raleigh cary 3|2|16
The Cops Want a Raise, p. 6 At Last, Irregardless Tries Fries, p. 21 The Love Language’s “Metal” Band, p. 24 Desdemona Chiang Sizes Up White America, p. 27
Sure, Why Not? The Donald is exactly the candidate the GOP deserves The INDY’s Primary Endorsements, p. 8
On view through June 26, 2016
2001 Campus Drive, Durham I nasher.duke.edu KAWS, Untitled, (detail), 2015. Acrylic on canvas, 70 x 120 inches (177.8 x 304.8 cm). Collection of Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger. Š KAWS. 2 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
WHAT WE LEARNED THIS WEEK | RALEIGH VOL. 33, NO. 9 6 Charlotte is now the state’s trailblazer on LGBT issues. That ain’t right, Raleigh. 8 Resistance is futile: Hillary Clinton is Democrats’ best choice. 18 The Triangle’s best (OK, only) tuba museum is one family’s labor of love. 20 You could be jingoistic at The Oak, a feeling that dominates the menu like Guy Fieri or Chili’s or Guy Fieri eating at Chili’s. 21 For nearly forty years, Irregardless Cafe didn’t deep-fry a thing. Now it does. 22 When the revolution comes, we will build statues of Westerberg and Springsteen. Oops. 27 Theater director Desdemona Chiang has a mirror, not a moral, for white America. 41 With a self-published book, you can chronicle your life—and put it on the shelf.
DEPARTMENTS 6 Triangulator 20 Food 22 Music 26 Arts & Culture
The former site of Raleigh’s Tiny Town development will soon give way to $500,000 houses. PHOTO BY JEREMY M. LANGE
28 What To Do This Week 31 Music Calendar 36 Arts/Film Calendar 41 Soft Return On the Cover: ILLUSTRATION BY SKILLET GILMORE
NEXT WEEK WHAT HAPPENED ON BRAGG STREET?
INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 3
Raleigh Cary Durham Chapel Hill
The Baldwin Scholars Program presents The Eleventh Annual Event in the
Jean Fox O’Barr Distinguished Speaker Series ing to
K From Rodney
n: Michael Brow
Smith Anna Deavere of Ferguson e
v on the Narrati
PUBLISHER Susan Harper EDITORIAL EDITOR IN CHIEF Jeffrey C. Billman, jbillman@indyweek.com MANAGING+MUSIC EDITOR Grayson Haver Currin, gcurrin@indyweek.com ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Brian Howe, bhowe@ indyweek.com STAFF WRITERS Danny Hooley, David Hudnall, Jane Porter ASSOCIATE EDITOR Allison Hussey, ahussey@indyweek.com COPY EDITOR David Klein THEATER AND DANCE CRITIC Byron Woods CHIEF CONTRIBUTORS Paul Blest, Tina Haver Currin, Bob Geary, Spencer Griffith, Corbie Hill, Emma Laperruque, Jordan Lawrence, Craig D. Lindsey, Jill Warren Lucas, Sayaka Matsuoka, Glenn McDonald, Neil Morris, Bryan C. Reed, V. Cullum Rogers, David A. Ross, Dan Schram, Zack Smith, Eric Tullis, Chris Vitiello, Patrick Wall, Iza Wojciechowska ART+DESIGN
Tuesday, March 8 at 7p.m. Reynolds Theater, Bryan Center, Duke University Tickets are required and free through the Duke Box Office • tickets.duke.edu
Co-sponsored by the Muglia Family, Theater Studies, Women’s Studies, HDRL-West, Gates Millennium Scholars and the Mary Lou Williams Center for Black Culture
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backtalk
Vote Early, Vote Often
Last week we wrote about how the Republicans’ new maps accomplish an old goal: to ensure that, no matter the will of the voters, North Carolina sends three times as many Republicans as Democrats to Washington [“Pick Your Own Voters: A Legislative Adventure!” Feb. 24]. On our Facebook page, Ronald Tucceri says Democrats need to wake up: “This is why Democrats have to vote, and not just in presidential elections. The seeds for this were sown in 2010! I don’t care which party has the upper hand in gerrymandering; it hurts all of us.” Responding to Bob Geary’s column two weeks ago calling for single-payer health care [“Bowing to Blue Cross,” Feb. 17], ProudlyUnaffiliated—INDYweek.com’s most prolific conservative commenter—says the issue boils down to this: “Who can better decide and act on your health care: a large, one-size-fits-all system mandated and promised for all, or the individual acting freely among other individuals acting freely? Which do you trust and why? The government or the people? … Indeed, more bureaucracy strips us of our very humanity in every observable way.” Speaking of Geary, we got lots of responses to his final Citizen column last week [“Parting Shots,” Feb. 24]. A representative sample: “Bob, we have agreed more often than not,” writes Martha Brock. “At least you listened to those of us who are the political gadflies considered pests by the powers that be in the Triangle and North Carolina.” “You’ve been great,” adds Jo Ferguson Garrison. “In fact, I think you are the best the INDY has. Who is going to teach those folks how to slightly tame their venom and spit?” And on Facebook, Chris Brodie writes, “Hats off to Mr. Geary. I hope he gets to enjoy a little more time to himself, but I’ll miss his regular insights. The necessity of advocating for the dignity and rights of common people isn’t likely to end anytime soon, but we’re better off as a community because of the work of Bob and others willing to speak up for the little guy.” We completely concur, Chris. l
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FREE VACCINES FOR LIFE Broadway Veterinary Hospital (919) 973-0292 www.bvhdurham.com
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Family Papers:
A Sephardi Journey through the 20th Century THE MORRIS, IDA AND ALAN HEILIG LECTURESHIP IN JEWISH STUDIES
SARAH STEIN, professor of history and Maurice Amado Chair in Sephardic Studies at UCLA, will explore why a family saves its paper and how the instinct for preservation defies wars, fire, genocide, migration and family feuds. While this lecture tells the history of a single family, it is also a reflection on how one family archive came to be built and preserved, and how it knit together a family even as the historic Sephardi heartland of southeastern Europe was unraveling.
MARCH 7, 2016 7:30 P.M. WILLIAM AND IDA FRIDAY CENTER FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION Free and open to the public. No tickets or reservations required. No reserved seats. P: 919-962-1509 E: JEWISHSTUDIES@UNC.EDU W: JEWISHSTUDIES.UNC.EDU
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An impromptu community vigil for Akiel Denkins near the corner of Bragg and East in Raleigh. PHOTO BY TINA HAVER CURRIN
INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 5
triangulator +TIM MOORE, POTTY PROTECTOR
In a historic vote last week, Charlotte passed an ordinance that extended protections related to public accommodations to the LGBTQ community. Immediately, Speaker Tim Moore publicly mulled convening a special session to overrule the duly elected members of Charlotte’s city council, before Governor McCrory and Senate leader Phil Berger told Moore to cool his jets—they’ll get around to it in April, when the short session begins. The provision of Charlotte’s bill that raised Moore’s hackles is one that allows transgender people to use the bathroom of their self-identified gender. Opponents argue that these protections could lead to sexual assaults. In an email to legislators last week, Moore claimed that the ordinance “poses a threat to public safety.” That’s not even remotely true. Similar laws have passed in about two hundred cities and counties, and they’ve produced absolutely no data supporting Moore’s fearmongering. In fact, the whole point of these ordinances is to ensure that transgender people can feel safe. Sarah McBride, of the Center for American Progress’s LGBT Research and Communications, points to a 2013 study showing that 70 percent of trans people in Washington, D.C., reported experiencing discrimination in public restrooms. “Charlotte is a trailblazer in this situation,” says Shawn Long, Equality NC’s director of operations. “But as we’ve seen with nondiscrimination ordinances in the past, it’s something that’ll grow and grow. … It’s a matter of people understanding that these protections don’t already exist, and that you can be fired for being LGBT, and the vast majority of citizens thinks that’s unreasonable.” Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools is a trailblazer, too. The school district is in the process of opening single-stall, unisex bathrooms in all middle and high schools and recently changed its policy to allow students to use the bathroom of their identified gender. But why haven’t the state’s other major municipalities passed similar nondiscrimination ordinances? “Honestly?” says a Raleigh Democratic source. “Fear of the General Assembly. Fear of what kind of retribution would come from it. It’s incredibly frustrating, if not sometimes understandable.” Durham City Council member Eddie Davis says that, while he’s sympathetic to the LGBT community’s concerns, he wants to see what the legislature does before acting. “I think it’s important that we take a look at what kind of reaction we might get from the governor and the General Assembly, before Durham jumps out to do something like that,” he says. 6 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
Chapel Hill Town Council member Donna Bell says there have been conversations among her colleagues about what their response should be, but no decisions have been made. It’s not just the legislature’s discriminatory attitudes that make her angry, she says—it’s also the naked hypocrisy. “I think this legislature has shown, over and over, while they have run on the idea of local rule, they do not actually believe in that.” That’s true. But it’s also true that right now Charlotte has stuck its next out on behalf of the marginalized—and maybe, before the legislature runs roughshod over the state’s trans population, other supposedly progressive cities should step up and show some solidarity. Just a thought.
+COPS ON THE CHEAP
In a video that’s circulating online, Bobby Hudson, an officer with the Raleigh Police Department, talks about working twelve-hour shifts each day to support his family. “I cannot live in the city of Raleigh with the pay being so low; just my mortgage alone takes up one of my entire paychecks,” Hudson says. Hudson says he worked hundreds of hours last year providing security at a nightclub to supplement his income. His wife, Tiffany, talks about looking for free activities to do with the couple’s four kids and having to explain that their dad can’t join them because he has to work again. Lost in the Beyoncé brouhaha last week was a serious discussion among Teamsters Local 391 members about
ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WILLIAMS
the salaries of Raleigh police officers. At a meeting last week, members voted unanimously not to boycott Beyoncé’s show; it’s likely that they’ll rally around a push for higher pay, too. RPD officers, who start out earning just $34,281 a year, are the lowest paid cops in Wake County and among the lowest paid in the country. Rick Armstrong, the Teamsters vice president, says officers’ salaries in Fuquay-Varina, Cary, Wake Forest, and Knightdale are closer to $40,000 a year. “[An RPD officer’s salary] is ten to fifteen percent under what it should be,” Armstrong says. “It would be a goal to increase starting salaries to forty thousand dollars a year, and we are looking at across-theboard raises, too.” Armstrong says there are other options—such as annual bonuses to officers who pass a physical agility test—the city council could look at as well. Councillor Russ Stephenson spoke with Armstrong last week. He says he’s concerned about whether the city is competitive when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best police officers. But the city’s human resources department is about to embark on a citywide re-evaluation of the pay structure for all of its employees. The study will take a year to complete, and Stephenson says the council will have to decide whether to wait for the results or go ahead and fund higher salaries in the next budget. The cops are clearly hoping for the latter option. “Why has the city council neglected the people who really put their lives on the line every day and make sure the community is safe?” Hudson asks. “I would like to stay in Raleigh and finish my career out, but I would like to see the city step up to the plate and commit to the police officers as much as the police officers commit to the city.”
+LET THE SUNSHINE IN
Spotlight won Best Picture. Hooray for journalism! Meanwhile, in North Carolina, we’re two months into a new law that targets investigative journalists and whistleblowers. It’s called the Property Protection Act, and it’s arguably the most cowardly piece of legislation yet foisted upon the state by
TL;DR: THE INDY’S QUALITY-OF-LIFE METER North Carolina’s bought-and-paid-for legislature. This is a bill so bad that Governor McCrory vetoed it. The legislature overrode his veto, and it became law January 1. You likely know it as the “ag-gag” law, because its original intent was to silence those who sought to blow the whistle, via undercover recordings, on animal cruelty at factory-farm operations. But that’s not good enough for Jones Street. Here, lawmakers have expanded the scope of that law to include businesses of all kinds. If you happen to observe a day care worker slapping little kids around, and you pull out your phone and document it, then share that video with your local newspaper, the day care owner can sue you for bad publicity—up to $5,000 for each day you shot footage. What you should have done, this bill’s proponents argue, is taken that video to the day care owner or to the appropriate overseeing state agency. Right. The law, in other words, is a particularly brazen attempt by our elected officials to thwart the media’s ability to do its job. And they think they can get away with it because the media is an easy punching bag. There’s a glimmer of hope that sunshine will prevail here. A federal judge in Idaho last year struck down a similar law. And in the Tar Heel State, in January, several groups—the Center for Food Safety, Food and Water Watch, the Government Accountability Project, and Public Justice among them—banded together and sued in federal court over the law. Last week, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals joined that lawsuit. Robert Hensley, an attorney for ASPCA, cites the law’s “substantial impact on both the ASPCA’s ability to continue its work and the public’s ability to know where their food comes from” as the group’s motivation. Exactly: Where your food comes from. Whether the dogs at the shelter are being treated humanely. Whether your grandma is being
PERIPHERAL VISIONS | V.C. ROGERS
treated right at the nursing home. Why do our state lawmakers believe these matters should be resolved behind closed doors, away from the public eye?
+2
Governor McCrory and Senator Phil Berger decide to wait until April to deal with Charlotte’s antidiscrimination ordinance, buying more time to think up absurd slippery-slope analogies. If transgender people can use public restrooms, what’s to stop dogs from driving cars?
-5
An African-American Raleigh mother says a white officer shot her son in the back while he fled. Damn.
+2
Bernie Sanders opens a campaign office in Durham. Related: Carolina Soul moves its Pete Seeger records from the bins up to the walls.
+PREMATURE DISCOVERY
“More foot dragging.” That’s how Mike Tadych— the attorney for the INDY and a coalition of media outlets and nonprofits suing the McCrory administration over its handling of public records requests—described the defendants’ recent machinations in the case. “[The defendants] have taken the position of, A, we have produced everything listed in your complaint, and, B, discovery is not appropriate in this public records case,” Tadych says. “They’re trying to claim the playing field to say it’s very narrow, and once they produced the requested documents, there will be no further inquiry.” The state’s position is that, until a judge settles on what documents are and are not available for review, the plaintiffs should get nothing. Or in lawyer-speak: “We believe that the scope of discovery should be informed by the scope of the allowable claims,” David Wright, an attorney for the Charlotte firm representing McCrory, wrote in an email to Tadych. “Until that scope is decided, moving forward with any discovery is premature in our view.” Needless to say, that’s not how Tadych and his law partner, Hugh Stevens, see things. In their view, the administration is yet again engaging in delay tactics. A hearing date on the discovery question is tentatively set for March 23. We’ll keep you posted. l triangulator@indyweek.com
-3
The ACC reprimands Grayson Allen for playing dirty. The Duke star’s apology seems insincere when he adds, “Have a nice trip. See you next fall.”
-4
A Duke University VP is accused of calling a parking attendant the N-word after hitting her with his Porsche. You just know he’ll be played by Paul Giamatti in the movie.
+2
The Raleigh police union votes against boycotting Beyoncé’s upcoming concert. Were any Raleigh cops really thinking about going to a Beyoncé concert, though?
-2
Duke Energy is now sponsoring the UNC School of Law Environmental Center. “Screw it then,” says the School of Health, and cashes a bunch of checks from Philip Morris.
-3
Margaret Spellings officially takes over as head of the UNC system. Roy Williams will stay in place as the ass.
0
WRAL and WNCN switch network affiliates, causing mass confusion at area retirement homes. No one else notices.
This week’s report by Paul Blest, Danny Hooley, David Hudnall, and Jane Porter.
This week’s total: -10 Year to date: -2 INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 7
The INDY’s 2016 Primary Endorsements
YES, INCLUDING DONALD TRUMP. READ ON.
As we write this, we don’t know the results of Super Tuesday’s primaries. But we do know that, regardless of what’s happening at the top of the ticket, the March 15 elections are vital for North Carolina’s future: they’ll help determine not only who claims the governor’s office and the Council of State, but also whether the Democrats will chip away at the Republican supermajority in the state House. There are also local elections, including for the county commissions in Wake, Durham, Chatham, and Orange. And there’s a major bond referendum. Your participation is imperative. A few things to note before we begin: we are not yet endorsing in the races for U.S. Congress, which have been postponed until June. Additionally, we did not dive into judicial races. And we are not endorsing in the Democratic primary for labor commissioner; one of the candidates, former Raleigh mayor Charles Meeker, is the brother of INDY co-owner Richard Meeker. You can, however, find both candidates’ responses to our questionnaire on our website—and the same goes for many of the candidates discussed below. You’ll likely disagree with some—or most, or all—of our choices, and that’s fine. That’s democracy. Our goal is to help you make your own informed decisions. Remember, democracy only works if you vote. 8 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
President, Democrat: HILLARY CLINTON
To give you a sense of how divided we are: of the five people who comprise our editorial board, two are supporting Hillary Clinton, two are enthusiastically supporting Bernie Sanders, and the last is “probably” voting for Sanders but thinks the INDY should endorse Clinton anyway. Which is not unlike how this primary campaign is playing out writ large. (Also, the editor in chief, who is on Team Hillary, put some weight on the scale— not unlike a superdelegate.) The case for Bernie is straightforward: he’s a progressive and has always been so. No muddle (with the possible exception of guns). No triangulation. A steadfast commitment to single-payer health care and free college and wealth redistribution and social justice. Sure, he’s often a one-trick pony—“millionaires and billionaires,” etc.— but that trick is important. Economic inequality is a defining issue of our time. The case for Hillary is more complicated. She’s not unsullied. She and President Clinton compromised and capitulated, sometimes in ugly ways, on things like welfare reform and and the Defense of Marriage Act and the Iraq invasion, all of which are rightfully anathema to today’s progressives. But those critiques often gloss over the many achievements of the Clinton administration—notably, the longest period of economic growth since the Depression—or Hillary’s role in pushing her husband’s White House leftward in an era that was hostile to lefties. They ignore her longtime advocacy for women’s rights and universal health care. They overlook her tenure in the Senate, where she worked across the aisle and mastered “even the most obscure details of New York’s problems,” as The New York Times opined in 2006. And they brush past her mostly impressive tenure as secretary of state, including her push for the sanctions that led to the Iran nuclear deal. (Libya, where Clinton pushed for an intervention that did not go especially well, is probably the biggest blemish.) What’s more, Clinton has an unrivaled grasp on the nittygritty of policy, especially foreign policy. Put simply, she’s studied harder for this test than any candidate on either side of the aisle. Just as important: Clinton’s resilient. She’s endured endless personal criticisms and half-cocked investigations and contrived pseudoscandals—remember the time Republicans “investigated” whether she murdered Vincent Foster?—and lived to tell the tale. She’s admittedly an imperfect candidate. She’s not particularly charismatic. Her use of a private email server at the state department was dumb. And she should really release her Goldman Sachs transcripts already. But beyond those demerits, the thing that stands out about Hillary Clinton is that she’s a grinder, a scrapper—a pragmatist who looks to nudge the ball forward and lock in progressive gains. And that’s what this election is about: protecting the Affordable Care Act, protecting existing social programs, and filling vacancies on the Supreme Court. In our view, Clinton is best positioned to both win the White House and, once there, move the needle ever-soslightly in the right direction. And, yeah, while we think the world of Bernie, it’s about time we had a woman in charge.
President, Republican: DONALD J. TRUMP
Donald J. Trump is not the most qualified Republican candidate for president (that would be John Kasich). Nor is he the most electable (Marco Rubio), the most ideologically pure (Ted Cruz), or the sanest bet to have his finger on the nuclear trigger (Kasich). He’s not even the most loathsome (Cruz again). But he is the candidate the GOP deserves. And if the rest of us elect him in November, well, he’ll be the president we deserve, too. Over the last year, Trump—a racist, misogynistic, conspiracy-loving fabulist who spent years flogging the tinfoilhat “where’s the birth certificate?” nonsense—has fashioned himself into a manifestation of the aggrieved-white-conservative id. He’s played overtly to bigotry and atavistic fear of The Other, whether that other is African-American, a Mexican immigrant, or a Muslim refugee. He is a clown leading a circus of belligerence and authoritarianism. And that makes Trump a perfect match for the modern Republican Party. For almost a decade now, the GOP has stoked this fire of anger and racially tinged resentment in an effort to win votes. Think Sarah Palin accusing Barack Obama of “pallin’ around with terrorists” or a U.S. congressman shouting “you lie!” during a State of the Union address. Think Trump’s birther movement or Obamacare “death panels” or the Benghazi conspiracy theories or the rise of the tea party, all abetted by Republican elites. Most of all, think about shameless obstructionism and the campaigns to delegitimize the president as Muslim or somehow not fully American. Lee Atwater would have been proud. This strategy worked. Republicans took back the House in 2010 and the Senate in 2014 and have claimed a large majority of governorships and state legislatures. But it also paved the way for Trump, a Frankenstein’s monster of Republicans’ own creation. Even though party leaders fear (probably rightly) that he’ll be eviscerated in November—and even though they know he shouldn’t be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office—they can’t seem to do anything to stop him. In the words of Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, his party has gone “batshit crazy.” Put another way: they’ve sown the wind. Now it’s time to reap the whirlwind.
U.S. Senate, Democrat: DEBORAH ROSS
Of the four candidates seeking to challenge Senator Richard Burr in November, one stands above the rest. For almost two decades, Deborah Ross has been a force in state politics, first as the director of the state ACLU, then as a legislator, and most recently as the in-house counsel for GoTriangle. Ross is smart and experienced. She wants to bolster the Affordable Care Act, in part by creating incentives for North Carolina and other recalcitrant states to expand Medicaid. She favors a path to citizenship for undocument-
ed immigrants, opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and wants to ensure that women receive equal pay. Ross’s three opponents—Spring Lake Mayor Chris Rey, Durham businessman Kevin Griffin, and perennial office seeker Ernest T. Reeves—agree with her more than they don’t. (Though Griffin seems more open to the regressive FairTax or a flat tax than a professed admirer of Senator Elizabeth Warren should be.) Rey, in particular, could well have a bright future ahead of him. He’s young and ambitious and is developing a record of success in Spring Lake. But Ross strikes us as being much more prepared—both to face Burr in November and to make a difference in Washington. She’s earned our enthusiastic endorsement.
U.S. Senate, Republican: RICHARD BURR
In his two terms in office, Burr has been a boilerplate Senate Republican. He has a 90 percent lifetime rating with the American Conservative Union, thanks to, for example, votes to cut taxes and spending and in opposition to raising the minimum wage and extending unemployment benefits. He’s pro-life, pro-gun, anti–same-sex marriage, anti-Obamacare, pro– Keystone Pipeline, and against Richard the regulation of carbon emisBurr sions. And he doesn’t think President Obama should appoint a replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia, no matter what the Constitution says. But that’s not right-wing enough for Greg Brannon, a Cary OB-GYN who is the most prominent of Burr’s three challengers. He wants to defund the Department of Education and ban all abortions. Brannon entered the race accusing Burr of “repeatedly refusing to take on President Obama and the Democrats in Washington.” In other words, Brannon’s saying we need more obstruction and rancor in Washington. Burr is the better choice.
the state’s gay-marriage ban or join a lawsuit challenging Obamacare, and backed the EPA’s plan to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions over the McCrory administration’s objections. (His office is defending the state’s noxious voter-ID law, though Cooper has spoken out against it.) If elected governor, Cooper pledges to make North Carolina’s economy work for everybody, not just those at the top. To do that, he says, he’ll focus on improving public education and reversing tax policies that have shifted the burden to the middle class. He also promises to expand Medicaid, keep the legislature from interfering in local governments’ decisions, and welcome well-vetted refugees to North Carolina—a change of tone from November, when he proposed a “pause” in refugee admissions. His primary opponent, Durham attorney and former state representative Ken Spaulding, has some worthwhile ideas. But, in our view, Spaulding has failed to demonstrate why, given Cooper’s extensive record, he would be the superior candidate.
Governor, Republican: C. ROBERT BRAWLEY
Governor Pat McCrory has done nothing to earn our support. His administration’s obsequiousness to his former employer, Duke Energy, and his refusal to expand Medicaid are both galling. His team’s refusal to turn over public records—which prompted an ongoing lawsuit from several media outfits, including us—has put the lie to any claim of transparency and accountability. And on the rare occasion when he stands up to the overreaches of the Republican legislature—vetoing the antigay Senate Bill 2,
Governor, Democrat: ROY COOPER
For the last sixteen years, Roy Cooper has ably served as North Carolina’s attorney general. For the past four years, he’s also offered a stark contrast to the Republicans on Jones Street. He declined to defend
Roy Cooper
Deborah Ross INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 9
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NC NEEDS CHARLES MEEKER.
The NC Dept. of Labor is broken. And just as he did as Mayor of Raleigh, Charles will bring much-needed effectiveness and accountability to the job. He will work to improve worker safety, to ensure accurate classification of workers, and make sure that workers are paid what they are owed.
VOTE MAR 15
MEEKER COMMISSIONER OF
LABOR
www.CharlesMeeker.org ■ Paid for by Charles Meeker Campaign Fund INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 11
for example—he is promptly overridden, a demonstration of his fecklessness. And that’s not even getting into his intervention into a prison contract at the behest of a political benefactor. Moreover, he has little to show for his first term. After years of cutting taxes for the wealthy, the state’s unemployment rate sits well above the national average, and teacher pay is still at the bottom of national rankings. North Carolina deserves new leadership. Republicans have a marginally better option in C. Robert Brawley, who, over the course of his twenty years in the legislature— his most recent stint ended when he narrowly lost a primary challenge in 2014—made a name for himself as an independent voice. During his last term in then legislature, he grew openly critical of then-Speaker Thom Tillis and was ejected from party meetings. That’s not to say that Brawley is in any way a progressive. He opposes Medicaid expansion and regurgitates the myth of widespread voter fraud. He opposes same-sex marriage and gun regulations. He’s also been roundly criticized for trying to roll back ethics reforms. So Brawley’s not ideal. But you can’t do much worse than McCrory.
Lieutenant Governor, Democrat: HOLLY JONES
There’s a debate to be had over whether the state even needs a lieutenant governor, but we’ll leave that for another day. Right now we have a contested primary to challenge the incumbent, Dan Forest, a social-conservative extremist. Linda Coleman would like a rematch. Four years ago, she lost this race by fewer than seven thousand votes. She previously served four years on the Wake County commission and was elected thrice to the state House before she was appointed director of the Office of State Personnel in 2009. She says she wants to reverse recent cuts to education, expand Medicaid, and be a “liaison between education and economic development.” But Coleman faces an unexpectedly strong challenge from Holly Jones, a Buncombe 12 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
County commissioner who has advocated on behalf of affordable housing and domestic violence victims—and has thus far raised significantly more money than Coleman. Jones argues for raising teacher pay and per-pupil spending and reforms to keep the legislature from meddling in local government affairs. The final two candidates are Ron Newton, a former police Holly Jones officer who now owns a financial-services company in Durham, and Robert Wilson, a Cary resident who worked for more than twenty years in the secretary of state’s office. In this race, we’re siding with Jones. While we agree with Coleman on many issues, Jones is spot-on about the need to reassert local control, a problem recently made evident by the legislature’s promise to intrude on Charlotte’s antidiscrimination ordinance.
Attorney General, Democrat: JOSH STEIN
Roy Cooper’s bid for governor leaves open the post of attorney general. The office’s duties include consumer protection, environmental enforcement, maintaining public safety, and prosecuting crooked government officials. Despite a hostile legislature in recent years, Cooper navigated these waters skillfully. It’s imperative that his successor do the same. Josh Stein worked as a deputy in the attorney general’s office from 2001 to 2008. In the consumer protection division, he confronted cybercrime and predatory lending. He was part of the fight to banish payday lenders from the state. Since 2009, he has served as a state senator. Stein’s record is strong there, too. Stein’s primary opponent, Marcus Williams, is not a wholly unserious candidate. An attorney from Lumberton, he has practiced law for thirty-seven years. He has also run a handful of quixotic political campaigns. But Stein is the better choice.
Attorney General, Republican: JIM O’NEILL
It’s been over one hundred years since a Republican ran the state’s attorney general’s office. Jim O’Neill is the GOP’s best bet to
break that streak. He has real experience: the last six years as the district attorney of Forsyth County and twelve before that as an assistant DA. O’Neill has articulated specific ideas about how he would improve the AG’s office (bridging communication gaps between staff members and lawmakers and raising salaries to retain crime-lab technicians). He appears to take seriously the position and understand its contours. The same cannot be said of O’Neill’s primary opponent. Buck Newton plays a particularly cheap style of conservative politics. As a state senator from Wilson, he has championed fracking, tried to sneak abortion restrictions into bills, and proposed legislation that would exempt magistrate judges from performing gay marriages. Newton’s platform is likewise a word salad of Fox News talking points about Medicare fraud, the evils of Obamacare, and immigration. He’s a hack, in other words. Vote O’Neill.
Commissioner of Agriculture, Republican: STEVE TROXLER
Steve Troxler is seeking a fourth term as agriculture commissioner. You may recall Troxler’s name from a minor controversy last year over his department’s plan to require poultry owners to register their birds due to concerns over bird flu. Libertarian types viewed it as a governmental overreach. We, however, tend to think it was a prudent, if somewhat inelegant, attempt to mitigate a possible agricultural crisis. And we’re not convinced that Andy Stevens—Troxler’s primary challenger—would have handled it any better, if at all. Stevens is running a bizarre one-note campaign that seeks to crucify Troxler for prohibiting concealed-carry guns at the N.C. State Fairgrounds. Stevens may have won the endorsement of Ammoland (true story), but he doesn’t have our vote.
Commissioner of Insurance, Republican: JOE MCLAUGHLIN Following Heather Grant’s December withdrawal, three Republicans remain to challenge Democratic incumbent Wayne Goodwin. We’re going with a hard pass
on Ron Pierce, who was arrested two years ago for—can’t make this stuff up—insurance fraud. Pierce told The News & Observer that he was the victim of a Goodwin witch-hunt. The charges against Pierce—inflating repair estimates and operating without a license— were eventually dismissed. Whether they had merit we cannot say. We do know that Pierce wrote to us that “the insurance companies are the biggest legal crooks in American everything needs to be triple checked to disallow the dishonestly that the insurance companies are doing to the citizens of NC” [sic]. He added: “I’m not a POLITICIAN, nor will I ever be.” Actually, Pierce would be a politician if he won. But we don’t think that is going to happen. Speaking of not winning: Mike Causey, who works for the N.C. Department of Transportation, has lost the race for insurance commissioner four times already, in 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2012. If Causey had fresh ideas about state insurance policies, we would be more likely to endorse him, if only for his resilience. But he’s still coughing up stale “free-market” phlegm from twenty years ago. Joe McLaughlin, a financial planner from Jacksonville, gets the nod. Unlike Causey and Pierce, he has previously held public office, as an Onslow County commissioner. We think it unlikely that McLaughlin would improve upon Goodwin’s record should he win in November. But of the three, he’s the best.
Secretary of State, Republican: A.J. DAOUD
A.J. Daoud finished in fourth place—dead last—in the 2012 GOP primary for secretary of state. We expect him to fare better this time, and not only because he’s running against just one other guy. Since 2012, Daoud has beefed up his Republican bona fides with a stint as a lottery commissioner and as GOP chairman of the state’s Sixth Congressional District. He’s also amassed support from several elected officials. The other Republican in the race to unseat incumbent Elaine Marshall is Michael LaPaglia. LaPaglia seems like an interesting guy. Though he has never held public office, he worked as a body man for Fred Thompson during his 1994 campaign for U.S. Senate in Tennessee.
He also founded and owned an art studio in Durham and holds an MFA in theater from UNC. Unfortunately, we don’t know much else about him or what he believes. He didn’t respond to our questionnaire, and his website is devoid of policy detail. We do know that the Asheville Tea Party recently endorsed him. We endorse Daoud.
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Democrat: JUNE ATKINSON
These are rough times for public education in North Carolina. Per-pupil spending on education is down 14 percent since 2008. Despite a nominal raise in 2015, teachers are among the lowest paid in the nation. A quarter of the state’s teachers work second jobs. In January, Department of Public Instruction Superintendent June Atkinson called for a long-overdue 10 percent raise for all teachers. The legislature’s unlikely to take up her proposal, but we’re glad Atkinson is fighting the good fight. Elected in 2004 after serving for twenty-eight years in various roles at the DPI, Atkinson has battled conservatives who seek to dismantle public education via privatization and charters. She’s done this while presiding over a period in which high school graduation rates have risen nearly 20 percent. A few words about her primary challenger, Henry Pankey. His tough-love approach to education has served him well as a principal. He turned around Southern High School in the late 1990s and appears to be thriving as an administrator in Winston-Salem. But we’re sticking with Atkinson.
Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican: MARK JOHNSON
Three Republicans are vying to challenge Atkinson in November. None of them is especially qualified. J. Wesley Sills is a social studies teacher in Harnett County. He’s been a teacher for four years, but he lacks the experience required to oversee the state’s public schools. Rosemary Stein is a pediatrician from Burlington. She doesn’t like Common Core and wants to return “classical education” to North Carolina schools. Her goals beyond that are unclear. Though he’s only thirty-two, Mark Johnson at least has some relevant education experience. Before Johnson was an attorney—he’s corporate counsel for a tech company—he taught for two years at West Charlotte High School through Teach for America. He also was elected in 2014 to the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education. Johnson wants to reform testing, increase access to technology in the classroom, and shift power away from Raleigh and toward local districts. Easier said than done. Still, he’s the only serious candidate in this race.
Treasurer, Democrat: DAN BLUE III
Dan Blue III North Carolina Democrats haven’t had much success over the last six years, but Janet Cowell has been the exception. Cowell, who is not running for re-election, is well-liked and managed the state pension fund with a steady hand. The two candidates vying to replace her are Duke-educated Dan Blue III, the son of Senate Minority Leader Dan Blue Jr. and a lawyer; and Ron Elmer, a certified public accountant and financial planner from Cary. Blue promises to follow Cowell’s lead in managing the state pension; Elmer has his own plan, which he says would have resulted in higher returns had it been used during Cowell’s tenure. Both promise to bring more transparency to the role. Elmer is more experienced, but there’s really no reason to fix what isn’t broken. Blue, the former Wake County Democratic Party chairman, would also bring a more political touch to the position, which may prove necessary when dealing with the Council of State June and a Republican legislature. And while Elmer Atkinson has been endorsed by the state employees’ union, Blue has been endorsed by the state AFL-CIO, the North Carolina Association of Educators, and Cowell herself. We endorse him, too.
Connect N.C. Bond Referendum: YES
Last year, McCrory promised a bond to finance much-needed transportation projects for a state that has long outgrown its infrastructure. The legislature had other ideas. The $2 billion bond that made it to ballot does nothing to address transportation. Instead, “Connect NC” will mostly fund education and public works projects, including $980 million for the UNC system, $350 million for community colleges, and over $400 million for local parks and zoos. These things are badly needed. But transportation funding was needed just as badly, if not more. We nonetheless reluctantly endorse this bond. In the end, something is better than nothing. And, according to a new report from the N.C. Budget & Tax Center, this something could create Rosa Gill five thousand jobs.
N.C. House, District 33, Democrat: ROSA GILL
We endorse the incumbent, Representative Rosa Gill, a retired educator who is running for her fifth term. While not the most effective legislator, Gill has sponsored and sup-
ported key pieces of legislation and is an active advocate for public schools. And we don’t have much reason to believe that Gill’s opponents—Shirley Hicks, who owns a disability service, and Bernard Allen, an insurance agent—will fare much better. They’ve largely failed to distinguish themselves. Allen, a perpetual challenger for this seat (his father once held it), did not return the INDY’s questionnaire. Hicks’s questionnaire indicates that she agrees with Gill on most issues; it’s not clear why she’s running. Gill deserves your vote.
N.C. House, District 36, Republican: NELSON DOLLAR
Incumbent Nelson Dollar, who has served in the legislature since 2004, has often been a rubber stamp for Republican ambitions. He also authored last year’s very conservative budget. But that wasn’t enough to avoid a primary challenge. Perhaps that’s because he took a principled stand last year against a Medicare reform bill and spoke out on the House floor against privatizing Medicaid. That’s apparently enough for challenger Mark Villee and his political benefactor, Civitas Institute chairman Bob Luddy, to argue that Nelson isn’t conservative enough. It’s clear that a Villee win would move the House Republican caucus even further to the right. We’re endorsing Dollar.
N.C. House, District 36, Democrat: JENNIFER MARIE FERRELL
Jennifer Marie Ferrell doesn’t have a terribly deep political résumé. She ran unsuccessfully for the Apex Town Council in 2013. After that, she worked as an organizer for the Wake County Democratic Party and a community outreach manager at Public Schools First NC. Still, she’s been endorsed by the state AFL-CIO, and she’s running as a tough, education reform-minded candidate. Her opponent, Woodie Cleary, is similarly concerned about education. A recently retired employee of the N.C. Department of Revenue, Cleary wants to repeal the state’s regressive tax system and restore education funding. He’s also in favor of independent redistricting. Both are solid progressives. We endorse Ferrell for her willingness to fight for public schools and hold state lawmakers accountable.
N.C. Senate, District 16, Democrat: JAY JYOTI CHAUDHURI
Both Democrats running for this seat are smart and qualified. But we endorse Jay Chaudhuri, an attorney who served as general counsel to Attorney General Roy Cooper and Treasurer Janet Cowell, over Ellis Hankins, an adjunct professor at Duke and N.C. State, for several reasons. First, this heavily Democratic district has seen its AsianINDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 13
INDY VOTING GUIDE ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 15. Early voting: March 3–12
CHATHAM COUNTY 919-545-8500, http://www.chathamnc.org DURHAM COUNTY 919-560-0700, http://dconc.g ov/government/departments-a-e/board-of-elections ORANGE COUNTY 919-245-2350, http://www.orangecountync. gov/departments/board_of_elections/index.php WAKE COUNTY 919-856-6240, wakecounty.gov/elections
FEDERAL
President, Republican: Donald J. Trump President, Democrat: Hillary Clinton
STATE
U.S. Senate, Republican: Richard Burr U.S. Senate, Democrat: Deborah Ross Governor, Republican: C. Robert Brawley Governor, Democrat: Roy Cooper Lieutenant Governor, Democrat: Holly Jones Attorney General, Democrat: Josh Stein Attorney General, Republican: Jim O’Neill Commissioner of Agriculture, Republican: Steve Troxler Commissioner of Insurance, Republican: Joe McLaughlin Secretary of State, Republican: A.J. Daoud Superintendent of Public Instruction, Democrat: June Atkinson Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican: Mark Johnson Treasurer, Democrat: Dan Blue III Connect N.C. Bond Referendum: Yes N.C. House, District 33, Democrat: Rosa Gill N.C. House, District 36, Republican: Nelson Dollar N.C. House, District 36, Democrat: Jennifer Marie Ferrell N.C. Senate, District 16, Wake: Jay Jyoti Chaudhuri
CHATHAM COUNTY
Chatham County Commission, District 1, Democrat:
Karen Howard Chatham County Commission, District 2, Democrat: Mike Dasher
DURHAM COUNTY
Durham County Commission, Democrat: Heidi Carter, Tara Fikes, James Hill, Wendy Jacobs, Ellen Reckhow Durham County Register of Deeds, Democrat: Sharon Davis Durham Public Schools Board of Education, at-large: Steven Unruhe
ORANGE COUNTY
Orange County Commission, at-large, Democrat: Mark Marcoplos Orange County Commission, District 1, Democrat (two seats): Mark Dorosin, Penny Rich Orange County Commission, District 2, Democrat: Renee Price Orange County Board of Education: Stephen H. Halkiotis, Tony McKnight, Matthew Roberts, Orange County Board of Education, two-year unexpired term: Michael H. Hood
WAKE COUNTY
Wake County Commission, District B, Democrat: Vicki Scroggins Johnson Wake County Commission, District B, Republican: John Adcock
14 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
American population swell in recent years, and Chaudhuri would be the first Indian-American in the state legislature. Score one for diversity— but our endorsement is about more than that. He has a detailed plan for raising teacher pay and is unabashedly pro-choice. He’s earned the endorsements of Jay Jyoti Chaudhuri NARAL Pro-Choice North Carolina, the state AFL-CIO, the Triangle Labor Council, various Raleigh police and fire associations, and Raleigh mayor Nancy McFarlane. Hankins is strong on education and advocates for independent redistricting. He would be a fine choice. But the district’s constituents deserve someone who is uniquely positioned to understand their concerns; in this race, that person is Chaudhuri.
Chatham County Commission, District 1, Democrat: KAREN HOWARD
Zoning, fracking, and Duke Energy’s coal-ash storage are the most important issues facing Chatham County. Of the two Democrats running for this seat, the incumbent, Karen Howard, is best equipped to manage them. Howard is a trained attorney who has worked on the legal angles of storing coal ash and delaying fracking. She’s also supported the commission’s work to zone more than half of the county’s currently unzoned land. Danny Jenkins does not have experience working on environmental issues. He has said the board’s vote in favor of zoning the county—crucial to preventing sprawl—was premature. He’s wrong.
Chatham County Commission, District 2, Democrat: MIKE DASHER
Two Democrats are running for this seat as well. The incumbent, Mike Cross, has in the past voted with Republicans on crucial issues like zoning. We endorse Mike Dasher, a green builder who has served on the county’s Affordable Housing Advisory Board and its Green Building and Sustainable Energy Advisory Board. Dasher has vocally supported implementing a land-use plan to guide growth and protect the environment from threats like coal ash and fracking. He says environmentally sound development is his top priority. Dasher says he will also focus on education and much-needed infrastructure funding. In 2011, Cross voted with Republicans to approve a county budget that moved environmental staffers to the Department of Waste Management, causing the natural resources director to quit. That vote also blocked the county’s Environmental Review Board, composed of citizens with environmental expertise, from participating in land-use decisions. We believe that Dasher is the more reliable candidate.
Durham County Commission, Democrat: HEIDI CARTER, TARA FIKES, JAMES HILL, WENDY JACOBS, ELLEN RECKHOW
All five incumbents are running for re-election, but the INDY is only endorsing two. The first is Ellen Reckhow, who has served on the board for twenty-eight years. Her questionnaire shows that she still has a lot of good ideas about economic development, affordable housing, job training, childhood education, and just about every issue on the minds of voters. Another incumbent, Wendy Jacobs, has earned widespread respect since being elected in 2012. Jacobs, a former schoolteacher, has already racked up endorsements from the Durham People’s Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the Durham Association of Educators. We’ll happily jump on that bandwagon. She’s a strong advocate for school, environmental protections, smart growth, and senior citizens. Of the newcomers, we’re very impressed with James Hill. We believe that Hill will fight for public schools and work to expand pre-K education. He’s a strong proponent for providing more affordable housing, and he argues persuasively for it. Until she retired in 2013, Tara Fikes worked for thirty years as director of the Orange County Department of Housing, Human Rights, and Community Development. But she’s very much a Durhamite, born and raised. And the work she did for Orange County looks really good on the résumé. Besides administering block grants for housing, she coordinated with the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness and housing groups to provide emergency assistance to displaced people. Fikes brings smart insights into housing issues. Her thoughtful responses to our questions on education, jobs, and jail administration suggest she can bring even more. Heidi Carter, a twelve-year member of the Durham Public Schools Board of Education, deserves your vote, too. She’ll seal a majority that will work hard for students, teachers, and staff at Durham’s schools. Her detailed answers to our questionnaire demonstrate a deep understanding of all issues facing Durham County.
Ellen Reckhow
Those are our five. We’re going to give longtime board member Michael Page an honorable mention. But his closeness to the 751 South developers still leaves a bad taste. And a recent report in Bull City Rising that identified Page as an owner of rental housing near NCCU that fails to meet code is troubling. Another incumbent we aren’t endorsing is Brenda Howerton. Like Page, she supported 751 South. And it doesn’t help that she has a reputation for being dismissive toward constituents. Fellow incumbent Fred Foster didn’t return our questionnaire, which figures. Attendees of commission meetings have noted that the former president of the Durham NAACP has seemed distracted and disinterested lately. It’s time for Foster to pursue new interests.
Durham County Register of Deeds, Democrat: SHARON DAVIS
Two candidates seek to fill Covington’s shoes. Wayland Burton, chairman of the Durham County ABC board, argues that the office is in need of fresh eyes—his, specifically. He became interested in the office while searching the archives for family history records. Among other things, he says he’s frustrated by the lack of archival data available online. Sharon Davis is the office’s chief assistant. She’s been there since 1988. She also serves on several boards and committees that directly relate to her position. It’s our view that the register of deeds office is currently being run just fine; we’re endorsing Davis.
Durham Public Schools Board of Education, at large: STEVEN UNRUHE
school issues facing the community and is concerned about racial disparities in school discipline. He wants to expand bilingual services and foster an environment for “children of all sexual orientations to learn to live together.” Ravin is a computer systems coordinator for the city of Durham. He grew up in the DPS system and went on to earn degrees in marketing, finance, business administration, and strategic information management. His professional experience includes working for Citigroup and American Express. He’s helped mentor kids at R.N. Harris Elementary School. All of that is great, but Unruhe has a more coherent grasp on the issues the DPS is dealing with.
Orange County Commission, at large, Democrat: MARK MARCOPLOS
STAY O RIG INA L
Steven Unruhe and Frederick Ravin are both running for the at-large seat being vacated by Leigh Steven Unruhe Bordley, who is not seeking re-election. There are three Democrats running for the Willie Covington, who was elected register of deeds in 1996 Unruhe, who retired from teaching in 2015 after at-large seat; with no Republican contenders, the and has held the office ever since, oversaw the recordstwenty-nine years, has a solid background in Durham pubwinner of the primary will win the race. keeping office as it transitioned into the digital era. He steps lic education. He’s won lifetime achievement awards for his We endorse Mark Marcoplos, a green builder and enviCB Dancefloor Ad_Indy_2-3.2016 copy_hires.pdf 1 2/22/16 4:34 PM down thisWCVB-160108-5 year. work teaching math and journalism. He’s on top of important ronmental activist from Chapel Hill. He was instrumental
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chairwoman Jamezetta Bedin the Orange County Living ford. Trained as an accountant, Wage Project, and his six and Bedford has a stunning knowla half years on the board of edge of county issues and fisthe Orange Water and Sewer cal realities. It’s unfortunate Authority were spent well. He that she’s running against two also has an ironclad commitaccomplished incumbents, ment to affordable housing. because Bedford would be an Another candidate, Matt excellent commissioner. Hughes, has been Orange CounThe fourth candidate, Gary ty’s Democratic Party chairman Mark Marcoplos Kahn, has already run for comsince 2013. He’s strong on edumissioner and lost badly, just cation and sits on the advisory as he did when he ran for town council and council of KidsCope, an early intervention mayor. He’ll keep trying until even WCHL and family support organization. He’s worked refuses to put him on the air. with Action for Children NC (now NC Child) and the Department of Public Instruction. He has a solid résumé. Andy Cagle of Efland ran unsuccessfully for sheriff in 2014. He owns Cagle’s Corner Grading, Hauling, and Septic Systems. He grew up on a farm in the Midwest and deTwo candidates are running for the Disscribes himself as a “moderate environmentrict 2 seat. Both are Democrats. We endorse talist” who believes in balancing growth and the incumbent, Renee Price, who was first conservation. elected in 2012. She has a background in All would be acceptable, but we’re throwagriculture and conservation, community ing in with Marcoplos, who we believe will organizing, forestry, and environmental jusbe an outstanding public servant. tice. As a member of the county commission, she was a force for extending long-overdue sewer access to the Rogers Road community. Price’s extensive knowledge, experience, and outreach skills are highly valued. Her challenger, Bonnie Hauser, is a former PricewaterhouseCoopers partner and an engaged community activist. A There are four candidates runregular presence at commission ning for two District 1 seats. Three meetings, Hauser has a commitof them are exceptional. ment to her community that is Civil rights attorney Mark without question. But we believe Dorosin is running for his second Penny Rich Price has earned re-election. term. Over the past four years, he’s fought for expanding the county’s living wage ordinance. He made sure that money for affordable housing was included in the upcoming county bond referendum. His leadership in the Family Success Alliance, which provides resources to poor families, is a model of community service. He gets our wholehearted endorsement. Penny Rich is also seeking a second term. The race for three full-term school board She has good ideas about economic developseats consists of two incumbents and one ment and providing more affordable housing. newcomer; for better or worse, they’re all We endorse her, too. going to win. Also worthy of consideration is former Stephen H. Halkiotis is a retired educator Chapel Hill-Carrboro Board of Education and a past county commissioner. He spent
Orange County Board of Commissioners, District 2, Democrat: RENEE PRICE
Orange County Board of Commissioners, District 1, Democrat: MARK DOROSIN, PENNY RICH
Orange County Board of Education: STEPHEN H. HALKIOTIS, TONY MCKNIGHT, MATTHEW ROBERTS
seventeen years as a junior high or high school principal. He says his highest priority as a school board member is “raising achievement and closing the gap.” Tony McKnight is an army vet and consultant for the state’s labor department. He was first elected to the board in 2008. McKnight says he wants to focus on Title 1 schools, improve the retention rate, and close the achievement gap. Matthew Roberts, a former operational manager for Burlington Industries, runs a horse boarding and show farm in Efland. He told the Durham Herald-Sun that he’s worried that some Title 1 schools are performing below other Orange County schools and that districting by income is unfair to students.
islature’s attempt to gerrymander Wake County in a more Republican-friendly manner. Lindy Brown is a longtime Wake resident and county social worker and former commissioner. Vicki Scroggins-Johnson is a project manager at GlaxoSmithKline and a Morrisville Town Council member. We endorse Scroggins-Johnson. Though Brown is eager to serve, she didn’t have the strongest voting record as a county commissioner from 2006– 10. During her tenure, Brown often sided with Republicans on important issues like school funding, transit votes, and budget decisions. That’s one reason she lost in 2010. Scroggins-Johnson, a moderate, supports county investments in public schools. As a town council member since 2013, Scroggins-Johnson has Vicki Scroggins-Johnson advocated for expanding Morrisville’s greenways and funding road construction projects. She also voted to enact a stormwater program and increase the town’s recycling capacity. She says she will focus on schools, transit, Two candidates are vying to take the seat left and sustainability. vacant by the resignation of Debbie Piscitelli
Orange County Board of Education, two-year unexpired term: MICHAEL H. HOOD
this past November. We recommend Michael H. Hood, a retired computer professional and navy veteran. He has some educational experience, having co-chaired the science committee at Hillsborough Elementary. And he’s been a regular at school board meetings for the last five years, even providing helpful material when the board was preparing to implement the One-to-One Laptop Program. Hood argues convincingly about providing meals for lowincome students. Heads up, though: if you support Common Core, know that he doesn’t. His opponent, John D. Hamilton, a professor emeritus of medicine at Duke, hasn’t answered anyone’s questionnaire that we know of.
Wake County Commission, District B, Democrat: VICKI SCROGGINS-JOHNSON
Two Democrats are vying for District B, a superdistrict constructed as part of the leg-
Wake County Commission, District B, Republican: JOHN ADCOCK
In the Republican race for District B, we endorse John Adcock, a Fuquay-Varina attorney, over former commissioner and tea party stalwart Phil Matthews. Adcock considers himself “a fresh and positive conservative voice for the citizens of Wake County,” which is a lot better than the offensive memes depicting President Obama that Matthews posts to his Facebook page. Though Adcock says he does not support the county’s proposed transit plan, he wants to make revisions rather than scrap it altogether. And he supports bringing teacher pay up to the national average, as well as improving school facilities countywide. Those pragmatic positions bode better for Wake County than Matthews’s right-wing views. l backtalk@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 17
The Brass Menagerie
DURHAM’S BEST (OK, ONLY) RARE TUBA MUSEUM OPENS TO THE PUBLIC BY BRIAN HOWE
ABOVE Tooting
his own horn: Vincent Simonetti
RIGHT Simonetti
You’re in a cage of liquid gold and flashing silver, shot through with mossy greens, deep vermilions, mottled ochres and pewters—seemingly every increment of yellow and gray and brown. Circles hover everywhere, in the forms of bells and loops, as brass coils encircle you like a great intestine. It takes a moment to process what you’re looking at because you’ve almost certainly never seen so many tubas, with family members such as the euphonium and the helicon, in such close quarters. The lemon-yellow house on Durham’s Chapel Hill Road contains hundreds of them, in all shapes and sizes, some plain and battered, others glossy and engraved with flowing white script. Each has a tag identifying its make and 18 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
with museum curator (and his granddaughter) Aiyana Simonetti-Poe
manufacture; some of the instruments date to the early 1800s. Horns armor every inch of wall and ceiling, and most of the floor. They mass in serried ranks like brazen armies, bristling behind velvet ropes on poles in matching brass, their spherical capitals shining. The history of an instrument and the story of a family’s life are densely packed into these thousands of feet of tubing. The space—formerly a tuba retail business, now the V&E Simonetti Historic Tuba Collection—has been tended by three generations of Simonettis for nearly three decades. Ten days before Saturday’s grand opening, where there will be tours from two to five p.m. (sign up at the website for a free
PHOTOS BY ALEX BOERNER
ticket), the family is busy preparing the museum for the party. Ethel Simonetti, the “E” of “V&E,” is working on nonprofit applications and property maintenance. She says people she meets doing volunteer work often ask if the Tuba Exchange was a front. It’s not an unreasonable question. But the business was quite real, not to mention successful, servicing school bands across the country. The collection has been there for decades. Until now, you just had to know to look for it. Nearby, the museum’s nineteen-year-old curator, Aiyana Simonetti-Poe, is at the computer, drumming up business for Saturday. Though she isn’t a musician, she is attracted to all things vintage, and she’s been surrounded by tubas her entire
CREATIVE METALSMITHS Contemporary Jewelry Since 1978
V&E SIMONETTI HISTORIC TUBA COLLECTION GRAND OPENING Saturday, March 5, 2–5 p.m., free www.simonettitubacollection.com
life. Her parents used to work at the Tuba Exchange, and her father, a professional musician, is currently performing in The Lion King at DPAC. “He plays the part with Pumbaa when he lets out a big fart,” Aiyana says with a laugh, summing up the tuba’s reputation. It looks and sounds like plumbing, and is consequently often thought of as a comical, even slapstick, orchestral voice. Silver trumpets get the songs of angels; tubas get flatulence. An oompah sound can be heard from the next room, where Aiyana’s grandfather, Vincent Simonetti, is putting a big bass tuba through its paces. It’s he who has been building this collection since 1965, when he picked up his first, a B-flat helicon, while on tour with Russia’s Moiseyev Dance Company. Almost all of his horns are in working condition, though he doesn’t let anyone else play them, except for professional musicians performing scores that call for archaic instruments. He points out a custom-made double tuba he lent to a Philadelphia Orchestra player for a program built around Pictures at an Exhibition, and a rare two-headed alto horn from the nineteenth century, with one bell pointing upward and one facing outward. His instruments aren’t for sale unless he finds the same one in better condition, though it isn’t clear where he intends to put any more. Vincent didn’t choose the tuba; it chose him. His devotion to it is almost exclusive. The only non-tuba-family instrument in the museum is a French-horn-like mellophone that represents a maker he didn’t have. After all these years, his origin story is as polished as his collection, and he hits the same beats I heard when I first visited seven years ago. He fell for the tuba after a school band
director implored him to switch from trumpet. He loved its complex structure and obsessively sketched it in study hall. He attended the Manhattan School of Music on a full scholarship, performed with the N.C. Symphony from 1967 to 1975, and then founded the Durham Symphony as a conductor. When he bought the yellow building in 1979, he had a piano-tuning business and dealt tubas on the side. At a trade show in Chicago five years later, he met Rudolf Meinl, a top German tuba dealer, and became his American distributor. When Vincent started getting $10,000 tuba orders, that was it for piano tuning.
By 2011, the Simonettis were in their late sixties, and they decided to retire. They kept the building, which still housed the collection, and sold the business. But they couldn’t get away from tubas. When the current owner moved the Tuba Exchange to a new Durham location last fall, Vincent felt free to officially open his collection to the public. He’ll tell you about all this readily enough if you ask, but what he really likes is talking about tubas, at length and in great detail—the finer points of piston valves, the historical contexts of period oddities. He’ll do so on free drop-in tours from two to five p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays for the foreseeable future. Right now, he’s telling me about the sousaphone, named for the famed American bandmaster John Philip Sousa. “Sousa became disenchanted with the helicon,” Vincent explains. “He wanted an instrument with the bell going straight up like a concert tuba, so the sound, the quote goes, would go over the top of the band like frosting on a cake.” Sousa had the clout to get the instrument, which became known as “the rain-catcher,” manufactured, but it more or less passed away with him in the 1930s. But not at the V&E Simonetti Historic Tuba Collection, where time moves slower than it does outside, traveling through so many twisted tubes. Though sometimes Vincent spends considerable money to fill a hole in his collection, he often finds his pieces of the past in piles of parts owned by people who don’t know what they have. Then he adds them to his family’s nest of brass, a gilt cage that he loves. l bhowe@indyweek.com
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ASHTANGA YOGA SCHOOL RALEIGH RALEIGH’S ONLY TRADITIONAL ASHTANGA MYSORE PROGRAM Mon–Fri: 6-8am Tue & Thu: 11am-1pm Sat: Led Primary Series 8-10am Beginner courses offered each month 14 Glenwood Ave. Ste 28, The Carter Building Raleigh • 919-880-9409 • www.aysraleigh.com
INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 19
3048 Medlin Drive, Raleigh www.jmrkitchens.com/taste
THE OAK
4035 Lake Boone Trail, Raleigh www.jmrkitchens.com/oak
Gluttons & Punishment “To want to own a restaurant can be a strange and terrible affliction,” Anthony Bourdain wrote. “What causes such a destructive urge in so many otherwise sensible people?” Even more mystifying: those who want to own multiple restaurants. In the Triangle, the afflicted are plentiful. Since opening Poole’s, Ashley Christensen has added five ventures, with more to come. Andrea Reusing of Lantern now runs the multiple levels of The Durham Hotel. Gray Brooks will expand far beyond Pizzeria Toro this year. One group you may hear less about, though, is JMR Kitchens, the partnership of brothers Ryan and Justin Riek. In four years, they’ve already opened three Raleigh restaurants—Taste, The Oak, and, most recently, more. Local restaurant groups tend to stem from two sources: a chef or an entrepreneur. With the former, it’s easy to connect the dots; cooks usually specialize in a certain cuisine, whether Mexican or molecular gastronomy. With entrepreneurs, it gets complicated. Are the similarities culinary or conceptual? Are there similarities? Or are the restaurants separate fruits sold by the same vendor? After more. opened in November, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a trail of breadcrumbs among JMR’s restaurants. If so, what does it taste like? Where does it lead? l l l
A morsel-meets-wine concept that opened in February 2012, Taste is the oldest of the JMR children. If you’re wondering what a “morsel” is, I must admit that my first thought was chocolate chips. Alas, it’s a small plate. The menu contains a dozen or so items and daily features. There are a few global nods 20 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
(to Mexico, with a roasted vegetable empanada and “deconstructed” tamale), but the selection is mostly Southern-slanted American—chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, pork belly jalapeño poppers. My server recommended two to three dishes per person. If Taste is busy when you visit, and it probably will be, you must crane past the L-shaped bar to see the chalkboard-scribbled specials. Do crane: on my trip, the “veg” special featured fresh pasta in a garlicky, winetipsy cream. The fettuccine was pristine, bathed in sauce and decorated with chili oil polka-dots. If this is what it means to eat your vegetables at Taste, consider me a regular. The other standout, the cheesecake, arrived last. I only ordered it because the brownie with bourbon whipped cream was gone. Let’s call it fate, then; had I left a single bite on my plate, I would have invited it back to my place. The other dishes would have earned only a “Call me?” The “tamale” was cleverly rein-
terpreted as a grain bowl: polenta, topped with a hearty portion of cumin-rubbed, slowroasted pork, salsa, and, as though the queso fresco had run out, feta. If you’re not one for spice, order the other polenta bowl: shrimp and “grits,” where the polenta is wooed with goat cheese and drowned in pork belly gravy. As for the wines, the list is well composed, with bottles ranging from twenty-three dollars to sixty-nine. Or you can order from the owner’s selection and drop $275 on a 2008 Luigi Bosca Icono. When I visited, Taste was packed like an anchovies tin, with a forty-something-heavy crowd dressed up less for Taste and more for themselves. A couple leaned in close. A table of women wore plastic tiaras. A man left with a smile on his face and gift in his hand. When I paid the check, the bar was bedecked with half-full glasses—red and white, shimmering like Christmas ornaments. l l l
MORE.
116 N. West St., Raleigh www.jmrkitchens.com/more
If Taste is Prince William— pretty, preppy, good with the parents—The Oak, JMR’s 2014 sapling, is Prince Harry, a man’s man who doesn’t care if he’s king of the restaurant group or not. The Oak’s concept is twofold, too—food and, in this case, bourbon. The restaurant offers an “adopt-a-barrel” program, which seems extravagant and expensive, and a house selection of whiskey and bourbon, re-aged in American white oak barrels. They thrive in an Old Fashioned, which you can customize with an infinite array of bitters—rhubarb, celery, plum, black walnut, orange, chocolate, lavender, lemon, mint, and, well, I lost track. I visited the night of the Pro Bowl, the NFL’s all-star game. Even the few people watching— one bachelor, three college-age kids—didn’t seem invested. The bartender knew the former’s order (an Old Fashioned, natch) and made sure to check in with the latter about taxis. Divided into bar bites, dinner plates, and sides, The Oak’s menu is a metaphorical fondue pot—gooey cheeses from all over the globe, with just enough Velveeta to remind you it’s American. You could go Mexican with short rib tacos, Italian with angel hair and pesto, all-encompassing Asian with sesame ahi tuna, “Asian vegetables,” and wasabi aioli. Or you could be jingoistic, a feeling that dominates the menu like Guy Fieri or Chili’s or Guy Fieri eating at Chili’s—pretzel-bun chicken sliders, bacon-jalapeño tater tots, loaded pork belly fries. Taste is a reminder that Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is in its twenty-second season. Still, the blackened mahi-mahi tacos could make a food truck famous. With pickled cabbage, pico de gallo, and tequila-lime aioli,
ONE OF THE REGION’S LESS-BALLYHOOED RESTAURANT GROUPS OFFERS SOME SURPRISING DELIGHTS––AND A WHOLE LOTTA ’MERICA BY EMMA LAPERRUQUE
If braised ribs had ears ... of tomato skin: Try it at more. PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER
indyfood
TASTE
they nestle inside crispy shells. And those tots should be screened for steroids; with their chipotle sour cream, they’re perfect. The spicy bourbon BBQ chicken lettuce wraps with pineapple relish and cashews (whew!) were as busy as they sound, and the romaine seemed to have been battered by the cooler’s other produce. The braised pork shoulder with “southern-style” (read: boxstyle) mac and cheese, fried Brussels sprouts, and BBQ “drizzle” (read: grease) relied more on gluttony than execution. The brownie, not available at Taste, reappeared at The Oak. It was no cheesecake, and I left wanting, well, more. ● ● ●
More small plates, more wine, more homemade pasta: as I headed toward JMR’s most recent restaurant, I wanted it all. The concept oozes with similarities to Taste, as if the Rieks reflected on their first venture, and thought, “What would we do differently?” Italianinspired rather than vaguely global, the menu is sharper, as is the décor. Given its youth, more’s service is impressively refined and erudite. Coats are taken at the door. Wines are recommended thoughtfully, explained vividly. Our server spoke like a sommelier. I had trouble ordering, in a good way. I will have to return for the lamb, pork, and veal meatballs; the fried duck and Fontana biscuit; the N.C. shrimp with olives, capers, and tomato. My scallops, with parsnip puree and fried sage, were seared stunningly, with a caramelized crust and a creamy center that evoked
a pearl, an oyster, an ocean. They were supposed to come with “roasted grapes,” though that turned out to be roasted grape. The risotto fries—essentially arancini, or breaded, deepfried risotto balls—with pork ragout (or, if you like, mushroom) are essential. There were three per order, but I could have eaten thirty. Skip the Caesar salad and get the one with roasted vegetables, where parsnips and sweet potatoes are dressed in a caper salsa verde and bejeweled with goat cheese. The short rib osso buco anchors mahoganyhued beef to marrow polenta; it’s topped with sunny gremolata and framed by transparent tomato skins, perched like little stained-glass windows. If this were a beauty contest, there would be no contest. Only one dish, the eggplant caponata, missed. I struggled to understand it before giving up, as if it were high school algebra. Traditionally, caponata is sweet from raisins, sour from vinegar, and punched up by anchovies or olives. This was a bland, heavy fritter, accompanied by hummus and too much balsamic. For dessert, there was that brownie with bourbon whipped cream. This time, it was “liquefied” (uncooked batter?) but, again, not worth getting. Sweets may not be JMR’s specialty, but thoughtful neighborhood eateries are. Aside from the food-and-drink pairings, the small plates, the Southern flares, I noticed something else everywhere: regulars. If restaurant groups crave any one goal across all their endeavors, it’s convincing guests to return. In Raleigh, the Rieks are doing just that. ● Twitter: @EmmaLaperruque
FOOD TO GO: THE TRIANGLE’S BEST FOOD EVENTS THIRTY-TOAST SALUTE Since 1986, A Toast to the Triangle has gathered together
some of the area’s top kitchens and bars to raise money for Raleigh’s long-running Tammy Lynn Center for Developmental Disabilities. For the last two years, the event’s even surpassed the $200,000 mark. Each year, vendors win juried categories (“best appetizer,” “best entrée,” and so on), prompting the chefs to vie for prime palate pleasers. They’ve promised big surprises for this year’s thirtieth-annual event on March 6—and hopefully record-breaking totals, too. Tickets run $75 for nearly three hours of feasting at N.C. State’s McKimmon Center. www.atoasttothetriangle.org
TAP IN Located at the top of Raleigh’s Glenwood South, near where the bacchanal avenue intersects with Hillsborough Street, the bottle shop Stag’s Head often gets overlooked for the flood of pubs, beer gardens, and bars beneath it. Maybe this week helps change that: Oak City Comicon hosts its firstever “drink-and-draw” at Stag’s Head March 7, with early arrivers getting free swag from Ultimate Comics. The big one, though, comes March 5, when a “Michigan Tap Takeover” brings some incredible beers from the Great Lakes state to North Carolina for the first time. Bell’s Milchkaffee Stout and Oatmeal Stout? Dark Horse’s Rain in Blood and Sarsaparilla 666? Aged New Holland favorites? Sure, we’ll pretend to be wolverines. Elsewhere in beer news, Raleigh Brewing Company turns three with a twelve-hour party featuring bands, food, and, you know, brews Saturday, March 5. www.facebook.com/StagsHeadRaleigh
IRREGARDLESS CAFE
EAT THIS
901 W. Morgan St., Raleigh www.irregardless.com
Oil and Vinegar
AFTER FORTY YEARS, IRREGARDLESS DROPS THE FRY BASKET BY GRAYSON HAVER CURRIN
Since New Year’s Eve, Irregardless’s new star PHOTO BY ALEX BOERNER
Arthur Gordon had too much produce. In 2012, his Raleigh institution, Irregardless Cafe & Catering, purchased a 1.5-acre garden a few miles from the restaurant, intending to increase quality control and decrease the distance between the plant and the plate. But the seasonal surpluses perplexed him, forcing him to find new ways to use what he had—or preserve it for later. So Gordon started pickling and fermenting and soon found he couldn’t stop. These days, he even talks loftily of fermenting Irregardless’s own blackberry wine. Coincidentally, perhaps counterintuitively, the interest in pickling paralleled another new Gordon curiosity: deep-frying. Last year, after forty years in the Irregardless kitchen, he offered his first-ever fried items—calamari, falafel, and, after investing nearly fifteen-thousand dollars on twin industrial-size fryers, the restaurant’s latest wonder: salt-and-vinegar French fries. After slicing potatoes into quarter-inch rectangular strips, Gordon pickles them in
a solution of salt and sauerkraut juice for at least two days. After they’ve adequately soaked, the kitchen fries them twice in rice bran oil at escalating temperatures. The outside is crisp but yielding, as though the potatoes have an invisible thin skin. The inside is supple and hot, with the mild vinegar tang arriving early in the bite before forming a sort of delicious cloud as you chew. It’s not overpowering like a salt-and-vinegar chip (“The big boys use flavor enhancers,” Gordon reports) or too soggy, like British chips doused in malt vinegar. These are the shoestring potatoes of a giant, laced with just enough pickle zest that you need to eat the next one and the next one and the next one to verify the taste. Not a problem, really. “I don’t want to get too heavy into fried foods. We didn’t have them for forty years because I don’t think it’s a healthy lifestyle,” Gordon says. “But they certainly taste the part. And everything in moderation is OK.” gcurrin@indyweek.com INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 21
indymusic
TITUS ANDRONICUS & CRAIG FINN Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh Thursday, March 3, 9 p.m., $15 www.lincolntheatre.com
Who’s the Boss?
I KNEW TWO OF INDIE ROCK’S BIGGEST WINDBAGS WERE COMING TO TOWN. I DIDN’T REALIZE THEY WERE BRINGING A CULTURAL REVOLUTION, TOO. BY ZACHARY LIPEZ
22 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
easy. I’ve never had it so easy.’” I can’t remember the last time I had a simple bowl of Corn Flakes. While we were in line for the gig, the tour managers put us to work building a solid gold statue of Bruce Springsteen and Paul Westerberg. Together, they wrestled a hydra whose every serpent head represented a contemporary musical evil—Auto-Tune, Kendrick Lamar, drum triggers, non-DIY publicists, The Goo Goo Dolls, “suits,” and so on. That’s when I knew there was no going back. I could pray to Mary all I wanted, but the only saint listening was Maggie May. The mandatory sing-alongs were rousing and interminable. Our fists would pump until blood no longer flowed past the wrist. I remember when drugs were fun, but we didn’t have to discuss it. We didn’t want to die, man; we just wanted to listen to Janet Jackson because she made us happy. As mandated by the new regime, though, happiness is for suckers and rap fans now. We are supposed to live like we are dying or die like we are living or maybe live-tweet our death or just be mad at Walter O’Malley. It all gets so confusing. I saw a grown man in child’s shorts lecture a woman about how Courtney Love didn’t write Live Through This until she cried from boredom. I saw a gang of men clad in Converse covering our historic district with spray-painted memes about how Beyoncé wasn’t a real musician. I saw a teenage boy executed on Main Street for mixing up Richard Brautigan and Gregory Corso. The boys claim we must be vigilant against “them,” but they never fully articulate who “they” are. Republicans? Jocks? People who comb their hair or think Carver would be better with more adjectives? These days, Raleigh looks like a Norman Rockwell painting of Tulsa and smells like a dorm room. We’re all regular guys now, roving tribes of Silver Bullet Bandits in Yankees or Twins or Mets caps. What I wouldn’t give for a beard trimmer, a Torah, and a nice romantic comedy. But there is no salvation, like they keep telling us. All towns will soon be like ours. Craig Finn and Titus Andronicus are coming for you, too. You will be authentic. You will be scruffy. You will—with an audaciously double-hopped regional beer hoisted high, as sentimental dude sweat bleeds from your brow like lost angels leaving home—sing along. l Twitter: @ZacharyLipez ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS WILLIAMS
I remember the announcements. Vintage Chevys sporting loudspeakers would drive slowly down Raleigh’s backstreets, playing “Born to Run” until all the neighborhood dogs howled in sync to the saxophone. And then they blared the news: “Attention: Titus Andronicus and The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn—the patron saints of Playing Tom Waits in Bars—are coming to town. If you fancy yourself too smart for The Gaslight Anthem, prepare your flannels. You are young. You are excited. You are free.” The prerecorded crackle of a Fender combo amp was distinct as the cars stipulated that all men ages twenty-six to thirty-seven were to report to the Lincoln Theatre March 3 for the big concert. They’d better have their shirts untucked. The smell of freshly cut grass and Miller High Life—as if it were a cologne worn by a dad one summer, when I was still innocent—permeated the air. I don’t know why, but I hid the white wine in the attic. We were a simple people before the show, a people who sometimes enjoyed dance music, the hip-hop, the country music with the big guitars. We didn’t realize real rock was waiting to pounce, like a Cassavetes VHS tape in heat. We didn’t know that we had been living lives of quiet desperation. We didn’t even know there was a problem, what with all the fun we were having and rent we were paying. Our older citizens—those who’d survived the eighties enjoying Depeche Mode before boyfriends in threadbare Hüsker Dü shirts made them feel ashamed about every damned thing—warned us. “Run, boy,” they said. “The boys are back in town, and they’re going to explain that we’re born to lose or whatever, that we’re sad beyond our literal imagining. They’re going to tell you about vague ‘lost’ females they know by the dozen. There will be pointless references to Freeport and cigarettes. They will tell you about how fashion and pop are lame. Even the casual use of the word ‘replacements’ will be forcibly shortened to ‘’Mats.’ I’ve seen this before. An Eddie or a Cruiser killed my brother. The Boss is really the boss now. Run, boy.” Before Craig Finn and Titus Andronicus came to town together, there was light. Darkness existed, sure, but we didn’t talk about it incessantly. It was neither in our hearts nor on the edge of town—just around, like at night. You could always turn on the TV and watch New Girl if you felt sad. But this was before the boys came to town. They claimed
they were “back,” but I’ve lived here all my life, and I’d never seen them, their bandanas, or their references to Richard Ford short stories before. I miss when things weren’t so heavy, when I could describe a bad time without sounding like some beatnik therapist. It started slowly, just before the concert. First, every street was renamed after a New Jersey mall. Soon, every beer was loaded with meaning; talking about anything besides the fleeting nature of youth was verboten. Two days after the show, the mills suddenly closed down, and—God as my witness—I swear we’d never even had a mill. (My daddy ran a Perkins.) As I’ve been writing this, the guys around me have started singing along, and a bowling alley grew up around us. I now say, “My dreams went sour” instead of “I woke up.” Diners were once a treat, but they aren’t when you have to eat at one every day and when all the waiters describe their hangovers in verse. Even food orders are epic: “She said ‘You always get your eggs over
indymusic
Sooner and Later
Thu Mar 3
www.lincolntheatre.com MARCH
TWO TRIANGLE SONGWRITERS ARRIVE WITH LONG-DELAYED GEMS, WHILE A POP TUNESMITH TRIES HEAVY METAL
We 2 RANDY ROGERS BAND
THE DEAD TONGUES MONTANA (self-released)
Sa Su 6 PINK TALKING FISH 7:30p We 9 JUDAH AND THE LION 7p
Folk-rock is feeling tiresome. In a listening landscape after The Avetts and the Mumfords, The Lumineers and Dawes, self-styled troubadours are aiming to out-earnest each other with acoustic guitars and harmonies. It’s exhausting. Ryan Gustafson offers sweet relief. Now based in Asheville, the former Carrboro fixture has quietly crafted stunning songs under his own name and as The Dead Tongues since 2009’s Donkey LP. Montana, his latest, arrives almost exactly three years after its predecessor, Desert. It’s a simmering, focused set that pulls from several swaths of Southern music, incorporating cool steel guitar alongside clawhammer banjo. His deft guitarand banjo-picking preside in the foreground of these songs, anchoring Montana around details more than Gustafson’s thematically broader early albums. The ensemble on Montana is slimmer, too, with Gustafson taking responsibility for everything but drums (James Wallace), bass (Jeff Crawford), and fiddle (Town Mountain’s Bobby Britt). Montana has plenty of pretty moments. “Black Flower Blooming” feels like a gentle springtime dream with its drifting melody and an exquisitely floating mellotron line. “The Gold Is Deep” slouches along like a hazy hallucination, while the springy banjo-
and fiddle-driven “My Companion” practically bounces. The cheerful instrumentation offers tension against Gustafson’s worrying lyrics. He sings about the black cloud that hangs over his head “like a disease,” and how “heaven’s a bottle, and hell’s when it’s done.” “We are runnin ’round in mazes,” Gustafson sings at one point, “of our own design.” Gustafson's voice sounds weathered and confident—weary, yet still far from defeat. This
w/ Wade Bowen
7p
T h 3 TITUS ANDRONICUS w/Craig Finn F r 4 LEADFOOT w/ Walpyrgus /
Titus Andronicus
Seduction / Knightmare / Waiting on Someday 5 THE CLARKS w/The Iller Whales w/The Saint Johns
Fr 11 PULSE Electronic Dance Party Sa Su Th Fr
12 13 17 18
The Clarks
w/ Mindelixir
JOHN MAYALL BAND 7p CEE-LO GREEN w/Escort 7p MAC SABBATH w/Aeonic 7p THE BREAKFAST CLUB
Sat Mar 5
w/Unchained (Van Halen tribute)
Sa 19 STEEP CANYON RANGERS +
8p
w/ Look Homeward Su 20 WE THE KINGS w/AJR /She is We /Elena Coats/Brothers James Fr 25 SUPERDUPERKYLE w/Nance /Biggie Whit Tu 29 TWIDDLE w/Groove Fetish 8p
Sun Mar 6
We 30 AUTOLUX Th 31 STICK FIGURE w/Fortunate Youth Fr
APRIL
1 START MAKING SENSE (TALKING HEADS Tribute)
Sa 2 THE MANTRAS Su 3 THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS
friction makes Montana irresistible, so that these songs sneak under your skin. The album’s darkness becomes clearest in the instrumentals, as with the ominous “Capitol Blues” and the spacious, spooky “Nostalgia.” Gustafson doesn’t simply acknowledge discomfort and uneasiness; there are times he seems to revel in it. Montana is an honest expression of wrestling with heavy emotions and difficult circumstances, of trying to stay one step ahead. —Allison Hussey
Tu 5 Th 7 Fr 8 Sa 9 Su 10 We 13 Fr 15 Sa 16 Su 17 Th 21 Fr 22 Sa 23 Th 28 Fr 29 5-14 5-21 6 - 9
Wed Mar 9
w/Paper Bird
BIG GIGANTIC w/Louis Futon 7:30 ELLE KING (SOLD OUT) DELTA RAE w/Aubrie Sellers 8p GLOWRAGE 8p AFTON MUSIC SHOWCASE DIGI TOUR SPRING BREAK ‘16 JJ GREY & MOFRO 8p LAST BAND STANDING & YARN DOPAPOD w/The Fritz 8p SOMO w/Quinn XCII/Kid Quill 7p BIG SOMETHING THE OH HELLOS w/The Collection STEEL PANTHER KING MEZ w/Lute/Bobby James+ FLATBUSH ZOMBIES TAB BENOIT B.O.B. w/Scotty ATL/London Joe
Advance Tickets @Lincolntheatre.com & Schoolkids Records All Shows All Ages 126 E. Cabarrus St. 919-821-4111
Judah and The Lion Sat Mar 12
John Mayall Band Sun Mar 13
CeeLo Green
INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 23
music BRETT HARRIS UP IN THE AIR (Hit the Deck Records) Even on a stage packed with the pros, legends, and indie rock heroes gathered to perform Big Star’s Third, Brett Harris often elicited the “Who’s that guy?” response from audiences and critics alike. Harris just seemed to know how to bring out the ache in Alex Chilton’s cracked gems. The vocal skills of the thirty-two-yearold Durham singer-songwriter have become so appreciated that he sidetracked his own music in order to take part in various impossible-to-deny collaborations. Up in the Air, released this week, is his first long-player in six years. It is well worth the wait. Up in the Air makes a compelling case for Harris as an undeniable singer and a songwriter. Harris’s 2010 solo debut, Man of Few Words, mixed sophisticated pop in the Bacharach vein with folk and Americana. Some of the adult contemporary sensibility remains here, but Harris’s palette has shifted toward a musical vocabulary established by Big Star and the Beach Boys, alongside his beloved Beatles. Over ten songs, Up in the Air resists settling into any one mood or idiom. The intricate “End of the Rope,” anchored by a guitar figure that feels plucked from a lost British Invasion hit, gallops like a kid who’s just gotten his first kiss. It’s an instant grabber that pulls you toward the unexpected. “Out of the Blue,” a paean to love, sports a sumptuous melody worthy of Harry Nilsson or even ELO. Motown strings sweeten the barband blues of “Summer Night,” while “Span24 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
BRETT HARRIS
Cat’s Cradle Back Room, Carrboro Friday, March 4, 8 p.m., $8–$10 www.catscradle.com
ish Moss” begins in a glade before churchpure harmonies enter. “Steal away with me tonight,” Harris entreats. In covering such vast stylistic ground, Harris shows a willingness to submerge the grain of his voice in service of the song. Still, tunes that feature his voice up front—like the languid Muscle Shoals gospel-soul of “High Times” or the charming title track—offer the greatest evidence of his distinctiveness. Occasionally the rhyme schemes are predictable, and by the penultimate “Shade Tree,” despite its charms, you may detect one Beatle-esque descending progression too many. These are minor quibbles on an album with manifold standouts. This is a dreamily good record that you want to play all the way through, perhaps even again immediately. That’s perfect, really, since it’s historically taken Harris a while to get around to the next one. —David Klein SOON VOL. 1 (Temple of Torturous) Perceptions of SOON tend to arrive with a smirk. The nascent, metal-clad quartet is the secondary concern of Stuart McLamb, whose long-running band The Love Language favors Spector-swept pop that basks in its own romantic glow. Consequently, the slow-moving, low-tuned SOON generated preemptive criticism as a trend-chasing fad (meant to earn its frontman tough-guy cachet) or as a passing fancy (a convenient distraction within a genre that prides itself as a lifestyle). “Poser shit,” one might quip. But the magnetic “We Are On Your Side,” which starts SOON’s debut, silences the cynics, at least for five minutes. The quartet slinks through the verses, Mark Connor’s ominous guitar line snaking through the rhythm section’s sinister plod. In the chorus, though, the amps suddenly fire with distortion. The rhythm section of Rob Walsh and Thomas Simpson wallops with purpose. And McLamb crests above
THE DEAD TONGUES
Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro Friday, March 4, 9 p.m., $10–$12 www.catscradle.com
it all, an air of menace outlining his refrain’s wonderfully theatric arc. It sounds like steelplated Love Language or, viewed from a different vantage, doom delivered by a classically gifted singer. This is a truly introductory anthem, then, an assertion that this band is some aggressive update on McLamb’s past, not some vapid turn from it. When SOON lets McLamb’s preternatural ease with melody guide these songs, the band ensnares its audience with a trap built with high volume and set with a winning refrain. For seven of these eight songs, that’s exactly what they do. “Datura Stramonium” pulls a bit of U2’s grandeur (and The Edge’s love of stereo delay) into its rumble, while “Burning Wood” punches through a bulwark of distortion with the glee of Torche. Acoustic creeker “Mauveine” drifts through forlorn scenes of disrepair, cellos tracing the frown-shaped harmonies. All these tunes use the hook as the ballast; they’re so strong you could imagine many of them recast by a rock band. But when SOON pushes beyond that framework, the entire operation can feel fragile, like an experiment in need of an anchor. For the finale, SOON slips into a fog-shrouded haze of amplifier worship, the tubes glowing like an effete Sunn O))) approximation. It’s a trial best chalked up to error on an album that, for the most part, moves assuredly through an alternate universe of heavy hits. —Grayson Haver Currin WNDRKND X PGMW DON’T SLEEP (self-released) For an EP as moody and dense as WNDRKND’s Don’t Sleep, a collaboration with the producer PGMW, the opening lines effectively set a scene for the next twenty-two minutes: “Shit, I thought of this before while I was mourning a friend/We just flashes in the night, so why we born in this skin?/I say you lookin’ at a god when I was formed into sin/ Who could be my mentor/Let the story begin.”
SOON
Kings, Raleigh Friday, March 4, 9:30 p.m., $7 www.kingsbarcade.com
That sequence alone is enough for listeners to chew on for a moment or two, but on Don’t Sleep there’s no time for pondering. Imagine the jam-packed, brooding emotion of those four lines repeated dozens of times, on the opener alone. Such head-breaking lyrical and emotional heft is the album’s gift and curse. By largely eschewing the lengthy pauses, bridges, and choruses that have become requisite in modern hip-hop, WNDRKND is able to fit a stunning number of words into each of these songs, with nearly every sequence feeling intentional and deliberate. Those who dig through and explore these lyrics will neither be disappointed nor finished anytime soon. If you think an emcee’s primary job is to take listeners on a journey, a huge contingent may find themselves lost at sea on Don’t Sleep, or even missing the boat entirely. Each song on Don’t Sleep is a bottomless trove of clever turns of phrase and sharp social critique. The gravity of the proceedings—with the exception of the blunted “Villi”—makes it hard to find an easy access point. The production of Pittsboro’s PGMW, who has worked with Well$ and King Mez, only exaggerates the effect. His otherworldly, leftfield sensibilities provide Don’t Sleep with an unsettled, ghostly landscape. Ultimately, WNDRKND’s verbosity means the audience will desperately crave a mental break from his crunching synths and drums. Don’t Sleep is more interested in challenging the audience than appeasing it; for the few who stick around, it’s worth the time. —Ryan Cocca
music
JENNIFER CURTIS’S THE ROAD FROM TRANSYLVANIA HOME Haw River Ballroom, Saxapahaw Saturday, March 5, 8 p.m., $12–$15 www.hawriverballroom.com
Strung Together
FROM ROMANIA TO THE HAW, JENNIFER CURTIS BY GRAYSON HAVER CURRIN
You may be eligible for this research study if you: • are over 18 years old • have a personal iOS or Android device • are currently prescribed and taking heart medication, one or two times per day Participation includes: • Coming to our office to enroll in the study and take a survey • Taking part in brief surveys daily and weekly during the study on your mobile device for 6 weeks • Coming back to our office to take one final survey and complete the study You will be compensated for your study participation. To sign up, email BEresearch@duke.edu or call 919-681-9521 Protocol # Pro00064774
PHOTO BY JEREMY M. LANGE
Parked for a while: Jennifer Curtis
On a Monday night, the lavish blue auditorium of Memorial Hall on the campus of UNC-Chapel Hill—generally teeming with concerts and workshops and presentations—is unexpectedly empty. The violinist and former UNC teacher Jennifer Curtis doesn’t have a key, but the security guard tells her that she is free to practice, that the door will lock automatically when she finally leaves. So, alongside a pianist, Curtis prepares to stay late in order to perfect the pieces of a program, The Road From Transylvania Home, she will premiere with a motley crew of a dozen musicians in just five days. One could say the thirty-seven-year-old violinist has been preparing this set of music her whole life. Why not get it right? Each part of The Road stems from Curtis’s strangely interconnected storylines—namely, her youth as a fiddler in Chapel Hill and her classical training as a violinist in California and New York. When she discovered the work of the late Romanian composer George Enescu nearly a decade ago, his music unexpectedly pulled those narratives together. That process is at the center of The Road, which mixes recently discovered Enescu pieces with Curtis’s own compositions. Her work integrates his Transylvanian musical codex and her North Carolina roots. Banjo actually meets buzuq; drums and accordion mingle with mandolin. “Once I got on this road of Enescu’s music, all these opportunities kept popping up,” she says. “It’s been a cyclic process.” Curtis was preparing for her first solo recital in Carnegie Hall in 2006 when she heard an Enescu piece that stunned her. She’d heard Enescu before and studied some of his collaborators and contemporaries, but his work suddenly resonated. “He was a fiddler—his first violin teacher, if you could even call it that, was a Gypsy fiddler,” says Curtis. “He was learning tunes by ear, and that stayed with him and his artistic identity throughout his lifetime, even though he made his life as a concert violinist and composer.” Curtis began playing violin by studying the Suzuki method when she was three years old alongside her cousins. On the way to and from lessons, they would sit in the backseat of her grandmother’s blue station wagon, practicing. At five, she taught herself piano after watching her mother play it; they would perform traditional tunes together, with just a mandolin and fiddle. Curtis eventually learned bass, drums, and guitar. In Enescu’s music, she recognized a similar folk soul and classical mind—“this neglected genius that I happen to be a kindred spirit with,” she says. “It’s this perfect blend for me,” she says, “the pathos of the Romanian soul, bathed in the impressionistic hues of the French musical aesthetic.” Curtis followed this new passion to Illinois, where Sherban Lupu, a Romanian-born Enescu expert, taught at the University of Illinois. The enthusiasm of the young New York violinist impressed Lupu, so he offered her the chance to premiere several of the master’s unfinished solo violin pieces, which he’d just published as a manuscript. Enescu had intended to complete one as a violin concerto, but he never final-
Seeking Duke cardiology patients to participate in an 8-week study on medication compliance using digital tools to track progress.
ized the arrangement. Lupu stripped away those fragments, leaving Curtis to play the technically daunting Fantasie Concertante alone. “I ended up with this authoritative edition, a first edition, of these pieces that no one else had ever seen outside of Romania,” Curtis says, as if still stunned by the serendepity. Now, a month after making them the centerpiece of The Road From Transylvania Home, and after nearly a decade of performing the pieces, she will begin recording them in May for her debut album. Despite Enescu’s heroic stature in Romania (he appeared on the country’s fifty-thousand lei banknote) and his place as an emotional master in the classical canon, Curtis knows that, for many, his music remains obscure. This is especially true for pieces that, so far, exist only in academic circles and textbooks. Her goal is to make sure it’s not obtuse. The recordings will help, especially since she thinks Fantasie Concertante is poised to become a major contribution to the solo violin repertory. But by adding her own music to The Road From Transylvania Home, and by connecting her story and sound to those of Enescu, she hopes to make this old, almost lost work immediate and accessible. “I want to create a soundscape of music that welcomes people to his world,” she says. “I don’t want there to be barriers about who’s more educated with music or who’s listened to more world music. I’m trying to put a lens on it to invite North Carolinians, from present society. I want this music to go straight to the heart.” l gcurrin@indyweek.com
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THE LOWEST FORM OF POETRY
UNC’s Kenan Music Building, Chapel Hill Saturday, March 5–Sunday, March 6, 8 p.m., free www.events.unc.edu
Get On With It
MERCE CUNNINGHAM’S VOICE LOOMS OVER JUSTIN TORNOW’S NEW WORK—LITERALLY BY MICHAELA DWYER
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26 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
ningham’s sentences on top of one While rehearsing a solo in The Lowanother. est Form of Poetry recently, Justin Tor“It becomes this crazy mess of a milnow was interrupted: “Get on with it!” lion Merce Cunninghams talking at It wasn’t one of the dancers in Toronce,” he says. “I didn’t anticipate it havnow’s Durham troupe, COMPANY, nor ing that effect.” Tornow and MW Duo was it one of her musical collaborashare an investment in the unknown tors in MW Duo. The voice that shot results of experimental methods. through UNC-Chapel Hill’s atrium“The things that always interested like Kenan rehearsal hall in an eerie me about Cunningham are the things sonic spiral belonged to the great chothat are not on the surface,” Tornow reographer Merce Cunningham. The says. Lowest Form reveals glimmers eerie part? He died in 2009. of Cunningham’s grounded balletic “I was like, ‘Oh, my God!’” Tornow shapes—“little lovely moments of refersays. “It was like I was being directed ence,” as Tornow calls them, “to remind by someone.” In a way, she was. Lee us all of what we’re doing.” Weisert, a UNC music professor and Other moments are not so easy to half of MW Duo, had unleashed the map. At one point, time suspends as the utterance—taken from Cunningham’s piece pivots from a group movement 1952 essay “Space, Time and Dance”— to a meditative solo by Emily Aiken. via electronic randomizer. Tornow built the solo from her own In rehearsals, the randomizer stands improvisation to a song used in a work in for the laser photoresistors that by North Carolina dance stalwart Jan will be used in this weekend’s perforVan Dyke. Van Dyke, who passed away mances of an in-progress multimedia last year after battling cancer, was Torwork called The Lowest Form of Poetry, now’s mentor at UNC-G and one of enabling the dancers’ movements to her entry points into Cunningham. The trigger random samples of Cunningsolo and a group phrase created from ham’s words. Presented by UNC’s ProJustin Tornow: "The things that always one of Van Dyke’s chance scores are cess Series, COMPANY’s latest effort interested me about Cunningham are the things gentle gestures of tribute. follows last year’s The Value of Words, a that are not on the surface." FILE PHOTO BY JEREMY M. LANGE There’s a relevant question Cuncollaboration with visual artist Heathningham doesn’t explicitly pose in his er Gordon. elegant monotone: How do artistic Cunningham’s voice looms large max is for those who are swept away by New legacies intersect? COMPANY’s repertoire, over modern dance. His formalist moveYear’s Eve”). especially The Lowest Form of Poetry, prods ment, his decoupling of dance and music, COMPANY and MW Duo last collaboratat this inquiry to open up spaces for identiand his use of chance procedures—often ed on 2014’s The Weights. For Lowest Form, fication and interrogation. As Tornow prewith his partner, the composer John Cage— Weisert worked the Cunningham piece into pares to present the piece at its current stage, have been canonized and incorporated into an electronic score that escalates and unravshe’s curious about how it will unfold. dance pedagogy. Tornow learned Cunningels, while Matthew McClure, also of MW “What does it mean to reckon with your ham technique at UNC-Greensboro; her Duo and UNC’s music department, “comlegacy as an artist?” Tornow says. “You’re relationship with the Cunningham Trust in pletes the triangle,” as Weisert says, with trying to do things that feel really true to you New York informs her own teaching. lyrical saxophone improvisations. while also being really clear about where it’s It was there, on a research trip, that she During the thirty-minute work, dance and coming from.” learned about “Space, Time and Dance.” sound reciprocally structure each other, someAs Cunningham would say—and, I suspect, More poetic treatise than prose essay, it times in counterintuitive ways. At one point, Tornow would agree—“Get on with it!” l probes modern dance with statements that the dancers move particularly fast. Instead of range from explanatory (“The dance is an Twitter: @michaeladwy creating “short sounds,” Weisert piled Cunart in space and time”) to judgmental (“Cli-
stage
WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT …
PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill Through March 13, $15–$54 www.playmakersrep.org
Outsider Looking In
THEATER DIRECTOR DESDEMONA CHIANG HOLDS UP A MIRROR, NOT A MORAL, FOR WHITE AMERICA BY CAITLIN WELLS
We Are Proud to Present ... at PlayMakers Repertory Company
I first heard of Desdemona Chiang when I read “Why The Mikado is Still Problematic: Cultural Appropriation 101,” her response to yellowface stagings of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera in Seattle and New York, on the theater website HowlRound. A self-described “Chinese girl who directs”—for such big names as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival—Chiang is currently directing PlayMakers’ production of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Südwestafrika, Between the Years 18841915, in which three black and three white characters expose their biases while creating a play about genocide in Namibia. We spoke with Chiang about how race functions in her life, this play, and her work as a whole. INDY: From what I’ve read, this seems like a pretty charged piece. DESDEMONA CHIANG: For sure. We’ve been talking about race and diversity—at least from where I’m sitting— for a while, so there’s a part of me that feels like, “Are we just pounding this over the audience’s head with this play?” But at the same time, it could be that a number of PlayMakers subscribers haven’t had these conversations. I actually have no idea how it’s going to be received in the South. I know that North Carolina, and Chapel Hill in particular—you’re like South Lite, a gateway town. I’m not doing this in Alabama or Mississippi. When it was done in New York and Berkeley, audiences loved it. But we’re talking about progressive white liberal academic people who love being punished. There’s no resolution to the piece, and we’re used to neat narrative arcs that tie the story up with a nice little bow. Here’s your moral, here’s your catharsis, go home. That doesn’t happen with this show because there is no answer to the race problem right now. My hope is that the audience will talk about it—maybe not even the play itself, but the things it stirs up inside of them. How has the half-white, half-black cast navigated that process of self-reflection? In the first week of rehearsal the stage manager said, “Oh my
PHOTO BY JON GARDINER FOR PLAYMAKERS
because it’s so much a part of how I see the world, but I’ve never actually labeled myself an immigrant. My perspective is having always felt like an outsider. I live here, but the people in the history books didn’t look like me. The folks that looked like me built the railroads. That perspective on life—to always be on the outskirts—is probably why I’m good at empathizing with every character in a show. I feel like my ability to tap into other people’s points of view is one of my strong suits as a director.
God, they’re turning into their characters.” Even on break, the way they naturally engage with each other—it gets under your skin. I was like, “OK, you all need to go out and have a drink as actual people and separate yourselves from the roles you’re playing.” So much of the play is about group dynamics and how we’re socialized to behave a certain way in public versus private. What happens when you put these six people in a petri dish with this information? Egos happen; passive-aggressiveness happens. And that is also part of how we navigate difficult conversations. There’s this quote from William Burroughs: “The role of the artist is to show the audience what it knows but did not know that it knows.” This is the difference between reality and truth. For me, if something is real, it’s literal. Unicorns, witches—they’re not real. Truth is more intrinsic than fact, and I think theater, through fiction, tries to get at some kind of truth, as opposed to what is factual or real. If theater is a mirror of ourselves, what does it mean when it reflects back something ugly or uncomfortable but also true? You recently won The Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise, an award for “immigrant artists”—the label they use. Are there any labels that you actively take on as an artist? “Artist of color” is the only thing I’ve actively labeled myself. I talk about my immigrant status a lot in the work that I do
Had you done other roles in the theater before you started directing? I didn’t do theater until I was in college. I was a terrible actor and I couldn’t get cast in anything. Looking back, I think this was largely due to my lack of talent, but I also think that it was the narrow scope of the roles available to people who looked like me. We did a lot of very Eurocentric, traditional plays, and fifteen years ago they wouldn’t think of casting someone like me. I wonder if it would be the same situation now. What was it about directing that landed with you? Initially it was just the idea that I got to make the choices— completely ego-driven and super-shallow. When you start doing it well, you start realizing the power you’re able to harness out of a collective of people to make something bigger than you. I also dig the complete nerdiness of problem solving, and directing is like solving a puzzle. I recognized your name from your yellowface piece. When that happened I was like, “What? Oh, no. Again? For real?” You can’t make people give a shit. Power is the ability to not give a shit. If you’re ever in a position of being disempowered, you’re always thinking about how those in power must feel, which is why the conversation around white fragility is so potent. In order to be heard, I have to acknowledge their feelings, when in fact they never have to acknowledge this side of it. l Contact: caitlin-j-wells.squarespace.com INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 27
LEFT
RIGHT
Tempest Fantasy PHOTO COURTESY OF Alice Gerrard PHOTO BY JUSTIN COOK
CAROLINA BALLET
03.02–03.09
THURSDAY, MARCH 3–SUNDAY, MARCH 20
TEMPEST FANTASY
Paul Moravec composed his Pulitzer Prize-winning Tempest Fantasy after watching Patrick Stewart play Prospero in The Tempest in New York. When Carolina Ballet choreographer and artistic director Robert Weiss adapted the work in 2006, his challenge was to keep up with Moravec’s daring and darting strings, piano, and clarinet, which trace the flights of Ariel, Shakespeare’s famous air spirit, in the first movement. In subsequent sections leading to a tempestuous finale, Weiss visualizes the composer’s portraits of the pensive Prospero, the rough-edged Caliban, and lovers Miranda and Prince Ferdinand. The program also includes two of Weiss’s pas de deux, George Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie, and a world premiere from choreographer-in-residence Zalman Raffael: Variations and a Theme, which pays homage to Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. —Byron Woods FLETCHER OPERA THEATER, RALEIGH Various times, $30–$68, www.carolinaballet.com
THURSDAY, MARCH 3–SUNDAY, MARCH 6
AFRICAN-AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL
Your Week. Every Wednesday. indyweek.com 28 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
People don’t necessarily think of Cary as a town that celebrates blackness. But the Cary Theater will do just that this week with its fourday African-American Film Festival. It kicks off Thursday night with Cary resident Allan Smith screening his North Carolina-based historical documentary, Rescue Men: The Story of the Pea Island Life Savers. He won’t be the only filmmaker around; among others, Emmy-nominated producer Harold Jackson III serves as host. He’ll screen his romantic dramedy, Last Night, Friday and take part in a panel discussion, “Diversity in the Film Industry,” at ten a.m. Saturday before introducing the blockbuster N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton that evening. There are plenty of other chances (including Blood Done Sign My Name and Dear White People) to show that you’re down with the struggle and support brothers and sisters in the cinematic arts. —Craig D. Lindsey THE CARY THEATER, CARY Various times, free–$5, www.thecarytheater.com
SUNDAY, MARCH 6
COME AND SING FOR ME: THE MUSIC OF HAZEL DICKENS & ALICE GERRARD
In the sixties and seventies, Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard—old-time aficionados with perfectly simpatico voices—busted a genre’s gender barriers. Operating as Hazel & Alice, the two became pioneers, countering Monroe’s “Blue Grass Boys” by limiting men to supporting roles. They made excellent records, their tones connecting in humble, entreating harmony over rollicking banjo and bouncing bass. Dickens passed in 2011, but Gerrard still lives in Durham, where she made 2014’s wonderful, Grammy-nominated Follow the Music. In this male-less tribute, a coterie of some of the Triangle’s very best roots-aligned women— Skylar Gudasz, Tres Chicas, Jeanne Jolly, Loamlands’ Kym Register, Mandolin Orange’s Emily Frantz, Des Ark’s Aimée Argote, and a dozen others—interpret the work of Gerrard and Dickens. In fitting fashion, proceeds go to Girls Rock NC, the long-standing nonprofit that welcomes young women to the world of making music. (Disclosure: INDY Associate Editor Allison Hussey and contributor Dan Schram are coproducing the event without pay.) —Grayson Haver Currin HAW RIVER BALLROOM, SAXAPAHAW 7 p.m., $17–$20, www.hawriverballroom.com
Community Church Coffeehouse Presents
TRES CHICAS WES COLLINS
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
An evening with Jens, Uwe and Joel is alwa musical experience.
“I used to think the banjo was somewhat limited
styles, un8l I heard Jens Kruger. Jens has played s Friday, March 4th, 8pm most beau8ful and expressive banjo I’ve ever hea $15 $20 door –Ron advance, Block
Alison Krauss and Hill Union StaTon 106 Purefoy Rd, Chapel • (919) 942-2050
MID-SOUTH FENCERS’ CLUB, DURHAM 5 p.m., $25, www.crownofeternity.com
SUNDAY, MARCH 6
SHEER MAG & DOWNTOWN BOYS
If punk’s initial impetus was to reject the form and excess of “classic” rock, Philadelphia’s Sheer Mag gleefully discards that tenet. Yes, its acclaimed EPs have arrived via Katorga Works, an imprint known for hardcore, and the band’s basement-party production feels in line with DIY punk and slacker garage rock. But in its songs, Sheer Mag betrays the impulsive simplicity its facade puts up, suggesting a scrappy pub rock band taking cues from Thin Lizzy and JEFF the Brotherhood alike. And when Sheer Mag lets its pop flag fly, as on “Fan the Flames,” there’s a vague feeling of ultra-slick rock bands like Boston, despite the blown-speaker aesthetic. Rhode Island’s Downtown Boys bring a nervy, bilingual take on peppy punk that suggests X-Ray Spex and the B-52s. This will be fun. —Bryan C. Reed KINGS, RALEIGH 8:30 p.m., $10–$12, www.kingsbarcade.com
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NIGHT KITCHEN
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ight Kitchen Bakehouse & Cafe opened in November of 2014 rather quietly. “We didn’t have much time or extra cash to have a big to-do,” says owner Helen Pfann, “My Dad brought some wine for a soft opening party, and then we were off.” These days, there’s a lot more buzz about Night Kitchen. European classics such as croissant, scones, and french macarons have received high marks; as well as more American items such as brownies or the bread pudding, a muffin-shaped treat with caramelized sugar on top. The breads at Night Kitchen, however, are the real focus. “I got started as a bread baker,” explains Pfann, “...and though I enjoy pastry work, making bread is what I love most.” Night Kitchen sells Sourdough, 9-Grain, and French bread everyday, and features daily specials. The bakery supplies bread to several local restaurants, including Farina, J Betski’s, and Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. “I designed the kitchen so we could do wholesale and have room to grow. We’ve just started working with the Produce Box, so folks statewide can try our breads.” The final piece of the pie is the cafe at Night Kitchen. Exchange and fine teas from Tin Roof Teas, it’s a great space to meet a friend or have a small gathering at one of the larger farm tables. A selection of sandwiches, daily soup and quiche specials round out the menu. The breads at Night Kitchen, however, are the real focus. “I got started as a bread baker,” explains Pfann, “...and though I enjoy pastry work, making bread is what I love most.” Night Kitchen sells Sourdough, 9-Grain, and French bread everyday, and features daily specials. The bakery supplies bread to several local restaurants, including Farina, J Betski’s, and Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. .These days, there’s a lot more buzz about Night Kitchen. European classics such as croissant, scones, and french macarons have received high marks; as well as more American items such as brownies or the bread pudding, a muffin-shaped treat with caramelized sugar on top. ●
Psychotherapy, yoga therapy, mindfulness practices 919.666.7984 • Durham nancyhollimantherapy.com
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ersonal issues such as anxiety, depression, a new medical diagnosis or dealing with a chronic illness may be making you feel like life is one big struggle. Whether you have these sorts of problems or other concerns that are making your life hard or even unbearable, change is always possible if you are willing to work and you have the support you need. I offer that support. My therapeutic foundation is based on a blend of Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, heartfelt engagement with the world. Using a mix of narrative therapy, mindfulyou can live more fully and enjoy more emotional balance, stronger relationships, and get what you want out of life. As a client, you can expect to become better acquainted with your thinking, behavior, responses, and feelings so that you can ultimately live more fully and authentically. We’ll work together to discover and build on your strengths and empower you to conquer negative patterns so you have greater emotional and overall psychological freedom. My therapeutic foundation is based on a blend of Western psychology and Eastern spiritual practices, mindful attention to our inner life, and a full, heartfelt engagement with the world. Using a mix of narrative therapy, mindfulness, meditation, breathing, and physical movement techniques, I help you uncover and develop your strengths, so that you can live more fully and enjoy more emotional balance, stronger relationships, and get what you want out of life. If you’re struggling with an eating disorder, medical diagnosis, ongoing health issues, caregiving issues, aging, disability, medical trauma, relationship concerns, spirituality, stress management, depression, anxiety, adapting to change and unpredictability, grief, loss, or bereavement and would like help, please give me a call. ●
RIGHT
A decade ago, the Pennsylvania multi-instrumentalist Mike Tamburo treated folk music and cinematic scores with a kind of cut-up glee. His sprawling 2006 album, Ghosts of Marumbey, reimagined vogue solo instrumental guitar as a Brion Gysin project, where perfect bits were rearranged into a surrealist dream. But Tamburo soon escaped the independent music hustle in favor of ashrams and focusing on yoga, meditation, and sound therapy. Tamburo and his wife, Gallina, have now built a little new-age empire, with a thriving yoga practice, called Crown of Eternity, in Pittsburgh and their Sounds Eternal record label. As Crown of Eternity, they’ve made a suite of gorgeous records, using chants and keys and a gamelan-sized array of percussion to create coruscant sonic states. During this two-hour session, the Tamburos will deploy gongs, bells, and “therapy-grade Himalayan bowls” to create a mesmerizing, meditative world. You’ll lie on the floor, floating in their bliss, and hopefully forgetting, for a moment, that Monday morning looms on the horizon. —Grayson Haver Currin
Crown of Eternity: Gallina and Mike Tamburo
MIKE & GALLINA TAMBURO
LEFT
SUNDAY, MARCH 6
PHOTO COURTESY OF MIKE TAMBURO
Communitychurchconcerts.org
TUESDAY, MARCH 8
BART EHRMAN
How were the Gospels of the New Testament compiled? Bart D. Ehrman, UNC religious studies professor and author of multiple bestsellers vetting fact and fiction in the Bible, looks deeply into these origins in his latest, Jesus Before the Gospels: How the Earliest Christians Remembered, Changed, and Invented Their Stories of the Savior. The book combines historical research into the eyewitness accounts the Gospels draw on with scientific studies of memory, sociology, anthropology, and more. The conclusion—controversial or obvious, depending on where you stand—is that the Bible’s depiction of Jesus might not be very accurate. If this upsets you, please remember what Jesus said about stones, and who should throw them. Ehrman also appears at Bull’s Head Bookshop in Chapel Hill on March 9 and at McIntyre’s Books in Pittsboro on March 12. —Zack Smith THE REGULATOR BOOKSHOP, DURHAM 7 p.m., free, www.regulatorbookshop.com
WHAT ELSE SHOULD I DO?
JENNIFER CURTIS AT HAW RIVER BALLROOM (P. 25), THE DEAD TONGUES AT CAT’S CRADLE (P. 23), THE EASE OF FICTION AT CAM RALEIGH (P. 36), GRAND OPENING AT THE V&E SIMONETTI HISTORIC TUBA COLLECTION (P. 18), BRETT HARRIS AT CAT’S CRADLE (P. 24), THE LOWEST FORM OF POETRY AT KENAN REHEARSAL HALL (P. 26), SOON AT KINGS (P. 24) INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 29
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CAT’S CRADLE: MC Chris, Nathan Anderson; 8 p.m., $13–$15. • CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Peter Case; 8 p.m., $15. • THE CAVE: Zephyranthes, Rann, Trev Wignall; 9 p.m., $5. • DUKE’S BALDWIN AUDITORIUM: Duke Symphony Orchestra; 8 p.m., free. • LINCOLN THEATRE: Randy Rogers Band; 8 p.m., $15. • LOCAL 506: The Eastern Sea; 9 p.m., $7. • POUR HOUSE: Turkuaz; 9 p.m., $10–$12. • THE RITZ: Future; 8 p.m., $47.50.
THU, MAR 3 Bear Girl ALT ATTI- Atlanta trio Bear TUDES Girl showcases technical chops and mathematical maneuvers. Civilian’s altrock exploits loud-quiet dynamics, while Almost People add snotty pop-punk sprints. Members of Unifier and To Speak of Wolves get heavy in Hundredftfaces. —SG [DEEP SOUTH, $7/8:30 P.M.]
Creepoid HULLA- Philly’s Creepoid BALOOZA has steadily amassed a strong catalog of moody alt-rock full of grungeera touchstones, like Nirvana dynamics and Smashing Pumpkins textures. Likewise, their vocal harmonies evoke Kurt Cobain’s weary drawl, Billy Corgan’s pained moans, and Kim Deal’s ethereal backing. Wailin Storms offer a dark complement, with arrangements inspired by the Flesh Eaters’ brooding blend of Americana and punk and Danzig’s gothblues. With the newer Chapel Hill outfit Lacy Jags. —BCR [THE PINHOOK, $8/9 P.M.]
Faith in Ashes EUROWith jagged riffs VISIONS buttressed by synthesized strings, Cary’s Faith In Ashes pays tribute to their Northern European influences, from Emperor to Dimmu Borgir. Greensboro’s Dreaded evokes Norwegian black metal with spacious riffs and reverberating production. Raleigh’s Heron
FRI, MAR 4
takes a darker approach. Chateau opens. —BCR [SLIM’S, $5/8 P.M.]
Strings at Kings AEOLIAN The Kings-based STRINGS series of the N.C. Symphony is the place to go to find the institution’s most adventurous small-ensemble programs. This time, we’re treated to four works for strings from the past century. The centerpiece is John Luther Adams’s recent The Wind in High Places, in which the string quartet becomes one giant Aeolian harp. George Crumb’s Cello Sonata imbues Bartók with hints of experimentalism. Witold Lutosławski’s Bucolics for viola and cello offer five short flashes of Polish socialist realism, and Prokofiev’s Sonata for Two Violins should provide a boisterous close. —DR [KINGS, $11/8 P.M.]
Kurt Vile and the Violators CROWD On record, Kurt CONTROL Vile sounds increasingly like the guy who wants to be left alone as middle age approaches, allowed to mumble and croon on his couch, in peace, surrounded by a little family and a lot of guitars. He is an architect of agreeable vibes, perhaps the central tenet of his recent records. How does one keep it cozy, then, in a sold-out Cradle? Excellent, fullthrottle rock band Spacin’ clears the way for an answer. —GC [CAT’S CRADLE, $20/9 P.M.]
Well$ HIT Chapel Hill emcee RETURN Well$ has taken forever to follow up on his breakout mixtape, Revenge of the African Booty Scratcher, but it sounds like he’s finally ready. Last week, his Immaculate Taste label announced the upcoming The Way I’m Living Makes My Mom Nervous, along with a brief East Coast tour and a Metro Boomin-laced single. With Frais, NANCE, Ace Henderson, and Mike West. —RC [LOCAL 506, $10/9:30 P.M.]
SATURDAY, MARCH 5
NORTH CAROLINA SACRED HARP CONVENTION Since its publication in the mid-1800s, The Sacred Harp songbook has profoundly influenced American music, particularly in the South. Sacred Harp singing, or shapenote singing, is an instrument-free form built around religious songs, the roots of which date to the late 1700s. Fervent religious revivals in the 1840s and The Sacred Harp’s publication re-invigorated them. Sacred Harp singing has close ties to Protestant congregations, as churches became meeting spaces for sings that served as community socials. The “shape note” name comes from the notation style, which uses simple shapes to denote the music’s relative movement. The shapes lend themselves to easy sightreading, so it’s easy for singers with no formal training to learn unfamiliar songs. That’s why, at this weekend’s North Carolina Sacred Harp Convention, newcomers are welcome; Sacred Harp singing is built for such a situation. A local crop of Sacred Harp enthusiasts will sing from The Sacred Harp and The Shenandoah Harmony, a collection of Shenandoah Valley songs from the nineteenth Century. (And in a nod to tradition, the all-day sing also includes “dinner on the grounds.”) Singers, grouped by range, sit in a square arrangement facing one another rather than outward. The thrill comes from being involved in the music, not standing idly by. These shapes aren’t some esoteric tradition. The little notes also had a big impact on secular music—children who learned the Sacred Harp’s system of harmony grew up to forge their own songs. This cast included The Carter Family’s A.P., Sara, and Mother Maybelle, meaning this music has trickled into country, bluegrass, and beyond. We can read books, listen to records, and watch movies about music history, but rarely do we get the opportunity to sing it ourselves. —Allison Hussey PULLEN MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH, RALEIGH 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m., free, www.ncshapenote.org ALSO ON THURSDAY THE CAVE: Ellerbe’s Own; 9 p.m., $5. • LINCOLN THEATRE: Titus Andronicus, Craig Finn; 9 p.m., $15. See
page 22.• NEPTUNES PARLOUR: White Reaper, Acid Dad; 9:30 p.m., $7. • POUR HOUSE: The Family, Dark Water Rising; 9:30 p.m., free.
Dom Casual, El Mirage PHOTO BY D.L. ANDERSON
WED, MAR 2
03.02–03.09
Sacred Harp singers, 2012
music
CONTRIBUTORS: Jim Allen (JA), Amanda Black (AB), Grant Britt (GB), Ryan Cocca (RC), Grayson Haver Currin (GC), Tina Haver Currin (TC), Spencer Griffith (SG), Allison Hussey (AH), Maura Johnston (MJ), David Klein (DK), Jeff Klingman (JK), Bryan C. Reed (BCR), Dan Ruccia (DR), David Ford Smith (DS), Chris Vitiello (CV), Eric Tullis (ET), Chris Vitiello (CV)
SURF’S IN It’s a landlocked surf-off, with Pittsboro’s surf rock geeks El Mirage versus the psychedelic take on board-culture music of Durham’s Dom Casual. The Kraken is out of town a bit, so you can indulge in all those sixties dance moves you love without fear of shame. —GB [THE KRAKEN, FREE/9 P.M.]
Dropkick Murphys BOSTON “Celtic punk” IRISH seemed poised to become the next ska. Alongside Flogging Molly and the Real McKenzies, Boston’s Dropkick Murphys fused punk anthems with Irish folk, grafting bagpipe bleats onto guitar riffs. When they released 2005’s The Warrior’s Code (and placed the Woody Guthrie revision “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” in The Departed), The Dropkick Murphys became suddenly ubiquitous. Still heard in baseball stadiums and dorm rooms nationwide, that song is still fueling the Murphys three albums later. With Tiger Army and Darkbuster. —BCR [THE RITZ, $32.50/8 P.M.]
Globalfest CARNIGlobalFEST, VAL TOUR brought to Durham by the North Carolina Arts Council, is a leading worldmusic platform, gathering together artists from vastly different traditions. This year, samba group Casuarina from Brazil and singers Emeline Michel from Haiti and Brushy One String from Jamaica present a carnival-inspired show based on African diaspora traditions. —AB [CAROLINA THEATRE, $28–$79/8 P.M.]
Fred Hersch & Julian Lage JAZZ OM- While core eleNIVORES ments of a jazz rhythm section, the piano and guitar typically don’t work so well as a duo, often stepping on
each other’s toes. But Fred Hersch has managed to make two different guitar/piano duos work: with Bill Frisell in the late nineties, and now with Julian Lage. Hersch and Lage form a mesh of interlocking lines, playing what Lage calls “chance music,” where the two react to each other. It’s an amazingly symbiotic and omnivorous sound. —DR [UNC’S MEMORIAL HALL, $10–$49/8 P.M.]
Leadfoot ALL THE Leadfoot, the backRIFFS to-basics hard rock act Karl Agell formed after leaving Corrosion of Conformity, headlines this five-band marathon. Leadfoot’s meat-andpotatoes blues riffs will complement the power-metal revivals of Walpyrgus and Knightmare, as well as the grooving, Valient Thorr-like work of Seduction. Waiting on Someday opens. —BCR [LINCOLN THEATRE, $10/7:30 P.M.]
N.C. Symphony: Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony MUSICAL The Leningrad MORALE Radio Symphony Orchestra continued playing Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony throughout the siege of Leningrad. Listeners in London could hear bombs dropping outside the performance hall, but the musicians played on. Conductor William Henry Curry leads the North Carolina Symphony through the first and fourth movements of that great work, as well as his own “Eulogy for a Dream” and Tchaikovsky’s “Military March.” —CV [MEYMANDI CONCERT HALL, $28/12 P.M. & 8 P.M.]
Off the Books SCRATCH DJ Rang is a & SPIN Triangle-trotting scratch junky who specializes in bhangra and electronic. DJ Forge is a mainstay of N.C. hiphop who frequents at the Dean Dome as the UNC men’s basketball team’s house DJ. Together, they’ve formed a bond with senior Puerto Rican hiphop artist and Rock Steady INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 31
PHOTO COURTESY OF HR BOOKING
Crew alum DJ Velcro, which brings him back, for a second time, to rock a downtown Durham crowd. —ET [THE PINHOOK, $10/10 P.M.]
Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band FOLK If Peter Rowan had MAGE never recorded a solitary note on his own, his work in the sixties and seventies with the likes of psychedelic band Earth Opera, folk-jazzers Seatrain, bluegrass supergroup Old & In the Way, country-rockers The Rowans, and more would be reason enough to admire him. But his long solo career as a forward-looking bluegrass singer, songwriter, and guitarist makes him a force of continued interest. —JA [DUKE’S BALDWIN AUDITORIUM, $10–$34/8 P.M.]
The Weeks NEW Born in Mississippi SOUTH and based out of Nashville, The Weeks play neoSouthern rock that suggests early Kings of Leon, to whose Serpents & Snakes Records the quartet is signed. The band funnels R&B boogie and even a bit of eighties college rock into gritty tales supported by roaring riffs. Tristen opens. —SG [LOCAL 506, $12/9 P.M.] ALSO ON FRIDAY CAT’S CRADLE: The Dead Tongues, N.C. Volunteers; 9 p.m., $10– $12. See page 23. CAT’S CRADLE (BACK ROOM): Brett Harris, Sean Thomas Gerard, The Real Official; 8 p.m., $8–$10. See page 24.• THE CAVE: Eureka California; 9 p.m., $5. • DEEP SOUTH: Star & Micey; 9 p.m., $8. • DUKE COFFEEHOUSE: Eric and Erica, Del Sur, Cottontail; 9 p.m., $5. • KINGS: SOON, Solar Halos, Midnight Plus One; 9:30 p.m., $7. See page 24. • THE MAYWOOD: 49/Short, Car Cras Star, Eyes Go Lightning; 9:30 p.m., $7. • POUR HOUSE: Outside Soul, Lyric, Baked Goods; 8 p.m., free. • SOUTHLAND BALLROOM: Runaway Cab, Superlove Highway; 9 p.m., $8–$10. • THE SHED JAZZ CLUB: Eugene Chadbourne, Aaron Bachelder, and James Gilmore; 8 p.m., $10.
32 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9
MOBB DEEP
New York rap is suffering a serious identity crisis. The roots extend at least to 2002, when New York stalwarts Jadakiss, Styles P, and Fat Joe outsourced their services to Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz’s Kings of Crunk. That record, which included the holy pimp’s holy club grail, “Get Low,” became the tipping point for the Dirty South’s mainstream dominance and the end of New York street rap’s rule. By 2004, Lil Jon had scored huge radio hits for Usher, Ciara, and Petey Pablo. Many times, these collaborations sounded forced, as was the case with Mobb Deep’s “Real Gangstaz,” from the Queensbridge duo’s 2004 LP, Amerikaz Nightmare. Havoc and Prodigy were still reeling from their feud with Jay Z and trying to stay afloat. If the beef had endangered their street cred, the droopy single with R&B group 112, “Hey Luv (Anything),” did little to help. The Lil Jon move was a show of panic. Has Mobb Deep recovered? The duo’s last two albums, 2006’s Blood Money and 2014’s The Infamous Mobb Deep, don’t find the Havoc and Prodigy straying too far from the dark street ethos they helped pioneer. Prodigy isn’t quite the opening-line assassin he once was, but Havoc’s beats are still interesting enough to land on Eminem’s Recovery and Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo. The canon of great hip-hop will always include Mobb Deep’s 1995 masterpiece, The Infamous. But the pair’s real legacy may be judged best by how they responded to the follow-up pressure, with 1996’s even more menacing Hell on Earth, full of Manhattan robberies, housingproject shootings, and throat cuttings over grimy drum loops. Modern New York rappers like French Montana suggest there’s a deliberate music industry attempt to winnow street rap out of hip-hop. Instead of crafting conspiracies, maybe he should just focus on making an album this mean. —Eric Tullis SOUTHLAND BALLROOM, RALEIGH 9 p.m., $23, www.southlandballroom.com
SAT, MAR 5 The Clarks RUST This Pittsburgh ROCK outfit may have damned themselves to a lifetime of very little name recognition, but the Clarks have done pretty well for themselves. Through sheer effort, they’ve hung around for more than three decades and even played Letterman. Mining the eighties vintage of jangle and ache that brought them together as students during the Reagan era, the Clarks deliver rock’s familiar bounty with well-worn bonhomie. —DK [LINCOLN THEATRE, $15/9 P.M.]
Consider the Source MORE Like blue cheese or FLUTE tantric sex, Consider the Source is an
acquired taste. The band’s macho prog-fusion attempts to play the genre by the book, meaning heady concepts, cosmopolitan world influences, and, alas, almost nothing new or very fun. For every CTS track that succeeds in theatricality, a wankfest waits in the wings. With Marbin. —DS [POUR HOUSE, $10–$12/9 P.M.]
Dismemberment MIDWEST With 2014’s METAL Embrace the Dark, Ohio’s Dismemberment delighted hesher purists. The band’s collision of frantic thrash and old-school death metal is brisk and exciting, not far removed from Exhumed’s gore-metal classics. Raleigh’s versatile Datura are also volatile, while Greensboro’s Malebolgia returns after a hiatus. —BCR [THE MAYWOOD, $8/9:30 P.M.]
Eureka California FOR Like countless TAPES other rock duos, Athens, Georgia’s Eureka California makes the most of a limited setup. Singer and guitarist Jake Ward plays close to drummer Marie A. Uhler’s rhythms. But with hooks that find strength in simplicity, Eureka California merges the brashness of peppy garage rock with a college-rock affability. —BCR [SLIM’S, $5/9 P.M.]
Guttermouth AS ADSoCal punks VERTISED Guttermouth may be among the last of a dying breed. Like the Dwarves, Guttermouth staked its reputation on blue humor and big hooks, onstage antics and shock value. The band was even briefly banned from Canada after a public nudity incident. With
nine studio albums of hyperactive pop-punk fueled as much by jokes as power chords, Guttermouth was a skate-punk staple in the late nineties. After 2007’s artistically conservative Shave the Planet, Guttermouth endured lineup changes and temporary breakups before reforming last year. —BCR [KINGS, $13–$15/9 P.M.]
Hurray for the Riff Raff ACT NOW Folk music and social activism were once inextricably linked, but now it can be more of a fashion statement than a political one. As Hurray for the Riff Raff, the Bronx-born Alynda Segarra hopes to push herself and her fellow folksters back toward that tradition. With songs like “The Body Electric,” Segarra delivers powerful statements, not naïve platitudes. —AH [DUKE’S BALDWIN AUDITORIUM, $10–$34/8 P.M.]
Rich Medina HOMING The closest that IN AGAIN The Art of Cool Project ever came to stepping into electronic music waters was in 2014, when its festival featured jazz and dance-fusion journeyman Mark de CliveLowe. But by inviting the expert Afrobeat-and-house DJ Rich Medina to Durham for the second time in a year, AOC has struck a cool medium between being EDM-aware and sticking to soul footing. Warm up to DJ Justice’s opening workout before losing your own footing during Medina’s deified Home dance series. —ET [THE VAULT, $10–$15/9 P.M.]
The Starmakers CELLO Josh Starmer is a I♥U busy local cellist and string player. His solo work focuses on introspective chamber pop, delivered in a doleful baritone. His third LP, Starmakers, stems from a project he initiated in late 2012 to write and record one song per month. Benefitting from some caustic keyboard sounds, Starmakers’ songs function as diary entries as Starmer trains
his eye on matters of the heart and the mundane, like overpriced finery. —DK [MYSTERY BREWING PUBLIC HOUSE, FREE/8:30 P.M.]
Wolfmother MOCK Does the new GOD Wolfmother album, Victorious, begin with self-diagnosis? “You set your sights so high you cannot stop,” shrieksings the band’s lone constant, Andrew Stockdale, above the record’s first loaded riff. Indeed, more than a decade removed from the exclamatory high of “Woman,” Stockdale has burned through more members than hits, only to return with ten more totally competent, completely unnecessary homages to the hammers of the gods. —GC [THE RITZ, $25/8 P.M.] ALSO ON SATURDAY CAT’S CRADLE: The Grand Shell Game, Happy Abandon, Sinners and Saints, Chit Nasty, Matt Phillips and the Philharmonic; 3:30 p.m., $5. • THE CAVE: Mammoth Indigo, Youma, Tangible Dream; 9 p.m., $5. • DEEP SOUTH: Pierce Edens & The Dirty Work, Amy Echstenkamper; 9 p.m., $5. • DUKE COFFEEHOUSE: Triangle’s Finest II; 8:30 p.m., $5. • HAW RIVER BALLROOM: Jennifer Curtis; 8 p.m., $12–$15. See page 25. • THE KRAKEN: Mystery Hillbillies, The Mike Edwards Combo; 9 p.m. • PULLEN MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH: Sacred Harp Convention; 9:30 a.m., free. See box, page 31.• SOUTHLAND BALLROOM: Flaw; 8 p.m., $10.
SUN, MAR 6 A Fiddler’s Feast FIDDLIN’ Fiddle fans, take AROUND note: two duos coming to Durham put those four strings front and center. Alasdair Fraser, one of Scotland’s best fiddlers, wields his bow alongside cellist Natalie Haas, nodding to folk traditions of the British Isles. By contrast, Jay Ungar deploys his fiddle in a way that feels more akin to American usage; he’s accompanied by guitarist Molly Mason. —AH [CAROLINA THEATRE, $27–$64/8 P.M.]
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JOY OF Saxophonist SAX extraordinaire Susan Fancher presents a nicely varied classical saxophone recital. Branford Marsalis joins for an extra-perky arrangement of the Bach Double Violin Concerto for two soprano saxophones. She’ll also perform an arrangement of Ravel’s Sonatine for saxophone and piano, alongside the equally impressionistic New Stories by Dorothy Chang. John Harbison’s jazzy sonata San Antonio, meanwhile, comes from his experience listening to Latin music in 110-degree heat. —DR [DUKE’S BALDWIN AUDITORIUM, FREE/3 P.M.]
6-8PM 9PM $10 8PM $8 6:30PM 7:30PM
LIVE MUSIC • OPEN TUESDAY—SUNDAY THEBLUENOTEGRILL.COM 709 WAHSINGTON STREET • DURHAM
Wayne Hancock REAL Austin’s Wayne COUNTRY Hancock has spent the last two decades making music for the people who complain that nobody makes country music the way they used to. Hancock’s honky-tonkin’ sound, with a touch of rockabilly verve and a dash of Western swing, comes with so much cred his tunes have been cut by Hank Williams III. —JA [POUR HOUSE, $12–$15/8 P.M.]
Eric Hutchinson PASSIVE Sharp-dressed POP strummer Eric Hutchinson came to prominence in 2008 thanks to the passive-aggressive “OK, It’s Alright With Me.” His new single, the mid-tempo piano ballad “Anyone Who Knows Me,” might concern a lover who doesn’t appreciate him enough, but it centers around a lyric that seems made for social media citation: “Anyone who knows me/Knows you don’t know me at all.” In pop as in life, the best offense is a good defense. —MJ [CAT’S CRADLE, $20–$23.50/7 P.M.]
Quilt SUBTLE Psychedelic rock, PSYCH conceived as a musical manifestation of drugfueled mania, has grown safe. Indeed, Boston quartet Quilt draws on sixties sounds that seem far from deranged. The songs are warm, even a little 34 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
comfy. “Eliot St.,” the justreleased first single from their forthcoming third album, Plaza, includes the band’s lightest melodies and crispest arrangements yet. —JK [CAT’S CRADLE BACK ROOM, $10/9 P.M.] ALSO ON SUNDAY THE CAVE: Fort Defiance, Pete Pawsey, Hudson & Haw; 9 p.m., $5. • DEEP SOUTH: Drop the Girl, Until the Wind Shifts, The Oh Whales, Friends as Enemies; 8:30 p.m., $5–$7. • HAW RIVER BALLROOM: The Music of Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard; 7 p.m., $17–$20. See page 28. • KINGS: Downtown Boys, Sheer Mag; 8:30 p.m., $10–$12. See page 29. • LINCOLN THEATRE: Pink Talking Fish; 8:30 p.m., $14.50. • LOCAL 506: Go Benji Go, Dr. Copter, I Am Maddox; 3 p.m., free. • NEPTUNES PARLOUR: What Moon Things, AMFMS; 9 p.m., $7. • NIGHTLIGHT: Hinterland, Extended Release, Sean Seaton, Reflex Arc; 8:30 p.m., $7.
MON, MAR 7 Gosh Pith WEALTH Detroit duo Gosh GOTH Pith wear white in press photos have a single called “New Balance,” and blend oozing R&B synths with trap dramatics and a bit of babyvoiced rapping à la Chance The Rapper. They attempt, often for worse, to bring the Internet to life. With Illsnafu. —DS [NEPTUNES PARLOUR, $7/9 P.M.]
Overlake OLD Yo La Tengo were JERSEY far too unassuming to challenge Springsteen’s iron grip on the sound of Jersey-born rock. But YLT’s shadow stretches from Hoboken all the way to Jersey City. Overlake’s sound— dominated by blown-and-bent guitar tones and sweetly murmured lyrics—borrows from that Garden State tradition. It is sedate, swoony, and nostalgic for a time when college radio came mostly via faint airwave signal. —JK [SLIM’S, $5/9 P.M.]
Coheed & Cambria PROG Last year’s The POWER Color Before the Sun marked a lyrical shift for
Coheed & Cambria, from the sci-fi storyline that dominated the proggy post-rock-meetspop-metal quartet’s previous seven albums to more personal lyrics. Though Color occasionally offers simpler takes on the ambitious arrangements by which the outfit made its name, expect more theatrics live. On-again, off-again post-hardcore influencers Glassjaw support. —SG [THE RITZ, $29.50/7:30 P.M.]
Repeat Repeat GLOSSED Repeat Repeat’s GRIT “Mostly” is covered in grit, but curiously so—the very crunchy riff sounds meticulously placed, making “Mostly” come off as a Stepford Wives version of garage rock. Regardless, the band’s 2014 LP, Bad Latitude, is a surfy romp. Guy-gal harmonies push and pull against each other, occasionally recalling the short-lived Ting Tings on songs such as “Chemical Reaction.” —AH [THE CAVE, $5/9 P.M.] ALSO ON MONDAY PITTSBORO ROADHOUSE: The N.C. Revelers Orchestra; 7 p.m.
TUE, MAR 8 Canine Heart Sounds, Nick Vandenberg TWOFER Two solid locals TUESDAY bookend this weeknight bill. Nick Vandenberg is a sideman in a few Triangle acts, but he quietly issued a great record of his own in late 2014. The broad-minded Canine Heart Sounds sling rock songs that are heavy on melody, intricately detailed, and ultimately delightful. Sister David and TUFT sit in the middle. —AH [LOCAL 506, $5–$8/8 P.M.]
Lucy Dacus HEAVIER Richmond’s Lucy THINGS Dacus seems to sing while sporting a shrug. The nine songs of her excellent new LP, No Burden, consider hard truths with casual aplomb, as though she’s content to greet the anxieties of adulthood with
Love the
a wink, a joke, and a strummed electric guitar. The more somber moments show her voice has the same mix of muscle and grace as Sharon Van Etten. Brace yourself when she steps in front of her full rock band, as on “Strange Torpedo” and “I Don’t Wanna Be Fun Anymore,” where she handles complexity with the simple cool of Courtney Barnett or Protomartyr’s Joe Casey. The Quiet Hollers and S.E. Ward open. —GC [THE CAVE, $5/9 P.M.]
Diarrhea Planet SHRED A long-haired gagPARTY gle of guitar shredders who love extended solos, Diarrhea Planet takes itself about as seriously as most seven-year olds would take the sextet’s name. The band conjures a rowdy house party crammed with hair-metal heads and punk kids, raising a beer with one hand and horns with the other. —SG [MOTORCO, $12–$14/8 P.M.]
Migos There may be no bigger testament to the number of hip-hop fans today than the fact that enough of them exist to support Migos, the Atlanta trio responsible for “Versace,” “One Time,” and “Look At My Dab.” For a taste of the group’s contributions to the hip-hop canon, consider how Migos kicked off 2015— with a video that featured lead member Quavo in a laundromat full of barely clothed women, the crooner garbling: “These hoes wishy washy.” Migos is promoted by Lyor Cohen, the rap mogul who has made the dumbing-down of AfricanAmerican consciousness his primary business model. Want to see dabbing? Save the $22.50 and watch Cam Newton highlights on YouTube. —RC [THE RITZ, $22.50/8 P.M.]
NO DAB
Ra Ra Riot PLUS The decade-spanINDIE POP ning blog rock band Ra Ra Riot put out its best songs just this year, made with the help of Rostam Batmanglij, the production wiz who just left
Vampire Weekend. More vital are openers PWR BTTM, a queer power-pop duo from Brooklyn with glitter-glam riffs and sweetly romantic lyrics. With Sun Club. —JK [CAT’S CRADLE, $17/8:30 P.M.] ALSO ON TUESDAY THE CARRACK: Carrack Free Improv Tuesday: cen0te, Spool Ensemble; 8 p.m., free. • POUR HOUSE: Shwizz; 9 p.m., free.
WED, MAR 9 All Dogs OHIO Maryn Jones plies FIDOS her neo-grunge wares in several Columbus-area rock bands, including her solo project, Yowler, and scene supergroup Saintseneca. Her best-known act to date has been the emotionally direct, gut-punching machine, All Dogs. That band’s acclaimed 2015 debut, Kicking Every Day, slots closely to other super-earnest acts like Waxahatchee, who bob between the crunch of alternative rock radio and the lo-fi stuff that served as its underdog alternative. —JK [CAT’S CRADLE BACK ROOM, $7–$8/9 P.M.]
Nick Carter GROWN- The blonde-haired, UP BOY blue-eyed, poutyvoiced Nick Carter is best known as the conventionally cute Backstreet Boy, but he’s also released three solo albums. He’s back again without his Boys, touring behind a new album, All American. The cover art indicates that, at some point during the last decade, he’s created an excessive black tattoo with every cliché imaginable— Chinese characters, a sprawling sun, tribal design. I thought A.J. was supposed to be the bad one? —TC [THE RITZ, $25/9 P.M.]
Diet Cig PETITE New York’s Hudson POGO Valley has long had a whiff of rundown bohemia, but only lately has its affordable housing and web of SUNY universities started produced
promising indie rock bands in robust numbers. Excitable single “Scene Sick” suggests that New Paltz rock duo Diet Cig aren’t so easily impressed by it. Their songs capture the emotional contradictions of post-collegiate youth—easily jaded for being so wide-eyed, acting tough so you won’t feel so soft. —JK [KINGS, $8/8:30 P.M.]
Input Electronic Music Series INPUT’S Over the last year, OUTPUT Pour House ‘s Input series has done an exceptional job of curating tasteful electronic bills. Its dedication to putting regional producers on is formidable, and to date, it’s hosted artists in fields like tech house, trap, nu-disco, and IDM. This anniversary celebration features Raleigh trip-pop crooner Animalweapon, gauzy Virginia synth duo Ships in the Night, and Zora. —DS [POUR HOUSE, $5/9 P.M.]
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No BS! Brass Band RVA The name of this SHINE big Richmond outfit says it all. With nearly a dozen pieces, No BS! builds a massive wall of sound on a foundation of New Orleansstyle jazz. Every note explodes with color, and they fall together into decadent, irresistible energy. Expect a spirited convocation. The strange and wonderful Grandma Sparrow opens. —AH [MOTORCO, $12–$14/8 P.M.]
DUKE P ERFORMANCES I N D U R H A M , A T D U K E , A R T M A D E B O L D LY
ALSO ON WEDNESDAY THE CAVE: Campfires & Constellations, The Everymen; 9 p.m., $5. See indyweek.com. • LINCOLN THEATRE: Judah & the Lion, The Saint Johns; 8 p.m., $14. See indyweek.com. • LOCAL 506: Somos, Petal, The Superweaks; 7 p.m., $10–$12. See indyweek.com. • THE MAYWOOD: Witchaven, Steel Bearing Hand, Nemesis, Temple Crusher; 8:30 p.m., $7. • NEPTUNES PARLOUR: The Gotobeds; 9:30 p.m., $6. • SLIM’S: Horseskull, Chaosmic, Long Live the Goat; 9 p.m. • SOUTHLAND BALLROOM: Mobb Deep; 9 p.m., $23. See box, page 32.
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Chakra (The Wheel of Life): Play. $16–$18. Fri, Mar 4-Sun, Mar 6. Cary Arts Center, Cary. www. townofcary.org. Joe Machi: Stand-up comedy. $15–$32. Thurs, Mar 3- Sat, Mar 5. Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh. www. goodnightscomedy.com. The Sinful Six: Stand-up comededians working blue. $5–$13. Wed, Mar 9, 8 p.m. Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh. www. goodnightscomedy.com. Tempest Fantasy: Carolina Ballet. $30–$68. Mar 3-20.
Fletcher Opera Theater, Raleigh. www.dukeenergycenterraleigh. com. See p. 28. Transactors Improv: Oscar Night: Improv comedy. 10–$15. Sat, Mar 5, 8 p.m. Common Ground Theatre, Durham. www. cgtheatre.com. Katt Williams: Stand-up comedy. $52–$125. Fri, Mar 4, 8 p.m. PNC Arena, Raleigh. www. thepncarena.com. The Wolf: Theater for young audiences. $10–$15. Mar 3-20. Kennedy Theater, Raleigh. www. dukeenergycenterraleigh.com.
ONGOING brownsville song (b-side for tray): Kimber Lee based this drama on a 2012 murder in Brownsville, a neglected neighborhood in Brooklyn. Twenty-year-old, college-bound
Jacuzzi: Play. $25. Thru Mar 20. Ward Theatre, Durham. wardtheatrecompany.com. The Lion King: Musical. $39– $109. Thru Mar 20. Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham. www.dpacnc.com. We Are Proud to Present...: Play. $15–$44. Thru Mar 13. UNC Paul Green Theatre. www. playmakersrep.org. See story, p. 27.
STARTING THURSDAY, MARCH 3
THE EASE OF FICTION
A new CAM Raleigh exhibit extends the homeland introspection of the ongoing Failure of the American Dream (through May 8), a video installation by Phil America that was filmed in a tent city in the shadow of Silicon Valley. Now The Ease of Fiction (through June 19) features paintings, drawings, and sculptures by four young, U.S.-based African artists who intimately navigate the facts, official narratives, and myths of two nations that see each other in different ways. In “kindred,” Nigeria’s ruby onyinyechi amanze layers photo transfers and drawings in a luminous scene of wading birds, braided hair, and a leopard-headed gentleman of a distinctly colonial mien. A similarly vivid, dreamlike mingling of the drawing room and the savanna can be seen in striking, large-scale scenes by Botswanan painter Meleko Mokgosi. Rwanda’s Duhirwe Rushemeza’s sculptural paintings mimic deteriorating walls, while Egypt’s Sherin Guirguis slips around figuration, into intricate patterns of handcut paper that unite the ancient Middle East with California modernism. Curated by New York’s Dexter Wimberly, The Ease of Fiction adds a vivid facet to the Phil America exhibit’s implicit critique of national idealism, displacement, and exclusion. —Brian Howe CAM RALEIGH, RALEIGH 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m., $5 (free for members), www.camraleigh.org
RUBY ONYINYECHI AMANZE: “KINDRED” 2014, GRAPHITE, INK, PIGMENT, ENAMEL, PHOTO TRANSFERS, GLITTER ON PAPER. COURTESY OF TIWANI CONTEMPORARY, LONDON/THE ARTIST
36 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
boxer Tray Franklin Grant was killed during a gang conflict he had no part in. In the play, we meet him and observe the love and the losses that have taken place in his family—the bonds that have strengthened as well as those that have broken. $5–$20. Thru Mar 12. Manbites Dog Theater, Durham. www. manbitesdogtheater.org. —Byron Woods
SATURDAY, MARCH 5
AILEY II
AILEY II PHOTO COURTESY OF DUKE PERFORMANCES
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater appears in the Triangle each spring with such frequency it’s almost routine. For nine years, Carolina Performing Arts has often enjoyed sold-out crowds for the formidable company, an energetic stronghold of African diasporic dance since 1958. But routine has two pitfalls: We might not show up because we can count on next year, or we do show up at the expense of something new elsewhere. February—Black History Month, of course—has been especially rich with local performances by dance companies working within and responding to the African diaspora. Now Ailey II, the main company’s younger sibling and a training program for emerging dance professionals, comes to Duke Performances, close on the heels of Abraham.In.Motion as well as the Collegium of African Diaspora Dance Conference. Ailey’s signature Revelations anchors the program, so do try for tickets at the door: This Ailey’s sold out, too. —Michaela Dwyer
art OPENING
Peg Bachenheimer, Jenny Eggleston, Brett Morris, Leslie Pruneau, and Susan Quint: Mar 4-May 28. Artspace, Raleigh. www.artspacenc.org. SPECIAL Clothesline Musings: EVENT Art Inspired By the Clothesline: Mar 9-Apr 3. Reception: Fri, March 18, 6-7:30 p.m. Cary Arts Center, Cary. www.townofcary.org. SPECIAL Elements: N.C. EVENT nature photography by Mike Basher. Mar 4-27. Reception: Fri, March 4, 6-8 p.m. Nature Art Gallery, Raleigh. www.naturalsciences.org. SPECIAL Gristle Sausage: EVENT Sculpture by Michael A. Salter. Mar 4-26. Reception: Fri, March 4, 6-9 p.m. Lump, Raleigh. www. teamlump.org. Hometown (Inherited): Photography by Moriah LeFebvre. Mar 4-12. Through This Lens, Durham. www. throughthislens.com.
REYNOLDS INDUSTRIES THEATER, DURHAM 8 p.m., $10–$38, www.dukeperformances.duke.edu
SPECIAL Listening to Patience: EVENT Paintings by Onicas Gaddis. Mar 6-31. Reception: Sun, March 6, 1-3 p.m. Joyful Jewel, Pittsboro. www. joyfuljewel.com. SPECIAL Spring Fever: Oils EVENT and acrylics by Bekah Haslett and Margo White. Mar 4-31. Reception: Fri, March 4, 6-9:30 p.m. Local Color Gallery, Raleigh. www.localcoloraleigh.com. SPECIAL Spring Forward: Mar EVENT 4-26. Reception: Fri, March 4, 6-9 p.m. Tipping Paint Gallery, Raleigh. www. tippingpaintgallery.com. SPECIAL Stitch Chat: Mixed EVENT media by Pati Reis. Mar 4-26. Reception: Fri, March 4, 6-10 p.m. Artspace, Raleigh. www.artspacenc.org.
ONGOING Art-Music FUSION: Dan Campbell. Thru Mar 23. Village Art Circle, Raleigh. www. villageartcircle.com. Chisel and Forge: Works by Peter Oakley and Elizabeth Brim: Thru Mar 20. NC Museum of Art, Raleigh. www.ncartmuseum. org. Coming Soon, Dot-to-Dot: Selections from the Gregg
Museum of Art & Design. Thru Apr 23. Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary. www. friendsofpagewalker.org. Janet Cooling: New paintings. Thru Mar 27. Horace Williams House, Chapel Hill. www. chapelhillpreservation.com. SPECIAL Nileena Pani Dash: EVENT Mosaics. Thru Apr 5. Reception: Fri, March 11, 6-8 p.m. Carrboro Century Center, Carrboro. www.carrboro. com/centurycenter.html. LAST Disappearing Frogs CHANCE Project: Environmental art project raising awareness of the global decline of amphibian populations. Thru Mar 3. NCSU The Crafts Center, Raleigh. www.ncsu.edu/crafts. Divided by Decades-Bound by Tradition: Art Alumae Exhibition: Oil and graphite by Janet Link and Sherry di Filippo. Thru Mar 24. Meredith College Cate Center, Raleigh. LAST Durham Under CHANCE Development: Citing the incredible amount of money in projects on the Downtown Loop, Pleiades Gallery called for art that would help “discuss how we want go to forward, rather than to presume development is linear and
therefore that certain people have expertise, sway, authority, that we, as a community, do not.” In this juried exhibit, twenty-six artists respond. We were struck by Kim Wheaton’s “Five Points: Past, Present, Future,” which illustrates the omnipotent view of time only attainable through a creative lens. Thru Mar 6. Pleiades Gallery, Durham. PleiadesArtDurham. com. —Brian Howe Everyday Chaos: Re-Collaging the Surface: Carlyn WrightEakes, Richie Foster, Harriet Hoover, Saba Taj. Thru Mar 13. Arcana Bar and Lounge, Durham. SPECIAL Excavations from EVENT Nothingness: Harriet Hoover and Wendy Collin Sorin. Thru Mar 18. Reception: Friday, March 4, 5-7 p.m. Miriam Preston Block Gallery, Raleigh. www.raleighnc.gov/arts. Failure of the American Dream: Installation by Phil America. $5. Thru May 8. CAM Raleigh. www.camraleigh.org. Fine Arts League of Cary’s 21st Annual Juried Exhibition: Thru Apr 23. Page-Walker Arts & History Center, Cary. www. friendsofpagewalker.org. From Frock Coats to Flip-Flops: 100 Years of Fashion at Carolina: Thru Jun 5. UNC Wilson Special
Collections Library, Chapel Hill. www.lib.unc.edu/wilson. LAST Hackensack CHANCE Dreaming: Nancy Cohen lives and works in New Jersey, and her traveling installation abstracts the ecosystem of Mill Creek Marsh. Cohen shapes organic materials such as handmade paper and glass into an allusive facsimile of a place she has internalized. The result is an immersive diorama—a memory you can walk inside. Thru Mar 6. Power Plant Gallery, Durham. www. powerplantgallery.org. —Brian Howe SPECIAL If I Were You and EVENT You Were Me: Polymer clay and found object sculptures by Elissa FarrowSavos. Thru Mar 17. Reception: Fri, March 4, 6-9 p.m. Gallery C, Raleigh. www.galleryc.net. It’s All About The Story, Volume IV – Allan Gurganus: Artists respond in their own media to work by the Hillsborough author. Thru Mar 20. Hillsborough Gallery of Arts, Hillsborough. www. hillsboroughgallery.com. La Sombra y el Espiritu IV - The Work of Stefanie Jackson: Thru May 13. UNC’s Sonja Haynes Stone Center, Chapel Hill. www. sonjahaynesstonectr.unc.edu.
Mixed Media Journeys: Wax pencil drawings of circuses, carnivals, and travels by Benjamin Frey. Thru Mar 15. Little Art Gallery & Craft Collection, Raleigh. www. littleartgalleryandcraft.com. SPECIAL Morphology and the EVENT Biomorphic Impulse: With lush forms abstracted from a fantasy called the natural world, the biomorphic style naturally flourished in the angular, industrial twentieth century. You can see it in the tree-like columns of a Gaudí church, the smooth skin of a Brancusi bronze, or the voluptuous fluids in an Yves Tanguy painting. Three FRANK artists revisit the terrain in this show, where Bill McAllister’s photo of a human body turns into a wooden whiplash in Mark Elliott’s sculpture and then shatters into colored panels in Harriett Bellows’s painting. Thru Mar 9. Discussion with Mark Elliott: Thu, Mar 3, 6 p.m. FRANK Gallery, Chapel Hill. www. frankisart.com. —Brian Howe Past Tense/Future Perfect: Work by seven artists using found objects. Thru Mar 12. The Scrap Exchange, Durham. www. scrapexchange.org. PULL: If last year’s excellent Nasher show of prints is still INDYweek.com | 3.2.16 | 37
embossed on your brain, then check out this new exhibit of work by modern printmakers. Curated by Supergraphic’s Bill Fick and UNC art professor Beth Grabowski, the show features twenty-three international artists who work in everything from screenprinting to 3-D printing. Thru Mar 27. Meredith College Weems Gallery, Raleigh. www.meredith.edu/the-arts. —Brian Howe The Ties That Bind: Beverly McIver is a painter, originally from Greensboro, whose guardianship of a sister with developmental disabilities was the subject of the HBO documentary Raising Renee. McIver exposes another thread of her complex family life in these oil portraits of her father, whom she has gotten to know over the last decade. “I believe that I have fallen in love with my dad,” McIver writes. In her vibrant, expressive portraits of him at various ages, perhaps you will, too. Thru Apr 9. Craven Allen Gallery, Durham. www. cravenallengallery.com.—Brian Howe LAST Tilt-A-Whirl: CHANCE Installation by Martha Clippinger and Rachel Goodwin. Thru Mar 4. SPECTRE Arts, Durham. www. spectrearts.org. Time Travels in NineteenthCentury Landscapes: There was once an established hierarchy of painting genres: Religious allegories at the top, still-life works and animal paintings at the bottom. It broke down in the nineteenth century, when landscapes were reinvented by artists with nostalgic idealism about the time before industrialization. Painters like J.M.W. Turner created landscapes that toe the line between fantasy and reality, here and there, past and present, as can be seen in this exhibit. Thru Apr 3. Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill. www.ackland. org. —Sayaka Matsuoka Wild Ponies: Jennifer Miller. Thru Mar 19. Eno Gallery, Hillsborough. www.enogallery.net.
page READINGS & SIGNINGS Carla Buckley: The Good Goodbye. Sat, Mar 5, 2 p.m. McIntyre’s Books, Pittsboro. www.mcintyresbooks.com. Willie Drye: For Sale: American Paradise — How Our Nation was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida. Wed, Mar 9, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. www.regulatorbookshop.com. Bart Ehrman: Jesus Before the Gospels. Wed, Mar 2, 7 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill. www.flyleafbooks.com. — Tue, Mar 8, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. www. regulatorbookshop.com. — Wed, Mar 9, 3 p.m. UNC Bull’s Head Bookshop, Chapel Hill. store.unc.edu. See p. 29. John Feinstein: The Legends Club. — Wed, Mar 2, 7 p.m. Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh. www.quailridgebooks.com. —
Thu, Mar 3, 7 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill. www.flyleafbooks. com. — Fri, Mar 4, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. www.regulatorbookshop.com. See box, this page. Paul Goldberg: Novel The Yid. Wed, Mar 2, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. www. regulatorbookshop.com. Shilpi Somaya Gowda: Discussing The Golden Son with Sharon Creech. Sat, Mar 5, 4 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. www. regulatorbookshop.com. Judy Hogan: Novel The Sands of Gower: The First Penny Weaver Mystery. Sun, Mar 6, 3 p.m. Durham Main Library, Durham. www.durhamcountylibrary.org. Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis: Novel The Considerate Killer. Sat, Mar 5, 11 a.m. McIntyre’s Books, Pittsboro. www.mcintyresbooks.com. Debra Kaufman, Maureen Sherbondy, Doug Stuber: Poetry. Sun, Mar 6, 2 p.m. McIntyre’s Books, Pittsboro. www.mcintyresbooks.com.
STARTING WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2
Johnny Moore and Art Chansky: Discussing The Blue Divide. Sun, Mar 6, 2 p.m. Barnes & Noble, Durham. www. barnesandnoble.com. Patty Cole: A Way I Sing. Sun, Mar 6, 4 p.m. Joyful Jewel, Pittsboro. www.joyfuljewel.com. Two Writers Walk Into a Bar #21: Jennifer Whitaker and Greg Shemkovitz. Tue, Mar 8, 7 p.m. West End Wine Bar, Chapel Hill. www. westendwinebar.com. Tyrone Williams: Geography has been central to Williams’s critical, densely referential lyric poetry. In his early career as a poet, he drew inspiration from the political ferment of 1970s Detroit, citing the radical politics and culture journal Solid Ground as an early inspiration. The vibrant culture of argument and political engagement in Detroit paved the way for the
JOHN FEINSTEIN
Great sports rivalries usually involve a pair of cities with a bone to pick, or two athletes of opposing styles who produce something uniquely electric as they vie for dominance. Rivalries between coaches or managers are far less prevalent in our collective memory, and while most fall short of delivering the thrills of Magic Johnson versus Larry Bird or a Yankees/Red Sox World Series, if any coaching rivalry counts as an epic drama, it’s the one depicted in The Legends Club. Celebrated sports writer John Feinstein starts off in 1980, introducing UNC’s coach, the local powerhouse Dean Smith, and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, an unknown with a surname that vexed some early doubters. Chronicling the dual rise of Coach K and N.C. State’s Jim Valvano, Feinstein, a preeminent college-basketball authority, re-creates a decade of fierce competition, shedding light on a bruising recruiting process and the cultural impact of a rivalry that became personal as well as the stuff of legend. After this Quail Ridge Books appearance Wednesday, Feinstein also appears at 7 p.m. at Flyleaf Books on Thursday and the Regulator Bookshop on Friday. —David Klein QUAIL RIDGE BOOKS, RALEIGH 7 p.m., free, www.quailridgebooks.com
Kelly Starling Lyons: With children’s book One More Dino on the Floor. Sat, Mar 5, 2 p.m. Quail Ridge Books, Raleigh. www.quailridgebooks.com.
polyvocal nature of Williams’ poetic practice. He sees poetry as a site of encounter between different historical and political perspectives, telling the INDY, “I’m trying to capture the moment at any particular place and time where you have all these different narratives encountering, clashing, affirming, attacking.” Williams appears in the Little Corner Reading Series. Sat, Mar 5, 8 p.m. The Shed Jazz Club, Durham. www. shedjazz.com. —Laura Jaramillo Ashley Warlick: The Arrangement. Thu, Mar 3, 7 p.m. Regulator Bookshop, Durham. www.regulatorbookshop.com.
LITERARY R E L AT E D Africa’s Greatest Killer? Understanding HumanHippopotamus Conflict: Dr. Corinne Kendall, Associate Curator of Conservation and Research at the N.C. Zoo. $10. Thu, Mar 3, 7 p.m. NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh. www.naturalsciences.org. Biodiversity in a Changing Climate: Three Perspectives: Tom Lovejoy, Healy Hamilton, and Mark Anderson, moderated by Stuart Pimm. Thu, Mar 3, 7 p.m. Carolina Theatre, Durham. www.carolinatheatre.org. Hutchins Lecture: Angela Cooley on fast food and civil rights. Thu, Mar 3, 4:30 p.m. UNC Wilson Library, Chapel Hill. www.lib.unc.edu/wilson. Crispin D’olot: La Razón De La SinRazón/The Reason For The Unreason: Readings of medieval Spanish romances. Sat, Mar 5, 7 p.m. Cary Arts Center, Cary. www.townofcary.org. Family Papers: A Sephardi Journey Through the 20th Century: Professor Sarah Stein. Mon, Mar 7, 7:30 p.m. UNC Friday Center, Chapel Hill. www. fridaycenter.unc.edu. Freedom and Fear in Myanmar: Lecture by Ian Holliday/preview of Thukhuma: Painting Myanmar in a Time of Transition. Thu, Mar 3, 5:30 p.m. UNC FedEx Global
Education Center, Chapel Hill. www.global.unc.edu. Anat Hoffman: Women of the Wall: Director of the Israel Religious Action Center and Neshot HaKotel, also known as Women of the Wall. Thu, Mar 3, 6-8 p.m. Duke Freeman Center for Jewish Life, Durham. Human Thriving in the Anthropocene?: Jedediah Purdy and Roy Scranton discuss their recent books about the anthropocene. Mon, Mar 7, 7 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill. www.flyleafbooks.com. Southern Cultures Documentary Arts Issue Launch: Fri, Mar 4, 5:30 p.m. Power Plant Gallery, Durham. www.south.unc.edu. Straight Talk with Real Muslims: Hosted by Ismail Suayah and moderated by Krista Bremer. Sun, Mar 6, 2 p.m. Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill. www.flyleafbooks.com. Taking Sides: Revolutionary Solidarity and the Poverty of Liberalism: Panel discussion featuring Cindy Milstein. Thu, Mar 3, 7 p.m. Internationalist Books. www. internationalistbooks.org. Patrick Testerman: “Reversing America’s Decline.” $10. Tue, Mar 8, 7 p.m. Extraordinary Ventures, Chapel Hill. www. extraordinaryventures.org. Veterans Observed/Veterans Observing: Panel about veterans returning to civilian life in the United States.Tue, Mar 8, 5:30 p.m. Duke Richard White Auditorium, Durham. Virginia Woolf: Writing Surfaces and Writing Depths: Dr. Leslie Kathleen Hankins discusses writing surfaces used by Woolf, including the desk now on display in the Rubenstein Library. Thu, Mar 3, 4 p.m. Duke Rubenstein Library, Durham. Fareed Zakaria: Discussing “In Defense of a Liberal Education.” Tue, Mar 8, 5:30 p.m. UNC Genome Sciences Building, Chapel Hill.
submit! Got something for our calendar? EITHER email calendar@indyweek.com (include the date, time, street address, contact info, cost, and a short description) OR enter it yourself at posting.indyweek.com/indyweek/Events/AddEvent. DEADLINE: Wednesday 5 p.m. for the following Wednesday’s issue. Thanks! 38 | 3.2.16 | INDYweek.com
ART
RALEIGH GRANDE
The INDY’s Guide to Dining in the Triangle
FRIDAY, MARCH 4
WILD AT HEART AND KALIFORNIA
If you and your significant other are eager to catch this double feature, you either have terrifying psychological problems or need to put a ring on it. Or both. First up is the 1990 David Lynch film Wild at Heart, based on Barry Gifford’s novels about a troubled pair of lovers on the run. Played by Nicolas Cage and Laura Dern, they’re pursued by a number of people, including one played by Dern’s real-life mother, Diane Ladd, who got an Oscar nomination for her turn. Released the same year Lynch hit the mainstream with Twin Peaks, Wild at Heart includes a really good gun-blast decapitation, Crispin Glover shoving cockroaches in his underwear, and many Elvis and The Wizard of Oz references. It’s teamed with the 1993 road trip from hell, Kalifornia, where yuppies David Duchovny and Michelle Forbes travel to research a book on serial killers and make the mistake of picking up a younger couple (Brad Pitt and Juliette Lewis) who give them way too much material to work with. (By the way, there’s an unpublished comics adaptation by Duncan Fegredo you can read on his website.) Celebrate your love with violence and murder! On screen, anyway. —Zack Smith
MAY 26, 2016
ZOOTOPIA • LONDON HAS FALLEN WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT • GODS OF EGYPT EDDIE THE EAGLE • TRIPLE 9 • SON OF SAUL DEADPOOL • THE WITCH • RISEN • HOW TO BE SINGLE KUNG FU PANDA 3 • LADY AND THE VAN STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS • THE REVENANT
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CAROLINA THEATRE, DURHAM 7 p.m., $9, www.carolinatheatre.org
screen SPECIAL SHOWINGS
DESTROY ALL PLANETS: Fri, Mar 4, 7 p.m. NC Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh. www. naturalsciences.org. OUTBREAK: WHY WASN’T THE EBOLA OUTBREAK STOPPED BEFORE IT WAS TOO LATE?: Fri, Mar 4, 7 p.m. St Philip’s Episcopal Church, Durham. www.stphilipsdurham.org. WHY BE GOOD?: $8–$10. Fri, Mar 4, 8 p.m. NC Museum of Art, Raleigh. www. ncartmuseum.org. THE ONE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY: Wed, Mar 9, 7 p.m. Duke Griffith Theater, Durham. www.duke.edu.
OPENING LONDON HAS FALLEN—In this Olympus Has Fallen sequel, Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) discovers a plot to assassinate dozens of world
leaders at a funeral for England’s Prime Minister. Rated R. THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR—A woman trying to say goodbye to her young son in the afterlife disrupts the balance between life and death when she opens a door against a warning. Rated R. WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT—Tina Fey stars in this comedic adaptation of Kim Barker’s real-life strange tales of her time as a wartime journalist in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Rated R. ZOOTOPIA—A star-heavy ensemble voices a city full of anthropomorphic animals in Disney’s new animated feature. Rated PG.
½ DEADPOOL—Marvel’s smartass semi-hero (Ryan Reynolds) revels in excesses of quips and gore. Rated R. HAIL, CAESAR!— The Coen brothers offer a delightful satire of postwar Hollywood. Rated PG-13. ½ THE REVENANT— Leo DiCaprio plays a historical fur trapper left for dead after a bear attack in the director of Birdman’s latest Oscar bait. Rated R. SON OF SAUL—The horrors of the concentration camp blur in the background of a prisoner’s quest to bury a single boy in this excruciating Hungarian drama. Rated R.
See our reviews of these films at www.indyweek.com.
STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS—J.J. Abrams successfully remixes Star Wars mythology for a new generation. Rated PG-13.
½ 45 YEARS—A lifetime of regret unravels between a comfortably married couple (Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling) as their wedding anniversary arrives. Rated R.
½ THE WITCH—Robert Eggers emerges as an arthorror director to watch with a slow-burning tale that conjures the demon-haunted world of early English settlers from real accounts. Rated R.
A L S O P L AY I N G
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