December 6, 2017 by Wilmington Media

COVER ART BY NATHAN VERWAY

VOL. 35 / PUB. 21 DECEMBER 6 - DECEMBER 12, 2017 FREE • encorepub.com

ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST ‘Stardust * Picture This’ opens Dec. 8 at Bottega Art Gallery

HODGEPODGE Vol. 35/Pub. 21

December 6 - December 12, 2017

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Friday, May 6 -911 a.m. Saturday, Dec. - 10 a.m.

ON THE COVER

ASHES TO ASHES, PGS. 14-15 Enhanced visual experiences, curated by encore magazine, will be showcased in ‘Stardust’ at Bottega Art & Wine on North Fourth Street this Friday night, featuring unique pieces, like ‘As a Young King’ (above) one of three works submitted by Nathan Ryan Verwey, including the cover photo, “Gus.” Read about it on pages 14-15.

LIVE LOCAL>>

Photo by Tom Dorgan

EDITORIAL>

Editor-in-Chief:

Art Director: Susie Riddle // ads@encorepub.com Chief Contributors: Gwenyfar Rohler, Anghus, Tom Tomorrow, Chuck Shepherd, Mark Basquill, Rosa Bianca, Rob Brezsny, Linda Grattafiori

PGS. 4-5

SALES>

JD McPherson’s ‘Lucky Penny,’ off of his latest album ‘Undivided Heart & Soul,’ has been getting a lot of play in Wilmington— though, the singer-songwriter’s road to releasing this latest record wasn’t always lucky. He’ll play this Thursday at the BAC. Photo by Joshua Black Wilsons

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Published weekly on Wednesday by HP Media. Opinions of contributing writers are not necessarily the opinions of encore.

PG. 33

INSIDE THIS WEEK: Live Local, pgs. 4-5 • News of the Weird, pg. 6 OpEd, pg. 7 • Music, pgs. 9-13 • Art, pgs. 14-17 • Theatre, pgs. 18-21 Film, pg. 23 • Dining, pgs. 26-33 • Calendar, pgs. 34-45

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To enter events on encore’s new online calendar, generated by SpinGo, head to www.encorepub. com/welcome/events-2. Events must be entered by every Thursday at noon, for consideration in print and on our new app, encore Go. E-mail shea@ encorepub.com with questions.

Shannon Rae Gentry // music@encorepub.com

DINING>> Folks now can walk up to the Block Taco window (attached to Satellite Bar & Lounge on Greenfield Street) and load up on tasty tacos and piled-high nachos (right), complete with craft beers and mini-golf.

Poplar Grove’s annual Christmas Show is a two-day event with activities for the whole family to enjoy! Their grounds at 10200 US Hwy 17 N will be transformed into a seasonal wonderland with 90+ arts, crafts and food vendors, complete with bouncy house kingdom, petting zoo, Santa’s workshop and miniature Main street, live music, and more on Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is $5 and includes a raffle ticket. Visit www.poplargrove.org.

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A Merry Little Christmas Festival

Shea Carver // shea@encorepub.com

Gwenyfar Rohler explores ways to reduce food waste and help feed others with programs provided by nonprofits, like NourishNC’s BackPack initiative. Courtesy photo by NourishNC.

event of the week

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NEWS>>LIVE LOCAL

LIVE LOCAL, LIVE SMALL:

Gwenyfar Rohler ponders food waste and how we can make contributions to reduce it

BY: GWENYFAR ROHLER

PACK IT UP, PACK IT IN: Nourish NC volunteers pile through donated food to load up backpacks for school kids on weekends and holidays. Courtesy photo: Nourish NC

n November 28, 2008, Mark Boyle embarked upon a year of living without money. He chronicled his journey in a book, “The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living.” I have had it in my “to read” stack for quite some time. His year of living without money overlapped with the year I took my “live local” pledge not to shop online or in a chain store. My experiment was met with varying degrees of support and derision, but it was by far nowhere near as extreme as Boyle’s.

should be one big adventure.

As an opportunity to really explore how money does or doesn’t drive our lives, Boyle’s journey is noteworthy. Though, the writing is dry, boring and pretty uninspiring—which is surprising; the whole book

Freecycle is available in Wilmington. Ten years ago, I belonged to the service and just fell out of it somehow. But I enjoyed it at the time and met some

Boyle was enmeshed in the world of freecycle and freeskilling long before he got into the idea of living without money. Freecycle functions in cyberspace to connect people with stuff to give away with people who need or want said stuff; therefore, keeping it out of the landfill. Freeskilling is the sharing of knowledge of skills for free. There are lots of examples of sharable skills at freeskilling workshops: foraging for wild edible food, sewing, bike repair, etc.

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nice people through the exchanges. Basically, it works as an online message board. Items are either offered or wanted—ranging from perfectly good packing boxes to furniture to clothes. If anyone has something someone needs or wants, one messages another and arranges pick up. It is actually a great way of connecting people in the digital age with items of necessity or desire in the material world. Through freecycle, Boyle was able to acquire a trailer to live in for his year of moneyless living. It came from a woman who was tired of paying to store it. He parked the trailer on a farm where he traded his labor for rent. A recent freeskilling work-

shop on building rocket stoves connected him with someone who had a stove in need of a home. A rocket stove is a device frequently discussed in permaculture and sustainability circles. It is easy to make, highly fuel-efficient and burns waste materials. Basically, Boyle takes his reader through the process of acquiring shelter, fuel, showering, and eventually food. The latter is where he shines. Boyle is passionate about reducing food waste and redistributing unwanted food to those who need it. During his moneyless year, he gardened, ate foraged foods from the wild, and learned a lot about milling his own grain to produce food at home. But, time and again, he

preached the good word about dumpster diving.

hung up on that; rather, it is an opportunity to think about our own food waste.

Now, dumpster diving really is not my thing. Gardening, yes. Foraging for wild edibles? Absolutely—I love it. Years spent studying herbs and wild foods have left me enthralled with both. Dumpster diving for food is a bit tough. But I see Boyle’s point. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, approximately onethird of food produced in the world, or 1.3 billion tons, is lost or wasted each year. In a world where one out of every nine people faces hunger or starvation, the waste is criminal. But what to do about it on a large scale?

I frequently refer to our refrigerator as “the place food goes to die.” We are just not very good at keeping on top of what is in there, or producing the old-school casserole to use all the leftovers. I wish we were better. Considering the work Jock does with food spoilage and post– harvest processing, it is a topic much on our minds.

Well, part of what I like about Boyle is, rather than try to change the entire system, he starts with himself. If he can salvage food from the landfill and feed himself, and those around him, it is one step forward. To bookend his moneyless year, Boyle hosted two parties for the public where all the food served was acquired without payment. Either he dumpster-dove for it, grew it or foraged it. The idea of feeding close to a 1,000 people in Bristol, UK, without a pre-ordained menu or a dollar spent on acquisition is pretty mind blowing for any host or hostess. But let’s not get

I also try to be good about picking up the pecans from the trees around us. Some years I do better with planning and staying on top of the nut production. Others, the whole season gets past me before I notice the wonderful source of protein literally dropping to the ground around me. One of my 2017 New Year’s resolutions was to grow and produce more food on the land for which I pay property taxes. I have loved and cherished the grape vines there for many years, but this year we ate an abundance of blueberries, chard, salad greens, broccoli, tomatoes, and peppers. Again, I failed to harvest pecans form the trees. The squirrels denied me figs; every fig that started to ripen on my tree succumbed to the little fuckers. I almost wrestled a squirrel for one by the end of the summer—except

evolution left me in the dust. Utilizing the really good edible fruit. powers of speed, agility and smaller size, 4. Give to Nourish NC’s backpack he got away. program. Nourish NC works with social Sigh. workers to put canned goods in backThere are moments of realization that, packs of children who need food over the to everyone else, appears I am overre- weekend, outside of school hours, and acting—which might be apparent with my during school holidays. personal fig struggle with the squirrels Here’s a list of Nourish NC’s most and also of Mr. Boyle’s reaction to mon- wanted items for this program: ey. It takes an extreme position to get • Canned pasta with meat people’s attention and begin the negotia• Vegetable cups tion process toward incremental change. So, here is my list of four things that can • Cereal, granola, oatmeal be done now to reduce food waste and • Canned chicken or tuna get food to the people who need it most: • Canned chili with beans/black beans 1. Take home leftovers from restaurants. Not going to eat them? Leave them on a park bench so someone who is hungry can find the two slices of pizza that went untouched and are perfectly good but destined to become a science experiment in the fridge.

• Mac and cheese boxes

• Clif Bars or granola bars • Individual fruit cups • Individual juice boxes

• Peanut butter and jelly (no glass) 2. Use up what is in the fridge. (This is • Please, no expired or junk food. the hard one for us.) Make soups or casseroles; invite friends over for an evening We might not be able to feed the world of leftovers-turned-tapas. overnight, but with some focus and ef3. Harvest the food in your yard: pe- fort, we can waste less and put more cans, plums, pears, roses, and if you can food in the hands of those who need it. get them before the squirrels, figs and loquats. A lot of people have loquats as ornamental trees but they actually produce

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ties, carry out a meeting with an agent of the Drug Enforcement Agency. WPTV reported the family didn’t know Futch and called Indian River Sheriff’s deputies to say that someone was stomping on their roof, yelling and howling. When asked, Futch admitted injecting methamphetamines earlier that morning. He was charged with trespassing and held in the Indian River County jail.

NEWS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE

White people living in Lawrenceville, Georgia, had the chance of a lifetime on November 16 to attend a “Come Meet a Black Person” event sponsored by Urban MediaMakers, a group for filmmakers and content creators. Cheryle Moses, who founded the group, said she read in a 2013 study that most white people don’t have any nonwhite friends. “I want to do my part to change things,” she told The Washington Post. “I have never met a black person,” one person commented on Moses’ Facebook post. “What do you recommend I bring that they would like?” Later, WXIA-TV reported that more the two dozen people showed up to share chili and cornbread, but fewer than a half-dozen were white.

UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT

The Detroit Police Department got a little

carried away on November 9 while trying to address a persistent drug problem on the city’s east side. Two undercover special ops officers from the 12th Precinct were posing as drug dealers on a street corner when undercover officers from the 11th Precinct arrived and, not recognizing their colleagues, ordered the 12th Precinct officers to the ground. Shortly, more 12th Precinct officers showed up and the action moved to a house where, as Fox 2 News described it, a turf war broke out as officers from the two precincts engaged in fist fights with each other. An internal investigation is underway, and the police department has declined comment.

RUDE AWAKENING

A family in Vero Beach, Florida, were rudely awakened early on November 11 when Jacob Johnson Futch, 31, climbed onto their roof to, as he later told authori-

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THE CONTINUING CRISIS

An unnamed man in Frankfurt, Germany, called police 20 years ago to report his Volkswagen Passat missing, believing it had been stolen. In November, the car was found just where the driver had left it, according to Metro News—in a parking garage that is now scheduled to be demolished. Police drove the 76-year-old to the garage to be reunited with his car, which is unfit to drive, before sending it off to the scrap heap.

FLYING SOLO

Office workers at Cambridge Research Park in Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, England, feared the worst as they rushed outside on November 13 after watching a hot air balloon crash into a fence in their parking lot. Strangely, no one was in the basket of the balloon, although the gas canister was still running. Eyewitness Jack Langley told Metro News: “Either they had bailed

out and jumped out before crashing or the balloon escaped from its mooring lines.” Cambridgeshire Police later discovered the balloon had taken off when the pilot got out of the basket to secure it to the ground.

BRIGHT IDEAS

Dunedin, New Zealand, police Sgt. Bryce Johnson told Stuff.nz that he’s seen people reading newspapers, putting on makeup and using their mobile phones while driving, but pulling over a driver who was playing bagpipes while driving, as he did on November 15, was a first for him. “His fingers were going a million miles an hour,” Johnson said. The driver, who admitted to being a bagpipe player, said he was only doing “air bagpipe,” and a search of the car did not turn up the instrument. He was released with a warning, but Johnson urged other drivers to keep both hands on the wheel at all times. The Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Police Department cited an unnamed driver of a Buick Century on November 12 for making their own license plate out of a pizza box and markers. The plate, which reads “MASS” at the top and sports a sloppily rendered six-digit number, prompted police to post some helpful warnings to creative citizens on its Facebook page and resulted in charges including operating an uninsured and unregistered vehicle and attaching “fake homemade” plates.

NEWS>>LIVE LOCAL

ALL THE YOUNG DUDES: Sexual assualt is your problem, too BY: MARK BASQUILL

“J

ust the three of us? Where are all the young dudes?” I asked my sons as I pinned my number for our November 5K to support Coastal Horizons Rape Crisis Center. My wife has spent much of her life as an activist and women’s rights advocate. Partly because of the recent high-profile disclosures of sexual assaults, my sons thought supporting this issue would be a good way to start their mother’s birthday. “There’s actually one other dude,” my oldest said. “Only one dude? POTUS 45, right?” I said. “Running to make amends.” “Nope,” my younger son said. “No men of power. Just another dude like us. The woman at the registration table expected more of a blend of men and women. She’s glad we’re here.” He shrugged, stretched, and continued his warm-up. The only dude running (the other dude walked), the three of us were greeted by mostly positive responses from the other runners, volunteers, and family members. “Curious,” I said, still pondering our minority status. “There should be more dudes.” “I’m not into ‘man-shaming,’ Pops,” my younger son said as he hit his stride. “That gives ammunition to the alt-right, blood-and-soil crowd, aggrieved white males, and unaffiliated angry dudes everywhere.” “It is the ‘women’s half marathon,’ Pops,” my oldest son reminded,. “It benefits a woman’s cause.” “The Rape Crisis Center isn’t really a women’s cause,” I said. “How is it not a women’s cause?” my younger son huffed. “Rape and sexual assaults are like mass shootings,” I responded. “Pops,” my oldest questioned. “Yesterday you were worried that, with the astronomical increase in public allegations and admissions of sexual assault, we risk losing scalability and perspective—that there’s a difference between lewd whistling, groping and rape.” My younger, faster son said, “And you said we risk taking our eye off the ball of existential threats like global warming and nuclear war. Now you’re saying sexual assaults are like mass shootings! Sounds like a flip-flop to me. “And,” my older son added, “you are man-

shaming and patronizing women at the same time. Men aren’t bad and women aren’t perfect. Think about it.” They sped out ahead of me. As I struggled to keep up, I took up the challenge of listening and thinking. Was I flip-flopping, “manshaming,” and putting women on a pedestal? Women aren’t perfect. Women marry death-row dudes, sexualize, and objectify men, and seem to have a love/hate relationship with their own bodies. As a healthcare professional, I don’t use the president’s 1-to-10 sex-appeal scale, and body shaming either sex isn’t healthy. But, when I see a 6-footer of either sex weighing less than 100 pounds—or anyone who’s 5-foot-5, weighing 350 pounds—I see a body-mass index well out of bounds, diabetes, heart disease, and increased risk of all kinds of health conditions. (Unless your name is Mr. or Mrs. Claus, there’s usually a lot of emotional pain that rides with an astronomical BMI.) Yes, women have a laundry list of problems that even Atomic Blonde or Ann Coulter can’t solve. Perpetrating sexual assaults and mass shootings just aren’t on the list. Throughout the last mile, I scratched my head and scrolled through a mental list of recent celebrity sexual assaults looking for disconfirming evidence. Then I went through my mental files on serial killers and mass shooters. There’s always that woman teacher in somebody’s Brunswick County that sexually assaults a student—and some Atomic Blonde will shoot her “murder one man” from time to time—but most violent crimes, including sexual violence, are perpetrated by males. Say it ain’t so, Joe, but simply being a dude is the single biggest risk factor to overt aggression. As we finished the run, I connected the dots to a conversation about sex and power at a pre-holiday gathering of friends and activists. “Sex crimes are really power crimes, like war, global warming, mass shootings. Women have been stepping up and speaking out on power crimes for decades. Mass shootings in America are clearly a white-dude problem. Sexual violence is a dude in general problem. Men have to step up, speak up.” “Power crimes, Pops,” the boys said in stereo. “You should write something about power crimes.” I raised my Gatorade to the idea and to the women runners stepping up and hitting their stride.

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‘Tis the season to give and receive...

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Buy a ticket for $100 for a chance to win half the pot. Our goal is to sell 200 tickets, so you could win up to $10,000; DREAMS receives the other half! Fundraise for DREAMS via Facebook to raise $200 and earn your own raffle ticket for free! Tag encore and DREAMS on your Facebook charity event. Businesses who buy a raffle ticket will be entered into a separate raffle for a month of free 1/2 page ads!

Raffle tickets: www.dreams2020.org/encore Holiday Party and Best Of Kickoff! , Dec. 14 m. p. 0 1 0 3 6:

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(50/50 rafle and business raffle)

$5 suggested donation Drink tickets: $2

ARTS>>MUSIC

JAGGED FUZZ AND SOUL:

JD McPherson talks good and bad luck with latest album, heads to BAC BY: SHANNON RAE GENTRY

ing “Jubilee,” “Hunting for Sugar “ and part of “Let’s Get Out of Here While We’re Young.”

o instrument has ever been more influential to singer-songwriter JD McPherson than his ‘61 supro dual tone guitar. It’s not a particularly popular guitar, but it’s one music fans might recognize in the hands of Rick Ray (Neurotic, the Rick Ray Band, Riot Act). “It looked like some kid started a band in ‘61 and gave up and just put it under his bed,” McPherson describes. It was a chance encounter, which ultimately resulted in the sound of his latest record, “Undivided Heart & Soul,” just released in October.

“Ray will say he’s not a lyric guy but I know he’s writing lyrics—I know he’s hoarding them,” McPherson quips. “But as quirky and different as it may seem, to me, [Undivided’] is still just a rock ‘n’ roll record. And that’s what I’m interested in. I’m really proud of it.”

“This thing was like a siren’s call to me; I had to have it,” he tells. “I bought it, took it home and played every Rick Ray song I know. Before you know it, all I wanted to do was play every fuzzy, ratty, garage chord. This album is definitely a by-product of that purchase.” “Undivided Heart & Soul” is a combination of McPherson’s love of jagged garage music and taking a few chances. The first song McPherson wrote, with the intention of making his next album, was “On the Lips.” Yet, he didn’t have himself in mind to sing it. “It was kind of throwing me for a loop,” he explains. “On one hand, it was a little more personal than what I’m usually willing to go for; as for the music, it was pretty far-out, considering what had come before. Now, [‘On the Lips’] is my absolute favorite. It felt like I opened myself up a little more than I usually do and it was something I was kind of scared of.” McPherson always has been drawn to the straightforward songwriting of those classic pop songs of ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll, a la The Everly Brothers and the like. “Those are very wonderfully crafted examples of pop music,” he muses. “The words are sentiments that everybody can understand, there’s no subtext there, but somehow they’re not ‘plastic.’” Nevertheless, there’s something within McPherson that always wants to take something “easy to swallow” and skew it just a bit. Some folks might interpret McPherson’s first record, “Signs & Signifiers” (2010) featuring Jimmy Sutton and Alex Hall, as an example of what every ‘50s rock ‘n’ roll record is: blends of country, jazz, boogie woogie, and rhythm and blues. Lyrically, however, it’s filled with fun, “weird” little tales like in “Fire Bug”: “Burn it up / burn it down / let it burn across the town / My heart will catch afire when my fire bug’s around.”

McPherson and the rest of his bandmates—Jimmy Sutton (bass), Jason Smay (drums) and multi-instrumentalist Doug Corcoran—also have built a reputation upon and take a lot of pride in their live shows. One of their next high-energy stopovers is at the Brooklyn Arts Center this Thursday, Dec. 7.

FUZZY ROCK: Catch JD McPherson at the BAC this Thursday. Photo by Joshua Black Wilson

“But with [‘Undivided Heart and Soul”], I went a little further than usual,” McPherson says. “And the best example I have of that is that I co-wrote with people. . . . Finding people who could get in my head, knew what I wanted to say and bring it forward—some of things I wanted to say weren’t the most salient of points sometimes.” McPherson doesn’t typically think about things like narrative arc or vindication at the end of songs. So, he brought on songwriters like Butch Walker, Parker Millsap and Aaron Lee Tasjan to add their often effortless, unfiltered insights. They quite literally added missing pieces to McPherson’s lyrical puzzles. “Butch Walker was really good at saying, ‘Why don’t we just boil this down to what it really means?’” McPherson details. “For the song ‘Crying’s Just a Thing To Do,’ the only lyric I had (besides the title) was ‘black is very slimming.’ And I don’t know why, but I’d read that lyric and chuckle to myself. And I just remember [Walker] when we first sat down and I was reading off lyrics to him; I read ‘black is very slimming,’ and he said, ‘I like that! How ‘bout ‘You’re at the whitest wedding / Your black is very slimming / But everybody’s staring at you.’ . . . It’s exactly why I thought that line was funny but I couldn’t put it into words, and it was like breathing for him.” McPherson is interested in co-writing again for another project, particularly with his keyboardist Raynier “Ray” Jacildo. In fact, the two are so in sync, they churned out about three songs in a day for “Undivided,” includ-

While McPherson admits life would be a lot easier if he was the type of artist who carried a weathered notebook everywhere he went—filling it with insightful observations of life in lyric form—his songwriting process is less consistent. Accompanied by the fact most artists these days have to tour to make a living, and literally can’t afford to hunker down for weeks or months to churn out new songs and albums, it took McPherson quite a while to complete “Undivided Heart & Soul.” “But, for the most part, I tend to procrastinate,” he adds admittedly. “Or maybe it’s a subconscious ‘dodge artistry,’ where I force myself into a corner and when it has to happen it has to happen. . . . But it’s really one of those things where you really need to get a record out to ‘get the machine going’ and create your audience again. It was just time. But it also was a really difficult record to make.” Tack on a big move from Oklahoma to Nashville, some internal turmoil within the band, false starts, losing their first producer originally slated for this record, budgetary issues... Moreover, many of these songs were “pretty left of center” from what McPherson fans were used to. He wasn’t sure if they’d still resonate.

combined with what now seems like a familiar story of bad luck. However, the catchy tune isn’t about McPherson’s troubles with making “Undivided.” “[‘Lucky Penny’] was written pretty early on and for another purpose,” he tells. “I had an idea for the guitar part five years ago, and it wasn’t until I put a fuzz pedal on it that it came to life. It was a blues song [with] a typical down-on-your-luck lyric, but the music side of it was a little more in the psychedelic realm. It was just fortuitous that there was so much bad luck—the irony wasn’t missed on me when I was recording the lyrics singing about bad luck over and over and over again.”

DETAILS:

JD McPherson with Charley Crockett

Thursday, Dec. 7 Doors at 6 p.m.; Show at 7 p.m. Brooklyn Arts Center • 516 N. 4th St. Tickets: $20 - $35 www.brooklynartsnc.com

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“Anything you could think of that could deter a record happened,” he says. “Looking back now, it doesn’t seem that bad, but back then I was literally laying on the floor at some point having a nervous breakdown, and asking how we were going to finish this. It was a difficult birth, for sure.” Sometimes the most difficult harvests yield the sweetest fruits. Wilmingtonians most likely have heard one of McPherson’s most popular tracks, “Lucky Penny,” on the Penguin’s airwaves. It’s a funky blend of electric-rock-country that gets toes tapping,

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ARTS>>MUSIC

DUCHESS OF SONG:

Sylvia Johns Ritchie talks new CD release with band Class Act BY: LINDA GRATTAFIORI

hen Sylvia Johns Ritchie thinks back to how her foray into pianoplaying began, she envisions the holidays. Specifically, she remembers playing “Jingle Bells” on a toy piano at a mere 5 years old, after having heard it on the radio once. Through time, as Ritchie’s toy was replaced by a baby grand, the pianist trained with one great after another, including Dr. Robert Carter of East Carolina University and Julliard’s Rosina Lhevinne. They each demanded eight hours of practice a day. It paid off, too, as it introduced Ritchie into the world of a touring musician. She has traversed Europe and the U.S. since, and even landed in New Orleans in the ‘80s where she headlined her own act at a local nightclub. She has played with such greats as Pete Fountain and Al Hirt. Once in the Big Easy, she began infusing jazz rhythms into her playing style, and made an

impression on local celebrities, which led to her authoring “New Orleans Celebrity Cookbook”— wherein proceeds helped start a French Quarter Festival. Thus she became known as the New Orleans “Duchess of Song.” In 1986 she added two original holiday tracks to “The Miracle of Christmas” album—a project for the archdiocese of New Orleans to raise money for parochial schools. All the school choirs—900 kids to be exact— sang at St. Louis Cathedral, and over 25,000 copies of the CD were sold. Once the millennium hit, Ritchie landed in Natchez, MS, where she served as music director at Natchez Little Theatre. She taught in the Concordia Parish School District and played with her six-piece show band Rendezvous. After her husband’s passing a few years

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plore family dynamics, like “Knot In the Family Tie—specifically, its effects on children and the remaining spouse when love walks out the door. Others cover friendships—human and animal (“A Friend Like You). They cover heartbreak, romance and all emotions between.

PIANO POWER: Sylvia Johns Ritchie will hit the keys with her band Class Act at Ted’s Fun on the River on Dec. 10 for their CD release party. Courtesy photo

ago, Ritchie returned to her roots in North Carolina. She now calls Brunswick County home. “It’s wonderful to be near my family again,” she says, “and to catch up on old times!” Through all the touring and moving, Ritchie has kept music close to her heart and soul. Her latest album, “Some Girls Have It All,” showcases her vocal and keyboard expertise, as well as her band, Class Act. Featuring master musicians and teachers Barry Langston (organ, bass, acoustic guitar) and Nel Nichols (harmonica), nine other seasoned artists join the ranks: Jim Nelson, Dave Toma, John Fonvielle, Perry Hewlett, Dan Thomas, Laurie Kelly, Al DiMarco, and Joey Gore. With 2017 GRAMMY-award nominee and owner of Cape Fear Studio J.K. Loftin (percussion, electric guitar), Ritchie spent countless hours fine-tuning songs about love lost, love found and lasting friendships. “We’d spend three hours with J.K. on each of the 3-minute songs!” Ritchie explains. “It was exhausting and so worth it.” “Some Girls Have It All” is self-penned and features Americana-pop tunes with her new Class Act band. Langston is well-known for his weekly performances at the Olympia Greek restaurant, while Nichols plays at the Rusty Nail with the Cape Fear Blues Society. Outside of playing with her band, Ritchie performs locally at church service every Sunday morning, and books weddings and special events. Ironically, her latest album isn’t exactly about storybook endings and happily-ever-afters. While some songs ex-

“After ending a romance, I was playing in a New Orleans nightclub, and I observed a couple dancing,” Ritchie tells. “They were so in love and I said, ‘Some girls have it all.’ My friend was going through a messy divorce and relayed to me the woes of being left with two young children and no money. She said, ‘It’s so hard to walk in these single-mom shoes.’” Ritchie will play with her band at Ted’s Fun on the River this weekend. Ted’s coowner, Kelly Jewel, a man whose easy musical style has delighted southeastern Carolinians for decades, calls Ritchie a powerhouse piano player. He expects at least one new song by Ritchie, “Not That Liberated,” to be a radio hit. “It talks about accomplished women being able to take care of themselves when a man ‘hits’ on them,” he observes. “[It] swings with a great up-tempo beat.” Ritchie revisited Cajun influences of NOLA for “Dancin’ Boots,” a party song audiences can dance to. She also found influence from Ray Charles for the bluesy tones of “Lovin’ My Blues Away,” which is about couples who literally and figuratively “love their blues away.” “‘I Forget’ is about being so in love with someone, you forget about everything but them,” Ritchie continues. “‘Nobody Knows’ is about knowing someone’s sensitivities so well that you can predict their feelings.” Ritchie and Class Act will celebrate their album release on Sunday, Dec. 10, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. To learn more, listeners and fans can go to sylviaritchie.wixsite.com/piano.

DETAILS:

Sylvia Johns Ritchie and Class Act Dec. 10, 4-7 p.m. Ted’s Fun on the River 2 Castle St. sylviaritchie.wixsite.com/piano

A PREVIEW OF EVENTS ACROSS TOWN THIS WEEK

THE SOUNDBOARD

ROCKIN’ ROCKABILLY: Reggie’s on 42nd Street are hosting rockabilly favorites Southern Culture on the Skids on Friday, Dec. 8. Courtesy photo.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6 Improv Comedy (7pm; $3)

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

A Class Act: Sylvia, Barry, Nell (7pm; $3) —Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

Trivia Night: Party Gras Entertainment (7pm; Free) —Hoplite Pub, 720 N. Lake Park Blvd.

Bachata Dance Wednesdays! (7pm; $10-$85)

—Studio Collective, 5629 Oleander Dr., Ste 106

Gruff Goat Comedy Holiday Spectacular (8pm; Free) —Waterline Brewing Company, 721 Surry Lane

HOW TO SUBMIT A LISTING:

DJ Lord Walrus (9pm; Free; Electric Dance Party)

910-599-4999

Port City Trivia w/Dutch (6:30pm; Free)

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

—Jimmy’s at Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave.

—Magnolia Greens, 1800 Tommy Jacobs Dr.

Singer-Songwriter Circle (9pm; Free) —Bottega Art & Wine, 723 N. 4th St.

Jazz Piano with James Jarvis (7pm; Free)

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

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7

Neighborhood Food Truck Night (6pm; Free) —Burnt Mill Creek, 2101 Market St.;

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encore magazine

Open Mic Comedy (7pm; $0-$3)

Firedrums Fire Dancers (7:30pm; Free)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.; 910-763-2223

Trivia Night: Party Gras Entertainment (7:30pm; Free) —Fox and Hound, 920 Town Center Dr.

DJ Lord Walrus (9pm; $3)

—Jimmy’s at Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave.

Joe MacPhail (6pm; Free; Singer-Songwriter) —Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

Grenoldo Frazier (6:30pm; $10-$20)

—Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St.;

www.encoredeals.com Be the first to know about the best 50% OFF DEALS around town!

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. encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 11

910-395-5999

THURSDAY

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

$2.75 Michelob Ultra $3.25 Stella $4.50 Lunazul Tequila All Floors open

$2 Select Domestic • $3 Draft $4 Flavored Bombs 1/2 Price Apps Live Music from Tony and Adam $3 Fat Tire & Voo Doo $5 Jameson • $2 Tacos Pub Trivia on Tuesday Live music from Rebekah Todd WEDNESDAY

$2.75 Miller Lite • $4 Wells, 1/2 price bottles of wine $2 off a dozen oysters Live music from Jeremy Norris

—Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-2313379

Deeper Than the Skin: A Musical Presentation on Race in America (7pm; $15) —Unitarian Universalist Congregation of ILM, 4313 Lake Ave.

FRIDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Laura McLean Jazz (7pm; $3)

$2.50 PBR 16oz cans $3.50 Sam Seasonal and Hoppyum IPA draft $5 Redbull and Vodka 1/2 price wings Live music from Josh Solomon

SATURDAY

$3.50 Red Oak Draft $4 Wells 65 Wings, 4-7pm

$3 Miller Lite $4 Deep Eddy Lemon Drop shots $5 Deep Eddy Grapefruit and Soda All floors open

$3.50 Sweetwaters $4.50 Absolute Lemonade 65 Wings, 4-7pm

SUNDAY

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

$3 Corona/ Corona lt • $4 Mimosa $4 Bloody Mary Live music from L-Shape Lot duo 3pm and Clay Crotts 8pm

$3.50 Sweet Josie $4 Margaritas

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8

$3.50 Pint of the Day $4 Fire Ball

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

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

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

Kyle Grooms (7pm, 9:30pm; $17; Comedy)

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

Tan Sanders & Halen Sykes (8pm; Free; SingerSongwriter) —Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

David Russell & The Port City Blues (8pm; Free) —Waterline Brewing Company, 721 Surry Lane

Randy McQuay (8pm; Free; Blues, Roots) 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 Caramel Apple Martini ALL DAY $ 95 22oz. Domestic Draft $ 4 RJ’s Coffee 3 Sam Adams and Blue $5 Pizzas Moon Seasonal Bottles Tuesday TUESDAY 1/2 off Select Bottles of Wine saTurday LIVE(sugar JAzz IN THE BAR $ 5 Absolut Dream rim) $ 6 All Southern Half Price Bottles of Wine Shiners $ 3 NC Brewed Bottles $ $ 50 3-22oz Blue$2Moon Draft • Pacifico Absolut Dream (Shotgun, Buckshot, High $ 550 2 Select Domestic Bottles Roller and Hoppyum)

WEDNESDAY

sunday Wednesday Miller Light Pints $150$ Coronoa/ 5 All$2Flat 50 Breads 1/2 off Nachos Corona Lite Bottles $ 50 $4 Bloody$ Marys 1 Domestic Pints Margaritas/Peach Margaritas 4 Pints $ 50 $ 50 1 Domestic 2 Corona/Corona Lt. $ 5 White Russians $ 50 4 Margaritas on theTHURSDAY Rocks

Visit our $website Appletinis $4, RJ’s Painkiller 5 Thursday www.RuckerJohns.com $ 50 2 Red Stripe Bottles $ 50 for daily specials, music and 2 Fat Tire Bottles $ 50 2 Fat Tire Bottlesupcoming events $ 00 3 22oz. Goose Island IPA $ 95 4 Irish Coffee FRIDAY5564 Carolina $ 50 Cosmos $4, 007 Beach 3 Road 1/2 off ALL Premium $ Red Wine Glasses 3 Guinness Cans (910)-452-1212 Island Sunsets $5 SATURDAY Baybreeze/Seabreeze $4 22oz. Blue Moon Draft $3 1423 S. 3rd St. Select Domestic Bottles $2 DOWNTOWN SUNDAY WILMINGTON Bloody Marys $4, Domestic (910) 763-1607 Pints $150 $ Hurricanes 5 _____________________________________

Wednesday

5564 Carolina Beach Road, w/Elite Entertainment (910) 452-1212 9PM-2AM • $400 GUINNESS

KARAOKE Thursday

________________________________________

TRIVIA WITH STEVE

8:30 P.M. • PRIZES! • $250 YUENGLING DRAFT $ 50 3 FIREBALL SHOTS

Friday & Saturday __________________________ 2 BUD & BUD LIGHTS

$ 00

Sunday ___________________________________________

BREAKFAST BUFFET 9:00 A.M. - 2:00 P.M. • $4 MIMOSA’S

WATCH YOUR FAVORITE TEAM HERE!

Southern Culture on the Skids (8pm; $15; Rockabilly)

DON’T MISS!

12/8 – The Revivalists 12/27 – Rock & Soul Holiday 12/28 – Rumours 12/29 – JJ Grey & Mofro 12/30 – Thunderstruck 12/31 – Corey Smith 1/13 – Departure 1/19 – Chippendales

—Reggie’s 42nd St. Tavern, 1415 S 42nd St.

Derek Lane Trio (9:30pm; Free)

—Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 910-763-4133

DJ Dr. Jones (10pm; $3)

—Jimmy’s at Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave.

Jazz Piano with James Jarvis (8pm; Free) —Bottega Art & Wine, 723 N. 4th St.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9

Christmas Spectacular Matinee (3pm; $12)

—College Acres Baptist Chu., 702 Eastwood Rd.

End of the Line (7pm; $3; Folk, Americana) —Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

Christmas Spectacular with the Wilmington Celebration Choir (7pm; $10-$12)

—College Acres Baptist Church, 702 Eastwood Rd.

JUST ANNOUNCED

Christmas Spectacular Matinee (7pm; $12)

2/17 – Fetty Wap 3/3 – A$AP Ferg 4/7 – Papa Roach

Kyle Grooms (7pm, 9:30pm; $17; Comedy)

—College Acres Baptist Church, 702 Eastwood Rd. —Dead Crow Comedy Room, 265 N. Front St.

Shake and Shag Beach Music (7:30pm; Cover TBD) —Jimmy’s at Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave.

Soul-R Fusion (8pm; Free)

For more concerts and events, go online at HOB.COM/MYRTLEBEACH 4640 HWY 17 S. Barefoot Landing 843.272.3000

! s l a de

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.com

LIVE MUSIC

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

—Fermental, 7250 Market St.; 910-821-0362

Burlesque Nights (8pm; $13-$18)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10

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

—Old Books on Front St., 249 N. Front St.; 910-76-BOOKS

Frank-incense and Myrrh (4pm; $9-$16) —Wilson Center, 703 N. 3rd St.

Restorative Soundbath w/ Mary Glackmeyer and Eddy Nataraj (6:45pm; $30)

—Longwave Yoga, 203 Racine Dr., #200; 910-7693494

DJ Pop-up Electrolounge (7pm; Free)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.; 910-763-2223

Sunday Jazz (7pm; Free)

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

The Blind Spots with Dirty White Rags (9pm; Cover TBD; Rock, Jazz, Eclectic) —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11

Port City Trivia w/Dutch (7pm; Free)

—Buffalo Wild Wings, 140 Hays Lane, #B15

Gypsy Open Mic w/ $2 Micros (8pm; Free)

—Juggling Gypsy, 1612 Castle St.; 910-763-2223

College Night (10pm; Free)

—The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12

Belly Dancing for Fun (6:30pm; Donation)

—HARMONY: A Wellness Center & Yoga, 3504 North Kerr Ave.

Jon Reep (7pm; $20; Comedy)

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

Port City Trivia w/Dutch (7pm; Free)

—Sloppy Poppy’s, 4540 Fountain Dr.

Tues Night Contra Dance (7:30pm; $5)

—5th Ave. United Methodist Ch., 409 S. 5th Ave.

Handel’s Messiah: Choir of St. Paul’s (7:30pm; $25) —St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 16 N.16th St.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 Port City Trivia w/Dutch (6:30pm; Free)

—Magnolia Greens, 1800 Tommy Jacobs Dr.

Improv Comedy (7pm; $3)

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

The Jillettes (7pm; $3; Rock, Pop, Country) —Ted’s Fun on the River, 2 Castle St.; 910-231-3379

The Annex Songwriter Session #13 (7pm; $5)

—Bourgie Nights, 127 Princess St.

—Brooklyn Arts Center, 516 N. 4th St.; 910-538-2939

Matt Philips (8pm; Free; Singer-Songwriter)

Trivia Night: Party Gras Entertainment (7pm; Free)

Thou Shall Rock II and more (9pm; Cover TBD)

DJ Lord Walrus (9pm; Free; Electric Dance Party)

Stick’ em Up (9:30pm; Free)

Singer-Songwriter Circle (9pm; Free)

DJ Sir Nick Bland (10pm; $3)

Jazz Piano with James Jarvis (7pm; Free)

—Flytrap Brewing, 319 Walnut St.

—Reggie’s 42nd St. Tavern, 1415 S. 42nd St.

—Hell’s Kitchen, 118 Princess St.; 910-763-4133 —Jimmy’s at Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave.

Flannel Rebellion (10pm; Cover TBD; ‘90s Alternative) —The Whiskey, 1 S. Front St.

—Hoplite Pub, 720 N. Lake Park Blvd.

—Jimmy’s at Red Dogs, 5 N. Lumina Ave. —Bottega Art & Wine, 723 N. 4th St.

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

CONCERTS OUTSIDE OUTSIDE OF OF CONCERTS SOUTHEASTERN NC NC SOUTHEASTERN

SHOWSTOPPERS

REVIVING ROCK: Head to House of Blues Myrtle Beach on Dec. 8 to catch The Rivivalists. Sign up for our newsletter for a chance to win a pair of tickets; go to encorepub.com and click “newsletter signup” at the top of the site. Choose “Encore Listens.” Photo by Tom Dorgan THE ORANGE PEEL 101 BILTMORE AVE., ASHEVILLE, NC (828) 398-1837 12/7: Hometown Holiday Jam XVII 12/9: DROPSHOT, The Shrunken Heads and more 12/12: Tig Notaro 12/13: BackPack Slam Jam 12/14: Space Jesus, Of The Trees and Digital Ethos 12/15: Town Mountain, Amanda Anne Platt and more 12/16: Angel Olsen and White Magic 12/17: Waltz Night NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE NORTH DAVIDSON ST., CHARLOTTE, NC (704) 358-9298 12/6: Digitour Winter 12/7: Squirrel Nut Zippers 12/8 Tom Petty Tribute 12/9: Here Come the Mummies 12/13: Found Footage Festival Vol. 8 12/16: Town Mountain and more 12/17: Lenny Federal Band, Crisis and The Stragglers THE FILLMORE 820 HAMILTON ST., CHARLOTTE, NC (704) 916-8970 12/8: Rumours 12/10: The Revivalists 12/17: All Time Low 12/22: Drop !t featuring Snails THE UNDERGROUND-FILLMORE 820 HAMILTON ST., CHARLOTTE, NC (704) 916-8970 1/27: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club MOTORCO MUSIC HALL 723 RIGSBEE AVE., DURHAM, NC (919) 901-0875 12/6: Don Flamingo GQ and Deante Hitchcock 12/7: Criminal & Love and Radio 12/13: Converge, Pile and Give

DURHAM PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 123 VIVIAN ST. DURHAM, NC (919) 688-3722 12/6: Fantasia 1/2: On Your Feet! LINCOLN THEATRE 126 E. CABARRUS ST., RALEIGH, NC (919) 821-4111 12/7: Whose Hat Is This? 12/8: Old Habits and Old Man Whickutt 12/9: Granger Smith and Brooke Eden 12/10: Shooter Jennings and Jason Boland 12/12: Jake Bugg and Kate Rhudy 12/13: Chatham County Line Electric 12/15: Band Together Holiday Bash, The Connells, more 12/16: Yarn with Dune Dogs and Dune Dogs 12/17: Asheville Holiday Hang: Town Mountain and more 12/22: Liquid Pleasure CAT’S CRADLE 300 E. MAIN ST., CARRBORO, NC (919) 967-9053 12/8: The Stars Explode and more (Back) 12/9: Southern Culture On The Skids and more 12/9: Coleslaw and more (Back) 12/10: Krs-one, Kaze and Reuben Vincent 12/14: Juanita Stein (Back) 12/15: Heartbroken: A Tom Petty Tribute 12/15-16: Lydia Loveless and more (Back) 12/17: Junior Brown, The Blasters and Big Sandy 12/26: The Merch Holiday Dance Party (Back) GREENSBORO COLISEUM 1921 WEST LEE ST., GREENSBORO, NC (336) 373-7400 12/10: Trans-Siberian Orchestra 12/11: Michael Jackson Tribute HOUSE OF BLUES - MYRTLE BEACH 4640 HWY 17 S, NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, SC (843) 272-3000 12/8: The Revivalists 12/28: Rumours 12/29: JJ Grey & Mofro

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 13

ARTS>>ART

ASHES TO ASHES, DUST TO DUST:

‘Stardust * Picture This’ opens Dec. 8 at Bottega Art and Wine Gallery

BY: SHEA CARVER

few months ago, I was tooling around at Bottega one Friday evening when a local artist and friend, Andrew Edwards, passed a doodling pad back and forth with me. We were conversing by drawing faces. In he middle of sketching a pork-pie hat, as talks of Bowie were happening, I asked: “But how do you draw stardust?” We passed around the pad for everyone’s illustration. The next day, when Bottega owner Addie Wuensch called and asked if encore would like to curate an art show for the holidays, my conversation with Andrew popped up again. As a holiday show, the idea of something ethereal, cerebral and magical seemed more fitting than a run-ofthe-mill theme eliciting red bows, eggnog and wreaths. “Stardust * Picture This” was born. The curation of such an event seemed serendipitous on some level, as pieces began to fall into place. I had just seen Grey Pascal’s light installation, SWARF, at Wilma Daniels Gallery a few months prior. It left a feeling of airiness connectivity, as bright white orbs, some of which featured humane moments of love via video projections, came to life as if from a fourth dimension. Shortly after settling on the theme, 910 Noise artists, Grant Stewart and Carl Kruger, played Bottega one night while I was visiting. Their supernal soundscapes created a sense of power and consciousness in the ether, as images morphed into unexpected visuals on a wall in the art gallery’s backyard. Then and there, I extended personal invitations to all three artists to join “Stardust * Picture This,” which will open this Friday, Dec. 8, at 7 p.m. at Bottega. As well a dozen or more artists responded to the call we put out in the paper for artists who wished to submit work. Alongside the visual and audible installations will be various media interpreting the theme—photography to painting, digital art to mixed media. All work will be for sale, with 15 percent of the proceeds donated to DREAMS of Wilmington. Here are only nine of the artists participating and a smattering of works on display, as well as background info on 910 Noise’s Stewart and Kruger.

Nathan Ryan Verwey’s “In Stitches” Size: 2 feet x 3 feet Materials/medium: Paper, watercolor, acrylics, spray paint, ink and found paper Price: $500 Alessandro Giambra’s “De Sidus” Size: 24 inches x 30 inches Medium/materials: Oil Painting Price: $2,800 Inspiration: “The word ‘Stardust’ is related to the meaning with the old ancient Latin word ‘De Sidus’ (desire of the star). It opened my imagination to create this painting, representing Eros, the Greek god of love and desire, to De Sidus that reflects on the different layers of sensuality to returning to her source.”

Carolina Corona’s “Star Energy” Size: 7 inches x 5 inches; 11 inches x 8.5 inches, framed Medium/materials: Digital art Price: $100 Inspiration: “My inspiration were the galaxies and the energy emitted by the stars. I wondered how this energy affects us and I decided that if we are aware of this cosmic energy it must bring us peace of mind and radiant joy. The queen of the stars carries energy with her and it radiates toward us.”

Inspiration: “All three paintings submitted (‘Gus’ (cover), ‘InStitches’ and ‘As a Young King’ (hodgepodge), follow a king throughout his reign. The works are a commentary on the trappings of western society. They are a display of people wanting to have it all—wanting to be a king and rule their kingdom, wanting to control all the wealth and power. Each one wants to reach the top to become a star. For we all come from stardust, so to scrape the heavens is to succeed. To reach the heights from which we came will ruin us all the same. Ash to ash. Dust to dust.”

Joe Cordaro’s “Celestial Goddess” Casey Aguilera’s Mixed Media Medium/materials: 12-inch vinyl record in frame, 12.5-inch x 12.5-inch, spray paint. Price: $100 Inspriation: “Inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night,’ originally painted in 1889.” Comes in set of three.

14 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

Toni Sunseri’s “We are Stardust, We are Golden” Size: 11 inches x 15 inches Medium/materials: Digital photography Price: $300 Inspiration: “What is not our sun, but a star...” One of a set of four.

Medium/materials: Digital pen and ink; output as giclée print on hi-res microporous resin-coated, luster paper. Price: $65 (SOLD) Inspiration: “The celestial goddess of the moon and stars manifests herself as power, grace and serenity.”

Frances E.Mims-fem’s “StardustStars on a Journey of Enlightenment “

Margie Lucido’s “Collection: What The Eye Doesn’t See—Candle in the Sky”

Size: 11 inches x14 inches; 22 inches x 28 inches Grey Pascal’s “Holy Hologram” Size: 10 feet x 6 feet x 2 feet Medium/materials: Lens shavings, steel, wood, lacquer, monofilament and video projections Price: $1,850 Inspiration: “Stars are 4D objects pressing into the skin of space. We are 4D beings, passing through the universe. Perceiving our bodies and world in three dimensions is a quirk of consciousness. That said, the current configuration of this series looks like a naughty Christmas card.”

Size: 11 inches x 14 inches; framed in 8 inches x 10 inches mat opening

Medium/materials: Acrylic Price: $550 Inspiration: “I believe we are spirits of light; I see us as stars. We are all on a journey of discovery, determining who we are, as we journey through the universe. We are at different stages—some lights are brighter at different times. But we all light up the sky/ universe—living on purpose. If we find ourselves in darkness, our light continues to shine. We are light and our dust/gleam will always light the path for others to follow. When we continue the journey, we will be enlightened and fulfill our purpose. Star figures glow in the dark.”

Medium/materials: Print board, digital camera photo

poster

Price: $40 Dennis Schaefer’s “Blues” Size: 24 inches x 30 inches Medium/materials: Acrylic on canvas, Price: $375 Inspiration: “It is inspired by the evening star on a perfect night.”

Inspiration: “When I saw the various descriptors for entries in the show— ‘celestial,’ ‘ethereal,’ ‘magical’—my collection of photos taken at a firework display came to mind. I enjoy taking shots of fireworks, capturing and freezing them in time. Interpreting the image is the creative part. With very little editing, each image takes on a new form, perspective, or meaning. It is magical and a bit mystical.”

Other participating Stardust artists include: Quinn Cook, Patricia DeSimone, Kelsi Arcos, Emily Brown, and Jo Ann Alford. After the art show, Second Star Theatre Company will host a fundraiser for their adult production, “Murder Ballad.” Stick around for performances from the Billy Heathen Band and some photo-booth fun!

EXPERIMENTAL CACOPHONIES: 910 Noise goes spacey with ‘Stardust’

decade or so ago, a group of ambient sound artists began a local collective, 910 Noise, to spread their alternative takes on what music and art actually is. They held festivals at the original Bottega on Front Street and a few doors down at the now-defunct Soapbox and on Fourth Street where Squidco used to be to get their DIY sounds out to the masses. Among them were Grant Stewart of subterrene and solo artist Carl Kruger. Today, Noise 910 play all over town and will begin doing monthly gigs at the Juggling Gypsy. “Viewing sound as an experience unique in and of itself, and applying that idea to other mediums,” according to Kruger is the mission of 910 Noise to challenge diversity of art across the Port City. They’ve released four compilation CDs to date, featuring everything from harsh noise, to musique concrete, drone and beyond. Bands like Authorless, Changes to Blind, Mr. Stonecipher, Jason Ward,

The Waking Life, and Baby Daddy, Reverse Animals, and Dip Lip have contributed. Stewart and Kruger will be performing live as part of “Stardust” and are devising their own audio and visuals that will permeate the gallery’s back patio on Friday evening (picture to the right is an example of imagery used in Kruger’s video projections). Stewart says they will have created their own tracks and loops that will be live interpretations of the exhibit’s concept. “I have some material that goes well with the idea of space and time,” Stewart tells. “The complexly harmonious or destructive sounds that can be made with distortion are a big part of what I do—the sound of radio waves between the stars, galaxies colliding, background radiation...” “It’s sound we will be improvising, using live sampling and sound processing,” Kruger adds. “The theme is a specific starting point for the audience to approach the show. The idea of removing sound from the gestural constraints modal music places

on it is a new concept to people.” While it may seem abstract at the onset, it’s more an immersive experience. like an installation experienced at an art museum, that will impact the audience’s senses. Video projections and sounds will be unique to the evening and the theme, so it must be seen and heard first-hand to be understood. “Trusting an audience is key,” Kruger says of any show’s success, “as is leaving the idea of cohesiveness up to their individual experiences.” There is really no beginning and no ending to the installation. Participants can readily drop in at any time, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m., during Stardust’s reception to be a part of the experiment. “Isn’t stardust something insubstantial?” Stewart asks rhetorically. “That takes sometimes intense energy to capture,

such as the satellite that crashed when it returned with its cargo of stardust a few years ago? There you go: something nebulous and something explosive.”

DETAILS:

Stardust * Picture This

Artist reception, featuring multiple artists and genres, including light and sound installations Fri., Dec. 8, 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. Bottega Art Gallery and Wine Bar 723 N. 4th St.• Free

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WHAT’S HANGING AROUND THE PORT CITY

GALLERYGUIDE ARTEXPOSURE!

22527 Highway 17N, Hampstead, NC (910) 803-0302 (910) 330-4077 Tues. - Sat. 10am - 5pm (or by appt.) www.artexposure50.com The public is invited to a one man show “Escape into Plein Air” featuring Robert Rigsby. The show will highlight oil paintings from Rob’s 6 month trip visiting all fifty national parks. Rob also wrote a book about his journey and it is available under the same name on Amazon.

ART IN BLOOM GALLERY

210 Princess St. Tues. - Sat. 10am - 6pm (or by appt., Sun. and Mon.) (484) 885-3037 www.aibgallery.com Join us for the opening reception for “Dreaming of Peace: Oil Paintings by Tatyana Kulida and Mio Reynolds,” Friday, December 15th, 6-8 pm. Meet the artists and enjoy harp music by Carole Bowman Green. A Portion of art sales will be donated to DREAMS Center for Arts Education. The art exhibit ends on January 13th, 2018. Born in Russia, Tatyana is a classicallytrained painter who studied in Italy and now resides in New Zealand. Fellow artist and friend, Mio Reynolds lives in Wilmington, NC. Other events include receptions Friday and Saturday, December 8th-9th, 5-8 pm during Historic Downtown Wilmington’s Holly Jolly Stroll. Enjoy guitar and singing by Haley Health. The gallery is open December 22nd, Fourth Friday Gallery Night until 9 pm.

ART OF FINE DINING

www.aibgallery.com In addition to our gallery at 210 Princess Street, Art in Bloom Gallery partners with other organizations to exhibit original art in other locations. The following exhibits continue through December. “Contemporary Art by Stephanie Mobbs Deady” with mixed media at Platypus & Gnome Restaurant, 9 South Front Street. “Southern Embrace: New Art by Debra Bucci” with oil paintings at The District Kitchen and Cocktails,1001 N. 4th Street. “Empty Faces and Abstract Spaces by Joan McLoughlin” with paintings at Pinpoint Restaurant,114 Market Street.

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. Cureent Exhibition: Yoruba beadwork and Northern Nigerian sculpture. Appraisal services, curatorial services and educational exhibitions also available. Over 30 years experience in Tribal Arts. Our clients include many major museums.

EXPO 216

216 N. Front St, Wilmington, NC (910) 769-3899 Wed. – Sun., Noon – 6 PM www.expo216.com Over 5,000 square feet in historic downtown of thought-provoking art and fashions! Expo 216’s one-year expositions are themedriven: currently addressing Death & Dying . Works by local artists, Joan McLoughlin, Niki Hildebrand, Chad Starling, and many more will intrigue you. Fashions such as Flatliner and The Cyclist’s Widow will stun you. Exhibits, such as The History of Funeral Care and Mourning Practices, provide an educational element. Expo 216 is a supporter of the Wilmington music scene and provides live music during the Fourth Friday Gallery Night. Expo 216 is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

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. 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 Mon.- Sat. 10am - 5pm www.sunsetrivermarketplace.com Sunset River Marketplace showcases work by approximately 150 North and South Carolina artists, and houses some 10,000 square feet of oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastels, mixed media, art glass, fabric art,

pottery, sculpture, turned and carved wood and artisan-created jewelry. There are two onsite kilns and four wheels used by students in the ongoing pottery classes offered by the gallery. A custom framing department is available. There are realistic and abstract art classes as well as workshops by nationally and regionally known artists.

WILMA W. DANIELS GALLERY

200 Hanover St. (bottom level, parking deck) Mon.-Fri., noon-5pm http://cfcc.edu/danielsgallery The Wilma Daniels Gallery will be hosting works from the No Boundaries International Art Colony, commemorating it’s 20th anniversary. Alumni artists include Sergej Adreevski, Fritzi Huber, Eric Lawing, Luc Marelli, Innocent Nkurunziza, Gonul Nughoglu, Gerlinde Pistner, Dick Robers, Arrow Ross, Lone Seeberg, Pamela Toll, Gayle Tustin, and Barbara Anne Thomas. Alumni reception, Dec. 1, 6-9pm; closing reception, Dec. 22, 6-9pm.

NEW ELEMENTS GALLERY

271 N. Front St. (919) 343-8997 Tues. - Sat.: 11am - 6pm (or by appt.) www.newelementsgallery.com “Time & Place” features ceramic work from YiFenn Strickland and mixed media paintings by Shelia Keefe Ortiz. Both of these Wilmington artists masterfully create striking work from soft, organic forms. New Elements has been offering the best of regional and national fine art and craft since 1985. We invite you to learn more about the artists we represent, featured exhibitions, and gallery news. We regularly update the work available online, so return often to view our many different selections if you can’t drop into the gallery.

PEACOCK FINE ART

224 S. Water St. #1A • (910) 254-4536 Monday through Sunday, noon - 6 p.m. www.peacocksfineart.com. Adjacent to the River to Sea gallery, Features paintings by Wilmington based plein air painter Jim Bettendorf. Local scenes of Wilmington and surrounding areas cover the walls. Original oil paintings and a selection of giclée prints available for purchase. Open daily from noon to six.

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 17

ARTS>>THEATRE

POIGNANT NOSTALGIA:

‘A Christmas Story’ cast members talk about their iconic roles playing young Ralphie and adult Ralphie

BY: SHEA CARVER

t’s the most wonderful time of year for many, when decking the halls and buying presents and making Christmas dinner culminates in a treasured idea of merriment. On the flip side, especially as a kid, inevitable growing pains arise. After all, begging for the perfect present may cause more anxiety than happiness, as will watching parents curse over strings of lights blowing a breaker. It’s just another measure of transition from childhood into young adulthood—and it’s part of the reason why so many adore “A Christmas Story,” written by Jean Shepherd in his 1966 book, “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash.” Once the essay became a film in 1983, it took on a whole new audience, who since has catapulted its popularity to “holiday tradition.” Each Christmas the film hits the screen in a 24-hour run on local cable channels. In 2012 it became a Broadway musical and will make its second appearance on a Wilmington stage, thanks to Thalian Association producing its run December 8-17. The show centers around Shepherd’s most memorable Christmas and his desire to attain a Red Ryder Carbine Action 200-shot Range Model air rifle. Along the way, we meet his mom, dad and baby brother Randy, as well as his best friend, teacher and even the school-yard bullies. Much appeal of the story comes in how it’s told: The narrator (adult Ralphie) walks the audience through his thoughts and ideas during Christmas 1940, as scenes of his youth pop up and show us his words. encore interviewed Stuart Pike (narrator/ adult Ralphie), who has been on the Wilmington theatre scene for years, and Jakob Gruntfest (young Ralphie), 13, who has been on the scene for two years now. We wanted to find out more about the show and their roles in this holiday classic. encore (e): Do you have a memory of your own childhood during the holidays that you think parallels “A Christmas Story”? Stuart Pike (SP): Belk’s in Greensboro had an animated window at Christmas like Higbee’s. Christmas turkey was always present but never eaten by hounds Jakob Gruntfest (JG): I remember the feeling of going to bed Christmas Eve and my sisters and I being too excited to go to sleep. The scene when we all sing “Somewhere Hovering” is exactly how it feels to be a kid on Christmas Eve. We couldn’t wait to see if Santa brought what we were hoping he would bring to us. e: Tell me what you love most about your character, Ralphie—as an adult and a child.

SP: As adult Ralphie, the narrator, the way I see and play his character is as a nostalgic reminiscence. As he states at the beginning, this is “the most important” Christmas ever and it is the “journey” that makes it [so]—not that he ultimately gets the gun. His journey is full of awakenings to and about his parents, who are exceptionally tender and poignant. JG: I love that Ralphie was written to represent the typical kid at Christmastime. He has one thought on his mind: Red Ryder. And he’ll do what needs to be done so he can get it. I love some of the funny lines he has, like the one about Flick seeing grizzly bears outside the candy store. e: The story is a classic now since the film’s 1983 release. Why do you think people connect with it so much—and with your character? SP: I’m not sure folks connect that much with Jean from the movie. I know I don’t. Though I am big on classic movies (“Casablanca” is probably my all-time favorite), at Christmas I lean much more to “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas.” That said, I think it is the nostalgia a lot of people feel toward a specific Christmas. Folks of my age can remember the “Heartier time.” Kids find it funny, and I dare say a bit uplifting (not the best word), as most all kids are bullied at some point in their lives. JG: I feel like the film makes people remember their childhood Christmases. Maybe they remember that one toy they wanted but never got. Or it makes them remember [family] nights around the dinner table, discussing how the day went. e: The audience clearly will want all the nostalgia from the show and your characters. How are you making it your own without mimicking or just impersonating the iconic actors who filled the roles? JG: I imagine how I would feel in those situations and I morph my own feelings with the ones Ralphie is supposed to be feeling. I have only seen “A Christmas Story” one, so I don’t think I was in danger too much of imitating. But I definitely know how it feels to be a kid! SP: For Jean there are two things that stand out: First, he is embodied in the musical, where[as] he is just a voice in the movie, so that is very different. There isn’t a Darren McGavin (The Old Man) to mimic. Second, the dialogue for Jean is different and this, along with being present, allows Jean to be a character and not just a voice. At times I become a 10-year-old Ralphie. e: Yes, let’s talk about that. The show utilizes the narrator shadowing young Ralphie

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leg lamp. And who doesn’t love a good tap number especially when it includes kids? e: What songs really bring to life some of your fave scenes? JG: “Ralphie to the Rescue” is my favorite, because it’s so upbeat and fun to sing. It involves a lot of the ensemble cast. I also love “Somewhere Hovering” because I love the idea of focus being on a bunch of different kids and the excitement they are feeling on Christmas Eve. It’s so different from the movie’s focus purely on Ralphie—we get to see all types of kids in their beds waiting for Santa. SP: “Major Award” for its shear over-the-top campiness. “Sticky Situation” because it is the iconic tongue-[stuck]-to-flagpole scene. “Just Like That” for multiple reasons. Every kid has had an incredibly tender moment with their mom where she, and only she, could be of comfort. Being now a grandparent myself with three adult children, it is so true. “Just like that the moment’s gone...” And Emily Graham as mom sings it beautifully. It is so, so touching. As a big ol’ softy I am going to have to steal myself each night for in some of the best ways, like as a cowboy that one. trying to save his love interest, the teacher. e: Anything you’d like me to personally To me, personally, it invigorates how live know about the show we haven’t covered? theatre can impact an audience. What about Whether a personal story or how it’s been these shadow moments do you find so efworking with the director and cast? fective within the story? SP: I had, of course, seen the movie, but I took JG: Those “fantasy” moments really allow the time to read the script before auditions. I got the audience to be in Ralphie’s head—like the spectators get to come along for the ride and to Jean’s final monologue in the play and said, experience the feelings of a young boy fantasiz- ‘Golly I don’t remember the movie being this poiing about being a hero. Live theatre is so differ- gnant, this tender and touching.’ Watching the ent from movies and TV; we have to be more movie a couple of weeks ago, I realized why: creative in telling the story. I think that those se- The monologue is not in the movie. But I chose to audition because of that one monologue. It so quences help us tell it better. happens it was the audition piece. [Director] AnSP: It allows me to be a kid again. I hope thony [Lawson] and [Thalian Association artistic to share with the audience that childlikeness is director] Chandler [Davis] obviously liked it, or at still and always will be in us. I hope audiences least enough to trust me with it. Now I hope I do it get that. justice and audiences connect with it, too. e: Do you think “A Christmas Story” works JG: I have wanted to play this character as as a musical? soon as I heard Thalian was doing it. Our main JG: Of course! Singing is part of Christmas! soundtrack in the car has been “A Christmas Plus, the songs are awesome and catchy. It’s Story” since June (in addition to “Dear Evan Hanson” and “Come From Away”). Have you hard not to be happy when you are singing. ever sang Christmas songs in the summer? My SP: Absolutely! From my perspective the mu- sisters did not love it. sic and dialogue changes/additions make the musical more enjoyable than the movie. The tenderness of the mom does not come through in the movie the way it does in the musical, in A Christmas Story large part due to her two songs. The old man Fri.-Sat., Dec. 8-9, 15-16, 7:30 p.m., has two great numbers that are a huge sendand Sun., Dec. 10 and 17, 3 p.m. up of the character. As great as Darren McGavin was in this role, nothing can compare to a mid- Thalian Hall • 310 Chestnut St. dle-aged man dancing with his “major award” Tickets: $15-$30 • thalianhall.org

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encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 19

ARTS>>THEATRE

KICKING OFF THE HOLIDAYS:

The joy, warmth and laughter of Big Dawg’s latest production welcomes the brightness of the season

BY: GWENYFAR ROHLER

ig Dawg Productions is into the holiday spirit in a big way with the revival of their evergreen and ever-successful “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some!)” by James FitzGerald, John K. Alvarez and Michael Carleton. Starring Anthony Lawson, Randy Davis and Steve Vernon, the show is a wonderful send-up of all-things Christmas. The plot (if it can be called that) revolves around the premise that a small theatre company is staging its annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” Steve gets halfway through the opening monologue when Randy begins a rebellion. He has done “A Christmas Carol” more times than he can count—and he doesn’t want to do it again, not this year! Poor Steve is adamant: Christmas means “A Christmas Carol”! Unbeknowst to him, theatre is apparently a democracy, and he gets out-voted (or maybe it was the Electoral College that got him—who can tell anymore?). Randy and Anthony hijack

his Christmas show, and before the poor man knows what hit him, the three of them are off on an around-the-world tour of Christmas traditions, stories and celebrations. Beginning with a shout-out to the pinnacle of “A Christmas Carol” productions—“The Muppet Christmas Carol,” of course—the show careens through Christmas films and stories, as well as beloved “Christmas specials” of mid-century television fame, and more holiday trivia ever imaginable. It makes for quite an evening of entertainment.

the Green Nosed Rain Goat” (Rudolph is still under copyright) or his pirate shtick for “A Child’s Christmas in W(h)ales.” He can go from deadpan to fully animated in the blink of an eye. For all of his comedic talents, Davis is a gifted dramatic actor. When he gives his rendition of Linus from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” we could hear a pin drop in the room, then a few scattered sniffles. Maybe that’s what makes the script work so well. Though, it feels like it jumps form one joke to the next, in reality there are some beautiful moments of reflection to remind everyone of the beauty of the holiday season; it’s a balance between reverence the laughter.

Steve Vernon, Randy Davis and Anthony Lawson give natural and effortless performances. They are clearly having fun, and the audience members they pull onstage for the game-show segment and the re-enactment of Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” look like they are going to burst with elation. That’s really the secret to the show: the sheer delight of it all. At intermission the guests next to us got into a heated and heavy contest to identify every holiday reference from the first act. Of course, Vernon’s Scrooge is a crowdpleaser, with a squint in his eye and pursed lips

For all the light-hearted fun aimed at the world of Christmas entertainment, the actual Christmas story, frequently enacted in church fellowship halls across the Western world this time of year, is not part of the material on the buffet.

that make the tight, angry character identifiable in less than a sentence.

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Anthony Lawson plays the peacemaker (or maybe instigator) between a Scrooge-like Vernon—who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus—and Randy Davis, who does. The night I was in the audience, one of the audience members pulled up onstage looked like a dead ringer for Edmund Gwenn’s Kris Kringle in “Miracle on 34th St.” Let’s say it made Vernon’s denial of Santa Claus a little more nuanced and complicated. I mean the man was twirling his mustache and “ho hoing” every time Vernon looked at him. For all of his having to be the fall guy in Act 1, in Act 2 Vernon gets to show off his vocal talents and alternates between finally playing Scrooge and discovering he is simultaneously in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” as George Bailey. Arguably, Jimmy Stewart’s voice is a pretty fun imitation to conjure, but Vernon doesn’t just hit the funny parts of the warble; he also delivers the pathos. Lawson’s rendition of “The Night Before Christmas” a la Black Friday shopping madness is a perfect example of dramatic interpretation of literature: He lulls us in with the welltimed rhyming jokes that keeps us listening attentively. But by far, “The Singing of the Carols” is where Lawson shines most. His beautiful singing voice resonates in the intimate space of the Cape Fear Playhouse. It is a fun mash-up of hummable Christmas carols.

Set designer Scott Davis has created a festive holiday wonderland with many props and costume pieces the performers utilize during the evening featured as parts of the decor. Stockings, ribbons, Christmas-tree lights, and hymnals are interspersed with hats for costume changes and three truly inspiring Christmas albums (the cover art alone is worth a second look). In conjunction with lighting designer Donna Lousie Swink (who must bring a combined 150-plus years of theatrical experience to her work), they have upped the ante visually on this show. I especially liked the lighting special to signal Vernon’s many attempts to do “A Christmas Carol.” The overall sense visually is of a giant present wrapped up just for the audience. It really is a festive and and joyous setting—upping the mood for the show and holiday season. “I’m really glad we came,” my date gushed when we left. “I needed this.” I did, too. It feels like the Christmas season really has started. “Every Christmas Story Every Told (And Then Some!)” is a heartwarming way to celebrate the holidays with friends and family.

DETAILS:

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)

Thurs. - Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun., 3 p.m. Dec. 3, 7-10, & 14-17 Cape Fear Playhouse 613 Castle St. Randy Davis gets the punchlines of script: Tickets: $15-$22 wearing the green light-up nose of “Gustave bigdawgproductions.org

ARTS>>THEATRE

SNARKSTAR CHRISTMAS:

Jamey Stone nails our favorite disgruntled elf, Crumpet, in ‘The Santaland Diaries’

BY: SHEA CARVER

ast weekend the 13th production of David Sedaris’ quippy holiday monologue, “The Santaland Diaries” came to life on a Wilmington stage. Annually, local audiences have been engaged by actors taking on the role of the disgruntled elf, Crumpet, who hems and haws over the atrocities that take place in Macy’s Santaland during the holiday season in New York City. The show is based on Sedaris’ own experience of getting the job upon moving to the city (with secret hopes of landing on one of his favorite TV shows, “One Life to Live,” to meet Victoria Buchanan). Brought to North Front Theatre by Panache Theatrical Productions, and directed by Panache co-founder Holli Saperstein, “Santaland” was set to be staged with Robb Mann leading the helm. However, after falling ill during opening weekend, Mann stepped aside, and WE WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISTMAS: one of the elves of the show’s Not So Ready Roxann Hubbard, Jamey Stone and Amy Carter for Christmas Carolers, Jamey Stone, stepped in ‘The Santaland Diaries.’ Photo by Chad Keith into his pointy green shoes at the last minute. of physical attributes, Stone maintains a rasp Stone was last year’s Crumpet, so familiarity in his voice, which I’m pretty sure was a side with the script was there, not to mention he had effect of doing the hour-long monologue and been in rehearsals as one of the elf backup singing throughout the show the night before, singers. Still, it’s a tall order to take; no matter if and without much rehearsal time for both. In an actor knows the text backward and forward, fact, he is the very first Crumpet to sing in the he has to carry it all on his shoulders primarily show—ever. It is an effective addition, even for one full hour. Most importantly, he has to nail if accidental, to show us Crumpet’s range of the nuance of pomposity Sedaris so perfectly emotions. garnishes with his wit, from self-deprecation to Joined by Amy Carter and Roxann Hubbard, judgemental mocking. Stone’s falsetto balances the Not So Ready for Part of why Stone fits perfectly into the role Christmas Carolers’ most fantastic anti-holiday of Crumpet comes from his experience as a songs, like “Here Comes Satan Claus” (after standup comedian. He understands cadence all, Satan is an anagram of Santa) and “Santa and delivery when presenting humor to an auMambo.” Their homage to Phil Collins’ ‘80s hit dience. More so, he knows how to read and “In the Air Tonight,” as well as Crumpet’s nod to feed off an audience quite well. The one in tow singing “Away in a Manger” like Bob Dylan, hit on Saturday night was very receptive to his high marks. Carter and Hubbard add their own posturing of elf life, from the onset of explaincaustic bite in celebrating a holiday revolving ing the Elfen Guide—stating rules of where to around capitalism, which pair with Stone’s own smoke and drink on the job—to varied titles snide but endearing attitude. one can attain in Macy’s Santaland: entrance The set design by Lindsay Payne is effective elf, water-cooler elf, bridge elf, train elf, maze elf, island elf, magic-window elf, usher elf, and simple. Perhaps the most awe-inspiring cash-register elf, exit elf. Stone’s deadpan de- piece comes in a 20-25-foot ladder wrapped livery is a great match for the sardonic writing of in green with a simple white star at the top. Sedaris. He rarely allows his own reactions to It’s massive and fanastic, and would be even lead an audience’s laughter; he knows the ap- more impactful if the red curtains, which act as propriate amount of pathos and ethos for each Santa’s backdrop for pictures, weren’t covering the bottom of it. moment in the script. He also wears the elf costume with enough disdain—grimace included—to carry the weight of a 40-year-old man in a green and red suit, with an extra long pointy hat, physically and emotionally showing us ridicule. Speaking

Sedaris’ writing truly is a holiday gift I look forward to hearing on NPR annually, as he takes to the airwaves to read the 1992 essay. While I think his words are so relevant and offer a take most of us cynics can agree with

about the commercialization and mania the holidays bring, it’s always different to watch theatre companies set it to motion. It’s tough for one actor to carry the weight of its words; though, I can’t say I’ve reviewed one where it hasn’t been successful. Over the years, the backup singers have added a punch of merriment and hilarity in various scenes. I personally would like to see it evolve even more. Since we’re talking about a show revolving around kids sitting on a jolly old man’s lap to recite their wishlists, I thought I’d put together a few wishes of my own (assuming they’re all OK when obtaining rights to the script)...

He sets up the scene, in all of its detail, and then profers his opinion. Panache did a few scenes with Carter and Hubbard enacting them; I’d like it to go further. Theatre, too, is about showing audiences rather than telling them. Sedaris’ words are fantastic enough to have thespians act them out to heighten the experience and laughs.

Live theatre is about bringing words to life. I’d like to see whichever theatre company continues it (two have carried it over the years, Cape Fear Theatre Arts LLC and now Panache) to consider casting a few more people or utilize more elves (Gingersnap and Snowball, maybe?) to actually act out more scenes, as Crumpet narrates them. Writing is about showing readers what is happening, which Sedaris does brilliantly:

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And one more request for whomever does “Santaland” in the future: What’s it gonna take to cast a female Crumpet? Theatre is gender fluid, as Shakespeare has shown us many times over; I think it’s time to see a lady’s take on our favorite snarkstar.

The Santaland Diaries

Through Dec. 17, Thurs.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sunday matinees, 3 p.m. North Front Theatre (née City Stage) 21 North Front St. Tickets: $15, 910-679-6038 www.panachetheatre.com

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 21

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ARTS>>FILM

CHARACTER-DRIVEN CHARM:

films this week CINEMATIQUE

Greta Gerwig makes a hit with the indie flick, ‘Lady Bird’

Thalian Hall • 310 Chestnut St. 7 p.m. • $7

BY: ANGHUS

hank you, independent cinema for helping purge terrible blockbusters out of my short-term memory. I appreciate the continuous commitment to tell smaller, character-driven stories. They calm my troubled mind and make me remember movies weren’t created to turn my brain into a pulpy liquid mass. “Lady Bird” is an excellent little character piece—a small, intimate coming-of-age story that doesn’t feel all original but still excels, thanks to fantastic direction and an exceptional cast. Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager entering her senior year at Catholic school and itching to break free of her comfort zone. Her home life is somewhat constricting, due to financial difficulties. Her mother (the great Laurie Metcalf) is working double shifts to make ends meet while her father (Tracy Letts) goes through a mid-life employment crisis. She dreams of getting out of boring Sacramento after graduation and going to a liberal arts college on the East Coast. It is a challenge due to a less-than-stellar scholastic commitment and lack of funds to afford out-of-state tuition. Like most independent film, high-school protagonist Lady Bird is super-quirky. Fortunately, she’s not nearly as affected or as painfully rendered as Ellen Page’s Juno. Writer/director Greta Gerwig successfully achieves a fresh blend of angst and apathy with Lady Bird. She’s an extremely likable character and still remains sympathetic when making terrible, selfish decisions. As she winds through her last year of high school, she finds romance and heartbreak with a drama-club cohort, struggles to understand her mom’s Draconian parenting style and deals with the consequences of some questionable judgement calls. Lady Bird yearns for much more than life is currently providing her, and she is willing to do anything to make it a reality. So she lies to teachers about grades, lashes out at them and even ditches her best friend to increase her social standing. High school is a tumultuous time and Gerwig manages to make the socially awkward gauntlet feel genuine and appropriately heavy—those anxiety-inducing days of wanting to fit in while still searching for selfdiscovery. The thing about so many highschool movies is how overblown they are. Yes, the melodramatic moments of teenager

GIRLS’ GROWING PAINS: Saoirse Ronan and Danielle Macdonald in ‘Lady Bird.’ Photo courtesy IAC Films

years often feel like life and death when living them, even when they rarely are. A lot of filmmakers take a grand approach, and use swelling music and overblown performances—not “Lady Bird.” It’s grounded in a way that feels unique. So much of Lady Bird’s likability is due to Saoirse Ronan, who delivers a masterful performance and one of the most realistic depictions of a teenager ever put to film. She captures manic energy of an age where things can go from zero to frenzy in a matter of minutes. The character is likable in a way that so few teenage protagonists ever achieve. It creates a relationship with the audience and makes what happens to her matter. But Gerwig steers the material away from melodrama. Just when we think a big emotional confrontation is coming, she takes her foot off the gas and denies the character and audience catharsis. It’s the sum of small, deliberate choices that elevates “Lady Bird” above other movies in the genre. Gerwig avoids the ornate and prefers a flat presentation of well-written characters. The material isn’t anything new. We’ve all seen coming-of-age stories and teen angst, but “Lady Bird’ feels like it’s own take on the genre. It manages to add something to the discussion by creating some interesting dynamics. I found myself oddly invested in the protagonist’s journey, and interested to see where some of her more questionable choices would lead. A small part of me was disappointed of how few consequences there were. Lying, cheating, betrayal and other

poor character moments never really lead to anything terrible. In the end, Lady Bird kind of gets everything she wants. The sum of both her good choices and bad ones amount to a positive outcome. It’s like she is immune to the impacts of karma.

Dec. 6-8 (additional 4 p.m. screening on Dec. 6): “Columbus” is the sleeper hit of the season. When a renowned architecture scholar falls suddenly ill during a speaking tour, his son Jin finds himself stranded in Columbus, Indiana—a small Midwestern city celebrated for its many significant modernist buildings. Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey, a young architecture enthusiast who works at the local library. As their intimacy develops, Jin and Casey explore both the town and their conflicted emotions: Jin’s estranged relationship with his father, and Casey’s reluctance to leave Columbus and her mother. Stars John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson. (Not rated, 100 min.)

Other than some minor gropes, I found the film utterly charming. It’s a well-written, welldirected independent drama with a wonderfully realized central character.

DETAILS: Lady Bird

Rated R Directed by Greta Gerwig Starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Danielle Macdonald

Dec. 11-13 (additional 4 p.m. screening on the Dec. 13): “The Florida Project” tells the story, set over one summer, about a precocious 6-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Disney World. Starring Brooklynn Prince, Bria Vinaite, Willem Dafoe. (R, 111 min.)

Second Skin Vintage

true vintage, gifts for her, gifts for him 615 Castle Street • 910.239.7950 • www.secondskinwilmington.com

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presented by:

sponsored by:

Sylvia and Keith Kochler

Visit www.hollyjollywilmington.com for more info 24 | www.encorepub.com 24 encore encore|december |december6 6- december - december12,12,2017 2017 | www.encorepub.com

Santa Com Sat, Dec 9th

Visitorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center at a of Water an

St. Nick arrives by a water-sleigh to kick-off festivities on Saturday morning. Activities will start a 9:30am along Riverfront Park with the big man gliding in shortly thereafter on a Wilmington Water Tours boat. The Wilmington Ballet Company will perform delightful dances from The Great Wilmington Nutcracker.

Entertainment

Entertainment can be found around each corner throughout the day. Storytelling from Madafo at Bijou Park to Fun Fit Hula Hoops at Riverfront Park. Snow Queen Elsa & Snow Princess Anna will also be making an appearance. For a full list of performances and times, visit www.hollyjollywilmington.com

The Great mes to Town Holiday Hunt

h â&#x20AC;˘ 9:30 am

t the intersection and nd Market

Snowflakes, elves, presents, candy canes and more are hidden all through downtown. Do you have the skill to track them all down? Join the family friendly hunt on Sat, December 9th from 1-4pm. Clues can be picked up from the WDI Office at 221 N. Front Street between 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM on Saturday. encore 25 encore||december december66- -december december12, 12,2017 2017 || www.encorepub.com www.encorepub.com 25

SOUTHEASTERN NC’S PREMIER DINING GUIDE

GRUB & GUZZLE

SPOONFED KITCHEN & BAKE SHOP • www.spoonfedkitchen.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

26 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

photo courtesy of Lindsey A. Miller Photography

CAM CAFÉ CAM Café, located within the CAM delivers delightful surprises using fresh, local ingredients. The café serves lunch with seasonal options Tuesday thru Saturday, inspired “small plates” on Wednesday nights, an elegant yet approachable dinner on Thursday and brunch every Sunday. Look for a combination of fresh, regular menu items along with daily specials. 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 along with the art of the museum. 3201 S 17th St. (910) 777-2363. ■ SERVING LUNCH, BRUNCH & DINNER: Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 11am-2pm; Thursday evening, 5pm-9pm ■ 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 Luke Poulos. 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-(910) 769-6565 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues-Wed 5pm9pm, Thurs.-Sat 5pm-10pm ■ SERVING BRUNCH: Sunday 11am-3pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Brooklyn Arts District ■ WEBSITE: www.districtnc.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 113. 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 THE FELIX CAFE The Felix Cafe is a restaurant experience like no other in Wilmington, N.C. Our eatery is a unique and relaxing gem situated near the port, and at the edge of Sunset Park on Burnett Blvd. We believe fine dining doesn’t have to come with all the fuss. From our homemade soups to the locally sourced produce, we let the ingredients speak for themselves in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Folks will enjoy the outdoor seating, our vibrant staff, the colorful interior, and our cabana style tiki bar. You will come here as a customer and leave as a friend. 2140 Burnett Blvd. (910) 399-1213. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon closed. TuesFri 11am-9 pm. Sat and Sun breakfast 8-11:30, opened 8am to 9pm. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Sunset Park, Downtown Wilmington ■ FEATURING: Daily specials, full bar, check out our facebook for wine tasting and live music schedule ■ WEBSITE: www.thefelixcafewilmington.com and facebook.com/thefelixcafewilmington 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 cocktails, 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 MUNCHIES The most unique restaurant in Wilmington is Munchies. Located adjacent to the UNCW campus, Munchies provides a new take on classic American fare. Selling items unavailable anywhere else such as the famous “Fat Sandwiches”, decadent milk shakes, and fried desserts set Munchies apart, while the incredible flavor of traditional items such as burgers and wings make Munchies stand out. Open until 3 am daily, and offering dine in, take out, and delivery options, as well the choice of ordering online, Munchies is a new American classic for todays modern world. Perfect for lunch, dinner or a late night snack, and totally customizable, Munchies makes sure you get your food, your way, all day. 419 S. College Rd., Unit 35, 910-798-4999. Dine in • Delivery • Take out ■ OPEN LUNCH AND DINNER: 12pm - 3 am daily ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: munchiesfoodco.com PINE VALLEY MARKET 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 RISE Serving up the best dang biscuits and donuts in Wilmington, Rise is not any typical breakfast spot. Our donut menu includes an assortment of ‘old school, new school, and our school’ flavors; and our buttery, flaky biscuits filled with country ham, bacon, sausage, fried chicken, and fried eggplant “bacon” are crave-worthy. Lunch is on the Rise with our new chicken sandwiches on potato rolls and fresh salads. 1319 Military Cutoff Rd. (910) 239-9566 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.- Sun. 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ WEBSITE: http://risebiscuitsdonuts.com

CREATING WHOLESOME, DELIGHTFUL FOOD TO FEED YOUR LIFESTYLE

CAFE SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH // BAKERY & COFFEE // FRESH SALADS. ENTREES & PASTRIES TO GO SPECIALTY MARKET DELIVERING MEALS TO YOUR VACATION HOME C ATERING

W W W. S P O O N F E D K I T C H E N . C O M

910-679-8881• 1930 EASTWOD ROAD, #105, WILMINGTON, NC

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SPOONFED KITCHEN & BAKE SHOP Newly opened Spoonfed Kitchen & Bake Shop is bringing their love for great food and customer service to Wilmington! Spoonfed Kitchen & Bake Shop specializes in creating wholesome, delightful foods to feed your lifestyle. Please join us in our cafe for breakfast, lunch & weekend brunch. We offer coffee & pastries, great foods to go from our deli & freezer cases (appetizers, salads, entrees & sides), bakery items (scones, cinnamon rolls, cookies, brownies, pies & more), gluten-free bakery items, and specialty market, cheeses & beverage. Catering is also available for all budets from personal to corporate to events. #feedyourlifestyle. 1930 Eastwood Road, Suite 105, Wilmington, NC 28403, (910) 679-8881. Open Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sat. - Sun. 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. ■ SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH ■ SERVING BRUNCH: Sat. & Sun. 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ WEBSITE: www.spoonfedkitchen.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), all-beef, 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 HIBACHI TO GO Hibachi To Go is a locally owned, family business serving only the freshest ingredients with three locations. We invite you to try our menu items at either our Hampstead drive-thru location, where you can walk-up, take-out, or call in and pick up your meal or our Ogden location with dine-in or take-out options. Our new Wilmington location (894 South Kerr Avenue) offers dine-in, take-out or drive-thru service. We’re convenient for lunch and dinner. Open 7 days 11 am - 9 pm. Our popular Daily Lunch Specials are featured Monday-Saturday for $4.99 with selections from our most popular menu items! We always have fresh seafood selections at Hibachi To Go, like delicious hand peeled shrimp, fresh local flounder and always a fresh catch fillet in-house. We scratch make every item on our menu daily. We offer your favorite hibachi meals and some of our originals like our pineapple won tons. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for the most up to date information on Hibachi To Go. Always fresh, great food at a super good price.

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DREAMS and encore present a holiday 50/50 raffle!

■ WEBSITE: www.hibachitogo.com 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 NIKKI’S FRESH GOURMET For more than a decade, Nikki’s downtown has served diners the best in sushi. With freshly crafted ingredients making up their rolls, sushi and sashimi, a taste of innovation comes with every order. Daily they offer specialty rolls specific to the Front Street location, such as the My Yoshi, K-Town and Crunchy Eel rolls. But for less adventurous diners looking for options beyond sushi, Nikki’s serves an array of sandwiches, wraps and gyros, too. They also make it a point to host all dietary needs, omnivores, carnivores and herbivores alike. They have burgers and cheesesteaks, as well as falafal pitas and veggie wraps, as well as an extensive Japanese fare menu, such as bento boxes and tempura platters. Daily dessert and drink special are also on order. Check out their website and Facebook for more information. 16 S. Front St. (910) 771-9151. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Thurs., 11am-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 11am-11pm; Sun., 12pm10pm. Last call on food 15 minutes before closing. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.nikkissushibar.com/

OKAMI JAPANESE HIBACHI STEAK HOUSE We have reinvented “Hibachi cuisine.” Okami Japanese Hibachi Steakhouse is like no other. Our highly skilled chefs cook an incredible dinner while entertaining you on the way. Our portions are large, our drinks are less expensive, and our staff is loads of fun. We are committed to using quality ingredients and seasoning with guaranteed freshness. Our goal is to utilize all resources, domestically and internationally, to ensure we serve only the finest food products. We believe good, healthy food aids vital functions for well-being, DREAMS Garage • 901 Fanning St. • Best Of 2018 voting opens! Paper ballots for one-night only! both physically and mentally. Our menu consists of a wide range of steak, seafood, and chicken Live Music & Comedy Food & Beverages Free w/raffle ticket for the specially designed “Teppan Grill.” We (Ironclad Brewery, Broomtail Craft Brewery, Fortunate ($100; 6 drink tickets included) (Will Maxwell Trio & Pineapple-Shaped Lamps) Glass, Nikki’s Steakhouse, Beach Bagels, Indochine) $5 suggested donation also serve tastebud-tingling Japanese sushi, Arts & Crafts Market (includes 1 drink ticket) Raffle Drawing (from DREAMS’ students) hand rolls, sashimi, tempura dishes, and noodle (50/50 rafle and business raffle) Drink tickets: $2 entrees. This offers our guests a complete JapaBuy a ticket for $100 for a chance to win half the pot. Our goal is to sell 200 tickets, so you could win up to $10,000; DREAMS receives the other half! Fundraise for DREAMS via Facebook to raise $200 and earn your own raffle ticket for free! Tag encore and DREAMS on your Facebook charity event. Businesses who buy a raffle ticket will be entered into a separate raffle for a month of free 1/2 page ads!

Raffle tickets: www.dreams2020.org/encore

Holiday Party and Best Of Kickoff!

, Dec. 14 m. p 0 . 6:30 -1

Hampstead Phone: 910.270.9200. • Ogden Phone: 910.791.7800 Wilmington Phone: 910-833-8841 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Open 7 days 11am-9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, North Wilmington, Hampstead

28 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

nese dining experience. Our all-you-can-eat sushie menu and daily specials can be found at www.okamisteakhouse.com! 614 S College Rd. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Mon.-Thurs., 11am-2:30pm / 4-10pm; Fri., 11am-2:30pm / 4pm11pm; Sat., 11am-11pm; Sun., 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 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. YOSHI Yoshi Sushi Bar and Japanese Cuisine offers something the greater Wilmington area has never seen before. We are seeking to bring true New York Style Sushi to Wilmington, with classic sushi and sashimi, as well as traditional rolls and some unique Yoshi Creations. We offer a variety of items, including Poke Bowls and Hibachi - and we also are introducing true Japanese Ramen Bowls! Come try it today! 260 Racine Dr, Wilmington 28403 (910)7996799 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun. 12pm-11pm, Mon.-Thurs. 11am-10pm, Fri.-Sat. 11am-11pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: yoshisushibarandjapanesecuisine.com

BAGELS BEACH BAGELS Beach Bagels is “the” favorite spot for breakfast and lunch in Wilmington. Get a taste of a New York-

style bagel by the beach. We make our bagels the traditional way: kettle-boiled then baked and always made with love. Enjoy something simple like a traditional BLT, or spice it up and try our AnnieWB: turkey breast, bacon, Swiss, lettuce, tomato, mayo, onions, and jalapeños. Not in the mood for a bagel? Don’t worry, we have ciabatta bread, croissants, kaiser rolls, biscuits, and wraps. Whatever you’re looking for, we have you covered. Don’t forget to make your lunch sandwich a combo for only $1.50,. and get a small drink, potato salad or chips and a pickle spear. Come see us at 5906 Oleander Drive or 7220 Wrightsville Avenue—right before the drawbridge on the way to beautiful Wrightsville Beach. ■ SERVING BREAKFAST & LUNCH ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown and Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Homemade bagels, biscuits, croissants, sandwiches, and more! ■ WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/Beach-Bagels-301865953202309/

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. ■ 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

CARIBBEAN

ITALIAN

JAMAICA’S COMFORT ZONE Tucked in the U-shape of University Landing, a block from UNCW is Wilmington’s fave Caribbean restaurant, serving diners for over nine years. Family-owned and -operated, Jamaica’s Comfort Zone provides a relaxing atmosphere along with a blend of Caribbean delights. Our guests have graced us with numerous compliments over the years: “explosive Caribbean culinary experience”; “every year we are here on vacation—you are our first stop”; “flavors just dance in my mouth.” From traditional Jamaican breakfast to mouth-watering classic dishes such as Brownstew chicken, curry goat, oxtail, and jerk pork, our selections also include many vegetarian and select seafood options. Student meal options are $6.99, and catering options are available. University Landing, 417 S. College Road, Wilmington SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Tues-Sat., 11:45am-9pm. Closed Sun. and Mon. NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown WEBSITE: www.jamaicascomfortzone.net, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter

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 ■ FEATURING: Dinner shows, jazz brunches, and more ■ WEBSITE: www.theatrewilmington.com

IRISH 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

ANTONIO’S Serving fresh, homemade Italian fare in midtown and south Wilmington, Antonio’s Pizza and Pasta is a family-owned restaurant which serves New York style pizza and pasta. From daily specials during lunch and dinner to a friendly waitstaff ensuring a top-notch experience, whether dining in, taking out or getting delivery, to generous portions, the Antonio’s experience is an unforgettable one. Serving subs, salads, pizza by the slice or pie, pasta, and more, dine-in, take-out and delivery! 3501 Oleander Dr., #2, and 5120 S. College Rd. ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun.-Thurs., 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (Sun., open at 11:30 a.m.) ■ NEIGHBORHOOD DELIVERY OFFERED: Monkey Junction and near Independence Mall ■ WEBSITE: www.antoniospizzaandpasta.com FAT TONY’S ITALIAN PUB Fat Tony’s has the right combination of Italian and American influences to mold it into a unique familyfriendly 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 petfriendly 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 am-10 pm; Fri.-Sat., 11 am-Midnight; Sun., noon-10 pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.fatpub.com ■ FEATURING: Daily lunch specials until 3pm and late night menu from 11pm until closing. SLICE OF LIFE “Slice” has become a home away from home for

2 locations to serve you 7220 Wrightsville Avenue 910-256-1222

Coming Soon To

5906 Oleander Drive Monkey Junction 910-769-4232 5226 S. College Rd.

Serving Breakfast and Lunch 6:30 AM to 2:00 PM every day.

www.beachbagels910.com

24 BEERS ON DRAFT & OVER 100 BOTTLED 20 TVS WITH ALL MAJOR SPORTS PACKAGES PROUDLY FEATURING BOAR’S HEAD MEATS

Full menu until 2 a.m., 7 days a week Locally owned and operated • Call for carry-out

5046 New Centre Drive | Wilmington, NC 28403

(910) 859-7374

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 29

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/week, 365 days/year. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, Downtown and Wilmington South. ■ FEATURING: Largest tequila selection in town! ■ 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 made-from-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 8:00am-8:00pm, Saturday 8:30am-7:00pm, Sunday

9:30am-4:30pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown ■ WEBSITE: www.atasteofitalydeli.com ■ FEATURING: Sclafani goods, Polly-O cheese, Ferrara Torrone and much, much more!

LATIN AMERICAN SAN JUAN CAFÉ 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., 910-7930035; 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 $4.95 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

ORGANIC 5500 Market Street – Wilmington, NC 28405 – 910-769-1798

Happy Holidays Get a $10

Bonus Card

with each $50 gift card purchase! 19 Craft Beers on Tap Fresh Seasonal Elixirs Good Eats Good Drinks Great Times www.johnnylukeskb.com 30 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

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 free-range meats and poultry. wheatfree 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

SEAFOOD CAPE FEAR SEAFOOD COMPANY Founded in 2008 by Evans and Nikki Trawick, Cape Fear Seafood Company has become a local hotspot for the freshest, tastiest seafood in the area. With its growing popularity, the restaurant has expanded from its flagship eatery in Monkey Junction to a second location in Porter’s Neck, and coming soon in 2017, their third location in Waterford in Leland. “We are a dedicated group of individuals working together as a team to serve spectacular food, wine and spirits in a relaxed and casual setting,” restaurateur Evans Trawick says. “At CFSC every dish is prepared with attention to detail, quality ingredients and excellent flavors. Our staff strives to accommodate guests with a sense of urgency and an abundance of southern hospitality.” Cape Fear Seafood Company has been recognized by encore magazine for best seafood in 2015, as well as by Wilmington Magazine in 2015 and 2016, and Star News from 2013 through 2016. Monkey Junction: 5226 S. College Road Suite 5, 910-799-7077. Porter’s Neck: 140 Hays Lane #140, 910-681-1140. Waterford: 143 Poole Rd., Leland, NC 28451 ■ SERVING LUNCH AND DINNER: 11:30am-4pm daily; Mon.-Thurs.., 4pm-9pm; Fri.-Sat., 4pm-10pm; Sun., 4pm-8:30pm. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, north Wilmington and Leland ■ WESBITE: www.capefearseafoodcompany.com CATCH 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.-Sat. 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 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. ■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & SUNDAY BRUNCH: Mon – Sat 11am – 11pm, Sunday 10am – 10pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Wrightsville Beach ■ FEATURING: Dine on renovated Crystal Pier. ■ WEBSITE: www.OceanicRestaurant.com THE PILOT HOUSE 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. 910-343-0200 2 Ann Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 ■ SERVING LUNCH & DINNER: Sun-Thurs 11am9pm, Fri-Sat 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 SHUCKIN’ SHACK 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. (910-4587380) and our second location is at 109 Market Street in Historic Downtown Wilmington (910-8338622). 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: 11am-Midnight ■ NEIGHBORHOODS: Carolina Beach and Downtown ■ FEATURING: Daily lunch specials. Like us on Facebook! ■ WEBSITE: www.TheShuckinShack.com

SOUTHERN CASEY’S BUFFET In Wilmington, everyone knows where to go for

solid country 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 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; Fri-Sat, 5-10:30pm; Sun., 10am-3pm and 5-9pm ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Downtown ■ WEBSITE: www.rxwilmington.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 award-winning food, sports and fun. Located on College Rd. near UNC W, this lively sportsthemed 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 JAX 5TH AVE. DELI & ALE HOUSE Locally owned and operated, Jax offers a laid-back atmosphere, welcoming foodies, sports fans, and craft beer enthusiasts alike. We provide a full eclectic menu of quality Boar’s Head sliced meat and cheeses, and feature unique items like our smoked salmon deviled egg, a legendary Italian sandwich, and famous pita pizzas that bake up lite and crispy. 20 HDTVs feature premium sports packaging for all the games! Supporting local craft breweries with 24 drafts and over 100 different bottles and cans, enjoy it all inside the shiny silver building or outside on the dog-friendly patio at 5046 New Centre Dr. Carry out: 910-859-7374. ■ SERVING LUNCH, DINNER & LATE NIGHT: Full menu until 2am daily. ■ NEIGHBORHOOD: Midtown, near UNCW ■ FEATURING: Daily food and drink specials. ■ WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/ JaxFifthAveDeliAleHouse

Yoshi Sushi Bar and Japanese Cuisine is offering something the greater Wilmington area has never seen before: True New York Style Sushi to Wilmington, with classic sushi and sashimi, as well as traditional rolls and some unique Yoshi Creations. We offer a variety of items, including Poke Bowls and Hibachi - and we also are introducing true Japanese Ramen Bowls! Come try it today!

Happy Hour Sun.-Thur., 4-6pm. Featuring discounted appetizers an d select sushi rolls!

Displayed is our Saketini, the Princess Peach, and behind that (from left to right) is a bowl of Ramen in the Tonkostu (pork) broth. Next to that is our appetizer, Takoyaki, which is an fried round of octopus. Beside that is a Salmon Poke bowl. Beneath is the dinner portion of steak and chicken Hibachi!

260 Racine Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403 (910) 799-6799 Hours: Mon. - Sat. 11am - 10pm Sunday 12pm - 10pm encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 31

Leave the cooking to us! Call one of our 3 convenient locations today and let us cater your holiday party.

“Fresh tastes better”

Authentic Thai cuisine mixed with Southern hospitality

Scratch cooking...The new healthy!

1/2 price

3715 Patriot Way 910-769-3193

Mon. - Thur. 11am-3pm & 4:30-9:30pm Fri. 11am-3pm & 4:30-9:30pm Sat. 12-9:30pm • Closed Sunday

beer and wine every Wednesday

www.southernthairestaurant.com

100% of our menu is made in-house daily Ogden Location: 910.791.7800 6932 Market Street Hampstead Location: 910.270.9200 15248 Highway 17 North Midtown Location: 910.833.8841 894 South Kerr Avenue Drive-Thru Service at Hamptead and Kerr Ave. locations Locally family owned and operated since 2011

$4.99 Daily Lunch Special 11am-4pm Mon.-Fri. Student specials also available. Follow us...

32 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

NIP SIP

GRUB & GUZZLE>>REVIEWS

TACO WALK-UP:

foodtastic events Founders Fest

Satellite expands with a tasty, hip Block Taco takeout window

enough layers of goodness, the ancho chillies (dried poblano peppers who retain far more heat) produced a spicy kick I couldn’t help but wash down with a cerveza ... or four.

BY: ROSA BIANCA

ctual re-enactment of my thought process when a food truck rolls into the parking lot of a bar: Solid. I don’t even have to leave the land of liquid dinner to attain actual sustenance tonight. Lucky for us, a quirky taco business saw the opportunity to be a mobile eatery exclusively serving bar patrons, but instead it said, “I’ll raise you.” The minds behind this funky food stand took things a step further when they bypassed the idea of a portable kitchen and equipped neighborhood bar Satellite with its very own walk-up window. Just down the street from the bustling riverfront where bars, restaurants and locals run wild is a community called South Front. When the rumors started to spread the hub was where famed chef and television personality Vivian Howard chose to land her future pizzeria, Benny’s Big Time Pizza (opening this month), the area’s attractiveness soared. Satellite, at the center of South Front’s action, is known for being the best divey haven of this hood, and the hipster-log-cabin-inspired bar has frequently hosted a handful of food trucks. But now—as opposed to scrambling on social media to see who will appear—the opened Block Taco on the side of the bar, to satisfy all of our savory (and salsa) needs. What goes better with tortillas than a side of golf? OK, that doesn’t make much sense, but the point is, patrons can noodle around on Block Taco’s putting green while waiting for their nachos to arrive. The quirky feature fits quite well with the restaurant’s colorful personality, which is easily characterized by a retro, neon-lit Toyota Corolla loaded with stickers and garnished with a donkey in a sombrero. I mean, nondrinkers don’t even have to pop a bottle at Satellite; Block Taco offers a refreshingly tart limemade and a creamy almond-based Horchata. While mall Mexican and Southwesternish grill chains certainly have their place, the Wilmington culinary scene has recently stepped up their taco game. As far as I’m concerned, Block Taco fits right in. Thanks to items like coffee and cinnamon-rubbed pork shoulder and grilled green beans with house-made cojita cheese, the straightforward, but unique lineup is a knockout. Even the super reasonable prices (most handhelds are under $5) elevate the experience. Also, the tacos are small, so it’s

TACO TUESDAY ... ERR, EVERYDAY: Pork and chicken tacos aplenty at Block Taco provide filling, delicious ways to get a snack or a meal. And check out their nachos, too! Photo by Tom Dorgan

easy to sample several. That being said, I felt it necessary to try everything on the menu. The carnitas exploded with warm, smoky flavor and were expertly balanced by a citrusy hit of pico. Raise your hand if you ever thought you would enjoy a green bean taco! Yeah, me too. To much surprise, while doing some digging on Block Taco’s fare, the most talked-about item was the chauchas. Patrons raved over an imaginative spin on an all-veggie taco; after a few bites, I could see why. The beans themselves still had a sharp, fresh snap, and their charred notes, along with the salty cojita and warm, roasty salsa, made for a very thoughtful dish. Need an extra zing of flavor? The condiments bar is loaded with chopped cilantro, limes, radishes, a zippy green tomatillo salsa, and an orange sauce to light up every bite. The chicken taco definitely had an edge, thanks to the flavorful marinade of an earthy, aromatic BBQ sauce. On top: a crunchy, slightly sweet slaw and a generous drizzle of (what is likely) crème fraiche. I wouldn’t call the creation mind-blowingly unique, but each bite worked well together and is by far the opposite of bland. The asada—charbroiled skirt steak—is a tough menu item to pass on, as the choir of ingredients includes the beautiful melody of marrow butter. The sliced steak achieved an unctuous mouth feel, which gloriously was contrasted by a sweet pop of chunky onions and grassy cilantro. As if they weren’t

I typically go for grilled over fried when it comes to fish tacos, but one look at the malt-tempura battered filets and my heart went pitter-patter. The smoky cream was a nice addition, but the star of the show was the uber fresh, well-seasoned fish.

Dec. 9, 6 p.m. Fermental • 7250 Market St. fermental.net Free

Join the fine folks at Fermental as they welcome the crew from Founders Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan for an evening of beer tastings, giveaways, brewery folks, live music, food trucks, beer, and more. Featuring All Day IPA, Azacca IPA, Kentucky Breakfast Stout: KBS, Canadian Breakfast Stout: CBS, Lizard Of Koz, Backwoods Bastard 2016, Backwoods Bastard 2017, Doom, DKML, Rubaeus, Porter, and more. Food truck is T’Geaux Boys, with live music from Soul-R-Fusion.

While Block Taco offers sides of chips and salsa or guacamole—but two words: loaded nachos. It’s a shareable mountain of chips paired brilliantly with a pal or two, but it also made quite the comfort food to eat at home solo on the couch. Though I was a bit disappointed to see bags of store-bought corn tortillas inside the window (my only quarrel), I was happy to hear the chips are at least fried onsite. They may not be rolling masa in-house, but I’d still consider them freshly-made. The triangles are smothered in cheese (a shredded, melty blend of jack and cheddar—not a drippy queso). I ordered mine with meat, but even with veg, the crunchy cucumber jalapeno salsa, creamy guacamole, and crumbly, aged scratchmade cojita make them the real deal. Block Taco boasts authentic, high-quality ingredients, vibrant textures, and an allaround feel good, make-you-want-to-dothe-cha-cha vibe. I mean, it exemplifies the hip attitude of South Front. Ole!

DETAILS: Block Taco

Located on the side of Satellite Bar and Lounge 120 Greenfield St. • 910-399-2796 Closed Mondays Tues.-Thurs., 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fri., 5 p.m. - midnight Sat., 2 p.m. - midnight Sun., 2 p.m. - 11 p.m. www.facebook.com/pg/Block Taco

A Merry Little Christmas Festival

Dec. 9-10, 10 a.m. Poplar Grove Plantation 10200 US Hwy 17 N poplargrove.org

Decorated grounds will be transformed into a seasonal wonderland which will serve as a festive backdrop to 90-plus arts, crafts and food vendors. We will have a bouncy house kingdom, a petting zoo, Santa’s workshop and miniature Main Street, live music, a campfire for roasting marshmallows, and s’mores, a vintage carnival game midway, barnyard fun and games. Admission is $5 and includes a raffle ticket for goodies donated by our talented vendors, all proceeds benefit the conservation and preservation of Poplar Grove Plantation!

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 33

HAPPENINGS & EVENTS ACROSS WILMINGTON

TO-DO CALENDAR

events

FREE ILM ELITE NETWORKING

Dec. 6, 6pm: Powered by Rockstar Connect presents an evening of free business networking hosted by Andrew Pierce. All industries and professions welcome. Bring business cards. 50 Racine Dr., 15. Free entrance and free light delicious complimentary appetizers served on a first come first serve basis. All attendees are responsible for their own alcoholic beverages.1-800-205-2327. rockstarconnect. com.

FORUM HOLIDAY EVENT

Dec. 8, 8-10pm: Come early at 6pm for Live at

the Forum with Z1075. Shop, dine and show Z what ya got! 8pm: Adult’s night out with tree lighting, cocktails, dancing, and raffles. Dressy casua attire. Proceeds benefit Wilmingon Boys Choir.

HANDCRAFTED HOLIDAY SHOW

Dec. 8-9, noon: Holly Jolly Days festivities with Rebecca Yeomans, Jan Wutkowski, Diane Torgersen, Leslie Marsh, Louise Giordano, Sally Eagon and Becky Bucci. Come see incredible works of art by these gifted artists. Selection includes many one of a kind creations perfect for gift giving. Offerings feature: jewelry, dog wear, nuno felt, knit and hand woven scarves, books, quilts, greeting cards, pillows, holiday decorations and much more. Chan-

dler’s Wharf, 225 S. Water St.

GREENFIELD LAKE TREE LIGHTING

Dec. 8, 5:15pm: Greenfield Lake Tree Lighting and Holiday Movie (1941 Amphitheatre Dr) at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater & Rotary Garden. Entertainment, tree lighting, Santa comes in on fire truck, visits with Santa (Rotary Garden gazeebo), and a holiday movie at 7pm. 1941 Amphitheater Dr.

STAR OF WONDER, STAR OF NIGHT

Dec. 8-9, 15-16, 5pm-9pm: Stroll our lighted grounds, playing midway games of the past, roasting marshmallows, and watching classic movie favorites. Bring blankets and chairs, and plan to stay a while! $5 per person. Candlelight Tours will be offered through the eight

rooms of the Manor House for $15 a person. The front and back parlors each feature a 12 ft. live tree, and each room of the Manor House is lovingly decorated by theme and color, including natural flora and greenery inspired by the Foys’ Colonial through Victorian family history_with a few contemporary touches. $2 evening wagon rides under the stars through the Abbey Nature Trail. Poplar Grove Plantation, 10200 US Hwy 17 N SPIRIT OF HOLIDAYS CRUISE

Dec. 8, 6pm: Cruise the Cape Fear River while enjoying the sites, sounds and tastes of Christmas. Christmas cocktails available, Christmas carols performed by local musicians & some Christmas lights along the Historic Riverwalk. Wilmington Water Tours, 212 S. Water St.

HOLIDAY TRAIN EXPO 2017

Weekends through Dec. 17: Bring the family for this enchanting and festive holiday train display. Perfect for all ages! See over 30 trains, including the Polar Express. $5. Independence Mall, 3500 Oleander Dr.

SIP AND SHOP

Dec. 8, 6pm: Come down to Swahili Coast for a SIP + SHOP! Enjoy a glass of wine while perusing the ethical, hand crafted goods from East Africa and beyond. Free parking is available in the Cotton Exchange lot! 20% of the evenings sales will be donated to Full Belly’s BETA Club project with Hoggard High School students. Students are building and shipping 10 Rocker Water Pumps to improve irrigation and efficiency to encourage food security in Chipata, Zambia! www.thefullbellyproject.org/ beta-club. Swahili Coast, 342 Nutt St.

KURE BEACH FANTASY CHRISTMAS SHOW

Dec. 8, 7pm: It’s that time of year again for the annual Kure Beach Fantasy Christmas Show starring everyone’s favorite characters: Frosty, Harriet Hippo, the Grinch, Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Rudolph and many more. Santa Claus will be there, and his crazy elves will entertain you with their zany antics. Traditional Christmas songs will be performed by our lovely Winter Princesses, arrayed in their dazzling holiday outfits. The show will be held at the Ocean Front Park, near the Pier, on December 8th, 9th and 10th. Show time is 7:00 pm. Tell your family and friends, bring a folding chair in case of overflow, and come to Kure Beach for a merry old time. Ocean Front Park, 105 Atlantic Ave.

CHRISTMAS STROLL THROUGH THE PAST

Dec. 9, 4:30pm: Join us at the Bellamy Mansion, Burgwin-Wright House, and St. James Episcopal for a festive evening filled with holiday decor, music, period costumes, refreshments, a petting zoo, Father Christmas, children’s activities, and more! $20 + tax for adults $10 + tax for kids 3-18 Free for kids under 3.

CAPPS HOLIDAY MARKET

Dec. 9-10, 11am-4pm: Featuring 40-plus inde-

34 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

CROSSWORD

WWW.STANXWORDS.COM

12/10/17

THE NEWSDAy CROSSWORD

Edited by Stanley Newman (www.StanXwords.com)

E-LAST-IC TRIOS: A rather “stretchy” use of the term by S.N. ACROSS 1 Change places with one’s wrestling partner 6 Kind of cracker 13 Oldies singing style 19 Fictional sleuth Lupin 20 Hedonistic fellow 21 Take some air 22 Scenic Chicago thoroughfare 24 Sartre play 25 Game cube 26 Nine-Emmy winner Fey 27 Part of UCLA 28 “See ya!” 30 Actress Campbell 31 Timetable data: Abbr. 33 Feels the presence of 35 Important period 36 Law partner 37 Worst possible turnout 39 Important period 40 Odd occurrence 42 Home Depot competitor 46 Dickensian oath 49 Perfumery compounds 50 __ the sky (illusory prospect) 51 What to call a yawl 52 A bit 53 Seacrest of TV 55 Austrian Alpine region 57 Into pieces 59 Pretense 62 Novelist Deighton 64 Out-of-focus image 66 What wraps some candies 67 Gooey dessert 74 Carved gem 75 Soup flavoring 76 Warren Buffett title 77 “Don we now our __ apparel” 78 Busts, as a blockage 81 Made fun of

13 Sit down for a banquet 14 Proprietor of imaginepeace.com 15 Short-story pen name 16 Prepped, as skis 17 Antipasto morsel 18 Pop artist Max 19 Pasta preference 100 23 300+ pound 101 NBA great 102 29 Big name in motorcycles 103 and pianos 106 32 Displeased 107 expression 34 Movie trailer 110 exhortation 111 35 Wrap up 112 36 Chilean cheer 113 38 All possible, in songs 114 40 Revolutionary War 116 turncoat 117 41 Trojan War instigator 119 43 Big __ outdoors 123 44 “Wait just one 124 minute!” 125 45 Contents of a 126 carpenter’s level 127 46 Foretelling 128 47 Page 1 name, July 1937 48 A Bell for Adano DOWN author 1 People like 40 Down 52 Chilly powder 2 Sought a date with 54 Large US union 3 “Do tell!” 56 Galoot 4 Tech sch. 58 Sci-fi staple 5 Retro soft drinks 59 Point a finger at 6 Emerged suddenly 60 Monastery music 7 Tankard filler 61 Garfield, e.g. 8 Stew server 9 People needing training 63 Indefinite degree 65 DVR button 10 Hieroglyphics bird 68 NBAer, in headlines 11 Autumn mo. 69 Symbols for hugs 12 What something 70 Hosp. printout surprising might raise 84 87 88 90 92 96 97

Red Muppet MD’s directive Hockey official Parcel out Less leisurely MD clock setting Glove compartment device Commercial music Literary preposition “Don’t need an explanation” Needing training Quarterback Manning Region south of Croatia Prefix for virus Needing an explanation Skippy competitor Lobe locale Culmination Be wrong Kidman or Crowe Minor misstatement Takes the wheel Penn State campus city Saturates Certain jazz ensemble Place for 128 Across Some high-ranking competitors

71 72 73 79 80

Monastery members Garden visitor Spouse of Pocahontas Pleased expression Composer Rachmaninoff Half-rectangle shapes Doctor’s prescriptions 15 Down title characters Japanese port city Flopped

82 83 85 86 89

91 93 94 95 97 98 99 100 103 104 105

Decline to admit Emulated moles Self-serving exercises Electrically updates Metal in solder Centenarian architect Clinton labor secretary Frequent fliers It might be one-way It might be one-way County bordering London

107 108 109 112 113 115 118 120 121 122

Ulan __, Mongolia First acrylic fiber Off target Make jokes Caesarean reproach Miniaturizing ending Antagonistic feeling UN workers’ org. GPS reading Essence of the puzzle’s theme

Reach Stan Newman at P.O. Box 69, Massapequa Park, Ny 11762, or at www.StanXwords.com

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pendent vendors, food trucks, Santa station, photo booth, live entertainment, and more. 110 Greenfield St. A MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

Sat., Dec. 9th, 10am-5pm; Sun., Dec. 10, 10am-4pm: Fun-filled two-day event with activities for the whole family to enjoy! Our decorated grounds will be transformed into a seasonal wonderland which will serve as a festive backdrop to 90+ arts, crafts and food vendors. We will also have a bouncy house kingdom, a petting zoo, Santa’s workshop and miniature Main street, live music, a campfire for roasting marshmallows and smores, a vintage carnival game midway, barnyard fun and games—oh, and did we mention Santa himself will be making a special appearance? The show runs Admission is $5.00 and includes a raffle ticket for goodies donated by our talented vendors, all proceeds benefit the conservation and preservation of Poplar Grove! www.poplargrove.org. Poplar Grove Plantation, 10200 US Hwy 17 N

ISLAND OF LIGHTS HOME TOUR

Dec. 9, 5pm: Island of Lights 25th Annual Tour of Homes -Come see some of the finest homes on Pleasure Island! Tickets may be purchased at Touche at Carolina Beach prior to the event. Hosted by the Island of Lights, this is one of the favorite events during the holiday season. $10 donation. Lake Park Blvd.

KURE BEACH FANTASY CHRISTMAS SHOW

Dec. 8-10, 7pm: It’s that time of year again for the annual Kure Beach Fantasy Christmas Show starring everyone’s favorite characters: Frosty, Harriet Hippo, the Grinch, Olaf, Anna, Elsa, Rudolph and many more. Santa Claus will be there, and his crazy elves will entertain you

with their zany antics. Traditional Christmas songs will be performed by our lovely Winter Princesses, arrayed in their dazzling holiday outfits. The show will be held at the Ocean Front Park, near the Pier, on December 8th, 9th and 10th. Bring a folding chair in case of overflow, and come to Kure Beach for a merry old time. Ocean Front Park, 105 Atlantic Ave. FLOATING LANTERN CEREMONY

Dec. 10, 4pm: Imagine hundreds of paper lanterns floating on water and glowing warmly from their individual source of flickering light— a candle’s flame. Together, they become a soulful display of community spirit. CAM’s Floating Lantern Ceremony is an opportunity for expressions of Remembrance, Reflection and Gratitude. Participants are encouraged to personalize a paper lantern sleeve and then float it on CAM’s Reflecting Pond. Lantern messaging and decorating begins at 4:00 pm; Floating begins at 5:00 pm through 7:00 pm. Lantern sleeves are currently available for purchase ($12) and throughout the ceremony. Live music from harps, bagpipes, violins, mandolins and accordions; museum and exhibitions will remain open until 7pm. Festive food and beverage available for purchase. Free and open to the public, donations are appreciated. Sponsored in part by Corning. Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St.

INTERFAITH PRAYER VIGIL

Dec. 11, 6pm: Wilmington Faiths Against Gun Violence (WFAGV) in conjunction with the National Prayer Vigil Weekend Against Gun Violence will hold a third annual Interfaith Prayer Vigil (in front of the Federal Court House). Some 25 local faith communities and organi-

zations are sponsoring the vigil. Please pray together with us for an end to violence in our community. Riverfront Park, 5 N. Water St. HOLIDAY POP-UP MARKET

Dec. 15, 6pm: Let’s enjoy the holiday season with a wonderful night out. Mark your calendars and gather up your friends for an evening of shopping fun!!! There will be great vendors to shop, complimentary refreshments, and lots of fun—plus giveaways and raffles hosted by our fabulous vendors all night. Hampton Inn Medical Park, 2320 S 17th St

DETOX MARKET

Dec. 17, 1pm: Check out the new Neon Fox Studio and join us for a refreshing break from the holiday mayhem! Grab a healthy latte, get a quick massage or non-toxic manicure and finish up your shopping with a selection of wellness minded and thoughtfully created brands and connect with local yoga studios and wellness practitioners. A plastic bag free event— entry is free of charge. We can’t wait to see you there and share some self care with you! Makers + vendors include: Phoenix Makes, River Organics, Home Body Field Goods, Posies NC, Shop Hexed, I Like It Here Club, Cravings, Madame Meerkat’s Cabinet of Curiosities N I C O B L U E, Celestial Surf Studio, Pineapple Studios, MoonlitSwami Creations, 2 Chicks with Scents, The Coastal Succulent, Rye Naturals, Panacea Brewing Company, Wild Wood Intuitive, Terra Sol Sanctuary Tribe Retreats, The Henna Haven, Longwave Yoga, Lifting Kale, The New School Kitchen, Like Minded Soul and more.

charity/volunteer CAPE FEAR FESTIVAL OF TREES

Through Dec. 31, 9am-5pm: Set amidst the inspiring and educational backdrop of the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Lower Cape Fear Hospice’s Cape Fear Festival of Trees features locally decorated, themed tress for the holiday season, with monies benefitting LCF Hospice. All visitors who purchase a general admission ticket to the aquarium will also experience the Cape Fear Festival of Trees. So, come get festive with the fishes and stroll through a forest of uniquely decorated trees. www.ncaquariums.com/fort-fisher-plan-yourvisit. NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, 900 Loggerhead Rd.

WILLIAM H. CRAIG RACE FOR LIFE

Dec. 9, 8am: Established to honor the legacy of Dr. Bill Craig and his many contributions to the community. Funds from this event will provide financial support for Girls on the Run, STRIDE, Victory Junction Gang and others. A season celebration of over 500 boys and girls, grades 3rd-8th, who celebrate their accomplishments! The 5K starts and ends at Legion Stadium. Public runners are welcome as this race provides scholarships to children who need assistance to participate in the Girls on the Run and STRIDE programs. Professional race production by the Wilmington Family YMCA and timing by Brunswick Timing ensures a fun, safe, and accurate 5k race experience! Register: https://runsignup.com/Race/ NC/Wilmington/WilliamHCraigRaceforLife.

DRAM TREE SHAKESPEARE FUNDRAISER

Sat. Dec. 9, 7pm: Dram Tree Shakespeare will host its annual launch party at Donn Lashley’s home (actor Dennis Hopper’s former resi-

36 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

dence) starting at 7:00 p.m. at 20 Wright’s Alley, Wilmington, NC. Fine food plus open bar. DTS will introduce director Jaime Rocha Allan to party attendees, and present DTS Greatest Hits, a comic reading by Tony Rivenbark, a rollicking rendition of Cole Porter’s “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” as well as the delightful piano stylings of Wilmington’s own keyboardist extraordinaire Grenaldo Frazier. Donn Lashley Residence, 20 Wrights Alley DREAMS 50/50 RAFFLE AND HOLIDAY PARTY

Donate $100 or more to encore’s raffle for DREAMS Center for Arts Education and you will be entered into a 50/50 raffle, wherein you can win half the pot on Dec. 14 at encore’s and DREAMS’ holiday party—open to the community at DREAMS Garage, 901 Fanning St. Live music with Will Maxwell Trio, comedy from Pineapple Shaped Lamps, beer from Broomtail and Ironclad, and local food, plus an arts and crafts market from DREAMS students. Local businesses who donate $100 or more will be entered into an additional raffle to win a month of free advertising in encore (1/2 pages)! DREAMS is dedicated to building creative, committed citizens, one child at a time, by providing youth in need with high quality, free-ofcharge classes in the literary, visual and performing arts. Donate any amount here: www. facebook.com/donate/565022550499663.

HUMANITY NOW’S WINTER FUNDRAISER

Dec. 10, 5pm: Wilmington’s own charitable organization raises funds for refugees in Greece. The night will include drinks, hor d’oeuvres, and inspiration. RSVP at info@humanity-now. org. Expo 216, 216 N. Front St.

JINGLE AND MINGLE

Dec. 16, 6pm: Great party for individuals and small companies. The Hilton is joining the Sotherly Foundation in fundraising efforts to support a wounded veteran and his family. All proceeds will benefit this project (Visit www. sotherlyfoundation.com for more information on this amazing cause). Donation of $50 per person includes live entertainment by Machine Gun Band, beer, wine, and Santa’s Secret Signature Cocktail, as well as a holiday feast for everyone. Chef’s elves holly d’oeuvres, A Snow Flaked Salad Station, Clause’s Carving Station, Mashed Mistletoe, and potato bar, Shrimp and Grinch Station and Holly Day Desserts. Silent auction items and an ugly sweater contest for Iindividuals and groups! Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N Water St.

music/concerts MUSIC CRUISES

A boat ride at sunset on the river! Join us for a 1.5 hour cruise on the Cape Fear River. Sip a drink from our full bar, enjoy the sights, while listening to music by local musicians. $27. Book: 910-338-3134. Wilmington Water Tours, 212 S. Water St.

COASTAL CAROLINA CHRISTMAS

Fri., Dec. 7, 7pm: A concert of carols by the Choir of St. Paul’s, the Wilmington Boys Choir, and harpist Christina Brier. Program includes Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and Rutter’s Dancing Day. Concert is followed by a Sparkling Chocolate Reception. 910-762-4578/ admin@spechurch.com. www.facebook.com/ events/1948948825347506. St. Paul’s Episcopal Church (16th & Market streets).

JAZZ AT THE CAM

Dec. 7, 6:30pm: Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC, presents Jazz at the CAM with vocalist/pianist extraordinaire Grenoldo Frazier. Tickets: $10-$20. 3201 S. 17th St. www.cameronartmuseum.org DEEPER THAN THE SKIN

ing soloists Lynne O’Connell, and Nicole Thompson, bringing you songs like “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “The Christmas Song” and more! www.facebook.com/ events/148451109235113. 1401 S. College Rd.

Dec. 7, 7pm, Unitarian Universalist Congrega- RUSH HOUR CONCERT: DA HOWLIES tion of Wilmington will present Deeper Than Founded in 2002, Da Howlies Hawaiian Band The Skin, a musical presentation on Race in and been bringing the sounds of the islands America by Reggie Harris and Greg Greenway. to the Carolina Coast for the past 15 years. Reggie and Greg have a unique story. Born Combining classic “Hapa Haole” swing tunes three days apart, ancestry flowing through the with a bluegrass and country flavor, the band same portal of history, Richmond, VA. They has created a unique niche for themselves in are on a pilgrimage together—one that began the local music scene. “Folsom Prison Blues,” three decades ago. The racial divisions that “King of the Road,” “Move It On Over,” “Here are the reality of America started them in two Comes Your Man,” “Creep,” “Killing Moon” different worlds, but the bonds of music, mutuand others. Kenan Auditorium (UNC Wilmingal admiration, and shared vision have brought ton), 601 S. College rD. them together as friends and colleagues. The music that flowed from their experiences is powered by unadorned truth, raw and riveting, beautiful and uplifting. Echoing Gandhi, they believe that in telling our truths, we are able to THE GREATEST GIFT rise up from the past and build bridges to the Written & directed by Zach Hanner, through each other and the future. The presentation will Dec. 23, Fri/Sat, 7pm; Sun. in Dec. at 5pm. be interactive and there will be time at the end Doors open one hour prior to show time. Tickfor discussion. 4313 Lake Ave. ets $18-$44. Complimentary valet. “The Greatest Gift” follows a family as they deal with an CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR MATINEE ongoing medical crisis over the course of three Dec. 9, 3pm and 7pm: The Wilmington CelChristmases. When a young architect finds ebration Choir presents its 20th Annual Christhimself diagnosed with an autoimmune condimas Spectacular—a heart-warming Christmas tion, his health begins to plummet. And when Spectacular concert is armed with an abunhis kidneys start to fail, he’s faced with some dance of talent, powered by an unwavering serious problems. Who in the family will step commitment to share the joyous sounds of up and provide the kidney that he needs to live Christmas this holiday season. Attendees will a normal life? A heartfelt comedy sure to warm enjoy Christmas favorites such as the iconic, your heart for the entire gift-giving season. “Mary, Did You Know?”, “O’ Holy Night,” “LisTheatreNOW, 19 S. 10th St. theatrewilmington. ten to the Angels Singing,” and “Rejoice with com. 910-399-3669 Exceeding Great Joy.” Tickets: www.wilmingtoncelebrationchoir.com or 910-540-0186. $12 THE SANTALAND DIARIES or group sales of 15 or more, $10. www.wilmSee page 18. ingtoncelebrationchoir.com. College Acres KING LEAR AUDITIONS Baptist Church, 702 Eastwood Rd. Dec. 6, 7pm: Dram Tree Shakespeare holds WILMINGTON CHORAL SOCIETY actor auditions for their spring 2018 producOpening its 67th season performing a tribute tion of “King Lear.” Rehearsals in late January to Frank Sinatra. The Chorus will sing such and February. Three weeks of performances notable tunes as “Nice ‘n’ Easy, “I’ve Got the in March. All parts are open. No previous actWorld on a String”, “My One and Only Love”, ing experience in Shakespeare is required. and of course “New York, New York”. To celPlease bring resume to auditions along with ebrate the holiday season, the Chorus will brief monologue of your choosing—something perform “Mistletoe and Holly”, “The Christmas by Shakespeare, please. Participants will be Waltz” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christasked to read a selection from King Lear. Audimas.” Wilson Center, 703 N 3rd St. tions are 7-9pm,on Wed-Thurs, Dec. 6-7, at the Hannah Block Community Arts Center located HANDEL’S MESSIAH: CHOIR OF ST. PAUL’S at 120 S. 2nd St. in downtown Wilmington. AuDec. 12, 7:30pm: Messiah by G. F. Handel perdition appointments not rqd. 910-726-3545. formed by the Choir of St. Paul’s with soloists, with the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra. St. A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS Paul’s Episcopal Church, 16 N. Sixteenth St. Dec. 9, 3pm: Enjoy the 1965 Peanuts’ cartoon Christmas special we all love with live actors ANNEX SONGWRITER’S SESSSION and jazz musicians! Bring the whole family. Dec. 13, 7pm: Thirteenth Annex Songwriter It’s a great chance to celebrate together with Session is December 13, 2017 at the Brooklyn this holiday classic. A fast-paced 28 minute Arts Center. We will be featuring 6 local artshow with the original Vince Guaraldi jazz ists who will be performing original, unplugged score, you’ll be doing the Snoopy dance in music. A&M Red Food Truck and the BAC your seat. Join us in our food drive for Mother Cash Bar will be available. $5 admission at the Hubbard’s Cupboard food bank by bringing door, doors will open at 7 and the show will non-perishable food items to donate. Tickets start at 8 and end around 10. The show is famand more info: http://cfcc.edu/capefearstage/ ily friendly and open to all ages! Come out for charlie-brown-christmas-2017. Wilson Center, an evening of local music and entertainment! 703 N. 3rd St. Brooklyn Arts Center, 516 N. 4th St.

theatre/auditions

CONCERTS ON COLLEGE

on the first Christmas from Gabriel’s perspective. Perfect for the whole family, the show includes a special performance by members of the Turning Pointe Dance Company. Showtimes: Friday, Dec 8 at 7pm, Saturday Dec 9 at 2pm & 7pm, Sunday Dec 10 at 5:30pm. Tickets are $9. http://wilmingtoncommunityarts. org/classes-events/buy-event-tickets. Hannah Block Historic USO/Community Arts Center, 120 S. 2nd St. LET FREEDOM RING

Dec. 9, 3:30pm and 7pm: Free for members or with paid admission. Sponsored by Landfall Foundation, “Let Freedom Ring: Music and Poetry of Black History” is a powerful and accessible production by Bright Star Theatre Company. Take a journey through African American history and the meaning of freedom through famous speeches, powerful hymns, and meaningful poetry. Space is limited. Preregistration required: www.capefearmuseum. com/programs/910-798-4362. 814 Market St.

BURLESQUE NIGHTS

Dec. 9, 8pm: Need a little help getting in the holiday spirit? The ladies of Burlesque Nights are here to entertain you with a winter wonderland full of thrills and reveals in this holiday themed show. Featuring performaces by: Lula Houp-Garou, Miss Bliss, Melody Magpie, Puppie Buffé. Hosted by Arianna. Doors 8pm/ show 9pm. $13 in advance/$18 at the door. Bourgie Nights, 127 Princess St.

THE CHRISTMAS CABARET

Dec. 16, 6pm: Dec. 17, 12:30pm and 6pm: An annual tradition at the Blockade Runner Resort Hotel, directed by Ray Kennedy. Three course prix fixe meal $35; OHTC cover charge $30.

Book your holiday party now

Call the Blockade Runner to make a reservation; you don’t pay until the day of the event. (910) 256-2251. We also have a live auction at each performance! Blockade Runner Beach Resort, 275 Waynick Blvd. THE GREAT WILMINGTON NUTCRACKER

Dec. 16, 6pm: Wilmington Ballet Company premiers a newly formed professional division in the Great Wilmington Nutcracker! Never before has there been a professional local ballet company in the Cape Fear Region. Over 23 exquisite ballet dancers from 5 countries will debut in this year’s production. Walter Angelini and Ines Albertini, Italian Ballet Stars, perform the roles of Sugar Plum and Cavalier as well as serve as artistic leaders. As a winner of Encore Magazine’s “Best Theatrical Show in Wilmington”, the production features many unique elements including aerial artists, stilt walkers, LED effects and more. Majestic sets, stunning costumes, and intricate choreography create an enchanting holiday experience. Pre-show festivities, including Christmas caroling and character photo-ops. 2 hours,including intermission. Appropriate for all ages. Tickets: $25-$35. .Wilson Center, 703 N. 3rd Street

comedy OPEN MIC

The wildest open mic in town ... anything goes. (except cover songs). Stand-up comedy, slam poetry, video, live music, odd talents—performances of all kinds. Hosted by 6-beer Steve. Sign up, 8pm, and runs all night. Juggling Gypsy 1612 Castle St. ILM,

Daily Drink Specials

EVERY CHRISTMAS STORY EVER TOLD

See page 20. Concerts on College presents A Jazz Christmas! Fri., Dec. 15, 7pm: Wesley Memorial COSMIC CHRISTMAS United Methodist presntes a night of Jazzy Cosmic Christmas is based on An Angel’s Christmas classics that are sure to bring a Story by Max Lucado, and features a behindlittle nostalgia into your festivities! Featurthe-scenes look at what may have happened

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 37

(910) 763-2223 daily after 3pm for details. www.jugglinggypsy.com. COMEDY BINGO

Brent Blakeney headlines comedy bingo at Dead Crow, Tuesday nights, 8pm. Free show featuring the best comics from all over the Southeast, all while playing bingo along with the words they say! Win prizes and enjoy discount tacos! Hosted by Louis Bishop with in-booth side kick comedian Lew Morgante. Dead Crow Comedy Club, 265 N. Front St.

GRUFF GOAT COMEDY

On the first Wed. ea. month, Gruff Goat Comedy features Three Guest Comics Under a Bridge. No Trolls. Dec. 6: Holiday Spectacular! Hosted by Blaire Postman and featuring features touring comics from Raleigh/Durham: Maddie Wiener (2017 first runner up, Carolinas Funniest Comic); Brandy Brown (TruTV); & Lauren Faber (Asheville Comedy Fest; Women in Comedy Festival). Waterline Brewing Company, 721 Surry Lane

DEAD CROW COMEDY ROOM

Dec. 8-9, 7pm/9:30pm: A regular on the New York comedy scene, Kyle Grooms has performed at several top clubs, including Caroline’s, Comic Strip, Comedy Cellar and Gotham. He has been featured on several television, radio and internet broadcasts, such as P-Diddy’s “Bad Boys of Comedy,” Jamie Foxx’s “Laffapalooza,” “Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn,” “The Byron Allen Show,” “BET Comic View,” and “Red Carpet Fashion.” Having even brought his act overseas, he performed at the “ Grande Journal” in France and has made several appearances in national TV ad campaigns for companies including T-Mobile,

Sears, Career Builders and Holiday Inn Express. Grooms continues to grow as a standup comedian, writer and actor, and can currently be seen performing worldwide. • Dec. 12, 7pm: From the “Hemi Guy,” Jon Reep has played the pot smoking farmer “Raymus” from the movie “Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay”, and the dim witted cop Gerald Bob from the ABC Sitcom “Rodney”. He played a goodwill worker in Disney Channels “Good Luck Charlie” and was the HEMI guy in Dodge Truck’s popular ad campaign. Most recently he can be seen as Jed Forney in “Eastbound and Down” and was the host of SPEED TV’s, “R U Faster than a Redneck.” He can next be seen in the Steven Quale film “Into the Storm” starring Richard Armitage and Matt Walsh. • Dec. 15-16, 7pm/9:30pm: Since moving to New York in 2012 Joe has landed TV appearances on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon (2017), Conan on TBS (2015), John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show on Comedy Central (2013), The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2013), NBC’s Last Comic Standing (2014), Nickelodeon (2013), and his own Comedy Central Half Hour Special (2014). He recorded his debut album “Smiling at Wolves” in 2014, which reached #2 on the iTunes charts. Buzzfeed has called him a “Comedian you should be paying attention to,” while Paste Magazine featured him as one of “10 Great Comics from the South.” Dead Crow Comedy Room. 265 N. Front St. www.deadcrowcomedy.com PRIMETIME COMEDY

Come see some of North Carolina’s best stand-up comedians in a world class venue! This month our super talented performers are:

Brett Williams, Cordero Wilson, Grant Sheffield, Louis Bishop, and Tyler Wood. Hosted by: Wills Maxwell. N Front Theatre (formerly City Stage), 21 N Front St.

dance CAPE FEAR CONTRA DANCERS

Come on out for two hours of energetic, contemporary American country dancing with live music by Box of Chocolates band—fiddle, percussion, guitar, dulcimer, bass, mandolin and more! Dress cool & comfortable, softsoled shoes. All ages welcome. 2nd/4th Tues, 7:30pm. United Methodist, 409 S. 5th Ave.

BACHATA WEDNESDAYS

Through 12/6: Beginner and intermediate Bachata classes, 7pm. No partner needed! Each class will be different and have a different focus, but always starting with laying a strong foundation of your Bachata basics. You will learn basic steps, turns and simple patterns to have you feeling confident on the social dance floor. • Intermediate Classes with Erica: During each class, we will also be working on improving connection and frame, while working through our ability to seamlessly execute patterns in social dancing. Each Class is different—drop on, $15 individual/$25 couple. 4-class pass (any 4 of the 8): $55 individual/ $85 couple. Student/military rates: Drop in, $10/$17, or four-class pass, $45/$75. The Studio Collective, 5629 Oleander Dr., Ste 106

BELLY DANCING FOR FUN

Dec. 12, 6:30pm: Let’s have some amazing fun together! No experience necessary to come “shake it” with us. Tie on your coin scarf/ skirt, sarong or colorful shawl over your yoga pants and learn to belly dance to gorgeous, exotic, fun music! Donation: pay what you can at the door. HARMONY: A Wellness Center & Yoga, 3504 N. Kerr Ave.

OVER 50S DANCE

Dec. 12, 7:30pm: Celebrate the holiday season by dancing to the best ballroom, social, and line dance selections of DJ Buddy Langley at the next Over 50’s dance. Be prepared for fun when you come to the New Hanover Co. Senior Resource Center, 2222 So. College Rd., Wilmington, on Tues., Dec. 12th from 7:30-10:00pm. A mixer and line dance segment are part of the evening and will add enjoyment to the festivities. Couples and singles are welcome and the cost is just $8.00 per person plus a finger food or 2 liter soft drink to share. Tim Gugan (910-620-8427). www.overfiftiesdanceclub.org. New Hanover County Senior Resource Center, 2222 College Rd.

art MEET LOCAL ARTISTS

Meet working artists, and see their works in progress. Everything from sculptures to fine jewelry in this unique location. Free parking, fun for everyone. Over 45 artist’s works to enjoy. Free, and we participate in the 4th Friday

Enter your events online by noon, Thursdays, for consideration in print. www.encorepub.com 38 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

Art Walks, 6-9pm, 4th Fri. ea. mo. theArtWorks, 200 Willard St. FOURTH FRIDAY GALLERY NIGHT

Fourth Friday Gallery Nights, Wilmington’s premier after-hours celebration of art and culture, 6-9pm, fourth Friday of ea. month. Features art openings, artist demonstrations, entertainment and refreshments. Administered by the Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County, numerous venues participate. Full list: artscouncilofwilmington.org

PED ART

Pedestrian Art public sculpture series, a program of The Arts Council of Wilmington/NHC, features the installation of 10-12 sculptures throughout downtown Wilmington. 2017 program is made possible through support from the City of Wilmington, The Artworks, Craige & Fox LLC, Art in Bloom Gallery, the Dreams Center for Arts Education, and the Downtown Business Alliance. Amy Grant: grantamyn@ gmail.com, 484-885-3037; or Rhonda Bellamy: info@artswilmington.org, 910-343-0998.

ARTS IN WILMINGTON HOLIDAY MEETUP

Dec. 12, 5:30pm: Join us at The Dance Element for our monthly Arts In Wilmington meetup. 7211 Ogden Business Ln. #205

DREAMING OF PEACE

Dec. 15, 6pm: Join us for an art opening to celebrate the extraordinary oil paintings of Tatyana Kulida and Mio Reynolds. Born in Russia, Tatyana is a classically-trained painter who studied in Italy and now resides in New Zealand. Fellow artist and friend, Mio Reynolds lives in Wilmington, NC. Meet the artists; view the art; and enjoy conversation, music, and refreshments. Art in Bloom Gallery, 210 Princess St.

museums/education CAMERON ART MUSEUM

Exhibits: Created By Light (Through Feb. 11): Exploring the photography collections of eight North Carolina institutions, the exhibition will examine the evolution of photography highlighting the names of the medium; the connections between the institutions and NC artists working in the medium. • State of the Art/Art of the State: (on view through July 8): Focusing on contemporary art by artists currently living in, or native to, the state of North Carolina. Artists bring a single work of art to be installed in the museum, delivering the work within 24‐hour period. No fee. During this timeframe, four curators from North Carolina institutions greet each artist and talk about their work. The design of this project provides any participating artist equal opportunity to meet a significant curator working in the field of contemporary art today. CAM organized with a visual schematic for reference to the over 600 intensely installed artworks. • CAM Café open and serving delicious menu with full bar, 5pm9pm. Tues.-Sun., 11am-2pm; Thurs. nights, 5pm-9pm 910-395-5999. cameronartmuseum. org. 3201 S. 17th St.

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH MUSEUM

WB 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 in-

formation 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 Mon. at 10:30am, only $5 per family and access to entire Museum. Admission only $9 adult, $8 senior/military, $5 child, ages 2-12, and free under age 2. 505 Nutt St. 910763-2634. www.wrrm.org.

LATIMER HOUSE

See NC through the eyes of Wilmington-born photographer Hugh MacRae Morton (19212006). His captivating images will be featured in the traveling exhibit “Photographs by Hugh Morton: An Uncommon Retrospective,” is now open at Cape Fear Museum. The exhibit is on loan from the UNC Library’s North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives and will be on view through September 2018. To create Photographs by Hugh Morton, Stephen Fletcher, photographic archivist at UNC Library’s North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives, selected images from the library’s collection of Morton’s estimated quarter-million negatives and transparencies. Shows experiences as a photojournalist; as a soldier in the Pacific Theater during World War II; and as owner and operator of Grandfather Mountain tourist attraction in Linville. Exhibits more than 50 images feature dozens of his lesser known or unpublished photographs, as well as some classics. Will feature brochures, postcards and prints. CF Museum, 814 Market St.

Victorian Italiante style home built in 1852, the EXPO 216 Newly opened exhibit features end-of-life isrestored home features period furnishings, artsues. Enter Grandma’s House and address work and family portraits. Tours offered Monthe elephant in the room. Pick up an advance Fri, 10am-4pm, and Sat, 12-5pm. Walking directive. Review the History of Hospice . Contours are Wed and Sat. at 10am. $4-$12. The template individual responses of compassion Latimer House of the Lower Cape Fear Historiin the arena. Wed.-Sun., noon-6pm. 216 N cal Society is not handicapped accessible 126 Front St, www.expo216.com S. Third St.

CAPE FEAR SERPENTARIUM

kids stuff

World’s most fascinating and dangerous reptiles in beautiful natural habitats, feat. a 12foot saltwater crocodile, “Bubble Boy” and SUPER SATURDAY FUN TIME “Sheena,” a 23-ft long Reticulated Python that Appropriate for ages 4-10, but all ages welcan swallow a human being whole! Giant Anacome. Dock the Dog and Dock Street Kids for conda weighs 300 lbs, w/15 ft long King Co10 exciting episodes of Super Saturday Fun bras hood up and amaze you. See the Black Time, 3pm, TheatreNOW’s live theatrical show Mamba, Spitting Cobras, Inland Taipans, featuring local history and mystery and super Gaboon Vipers, Puff Adders, and more! Over guest stars, hosted by Captain Coy T. Plunkett 100 species, some so rare they are not exhib(Zach Hanner). Live music, games, cartoons, ited anywhere else. One of the most famous short films, and his favorite surf “nuggets.” reptile collections on earth. Open everyday Dock Street Kids and their always-hungry dog, in summer, 11am-5pm (Sat. till 6 pm); winter Dock, solve adventures. Parents drop off kids schedule, Wed-Sun. 20 Orange St., across ages 5+. Kid-friendly snacks and drinks availfrom the Historic Downtown Riverwalk, interable for purchase. Custom birthday packages secting Front and Water St. 910-762-1669. with a chance to interact with characters and capefearserpentarium.com. step onstage in the action. Shows: Christmas, Dec. 16. 19 S. 10th St. BELLAMY MANSION One of NC’s most spectacular examples of STORY EXPLORERS antebellum architecture, built on the eve of Cameron Art Museum, every Thurs., 10the Civil War by free and enslaved black ar10:30am: Admission by donation. Bring your tisans, for John Dillard Bellamy (1817-1896) infant, toddler or preschooler for story time, physician, planter and business leader; and gallery exploration and an art project! georhis wife, Eliza McIlhenny Harriss (1821-1907) gia@cameronartmuseum.org for more info. and their nine children. After the fall of Fort 3201 S. 17th St. Fisher in 1865, Federal troops commandeered LITTLE EXPLORERS the house as their headquarters during the Thurs. and Sat., 10am: Meet your friends in occupation of Wilmington. Now a museum, Museum Park for fun hands-on activities! Enit focuses on history and the design arts and joy interactive circle time, conduct exciting exoffers tours, changing exhibitions and an inperiments, and play games related to a weekly formative look at historic preservation in actheme. Perfect for children ages 3 to 6 and tion.910-251-3700. bellamymansion.org. 503 their adult helpers every Friday. Free! Cape Market St. Fear Museum, 814 Market St. 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/Market St. Tues-Sat, 10am-4pm. Last tour, 3pm. 910-762-0570. www.burgwinwrighthouse.com.

CAPE FEAR MUSEUM

Kids ages 6 to 13 are invited to build and test a variety of paper airplanes at this free library program. They’ll learn about the four forces of flight (lift, weight, thrust, and drag) as they observe the performance of different airplane designs. How far will it fly? How accurately will it land? Will it loop-the-loop? No registration is required for this free program for kids ages 6 to 13. Meaghan Weiner at mweiner@nhcgov.com or 910-798-6385. HOLIDAY SHOP AND DROP CAMP

Dec. 9, 8am: Come drop off your athlete to train at Coastal Athletics while you finish holiday shopping! Ages 7-12 welcome! Baseball and Softball $40 for those staying from 8:00 am - 12:00 pm. Extend your stay from 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm for $20! (910)-452-5838 or www. coastalathletics.net. Coastal Athletics, 2049 Corporate Drive South

TEEN TABLETOP GAMING

Dec. 7, 4pm: Teens are invited to test their powers of observation and deductive reasoning while playing mysterium! In this game, one player takes the role of the ghost of a murdered person who is seeking justice, and the others play psychic investigators trying to solve the crime. Monthly at Northeast Library. Free and open to teens ages 12 to 18. www.nhclibrary. org or 910-798-6371.

KIDS BOOTCAMP YOGA

Dec. 7, 4:25pm: Kids Boot Camp / Yoga is a 45-min. long class that focuses on keeping your child active, learning, and focused on the importance of developing a lifestyle that includes fitness and wellness. Caretakers are welcome to attend with their children and join

the fun! Classes are free with YMCA membership or $10 drop-in. Express YMCA, 11 S. Kerr Ave. DISCOVERY LAB: CSI

Dec. 10, 2:30-4pm: Free for members or with general admission. Investigate, experiment, and explore! In the Discovery Lab, the whole family can drop-in for fun, quick experiments and hands-on investigations. Themes vary. Ideal for ages 5 and up. Adult participation is required. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St.

KIDS NIGHT OUT

Dec. 15, 6:30pm: Parents drop your kids off at Maides Park and enjoy a night out. Activities include: Arts and crafts, computer and game room, group & sport activities, refreshments. Ages for this program are 7-12. Pre-registration is rqd. Maides Park, 1101 Manly

POLAR EXPRESS

Dec. 16, 9am: All Aboard the Polar Express! Join us in your Jammies for our 3rd annual Polar Express day! We will have hot chocolate, Story Time, holiday crafts, letters to Santa, Train rides and so much more! Each child will receive a special believe bell while supplies last! You won’t want to miss this magical event! Free with Anytime & ACM membership or general admission. No Groupons or Coupons Accepted until after 12pm. Children’s Museum of Wilmington, 116 Orange St.

SATURDAY STORY HOUR

Miss Shannon will lead interactive story hours for kids ages 3-6 on the first and third Saturdays of May at the Main Library in downtown Wilmington. Saturday Story Hour is free and

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HALYBURTON LITTLE EXPLORERS

Discover nature through stories, songs, hands-on activities, hikes and crafts. Your children will delight in the many nature themes we explore each month. Space is limited and pre-registration is required for these popular programs. Hello Hibernationon Web Activity # 306038 Thurs., 12/14, 10-11am; Fri., 12/15, 1011am. Halyburton Park,4099. S. 17th St.

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DISCOVER NEW MUSIC AT 98.3 THE PENGUIN

PLAYLIST SAMPLE:

photo courtesy of Amber Russell

VAN MORRISON - JOHN HENRY GRACE POTTER - NAUGHTY, NAUGHTY CHILDREN MY MORNING JACKET - ONE BIG HOLIDAY ROLLIN' IN THE HAY - SANTA DON'T THE GRATEFUL DEAD - DANCIN' IN THE STREETS PAUL SIMON - GRACELAND THE WAILIN' JENNYS - WILDFLOWERS THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS - JESSICA GRETA VAN FLEET - FLOWER POWER JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT - IF WE WERE VAMPIRES

NEW MUSIC ADDED: ALICE MERTON - NO ROOTS BLITZEN TRAPPER - WILD & RECKLESS TRAVIS SHALLOW - RIVER THAT SINGS

UPCOMING PENGUIN SHOWS: BRING NEW & UNWRAPPED TOYS TO THE 6TH ANNUAL L SHAPE LOT TOYS 4 TOTS HOLIDAY CONCERT 12/16 AT THE BROOKLYN ARTS CENTER WITH SPECIAL GUEST SIGNAL FIRE!!

SPECIALTY SHOWS: Island Passage Elixir • 4 Market Street • 910.762.0484 Island Passage Lumina Station • 1900 Eastwood Rd. • 910.256.0407 Return Passage • 302 N. Front Street • 910.343.1627 40 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

THE EVENING EXPERIMENT WITH ERIC MILLER, WEDNESDAYS 7-9PM ACOUSTIC CAFE SATURDAYS FROM 7-9AM ETOWN SATURDAYS AT 9AM PUTUMAYO WORLD MUSIC HOUR SUNDAYS AT 8AM

WWW.983THEPENGUIN.COM

no pre-registration is needed. Opens with a picture book and end with a project or activity at the end, and include time to play, learn, and laugh in between. Each child should bring a participating adult. Shannon Vaughn: 910798-6303. svaughn@nhcgov.com. 201 Chestnut St. FRENCH PLAYGROUP

Thurs., 10am: Chantez! Jouez! Rencontrez des nouveaux amis! Sing, play, and meet new friends at French Playgroup at the main library! Informal hour where young kids and parents/ caregivers can hear and try out some French words. Free and no advance registration is needed. Main Library Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Room at 910798-6303 or sdemarco@nhcgov.com. NHC Main Library, 201 Chestnut St.

outdoors/recreation NC BIRDING TRAIL

Ea. mo. we explore different sites along the NC Birding Trail in the Coastal Plain. Each hike will be appx 2 mi. Transportation from Halyburton Park included. Wrightsville Beach Thurs 12/21, 8am-noon; ages: 16 and up. Halyburton Park, 4099. S. 17th St.

FLYING WILD WORKSHOP

Web Activity #302066, Fri., 12/15, 9am -4 pm. Ages: 16 and up. Cost: Free. Flying WILD workshops provide activities to teach middle school students about birds, their migration, and what people can do to help birds and their habitats. The activities can be used to teach classroom lessons or to set up service-learning projects about birds and their habitats.

Free. Halyburton Park, 4099. S. 17th St.

classes ART CLASSES

Lois DeWitt art classes, $100/4 (two-hour). Meditative Drawing: Wed., 10am and 2pm. â&#x20AC;˘ Thurs. and Fri, 5pm: Art it upâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Nice and Easy! â&#x20AC;˘ Sat. 10am: Learn how to pour color shapes and define them with drawing. â&#x20AC;˘ Mon, 10am: Stamp or Stencil Painting. â&#x20AC;˘ Beginning or advanced students. â&#x20AC;˘ Tues, 10am and 2pm: Colored Pencil with Oil Pastel Layering. All materials provided. www.free-online-art-classes.com (click on Wilmington Art Classes). 910-5478115 or loislight@bellsouth.net

NEW BASIC YOGA CLASSES

At the Midtown YMCA are happening now! Join me on Tuesday nights from 6-7 pm for a challenging and relaxing way to end your day. See the schedule for a full list of classes. Free with YMCA Membership or $10 drop-in. Temple Baptist Church Activity Center, 709 George Anderson Dr.

LETTERING WORKSHOP

Join professional calligrapher Brooke Helton on Wed., Nov. 29, 6-9pm, at Belle Vue Wilmington for a Holiday Envelope Lettering Workshop. In the 3-hour workshop, Brooke will give handson instruction for envelope addressing layout, how to draw different lettering styles and holiday-themed flourishes, as well as some useful tricks of the trade! Each student will receive a kit of supplies, including pens, envelopes and a workbook of step-by-step designs to take home with them. Light snacks and beverages

will be provided. Belle Vue Wilmington, 20 Princess St. CLOUD COMPUTING

Dec. 6, 3pm: Learn about cloud computing, which allows you to store your photos, documents and data outside your own computer and devices, and retrieve them anytime you log into the Internet. Free class covers basic information about the cloud and compares several cloud-based storage options. Space limited; register on the calendar at www.nhclibrary.org or 9f10-798-6371.

TECH TOOLS THAT SUPPORT STUDENTS

Dec. 6, 6pm: Workshop is designed for parents and educators to help them weed through the hundreds of apps and devices promoted to serve student learning. A practical approach to proven strategies and tools will be introduced and demonstrated. Ideas on ways to take the stress out of overwhelming assignments and help students utilize their individual strengths will be presented. Smart phones and tablets are welcome so that ideas and strategies can be recorded with typed notes, an audio recording, a video, or a picture. Free, but registration is required. Castle Branch/Tek Mountain, 1844 Sir Tyler Dr.

GIVING BOWL WORKSHOP

Dec. 9, 1:30pm: Niki HIldebrand will help you create a personalized giving bowl, whether as a gift or to serve treats from. Workshop includes all materials and the off-site firing of the bowl. Cost: $68. Expo 216, 216 N. Front St.

ALUNA WORKS HOLIDAY CARD CLASS

Dec. 10, 1pm: Come make your loved ones some special handmade cards for the holidays! Students who take our adult papermak-

ing class learn a wide variety of techniques including paper pulp painting, stenciling, inclusions, and collaging. Everyone typically ends up with enough paper to gift to family and friends and keep some for themselves, all while being able to chat and learn something new! Twelve spots available- sign up and learn more at https://www.alunaworks. com/classes/holiday-card-papermakingclass-dec-10th-1-4-pm. 603 Castle St. VETERAN SERVICES

Fri., Dec. 15, 9am: Carolyn Moss, veteran disabled outreach specialist with the Department of Commerce, Division of Workforce Solutions, will be available at New Hanover Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Main Library to advise veterans about benefits and resources for medical care, housing, food, and other necessities. Mary Ellen Nolan at 910-798-6307 or mnolan@nhcgov.com. NHC Main Library, 201 Chestnut St.

SINGLES WORKSHOP

Dec. 16, 9am: Join our Matchmaker and trained professionals for our singles workshop. Every person that attends will recieve a match/ date set up by the matchmaker (your match may be at the event or be chosen from our database). Breakfast and lunch are included in ticket price. The following are examples of why you should attend: Meet other singles; learning different approaches to dating; why do you think youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re single?; find out who you should be with. Presented Circle of Love Coaching; $87. Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N Water St.

PAPERMAKING CLASSES

Wed., 6pm: Adults explore different paper-

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making techniques so you can make each sheet of paper unique. All materials included, but we encourage bringing in some of your own materials that you can include into your paper—such as flat mementos and plants. See samples on our Facebook and website. Adult and children classes held on Sat., 2pm. Sign up: www.alunaworks.com. Aluna Works, 603 Castle St. POWER YOGA

Join us for power yoga on Sundays at Capt’n Bill’s, 3pm. Drop in fee of $8. Bring your own mat. 4240 Market Street

lectures/literary BEGIN THE CONVERSATION CLINICS

Lower Cape Fear Hospice will host free Begin the Conversation clinics from 10-11 a.m. the third Fri. of ea. mo., Phillips LifeCare & Counseling Center, 1414 Physicians Dr. Free, 18 and older, will provide attendees information and resources to think about and plan for future healthcare decisions. Attendees will receive specific strategies for initiating conversations that can significantly reduce family stress and improve quality of care. Advance directives supplied so healthcare instructions can be legally documented. Jason: 910-7967943. jason.clamme@lcfh.org.

22ND ANNUAL HOMEMADE HOLIDAY SHORTS

Dec. 10, 6pm: Homemade Holiday Shorts returns for its 22nd Anniversary Year with an exciting slate of guests, wonderful holiday music and a delicious feast. For one evening each year in December, friends of WHQR gather in our MC Erny Gallery and around their radios at home to listen to holiday stories read live by a panel of entertaining guests. Our guests include wonderful radio legends, actors, writers and performers reading emotional and funny tales of the season. This years special guests include Wiley Cash, Jemila Ericson, and Gwenyfar Rohler. Musical guest is Big Al Hall with Rob Zapple as our emcee. The Homemade Holiday Shorts will begin at 6pm on Sunday, December 10th. Doors open at 5:20pm. Reception starts at 7pm. Tickets are $35 each (includes the performance and reception). MC Erny Gallery, 254 N. Front St.

clubs/notices \WILMINGTON FENCING CLUB

Adults meet Tues/Thurs, 7:45-9pm, and Youth meet Wed, 6:45-7:45pm. Class is open to the community, beginners welcome, and all equipment is provided! Sessions are 6 weeks long and the cost is just $5 per class! Fencing incorporates agility, strength, coordination, balance, and timing. In fencing, physical ability is just as important as having a strong mental edge. Competitors of a fencing match wear protective gear including a jacket, glove, and head gear. Sport of fencing features three different levels, which are categorized by the type of weapon used in each level. The weapons used include the epee, foil, and the saber. Fencing is an aerobically challenging sport. In order to condition one’s body, initial fencing training consists of challenging conditioning exercises. Express YMCA, 11 S. Kerr Ave.

N. BRUNSWICK NEWCOMERS MEETING

Dec. 8, 9:30am: Meet-and-greet gathering

42 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

with snacks and refreshments. The meeting will follow at 10am. Anne Rose will speak about her website Port City Foodie. Hubbard’s Cupboard will speak about their services for those who are hungry in the Wilmington area through the distribution of emergency food. Good Shepherd Center will share how they feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and foster the transition to housing. Leland Cultural Arts Center, 1212 Magnolia Village Way WATERFRONT TASK FORCE MEETING

How the tech revolution is changing Wilmington. Waterfront Task Force Special Open Meeting on Tech Developments in Region and Downtown Tuesday, December 12, 5:30-7pm at NH Library 3rd Floor, Free and open to public interested in tech and entrepreneurial ventures downtown. Speakers are Diane Durance, Director UNCW Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and George Taylor, prominent downtown entrepreneur behind Smart Glass, Untappd, TruColors. New Hanover Downtown Library, 201 Chestnut St.

NAACP WINTER MEETING

Thurs, Dec. 14, 6-8pm at Mt. Olive AME Church, 1007 Wright Street, Wilmington. The meeting will include a review of 2017 and plans for 2018, followed by a fellowship potluck dinner. Members and friends are invited to attend. 910-765-0102 or email nhcnaacp@ gmail.com. Mt. Olive AME Church, 1001 S. 7th St. (corner of 7th & Wright sts).

ABILITY GARDEN MONTHLY PLANT SALE

Dec. 16, 9am: Miss the Ability Garden’s Monthly Plant Sale! Our stock includes; Native Plants, Fall vegetables, herbs and houseplants. Please support this unique therapeutic gardening program by coming out to purchase our high quality plants grown by our participants. 100% of the proceeds go back into the Ability Garden. Heather Kelejian, Ability Garden Director, hkelejian@nhcgov.com 910-798-7682. New Hanover County Arboretum, 6206 Oleander Dr.

LA LECHE LEAGUE

Sat., 10am, meetings are informal and open to pregnant women, mothers, babies and children. If you have questions or just would like to meet other breastfeeding mothers, this is the meeting for you. La Leche League Leaders are experienced mothers who have breastfed their own babies and who have been trained and accredited by La Leche League International to help mothers and mothers-to-be with all aspects of breastfeeding. Bump & Beyond, 890-3 S. Kerr Ave.

NHC HAZWAGON

New Hanover County encourages residents to safely dispose of toxic materials with its new mobile collection unit, the HazWagon. stationed various days at three different locations in New Hanover County to collect household hazardous waste and electronics free of charge. Residents can bring items to the following locations each week: Mon., 10am-2pm, at Ogden Park ball fields; Wed., 10am-2pm at Wrightsville Beach Municipal Complex in the Farmers’ Market field by the recycle center; Fridays at Carolina Beach Mike Chappell Park (in the south side of the park across from the tennis courts), 10am-2pm.

FRIDAY NIGHT MAGIC

Format of Magic: The Gathering tournaments, held on Friday nights in gaming stores and associations all across the world. They are designed to be a beginner-friendly introduc-

Upcoming Events: FRIDAY - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 - 5 | ALL DAY Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tennis hosts UNCW Team Invite SATURDAY - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 4 - 5 Swimming & Diving hosts JMU, William & Mary and Delaware Saturday 10am & 4pm, Sunday 10am

encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com 43

tion to organized play. Standard format. $6 fee paid towards prize support for event. Prizes are a pack per win and also if you complete all 4 rounds. Event begins at 7pm, reg. begins at FERMENTAL Free tasting every Friday, 6pm. Third Wed. of 6pm. Arrive early for event reg. Free play, $6 each month feat. musical and brewing talents entry fee first FNM Free. Cape Fear Games, alongside an open mic night, as well as the 4107 Oleander Dr., Ste D. opportunity for homebrewers to share, sample, POKEMON LEAGUE and trade their creations: an evening of beer Come to Cape Fear Games on Sunday eveand an open stage. PA and equipment pronings to catch them all by learning to play vided. All genres and beer styles. 4pm, free. the Pokemon Trading Card game, battle and • Dec. 9, 6pm: Join the fine folks at Fermentrade in the video games, or enjoy the store’s tal as they welcome the crew from Founders Pokemon Go Pokestop. Ages are welcome Brewing Company of Grand Rapids, Michigan to our family friendly environment. www.facefor an evening of beer tastings, giveaways, book.com/groups/CFGPokemon. Cape Fear brewery folks, live music, food trucks, beer, Games, 4107 Oleander Dr., Ste D and more. Showcasing All Day IPA, Azacca BIRTH CIRCLE IPA, Kentucky Breakfast Stout: KBS, Canadian Every 3rd Sat. come for our Birth Circle, someBreakfast Stout: CBS, Lizard Of Koz, Backthing always different every month. Check out woods Bastard 2016, Backwoods Bastard website for more details of what we have in 2017, Doom, DKML, Rubaeus, Porter, and store this month & exact time of each event! more. Food from T’Geaux Boys and live music www.thebumpandbeyond.com. Bump & Befrom Soul-R-Fusion. www.fermental.net. 910yond, 890-3 S. Kerr Ave. 821-0362. 7250 Market St.

culinary

CHRISTIAN MYSTICISM

FREE BREWERY TOURS AND TASTINGS

We explore God using the methods and guid3pm, 3:45pm, 4:30pm everyday at Front Street ance of Moses, Jesus, the prophets and a rich Brewery, 9 N. Front St. Learn how we brew our sampling of delightful saints including Theresa beer, meet brewers and get two free samples. of Avila, Meister Eckhart and Thomas Aquinas. PORT CITY FARMERS’ MARKET We will meet twice a month for fellowship, poTues., 5pm: Join us for a wonderful, exciting etry, instruction in spiritual practices, group night of fun. Port City Farmer’s Market at Wameditations and playful spiritual fun. First and terline Brewing Co. 100% local, 100% handthird Sundays of each month, 2pm. Parking made. Shop among some incredible local on 15th St. Respond to me, John Evans, at invendors, artists and farmers. Support small sightbuilders@gmail.com. Morning Glory Cofbusinesses in your area. Fresh local profeehouse, 1415 Dawson St. duce, beef and pork products, sweets, pickled items, handcrafted jewelry and art. Waterline

BRUNCH ON THE BEACH Indoor and Outdoor Seating Oceanfront Carolina Beach

Serving 11 a.m. Sundays $5 Mimosa $5 Bloody Mary $5 Michelada

Brewing Company, 721 Surry Ln. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT AFTERNOON TEA

Dec. 9, 2pm: The Coastal Carolina Chapter of the United Nations Association is hosting an Eleanor Roosevelt Afternoon Tea to celebrate the 69th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Attendees will receive a free raffle ticket for a chance to win artwork, as well as a booklet about the history of human rights. Additional raffle tickets will be available for purchase during the event. $30 donation supports UNCW and area high school student scholarships. Unity Church, 717 Orchard Ave. Stephanna, 910-793-4101 or teweystephanna@gmail.com. Follow us: www.facebook. com/UNACoastalcarolina.

tours LITERARY HISTORY WALKING TOUR

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

SKYQUEST: FALL CONSTELLATIONS

Show Times: 2pm, 4pm; free for members or with general admission. Experience the Museum’s digital planetarium with a guided tour of tonight’s sky. Discover new and familiar constellations, explore Greek myths, and find the five planets visible in Nov. 2017. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St.

ARCHITECTURE OF HENRY BONITZ

Lower Cape Fear Historical Society’s walking tour on the career of Wilmington architect Henry Bonitz (1871-1921). Learn about Henry’s German-immigrant parents and his early studies under notable Wilmington architect James F. Post. The tour will explore the architecture of the buildings Bonitz designed, including the Woolvin-Warren House (1895), J. H. Strauss Store (1914), and Ahrens Building (1907). Free for LCFHS members, $12/adult, $10 AAA members/military, $6/student. Tour begins and concludes at the Latimer House Museum. Lower CF Historical Society, 126 S. 3rd St.

CAM WEEKLY EXHIBITION TOURS

Cameron Art Museum allows participants to explore current exhibitions with Anne Brennan, CAM’s executive director, in a new series of public tours. Free for CAM members. Wed., 1:30pm. 3201 S. 17th St.

INSIDER’S TOUR

Explore the history of your community at Cape Fear Museum. Take the Insider’s Tour offered the 2nd Tuesday of each month at 10am. Tours are free with admission and include a “behind the scenes” sneak peek. Pre-registration is required: 910-798-4362 or cfmprograms@nhcgov.com. Free w/general admission or membership. Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St.

HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE TOURS

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 sts. $12/adult, $5/child. (910) 251-8889. www.horsedrawntours.com

1211 S. Lake Park Blvd • 910-458-2000 www.oceangrilltiki.com 44 encore | december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

GHOST WALK

6:30 & 8:30pm. Costumed guides lead visitors

through alleyways with tales of haunted Wilmington. Nightly tours at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. Admission charge. Water & Market sts. RSVP rqd: 910-794-1866. hauntedwilmington.com HISTORY WALKING TOUR

A two-hour exploration of downtown Wilmington with author Dan Camacho! A $10 donation is suggested. .bellamymansion.org or email info@bellamymansion.org with any questions. Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market St.

BELLAMY MANSION

Guided tours start on the hour, as well as selfguided tours, which start at any time. Mondays is only self-guided tours.* Follow curved oyster-shell paths through our lush Victorian garden shaded by 150-year-old magnolia trees. Climb the stairs to the elegant main entrance surrounded by soaring columns and gleaming windows. Hear the stories of the Bellamy family, as well as those of the free and enslaved black artisans who built the home and crafted intricate details throughout the house. Know that you are walking through history. Bellamy Mansion Museum, one of NCs most spectacular examples of Antebellum architecture. Adults $12; senior and military discount, $10; students, $6; children under 5, free. Bellamy Mansion Museum, 503 Market St.

support groups WILMINGTON PRIDE YOUTH GROUP

Middle school and high-school students: Wilmington Pride and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation have joined together to create and facilitate a youth group for children/ youth (middle school and high school) who are LGBTQIA, plus straight allies. A safe space for kids to talk about orientation, gender, racial equality, political consequences, religion, self harm and self-care. Needed: youth facilitators, especially those who are trained to work with kids, and speakers to talk about important topics. Meets Thurs., 7:30pm, UU Congregation of Wilmington, 4313 Lake Ave, (across from Roland Grise Middle School). Sue Graffius: dre@uufwilmington.org).

CELEBRATE RECOVERY

Life Community Church, located inside Independence Mall, will have a recovery meeting every Monday evening at 6:30 pm starting with fellowship followed by a large group meeting at 7pm. 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. Jodie: 910-547-8973, 791-3859 or Lifecc.com. 3500 Oleander Dr.

EXPECTING MAMA’S CIRCLE

Sat, noon: Chat with other pregnant mamas who are going through the same thing as you! Lamaze Certified Childbirth Educator, Breastfeeding USA counselor, and Postpartum Doula, Jess Zeffiro will moderate a free Pregnancy Meetup Group. Expectant mothers are invited to pop into the group at any time to share their stories, ask questions, and connect with great area resources. Share stories and have any pregnancy and birth related questions answered in a supportive environment. The Bump & Beyond, 890-3 S. Kerr Ave.

TEEN TRANSGENDER SUPPORT GROUP

Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Support Group, free, facilitated by TR Nunley and Jamie Alper. This group will focus on the

mental health needs unique to transgender and gender non-conforming adolescents (13 years old -18 years old). Topics covered will include but are not limited to: understanding one’s own gender, bullying, discrimination, and violence, family dynamics, coming out, being misgendered, handling invasive personal questions from others, safety and safe spaces, anxiety and mood stability. Nova Swanstrom first at (910) 442-8480 x3009 with Delta Behavioral Clinic. CHADD

Wilmington Area CHADD meets on the 2nd Monday of every month from 7-9pm 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., bldg B. WilmingtonCHADD.org

ANXIETY / OCD SUPPORT GROUP

Dec. 7, 7pm: Group meets 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month. Pine Valley United Methodist Church , 3788 Shipyard Blvd. Building B. Christopher Savard, Ph.D., with Cape Fear Psychological Services, gives a presentation the 1st Thursday of each month. 3rd Thursday meeting is member led. Everyone 18+ welcome. 910-763-8134

WILMINGTON MS SUPPORT GROUP

Dec. 14, 7pm: Wilmington MS Support Group will not hold its regular meeting in December due to our annual Christmas social. Regular monthly meetings will resume on Thursday, January 11. New Hanover Regional Medical Center Campus, 2131 S. 17th St.

PFLAG

First Mon/mo. at UNCW, in the Masonboro Island Room #2010, 7pm.

LUPUS SUPPORT GROUP

Meets third Saturday each month. Free; dropins are welcome. Group provides participants an opportunity to receive introductory info about lupus, encourage the expression of concerns, provide an opportunity to share experiences, encourage and support positive coping strategies, and emphasize the importance of medical treatment. Guest speakers, DVD presentations and open group discussion. info@lupusnc.org or at 877-849-8271, ext. 1. www.lupusnc.org. Northeast Regional Library, 1241 Military Cutoff Rd.

ARIES (Mar. 21–April 20)

You may get richer quicker in 2018, Aries—especially if you refuse to sell out. You may accumulate more clout—especially if you treat everyone as your equal and always wield your power responsibly. I bet you will also experience deeper, richer emotions—especially if you avoid people who have low levels of emotional intelligence. Finally, I predict you will get the best sex of your life in the next 12 months—especially if you cultivate the kind of peace of mind in which you’ll feel fine about yourself if you don’t get any sex at all. P.S.: You’d be wise to start working on these projects immediately.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

The members of the fungus family, like mushrooms and molds, lack chlorophyll, so they can’t make food from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. To get the energy they need, they “eat” plants. That’s lucky for us. The fungi keep the earth fresh. Without them to decompose fallen leaves, piles of compost would continue to accumulate forever. Some forests would be so choked with dead matter that they couldn’t thrive. I invite you to take your inspiration from the heroic fungi, Taurus. Expedite the decay and dissolution of the worn-out and obsolete parts of your life.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

In accordance with the long-term astrological omens, I invite you to make five long-term promises to yourself. They were formulated by the teacher Shannen Davis. Say them aloud a few times to get a feel for them. 1. “I will make myself eminently teachable through the cultivation of openness and humility.” 2. “I won’t wait around hoping that people will give me what I can give myself.” 3. “I’ll be a good sport about the consequences of my actions, whether they’re good, bad, or misunderstood.” 4. “As I walk out of a room where there are many people who know me, I won’t worry about what anyone will say about me.” 5. “I will only pray for the things I’m willing to be the answer to.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

To discuss a problem is not the same as doing something practical to correct it. Many people don’t seem to realize this. They devote a great deal of energy to describing and analyzing their difficulties, and may even imagine possible solutions, but then neglect to follow through. And so nothing changes. The sad or bad situation persists. Of all the signs in the zodiac, you Scorpios are among the least prone to this disability. You specialize in taking action to fulfill your proposed fixes. Just this once, however, I urge you to engage in more inquiry and conversation than usual. Just talking about the problem could cure it.

I’m guessing you have been hungrier than usual. At times you may have felt voracious, even insatiable. What’s going on? I don’t think this intense yearning is simply about food, although it’s possible your body is trying to compensate for a nutritional deficiency. At the very least, you’re also experiencing a heightened desire to be understood and appreciated. You may be aching for a particular quality of love that you haven’t been able to give or get. Here’s my theory: Your soul is famished for experiences that your ego doesn’t sufficiently value or seek out. If I’m correct, you should meditate on what your soul craves but isn’t getting enough of.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

CANCER (June 21-July 22)

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The brightly colored birds known as bee-eaters are especially fond of eating bees and wasps. How do they avoid getting stung? They snatch their prey in mid-air and then knock them repeatedly against a tree branch until the stinger falls off and the venom is flushed out. In the coming weeks, Cancerian, you could perhaps draw inspiration from the bee-eaters’ determination to get what they want. How might you be able to draw nourishment from sources that aren’t entirely benign? How could you extract value from influences that you have be careful with?

tors syndiCate

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

The coming months will be a ripe time to revise and rework your past—to reconfigure the consequences that emerged from what happened once upon a time. I’ll trust you to make the ultimate decisions about the best ways to do that, but here are some suggestions. 1. Revisit a memory that has haunted you, and do a ritual that resolves it and brings you peace. 2. Go back and finally do a crucial duty you left unfinished. 3. Return to a dream you wandered away from prematurely, and either re-commit yourself to it, or else put it to rest for good.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

The astrological omens suggest that now is a favorable time to deepen your roots and bolster your foundations and revitalize traditions that have nourished you. Oddly enough, the current planetary rhythms are also conducive to you and your family and friends playing soccer in the living room with a ball made from rolled-up socks, pretending to be fortune-telling psychics and giving each other past-life readings, and gathering around the kitchen table to formulate a conspiracy to achieve world domination. And no, the two sets of advice I just gave you are not contradictory.

As far back as ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece, people staged ceremonies to mark the embarkation of a new ship. The intention was to bestow a blessing for the maiden voyage and ever thereafter. Good luck! Safe travels! Beginning in 18th-century Britain and America, such rituals often featured the smashing of a wine bottle on the ship’s bow. Later, a glass container of champagne became standard. In accordance with the current astrological indicators, I suggest that you come up with your own version of this celebratory gesture. It will soon be time for your launch. You may feel quite sure you’ve gotten as tall as you’re ever going to be, but that may not be true. If you were ever going to add another half-inch or more to your height, the near future would be the time for it. You are in the midst of what we in the consciousness industry call a “growth spurt.” The blooming and ripening could occur in other ways, as well. Your hair and fingernails may become longer faster than usual, and even your breasts or penis might undergo spontaneous augmentation. There’s no doubt new brain cells will propagate at a higher rate, and so will the white blood cells that guard your physical health. Four weeks from now, I bet you’ll be noticeably smarter, wiser and more robust.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You come into a delicatessen where you have to take a numbered ticket in order to get waited on. Oops. You draw 37 and the counter clerk has just called out number 17. That means 20 more people will have their turns before you. Damn! You settle in for a tedious vigil, and put down your bag and cross your arms across your chest. But then what’s this? Two minutes later, the clerk calls out 37. That’s you! You go up to the counter and hand in your number, and amazingly enough, the clerk writes down your order. A few minutes later, you’ve got your food. Maybe it was a mistake, but who cares? All that matters is your opportunity came earlier than you thought it would. Now, apply this vignette as a metaphor for your life in the coming days.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

It’s one of those bizarre times when what feels really good is in close alignment with what’s really good for you, and when taking the course of action that benefits you personally is probably what’s best for everyone else, too. I realize the onslaught of this strange grace may be difficult to believe. But it’s real and true, so don’t waste time questioning it. Relish and indulge in the freedom it offers you. Use it to shush the meddling voice in your head that informs you about what you supposedly should be doing instead of what you’re actually doing.

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BACK BY POPLAR DEMAND... 7210 Wrightsville Ave LUNCH at CEVICHE’S

Wilmington, NC bar 28403 Local, cozy and original side lunch Wednesday 11am-3pm (910)- Saturday 256-3131 Coastal Living recommended Wbceviche@gmail.com Mention this encore ad and receive

10% off thru Dec. 2017

7210 Wrightsville Ave. Wilmington, NC 910-256-3131 • www.wbceviche.com Hours

Lunch Hours: Wed – Sat 11am – 3pm Mon5pm – Wed pm- Sat – 9pm Dinner Hours: Mon – Wed – 9pm •5 Thurs 5pm - 10pm • Closed Sun.

Thur – Sat 5pm – 10pm Saturday Lunch 11am – 3pm Sunday Brunch 10am – 2:30pm

CRUISE SCHEDULE

BEST OF 2 0 1 7

W I N N E R

We are cruising 6 days a week for the month of December: Tues thru Sunday 50 min narrated cruises 12, 1, 2, 3 & 4pm Friday & Saturday “Spirit of the Holidays” Cruise 6pm

NEW HOLIDAY TRADITION Start a new Holiday Tradition and join us on our “Spirit of the Holidays” Cruise formally known as Holiday Lights Cruise.

A 60 min cruise for a magical night on the river Christmas/Holiday songs performed by local musicians. Featuring tasty holiday drinks from our bar. A perfect way to start celebrating the holiday season.

Dec. 8, 9, 15, 22, 23, 29 & 30th Boarding at 5:30pm • Departing at 6pm • $20 Remember we are enclosed & very comfy

Daily Cruises & Private Charters For a complete list of scheduled Tours, Excursions, and Fees, visit

wilmingtonwatertours.net HANDICAP ACCESSIBLE

Visit us on the Riverwalk! 212 S. Water Street

910-338-3134

info@wilmingtonwt.com

Follow BAR ON BOARD WITH us ALL ABC PERMITS

46 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com

GREAT GIFT IDEA

Purchase of this card $175 entitles you to come aboard any of our regular scheduled cruises as often as you would like....also any guest gets 20% off ticket price. Dinner cruises, wine tasting,beer tasting etc. would be a nominal fee of $10

Cruises that are excluded are: Azalea festival, 4th of July and Riverfest

Also get $100 of any private charter This is good for 1 year from date of purchase

CORKBOARD Available for your next CD or Demo

KAREN KANE MUSIC PRODUCTIONS 33 year veteran Producer/Engineer

200 album credits

Dreaming Of A Career In The Music Industry?

AUDIO ENGINEERING CLASSES Music Recording, Mixing, Pro Tools, Studio Production

Classes offered in Jan., Apr. and Sept.

(910) 681-0220 or mixmama.com Want To Get The Word Out About Your Business...

ADVERTISE ON THE

CORKBOARD

4WEEKS - ONLY $100 Call 791-0688 For Details

NEW

CANNABIS HYPNOTHERAPY NOW AVAILABLE! CALL: 910-343-1171 Find Out What All the Buzz is About!

STRIPTEASES cost a lot more than a good meal at the Brewery $6.99 Lunches, $8.99 Dinners. Front Street Brewery 910.251.1935 9 North Front Street, Downtown Wilmington FrontStreetBrewery.com

CUSTOM TILE

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•Kitchens •Bathrooms •Entryways •Fireplaces •And More Free Estimates

910-616-0470

Specials: TUES NIGHT: 1/2 Price wines by the glass WED NIGHT: 1/2 Price Draft beers

Dinner Daily: Tuesday - Saturday starting at 5pm Sunday Brunch: 10am-2pm featuring DIY Mimosa = 1 bottle of sparkling wine and a mason jar of hand squeezed OJ

www . rxwilmington . com

421 c astle s t • (910) 399-3080 F acebook : Facebook . com / rxwilmington / or Follow us on instagram rxrestaurantandbar

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Ticket Central • 910.362.7999 • www.CapeFearStage.com

Y D E M

January 13,2018 7:30 pm

Tuesday, November 21 aT 3:30 pm & 7:30 pm Ticket Central 910.362.7999 www.CapeFearStage.com

48 encore |december 6 - december 12, 2017 | www.encorepub.com