2016 Issue 45 Creative Loafing by Creative Loafing Charlotte

CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 VOL. 30, NO. 45

1 | DATE - DATE, 2015 | CLCLT.COM

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The Life and Times of Congressman Robert Smalls runs through Jan. 22 at Levine Museum of the New South.

COVER STORY BAMBOOZLED: Dazed city leaders regroup and respond after state legislature reneges on HB2 deal. BY RYAN PITKIN THIS WEEK’S COVER PHOTO WAS DESIGNED BY DANA VINDIGNI.

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ARTS&ENT OF FLAGS AND TARGETS: South Carolina artist tells the story of the Charleston church massacre through paint on fabric.

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PERSONAL EFFECTS: Jordan Hoban releases new album Songs of Loss the old fashioned way: on cassette tape. BY LARA AMERICO 24 SOUNDBOARD

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CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 5

NEWS

COVERSTORY

BAMBOOZLED Dazed city leaders regroup and respond after state legislature reneges on HB2 deal BY RYAN PITKIN

‘T

WAS THE WEEK before Christmas, and all through the city, Charlotte’s leadership stood slack-jawed in disbelief. In a rush of pre-holiday emergency meetings and special sessions, the Charlotte City Council had just been railroaded by the state’s Republican legislature on one of North Carolina’s biggest political issues in recent history. The House Bill 2 debate, which took up much of 2016 in North Carolina, came to a head just days before the year ended, as Governor-elect Roy Cooper and state GOP leaders convinced Charlotte City Council members to rescind changes made to the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance in February in return for the repeal of HB 2. Following two votes by the city council to rescind parts of the nondiscrimination ordinance that offered protections against discrimination based on marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and other factors, the state legislature went into special session — its fifth of the year — on Dec. 21 as promised, but spent the day bickering over moratoriums and reciting condescending rants aimed at the people of Charlotte. In the end, the lawmakers adjourned without accomplishing anything, and the Charlotte City Council was left looking naïve, at best, and at worst, like they were willing to use LGBT rights as a bargaining chip. In the days following Dec. 21, fingers were pointed and blame was spread. On Thursday, Dec. 22, students with the Charlotte-based organization Campus Pride staged a silent sit-in in front of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center. They taped their mouths shut to symbolize their disappointment that young voices in the LGBT community — especially transgender voices — were not taken into consideration before council members decided to trade away their protections against discrimination for what turned out to be an empty promise to repeal HB2. Some of the students who participated reside in Charlotte, while some were visiting from as far away as Central Michigan University. “They wanted to send a signal; to send a message and be timely about it to 6 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

remind people of the real loss, besides your economic pain,” said Shane Windmeyer, founder of Campus Pride. “Because that’s ultimately what’s motivating this — why a lot of this is going on — is because a lot of people are losing money now. And it’s not just a minority group that’s being impacted personally, it’s big business, it’s big banks losing money, and when they start losing money, that’s when they get upset. But we can’t forget that there’s actual lives at stake here. There’s a human cost here.” On Friday, Mayor Jennifer Roberts met with leaders of the trans and non-genderconforming communities. Unbeknownst to Roberts, the meeting was being livestreamed over Facebook Live by Ashley Williams of the Trans and Queer People of Color Collective in Charlotte. During the meeting, Williams called for Roberts’ resignation. The mayor admitted she had considered not running for reelection in 2017, but eventually decided doing so would lead people to believe that fighting for LGBT rights — which has been a large part of Roberts’ platform throughout her campaign and first year of her tenure — could be toxic for Charlotte’s politicians, as it would be viewed as the reason for her downfall. Roberts later realized the meeting was being recorded and made some statements about how the action would only add to a lack of trust between her and those in the room before leaving the room suddenly. It doesn’t appear she has changed her mind about a relection campaign due to any of last week’s happenings. Although Roberts did strongly endorse Cooper’s plan to rescind the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance, the responsibility for making that decision actually fell just on city council members. On Monday, Dec. 19, following a long night of phone calls between Cooper, Roberts and council members, the council voted unanimously (Patsy Kinsey was not present for the vote) and approved rescinding the new additions to the nondiscrimination ordinance 10-0. Two days later, when the state legislature was expected to go into special session to repeal HB2, things began to fall apart rather quickly. Reports that state lawmakers did not believe the repeal of the city’s nondiscrimination

JAMES WILLAMOR

Hunter Schafer (left) and Miquel Rodrigues of Raleigh protest the North Carolina General Assembly during a special session on Wednesday, Dec. 21. ordinance went far enough — it left in place a provision protecting city vendors from discrimination that was never affected by HB2 — led council members to call another emergency meeting on Wednesday meeting to fully repeal the ordinance. However, there was one glaring difference between the ordinance to be voted on at Wednesday’s meeting and the one that had been approved on Monday: the abscence of a “clawback provision.” The clawback provision, which was included in Monday’s ordinance but not in Wednesday’s, set a deadline for the state to repeal HB2 by Dec. 31. If not, the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance would go back on the books. It was to act as a safety net, and without it, the state legislature wasn’t held to the promises of repeal made by Senate Leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore. To be clear, the nondiscrimination ordinance as it stood was more a symbolic pact between city leaders and the LGBT community than anything else. HB2 effectively made the ordinance moot, but it had stood throughout the year as a strong symbol of the council’s steadfast refusal to waver on LGBT rights. Advocates had spent nearly three years fighting for the approval of such an ordinance, and hoped it would remain in place, especially in the case that

HB2 is repealed by the courts in 2017. “I wouldn’t start to try to guess why all of these people ran with a deep commitment to us that they would support the ordinance; why they passed it, why they claimed to be so proud, why they kept saying we will not compromise and it’s not even up for discussion, and why they then turn around and do this,” said Jay Leach, senior minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte, who fought for years to get the ordinance approved.

IN THE DAYS following the vote by city

council and inaction from state legislature, Creative Loafing reached out to members of the city council to discuss their thoughts on what had unfolded. John Autry, who voted on Monday but not Wednesday, had an interesting perspective on events as a council member who will be joining the state legislature on Jan. 11. In the November elections, Autry was voted to replace Tricia Cotham as representative of N.C. House District 100. He was in Raleigh on Wednesday, and compared his experience watching state lawmakers work to watching sausage being made. Autry said that, as an incoming state representative, he is optimistic that Cooper will continue to lead efforts not only to repeal

RYAN PITKIN

Mayor Roberts looks on during an emergency meeting called on the morning of Dec. 21 in Charlotte.

HB2 but to put LGBT protections in place in more municipalities than just Charlotte. “There’s lots of work to do on the lack of trust between local government, state government and federal government with all components of our society,” Autry said. “I absolutely understand and appreciate the misgivings that members of the LGBT community right now have front and center. They feel betrayed. But the long game was about repealing HB2 and not prohibiting municipalities from taking actions to protect LGBT people, to protect all minorities, to protect women in the workplace, to protect citizens across this state. “This status quo of HB2 cannot sustain itself; the economic pressure, the stain on the reputation on the state of North Carolina cannot continue. The economic bleeding cannot continue. The most vulnerable sectors of our society cannot continue without protections against discrimination and violence. When will that happen? I don’t know. But I’m going to keep leaning into it,” he said. City council member LaWana Mayfield said she was not surprised by the failure of the North Carolina General Assembly to come through on their promise to repeal HB2 on Wednesday. Mayfield and council member Al Austin, both open members of the LGBT community, refused to vote in favor of repealing the city’s nondiscrimination ordinance Wednesday morning when they realized the clawback provision had been taken away and the city would be at the mercy of the state legislature’s word. “Unfortunately, what happened Wednesday was exactly what I expected to happen. You can’t have a discussion of honor with people who have shown no honor,” Mayfield said, referring to the state legislature. “I don’t think there ever should have been a conversation [to repeal the

RYAN PITKIN

Students with Campus Pride protest the recent action of city leaders and inaction of state leaders on Dec. 22 in Charlotte. nondiscrimination ordinance] but a number of people believed the idea that Raleigh said, ‘If you do this then we will repeal,’” she said. “I never had faith in that, but I need our community to understand that honestly, I respect and understand the anger, but that anger needs to be properly placed. Not with the city council, that anger needs to be placed with your general assembly. It was your general assembly that created HB2 without Charlotte, it is your general assembly who had the ability to repeal HB2 without Charlotte. It was your general assembly that chose not to do their job, but to spend time and energy and money blaming Charlotte. And it’s your general assembly as well as Charlotte [city council] that’s going to be on the ballot again next year.” Mayfield said she fears that losing Autry and potentially losing Roberts as mayor could put Charlotte into a place where passing a new nondiscrimination ordinance in the future will be more difficult than it was in February. There was also a chance of losing other council members who supported Charlotte’s fight for an LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance. Just as with Roberts, council member Julie Eiselt admitted to Creative Loafing that the fallout following Wednesday’s special session had her contemplating her future in local government. In the end, just as with Roberts, she decided that the idea of giving up the fight would only serve to weaken her side. “I don’t blame [the LGBT community] for feeling betrayed. We feel betrayed. If nothing else, we’ve got to stay in this together and fight,” Eiselt said. “It was a chance we took.

I can’t sit here and ask for forgiveness when I get what they feel, but I promise them that we have not turned our backs on them. I thought a lot about it. I thought, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t run for office again because I pledged to protect people.’ Then I thought, ‘Well, but then that takes me out of the fight.’ You can either stand on the sidewalk with a big sign saying this is what I support or you can get in the street and fight. I’ll stay in the street.” Eiselt also hopes this most recent experience with the state legislature will inspire other Charlotte leaders to join her on that street. She’s optimistic that now that the state legislature has shown its true colors, pressure will mount on them. Eiselt is now calling for civic and business leaders in the city to join city council in calling for the state legislature to keep their word and repeal HB2. “This is not a freeze frame. We’ll look back on this historically and say, ‘This was just one step back for two steps forward.’ There’s probably more people on the side of the LGBT fight than there were before. A lot of people in this community drank the Kool Aid of the general assembly who said, ‘We need to get Charlotte’s ordinance off the books first,’” she said. “What I hope going into the new year, is that the business community and the civic leaders in this community who pushed us so hard to do something understand now why we’ve been so hesitant — understand now that they’ve got to speak up and be part of this fight.” So why stand on the sidewalk? There’s still plenty of room in the street. RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM

CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 7

NEWS

EDITOR’S NOTE

NEW YEAR, NEW BEGINNINGS Farewell to my time at the Loaf IT’S TIME TO say goodbye — to me, with Charlotte Art League in South End to not to the ol’ Loaf. After 10 years of being a present shows in an artsy atmosphere. In part of the CL team in many ways, shapes and times when a life in the arts can sometimes positions, I’ll be moving on to a corporate gig. be hard to sustain, these ladies are a breath of I’ve been promised there’s a nerf gun at the fresh air and a reminder that asking questions new job, so rest assured I’ll be in good hands. can be a very good thing. They asked and they (Side note: After being hit across my cubicle received. It was fun picking their brains for with a blow-up parrot and other random the speaker series and I encourage everyone objects from news editor Ryan Pitkin, it only to keep up with them as they continue to seems fitting that the atmosphere should bring more innovative ideas to the Charlotte theater scene. have some quirks.) And then, there’s Best of Charlotte 2016. Working with Ryan — a writer who can sniff out a compelling news story just as Since 2015’s Best Of Charlotte was Readers’ easily as he can dig up one that’s fitting for Picks only, I was dogged and determined to arts, music and food sections — and creative bring back Critics’ Picks to this year’s issue. director Dana Vindigni — whose design skills Despite the challenges it presented with such and innovation seems to know no bounds a small-but-dedicated staff, it was worth all the long nights. — has been a blast and I feel lucky to But there’s a reason why I pushed have had such a talented team. to do more, including nudging Together, we’ve been able to past freelance writers to pitch do a lot with a little — as is more stories and scouting out the case in most shrinking new writers with diverse news rooms across the backgrounds. That reason globe. has nothing to do with My time with CL me and everything to do began with an editorial with CL. The publication, internship in 2006. which turns 30 next year, After the internship, I is still Charlotte’s one and began freelancing and only alternative weekly in 2008 was hired fullANITA publication and fills a much time as events editor. Over OVERCASH needed niche. the years, I’ve climbed the When I was just a teen in middle ladder as assistant arts and and high school, I used to have a ritual entertainment editor, managing editor, associate editor and earlier this year of picking up copies of CL. I wanted to know I took on the gratifying and sometimes hair- what concerts and art shows I should go to. I wanted to know what Charlotte eateries raising task of being editor-in-chief. I’m thoroughly pleased with the wild to hit up. And, I wanted to read news that ride. During my time as editor we put out was raw and edgy — not the predictable some lengthy, detailed guides — including a sugarcoated fluff and barebones news found beer guide, a brunch guide, summer and fall in most dailies. CL in all its entities has shaped who guides, a holiday guide, and our annual New Year’s Eve guide. In our music section, we I am and I hope it’s shaped who you are, shifted the focus to local bands — Charlotte’s too. Keeping the public informed on all the latest and greatest arts and music events in got a lot and they’re worth a listen. We’ve also been busy getting involved Charlotte, providing alternative news and around town. Earlier this year, CL partnered making readers salivate over food stories with Donna Scott Productions to present a has been a top priority. When folks who I’ve Women Entrepreneurs in Business & Arts written stories about thank me, I’m always speaker series that was an inspirational quick to remind them that I should be doing success. The sponsorship came after a story the thanking. There are so many great people, from freelance writer Page Leggett. She places and things in Charlotte and there’s wrote about the unique partnerships that plenty more to come. Two-time former CL editor Mark Kemp local theater troupes fronted by women have formed with local businesses. For example, will be taking the helm and he’s got plenty of Shelia Proctor’s Chickspeare regularly new ideas in store to keep everyone engaged performs shows at NoDa Brewing Company and entertained. As for me, I’ll be out and and Donna Scott Productions has partnered about at shenanigans around town in 2017. Happy New Year! 8 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

NEWS

BLOTTER

BY RYAN PITKIN

UNATTENDED A 51-year-old man paid

dearly for his decision to warm his car in front of his north Charlotte home during a cold morning last week. The man told police he left his Dodge Nitro running and unlocked in the driveway at about 7 a.m. while he got ready inside his house and, when he came out to leave for work, the car was gone. Adding to the stupidity of his decision, he also told police that if the thief checked under the driver’s seat, they would find a brand new .40-caliber handgun. Sure enough, when police later found the car abandoned miles away in east Charlotte, the gun was nowhere to be found.

NOT YOUR KICKS There was a rash of

pre-Christmas thefts occurring throughout Charlotte this holiday season as thieves drove around suburban neighborhoods and dashed from cars to steal packages off of porches, where they’d been delivered to await their targeted recipient. These thieves were surely acting in hopes that the packages would be filled with gifts to be used or resold to a wide audience. One thief in northeast Charlotte was not so lucky, as the shoes in the package they stole not only contained children’s shoes, which limits the market already, but children’s shoes customized by stitching the would-be recipient’s name onto them. In an unrelated incident, a woman caught a man stealing a package from her porch on camera. He couldn’t have been happy to open it once he got to a safe spot, however, as all it contained was kitty litter; no presents.

THE GREAT ESCAPE If you see a door-

to-door vacuum salesman meandering the streets of north Charlotte in the near future, he may have come across that supply in a dishonest, if ambitious way. Employees at Walmart on North Tryon Street called police after an unknown man stacked three vacuum cleaners — a total of $747 in merchandise — into a cart and made his way to the garden section. Once there, he removed the security tags from the vacuums before pulling off his greatest feat, prying open a roll-down garden door made for employee carts and crawling through it into the parking lot to make off with his booty.

SHE GONE A 50-year-old man in northwest

Charlotte may have had to come to terms with losing more than his car last week after calling police to file an “unauthorized use of vehicle” report. The man told officers that he told a woman whom he’s in a romantic relationship with that she could use his car for “a quick errand” at 9 p.m. By the time police were called, it was 2:30 a.m. the next morning and the man was rightfully beginning to wonder whether he was ever going to see his car — or woman — again.

THREE’S A CROWD When carrying out a carjacking, it’s often best to approach the job in as simplistic a way as possible. Making it a multiplayer mission can only lead to folks getting in each other’s way, so when three people attempted to steal a car by force in east Charlotte last week, the whole crime was destined to fail. A 38-year-old man said he was standing in his driveway with his wife and 5-year-old son when three men approached and pulled guns. Two suspects roughed the man up before taking the keys to his Chevrolet Malibu, which was sitting there in the driveway. When the three men took off in the car, the victim hopped into his other car and attempted to chase them, but it wasn’t a long chase. The suspects crashed into a tree just 100 meters from the scene of the robbery, deploying the airbags and totaling the car. The suspects fled the scene, but two of them were eventually apprehended by police. HOLLA AT ME A stranger may have saved a

21-year-old man’s life in west Charlotte with a simple shout last week. A man told police that he was walking down Beatties Ford Road when another man called for him to come over to him. The victim refused, which angered the suspect, and he suddenly began running at the victim while beginning to draw a firearm from his pocket and yelling, “I’m going to end you.” A third man on the scene who had seen what was happening all along suddenly started yelling for anyone in the area to watch what was happening, which made the suspect nervous and he left.

KEEP IT SECRET A 69-year-old woman

learned a lesson about what the P in PIN stands for last week. The south Charlotte resident said she was alarmed to check her bank account one day and find that there were charges amounting to $140 that she had not spent. She called someone she suspected might have been to blame, and he admitted to it. She only filed a report after the suspect made excuses about how he wanted to pay her back but couldn’t. The lesson learned in all this? The woman said the man was only able to sneak out and use her card was that the PIN was written on the back of it.

THREAT OF THE WEEK A 26-year-old

man will be cutting his own hair for a few months after receiving a threat to stay away from the local barber shop through a third party last week. The man filed a report stating that his friend played a voicemail for him in which the suspect said, “If I catch [the victim] in the barber shop I will fight him on the spot … or something will happen.” Like, he will get his hair cut?

VIEWS

THE CHRONICLE

NEWS

NEWS OF THE WEIRD

ON FAITH AND FUCKERY

BY CHUCK SHEPHERD

The new pride and prejudice

rebellion against the absurdities of Black Friday this year by the organization Cards Against Humanity came in the form of raising money to dig a pointless hole in the ground. During the last week of November, people “contributed” $100,573, with Cards digging initially for 5.5 seconds per donated dollar. In 2015, according to an NPR report, Cards raised $71,145 by promising to do “absolutely nothing” with it, and the year before, $180,000 by selling bits of bull feces. Asked why Cards doesn’t just give the money to charity, a spokesperson asked why donors themselves don’t give it to charity. “It’s (their) money.”

BY RHIANNON FIONN session called solely so legislators could say, FUCKERY, AS DEFINED by the “See? We only focused on disaster relief in Urban Dictionary, is “absolute bullshit; utter special session three.” nonsense; something rather suspicious that All three of December’s special sessions can bring forth uneasy, angry or irritated included packed public galleries and protests feelings. A stunt pulled by people who don’t since the people of North Carolina don’t know how to tell the truth or enjoy messing trust their representatives. with people’s heads as a hobby.” So, it was no surprise that extra special Faith, on the other hand, per the session four was chockfull with more Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is an than two dozen bills. But the fact that the “allegiance to duty or a person; fidelity to General Assembly held two special sessions one’s promises; sincerity of intentions; in one day wasn’t the newsworthy bit. The fidelity to one’s promises … a firm belief in governor’s rare speeches to two legislative something for which there is no proof.” committees wasn’t even all that newsworthy. When you think of North Carolina’s What was newsworthy were the only government, which word best fits? two bills the General Assembly chose to What about when the federal court system focus on, the bills limiting the power of declares that 28 of your state’s legislative the incoming governor. Meanwhile, other districts are so racially gerrymandered bills that dealt with the I-77 toll road that they’re unconstitutional; so or racial profiling or year-end engineered to favor one party bonuses for state workers and over another that we must hold teachers had no chance. a special election in an off North Carolina’s year? How about when 45 doublespeak habit is not percent of our legislators new. In a time when run unopposed? Does the state leaders squawk General Assembly still about “government possess our collective overreach” they pass good faith? Are they our measures preventing local true representatives? governments from doing Which word comes RHIANNON their work. An example: to mind when legislation FIONN The N.C. Department of speeds through Raleigh’s Environmental Quality is party marble halls to the governor’s to a multi-state lawsuit in opposition desk during multiple, expensive to the Obama administration’s Clean Power special sessions? Plan. One of the main claims in that lawsuit HB2 stands out, in part, because of the involves “government overreach,” meaning speed with which it maneuvered through the federal government is telling the states our system. Within one day the bill was what to do. At the same time, this summer, introduced and signed into law during the a coal-ash bill became law that prohibits second special session of the year. During local governments from enacting ordinances the fifth special session, held last week, the related to that industrial waste. General Assembly spent the day arguing That’s not normal, either. Usually, federal with itself about repealing HB2 before going rules and laws are built upon by the states and home having done nothing. Now, as the then by local governments. In that way, local governor says, “the courts will decide.” governments, being closest to the people, can Since 1986, the General Assembly has customize things for their communities. held 21 special sessions. Over 30 years, only We saw the state’s version of government 15 included special sessions and only two overreach again last week when Senate of those years included more than one – Republicans reneged on a deal to cleanly 1996 and 2003. Not only did the number of repeal HB2 when they filed a bill that would special sessions in 2016 set at least a 30-year prevent HB2-like local ordinances during a record, three special sessions were held in six-month “cooling off period.” one month and two in one day. What’s not mentioned in this week’s The legislature was supposed to cover story on that issue is that there was convene only once in December to provide actually a second bill that would have repealed emergency financial relief for those affected HB2 — the one supported by Democrats as by Hurricane Matthew and mountain “the deal.” There was no vote on that bill. wildfires.Yet the legislature felt the need to Now, which word most resonates with call another special session minutes after you – fuckery or faith? passing its disaster relief bill; an extra special

HOLES AGAINST HUMANITY The

GOVERNMENT IN ACTION New York City’s Department of Parks and Recreation has completed its two-year project of assigning ID numbers with arboreal characteristics to every one of the 685,781 trees in the city’s five boroughs. More than 2,300 volunteers walked the streets, then posted each tree’s location, measurements, Google Street View image, and ecological benefits for the surrounding neighborhoods (rainwater retained, air pollution reduced). Privacy activists hope the National Security Agency is not inspired by this. LACE ‘EM UP A note in The New York

Times in October mentioned a website that comprehensively covers everything worth knowing and wondering about shoelaces. Ian’s Shoelace Site shows, discusses and rates lacing methods, how to mix lace colors, how to tie (comparing methods, variations and, again, ratings), lengths of laces (how to calculate, which formulas to use, what to do with excess lengths), “granny knots,” aglet repair and much more — neatly laid out in dozens of foolproof drawings for the shoelace-challenged.

GET OVER IT Though the presidential election of 2016 was certainly more volatile than usual, one reaction to the outcome was the apparent ease with which some in America’s next generation of college-trained leaders were sidelined by self-described emotional pain. The Wall Street Journal reported that special attention was given by administrators at Tufts University, the University of Kansas and Ivy League Cornell, among other places, where their young adults could “grieve” over the election and seek emotional support, such as use of “therapy dogs” in Kansas and, at the University of Michigan, the availability of Play-Doh and coloring books for distraction. IRONIES (1) The county executive in Cleveland, Ohio, complained in November of lack of funds — because the county’s credit is “maxed out” — for necessary renovations

to its well-known sports and concert venue, the Quicken Loans Arena. (2) In November, after a companion asked Victoria Vanatter, 19, what blood-sucking was like, she let him slice her arm with a razor to have a taste, but the two then argued, and Vanatter allegedly grabbed a knife and slashed him for real. Police in Springfield, Missouri, arrested her after both parties were stitched up at a hospital.

RECURRING THEMES The most recent

city to schedule a civic-minded conference with community leaders to discuss options for affordable, accessible housing in a meeting place that was highly unfriendly to the nonambulatory was Toronto, in November. The first proposed site required a seven-step walk-up, but following complaints, officials relocated it to a building whose only rest room was in the elevator-free basement.

SKATES WITH THE FISHES The

Space World theme park in Kitakyushu, Japan, opened a popular ice-skating rink in November, but was forced to close it two weeks later for being hugely unpopular with social media critics. The park had placed 5,000 fish and other sea animals in the ice deck of its “Freezing Port” rink so that skaters could look down as they glided along, gazing at marvels of nature. The fish were all dead in advance, of course, purchased from a fish market. Nonetheless, the park manager apologized for grossing out so many people and closed the exhibit before melting the ice and conducting an “appropriate religious service” for the fishes’ souls.

NOT A GOOD LOOK The government-run

Channel 2M in Morocco apologized for a segment of its daily TV program “Sabahiyat” that featured a makeup artist demonstrating techniques for obscuring blemishes on women subjected to domestic violence. The model being worked on had been made up with a swollen face and faked bruises. Said the host, “We hope these beauty tips will help (victims) carry on with your daily life.” Bonus: The program aired Nov. 23 — two days before International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

CUNNING STRATEGIES (1) Shogo

Takeda, 24, said he desperately needed a job at the elevator maintenance company in Yokohama at which he was interviewing with the president on Nov. 10, but somehow could not resist taking the man’s wallet from a bag when the president briefly left the room. Takeda had dropped off his resume beforehand and thus was quickly apprehended. (2) Mark Revill, 49, pleaded guilty in November to stalking the actor Keira Knightley. He said he had become frustrated that his flood of love letters was being ignored and so approached the front door of Knightley’s London home and “meowed” through the letterbox. CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 9

FOOD

FEATURE

COURTESY OF HABERDISH

Waffle dessert

Fried chicken with sides ANITA OVERCASH

ANITA OVERCASH

Cast Iron NC Trout, Brined Chicken, Mac and Cheese, and Grits at Haberdish.

Holiday Punch cocktail

MILLING AROUND HABERDISH New Southern eatery shines in NoDa

VISIT TO Haberdish, a new modern Southern eatery in an old renovated building on North Davidson Street, might make you rethink NoDa’s history. The restaurant’s name (a play on haberdasher/haberdashery, an old-fashioned word for a person or place that sells small articles of clothing; dish replaces dash...get 10 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

it?) goes back to mill town times. NoDa, being one of Charlotte’s most historic mill neighborhoods (home to The Lofts at NoDa Mills and Highland Mill Lofts, both old mills-turned-trendy-living-quarters) was once hustling and bustling to the beat of workers who dealt more with busy factory work and less with leisurely dining. Owner Jeff Tonidandel wanted his latest

eatery — he also owns Crepe Cellar and Growler’s Pourhouse, both in NoDa, and is co-owner of Sea Level and FlatIron — to touch on the ‘hood’s mill history, as well as Charlotte’s culinary past. In regards to a third food establishment in NoDa, Tonidandel says the reasoning is two-fold. “I just love the neighborhood and we’ve

been a good fit. Also, from a management perspective it’s really great having everything in the same area. It’s all walkable and just seconds away.” The location, a general store in its heyday, was used for storage over the last 20 years. You’ll most likely remember the boarded-up exterior as a former concert poster hodgepodge. Once gritty and

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decided to get stuff from Anson Mill. We set the livermush up with Carolina Gold Rice instead of grits — traditionally it’s set up with grits — but the Carolina Gold is like a short grain risotto type of rice and it works really well to set up the livermush and gives it a great texture.” There’s also charred okra and other seasonal specials — currently barbecue glazed carrots with whipped goat cheese ranch, herbs and benne seeds. In addition to Carolina cuisine, there are more general regional touches — Piedmont, Appalachian — that creep in. The brined chicken that I ordered there was lathered in an Alabama white sauce (a mix of horse radish, garlic and mayo) that went well with the chicken’s smoky, moist and tender consistency. All of the restaurant’s chickens are vegetarian-fed, anti-biotic free and hormonefree and come from Springer Mountain Farms in Mt. Airy, Georgia. Tonidandel says those check boxes were a must, but more importantly he was struck by the farm’s humane treatment of chickens as he researched during his quest to make the best fried chicken. In addition to the regular menu, the restaurant will also offer chicken and waffles on Sundays and chicken and biscuits on Tuesday. While the restaurant is currently only open for dinner, Tonidandel has plans for it to eventually be open for lunch. There will also be a patio area along the side of the restaurant by the garage doors that can be lifted in warmer spring/summer months. To go along with the historical mill theme, mixologist Colleen Hughes (who picked up a win in this year’s Best Of Charlotte) has concocted a growing list of cocktails. So far, Tonidandel says that the punches have been a hit in addition to bourbons with ice. “We’re really trying to introduce people to amaros. That’s kind of where the apothocary stuff comes in and the whole digestives and these very kind of herbaceous bitters,” says Tonidandel. “We’re trying to introduce people to those kind of complex bitter flavors and people are warming up to them.” Many of the drinks are seasonally inspired, like the Holiday Punch, which is garnished in holly and red berries. They also have plans to roll out punch bowls, which can be ordered for tables. Prohibition times? Count us in.

Ph: 704-464-4558

Old States

decrepit, the interior has been renovated with a modern feel that’s nestled with vintage charm — selvedge denim taken from a Winston Salem mill graces the backs of booths and a 1950s-style soda fountain is the centerpiece of the bar. Architects and builders were careful to save the brick facade and wall of the building, creating a shell before replacing the roof, as well as support beams, and frontal windows. Research for the restaurant’s concept, food and design elements has strengthened Tonidandel’s knowledge of the area. Though he’s originally from Cleveland, Ohio, he’s called Charlotte home for more than 20 years. “I think the exploration of food, for me, is really kind of how I learn about places. That’s how I travel, too. I like getting local food while traveling and exploring,” says Tonidandel. “It’s a big part of having that sense of place and culture and what people are doing, so yeah, it’s a big part for me and it’s been great to dive into the place where I live and am setting down my roots.” These old-meets-new concepts seem to be flourishing. For example, The Pumphouse — a former pump house turned riverside eatery — opened earlier this year in Rock Hill. At Haberdish, pickled jars sit up on shelves and canisters with candles are the centerpiece of tables. The atmosphere was bustling during a Thursday night visit. Upon entry there was an hour wait, but when seats popped up at a high-rise communal table, my husband and I jumped for them. The menu is a la carte with main entree selections — fried or brined chicken, cast iron NC trout, cauliflower steak and pork shank — and lots of snacks and sides. We opted for the satisfying hush puppies with sweet tea butter, mac and cheese, and kale grits (slow-cooked Anson Mills grits with creamed kale), but were tempted by the livermush toast. Having a grandmother who countlessly begged me to try the Southern staple that I deemed disgusting by smell and description as a child, there was no giving in. As Tonidandel and his crew explored Charlotte cuisine’s history and other local and regional food, they decided livermush was a must for the menu, despite its traditional simplicity. “Traditionally, if you were going to work or school 80 years ago, your mom would have taken a piece of livermush, thrown it on a cheap piece of white bread with mustard on it and put it in your lunch pail,” he says. “We’re trying to make a really awesome piece of livermush by putting it on a piece of Wonder bread and accentuating it with homemade pickles and mustard. The only difference between our livermush and others is that we’re doing a whole pantry take. We looked around and thought about what would be in someone’s pantry 100 years ago and we

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CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 11

FOOD

FEATURE

ARI LEVAUX

It’s time to get creative in the kitchen via eggs-in-a-nest.

THE ULTIMATE TROJAN HORSE OF BREAKFAST Rise and shine to an egg-in-a-nest BY ARI LEVAUX

GG-IN-A-NEST, A children’s PERENNIAL

favorite, never seems to get old. T o prepare it is to create a tractor beam between a child’s mouth and breakfast. As we grow up, it maintains a residence 12 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

in many an adult heart. The novelty of using edible materials as a form of cookware with which to encase other edible materials doesn’t easily wear off. And the artistry with which it can be presented, and the flavors that can be created, are limitless.

With young and old alike, eggs-in-a-nest are especially appropriate this time of year, as far as I’m concerned, because holiday season is also nesting season. It’s time to snuggle up, get cozy, and wait out the bottom of the year. Get yourself a quilt, a fire, a pot

of coffee, and start preparing variations on the egg-in-a-nest theme. After few servings, the days will be getting longer already. And to all the evil parents and their diabolical plans to inject fibrous chlorophyll into their children’s food whenever possible,

ALCOHOL INFUSED CUPCAKES

LOCAL ROASTED COFFEE & TEA eggs-in-a-nest are the ultimate Trojan Horse of breakfast. If prepared properly, pieces of green can be easily concealed. And more importantly, by sandwiching vegetables between grease, protein and carbs, they become more palatable. In the traditional egg-in-a-nest, the nest is made of bread. But there are alternative versions as well, in which the nest is constructed from various other materials. Traditional style begins with a generous amount of butter in a pan on low/medium heat. Sometimes I add olive oil as well, to increase the fat and reduce the chance of burning butter. Bacon grease, it should go without saying, works. When the fat is hot, place a slice of bread in the pan. While the fat sputters and soaks into the bread slice, turning it gloriously crispy, carve out a nest. I like to use the side of a large spoon, the shape of which rolls easily in a circular direction. Press it into the bread slice as it cooks from underneath. Cookie or biscuit cutters can work too, but you don’t want the hole to be larger than the diameter of your yolk. At least I don’t. And I’m the master. I should acknowledge, there is a school of thought that would have us excavate a larger hole, crack an egg into it, and call it a morning. This would result in a serviceable breakfast of egg and toast, but lacking the chemistry and mystery that a proper egg-ina-nest can deliver. The point of contact between the egg white and bread is central to the power of this dish. It creates a spectacular contrast with the buttery brown crisp on the other side of the same piece of bread. But I’m getting ahead of myself. After the slice has cooked sufficiently on one side, with the removed hole quietly sizzling alongside it, remove it from the pan. Check pan for adequate butter, adjust if necessary, and then crack an egg onto the pan, as if you’re making a sunny side up egg. In a moment you will place the fried bread slice atop the egg, so the yolk sticks through the hole. But first, parents, now is your chance to add those unmentionable plant parts. A sheet of crushed nori seaweed, perhaps, or a little pile of chopped spinach that will quickly wilt. Thin-slice some leftover Brussels sprouts or cauliflower florets. Just don’t let any of these end up on top of the yolk where they could be seen from above. This is also the opportunity to add meat, cheese, spicy things or anything else you believe would make the egg taste better. Perhaps a dab of pressed garlic for the grownups. Place the bread on the egg, crispy side up, so only the yolk is visible in the nest. This allows the soft side of the bread to soak up the white and slowly meld into a hybrid food

species all its own as it cooks. Cook until the yolk looks right to you. When eating, this crispy butter bread can be pulled apart as needed and dipped into the liquid yolk in the middle. You can’t get more egg-in-the-nest than that. But if you construct a nest out of hash browns for your egg, no breakfast connoisseur could fault you. To do so, bake a potato the night before. In the morning, use the coarse face of your grater to shred it. Season with salt and pepper, and press it into a generously buttered muffin tin, pushing it around the side and essentially shaping it into a cupcake cup. Crack an egg into the center and put it into the oven (preheated to 400). Bake until the egg’s top starts to develop a white glaze, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Before attempting to remove a potato nest from the pan, run a thin knife all around the side, between pan and nest. Then it should pop out for you. If you don’t have bread or potato, you could build a nest out of practically anything edible. A piece of bacon, on its side, can be rolled into a circle in a cupcake pan, with another piece for the bottom. Bake until crispy then add the egg. Bake again. But what if you don’t have anything at all except your egg? That’s when you pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, and build a nest of whites. Preheat the oven to 450. Crack an egg and carefully separate the yolk from white. Beat the whites stiff, and use them to build a little nest on a bake-able pan. Bake the nest for 3 minutes. Carefully place the yolk in the nest, and bake for another 3 and serve. The baked egg white develops a magical texture, springy like sponge cake, but with the flavor and exterior crunch of the bottom of a well-prepared fried egg. A soft, flowing yolk completes the package. Season with salt and pepper. Don’t be afraid to mix and match these various techniques. You could fill a hash brown nest with baked egg whites, for example, and bake the separated yolk on top. I plopped my beaten egg white atop a nesty pile of slow-fried bacon and kale bits, baked for three minutes at 450, and then placed the yolk atop the white nest. It looked suspiciously like a fried egg on a nest, but technically was a yolk in a white nest upon a green brown nest. Endless nuance, my friends. So whenever you find yourself with those midwinter breakfast blues, simply bust out your nest moves. They also work great for those lunch, dinner, and midnight snack blues. Those bright yolks shining up at you from the plate will light your journey toward springtime.

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CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 13

THURSDAY

THINGS TO DO

TOP TEN

Belk Bowl THURSDAY

FRIDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

BELK BOWL

DAVE STONE

SHEN YUN

DECEMBER MUSIC TASTING

What: Robert Smalls’ life traced a trajectory from escaped slave to Civil War hero to South Carolina legislator and US Congressman. He piloted two warships and helped create South Carolina’s first public schools. Artifacts in this exhibit — offering a view of war and reconstruction — include letters, photos and a replica of the “big house” where Smalls was enslaved.

What: The Belk Bowl (formerly the Continental Tire Bowl then the Meineke Car Care Bowl) has been played at BofA Stadium since 2002. In its current setup, it matches up the second pooled selection from the ACC with the second pooled selection from the SEC. This year, that means a matchup between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Virginia Tech Hokies. Tim McGraw performs at FanFest across the street at 2 p.m.

What: On “X-mas Bigfoot,” the latest Boogie Monster podcast by comedians Dave Stone and Kyle Kinane they talk media, Trump, gout and a mundane approach to Christmas. Stone moved from Atlanta to Los Angeles and spent a lot of time in his van before landing appearances on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, Last Comic Standing and Squidbillies. Stone performs at Evening Muse with Spencer Taylor, Nicholas Alexander and Jordan Scott Huggins.

What: Classical Chinese dance and music, all but obliterated by Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution of the 1960s, staged a comeback in 2006 when dissident Chinese artists launched Shen Yun — a magnificent spectacle of orchestra and dancers in traditional costumes. Now in its 10th year, Shen Yun bedazzles with movement and music while reviving a lost world when emperor and commoner strove for harmony and justice.

What: Think of a music tasting as like a chilled out DJ set, where the host spins records of recently released local music between similar fill-ins of regional and national acts. Stop in any time during this tasting for a sampling of Melt’s new release Repossession Blues or Cass McCombs’ Mangy Love. Going back to 2015, a more innocent time, you’ll also hear Wand’s psych-rock release Golem.

When: Runs through Jan. 22, 2017 Where: Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E 7th St. More: $5-$8. museumofthenewsouth.org

When: 5:30 p.m. Where: Bank of America Stadium, 800 S. Mint St. More: $35-150. belkbowl.com

When: 8:30 p.m. Where: The Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. More: $8-$10. eveningmuse.com.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF CONGRESSMAN ROBERT SMALLS

— PAT MORAN

14 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

— RYAN PITKIN

— ANITA OVERCASH

When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Belk Theater, 130 N Tryon St. More: $70-$150. blumenthalarts. org —MORAN

When: 7-9 p.m. Where: Tip Top Daily Market, 2902 The Plaza More: Free. tiptop.market — PITKIN

Shen Yun THURSDAY

NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS

Dave Stone THURSDAY

SATURDAY

THE AVETT BROTHERS What: The guys don’t play in town nearly as often as they used to, so when they come back around, it’s usually one hell of a party. Add on the fact that its New Year’s Eve and you’d better settle in for a long night of singing, dancing and feeling good. Touring in support of its ninth studio album, True Sadness, the band continues to rock it out with a full band and leave it all on the stage.

When: 8:30 p.m. Where: Bojangles Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd. More: $37.50-$73. bojanglescoliseum.com. — JEFF HAHNE

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

ABARI NEW YEAR’S EVE PINBALL BASH

MONDAY

ANDY THE DOORBUM

NEW YEAR’S SOUP DAY

MONDAY NIGHT ALLSTARS

What: We overlooked this awesome event in last week’s New Year’s Eve Guide, so we’re showing it some love here in the Top 10. Not only will the guys in Abari be offering free play on all their pinball machines, but a “mysterious” new machine will be unveiled and ready for play to end off the year. Close out Abari’s successful first year with a complimentary champagne toast.

What: What better way to cleanse yourself from 2016 than with an art enema courtesy of Andy the Doorbum? The former Charlottean moved out West to follow his artistic calling, but returns from time to time to shake things up a bit — if you’re paying attention. Andy’s powerful artistic vision is backed up with his lyrical content via performances that leave you mentally drained and rejuvenated. JaggerMouth and Sinners and Saints are opening.

What: It’s the second year that Free Range Brewing is hosting this food-focused event with free soup to folks that come out on New Year’s Day. Local chefs will be concocting the soup selections and there will be pickled vegetables to go along with it. The Charlottebased company Dukes Bread will also be providing bread for quality dipping. Wash it all down with one of Free Range’s craft beers on tap.

What: For more than four decades, the Double Door Inn has provided a home for countless touring acts. If those walls could talk, they’d not only share stories about Stevie Ray Vaughn and Eric Clapton, but tales of Charles Hairston, Nappy Brown, The Spongetones and countless local legends who made a name for themselves between those wooden walls. The Allstars are the perfect closer for the venue’s final night. The Charlotte music scene will never be the same again.

When: All night ‘til 2 a.m. Where: Abari Game Bar, 1721 N. Davidson St. More: Free. abarigamebar.com

When: 10 p.m. Where: Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. More: $10. snugrock.com.

When: 12-4 p.m. Where: Free Range Brewing, 2320 N. Davidson St. More: Free. freerangebrewing.com.

When: 9 p.m. Where: Double Door Inn, 1218 Charlottetowne Ave. More: $15. doubledoorinn.com.

— PITKIN

—HAHNE

— OVERCASH

— HAHNE

CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 15

ARTS

VISUAL

OF FLAGS AND TARGETS South Carolina artist tells the story of the Charleston church massacre through paint on fabric BY MARK KEMP

HEN A PISTOL-TOTING

white supremacist walked into historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C., in June 2015, and gunned down nine worshippers, the massacre was a stark reminder that racial hatred is as virulent today as it was in June 1975, when a white supremacist walked into historic Ebenezer Baptist Church, in Atlanta, and gunned down Alberta Williams King, mother of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Or when spineless white supremacists bombed the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, in Birmingham, Ala., killing four young girls in September 1963. Or when cowardly white supremacists in Charleston burned the Emanuel church to the ground during its first recorded attack — in 1822. “This was not the beginning of our story, nor is it the end of our story,” artist Leo Twiggs says of the most recent incident. “It happened before in Birmingham, it happened to Emmett Till, it happened to Martin Luther King. It is just one segment of the stony road we’ve trod.” Twiggs’ poignant exhibit Requiem for Mother Emanuel, a series of nine batiks representing spiritual transformation, is currently showing at the Mint Museum on Randolph Road in Charlotte. It’s no coincidence the show falls during the trial of Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, and in the aftermath of the September uprising spurred on by the Charlotte police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott. “One of the main reasons I wanted this series in Charlotte is because of what Charlotte recently went through,” Twiggs says. “And what happened in Ferguson. And what’s happened in so many other places across the country. I wanted people to know that these things are not unique for AfricanAmericans.”

TWIGGS WAS BORN 45 miles north of

Charleston in St. Stephen. At 36 he became the first African-American student to receive a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Georgia in Athens. The following year, the young painter began working with batik, a method of decorating textiles using dyes 16 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

and wax. “I was just taken by the subtle color qualities of the batik — the softness of it, the fact that it could be a medium associated with introspection rather than display,” Twiggs says, speaking from his current home in Greenville, S.C. “Because colors on batik seep into fabric, the viewer looks into the work rather than at a flat surface.” In 1971, Twiggs wanted art lovers to look more deeply into the meaning of the Confederate flag, so he began experimenting with various perspectives on the flag’s red background and massive blue, star-dotted St. Andrews cross. “What struck me back then about Confederate flags is that people were flying them as if the war was still going on,” Twiggs says. “You’d see the flag displayed on antebellum houses, and even above the state house here in South Carolina. It always fascinated me that in the South some people never got over the fact that the war was gone with the wind, as Margaret Mitchell said. It’s over. So my flags were tattered — worn-out images of a symbol from another time. “But then, of course, the flag had become something else,” Twiggs continues. “It was appropriated for another reason, and that reason is hate.” Two decades later, Twiggs showed the flags in a series called Commemoration. By then, he’d begun exploring another symbol, targets, in a series called Targeted Man. “That series had come out of my fascination with the fact that when I was growing up in the South, the Ku Klux Klan would target blacks,” Twiggs says. “These were people you’d see every day. They’d talk to you and you’d be working for them. And then at night they’d put on their sheets.” He remembers a story his brother told about riding around with a white guy in a pickup truck when the guy asked him to reach under the seat and grab something. “So my brother reaches down and pulls out something else — the head of a KKK sheet. The guy says, ‘No, put that back! Put that back!’ Knowing him, we suspected he was probably one of them, but this made it clear.” When terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, Twiggs’ idea of the Targeted Man took on a whole new meaning. He’d long been surprised that newscasters often referred to terrorists

SAILWIND

Leo Twiggs (1934- ), Requiem for Mother Emanuel #8, 2016, batik on cotton. The Johnson Collection. in other countries, but didn’t call the KKK a terrorist organization. “Nobody ever called them terrorists,” he says. “But when 911 happened, everybody was targeted, not just African-Americans. And just like back then, you didn’t know who the enemy was. So I explored that in my art.”

NEWS OF THE Emanuel church shooting

in 2015 hit Twiggs hard. And like always, he worked through his feelings by putting images onto fabric. This time, he combined both of his old themes. “Dylann Roof was influenced by hatred, and the Confederate flag was the symbol of his hatred,” Twiggs says. “And then he targeted the church. He rode around Charleston five or six times

We have come over a way that with tears has been watered. We have come treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered. —James Weldon Johnson, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing”

SAILWIND

Leo Twiggs (1934- ), Requiem for Mother Emanuel #4, 2016, batik on cotton. Collection of Lynn and Flavia Harton. The Johnson Collection.

and decided on that church because of its historical background. So here are two ideas I had been exploring all my life and all my career.” Twiggs started with a silhouette of the church. Then he put a target on it. In a second piece, he incorporated a target and a flag. Greenville resident and Spoleto board member Jennifer Whittle asked if Twiggs would do a piece for an auction to raise funds for the annual arts festival. “Jennifer is a very good friend and we’ve been on boards together, so I said, ‘OK, I’ll give you something.’ It’s the smallest piece in the show, the third piece.” A photo of that piece — which also included an X for each victim — went viral. “People were talking about it on the internet,” Twiggs says. By January 2016, Twiggs’ work had prompted a national conversation among lovers of art. “Jennifer said to me, ‘Why don’t you do nine paintings?’” — one for each victim. “That was a tall order,” Twiggs says, and laughs. “It takes me on average a month or so to do a piece, because it’s so time-consuming. With batik, you have to let the dyes dry and…” He trails off. “But doing nine pieces intrigued me, because I’d put the number 9 on one of the paintings already.” But Twiggs was emotionally stuck. “I had really got inside of myself and lived with that tragedy,” he says. “I knew that if I continued, the bloodiness and the pain and the horror was going to affect me.” For the next three pieces, he needed to move away from the brutality. “I had to somehow transition from that bloodiness to the redemption the survivors had displayed after the incident. It was very cathartic for me.”

In the next three paintings, the Confederate flag became less prominent. “The red was just bloodstains instead of the redness of the flag, and the flag became smaller,” Twiggs says. “Eventually, that St. Andrews Cross transitioned into a Christian cross.” In the final three, Twiggs found the redemption he was looking for. But he had to go inside the church for that. It was a Wednesday evening and parishioners were holding a Bible study, just as they were the night Dylann Roof arrived. They invited Twiggs in, just as they had for Roof. “Here we were, less than six feet from where it happened, and they welcomed us with open arms, and it just kind of let me know how they had welcomed Dylan Roof in the same way,” Twiggs remembers. “They served us food, and we ate with them, and I kidded one of the members, telling her she reminded me of my mom.” Twiggs looked up at the stained-glass window above the pulpit. “It’s a very prominent, elegant piece,” he says. “I was thinking that for these people who sit in this church every Sunday morning, maybe that’s their portal, their souls’ portal out to the beyond. You know, black people don’t think of funerals as funerals — they think of them as home-going ceremonies. People don’t die, they transition to another life. That’s why the spiritual says, ‘Swing low, sweet chariot, coming for to carry me home.’”

TWIGGS WAS THINKING of several old

hymns when he began the final stretch of his requiem. “In the Christian religion, Christ was crucified, transitioned, and then ascended to heaven,” he says. “And many painters have explored this, like Michelangelo.” Twiggs wanted to depict the idea of worshippers modeling their lives on Christ. “He said, ‘Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,’ and these people also said, ‘I forgive you.’ And that’s powerful.” Forgiveness is not easy, particularly when it involves forgiving a monster. “But as I painted, I began to understand more and more how these people came to that conclusion,” Twiggs says. “One of the things you have to do when you’re painting is that, even though it impacts you, it shouldn’t be so personal that you can’t get outside of yourself and look in on it. You have to be able to do that, because it’s not really about you,

SAILWIND

Leo Twiggs (1934- ), Requiem for Mother Emanuel #7, 2016, batik on cotton. The Johnson Collection.

it’s about them.” Malcolm Graham, a former North Carolina senator from Charlotte, is one of them. He lost his sister, Cynthia Hurd, in the shooting. Graham first saw Twiggs’ early images of the shooting shortly after the tragedy, and he was overwhelmed. “It’s just a powerful presentation, where art has been able to capture all that pain and suffering,” says Graham, who plans to see the work again at the Mint this month before conducting a presentation on Feb. 8. “I was so caught up in my emotions when I first saw the works, it was a bittersweet experience — the images are so strong and poignant,” Graham says. “I’ve had time to process it now, and I think I’m in a better place to appreciate the art even more — to understand it better, to speak to what the artist was trying to articulate through his images.” The Rev. Sharon Risher of Charlotte lost

LEO TWIGGS: REQUIEM FOR MOTHER EMANUEL Continues through Feb. 19. Hours: Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. 2730 Randolph Road. 704-337-2000. mintmuseum.org.

her mother and two cousins in the attack. Her feelings on the larger meaning of Twiggs’ art seems to echo those of Graham. “The history of the church and what happened is about God using the church and my family members for a much bigger picture,” Risher wrote in a Twitter message to CL. That’s exactly the picture Twiggs wants people to see. He was in Charleston when he painted the ninth and final piece in a gallery near the ocean. “I could look out the windows and see the ocean and Gadsden’s Warf, where the slaves were brought in,” he says. “The gallery itself is not more than three blocks from the slave market where slaves were sold.” James Weldon Johnson’s famous poem ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing’ came to mind. “A lot of African Americans sing that song all the time,” Twiggs says, “but I don’t know that we really listen to the words: ‘We have come over a way that with tears has been watered / We have come treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered.’ Those two lines tell the story of Mother Emanuel. They speak directly to our plight.” In the final piece, Twiggs painted the words in a backdrop of murky yellow. “I imagined how it felt to these slaves who were in the hulls of those ships for almost a month,” he says. “What happened when they were brought up on the deck and were in a place they’d never seen before? The sun rose in a different direction from when they were back home.” He pauses. “And their journey through agony was just beginning.” At 82, Dr. Leo Twiggs speaks like an artist in his 20s. Though his themes are dark and real and his experience vast, he remains enthusiastic, full of wonder and hope — even though hope seems to be in short supply today. He believes art is transformative, and his voice — told through paint seeped into fabric — is as powerful as ever. “Every artist has to find a voice,” Twiggs says. “Just like Louis Armstrong has a raspy voice and Frank Sinatra has a smooth baritone. Your voice should be something that speaks to your ideas, and for me, batik was that.” MKEMP@CLCLT.COM

CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 -JAN. 4, 2017 | 17

ARTS

FILM

A MIXED MOVIE BAG Year-end releases range from excellent to execrable BY MATT BRUNSON

HE SEARCH FOR a worthy video-game adaptation continues to rank up there with the search for the Holy Grail — good luck finding either — and Assassin’s Creed (* out of four) ensures that the hunt will go on for at least a little while longer. Assassin’s Creed is many things, and none of them good. Narratively, it’s the most boring film of 2016, stultifying enough to risk sliding audience members right into comatose states. Visually, it’s the ugliest movie of 2016 — and keep in mind that I saw Robert De Niro’s prosthetic penis in Dirty Grandpa. And emotionally, it’s a complete flatline, with even a laxative commercial offering more opportunities for laughter, tears and what-not. It also represents a spectacular waste of talent, with Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard and Brendan Gleeson among the formidable actors braying for their blood money. The plot deals with surly Callum Lynch (played by Fassbender) being hooked up to a machine that allows him to experience the trials and tribulations of his ancestor, a Spaniard named Aguilar (played by Kevin James in a rare dramatic role; just kidding; also played by Fassbender). Aguilar is a member of the Assassins, which means he must fight the members of the Templars (is this a movie or a contentious lodge meeting?) as they all search for the apple from the Garden of Eden. This paves the way for boring action scenes, boring characterizations, and boring exchanges that make even the notes from an HOA meeting sound riveting. Last year found Fassbender and Cotillard co-starring in a film based on William Shakespeare’s Macbeth; this year finds them co-starring in Assassin’s Creed. I’m sure an entire term paper can be written on what this signifies about the current state of Hollywood or on what this says about the battle between art and commerce, but since we’re on the subject of the Bard, he can best sum up this “bolting-hutch of beastliness” known as Assassin’s Creed with a choice 18 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

PARAMOUNT

Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences. Macbeth quip: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

STAGE-TO-SCREEN adaptations often fail to expand in ways that take advantage of cinema’s limitless potential, meaning viewers are often left with what’s little more than a filmed play. For the most part, Fences (***1/2 out of four), based on August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, falls into that camp, with director Denzel Washington (his third time at the controls,

following the solid efforts Antwone Fisher and The Great Debaters) doing very little to fill the parameters of the large screen. Yet sometimes the material is simply too strong to be crippled by a lack of celluloid dazzle — that was the case with, for instance, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and that’s certainly the case here. Reprising their roles from the 2010 Broadway revival, Washington and Viola Davis are nothing short of remarkable as Troy and Rose Maxson, living in 1950s Pittsburgh

and dealing with issues involving family, infidelity and dashed dreams. Washington remains so faithful to Wilson (who passed away in 2005, at the age of 60) and his text that he even credits the screenplay solely to the playwright (a far cry from Kenneth Branagh, who earned an Oscar nomination for adapting Shakespeare’s Hamlet verbatim). Between the power of the prose and the potency of the performances, Fences easily earns its screen cred.

FOX

Michael Fassbender in Assassin’s Creed.

IT BECOMES CLEAR before long that the futuristic sci-fi outing Passengers (** out of four), aka Grab ‘Em By the Pussy: The Movie, could only have been written by a man. The picture stars Chris Pratt as Jim Preston, one of the 5,000 hibernating passengers aboard a spacecraft heading to a habitable planet 120 light years away. A glitch causes Jim to awaken 90 years too soon; realizing he will die alone long before the ship reaches its destination, he decides to wake up a hottie, Aurora Lane (Jennifer Lawrence), to keep him company. It’s an interesting if troubling premise, and scripter Jon Spaihts initially plays fair with the moral implications of such a scenario. But the final stretch finds the picture copping out at every turn — not only by having the characters (particularly Aurora) make ridiculous choices straight down the line but also by steering right into absurd actionfilm conventions. The film’s visual design is excellent, but even it gets trumped by the story’s icky implications. BRYAN CRANSTON EARNED a welldeserved Oscar nomination for headlining last year’s superb biopic Trumbo, so it’s a bit disconcerting seeing him sitting on a toilet with no paper at his disposal in a scene from the new comedy Why Him? (*1/2 out of four). Is this meant to signify that the actor is about to flush his career down the commode if he keeps appearing in dreck like this? Hopefully, that won’t be the case; still, this one’s an unfortunate addition to his resume, though he certainly tackles the material with the same conviction he bestowed on Dalton Trumbo (no one can ever accuse him of not being a consummate pro). Cranston stars as a father who adores his college-age daughter (Zoey Deutch) and is distressed when he learns that her boyfriend

COLUMBIA

Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers. Laird (James Franco) is a vulgarian with more money than sense. The dad and the dude clash frequently, but there’s no bite to any of this because it’s clear that, beneath the abundant tattoos and an affinity for profanity, Laird is basically an honest, eager-to-please guy. With no tension in the plot, what’s left is a series of gags involving a tea-bagging buffalo, Pitch Perfect’s Adam Devine flashing his bukkake photos, and a living room flooded with animal urine. Why Him? Why me?

LOOKING FOR FINE family fare with which to end the year? Those with younger kids should check out Sing (*** out of four), a lively animated effort about a koala (voiced by Matthew McConaughey) who stages a musical competition in a last-ditch effort to save his beloved theater. And those with older kids should head to Lion (*** out of four), a heartwarming true-life tale about a young boy (Sunny Pawar) in India who gets separated from his family and eventually adopted by an Australian couple (Nicole Kidman and David Wenham). It’s only decades later, once he’s a man (Dev Patel), that he embarks on a search to find his birth parents and siblings.

Bryan Cranston and James Franco in Why Him?

FOX

CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 -JAN. 4, 2017 | 19

ARTS

HAPPENINGS

COMEDY

VISUAL ARTS

1817 Central Ave.

The Comedy Zone Jeff Dye Dec. 29, 8 p.m.; Dec. 30 7:30 p.m., Dec. 31, 7 p.m. & 10 p.m.; Jan. 1, 7 p.m. $20-$22.50. 980-321-4702. cltcomedyzone.com.

Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Bechtler Collection: Relaunched and Rediscovered. An exhibition expanding of works from the museum’s collection including modern and contemporary artists. Includes a number of themes beginning with an introduction to the Bechtler family and the artists with whom they were close including Adolf Luther, Joan Miró, Italo Valenti, and Eduardo Chillida. Through April 23, 2017. All That Sparkles: 20th Century Artists’ Jewelry. This exhibit focuses on the art of jewelry, featuring work from Harry Bertoia and Claire Falkenstein, as well as Bechtler Collection artists Alberto Giacometti, Alicia Penalba, Raffael Benazzi, and Niki de Saint Phalle. Through Jan. 8, 2017. 420 S. Tryon St. 704-353-9200. bechtler.org.

McColl Center for Art + Innovation Remember. Drawing inspiration from actual histories of McColl Center over the last century, Ivan Toth Depeña manipulates perception to collapse time, creating a multi-dimensional present. The exhibition consists of a mixed media installation encompassing drawing, painting, sculpture, audio, and video. In conjunction with the physical objects created with the media mentioned above, Depeña also incorporates a groundbreaking augmented reality mobile application that exists in various locations throughout the site of the installation at McColl Center. Through Jan. 7, 2017. 721 N. Tryon St. 704-332-5535. mccollcenter.org.

THEATER/DANCE/ PERFORMANCE ART The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical Children’s Theatre of Charlotte are also staging an adaptation of playwright Barbara Robinson’s Yuletide show, but there’s a musical twist from Jahnna Beecham and Malcolm Hillgartner. Creative Loafing critic Perry Tannenbaum has already hit this show up and hails it as “a very gratifying achievement at Charlotte’s fantasy palace.” $22-$34. Dec. 29-30, 11 a.m. & 3 p.m. ImaginOn (McColl Family Theatre), 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828. ctcharlotte.org. The Hip Hop Nutcracker This is one of the most entertaining adaptations of the Nutcracker that I’ve seen yet. You can envision a scene of hiphop (provided by a DJ/emcee), breakdancing and graffiti as the story is told in a creative, new way. $19.50 and up. Dec. 29, 7 p.m.; Dec. 30, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. Shen Yun This show captures a variety of music and dance throughout China’s rich history. Featuring classically trained dancers, an orchestra blending East and West musical scores and animated backdrops. $70-$150. Dec. 30, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 31, 2 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org.

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture Nellie Ashford: Through My Eyes. The exhibition features 30 newly crafted mixedmedia works by renowned self-taught artist Nellie Ashford. Through Jan. 16, 2017. Shaping the Vessel: Cummings + Mascoll + Samuel. The exhibit features 26 wood works by three artists, including Frank E. Cummings III, John Mascoll and Avelino Samuel. Through Jan. 16, 2017. 551 South Tryon St. 704-547-3700. ganttcenter.org. Jerald Melberg Gallery Works by Kim Keever & Felicia van Bork. Featuring large-scale photographs by Kim Keever and monotype collages by Felicia van Bork. Through Jan. 14, 2017. 625 S. Sharon Amity Road. 704-3653000. jeraldmelberg.com.

Let God F.I.G.U.R.E It Out Presented by Monica D. Murphy of MoLuv Productions, the F.I.G.U.R.E is short for Families In God Unite Relying on El’Shaddai. This show tells a story of hardships, faith and love. Jan. 6, 7:30 p.m.; Jan. 7, 3 p.m. & 7 p.m. Duke Energy Theater, 345 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org.

LaCa Projects Leandro Manzo: Mar de Mares. This is the second solo exhibition featuring works by Argentinian artist Leandro Manzo at LaCa Projects. A figurative expressionist whose work spans over 30 years, Manzo uses thick brushstrokes and vibrant color to create striking landscape paintings. His new body of work will also feature portraits and black and white images. Through Jan. 14, 2017. 1429 Bryant St. 704-837-1688. lacaprojects.com.

New Year’s Eve Wild West Barbeque Mystery Theatre Narroway Theatre presents this show, based in Stankin Horse County, Texas where the Stankin Horse County Fair and the annual Pickof-the-Pig Prize Pig Judgin’ Contest is about to go down. Enjoy low country barbecue and sides and solve a mystery. $7-$31. NarroWay Theatre, 3327 Highway 51, Fort Mill. 803-8022300. narroway.net.

The Light Factory Heightened Perspectives. Installation artist and photographer Ethan Jackson will project video into the front and back rooms of The Light Factory exhibition space, transforming all four walls into slowly moving landscapes. Phil Solomon’s experimental film Twilight Psalm II: Walking Distance will bisect these two video installations. Through Jan. 6. The Light Factory,

20 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

Mint Museum Randolph Her Place Was Making History: Mary Myers Dwelle. Celebrating the role of Mary Myers Dwelle, the driving force behind the creation of The Mint Museum. Through March 5, 2017. Leo Twiggs: Requiem for Mother Emanuel. Dr. Leo Twiggs who lives and works in South Carolina, is one of the region’s most significant artists whose paintings have long dealt with the South’s difficult racial history. He conceived of this moving nine-painting series, Requiem for Mother Emanuel, as a response to the tragic events of June 17, 2015 in Charleston, South Carolina. Through Feb. 19, 2017. American Quilt Classics: The Bresler Collection. Featuring Fleur and Charles Bresler’s collection of American quilts. The quilts showcase a variety of visual impact, historical value, pictorial imagery and historical fabrics. Ongoing. 2730 Randolph Road. 704-337-2000. mintmuseum. org. Mint Museum Uptown Fired Up: Women In Glass. The collaboration between Mint Museum and the Toledo Museum of Art will feature glass works by women through new, interpretive strategies. Through Feb. 26, 2017. Quilts and Social Fabric: Heritage and Improvisation. This exhibition uses the work of one of the most renowned artistic quilt makers, Faith Ringgold, as an entry point to look backward at traditional African American quilts. This includes decorative and artistic quilts, and the work of painters and mixed media artists who improvise upon the form. Through Jan. 16, 2017. Women of Abstract Expressionism. Includes works by female artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Lee Krasner, Elaine de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Grace Hartigan, as well as works by their colleagues Perle Fine, Jay DeFeo, Sonia Getchoff, Deborah Remington,

Ethel Schwabacher, Mary Abbott and Judith Godwin. Through Jan. 22, 2017. 704-337-2000. mintmuseum.org.

NEW YEAR’S EVE New Year’s Eve at The Imperial One of the newest editions to Uptown’s newly dubbed “Northend Station Corridor,” is The Imperial. The lounge will be offering a ‘50s themed black tie party with live jazz and a DJ on the roof. $25 in advance and $40 at the door gets you light hors d’oeuvres and a champagne toast at midnight. VIP tickets also available. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. The Imperial, 300 N. College St. imperialclt.com. Rio De Carnival New Year’s Eve at BlackFinn Ameripub This seeming Brazilian spin on NYE sounds like fun. Ticket price includes a champagne toast at midnight, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, giveaways and party favors. VIP package options available, too. Tickets at eventbrite.com, search “Rio De Carnival NYE!” Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m.Blackfinn Ameripub, 210 East Trade St. Amos’ Final New Year’s Eve Show As you’ve probably already heard, Amos’ is closing its doors next year. This will be the final chance you have to spend NYE in the concert space that opened back in 2000. The night kicks off with Cassette Rewind, a Charlotte-based ‘80s cover band, and continues with Gump Fiction, a local ‘90s cover band. Nostalgia at its finest, right? $15-$20 at the door. Dec. 31, 8 p.m. amosfinalnye.com. New Year’s Eve at Howl at the Moon Home to dueling pianos and mixed drink buckets, Howl at the Moon is offering several packages. The “All About the Bass” package is $60 per person and includes guaranteed entry, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight, food and an open bar from 9 p.m.-12 a.m. There’s also the “Just Dance” package that’s just $40 per person and includes guaranteed entry, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight, food and two house drinks (up to $8) for the folks who want to wake up to 2017 without a hangover. Howl at the Moon Charlotte, 210 E. Trade St. howlatthemoon.com/nye-cha/. Black New Year’s Eve Go-Go Explosion at King of Spicy The party features go-go band, Uptown Swagga. There’s also music by DJ Jay Quest, party favors, balloons, hookahs and a champagne toast at midnight. Chicken and

waffles will be on the menu and bottle service will be available. Tickets at eventbrite.com. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-4 a.m. King of Spicy, 5546 Albemarle Road. 4th Annual Southern Skyline Grand Ball at Le Meridien 2016 was a good year for Le Meridien. They opened City Lights Rooftop and were even named Charlotte’s “Best Rooftop Bar” by CL in our Best of Charlotte issue. The all-inclusive celebration is a classy option and damn it, we know the craft cocktails will be delish. Book a room and do it big with the comfort of a nearby bed. Dec. 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Le Meridien, 555 S McDowell St. southernskyline.com. New Year’s Eve Carnivale at Slate Shake it at this NYE shindig with party favors, a photo booth, a balloon drop, multiple DJs, plenty of beer, wine, liquor options and the obligatory champagne toast at midnight. VIP tickets available, too. Go to eventbrite.com and search “New Year’s Eve Carnivale 2016.” $80 and up. Dec. 31, 9 p.m. Slate Billiards, 200 East Bland St. New Year’s Eve at Tilt on Tryon The $60 allinclusive party package includes party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. That’s not to forget a dance floor and a bar stocked with plenty of alcoholic bevs. Tickets at eventbrite. com. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Tilt on Trade, 127 W Trade St. NYE Cocktails & Confetti at Ink N Ivy This new Uptown spot has chic, funky décor. General admission tickets include: RadioJacks will be performing, in addition to DJs. There will also be an appetizers buffet, plenty of beer, wine, cocktails & spirits, a champagne toast at midnight, a late breakfast buffet and party favors. VIP and dinner packages available. Dec. 31, 9 p.m. Ink N Ivy, 222 S. Church St. sportslinkus.com/events/event/new-yearseve-2017/. New Year’s Eve Fiesta at Strike City Why not spend your NYE on the lanes? Maney from KISS 95.1’s morning show will be the host of the party. $10 admission, VIP bowling lanes available, and champagne toast at midnight. Tickets at eventbrite.com. $10 and up. Dec. 31, 11 p.m.- 2 a.m. Strike City, 210 East Trade St. New Year’s Eve at Snug Harbor Andy the Doorbum, Jaggermouth, and Sinners & Saints will be performing. This is going to be good

and admission is only $10. Dec. 31, 10 p.m. Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. 704-561-1781. snugrock. com.

available. Tickets at eventbrite.com, search “Stachehouse New Year’s Eve.” Dec. 31, 9 p.m. 2 a.m. Stache House, 1520 South Blvd.

5Church Charlotte New Year’s Eve Late Night This chic Uptown spot will have an open bar and buffet from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. There’s also a live DJ and the usual suspects – a champagne toast at midnight, a live countdown of the ball drop and party favors. Advance tickets at TicketLeap.com. Dec. 31, 10 p.m. 5Church, 127 N Tryon St. Suite 8. 704-919-1322. 5ChurchCharlotte.com.

Angry Ale’s New Year’s Eve House Party This anti-outrageous NYE prices party includes party favors, a champagne toast, music from a DJ and it’s only $10 to get in. Tickets at eventbrite.com. Dec. 31, 7 p.m.-2 a.m. Angry Ale’s, 1518 Montford Drive. angryales.com.

New Years Eve at Triple C Brewing Company The brewery will be open regular hours (12 p.m.-9 p.m.). A food truck, Go Go KU will be onsite. Dec. 31, 12 p.m.- 9 p.m. Triple C Brewing Co., 2900 Griffith St. triplecbrewing.com. Chicago: A NYE Affair at Barreled at The Lift The ‘20s themed party will feature hand crafted cocktails, a champagne toast, hors d’oeuvres, party favors, hookah and beer, wine and craft cocktails. Music by DJ Amalgam and DJ Nurotik. Tickets at eventbrite.com. $45$75. Dec. 31, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Barreled at The Lift, m1600 East Woodlawn Road, Suite 130. barreledcharlotte.com. New Year’s Eve at Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub Allinclusive party includes top-shelf liquor, beer, wine and champagne, a breakfast buffet, music from a DJ, party favors, a champagne toast at midnight. Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub, 201 E 5th St. fitzgeraldscharlotte.com. New Year’s Eve at The Wine Loft There are live samba dancers and a DJ for the night’s entertainment and a champagne toast at midnight. $25 (includes a champagne toast at midnight). VIP options available. The Wine Loft, 2201 South Blvd. 704-919.-0222. wineloftcharlotte.com. New Year’s Eve Bash at Southside All-inclusive tickets starting at $45 and include drinks, music from DJs, a champagne toast at midnight, passed hors d’oeuvres, party favors and a heated patio. Tickets at eventbrite.com. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Southside, 1600 Montford Drive. New Year’s Eve at Stache House Bar & Lounge This NYE shindig, presented by the SOL Kitchen, features music by DJ DR. There will be hookahs, free parking, and best of all, entry is free with RSVP before 10 p.m. VIP/tables

The Avett Brothers at Bojangles’ Coliseum Last year the popular Americana band played in Greensboro, but this year they’re closer to home. $58 and up. Dec. 31, 8 p.m. Bojangles’ Coliseum, 2700 East Independence Blvd. bojangles.coliseumcharlotte.com. New Year’s Eve on the Rooftop at The Pump House This new Rock Hill restaurant is offering wines, craft beers and specialty cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres (including a raw bar), party favors, a champagne toast and live music all night long. $79 – $129. Dec. 31, 9 p.m. -1a.m. Pump House, 575 Herrons Ferry Road, Rock Hill. 803-329-8888. rockhillpumphouse.com. New Year’s Eve at Kennedy’s Includes drinks, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. Tickets at eventbrite.com. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $45. Kennedy’s, 366 N Caswell Road. The NYE Great Gatsby Gala at Kandy Bar This ‘roaring ‘20s themed party features music from DJ Yona, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight. $25 and up. Dec. 31, 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Kandy Bar, 210 E. Trade St., Ste. 342. 980-5854337. kandybarcharlotte.com. New Year’s Eve at Visulite Theatre Futurebirds headlines with opening acts, The High Divers and Amigo (see this week’s music feature for more on this Charlotte-based trio). $15-$20. Dec. 31, 8:45 p.m. 704-358-9200. visulite.com. New Years Eve at Rooftop 210 Call this your party with a view. The space is covered and heated. It will feature DJs, a buffet, passed appetizers and unlimited drinks. $70. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. https://rooftop210nye2017. eventbrite.com. 0017 James Bond New Years Eve Celebration at Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark The hotel is offering overnight packages that include two tickets to cocktail hour, a four-course dinner,

live music, a photo booth, a champagne toast at midnight and breakfast for two the next morning. Dec. 31, 7 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Renaissance Charlotte SouthPark, 5501 Carnegie Blvd. renaissancecharlottesouthpark.com. St. Sylvester’s Eve NYE Party at Sugar Creek Brewing Co. The brewery is planning to unveil some new brews, including Apricot Tripel. They’ll also be pulling out two kegs of Sugar Creek XV from the cellar. Live music from Caleb Davis. Free admission. Dec. 31, 7 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Sugar Creek Brewing Co., 215 Southside Drive. 704-521-3333. sugarcreekbrewing.com. New Year’s Eve at VBGB This annual party takes over VBGB and the tented patio turns into a dance floor. DJ Overcash will be spinning all night. The all inclusive package includes beer, wine, liquor, a buffet from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., a champagne toast at midnight and party favors. $70. Dec. 31, 9 p.m. VBGB, 920 Hamilton St. 704-333-4111. vbgbuptown.com/tickets/. Su Casa New Year’s Eve Party at Petra’s The folks that host this regular nightlife event are taking things up a notch for the NYE shenanigans. Dec. 31, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave. 704-332-6608. petraspianobar.com.

MORE EVENTS Date Night! BYOB & Paint “City Nights” Twopanel painting of “City Nights.” Two people paint for just $45. Cajun Canvas, 11116 South Tryon St., Suite B. cajuncanvas.com. Strike Fight Night: UFC 207 The long wait for Ronda Rousey to return is finally over. Rousey will face women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes at the year-end UFC 207 card. $5 general admission, $120 VIP tables. Dec. 30, 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Strike City (EpiCentre location), 210 E. Trade St. Speedway Christmas Speedway Christmas will have over 3,000,000 lights with a new and greatly improved lights-to-music drivethru section along the 3.5-mile course. Open every Thursday-Sunday and all Christmas week, the Christmas Village includes a petting zoo, Bethlehem village, horse-drawn wagon rides, photos with Santa, and more. $30 and up. Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Parkway S. charlottemotorspeedway.com/ tickets/speedway-christmas/. CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 21

MUSIC

FEATURE

Jordan Hoban’s seeds of contemplation.

PERSONAL EFFECTS Jordan Hoban releases new album Songs of Loss the old-fashioned way: on cassette tape BY LARA AMERICO

ORDAN HOBAN WROTE

the music on his latest release, Songs of Loss, with the same emotional intensity and care as someone writing an obituary for a loved one. It only makes sense. The eight-song album was written in response to the death of a family 22 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

member. Hoban does not name the family member that Songs of Loss serves as a memorial too, and he applies that same sense of protectiveness to his art. Only those who really want to hear the new album will find it. That’s because Hoban has released Songs on

cassette only, and it’s available only in select Charlotte music stores such as Lunchbox Records, or by mail via his Bandcamp page. “It’s so personal that I don’t want it to just be hanging around online,” Hoban says of the album. He did offer digital versions to the eight people who pre-ordered the album.

But now, the only way to listen to Songs of Loss is in analog format on a cassette player. “This record is so special and so close to me, I can’t imagine it being just out there.” Hoban is a man who thinks about things in ways most people wouldn’t consider. A walk through the forest for him isn’t just a walk; it

Jordan Hoban performs at Milestone on Jan. 7. is a magical journey; each step a disruption in the earth’s soil and each breath shared with the trees and other plant life. Hoban tries to convey those details in his music through light strumming on an acoustic guitar, single notes played on an old piano, or by manipulating the sounds of instruments such as a glockenspiel. The results are haunting arrangements that leave a deep feeling of sadness that lingers long after the tape runs out. But why doesn’t Hoban make his music more readily available? He says it’s because he considers his creations sacred. It’s not that he’s pretentious — it’s that he wants his art to be experienced by those who really care about it. In fact, it took a long time for him to decide to release Songs of Loss at all. “I just holed myself up in a room, wrote the album in about a week and just held onto it for about a year,” he says. Hoban treated the days leading up to the release with the same sensitivity. He asked close friends and family members to listen to the album the way it was created: in the forest. “Songs of Loss was written by walking through the park. I would come up with the lyrics and the melodies. The tempo was based on the speed of my cadence,” he says. He sent his listeners off for a walk through the park with an MP3 player so that they

could experience the music as close to his interpretation as possible. Hoban took great care to make sure the acoustic integrity was uninhibited by digital conversions. He wanted the authentic sounds of the various instruments, as well as his voice, to remain in analog format. To achieve this, he recorded each cassette separately. What’s more, on each solid white plastic cassette case, he etched the words “Songs of Loss” by hand. During his performances, Hoban may be found standing on stage with an acoustic guitar and a group of people clapping with carefully rehearsed rhythms and blank expressions. Other times he’s backed by an improv jazz duo of drums and a saxophone. On still other occasions, Hoban provides audience members with drums and encourages them to participate in a drum circle along with his instrumentation. Those live performances feel almost like a cult ritual. “I remember the first time I performed live, someone told me it was like Charles Manson and his acolytes,” Hoban says with a laugh. That’s a common misconception. Hoban can be so intense with his feelings and the way he expresses them in his music that his performances can come off as violent or

JORDAN HOBAN $5-$7. Jan. 7, 9 p.m. Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road. 704-398-0472. http://twentyfiveminutestogo.com/ milestonesite/.

forceful. But whether he’s feeling sadness or anger, he expresses it in a disarming way. In some ways, however, Hoban does share certain traits with a cult leader: He can be charming, and when he’s in the right frame of mind he’s a captivating leader. Born in California, Hoban has spent much of his life in rural areas around Charlotte, where he was able to hone his ability to disrupt emotions through sound. The divorce of his parents at a young age instilled a sense of loss that has never left him. It’s part of why Hoban treats things that are special or sacred to him with so much care and protection. As if his creations have their own autonomy and could be harmed, the same way he has been harmed in his own experiences. And that’s about as personal as art can get. CLCLT.COM | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | 23

MUSIC WED 12/28

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FRI 12/30

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NEW YEARS EVE

DEC. 29

JAN. 2

CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH

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Airstream (Double Door Inn)

Knocturnal (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK

POP/ROCK Find Your Muse Open Mic (Evening Muse) *The Monday Night Allstars (Double Door Inn)

SAT 1/7

Greg Lilley & Amy Broome (Comet Grill) Rotten, Baasthyrian, Throne of Botis, KRVSADE (Milestone) *Shiprocked (Snug Harbor)

FRI 1/13

DEC. 30

CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH

FRI 1/6

Abbey Road LIVE! Performing "Abbey Road" HECTORINA/SECRET GUEST/SHADOWGRAPHS

JAN. 3 Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn)

COUNTRY/FOLK The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)

SAT 1/14

MIKE DOUGHTY Open tuesday- sunday

and for lunch on Saturdays Giftcards and Catering Available!

Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill)

POP/ROCK Eclipse (a tribute to Pink Floyd) (Amos’ Southend) Gillian w/Eyebrows (Snug Harbor) *Leisure McCorkle CD Release Party (Double Door Inn) Tape Daze, Embracer, Knowne Ghost, Uncoil (Milestone) Yarn (Visulite Theatre)

DJ/ELECTRONIC

DEC. 31

JAN. 4

DJ/ELECTRONIC

COUNTRY/FOLK

Drop !t: Ookay (The Fillmore)

POP/ROCK *Amos’ Final New Year’s Eve (Amos’ Southend) *The Avett Brothers (Bojangles’ Coliseum) *Futurebirds w/ The High Divers, Amigo (Visulite Theatre) New Year’s Eve at The Milestone (Milestone) *New Year’s Eve w/ Andy the Doorbum and Sinners & Saints (Snug Harbor) Silver Wings (Comet Grill) *The Spongetones New Year’s Eve Party (Double Door Inn) Wild Planes (Tin Roof)

JAN. 1 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL The Charlotte Blues Society International Blues Challenge (Double Door Inn)

Come visit us at 1520 South Blvd #130 (980)207-2211 railaythai.com 24 | DEC. 29 - JAN. 4, 2017 | CLCLT.COM

COUNTRY/FOLK

DJ/ELECTRONIC Bone Snugs-N-Harmony (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK Omari & The Hellraisers (Comet Grill)

DJ Aswell (Petra’s)

POP/ROCK Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn) Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Taco Pony (Tin Roof) Votaries (Snug Harbor)

Open Mic (Comet Grill)

POP/ROCK January Residency: Joshua Cotterino (Snug Harbor) Modern Heritage Weekly Mix Tape (Snug Harbor) Open Mic/Open Jam (Comet Grill) *Songwriter Open Mic (Petra’s) *Tosco Music Open Mic (Evening Muse)

COMING SOON  Steep Canyon Rangers (Jan. 7, Knight Theater) Cracker w/ Camper Van Beethoven (Jan. 11, Neighborhood Theatre) Pop Evil w/ Red Sun Rising and Bad Flower (Jan. 11, The Underground) Aaron Lewis (Jan. 13, Coyote Joe’s) Mike Doughty w/ Wheatus and The Ragbirds (Jan. 14, Visulite Theatre) Dweezil Zappa (Jan. 20, Neighborhood Theatre) Breaking Benjamin (Jan. 21, The Fillmore) Circa Survive w/ Mewithoutyou and Turnover (Jan. 25, Amos’ Southend) Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Jan. 26, McGlohon

The Avett Brothers perform at Bojanglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Coliseum on Dec. 31.

Theater) Parquet Courts w/ Mary Lattimore (Feb. 2, Neighborhood Theatre) Atmosphere (Feb. 3, The Underground) Legends of Southern Hip Hop w/ Scarface, 8Ball & MJG, Mystikal, Bun B, Trick Daddy, Juvenile, Pastor Troy (Feb. 3, Bojanglesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Coliseum) Donna the Buffalo (Feb. 4, Neighborhood Theatre) Welshly Arms (Feb. 8, The Underground) Andy McKee (Feb. 10, Neighborhood Theatre) Jake Miller (Feb. 10, The Underground) John Pizzarelli (Feb. 10, Batte Fine Arts Center, Wingate) Josh Ritter (Feb. 10, McGlohon Theater) LoCash (Feb. 10, The Fillmore) Lucy Kaplansky (Feb. 10, Evening Muse) Hiss Golden Messenger (Feb. 12, Neighborhood Theatre) Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Feb. 19, Visulite Theatre) Shovels & Rope (Feb. 21, Knight Theater) Juicy J w/ Belly and Project Pat (Feb. 25, The Fillmore) Cold War Kids w/ Special Guest Middle Kids (March 5, The Fillmore) Lee Fields & The Expressions (March 9, Neighborhood Theatre)

Deafheaven (March 10, The Underground) St. Paul & The Broken Bones (March 11, The Fillmore) Son Volt (March 12, Visulite Theatre) Bad Suns (March 12, The Underground) Regina Spektor (March 17, The Fillmore) Blood, Sweat & Tears (March 18, Belk Theater) Black Violin (March 21-22, Knight Theater) The Flaming Lips w/ Clipping (March 30, The Fillmore) Dark Star Orchestra (April 15, The Fillmore) Red Hot Chilli Peppers (April 17, Spectrum Center) Steve Martin, Martin Short, Steep Canyon Rangers (April 22, Ovens Auditorium) Lauryn Hill (April 28, CMCU Amphitheater) Neil Diamond (April 28, Spectrum Center) Carolina Rebellion (May 5-7, Charlotte Motor Speedway) Bastille (May 6, CMCU Amphitheater) * - CL Recommends

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Who would want to risk missing that? *Rolls EVERY YEAR AROUND this time, eyes* we all see and hear the same sort of things: So what’s the next thing I did? I hit up “Here’s your Facebook year in review…”, Google and started weighing our options. #NewYearNewMe or “Check out my New The problem was, there were so many factors Year’s resolutions…” Hell, even I’ve been to take into account. But this time, I had tempted to post a status about eating right experience and a variety of resources at my and getting my summer body back — too fingertips. Don’t risk starting 2017 off on bad I haven’t had a “summer bod” in a few the wrong note, if you’re not sure where years. you’re spending NYE, do as I did and take the This year, the conversation I’m tired of following into account: having is, “Are you going to be in Charlotte for NYE? What are you going to do?” Prior to 1. Ticket price: If you have the extra a few days ago, my answer was the same as it cash to spend, just make sure you actually like was last year, “I have no idea.” I’m sure you’ve the destination. Some of my favorite venues, been there before, too. After every failed such as Ink N Ivy, still have tickets available, NYE, I’ve promised myself that “Next year’s but you’re going to spend a pretty penny, going to be different. I’m going to save especially if you missed out on early up enough money for a magical bird specials. And keep in mind, experience, maybe even travel there are plenty of cheap and and it’s going to be epic!” free options too. For my first NYE in 2. Transportation: the Q.C., my friends and After hearing horror I bought tickets to Label’s stories of friends racking Great Gasby-themed up Uber charges over shindig. I donned a fur $300 and getting stuck at coat and costume jewelry Label for a couple hours and prepared myself due to surge pricing, I knew for an amazing night. firsthand how troublesome Our Uber showed up late, AERIN SPRUILL NYE transportation could took the long route through be. Designate a sober driver, Uptown and we ended up locate a venue in an area that’s less running in as they started the popular or prepare for the surge. countdown. 3. Service: There are plenty of venues The second? I’d just started seeing Uptown that I love for aesthetic reasons, someone and even though I was “living but that doesn’t mean the service is great. If single,” I was excited about the possibility of you’ve had a hard time getting a drink at a having someone to share a smooch with. Just certain bar on a regular night, it’ll probably a few hours before the event, I received the be a nightmare on NYE. disappointing text, “My ex invited herself, 4. Alcohol: Are you going to drink a little I’m sorry.” Are you kidding me? or a lot? Only interested in a champagne While last year wasn’t a complete waste toast at midnight? Will you leave the party — I was with my boyfriend and great friends early? After all, you shouldn’t pay a high — I was still dissatisfied when I ended ticket price for an open bar if you’re not up spending my entire night on Montford going to take full advantage of it. Don’t Drive, a familiar hotspot in the Queen forget to read the fine print, your options all year long. Let’s be honest, we all love may be limited. Southside Charlotte on a drunken escapade, 5. Comfort: Is general admission but a magical NYE? I beg to differ. significantly cheaper but you’ll be standing Fast forward to 2016, I started asking the whole time? Comfort is key when you’re my boyfriend about what we were going to in for the long haul, especially for those of do for New Year’s Eve months in advance. you wearing heels. If you don’t like the idea And once again, nothing was set in stone of standing all night, find out whether or not until the week before. I was dead set on a there will be opportunities for seating. destination. Either Orlando — where he was going to be for a few days prior — or a It’s not too late to find somewhere to casino where we could bring in the new year spend your NYE in Charlotte. Where will you right — making money. Both ideas were shut countdown to 2017? Go to clclt.com and check down when he realized his favorite football out our New Year’s Eve Guide. team was playing in yet another “big game.”

ENDS

CROSSWORD

MIDDLE NAMES ACROSS

1 Abe of “Fish” 7 In hitting position 14 “Neue Liebeslieder” composer 20 Idolized 21 Details of one’s life 22 Angle unit in math 23 Doctors testifying about injuries, e.g. [Trebek] 25 Third-largest Danish city 26 East -- Alto 27 Former space station 28 Tributary of the Seine 30 Compound conjunction 31 Fox’s quality 33 Uses a pogo stick [Chavez] 37 Back muscle, informally 38 Assns. 39 Soft throw 40 It’s variable with a zoom lens [Ginsberg] 45 Wry Mort 47 See 95-Across 51 The same, to Simone 52 NM-to-NJ dir. 53 Absorb slowly 55 “Rapture” singer Baker 56 St. Kitts and -58 Confident assertion 60 They’re part of history [Seagal] 62 Modest reply of gratitude [Hawke] 64 Item fitting in a rowlock 65 Vain one’s problem 66 Tyke 67 Above, in an ode 68 Not prone to fading in daylight, as a fabric 71 Wonder 73 Winter malady 76 “Coolness!” 78 It hangs from a hoop 79 Regulations on importing and exporting [St. Johns] 84 Initial race advantages [Lovett] 87 Epee relative 88 Putrefy 89 Guardian -90 Hansel’s sis 92 Heat qty. 94 Goatee site 95 With 47-Across,

swooned-over sort 96 “It’s cold!” 97 Current fashion [Lubitsch] 100 Water, in Oaxaca 102 Winged god 103 G8 country 104 Curt comment [Previn] 109 Moralist’s statement 114 Rural towers 115 Twisting fish 116 Enzyme suffix 117 Skinny 118 Not inclined 120 Saying “I do” [Bergman] 125 Lamented loudly 126 By mistake 127 One of the Ramones 128 Fall blooms 129 Region centered on the upper Oder valley 130 Makes off-peak calls?

DOWN

1 Coquettes 2 Flawless 3 Like saints 4 Rigel’s constellation 5 Yr. closer 6 Water, jocularly 7 App-based taxi service 8 Fotos 9 With 87-Down, penthouse’s place 10 Pindar verse 11 Magnates 12 Cockloft, e.g. 13 Cup, in Caen 14 Dude 15 Systems to track storms 16 The “A” of ATP 17 Gandhi, e.g. 18 Stoneworker 19 Dummy Mortimer 24 Eavesdrop 29 Beauty lover 32 Architectural annex 33 Marshy area 34 Playwright Joe 35 Cries of repugnance 36 “Buddy List” co. 40 -- shui 41 Pointed arch variety 42 Spelunking spot 43 Samuel of the Supreme Court 44 Bottle parts

45 Reaches, as new heights 46 Barn brayer 48 By -- of (due to) 49 “Chained” actor Kruger 50 Hold up 54 Movie-rating gp. 55 Stated firmly 57 Crow of pop 59 Into pieces 61 “Crikey!” 63 Asian sea 64 Frequently, to Donne 69 Chick’s home 70 Cree or Erie 72 Decide (to) 73 Heroic act 74 Thin street 75 Egg on 77 Humiliate 80 Selflessness 81 Hurting, as a joint 82 Grieve loudly 83 December 31 song word 85 “Stormy Weather” singer 86 Abbr. on a bus schedule 87 See 9-Down 91 Watson of “Noah” 93 Erratic 96 Frank holder 98 Nickname for Dwight Gooden 99 Airline to Sweden 101 Riotous joke 102 Dutch lager 104 Honshu city 105 Exchange for a ten 106 Naval force 107 TV’s Philbin 108 Nicholas Gage novel 110 Brought out into the open 111 Spiteful 112 “-- much better now” 113 Stem joints 116 Taj Mahal site 119 Mag staffers 121 Mario’s three 122 Auditing gp. 123 “-- don’t!” 124 Vintage auto

SOLUTION FOUND ON P. 38.

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are female and I NEVER feel jealous I’M HAVING AN issue with my about them. I have a weird tic about boyfriend, and I don’t know if I am the this girl, though, and I’ve owned up to crazy, paranoid, controlling party here. We have been together for more than a it. I don’t want to control him, but I feel year and a half. We had troubles early on like I can’t trust him now. Up until now, because he has a low sex drive. It made I’ve never once suspected him of being me very insecure, and I think that’s dishonest. why, at the time, I became extremely Am I Crazy? jealous of his friendship with his very There’s another way to read your attractive intern. I fully owned up to boyfriend’s ambiguity/obfuscation/ my irrational jealousy and decided on dishonesty about Tuesday night: equal parts my own that it was my responsibility to considerate and self-serving. Your boyfriend overcome that. She eventually stopped knew you had to study, he knew his ex-intern working with him, and they haven’t is a sore subject/weird tic, and by opting been in contact for over six months. for ambiguity he allowed you to focus on Fast-forward to the present. On Monday your studies. So that was maybekindasorta night, I asked my boyfriend what his plans were on Tuesday. (I am studying considerate of him. And since one person’s for law school exams, so I knew I “mindful of my toxic feelings” wouldn’t have time to spend and “handling it” is another with him.) Around 8:30 on person’s “freak-out” and Tuesday, he texted me “invasion of privacy,” AIC, and asked how studying your boyfriend opted for was going, and I asked ambiguousness/deceit-byhim again what his omission to avoid drama. plans were. He told me And perhaps that was he was going to meet self-serving of him. an “old coworker” at a Want to prove to your bar for birthday drinks. boyfriend that he didn’t I didn’t think twice DAN SAVAGE need to lie to you about about it. Then, around spending time with his ex11:30 when I got in bed to relax, I saw on my Instagram intern? Retroactively bestow your feed that his old intern posted blessing on Tuesday night’s birthday a photo of her birthday party at the drinks and stop raking him over the fucking bar. I became extremely upset, because coals for his thoroughly explicable actions. instead of being up front and saying (They’re so explicable, I just explicked the he was meeting HER for her birthday, shit out of them.) Yes, he lied to you. But he was intentionally ambiguous. unless you’re made of marshmallow fluff and I confronted him when he got home, unicorn farts, AIC, you’ve lied to him once and he admitted to being ambiguous to or twice over the last year and a half. Even avoid a “freak-out.” I told him that if the “most honest” people on earth tell the he’d been up front with me, I would have odd harmless, self-serving white lie once in been jealous but I would have also been a while. If you want your relationship to last, mindful of my toxic feelings and not AIC, you roll your eyes at the odd HSSW lie projected them onto him. I told him that as a result of how he handled it, I feel and move on. If you want your relationship worse, I feel lied to, and I feel insecure. to end, you do exactly what you’re doing. He acted like I was being ridiculous. He If your boyfriend hasn’t given you some insisted it was a last-minute invite and other reason(s) to believe he’s cheating with he didn’t want to cause any drama. We his ex-intern or anyone else, AIC, drop the went to sleep, and I woke up feeling Tuesday night/birthday drinks subject. I pretty much over it. But when he got would also advise you to apologize to your into the shower, I looked at his phone boyfriend for having “looked at his phone” and saw that she had actually invited while he was in the shower, which is both an him on Monday afternoon. So he lied asshole move and, yes, a sign that you might to me when I asked him what his plans be the crazy, paranoid, and controlling one were on Tuesday, and he lied to me again in this relationship. And for the sake of your when he said it was a last-minute invite. relationship — for the sake of fuck — stop I am not upset with him for getting drinks with her—most of his friends following the ex-intern on Instagram.

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THE YEAR 2017: OVERVIEW, PART I SATURN PARALLEL PLUTO: We have a series of six challenging aspects between Saturn and Pluto which began this year in February. The last will occur in November of 2019. The effects of this aspect have been in the air for a few months already. This pair, as all planets, has both positive and negative sides. On the bright side we have work which is both hard and transforming. On the dark side, we see those who have claimed demigod status and are mean, even vicious, to all others. The dark side is criminal in an ongoing way. On the personal level, it requires that we work really hard to hold onto personal power in the face of circumstances that are not at all conducive to your use of it. Be creative. When this is over, the winners will be those who have adapted and honed their solutions to a fine science. There likely will be much more crumbling in the economic systems worldwide throughout this period. I hope my readers will take this warning and pay off credit. The more personal message is that one or more structures that you have built into your life are crumbling. This is the second of two years to correct the problem. Maybe that structure or plan actually needs to go. If it continues to have value in your life, much effort and money will be required to repair and restore damage. SATURN IN SAGITTARIUS: Saturn continues in Sagittarius for one more year. The sign rules global communications, including the internet, religious institutions and beliefs, laws, and distance travel. Saturn is a planet that will challenge any of these themes throughout 2016 and 2017. Tremendous work will be required on some of the main thoroughfares in countries. Water damage may undermine the substructure of highway and bridge footings. At worst, there may be damage to the undersea cables that support world communications. It is possible that international travel will be curtailed by many due to the potential disruptions. URANUS SEMISQUARE NEPTUNE:

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This aspect will make itself known all year, but is especially prominent between July and December. Uranus is known for throwing lightning strikes and Neptune, as Poseidon, is the ancient god of bodies of water. The hurricane season is likely to be brutal this year. Uranus acts suddenly and without much warning, so unusual storms are probable. This combination may bring “sudden” news concerning our water resources all over the globe. Uranus throws fire (lightning) and Neptune rules the water. Oil spills or other catastrophes may suddenly ignite water.

VENUS RETROGRADING: This ancient

goddess of love, romance, things of beauty and relationships will begin retrograde motion on March 4 until April 15. The preview begins on Jan. 30 as relationships in general will tend to slow forward progress to the March 4th point, when Venus moves deeply into retrograde territory until April 15. At that time she slowly makes the turn to direct motion and the entire saga will be over by mid-May. During her ebb periods we reflect on our personal needs with respect to partnerships. Meanwhile it is common for ongoing relationships to shift into neutral or even a temporary reversal. The universal message is to think carefully about who you are before making a promise of commitment. For those already pledged, it is a time to go within oneself and discover the qualities needed to improve upon the existing relationship. If the effort is deemed too much, there will be those who break the ties. From the global point of view, these periods often mark times when treaties or agreements between nations are violated or negotiations break down between countries.

MERCURY’S RETROGRADES: The year

begins with Mercury already retrograding in the sign of Capricorn, representing a hesitation period that will be relieved after the third week in January. It is Interesting, how this phenomenon parallels the last breath of the current Presidential cycle. Many of the plans of the incoming administration may be scrapped. The second retrograde begins exactly on April 9 and continues until May 3. Keep in mind that the two weeks before these retrogrades bring previews. The two weeks after the retrograde represents a clean-up period. The third period begins on Aug. 12 and continues until Sept. 5. The last retrograde begins on December 2 and ends on Dec. 22. Routine astrological advice suggests: 1) Delay the initiation of important new projects. 2) Use this time to research and investigate alternatives for action but make no final costly decisions on major plans. 3) Avoid writing or signing contracts. Often there are loopholes or missing parts which create difficulties later. 4) Avoid major purchases of transportation or communication equipment. The time is most favorably used to compare alternatives, research details, finish projects started long ago or look deeply into one’s interior psyche (i.e. hypnosis, prayer, meditation, psychotherapy).

Next week we’ll print the horoscopes for individual signs. Check back for Part II. Please visit my website, horoscopesbyvivian.com for information concerning readings and counseling with astrology.

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