CLCLT.COM | JULY 7 - JULY 13, 2016 VOL. 30, NO. 20
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ZACH ARIAS
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Victoria Canal performs at Petra’s on July 11.
COVER STORY A SHOT IN THE DARK: Hollywood turns the camera on itself in new film series. BY MATT BRUNSON THIS WEEK’S COVER WAS DESIGNED BY DANA VINDIGNI. LEFT ROW, TOP TO BOTTOM: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (MGM), SUNSET BOULEVARD (PARAMOUNT), SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (PARAMOUNT); RIGHT ROW, TOP TO BOTTOM: SILENT MOVIE (FOX), DAY FOR NIGHT (WARNER BROS.)
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NEWS&VIEWS ACTIVISM 101: Students spend the summer working for educational equality.
BY RYAN PITKIN 12 THE QUERY 12 THE BLOTTER 13 NEWS OF THE WEIRD
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FOOD IPHO IS CALLING: There’s a new ring at former Dragonfly spot.
BY MADELINE LEMIEUX 16 THREE-COURSE SPIEL
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ARTS&ENT
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MUSIC
FILM REVIEWS
VOCALLY PLEASING: Emily King shifts to headlining shows.
BY ANITA OVERCASH 32 SOUNDBOARD
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ODDS&ENDS 18 TOP 10 THINGS TO DO 34 MARKETPLACE 34 NIGHTLIFE 35 CROSSWORD 36 SAVAGE LOVE 38 HOROSCOPE
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NEWS
FEATURE
ACTIVISM 101 Students spend the summer working for educational equality BY RYAN PITKIN
I
JOINED BOKAR Diaby about an hour into his three hours of daily canvassing. He didn’t look comfortable, with his black T-shirt sticking to him in the 90-degree heat. I asked if he enjoyed this part of the 12-week fellowship he’s participating in this summer with Students for Education Reform (SFER), an advocacy group that works to improve the educative experience for children often left behind. Diaby gave me a skeptical look. He had been systematically working through a list of addresses of frequent voters compiled by SFER organizers, but in the 30 minutes I spent with him, he hadn’t reached any of them. We were walking through an apartment complex in east Charlotte with a heavy Latino presence. The sight of two guys walking around with a clipboard, knocking on doors seemingly at random drew suspicious looks. We would often hear someone inside who wasn’t coming to the door. Diaby prefers setting up shop at community events or busy parts of the city for these outreach efforts, during which he attempts to converse with community members to hear their concerns with local education so SFER can build an agenda around the community’s needs. “Do I enjoy it? I mean, I’m just knocking on doors,” he said. Diaby, 20, stays positive. He’s aware that many people his age are spending these summer days sitting poolside or stacking money at a part-time job, but there’s nowhere else he’d rather be. “I really do enjoy it when I end up having a great conversation with someone, connecting with them. That makes it worth it. But all these non-answers? It can feel like a threehour conversation with yourself,” he said. DIABY IS ONE of 17 students — mostly from North Carolina colleges, with one in middle school and one in high school — spending their summer with the SFER Action Network fellowship, the first of its kind in North Carolina. 10 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
Bokar Diaby addresses fellow students partipating in a fellowship with Students For Environmental Reform this summer. The students spend their mornings each day workshopping, discussing local education issues and learning more effective advocacy techniques. They also break down what’s been working and what they’ve learned during the afternoons, which they spend on outreach activities like canvassing or phone banking. They’re encouraged to break these molds throughout the summer and introduce new ideas for outreach. The fellowship is aimed at getting young people more actively involved in politics and advocacy and showing them how careers in both fields are legitimate options for people coming out of college. It’s being run by three 20-somethings from Charlotte with plenty of experience in the field. Kayla Romero, 28, is a former teacher at Ranson Middle School in north Charlotte. After leaving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, she worked with O.N.E. Charlotte, another
group working locally for educational equity, before taking a full-time job with SFER last year. For the fellowship, she brought on Albemarle Road Elementary School teacher and Teach for America fellow Meg Judy, 25, and Lula Dualeh, who recently ran to replace Vilma Leake as District 2 representative on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. “One of my own personal goals starting out is that I’m interested in making organizing sexy; making politics and the entire political process sexy,” Dualeh says. Dualeh will be the youngest elected committee member from the North Carolina delegation at this year’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. For Romero, she sets an important example for the fellows, all of whom are people of color and most of whom are women of color. “I think more so than race or socioeconomic background, it is age [that
RYAN PITKIN
keeps people from running for office],” Romero says. “I really gained a deeper understanding of that when Lula was running and we were talking about the establishment being this older force. That’s one reason I was super excited to hire Lula, and this has already come through to our fellows. They’ve immediately seen and identified with her as a 28-year-old woman of color. We’ve had some fellows just literally see the door open for them.” Dualeh values the power of the vote, but she and Romero hope to change the narrative from one in which you hold politicians accountable by voting them out of office to one that includes running to replace them. “We’re changing this image or misconception around organizing and politics and that it’s only reserved for a certain demographic,” Dualeh says. “We’re shattering all of those misconceptions this summer, so the fact that [these specific students are] here
and we’re together isn’t by chance.” The three team members and others with SFER traveled the state recruiting motivated students from schools like Eastern Carolina University to UNC Greensboro. They also recruited students from historically black colleges and universities like Johnson C. Smith and North Carolina Central universities and community colleges like Central Piedmont Community College. “We’ve gone above and beyond to make this program accessible to students who may be coming from low-income families or maybe feel like they didn’t get the best education and don’t consider themselves organizers or activists already,” Romero says. The fellowship is just the first step in growing SFER on North Carolina campuses beyond the two chapters that currently exist at UNC Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University. Students are encouraged — and many are excited — to return to their respective campuses and begin chapters there. The focus of the last four weeks of the fellowship will be on the “nitty-gritty” of actually forming a chapter, Romero says. “We want the students to drive the agenda, so the more students we have coming from local schools, they can help inform what we need to really act on,” she says. “We’re using this as an opportunity to recruit and retain new members to grow our overall base and help be more effective in our issue choice campaigns.”
EACH FELLOW BRINGS their own
inspiration for joining SFER, while all fight toward a common goal. Some came from nothing and witnessed what life in a lowincome school is like, while others have
enjoyed a privileged educative experience and want everyone to have that opportunity. Diaby, for example, was inspired by the lack of higher education in his birthplace, Guinea. He hopes to use his civil engineering degree to return some day and build a university there. Aleisha Murrell, 22, transferred from Vance High School, a Title I school in north Charlotte, to Ardrey Kell High School in a well-off south Charlotte neighborhood. “I moved to the south side and began going to Ardrey Kell, which is predominantly white, and saw the difference,” Murrell says. “The understaffed teachers [at Vance], the system and all of its functions in the two different schools really affected me. I wasn’t even thinking about college my freshman year when I attended Vance. Now I can proudly say that I’m on a full-ride [scholarship] at UNC Charlotte. It just really shows the mindset that I had and the effect that the atmosphere played on me.” Na’ilah El-Amin, a 20-year-old UNC Charlotte student, joined SFER because she recognized the privilege she grew up with. The 2013 Mallard Creek High School graduate said she understands that many others aren’t offered the opportunities she was. “I knew that because of my zip code, because of my parents’ educational background, that because of a lottery, I was given teachers that cared about my education, that pushed me,” El-Amin says. “I knew that not everyone got that. I was passionate about making sure that people get the education that I was privileged to receive.” It seems the SFER team made the right choices in their recruitment, as the fellows have been active in the community from day one and are already making themselves heard.
Kayla Romero is one of three women leading the SFER fellowship.
RYAN PITKIN
Diaby speaks with a woman while canvassing in east Charlotte. They showed up in full force at a recent “Black Lives Matter Charlotte” forum on educational disparity hosted by The Charlotte Post. Most of them stood and asked questions at the event. El-Amin asked the panelists what CMS administration is doing to fix inequalities in the system, and returned to the microphone when her question was somehow turned into a discussion of what parents can do better. It’s just the second week of the fellowship, and many of the students hadn’t participated in activism before starting with SFER the previous week. For Dualeh, watching the students grow at such a rapid pace is worth all the time she’s given from her summer to be with the fellows. “Whenever you’re learning something new, you connect with the person next to you in a way that you wouldn’t normally,” she says. “So the fact that they’re literally leaning on each other while they’re out canvassing every day, making sure that they’re holding each other accountable, it’s something beyond anything we could have expected. It’s exciting because I know they’re fostering friendships here and relationships that are going to last a lifetime.” For Romero, it’s a sign of something bigger. “To me it means a revolution is honestly possible,” she said. “A revolution is possible, it’s in the process of happening, and it is necessary that we have a revolution
RYAN PITKIN
— politically and socially — and it’s going to be led by young people like it always has. By that second week, Diaby was calling the other fellows his brothers and sisters. But on that sweaty afternoon that I met up with him while canvassing, he was alone and things were getting demoralizing. A kid yelled loudly from an upstairs window somewhere in the complex, calling us names while everyone else stared. After 30 minutes of non-answers or people telling us we had the wrong address, a 21-year-old woman came to the door of one apartment. She wasn’t whom Diaby was looking for, and is only in town for the summer, but she was immediately interested. After a 10 minute talk, during which she signed a support card and promised to check out SFER’s website, Diaby jumped from the porch with a new spring in his step. He was visibly psyched after his conversation with Maggie, and admitted it right away. “That’s what I was waiting for,” he said, suddenly walking quicker. I was happy for him. After all, I was getting ready to hop in my air-conditioned car and knew he still had another hour and a half of walking through the nearby east Charlotte neighborhoods, having a conversation with himself and waiting for that next door to open for him. RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM
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VIEWS
THE QUERY
SEEKING COMMON GROUND Local LGBT leaders see need for cohesion and unity after HB2, Orlando state’s recent advocacy challenges and the What is a leader? What is leadership? tragedy at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, How do we work together? These are questions I’ve found myself asking over the Florida, last month. past several months as Charlotte debated “[We need a] baseline on what events are and then passed its local anti-LGBT nonhappening and how to rally the community discrimination ordinances. Now, we’ve when we need to pull together,” Tucker said. watched the furor rightfully inspired by the “That’s been the hard part with Orlando and resulting House Bill 2 continue day after HB2. Not everyone knows everybody.” day and week after week, I couldn’t help but Melissa Morris moved to Charlotte from return to those thoughts. Philadelphia a year ago. She’s one of the many Amid all the chatter and dialogue in the new voices rising up in local leadership, but city and state, there’s been one important she agrees that it’s important to find new narrative overlooked. Over the past two years, ways to centralize local community leadership, there’s been a tremendous upswell in new relationships and resources — especially with voices and new perspectives among our city’s Charlotte’s absence of a local LGBT community LGBT community leadership. It all began center or other central hub around which when a large, local coalition came together community members can coalesce. to propose the city’s ordinances. As “I’m honestly still trying to figure that fight has gone statewide, out really who is leading what individuals who had never or effort,” Morris told me. “I think rarely stepped into leadership part of the challenge is there or grassroots activist roles not being a substantial began speaking up. central location for So many new voices information on who’s who and perspectives bring and what organizations both opportunity and are doing what, and I think challenge for our local it’s challenging to figure community. With new out when you’re looking ideas and new visions, our not just for leadership but MATT COMER community grows stronger also for resources.” with different perspectives and This leadership dynamic solutions for old problems. But has become all the more complex in a place like Charlotte, where we’ve with the addition of new leaders and long struggled to support a local central hub activists, Morris said. On one hand, new like an LGBT community center or other voices can find a benefit in open spaces; similar resources, an upswell in new leaders there’s plenty of room and opportunities for and voices can also exacerbate existing people to be vocal and to be heard. It’s how challenges. Some local leaders have begun Morris, for example, was able to find a space taking steps to solve a lack of cohesion, when she moved to Charlotte last year. unity and accessibility for local community For others, it can be more difficult. members and those seeking involvement. “I’ve found some of those people, Many of those leaders gathered locally in especially younger people, who are trying to Charlotte two weeks ago with an eye toward find space within an organization or within a changing that dynamic. Those involved in larger framework, and I don’t think they find local advocacy efforts, community members it easy to integrate themselves into a larger interested in learning more and volunteers structure,” Morris said. and staffers of local LGBT non-profits mixed Tucker and Morris are both hopeful that and mingled over drinks and conversation at challenges like HB2 will create a stronger, Free Range Brewing in NoDa. more cohesive community. Morris sees The mixer was organized by Rodney common conversations and dialogues and Tucker, executive director of Time Out Youth hopes that a common vision and purpose Center. It was an opportunity, he said, to will emerge. Tucker and other leaders, he bring together a diversity of community said, will be looking for ways to continue leaders and members who work or volunteer bringing together leaders in formal and for causes in the same field, but often don’t informal spaces. In the fall, he plans on know each other. bringing together staff and board members “There’s got to be a common ground on of local organizations. organizations knowing who leadership are “People just need to know each other,” and how to work together,” Tucker told me. Tucker said. He pointed directly at the city’s and BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM 12 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
NEWS
BLOTTER
BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK
HIPSTER HATER Four NoDa businesses were hit in the early morning hours last week, and police believe the same suspect was behind all of them. It began with a man being caught on tape kicking the door in at the recently opened Company Store. The following night, someone broke into Crepe Cellar by smashing through the front entrance. Similar incidents took place at Cabo Fish Taco and JackBeagles. The man isn’t apparently very smart or competent, as he broke into Company Store following their slowest night and only made off with about $30. At Cabo , his take was $15 in change. These were both actually more successful break-ins than at JackBeagles, where he was only able to crack the glass on the door and couldn’t gain access. CHARITY WORK Management at a Goodwill in south Charlotte reported last week that an employee had been embezzling money from the store with fake refunds over the course of the month of May. The employee was entrusted to make transactions at the cash register, but instead took advantage of the good will of Goodwill and stole almost $2,000. So much for charity.
RIGHT OF WAY A 71-year-old man was
attempting to cross the street last week at Old Pineville and Grover roads when he was hit by a car. Instead of seeing if the pedestrian was okay, the man driving the car stepped out of his vehicle, yelled curse words at the pedestrian, then got back into his car and drove off. The pedestrian was hospitalized with minor injuries, but the injury to our faith in humanity is irreparable.
PERSONAL DROUGHT In west Charlotte,
a 51-year-old woman filed a police report last week when she discovered that someone had been mooching off one of her utilities. She believes that over the last month, the suspect had been stealing water from the outside spigot using a garden hose, causing a $150 spike in her water bill. “Water” they doing with all that water, I wonder?
BUDDING ROMANCE What might have begun as a simple token of affection and admiration turned into a case of emotional distress when a 45-year-old woman reported to police that someone sent flowers to her job in an attempt to persuade her to date him. The suspect continued to harass her, presumably into going on a date with him, despite multiple phone calls and text messages declining his “sweet” offers. The woman reports that she now fears for her life and that she’s suffering from emotional distress. No wonder “nice guys” finish last. MAILBOX MALICE Last week a 47-yearold woman in a residential neighborhood in
west Charlotte called the police after four mailboxes on her street, including hers, were damaged. The suspect used bodily force — as opposed to the usual bat — to maliciously vandalize her and her neighbors’ mailboxes around midnight.
FLOORED A 63-year-old man in Ballantyne
called police after his floor was swept out from underneath his feet. The victim was floored by the fact that a suspect had forced entry into his home and stole $215 of laminate flooring. That’s probably a good sign that you should stick with hardwood in the kitchen.
PESKY KIDS The devil will find work for
idle hands to do for kids in the summer. Two kids were arrested last week for stealing a golf cart from Renaissance Apartments in west Charlotte. Luckily the golf cart was recovered and returned to the apartment complex, cutting the joyride short for the two presumably bored juveniles.
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS During a traffic
stop on I-85 South last week, police discovered a horde of paraphernalia. When the officers requested to search the suspect’s Nissan Maxima, the suspect granted consent. The officers seized a long list of drugs, including methamphetamine, marijuana and cocaine. He must’ve been high on one of those if he let officers search his car.
BOXED OUT Last week, an officer was
working off duty as a security guard Uptown for Bank of America when he came across an intoxicated subject “walking around the square area causing problems.” The drunk man was told to leave the area and that’s when things took a sharp turn. The suspect walked down S. Tryon Street to a bus stop and began making racist remarks to a black male. The black male patiently told him he didn’t want any trouble, but trouble is all the suspect wanted. He pulled a box cutter out and pointed it at the other man, who ran away. Witnesses called 911 and when the suspect and his girlfriend were stopped across the street, she had done what any good girlfriend would do and hid the box cutter in her bra. The suspect was arrested anyway.
CHEAP FIRST AID The Dollar General
store on Independence Boulevard was robbed of items that one could only assume was for a small medical emergency. Among stolen items, such as Band-Aids, were a wrist support and Cortizone Plus, totaling approximately $30. Seems like the suspect is nursing a minor fall — which seems hardly worth risking “pre-medicated” shoplifting. BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM
NEWS
NEWS OF THE WEIRD
BY CHUCK SHEPHERD
LONGTIME RECURRING THEME PEAKS In May, an apparently devout woman named Katy Vasquez of Winter Park, Florida, posted a sincerely written entry on Facebook (and told Huffington Post in an interview) that she had just seen a “sign from God” — a cross — as a smudge in her infant’s soiled diaper. “I prayed to God for a sign that everything would be OK,” she gushed to the reporter. “It might not be the prettiest sign, but he put it where he knew I’d see it.” Hence, News of the Weird retires the recurring theme begun in the 1980s with Jesus in a rust stain on an abandoned refrigerator.
FINE POINTS OF THE LAW (1) To their great surprise, Sophie Scafidi and friends, on an outing in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, in June, learned that a man spying on and photographing them through a camera lens hidden in a Gatorade bottle painted black was not violating any law. Although the lens was rigged to the man’s phone, which contained beach photos, including some of children, police informed Scafidi that even surreptitious photography in sleazy circumstances, as long as done on public property, was legal — and that the only law broken in the incident was by the person who snatched the “camera” to show police. (2) A court in Canberra, Australia, found Wesley King not guilty of a 2014 burglary despite his DNA having been found at the crime scene — on underpants containing his fresh feces. Wrote Chief Justice Helen Murrell in June: There is a “reasonable possibility” that the burglar was someone else who was wearing unwashed underwear that had previously been worn by the accused. Thus, she found King not guilty of all charges. (3) In June, a federal appeals court revived Adrian King’s lawsuit against the Huttonsville Correctional Center in West Virginia for emotional distress and invasion of privacy in forcing him into surgery to remove the marbles he had implanted in his penis before going behind bars in 2008. King did not allege that he misses the marbles but only that he had chosen body-modification and that the surgery was against his will, causing pain upon touch or whenever it gets cold or rains or snows. Prison officials initially ordered the surgery because it was unclear that the objects were not contraband. WEIRD SCIENCE Medical Daily, in a May
review of recent cases, noted progress in dealing with Cotard’s syndrome — a disorder that leads patients to believe they have no blood or vital body parts — or feeling as if they are dead (or may as well be). Studies show one in about 200 psychiatric patients exhibit the symptoms, and one doctor, describing a brain scan of his patient, said brain activity resembled that of a person in a coma or under anesthesia. Cotard’s, also
known as walking corpse syndrome, leads patients to thus avoid eating or bathing (asking themselves, why bother?).
AWWWWW The Sacramento (California) Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals put out a call for help in April after stray kittens were found dumped in a yard, with only two still alive but nearly blind with eye infections and needing animal blood for a serum that might save the eyes. The call was “answered” by the rescue dog Jemmie. After Jemmie’s blood “donation,” not a transfusion, since the blood went only to make the serum, vets reported saving one eye of one of the kittens, earning Jemmie a “special” reward. Said vet Sarah Varanini, “There’s nothing in life [Jemmie] likes more than kittens.” RECURRING THEMES Even though
extraordinarily rare, two people recently reported foreign accent syndrome after their brain traumas apparently caused crossing of cranial “wires.” (1) “J.C.,” 50, was described in the journal Cortex as an energetic Italian who, after a brain injury, inexplicably speaks constantly in “emphatic, error-prone French.” (2) Six months ago, Lisa Alamia of Rosenberg, Texas, awoke from surgery inexplicably speaking in a British accent (particularly confusing her family and friends since she previously spoke not so much “English” as “Texan”). Medical experts cited by CBS News reported that fewer than 100 people worldwide have ever been diagnosed with foreign accent syndrome.
REDNECK CHRONICLES At the monthly pro wrestling show in Ringgold, Georgia, in June, Patricia Crowe, 59, apparently having had enough of “bad guy” Paul Lee, reportedly jumped into the ring to rescue “good guy” Iron Mann, whom Lee had “tied up” and been beating with a chair. First, she cut Mann loose with her knife and then pulled a loaded handgun on Lee. She was eventually arrested by sheriff’s deputies). Crowe admitted that Lee’s earlier “mean” banter with ringside patrons had unnerved her, especially when he told Crowe to sit her “toothless self back down.” COMPELLING
EXPLANATIONS
(1) Former Malaysian legislator Mr. S. Manikavasagam was charged in June with taking a bribe worth about $7,300 USD from a contractor. He claimed innocence, claiming that somehow a package of money was thrown into his car as he drove down a city street. (2) A woman in Goldsboro, North Carolina, acquired a freezer from her neighbor several months ago but said she hadn’t looked inside until May, when she discovered parts of a dead body and called authorities. She said the neighbor had discouraged her from opening the freezer because “a church” was using it as a “time
capsule.”
GOVERNMENT IN ACTION The Illinois secretary of state stopped mailing reminders about license-plate renewal deadlines in October because his office said the state could no longer afford the $450,000-a-month mailing cost, thus saving taxpayers $3.6 million so far. The Belleville News-Democrat and The Associated Press reported in June that the state has collected $5.24 million more in the resultant “late fees” people had to pay on their license-plate renewals than it had collected the year before the reminders stopped. A proposal for a 30-day grace period for expired plates failed in the recently concluded legislative session. THE MAGIC OF DRUGS University of Georgia student Benjamin Abele, 22, was finally subdued by four police officers on May 29 after he had run naked down an Athens street and leaped into the gooey, malodorous back end of a garbage truck, hindering arrest by wallowing in the slimy liquid that pools under the gunk, and then attempting to burrow further into the filthiness to somehow escape. Two Taser shots had no effect, and he was later found to be high on PCP. MEANWHILE, OVERSEAS (1) Voters in
June in the village of Draguseni, Romania, elected Vasile Cepoi mayor — no, not the Vasile Cepoi who lost, or the other Vasile Cepoi who lost. The winner was the incumbent mayor, Vasile Cepoi. There was also a fourth candidate, who was not named Vasile Cepoi. (2) In June, an “artificial intelligence” robot (“IR77”) being taught to “avoid obstacles” while moving around the Promobot lab in Perm, Russia, apparently “learned” how to walk out the door undetected, causing a downtown traffic jam when its batteries died. Handlers modified the computer script, but IR77 “escaped” again several days later, and engineers said they may have to dismantle the program and start over.
NOTW CLASSIC (July 2012) In testimony at an extortion trial in New York City in June (2012), Anthony Russo (alleged Colombo family associate) told prosecutors that a bloody mob war was narrowly averted recently. The Colombo family had learned that a new Staten Island pizza parlor, run by an alleged Bonanno family associate, was featuring pies that suspiciously resembled those of the top-rated, Colombo-promoted L and B Spumoni Gardens in Brooklyn, and thus, representatives of both families had to have one of those classic “sit-downs” at a neutral site to smooth things over. The sit-down took place, Russo said, at a Panera Bread cafe.
your delicious weekly alternative news source
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 13
FOOD
FEATURE
ANITA OVERCASH
Chow fun dish at iPho.
IPHO IS CALLING There’s a new ring at former Dragonfly spot BY MADELINE LEMIEUX
I
PHO OWNER VAN La learned the restaurant ropes at an early age. Growing up in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, she spent much of her childhood learning to run her parent’s restaurant. When La left her native Vietnam for Charlotte, she brought the 14 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
family business — and a vision of authentic Vietnamese cuisine — with her. After two years of searching for the right location, that vision finally found a home on Park Road. “We had been looking for the right spot for a long time,” La’s partner, Hien Ly, explained as we sat down over a few bowls of steaming pho broth at the newly
opened iPho. La doesn’t speak English, so Ly translates. “We went through five different locations before we found this place.” The currrent spot was previously Dragonfly, a popular Chinese eatery that was looking to relocate. Ly and La bought the property and began converting the space — “a long and tedious six months,” said Ly.
Though iPho opened in May, Ly said some diners are still adjusting, and many customers still come in looking for Chinese fare. “Even though it’s the same facility, our menu is strictly Vietnamese,” Ly stressed. “We don’t try to cross it with anything else. It doesn’t make sense. That’s not our
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MADELINE LEMIEUX
IPHO Hours: Monday-Sunday, 11 a.m.-9:15 p.m. 5110 Park Road, Suite 1G. 704527-3868. iphocharlotte.com.
specialty.” So what is the specialty? Ly pointed to the restaurant’s namesake pho, a Vietnamese soup made with a hearty stock, vermicelli noodles and other add-ons (meats, vegetables). “It all starts with the stock,” Ly said. “It’s about an 18-hour process to cook the broth. It’s about letting it cook throughout the day, watching it. It takes a lot of patience. Vietnamese cuisine is similar to French; it’s a slow-cook process. There’s nothing quick about it.” “You should smell it as soon as it gets to your table,” Ly explained as she introduced iPho’s two homemade soup stocks: beef and chicken (a vegetable-based broth is also available for vegetarians). “You should taste all the different flavors in the first initial sip. That’s the key.” Steam coiled over the hot broth, carrying the rich aroma that Ly described — notes of cinnamon, ginger, onion and cloves. Tasting the broth, I found it as complexly flavorful as it was aromatic; equally unique and comforting. (Added bonus: “It’s really good for a hangover!” Ly says). “The way everybody else makes their broth, they try to cater to the American palate,” Ly said. “They don’t understand that Americans could really appreciate the
Pho at iPho. full-flavored broth the way it’s supposed to be. The way you cook at home is the way you should cook in a restaurant. We’re taking the family recipe and putting it in our kitchen, not modifying it. Yes, it’s a little pungent and a little different, but it’s supposed to be like that.” “Our pho is really authentic,” Ly said. “When you taste it, you taste that authentic flavor.” Who better to accomplish that vision of authenticity, than La’s own family? When she opened iPho, La recruited her sister and brother-in-law to work in the kitchen. Sharing La’s restaurant roots, they were the right people for the job. “They all ran restaurants, even as kids,” Ly said. “It’s a family-run event back there in our kitchen!” At iPho, consistency is just an important as flavor. “The kitchen has to taste every new batch of stock we make, to make sure the flavor is there,” Ly said. “We’ll forego availability if we need to. Consistency is that important to us.” Pho is the obvious star of the show, but Ly is quick to point out other menu options that may help former Dragonfly customers transition to Vietnamese cuisine. “We have stir fry they can try. Vermicelli would be the first stop; that’s what Vietnamese food is all about. From a wet format to a dry format, vermicelli with some meat and sauce on top is the standard dish.” “People don’t have to adjust,” Ly added. “The biggest challenge is telling people we
MADELINE LEMIEUX
aren’t Dragonfly. Once they sit down and try our food, they love it.” Pork grilled banh mi is already a top seller. A Vietnamese-style chow fun served with stir-fried rice noodles, vegetables and meat is both colorful and delicious, and the braised chicken is a family recipe — “something she grew up making,” Ly said, “an every-day dish, something we eat on a daily basis in some format.” Besides a painstaking dedication to consistency and authenticity, another labor of love was selecting wines and beers to pair with the menu. “We wanted to make sure we took our time tasting everything, to make sure it pairs correctly,” Ly said, sharing their menu of beers, wines, sakes and cocktails. “That’s something a lot of clients are giving us a high five for.” Though beer enthusiasts will find an eclectic mix of local and regional (Mother Earth, Unknown) and imported (Laotian Beerlao) brews on the menu, it may take a while before any Vietnamese staples make the list. “We are having a hard time sourcing Vietnamese beers,” Ly said. “You can get it, but not through the normal channel.” They may be new to Park Road, but iPho is quickly developing a fanbase. “We have a lot of clientele that have been all over the place, and they say our pho is the best,” Ly said of their attention to detail and flavor. “We’re really proud of what we do. We put a lot of love into it.” MLEMIEUX@CLCLT.COM
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CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 15
FOOD
THREE-COURSE SPIEL
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER Iva Jean’s Fudge is made with love BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK
ASK ANYONE WITH a holiday gift list and they’ll probably tell you that someone on their list is receiving fudge — either homemade or store-bought. Debra Hanks, the owner of Iva Jean’s Fudge (ivajeansfudge.com), started her sweets business in 2015 out of Waxhaw and provides homemade fudge for gifts (worthy of giving anytime of the year) and for personal indulging. Her product can be described as creamy gourmet fudge. Flavors like mojito, banana, brown sugar bourbon fudge and maple walnut are only a sample of what the family-oriented business provides. And these goodies aren’t just making their way around Charlotte, they’re reaching a customer base outside of North Carolina. Currently, Hanks gets regular orders from clients in California, Ohio and Florida. That’s a pretty big reach for a small business without a physical storefront — she only has a glass counter at a local market and an Etsy shop. Hanks fondly remembers that when she was growing up, her late mother was always making fudge with her aunts in their kitchen in California. Now, Hanks takes the recipes that her mother perfected and gives them a the clean and modern update needed to draw the attraction of adventurous fudge connoisseurs. She also designed the logo and named the business after her late mother — Iva Jean. Creative Loafing talked to Hanks about the importance of family in the business and the quality of her fudge. Creative Loafing: What are the advantages of making small-batch fudge? Flavor and quality? Debra Hank: I think both. You get a better flavor and it’s creamy. My fudge is real smooth and creamy. It’s not a sugary, gritty texture. It’s not killer-sweet like some of them can be. It is sweetened, mind you, but it’s not like over sweet. I try to use as many local and organic ingredients as I can get, which is most of them. A few things are not, like the Oreo cookies — I can’t call it “Oreo Cookies” but it’s my version of cookies and cream — and things like that. So I think small-batch just keeps it better quality and more control over the flavor and get a better product. Where do you source your natural and organic ingredients? 16 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
Debra Hank’s of Iva Jean’s Fudge.
AMY HERMAN
I have a market that I go to where I get honey. I go to our local provisions store in Waxhaw where I can buy the sugar and eggs that I use in the marshmallow whip that I use in the fudge. The chocolate is a high-quality chocolate from Guittard, it’s out in California. I order that through a chocolatier distributer in Columbia, South Carolina. Through local people, I can get fruits and things, then dehydrate the fruit. I have a sister in Pennsylvania that started me on the dehydration [practice]. She has apple trees in her yard and she had an abundant amount of fruit last year and so we decided to dehydrate them. I crumbled them up and put them in my fudge. That’s apple pie fudge. That’s a really big popular flavor that came out in November, around the holiday. I try to keep certain flavors seasonal but that one’s always requested. What’s the importance of family in the business? My mom’s been passed away from breast cancer for 21 years now and since it’s her recipes that we started with, I felt that she should have a part of it. So we named it after her, the logo of the silhouette is of her, and my children are grown with their own children and we all just kicked around ideas and had a little part of all of it. So, for me it’s been a family business and we all have our own little duties. BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 17
THURSDAY
THURSDAY
7
BLACKFOOT GYPSIES What: What once was a duo has grown into a four-piece exploratory committee of all things Americana. The band infuses blues, soul, rock and folk for a front-porch, mudslinging, boot-stomping amalgam that’s gritty, raw and full of life. If the band’s live show can conjure up all the spirit of its recordings, I’d expect the Muse to be left in a ball of sweat by show’s end with nothing but music’s ghost left behind. When: 8 p.m. Where: Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. More: $8-$10. 704-376-3737. eveningmuse.com. — JEFF HAHNE
18 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
7
THINGS TO DO
TOP TEN
Blackfoot Gypsies THURSDAY
FRIDAY
8
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
8
9
QC TNT
WELL RED COMEDY TOUR
MORGAN MYLES
BASH AT THE BOT
What: Attention baristas and coffee connoisseurs: This latte art throwdown is the chance you’ve been waiting for to show off your skills in slinging steamed milk and producing lotus flowers and other artsy marks on brews. Not participating in the competition? Come anyway. It’s a spectacle and, if you’re lucky, you might snag a drink from one of the contestants.
What: It’s not everyday that Trae Crowder, better known as the “Liberal Redneck,” comes to Charlotte. But after teaming up with writing partners Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan to produce viral videos and blogs, he’s welcome anytime. The trio is bringing its Southern-fried humor to Warehouse PAC and you damned well better show some manners and be there for some laughter.
What: Originally a student of the Berklee College of Music, Morgan Myles finished her schooling at Belmont in Tennessee. Her music is a blend of country and soul that earned her accolades from Rolling Stone as an artist to watch. She released her first solo album in 2009, but in the years since she’s developed and matured as an artist and is on the verge of worthy attention in the country realm.
What: It’s been one year since Wooden Robot Brewery opened its doors in South End. Since then the brewers at the Bot have produced lots of tasty brews, Good Morning Vietnam being our favorite. The birthday celebration will feature new and old brews in addition to a specially crafted menu from the folks at Twisted Eats, the brewery’s staple food truck.
When: 7 p.m. Where: Not Just Coffee, 7th Street Public Market, 224 E. 7th St. More: Free for spectators; $5 to compete. 704-817-3868. 7thstreetpublicmarket.com/shops/ not-just-coffee/. — ANITA OVERCASH
When: 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. Where: Warehouse Performing Arts Center, 9216 Westmoreland Road, Cornelius. More: $22. 704-619-0429. warehousepac.com. — OVERCASH
When: 8 p.m. Where: Tin Roof, 210 E. Trade St. More: Free. 704-910-1330. tinroofcharlotte.com. — HAHNE
When: 12 p.m.-12 a.m. Where: Wooden Robot Brewery, 1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 110. More: $5 entry and one beer. 980819-7875. woodenrobotbrewery. com. — OVERCASH
At The Fork WEDNESDAY
All For One Brass Band SUNDAY
NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS
Morgan Myles FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
9
MONDAY
10
CHUCK JOHNSON & CHARLYHORSE
When: 9 p.m. Where: Double Door Inn, 1218 Charlottetowne Ave. More: $12.50-$15. 704-376-1446. doubledoorinn.com. — HAHNE
13
11
ALL FOR ONE BRASS BAND
What: Charlotte’s Chuck Johnson & Charlyhorse have been able to find that Americana sweet spot that’s a bit country, a bit rock ‘n’ roll and equal parts timeless and modern. The band’s February release, Barb Wire, fueled them for a strong start the year. Opening the show is another talented Charlotte act — Henry River Honey. And, hey, it’s at the Double Door, so get out and show love to the locals.
WEDNESDAY
What: When this all brass ensemble hits the stage there’s lots of soul and little elbow room. All For One Brass Band brought a taste of New Orleans to the Q.C. back in June when they played Double Door Inn. Now, the group is returning for a performance — with The Social Contract, Unity Band and DJ Swale — at Snug Harbor. From playing the streets of NOLA to music venues across the States, this is a fun bunch to see without the trip down to the bayou. When: 10 p.m. Where: Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. More: $5. snugrock.com. — OVERCASH
VICTORIA CANAL What: Victoria Canal’s debut album, Into the Pull, came out in January. A nomadic soloist, her music is soulful with pop and acoustic elements, sometimes sounding similar to pop songstress Sara Bareilles. In her debut music video, “Unclear,” she laments on the struggles that come a music career. She sings: “Do I want to go down this road?” Commonwealth Avenue? Yes, Victoria.
When: 8 p.m. Where: Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave. More: $6. 704-332-6608. petraspianobar.com — OVERCASH
WEDNESDAY
13
AT THE FORK
KILLING WOMEN
What: This new documentary, created by filmmaker (and omnivore) John Papola and his wife, digs deep into how farm animals are raised for consumption and what conventional farms in industrial America look like. In doing so, he also questions what we’re eating and drinking and how we can make a difference to our health while ensuring there are ethical practices for the animals that make it onto our plates.
What: The title of this Stephen Seay Production, written by Marisa Wegrzyn and directed by Seay, isn’t about eliminating a gender for a males only world. Instead, it’s about the ironies of Corporate America and, more specifically, womens rights within the work terrain. After having to fight for promotions, benefits and fair pay, the angry women in this play take matters into their own hands — which, just so happen to be armed.
When: 7 p.m. Where: Studio Movie Grill, 210 E. Trade St. More: $10. studiomoviegrill.com.
When: 7:30 p.m.; Through July 23. Where: UpStage, 3306 N. Davidson St., Suite C. More: $15-$25. 704-749-4245. upstagenoda.com.
— OVERCASH
— OVERCASH
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 19
ARTS
COVERSTORY
WARNER BROS.
Jean-Pierre Léaud and Jacqueline Bisset in Day for Night.
A SHOT IN THE DARK Hollywood turns the camera on itself in new film series BY MATT BRUNSON
I
F IT’S NOT an 11-yearold girl being shot through the chest by a gang member at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, then it’s hippies gleefully dropping acid — and dropping their undies — at ImaginOn. Sam Shapiro is the man directly responsible for such illegal activities, but he does draw the line at butter between the buttocks. 20 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
Shapiro, the Main Library’s film programmer extraordinaire, has spent the past 20-plus years (23, for those keeping exact score) booking cinema series on behalf of the venerable institution. His approach has been an all-inclusive one, selecting movies ranging from the silent era to the modern era, from Westerns and war pics to musicals and monster flicks, from films
rated G to films rated ... well... “Since these are films that are open to the general public, meaning all ages, I have to be somewhat careful of content,” Shapiro explains. “In my pre-film introductions, I warn audiences of the fact that the movie they’re about to see contains scenes of cinematic violence — especially if there happen to be youngsters accompanied by
parents in the audience. But really, it has never been an issue. I’ve shown films like John Carpenter’s Assault on Precinct 13, Milos Forman’s Hair and Roman Polanski’s Macbeth in various series, and nobody complained or stormed out of the auditorium. After all, adults are the primary audience for my film programs. “On the other hand, I have no plans at
Martin Landau and Johnny Depp in Ed Wood. this time to show Last Tango in Paris,” he adds, referring to the notorious 1972 film in which Marlon Brando introduces butter to the sexual equation. While butter might be in short supply in the latest film series that’s set to kick off this weekend, the dairy industry is still well represented in that the selected works prove to be the cream of an irresistible crop. “Hollywood Shoots Itself” showcases a lineup of 11 critical and/or commercial hits in which the subject of each movie is no less than cinema itself. The chosen titles, handpicked by Shapiro (with a couple suggested by his Facebook friends and fellow film fans), include such genuine classics as Sullivan’s Travels and Singin’ in the Rain as well as more recent gems like The Player and Living in Oblivion. And jump-starting the series’ run this Saturday, July 9, is the 1950 masterpiece Sunset Boulevard, with Gloria Swanson as the faded silver-screen star who famously declares, “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” Swanson’s Norma Desmond isn’t the only larger-than-life character who will be uttering immortal phrases. The memorable
BUENA VISTA
snatches of dialogue continue through the last movie in the series: Ed Wood (screening Feb. 4, 2017), in which Oscar-winning Martin Landau, as horror star Bela Lugosi, brings enormous depths of humility and humanity even to such lines as “I think she’s a honey. Look at those jugs.” In between, we’re treated to further stellar efforts, ones focusing on directors (The Stunt Man), producers (The Bad and the Beautiful) and actors (Day for Night). Even that most ignored and most maligned of creatures, the lowly screenwriter (the Tinseltown equivalent of kickers in the NFL), figures into the proceedings — well, one gets murdered at some point in The Player. Take that as you will. “I’ve always been fascinated by how filmmakers depict the creative process of their own art,” says Shapiro in revealing the impetus for the series. “I also like how some of these films, such as Day for Night and Living in Oblivion, depict the business side of filmmaking, such as the need to complete shooting within a budgeted timeframe and the need to maintain a delicate balance between art and commerce.” As Shapiro also notes, the selected
FOX
Marty Feldman (right) in Silent Movie. pictures manage to cover a wide range of genres, including melodramas and musicals. Indeed, variety has always been an integral part of the Main Library’s film programs, even before he became involved. “I’ve been programming films and film series for almost 25 years,” he offers. “But I wasn’t the first to do this at the Main Library. Don White, my mentor and the former manager of the now-defunct Film & Sound Department, used to facilitate a highly popular film series there, in which he presented classic Hollywood movies.” It’s a tradition which Shapiro has continued with passion, screening works at both the library and, since 2006, ImaginOn as well. “Since I began programming films,
there has never been a year that I have not screened movies for audiences. During that time, I have covered practically every conceivable genre. I have also presented retrospectives on specific directors, such as Joseph Mankiewicz and Howard Hawks. I have presented film retrospectives on specific actors, like Barbara Stanwyck and Buster Keaton. And I have presented film retrospectives on specific decades, such as the 1950s and the 1970s.” Even though Shapiro has been booking titles ever since the first Clinton held the White House, he certainly doesn’t plan on applying the brakes anytime soon: He’s already thinking about dedicating future series to such important directors as Orson Welles and Billy Wilder, and he’s long been CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 21
ARTS
COVERSTORY
MGM
Lana Turner in The Bad and the Beautiful. interested in building a program around classic foreign films. He’s also not above producing a sequel to “Hollywood Shoots Itself,” adding a second run of titles as he’s done in the past with his Alfred Hitchcock and “Made in 1984” series. “It’s true that I selected a theme that potentially opens the door to further entries,” he admits, “perhaps a series titled ‘Return of Hollywood Shoots Itself’ or ‘Hollywood Shoots Itself Again and Again.’ I might consider adding Barton Fink, the Coen Brothers’ rather nightmarish excursion into Hollywood, or even the great French film Irma Vep. But we’ll see how well this first series is received and attended.” If the past is any indication, attendance won’t be a problem. “While many of the films I present are available on cable or DVD, I’ve become convinced that audiences prefer to experience classic movies in a theater or auditorium setting. For example, I recently screened the Harold Lloyd silent comedy Speedy at ImaginOn, with Ethan Uslan providing live piano accompaniment, to an enthusiastic audience of 130. You could literally sense the electric excitement in the auditorium — that simply cannot be duplicated or captured in a home setting, regardless of the superior technology in your living room or den.” 22 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
And speaking of superior technology, Shapiro has found himself going with the flow of the times when it comes to presenting his movies in the best format available. “Back in the early ‘90s, I showed films exclusively on 16mm,” he reveals. “Then I began showing them on VHS, and now I show them either on DVD or Blu-ray. Perhaps streaming is next. Whatever the format, the audience just wants to see the film!”
FILMS ON FILM “Hollywood Shoots Itself: 11 Movies About Movies” will be screened July 9 through Feb. 4, 2017, with the first five pictures showing at ImaginOn and the rest playing at the Main Library. All films will be presented at 2 p.m. on Saturdays, and admission is free. July 9: SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950). A struggling writer (William Holden) becomes involved with a former film star (Gloria Swanson) and her director-cum-husbandcum-manservant (Erich von Stroheim). July 23: DAY FOR NIGHT (1973). A director (played by the film’s actual writerdirector, François Truffaut) tries to keep his stars happy and get his movie completed.
July 30: SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1941). A successful director (Joel McCrea) feels it’s no longer appropriate to make fluffy entertainment and hits the road to gather research for an important “social message” picture he plans to call O Brother, Where Art Thou? Aug. 13: SILENT MOVIE (1976). A director (Mel Brooks, who also wrote and directed) and his pals (Marty Feldman and Dom DeLuise) plan to revive the art of silent cinema with the aid of some big stars (cue the cameos by Paul Newman, Burt Reynolds, and more). Aug. 20: SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952). Various folks, including a popular actor (Gene Kelly) and his wisecracking best friend (Donald Connor), try to weather the transition from silent films to talking pictures. Aug. 27: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL (1952). A producer (Kirk Douglas) hopes to finance a film with the help of three people he previously betrayed: an actress (Lana Turner), a director (Barry Sullivan) and a screenwriter (Dick Powell). Sept. 10: THE PLAYER (1992). An assertive Hollywood executive (Tim Robbins)
finds his job security threatened by the studio heads and his life threatened by the person sending him ominous, anonymous postcards. Nov. 12: THE STUNT MAN (1980). A possibly crazed director (Peter O’Toole) agrees to shield a fugitive (Steve Railsback) from the law, if said fugitive agrees to risk his life as his picture’s new stunt man. Dec. 3: LIVING IN OBLIVION (1995). An eager-beaver young director (Steve Buscemi) struggles to make a feature film with the help — and hindrance — of an insecure leading lady (Catherine Keener) and a self-centered actor (James Le Gros). Jan. 7: BOMBSHELL (1933). Tired of pushy studio executives and avaricious hangers-on, a sexy superstar (Jean Harlow) contemplates giving up her success and taking a stab at leading a normal life. Feb. 4: ED WOOD (1994). A hopelessly untalented, cross-dressing moviemaker (Johnny Depp) relies on miniscule budgets and offbeat friends — including Bela Lugosi (Martin Landau) — to help him get such turkeys as Plan 9 from Outer Space and Glen or Glenda in the can.
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ARTS
FILM
HOLLYWOOD & VINE Tarzan returns to the swinger lifestyle in new adventure BY MATT BRUNSON
I
N MY YOUTH, I used to mainline Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Tarzan novels as if I were Al Pacino snorting up all that cocaine in Scarface. My habit extended to the filmic versions, including all 12 Johnny Weissmuller yarns, most of the Gordon Scotts and Lex Barkers, the TV series starring Ron Ely, and 1984’s intelligent and handsomely mounted Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. I even suffered through the 1981 Bo Derek atrocity Tarzan, the Ape Man, a movie so agonizingly awful in every regard that critic Leonard Maltin, in his annual Movie Guide, amusingly wrote that it “nearly forced editors of this book to devise a rating lower than BOMB.” Like James Bond, Tarzan on screen has never gone away, but unlike the dapper double-oh agent, his movie appearances rarely generate much notice — one would have to go back to the final year of the last century to find a Tarzan flick that more than 12 people saw (that would be Disney’s 1999 animated take). The Legend of Tarzan (**1/2 out of four) seeks to jumpstart the franchise for a new generation, and it certainly puts its money where its mythology is. It’s directed by David Yates (helmer of the final four Harry Potter pics), it stars former True Blood hottie Alexander Skarsgård as the ape man, and it features a supporting cast led by two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, ever-popular Samuel L. Jackson, and current Hollywood “It Girl” Margot Robbie. The script by Craig Brewer and Adam Cozad dispenses with the familiar origin story in a couple of flashbacks and instead opts to begin with the former jungle man already having assumed the mantle of Lord John Clayton III, Earl of Greystoke, back in England. Happily married to Jane Porter (Robbie), he’s talked into heading back to Africa by George Washington Williams (Jackson), a human rights activist and, interestingly, an actual historical figure who protested the cruel treatment and enslavement of Africans in the Congo, all under the order of Belgian King Leopold II. Another real-life character appears in the form of Léon Rom (Waltz), the king’s emissary in the Congo and a sadist who reportedly kept the decapitated heads 24 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
of local blacks in his garden. Thankfully, nothing this Rom does is quite that awful, but he’s nevertheless an amoral opportunist and the primary reason Lord Clayton shucks his duds and returns to the swinger lifestyle. With his soulful eyes and ripped abs, Skarsgård is more than acceptable as Tarzan, although the same can’t be said for his costars. Robbie is rather drab as Jane, while Jackson again proves to be too contemporary an actor to be believable in a period setting. Waltz is fine, but we’ve seen him play this part before. As for the animals — well, there are none. Part of the joy of the Burroughs adaptations of yore was watching Tarzan and Jane interact with the jungle denizens, but here everything has been created by computer. Indeed, the fact that the movie has been CGIed to death is one of its biggest shortcomings — even the jungles created on the studio back lots were more convincing than the sterile sheen that dogs this picture’s every move. As with The BFG, imagination too often takes a back seat to artifice, and while this film’s robust energy makes it the better bet of the two, the return to the intersection of Hollywood and vine deserved a more memorable retelling.
HERE’S THE THING: Contemporary cinema is so starved for fresh ideas and offbeat approaches that it becomes easy to gravitate toward anything that looks different, toward anything that looks as if it could be as uncompromising, as outthere and, frankly, as brilliant as David Lynch’s Eraserhead or Spike Jonze’s Being John Malkovich. Swiss Army Man (* out of four), emerging from the festival circuit with ample buzz, looked as if it could be such a picture. Its helmers are Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (collectively known as The Daniels), the jokers responsible for the dazzling music video for DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s glorious party anthem “Turn Down for What.” With its pulsating penises, bouncing boobs, and gonzo artfulness, the video was the perfect calling card to present to a film industry needing something new. Alas, Swiss Army Man isn’t the cinematic savior we required. The fine performances by Paul Dano as a suicidal castaway and Daniel Radcliffe as the flatulent corpse who becomes
Margot Robbie and Alexander Skarsgård in The Legend of Tarzan. his BFF (as opposed to his BFG) aren’t nearly enough compensation when matched against a screenplay that’s isn’t innovative as much as it’s simply idiotic. Incessantly annoying with its mix of sophomoric humor and studied affectedness (in much the same way as Fight Club appealed to insecure and untethered Generation X/Millennial males, this film is guaranteed to become a hipster fave and a rallying point for years to come), the picture also manages to grow exceedingly tedious, a real feat considering its unique trappings. Or are they really that unique? By the end, it becomes apparent that this has basically been a dude-bro movie about a stunted man-boy with both a penchant for scatological situations and a firm belief that harassing uninterested women is his Godgiven right as an American male. So how is this different from every other movie hitting the multiplex these days?
AN ADAPTATION OF the beloved book by Roald Dahl, The BFG (** out of four) reminded me of the scene in (of all things) History of the World: Part I in which a bored
WARNER BROS.
Emperor Nero (Dom DeLuise) is presented with a wooden bathtub and mutters, “Nice. Nice. Not thrilling, but nice.” That, in a nutshell, is the same reaction that occurs when presented with this family film from no less than Steven Spielberg. Spielberg’s presence immediately rekindles memories of that childhood masterpiece E.T. the ExtraTerrestrial, but this film is a far cry from that enduring piece of celluloid magic. Unlike that 1982 blockbuster, The BFG isn’t emotionally gripping or excitingly staged. It’s just ... nice. Say this for motion capture, though: It’s come a long way, baby. Yet while its application to human faces and expressions is vastly improved — compare the big friendly giant voiced by Mark Rylance here to the boring, stiff conductor voiced by Tom Hanks in 2004’s The Polar Express — it still isn’t always up to speed in other regards. Character movement and object definition often look graceless, and, unless Andy Serkis is somehow involved, the procedure still suffers from a distancing effect that’s long been conquered by just about every other form of animation. Still, the limitations of motion
HOME ALL WEEKEND! THURS-SUN Charlotte Knights vs. Gwinnett Braves
Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe in Swiss Army Man. capture are only part of the problem. More detrimental is the fact that the movie exhibits little of the subversive bite of other Dahl adaptations like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Matilda, and it exhibits even less of the excitement and sense of adventure we’ve come to expect from Spielberg when he’s in a playful — rather than Oscar-courting — mood. Even the patented Spielberg humor seems off, as the comic highlight (also in the book) is supposed to be a flatulent giant — a letdown when compared to, say, the fate of the swordsman in Raiders of the Lost Ark or Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw comparing scars in Jaws. Many kids and even some adults will adore these gassy scenes and rate the entirety of The BFG as A-OK; others will look at this lumbering behemoth of a film and simply wonder WTF.
THE FIRST INANITY in Independence Day: Resurgence (*1/2 out of four) — and what is this sequel to the 1996 smash Independence Day if not an endless stream of inanities? — arrives when it’s revealed that the entire global community felt so connected in a United Colors of Benetton sort of way following the defeat of the invading aliens 20 years ago that everyone has lived in peace ever since. There have been no territorial wars, no terrorist psychos blowing up buildings, no televised Sean Hannity rants against the dangers of “libtards,” apparently not even a couple of kids throwing spastic punches in the schoolyard. And that Kumbaya feeling only threatens to expand once those nasty extraterrestrial’s return for the 20-year reunion, again set on annihilating all of
A24
humankind. Will Smith may have opted not to collect a sizable paycheck for a sequel that reeks of cash-grabbing desperation, but practically everyone else is back, including Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and the late Robert Loggia (who passed away last December). Director Roland Emmerich was even kind enough to awaken Brent Spiner out of his 20-year coma so he could again play Dr. Okun, likewise emerging from a 20-year coma. (I kid: Since the days of portraying Data, Spiner has kept busy toiling on TV.) The problem, though, isn’t the oldtimers — it’s the newcomers. While the original ID contained characters who kept us entertained, this picture adds characters — and their attendant actors — who are so devoid of personality, they barely register as living organisms. Chief among the culprits is The Hunger Games’ Liam Hemsworth as a cross between Top Gun’s Maverick and a rock, but others guilty as charged include Jessie T. Usher as the son of Smith’s character (that adorable little kid in ID, played by Ross Bagley, must have had all the personality beaten out of him to have grown into this stiff) and not one but two actors added for irritating comic relief: Travis Tope as a womanobsessed nerd and Nicolas Wright as a more generic nerd. In Independence Day, we pulled for the humans; in this daft, dreary and derivative sequel, our sympathies rest entirely with any otherworldly creature who can just shut these guys up.
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ARTS
HAPPENINGS
COMEDY The Comedy Zone Fight Night Comedy Competition. July 12, 8 p.m. Greg Warren. July 13, 8 p.m. 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd., Suite B3. 980-321-4702. cltcomedyzone.com. Wet Willie’s Charlotte Comedy Theater. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. $10. 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd., Suite C-1. charlottecomedytheater.com.
FILM Hollywood Shoots Itself Screening Sunset Boulevard. July 9. ImaginOn, 300 E 7th St. Kannapolis’ Summer Movies in the Park Screening The Peanuts Movie. Movie begins at 8:45 p.m. July 8. Village Park, 700 West C St., Kannapolis. Matthews Summer Movie Series Screening Into The Woods. Movie begins around 8:30 p.m. July 11. Stumptown Park, Matthews, 207 West John St., Matthews.
THEATER/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE ART Alice in Wonderland Jr. Travel down the rabbit hole and join Alice, one of literature’s most beloved heroines, in her madcap adventures. July 8, 7 p.m.; July 9, 2 and 7 p.m.; July 10, 2 p.m. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road. Haydini Haydini specializes in the art of magic and sleight of hand, mentalism, theater, and comedy. $15-$20. July 8-9, 8 p.m. Duke Energy Theater, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. Aladdin Jr. CPCC Summer theatre presents Aladdin Jr. Thurs., July 7, 10 a.m.; Fri., July 8, 10 a.m.; July 9, 10 a.m. Central Piedmont Community College’s Halton Theater, 1201 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534. arts.cpcc.edu/. Dixie’s Never Wear a Tube Top Dixie Longate, fastest-talking Tupperware lady, shares the 16 things she learned from a hard night of drinking. $24.50. July 7, 7:30 p.m.; July 8, 8 p.m.; July 9, 5 and 8:30 p.m.; Through July 24. Booth Playhouse, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-3721000. blumenthalarts.org. Slueth CPCC’s Summer Theatre presents 26 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
Sleuth. July 7-9, 7:30 p.m.; July 10, 2:30 p.m. Central Piedmont Community College’s Pease Auditorium, 1200 Elizabeth Ave. 704-330-6534. tix.cpcc.edu/. The Tempest A teen performance experience of this William Shakespeare classic. July 7, 1:30 p.m.; Fri., July 8, 7 p.m. ImaginOn, 300 E 7th St. The Wizard of Oz Rediscover the classical musical of Dorthy and her friends along the yellow brick road with a few surprises along the way. July 7, 1:30 p.m.; July 8, 7 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. The Mikado: A Video Game and Anime Misadventure Musical comedy meets cosplay in this hilarious trip to the town of Titipu, where flirting is a capital offense and princes come disguised as ocarina players. Presented by the Little Opera Company of Charlotte. $5-$10. Central Piedmont Community College’s Tate Hall, 1206 Elizabeth Ave. Killing Women Presented by Stephen Seay Productions. A raucous comic exploration of the ironies and insanities of corporate America where even professional assassins are fighting for their benefits. $15-$25. Continues through July 23. UpStage, 3306-C North Davidson St. upstagenoda.com.
MORE EVENTS Charlotte Knights vs. Gwinnett Braves July 7-8, 7:05 p.m.; Fri., July 8, 7:05 p.m.; July 9, 6:05 p.m.; July 10, 2:05 p.m. BB&T Ballpark, 324 South Mint St. milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t494. National Beer Mile The one-mile course designed for fitness enthusiasts, social drinkers and party-goers and is capped off by an after party. Tickets at nationalbeermile.com. $30$50. July 9, 12 p.m. N.C. Music Factory, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. Pepperbox Pop-Ups July 10, 2 p.m. (recurring, every second Sunday of the month). Tip Top Daily Market, 2902 The Plaza.; July 16, 2 p.m. Legion Brewing, 1906 Commonwealth Ave. UrbanZue Visual Jungle An action packed art gallery featuring live music, art, games and more. $20. July 9, 6 p.m.-11 p.m. Studio 1212, 1212 E. 10th St.
CRAFTSOCAILCLUB
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 27
MUSIC
FEATURE
VOCALLY PLEASING Emily King shifts to headlining shows BY ANITA OVERCASH
“
O
H, YOU POOR thing. You should probably rest your voice,” Emily King says, sounding more concerned than annoyed during our interview. At the beginning of our phone conversation, I’ve informed her that I’m suffering from a bad case of laryngitis. “I’ll rest later,” I reassure her with the focus more on our interview and my looming deadline than my irritated vocal cords. King is patient, listening to me squeak out words, sigh, and start sentences over again when my vocal cords fail. King is also lucky, she’s never had laryngitis while on tour — and that’s a damn good thing for someone who relies on her vocal cords so much. Hers are soulful and smooth, coating those pop and R&B melodies that have earned her much praise in the music world. And then, there’s genetics. King comes from a family of musicians — her mother and father that she knows of — and was exposed to the stage earlier than she can remember. On her latest album, 2015’s The Switch, she sings about the positive effects that her family has had on her life and career. “For Them” is a song for, well... them. “It’s an ode to my family, who is made up of artists,” she says. “We’re all very individual artists but were also family so we support each other kind of in all aspects of life, careers and everything else. I think it’s definitely one of the more sentimental songs that I have on the record that really represents how I was raised and how we still help each other develop our craft.” Though they haven’t worked together on any projects, King credits the early exposure and ongoing support from her parents to helping her hone her skills as a singer/ songwriter. Her debut album, 2007’s East Side Story, earned her a Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary R&B Album.” And while she didn’t take home the award, she felt surprised and lucky to have been a nominee so early in her career. While proud of East Side Story, King struggled with a major 28 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
SHERVIN LAINEZ
Emily King performs at Visulite Theatre on July 8. record label’s rushed recording process. “I think I wasn’t mature enough to understand the importance of sticking to my guns and trying to find my own voice. I’m glad I was able to come out of the other side and have the time to figure myself out. But I try to look at it all with gratitude because I learned a lot.” In 2008, after parting ways with the label, King decided to embrace a more DIY approach to making records. 2011’s Seven, a self-produced EP that was recorded in her
home, is the by product of that decision. King’s second studio album, The Switch — being released as a deluxe album with extra tracks and demos on July 8 — continued her self-guided approach and was released in June of 2015 on her own label Making Music Records. “My limitations always slightly influence my music and force me to work harder. It changes the sound of the record in certain ways because we work with the tools that we have but it forces us to be more creative when
we’re doing things with limited equipment or limited instrumentation and things like that. It’s been an important process for me and it’s wonderful to now know how to engineer my own sessions, which is what I prefer to do.” In her musical approach, King writes and records most of her songs before figuring out how the live arrangement will be orchestrated. But sometimes while on the road, she finds the time to experiement and map out songs prior to recording them. Since she’s opened for an array of
MUSIC
REVIEW
EMILY KING $15-$18. Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704-358-9200. visulite.com.
popular musicians over the past years, she’s been exposed to an assortment of diverse audiences. But now, she’s ready to stand on her own two feet. She comes to Charlotte for a headlining performance at Visulite Theatre on July 8. The last time she was in Charlotte, King recalls, she was opening for pop songstress Sara Bareilles in 2014. King launched her own second headlining tour earlier this year. “It’s been amazing and it feels all the better because I have had the experience of opening for artists for so long. I’m thankful for that experience, but now that I know what it feels like to have my own show. I just want to keep going from there because I feel
that’s the only way I can really fully express myself as a performer is to give it that full concert. It feels amazing to have people come to my shows.” AOVERCASH@CLCLT.COM
THE AVETT BROTHERS TRUE SADNESS AMERICAN/REPUBLIC; RELEASE DATE: JUNE 24, 2016
Win a VIP Acoustic Show Package. VISIT clclt.com/charlotte/freestuff.
LET’S TOSS ASIDE any preconceived notions of “they haven’t been the same since working with Rick Rubin” or “big labels have only given them polish.” Everyone’s aware of the raw grit of the Avett Brothers’ early work and the slight pop and rock infusions of the band’s three American Records/Rick Rubinproduced efforts — I and Love and You, The Carpenter and Magpie and the Dandelion.
presentation. “Satan Pulls the Strings” brings the listener to church — an 1800s, wood-pewed church that’s having its demons exorcised by David Childers. “Victims of Life” sounds like a tribute to Paul Simon with its acoustic strumming and Latin rhythms. “Divorce Separation Blues” offers a bit of introspection from Seth Avett, though perhaps the yodeling is a bit much.
Each album, while compared to previous works, should also be looked at independently. On its own, I and Love and You was stellar. The Carpenter showed the band spreading its wings into electric territory while still offering honest lyrics and approaches. Magpie, to me, was little more than a collection of B-sides and Carpenter leftovers. And now we have True Sadness, the band’s ninth studio album and, in many ways, a return to its roots. It’s not only a refocused effort on more of its acoustic beginnings, but a homage of sorts to Seth and Scott Avett’s gospel upbringing. “Ain’t No Man” has that big sing-along energy in its stomp-and-clap
It’s easy to bring up a shark cliche and suggest the band needs to move forward to stay alive and can’t be still, but the Avetts have found a way to continue moving forward without losing their identity. They could have easily gone the Mumford route and plugged it all in and gone for arena rock bombast. Instead, The Avett Brothers continue to remain steadfast in their talents and songwriting without forgetting who they are or where they cam from while using the talents of a fuller band having long grown from the trio they started out as. — JEFF HAHNE CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 29
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MUSIC
SOUNDBOARD
JULY 7 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL *Blackfoot Gypsies (The Evening Muse) Jon Stickley Trio (Visulite Theatre) The Skyla Burrell Blues Band (Double Door Inn)
CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH
DJ/ELECTRONIC
Bearden Music Series w/ Mint Julep Jazz Band Swing (Romare Bearden Park) Nita B (Comet Grill)
River Jam Series w/ Scythian (U.S. National Whitewater Center)
COUNTRY/FOLK
POP/ROCK Alecz Yeager (Comet Grill) Alex Christie (RiRa Irish Pub) Alive After Five w/ Breakfast Club - ‘80s Tribute Band (Rooftop 210) Jon Linker (Tin Roof) *Shiprocked (Snug Harbor)
+ LATE NIGHT SPECIAL FRI 7/8
EMILY KING FRI 7/8
THE
THU 7/14
ROOSEVELTS
+ PORCH 40
FRI 7/29
Wed 8/17
PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG
JULY 8 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Downtown Gastonia Summer Concert Series w/ The Extraordinaires (Downtown Gastonia) Jazzy Fridays (Freshwaters Restaurant)
COUNTRY/FOLK Jesco White and the Dancing Outlaw W/ Snake Blood Remedy, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine (Amos’ Southend) The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) Morgan Myles (Tin Roof) Wonky Tonk, Ty March (Evening Muse)
*Chuck Johnson & Charlyhorse w/ Henry River Honey (Double Door Inn) *Megan Jean & The KFB w/ The Mobros, Heart of a Ghost (Petra’s) Robert Earl Keen (Neighborhood Theatre)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B *All For One Brass Band w/ The Social Contract, DJ Swale, Unity (Snug Harbor)
POP/ROCK Blakeney Summer Music Series w/ Hot Sauce Band (Blakeney Shopping Center) Control, Patois Counselors, Suit City, Bad Friends (Milestone) Craig Veltri, Pluto for Planet (Tin Roof) Eliot Bronson, Mike Ramsey (The Evening Muse) Jem Crossland Rockabilly Duo (Puckett’s Farm Equipment) Late Night Special (RiRa Irish Pub) River Jam Series w/ Urban Soil (U.S. National Whitewater Center) *The Sammies w/ Radio Lola (Visulite Theatre) Smoky Porch Music Fest (Amos’ Southend) Stonecrest Summer Concert Series w/ Skate Rink Jukebox (Stonecrest Shopping Center)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B
Umphrey’s McGee (The Fillmore Charlotte)
Drop !t w/ Slander (The Fillmore) *Emily King (Visulite Theatre) Off The Wall Fab 5 Year Anniversary (Petra’s)
JULY 10
POP/ROCK Blakeney Summer Music Series w/ Stella Rising (Blakeney Shopping Center) *Future Theives w/ Guthrie Brown (The Evening Muse) Gruzer, The Medusa, Black Ritual, Blackwater Drowning (Milestone) Matt Stratford Duo (RiRa Irish Pub)
32 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
JULY 9
Carrie Newcomer (Stage Door Theater)
R&B Live (Studio Movie Grille)
JON STICKLEY TRIO
Trent Glisson (Tin Roof)
COUNTRY/FOLK
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B
THUR 7/7
Poontanglers w/ Crank County Daredevils, Shallows (Snug Harbor) Stonecrest Summer Concert Series w/ Skate Rink Jukebox (Stonecrest Shopping Center)
CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Jazz Workshop and Improv featuring John Shaughnessy (Petra’s)
POP/ROCK El Escapado, The Hooliganz, Bionic Donkey, The Monterreys (Milestone) Omari and the Hellraisers (Comet Grill) Sense of Purpose f. Paul Agee, Chris Allen,
T U E S D AY S Live Jazz & Joe Lindsay, Jody Gholson (Tyber Creek Pub)
JULY 11 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH The Monday Night Allstars (The Double Door Inn)
DJ/ELECTRONIC Knockturnal (Snug Harbor)
$6 Glasses of Wine
G re at Wagon Roa d
W E D N E S D AY S
Tuesdays and Wednesdays 7pm
Modern Heritage Weekly Mix Tape (Snug
Open Mic & Martin Night
Thursdays and Fridays 6 & 7pm
Harbor)
with $2 Off All Whiskies
Saturdays at 1, 2, 3, & 4
Young (Milestone) Jettison Five Duo (RiRa Irish Pub)
Open Mic Night (Comet Grill)
COMING SOON Steve Miller Band (July 17; CMCU Amphitheater)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B #MFGD Open Mic (Apostrophe Lounge)
5 Seconds of Summer (July 18; PNC Music Pavilion)
POP/ROCK
Lindsey Stirling (July 19; Ovens Auditorium)
*Victoria Canal w/ Haley Greene, Nico DelucaVerley (Petra’s)
Trapt (July 21; Amos Southend)
Wicked Powers (Comet Grill)
Pavilion)
JULY 12
Garbage (July 23; The Fillmore)
CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH
Sarah Jarosz (July 24; McGlohon Theater)
Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn)
Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa (July 24; PNC Music
COUNTRY/FOLK Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Tuesday Night Jam w/ The Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s Cafe)
POP/ROCK *Black Fleet w/ Caged In, Space Wizard (Snug Harbor) Fairplay & Special Guests (Lucky Lou’s Tavern) *LaserSpectacular Presents the Music of Pink Floyd (Neighborhood Theatre) *Lost Love w/ The Commonwealth, Beach Bath, Amity Pointe (Milestone)
JULY 13 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL *Patabamba w/ The Commons (Snug Harbor) Zolopht (Double Door Inn)
T H U R S D AY S Record Spinning Dance Party with Our
Dist ille ry Tours
Book Your Tour Now at W W W. G W R D I S T I L L I N G . C O M
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Kool and the Gang (July 22; PNC Music follow us @brokenspokenc & @gwrdistilling
Gwen Stefani (July 23; PNC Music Pavilion)
Pavilion) Peter Frampton, Gregg Allman (July 26; CMCU Amphitheater) Counting Crows, Rob Thomas (July 27; PNC Music Pavilion) Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Of Mice & Men (Aug. 2; PNC Music Pavilion) Bush, Chevelle (Aug. 9; CMCU Amphitheatre) Motion City Soundtrack (Aug 10; The Fillmore) Dixie Chicks (Aug. 13; PNC Music Pavilion) Goo Goo Dolls (Aug. 28; CMCU Amphitheatre) Florida Georgia Line (Sept. 10; PNC Music Pavilion) Heart, Joan Jett, Cheap Trick (Sept. 16; PNC Music Pavilion) Brian Wilson (Sept. 19; Belk Theater) Puff Daddy (Sept. 20; Time Warner Cable
COUNTRY/FOLK Open Mic (Comet Grill) Tucker Beathard (Coyote Joe’s)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Party in the Park w/ Band of Oz (Romare Bearden Park)
POP/ROCK Austin Lucas, Matt Woods, Dead Cat, Em
Arena) James Bay (Sept. 25; The Fillmore) * - CL Recommends
NEED DIRECTIONS? Check out our website at clclt.
com. CL online provides addresses, maps and directions from your location. Send us your concert listings: E-mail us at aovercash@clclt. com or fax it to 704-522-8088. We need the date, venue, band name and contact name and number. The deadline is each Wednesday, one week before publication. CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 33
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NIGHTLIFE
JULY 4TH IN THE QUEEN CITY A look back while preparing for another adventurous weekend
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RECYCLE ME, PLEASE (Only after you’re done reading me)
As I stood in line on Friday afternoon especially if I decided to go on the limo party waiting on Vic the Chili Man — my fave bus to Uptown on that Friday night for prehot dog stand Uptown, and arguably all wedding festivities. of Charlotte — I laughed as he prepared a I was, however, looking forward to patron for the side effects of his homemade taking my parents to pre-game for the hot mustard (a rough exit after digestion). I wedding at Foxcroft Wine Co. in Dilworth. immediately thought ahead to my weekend I had been craving a meat and cheese board of booze and July 4th celebrations and after stalking the many Charlotte foodie decided I should tell him to hold the spice. Instagrams and my partner in crime had just This time last year, I was just getting tried it out on the previous weekend. She settled in a new relationship with my current boyfriend and preparing for fireworks (wink, raved about her experience so much that wink) on Lake Wylie as we made plans to a I knew it would be the perfect place to party on his friend’s pontoon boat. unwind before the wedding. There was fun in the sun all day I was also excited about the long. fact that my parents were It was my first time finally going to go on my being on a boat since I boyfriend’s boat. We’d almost drowned in Lake already planned out the Norman at a Memorial entire day, when my mom Day outing in 2015, so I was bit nervous. Who said, “Uh uh, I’m not wants to ask the person getting in that water.” I they’re dating for a life couldn’t help but roll my jacket when no one else eyes. Outside of the fact that is wearing one? Not to AERIN SPRUILL she was still traumatized by mention, I could tell from the my almost-drowning on Lake looks on everyone’s faces as my Norman, she was also mortified cousin and I stepped on the boat by the recent death of the teenager who —scantily clad — that we were going to contracted a brain-eating amoeba after a stand out. And to top it off? This black girl fulfills visit. And I must say, that terrified me too. the stereotype of not liking to get her hair But after a lot of pursuit, we had convinced wet or get in water. That meant no bonding her that she still had to experience the boat with new friends over a tube ride. Now, talk ride, with or without actually getting in the about awkward. water — in a bathing suit. But the day and night went on without a I was most looking forward to repeating hitch. As I prepared for not seeing fireworks, last year’s feature: watching yet another which my family makes an effort to see every fireworks show in the middle of Lake Wylie year, we made our way across Lake Wylie to under the night sky. I thought about the fact the perfect open viewing spot for catching the show put on by the U.S. National Whitewater that on that night last year, I was forced to Center. Date tip: fireworks under the stars get in the water to pee and how scared I was makes for an unforgettable first date. that a fish or alligator was going to devour (Disclaimer: I’m writing this before the my bottom half. This time, I was going to weekend has even started. Hence, the future pace my drinking so I could avoid any pee thoughts in past tense.) breaks in the water, especially at night. I’m This year’s July 4th celebrations, on the a self-diagnosed hypochondriac, though I other hand, were going to be interesting, had not (and still haven’t) read up on what to say the least. The weekend was going to exactly the deal was with amoeba. be filled with juggling multiple friends and family — good friends, old roommates, old Nevertheless, I knew one thing for sure best friends, frenemies from college and my — I didn’t have to go into work on Monday. parents. Why you may ask? An old roommate That meant one less day sitting in the was getting married and decided that all of office, and one less day sitting in the office these people needed to be in the same place hungover! at the same time. Lucky me. I wasn’t looking forward to the fake smiles and awkward conversations combined with an open bar. I couldn’t even imagine what arguments were in store for me,
34 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
How did you end up spending your Fourth of July weekend in the Queen City? Share it with me at backtalk@clclt.com.
ENDS
CROSSWORD
“WHAT AM I ...?” ACROSS
1 Indy 500 entrant’s skill 7 Students’ workplace with mice 12 Intensifies 20 Oman locale 21 Author Jong 22 Most importantly 23 * It flows through Metz 25 When to start a match 26 Upper limit, informally 27 English lavs 28 -- noire 29 T-Pain music 30 BMOC part 31 * Least populous state capital 37 Right one’s wrongs 39 “Brother, can you spare --?” 40 Grade of mediocrity 41 * Nonviolent protests, e.g. 47 Pier 51 See 124-Down 52 Revere 53 Less chubby 55 Opposite of “agin” 56 Any acetate, chemically 58 Caesar’s 56 60 * Manta, e.g. 62 iDevice download 65 Section of a long poem 67 Gardner of “Mayerling” 69 Reposeful 70 Life partner? 72 * London street known for tailoring 76 Island east of Java 77 Home of the Senators 79 Friend, in Nice 80 Blot out 82 Jr. officer 83 * “The Big Country” co-star 86 Sharable PC file 88 Lendl and Reitman 90 “Xanadu” group, briefly 91 Operate incorrectly 93 As red as -95 “SOS” pop quartet 99 City of old witch trials 101 * Scholarly evaluations 104 Desire 106 Exposed the secret of 107 Wastes time 108 * Noted New Yorker feature 116 Suffix with bass or solo
117 Poem that uplifts 118 April 1 trick 119 Coffin cloth 120 With 11-Down, hotel suite amenity 121 Keep off a varsity team for a year 124 What can be found in the answers to this puzzle’s eight starred clues? 129 Blood body 130 Abundant 131 Some ducks 132 “Everyday People” lead singer 133 Lugged 134 “You -- worry”
DOWN
1 Hit forcefully 2 Like cedar 3 Ladies’ man 4 Alpine goat 5 Zero 6 Last name in winemaking 7 Also-ran Ross 8 Feature of invigorating weather 9 Actress Tyler or Ullmann 10 Maven 11 See 120-Across 12 Avid 13 Cable channel for hoops fans 14 Household arts, briefly 15 Rd. relative 16 Fishtank accessory 17 Egyptian Museum site 18 Ziggy of jazz trumpet 19 Rested up 24 Almost forever 28 Geoffrey of fashion 30 PC rivals 31 Crooner Torme 32 Detroit dud 33 Kindled 34 Survivor’s elated cry 35 In a new draft 36 “Doesn’t thrill me” 38 -- -to-fiver 42 Pro -- (in proportion) 43 Shangri-las 44 To a degree, informally 45 Louse 46 K.C.-to-Detroit dir. 48 Common chalet shape
49 Basis 50 Hash house appliances 54 Zsa Zsa’s sis 57 “Friends” co-star David 59 Credible 61 Luau offering 62 Pueblo houses 63 “Downtown” singer Clark 64 Cop’s beat 66 Eggs, to Livy 68 Be different? 71 1960s chess master Mikhail 73 Driving force 74 Bay window 75 Seesaw 78 Prefix meaning “bird” 81 Fill totally 84 PC bailout key 85 California’s Big -87 Blow to the mug, to Brits 89 Remarked 92 Sitting Bull’s tribe 94 Habitual troublemaker 96 Deemed true 97 Low-budget cowboy flick 98 Secy., say 100 Sight seer 102 Hairy cousin of Morticia 103 Coq au -105 Ex -- (out of nothing) 108 Combat unit 109 Newbery-winning author Scott 110 Date of the Allies’ victory in WWII 111 “El Cid” co-star Sophia 112 Chai -113 Captured on a VCR, e.g. 114 Land in eau 115 Long-past 120 Expansive 122 Rd. relatives 123 -- up (riled) 124 With 51-Across, med. diagnostic 125 Med. insurer 126 Choose 127 Falsification 128 String past Q
SOLUTION FOUND ON P. 38.
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you to overcome. But you didn’t need me to MY WIFE AND I have been married tell you that, HAD. You knew that already. for 14 years and in a committed (I So I can only assume you wrote wanting to assumed) relationship for 17 years. Sex hear something else. You don’t need me to between us (often kinky) has always been outline the reasons you should leave, and great. We have a wonderful life together and two perfect children. I thought you don’t need my permission to go. You we were good; turns out things were wrote because you’re looking for a reason to too good to be true. I learned recently stay. I’ll give it my best shot. that my wife has been unfaithful to me A long-term relationship is a myth two throughout our marriage. She began an people create together. It’s not chemistry, affair with an older man soon before we it’s not math, it’s not engineering. It’s a were married, and they were physically story, HAD, a story we tell each other, a intimate for five years, including story we tell others, and a story we tell bondage and a master/sub relationship. ourselves. And sometimes it’s a story we The physical sex stopped, but phone sex have to revise. Right now, it feels like the and online flirting continued up until story you’ve been telling yourself and others I discovered this two weeks ago. This about your marriage is a lie: not partly, but is a man I know. She has introduced wholly. You thought your marriage was a our children to him. There’s more: She loving, committed, and “completely loyal” slept with another man (just once, more one, but it’s not — it can’t be, and it never bondage) but also flirted with him was, because she was cheating on you online and met up with him from the beginning. while I was away. She slept But loyalty isn’t something with yet another man she we demonstrate with works with (just once, our genitals alone. Your vanilla this time). She wife wasn’t loyal to you had phone sex with at sexually, HAD, and least two other men that’s painful. And the and flirted with more conventional “wisdom” on Facebook. This is that people don’t cheat came out because I was on partners they love. But jealous about something you were married to this that now seems minor DAN SAVAGE woman, and you describe and checked her email. your marriage as good, loving, (Not proud of that.) She is repentant and relieved that I and wonderful. And it somehow finally know, and she promises that managed to be all those things despite she will be faithful from now on. I’ll your wife’s betrayals. She must have been always love her, and I know she loves loyal to you in other ways or you would’ve me. We had one session with a counselor divorced her long before you discovered and another is scheduled. Results her infidelities. Think back over the last 17 were mixed. One thing that came out years: every kind and loving gesture, every was that she has never been faithful considerate action, every intimacy, every to a romantic/sexual partner. I could moment you took care of each other — was forgive a one-time drunken fling, but it all a lie? this is a consistent pattern of infidelity I’m not trying to exonerate your wife, that runs from the beginning of our and I’m not trying to minimize her betrayal marriage, and I had no idea. I cannot or your pain. But if you want to stay together, process it. I thought she had always HAD, you’re going to have to tell yourself been as loyal as I’ve been, which is to say a new story, one that makes room for completely. I can’t put my wedding ring contradiction (loves you, cheated on you), on — it feels like a lie. I have no one to betrayal (shitloads), apologies (shitloads talk to. For the sake of our future, the from her), forgiveness (shitloads from you), love we still share, and our children, and ... some accommodations going forward. we are committed to fixing things, but If I may paraphrase Maya Angelou: When we’re not sure how. someone finally shows you who they are — Heartbroken And Devastated after you found the incriminating emails — you should believe them. Your wife has I’m going to preface my response with never been faithful to you or to anyone else, what someone in my position is expected HAD, at least not sexually. Adjusting your to say and what, given the circumstances, expectations and making accommodations may even be true: Your marriage is over. The accordingly is more realistic than expecting scale, duration and psychological cruelty of your wife to become a different person. your wife’s betrayals may be too great for
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FOR ALL SIGNS: Mars is finally direct and moving slowly toward the point at which it turned retrograde. That will occur on August 22. Now we can gradually move forward with activities associated with initiatives, repairs and anything that involves tools or guns. Mars is the ancient god of war. He represents the one inside of us that protects boundaries and the one that goes after new territory. If you have hesitated for a time to pursue any of “his” activities now is the time to reevaluate whether that notion is the same or has changed. Collect the necessary tools and prepare to start in earnest in August. ARIES: Clear the cobwebs from old nonworking solutions so that a fresh perspective can emerge. This is a time in which your partner is on your side and things are flowing well between you. It is a good period for coming to agreement on circumstances that have been issues in the past. Make new beginnings; forge new paths. TAURUS: Your ruling planet, Venus, is
super-busy this week and it has complex relationships to the other planets. Your primary relationship is coming out of a darker place and showing signs of improvement. This may be true of others as well. Underneath, you have a restlessness that lends itself to boredom. It’s OK to do something wild on occasion.
SCORPIO: This is a good time to cautiously
move forward. Let yourself slide into the flow of things. Be flexible and adaptable. Cooperate with the group, whether that be two or 200. This is a good time to study any material because your thoughts are flowing. Read a book that usually wouldn’t interest you. Travel may be on your agenda. Don’t be afraid to get away for a few days. What you leave behind can wait.
SAGITTARIUS: You have the green light
on the pursuit of your goals at last but you are concerned about the cost of doing it. The money time and/or energy required may look ominous. Consider what you may negotiate now in order to reduce your concerns over risk. Take care that you don’t promise way more than you can deliver.
CAPRICORN: Your plans and ideas may
CANCER: Now is a good time to make a
AQUARIUS: Backup your computer data.
LEO: You can see encouraging progress
from your diet or exercise routine. This also applies to any mental health improvements you have recently begun. You may also have a fresh idea for improving your income. Give that some time before announcing your intentions. Don’t rush into things but stride steadily toward your goal.
VIRGO: This is a really busy week. Your
mood is expansive and optimistic. It is one of those “good luck” times that occasionally happen, even to Virgo. You have a grasp of the big picture and could use this energy to promote your projects and gain support. If you have any oral or written projects on your list this is the time to start. Do not overthink
38 | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | CLCLT.COM
favored at this time. Details and paperwork are like ducks nipping at your heels. Do what you must but don’t cheat your relationships for those details. You are feeling restless and need to try something new. Commute by a different route or go somewhere you have never visited before.
and family at this time. You could be making a purchase to improve the appearance and workability of your house and/or car. Think carefully about what is truly important to you now at this time in your life. Don’t allow old habits or rules from the past to make your decisions for you. trip for a short vacation. A break from the routine of life and focusing on something different could make a good alternative. You are in a reasonably good place with yourself at this time. Your heart and mind are flowing together. Don’t get in their way.
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LIBRA: Both income and relationships are
be challenged by another at this time. If you have done the necessary ground work you will emerge the winner. Do your best to generate a win-win situation out of the duel and avoid a frank battle of wills. You probably have the clout but running over a competitor does not win much worth having. Stay stubborn in your point but do not be overly prideful about it.
GEMINI: You are happy in your nest of home
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these projects. Once you start you will find ideas coming easier than you imagined.
Aspects suggest you may have electrical problems this week, so be sure to unplug your compyter before any looming thunderstorms. Maintenance expenses may surface. Paperwork is a challenge. You are forced to fix previous errors so you can bring the present files up to date. It’s a hassle but you will feel relieved when it is done.
PISCES: If you are in a committed
relationship, now is the time to discuss the harder subjects on the table. Your partner is listening and so are you. It may not be so easy in romance. Topics may surface but one of you will dance around them. Go right at these topics and you will not regret it in the end. Your other half will be thankful for it, as well. If you are involved in creative work stick with it.
Are you interested in a personal horoscope? Vivian Carol may be reached at 704-366-3777 for private psychotherapy or astrology appointments. (There is a fee for services) www.horoscopesbyvivian.com.
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 7 - JUL. 13, 2016 | 39
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