Yes! Weekly - March 1, 2017

FREE

YESWEEKLY.COM

YOUR ENTERTAINMENT SOURCE

LARGER LIFE

THAN

PAT CONROY’S LASTING INFLUENCE ON THREE TRIAD RESIDENTS CITY OF THE FUTURE ting

30

Celebra

RS

YEA WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

P. 10

ALL THEM WITCHES 1 3 Stages of " TraditionaL Plus " Music!

P. 24

TAAZA BISTRO

P. 32

merlefest.ORG 800-343-7857 MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY 1

2 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Mwww.yesweekly.coM

HEALTH AND STYLE I N S T I T U T E

LOOK GOOD FEEL GREAT SPEND LESS

Buy a Regular Priced Wella Hair Spray, Receive all of these services for FREE!

Shampoo, Deep Conditioning Treatment, Haircut, Blowdry, & Flat Iron Some restrictions apply. Cannot be combined with other offers.

Expires 03/31/2017.

1114 EASTCHESTER DR., HIGH POINT

336-885-3452

www.healthandstyle.edu

Hours: Tues - Fri 9 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. / Sat 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m Walk-ins Welcome! Appointments Preferred All work done by supervised future salon professionals.

March 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

3

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

GET

inside

YES! WEEKLY > MARCH 1-7, 2017 > VOLUME 13, NUMBER 9

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

LARGER THAN LIFE

EDITORIAL Editor JEFF SYKES jeff@yesweekly.com Contributors KRISTI MAIER JOHN ADAMIAN RICH LEWIS STEVE MITCHELL BILLY INGRAM ALLISON STALBERG IAN MCDOWELL DEONNA KELLI SAYED MIA OSBORN

At that juncture former Oak Ridge mayor RAY COMBS entered the picture, “I knew PAT CONROY when I was a student at Beaufort High School. He was two years ahead of me, he played basketball. We both went off to college and then back to Beaufort to teach. When he left to go to Daufuskie I took his place at Beaufort High School.

Movies MARK BURGER marksburger@yahoo.com

10

24

16 32

Theatre LENISE WILLIS lenise@yesweekly.com PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX ELDRIDGE designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com ADVERTISING

Advertising Manager KATHARINE OSBORNE

kat@yesweekly.com Marketing BRAD MCCAULEY brad@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com CLAUDIA BURNETT claudia@yesweekly.com KAREN SCOTT karen@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT BRANDON COMBS 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 2017 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

4 YES! WEEKLY

the lead 10

Once upon a time, we figured the CITY OF THE FUTURE would be one filled with flying cars, robotic groundskeepers and maybe even local spaceports. And the year 2000 seemed like a good target date for those dreams.

11 What do food trucks, brick walls and couches have in common? They are all about to become canvases for the 336 URBAN ARTS PROJECT, a series of community-engaged arts experiences coming to Greensboro in 2017.

voices 12

A collaborative project aimed at bringing a ROBUST PARKLETS PROGRAM to Downtown Greensboro fell apart two years ago when the combined weight of the city’s refusal to yield on fees for unmetered parking spaces and a council member’s vendetta against the leadership of DGI scuttled the initiative at the last minute.

arts, entertainment & dining 24

ALL THEM WITCHES are not from Winston-Salem, but they have a connection with the city. The band, originally out of

MARCH 1-7, 2017

Nashville, played an early show at The Garage and made some fans here. And they regularly return.

27

While the UNC Greensboro jazz trio donned the set of Triad Stage’s The Price last Monday night, loyal audience members and co-founders Preston Lane and Rich Whittington celebrated the theater’s accomplishments and looked on to its 17TH SEASON of thrilling, thought-provoking and charming shows.

30 More than 80 of LUCINDA DEVLIN’s photographs are now on display at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the campus of UNCG, for an exhibition titled “Sightlines.”

31 The WINSTON-SALEM SYMPHONY pays homage to Hollywood with a special classics concert series beginning this Saturday at the Stevens Center of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts...

32 TAAZA FRESH INDIAN BISTRO exceeded our expectations and then some a few months back. Because we were so impressed, we wanted to share that experience with other adventurous foodies, so Taaza was a natural choice for one of our monthly Chef’s Tables.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Stuck on the wrong network?

Get up to $650 to get unstuck.

Trade in your phone and we’ll help you switch to Verizon.

New smartphone device payment activation & port-in req’d. Get up to $650 prepaid card for installment plan balance less trade-in value (or up to $350 prepaid card for early termination fees less trade-in value). Trade-in must be in good working condition and be worth more than $0. Line must remain active for 6 mos. Visa prepaid card mailed within 8 weeks after receipt of claim.

REPAIR LOCATION

We repair devices from all carriers.

1601 Westover Terrace By Outback Steakhouse Greensboro, NC 27408 • 336-282-0902

1601 Westover Terrace

By Outback Steakhouse.

Greensboro, NC 27407 336-282-0902

Westchester 2116 Westchester Dr. High Point, NC 27262-8025 336-885-6066

Reynolda Rd. 2885 Reynolda Rd. Winston Salem, NC 27106-2230 336-842-3822

4002 Elton way, ste. 109 Elmsley area across from Walmart.

Greensboro, NC 27406 336-373-1750

Archdale 2711 South Main St. High Point, NC 27263-1938 336-885-8978

Jonestown 301 Jonestown Rd. Winston Salem, NC 27104-4620 336-293-7072

Jefferson Village New Garden Target Shopping Center.

1603 A Highwoods Blvd.

Greensboro, NC 27410-2066 336-632-0133

Hanes Mall 3320 Silas Creek pkwy ste 1140 Winston Salem, NC 27103-3031 336-765-8712

Eastchester 3800 Sutton Way High Point, NC 27265-1490 336-781-0755

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

visit cellularsales.com/stores for more locations.

Robinhood Rd. 3300 Robinhood Rd. Winston Salem, NC 27106-5404 336-760-1611

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

5

BE there

CHARLIE WILSON FEAT. FANTASIA FRIDAY

EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS | BY AUSTIN KINDLEY ENT MT

ART

MU SIC

FOOD

THE ATRE

FEST

2017 MEGA CAREER FAIR THURSDAY THURSDAY

2

2017 MEGA CAREER FAIR

TRIAD ORCHID SHOW FRIDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

2

COCKTAILS AND JAZZ

FRIDAY

3

3

WHAT: The 2017 Triad Orchid Society

sion and free parking. Over 50 + employers will be in attendance. Career Fair presented

by The Career Center of the Triad.

WHEN: 10 a.m.

WHERE: Greensboro Coliseum Complex - Arena. 1921 West Gate City Blvd Greensboro MORE: Free event. For more information contact at 336-897-4299 or info@ triadcareercenter.com

Show, March of Orchids, will be held Mar 3rd (1-5pm), Mar 4th (10am-5pm) and Mar 5th (1-5pm). Regional orchid societies and individual hobbyist growers will exhibit orchid plants in bloom, many in unusual or rarely seen genera and recent hybrids that are not available at big-box or grocery stores!

WHEN: 1 p.m.

WHERE: AB Seed Education Annex.

8432 Norcross Rd., Colfax.

MORE: $5 admission.

6 YES! WEEKLY

Bean to Bar in Winston-Salem Tuesday-Saturday 11am to 4pm

1151 Canal Drive, Unit 106, Winston-Salem, NC DIRECTIONS: Northwest Boulevard to Bridge Street Turn Left onto Gravel Parking Lot

MARCH 1-7, 2017

3

TRIAD ORCHID MUSIC OF CHARLIE WILSON SHOW AND SALE REVOLUTIONARY FEAT. FANTASIA

WHAT: Mega Career Fair with free admis- WHAT: Artists Dave Fox (piano), Neill Clegg (saxophone, clarinet and flute) and Matt Kendrick (double bass) will be joined by guest vocalists, who cover the Great American Songbook, jazz classics including swingand modal classics from the late 50s to early 60s, as well as Brazilian jazz from the early 60s.

WHEN: 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: O.Henry Hotel 624 Green Valley Road Greensboro MORE: Free entry.

FRIDAY

NORTH CAROLINA

WHAT: Come enjoy American music of the Revolutionary era by renowned specialists David & Ginger Hildebrand of the Colonial Music Institute. The performance will recreate the patriotic songs known by George Washington, Nathanael Greene, Benjamin Franklin, and other patriots!

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Greensboro College.

815 West Market Street, Greensboro.

MORE: Free event.

WHAT: Eleven-time Grammy nominee 2013 BET Lifetime Achievement Award winner Charlie Wilson has announced that his upcoming national tour, In It To Win It, will come to Greensboro Coliseum accompanied

by Grammy Award winner, Fantasia, and four time Grammy Award nominee, Johnny Gill.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Greensboro Coliseum Complex - Arena. 1921 West Gate City Blvd Greensboro MORE: $50-$85 tickets.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY!

“Working with YES! Weekly is a delight. My account rep, Kat, handles everything from scheduling to concept. They are able to tie in my weekly spots with their online and social media presence to maximize my goals, all while considering my budgets.

I feel like my spots are targeting the right demographics and my revenue shows it. We’ve already seen a 20% improvement over last year, even in a traditionally slower season. Local Honey carefully defends its brand as a lifestyle business, and YES! Weekly helps us to maintain our identity as a unique experience beyond all others in the Triad. Our relationship is sticky sweet!”

Jay Bulluck with sidekick, Pixie — Local Honey Proprietor and Founder

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

MEET YOUR MUSLIM NEIGHBOR SATURDAY

2017 VAGINA MONOGUES SATURDAY

JOHN GORKA FRIDAY FRIDAY

3

JOHN GORKA WhAT: John Gorka is one of the most highly respected and popular songwriters on the contemporary folk scene. He released his first album in 1987 on the prestigious Red House Records label and since he has released 11 critically acclaimed albums and in 2010 he joined fellow songwriters Eliza Gilkyson and Lucy Kaplansky to record an album under the name Red Horse.

When: 8 p.m.

WheRe: Muddy Creek Music Hall.

5455 Bethania Road, Winston-Salem.

MoRe: $20 tickets.

SATURDAY

SATURDAY

4

4

SATURDAY

4

SATURDAY

4

wAGGIN’ wILD 5K RESCUE

MEET YOUR

THE DIARY OF MUSLIM NEIGHBOR ANNE FRANK

2017 VAGINA MONOLOGUES

WhAT: Waggin’ Wild 5k is a fundraiser

WhAT: You are cordially invited to The Islamic Center of Greensboro’s monthly educational tour. This is a golden opportunity to meet your Muslim neighbors, eat some delicious food, tour a Muslim’s house of prayer, and learn about the basics of the world religion of Islam. All men, women, and children are welcome. NO RSVP necessary.

When: 5 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

WheRe: Islamic Center of Greensboro.

2023 16th Street, Greensboro.

MoRe: Free event.

WhAT: The Vagina Monologues are a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. Eve Ensler gives us real women’s stories of intimacy, vulnerability, and sexual self-discovery. The Vagina Monologues have been performed in cities all across America.

When: 8 p.m.

WheRe: Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance. 1047 West Northwest Boulevard, Winston-Salem.

MoRe: $15 admission.

walk/ run for people of all ages to participate in. Vaccinated and well-mannered leashed pets are welcome, family participation is encouraged! The Waggin Wild 5K Rescue Run-Walk was established to raise funds to provide care for the rescued dogs and cats at Loving Pet Inn Adoptions.

When: 10 a.m.

WheRe: Bur Mil Park.

5834 Bur-Mill Club Rd., Greensboro.

MoRe: $25-$30 registration

WhAT: The story of Anne Frank, a young girl swept up in the turmoil of the Holocaust, captured the hearts of millions when her personal diary was published after World War II. Anne Frank’s life told through her own words gave a deeper understanding of what the Holocaust meant and the play adaptation is eerily poignant in its retelling.

When: 7:30 p.m.

WheRe: Lee Street Theatre.

329 N Lee St. Salisbury.

MoRe: $15 admission.

Don’t stand out in the cold to smoke...

VAPE INSTEAD! Voted BEST VAPES SHOP by YES! Weekly Readers!

PEACEOUTVAPES.COM

Mwww.yesweekly.coM

March 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

7

8 YES! WEEKLY

[LOCAL TALENT]

JEFF VARNER-BEYOND SURVIVOR

BY ALLISON STALBERG

Greensboro’s Jeff Varner has been a contestant on two seasons of the CBS show, Survivor. His first time on the show was back in 2000 in Australia, then Cambodia and now his third season, Survivor: Game Changers, is premiering March 8.

According to Varner, this upcoming season has been the most difficult of his three experiences on the show.

“The game is based on who you play with so it can get ugly if there are ugly people playing,” he said. “The first time was great, we didn’t know what we were doing and it was just a fantastic thing. The second time was great because America chose me and it was nice to get back and do that after 15 years being out of it. Third time was all business, so it was difficult.”

Varner said that surviving the show’s challenges has left him a different person.

“It’s a very difficult thing to go through,” he said. “The person you are at the end is vastly different than the person who started and that’s incredibly valuable to me. I don’t care how I place. As long as there is some type of massive life change for me in the middle of it, then I win as far as I’m concerned.”

Like in the past, the upcoming season in Fiji has changed Varner.

“The third time has changed me drastically. Since it hasn’t aired yet, I can’t really talk about how. Just know that there is a massive event that happens that I’m in the middle of that will forever change me as a human being.”

The highlights of Fiji for Varner were the physical tasks. His biggest challenge was

!

MARCH 1-7, 2017

working with the other contestants.

“I’m in much better shape than I was before so I’m able to handle those and tackle those better,” he said. “The challenges are being able to maneuver around these people who are just impossible. This was a very good, strong group of people, the hardest cast I had to play with so far.

I found trusting them, dealing with them, making deals with them was challenging on a whole different level.”

Varner gets inspired by nature, so he loved Fiji.

“Fiji was the most beautiful, most spectacular mystical place I’ve ever been in my life. I loved it, the water is crystal clear, you can see forever. It’s a dangerous place but its’ beautiful. So this time around I tried to take advantage of sunsets and sunrises and climbing mountains. I’m playing an ugly game but at the same time, I’m trying to capture all these visible images and emotions of where I am. I know I may never get this chance again.”

Beyond being a survivor, Varner works for a locally-owned Greensboro real estate firm, Tyler Redhead & McAlister. He is on the Kristen Hayes Team.

“I love the ability to help people help themselves in some way, which is why I love what I do as a realtor,” he said.

“Part of my being a realtor is every time somebody buys a house from me, I give a gift out of my own pocket to a charity of their choice.”

Varner is excited for the show to air so he can move forward in his plans for the future. !

WANT TO BE FEATURED AS A LOCAL TALENT? E-mail a photo and a short bio to editor@yesweekly.com

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

[SCUTTLEBUTT] Items from across the Triad and beyond

UNCSA DRAMA SENIORS WILL PERFORM THE DUCHESS OF MALFI

A macabre story of power, lust and violence, John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi will be performed by seniors in the School of Drama at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) for eight performances March 23 to April 1. Guest artist Michael Barakiva directs the play which, because of its mature themes, is intended for mature audiences 17 and older.

Tickets are $18 regular and $15 student with valid ID, and are available online at www.uncsa.edu/performances or by calling the box office at 336-721-1945.

The Duchess of Malfi will be presented at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday through Saturday, March 23-25 and Wednesday through Friday, March 29-31; and at 2 pm on Sunday, March 26 and Saturday, April 1. Performances are in Catawba Theatre of Alex Ewing Performance Place on the UNCSA campus, 1533 South Main St. “The Duchess of Malfi dramatizes what lengths men will go to in order to hold onto their power,” Barakiva said.

“This is a play about how terrified men become when a woman owns her power -- sexually, financially, spiritually and intellectually.”

The woman owning her power is the recently widowed Duchess of Malfi, and the terrified men are her two corrupt brothers, the Cardinal and Ferdinand. Afraid their sister will remarry and forfeit her noble position, they convince her to hire a servant, Bosola, who is actually their spy.

Ariel Blake, who plays the Duchess, said her character “is a woman with a large appetite. She is affectionate, nurturing, and strong-willed. She is fearless in her efforts to control her own life despite the ruthlessness of her brothers.”

Determined to live life on her own terms, the Duchess pursues and proposes to the virtuous but socially inferior Antonio. Knowing that her brothers would strongly disapprove of their relationship, the Duchess and Antonio agree to keep their marriage a secret.

Blake admires the Duchess’ courage. “Not only does she have the confidence to pursue her true love, which I envy, but she also takes it upon herself to propose to him,” said the actress.

Bosola, also unaware of the marriage, believes the Duchess is having an illicit affair and tattles to the brothers, who become furious that she’s escaped their control and risked her noble position. Mayhem ensues.

“The patriarchy is clutching its power with desperate, dying gasps,” Barakiva said.

The Duchess and Antonio flee the brothers’ wrath with the assistance of Bosola, who has come to regret his betrayal. Ferdinand is driven mad, the Cardinal has murder on his mind, and the Duchess must pay for disobeying her brothers.

Blake said the theme of women’s rights will likely resonate with audiences, given current challenges such as reproductive rights and pay inequality. “Although women have much more agency over their lives than when this play was originally written in 1614 and in the 1920s where

we have set our production, we are still fighting for our rights,” she said.

Webster’s play was adapted by Jesse Berger, founding artistic director of Red Bull Theatre in New York, which is dedicated to the presentation of vital and imaginative productions of heightened language plays.

“Jesse’s adaptation, in his own words, would perhaps be more accurately described as a cut of the play, rather than an adaptation,” Barakiva said. “I have taken a few liberties myself -- namely, cutting a five-year jump of time in the middle of the play during which the Duchess bears two children. That always felt to me like it took all the urgency out of the story.”

Barakiva likened the play to dark films like PULP FICTION or the KILL BILL trilogy. “This play is a romp into wildness, perversity, sexuality and violence,” he said. “Before there was Quentin Tarantino, there was John Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi,” he said.

In addition to Blake, the cast includes Sam Geoffrey as Antonio; Spencer Bang as Bosola; Isaac Powell as Cardinal; Stephen Kime as Ferdinand; Joshua Pagan as Antonio’s old friend, Delio; Elizabeth McCarthy as the Duchess’ maid and confident, Cariola, and Lori Kusatzky as Cardinal’s mistress, Julia. Graham Baker, Christian Jimenez, Nile Harris and Matt Foley play courtiers to Ferdinand.

The design team for Duchess of Malfi includes Alexa Ross, scenic design; Henry Wilen, lighting; Evan Cook, sound; Emily Brink, costumes; and Sarah Zahn, wigs and makeup. Naom Lautman is production stage manager. !

Piedmont Opera and HanesBrands, Inc. present Rossini’s

The Italian Girl in Algiers A GIrl who uses her noodle!

Isabella is The Italian Girl in Algiers who is shipwrecked on the African coast, where chieftain Mustafà captures her. Isabella is a modern woman full of spice – just the dish for Mustafà - despite his wife’s objections. But Earlier Isabella’s lover, Lindoro, was also captured by Mustafà and they are reunited.

Through madcap schemes that involve wine, pasta and her street smarts, she manages to bamboozle Mustafà and escape back to Italy with LinDoRo.

March 17th at 8:00 PM March 19th at 2:00 PM March 21st at 7:30 PM The Stevens Center of the UNCSA PiedmontOpera.org or 336.725.7101

AdYes!.indd 2 WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

2/14/2017 12:06:14 PM MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

9

the lead

POLITICS, UPDATES, TRENDS AND OTHER VITAL INFORMATION

Greensboro to participate in Smart Cities program

BY RICH LEWIS nce upon a time, we figured the city of the future would be one filled with flying cars, robotic groundskeepers and maybe even local spaceports. And the year 2000 seemed like a good target date for those dreams.

What we got was the age of information rather than the age of the Jetsons. It might not be as grand and science fictiony as we’d hoped, but it has been something more evolutionary than revolutionary. Information is the commodity of the day and city governments are awash in it. They receive so much of it, in fact, that putting it all into perspective, much less good use, is a daunting task.

The City of Greensboro is making strides in corralling and converting that mass of data into working capital. As part of the efforts, the City will be participating in Envision America 2017’s National Smart City Program. Beginning with a conference in Charlotte in early March, representatives from the city government will be meeting with a select group of representatives from nine other US cities to share their projects and learn about technological advances and initiatives.

“We’re very excited to be part of this program,” City of Greensboro Chief Information Officer Jane Nickles said. Nickles will be traveling to the conference with two representatives from the city’s planning department, three from the city’s transportation department, two from the city’s IT department and a representative from UNCG.

O

FILE PHOTO

Chief Information Officer Jane Nickles said the city hopes to use technology to improve Gate City Boulevard.

That may seem to be a lot of folks from a lot of different areas of focus, but Nickles explained that bringing together different groups and integrating their resources is very much what the Smart Cities initiative is about.

“The project we have selected to work on at the conference is a multi-modal corridor on Gate City Boulevard,” she said.

“There are already some projects (public and private) underway there and this is a main artery into the city.

“We want to turn this into a smart, connected corridor, serviced with a special bus route that could run from the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center to the Greensboro Coliseum and then on to the college campuses and downtown,” she continued.

Along the route, information kiosks could

You Will Be Pleased

Mediterranean · Sandwiches · Vegetarian Lunch & Dinner CATERING · OUTDOOR SEATING · TAKE-OUT 310 S. Elm Street · Greensboro · (336) 279-7025 · /JmartOnElm · www.jerusalemarket.com/on-elm

10 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

be set up with information about events, attractions, shopping and education opportunities, as well as visitor information of all types.

“Someone who comes to an event at the convention center could check out a kiosk, then hop a bus and then connect with a lot of different things happening in the city,” Nickles said. “It would also offer Wi-Fi and use sensors throughout the town to advise about the traffic, especially on days with events.”

Turning the technology and information available into a hands-on tool for visitors to the city, as well as city residents, can boost the city’s economy. The open invitation to explore that it would provide could bring tourist dollars into the downtown area, move students and their spending habits throughout the city and even be a major asset when it comes to business recruitment.

“We also want to have conversations about autonomous vehicles,” Nickles said, acknowledging that this will be a struggle for many cities in coming years. “We want to learn how we can build the smart corridor to accommodate these vehicles, and maybe even make the circulator bus be an automated vehicle.”

That might be as close as Greensboro gets to the flying car traffic of science fiction (barring a breakthrough by a local aerospace manufacturer), but it is something to look forward to. There’s also a low-tech transportation mode that could be improved as part of this plan.

“Suppose someone is visiting for an event at the Greensboro Aquatic Center,” Nickles said. “If the person wanted to get out and do something outdoors, they could learn about our greenway and

then decide to hop on a bus and head down there and make use of bike sharing resources. They could maybe even see if a bike would be available and reserve it if it was.”

Smart water meters will also be part of the city’s project. Nickles said they hope to start a pilot project with UNCG to track water usage at the campus, which would allow both the facilities management for the university and the city to better and more efficiently coordinate water and sewer resources to meet needs there.

“The first day of the conference will be about projects other cities have done and then there will be an educational immersion opportunity to learn about the program and what has been accomplished so far. Day two will let us take our project to Envision’s experts from the appropriate fields and work with us.

“We’re very excited about that,” she continued, “we hope that they can cover a lot of things we hadn’t thought of. They can also help us with how we can plan through the project, implement it, fund it and how to tie all of the parts together.

“I’m sure that we will learn a lot of new things and come back with new ideas about how to leverage our technology and make something really special,” Nickles said. “We’re just so honored that Greensboro was selected and that we are being recognized as an innovative and progressive city.”

Other cities participating in this year’s Envision America’s Smart City program include: Kansas City, Mo.; Long Beach, Calif.; Detroit, Mich.; Chula Vista, Calif.; Burlington, Conn.; Providence, R.I.; Wichita, Kan.; San Antonio, Texas; and Jackson, Miss. !

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

336 Urban Arts Project set to launch

BY MIA ORBORN What do food trucks, brick walls and couches have in common? They are all about to become canvases for the 336 Urban Arts Project, a series of communityengaged arts experiences coming to Greensboro in 2017. As the name suggests, 336 is meant to celebrate and inspire everyone in the 336 area code through public and sometimes interactive art projects woven into community events.

“We’re going to focus on public art through different events throughout Greensboro. We’ll be popping up here and there at events that are already going on,” said Jeff Beck, owner of Urban Grinders coffee shop on North Elm Street and one of the minds behind 336.

Locals may not know Beck personally, but virtually everyone in Greensboro has seen his work. His murals decorate the walls of buildings around the city.

“I’ve done six or seven murals around Greensboro,” said Beck. “I started painting on canvases and just kept getting bigger and bigger. I don’t like painting small; I feel confined.”

Beck came together with the Center for Visual Artists (CVA) to plan the first year of 336 programming. CVA Executive Director Katie Lank sees 336 as a natural extension of the CVA’s public arts education.

“We’re already doing these little activities in the community, but this way we can really focus on them as a project in themselves,” Lank explained.

Lank and Beck became friends while working on No Blank Walls, a project which brought in street artists to create murals around Greensboro. After their involvement in that project ended, the pair began talking about an arts initiative that would incorporate more than just the visual arts.

“I thought we needed something, like the 336 project, that expanded on the core of No Blank Walls,” said Beck. “Murals are great, but I didn’t think it was enough.

We needed to expand to other public arts, to involve more people.”

336 will kick off with a public brainstorm session held at Urban Grinders on Friday, March 3.

“It’s for First Friday,” Beck explained.

“We’re doing a mini intro to 336. It will be set up like a public forum. People can come in and give us their thoughts and ideas about what they’d like to see.”

Also in March, Beck will paint an outdoor mural on Davie Street. April will see more interactive 336 programming, starting with the Urban Affairs street art WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

101 West Fifth Street WSNC 27101 336.723.3700 Tickets Sold on ETIX & Local 27101

THE STRANGER Katie Lank and Jeff Beck are spearheading the 336 Urban Arts Project.

Americas most Authentic Tribute To Billy Joel

3/11 8:00 PM Advance$15 Door $20

Envision

WS Finest R&B / MoTown

exhibition opening at the CVA gallery on April 7.

“News about the partnership is already out there on social media, but this will be the first visual experience where people can see exactly what we’re talking about,” said Lank.

According to Lank, Urban Affairs is about bringing street art inside, partly by altering furniture and other household objects with graffiti. The goal is to shake up the audience’s view of where art belongs.

The idea of painting on unusual backgrounds will reappear in May, when 336 will hold several arts events at the Greensboro Food Truck Festival. Plans include live music, arts vendors, and local artists turning a food truck into a rolling mural.

“The artists will be creating it live at the event so people can see the process,” said Lank. “To see art in action is exciting.

It makes people want to learn more, and that’s what we want.”

336 will hold at least one event per month for the rest of the year. Beck and Lank can’t give away all the details just yet, but the schedule does include performing arts, from live music to elements of theatre and dance. No matter what medium is used, the goal of 336 is the same: get local artists to inspire all of Greensboro through public displays of their craft.

“It’s kind of an accidental exposure to art,” Lank laughed. “How lovely is it that someone could be walking down the sidewalk, see this mural and have a thought about art, if just for one moment? The idea is to pique interest and possibly engagement in the arts community at large.”

Both Lank and Beck are enthusiastic about the potential of 336 to nurture and support the city’s unsung artists.

“We hope this will bring a good energy to the art community here in Greensboro,” said Beck. “There are so many talented artists here. We don’t feel they get enough chances to display their stuff and to prove what they can do.”

The project may also serve to connect artists with work opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise hear about. Lank said she’s been contacted by local businesses who want to commission murals or other art projects.

“We can be a gateway for local artists to match up with these businesses,” said Lank. “To a certain degree, we’re now able to represent artists and help them make connections.”

For more information about the 336 Urban Arts Initiative or to see upcoming events, visit www.greensboroart. org/336uap. !

MIA OSBORN is a Greensboro-based freelance writer who hails from Birmingham, Alabama.

3/17 8:00 PM Advance $10 Door $12

The Ultimate Led Zepplin Experience

3/18 8:00 PM Advance$15 Door $20

JAMES McMURTRY 3/24 8:00PM Seated Adv$25/Door$30 Standing Adv$15 / Door$20 VIP Tables 4 tkts $200 Limit 10 tables Please Call 336.682.6332

Satisfaction

CBS NEWS “A MUST SEE...YOU GET SATISFACTION”

4/14 8:00 PM Advance$15 Door $20

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

11

voices

WRITE US AT EDITOR@YESWEEKLY.COM

A

collaborative project aimed at bringing a robust parklets program to Downtown Greensboro fell apart two years ago when the Jeff Sykes combined weight of the city’s refusal Editor to yield on fees for unmetered parking spaces and a council member’s vendetta against the leadership of DGI scuttled the initiative at the last minute.

Now two years later, city staffers and downtown boosters are crowing about a handful of similar projects that, while possibly contributing to a healthier pedestrian and outdoor seating environment, lack the creative urgency of the initial parklets program while costing city tax payers hundreds of thousands of construction dollars that could otherwise be used to repair the countless miles of non-existent and substandard sidewalk facilities across the aging Gate City.

The parklets test project was to become reality with little to no actual cost to taxpayers, while uniting business owners and tactical urban designers in an effort to bring a semblance of uniqueness to South Elm Street.

12 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

Why you must fight city hall Then president of Downtown Greensboro Inc., Jason Cannon, and a DGI staff member spent months in 2014/2015 cobbling together support for the idea of pop-up outdoor patios, commonly referred to as parklets, along Elm Street.

Cannon identified the need for more pedestrian visibility and outdoor seating opportunities along the main corridor downtown and DGI staff worked with business owners to identify a pilot project outside of Scuppernong Books at 304 South Elm Street.

After hearing initial reports of the project’s demise, I filed a public records request for emails related to the search term “parklets.” This was back when even the biggest email search requests could be filled in 6-8 weeks and one could make great headway in explaining the mechanics of city hall to the residents of Greensboro.

The search results yielded a great narrative of the behind the scenes posturing that resulted in the project’s demise and the elimination of a project manager staff position at DGI. One unique aspects of the parklets project was the participation of the UNCG Department of Interior Architecture, whose students submitted potential designs that could have brought a modern and more sophisticated aesthetic to the otherwise drab gray and red brick facades of the 300 block of South Elm Street.

I won’t recount the entire story here, but you can read the three-part series from 2015 online if you’d like a bit of recent urban history.

In a nutshell, the owners Scuppernong Books were willing to pay for construction and required insurance on the test site but were unwilling to pay some $3,000 in fees the Greensboro Department of Transportation demanded in order that the parklet structure might occupy two unmetered parking spaces on Elm Street, thus extending the available sidewalk space into a temporary structure built on a platform along the street’s edge.

With outdoor seating options limited along Elm Street’s narrow sidewalks, the potential for a parklet at Scuppernong Books was a significant grassroots initiative that could have resulted in a design oasis, attracting more attention to the middle of one of downtown’s longest blocks that also happens to be both home to some of the newest developments in downtown and still riddled with empty storefronts.

But as GDOT proved unwilling to waive the daily fee required to occupy an unmetered parking space (GDOT staffers deemed the parklet similar to a construction site and thus required the same occupancy fee contractors pay when working on a project) then city council member Zack Matheny seized on the stalled project as another example of DGI’s inefficiency.

Matheny waged a months-long campaign to undermine Cannon’s leadership of DGI following Matheny’s loss in the GOP primary to replace Howard Coble in the Sixth Congressional District.

Matheny vigorously pursued the DGI position, which he secured following Cannon’s abrupt resignation. Matheny can now been seen in countless media puff pieces about his hands on approach to putting Downtown Greensboro into a better position to compete with cities like Raleigh and Charlotte and WinstonSalem that have left the Gate City behind in the quest for development that attracts millennials and hi-tech companies well suited to compete in the 21st century economy.

While the parklets program could have been in place for the last two springs, we’ve instead had countless speculation about how many hotels “might” come to Greensboro by 2020.

I can’t really pursue email records requests in a timely fashion in Greensboro

any more. GDOT officials initially declined to be interviewed in the fall when I asked about the coming patio project at Lewis and Elm streets, going so far as to refer me to the city manager’s office.

A request to interview an assistant city manager that I know to be personally involved in most of these projects was never acknowledged.

With the passage of the city’s bond package in last fall’s election, money for government-led construction projects will flood Greensboro’s streets in coming years, especially downtown. Roy Carroll is moving quickly ahead with his hotel/ apartment project across from the baseball stadium on Eugene Street. But beyond Carroll’s project, most significant development is taking place under the aegis of bureaucrats at city hall and developer-backed politicians that remain all too willing to sacrifice unique aspects of urban design to the whims of absolute control and hesitancy.

The coming outdoor patio streetscape at Lewis and Elm streets will cost taxpayers $171,000 and appears to be based on concrete slabs and red brick pavers. The city eliminated six parking spaces along Lewis Street in order to accommodate the patio, but there’s no word as to if they required a fee to occupy the unmetered spots. A second, larger streetscape along Market Street next to the recently redeveloped Southeastern Building will cost taxpayers $400,000.

A pocket park along the short stretch of the $30 million Downtown Greenway between Fisher and Smith streets is part of a $3.5 million project alongside Joymongers Brewing and Deep Roots Market.

A friend of mine who lives in Fisher Park likes to joke about the Downtown Greenway project being something he first heard was coming back when he was in high school. He’s now 37. Similarly, parklets could have adorned Elm Street for the last two years, designed by actual urbanists to edify the streetlevel appeal along one of the city’s key blocks.

Instead, bureaucrats and boosters all too eager to please a narrow subset of the city’s populace are giving you more concrete and red brick pavers.

Those who pour concrete for a living, I’m sure, are happy for the work. But don’t blame the city’s creative class when a collective yawn goes up at first glance of the final product. !

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

ACROSS 1 6 9 14 19 21 22 23

25 26 27 28 29 31 32

38 40 41

42 43

49 51

52 53 55 58 60

63

69

70 71 72

Earth Day’s month Maned antelope Large gulf Tons Excludes Dribble Sign off on 1940 thriller drama; 1942 romantic drama Four-stringer Hop- — -thumb Horse morsel Enjoy dinner Really digging Homer, e.g.

1982 horror; 1939

western One with adoring fans Moray, e.g.

Filmdom’s Mrs. Victor Laszlo Expends 1996 neo-noir crime drama; 1990 crime drama Titled man Wedding day destinations Fiendish look D-Day city in France Takes too much, briefly Pie-mode link 1979 comedy-drama; 1982 musical 2007 comedy-drama; 1946 spy thriller Many rented homes: Abbr.

Zenith Make — of (jot down) “This guy walks into — ...”

Mwww.yesweekly.coM

[KING Crossword] 73 74 75 76 77

79

82 83 84 85

88 93 94

96 99 102 103 104

111 112 113 114 115 118 120

125 126 127 128 129 130 131

Irene of “Fame” fame Bone, to Fido “:” in an analogy Braggarts’ displays 2005 historical drama; 2002 musical 2000 neo-noir thriller; 1982 comedy-drama Certain sow Poetic “prior to” See 85-Across With 84-Across, diver’s gas cylinder “But — I know?”

21st Greek letter 1980 spoof comedy; 1976 satirical drama “Waterloo” quartet Chop cut Gold, in Leon Major rtes.

1931 horror; 2010 sci-fi thriller Get spoiled Cookie with creme La.-to-Mich. dir.

Vast stretch — -pitch Break in, e.g.

1963 historical drama; 1950 period drama Locale “Skyfall” singer Alaskan port Civic’s make Aired again Norma — (film heroine) Pea piercers

DOWN 1 2 3

Word form for “height” Haiku, e.g.

Deep red wine

4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 24 30 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

44 45 46 47 48 50 53 54 55 56 57 59 61 62 63 64 65

Serpent tail?

USMC rank Having a bit of a beard 13th Greek letters Hagen with three Tonys Old politico Stevenson Spoiled kids O’er there Gregarious Argots Chaos Biblical priest Luau hellos NYPD part Mown strips Ella’s singing Cell insect China buys Gymnast Korbut Bout arbiters Valley “— a pity ...”

Your and my “— tree falls ...”

NFL’s Cowboys, on scoreboards Speak grandly Fjord city Loris’ cousin Meadows Prince Valiant’s son — bit (soon) Italian island Affix — year (annually) Yankee Joe, informally Ensure Spanish region Cole — (shoe brand) Antidrug cop Actress Pressly Indy great Al Phrase of denial

66 67 68 73

74

76 77 78 80 81 86 87 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 100 101 105 106 107 108 109 110 116 117 119 121 122 123 124

Siouan tribe Former Apple laptop Brewery kiln Prepare for playing, as a tape With 119-Down, position Mike Ditka played Online store Tiny: Prefix Gordie of hockey Highest degree Fed. stipend program Alliance River of Bern “Horton Hears —!”

City native Not moist Signs off on Stove item Kitchen pest Zero relaxation Over again Mustang — down the hatches Like a small garage Tristan’s lady Split country — Gay (WWII B-29) Way to sign a contract Tchr.’s gp.

Reggae artist Peter — water (up the creek) Theater box Single bills See 74-Down Musket tip?

Black goo Biochem strand “Either you do it — will”

March 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

13

$1

.00 OFF

A DOZEN DONUTS!

409 PISGAH CHURCH RD, GREENSBORO, NC (336) 291-8200 • DUCKDONUTS.COM

[news of the weird] U-S-A! U-S-A!

Although discouraging the marriage of children in developing nations has been U.S. foreign policy for years, a data-collecting watchdog group in America disclosed in Chuck Shepherd February that 27 U.S. states have no minimum marriage ages and estimates that an average of almost 25,000 children age 15 and under are permitted to marry every year (“estimates” because some states do not keep records by age). Child marriage is often allowed in the U.S. if parents approve, although no such exemption is made in foreign policy, largely to curb developing nations’ “family honor” marriages — which often wreck girls’ chances for self-actualizing. (However, “family honor” is still, in some states, the basis for allowing U.S. child marriages, such as with “shotgun” weddings.)

Compelling explAnAtionS

Creative: (1) Glenn Schloeffel, vice president of the Central Bucks school board in a Philadelphia suburb, recommended that science books be viewed skeptically on “climate change” because teenage “depression” rates have been increasing. Surely, he said, one factor depressing students is reading all that alarming climate-change data. (2) Seattle’s Real Estate Services rental agency has informed the family of the late Dennis Hanel that it would not return Hanel’s security deposit following his January death because Hanel had not given the lease-required “notice” giving up his apartment. (He had cancer, but died of a heart attack. Washington state law requires only that the landlord provide an explanation why it is keeping the deposit.)

RUnAwAy mAth

— (1) John Haskew, who told investigators that he was “self-taught on the banking industry,” evidently thought

[weekly sudoku]

BRING THIS TO EITHER OF OUR NC OR TN STORES AND GET HOOKED UP!

Come see our NEW store in downtown Winston-Salem, just 1.5 miles from the Winston-Salem Baseball Park 243 West 4th St

Winston-Salem, NC 27101

Mon-Sat 11am-10pm Sun 12pm-8pm Phone: 336-842-5178

HOOKAHS WATERPIPES VAPES E-CIGS SMOKING ACCESSORIES

20% OFF

YOUR PURCHASE WITH THIS AD!

Excluding vapes, e-cigs, & tobacco products. Offer good through 3/31/17.

14 YES! WEEKLY

March 1-7, 2017

WINSTON-SALEM 805-B Silas Creek Pkwy Phone: 336-722-6393

GREENSBORO

2601 Battleground Ave Phone: 336-282-4477 1827-A Spring Garden St Phone: 336-285-7516

BURLINGTON

550 Huffman Mill Rd Phone: 336-278-9045

Find us on Facebook! www.thehookahhookup.net

www.yesweekly.coMw

he might succeed making bogus wire transfers to himself from a large (unidentified) national bank, in the amount of $7 billion. He pleaded guilty in February in Lakeland, Florida. (He said he thought he “deserved” the money.) (2) Katherine Kempson, 49, deciding to pay “cash” for a $1.2 million home, forged (according to York County, Pennsylvania, deputies) a “proof of funds” letter from the Members 1st credit union. Home sales are, of course, highly regulated formalities, and several attempted “closings” were halted when her money kept not showing up.

One deputy told a reporter, “I’m guessing that she probably didn’t think it through.”

— The highest bail amount ever ordered in America — $4 billion for murder suspect Antonio Willis — was briefly in play in Killeen, Texas, in February, set

by Bell County’s elected Justice of the Peace Claudia Brown. Bail was reduced 10 days later to $150,000 by a district court judge, prompting Brown to acknowledge that she set the “$4 billion” to call attention to Texas’ lack of bail standards, which especially punishes indigent arrestees with little hope of raising even modest amounts when accused of minor crimes.

WAIT, WHAT?

— Researchers including Rice University biochemist John Olson revealed in a February journal article that one reason a man avoided anemia even though he had a gene mutation that weakened his hemoglobin was because he has been a tobacco smoker — that the carbon monoxide from smoke had been therapeutic.

His daughter, with the same gene mutation, did develop anemia since she never smoked (although Olson suggested other ways besides smoking to strengthen hemoglobin, such as by massive vitamin C).

— Several death-penalty states continue to be frustrated by whether their lethal-injection “cocktails” make death so painful as to be unconstitutionally “cruel,” and Arizona’s latest “solution,” announced as a Department of Corrections protocol, is for the condemned to supply their own (presumably less unpleasant) drugs. (There was immediate objection, noting that such drugs might only be available by black market — and questioning whether the government can legally force someone to kill himself.)

PEOPLE WITH UNDERDEVELOPED CONSCIENCES

(1) Just before Christmas, Tammy Strickland, 38, was arrested in Polk County, Florida, and charged with stealing 100 toys from a Toys for Tots collection box.

(2) In February, thieves unbolted and stole a PlayStation from the children’s

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

cancer ward at Wellington Hospital in New Zealand. (3) Judith Permar, 56, who was found dead, stuck in a clothing donation drop-off box in Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, in February (a result, police said, of trying to “steal” items), had driven to the box in her Hummer.

RECENT ALARMING HEADLINES

“America’s Top Fortune Cookie Writer Is Quitting Because of Writer’s Block” (Time magazine, 2-3-2017). “Vaginal Pain Helps Exonerate Man Accused of Murder” (Miami Herald, 2-8-2017) (emergency medical technicians treating his sister corroborated his alibi). “Dresden Protest Against Anti-Islam Pegida Group Banned Over Snowball Fight Fears” (The Independent (London), 1-24-2017) (previously in Dresden, Germany, religious-freedom demonstrators chose “tossing snowballs” as appropriate for ridiculing Pegida).

2 a.m. and stole a big-screen TV. After loading the set into one car, they drove off in separate vehicles, but in their haste, smashed into each other in the parking lot. Both men subsequently drove the wrong way down South Cannon Boulevard, and both then accidentally crashed separately into other vehicles, allowing police to catch up.

England), and fellow drinkers recently bought him an honorary “lordship” title to mark his 80th year on the establishment’s barstools. (2) An art collective in a Los Angeles storefront re-created (for a two-week run in January) a retro video store that featured only boxed VHS editions of the movie “Jerry Maguire” — about 14,000 copies. !

THE PASSING PARADE

© 2017 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

(1) Nelson Foyle, 93, is believed to be Britain’s longest-time patron of the same pub (the Dog and Gun in Salisbury,

DO MORE FOR MORE MILES

PHALLIC NEWS FROM OVERSEAS

(1) Earlier, He Would Have Been Worshipped: In February, doctors at Narayana Health City in Bangalore, India, were successful in a five-hour, 20-specialist surgery normalizing an infant born with the chromosomal abnormality “polymelia” — which resulted in four legs and two penises. Doctors praised the parents, from rural Puladinni village, for recognizing the issue as “medical” and not as “superstition.” (2) In February, police in southern Bangladesh arrested a family that used a fake penis to convince neighbors that the family had the powers of genies (“djinns”). The villagers had known the family had a girl, but overnight the genies had “changed” her into a “boy,” thus frightening the villagers into making offerings to the family.

STOP IN FOR THE MICHELIN® DEFENDER® LTX® M/S. ITS STRONGER ADVANCED TREAD COMPOUNDS HOLD UP TO TOUGHER CONDITIONS LONGER.*

UNDIGNIFIED DEATHS

(1) Unhappy Ending: Clifford Jones, 58, was killed in a one-vehicle crash in Detroit in January, having lost control of his car because, according to Michigan State Police, he was distracted by watching pornography on his cellphone. He was also not wearing pants. (2) Leslie Ray Charping, 75, of Galveston, Texas, lived “much longer than he deserved,” according to his daughter, in a widely shared obituary in February, in a life that “served no obvious purpose.” The death notice referenced his “bad parenting” and “being generally offensive,” and closed with “Leslie’s passing proves that evil does in fact die.”

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS

Willie Anthony, 20, and Jamarqua Davis, 16, were arrested in Kannapolis, North Carolina, in February after, police said, they broke into a Rent-a-Center at

MICHELIN®

DEFENDER LTX M/S ®

®

*Based on resistance to gravel and severe wear testing compared to MICHELIN® LTX® M/S2.

Copyright © 2016 Michelin North America, Inc. All rights reserved.

TAYLOR'S DISCOUNT TIRE 336-375-8883 2100 E. CONE BLVD GREENSBORO, NC WWW.TAYLORSDISCOUNTTIRE.COM MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

15

LARGER LIFE

THAN

PAT CONROY’S LASTING INFLUENCE ON THREE TRIAD RESIDENTS

PHOTO BY JENNIFER HITCHCOCK

BY BILLY INGRAM PHOTOS BY TODD TURNER

Author Pat Conroy passed away last March.

16 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

On March 4, 2016, Pat Conroy, perhaps the greatest Southern writer of our time, departed from the salt marshes of South Carolina’s Lowcountry for what one day awaits us all. His books are why libraries have waiting lists.

Pat Conroy’s harrowing recollections growing up as the son of a 6’4” 240 pound Marine Corps fighter pilot — for fictional purposes dubbed The Great Santini — jumpstarted his nascent writing career, enshrined in a critically acclaimed movie of the same name starring Robert Duvall in the title role.

A taste of his brutal upbringing, ruled over by a violently domineering father for whom disfunction was the function, can be found in his autobiographical bestseller My Reading Life: “In writing The Great Santini I had to consider the fact of my father’s heroism. His job was extraordinarily dangerous and I never knew it. He never once complained about the perils of his vocation. He was one of those men who make the men of other nations pause before attacking America. I learned I would not want to be an enemy soldier or tank when Don

Conroy passed overhead. My father had made orphans out of many boys and girls in Asia during those years and I prayed for God to make an orphan out of me. His job was to kill people when his nation asked him to, pure and simple. And his loving of his kids was never written into his job description.”

To the end of his life, Conroy wrote all of his books in longhand, never learning to type as a result of his father confronting Beaufort High’s principal after discovering the boy had signed up for a typing course. He demanded a course change, “My son is not going to be a secretary!”

Crediting an unlikely writing career to his high school English teacher Gene Norris, who became both lifelong friend and mentor, Conroy wrote, “Eugene Norris hands me a book, it’s Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward Angel and he says, ‘I think you’re finally ready for the many pleasures of Thomas Wolfe.’ He gives me this book, it’s about a kid my age, narrating a story of this family, this family is in terrible shape with this grotesque father. I had a grotesque father. This mother trying desperately to make her way with this grotesque father. Every single

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Greensboro City Council member Nancy Hoffman worked with Conroy at Beaufort High in South Carolina where she taught in the history department. character in that book I identified with.”

Conroy would one day win UNC-Chapel Hill’s coveted Thomas Wolfe Prize.

After graduating from The Citadel, Pat Conroy arrived to teach English at Beaufort High School in 1968 where he met a young educator in the history department, current Greensboro City Councilmember Nancy Hoffmann.

“Of course, Pat had graduated from Beaufort High School. We had a significant number of single teachers, male and female, people just out of school, as I was, and some of my other friends were,” Hoffman said. “It was a really wonderful time, Beaufort was a beautiful old town, it’s quite magical, just really interesting, special people.”

Hoffmann describes Pat as, “Bigger than life. He filled a room. Certainly he had had some trauma in his life and there were some down periods but I think he, in general, loved life and really had this attachment to Beaufort and to the water and marsh and what life in Beaufort is really like. Pat was young. If you look at some of his early pictures he was quite dashing looking as a young man. He was a raconteur, a storyteller, he was well-read.

He was really smart and funny and witty.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

But we kinda ran with a smart, witty, interesting group.”

“In terms of Pat’s personal life...” Nancy Hoffmann chuckles, “I can remember two things that year. He came to school one day and his electricity had been turned off in his tiny little house. Pat was just... he was a creative person, a very fertile mind so mundane things were not his concern. That same year on April 15 he was in the teacher’s lounge and said he had done nothing about filing his Income Tax! We had this wonderful older woman who was in the Math department, Mrs. Foster, she took care of Pat’s tax return for him. Those were the kinds of things that were just typical Pat. He just couldn’t be bothered with stuff like that.”

Pat Conroy’s second year of teaching took him to a two room schoolhouse on remote Daufuskie Island in South Carolina, not far from Hilton Head, where a lone signpost alongside a dirt road, the main thoroughfare, pointed in just two directions: school and church.

While the teacher in the other room literally whipped her students into submission, Conroy taught English, math, history and spelling to culturally isolated African-American youngsters with an

enthusiastic, all-encompassing approach.

He led kids, most of which had never left the island, on field trips to far off places like the nation’s capitol, taught them to swim, achieved remarkable results.

Former Daufuskie student turned author Sallie Ann Robinson told Open Road Media how she, “Got up every morning just wanting to go to school because this man was there with all this fun stuff to offer. Wanted us to have more. He wanted us to realize that there was a life outside of Daufuskie. Pat taught me... you can do anything you want if you want it badly.”

Conroy returned to Daufuskie Island to teach the following fall and was immediately fired. Nancy Hoffmann remembers that day, “On the Sunday that Pat got the call from the Superintendent that he was fired, he came to Gene Norris’ home that evening where Millen Ellis (another member of the English department) and I were having dinner as we often did on Sunday evenings. That’s when Pat told us what had happened. I, of course, assured him we would take every action possible to support him.”

At that juncture former Oak Ridge mayor Ray Combs entered the picture, “I knew Pat when I was a student at Beaufort

High School. He was two years ahead of me, he played basketball. We both went off to college and then back to Beaufort to teach. When he left to go to Daufuskie I took his place at Beaufort High School.

“Nancy [Hoffmann] was president of the Beaufort County Teacher’s Association in 1970. She asked me to be the chairman of a committee nobody had ever heard of but she felt they needed, what’s called a Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee. So I said, ‘Sure’ because she said we weren’t really going to do anything right away. Well, then Pat got fired. She told him, ‘You need to go see Ray because he’s chairman of this committee.’

“So Pat came to the house and we talked and we got involved with him.” Ray decided to investigate further, “To make a longer story short, Nancy and I and another principal formed our own little ad-hoc committee to go to Daufuskie to investigate whether Pat should have been fired or not. And we went in his boat. As soon as we stepped into the boat we realized that some special consideration needed to be given to somebody who was traveling these waters to teach at Daufuskie.

The conclusion was, even if there were MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

17

Former Oak Ridge Mayor Ray Combs attended high school with Conroy and later took the author’s place at Beaufort High after Conroy left to go teach on Daufuskie Island.

some procedural errors, he shouldn’t have been fired, maybe transferred to another school. We prepared a formal letter to the school board.” A hearing was convened to rule on Conroy’s dismissal, “I was not very popular with the school administration, they saw this as a political move. The superintendent called me into his office, took me out of school, threatened to fire me if I testified, told me how wrong I was.

That really ticked me off so I went ahead and testified.” The firing was upheld.

Ray Combs recalls, “Pat, at the time, had no job, he had a family. He’d married Barbara who was the widow of a Marine pilot who was killed in Vietnam. She had three kids. Pat was broke while he was writing the book The Water is Wide.”

A collection was taken up to buy groceries for the family, Combs said, adding, “Those kids were pretty hungry.”

Conroy’s fortunes were reversed when The Water is Wide, a memoir about his time as a teacher on Daufuskie Island, became a critical and commercial hit in 1972. Prior to that, Pat had self-published his first book, The Boo, a collection of anecdotes about Lt. Colonel Thomas “The Boo” Courvoisie, Commandant of Cadets at The Citadel. It was not an altogether flattering portrait of military cadet life.

18 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

Which brings us to another local connection, veteran journalist Jeri Rowe, who explains, “I moved to Charleston in 1968 and Dad took over from The Boo because of the crap that was happening at The Citadel, I can’t remember what it was — I was really young but I believe it had something to do with favoritism. My dad was brought down to kind of straighten it out, which he did.

“See, my brother graduated from The Citadel in ’67 with Pat Conroy. They knew one another. Two years later, my brother was killed in a car accident while serving in the Army in Germany. I was 6. I knew Conroy had gone to The Citadel but I didn’t make the connection he had with my brother until much later. “After I read Prince of Tides I started back-reading all of his stuff. I was reading his first book, The Boo, I used to remember the page number where he mentions my brother. It was like a lightning bolt BOOM hit me. I literally started shaking. [In my family] my brother’s death was never talked about.

It was like the elephant in the room. We had a shrine in our house, pictures of my brother Nat. He was the first-born son, named after my father, you know, all of that. Never talked about. I called [my parents] on the phone and said, ‘Let me read

you this.’ I read it to them over the phone and there was silence for 10 seconds. My dad didn’t say a word and my mom, she was on the phone, she goes, ‘Thank you for telling us that, we’re looking forward to seeing you come home.’ It was a classic Southern thing, you don’t talk about the unpleasantries in your life.”

Then came a chance meeting with Pat Conroy for Jeri Rowe in 1988, “I’d just turned 25. He was signing books in the Harvard Coop in Cambridge and... I really thought he would be kind of stuck up. I mean, Prince of Tides just spoke to me, like good books do. I grew up two blocks from Ashley River, I went crabbin’ in pluff mud, I had worked on a shrimp boat, all that.

And when I met Conroy, it was before work. I was working for a daily newspaper outside Boston, and I had to cover some bullshit night meeting, as you do when you’re a young journalist.

“I remember it was cold, and all these people lined up are in furs, the upper crust of Boston, all these blue bloods. And then there’s me. I was nervous. Conroy was behind a table wearing a powder blue Oxford shirt open at the neck. And he’s all redfaced like he’d been drinking too much, I expected him to be really haughty. But when I got there, this smile spread across

his face, and he sticks his hand in my face.

He had these fingers that were like cigars, and says, ‘Pat Conroy, glad to meet you.’

I’m nervous, ‘I love your books because they remind me of the South.’ He said, ‘Where’d you grow up?’ I said, ‘Charleston. Matter of fact, you graduated with my brother.’ And he goes, ‘Who was your brother?’ I told him and that’s when everything stopped. I mean, it was frozen.

His face changed. “He started talking about my brother and he stopped in midsentence, stood up, grabbed the lapels of my London Fog coat and he shook me.

He goes, ‘You’re Sgt. Major Rowe’s son.’

I said, ‘Yes sir, I am.’ ‘What are you doing here?’ ‘I’m a journalist’ He goes, ‘What the hell?’ And that’s when he invited me for beers with another Southerner, Doug Marlette who was in town attending Nieman at Harvard. He said, ‘Why don’t you come with us?’ I go, ‘No, I have to work, I gotta get back.’ We just started talking and the line was getting longer and longer. After I left, I was buzzing, I was just floating.”

An appearance before the High Point Literary League in 1992 gave Jeri the opportunity to reconnect when he interviewed Pat Conroy by phone for the Greensboro News & Record. “He said, ‘I remember you, you’re Sgt. Major Rowe’s

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Longtime Greensboro journalist Jeri Rowe’s brother attended The Citadel with Conroy. Rowe later caught up with the author at a book signing in Boston.

son!’ Usually those kind of interviews take 30 or 40 minutes but he was cooking, we literally talked for an hour and 45 minutes.” During that discussion Jeri read back this paragraph from The Prince of Tides, the last line of which had always stuck with him: “There. That taste. That’s the taste of my childhood. I would say, ‘Breathe deeply,’ and you would breathe and remember that smell for the rest of your life, the bold, fecund aroma of the tidal marsh, exquisite and sensual, the smell of the South in heat, a smell like new milk, semen, and spilled wine, all perfumed with seawater. My soul grazes like a lamb on the beauty of indrawn tides.”

“That’s my most favorite line I ever wrote,” Conroy replied. “It’s hard to express how good you feel about landscapes and what you feel about land and a region. It’s hard to come up with that ... in words. But when I hit that [last] line and hit those phrases, I said, ‘OK, you’re getting’ it, son.’ And Pat Conroy told me, he said, ‘Tell your dad I said hello, I have a lot of respect for him.’ And I told dad that, I said, ‘Pat Conroy likes you’ and he goes, ‘Oh really? Well, that’s good.’ And that’s all my father said.”

I, myself, have the most tenuous of connections to the great author. In 1991, I was WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

working as a designer for the poster and ad campaign for the motion picture The Prince of Tides, with a script written by Pat Conroy and Becky Johnston, filmed in Beaufort, SC. For a couple of weeks, every evening at 6:00 sharp, I would get a package from the film’s producer, director and star Barbra Streisand containing photos taken during the filming with instructions as to how she’d like to see them coupled.

It fell on me to create fully-realized comps that looked like finished, printed posters at 1/3 size. (This was before Photoshop.)

She needed to see everything at 9:00 the next morning. Streisand was very exacting in her directions, right down to the color of the logo, Pantone 155. At first glance, I didn’t think her suggestions were going to work until I started mocking up the scenes the way she outlined and discovered the results were quite spectacular.

At her meeting with the head of marketing at Tri-Star Pictures that first morning Streisand blew her top, “I asked for that logo in 155!” When the marketing guy placed a Pantone 155 color chip next to the logo, proving it was a match, she snapped, “Well, that’s not what I want.”

After the meeting she called the head of the studio and had the marketing guy fired. For being right. The Prince of Tides

went on to huge box office and seven Academy Award nominations including Best Picture.

Donald Patrick “Pat” Conroy passed away on March 4, 2016 of pancreatic cancer, he was 70 years old. Nancy Hoffmann recalls, “In 2011, when I first ran for City Council, Pat was kind enough at my request to personally autograph 50 copies of his My Reading Life with this message, ‘Thank you for helping my friend Nancy Hoffmannn.’ I gave them as gifts to the people who had helped me most with my campaign.

“The last time I had really seen Pat was at the memorial service for our mutual friend Gene Norris, who was Pat’s mentor almost a father like figure to Pat. [In 2004] Gene’s funeral was in Newberry, South Carolina, which is where he lived, but there was a huge memorial service for him in Beaufort at St. Helena’s, the Episcopal church that Gene attended all those years he was in Beaufort. Pat did not speak at the service but Pat spoke at length at the dinner in the Parish House, at the meal we had afterwards. My husband Jack and I sat at the table right beside Pat and Cassandra. And, as usual, he waxed forth quite eloquently.

“As I have thought about those Beau-

fort days, a recurring idea comes to mind which I am constantly playing with. If I ever write my life story, it will be focused around this theme, ‘we are inspired and transformed by the people we love and the places we love.’ I think Pat would have agreed. We both loved Beaufort, and we both had friends there whom we loved very much.”

A posthumous Pat Conroy collection was released on Oct. 25, A Lowcountry Heart: Reflections on a Writing Life, culled from the author’s letters, interviews, and magazine articles. The Washington Post called it, “A victory lap for the legion of readers who bought his books and stood in line to get them signed.” He also left behind almost 200 pages of what would have been a coming-of-age novel set during the Vietnam War called The Storms of Aquarius that may one day be added to what the author called his “literary acreage.” !

BILLY INGRAM lives in Greensboro, he’s the creator of TVparty.com and a writer for O.Henry magazine and YES! Weekly. His latest book Hamburger(squared) is a collection of true stories mostly about Greensboro. He’s currently working on a memoir of his decade spent as a key member of the team that history has dubbed, ‘the New York Yankees of motion picture advertising.’

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

19

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

Visit yesweekly.com and click on calendar to list your event online. home grown muSic Scene | compiled by Austin Kindley

ASHEBORO

FOUR SAINTS BREWING

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 foursaintsbrewing.com Mar 3: Wolfie Calhoin Mar 4: Heads Up Penny Mar 10: 18 Strings Mar 11: Steely James Mar 15: Irish/Celtic Music Session

clEmmOnS

RIvER RIdGE TAPHOUSE 1480 River Ridge Dr | 336.712.1883 riverridgetaphouse.com Mar 3: Exit 180 Mar 10: Southern Eyes Mar 17: Big daddy Mojo Mar 24: Nine Lives Apr 7: Pop Guns!

Apr 14: Exit 180 Apr 21: Southern Eyes Apr 28: Big daddy Mojo

dAnBuRy

GREEN HERON ALE HOUSE 1110 Flinchum Rd | 336.593.4733 greenheronclub.com 3870 BETHANIA STATION RD, W-S, NC WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CBTAVERN (336) 815-1664

FRIDAY MARCH 17

gREEnSBORO

ARIzONA PETE’S

2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 arizonapetes.com Mar 3: 1-2-3 Friday Mar 10: 1-2-3 Friday

Celebrating St. Patrick’s at 8PM

ARTISTIkA NIGHT CLUB

523 S Elm St | 336.271.2686 artistikanightclub.com Mar 3: dJ dan the Player Mar 4: dJ Paco and dJ dan the Player 812 Olive St. | 336.302.3728

THE BLINd TIGER

THE CORNER BAR

BIG PURPLE

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 theblindtiger.com Mar 3: Patterns Mar 4: Cosmic Charlie Mar 6: Bit Bigade plays Castlevania Mar 8: The Barons Mar 10: Justin Fulp Mar 11: Cash’d Out - Tribute to Johnny Cash, Flat Blak Cadillac Mar 13: Badfish, A Tribute To Sublime Mar 16: Pato Banton Mar 17: The Mantras Mar 18: Melvin Seals & The JGB Mar 31: John 5 and The Creatures

BUCkHEAd SALOON

1720 Battleground Ave | 336.272.9884 buckheadsaloongreensboro.com 2223 Fleming Road | 336.500.8781 burkestreetpizza.com Mar 1: Sam Foster Mar 8: James vincent Carroll Mar 15: Sam Foster Mar 22: James vincent Carroll Mar 29: Jerry Chapman Apr 5: Bump & Logie duo Apr 12: Seth Williams

Server Appreciation Night at 7PM

CHURCHILL’S ON ELM

213 S Elm St | 336.275.6367 churchillscigarlounge.com Mar 11: Sahara Reggae Band Mar 18: Jack Long Old School Jam

BURkE STREET PIzzA

MONDAY MARCH 20

Apr 19: Sam Foster Apr 26: James vincent Carroll

1700 Spring Garden St | 336.272.5559 corner-bar.com Mar 2: Jim Mayberry Mar 9: Bradley Steele Mar 16: Jon Montgomery(Norlina)

COMEdY zONE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 thecomedyzone.com Mar 3: Burpie Mar 4: Burpie Mar 10: Mike Gardner Mar 11: Mike Gardner

COMMON GROUNdS 11602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.3888 Mar 2: Open Mic Mar 3: derring-do Mar 4: Jon Walters Mar 11: Bernardus Apr 4: Tamara Hansson

CONE dENIM

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 cdecgreensboro.com Mar 4: Appetite For destruction Mar 18: Jeezy Mar 26: Chris d’Elia Apr 1: The dan Band

TRIVIA TUESDAYS with DJ Tyler & Get Vocal Entertainment Triad at 7PM

KARAOKE WEDNESDAYS with DJ Tyler at 7:30PM

THIRSTY THURSDAYS Wings-Appetizers-Drink Specials DJ Bizzy Be

FRIDAY, MARCH 10 Edward Clayton at 10PM

SUNDAY, MARCH 12 Sunday Funday with The Thrillbillies at 5PM

BRIAN HERBERGER WITH B MACK FRIDAY & SATURDAY

MARCH 3 & 4

FRI 8:30 | SAT 8 & 10 PM WITH HOST JJ JOHNSON

FRIDAY, MARCH 24

TICKETS $10 & AVAILABLE AT WWW.LAUGHINGAS.NET

Todd Yohn Comedy Show at 8PM

2105 PETERS CREEK PKWY WINSTON-SALEM, NC 27127 | (336) 608-2270

20 YES! WEEKLY

March 1-7, 2017

www.yesweekly.coMw

Apr 5: Kehlani Apr 6: Jojo Apr 7: The Machine Apr 21: Blues Traveler Apr 27: Marsha Ambrosius & Eric Benét

THE GREEN BEAN

341 S. Elm St | 336.691.9990 thegreenbeancoffeehouse.blogspot.com

GREENE STREET CLUB

113 N Greene St | 336.273.4111 greenestreetclub.com Mar 16: Riff Raff LIVE Mar 23: #NastyNightOWT - A Pretty Nasty Affair Apr 22: Robin Bullock

HAM’S GATE CITY

3017 Gate City Blvd | 336.851.4800 hamsrestaurants.com

HAM’S NEW GARDEN

1635 New Garden Rd | 336.288.4544 hamsrestaurants.com

MCPHERSON’S BAR & GRILL

5710 W Gate City Blvd | 336.292.6496 mcphersonsgreensboro.com

PRINT WORKS BISTRO 702 Green Valley Rd | 336.379.0699 printworksbistro.com

SOMEWHERE ELSE TAVERN

5713 W Friendly Ave | 336.292.5464 facebook.com/thesomewhereelsetavern Mar 4: Divine Treachery, MechaBull, Fan The Flames, Written In Gray Mar 10: Thundering Herd Mar 11: Black Plague, Divine Treachery, Mindjakked, Unhenged, Zestrah Mar 18: Snake & The Plisskens, The Dick Richards, Sibannac, Nevernauts, Grim Details, I, Atlas Mar 25: Ozone Jones, October, Terminal Resistance, Dirtyfoot, Candlelit, Aftermath Apr 8: Desired Redemption, Nevernauts, Blackwater Drowning Apr 22: Blackwater Drowning, Kairos, The Reticent, Butcher of Rostov, Undrask

THE IDIOT BOX COMEDY CLUB

2134 Lawndale Dr | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com

VILLAGE TAVERN

1903 Westridge Rd | 336.282.3063 villagetavern.com WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

WORLD OF BEER

1210 Westover Terrace | 336.897.0031 worldofbeer.com/Locations/Greensboro

HIGH POINT

AFTER HOURS TAVERN

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 afterhourstavern.net Mar 4: Flat Blak Cadillac & Bobby Davis and Friends Mar 9: Open Band Jam Mar 11: Black Glass Mar 18: Deconstruction & Suzie’s Atomic Jukebox Mar 25: Red Dirt Revival

BLUE BOURBON JACK’S

1310 N Main St | 336.882.2583 reverbnation.com/venue/bluebourbonjacks Mar 3: Too Much Toni Mar 24: Southern Eyes Apr 24: Jukebox Revolver

CLADDAGH RESTAURANT & PUB

130 E Parris Ave | 336.841.0521 thecladdaghrestaurantandpub.com

HAM’S PALLADIUM 5840 Samet Dr | 336.887.2434 hamsrestaurants.com

ECLECTION

221 N Main St | 336.497.4822 eclectionnc.com

THE EMPOURIUM

734 E. Mountain St. | 336.671.9159

LEWISVILLE

OLD NICK’S PUB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 OldNicksPubNC.com

OAKRIDGE

JP LOONEY’S

2213 E Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.1570 facebook.com/JPLooneys Mar 2: Trivia

RANDLEMAN

RIDER’S IN THE COUNTRY 5701 Randleman Rd | 336.674.5111 ridersinthecountry.net Feb 25: Darrell Harwood

WINSTON-SALEM

2ND AND GREEN

207 N Green St | 336.631.3143 2ngtavern.com

6TH & VINE

209 W 6th St | 336.725.5577 6thandvine.com

BULL’S TAVERN

408 West 4th St | 336.331.3431 facebook.com/bulls-tavern

CB’S TAVERN

3870 Bethania Station Rd | 336.815.1664

LIBERTY BREWERY

914 Mall Loop Rd | 336.882.4677 hghosp.com

JAMESTOWN

THE DECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 thedeckatrivertwist.com Mar 3: Brothers Pearl Mar 4: Static Pool Mar 10: Jukebox Revolver Mar 11: Shmack Daniels Mar 17: Radio Revolver Mar 18: Jaxon Jill Mar 25: Cory Luetjen Mar 31: Southern Eyes

KERNERSVILLE

DANCE HALL DAZE

612 Edgewood St | 336.558.7204 dancehalldaze.com Mar 3: Colours Mar 4: Crimson Rose Mar 10: The Delmonicos Mar 11: Time Bandits Mar 17: Cheyenne & Donna MIller Mar 18: Skyryder Mar 24: The Delmonicos Mar 25: Silverhawk MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

21

finnigan’S wakE

620 Trade St | 336.723.0322 facebook.com/FinnigansWake Mar 4: CC3 Mar 11: abe Reid & The Spike Drivers Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration Mar 25: Big Bump and The Stun guns

4800 W MARKET ST, GREENSBORO, NC 27407 (336) 292-6044 2307 FLEMING ROAD, GREENSBORO, NC 27410 (336) 665-5170 LUNCH SPECIAL ALL WEEK FOR $6.50 WITH DRINK INCLUDED

ALL WEEK

99¢ 12oz BUD LIGHT BEER

MONDAY

99¢ BUD LIGHT DRAFT $2.50 12OZ LIME MARGARITA

TUESDAY

99¢ TACOS $1.50 DRAFT BEER KIDS EAT FREE

WEDNESDAY

$3.50 ANY FLAVOR MARGARITA

SATURDAY

99¢ BUD LIGHT DRAFT $2.50 LIME MARGARITA *SPECIALS VALID AT WEST MARKET LOCATION ONLY

22 YES! WEEKLY

NEW ENTRÉES, NEW MENU & SPECIALS ALL WEEK FOR LUNCH & DINNER

BUY ONE, GET ONE FREE ENTREE WITH PURCHASE OF 2 DRINKS ANYTIME!

Up to $9 value for buy one, get one free entree.

Not valid with other specials. Expires 3/31/17

fooThillS BREwing

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 foothillsbrewing.com Mar 4: CC3 Mar 11: abe Reid & The Spike Drivers Mar 17: St. Patrick’s Day Mar 25: Big Bump and The Stun guns

ThE gaRagE

110 W 7th St | 336.777.1127 the-garage.ws Mar 3: all Them witches with irata Mar 10: Cactus Black album Release with Sinners & Saints, Power animal Mar 11: hectorina, foxture, and andy loebs Mar 12: Reanimator, Captured by Robots, Primovanhalen, Mortimer Mar 15: The goddamn gallows, Viva le Vox Mar 17: Tashi Dorji, 1970s film Stock, Divine Circles Mar 18: VSS Play Elo Mar 24: Big Thief, Palehound Mar 25: Valence, Drunk in a Dumpster, no anger Control, Drat The luck

hiCkoRY TaVERn

206 Harvey St | 336.760.0362 hickorytavern.com Mar 2: Mike Bustin Mar 3: Sam foster Mar 4: Emma lee Mar 9: Mike Bustin Mar 10: CC3 Mar 11: James Vincent Carroll

JohnnY & JunE’S Saloon

2105 Peters Creek Pkwy | 336.724.0546 johnnynjunes.com feb 23: DJ Snow feb 25: Tim Elliot Mar 18: Muscadine Bloodline Mar 24: Them Dirty Roses Mar 31: Daniel Johnson

laughing gaS CoMEDY CluB

2105 Peters Creek Pkwy laughingas.net Mar 10: Edward aundraus Mar 11: Edward aundraus Mar 24: Benji Brown Mar 25: Benji Brown apr 21: Jon Reep apr 22: Jon Reep

March 1-7, 2017

MaC & nElli’S

4926 Country Club Rd | 336.529.6230 macandnellisws.com

MEllinniuM CEnTER

101 West 5th Street | 336.723.3700 MCenterevents.com Mar 11: The Stranger Billy Joel Tribute Mar 17: Envision Mar 18: ZoSo led Zepplin Tribute Mar 24: James McMurtry apr 14: Satisfaction Rolling Stones Tribute

MilnER’S

630 S Stratford Rd | 336.768.2221 milnerfood.com feb 26: live Jazz

MuDDY CREEk CafE

5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 Mar 2: open Mic with Country Dan Collins Mar 3: Sam foster Mar 4: Casey noel Mar 9: open Mic with Country Dan Collins Mar 10: Russell lapinski Mar 16: open Mic with Country Dan Collins

MuDDY CREEk MuSiC hall

5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 Mar 2: The way Down wanderers Mar 3: fiddle & Bow Society presents John gorka Mar 4: Carolina Crossing Mar 9: Sam gleaves and Steven Pelland Mar 10: Brothers Pearl Mar 11: Snyder family Band CD Release Show Mar 12: David g Smith Mar 12: Peter asher Mar 15: antigone Rising Mar 16: hitchcock fugitives, Southern Bacon

QualiTY inn

2008 S. Hawthorne Rd | 336-765-6670

ThE QuiET PinT

1420 W 1st St | 336.893.6881 thequietpint.com

TEE TiME SPoRTS & SPiRiTS 3040 Healy Dr | 336.760.4010

wEREhouSE/kRankiE’S CoffEE 211 E 3rd St | 336.722.3016 krankiescoffee.com

www.yesweekly.coMw

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

23

tunes

HEAR IT!

All Them Witches return to Winston-Salem

BY JOHN ADAMIAN | @johnradamian

A

ll Them Witches are not from Winston-Salem, but they have a connection with the city. The band, originally out of Nashville, played an early show at The Garage and made some fans here.

And they regularly return. They ended up recording and releasing a 2015 live record from The Garage, which can’t be that common of a thing. All Them Witches is a heavy band, but they manage to play with fluidity. It’s psychedelic and hypnotic, but it’s powerful. Flux and solidity are both valued in their sound. The band just released its new record, Sleeping Through the War, last week. And they play a pair of shows, fittingly, at The Garage on Friday and Saturday, March 3 and 4.

There’s a lot happening on this new record, their fourth full-length release. It opens with mysterious bird-like noises, a kind of murky whistling launching into a billowing groove with wordless ooh-ah female backing vocals that erupts with a distorted riff. It’s part dream, part nightmare.

“I’m sleeping through the war,” sings frontman Charles Michael Parks, expressing the sentiment of being in some sort of feverish stupor while cataclysmic events unfold.

Church bells and insistent door-knocking make it all even more alarming. And then some “Kashmir”-ish string sounds round things out on the Mellotron at the end. It’s fairly epic, and if the sound conjures visions of bubbling lava and ancient ruins from Live at Pompeii, that might be fitting.

I spoke with drummer Robby Staebler earlier this week by phone from his home in Columbus, Ohio about the new record and the band’s working methods. Staebler does most of the band’s record covers, Tshirt and poster designs and videos as well, fusing an ominous psychedelic vision that’s wed to their sound. Some bands have a main songwriter who brings songs to practice for everyone to polish. But that’s not how All Them Witches do it. Their process is a little more like a four-man vision quest with instruments, all aided by extended jam sessions and long hours in the van to chip away at and reconfigure what they came up with.

“Most of the songs come from us just being in the room and starting to mess around,” says Staebler.

At some point the band holed up in a house for about five days, working 12 hours a day on taking what had emerged from those initial jams and hammering them into songs.

24 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

“When you’re in it, you’re in it,” says Staebler of the process and the focus required. Things have a way of bending and flipping around from how they started, he says. “The structure kind of disappears.”

The end result is mysterious. The songs often have a lumbering rhythmic underpinning, hovering around a couple chords, with prog-metal touches in the guitar and Fender Rhodes keyboard patterns, and with singer/bassist Parks unfurling halfspoken vocal lines that rise slow and ripple above the rest. He sometimes sounds like a half-made preacher who’s had a glimpse behind the veil of reality and is no longer sure what to tell his trembling parishioners. This new record has a little less bluesy rambling than previous releases and more cosmic bug-out. Listen to the nearly seven-minute “Cowboy Kirk,” which somehow evokes Soundgarden, the Doors and the Grateful Dead, in that it’s got a gnarled core, sinister poetic flourishes and expansive swirling mandala patterns. All Them Witches aren’t a metal band, and they’re not a jam band, but for fans of the force of the one and the free-flowing feel of the other, there’s an unlikely hybrid balance to this music.

All Them Witches formed in 2012, and they are pretty relentless, with tour dates

penciled in through October of this year having them crisscrossing the country and skipping over to Europe for most of the summer and fall, with only a chunk of time off in August. (The band essentially lives on the road at this point, though they all have homes in different places, and they still rehearse in Nashville. “We’re an American band,” is how Staebler addresses the question of the group’s geographical home base.) More music might emerge by the end of the year as well. Staebler says they’ll be bringing a bunch of recording equipment, taping most nights, and possibly stretching out and exploring new or rare material while they’re at it.

The Winston-Salem shows kick off the band’s run of touring, so, with the exception of one album-release event, this is the first time All Them Witches will have performed the new material live in front of an audience.

“Emotionally and mentally this is the hardest part, to make sure the new songs are translating,” says Staebler. “But also it’s one of the most exciting times.”

Touring brings with it constant motion, the dislocation of travel and the sense of a mythic journey always unspooling, and those are all part of the music too. Singer

Parks spent some formative years in the desert of the Southwest in New Mexico, and he injects a haunted sun-baked vision to the songs. It’s an affinity that the whole band shares.

“There’s something massive out there that you can’t ignore and that you can’t really get in a lot of places,” says Staebler.

See tracks with titles like “The Marriage of Coyote Woman” from the band’s 2016 album Lightning At the Door, for a taste of the Carlos Castaneda electric-shaman effect.

That sense of awe in the face of nature’s vastness is something that comes through in the music of All Them Witches.

But it’s not necessarily warm and fuzzy.

There’s something menacing about feeling like a speck dwarfed by the cosmos, or a particle caught up in some larger current, or like a being that might morph into something else given the right jolt, but some people dig that tingle. !

WANNA

go?

All Them Witches play The Garage, with Irata opening, at 110 W.7th St., Winston-Salem, on Friday, March 3 and Saturday, March 4. Visit www. the-garage.ws for more.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

GreensboroColiseum

@GBOColiseum GBOColiseum

Upcoming Events

Saturday July 29

October 27

April 11

MARCH 23

October 14, 2017 ALSO COMING: www.greensborocoliseum.com

www.yesweekly.coM

-

Food Fanatics Live > March 8 Southern Ideal Home Show > March 24-26 Goodwill Industries Spring Career Fair > April 6 Greensboro Roller Derby > April 8

1-800-745-3000

Event Hotline: (336) 373-7474 / Group Sales: (336) 373-2632

Safe. Legitimate. Coliseum-Approved. greensborocoliseum/ticketexchange

March 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

25

[CONCERTS] Compiled by Alex Eldridge

CHARLOTTE

Who’s Bad www.lincolntheatre.com

BOJANGLES COLISEUM

Fri Mar 3

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.bojanglescoliseum.com Mar 11: Casting Crowns

MARCH

T h 2 JAZZ IS PHSH 7:30p F r 3 WHO’S BAD Michael Jackson Trib Sa 4 LOS LONELY BOYS Su 5 We 8 Fr 10 Sa 11 Su 12 Th 16

w/ Sugar Dirt & Sand 7p

AFTON MUSIC SHOWCASE 6p DAVID BROMBERG w.Austin Shaw THE CLARKS w/Michael Tolcher BOWIE BALL Trib to DAVID BOWIE HOLLY BOWLING 8p THE HIP ABDUCTION w/The Get Right Band 8p

Fr 17 VANESSA CARLTON w/Tristen 7p Sa 18 GLOWRAGE “Carnival of Color” 8p Su 19 RODI FEST: Moderna/Muse Rd. / Dirty Remnatz/ Red Dog YEA(h) 3p

We 22 RISING APPALACHIA 7p Th 23 HIPPIE SABOTAGE 7:30p Fr 24 REVEREND HORTON HEAT

w/Unknown Hinson / BirdCloud /The Goddamn Gallows 7p Sa 25 WHISKEY MYERS w/Steel Woods Su 26 LOX w/Uncle Murda 7p

We 29 BLUE OCTOBER

w/Mathew Mayfield

Th 30 “GRATEFUL BALL” THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS/ THE JEFF AUSTIN BAND 7:30p Fr 31 PULSE: Electronic Dance Party APRIL

Sa Su Th Fr Su

1 2 6 7 9

RUNAWAY GIN SUPER DUPER KYLE/Cousin Stizz PANCAKES & BOOZE ART SHOW BARCODE SILENT PARTY BOWLING FOR SOUP 7p

Fr Sa Tu Fr Sa Th Fr Sa

14 15 18 21 22 27 28 29

THE BREAKFAST CLUB PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG DOUG STANHOPE 7p JONNY LANG w/Quinn Sullivan 7p Y&T 8p CODY JINKS w/Ward Davis+ THE MANTRAS w/Doctor Bacon DANGERMUFFIN Album Release

Sa 6 Sa 13 Mo 15 Th 17 5-25 6-23

SPRINTER METALFEST MOTHERS FINEST 7p REAL ESTATE w/Frankie Cosmos MAYDAY PARADE FRANZ FERDINAND OLD 97’s

w/Runaway Kids / Direct Hit

MAY

Adv. Tickets @Lincolntheatre.com & Schoolkids Records All Shows All Ages

126 E. Cabarrus 919-821-4111

26 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

St.

THE FILLMORE

Twenty-One Pilots show leaves Greensboro in awe Sat Mar 4

Los Lonely Boys

The show’s first opening act was Judah the Lion who got the crowd excited with their high-energy performance. While I knew very little about this group, this group of four goofy guys from Tennessee certainly made an impression.

The second performer on Saturday night at the Greensboro Coliseum was Jon Bellion. This songwriter and rapper brought the lights and sounds of a New York club to North Carolina by closing his set with the song “New York Soul pt. II”.

The Twenty-One Pilots set opened with a projection on a black curtain and the intro to “Fairly Local” starts up as art is flashed up on the curtain and after the curtain drops “Heavydirtysoul” starts and everyone in screams as Josh Dun and Tyler Joseph appear on stage in black ski masks. Two songs later, we get a better idea of just how good the showmanship is with this duo when Joseph, while sitting at the piano, is covered with a black cloth and then suddenly appears at one of the entrances on the second level of the coliseum.

As Joseph makes his way back to the stage, a video plays of Dun swapping his black mask for a white one before coming back out to join Joseph on stage. A beautiful piano intro to their hit song “Heathens” from the Suicide Squad soundtrack that quickly turned electric and the room lit up in to a vibrant light show.

Even during the slower songs, there was so much imagery for each song, with beautiful drawings or pictures on the two large screen to either side of the stage. Joseph later appeared in a flowery shirt and white sunglasses with ukulele in hand to sing the songs “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV” and a cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.

The duo moved to a smaller stage towards the middle of the floor and the pit crowd followed them like a wave. They played three songs, including what my

Wed Mar 8

David Bromberg

The Clarks Fri Mar 10

Sun Mar 12

Holly Bowling Fri Mar 17

Vanessa Carlton

daughter would inform me was a cover of a My Chemical Romance song called “Cancer”.

One of the best parts of the show was Josh Dun’s drum battle with a video of himself. Dun on the video had the red hair he used to sport. The battle, even against himself, showed everyone just how amazing Dun is as a musician and a performer.

At the end of the recorded part, even video Dun was so impressed his head exploded.

One of the things that both the opening acts mentioned was how nice the guys from Twenty One Pilots are to the opening acts. This was further proved to me by bringing the band Judah and the Lion and Jon Bellion back on stage to cover four songs including Jump Around that featured everyone from all the bands and someone in what appeared to be a crawfish costume. This is probably the point that if they hadn’t won you over already, they had you now.

However, there was still a lot of show left. Joseph came off the stage and rolled across the crowd on the floor in something that looked like a giant red hamster ball during the song “Stressed Out”. Dun did a backflip off of Joseph’s piano during the song “Tear in My Heart”.

The final song of the night was “Trees” and they went all out with this one. Stunning visuals went along with the heart wrenching lyrics. Dun and Joseph both climbed on boards being held up by the audience along with a drum each. When they began to play the drums, red confetti that almost looked like birds shot out of the sky.

The guys thanked the audience, took a bow and left the stage. It was at that point I looked around and saw so many kids with their parents, all of who seemed to have had a great time. These two guys from Ohio put on a show fit for a three ring circus and I loved it all. - Katie Ward !

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.fillmorecharlottenc.com Mar 2: Sleigh Bells Mar 4: The Marshall Tucker Band Mar 5: Cold War Kids w/ Middle Kids Mar 6: Overkill Mar 7: Colony House Mar 8: Young the Giant Mar 10: Deafheaven w/ This Will Destory You & Emma Ruth Rundle Mar 10: Face 2 Face Mar 11: St Paul & The Broken Bones Mar 12: Bad Suns Mar 15: TroyBoi

OVENS AUDITORIUM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.ovensauditorium.com Mar 6: We Are Here Mar 10: The Head and The Heart w/ Mt. Joy

TWC ARENA

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.timewarnercablearena.com Mar 9: Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience

DURHAM

CAROLINA THEATRE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org Mar 1: Ladysmith Black Mambazo Mar 3: Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes Mar 7: Valerie June Mar 13: Gordon Lightfoot

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Mar 2: Martina McBride Mar 5: Dawes Mar 10: Get The Led Out

RALEIGH

PNC ARENA

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Mar 10: Casting Crowns w/ Danny Gokey & Unspoken

!

CHECK IT OUT!

Click on our website, yesweekly.com, for more concerts.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

[PLAYBILL]

by Lenise Willis As its final celebration of Black History month, Triad Stage is highlighting the story of two sisters and their life experiences, from their childhood in North Carolina to the Harlem Renaissance to the Civil Rights Movement. Performing this week through Sunday, the play, developed after the best-selling book, Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years, is a tale of faith, courage and family. Performances are at the Hanesbrands Theatre.

Wednesday only, UNC School of the Arts is hosting a chamber music concert in Watson Hall. The performance of both traditional and contemporary music is free and open to the public.

Thursday through Sunday, UNC Greensboro theatre is hosting Alpha Psi Omega (national theatre honor society), Winter Briefs, in which theatre students and alumni will showcase their creative playwriting works in 5-10 minute scenes. Tickets are $7 and performances will be in the Brown Building Theatre.

Saturday through March 31, Barn Dinner Theatre presents Bingo, The Winning Musical, in which three best friends and die-hard bingo players brave a terrible storm to make it to the annual celebration of the birth of bingo. In between the number calling, strange rituals and fierce competitions, long lost friends reminisce and reunite in this humorous play.

In other news, The Drama Center Children’s Theatre has quite a lot going on in the next few weeks.

For starters, the theatre is holding auditions March 13-14 at the Stephen Hyers Theatre for More Fun Than Bowling. The play is a philosophical comedy by Steven Dietz using the game of bowling as a metaphor for life. There will be cold readings from the script. Needed are a man in his 40s, two women late 20s or 30s a 16-year-old girl, and a man in his 20s or 30s. The play will be presented April 21-30.

The theatre is also presenting The Princess and the Magic Pea, March 1719 in the Odell Auditorium at Greensboro College. The show, featuring more than 30 young actors, is a lively musical version of Hans Christian Anderson’s classic tale about a prince searching for a true princess. !

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

drama

STAGE IT!

Triad Stage announces 17th season, filled with classics and contemporaries

W

Lenise Willis

Contributing columnist

hile the UNC Greensboro jazz trio donned the set of Triad Stage’s The Price last Monday night, loyal audience members and co-founders Preston Lane and Rich Whittington celebrated the theater’s accomplishments and looked on to its 17th season of thrilling, thought-provoking

and charming shows.

The theater’s current season was the first under its new operating model announced early last year and Whittington says so far it’s really paid off—which means it’s something they’re continuing to keep in mind as they shape the line-up. This year, Triad Stage celebrated an increased donor base of more than 700, and has seen significant increase in the number of season passholders between its Greensboro and Winston-Salem locations.

“For next season we have continued to pursue balanced programming in the two cities (four shows each),” Whittington said, “and have been exploring ways to diversify our programming through the addition of learning and engagement programs.”

The eight shows included in the 20172018 season, running September through May, is focused on “ambitious plays and terrific artists,” according to co-founder and artistic director Preston Lane.

Treats to mark on your calendar include a classic Broadway musical, two of the “greatest of all American plays,” two contemporary works and a world premiere.

Each city’s line-up also includes large-scale projects such as South Pacific in Greensboro (with a cast of 25 and six musicians) and Our Town in Winston-Salem (a cast of 12).

To kick off the fall, the theatre will begin with the iconic musical South Pacific, composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics

by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan, at The Pyrle Theatre in Greensboro. In WinstonSalem at The Hanesbrands Theatre the four MainStage productions kick off with

the hilarious comedy Buyer & Cellar, which highlights celebrity cult and culture.

“Putting together a season is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with more than 100 different variables,” Whittington said.

As for which production they’re most excited about, Whittington says, “Picking a favorite would be like picking a favorite child. Each of the projects bring their own challenges and opportunities and we are excited to tackle them all.”

with original music by Laurelyn Dossett, a loving and welcoming church community puts on a series of skits for the congregation, retelling the Biblical stories of Adam and Eve, Noah, Mary and more. It’s a sweet but comedic story for the holidays that’s laced with toe-tapping music.

A RAISIN IN THE SUN

January 28 – February 18, 2018 In this classic and searing drama, Lorraine Hansberry shines a light on racial tension and the struggle to achieve the American Dream.

OUR TOWN

Check out the 2017-2018 line up

SOUTH PACIFIC

September 17 – October 8, 2017 In this Broadway musical, a Midwestern nurse and a young lieutenant each navigate the treacherous waters of unfamiliar cultures and new romances while the world is at war.

BUYER & CELLAR

October 11 – October 22, 2017 When 30-something Alex More, a notso-successful actor, is hired to operate a shopping mall, he finds himself in the basement of one of Hollywood’s biggest icons. Spending most of his days alone dusting and dreaming, he’s taken aback when the celebrity herself rings the doorbell. In this 2013 Drama Desk Awardwinning show, the playwright tackles the luxury and loneliness of fame.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

November 24 – December 24, 2017 Adapted by Preston Lane, this Charles Dickens’ classic tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s life-changing ride through past, present and future as he learns what it means to be human.

BEAUTIFUL STAR: AN APPALACHIAN NATIVITY

December 3 – December 24, 2017 In this returning Preston Lane original,

February 14 – February 25, 2018 Set in an all-American small town at the turn of the century, this 80th anniversary production of Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a heartwarming and deeply moving reminder to appreciate life while one has it and to relish every moment.

HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE

April 4 – 15, 2018 In this family drama, Pulitzer Prizewinning playwright Paula Vogel takes the audience on a complicated and surprisingly funny journey through the survival story of Lil Bit as she battles sexual abuse and learns the rules of the road and the facts of life behind the wheel of her Uncle Peck’s car.

THE PASSION OF TERESA RAE KING

April 29 – May 20, 2018 In this scandalous thriller original, by Preston Lane himself, a young woman harassed by her husband and terrorized by her mother-in-law finds comfort in the arms of another man. They plot a scheme meant to free Teresa, but the repercussions of their actions haunt them and threaten to drive them to madness. !

WANNA

go?

Triad Stage offers a 3-Play Greensboro Pass for The Pyrle Theater and a 3-Play Winston-Salem Pass for The Hanesbrands Theatre, each starting at $45. The company also has a 6-Play Triad Pass that includes the full season of six productions in both cities starting at $63. To purchase tickets or for performance information, call the Triad Stage Box Office at 336-272-0160, or visit www.triadstage.org.

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

27

flicks

SCREEN IT!

Monster mash: Matt Damon hits the Wall

You may well wonder what Matt Damon is doing in The Great Wall, the English-language debut of acclaimed filmmaker Zhang Yimou (Raise the Red Lantern, House of Flying Daggers).

Mark Burger After all, not many Westerners – if any – Contributing were present during its construction, columnist which took approximately 1,700 years.

(Naturally, Damon’s character wouldn’t have been there the whole time.)

There are two answers: The first is that Damon’s name has box-office clout (usually). The second, which quickly becomes apparent as this spectacularly silly story unfolds, is that he’s wasting his time – although it’s likely he had a better time making the film than audiences will have watching it.

28 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

As the selfproclaimed “trader” (read: soldier of fortune) William, Damon and partner Tovar (Pedro Pascal of “Game of Thrones” and “Narcos”) are fleeing an unseen enemy on horseback when they suddenly come upon the massive structure, which renders them awestruck. (Having roamed China all this time, had they never glimpsed – or even heard of – the Great Wall until now?)

The unseen enemy, which is quickly seen in its CGI glory (as it were), is a race of reptilian gargoyles known as the “Tao Tse,” which are bent on bringing the Wall tumbling down, along with the militia charged with guarding and protecting it.

Those expecting some sort of historical spectacle are in for a rude awakening, as the opening crawl indicates that this is a story about one of the many legends surrounding the Great Wall. Judging by the final result, this is one legend that could best have remained untold. At heart, The Great Wall is a monster movie, and a pretty lame one at that.

The costumes, period design and stunts all pass muster, but the story dies on the vine … or on the Wall, in this case.

There are six writers credited with story or screenplay, among them Mel Brooks’ son Max, the Edward Zwick/Marshall Herskovitz duo, and Tony Gilroy, the latter among Hollywood’s most prominent script doctors of late. Gilroy performed similar chores on Rogue One, and this is considerably worse. This patient he couldn’t save.

There are a number of noteworthy Chinese actors on hand, including Jing Tian, Zhang Hanyu, Eddie Peng, Lu Han and Andy Lau, as well as Willem Dafoe (work’s work), as a former trader who’s been imprisoned for 20 years – which conveniently explains (aha!) how some of the Chinese characters speak fluent English.

There’s the unfortunately palpable sense that Yimou is selling out here. Does anyone think the Tao Tse will emerge victorious? Does anyone not think that Damon will emerge heroic in the nick of time? Never mind “great,” The Great Wall isn’t even a good movie; it’s a disaster. !

A Cure For Wellness: The doctor is in—sane Somewhere within the bloated, overstuffed 146-minute running time of A Case for Wellness, there lurks a great – perhaps even a classic – horror film. But director Gore Verbinski (who helmed the American version of The Ring in 2002) and screenwriter Justin Haythe (who also penned Verbinski’s disastrous The Lone Ranger in 2013) are unwilling or unable to rein themselves in, opting instead to revel in self-indulgence.

UNCSA School of Drama graduated Dane DeHaan brings an appealingly cynical, bleary-eyed countenance to the role of Lockhart, an ambitious executive ordered to “retrieve” his corporate CEO (Harry Groener) from a mysterious clinic in Switzerland in order to finalize an important merger.

Given the furtive glances and patently phony politeness with which he is greeted by the staff, Lockhart senses something is amiss, which he is soon to discover when he is injured in a car wreck and brought back to the clinic – as a patient.

Inspirations and nods are frequent and plentiful, including the works of Dario Argento, Roman Polanski, Stanley Kubrick, and Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island (2010), a film to which this one has

been invariably and incessantly compared to. Just for good measure, there’s Gothic, grand guignol and German Expressionism thrown into the stew.

Frankly, it’s not surprising that A Case for Wellness opened to mixed reviews (more negative than positive) and poor box-office. The longer the film gets, the crazier it gets … but it doesn’t necessarily get better. Whereas some movies don’t have enough narrative, this one has far too much.

To be fair, the film doesn’t take the easy way out (it’s not a dream or a hallucination, in case you were wondering, which has long been a “quick-fix” in its genre), but it frequently makes it harder on itself to succeed. As fascinating and atmospheric as the film is, it’s also frequently frustrating.

Nevertheless, it would not be a surprise if it became a cult classic of sorts. There is quite a bit to savor, not least of which are the performances of DeHaan and Jason Isaacs, who is simply terrific as Dr. Volmer, very much the quintessential mad doctor.

Even as the narrative spins out of control and ultimately collapses around them, the two actors do exemplary work. !

The Red Turtle: Solitude and survival The Red Turtle (La Tortue Rouge), which earned an Oscar nomination as Best Animated Feature, is the latest production from Japan’s renowned Studio Ghibli, purveyors of such acclaimed animated fare as My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Princess Mononoke (1997), and the Oscar-winning Spirited Away (2001), all directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Borrowing a few pages from Robinson Crusoe and, more recently, Robert Zemeckis’ Cast Away (2000), this dream-like fable sees the sole survivor of a shipwreck stranded on a deserted island. As the days become weeks, the unnamed castaway fashions a raft to make good an escape attempt, but he is thwarted – more than once – by the titular creature, a large red turtle as determined to keep him on the island as he is to leave, if not more so.

Yet when he has the opportunity to vanquish the Red Turtle, he cannot bring himself to do so – allowing instead nature

to take its course. But he, and the viewer, is in for quite a surprise. The Red Turtle isn’t at all what it seems …

The film, which marks the feature debut of director Michael Dudok de Wit, who also penned the screenplay by Pascale Ferran (Lady Chatterley, Bird People), is very much in the style and tradition of Studio Ghibli’s earlier works, with the vast majority of the story expressed through ethereal imagery than dialogue. Only a few words are spoken the entire movie, yet the fanciful and fantastic aspects of the story come through loud and clear throughout. It’s simply lovely to look at.

– The Red Turtle opens Friday

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

[CARMIKE]

GREENSBORO

Mar 3 - 9

A DOG’S PURPOSE (PG) – 12:15, 2:35, 4:55, 7:15, 9:35 BEFORE I FALL (PG-13) – 12:00, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 10:00 COLLIDE (PG-13) – 8:00 FENCES (PG-13) – 12:00 FIFTY SHADES DARKER (R) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 FIST FIGHT (R) – 12:45, 3:00, 5:15, 7:30, 9:45 GET OUT (R) – 12:00, 1:30, 2:30, 4:00, 5:00, 6:30, 7:30, 9:00, 10:00 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 JOHN WICK CHAPTER 2 (R) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 9:45 LA LA LAND (PG-13) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 LEGO BATMAN MOVIE 2D (PG) –

12:15, 2:35, 4:55, 7:15, 9:30 LION (PG-13) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00 LOGAN (R) – 12:00, 1:00, 2:00, 3:15, 4:15, 5:15, 6:30, 7:30, 8:30, 9:00, 9:45 MANCHESTER BY THE SEA (R) – 3:00, 6:00 MOONLIGHT (R) – 12:15, 2:50, 5:25 SPLIT (PG-13) – 11:45, 2:20, 4:55, 7:30, 10:05 THE GREAT WALL 2D (PG-13) – 2:25, 4:50, 7:15 THE GREAT WALL 3D (PG-13) – 12:00, 9:40 THE SHACK (PG-13) – 1:00, 4:00, 7:00, 10:00

Mar 3 - 9

[RED]

GET OUT (R) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 12:10, 2:35, 4:55, 7:20, 9:40 HIDDEN FIGURES (PG) LUXURY SEATING Fri & Sat: 11:55 AM, 2:40, 5:25, 8:10, 11:00 Sun - Thu: 11:55 AM, 2:40, 5:25, 8:10 La La Land (PG-13) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:10, 4:50, 7:30, 10:10 LOGAN (R) Fri & Sat: 11:35 AM, 1:10, 2:30, 4:05, 5:25, 7:00, 8:20, 9:55, 11:15 Sun - Thu: 11:35 AM, 1:10, 2:30, 4:05, 5:25, 7:00, 8:20, 9:55 THE SHACK (PG-13) Fri - Thu: 1:00, 4:10, 7:10, 9:55 BEFORE I FALL (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 12:05, 2:25, 4:45, 7:05, 9:20, 11:35 Sun - Thu: 12:05, 2:25, 4:45, 7:05, 9:20 TABLE 19 (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 11:45 AM, 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:40, 9: 50, 11:50 Sun - Thu: 11:45 AM, 1:45, 3:45, 5:45, 7:40, 9:50 FIST FIGHT (R) Fri & Sat: 12:40, 2:45, 4:50, 7:15, 9:30, 11:45 Sun - Thu: 12:40, 2:45, 4:50, 7:15, 9:30 THE GREAT WALL (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 11:50 AM, 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:20, 11:40 Sun - Thu: 11:50 AM, 2:10, 4:35, 7:00, 9:20

!

2017 OSCAR NOMINATED SHORTS ANIMATED (NR) Fri - Thu: 11:45 AM, 8:30 2017 Oscar Nominated Shorts - Live ACTION (NR) Fri - Thu: 1:30, 10:15 FIFTY SHADES DARKER (R) Fri - Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:15, 5:00, 7:45, 10:15 JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 (R) Fri - Thu: 11:40 AM, 2:10, 4:40, 7:25, 10:00 I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 12:40, 2:50, 5:00, 7:15, 9:25, 11:35 Sun - Thu: 12:40, 2:50, 5:00, 7:15, 9:25 ALONE IN BERLIN (R) Fri - Thu: 4:10, 6:20 JACKIE (R) Fri - Thu: 12:15, 7:05 THE BLACK MONK (CHYORNYY MONAKH) (NR) Tue: 1:30, 7:10

[A/PERTURE] Mar 3 - 9

REVOLUTION: NEW ART FOR A NEW WORLD Wed: 8:00 PM A UNITED KINGDOM (PG-13) Fri: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, Sat: 10:00 AM, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, Sun: 10:30 AM, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Mon: 5:30, 8:00, Tue: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00 Wed & Thu: 5:30, 8:00 I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO (PG-13) Fri: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Sat: 10:30 AM, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Sun: 10:15 AM, 12:30, 5:30, 8:00 Mon: 6:00, 8:30, Tue: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 Wed: 6:00 PM, Thu: 6:00, 8:30 THE LURE (CÓRKI DANCINGU) () Fri: 9:15 PM, Sat: 1:45, 9:15, Sun: 1:45 PM Mon: 9:15 PM, Tue: 4:15, 9:15 Wed & Thu: 9:15 PM THE RED TURTLE (LA TORTUE ROUGE) (PG) Fri: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00, Sat: 11:00 AM, 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, 9:00, Sun: 11:00 AM, 1:30, 4:00, 6:30 Mon: 6:30, 9:00, Tue: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Wed: 9:00 PM, Thu: 6:30, 9:00 PATERSON (R) Fri: 4:15, 6:45, Sat & Sun: 11:15 AM, 4:15, 6:45 Mon - Thu: 6:45 PM 9 TO 5 (NR) Sun: 3:00 PM

CHRONIC PAIN MANAGEMENT OR IN-OFFICE OPIATE DETOX (Heroin, Methadone, Oxycodone, Oxycontin, etc.)

Buprenorphine Therapy (Suboxone/Zubsolv)

Jamestown, NC

336-875-4455

WANT YOUR TIMES INCLUDED? Send us your theater’s details and movie times to artdirector@yesweekly.com

PAIN MANAGEMENT SERVICES, PA

311 W 4th Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 336.722.8148

The Sportscenter Athlectic Club is a private membership club dedicated to providing the ultimate athlectic 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.

Visit our website for a virtual tour: sportscenterac.com/sportscenter-virtual-tour Contact Chris King at 841-0100 for more info or to schedule a tour!

3811 Samet Dr • HigH Point, nC 27265 • 336.841.0100 FITNESS ROOM • INDOOR TRACK • INDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • OUTDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • RACQUETBALL BASKETBALL • CYCLING • OUTDOOR SAND VOLLEYBALL • INDOOR VOLLEYBALL • AEROBICS • MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM WHIRLPOOL • MASSAGE THERAPY • PROGRAMS & LEAGUES • SWIM TEAMS • WELLNESS PROGRAMS PERSONAL TRAINING • TENNIS COURTS • SAUNA • STEAM ROOM • YOGA • PILATES • FREE FITNESS ASSESSMENTS F R EE EQUI PM E N T O R I E N TAT I O N • N U R S ERY • TEN N IS LES S O N S • W IRELESS I NTERNET LOUNGE

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

29

visions

SEE IT!

Sightlines highlights Lucinda Devlin’s color photography

BY ROBERT LOPEZ

L

MARCH 1-7, 2017

lin

ev

30 YES! WEEKLY

Luci nda D

ucinda Devlin shot pictures in blackand-white, but saw a world with a “very strong color element.”

In 1975, color photography was still seen as déclassé, something reserved for advertising.

That year, though, Devlin put away her black and white film, and took her place among a vanguard of artists who were starting to treat color photography seriously.

“If you were doing art photography, black and white had been the standard,” she said. “But, I think if you were to look at these pictures of mine in black and white, you would lose this whole other dimension that was clearly thought about by the people who designed and built these spaces that I’ve shot. It’s an integral part of the environment.”

More than 80 of Devlin’s photographs are now on display at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the campus of UNCG, for an exhibition titled “Sightlines.”

The photos come from eight collections by Devlin, with themes such as “Pleasure Ground,” “Habitats” and “Subterranea.” Photos in one series, titled “The Omega Suites,” feature execution chambers from around the country.

Among her other subjects are electrical towers rising out of farmland in the Midwest, pink psychedelic motel rooms, and a gym decked out in lime green.

“She does a good job of capturing the artificiality of the sites,” said Elaine Gustafson, curator of collections at the Weatherspoon. “In one picture you see a forest with a bat hanging from a tree, and in a corner you see a vent. Or you see a reflection of an exit sign. There’s a humor in some of her work.”

Devlin hails from Michigan, and moved from Indianapolis to Greensboro in 2013 after her husband Peter Alexander became dean at what is now UNCG’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.

She was an English major at Eastern Michigan University when, during her

senior year, she decided to take a three dimensional design course.

As part of that class, she had to complete a project on the theme of time.

“So I chose to make photographs,” she said. “It had to do with shadows, and how shadows changed over the course of a day. And that was how I depicted time.

It wasn’t particularly innovative, but it made sense to me. And I found that photography was my medium.”

She earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1974, and went on to become a college instructor.

One day she went to a shoot with two cameras - one loaded with black and white film, and another with color.

“I shot with both cameras, and when I looked at the results I realized I needed to be photographing in color,” she said.

Around that time, photographer

William Eggleston had an exhibition of pictures that were all in color at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The show was fairly controversial in the art world at the time, breaking with norms that had long held black and white as the only appropriate medium for serious photographers. The exhibition is now seen as a turning point for color photography.

“This was really before it became acceptable,” Gustafson said. “But color is a very dominant force. It can be distracting at times.”

Devlin, Gustafson said, had a way of creating photographs that were balanced.

“It’s not just about the color,” Gustafson said. “She’s able to work with color as a tool. But, the subject matter was equally as important as the formal-

ism of the work.”

Devlin’s early series, “Pleasure Ground,” features places people go to for fun, or to “experience pleasure” as she puts it, such as tanning salons and hotel rooms.

“These are places people have some control over,” she said. “You chose to go there for whatever activity is going to take place.”

“The Omega Suites,” features a cooler, more clinical palette white rooms lit by fluorescent lights, providing an otherworldly tinge of green. A bright yellow electric chair offers a rare splash of color.

“When you get to ‘The Omega Suites’ that control is completely gone, you can’t control what happens to you,” Devlin said. “You’re totally passive within that environment.

There’s a frightening element of not having control over what happens to you.”

She obtained permission to shoot in about 20 prisons while working on the series.

“Sometimes a PR person would take me in, sometimes an assistant warden, sometimes just a guard,” she said.

“But I always felt I was under a time pressure - just get in, get the photographs and get out. It was always stressful to go in.”

Devlin said she’s not necessarily out to “change anyone’s mind” with her work.

“I just want people to see what I see, how I see it,” she said. “I’m just trying to present my view of the world.” !

WANNA

go?

Lucinda Devlin’s exhibition “Sightlines,” featuring 83 photographs, will be on view at the Weatherspoon Art Museum on the campus of UNCG until April 23. The gallery will host a talk with Sociology professor Saundra Westervelt at 6 p.m. on March 2. She is the author of “Life After Death Row,” about former death row inmates who were exonerated. Devlin herself will speak about the exhibition at 5:30 p.m. on March 9. The exhibition as well as Devlin and Westervelt’s presentation are free to attend. For more information call (336) 334-5770 or visit weatherspoon.uncg.edu.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Winston-Salem Symphony conjures the magic of movies The WinstonSalem Symphony pays homage to Hollywood with a special classics concert series beginning this Saturday at the Stevens Center of the University of North Carolina Mark Burger School of the Arts in downtown WinstonContributing Salem, with subsequent presentations columnist Sunday and Tuesday.

Under the direction of music director Robert Moody, the Symphony will present a program of music devoted to the works of such esteemed film composers as John Williams and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, featuring guest violinist Charles Yang.

In an official statement, maestro Moody said: “I hope you will join us for this concert celebrating music by film composers. In addition to our performance of Shostakovich’s powerful Fifth Symphony, our guest artist, Charles Yang, is someone you will want to hear perform live. He is an extraordinary young violinist who has been described by The Boston Globe as one who ‘plays classical violin with the charisma of a rock star.’ He is definitely a rising star of the music world.”

Saturday’s event is part of the Symphony’s “Kick-Backed Classics Series,” which are full-length concerts but in an informal atmopshere and featuring educational insights and trivia tidbits from Moody.

All three concerts will open with John Williams’ “Dartmoor, 1912” from Steven Spielberg’s 2011 film War Horse, based on the acclaimed stage play by Nick Stafford, itself based on Michael Morpurgo’s best-selling 1982 novel. The Broadway production of War Horse won five Tony Awards including Best Play, and the film earned six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Score.

John Williams, who has scored 25 of Spielberg’s films, is among Hollywood’s most acclaimed and respected composers, having earned a record 50 Oscar nominations during his career and winning five – for Fiddler on the Roof (1971), Jaws (1975), Star Wars (1977), E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Schindler’s List (1993). He received his first nomination for Valley of the Dolls (1967), and has earned nominations for such big-screen WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony. Although best known for his 15 symphonies, Shostakovich scored a number of films in his native Russia, including 1938’s Great Citizen (Velikiy grazhdanin), Aleksandr Dovzhenko’s 1940 biographical drama Life in Bloom (Michurin), Grigori Kozintsev’s 1964 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet (Gamlet), and the 1971 adaptation of King Lear (Karol Lir), co-directed by Kozintsev and Iosif Shapiro. His one and only Oscar nomination was for Vera Stroyeva’s musical drama Khovanschina (1959), which was released in the US in 1961. (Trivia note: He lost to West Side Story!) !

WANNA

go?

The Winston-Salem Symphony’s classics concert series featuring music by film composers will take place 7:30 Saturday, 3 pm Sunday, and 7:30 pm Tuesday at the Stevens Center of UNCSA, 405 W. Fourth St., Winston-Salem. Ticket prices range from $20 to $67. For tickets or more information, call 336.464.0145 or visit the official website: http://www.wssymphony.org/.

1642 Spring Garden St., GSO (corner of Warren St.)

Phone: 336.274.1000 Hours: Mon-Sat 11 am-2am / Sun noon-2 am

Open grill till 2am every night!

Best Daily Drink Specials Greensboro’s home for the Washington Redskins!

EVERYDAY: $2 domestic bottles & $3 import bottles & well drinks TUE: $1.50 domestics & $1 off liquor WED: $3.50 well drinks & $2.50 import bottles THURS: $1 domestics

Great Food Prices!

Sunday Special: $2 domestics

come in and check out our new menu

favorites as The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Towering Inferno (1974), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Superman (1978), Home Alone (1990) and JFK (1991). His most recent nomination was in 2015, for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

The next selection in the concert, which will feature Yang, is the Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, op.

35, by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Born in what would now be the Czech Republic, Korngold emigrated to America during the rise of the Third Reich. He made his Hollywood debut with Max Reinhardt’s 1935 screen version of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Korngold’s score for Anthony Adverse (1936) won an Academy Award, followed by a second for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) and consecutive nominations for The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) and The Sea Hawk (1940).

Capping off the concert is Dmitri MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

31

chow

I

EAT IT!

A Chef’s Table at Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro

BY KRISTI MAIER | @triadfoodies

t wasn’t so long ago that my family and I enjoyed an impressive introductory taste of Greensboro’s newest Indian Restaurant. Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro exceeded our expectations and then some a few months back. Because we were so impressed, we wanted to share that experience with other adventurous foodies, so Taaza was a natural choice for one of our monthly Chef’s Tables. And owner Mohan Chinnathambi was totally on board for giving us an evening of surprises. And that’s just how Chef’s Table works. Surprise after surprise, multiple courses at an extremely affordable price point. It’s all about the food and getting folks talking about it.

Taaza Bistro is the second location for this family-owned business. The Burlington location has enjoyed success and it appears that things are humming along nicely in the Gate City. It’s becoming a fan favorite in Greensboro. Taaza is the only South Indian restaurant in the Triad specializing in South Indian crepe and curries. The professionally trained culinary team also can work some serious magic in the kitchen with cuisine from Central and Northern India.

Here’s a recap of what we enjoyed….

Appetizer Courses Tandoori Chicken, beautifully smokey and spicy chicken…for us served like nuggets, which was excellent for dipping in any one of the lovely chutneys and yogurt dips on the table.

Sechuwan Gobi (Cauliflower, battered and sautéed in spices and a sweet and tangy sauce). Battered cauliflower is becoming quite the thing in the restaurant world. If you want something light and crispy with an Asian flare, you’ll love this dish.

Main Courses (served with Basmati Rice and Naan Bread (garlic and plain) Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Curry I’m not exaggerating when I say Taaza does this better than anyone in the Triad.

The chicken is charred and smokey, it’s wonderfully tender and the rich and creamy tomato sauce is so comforting. It soothes the soul. As for the lamb curry, a little more robust than the tikka, this lamb dish went into a spicier dimension.

Enough to get you tingling in the taste-

32 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

buds but not distracting. This, along with the Tikka, are excellent choices for your first foray into Indian cuisine. Though I admit to getting Tikka every single time. I can’t even duplicate it at home no matter how hard I try. Plus my children love it, so it’s always ordered.

Palak Paneer (fresh homemade cheese cooked in a spinach cream sauce). This is the best palak paneer I’ve had. Taaza makes their own cheese. Think of this dish as creamed spinach with extra cheese.

You’ll like. It’s very popular among vegetarians along with any of Taaza’s mixed vegetable dishes.

Lentils This is an excellent side dish as well.

Very simple and spicy superfood. A great choice for the non-meat eater.

Dessert Rice Pudding and Gulab Jamun I am a huge fan of rice pudding. Taaza’s is quite simple and laced with cardamom.

The partner dessert of Gulab Jamun is a beautiful light milk dumpling, akin to a doughnut hole, delicately scented with

rosewater and honey. It’s simple and sweet and just the right ending to what can be a rich meal.

Finally, just when we thought we couldn’t handle another bite, Mohan and his team brought out their savory Dosa.

These very thin crepes usually come prepared with your choice of options. Ours came to the table rolled up, but empty and were served alongside some lentils and potato and onion masala so each of us could “make our own.” Since I still had a bit of rice pudding remaining, I actually took part of the dosa and put a little inside for a sweet treat. I’m not entirely sure that’s an authentic way of eating it, but it kept the dessert theme going for my taste buds. If you go to Taaza, we recommend ordering a Dosa to share with your table as it is a fun, communal way of eating with your hands.

A number of our guests last week were from the United Kingdom. They said they really enjoy Taaza because the flavors remind them of home, as Indian cuisine has such a strong influence there.

You might be apprehensive to try Indian food. So many aromatics can seem daunting. But Indian food’s spices and

flavors are not so different from flavors you might already love…tomato, cream, smokiness (from the grill or clay oven), garlic, cumin, chili powder, coriander, cinnamon, turmeric, mustard, lots of sweet and savory going on. They’ll only go as hot as you want to go. If you’re really into it, go Indian hot. Not on all the dishes, but maybe just one to tantalize your taste buds.

And don’t be afraid to ask the kitchen to surprise you and “knock your socks off.”

It’s an adventure you’ll never forget.

Our next Chef’s Table is already announced. Join us on Wednesday, March 22 at 7:30pm, as Chef Mark Grohman, owner of Meridian Restaurant in Winston-Salem, surprises us with multiple courses at an affordable price. Tickets are $30 and are available at eventbrite.com. Get there by visiting the triadfoodies Facebook page under Events. !

WANNA

go?

Taaza Fresh Indian Bistro is located at 1216-M Bridford Parkway in Greensboro and 579 Huffman Mill Road in Burlington. For more info visit taazabistro.com.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

TEL. 336-887-3001 FOLLOW US! HIGHPOINTTHEATRE.COM

The Blackpack All Laughs Matter

SSaturday, March 25, 2017 — 8:00 PM Three headliners. One stage.

Vince Morris, BT, and Billy D. Washington celebrate individualism rather than differences, one joke at a time. The ensemble’s spontaneous and hilarious reactions to questions from the audience during the “Ask A Black Man” segment is sure to be a crowd favorite!

The Hill Benders The Who’s Tommy: A Bluegrass Opry

Friday, March 31, 2017 — 8:00 PM Who would have ever believed that banjo, dobro, mandolin, bass, and guitar could bring the same energy and vision to “Tommy” as Peter Townsend and The Who did with a full rock band? 45 years after its original release, this rock classic has now been realized as a full length bluegrass tribute.

20 17

Mwww.yesweekly.coM

Will Downing

The Prince of Sophisticated Soul Saturday, April 1, 2017 — 8:00 PM

Downing’s music has stood the test of time and, over the course of a 27 year career, become a living example of the absolute best that smooth R&B and Soul has to offer. Recognized for singing to women on an emotional level, he sends a subtle message to male fans to step up on the romance.

April 29: 3 Redneck Tenors, Down Home Laughs, Big City Music | May 16: Dr. Elliot Engel: The Brilliance of Sir Walter Raleigh

March 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

33

VISIT YESWEEKLY.COM/GALLERIES TO SEE MORE PHOTOS!

photos

[FACES & PLACES]

THE CORNER BAR SPONSORED BY

AROUND THE TRIAD

YES! Weekly’s Photographer Natalie Garcia

Corner Bar with DJ El Nino Greensboro | 2.24.17

presents

hot pour BARTENDERS OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA Check out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Christopher Ethan BAR: Test Pattern AGE: 25 HOMETOWN: Winston-Salem BARTENDING: About 4 Months Q: How did you become a bartender?

A: Been interested in it for years and had a great opportunity to come to Test Pattern.

34 YES! WEEKLY

Q:What’s your favorite drink to make?

A: I love making Liquid Marijuana shots. Weird I know.

Q:What’s your favorite drink to drink?

A: Old Fashion Q:What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen while bartending?

A: A guy coming to the bar and saying “I messed up, call an ambulance.” I thought, damn, he just killed someone. But it turns out he was just extremely

MARCH 1-7, 2017

drunk and thought he was dying. It was a good day to say the least. And he lived!

Q:What’s the best tip you’ve ever gotten?

A: $100 Q: How do you deal with difficult customers?

A: I deal with difficult customers by trying to be patient with them and kill them with kindness.

Q: Single?

A: Yes

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

TEACHING PEOPLE TO DRINK SINCE 1990 1700 SPRING GARDEN ST., GREENSBORO, NC (336) 272-5559 | WWW.CORNER-BAR.COM

Fresh Catch Hwy 64 Oyster Tour @ Four Saints Brewing Asheboro | 2.25.17

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

$3 ALL DOGS $4 VEG DOGS $1 CHIPS $1 DRINKS Round-A-Bout Hot Dog Co. 115 W McGee Street Greensboro, NC 27401 Open 11am-3pm & 5pm till late-night Wed-Sat MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

35

2017-18 SEASON TICKET MEMBERSHIPS AVAILABLE NOW! SAT.MAR.4

Goodwill’s Rock The Runway 2017 @ Empire Room Greensboro | 2.24.17

vs Grand Rapids Drive 7:00pm Breast Cancer Awareness Night Presented By:

Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse

To order your tickets, visit gsoswarm.com or call 336.907.3600

36 YES! WEEKLY

@greensboroswarm @greensboroswarm /greensboroswarm

SINGLE GAME TICKETS

ON SALE NOW!

MARCH 1-7, 2017

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

MARCH 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

37

last call

[HOROSCOPES]

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) You or someone else may want you to feel guilty because you are unable to make things better. Recognize that you are not the magician you would like to be and let go of the guilt. Whatever happens now, you are highly prone to think dark thoughts about yourself. This is passing. Let it go.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Mercury is your avatar planet. At this time it is in your Seventh House of partnerships and clientele. There may be more going on in that area than you can absorb right now. Remember that you have a right to slow down the information track while you digest it. You fear making mistakes and this could be a time that you become confused by conflicting data.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You and partner may need some time apart to follow your personal interests.

This does not require a split if the two of you can simply cooperate and agree to give each other space. Maintain your sense of humor and don’t take this change so seriously. It does not have to be about the overall quality of the relationship, but if you look at it darkly, it could have those consequences.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Something develops this week that gives you the opportunity to use your skills on behalf of others. It should serve to give you a greater sense of self-esteem while you are supporting those who need it. Issues concerning health are improving.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You are restless and want to do anything except the usual routine.

Some of you will be looking for a new house, car, or an exciting high tech device. Your eyes may be bigger than your pocketbook, especially if someone offers you a “deal”. It probably won’t break the bank if you have used caution in the past.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your timing and stability are giving you a leadership position in a developing project which may not be unveiled for another year. For now, hold steady. Your plans are developing well and others will be supportive of your ideas.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Give attention to caring for “old” things or people in your life. Clean out the basement or attic in your home. Give away or sell whatever you know you will not use in the future. It is a good time to

38 YES! WEEKLY

MARCH 1-7, 2017

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

tend to repairs of aging property. It is also favorable for taking actions to secure your future.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20)

Experiences may seem surreal on some level during this week. You may be doing something you never thought you would do. Hold onto the awareness that you may be misinterpreting what happens. It is also possible that you are unconsciously applying a mask to suit the circumstances. If you feel disconnected, you must go back to your heart center.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) This is a good time to bring a creative work to fruition. It may not be totally complete, but you can see that a project is going to “work”. Your energy is flowing well this week. You can make inroads with the Powers that Be. Partnership requires a delicate and tactful attitude if you want to maintain it.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Venus is your ruling planet and she is turning retrograde in the house of the past. You may find yourself surprised by experiencing feelings you thought were long since finished. This cosmic signature occurs now but it may very well have been making you wistful for much of Feb. It passes in May. Don’t allow yourself to make huge relationship changes until after that time.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Information is coming at you thick and fast.

The conflicting ideas may cause you to become confused. Make an effort to slow your responses and don’t speak too quickly until you have really examined the issues. You can take what comes in as slowly as you need to avoid making mistakes.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You may be the recipient of gossip or false information during this period. At the same time your heart wants to take action on behalf of others. This requires discernment about the reason you are disturbed. Is what you are hearing actually the truth? Or does it hook into an old need to be the hero? You be the judge and act accordingly. !

Are you interested in a personal horoscope?

Vivian Carol may be reached at (704) 366-3777 for private psychotherapy or astrology appointments.

There is a fee for services.

Website: http//www.horoscopesbyvivian.com

BY AMY ALKON

YOU DESERVE A BREAKUP TODAY

I really appreciated your recent column about people who go through with getting married when they know deep down that they’re making a mistake. I’m reminded of the common societal admonishment against being a “quitter.” There’s this notion that you’re some kind of loser if you quit anything — even when logic tells you that you should bow out. This sort of absurd anti-logic is used (with the “marriage takes work” notion) to intimidate people into remaining in marriages that are total failures, which prolongs everyone’s suffering. — Been There Ideally, “till death do us part” doesn’t lead to daydreams involving a shovel and a tarp.

Granted, there are people in miserable marriages who stay together — sometimes because they believe that a man with horns and a tail would end up chasing them around with a flaming pitchfork if they split up and married somebody else.

Others, in humdrum but not ugly or toxic marriages, stay together — admirably — for their kids’ sake. But many unhappy couples — with no pitter-pattering little feet but the schnauzer’s — don’t split up or are seriously slow to do it out of this notion that quitting is for losers.

I’m not suggesting that couples should scurry off to divorce court at the first sight of a cloud on the marital horizon.

But there’s a cost-benefit analysis to be done. Couples need to consider whether it’s actually possible to work to make their marriage succeed or whether that would take their being two totally different and actually compatible people.

As for what “succeeding” in marriage means, let’s be honest: In modern society, we have a luxury we never did before — marrying for love and happiness. We then expect that these will continue to some reasonable (or sometimes unreasonable) degree. In previous centuries, sometimes you lucked out and got love in the marital package. But, as marriage historian Stephanie Coontz points out, for “thousands of years” — until the late 18th century — “marriage was more about property and politics than personal satisfaction.” Two people would get “betrothed” to each other as a way of brokering peace between nations or getting the money to keep land in the family (“marriage is between a man and a potato farm”).

These days, however, if continents or children won’t be ravaged by a couple’s breaking up, maybe there’s no reason to be

answering the question “Grandma, how’d you and Grandpa make it work?” with “We didn’t. I just stayed till he died.”

Even so, human psychology doesn’t make it easy to extricate ourselves. Research by psychologist Elliot Aronson finds that we are prone to “self-justification” — believing whatever puts us in the best light. In other words, we are natural-born spin doctors, driven to protect both our ego and our public persona — to the point where our knee-jerk response when we fail at something is pretending we haven’t, to ourselves and everybody else.

There is a psychological tool you can use to combat this. It’s “self-compassion” — basically, when you’re going through a hard time, treating yourself as kindly as you’d treat someone else who’s struggling.

Psychologist Kristin Neff, who studies self-compassion, finds that an essential element of this is seeing your “common humanity” — meaning viewing yourself as part of a whole population of flawed, fallible humans.

This might help you look charitably on the concept of the “starter marriage.”

This is a first marriage for a very young couple without kids or many assets that ends in divorce in five years or less. (These are people who went into marriage not knowing themselves or their partner all that well and not really understanding what marriage requires.) Still, older people, upon hearing about this newfangled “get out of jail free” card, will often grumble the marital version of “When I was your age, I crawled 20 miles to school over broken glass!” (“Um, thanks, Aunt Bessie, but I learn just fine when Mom drops me off in her Tesla.”)

But consider that this “starter marriage” concept is actually very helpful — right in line with the notion from self-compassion that you’re not alone in making mistakes.

Understanding this can help you view your failures less as shameful embarrassments and more as learning experiences that you can use to make better choices in the future. Seeing failures in this more compassionate, positive light could also help you be a bit faster to admit when you’ve screwed up so you can move on. This is certainly preferable to just sitting there glumly mired in your bad choices like a little kid who peed his pants — and has to stay in those wet pants for the next 50 years, at which point somebody will throw him a big anniversary party to celebrate. !

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2017 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

answers [weekly sudoku] sudoku on page 14

The

FREE LIMO

PICKUP AND DROP OFF AVAILABLE!

TR ASURE CLUB ADULT ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS BAR & CLUB

[crossword] crossword on page 13

WOODLEY VS THOMPSON 209

Amethyst Relaxation Studio

By Appointment 336.609.3130 Swedish Energy Body Works, Hot Stones and Reflexology

Mwww.yesweekly.coM

SAT, MAR 4 - 10PM

LIVE ON PPV AT THE TRIAD’S #1 UFC HOT SPOT! SIX 50” PLASMAS • TWO 12FT PROJECTOR

OVER 40 OF TRIAD’S SEXIEST ENTERTAINERS - BEST STAGE PERFORMANCES IN THE BORRO! 11:30AM - 3AM MONDAY THRU FRIDAY / 6:30PM - 3AM SATURDAY AND SUNDAY 7806 BOEING DRIVE GREENSBORO (BEHIND ARBY’S) • EXIT 210 OFF I-40 • (336) 664-0965 THETREASURECLUBS.COM TREASURECLUBGREENSBORONC TREASURECLUBNC2

March 1-7, 2017 YES! WEEKLY

39

The

Triad’s Best 2016

BEST BURGER IN THE TRIAD 19 YEARS IN A ROW!!!

“Cooked Outdoors Style” ™

100% FRESH ALL-BEEF HAMBURGERS

Corn Dog 5 Pc. Chicken Nuggets All White Breast Meat

BLT Sandwich

CHARGRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH

99

¢

each

Chargrilled HAMBURGERS Fresh With Homemade Chili and Slaw!

Chargrilled HOT DOGS Cook Out Style • Bacon Cheddar • Mexi Dog • Mustard Relish OPEN LATE NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT!