounge
Wednesdays: Karaoke
May 26: SMaSHaT
MONDAY Game Night
TUESDAYS Trivia Night
WEDNESDAYS Karaoke
THURSDAYS Music & Bingo
WEEKENDS Live Music
THE LIBERTY
SHOWCASE THEATER
101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844
www.TheLibertyShowcase.com
May 20: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage
OAK RIDGE
BISTRO 150
2205 Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.6359
www.bistro150.com
May 20: Limited Engagement
May 27: Wilde - Chris and Amanda Barrens
Jun 10: Jordan & Madisen
Jun 17: Limited Engagement
Jun 24: Wilde - Chris and Amanda Barrens
LINCOLN THEATRE
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.comMay 13: Railroad Earth
May 19: Mostley Crue w/ Flying High
Again/ Voodoo
May 20: Start Making Sense ( The Talking Heads Tribute)
May 26: BigbabyGucci
May 28: K. Flay
RED HAT AMPHITHEATER
500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com
May 28: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
EARL’S
121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com
Mondays: Open Mic
Thursdays: Will Jones
May 19: Travis Grubb and the Stoned Rangers
May 20: Billy Creason Band
May 21: Will Jones
May 26: The Mighty Fairlanes
May 27: Mike Cosner and the Fugatives
May 28: Gypsy 3
FIDDLIN’ FISH
BREWING COMPANY
772 Trade St | 336.999.8945
www.fiddlinfish.com
Tuesdays: Trivia
May 19: None of the Above Bluegrass
FOOTHILLS BREWING
638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348
www.foothillsbrewing.com
Sundays: Sunday Jazz
Thursdays: Trivia
May 17: Colin Cutler
May 19: Camel City Blues
May 20: Ben Dehan
May 21: Evan Blackerby
May 24: Jim Mayberry
May 26: Colin Cutler Trio
May 27: Kickback Trio
MIDWAY MUSIC HALL
11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218
www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter
Mondays: Line Dancing
May 20: The Classics
MUDDY CREEK CAFE & MUSIC HALL
137 West St | 336.201.5182
www.facebook.com/MuddyCreekCafe
THE RAMKAT
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714
May 18: Nikki Morgan, Laura Jane Vincent
May 19: Tristan Tritt, Seven Year Witch
May 20: Spyro Gyra, Travis Williams
Group
May 24: The Barrett Davis Trio, Momma Molasses
May 25: Withdrew, The Gone Ghosts
May 26: His & Hers, Down The Mountain
May 27: Spirit System, Ships In The Night
ROAR
633 North Liberty Street | 336-917-3008
www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater. com
May 18: Nikki Morgan, Laura Jane Vincent
May 19: Tristan Tritt
May 20: Spyro Gyra
May 24: The Barrett Davis Trio, Momma Molasses
May 25: Withdrew, The Gone Ghosts
May 26: His & Hers, Down The Mountain
May 27: Spirit System, Ships in the Night
May 30: Ugly Kid Joe, Pistols at Dawn
May 31: Jack Marion & the Pearl Snap Prophets, Chris McGinnis
WISE MAN BREWING
826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008
www.wisemanbrewing.com
Thursdays: Music Bingo
May 26: Jordan Holiday & Madisen
Renee
May 27: Bandemic
May 29: Basses Covered Brass
Beautiful 2 level home on a lot totaling 2± acres in gated and secured Grandfather Golf & Country Club. Situated in a beautiful wooded setting, the living, dining, kitchen, and master bedroom open to a large, multi-level deck with fire pit, hot tub, outdoor eating/ living area, dining porch, indoor/outdoor sound system, covered porch areas. Renovated eat-in kitchen with new appliances, dining room, game room/den, utility room. Additional features include gas logs, heated master bathroom floor, two stone fireplaces, a two car garage, wine closet, new Jacuzzi, new Medical infrared Sauna and covered porch. Built in custom bar with ice maker & liquor cabinet. New roof, gutters, paint (inside and out), HVAC, windows, tile in all bathrooms, toliets, and bamboo floors. Completely furnished!
This property is for sale by the Property Owner. Call Charles at (336) 253-6164 for more information.
Check out videos on our Facebook!
BARTENDER: Christian Montiel
BAR: Hel’s/Dram & Draught
AGE: 29
WHERE ARE YOU FROM?
Lived in Denver until I turned 29 and then moved to Winston in August of 2022.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING?
About 10 years now. I’ve been in the service industry since I was 18 and started learning how to bartend when I was 20 and then finally moved up when I turned 21.
HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER?
I worked at a bowling alley sports bar as a food runner for a year and eventually moved up to serving. After a year of serving I started to train to be a bartender!
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING?
Everyday of work is something new and I don’t get caught in the monotonous day-to-day routine. No disrespect to people that work that way, though! I just like being on my feet and meeting new people and coming up with new fun drinks to make!
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE?
A simple beer and a shot is always appreciated especially when it’s crazy busy, but that’s not fun. I really enjoy making the classics; Manhattan’s, Old Fashions, Sazeracs...but I always enjoy when someone throws me a “make me something fruity” and I get to be creative with it.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK?
If it’s just a casual night out, I lean towards a cheap beer in a can and some good bourbon. But if I’m feeling a bit classier and the bar has the right ingredients, I like a good Sazerac.
WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK?
Espresso martini’s seem to be the new thing and they’re really tasty. I’m working on a dirty chai martini right now, so I’d recommend that! Or just a nice bourbon neat!
WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING?
After nine years of bartending I’ve seen some pretty crazy stu . Some funny, some scary, some very confusing. My favorite regular occurrence, though, was a man named Maris who is a local legend in the Colorado metal scene. He’s an undead gay zombie with a big pink mohawk and never breaks character. He used to come in to the bar I worked at quite often and was always covered in fake blood and got looks from everyone there. I still don’t know if I’ve ever even met him out of character, I wouldn’t be able to recognize him.
WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN?
It wasn’t a single “tip,” but when I was working at the bowling alley, there was some charity fundraiser happening and they were selling ra e tickets. I bought like $20 worth of tickets and actually ended up winning. I think it was like $250 or something but I told the charity to keep it and put it towards their foundation. All the people attending saw and ended up tipping me like $400. I have seen a couple of friends and coworkers get anywhere from $600 to $5,000 though. One day I’ll be that friend!
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Single Lambs looking for love could find Cupid aiming at someone you thought (wrongly) was uninterested. Paired Sheep could soon make plans to move into new pastures.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Level that sharp Bull’s eye of yours directly at the target you’re after. Don’t let yourself get sidetracked by any misleading or deceptive attempts to distract you.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Early enthusiasm gives way to a more reflective attitude, as you assess the potential of a new job. Avoid questionable advice. The ultimate decision should be yours.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might need to reassess the responsibility you’ve taken on. Consider delegating some of the tasks to people you trust and focus on those things you do best.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Don’t be shy about sharing new ideas with your workplace colleagues. Their warm reception and trusted support will soon have you purring with satisfaction.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) That uneasiness over a potential commitment should be confronted and dealt with realistically. Find out why you’re delaying an important decision.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your business venture gets back into high gear after a brief period of sputtering. Don’t be discouraged. Stay with it. Your hard work and patience will pay o .
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Watch out for a tendency to let things slide in hopes that a problem will correct itself. You need to be more proactive than reactive if you want to see change.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A wilting relationship could recover and be coaxed back into full bloom, as long as there is a strong commitment to your partner to make the relationship your priority.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Before you accept a new job o er, check on the status of a promotion you were promised in your current workplace. Then, make a decision.
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Expect to find yourself in a teaching situation on the job, which you will no doubt enjoy. Don’t be surprised if you get to learn a few things as well.
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You’d love to make a big splash with your new project. But you’d be wiser to introduce it to your colleagues in a more restrained way and let it speak for itself.
[BORN THIS WEEK: You’re a practical person who also has a sense of adventure. You have a capacity for leadership that others often tap in to.
© 2023 by King Features Syndicate
crossword on page 11
sudoku on page 11
by Fifi Rodriguez1. ANATOMY: What is a common name for lateral epicondylitis?
[
[2. GEOGRAPHY: What was the country of Portugal known as in Roman times?
[3. MOVIES: What are the final words spoken in the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”?
[4. LITERATURE: Which novel series includes a fictional place called Godric’s Hollow, England?
[
5. SCIENCE: What is cytology?
[6. TELEVISION: What is the name of the ranch in the 1960s western show “Bonanza”?
[7. U.S. STATES: Which state has the longest cave system?
[8. FOOD & DRINK: In which country were bagels invented?
[9. HISTORY: What kind of beetle was revered by the ancient Egyptians?
[10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is the largest lizard on Earth?
5. The study of cells.
4. The “Harry Potter” series by J.K. Rowling.
3. “I hope.”
2. Lusitania.
1. Tennis elbow.
