Creative Loafing Charlotte Issue 9

Clclt.com | April 21 - April 27, 2016 Vol. 30, No. 09

1 | Date - Date, 2015 | clclt.com

2 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Your delicious alternative news source Website: www.clclt.com

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APRIL 28

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GRANGER SMITH FREE WSOC CONCERT APRIL 29

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22

10

Kristin Burns

Smashing Pumpkins perform at Ovens Auditorium on April 27.

cover story Blowing smoke with the founder of stoned media group By ryan pitkin This week’s cover was Designed BY Dana Vindigni.

Photo by anna sweet.

13

News&VIEWS MEDS NOT FEDS: North Carolinians in need

of medical marijuana don’t deserve to suffer any longer.

By Erin Tracy Blackwood

a new beginning: New blood in the ranks hopes to revive local efforts to legalize marijuana.

By ryan pitkin 14 blotter 16 news of the weird

18

Food melt down: Papi Queso’s gourmet grilled cheeses are a Charlotte favorite.

By chrissie nelson 20 three-course spiel

24

Arts&Ent You want a piece of that?: Cherry Pie art

show offers a slice of feminism.

By laura eason

Steering Tragedy Towards Mirth: Shakespeare Carolina does Bard right with The Winter’s Tale.

By perry tannenbaum

28 film review 30 Happenings

36

Music Meet Mobley: Fresh Lies and racism in America

By ANITA OVERCASH 40 soundboard

22

Odds&Ends

22 Top 10 Things To Do 42 Marketplace 42 Nightlife 43 Crossword 44 Savage Love 46 Horoscope

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 7

8 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Even your grandma gets it.

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 9

the 420 issue News

Breeanna Whitehead

Anna Sweet

Blowing smoke with the founder of Stoned Media Group

By Ryan Pitkin

S

ix young people sit in a dark room looking at a projection screen depicting a chock-full itinerary for an upcoming business trip.

At first glance, it seems like any other meeting at any other media startup. The group discusses which tablets and technology they need to bring, the importance of not leaving chargers behind and how they plan 10 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

to launch their Snapchat accounts during the trip.

However, a closer look shows how Stoned Media Group isn’t quite like other startups.

Bongs sit conspicuously on desks and side tables throughout the office. Copies of the company’s 2016 calendar lie about, featuring a cover photo of a Kardashian-esque woman posing in nothing but platform heels with a bong covering her crotch. And every once in a while, the conversation veers.

“I just want you to bring back enough edibles for me to have one every day for the rest of my life,” says Rebecca Hourselt, operations manager of the company. “I do love those gummies, but I am not going to complain about a chocolate bar.”

At Stoned Media Group, this is a normal concern.

“I have anxiety, don’t judge me,” Hourselt says, laughing, when asked if she’s serious.

The trip these folks are planning isn’t

just any business trip, it’s a trip to Denver to cover the weeklong goings-on surrounding 4/20, the stoner’s holiday. Employees — who each wear multiple hats that range from reporter to video editor to marketing rep — will be visiting a cannabis oil extraction facility and meeting with a company that produces THC-infused soda, among other adventures.

Stoned Media Group (SMG) is a

Stoned Girl Christiana Cinn

Tom Moore

Charlotte-based company that oversees a collection of cannabis-related websites ranging from Stoned Girls, a site full of photo galleries featuring naked women smoking weed, to High Finance Report, a weekly video featuring reporting on the week’s latest pot-related financial news (cannabusiness, as they call it).

Breeanna Whitehead founded SMG in September 2014 with the help of an outside investor. She has made all the decisions from then on out, and has expanded the Stoned Media brand to five websites, with a new podcast and localized cannabis news coverage around the country coming soon.

Whitehead said running her own company has been rewarding, but mixing the adult world with the cannabis world was a struggle, especially in the beginning.

“Nobody wanted to work with us. Nobody in adult wanted to work with us because of the drugs. And even though I do have safefor-work brands, sometimes people working in the weed industry don’t like that there’s a chick naked on another one of my websites.”

In the beginning, Whitehead had trouble convincing respectable brands to connect with Stoned Media.

“You know who carried me at first?

Drunken Stepfather and Celeb Jihad were the only two brands. Those were the only people that would fuck with us and that’s where I had to spend all my money for a while,” she said. “We came out like, ‘We are these people, hear us roar, you will accept us.’ Then it was like, ‘Oh shit. We have to compromise, we have to make some concessions.’ I had a crazy awesome budget and I couldn’t spend my money. My money was no good.”

Whitehead and her staff worked on legitimizing her safe-for-work brands,

Whitehead (top right) with some of her Stoned Girls the same time at night. removing cross advertisements between sites “We’ve done 18-hour days for three and making other fixes, all the while honing weeks straight before to launch a new brand their own skills at things like video production or new project,” she said. and site design until they gained the attention Whitehead expects a strong work ethic of others in the field. out of her staff, too, although they may not Now, she’s grown SMG from two sites be dealing with the same things as someone with a total of 248,183 unique visitors in in the corporate world.

March 2015, just six months in, to now “They have deadlines. If they don’t get running five sites that welcomed over 1.2 shit done, they have to stay late,” she said. million unique visitors last month. According “But also, some days we smoke pot, some to Whitehead, while most people think her days we spend looking at naked girls. Some company meetings consist solely of ripping days I have to yell at people because we don’t bongs and looking at porn, SMG’s growth have enough vagina in a shot. A lot of times has been due to hard work. She’s up at 4:30 we take a step back and go, ‘That’s a weird a.m. every day, and by 6 a.m., she’s done with sentence. Other people don’t say that at her workout and smoking a sativa that she work.’” calls her “mood control.” She’s in the office by 7:30 a.m. and doesn’t leave until about

Tom Moore

Hoursvelt signed on with SMG

just a week after it began with the launch of its flagship site, Stoned Girls. She met Whitehead as a bartender in Charlotte, and likes to say that she’s always worked for Whitehead in that respect. When asked for Hoursvelt’s job title, Whitehead (who clearly hates job titles) called her a number of things, including her right hand, her go-to, her (platonic) life partner and then, finally, her operations manager.

“At the end of the day, if I’m confident in nothing else in life, I know that Bree is going to be successful,” Hoursvelt said. “So to be able to be along for that ride, I consider to be a great compliment and great opportunity that I wouldn’t want to pass up for anything.”

Hoursvelt, like everyone working in the clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 11

the 420 issue News

The Stoned Media UmbrellA The Stoned Media Group consists of five websites. Get to know them before wandering onto the wrong one at work.

Stoned Girls — Flagship SMG website. Features naked ladies puffing herb (literally, it’s usually peppermint spice) on camera. NSFW High Finance Report — Erinne Korado covers the financial aspects of cannabis-related news. Clothes stay on.

“I like it because it gives some legitimacy to all this novelty that we have going on,” says SMG founder Breeanna Whitehead.

SFW Naked Weed Report – Sort of like High Finance Report with boobs. A model walks on screen wearing clothes, and by the time she’s done reading you the week’s cannabis news, she’s naked! And you might even have learned something while she was stripping. NSFW Stoned Insider — An aggregated news site that SMG will be developing throughout the coming months to be its home for exclusive content. “We want it to be a little bit more hard-hitting with the stories we get and profiles we do, just going a little bit deeper,” Whitehead says.

SFW StonedTube — An aggregation

of all weed-related videos from around the web. From how-to videos instructing how to roll a joint or do smoke tricks to music videos by your favorite always-high artist.

SFW, but with a clearly-labeled NSFW section SMG offices that Creative Loafing spoke to, is very proud of what the company has been able to accomplish in such short time.

“We are very good at what we do,” she said.

“I think that, especially being headquartered in North Carolina — which is apparently time-traveling back to where civil rights don’t exist anymore — I think we have to be very good at what we do. Because of where we are located, and because of the legality issues with the adult industry and the cannabis industry, we did face some challenges, and it’s quite impressive where we’ve come to.”

For Kanesha Newsome, who came on with the company in February 2015, Whitehead’s reluctance to limit her employees to a single 12 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Behind the scenes at a product review shoot with Erinne Korado job title is indicative of how the company works, and it’s why she now enjoys her job far more than her past corporate gigs.

“Since it is a start-up company, you get assigned multiple projects. I’m originally a graphic designer but I do a lot of marketing here, I do a lot of writing,” Newsome said. “In corporate, you have that role and you do that thing. If you do marketing, that’s all you’re going to do is marketing, you’re never going to branch out. Here, I can always go to Bree and be like, ‘Hey, I want to learn how to do more IT stuff,’ and she will hand me a project and be like, ‘Ok, here’s your chance.’ That’s something that’s different that I really like.”

Whitehead has hired almost all women who each have a similar drive to Newsome’s.

It’s a way to make sure she has people who are ready to learn on the fly while also empowering women, something that’s important to her.

“One of the big things we push here is that this is owned and operated by girls,” Whitehead said. “Of my 40 models, I have some of the most amazing women that I’ve ever met who also happen to be OK getting naked on camera. Ruby (Palm, the aforementioned calendar cover girl), she

speaks four languages. English is her worst and she’s the most badass Naked Weed Report (see sidebar) anchor I have. It’s insane to me that people will slut shame. I think because of this job I’ve become more vocal about being a feminist. It was always something that was like, ‘Yeah, of course I am,’ but I was never upfront and in people’s faces about it. Now I am because I get so much pushback.”

It’s not just the full-time staff that are feeling empowered. Erinne Korado, a model who has hosted High Finance Report and reviewed products sent by cannabis companies on video for the past six weeks, said it’s been an experience unlike any other in her career.

“I have not done anything like this before,” Korado said. “I’ve done a lot of modeling before but as far as something where you’re speaking and being recorded instead of just a motionless picture, it is different.”

For example, during a recent HFR taping, the repeated use of the word “courier” in a story about cannabis delivery services in states where the drug is legal led to an extensive discussion about pronunciation and a few slip-ups by Korado, but she took it in stride.

Ryan Pitkin

She said that beyond the skills she’s learning, she’s also proud to represent a company that reports on pot news. Although she doesn’t smoke marijuana herself, she believes strongly in its legalization and is happy to be reporting on stories that could help lead to better understanding of those issues.

“I’ve always been an advocate for marijuana. I believe that it is healthy in a lot of ways and I believe that a lot of times it’s political, the reason that it’s not legal,” she said. “I feel like I’m representing something that a lot of people are afraid to talk about and I can deliver news that people haven’t been delivered. I like it, I feel like I’m doing good.”

As one would imagine, Korado’s desire

to advocate for the federal legalization of weed is shared among much of the full-time staff at SMG. In fact, it’s an agenda Whitehead would like to focus more on pushing in the coming year.

Although she calls the Stoned Girls site her “child” and says she would be “really, really sad” if anything were to happen to it, she is under no illusions about why the site exists;

trouble hunter Views

Meds Not Feds North Carolinians in need of medical marijuana don’t deserve to suffer any longer A Charlotte Woman named Louise*

Tom Moore

Stoned Girls Ruby Palm (left) and Christiana Cinn as a sort of funding source for her “more legitimate” media sites that she hopes can help push toward change. “[Stoned Girls] is not art. It’s not art at all.

For me — and I sound so cold when I say this — but it is a means to an end,” Whitehead said. “We’re not geniuses, we didn’t create the idea of hot girls being naked next to something.”

She says she had to focus on the capitalist approach before she could focus on the activist approach, but she’s ready to make a push toward advocating for legalization, not only for its medicinal and social use, but for its use in the manufacturing field as well.

“Legalization has to happen. It has to for a sustainable economy,” Whitehead said.

“We’re missing out on so much. I am big into climate change and one big passion for me is that marijuana and hemp cultivation could really change a lot. We have a very short window to change what the fuck is happening to our planet. So legalization and also the cultivation and larger biodiversity plan involving hemp and marijuana is going to change a lot about the serious consequences we’re facing right now. The amount of plastics that we produce now that we could be producing in a completely different way with hemp is something we have to think about.

And it could bring a lot of manufacturing

jobs back to America, where we’re losing that now.”

Whitehead says she’d like to begin publishing more op-eds and focusing coverage on politicians who are staunchly for or against the legalization of marijuana.

“We have a stage, we should use it,” she says.

Speaking over the phone from Denver just before visiting Love’s Oven cannabis bakery on the Monday before 4/20, Whitehead said a blizzard that struck the city over the weekend put a damper on the trip.

Most events were cancelled or postponed, including a large rally featuring live music from Lil’ Wayne and Wiz Khalifa expected to bring out as many as 100,000 people.

The Stoned Media Group was undeterred, however, and continued to trudge through the snowstorm like the intrepid content creators they’ve become.

“On the marketing and networking side, we haven’t done as much because we haven’t been able to attend events with vendors. The snow was just too much,” Whitehead said.

“But we’re still getting a lot of content and good interviews. It’s been successful.”

Must be the sativa. rpitkin@clclt.com

and when he got back from Iraq, he was on 11 different medications. Since legalization, was diagnosed with terminal, inoperable he is down to three medications and vapes breast cancer in January 2015. Her daughter three marijuana strains. He recommended Thelma* has been with her through two for me.” chemotherapy and other treatments and watched helplessly as the meds she’s been The effect? given have made her sick.

“It wasn’t even like I was messed up off of One day, while indulging in some retail it,” Lucy says. “I could just function without therapy between chemo sessions, Louise had worrying about a million different things. a bad reaction. “I saw her face turn red and For the first time in my life, my thoughts she started sweating. She told me she felt slowed down and I could think clearly.” sick and was going to throw up and went Getting the right recommendation is and dry heaved in the store bathroom.” essential, especially for those seeking a said Thelma, who was carrying around a help with anxiety issues. Some strands of marijuana cookie that day. “I took her to the marijuana are known to increase anxiety. car, fed her the cookie and next thing I Lucy says since being back home in knew, she was begging for Arby’s.”

Charlotte, she still purchases Despite medical marijuana marijuana, but she never still being illegal here in knows 100 percent what she’s North Carolina, some getting. “It’s not as effective people who need it are and it’s kind of a crap shoot. risking their freedom to I wish there was the same get it. level of accountability Thelma laughs there is in states that have while telling me about legalized.” the Arby’s request, but If you find yourself with the pain in her voice is a health condition that you palpable. erin Tracythink marijuana could help, “Now I always try to Blackwood but don’t know where to begin come prepared with a cookie. to obtain it, the experts say to start It helps her quality of life. She gets to relax and giggle at Japanese at home. It could be difficult to talk to television — much needed therapy for family members because of the illegality and someone giving death the finger.” social stigma, but people — especially young The first medical marijuana legalization people — you trust are your best bet. bill was proposed to the North Carolina According to the latest available House of Representatives in 2001, and a statistics, about 20 percent of 18-25 year new one has been proposed every session olds in North Carolina smoke marijuana since. In the meantime, soldiers with PTSD, on a regular basis. The odds are you know cancer patients going through chemo or at least one of them and they’d want to grandparents with Alzheimer’s continue to help you. It’s simply a matter of letting suffer. them know you’re interested. Good thing to A Public Policy Poll taken last year shows know: North Carolina law says you cannot 69 percent of North Carolinians across be jailed for possessing less than a halfthe age and ideological spectrum support ounce of marijuana if it’s your first offense. legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes, However, you can be arrested for subsequent eight points higher than the national misdemeanor offenses, and if you’re black, average. statistics show you’re far more likely to be.

Lucy* had severe anxiety. She was What not to do: go into a head shop and diagnosed with borderline personality ask, post on Craigslist or social media or disorder in 2015. Soon thereafter, she took give a stranger money and wait for them to a trip to Denver and visited a dispensary return with the product. based on a friend’s recommendation: “I What else not to do: Wait even one more entered it and it was clean and set up like a year for lawmakers to help you. waiting room in a doctor’s office. I went in *Name has been changed, like I do each year and said straight up, ‘I have severe anxiety. in the 4/20 issue. Hopefully, next year that Sometimes I can’t even get out of bed.

What would you recommend?’ He told me won’t be necessary, but it probably will. backtalk@clclt.com he was a veteran who suffered from PTSD clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 13

News

Blotter

By Madeline Lemieux

Buzz Kill Following a less-than amicable breakup, a 26-year old University City man decided it was high time to notify police of his ex-girlfriend’s questionable behavior in the month leading up to their split. The man informed police that over the course of that month, he and his then-girlfriend had gotten into multiple altercations in a bar parking lot. During these fights, the man alleges that his then-girlfriend routinely assaulted him with a taser. The man provided police with a list of approximate dates and times that he had been tazed.

Urine Trouble A 49-year old Greensboro man was hauling some curious cargo through University City when he decided to stop for a late-night bathroom break at a 7 Eleven, leaving his unlocked Benz parked outside with the keys in the ignition. When he returned moments later, he discovered that an opportunistic thief had driven off in the car. The thief didn’t get too far; after discovering a massive stash of urine samples riding shotgun ($4,000 worth reportedly, although it’s unclear how that’s valued), he abandoned the Benz nearby.

Driving a Stick When a woman stopped

at a traffic light on East Morehead, she got a glimpse of a little more head than she wanted to. According to a statement she gave police, she was stopped at the intersection when another car pulled up beside her. The driver was apparently masturbating behind the wheel, and proceeded to expose himself to her.

Lavatory Law Despite now having

the most heavily-policed public restrooms in America, the bathroom crime syndicate continues their reign of terror on public toilets. Airport security at Charlotte Douglas International reports that some HB2compliant suspects took their wrong-doing to a non-gendered family restroom to snort a few pre-flight lines of cocaine. They susppect left behind a straw with powder residue on it, a tube of topical painkiller and a credit card with more powder (and her name) on it.

That Was Awkward A Charlotte-

area middle schooler was apprehended in a juvenile arrest following his first-period antics. According to police reports, the student turned up for his morning class, then “willfully misused and molested the fire extinguisher,” causing it to splatter its contents all over the classroom. We have a feeling that wasn’t the first time things finished a little too quickly for the spunky spewer.

Not-So-Nice Neighbors Don’t let

the name fool ya — when police were called to a street fight on Friendly Place, they found

14 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

the scene was anything but. A disagreement had broken out between residents and quickly turned physical. Officers were able to break up the fight, but in the process, they discovered a firearm concealed in a vehicle on the scene. Two suspects were arrested following the altercation, and face criminal charges for the not-so-friendly affray.

Juice Cleanse There’s nothing worse than health freaks who make it their mission in life to shove their healthy diet in your face.

We can’t confirm that that is what happened at a Blakeney McDonalds, but the police narrative seems to fit the bill: a suspect stormed into the fast food restaurant and pelted a teenager working behind the counter with a bottle of orange juice, then fled the scene. We get it, vitamin C is important.

Unwanted Guest A Northlake man was sitting at home one afternoon when he observed a school-aged boy approach his front door and attempt to gain entry to his house. The man immediately called police and reported the attempted break-in, but after a brief investigation, the responding officers informed the homeowner that “coming home from school” isn’t actually a crime. The boy was the homeowner’s son and a legal resident of the home.

Snapchat Clap Back Trash-talkers, take note: a pair of loud-mouthing suspects just upped the ante on communicating threats. Apparently malicious text messages and phone calls were too blasé for the suspects, who added a personal flourish to the threatening messages they sent to a local woman by recording their threats in a video. In the clip, one suspect brandished a gun and stated, “I’m going to whack your ass.” The second suspect reiterated: “I am going to beat your ass and fuck your car up.”

Personally, we prefer emoticons… way less incriminating.

Let’s Be Friends A Charlotte teen called police last week after realizing that maybe being a gang member wasn’t for him. The 18-year-old called police out to his apartment and told them he had just received an alarming call from a rival gang member. The vicitm told officers he’s “a member of the Bloods organization” and that a “member of the Crips organization” had just called him and told him that he planned to kill him the next time they should cross paths. It was our understanding that this is how it’s supposed to work. backtalk@clclt.com

Newsmaker News

A New Beginning New blood in the ranks hopes to revive local efforts to legalize marijuana

By Ryan Pitkin

Just a few months ago, Walker Spruill

didn’t know the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) existed.

Now, she finds herself at the head of a revival of the organization’s Charlotte chapter.

One month into her new appointment as NORML Charlotte’s executive director, Creative Loafing spoke with Spruill about why NORML Charlotte isn’t technically even a group yet and what she wants to accomplish when it finally becomes one.

Creative Loafing: How did you get involved with NORML? Walker Spruill: In October, I literally had no idea there was an organization called NORML, which is crazy because it’s been around forever. I just started speaking out and being more vocal about my own marijuana use. As I started talking about it more, people were responding well to it and I thought, “Gosh, I wish we had more of a community.”

Then one of my friends posted on Facebook that she was going to a NORML meeting, so I said, “What’s this?” and I literally just showed up the next day. It’s awesome. I think the universe definitely drew me there for a reason.

What do you mean by speaking out about your personal marijuana use?

For me, my marijuana story is I’ve used marijuana for at least half of my life. I’m 35 and I started smoking off and on at the end of high school. A few years ago, I got a job with a local hospice and they drug tested so I gave up marijuana. It’s something I’ve done with a lot of things in my life. I gave up cigarettes, I gave up fast food for Lent and ended up giving it up for 2 years. It’s a kind of willpower testing that I do. I gave up marijuana thinking that I was done with it — thinking it was an addiction that I had. I gave it up for three years while I was working that job.

In those three years working with hospice, I saw how all those meds weren’t doing for these people what they actually needed in that time. Also during that three-year period I weened myself off of pharmaceutical meds, which I had been on for 18 years. When I went off my meds, my body still needed something else to help supplement, so I went back on marijuana because I had finished with the hospice job and I had the freedom to use it again. That was 2 years ago, and now I don’t use any other medication. I use marijuana to

manage my bi-polar disorder, my depression, my ADD. Now that I am finding such great success with it and as I talk about it, people tell me how much success they’ve had with pain management or nausea or things like that. It was always one of those things I wanted my hospice patients to be able to try. While I was at these patients’ houses I wanted to be able to say, “Hey, have you ever considered burning one and that would really help your whatever?” and also ask the caregivers, “Hey, have you ever considered burning one because it would really help your stress as well?”

I’m getting to that point in my life, two years after I decided that I wanted marijuana back in my life, now I’m finding more and more people who are interested in talking about it, but they’re still afraid. They’re still scared because it’s still a taboo subject. So my thing is that I want to start the conversation about it. That’s actually my goal with everything I’ve come across in life, it’s to start a conversation to get people talking about it so they feel more comfortable talking about it when someone else brings it up another day.

That’s really my goal now to make it more of an everyday conversation so we can start having these conversations and people can express how marijuana affects their lives so the information can be passed around. People are still secretive, they’re still living in fear about using it. I just want people to not be living in fear, essentially. I want people to be able to openly discuss whatever they want to if they so choose, and I think marijuana is a pretty awesome place to start a conversation.

How did you find yourself in the executive director chair so quickly?

Mainly it’s because, with any kind of political movement like marijuana is, people get involved when they care, when there’s an issue that they’re pushing and they fall away when that issue is won or defeated. When I came in, there was a lot of fresh new blood, new people who had never been to NORML before. Everyone [who’s been involved long term] is just exhausted from fighting the fight. It wasn’t so much of ranks, it was whoever was willing to step into the role. We have a brand new board of 6 people and only 2 of those have been long-term members. It’s really just whoever was willing to step up to the plate and take care of business, so that’s what we’re doing.

around to smoke and that really bothers me.

I want to be safe to enjoy my substance of choice. I feel like these are just really backward rules. My true goal is, I want to expose people to the truth about marijuana.

What we’re really starting to focus on as a group, from my goal of building the community, I want people to have reasons to get together. Part of that will be activism, going out and actively talking to people about it, or something as simple as walking around with t-shirts with a cannabis leaf on it so people start seeing it more out and about.

That’s a big part of it is just us being seen in the community. We’ll also be working with NC CAN, the North Carolina Cannabis Action Network, we’re going to be working with them to do roadside clean-ups called Honk for Cannabis which sounds pretty amazing.

It’s great because something I do around town is what I call litterbugging which is just me literally walking around picking up trash, so we’re excited about picking up trash and finding a way to do it so people can see that we’re not just marijuana users, we’re community members who also happen to smoke cannabis — and that actually makes litter pick-up a whole hell of a lot more fun.

How is there not an official Charlotte chapter yet?

Walker Spruill What do you hope to accomplish with your new role?

The first thing we have to do is get official.

We are actively filing paperwork with national NORML and we have to wait for them to OK it, and then we can file to be a 501c3 in North Carolina and federally. Right now it’s a weird situation because we can’t promote as the new NORML group yet, because we’re not yet official. We kind of feel like we’re in this holding pattern, which is unfortunate because you don’t want the energy to fade.

My personal goal is to build this community because when we have community we feel safe and we feel like we’re not standing alone. I want people to know out there that it’s totally normal if you smoke pot, even if you don’t know anyone else around you who smokes it, we are out here. For me personally, one thing that really bothers me is the fact that when I’m going out — I quit drinking 9 years ago — now when I go out I have to go and drive

Before this, there was a new group that tried to get started up again, but it kind of fell apart right as we were coming in. Also, the NC NORML has been going through restructuring.

We’re all kind of working our way up now together. There was a lot of — as political movements go — you had a lot of people who were strong and excited about it and then they fade away and the new people come in and they have new opinions from the people who have already been there for so long. Sometimes you need new leadership, sometimes you need new support from beneath, so it’s become a restructuring across the board.

Will you be advocating to city leaders for decriminalization of marijuana on a local level?

We do have a good interest in decriminalization, of course, but as for how we will move forward with that I don’t know yet. But yes, that is a big part of our focus because that’s a big part of why people are so afraid. rpitkin@clclt.com clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 15

News

News of the werid

LEAD STORY Eva Tiamat Medusa, 55, of the Phoenix area, has almost completed her journey (she calls it “transspecieism”) to become a “mythical beast” — like a dragon video-game character — through purposeful facial scarring, surgical implants and even removal of both ears. “Tiamat” was born Richard Hernandez before becoming female and now sports such features as reptilianstyle skin “scales,” green-colored “whites” of the eyes, “horns” on her forehead and, of course, breasts. (However, she is perhaps so far satisfied with one part, as she is still a “preop” transsexual.)

Government in Action The Pentagon admitted recently that it has no way to know how many parts or devices are in its equipment inventory -- except by going through its estimated 30 million contracts (on the textunsearchable electronic database) one by one.

For a recent Freedom of Information request from a software developer (for the Pentagon’s number of “HotPlug” power-extenders for computers), it quoted a retrieval price of $660 million to cover 15 million hours of work.

Wait, What? (1) The most recent problem with the Defense Department’s prospective, ultra-modern F-35 fighter jet, revealed in March, is that its “radar control” sometimes malfunctions and that system updates will not be ready until 2020. In the interim, an Air Force official advised that, as a workaround, the radar could be turned off and then back on again (similar to restarting a glitchy computer). (2) Michael Ford, 36, a U.S. Embassy staff member in London, was sentenced in March to 57 months in prison for having run a “sextortion” email scheme preying on young girls — from his heavily monitored embassy computer workstation, operating undetected for two years. (One workday last April, for example, he sent 800 emails from his desk “phishing” for gullible social media users.)

Police Report Ms. Charli Jones Parker,

a teacher and girls’ basketball coach at the Pickens Academy (Pickens County, Alabama) was arrested on March 28 and charged with having sex with an underage male student.

Her husband, James Parker, a math teacher and coach at Pickens, was arrested two days later and charged with having sex with an underage female former student. The district attorney said the incidents were unrelated and resulted from separate investigations.

Inequality on Parade In February,

a family court in England reduced the childsupport payments from hedge fund financier Christopher Rokos to the mother of his 7-year-old son from the equivalent of about $17,000 a month to about $11,300 — though even that amount includes more than $1,200 a month for “wine.”

16 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Dirty Money The giant HSBC Bank, which was let off the hook in 2012 for its money-laundering by paying a $1.9 billion settlement and promising to vigilantly guard against future money laundering, was revealed in March to be regressing. HSBC’s monitor said that the bank somehow failed to stop transactions by a company whose professed business included exporting miniskirts to Iran (which would be against international sanctions but also not exactly smart business).

In another incident, a 19-year-old Mexican man in the drug-cartel-intensive Sinaloa state was allowed to open a private-wealth account with just a bagful of cash, claiming to be a “shrimp farmer.”

Latest

Religious

Messages

In March, Kingdom Church, in the south London district of Camberwell, was fined the equivalent of about $10,900 by the Southwark Council for its amplified music and incessant “loud preaching,” ritually performed “almost daily” at around 3 a.m. A spokesperson told the London Evening Standard that the timing was necessary because that is when evil spirits are most likely to be present.

Downloads and Uploads (1)

A new weight-loss device being tested in the U.S. (“AspireAssist”) is billed as a lessexpensive alternative to bariatric surgery, with the ability to evacuate up to 30 percent of recently eaten food from the stomach before digestion. A tube, through a port in the stomach, sucks (“aspirates”) the food. (2) Researchers at HRL Laboratories in California, in a recent journal article, reported that test subjects without airplane-pilot knowledge nonetheless performed flight simulations 33 percent better than a control group after the researchers uploaded electrical signals to certain piloting-helpful areas of their brains.

OH, Canada (1) The town council in Bracebridge, Ontario, approved a new municipal bylaw in March ending existing prohibitions on people engaging in “yelling, shouting, hooting or similar noises.” (Other noise controls, such as on audio devices, or by humans between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., remain in effect.) (2) Also in March, the city council in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was considering a proposed anti-bullying bylaw prohibiting gossip or (according to the National Post) “rumor-mongering, name-calling, taunting, mocking and ostracizing” — not only in the streets and parks but in “public” places such as bars and restaurants.

The

Underrated

Goldfish

Veterinarian Tristan Rich, in Melbourne, Australia, was credited in March with saving the life of a 9-year-old goldfish (“Bubbles”) by removing its brain tumor. Dr. Rich had to first figure out how to keep Bubbles out of water long enough to operate, but finally rigged a contraption to continually splash

water over the gills. This was Dr. Rich’s second heroic goldfish surgery. (Bubbles’ breed was not reported; but ordinary goldfish can be purchased for less than $1.)

Least

Competent

Criminals

Bad enough that Alfonso Mobley Jr., 26, is a “sovereign citizen,” self-proclaimed as exempt from obeying laws or paying taxes, but on April 5 he also lost both hands — when a bomb he was working on exploded in Columbus, Ohio. The bomb was made of the same material as that in the November terrorist attacks in Paris. A 2010 FBI report labeled sovereign citizens a domestic terrorist group, but Mobley’s associate (who was not hurt) told police the bomb was to be simply a diversion for their planned bank or armoredcar robbery.

Recurring Themes (1) First it was

“Pastafarians” of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster insisting on wearing colanders for driver’s license photos. Then, in Portland, Oregon, last year, a man who goes by “Bishop” insisted on his own driver’s license “religious covering” — a “fox” hat to honor his “seven drums” religion. The DMV turned him down, but in March 2016, he won

his appeal. (2) In the latest episode of an overthe-top obsessive cat, Sarah Nathan’s “Brigit,” age 6, had her cover blown in March when she collected a dozen boxer briefs and about 60 socks — all apparently klepto-lifted from neighbors in Hamilton, New Zealand. Nathan admitted that she may ultimately have to stash some underwear around her farm just to keep Brigit stimulated.

NOTW Classic (February 2012) The

varsity girls’ basketball teams at predominantly white Kenmore East High School near Buffalo, New York, have, for several years (until 2011), psyched themselves up in a pre-game locker room ritual by chanting, inexplicably, “One, Two, Three, (n-word (plural))!” before running out onto the court. Although the white players called use of the word a “tradition” (passed down from year to year), and not a racial “label,” the team’s only black player not surprisingly had a problem with it and reported it to school officials. According to a December (2011) Buffalo News report, it was always a players-only tradition, and no adult was aware of the chant, but upon learning of it, officials immediately banned it.

p e l U g g u Sn with some

Tonight

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 17

Food

Feature

Chrissie nelson

Meltdown Papi Queso’s gourmet grilled cheeses are a Charlotte favorite by chrissie nelson

C

all me crazy, but a 45-minute line for a grilled cheese is totally worth it. Let me explain why.

Imagine one of those “perfect” spring or summer evenings; you know the ones I am talking about. The air is warm, but not heavy and sticky with humidity. The sun 18 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

starts to set, casting a warm glow as it bids adieu. There’s a buzz of excitement in the air; a din of friends’ conversations, children running around and laughing, and a dog bark every so often. These kinds of perfect evenings were made for a cold beer and some al fresco dining.

There’s really no better place for the beer

and outdoor dining combination than one of Charlotte’s Food Truck Friday events, in South End and Plaza Midwood. While hundreds flock to the food truck rodeos to kick off their weekends, navigating the crowds seems worth it after you sink your teeth into the melted, creamy, cheesy goodness of a Papi Queso grilled cheese.

Yes, that’s right. Throngs of followers flock to the black and orange truck to get a taste of Papi Queso’s spins on this simple, childhood classic. But Papi Queso’s creations are nothing like the piece of cheese melted between two slices of bread of your youth. The grilled cheese sandwich is a starting point; a blank canvas for

Chrissie nelson

elevated ingredients and creative flavor combinations. Indulge in a Pig Mac, Papi Queso’s most popular sandwich, melted with pulled pork, mac ‘n cheese, bourbon onions and espresso barbecue sauce. Savor a Johnny Pastrami (smoked brisket, apple butter, slaw, white cheddar), a Mushroom Fondue (pan roasted mushrooms, arugala, fontina, gruyere, parmesean white truffle fondue), a Little Green Munster (munster, spinach, roasted red peppers, avocado relish, wasabi horseradish sauce), or a Leek and Mushroom or French Onion. Or stick with a classic, the Big Cheesy, made with three different cheeses (American, provolone and cheddar) herbs, and sea salt. You probably should add bacon or smoked tomatoes (or both!) to your sandwiches for only a few dollars more. Round out your meal with a cup of smoky tomato bisque, truffle chips, or some coriander pickles.

I highly advise partnering up with a dining companion so you can get two different sandwiches and go “halfsies” — meaning, trade half of your sandwich for half of theirs. Everyone wins with this approach because, with all of the combos to choose from, you’re going to have a hard time picking just one sandwich.

Though the line may seem daunting (do yourself a favor and grab a beer to sip on while you wait), the end result won’t leave you feeling like you’ve wasted any time. Once you flip open that mustache stamped box, you’re greeted with warm, golden, crunchy bread; the perfect vehicle for gooey, melted cheese, and a ton of goodies tucked inside.

Papi Queso doesn’t skimp on the fillings either.

If you can’t make it to Food Truck Friday, you’ll find Papi Queso melting at other popular Food Truck events like SouthPark Eats Alternative on Wednesdays during lunch hours, the NoDa Food Truck Rally on Thursday nights, Triple C Brewing Company on most Wednesday nights. The rest of the week, the truck cruises around the Q.C. to other locations and events. Check the truck’s schedule on Facebook and Twitter to stay updated on its whereabouts, so that you can indulge in some cheesy goodness.

Chrissie Nelson is a public defender by day and a food blogger by night. Read about her foodventures, restaurant reviews and other Charlotte musings at offtheeatenpathblog.com. backtalk@clclt.com

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Reservations recommened! call 704- 817- 9697 2000 south blvd. # 150 Charlotte, Nc 28203

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 19

Food

three course-spiel

Meat and greet Aaron Cox brings “boutique” protein to Meat & Fish Co.

By Madeline Lemieux

After walking through the door of Meat & Fish Co., you’ll notice an all-star cast of meats that are on display in giant glass cases.

There’s also a sizzling plume of steam at the grill, and donning chef’s whites, there’s executive chef Aaron Cox. A Charlotte native, Cox got his start working in kitchens across the Q.C., before an apprenticeship took him away from home.

He followed his palate across the country — from low-country cuisine in Charleston, to practicing butchery at a resort in the Teton mountains of Wyoming — before returning to be executive chef for the Omni hotel and, later, for the Charlotte Hornets.

Despite climbing Charlotte’s culinary ladder, Cox wanted to return to his roots.

“I had an interest in moving out of the large volume field. I wanted to do something more intimate and get back to my passion in the restaurant environment,” he says. He shared these visions with master meat purveyor Michael LaVecchia, and in January, he left the Hornets to co-found Meat & Fish Co. In addition to “boutique” proteins sourced from around the world, the Dilworth facility offers daily specials at the deli counter (the hefty muffaletta weighs in at nearly a pound, and is a recent favorite of Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly).

Creative Loafing: What makes good meat, is it genetics or how the animal is butchered? Also, what separates your “boutique proteins” from those at the grocery store butcher?

Aaron Cox: It is a mixture of genetics, the feed, the environment, and the daily attention given to the quality of life of the animal. The stress makes a difference in the quality of the protein itself after production.

That’s why we only source any proteins that are meticulously cared for to ensure that it’s only the highest quality cuts, and only the highest quality fish being seasonally sourced locally to be as sustainable as possible.

Snake River Farms and Double R Ranch are our primary vendors for our prime cuts, and we get Wagyu directly from Japan.

We are one of four vendors in the U.S. to carry Wagyu beef. The protein is almost white in appearance because of the marbling involved, and because of that, it increases the moisture and the softness of the bite, as well as the flavor profile of the finished product. We had guests come from Raleigh when they found out we carried it. It’s a protein highly regarded by people that take meat very seriously.

20 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Aaron Cox of Meat & Fish Co.

Madeline Lemieux

How would you describe your typical customer? Chefs, average Joes trying to cook at home, or a little of both?

A little bit of both. Charlotte has become a very food-driven city, but we also have guests that have arrived that don’t know how to cook and have questions and want to learn. I try to take as much time as I can, working with those individuals to tell them what that meat is about, and how it is prepared. I am always willing to give recipes and advice. When consumers are looking something special, they’ll let me know a list of ingredients or proteins that they’re interested in and when those items become available, we bring them into the counter.

For non-foodies, what is a “gateway meat” or recipe that could be used to impress?

Our Kobe beef burgers are highly regarded by burger enthusiasts. Our Wagyu beef hotdogs have also been highly regarded, being that they are a simple food with simple presentation, but we bring that flavor profile up to the next level. We are including those items in our Carolina Cook Out Box, which is part of our soon-to-launch box program available to ship from our website. We will start doing cooking classes not only with myself, but other chefs in the area that we actually sell wholesale to. They are invested in becoming involved.

NOW HIRING! We are currently looking for friendly and prideful folks to help us establish good vibes in Plaza Midwood.

GRILL MASTERS, BEER SLINGERS & HOSTESSES IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, PLEASE COME ON IN AND APPLY IN PERSON. MON - FRI 2 - 4PM 1300 CENTRAL AVE.

COMPLIMENTARY MOVIE PASSES INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL SCREENING OF

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES FOR TWO VISIT clct.com/charlotte/freestuff RATED R FOR VIOLENCE, LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT, DRUG USE AND SEXUALITY/NUDITY. Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. Each pass admit one. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording.

IN THEATERS APRIL 29 #KEANU

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 21

Thursday

21

Neil Degrasse Tyson What: Earlier this year, renowned physicist and science guy Neil degrasse Tyson debunked B.o.B’s rant that the Earth is flat over social media. While his efforts did little to change the rapper’s stance, here’s to hoping it left the gullible a lot less dumb. On Tyson’s StarTalk, podcast, he makes hearing about science fun and we’re betting this lecture at Ovens Auditorium will be similar — plus, you’ll probably even learn a thing or two.

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.

More: $70. 704-372-1000. ovensauditorium.com.

— Anita Overcash

22 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

thursday

THINGS TO DO

TOP ten

thursday

21

friday

21

GayCharlotte Film Festival

Chapman Baehler

Lukas Graham Monday

22

friday

22

Charlotte Jazz Festival

Alabama Shakes

TUCK FEST

What: This year, the GayCharlotte Film Festival comes while so many Charlotteans are struggling to accept House Bill 2. The fest, filled with dramas, comedies and documentaries, kicks off with a shorts competition and finishes (on April 24) with MAJOR!, which tells the story of a 73- year-old black transgender woman — and veteran — who has fought for transgender rights for more than 40 years.

What: Organized by Blumenthal Performing Arts, the fest will feature a variety of concerts spreading across Mint Museum Uptown, Bechtler Museum, Gantt Center, Knight Theater, Wells Fargo Atrium and other spots in Uptown.

The first night set is already sold out, but there’s plenty of other concerts in store. Highlights include Saturday’s Creole Jazz Brunch with the Ocie Davis Quartet and a New Orleans style brunch.

What: Charlotte’s been waiting for Alabama Shakes to make their Queen City debut ever since the Grammy-winning blues-rock band released its infectious single, “Hold On.” That was back in 2012.

Since then, the band has released another stellar album, 2015’s Sound & Color, which elicits hints of a Muscle Shoals style while remaining true to the band’s indie roots.

What: The music side of this fest — there’s live music from St. Paul & The Broken Bones (Friday) and Langhorne Slim & The Law (Saturday), among others — is worth the trek alone, but don’t forget to be active. There’s also yoga, biking, rafting and races.

If you’re like me and you have a dusty yoga mat in the corner of your room, this is the time and place to use it.

When: April 21-24.

Where: Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road.

More: $10 per film, or $50 for VIP pass. charlottelgbtfilm.com.

When: April 21-23.

Where: Various locations at Levine Center for the Arts More: Prices vary. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.

More: Sold out. 704-549-5555. livenation.com.

When: April 22-24.

Where: U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway.

More: Free ($5 to park); $35 for races. 704-391-3900. usnwc.org.

— Overcash

— Overcash

— Jeff Hahne

— Overcash

Father John Misty WEDNESDAY

Emma Elizabeth Tillman

News Arts Food Music Odds

Alabama Shakes Friday

GayCharlotte Film Festival Thursday

saturday

Saturday

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23

monday

wednesday

Wednesday

27

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27

Dances of India

Santigold

Lukas Graham

Father John Misty

Smashing Pumpkins

What: Even if you’ve made it to CPCC’s annual Dances of India over the years (this will be its 14th year), there’s always plenty of reason to go back. Organized by performer/ choreographer Dr. Maha Gingrich, the show features dance pieces that stem from Indian tradition and its rich cultures from across the region. Gingrich explains pieces so that visitors get the most of the experience, which could otherwise be overlooked by dancers’ intricate moves and elaborate costumes.

What: After paying her dues in the obscure ska-punk outfit Stiffed, Santi White aka Santigold, charged up the charts with her 2008 debut, an addictive fusion of electro, R&B, reggae and indie rock. Master of My Make Believe, her follow-up, was a shade darker, yet it yielded the dystopian gem “Disparate Youth.”

Her current full-length, the popcentric 99 Cents, hides a blistering critique of the commodification of humanity under its deceptively sunny disposition.

What: Danish pop-rock singer Lukas Graham has found plenty of success overseas, but it wasn’t until his single, “7 Years,” went viral and blew up the charts that most people stateside heard his name. The band’s self-titled second album, otherwise known as the blue album, was released in June of last year, but didn’t make it to the U.S. until early this month. Long story short, you should already know this talented artist.

What: J. Tillman, otherwise known as Father John Misty, might be a former member of Fleet Foxes (and countless other bands for that matter), but he’s certainly made a name for himself in his solo life.

He leans toward being an indie folk singer, but his lyrics are far too snarky and intelligent to be pigeon-holed so simply. For further entertainment, Google the story of the time he dropped acid at a Taylor Swift concert.

What: Though the band has had changes over the years, frontman Billy Corgan remains as solid as ever.

For the band’s “In Plainsong” tour, you can expect to hear songs that have been stripped down for what’s being described as an “acousticelectro” set. Corgan is joined by drummer Jimmy Chamberlin after more than six years, and Jeff Schroeder, who replaced longtime guitarist James Iha back in 2007.

Songstress Liz Phair opens.

When: 4 p.m.

Where: CPCC’s Halton Theater, 1206 Elizabeth Ave. More: $5-$10. tix.cpcc.edu.

When: 8 p.m Where: The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St. More: $25. fillmorecharlottenc.com.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. More: Sold out. 704-358-9200. visulite.com.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.

More: $26. 704-916-8970. fillmorecharlottenc.com.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.

More: $43-$77.50. 704-372-3600. ovensauditorium.com.

— Overcash

— pat moran

— Hahne

— Hahne

— Overcash

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 23

Arts

visual arts

Olly yung

Cherry Pie photo shoot, directed by Nicole Hernandez and Grace Stott.

You want a piece of that?

Cherry Pie art show offers a slice of feminism

By Laura Eason

I

N A PROMO video and photo shoot for Cherry Pie — a feminist art show that’s going down at Union Shop Studio April 22-May 1 — a woman bows her head solemnly and stands stiff, as someone pours a pitcher of what looks like blood but is actually cherry juice over her head.

24 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

The liquid drips down, staining her white clothing as she stands motionless with a bouquet of flowers in her hands.

Anything that’s dubbed as “feminist art” is filled with all kinds of interpretations and, oftentimes, controversy. Just this video and photo shoot alone is bound to stir up debate.

Local artist Grace Stott, the art director for

the piece, believes Charlotte needs more art that explores feminism. With that, of course, come issues related to gender, body image, roles and sexuality. For Stott, they were topics worth addressing, as she made it her quest to put a call out to artists for feminist art, which she then cherry-picked to fit for the show.

Stott, an artist working out of studio space at Union Shop Studio, got the idea for a feminist art show after reflecting on works she’d seen in California. She’d gone to high school in Charlotte, moved to the West Coast for art school and returned home with the feeling that something was missing.

The show will feature works from 30

Margaret Strickland’s “Natalie” Sarah Slusarick’s piece from “The Pink Project”

artists, some of which are locals — including Amy Bagwell, Amy Herman, Rebecca Henderson, Emily Braswell, Madeline Lippert, Margaret Strickland, Philp Fore and plenty of others. Mediums include photography, paintings, embroidery, sculptures, video, mixed media installations and more.

Because Stott is curating, she isn’t featuring her own art in the show, but it will be on display in her studio located within Union Shop. There will also be brews from Birdsong Brewing Co. and Lenny Boy Brewing Co., and a pop-up market, featuring The Daily Press CLT, Gateau Baking Co., Weird Empire, and DJ Fannie Mae, on Saturday.

Stott asked her friend Melody Rude, who holds a Bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies, to assist her in curating the show. The two wanted to create a show about feminism that just about anyone could gab about. Flyers were distributed, an Instagram page was made, and interested artists were called to jump on board.

Since January, Stott and Rude have spent time collecting art and choosing pieces they thought best represented their goal: Feminist art that is represented in an unexpected and unusual way.

To Stott, feminism “defies cultural limitations and undermines dominant hierarchies.”

They agree that art could easily manifest itself in feminism and lift the veil of shame

Cherry Pie Free admission. Opening on April 22, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.; Pop-up Market on April 23, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Exhibit runs through May 1. cherrypieclt.com.

covering its history to be embraced and replaced with beauty and acceptance. The art featured in the show will be a variety of subtle and punchier representations.

Some focus on gender expression while others reveal an appreciation for the female body.

One artist, Margaret Strickland, uses photography to represent feminist ideals related to women in the household. Her photos aim to capture how feminism can be inherited as an heirloom and also shaped by experiences. She is interested in the singularity of the individuals in each photo and how they are portraying themselves rather than focusing on a larger scene or scenario.

Strickland, a photography graduate from the University of Georgia, uses her Southern roots as a backdrop. She feels that even though feminism has come a long way, it still has even further to go in helping to make women’s rights equal.

She is particularly captivated by the women in her family and enjoys photographing them in order to further her own feminist understanding. While focusing on female identity, she looks even closer at how identity has formed and changed throughout the four generations of her family history.

“What comes from within? What comes from other women? What comes from society?,” are questions that Strickland asks and aims to answer as she shoots photos of her loved ones.

She often photographs her six-yearold niece and wonders about how she will change as she grows older. At what point will her innocence and appearance alter as she becomes aware of things like sexuality?

Strickland also uses her mother, a breast cancer survivor, and her grandmother, a widow, as a muse. Through photographing them over the course of these life changes, she feels she’s capturing bits and pieces of the feminism her family holds.

Strickland’s photography varies vastly from the show’s gritty promo shoots. Aside from the video and photo that we mentioned earlier, other shots featured models that were dressed in red with a pure, white backdrop. Stott provided dozens of cherries that were smeared around to make the scene messy and chaotic.

“The red forced a sense of urgency that embodied the actual lives of women. It was particularly cold that day and we were all freezing. When one of the models had cherry juice dumped on her, we were all waiting with blankets to warm her,” says Rude.

“It was neat to see everyone coming

Olly yung

Another pic from the Cherry Pie promo shoot.

together.”

Rude and Stott say the name of the show stems from varying connotations of being sweet, Southern, domestic, sexual, and messy — adjectives that can also be used to describe the various pieces of artwork featured in the show.

They hope the show will launch a conversation about feminism. That’s not to say that they don’t expect some negative feedback along the way.

In terms of controversy, they expect that some folks may question the relevance of feminism in society and the nature of the art featured in the show, some of which has sexual implications.

But in the end, Stott hopes the show will bring folks together and help to emphasize the importance of women’s rights and equality.

Plus, who doesn’t like a slice of sweet, cherry pie? backtalk@clclt.com

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 25

Arts

performing arts

David Hensley

Charles Holmes, Russell Rowe, and Katie Bearden in The Winter’s Tale.

Steering Tragedy Towards Mirth Shakespeare Carolina does Bard right with The Winter’s Tale

By Perry Tannenbaum

M

isdeeds in Shakespeare come in

dark and light hues: they are prankish and trivial when the Bard smiles, malign and fatal when he glowers. Misunderstandings follow a similar pattern, absurd and accidental when they aren’t horrifying and purposeful. When such complications are resolved at the end of Shakespeare’s earlier plays, all is mended in the comedies and all is lost in 26 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

the tragedies. But a new curvature enters the Bard’s storylines toward the end of his career, when he begins to concoct the bittersweet confections that became classified as romances. These include The Tempest, Cymbeline, Periclesand — now at Spirit Square in an outstanding Shakespeare Carolina production — The Winter’s Tale.

In these plays, tragedy strikes. But it’s survived, and we veer towards mirth. Keats may not have understood Shakespeare best among the romantic poets, for Coleridge had

the finest critical mind among them, but he was best attuned to this mellowed, autumnal Shakespeare when he referred to life as “a vale of soul-making.” The protagonists in these plays reach wisdom and contentment only through great and prolonged suffering.

Before we reach these romances, Shakespeare strives to compress time as much as possible. Factions and countries seem able to raise armies and launch wars overnight in Caesar and Lear. When we reach The Winter’s Tale, Time is not only a prime

element in the story, he or she is an actual character. At Duke Energy Theater, he comes out at the end of Act 3 in the script, dressed very much like Dickens’ last Christmas ghost, to announce the intermission, leaving an hourglass on a stool.

When we return, Time properly names himself to start Act 4, tells us that 16 years have passed while we were gone and, cued by the Bard’s blank verse, flips the hourglass to launch the continuation in Bohemia. Back in Sicilia, King Leontes has royally messed

things up. Outdoing Othello in jealousy, Leontes has decided that his virtuous Queen Hermione is having an affair with his longtime buddy King Polixenes of Bohemia. Flouting all common sense, he is equally certain that Polixenes has fathered the child she is on the verge of delivering.

Stubborn and decisive, Leontes imprisons his wife, orders his most trusted servant to murder Polixenes, and sends his most valued courtier overseas to dispose of his newborn daughter. Now why was he so sure Hermione is an adulteress? When Polixenes refused Leontes’ entreaties in the opening scene to stay an extra week in Sicilia, Leontes asked Hermione to try — and she succeeded.

Polixenes and the servant escape together, and by the time Leontes discovers his folly, he has lost his wife, his son, his best friend, and his newborn daughter. And according to the Delphic oracle, whose declarations he ignored when they vindicated Hermione and Polixenes, he will remain childless and lose his kingdom unless he finds his lost daughter.

Instead of tracking the infant’s scent while it is still fresh, Leontes goes to the opposite extreme of his previous bellicosity, cloistering himself with his sufferings and sorrows, mourning the true wife he wronged.

Not only does the wintry action in Sicilia turn to springtime in Bohemia when the hourglass is flipped, a whole new generation seizes the spotlight. The action blows in the opposite direction, on the wings of two young lovers who will be true to one another. Taking advantage of the new time and place, director Tony Wright flips a large portion of the cast into new roles during intermission.

Perhaps the most significant of these changes occurs just before the break when S. Wilson Lee as Antigonus, the Sicilian courtier who brings the king’s unlucky child to Bohemia, makes one of the most famous exits in theatre history, “pursued by a bear.”

Lee comes back almost immediately in a new costume as a new character, the Shepherd who hears of the courtier’s grisly mauling and discovers the babe in the basket. Clearly things have turned toward comedy when a rustic illiterate marvels at his clone’s demise.

And it makes eminently good sense for Faith Benton to reverse the gender deployment that was routine in Elizabethan times, when women were barred from acting, playing Leontes’ son Mamillius in the opening act and his lost daughter Perdita after the break.

Benton has a nicely understated elegance that works well for a noble who is ignorant of her nobility, and she projects virginal purity at the heart of the Bohemian scenes that artfully parallels Katie Bearden’s maternal and wifely purity at the center of the Sicilia drama.

It’s quite remarkable that Bearden can bring so much freshness to a role that reminds us of so many Desdemonas and the falsely

accused Hero in Much Ado About Nothing. But it’s certainly helpful for Russell Rowe to be deceiving himself so powerfully as Leontes, a lion who creates his own dreary winter out of an apparently loving marriage.

Lowe’s overbearing authority makes Bearden’s steadfast truth and devotion all the more poignant, but it also sparks other forms of opposition. Amy Hillard as the vanished Antigonus’ tart-tongued widow is unsparing in her denunciations of the King, granting him her special clemency only when the Delphic oracle’s prophecy is fulfilled. Just as useful in the wide arcs of this storyline is Kevin Sario as Leontes’ trusted servant Camillo, an anti-Iago who saves his King from himself, ultimately engineering his redemption.

Camillo and Polixenes bridge the two halves of this Tale, so it’s interesting to watch the subtle imperfections that Charles Holmes brings to the King of Bohemia. He probably is a little more affectionate toward Hermione than is strictly proper, and when his family hurtles into crisis, his aversion toward hearing out his son Florizel parallels Leontes’ deafness toward Hermione. In this sunny new comedy world, Polixenes’ faults are more fortunate.

With his bushy hair, Cole Pedigo as Florizel strikes me as more rustic than Benton, but they do make an adoring — and adorable — couple. He actually gets to dress down when Florizel and Perdita decide to elope. Or seek asylum? Obliging him gladly is Ted Patterson as the thieving con-artist Autolycus, who will gladly favor us with a song when he’s not swindling the Old Shepherd and his Clown (Michael Anderson). Like other Shakespeare rascals, Autolycus is luckier than he is smart.

Until he isn’t.

In the cavalcade of reunions that closes out this romance, the last is by far the most moving because it redeems so much lost time.

A bit of a downer throughout the evening, the scenic simplicity of the production becomes most effective in this tenderest of moments, but Robert Jaeger’s costumes also lift us out of visual poverty along the way. Turns out that it has been a novel idea in Charlotte to do a Shakespeare play — rather than a riff on one — to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Bard’s death.

One expects a knowing selection from a company that takes the Bard’s name in vain, and Winter’s Tale, a work that resonates with Shakespeare’s final years, proves to be a very apt choice. With this current crop of newcomers and seasoned veterans, this is the best serious Shakespeare this company has done. Shakespeare Carolina really is a mature Shakespeare company now, knowing what they mean and meaning what they say. Both the comedy and the drama come at us with the swagger of assured confidence. If only somebody would give them a few bucks! backtalk@clclt.com

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 27

Arts

film

Disney

Neel Sethi in The Jungle Book.

Animal act Welcome to the Jungle, new and improved

By Matt Brunson

f

orget “The Bare Necessities”; the bare fact

of the matter is that Disney’s 1967 animated hit The Jungle Book (*** out of four), the most famous film version of Rudyard Kipling’s stories, is the least effective of the various celluloid adaptations. Made during the studio’s mostly barren stretch between its two golden ages, the movie plays better in nostalgia-tinged memories than in the here-and-now, hampered by rudimentary animation, annoying interpretations of beloved characters and, save for the aforementioned “The Bare Necessities,” forgettable tunes. Far better are the 1942 British production starring 18-year-old Sabu as Mowgli, the underrated 1994 take with 28-year-old Jason Scott Lee in the primary role, and, now, a new edition of The Jungle 28 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Book (*** out of four), featuring 12-year-old newcomer Neel Sethi as the young boy raised by wolves.

This incarnation initially spends more time on the wolf pack than the other versions, as Raksha (voiced by Lupita Nyong’o) and Akela (Giancarlo Esposito) raise Mowgli alongside their cubs. But when the ferocious, man-hating tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) makes it clear that nothing will stop him from killing the boy, it’s decided that Mowgli will be taken to live with his own kind, escorted in his journey by his friend and protector, the noble panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley). But the trip doesn’t go as planned, with Mowgli finding himself alone and in the clutches of the snake Kaa (Scarlett Johansson) before he’s rescued by the garrulous bear Baloo (Bill Murray). Yet his troubles are just getting warmed up,

as he still has to contend with a seemingly crazed ape named King Louie (Christopher Walken) as well as the ever-present threat of Shere Khan.

In much the same manner as Kenneth Branagh’s enchanting Cinderella last year, director Jon Favreau and scripter Justin Marks have crafted a film that manages to pay tribute both to the original tale as well as its animated adaptation. (You would think there wouldn’t be any room in this nonmusical version for “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wan’na Be Like You.” You would be wrong.)

More importantly, their movie employs CGI to dazzling, seamless effect, resulting in an immersive viewing experience rather than the distancing sensation often created by motion pictures that live and die by the computer. With the exception of Mowgli, everything else is artificial, from the lush

jungle surroundings to the anthropomorphic animals surrounding the “man-cub” protagonist. It’s an immaculate presentation, further buoyed by John Debney’s catchy score. (Save your money, though, by nixing the 3-D option; it adds very little.)

The voice actors are appropriately cast, even if none really stand out in the manner of, say, Ratatouille’s Patton Oswalt or Aladdin’s Robin Williams. Idris is menacing as Shere Khan, Johansson is an interesting choice for Kaa, and Walken (he who possesses one of the most distinctive voices in Hollywood) gives us a Louie who almost belongs in a live-action gangster or horror flick. As for Murray, he’s an expected scene-stealer as Baloo, and I’m all for more Jungle Book pictures if it prevents him from lending his vocals to any more infernal Garfield atrocities.

Website: www.clclt.com

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clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 29

Arts

Happenings

Comedy Bojangles’ Coliseum Martin Lawrence. April 23, 8 p.m. 2700 E. Independence Blvd. 704-3353100. bojanglescoliseum.com.

The Comedy Zone Charlotte DeRay Davis.

April 21, 8 p.m.; April 22, 7:30 and 9:45 p.m.; April 23, 7 and 9:30 p.m. $30-$35. Night of 500 Laughs. April 26, 8 p.m. $15. Almost Famous with Blayr Nias. April 27, 8 p.m. $12. 900 AvidXchange Music Factory Blvd., Suite B3.

980-321-4702. cltcomedyzone.com..

Wet Willie’s Charlotte Comedy Theater.

For more information, visit www. charlottecomedytheater.com. Fridays, Saturdays, 8 p.m. $10. 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd., Suite C-1.

Theater/Dance/ Performance Art “36 in 6”: A Celebration A celebration with the performance of, As You Like It, to honor Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary since his death. 8-18. Sat., April 23, 7:30 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte. 704-3721000. www.blumenthalarts.org.

Alice in Wonderland Join Lewis Carroll’s, Alice, as she makes her way through Wonderland and tries to find a way home. $10. April 23, 7:30 p.m.; April 24, 2 p.m. Matthews Playhouse, 100 McDowell St. 704-846-8343. matthewsplayhouse.com.

Dances of India CPCC presents the 14th anniversary of Dances of India, featuring internationally acclaimed performer and choreographer Dr. Maha Gingrich and group. $10. April 23, 4 p.m. Halton Theater, CPCC, 1206 Elizabeth Ave. The Little Mermaid Jr. Based on the story

by Hans Christian Anderson and the Movie, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, this tale is a love story for all ages. April 22, 7:30 p.m.; April 23, 2 p.m. Matthews Playhouse, 100 McDowell St. 704-846-8343. matthewsplayhouse.com.

The Magic Kite The world premiere play with music and puppets tells a story of how a family, struggling with having lost members due to deportation, sticks together during a time of lost hope. April 22, 7:30 p.m.; April 23, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; April 24, 2 p.m.; April 30, 30 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

3 p.m.; May 1, 2 p.m. ImaginOn’s Wells Fargo Playhouse, 300 E. 7th St. Madea On The Run A comedy by Tyler Perry. $45-$70. April 23, 3 p.m. & 8 p.m. and April 24, 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical A story of Carole King’s rise to stardom and the soundtrack of a generation. April 21, 7:30 p.m.; April 22, 8 p.m.; April 23, 2 and 8 p.m.; April 24, 1:30 and 7 p.m. Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org.

Fly By Night A musical featuring a sandwich maker and two sisters during the 1965 northeast blackout. April 21, 7:30 p.m.; April 2223, 8 p.m.; April 24, 2:30 p.m.; April 27-28, 7:30 p.m.; April 29-30, 8 p.m.; May 1, 2:30 p.m.; May 4-5, 7:30 p.m.; May 6-7, 8 p.m. Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. actorstheatrecharlotte.org.

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse Come meet Lilly and her friends. Based on the book by Kevin Henkes. April 22, 7 p.m.; April 23, 1 and 4 p.m.; April 24, 1 and 4 p.m. Armour Street Theatre, 307 Armour St., Davidson. 704-892-7953. davidsoncommunityplayers.org.

Schoolhouse Rock Live A musical adaptation of the classic TV show that uses clever songs to aid children in learning. April 23, 11 a.m., 3 and 7:30 p.m.; April 24, 2 p.m. ImaginOn’s McColl Family Theatre, 300 E. 7th St. ctcharlotte.org.

Triptych Collective The local performance art troupe performs at Snug Harbor as part of an April residency. April 27, 10 p.m. 704-561-1781. snugrock.com.

Visual Art Bechtler Museum of Modern Art The Art of Print. The exhibition spotlights rare works

by Hansjürg Brunner, Marino Marini, Eduardo Chillida, Bernhard Luginbühl, Cornélia Forster, Georges Rouault, Raoul Ubac, Italo Valenti, Martin Disler, Peter Emch, Camille Graeser, Alfred Hofkunst, H.R. Huber, Jean-Paul Michel, Eduardo Pignon, Anslem Stalder, Charles Walch, and Franz Anatol Wyss. Through June 19. The House That Modernism Built. The exhibit presents Bechtler Museum of Modern Arts’ rich mid-20th century art collection alongside furniture, textile and ceramic holdings on loan from other institutions and private collectors.

The show will emphasize process, examining how designers and artists tackled projects, and how the innovations in other disciplines from the sciences to the humanities influenced their direction. Through Sept. 11. 420 S. Tryon St. 704-353-9200. bechtler.org.

Charlotte Museum of History Enter the Dragon. The exhibition will feature a variety local and Chinese-American artists and rotating showcases and collections. Through May 31. 3500 Shamrock Drive. 704-568-1774. charlottemuseum.org.

CPCC Art Galleries CPCC Visual Arts Club Exhibition. Artists from the CPCC Visual Arts Club exhibit their works in the Balance Art Gallery (4th Floor, Library Resource Center).

Through May 31. 1201 Elizabeth Ave. 704-3306211. arts.cpcc.edu/art-gallery.

Davidson College Galleries Annual Student Juried Exhibition. Davidson College’s annual student juried exhibition features a variety of works or varying mediums. Held in Van Every Gallery. April 21-May 4. Senior Studio Art Majors Exhibitions. Featuring artwork from Davidson College senior art majors. Held in Smith Gallery.

Through April 26. 315 N. Main St., Davidson.

704-894-2519. davidsoncollegeartgalleries.org.

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture 1960Now. 1960Now is an evolution of Bright’s “1960Who” series inspired by the Civil rights Movement, a collection of images featuring common grassroots youth activists of the 1960s. Through June 26. Art of a New Deal: African-American Artists in the WPA. This exhibition looks at six artists - Charles Alston, Ernest Crichlow, Allan Crite, Jacob Lawrence, Charles White and Hale Woodruff who were employed by the WPA. Through June 26. Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts.

This majestic exhibition of dazzling costumes, set pieces, and video excerpts celebrates an iconic company and its corps who defied prejudice, and gravity itself, in pursuit of their talent. Through June 26. 551 South Tryon St. 704-547-3700. ganttcenter.org.

Jerald Melberg Gallery Works by Robert Kushner. The exhibit features new paintings and works on paper by Robert Kushner. In his recent body of work, Kushner continues to showcase boldly colored, opulent paintings patterned with flowers and plant forms. The exhibition also includes a series of mixed media collages composed of elements from varied times and

worldly locales, overlaid with minimalist flora forms. Through April 23. 625 S. Sharon Amity Road. 704-365-3000. jeraldmelberg.com.

LaCa Projects Collective II: Latin American Perspectives. The exhibit celebrates LaCa’s third anniversary and showcases work

by Latin American contemporary artists, including Carlos Estévez (Cuba), Juan Dolhare (Argentina), Vicente Hernández (Cuba), Ricardo “Chino” Morales (Costa Rica), Alicia de la Campa (Cuba), Otto Apuy (Costa Rica), Cristina Toro (Puerto Rico), Juan Carlos Verdial (Cuba) and Leandro Manzo (Argentina). Work by studio artists Luis Ardila (Colombia) and Rosalia Torres-Weiner (Mexico) will also debut.

Through June 4. 1429 Bryant St. 704-837-1688. lacaprojects.com.

Mint Museum Uptown Romare Bearden Gallery.

A permanent gallery devoted to the work of Romare Bearden (1911-1988), who was born in Charlotte. Bearden is best known for his groundbreaking use of collage and vibrant portrayals of American life, depicting subjects that range from contemporary urban scenes to nostalgic recollections of the rural South.

Here & Now: 80 Years of Photography at the Mint. The first survey exhibition of photography drawn solely from the Mint’s permanent collection. It’s comprised of approximately 100 of the Mint’s most stunning and provocative photographs. Through Sept. 18. 500 S. Tryon St. 704-337-2000. mintmuseum.org.

New Gallery of Modern Art Charles Williams’ Continuum: Day. Through May 15. 435 S. Tryon St. 704-373-1464. newgalleryofmodernart.com.

Shain Gallery Sisters Show - Christy Kinard and Kim Schuessler. The exhibit features artwork

by Christy Kinard and Kim Schuessler. Through April 30. 2823 Selwyn Ave. 704-334-7744. shaingallery.com.

UNC Charlotte Center City Particle Falls.

Andrea Polli’s installation focuses on air pollution and uses a device to track air particles. Through April 23. 320 East 9th St.

More Events 2016 Sustain Charlotte Awards + Earth Day Celebration Presented by ROOTS Catering, this event bring together a range of disciplines and sectors for an inspiring, informative, and exciting evening to celebrate some of the region’s most outstanding sustainability

Sunday afternoon at Mint Museum Randolph. $15-$20. April 23, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; April 24, 1 p.m.6 p.m. Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road. charlottegardenclub.org.

Distinguished Guest Lecture: Eames Demetrios The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art welcomes Eames Demetrios as its Distinguished Guest Lecturer. Best known in the design world for his work as director of the Eames Office, his role is instrumental in extending the work of mid-20th century designers Charles and Ray Eames to new generations of enthusiasts. Demetrios is also an accomplished artist, writer and filmmaker and has spoken throughout the U.S. and internationally. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Auditorium. $8-$10. April 21, 7-10 p.m. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St. bechtler.org/Learn/Events/details/ guest-lecture-eames-demetrios.

Earth & Arbor Day Head to Stallings and Indian Trail for this event featuring vendors, arts and crafts, and plenty of interactive activities that celebrate Earth. April 23, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Stallings Municipal Park, 340 Stallings Road.

Joan Marcus

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs through April 24 at Belk Theater. leaders. 71 nominees representing a diverse cross section of Charlotte area businesses, nonprofits, neighborhood organizations, government agencies, and residents will be recognized, including three individuals who will also be recognized as outstanding leaders.

Tickets include a variety of local food and one complimentary glass of local wine or beer. $55.

April 21, 5:30-8:30 p.m. LaCa Projects, 1429 Bryant St. sustaincharlotte.org/awards2016.

3rd Annual UNCC Gold Reel Student Film Festival The Gold Reel Student Film Festival is a celebration of student filmmaking and the art of cinema presented by the Film Club at UNC Charlotte. Planned and run entirely by students, Gold Reel prides itself in being a platform for students from all over the world to showcase their abilities, both as organizers of the event and as the next generation of up-and-coming artists exhibiting their work. Free. April 23, 5-8:30 p.m. UNC-Charlotte’s Storrs Hall (Room 110), 9201 University City Blvd unccgoldreel. wordpress.com.

Adult Storytelling, Book Signing & Painting Class Faye Fulton is back for an evening of

entertainment. She will be telling stories themed “You never know what you’ll get!” and with signing copies of her new book, Sicilian Stories: Living Just Off the Toe of Italy’s Boot. A painting session will follow. $35. April 22, 7-9:30 p.m.

Cajun Canvas, 11116 South Tryon St., Suite B. cajuncanvas.com/events/adult-storytelling-booksigning-and-painting/.

have a reception. Free. April 22, 6 p.m. Earl’s Grocery, 1609 Elizabeth Ave. charlottemuseum. org.

Body Worlds & The Cycle of Life The latest exhibition from physician and anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens showcases the body throughout the human life cycle and across the arc of aging. Featuring more than 100 plastinates that reveal the human body in all its stage and conditions, from health to distress to disease.

Through May 1. Discovery Place, 301 N. Tryon St. 704-372-6261. discoveryplace.org.

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Presents: Slavery by Another Name Learn and explore the PBS documentary Slavery by Another Name with Professor Amad Shakur. There will be a town hall discussion following the screening of the documentary.The documentary recounts how in the years following the Civil War, insidious new forms of forced labor emerged in the American South, keeping hundreds of thousands of African Americans in bondage, trapping them in a brutal system that would persist until the onset of World War II. Free. April 23, 1-3 p.m. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (Beatties Ford Road Regional branch), 2412 Beatties Ford Road.

Charlotte Neighborhood Walking TourElizabeth A walking tour through the historic Elizabeth neighborhood. Elizabeth is Charlotte’s second streetcar suburb and the location of the city’s first public park. This neighborhood was home to residents who made a lasting impression on the city. The walk begins and ends the at Earl’s Grocery. Following the tour, we will

Charlotte Garden Club: Art in the Garden Tour Enjoy the splendor of a southern spring during the Charlotte Garden Club’s Art in the Garden tour of eight area gardens. Artists will paint “en plein air,” capturing on canvas the serene beauty of the gardens. Following two days of relaxed garden strolling, the tour concludes with a celebratory party and plein air art show on

EPIC Energy Seminar: Reinventing The Power Industry CLT Joules, a Charlotte-based incubator, and UNC Charlotte Energy Production Infrastructure Center (EPIC) are pleased to present this event, where special guests Rob Caldwell, Duke Energy; Kim Greene, Southern Company; and Larry Makovich, IHS CERA, will share their thoughts and perspectives. Free. April 21, 1-4 p.m. Cone University Center-McKnight Hall, 9201 University City Blvd.

FreeMoreWest 5K on the Greenway The fourth annual “FreeMoreWest 5K on the Greenway,” begins with a 6 p.m. run, and there will also be food trucks and beer. The event raises funds for the neighborhood’s own Classroom Central, an organization that provides school supplies to teachers serving underprivileged students. To register, visit freemorewest5k.racesonline.com. $35. April 22, 6-8 p.m. FreeMoreWest Partners, 1500 W. Morehead St. GayCharlotte Film Festival The 2016 GayCharlotte Film Festival will feature fulllength dramas and comedies, documentaries and short films. Weekend VIP Passes are on sale for a limited time at charlottelgbtfilm.com. April 21-24. $10 per film, or $50 for VIP pass. Theatre Charlotte, 501 Queens Road.

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Arts

Happenings

King Ent 6th Year Anniversary For more information, visit kingentevents.com. April 22, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. The Oak Room, 200 E. Bland St. Let It Be: Songs by the Beatles A musical evening in tribute to The Beatles. Featuring old favorites like “Revolution,” “Got to Get You Into My Life,” “Yesterday,” “Yellow Submarine,” and more. The show will come to life with dancers and multi-media lighting effects.$5-$12. April 22, 7:30 p.m.; April 23, 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Community in Christ Lutheran Church, 7621 Norman Island Drive, Cornelius. nmccsings.org.

Let’s Talk About It: The Sixties: A Film History of America’s Decade of Crisis and Change A film and discussion series of nation video resources. The decade of the 1960s was the most turbulent, perhaps the most memorable, and no doubt the most controversial in the century. Showcasing part two of a six part series. “Freedom on My Mind” is led by guest speaker Professor Bruce Dick from Appalachian State. Free. April 23, 2-4 p.m. Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (Sugar Creek Branch), 4045 N. Tryon St. cmlibrary.org New Frequencies: Trio Red Space Trio Red Space is a new endeavor by three musicians -Tim Daisy on drums, Mars Williams on saxophone and Jeb Bishop on trombone - on the Chicago jazz scene. $10-$12.April 22, 8-10 p.m. McColl Center for Art + Innovation, 721 N. Tryon St. 704-332-5535. mccollcenter.org.

Pulitzer NC: The Future of the News Who will report the news, how will readers get it and what will that mean for a rapidly diversifying America? Tim Grieve, head of news strategies for Washington-based McClatchy, Rick Thames, editor/VP news for The Charlotte Observer, Joe O’Connor, WFAE president, and Julie Szulczewski, news director at CMG Charlotte (WSOC-TV/WAXN-TV/WSOC-TV), will participate in a discussion moderated by Ed Williams, former editor of The Charlotte Observer about how they see the news will evolve over the next 10 years and the challenges and opportunities ahead. Free. April 25, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. UNC-Charlotte’s Barnhardt Student Activity Center, 9201 University City Blvd.

Spring Migration Trip This day long trip explores the importance of bird migration.

Attendees receive a formal class taught by CRC, a keepsake notebook, a folding field guide, transportation to Pilot Mountain, and lunch.

Leave from Carolina Raptor Center at 7 a.m.

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Return by 7 p.m. For more information, contact Jes Hudgins at 704-875-6521, ext. 209. Limited to 20 participants. $70. April 24, 7 a.m. Carolina Raptor Center, 6000 Sample Road. 704-8756521. carolinaraptorcenter.org.

Tuck Fest: Outdoor Competitions and Live Music Featuring land and water competitions and demos, including yoga. Live music from an assortment of bands, including Langhorne Slim and St. Paul and the Broken Bones. For detailed information, visit tuckfest.org. April 22-24. U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway. 704-391-3900. usnwc.org.

Workshop with Tom Thoune This workshop, led by 2001/2005 McColl alumnus artist-inresidence Tom Thoune, gives participants the opportunity to explore hands-on forming and building using clay. Learn how to use pinch, coil, and slab methods to build a human figure with clay. Workshop is $30 and all materials are included. Thurs., April 21, 6-8 p.m. McColl Center for Art + Innovation, 721 N. Tryon St., Charlotte.

704-332-5535. mccollcenter.org.

‘Youth Speak Out’ LATIBAH Collard Green Museum presents ‘Youth Speak Out’, a youth led community discussion focusing on Black America’s political state and the changes needed today. History will come to life as guest speaker, Joseph A. DeLaine Jr. shares his and his father’s experience in the struggle and fight for change in the Civil Rights Era. Guest poet, Bluz will share inspiring poetic words of Black political thought. The program will conclude with a keynote youth panel comprised of JCSU and UNCC History Clubs members ‘Speak Out’ about Black $3-$10. April 21, 6:30 p.m.

Crossroads Charter High School, 5500 N. Tryon St. latibahmuseum.org/programs.

UNC Charlotte Speaker Series: Latinos and Healthcare ¡NUEVOlution! education sponsor UNC Charlotte hosts a panel discussion on healthcare issues and progress in the Latino community. Free. April 26, 5:30 p.m.-7 p.m.

Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. Seventh St. ZMAX Four Wide Nationals Witness the 40,000 horsepower assault on the Bellagio of drag strips. NHRA’s categories for the race include “top fuel,” “funny car,” “pro stock” and “pro stock motorcycle.” April 22-24, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Charlotte Motor Speedway, 5555 Concord Parkway South, Concord. charlottemotorspeedway.com.

Now hiring interns.

The brighter, the better.

Email backtalk@clclt.com

2016

Congrats Bang Bang! +

=

And Thank You Competitors!

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 33

etc.

spot shots

Photos from last Saturday’s Craft Beer & Burger Festival at AvidXchange Music Factory.

Spot Shots shares photos of a recent event or happening around town — in case you were there or missed it. If you know of something going on around town that offers some cool views and visuals, let us know at backtalk@clclt.com.

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2016 powered by

and

say thank you who

to everyone

HELPED MAKE THIS YEAR’S moo and brew festival

A HUGE SUCCESS!!!

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 35

Music

Feature

Meet Mobley Fresh Lies and racism in America

By Anita Overcash

A

nthony Watkins II

aka Mobley doesn’t seem proud to be an American. Part of that is because the Austin-based musician has encountered racism. He’s a black man from the South, who has lived in parts of Europe, where he feels his skin color didn’t define him as much as his nationality did to onlookers – unlike in America, where he feels color comes first.

“I guess I would say that the particular form of racism that is found in America is different from the kind that I’ve encountered in other parts of the world,” says Watkins.

“In much of my traveling throughout the world, I’ve often found that I’m greeted and understood as an American first. I found that to be true in parts of Southern Africa and in the parts of Europe that I’ve been to.”

There’s no denying that these impressions have shaped the singer personally, and left a mark on the songs featured on his debut album, Fresh Lies.

Born in North Carolina, Watkins moved around repeatedly as a child. His father was a Marine stationed in England and Spain while Anthony was in primary school. Later on, after the family moved back to the states, Watkins returned to the Tar Heel state for school — he went to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University in Durham — before moving to Austin, Texas, where he honed his musical craft and what would become a solo project.

After releasing 2012’s Some Other Country EP, Watkins began searching for a drummer to tour with him. He found his cohort Alfredo Rios, a drummer who moved to the states in 2013 from Mexico, on Craigslist.

Rios will join Mobley on the current tour, which stops in at The Milestone in Charlotte on April 24 and continues on with stops to Austin’s renowned South by Soutwest and parts of Mexico.

But aside from a touring-only drummer, you won’t find Mobley working with others.

That’s because he’s currently flying solo.

For Fresh Lies, co-produced by Bryan Ray, he plays all the instruments on the entirety of the album. The track “Solo,” ambiguously touches on his do-it-yourself approach. But more so, in the video, fame and popularity 36 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Mobley performs at Milestone on April 24. trends are addressed. Watkins walks alone while being approached by fans, media and police who accompany him as he experiences the effects of being a celebrity. In the end, Watkins runs away from everyone. The song clearly explores the way that different needs and wants change people in the spotlight, who often feel like they’re being pulled in different directions.

Over the course of that song, which Watkins highly recommends listening to with headphones on, he uses keyboards, synthesizers, drum machines and other instruments and devices to create a mix that blends genres like R&B, rock and electronica.

Songs like “Tell Me,” feel even more intimate with lyrics that capture the emotions behind a relationship that’s on a

downward spiral. Lyrics leave him pleading to his partner, in a quest to find out what exactly it is she wants and what he’s got to do — or change — in order to save the relationship.

Thematically, his songs lean towards love and romantic relationships, but Watkins says love/romance is just a metaphor for shaping his songs, which actually play off

Mobley $8-$10. April 24, 9 p.m. The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road.

704-398-0472. themilestoneclub. com.

his own questioning of and experiences with racism and blackness in America.

“When I started writing, I thought that these songs were love/relationship songs, but they didn’t really resemble any relationship I’d ever had with a woman,” says Watkins, who had an epiphany about the songs’ real meanings when the Staten Island grand jury refused to indict the NYPD officer caught on video in the heated case surrounding Eric Garner’s death.

“It came out and a lot of things visualized for me at that time. I realized that what I’d been writing about was more of my relationship with America,” says Watkins.

Like Garner, the untimely deaths of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown subtly

influenced tracks on the album.

The track “Victoria,” focuses on the violence of arresting someone at a traffic stop, while “Ercolano, Michigan,” nods to the Southern Italy town, built on the volcanic material left by the eruption of Vesuvius that devastated Pompeii, and to Flint, Michigan and its ongoing water crisis.

“It points to the ways in which so called natural disasters and so called manmade disasters are really not all that different,” says Watkins.

“Swoon,” another song on the album, blends hip-hop/R&B vibes with a high dosage of dub step and electronica melodies.

Watkins admits that the lyrical content came unconsciously.

“I had no idea what it was about when I was writing it. I wrote it in a kind of stream of consciousness where I was just pulling words and free-associating. When I went back and listened to it once I was done, I realized the kind of themes that were inspiring me at the time,” says Watkins. “There’s so much there to point to that metaphorical relationship that I was talking about between romance and America.” aovercash@clclt.com

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Music

STINK!

Soundboard

WED 4/20

A documentary about the darkest secrets of the chemical industry.

FRI 4/22

"unquestionably expert at what they do" -Indyweek

SAT 4/23

APRil 21 Classical/Jazz/Smooth

SUN 4/24

Lunch Hour Jazz (Levine Center for the Arts) Nawlins Jazz Thursdays (BluNotes) Charlotte Jazz Festival First Night (Mint Museum Uptown)

MON 4/25

Country/Folk

THU 4/28

ut sold o

MON 5/16

Beavergrass Bluegrass Jam f. Jim Garrett (Thirsty Beaver) Bobby Jo Valentine, Humble Tripe (Evening Muse) Lilley & Brooks (Comet Grill)

Hip-Hop/Soul/R&B R&B Live (Studio Movie Grille)

Pop/Rock

It’s OK to stalk us.

We don’t mind.

Website: www.clclt.com

The Feral, Pleasures of the Ultraviolent, Porcelain, Farewell Albatross, The Cocker Spaniels (Milestone) Lisa DeNovo Band (RiRa Irish Pub) The Nick Moss Band (Double Door Inn) *Shiprocked (Snug Harbor) Powder Room, Wailin Storms, PowertakeOFF (The Station) *Tori Kelly, Thirdstory (The Fillmore)

APRil 22 Classical/Jazz/Smooth

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Twitter: @cl_charlotte

Instagram: @creativeloafingcharlotte YouTube: /qccreativeloafing

Charlotte Jazz Festival (Levine Center for the Arts) Friday Happy Hour (Levine Center for the Arts) Friday Night Jazz Bakery (Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture) *Jazz in the Key of Life: Music from the 60’s and 70’s (Knight Theater) Jazzy Fridays (Freshwaters Restaurant) Late Night Jams (Soco Bar at The Westin) *Trio Red Space w/ Ghost Trees (McColl Center for Art + Innovation) Straight-Ahead Jazz Fridays (BluNotes)

Blues/Roots/International *Alabama Shakes (Uptown Amphitheatre) Bakalao Stars, Queen City Dub (Snug Harbor)

Country/Folk The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) Toby Lightman, Shannon LaBrie (Evening Muse)

Pop/Rock *Abbey Road Live (Visulite Theatre) *The Aqualads, Jem Crossland, The 40 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Hypertonics (Evening Muse) Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) Musket King, Howling Giant, Automatic Fantastic (Milestone) *St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Los Colognes (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Soften the Glare, John Shaughnessy Trio (Double Door Inn) Megan Jean & The KFB, Its Snakes!, Magpie Thief (The Station) Third Day Together, Steven Curtis Chapman (Bojangles’ Coliseum) *Underoath (Amos’ Southend) Wicked Powers (RiRa Irish Pub)

APRil 23 Classical/Jazz/Smooth Charlotte Jazz Festival (Levine Center for the Arts) *Creole Jazz Brunch (Wells Fargo Atrium) Free Fun on the Plaza (Levine Center for the Arts) Junior Jazz Club (Stage Door Theater) *Loonis McGlohon Young Jazz Artist Competition (Stage Door Theater) Rhythm Future Quartet (Evening Muse) Saturday Evening Hot Plate (Bechtler Museum of Modern Art) Saturday Night Jazz Bakery (Bechtler Museum of Modern Art)

Hip-Hop/Soul/R&B Blues, Funk & Motown Saturdays (BluNotes) Lyricist’s Lounge (Upscale Lounge & Restaurant)

Pop/Rock Atlas Genius, Skylar Grey, The Young Wild (Visulite Theatre) Balkun Brothers (Double Door Inn) Departure: The Southeast’s #1 Journey Tribute (Amos’ Southend) *Langhorne Slim & the Law, Ryan Montbleau, Phil Cook, Major & the Monbacks, Jamie Mclean Band (U.S. National Whitewater Center) *Pujol, The Mineral Girls, Ivadell (Snug Harbor) Hellcannon, Sadistic Ritual, Nemesis (Milestone) *Santigold (The Fillmore)

APRil 24 Country/Folk Parker Gispert, Amythyst Kiah (Evening Muse)

Pop/Rock Butch Trucks and the Freight Train Band, The Ries Brothers (Visulite Theatre) *Dawes, The Oh Hellos, Family & Friends (U.S. National Whitewater Center) *Mobley, Old Sport (Milestone) Omari & the Hellraisers (Comet Grill) Bankertown Hoedown w/ Dead Cat, Mama’s Broke, Matt Heckler (The Station) Patois Counselors, Human Pipi Armstrong, Josh Cotterino, Wandcarver, Vacuum Fucker (The Station) Sense of Purpose f. Paul Agee, Chris Allen, Joe Lindsay, Jody Gholson (Tyber Creek Pub) Spring Jam 2016 (Amos’ Southend)

APRil 25 Country/Folk Open Mic w/ Al & Jeff (Puckett’s Farm Equipment)

Hip-Hop/Soul/R&B Knocturnal (Snug Harbor) #MFGD Open Mic (Apostrophe Lounge)

Pop/Rock *Lukas Graham (Visulite Theatre) The Monday Night All Stars (Double Door Inn) Wicked Powers (Comet Grill)

APRil 26 Blues/Roots/International Raw Talent Tuesdays (BluNotes)

Classical/Jazz/Smooth Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn)

Country/Folk Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Tuesday Night Jam w/ The Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s Cafe)

Pop/Rock Animals, The Bleeps, Evergone (Snug Harbor) Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn) Digisaurus, Knowne Ghost, David Z. Cox, Allamuto (Milestone) Fairplay & Special Guests (Lucky Lou’s Tavern)

APRIL 27 Blues/Roots/International Blues & Funk Wednesdays (BluNotes)

Country/Folk *Father John Misty (The Fillmore) Hayseed Dixie (Double Door Inn) Open Mic (Comet Grill) Radio Birds, The National Parks, The Brevets (Visulite Theatre)

Hip-Hop/Soul/R&B Big Lo, Sulfur, Keyza Soulsay, Johnny Prophet, LyrEkal (Milestone)

Pop/Rock *Triptych Collective (Snug Harbor) Pluto for Planet (RiRa Irish Pub) An Atomic Whirl , Yarbs, TV/CV, Mall Goth (The Station) *Smashing Pumpkins (Bojangles’ Coliseum)

COMING Soon

Citizen Cope (April 28; Neighborhood Theatre) Peelander-Z (May 3; Snug Harbor) Silversun Pickups, Foals (May 12; The Fillmore) Reverb Fest (May 14; Snug Harbor) Carolina Rebellion (May 6-8; Charlotte Motor Speedway) Chris Stapleton (May 19; CMCU Amphitheatre) The Neighbourhood (May 23; The Fillmore) Brandi Carlile (May 27; The Fillmore) Lincoln Durham (May 28; Evening Muse) Ellie Goulding (June 9; CMCU Amphitheatre) Weezer, Panic at the Disco (June 10; PNC Music Pavilion) Kurt Vile (June 11; Amos’ Southend) Miranda Lambert (June 11; PNC Music Pavilion) Lucius (June 13; Visulite Theatre) Death Cab for Cutie, Chvrches (June 16; CMCU Amphitheatre) Lake Street Dive (June 17; The Fillmore) Chris Cornell (June 20; Belk Theater) Weezer, Panic at the Disco (June 20; PNC Music Pavilion) The Cure (June 23; PNC Music Pavilion) Vans Warped Tour (July 5; PNC Music Pavilion) Peter Frampton, Gregg Allman (July 26; CMCU Amphitheatre) Slipknot, Marilyn Manson, Of Mice & Men (Aug. 2; PNC Music Pavilion) Brian Wilson (Sept. 19; Belk Theater) * - CL Recommends

Need directions? Check out our website at clclt.

com. CL online provides addresses, maps and directions from your location. Send us your concert listings: E-mail us at aovercash@clclt. com or fax it to 704-522-8088. We need the date, venue, band name and contact name and number. The deadline is each Wednesday, one week before publication.

View from the couch For reviews on the latest in home entertainment, visit

clclt.com/charlotte/view-from-the-couch/

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 41

Ends

Marketplace

Ends

JOBS | POSTINGS | LISTINGS | RENTALS

Hairdressers, Studio/Booth for rent.

1808 East 7th. Street.

First Edition, celebrating 40 years in the same great location.

Ginger 704-678-2007 Michael 704-819-2487

Recycle me, please (Only after you’re done reading me)

Thank God for Snapchat From flag football at Bank of America to bare feet at the Duke Mansion

PHOTOGRAPHY Family Engagement Real Estate Events and more

www.JeffHahnePhotography.com

704-737-2145

The Perfect Combo.

42 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

Nightlife

up walking into the ceremony after the bride On Sunday morning, I laid in bed had walked down the aisle — fitting for a trying to decide if I was hungover or not. I “#awkward.” As it turns out, we made yet started to review the amount of free drinks another tardy wedding arrival. As we walked I had consumed and tried to remember in, we watched the bride enter the church. the last few moments of my night. Finally, Nevertheless, we managed to sneak in I recalled staring at my snoring boyfriend for the remainder of the ceremony and even and eating leftover meatloaf and mashed catch the sights of the bride and groom as potatoes in bed while Avatar played in the they exited the church. My boyfriend fist background. I wasn’t sure what time I’d actually fallen asleep after that, but I knew it pumped the groom as he passed. The groom had to be around 12:30 a.m., an early night leaned in smiling and whispered, “Better late for us. than never.” (Note to self: next time leave 20 I started piecing the night together as minutes earlier than planned.)

I reached for my constantly dying phone After the ceremony, we were shuttled to review my Snapchat story. The best part to the Duke Mansion for the reception — about this social media app? Each picture or I managed to snag a “we”-fie (instead of video is only available for 24 hours. selfie) of the boyfriend and I before It’s perfect for people like me who things got hazy. An absolutely want to easily document their breathtaking bed and breakfast days, track who’s viewing featuring 20 guest rooms, my story and live without the secluded location and the terrifying feeling that green landscape can make I’ve uploaded something it easy to forget you’re during a drunken stupor even in Charlotte. That’s that I can’t take back — why I wasn’t surprised kind of. Did I mention when I came across a snap the filters are on point?! of the backyard as the sun The first snaps were all set and guests enjoying dedicated to early Saturday cocktail hour. Did I mention, Aerin Spruill morning adventures at there was an open bar? the 13th annual Miller Lite A couple grapefruit vodkas Weekend Warrior Flag Football later, we gathered in the main dining Tournament at Bank of America Stadium. area as the bride and groom shared their first I didn’t go on my own volition (in case you’re dance. And by this time, it seemed everyone wondering), I was invited to support the was feeling the stimulating effects of alcohol boyfriend who’s been participating for years. consumption. The boyfriend and I laughed I’ve really never been the type that as we realized how quickly this wedding was wanted to engage in extracurricular physical going to shift in energy from quiet to rowdy, activities. And now that I work full time, you and we weren’t complaining. definitely won’t catch me playing outdoors.

As I continued to review my Snapchat Needless to say, when he woke me up around story and the night’s excitement started 7 a.m. preparing for the tournament after a flooding back, I relived the point at which late night, I was unamused.

I had gone from classy to trashy in a series After a couple pictures and videos of of snaps, all of which featured feet. The first the early morning game prep, I came across was of my feet in a pair of gold pumps and a a picture of me sitting in the grass with caption with dogs and crying faces that read, my legs crossed, a Miller Lite pint can in “my dogs were aching.” The second was of front of me and the caption, “It’s 5 o’clock an older lady’s one-inch heels and it read, somewhere.” That was around 11:30 a.m.

“I’m actually jealous of her kitten heels.” The After his final game, there was a snap of third, was a picture of my bare feet on the grilled hanger steak benedict and bottomless black and white marble floor of the Duke mimosas at Napa on Providence. By this Mansion, inscribed with “#basic.” time, we were only three hours away from The reception concluded after what a wedding ceremony we were planning to seemed like hours of dancing barefoot attend. That meant, nap time. surrounded by other bare feet, young and Before we knew it, we were rushing to old. Honestly, I’ve never been a huge fan of get ready and head to the church. On the weddings, but if every one of them, including way there, I shared memories from my first my own, ends with barefoot dancing in a adult wedding experience last year. Long beautiful venue, I won’t complain. story short, I was running late and I ended

Ends

Crossword

BIG MIX-UPS ACROSS

1 Place a call incorrectly 8 “Alley -!”

11 - toe in the water 15 Spat 19 1979 Michael Caine film 20 Sergeant’s inferior 22 Arab leader 23 Had a different opinion 25 Court plea, for short 26 “- the Greek” (1964 film) 27 Average mark 28 French department 29 Ax parts 30 Mel of the old Giants 31 1954 hit song with a biblical title 35 Cyberspace letters 37 Sigh of satisfaction 38 Lott of football 39 Valued highly 42 “The Thing” star Russell 43 Lose vigor 45 Ship out 46 Career-completion celebrations 51 Canadian station name 52 Spanish arena cry 53 A - (slightly) 54 Haughtiness 58 “So it’s you!”

59 Bank offering for creditworthy customers 66 Focuses in college 68 Kochi sash 69 Quarterback Troy 70 Like some high-quality models 77 “I’m cold!”

78 Bidding site 79 180 degrees from SSE 80 - Lingus 81 Film director Kazan 82 Formation of new areas of oceanic crust 89 Mane locale 93 In the past 94 Minimal tide type 95 Sudden pain 96 Oblong pastry 98 Bards’ dusks 99 Weight revealer 101 Trainers looking for pins 105 Clumsy ship

108 Ticket details 109 Regular pay 110 Stable scrap 111 “Along - spider ...”

113 With 11-Down, settled for 114 Takes a defensive position 118 New - (Enya type) 119 Kiss 120 Divert 121 Actors Beatty and Sparks 122 Bodega, e.g.

123 Profs’ helpers 124 Any of four long pairs featured in this puzzle

DOWN

1 Seder bread 2 “- the Sheriff” 3 Terse 4 Paint crudely 5 Sitcom actress Swenson 6 NCAA part: Abbr.

7 Nutlike Chinese fruit 8 Band of eight 9 Sound of awe 10 Med lead-in 11 See 113-Across 12 Dubliners, e.g.

13 1990s Toyota 14 Bar brew 15 Bone attachments 16 Coca of comedy 17 Enters one following another 18 Iced 21 Like some even distributions 24 Eye, to Yves 29 Inflated self 31 Walk in shallow water 32 - monde (high society) 33 Old West’s Wyatt 34 Hankering 35 Italian opera singer Pinza 36 Debussy’s “La -” 39 Piece of audiophile equipment, briefly 40 Divvy up again 41 “This pays the rent, at least” 42 Leg part

43 Sirius, say 44 Adjutant 47 “Li’l ol’ me?!”

48 Shade tree 49 Artery: Abbr.

50 Composer Erik 55 Nettle 56 “- Rose” (Nat King Cole hit) 57 Eyeballing 59 Victimizes, with “on” 60 Blog feed inits.

61 Electrojet bit 62 Heat’s org.

63 Up to, informally 64 Downcast 65 Anger greatly 67 One - kind 71 Hose hitch 72 Lowdown 73 Barn hooter 74 Shocked reaction 75 Sales staffer 76 Opp. of departure 81 Falco of “Oz” 83 English peer 84 Amoeba composition 85 Wine: Prefix 86 Tabula 87 Greek vowels 88 Pointed tool 89 Ted Koppel, for one 90 Area of a plot of land 91 Petitioned 92 Events after Lents 97 Cheez- - (crackers) 98 Breakfast china item 99 Old Iranian VIP 100 Et - (and so forth) 102 “In my dreams!”

103 Stupor: Prefix 104 Fowl sheds 105 “My Cherie -” 106 Oscar de la 107 Casey of countdowns 111 Irene of “Fame” 112 Awestruck 114 Trig function 115 Have chow 116 RR depot 117 - Ho Lee (scientist in 2000 headlines)

Solution found on p. 46.

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 43

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So do you have to tell your husband? You I’ve been aware of my emetophilia could tell your husband — and lots of people since a very young age and have always will insist you must tell your husband — but kept it private. No need to tell me about I’m wondering if your husband would rather the health risks, I’m aware, and I’ve only not be told. ever indulged this kink through videos You shared your kink with your husband online. The actual substance doesn’t once, and he never brought it up again. turn me on — I have no desire to be We can reasonably assume that your puked on. For me, the fantasy involves husband isn’t interested in discussing, being with someone as they begin to feel much less indulging, this very particular sick, and then taking care of them as sexual interest of yours. Another reasonable they puke. It has something to do with assumption: Your kink may not be something the buildup and release. Who knows? your husband wants to think about. The I’m married, and I told my husband awareness of your kink, to use Emily “Dear about my kink exactly once, a few years Prudence Emeritus” Yoffe’s phrase, could ago. He wasn’t judgmental, but he be a libido killer for him. If your husband never brought it up again. We have a worked at stuffing your disclosure down the great sex life otherwise, and I’ve always memory hole, because it interferes with his assumed I’d have satisfying, normal sex ability to connect with you sexually, asking with my husband and masturbate to permission to spend an evening with your this kink in private. But recently, on VB could be an unwelcome reminder. a whim, I posted a message on a So you could make — as I’ve kink site. A few weeks later, just made — an argument a guy reached out to say for sparing your husband the description exactly the reminder, and sparing mirrored his own kink. yourself the discomfort, by We’ve been texting for not telling and/or asking a few weeks. He makes him, and then discreetly me feel like less of a meeting up with your freak, it’s been super VB just this once. (The hot, and we’ve talked counterargument is also about meeting up and made: He never brought it role-playing for each Dan Savage up again because he picked other. It makes me go up on your shame, he didn’t crazy just to think about want to distress you, etc.) But if this. In light of the health risks you decide to meet your VB, ALEMHM, — and the fact that I’m married weigh the risks (getting caught) against the — this would be a one-time thing. Do I rewards, meet up with your VB in public have to tell my husband? I don’t want to first, and let someone know where you are have sex with this person; I just want to and who you’re with on the big night. live out my fantasy for one night, which doesn’t necessarily involve getting I find myself in the most boring of naked. But obviously we will both get straight white girl pickles: My boyfriend off, so there’s a definite sexual element. is dragging his feet on proposing. I’m My husband and I have had threesomes, 29, and he’s 31. We’ve been dating for so he’s not a “strictly monogamous” guy, three years. Things are great. We talk but it is new for me to strike out on my about our future a lot — buying a house, own. But more than that, I’m mortified vacations, blah blah. Lack of proposal at the thought of him knowing about aside, we’re solid. But I would hate to the kind of night I’m having, asking me waste another year in this city for this about it later, etc. I would just rather guy when I could have been working him not know. But is that cheating? toward tenure somewhere else. (I’m in A Lady Emetophile Meets Her Match academia.) I’ve tried bringing this up to him several times with no results.

The answer to your last question — is Really Into Not Going Solo that cheating? — is obvious. If that wasn’t cheating, ALEMHM, or if you thought your Propose to him, RINGS. Don’t informally husband wouldn’t regard it as cheating, you propose a formal proposal — don’t ask him would be asking him for permission to meet to ask you to marry him — but go get a ring up with your vomit buddy. So let’s just run (for him) and ask him to marry you (for with the assumption that getting together fuck’s sake). You have the power to pop the with your VB would constitute infidelity, question and call it at the same time. Good if the low-grade, nonpenetrative, not-forluck, I hope he says yes. everyone kind.

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 45

LILLY SPA

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For All Signs: This week we have a

parallel declination of Jupiter and Uranus.

This symbol is like a bright star in the sky for us all which has been building over the past 2-3 months. It will continue on for the spring. The meaning is that of sudden breakthroughs, sudden opportunities, and relatively sudden shifts of perspective. It can be like a last minute piece of good fortune that pulls us out of a pothole or a sense of hope that wells up from within our souls.

Before you decide this is bull hockey, really take a look at the main features of your life.

Somewhere there is a new flame of hope or opportunity that wants your attention. If you focus on it, you will find that it can grow until whatever shadows, fears, or dark places seem less foreboding. Even though there are challenging crevices in the environment, we still have one shining light.

Aries: You are now in a good position to

find work or life goal opportunities offered by the Jupiter/Uranus conjunction (see lead paragraph). You are able to gracefully manage almost any challenge, whether that is management, athletic, or persuasion of others. You are probably beginning a winning streak.

Taurus: Your energy is high and your

mind is busy at this time. You want to enjoy things of beauty and romance now. It could be hard to concentrate upon mental work that requires attention to detail. If you must do so, then check everything twice. This is a week for the arts, for love, and for fun.

Gemini: You have likely been dealing with a

decision concerning joint property or family issues. You have spent a few weeks in this process. Although you want to come to a final solution, that may elude you right now.

Be patient and know that the right answer will come soon. Set it aside to percolate before you take action.

Libra: You are in an especially cordial frame of mind at this time, and likely to invite people to your home or to share whatever you have to offer. Your spirits are high and you have a need to be social. You are interested in whatever feels luxurious, looks beautiful, or tickles the senses. Going overboard is way too easy to do right now, so be extra careful with the credit card during this time period.

Scorpio: You are coming closer to a

decision on a situation that has been on hold for a few weeks. Somehow the right solution will evolve if you concentrate upon the reality of who you truly are. It is easier to ignore the issue entirely, but you cannot hold off more than about one more month. Start thinking about the future and what decision will allow for the best outcome in the grand scheme of things.

Sagittarius: Your ruling planet is

Jupiter. As it conjuncts Uranus you may in fact be making some kind of breakthrough that will give you renewed freedom to express yourself in your life. You no longer have to drag old bags of guilt behind you. Go for the gold ring, even though some others would prefer you not to move.

Capricorn: Beware of the tendency to

obsess and worry over matters that may never happen. You are tempted to see the world through a dark lens this week and you may think that is the true version. It’s more likely that the pessimistic view is extreme.

Set it on the back burner for review at a later time.

Aquarius: Drudgery is boring. You are

seems all is peaceful. Yet below there is an undercurrent of anxiety. You are waiting to see the outcome of an issue with loved ones over which you have no control. Actually if you let go of your fears, the problem will resolve itself very soon.

ready for something new and different to happen. Give yourself the opportunity to go out and play — try something new and different. You will be more than normally attracted to things of beauty. The “new car” bug may bite. It is better to gather data, than wait through the upcoming Mercury retrograde (April 28-May 22).

Leo: During this period you’ll likely be

Pisces: You and a significant other may

challenged to do the work it requires to be your best self. Creative efforts may be at a point that it demands much effort to move through to the next level. This is likely a time in which fun and play are traded for purpose and production. It is one more rung in your ladder of growing wisdom.

need to have a clear discussion about your expectations of one another. You are tempted to shovel uncomfortable issues under the rug right now, but that will serve only to cause you to feel isolated and disconnected from partner. You need instead to work through the differences in your values.

Virgo: You are being offered an entirely

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

Cancer: On the surface of your waters it

new, hopeful perspective on your life. This is one that is freer than you have known in a very long time. Don’t allow the old fears of

46 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com

abandonment or the sense of guilt to hold you back. People are telling you how much they value your presence. Believe it, even if you are used to doubting their honesty.

clclt.com | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | 47

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48 | apr. 21 - apr. 27, 2016 | clclt.com