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NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING JULY 25 & 26 NOTICE OF PRE-CONSTRUCTION PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES IN JULY FOR PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO I-485 BETWEEN I-77 and U.S. 74 (Independence Boulevard) The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold two public open houses at the following times and locations: Wednesday, July 25 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. CPCC Levine Campus – Building II 2800 Campus Ridge Road Matthews, NC 28105
Thursday, July 26 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pineville United Methodist Church 110 S. Polk Street Pineville, NC 28134
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The proposed project would add one express lane in each direction on I-485 between I-77 and U.S. 74 (Independence Boulevard), providing travel time reliability and improving traffic flows on this critical transportation corridor. This project would also add one general purpose lane in each direction between Rea Road and Providence Road. In coordination with other projects in south/southeastern Mecklenburg County, this project would serve as part of a larger network of express lanes offering drivers the option of more reliable travel times. NCDOT representatives will be available in an informal, open house-style setting to answer questions and gather public input regarding the proposed project. The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will be provided and is encouraged. Citizens may attend either open house at any time between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.. There will be no formal presentation.
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Project maps and other information can be found online at www.publicinput.com/I-485-Charlotte. A brief survey is also available on this website. For more information, contact Carly Olexik, of NCDOT’s Communications Office at caolexik@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-2671. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who want to participate in this public open house. Anyone requiring special services should contact Diane Wilson at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.
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NEWS&CULTURE THE JOINING ROADS TO JUSTICE Activist groups use
different styles toward one cause in the fight over immigration
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NEWS
EDITOR’S NOTE
JOIN THE FIGHT There’s no lack of ways to help in the local struggle for immigration justice AT 4:15 P.M. on Monday, July 10, the third party, and they either get overwhelmed or mood was surprisingly upbeat in front of they don’t do the stuff we want them to and we the Department of Homeland Security get stuck in this irritating system.” If you’re a concerned citizen with no offices, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, is headquartered on background in activism, what can you do to help those who are most vulnerable in Tyvola Centre Drive in southwest Charlotte. Strewn about on the sidewalk where Trump’s America? Organizers at the End the Occupy ICE protesters had been camping out War on Immigrants vigil walked through the for eight days were boxes of bottled water, crowd handing out leaflets that listed groups empty and full; a guitar; an empty box of doing solid work in Charlotte and nationally, sidewalk chalk; three small American flags, all in hopes that those in attendance would take burned to varying degrees; a box of Nauzene; things a step further once they returned bug spray; a huge bottle of hand sanitizer; home — by reaching out to and offering their two bananas; and all sorts of snacks and time and/or money to one of the following nonprofits: signs collected over a week-long occupation. The Charlotte Center for Legal Despite the obvious exhaustion of the protesters at the site, the mood remained jovial. Advocacy (lssp.org) is the only local The Occupy ICE protest never gained the nonprofit currently representing children who are caught up in the immigration court traction protesters had hoped for, but those system, many of whom are facing involved felt they made their message removal from the country. clear. They had not been content Communities in Schools with simply showing up at the Charlotte (cischarlotte. End the War on Immigrants org) puts student support vigil held at First Ward Park specialists in schools on June 30. They wanted where there are a large to disrupt. number of immigrant Now, those who children. The specialists participated in the Occupy provide all types of ICE protest will continue services to those children their disruption tactics to help them stay on track by joining forces with the RYAN PITKIN with their peers. groups that organized the Another way to help vigil to target locally based vulnerable kids is to donate your companies and corporations time or money to ourBRIDGE for profiting from President Trump’s terrifying immigration policies, as I reported Kids (joinourbridge.org), an afterschool program for refugee and immigrant children, in this week’s news feature on page 8. Some of the activists participating in the kindergarten through seventh grade, run by Occupy ICE protest, at first skeptical of the the indomitable Sil Ganzo. You can also volunteer for court watch efforts of the more established organizations involved with the vigil, have since decided to with the local ACLU chapter by contacting join them in highlighting ties between the Lisa Wielunski at wielunski.legal@gmail. prison industrial complex and immigration com. Court watch is meant to foster fairness issues and helping immigrants tied up in local and consistency in the immigration courts system. Volunteers receive hands-on training immigration courts. The struggle now will be recruitment, as about immigration court proceedings before activists hope that the current outrage over providing much-needed oversight in cases Trump’s policies will lead to more engagement involving unrepresented respondents, from people who aren’t necessarily affected by particularly minors and non-English speakers. Other organizations doing the ground them. For Luis Betancourt, an organizer with the newly formed People’s United Revolutionary work in the local fight for immigration Collective, the problem lies in the idea that justice include Action NC (actionnc.org), Comunidad Colectiva (facebook.com/ activists like him have it all taken care of. “I think it’s just an issue with the way ComunidadColectivaCLT), Alerta Migratoria activism is perceived in general today; it’s (alertamigratorianc.org) and Latin American perceived as a career choice, even though Coalition (latinamericancoalition.org). If you’ve been as sickened as I am by activists don’t get paid shit,” Betancourt told me at an anti-Fourth of July cookout held by recent news of what’s happening to our immigrant population, there can be no longer Occupy ICE protesters. “It’s perceived as something that somebody be any excuse for not stepping in to help will go into so they’ll take care of it,” Betancourt make change, no matter how small. There can never be too many allies. added. “It’s the same issue we have with trusting RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM politicians or cops to keep us safe. We trust a 6 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
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NEWS
FEATURE
THE JOINING ROADS TO JUSTICE Activist groups use different styles toward one cause in the fight over immigration BY RYAN PITKIN
D
URING A MUGGY evening on Saturday, June 30, hundreds gathered around a stage at First Ward Park in uptown Charlotte while speakers addressed the crowd. On the fringes of the crowd, the scene looked more like a block party, with kids running through the splash pad as parents sat on cement blocks and looked on. At the other end of the field from the stage, about 20 kids claimed their spots atop a circular climbing structure. At first glance, they looked like any other kids playing on a jungle gym, but a closer look showed they were holding signs. A young black girl in a white dress held a stenciled sign that read, “Don’t tear children from family.” Next to her, a Latinx girl held a sign on which she had sloppily scrawled, “Kids Nap Not Kidnap.” At the very top of the structure, a white boy held his sign high. In black and blue ink, the sign read, “Voldemort called he said to take it down a notch,” with multiple underlines under the text. Throughout the evening, speakers including Rep. Alma Adams, Elisa Hernandez of Comunidad Colectiva and Hector Vaca of Action NC spoke out against President Donald Trump’s “zero-tolerance” policy, which has led to the separation of families seeking asylum crossing the southern U.S. border. Speakers urged those in the crowd to vote in November in order to push out those who have been supporting Trump’s policies. Charlotte poet Hannah Hassan performed a piece before people in the crowd began lighting candles for a vigil to show support for immigrant families. Many in the crowd held signs calling for the abolishment of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, the agency formed by the Bush administration in 2003 that has stepped up efforts to track down undocumented immigrants in the United States since Trump’s administration took over. In the crowd that night was Jose, who asked that his last name not be used in this story. Jose said that, while he appreciates seeing folks come out to support the cause, he worries about how much helpful engagement will come from it. 8 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
Occupy ICE protesters outside the Department of Homeland Security offices in southwest Charlotte on July 4. “I think the Democratic establishment, they have a certain position of power, too, which they’re desperate to hold onto and they do so by acting like a sort of progressive beard,” Jose said. “They have good rhetoric, but outside of vigils and peaceful demonstrations and making sure to remind people to vote, it doesn’t go farther than that.” Jose pointed out that even under President Obama, whom he called a “progressive idol,” more people were deported than under any
southwest Charlotte. With tables of food, bottles of water and Gatorade, snacks, lawn chairs, tents, signs and all sorts of other preparations, the group prepared to stick around for a while. Their plan was to occupy the sidewalk in front of the DHS office in protest of ICE’s presence there, with hopes of attracting more activists and building up the occupation to match similar protests happening across the country in cities like Philadelphia,
PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN
In front of the DHS offices, a young undocumented woman named Lelia told us why she felt she needed to do more than hold a candle and listen to speeches. Lelia is a member of People’s Revolutionary United Collective, a socialist activist collective that formed in the last week of June and helped organize the Occupy ICE protest. “I want to do organizing that will actually make a difference, and not just voting and stuff like that, because that obviously doesn’t
“WE FEEL LIKE THE TRUE CHANGE NEEDS TO COME FROM THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND AND NOT FROM THESE POLITICIANS THAT JUST WANT YOUR VOTE.” JOSE, OCCUPY ICE PROTESTER sitting president. “We feel like the true change needs to come from the people on the ground and not from these politicians that just want your vote. So that’s what we’re trying to do: direct action,” he said. Less than 24 hours after Saturday night’s vigil ended, Jose and nearly 40 other local activists set up a staging area in front of the Department of Homeland Security’s Charlotte office on Tyvola Centre Drive in
Pennsylvania; San Francisco, California; and Portland, Oregon. Once enough people showed up, the group planned to set up a confrontation with police and DHS agents by blocking the entrance of the office building so that employees and, more importantly, deportation buses could not leave. They said they planned to stay in front of the DHS offices indefinitely, or until ICE was abolished.
work whatsoever,” Lelia said. “I would like to grow this movement to have enough people so that we can begin blocking those buses. I want to disrupt their operations as much as possible. “When it comes to resistance, there’s so many things that I wish I could do, but we’re not ready for that,” Lelia continued. “So if we can begin at least by resisting what’s going on, that’s what I want to do.”
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www.carolinacbdmarket.com Mention this ad and recieve 15% OFF! A protester at the End the War on Immigrants vigil in First Ward Park on PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN June 30. THE TWO PROTESTS showed contrasting on a campaign to shine a light on corporations styles used by established activist groups like that invest in America’s two largest private Action NC, which helped organize the vigil, prison firms, The GEO Group and CoreCivic. Acording to a 2016 report from research and and younger groups like the PRUC. However, on Monday, July 9, just eight days policy center In the Public Interest, Wells after beginning the occupation, the Occupy ICE Fargo has long invested in both corporations, protesters held a press conference stating that each of which saw large spikes in stock prices members would be packing up and ending the the day after President Trump’s election. According to Hector Vaca, with those protest. The group, which had been denied its wish to set up tents like those in San Francisco private prison companies now involved with while they sat in shifts for 24 hours a day, had incarcerating families and children at the struggled to gain media attention or to increase border, organizers plan to rev their campaign its numbers in such an out-of-the-way part of into high gear, targeting companies like Wells the city. After about 40 people showed up for Fargo, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase. When Creative Loafing met with Luis an anti-Fourth of July cookout on Wednesday, July 4, numbers had dwindled and those who Betancourt outside the DHS offices on July had stuck around began to see that their energy 4, he was already discussing many of the same talking points as Vaca. Betancourt, could be better spent elsewhere. On Monday afternoon, after a keffiyeh- who helped form the PRUC and organize the masked protester read a statement for TV Occupy ICE protest, said that one of his main cameras announcing the end of the protest priorities in organizing has been to point out while standing in front of a large banner the connections between the prison industrial held up by fellow masked protesters, Jose complex and the immigration crisis. “This whole immigration crisis happened told Creative Loafing the group would be joining forces with organizations like Action because the drug war escalated violence in NC and Comunidad Colectiva to directly Latin America; the drug war happened because help immigrant families, while also targeting black people were criminalized for addiction, locally based corporations that have profited thanks to the United States,” Betancourt said. “Instead of helping people, they criminalized off of Trump’s zero-tolerance policy. “We believe in a diversity of tactics, so people and they created the drug war, which we want to oppose this white supremacist also created the prison industrial system, ethnic-cleansing campaign through all which is what is affecting these immigrants. avenues possible, and that’s through speaking They look at these immigrants as a good way to our local leaders and pressuring them to to fill these prisons.” Action NC is also looking into ways to stop collaborating with ICE. That’s peaceful demonstrations, mass mobilizations and, if help those immigrants who are now facing it comes down to it, militant confrontation deportation. The organization has recently if we have to defend our immigrant residents begun a “universal representation” campaign, in which they hope to convince city leaders to from being stolen away,” Jose said. “We believe if no opposition is shown, it’s fund free legal representation for immigrants only going to ramp up,” he continued. “It’s facing deportation in immigration court. Vaca said he has had discussions with five going to become more and more violent, so we’re here to show that no matter how, no Charlotte City Council members, although matter what, we will be here to oppose this in he hasn’t been impressed with those conversations. any way that we can.” “We’re still working on it. They’re For Action NC, that opposition will come in multiple forms. For more than a year, hesitant because they’re afraid of the General organizers with Action NC have been working Assembly. Although from our members’ perspective, they’re hesitant because they
just aren’t brave enough to actually stand up for immigrants,” Vaca said. “It’s just not politically in their interests for some reason, rather than looking at it from what’s right.” What would help make movements like the universal representation campaign more politically interesting to elected representatives would be a larger show of support from voters. During the Saturday night vigil and the weeklong occupation, many activists voiced their wishes that those hundreds of people who showed up to light candles at First Ward Park would begin doing the work needed to make a difference in the lives of people most vulnerable to Trump’s policies. For Lelia, it’s a reason she’s skeptical of events like the June 30 vigil. “Usually people are comfortable doing vigils because it’s like, thoughts and prayers is what they’re used to,” Lelia said. “It’s very easy to get that checked off your list and say, ‘Yes, I did something for those kids.’ But in reality, yes it’s good to come together, but you’re not doing anything. Vigils are not enough.” It’s a problem that Elisa Hernandez, who has worked on the ground as a community organizer with grassroots immigration organizations Comunidad Colectiva and Alerta Migratoria for years, has long been familiar with. In fact, it served as the basis for much of her speech at the vigil, in which she appealed passionately to those in the crowd, many of whom looked to be middle-class suburbanites. “The time is now to stand with, fund and put into local organizations doing the work,” she demanded. “The time is now for allies to step up when needed and not then step back. We are here first and foremost for those directly affected by these policies. We must listen to our immigrant community on a daily basis. We must stand side by side with immigrants in all times of need. Do not make this a one-time action for immigrant justice, because we don’t need momentary heroes, we need people who are in this fight for the long haul.” To help spur those folks out of what could be just a momentary trance, Comunidad Colectiva joined Action NC and the Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy to host an event at the Midwood International & Cultural Center
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SUMMERCBD on Monday, July 2, during which the more than 100 people in attendance engaged with folks doing the work and learned how they could engage. While Vaca agreed it’s important to hold events that “activate” folks who might otherwise watch from the sidelines, he said he’s also noticed how Trump’s policies have been doing that all on their own lately. “The longer Trump is in office, the more people are getting angrier and angrier and want to get involved anyway, because his general evilness is motivating people to fight harder,” Vaca said. “The cruelty against immigrants, including what’s going on at the border where families are being separated and the administration is finding that putting children in cages with their parents is the solution, that’s motivating people, too,” Vaca continued. “Because it’s bringing people together from both sides of the aisle, regardless of gender, religion or party affiliation. People are getting activated because of that.” It remains to be seen just how effective this new wave of activism around immigration will be, but regardless of how many vigilgoers join the fight, those who have been on the ground plan to keep at it. On Monday, as the local media camera operators packed their news equipment and activists prepared to clean up the site that they had called home over the previous week, Jose said he was confident that the occupiers got their message across, even if the protest didn’t gain as much traction as the group originally hoped. “What we want to do is show that there is a groundswell of opposition to this that’s more radical and militant than I think some people are accustomed to,” Jose said. “But just in what we did this last week, we’ve gotten groups reaching out to us, we’ve gotten support from community members just driving by and supporting us and handing us donations, so we definitely feel like we have supporters and people are on our side.” It’s now just a matter of whether those people remain bystanders rooting from the sidelines or joining Jose and his fellow organizers in the trenches. RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 9
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WANT TO GET AWAY? Many citizens of the world are weary of the war and strife that seem to be consuming the news, and about 200,000 of them have already signed up to put it all in the rear-view mirror by becoming citizens of Asgardia. This coming-soon colony on the moon is led by Igor Ashurbeyli, a Russian engineer, computer scientist and businessman who was inaugurated as its leader on June 25 in Vienna. Asgardia’s parliament plans to set up “space arks” with artificial gravity in the next 10 to 15 years, where its projected 150 million citizens can live permanently, Reuters reports, and Ashurbeyli hopes settlement on the moon will be complete within 25 years. Asgardia is named after Asgard, a “world in the sky” in Norse mythology. Its leaders hope to attract a population from among the “most creative” in humanity, perhaps using “IQ tests,” according to Ashurbeyli. Best of all: For the time being, becoming a citizen online is free. EWWWWWW! Susan Allan of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, was driving with her son on May 9, enjoying the beautiful weather with the sunroof open, when they were suddenly hit with a cold material that smelled to them like feces mixed with chlorine. “Like a clean poop smell if that’s possible,” Allan told Vice. “My son threw up, and we had so much in our faces. Both of us, our faces were covered in poop.” Apparently, poop is falling from the sky all over Canada; Transport Canada has received 18 such reports this year. But the government has not issued an explanation for the phenomenon. Allan thinks it is related to airplanes flying overhead and the Canadian government is covering it up. But Transport Canada poohpoohed her theory and has declined to comment further. OH, FUDGE KCCI TV in Des Moines, Iowa,
reported on June 27 the loss of a tractortrailer load of chocolate when the truck caught fire near Dexter, Iowa. The trailer, full of chocolate from Hershey, Pennsylvania, was westbound when it experienced brake problems that caused it to ignite. The driver pulled off and was able to detach the trailer from the cab before it caught fire. No injuries were reported, except to the chocolate, which was a total loss.
WEIRD SCIENCE Montgomery, Alabama,
resident Kayla Rahn, 30, had been trying for months to lose weight, but instead experienced dramatic weight gain and pain in her stomach. She became out of breath just taking a short walk. Finally, in May, Rahn’s mother took her to the emergency room at Jackson Hospital, where doctors discovered a growth attached to her ovary and removed what turned out to be a 50-pound, benign cyst, reported WSFA 12 News. The cyst resembled a large watermelon in size. “This is one of the largest I have ever seen,” Dr. 10 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
Gregory Jones told reporters. “We are very excited things went well for her.”
LITIGIOUS SOCIETY In Norman’s Bay, East Sussex, England, Nigel and Sheila Jacklin are studiously keeping their eyes down after being threatened with prosecution if they look at their neighbors’ house — an adjoining property bought five years ago by Dr. Stephane Duckett and Norinne Betjemann. The Jacklins, 26-year residents of the beachfront community, had repeatedly complained to authorities about noisy builders, verbal abuse and light pollution as Duckett and Betjemann turned a former workshop into a weekend retreat. In June, The Sun reported that after police were called into the dispute, the Rother District Council sent the Jacklins a “community protection warning” that defines an “exclusion zone” around Duckett and Betjemann’s home, forcing the Jacklins to take a roundabout route to the beach. Nigel Jacklin said: “We can’t walk to and from the beach or through the village without fear of being prosecuted.” The Jacklins plan to fight the order. WEIRD FOOD Minor league baseball teams
come up with some wacky promotional ideas, and “Sugar Rush Night” at the Erie (Pennsylvania) SeaWolves game on June 23 didn’t disappoint. WNEP TV noted that one highlight was the cotton candy hot dog: a wiener nestled in a cloud of cotton candy, then sprinkled with Nerds candies. Brave SeaWolves fans could top off the meal with a cotton candy ball: ice cream covered with sprinkles and enclosed in cotton candy. Maybe the sugar rush was too much for the players; they lost 5-3 to the Altoona (Pennsylvania) Curve.
RECURRING THEME: AIRPORT NUDITY Travelers aboard a Delta Air Lines
flight that had just landed at HartsfieldJackson International Airport in Atlanta on June 26 were startled when a nearly naked man ran up to their plane and jumped onto a wing, then attempted to open an emergency exit. Jhyrin Jones, 19, had scaled a fence topped with razor wire to reach the runway; just minutes before, he had jumped on some parked cars at a nearby construction site and threatened to “kill y’all, I’m going to blow this place up, trust nobody, you better believe me,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A police report indicated Jones “appeared to be under the influence of narcotics.” He was charged with criminal trespass and public indecency, among other things.
PERSPECTIVE An 82-year-old Japanese
man who has lived as a naked “hermit” on a deserted island near Taiwan since 1989 has been forced to return to Japan. Masafumi Nagasaki made his way to Sotobanari Island 29 years ago and told Reuters in 2012 that
he wished to die there. “Finding a place to die is an important thing to do,” Nagasaki said, “and I’ve decided here is the place for me.” Earlier reports indicated that he at one time had a wife and two children, and he ran a hostess club in Niigata, Japan. “In civilization people treated me like an idiot and made me feel like one. On this island I don’t feel like that,” he said. Nagasaki explained that at first he wore clothes on the island, but a typhoon destroyed his belongings. Alvaro Cerezo, who documents the stories of island castaways, told News.com/au that in April, authorities removed Nagasaki from the island and placed him in government housing in Ishigaki, Japan, because he was ill and weak. “They took him back to civilization and that’s it,” Cerezo said. “They won’t allow him to return.”
BRIGHT IDEA “ARE YOU BLIND IT 25 MPH” is Ron Ward’s in-your-face (and grammatically lacking) attempt to slow down drivers along his street in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Ward has been making signs for years, neighbor Patrick Schmidt told FOX 17 in June. Ward claims, “By the time (drivers) hit this here driveway, they’re doing at least 50-55 miles an hour.” He just wants people to follow the Richmond Street speed limit. “Slow down, the whole neighborhood’s got kids,” he said. The City of Grand Rapids, however, has no specific plans for speed monitoring on the street. WRONG PLACE, WRONG TIME Early
on June 26, a man who had been sleeping on the South Miami Avenue bridge over the Miami River got a rude awakening as the drawbridge started to raise to allow a boat to pass underneath. Witness Khadijah Andrews had seen the man as she was walking to an early yoga class, she told WSVN TV, and she looked for him when the bridge began rising. Fortunately, he woke up after sliding down a ways and was able to hold on until the bridge was lowered. Andrews said the unnamed man walked away with no apparent injuries: “You think you’re about to watch a man lose his life. It’s just terrifying. I never want to see that again.”
PHOTOBOMB In Devon, England, on June 30, a couple who had just exchanged vows at the Furrough Cross Church gathered their wedding party at Tessier Gardens next door to take pictures. But a sunbathing woman who was squarely in the frame of the wedding photos refused to move from her towel. So the party just posed around her. The groom’s son approached the woman and asked her to move, but she “pretended to be asleep,” he told Metro News. Later she did move but left her belongings in the same spot. “It was bloody rude and disrespectful,” claimed Natalie Ming, a relative of the groom. COPYRIGHT 2017 ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION
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FEATURE
FOOD
KALE KONSPIRACY A million little fibers can’t be wrong BY ARI LEVAUX
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IKE
THOSE
GREAT
underground rockers and rappers who finally achieve mainstream success, kale has reached the point on the popularity curve where people now hate it simply because it’s popular. Once, it was easy to file away this dark green leafy vegetable as just some hippie food, but now it’s everywhere. It’s on the menu, on the vegetarian entree and meatloaf alike. Your favorite celebrities are gushing about their daily green smoothie. Still, many people don’t enjoy eating it. And sometimes these haters get triggered by people who do. “Kale makes you lose weight because it makes everything taste like shit,” tweeted a smart-aleck in my timeline. “Stop putting kale in everything,” begged another, to the cold, uncaring universe. Haters are saying “fuck kale” at nearly the same rate that they are saying “fuck yoga.” For some reason it’s natural to resent success in others, and kale is a wildly successful species. The goal of any plant is to make and spread its seed, and kale is grown in all 50 states, shipped to all 50 states, has its seed farms dedicated to its future success, and these seeds are delivered to growers around the world with computers and airplanes. And now chefs are putting kale in everything. Forget conspiracy theory. The ascendence of kale is a conspiracy fact. I’m in on the kale conspiracy, but I agree that it shouldn’t be added to everything. Those bitter fibers really wouldn’t work in a delicate flan, for example. If kale is overcooked or burnt, the taste and smell can be terrible. And if kale is added to a dish that already sucks, it will still suck. And really, a little kale here and a little there isn’t going to do it. You need to eat more than trace quantities to get the benefits. Whether you’re in it for the fiber, the calcium, the social statement or whatever, you still have to actually swallow it. So it isn’t a matter of putting kale in everything, as much as putting everything, or anything, into kale that will make it more palatable. Because regardless of what the haters and the trolls would like you to believe, the more kale (and leaves like it) that you eat, the healthier you will be. Food people argue 12 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
that can be said about kale can be said about collard greens, chard, spinach, turnip greens, broccoli leaves and many others. But the tactics that we will now explore are tailored to kale specifically. We can thank a weary farmer who flagged me down as I walked by his booth at the end of market last Saturday and offered me a box of kale for $10. It was a better fate than the compost pile for everyone involved. Except the kale, which couldn’t care less. My body seems to “function best” (a delicate way of saying “makes the best poops”) when I eat between three and six kale leaves per day. So the following tactics, which are really mini-recipes, are geared toward consuming that amount.
SALAD
endlessly about fat, carbohydrate, protein, dairy, sugar, fruit, meat and every other ingredient or macronutrient you can think of. Nobody has anything bad to say about leaves.
TO SOME EXTENT, the form in which you
eat the kale, as well as what you eat it with, will determine how it performs in your body. Many of the people who are most excited about kale are regular users, who have a system down that works for their bodies. In terms of health impact, almost anything
Novices may want to start by massaging their kale, for a softer salad. Squeezing and rubbing the leaves with your hands will break the cells, releasing enzymes that begin cutting up those fiber chains. Massaging with salt and lime juice increases the effect, and since both of those are in the dressing there’s no reason not to. Unless, of course, you want your kale coarse. Once upon a time my wife, the salad whisperer, would massage the kale salad, but now doesn’t want the leaves so soft. “Once you massage it they lose their structure,” she says. “I like a structureful salad.” The dressing consists of olive oil, lime or lemon juice and salt. Vinegar, while acidic, makes a terrible substitute for lime or lemon. She typically doubles down on the salt by adding feta or parmesan cheese to the salad.
5 KALE DISHES TO TRY IN CHARLOTTE BY SOPHIE WHISNANT
IF YOU THOUGHT kale was only edible when deep fried and dusted in salt, well you’re right.
Kidding! Kale doesn’t actually have to be a boring leafy thing, or prepared in a way that negates all the positive benefits of eating a vegetable. The ingredient has become trendy for a reason. It’s a great substitute in a spinach salad and it’ll make you feel superior when you order it in front of your snobby health-conscious friends. These five places around Charlotte have figured out how to make kale seem not only edible, but exciting.
LIVING KITCHEN
Where: In South End at 2000 South Blvd. and SouthPark at 4521 Sharon Road, Ste. 175 Hours: Monday-Saturday 8 a.m.- 9 p.m.; closed Sunday at SouthPark but open in South End 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Notable kale item: Curry bowl, $13. Kale pearadise juice, $8.95. The curry bowl features kale along with curried lentils, roasted cauliflower, pickled cabbage, cherry tomatoes and chimichurri sauce. Double up on kale by ordering one of the juices, like the Kale Pearadise with kale, pear, pineapple, cucumber and fennel. PHOTO BY ARI LEVAUX
“FOR SOME REASON IT’S NATURAL TO RESENT SUCCESS IN OTHERS, AND KALE IS A WILDLY SUCCESSFUL SPECIES.” ARI LEVAUX And she adds onion, because something needs to stand up to all of that fat and fiber. Strip the leafy parts from the stem and mince six leaves of kale. Use half a cup of olive oil, a quarter cup of lime juice and salt to taste. If you want to massage it, take a 1/4 cup of dressing and rub it in. Then toss in the rest and add extras like cheese, onion, olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
WITH BACON
It’s kind of cheating, but at least it’s cheating with historical precedent. Cooking kale with bacon recalls the Southern dish of collards and ham hock, and that’s no coincidence. Pork and brassicas — a plant family that also includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts — is a winning combination. I usually take it in an Eastern
direction, by making a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar or lime juice. Rip the leafy parts off the stem of three or so kale leaves and mince the leafy parts. Cut bacon into little pieces and fry. When it’s half cooked add the garlic and lay the kale on top. When it wilts down, stir it around, season with black pepper, hot pepper and finally pour in your little sauce. Those leaves will shrink way down, and look even smaller as soon as you take your first bite. There isn’t enough space for me to tell you how to make green smoothies and kale chips, but those have been covered online in great detail. Suffice it to say, if you really want to make the green medicine go down easy, you can do worse than make your kale taste like ice cream and potato chips.
FERN, FLAVORS FROM THE GARDEN.
Where: 1419 East Blvd. Suite A Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; and Sunday 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Notable kale item: Kale and collard salad, $13. Fern’s kale salad option includes collards and is topped with roasted sweet potatoes, apples, broccolini and candied pecans, tossed in an apple cider vinaigrette.
B. GOOD
Where: 400 South Tryon St. Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Notable kale item: spicy avocado and lime bowl, $9.99. B. Good offers multiple kale and grain bowls including the spicy avocado and lime, which is served with kale, sauteed veggies, avocado, black bean and corn salsa, tomato, queso fresco, lime, cilantro, chipotle puree and red pepper vinaigrette.
NAPA ON PROVIDENCE
Where: 110 Perrin Place Hours: Monday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4 p.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday 10:30 a.m-3 p.m. and 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Notable kale item: Grilled shrimp pizza, $14. A variety of dishes at Napa on Providence use kale pesto as an ingredient, including the grilled shrimp pizza which is available at lunch and dinner and is served with kale pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese and mozzarella.
THE ASBURY
Where: 237 North Tryon St. Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Notable kale item: Warm kale salad, $14. Kale is served as a side at the Asbury as a warm salad with smoked trout, norwood cheese, pine nuts, garlic croutons and creamy peppercorn dressing.
SURVIVING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CHARLOTTE. A NEW PODCAST FROM WFAE. AVAILABLE ON APPLE PODCASTS, GOOGLE PLAY, NPR ONE AND AT WFAE.ORG/SHESAYS
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 13
THURSDAY
12
MIRANDA LAMBERT What: Grammy-award winning artist Miranda Lambert is joined by Little Big Town on the Bandwagon Tour. Country music fans can enjoy Lambert’s hits like “The House that Built Me” and “Gunpowder and Lead.” Pop culture fans can witness the woman spurned by People’s Sexiest Man Alive Blake Shelton. Regardless of your reason, the show is packed with some of the biggest and most successful names in country right now, which is about as low a bar as you can set. When: 7 p.m. Where: PNC Music Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd. More: $33 and up. charlottemusicpavilion.com
FRIDAY
13 6 STRING DRAG
THINGS TO DO
TOP TEN
6 String Drag FRIDAY
PHOTO BY RODNEY BOLES
SATURDAY
14
‘THE DANGER’: A WORKSHOP
What: After breaking up in 1998 and reuniting in 2015, 6 String Drag, led by North Carolina-based Kenny Roby is coming to Charlotte to tour their new album, Top of the World. The group from Raleigh is credited with spreading and starting the alt-country movement of the early ‘90s, leading to the creation of the Americana genre. The band’s music, a folksy take on old-school country, is much different than the punk music Roby was making as a kid with his band the Lubricators.
What: Ever wanted to be part of the process of making a play? Here’s your opportunity to offer input and a community voice to Charlottegroomed playwright Stacey Rose’s play-in-progress The Danger: A Homage to Strange Fruit. Rose, who worked on Spike Lee’s TV update of his classic film She’s Gotta Have It, is back in Charlotte and workshopping her new play. Community members, particularly those who live on the city’s west side, are invited to help in the development of the play and its voice.
When: 9 p.m. Where: Thirsty Beaver, 1225 Central Ave. More: Free. 6stringdrag.com
When: 2-6 p.m. Where: Arbor Glen Outreach Facility, 1520 Clanton Rd. More: free. tinyurl.com/StaceyRose
SATURDAY
14
BAND TOGETHER BENEFIT What: Help support educational programming for underserved youth by partying in NoDa this Saturday. A group of businesses from the up-and-coming north end of NoDa — Divine Barrel, Bold Missy Brewery and Crown Station — will join Yelp Charlotte to bring an afternoon full of food trucks, live art and a battle of the bands to the neighborhood to fundraise for Behailu Academy, an organization that empowers youth through quality arts experiences. When: 3-9 p.m. Where: Divine Barrel Brewing, 3701 N. Davidson St., Suite 203 More: Free. tinyurl.com/ BandTogetherNoDa
For our 50th episode of Local Vibes, electronic hip-hop DJ duo Styles&Complete stopped in during their homecoming weekend before jetting back to L.A., where they’ve been building their name in the party scene. Check out our convo at clclt.com on Thursday, July 12. 14 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
SATURDAY
14
COHEED & CAMBRIA, TAKING BACK SUNDAY What: Angsty prog-rock fans can kill two birds with one stone at this show featuring Coheed and Cambria and partly-Charlotte’s own Taking Back Sunday. You won’t catch NoDa resident Adam Lazarra’s band at the Warped Tour on July 30, so this is your chance for the summer. Unless you want to run up on Adam at one of his favorite neighborhood haunts, but that’s creepy. Don’t do it. When: 6:30 p.m. Where: Charlotte Metro Credit Union Ampitheatre, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. More: $35 and up. charlottemetrocreditunionamp.com
Taking Back Sunday SATURDAY
Rope Bondage and You SUNDAY
NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS
La Santa Cecilia WEDNESDAY PHOTO COURTESY OF ISTOCK
SUNDAY
15
ROPE BONDAGE AND YOU What: If you’re not tied up with other plans, this master class promises to answer all kinky roperelated questions while explaining the nuances of rope bondage and paying tribute to the versatility of rope. This class, taught by Atlanta rope community expert “Kolker,” will go over the differences between that Home Depot synthetic shit and natural fibers. Donations of snacks and sodas are accepted because honing your inner kink can work up an appetite. When: 1-8 p.m. Where: The Loft NC, Gastonia; must register for address More: $20 for year-long membership. loftnc.com
PHOTO BY KEEYAHTAY LEWIS
PHOTO COURTESY OF NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE
SUNDAY
15
TRUCKS, TRUCKERS & MORE What: Forget that final “Lynyrd Skynyrd” tour — here’s the Southern rock extravaganza that matters. The Tedeschi Trucks Band will perform their blues-based, jazz-informed Southern sounds along with the equally great Drive-By Truckers, which continue to write some of the most astute songs about the contemporary South more than two decades into their career. This is how we roll in the 21st century South. When: 6:30 p.m. Where: CMCU Amphitheatre, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. More: $28-up. amphitheatercharlotte.com
MONDAY
16
HARM REDUCTION COMMUNITY CONVERSATION What: Despite the proven advantages of syringe exchanges for public safety, there’s a stigma that surrounds them, and although some advocates have been trying for years to keep one operational, there’s yet to be a consistent program in the Charlotte area. This features speakers from different organizations discussing how we as a community can offer solutions for safe passage to healthier living. When: 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Where: Hal Marshall Services Center, 700 N. Tryon St. More: Free. tinyurl.com/HarmReductionCLT
TUESDAY
17
KURT VILE AND THE VIOLATORS What: Philly native Kurt Vile hasn’t released a solo album since his 2015 record b’lieve i‘m going down… featuring his best known single “Pretty Pimpin,” but his latest release is an intimate and quiet collection of collaborations with Courtney Barnett called Lotta Sea Lice. Vile was the lead guitarist of the War on Drugs before leaving the band to start his solo career. His music has a grunge-folk feel and is characterized by his banjo and clever lyrics. When: 7 p.m. Where: The Underground, 820 Hamilton St. More: $20-28. fillmorenc.com
WEDNESDAY
18
LA SANTA CECILIA What: Few bands spread the love as freely as La Santa Cecilia. Singer La Marisoul will break your heart on the band’s cover of “Leña de Pirul,” made famous by legendary Mexican singer Lola Beltrán, and make you all giddy when she sings “Campos de Fresa” (better known to English speakers as “Strawberry Fields Forever,” by that little band The Beatles). The band has brought people together regardless of age, race, culture or language for about a decade now. It’s time you join them. When: 7 p.m. Where: Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St. More: $20-$22. neighborhoodtheatre.com
sten. We joined up with heavy hitters on The Charlotte Podcast, The Comedy Zone Podcast, Cheers Charlotte Radio and The Yelp Charlotte Podcast to show what CLT has to offer in the audio realm. Be sure to check out our new squad at queencitypodcastnetwork.com. CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 15
MUSIC
COVERSTORY
INTRODUCING… CYANCA Charlotte’s hottest new R&B singer makes her big debut at the Made From Scratch fest BY MARK KEMP
T
HE CHOICE WAS between music and track. As a teen, Cyanca would rise at 4 a.m. so she could be on the field and ready to run by 5. Then she’d go to her classes. Then she’d be in band rehearsals. Then she’d be singing in the school choir. Then she’d be doing homework. Then she’d go to bed, get up and do it all over again, day after day. On the weekends, Cyanca played drums and keyboards at her family’s Baptist church, and also sang in the church choir. It was all too much for the young girl born Donshakaria Sanders in the tiny town of Smithfield, a little more than half an hour southeast of Raleigh. When it was time for Cyanca to begin thinking about college, she got lots of scholarship offers for her extraordinary abilities on the track. But she decided to study music instead. “My family was like, ‘What?’ But I was burned out,” Cyanca says. She’s sipping a latte at Basal Coffee, a little café on a side street in the Freemore West neighborhood of Charlotte, wearing a black Ramones T-shirt and translucent glasses. “We had practices before classes, and then sometimes we wouldn’t get back from games until 1 in the morning,” she continues. “And I was working at the Nike store on the weekends. I just never had a break. I was tired.” Cyanca hasn’t slowed down much since. More recently, the 29-year-old R&B singer has been getting a lot of buzz for her hot new video “New Phone, Who Dis?,” a track from The Isle of Queens, her 6-song EP of last year. The video, directed by Charlotte artist Alexander Hall (Lute’s “Morning Shift”), features Cyanca sitting in the branches of a money tree tossing faded green $100 bills into the air and watching them flutter to the ground like leaves. Lute appears in a later scene, playing a shyster artist who runs off with money given to him by the main character of the video, who believes free money is the key to living large. The song is a statement on trust — the kind of trust that can’t be gained through money or mere words. “Paper,” Cyanca sings over a sleepy neo-soul melody driven by a downtempo rhythm track and jazzy bass and keys. “I’m getting past paper. / If you can’t coincide with my mind, we can’t lay up.” It’s a simple, direct narrative for a simple, direct song that will stick in your head like 16 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
“I BELIEVE CYANCA WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS ONE OF THE ARTISTS THAT HELPED PUT THE CAROLINAS WHERE WE NEEDED TO BE ON THE MAP.” ELEVATOR JAY Been spending most her life living in a backpacker’s paradise. sweet, Tupelo honey. “I had seen Lute’s video for ‘Morning Shift,’ and I loved it,” Cyanca remembers. “It was very precise and I liked the detail in it. So I looked up who did it and reached out to him.” When she contacted Hall, Cyanca says, “I told him, ‘I want to do a video for this song and I want it to tell a story, because I feel like I’m a storyteller.’ So we planned it out for weeks, looked for people to be the characters in it, and it just came together perfectly.”
THINGS ARE COMING together pretty perfectly for Cyanca, who on July 14 will introduce herself and her music to her biggest audience yet when she hits the stage at the Made From Scratch fest, which begins at 4 p.m. at the Route 29 Pavilion in Concord. She’ll be on a bill headlined by Curren$y and featuring several local and regional acts including one of Cyanca’s friends, rapper Elevator Jay. “I met Cyanca through my engineer Kevin ‘Black Pearl’ McCloskey,” Jay remembers. “We were in the studio and he played me The Isle of Queens. Immediately, I became a fan and told him to put us in contact with each other. These days, running into someone like that is pretty rare for me.” Jay was struck by Cyanca’s effortless vocal style. “It just flows naturally and smooth,” he says. “I believe Cyanca will go down in history as one of the artists that helped put the Carolinas where we needed to be on the map.” Made From Scratch organizer Demarco Matthews [see “Music Maker, page 18] had a
similar reaction when he heard Cyanca’s EP. He was taken by its overall sound. “To me, if the Carolinas sound has an identity, it’s that it’s almost like hip-hop, but it’s also soul at the same time,” Matthews says. “And I think that’s what struck me about Cyanca’s music. Her sound represents the identity of the music of the Carolinas. What intrigued me is how it felt when I first heard it.” Like other regional R&B singers, both male and female — such as Charlotte’s Autumn Rainwater or Ali Steele — Cyanca’s feel is neosoul rooted in hip-hop, much like the sound of Erykah Badu or Lauryn Hill. In fact, Cyanca was so inspired by Badu that the first track she wrote for The Isle of Queens is called “Badu.” She explains the song’s genesis: “It’s crazy, when I wrote that song, me and my friends were just joking around and they asked me, ‘If you could write or produce for anybody, who would it be?’ I said Erykah Badu. And they were like, ‘Make something up right now.’ “I was literally just playing around, but they were like, ‘You should go record that,’” Cyanca continues, laughing. “I was like, ‘Nah, it’s kind of corny.’ And they were like, ‘No, it’s not, it’s really cool.’ So I went into the studio and recorded it. And then I felt like, ‘I guess it’s time for me to put out an EP now.’” The Isle of Queens begins with “Rosa,” a powerful poem spoken over whimsical jazz — keyboards, a Miles Davis-esque trumpet part and tropical-like percussion. In one section, Cyanca intones, “Your name is Angela, sprinkled in Nina, rolled in Harriot, fried
PHOTO BY CORTLAND GALLOWAY
in Assata, / Smothered in hot sauce from every tear dropped from your black XY Eye. / You ride a chariot because Rosa Parks took a seat where she wanted. / Baby, you are to be flaunted. And please don’t apologize for mistakes that were never made.” Cyanca’s friend Megan Wolford is the author of those words. In addition to managing Cyanca’s career, Wolford is a slam poet in her own right who’s been penning verse since she was 13 and performing since college. “Cyanca told me that she wanted something that really reflected a modern queen, and she had a line centered around Rosa Parks she wanted me to incorporate,” Wolford remembers. “I took my knowledge of powerful historical women [who] I think align with Rosa and mixed it with the daily experiences of women.” Cyanca loved it. “I always wanted to start my album with poetry, and so I’d told Megan I just needed her to write something around the whole thing with Rosa Parks,” the singer says. “And when she wrote it and sent it to me, I was like, ‘This is exactly what I wanted.’” The poem sets the tone for a moody ride — six songs that hold together like warm, cornbread but range in style and subject matter from the anti-materialism of “New Phone” to the percussive minimalism of “Recipe” to the Miles-meets-Erykah vibe of “Badu” to the more upbeat “Future Mystery” and finally, to a modern take on an old-school, late-’50s club-jazz vibe in the closer “Eat.” The overall theme, it seems, is food, something Cyanca well remembers from her
Cyanca lets her hair down. childhood growing up in the country with her grandparents.
TWO YEARS AFTER Cyanca’s birth, her mother Katina Sanders died in a car accident, and her father, Eric Johnson, who was in the Army, was often away from home. So Cyanca lived with her grandparents, Luther and Earline Sanders, who brought her up in a traditional Baptist home. Earline would spend hours in the kitchen; Luther was a prominent Smithfield architect. “They were very old-school, traditional,” Cyanca says. “My grandmother took care of the household and my grandfather built houses, schools, churches, Walmarts — anything you could think of, he designed and built it.” When he passed away, Cyanca’s grandmother once pointed to Princeton High School, where Cyanca had attended school as a teen. “She would tell me all the places he built and I’d be like, ‘Wait — he built my high school?’” She laughs. Cyanca spent much of her early childhood in church or at school. “Monday through Friday, and Sunday were strictly church,” she remembers, with a laugh. “But we were in the country, so there was a lot of free land and we would also ride four-wheelers and run through the land playing hide-and-go-seek, shooting BB guns, shooting cans — that whole nostalgic, country feel.” She attended a predominantly white school, so in addition to the gospel music
PHOTO BY TOUREXALI
she heard at home and in church, Cyanca also gravitated to country: “Rascal Flatts, Shania Twain — I loved her! — and all that good stuff.” But when she visited her dad on weekends, she was exposed to different sounds. “I would stay with my dad sometimes, and he had all these CDs — N.W.A, Big Daddy Kane, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Sade, Lauryn Hill,” Cyanca remembers. “He had a CD rack and it was just hundreds of CDs. He even had them in order. He was a big hip-hop head. So I got a great mixture of music as a kid.” Since Smithfield was close to Raleigh, Cyanca began exploring the city when she reached her teens. “I also have a lot of family in Raleigh, so I spent a lot of summers there,” she says. Her first concert was one her dad took her to in 2000: Jay Z and DMX. She laughs. “My dad treated me like a little boy — he’d always do little-boy stuff with me, like take me fishing or take me to see Jay Z. And I played basketball a lot, ran track. I was heavily into sports. If I wasn’t doing music, I was playing sports, gearing up for the Olympics, because I was so good at track. I won state championships and stuff like that.” When she decided to forego track to study music at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro, Cyanca’s priorities changed, but her schedule didn’t. She was suddenly spending as much time practicing music and playing with the school’s ensembles as she had running track in high school. She spent
two years at UNCG before finally deciding she wanted to live life on her own terms and in her own time. “The music department was so intense that I didn’t really have a lot of time to go out. We had seminars, and after class we had rehearsals from 6 to 9. And I was also in the school choir, and we traveled a lot to other schools, churches, gospel competitions. So there wasn’t a lot of time for me to do my producing, which I had started doing when I got to school.” She Cyanca attended another concert — Beyonce, at the Greensboro Coliseum, in 2009. “I was like, ‘Oh my God — what am I watching?’ To witness her being up there for hours, she just really inspired me,” Cyanca remembers. “She sounded perfect, vocally, and didn’t seem to get tired. She was amazing.” Cyanca dropped out of school, initially supporting herself by playing music for local churches and in local rap, rock and R&B bands. Then she got a job in the insurance benefits business that took her to WinstonSalem for a year before she got a chance to transfer to Charlotte in 2016. “I was a client
analyst in Winston-Salem, but I didn’t like Winston-Salem,” she says. “It’s more of a family town, and I’m an outgoing person; I like going out and doing things.” When a similar job opened up for Cyanca at Alight Solutions, an insurance benefits company here, she jumped at the opportunity. “I thought, ‘Charlotte is really cool, I think I’ll try that.’ And I’m so glad I did!”
CYANCA DOVE INTO Charlotte’s music
scene, meeting Elevator Jay, Lute and other musicians who have helped her get her art out to local and regional audiences. One of her supporters happened to be Matthews, who chose the regional artists playing at the Saturday Made For Scratch fest on the basis of how “authentic” he felt their fan bases were. Matthews says he didn’t want artists who just lived in an echo chamber of fans that included family, friends and girlfriends. He wanted artists whose music total strangers SEE
INTO P. 19 u
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MUSIC
MUSICMAKER
HE’S GOT THE ITCH Demarco Matthews puts together a hip-hop fest ‘Made From Scratch’ BY MARK KEMP
THREE YEARS AGO, Demarco Matthews
was living in Charlotte running the Showroom Gallery on North Tryon Street, where he held pop-up concerts, food events, art exhibits — all kinds of events designed to give a platform to local artists. But what Matthews really wanted to do was put on a big hip-hop festival to rival the more indierock-based Hopscotch Fest in Raleigh, the more jazz- and soul-based Art of Cool in Durham and the heavy-metal headbanger’s ball Carolina Rebellion at the Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord “There wasn’t any large-scale hip-hop festivals,” Matthews, 31, says. “I mean, there were festivals, and some of them have had people like Common and Nas come and perform, but those weren’t specifically hiphop-based festivals. There was nothing that was catered more to your 18-to-30 group that’s more into hip-hop.” Matthews is remedying that situation with Made From Scratch, an indie-hip-hop festival in Concord on Saturday, July 14, featuring relatively big-name major-label acts like rapper Curren$y and Atlanta R&B singer Elhae, along with a plethora of Carolinas artists including Charlotte’s Elevator Jay and Cyanca [see music feature], DiAmond Miller, from Rock Hill, Trent the HOOLiGAN, from Wilmingon, the alt-pop singer Zensofly, from Raleigh, among others. Matthews, who grew up in Jacksonville and studied marketing and graphics arts at Winston-Salem State University before moving to the Queen City, has been based in Atlanta for the past few years. We caught up with him to find out why he’s coming back to the Charlotte area to put on Made From Scratch. Creative Loafing: Why not just do this in Atlanta, where you’re based? Demarco Matthews: Atlanta already has festivals like this, so why contribute there when this area doesn’t have anything like it at all? There would be no reason for me to do this in Atlanta. When did you start thinking about organizing a big festival like this without corporate backing? Made From Scratch was just an idea. I’d been working on festival concepts for a while. I’ve been doing concerts, productions, exhibitions and whatnot for about 10 years. I had an art gallery in Charlotte near uptown where we were doing exhibitions and concerts 18 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
Camera shy: Demarco Matthews says festival organizers should be heard and not seen. and art parties, and I just wanted to scale that type of environment up to something bigger, while at the same time shedding light on the talent that the Carolinas and the Charlotte area has. This was like my third attempt at coming up with a concept and this is just the one that felt the best, it felt right — the way we decided to go about choosing the acts and everything.
Instagram and Twitter posting his stuff, quoting his music and stuff like that. So we did it based off people being interested in those artists, and not just the artists and their friends and cousins and girlfriends — that wouldn’t seem as authentic. We felt like if strangers are quoting your lyrics and doing selfies to your songs and lip-syncing along, that’s a good [indicator] of being a successful artist.
And how did you go about choosing the acts? We thought it would be a good idea to bring some national acts in and to align them with local talent that we felt deserved the attention. So the concept for choosing the national acts is that we wanted the average fans to have a chance to vote on who they’d like to see at the festival. We picked six artists that had some national attention — ones we felt could fit our budget — and then ran them on the website (madefromscratch.xyz) for about two or three months to let people vote on who we should bring. Basically, the fans just went onto the website and clicked the heart in whatever artist they wanted to see and then we tallied up the votes. Based on that, we selected the artists that most of the people wanted to see.
What was the ultimate goal? We wanted to mesh the signed underground artists, whether or not they were on a major label, with our local talent within the Carolinas region. And we didn’t want it to be just hip-hop — like I said, we have Zensofar, who’s more of a pop/alternative artist, and Elhae, who’s more of an R&B artist. So we didn’t want to do just hip-hop, but we did want to keep it a hip-hopbased festival.
Did you do the same with the local artists on the bill, like Cyanca and Elevator Jay? We chose those artists based on what we saw people talking about on social media. I wasn’t following Cyanca or Elevator Jay, but for example, if other people were quoting those artists and talking about those artists, we would check them out. I knew of Elevator Jay, but I came across other people that I followed on
Did I read somewhere that you’ll also have panels at the festival, like at Hopscotch? No, this is just a one-day festival to start off. I didn’t want to take on too much right away without knowing what I’m getting into. But we would eventually like to include panels. My thing with panels is that I don’t like it when [the attendeees] leave them without information they can use and get results from. I mean, you can go on all day and talk about your accolades and what you’ve accomplished, but what can you offer? I’m one of those guys who does a lot of research and listens to a lot of podcasts to see what successful people are talking about. Education is very important to me. So if we had panels, I’d want them to be educational. I’d want them to be presented like I feel a panel should be presented.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DEMARCO MATTHEWS
MADE FROM SCRATCH Featuring: Curren$y, Cyanca, Elevator Jay, Zensofly, Elhae, Austin Royale, Sir Michael Rocks, Robb Bank$, Reese Laflare, 10 Cellphones, Diamond Miller, Trent the Hooligan. 3 p.m. (doors open); 4 p.m. (show), July 14. Route 29 Pavilion, 5650 Sandusky Blvd., Concord. $39-$129; madefromscratch.xyz
We recently had the New Era Music Fest here in Charlotte, which was a locally based hip-hop festival. What makes yours different? Yeah, New Era — it was good. But we wanted to do a mix of local and national, more like Hopscotch. When I asked you to send a photo for this piece, you sent one of yourself with your back to the camera. Why so camera shy? I just don’t care for the camera all that much. I’m not trying to get attention for myself. I’m behind the scenes. If someone catches me, then I got caught, but I’m not looking for the camera. I may tell you to point the camera at someone else, or to get this shot or that shot, but as far as me being the star? That’s the last thing on my mind. MKEMP@CLCLT.COM
Today your love, tomorrow the world: Cyanca has a latte.
MUSIC
PHOTO BY MARK KEMP
FEATURE
INTRO FROM P.17 t would post to their social media pages. “He just emailed me and my manager and said, ‘Hey, we want to book you for this festival,’ and he gave us all the details and it sounded great,” Cyanca remembers of her initial correspondence from Matthews. “So this is going to be my first festival, and I’m really excited about it.” Some of the acts Cyanca is looking forward to seeing at Made From Scratch include Curren$y and the Raleigh artist Zensofly. “I’ve seen Zensofly before, but I’m looking forward to seeing her again, because I really enjoy her presence onstage,” Cyanca says. And of course, she’s looking forward to sharing a stage with her old buddy Elevator Jay. “He was added at the last minute, so when I heard he was going to be there I was like, ‘OK, now I’m really, really excited,’” she says. “Because I just love his music.” The love is so mutual that the two are planning a project together. “I have done some collaborating with Cyanca,” Jay says. “I can’t really say too much until we get ready to
release it, but I’m very excited to know that we have a few things in the works.” Cyanca believes she arrived in Charlotte at just the right time. “The music scene here is great,” she says. “And I feel lucky, because my manager Megan is very resourceful and she’s from Charlotte and so she already knew Lute and all these other people. When I told her I wanted to get in with some artists here, she said, ‘I know the perfect person to link you up with,’ and she introduced me to Lute’s album [West 1996]. I was like, ‘OK, yeah, you need to get me with him ASAP.’ So she hit him up and he listened to my music and he was like, ‘Yeah, I need to collaborate with her.’ He was the first person to show love, and then some other people started showing love, like Elevator Jay. And I got the chance to do a Creative Mornings [appearance]. So it just kicked off from there. “It’s been awesome to get so much love so quickly as an outsider,” she adds. “I just got hooked in here and it immediately felt right.” MKEMP@CLCLT.COM
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 19
MUSIC
SOUNDBOARD JULY 12 COUNTRY/FOLK The Red Clay Strays (Thirsty Beaver) Miranda Lambert & Little Big Town (PNC Music Pavilion)
DJ/ELECTRONIC DJ Matt B (Tin Roof) Le Bang (Snug Harbor)
POP/ROCK Open Mic for Musicians (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub) Act 2 (RiRa Irish Pub) FUX (The Rabbit Hole) Jimmy Eat World (The Fillmore) Kuinka, Yes Ma’am (Neighborhood Theatre) Nicole Atkins Band, Jason Herring & The Mystery Plan (Snug Harbor) Shana Blake and Friends (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Summit Songwriters Showcase (Summit Coffee Co., Davidson) Super Doppler (U.S. National Whitewater Center)
JULY 13 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH The Jazz Room: AmosHoffman plays Kenny Burrell (Stage Door Theater) Naughty Professor (Heist Brewery) Jazzy Fridays (Freshwaters Restaurant)
COUNTRY/FOLK Elle Morgan (Caswell Station) The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Groove Masters Band (Birkdale Village, Huntersville) Player Made: An Ode To Southern Rap of All Eras (Snug Harbor)
POP/ROCK Andy Wood, Seth Rosenbloom Clinic and show. (Midwood Guitar Studio) Brandon Davidson (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Chamomile & Whiskey (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Indigo Girls, The War and Treaty (The Fillmore) Jay Taylor (Tin Roofe) Jupiter & the Star, Kevin Goodwin (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub) Lisa De Novo (Heist Brewery) 20 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
Mike Strauss Trio (Summit Coffee Co., Davidson) Monty Mak, Featherpocket, The Remarks (Petra’s) The Penitentials, AM/FMs, Paper Windmills (Milestone) The Rockaholics (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Rosey Bengal, Lovely World (Evening Muse) Six String Drag (Thirsty Beaver) Scott Porter (Tin Roof) Urban Soil (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Wicked Powers (RiRa Irish Pub) Wild Moccasins, Fitness (Evening Muse)
JULY 14 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL El Binomio De Oro, En VIVO (World)
CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers (Knight Theater) Freedom Jazz Series: Art Sherrod Jr and JMichael Peeples (Freedom Park) The Jazz Room: AmosHoffman plays Kenny Burrell (Stage Door Theater)
COUNTRY/FOLK Chris Tuttle, Joshua Carpenter (Evening Muse)
DJ/ELECTRONIC Black Out Brunch: Brody Jenner, View Beats, R Wonz (Queen Park Social) Digital Noir featuring Michael Price and DJ Spider (Milestone) Sol Kitchen & Mad Skillz present A King & A Prince Playing Michael Jackson & Prince (Snug Harbor) Tilted DJ Saturdays (Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Made from Scratch Music & Arts Festival: Curren$y, Robb Banks, Elhae, Reese Laflare, Sir Michael Rocks, Elevator Jay, 10 Cellphones, Cyanca, Austin Royale, Diamond Miller, Trent the Hooligan, Zensofly (Route 29 Pavilion, Concord)
POP/ROCK Bearded Buddhas (Cabarrus Brewing Company, Concord) Chunky Dadd (RiRa Irish Pub) Coheed and Cambria, Taking Back Sunday (Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre) Dinner Rabbits, Jphono1, Dylan Gilbert (Petra’s) Flip Cup All Stars (Tin Roof)
MUSIC
SOUNDBOARD Hustle Souls (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Machine Kid (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Shake the Band (Rush Espresso Cafe and Wine Bar) Starrider (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Up From Here, Never Home (Evening Muse) Warboys U.S., The Commonwealth, The Boron Heist (Tommy’s Pub) Water Dog Music Festival: Grown Up Avenger Stuff, S.O. Stereo, The Business People, Oceanic, Reaves, Artist Vice, Bad Karol (Neighborhood
CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH
Theatre)
Eclectic Soul Tuesdays - RnB & Poetry (Apostrophe Lounge) Soul Station (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub)
JULY 15 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL
Jesse Lamar Williams & The Menastree Jazz Jam (Evening Muse)
COUNTRY/FOLK Handmade Moments, Emily Mure (Evening Muse) Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Uptown Unplugged with Todd Johnson (Tin Roof)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B
Beres Hammond (Neighborhood Theatre)
DJ/ELECTRONIC
DJ/ELECTRONIC
DJ Steel Wheel (Snug Harbor) Farruko (World) Money Man (World)
Bone Snugs-N-Harmony: Bryan Pierce (Snug Harbor)
POP/ROCK Chicago, REO Speedwagon (PNC Music Pavilion) Lower Providence Trio (Free Range Brewing Company) Metal Church Sunday Service (Milestone) The Mood Kings, Joe Middleton (Evening Muse) Omari and The Hellhounds (Comet Grill) Ready Now, Heckdang, Matthew Paul Butler, King Thing, Black Bouquet (Milestone) Tedeschi Trucks Band, Drive By Truckers (Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre)
JULY 16 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Jazz Jam (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B #MFGD Open Mic (Apostrophe Lounge) Knocturnal (Snug Harbor)
POP/ROCK Find Your Muse Open Mic welcomes Graham Stone Music (Evening Muse) Open Mic with Lisa De Novo featuring Sam Stinson (Legion Brewing)
JULY 17 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL The Punch Brothers (Knight Theater)
POP/ROCK Infektion, Dezorah, Recover The Satellite (Snug Harbor) Kurt Vile and the Violators, Dylan Carlson (The Underground) Open Jam with the Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Sun June, A/C, The Heat, Katya Harrell (Milestone)
JULY 18 COUNTRY/FOLK Olivia Martin (Caswell Station)
DJ/ELECTRONIC Cyclops Bar: Modern Heritage Weekly Mix Tape (Snug Harbor)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Party in the Park: The Carolina Soul Band (Romare Bearden Park)
POP/ROCK July Residency : Blame the Youth, Den of Wolves (Snug Harbor) La Santa Cecilia (Neighborhood Theatre) Pluto for Planet (RiRa Irish Pub) Sweet Sweet, Caroline Keller Band, Province Of Thieves (Milestone)
7/19 ROOSEVELTS 7/20 JGBCB 7/21 JUPITER COYOTE 7/23FANTASTIC NEGRITO 7/25 THE SHEEPDOGS 7/27 PORCH 40 7/28 COSMIC CHARLIE - JERRY GARCIA BIRTHDAY BASH! 8/10Abacab A Tribute to GENESIS 8/5 LYDIA 8/11NATALIE PRASS 8/17 RED BARCHETTA A Tribute to RUSH 8/24 TREEHOUSE 9/11 JOSEPH 9/19 NOAH GUNDERSEN 9/28 CAAMP 10/2 MT. JOY 10/9 WELSHLY ARMS 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 mkemp@clclt. com or fax it to 704-522-8088. We need the date, venue, band name and contact name and number. The deadline is each Wednesday, one week before publication. CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 21
ARTS
FEATURE
PUT THE FLASH ON NC Always founder Chanel Nestor shines a light on the state’s hiphop photography BY RYAN PITKIN
C
HARLOTTE RAPPER Elevator
Jay stares at the camera with suspicious eyes. His camouflage shirt contrasts with the white backdrop. A rope tied around his left hand goes behind his neck before leading to four fish strung up and anchored by his right hand. A towel hangs from his left pocket, implying that Jay’s fishing hobby ain’t clean. Jay is as dirty South as it gets. His hat, of course, reps the great state of North Carolina. The portrait described above, which Charlotte photographer Kevin “Surf ” Mitchell shot, is one of more than 100 photos of North Carolina rappers to be featured in Don’t Wait ‘Til It’s Cool, a groundbreaking exhibit showing at BLKMRKTCLT in Camp North End on Sunday, July 15. Chanel Nestor, founder of North Carolina Always, an organization aimed at supporting arts and culture that isn’t recognized by the state’s mainstream funding sources, put together the show. Nestor likes to point out that, while Surf’s Elevator Jay portrait looks like a staged studio shot, it was anything but. “Surf is actually at the pond,” Nestor tells me on a recent Saturday afternoon. “He put a white screen in front of the pond, Jay had just got done fishing.” The story portrays the rawness of the photos featured in the exhibit, aimed at highlighting photographers who work to cover the local scene, in which photographs and social media are such an important part of building a brand. It’s an idea Nestor had floating around in her head for some time, inspired by her beginnings as a fan who began showing up at local shows in the Triangle area in 2010 and snapping photos for her blog, Chanelly Knows NC. “This event had already been in the planning stages,” Nestor says. “I’ve had this idea for years, especially from me starting out blogging and doing photography, and that’s kind of how I got in, was these quick snaps at events and stuff like that.” While Nestor originally planned to call the exhibit Seeing Sounds, an Elevator Jay tweet in March seemed to fit her vision much better. In the tweet, Jay stated, “Ima say this again. Don’t wait till it’s ‘cool’ to rep the Carolinas.” He was following up on a tweet from December 2017 in which he wrote, “Don’t wait till it’s ‘cool’ to fly 22 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
Charlotte rapper Well$, shot by Joseph “Headgraphix” Headen
“IT MADE ME FEEL GOOD THAT SOMEBODY ACTUALLY UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE WOULD BE NO IMAGES WITHOUT THESE PHOTOGRAPHERS OUT HERE DOING THE WORK AND SUPPORTING THESE ARTISTS.” CHRIS CHARLES, PHOTOGRAPHER the Carolina flag.” The latter tweet got the message across, however, and local creatives shared it hundreds of times. When Jay’s tweet went viral locally, Nestor had already begun curating photos for the exhibit, which she hopes to continue to add to after showing it in Charlotte and Durham, turning it into an archive collection of sorts and potentially publishing a book of photos in the future. “I just want people to understand the diversity of these artists and know that it’s not what you think hip-hop is and what you think rap is; it’s not that,” Nestor says.
“There are shots of these artists with their families, with their children; these are human beings that have this creative sense. I just want people — especially people who aren’t really involved in that scene — to understand that this is an art form. Hip-hop is an art form, and North Carolina has been central in developing it as far as its reach.” However, Nestor also emphasizes that the event is mainly centered on the work of the photographers, even more so than the rappers involved. “It’s really just paying homage to those photographers that have been working their
Snow Hill rapper Rapsody, shot by Chris Charles ass off to support this scene and don’t get events for them,” she says. Local photographer David Butler has a story similar to Nestor’s in that he came up on the scene by attending shows and posting snapshots to his blog, DavehasWingz. Butler has known Nestor since 2015, when he served as a videographer for her first NC Always event, and has been encouraging her to “press the gas” on the upcoming photo exhibit since the two discussed the idea not long after that first event. Butler says he’s been holding on to an archive of photos from local shows and hasn’t wanted to simply post them to Instagram, but wanted to make them a part of something meaningful. Don’t Wait ‘Til It’s Cool was the perfect opportunity to do that. “These are the things that we need to amplify. This is how you go from having these local things and artists collaborating with artists to us having something that we can showcase nationally,” Butler says of the collection. “I’m super excited that we’re taking this step as a scene and we didn’t have to wait for an outside influence to make it happen. It came from somebody from within, and we’re working from within our network to be able to execute it to the best level that we can. That just goes to show that all the resources that you really need to push things forward, they already exist if you just look for them and contextualize them correctly.” Chris Charles is another North Carolina photographer featured in the collection. Charles, 44, has been shooting in North Carolina for 10 years. He has recently moved away from covering live shows and focused more on portraiture, but says both are integral to the hip-hop scene. He says he’s excited to see an exhibit shine a light on multiple styles. “Anything like this where it showcases the photographers who are actually out there in the pit, all hours of the night,
‘DON’T WAIT ‘TIL IT’S COOL’ PHOTO EXHIBIT Free; July 15, 4 p.m.; BLKMRKTCLT, Camp North End, 1824 Statesville Ave., Suite 106; ncalways.org
doing the work, getting dirty to capture the best photographs of these artists, is definitely important,” Charles says. “It’s almost groundbreaking. I’ve been in the scene for a few years now and this is the first time something like this has popped up. It made me feel good that somebody actually understands that there would be no images without these photographers out here doing the work and supporting these artists.”
ON A RECENT SATURDAY, Nestor and
her 16-month-old son, Nathanael, sit at Tupelo Honey. She orders her favorite dish in Charlotte, fried green tomatoes on a bed of goat cheese grits. Every once in a while during our chat, Nathanael gets restless and lets out a high-pitched scream, garnering looks from the South End crowd in the dining room. Nestor apologizes and laughs, telling me she can see he’s already practicing for the “terrible twos.” But the kid is too adorable to be annoyed with. Once he’s seen that he’s gotten my attention, he cracks a smile and eats another piece of biscuit, content for the time being. With all Nestor has going on — balancing her job at Applebee’s with single motherhood — one could excuse her for wanting to back away from the thankless nonprofit work she does with NC Always, even if just for a short time, but the thought doesn’t seem to have crossed her mind. Nestor launched the organization in 2015 after five years of blogging about the local scene. Her first event was an ambitious showcase of black female artists from North Carolina called MayDay. During the day, organizers hosted film screenings in four cities — Charlotte, Asheville, Wilmington and Greensboro — before folks involved with all four events convened at the nowdefunct Showroom Gallery just north of Uptown for a party. In November 2015, NC Always hosted Highway Distribution, one of the final three shows to happen at the Tremont Music Hall. The show brought together rappers and performers from North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. It included local acts like Lute and Elevator Jay as well as Drake collaborator Nickelus F from Virginia Beach, Virginia. “We were bringing in all different types of artists just to kind of meet each other, that was basically what it was about,” Nestor says. “I named it Highway Distribution because most people are traveling either [interstates] 85 or 40 to get there. Just kind of building on our concept, that show was very definitive on what I planned to do with NC Always.” But it’s not all about hip-hop and arts in the big cities. Nestor, who has a bachelor’s in agricultural education from North Carolina A&T State University, has a passion for spreading her work to the more rural parts of the state where folks don’t have as much access to resources.
Charlotte rapper Deniro Farrar, shot by Kevin “Surf” Mitchell
Raleigh rapper Ace Henderson, shot by Tre Bravo (top), and Charlotte rappers Elevator Jay (left) and Lute, shot by David Butler
Winston-Salem rapper 9th Wonder, shot by Chris Charles In high school, Nestor moved from Winston-Salem to Davidson County, a more rural area just south of the town she grew up in. Her experience there would influence her passion for community building in rural areas. “It was like nothing; no transportation, a diminishing arts program,” she remembers of her time in Davidson County. “I felt like there was nothing left around, there was no way to get out. Especially if you don’t drive, you’re just stuck. So that’s where my mindset comes from. These students need to have access to everything just like urban youth do.” For Charles, who currently lives in Apex, Nestor’s focus on rural community building is one more reason that he believes it’s important to get involved with the work of NC Always. (Even our cover subject in this week’s issue, R&B singer Cyanca, is originally from the rural town of Smithfield; it’s a North Carolina thing.) “There are a lot of people who are doing great work out here, who are out in the
country, in the sticks,” Charles says. “I’m from New York, so I’m familiar with being able to go down the street and build and connect with people. But if you’re living out in Siler City or some small town, it can be hard to do that. Because of technology and basically being able to share your work across the world with the click of a button, it’s important that these photographers and these artists are getting their shine.” Nestor, who currently lives 45 miles west of Charlotte in Shelby and works on community-building initiatives there, hopes to include many more rural artists in the collection that her upcoming exhibit will mark the start of. Her next NC Always event, set to take place in October, will be a conference for African Americans who work in the agricultural field and rural community development. She plans to return to school to pursue a master’s degree in rural sociology. When I ask Nestor what it will take to get people to realize that it’s already cool to represent North Carolina, she’s quick to reference organizations like the local Arts & Science Council and North Carolina’s African American Heritage Commission, two big arts institutions that she believes are not pulling their weight in supporting a diverse range
of arts throughout the state. “They already recognize it, it’s whether they support it or not,” Nestor says. “Whether it’s financially, whether it’s through promotion, that’s really what it is.” She points out that Nina Simone’s home in Tryon was nearly torn down before the National Trust for Historic Preservation stepped in last month to designate the site a “National Treasure.” (And if you pass through the tiny town of Hamlet, you’d barely know the great jazz innovator John Coltrane was born there.) In the few weeks since Simone’s house was saved, Nestor’s seen more actions taken by organizations than in years past. “They wait until people from outside the state support what’s going on, and then they support it,” she says. “It’s become a national archive, and now they’re wanting to support it and do all this and have events honoring Nina Simone. It took for her to get these Netflix movies and all this stuff for them to really support in the way they should have.” Nestor’s ready to make that sort of work happen before it becomes obvious to everyone that it needs to. And if Sunday’s show proves anything to the folks who still don’t know, it’s that North Carolina has already been cool. RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 23
ARTS
PUSH THE COMIC
So Felisha, What do u think of the new place?
It’s umm, it’s great I guess...
This week on Push
The Nook at Plaza Midwood
June 2017 2018 24 | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
No, I like it, It’s just.. How are you affording a place like this?
You Guess? Don’t you like it? It’s a totally dope spot.
A couple of things? Warren, what the fuck does that even mean?
I mean, I got a couple of things in the works, I guess you could say....
2018
Yeah, thats kinda what I’m afraid of.
It means, don’t worry too much about it Felisha, I’ve got it under control.
Stay Tuned for the next installment of PUSH Follow along at 2018ArtNDesign @artndesign18 CLCLT.COM | JUL. 12 - JUL. 18, 2018 | 25
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of drinking. Stimulated by hundreds of thoughts and inspiring conversation, I find what I was saying and have been saying every myself staying up until the wee hours of the single time I’ve gotten super wasted over morning just to write — a task that I have a the past few months. We give writers credit harder time doing in the middle of the day for living the lifestyle, but we never want to when I should be most productive. actually talk about what it means to have I also thought about my best friend, who your mind made up about certain topics . . . just moved to Pittsburgh, about how she until I met him. came into play with those October articles I This kind of thing isn’t often talked wrote. Recently, I had asked her again if she about in the arena of nightlife and drinking, thought I was an alcoholic and she assured because let’s be real, when it comes to me that she didn’t believe I was. nightlife, everything revolves around But the fact remains, I’m still struggling drinking. But the reality is that those who to find total happiness. understand what it means to be teeterIf you’re a night owl like me, you know tottering on the edge have openly talked there’s a stillness at the end of the night, about it. post-drinking, that can’t be refuted In October of 2017, I wrote about or ignored. No matter how how I decided to take the month annoyed I am at a political off from drinking; call it a or personal conversation, #refresher. I kept everyone or someone’s negative looped in on my progress energy, I keep going. And and thoughts each week when my mind goes to while still trying to stay #theUpsideDown, I can engaged with the allure only wonder if it’s because of the night. of the alcohol or if the Well, here I am, alcohol is just intensifying almost eight months later, feelings that already exist. with the same questions AERIN SPRUILL The other day I was on my brain. Should I use driving through Plaza Midwood money as an incentive to stop and noticed a building I hadn’t drinking? Is my man the best noticed before, with a couple people reason why I should stop drinking? sitting on a porch. For some reason, I Should I try yoga as a meditative practice immediately knew what it was: a support and alternative to an unhealthy lifestyle? group. A gentle reminder that there are safe The past few months have been some of places where people who are struggling can the best and worst months of my life: the go. perfect little ball of organized chaos, I guess I thought back to the man who wrote me you could say. And most days I don’t know a couple years ago now; he wondered what how to decipher the best answer to any of an AA crawl would look like. I’m thinking my questions. now that it wouldn’t be the worst idea, Have you ever seen 28 Days, the movie starring Sandra Bullock in which she has though not something for print. At the time to go rehab because her contentment with I thought writing about it would be taking drinking had gotten to the point that advantage of the resource. Now, I’m not so she couldn’t even function as her sister’s sure I shouldn’t take that crawl — privately. bridesmaid? I watched it on one of those But I digress, I’m just reaching a point in sober October nights and couldn’t help but my life where awareness is critical to making see myself in her main character. the right decisions moving forward. I want In the movie, Bullock’s character Gwen to continue to have meaningful interactions Cummings states, “Yeah, I know I drink a lot, in nightlife with patrons, owners and the I know I do because I’m a writer and that’s people I love. what I do, I drink. I’m not like those people Transitioning from #vamplife may never out there, I can control myself! I can, if — happen, but finding the best ways to make that — if I wanted to, I could, if I wanted. I the most of that lifestyle will continue to can! I can!” stay at the top of my mind. I watched her say that and wondered if I If you’ve ever struggled with finding was the same person, even after being able the perfect balance between nightlife and to take a month off without any problem. drinking, share it with me. Some of my best work has come from nights BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM
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OUTLANDISH CELEBRITY FIRSTS ACROSS
1 Another name for Jesus 9 Utterly failed 15 Abounds 20 Flattish Italian bread 21 Salt with element #53 22 Dot in the drink 23 French president who never wore color-coordinated clothes? 25 Being tried, in law 26 Ship wood 27 Not e’en a single time 28 Advanced 30 Whet 31 Director Van Sant 33 Caught a three-time Best Actor red-handed? 38 Purplish red 42 Aria, usually 43 Analyzes, as syntax 44 Frequent co-star of Humphrey Bogart who was fantastic? 47 Gospel group 49 Musk of Tesla Motors 50 Slippery 51 “Eureka!” 52 Phil of folk 56 Enumerates 58 Campaign creations 59 “Die Hard” star dicing vegetables? 63 Avenues: Abbr. 64 Exude slowly 66 Pure delight 67 Tie together 68 Issued an alert to a knighted composer of musicals? 73 Evening bash 75 Hankerings 76 Italian for “it” 77 Little devil 80 Reclusive “Bonanza” star? 83 Tolkien terror 84 Put on hold 86 Last name of Buffalo Bill 87 Consents to 88 Try to cure 90 Boy, in Baja 91 Weight unit 94 Legendary hockey player who’s a native New Zealander? 97 Harmonize 100 Pal of Spot or Rover
101 Consulate 102 Promote the growth of the star of “The Last King of Scotland”? 107 Gp. that lobbies 108 Comic Buzzi 109 Dunaway of “Network” 110 Class book 112 That woman 115 Wading bird 117 1954 Literature Nobelist after getting more uptight? 123 Stock unit 124 Salad plant 125 Revere 126 Talked up 127 Scraped 128 Fed eagerly
DOWN
1 “Behold!,” to Cicero 2 It needs grist 3 Sir’s counterpart 4 “Six-pack” on a bodybuilder 5 “Prolly not” 6 Forks, e.g. 7 To be, to Proust 8 Freight-filled 9 With 120-Down, Wrigley’s gum brand 10 Mauna -11 U. URL end 12 “I’m on it” 13 Ran in park 14 Pop singer -- Marie 15 -- Maria 16 She played the mom on “Good Times” 17 Arm joints 18 Nasty sort 19 Underscore 24 Bit of history 29 Bit of errata 31 Belgian city 32 N.A. nation 34 Author Dinesen 35 IM guffaw 36 Em preceder 37 Chou En- -38 Coal and oil 39 Dark 40 Danger when landing a plane 41 Flaming 45 Gave succor 46 IV amounts 47 Comrade of Fidel
48 Laugh half 51 Not up yet 53 Elucidates 54 Sound from a souse 55 Seattle-to-Reno dir. 57 More achy 59 Carbon copy 60 180s on the road 61 Fly traps 62 On the outs (with) 65 Blood type, for short 66 Hidden valley 69 “Hello, hello?” 70 Caustic cleansers 71 “-- to do it all over again ...” 72 Musical run with four sharps 73 Utah’s capital, for short 74 Hugs, on cards 78 Cafe lists 79 Official substitute 81 Flier of myth 82 Scratch (out) 83 Former Bruin Bobby 85 Seminal ‘40s computer 88 Received 89 Enticing 92 French for “a” 93 Brand of spongy balls 94 Sch. in Cambridge 95 Org. on a toothpaste box 96 Dubya’s deg. 97 From the top 98 Stumper (Var.) 99 High-heel feature 100 Nasty sorts 103 Desert rarity 104 Spotted scavenger 105 Afr. republic 106 Christopher of film 111 Comic book mutants 112 Pirates’ loot 113 Not like a bit 114 Gazed at 116 Film director Demme 118 Drink slowly 119 Cain’s mom 120 See 9-Down 121 Con opener? 122 Dog’s threat
graB Your copy today
SOLUTION FOUND ON P. 30.
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SAVAGE LOVE
LOPSIDERS Loves women, loves to have sex with men — what to do? BY DAN SAVAGE Longtime Savage Love fanboy with a bit of a conundrum — and it’s your fault! I’m a bi man in my 30s. To use Charles M. Blow’s word, my bisexuality is “lopsided.” This means that I fall in love with women exclusively, but I love to have sex with men occasionally. My current girlfriend not only approves, she likes to join in. We have a great kinky sex life, and at times we invite a hot bi dude to join us. You keep saying that to counter bisexual erasure, it is the duty of every bisexual to come out of the closet. If I were a “proper” bisexual, i.e., romantically interested in men also, that would be no problem — my family and work and social circles are extremely liberal. However, your advice to us kinksters and people in open relationships is that we probably shouldn’t come out to our parents or colleagues, since when it comes to sex, it’s advisable to operate on a need-to-know basis. While I agree with this completely — my mother doesn’t need to know my girlfriend pegs me — the rule keeps me in the closet as well. Since I’m only sexually interested in men, wouldn’t I be revealing facts about my sex life if I came out as bi? I also wouldn’t want to mislead gay men into thinking that I’m available for romantic relationships with them. So which rule is more important: the duty to come out as a bisexual or the advice to operate on a need-to-know basis when it comes to your sex life? BISEXUAL LEANING OUT WARILY
There’s nothing improper about your not necessarily in the same way, and not bisexuality, BLOW — or Charles M. Blow’s necessarily to the same degree.” bisexuality, or the bisexuality of other “lopsided” Lopsided or not, BLOW, you’re a proper bisexuals. While the idea that bisexuals are bisexual, and if you’re in a position to come equally attracted to men and women sexually out to your family and friends, you should. and romantically used to be pushed by a lot And rest assured, telling people you’re bi of bi activists (“I fall in love with people, not doesn’t mean you’re divulging details about genitals!”), it didn’t reflect the lived/fucked/ your sex life. You’re disclosing your sexual sucked experience of most bisexuals. Like you orientation, not detailing your sexual and Blow (hetero-romantic bisexuals), practices. You can tell someone you’re many bisexuals have a strong attracted to men and women — at preference for either women the same time, in your case, if or men as romantic partners. not in the same way — without My recently “gay married” telling them about the hot bi bisexual friend Eric, dudes you and the girlfriend however, is one of those bed together. And if you and bi-romantic bisexuals. the girlfriend are perceived T his popular to be monogamous, and you misconception — that want to keep it that way, you bisexuals are indifferent can allow people to continue to gender — left many to make that assumption. people who were having DAN SAVAGE Finally, BLOW, most sex with men and women gay men are aware that bi feeling as if they didn’t have guys usually aren’t romantically an identity. Not straight, not gay, interested in other men. And that’s and disqualified from bi. But thanks to fine — so long as hetero-romantic bi guys bisexuals like Blow coming out and owning don’t mislead us, most gay men are down to their bisexuality and their lopsidedness, a fuck. (And gay men who won’t date homomore nuanced and inclusive understanding romantic or bi-romantic men? You guys are of bisexuality has taken root. That nuance missing out. My friend Eric was a hot, hung, is reflected in bisexual activist Robyn Ochs’s adventurous catch. Congrats, Christian!) And definition of bisexuality: “I call myself since you’re partnered and presumed to be bisexual,” Ochs says, “because I acknowledge monogamous, you’re also presumed to be that I have in myself the potential to be unavailable. But if you’re worried a gay friend attracted — romantically and/or sexually might hire a hit man to off the girlfriend so — to people of more than one sex and/or he can have a shot at your heart, come out to gender, not necessarily at the same time, him as hetero-romantic at the same time you
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come out to him as bi. Bi married man here. I was always out to my wife, but two months ago, I came out to our tight circle of friends. Everyone has been supportive, and I’m glad I took this step. But on three different occasions, my wife’s best friend has loudly asked me whose cock I would most like to suck out of all the other guys at the party. My birthday is coming up, and I don’t want her there. My wife doesn’t want to offend her oldest friend, and she makes excuses like “She was drunk” or “She was only joking.” I told my wife that I wouldn’t be coming to my own birthday party if her friend was invited, but she invited her anyway “by accident.” (She sent the invite via group text.) She doesn’t want to confront or disinvite her friend because that would be awkward. What do we do? HER UNTHINKING BUDDY BAD YUCKS
Here’s what you’re going to do, HUBBY: You’re going to ask your wife how she would feel if a friend of yours was sexually harassing her and you made excuses for that friend (“He was drunk!”) and then “accidentally” invited that asshole to her birthday party. Then if she won’t call her friend and retract the invitation, you do it. It will be awkward, that’s for sure, but your wife’s friend shouldn’t be spared that awkwardness. Lord knows she made things awkward for you — don’t hesitate to return the favor.
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LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Uncertainty over workplace policy creates anxiety and confusion among your colleagues. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked, once again, to help work things out.
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TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Once again, the Bovine’s patience pays off as that pesky problem works itself out without taking too much of your valuable time. A new task opens interesting possibilities. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Those suggestions you want to share need to be set aside for a while so you can focus on the job at hand. There’ll be time later to put your ideas into workable format.
a
CANCER (June 21 to
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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your zeal for challenges usually works well for you. But this week it’s best to avoid jumping into new situations without more information. Vital news emerges by the weekend.
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July 22) Be sure about your sources before you use the information in any decision you reach about your new project. Some of the data might be out of date or misinterpreted.
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
A sudden challenge might rattle you at first. But pump up that strong Lion’s heart with a full measure of courage, and face it with the continuing support of family and friends.
VIRGO (August 23 to
September 22) Watch your expenses this week so you can have a financial cushion to fall back on should things tighten up later this month. Money matters ease by the 1st.
to November 21) The workweek keeps you busy tying up loose ends and checking data that needs to be verified. The weekend offers a chance to relax and restore your spent energies.
SAGIT TARIUS
(November 22 to December 21) This is not the best time to go to extremes to prove a point. Better to set a sensible goal now and move forward. There’ll be time later to take the bolder course.
CAPRICORN (December
22 to January 19) A stepby-step progression is the better way to move ahead. Taking shortcuts could be risky at this time. Important news arrives on the 1st.
AQUARIUS
(January 20 to February 18) Avoid getting drawn into workplace disputes that should be handled by those directly involved. Instead, spend your energy developing those new ideas.
PISCES (February 19
to March 20) You still need to be prudent about money matters. But things start to ease by the end of the week. A weekend encounter with an old friend brings welcome news.
BORN THIS WEEK You handle challenging situations with boldness when necessary and caution when called for.
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