2016 Issue 35 Creative Loafing by Creative Loafing Charlotte

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 VOL. 30, NO. 35

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A MEMBER OF:

Renee Cloud is one of three artists in residency to be showcased at Goodyear Arts on Oct. 21.

LOGAN CYRUS

COVER STORY SHONEN KNIFE STAYS SHARP AFTER DECADES OF ROCK: Tour marks Japanese power trios 35th anniversary.

BY PAT MORAN THIS WEEK’S COVER, FEATURING A PHOTO COURTESY OF SHONEN KNIFE, WAS DESIGNED BY DANA VINDIGNI.

NEWS&VIEWS ALWAYS GROWING: After 100 years, Planned

Parenthood continues to adapt, inclues trans community.

BY RYAN PITKIN

12 THANK ME LATER 12 THE BLOTTER 13 NEWS OF THE WEIRD 13 TQ IN THE WORK PLACE

FOOD FARMER FARE: Fall into the kitchen. BY ARI LEVAUX 16 THREE-COURSE SPIEL

ARTS&ENT 20 MAKING THE CONNECTION: NC author’s

new novel draws comparisons between immigration in ‘20s and today.

BY RYAN PITKIN 23 FILM REVIEWS

24 NOT YOUR SAME OLD VAMPIRE: Paperhouse Theatre revives Carmilla. BY PERRY TANNENBAUM

MUSIC 30 CD REVIEW 32 SOUNDBOARD

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

ALWAYS GROWING After 100 years, Planned Parenthood continues to adapt, includes trans community BY RYAN PITKIN

BOUT

300

PEOPLE,

including local names like Mayor Jennifer Roberts, showed up at Foundation for the Carolinas last week to celebrate the birthday of one of America’s most important and controversial organizations. The 100-year anniversary of the founding 10 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

of Planned Parenthood officially fell on Sunday, October 16, so the party was a few days early. Attendees watched Theresa Nardi accept the Sarah Bryant Award and author Anna Quindlen give a keynote address. As Charlotte’s office moves into what they hope to be another century of providing healthcare services to folks across

the socioeconomic spectrum, there’s a new community that can now look to Planned Parenthood for access to healthcare that can often be hard to find: the trans community. On August 1, Planned Parenthood’s Charlotte office officially began offering services to transgender people, including on-site hormone replacement therapy and

referral services for other healthcare needs. The summer’s training that led up to the official implementation of transgender healthcare services at Planned Parenthood included clinical training for physicians and cultural diversity training for all staff at the Charlotte office. The training was funded by a grant from the Foundation for the

Carolinas’ Lesbian & Gay Fund. Transgender healthcare services are already offered in Planned Parenthood’s Asheville and Raleigh offices, but this is a first for Charlotte. “Looking back, as we are celebrating our centennial, we just made such huge gains in our first century; birth control was once out of reach and is now highly available, abortion was once a crime and is now legal, Planned Parenthood itself, which was a single location in Brooklyn, we now have 650 healthcare centers across the country,” says Sarah Eldred, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, which includes the Charlotte office. “Transgender healthcare just fits into our narrative of being progressive, being groundbreaking and having this revolutionary idea that all people should have the information and care that they need to live strong, healthy lives and fulfill their dreams. This is part of that care, to be able to live your most authentic self.” The new services come at a time when Charlotte’s trans community has been targeted by right-wing legislators in the General Assembly, as seen in House Bill 2, passed during a special session in March in response to the Roberts-led Charlotte City Council passing a non-discrimination ordinance to protect transgender people. The Charlotte Planned Parenthood office applied for the grant that would eventually fund the training necessary to offer healthcare services to trans people before HB2 was passed, Eldred says. However, the organization is happy to support a community under attack by Republican politicians, as that’s a position its staff has been used to for some time now. “It is true that we had started preparing for and applying for this grant before HB2 passed, but it is perfect timing and I think that we are going to continue to fight for expansion of healthcare and all of the other things that we’re doing because we know that the legislature as it stands right now is going to keep doing this,” Eldred says. “It just speaks to how we’re going to keep fighting and keep providing healthcare no matter what the legislature throws at us, which unfortunately, as we’ve seen in recent years, is quite a bit.” For Paige Dula, founder of GenderLines, a transgender support group that meets twice a month in Charlotte, the news couldn’t have come soon enough. “It’s a huge boon to the trans community here in Charlotte. It fills a huge void,” Dula says. “So many of the physicians that support the trans community here don’t take Medicaid, or they don’t have sliding scale [payment options]. For people who are in tough financial situations, they don’t have a whole lot of options. Given that they’re

“Transgender healthcare just fits into our narrative of being progressive, being groundbreaking and having this revolutionary idea that all people should have the information and care that they need to live strong, healthy lives.” SARAH ELDRED, PLANNED PARENTHOOD SOUTH ATLANTIC doing this, we couldn’t ask for anything better.” Although this was good news to Dula, it was also important to note that it was news to her. In the two months its been offered, Dula hadn’t heard about the new services. “I’m fairly plugged in to what’s going on in the transgender community and in the medical community here in Charlotte, so that’s a huge surprise to me,” she says. “But a welcome surprise, for sure. We need to try to get the word out.”

WHILE PLANNED PARENTHOOD’S

history in America began with a single clinic run by founder Margaret Sanger in Brooklyn’s Brownsville neighborhood — which would be raided by police nine days into its existence — its arrival in Charlotte came some time later. Sarah Bryant founded Planned Parenthood Health Systems of Charlotte in 1969. PPHS would later merge into Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. About 3,000 people visit the Charlotte office for healthcare appointments each year, with countless others who receive birth control or antibiotics through Planned Parenthood. For Marcie Shealy, director of philanthropy at Planned Parenthood in Charlotte, the organization was a great fit. She had been out of work for four years after quitting her job in 2008 to volunteer

in President Obama’s first campaign. Then, in 2012, after working to get him re-elected, the opportunity at Planned Parenthood Charlotte presented itself. “I wasn’t even looking,” Shealy says. “But it seemed like something I could do to have an impact in our community for the next generation.” Shealy’s job, a large part of which is raising funds with events like Thursday’s birthday party, is all the more important in a city where Planned Parenthood does not receive any federal or state funding. Another part of her job also involves cultivating relationships with partners throughout the community in order to connect them with the multiple free education programs that Planned Parenthood offers. One example of these programs is fulltime Planned Parenthood educator Anna Williams’ peer-to-peer mentoring program, during which Williams trains high school students in a range of topics from risky behavior like sex and alcohol to self-esteem and bullying. While learning about these things, the students are also trained to be mentors themselves, so they can have an impact on their peers. It’s one example of the types of services offered by Planned Parenthood that Shealy says get overlooked in all the political debate that surrounds the organization. “People think Planned Parenthood is about

abortion. Three percent of the services we do nationwide involve abortion. In Charlotte we don’t even provide abortion, because we don’t have the facilities,” she says. “A lot of people I talk to are surprised when they hear that. It’s not that we wouldn’t like to, we just don’t have the facilities. I don’t think people understand the education aspect, in that providing education for reproductive health, and providing birth control, we’re reducing unwanted pregnancies and therefore, reducing abortions. The people that are against abortion, well what do you do? You have to educate people. That’s a big portion of what we do.” Shealy said she doesn’t get much pushback from friends or family about working for an organization that takes so much heat from Christian conservatives. Most people who know her, she says, know it’s something she believes in greatly. “I’m not concerned at all. I feel, as most of us feel, that every woman deserves to make her own decision about her body. It’s between me and my doctors, not between me and my politician and my neighbor,” Shealy says. “I have no problem working here. Have I had pushback? Sometimes I run into people like that and my question to them is, ‘Why do you feel that way?’ I don’t think people understand what Planned Parenthood does. They only hear what they hear on the radio or news.” Now, as the organizations looks ahead to the next 100 years, they’ve begun introducing new services that early figures like Sanger and Blake could have only dreamed of. The organization offers educative programs online for all ages, and this summer saw the release of SpotOn, a new app created by Planned Parenthood that helps women track their periods and birth control regiment. “We are right there in the digital age,” Shealy says. More important than keeping up with technology, however, is Planned parenthood’s commitment to staying progressive, and that’s what finally being able to fund transgender healthcare services in Charlotte is all about. “It’s a natural fit for Planned Parenthood. We care without judgment. It’s a natural fit for our patient base and the people that work here,” Shealy says. “I think that’s something that’s important to all of us, that we lift up all people, no matter their background, no matter their gender, no matter their issues, we do not judge a patient when they come in with any issues. What can we do to help you? Whether it’s a wellness visit, reproductive issues, trans issues, STIs. So it is a natural fit for Planned Parenthood, because we all feel very strongly that everyone should be served.”

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 11

VIEWS

THANK ME LATER

NEWS

BLOTTER

WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS

BY RYAN PITKIN

How will we define leadership in Charlotte following the Charlotte Uprising?

man from the Cotswold area suffered every ride-share customer’s worst nightmare last week when he got into an Uber car with someone who was rearing to talk a little politics. The man later told police that his Uber ride was rolling along E. 7th Street when he and the driver got into a political argument. He asked the driver to let him out of the car immediately, but the two argued more before they were even able to come to a stop. After he got out of the car, the victim told police the Uber driver began chasing after him while yelling that he was going to “beat his ass.”

dope skyline, wealthy suburbs and coveted I WASN’T IN Charlotte in late corporate jobs for a select few. September, when the protests began. Like I marched in line down 7th Street, so many whose op-eds made the next day’s across Tryon and into Romare Bearden Park news — and the next day, and the day after with mothers, brothers, outsiders, insiders, that — I could only offer words, tweets, attorneys, cashiers, and people fed up with opinions and prayers to help give an ailing being ignored. I carried toddlers on my hip, city some semblance of solidarity. raised a fist in solidarity with those walking into The dissent and turmoil spilling out bars and out of hotels. My Snapchat runneth through my Facebook news feed made the over documenting for my grandchildren the safety of home elusive. When I arrived back plight I thought their grandparents had been from my travels, I stood in the middle of a responsible for solving. I continued to write rally recording the words, the tears, the signs words so that they’ll never forget that showing and the discomfort of my neighbors asking up in their own skin would not be protected to be seen. Considered. Valued. Respected. by decades of marches, nor speeches, nor Our shared weight with the very same respectability politics. communities we once watched across The night I marched, someone threw news channels and hashtags from the objects into the crowd of protesters comfort of our everyday lives came from the comfort of their high rise to the forefront when it was apartment. A few admonished our turn to account for the us from above to remove consequences of what it ourselves from the streets. means to wear black skin Tanks and guards looked in America. solemnly into our eyes, Endeavoring to not unable to share whether speak for the experiences they understood what we of every black American, were up against. I do confess that when a As outrage cools and man, a father, a husband national media outlets leave like Keith Lamont Scott is SHERRELL the feeding frenzy behind, murdered, his death becomes we’re left to deal with ourselves. DORSEY political ammunition for I am not convinced that we’ve come widening our understanding of how to an agreeable resolve as a community. the other half lives. Scott’s murder and the highlighting of We turned our attention to the academics, Charlotte’s apathy toward investing in the politicians and the street leaders to help marginalized groups and communities has yet guide us out of the chaos. We read Dr. Cornel to yield a turn in the tide of our leadership. West and Michelle Alexander to help craft our I am equally afraid that by not language and establish talking points. We spit defining the path forward in the form of a vitriol at online commenters refusing to allow comprehensive plan that includes strategic our pain and agony to smear itself against policy changes, best practices and metricsthe backdrop of an injustice steeped in the based development with a goal to close the systemic dysfunction of race-led policies and opportunity gap across all of Charlotte, we’ll cancerous ideologies. be right back to where we started when the Without question, the public bending of next black man, community or povertyCharlotte’s knees at the feet of its oppressed stricken being is killed on our streets. and vulnerable populations has awakened This begs the question: do we remain listening ears in a very real way, coupling committed to charging our leadership with the emotions with the inevitable discussions that task of moving toward the real work of equity? lend themselves to opinion-slinging at the What now will be our process for hands of strangers and friends and outsiders accountability? If voting matters, so does compelled to share their “Here’s what’s wrong the remaining 364 days in which our elected with Charlotte” thoughts ad nauseum. officials and business leaders are tasked with Our public grappling with segregation, proving the worth of their weight in the city disinvestment, gentrification, homophobia in which we raise our families and pay our and sound-proof good ol’ boy networks has taxes. given us up, forcing us to look directly in Sherrell Dorsey is founder of The Plug, the the mirror at the less-than-polished, top definitive daily source of smart black tech and city-making, New-South-singing farce business news. that blocks us from progressing beyond a 12 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

ELECTION SEASON 2016 A 30-year-old

FORK IT OVER A man went on a robbery spree near Reedy Creek Park while he was truly only equipped for a buffet spree. Two reports filed within minutes of each other show that the suspect went into two businesses to carry out armed robberies, but he wasn’t holding a gun. The man, who went into Cottage Express Chinese Food and then Bakery and Deli Salvadoreno demanding cash from employees at each spot, was only armed with a fork. Police showed up shortly after and seized the man’s weapon. NOT WASTING TIME A woman’s trip to

Wild Wing Café got expensive frighteningly quick last week, and it wasn’t because of anything she ordered. The woman told police that she arrived at Wild Wing in Ayrsley with a man who was driving and left her purse in the car at 8 p.m. By 8:30 p.m., she was already receiving alerts that someone was attempting to use her debit card to buy hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise at the Walmart right across the street. She checked the car and found that, sure enough, it was unlocked and her purse was gone.

TARANTINO FAN It seems that Jules from Pulp Fiction made a stop in south Charlotte last week, and once again, he ran into a problem with that old wallet of his. A 26-year-old man filed a police report after a woman lifted his wallet in a Dunkin’ Donuts on Colony Road. In the police report, the man described his missing property as a New York driver’s license, seven $100 bills, two $20 bills, two $10 bills, three $1 bills and a wallet that says “Bad Motherfucker” on it. COLD BLOODED A 17-year-old girl called

police after she was assaulted at work last week by a customer who must not have been happy with their service. The girl told officers that she was working at Zaxby’s Chicken in east Charlotte when someone she had never seen before came in and threw a cup of ice in her face.

ODD COINAGE Police responded to a home break-in in southwest Charlotte last week after someone stole a 61-year-old woman’s

money, both fake and real. The woman told officers the thief made off with a Crown Royal bag filled with $1,200 worth of loose change. It took much less effort to steal the next $1,000, which was on the top of the dresser in the form of a single bill. But hence, they should be happy with the haul of change because, as they were sure to angrily learn later, the $1,000 bill was a fake.

NEW STRATEGY While there are plenty

of folks outside of Panthers games looking to rip people off by selling fake tickets, there are also those looking to rip off the ticket sellers. One 39-year-old woman said she was trying to get rid of three tickets, $140 each, and was approached by a man who said he wanted to check them to make sure they were real before buying them. He also presented $600 and asked for $280 in change. At some point in the exchange, the man caused the woman to drop all the money and tickets and in the ensuing chaos picked all of it up and ran off.

NEED BREAD A 30-year-old man returned to his home in east Charlotte one morning to find that someone had broken into the home using force at some point overnight. He told officers his door was kicked in and some items were missing, but they weren’t the items you’d expect a true burglar to go after. This thief was just after a sandwich and a little cleanliness. According to the report, the only items missing were some pickles, some bacon, some sandwich meat, some cheese and a roll of toilet paper. NUMBSKULLS Each holiday brings new

decorations and each set of decorations brings the same delinquents out from their hangouts to see who can steal the most ridiculous lawn ornament. One such troublemaker staked their claim to this year’s Halloween decorations contest last week when they stole a 7-foot-tall skeleton decoration from the yard of an East Boulevard-based law firm called Gardner Skelton (ahhh, we see what you did there). Just to reinforce how dedicated these holiday thieves can be, employees at the law firm confirmed to police that the skeleton was secured to the tree by a thick cable that was cut during the caper.

GOOD SAMARITANS A 21-year-old man learned a lesson about humanity while looking for help last week outside his southwest Charlotte home. The man told police he flagged down a car to ask for help with his own car, which was in the parking lot of his apartment complex. A car carrying three males stopped for him and it appeared for a moment they would help him, but instead they pulled out a gun and robbed him of his cash and cellphone. Blotter items are chosen from the files of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

NEWS

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

BY CHUCK SHEPHERD

EXTREME HOBBIES John Weigel and Olaf

Danielson are engaged in a frenzied battle of “extreme birdwatching,” each hoping to close out 2016 as the new North American champ of the American Birding Association, and a September Smithsonian piece had Weigel ahead, 763 to 759. Danielson is perhaps better known for doing much of his birding in the nude. He’s the author of the provocatively titled volume, “Boobies, Peckers and Tits” — all common names of popular birds. The old one-year record was 749, and the association attributes the larger numbers this year to El Nino, which has disrupted food supplies and driven birds into different locations.

COMPELLING EXPLANATION Senate Bill 1342, passed in the Idaho legislature earlier in 2016, authorizes schools to use the Bible as a reference in classrooms, despite the U.S. Supreme Court’s having specifically condemned a previous version of the bill since 1964. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Sage Dixon, said he thought his law was nonetheless constitutional because, “The little Supreme Court in my head says this is OK.” Even so, Gov. C.L. Otter vetoed the bill. BILL OF DEATH Nebraska voters in

November will be asked whether to keep the state’s longstanding death penalty for murder — even though retaining it will require them to vote “repeal.” The legislature replaced death row last year with mandatory life sentences, and the referendum is to “repeal” or “retain” that legislation. Hence, to abolish the death penalty, voters must select “retain.” The state attorney general, and election officials, declined to challenge the confusing arrangement, instead suggesting that Nebraskans are smart enough to figure the whole thing out.

POLITICIANS AT WORK The Arizona legislature passed a child-molestation law recently that made any adult contact with children’s genitals a criminal act, but unlike in other states’ similar laws, neglected to include a requirement that the outlawed contact be for “sexual” purposes. Consequently, in principle, parents may be criminally liable, for example, for bathing a baby or changing its diaper. The Arizona Supreme Court ruled in September that it is up to the legislature to change the law, but some lawmakers professed indifference, confident that district attorneys will use good judgment about whom to prosecute. FUN WITH PENNIES (1) Robert Napolitan,

34, was arrested in Taylor, Pennsylvania, in September and charged with theft of a drum containing 300,000 pennies from his employer, Pyne Freight Lines. That steel drum weighs several tons and, of course, netted Napolitan only $3,000. By contrast, in New

VIEWS

TQ IN THE WORKPLACE

York City’s Diamond District in September, a brazen thief made off with a 5-gallon drum containing 86 pounds of gold flakes, valued at more than $1 million, and is still at large. (2) According to a High Point, North Carolina, TV report, Larry Hall of Randolph County took seven-plus weeks out of his life recently and glued pennies to cover his 2000 Chevrolet Blazer (a total of 51,300 coins).

GREAT ART The 1,496-page German novel Bottom’s Dream translated into (broken) English, more than twice as long as “War and Peace,” recently reached U.S. bookstores as a 13-pound behemoth, bound with a 14-inch spine that, based on a September Wall Street Journal description, will almost surely go unread. The story follows two translators and their teenage daughter over a single day as they try to interpret the works of Edgar Allen Poe, making for slow going for anyone not already conversant with Poe. BRIGHT IDEAS While other vehicle safetycontrol engineers work on actually slowing down cars and buses when a risk is detected on the road ahead, one of Volvo’s recent innovations appears aimed merely at bullying pedestrians to get out of the way. According to a September report on Treehugger.com, the safety “control” for a Volvo bus consists of progressively louder horn-honking to scare off the pedestrian. SIMPLE AS THAT (1) British farmer Pip Simpson, who lost nearly 300 sheep to rustlers in recent years, sprayed his remaining herd of almost 800 sheep a bright luminous orange to make them less attractive to thieves. (2) Saudi Arabia switched to the 365-day Gregorian calendar on Oct. 2, in part to reduce government expenses. Bureaucrats now must work a 3-percent longer year for the same salaries. LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES In 2014, British entrepreneur Azad Chaiwala, 33, created the matchmaking service Second Wife because, just as men have trouble finding that special person, some Mormons, Muslims and others have at least as much trouble finding that special additional person. Most clients, he said, are in the United States and the United Kingdom, though bigamy is illegal in both places. The service was so successful that Chaiwala this year inaugurated Polygamy. com, which he defended as a moral alternative to adultery and one-night-stand services such as Tinder. PEOPLE WITH ISSUES Based on recent convictions for indecent exposure, Anthony Hardison, 50, has a public masturbation habit, and it is apparently so bad that he engaged once again in August — while he was in the lobby of the sheriff’s office in Seattle, where he had reported to register as a sex offender. He was arrested.

In our August 4th issue, we introduced CL contributor Lara Americo’s new Trans and Queer in the Workplace photo series. Check that issue or online for our interview with Americo about why she began photographing trans and queer Charlotteans in their work environment, as well as a slideshow of all the photos shared thus far. This week’s photo features Charlie Comero, operations manager at Home Collection.

“I feel like there should be more companies looking for transgender employees. Transgender unemployment rate is double that of the general population: 14 percent. Almost half of the transgender population are underemployed. Furthermore, a lot transgender people are forced to come out at very early stages of job applications given the current binaric hiring system we have. For example, having to answer the question — “previous legal name(s).” - Charlie Comero

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 13

FOOD

FEATURE

FARMER FARE Fall recipes from those who know produce best BY ARI LEVAUX

E’VE NOW ENTERED

peak food season, when the diversity of produce from the garden or farmers market is at its greatest. With just a few exceptions, all of the summer produce is still available, while the fall bounty has begun to appear. The fridge is full of fresh veggies and possibility, and the kitchen is never clean. It’s a glorious time, but it can be an overwhelming time too, as you ponder how to use all the stuff that seemed like such a good idea to purchase at the time. Peak food season can be an especially busy time for those who choose to spend their entertainment dollars on canning and freezing fresh produce for year-round use. After spending a day in the kitchen filling the pantry with jars, you don’t necessary want to cook up a five-course feast, despite having the ingredients to do so. For guidance on how to make dinner, I often look to the farmers themselves. They know produce better than anyone, and the dishes they cook at home, when time is short and hungry mouths await, have numerous virtues that we all can appreciate. These meals tend to focus on the produce itself, and on how to bring out the best qualities in each variety. Farmer cooks rarely try to impress anyone by tap dancing through a series of fancy maneuvers. Farm dishes are generally simple, quick affairs that don’t require a massive cleanup. They rely on the basic premise that if you use good quality ingredients, you don’t need a culinary degree to cook good food. So in honor of peak food season, I asked a few local farmers what some of their favorite dishes are at this time of year.

STOVETOP RATATOUILLE

Pattie Fialcowitz, of Fialky Farm in Dixon, shared with us her recipe for a stovetop ratatouille she makes this time of year. A simple mix of tomatoes, eggplant, and summer squash, ratatouille is the kind of bucolic dish that put French cuisine on the map. But unlike a lot of French country dishes that went urban, ratatouille never changed. I don’t think it’s even possible to make a fancy ratatouille, as attempting to do so would change it into something else entirely. Earthy to the core, ratatouille is the 14 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

embodiment of terroir. It’s a simple, elegant combination of garden ingredients that’s easy to prepare, hard to screw up and will win over the most ruthless critic — as seen in the 2007 Pixar film by the same name. “Sauté a cup of onion in some butter, add the garlic, then eggplant and zucchini. Add a cup of water and a cup of broth. Add tomatoes, and simmer gently so it doesn’t turn to mush. Season with salt and pepper, and add chopped fresh basil or parsley right before serving,” says Fialcowitz. If you’re looking for hand-holding and micromanagement, farmer recipes may not be for you. Farmers don’t have time to be anal. Nor do they need to be. Just don’t oversalt, and you will be fine. Any leftovers can be drained of any excess liquid and frozen in jars or freezer bags, so you can enjoy peasant food all year long.

BABA GANOUSH

Every Friday evening, Josh Slotnick of Clark Fork Organics jumps off his tractor and heads to the kitchen, where he cranks out a spread for the hungry crew to devour when they are done harvesting for the Saturday market. One of his favorite dishes this time of year is the Middle Eastern dip, baba ganoush. It’s easy to prepare, and can be used to coat any number of fresh vegetables, including cucumber slices, broccoli florets, carrot sticks, and pretty much any other vegetable that can be eaten raw. Slice the eggplant into rounds of consistent thickness-between ¼- and ½-inchsprinkle with salt, and set in a colander for ten minutes to drain the moisture the salt pulls out. Drizzle with olive oil and broil on a baking sheet until browned on both sides and mushy in the middle. Allow to cool, pull off the skins, and whizz the eggplant in a food processor with tahini, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, all to taste.

BIG POT PASTA

Luci Brieger of Lifeline Farms is the earthly embodiment of no-nonsense cookery. Her Big Pot Pasta dish is a family favorite. Everything about it is big. “Fill the biggest bowl you have with sliced zucchini, sliced tomatoes, and chopped garlic. Toss with salt and olive oil. Paste tomatoes are better because they don’t

It’s time to stock up on veggies and start cooking.

ARI LEVAUX

have too much water — that’s why I only grow paste tomatoes. If you only have juicy heirloom or slicing tomatoes, use fewer of those and more zucchini. “Find the biggest covered baking dish you can. I use a square enamel turkey roasting pan because it’s the biggest thing I can fit in my oven. In that container I can make enough to feed 15 people but I cap it at 12 so we can have leftovers. “Start with a layer of tomato/zucchini/ garlic in the bottom of the pan. Then add 2-3 layers of uncooked lasagna noodles, then another layer of zucchini and tomatoes, followed by a layer of ‘motz’ [Mozzarella cheese, for the uninitiated]. Then repeat, building the dish layer-by-layer. When it’s full, I press down on it with all of my body weight and squeeze in another layer or two. “Finish with a fair bit of cheese on top.

You can add Parmesan too. My kids covet this top layer. They call it ‘Cheesy Topness.’ “I’ve tried adding basil and oregano, but they don’t want any of that jibber jabber in there.” Bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours, covered. If it’s too watery, remove the cover halfway through so the noodles don’t get soggy. “Next time,” she promised, “I’ll tell you how to make my inside out superfast stuffed zucchini with sage.” With that, Luci took her leave. She and the crew had 750 pounds of kale to pick that day, plus they had to get the squash out of the field ahead of an early frost. “In my next life,” she said in parting, “I’m going to move to Brooklyn and open a restaurant called Glop. We will only serve farm food. My son Fisher [who lives in Brooklyn] says the place will be packed.”

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FOOD

THREE-COURSE SPIEL

LET’S GET REAL Lisa Leake dishes on her non-processed food journey BY DEBRA RENEE SETH

AT FIRST GLANCE Lisa Leake might look like any other longtime Charlotte resident, but this mother of two, wife and former Bank of America employee is a New York Times best selling author whose 100 Days of Real Food cookbook has taken her from her desk at the bank to touring across the country. She’s appeared on Dr. Oz, has hundreds of thousands of social media followers and nearly an equal amount of preorders for her next book. But her journey hasn’t been a cake walk. Leake spent years with her parents and friends thinking she was absolutely nuts for her decision to flip her family’s lives around by insisting they eat only real, wholesome non-processed food. Five years, two blogs and countless sleepless nights later and this modern day Betty Crocker is laughing all the way to the bank.

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Creative Loafing: How did you go from working in the banking world to being one of the top food writers in the country? That’s a pretty big hop. Lisa Leake: (laughs) Well if you would’ve asked me 16 years ago if I‘d be doing this I would’ve said, ‘That’s impossible.’ It all started in 2010. I’d just lost my job at Bank of America, my daughters were 3 and 5. One day I remember watching an episode of Oprah about where the food we eat comes from and realizing I didn’t know. As a young mother and new wife I needed to know! So that’s kind of where it started, just wanting to be a good mom and wanting to feed my kids and husband the right things and realizing so much of the food we ate was processed and I didn’t want that for my family. I started doing research and my husband and I came up with a plan on how to realistically eliminate processed food from our diet and to do it for 100 days. From there I started a blog to track our journey and it just started to pick up steam.

family do research together and try the food together. Watching the movie Food Inc. was great for us and then we started replacing everyday processed ingredients and you realize wholesome, real, natural food is really really good. Its almost like we’re cheating because everything tastes so good.

Your family seems really important to you, but like most families, everyone has different tastes. How do you keep the whole crew on board with your natural food lifestyle? Listen, we’re a modern family and we don’t live on a farm so it does take work. My husband was always very supportive since he grew up eating healthy and more simplistic anyway. Honestly before I decided to make the changes I always bought my husband wheat bread and me and the girls ate white bread, so he was actually more into it than I was at first. I would just recommend every

We get that you’re all about real food but do you have any guilty processed pleasures? Okay I’ll admit, I still get a little weak for deep fried foods on occasion and in a city like Charlotte where its all about food trucks it can be a little tempting. Just start with small replacements and take it from there. If you’re not into cooking at home there are several local restaraunts right here that offer locally sourced food like Rooster’s and Passion 8. You don’t have to throw out everything like I did, just start with small changes.

Lisa Leake

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THURSDAY

PECHA KUCHA CHARLOTTE VOL. 16 What: Presenters will be addressing recent unrest in Charlotte that followed the death of Keith Lamont Scott with 20 images for 20 seconds. Organizers have chosen 11 presenters to act as “first responders of the art world” to express their feelings about the Charlotte Uprising. Organizers say it’s the most diverse line-up to date, not only in terms of race but in terms of age, topics, etc. When: 7 p.m. Where: La Revolucion, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd. More: $10. pechakucha.org/cities/ charlotte/events/ — RYAN PITKIN

18 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

THURSDAY

JOHN PAUL WHITE What: Better known as one half of the Grammy-winning duo The Civil Wars, John Paul White is now touring in support of his first solo album in 10 years, Beulah. Your guess is as good as mine as to why the Wars broke up, but White on his own is still worth checking out. His vocals and songwriting always convey strong emotion — regardless of the presence of a singing partner.

When: 8 p.m. Where: Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St. More: $20-$22. 704-942-7997. neighborhoodtheatre.com. — JEFF HAHNE

THINGS TO DO

TOP TEN

ALLISTER ANN

John Paul White THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

GOODYEAR ARTS SEPT./OCT. RESIDENCY SHOWCASE

MUGGLES MARKET

THE SPEEDBUMPS

What: The folks at Goodyears Arts will be celebrating the artists-inresidency over the last two months, including Jeff Jackson, Renee Cloud and Andy McMillan. Jackson will read from his new novella NOVI SAD, while Lydia Bittner-Baird will also have an installation on view in the Project Studio. Get there early, as the beer is only free for as long as it lasts.

What: The Charlotte Geeks are presenting the first ever Muggles Market held in Charlotte. It’s a one-day bazaar of hand-crafted curiosities and eccentricities that will be a part of the larger Geek Gala. The 28 vendors set to be on site include names like Ms. Andry’s Bath House and Banana Moustache. The perfect early Christmas shopping event for those with more quirky tastes.

What: There’s an easy simplicity to Americana sextet The Speedbumps. Centered around singer Erik Urycki’s breathy vocals, the music isn’t too complicated, yet sets the stage nicely for the overall presentation and moments of harmonies. Hearing the band’s music and lyrics in a stellar sonic setting like Evening Muse is ideal. Get there early to check out opener The Sea The Sea, as well.

When: 6 p.m. Where: Goodyear Arts, 516 N College St. More: Free. goodyeararts.com.

When: 10 a.m. Where: Hilton Charlotte Executive Park, 5624 Westpark Drive More: Free (donations accepted). charlottegeeks.com/geek-gala/ mugglesmarket/

When: 8 p.m. Where: Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St.. More: $8-$10. 704-376-3737. eveningmuse.com.

—PITKIN

—HAHNE

ANN E. CUTTING

PURA VIDA

MYRIAM SANTOS

NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS

Sugar skull TUESDAY

Loreena McKinnett MONDAY

SUNDAY

Beartooth TUESDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

OPEN STREETS 704

LOREENA MCKENNITT

BEARTOOTH

What: The second of four such citywide block parties made possible by a Knight Foundation grant, this Open Streets 704 event will shut down traffic along a stretch of roads for a full Sunday Funday of playing in the streets and interacting without all those damn cars around. The new route will run from Seversville, skirt around Uptown in the Fourth Ward, cut through Wilmore and end in Dilworth/South End.

What: Headed out on the road as a trio, Loreena McKennitt is celebrating the 25th anniversary of her 1991 release, The Visit. Her music is inspired by world travels — from Celtic history to classical poets and playwrights, from Greek history to the people of Morocco and Istanbul. She also sees a therapeutic benefit of her music and several foster children will be in attendance at her shows.

What: Columbus, Ohio, rockers Beartooth bring an aggressive attitude that’s just at home at Warped Tour as it will be in the smaller confines of The Underground. The band’s new album, aptly titled Aggressive, topped the charts earlier this summer. It’s amazing how far they’ve come in just a few short years thanks to music that balances the melodic with the heavy. Get there early for an equally punishing set from Every Time I Die.

When: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Where: See full route on website. More: Free admission. openstreets704.com. —PITKIN

When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. More: $20-$89.50. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. —HAHNE

TUESDAY

When: 7 p.m. Where: The Underground, 820 Hamilton St. More: $21. fillmorecharlottenc.com. —HAHNE

SUGAR SKULL DECORATING WORKSHOP

DIE ANTWOORD

What: Teresa Hernandez of Pura Vida Worldly Art will begin the celebration of Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, with a workshop she’s held over the years allowing folks to decorate their own sugar skulls. Pura Vida provides blank sugar skulls, colorful icing and foil. Participants should bring feathers, buttons, beads, extra sequins, recyclable trash, broken pieces of jewelry and other items.

What: I’m not quite sure what to say about this duo, but their live performances sure are entertaining. The music teeters between the ridiculous and impactful. Just when you think South African rappers Ninja and Yolandi are making a statement, you wonder if it’s all a big joke. Either way, they’ve got a style all their own that should be witnessed at least once. They’re touring in support of their fourth album, Mount Ninji and da Nice Time Kid.

When: 7 p.m. Where: Pura Vida Worldly Art, 3202A North Davidson St. More: $20. puravidaart.com.

When: 8 p.m. Where: The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd. More: $30. fillmorecharlottenc.com.

—PITKIN

—HAHNE

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 19

ARTS

BOOK REVIEW

MAKING THE CONNECTION NC author’s new novel draws comparisons between immigration in ‘20s and today BY RYAN PITKIN

HRISTINE SIMOLKE GREW up with a fascination

for the story of how her mother’s family arrived in America. She would hear tales from her grandmother, Giovanna, of how she and her mother, Appolonia, and sisters sailed to America in the 1920s to meet her father, Luigi, who had immigrated to America more than a decade before and whom the children barely knew. During graduate school, Simolke wrote a research paper based on an interview with Giovanna that addressed her life as an immigrant. Simolke promised herself she would return to the subject one day at a deeper level. Simolke, who lives in Marion, North Carolina, has now done just that with her first published novel, Children of Italy, released in September. The piece of historical fiction — Simolke estimates about 70 percent of the story is true — features not just characters, but the story of Simolke’s true-life ancestors as they arrive in America and spend the next four years living the lives of immigrants in the ‘20s, for many of whom the decade was not so “roaring.” Inspired by her work with Mexican immigrants as an English teacher and in guidance offices with McDowell County Schools, Simolke saw how the plight of immigrants hadn’t changed much in the century since her great-grandfather arrived, and decided to finally write a book that would share her ancestors’ stories while also resonating with issues of today; including immigration, labor rights, LGBT rights and more. The book also deals with the dynamic of family separation, and how her great-grandfather’s infidelity while alone in America for 12 years would forever affect the lives of his family members. Creative Loafing spoke with Simolke in the lead-up to her appearance at Park Road Books on October 20 to discuss how her work on this book reinforced her beliefs that, although progress has been made on the above-mentioned issues, there’s still much to be done in the struggle to reach and define “the American Dream.” Creative Loafing: Why did you decide to write a historical fiction novel about your own family? 20 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

I wasn’t sure initially when I wrote about our family in grad school that there was enough conflict for it to be interesting in any way. [Giovanna] was kind of a rose-coloredglasses person, and she never said anything bad about her family. But later, after she died, her younger sister told me some things that I thought made for an interesting story and made it more relatable, because everyone has issues and family issues. So I thought it would be much more relatable after some of the issues that she told me were involved. Did you get any pushback from family members about telling these personal stories, even all these years later? My aunt Evelina is the youngest daughter in the story. She’s 96 and she’s still living. She was very anxious to read it and she wanted to read it before it was in print. But she waited. She was a little nervous about it. But she loved it. I talked to her on the phone and she said, “You have to go on with my story because I had a bad marriage and that would be a great story.” So she wants me to keep going with it. So that was great that she liked it because I thought I didn’t paint her dad in the best light, but she told me, “You actually made him nicer than he really was.” So she was OK with it. It’s hard not to notice how much some of the social justice issues the family deals with in this book still resonate today. Was that your goal? I had been teaching school for a long time and had worked a lot with immigrants from Mexico. When I decided to write a novel, I did want to include those kind of issues because I think that’s really what was the impetus for me to go ahead and do a novel and try to complete it and get it out there, because when I worked with them it reminded me so much of my family that to me their issues were the same. They had the same issues with discrimination in jobs, they had the same issues with not speaking the language, looking different, having darker skin color, feeling out of place. So as I wrote it, I did want to include all the things that happened to them that made it hard and

related to the struggle that my students deal with. I also thought that my family just came here to make a better life, and it wasn’t really a better life for my great grandfather or great grandmother, they were just poor. It’s about building a better life for me and for my mom, and I think that’s how immigrants who come here now are. They’re really making a big

sacrifice themselves for their children, and I want people to understand that. Everybody just wants what’s best for their kids and no matter where you come out on immigration you should understand that. In what ways have immigration issues changed in comparison to ones faced by immigrants in the early 20th century?

“My family just came here to make a better life, and it wasn’t really a better life for my great grandfather or great grandmother, they were just poor. It’s about building a better life for me and for my mom, and I think that’s how immigrants who come here now are.”

MEET THE AUTHOR: CHRISTINE SIMOLKE Oct. 20, 7 p.m. Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road. parkroadbooks.com

not as good because some employers who aren’t very scrupulous think they don’t have to provide them with the same decent treatment that other people would expect, because they have that hanging over their head, “I’m illegal, so I can’t complain.” When I was doing research I found that the government is supposed to investigate all unfair labor practices and it doesn’t matter the legal status of the workers. They’re supposed to make sure that working conditions are good for everybody and the legal status isn’t supposed to come into play at all, so I do think that that should be covered better.

CHRISTINE SIMOLKE

I think back in the ‘20s there were many immigrants from all different countries coming here. They didnt have each other’s backs, they were very competitive against one another, all the different groups. But they were all working, they all could get jobs and people looked down on them but people didn’t act like they were going to hurt them as much. Immigrants now from Middle Eastern countries, I think that people are very hard on them, and I feel bad for them because the one bad apple who might have been a terrorist makes people live in fear of all people who are from those countries originally. That’s a big difference. They have all the same prejudices and job issues and discrimination issues and poverty issues as early immigrants, but then they also have that added prejudice based on fear.

A subplot in the book deals with a secret homosexual love affair involving your great uncle Bernandino. With the near impossibility of living openly gay in the working class world of the ‘20s, was this an aspect of Bernandino’s life your family was always aware of?

Are the labor issues Luigi deals with in the book also something you think still needs more attention today?

Immigrants are still underpaid. They’re taken advantage of, particularly if they’re here illegally. Their work situations are

I had never heard that story at all until I was interviewing my aunt Evelina. I was just asking her about daily life. “Did you have electricity? What kind of food did you eat?” etc. Then she started telling me about other family members. There’s a family member that sees them off at the port in Genoa. And then she said, “And then we had an uncle who already lived in the U.S who had emigrated before and he was a little bit different.” That’s all she would say, he was a little SEE

CONNECT P. 30 u

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 21

ARTS

BOOK REVIEW

CONNECT FROM P. 29 t

in those days? What did you find?

bit different. So I said, “Well, why was he different? Was he mean? What was he?” I didn’t even think about his sexual orientation. She said, “Well, we just thought something was different about him. At the time, I didn’t really understand, I just had this feeling that he was different than other guys. But then when I got older and I read the newspaper and became an adult, I think that he probably was gay.” So then I asked my mom about him. She said, “I was the same way.” She was born in 1940, and she said, “I didn’t really understand what gay was. People didn’t even talk about those things.” She said she just thought that he was a little bit odd. That’s all anybody would ever tell me, that he was odd. I think they thought he was unusual because he didn’t want to get married. In those days every man is supposed to get married and have kids, follow the typical storyline.

I didn’t really learn much from [Evelina], other than the way she described it, which was that people just felt uncomfortable around him. So when I read about it, I read that they would have been outright bullied and beat up and that other men would be very homophobic and try to get them out of the community or out of the work place. I got that from the research that I read and different situations that those things happened. She wouldn’t tell me that.

Did that inspire you to go further into researching how gay people were treated

How has that reluctance to speak on the subject changed over the years and generations, in your eyes? I think that the Italian people in general — much like Latin people — are very much into the machismo thing. The man is the boss and his word goes and everything has to be very masculine and very tough, and I think that’s changed considerably. Even in my family it used to be that you couldn’t marry out of the Italian nationality, you couldn’t

marry out of the Catholic religion. And my mother and all of her cousins, none of them even married Italians, most of them didn’t marry Catholics, either. I think, for the most part, the people I know, and I think it’s because most of the Italians I know are in the city, they’re very accepting. Much more accepting than they would have been in the past. I would say that they’ve improved greatly. I don’t hear anybody in my family speak poorly of people who are gay, and I never have. So to me it seems that it has improved, because I know in the past, gay people would have a very hard time. How much did Luigi’s infidelity as a young man affect the family after they arrived in America? One interview that I did the guy was like, “C’mon, give him a break, he was in his late twenties and went all the way to 40 here by himself.” I said, “Oh yeah, I think people understand it, but even if you understand it, it still has repercussions.” Down the road, people can’t help but

be jealous even if the circumstances don’t necessarily warrant it. So in the long run, [Evelina] told me that [Appolonia] never really got over that. They stayed together, but once she knew … She would talk like, “We need to do everything for your dad. Be good to your dad,” but she could see the undercurrent of bitterness, because [Appolonia] hadn’t turned to that and [Luigi] had. Do you aim to continue the story, as Evelina suggested you do, or is it your hope that this book brings closure to the story and the history that’s been passed down orally, whether concerning Bernandino’s secret lifestyle or Luigi’s infidelity? I would say it does bring some closure to the whispered-about family secrets, but I also want to continue the story to show how the lives of the daughters turned out — one with a bad marriage and one lost a daughter at a young age to leukemia — and how their immigration from Italy affected their children and grandchildren.

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ARTS

FILM

WARNER

Ben Affleck in The Accountant.

BY THE NUMBERS Sharp thriller doesn’t always add up BY MATT BRUNSON

MART MOVIES TEND to offer intriguing setups, unique central characters and tantalizing plot pirouettes. By those standards, The Accountant (**1/2 out of four) is a smart movie. But smart movies also tend to avoid offering obvious patterns, imbecilic narrative coincidences, and imploding third acts. Unfortunately, The Accountant isn’t that smart. Ben Affleck, the strong and silent type when it comes to performances, scores again in this vein as Chris Wolff, who as a child had a supportive — if abusive — father (Robert C. Trevelier) who wasn’t about to let his son’s

autism stand in the way of a productive life. As an adult, Chris has directed his abilities as a math savant into a career as an accountant, for both ordinary citizens and vast criminal enterprises. Because of his pop’s tough love, Chris is as skilled at combat as he is at the numbers game, proficient with his hands and with all manner of firearms. These qualities come into play once he accepts a seemingly ordinary assignment of looking into the books at a robotics company headed by a humanistic scientist (John Lithgow) and his sister (Jean Smart). After he uncovers some discrepancies in the ledgers, people start getting bumped off, and it appears that an innocent accounting clerk (Anna

Kendrick) might be next. Meanwhile, Chris’ criminal activities are being investigated by two Treasury Department agents (J.K. Simmons and Cynthia Addai-Robinson), and just who is the mysterious assassin (Jon Bernthal) who keeps lurking in the shadows? Clearly, The Accountant isn’t lacking for plot, and for a good while, director Gavin O’Connor and writer Bill Dubuque keep the picture percolating with a heady mix of detailed character analysis and swift action sequences. But even at an early point, there are suggestions that the movie will climax in the most daft and predictable manner possible, and our prayers that such a dunderheaded

ending be avoided fall on deaf ears, with the denouement every bit as awful as feared. Indeed, the entirety of the concluding chapter is unsatisfactory — jokey, rushed, and tonally wrong. That’s too bad. After last week’s The Girl on the Train, the multiplexes could have used a sharp and taut thriller that’s consistent from first frame to last. And while The Accountant is certainly preferable to that tepid murder-mystery, it jumps the tracks right at the very moment it should be picking up speed. BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 23

ARTS

THEATER

Performances of She Who Watches run through Oct. 30 at Frock Shop.

NOT YOUR SAME OLD VAMPIRE Paperhouse Theatre revives Carmilla BY PERRY TANNENBAUM

HEN J. SHERIDAN LE FANU serialized Carmilla in

1871-72, Count Dracula wasn’t even a gleam in Bram Stoker’s eye. Yet a quarter of a century later, when Dracula became the paradigm for modern vampire 24 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

literature, Stoker himself acknowledged that Le Fanu’s most famous novella was a part of that gleam. So after a steady sprinkling of October visitations from the undead lord of Transylvania — no less than seven Metrolina Dracula productions since 2002 — it’s nice to

see a change of pace in the form of a new PaperHouse Theatre adaptation of Le Fanu’s spellbinding horror classic. Eerie echoes are a key motif in the storytelling, which co-directors Nicia Carla and Chester Shepherd have retitled She

Who Watches in their adaptation. The narrator of the story, Laura, is haunted by a nightmarish experience from her childhood, when she awoke to find a teen-aged girl in her bedroom. That girl seemed to fall into a slumber on Laura’s chest, but when she

SHE WHO WATCHES $30. Oct. 20-23, 8 p.m.; Oct. 27-30, 8 p.m. Frock Shop, 901 Central Ave. paperhousetheatre.com.

awoke the second time, what the girl was doing made her shriek in terror. And then, before her governess could come to the rescue, the girl vanished into thin air! It would be cruel to divulge much of what happens 12 years after this creepy prologue, but you’re correct in assuming that the beautiful face indelibly etched in Laura’s memory is Carmilla. How Carmilla returns to Laura’s home — and ultimately, her bed — took just under 69 minutes to deliciously unfold on opening night, with neat surprises and more eerie echoes along the way. That’s about the same amount of time you might spend in your family car getting from the I-277 overpass to the dubious thrills of Scarowinds. It’s a shorter, more enjoyable evening at PaperHouse’s customary haunt, The Frock Shop. Le Fanu’s story placed the action at a lonely Austrian castle in a place called Styria, but the parlor of the Frock Shop cottage on Central Avenue seems to suit Carla and Shepherd quite dandily. The antique atmosphere is built in, augmented by a gallery of starchy, frilly, diaphanous, and full-length costumes designed by Magda Guichard. Lighting designer Chaz Pofahl, strategically potting the illumination levels, is certainly a part of the spooky conspiracy, but our stage directors also utilize the windows lining two of the parlor’s walls to pique the suspense and ambiance. Perhaps emboldened by the numerous film, stage and TV adaptations of Carmilla that have come before, Carla and Sheperd have done some character shuffling as well. Instead of a kindly father, Laura’s lone parent is a coolish mom, and instead of a distressed friend of her father, General Spielsdorf, we get a more down-to-earth and frazzled Aunt Jean. The core protagonists remain the same, and we’re very fortunate there. After two strong outings in Theatre Charlotte’s Miracle Worker and PaperHouse’s Much Ado About Nothing, Sarah Woldum is probably the busiest actress in town this year, taking on the role of Carmilla. She seems to revel in the menace of this role, seething with a mysterious intensity when she isn’t softening her prey with endearments. The whole chemistry of her is different from Dracula’s, seemingly resistant to daylight, but you wonder whether her episodes of weakness are symptoms of a gnawing blood hunger or simply playacting to

draw sympathy. When Woldum becomes the predator, Carmilla’s rapacity is as much sexual as it is animal. Racquel Nadhiri spoke too softly at the outset, compounding my difficulties with her Jamaican accent, so I won’t give her top marks as our Narrator. But Nadhiri beautifully captures the mixture of attraction and repulsion that is the essence of Laura’s reaction to Carmilla. Our empathy for Laura’s victimhood is that much stronger because it stems from her sunny heroism. The ending that Carla and Shepherd have devised for her — distinctly different from Le Fanu’s — fits Nadhiri like a glove, and you might say that the word “bloodcurdling” was specially cooked up to describe her screams. Two interludes punctuate the action, so you can get refills on the beverages that were served on the front lawn as you first entered, or you might nosh on cream puffs and sausage balls. When we reached the denouement, the audience was split in two, half of us ascending the staircase to witness the climactic encounter between Laura and Carmilla in the bedroom, half of us remaining downstairs to hear the disclosures that Laura’s mom receives from Aunt Jean. You’ll have a better appreciation of the synchronicity of the two scenes from the downstairs vantage point, but everyone gets the chance to see both scenes — because, we realize, they actually occur simultaneously. As I’ve already hinted, the cold and clueless Mother isn’t the plum role here, so you won’t be seeing Andrea King at her best, though

she’s very good, of course. Most of the scene stealing comes from Rebecca Costas, busily changing costumes and characters throughout the show. Maybe her most comical turn is as the Doctor who says she’ll return so nervously that you can be absolutely sure she won’t, but she’s also pretty funny as Hunch-Hag, dispensing some fairly toxic marital insight to audience members. Costas also gets a couple of serious cameos, first as the mysterious and malevolent Countess, Carmilla’s aunt. More urgent — and earnest — is Aunt Jean as the action comes to a boil. Since her stint as she-devil Abigail Williams in CPCC Theatre’s 2001 production of The Crucible, Costas has only emerged briefly and intermittently on the local scene. It’s a kick to see her shining 15 years later in such a versatile performance, her devilish fire not only intact but several degrees hotter. Charlotte Symphony’s 85th season is off to an exciting start, and Mary A. Deissler, the new president and CEO, is already making her impact. She has things to say, both onstage at Belk Theater when the orchestra plays and in the CSO program booklet, which isn’t as staid and stagnant as it used to be. Sitting down to last week’s Beethoven Symphony No. 2 concert, I found new artwork, festooned with pumpkins, on the cover. The two artworks I’ve seen on the booklet covers, through two 2016-17 Classics concerts, already doubles the number I’ve seen in previous seasons. More importantly,

Deissler has kept an inside page, opposite the page where you find tonight’s composers and compositions listed, reserved for herself. So instead of some generic remarks designed to linger more or more inanely as the season wore on, Deissler did a reset on page 17A. The Welcome Page addressed the divisiveness that has fractured our community in recent weeks, the unifying power of music, and Deissler’s gratitude that we were back at a time when healing is needed. Rang true. Switching from music director Christopher Warren-Green to guest conductor Michael Christie, the Beethoven offerings were more varied and adventurous than the AllTchaikovsky season opener, veering off into Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and his Totentanz before we jackknifed into Gyorgy Ligeti’s folksier and funkier Concert Romanesc. Guest soloist Benedetto Lupo and the CSO brass were a bit overeager and brutish in the opening section of the concerto, but after the pianist navigated through his first softer, lyrical passages, everyone seemed to settle into a more relaxed groove. A fresh production wrinkle further enlivened the concert: a projection screen descended over the Belk stage so an overhead camera could transmit a bird’s eye view of the hurtin’ that Lupo was delivering to a defenseless Steinway Model D. Van Cliburn himself might have winced.

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ARTS

HAPPENINGS

COMEDY

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Bonkerz Comedy Club Kurt Green. Oct. 21-22, 8 p.m. $10. Carlos Valencia. Oct. 28, 8 p.m. $10. Hilton Charlotte Executive Park, 5624 Westpark Drive. bonkerzcomedyproductions.com.

The Scarlet Letter High School students present this dramatic story set in the harsh Puritan community of seventeenth-century Boston. $5 students/$7 adults. Oct. 21-22, 7-9 p.m. Northwest School of the Arts, 1415 Beatties Ford Road. nwsatag.com

The Comedy Zone Charlotte Nemr. Oct. 20, 8 p.m. $20-$35. Tom Arnold. Oct. 21, 7:30 p.m. & 9:45 p.m.; Oct. 22, 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. $20-$25. Girl Power. Oct. 25, 8 p.m. $15. Herb McCandless. Oct. 26, 8 p.m. $15-$18. 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd., Suite B3. 980-321-4702. cltcomedyzone.com. McGlohon Theater Laughter is the best medicine ... even when the ailment is the most ridiculous presidential election of all time. Laugh the pain away with Slate and The Second City, who join forces for Unelectable — a delicious election-season roast featuring a mash-up of sketches, music and more. $19.50$49.50. Oct. 23. 345 N. College St. 704-3721000. blumenthalarts.org.

THEATER/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE ART Charlotte Ballet: Fall Works kicks off the season with this double-feature, featuring the choreography of Ohad Naharin and Charlotte Ballet resident Dwight Rhoden. The production mixes 1980s house music with electric techno to create a score to match the unique choreography. $25-$85. Oct. 20-22, Knight Theater, 430 S Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. First Date: A Musical Comedy Aaron, a newbie to blind dating, meets with Casey, an expert blind dater, for a first date. A simple night of drinks turns into a chaotic dinner when the couple realizes they are not alone. Oct. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 21, 8 p.m.; Oct. 22, 2 and 8 p.m.; Oct. 23, 1:30 and 7 p.m. Booth Playhouse, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. The Barber of Seville Love can cut like a freshly-sharpened razor in The Barber of Seville, a twisted tale of love and deception in which a sharp-witted barber finds himself at the center of a love dual between a creepy doctor and a gallant count, both competing for the damsel of their dreams. Presented by Opera Carolina. $20-$154. Oct. 22-30. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts. 26 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Unhinged A cappella and an abandoned asylum? Get dressed in your best steampunkinspired costume and enjoy Unhinged, a spooky musical tour through an abandoned asylum that’s haunted by some very musical ghouls at the Duke Energy Theater. $20. Oct. 21-22. 345 N College St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. A Midsummer Night’s Dream This romantic comedy features a few of Bard’s favorite themes: the mystical difference between city and woods, lovers who must suffer before their happy ending, hyper-truth revealed through the play-within-a-play. $6-$15. Oct. 26-27, 7:30.,Oct. 28-29, 8 p.m., Oct. 30, 2 p.m. Davidson College’s Duke Family Performance Hall, 207 Faculty Drive, Davidson. The Toxic Avenger Melvin Ferd the Third wants to clean up Tromaville, the most polluted town in New Jersey but he’s foiled by the mayor’s bullies and dumped into toxic waste, only to reemerge as New Jersey’s first superhero. Oct. 26-27, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 28, 8 p.m.; Oct. 29, 2:30 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Oct. 30, 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 2-3, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 4-5, 8 p.m.; Nov. 6, 2:30 p.m.; Nov. 9-10, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 11-12, 8 p.m. Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, 2219 Freedom Drive. atcharlotte.org. Charlotte’s Web E.B. White’s beloved children’s tale is brought to life in this play, which finds the young farm pig Wilbur attempting to avoid a dire fate. Regular $13; Children, Students & Seniors $11. Oct. 21, 7:30-8:30 p.m., Oct. 22, 2-3 p.m. and Oct. 23, 2-3 p.m. Fullwood Theatre @ Matthews Community Center, 100 E McDowell St. matthewsplayhouse.com. A Black To Black Double Feature: DOA / KMBA 2 OnQ kicks off its 10th year anniversary with the critically acclaim, Day of Absence by Douglas Turner Ward. Oct. 26-27, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 28-29, 8 p.m.; Oct. 30, 3 p.m.; Nov. 1-3, 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 4, 8 p.m. Duke Energy Theater, 345 N. College St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts. org. The Diary of Anne Frank Adapted from Anne

Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and edited by Otto Frank. Oct. 21-22, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 23, 3 p.m.; Oct. 27-29, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 30, 3 p.m. Rock Hill Community Theatre, 546 S. Cherry Road N, Rock Hill. rockhilltheatre.org. The Illusionists: Live From Broadway This showcases the a powerful mix of outrageous and astonishing acts and is packed with magic. Oct. 21, 8 p.m.; Oct. 22, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Oct. 23, 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org.

MORE EVENTS Carolina Balloon Fest Worth a northbound I-77 tread to Statesville, the Carolina BalloonFest features a parade of hot air balloons. Wanna fly in one of them? There are sign-ups to go up, up, and away. Or, you can stay happily on the ground and just enjoy the sight of them floating about, as well as live music and entertainment in a family-friendly atmosphere. Oct. 21, 3 p.m.-8:30 p.m.; Oct. 22, 7 a.m.-8:30 p.m. and Oct. 23, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. $15$25. Statesville Regional Airport, 260 Hangar Drive. carolinaballoonfest.com. Geek Gala Charlotte Geeks is hosting this three-day Geek Gala that includes a “Muggles” market, an artist walkway, a film festival and gaming competitions building up to the Saturday night Gala event and charity raffle. This year’s theme is space travel, so everything from Star Trek to Star Wars, Lost in Space to Battlestar Galactica, is fair game. $35. Oct. 2123. Hilton Executive Park, 5624 Westpark Drive. charlottegeeks.com/geek-gala/. Ghost Walk Haunted Trail Latta Plantation’s regular schedule of Civil War reenactments and peaceful self-guided tours takes a backseat to horror for the annual Ghost Walk Haunted Trail. Dodge boogeymen and ghosts as you’re guided through spooky sections of the 52acre plantation and outbuildings, dating back to 1800. $10. Oct. 21-22. 5225 Sample Road, Huntersville. lattaplantation.org. Open Streets 704 It’s time to take to the streets during the second edition of Open Streets 704. Streets in a variety of neighborhoods (Biddleville, Smallwood, Seversville, Wesley Heights, Fourth Ward, Third Ward, Wilmore, and SouthEnd), all of which connect, are closed off so that they are pedestrian-friendly with entertainment and

“green” demos and activities along the way. Oct. 23, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. openstreets704.com. 7th Annual Dilworth/South End Chili CookOff Folks from local restaurants and amateur cooking teams gather for the 7th Annual Dilworth/South End Chili Cook-Off. There will be four categories up for judgment — “red,” “vegetarian,” “the other ones” and “people’s choice.” There’s also live music from Ollie Take Cover and games. $10; kids get in free. Oct. 23, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Atherton Mill, 2000 South Blvd. dsechilicookoff.org. Crabtober Fest It’s an all-you-can-eat blue crab showdown at Crabtober Fest — that is, once you’ve signed the shellfish waiver at the door. These guys are taking no chances and don’t want to see you looking like a blowfish. Craft beer and shrimp available for purchase, too. $40-$45; $10 for kids 12 and under. Oct. 29, 12 p.m.-8:30 p.m. Unknown Brewing Company, 1327 S. Mint St. carolinafishmarket.com. 10th Anniversary Runway 5K at Charlotte Douglas International Airport The runway at one of the world’s busiest airports makes for a nice flat running surface during the 10th Anniversary Runway 5K. It’s good for long-time runners and rookies, you just have to watch out for all the incoming planes (just kidding). Oct. 29. $25 and up. Charlotte Douglas International Airport, 5501 Josh Birmingham Parkway. runsignup.com/Race/NC/Charlotte/ Runway5KRun. The UQuest Urban Adventure Race The UQuest Urban Adventure Race is described as “part obstacle, part scavenger hunt, and part unknown.” Solve clues, complete challenges and learn local history during this three-hour race. Oct. 29. $39-$62. Fairfield Inn & Suites, 201 South McDowell St. urbanadventurequest. com. Charlotte Costume Dash 5k Put on your craziest costume for this Charlotte Costume Dash 5k. Starts and finishes at Inside Out Sports (1514 South Church Street). $25-$45. Oct. 29, 5:30-11:30 p.m. costumedash.com/ charlotte/. Stigma Unmasked The Center for Prevention Services is hosting this debut masquerade ball, Stigma Unmasked. It’s a formal with dancing, entertainment and silent and live auctions. Organizers aim to to raise awareness about the harms of substance use and mental health.

$25-$50. Oct. 29, 7 p.m.-10:30 p.m.The Big Chill, 911 E. Morehead St.

7-9 p.m. Elmwood Cemetery, 700 W. 6th St. facebook.com/RaconToursCLT.

SCarowinds Carowinds is turning into a haunted “scream park” and setting up over 16 different spooky attractions throughout the park. Through Oct. 30. Carowinds, 14523 Carowinds Blvd. 704-588-2600. carowinds. com.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show Screening with That Type. $9.08. First and Third Friday of every month, 10:30 p.m.-2 a.m., Fri., Oct. 28, 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. and Sat., Oct. 29, 8-10:30 p.m. facebook.com/ThatType.

Modernism + Film: Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery is a subtle documentary, primarily in German and French. Tickets are $10 for public, $8 for members, and $5 for students. Oct. 20, 6-8 p.m. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St. bechtler.org. Uptown Haunted Ghost Tours An intimate candlelight walking tour of uptown Charlotte’s most haunted and historical locations. You’re guaranteed to run into a few ghouls and goblins on this frightful adventure. $25 per person. Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., Sun., Oct. 23, 7-8:30 p.m., Wed., Oct. 26, 7-8:30 p.m., Sun., Oct. 30, 7-8:30 p.m. and Tue., Nov. 1, 7-8:30 p.m. Continues through Nov. 1. hauntedtours2016.eventbrite.com. Oktoberfest at Healthy Home Market Come out to Healthy Home Market in Plaza Midwood and celebrate Oktoberfest. $5 meal special includes a sausage, bag of pretzels and a drink. Live music and beer vendors, too. Free admission. Oct. 21, 5-8 p.m. Healthy Home Market, 1330 Central Ave. 403 Fest: Halloween Edition 21 and up costume party & free pizza. Presented by 403 Productions, LLC. Hosted by F.Dux Featuring performances by Stitchy C, Ty Bru as Sweeney Ty and more. $7 Advance; $10 Day Of. Oct. 21, 6 p.m.-2 a.m. The Dirty Hippie, 5028 South Blvd. The Perfect Pink Party Door proceeds going to Susan G. Komen. Music by Rowshay. Dress code is pink, 21 and up. $10. Oct. 21, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Kandy Bar, 210 E. Trade St., Suite 342. kandybarcharlotte.com. Nightmare in Elmwood Walking Tour A special seasonal walking tour of Elmwood/Pinewood Cemetery. Wander through the impressive monuments and 160 years of Charlotte history. The stories are funny, tragic, spooky and exciting. Meets at 7 p.m. at the front gate (6th Street entrance). The tour takes about two hours. $10. Oct. 21, 7-9 p.m. and Sat., Oct. 29,

Rock & Read 5K Run - or walk - to support Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. This Library Foundation Friends Council event is fun for the whole family. Enjoy local beer, mimosas, music and more. The race begins and ends at the Plaza Midwood library. $5-$35. Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library Plaza Midwood Branch, 1623 Central Ave Oct. 22, 7 a.m.-10 a.m. rockandread5k.com. Global Table Culinary Walking Tour Stroll, taste and shop at 10 restaurants, bakeries and markets in Charlotte that offer world cuisine and culture. $40. Oct. 22, 8:45 a.m.-2 p.m. Compare Foods, 3600 N Sharon Amity Road. charlotteeast.com/2016/09/09/global-tableculinary-walking-tour-october-22-2016/. Historic Cooking with Cheryl Henry Join trained chef and historic cook Cheryl Henry as she leads an intimate historic cooking class. Participants will be guided by Cheryl in the Polk Site back-country kitchen house as they prepare a 19th century meal. Cheryl will be joined by renowned first-person interpreter and historic cook Clarissa Lynch, who will teach participants about the history behind the foods they will prepare through interactive storytelling. Participants will be able to enjoy the fruits of their labor, and will receive a special gift to remember their experience by. Space is extremely limited. Pre-Registration required. $40 one person; $70 two people. Oct. 22, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. President James K. Polk State Historic Site, 12031 Lancaster Highway, Pineville. jameskpolk.net.

grape varietals of California. $25 per person, plus tax. Oct. 22, 12-1 p.m. Corkbuzz, 4905 Ashley Park Lane, Suite J. Haylo’s 2nd Annual Breast Fest Outdoor karma yoga class lead by Haven Yoga teacher, Hillary Heath. Stretch to drumming by drumSTRONG lead Scott Swimmer. Local art by Amy St. Aubin. Local raffle $5/ticket. Body art by Catherine Courtlandt Survivor & Thrivers Speak. Introduction to Areola Renewal with Cyrilla. Music by Alicia Driver. All proceeds benefit Wind River. Oct. 22, 4-9 p.m. Haylo Healing Arts Lounge, 1111 Central Ave., Suite 100. haylostudiolounge.com/happening. 11th Annual Halloween Howler Bar Crawl Check-in will start at 5 p.m. at Rooftop 210 (3rd floor of the EpiCentre). $10-$15. Oct. 22, 5 p.m.2 a.m. http://halloween16.eventbrite.com. Remember The Ghoul Times Haunted Food Truck Festival In addition to your typical outdoor food truck rally, this event will host a competition that will be judged by local figureheads of the food and beverage community. Also live music, outdoor drive-in style movie showings of classic horror films, face painting, games, and more. Free. Oct. 22, 6-10 p.m. Charlotte Open Air Market, 5471 Central Ave. Paws in Pair-A-Dice The Humane Society of Union County presents its third annual fundraiser. The evening will include hor d’oeuvres, dancing, silent auction, raffles and the Top Dog sponsored casino and lounge with live entertainment. Free beer and wine along with a cash bar. $50 per person. Oct. 22, 7-10:30 p.m. The Carriage House, 6308 Secrest Shortcut Road. hs-uc.org.

Secrets to Getting & Staying Organized CMBCC Empowerment Saturdays are here to empower small business owners with the training, tools and resources you need to build your success story. Join Lean Certified Productivity Expert, Nikita Devereaux to learn how to organize your thinking and personal space. Oct. 22, 9:30-11:30 a.m. CMBCC Members $10; Guests $15. cmbcc.org/events/20161022

Carolina Renaissance Festival In its 23rd year, this is the time to dress up, peoplewatch and savor the meatiness of turkey legs. The recreation of a 16th-century European village gives you the opportunity to feel like you’re either a mere peasant or you’re royalty. You’ll find music, comedy, theater, food and drink, fine hand-made arts and crafts, artisan demonstrations, games and rides. Held on Saturdays, Sundays, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Continues through Nov. 20. $14-$24. Carolina Renaissance Festival, 16445 Poplar Tent Road. carolina.renfestinfo.com.

New American Wines A casual Saturday walkaround tasting about some of the lesser-known

Retro Horror Series The fourth annual classic horror film series with props, costumes, and

classic trailers. Oct 21-28: Evil Dead at 7 p.m., Texas Chainsaw Massacre at 9 p.m.; Oct 29-Nov 3: Halloween at 7 p.m., Halloween II at 9 p.m. $5 Tickets/$10 for Double Feature. Through Nov. 3 Ayrsley Grand Cinemas 14, 9110 Kings Parade Blvd. ayrsleycinemas.com. Habitat For Humanity Wine Dinner Join Aria Tuscan Grill for a special wine dinner. Guests will enjoy a four-course wine dinner created by our Guest Chefs Leslie & Bruce Schlernitzauer from Porcupine Provisions in collaboration with Aria’s Executive Chef Chris Bateman & Chef de Cuisine Alex Piatt. Proceeds to benefit Habitat for Humanity. For reservations, call, 704-376-8880. $150 per person. Oct. 23, 6:309 p.m. Aria Tuscan Grill, 100 N. Tryon Street ariacharlotte.com/index.html. Clean Air Clean Water Film Festival Seven short films will be featured during this event that support the ideas and actions associated with environmental stewardship. Two films will showcase the important work of the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation and Clean Air Carolina, both located in Charlotte. Oct. 25, 6:30-8:30 p.m. CPCC Central Campus, 1201 Elizabeth Ave. cleanairandwater.org. The Urban Death Project - Compost Your Corpse Join Central Piedmont Group of Sierra Club to learn about the Urban Death Project. Graduate students from the Forensic Osteology Research Station in the departments of Anthropology and Sociology at Western Carolina University will be guests. They will discuss and give an overview of Green Burials and an update on the high environmental costs associated with traditional forms of post-death treatment in the US. Come for pizza at 6:30, the program begins at 7. Free and open to the public. Oct. 26, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Freedom Park Pavilion, 2435 Cumberland Ave charlottesierraclub.org. The Haunted Ball Enjoy the open wine bar, canape buffet, social dancing, and entertainment by Dance Center USA pros. $10-$20. Oct. 28, 7-10 p.m. Dance Center USA, 855 Gold Hill Road, Suite #101, Fort Mill. dancecenterusa.com/calendar/halloween. Paint & Play (Halloween Edition) Paint & Play features live painters, live spoken word, comedians, live music, and food. A wonderful environment with all around creative people. Free. Oct. 28, 7-10 p.m. createamazingllc.com/ events. CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 27

MUSIC

COVERSTORY

Shonen Knife performs at Snug Harbor on Oct. 25.

SHONEN KNIFE STAYS SHARP AFTER DECADES OF ROCK Tour marks Japanese power trio’s 35th anniversary BY PAT MORAN

N 1981, THREE female office workers in Osaka, Japan, inspired by the punk rock sounds rumbling out of Britain and America, started their own band. Over buzzsaw guitars, pumping bass and ricocheting 28 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

drums, Shonen Knife — consisting of Naoko Yamano, her younger sister Atsuko and Michie Nakatani — burst on the indie-music scene, singing with infectious enthusiasm about food, insect collecting, cats and more food. Amid a sea of sound-alike safety-

pinned and leather-jacketed punkers, the trio’s innocent yet rollicking tunes sounded weirdly subversive. Three and a half decades later, Shonen Knife is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a world tour, a family reunion and a

new record, Adventure. The album’s title serves as a neat summation of the poppunk power trio’s surprising, eventful and unconventional career. To hear Shonen Knife’s founder and leader Yamano tell it, launching an all-female

SHONEN KNIFE DISCOGRAPHY

SHONEN KNIFE W/ SHADOWGRAPH $15. Oct. 25, 9:30 p.m. Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. 704-561-1781. snugrock.com.

punk band in the conservative environs of 1980s Japan wasn’t easy. “My parents were against my band in the beginning,” Yamano says, noting that her mother couldn’t bear the stigma of the neighbors seeing her daughter carrying an electric guitar. “But after we released an album from a major record label, (my parents) began to understand. They became much more supportive.” In 1985, the indie American label K Records released the trio’s Burning Farm cassette, setting the stage for their maiden voyage to the U.S. in 1989. “Going overseas to play a show was a big adventure for us,” Yamano recalls. “At the time, there was no internet so I exchanged snail mail with our U.S. record label to set up (the show).” At their first gig in Los Angeles, the trio was shocked that so many people had come to see them. Nor did they expect to attract the attention of illustrious – and influential — fans. “When I finally got to see them live,” said Kurt Cobain during an interview for Melody Maker in 1991, “I was transformed into a hysterical nine-year-old girl at a Beatles concert.” “I didn’t know Kurt, L7 or Sonic Youth before we went to America,” Yamano admits. “Now I’m very honored that they liked our music.” America’s burgeoning alternative scene in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s embraced Shonen Knife as one of their own. The former office clerks toured with Nirvana, Sonic Youth and The Breeders. Their cheerfully tacky “Riding on the Rocket” video played regularly on MTV’s 120 Minutes and their exuberant cover of “Top of the World” stole the thunder from bigger-name acts like Sheryl Crow on the 1994 Carpenters tribute album, If I Were a Carpenter. In the decades since, Shonen Knife has released close to 20 albums, all boasting the band’s boisterous and catchy pop rock confections, a sound best summed up by the title of their 2007 release, fun! fun! fun! For the band’s latest set, Adventure, Yamano’s sister Atsuko, who left the band in 2008 to get married, returns to the fold.

1982 Minna Tanoshiku Release date: August 15, 1982, Label: Independent, Format: Cassette 1983 Burning Farm Release date: July 21, 1983, US re-release date: June 1985, Label: Zero Records/K Records, Format: LP/CD The album that introduced Shonen Knife to America. Kurt Cobain included it in his list of top 50 albums of all time.

“When our former full time bassist, Ritsuko, left on maternity leave, I had to find a bassist who can do a long overseas tour,” Yamano explains. Atsuko, who lives in Los Angeles with her husband, signed up for the U.S. leg of the tour, and Yamano couldn’t be happier. “I wanted to tour with someone who made me comfortable. When Atsuko and I share a hotel room, we can both relax.” The Yamano’s sisterly reunion is not the only personnel change in Shonen Knife’s ranks. After their longtime drummer left last year, the band discovered Risa Kawano at a gig, playing in their opening band Binky. Like Shonen Knife, Binky was a family affair, Yamano says. “Risa played with her younger sister and father. They’re enthusiastic Shonen Knife fans and they cover our songs. As soon as I saw their set, I knew Risa was the perfect drummer for us.” Hiring the new band member naturally fell to Yamano, who’s been the taskmaster and undisputed leader of Shonen Knife since the group’s inception. “My job is writing songs, doing the arrangements, thinking up album concepts, drawing flyers and making the schedules. It’s very do-it-yourself,” she says. Yamano also composes all the songs, writing the lyrics in English before setting them to melodies. “I record the songs using the ‘voice memo’ on my iPhone,” she says. “I keep it very simple - just me singing and playing my guitar. I email files of the lyrics and guitar chords with the voice memo to the other members.” In the studio, the band fine-tunes the songs’ arrangements. Everyone plays together live on the floor, but they isolate each instrument and marry them to click tracks. “Anything that needs fixing we do in

SEE

STORY P. 30 u

1984 Yama-no Attchan Release date: May 25, 1984 Label: Zero, Format: LP/CD

Universal/MCA, Format: CD 2002 Heavy Songs Release date: February 2002, Label: Confidential, Format: CD 2003 Candy Rock Release date: May 22, 2003, Label: Warner Indies Network, Format: CD One of Shonen Knife’s few albums not to be released in the U.S. All songs are sung in Japanese 2005 Genki Shock! Release date: June 3, 2005, US release date: Apr 11, 2006, Label: Glue Factory, Format: CD

1986 Pretty Little Baka Guy Release date: June 20, 1986 Re-release date: September 25, 1991, Label: Zero/Tokuma Japan, Format: LP/CD

2007 fun! fun! fun! Release date: July 6, 2007, Label: Blues Interactions, Format: CD

1991 712 Release date: July 1, 1991 US re-release date: August 1991 Label: Nippon Crown/Gasatanka/ Rockville Format: CD

2007 Super Group Release date: August 11, 2007, Label: P-Vine, Damnably, Good Charamel Records, Format: CD

1992 Let’s Knife Release date: August 29, 1992, US release date: January 26, 1993, Label: MCA Victor/ Capitol Records, Format: CD Consisting of re-recorded versions of existing Shonen Knife songs plus a handful of new tunes, this is the album that launched Shonen Knife on the world stage. For those new to the band, this is the best place to start.

2010 Free Time Release date: January 2010, Label: P-Vine, Damnably, Good Charamel Records, Format: CD

1993 Rock Animals Release date: September 8, 1993, UK release date: January 10, 1994, US release date: January 25, 1994, Label: MCA Victor/CreationAugust Records/Virgin, Format: CD 1996 Brand New Knife Release date: August 21, 1996, US release date: March 13, 1997, Label: MCA Victor/Big Deal, Format: CD 1997 Happy Hour Release date: June 24, 1998, Label: Big Deal, Format: CD/cassette 2000 Strawberry Sound Release date: February 20, 2000, Label:

2011 Osaka Ramones Release date: July 19, 2011, Label: P-Vine, Damnably, Good Charamel Records, Format: CD The cover art is an homage to The Ramone’s Road to Ruin. 2012 Pop Tune Release date: June 6, 2012, Label: P-Vine, Damnably, Good Charamel Records, Format: CD 2014 Overdrive Release date: April 14, 2014, Label: P-Vine, Damnably, Good Charamel Records, Valve Records, Format: CD 2016 Adventure Release date: April 1, 2016, Label: P-Vine, Damnably, Good Charamel Records, Valve Records, Format: CD

CLCLT.COM | MAR. 17 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 29

MUSIC

STORY FROM

P.29

COVERSTORY

overdubs,” Yamano says. With their stripped-down melodic attack, Shonen Knife frequently draws comparisons to The Ramones. Yamano and her band mates even acknowledged that influence with an album of Ramones covers, 2011’s Osaka Ramones. But for the new album, the band has broadened its palette. “Adventure is Shonen Knife passing through the 60s and the 70s,” she maintains, citing Judas Priest, KISS, The Beatles, Paul McCartney’s Wings, The Four Seasons, Chicago and The Doobie Brothers as her current favorites. Despite personnel changes and a growing list of musical inspirations, some elements remain constant in the band’s recorded oeuvre. Adventure wouldn’t be a proper Shonen Knife album without songs about food. True to form, the album contains three paeans to consumables — including the signature Japanese condiment “Wasabi”. “I’ve already written lots of songs about chocolate and candies, so I was looking for a more timely topic of my lyrics. I (noticed that) Wasabi is getting popular in western society.” Yamano says writing “Wasabi” is her effort to make the spicy condiment popular throughout the world. On “Cotton Candy Clouds,” Yamano sings the praises of the fluffy confection, which is still not common in Japan. “I love cotton candy. I get opportunities to eat it when I’m on tour.” “Green Tangerine (Kabosu)” takes its title from produce local to Japan’s Oita prefecture, the home turf of new drummer Risa. “I got Kabosu green tangerines from Risa’s mother and they are delicious. They taste like limes.” In their decades-long career, Shonen Knife has recorded an impressive array of songs 30 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

about cats — “I Am A Cat,” “Catnip Dream,” “Giant Kitty,” and “Like A Cat.” “There are so many cat lovers in the world,” says Yamano, explaining the band’s focus on felines, adding that she likes cats “because they are cute and selfish.” In a departure from form, the trio has tracked no new cat songs for their current collection. No worries though, because

Shonen Knife still gives a shout-out to pet lovers with the crunchy canine-themed rocker “Dog Fight.” After 35 years of rocking and still counting, Shonen Knife remains upbeat, enthusiastic and energetic. An unforced innocence remains key to their appeal. Though Yamano and her colleagues seem to view the world through a child’s eyes, she maintains she’s never made

a conscious decision to do so, and that purity and optimism may come naturally to her and her band mates. “I look at the world through the eyes of someone my age,” she says, “but I try to keep my outlook fresh.”

MUSIC

CD REVIEW

MATT HYLOM MY OWN ANXIETIES EP INDEPENDENT; RELEASE DATE: SEPT. 20, 2016 Local musician Matt Hylom (who we covered in more lengthy detail in our July edition) has finally released his debut EP. It’s a soothing pop, electronic and acoustic medley that’s solid over the course of five tracks. The album opens with “Look to the Stars,” a track that mixes electronics and acoustics, as well as harmonic singing and flat rapping. It’s a blend that goes well together and it opens the doors to exploring the various musical routes that Hylom is vocally gifted at tackling. When we last chatted with Hylom, he told us that he enjoys deep, warm sounds that oscillate from synths; along with acoustics which give the music a live, raw feel. “There’s some electronic elements, piano in the chorus, acoustic elements. It’s more beat driven but not in a grandiose way,” said Hylom. The album’s single, “Love, Life and Cancer,” is a little more clubby than other tracks on the album. But there’s a calming nature to the track with Hylom’s vocals and a melodic chorus line that’s hard to forget. The song was written when Hylom was in a dark place, pondering death after his wife had three miscarriages. The third track on the album, “I Won’t Forget” is reminiscent of heart warming music by popular singer/songwriters Ed Sheeran and Lukas Graham. Finger snapping and a mix of slow, harmonizing and fast, upbeat jabber give the track a mainstream appeal. More soft electronics and keys come together on “Give Me Everything” for a comforting love song with pop-electro elements. Finally, the album comes to a close with “Home” featuring keys and punchy electronic snippets. All-in-all, the EP is a great add to the pop rock collection. Order it or download for free at www.matthylom.com.

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— ANITA OVERCASH

CLCLT.COM | MAR. 17 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 31

MUSIC

SOUNDBOARD

OCT. 20

OCT. 22

BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL

COUNTRY/FOLK

Tinsley Ellis (Double Door Inn)

Wed 10/19

THE BUSINESS PEOPLE & MILLENIAL THU 10/20 FRI 10/21

SAT 10/22

NOW HIRING INTERNS. THE BRIGHTER, THE BETTER. EMAIL BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM

*Annabelle’s Curse, Will Overman Band (The

Beavergrass Bluegrass Jam f. Jim Garrett

Evening Muse)

(Thirsty Beaver)

Corey Smith (Coyote Joe’s)

David Nail w/ Ryan Keziah and the Outlaws

The Speedbumps, The Sea (Evening Muse)

(Amos’ Southend)

Ziggy Pocketts (Puckett’s Farm Equipment)

*John Paul White, The Kernal (Neighborhood

DJ/ELECTRONIC

Theatre)

Ganja White Knight, Brightside, Tsimba, Cut

THU 11/3

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE WED 11/16

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Kairos., AuxiliA, Shadows of Deceit, Dragged

Lyricist’s Lounge (Upscale Lounge &

by the Neck (Milestone)

Restaurant)

*Lisa Denovo Band (RiRa Irish Pub)

POP/ROCK

*Shiprocked (Snug Harbor)

42, Bright Lights, Johnny Park (Amos’

Spiritual Rez w/ Queen City Dub (Visulite

Southend)

Theatre)

*Andy Grammar, Gavin DeGraw, Wrabel (The

OCT. 21

Fillmore Charlotte)

CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH

Commonwealth (Milestone)

Jazzy Fridays (Freshwaters Restaurant)

King, Nick Hakim (Neighborhood Theatre)

The Fill Ins, Warboys, Drat the Luck, The

*Scowl Brow, JaggerMouth, Cuzco, Deep Six

COUNTRY/FOLK The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) Matt Wertz with Cappa (Visulite Theatre)

DJ/ELECTRONIC

Division (Snug Harbor)

OCT. 23 COUNTRY/FOLK *Carrie Underwood: The Storyteller Tour (Spectrum Center)

POP/ROCK

Black Cat Attack, The Anti-Queens, No Anger

Omari and the Hellraisers (Comet Grill)

Control, Aloha Broha, Minimums (Milestone)

Man’s Jam - Benefiting the National Brain

Chris Robinson Brotherhood (Neighborhood

Tumor Society (Amos’ Southend)

Theatre)

Sense of Purpose f. Paul Agee, Chris Allen,

*Dar Williams (Evening Muse)

Joe Lindsay, Jody Gholson (Tyber Creek Pub)

Flow Tribe (Double Door Inn)

OCT. 24

*Junior Astronomers - Snug’s 8th Birthday Party (Snug Harbor) Mother’s Finest w/ Dave Koons and The Koyotes (Amos’ Southend Troublemaker (Puckett’s Farm Equipment)

32 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Rugs, DJ COMP (Visulite Theatre)

David Nail (Amos’ Southend)

Marshmello (The Fillmore Charlotte)

SUN 10/30

Inn)

COUNTRY/FOLK

POP/ROCK

BASSH

Amanda Shires with Lilly Hiatt (Double Door

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B *Knocturnal (Snug Harbor) #MFGD Open Mic (Apostrophe Lounge)

Empty lungs, Billy Liar, Patches and Pins, The Commonwealth (Milestone) Locals Live: The Best in Local Live Music & Local Craft Beers (Tin Roof) *The Monday Night All Stars (Double Door Inn) Wicked Powers (Comet Grill)

OCT. 25

(Milestone) *Genitorturers with DJ Spider (Amos’ Southend) *Mall Goth, Wandcarver, Gimpdaddy (Snug Harbor) Modern Heritage Weekly Mix Tape (Snug Harbor, Charlotte) Nothing But Thieves (The Underground) Open Mic Night (Comet Grill) Sick Puppies, Devour the Day, One Less Reason (Neighborhood Theatre)

CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH

COMING SOON

* Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn)

Band of Horses (Oct. 28, The Fillmore)

COUNTRY/FOLK Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Tuesday Night Jam w/ The Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Todd Snider, Rorey Carroll (Neighborhood Theatre)

DJ/ELECTRONIC

Phantogram (Oct. 29; The Fillmore) Machine Gun Kelly (Oct. 30, The Fillmore) Sonata Artica (Nov. 6, The Fillmore) Switchfoot and Reliant K (Nov. 2, The Fillmore) Bob Dylan (Nov. 6, Belk Theater) Fitz & the Tantrums (Nov. 9, The Fillmore) Stevie Nicks and the Pretenders (Nov. 10, Time Warner Cable Arena)

*Die Antwoord (The Fillmore Charlotte)

Keller Williams (Nov. 11, Neighborhood

POP/ROCK

Theatre)

Fairplay & Special Guests (Lucky Lou’s Tavern)

Drive-By Truckers (Nov. 12, The Fillmore)

The Noise presents Beartooth: The

The Marshall Tucker Band (Nov. 13, Bank of

Aggressive Tour (The Underground)

America Stadium)

*Shonen Knife, Shadowgraphs (Snug Harbor)

Evanescence (Nov. 15, The Fillmore)

Tessa Violet, Dodie Clark, Rusty Clanton (The

Sloan (Nov. 17, Visulite Theatre)

Evening Muse)

Yellowcard (Nov. 17, The Fillmore)

OCT. 26

Steve Vai (Nov. 18, Neighborhood Theatre) Good Charlotte (Nov. 18, The Fillmore)

COUNTRY/FOLK

A$AP Ferg and Playboi Carti (Nov. 21, The

*Bonnie Raitt (Ovens Auditorium)

Underground)

Open Mic (Comet Grill, Charlotte)

Maxwell, Mary J. Blige and Ro James (Nov. 22,

GENERAL Kevin Marshall and the J-Walkers, Dixie Dave Allen, Off With Her Head, Rob Earth-One, Gabrielle Sophia, Todd Johnson and the Revolvers (The Evening Muse)

Spectrum Center) Josh Ritter (Dec. 2, McGlohon Theater) I Love The 90s w/ Vanilla Ice, Salt-N-Pepa,

Charlotte)

POP/ROCK *Dollar Signs, The Decline, MakeWar

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

THIS SATURDAY

COREY SMITH SPECIAL GUEST EARLY RAY LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $20 ALL OTHERS $25

OCTOBER 28

TRAVIS TRIT T

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $20 ALL OTHERS $25

OCTOBER 29

BOO BASH

BEST COSTUME CONTEST IN CHARLOTTE $1800 CASH PRIZES TICKETS ON SALE $10

NOVEMBER 5

BRE T T YOUNG

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $12 ALL OTHERS $15

NOVEMBER 11

MICHAEL RAY TICKETS ON SALE NOW $10

NOVEMBER 18

ERIC PASLAY SPECIAL GUEST CALE DODDS

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $15 ALL OTHERS $17

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RUSSELL DICKERSON TICKETS $10 AT DOOR 1-2-3 NIGHT

NOVEMBER 26

CHRIS LANE WITH MORGAN WALLEN

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $15 ALL OTHERS $18

Color Me Badd, Coolio, Tone Loc, Rob Base (Dec. 4, Spectrum Center) * - CL Recommends

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B *Rae Sremmurd, Lil Yachty (The Fillmore

❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

POP/ROCK

❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

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.

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MARKETPLACE

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NIGHTLIFE

A SERIES OF FORTUNATE EVENTS: PART TWO Turning lemons into lemonade in the Queen City

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The Perfect Combo.

34 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

RECYCLE ME, PLEASE (Only after you’re done reading me)

the way. You can meet us.” IN LAST WEEK’S column I started a There was no way I was getting out series based around random happenings in of this. Can I use the “I’m black and what the Q.C. Spurred by a rift between my boy about my hair excuse?” Nope. Even though toy and I two weeks ago, I decided to take Hurricane Matthew was in full effect, I the opportunity to surround myself with hadn’t gotten my hair done in weeks. While friends. I forced myself — an only child and contemplating, I read through the texts and recluse at heart — to break my usual routine noted: We have extra jackets and ponchos. of work, nap, eat and sleep. Instead, I rallied P.S. the trolley is completely covered. They every night of the week. What happened have tarp walls. I scarfed a few Swedish next, was the start of a really great book. meatballs — after all, that was certainly a After attending a last minute show, priority — packed my large purchase in my Esperanza Spalding: Emily’s D+Evolution, car and headed to NoDa for a rainy-day pub with my bestie and binge watching Luke crawl. Cage all week, I was left feeling empowered For months, my friends and I had and thought, “I can drink all the drinks contemplated setting up a day drinking and no one can stop me.” I was wrong, of excursion with Trolley Pub Charlotte course, but I still managed to make it but kept putting it off. And now, I through the work week without had the opportunity to give it excruciating hangovers. That a whirl — for free! I turned Friday, I realized I had two my frown right side ‘round tickets to Creative Loafing’s and prepared for the need Best of Charlotte party to rally. and the weekend had Once I arrived at officially begun. the first stop — Heist After scrounging all Brewery — John and the drink tickets at BofC, Vincent greeted me with and realizing Red Bull a warm smile, took a look was nowhere to be found, at my waiver, snapped a I settled on a sour I hadn’t AERIN SPRUILL group pic and next thing you tried...Aunt Sally maybe? know I was straddling a bicycle Full of beer and maxed out seat with a beer in hand. The only on dominating the conversation, I rules? You have to be buckled in when accepted I was a third wheel and should the trolley was in motion and you can’t put seek fun elsewhere. I stopped by The Brass your foot on the ground with a drink in your Tap, where I was convinced to take a shot, hand. Fair enough. before heading to The Local in Uptown. I We pedaled from Heist to Free Range ended up dancing the night away on the Brewery and ended the tour at Jack Beagles, small dance floor in front of the DJ booth — where my friends tried to force me to take yes, solo twerking is a norm for me. a whiskey pickle back shot. Have you ever Naturally, the next morning I wasn’t had one? On top of six beers? That wasn’t feeling 100 percent. I had settled on the idea happening. And after I figured out that I of retail therapy at Concord Mills and lunch didn’t actually have to pedal, I realized I was at IKEA — have you ever tried the Swedish having a really good time. meatballs there?! Honestly, truly, they’re Considering Trolley Pub Charlotte for to die for. While at the mall, a co-worker your next outing in the Q.C.? Here are a few started blowing me up on my phone. “Do pro tips: you want to go on a trolley pub crawl around 2?” she asked. 1. BYOB for rides between stops. Beer or I let out a few sighs. The way my bank wine, plastic or can and you’re good to go. account was set up after a shopping spree 2. Prepare for the weather. Hurricane and the way my stomach was set up after a Matthew is over, but who knows what the full week of drinking, I attempted to dodge weather will be like for your crawl. the invite via text: “Where y’all picking up 3. Be strategic with your crawl. You’ll at? I’m at IKEA so I might be a minute.” want to enjoy being able to drink and ride Ineffective, she sent the location (in Google while also hitting up some cool spots. maps), followed up with the required smart Find balance between distance and quality waiver and a series of texts that read: “Okay! breweries. BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM Just be there by 2:15! Pick up a six-pack on

ENDS

CROSSWORD

REORDERING PARTS ACROSS

1 Display shimmering milky colors 9 Reinforcing eyelet 16 Shapes of parentheses 20 Like a Williamsburg district 21 Eyeglass 22 0 23 Sharp-witted response from a creep? 25 Eye part 26 Energy-filled 27 Provide (with) 28 Hiatus 29 Gut-punch response 32 Mello -- (drink brand) 34 Like someone doing an oil change under a car? 38 Plane part 40 Gaelic language 42 Columnist Barrett 43 Took charge 44 Sale on items having a quintet of hanging decorative threads? 51 Suds-filled 52 Bible bk. before Job 53 Siesta, e.g. 57 Greatest importance 59 One-sixth of a foot? 64 Circumspect 67 Hula -69 Open, as a bolted door 70 19th Greek letter 71 Palette part 72 Hold PC fixers dear? 76 Work unit 77 Lyric penner Gershwin 78 Pulls down 79 Jorge’s “this” 80 Hawkish god 81 One telling fortunes by gazing into artificial light sources? 84 Equally billed headliners 88 Alternatively 89 “-- pity!” 91 Working properly 95 Bistro that’s beautiful and also has great food? 101 “I see now!” 104 “It’s -- of words” 105 They counter nays 106 Ill-fated whaler

107 What it used to take to get word in prehistoric times? 111 8-pointer in Scrabble 115 They cross rds. 116 Fiery fits 117 Steer snarer 119 Nautilus VIP 121 Hot-rod rod 122 Lament from somebody who wants one of their sons to be named after director De Palma? 129 Mad, with “off” 130 Indian oven 131 Oil conduit 132 Water swirl 133 Novelist Sabato 134 Endeavoring anew

DOWN

1 Suffix with hill 2 “Lenore” poet 3 Brit’s brew 4 Extended 5 Savor 6 Attack tactic 7 Noel 8 Wapiti 9 Govt. agents 10 Train track supporters 11 Well-timed 12 Orbitz listing 13 Old AT&T rival 14 “Twilight” rock gp. 15 Olympic ideal 16 Sky color 17 Expose 18 Wrinkle 19 Really wet 24 Corp. shuffle 28 Oat husk 29 Sign- -- (approvals) 30 Mishmash 31 -- beans 33 Helped out 35 Tolkien villain 36 Seek to win 37 Wildebeest 39 Energy-filled 41 “Ciao” 45 Yule tree 46 Outdoor gear retailer 47 Suffix with 20-Across 48 “-- better be good!”

49 Yell at from a distance 50 Three: Prefix 54 Come in 55 Startle 56 Violent sorts 58 Mollycoddles 60 Least comfortable 61 U.K. channel 62 “-- -di-dah!” 63 Hosp. areas 64 As long as 65 Ear-relevant 66 Stationery store units 68 Marital beginning? 72 Artist Gerard -- Borch 73 Comic Charlotte 74 Age 75 Flee from 80 Humane org. of the U.S. 82 Fence (in) 83 Slowing down, in mus. 85 Blast cause 86 Craft 87 San Luis -90 Speaks volumes 92 Spa sighs 93 -- all possible 94 Yanks’ foes 96 Klutzy ones 97 A pair 98 Honey holder 99 Vase type 100 Indian noble 101 Make fizzy 102 Humbugged 103 Used a hook and line 108 Sordid 109 Rub away 110 Tippling types 112 Film festival flick, often 113 Sprang 114 Dying fire bit 118 Trainee 120 Airport near Paris 122 Manhattan chaser? 123 Way-off 124 Red Roof -125 Busy mo. for the IRS 126 VI / II 127 Raggedy -- (doll) 128 Like some nos.

SOLUTION FOUND ON P. 38.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 35

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on themselves somehow, and most didn’t WAITING TO PAY for my groceries go to their parents for fear of getting into at the market this evening, this guy, trouble. And when it inevitably happened stinking of booze, says to my 9-year-old again, some became convinced they were daughter, “Sweetheart, can you put the indeed to blame, because they thought it divider thing there for me?” First, why wasn’t happening to anyone else, just them. is some leering grown man calling my So thank God you were there. Every little child “sweetheart”? He then thumps girl should be so lucky as to have a trusted two huge bottles of vodka down on the adult standing by ready to intervene when belt. I move closer to my daughter; it does happen. I only wish the grocery store he then reaches his hand over me and clerk had intervened, too. wraps his hand around her arm, saying, Because your suggestion — that parents “Now, you be nice to your Mommy, call the conversation they need to have with sweetie.” I pluck his hand off. “Do not their daughters about predatory and entitled touch my child,” I say. My other hand men the “Trump Talk.” Here’s hoping is pressed against my daughter’s ribs, “Trump Talk” isn’t just widely adopted, and I can feel her heart pounding. “You but universally practiced. Because no little have a beautiful daughter,” he says. girl who gets groped on a bus or in a The cashier, whom we know, a guy, grocery store or on a subway or in looks at me, eyebrows up. I a classroom should ever have to roll my eyes. So pissed. We wonder if she did something leave. “I hated that man,” wrong. my daughter says once we get in the car. “He Big fan, longtime smelled bad, I wanted reader and listener, to hit him, if anyone and I need your help. ever does that to me How in the hell can a again I’m going to bipartisan relationship scream.” Here we effing survive this election? go: “Sometimes you have Things have gotten so to be hypervigilant,” I DAN SAVAGE heated that my husband tell my daughter, “because and I recently exploded in an some gross men out there ugly argument. I know I’m not feel they are entitled to touch fighting fair — calling him stupid us.” And then I share my story: and irresponsible for supporting Trump “When I was a little girl...” I don’t even — and I’m being a shitty partner, remember the first time it happened and he’s being shitty in response by to me. I don’t remember the last time spouting Clinton conspiracy theories. A some pervert rubbed up against me. huge part of it is that he’s someone who But that’s what you have to deal with lives to disagree — a true contrarian — when you are a girl. We have to learn to and our current political environment brush this shit off, to make sure that has been like manna from heaven for this endless assault course of predators his sense of humor. What advice do doesn’t take one bit of your pride, your you have? We’ve been together for ages confidence, or your sense of peace as you and have survived other elections and walk through this world. I am so angry. issues. But, as you know, this one’s We should call this the “Trump Talk.” different. The depressing conversation that every Struggling After Debate parent needs to have with their little girl about revolting, predatory, entitled Unlike your husband, SAD, I don’t think men. there’s anything funny about Donald Trump. Mother And Daughter Discuss I’m going to enjoy watching him lose the Enraging Realities election. I wouldn’t be able to climb into bed with someone who was planning to I’m sorry about what happened to your vote for Donald Trump. But if you can’t daughter at the grocery store, but I’m glad leave because you love him despite his moral you were there with her when it happened. and political bankruptcy, or because leaving A lot of women I know, including some very close friends, were your daughter’s isn’t an option for you financially, avoid the age the first time it happened to them, subject and try not to gloat when Hillary MADDER, but they were alone. Tragically, hands Donald his ass on Nov. 8. many assumed that they had done To write to Dan Savage, email him at mail@ something wrong, that they had invited this savagelove.net.

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FOR ALL SIGNS: Warning! This is an election preview. If you are sick of politics, then move on to your Sun sign below. I have studied the horoscopes of the primary candidates for President. (I am not offering a personal choice, but merely reporting the astrological symbols.) It amazes me that one of the important cycles occurring for Hillary Clinton and also Donald Trump are in roughly the same place. The declinations of both could readily be described as high notoriety, publicity, and leadership. This is remarkable because it only occurs once in 28 years. In another important cycle of 30 years, the “Sol-lunar”, they are almost exactly opposite. Hillary is approaching a graduation point and is ready to prove her worth in the world. Donald is concluding a Soul Cycle which began in 1990 in the sign of Leo the Lion. (On that note, I find his hairstyle interesting, as a Lion’s mane.) As one prepares for a totally new Soul Cycle, the public life is closing down and there is really nowhere upward to go. There are other astrological supporters for my position. If you are interested, please see the “blog” on my website. ARIES: Listen to the important people in your life who comment upon what you are doing. You have significant power now and could readily run over others like a steam roller. Allow the “other” equal space or there will be pay- back time later when the power is on the other side. The wheel of life is always turning. TAURUS: Your frame of mind concerning a

romance or a friendship is on the edge this week. You may be feeling disappointed and thinking of bringing things to a conclusion. Be aware that right now you are feeling particularly sensitive. Give it some time before you draw a final conclusion.

me so w/ p U e l g g u Sn tonight!

GEMINI: The routine is safe, but also boring. Your mind may play tricks on you and you could be distracted easily. This is not a good time to do work that requires discipline with details. You are feeling independent, so you may want more alone time than is the norm. You would be happy to take the first flight to Tahiti and never bat an eye over it. Short of that, you may be taking small mental breaks this week, with lots of daydreaming and drifting. CANCER: At present your rational mind

tells you one set of facts while the heart/ instincts are in another camp altogether. Take your conflict to a higher place — not one of “either/or,” but of “both/and.” A larger perspective would satisfy both ends of the equation. The result will be truly creative.

LEO: The Sun, your ruling Avatar, moves into the 4th house of home, family and security. You may have a strong need to clean 38 | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

out debris, get out in the yard, and generally make the homestead ready for winter. This will require three or four weeks, after which you will shift to the holiday preparations. It is your annual solar rhythm.

VIRGO: Mercury, your ruling planet, has

many aspects this week. This suggests that you will be preoccupied with communication. There may be many phone calls, messages, letters, quick conversations, rapid decisions, and/or papers to write. The period is favorable for getting to the bottom line in any matter.

LIBRA: It is possible that you are not feeling well this week. You may be subject to allergy symptoms. Your self-talk is likely to be on the dark side and mainly due to your fears for the future. The critic is not necessarily in touch with the whole truth even though it feels real enough as it blathers onward. SCORPIO: Mars, the warrior planet, is right on top of you now. You have been experiencing a long dose of adrenaline recently. Mars is best used on behalf of others, as in protection and guidance on the path. Aggressive use of Mars is generally not appreciated in our culture.

SAGITTARIUS: You have no new aspects

on the horizon this week, but it is just as well. You are probably still dealing with an apparent no-win situation that has used your time and energy for a couple of weeks. No doubt you would like to be done with it so you can move forward.

CAPRICORN: Mars, the warrior planet, is

rolling through your sign. His highest use is to use his tools (swords, guns, knives) to help and/or protect others. It may be tempting to growl and ruffle your feathers. That is not the best thing to do at this time. It will generate hate mail from your world.

AQUARIUS: It may seem that every time you attempt to concentrate on any sort of detail, someone or something begins to interfere. Bitsy parts will not cooperate or can’t be found. It may take 2 to 3 trips to the hardware store or the grocery market to collect what you need to complete the task.

PISCES: You have probably overdone it

in the “party” department and may feel the need to hit the straight and narrow where your health is concerned. If you have seriously overstepped, your liver is strenuously objecting. Drink a lot of water to dilute any toxins in your body. Pisces is not a sign that can handle “poisons” well.

Are you interested in a personal horoscope? Vivian Carol may be reached at 704-366-3777 for private psychotherapy or astrology appointments. Website: www.horoscopesbyvivian.com.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 20 - OCT. 26, 2016 | 39

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