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YES! Writers JOHN BATCHELOR MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD LYNN FELDER JIM LONGWORTH IAN MCDOWELL

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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

With the summer movie season upon us, Winston-Salem’s A/PERTURE CINEMA (311 W. Fourth St.) will be presenting its patented combination of independent and foreign films with studio films, but this summer a/perture is serving up some special programs to make the summer more enticing and entertaining.

4 In celebration of 160 years of Freedom, Triad Cultural Arts proudly presents “On The Way to FREEDOM DAY — A Journey in Song,” a powerful, multimedia performance by acclaimed artist Nailah Porter — vocalist, composer, poet, photographer, and educator.

6 In addition to the title, JULIET & ROMEO is something of a revisionist take on Shakespeare’s oft-told, much-filmed tale of star-crossed lovers.

7 BRAD KRANTZ was a brilliant guy whose take on current events was always insightful, and his humor was always organic to the conversation at hand

9 The Greensboro Area Convention & Visitor’s Bureau has announced that, from May 28 to June 1, the First Horizon Coliseum Special Events Center will host the city’s first major PICKLEBALL EVENT, the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket tournament.

11 The 12th annual GEARS AND GUITARS weekend takes over downtown Winston-Salem and Innovation Quarter, to offer a free music festival component to the 2025 Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, May 23-24.

12 In a one-hour closed session on April 15, Greensboro City Council voted to settle the lawsuit over the homicide of JOSEPH LOPEZ, fatally shot in 2021 by now-former K9 officer Matthew Hamilton.

Triad Cultural Arts Kicks o Juneteenth 2025 with “On the way to Freedom Day — A Journey in Song”

An Immersive Performance of Poetry, Music, and Dance Honoring

160 Years of Freedom

In celebration of 160 years of Freedom, Triad Cultural Arts proudly presents “On The Way to Freedom Day — A Journey in Song,” a powerful, multimedia performance by acclaimed artist Nailah Porter — vocalist, composer, poet, photographer, and educator. This immersive experience of poetry, music, and dance is a sacred production intended to honor the Ancestors and a tribute to the enduring legacy of liberation.

“On The Way to Freedom Day is my love letter to my ancestral mother who survived the Middle Passage,” says Porter. “It is a ceremony of gratitude — a gathering to declare our ancestors, our community, and ourselves as sacred.”

This celebration of veneration and remembrance will blend soul-stirring musical compositions, evocative spoken word, and expressive movement. The performance features a stellar ensemble of national, local and regional artists, including writer, actor, and filmmaker S. Pearl Sharp, featured

St. Phillips Church in Old Salem will house the Freedom Day event in honor of the original Freedom Day 160 years ago.

on the moving piece “We Still Write Love Poems.” “S. Pearl is a cultural treasure, an artist in the truest sense of the word,” says Porter. Rayven Leak, the principal dancer, studied dance at the University North Carolina School of the Arts and went on to receive her BFA in Theater Arts with a concentration in dance from Howard University, and her MFA from Bennington College in Vermont.

Co-produced by Porter and Grammy award-winning producer Darryl Swann, the production is a deeply collaborative honoring of the shared experiences of descendants of enslaved Africans through sound, story, and spirit.

As part of the event, audience members will be invited to write the names of their Ancestors on slips of paper provided by ushers. These names will be collected in baskets and read aloud by a “Witness Bearer” in a closing ritual of communal remembrance and reverence.

Reflecting on the day’s significance, Jordyn Jones of Triad Cultural Arts shared:

“There is no celebration more important in the heart of a nation, no moment more important in the history of a people, nor day more important in the life of a person than when they first knew true freedom. To this end, Triad Cultural Arts invites you to celebrate with us. Spend your day, dedicate a moment, and above all — celebrate!”

A cast meet-and-greet will follow the performance, offering attendees a chance to connect with the artists, reflect on the experience, and engage in community dialogue.

ABOUT NAILAH PORTER

Originally from North Carolina, Nailah Porter has an international reputation for artistic excellence and genre-defying collaboration. Her debut album ConJazzNess was released on EmArcy Records/UMG and she has written or performed with legends including Billy Childs, Beck, Warren G, John Cale, Leon Mobley, and more. !

TRIAD CULTURAL ARTS, INC. (TCA) was founded in 2007 as a nonproﬁt, community based, multi-disciplinary cultural arts organization. A leader in bringing recognition to Black American history and culture, TCA is dedicated to presenting programming that contributes to a culturally competent community so that signiﬁcant and lasting improvements can be made in our society. Culturally immersive experiences including festivals, tours and special events are sponsored to preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of Black Americans — for all people. Learn more at triadculturalarts.org.

WANNA go?

“On the way to Freedom Day — A Journey in Song” will kick o Juneteenth on Saturday, May 17 at Philips Moravian Church, 911 S. Church St., Winston-Salem, NC 27101. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and the event begins at 3 p.m. This is a free event. For more information, visit www. triadculturalarts.org

Nai Porter is the creator of the performance.

S. Pearl Sharp will be featured in the Freedom Day performance.

[WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP] PIEDMONT WIND SYMPHONY PRESENTS SOUTHERN HARMONY

SUBMITTED

BRIANNA CANTWELL

Piedmont Wind Symphony announces Southern Harmony, a genre-blending concert that celebrates the rich and diverse musical traditions of the South. This powerful performance takes place on May 31, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at Wait Chapel on the campus of Wake Forest University and features “The Martha Bassett Show.”

Southern Harmony is more than a concert — it’s a celebration of unity through music. This special evening will highlight the musical threads connecting Appalachian folk, Cajun rhythms, and African American spiritual traditions. From the haunting tones of shape-note hymns to spirited Cajun reels, the performance will o er a moving and dynamic exploration of Southern identity and heritage.

At the heart of the evening is Martha Bassett, a beloved artist in the Piedmont Triad known for her emotionally resonant voice and genre-defying performances. With her talented band, Bassett will guide audiences through a rich tapestry of musical forms — Appalachian hymns, Shaker melodies, and shape-note singing — each one echoing with the history and soul of the American South.

“Southern Harmony is a celebration of how music brings us together and transcends cultural boundaries,” said

Mark A. Norman, artistic director and conductor of Piedmont Wind Symphony.

“By uniting Appalachian folk traditions and African American musical roots, we honor the shared history of these two rich cultures. We are excited to collaborate with Martha Bassett and her band on this unique and powerful program.”

Martha Bassett, host of “The Martha Bassett Show” at the Reeves Theater in Elkin, N.C., is known for her deep commitment to musical collaboration and community. A seasoned performer who has graced stages like MerleFest and the Eastern Music Festival, Bassett has released eleven albums, including her most recent project, “Hot Pepper Queen.” Her work continues to inspire audiences while mentoring a new generation of artists.

Founded in 1989, Piedmont Wind Symphony is one of the few professional wind ensembles in the country not a liated with the military. The ensemble is known for its innovative programming and dedication to making classical and contemporary wind music both relevant and inspiring. !

WANNA go?

Southern Harmony promises to be a moving tribute to the sounds of the South — a night of connection, celebration, and musical brilliance. For more information or tickets, visit piedmontwindsymphony.com.

Martha Bassett

BY MARK BURGER

In addition to the title, Juliet & Romeo is something of a revisionist take on Shakespeare’s oft-told, much-ﬁlmed tale of star-crossed lovers. Unfortunately, the revisions aren’t nearly as clever or innovative as the ﬁlmmakers appear to think.

This musical adaptation is the brainchild of writer/producer/director Timothy Scott and his Grammy-winning brother, executive producer/executive music producer Evan Kidd Bogart, who collaborated with Justin Gray on the songs, some of which are catchy while most are unmemorable. The setting is Verona in 1301, rocked by political turmoil and the long-standing family feud between the Capulets and Montagues.

That enmity will of course increase exponentially when young Juliet (Clara Rugaard), a Capulet, and young Romeo (Jamie Ward), a Montague, take one look at each other and fall immediately and instantly in love. As soon as their respective families ﬁnd out, tragedy is inevitable, which is the very heart of Shakespeare’s play. The ﬁlm, however, is all style and not nearly enough substance. The musical numbers don’t so much enhance the narrative as interrupt it, and they certainly don’t enhance the characters.

Indeed, far too often, the ﬁlm loses focus on its characters, including the titular duo. Both Rugaard and Ward are personable and can carry a tune, but never once do they display the intense, immediate passion that brings Juliet and Romeo together. They’re o screen a surprising amount of the ﬁlm’s overlong 121-minute running time. Rupert Everett and Rebel Wilson play the Capulets, Jason Isaacs plays Lord Montague, and Rupert Graves is on hand as Prince Escalus, but none of them have very much to do.

The only two actors who manage to stand out are Dan Fogler as the Apothecary and Derek Jacobi as Friar Lawrence, perhaps because they’re the only ones permitted to inject a bit of levity into the proceedings. They also share the

ﬁlm’s best musical number, “I Should Write This Down.” Jacobi, the venerable veteran of many a Shakespearean production (stage and screen), is always a welcome presence, but when he surprises Juliet and Romeo in a clinch he exclaims “Are you kidding me?” (Hardly a Shakespearean reaction).

On the plus side, the ﬁlm was shot on location in Verona, which lends it a semblance of authenticity. Dante Ferretti’s production design is attractive, and cinematographer Byron Werner does some good work. The fateful duel between Mercutio (Nicholas Podany) and Tybalt (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is e ectively rendered, although it lacks dramatic resonance because, once again, their characters haven’t been well developed.

Clearly, the ﬁlmmakers hoped to hop aboard the Wicked bandwagon with a grand-scale musical extravaganza, but it’s unlikely that Juliet & Romeo will replicate its box-o ce success, much less its critical reception. The ﬁnal twist, which has been hinted at all along, portends the most alarming prospect of all — a sequel (!). What hath The Bard wrought? Still and all, it’s safe to say Shakespeare’s reputation is safe. !

BY JIM LONGWORTH

Old-time broadcasters like myself were taught to avoid so-called “dead air” at all costs. For laymen, dead air is when a long pause occurs with no sound. In fact, radio executives used to fear that listeners would tune to another station if the host wasn’t continuously jabbering or playing music. That’s why it was odd that Brad Krantz was so successful for so long because his delivery was replete with natural pauses, and his fans (of whom I was one) never turned the dial. Brad was a brilliant guy whose take on current events was always insightful, and his humor was always organic to the conversation at hand.

Brad worked in a number of markets but is best known for his long stint in Greensboro, ﬁrst as the star attraction at Rock92. Later he teamed with Britt Whitmire on what would become a twodecade journey that went through several iterations at several radio stations before morphing into a popular podcast. But no matter where they landed on the dial or your device, Brad and Britt always put on a good show. The boys were my favorite radio team because they could have a serious discussion one minute and o er up humorous ad lib observations the next. They were unique.

Commenting on his senior partner, Britt told me, “When I ﬁrst met Brad, I was 19 years old and working part-time at Rock92 where he was the morning host. I was very intimidated because Brad had already achieved a lot in the industry that I wanted to be a part of. Over the years he became the most loyal friend I have ever known. He championed me in a way no one else did, commiserated with me, and scolded me when I needed it. I was fortunate to be his co-host longer than anyone else, and I’ll treasure our experiences together for the rest of my life.”

Britt’s last podcast with his mentor posted in February of this year as Brad was battling myeloﬁbrosis, a rare type of bone marrow cancer. After two unsuccessful transplants, our friend ﬁnally succumbed to the disease and passed away on May 6. He is survived by his wife Jane and their two children. Brad Krantz was 69 years old.

Remembering Brad Krantz

I ﬁrst got to know Brad when I invited him and Britt to appear on the Triad Today Roundtable, usually separately. It gave Brad in particular an opportunity to o er up his opinions on serious topics, but also to display his famous wit and weird sense of humor, as was evident in this exchange from December 2011.

Jim: Here’s an item in the news, a gun club in Arizona is allowing children to hold a riﬂe while having their picture taken with Santa Claus. Do you see anything wrong with that?

Brad: Well clearly that’s wrong because I believe Santa usually carries a knife [laughs].

I learned of Brad’s illness in February of last year, so I called to let him know I was thinking of him, but also to learn more about his ordeal which I planned to write about in one of my weekly columns. What follows are excerpts from our conversation.

Jim: Let’s talk about what you’ll have to go through before and after you identify a blood marrow donor.

Brad: This is a process that started a couple of months ago.

First of all, I’m 68, so there are a few extra hurdles that you have to go through at my age before they decide if they even want to go through with it. I mean, if you’ve been smoking your entire life or you’re in bad health, then why would they do this? Fortunately, I’ve passed all of the tests.

Jim: How does the donor system work?

Brad: There’s an international registry called Be The Match and that’s where people have donated their blood, have had it analyzed, and are supposedly willing to step forward if they match up with somebody who needs this procedure done.

This could be years later and then they decide to donate their blood which could be ﬂown here from anywhere in the world. The blood type doesn’t matter. In fact, my blood type will change to whatever type the donor is. I just hope

the donor at least has hair [laughs]. Anyway, I’m a couple of months into this now and they have contacted some of the perfect matches to see whether they are still available or if they still want to do it. It’s kind of an opaque process because I’ll never know who it is, and they will never be identiﬁed. They could be anywhere in the world. Once the donor has agreed and they are healthy then about a month later I would be admitted to the hospital, and I would get ﬁve days of chemotherapy which would kill o the rest of my immune system and get rid of any cancer that might be involved. We’d then start over with stem cells and a transplant from a donor and that then needs to take hold inside of me. That’s where my isolation begins because at that point, I have no immune system and I’m vulnerable to anything. So, they will keep me in an air-tight area of the hospital where visitation will be limited to a few people, and that goes on for at least a month. Then, if it all works out it might be eight months to a year after transplant before I’d be back to what you would consider normal. It’s brutal though because you have to take a lot of drugs to keep you from rejecting the new immune system. It could reject you or you could reject it.

Jim: How were you diagnosed?

Brad: This all started back in October [2023] when I got my regular blood test and my numbers had crashed. Red blood cells, white blood cells, hemoglobin had all crashed to horrible levels. Two days later I’m over at Wesley Long Cancer Center getting checked out.

Jim: Had you experienced any symptoms?

Brad: Well that’s what’s lucky for me. Normally you get very tired, but I didn’t feel any di erent than I had. In fact, two weeks before that my wife and I were over in Europe and all we did was walk everywhere and I was ﬁne.

Jim: How are you doing right now?

Brad: I got a couple of blood transfusions a couple of months ago and I’ve been on a drug called Jakaﬁ, it’s one of

those $ 20,000-a-month drugs and it has gotten my numbers back to a much better level. I haven’t had to have any transfusions for over a month, and hopefully, I’m only a few months away from the real deal.

Jim: How many matches do you have so far?

Brad: They told me there were over 700 matches, but if you are cross-racial it’s much tougher to get a donor because you want to have a genetic match. For me, that would be someone of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.

Jim: Well, I just wanted to check on you and get some information that I can include in my column about your condition which could also serve to educate folks about the disease.

Brad: You know me, I’m not Mr. Joyful, but I’m really optimistic about what’s going on and the way this is going. I’ve got a good support system, and I’ve got friends. Most importantly I’ve got my wife and kids who will come in to help out and keep me in line when I come home and go through what is not going to be the most pleasant 2024, but considering the alternative, I’m all for it.

Jim: What are you doing between now and then?

Brad: I need to keep active all the time up to when I get admitted to the hospital. I can’t just be sitting on my ass because it’s a physical ordeal that I’m about to go through.

Jim: You’re going to do ﬁne, Pal.

Brad: I really appreciate the call, but hey, I’d rather you not write anything just now. Let’s give it a little time. I’ll give you a heads up before I go into the hospital, and then if I die you can write my obit [laughs].

And so, by writing this column I am honoring Brad’s prophetic request, but I wish I wasn’t. I wish he was still around to make me laugh, to discuss politics with, and to remind me that, above all, Santa carries a knife. Rest in peace, my friend.

For information on the National Marrow Donor Program, visit www.bethematch.org. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15).

Brad Krantz

Pickleball Tournament comes to the Triad

Over the past ﬁve years, the once littleknown sport of pickleball has exploded in popularity. Now, the Greensboro Area Convention & Visitor’s Bureau has announced that, from May 28 to June 1, the First Horizon Coliseum Special Events Center will host the city’s ﬁrst major pickleball event, the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket tournament. Pickleball has been described as a combination of ping-pong and tennis played on a badminton court. Players use a paddle to hit a perforated hollow plastic ball over a net until one side is unable to return the ball or commits a rule infraction.

The game was created by Joel Pritchard, later the 14th lieutenant governor of Washington and Republican member of

the U.S. House of Representatives. With his friends Bill Bell and Barney McCallum, Pritchard invented it at his summer home on Bainbridge Island, Washington in 1965, using a badminton court, paddleball paddles, and a wi e ball. In 2008, Pritchard’s widow Joan told the Parkersburg News & Sentinel that she named the sport pickleball after “pickle boat,” a term which in the boating sport crew denotes a team of “leftover” rowers not selected for any of the main teams in the race, just as pickleball was created from equipment from other sports.

Over many decades, pickleball gradually became common at senior rec centers, due to the perception that it was less harmful to aging bodies than tennis. But in the second decade of the 21st Century, its popularity spread across age demographics, and in 2021, it was named the o cial state sport of Washington.

extend my professional sports career beyond my 40s, even into my 50s, 60s, and 70s,” said Brady in an Instagram video, “and I think I got the answer.”

According to the promotional website pickleland.com, a slight majority of “core players” (those who play at least 8 times a year) are in their 50s and 60s, but many of what the site calls “leisure players” are under 35.

“It’s a great sport with competition, but also a great social gathering,” said Henri Fourrier, who is retiring at the end of June after three decades as president and CEO of the Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, which that organization’s website describes as an independent non-proﬁt governmental authority with the mission “to aggressively market Greensboro’s assets, maximizing economic impact while providing excellent visitor service.”

amount of Triad residents.

In 2022, all-time NBA leading scorer LeBron James, seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, and tennis hall-of-famer Kim Clijsters invested in Major League Pickleball expansion franchises. “I’ve been trying to ﬁnd a way to

Fourrier called pickleball equally appealing as a competitive sport and social activity. “Groups will meet up, they’ll play, then go out to lunch or cocktails and beverages afterward.”

Fourrier also said he enthusiastically played it until a shoulder injury forced him to stop. “I’m still recovering from that surgery, but my girlfriend plays and she’s pretty fanatical about it.”

And so, he believes, are an increasing

“There’s a lot of pressure on the facilities we have from people wanting to play on them. There are some development plans with the city of possibly putting in more pickleball courts. It has been one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, enjoyed by all strata of the demographic age population, and we felt it would be the next step for us to have an indoor facility that could bring in national, state, and regional championships.”

And now that’s happening.

“We’re hosting one of what the

Ian McDowell

Contributor

Henri Fourrier

VOTED THE TRIAD’S BEST RIBS

Professional Pickleball Association calls Golden Ticket tournaments, the only one they are producing on the East Coast. We’re expecting 1,200 to 2,000 participants. We’ve purchased 34 portable indoor pickleball courts that can be rolled up after the event, put into storage, and moved back out for the next event we have. Winners will go on to the national championship played later this year.”

To what does Fourrier attribute the sport’s huge surge in popularity since 2020?

“It’s very easy and adaptable for all ages. There seems to be a large number of seniors that play who are retired tennis players, as there’s not as much running, and more shu ing side-to-side.”

Fourrier said that he believes the Greensboro Golden Ticket tournament will be a big success.

“We’re hosting over Memorial Day and expecting to generate an economic impact of over $2.3 million. When people travel, they stay in hotels and eat in restaurants. They might go out to gift shops and buy souvenirs. If they drive in, they

spend money on gasoline, and if they ﬂy in, they may rent a car. All that adds up in our formula to post an incredible number for a ﬁrst-time event.”

Richard Beard, president of the Greensboro Sports Foundation, the organizing committee for Coliseum sports events, said that hosting the Golden Ticket “shows the ﬂexibility of our Coliseum Complex to be able to have 32 courts indoors at di erent times year-round.”

Beard, who is running for city council at large, predicted that Greensboro “will become a national leader in pickleball, just like we have done in swimming, soccer, and basketball!”

Anyone who registers at usapickleball.org/goldenticket/greensboro/ can compete in the USA Pickleball Golden Ticket, regardless of age or skill level. The deadline is May 18 and the entry fee is $125. !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.

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

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MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 3-6PM MON: $9.99 Wings | TUE: $9.99 Nachos WED: $5.99 Snackables

(336) 807-1476 MONDAY-THURSDAY 11AM-10 PM | FRIDAY-SATURDAY 11AM-11PM SUNDAY 11AM-8PM | BRUNCH 11AM-2PM

Mayor Nancy Vaughan promoting pickleball.

Natalie Garcia

Pedal to the beat in Downtown Winston-Salem

The 12th annual Gears and Guitars weekend takes over downtown Winston-Salem and Innovation Quarter, to o er a free music festival component to the 2025 Winston-Salem Cycling Classic, May 23-24.

Bringing bikes and bands and settling back into their springtime schedule slot, Gears & Guitars keeps rolling — shifting into gear in new spaces and a tighter two-day format: with Streets of Fire igniting the downtown cyclers’ dragway — and Kaladium concerts from Hold Tone, Shake It Like a Caveman, Mipso, and Old 97’s rocking out Friday night.

Meanwhile, Fondos and Crit Races continue their Saturday treks (starting in the morning hours for the 69-Mile Fondo, departing at 8 a.m.); and steering into Bailey Park for an afternoon of music from Spindle 45, The Smyle Band, and GOryanGO; before a headliner closing show from Switchfoot, kicking o that evening at 9 p.m.

Chief Operating O cer, Ray Boden, is pumped to once again host the “biggest party on two wheels!” Fans can look forward to spending “Memorial Day Weekend in the heart of downtown Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter, where the excitement of high-speed cycling meets the energy of live music. At Bailey Park, grab a spot to watch top cyclists race past while enjoying a lineup of free concerts from big-name bands. Indulge in bites from food trucks, sip drinks from nearby bars, and explore restaurants just steps away.”

“Whether you’re cheering on the racers, soaking up the music, or unwinding with great food and drinks, Gears & Guitars delivers an unforgettable festival atmosphere — all in the middle of the action.”

And action is the operative word for the “Streets of Fire” light up the night, with drag race-style bike sprints along 4th Street’s “Restaurant Row.” Featuring both professional and amateur

categories, the competition is sure to be hot — but accessible to anyone with the need for speed.

“It’s going to be a hot night in downtown Winston-Salem! Street sprints featuring small groups will light it up down 4th Street. Kick back in one of the street-front bars or restaurants for dinner and drinks and watch the show.”

Shifting concerts closer to the new Kaleideum, bands will begin at 5:30 p.m., with Raleigh’s Hold Tone performing for crowds in the southeast corner of Merschel Park. Then, Shake It Like a Caveman, a whirlwind Tennessean one-man rock’n’roll band, Shake It Like a Caveman, hits the stage at 6:30 p.m.; followed by Mipso at 7:30 p.m. and special guests, Old 97’s, starting at 9 p.m. to close out the ﬁrst night.

A “loud folk” outﬁt from early-90s Dallas, the Old 97’s hit like an altcountry locomotive. And are sure to put a Texan sizzle on the Camel City Friday night. But it’s Mipso (featuring Greensboro-native, Libby Rodenbough) that’ll make a most memorable Memorial Day Weekend performance; with the band recently announcing their upcoming fall tour would be their last (in the indeﬁnite sense).

“We love y’all. And we don’t take it for granted that you’ve been on this journey with us,” the band said over Instagram.

“After 13 years and 1,200 shows, we’re taking an indeﬁnite break,” they explained. “We still like each other and our songs. After a decade on the road is a minor miracle. But for a bunch of reasons (both personal and private ones and big-picture music industry stu ), we’ve found ourselves risking burnout

and more excited about other things. We don’t want to force it and become resentful toward each other or the music. We don’t want to be motivated by inertia or nostalgia. Better to press pause for a while. It’ll be a gift to sing and party and commune together one more time.”

Friday evening’s concert o ers a prelude to that ﬁnal fall tour — amid the whirl and excitement of bikes and bands and the beauty of downtown WinstonSalem on a late-spring Friday night.

Come Saturday morning, it’s o to the races; with two early-morning Fondos, and options ﬁt for a family of activities. The two road distance (69 and 42 miles) races depart from Bailey Park at 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., respectively. And two greenway/gravel distances (15 and 7 miles) that head out at 10 a.m.

“It’s a full day of cycling fun!,” organizers said, musing the post-Fondo lunch plans. “The racing will heat up all afternoon with the famed WS Cycling Classic men’s and women’s races capping o the action. We’ll have food trucks and a beer garden (for adults 21+) all afternoon. Make sure to stick around for the FREE concert into the night!”

With two rounds of Criterium Racing (amateur running from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and professional rounds from 5:15 to 8 p.m.), there’s plenty of peddling to go around.

“The Winston-Salem Classic course has become known for its challenging route that loops up and around Bailey Park, o ering some of the most exciting bike racing in the country. This year we will start and end again on the Vine Street hill! Watch pros and amateurs

compete all day and take in the extra entertainment at the festival in Bailey Park.”

As for the bands, Spindle 45 starts the Saturday afternoon concert session at 1 p.m.; followed by The Smyle Band at 3 p.m. GOryanGO opens the evening end of the schedule, starting at 7:30 p.m, followed by the hard rock headliner for the evening: Switchfoot, starting at 9 p.m.

As the races conclude and the winner’s announced, Boden keeps peddling; with the 2025 Coalpit Live Concert Series kicking o its 2025 Season on May 31 with Ashes and Arrows (2024 America’s Got Talent semi-ﬁnalists) and Morgan Myles (ﬁnalists on NBC’s The Voice). Bailey Park is also peddling to its own beat, bringing a new early-evening series “Bailey Beats” to Innovation Quarter that same evening, featuring Katie.Blvd as the inaugural artist, 5-7 p.m. on May 31. !

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

Katei Cranford

Contributor

City settles with family of man killed by police

In a one-hour closed session on April 15, Greensboro City Council voted to settle the lawsuit over the homicide of Joseph Lopez, fatally shot in 2021 by now-former K9 o cer Matthew Hamilton. The settlement terms were $1.75 million for the victim’s family and an o cial apology from the City of Greensboro. There is no public record of whether the vote was unanimous or if any council members voted against it. The decision to settle a lawsuit is one of the few occasions when North Carolina law allows municipal bodies to vote in closed rather than open session. The city has cited

attorney-client privilege and refused to release minutes of deliberations over earlier settlements.

At the end of the May 6 council meeting, City Attorney Chuck Watts announced the settlement and stated that the city “publicly expresses to the Lopez family, that the life of Joseph Lopez matters and the city is sincerely sorry for the Lopez family’s loss.”

The meeting adjourned and council members departed without comments to the press.

On Nov. 15, 2021, police responded to a call from a house on Cloverdale Drive, where the 29-year-old Lopez had previously been involved in a domestic disturbance. He was located in a cluttered storage shed. As recorded on Hamilton’s

body-worn camera, the o cer ordered Lopez to come out.

“I’m coming,” shouted Lopez. Hamilton released the dog, shouting “stellen” (Dutch for “bite”). Then Hamilton entered the shed and ﬁred a single round, which fatally struck Lopez in the nose. “Oh sh-t, oh f-ck,” shouted Hamilton, “I saw something in his hand!”

No weapon was recovered at the scene.

On June 6, 2022, Greensboro attorneys Graham Holt and Flint Taylor of the People’s Law O ce of Chicago, held a press conference at the Beloved Community Center with the late Rev. Nelson Johnson, where they announced that Joe Lopez, father of the deceased, was suing the city and Hamilton.

Within hours, the Greensboro Police Department ﬁred Hamilton, and District Attorney Avery Crump indicted him for manslaughter. This was the ﬁrst time a Greensboro o cer was indicted for killing a person the police were attempting to detain.

According to Crump, the manslaughter case against Hamilton is scheduled for trial in January 2026.

A few hours before Watts announced the settlement, plainti attorneys issued a media release, which included the following statements:

“It is uncontested that Lopez was unarmed, and evidence developed during pre-trial discovery, including audio evidence enhanced by experts, established that Joseph was coming out from where he was hiding with his hands up in conformance with Hamilton’s commands when Hamilton shot him from a distance

of about 15 feet.” They also referenced the ﬁndings of police practices expert Fred Fletcher, “whose experience includes previously serving as a detective investigating police shooting cases; as the Special Operations Lieutenant in command of the Austin, Texas Police Departments’ full-time SWAT team, its Patrol K9 Unit, and the Hostage Negotiation Team; and as the Chief of the Chattanooga, Tennessee PD.”

In his testimony for the plainti s, Fletcher stated that Hamilton using his police K9 and then deadly force deviated from reasonable police practices, constituting “an excessive and unreasonable use of force,” which he called evidence of “signiﬁcant procedural and command failures, and the lack of active supervision and oversight.”

According to Fletcher, this indicated “a distinct lack of training on dealing with these situations, as the sergeant and ranking o cer on scene did not know the department deﬁnition of ‘barricaded subject’ and Hamilton had not trained on distinguishing deadly objects such as guns from everyday objects commonly held in a hand, such as cell phones.”

This media release concluded with this statement from plainti ’s attorneys.

“While the settlement speaks for itself as a significant and hard-fought victory for the Lopez family and its lawyers, we call on the City to guarantee that Hamilton will never be re-hired by the GPD, and urge the Department to take heed of expert Fletcher’s opinions and, with the unjustifiable Lopez shooting as a guide, implement revised training and supervision to deal with the systemic problems that Fletcher has identified.”

Public records show the City of Greensboro paid for its defense against the lawsuit and $534,106 to attorneys defending the ﬁred and indicted Hamilton. !

Ian McDowell

Contributor

Joseph Lopez

Matthew Hamilton

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[SALOME’S STARS]

Week of May 19, 2025

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Although you might prefer to move forward at a steady pace, it might be a good idea to stop and reassess your plans. You could ﬁnd a good reason to make a change at this time.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Just when you thought you had everything planned to the smallest detail, you get some news that could unsettle things. But a timely explanation helps put it all back on track.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Home and work continue to compete for your attention, but you handle it well by giving each its proper due. Meanwhile, someone you trust o ers valuable advice. Listen to it.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Unsettling news creates a di cult but not impossible situation. Continue to follow your planned routine, but keep your mind open to a possible change down the line.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Lick your wounded pride if you like, but it’s a better idea to ﬁnd out why your suggestions were rejected. What you learn could help you deal with an upcoming situation.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Feeling a bit listless? No wonder! You might be pushing too hard to ﬁnish everything on your to-do list. Cutting it down could help get your energy levels up.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Taking time out of your busy schedule might be the best way to handle a sensi-

tive private matter. It will help reassure everyone involved about your priorities.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Insist on full disclosure by all parties before agreeing to be part of a “great deal.” What you learn should help you decide whether or not to go with it.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your decision to protect the secret that was entrusted to you might irk some people. But it also wins you the admiration of those who value trust and loyalty.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Creative activities take on a practical approach as you realize you might be able to market your work. Ask for advice from someone experienced in this area.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) If you’re suddenly a bit unsure about a decision, ask trusted colleagues and/or friends or family members for suggestions that could help resolve your doubts.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A workplace situation could get stormy. But stay on course until there’s a solution that meets with everyone’s approval, and things can ﬁnally calm down.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You keep an open mind on most matters, making you the conﬁdante of choice for people who need your honest counsel.