YES! Weekly - May 18, 2022

The Triad’s Alternative Voice since 2005 FREE

, & The Carolina Blues Festival Returns MELT KITCHEN & BAR

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ROE VS. WADE SUPPORT

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Best Nightlife in the Triad

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MAY 18-24, 2022 VOLUME 18, NUMBER 20

This Week @ Breathe

12 5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204

Saturday 8pm Saturday 8pm

Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231

Wednesday

YOUNG, BLACK AND BLUES

Wings & Wells Wings BOGO 1/2 off, $5 Wells Karaoke 8pm

Best Performance $25 Breathe Bucks

Thursday

Sip n Paint $5 Old Fashiondes $1 off Drafts, $10 Pizzas

Friday

$1 off Crafts Cans, $5 Fireball Shots DJ Mike Lawson Dance Party

Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

Celebrating something old, something new, and all things Blues, the 36th annual CAROLINA BLUES FESTIVAL returns to downtown Greensboro on May 21. Presented by the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society, the festival spreads the joy of the downtrodden genre, highlighting the “Young, Black and Blues” artists grooving today while helping serve the mission of PBPS in building blues futures to keep the blues alive.

EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER

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KATEI CRANFORD

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JIM LONGWORTH NAIMA SAID

Sunday

Brunch Buffet 11am-2pm

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

4 221 N Main St, Kernersville Upstairs Wed & Thurs: 5-12am Fri & Sat: 5pm-2am Sunday 11am- 6pm

SUPPORT HIS ADVERTISERS IN T NEWSPAPER! It’s because of them that we are able to bring you arts and entertainment from around the Triad every week!

YES! WEEKLY

MAY 18-24, 2022

MELT is distinguished from other sandwich places in several ways. It is locally owned, the quality of ingredients is generally higher, and the preparations are more creative.

6 Seven years ago, while I was in grad school at UNC-G, I started a songwriter showcase at Tate Street, which then moved over to Gibb’s Hundred Brewing — the idea was to showcase the creative SONGWRITERS here in the Triad area.

7 With summer around the corner, “OUT AT THE MOVIES” gets into the seasonal spirit with the award-winning romantic drama You Are My Sunshine, which will be screened at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 28 at ACE Theatre Complex...

8 Over the past two years, Senator Richard Burr, former Congressman Mark Meadows, and most recently, Congressman Madison Cawthorn have DISGRACED the memory of those giants who preceded them, and helped to set dangerous precedents...

9 There’s a distinct air of familiarity watching UNCHARTED, the expansive big-screen adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game. For all its elaborate

action sequences, perhaps we’ve been inundated by so many big-buck extravaganzas that CGI spectacles doesn’t have the novelty they once did.

14 May might seem like an odd month for scary stories, but by October, the newest book from Greensboro horror writer and editor STEPHEN MARK RAINEY will be six months old.

15 “ROE VS. WADE was part of my entire adult life,” said Kathryn Chiarolanzio, a healthcare manager carrying an “I’m Here for our Grandkids” sign at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally in Greensboro’s Government Plaza on Saturday, May 14. Chiarolanzio was one of over 200 people who turned out in the 93-degree heat to voice their support for the imperiled 1973 Supreme Court decision.

19 DYNAMIC MEDIA SERVICES, an R&B trio from Winston-Salem is experiencing their own dynamic renaissance with the release of “DMS presents: Rise of the Next Afro Future Renaissance” and an upcoming musical in the works. Composed of college chums and jazz heads, Forrest McFeeters, Darrelle Kennedy, and Kenny Harris...

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

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2022 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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[SPOTLIGHT]

CHARCUTERIE CRAZE COMES TO HIGH POINT

BY NAIMA SAID

Even though The Blooming Board hasn’t been open for six months yet, Crumley already has plans to expand on her enterprise.

“While we have recently begun our journey, our goal is to expand hours, expand events, and expand our business all around the triad. Charcuterie was just the

beginning, but who said you can’t have savory with a mimosa? Or for those that don’t drink, mocktail alternatives to sip on while you socialize? I highly recommend the blood orange lemonade.”

For more information on hours, orders or more, visit www.thebloomingboard. com. !

Weekly Specials

MON: $2 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $9.99 TUES: 1/2 Price Wine WED: $3 Draft THURS: $5 Bud Light Pitchers and $3 Fireball

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“I want people to come in to gather, graze, and shop. You can grab a drink, do some work, nibble on some of our local goods, or make it your new hangout spot in the heart of downtown,” she said.

“When I first found this building after relocating from Asheville, it was like a dungeon. Extremely dark and without a window, but I walked in and saw a vision.”

The vision that Crumley turned into The Blooming Board consists of Boho chic fashion and her own unique items and touches throughout the store. She is proud of being a one-woman show and embraces women-owned businesses from across the state.

“We are always bringing in new items from women all across the state. A few being Poppy, a popcorn company based in Asheville; Queen City Pretzels, based in Charlotte; and Mrs. Ruth’s Jams located in Apex.”

The Blooming Board is excited to be part of the city’s latest downtown revitalization initiative and hopes to continue meeting residents and other local, growing businesses. She plans to host a few family fun nights and will partner with a local nonprofit.

“I am so thankful for the love I have gotten from my city and customers this far. I am constantly brainstorming new ideas I can include to attract more involvement while finding a way to give back. One strategy to give back to the community is planning multiple family fun nights every week or so, whether it be a game night or a social. A portion of those profits will be donated to a local charity,” Crumley shared.

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On its continued path of revitalization, High Point can count on another small business to bring life to its social district.

With restaurants, coffee shops, and local boutiques already downtown, local business owner Brandi Crumley wanted to find the perfect balance.

“I have a background in retail brand development and have traveled throughout the state quite often. In that time, I enjoyed going out, getting a drink, and eating some charcuterie with my friends.

When I came back home to High Point, I missed the variety I found elsewhere, a place where I felt demonstrated all those aspects in one,” Crumley said.

The popularity of charcuterie and grazing boards has taken off in the last few years, as creators continue to get creative with both boards and an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, delectable crackers, and sweets that enhance color, flavor, and variety for all to share. Crumley found inspiration in the art of artisanal craft food and expanded on that idea.

“I began creating my own charcuterie and grazing boards at home to recreate that atmosphere and would incorporate that creativity at girls’ night and private events.”

With an original business model storefront, Crumley was prepared to open her version of the perfect community stomping ground. In April 2022, The Blooming Board opened at 142 Church Ave., providing a variety of grazing and charcuterie options for every occasion and a crafted drink selection. Most importantly to Crumley, the new space offers the community an area to “gather and graze.”

’S READER

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Voted Best Ribs in the Triad!

1232 NORTH MAIN STREET, HIGH POINT, NC 27262 WWW.SWEETOLDBILLS.COM | (336) 807-1476 MONDAY – THURSDAY 11:00AM – 10 PM FRIDAY – SATURDAY 11:00AM – 11PM SUNDAY 11:00AM – 8PM | BRUNCH 11:00AM – 2PM

Band Schedule MAY 19 BANJO EARTH MAY 26 MICHAEL AND THE PENTECOST JUNE 2 ZACH SMITH AND DAVIS TUCKER

VOTED BEST BURGER IN HIGH POINT DURING EAT AND DRINK BURGER WEEK MAY 18-24, 2022

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BUFFALO SHRIMP TACOS

Chow down with John Batchelor at Melt

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

M

elt is distinguished from other sandwich places in several ways. It is locally owned, the quality of ingredients is generally higher, and the preparations are more creative.

I will start with a disagreement. The starters section of the menu lists “Almost Famous Sprouts.” My contention is the word “Almost.” I hereby declare these Brussels sprouts to be unequivocally famous. The primary ingredient is supplemented by fresh bacon, fried capers, dried cherries, and balsamic glaze, tossed in a

pistachio vinaigrette. The condiments lend sweetness, sharpness, and complexity, for an outstanding result. (Also available as a side.)

There are, however, people who just don’t like Brussels sprouts. For those unfortunate souls, other first courses are almost as enjoyable.

Duck Fat Fries rank among the top French fries renditions in our area. They are fresh, hand-cut, redolent of real potato flavor, undergirded by a creamy herb and maple Dijon dip. (Also available as a side.)

Panko-Fried Cauliflower bears a light, crisp crust, flavorful in its own right, that nevertheless allows the natural taste of

PANKO-FRIED CAULIFLOWER

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MAY 18-24, 2022

the vegetable to stand in the forefront.

Homemade ranch and buffalo dipping sauces lend a mellow influence, from the former, additional bite from the latter.

Pulled Pork Nachos might be reconceptualized, in that they are so good, you will no doubt eat them all, thus making them more of a main course than a starter. The serving is quite large, layering pulled tender pork between tortilla chips, housemade queso sauce, pico de gallo, and pickled red onions, all drizzled with a creamy herb dressing.

Salads provide a lighter alternative starter or a healthy main course. The House is colorful, with mixed lettuces

interspersed with cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, and red onion slices. I especially like the Beet Salad, the roasted beets augmented with feta and goat cheeses, candied pecans, and bacon.

Dressings are made in-house.

From among several taco alternatives, my wife recently chose Buffalo Shrimp.

Medium/bite-sized shrimp are deveined and cooked tender, their flavor intensified but not obscured by Buffalo sauce. Slaw, blue cheese bits (which marry especially well with Buffalo sauce), and chives round out the assembly in a flour shell.

I think the Panini section of the menu will be most appealing to most readers. In

THE SCARLET WITH FRIES

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SALMON BLT

DUCK CLUB WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS

all these, locally made sourdough bread bears sharp grill marks, yielding a crisp texture.

The Melt blends your choice of two cheeses, from Swiss, gouda, mozzarella, cheddar, pepper jack, brie, provolone, American, or a vegan product.

The Granny combines sliced turkey with Granny Smith apples, onion jam, brie and mozzarella cheeses, and maple Dijon dressing. Although still pretty good, a function of the apple slices and the cheeses, I consider this a less distinguished performance relative to the other sandwiches here, due to weak flavor from the turkey.

No such misgiving from the Duck Club, a tour de force of shredded duck confit combined with crisp bacon, gouda cheese, caramelized onions, and apricot thyme jam. My favorite!

HOUSE SALAD

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The Scarlette delivers a similarly solid impact from shaved steak, well served by provolone cheese, caramelized onions, mushrooms, poblano peppers, and a creamy herb dressing.

A sandwich specialty restaurant must, of course, provide a quality burger, and Melt makes the grade. Ground Angus beef, oozing solid depth of flavor, is the foundation, supplemented in The Melt Burger by American cheese, leaf lettuces, a ripe tomato slice, avocado, pickles made in-house, and a creamy Dijon mustard. Other configurations are also available. An aromatic Brioche bun plays host.

We are also fond of the Salmon BLT, sort of a burger alternative, based on grilled salmon, crisp bacon, leaf lettuces and ripe tomato, plus a pesto aioli.

Sandwiches come with a choice of one side- fries, Brussels sprouts ($2 upcharge), chips and salsa, house salad, a cup of soup, and mac and cheese. (I have not sampled the latter two.)

Wine offerings are consistently enjoyable and reasonably priced. There is an abundant list of artisan as well as mainstream beers, in addition to cocktails.

(It’s a restaurant and bar, after all!) The website lists nightly discounts.

Service is prompt and friendly. Takeout arrangements are exceptionally convenient. Order online, then pick up from a table located near the door. No waiting.

And unless you order during a busy period, prep time takes only 10-15 minutes.

My wife and I eat here about as often as any other area restaurant. For casual food, I don’t think Melt can be beat! !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina.

Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

WANNA

go?

Melt Kitchen and Bar is located at 1941 New Garden Rd #116, Greensboro | 336-763-5445 meltkitchenandbar.com Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday Appetizers: $10-$13.75 | Salads: $10.25-$13.50 Sandwiches, Burgers, Tacos: $12-$15 Desserts: $9.50 Most recent visit: May 14

THE GRANNY WITH DUCK FAT FRIES

MAY 18-24, 2022

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Colin Cutler’s Songwriters in the Round

BY COLIN CUTLER

i, Greensboro.

Seven years ago, while I was in grad school at UNC-G, I started a songwriter showcase at Tate Street, which then moved over to Gibb’s Hundred Brewing — the idea was to showcase the creative songwriters here in the Triad area. YES! Weekly was gracious enough to sponsor that project, too.

The Army took me overseas in 2016, and I stayed in Europe for a couple of years afterward — studying in England and teaching on a Fulbright in Romania.

The pandemic brought me back to North Carolina, and eventually, back to Greensboro in September 2020. Part of the reason I moved back here was the wealth of fantastic fellow songwriters and musicians here in this area, and I was welcomed back with open arms.

My 2021 album, Hot Pepper Jam, was a return to the old-time/bluegrass clawhammer banjo-driven sound I started off with, and it was recorded in Greensboro with friends from Black Rabbit Audio, the UNCG Oldtime Ensemble, and Piedmont Oldtime Society. Since then, it’s gotten play on public radio here in North Carolina and up in Virginia, as well as WUAG, WQFS, and WKNC, and taken me to stages at the NC Folk Festival, Fiddle and Bow’s Art and the Arboretum, and the Martha Bassett Show; this year, I’ll be doing shows with Greensboro Bound Literary Festival, Piedmont Blues Preservation Society, and Antlers and Acorns Songwriters’ Festival in Boone. And, of course, tons of breweries and other venues around the region.

And there’s another album in the works: I’m expanding 2018’s Peacock Feathers EP into a full album of songs based on Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, with their sideways view on the world of a South in transition.

Songwriting and storytelling have always been important to me, and I do my best to combine them in my music. I also want this showcase to be an opportunity to bring some of the best storytelling songwriters I’ve met around the region onto one stage to share with you.

They cover a wealth of genres, experiences and perspectives, from David Childers’ acoustic folk-rock to SunQueen Kelcey’s R&B to Aaron Pants’ electric rock to Emanuel Wynter’s electric violin-driven funk and blues. My aim for this series is to showcase a diverse mix of local, regional, YES! WEEKLY

MAY 18-24, 2022

and nationally acclaimed songwriters sharing their songs, stories and ideas behind them. Each show, held at the Crown at the Carolina Theatre, will feature a couple of Triad artists and at least one traveling artist, including some from neighboring states. Come and give them a warm welcome, and hear what they have to sing!

— Colin Cutler Crossing Boundaries, Connecting Worlds Billie Feather is a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter who splits her time between Durham and Winston-Salem, with regular travels back to her family farm in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. Her approach to music is as multi-faceted as the instruments she plays — guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele. She tours with bands, writes music for a folk band and a punk band, helps organize music festivals, is a luthier and guitar tech, has two undergrad degrees in guitar and jazz, and just finished her master’s at UNC School of the Arts in guitar, with a certificate in recording technology.

Her early years were spent moving around the country as her father took jobs with the burgeoning manufactured homes business, until they settled in NC in the mid-90s when he took a general management job at a manufacturing plant. Her parents bought her a toy keyboard and promised to pay for lessons if she practiced. She didn’t practice.

When Feather was 11, she wanted a guitar and “mowed all the lawns in the neighborhood” to earn money for one — she spent the first year teaching herself until her parents agreed to get her lessons.

Local jams and gigs shaped her sense of music. “Dad would drag me to anything

free in the area, and quiz me about the harmonies on my Beach Boys cassette.”

Inspired by the music around her and jams in the mountains, she eventually started writing songs when “I couldn’t find music for songs I wanted to play.”

Eventually, she started taking lessons at the Community Musical School at Catawba Community College and then set her eyes on the UNC School of the Arts.

She did her undergrad there, and spent the next 10 years “running around with bands.”

Later, she went to North Carolina Central for a second degree in jazz, and this year, completed her graduate degree in guitar, with a certificate in recording engineering from UNCSA. Her musical background is wide-ranging.

From playing with Bo Stevens, John Howie and the Sweethearts, the Holland Brothers, and Charles Latham, she now plays with Hank Patti and the Current (she wrote two of the songs on their upcoming album “Letters”), heads up her folk project, Billie Feather and the Hallway Waltz, and a punk band, the P-90s. All three have albums coming out in the next few months.

Feather is a study in balancing and crossing boundaries. “For a long time, I had two sides of my musical self: acoustic musician and classical musician. And I had the rock band, where I’d scream and cuss and talk politics. But all those worlds are colliding now.”

Her thoughts are similar for academia.

“It left me thinking about the purpose of the university, as I dealt with high school, undergrads, and graduate students, and seeing everyone’s hopes and dreams at different stages. I’d really love to empower artists to go into the arts world with more open eyes so they’re not taken advantage of.”

Some Say the World Was Made for Fun and Frolic In my mind, David Childers is what would happen if Doc Watson played rock and roll or Bruce Springsteen played folk.

When I first heard him, I thought of him as a folk artist, rooted in lyrical storytelling.

When I saw him with his band, the Serpents, there was all that, plus the energy and attitude of a rock show.

“I’m very fortunate to play music in a way that doesn’t get stale for me,” he said. This is partly due to his combination of solo, duo, and band shows, but there’s also the wide range of venues.

He regularly plays breweries around the state, but also opened up for the Avett Brothers at the Greensboro Coliseum in May and played Merlefest last month. In both cases, he said, “we felt like that’s exactly where we belonged. Just like when playing Free Range Brewing or Foothills or Little Brother.”

No matter the venue, he believes in bringing the best show he can. “I’ve made lots of records, had stuff on the radio, but live is where it’s at for me, getting to see people smile, and bring out the best in them.” Though he lives in Mt. Holly, he has deep connections to Greensboro. Watson has an MFA in Creative Writing from UNCG and lived here for years, coming up in the music world with such Greensboro mainstays as Bruce Piephoff.

“I was fortunate to be growing up in a time when a lot of good music was being produced and discovered — Dean Martin, Johnny Cash, Chuck Berry, John Prine.

My mom and a relative from Colorado showed me a lot of great music, and Bob Dylan was the real kick in my pants, too.” His music, from the ageless acoustic meditation of “Greasy Dollar” to the rocking “Camp Latta Shuffle,” displays the fruit of all these roots. !

WANNA

go?

East of Nashville Songwriters in the Round series, featuring David Childers, Billie Feather, and Colin Cutler will be held at The Crown on May 22 at 7 p.m. Hosted by Colin Cutler, the series will showcase a diverse mix of local, regional, and nationally-acclaimed songwriters sharing their songs and the stories behind them in the intimate setting of The Crown. The series is currently slated to run monthly through September. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at door. For more information, visit www.carolinatheatre.com.

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“OUT at the Movies” spreads the Sunshine with free screening With summer around the corner, “OUT at the Movies” gets into the seasonal spirit with the awardwinning romantic drama You Are My Sunshine, which will be screened at 7 p.m.

Mark Burger Saturday, March 28 at ACE Theatre Complex, located on the Contributor main campus of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) main campus, 1533 S. Main Street, Winston-Salem. There is no admission fee, but donations are much appreciated.

David Hastings wrote, produced, and directed this drama, which details the relationship between Tom (Ernest Vernon) and Joe (Charles O’Neill), which began in the early 1970s and has spanned 50 years, from their initial, tentative meeting — at a time when the Gay Rights movement was shifting into high gear — to the emotional highs and lows that would occur during their years together, and finally to the inevitable, bittersweet conclusion of their relationship. Yet through it all, they always had each other to turn to and depend on.

According to Rex Welton, co-founder and director of the “OUT at the Movies” film festival, You Are My Sunshine was among the films submitted for the annual “OUT at the Movies” festival. “It is a wonderful movie,” he said. “When I watched it, I immediately fell in love with it, and it was a film that stayed in my thoughts for several days.”

As a result, the decision was made to present it at this time as a stand-alone screening. “Although we might present an encore screening at our festival, I decided to share it with our audience sooner as an ‘OUT at the Movies’ series screening and

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with no admission as our gift and thankyou to the community for their loyal support. It is our second in-person screening of 2022, and we were very pleased by the turnout and response to our encore screening of The Way He Looks in March.”

At the 2022 Europe Film Festival U.K. (EFFUK), You Are My Sunshine won the Europe Film February Award for Best Indie Feature and at the 2022 Falcon International Film Festival (FIFF), it won the January Edition Award for Best LGBTQ Feature.

Although this screening will not be available virtually, the festival does plan to offer its films both in-person and online. “I am really happy that we are able to return to in-person screenings,” Welton said. “Home technology is wonderful, but there is nothing like watching a movie with others. After watching a film, you immediately have that experience in common.”

The June 4th Key West in WinstonSalem fundraising event is sold out, but there are tickets available for $5 for the after-party, which will start at 11 p.m. at ROAR, 633 N. Liberty Street, Winston-Salem, which will feature the best in female impersonation and male and female exotic dancing until 2 am.

Welton admitted that the festival and screening series had to weather the COVID-19 pandemic, but “our donors and/ or audience members have been incredibly loyal and generous over the past two years,” he said. “In addition to our UNCSA School of Filmmaking/OUT at the Movies scholarship, we will be announcing an emerging filmmaker grant competition.”

This year’s “OUT at the Movies” film festival is scheduled for Sept. 29 - Oct. 2, 2022. For more information, call 336-9180902 or email rex@outatthemovies.org.

The official “OUT at the Movies” website is https://outatthemovies.org/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

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Burr, Meadows, Cawthorn a disgrace

O

nce upon a time, North Carolina was known for its outstanding representatives in Washington. Democrats like Sam Ervin and Richardson Pryor, Jim Longworth and Republicans like Howard Coble and Longworth Jim Broyhill were widely respected for at Large their integrity. Ervin got us through Watergate, Pryor helmed a committee that largely disproved the Warren Report on JFK’s assassination, and Broyhill and Coble were masters at reaching across the aisle to advance legislation for the common good. These men served the people and not themselves. They didn’t call each other nasty names. They didn’t carry loaded guns into airports. They didn’t chastise transgender folks while partying in ladies’ lingerie. And they never

incited an insurrection or tried to overturn a legal election. Pardon the expression, but those were the good old days. Over the past two years, Senator Richard Burr, former Congressman Mark Meadows, and most recently, Congressman Madison Cawthorn have disgraced the memory of those giants who preceded them, and helped to set dangerous precedents for how politicians in our state should comport themselves. Their transgressions have been egregious, bordering on criminal and treasonous.

Burr’s alleged insider trading scandal made big news last year, but the truth is, he had been enriching himself at our expense for many years. According to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, when Burr entered Congress in 1994 his net worth was under $190,000, but, by 2018 it had grown to over $7.4 million dollars (opensecrets.org). That’s an increase of 3,600 percent at a time when the income of average Americans rose by less than one percent. How did he amass that fortune? In part by taking money from industries that he was elected to regu-

Small Business Spotlight

Listen every Sunday at 9 AM for WTOB’s Small Business Spotlight.

Hosted by Josh Schuminsky, you will learn about the many small, locally-owned businesses in the Winston-Salem area.

MAY 22 Phyllis Westerlund - Curvy Fox Boutique Jamie Lawson - Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

late, thus abdicating his duty to serve the public, such as when he opposed a bill that would have allowed us to buy cheaper drugs from Canada.

Not surprisingly, in 2012 Burr was one of only two Senators to vote against the Stock Act, which made it illegal for any member of Congress to profit financially from proprietary information. The Act passed overwhelmingly, but it took another eight years for the Feds to catch on to the reason for Burr’s opposition. In January 2020, Dr. Anthony Fauci briefed Burr and other Senators about the seriousness of the spreading COVID-19 virus. According to Reuters, three days later, Burr as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, began receiving daily COVID updates.

After those briefings, Burr coincidentally decided to unload nearly $2 million dollars worth of stocks, many from the hospitality industry, which he allegedly knew would soon start to tank. When news of Burr’s stock dumps came to light, he was excoriated by pundits on the left and right, with FOX News’ Tucker Carlson saying, “There is no greater moral crime than betraying your country in a time of crisis, and that appears to be what happened.”

Speaking of betrayals, that brings me to Mark Meadows. As a Congressman, Meadows served North Carolina’s 11th district from 2013 to 2020, at which time he then became President Donald Trump’s chief of staff. We now know from the release of hundreds of text messages and documents, that Meadows was working behind the scenes to try and overturn the results of the 2020 election. He wholeheartedly enabled and supported Trump in what has come to be known as “The Big Lie,” that is, the theory that Biden only beat Trump due to massive voter fraud. Yet despite evidence (from various state election officials and the rulings from over a dozen courts)

that no fraud existed, Meadows persisted in helping to plot a strategy for keeping his boss in the White House by any means necessary, including having Vice President Pence refuse to certify legally appointed electors. There is no proof yet that Meadows personally planned or otherwise helped to incite the insurrection, but during the attack on our nation’s Capitol, he was at best complicit in Trump’s refusal to send help once the violence began. Clearly, what happened on January 6 (and before) was both sad and dangerous, two words that also describe Madison Cawthorn.

Cawthorn became the youngest member of Congress when he succeeded Meadows in the 11th district. He is also a liar and a criminal. He has broken the law on several occasions by carrying a loaded gun into airports, and a knife into a school board meeting. He’s also been cited for driving without a license. In other words, he does whatever he wants to do. He also says whatever he wants to, even though what he says is not true. For example, Cawthorn, who is wheelchair-bound, gained sympathy from voters by saying that a tragic car accident prevented him from getting into West Point. But later it was discovered that the Academy had rejected him before the accident even took place. Many of Cawthorn’s numerous prevarications are also just plain weird. He recently said that a number of Congressmen attended sex and drug parties, then when challenged to name names, admitted he had lied. And speaking of weird, after making transphobic and homophobic statements, photos emerged of Cawthorn wearing ladies’ lingerie, and posing nude with a male friend. Cawthorn also sided with Putin over Zelensky, and he used fiery rhetoric on January 6, which his critics believe helped to incite the violence that occurred.

Burr, Meadows and Cawthorn have individually and collectively succeeded in lowering the bar for any North Carolinian who runs for public office. Theirs is a legacy of shame, but one that is also not totally without merit, because from now on, we can’t do any worse. !

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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).

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flicks

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Booty call: Holland and Wahlberg embark on a treasure hunt in Uncharted

here’s a distinct air of familiarity watching Uncharted, the expansive bigscreen adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game.

For all its elaborate Mark Burger action sequences, perhaps we’ve been inundated by Contributor so many big-buck extravaganzas that CGI spectacles doesn’t have the novelty they once did.

Or perhaps it’s that Uncharted simply isn’t particularly original.

That said, it is however to its credit there have been many other movies based on video games that are far worse than this one. Uncharted may not be particularly inspired, but at least it’s competent. It may be predictable, but it’s not boring. Yet there’s only so much executive producer/director Ruben Fleischer (of Zombieland fame) can bring to a simplistic screenplay, which is credited to Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum, and Matt Holloway, from a story

by Judkins, Jon Hanley Rosenberg, and Mark D. Walker.

Taking a brief respite from his webslinging duties as Spider-Man, Tom Holland plays Nathan Drake, a nimblefingered pickpocket recruited by treasure

hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg), who’s made it his life’s mission to locate a fortune in gold lost

by Ferdinand Magellan five centuries before.

Thus begins the typical globe-hopping adventure, which takes Nathan and Sully from New York City to Barcelona in search of the treasure. They are joined

by Chloe Frazer (Sophia Ali), a fellow treasure hunter of slippery repute, and opposed by Santiago Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who covets the treasure for

himself and is aided by slinky, razorwielding femme fatale Jo Braddock (Tati Gabrielle, in her feature debut).

There are the requisite feats of deathdefying derring-‘do, and Holland’s acrobatic athleticism is put to good use once again, although this time he’s unencumbered by the trademark Spider-Man outfit. There are cobwebbed catacombs and secret passages to be crept through, countless booby traps to be avoided, and an obligatory double-cross or two (or more) for our heroes to contend with.

Given that this is the first in a proposed film franchise — yes, another one — it’s hardly a surprise how it all turns out, although it may be surprising to some how a 500-year-old ship, having been beached in a grotto for much of that time, remains remarkably intact and undamaged when extracted by helicopter from its hiding place. Evidently, Magellan had his ships built to last.

Holland (also an executive producer) and Wahlberg are, as always, affable

company — even if their dialogue consists primarily of lukewarm one-liners and putdowns. At least they make more of an impression than either Ali or Gabrielle. As for Banderas, whatever interest a change-of-pace villain role might conceivably hold quickly evaporates. Like a lot of Uncharted, he seems to be operating on auto-pilot, giving a pallid performance and leaving most of his dirty work to Gabrielle.

But, for undiscriminating adrenaline junkies and video-game aficionados, Uncharted may provide enough spills and thrills for an evening’s (or afternoon’s) entertainment. It is what it is, no more and no less.

Uncharted is playing in theaters and is available on DVD ($30.99 retail), DVD/ Blu-ray combo ($38.99 retail), and 4K Ultra HD combo ($45.99 retail) from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

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[NEWS OF THE WEIRD] THERE ARE RULES

Chuck Shepherd

At the Rio condo building a few blocks from Central Park in New York City, building management has filed a lawsuit against resident Helen Hirsh, 83, alleging she “defecated in the fitness

center’s pool and then again in the fitness center shower,” according to the New York Post. The lawsuit also alleges that Hirsh “screams and makes loud noises while using the gym and the pool” and doesn’t always wear appropriate attire in the gym. Hirsh was banned from the facilities but apparently has snuck back in by following a real estate agent touring prospective buyers or catching an open door when other residents were leaving.

Management has had to take both the

pool and the fitness center out of use so both could be cleaned and sanitized. But Hirsh thinks the suit is payback because she doesn’t tip. “I’m an old lady. Why should I tip you all the time? I don’t want to live here anymore,” she said.

IRONY

Police were called to a home in Trenton, South Carolina, on May 7, where two bodies were found in the backyard, WJBF-TV reported. The first was Joseph Anthony McKinnon, 60, who apparently died of a “cardiac event,” according to the coroner. The second body was Patricia Ruth Dent, 65, who was McKinnon’s live-in girlfriend, and who clearly did not die of natural causes. An autopsy revealed that Dent had been strangled; police believe a struggle took place inside the home, and McKinnon wrapped her in trash bags and placed her in a pit he had dug in the yard.

They concluded that McKinnon had suffered a heart attack during that process.

HE CAN’T HELP HIMSELF

Brazilian defender Marcelo, 34, was dismissed from the Lyon squad of the Ligue 1 Uber Eats French Football League last August after reportedly laughing during captain Leo Dubois’ speech following the team’s losing match against Angers.

But on May 10, ESPN reported there was more to the explosive story. Marcelo, who was considered one of the leaders of the team, apparently had an ongoing issue with passing gas and laughing inappropriately in the locker room among his teammates. He had signed a contract with Lyon before the start of the season, but it was terminated in January and he signed with Bordeaux, which is having a stinky season of its own, now at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table and seven points from safety.

BRIGHT IDEA

Eighty-two-year-old actor James Cromwell, known most recently for his role on “Succession,” glued his palm to a midtown Manhattan Starbucks store counter on May 10 to protest the extra charge the coffee company assesses for plant-based milk in their drinks. He later used a knife to scrape his hand off the counter. The Associated Press reported that Cromwell, who starred in “Babe: Pig in the City,” is a longtime animal rights protester. For its part, Starbucks seemed nonplussed by the protest, which was organized by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, characterizing the nondairy milk customizations as similar to any other, “such as an additional espresso shot or syrup.”

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IT’S A MYSTERY

In Schleiden, Germany, on May 11, high school students laid to rest a classmate who had been with them for generations: Anh Bian, the human female skeleton that had dwelt in the school’s biology classroom since the 1950s, and whom they had given the Vietnamese name for “mysterious peace.” Students, teachers and town officials buried the anonymous woman in the town’s Protestant cemetery in a coffin marked with symbols of all the world’s major religions, but before doing so, they collected DNA so that they might later learn her identity. The Associated Press reported that they had hoped to bury her earlier, but the pandemic had slowed plans to put her to rest. Future biology studies will be undertaken using a plastic skeleton.

FAMILY VALUES

The BBC reported on an unusual lawsuit filed in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand by Sanjeev and Sadhana Prasad, parents of Shrey Sagar, 35, against their son “because of mental cruelty.” The elders are demanding compensation equal to about $650,000 if Shrey and his wife do not produce a child within a year. Sanjeev said they spent all their savings on their son, sending him to the United States for pilot training, and that he returned to India but lost his job and required their support for two more years.

They arranged a lavish wedding and reception for him, but after six years, the couple “are still not planning a baby,” Sanjeev said. “At least if we have a grandchild to spend time with, our pain will become bearable.”

GREAT ART

When Laura Young picked up a marble bust from the floor of a Goodwill store in Austin, Texas, in 2018, she couldn’t have imagined the saga that was about to unfold. As it turns out, the Associated Press reported on May 6, her $35 bust is believed to be a centuries-old sculpture of Pompey the Great, missing from the collection of King Ludwig I of Bavaria since World War II. Experts suspect an American soldier brought the bust to the United States after the war. The piece will visit the San Antonio Museum of Art until next year, when it will be returned to Germany. “I’m glad I got to be a small part of its long and complicated history, and he looked great in the house while I had him,” Young said. !

© 2022 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

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

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[KING Crossword]

[weeKly sudoKu]

country music

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Shipping charge, e.g.

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Young, Black and Blues: The Carolina Blues Festival returns

C

elebrating something old, something new, and all things Blues, the 36th annual Carolina Blues Festival returns to downtown GreensKatei Cranford boro on May 21.

Presented by the Piedmont Blues Contributor Preservation Society, the festival spreads the joy of the downtrodden genre, highlighting the “Young, Black and Blues” artists grooving today while helping serve the mission of PBPS in building blues futures to keep the blues alive.

“The Carolina Blues Festival is a labor of love and is now the oldest continuous Blues Festival in the Southeast,” said PBPS President, Atiba Berkley, who upholds a sense of purpose that extends beyond genre. “We’re looking to grow audiences and their perspectives as we move away from Blues as simply music and instead use our opportunity as a cultural touchstone to bring neighbors and tourists together.”

In that effort, PBPS has extended its celebrations beyond a ticketed single-day event to incorporate a 10-day “NC Blues Week,” of free programming at events around Greensboro. “After 36 years, PBPS is growing and changing,” he explained.

“We want to have a greater impact on Blues culture locally and around the world through our work.”

“The Blues in the 20th century was also thought of in the past tense,” Berkley continued. “The idea that Black Art Culture needs saving is not equitable. We choose to look forward; and to imagine and work towards a beautiful Blues future — as it can be informed by the past, but belongs to those who come after us. The work we do is for the next generation and maybe we get to have a little fun while we’re here too.”

Work and play mix for Berkley, a seasoned professional audio engineer by trade, and the latest in a line of PBPS Presidents, having served in his current role since 2018. “Being President of Piedmont Blues Preservation Society is one of the most rewarding and difficult leadership positions I’ve ever had,” he said. “I relish the opportunity to lead our group in eliminating non-profit harm as we also YES! WEEKLY

MAY 18-24, 2022

grow our stake as an equitable Arts organization supporting Black Art Culture.”

Former PBPS President, John Amberg, praised Berkley’s commitment and practice. “He’s doing an incredible job as president of the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society,” Amberg said. “He’s brought in such a huge amount of energy and passion. And is paying tribute to the long and storied legacy of the blues art form while at the same time making it fresh and relevant for the new generation of artists and fans.” Turning to the festival, which Amberg notably holds “near and dear” to his heart, “this year’s theme of Young, Black and Blues is the best example of Atiba’s vision for the PBPS. With young blues artists like Jontavius Willis and Vanessa Collier, and many others, it’s going to be a wonderful show.”

“For going on 36 years, so many people have worked hard to make the festival one of the top blues events in the country,” Amberg continued. “It was such a pleasure to work alongside so many dedicated blues lovers, giving up their own time freely, on an all-volunteer basis.”

Berkley echoed the sentiment. “The festival would not exist were it not for volunteers,” he said, pointing to local arts organizations and sponsors, from whom the affection is mutual. “My hat is off to the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society,” said ArtsGreensboro President, Laura Way. “I’m proud that ArtsGreensboro is a sponsor of this year’s festival,” she continued.

“PBPS has presented the Carolina Blues Festival for nearly four decades. And while remarkable, what’s especially inspiring is they’re looking toward the future of what Blues means — to artists, community, and legacy. This year’s theme of Young, Black and Blues points directly to the origin of the blues and celebrates it.”

Pointing to the origins of the festival itself, the first Carolina Blues festival took place in the ballroom basement of the now-demolished Friends Motor Inn — at the corner of Davie and Market in downtown Greensboro (the lot on which the NC Folk Festival uses for its main stage).

Former PBPS board member, Jim Carson, holds fond memories of the festival’s early days — gas station beers, cheap motel dwellings, and legendary blues artists like Greensboro’s own Guitar Slim or the time John Dee Holman joined Algia Mae Hinton on stage as she was buck dancing along to her guitar. “And then there was Etta Baker finger-picking her intricate Piedmont Blues,” Carson said, turning to the upcoming festival. “It’s joyous to see young Black blues musicians keeping this treasured music alive.”

Amberg also shares fond recollections.

“I have so many great memories of the blues legends that graced our stage,” he said, pointing to artists like Jimmy Rogers, Nappy Brown, Koko Taylor, Denise LaSalle, John Mayall, Joe Louis Walker, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Shemekia Copeland.

“One of my favorite festivals was 1996 at Castle McCulloch,” he noted, recalling the special 10th anniversary show that incidentally pieced together a handful of Muddy Waters’ musical entourage.

“Delbert McClinton headlined,” Amberg continued, “we also had Little Milton, and Bob Margolin, who brought in blues piano legend Pinetop Perkins and harmonica player Carey Bell, all alumni of Muddy’s band. That, for me, was one of the greatest performances I ever saw at our Festival.”

One of Berkley’s favorite festival experiences includes the love connection between Eric Gales and his now-wife LaDonna, who Gales first saw in the crowd

at the festival in 2012. Their pairing put Gales on the path to sobriety, culminating in his latest album, “Crown,” which he’ll celebrate with a local record release show (and pre-festival party) at the Blind Tiger on May 20 — a notable event in the festival’s expansion into a full-out “NC Blues Week,” which celebrates “Young, Black and Blues” in art and community at various venues across Greensboro through May 22.

“Young, Black and Blues,” runs to the core of the festival, from programming to posters, with the theme expressed visually thanks to the work of illustrator Emilio Marz, the current artist-in-residence at GROW (Greensboro Residency for Original Works). Currently on display in the Greensboro Cultural Center, Marz’s residency finale coincides with the end of the “NC Blues Week.”

“The Blues is the art of the people but is the culture of Black people first,” Berkley noted. “As we seek equity for all people we must acknowledge what equity looks like for this specific community as well.”

Hoping to highlight equity within the Blues community, Berkley took inspiration from a likely (though often overlooked) source: young, Black blues musicians themself. “This year we based our theme on an open letter written by three young, black, Blues players,” he explained.

Penned by Marquise Knox (who, at 13, was told he was “too young” to know the Blues) Kingfish Ingram, (who, at 15, was told he was “too rockish” to know the Blues), and Jontavious Willis (who, at 16, was told he had “no direct connection to the Blues”), the letter lays bare issues plaguing both the genre, its perception, and the landscape of Black artists atlarge. “Meanwhile in our generation,” the letter relays, “it’s an anomaly for the three

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of us to be Black, young and alive, let alone Brother in the Blues. Many people who are revered in this industry as ‘legends’ or have gained notable success have exposed themselves to be racists.”

Picking up their charge, “we chose to feature African American artists aged-35 and under primarily,” Berkley explained, with hopes to see the concept mirrored in the crowd, “I’m looking forward to seeing more and younger faces in the audience,” he said. “We’ve started getting more diverse audiences and we want that diversity to include younger musicians and fans.”

Willis is scheduled to perform as part of the Carolina Blues Festival’s main show.

At age 24, it’s part of the PBPS commitment to, “giving voice to younger players,” through inclusion and recognition. Locally, that spirit shines in the “Mike Carr Junior Blueser Award,” which is given annually to youth artists like Michael Stahly, the 2022 award winner and 17-year-old guitarist from Lawsonville.

The concept was further reinforced during the “Young, Black and Blues’’ virtual panel discussion presented by PBPS on May 15; with host Lamont Pearley (“The African American Folklorist” and WKYU NPR host) that featured Willis and Ingram alongside members of the North Carolina music community.

The Sunday evening discussion capped the first Blues Week weekend, which started with a “Books and Blues Book Club” meeting at the Hemphill Public Library on Thursday; followed by a “Blues Groove Beat Battle,” (hosted by hip-hop scholar, Chelii Broussard, co-curated by Crystal E. Taylor) at the Flat Iron on Friday.

DJ Ena Pop and judges OC from NC, IllPo and Skibo, crowned Katie Blvd among the top winners in the pool of producers remixing blues tracks to highlight the journey of pop music journey from blues roots to today’s hip-hop. The next morning, Colin Cutler brought his “hot pepper jam” to a performance during the Blues and Greens at the Corner Market on Saturday.

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Upcoming events include two Blues jams hosted by local fixtures Shiela Klinefelter and Chuck Cotton. The first, an all-ages event, is at Ritchy’s in downtown Greensboro on Wednesday. An over-21 reprise goes down Thursday night at the Sawmill II on W. Market St., near Guilford College. Attendees are invited to bring an instrument.

Gales pre-festival party will light up Friday night at the Blind Tiger; and on Saturday, the 36th Annual Carolina Blues Festival pops off; alongside a special copresentation with the Greensboro Bound Literary Festival featuring a discussion between Berkley and Daniel de Visé, (his-

torian and author of “King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King ) from 3:30-4:30 p.m. at the Stephen D. Hyers Theater in the Greensboro Cultural Center.

Over on the main stage, voices of young Black blues musicians will rain over Lebauer Park, from 3p-11 p.m., with Willis joined in an award-winning lineup featuring Mr. Sipp (Blues Music Award Nominee, BB King Entertainer of the Year and Best Contemporary Male Artist) Vanessa Collier (Blues Music Award winner and current nominee for Best Contemporary Female Artist) Sean “Mack” McDonald, Stephen Hull, Jayy Hopp, and the TC Carter Band (PBPS Road to Memphis

Blues Challenge Winner).

“NC Blues Week” closes with the Blues and Foods Market on May 22 in Center City Park, featuring musical guest, and 2022 PBPS “Keepin’ the Blues Alive” award-winner, AJ Diggs. Free and open to the public, the Blues and Foods Market is a component PBPS will carry into the fall, as a monthly program, in Greensboro’s King’s Forest neighborhood.

“This is our event highlighting Food Equity,” Berkley explained, referencing ways Blues history has been ingrained from origins in music and hunger. “We want to raise awareness of this issue that continues to plague the community, and also to have an event that is free to the community,” he continued. “We can’t claim to care about equity if we only have events that cost money to enter. The Blues community has always managed a lack of resources and we want to celebrate that and influence others towards giving and understanding.”

In the vein of building Blues futures through resources, Berkley’s eyes are set on further developing the “Blues Equity Institute-Education Program,’’ to encompass virtual programming as well as furthering the “Blues in the Schools” initiative. PBPS also supports year-round endeavors including community outreach programs that host performances in adult daycare settings and two weekly Backbeat Blues Jams: Thursdays at the Brewer’s Kettle in Kernersville and at Thirsty Souls Community Brewing in Mount Airy.

Serving as a primary PBPS fundraiser — and a kicking party — the 36th annual Carolina Blues Festival will take place May 21 at LeBauer Park in downtown Greensboro. Tickets are available now, with discounts for veterans and educators. Digital at-home streaming tickets are available for $10. !

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

MAY 18-24, 2022

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Local writer talks scary fiction, monsters and being banned in Canada May might seem like an odd month for scary stories, but by October, the newest book from Greensboro horror writer and editor Stephen Mark Rainey will be six months old.

Ian McDowell In publishing, early buzz is crucial. Fugue Devil: Resurgence, a Contributor thick career-retrospective collecting 30 years of Rainey’s professional fiction, is certainly buzzworthy.

Besides, as any reader of Dracula knows, May Eve, when this article was written, is Walpurgis Night, when graves disgorge their dead and witches ride the sky.

While the author is billed as Stephen Mark Rainey on his book covers, he answers to Mark in his daily dealings. You can ask him about all things scary, including his latest book, at a book release party on Saturday, June 4, at Rioja Wine Bar, located at 1603 Battleground Avenue in Greensboro from 4 to 6 p.m.

Rainey was asked to describe the life and death of the magazine that first made his reputation in the horror field, and which he began editing in the mid80s when he stilled lived in Chicago.

“It published short fiction, poetry, news, reviews, and interviews. Over its decade-long run, the magazine featured everyone from first-time writers to the biggest names in dark literature. It won numerous awards, and stories from it frequently appeared in Year’s Best anthologies. In 1997, following our biggest distributor’s bankruptcy, I decided to retire the magazine rather than regroup and rebuild. But Deathrealm is still remembered as one of the premier publications in the horror field.”

But Rainey’s frightening reputation is based on more than just that. His numerous novels include Balak, The Lebo Coven, Blue Devil Island, and The Nightmare Frontier. Recently, he’s written novels for Elizabeth Massie’s Ameri-Scares series for young readers, with four in print and more upcoming.

In addition, Rainey’s work includes six short story collections; approximately YES! WEEKLY

MAY 18-24, 2022

Stephen Mark Rainey 200 published works of short fiction, and the anthologies Deathrealms, Song of Cthulhu, and Evermore. His short fiction has recently appeared in Borderlands 7 and Fright Train.

The title Fugue Devil: Resurgence is a callback to Rainey’s first story collection, Fugue Devil and Other Horrors, which contained five stories when published in 1993. The new volume from Black Raven Books, with a cover by award-winning artist Daniele Serra, contains a nightmare makers dozen.

The title novelette is one of Rainey’s most acclaimed work, with a cover blurb by writer, editor and former Horror Writers Association President Gary A. Braunbeck calling it “a modern masterpiece.”

Rainey is understandably proud of it.

“It’s probably the most personally meaningful story I’ve ever written and is based on a bona fide night terror I had as a youngster, which I still recall as vividly as any waking memory. The Fugue Devil’s several appearances, which literally traumatized me at the time, all happen in the story as they did in the dream.”

He also cited “Somewhere, My Love”, which he called “an autobiography that never really happened.” It’s about a young music student who falls in love with his teacher, who may be a witch.

“Of all my stories, this one seems to have

most deeply touched my readers. It’s one of my rare horror stories that really isn’t horror at all.”

Rainey is an old school Monster Kid, meaning he grew up building models of Godzilla and the Creature from the Black Lagoon, watching Shock Theater and Dark Shadows, and reading horror story anthologies like Alfred Hitchcock’s Stories for Late at Night (which like all the best “Hitchcock” anthologies, was actually edited by Robert Arthur).

Also, he was (and is) a huge fan of giant creatures stomping Japanese cities.

When asked which creator of enormous monsters was a more formative influence; writer H. P. Lovecraft, whose ancient alien demon-god Cthulhu is described as “miles high”; or director Ishir Honda, who responded to Hiroshima by creating the atomic dragon whose name is pronounced “Gojira” in Japanese.

“Gojira, the original 1954 Japanese one, is my all-time favorite film. It showcases everything a kid could ever want: a big honking dinosaur-like monster; firestorms in miniature cities; grim, majestic music; and a gripping human story (which I came to appreciate more as I got older).”

Rainey first read Lovecraft in college.

“His stories touched many of the same nerves as daikaiju (Japanese for “giant strange beast”) movies. In these

depictions of the universe, humanity is a very small thing, a collection of gnats either beneath the notice of or subject to annihilation by the cosmos’ ubiquitous terrible powers.”

When it comes to living horror writers, Rainey cited the inevitable overwhelming influence of Stephen King, but also the fiction of the UK’s Ramsey Campbell, many of whose horror stories are set in a particularly grimy and bleak version of Campbell’s native Liverpool.

“But the sad reality is that so many of those I considered ‘great’ are no longer with us — Charles Grant; Dennis Etchison, Harlan Ellison (who didn’t write so much horror, but could and did scare); and, to a lesser extent, Anne Rice. She really lost me with some of her work, such as The Mummy and Taltos, but she also hit on all cylinders an awful lot.”

Shirley Jackson’s classic novel The Haunting of Hill House and its 1963 cinematic adaptation are also favorites, although Rainey thanks his unholy stars that he didn’t see that film until later in life. “If I’d watched it when I was six, I’d probably still be hiding under my bed covers.”

The 300-page Fugue Devil: Resurgence was published on April 30 by Black Raven Books and is available on Amazon as a $15.99 paperback or a $7.99 Kindle e-book.

When asked which of his novels readers who enjoy his short stories (some of which are quite long) should start with, Rainey gives a few suggestions.

“If one is at all enamored of historical novels — with a touch of horror, of course — I’d recommend Blue Devil Island, which is set in the Pacific in World War II. It’s the story of a U.S. Navy fighter squadron stationed on a remote island in the Solomons. There, they come upon something far more horrific than the Japanese.

Military aviation has always been a passion of mine, particularly from World War II. Blue Devil Island has gotten great reviews and continues to sell well. For something more in the southern gothic, cosmic, bloody, monsterific vein, I’d say try either The Monarchs or The Nightmare Frontier. These titles are all currently in release by Crossroad Press.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

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“For my children and their children!”: Daughters, mothers, and grandmothers rally to support abortion rights “Roe vs. Wade was part of my entire adult life,” said Kathryn Chiarolanzio, a healthcare manager carrying an “I’m Here for our Grandkids” sign at the “Bans Off Our Bodies” rally in Greensboro’s Ian McDowell Government Plaza on Saturday, May 14.

Chiarolanzio was one Contributor of over 200 people who turned out in the 93-degree heat to voice their support for the imperiled 1973 Supreme Court decision.

“It was a protection that is necessary to keep us healthy. I want that for my children, their children and their grandchildren.”

Several dozen impromptu speakers stood in the unshaded pit area to take their turn at the open mic. They ranged in age from 16 to 78 years old and included teenagers, mothers, grandmothers, teachers, doctors and attorneys.

Nationwide, tens of thousands gathered in more than 400 simultaneous rallies in response to the leaked draft indicating the Supreme Court could possibly overturn the landmark 1973 decision guaranteeing a constitutional right to abortion. Thousands marched in New York, Los Angeles, DC, Atlanta and Raleigh. More than a thousand blocked Tryon and College Streets in Uptown Charlotte. Other NC demonstrations were held in WinstonSalem, where protesters marched from Fourth Street to the Federal Courthouse, and in Asheville and Hendersonville. The Greensboro rally differed from those with the absence of counter-protesters.

“I started this 30 years ago when I was 18 and pregnant,” said co-organizer Sally Reich. “I’ve had four abortions, four miscarriages and four children. I am here and will keep fighting. I never thought I would live to see this happen.” Reich then

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Supporters of Roe V Wade gathered at Greensboro’s Government Plaza on Saturday

handed her megaphone to the first of the impromptu speakers, who identified herself as clergy.

“I believe Jesus trusted women, and that’s good enough for me. Let’s make no mistake, this is about control, this is about power, this is about denying equal protection under the law.”

College student Niamh Cannon also spoke at the rally. “I don’t look like it, but I’m an immigrant. When I go back to Ireland, I’m asked how does it feel to live in the land of the free, but this doesn’t look like the land of the free to me. Do you see laws dictating what people with penises can do with their bodies? I’m tired of men who don’t even know the anatomy of a woman telling her whether or not she can have an abortion.”

Another speaker, who identified themselves as a person of color teaching in public school, cited the leaked draft from Justice Alito. “One of the reasons linked in the draft Supreme Court Article is that there is a shortage in the domestic supply of infants. I am not an incubator. If this was about kids, there wouldn’t be children in the foster care system. I see children in the school system who are starving and abused. If this is about saving lives, why not save the ones that are already here? And not everyone with a uterus is a woman. Not everyone with a uterus wants to give birth or can maintain that

pregnancy. Not every pregnancy is viable or safe. If you don’t have a uterus, mind your own business.”

“I just turned 16,” said another speaker, “and I’m standing here as an older sister and a Black woman in America. I’m a little disheartened that I have to be out here fighting for my life and my rights. I don’t want to have a baby right now. I have family, myself, I want to take care of. I have a younger sibling who is queer and Black in America. I have the responsibility to take care of them. If you take away my right to choose, you’re killing more lives.”

“I’ve always been pro-choice because my mom was pro-choice,” said a woman who regularly posts to Greater Greensboro Politics as Annie Amerika. “She watched a 14-year-old girl die hemorrhaging after using a coat hanger. The Bible says nothing about abortion, but our Torah tells us that life begins at the first breath, when the head is just out, and life of the mother supersedes all.”

After a Black male speaker called himself pro-choice and said “I don’t think anybody here is pro-abortion,” writer, educator and activist Brandi Lynnell CollinsCalhoun politely disagreed.

“I want to be very clear about something, I am pro-abortion,” said CollinsCalhoun. “I’m a Black queer single parent, and the word ‘choice’ means there’s access. There is no access. Even prior

to Roe being overturned, the odds of me being able to get an abortion were very unlikely. Access sucks.”

Collins-Calhoun said they wanted “to be very very clear also that abortion is still legal here in North Carolina, and I want y’all to be very mindful in the way that you discuss it, so that people understand that.”

Collins-Calhoun recommended that those who support abortion volunteer as escorts at A Woman’s Choice of Greensboro and contribute to the Carlina Abortion Fund, or volunteer to work that organization’s hotline. “We need people who are willing and ready, honestly, to break the law. North Carolina is where people are coming from states that have already banned abortion. While it’s wonderful that people are mobilized, you need to see what commitment looks like once Roe is overturned.”

Collins-Calhoun said that clinic escorts have been predicting this for years. “We had a rally three years ago in Greensboro and we told y’all this would happen. The other side is very well-equipped. So far, they’ve mainly been space-building, but now they’re really going to mobilize. We have to combat that.”

“My name was Claire, and I was 14 years old,” said the next speaker. “I cannot sit here and say I’ve always been pro-choice or pro-abortion. I grew up Catholic and wasn’t. But the moment you recognize that it happens, I hear you, because it happened to me. I’m 18 years old now and I’m pro-abortion and pro-choice because that’s what I deserve. Abortion is necessary women’s healthcare for me. If I were to go through with my pregnancy, I could have major health complications and risk the chance of passing away. So, don’t say you are pro-life if you are not pro my staying alive.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

MAY 18-24, 2022

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[FACES & PLACES]

by Natalie Garcia

AROUND THE TRIAD YES! Weekly’s Photographer

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MAY 18-24, 2022

The Brewer’s Kettle 5.14.22 | Kernersville

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Hippie Bar Hop 5.14.22 | Kernersville

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Folk A’ Fare @ Elm & Bain 5.11.22 | Greensboro

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tunes

HEAR IT!

Dynamic Media Services’ dynamic renaissance

D

ynamic Media Services, an R&B trio from Winston-Salem is experiencing their own dynamic renaissance with the release of “DMS presents: Rise Katei Cranford of the Next Afro Future Renaissance” and an upcoming Contributor musical in the works.

Composed of college chums and jazz heads, Forrest McFeeters, Darrelle Kennedy, and Kenny Harris, the Dynamic Media Services EP celebrates a formal, musical, reconnection of friends that never really stopped making music in the first place. “It might be interesting to mention that we have always called our sound ‘the Groove,’” they noted of their genre as a group — one that traces itself back to the jazz band classrooms at Winston-Salem State University in 1987.

Aiming for a unique, authentic sound, and pulling from a large pool of influences, their three-decade musical journey and friendship bridge the years and families raised. Their formal reconnection and release embodies reignition and renaissance — having taken their career “into their own hands,” the five-song debut EP is 30 years in the making.

Musical production has remained central from the start, beginning way back with their first group, Art of Progression Productions (aka Art Pro) that ran through the late-80s into the early-90s.

Bridging the years between, “we took time and did individual life things in the mid-90s-early 2000s, such as building families and continuing education,” they noted, as a group. “We’ve always been thinking about the music, though.”

Combining jazz, R&B, and hip-hop with pop stylings, the EP is intended as a first course amongst a “feast for the ears.” One which turns toward the rise of “the Afro Future Renaissance,” encompassing a “new appreciation for authentic art, R&B, Soul, Hip Hop, House music and more,” they explained. “Creators, poets, artists, dancers and producers will rally around a new energy. Lovers of funky, live music, will ingest the intelligent heartfelt throb of the groove and once again arise to dominate the culture!”

Taking a multi-faceted approach — DMS has primed themselves to deliver a full production package, noted in the WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF DMS

“#FromStart2Finish” process embodied in their work. Composition beyond a basic music group, they’re eager to offer services to “other artists who need their expertise in composition, lyrics, or production,” as well as offer work for television and movie scores.

Within their group, DMS reflects on their development since their younger days in Art Pro. “It still feels the same after all these years,” they said, turning to their particular roles in the arrangement.

“Kenny brings all kinds of ideas musically, which then go to Forrest who listens to determine if they’re workable for their sound,” they explained. “Forrest takes those ideas and develops lyrics that fit the feel of the song. Darrelle then comes in with embellishments and arrangements that create a fully developed song.”

Considering the writing and production of their debut EP, ”some of the strongest we’ve done,” they reflect on ways that strength has been built over the years. Describing themselves as “bold and soulful,” the heavy-production focus rests within McFeeters, who grew up in the Bronx during the disco days and dawn of hiphop. Harris, meanwhile, brings a love of Weather Report and Earth, Wind, and Fire; and Kennedy delivers tastes of doublebass inspired by the Doobie Brothers, Jimi Hendrix and James Brown. All three stand amongst a generation attuned to Casey

Kasem’s Top 40 pop influences, which roll these aspects into their sound.

“We think that our music, especially Forrest’s lyrics, contain an element of storytelling, so we thought they would work to tell a larger story,” they said, referring to their latest project: “Storyville: A BlueBook Chronicle,” a period musical currently underway. “It’s set in early 1900s New Orleans with music from the late 1900s,” they noted, tracing the idea itself back to 1998, “but it wasn’t until after Hamilton exploded that we thought the theater was ready for new sounds.” Collaborative efforts extend to fellow WSSU alumnus, Dr. Bobbie Lynch, who authored the accompanying book. “We brainstormed a basic plot, chose the songs we thought fit that storyline and then sent her the plot ideas and lyrics.”

“The book is complete, and the score is nearly complete. We’re in the process of getting financial backing for production and choosing the right director,” they added, inviting interested parties to get in touch to help launch a debut in 2023.

“We’d love to bring it home to WinstonSalem.”

As for music, “DMS presents: Rise of the Next Afro Future Renaissance” from Dynamic Media Services is out now. !

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

MAY 18-24, 2022

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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 www.foursaintsbrewing.com Thursdays: Taproom Trivia Fridays: Music Bingo May 21: Creatio Jun 4: William Nesmith Jun 5: Randolph Jazz Band Jun 11: Noodlin Blues Band Jun 18: Kelsey Hurley Jun 19: Mark Dillon & Friends Jul 2: Jamie Trout

Charlotte

Bojangles Coliseum

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com May 29: Dean Cole Jun 1: Bonnie Raitt Jun 24: The Masked Singer Jun 29: Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening Jul 7: Celeste Barber Jul 9: El Gran Combo Jul 15: Tribute to Biz Markie Jul 16: Steely Dan Jul 28: Vince Gill Jul 30: R&B Kickback Concert Aug 4: Gladys Knight

CMCU Amphitheatre

former Uptown Amphitheatre 820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com Jun 5: Barenaked Ladies Jun 8: Russ Jun 9: Ben Rector Jun 10: Flogging Molly & The Interrupters Jun 14: The War on Drugs Jun 16: Maren Morris Jun 17: Cody Johnson & Friends Jun 23: H.E.R.

The Fillmore

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com May 18: Clutch May 19: The HU May 19: keshi May 20: Poppy May 23: Wage War May 24: Orville Peck May 28: T-Pain May 29: Wallows May 31: Bright Eyes Jun 1: Jesse McCartney Jun 3: Lil Xan Jun 4: Chvrches YES! WEEKLY

may 18-24, 2022

Jun 5: GWAR Jun 6: Still Woozy Jun 8: Babyface Ray Jun 15: Tove Lo w/ Noga Erez Jun 15: Coi Leray

PNC Music Pavilion

707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292 www.livenation.com May 20: Dave Matthews Band

Spectrum Center

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com May 18: J Balvin Jun 11: Legends of The Streetz: Jeezy, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Jarule, & Trina Jun 16: Ana Gabriel Jun 21: Machine Gun Kelly Jun 24: James Taylor Jun 26: Dude Perfect Jul 12: New Kids On The Block Jul 22: Shawn Mendes

clemmons

Village Square Tap House

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.vstaphouse.com | www.facebook. com/vstaphouse Jun 2: JVC w/ Stewart Coley

durham

Carolina Theatre

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org May 25: Béla Fleck Jun 3: Robert Earl Keen Jun 4: Ray LaMontagne Jun 5: Empower Experience Jun 9: Happy Together Tour Jun 12: Mandy Moore Jun 17: Marc Maron Jun 22: Home Free Jul 16: Nimesh Patel Jul 31: Tim Heidecker

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Jun 7: Bonnie Raitt Jun 8: Chris Rock Jun 11: Chelsea Handler Jun 14-19: Jesus Christ Superstar Jun 22 : Puscifer Jun 24: Air Supply Jun 25: Amos Lee Jul 6: Celeste Barber

ELKIN

Reeves Theater

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com Fourth Thursdays: Old-Time Jam May 19: TMBS - Gretchen Peters, Jacob Johnson, James Navé May 22: M.A.U.I. May 26: Old-Time Jam May 27: Jeff Little Trio May 28: Reeves House Band Jun 2: TMBS - Joe Topping, The Resonant Rogues, Klezmer Local 42 Jun 3: Paul Thorn Jun 4: Reliably Bad Jun 9: Blues Jam

greensboro

Arizona Pete’s

2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 www.arizonapetes.com May 24: After The Burial & Thy Art Is Murder w/ Currents & Brand Of Sacrifice Jun 4: Nuclear Assault, Incantation, Demolition Hammer, Nasty Savage, Mark Price, First Jason, False Prophet, Shed The Skin, Eldritch Horror

Barn Dinner Theatre

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com Mar 14-Jun 25: Groovin’ May 20: The Legacy: Motown Revue Jul 8-Aug 6: Soul Sistas

Baxter’s Tavern

536 Farragut St | 336.808.5837 www.baxterstavern.com May 20: Flat Blak Cadillac May 21: Killing Fiction May 22: Chocolate Chip & Company May 28: Bullet the Blue Sky - U2 Tribute May 29: The Catalinas Jun 4: Southern Sounds Band Jun 18: Shoot To Thrill

Carolina Theatre

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com May 19: Chelcie Lynn May 20: Drew Shamir: The CLRTHRY May 21: Colin Cutler May 22: Songwriters in the Round in the Crown Jun 4-5: Spring Concerts 2022 Jun 9: JJ Grey & Mofro Jun 17-26: Shrek The Musical

Comedy Zone

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com May 20-22: Lavar Walker May 27-29: Benji Brown Jun 10-12: Ryan Davis Jun 17-18: James Murray Jun 24-26: Luenell Jul 12: Pauly Shore

Cone Denim

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 www.cdecgreensboro.com Jun 10: Nightrain Aug 12: Ying Yang Twins

Flat Iron

221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967 www.flatirongso.com May 20: Justin Cody Fox Jun 2: 2nd Today & Come Clean Jun 3: Tyler Meacham Jun 4: Chuck Mountain Jun 5: Only1Theory w/ DJ Jai Syncere Jun 9: The Minks Jun 10: Abby Bryant & The Echoes Jun 17: Seth Walker Jul 14: Tea Cup Gin Jul 21: Tyler Nail

Garage Tavern

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.garagetaverngso.com May 19: Rovert Smith May 20: Wishful Thinking May 21: Retrovinyl Band May 22: Mark Harrison May 25: Daniel Love May 26: Patrick Rock & Cierra May 27: Gipsy Danger

Greensboro Coliseum 1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com May 21: Banda MS May 27: Erykah Badu & Friends Jun 8: Chris Tomlin Jun 11: Keith Sweat, Monica, Tevin Campbell, Tamar Braxton, Silk Jun 24: Hank Williams Jr. Sep 10: Alan Jackson

Little Brother Brewing

348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678 www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew May 20: Stray Local May 21: Johnny-O and The Jump Out Boys May 27: Chuck Mountain May 28: Michael & The Pentecost

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PiEdmont Hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com may 21: asking alexandria w/ atreyu

RodY’S tavERn

5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950 www.rodystavern.com may 25: SoundKraft

SoutH End BREwing Co. 117B W Lewis St | 336.285.6406 www.southendbrewing.com tuesdays: trivia night may 22: low Key duo Jun 4: Jon ward Beyle Band Jul 14: decades

StEvEn tangER CEntER

300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500 www.tangercenter.com may 20: Chicago may 21: Kenny g Jun 1: Chris Rock Jun 4-5: Harry Potter in Concert Jun 8: Bonnie Raitt Jul 5: the masked Singer Jul 7: vince gill Jul 9: unity Jul 23: Jeezy & K. michelle aug 5: Southern Soul Summer Explosion

tHE idiot Box ComEdY CluB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com may 21: mo alexander Jun 4: Kevin mcCaffrey Jun 11: danny whitson Jun 25: trenton davis

wHitE oaK amPitHEatRE

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com may 25: the Smashing Pumpkins Jun 18: Crowder aug 5: ZZ top aug 28: Jamey Johnson

high point

aftER HouRS tavERn

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 www.facebook.com/AfterHoursTavernHighPoint Jul 9: living temptation

goofY foot taPRoom 2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567 www.goofyfoottaproom.com may 21: the williamsons may 28: michael Chaney music

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Ham’S Palladium 5840 Samet Dr | 336.887.2434 www.hamsrestaurants.com may 21: Huckleberry Shyne may 28: Stereo doll

HigH Point tHEatRE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401 www.highpointtheatre.com may 21-28: Recital 2022 Jun 4-18: Recital 2022 Jun 23: miss nC outstanding teen

SwEEt old Bill’S

1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476 www.sweetoldbills.com may 19: Banjo Earth may 26: michael and the Pentecost

jamestown

THE BEATLES ARE COMING TO ROAR!

tHE dECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.thedeckatrivertwist.com may 20: Big City may 21: Radio Revolver may 26: Renae Paige may 27: 7 Roads may 28: Jill goodson Jun 3: the Plaids

kernersville

BREatHE CoCKtail loungE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822 www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge wednesdays: Karaoke fridays: dJ may 21: Stereo doll may 26: Jesse dunks Band may 28: dJ mike lawson Jun 10: Stone Parker Band Jun 11: dJ mike lawson Jun 18: vinyl tap

KERnERSvillE BREwing ComPanY 221 N Main St. | 336.816.7283 kernersvillebrewing.com thursdays: trivia may 22: Brews-a-Palooza Jun 11: taylor mason

lewisville

old niCK’S PuB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 www.OldNicksPubNC.com fridays: Karaoke Jun 18: Carolina Pines

Britishmania: ROOFTOP SHOW

Friday, 5/20 | Doors @ 4pm | Show @ 6pm

Britishmania: ROAR BRANDS THEATRE Friday, 5/20 | Doors @ 8pm | Show @ 9pm Saturday, 5/21 | Doors @ 3pm | Show @ 4pm

SALSA AND SANGIRA WITH LISA KONCZAL Thursday, 5/19 7-10pm

Dance with Winston-Salem native, Lisa Konczal, as seen dancing in the Grammy award-winning music video for Old Town Road and singing on Shark Tank.

Come solo or with friends no partner is necessary. Beginners welcomed.

Or just come to be entertained.

633 North Liberty Street | Winston-Salem, NC 27101 www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater.com may 18-24, 2022

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rED haT aMPhiThEaTEr

lIberty

ThE LibErTY ShowcaSE ThEaTEr

101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844 www.TheLibertyShowcase.com aug 13: Dailey & Vincent aug 20: Gene watson

raleIgh

ccU MUSic Park aT waLnUT crEEk

3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com May 21: Tim McGraw May 24: The Lumineers Jun 3: Morgan wallen Jun 10: Maverick city Music x kirk Franklin Jun 11: The Doobie brothers

LincoLn ThEaTrE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com May 19: ray wylie hubbard May 20: Joe hero May 21: The band of heathens w/ reed Foehl May 22: kidd G w/ robyn ottolini May 27: bring out Yer Dead Jun 3: Jupiter coyote

500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com Jun 4: Parker Mccollum Jun 9: Maren Morris w/ brent cobb Jun 10: ben rector Jun 11: rebelution Good Vibes Summer Tour 22 w/ JP Saxe, Jordy Searcy, & Stephen Day Jun 12: Flume w/ Tinashe and Jim-E Stack Jun 13: The war on Drugs w/ Lo Moon

Pnc arEna

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Mar 22: John Mulaney Jun 22: Machine Gun kelly w/ avril Lavigne & iann Dior Jun 25: James Taylor Jul 22: new kids on The block Jul 23: Shawn Mendes

wInston-salem

bULL’S TaVErn

408 West 4th St | 336.331.3431 www.bullswsnc.com wednesdays: karaoke May 20: Sun Dried Vibes May 28: Pure Fiyah Jul 2: Viva La Muerte

EarL’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com May 20: Jonathan Parker band May 21: Drew Foust band May 27: alton Douglas band May 28: Time bandits

FiDDLin’ FiSh brEwinG coMPanY 772 Trade St | 336.999.8945 www.fiddlinfish.com May 27: camel city blues Jun 3: Pat bourque

FooThiLLS brEwinG 638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 www.foothillsbrewing.com May 22: Sunday Jazz

MiDwaY MUSic haLL

11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter Mondays: Line Dancing w/ Denise May 20: Jimmy Shirley Jr. & The 8 Track 45 band May 21: Diamond Edge cover May 27: huckleberry Shyne Jun 3: Sidekix

MUDDY crEEk caFE & MUSic haLL

137 West St | 336.201.5182 www.muddycreekcafeandmusichall.com Thursdays: open Mic night w/ country Dan collins Jun 18: Muddy creek band

ThE raMkaT

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com May 18: John 5, written in Gray May 19: Dai cheri, Toothsome May 21: american aquarium, Time Sawyer, Sam Foster & The obsolete May 28: old heavy hands, crenshaw Pentecostal Jun 1: bombino

winSTon-SaLEM FairGroUnD

421 W 27th St | 336.727.2236 www.wsfairgrounds.com May 19-20: classic country concert Jun 17: classic country concert

wiSE Man brEwinG

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008 www.wisemanbrewing.com Thursdays: Music bingo Jul 16: Love & Valor

980am 96.7fm

Winston-Salem’s Hometown Station

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

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

3811 Samet Dr • HigH Point, nC 27265 • 336.841.0100 FITNESS ROOM • INDOOR TRACK • INDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • OUTDOOR AQUATICS CENTER • RACQUETBALL BASKETBALL • CYCLING • OUTDOOR SAND VOLLEYBALL • INDOOR VOLLEYBALL • AEROBICS • MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM WHIRLPOOL • MASSAGE THERAPY • PROGRAMS & LEAGUES • SWIM TEAMS • WELLNESS PROGRAMS PERSONAL TRAINING • TENNIS COURTS • SAUNA • STEAM ROOM • YOGA • PILATES • FREE FITNESS ASSESSMENTS F 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

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last call

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

PUTTING THE REMOVES ON SOMEONE

I recently had my addiction recovery memoir published.

I’m very honest and vulnerable in it, and readers feel superconnected to me Amy Alkon because of it. Most just briefly thank me Advice for how it changed Goddess their life, etc.

However, a few have really latched on to me via social media. I respond to their first message, and then they write back with pretty much a whole novel and message me constantly. I don’t want to be mean, but this is time-consuming and draining. — Unprepared Not to worry...that fan won’t be stalking you forever — that is, if you’ll just sign the medical release she’s had drawn up for the two of you to get surgically conjoined.

In writing your book, you probably wanted to help others get the monkey off their back — not point them to the open space on yours so they could line up to take its place. The interaction these fans have with you is a “parasocial” relationship, a psych term describing a strong one-sided emotional bond a person develops with a fictional character, celebrity, or media figure.

These people aren’t crazy; they know, for example, that Jimmy Kimmel isn’t their actual “bro.” But we’re driven by psychological adaptations that are sometimes

poorly matched with our modern world, as they evolved to solve mating and survival problems in an ancestral (hunter-gatherer) environment.

Though it still pays for us to try to get close to high-status people — so we might learn the ropes, get status by association, and get some trickle-down benefits — the adaptation pushing us to do this evolved when we gathered around fires, not flatscreens. This makes our poor little Stone Age minds ill-equipped to differentiate between people we know and people we know from books, movies, and TV. Psychologist David C. Giles and others who study parasocial relationships were used to these interactions remaining onesided, as until recently, it was challenging to even find a celeb’s agent’s mailing address to send them a letter (which might only be seen by some assistant to their agent’s assistant). However, as you’ve experienced, that’s changed thanks to social media, which is to say, Beyonce’s on Twitter.

But the fact that you can be reached doesn’t mean you owe anyone your time.

As soon as you see someone trying to hop the fence from fan to friend, write something brief but kind, such as: “It means a lot to me that you connected with my book.

However, I’m swamped with writing deadlines, so I can’t carry on an email exchange, much as I’d like to. Hope you understand!”

This message establishes a boundary, but without violating your fan’s dignity.

Dignity, explains international conflict resolution specialist Donna Hicks, is an “internal state of peace” a person feels when they’re treated as if they have value and their feelings matter. Preserving a person’s

dignity can actually make the difference between their hating you and their accepting your need to have a life — beyond waiting around to respond to their next 8,000-word email on their dating history, their medication allergies, and their special relationship with cheese.

HELLO. IS IT ME YOU’RE COOKING FOR?

I’m a single woman in my mid-30s, and I can’t cook. I’m also not interested in learning. My parents are old-school, and this worries them. They keep telling me that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Is that really still true? — Takeout Queen A man does not stay with a mean woman simply because she makes a mean pot roast: “Yeah, bro, I was all ready to leave her, but then my stomach chained itself to the kitchen table.”

However, what really matters for a lot of men is that you’re loving as you pry the plastic lid off their dinner. Being loving is not just a state of mind; it is something you do — a habit of being responsive to what marriage researcher John Gottman calls

“bids” from your partner for your attention, affection, or support.

Being responsive involves listening to and engaging with your partner, even in the mundane little moments of life. So when your man grumbles that his hairline is retreating like the Germans at Kursk, you say something sweet or even funny back — as opposed to treating his remark like background noise or snarling something about being late to work.

Sure, some men will find it a deal breaker that you don’t cook — same as some will find it a deal breaker if you aren’t up for raising children or llamas. But even a cursory familiarity with male anatomy suggests there are a number of ways to a man’s heart, from the obvious — a surgical saw through the sternum — to a more indirect but far more popular route: showing him you can tie a cherry stem into a knot with your tongue. !

GOT A PROBLEM? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com). Follow her on Twitter @amyalkon. Order her latest “science-help” book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. ©2022 Amy Alkon. Distributed by Creators.Com.

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