INDY Week May 1, 2024

Raleigh Durham Chapel Hill

6 Residents weigh in on a proposal for redevelopment of Lakewood Shopping Center. BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW

7 A new affordable housing complex for seniors has broad support in Chapel Hill. BY CHASE PELLEGRINI DE PAUR

8 The City of Oaks will get its first cottage court in the Cottages at Idlewild, bringing more affordable housing to Southeast Raleigh. BY JAMES BURRELL

9 Raleigh is considering adding three district seats to its city council. Some say the idea needs more study. BY JANE PORTER

CULTURE

26 Local bar owners say that ongoing construction in downtown Durham is hurting their businesses. BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW

28 A multidisciplinary festival at UNC-Chapel Hill draws community members into conversation with new performances. BY BYRON WOODS

30 A rundown of new movies in local theaters. BY GLENN MCDONALD

31 Reviews of new local albums: Emma Geiger's Reverse Bloom and Matt Southern's Tender is the Knife. BY BRIAN HOWE AND JORDAN LAWRENCE

32 Remembering Kevin Joshua "Rowdy" Rowsey II. BY PIERCE FREELON

4 Backtalk 5 Op-ed 34 Culture calendar

CORRECTION In our story two weeks ago about Durham entrepreneurs tackling waste, Crystal Dreisbach was the sole founder of Don’t Waste Durham, not the cofounder. Don’t Waste Durham partnered with Sew Crafty (not the ReCollective) on the Boomerang Bag program, using donated textiles from groups like the ReCollective.

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Souls of Mischief performs at Cat's Cradle on Saturday, May 11. (See calendar, page 34.) PHOTO COURTESY OF CAT'S CRADLE

B A C K T A L K

Earlier this month, we reported on Triangle-area congresswoman Valerie Foushee’s trip to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We then published a letter to the editor from Durham County commissioner Nida Allam citing our reporting that was critical of Foushee’s trip. We received messages both critical and supportive of Allam’s letter, and we’re publishing some here (you can read more on our website).

From reader STANLEY ROBBOY in Durham:

Commissioner Allam’s recent letter in Indyweek (4/9/24) is remarkable for what it lacks.

The one statement in the letter with which I believe we all would agree is that “Palestinians and Israelis alike deserve to live in peace.” That should be true not only in the Middle East but also in America and worldwide. All people of all races and colors, whether Black, White, or Brown, living in the Middle East, Far East, Europe, America, or Africa, should all live in peace.

That is how we grew up. With World War II over and the Nazi regime decapitated, hope and opportunity blossomed.

Many of my and my wife’s cousins lived happily in Israel when Oct 7 shattered their world. Hamas, which rules Palestine, launched a surprise attack in multiple areas simultaneously. One focus was the Nova music festival; 364 young adults were killed, many savagely. About 40 were taken hostage after some had been raped. Multiple nearby kibbutzim were also attacked. Twenty-one of my and my wife’s cousins were killed, and seven were taken back to Gaza. In total, Hamas killed about 1200 people and took 250 hostage. Gruesome phone messages intercepted recorded a Hamas soldier calling home to his parents, boasting gleefully, “I killed 10 Jews with my own hands.” Imagine if Orange County similarly attacked Durham County. How, in your role as County Commissioner, would you react?

Commissioner Allam, why did you omit critical context from your letter? Hamas had

district. You both campaigned hard and we, the voters, examined your records, not only with what you said at the time but also with what you had been saying earlier. Our pasts live with us, and we vote.

been firing missiles indiscriminately into Israel, focusing on killing innocent civilians and instilling a reign of terror among the Israeli population. In the past year, using balloons as weapons carrying lit oil ignited large fires indiscriminately in Israel. Meanwhile, Hamas terrorized its own citizens. Being LGBTQ brought death.

You state that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) leveled the Al Shifra [sic] Hospital, implying it was little more than a vindictive act. A captured Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman confessed how Hamas terrorists had taken over every hospital in Gaza, using the medical facilities to hide military activities and launch attacks. In fact, over 500 detainees captured in the complex proved to be active terrorists. Some were senior commanders in Hamas and Islamic Jihad. He explained Hamas occupied rooms and wards in every hospital across the coastal enclave, even exploiting the internet connectivity and electricity to conceal its operations. Weapons and ammunition were found hidden in children’s beds, x-ray machines, and operating rooms, to mention a few. Ambulances transported guns and soldiers.

Lastly, your letter impugns the integrity of Representative Valerie Foushee. We, as citizens, cherish democracy and the choice to vote our conscience for whom we feel would be the best to represent the community as a whole and for each of us individually. That’s what democracy is all about. The beauty of our system is each candidate can put forth their views, and we, as voters, respond. Not long ago, you and Foushee campaigned to represent our [congressional]

You now imply any single organization in this country can purchase a candidate. That is not true. Many of us who are US citizens wish for election reform. Elections are too costly, and all candidates must seek contributions. Maybe you might want to list who bankrolled your campaign. But please give our candidates credence. Candidates who run for high office are, by and large, accomplished and have worked diligently in preceding years to achieve the status where they can run and compete. We, the citizenry—the voters—listened to your messages, took them seriously, and voted our consciences as to who would best represent us and the community. We decided based on economics, the social issues affecting us all, and who would provide the best leadership.

Your letter of deception is why your candidacy failed.

Commissioner Allam, Where is your Honor?

From reader NOOR ABUALHAWA:

Nida Allam wrote a powerful and brave letter opposing Valerie Foushee’s travel organized by AIPAC, a foreign agent who directly influences American elections. Outside the question of Palestine and Israel, this is questionable behavior by an American elected official. Taking a trip funded by a foreign lobby group who you also happen to receive donations to your campaign from?

Valerie Foushees constituents have also made it explicitly clear: they oppose US involvement in the ongoing war, they oppose Netanyahu’s leadership, and they oppose our elected officials being bankrolled by foreign agencies. Rather than align herself with her constituents, Foushee directly shirked the will of her voters and posed gladly next to a man who runs a country currently on trial for genocide.

This op-ed was well-written and said what needed to be said to Foushee. Foushee is a coward and does not work for the American people.

From reader NANCY KALOW in Durham:

I am writing in support of Nida Allam’s April 9 letter regarding Representative Val-

erie Foushee’s AIPAC-funded trip to Israel. In December, Valerie Foushee, my congressperson, signed a letter to President Biden calling for bi-lateral ceasefire, so I was disappointed to learn about Foushee’s cordial visit with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu during which he asked for support to “finish the job”—at odds with her signing a letter for ceasefire. I am a Jewish grandmother and I stand with many Jewish people against the murder, starvation, and displacement of people in Gaza, the senseless wholesale destruction of universities, hospitals, libraries, and homes in Gaza, and the violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. I would like to see all hostages and all political prisoners released. It is not antisemitic to object to Israel’s genocidal violence against Palestinians over the past century which we’ve all witnessed most acutely in the last 200 days.

From reader RANIA MASRI:

Thank you, Nida Allam, for speaking so clearly and powerfully about the hypocrisy in Rep Foushee’s actions, and her support for a genocide. Not only has Rep Foushee seemingly disregarded her constituents’s overwhelming support for a ceasefire in Gaza, but she also disregarded her own statement in support for a ceasefire.

And earlier this week, Rep Foushee voted to spend US taxpayer dollar— $14.1 billion to be exact—just for weapons to supply Israel in its ongoing slaughter of Palestinians. (These billions are in addition to our annual blank check of $3.8 billion to Israel). For the past 200 days in Gaza, Israel has been killing or injuring one child every ten minutes. This is what our money is funding, what our weapons are doing: shredding the bodies of Palestinian children.

Meanwhile, our national debt is $34.5 trillion, and our largest national expenditure last year was on the interest to that debt.

Meanwhile, health care costs in the US remain our number one cause for bankruptcy! With the $14 billion to Israel, five million children in the US could have received free or low-cost healthcare for an entire year. Rather than fund care for Americans, Rep Foushee has chosen to fund the killing of Palestinians. Despite the cries from the majority of her own constituents!

What a shame!

Meet and Confer

The DPS Board of Education should adopt a policy that recognizes all Durham educators’ rights to have a collective voice through their union, the Durham Association of Educators.

BY SYMONE KIDDOO backtalk@indyweek.com

April 16 marked the 56th anniversary of Memphis sanitation workers winning their legendary 1968 strike for union recognition. These brave workers had to survive violent repression and the devastating loss of their most powerful ally, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was assassinated after coming to Memphis in support of their strike. Just 12 days after that unspeakable crime, and 66 days after they illegally walked off the job, this public-sector union of Black workers in the South finally won their central demand: union recognition. It was a triumphant moment in civil rights and labor movement history that is still inspiring organizing across the country, including right here in Durham.

Union recognition is when an employer agrees to formally negotiate, collaborate, and problem solve with its employees’ union about their working conditions, usually through a process called collective bargaining. As the Memphis sanitation workers’ iconic “I AM A MAN” picket signs so powerfully communicated, union recognition is ultimately about respect, dignity, and the treatment of workers as equal human beings by their employer.

Union recognition is also what my majority-BIPOC public-sector union, the Durham Association of Educators (DAE), is fighting for right now. As educators we have a duty to fight for our students, for our community, and for a just society, and to do that we need our union rights to be respected. This year, more than 3,300 of 5,000 Durham Public Schools (DPS) workers have signed a petition asking to be represented by DAE at the table with the school district. Spurred to action by the district issuing pay

cuts to classified staff, DAE organized two days of action, on January 31 and February 5, where thousands of workers marched for both a restoration of pay and union recognition. And we are days away from a historic milestone: representing a majority of all DPS workers—teachers, instructional assistants, custodians, cafeteria workers, occupational therapists, and more—as dues-paying members.

Dr. King understood how unionism—especially in the South—and the struggle for civil rights and racial equality have always been inseparable. In a 1961 speech he said, “In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans, such as ‘right to work.’ It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone …. Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer, and there are no civil rights …. We demand this fraud be stopped.”

North Carolina is one of the states where the antiworker, antiunion laws Dr. King spoke against have been in place for a long time, which makes unionizing here difficult, but not impossible and not illegal. In 1959, North Carolina banned public-sector collective bargaining. We still live under that Jim Crow–era law, which was passed by an all-white legislature in order to strip our diverse public sector of the full union rights that we would have in almost every other state.

However, collective bargaining is not the only way to recognize a union. Meet and Confer is an alternative framework for honoring

workers’ rights in the six states—including Mississippi, Texas, and Arkansas—where full collective bargaining is still banned for public school workers. DAE is asking the Board of Education to pass a Meet and Confer policy that recognizes our right as workers to have a collective voice through our union. We have the choice this year: we can make history together and reject that Jim Crow law by becoming the first North Carolina school district in 65 years to formally recognize a union, or we can continue with a status quo that isn’t working.

Student needs—and the staff responsible for nurturing our students everyday— must be at the center of decision-making for our schools. Meet and Confer would create a context for an employee representative organization, like DAE, to regularly collaborate with administration to improve our schools. It would allow union members to bring the combined wisdom of thousands of passionate, talented school staff into the conversation with district administration to better understand our students’ greatest needs and find solutions that are not possible when on-the-ground educators are left out of decision-making. This is how DPS can chart a path toward stability, better working conditions, staff retention, and better learning conditions for all our kids.

We need Meet and Confer more than ever because our public schools are under attack like never before. The General Assembly is diverting billions of dollars each year from public schools through pay cuts for corporations and private-school tuition vouchers. Gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson opposes teaching science and social studies in elementary school. Right here in Durham, the $9 million classified pay debacle and the top-down decision to cut pay for our lowest-paid workers to make up for management’s mistakes have DPS staff feeling less respected than ever. Trust in the district is at an all-time low and a staff turnover crisis is already hurting our students. It will get worse if we don’t rebuild hope and trust.

Thousands of my coworkers and I believe we owe it to our families, our students, and our future to follow in the footsteps of Dr. King and the Memphis sanitation workers and bravely stand up for union recognition, civil rights, and our public schools. And we have faith that the Durham community and the Durham Board of Education will follow in those footsteps with us. W

Symone Kiddoo is a Durham Public Schools social worker and president of the Durham Association of Educators.

DAE members picketing for union recognition and restoration of pay during their January 31 day of protest. PHOTO BY BRANDON MOND

Durham Lakewood Laments

Durham residents are dismayed about a redevelopment proposal for the Lakewood Shopping Center that includes self-storage and no new housing.

BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW jlaidlaw@indyweek.com

Lakewood Shopping Center has been a commercial hub in Durham for decades. Now, a developer has plans to revitalize the shopping district, and residents in the surrounding neighborhoods want to have a say in its future. At a meeting last month, residents weighed in on the potential redevelopment of the shopping center during a virtual meeting hosted by Morningstar Law Group, the law firm representing BrodyCo, the developer of the proposed project.

BrodyCo is a development firm based in Greenville, North Carolina, with nine projects in the state, including Lakewood Shopping Center, according to the firm’s website. The company mostly works on developing commercial centers.

The site proposed for redevelopment is roughly 8.35 acres and includes about half of the shopping center adjacent to Food Lion. The Scrap Exchange, the reuse arts center that purchased a 10-acre portion of the district in 2016, has been the other anchor tenant since moving to Lakewood in 2014.

Nil Ghosh, a spokesperson for Morningstar, said BrodyCo plans to revitalize the district and refresh the retail storefronts on its portion of the property by updating the facades and changing the size of the units to make them more affordable for local small businesses. The firm also plans to redesign the parking lot by adding more plants and sidewalks to make the large lot safer and easier to navigate for pedestrians. Ghosh said that tenants have complained about drag racing in the large, often empty parking lot.

The plan also includes adding climate-controlled self-storage to a portion of the site, which Ghosh said will help underwrite improvements to the project overall.

He added that the aesthetic of the storage space would resemble that of apartment units to help them blend into the property.

“This allows BrodyCo to recapitalize the property while maintaining the center as a primarily retail location,” Ghosh said. “Additionally, self-storage is a low-traffic, low-intensity, low-utility use. So the center will not be overburdened by this. But this will create another kind of anchor that will give the shopping center more stability in the long run.”

Many residents voiced concerns during the Q&A portion of the meeting about the lack of housing in the plan and said that self-storage added little value to the community. Several comments came in through the chat function on the Zoom call, which had about 200 participants.

“You are basically saying that the storage is the ‘cash cow’ to support the rest of the property. What types of studies have you done that support that thinking?” said Barbara Szombatfalvy, a resident.

“What is your metric for this being ‘beneficial?’ Where are thriving communities demanding self-storage? Move this to [U.S.] 15-501, not a residential neighborhood,” said Emilie Smith.

Lakewood has struggled to maintain its once vibrant attractions. The shopping center was previously home to a movie theater and small amusement park early in its history. Over the years, it has lost its appeal as shopping malls and brick-and-mortar retail have declined. Food Lion has remained an anchor tenant for decades, and other service-oriented businesses like El Centro Hispano and Lincoln Community Health Center have found success in the district.

No matter what BrodyCo chooses to develop, it will have a significant impact on the rest of the shopping center, which is mostly owned by the Scrap Exchange. Ghosh said the two groups have been in communication about future plans but no formal collaboration is expected.

In an op-ed for the INDY in 2017, Ann Woodard, the former executive director at the Scrap Exchange, put forth a grand vision for the declining shopping center. The plan included a reimagination of the entire site, with the Scrap Exchange as the driving force.

“Our long-term vision for the Reuse Arts District is a oneof–a-kind destination with makerspace and shops, art studios, galleries and artist marketplaces, gardens, a sculpture park, architectural salvage operations, affordable housing, a shipping container mall, and more,” Woodard wrote. “The near-term plan is to lease space in order to generate income to cover the financing costs. As part of that process, The Scrap Exchange will operate an 18,000-square-foot retail thrift store that can serve as an anchor tenant for the shopping center.”

It is unclear how the two sites will manage the redevelopment of the long-standing commercial tentpole of the Lakewood neighborhood. Renderings of the site were shared during the meeting, but no official development plan has been submitted to the City of Durham planning department yet, Ghosh said. BrodyCo will have to request a rezoning for the property to specifically include self-storage, which is not allowed under the city’s current zoning map. The development proposal will go to the Durham Planning Commission before the Durham City Council considers it during a public hearing. W

Lakewood Shopping Center in Durham PHOTO BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW

Chapel Hill

A Welcome Development

New housing planned for seniors near the former American Legion property has broad support in Chapel Hill and moves the town closer to meeting its affordable housing goals.

BY CHASE PELLEGRINI DE PAUR chase@indyweek.com

Last month, Chapel Hill’s town council continued the slow march toward fulfilling its lofty—and necessary— affordable housing goals.

The council unanimously voted to approve Longleaf Trace, a three-story, 48-unit development on three acres near the former American Legion property at 1708 and 1712 Legion Road.

The development will be entirely reserved for people 55 and older and is considered affordable, as determined by the area median income. Dustin Mills, president of Taft-Mills Group, told the council that for a family of two the income limit would be roughly $48,000. Taft-Mills Group is also currently partnering with the town and the local nonprofit Community Home Trust to build affordable housing on Jay Street. Community Home Trust is also a partner in the Legion Road project.

Mills said conversations with the nearby Turnberry

Lane Homeowners Association pushed them toward a 55-and-older community, because the building will use a smaller footprint than family-sized units would. This will leave about a third of the property, closest to the existing single-family homes on Clover Drive, undisturbed. Mills emphasized that the area is ideal for an aging community because of its easy access to transit, bike lanes, and grocery stores.

The lot is adjacent to the town’s 36-acre Legion Road property, which has been debated as the site of a future park and more affordable housing.

The council’s main concerns were about stormwater management. Council member Adam Searing pointed to the Hamlin Park condominiums as an example of an affordable development experiencing flooding problems, and council member Melissa McCullough added that those problems came about because “development took

place for generations without any cognizance to what they were causing in the way of stormwater problems.”

Mills reassured the council that this development will not cause more water to flow off the site.

“Well, that’s our town standard,” responded Mayor Jess Anderson. “That’s nonnegotiable,”

Council members Camille Berry and McCullough, both of whom noted that they are over 55 years, asked about e-bike charging stations to support that transit option. Mills said it was under consideration.

Residents who showed up to give public comments thanked the developer for work with nearby communities and asked that they continue to engage through the process.

The approval comes on the heels of the town’s affordable development plan and investment strategy, approved last year, and in the midst of conversations about a possible bond, which would include money for affordable housing, on the ballot in November.

The affordable housing plan found that the town is “in an affordable housing crisis” and “at a pivotal moment to address” it. Last year, the town approved St. Paul Village, a 350-unit development (including around 90 affordable units and 100 for seniors) on Rogers Road. While Longleaf Trace is much smaller, it’s another step toward the town’s goals.

Council member Paris Miller-Foushee applauded the council’s streamlined approval process, which allows projects like this to be approved in a single meeting rather than stretching over several months.

“I was almost in tears when I saw 100 percent affordable housing and at the age that you all are targeting,” Miller-Foushee said.

“This is a great project,” said council member Karen Stegman. “We need it, we need it yesterday, we need it last year.” W

Crenshaw Trace in Wake Forest, another senior housing development from the Taft-Mills Group PHOTO COURTESY OF

Raleigh From Court to Court

A Raleigh nonprofit raised $8.3 million for the city’s first cottage court in the historic Idlewild neighborhood.

BY JAMES BURRELL backtalk@indyweek.com

LeVelle Moton is a staple of Southeast Raleigh’s Idlewild community, one of the first neighborhoods in the city in which former slaves were permitted to buy homes.

The acclaimed head coach of North Carolina Central University’s men’s basketball team was raised there in the housing projects with his single mother, Hattie McDougald, and in 2022 the neighborhood park was named in Moton’s honor.

Now, Moton and Idlewild are both making history again for a new, innovative development that seeks to address the economic and systemic issues of homeownership and renting for those traditionally shut out.

Earlier this month, the nonprofit Raleigh Area Land Trust (RALT) announced it had secured $8.3 million to provide affordable housing in Idlewild. Moton is also one of the leaders and partners of development of the new project through his company, Raleigh Raised Development, along with Haven Design | Build.

“We have an opportunity to eradicate generational poverty,” Moton said of the project during a Raleigh City Council meeting in February.

The project, planned for a vacant lot and named “The Cottages of Idlewild,” has been in the works since 2020 and is slated to be completed by 2025. Various community partners and donors, including the City of Raleigh, provided financial support for Raleigh’s first affordable cottage court. It will be the first of its kind to provide permanent, affordable homeownership for first-time homebuyers in Wake County.

The project is incredibly personal to Moton, who lived on Jones Street growing up.

“My grandmother lived on Lane Street. My great-grandmother lived on Idlewild,” Moton recounted to the city council. “That was three generations of intergenerational poverty. And 40 years of that housing project existed. Needless to say, homeownership is super important. In the

1, 2024 INDYweek.com

’60s, ’63 I believe, when Dr. King marched on Washington, the premise of that march was for jobs, justice, and homeownership.”

Idlewild’s median income today is half Wake County’s average. Only 35 percent of residents in and around Idlewild are homeowners, compared to 69 percent in Wake County overall, according to U.S. census data.

According to the nonprofit trade association NC Realtors, the median home sale price in North Carolina surged to $314,988 in the fourth quarter of 2023, up from $201,000 in April 2020. This 37 percent increase underscores the urgency of addressing housing affordability, particularly in Wake County.

For low-to-moderate-income families, the project is designed to be a shared equity model for homeownership and affordability across generations, offering long-term stability for families and communities alike. It will have 18 affordable homes and rental opportunities for individuals and families making 50–80 percent of the area median income.

The Cottages of Idlewild’s cottage court model will have a central court, enhancing community connectivity and inclusivity and featuring art and other community installations. The cottage court design will work in unison with the community land trust (CLT) homeownership model, with CLT needs unaffected by market pressures.

RALT will maintain land ownership while each resident owns or rents their home. Because of this, the purchase price of a home is lower, allowing those with lower incomes to qualify. With the harmful effects of gentrification and redlining, the project is an example of investing in com-

munities to build generational wealth instead of displacing and limiting growth opportunities, especially for minorities.

Kevin Campbell, the executive director of RALT, is excited about the development and its potential impact on the community.

“It is all about leveling the playing field when it comes to homeownership,” Campbell says. “With the Cottages of Idlewild, we’re not just building houses; we’re building futures by lowering the barrier of entry to homeownership through affordable purchase prices.”

Campbell says he is proud of the supporters of the project, which included the NC Realtors Housing Foundation, Wells Fargo Foundation, and Coastal Credit Union Foundation, among others.

“This funding represents a significant milestone for RALT and underscores our unwavering commitment to addressing the pressing issue of affordable housing in Wake County,” he says. “With the support of our partners and donors, we are confident in our ability to make a tangible difference in meeting the housing needs of our community.”

In addition, RALT homebuyers will gain access to down payment assistance programs, stability through a predictable monthly mortgage, and tax savings benefits.

At the February city council meeting, Moton stressed the importance of going back to his community and giving back after the support it gave him.

“It’s not only a moral obligation, but it’s a social responsibility for me to come here and act on behalf of other people who have similar situations that couldn’t shoot a basketball as well as me, but they supported me,” he said. W

A rendering of the Cottages at Idlewild PHOTO COURTESY OF RALT

Rightsizing Representation

Raleigh voters could decide whether to add three more district seats to the city council. Some say the proposal needs more study.

BY JANE PORTER jporter@indyweek.com

At its meeting on March 19, the Raleigh City Council adopted two resolutions that could go before voters in a referendum this fall for implementation in the 2026 election cycle.

The first resolution proposes switching council terms from two-year terms for all members to four-year staggered terms with nonpartisan primaries. The second proposes adding three district seats to the current eight-member city council, taking it to an 11-member body, the maximum number of members that the council is allowed to have under state law.

While the switch to four-year staggered terms was extensively studied and recommended by a council-appointed 10-member study group in 2021, adding three new district seats to the council was not.

That’s a problem, some residents say.

Eric Braun, the chair of the study group on the election changes, says that, to his knowledge, the proposal to add three district seats was first mentioned publicly this year at a March 5 city council meeting. District B council member Megan Patton asked city staff to add the second resolution expanding the council from eight seats to 11. The council debated whether to add three district seats or a mix of district and at-large seats, but ultimately voted to pass the resolution to add three district seats 6–1 that day with only Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin voting in opposition.

“When it was discussed [on March 5], the only justification for adding three district seats was an assumption that it would reduce the workload of individual Councilors,” Braun wrote in a letter to the city council asking members to defer action on the resolution to add three more district seats. “However, no one produced any data, research or

empirical analysis supporting the assumption that adding district seats will make the City Council job more manageable. Assumptions and intuition cannot be the sole basis for Council’s decision to fundamentally change the size of City Council.”

Braun added that there is “substantial data and research addressing the importance of maintaining balance between district representation and at-large representation” on municipal governing bodies like the council.

A 2020 study from the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research found that district representatives often have “disproportionate influence” over approval of new development that could end up suppressing housing supply. A 2024 study from the European Journal of Political Economy found that district voting results in worse policy for minorities by, among other means, diluting their vote. Other recent studies show district seats impacting votes and representation of historically marginalized communities and eroding housing affordability.

Additionally, most of Raleigh’s peer cities—including Durham, Greensboro, and Charlotte—have an equal or roughly equal balance of at-large and district members.

District C council member Corey Branch, who is running for mayor this fall, says he does not support adding three new districts to the council before seeing any options of what the new districts would look like. (Branch was absent from the meeting on the day the council voted to add the three-district resolution.) Branch says he also favors the current method of electing council members where voters get to choose half of the council: their district member, the mayor, and the two at-large council members.

“That’s my biggest thing,” Branch says. “I would love for us to help people keep that option, where they can vote for at least half, or close to half, and have a voice. But if you have eight districts, you take that [option] away.”

But there is some indication that the public—in addition to some district council members who have said they feel their districts are too large to govern effectively (adding three districts would reduce the size of each from 90,000 residents to 57,000)—may be in favor of adding more dis-

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NICOLE PAJOR MOORE, MAP COURTESY OF CITY OF RALEIGH.

trict seats. A city-sponsored survey, conducted by the ETC Institute, found that, of 1,013 respondents, more than 50 percent supported adding “multiple” district seats. Thirty percent of respondents said they were very supportive, and 24 percent said they were somewhat supportive of adding three district seats. The proposal had similar levels of support across the city’s five districts and various age groups.

The neighborhood activist group Livable Raleigh has been clear that it, too, supports adding more district seats to the council as opposed to at-large seats, which were, in Raleigh’s history, used to prohibit minority residents from holding public office.

“At-Large seats may no longer be used in a blatantly racist manner,” the group wrote in an editorial this month. “But, we argue that has simply been replaced by the preferences of big dollar donors (because it costs a lot more to run At-Large, city-wide, than in a smaller district).”

City council member Jonathan Melton says that if he had to decide on adding seats tomorrow, he would choose to add just one district seat rather than three, a recommendation the election study group made to the council in 2021.

“But I can also understand the concerns of one district seat may not move the needle very much for rightsizing the size of our districts,” Melton says. “There are persuasive arguments on both sides of the benefits of having too many district council members.”

Although the resolution to add three district seats to the council can’t be altered at this point, the city council can decide not to move forward with putting it on the ballot for a referendum this fall. Residents have an opportunity to weigh in on this resolution and other election changes at a community engagement workshop on election reform on Wednesday, May 1, at Chavis Park Community Center. They can also email the council with their thoughts.

Melton says he is confident that the council will have enough time to discuss the proposal further because none of the election changes take place until 2026 and the city could bring forth a new resolution if needed.

Braun says the council should defer action on increasing the size of the council until there has been “adequate and thorough public engagement and more consideration given to the applicable evidence and research.”

“These are complex issues, and [some council members] seem to be operating on intuition or instinct,” Braun says. “That to me is not a justification to make changes to a policy that will affect every resident in the community.” W

The

most recognized award throughout the Triangle is back for 2024 — next up:

durham

County!

Nominate your favorite Durham County bar, veterinarian, bookshop, museum—whatever it may be, there are over 100 categories in which you can profess your favorite Durham County treasures. Have no fear: Orange & Chatham Counties will have their own nominations soon.

DURHAM COUNTY NOMINATIONS ARE LIVE ON 5/8!

Another year, another round of winners in the INDY ’s much-imitated, never-replicated Best of the Triangle contest, where you tell us who’s the best of the best in our beloved region.

While Best of the Triangle has been running for two decades now, INDY readers will notice that we’re doing things a little differently. Instead of presenting all winners in all categories, ranging from restaurants, bars, and yoga studios to hair salons, museums, and preschools, all at once, we’re running individual contests and presenting winners in different categories one county at a time—Wake, Durham, and Orange—starting with Wake.

This year’s list of Wake winners, as voted by our readers, is a wonderful reflection of the community in Wake County and all that it has to offer. You could make a perfect local day—or several—out of dining at the restaurants, touring the parks and museums, and shopping at all the stores for which our readers cast their ballots. There’s so much else to do, too: catch a show at one of Wake’s premier concert venues, drop in at a bookshop, or support a local nonprofit.

Thank you for nominating and voting for all of your favorites! Congratulations to all of the finalists in Wake, who will receive our coveted star decal to display in their windows. Winners will also receive a poster to display in their shop.

Look forward to our Durham and Orange County winners in future papers, and we’ll look forward to celebrating all of our winners in our special-edition paper in December.

CONTRIBUTORS: Sarah Edwards, Jane Porter, Justin Laidlaw, Chase Pellegrini de Paur, and Sam Overton

BEST ALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS IN WAKE COUNTY BITTERSWEET

Runners-up: Watts and Ward, Hummingbird

BEST BAGEL IN WAKE COUNTY

BENCHWARMERS

Despite the fact that virtually no other stalls at Transfer Street Food Co. are open before 10 a.m. on weekdays, people arrive in droves for their Benchwarmers fix. The nationally acclaimed bagel spot was the brainchild of former employees of Jubala Coffee and Boulted Bread—a match made in breakfast heaven. Enjoy an elevated classic like the farm cheese and pepper jelly bagel sandwich, or branch out with the Carolina Reaper cream cheese on a za’atar bagel. —SO

Runners-up: New York Bagel & Deli, Brueggers Bagels

BEST BAKERY IN WAKE COUNTY LA FARM

Runners-up: Little Blue Bakehouse, The Cupcake Shoppe

BEST BARBECUE IN WAKE COUNTY

LONGLEAF SWINE

Runners-up: Sam Jones Barbecue, Prime BBQ

BEST BEER RETAIL STORE IN WAKE COUNTY STATE OF BEER

Runners-up: Black Dog Bottle Shop, The Beerded Lady Bottleshop

BEST BISCUITS IN WAKE COUNTY THE FLYING BISCUIT

Runners-up: Rise, Biscuit Haven

BEST BREWERY IN WAKE COUNTY TROPHY BREWING

Runners-up: Lynwood Brewing Concern, Raleigh Brewing Company

BEST BRUNCH RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY IRREGARDLESS

CAFE

Runners-up: Briggs, Fiction Kitchen

BEST BURGER IN WAKE COUNTY MOJOE’S

Runners-up: Standard Food & Beverage, Wilson’s Eatery

BEST CATERING IN WAKE COUNTY CAFFE LUNA

Runners-up: Rocky Top, Armadillo Grill

BEST CHEAP EATS IN WAKE COUNTY

ALPACA PERUVIAN CHICKEN

In Wake County, Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken’s Brier Creek location may

be rivaled only by Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken’s Capital Boulevard location (or maybe its Garner, Apex, or Morrisville locations—they’re all great). With juicy chicken, scrumptious sides, and a rotating daily special, it’s hard to ask for better meals from a local spot. Alpaca’s food is complemented by its friendly, approachable, and often bilingual customer service, with workers who are always happy to help troubleshoot exactly how many pounds of chicken one should order to feed a group of any size. With about a dozen locations in and around the Triangle, and several more in the pipeline, it’s a staple that we should be proud to call our own. And only by eating there can you weigh in on the most contentious debate of our time: Green sauce or yellow sauce?

Runners-up: MoJoe’s, Captain Stanley’s Seafood

Runners-up: The

Runners-up: in Garner,

Best Cheap Eats in Wake County: Alpaca Peruvian Chicken PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER

BEST CHEESE SHOP IN WAKE COUNTY

RALEIGH CHEESY

Runners-up: Wegmans, Wine Authorities

BEST CHINESE RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY

FIVE STAR

BEST ALCOHOL-FREE VENUE IN WAKE COUNTY PULLEN PARK

built-in food court for those who need a boost before powering through their shopping list. Can’t read the label on the package of delicious udon noodles because it’s not in your native language? That sounds like a you problem. The store’s original Korean name, Han Ah Reum, translates to “one arm” but you’ll need all the hands you can get carrying out that cart full of pickled ginger and dragonfruit. —JL

Runners-up: Raleigh United Mutual Aid Hub (RUMAH), Umbrella Dry Bar

BEST ARBORETUM OR GARDEN IN WAKE COUNTY

JC RAULSTON

Runners-up: Pullen Park, Rose Garden

BEST DANCE VENUE IN WAKE COUNTY LEGENDS

A largely hidden gem nestled next to the train tracks near Glenwood South, Five Star serves up top-shelf Chinese food in a speakeasy-like environment. With the exception of the large mural of a woman holding a star with a pair of chopsticks at the restaurant’s entrance, Five Star’s vibe is extremely low-key. Its otherwise modest appearance hides an extensive drinks menu, fan-favorite entrées like Five Star General’s Chicken, and a rotating cast of DJs. Surprisingly, even the train tracks are charming—sit outside on a warm summer evening and crack a smile as the occasional train roars by. The food and drinks will make up for any missed conversation. —SO

Runners-up: Theater in the Park, Loafers Beach Club

Runners-up: Beansprout, Imperial Garden

BEST HOTEL IN WAKE COUNTY UMSTEAD

BEST COFFEE SHOP IN WAKE COUNTY SOLA

Runners-up: Heights House, Guest House

Runners-up: The Optimist, Aversboro Coffee

BEST HOTEL LOUNGE IN WAKE COUNTY LONGLEAF HOTEL

BEST DESSERTS IN WAKE COUNTY

Runners-up: Heights House, Holiday Inn

BITTERSWEET

Runners-up: Little Blue Bakehouse, The Cupcake Shoppe

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE WATCH IN WAKE COUNTY

DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

BEST DRAFT SELECTION IN WAKE COUNTY

Runners-up: NC Museum of Art, Pullen Park

RALEIGH BEER GARDEN

Runners-up: Beerded Lady Bottle Shop in Garner, Black Dog Bottle Shop

BEST PRESCHOOL/EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN WAKE COUNTY

PROJECT ENLIGHTENMENT

BEST ETHNIC GROCERY STORE IN WAKE COUNTY

H MART

Runners-up: Benson Memorial Preschool, Chesterbrook Academy

BEST KARAOKE PLACE/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY

TINROOF

While most grocery chains settle for relegating “ethnic” foods to the “international” aisle, the entirety of H Mart is dedicated to the flavors and cuisines of the Asian diaspora. The store has a

Runners-up: Berkeley Cafe, Flex

Runners-up: El Toro Supermarket, Bombay Central

BEST SPORTS BAR IN WAKE COUNTY PLAYER’S RETREAT

BEST FOOD TRUCK IN WAKE COUNTY

Runners-up: Carolina Ale House, Hero’s Pub & Sandwich Shop

GYM TACOS

BEST SUMMER CAMP IN WAKE COUNTY MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM

Gym Tacos’ permanent storefront captured the hearts and minds of Mexican-food lovers when it opened in 2022, but locals know the restaurant’s humble beginnings as a bright orange food truck. Formerly located in Six Forks, the taco-mobile has since moved to South Saunders Street. Although the sit-down restaurant has the same delicious offerings, there’s something special about enjoying a taco on the side of the road at nine p.m. on a Wednesday. They’ll even cater your wedding if you so choose— you may ques-o the bride. —SO

a summer camp experience that’s fun and educational, convenient, and affordable. While I’m working, I know they’ll be having a blast making art at ImagiFab or tending the museum garden at Sun Sprouts. That’s peace of mind for me and a memorable summer break for them— just one reason why we’re happy to support Marbles Kids Museum all year. —JP

Runners-up: Raleigh Little Theatre,

I’m not embarrassed to admit that part of my calculus in wanting to remain close to downtown Raleigh was to live in walking proximity to Marbles Kids Museum. And this summer, I know I won’t be regretting that decision when I drop the kids off at Marbles summer camp. My kids, like all the kids you’ll find at Marbles, absolutely love the Kids Museum, and it’s truly a gift to local parents that the museum offers

Runners-up: Curry in a Hurry, Not Just a Fry Guy

BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY CHEENI

Runners-up: Bombay Curry in Raleigh, Himalayan Range

BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY

BELLA MONICA

Runners-up: Casa Carbone, Assagio’s

BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY WARAJI

Runners-up: Kanki, Ajisai

BEST LATE NIGHT MEAL – PAST 10 P.M. IN WAKE COUNTY MY WAY TAVERN

Runners-up: Waffle House, Hero’s Pub & Sandwich Shop

BEST TRIVIA

Runners-up: Hammered Trivia at Raleigh Brewing Company with Jeren, Brewster’s Pub

Best Alcohol-Free Venue and Best Place to People Watch in Wake County: Pullen Park

PHOTO BY BEN MCKEOWN

Pullen Park

BAR/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY THE BEERDED LADY BOTTLE SHOP

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY

EL RODEO

Runners-up: Taqueria El Toro, La Santa

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR IN WAKE COUNTY THE DAVIE

Runners-up: Black Dog Bottle Shop, Beerded Lady Bottle Shop in Garner

BEST NEW RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY

MADRE

Runners-up: Ajja, Taco Bamba

BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC DRINKS IN WAKE COUNTY

CUP

A JOE

Don’t forget your beans! Cup A Joe is one of Wake County’s oldest coffee shops, but the local watering hole has become so much more than a café—it’s a gathering place, a study nook, a post-workout oasis, and a fantastic place to gossip. Its menu is extensive, and each weekday features a different special—try a Trainwreck (don’t ask) on “Wired Wednesday.” Highly caffeinated concoctions aside, Cup A Joe is Raleigh’s version of Cheers or Central Perk: regulars come and go with smiles and humongous cups of drip coffee, and there’s a story at every mismatched table. —SO

Runners-up: Umbrella Dry Bar, Killjoy

BEST PIZZA IN WAKE COUNTY

OAKWOOD PIZZA BOX

Runners-up: DiFara, Rudinos

BEST SEAFOOD IN WAKE COUNTY

N.C. SEAFOOD RESTAURANT AT THE FARMERS MARKET

Runners-up: Cape Fear Seafood, The Fish House Apex

BEST SMALL PLATES/TAPAS IN WAKE COUNTY

BARCELONA WINE BAR

Runners-up: Stanbury, Ajja

BEST SOUTHERN FOOD IN WAKE COUNTY

BIG ED’S DINER

Runners-up: Beasley’s Chicken, Longleaf Swine

BEST SUSHI IN WAKE COUNTY CITY MARKET SUSHI

Runners-up: Ajisai, Yuri Japanese Restaurant

BEST WINE LIST IN WAKE COUNTY

ANGUS BARN

Runners-up: Barcelona Wine Bar Raleigh, Jolie

BEST WINE RETAIL STORE IN WAKE COUNTY

RALEIGH WINE SHOP

Runners-up: Wine Authorities, Great Grapes

BEST WINGS IN WAKE COUNTY BUFFALO BROTHERS

Runners-up: MoJoe’s, Moonrunners

BEST THAI RESTAURANT IN WAKE COUNTY

SUSHI THAI

Runners-up: Lemongrass, Thai Lotus

BEST VEGETARIAN EATERY IN WAKE COUNTY SASSOOL

Runners-up: Fiction Kitchen, Irregardless Cafe

BEST ALCOHOL-FREE VENUE IN WAKE COUNTY PULLEN PARK

Runners-up: Raleigh United Mutual Aid Hub (RUMAH), Umbrella Dry Bar

BEST ARBORETUM OR GARDEN IN WAKE COUNTY JC RAULSTON

Runners-up: Pullen Park, Rose Garden

BEST DANCE VENUE IN WAKE COUNTY LEGENDS

Runners-up: Theater in the Park, Loafers Beach Club

BEST HOTEL IN WAKE COUNTY UMSTEAD

Runners-up: Heights House, Guest House

BEST HOTEL LOUNGE IN WAKE COUNTY LONGLEAF HOTEL

Runners-up: Heights House, Holiday Inn

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE WATCH IN WAKE COUNTY DOWNTOWN RALEIGH

Runners-up: NC Museum of Art, Pullen Park

BEST PRESCHOOL/EARLY EDUCATION PROGRAM IN WAKE COUNTY

PROJECT ENLIGHTENMENT

Runners-up: Benson Memorial Preschool, Chesterbrook Academy

BEST KARAOKE PLACE/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY TINROOF

Runners-up: Berkeley Cafe, Flex

BEST SPORTS BAR IN WAKE COUNTY PLAYER’S RETREAT

Runners-up: Carolina Ale House, Hero’s Pub & Sandwich Shop

BEST SUMMER CAMP IN WAKE COUNTY

MARBLES KIDS MUSEUM

I’m not embarrassed to admit that part of my calculus in wanting to remain close to downtown Raleigh was to live in walking proximity to Marbles Kids Museum. And this summer, I know I won’t be regretting that decision when I drop the kids off at Marbles summer camp. My kids, like all the kids you’ll find at Marbles, absolutely love the Kids Museum, and it’s truly a gift to local parents that the museum offers

a summer camp experience that’s fun and educational, convenient, and affordable. While I’m working, I know they’ll be having a blast making art at ImagiFab or tending the museum garden at Sun Sprouts. That’s peace of mind for me and a memorable summer break for them— just one reason why we’re happy to support Marbles Kids Museum all year. —JP

Runners-up: Raleigh Little Theatre, Pullen Park

BEST TRIVIA BAR/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY THE BEERDED LADY BOTTLE SHOP

Runners-up: Hammered Trivia at Raleigh Brewing Company with Jeren, Brewster’s Pub

Best Alcohol-Free Venue and Best Place to People Watch in Wake County: Pullen Park

PHOTO BY BEN MCKEOWN

BEST CHEF IN WAKE COUNTY

ASHLEY CHRISTENSEN

Runners-up: Cheetie Kumar, Scott Crawford

BEST DRAFT-SLINGER IN WAKE COUNTY

CAILIN AT CLOUDS TAPROOM

Runners-up: Eddie at Beerded Lady in Garner, Justin at Carpenter Wine Cellar

BEST DJ IN WAKE COUNTY

DJ K STONES

Runners-up: 20th Century Boy, DJ Grant

BEST-KEPT SECRET IN WAKE COUNTY

22 STRINGS BAND

Runners-up: Black Dog Bottle Shop, Beerded Lady Bottle Shop in Garner

BEST LOCAL ACTIVIST GROUP IN WAKE COUNTY

LIVABLE RALEIGH

Runners-up: Raleigh United Mutual Aid Hub (RUMAH), NC Triangle DSA

BEST MIXOLOGIST IN WAKE COUNTY

MARA SUDOL

BEST KIDS NONPROFIT IN WAKE COUNTY

NOTE IN THE POCKET

More than 7,000 children will experience homelessness in Wake County this year. Note in the Pocket, a nonprofit that has provided clothes for more than 54,000 individuals since 2013, works to make the lives of those children, and other children living in poverty, a little bit easier. Through school or social service agency referrals, Note in the Pocket provides stylish basics— think tops and pants, coats and shoes— for children who have been identified as clothing insecure. Volunteers hand-select a wardrobe for two weeks’ worth of wear, in the sizes and items that each child needs specifically, and then make arrangements to deliver the clothes to families. Support Note in the Pocket by donating clothes or money or participating in one of the nonprofit’s events such as the annual Socks & Undie 5k Rundie. It’s one of the best groups out there caring for local children. —JP

Runners-up: Marbles Kids Museum, Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship

Runners-up: Ian Murray, Connor Cooke

BEST NONPROFIT IN WAKE COUNTY

SECOND CHANCE PET ADOPTIONS

Runners-up: Five Hearts Therapeutic Horsemanship, Activate Good

BEST POLITICIAN IN WAKE COUNTY

DEBORAH ROSS

Runners-up: Mary Black, Christina Jones

BEST REASON TO LEAVE WAKE COUNTY

MARK ROBINSON

Runners-up: Housing prices, Overdevelopment

BEST REASON TO LOVE WAKE COUNTY

TREES AND GREEN SPACE

Runners-up: Access to amenities, The people

BEST USE OF PUBLIC MONEY IN WAKE COUNTY

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Runners-up: Parks, Libraries

BIGGEST WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY IN WAKE COUNTY

BIKE LANES

Runners-up: RPD, Dix Park

Best Chef in Wake County: Ashley Christensen PHOTO COURTESY OF SUBJECT

BEST BARBER SHOP IN WAKE COUNTY MISTER POMPADOUR

Runner-up: A Better Man’s Barbershop

BEST CHILDCARE IN WAKE COUNTY

CHESTERBROOK ACADEMY

Runners-up: Children’s Lighthouse, Good Kids

BEST CHIROPRACTIC PRACTICE IN WAKE COUNTY

BLOOM FAMILY WELLNESS

Runners-up: Oak City Chiropractic, Crabtree Chiropractic

BEST DENTAL PRACTICE IN WAKE COUNTY

LANE & ASSOCIATES DENTISTRY

Runners-up: Triangle Dentistry: Smith, Tart & Associates, Bass and Watson Family Dental

BEST DERMATOLOGICAL PRACTICE IN WAKE COUNTY BLUE RIDGE DERMATOLOGY

Runners-up: Dr. Mathias, Andrus Associates Dermatology

BEST HAIR SALON IN WAKE COUNTY

SOUTHERN ROOTS BEAUTY BAR

Runners-up: Moss Raleigh Salon, Tone Hair Salon

BEST HOLISTIC MEDICINE IN WAKE COUNTY

THE FOUNTAIN ACUPUNCTURE AND HERBAL MEDICINE

Runners-up: Triangle Acupuncture Clinic, Regenesis MD

BEST GYM IN WAKE COUNTY OAK AND IRON FITNESS

Runners-up: Studio Volare, Renu Health & Fitness

BEST MASSAGE THERAPIST IN WAKE COUNTY

KNEADED MASSAGE

Runners-up: Align Massage and Wellness, Nadia Ibarrola Massage

BEST PEDIATRIC PRACTICE IN WAKE COUNTY

DURANT ROAD PEDIATRICS

Runners-up: Oberlin Road Pediatrics, Carolina Kids Pediatrics

BEST SPA IN WAKE COUNTY THE SPA AT UMSTEAD

Runners-up: Lorena Luca, Woodhouse

BEST VETERINARY PRACTICE IN WAKE COUNTY

CARE FIRST ANIMAL HOSPITAL

Runners-up: Leesville Animal Hospital, Gentle Care

BEST WOMEN’S HEALTH PRACTICE IN WAKE COUNTY ARBOR OBGYN

Runners-up: MidCarolina OBGYN, Carolina Elite Women’s Care

BEST YOGA STUDIO IN WAKE COUNTY

DOSE YOGA

Runners-up: Indigo Hot Yoga, BarreUp Raleigh

BEST ATTORNEY IN WAKE COUNTY

CARA GIBBONS JACKSON LAW

Runners-up: Ward Family Law, Jackie Bedard

BEST AUTO DEALER IN WAKE COUNTY

LEITH HONDA

Runners-up: Sir Walter, Reggie Jackson Airport Honda

BEST AUTO MECHANIC IN WAKE COUNTY

AUTOBAHN AUTOMOTIVE

Runners-up: Boyce McKaskill, P&A Smith

BEST BRIDAL STORE/BOUTIQUE IN WAKE COUNTY

GILDED BRIDAL

Runners-up: New York Bride and Groom, David’s Bridal

BEST CBD/HEAD SHOP IN WAKE COUNTY

NC HEMP SHOPPE

Runners-up: Nature’s Releaf® Hemp Store, Capitol Smoke

BEST CLOTHING CONSIGNMENT IN WAKE COUNTY

DORCAS

Runners-up: Revolver, Kids2Kids Garner

BEST DANCE STUDIO IN WAKE COUNTY

CC&CO DANCE COMPLEX

Runners-up: North Carolina Dance Institute, Cary Ballet Company

BEST DOG BOARDING IN WAKE COUNTY

MOSA PET SPA & RESORT

Runners-up: PetSound Daycare and Boarding, Companion Animal Hospital of Wakefield

BEST DOG GROOMING IN WAKE COUNTY

MOSA PET SPA & RESORT

Runners-up: Pack and Pride, Petsound Daycare and Boarding

BEST DOG TRAINING IN WAKE COUNTY

SALLY SAID SO

Runners-up: Topline K9 Solutions, Mosa Pet Spa Report & Boutique

BEST DOG WALKING IN WAKE COUNTY

PEAK CITY PUPPY

Runners-up: Amanda’s Best Friend, Pack & Pride

BEST ELECTRICIAN IN WAKE COUNTY

CMC ELECTRIC

Runners-up: Surge Electric, Streamline Services

BEST HVAC COMPANY IN WAKE COUNTY AIR EXPERTS

Runners-up: Design Mechanical, Excel Tech

BEST INSURANCE COMPANY IN WAKE COUNTY (TIE) CAROLINA INSURANCE ADVISORS & AMANDA HAGOOD STATE FARM

Runner-up: Snotherly Insurance

BEST JEWELER/JEWELRY STORE IN WAKE COUNTY

BAILEY’S FINE JEWELRY

Runners-up: Joint Venture Jewelry, Mark Andrews Jewelers

BEST LANDSCAPER IN WAKE COUNTY

FAIRWAY GREEN

Runners-up: Jones Landscaping, Arrowhead

BEST LOCAL BOOKSTORE IN WAKE COUNTY QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS

This Raleigh bibliophile’s paradise, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, is uncommonly spacious for a bookstore, and you could easily lose a few hours wandering around its shelves. There are plenty of reasons beyond book-buying, too, to keep Quail Ridge Books on rotation: the store plays frequent host to several book clubs and authors passing through the Triangle on book tours. —SE

Runners-up: Readers Corner, So & So Books

BEST NEW BUSINESS IN WAKE COUNTY

BLACKBIRD BOOKS AND COFFEE

You can never have enough independent bookstores, right? Blackbird Books and Coffee is a haven for locals looking to live out their dreams of sitting in the sunshine, sipping on a latte, and enjoy-

ing a gripping piece of prose. You’ll often see co-owners Hannah and Bre floating around the store, always game for a bit of conversation about your latest read. The coffee is to die for, too—no watery drip here, just full-bodied lattes courtesy of Black & White Roasters (or a cup of tea, if a high-octane reading session isn’t your thing). Novel-themed goodies and mystery books wrapped in butcher paper line the walls, perfect for the fellow reader in your life. Blackbird is downtown Raleigh’s newest refuge for bookworms— step inside, take a seat, and settle in with a good book. —SO

Runners-up: Sneaky Penguin, Woke Up Like This

BEST

PAINTERS

IN WAKE COUNTY MONTOYA PAINTING

Runners-up: Baker and Sons, Hardee Painting Co.

BEST

PLACE

TO BUY LOCALLY MADE ART IN WAKE COUNTY

DECO RALEIGH

There isn’t a better place to shop for firsttime North Carolinians than DECO. The expansive downtown Raleigh storefront is packed with unique goodies from local artists and independent creators for hockey lovers, budding mixologists, young artisans, and everyone in between. Pick out one of visual artist Caitlin Cary’s pieces: her “needleprint” works of art, available in varying sizes, portray vital components of Raleigh’s culture (think Krispy Kreme and Mitch’s Tavern). Or shop the DECO

x Canes collection just in time for the NHL playoffs. —SO

Runners-up: Painted Tree, Cary Farmers Market

BEST REAL ESTATE COMPANY IN WAKE COUNTY

RALEIGH REALTY

Runners-up: Carlton Realty Co., Inhabit Real Estate

BEST REALTOR (INDIVIDUAL’S NAME) IN WAKE COUNTY WILLIAM FITZGERALD

Runners-up: Kate Carlton, Leslie Ward

BEST VINTAGE STORE IN WAKE COUNTY

FATHER AND SON ANTIQUES

A colorful knit yoga blanket. A pair of red cowgirl boots. A purple vintage cocktail dress and some Italian leather slingback heels. These are some of my favorite treasures that I’ve scavenged at Father and Son over the years. The downtown Raleigh staple may be best known for its antiques, but don’t sleep on the store’s vast collection of clothes, books, records, jewelry, and other assorted bric-a-brac. Father and Son’s collections are unlike any other you’ll find in Raleigh vintage or secondhand stores. Be sure to give yourself ample time to browse as there’s something there—or more often, many things there—for everyone. —JP

Runners-up: Raleigh Furniture Gallery, Boot and Trunk

Best Local Bookstore in Wake County: Quail Ridge Books

PHOTO BY D.L. ANDERSON

BEST ART GALLERY IN WAKE COUNTY

NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART

Runners-up: Artspace, Gregg Museum of Art & Design

BEST ART MUSEUM IN WAKE COUNTY

NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART

It can be easy to take museums for granted but the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA), one of the preeminent museums in the American South—and the first in the country to use public funds to create a museum, in a rare positive move by the General Assembly!— deserves top-of-mind space. Beyond its touring exhibitions and recently reimagined People’s Collection, the sprawling lawns around the museum are ideal for picnics and long weekend hangs. Check NCMA’s calendar for frequent outdoor programming, too, including dance and musical performances. —SE

Runners-up: CAM Raleigh, Gregg Museum of Art & Design

BEST

COMEDY CLUB/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY

GOODNIGHTS COMEDY CLUB

Runners-up: Raleigh Improv, ComedyWorx

BEST DRAG SHOW/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY

LEGENDS

Runners-up: Ruby Deluxe, Crepe Myrtle Drag Brunch

BEST

ELECTRONIC CONCERT

VENUE IN WAKE COUNTY RED HAT AMPITHEATER

Maybe it’s the intimate space, maybe it’s the location on the edge of downtown in full view of the shimmer wall. Maybe it’s the fact that it regularly draws a diverse range of bands: your jam bands, your ’90s giants, your solo acts. There’s something special about Red Hat Amphitheater and the talent it brings to the City of Oaks. I’ve spent more than a few summer evenings drinking tall boys on the lawn (or in the pit!) and taking in the sounds of everyone from Lorde to Lizzo, The Machine to the

Dirty Heads. Something about the venue just screams summer, and we won’t have it for much longer—at least not in its existing location (though at just one block south, Red Hat Amphitheater’s new site, opening in 2026, won’t be too far away from where it is now). We’re hopeful its magic moves with it. —JP

Runners-up: Koka Booth Ampitheater, Pour House

BEST FILM THEATRE VENUE/EVENT IN WAKE COUNTY ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE

Runners-up: Rialto, Marbles IMAX

BEST LOCAL/REGIONAL PODCAST IN WAKE COUNTY BASICALLY FAMOUS PODCAST

Runners-up: Beltline to Broadway, Hairapy with Wendy Vaughan

BEST MUSEUM IN WAKE COUNTY MUSEUM OF NATURAL

SCIENCES

Runners-up: NC History Museum, City of Raleigh Museum

BEST RADIO STATION IN WAKE COUNTY WUNC

Runners-up: 97.5, WCPE

BEST THEATRE COMPANY IN WAKE COUNTY

RALEIGH LITTLE THEATRE

Runners-up: North Raleigh Arts & Creative Theatre, Cary Players

BEST UNPLUGGED CONCERT VENUE IN WAKE COUNTY KOKA BOOTH AMPITHEATER

You haven’t known bliss until you attend a summertime concert at Koka Booth Amphitheater. Its prime location next to Symphony Lake offers countless opportunities to wander across 14 acres of pine needles and big, beautiful trees. Beyond seasonal staples like the NC Chinese Lantern Festival and the Summer Jazz Series, consider yourself lucky if your favorite artist makes a trip to Koka Booth in the warmer months. Sprawling yet intimate, the venue is perfect for even a midday picnic during non-event days if you’re looking for an escape near downtown Cary. —SO

Runners-up: Red Hat Amphitheater, Lincoln Theatre

Best Art Gallery and Art Museum in Wake County: NCMA PHOTO BY D.L. ANDERSON

Best Unplugged Concert Venue in Wake County: Koka Booth Ampitheater

PHOTO BY D.L. ANDERSON

FO O D & D R I N K

Construction Woes

Owners of Durham bars say that ongoing construction is taking a toll on their businesses.

BY JUSTIN LAIDLAW jlaidlaw@indyweek.com

On a frigid winter night two years ago in downtown Durham, a band of loyal customers huddled over drinks at Fullsteam Brewery. Outside the brewery’s tall bay doors, which were ajar, a large generator spewed diesel fumes.

Sean Lilly Wilson, Fullsteam’s founder and self-titled “chief executive optimist,” was having his title tested. He described this scene to the INDY, adding that he took to the company’s Instagram page to share the challenges Fullsteam was facing amid the construction of a high-end 51-unit apartment complex next door to the brewery’s Rigsbee Avenue location.

“With grit and grace, we’ve endured years of construction-related challenges,” Wilson wrote. “Alas, it’s winter. Now’s the time to stand with the independent, locally-owned small businesses that paved the way for the growth you witness today.”

Since July 2022, the side door to the brewery’s much-adored alleyway patio space had been locked due to the adjoining construction project from Elmwood Group. Although Fullsteam does not own its building, the business still has a right to use the alleyway for fire egress purposes. To meet the fire code, Fullsteam’s sliding red door at the entrance to the bar was required to stay open even in the cold. Not only had Fullsteam lost its prized outdoor seating, it was also losing potential indoor customers during a season that’s already historically slow for bars.

Two years later, that construction is ongoing. The INDY reached out to Elmwood Group but they were not available for comment.

“We were definitely told that it would be a shorter project,” Wilson tells the INDY Durham has been perpetually under construction for over a decade as the city has

seen a population boom. As a result, many downtown businesses are required to be flexible and accommodating as projects get under way, with the promise of more customers to come.

But businesses like Fullsteam, which have set the tempo for downtown life over the years, are being left behind, Wilson says. He worries that some businesses on the block won’t survive the construction long enough to reap the purported benefits waiting for them on the other side.

Navigating the construction issues

Elmwood Group, a development firm previously based in Atlanta but now headquartered in Durham, owns three properties in the area under their “Rigsbee Collection” including the 710 Rigsbee complex next to Fullsteam. The project, titled “Phase 2” on the Elmwood Group website, is a six-story, mixed-use development covering a half acre. Construction broke ground in the summer of 2022 and was estimated to finish at the end of 2023, but the project is still ongoing.

Delays like this are not uncommon. An unexpected storm or delayed shipment of materials can set back a site for days or even weeks. But those delays also hurt neighboring businesses, says Ari Sanders, director of taproom operations at Fullsteam, and without clear communication from the developers, business owners are left in the dark, creating challenges for their staff and customers.

“We were looking forward to a great year,” Sanders says, “then we got an email: ‘Hey, we’re gonna block the street off in front of

you for about 30 days.’ Then it turned into 60 days, and what wasn’t quite clear was there was going to be a massive generator directly in front of our front door, blowing diesel fumes, putting out so much noise that it was pretty much OSHA noncompliant in front of our building for months.”

Evading construction equipment in downtown Durham can feel like a game of Ninja Warrior. Ducking under scaffolding, leaping over potholes, plugging your ears to block the chiseling sound of jackhammers—they all present serious obstacles to customers trying to access their favorite watering hole. Even if patrons arrive at the bar unscathed, there’s no guarantee the business will be operating at full capacity due to construction disruptions.

“We’re a manufacturing business, not just a taproom,” Wilson says. “And we would have instances, and still have instances, where electricity is just magically shut off for hours at a time with little notice or awareness. We definitely had brew sessions interrupted through water being turned off with no notice. That’s a very expensive interruption where we’re at risk of losing large batches of beer.”

The combination of COVID and construction hit the taproom’s bottom line hard. Fullsteam still supported its employees with pay increases, as workers across Durham navigate an increased cost of living. Wilson says that faithful customers stayed committed to supporting Fullsteam through the tough times, but unlike during

the pandemic when businesses received Paycheck Protection Program funds from the federal government, there is no remuneration from the city or developers for construction-related losses.

“I have nothing but appreciation for those who’ve come out to support us and help us get through a challenging time on the heels of COVID, which was its own challenge,” Wilson says. “Here, we don’t have government support. You know, we’re kind of on our own.”

What is the city’s role in managing these relationships?

The rules on the books in Durham suggest that developers bear little responsibility in communicating with future neighbors. Local businesses, instead, must rely on developers to be forthcoming about potential disruptions.

“Individual developers do not have any additional responsibilities to their neighbors beyond respecting trespass law,” says Alexander Cahill, senior development services manager with the Durham planning department. “The only notification requirements are associated with blasting, and that’s permitted by the fire departments. It is fairly common for developers to voluntarily communicate with nearby neighbors about issues such as street closings, but that is not required. Such closures are permitted by either the city or NC [Depart-

Rigsbee Avenue near Fullsteam Brewery in Durham

PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

ment of Transportation] as applicable.”

Jeremy Roth, managing partner at Motorco Music Hall, a music venue across the street from Fullsteam, says the city should collect funds from the projects when they fail to meet expectations and use those funds to improve the process for development in Durham.

“You don’t have to build a condo in Durham,” Roth says. “You don’t have to. We’re letting you do that. We’re allowing that process to happen.”

Existing zoning for property in downtown Durham is less restrictive than other areas of the Durham zoning map. In many cases, no additional rezoning is required for new projects to start building, giving the city council limited strength in negotiations with prospective developers. But some projects do require easements and other adjustments, which provides an opening for the city council to bargain for proffers such as payments to the affordable housing fund. Small business owners like Roth see an opportunity for the city to leverage its powers to hold development projects accountable and support small businesses in the process.

“One of the aspects of allowing that process to happen is just we have city inspections, we have inspectors for the trades,” Roth says. “And they come in and they say that’s not done right. Do it again and you pay for that. You pay for that inspector to come out, you pay for the permit, and we all understand the cost of constructing something. What I’m saying is, there should also be just an overall level of coordination citywide that is funded by these fees.”

Early in Durham’s downtown revival, the “DIY” district was one of its go-to destinations. Businesses now considered Durham institutions—Cocoa Cinnamon, Surf Club, Geer Street Garden, the Pickleback, Fullsteam, and Motorco—were young upstarts that cultivated a vibrant, welcoming business district. Nearly a decade after the district established itself, numerous new businesses have joined the fray throughout downtown, increasing competition. Roth says it’s hard to attract customers to an area that’s constantly under construction.

“You know, I’m just doing my books, trying to keep costs down, and market to customers around this ordeal,” Roth says. “[The construction] just makes the neighborhood very, very unappealing. You can imagine, you know, you’re downtown, and you’re thinking about going down to what Sean Wilson calls the DIY district. And you start walking down Rigsbee and you see all the orange cones and fences and trucks parked across the road and it’s like, ‘I don’t want to go down there.’ And we’re definite-

ly feeling that, we’re seeing that.”

Wilson moved to Durham in 1992 and says that its unique architecture and charm was one of the things that first attracted him to the area.

“When we were first looking at why Durham made so much sense for us starting a brewery, like a lot of people, we loved its bones and the spirit of Durham,” Wilson says. “I do worry that it’s turning into Anytown, USA.”

Downtown Durham has seen its share of the pervasive “five-over-one” apartment complexes cropping up in recent years as local leaders look to urbanize the city center further. As of July 2023, over 2,000 units are under construction with 2,000 more units announced, according to the 2023 State of Downtown Durham report.

“Apartments don’t go out for beers, people living in them do. They’re going to be empty when they’re $2,100 for a two-bedroom,” Sanders speculates. “So unless the supply of apartments helps the market correct the pricing, they’re going to be empty units.”

New condos downtown have a broad range of occupancy. Liberty Warehouse, an apartment complex that sits between Rigsbee and Foster Street, a block from Fullsteam, was the first to land in the district, in 2017. A spokesperson for Greystar, the global real estate company that owns the apartments, says that it is at 95 percent occupancy. Beckon Apartments, also owned by Greystar and located on Liggett Street, is at 61 percent capacity, with unit prices ranging from $1,200 to $4,400.

With the rising cost of living and no sign of the housing market settling, it’s unclear whether the purported benefits of new residents put forth by the city and the developers are on the horizon. Beyond the construction, Sanders worries that, once the dust settles, the apartments may draw new residents less comfortable with the district’s lively sensibility.

“Is a $2,100 one-bedroom person a person who’s gonna like Fullsteam?” Sanders says. “Are they a person who is gonna like Surf Club, or are they a person who’s gonna call the cops when Surf Club is loud? I’ve been here before Liberty [Warehouse] was here. People complained about the noise at the park, but you moved beside a park. I know about the complaints that Pickleback gets. Well, you moved across the street from a nightclub. So a little bit of me has concerns about [whether] our new neighbors are people who are invested in our neighborhood. I don’t think living next door to each other makes you neighbors. I think what makes you neighbors is a shared vision for the community you share.” W

Common Ground

A multidisciplinary three-day festival at UNC-Chapel Hill draws community members into conversation with new performances.

BY BYRON WOODS arts@indyweek.com

Acommons is a bustling, populous place: a space where a community convenes to celebrate, share resources, and deliberate and act on common concerns.

At first glance, the census only stands at six for The Commons: Southern Futures, a three-day festival of performances and workshops this weekend that culminates a two-week residency at UNC-Chapel Hill’s CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio. A cohort of local Black artists, including poets Cortland Gilliam and CJ Suitt, spoken word artist and musician Johnny Lee Chapman III, choreographers Jasmine Powell and Anthony “Otto” Nelson Jr., and playwright and composer Sylvester Allen Jr., have collaborated to curate and present new works.

Set the aperture wider, though, and the space begins to fill, with collaborating dance and visual artists, stage designers, and technicians. There’s also the supporting infrastructure of Carolina Performing Arts and Culture Mill, the Saxapahaw-based performing arts laboratory now celebrating its 10th season, which designed the Commons fes-

tival to strengthen the local arts ecosystem by facilitating partnerships between Black artists and funding organizations, scholars, businesses and communities.

Zoom out farther and the neighbors and the kids come in: after the festival’s principals conduct interactive creative workshops Sunday morning at historic Hargraves Community Center in Chapel Hill’s Northside district, muralists and graffiti artists will teach their crafts alongside art vendors, just beyond the food trucks at a Hargraves Park block party.

Now, adjust your vision to include the people the six artists will bring forth in their works this weekend:

Forty-two uncles, aunts, and cousins, members of an extended “ride or die” family who’ve banded together to buy the plantation land where their ancestors once worked— and keep in the family a house where some of their spirits dwell, in Powell’s dance theater work Self Untitled

A delegate to Virginia’s constitutional convention, the first Black lawman in Alamance County, and the leader of a Black militia regiment in South Carolina—all destined to

be murdered by white supremacists—who share a night of rare hospitality in the 1800s, in Allen’s drama The First and Final Meeting of Jim, Joe and Wyatt

A military kid who doesn’t find his Southern roots until he spends a decade in Chapel Hill, first as an undergraduate and now as a doctoral candidate, in Gilliam’s poetry cycle Wooden Nickels.

A poet whose belief in Sankofa—the Ghanaian precept of retrieving the good from the past to make the present whole—takes a deeper meaning after the recent deaths of his mother and a favorite aunt, in Chapel Hill poet laureate Suitt’s 3731.

A dancer who curates his lived experiences in a queer Black body by interrogating the notion of authenticity within the ballroom culture concept of “realness”—flawless portrayals of human forms and social roles that dancers cannot otherwise access for themselves—in Nelson’s Self En Titled

And a songwriter whose fantastic, metaphorical autobiography as a merman twists toward horror as he probes the dark backstory of their relationships with mariners and those who walk dry land during the dawn of modern medicine in Chapman’s Ballad of the Black Pearl

Throughout all this, the South pours into these performances that mix flights of the fantastical with creative nonfiction and documentary work.

Audiences will encounter these works and their creators over the weekend in daytime and evening panels, workshops, and festival celebrations. Venues include Northside District and Andrea Reusing’s Garden Spot. All tickets for the festival are pay-as-you-can, with a suggested $20 price for single-day tickets and $30 for an all-access pass.

“A lot of my creative intention was like, ‘How do we make this town actually more intimate?’” says Gilliam, a poet, community organizer, and doctoral candidate at UNC’s School of Education. “How do we build intimacy by way of invitation and collective conversation?”

Still, much of Gilliam’s early work with the festival won’t appear onstage.

“Coming to the festival, I was thinking I know all these people in these different silos of work around Chapel Hill and the South,” he says. But the politics in bridging what he terms long-term “relational fissures” between the university and the town are tricky. “I wanted to invite very particular people who don’t often speak to one another, often for good reason. I think there’s a power in invitation.”

Previously, Gilliam curated Black Out Loud, a 2019 col-

The team behind T he Commons: Southern Futures poses for a portrait during a rehearsal at CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio in Chapel Hill. PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

laborative art exhibition and film in conjunction with the Center for the Study of the American South.

“It was a collaborative effort to just express, personally, what it means to be Black in this town, in this area, in a historically white institution in the South,” Gilliam says, noting that the project was “trying to highlight the heterogeneity of Blackness.”

Being a curator in the Commons, he says, is a continuation of that work: “making introductions between people that can hopefully have a life of their own afterward, creating a critical mass of Black creative individuals and creative thoughts, which is so deeply relational.”

“It’s this hodgepodge, this gumbo of a collection of artists individually finding their voices and then working collectively together and including each other in the recipe,” says Allen, a multidisciplinary artist and activist who narrated Sound of Judgment, an Emmy Award–winning documentary produced by ProPublica and The News & Observer.

After preliminary meetings earlier in the year and a weeklong retreat last month, the sextet has worked together at the CURRENT studios over the last two weeks, in a residency providing them stage time and access to production resources. For Chapman, his first experience with the Commons in 2020 was a golden opportunity to challenge himself as an artist: “Now I have access to space, resources, and a production team; what am I capable of manifesting and creating from my ideas?” The answer was his 30-minute video Southern (Dis)Comfort

“What happens when you give us the budget and give us the team?” Chapman asks.

“Give me what I’m worth, and I will give you something that will blow your mind!”

During the two-week residency, the principals found themselves turning to one another, not just for feedback but to collaborate and contribute to one another’s work.

Gilliam asked Chapman to add a musical bed under a poem he was reading; Powell asked the rest of the cohort to read the narration for her dance work Self Un/En-titled.

“I needed all of them,” she says. “They’re Black male voices, and my story is about a Black male, my great-grandfather. They enter the stage even before I do!”

“Just being in each other’s presence can modify your piece in ways that you didn’t even initially envision,” Chapman notes. “Then you’re like, ‘Well, what else can I do?’”

“It’s like one person’s energy comes in and sends a wave through the process,” Suitt says. “Sort of like murmuration, the way birds fly in these undulating patterns in the sky—you can see them all just respond and move with one another.”

In a culture that has devoted considerable effort to suppressing entire portions of Black history, curation, it turns out, is the opposite of erasure. After the facts of human lives in communities have either been carelessly forgotten, deliberately ignored, or in some cases actively deleted, the work involved in looking and listening for—and then gathering, documenting, preserving, and presenting—those stories to the public is an act of resistance.

“It’s a way of opening up the community to consider stories as a way of recognition,” Powell says. “The actual story is the recognition of human beings, of people in the Black community.” W

Jasmine Powell works on her dance theater piece during a rehearsal at CURRENT ArtSpace + Studio in Chapel Hill. PHOTO BY ANGELICA EDWARDS

Incoming! Imaginary Worlds, Japanese Ecology, and Nasty Mail

Suggestions and potential options for a night out at the movies in May.

BY GLENN MCDONALD arts@indyweek.com

For those who still like to leave the house to see a movie, Incoming! is a monthly feature spotlighting interesting films coming to local theaters. All the movies below are slated to play locally, but bookings change all the time, so check your online listings.

If you’d like to get punched in the brain stem by some juxtaposed imagery, track down the official trailer for I Saw the TV Glow, the arthouse horror-thriller that made a splash at Sundance earlier this year. The images in that two-minute spot toggle between suburban ennui and Jungian fever-dream tableaus that seem to pulse right through the back of your eyeballs.

Having since read up on the film, which opens May 3, I’m anticipating this one with a sense of delicious dread. Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun sets this coming-of-age story in the 1990s, where two misfit kids bond over a deeply weird monster-of-the-week TV series called The

Pink Opaque—think Buffy the Vampire Slayer but more hallucinogenic. The film then flits forward through time, reuniting the friends in their teens and twenties as reality itself starts to shimmer and bend.

I Saw the TV Glow is clearly interested in a lot of things: childhood nostalgia, the psychology of obsessive fandom, the treacherous terrain of adolescent queerness, and those imaginary worlds we come to love so deeply as kids. Early reviews suggest that the film is the announcement of a major new talent in director Schoenbrun.

On the other end of the movie mood spectrum, the British comedy Wicked Little Letters stars the great Olivia Colman as a perfectly pleasant little old lady in a small English town circa 1920, who receives some very profane correspondence in the mail. Did people even know these words in 1920? Apparently so.

The movie is based on a real-life scandal that took place in Littlehampton and made national headlines. The anon-

ymous letters really are quite breathtakingly obscene, to the point where the town constabulary launches an investigation. Who’s sending the letters? And why? Director

Thea Sharrock is clearly having fun riffing on the pedigreed British period picture, but she’s also got some ideas about repression, institutional misogyny, and the rage that might fuel such hilariously hard language.

A third solid option for May moviegoing, the Japanese import Evil Does Not Exist, is the latest from brilliant filmmaker Ryusuke Hamaguchi, director of 2021’s Oscar-nominated feature Drive My Car. A kind of ecological parable, the new movie details an escalating conflict between bigcity developers and a rural village with a fragile ecosystem. Hamaguchi’s film won multiple awards on the festival circuit, including the Grand Jury Prize in Venice. It’s a chance to see how eco-fiction is resonating, in different formats and genres, across the planet.

Quick picks

Léa Seydoux headlines the French Canadian sci-fi film The Beast (La Bête), which features past lives, parallel timelines in 1910 and 2044, and something about DNA scrubbing. I can never resist stuff like this.

This looks fun: The hip-hop musical Lost Soulz follows an aspiring young rapper on one of those pivotal road trips that change your life trajectory. It won the audience award at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

British filmmaker Ken Loach, who specializes in social issue films, is back in theaters with The Old Oak, about an Irish mining community, an old pub, and some desperate Syrian refugees.

The experimental action pic Aggro Dr1ft, from forever-restless director Harmony Korine, is touring independent theaters in May, including the Alamo Drafthouse in Raleigh. Be aware: the movie is filmed entirely with infrared photography. Twist! W

Matt Southern:

Tender Is the Knife

HHH

Honeysuckle Collective | March 22

Sometimes you just need sturdy strums, bleary pedal steel, and a declaration of hopeless romanticism, such as on Matt Southern’s “Cannonball,” which finds the Raleigh musician declaring that he has “Always been a dreamer / Eyes open or closed / Can’t fix the fever that keeps me wanting more / Got a heart like a cannon, heart like a cannonball.”

Knock it back with a shot of whiskey, and it’ll get you where you need to go.

Tender Is the Knife, Southern’s eighth album and fifth not to feature his band Lost Gold, is defined by this kind of pleasant utility. On his latest, the prolific rocker—performing largely as a one-man band apart from a couple of drum tracks, some backing vocals, and the aforementioned pedal steel—never truly distinguishes himself from the bigger names that come to mind listening to these nine songs (The Black Keys and Wilco, for instance). But while the highs aren’t especially high, the lows don’t dip much lower, with each song more or less scratching the itch it seems intended to scratch.

The album is somewhat front-loaded, starting with a quintet of lively, cleverly arranged songs that shine brighter than the sedate ballads that close out the nine-song collection.

It never gets better than opener “Vampire,” a grinningly menacing blues-rock romp that ratchets its way through stomping drums and guitar and electronic

rhythmic embellishments, ably mirroring the jealous rage that froths uncontrollably in the lyrics. “The hunger takes me / I’m just a vessel / Fever burns up all good inside of me,” he moans, unable to keep himself from attacking: “All of the beautiful people / Want to drink their blood.”

Southern flexes impressive versatility on the album’s front half, offering rootsy, ramshackle garage rock on “City Rats,” a relatable anthem about loving your city but also wanting it to be better, and dreamy psychedelic pop on “Ring of Fire Monk,” which recounts a mind-altering encounter with a person who is distributing literature and also humming Johnny Cash in downtown Asheville.

The record loses momentum in the back half, with slower songs that sound largely the same.

With patient strums and eerie echoes in the distance, “Uncontested” comes across as a determined ride through a range of regrets—“The road is lined in white fangs / Patient in repose / As soon as you are sleeping / Feel the jaws begin to close.”

The warm singing and fingerpicking of “Winesong” echoes both the beverage’s inebriating effects and the comfort of a loving partner to drink with: “I’m so glad you’re here with me / Always been my favorite company.”

Come to Tender Is the Knife looking for solid DIY rock, no more and no less.

—Jordan Lawrence W

Emma Geiger: Reverse Bloom

HHHH

Self-released | April 26

Emma Geiger, who moved to Durham from Los Angeles several years ago, is a singer-songwriter with a plainspoken but artfully decorated style and a clear, serene voice. She has described her second release, Reverse Bloom, as a sort of platonic breakup record. It exemplifies how to express heavy feelings with the lightest of touches.

Opening song “All Your Words” sets a slow, autumnal mood in the manner of Azure Ray, though the glamorous golden-age Hollywood strings that keep sweeping in are distinctly more Lana Del Rey, which is characteristic of the musical surprises embedded in these intimate songs.

“How do I move through myself and into something good?” Geiger sings, as judicious a lyricist as she is a musician, and she goes on to answer herself throughout the record.

Reverse Bloom is hypnotic without being insensate, ethereal yet precise, and it has a winning naturalness and simplicity—as the video for “Vines,” which finds Geiger touching grass and trees in a coastal field, attests. In addition to her acoustic guitar and synths, the band includes drummer Joe Westerlund, violinist Emma Kelly, and coproducer Conor Whelan, among other contributors who sensitively shaped the songs at Betty’s in Chapel Hill.

With “Empty,” Durham multi-instru-

mentalist Michael Grigoni’s pedal steel starts trailing Geiger like footprints over a hilly UK folk song, and her voice begins to braid together with Archer Boyette’s, their timbres so well matched you might guess that Geiger is harmonizing with herself. “Invite You” begins in strummed simplicity but ends as a cockeyed ’90s-indie groove, like Mary Timony with less ’tude or Slant 6 with more chops.

As for the answer to that question in “All Your Words,” perhaps it comes most clearly in the great opening line of the title track: “You break the silence with a song.”

Fitting alongside the likes of Grouper and Laura Veirs as well as local talents like Skylar Gudasz and Chessa Rich, this concise, grounded dream-pop record is a notably lucid take on the style, one that justly reflects the sudden pivots and strange contrasts of a person’s relatable yet unknowable emotional life. —Brian Howe W

Getting Rowdy

Remembering the life of Kevin Joshua “Rowdy” Rowsey, a beloved North Carolina hip-hop legend.

BY PIERCE FREELON music@indyweek.com

On a cool evening on Friday, April 19, Durham’s CCB plaza swelled with members of North Carolina’s creative community. The four elements of hip-hop were all present: dozens of emcees, DJs, breakdancers, and graffiti artists were gathered to rap, cry, dance, laugh, sing, pray, and grieve together. We were mourning the passing of our brother Kevin Joshua Rowsey II, known to many in our beloved community as Rowdy, who passed on Wednesday, April 17. He was 32.

Precisely at 9:19 p.m., Rowdy’s mentee and protégé JAMM (aka Just Another Master Musician) passionately called out, “CYPHER, CYPHER,” and the crowd roared back: “CYPHER, CYPHER!” This was a call-and-response ritual that Rowdy himself led on countless Friday nights, marking the beginning of Med City Cypher.

A soulful choir flanked by horns serenaded the audience as the instrumental from “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You),” by UGK featuring Outkast, erupted from the speakers. A band kicked in to accompany the track with live bass, drums, violin, and guitar. The air was anointed with the sweet smell of burning palo santo and bouquets of flowers. An altar full of love notes basked in the glow of a brilliant moon and the flicker of candles. A crew of muralists hovered over a makeshift easel, painting a stencil of Rowdy onto a three-foot canvas, as our intergenerational community of grievers formed a circle around JAMM and rappers started to freestyle.

This is the legacy of a North Carolina hip-hop legend. Rowdy was the executive director of Blackspace, an Afro-

1, 2024 INDYweek.com

futurism teen center, where he had taken several Durham youths under his wing. He taught emceeing, songwriting, hip-hop, and entrepreneurship at Blackspace and stewarded other youth programs, such as spoken word, beat making, coding, and videography. Rowdy also created a space for the older artists who had aged out of Blackspace programs when he cofounded the music label and production company Only Us Media with fellow artist-educator Reem. Alongside his parents and sister, many members of Rowdy’s Blackspace and Only Us family were present at the Cypher, which was one of his flagship community events.

The Cypher kicks off at 9:19 p.m. in celebration of our 919 area code, where Rowdy started his hip-hop journey over a decade ago. As an undergraduate at UNC-Chapel Hill, Rowdy was a founding member of a collective of beat makers and emcees called No9to5 Music. He started the UNC Cypher on campus, in the pit, where he unofficially broke a Guinness World Record for the longest group freestyle.

In his early twenties, Rowdy developed a reputation as an energetic, lyrical emcee with an incredible talent for improvisational freestyle rapping. He began to perform on stages across North Carolina, opening for the likes of Rakim, Murs, and Asher Roth, often with his live band, (J) Rowdy and the NightShift. In 2016, he released the (J) Rowdy and the NightShift EP, mixing elements of hip-hop, jazz, and rock. In the following years, he released two albums: Return of Black Wall Street (2017) and Black Royalty (2019).

Rowdy earned the respect of North Carolina’s hip-hop community with his infectious and magnetic energy and a

gregarious and charming presence on- and offstage. He was a towering figure, standing at 6 foot 2, a height extended by another four to six inches by his signature flat-top hairstyle, straight out of a ’90s Kid ’n Play movie.

Josh was one of the rawest live performers I’ve ever seen. Living up to his moniker “Rowdy,” he was always the most energized person onstage, and wouldn’t hesitate to leap into the audience to hype up the crowd while rapping at a blistering click. Rowdy dedicated his life to the craft and culture of hip-hop and was also determined to bring young folks in his community up with him.

Rowdy became involved with Blackspace in 2016, where he began to produce and mentor young hip-hop artists in Durham. In 2017, he founded Med City Cypher and used it as a lightning rod to attract young talent into the space. He executive produced Blackpsace’s debut album, Revenge of the Afronauts, in 2018, which featured over a dozen up-and-coming teenage rappers, singers, and producers from the Bull.

He took them to WUNC to perform live on The State of Things with Frank Stasio and organized a sold-out album release party at the Pinhook. That same year, he traveled to Qualla Boundary in western North Carolina, where he worked with fourth and fifth graders in the home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. There, he led youth in hip-hop workshops to preserve the Cherokee language. In 2019, Rowdy earned his master of arts in teaching from UNC Greensboro and, later that year, became an international hip-hop ambassador through UNC’s Next Level

Kevin Joshua “Rowdy” Rowsey II PHOTO BY AMANDA RUDD

program, co-leading a hip-hop residency in Mexico City alongside acclaimed producer Buckwild, among others. He became an English as a Second Language teacher at Rankin Elementary School in Guilford County, all while leading weekly cyphers and workshops at Blackspace. In early 2020, Rowdy executive produced DurhamFi, a lo-fi instrumental album celebrating the Bull City co-created by Blackspace and Discover Durham. Even the pandemic couldn’t slow Rowdy’s passion for hip-hop and youth education. Blackspace worked with PBS North Carolina to produce Classroom Connections, a TV show for families impacted by COVID-19. For this series, Rowdy helped develop educational and entertaining short-form math and literacy content to support at-home learning for students from preschool through third grade. Rowdy became the charismatic host of Classroom Connections as “Mr. R” and was broadcast into millions of homes across the state.

Rowdy has many other achievements I could mention, such as appearing on TV on BET’s Freestyle Friday; being part of the Kennedy Center’s inaugural hip-hop production “Making Beats” cohort with 9th Wonder and The Soul Council; teaching the course Rap Lab in the music department at UNC-CH; or performing as a hip-hop artist-in-residence with the Greensboro Symphony. He was a Renaissance man! He was also a generous mentor, who used his platform to amplify the voices of youth across the globe. I spent countless hours with Rowdy at Blackspace and in classrooms from Durham to the Dominican Republic. He often coached kids on how to access what he called their “God voice”—that special space when a lyricist enters into a flow state and delivers ideas and sounds directly from their spirit, almost as if they were downloading the brilliance of God directly onto their tongue.

On Friday, I felt Rowdy’s presence speaking through the collective God voice of the artists in our cypher. CCB Plaza was packed with youth that Rowdy had mentored, their parents and siblings, other educators, artists, and creatives, as well as members of the No9to5, Only Us, and Blackspace families. Over the course of the night, folks were rapping, making live beats, playing instruments, spinning classic hip-hop instrumentals, breakdancing, and weeping.

At 11 p.m., when the music stopped, I stuck around to listen to several of Rowdy’s former students recall stories about his loving spirit and generous heart. Among them was a young woman named Kayla—one of the first students to come into Blackspace when we opened our Durham studio in 2016. When I hugged her goodbye, I noticed that she was only wearing one of her giant gold hoop earrings. I asked her what happened to the other one. She grabbed her earlobe and smiled.

“Rowdy took it,” she laughed, “now he’s got his halo.” W

Kevin Joshua “Rowdy” Rowsey II PHOTO BY AMANDA RUDD

Kevin Joshua “Rowdy” Rowsey II

PHOTO BY AMANDA RUDD

5/4

MUSIC

Ally J on the Roof 7 p.m. The Durham Hotel, Durham.

Kaira Ba / Africa

Unplugged / OxenteBenefit Jam for Congo Flood Relief 7 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Futurebirds 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Josh Cellars Jazz Series: Helena Redman 5:45 p.m. Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary.

Sunny Day Real Estate

7 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

SCREEN

NCMA Matinee: The Big City (1963) 2 p.m. NCMA, Raleigh.

MUSIC

CATWOLF 8 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Inspector Cluzo 8 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Midwxst 8 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

Queens of the Stone Age / Phantogram / The Armed –The End Is Nero Tour 6:30 p.m. Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh.

Sadurn 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Silversun Pickups 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

STAGE

Improv Showcase 7 p.m. Succotash, Durham.

PAGE

Ryan E. Emanuel: On the Swamp 5:30 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill.

MUSIC

Alexa Vélez and Daniel Levin / David Menestres 8 p.m. Shadowbox Studio, Durham.

Get the Led Out 8 p.m. DPAC, Durham.

Guy Wire 7 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Low Cut Connie 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Mamis & the Papis and Party Illegal Present: Moodboard 10 p.m. Rubies on Five Points, Durham.

Rob Gelblum 6 p.m. Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro.

Rock en Español: The Latin Rock Invasion 9 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Say Anything … Is a Real Boy 20th Anniversary Tour 6:30 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Steve Cormier ... LIVE!

7 p.m. The Eno House, Hillsborough.

Uri Gurvich/Rodolfo Zuniga Quartet 7:30 p.m. Sharp 9 Gallery, Durham.

STAGE

The ComedyWorx Show 8 p.m. ComedyWorx, Durham.

The Harry Show Fridays at 10 p.m. ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular 7:30 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

MUSIC

Chatham Rabbits in the Sanctuary 7:30 p.m. The Ridge, Raleigh.

Colossal Human Failure 8 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Dawn Landes and Friends Reimagine the Liberated Woman’s Songbook 7:30 p.m. PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill.

Gay Agenda Presents: Galactical Boogie 10 p.m. Rubies on Five Points, Durham.

John Craige 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Kevin Beardsley Quartet 7:30 p.m. Sharp 9 Gallery, Durham.

Organ Failure 9 p.m. Speakeasy, Carrboro.

Priscilla Block 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Royel Otis 8 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

Theatre Raleigh in Concert: Eric Sorrels 7:30 p.m. Theatre Raleigh, Raleigh.

STAGE

Cary Ballet Company: Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Alice in Wonderland

1 p.m. Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Wild Kratts Live! Various times. DPAC, Durham.

PAGE

Adrea Theodore: I Would Love You Still 10:30 a.m. Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh.

SCREEN

Movies under the Stars: Star Wars: A New Hope 7 p.m. Carolina Square, Chapel Hill.

The Big City screens at NCMA on Wednesday, May 1. PHOTO COURTESY OF NCMA

Star Wars: A New Hope screens at Carolina Square on Saturday, May 4.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE TOWN OF CHAPEL HILL

SUN 5/5 MON 5/6

MUSIC

Grace Cummings 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

United in Song: Music of the American Experience

3 p.m. Baldwin Auditorium at Duke University, Durham.

STAGE

Cozy Kings and Queens

1 p.m. Queeny’s, Durham.

Jai Shri Ram: Ramayan 5:30 p.m. Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts, Raleigh.

Kathy Griffin: My Life on the PTSD-List 8 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

MUSIC

123 Andrés: Around the Americas 10 a.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Bad Nerves 8 p.m. Kings, Raleigh.

Blondshell 8 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Delia-h and the Male Gaze 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards 7 p.m. The Pour House Music Hall, Raleigh.

Music of Remembrance: Holocaust Remembrance Day 2 p.m. NCMA, Raleigh.

TUES 5/7

WED 5/8

MUSIC

Arden Jones 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Foo Fighters – Everything or Nothing at All Tour

7 p.m. Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, Raleigh.

Fuming Mouth 7:30 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Jeremy “Bean” Clemons Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Kingfisher, Durham.

Night! Night! / Rid of Me / Treasure Pains

8 p.m. Rubies on Five Points, Durham.

Psychedelic Porn Crumpets 8 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Sarah Jarosz 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Thy Art Is Murder 7 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

Tim Smith 5 p.m. Speakeasy, Carrboro.

Tommy Emmanuel, CGP 8 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

PAGE

Frank Bruni: The Age of Grievance 6 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill.

Mary Kay Andrews: Summers at the Saint 7 p.m. Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh.

MUSIC

Calva Louise / Vukovi 7 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Cindy Lee 8 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

CKY 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Dead on a Sunday 7 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Madison Beer: Spinnin Tour 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Pachyman / Combo Chimbita 8 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Rich Ruth 8 p.m. Kings, Raleigh.

Wednesday Sessions: Live Music, Local Talent 7 p.m. Speakeasy, Carrboro.

Midwxst performs at Lincoln Theatre on Thursday, May 2. PHOTO COURTESY OF LINCOLN THEATRE

THURS 5/9 FRI 5/10

MUSIC

Ben Beal 8 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Candlelight: A Tribute to Whitney Houston 7 p.m. Hayti Heritage Center, Durham.

The Chisel 7:30 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Jive Talk 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Katie Basden 7 p.m. The Blue Note Grill, Durham.

Sum 41 / The Interrupters –Tour of the Setting Sum 6:30 p.m. Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh.

PAGE

Michelle T. King: Chop Fry Watch Learn 5:30 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill.

MUSIC

Black Veil Brides: BLEEDERS Tour 2024 6 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Chase Rice: Get Western Tour 7 p.m. Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh. The ComedyWorx Show 8 p.m. ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Jake Hart & John Hart Trio 7 p.m. Sharp 9 Gallery, Durham.

KEM 8 p.m. DPAC, Durham.

Kurt Vile and the Violators 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Leonid and Friends: A Tribute to the Music of Chicago 7:30 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Maddie Zahm 8 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

Mel Melton and the Wicked Mojos 6 p.m. The Glass Jug Beer Lab, Durham.

SOLD OUT: Mk.Gee 9 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Rissi Palmer 8 p.m. The Cary Theater, Cary.

SUB:Terranean 6:30 p.m. The Fruit, Durham.

¡Tumbao! 9 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Vale of Pnath / Abigail Williams 7 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

5/11 SUN 5/12

STAGE

Blue Box Theatre Co. Presents: Titan Arum May 10-19, various times. Moonlight Stage Company, Raleigh.

The Harry Show Fridays at 10 p.m. ComedyWorx, Raleigh.

Joe Bob Briggs Indoor Drive-In Geek-Out 7 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

SCREEN

Shorts Night 7 p.m. Shadowbox Studio, Durham.

PAGE

Colm Tóibín: Long Island 7 p.m. Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh.

Jasper Fforde: Red Side Story 5:30 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill.

Poetry Open Mic 6:30 p.m. Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro.

MUSIC

Adulting: An Early Dance Party 7 p.m. Rubies on Five Points, Durham.

Bailes Afro Latinos 11 a.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

The Decemberists 8 p.m. DPAC, Durham.

Fleshwater 7:30 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Shallow Cuts Presents: Pinque Saturday 10 p.m. Rubies on Five Points, Durham.

Sierra Ferrell – Shoot for the Moon Tour 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Souls of Mischief 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro

Stabbing Westward 7 p.m. Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh.

TX2 – The Festival Tour 7:30 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

Weymouth 6:30 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

SCREEN

Documentary Screening: Puerto Rican Hibiscus 1 p.m. The Fruit, Durham.

MUSIC

Cloud Nothings 8:30 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Live Jazz with the Christopher Law Trio 11 a.m. Lanza’s Cafe, Carrboro.

Lo Spirit 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro.

Lore, Yore, and the In Between 3 p.m. The Carolina Theatre, Durham.

Mr. Bungle 7 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Reverón Piano Trio 2 p.m. NCMA, Raleigh.

Somesurprises 7 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

Ben Beal performs at the Pinhook on Thursday, May 9. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE PINHOOK

MON 5/13 TUES 5/14

MUSIC

Destroy Boys 8 p.m. Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro.

Weedeater 8 p.m. Local 506, Chapel Hill.

MUSIC

The Amity Affliction 5:30 p.m. The Ritz, Raleigh.

Enter Shikari 8 p.m. Motorco Music Hall, Durham.

Jeremy “Bean” Clemons Tuesdays at 8 p.m. Kingfisher, Durham.

Vision Video 8 p.m. The Pinhook, Durham.

PAGE

Tommy Tomlinson: Dogland 7 p.m. Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh.

CROSSWORD

To download a pdf of this puzzle or view its solution, visit indyweek.com/puzzles-page

Mk.Gee performs at Motorco Music Hall on Friday, May 10. PHOTO COURTESY OF MOTORCO

SERVICES

SU | DO | KU

SU | DO | KU

Difficulty

level: HARD

There is really only one rule to Sudoku: Fill in the game board so that the numbers 1 through 9 occur exactly once in each row, column, and 3x3 box. The numbers can appear in any order and diagonals are not considered. Your initial game board will consist of several numbers that are already placed. Those numbers cannot be changed. Your goal is to fill in the empty squares following the simple rule above.

Difficulty level: HARD

EMPLOYMENT

Expert

Database Administrator

Expert Database Administrator, Veradigm LLC. May teleco in the US & rept to Raleigh, NC offce. Dsgn, build, scale & supprt co’s NoSQL & RDBMS platfrms. Reqs Bach/Mast in Comp Sci/Comp Engg/ rel/equiv. Reqs if Bach 7 yrs / if Masters 5 yrs: DB admin; RDB archtcture, dsgn, ops & scale; DB securty & audit; MySQL, Postgre SQL/T-SQL; write code & perfrm code revs; cloud comput; DB perfrm tune; DB busi continuity; Agile dvlpmnt methds, Scrum; 4 yrs: PwrShell. Apply: resume to: applicants@veradigm.com & ref #112829.

Data Scientist

SAS Institute Inc. seeks Data Scientist, Cloud, Data & Analytics Team in Cary, NC to prep & manipulate structured & unstructured data for data discovery & mining. Reqs: MS in Applied Math, Stats, Comp Sci, Eng, or rel + 3 yrs exp. May work remotely pursuant to SAS’ Flexible Work Prgm. For full reqs & to apply visit www.sas.com/ careers & reference Job #2024-35744

Solar Financial Project Developer

Solar Financial Project Developer sought by 8MSolar LLC in Raleigh, NC. Reqs Bach’s deg in Finance, Economics, or Acctg. Reqs 1 yr of accts or fin’l analysis exp, incl: prep’g fin’l statements, vendor or customer interaction, account auditing & reconciliation, revenue analysis & budgets. Resumes: Ali Buttar, 5112 Departure Dr, Raleigh, NC 27616. No calls. EOE

Senior Salesforce Developer

There is really only one rule to Sudoku: Fill in the game board so that the numbers 1 through 9 occur exactly once in each row, column, and 3x3 box. The numbers can appear in any order and diagonals are not considered. Your initial game board will consist of several numbers that are already placed. Those numbers cannot be changed. Your goal is to fill in the empty squares following the simple rule above.

Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings in Durham, NC seeks a Senior Salesforce Developer to design and develop software applications using Salesforce. Reqs BS+5yrs exp.; To apply, submit resume to: labcorphold@labcorp.com . Ref: 20240215

If you’re stumped, find the answer keys for these puzzles and archives of previous puzzles (and their solutions) at indyweek.com/puzzles-page or scan this QR code for a link. Best of luck, and have fun!

© Puzzles by Pappocom

© Puzzles by Pappocom

C L A S S I F I E D S

EMPLOYMENT

Sr. UX Designer

Sr. UX Designer I sought by LexisNexis USA in Raleigh, NC to define customer interactions of products & execute design strategy for business & product lines. Minimum of Bachelor’s degree or foreign equiv in Engineering, User Experience, Human Centered Computing, Industrial Engineering, Interactive Design or rltd + 5 yrs exp in job offered or rltd occupations required. EE reports to LexisNexis USA office Raleigh, NC but may telecommute from any location within US. Interested candidates should apply via following link: https://relx.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/ LexisNexisLegal/job/Raleigh-NC/ Sr-UX-Designer-I_R75400.

Software Engineer III

Software Engineer III, F/T at Truist (Raleigh, NC) Deliver highly complex solutions w/ significant system linkages, dependencies, associated risk. Lead & perform dvlpmt efforts such as analysis, dsgn, coding/creating, & testing. Dvlpmt incl but is not limited to customized coding, s/ware integration, analysis, configuring solutions, or the use of tools pertinent to the area, project, or system to configure or generate a solution. Must have Bach’s deg in Comp Sci, Comp Engg, CIS or related tech’l field. Must have 6 yrs of progressive exp in s/ware engg positions performing the following: applying in-depth knowl in info systems & understanding of key business processes & competitive strategies related to the IT function to identify, apply, & implmt IT best practices; applying broad functional knowl in reqmt gathering, analysis, dsgn, dvlpmt, testing, implmtn, & deployment of applications; planning & managing projects & solving complex problems by applying best practice; providing direction & mentoring less expd teammates; & utilizing exp w/: Pega Dvlpmt - PRPC 8.5, 8.3, 7.x, 6.x; RESTful API - Micro Services Architecture; Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) Web Services; Java Dvlpmt; DB2; PostgresSQL; SQL Dvlpr; JSP & Servlets; & Java Script. Position may be eligible to work hybrid/remotely but is based out of & reports to Truist offices in Raleigh, NC. Must be available to travel to Raleigh, NC regularly for meetings & reviews w/ manager & project teams w/in 24-hrs’ notice. Apply online (https://careers.truist.com/) or email resume to: Paige.Whitesell@Truist.com. (Ref Job# R0086715)

Sr. Software Engineer

Sr Software Engineer, Veradigm LLC, Raleigh, NC. Multi openings. May telco in US. Provid tech asst to Implemnt Engg team & be single POC for tech & hlthcare domain rel queries. Reqs Bach in Comp Info Sys, Comp Sci, Comp/ Elctronc Engg/ rel / equiv. Reqs 5 yrs: SW engg exp in full stack .NET dev w/ exposure to C#, MVC Frmwrk, HTML, XML & JSON. Reqs 5 yrs w/: rel DBs; NET Frmwrk; Javascript; REST API; Git; HL7; 4 yrs: dev & debug web APIs; 2 yrs: MirthConnect; Angular; MS Azure appsvcs & DevOps. 8a5p 40 hrs/wk. Apply: resume to: applicants@veradigm.com & ref #109996.

4/17/24 CROSSWORD SOLUTION