YES! Weekly - June 3, 2020

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EBONY HOLT

MIXXER

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RESTAURANTS REOPENING

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June 3-9, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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JUNE 3-9, 2020 VOLUME 16, NUMBER 23

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YES! WEEKLY

JUNE 3-9, 2020

DAYS OF PROTEST, NIGHTS OF BROKEN GLASS Around 10 p.m. on Saturday, the crowd marching through downtown Greensboro approached the International Civil Rights Museum. What they saw shocked them.

For over an hour, they’d been shouting “NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE!” and the name of George Floyd, the African-American man whose throat was crushed by the knee of now-former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin.

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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 KATIE MURAWSKI katie@yesweekly.com Contributors IAN MCDOWELL JOHN BATCHELOR KATEI CRANFORD MARK BURGER TERRY RADER JIM LONGWORTH

PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com

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Normally, makers (artists, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts) are found working away on any given day at MIXXER, an 8,000 square-foot community makerspace in downtown Winston-Salem, but the building has been closed due to COVID-19 since mid-March, causing about 50 Mixxer members to lend a hand. Now, Mixxer needs help from our community, and hopes to recoup lost revenues spent on materials with “A Make Sale” online auction on June 20-27.

5 Invariably, one of the most popular events at the RiverRun International Film Festival is the “SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS” program, which is exactly what it sounds like and has proven a big draw for young and old alike. Despite the cancellation of this year’s festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will nevertheless present “Saturday Morning Cartoons” – free of charge and available through June 14.

6 “The REPUBLICAN PARTY under Trump has completely lost its way in the kind of fundamental principles that folks like me have believed in over the course of our lives,” so says former North Carolina

Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr, and the principles he alludes to include such things as decency, honesty, separation of powers, and rational decision-making.

7 I’m going to lead off with some personal observations about RESTAURANTS REOPENING with distancing restrictions in place. First, expanding outdoor seating is a good idea. More distance, more open air. For the record: this idea appeared first in YES! Weekly, when I suggested it in my April 22 column. The world, not just Greensboro, would be a better place of government asked for my advice more often. Better yet, ask my wife.

13 “WE HAVE NO CHOICE but to do this!” said Anthony, the 27-year-old Black man who organized and led the multiracial march by over a thousand demonstrators that began in downtown Greensboro at noon on Saturday and shut down sections of I-40 before ending that evening.

14 AMERIGLOW shines anew with Slavic Tongue, American Film, out now via Bandcamp. Whopping and rambling at 20 tracks, the album features 12 original songs, with an additional eight variations.

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

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT KYLE MUNRO CARL PEGRAM SHANE MERRIMAN JESSE GUERRA 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 2020 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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[SPOTLIGHT]

BLACK LIVES MATTER

BY KATIE MURAWSKI

“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired,” said Civil Rights activist, and Mississippi sharecropper Fannie Lou Hamer on Aug. 22, 1964, after describing in detail “the vicious 1963 beating in a Mississippi jailhouse that left her with severe kidney damage, a blood clot behind one eye and a permanent limp,” according to Daily Beast author Lottie L. Joiner. The people of the Triad demonstrated this weekend (and are still demonstrating) that they, too, are sick and tired.

As the nation mourns the killing of George Floyd by now-former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin— who has since been fired and arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter— activists in the Triad made their voices heard this weekend, with a series of protests and movements.

On May 31, folks of all ages, creeds and races gathered in Winston-Salem’s Aster Park for the movement “Black Ops: Rebellion of Black Women.”

“The gathering by the ‘Black Ops: The Rebellion of Black Women’ is a call for justice, safety and equality in the city of Winston-Salem, ” said Ikulture Chandler, one of the speakers of the movement.

“This is a calling, an urgency for black women. We are encouraging our black men to stand with us alongside people in the Winston-Salem area and to hear us say proudly— we are tired, and we are tired of being tired. Understand that we will be heard in unity, and we want justice. We want our black men to be able to stand up for women— Julius Sampson. We want our women to be safe and protected—Ella Crawley. And yet, due to COVID-19, our black men and women are dying with no affordable health care. And we sit back and watch millions and billions of dollars going to Downtown Winston-Salem. Why are our cities, public schools and homes in our communities suffering? We want to know why. Why is nothing being done about those things? Change needs to take place.

And we are calling for our women to stand in solidarity with us—our men to stand in solidarity with us so that we can see that change and those results become our new reality and new normal.”

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The movement was organized by local activist Miranda Jones, and military veteran Arnita Miles, and some of the speakers included minister Terrance Hawkins and Nation of Islam minister Effrainguan Muhammad. Councilwoman D.D. Adams was also in attendance and encouraged the community to come and be heard at the Winston-Salem City Council’s first in-person meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic on June 15 at the Benton Convention Center. Project Mask WS members were also at the movement handing out masks to those attending.

Later that day, more than 100 people marched up and down the streets of downtown Winston-Salem to the courthouse to lay down in the street for over eight minutes, in observance of Floyd, who died of “asphyxiation from sustained pressure,” as Chauvin knelt on his neck for eight minutes and 46-seconds.

Some called out for their moms. Some screamed, “I can’t breathe.” Some wept.

Some were quiet. It was, perhaps, the most emotional scene of my career.

At “Black Ops,” Hawkins encouraged white people in attendance to peacefully assemble and stand up for black lives in their communities.

I wholeheartedly agree, and would like to give a personal note to white YES! Weekly readers: The time of virtue signaling—halfreciting Martin Luther King Jr. quotes on social media and tone-deaf crying that “all lives matter,” is over— as white people, we need to do more than offer our thoughts and prayers. We need to donate to local bailout funds, educate ourselves and others, support black-owned businesses, vote and bring food/waters to protests.

Restaurant owners can take a note from Crafted’s Kris Fuller, and give away food to those peacefully demonstrating. Artists can take a note from Gina Franco, who has been painting the boarded-up windows of downtown Greensboro and spreading positivity through her colorful paintings.

Above all, we need to listen to our African-American neighbors and not minimize their experiences. We need to practice empathy and stand with them. !

hot pour PRESENTS

[BARTENDERS OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Shelbi Guions BAR: Stumbles Stilskins AGE: 27 years young WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Elizabethtown, North Carolina HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING? Six years and counting!

HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER? I’ve been in the service industry for quite some time now, actually, since I was 16 years old. I started as a host in some places, a server in most, and one former General Manager of mine Vikas Mehta appointed me to be the newest bartender. I haven’t looked back since! Talk about moving up the food chain.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING? I’m a people-person that thrives in fast-paced environments. Bartending is the perfect job for me.

The hustle, personal connections you make with people, the attractive clientele, loud music or screaming sports fans, I can’t get enough of it, not to mention it’s downright fun!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE? This drink is for my socialites out there who love a quick drink to take off the edge!

Quick and easy to make, super easy to drink.

A good old fashion Bay Breeze. It’s perfect for a warm summer evening or a dinner party with the girls!

The ingredients include the following: 1.25 oz of your Vodka of choice, 2 oz of cranberry juice, 2 oz of pineapple juice. Garnish: lime wedge WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK? Cucumber Basil Gimlet. It’s freaking delicious.

The ingredients include the following: 2 oz of Hendricks Gin over ice, Muddled Basil Leaves (about three leaves is good), 2 dashes of bitters, 0.25 oz of fresh lime juice.

Shake hard and sturdy. Top with soda water or Sprite for a little sweetness. I prefer Sprite! Garnish: Basil leaf

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK? After dinner-drinks definitely aren’t my vibe.

I prefer shots instead, but if you’re looking for a shot that soothes your stomach Fernet does the trick!

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING? Working in bars around NYC gave me more than a handful of crazy stories to tell. But the craziest by far was when I was bartending at a spot in Brooklyn.

It was a crazy night at the bar, borderline maximum capacity, loud reggae music vibrating the walls, sirens, and horns from the city as the background noise — plenty of hot people enjoying the nightlife.

This type of fast pace bartending I thrived on, I could never get enough of it. But what I could get enough of is the obnoxiously intoxicated people that stayed out past 2 a.m. One girl got so drunk that she ordered a drink from me, slouched over the bar for a while as she sipped her drink. She looked visibly fine, but moments later, she vomited in her half-full drink and proceeded to drink it immediately after.

I’ll never get that memory out of my head.

WHAT’S THE BEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN? Once before, my old regular Bob came in to see me with a random gift. It was the book The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. I was ecstatic to receive the surprise gift, especially because Bob and I had so many previous conversations about finances in the past. To my surprise, the book had a $100 as a bookmark in it. Bob had one Bud Light gave me the book and left. He was always so mysterious.

JUNE 3-9, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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SEE IT!

A ‘make sale’ to help keep Mixxer going

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ormally, makers (artists, entrepreneurs and enthusiasts) are found working away on any given day at Mixxer, an 8,000 square-foot Terry Rader community makerspace in downtown Winston-Salem.

Contributor But the building has been closed due to COVID-19 since midMarch, causing about 50 Mixxer members to lend a hand.

They began working from home using their own equipment to produce over 9,000 pieces of personal protective equipment accessories, including 600+ laser-cut face shields, 300 face masks, 3D buckles (hold masks off ears), and more.

Lyndon Bray and his son, Sullivan Anderson Bray, as well as several other members and volunteers, haven’t let the rain stop the donations delivered to frontline medical workers in Winston-Salem, Kernersville, Greensboro, High Point, Asheboro, Raleigh, Durham and Whiteville.

Now, Mixxer needs help from the community and hopes to recoup lost revenues spent on materials with “A Make Sale” online auction from June 20-27. Items donated by Mixxer members include handcrafted jewelry, paintings, furniture, lamps, home goods, photography and more by over 30 enthusiasts and professional artists, makers, craftspeople and sewists, according to community manager Elaine Lamson. She gives credit to local member and artist, Nicole Uzzell, who formed a Mixxer member fundraising committee, and donated the first piece of work.

J. Alan Shelton founded Mixxer in 2014 and has served as executive director since 2017.

Shelton told YES! Weekly that Mixxer had about eight people using 3D printers at home (some purchased specifically for this project). He said, “you would have to spend a million dollars to purchase every piece of equipment at Mixxer, but for $50 a month, you have access to all of it, and all you have to do is be safe, and be nice.” He said that when expensive plastic ($150 per 4-foot by 8-foot sheet) was no longer available for the face shields, they switched to punching holes in purchased book report covers that were not as highYES! WEEKLY

JUNE 3-9, 2020

3D buckles hold masks off ears

Sullivan Bray delivers mask holders quality, but would prevent droplets from hitting you in the face. He said they had to continue to adapt with materials they could find.

Shelton said Mixxer’s members wouldn’t normally have anything in common other than living in the same community, but they share a common bond in their desire to create, learn, and support each other. He said a member who is a doctor at Baptist, contacted him with an idea he didn’t know what to do with. He told Shelton that since COVID-19 dies at 50 degrees Celsius, he thought it would help sick people to breathe heated

air, but you couldn’t expect someone who is running a fever to sit inside a sauna. It took another IT tech guy, and two electrical engineers to make a “Micro-Sauna.”

This prototype allows someone to breathe heated air (80-90 degrees Celsius) safely.

He said it could easily be improved upon, but they don’t plan to patent, so everyone in the medically qualified fields may make them.

“Mixxer is kind of like a gym, but instead of working out on fitness equipment, you work out your ideas using tools and technology you might not have at home,” Lamson said. “Mixxer provides laser cutters, 3D printers, a full metal shop including welding equipment and iron forges, a complete woodworking shop including lathes and a Computer Numerical Control machine, a computer lab for designing, with both dirty and clean workspaces where you can spread out and create.

Usually, people can receive this hands-on training by local artists and instructors on all of the equipment, by purchasing a one-day, multiple-day, monthly pass, or by becoming members through individual and family memberships.”

Shelton said local college and high school interns would develop a virtual expo to replace their monthly ConnExpos, a formula for making how-to videos for both members and non-members to use,

along with new programming opportunities. Shelton said they have been working late every day to get the building ready for when it is safe to return.

“We’re being extra cautious,” he said.

“We care about the people who come here. We’re here to serve the community, and being a good citizen is a part of what we do. Our mission is to make technology, tools and community accessible to anyone. I’ve seen someone take a weird idea they couldn’t figure out, and soon had five people working on it in a collaborative spirit. It has exceeded my expectations.

Mixxer makes it easier for people to do things for themselves, and if they can’t get a job, they can come here and make things they need. It’s so important to make it accessible to everyone, and when we have a few thousand success stories, that will be my success story.” !

TERRY RADER is a freelance writer/editorial/content/ copy, creative consultant/branding strategist, communications outreach messenger, poet, and singer/songwriter.

WANNA buy?

June 20-27, “A Make Sale” online art auction at www.wsmixxer.org, Mixxer, 1375 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Winston-Salem, (336) 265-7362.

ALL PUBLIC ACTIVITIES POSTPONED UNTIL ITS SAFE TO REOPEN.

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RiverRun revives ‘Saturday Morning Cartoons’ and rewards films Invariably, one of the most popular events at the RiverRun International Film Festival is the “Saturday Morning Cartoons” program, which is exactly what it sounds like and has proven a big draw for Mark Burger young and old alike.

Despite the cancellation of this year’s Contributor festival due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival will nevertheless present “Saturday Morning Cartoons” – free of charge and available through June 14. Even better, you can watch them any day of the week, not just Saturday. Simply go to RiverRun’s website, www.riverrunfilm.com/virtual-theater/.

The 10 shorts selected are Con Amore, The Credits Movie, Dragon Recipes, Folding Fur, Function, Lulu DotAway, Misguided, The Most Magnificent Thing, Runaway Radish, and Wander. (You can find the synopsis for each online.) This program is sponsored by Salem Smiles Orthodontics.

“The Saturday Morning Cartoons are always a favorite at the festival and we are glad to be able to finally share them with our RiverRun audiences,” said Rob Davis, RiverRun executive director. “This year, we have 10 sweet shorts from as far away as Cyprus and even one from right here at UNCSA. Just a reminder: We list our Saturday Morning Cartoons for ages 8 and up, but for the benefit of them being online is that parents can check them out first. I think they might like them just as much as their kids!”

In addition, the 2020 RiverRun International Film Festival has announced the winner of its Jury Award winners.

According to RiverRun program manager Mary Dossinger, “one of the first things we decided after we wrapped our heads around not having a festival this year was that we should reach out to our jury members and see if they would still be able to take part virtually, given the situation everyone was facing.

“We had incredible jurors from all areas of the film community set to come to Winston-Salem and we very much wanted to still highlight the incredible work of our filmmakers in some way,” she said.

“Almost all of the jurors responded with a resounding ‘Yes’ and we got to work WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

De Lo Mio, directed by Diana Peralta, won Best Film sending them the films and introducing them to one another. We are so thankful to them for being a part of RiverRun 2020 and hope to still get them all to our festival in the future.”

In the Vision Independent Feature Competition, De Lo Mio, directed by Diana Peralta, won Best Film. The Peter Brunette Award for Best Director went to Masa Neskovic for Asymmetry, for which Djordje Arambasic also won Best Cinematography. Mcabe Gregg won Best Actor for Teenage Badass, while Krisha Fairchild won Best Actress for Freeland.

Best Screenplay went to Sasha Collington for Love Type D, and Best Editing went to Christopher Donlon and Sara Newens for Freeland.

I Am Not Alone, directed by Garin Hovannisian, took top honors as Best Documentary, with Anbessa, directed by Mo Scarpelli, receiving an honorable mention. Sam Ellison won Best Director for Cheche Lavi.

Tattoo, directed by Farhad Delaram, won Best Narrative Short; Wonder, directed by Javier Molina, won the Special Jury Award; Terminal, directed by Kim Allamand, won Best Student Narrative Short; and director Matt Porter’s Nighty Night won Special Jury Mention. Exit 12, directed by Mohammad Gorjestani, and Ashes to Ashes, co-directed by Taylor Rees and Renan Ozturk, tied for Best Documentary Short.

Petty Thing, directed by Li Zexi, won

Best Animated Short, while Sous la Glace (co-directed by Luce Grosjean, Ismail Berrahma, Flore Dupont, Laurie Estampes, Quentin Nory, and Hugo Potin) received the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Film. Medium Rare, directed by Luca Cioci, won the Special Jury Award for Experimental Film; The Kite, directed by Martin Smatana, won the Special Jury Award for Design Integration; Blieschow, directed

by Christoph Sarow, won the Special Jury Award for Best Student Film; and Fata Morgana, co-directed by Daniella Bokor and Leanna Berkovitch, won the Special Jury Award for Outstanding Craft.

The 23rd annual RiverRun International Festival is currently scheduled for April 8-18, 2021.

For more information about the festival, visit the official website: www.riverrunfilm.com/. !

TE Connectivity in WinstonSalem, NC is looking for a Staff Manufacturing Engineer to launch and lead projects for new HCR & LSR molds, diecast molds, and/or thermoplastic injection mold builds. To apply, mail resume including job title to ATTN: Mikayla Koenck, 3800 Reidsville Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

UNCSA bequeaths student scholarships The University of North Carolina School of the Arts last week announced the two recipients of its most coveted scholarship for returning students.

Jordan “Jo” Hatcher, who hails from Concord, will receive the Sarah Graham Kenan Scholarship for Excellence, and Alannah Couch, who hails from Warrenton, will receive the Elizabeth Harriet Weaver Memorial Scholarship.

Hatcher, a rising college senior who studies directing in at the School of Filmmaker, will receive tuition, required fees, double room, full meal plan, and a $3,200 stipend for related expenses.

Couch, a rising high-school senior in the Visual Arts Program of the School of Design & Production, will receive $1,951 to cover out-of-pocket expenses for an in-state high-school student, which are not funded by the North Carolina High School Artists Grant.

“These scholarships are meaningful to our campus because they reward students who exemplify our core values: Artistic archievement, academic performance, citizenship, and leadership,” observed Karin Peterson, UNCSA interim provost. “We offer our congratulations to Jo and Alannah, along with our gratitude for the qualities they bring to our community.”

These scholarships are among the $1.6 million in institutional merit scholarships awarded by UNCSA during the 2020-’21 academic year. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2020, Mark Burger.

TE Connectivity in WinstonSalem, NC is looking for a Financial Analyst (Cost Estimator) to work on cost estimation for TE enterprises. Position requires up to 15% of international and/or domestic travel. To apply, mail resume including job title to ATTN: Mikayla Koenck, 3800 Reidsville Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.

JUNE 3-9, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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Republicans for Biden

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The Republican Party under Trump has completely lost its way in the kind of fundamental principles that folks like me have believed in over the course of Jim Longworth our lives,” so says former North Carolina Supreme Court Longworth Justice Robert Orr, at Large and the principles he alludes to include such things as decency, honesty, separation of powers, and rational decision-making.

But unlike other public figures who quietly complain about Donald Trump, Orr is actively participating in a movement to block the president from a second term in office.

Orr is the state chairman of “Republicans for a New President,” a national

group founded by Evan McMullin, who ran for president as an Independent in 2016. And while there are a growing number of similar organizations (including “The Lincoln Project” and “Republicans for the Rule of Law”), Orr’s group is planning to hold its own convention to run concurrent with the Trump coronation in Charlotte beginning Aug. 24. I spoke with Bob Orr to learn more about the mission and strategies of “Republicans for a New President.”

JL: Even though over 90% of registered Republicans say they support Trump, a new Rasmussen poll shows that 23% of Republicans prefer another candidate. Is your group planning to target just those 23%?

Orr: We’re targeting registered Republicans who are dissatisfied with Trump.

There is also a large segment of unaffiliated voters who lean Republican, so we’re targeting them, as well as a small percentage of conservative Democrats

found: simple pleasures

who tend to vote Republican. But whether it’s 10% or 23%, when you start running the numbers, that’s hundreds of thousands of people in North Carolina, and when you take it nationally, you’re talking about millions of voters who are in play.

JL: Is your goal to nominate someone who can win in November, or is it just to keep Trump from getting re-elected?

Orr: First of all, we don’t expect any kind of nominating process because the ballot access laws are so difficult to overcome. Beyond that, there is a large section of the population who would say that Trump is a disaster for the country and for the Republican Party, and who would be willing to vote for Joe Biden, then worry about 2024 when that cycle comes around.

JL: So even though your group is not going to nominate a candidate of its own, you’re still planning to hold a convention in August?

Orr: Yeah, and we felt it’s important to do it contemporaneous with the Republican National Convention. Originally, we conceptualized actually having our own facility and a good number of individuals present, but with all of the uncertainty (about the pandemic) we’re probably looking at having a core presence in Charlotte over the course of those four

nights, and then doing a lot of the actual presentations through virtual media.

JL: Do you anticipate national coverage?

Orr: Even if we do a primarily virtual convention with the core group in Charlotte, the press is going to be wherever the Republican convention is, and we want to be there. The Republican Party propaganda about our group is that we’re all a bunch of communists and socialists who oppose Trump. Well, we’re going to show you a large segment of long-time Republicans and other major individuals who oppose Trump. I think that’s an important message.

JL: I bet you wouldn’t mind it if one of those major individuals is Joe Biden.

Orr: We’d be happy to have Vice President Biden come and acknowledge the fact that there are a lot of Republicans and former Republicans who are going to be supporting him. We may not agree with him on everything, but we trust him, and consider him to be a responsible and experienced leader. We also wouldn’t turn down George W. Bush showing up (laughs). !

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).

WE’RE NOT CHEAP, WE’RE FREE! Whether delicious food, art, open spaces, unique shops or coffee that’ll jolt you awake, Downtown Winston-Salem has it. Take a stroll. You’re sure to find it. On Fourth Street.

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chow

EAT IT!

John Batchelor’s recommendations for takeout: Part X

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BY JOHN BATCHELOR

’m going to lead off with some personal observations about restaurants reopening with distancing restrictions in place.

First, expanding outdoor seating is a good idea. More distance, more open air.

For the record: this idea appeared first in YES! Weekly, when I suggested it in my April 22 column. The world, not just Greensboro, would be a better place of government asked for my advice more often. Better yet, ask my wife.

Second, although revenue will be negatively impacted by the half capacity rule, and that is not sustainable in the long run, for the time being, let’s rejoice in a positive, unanticipated impact. The most frequent complaint I get from readers, and it’s one I share, is that the noise level in restaurants is so loud you can’t carry on a conversation, and harsh noise undermines enjoyment of the dining experience. Fewer people = less noise. Let’s savor the quiet while we can!

Third, it seems to me that restaurants ought to be taking reservations, even if they didn’t before quarantine. Maybe standing in line won’t be a problem, but I’m not comfortable with the prospect.

Moreover, having a reasonable assurance of expected volume on any given night ought to work to the restaurant’s advantage as well and contribute to overall efficiency.

Meanwhile, takeout is still a viable option. I’ve read several articles recently attesting to the increased safety of this procedure. My preference is for an arrangement that provides for payment in advance, over the phone, so a server can just place your order in the car seat, providing completely contactless delivery.

Whether you’re dining in or taking out, here are three more recommendations.

I was in the process of preparing an article about Embur Fire Fusion (emburfirefusion.com, 107 Smyres Place, 336541-8442) before quarantine. This is a unique concept, combining Peruvian style rotisserie chicken plus Italian style pizza, capitalizing on the restaurant’s wood burning brick oven. I don’t want to say too much and pre-empt the article that will run after full reopening, but I’ll provide this teaser: some of the best chicken I’ve ever tasted and great pizza!

Hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday.

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Crafted- the art of the taco (eatatcrafted.com, 219-A S. Elm St., 336-2730030) has been a favorite ever since they opened in a smaller space across the street. The popular following that the casual, inexpensive food developed morphed into a larger space after a few years, as well as expansion into another property in Winston-Salem.

A taco shell can host a lot of creativity.

The takeout menu, available 4-8 p.m.

Thursday-Sunday, offers several taco kits, to be assembled at home. Chicken Tinga (with chili peppers and onions), Braised Beef, Chorizo sausage, “Chofu” (vegetarian), and Shrimp are the proteins. French fries, cilantro-lime rice, and black beans are the vegetables. Chips and guacamole and Spicy Pimiento Cheese Macaroni can also be ordered.

Several of the pre-assembled tacos look interesting. Big Truck combines pimiento macaroni and cheese, pulled pork, bacon barbecue sauce, and crisp tobacco onions. Cuban Link is based on pulled pork with ham, plus shredded cheese, pickled red onion, and Dijon aioli. Honky Tonk hosts fried chicken, marinated in buttermilk.

Burgers, wings, and a chicken sandwich round out the non-taco selections.

Natty Greene’s (nattygreenesbrewpub.com, 345 S. Elm St., 336-274-1373) downtown was one of the earliest restaurants to implement the brew pub concept. Their artisan beers are now widely distributed outside the original restaurant, often featured even in other restaurants. Reopening for takeout took place May 22, with in house dining initiated as part of Phase II, statewide. New hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. The Brewhouse (1918 W. Gate City Blvd., 336-285-8036) reopened May 28, 4-9 p.m. Thursday & Friday, 1-9 p.m. Saturday & Sunday.

The menu has been abbreviated. Starters/small plates include Grilled Shrimp with remoulade sauce; and Chicken Wings with a choice of dry rub, barbecue sauce, or hot sauce.

Burgers come with half-pound patties.

In addition to the traditional preparation, a Backyard version is available with bacon, cheddar cheese, onion, and barbecue sauce. Or you might consider the Carolina, with homemade chili, cheddar cheese, and onions. There’s also an Elm Street Philly Steak sandwich.

A Barbecue Plate and a Fried Chicken

Plate come with a choice of two sidesFrench fries, homemade potato chips, sweet potato fries, cole slaw, mac and cheese, or salad.

In addition to these, you can access my previous recommendations for takeout at issuu.com/yesweekly. !

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.

JUNE 3-9, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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leisure [NEWS OF THE WEIRD] GOVERNMENT IN ACTION

In 2013, Chad Dearth of Overland Park, Kansas, purchased his dream car, a 1964 Chevy Impala, and got an “antique” license plate for it. Since Chuck Shepherd then, he has sold the car and moved to a new neighborhood, but earlier this year he received word that seven to 10 collection letters a day were arriving at his old address from state turnpike authorities up and down the East Coast.

That’s when Dearth learned that Kansas is one of a few states that assign identical numbers to different categories of specialty license plates, and his old antique plate number matched the number on a commercial semi truck — the one photographed by one of the authorities demanding payment for toll violations. Lee Ann Phelps, vehicle services manager for the Kansas Department of Revenue, told Fox4 she doesn’t know why the state uses identical numbers, but there are about 625,000 plates in the state that share a number. Kansas has issued a new license for the truck, but in the meantime, the bills continue.

Dearth most recently got a letter from the Delaware Turnpike Authority seeking $479.

GREEN EGGS, NO HAM

A.K. Shihabudheen of Malappuram, India, and his wife cracked an egg from one of their chickens about nine months ago and were surprised to see a dark green yolk, rather than the standard yellow. “All the eggs which the hen laid ... were this kind,” Shihabudheen told The News Minute, “and so we started to incubate the eggs. Out of the six chicks which hatched from these eggs, a few have started to lay eggs and those yolks are also green in color.” The eggs taste like other eggs and cause no health problems, the family said. Experts from Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University suspect the feed given to the birds may be behind the phenomenon, according to Dr. S. Sankaralingam, but Shihabudheen says he gives all his birds the same feed.

MONKEY BUSINESS

Egyptian talk show host Lobna Asal abruptly fled the studio mid-interview on May 27 after being attacked by the monkey brought to the set by her interview subject, actor Ibrahim El-Samman,

United Press International reported. Appearing on Egyptian channel Al Hayat, the monkey co-starred with El-Samman on his latest project, and at first settled in Asal’s lap for several minutes, calmly listening to the conversation, but then jumped down and attacked her legs. As she ran off, another person arrived to wrangle the primate.

IT’S A MYSTERY

Folks in downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, have been hearing odd, loud banging noises at all hours over the past few weeks. “We’re all hearing it and it’s interrupting our sleep,” Heather Donily told the CBC. “There’s a sense of panic when you first hear it.”

Most people believe the noises are “bear bangers” — noisy flares used to scare bears away in the wilderness — and police are investigating, but Councilman Pete Fry has concerns: “Bear bangers actually do have the potential to cause harm. ... If they’re being indiscriminately used throughout the city ... somebody might actually get hurt.” !

THE ALLURE OF JUNK FOOD

— San Diego police responding to a burglar alarm at a Wells Fargo bank in Chollas View, California, around 3:30 a.m. on May 27, found a broken window by the bank’s drive-thru. Alarm company personnel told officers surveillance cameras showed a man inside the bank’s break room, using the microwave. Police gained entry to the bank and arrested the unnamed man, who told KGTV he had gone into the bank only to warm up his Hot Pockets. Asked if the Hot Pockets were worth the arrest, the man said, “Hell yeah it was worth it.”

— City Parks and Recreation employee Zach Morris was cleaning up storm damage in Wynne, Arkansas, at the city’s sports complex on May 24 when he noticed that someone had broken into the concession stand. “The whole place was just looted,” Morris told WREG. The stand had been fully stocked for games scheduled before COVID-19 lockdowns began, and thieves helped themselves to drinks and candy, even taking the time to prepare nachos and popcorn before they left. Police are hoping the culprits will confess. “The right thing to do is take responsibility for the mistakes you made,” Morris said. !

© 2020 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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72 hours in Greensboro: Days of protests, nights of broken glass

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round 10 p.m. on Saturday, the crowd marching through downtown Greensboro approached the International Civil Rights Museum. What they saw shocked them.

For over an hour, they’d been shouting “no justice, no peace!” and the name of George Floyd, Ian McDowell the African-American man whose throat was crushed by the knee of now-former Minneapolis Police OfContributor ficer Derek Chauvin. Floyd’s murder has sparked protests and riots across the nation. A protest leader, who’d been shouting, “say his motherfucking name!” turned the marchers’ attention to the building they were approaching.

“We need to pay homage to our ancestors! Without these people, we wouldn’t be what we are right now.

So, pay some respect to your ancestors! Your ancestors integrated that shit! Your ancestors marched!”

When the marchers saw the small group of men and women securing the museum’s broken window with tape and plastic sheets, many shouted in dismay.

There’d been an earlier protest, numbering over 1,000 people, that marched for 10 hours in Greensboro that day, beginning in downtown that eventually closed down sections of I-40. But it had been entirely peaceful, and this damage had occurred when those protesters were far away.

Byron Gladden, Chair of Minority Affairs at North Carolina 6th District Democrats, was part of the group taping up the window under the direction of museum CEO John Swain.

“We didn’t do this!” shouted several protesters.

Jordan Cameron prays on Eugene Street as she led peaceful protest Sunday afternoon, May 31

PHOTO BY IAN MCDOWELL

YES! WEEKLY

JUNE 3-9, 2020

PHOTO BY HEATHER BLACKBURN

Peaceful protesters in Greensboro face police with their hands up late Sunday night, May 31 “You didn’t do this!” shouted Gladden almost simultaneously. “But they’re blaming it on you online. You need to get online and say we did not do this! Because this is going to make the news, and then they’re going to show a screen with your faces!”

Minutes before the protesters arrived, Gladden shared a photo of men he believed responsible with several journalists, including me. When I asked if he knew who broke the window, he said, “I don’t know, but here’s somebody I suspect.”

The photo depicted two burly bearded brown-haired white men, one wearing a bandanna, sunglasses, a tan T-shirt, khakis and what appeared to be a knife on his

belt. The other wore a floppy fishing hat with some sort of buttons or other decorations on it, a white T-shirt with a blurry image that included what appeared to be a bayonet, and brown khakis.

“I asked them why they were here,” Gladden said.

“They told me they were communists here to fuck shit up.”

Another person, who asked not to be named and claimed to have seen but not spoken to the men, said they stood out because they appeared to be on the other end of the political spectrum from communists. “They looked like wingnuts.”

When I showed her the photo, a protester named Antoinette Holden said she recognized the men from Natty Greene’s earlier that day. “They were part of four or five dudes sitting on the patio around 6 p.m. When we marched by, they looked angry and started shouting.”

She said one of the men in the photo tried to provoke them. “He stood up and approached and tried to get us riled up, shouting ‘all lives matter,’ every time we shouted ‘black lives matter,’ like he was counter-protesting.”

Speaking to the crowd in front of the museum, Gladden told them he believed the vandalism was the work of “an alt-right group that mingled in with the earlier protesters,” but remained downtown when the march moved to the highway. “But we got camera footage; the museum got a camera. But now we got to do a fundraiser to fix this. This is ours.”

Several people led the crowd in chanting, “this is ours.”

Then a young woman made a speech about another black man who died in police custody during the 2018 North Carolina Folk Festival after approaching police and asking to be taken to the hospital.

“A man named Marcus Smith was murdered by the police here,” she shouted. “They hogtied him! So, as long as we are fighting for George Floyd, we cannot forget what’s here. So, we will say his name. We will say his name with

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

PHOTO BY HEATHER BLACKBURN

PHOTO BY HEATHER BLACKBURN

Smashed Triad Stage window on Sunday night, May 31

pride. We will say his name with anger. We will say his name for justice, and his name is Marcus Smith!”

While the crowd clustered in front of the museum, the sound of breaking glass came from the other side of the street. The crowd turned and started shouting at someone walking quickly north away from Limelight at 132 S. Elm St., which now had a broken window. Multiple members of the crowd yelled, “don’t do that shit” and “get out of here” and “asshole!”

The march continued south on Elm. Needing to recharge my phone, I walked back to my apartment.

During Saturday’s daytime protest, members of the GPD had both followed the marchers and driven before them, stopping traffic in their path and preventing it from coming up behind them. They did not approach WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Greensboro police Saturday night (May 30) at the railroad tracks on South Elm Street in downtown except to dispense water to the protesters. So far, during the evening one, police had similarly kept their distance, blocking off several intersections.

Sometime during the night, police reaction to the march changed. Among the marchers, tempers and tensions rose after word circulated that an unidentified man in an SUV had twice driven through a crowd of demonstrators in apparent attempt to run them down.

When my phone powered up around 11 p.m., there was a message from Heather Blackburn, who’d been taking photos of the march. “We just got tear-gassed.”

In subsequent messages, she wrote that the GPD was on the scene in riot gear, and was facing off with protesters just south of the railroad tracks on Elm Street.

A male downtown business owner, who asked not to be identified, claimed when the police arrived in riot gear and pushed the protesters south, one or more persons in the crowd threw stones from the tracks, and that was when the tactical squad responded with tear gas.

“That was dumb, to push them into a place with all those rocks. And after pushing them into South Side, the cops just stayed there at the tracks, ignoring the looting.”

The police had essentially divided the march in half.

One officer later told me that this was because two trains were coming through, and they wanted to keep protesters off the tracks.

While police faced off with protesters beside the tracks, vandals began breaking the windows of many of the businesses between those tracks and Gate City Boulevard. Multiple livestreams from business owners show this happening. Most of the young people breaking windows wore masks, but so do many others just passing by or running away from the chaos. A few people can be seen carrying protests signs, but several that do can be heard shouting at those breaking windows to stop.

PHOTO BY HEATHER BLACKBURN

“This is terrifying,” said Jenn Graf, owner of Vintage to Vogue, in a series of livestream videos she made from her store that night. “The pandemic had nearly ruined me, and now this. I support the protests, but this shouldn’t happen to small business owners. So many of us are barely hanging on down here.”

In one of her videos, Graf sobs as she pleads with those below not to break her windows. Then, several protesters approach. One asks Graf why she is crying.

When she explains that she’s afraid of losing her entire business, an African-American woman on the street says, “We got you!” The woman and another protester then move in front of Graf’s store and stand there, facing the street, warding off would-be vandals and looters.

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Graf’s video also shows Stolen, the skate shop next door, being looted. Young men and a woman wave athletic shoes and T-shirts over their heads as they leave.

“I called the police three times,” said Dan Weatherington, owner of Gate City Candy Company, when I saw him outside his boarded-up store the next day. “They told me I was on my own.”

In a Facebook post on the public page of Crooked Tail Cat Café, owner Karen Stratman wrote that no cats were in her establishment when her window was broken and that she and her fiancé rushed downtown to secure the business. She stated that her neighbors were looted and that the police did not disperse the rioters until they tried to set a building on fire.

“My heart aches for our marginalized communities who have been ignored for decades,” Stratman wrote.

“My heart aches for all the small businesses impacted.

My heart aches for the people that were there peacefully, but were followed by people with malicious intent.”

Stratman also wrote that she spoke with protesters.

“Many were apologetic and wondering why anyone would break the windows of a cat rescue. Many were cleaning up glass after the looters. Some even helped save another business from being looted.”

By Sunday, practically every business on Elm Street south of the railroad tracks was boarded up, either because of damage or to prevent future vandalism. But there was a spirit of community, as store owners, neighbors and protesters from the night before joined together to clean up. Blocks north of the tracks, Kris Fuller and her staff at Crafted handed out free bottled water, chips and tacos. Her sign advertised that these were for cleanup crews and peaceful protesters, but Fuller and her staff offered them to anyone passing by. Supplies eventually ran out, but when things got rough late that evening, she kept her door open for protesters seeking shelter from police. While Sunday ended in more teargas, yelling, smashed cars and broken windows, that day’s actual protest march was, like Saturday’s first one, entirely peaceful. It was led by sixth-grade history teacher Jordan Cameron.

“I’m holding you accountable, my brothers and sisters,” said Cameron just before 6 p.m. to a multiracial crowd of about 100 adults and children who’d gathered in front of Terra Blue on South Elm Street.

“We are not inciting fear and anger for the police. We don’t want to step into their spaces, and we are going

PHOTO BY IAN MCDOWELL

PHOTO BY IAN MCDOWELL

Jordan Cameron and others demonstrate peacefully in downtown Greensboro on Sunday, May 31

to respect the law.” Some of those preparing to march had spent the afternoon helping Terra Blue clean up its sidewalk and board up its windows. They painted those boards with colorful designs, as well as slogans supporting the protest.

“We are not out to bring destruction to Greensboro,” Cameron said. “If that is your mission, you’ve got the wrong crowd, Boo.” The peaceful march proceeded down Elm to Washington and then Eugene. There, the demonstrators, now numbering several hundred, knelt in silence in the middle of the road beside the courthouse while Cameron, also kneeling, silently prayed.

Moving to Market Street, they took a water break before continuing to February One Place. After that, they marched down Gate City and Murrow Boulevards and East Market Street. Shortly before 10 p.m., Cameron officially ended the march and exhorted the protesters to go home, particularly those with children. Almost everyone who’d been with her since she first spoke to the crowd in front of Terra Blue did so, but some latecomers stayed.

Word spread about Saturday and Sunday posts from a Facebook account purporting to represent Jason W. Passmore, identified on the profile as a firearms instructor. (Triad City Beat reported that this Facebook account is also an affiliate with the Stokes County Militia.)

Protesters peacefully assembling on Sunday, May 31

I reached out to him for comment but received no reply.

One such post purporting to be from the owner of the profile included a photo of a man armed with an AR-15 standing on North Elm Street. Other posts stated the intention of “defending” businesses by shooting looters.

At the south end of Elm, a new crowd began to grow, smaller than the earlier protest, but more chaotic and confrontational. “No justice, no peace,” they chanted, “fuck these racist police!”

As GPD began to converge around the area, the crowd split into several groups. “The demonstration is now over” boomed an officer’s recorded and amplified voice.

Scattered groups of protesters answered with derision.

Loud crashes echoed down the street as protesters knocked over garbage cans and newspaper boxes.

The night ended in more tear gas, vandalism and looting, as well as protesters setting off fireworks and lighting several small fires. This time, the damage on Elm Street ran from McGee to Washington. Charlie’s Grocery and The View were looted. Subway, Wrangler, Triad Stage, Scuppernong Books, Cheesecake’s by Alex, Schiffman’s Jewelers, and Natty Greene’s were among the businesses suffering broken windows.

On Monday afternoon, Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan declared a city-wide curfew, beginning that day from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., and remaining in effect every night until modified or rescinded. Shortly after the curfew was announced, a public Facebook status update from the account purporting to be Passmore’s stated what appeared to be a challenge to protesters.

“So Antifa BLM and the rest of you bitches see you at 8:05 on Elm st?” A further comment stated, “curfew be damned.”

This post was shared widely on Facebook. Within two hours, the profile was locked down, with all posts either labeled as “Friends-only” or deleted. A few hours later, around 50 protesters gathered in downtown Greensboro. On Elm Street, they chanted their defiance of the police, who after 8 p.m. ordered them to disperse.

After a stand-off of about an hour, a line of bicycle and tactical squad officers advanced toward them, and the protesters scattered onto Greene Street and dispersed without incident. !

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.

YES! WEEKLY

JUNE 3-9, 2020

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Leader of Saturday’s first peaceful protest speaks out “We have no choice but to do this,” said Anthony, the 27-year-old AfricanAmerican man who organized and led the multiracial march by over 1,000 demonstrators that began in downtown Ian McDowell Greensboro at noon on Saturday and shut down sections Contributor of I-40 before ending that evening.

“Our fathers marched. Their fathers marched. We’re tired of marching. It’s sad that we have to continually do this and beg the media to stand by us. We shouldn’t have to. The police should be laying down their arms and protesting with us.”

The march, like so many protests across the nation, was a reaction to the murder of George Floyd by the now-former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin. Anthony, who also goes by AJ and Freedopemajor, said he’d been arguing with his brother when I called him Monday night.

“We as a people are frustrated and conflicted right now. My brother and I were going at it about how we can get real effective change. I just told him that this is what it takes, showing the media that we can be peacefully protesting. Coming together in front of America and working with the authorities is the only way we get real change.”

Besides expressing grief and outrage over the death of George Floyd and other black people killed by police, Anthony denounced the presence of armed white militia members and supporters in downtown Greensboro this weekend.

“The hardest part about this is that I’m having to fight against my own people to get them to come together and put their families at risk, because you have NeoNazi white supremacists driving around, fully loaded, coming from different cities and posting on Facebook about how they want to shoot us.”

Anthony said that African-Americans are still living in fear, just as they have been for hundreds of years.

“Now, more than ever, we need our voices to be heard. We need reporters like you to tell the real narrative. We are not destroying our city! I led a protest for 10 hours, with no violence, no arrests, no vandalism. So, how do I leave at 10:30 p.m., 10 minutes after the protest ended, and all Hell breaks loose?”

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

PHOTO BY FREEDOPEMAJOR

Anthony said after his protest ended at 10 p.m., he received a call from GPD sergeant Eric Goodykoontz. “I like to call him Sgt. Goody because he’s a good man. Sgt. Goody said he had to leave the bridge where we’d been marching because all Hell was breaking loose downtown.”

He said he understood how the anger drove some of the actions that night, referring to the incident where the unidentified driver of an SUV barreled through protesters, after which the crowd’s mood changed.

“What would you do if you’re in a crowd and somebody drives through it? People who do something like that are literally inciting violence. They literally want to go to war. That’s why they’re so overlyprepared. They want a race war. They’re eager to come into the streets and shoot it out with us. We can’t afford that. That’s why we need our voices to truly be heard.

And honestly, we just want what we’re owed.”

He then talked about the 1921 Tulsa Massacre, in which white supremacists, attacking both on the ground and bombing from private aircraft, destroyed 35 blocks of what was then the most prosperous black business community in the United States.

“When Black Wall Street was burned down and blown up, the estimate on the insurance that was never claimed was $2.7 million. In 1921, $2 million was equivalent to $20 million today. That money

was never paid out to these people. They have burned down our history. They have stolen it from us.”

He also talked about the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, which restored white supremacy both to the city once nicknamed the Black Charleston and throughout the South.

“Rich White men had a coup d¨état and kicked us out, overthrew our government, and you look at the ripple effect of that.

Wilmington never saw another black official for 90 years and went from a majority black population to less than 13%.”

“People don’t know the White Declaration of Independence,” Anthony said. That was the proclamation issued by white supremacists just prior to the Wilmington Massacre, which called for the end of voting rights for blacks, something, which for all intents and purposes, then happened in North Carolina and throughout the South until after World War II. “People don’t even know that’s a real thing. This is the world that we’re living in. These people did not want and do not want black men like myself in positions of power. This is what they despise.”

He mentioned the Facebook post made Monday afternoon by a Facebook account purporting to represent Jason W. Passmore, challenging protesters to meet on Elm Street at 8:05 p.m., which Anthony called a transparent attempt to goad black people to come downtown

and get arrested for breaking the curfew.

“This shit is sick, and the worst part is that our president is allowing it to happen. Forget the curfew; we have terrorists in our city. He wants us to show so we can be run over, so we can get arrested. And what happens after that? You bring martial law, you bring these military forces in, and now you can’t peacefully protest, now we can get our real point across, now we can’t build a relationship with authorities. Now, everything our ancestors have worked for is in vain.”

He also spoke about the case of Marcus Deon Smith, the African-American man fatally hogtied by eight members of the Greensboro police during the 2018 North Carolina Folk Festival. “Why do we never hear about that on national news or even statewide news? Do they think it’s too common to bother covering? That shows you something. We are getting killed by authority every day.”

Anthony said that his activism alarms his family.

“My mother is crying over me. My grandmother is shaking scared because she’s afraid white supremacists are going to kill me at a peaceful protest. My brother is sitting right here in front of me, trying to get us to go at it a different angle because he fears where this is going. Why should I have to fear for my life because I’m trying to lead my people to liberation? This is legit crazy.”

He called upon prominent supposed allies to give more than lip service to the protests.

“White faces in high places need to start pushing to make things happen.

Because in the next phase of this protest, I’m coming for the influencers. I’m coming for the people who are getting money from our community but are not standing on the front lines with us. There needs to be a media change. Actors need to be on the front lines. Athletes need to be on the front lines. Rappers need to be on the front lines. Everybody.”

He also stressed unity.

“I just want people to realize that, in order to effect real change, we have to band together more than ever right now.

It might not seem like it’s working, but that’s exactly what the enemy wants to do—fool and trick you. But our efforts really are working, and we need to press forward.” !

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.

JUNE 3-9, 2020 YES! WEEKLY

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HEAR IT!

A

Putting out in a Pandemic: Ameriglow’s ‘Slavic Tongue, American Film’

meriglow shines anew with Slavic Tongue, American Film, out now via Bandcamp.

Whopping and rambling at 20 tracks, the album Katei Cranford features 12 original songs, with an additional eight variaContributor tions. The whimsy of choice and change shouldn’t surprise fans of Jacob Darden, the wanderluster fronting his ever-evolving roster of anti-Americana indie rock.

The group itself, a “culmination of many lives,” sees Darden these days paired with fellow former Greensborian, Zack Koontz. Both of whom have spent the past few years roaming their own highways before settling in Asheville and reigniting Ameriglow.

Darden described his Greensboro life as “once upon a time,” a blurred fairytale his time spent in the Triad may have been, its mark on the record remains present, interwoven with the experiences and impact of leaving it behind while finding bedrock in between.

“Deep Ellum in Dallas was calling my name,” Darden said about leaving for Texas, where he made friends and experiences working for honky-tonks and festivals, all the while continuing to “hone-in on the Glow.” Eventually, he headed back to the North Carolina mountains and drizzled down the hills to finish Slavic Tongue, American Film at Legitimate Business in 2019, recording the latter half of what he started at Rextone Studios in Dallas years ago.

“Kris Hilbert [from Legitimate Business] has always been there for me and believed in me throughout the years,” Darden explained. “He’s more than just an engineer; he’s a friend.“ Other Greensboro friends on the record include Owen Burd (from Heralding and Irata) and former Ameriglower, Elizabeth Grubbs, who lent backing vocals alongside her sibling (and Vaugn Aed bandmate), Rook.

Otherwise waning in members, the once-sprawling tribe of “glowers” has YES! WEEKLY

JUNE 3-9, 2020

been stripped to a three-piece. “Not as much trickles through the cracks or gets altered beyond comprehension,” Darden said of the slim-down. The result is less anxious, with focused delivery. “It forces you to become a better, more openminded musician,” Koontz added of the technical challenges in fewer numbers.

“Being sober, growing the fuck up, and finding your time is running out will alert your attention to the details,” Darden said about growing more deliberate.

“Everything is about intention, Koontz echoed. “We’re intent on doing things the right way with full commitment.”

Focused intentions are clear, though Darden’s swampy, spaciness still resonates.

“1970’s solid-state Peavey rigs all the way, snap into a slim jim,” Darden said.

The result helps Slavic Tongue, American Film feel at home amongst the Amerglow catalog, nestling in between bands such as Porches and Big Thief.

“I definitely feel this release is as proper as we could get doing everything DIY, given the current state of affairs,” Koontz said of putting out a record during a pandemic.

Personal touches include messages on risograph postcards handwritten and sanitized before going out with all purchases.

Also, as a result of coronavirus, Ameriglow is promoting the #SaveOurStages initiative and donating proceeds from sales to COVID-19 relief efforts.

“Why not try to help enrich the nutritional diets of those less fortunate?” Darden noted. The notion continues with their next show being a livestream via Holy Crap Records for the “Musicians for Overdose Prevention” fundraiser series on June 14.

It’ll be the second stream from the group, who doesn’t see touring likely in 2020.

“We planned the release in October, there wasn’t a reason to wait any longer,” Darden said of keeping the date.

“We’ll probably have a new record by the time we are able to play live, so when that happens, it’ll be double trouble, ay oh!”

For Koontz, the album acts to complement both the dark times and necessary

PHOTO BY KATEI CRANFORD

Ameriglow video shoot with Wil Davis in the Chapman Garage June 3, 2014

COVER ART BY PEYTON WINFREE

bits of brightness to be cherished.

“It was a decision we made when we realized this pandemic is going to stick around too long for us to postpone any further,” he noted. “Sure, folks can’t come out to your album release show, but many people are listening to more music.”

Darden likewise looks to push through for the listeners. “I think anyone who digs-in enough, will find a wide variety of concepts, characters, and places, but it

definitely falls under the umbrella of the state of things we live in currently,” he said. “There’s glue to it all.”

A glue that remains flexible, but firmly grounded. The second single, “Be Kind to Strangers,” rings sweetly appropriate. “My mom wrote a song without knowing it,” Darden said of the track. “It’s all just her words paraphrased, comments she would make to me and my brothers growing up,” he added with maternal adoration.

For his father, Darden devotes the song “Henry,” an instrumental tune in finger-picking style.

“There is a good bit present,” said Darden of familial themes in the record. “Not forgetting who you are and where you started is very important to me,” he added. “I lost that sense for years, or rather it was robbed from me. And it’s nice to get a piece of that dignity back.”

Slavic Tongue, American Film, a new record from Ameriglow, is out now via Bandcamp. www.ameriglow.bandcamp.com/ !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Tuesday Tour Report, a radio show on hiatus due to COVID-19.

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last call

[THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

THE SON-IN-LAW ALSO RISES

I’m meeting my girlfriend’s parents for the first time (for dinner at their house), and I’m absolutely terrified.

Is there a way to win them over? Should Amy Alkon I just compliment the hell out of their Advice daughter? She’s the Goddess first woman I’ve seriously thought about marrying, so I really want her parents to like me.

—The Boyfriend Your “blowing smoke” in, um, a sun-free direction — like by “complimenting the hell out of” your girlfriend to her parents - is likely to be about as well-received as trying to shove a whole hookah lounge up there.

Luckily, there’s a guide for how to win over the girlfriend’s parents, and it’s an anthropology textbook: specifically, the section on what biological anthropologist Robert Trivers terms “parent-offspring conflict.” Parents want the best for their kids, but their definition of “best” and their kids’ definition tend to part company — along the lines of parents’ genetic self-interest. Any investment by a parent in one of their kids (increasing that kid’s chances to survive and mate) diminishes the parent’s ability to invest in their other kids or in their own mating efforts to have future offspring to pass on their genes.

Accordingly, if a woman’s looking for a man for herself, research by evolutionary social psychologist Shelli L. Dubbs suggests she’s likely to favor “traits that suggest genetic quality,” like being physically attractive. However, if the woman’s assessing a man for her daughter, she (along with her husband) will likely prioritize “characteristics that suggest high parental investment.” In short, parents are wondering about the guy dating their daughter: “Hey, buster, you gonna stick around and pay the mortgage, or will we have to cover it because your paycheck keeps getting tangled up in strippers’ G-strings?”

Even if you don’t have the greatest job now, potential matters. If you’re hardworking and have solid plans for the future, and if there’s a natural point in conversation to reflect that, go for it. In general, let the things you say tell them you’re a stable dude who cares about their daughter and values the person she is. That said, avoid laying it on too thick, because talk is cheap and the harder you seem to be working to be liked, the less likable you’ll be. Ultimately, go with F. Scott Fitzgerald’s maxim, “Action is character.” Be kind, be considerate, be loving, and don’t light your farts on fire.

HAUNTING LICENSE

My boyfriend broke up with me recently.

He wants to be friends, and I don’t want to reject his friendship, but it’s really painful when we hang out. How do I deal with the attraction I still have for him and the frustration and pain that he doesn’t want more? —Brokenhearted Gay Boy

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 9

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[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 9

we long to be around them, Sbarra and Emery find that seeing or even just talking with the ex you’re trying to get over is likely to lead to “significantly more love and sadness, not less.”

Your ex is doing what’s good for him alone, perhaps because he’s a horrible person or perhaps because you haven’t told him how much you’re hurting or how painful it is to be around him. Tell him what you need, whether it’s no contact for a period of time (like three months or six months) or whether the no-contact period that works for you is “forever.” Don’t hold back on doing what’s best for your day-to-day healing and in the longterm.

That’s your job as a person — not hanging out at your ex’s place and letting him use you for everything but sex: “Bro, do me a favor and get on all fours, but keep your back straight so the drinks won’t spill. It’s just for a few days, until my new coffee table comes.” !

It’s hard to accept that it’s over when your partner’s breakup M.O. is essentially, “All good things must come to a middle.”

Unfortunately, the emotional bond you have with this guy won’t conveniently disintegrate into a small pile of ash.

Psychiatrist John Bowlby explains that when somebody dies (or your relationship with them does), you need to “reorganize” your “inner life accordingly” so when you require comfort, attention, or support, you no longer automatically turn toward your former partner to get it.

That’s why one of the healthier models for recovering from a painful breakup comes out of Oxford. No, not their psych department — the dictionary, under the definition for “dumping”: to “put down or abandon (something) hurriedly in order to make an escape.” In contrast, contact with one’s former partner after a breakup tends to slow a person’s emotional recovery, reactivating or amplifying the “sadness, anger, or pining that had slowly dissipated since the initial separation,” according to research by clinical psychologists David Sbarra and Robert Emery.

In fact, though when we miss a person,

QUALITY & VA

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2020 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

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