April 6, 2016

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CONTINUING AN AZALEA TRADITION

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The Avett Brothers return to the Wilmington stage on Thursday PG. 10

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Hobby Greenhouse Spring Plant Sale in Forest Hills will offer up their plants to benefit scholarships for local community college horticulture students. Entry to the sale is free and will be at 2318 Metts Ave., Fri. and Sat. 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Sun. 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. Cash or check only. For more, or to sign up for sales alerts, visit www. hobbygreenhouseclub.org or email info@hobbygreenhouseclub.org.

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Continuing an Azalea Tradition, pg. 10 The Avett Brothers are returning to Wilmington once again to kick off the NC Azalea Festival concert series this Thursday, April 7, at the Belk Main Stage in downtown Wilmington. Read their interview on page 10 and a complete schedule of Azalea events on pages 46-47. Courtesy photo.

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OP-ED>>

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Mark Basquill tackles the hard truth behind #WeAreNot this in NC. Wilmingtonians gathered in protest to repeal HB2 last Friday, April 1, at the corner of Oleander Drive and College Road.

Photo by Tom Dorgan.

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Extra>> Our final Best Of winners are listed, from Best Florist to Super Lawyer, superior bottle shop to grooviest groomer. Thanks to Pineapple-Shaped Lamps (right) for hosting the 2016 Best Of Awards!

Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography.

Editor-in-Chief: Shea Carver // shea@encorepub.com Editorial Assistant: Shannon Rae Gentry // music@encorepub.com Chief Contributors: Gwenyfar Rohler, Anghus, Jay Schiller, Tom Tomorrow, Chuck Shepherd, Mark Basquill, Rosa Bianca, Rob Brezsny, Linda Grattafiori, Tiffanie DiDonato, Bethany Turner, Chris Pendergast, Jay Workman

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Interns: Arnold Estrada-Lopez, Logan Brantley

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Toya Wilson-Smith will cover new-age marketing at a panel for the Wilmington Arts Summit at CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center April 15-16. Read about the summit on page 16.

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INSIDE THIS WEEK: Live Local, pgs. 4-5 • OpEd, pg. 6 • News of the Weird, pg. 7

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Music, pgs. 8-14 • Art, pgs. 16-17 • Theatre, pgs. 18-19 • Film, pg. 21 Dining, pgs. 22-30 • Extra, pgs. 34-47 • Calendar, pgs. 50-63

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NEWS>>live local

live local, live small: The benefits of employee interaction over machine-operated hums

by: gwenyfar rohler

I

Above: Stock photo.

have two re-occurring conversations in my life. One happens at the grocery store and it follows this pattern:

I’m waiting in a checkout line and the single person who is supervising four “u-scan” checkouts calls out that there’s no line—as they have been instructed to do by management. “No, thank you, I prefer to keep people employed,” I respond, eyeing the four registers reduced to one employee.

The other occurs at the downtown post office about twice a week: I am standing in line when someone walks in and bemoans there is not a self-checkout like at other post offices—or a stamp machine, for that matter. “No,” I respond. “There are people employed, instead.”

The first conversation usually just has the staff member saying “OK,” and going on to the next person in line. The second conversation tends to set off fireworks in people. It’s interesting to watch.

Of course, as a small business owner, I find myself on the other side of this equation frequently. I should first say: I was never a good employee. I have a personality cut out for entrepreneurship and the life of a writer. Frankly, I don’t play well with others. I am a big-picture person with very little interest in repetitive minutiae, and I can work toward big goals steadily if I believe in them. But grinding on hamster wheels was never going to work for me. I was pretty actively working on my own bookselling and writing dreams when I had my last “real”

4 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

job. My boss at the time was very gracious when I told her about buying the bookstore, and she commented it was what I should be doing. (She kindly refrained from pointing out already I had been doing it.)

My own personality aside, there are probably two reasons I never made a good employee. The first is nine years of montessori school, which really does not prepare students to follow directions very well. The second was I came of age at the end of the 1990s. When I entered the workforce, the economy was incredibly strong, and since I was only looking at entry-level jobs (most with no hope of advancement), my attitude was one of, “Well, if I don’t like it, I can always quit and get another POS job.”

For the generation that came after me, though, it would certainly not be the case.

Nor has it been for anyone on the job hunt in years surrounding the recession. So, let us say I went into life as an employer with some pretty “meh” karma coming my way. I hadn’t ever done anything incredibly awful or immoral; just I was never very good at being an employee.

I’m probably an even worse manager, truth be told. I try too hard to be fair and generous. Something I certainly did not comprehend at all in my early working life was (especially in a small-business setting) every dime spent on my paycheck was money not going home to buy groceries and pay the mortgage of the owner. On the other side of that coin, I am keenly aware of it.

It was actually one the first times I worked through the steps in “Your Money or Your Life” by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez that gave me the insight and strength to say I had several employees at the time who were not providing “value for money.” In other words I was “employing” them as an act of charity, and they were taking serious advantage of me at every turn. I was borrowing money in order to meet payroll, and to be blunt, there was very little work and an awful lot of complaining in return.

Part of the problem was I let it happen. Part of it was, in order to grow and mature, I had to learn how to face these situations, which were part of managing a staff of people. I had to learn from mistakes and not repeat them. I could read every book on business and people management and empowerment I wanted, but until I was confronted with the reality of the experience, it was just a lot of hot air. I know there are a couple of places in town that, when they promote someone to management, the first thing they ask them to do is fire another employee.

Sounds pretty harsh, doesn’t it? It’s probably one of the worst and hardest things to do for soft hearted folks. But the point they are trying to make is: Management has to make and act upon decisions for the good of everyone. Employees also

have a responsibility to contribute to the success of the business to pay for them to be there.

When I hire people at the bookstore and we discuss the starting wage, the next point is, “If we have a great summer, everyone gets a raise. If we don’t, no one does.” There have been a lot of times when I have gotten advances on credit cards (at 20-percent interest) in order to make payroll. Thankfully, for now, it hasn’t been necessary in a while.

When we hit times of prosperity, I try to pass it on and reward the hard work that made it possible. Again, those decisions can’t be based on individual gain, they have to be made looking at the impact and the good of the whole.

Which brings me to the larger issue: There is, I believe, a difference between eliminating jobs of hardworking people who show up and contribute to the team for the sake of replacing them with a machine, rather than making a necessary decision for the good of the whole. The postmaster general isn’t facing a crisis, trying to figure out how to pay the mortgage, when decisions about automated postal machines are made.

Thankfully, the downtown post office doesn’t currently have them. As noted, instead we have a wonderful staff of in-

credibly helpful, lovely people trying hard to provide excellent service. For me, it is worth waiting in line a few minutes (and getting a chance to meet some other people in line) to have that human connection. We have increasingly moved into an automated world with more daily activities processed on a computer and devoid of human contact.

Obviously the grocery store is thrilled to have the u-scan line, because they now only have to employ one person per shift for the four registers that are open. Think about it: Grocery stores are now open 24 hours, and the mom-and-

pop grocers of years past are gone—the ones with regular business hours that close around 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. and are most definitely closed on Sunday for church. Three eight-hour shifts in an average day, multiplied by three registers operating without a person, across as many stores as the company has, means a pretty significant decrease in expenses and increase in profits.

That’s pretty great for the bottom line and profit margin, but I somehow doubt it is a decision made for the good of all staff or how they would move forward into the future together.

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NEWS>>op-ed

A Confederacy of Dunces: The ugly truth about #WeAreNotThis

I

by: MARK BASQUILL

asked for the key to the men’s room at my regular coffee shop a few days after HB2 was signed into law and NC solidified its status, alongside Mississippi, as bellwethers of atavism. “Do you have a birth certificate?” the friendly barista asked. Sarah’s my regular barista. She lives on the comic rather than tragic side of life’s drama. She’s young enough to be my daughter.

“I’ll willingly submit to a gear check of my biological sex,” I said.

“That’s an unwanted sexual comment that could be considered sexual harassment,” she smiled and handed me my coffee.

“Apologies; you do know the law,” I said, “especially when it comes to laws governing sex and bathrooms.”

“HB2 has got nothing to do with ei-

ther,” she said. “It’s another example of politics of the deserving and undeserving. Paranoid people with power have to find classes of people that deserve to be put down: blacks, women, LGBT community, immigrants, Muslims—it doesn’t matter. Punish the ‘undeserving.’ Protect the power.”

“Awesome analysis,” I said. “Did you vote?”

“Voted and volunteered!” She showed me her bag and Bernie button. “Today capitalism has outlived its usefulness. It has brought about a system that takes necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes.”

“Sounds like vintage Bernie,” I said.

“Martin Luther King in a letter to Coretta in 1952,” she corrected.

“You’re definitely not part of the Confederacy of Dunces that’s turning Governor McCrory into a true genius.” I sipped

Ribs, Pulled Pork, Brisket, Smoked Sausage

#ILMPRIDE: Repeal HB2 Rally on the corner of Oleander and College, on Friday, April 1. Photo by Tom Dorgan.

coffee, smiled and headed off to work more optimistic about our future than I had a right to be.

It was an interesting quote from Martin Luther King—partly because of the nearness to the April 4 anniversary of King’s assassination. Partly because I heard about the passage of the McCrory administration’s latest primitive piece of multidimensional discrimination after Father Ron’s inspiring Maundy Thursday sermon. Ron reminded folks about the Last Supper’s New Commandment: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

I can’t imagine Ron, Martin Luther King or Jesus adding, “And if you have to pee, show me your birth certificate or proof of biological sex—and don’t even try to file a lawsuit about discrimination! Protect the power, brothers! Protect the power!”

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There is no need to waste words bashing Governor McCrory about this latest adventure in discrimination legislation.

Plenty of people are doing that. Frankly, I’m tired of reading about what an idiot our governor is. Jonathan Swift wrote, “When a true genius appears, you will know him by this sign, that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him.” With so many people down on our governor, I’m starting to think he may actually be a true genius. McCrory didn’t sneak into the state capitol. He didn’t hide his incestuous connections to the energy industry or big business. He told us exactly

what he planned to do in office. McCrory won the 2012 election by over 500,000 votes—an 11-percent margin. That’s true genius.

As much as I agree with the sentiment behind #WeAreNotThis, folks, the ugly truth is, we are this—or at least until November. McCrory and his crew are in office now partly because of lazy liberals like me, perhaps self-satisfied with electing the first black president we may have forgotten electing geniuses like McCrory to governors’ mansions or local boards of election assures discrimination legislation will continue to be signed, and slavery will be taught as “early immigration.”

Governor McCrory deserves a lot of credit. He has sparked a long overdue national debate about public restroom policy. By gutting social programs, blatant racial gerrymandering, and repealing the Racial Justice Act, he helped found the Moral Monday Movement. He helped resurrect NC’s dying liberal class, too, and that’s true genius. We can all laugh when John Oliver pillories our state yet again, but more of us lazy liberals probably need to engage in civil disobedience with Rev. Barber on Monday mornings.

I’m no genius, but I do remember, “all politics is local.” Lazy liberals may be as dangerous to democracy as any homophobic christofascist. Governors’ mansions, state houses, and boards of education across the country are more vital to the evolution of democracy than a high-profile circus that passes itself off as a presidential election.

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Fun at Work

Bill Bailey (a former nine-year employee of the water-irrigation network near Grand Junction, Colorado) was awarded unemployment benefits in December for being wrongfully fired. The company claimed Bailey was insubordinate and that any complaints he had were merely because he is “too sensitive” to workplace “fun” and unable to “forgive and forget” his supervisors’ team-building spirit. According to an administrative law judge, the “fun” included, among other things, detonating unannounced, ear-splitting PVC “potato guns” (using golf balls and other items) on the job and Bailey’s boss’s placing his own feces in a bag inside Bailey’s lunch pail. (At one point in the hearing, during the boss’s mirthful, carefree descriptions of the “fun,” the judge felt the need to advise him of his Fifth Amendment right.)

(Following the judge’s decision, Bailey’s two supervisors resigned.)

Questionable Judgments

The Agony and Tediousness of “Peeling”: The Canadian supermarket chain Sobeys has recently been selling pre-cut avocado halves, sealed in plastic packages. Said a spokesman, the product “eliminates the guesswork ... if you are not familiar with peeling and seeding a fresh avocado.”

Also, recently, Whole Foods began selling peeled mandarin oranges, sealed in “recyclable” plastic, at $5.99 a pound (but withdrew the product in March, with an apology and promise to sell the oranges only in their “natural packaging: the peel”).

The Continuing Crisis

— The Most “Florida” Story: State officials have notified retired pro wrestler Mary Thorn of Lakeland that, according to the law, her pet alligator (“Rambo”), age 15, having grown to 6 feet in length, may no longer be kept at home unless she provides at least 2 1/2 acres of roaming space.

She made a public plea in March, warning that confiscating Rambo would kill him, as he is super- sensitive to sunlight (having been raised inside her home) and must wear clothes and sunscreen when outside (though Thorn pointed out that he is “pottytrained” and wags his tail when needing to answer nature’s call). (At press time, the

investigation of Rambo was still ongoing.)

— The Most “Georgia” Story: David Presley (of Walton County, about 40 miles from Atlanta), 32, for some reason attempted to blow up his riding lawn mower in March — by placing three pounds of the chemical mixture Tannerite in it and then shooting the mower with a semiautomatic rifle. Although he was standing 30 yards away, shrapnel still hit him, severing his leg just below the knee.

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— The Most “Canada” Story: Ms. Philicity Lafrenier, 25, was charged with several break-and-enter and theft crimes in March in Prince George, British Columbia, after leading police on a half-mile chase as she made her getaway on an ice floe on the Nechako River. When police caught up, she attempted to dispose of items she had stolen (even though still on the ice) by burning them in a small fire, but an officer and a police dog jumped in the water to subdue her.)

Can’t Possibly Be True

— “Wall of Sound,” Updated: Police, finally armed with a warrant after months of neighbors’ complaints about loud music, raided Michael Baker’s small one-bedroom apartment in Croydon, England, in March and confiscated 34 loudspeakers that allegedly Baker had been using at high volume at “all hours.” After entering the home with the aid of a locksmith, police left Baker with only a CD player and a pair of earphones.

— Nicholas Ragin finally got his conviction overturned in March, but it took 10 years before the U.S. Court of Appeals declared that his “right to counsel” had been violated because his lawyer slept during various parts of Ragin’s conspiracy and racketeering trial. (His sentence had 20 more years to run.) One juror later recalled that lawyer Nikita Mackey slept “almost every day, morning and evening” for “30 minutes at least.” Once, according to court documents, after the trial judge called Mackey’s name loudly, only belatedly getting a response, Mackey “jumped up and sort of looked around and was licking his lips ... and looked sort of confused and looked around the room.” (The prosecutor said she intends to retry Ragin.)

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arts>>music

Local Alternative: Alt-Zalea Fest returns with lots of local talent

by: shannon rae gentry

ALT TRadition: Singer-songwriter Laura McLean (above) is one of several acts playing this year’s Alt-Zalea Fest at Detour Deli (among other venues) on April 9 . Courtesy of DREAMS Center for Arts Education.

W

ith every yin, there is yang. For almost 70 years, Wilmingtonians have had the NC Azalea Festival usher in spring with bands, artists and entertainers from across the country. However, there’s a luscious garden of local musical talents right in our own backyard year round. For this reason, a new tradition was introduced last year: Alt-Zalea Fest. Set in the Brooklyn Arts District, AltZalea was founded to put focus on local musicians and artists.

“Our art, film and music scene gives Wilmington something you cannot find just anywhere,” says Alt-Zalea co-founder Allister Snyder, owner of Detour Deli

and Cafe. “It gives us originality, culture and a better lifestyle; it deserves to be showcased.”

This year dozens of acts will perform throughout the day on Saturday, April 9, at Detour Deli (510 1/2 Red Cross St.), Hair Slayer (709 N. 4th St.) and Folk’s on 4th (706 N. 4th St.). It’s a way to showcase what the Brooklyn Arts District has to offer, besides free parking.

“Delicious food, incredible locally brewed craft beer, pubs, art studios, bottle shops, concert halls, history, and space to grow,” Snyder lists. “I feel very fortunate to live and own a business in this great community.”

8 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

This year’s Alt-Zalea Fest primarily focuses on music. With the Third Street bridge still down, leading the way for expected traffic difficulties, Snyder was hesitant to expand it within its second year; yet, he wants multiple arts events to become a prominent part of the Alt-Zalea Fest in coming years.

to them participating when they can.”

Among those playing at Detour, from noon until the last act at 7 p.m., are Emma Nelson of The Umphs, Tommy Hall of Pet Names, JJ Storniolo of Usually Yandere, Evan Baker of Brown Widow, Dylan Drake, and one of Snyder’s favorites, rock and blues man Jason Thompson.

“Don’t miss his swamp soul, roots blues,” he advises. “[But] no matter what venue you decide to go to, you will get to see some of the best talent in Wilmington.”

For 2016, he has been collaborating with Anna Mann of Carolina Pine Productions and Music Series. “It would have not happened without her,” he admits.

“We hope to get the Brooklyn Arts DisKicking off Detour’s lineup at noon is trict Community Organization (BADCO) singer-songwriter Laura McLean, who involved in the future; though, they were promises to deliver the “guitar guru unable to do it this year. We look forward goods.” “[I’m] playing confident electric

guitar while waxing eloquently and irreverently about the state atmosphere,” she tells. “Mixing up the originals with some Jack White, Chili Peppers [and] Widespread Panic.”

McLean also has new work in the mix. “Sheven Deadly Shins” could potentially be a double album made up of songs about current issues. “It’s about the state of backward motion the town and state and nation are in now, and our part in it,” she explains. “[They’re] true protest songs, like the ones not allowed on ClearChannel radio.”

As wel McLean has “The Book of Love” in the works and folks can expect a taste of those tunes on Saturday. In addition to sharing new work, McLean is looking forward to a community-oriented event with peers and friends she admires. As a local musician, she feels the tradition of Azalea Festival concerts often overlooks the local talent pool.

“We have such a huge population of musicians, and really good ones—10 times the number of a regular playlist in the Penguin,” she says. “Let’s get these folks some airplay. Good songs by locals are as important as playing ‘Wagon Wheel’ [for] the zillionth time.”

After Emily Marriott at 1 p.m., Justin Lacy and Sarah Royal will be debuting their group, Slow Dance, at Hair Slayer at 2 p.m. Thereafter, Travis Shallow, Jeremy Mathews and more will follow.

Starting at noon, Folk’s on 4th will host the likes of Vanessa Lynch, Anna Kareiva (at 1 p.m.) and Paul Obernesser at 2 p.m.

Obernesser plays a bit of solo pop and soul on guitar, and he may jam on a cover or two. He’ll be trying out new work as well. “One song is a transplant’s ode to South,” he tells. Welcoming spring in a more relaxed way, alongside other great musicians, is exactly what Obernesser envisions for the day of local live music.

and his theory on why azaleas were the real cause of the Civil War,” he quips.

“He’s also going to list the name, birthdate, hair and eye color, height, weight, and year that she was crowned, of every Azalea queen ever. It’s really creepy ...

And we might even play a rambunctious guitar and drum set symphony.”

Richardson says Alt-Zalea fest is a natural “alternative” to Azalea Festival—to have local bands come together. It’s not to appeal to folks looking to avoid Azalea Festival per se, but those who want to continue to support Wilmington talent and businesses as well. “It’s small and thus less crowded, allowing a more personal experience,” he adds.

The Alt-Zalea Fest will start at noon on Saturday, April 9, with a new act every hour until 8 p.m., at Detour Deli, Folk’s on 4th and Hair Slayer. For more details and complete lineup of free shows, visit the Facebook event page.

“Emma Nelson always brings it, and I’m interested Justin Lacy’s new stuff, Dylan Drake and Evan Baker,” he continues.

“As much [music] as possible.”

Details:

7 p.m. The Downtown Darlin’ duo is made up of Sean Richardson (guitar and vocals) and Nick Simon (drums), who combine folk, blues, punk, and whatever else calls to them. The two are constantly penning songs and will play them at Alt-Zalea.

Detour Deli 510 1/2 Red Cross St.

Alt-Zalea Fest

Saturday, April 9 Several others will play at Folks Cafe be- 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. fore Downtown Darlin’ close out the day at Free

“You can expect to hear Nick deliver a monologue about the history of azaleas

Folk’s on 4th 706 N. 4th St. Hair Slayer 1005 N. 4th St. encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 9

arts>>music

CONTINUING AN AZALEA TRADITION: The Avett Brothers return to the Wilmington stage on Thursday

I

by: Adrian Gerth

f selling hundreds of thousands of records between eight studio albums, opening for the Rolling Stones in July 2015 and being inducted into the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in October 2016 doesn’t solidify The Avett Brothers status as NC’s favorite sons, frankly, we don’t know what will.

They’re frequent players of Colorado’s famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and attend national music festivals like Bonnaroo and Coachella. Currently, they’re on tour with stops scheduled for Madison Square Garden with Brandi Carlile and three nights at the Chicago Theater later on this month—two of which are already sold out. Beforehand, they will make a pit stop in Wilmington to play the 69th annual NC Azalea Festival on April 7.

Their appearance at the Belk Main Stage isn’t without precedent. In fact, The Avett Brothers have played Wilmington numerous

times before, including at the now-defunct Soapbox during the upstart of their career.

Their first stint there in 2005 was an unforgettable experience for bassist Bob Crawford, who was available for an interview with encore in February.

“We’ve played some summer festivals out in the Midwest, but the Soapbox is the hottest show I have ever played,” Crawford remembers. “You could have cooked a turkey in the room; it was disgusting.”

It probably didn’t help he was wearing a wool suit during the show, which became less problematic for their second Soapbox run on its parking deck in 2007 for an outdoor festival. Yet, as the success of the Avetts has grown, they’ve yet to overlook the Port City. They played Azalea Festival in 2011 and 2013, too. The draw for their return is surprisingly simple. “Someone from the Azalea Festival asked us to play,” Crawford explains. “It’s a great event and we’re thrilled to be offered it.”

Actually, their history with the Port City dates back to 2002 during an ice storm.

They played downtown at what was once Marz Nightclub (first located where Ziggy’s is before it moved to what’s now Buzz’s Roost).

The Avett Brothers returned in 2003 to play the Lighthouse Wine and Beer Festival. During these self-described “wild days,” they also were regulars at The Shanakee before it became The Copper Penny. When asked about their romps on Front Street, Crawford keeps mum. “If there are any good stories, I don’t remember them,” he quips.

Crawford’s journey with the Avetts started in 2001. They reached out to him after hearing him play around town and decided on the perfect audition spot: a North Charlotte record-store parking lot. Ironically, Crawford just began playing upright bass three months prior. He had been the bassist in previous bands, like Blue Green Gauge and The Memphis Quick 50, and begun jamming with upright bassists while studying jazz at Winthrop University. When he looks back at that parking-lot audition, he’s still amazed by how far they’ve come. “We would have been total idiots if we thought we’d be here now,” Crawford admits.

Along with manning bass, fiddle, microphone and on rare occasions, the trumpet, Crawford has been a tie-breaker when it comes to musical disputes among the group.

“Lyrically, it’s more particular to the person who wrote the song,” he explains. If Seth

10 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

SONS OF NC: Bob Crawford (left) and Seth Avett (right) are two parts of the evergrowing Avett Brothers. Photo by Tom Dorgan.

and Scott can’t hash out a particular lyric or phrase, Crawford becomes the deciding vote. “When you’ve got a board of three, two carries the day,” he declares.

Crawford has been credited for pushing the band to tour outside of their NC comfort zone during the early days. He convinced the brothers their musical stardom would not present itself willingly—regardless of how many Grammy acceptance speeches they drafted. In 2007 Crawford brought cellist Joe Kwon onto the band’s roster, then pianist and bassist Paul Defiglia came along for the ride, and new drummer Mike Marsh (formerly of Dashboard Confessional) came aboard full time in 2012. Tania Elizabeth (fiddle) diluted the thickening pool of testosterone in 2013, but deepened the well of talent.

In addition to more man and woman power, The Avett Brothers continue to add more rock and hard licks to their homegrown punkbluegrass-folk sound as heard in their debut album, “Country Was” (2002), and followup, “A Carolina Jubilee” (2003). The band began working with famed producer Rick Rubin on 2012’s “The Carpenter,” which featured clean-cut tracks and melodies. They continued a working relationship with Rubin on “Magpie and the Dandelion” (2013).

They most recently announced their ninth album, “True Sadness,” will be released on June 24. Seth Avett wrote in an open letter in March that the album is a “contemporary chapter” in their collection—drawing inspiration from Queen to Tom Petty, Nine Inch

Nails to Gillian Welch, Walt Disney to Pink Floyd. He says it offers a “calypso of the 1950s and country of the 1930s.”

After working together for more than a decade, it’s become instinctual for the band to act as one unit, crafting sonic tapestries of Americana lure. “You give up more individual control to become a group,” Crawford explains.

They’ve honed the craft of perfecting their sound with more time in the studio, too.

“Country Was” (2002) came to completion in only two days and was recorded in the Avett brothers’ garage. “Emotionalism” (2007) was completed within three weeks. Yet, “True Sadness” took more than two-and-a-half years from song selection to recording.

“I think the key is that we have the luxury of being on our own schedule, which we didn’t necessarily have before,” Crawford adds.

Though the venues, band and touring schedule have grown much larger through 15 years of creating music and giving highenergy performances, they haven’t lost their sensibilities. “We don’t think of ourselves as a big act,” Crawford tells. “We are still very inwardly focused on what we’re doing.”

The Avett Brothers will play the NC Azalea Festival on April 7. Gates open at 5 p.m. and show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets and more can be found at www.ncazaleafestival.org.

DETAILS:

The Avett Brothers

Thurs., April 7 • 7 p.m.

Belk Main Stage • 411 N. Front St. Tickets: $55 www.ncazaleafestival.org

encore | april 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 11

a preview of events across town this week

the soundboard

Wrightsville Beach, NC

LIVE MUSIC fri

overtyme

apr 8

Eclectic Mix, 7pm - 10pm

sat

forrest tabor

apr 9 fri

apr 15 sat

apr 16

Eclectic Mix, 7pm - 10pm

christine martinez Acoustic Mix, 7pm - 10pm

Mike o’donnell Dance/Classic, 7pm - 10pm

1706 North Lumina Ave. • (910) 256-2231

Wednesdays & Fridays 6-9pm

April 6th Rob Ronner April 8th Mike Frusia April 13th Mykel Barbee

ALBUM RELEASE: Join local folk-rock duo DRISKILL in their debut of “Country Blues,” with a free release show at Bombers Bev Co. in downtown Wilmington on April 8. Photo by Kristen Abigail Collective.

Wednesday, April 6 703 S. Lumina Ave., Wrightsville Beach | 910.256.5551

OceanicRestaurant.com

Trivia with Jim and Glenn (6:30pm; Free)

—Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.

James Jarvis, Jazz Piano (7pm; Free)

Summer Outdoor Concert Series

LIVE MUSIC FROM 7-10PM Thursday - Justin Fox Friday - Overtyme Saturday - TBA 7324 Market Street • 910-821-8185 OPEN DAILY at 11am for Lunch & Dinner

—Proof Bar & Lounge, 18 S. Front St.

Raphael Name’ (7pm; $3; Guitar)

Jazz Series (6:30pm; $5-$68)

—Burnt Mill Creek, 2101 Market St.; 9105994999

Brooke Thompson (9pm; Free; Singer-Songwriter) —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.; 910-362-9666

Karaoke Night w/ Party Gras (9:30pm; Free) —Fox & Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.; 910-509-0805

Port Fear Entertainment Azalea Fest Kick-off (8pm; Cover TBD)

Corrosion Of Conformity (8pm; $17-$22; Rock) —Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St.; 910-769-4096

Karaoke (9pm; Free)

Thursday, April 7

Keith Butler (8:30pm; Free; Jazz)

MONDAY NIGHT BINGO - 6PM TUESDAY NIGHT TRIVIA - 7PM

Whiskey Wednesdays w/ DJ Battle (11pm; Free)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N. Front St. Unit F —Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

40 BEERS ON TAP

—The Whiskey Bar NC, 1 S Front St;

—Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St.; 910-395-5999

The Avett Brothers (7pm; $55; Americana)

—Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.

Trivia Night w/ Party Gras (9pm; Free) —Fox & Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.; 910-509-0805

Griffin Limerick (9pm; Free; Guitarist, Singer)

—Belk Main Stage, 601 N. Front St.

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.; 910-362-9666

Peppino D’Agostino (7pm; $15; Acoustic Guitar)

Bass Station (10pm; Free)

Fire and Drums (8pm; Free)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.

Friday, April 8

Ashton Stanley (8pm; Free; Folk)

DRISKILL (8:30pm; Free; Folk Rock)

—Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

—Bombers Bev. Co., 108 Grace St.

Fear Nuttin Band & Signal Fire (8pm; Cover TBD; Reggae)

Paul Anthony & Mark Dragon (6pm; Free; Acoustic)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

—The Whiskey Bar NC, 1 S. Front St.

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.

—A Tasting Room, 19 S. 2nd St.

HOW TO SUBMIT A LISTING: All Soundboard listings must be entered onto our online calendar, powered by SpinGo, each Wednesday, by 5 p.m., for consideration in the following week’s entertainment calendar. All online listings generate the print listings, as well as encore’s new app, encore Go. Venues are responsible for notifying encore of any changes, removals or additions to their weekly schedules.

12 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

Mike Frusha (6pm; Free; Acoustic)

Belly Dance Showcase (9pm; $10)

Port City Trio (7pm; $3; Jazz)

Striking Copper (9pm; Free; Folk Rock)

—The Oceanic Restaurant, 703 S. Lumina Ave. —Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

Snoop Dogg with Doug E. Fresh (7pm; $46.50) —Belk Main Stage, 601 N. Front St.

Erin Foley (7pm, 9:30pm; $19; Comedy)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.

—Goat & Compass, 710 N. 4th St.

DJ BZ (10pm; Free)

—Proof bar & lounge, 18 S. Front St.

Tim Black and Jenny Pearson (10pm; Free)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St.

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St. 910-362-9666

Bitter Greens (7pm; Free; Indie)

DJ Silver (10pm; $10)

—Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

Overtyme (7pm; Free; Eclectic)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St.; 910-769-4096

—Holiday Inn Resort, 1706 N. Lumina Ave.

L Shape Lot Duo (8pm; Free; Americana) —Burnt Mill Creek, 2101 Market St.; 910-599-4999

Velvet Jane (8pm; $5; Rock)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.

Sunny Ledfurd (8pm; Cover TBD; Rock n’ Roll) —The Whiskey Bar NC, 1 S. Front St.

Bronzed Chorus, WAUL Youth League & Night Idea (9pm; $5; Rock, Metal) —Reggie’s 42nd St. Tavern, 1415 S. 42nd St.

Jesse Stockton (9pm; Free; Americana) —Goat & Compass, 710 N. 4th St.

DJ UK (10pm; Free)

Sunday, April 10 Books, Beer & Jazz Piano (3pm; Free)

—Old Books on Front Street, 249 N. Front St.

Back of the Boat (4pm; Free; Cover) —Bluewater Grill, 4 Marina St.

Enso String Quartet (7:30pm; $0-$30)

—UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, 5270 Randall Dr.

White Knuckle Blackout (8pm; $0-$20; Metal) —The Whiskey Bar NC, 1 S. Front St.

Travis Shallow (10pm; Free; Soulful Americana) —Duck & Dive, 114 Dock St.

—Beach House Bar ‘n’ Grill, 7219 Market St.

Monday, April 11

Freaky Fridays with DJ BZ (10pm; Free)

Madball (8pm; $14-$16; Hardcore Rock)

—Proof bar & lounge, 18 S. Front St.

Tom and Jane (10pm; Free; Acoustic)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St.; 910-769-4096

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.; 910-362-9666

Music & Comedy Open Mic (8:30pm; Free)

Ladi Dadi AftaParti (10pm; Cover TBD)

Elena Woodard (9pm; Free; Singer-Songwriter)

—Ziggy’s By The Sea, 208 Market St.; 910-769-4096

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.; 910-362-9666

Saturday, April 9

Tuesday, April 12

Jazz Piano on Front St. (6pm; Free)

Open Mic (7pm; Free)

—The Calico Room, 107 S. Front St.; 910-762-2091

Laura McLean (6pm; Free; Singer-Songwriter)

Cape Fear Contra Dancers (7:30pm; $5)

—5th Avenue United Methodist Church, 409 S. 5th Ave.

Chase Rice (7pm; $36.50; Country)

Cape Fear Blues Jam (8pm; Free)

Erin Foley (7pm, 9:30pm; $19; Comedy)

—Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St.

End of the Line (7pm; $3; Folk)

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

Massive Grass (8pm; Free)

—Ironclad Brewery, 115 N. 2nd St.

Chasing Opal & Vittles Food Truck (8pm; Free) —Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

Some Army/JPhono1 Dual Album Release w/ (8pm; $7) —Bourgie Nights, 127 Princess St.

Groove Fetish (8pm; $12; Jam)

—The Whiskey Bar NC, 1 S. Front St.

Massive Grass (9pm; Free)

—Ironclad Brewery, 115 N 2nd Street;

$ (910)-452-1212 3 Guinness Cans Island Sunsets $5 SATURDAY Baybreeze/Seabreeze $4 22oz. Blue Moon Draft $3 Select Domestic Bottles $2 SUNDAY 2016 WATERFRONT $ Bloody MarysSERIES 4, Domestic MUSIC Pints $150 Sundays, 4-8PM $ Hurricanes 5

FEATURE YOUR LIVE MUSIC FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS (as little as $29 a week!)

Call 791-0688 Deadline every Thurs., noon!

100 S. FRONT ST. 910-251-1832 LIVE MUSIC in the courtyard 7 days a week

5564 Carolina Beach Road, April 10th (910) 452-1212

Back of the Boat April 17th Machine Gun April 24th Overtyme

4 Marina St, Wrightsville Beach | 910.256.8500

BluewaterDining.com

MONDAY S.I.N. NIGHT $2 Domestics • $3 All Draft Selections • $4 Flavored Bombs 50% off Apps 6pm til close NEW BELGIUM TUESDAY $3 New Belgium selections (Fat Tire, Ranger IPA) $5 Jameson • Wing Special WEDNESDAY $2.75 Miller Lite, $4 Wells, Half off All Bottles of wine Live Music @ 8pm THIRSTY THURSDAY $2.50 PBR 16oz cans $3.50 Sam Adams Seasonal & Hoppyum Pints $5 Redbull & Vodka, 50¢ Steamed Oysters and Shrimp FRIDAY $2.75 Michelob Ultra • $3.25 Stella $4.50 Lunazul Tequila • Live Music on the Patio SATURDAY $2.75 Carolina Blonde & Carolina Strawberry • Reel Cafe Rooftop Concert Series • Brunch from 11am - 2pm SUNDAY $3 Coronas/Corona Lite • $10 Domestic Buckets (5) $4 Mimosas • $4 Bloody Mary’s • Brunch from 11am - 2pm

—Rusty Nail, 1310 S. 5th Ave.

Dizzy Arts Music/Visual Arts Showcase (8pm; to artists at door) —Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.

College Night Karaoke (9pm; Free)

—Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.; 910362-9666

Forrest Tabor (7pm; Free; Eclectic Covers) —Holiday Inn Resort, 1706 N. Lumina Ave.

Visit our $website Appletinis $4, RJ’s Painkiller 5

THURSDAY www.RuckerJohns.com $ 50 2 Red Stripe for Bottles daily specials, music and 2 Fat Tire Bottles $ 50 2 Fat Tire Bottles upcoming events $ 50 2 Flying Dog IPA 1/2 off ALL Red WineFRIDAY5564 Carolina $ 50 Glasses Cosmos $4, 007 Beach 3 Road $ 50

—Goat & Compass, 710 N. 4th St.

—A Tasting Room, 19 S. 2nd St.

—Cape Fear Community College, 411 N. Front St.; 910-362-7000

www.RuckerJohns.com VISIT WWW.RUCKERJOHNS.COM FOR FRIDAY MONDAY DAILY SPECIALS, MUSIC & EVENTS Select Appetizers halfMONDAY off $ 4 Cosmopolitan $ 2 Big Domestic Draft Beers $550 Watermelon Martini $ 95 22oz. Domestic Draft ALL DAY 4 RJ's Coffee $ 3 Sam Adams and Blue $5 Pizzas Moon Seasonal Bottles TUESDAY TUESDAY 1/2 off Select Bottles SATURDAY LIVE JAzz IN THE BAR of Wine $ $ 6 All Half Price Bottles of Southern Wine Shiners 5 Absolut Dreams $ 50 $ Blue$2Moon Draft 3 NC Brewed Bottles • Pacifico Absolut Dream $$5503-22oz 2 Select Domestic Bottles WEDNESDAY WEDNESDAY SUNDAY 1/2 offMiller Nachos Light Pints $150$ Coronoa/ $ 50 5 All$2Flat 50 Breads 1 Domestic Pints Lite Bottles Corona $ 50 $4 Bloody$ Marys 2 Corona/Corona Lt. Margaritas/Peach Margaritas 4 Pints $ 50 $ 50 1 Domestic 4 Frozen Margarita $ 5 White Russians THURSDAY (pick your flavor)

Wednesday, April 13 James Jarvis, Jazz Piano (7pm; Free)

—The Blind Elephant, 21 N Front St. Unit F

Keith Butler (8:30pm; Free; Jazz)

—Burnt Mill Creek, 2101 Market St.; 910-599-4999

Griffin Limerick (9pm; Free; Guitarist, Singer) —Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.; 910-362-9666

Karaoke Night w/ Party Gras (9:30pm; Free) —Fox & Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.; 910-509-0805

Thursday ________________________________________ $2.50 Budweiser Draft $4 Wells 65 Wings, 4-7pm $3.50 Sweetwaters $4.50 Absolute Lemonade 65 Wings, 4-7pm

$2.75 Yuengling Draft $2.75 Domestic Bottles 65 Wings, 4-7pm

$3.50 Sweet Josie $4 Margaritas $3.50 Pint of the Day $4 Fire Ball $5 Mimosas $5 Car Bombs

TRIVIA WITH STEVE

8:30 p.m. • PRIZES! • $250 yuengling drafts

Friday ____________________________________________

LIVE __________________________________________ MUSIC Sunday

BREAKFAST BUFFET

$5 Bloody Mary’s & Mimosas *Drink Specials run all day

9:00 A.m.- 2:00 P.M.• $4 BLOODY MARY’S AND MIMOSA’S

1 42 3 S . 3 r d S t . D O W NT O W N W I L M I NG T O N ( 91 0 ) 7 63 - 1 60 7

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 13

concerts outside of southeastern nc

MOZART REQUIEM

showstoppers

Presented by

Cape Fear Chorale with orchestra Guest Conductor, Dr. Welborn Young Music Director, Jerry Cribbs

www.capefearchorale.org

Sunday, April 17 - 4:00 p.m.

Free Admission - Donations Appreciated - Wheelchair Accessible Sponsered by: New Hanover County Unrestricted Endowment, which is administered by the North Carolina Community Foundation

The North Carolina Arts Council, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts

Xs AND Os: See Elle King at Lincoln Theatre in Raleigh on April 7 and Amos’ Southend in Charlotte on April 11. Photo by Shane McCauley.

Jason Isbell

John Oates

NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE NORTH DAVIDSON ST., CHARLOTTE, NC (704) 358-9298 4/7: The Steel Wheels 4/8: Earphunk and Maradeen 4/9: Dave Barnes and Mark Scibilia 4/10: Plena Libre 4/14: Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars THE FILLMORE 820 HAMILTON ST., Charlotte, NC (704) 916-8970 4/7: Big Gigantic and Louis Futon 4/8: SOJA 4/13: Kip Moore, Dan + Shay and more 4/16: Seven Lions AMOS’ SOUTHEND 1423 S. TRYON ST., CHARLOTTE, NC (704) 377-6874 4/8: Bad Romeo 4/11: Elle King

Tommy Emmanuel

WEEKS 'TIL MERLEFEST! MerleFest and WCC are 100% Tobacco Free.

W i l k e s C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e • W i l k e s b o r o , N o r t h C a r o l i n a

14 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

The views presented are not necessarily those of Wilkes Community College or endorsed by the college.

MOTORCO MUSIC HALL 723 RIGSBEE AVE., durham, NC (919) 901-0875 4/7: Holy Ghost Tent Revival 4/10: David Lindley 4/13: David Wax Museum and more 4/17: Cash’d Out

HOUSE OF BLUES MYRTLE BEACH 4640 Hwy 17 S., Myrtle Beach, SC (843) 272-3000 4/9: Billy Currington

LINCOLN THEATRE 126 E. Cabarrus st., raleigh, nc (919) 821-4111 4/7: Elle King 4/8: Delta Rae and Aubrie Sellers 4/15: JJ Grey & Mofro with The Record Company CAT’S CRADLE 300 E. MAIN St., CARRBORO, NC (919) 967-9053 4/7: The Cactus Blossoms 4/8: Magic Man and The Griswalds 4/8: Some Army and more (Back Room) 4/9: They Might Be Giants 4/9: Acid Mothers Temple (Back Room) 4/10: The Mowgli’s, Julia Nunes and The Rebel Light 4/11: Algiers and The Veldt (Back Room) 4/13: Iration, Hirie and The Expanders THE ORANGE PEEL 101 bILTMORE AVE., ASHEVILLE, NC (828) 398-1837 4/6: Black Tiger Sex Machine 4/7: They Might Be Giants 4/9: Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band & Big Something 4/12: Riff Raff 4/15: The Oh Hellos and The Collection

encore | april 6 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 15

arts>>art

ARTS IN ACTION:

Local arts council holds free Wilmington Arts Summit on April 15-16

by: SHEA CARVER

W

e all know the ways budgets impact education: Arts usually are the first to go. The impact of the arts on a student are far more beneficial than legislators and officials often consider. Students involved in arts education usually are four times more actively participatory in both math and science, not to mention three times more likely to attend school regularly. Their academic achievement soars, and oftentimes they’re three times more likely to elected to a class office of some sort, not to mention graduate from college—at least so says Americans for the Arts.

While adults strengthen these beliefs in a child’s youth, as we age we have to look at arts continuing to impact our world in various ways.

Aside from the obvious personal fulfillment of creative output, and enjoying it as a spectator or participant, the way it shapes our society and culture economically and philosophically is greatly undervalued, both literally and figu-

“Our audiences spent an additional $15 million,” Bellamy tells. “We supported the equivalent of 800 full-time jobs and generated $1 million in taxes for both local and state governments.”

Still, Bellamy says those impressive numbers don’t paint a full picture. Their summit had a 29 percent participation rate, so many voices weren’t heard. On April 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and April 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the council strongly will encourage greater participation in their Wilmington Arts Summit, to be held at Cape Fear Community College’s Humanities and Fine Arts Center. There will be panel discussions in the black box theater every hour on the hour, plus workshops will take

You don’t have to be a SUPERHERO to become a Guardian ad Litem for abused or neglected children.

Want rewarding voulunteer work that uses your head & heart? Come to one of our Open Houses!

New Hanover County:

320 Chestnut St. Suite 618 April 14th: 11:30am - 1pm or 4:30 - 6pm

Social media and new-age marketing will be covered and led by Toya Wilson-Smith, who consults small business owners and entrepreneurs. Groundswell marketing will be covered by WILMA’s Nina Bays Cournoyer, who will speak about actualizing small arts events and getting businesses and community organizations involved. Bays-Cournoyer will welcome ideas from participants to workshop for feedback

ratively. According to Rhonda Bellamy, executive director of the Arts Council of Wilmington and New Hanover County, the numbers are significant. The last study the arts council did in 2012 via their arts summit had the nonprofit sector’s direct expenditures totaling $5.7 million on our local economy.

Pender County:

Surf City Welcome Center 102 N. Shore Dr. April 17th: 1 - 4pm

CUCALORUS ON KICKSTARTER: Executive director of Cucalorus Film Festival, Dan Brawley, will speak on a panel about fundraising via Kickstarter during the Wilmington Arts Summit on Saturday, April 15. Courtesy photo.

place in 10 classrooms in the academic wing of the center.

“The input gathered from [last fall’s] listening tour, surveys, and direct contact with artists and arts organizations reaffirmed the fact that our arts community comprises entrepreneurs and small businesses, all of whom desire to develop professionally and to increase capacity within their respective careers and organizations,” Bellamy says She has culled a list of various topics to be covered, from “Most Common Grant Mistakes” to “Sweep the Globe”—the latter of which will focus on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarteer. Dan Brawley of the Cucalorus Film Festival will lead the globe panel to discuss how the festival has raised $128,849 over the last few years.

“According to Dan Scheonbrun, head of film at Kickstarter, Cucalorus is the most successful film festival in the company’s short history (Kickstarter was founded on April 28, 2009),” Bellamy tells. “Dan will unravel the myths about crowdfunding and share highlights from the festival’s five campaigns.”

RSVP: (910) 343-5360 or lee.c.olson@nccourts.org 16 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

Also speaking will be local media (including yours truly to represent encore, along with John Staton of StarNews and Gina Gambony of WHQR). Editors and news commentators will speak about how coverage of the arts and events can be maximized.

Other topics of discussion will include “Art & the Law: A Primer for Visual Artists,” with attorney Paul Jenkins; “Give a Damn About the Arts,” with executive Karens Wells of Arts North Carolina; “Calling All Millenials,” with entrepreneur and PeoplePassionate.com blogger Kevin Kleitches; “Google: Let’s Put Wilmington on the Map” with Jeanne Eury of the NC Retail Merchants Association; “Dynamic Models for Activating Space,” with SARUS Arts Festival founder Karola Luettringhaus, Jennifer Mace of Twelfth and Chestnut Community Project, and Alisa Harris of Dram Tree Shakespeare; and “State of the Educational Union,” a discussion led by arts supervisor Tim McCoy on the arts in New Hanover County School System.

“The summit has always been the intended outgrowth of our ‘Ears on the Arts Listening Tour,’ in which we convened various stakeholder groups, including business and civic leaders, arts administrators, and independent artists of all disciplines,” Bellamy explains. It took place last October to coincide with National Arts and Humanities Month. The dialog helps propel the local council’s mission of supporting arts-driven economic development. “[We] facilitate communication and collaboration within the arts community, and advocate for the arts at the local, state and national levels,” Bellamy tells. “Our ultimate goal is to establish Wilmington as an arts destination, which is achieved when we have artists and arts organizations operating at optimal capacity.”

Bellamy aims for around 250 participants throughout the weekend, which starts with a networking reception on Friday, April 15, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. To register for one or more of the free 30 workshops on Saturday, head over to artscouncilofwilmington.org

Details:

Wilmington Arts Summit

April 15, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

April 16, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

CFCC Humanities and Fine Arts Center • 700 N. Third St. • Free artscouncilofwilmington.org

what’s hanging around the port city

galleryguide Artfuel.inc

2165 Wrightsville Ave. Mon. - Sat., noon - 7pm www.artfuelinc.com • (910) 343-5233 Artfuel is pleased to host Vol. 42, featuring work by Dennis Schaffer, Kyle Page, Mimi Logothetis, and Tuki Lucero. Hangs for eight weeks.

ArtExposure!

22527 Highway 17N, Hampstead, NC (910) 803-0302 • (910) 330-4077 Tues. - Sat. 10am - 5pm (or by appt.) www.artexposure50.com We have over forty NC artists here at ArtExposure. Come visit and view the work.

Artists may rent wall space and/or studio space. Come meet the artists working in their studios. A Plein Air Workshop with Karen Crenshaw on beautiful Topsail Island will be held April 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. Details can be found on our website.

Deadline to sign up is March 31st. Check our website for more available classes.

Art in bloom

210 Princess St. Tues. - Sat. 10am - 6pm (or by appt., Sun. and Mon.) (484) 885-3037 www.aibgallery.com Established in 2015, the Art in Bloom Gallery is in a renovated, 19th-century horse stable at 210 Princess Street in downtown Wilmington. The gallery focuses upon international and national fine art.

The current exhibit of oil paintings, “Debra Bucci: Living in the Moment”, runs through May 27th. Join us for receptions in April: 1) “Courtyard Opening and Celebration of Sculpted Gate by Dumay Gorham,” Sunday, April 17th, 2-5 pm; 2) Fourth Friday Gallery Night, April 22nd, 6 - 9 pm; and 3) Art Opening for DREAMS students, Friday, April 29th, 6 - 8 pm.

CRESCENT MOON ART AND STYLE

24 N. Front St. • (910) 762-4207 Call for new hours or appointment!

This Fourth Friday, join the community of Wilmington to celebrate the Life & Art of Linda A. Hartman. Tommy J is back, too— featuring his beautiful and limited sterling silver Galion “Hook and Double Hook Bracelets” and designer jewelry. Alos presenting Papa Froosh as our musical artist, a duo, here at “The Moon.”

Charles Jones African Art

311 Judges Rd., Unit 6-E cjart@bizec.rr.com • (910) 794-3060 Mon. – Fri. 10am - 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm - 4 pm Open other hours and weekends by appointment www.cjafricanart.com AFRICAN ART - Museum quality African Art from West and Central Africa. Traditional African art for the discerning collector.

Current exhibition: Yoruba beadwork and Northern Nigerian sculpture.

Appraisal services, curatorial services and educational exhibitions also available.

Over thirty years experience in Tribal Arts. Our clients include many major museums.

New Elements Gallery

201 Princess St. (919) 343-8997 Tues. - Sat.: 11am - 6pm (or by appt.) www.newelementsgallery.com Striking A Balance is open at New Elements Gallery. This exhibit features new works from printmaker Donald Furst and painter Bob Rankin. Both artists share a clean, linear aestheric, but they differ in palette. Furst works predominately in black and white where Rankin plays with primary hues. Striking A Balance will remain on view until April 16, 2016.

pottery; oil paintings, watercolors, mixed media, pastels and acrylics; plus awardwinning metalworks, wood pieces, handblown glass, fiber art, artisan-made jewelry and more. Sunset River Marketplace has become a popular destination for visitors, a gathering place for artists and a center of the community, thanks to its onsite pottery studio, complete with two kilns; a custom master framing department; and art classrooms for workshops and ongoing instruction.

WILMA W. DANIELS GALLERY

200 Hanover Street, CFCC parking deck First level • (910) 362-7431 Tues.- Fri., 10am - 5:30pm; Sat., noon - 5:30pm CFCC’s Wilma W. Daniels Gallery is pleased to present the Annual Student Exhibition, a juried group showing featuring over 100 original works of art by current CFCC student, April 5th – May 6th. A

Fourth Friday Reception and Awards Presentation will be April 22nd from 6-9pm.

The Arts Council of Wilmington’s Executive Director, Rhonda Bellamy, served as this year’s juror. She selected work from almost 200 submissions. The Arts Council of Wilmington/NHC, in association with Cape Fear Community College’s Humanities & Fine Arts Department, will present the inaugural Wilmington Arts Summit, April 15-16, 2016 at CFCC. The kickoff for this event will be held on Friday, April 15th from 6-9pm in CFCC’s Wilma W. Daniels Gallery. This event will provide networking opportunities by discipline and other focus areas, as well as provide an additional opportunity to view the Annual Student Exhibition. For additional information on the Summit, please visit www.artscouncilofwilmington.org.

Admission is free and the exhibition is open to the public. Sarah Rushing: srushing278@mail.cfcc.edu.

River to Sea Gallery

225 S. Water St., Chandler’s Wharf (free parking) • (910) 763-3380 Tues.- Sat. 11am - 5pm; Sun. 1- 4pm River to Sea Gallery showcases the work of husband and wife Tim and Rebecca Duffy Bush. In addition, the gallery represents several local artists. The current show will enthrall visitors with its eclectic collection of original paintings, photography, sculpture, glass, pottery and jewelry.

“Morning Has Broken” features works by Janet Parker. Come see Janet’s bold use of color and texture to reveal local marsh creeks and structures.

SUNSET RIVER Marketplace

10283 Beach Dr., SW (NC 179) (910) 575-5999 • Tues.- Sat. 10am - 5pm www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com In the historic fishing village of Calabash, NC, over 10,000-plus square feet of fine arts is showcased. Clay art and

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 17

arts>>theatre

IDIOTIC patriotism:

Thalian Hall premieres Green Day’s punk-rock opera ‘American Idiot’

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by: Shea Carver

the least,” Becka tells.

sario appreciates the storytelling aspect of the show’s protagonist, which is apparent only because of Johnny’s dire struggles.

etting go of hate. Questioning government. Rising above the force-fed news “As a human, we can understand feed of biased media. Finding a voice.

Being a castaway. Renouncing and defending what it’s like to be ambitious, selfrighteous, reckless, naïve, strong, war. They’re all heavy themes that run deep addicted, weak, malleable, confused, in Green Day’s 2004 album “American Idiot.” or lost from another perspective.”

In 2009 the punk-pop rock band’s platinumPlaying Will will be Christian Diselling release became a staged musical and onne. A local chef and musician, debuted at Berkeley Repertory Theatre before it’s Dionne’s first leading role ontaking on Broadway a year later. The show stage. Will is Johnny’s friend who won multiple Tonys, a Drama Desk, Outer Crit- gets left behind in their hometown ics Circle and Grammy award. Since its debut, after facing the reality of becoming “American Idiot” has become a modern-day an unexpected family man. hit among theatre-goers looking to expand “He is still in the process of their minds beyond vanilla song-and-dance teaching me that actions have conentertainment. It’s become a statement. It’s sequences, particularly when you become a rally cry. It’s become a force with which to be reckoned, as its political and so- think the only person being damaged is yourself,” Dionne tells. cial undertones speak to generations fighting Tunny—who moves to the city against a nation’s tumultuous climate of political disparity. The themes could not be more with Johnny, only to join the military and get deployed to war—will be appropriate today—or 40 years ago. played by Will Roden. Roden has Thalian Association will premiere “Amerihad an interesting time weighing the headcan Idiot” on the Thalian Hall stage this space of his character. week, codirected by David Loudermilk and “Was he persuaded into joining the Army or Anthony Lawson. “This is more than just a narrative—it’s a statement,” Lawson tells. was he duped?” Roden asks. “I think it’s pretty “I liken it to a modern day ‘Hair.’ It’s more obvious what the intended answer to that quesabout the feelings brought on by the music tion is, but it’s hard for me to not compare and project my own experiences and feelings with than forcing a story with lots of dialog.” the military onto Tunny. We obviously had very “Yes, it is edgy; yes, it is rock ‘n’ roll, but it different experiences while serving, but there is still theatre,” Loudermilk agrees. “It is still art are a lot of similarities between our situations and we are still telling a story.” that led us both to the military. That makes me The music is the driving force of the show— question myself. Was I persuaded? Did I make and it’s loud. Led by music director Katie Rich- my decision to join under my own volition? I’d mond Deese on keys, the punk-rock opera will sure like to think so.” come to life with the help of guitarists Justin It’s also Roden’s first role onstage. He has Lacy and Ryan Vosler, Sean Howard on bass, had to check his personal life at the stage door Benjamin Baldwin on drums, Stephen Pfeiffer to ensure the character isn’t a mirror to his own on cello, Marscia Martinez-Mendoza on viola, journey. He says it’s been tough to grapple and Adrian Varnam on violin. with his own political stances, as challenged “It would be easy to look at this show from by Green Day’s album. “American Idiot” is very the outside and believe that it would be 90 min- much a response to the Bush administration utes of loud, angry rage against society, but and the post-9/11 era of the Iraq War. there is so much more,” Deese tells. “These “The message of this show is challenging,” characters get to use the music to show their Roden says. “It’s not a show you walk away joy, frustration, fear, disappointment, love, vul- from with the warm and fuzzies because the nerability, pain, and yes, anger. There are mo- story isn’t wrapped up with a pretty bow. It’s ments of laughter and thought and tears, and very possible someone leaves offended, and it’s a different, personal experience for every- that’s what makes it important. . . . I don’t beone involved.” lieve President George W. Bush was perfect, The show centers on three childhood friends, but I do believe he made decisions with our who discover themselves amidst the throes of best interests at heart; I respect him for that. leaving suburbia for the big city. Johnny, the Je- With that said, for the past 12 years I’ve had sus of Suburbia, a punk-rock freedom fighter, a very negative opinion of [the Green Day] will be played by Richard Frank Rosario. Ro- album. It wasn’t until my wife, in anticipation 18 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

The center of passion really comes alive between Johnny and Whatshername; though, it also leads them down a destructive path. It can be hard to stomach yet typical of young love set to the backdrop of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Burnette says the storytelling in the show hits home for her, as ghosts from her days of attending school in NY have risen again.

“It’s scary but wonderful to feel removed from being a rebel in the city,” she says, “and at the same time, I miss being a rebel.

I was good at it.”

THE CASTAWAYS: Caitlin Becka, Will Roden, LaRaisha Burnette, Brendan Carter, Richard Frank Rosario, Christian Dionne, and Katie Janes Villecco.

Courtesy photo

Will’s pregnant girlfriend, Heather, will be played by Katie Janes Villecco. Villecco embodies the idea of life plans being thwarted by unexpected circumstances. She’s also one of the stronger characters in the show who takes back control of her life and rolls with the punches.

“[I’m learning from Heather that] you have the power to change your life,” Villecco says.

“It may not be right away, but you can. It’s good to remember, at least for me, that I am in for auditions, suggested we watch ‘Broadway the driver seat.”

Idiot’ that my opinion began to change.”

The antagonist, St. Jimmy (whom Billie “Broadway Idiot” shows the transition of Joe Armstrong played during the Broadway “American Idiot” from rock album to punk-rock run), is a drug dealer making life for Johnny opera. Every member of Green Day was conhellish if not eye-opening. The role will be sulted the entire way through in making the played by local actor Brendan Carter. The musical come to life. Viewers are able to hear ensemble will be filled out by Gregory Bedfrom Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt, Tré Cool, dingfield, Kimberly Brumsey, Anna Gamel, and Jason White about the meaning of the alMeagan Golden, Ryan Gonzalez, Grant bum and the aftereffects of it becoming more Hedrick, Paul Homick Amanda Hunter, Kai than they had every imagined. It’s an emotional Knight, Ty Myatt, Stephen M. Raeburn, documentary to see through the band’s eyes.

Jennifer Marshall Roden, Matthew Winner, “After watching it, several things happened: Thomas Winner, and Hunter Wyatt.

While there are definitely some anti-Bush senti“American Idiot” opens Thursday, April. 7, ments, I realized the album is more of a critique with set design by Terry Collins, lighting design of the American people and how easily we’re

by Jacki Booth, costumes by Jen Iapalucci, influenced by our media outlet of choice, which and choreography by David Loudermilk.

I can get behind,” Roden tells. “Second, I think hearing from the artist [and] what was going through his mind while he was creating his art goes a long way in appreciating said art.”

Filling the roles of female lovers will be Caitlin Becka as The Extraordinary Girl (a nurse who falls in love with Will) and Johnny’s girlfriend, Whatshername, played by LaRaisha Burnette. "To be able to express frustration toward tyranny and ignorance through this vehicle of rock ‘n’ roll, has been cathartic, to say

DETAILS:

American Idiot

April 7-17, 7:30 p.m. or Sun., 3 p.m.

Tickets: $15-$30 Thalian Hall • 310 Chestnut St. (910) 632-2285 www.thalianhall.org

arts>>theatre

Corn Bread and Smiles: ‘Walking Across Egypt’ is homegrown greatness

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by: Gwenyfar Rohler

ast year TheatreNOW presented the stage adaptation of Clyde Edgerton’s novel “Raney.” This year they are offering Catherine Bush’s adaptation of another of Edgerton’s novels, “Walking Across Egypt.”

Theatre-goers meet Mattie Rigsbee (Kitty Fitzgibbon), taker in of stray dogs, thwarted potential grandmother and possessor of the best corn bread recipe in the South. Mattie has decided she is “slowing down” and has her neighbors worried: She actually called the dog catcher to come pick up her latest stray. If she hadn’t called Lamar Benfield (KenWin Halls), she wouldn’t have gotten her rocking chair repaired and found herself visiting Lamar’s nephew, Wesley (Kegan Dubar) in the juvenile detention—which, as far as her son Robert (Ron Hasson) and her neighbors Alora (Lynette O’Callaghan) and Finner (Jef Pollock), are concerned that would probably be for the best. They are very unnerved by this turn of events.

Finner—a Hostess Twinkie delivery driver concerned with defending his neighborhood (to a degree that includes crawling on his belly through tall grass with his night-vision binoculars and pistol)—is convinced he needs to rescue Mattie from a hostage situation. Pollock is having almost as much fun onstage attempting to secure the perimeter as the audience is watching his antics. Never shy about physical comedy, Pollock combines his joie de vivre with a sincere love for and need to protect the women in his life.

O’Callaghan is his perfect match in so many ways. She seems flighty and a bit of a busybody. But, like Finner, she genuinely loves Mattie and cares about her.

When she delivers the bombshell of analysis for what is driving Finner’s behavior, it isn’t done with gravitas or great import. It is dropped into conversation with the same bubbly, loquacious speed as everything else receives. Perhaps the least understood character is not actually Wesley or Mattie—but Robert.

Mattie can’t bring herself to understand why Robert is 53-years-old and still single (in spite of all her hopes for grandchildren).

Poor Robert is watching himself get slowly displaced in his mother’s life and home: Wesley slept in Robert’s bed and has been given Robert’s old shirt and tie to wear to church (one of Mattie’s conditions for Wesley spending the night under her roof). I

could almost feel Hasson’s panic leaping out of his chest as the full understanding of what is happening dawns on him.

Lamar, who has lived a life of broken dreams and accepted the reality of what the world is, still finds kindness and sympathy for people around him—even people who are more prosperous and lucky than he. Halls gives us the younger, male version of Mattie: trying to bring a little goodness and light into the world. But the chips are stacked against him and audiences can see it on his face: dismay, despair, concern, worry. Yet, he gets up and tries to do what he can for those around him. Somehow, in the midst of everything, he is saddled with an angry, ungovernable, destructive teenager—just what every struggling young adult needs in their life, right?

Dubar surprised me; I expected him to be much more manipulative. But his emotions were pretty straightforward: anger at Lamar, desirous of all he saw in Mattie’s life. Wesley clearly cannot plan beyond five minutes in front of him and Dubar doesn’t undermine that with a larger plan brewing in his head. He is purely reactive and, like many teenagers, explosive. Mattie must be a saint; I couldn’t put up with him for 10 minutes.

Opera House Theater Co. produced a stage version of “Walking Across Egypt” n the late 1980s. A film was released in 1999 with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Mark Hamill. Clearly, there is something within the story that resonates with people. Something emanates from it for it to be revisited, as to remind us to somehow settle into ourselves. Partly, of course, there is Edgerton’s wonderful sense of humor, which doesn’t laugh at the South so much as laugh with his characters inhabiting it. In addition, Edgerton likes to show us people who—though they are flawed and sometimes tripped up by unforeseen and unpredictable parts of life—are still essentially good people, trying to make the world better.

I think the crux of its draw can best be summed up during a moment of complete naturalness and conviction as shown from Fitzgibbon. Toward the end of the show Mattie is arguing with her minister, trying to get him not to press charges against Wesley for theft. As her plans for Wesley begin to dawn on him, the minister declares that Mattie doesn’t even know if this boy is a Christian—to which she responds it doesn’t mean she can’t be one. She doesn’t scream it, and she doesn’t slam her fist on the ta-

ble. It’s just the most obvious statement of how she goes through the world.

Fitzgibbon is simply wonderful in this role.

Everyone onstage is fun to watch. Skip Maloney’s sheriff, who has the strangest house call ever to make, and Tim Rizor’s minister, grappling with a colorful but well-intentioned flock, are equally endearing. Fitzgibbon’s Mattie is just what I came looking for: She’s my grandma in every respect. I swear if I walked into Mattie’s house right now she would offer me a piece of corn bread, and in every bite, I would taste the genuine love she pours into the world.

Speaking of food, Chef Denise Gordon clearly had a lot of fun with the menu for this show. Mattie is saving the world one slice of corn bread at a time. Of course, it figures into the menu, starting with corn bread crostini and Carolina caviar: a savory chilled veggie and black-eyed pea salad.

For the main course, a sumptuous spaghetti squash layered with creamy cheese and tomato sauce—and of course a piece of corn

bread on the side—hit all my tastebuds in the right manner. Dessert showcases another Southern staple: peanuts. Peanut butter cookies accompany a caramel peanut butter and chocolate mousse (for which I am still craving one more bite from … sigh).

I was pretty ill of both body and spirit last week, but between a hefty dose of prednisone and this show, I was back on my feet filled with nourishment and revitalized for life. There is so much love in the book, script and performances to remind me about the basic goodness and love in the world. Sometimes it comes in a simple package, like a slice of homemade corn bread and a smile.

DETAILS:

Walking Across Egypt

Fri. and Sat., April 8-30, 7 p.m.

TheatreNOW • 19 S. 10th St. Tickets: $17-$37 www.theatrewilmington.com

SEASON FINALE! P

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S

E

N

T

S

GRAMMY-NOMINATED

Ensō String Quartet April 10 | 7:30 pm | Beckwith Hall A tour de force featuring music from the Romantic, Classical and Contemporary Periods Get Tickets at:

ChamberMusicWilmington.org

simply classical

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 19

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY THURS, APRIL 7th

APR. 7th CORROSION OF CONFORMITY

APR. 30th MATOMA

APR. 9th DEEJAY SILVER

MAY 7th STATE CHAMPS MAY 10th THY ART IS MURDER

APR. 11th MADBALL

MAY 15th INSANE CLOWN POSSE

APR. 17th EYEHATEGOD

MAY 20th SAY ANTHING

APR. 20th TRIBAL SEEDS

MAY 22nd WHITECHAPEL

APR. 21st CILVER FIT FOR RIVALS APR. 22nd LUKE COMBS

MAY 26th PERPETUAL GROVE MAY 27th TAB BENOIT

APR. 23rd TUESDAY’S GONE: LYNARD SKYNARD TRIBUTE

LUKE COMBS 20 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

WED, APRIL 20st

APR. 26th COLEMAN HELL

APR. 8th LADI DADI AFTAPARTI

FRI, APRIL 22

TRIBAL SEEDS

nd

JUNE 22nd COLT FORD

TUESDAY’S GONE LYNARD SKYNARD TRIBUTE

SAT, APRIL 23rd

arts>>film

reel to reel

A BAFFLING SUCCESS:

films this week

‘Batman v Superman’ ain’t half bad

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cinematique

Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St.

by: Anghus

uperhero movies have become stale.

They’re still very much a staple of popculture landscape and as popular as ever, but the plots are lukewarm, frighteningly similar rehashes. As a lifelong reader of comics, I’m painfully familiar with storylines being cribbed from decades of stories adapted into two-hour blockbusters. For the most part, they are about as deep as a poem written by a lovestruck 12-year-old kid who listens to too much Fall Out Boy. Much to my surprise, “Batman v Superman” is a completely different kind of superhero movie. It is an epic, challenging, baffling, occasionally brilliant, grotesque monstrosity that might be the most interesting superhero movie ever made.

“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” is the kind of polarizing film that will be loved by some and loathed by others. It is unconventional in every sense of the word; a film that abandons the fast, loose and fun style of the Marvel movies for something more iconic.

This is not the kind of spandex-clad frivolity that’s become the cornerstone of the popcorn-movie experience since “Iron Man” hit theaters in 2008. Director Zack Snyder has brought the most popular characters from DC Comics to the screen in a movie about more than just superheroes punching each other— though it happens. It’s more about questions of what makes a hero—and a philosophical examination of their role in our world.

The film opens with a quick recap of the final moments of “Man of Steel”: Superman (Henry Cavill) and General Zod (Michael Shannon) are tearing through Metropolis, leveling the city as they battle for the fate of the planet. We see the carnage through the eyes of Bruce Wayne (Ben Affleck), who rushes to Metropolis to try and save employees of his company. They quickly become collateral damage in a war they don’t understand. Wayne blames Superman for the lives lost, as do many people in the American government who are untrusting of this flying Christ-allegory from another planet.

Exploiting this fear is Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg), who wants to get his hand on all alien technology currently littering the city of Metropolis. Eisenberg takes Luthor in a new direction, maneuvering his character away from smarmy megalomaniac and into the range of full-fledged psychopath with antisocial tendencies. Luthor starts to work on a plan to bring down Superman and create a weapon so powerful that all of humanity could be destroyed.

$8-$10, 7pm • www.thalianhall.org

April 6-8 (additional showing April 6 at 4 p.m.): Playing in the Ruth and Bucky Stein Theatre, “Mustang is set in a remote Turkish village, with five teenage sisters (Günes Sensoy, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan). Their fierce love for each other emboldens them to rebel against their family and chase a future where they can determine their own lives. (Rated PG-13, 97 mins)

SUPER BATTLE: ‘Batman v Superman’ is an oddball flick, but good. Courtesy photo.

This is an unconventional blockbuster for many reasons. Mostly it takes its sweet time getting to the good stuff. This is not an immediate gratification kind of movie. It’s a slow burn that devotes a huge chunk getting inside the heads of these characters and showing differences between Batman and Superman’s ideologies. Superman wants to help people; though, he rarely considers consequences of his actions. Taking out the leader of an African terror cell might be a quick fix, but what about violent retribution taken out on the people of a war-torn country once he leaves.

Batman on the other hand is all about considering consequence. He doesn’t trust Superman, having seen firsthand what happens when an inconsiderate being with immeasurable power is unleashed on a populated city.

Superman is equally untrusting of Batman, who he considers to be a vigilante who beats up the underprivileged and ignores their civil rights. Instead of hosting a debate on CNN for the two to discuss their differences, they decide to suit up and beat the crap out of each other.

Because that’s how arguments are settled in a world where people wear spandex to work.

The final third of the movie is a gigantic slug-fest that sees an armored up Dark Knight throwing down with the Last Son of Krypton.

While it’s fun to watch, it is less cerebrally stimulating. Being a huge popcorn film, this is the only direction the film could take. Even though it ends up like every other superhero movie, I respect “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” for having lofty goals. Sure, there are things in this movie that don’t work. Some of the dialog is wooden and treacly. Zack Snyder, like Michael Bay, seems better suited for

textured visuals and performances. There are so many iconic moments in the film but very few human ones. At some points it feels like 12 editors and three composers were freebasing on an Everest-sized mountain of cocaine while fighting for control of the final cut.

This is an extremely odd movie, but that’s the very reason I ended up liking it. It’s like watching “Flash Gordon” or “Dune”—so removed from the source material and so completely gonzo in terms of staging. I just couldn’t help but marvel at the finished product.

DETAILS:

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ★ ★ ★ 1/2 ★

Rated PG-13 Starring Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams Directed by Zack Snyder

April 11-13 (additional showing April 13 at 4 p.m.): Playing in Thalian Main, Nicolas Hytner’s film “The Lady in the Van” tells the true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) and the singular Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith), a woman of uncertain origins who “temporarily” parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years. (Rated PG-13, 104 mins)

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WILMINGTON - 5740 Oleander Drive • (910) 392-4501 SURF CITY - Hwy. 210 • (910) 328-1010 CAROLINA BEACH - Hwy 421 & Winner Ave • (910) 458-9047 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 21

southeastern nc’s premier dining guide

grub & guzzle

johnnylukes kitchenbar • www.johnnylukeskb.com

American BLUEWATER waterfront grill

Enjoy spectacular panoramic views of sailing ships and the Intracoastal Waterway while dining at this popular casual American restaurant in Wrightsville Beach. Lunch and dinner are served daily. Favorites include jumbo lump crab cakes, succulent seafood lasagna, crispy coconut shrimp and an incredible Caribbean fudge pie. Dine inside or at their awardwinning outdoor patio and bar, which is the location for their lively Waterfront Music Series every Sunday April - October.

Large parties welcome. Private event space available. BluewaterDining.com. 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach, NC. (910) 256-8500.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon-Fri 11a.m. - 11 p.m.; Sat & Sun 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Waterfront dining ■ MUSIC: Music every Sunday in Summer ■ WEBSITE: www.bluewaterdining.com

Blue surf cafÉ

Sophisticated Food…Casual Style. We offer a menu that has a heavy California surf culture influence while still retaining our Carolina roots. We provide a delicate balance of flavors and freshness in a comfortable and inviting setting. We offer a unique breakfast menu until noon daily, including specialty waffles, skillet hashes and unique breakfast sandwiches. Our lunch menu is packed with a wide variety of options, from house roasted pulled pork, to our mahi sandwich and customer favorite, meatloaf sandwich.

Our dinner features a special each night along with our favorite house entrees: Braised Beef Brisket, Mojo Pork and Mahi. All of our entrees are as delicious as they are inventive.

We also have a full beer and wine list. Come try the “hidden gem” of Wilmington today. 250 Racine Drive Ste. 1, Wilmington 910-523-5362.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Monday to Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Breakfast served until noon each day!

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Daily Specials, Gluten Free Menu, Gourmet

Hot Chocolates, Outdoor Patio, New Artist event first Friday of every month and Kids Menu.

■ WEBSITE: www.bluesurfcafe.com

CAM cafÉ

CAM Café, located within the CAM delivers delightful surprises using fresh, local ingredients with a Chef Jessica Cabo twist. Awarded “Best Food” by the local Wilmington Food & Wine Festival. Under her influence the café serves a West Coast interpretation of local dishes. The café serves lunch with seasonal options Tuesday thru Saturday, Internationally inspired Tapas on Wednesday nights, elegant yet approachable dinner on Thursday and brunch every Sunday.

Look for a New England Lobster Roll in the summer and Miso Short ribs as winter evening signature dishes. As part of dining in an inspiring setting, the galleries are open during CAM Café hours which makes it the perfect destination to enjoy art of the plate and art of the museum. 3201 S 17th St. (910) 777-2363.

■ SERVING LUNCH, BRUNCH & DINNER: Hours: Tues-Sat 11 am– 3 pm; Wed./Thurs 5 – 9 pm; Sunday Brunch 10 am – 3 pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.camcafe.org

the district kitchen & Cocktails

A new addition to the Brooklyn Arts and downtown area, The District Kitchen & Cocktails is serving fresh, seasonal menus in a polished casual atmosphere. We feature locally sourced ingredients when available. For lunch, we offer delicious burgers and sandwiches, while dinner features steaks, chops and seafood all handcrafted by executive chef Chris Corona. Within blocks of CFCC and the Riverwalk, The District welcomes diners to enjoy inspired wines, craft cocktails and NC draught beers at their renovated bar and restaurant, located at 1001 N. 4th St. 910-796-6565 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues.-Thurs.11am-9pm, Fri.-Sat., 11am-10pm. Lunch menu served ‘til 4pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Brooklyn Arts District ■ WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/thedistrictnc

22 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

elijah’s

Since 1984, Elijah’s has been Wilmington, NC’s outdoor dining destination. We feature expansive indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, with panoramic views of riverfront sunsets.

As a Casual American Grill and Oyster Bar, Elijah’s offers everything from fresh local seafood and shellfish to pastas, sandwiches, and Certified Angus Beef selections. We offer half-priced oysters from 4-6 every Wednesday & live music with our Sunday Brunch from 11-3. Whether you are just looking for a great meal & incredible scenery, or a large event space for hundreds of people, Elijah’s is the place to be.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun-Thurs 11:30-10:00; Friday and Saturday 11:30-11:00 ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown Wilmington Kids menu available

eternal sunshine cafÉ

Wilmington’s new unique restaurant, Eternal Sunshine Café, is conveniently located between downtown and Wrightsville Beach, also close to UNCW. It is a great spot to savor a gourmet breakfast, like cinna-swirl pancakes with coffee cream cheese syrup or a southwest benedict with chipotle hollandaise on a made from scratch biscuit. The lunch menu is filled with fresh delectable salads, sandwiches on house baked breads, and pitas. Come experience the innovative twist on breakfast classics and a casual lunch guaranteed to make you a regular customer. May the tranquility of Eternal Sunshine Cafe’s atmosphere shine upon your face and reinvigorate your day. Serves breakfast all day.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH: MondayWednesday 7-2, Thursday-Friday 6:30-2, Saturday 7-2, Sunday 8-2 ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.eternalsunshinecafe.com

HENRY’S

A local favorite, Henry’s is the ‘place to be’ for great food, a lively bar and awesome patio dining. Henry’s serves up American cuisine at its finest that include entrees with fresh, local ingredients. Come early for lunch, because it’s going to be packed. Dinner too!

Henry’s Pine Room is ideal for private functions up to

30 people. 2508 Independence Boulevard, Wilmington, NC. (910) 793.2929.

SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun. - Mon. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Tues.- Fri.: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.; Sat.: 10 a.m. – 11 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Daily blackboard specials.

■ WEBSITE: www.henrysrestaurant.com

Holiday Inn Resort

Oceans Restaurant located in this oceanfront resort is a wonderful find. This is the perfect place to enjoy a fresh Seafood & Steak dinner while dinning outside overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Chef Eric invites you to experience his daily specials in this magnificent setting. (910) 256-2231. 1706 N. Lumina Ave, Wrightsville Beach.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.-Sat. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Waterfront dining ■ WEBSITE: www.holidayinn.com

HOPS SUPPLY CO.

The combination of chef-inspired food and our craft bar makes Hops Supply Co. a comfortable and inviting gastropub that attracts guests of all types – especially a local crowd who can feel right at home whether ordering a classic favorite or trying a new culinary delight! At HopsCo, we are dedicated to the craft of excellent cuisine and delivering hops in its most perfect form, exemplified by our selection of craft beers. As hops are the heart of flavor for beer, our local seasonal ingredients are the soul of our culinary inspired American fare. 5400 Oleander Dr. (910) 833-8867.

■ OPEN: Mon-Thurs 10:57 am - 10 pm; Fri-Sat 10:57 am - 11 pm {Serving Brunch 10:57am – 3pm & bar open until midnight}; Brunch ALL DAY Sunday 9:57am – 10pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.hopssupplycompany.com

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar

Good eats, good drinks, and great times is what JohnnyLukes KitchenBar is all about. JohnnyLukes KitchenBar serves Wilmington, NC a variety of 19 rotating craft beers on tap, a hand selected eclectic American wine list, fun cock-

tails, and of course, exceptional food. Our two-story layout brings the best of both worlds under one roof. Downstairs at JohnnyLukes KitchenBar pair your beer or wine with our Parmesan Crusted Pork Chop, Chicken Pot Pie, Ribeye, or one of our many main entrees and sharable plates. Or, join us upstairs at JL’s Loft and pair a beer with one of our multiple burgers, JL’s roast beef sandwich, meatball sandwich, or one of our many appetizers (we recommend both!). So next time you are looking for a new and exciting restaurant in Wilmington, NC where you can experience both great craft beer and amazing food, be sure to head over to JohnnyLukes KitchenBar and JL’s Loft! 5500 Market Street, Suite 130. (910)-769-1798 ■ OPEN: JohnnyLukes KitchenBar: Mon to Sun: 11:30am to 10pm; JL’s Loft: Mon to Sun: 11:30am to 2am ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.johnnylukeskb.com

The little dipper

Wilmington’s favorite fondue restaurant! The Little Dipper specializes in unique fondue dishes with a global variety of cheeses, meats, seafood, vegetables, chocolates and fine wines. The warm and intimate dining room is a great place to enjoy a four-course meal, or indulge in appetizers and desserts outside on the back deck or in the bar while watching luminescent jellyfish. Reservations are appreciated for parties of any size. Located at the corner of Front and Orange in Downtown Wilmington. 138 South Front Street. (910) 251-0433.

■ SERVING DINNER: 5pm Tue-Sun; Seasonal hours are open 7 days a week, Memorial Day through October

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Tasting menu every Tues. with small plates

from $1-$4; Ladies Night every Wed; $27 4-course prix fixe menu on Thurs.; “Date night menu,” $65/couple with beer and wine tasting every Fri. and half price bottles of wine on Sun. ■ MUSIC: Mondays and Memorial Day-October, 7-9pm ■ WEBSITE: www.littledipperfondue.com

low tide pub

Located across from UNCW’s campus, Low Tide Pub serves up delicious fare and great drink specials in a fun atmosphere. Enjoy the biggest and best wings in town for only $0.50 on Sundays, a $5 daily lunch special, $2 daily beer special, and even taco Tuesdays. Their Mother Clucker is served just in time for the holidays: slow-roasted chicken with cranberries, housemade stuffing, lettuce, and tomato.

Their Thai or Buffalo shrimp wrap, famed Monte Cristo and 1945-family secret cheesecake recipe will keep customers coming back for more. Karaoke Saturdays begin at 9:30 p.m., and trivia Tuesdays get underway weekly at 7:30 p.m.

Low Tide has a beautiful, private deck, perfect for hosting parties and events. It’s midtown Wilmington’s favorite pub— ”where on the rocks is a good thing.” 4540 Fountain Drive, beside of PT’s. 910-313-2738.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER AND LATE-NIGHT: Mon., 6 p.m. - 1 a.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.; Fri., 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.; Sat., noon - 2 a.m.; Sun., noon - 9 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown Wilmington, near UNCW ■ FEATURING: Daily specials, Saturday karaoke and Tuesday trivia night.

■ WEBSITE: www.lowtidepub.com

pine valley market

11am-2am

Pine Valley Market has reigned supreme in servicing the Wilmington community for years, securing encore’s Best-Of awards in catering, gourmet shop and butcher. Now, Kathy Webb and Christi Ferretti are expanding their talents into serving lunch in-house, so folks can enjoy their hearty, homemade meals in the quaint and cozy ambience of the market. Using the freshest ingredients of highest quality, diners can enjoy the best Philly Cheesesteak in Wilmington, along with numerous other sandwich varieties, from their Angus burger to classic Reuben, Italian sub to a grown-up banana and peanut butter sandwich that will take all diners back to childhood. Served among a soup du jour and salads, there is something for all palates. Take advantage of their take-home frozen meals for nights that are too hectic to cook, and don’t forget to pick up a great bottle of wine to go with it. 3520 S. College Road, (910) 350-FOOD. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Fri.10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Closed Sun. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: South Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Daily specials and take-home frozen meals ■ WEBSITE: www.pinevalleymarket.com

the pub

A true public house. A gathering place. In house fresh ground burgers made with short rib, brisket and chuck on Sweet n Savory’s, made from scratch, bread along with 40 other sandwiches and meals under $12. 32 beers on tap, friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere where you can hang out with friends and enjoy live music, your favorite NFL game or the BEST burger you’ll ever eat! 2012 Eastwood Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, (910) 679-8101, Hours:

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Causeway ■ WEBSITE: www.sweetnsavorypub.com

spicoli

“In crust we trust.” Spicoli specializes in classic NY style pizza with a totally unconventional (AND DELICIOUS) sourdough crust. We also feature one-of-a-kind burger creations, Jumbo wings complete with our perfect, house-made blue cheese or ranch. Or enjoy any of our unique vegan or glutenfree options. But Spicoli is not just amazing food. We keep it awesome with a killer juke box, classic arcade games, and great deals on everything at our full bar. Share some brews over PacMan or enjoy the area’s only 20in pie on our outdoor patio. Just make sure you are having fun. Don’t worry!! If you can’t come see us, we also have the largest delivery radius in town!! 1978 Eastwood Road, (910) 256-0339.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach

sweet ‘n’ savory cafÉ

The Real Wizard Behind the Food. Anyone who has seen the Wizard of Oz knows that the wizard was just a scared old man hiding behind the curtain. Restaurants are no different.

Making incredible food is not magical or mystical and instead just requires heart (Tin Man), brains (Scarecrow), courage (Lion) and love (Dorothy). At Sweet n Savory we have pulled back the curtain because we don’t believe that we need smoke, mirrors, over inflated prices or pretentiousness to offer you the best and freshest food your money can buy. 1611 Pavillion Place, Wilmington, NC 28403, (910) 256-0115 Hours: 7am-10pm.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH, DINNER, BAKERY

Downtown Wilmington > 115 N. 2nd Street

Book your next event at Ironclad Comfortably holds more than 400 people Stage, sound system & 12 ft. HDTV 2nd St parking deck is across the street No cost to use the space for events www.ironcladbrewery.com 910-769-0290

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& CATERING ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Causeway ■ WEBSITE: www.sweetnsavorycafe.com

the trolly stop

Trolly Stop Hot Dogs is a five-store franchise in Southeastern North Carolina. Since 1976 they have specialized in storemade chili, slaw and various sauces. As of more recently, select locations (Fountain Dr. and Southport) have started selling genuine burgers and cheese steaks (Beef & Chicken).

Our types of hotdogs include beef & Pork (Trolly Dog), allbeef, pork smoked sausage (Carolina Packer), Fat Free (Turkey) & Veggie. Recognized as having the Best Hot Dog in the Best of Wilmington Awards in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Call Individual Stores for hours of operation or check out our website at www.trollystophotdogs.com. Catering available, now a large portion of our business. All prices include tax. Call Rick at 297-8416 for catering and franchise information.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ LOCATIONS: Wilmington, Fountain Dr. (910) 452-3952

Wrightsville Beach (910) 256-3921 Southport (910) 457-7017 Boone, NC (828) 265-2658 Chapel Hill, NC (919) 240-4206 ■ WEBSITE: www.trollystophotdogs.com

Asian indochine restaurant & Lounge

If you’re ready to experience the wonders of the Orient without having to leave Wilmington, join us at Indochine for a truly unique experience. Indochine brings the flavors of the Far East to the Port City, combining the best of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine in an atmosphere that will transport you and your taste buds. Relax in our elegantly decorated dining room, complete with antique Asian decor as well as contemporary artwork and music. Our diverse, friendly and efficient staff will serve you beautifully presented dishes full of enticing aromas and flavors. Be sure to try such signature items as the spicy and savory Roasted Duck with Red Curry, or the beautifully presented and delicious Shrimp and Scallops in a Nest. Be sure to save room for our world famous desert, the banana egg roll! We take pride in using only the freshest ingredients, and our extensive menu suits any taste. After dinner, enjoy specialty drinks by the koi pond in our Asian garden. Located at 7 Wayne Drive (beside the Ivy Cottage), (910) 251-9229.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues.- Fri. 11 a.m.- 2 p.m.; Sat. 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. for lunch. Mon.- Sun. 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. for dinner.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.indochinewilmington.com

featuring

CHINESE • Japanese • thai $4.79 LUNCH BOWLS EARLY BIRD DINNER SPECIAL FROM 5-7PM (DINE IN ONLY)

20% OFF

*Must present this coupon to receive discount.

MON-thur: 11am-3pm and 5pm-9:30pm • Fri-sat: 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm

4102 market st. • (910) 332-3302

www.kyotoasiangrille.com 26 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

kabuki korean cafÉ and sushi

Family-owned and operated, Kabuki Korean Café and Sushi is Wilmington’s only authentic Korean restaurant, freshly renovated and boasting a brand new menu! They feature delectable Korean BBQ, and are best known for traditional items like their bibimbop and bulgogi. But they also feature a large variety of Asian cuisine, from fresh sushi to fried rice to teriyaki dishes, dumplings, edamame and more. Open daily, Kabuki welcomes diners for lunch from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and dinner 4:30 to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. Stop by Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 10 p.m. 4102 Oleander Drive, Suite 2, at the corner of 41st Street, behind the Hess gas station. 910-350-3332.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER:

Mon-Fri, 11am-2:30pm; Sat-Sun, noon-10pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, off Oleander Drive.

■ FEATURING: Wilmington’s only authentic Korean restaurant!

■ WEBSITE: www.kabukikoreancafe.com

KYOTO ASIAN GRILLE

Kyoto Asian Grille specializes in crafting mouth-watering food and providing superb customer service. We serve a plethora of Asian cuisines, from Chinese to Japanese to Thai, and have an unwavering commitment to flavor. All of our ingredients are fresh, cooked to order, with artistic culi-

nary flair. We also serve everything from sushi to traditional Chinese dishes, a plethora of curries to Pad Thai, hibachi and teriyaki dishes, and more. Come give us a try where you will find nothing in the freezer but the ice cream. Open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday. Located at 4102 Market Street, (910) 332-3302.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Thu: 11am - 3pm and 5pm - 9:30pm or Fri - Sat, 11am - 3pm and 5pm - 10pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: An array of Asian cuisines, from Japanese to Chinese, Thai and more.

■ WEBSITE: www.kyotoasiangrille.com

Okami Japanese hibachi Steakhouse

We have reinvented “Hibachi Cuisine”. Okami Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse in Wilmington, NC is like no other. Our highly skilled chefs will not only cook an incredible dinner, but they will entertain you on the way. Our portions are large, our drinks are less expensive, and our staff is loads of fun. At Okami Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse, we are committed to using quality ingredients and seasoning with guaranteed freshness.

Our goal is to utilize all resources, domestically and internationally, to ensure that we serve only the finest food products. We believe that good healthy food aids the vital functions for well-being, both physically and mentally. Our menu consists of a wide range of Steak, Seafood, and Chicken for the specially designed “Teppan Grill,” to the taste bud tingling Japanese Sushi, Hand Rolls, Sashimi, Tempura dishes and Japanese Noodle entrees. This offers our guests a complete Japanese dining experience. Check out our all you can eat sushi menu and daily specials at www.okamisteakhouse.com!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday - Thursday 11am 2:30pm / 4pm - 10pm; Friday 11am - 2:30pm / 4pm - 11pm; Saturday 11am - 11pm; Sunday 11am - 9:30pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.okamisteakhouse.com

szechuan 132

Craving expertly prepared Chinese food in an elegant atmosphere? Szechuan 132 Chinese Restaurant is your destination! Szechuan 132 has earned the reputation as one of the finest contemporary Chinese restaurants in the Port City.

Tastefully decorated with an elegant atmosphere, with an exceptional ingenious menu has deemed Szechuan 132 the best Chinese restaurant for years, hands down. 419 South College Road (in University Landing), (910) 799-1426.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Lunch Specials ■ WEBSITE: www.szechuan132.com

thai spice

From the flavorfully mild to the fiery spiced, Thai Spice customers are wooed by the dish that’s made to their specifications. Featuring a tasteful menu of traditional Thai standards to numerous delectable house specials, it’s quickly becoming the local favorite for Thai cuisine. This family-run restaurant is sure to win you over. If you haven’t discovered this gem, come in and be charmed. Whether it be a daytime delight, or an evening indulgence, your visit will make you look forward to your return. Located in Monkey Junction at 5552 Carolina Beach Rd., Ste. G. (910) 791-0044.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tue.-Th.: 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.; Sun.: 11:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: South Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.ThaiSpiceWilmington.com

yosake downtown sushi lounge

Lively atmosphere in a modern setting, Yosake is the delicious Downtown spot for date night, socializing with friends, or any large dinner party. Home to the never-disappointing Shanghai Firecracker Shrimp! In addition to sushi, we offer a full Pan Asian menu including curries, noodle dishes, and the ever-popular Crispy Salmon or mouth-watering Kobe Burger.

Inspired features change weekly showcasing our commitment to local farms. Full bar including a comprehensive sake list, signature cocktails, and Asian Import Bottles. 33 S. Front St., 2nd Floor (910) 763-3172.

■ SERVING DINNER: 7 nights a week @ 5PM; Sun-Wed until 10pm, Thurs until 11pm, Fri & Sat until Midnight.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: 1/2 Price Sushi/Appetizer Menu nightly

from 5-7, until 8 on Mondays, and also 10-Midnight on Fri/Sat. Tuesday LOCALS NIGHT - 20% Dinner Entrees.

Wednesday 80S NIGHT - 80s music and menu prices.

Sundays are the best deal downtown - Specialty Sushi and Entrees are Buy One, Get One $10 Off and 1/2 price Wine Bottles. Nightly Drink Specials. Gluten-Free Menu upon request. Complimentary Birthday Dessert.

■ WEBSITE: www.yosake.com - @yosakeilm on Twitter & Instagram. Like us on Facebook.

Dinner Theatre theatrenow

TheatreNOW is a performing arts complex that features weekend dinner theater, an award-winning weekly kids variety show, monthly Sunday Jazz Brunches, movie, comedy and live music events. Award-winning chef, Denise Gordon, and a fabulous service staff pair scrumptious multi-course themed meals and cocktails with our dinner shows in a theatre-themed venue. Dinner theater at its best! Reservations highly suggested. 19 S. 10th Street (910) 399.3NOW (3669). Hours vary.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown Wilmington and Greater Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Dinner shows, jazz brunches, and more ■ WEBSITE: www.theatrewilmington.com

Healthy NEMA LOUNGE and EATERY

Open since the summer of 2015, NeMa Eatery and Lounge boasts the delicacies of Chef Borkowski. Serving bold flavors in a variety of menu items form grass-fed burgers to artisan pizzas to small plates, the NeMa team takes diners across the world through palate pleasing menu items, including their “fancy fries”, doused with truffles and Parmesan.

Borkowski takes pride in hand-crafted food, while the NeMa staff offers helpful, friendly knowledge. They offer vegan, gluten-and-allergy-friendly fare and Wine Down Wednesday (1/2 off glasses and bottles of wine). 225 S Water St. 910-769-3709 ■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER AND BRUNCH: Closed Monday, Tuesday 12pm -9pm, Wednesday-Friday 12pm -10pm, Saturday 10am - 10pm, Sunday 10am - 9pm, Brunch Saturday and Sunday 10am - 2pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown, Chandler’s Wharf ■ FEATURING: Worldly eats, including vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free items ■ WEBSITE: www.nemalounge.com

Indian kabob and grill

Welcome to Kabob and Grill, downtown Wilmington’s only fine Indian restaurant. Located on Water Street, overlooking the Cape Fear River, Kabob and Grill innovatesexotic flavors of Indian kabobs and curries. Kabobs are baked to perfection in our “tandoor” clay oven fresh, daily. We take pride in offering a great selection of vegetarian entrees made with healthy spices, vegetables and herbs. We also serve vegan and gluten-free items, all aromatic and full of flavor. Our professional chef ensures our lavash and extensive menu appeals to all palates, whether choosing vegetarian, chicken, lamb, goat, or seafood. Our dining area is modern and upscale, yet steeped in Indian tradition. We have a full-service bar and are open seven days a week. We do take-out, delivery and welcome private parties. Live music and dance every Saturday. Please, check our website or facebook page for more information. www.kabobandgrilldowntown.com - 5 S. Water Street, (910) 833-5262.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Lunch Sunday through Saturday 11am-3pm. Dinner Sunday through Thursday 5-10pm, Friday & Saturday 5-10:30pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Innovative Indian recipes, made fresh daily.

■ WEBSITE: www.kabobandgrilldowntown.com

tandoori bites

Located on College Road, just opposite Hugh MacRae Park, Tandoori Bites offers fine Indian cuisine at affordable prices.

Try one of 74 dishes on their lengthy menu, featuring a large range of side dishes and breads. They have specialties, such as lamb korma with nuts, spices and herbs in a mild creamy sauce, as well as seafood, like shrimp biryani with saffron-flavored rice, topped with the shellfish and nuts. They also have many vegetarian dishes, including mutter paneer, with garden peas and homemade paneer, or baingan bharta with baked eggplant, flamed and sautéed with onions, garlic and ginger.

Join their cozy eatery, where a far east escape awaits all diners, among a staff of friendly and helpful servers, as well as chefs who bring full-flavored tastes straight from their homeland. Located at 1620 South College Road, (910) 794-4540.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon. - Fri. 11-2:30 pm (Lunch Buffet) & 5-10 pm (Dinner), Sat. - Sun. 11:30 -3:00 pm (Lunch) & 5-10 pm (Dinner) ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Lunch buffet ■ WEBSITE: www.tandooribites.net

irish Halligan’s public house

“Failte,” is the Gaelic word for “Welcome,” and at Halligan’s Public House it’s our “Motto.” Step into Halligan’s and enter a world of Irish hospitality where delicious food warms the heart and generous drinks lift the spirit. Be sure to try Halligan’s house specialty, “The Reuben,” number one with critics and of course our customers. One bite and you’ll understand why. Of course, we also serve a full selection of other delicious entrees including seafood, steak and pasta, as well as a wide assortment of burgers, sandwiches (Halligan’s Cheese Steak), and salads. And if you are looking for a friendly watering hole where you can raise a glass or two with friends, new and old, Halligan’s Public House boasts a comfortable bar where fun-loving bartenders hold court daily and blarney fills the air. Stop by Halligan’s Public House today, “When you’re at Halligan’s....you’re at home.” With 12 beers on tap and 16 flat screen TVs, you can watch your favorite game and enjoy your favorite drink. Enjoy two locatons: 3317 Masonboro Loop Rd., and 1900 Eastwood Rd. in Lumina Station.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 7 Days a Week Monday-Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOODS: Masonboro Loop & Lumina Station ■ FEATURING: The Best Reuben in Town! $5.99 lunch specials, Outdoor Patio ■ WEBSITE: www.halligansnc.com

THE HARP

Experience the finest traditional Irish family recipes and popular favorites served in a casual yet elegant traditional pub atmosphere. The Harp, 1423 S. 3rd St., proudly uses the freshest ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible, to bring you and yours the most delicious Irish fare! We have a fully stocked bar featuring favorite Irish beers and whiskies. We are open every day for both American and Irish breakfast, served to noon weekdays and 2 p.m. weekends.

Regular menu to 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. weekends.

Join us for trivia at 8:30 on Thursdays and live music on Fridays – call ahead for schedule (910) 763-1607. Located just beside Greenfield Lake and Park at the south end of downtown Wilmington, The Harp is a lovely Irish pub committed to bringing traditional Irish flavor, tradition and hospitality to the Cape Fear area.

FULL SERVICE BAR AND RESTAURANT

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Greenfield Lake/Downtown South ■ FEATURING: Homemade soups, desserts and breads,

free open wifi, new enlarged patio area, and big screen TVs at the bar featuring major soccer matches worldwide.

■ WEBSITE: www.harpwilmington.com

Italian eddie romanelli’s

Eddie Romanelli’s is a family-friendly, casual Italian American restaurant that’s been a favorite of Wilmington locals for over 16 years. Its menu includes Italian favorites such as Mama

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Romanelli’s Lasagna, Baked Ziti, Rigatoni a la Vodka and, of course, made-from-scratch pizzas. Its American influences include tasty burgers, the U.S.A. Salad and a 16 oz. Marinated Rib Eye Steak. Romanelli’s offers patio dining and flat screen TVs in its bar area. Dine in or take out, Romanelli’s is always a crowd favorite. Large parties welcome. 503 Olde Waterford Way, Leland. (910) 383.1885.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.- Thurs. 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington South/Leland ■ FEATURING: Weekly Specials ■ WEBSITE: www.RomanellisRestaurant.com

Fat Tony’s Italian Pub

Fat Tony’s has the right combination of Italian and American influences to mold it into a unique family-friendly restaurant with a “gastropub” feel. Boasting such menu items as Veal Saltimbocca, Eggplant Parmigiana, USDA Prime Sirloin, and award-winning NY style hand-tossed pizzas, Fat Tony’s is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Their appetizers range from Blue Crab Dip to Grilled Pizzas to Lollipop Lamb Chops.

Proudly supporting the craft beer movement, they have an ever-changing selection of microbrews included in their 27-tap lineup – 12 of which are from NC. They have a wide selection of bottled beers, a revamped wine list, and an arsenal of expertly mixed cocktails that are sure to wet any whistle. Fat Tony’s offers lunch specials until 3pm Monday through Friday and a 10% discount to students and faculty at CFCC. They have two pet-friendly patios – one looking out onto Front Street and one with a beautiful view of the Cape Fear River. With friendly, excellent service and a fun, inviting atmosphere, expect to have your expectations exceeded at Fat Tony’s. Find The Flavor…..Craft Beer, Craft Pizza!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday-Thursday 11 am10 pm; Friday-Saturday 11 am-Midnight; Sunday Noon10 pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.fatpub.com ■ FEATURING: Daily lunch specials until 3pm and late night menu from 11pm until closing.

mamma bella pizzeria

Mamma Bella’s is Wilmington’s latest pie palace, offering fresh and unique pizzas, strombolis, sandwiches, salads, wings, and more. Diners can enjoy eating in their quaint dining space or have Mamma deliver to their doorstep ($10 minimum, three-mile radius). Nothing is frozen, and everything is made with top-notch ingredients, from the house meatballs to the pesto, salad dressings to marinara sauce, and beyond! Mamma bakes bread fresh several times daily and helps produce the most scrumptious cinnamon and/or pizza knots. In fact, through Feb. 29, either flavor of knots are free with the purchase of any large pie; or customers can get 12 free wings when ordering two large 2 topping pizzas (dine-in or delivery; offers cannot be combined). With a knowledgeable staff providing excellent customer service—all of whom “respect the pie”—every order is cared for from placing it to picking it up. 3926 Market St. 910-399-6723.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Thurs 11am - 10pm; Fri - Sat 11am - 11pm; Sun 11am - 9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.mammabellapizzeria.com

Slice of life

“Slice” has become a home away from home for tourists and locals alike. Our menu includes salads, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, homemade soups, subs and, of course, pizza. We only serve the freshest and highest-quality ingredients in all of our food, and our dough is made daily with purified water. Voted “Best Pizza” and “Best Late Night Eatery.”All ABC permits. Visit us downtown at 125 Market Street, (910) 251-9444, in Wrightsville Beach at 1437 Military Cutoff Road, Suite 101, (910) 256-2229 and in Pine Valley on the corner of 17th and College Road, (910) 799-1399.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, Downtown and Wilmington South.

■ FEATURING: The largest tequila selection in Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.grabslice.com

a taste of italy

Looking for authentic Italian cuisine in the Port City? Look no further than A Taste of Italy Deli. Brothers, Tommy and Chris Guarino, and partner Craig Berner, have been serving up breakfast, lunch, and dinner to local and visiting diners for twenty years. The recipes have been passed down from generation to generation, and after one bite you feel like you’re in your mamas’ kitchen. Along with the hot and cold lunch menu, they also carry a large variety of deli sides and madefrom-scratch desserts. Or, if you’re looking to get creative in your own kitchen, A Taste of Italy carries a wide selection of imported groceries, from pasta to olive oils, and everything in between. And last but certainly not least, allow them to help you make any occasion become a delicious Italian experience with their catering or call ahead ordering.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Monday-Friday 8:00am8:00pm, Saturday 8:30am-7:00pm, Sunday 11:00am6:00pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.ncatasteofitaly.com ■ FEATURING: Sclafani goods, Polly-O cheese, Ferrara Torrone and much, much more!

Jamaican JAMAICA’S COMFORT ZONE

Tucked in the corner of University Landing, a block from UNCW is the hidden gem of Wilmington’s international cuisine scene - Jamaica’s Comfort Zone. This family owned restaurant provides a relaxing blend of Caribbean delights – along with reggae music – served up with irrepressible smiles for miles. From traditional Jamaican breakfast to mouth-watering classic dishes such as curry goat, oxtail, jerk and curry chicken, to our specialty 4-course meals ($12.00) and $6.99 Student meal. Catering options are available.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tuesday - Saturday 11:45am - 9:00pm and Sunday 1:30pm - 8:00pm. Monday - Closed.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown – University Landing 417 S. College Road #24 ■ FEATURING: Weekly Specials updated daily on Facebook ■ WEBSITE: www.jamaicascomfortzone.net

Latin American CEVICHE’S

Dine-In, Take Away & Delivery

Life is a combination of magic & pizza!

Come enjoy the tropical flavors of Panama and Central America...from our fresh fish to our handmade empanadas, traditional arroz con pollo to fresh inspired salads, We hope you will be transported to simpler time with warm, friendly service, and festive vibe. Large selection of beer and wine, including red and white sangria, tropical mimosas, drink specials daily. Just before the bridge at Wrightsville Beach. 7210 Wrightsville Ave. (910) 256-3131.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & BRUNCH: Mon-Sat 11am9pm, Sunday Brunch 9am-3pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ WEBSITE: www.wbceviche.com

san juan CafÉ

Hours: Monday - Thursday: 11am -10pm Friday & Saturday: 11am - 11pm Sunday: 11am - 9pm Delivery service available: $1000 Minimum - 3 mile radius 3926 Market St, Suite 201 • (910) 399-6723

www.mammabellapizzeria.com 28 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

Offering the most authentic, gourmet Latin American cuisine in Wilmington. With dishes from countries such as Puerto Rico, Colombia, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic and Cuba you’ll be able to savor a variety of flavors from all over Latin America. Located at 3314 Wrightsville Avenue.

910.790.8661 Follow us on Facebook/Twitter for live music updates!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon - Sat. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and from 5-10 p.m. Closed Sunday.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Nightly specials ■ WEBSITE: www.sanjuancafenc.com

Mexican EL CERRO GRANDE

In January, El Cerro Grande will celebrate 25 years serving authentic, delicious Mexican cuisine to the greater Wilmington area. With an ever-evolving menu, they have introduced eight new exclusive soft tacos as part of Taco Fiesta! They churn out mouth-watering enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, chef specialties, and more, in a colorfully inviting dining room marked by a friendly staff and attention to

detail. Check out El Cerro’s daily drink and food specials at their three different locations, including $3.50 margaritas on Tuesdays off Military Road, on Wednesdays at 341 S. College Road, and on Thursdays at 5120 S. College Road.

Mondays feature fajita dinners for 10.99 at all locations, and they even have karaoke every Wednesday at 341 S. College Rd, starting at 6 p.m. Serving lunch and dinner daily.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Fri., open at 11 a.m.; Sat-Sun., open at 11:30 a.m.

■ LOCATIONS: 341 S. College Rd., 910-793-0035; 5120 S. College Rd., 910-790-8727; 1051 Military Cutoff Rd., 910-679-4209 ■ WEBSITE: www.elcerrogranderestaurant.com

la costa mexican restaurant

With three locations to serve Wilmingtonians, La Costa is open daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m with lunch specials. Their full dinner menu (from 3 p.m. on) offers the best in Mexican cuisine across the city. From top-sellers, like fajitas, quesadillas and burritos, to chef’s specialty items, like molcajete or borrego, a taste of familiar and exotic can be enjoyed. All of La Costa’s pico de gallo, guacamole, salsas, chile-chipotle, enchilada and burrito sauces are made in house daily. Add to it a 16-ounce margarita, which is only $4.25 on Mondays and Tuesdays at all locations, and every meal is complete.

Serving the Port City since1996, folks can dine indoors at the Oleander and both Market Street locations, or dine alfresco at both Market Street locations. 3617 Market St.; 8024 Unit 1 Market St.; 5622 Oleander Dr. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun-Thurs until 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. until 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown and Ogden ■ WEBSITE: www.lacostamexicanrestauranwilmington.com

San Felipe Mexican Restaurant

At San Felipe, we pride ourselves in offering the best Mexican cuisine combined with a Mexican inspired dining experience that will instill a sense of “familia” with our patrons.

Ditch the regular fare and try one of our Mexican inspired favorites such as our sizzling Certified Angus Beef Fajitas or our Carolina Chimichanga. Visit any of our 10 North Carolina locations to see for yourself and while your at it, try one of our delicious Margaritas! See you soon Amigos!

Independence Mall, 3522 Oleander Dr - Wilmington, NC (910) 791-9277 and 1114 New Pointe Blvd - Leland, NC (910) 371-1188.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wilmington, Leland & Southport ■ WEBSITE: www.sanfelipenc.com

Organic lovey’s natural foods & cafÉ

Lovey’s Natural Foods & Café is a true blessing for shoppers looking for organic and natural groceries and supplements, or a great place to meet friends for a quick, delicious and totally fresh meal or snack. Whether you are in the mood for a veggie burger, hamburger or a chicken Caesar wrap, shoppers will find a large selection of nutritious meals on the a la carte Lovey’s Cafe’ menu. The Food Bar—which has cold, organic salads and hot selections—can be eaten in the newly expanded Lovey’s Cafe’ or boxed for take-out.

The Juice Bar offers a wide variety of delicious juices and smoothies made with organic fruits and vegetables. Specializing in bulk sales of grains, flours, beans and spices at affordable prices. Lovey’s has a great selection of local produce and receives several weekly deliveries to ensure freshness. Lovey’s also carries organic grass-fed and freerange meats and poultry. wheat-free and gluten-free products are in stock regularly, as are vegan and vegetarian groceries. Lovey’s also carries Wholesome Pet Foods. Stop

by Lovey’s Market Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 10 am to 6 p.m..

Located at 1319 Military Cutoff Rd in the Landfall Shopping Center; (910) 509-0331. “You’ll Love it at Lovey’s!”

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Café open: Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Sat. & Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.(salad bar open all the time). Market hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington in the Landfall Shopping Center ■ FEATURING: Organic Salad Bar/Hot Bar, Bakery with fresh, organic pies and cakes.

■ WEBSITE: www.loveysmarket.com

whole foods market

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Dining on the newly renovated

Crystal Pier.

■ WEBSITE: www.OceanicRestaurant.com

The pilot house

Seafood

The Pilot House Restaurant is Wilmington’s premier seafood and steak house with a touch of the South. We specialize in local seafood and produce. Featuring the only Downtown bar that faces the river and opening our doors in 1978, The Pilot House is the oldest restaurant in the Downtown area. We offer stunning riverfront views in a newly-renovated relaxed, casual setting inside or on one of our two outdoor decks.

Join us for $5.00 select appetizers 7 days a week and live music every Friday and Saturday nigh on our umbrella deck.

Large parties welcome. Private event space available. 910343-0200 2 Ann Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun-Thurs 11am-9pm, FriSat 11am-10pm and Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm. Kids menu ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Riverfront Downtown Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Fresh local seafood specialties, Riverfront Dining, free on-site parking ■ MUSIC: Outside Every Friday and Saturday ■ WEBSITE: www.pilothouserest.com

catch

SHUCKIN’ SHACK

Whole Foods Market offers one of the most expansive freshly prepared foods options in the city! With 4 bars featuring hot dishes & salads, a sandwich station, sushi station, and pizza station, you are apt to satisfy everyone in your group. All of the ingredients are free of any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives so food is fresh and flavorful from farm, ranch, or dock to your fork! Dine in the cafe or carry out. On any given day the selection offers an array of organic, local, vegan/vegetarian, and healthy options. Voted Best Salads by encore readers.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: 7 days a week. Monday - Sunday. 8am - 9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Seasonal, healthy, organic, vegan/vegetarian ■ WEBSITE: www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Serving the Best Seafood in South Eastern North Carolina.

Wilmington’s Native Son, 2011 James Beard Award Nominee, 2013 Best of Wilmington “Best Chef” winner, Chef Keith Rhodes explores the Cape Fear Coast for the best it has to offer. We feature Wild Caught & Sustainably raised Seafood. Organic and locally sourced produce & herbs provide the perfect compliment to our fresh Catch. Consecutively Voted Wilmington’s Best Chef 2008, 09 & 2010.

Dubbed “Modern Seafood Cuisine” we offer an array Fresh Seafood & Steaks, including our Signature NC Sweet Potato Salad. Appetizers include our Mouth watering “Fire Cracker” Shrimp, Crispy Cajun Fried NC Oysters & Blue Crab Claw Scampi, & Seafood Ceviche to name a few. Larger Plates include, Charleston Crab Cakes, Flounder Escovitch & Miso Salmon. Custom Entree request gladly accommodated for our Guest. (Vegetarian, Vegan & Allergies) Hand-crafted seasonal desserts. Full ABC Permits. 6623 Market Street, Wilmington, NC 28405, 910-799-3847.

■ SERVING DINNER: Mon.-Saturday 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Acclaimed Wine List ■ WEBSITE: www.catchwilmington.com

Dock Street oyster bar

Voted Best Oysters for over 10 years by encore readers, you know what you can find at Dock Street Oyster Bar. But we have a lot more than oysters! Featuring a full menu of seafood, pasta, and chicken dishes from $4.95-$25.95, there’s something for everyone at Dock Street. You’ll have a great time eating in our “Bohemian-Chic” atmosphere, where you’ll feel just as comfort able in flip flops as you would in a business suit. Located at 12 Dock St in downtown Wilmington. Open for lunch and dinner, 7 days a week.

(910) 762-2827.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: 7 days a week.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: Fresh daily steamed oysters.

■ WEBSITE: www.dockstreetoysterbar.net

oceanic

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & SUNDAY BRUNCH:

Mon – Sat 11am – 11pm, Sunday 10am – 10pm

smoothies and more Tropical smoothie cafÉ

Tropical Smoothie Café’s menu boasts bold, flavorful food and smoothies with a healthy appeal, all made to order from the freshest ingredients. Our toasted wraps, sandwiches, flatbreads and gourmet salads are made fresh with highest quality of meats and cheeses, topped with fresh produce and flavorful sauces, available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The fun atmosphere and unparalleled hospitality brings customers back to Tropical Smoothie Café again and again. At Tropical Smoothie, we are guided by one simple belief: When you eat better, you feel better and when you feel better, all is better. It’s part of our mission to inspire a healthier lifestyle by serving amazing food and smoothies with a bit of tropical fun. 2804 S. College Road, Long Leaf Mall. (910) 769-3939.

■ SERVING BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon-Fri; 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Sat-Sun ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, at Shipyard Blvd. and College Rd. ■ WEBSITE: www.tropicalsmoothie.com

Southern Casey’s Buffet

In Wilmington, everyone knows where to go for solid country

Rx Restaurant & bar

Located in downtown Wilmington, Rx Restaurant and Bar is here to feed your soul, serving up Southern cuisine made with ingredients from local farmers and fishermen. The Rx chef is committed to bringing fresh food to your table, so the menu changes daily based on what he finds locally. Rx drinks are as unique as the food—and just what the doctor ordered. Join us for a dining experience you will never forget! 421 Castle St.; 910 399-3080.

■ SERVING BRUNCH & DINNER: Tues-Thurs, 5-10pm; FriSat, 5-10:30pm; Sun., 10am-3pm and 5-9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.rxwilmington.com

pembroke’s

A seasonally inspired and locally sourced Southern cuisine dining experience, Pembroke’s was created by the owners of downtown’s Rx Restaurant. Pembroke’s focuses on the same values and excellent service as its sister restaurant, purveying local companies for the best in seafood, proteins and produce.

They work with local fisherman and farmers to ensure your meal will be freshly grown and hand chosen. A new dinner menu is churned out daily to ensure the chefs are working with the freshest ingredients. Plus, the bartenders are creating new drink menus daily as to never bore your taste buds. 1125 A Military Cutoff Rd. 910-239-9153.

■ SERVING BRUNCH & DINNER: Open for dinner Tues-Sun, 5pm-close, with live music Fri-Sat nights. Sunday brunch, 10am-3pm.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: North Wilmington ■ WEBSITE: www.pembrokescuisine.com

Sports Bar Carolina Ale House

Voted best new restaurant AND best sports bar of 2010 in Wilmington, Carolina Ale House is the place to be for awardwinning food, sports and fun. Located on College Rd. near UNC W, this lively sports-themed restaurant. Covered and open outdoor seating is available. Lunch and dinner specials are offered daily, as well as the coldest $2 and $3 drafts in town. 317 South College Road. (910) 791.9393.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: 11am-2am daily.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: 40 HD TVs and the biggest HD projector TVs in Wilmington.

■ WEBSITE: www.CarolinaAleHouse.com

dig and dive

A new way to play with your food.” It isn’t just a catch phrase—it is what we do at Dig & Dive. Locally sourced, high-quality food is what we bring to the table. From our specialty “pork wings,” tossed in our famed bourbon-barrell Kentuckyaki sauce, to our fresh ground chuck burgers, to our dogs and sausages, and even salads and kids menu, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. We pair it with an expansive craft beer selection—including a large selection of NC brewed beers—and we give you the most unique and fun atmosphere in Wilmington, thanks to our soft-sand volleyball courts, outdoor and indoor dining. Hands down, we’re the best place in town to ... Eat. Drink. Play. 3525 Lancelot Lane. 910-202-9350.

■ SERVING LUNCH & Dinner: Sun.-Thurs., 11am-midnight;

Fri.-Sat., 11am-2am.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, off Market Street

and Darlington ■ FEATURING: Burgers, dogs, build-your-own French fries,

sandwiches, craft beer, volleyball courts.

■ WEBSITE: www.DigandDive.com

hell’s kitchen

This is downtown Wilmington’s Sports Pub! With every major sporting package on ten HDTVs and our huge HD projection screen, there is no better place to catch every game in every sport. Our extensive menu ranges from classics, like thick Angus burgers or NY-style Reuben, to lighter fare, such as homemade soups, fresh salads and vegetarian options. Whether meeting for a business lunch, lingering over dinner and drinks, or watching the game, the atmosphere and friendly service will turn you into a regular. Open late 7 days a week, with free WiFi, pool, and did we mention sports?

Free downtown lunchtime delivery on weekdays; we can accommodate large parties. (910) 763-4133.

■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & ■ LATE NIGHT: 11 a.m.-2 a.m. daily ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ FEATURING: 1/2 priced select appetizers Monday

- Thursday 4-7 p.m.

■ WEBSITE: www.hellskitchenbar.com

vegetarian/Vegan sealevel restaurant

Shop for gifts while you’re waiting on your to-go order or for the cook to fix your food. How about a lentil patty melt with fresh, handcut potato chips or a crisp salad for lunch?

If you’re looking for a high-fiber plate, we’ve got you covered: the brown-rice tortilla—which is gluten free, vegan and chockful of crunchy vegetables and creamy smoky eggplant spread and avocado—will surely suit you! With a side of creole-spiced organic red beans or our superb vegan purple coleslaw, it will be over the top! Vegan heaven exists: We serve sushi rolls and desserts especially to suit your preferences. Seafood lovers are mad about the shrimp burger, soft crab slider and the frequently featured Caribbean-spiced shrimp tostada, which combines the aforementioned purple slaw, spicy Jerk sauce, and cool avocado, and organic refried lentils on a crispy corn tortilla. Please stop in for lunch six days (not Tuesday/closed) from 11 am to 2 pm, and dinner Thursday through Saturday, 5 pm to 9 pm 1015 S. Kerr Ave. 910-833-7196.

■ SERVING LUNCH AND DINNER 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., daily; Thurs-Sat., 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Closed Tuesdays ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, near UNCW ■ FEATURING: Vegetarian,Vegan, Seafood, Gluten-Free ■ WEBSITE: www.sealevelcitygourmet.com

The easiest way to save money at local businesses!

! s l a de .com

Voted best seafood restaurant in Wilmington, Oceanic provides oceanfront dining at its best. Located in Wrightsville Beach, Oceanic is one of the most visited restaurants on the beach. Choose from a selection of seafood platters, combination plates and daily fresh fish. For land lovers, try their steaks, chicken or pasta dishes. Relax on the pier or dine inside. Oceanic is also the perfect location for memorable events, such as wedding ceremonies & receptions, birthday gatherings, anniversary parties and more. Large groups welcome. Private event space available. 703 S. Lumina Avenue, Wrightsville Beach. (910) 256.5551.

Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar has two locations in the Port City area. The original Shack is located in Carolina Beach at 6A N. Lake Park Blvd. (910-458-7380) and our second location is at 109 Market Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington (910-833-8622). The Shack is the place you want to be to catch your favorite sports team on 7 TV’s carrying all major sports packages. A variety of fresh seafood is available daily including oysters, shrimp, clams, mussels, and crab legs. Shuckin’ Shack has expanded its menu now offering fish tacos, crab cake sliders, fried oyster po-boys, fresh salads, and more. Come in and check out the Shack’s daily lunch, dinner, and drink specials. It’s a Good Shuckin’ Time!

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Carolina Beach Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am-2am; Sun: Noon-2am, Historic Wilmington: Sun-Thurs: 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat: 11amMidnight ■ NEIGHBORHOODS: Carolina Beach and Downtown ■ FEATURING: Daily lunch specials. Like us on Facebook!

■ WEBSITE: www.TheShuckinShack.com

cooking. That place is Casey’s Buffet, winner of encore’s Best Country Cookin’/Soul Food and Buffet categories. “Every day we are open, somebody tells us it tastes just like their grandma’s or mama’s cooking,” co-owner Gena Casey says. Gena and her husband Larry run the show at the Oleander Drive restaurant where people are urged to enjoy all food indigenous to the South: fried chicken, barbecue, catfish, mac‘n’cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, chicken‘n’dumplings, biscuits and homemade banana puddin’ are among a few of many other delectable items. 5559 Oleander Drive. (910) 798-2913.

■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesdays.

■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ FEATURING: Pig’s feet and chitterlings.

■ WEBSITE: www.caseysbuffet.com

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 29

grub & guzzle>>review

Miso Happy:

Genki Sushi rolls out exceptionally fresh fish and handmade Asian specialties

S

by: Rosa Bianca tep aside, imitation crab. We’re talking the real-deal catch here.

Genki Sushi, tucked away in a shy strip mall facing Target, has an unassuming location. The food, however, is anything but average. Don’t just take it from me; take it from the Internet. Genki’s countless online reviews speak for themselves—the majority of which claim the quaint Asian café (namely its superior kitchen guru, Chef Danny) serves up the freshest fish in town. But don’t just take it from Google; take it from the locals. After being blown away by my exceptional meal, I polled my native pals on their favorite spot for sushi. Trophy’s yours, Genki. All. Day. Long.

Goodbye, counterfeit California rolls.

Chef Danny, lead the way.

I wandered into Genki on a quiet Tuesday afternoon, as I was told weekend patrons crowd this spot like a tightly packed tuna roll. Despite the restaurant being somewhat close to closing time, the friendly server in sight invited me to pull up a chair to the sushi bar. He then walked me through some quality menu suggestions, like a true service industry professional— unlike the lifeless chain restaurant waiter who informs us the lemon chicken is, in fact, made with lemon and chicken.

I mentioned my affinity for ahi and he led me toward the Toro—a fatty part cut from the tuna’s belly. He indicated the higher price tag, a much-appreciated gesture, but his declaration that it was worth every penny sold me on the spot. Out came three pinky, perfectly marbled slices of sashimi, resting on a cozy banana leaf bed. At first I didn’t want to disturb them. I immediately changed my mind. The silky steak-esque slices melted onto my tongue like butter and had a gentle salty aftertaste of the sea.

For a crunchy palate cleanser, I opted for the house salad with Genki’s signature dressing. It had hints of toasted sesame and sharp ginger. All around it was an out- HOMEMADE EVERYTHING: Fresh seafood and housemade soy sauce are served at Genki standing “house” dressing.

daily, as well as specialty rolls like the lobster

NOW OPEN!

For a heartier bite, I moved along to the crunch roll (above). Photo by Tom Dorgan gyoza. I tested Genki on their vegetarian version of these typically pork-filled, panfried appetizers. The exterior of each half- of a gloppy glaze oozed over the top (I’m moon had a delicate crunch, thanks to a lookin’ at you, Americanized sushi-fusion sizzle in a hot skillet, and its insides were spots), the fresh-from-the-ocean lobster flowing with fresh mushrooms, greens and had been previously folded with a light, onions. It was satisfying and light all in creamy sauce. The roll was light as air, one bite. One dunk into the sweet ponzu and filled with harmonizing textures and sauce and I was in dumpling dream land. snaps of flavor. I ate every last round as if Pre-feast, I browsed Genki’s sushi someone was about to steal it. menu online. I had my heart set on a traGenki was starting to feel too good to be ditional rainbow roll, but one look at the true. While simultaneously and unapolospecials board, and it was crustacean or getically popping pieces of sushi and gyobust. When my server reassured me the za into my mouth, I surveyed my server lobster crunch roll was his best-selling on the restaurant’s sake selections. Thirty item, I plucked apart my chopsticks and seconds later he was handing me a tall prepared for battle. This specialty roll, shot glass filled with Genki’s chilled, milky, enclosed in pink soy paper, featured homemade unfiltered sake. It tasted like crunchy veggies, creamy lobster salad sparkles. Can I live here? and avocado. Crispy panko flurries scatAlthough this eatery is prized for their sutered around the plate. I scooped up my first rosy nugget and smeared it with (as- shi, I couldn’t help but be tempted by the tonishingly fresh) wasabi and crowned handful of heartier Japanese dishes—so it with a slice of pickled ginger. I gave it yakisoba noodles for dessert, it was. Each a quick dip into a low-sodium soy sauce thin strand was delicately coated with Asian bath—another Genki housemade item. It spices and entangled with cabbage, sliced was so fresh out of Chef Danny’s hands, onion and juicy pieces of chicken. This it was slightly warm to the touch. Instead lunch special came with a perfectly fried

30 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

spring roll and the aforementioned salad.

The total? Less than $10.

(Seriously, can I live here?)

As if I wasn’t already about to set up my cot and bring in my cat, the meal concluded with an array of complimentary madefrom-scratch butterscotch candies. There were several flavors to sample, but the coffee—smoky, nutty and lightly salty— was on another level.

Genki has found that sweet spot in its loyal patrons’ hearts, and it’s no surprise their fanbase is almost entirely word-ofmouth. One bite and diners will want to hold a boombox over their head in the Genki parking lot and channel John Cusack. Most people say to not believe everything read on the Internet, but when it comes to Genki, all the rumors are true.

DETAILS:

Genki Sushi

4724 New Centre Dr., #5 910-679-8420 Tues.-Sat.: 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m., 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Sun.: 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

WE HAVE THE BEST UNCW SELECTION & BEST PRICES IN TOWN!

W W W. K R A Z Y M I K E Z . C O M

SOUVENIRS • KIDSWEAR UNCW • SUNGLASSES • GIFTS FOOTWEAR • NOVELTIES

ONE TREE HILL

THE BEST CAPE FEAR & WILMINGTON APPAREL Located in the heart of Historic Downtown Wilmington!

Check Facebook for specials.

1 N Front St | Wilmington, NC 28401 | (910) 833-5223 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 31

BRING IT DOWNTOWN! PLACES TO SHOP IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON

Come meet John Willse and the Wilmington Wine Team!

“Under a Full Moon,” Oil and Collage on Paper, 12” x 16”, by Elizabeth Darrow

210 Princess Street Wilmington, NC 28401 www.art-in-bloom-gallery.com (484) 885-3037 Now showing fine art including oil painting, collage, sculpture, jewelry, wooden boxes, and ceramics by international and national artists.

Clothing Accessories Local Art Gifts

910-341-0036

108 N. Front St.

• Wine-Down Wednesdays: $3 wines by the glass!

• Free Friday Wine Tastings (5-8pm): $10 on featured bottles!

• $4 Craft Mimosa Sundays!

Craft Beer • Specialty Mixers Wine Education Classes • Bar & Giftware Wedding & Event Planning 605 Castle St., Downtown Wilmington (910) 202-4749 www.WilmingtonWineShop.com

A SHOPPE Local Art • Decorator Pillows Paintings • Handmade Ornaments • Collectibles Year Round Christmas Everyday Decor Coastal Christmas • Dolls And Much More!

225 S. WATER ST. CHANDLER’S WHARF 910.398.0968 32 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

Mid Century Modern and More!

BRING IT DOWNTOWN! PLACES TO SHOP IN DOWNTOWN WILMINGTON

SUZIE Q’S Antiques & Collectibles

21 N. Front Street

Located in the Ruby Tuesday entrance of the Independence Mall and downtown.

Come check out our wide selection of Boho women’s fashion!

10% OFF Applies to any purchase made. *Must mention this ad to redeem special.

Remember to like us on Facebook!

$10 OFF

COME CHECK OUT OUR NEW LOCATION!

$50 PURCHASE or

$25 OFF

$100 PURCHASE 606 Castle Street Wilmington, NC 28401 (910) 769-8919

*Pre tax, non-sale items.

www.rubylane.com/shop/suzieqs suzieqsantiques@gmail.com Owner: Janet Kinsey

5 N Front St. (910) 763-3500 WWW.momentumboarding.com

TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT ON THE DOWNTOWN SHOPPING PAGE, CALL 910-791-0688 OR E-MAIL JOHN@ENCOREPUB.COM

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 33

extra>>best of 2016

AND IT’S A WRAP:

Revealing the final round of winners for encore’s 2016 Reader’s Poll

by: js CARVER & Sr GENTRY

W

ho has the best pizza? Where is the best place to buy a new car?

Who carries the best shoes in town? Where is the best place to take a first date? They’re questions we all struggle with in life, but thank goodness for encore’s annual Best Of poll! We’re here to make your decisions a little easier in the coming year.

For more than 25 years, encore’s annual Best Of Wilmington has been leading folks in all kinds of directions on where to spend their money locally, who to support in the arts, as well as who to trust in everything from local media to nonprofits.

To put it simply: encore holds the official “Best Of” moniker, and our readers’ opinions matter a whole bunch!

In 2016, we culled over 20,000 voices to weigh in on the Best Of Wilmington. Nominations opened in mid-November and

closed mid-December 2015, before final voting began and closed midJanuary 2016. The community-atlarge cast their favorites through our online voting system, featuring over 130 categories.

At encore we try to be as fair as possible with our Best Of poll, and while we allow local businesses and groups to campaign so their patrons/fans will vote for them, we do lay a few ground rules in campaigning practices. No, we’re not the NC Board of Elections but we want to play fair.

1) No stuffing the ballot box! Don’t vote under multiple email addresses, or encourage customers and employees to do so. If you have a list of email addresses that don’t belong to you, please, don’t fill out ballots in their names.

2) Do not entice patrons/fans into voting by offering specials, discounts or prizes in exchange for votes.

THANK YOU WILMINGTON! For voting Shelley Lancaster as

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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE: Rose Hunt took home the best female costume award for Leela in “Futurama.” Hunt poses with Rick Searcy as Bender and Jared Glover as Fry. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

After voting closed, encore threw its annual Best Of party at Brooklyn Arts Center on Saturday, February 27. The event benefitted DREAMS of Wilmington—a local nonprofit and multidisciplinary arts program for at-risk youth (see the story from encore’s February 24 edition for info on DREAMS). Thanks to 408 tickets sold and numerous raffles, DREAMS raised more than $10,000 and will take in $7,600 after expenses. This money allows them to accept 45 students into their three-week summer intensive arts program.

Our Best Of hosts, comedy troupe Pineapple-Shaped Lamps (this week’s dashing cover models), entertained with a plethora of sketches across every category of award winners—all set to the theme, “2016: A Space Odyssey: Invasion of the Trophy Snatchers.” Aside from threatening world domination, they ensured audiences were rolling in laughter during skits and interpretive dance numbers. As a bonus: The funny Pineapples also got to know DREAMS students and even made videos with our Best Of house band, The Midatlantic, all of whom spoke about the importance of having arts education in youth.

We stuffed ourselves silly, thanks to food donated from numerous nominees in the “Food and Beverage” category. We danced to DJ Time and DJ Filthy spinning everything from “Fame” to “Weird Science.” The Midatlantic played their brand of bluegrass throughout the night as well, and Chris Brehmer Photography caught it digitally as our official Best Of photographer. Brehmer’s photos will be published over the next four editions of encore and in our official Best Of Book (published summer 2016), as we announce all winners.

An amazing solar system, DREAMS rocket included, decorated the venue, thanks to the wonderful students at DREAMS flexing their creative muscles.

And “Futurama” characters Leela (Rose Hunt) and Bender made an appearance and took top applause from the audience in our annual costume contest. They scored tickets to see Jewel at Cape Fear Stage on March 18.

Really, we were there to celebrate our besties! So, without further ado, allow us to introduce you to the Best Of Wilmington, class of 2016! Congrats, all!

Goods & Services

Other kids clothing stores meeting the needs of families in Wilmington are Kid to Kid and Carter’s.

Not 10, not 15, but 24 state-of-the-art, synthetic Brunswick lanes keep bowlers happily striking top scores at Ten Pin Alley—Wilmington’s favorite bowling alley on our 2016 poll. Whether going for a birthday party, corporate event or just with friends for a little friendly competition, Ten Pin makes it easy to have fun!

Cosmic bowling rules the weekend every Friday and Saturday night, beginning at 10:30 p.m. Disco and black lights, along with quite a few sing-a-longs, will keep the beer and White Russians flowing, straight-up Lebowski style.

Ten Pin isn’t only a bowling fan’s technicolor dream, it also has two bars with ABC permits and a pub churning out grub to help fuel those forearms. Additionally, they host leagues and tournaments frequently—and not only in bowling. Their adjoining billiards room, Breaktime, hosts tournaments every Friday night with cash prizes. The tables are genuine Simonis cloth-covered, and the pro shop keeps everyone straight shooting with the best sporting equipment, from cues to bowling shoes.

With 34 flat screen TVs across the multi-plex, sports have never been more enjoyable to watch. During football season, Ten Pin/Breaktime hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers fan club, locally.

Other bowling alleys rolling onto the poll are Cardinal Lanes and Beach Bowl.

Spa

Kids’ Clothing Store

Gift Shop

Bowling Alley

Kids grow like weeds, and keeping up with all their needs can exhaust a parent’s bank account rather easily. That’s why Once Upon a Child, located on New Centre Drive in the Target Shopping Center, is around: to make everything a little easier and affordable for families in southeastern NC. They sell gently used and practically new wares in everything from clothes to toys, furniture, accessories and other child-rearing equipment. Their most sought-after items include high chairs, swings, strollers, play yards, and jumpa-roos. So folks who have any to rid from their garage can head over to the store and they’ll hand over cash on the spot!

Most gear and wares found here are name brands and can be scored for up to 70 percent off. Just be sure when selling items that they’re carefully cleaned and free from stains, tears or fading.

Toys must meet safety standards, and all equipment must include every part and be fully functioning. The store will purchase trending items within the last five years for resale. The rundown on their rules and considerations for resale can be found online at onceuponachildwilmington.com.

Seventeen years ago Head to Toe Day Spa opened in Wilmington and has been pampering customers with a multitude of relaxing services since. In 2016 they’ve scored Best Spa thanks to offering topnotch techniques in manis and pedis, massage therapy, skin care, body treatments, makeup services, eyelash extensions, spray tanning, and the best in cut, color and style in their full-service hair salon.

New clients can score lots of discounts and even freebies by checking out their website at http://headtotoedayspa.com. For instance, when utilizing a full highlight or color with Meg, a new client will get a free pedicure express as well! Or schedule a woman’s cut and get a free brow wax. Deluxe facials, Brazilian waxes, makeup lessons, express manicures, and more are on the website and offered at a discount.

Head to Toe also specializes in making every bride’s day the most relaxing, fun and memorable one possible. Their bridal party services can include makeup application, manis, pedis and facials, waxing and tinting, sunless airbrush tanning, and hair styling. Just give them a call to make a consultation appointment: 910-256-3370.

Other spas on the poll include Ki Spa and Tanglez Salon and Spa.

What’s that? Looking for a new painting to hang in the living room? Want a one-of-a-kind birthday present for that special someone? Need an end-of-year teacher’s gift? Hoping to score some delicious snacks for an upcoming party?

Guess what? Blue Moon Gift Shops has it all, and once again in 2016 it takes the Best Gift Shop according to encore readers.

Blue Moon opened in 1999 and is housed in Racine Arts Center on Racine Drive. The shop features over 100 artisans and vendors in 8,500 square feet.

Owner Mary Ann Masucci told encore a few years back—amongst one of their seven wins—that the trick to being the best is to never be complacent. Therefore, Blue Moon changes with a fluid market, and pays attention to customers’ wants and needs.

Currently, some of their vendors include Wilmington Soap Co., Unique Boutique (clothing), Swell Times (home accessories), Show Me Biscuit (pet’s items), Sara Westermark Jewelry, Pottery Connection, Page Family Birdhouses, Mike Bryand Photography, Ladyfingers Gourmet To Go, and more. No mat-

LITIGATING for THE WIN: In encore’s inaugural category of 2016, Best Law Firm, Brandon Gay, CFO, and Brooke White accept the award on behalf of Shipman and Wright, LLP. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

ter what consumers buy at Blue Moon, they’ll get hand-crafted items, mostly made by regional and local artists, from hand-blown glass to lamps, furniture to antiques. Plus, if it’s a gift, Blue Moon

happily wraps it for free.

Consumers also shop at Dragonflies and Crabby Chic.

Law Firm

Since 2006 Gary Shipman has been nominated Super Lawyer for 10 years straight, for his powerful law advice and representation. Not to mention, he’s been recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America since 2007. Now, adding to his

Thank you, Wilmington, for voting us Best Italian!

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BREW BUD: Store manager Aaron Dowling of Lighthouse Beer and Wine accepted the award for Best Bottle Shop at the 2016 encore Best Of Awards Party and Fundraiser for DREAMS. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

list of accolades is the local praise of encore readers, who have voted Gary and his partner, William Wright, of Shipman and Wright, LLP, Best Law Firm—a firsttime category on the 2016 poll.

Shipman graduated from our very own UNCW and went on to study law at Campbell University. Thirty years ago, at the age of 24, he founded his law firm. In 2000, Wright joined the ranks as partner, also having attended both UNCW and Campbell University. Together, Shipman, Wright and their team of lawyers have litigated numerous cases across NC. They specialize in personal injury, medical malpractice, medical devices, detective products liability, wrongful death, estate taxes and tax planning, class action, family law, business/corporate, real property, condemnation, construction, homeowners’ associations, whistleblowers, and appellate advocacy.

Aside from representing and consulting local businesses and investors, they give back to the community at large as well. Shipman has served as former chairman of the New Hanover County Democratic Party and on the Board of Trustees at UNCW. Plus, their website, www.shipmanandwright.com, blog offers insight into the lawyers’ frame of minds concerning various topics—whether they’re dishing advice to newly minted lawyers or talking about local big cases with long-standing effects, i.e. the recent settlement between the City of Wilmington and the unfortunate death of 19-yearold Josh Proutey in 2012.

Other law firms ranking the poll are Woody White Law PLLC and Rountree

Losee LLP.

—Shea Carver

Bottle Shop

For almost two decades Lighthouse Beer and Wine has been a one-stop shop for craft beer and wine for residents and visitors of Wrightsville Beach.

Back when they opened in 1998, the craft-beer movement wasn’t in full swing as it is now. Lighthouse was one of few spots in town to share a passion for craft specialties with patrons, who have voted them Best Bottle Shop this year.

Not only built upon a foundation of bottles, their draft beers (up to 12) can be tapped for growler fill ups or enjoyed onpremise in their dog-friendly beer garden.

Lighthouse also hosts private beer or wine tastings for parties and corporate events, as well as fundraisers for community nonprofits. Folks who don’t know what they’re looking for can ask their knowledgeable staff or follow their beer and wine reviews on their website, where current draft lists can be found as well.

Their annual beer festival, held every October to benefit the Carousel Center for Abused Children, has raised almost $200,000 for the nonprofit. Their 2016 festival is scheduled for October 29 and tickets will go on sale in July. They’re also welcoming back the Voracious Rare Beer Festival on October 28, a more intimate event for beer enthusiasts, held on the deck of the USS North Carolina Battleship.

Other bottle shops popping up on the Best Bottle shop list include Fermental and Palate.

Florist

This year marks lucky number 13 for Julia’s Florist winning the award for Best Florist. “Thank you encore readers!” Owner Dana Cook says with excitement. “We love this award and want to win it every year!”

along the way.”

While Miller doesn’t necessarily incorporate what’s trending in fitness, he keeps to what works: authentic and unique workouts that suit his style and business.

“That’s what differentiates what I do from everyone else,” he tells.

Folks can sign up for a 14-day fitness bootcamp (unlimited sessions per week) with nutrition plan for $49. Miller has a couple of new online programs and services he plans to launch in 2016, so stay tuned at www.montysbootcamp.com.

Other trusted fitness experts in town are LaMaine Williams and Anita Harrell.

Dog Groomer

and staff accountant, pretty boring stuff,” Cook continues. Before that, when she was a little girl, her dad had a chance to own a flower shop but passed up the deal. “The smells and sounds in that florist [shop] stuck with me all my life . . . and let’s be frank, why wouldn’t someone The bar is always set high at Julia’s, love working with beautiful flowers? Evwhere Cook’s design team makes magic ery day we help people all over the counhappen every single day. It’s not always try send an immediate dose of heart-felt easy to extract a picture of an arrange- emotion to friends and loved ones. Man, ment out of a customer’s head and create it doesn’t get much better than that.” exactly what he or she wants, but Cook Other florists blooming into the top says they do it, stem by stem. “With one three are Verzaal’s and Fiore. chance to get it right, whatever the occasion or moment, it has to be perfect,” she says. “If there is anything special, P ersonal T rainer For almost two decades Monty Miller imaginative, or personal that a customer has been helping folks achieve their fitwants created, we make it happen. We ness goals at a very personal level. This like turning wishes into reality.”

With a 200-percent guarantee from year his clients and our encore readers first consult to delivery, Julia’s treats ev- have recognized his work with an “e” for ery order as special because it flower Best Personal Trainer. “It makes me feel arrangements represent someone’s feel- fulfilled and inspired to do even more in ings of love and respect. Having a bak- the future,” he says of the win. “I coner’s dozen of “e” awards hanging along sider it an honor that my clients thought the wall provides a tangible sense of enough of what we do and took time to pride for Cook and her staff. In fact, they vote this year, [however,] I am much more had to move them all to a bigger wall. focused on my clients than awards.”

Monty Miller’s Bootcamp Fitness for “I can’t tell you how many comments we Women offers unlimited sessions for cliget from customers,” Cook adds. “The ents from Monday through Saturday, with award adds credibility to the trust and confidence our customers place with Ju- multiple morning and afternoon sessions to choose from. Not only are workouts lia’s Florist each and every day.”

Now well into 2016, Cook is happy geared toward rapid fat burning, but about launching their new business- also include nutrition plans.

Miller got into the fitness industry beto-business program this spring. Plus, cause he wanted to make a difference they’ll offer an enhanced wedding and in people’s lives. He does so through event division. There are also future expansion plans to come at their 900 S. his desire to motivate, inspire and lead clients to do more in fitness and in life.

Kerr Ave. location.

Back in 2008, Cook bought the shop It’s his passion that drives him to help from the original Julia’s owner. However, others, but the quality of people who she explains her journey in the floral become members of his bootcamp combusiness started a long, long time ago munity are by far the greatest part of … 1980s ... in a land far, far away … the its success. “People want to belong to West Coast. “I was a business manager something with a bigger purpose,” he adds, “and have fun and make friends PAWS UP! We have a new winner on the poll for Best Dog Groomer 2016! Brittany Smith of Precious Paws accepts the award for keeping our furry friends manicured, soft and snuggly. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

The best days with our furry besties are the ones that end with sand in our hair, sweat on our brows and smiles on our faces. However, it’s a lot easier for our fun-loving dogs to get dirty than it is to get clean again. That’s why it’s nice to have quality groomers around like this year’s Best Dog Groomer, Precious Paws.

Precious Paws continuously puts forth quality services year after year. “There is always pressure to please,” owner Al Bright says. “We always want to give our customers the best.”

Bright says they’ll continue to offer the same services in 2016 that led to their win. They offer various grooming pack-

ages starting at $18 and going up to $50, depending on the size of dogs. Bath and brush includes nails, glands, ear cleaning, and brush out. Paw packages, which include haircut, bath and brush, start at $46 and also vary by size and type of fur.

They also have blueberry doggie facials and nail painting (ask for prices). Whether hosing down the stinkiest of hounds or trimming back delicate mane of a YorkiePoo, they’re all treated like precious family members in need of TLC. They also offer low-shed treatments and express services for pets with special needs.

Bright is seeing more families with multiple dogs and his staff always makes it a point to keep them together at Precious Paws while being groomed.

Animals have been a big part of Bright’s life, and he eventually went to school to become a pet stylist. “I felt I could provide the quality and service needed to for a very clean environment and caring atmosphere,” he tells of his journey. “So I opened my own grooming salon, which has been open and very successful for over 10 years.”

Though in business now for more than a decade, winning their first “e” acknowledges that long-term success and quality bright has strived for. “We are very proud to display encore’s Best Dog Groomer Award 2016,” he continues, “and will continue to live up to what

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 37

GALLERY OF smiles: Star Sosa (center) and her staff at Spectrum Jewlery and Art happily pose at the encore Best Of Awards Party and Fundraiser. Spectrum is a runnerup on the 2016 poll for Best Art Gallery. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

TOP EATS: Circa 1922 takes the creme de la creme for Best Fine Dining in the Port City. Former bartender and server Willa Brown—also a former top-notch advertising sales gal for encore—accepted the award on Circa’s behalf Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

it represents.”

Also trusted to pamper Wilmington pooches are Von Barkee’s and Sea Peace.

opening more than a decade ago, folk continue to flock to the upscale historic space in droves for literal and figurative tastes of luxury.

From upstairs to downstairs, exposed bricks, dark wood, ornate gold mirrors, and artwork of turn-of-the-century welcome diners. Owner Ash Aziz keeps high expectations for the dining experience and creative menu. Circa’s staff take utmost care in service, able to answer any questions about what’s coming from the kitchen or drinks from the bar, of which features seasonal sangrias and wines by the glass, carafe or bottle accordingly. The menu is an exploration of small plates, as well as tapas for sharing indulgences.

From starters of beef carpaccio or fresh local oysters, to cheese and charcuterie, to sushi and sashimi, to stuffed piquillo peppers and an array of freshly prepared gourmet salads. Circa has large for hungrier crowds and their weekly prix-fixe menu offers first, second and third courses for $23.95 a person from Sunday-Thursday.

As well, their bar menu Monday through Friday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. features a selection of their signature appetizers and tapas for $5.

Other fine dining eateries topping our poll include Manna and Rx Restaurant.

Read all the Best Of writeups over the last four weeks at www.encorepub.com

Food

and

Fine Dining

Beverage

This isn’t Circa 1922’s first year winning encore’s Best Fine Dining award, nor is it their only accolade as of late—they were Open Table’s 2015 Diner’s Choice. Since

Bartender

5424 Oleander Drive #9 • 910.833.7957 www.invoketattoo.com • Invoke.tattoo.arts@gmail.com 38 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

Megan Loux’s winning streak has officially hit year four as encore readers’ pick for Best Bartender in Wilmington.

She’s culled a following of loyal customers behind her post at downtown’s Cape Fear Wine and Beer (CFWB) with her friendly demeanor and undeniable expertise in craft beer. She’s particularly perceptive of patrons’ palates, often

able to pick spot on recommendations.

Loux told encore after last year’s win she’s proud to work for CFWB owners Lector Bennett and Maaike Brender À Brandis, where it’s more like family than work. “Everything about CFWB is unique,” she explained, “from the bar stools and hose . . . to the names and faces of beers and their representatives, as well as brewers. It’s all crafted and maintained by the same magnificent faces you see here everyday.”

Wilmington’s continuous growth in craft beer offers more opportunities and prospects for CFWB and Loux. Waves of new products continue to come through, with updated beer (drafts and bottles) and wine lists available online. As well, CFWB’s cask ales present some of the largest variety in town.

Aside from an excellent beer scene, Loux’s love for the Port City stems from the camaraderie among local businesses in her industry. Though she’s skilled in her beer craft, she concedes mixology is a little harder to pull off. “I do love me some cocktails, and Ian Murray at Manna, as well as Chris Tolbert from Caprice [Bistro] are my favorite bartenders to seek out,” she said. “I know what I like, and they are able to translate my taste with their expertise right in front of me.

I can suggest a beer, even if it’s not my favorite style, but I’ll leave the [mixology] game to them.”

Also making Wilmington’s Best Bartender list are Ian Murray at Manna and Rose Hunt at Goat and Compass.

Bar

and B eer list Taking home “e”s for Best Bar and Beer List once again is Satellite Bar and Lounge. Their dog-friendly es-

PEANUT GALLERY: Staff from Satellite Bar and Lounge racked up multiple awards on the 2016 poll, as the Greenfield Lake-area hangout took home Best Bar and Best Beer List for 2016. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

Marcus Roberts Trio TUESDAY, APRIL 19 • 7:30 P.M. KENAN AUDITORIUM

tablishment is off the beaten path from downtown Wilmington, but manages to draw crowds and votes every year. Since opening in December 2009 they’ve kept their rotating taps full of craft favorites, as well dozens of can and bottle varieties stock their coolers.

Satellite is a welcoming spot for folks looking for a night out or an afternoon jaunt with the family. With a warm atmosphere inside and out, customers can settle in at the bar, lounge on a couch or head outside to one of two outdoor areas. Whether to play a friendly round of corn hole, watch a movie or sit and sip on everything from IPAs to stouts, there’s something for everyone.

“We try our best to be a positive part of our community,” owner Dustin Ricks said after last year’s victory. “It is an honor to know so many people think we are doing such.”

Their Sunday bluegrass jams draw out talents and enthusiasts from around town and their concerts host a multitude of local and touring bands from rock to Americana, jazz to country. Folks can keep up with upcoming concerts and other events on their Facebook page.

Also pouring from great beer lists in town are Lighthouse Wine and Beer and Cape Fear Wine and Beer. Cape Fear Wine and Beer Blue Post also got nods for the Best Bar category.

—Shannon Gentry

Patricia, leading the way.

The Moities understand the ropes of the restaurant industry. They focus on serving rich, filling French fare, offering a superb wine list, alongside specialty cocktails and craft beers, all served by a delightful staff who know what it means to be attentive and helpful to diners.

Starting a meal here can be seriously food-coma inducing—especially after one bite of their “faux gras.” The mousse dish is creamy and avoids using the controversial foie gras.

“We offer it warm or chilled,” Moity told encore in 2013. “It’s typical country bistro fare, and most importantly, it is a cruelty-free food, avoiding the force-fed goose (or duck) farms.”

They do the best mussels in town, too, served in one of three sauces: curry, marseillaise (white wine, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and herbs) and mariniere (white wine, shallots, garlic, parsley, and lemon juice). They’re on special every Tuesday evening at the bar; however, daily, Caprice offers “plats du jour,” like Monday’s beef bourguignon or Wednesday’s rabbit a la moutarde.

Caprice Bistro offers a full menu of hearty entreés and crêpes seven days a week during dinner only. Items like trout Caroline come topped with lemon, capers, parsley, vinaigrette, and almonds.

The house specialty, waterzooi, compels with an assortment of fish and seafood in a herb cream broth. Finished with a cheese plate or even their insanely deFrench Restaurant licious, homemade profiteroles caps an When it comes to consistency in decaevening in dining paradise. dence, Caprice Bistro, downtown WilmOther Frenchies serving up the best to ington’s Best French Restaurant, knows Wilmington diners are Brasserie du Sohow to please all palates. And they’ve leil and Our Crepes and More. been doing so for 15 years, with chef and owners Thiery Moity, and his wife,

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Chain Restaurant

Bonefish Grill founders Tim Curci and Chris Parker wanted to bring quality seafood to the masses by hiring a world traveler to go to all continents and seas in search of exquisite flavor from the world’s most regarded fish purveyors. In January of 2000 in St. Petersburg, Florida, they founded what would become a seafood chain that appeals to palates nationwide by delivering flavorfully creative seafood dishes of all sorts. Once again in 2016 Bonefish Grill takes Best Chain Restaurant.

Diners can indulge in a multitude of flavor, from grouper and shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico, to salmon from Norway, haddock from the North Atlantic or Dory Belleair from New Zealand. Maryland crab cakes, wolf fish, cold-water lobster tails and more round out the offerings.

Bonefish chefs also offer a variation of sauces to make each meal pop, as tasted in their Caribbean-inspired topping of warm mango salsa or a punch of Chimichurri from Argentina.

Bonefish is getting in on sushi action, too, as tasted in their “Spicy Tuna Bowl.”

It comes with sashimi-sushi grade tuna, sesame-seared rare, avocado, sweet chile sauce, jasmine rice, and passion fruit salsa. For non-fish lovers, they offer chicken, steaks and chops, as to sate heartier appetites.

Other corporate restaurants our diners enjoy indulging in are Texas Roadhouse and Olive Garden.

Sports Bar, Waitstaff and L unch

OK, so 109 Chestnut Street houses one of downtown’s most delicious restaurants, serving pub-style food at heightened flavor profiles. The Copper Penny has been dishing out an eclectic mix of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, and entreés for more than a decade now. And diners keep them busy during lunch and dinner, and especially when football season is in full swing. The Copper Penny is the official downtown sports bar for all Philly Eagle fans! They have multiple TVs and drinks specials daily, no matter the sports season so everyone can catch the latest scores.

But the food, well, that’s what keeps the regulars coming back day after day. The specials at Copper Penny are the way to go: Mondays offer fish tacos and NC beers on special, plus, the kids eat free!

Tuesdays are $5 wine pours while Thursdays are half-price bottles. Wednesday offer up $3.50 select drafts and Fridays welcome $4 Guinness drafts to accompany the fish and chips specials.

While the food and the lively atmosphere are welcoming to everyone in this

40 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

THUMBING WITH BOWIE: Michelle Howe— volunteer for DREAMS—takes on Bowie’s “Aladdin Sane” persona and DREAMS executive director Matt Carvin brings his best Arthur Dent from “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” as part of the sci-fi theme at the 2016 encore awards party. Photo

by Chris Brehmer Photography

gastropub, their top-notch servers make every diner feel like family. Down time just doesn’t exist at The Copper Penny, which keeps the staff on its toes for refills and service needs, always with a smile and courteous chat.

Other waitstaff floating onto the poll come from Indochine and Sweet n Sa-

vory. Lunch spots in the honorable mention positions are Chop’s Deli and Cousins Italian Deli. And sports bars that keep our readers on top of the latest stats are Buffalo Wild Wings and Carolina Ale House.

Sub/Sandwich Shop and Deli

“Our menu is evolutionary and likely to mutate periodically,” so goes the promise and forewarning to all diners looking to bite into Wilmington’s Best Sub/Sandwich Shop and Deli. Chop’s Deli is the brainchild of Chris Graham and Brad Corpening, who opened their flagship downtown restaurant a few years ago. Fast forward to 2016 and they’re running two more locations: in Monkey Junction and Wrightsville Beach. Yet, they’ve just re-opened downtown’s spot after giving her a little facelift. The deli now has full-service seating, wherein servers take orders, deliver foods, ensure refills, and often call their regulars by name,

with a smile and a wink.

Of course, Mr. Chop’s himself, Brad Corpening, can be seen circulating the restaurant with his amazingly upbeat attitude and careful attention to community building.

Corpening sits with customers he knows for a quick conversation and just connects on a level that most restaurateurs do not.

The food, naturally, keeps all of their locations packed, especially during lunches. They pack their sammies with a ton of meat—as tasted on the Plymouth, a signature sandwich combining smoked turkey breast with Havarti, Granny Smith apples, and homemade cranberry relish served on whole wheat.

Folks also love the Amsterdam, which boasts a generous serving of pot roast, melted cheddar and a hearty, thick mushroom gravy on a sour dough Kaiser. Chop’s also do daily soups and mac ‘n’ cheeses that go beyond ordinary, whether crowd spotting: Photographer Chris Brehmer spotlighted winning photos on the ceiling of the Brooklyn Arts Center at the 2016 Best Of Awards Party and Fundraiser held Feb. 27 for DREAMS. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

it’s a chilled, tangy gazpacho on a warm summer’s day or a hearty green chile mac that will stick to the bones during the chill of cold months. Salads contain mounds of veggies, meats and cheeses (the latter of which stick to the Boar’s Head brand), and homemade dressings.

It all adds up to Chop’s continuing their quest on racking up Best Of awards year after year.

Other delis slicing the poll are Taste of Italy and Wayfarer, while subs/sandwich shops stacking up votes are Cousins Italian Deli and Taste of Italy.

Mediterranean Restaurant

Healthy and scrumptious? Absolutely, yes, please! Baba Ghannouj Bistro marries both qualities in all the food stuff they churn out daily in both of their local restaurants. Serving diners in midtown in University Commons off College Road and in Independence Mall off Oleander Drive, they traverse continents to ensure folks get a blend of tastes bordering the Mediterranean Sea, from Greece to Turkey, Libya to Egypt.

Platters are offered, featuring kabobs, rice, hummus and salads, and gyros come filled to the gill with anything from falafel to shawarma. Their side dishes are as fresh and tasty as the heartier

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 41

Deadline: April 20 Send us your cutest pet picture; must be a hi-res photo (10” wide x 10.75” high & at least 300 dpi). The winner will be featured on the cover of encore’s annual pet edition on April 27th. There is a $5 minimum donation (per picture) that will be donated to Canines for Service. Please visit www.encorepub.com for more details.

42 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

main items, especially the chickpea salad or savory eggplant dip, baba ghannouj.

Of course, they offer a few Americanized sandwiches, as to please all folks who step through their doors. So if a veggie wrap isn’t on the craving list, perhaps a Philly cheesesteak will be. Plus, Baba has daily specials as to help keep the wallet a little less depleted. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Other Mediterranean eateries making the poll include The Greeks and Olympia.

Arts, Media and Entertainment Dance Club

Two floors of unadulterated bumping and grinding, whipping and Nae-Naeing. Everyone can pony up and find that perfect dance partner at Goodfellas, which hits the number one spot for Best Dance Club 2016.

Located at 106 Market St., the downtown hot spot hosts DJs every weekend, playing Top 40 hits, old-school hip-hop, glam rock, funk, rap, pop, and more— whatever keeps the kids moving. The second floor dance lounge is where all

the coolest kids get their groove on. For those who wish to live up the high life, they do a VIP lounge with a private waitress attending to patrons’ every need.

They make sure all who come to the third-floor bar are up to snuff on the latest sports. They have 60-inch flat screen TVs, a projection screen and smaller TVs to catch all the latest scores.

Ladies often get preferential treatment with free admission, and drinks are always reasonably priced. From craft beers on tap to martinis and specialty cocktails, Goodfellas has a flavor fest awaiting all party-goers.

Other dance floors packing in the best movers and shakers are Pravda and Ibiza.

Comedy Troupe

Ain’t nothing better to cure an ailment than laughter. Feeling out of sorts? Nutt House Improv performs every Wednesday Night at 9 p.m. at downtown’s Dead Crow Comedy. Their improv provides onthe-spot suggestions made from the audience to help them churn out skits and characters within short-form and longform improv. And the show is only $3.

“The group was founded by a few guys at Cape Fear Community College, who got together and started doing shows at [what was then called] Nutt St. Comedy Room,” member Michael Henninger tells.

FUNNY IS AS FUNNY DOES: Best Comedy Troupe for 2016 went to Nutt House Improv Troupe, with Colton Demonte and Dave DiMuro accepting on the troupe’s behalf. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

Members have oscillated since, and today they consist of Henninger, Steve Marcinowsk, Colton Demonte, David DiMuro, Jon Ripley, Cari Moskow, Tyler Wood, and Travis Edgerton. Their week-

ly shows tend to R-to-NC 17 ratings, so the easily offended should sit out if they can’t take the heat.

“Several of our cast are also active in the local stand-up scene,” Henninger says. “We all have varying hobbies and interests, making us a bowl of mixed nuts. We all enjoy entertaining people and making them laugh. There are higher callings in life, but this one is still up there on the list.”

The upcoming Cape Fear Comedy

Start off Azalea Festival right with great food and drinks at Wilmington’s newest restaurant!

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ACTING CHOPS: Mirla Criste Thompson, a runnerup for Best Thespian on the 2016 Best Of poll, poses with her husband, Bryan, at the encore awards party. Photo by Chris Brehmer Photography

Festival will return to Wilmington on May 18-21 with national headliners. Nutt House will perform that Wednesday, May 18, as part of the fest. In fact, they travel

to perform in festivals and shows in and around NC frequently.

Other funny folks who keep laughter prominent on the poll are Changing Channels and encore Best Of party hosts Pineapple-Shaped Lamps.

Pool Hall

For many, many moons, Jeff Reardon

has been slinging drinks at Wilmington’s fave pool hall and downtown watering hole, Blue Post. Flocks of bar patrons snake down the alley frequently, awaiting to enter the exposed brick hideaway, where two 9-foot regulation tables and four 7-foot tables await all those who adore billiards. For those who need other stimulation on a night out on the town, they turn to one of the many other games offered in Blue Post’s arcade.

“We’ve got seven pinball machines, basketball, skeeball, air hockey, foosball, six pool tables, darts, and other games,” Reardon tells. And they change out the tunes on the jukebox to make sure the soundtrack to everyone’s night out is fit for a movie. In the coming week, they’ll be adding tracks like Charles Bradley’s “Changes,” Dawes’ “All Your Favorite Bands,” Dr. Dog’s “Psychedelic Swamp,” and Beirut’s “No, No, No.” Reardon says something always is happening at the 15 S. Water St. spot, which has been going strong since its opening in 1999. It has become a local’s haven to run into familiar faces for fun banter and attentive service. It’s part of Blue Post’s constant appeal, according to Reardon—“keeping it the exact same as it always has been: no cover charge; great beer and drink selection, great music selection on our jukebox, and laidback atmosphere.”

Other pool halls racking up votes include Breaktime and Orton’s.

—Shea Carver

Karaoke

Richard Davis started Browncoat Pub and Theatre because he, well, wanted

a theater. His partners, however, wanted a bar. “And so this fun little hybrid we have was born,” says Nick Smith, Browncoat’s artistic director. Smith was a loyal customer turned director and actor, then bartender and now his current charge.

“They fed me so I never left,” he quips.

It’s not just actors and theatrics mixed with a full bar of craft beer and spirits at Browncoat, it’s also packed nightly with karaoke singers and enthusiasts who continue to vote it Best Karaoke. In reality, Smith tells, it’s the best place to be a star. Not only does Browncoat provide a bit of production and pizazz, but people go all out on stage. “You’re up on stage, there’s a huge audience in front of you, the lights are up,” he explains. “A lot of places you just sort of stand in a corner, stare at a screen and sing. Here, you get to perform.”

Despite being a pretty small bar all around, Smith says they count their blessings for continued success in what can seem like a revolving door for downtown business. They’ve been in there space for almost nine years, and weathered a lot, but continue to be recognized by encore readers. “Having the ‘e’ award on the wall means we’ve done very well, but that we have to keep improving, keep finding ways to succeed, to make the future all the brighter,” he continues. “It also tells me the message is getting out there: you can’t win without a ton of support.”

As they head into 2016, more focus will be on adding new things to see and do at Browncoat. In addition to karaoke, they’re going to have special performances from famous movie scripts, a new open-mic comedy night and other types of performances leading up to their 10th anniversary theatrical season. “This is the first time we’ve offered a ‘season pass,’” Smith divulges, “which we call the MultiPass, for our main stage shows ... $100 gets you a pass for all ten shows this season, which is about 33-percent off.”

Folks looking for a fun night of karaoke also frequent Banks Channel and Silver Dollar.

—Shannon Gentry

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extra>>feature

Stop and Smell the Azaleas: The 69th annual NC Azalea Festival ushers in live music, artists and more

sociation’s annual Juried Art Show and Sale features more than 100 artists from across the nation and North Carolina. After presenting their fine artwork of pastels, prints, digital art, fiber art and more, awards for first, second and third places will be announced, as well as Donor, Memorial and People’s Choice Award, among others.

by: shannon rae gentry

After Garden Get Down Bluewater Waterfront Grill 4 Marina St. April 8, 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., Free

For the second year the Azalea Festival is hosting its After Garden Get Down at Bluewater Grill. This dockside party will feature live music by Darryl Murrill and Jazzpel, food and drink specials, as well as a pretty great view of the Intracoastal Waterway. Dancing along with the crowd to live music will be 2016’s Queen Azalea Anna Kooiman.

Though it’s free to attend, The Bluewater Dining Package is $261.09 and will include one Airlie Luncheon Garden Party ticket, parking at the Bluewater Grill and shuttle service, a threecourse meal at Bluewater Grill, and entry into the After Garden Get Down. There are a limited number of seats available.

City RockFest Tour Street Fair & Multicultural Stage April 8, 6 p.m., Free

W

FLOAT ON: The 69th annual NC Azalea Festival activities, including parade in downtown Wilmington, kick off this week. Courtesy photo.

ilmington had an early bloom of azaleas this spring. Though they may not be sprouting in the most timely fashion for 2016, the annual NC Azalea Festival certainly is. In its 69th year of celebrating the regional blooms, historic homes and community, this year’s festivities officially start on Wednesday, April 6, with the Queen’s Coronation and go until Sunday, April 10.

encore has the week and weekend schedule of public events broken down from start to finish. Folks can also stay updated on events with the NC Azalea Festival App for breaking entertainment news, behind-the-scenes buzz, and insider tips.

Queen’s Coronation Port City Marina • 10 Harnett St. Wed., April 6, 3 p.m., Free

For the first time ever, the Port City Marina Pier in downtown Wilmington will host the Queen’s Coronation, where Anna Kooiman will

be officially crowned the 69th Queen Azalea.

Kooiman is an anchor and co-host on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” as well as a general assignment reporter for FOX News Channel (FNC) in New York City.

Kooiman graduated with an honors degree in communication studies from UNC-Wilmington and started her career at WWAY-TV (ABC) in 2005 as an intern, then reporter and anchor. As well, she collected two North Carolina Associated Press Awards for Best Investigative Piece and Best Series. Folks will have a chance to mingle with Kooiman, her court, the belles, and other Azalea Fest celebrities directly after the coronation at an exclusive free meet-and-greet.

Street Fair Water, Front and Market streets April 8: 6-10 p.m., April 9: 12-10 p.m., April 10: 1-6 p.m., Free

Home of deep-fried Oreos and 8-pound

46 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

gummy bears, the Azalea Festival Street Fair will be presented by Wells Fargo. The street fair will stretch across downtown Wilmington and is a free family event. With more than 330 arts-and-craft vendors, 40 food vendors, two stages, and a children’s area, the three-day event will have live music, games and activities galore. Children and kids at heart can get their faces painted before getting a bag of kettle corn. Others can shop for jewelry, made from items like sea glass, or even find a new hot sauce or local honey to take home.

Not down for deep-fried Oreos? There will be plenty of other food vendors serving up funnel cakes, gyros, ice cream, and more.

Juried Spring Art Show and Sale Hannah Block Community Arts Center • 120 S. Second St. April 8-10, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Free

A 34-year-old tradition, Wilmington Art As-

Come out for City RockFest Tour 2016, with top acts in country, rock and more. City RockFest will feature Seventh Day Slumber, Decyfer Down, Children 18:3, Spoken, and Disciple.

And it’s totally free!

USCGC Diligence Tours April 8-10, Free

Take the family on a tour of the USCGC Diligence on Friday beginning at 12:30 p.m., or Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m. Tours run throughout all three days until 15 minutes before sunset.

Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour April 8-10, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., $25

The Cape Fear Garden Club Azalea Garden Tour is sponsored by Cape Fear Garden Club, Inc. This is one of longest running tours in the South and has been featured in Southern Living magazine. Profits from the tour benefit community beautification and horticulture grants, UNCW and CFCC scholarships, as well as conservation efforts at Battery Island, a National Audubon Society bird sanctuary. They’ve raised more than $1.2 million in 20 years.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony is the official beginning to the tour and will be held at Hugh Morton Greenfield Lake Amphitheater at Greenfield Lake on Friday at 10 a.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the Azalea Festival Ticket Office.

Street Fair Children’s Area Cotton Exchange April 9-10, 12:30 - 5 p.m., Free

The Street Fair Children’s Area is family fun for all, with games, craft projects and stage performances at the Cotton Exchange.

Starting with a science demonstration by the Cape Fear Museum on Saturday, April 9, at noon, activities continue throughout the day in dance, arts and education.

Activities will resume on Sunday, April 10, from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. See a full schedule of events at ncazaleafestival.org.

Street Fair Multicultural Stage Water St. (between Chestnut and Princess) • April 9-10, Free

Each year the Azalea Festival features contemporary and traditional music, dance and ethnic pageantry. Groups and community organizations work together to present an array of diverse ethnic performers and bands that infuse the city with many cultural traditions.

Featured musical acts include Clark Beckham, Villa*Nova, Norlina, and local Americana favorites Mike Blair and the Stonewalls.

The Street Fair Multicultural Stage brings recognition to the region’s growing ethnic population. The stage will feature some of the best Native American, Celtic, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Hawaiian, Polynesian, Indian, Techmoja, Philippine, and Japanese performing artists, dressed in authentic colorful costumes.

Historic Home Tour April 9, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

April 10, 1 p.m. - 5 p.m., $30-$35

The NC Azalea Festival Home Tour is an annual event held by the Historic Wilmington Foundation. Proceeds from the Home Tour will advance the Historic Wilmington Foundation’s efforts to protect and preserve the irreplaceable historic resources of Wilmington and the Lower Cape Fear region. Since 1966, the foundation has successfully saved more than 200 historic properties from demolition.

This year’s theme is “Stepping Into Spring,” and will showcase 12 private and public gardens of established and new landscapes.

A new addition is Spectrum Gallery’s “en plein air” artists, who will be painting in participating gardens during the tour.

Tour price includes free admission to Airlie Gardens on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 day of. For more information, call the Azalea Festival Ticket Office at 910-794-4650.

Fireworks Riverwalk • Downtown Wilmington April 9, 9 p.m., Free

Once again set at the Cape Fear River, the Azalea Festival Firework Show will light up the sky. Arrive early to pick the best spot along the waterfront and expect large crowds. It’s free, fun and fiery!

Parade Mile Run Downtown Wilmington Sat., April 9, 8:55 a.m., $10-$20

The Parade Mile Run returns this year, with local law firm McAngus Goudelock & Courie teaming with Go Time to bring a relatively new tradition back to the North Carolina Azalea Festival.

Runners will start and finish the paraderoute course at 102 N. 3rd St., in front of the Grandstand at City Hall. Proceeds benefit the Cape Fear Literacy Council. Interested runners can register at https://its-go-time.com/azaleafestival-parade-mile. The NC Azalea Festival Parade immediately will begin after the race.

Parade April 9, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

With over 100,000 viewers each year, the Azalea Festival Parade will have floats, marching bands, horses, celebrities, and Azalea Princesses meandering through historic downtown Wilmington.

This year the parade will be given a new route: It will begin at the south end of downtown and travel north up 3rd Street. Viewing areas will stretch from Market to Bladen streets, with bleachers between Grace and Chestnut.

Bleacher tickets can be purchased at the event for a higher cost. Handicap parking and viewing will be available on Chestnut Street between 3rd and 4th streets, next to the City of Wilmington offices.

USS North Carolina Battleship 75th Anniversary Celebration Sat., April 9, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., $6-$14

pector, he will be speaking with attendees and teaching panning techniques throughout the event.

Boxing Tournament Schwartz Center, CFCC April 9-10, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m., Free

ing WWII. Bringing the Battleship to life for its 75th anniversary with patriotic tunes and a cake cutting at 1:15 p.m., there will be appearances by Queen Azalea and other celebrity guests. The event is free to attend with Battleship admission.

Coin Show The Elks Lodge, 5102 Oleander Dr. April 9: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

April 10: 10 a.m. - 3 p.m., Free

A family-fun day of coins and currency will take place at the Elks Lodge, wherein 30 dealers from several surrounding states will appraise, buy, sell, and trade coins and other numismatic items. Children will receive free foreign coins to learn about currency and foreign countries.

Don McNeely of Gold History Corporation will be on hand, too. A 30-year veteran pros-

It. Will. Be. Bumping.

A tradition since 1978, the North Carolina Azalea Festival Boxing Tournament showcases boxers ages 8 and up from national and international levels. Sponsored by the NC Azalea Festival, Friends of Boxing and NC Amateur Boxing Association, boxers will be separated into three age groups: 8-16, 17-34 and master boxers, 35 and up, who will compete in six divisions—from 55 to 201 pounds. Queen Azalea and other VIP guests will be in attendance.

Festival Finale Bluewater Waterfront Grill, 4 Marina St. Sunday, April 10, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free

Chase Rice with Kane Brown Belk Main Stage 411 North Front St. Saturday, April 9, 7 p.m.

Tickets: $36.50

Country fans unite! North Carolinian Chase Rice will be honky-tonkying up the stage on Saturday evening. His 2013 “Ready Set Roll” EP hit all the major charts, Billboard, iTunes and went platinum, and will be played among his recent releases.

Unofficial Azalea Weekend Events

While the Azalea Festival Finale wraps up their 69th year, Bluewater Grill will kick off their 2016 summer Waterfront Music Series. The last official event of the NC Azalea Festival, the “yacht rock” band, Back of the Boat, will cover tunes from Buffett to Zac Brown Band. The patio party will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., with plenty of giveaways throughout the late afternoon and early evening.

Festival Concert Series

All tickets can be purchased at www.ncazaleafestival.org.

The Avett Brothers Belk Main Stage 411 North Front St. Thursday, April 7, 7 p.m.

Tickets: $55

Poor Man’s Garden Party Goat and Compass, 710 N. 4th St. Thursday, April 7, 4 p.m. - 7 p.m., $2

The Poor Man’s Garden Party will return this year at the Goat and Compass. The pre-party prior to The Avett Brothers concert welcomes attendees to nibble on grub from T’Geaux Boys and Soulful Twist food trucks, enjoy brews by Natty Greene, and get down with music by L Shape Lot. Folks can sip on their Azalea Festival cocktail, featuring Tito’s vodka, and play lawn games like cornhole and bucketball.

Admission is $2, with a portion of all door sales donated to Friend of Angels (www. friendofangels.org) in memory of Tessa Myree Dominelli.

20th Annual Pleasure Island Chowder Cookoff Sat., April 9, 11:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., $6

Each year chefs from restaurants of Pleasure Island, Monkey Junction and Wilmington gather on Pleasure Island for a famous Chowder Cookoff, live music, games, and more.

Tickets are $6 and children 12 and under are free. Visit www.pleasureislandnc.org.

Read the interview on page 10.

Snoop Dogg with Doug E. Fresh Belk Main Stage Come out for a lesson on USS North Car- 411 North Front St. olina Battleship from a “living history crew” Friday, April 8, 7 p.m., featuring active Marines simulating life dur- Tickets: $46.50

makes his debut on the Azalea Fest stage on Friday evening. Joining the ‘90s hip-hop king will be Doug E. Fresh, known as the first beatboxer in the rap world!

“The capital S, oh yes I’m fresh, N doubleO P, D O double G Y, D O double G, ya see”

Alt-Zalea Fest Sat., April 9, 12 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Read article on pages 8-9.

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UPCOMING EVENTS SATURDAY, APRIL 9 | ALL DAY

Women’s Golf hosts River Landing Invitational SATURDAY, APRIL 9 | 1:00 P.M.

Women’s Tennis vs College of Charleston SATURDAY, APRIL 9 | 1:00 P.M.

Softball vs Delaware (DH) SUNDAY, APRIL 10 | ALL DAY

Women’s Golf hosts River Landing Invitational SUNDAY, APRIL 10 | 1:00 P.M.

Softball vs Delaware

TUESDAY, APRIL 12 | 6:00 P.M.

Baseball vs East Carolina

THURSDAY, APRIL 14 | 2:00 P.M.

Women’s Tennis vs Mt. Olive

UNCW Baseball & Softball Tickets on Sale now! @uncwathletics

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encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 49

happenings & events across wilmington

to-do calendar events NC AZALEA FEST

See pages 8-9, 10 and 46-47.

POOR MAN’S GARDEN PARTY

4/7, 4pm: Get ready for the 4th annual Poor Man’s Garden Party! Kick back and enjoy some pre-Azalea concert fun at this 2-day outdoor festival featuring music, beer, and bites from local food trucks. Get your groove on with local bands and DJs, check out live painting by Cammeron Battanides, and play jumbo lawn games before walking to the concert – just steps away from

the pub. Festivities start at 4 p.m. both days.

Admission is $2 with a portion of proceeds benefitting Friends of Angels. Info: facebook.com/ Goat&Compass. Goat & Compass, 710 N. 4th St. ANTI-BULLYING/DRUG-AWARENESS RALLY

Event includes: MLK Center Youth All-Star Game, motivational speakers, performances by Jade Dance team, DOI Dance, organization & Port City Divas. Main event: New York Street Ballers vs. New Hanover Sheriff Department! MLK Community Center, 401 S. 8th St.

NC SCIENCE FESTIVAL

4/9-10, noon-6pm: Cape Fear Museum partners with the NC Science Festival to bring exciting

science, technology, engineering, and math activities to the Children’s Area at the NC Azalea Festival. PBS’s Sid the Science Kid will make appearances at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm, on Saturday. Join us downtown to explore and discover science together! North Carolina Azalea Festival Fairgrounds, 5725 Oleander Dr B7

charity/fundraisers 2016 Audi Cabriolet RAFFLE

Wilmington Symphony Orchestra is raffling a 2016 Audi Cabriolet convertible, in partnership with Audi Cape Fear. Only 999 tickets will be

sold! The drawing will be held on May 7. Audi Car Raffle: $125 + $3.75 transaction fee. Raffle ticket to win the new 2016 Audi Cabriolet 2.0. Raffle tickets will be sent to buyer via U.S. mail. Must be 18 years old to participate. You need not be present to win, but we hope you will join us at the Kentucky Derby Party and drawing event on May 7, and all ticket sales benefit the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra. The $125 purchase price of the ticket is not tax-deductible, but any amount in excess of $125 per ticket will be considered a contribution to the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.

600 tickets must be sold for the raffle to take place. In the event that the minimum is not met, you may choose to make this a tax-deductible donation to the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra or receive a full refund. wilmingtonsymphony.org.

13th landfall golf tournament

Good Shepherd Center’s largest fundraising event that has raised over $1 million since its inception. The Landfall Golf Tournament benefits Good Shepherd’s work in moving men, women and families with children to independent living in their own home. In addition to the golf tournament, we host a Tennis Mixer. Silent Auction and Games Day which includes an afternoon of bridge, mah jong, and other games. Landfall Country Club, 800 Sun Runner Pl.

TERRAPIN TALLY VOLUNTEER TRAINING

4/7, 6pm; 4/9, 10am: N.C. Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve and the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission need your help with estimating the population of Diamondback Terrapins within the Masonboro Island Reserve!

In an effort to better understand the population of terrapins in NC, we’re training volunteers to serve as citizen scientists by logging terrapin sightings using a smartphone mapping application as they paddle predetermined routes around Masonboro. Data collected will be used to help us understand the density and distribution of the resident population and observe trends over time.

Event will mark the THIRD year of data collection in this valuable citizen science effort. UNCW Center for Marine Science Auditorium, 5600 Marvin K Moss Ln. marie.davis@ncdenr.gov

theatre/auditions WALKING ACROSS EGYPT

4/1, 7pm, Fri-Sat. Dinner theater show, based on book by Clyde Edgerton and adapted by Catherine Bush. $37 for dinner, $21 for show only, $17 for mezzanine with discounts for Seniors & Students & Groups of 10+. 4/1 and 8, 5:30pm, $30 donation in addition to ticket to meet and greet Clyde Edgerton to benefit the Arts Council of Wilmington. Edgerton is the author of 10 novels, a book of advice, a memoir, short stories, and

Enter your events online by noon, Thursdays,

for consideration in print.

www.encorepub.com 50 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

crossword Creators syndiCate CREATORS SYNDICATE © 2016 STANLEY NEWMAN

WWW.STANXWORDS.COM

4/10/16

THE NEWSDAY CROSSWORD Edited by Stanley Newman (www.StanXwords.com)

NORTHERN EXPOSURE: Explained at 115 Across

by S.N. ACROSS 1 Dog star of ’60s TV 7 Capital of Eritrea 13 City on the English Channel 19 Cornell’s locale 20 Spruce (up) 21 Points properly 23 5 CENTS 25 Great Lake-connecting river 26 Antagonizes 27 1 or 33 Across 28 25 CENTS 30 Symbols of industry 31 Personalized music medium 33 Diminutive dog 34 Got cash for 35 Storage container 36 Tolkien monster 38 Cupid alias 41 When Claudius became emperor 42 1 CENT 50 Anxious feeling 51 Original Star Trek studio 52 Front runner 56 Hindu garb 57 Makes known 58 Garb 61 Video effect, for short 62 “Just leave it to me” 63 Fraction of a fl. oz.

64 Archeological find 66 Mail HQ 67 Flimflam 68 10 CENTS 71 Comics “Ouch!”

72 Quaint quarters 73 Fingerspelling skill 74 IRS ID 75 Trespassing or slander 76 No longer minor

78 Coral creation 79 DVR button 81 Car Talk medium 82 New parents, usually 84 Subway of song 86 Fabricated 87 50 CENTS 91 Well-put 94 Source of inflation 95 DC VIP 96 Made with ghost peppers 97 Expressions of awe 99 Knee protectors 102 Frankincense, e.g.

104 Potato holder 108 1 DOLLAR 112 That woman 113 Homemade stadium sign 114 Unpredictable 115 Theme of the puzzle 118 Second or third edition 119 Profession 120 Club member’s jacket 121 Hershey brand 122 Blue Jays’ div.

123 Most slippery

13 Diva’s performance 14 Diva’s performance 15 False witness 16 Auspices 17 Ready to be shipped 18 Walk in the park 22 Medina resident 24 State one’s views 29 Scratched (out) 31 About 1.6K 32 Garb 35 “I Loves You Porgy” singer 37 15-season series on 117 Down 39 Sagacity symbol 40 Afternoon break 42 Flautist, for instance 43 Heaviest snake 44 Bank-loan phrase 45 Stretched out 46 Containing animal fat 47 Wedding setting 48 La Vita __ (Dante work) 49 Hoedown participant 53 Reformer, unkindly 54 Big store DOWN 55 Vane spots 1 Only inanimate sign 57 Son of Jacob 2 Stayed home for 59 Breezes through an supper exam 3 Commandments verb 60 Smart-mouthed 4 Preserves 63 Airer of uncut RKO 5 Preserves, in a way films 6 Musical talent 64 100 yrs.

7 Take over, as land 65 Elizabethan-era, for 8 Auto accessory short 9 Scratch up 68 Petty tyrant 10 Minimal amount of 69 Southwest New York magnesium city 11 Brief summary 12 What Bermudas won’t 70 1993 treaty acronym 75 Vocal fanfare cover

77 Goodman of Dancing with the Stars 79 Front runner 80 Some den mothers 81 Profusion 83 Alphabetic trio 85 Kidnapped monogram 86 It phased out a few days ago 88 Has an effect on 89 October birthstone 90 Fagin trainee

91 Many a Web browser 92 Not as good 93 Native American sports legend 98 Drum wire 100 Capital of Bangladesh, old-style 101 Danish toast 103 Terse 104 Site of an Exodus ascent 105 Bedazzle

106 Systems of rules 107 Sears Holdings subsidiary 109 Elevator innovator 110 “Front” or “back” course part 111 Word on Irish stamps 113 Corridor 116 “Great Public Schools for Every Student” sloganeer 117 Supergirl airer

Reach Stan Newman at P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, NY 11762, or at www.StanXwords.com

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1 Block South Of Shipyard • Wilmington encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 51

essays. He has been a Guggenheim Fellow and five of his novels have been New York Times Notable Books. Walking Across Egypt follows Mattie Rigsbee, who discovers a stray dog on her porch and decides she’s too old to keep it and calls the dogcatcher. Little does she know Lamar Benfield will open her eyes to a world she never knew existed. Directed Don Baker. 19 S. 10th St. theatrewilmington.com AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MOUSETRAP

4/7-10, 14-17, 21-24, 8pm; Sun., 3pm: Written

by Agatha Christie and directed by Chris Brown, a group of strangers is stranded in a boarding house during a snowstorm; A newly married couple who run the house; a spinster with a curious background; an architect who seems better equipped to be a chef; a retired Army major; a strange little man who claims his car has overturned in a drift; and a jurist who makes life miserable for everyone. Into their midst comes a policeman, traveling on skis. Soon after someone is killed and as the policeman probes the background of everyone present he rattles a lot of skeletons. Admission: $15 Thursdays, $18 Seniors/students/military, $20 GA. Cape Fear Playhouse, 613 Castle St.

GREEN DAY’S AMERICAN IDIOT

4/7-17, Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. Two-time Tony-winning hit musical ‘American Idiot,’ based on Green Day’s Grammy-winning multi-platinum album, boldly takes the American musical to a new level. Johnny, Tunny and Will struggle to find meaning in a post-9/11 world. When the three disgruntled men flee the constraints of their hometown for the thrills of city life, their paths are quickly estranged when Tunny enters the armed forces, Michael is called back home to attend familial responsibilities, and Johnny’s attention becomes divided by a love interest and a hazardous new friendship. Tickets: www.thalianhall.org.

BUYER AND CALLER AUDITIONS

Thalian Association will hold auditions for the first show of their 2016 Red Barn Season, Buyer and Cellar. Auditions will be held Monday, April 11 & 12 at 7pm at the Community Arts Center, 120 S. 2nd St. Drected by Benedict R. Fancy, show runs June 9-26 at Red Barn Studio Theatre. Available Roles: Alex Moore, Male, Age 20-40, All Ethnicities. A struggling actor in LA takes a job working in a megastar’s Malibu basement (which is fitted out as an old time shopping street). When the Lady herself comes down to play, it feels like real bonding in the basement, but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? An outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs.

MAD FOREST

In playwright Caryl Churchill’s play, realism mixes with the surreal in this tale about the Romanian revolution. The first act follows a young Romanian woman engaged to an American and the ensuing Romanian secret police investigation of their relationship. The second act uses the same actors to recount the events of December 1989 in Bucharest. The third act follows a character from Act I and their recovery from injuries sustained during the fighting. Runs at 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

April 14-17 and 21-24 on the Mainstage Theatre in the UNCW Cultural Arts Building. Tickets are $15 for members of the general public, $12 for seniors, UNCW employees, and alum, and $6 for students (sales tax included.) Kenan Box Office: 910.962.3500 or http://uncw.edu/arts/boxoffice. html. UNCW Cultural Arts Building, 601 South College Rd.

52 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

comedy DEAD CROW

4/8, 7pm/9:30pm: Erin Foley is an amazing comedic actress, comedian, and writer. Currently, Foley is a regular cast member on TruTV’s How To Be A Grown Up. She just finished writing for the new NBC sitcom, “One Big Happy,” which debuts in the spring of 2015. Doors 6 p.m., and dinner is available. Dead Crow Comedy Room: 265 N Front St. www.deadcrowcomedy.com.

music/concerts SNOOP DOGG AND DOUG E FRESH

4/8: This a a rain or shine event. Ticket prices are $46.50 not including tax or fees. No ticket refunds will be granted. The tickets are the same price online and at the Azalea Festival office. Belk Main Stage, downtown Wilmington, 601 N. Front St. www.ncazaleafestival.org

AVETT BROTHERS

4/7, 7:30pm: NC-born Avett Brothers, Belk Main Stage, Cape Fear Community College, 411 N. Front St., outdoor standing room, general admission, non-smoking venue. Show is rain or shine.

No ticket refunds or returns are given. Mon.-Fri., 9am-5pm, 5725 Oleander Drive Suite B-7. www. ncazaleafestival.org

SIMPLY CLASSICAL

4/10, 7:30pm: Chamber Music Wilmington closes its “Simply Classical” series with the Grammynominated Enso String Quartet performing a tour de force program featuring music from the Romantic, Classical (Beethoven Middle), and Contemporary periods. The concert concludes this season with a musical tornado that includes the works of Hugo Wolf, Beethoven, Ginastera, and Webern. www.chambermusicwilmington.org.

UNCW Beckwith Recital Hall, 5270 Randall Dr.

dance CONTRA DANCE

Evening of energetic, contemporary American country dancing—exercise that’s actually FUN, done to live music by Box of Chocolates band—fiddle, percussion, guitar, dulcimer, bass, mandolin and more! Dress cool & comfortable, soft-soled shoes. 2nd and 4th Tues each month.

All ages welcome. United Methodist Church, 409 S. 5 Ave.

Eileen Juric Dance Workshops

Renowned ballet dancer and Master Teacher, Eileen Juric, will visit The Dance Element studio for a day of workshops on Sun., 4/10—open to all area dance students ages 7-Adult. Instruction will apply to all styles of dance technique, and dancers of all levels will benefit from this opportunity to study with a visiting artist. Eileen Juric danced as a soloist with the Chicago Lyric Opera Ballet and trained on full scholarships at the Joffrey Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. Her instruction maximizes the potential of young students, and bridges the gap between preparatory training and more advanced levels.

2-3:30: Intermediate Students Ages 7-11, $25 for Enrollment; 3:30-6:30: Advanced Students Ages 12- Adult, $40 for Enrollment. Dance Element of Wilmington, 7211 Ogden Business Ln. #205

OVER 50S DANCE

4/12, 7:30pm: Over 50’s dances provide a venue for Ballroom, social, and Line dancing for those who enjoy socializing and moving to the rhythm of music. DJs play a variety of dance music and

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encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 53

will take your requests. Couples and singles are welcome. New Hanover County Senior Resource Center, 2222 College Rd.

art WINTER WORKS ON PAPER

Take a reprieve from the hustle and bustle and enter a world of serenity and quiet that only a blanket of snow puts on the world. Sit down, relax and enjoy the soft restful solitude of winter. Watercolors and monoprints on museum quality papers by artist Janette K. Hopper. Costello’s Piano Bar, 211 Princess St.

ART AT THE MISSION

4/9, noon: Hosting up to six local artists. The Rescue Mission Bargain Center will provide a 15% discount on all items in the store except clothes and plants. Cape Fear Rescue Mission, 502 Castle St.

NIKI HILDEBRAND GLASS WORK

Through May 15: Hildebrand’s work spans ideas of memory, transience, collective consciousness of humans and the earth. Thoughts of energy, beliefs and existence flowing through, of what we don’t see and the connections of them. Engaged with the human condition and often the human body, her work captures sensory parts of existence, creating a play between the physical presence of solid visuals and the awareness of the nonphysical indefinable matter. The ArtWorks, 200 Willard St.

ALL STUDENT SHOW

Annual, juried exhibition features student work.

Traditionally over 75 pieces are submitted, including drawings, watercolors, oils, photography,

acrylics, ceramics, sculptures and experimental media. A UNC Wilmington alumnus/alumna or community member is selected to juror the show and selects the awards, including Best of Show, which is purchased for the University Union Permanent Art Collection. UNCW Boseman Art Gallery, 601 S College Rd. topher alexander

Flytrap Brewing presents “Varied States” from local artist, Topher Alexander. He currently serves as the Assistant Gallery Director at UNCW CAB Art Gallery and teaches printmaking at the Cameron Art Museum School. Alexander’s artwork is driven by experimentation, and grounded in raw materials. On display through April 30. Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

AZALEA FEST CHILDREN’S ART SHOW

TACT is proud to exhibit the top 54 entries from the elementary and middle school divisions of the 7th annual North Carolina Azalea Festival Children’s Art Contest. Free; public invited to attend. NC Azalea Festival Children’s Art Contest is open to all public, private, charter and home elementary and middle-school students from New Hanover and Pender counties with almost 900 entries from talented young artists. Artwork from the top entrants in each division may be viewed in the HBHUSO/CAC Community Gallery with the ceramic art of the renowned Orange Street Pottery. Children’s artwork will be on display at the Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center through Azalea Festival until Fri., 4/29.

FOURTH FRIDAY GALLERY NIGHT

Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, Wilmington’s premier after-hours celebration of art and culture, is held 6-9 pm on the fourth Friday of each month.

Fourth Fridays feature art openings, artist dem-

onstrations, entertainment and refreshments. Administered by the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County, Fourth Fridays have made downtown Wilmington an arts destination as artsavvy locals and visitors flock to our art spaces, said Rhonda Bellamy, executive director of the Arts Council of Wilmington/NHC. CALL FOR ARTISTS

Call for Artists by Wilmington Art Association for 2D Visual and 3D Heritage Arts adults 50 and over—Statewide Art Competition plus Exhibition and sale for three days. -$15 to enter 5 pieces of art. No uploading images Deadline to enter April 25. www.wilmington-art.org

STRIKING A BALANCE

Striking A Balance opens at New Elements Gallery features new works from printmaker Donald Furst and painter Bob Rankin. Both artists share a clean, linear aestheric, but they differ in palette.

Furst works predominately in black and white where Rankin plays with primary hues. It will remain on view until 4/16. at 201 Princess St.

WAA SPRING SALE AND SHOW

4/8-10: Azalea Festival is the Annual Juried Art Show and Sale sponsored by the Wilmington Art Association. Wonderful works of art by over a hundred local artists will be available for viewing and buying at The Hannah Block Art Center, the former historic USO, 120 S. Second St. Paintings in oil, acrylic, watercolor and pastel, photography and mixed media, there will also be interesting 3D pieces such as glass and sculpture. Open Friday and Saturday from 10am-5pm, and on Sunday from 10am-4pm. Admission is free, and the event is handicapped accessible. Juror and judge for this year’s 34th Show is Chad Smith, a well-known painter who currently lives in Durham.

PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT

4/8-10: Visitors to the Azalea Garden tour will discover artists working in locations throughout the featured gardens. The artists will move from place to place, following both the sunlight and their imagination. Most of the artists will be working all three days of the tour and some may make it to several of the featured gardens during that time. Spectrum Gallery will host a showing of the resulting artworks at the gallery location at The Forum, with an artists’ reception on Thursday, 5/5, 6-9pm. Refreshments and live music. In the time between the paint out in April and the gallery show in May, many of the artists are expected to develop more detailed paintings from their original sketches. Collectors will be able to see the evolution of certain paintings alongside the more spontaneous creations painted during the Garden Tour. 910-256-2323. Spectrum Gallery, 1125 J Military Cutoff Rd., www.spectrumartandjewelry.com.

CELIA MCGUIRE OPENING RECEPTION

4/14, 6pm: My World on Canvas, exhibition by artist Celia McGuire presented at the Leland Cultural Arts Center. Visitors to the Center can enjoy her works from April 1st through 4/30. Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way

museums CAMERON ART MUSEUM

Exhibits: Through 6/5: Bones Of: Sculptures by Dustin Farnsworth: New acquisition to the permanent collection in context of seven other works by this rising artist. Inspired by 19th century architecture of the theatre, Farnsworth reflects, “I create a lush, emotionally-charged rabbit hole

A concer t series by the Cameron Ar t Museum and the Cape Fear Jazz Society

AT

Hair Nails Facials Waxing Spa Packages Massage Therapy Gift Cards Available Wedding Parties Welcome INDEPENDENCE MALL 910- 794-8897

JAZZ @ THE CAM Mangroove Jazz Quintet THURS. APRIL 7 6:30 – 8:00 PM

Tickets online, by phone or at the door. CAM/CFJS Members: $8.00 Non-members: $12.00, Students with valid college ID: $5.00

www.cameronartmuseum.org (www.capefearjazzsociety.org)

3201 South 17th Street | Wilmington, NC 28412 | 910.395.5999

54 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

to fall into and explore. These sculptures act as anthropological studies of cultural, familial and social heredity of a culture in the interim of postindustry and the coming age.” Farnsworth, a recent resident artist at Penland School of Craft (2012-2015) is now continuing his studio practice as a Windgate resident and Honorary Fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (20152016). • Through 7/10: Raise the Curtain: Galleries become two working studios in this presentation of the original front curtain unveiled October 12, 1858 during the premier opening of Wilmington’s Thalian Hall. The 32’ curtain painted by Russell Smith, Hudson River-inspired Pennsylvania artist, undergoes conserva?tion treatment while local artists paint a 19’ x 32’ replica of the venerable scene, featuring arrival of Viking long ships to Apollo’s temple, as oracles are read on the eve of the Olympic games. • Through 9/11: She Tells a Story celebrates the work of women artists from CAM’s permanent collection and connects the art forms of visual and literary arts. Fifteen Wilmington-area women writers contribute text (of their chosen format) on select works from the exhibition. The juxtaposition of the artwork with the written word will illuminate how these artists and writers explore their experiences, perspectives and world views through their chosen medium.

• Through 7/17: Patchwork North America: Paintings by Virginia Wright-Frierson: From extensive travel by road and by air, Wright-Frierson has created over 100 paintings framing scenes, as if looking through a window, across the US and Canada. • She Tells a Story, see page 16. CAM Café hrs: Tues,-Sat,, 11am-3pm; Sun., 10am3pm; Wed.-Thurs. 5-9pm. 910-395-5999. www. cameronartmuseum.org. 3201 S. 17th St. BATTLESHIP’S 75 ANNIVERSARY

4/9, 9am-4pm: Aactive duty personnel from Camp LeJeune bring the ship to life. Battleship’s Living History Crew and the US Marine Corps Historical Company, Sailors from the 2d Marine Division and Marines from the 2d Tank Battalion will interpret the Battleship for visitors. According to LCDR Jason M. Constantine, Battalion Chaplain and one of the event organizers, “This is a unique event in which Marines and Sailors from the 2d Marine Division are volunteering their own time to share their maritime services’ history and heritage with the fine people of Wilmington.”

Award winning East Burke High School Jazz Ensemble will also perform patriotic music throughout the day in commemoration of the event.

NC Azalea Festival Official Party Entourage will be onsite, which includes Queen Azalea Anna Kooiman, the Queen’s Court, and official guests at2pm as they wish the Battleship a happy birthday by cutting the official Showboat cak. Free with admission. One Battleship Rd. NE www. battleshipnc.com

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH MUSEUM

Wrightsville Beach Museum of History, housed in the turn of the century Myers Cottage, exists to preserve and to share the history of Wrightsville Beach. Visitors to the cottage will find a scale model of Wrightsville Beach circa 1910, exhibits featuring the early days of the beach including Lumina Pavilion, our hurricane history and information about the interaction between the people and our natural environment which have shaped the 100 year history of WB. (910) 256-2569. 303 W. Salisbury St. www.wbmuseum.com.

WILMINGTON RAILROAD MUSEUM

Explore railroad history and heritage, especially of the Atlantic Coast Line, headquartered in Wilmington for 125 years. Interests and activities for all ages, including historical exhibits, full-size steam engine and rolling stock, lively Children’s

Hall, and spectacular model layouts. House in an authentic 1883 freight warehouse, facilities are fully accessible and on one level. By reservation, discounted group tours, caboose birthday parties, and after-hours meetings or mixers.

Story Time on 1st/3rd Mondays at 10:30am, only $5 per family and access to entire Museum. Admission only $9 adult, $8 senior/military, $5 child age 2-12, and free under age 2. Northend of downtown, 505 Nutt St. 910-763-2634. wrrm.org.

LATIMER HOUSE

Victorian Italiante style home built in 1852, the restored home features period furnishings, artwork and family portraits. Tours offered MonFri, 10am-4pm, and Sat, 12-5pm. Walking tours are Wed and Sat. at 10am. $4-$12. The Latimer House of the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society is not handicapped accessible 126 S. Third St. 762-0492. www.latimerhouse.org

CAPE FEAR SERPENTARIUM

World’s most fascinating and dangerous reptiles in beautiful natural habitats, feat. a 12-foot saltwater crocodile, “Bubble Boy.” and “Sheena”, a 23ft long Reticulated Python that can swallow a human being whole! Giant Anaconda weighs 300 lbs, w/15 ft long King Cobras hood up and amaze you. See the Black Mamba, Spitting Cobras, Inland Taipans, Gaboon Vipers, Puff Adders, and more! Over 100 species, some so rare they are not exhibited anywhere else. One of the most famous reptile collections on earth. Open everyday in summer, 11am-5pm (Sat. till 6 pm); winter schedule, Wed-Sun. 20 Orange St, across from the Historic Downtown Riverwalk, intersecting Front and Water Street. (910) 762-1669 or www.capefearserpentarium.com.

BELLAMY MANSION

One of NC’s most spectacular examples of antebellum architecture, built on the eve of the Civil War by free and enslaved black artisans, for John Dillard Bellamy (1817-1896) physician, planter and business leader; and his wife, Eliza McIlhenny Harriss (1821-1907) and their nine children.

After the fall of Fort Fisher in 1865, Federal troops commandeered the house as their headquarters during the occupation of Wilmington. Now a museum, itf ocuses on history and the design arts and offers tours, changing exhibitions and an informative look at historic preservation in action.910-251-3700. www.bellamymansion.org.

503 Market St.

film MUSTANG

4/6-8, 7pm: In a remote Turkish village, five teenage sisters (Günes Sensoy, Tugba Sunguroglu, Elit Iscan) try to break free from the rigid destiny imposed on them by their family. Their fierce love for each other emboldens them to rebel and chase a future where they can determine their own lives in Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s debut, a powerful portrait of female empowerment. Mustang was an official selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight and has been nominated for the Best Foreign Film Academy Award. (Rated PG-13, 1 hour 37 mins). Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St.

INTO THE GYRE

4/11, 6:30pm: Lumina Theatre will be showing “Into the Gyre,” a movie about plastics in the Atlantic. This will be a free screening and a discussion panel to follow. Into the Gyre is an awardwinning documentary about a groundbreaking expedition to study the location, extent and effect of plastic pollution in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Thirty-four volunteer researchers, scientists and sailors participated in this five- week long adventure to the remote Sargasso Sea, east of Bermuda. Sailing on a 135-foot tall ship, the SSV Corwith Cramer, operated by the Sea Education Association, the film closely follows four of the scientists as they collect, count, and archive the plastic they encounter. Along the way, the film examines the history of plastics, the adverse effects it is causing in the ocean, and possible solutions to this problem. 601 S. College Road

THE LADY IN THE VAN

4/11-13, 7:30pm: Cinematique presents Nicolas

Hytner’s film The Lady in the Van tells the true story of the relationship between Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) and the singular Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith), a woman of uncertain origins who ‘temporarily’ parked her van in Bennett’s London driveway and proceeded to live there for 15 years. (Rated PG-13, 1 hour 44 mins). Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut Street shore stories

4/12, 5:30pm: NC Coastal Federation at the Blockade Runner Resort Lee Ballroom in Wrightsville Beach for a screening of Shore Stories.

Shore Stories, a new film series about offshore oil and gas exploration and the effects on coastal communities, features six short documentaries that shed light on the proposal to lease Atlantic waters for drilling. The screening will provide an opportunity for local residents to learn more and get involved in this important decision for our region.Shore Stories is a project of the Wilmington based nonprofit, Working Films, and is presented in collaboration with the Surfrider Foundation, Environment North Carolina, Blue Frontier, Oceana and the Sierra Club North Carolina Chapter.

Blockade Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd

kids stuff SUPER SATURDAY FUN TIME

Appropriate for ages 4-10, but all ages welcome.

Dock the Dog and Dock Street Kids for 10 exciting episodes of Super Saturday Fun Time, TheatreNOW’s live theatrical show featuring local history and mystery and super guest stars, hosted

by Captain Coy T. Plunkett (Zach Hanner). Live music, games, cartoons, short films, and his favorite surf “nuggets.” Dock Street Kids and their

NEST REALTY PRESENTS

AUDI CAPE FEAR • 255 OLD EASTWOOD RD • WILMINGTON, NC

BURGWIN WRIGHT HOUSE

18th century Burgwin-Wright House Museum in the heart of Wilmington’s Historic District, is the oldest museum house in NC, restored with 18th and 19th century decor and gardens. Colonial life is experienced through historical interpretations in kitchen-building and courtyard. 3rd and Market St. Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm. Last tour, 3pm. .info@burgwinwrighthouse.com. (910) 762-0570. burgwinwrighthouse.com.

Featuring:

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CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Mon, Little Sprouts Storytime, 10am, and Go Green Engineer Team, 3:30pm. • Tues., Kids Cooking Club, 3:30pm • Wed., Preschool Science, 10am; Discover Science, 3:30pm; and Mini Math, 4pm. • Thurs. StoryCOOKS, 10am; and StART with a Story, 3:30pm • Fri., Toddler Time, 10am; and Adventures in Art, 3:30pm • Drop off gently used books at our museum to be used for a good cause. Ooksbay Books uses book collection locations to help promote literacy, find a good use for used books, and benefit nonprofits.• www.playwilmington.org 116 Orange St. 910-254-3534

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LLOYD’S SALES AND STORAGE

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56 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

LLOYD’S SALES AND STORAGE 6505 Market St., Wilmington

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Climate Control Monthly Rates 5x10 $75 10x10 $100 10x15 $125 10x20 $145

FREE Truck With Move In encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 57

always-hungry dog, Dock, solve adventures. Parents can even drop off kids ages 5+. Kid-friendly snacks and drinks available for purchase. We also do custom birthday packages with a chance to interact with all the characters and even step onstage and be a part of the action. /26: Mystery of Blackbeard Story Explorers

Cameron Art Museum, every Thurs., 10-10:30am: Admission by donation. Bring your infant, toddler or preschooler for story time, gallery exploration and an art project! georgia@cameronartmuseum.org for more info. 3201 S. 17th St.

HAMMERHEADS SOCCER

The goal of the Wilmington Hammerheads and the Wrightsville Beach Parks & Recreation Department is to provide the highest quality soccer coaching program to the youth of our community.

Hammerhead Players and Youth staff will teach the fundamental skills and advanced technical and tactical play necessary to enhance each player’s game. Continues through May 3. 1 Bob Sawyer Dr.

little explorers

Rooting for Plants, 4/7, 10am: Explore the world around us with hands-on activities, experiments and fun in Museum Park! Enjoy interactive story time, exploration stations and play related to a weekly theme. In event of inclement weather, program moved inside. Perfect for children ages 3 to 6 and their adult helpers. • Beautiful Bugs, 4/14, 10am: Explore the world around us with handson activities, experiments and fun in Museum Park! Interactive story time, exploration stations and play related to a weekly theme. In event of inclement weather, program moved inside. Perfect for children ages 3 to 6 and their adult helpers.

Parental participation is required. Parental participation is required. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St.

lectures/readings GOING GREEN BOOK CLUB

First Tues of ea. month, 6pm. 2016 will feature a nice range of themes, plus a couple of back-ups just in case obtaining any turned out to be problematic. 4/5: Speaking for Nature: The Literary Naturalists, from Transcendentalism to the Birth of the American. Old Books on Front St., 249 N. Front St.

PEDALING FOR PAGES BOOK CLUB

Arrive by bike to receive the bicycle discount everyday. We do have a bike rack just outside the door and two more on the block. The group will read a selection that includes, fiction, biography, history, and memoir. Open to all levels of bicycle interest and ability. Meetings are last Thurs. of mo. at 6pm. March-Mud, Sweat and Gears by Joe Kurmaskie (bicycle tour across Canada with his family!); April-Fat Tire Flyer by Charlie Kelly (history of early days of mountain biking by those who lived it); May-Joyride by Mia Birk (National Bike Month so its a book about advocacy and working towards a more cycling friendly world); June: Half Man, Half Bike. The Life of Eddy Merckx by William Futheringhom; July: The Yellow Jersey by Ralph Hurne; August: Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk, and Triumph on the Path Less Traveled by Rebecca Rusch; Oct: Two Wheels: A Cycling Murder Mystery by Greg Moody; Nov: Bike Snob: Systematically and Mercilessly Realigning the World of Cycling by BikeSnobNYC. Old Books on Front St., 249 N. Front St.

better to PLAN 10 YEARS TOO EARLY

4/6, 9am: Jason Clamme, LCFH director of community outreach, will facilitate the conference and will present Begin the Conversation. He will share important strategies and resources to help communicate and document healthcare choices.

Jason Wheeler, CEO of Pathfinder Wealth Consulting, will present Living Legacy: Discovering What’s Really Important to discuss generational divides within families that limit effective communication. Amy Florian, CEO of Corgenius, will discuss how to retain control over how you are treated as you age. Registration required; lunch will be provided. Sponsored by Lower Cape Fear Hospice, Wilmington Funeral and Cremation, and Pathfinder Wealth Consulting. Jason Clamme at 796-7943 or email Jason.Clamme@ lcfh.org. www.lcfh.org

FRIENDS OF LELAND LIBRARY

Friends of the Leland Library will hold their Second Saturday sale on Sat., 4/9, 10am-2pm at the Magnolia House II on Town Hall Dr. just before the new town hall. This month is our Member Appreciation Sale! FOLL members will receive 50% off their entire purchase. You may become a member at the door and benefit from the sale.

Everyone is welcome and non-members can enjoy purchases at our regular low prices. Ellie Edwards, (910) 833-2322. www.friendsofthelelandlibrary.com

PLASTICS IN THE OCEAN

4/12, 6:30pm: Ocean pollution by plastic and other man-made debris is a pressing environmental problem that has captured the attention of marine conservationists, anti-plastic activists, the media, and the general public. At Sea Education Association, students and scientists began collecting data on floating plastic debris in the 1980s. Dr. Kara Lavender Law will discuss the state of the scientific understanding of plastic marine debris in the world’s oceans, with an in-depth look at the research carried out for more than 30 years by undergraduate students and faculty scientists on sailing oceanographic research vessels at SEA. Refreshments served immediately after the seminar. Free and open to the public; 910-962-2301.

UNCW Center for Marine Science Auditorium, 5600 Marvin K Moss Ln.

COASTAL SPEAKER SERIES

4/13, 7pm: Bees are important to the health of the planet and are vital pollinators for crops around the world. The effects of climate change have had negative effects on population levels.

Warmer temperatures are causing flowers to bloom earlier, before bees are able to pollinate the plants. Parasites in bees are also becoming a bigger concern, as they are more prevalent in warmer conditions. Deborah Flora, backyard beekeeper and prominent New Hanover County Beekeepers Association member, will show how backyard beekeeping can help improve bee populations and pollination. Free event to learn more about the status of bees in the country and what we can do to protect them. Fred and Alice Stanback Education Center, 309 W. Salisbury St.

classes YOGA FOR PTSD/SPECIAL POPULATIONS

Despite tough economic times, donations, volunteerism, and social activism are on the rise.

The Kunga Yoga Service Leadership Training is for yoga teachers, students, activists, community leaders, and anyone feeling the call to give back and help others. Kunga Yoga Service Leadership Training offers the opportunity to explore the process of leadership development through

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self-inquiry and transformation, so as to become effective community leaders and outreach facilitators. From this foundation of leadership, and development of a personal purpose and mission statement, participants develop their own service project, and gain the specific “hard skillset” teaching techniques for working with traumasensitive and special populations. Thurs, 3/31 through Sun, 4/3 9am-6pm. Wilmington Yoga Center, 5329 Oleander Dr., Ste. 200 HOT YOGA

True beginners yoga. Teacher will tell you what you need to do in class and you can watch the other students. This basic series of 26 postures and 2 breathing exercises, practiced in a hot room, is taught in a manner that allows the practice to be done by beginners, people with limited mobility, and people with chronic illness, but is also challenging enough for athletes. Wilmington Bikram Yoga, 5424 Oleander Dr.

LIGHT YOGA W/LISA

Wed, 12:15pm: Gentle / Beginner Yoga. Be kind to the body, easy on the mind, good for the soul!

Exhale Yoga and Wellness Studio, 16 S. Front St.

INTEGRATIVE HEALING ARTS

Gentle Beginner Yoga, 8:30-9:15am, with Lisa Keating. Bring yoga mat and wear comfortable clothing. Lisa will lead you through gentle yoga postures and breathwork as you find and connect with your inner self. • Workshops 9:30am4:15pm: Delve into information provided by knowledgeable teachers and learn about yourself through self-hypnosis, hand analysis, psychic and intuitive practices, physical movement, meditation, massage, and more. Learn to maintain the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual body in a timeless condition of vibrant natural harmony. We offer four session with 19 different workshops to choose from. unitywil.com. Unity of Wilmington, 717 Orchard Ave.

PILOXING SSP

Thurs, 6:30pm: A high-energy interval workout that uniquely blends the power, speed, and agility of boxing with the targeted sculpting and flexibility of pilates. Supplemented by the use of weighted gloves, further toning the arms and maximizing cardiovascular health. Add to that fun dance moves for a workout that will tone muscle, burn fat and empower you both physically and mentally. 31 Fitness, 4209 Oleander Drive Suite 8

ART CLASSES

Four weekly sessions; 2 hours, $80. • Tues, 10am-noon: Collage—Create beautiful collages from found papers in a series of fun collage lessons including textures, color gradation, paper dynamics, content, photo portrait and more. • Wed. 10am-noon: Drawing w/Pen and Ink— Learn to shade to depict light and shadow, line drawing and how to draw anything. • Thurs, 10am-noon: Acrylic Painting—How to paint light and shadow, color and brush dynamics, mixing colors, mediums and choosing a painting style. For beginners or experienced students that want to refresh their skills. Beginners or experienced students. Sunroom Studio, 6905 Southern Exposure

HOW TO MAKE A COAT RACK

4/9, 9:30am: Legacy Architectural Salvage in Wilmington, NC, presents How To Make an Entryway Coat Rack. Learn how to make your own coat rack, using reclaimed architectural materials! This is a free workshop, but please RSVP by email or phone. Workshops generally last about 90 minutes. Legacy Architectural Salvage Behind Stevens Ace Hardware, 1831 Dawson St.

MUSCOSKELETAL ASSESSMENT

4/14-17, 8:30am: Learn a functional, integrated

approach to evaluation through looking at movement and asana as well as specific muscle testing techniques. You will learn techniques to help you “read” your student’s body through their asana practice. This course will give you a more functional understanding of what is going on in the body and how certain imbalances may lead to pain and dysfunction. The development of a personalized plan of care and personalized asana practice for your student based on this evaluation will be taught. After this course, you will be able to help students with musculoskeletal dysfunctions (for example: back pain, neck pain, arthritis, tendonitis) by finding their imbalances and helping them to find a yoga practice to restore balance as well as modify asanas as needed. Wilmington Yoga Center, 5329 Oleander Dr., Ste. 200 Pine Needle Crafts: Trivet

Enjoy crafting in a small class with personalized instruction by local craftswoman Melanie Walter.

When the class is over, your hand-sewn creation is yours to keep or give as a gift! three-hour class will teach you how to use locally-harvested longleaf pine needles to hand-sew a pine needle trivet (hot pad). Cost: $55 per person, including all materials. No prior experience is needed, but participants must have enough visual acuity to thread a needle and distinguish individual stitches. Limited Space Available! Pre-register: www. cfcc.edu/communityenrichment or 910-3627572. CFCC Emmart Building, 401 N. Water St.

SUP Yoga Teacher Training

4/15, 7am: Looking to extend your teaching or practice outside of the studio? Learn to guide students through the ultimate outdoor yogaclass experience Standup Paddleboard Yoga!

Longwave Yoga & Wrightsville SUP bring you a first-class training in SUP, water safety and how to appropriately adapt and sequence yoga on the water. 25 hour training with CEU’s available.

Training is open to all adventurous yogis! However, must be a 200-Hour RYT and CPR certified to receive certification once course is complete.

Longwave Yoga, 203 Racine Drive #200

clubs/notices 2016 CSB Outstanding Alumni Award

Winners are Charles Craft ‘79, David Pirrung ‘90, and Maurice Smith ‘79! Meet the recipients along with alumni and faculty at the CSB Outstanding Alumni Recognition & Speaker Breakfast Wed., 3/30. Tickets are $5/person. Reg: https://giving. uncw.edu/csbalumnibreakfast2016 • Winners breakfast: 3/30, 7pm: Meet the recipients along with alumni and faculty at the CSB Outstanding Alumni Recognition & Speaker Breakfast. $5/ person. Reg. https://giving.uncw.edu/csbalumnibreakfast2016. alumni@uncw.edu. UNCW’s Warwick Center Ballroom, 601 S. College Rd.

HOBBY GREENHOUSE PLANT SALE

4/9-10, Hobby Greenhouse Spring Plant Sale in Forest Hills. All plants grown by members; portion of profits go to scholarships for local community college horticulture students. 2318 Metts Ave. Free. Fri. and Sat., 9am-6pm; Sun. 12-5pm.

Cash or check only. www.hobbygreenhouseclub. org info@hobbygreenhouseclub.org.

YOUNG DEMOCRATS OF NHC

Meet the 1st and 3rd Tues. ea. month at the downtown public library, third floor, 6:30pm.

Ages 18-35.

COUPON CLUB

Wilmington Coupon Club meets monthly, second Monday, at 6pm Come exchange coupons and learn how to save money. wilmingtoncouponclub.com

North Brunswick Newcomers Club

April meeting on Fri., 4/8, at the Brunswick Community College, Leland Campus, located at 2050 Enterprise Blvd. in Leland. A Meet and Greet gathering will begin at 9:30 am with snacks and refreshments and the meeting will follow at 10am. FYI speaker for April will be Mike Powell, president of the Brunswick Civil War Roundtable Club. Club’s mission is to promote interest in and disseminate knowledge of the Civil War, through various speakers at regular Round Table meetings and other special events. Another goal of the Round Table is to promote, encourage, and support Civil War Battlefield Preservation. Brunswick Roundtable is largest in NC with over 800 members. Brunswick Comm. College, 2050 Enterprise Dr NE

PROJECT PUFFIN PROGRAM/PLANT SALE

Join Wild Bird & Garden for a free program on the National Audubon Society’s Project Puffin presented by Derrick Z. Jackson, co-author of Project Puffin: The Improbable Quest to Bring a Beloved Seabird Back to Egg Rock. Learn all about how this striking seabird was restored to long-abandoned nesting colonies off the Maine coast. After the program, check out the native plant sale. Joyce and Mindy from Slatestone Gardens will be here with a super variety of native plants for your garden and yard! Talk: 9:15-10:30 and Plant Sale: 10am-12:30pm. 3501 Oleander Dr (Hanover Center).

MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE

4/14-17: One of the largest in the southeast and it opens to the public and features over 450 varieties of greenery including but not limited to; azaleas, Japanese maples, ornamentals, herbs and vegetables, annuals and perennials. All our plants are locally grown and acclimatized to our area. Event benefits NHC Cooperative Extension’s educational programs, the Arboretum, and other community based programs. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday the sale will open at 9am-5pm. Sunday, 1-5pm. New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Dr. HSTI Awards Scholarships Luncheon

April luncheon of the Historical Society of Topsail Island will be held at the Assembly Building on Thurs., 4/14, 11:30 AM. Scholarship Luncheon.

Scholarships are awarded to graduating students from Topsail and Dixon High Schools from HSTI. Lunch, prepared by The Beach Shop, will include: BBQ Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad, rolls, dessert, and tea. Remember that reservations are required for the luncheon. There is no charge for attending the program only. Cost is $12 ($10 for attendees 70+) to be paid at the door. RSVP: hstiluncheons@gmail. com/910-389-8776 by Fri., 4/8.

culinary PC BREW BUS

Port City Brew Bus offers public brewery tours that are open to anyone 21 years or older. Eat a hearty breakfast before the tour. We will have pretzels, snacks, and water but there isn’t a stop for lunch. Visit three breweries to experience their facilities, understand the brewing process unique to their beers and enjoy samples of their

Open for Lunch & Dinner

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In the Cotton Exchange • Downtown Wilmington • FREE PARKING encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 59

offerings. $55. www.portcitybrewbus.com. (910) 679-6586 PLEASURE ISLAND CHOWDER COOKOFF

Competitors include: Buzz’ Roost CB, Havana’s Fresh Island Restaurant, Jack Mackerel’s Island Grill, Joe’s Oasis, OLO Cantina, Saint’s Cove Beach Bar and Grill, SeaWitch Café’ & Tiki Bar, The Dive Food & Spirits, Tidal Creek Food CoOp. Chefs from southeast NC will prepare the region’s best chowder recipes – seafood or otherwise. Folks can sample a taste during this friendly chowder competition. Children can enjoy the park’s playground and a Kidz Zone with face painting, a giant inflatable slide and more.

And for an additional fee, there will be paddleboat rides for the entire family. The gates open at 11:30am and winners will be announced around 4:30pm. Live music by Mark Roberts Band and chowder-tasting (and voting) between 11:30am and 3:30pm. Admission is only $6/adults, children 12 and under are free. Carolina Beach State Park, 1010 State Park Rd.

SUNDAY SUPPERS: PINPOINT

PinPoint will launch a new Sunday Supper dinner series on Sundays to showcase area farmers and purveyors. Dinners will benefit area charities for the entire month they are offered. For the first month. Showcasing local farmer Wholesome Greens—an artisanal suburban farm in Wilmington. Three-course menu will feature some of the microgreens, herbs and produce grown by the farmer and will be served in a family-style offering. Sun., 5-8pm for special Sunday Supper menu—$25/person and $10 for kids 3-12.

Limited seating at 6:30pm for guests to dine specifically with the farmer and a representative of the charity at a special long table in the restau-

rant, served family style. 10 percent of all money raised during the March Sunday Supper series will benefit the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina at Wilmington. www.pinpointrestaurant.com. 114 Market St. FARMERS’ MARKET

Wednesday, 8:30am, at Poplar Grove Plantation. Vendors vary weekly w/locally grown fruits and vegetables, free-range egg, Poplar Grove’s own chickens; artisan vendors w/handmade jewelry, candles, wind chimes, bird feeders, cutting boards, coffee tables, just to name a few. Bath and body products are available in a wide selection of all-natural items, with specialty items for him and her. Locally prepared foods and drinks will keep you satisfied while you’re here, and make an easy lunch or dinner when you leave.

Poplar Grove Plantation, 10200 US Hwy 17 N

NATURE’S WAY GOAT FARM

Nature’s Way Goat Farm tour! Nature’s Way supplies the co-op with a variety of goat cheese.

Learn about the farm, meet the farmers, and feed and play with the baby goats. Tickets must be purchased in advance at Tidal Creek, $5$10. Visitors can arrive at 10am and play with the baby goats, with the feeding starting at 11am.

Farm tour will follow and wrap by noon. Farm fresh products available for purchase after the tour. 115 Crystal Ct., Hampstead.

FERMENTAL

Free tasting ever Friday, 6pm. Fermental, 7250 Market St.

TASTE CAROLINA FOOD TOURS

Sample an eclectic assortment of downtown restaurants, enjoy food and drink, and meet some of the city’s best chefs. Public parking available.

Saturday tours include a 2:30pm Downtown Af-

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ternoon Tasting Tour ($50/person) and a 3pm Downtown Dinner & Drinks Tour ($65/person).

A 10am Farmers’ Market Tour ($75/person) and cooking class available. tastecarolina.net WILMINGTON VEGAN POTLUCKS

Wilmington Vegan Supper Club Potlucks take place every first Thursday of every month at 6:30pm at Kitchen & Lounge at South Front Apartments, located on Greenfield Street at 2nd Street, across the street from Satellite. Bring a vegan dish to share, and swap recipes and socialize. Wilmington Vegan Lending Library will be there for you to grab a book as well. Bring a list of ingredients along with your dish (or even better, the recipe!. Dishes absolutely must be completely vegan—no meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs, no chicken stock, no honey, and so on.

Bring a plate, utensils, and a drink. http://wilmingtonvegan.com

TASTING HISTORY TOURS

meeting every Monday evening at 6:30 pm starting with fellowship followed by a large group meeting at 7 pm. Support groups for men and women follow at 8 pm. The meeting is in the Extension located across from Branches bookstore and the church auditorium. For more information. contact Jodie at 910-547-8973 , LifeCC office at 791-3859 or go to Lifecc.com. Life Community Church, 3500 Oleander Dr. TRANSGENDER SUPPORT GROUP

Transgender Support Group, 1st Thurs./mo., 7-8pm. For more information please contact Therapist Nova Swanstrom: 910-343-6890. You must talk with Nova first before coming to a support group meeting!

CHADD

Wilmington Area CHADD meets on the 2nd Monday of every month from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Pine Valley United Methodist Church, 3788 Shipyard Blvd., Building B. This free support group is open to a growing group of parents, grandparents and individuals affected by AD/ HD who understand what it takes to face its daily challenges. Free. Pine Valley United Methodist Church 3788 Shipyard Blvd., Building B. http:// www.WilmingtonCHADD.org

Tasting History Tours of Pleasure Island; guided walking tours. From its beginnings as a tourist destination, the island has weathered destructive fires, tragic hurricanes, naval battles and more.

Tasting History takes you through the streets of Carolina Beach and into a few of the restaurants to taste some of what the locals have to offer. PFLAG Join us for an afternoon of interesting history and PFLAG Meeting is first Mon/mo. at UNCW, in the tasty eats. $32.50. www.tastinghistorytours.com.

Masonboro Island Room #2010, 7pm.

910-622-6046.

BEGIN THE CONVERSATION CLINICS

support groups CELEBRATE RECOVERy

Life Community Church, located inside Independence Mall, will have a Celebrate Recovery

Lower Cape Fear Hospice will host free Begin the Conversation clinics from 10-11am the third Friday of each month, at Phillips LifeCare & Counseling Center, 1414 Physicians Drive in Wilmington. These sessions, which are free to all adults age 18 and older, will provide attendees information and resources to think about and plan for fu-

ture healthcare decisions. Attendees will receive specific strategies for initiating conversations that can significantly reduce family stress and improve quality of care. Advance directives, such as Living Wills and Healthcare Power of Attorney forms, will be supplied so healthcare instructions can be legally documented.Jason Clamme at 796-7943 or jason.clamme@lcfh.org.

NAMI WILMINGTON

National Alliance on Mental Illness: “CFAC and Trillium Health Resources Working Together.” The two organizations will discuss working together to help people with disabilities. Mon., 3/28, 6:30 pm. First Baptist Activities Center, 1939 Independence Blvd. www.namiwilmington.org or 910772-3074

tours LITERARY HISTORY WALKING TOUR

Ever wanted to meet authors living and dead, and tour locations from books, poems, and plays? Explore the rich culture of our talented Southern town with a 90 minute walking tour of the literary history of downtown Wilmington, NC. Visit “The Two Libraries.” Walk the streets of your favorite novels, and stand where Oscar Wilde did when he lectured here. Saturdays, 1:30pm, Old Books on Front St. 249 N. Front St. www.brownpapertickets.com/event/1282390

CONFEDERATE WALKING TOURS

Experience Wilmington’s people, history and architecture in the late antebellum period and during the conflict, conducted by noted Wilmington historian Bernhard Thuersam. Walk in the footsteps of George Washington, James Monroe, Daniel Webster, Henry Clay, Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens and more. Indepth 90-minute tours are by appointment only, Sunday through Saturday, call 910.619.4619 or bernhard1848@gmail.com for current prices.

Step-on and personalized tours downtown and local forts available. Tour begins at foot of Market St. www.cfhi.net.

GHOST WALK

6:30pm & 8:30pm. Costumed guides lead visitors through alleyways with tales of haunted Wilmington. Nightly tours at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.

Admission charge. Meets at Water & Market streets. Reservations required: 910-794-1866; www.hauntedwilmington.com

HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE TOURS

ARIES (Mar. 21–April 20)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

French artist Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is regarded as one of the greats, in the same league as Picasso and Kandinsky. Even in his eighties, he was still creating marvels that one critic said seemed “to come from the springtime of the world.” As unique as his work was, he was happy to acknowledge the fact he thrived on the influence of other artists; yet, he also treasured the primal power of his innocence. He trusted his childlike wonder. “You study, you learn, but you guard the original naiveté,” he said. “It has to be within you, as desire for drink is within the drunkard or love is within the lover.” These are good, sweet thoughts for you to keep in mind right now, Aries.

In his book “Strange Medicine,” Nathan Belofsky tells us about unusual healing practices of the past. In ancient Egypt, for example, the solution for a toothache was to have a dead mouse shoved down one’s throat.

If someone had cataracts, the physician might dribble hot broken glass into their eyes. I think these strategies qualify as being antidotes that were worse than the conditions they were supposed to treat. I caution you against getting sucked into “cures” like those in coming days. The near future will be a favorable time for you to seek healing, but you must be very discerning as you evaluate the healing agents.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Taurus-born Kurt Gödel (1906-1978) was among history’s greatest logicians.

His mastery of rational thought enabled him to exert a major influence on scientific thinking in the 20th century. He also had an irrational fear of being poisoned, which made him avoid food unless his wife cooked it. One of the morals of his story is that reason and delusion may get all mixed up in the same location. Sound analysis and crazy superstition can get so tangled they’re hard to unravel. The coming week will be an excellent time to meditate on how this phenomenon might be at work in you. You now have an extraordinary power to figure out which is which, and then take steps to banish the crazy, superstitious, fearful stuff.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) For a time, pioneer physicist Albert Einstein served as a professor at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, NJ. On one occasion, a student complained to him, “The questions on this year’s exam are the same as last year’s.” Einstein agreed they were, then added, “but this year all the answers are different.” I’m seeing a similar situation in your life, Gemini. For you, too, the questions on this year’s final exam are virtually identical to last year’s final exam—and every one of the answers has changed. Enjoy the riddle.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Your personal oracle for the coming weeks is a fable from 2,600 years ago.

It originally was written by the Greek storyteller, Aesop, and later translated

by Joseph Jacobs. As the tale begins, a dog has discovered a hunk of raw meat lying on the ground. He’s clenching his treasure in his mouth as he scurries home to enjoy it in peace. On the way, he trots along a wooden plank that crosses a rapidly-flowing stream. Gazing down, he sees his reflection in the water below. What? He imagines it’s another dog with another slab of meat. He tries to snatch away this bonus treat, but in doing so, drops his own meat. It falls into the stream and is whisked away. The moral of the fable: “Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.”

tors syndiCate Narrated horse drawn carriage and trolley tours of historic Wilmington feature a costumed driver who narrates a unique adventure along the riverfront and past stately mansions.Market and Water streets. $12 for adults, $5 per child. (910) 251-8889 or www.horsedrawntours.com

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) “I never get lost because I don’t know where I am going,” the Japanese poet known as Ikkyu said. I stop short of endorsing this perspective for full-time, long-term use, but I think it suits you fine for right now. According to my astrological projections, you can gather the exact lessons you need simply by wandering around playfully, driven by cheerful curiosity about the sparkly sight—and not too concerned with what they mean. P.S.: Don’t worry if the map you’re consulting doesn’t seem to match the territory you’re exploring.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) “If literally every action a human can perform was an Olympic sport,” Reddit.com asked its users, “which events would you win medals in?” A man named Hajimotto said his champion-level skill was daydreaming. “I can zone out and fantasize for hours at a time,” he testified. “This is helpful when I am waiting in line.” You Virgos are not typically Olympic-class daydreamers, but I encourage you to increase your skills in the coming weeks. It’ll be a favorable time for your imagination to run wild and free. How exuberantly can you fantasize? Find out!

In his poem “The Snowmass Cycle,” Stephen Dunn declares everyone “should experience the double fire, of what he wants and shouldn’t have.”

I foresee a rich opportunity coming up for you to do just that, Scorpio.

And, yes, I do regard it as rich, even marvelous, despite the fact it may initially evoke some intense poignance. Be glad for this crisp revelation about a strong longing whose fulfillment would be no damn good for you!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) “When I look at my life, I realize that the mistakes I have made, the things I really regret, were not errors of judgment but failures of feeling.” Writer Jeanette Winterson said that, and I’m passing it on to you at the exact moment you need to hear it. Right now, you are brave and strong enough to deal with the possibility that maybe you’re not doing all you can to cultivate maximum emotional intelligence. You are primed to take action and make big changes if you discover you’re not feeling as much as you can about important things in your life.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Psychotherapist Jennifer Welwood says sadness is often at the root of anger. Feelings of loss, disappointment and heartache are the more primary emotions, and rage is a reflexive response to them. But sadness often makes us feel vulnerable, while rage gives us at least the illusion of being strong, and so most of us prefer the latter. But Welwood suggests tuning into the sadness almost always leads to a more expansive understanding of your predicament; and it often provides the opportunity for a more profound self-transformation. I invite you to apply these meditations to your own life, Capricorn. The time is right.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) “The causes of human actions are usually immeasurably more complex and varied than our subsequent explanations of them.” Fyodor Dostoyevsky said that in his novel “The Idiot,” and now I’m passing it onto you just in the nick of time. In coming weeks, it’s especially important for you to not oversimplify your assessments of what motivates people—both those you respect and don’t fully trust. For your own sake, you can’t afford to naively assume either the best or the worst about anyone. If you hope to further your own agendas, your nuanced empathy must be turned up all the way.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) “Believing love is work is certainly better than believing it’s effortless, ceaseless bliss,” author Eric LeMay says. That’s advice I hope you’ll keep close at hand in the coming weeks, Pisces. The time will be right for you to exert tremendous effort in behalf of everything you love dearly—to sweat, struggle and strain as you create higher, deeper versions of your most essential relationships. Please, remember this, though: The hard labor you engage in should be fueled by your ingenuity and your creative imagination. Play, experiment and enjoy yourself as you sweat and struggle and strain!

encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 61

BALKCUM AUTO INC. 7644 Market Street Hwy 17

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all local inventory • 99% all credit approved • Military Welcome • Warranties available 62 encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com

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BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER BREAKFAST SERVED UNTIL 12PM EVERY DAY! 250 Racine Drive • Wilmington, NC Racine Commons • 910.523.5362 www.BlueSurfCafe.com encore | april 6 – 12, 2016 | www.encorepub.com 63

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