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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
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In October 2023, cameras finally rolled on P27, a fact-based mini-series that has been a cherished dream for filmmaker Kent Allen for the better part of two decades. P27 stars Alicia Fusting as a social services worker who uncovers rampant abuse and corruption in a state mental institution.
4 While North Carolina prepared teachers complete a variety of field experiences and student teaching to give them the opportunity for DIRECT STUDENT INTERACTIONS, they will face a new group of students come August.
6 It’s always nice to discover new film talent, and BURY ME WHEN I’M DEAD marks a remarkably assured feature debut for writer/director Seabold Krebs.
8 Now An UNLIKELY FANDOM: the Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine , Greensboro filmmaker Brandon Carty’s 2023 documentary about adults who love the children’s TV series, is having its U.K. premiere in August at a national festival celebrating 200 years of modern British railway.
11 BREWERY BIRTHDAY BASHES abound across the Triad as Natty’s hits drinking age, Craft City Sip-in enters double-digits, and Incendiary Brewing toasts to its lucky seventh year — all with concerts and brews to enjoy.
12 Larry and Rennae Stowe have big dreams of transforming the Triad through their new business, CTRL V Arcade, located at 280 Charlois Boulevard in Winston-Salem.
IUpcoming mini-series P27 tackles a timely, provocative topic
n October 2023, cameras finally rolled on P27, a factbased mini-series that has been a cherished dream for filmmaker Kent Allen for the better part of two decades. P27 stars Alicia Fusting as a social services worker who uncovers rampant abuse and corruption in a state mental institution. Her attempts to call for change serve only to endanger her career, as she quickly realizes that the system is broken — but no one in authority seems to care. If anything, they want to cover it up.
Allen dispensed with the idea of a documentary outright, opting instead to make a dramatic short film, which he did. Realizing that there was much more to tell, he considered expanding it into a feature film or a pilot for a potential dramatic series before opting for the mini-series format.
“When our script evolved from a feature film into a miniseries, we knew we’d have to make creative adjustments, both in writing and production, to stay within budget and to tell a bigger story at hand,” Allen said. “Naturally, we faced our share of challenges, especially when it came to securing and adapting our primary hospital location. We had to re-work parts of the story to fit the space we had already secured, which required both flexibility and vision.
“Despite these hurdles, what we’ve captured so far is remarkably close to what we first imagined — even going back to the original feature-length draft Davis Osborne and I wrote over a decade ago, and the early concepts from even further back. With time, the story has only deepened — in a good way.”
“Our show is a three-part mini-series created for streaming platforms, with each episode running approximately one hour, totaling three hours of gripping cinematic storytelling,” he explained. “Production began last year, taking us to Williamson, W.Va., for nearly three weeks
to film the first half of the series. We are now preparing to complete the remaining episodes in North Carolina, focusing on locations just outside the Winston-Salem area.”
The filmmakers have established a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo to assist in the completion and postproduction of P27 (https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ p27-the-series--2#/), which was filmed throughout Virginia and West Virginia, as well as in Charlotte and Winston-Salem.
“We’ve developed a strategic business model that prioritizes protecting our production budget,” Allen said. “While our passion has always been the art of filmmaking, we recognize that film is also a commodity, and our goal is to create not only compelling content, but content that generates revenue and rewards the artists who believe in it.”
Allen and his writing/directing partner Osborne are particularly pleased with the work of their cast and crew, particularly given the rigors that independent filmmaking entails in terms of time and money.
“Kent and I are very careful who we line up in the audition process for any project we create — and P27 was no di erent,” Osborne said. “I’m not only a director but also an actor, so I try to be very considerate when working with the actors on the set. I remember asking an actor to get a little weepy-eyed in one take and try to cry in another, and they more than delivered. Making a film is a team e ort, and one of my main goals is to do everything I can to make everyone on set look their best and be proud of what they bring to the bigger picture.”
Allen believes that mainstream film and television haven’t necessarily depicted mental health issues in an accurate way. “Hollywood has gotten mental health wrong for a long time,” he stated plainly. “Sure, there have been a few films that handled it with care and accuracy, but let’s be honest — a lot of them have leaned into dangerous stereotypes just to sell tickets or stir up controversy. It’s frustrating and, honestly, it’s harmful. With P27, we’re trying to change that. We’re not just telling a story, we’re starting a conversation. A real one. About how our
mental healthcare system has failed people, not just in the past, but still today.
“This isn’t fiction pulled from thin air,” he said. “Abuse in psychiatric institutions and even nursing homes is real. It happens. And while every person’s experience is di cult, so many share the same plea for help, for safety, for dignity. And too often, that plea gets ignored. P27 is our way of saying ‘enough.’ These are human beings. They deserve compassion. They deserve to be heard. And they deserve a system that actually helps them heal — not one that keeps them trapped. Our hope is that this series opens some eyes, starts some conversations, and reminds us all what really matters: Human dignity, accountability, and care.
“With P27 being nearly 20 years in the making, I really took my time to make sure the story was solid, truthful, impactful, and something that could actually spark change,” Allen said. “It’s not preachy. It’s not political. It’s just real. This isn’t about left or right, it’s about what happens when power goes unchecked. And I think, on some level, that’s something we can all relate to.”
For more information, visit the o cial P27 Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/patient27movie. The o cial website for Allen’s company, Windsor House Entertainment, is https://www.windsorhouseent.com/. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies
Mark Burger
Contributor
Lacey Hayes
Walter Christian Marks
Lundin Hospital
BY DR. LAURA BILBRO-BERRY
Last month heralded the commencement season for colleges and universities across North Carolina. Within the class of 2025 are graduates who will be the state’s next generation of classroom teachers. These individuals have been
trained to design organized and wellplanned classrooms while delivering content instruction. These newly minted teachers will likely spend their summer working on academic lesson plans, crafting classroom configurations to maximize learning, and creating behavioral expectations which represent just a few things they learned within their educator preparation program.
While North Carolina prepared teachers complete a variety of field experiences and student teaching to give them the opportunity for direct student interactions, they will face a new group of students come August. Each student will come to school with previously gained knowledge and unique experiences from school or home. The new teacher must get to know each one and build connections to ensure that their
classroom is a place of learning and engagement.
Some students will walk into the classroom having experienced previous trauma such as losing a parent through death or divorce, food insecurity, or violence within the home. These students may arrive at school having encountered stressful situations that impact their concentration on the day’s lessons. The new teacher’s charge is to guide each student to be engaged such that they can succeed academically and be resilient learners. It’s not an easy task and requires knowledge and training on how best to support students who have faced trauma or toxic stress. New teachers need this information before they open the doors to their own classrooms to welcome students.
Since 2017 the N.C. Center for Resilience and Learning has been working across the state providing training and ongoing coaching support to schools and educators in over 39 districts on trauma-informed education practices. After conducting initial training on topics such as trauma, Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), and the brain science behind toxic stress and its impact on students, many educators have expressed that they never received this information in their preparation programs or through ongoing professional development. They often describe how transformative this knowledge can be for their practice with students.
In 2023, the center established an educator preparation task force com-
prising faculty and sta from 12 di erent community colleges, colleges, and universities across North Carolina. The task force aimed to learn what programs were currently doing to implement trauma-informed practices into their coursework and to identify gaps and needs for further improvement.
A statewide landscape analysis was conducted and revealed that while many individual educator preparation sta and faculty members are informally incorporating trauma-informed content into specific coursework, there are no formal guidelines or best practices shared among preparation programs to enhance and expand these e orts.
Recognizing this need, the center, in collaboration with task force members from various educator preparation programs across the state, created a toolkit. This toolkit includes best practice recommendations, key topics linked back to specific state standards, and resources for integrating trauma-informed education content into ongoing coursework. Connecting specific trauma-informed topics with standards is crucial for the successful integration and implementation of trauma-informed work within preparation programs.
It is hoped that the information and resources within the toolkit will equip faculty to e ectively prepare the teacher workforce for the students they will encounter within their classrooms.
Stocking the future teacher’s toolbox with knowledge about how ACEs and trauma a ect the brain along with practical strategies to help students be resilient learners will ensure that they can be confident and e ective educators on day one. Supportive school relationships and well-structured learning environments are paramount to building successful schools where all children can learn and thrive not only in school, but also in life. !
As a former North Carolina Teacher of the Year and P-16 education leader, LAURA BILBRO-BERRY is passionate advocate for children, skilled coalition builder, and policy influencer dedicated to developing people and transforming education. She seeks to drive impactful change across schools and communities.
[KING CROSSWORD]
A sparkling spine-chiller
IBY MARK BURGER
t’s always nice to discover new film talent, and Bury Me When I’m Dead marks a remarkably assured feature debut for writer/director Seabold Krebs. If this impressive maiden outing is any indication, we should be hearing a lot more about — and from — him in the future.
Henry (Devon Terrell) and Catherine (Charlotte Hope) have been married five years and own a thriving florist’s shop, but they’re desperate to start over after some turbulent marital waters. Then Catherine is diagnosed with a brain tumor. Knowing her time is short, she elicits a promise from Henry that she be buried “naturally” in a clearing near her parents’ summer house in New Hampshire. Instead, he cows to the demand of her embittered, filthy rich father (Richard Bekos) that she be buried in the family plot, with the promise that he’ll be granted her belongings and financial holdings. Naturally, he’s lying and methodically sets out to destroy Henry’s life, which is already in turmoil. Not only is Catherine gone, but he’s been having an a air with co-worker Rebecca (Makenzie Leigh). Catherine knew about the a air — and forgave him — but neither knew Rebecca was pregnant.
All of this would seem to be the ingredients of a soapy TV movie, and it’s surprising how e ectively the dramatic aspects are rendered. It’s tempting to wonder if the film would have worked without the horror elements, because the set-up is very persuasive.
As if his guilt and possible ruination weren’t enough, Henry begins to have strange experiences — whether real or imagined is left to the audience — that convince him Catherine is somehow exacting revenge from beyond the grave for not granting her dying wish. Rebecca is loving and supportive, but Henry’s obsession begins to consume him.
Echoing the early (read: good) films of M. Night Shyamalan, this doesn’t go for jump scares (with one major exception) or buckets of blood, but convincingly conveys a brooding, sometimes surreal mood that keeps the viewer on edge, particularly as the story progresses. In actuality, the spooky stu doesn’t start until the film’s third act, by which time the story and characters have been well established.
From top to bottom, Krebs elicits fine work from the actors. Terrell plays it close to the vest as Henry but e ort-
lessly conveys pain in his eyes and gestures. He’s so low-key, in fact, that one isn’t quite certain what he’ll do next, which further enhances the tension. Hope and Leigh are both appealing, the former in the acceptance of her fate and the latter in her concern for both Henry and Catherine. It’s easy to see how both fell in love with Henry.
As Catherine’s mother, Roxanne Hart doesn’t come into her own until late in the film, but like Terrell conveys anguish in subtle but telling ways. Bekos is, quite simply, one of the most loathsome characters in any film thus far, utterly comfortable in his skin as a contemptible, well-heeled sleaze. If anyone warrants vengeance — supernatural or otherwise — it’s him. In smaller roles, Elisha Lawson scores as Henry’s sympathetic but unfortunate attorney, and Mike Houston brings considerable pathos to his role as Henry and Catherine’s earthy neighbor. Let’s not forget the fabulous cinematography by Gemma Doll-Grossman and the nerve-jangling score provided by the trio of Ryan Germain, Andrew John Halbrook, and Corban Lott. It’s their first feature score and it’s a beauty. Bury Me When I’m Dead is available on Digital and VOD. !
[VIDEO VAULT]
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: THE STUFF(Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group)
One critic once said that the concepts conceived by cult filmmaker Larry Cohen (1936-2019) usually exceeded the execution, but Cohen’s concepts tended to be imaginative, inspired, and subversive. Case in point: This lively, loopy 1985 horror satire that takes direct aim at ’80s-era consumerism (and consumption), represented here by the tasty, titular snack food with some very nasty side effects. To quote one of the film’s taglines: “Are you eating it … or is it eating you?”
Michael Moriarty, in his second go-round with Cohen (following 1982’s delirious Q — The Winged Serpent ), is engagingly loose as David “Moe” Rutherford, a Southernborn industrial spy recruited by a consortium of dessert moguls to delve into the mysterious origins of The Stuff. To this end, he is aided by Andrea Marcovicci as Nicole, the Madison Avenue advertising wiz whose campaign turned The Stuff into a nationwide phenomenon; Brian Bloom (in his feature debut) as Jason, a youngster whose family fell victim to Stuff addiction (addicts are called “Stuffies”); and Garrett Morris as “Chocolate Chip” Charlie, the fast-talking cookie mogul put out of business by The Stuff and keen on payback.
They soon discover that a nefarious corporate conspiracy is at work, determined to keep the origins of The Stuff under wraps — by any means necessary. As they repeatedly battle perils, our ragtag heroes eventually enlist the services of Commie-bashing, right-wing paramilitary commander Col. Spears (the always welcome Paul Sorvino) to help warn the masses about the dangers of The Stuff. Only Cohen would have the chutzpah to make so bombastic (and vaguely racist) a blowhard as Spears one of the good guys. It’s that sort of irreverent spirit that permeates this film and, indeed, much of Cohen’s work. The Stuff isn’t necessarily scary, but it’s funny, it’s bizarre, it’s entertaining, proves once and for all that paranoia pays off, and it makes its relevant points. But, above all, Cohen aims to entertain and, more often than not, hits the target —w if not always the bullseye.
Cohen customarily stacks the deck with familiar faces, if only briefly: Patrick O’Neal (ever a villainous smoothie), Danny Aiello, Alexander Scourby (in his final feature), Cohen regular James Dixon, Harry Bellaver (in his final feature), and commercial cameos by Brooke Adams, Tammy Grimes, Laurene Landon, Abe Vigoda, and Clara Peller (in her feature debut), who riffs her popular Wendy’s commercials (“Where’s the beef?”) by demanding “Where’s The Stuff?” at a ritzy restaurant. Cohen expressed some justifiable displeasure that distributor New World Pictures eliminated some comedic elements while playing up the horror angle. It is, after all, easier to promote a straight shocker than a satirical one. Yet it was one of New World’s big releases for the summer of 1985 (the other being Godzilla 1985 , which is still MIA on the digital front) and despite sputtering at the box office, The Stuff scored in the home-video market.
The limited-edition two-disc 4K Ultra HD combo ($49.95 retail) includes both the R-rated theatrical version and unrated pre-release version (with 30 minutes of additional footage), audio commentaries, collectible booklet, the documentaries 42 nd Street Memories: The Rise and Fall of America’s Most Notorious Street and Can’t Get Enough of “The Stuff”: Making Larry Cohen’s Classic Creature Feature , the retrospective featurette Enough is Never Enough , trailers and TV spots, and more.
ARTS ROUNDUP]
CAROLINA SUMMERFEST PART OF YOUR SUMMER!
SUBMITTED BY ARTS COUNCIL OF WINSTON-SALEM & FORSYTH COUNTY
SummerFest is Music Carolina’s annual summer music festival. From July 19 to Sept. 7, enjoy over 60 performers across six venues in Winston-Salem, including the Milton Rhodes Center, Temple Emanuel, and Acadia Foods. O erings this year include a program of Disney songs with vocalist Martha Bassett, a program of Latin-inspired jazz, intergenerational dance accompanied by Gypsy Jazz, a tribute to Thelonius Monk featuring vocalist Diana Tu n, a tribute to Paul Robeson, and much more.
DIANA SINGS THELONIOUS MONK
Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Piedmont Music Center
$25 general admission/
$10 child and student
From playful bebop to tender ballads, this evening celebrates Monk’s musical legacy, inspired by the legendary recordings of “Carmen sings Monk.”
Diana Tu n, vocals; Fred Pivetta, piano; Matt Kendrick, bass; Kassem Williams, drums; Michael Kinchen, saxophone
JAZZ CLASSIQUE
Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025 at 3:00 p.m.
Salem College-Shirley Recital Hall
$25 general admission/
$10 child and student
“A Jazz Collective.” A varied program of blues, bebop, ballads, and original compositions.
John Mochnick, piano; Wiley Porter, guitar; Matt Kendrick, bass; and Larry Carman, drums.
PART
OF YOUR WORLD: SONGS OF DISNEY
Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Salem College-Shirley Recital Hall
$25 general admission/ $10 child and student
A sampler of some of the great Disney songs over the decades, including: “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” “Colors of the Wind,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “When You Wish Upon a Star,” and more.
Martha Bassett, vocals; Federico Pivetta, piano; Ken Wilmot, trumpet; Jacqui Carrasco, violin; Matt Kendrick, bass; John Wilson drums
Follow Music Carolina on Facebook and Instagram, sign up for their newsletter at musiccarolina.org
Tickets for SummerFest 2025 can be purchased at www.musiccarolina.org/ summerfest-2025/ !
MUSIC CAROLINA, formerly the Carolina Chamber Symphony Players, started in 1992 as a chamber orchestra founded by conductor Robert Franz and a group of fellow musicians from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. The organization began to focus on small ensemble performances in 2006 and two years later premiered the Music Carolina SummerFest (formerly Carolina Summer Music Festival), which has since taken place each August in Winston-Salem. In 2012, Music Carolina added a WinterFest to its seasonal o erings, making it one of the most active musical organizations in North Carolina. Their mission is to enhance the cultural environment of the Winston-Salem community and the region through exciting and innovative chamber music, jazz, and multi-disciplinary programs. [
All Aboard: Thomas the Tank Engine is local filmmaker’s Unlikely Fandom
Ian McDowell
Adult nostalgia for children’s television is nothing new. Generation X collected Peanuts and Flintstones lunch boxes and Scooby-Doo and Josie and the Pussycats board games.
Thomas the Tank Engine is unique in that the educational franchise, which was aimed at ages 2 to 5 and ran from 1984 to 2021, spans generations of fans. This beloved vintage train engine shows no signs of running out of steam.
Greensboro filmmaker Brandon Carty, who first encountered Thomas on VHS cassettes rented from Video Review on Battleground Avenue, can’t recall a time when the little blue anthropomorphic locomotive wasn’t part of his life.
Now An Unlikely Fandom: the Impact of Thomas the Tank Engine, Carty’s 2023 documentary about adults who love
the children’s TV series, is having its U.K. premiere in August at a national festival celebrating 200 years of modern British railway.
Carty first encountered Thomas at an early age.“My older brother was a Thomas fan. As a young kid, you want to do what your older siblings do, so I followed him. He had the trains, and I’d play with them. The di erence is, he grew out of it. Thomas toys and VHS cassettes were stocked heavily in my house.”
Though the now 29-year-old Carty never outgrew Thomas, he didn’t start seriously collecting toys and memorabilia until recent years.
“I’ve now got a whole wall of Thomas stu in my house. I’ve got a Thomas sitting on my desk that I look at when I’m working on stu related to the film. I’ve got movie posters, I’ve got DVDs from Japan, all these things.”
An Unlikely Fandom germinated as a class project at UNCG. Carty’s professor, Kevin Wells, encouraged students to create documentaries during an independent study course. For Carty, a standard documentary subject was not the direction he wanted to pursue as a filmmaker.
“A lot of people, when they do documentaries, want to do the sociopolitical things, which is great, but I wanted to do something that I care about. So sitting at my desk one night, I thought, wait a minute, how about Thomas the Tank Engine? I got all the stu just sitting here, and there’s this group of Thomas fans that I’m friends with.”
Carty’s 45-minute rough cut was wellreceived by his professor, who encouraged him to keep going with it. After graduation, he raised $15,000 with a successful Kickstarter campaign. This enabled him to complete the film and plan a trip to the United Kingdom, where Thomas originated as the creation of Rev. Wilbert Awdrey.
An Anglican minister and train enthusiast, Awdrey created Thomas in stories and poems for his two-year-old son Christopher when the boy was confined to bed with measles. “The Railway Series,” as the books were initially known, grew to 26 volumes between 1945 and 1972. Christopher goes on to add 16 more books to the series.
In 1984, producer, screenwriter, director, and voice actress Britt Allcroft adapted
Awdrey’s “The Railway Series” as Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (later retitled Thomas and Friends) after meeting Awdrey while making a documentary about British steam locomotives. The show debuted on the British network ITV and then chugged over to the U.S. in 1989, when Allcroft co-created the PBS series Shining Time Station. Thomas also became hugely popular in the U.S. video market.
“I only had the American perspective
Contributor
Brandon Carty
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when I started working on this,” said Carty, “and was looking forward to visiting the U.K. We were getting ready and packing our bags, then COVID hit, and so that trip never happened. I kept filming, and the pandemic gave us time to dig deeper into this thing.”
The Greatest Gathering is a three-day national commemoration of 200 years of British railway history. When Carty was finally able to visit the U.K. earlier this year, planners of the Derbybased celebration reached out to him, suggesting he screen An Unlikely Fandom at the event.
“There was no better place to premiere it,” said Carty.
Along with the milestone for British railway and the premiere, a more somber event is connected to An Unlikely Fandom
“Britt Allcroft, the woman who created the TV show, died last Christmas. Because we were close friends, I announced her death to the world on X. The documentary is her final onscreen appearance.”
Carty is happy that he was able to meet Allcroft in person. “In 2023, we had our U.S. premiere at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York City. We brought Britt out, and she had never really met adult Thomas fans before. It was so great seeing her reaction.”
Earlier this year, Carty finally made it to the U.K. “When we were scouting locations for a possible British premiere, I got to see a lot of Thomas stu in his home country, which was wonderful. I was able to interview the daughter of the reverend doctor who created Thomas and his world, so we got both lineages in there, which is great.”
When he’s not traveling to promote and premiere An Unlikely Fandom, Carty lives in downtown Greensboro, where he works
as a freelance video editor and cinematographer. He has another dream project.
ematographer. He has another
“I have a new documentary in the works, but had to put it on pause because of Thomas. I had thought I was done with An Unlikely Fandom, but then Britt passed and that resulted in more work on it, and right now, the U.K. premiere has kind of taken over my life.”
But Thomas is not his only pop culture passion. In his later childhood and teens, he became obsessed with gory Italian Jaws imitations of the 1980s and 1990s. When he was 17, he legally acquired the rights to Great White, aka The Last Shark, a 1981 film by the exploitation maestro Enzo G. Castellari, that made $18 million at the American box o ce before Universal, which owned the Jaws franchise, sued it o the market. In 2013, Carty released it on an authorized DVD that he showed at Geeksboro Co eeshop and Cinema (his rights deal with Universal limited him to only making 500 copies and directly selling them himself).
But there’s a gorier Italian Jaws imitation, the notorious Cruel Jaws, shot in Florida in 1995 by Bruno Mattei, which was released in Europe as Jaws 5, and which incorporates footage from both Spielberg’s original Jaws and Castellari’s Great White.
“I’ve done some preliminary work on a documentary about it, and have interviewed a bunch of the original cast and crew. David Luther, who played the police chief, lives about 20 miles up the road from me.” !
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.
Brewery birthday bashes abound across the Triad as Natty’s hits drinking age, Craft City Sip-in enters double-digits, and Incendiary Brewing toasts to its lucky seventh year — all with concerts and brews to enjoy.
An elder in the brewery game, Natty Greene’s will kick o their “21st Nattyversary” Weekend with two days of live music, starting with an evening concert from old-time wunderkind Mason Via, on Aug. 1.
A Danbury-native, Via has been to Hollywood on American Idol, around the world as part of Old Crow Medicine Show, and followed his ladylove in a move from Nashville to Florida on the heels of his acclaimed self-titled sophomore album. He’s sure to share some memories and pluck a few numbers while paying a visit to his ol’ home state, before heading back out to Music City in September as an o cial AmericanaFest showcase artist.
Notes of Nashville linger amongst the hops and barley of Nattyversary Weekend, with Nashville-based songwriter, Paul McDonald & The Mourning Doves, headlining the a air on Aug. 2. The allday Beer Garden Party will rock through the afternoon, with performances from Loose Connection and Ranford Almond; along with Headspin Entertainment literally firing up the evening with a fire spinning show.
“Come raise a glass and party with us,” said organizers, “let’s celebrate 21 years of beers, cheers, and community.”
Meanwhile, out in the Brassfield area of Northwest Greensboro, Craft City Sipin will celebrate its 10th anniversary with an all-day parking lot party on Sept. 6.
As with any aging organism, organizers know it’s important to stay limber — so they’re starting the day with yoga and mimosas from Jennifer Berg before amping into the evening concert featuring The Ends and the Alek Ottaway band. “We’ve got great drinks, good vibes, and a whole lot of gratitude for the
Birthday Brews and Tunes
community that’s made the last 10 years amazing,” said the Craft City crew.
“Whether you’ve been with us since day one or just found your way here, this party is for everyone who’s been part of our story. Let’s raise a glass, share some laughs, and look forward to the next 10 years — together!”
Heading even further west, Incendiary Brewing will cap o their seventh anniversary on Sept. 13 with the 2025 CoalPit Live season finale, featuring none other than Better Than Ezra playing a free show with North Carolina’s premiere “divebar arena rockers” Crenshaw Pentecostal.
A foundation in the success of Winston-Salem’s Innovation Quarter, Incendiary Brewing and its adjacent CoalPit space have packed a punch of concert programming in their handful of years. From the national artists as part of the CoalPit Live series, to a steady selection of local shows — that pit and the Incendiary crew have helped establish the IQ area as a home for music and events in Winston-Salem.
“The CoalPit has become more than just a venue,” said CoalPit Live sponsors, The Ginther Group of Keller Williams Realty Elite. “It’s a gathering place where families dance under former power plant smokestacks, kids zip around on scooters, and neighbors discover what makes Winston-Salem special.”
“Every concert is an opportunity to experience Winston-Salem’s cultural character and connect with neighbors
and see what makes our community special,” they continued. “When families enjoy free concerts in a historic setting, they create positive memories associated with our community. These experiences influence where they’ll live, work, and invest in the future.”
But while the September birthday celebration is noteworthy, the party brews all summer long — at Incendiary Brewing’s local CoalPit concerts and the CoalPit Live series. The next national CoalPit Live installment is coming up quick with Red Dirt Revelators and Heavy Peace on July 26; followed by Nashville songstress, Bre Kennedy, on Aug. 9 and Appalachian funk-grassers, Dr. Bacon, on Aug. 23.
And thanks to the neighboring Bailey Park’s new “Bailey Beats” series, the next two CoalPit Live installments carry a full-on free block party vibe: with pre-pit 5 p.m. concerts in the park featuring Victoria Victoria on July 26 and Larry & Joe on Aug. 23.
Both Bailey Beats and Incendiary’s local shows will extend into the Fall, with the park hosting DaShawn Hickman on Sept. 20 and Sam Fribush on Oct. 18. Meanwhile, Incendiary’s local pit shows will feature Camel City Blues on Aug. 7 (and Oct. 2); Hinge Theory on Aug. 14; Wafer Thin and GoryanGo on Sept. 4; The Jim Mayberry Band on Sept. 11; the Luke Mears Trio on Sept. 18; Tupelo Crush on Sept. 25; Men in Black on Oct. 9; Sam Robinson and Bryan Bogenberger on Oct. 16; and Ears to the Ground will close out the 2025 outdoor season with a concert on Oct. 23.
Here’s to more shows and solar returns, y’all. Salud! !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.
Katei Cranford
Contributor
Virtual Reality brings opportunities to the Triad
Larry and Rennae Stowe have big dreams of transforming the Triad through their new business, CTRL V Arcade, located at 280 Charlois Blvd. in WinstonSalem. The venue is the first space in the United States for the Canada-based business.
Larry, who has experience as a graphics artist and teacher, said he wanted to create a space for local artists and those interested in the industry.
“It’s really an incubator for design, creativity, and everything in between when it comes to digital content,” he said. “The arcade is there to entertain families, unite people, and encourage social entertainment.”
Rennae said that the VR arcade currently houses 17 stations, and they are looking to host all groups. We’re able to host individuals that just want to come out and play, parties, date night, group outings, corporate events, team building type events, and school trips. We’re actually talking to a school teacher now who reached out. It’s a really cool space,” said the Winston-Salem State University professor. “Usually you use a VR headset at home, right? This is more social with 17 stations, and you can literally
have 17 people playing together and competing. They can communicate as multi-player or groups of two, three, four, basically.”
Larry said that the arcade will help assist the colleges and high schools in the Triad that offer esports.
“We’ll still operate as a studio, so we’ll be doing custom work and different things like that,” he said. “This is also going to help facilitate the different colleges with the equipment they need. I wanted to give back to the CTE program and the high schools with game design. A lot of times, they learn the concepts and different things, but they don’t have the equipment to actually fulfill what they’ve actually learned.”
Larry said that one of the things important to him was being able to keep the talent in the industry, in the area.
“We don’t have a lot of development places around. I realized I’m teaching students motion graphics, and really high-end things, but they can’t work here. They all have to leave. My thought was, let’s keep some talent here by creating an incubator. This area is looking for something like this.”
Pulling on his experience teaching, Larry said that he duo will also roll out an enrichment program for youth. With experience as an instructional designer, indie designer, and indie game maker, Larry wants to offer a space for those with similar interests to develop their skills.
I’ll be actually teaching students of all ages that want to sign up for the enrichment program, how to actually make games for mobile, possibly consoles, if we can get the newer equipment. Which means we’ll be teaching people how to actually make VR games.”
The Stowes also hope this will help youth stay out of trouble and focused on their future.
“This is going to help a lot. We had the Chief of Police at our ribbon cutting event, and we talked about that very thing with the youth in the area having a lack of things to do and getting in trouble. We actually formed a partnership right then and there, talking about how we can come up with different events to bring to the community, especially with our mobile unit,” said Rennae. “I think that’s another really positive piece of this, not just that they can come to us, but we can go to them. That’s pretty cool.”
The Stowes said they “welcome all partnerships, and anything that is set within the community, starting with youth and all the way up, is a win-win.”
Chanel Davis
Editor
“We’re here for it. I’m always an advocate of being a creator rather than a consumer,” Larry said. “If we can get these kids creating, they can be the next entrepreneurs to create something special. We don’t know what they’ll come up with, but with the right guidance, they’ll come up with something a little more wholesome.”
For those not in the industry, the Stowes hope that the arcade gives residents an opportunity to connect with each other.
“It’s an opportunity to reconnect with your family, play some fun games, and experience the future together. Kids are addicted to technology, but it also gives them more opportunities. The biggest issue with AI and some of the technology being used is that it’s actually going to shake up who’s at the top. That’s really what’s scary to a lot of people at the top, the shake-up,” Larry said. “I think we have the talent, and I think we just need the technology and access to it. I think a lot of families are going to resonate with that.”
CTRL V Winston-Salem will have its grand opening on Saturday, July 26.
They will offer demos of the games, have food trucks onsite, and will be doing giveaways. !
CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.
CARBORRO
CAT’S CRADLE
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053
www.catscradle.com
Jul 23: Broncho
Jul 23: late night drive home, ALEXSUCKS
Jul 23: MJ Lenderman & The Wind, Rosali
Jul 24: School of Rock AllStars
Jul 25: Big Richard
CHARLOTTE BOJANGLES COLISEUM
2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600
www.boplex.com
Jul 25: Intocable
Jul 31: Vince Gill
HOME GROWN MUSIC SCENE | Compiled by Shane Hart
THE FILLMORE
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd |704.916.8970
www.livenation.com
Jul 23: Hatebreed
Jul 25: Hudson Westbrook
Jul 26: King Lil & Young Drummer Boy
Jul 27: Profanatica
Jul 28: Eyedress
Jul 30: We Came As Romans
Aug 9: Gipsy Danger Submissions
JAMESTOWN
www.facebook.com/TheDeckJamestown/
Jul 25: Basement Legends
Jul 26: No Strings Attached
PNC MUSIC PAVILION
707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292
www.livenation.com
Jul 26: Outlaw Music Festival: Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Turnpike Troubadours & Charles Wesley Godwin
GREENSBORO
CHAR BAR NO. 7
3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555
www.charbar7.com
Jul 24: No Strings Attached Duo
Jul 31: Tyler Millard Duo
COMEDY ZONE
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034
www.thecomedyzone.com
Jul 25-27: Desi Banks
FLAT IRON
221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967 www.flatirongso.com
Jul 25: Cyril Lance Collective
Jul 28: Cordovas w/ Time Sawyer
GARAGE TAVERN
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
Jul 25: Daniel Love
Jul 26: Gypsy Danger Band
HANGAR 1819
1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480 www.hangar1819.com
Jul 29: Anthony Green w/ Kurt Travis, Geo Rickly
STEVEN TANGER CENTER
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500 www.tangercenter.com
Jul 25: Sal Vulcano
Jul 26: Lyle Lovett and his Large Band
Tuesdays: Trivia
Jun 27: Raincheck Bluegrass FOOTHILLS
Sundays: Sunday Jazz
Thursdays: Trivia
Jul 23: Travis Williams Group
Jul 25: Samuel Stowe
Jul 26: Doobe and the Acomplices
Jul 27: Dana Bearor
Jul 30: The Robertson Boys
THE RAMKAT
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714
www.theramkat.com
Jul 24: Stud Ford & Will Coppage
Jul 26: Hu Jam 2025
Aug 1: Professor Twang and the Honky Tonk Review
Aug 3: Asleep at the Wheel, The Shootouts
Aug 7: Couldn’t Be Happiers, Mandi Strachota
ROAR
633 North Liberty Street | 336-917-3008 www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater.com
Jul 25: Ben Jones and Tony Rodriguez
WISE MAN BREWING
826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008
www.wisemanbrewing.com
Thursdays: Music Bingo
Jul 25: Emerson Bruno and the Undercurrents
Jul 26: Judy Chops
Aug 1: Ears to the Ground
Aug 8: Justin Cody Fox Band
[SALOME’S STARS]
Week of July 28, 2025
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Technology snafus tax your patience. But before you throw your computer or other bulky hardware into the trash, take a deep breath and call someone knowledgeable for help.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Don’t be too upset if your generosity goes unappreciated. These things happen, and rather than brood over it, you should move on. Meanwhile, a new friend could open up some exciting possibilities.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A loved one helps you get through an especially difficult emotional situation. Afterward, spend the weekend immersed in the restorative powers of music and the other arts.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You are pretty much in charge of what you want to do this week. However, it might be a good idea to keep an open mind regarding suggestions from people you know you can trust.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Another chance to shine (something always dear to the Lion’s heart) might be resented by others. But you earned it, so enjoy it! The weekend brings news about a family member.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A suggestion that never took o could become viable again. Dust it o , update it if necessary, and resubmit it. In your personal life, a new relationship takes an “interesting” turn.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Confronting a new challenge to your stated position could work to your advantage. You can settle all doubts once you’re able to present a solid defense that is backed up by
equally solid facts.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You enjoy doing nice things for others, but this is a good time to do something nice for yourself as well. You might want to start by planning a super-special getaway weekend.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Some changes you feel like you need to make might be reasonable and appropriate. But others might lead to new problems. Think things through carefully before you act.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Good instincts usually keep the sure-footed Goat on the right path. What others might see as stubbornness on your part reflects your good sense of what is worth supporting.
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A period of introspection could lead to some surprising conclusions and equally surprising changes involving a number of your long-held positions on several issues.
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) The financially practical PISCES might want to take a sensible approach to spending as well as investing. Being prudent now pays o later. In other news, a romantic situation moves into another phase.
[BORN THIS WEEK: Your sense of curiosity keeps you continually alert for what’s new about people, places and things. You know how to stay on top of trends or even start them yourself.
