Queen City Nerve - May 31, 2023

News: Local business owner indicted on fraud charges pg. 4

Food: Firehawk Brewpub serves up creekside cooking pg. 16

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Thanks

our contributors: Grant Baldwin, Aerin Spruill, Bruce Brightly, Joshua Galloway, Kenneth Brown, Emilio Madrid, Anna Warnere and Dan Savage.

SOMETHING FISHY

Local business owner indicted on charges of COVID relief fraud

BY JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS

Local entrepreneur James Seidel has been indicted by a grand jury on 16 counts of wire fraud and one count of theft of government property for alleged misuse of COVID-19-related relief funds from the federal government, according to court documents.

The funds were taken out while Seidel was owner of Carolina Fish Market in Ballantyne (previously called Carolina Meat & Fish Co.). He claims to have sold the business since, though that hasn’t been con rmed.

Filed in South Carolina US District Court in August 2022, the indictment claims that Seidel “engaged in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration … by utilizing the funds obtained from his SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for unauthorized purchases, including investments in cryptocurrency through multiple platforms … instead of legitimate business purposes during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Seidel’s case di ers from a large majority of COVID-19 relief fraud cases, in which defendants have pleaded guilty to obtaining the funds by fraudulent means either through misinformation in applications, or falsifying bank records to show a di erent business income, according to sources.

Queen City Nerve found no records of federal cases in which EIDL funds were obtained legitimately, but used for means other than business operations, as is alleged in this case.

The EIDL is an Small Business Administration (SBA) nancial-relief loan designed as an economic recovery tool for businesses operating during a disaster. The program was expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which there were additional EIDL grant opportunities for businesses in low-income areas that could show a 30% reduction in revenue over an eight-week period and had less than 300 employees.

The EIDL program included grants, known as EIDL Advances; and loans, which is what Seidel

received. Unlike the grants, the loans had to be repaid and after funds were used exclusively to “make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt incurred at any time (past, present, or future),” according to the SBA website.

Seidel allegedly applied for $200,000 in relief from the SBA’s EIDL in October 2021, which was approved the same month. Records show $199,900 was deposited into his personal bank account in early November 2021, according to court documents. The di erence includes a $100 processing fee for the

transaction.

The indictment goes on to say that, though the funds were deposited into Seidel’s personal account, they were loaned to Grayson & Mae, LLC, the partnership that manages Carolina Fish Market. A small business account was then opened at the same bank the application was made, and the funds were transferred from the personal account to the small business account, according to the indictment.

In May 2021, the U.S. Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to assist the Department of Justice in investigating and combatting pandemic-related fraud.

Since the onset of the pandemic and the distribution of relief funds, the U.S. Government Accountability O ce (GAO) has been tracking the government’s prosecution of hundreds of fraud

COURT DOCUMENTS SHOW ALLEGED CRYPTOCURRENCY PURCHASES MADE BY JAMES SEIDEL WITH RELIEF FUNDS.

SEIDEL OWNED CAROLINA FISH MARKET (PREVIOUSLY CALLED CAROLINA MEAT & FISH CO.) IN BALLANTYNE.

NEWS & OPINION FEATURE

and improper payment cases. As of February 2023, the GAO estimated that one program alone, Unemployment Insurance, made more than $60 billion in fraudulent payments, though a March 2022 congressional testimony by Department of Labor Inspector General Larry Turner estimated that amount to be nearly $163 billion.

The GAO stated that, through January 2023, more than 1,000 people have pleaded guilty to fraud related to one or more COVID-19 relief programs. The organization claimed the SBA Office of Inspector General had 536 investigations into COVID-19 relief fraud open as of January 2023.

Locally, the father and son team behind La Shish Kabob, La Shish Kabob Catering, Green Apple Catering, and Aroma Packaging were convicted in federal court for money laundering and bank and wire fraud. Izzat Freitekh was sentenced to 48 months in prison on five charges, and Tarik Freitekh was sentenced to 147 months in prison on five charges related to fraudulent loan applications for $1.7 million worth of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds.

A local fraud analyst was among a group of people that also pleaded guilty to fraud charges related to PPP funds in Charlotte in October 2022. Tamakia Harris, Shavondra White and Cedric Benton are all charged with wire fraud conspiracy and at least one is facing an additional 16 counts of wire fraud. Each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if convicted for conspiracy, and a maximum of 20 years per count for the additional wire fraud.

Seidel’s case is only the third fraud case to involve a Charlotte-area business, though it’s being tried in South Carolina, where Seidel lives and does his banking. At least 20 cases have been or are being prosecuted in the Western District of NC, of which Charlotte is a part, according to a representative for US Attorney Dena King. King’s office is also actively pursuing multiple leads related to suspected wrongdoing in regard to COVID-19 relief funds, the rep said.

Of the cases in Charlotte’s district so far, six are related to the Payroll Protection Program, five are related to Unemployment Insurance, and 10 are related to EIDL funding.

Documents in the latest case state that between Nov. 5-18, 2021, Seidel purchased approximately $113,109.63 in cryptocurrency through different crypto-trading platforms in amounts ranging from $10.05 to $20,000, which court documents allege were purchased with the money he received through EIDL.

Seidel’s alleged purchases came at a time when global cryptocurrency values were at their peak. According to a CoinMarketCap chart, the global cryptocurrency market was at an all-time high on November 10, 2021 and has since seen a major decline from nearly $3 trillion down to $1 trillion in overall value.

The document claims he made two transfers in January and February 2022 from his small business account to his personal account totaling $25,000 and $80,000, respectively before making two payments to a law firm that are cited as “home purchase” in the indictment.

Currently pending in the district court, proposed forfeitures of Seidel’s properties in this case include the sum of all money obtained plus interests and proceeds traceable to the initial $199,900 loan, more than $40,000 in USDC cryptocurrency, more than $6,000 in Solana Cryptocurrency, more than $2,000 in Bitcoin, more than $18,000 seized from his small business account, approximately $3,000 seized from his personal account, and a home he purchased on Campbell Lake Court in York County.

If Seidel is convicted, these properties will be forfeited to the government. A single count of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison for each count; however, under the Emergency Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2007, when the fraud is connected to a presidentially declared disaster, the penalty increases to up to 30 years in federal prison.

In the world of white collar crime, Seidel’s charges are on the less serious end of the spectrum, as federal prosecutors often try cases involving millions of dollars or more. Therefore, a conviction in Seidel’s case likely won’t amount to a sentence anywhere near the maximum penalties, as was the case with the Freitekh family.

Seidel has entered a plea of not guilty and his case has been continued multiple times, with the court granting a continuance to the August 2023 term in order to allow Seidel to “participate in ongoing discussions regarding legal theories, possible defenses, potential resolutions and prepare for trial,” according to a continuance order filed on May 23.

The next day he announced the sale of his business on the market’s website stating, “Various news to report: The business has been sold. The new owners will be announced very soon. Jim has retired down[sic] from volleyball coaching. Jim is moving to Hampton, SC to retire to be near to his children.”

Counsel for Seidel has not responded to a request for comment as of the writing of this article. JLAFRANCOIS@QCNERVE.COM

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THE RIGHT PLAY

Queen City New Play Initiative launches local festival

BY BRUCE BRIGHTLY

Stacey Rose is the artistic director of the Queen City New Play Initiative, and if I had my way she’d be the artistic director of all of Charlotte’s stages.

Rose has strong roots in Charlotte’s theatre community, along with professional contacts all over the country. Her authorial voice is a strong one, matched by her equally sharp curatorial sense. She’s a hero of mine and I swear to God if someone doesn’t write her a seven-figure check to nurture new plays in Charlotte soon I am going to throw a fit.

I remain cautiously optimistic that we will come to our senses, but Rose is exactly the kind of artistic leader that our city does a great job of ignoring only to wonder why they threw in the towel after the fact.

“We made her beg for pennies and otherwise ignored her unless we needed to check a diversity box, but still I don’t understand why she quit/ moved/walked into the sea. Tsk tsk tsk. I guess her heart just wasn’t in it.”

Thankfully, Rose hasn’t thrown in the towel yet, and we have time yet to support her and the miraculous work that she is doing.

Launched in 2021, Queen City New Play Initiative (QCNPI) was designed to develop and amplify the voices of emerging Charlotte playwrights. QCNPI’s kick-off project, a series of theatre artist talks in which local artists were paired with national creatives for a discussion of their work and experiences, set the tone for the initiative’s lofty mission to bring Charlotte into the national artistic conversation. Those conversations effectively built a foundation of community and shared vision for QCNPI as an organization to begin taking on larger projects.

The year of its founding, Queen City Nerve recognized QCNPI as the Best Investment in Emerging Artists in its year-end Best in the Nest issue, but the organization’s investment in our city’s people takes the financial investment of the city’s institutions.

Unfortunately, my salary as an embittered gadfly is not sufficient for the task, so we’re going to have to find other sources of lucre. Foundations who have provided support in the past, this is your

gentle reminder that you should just pick up the phone and offer the Queen City New Play Initiative a stack of money.

I’ll never understand the idea that funders can’t be curators, or that it is somehow vitally necessary that artists come hat in hand to funders toting a stack of documents and work samples to meekly request a few thousand dollars — especially in a town built on a pile of money. But alas, that’s a question for another day. For now, let’s leave it at this: Get out your checkbooks and make it rain for Queen City New Play Initiative.

Let me build my case for such demands. Yes friends, the time has come to talk about track record. Now, I’m not going to spend much time on Rose’s biography, although it is a fascinating journey that leads through the poetry and theatre scenes of Charlotte (with appearances by local legends like Sydney Horton and Quentin Talley), NYU’s performance writing MFA program, time spent working with Spike Lee, and a transformational experience at Minneapolis’s The Playwright’s Center (an inspiration for her own New Play Initiative).

And I didn’t even touch on her life as a devoted mom and a professional respiratory therapist! Believe me, it is oh so tempting to go on a flight of fancy about the poetic resonances of a poet and playwright working in the realms of healing people’s breath. Good God, that is a play I want to see!

Rose founded the Queen City New Play Initiative with a Charlotte native who boasts a similarly impressive national reputation: Director Martin Wilkins has worked all over the country, specializing in bringing new plays to life wherever he lands. The two friends cooked up the idea after seeing the dearth (that means total fucking lack) of opportunities in Charlotte for writers (especially writers of color) to develop their voices.

After participating in the initial push to get the New Play Initiative off the ground, Wilkins moved on to other projects. Rose remains as artistic director, working closely with local director Tina Kelly (who helmed Three Bone Theatre’s recent production, The

Glorious World of Crowns, Kinks and Curls by Keli Goff.)

Let us now turn to the work that Queen City New Play Initiative has done since they’ve been on the scene. We’re talking about commissions, new play readings, artist talks, bake-offs (these are a bit of sorcery cooked up by legendary playwright Paula Vogel), and a general commitment to supporting the work of living writers who are based in or whose work is informed by the contemporary American South.

Now the company is combining a bit of all that magic for a theatre festival called NC in the Margins. Running from June 5-11, the festival consists of workshops, conversations and new play readings all over Charlotte, made possible by partnerships between Queen City New Play Initiative and local production companies Brand New Sheriff Productions, Theatre Charlotte and Three Bone Theatre.

There is a key difference between those three companies that QCNPI is partnering with and Rose’s organization itself, and that difference speaks to why the New Play Initiative is so vital to Charlotte’s performance ecosystem. Brand New Sheriff, Theatre Charlotte and Three Bone are producing organizations. This means that they exist to produce a season of plays. To quote Nathan Arizona: “That’s their whole goddamned raison d’etre.”

Queen City New Play Initiative is not a producing org. They don’t (necessarily) put on shows. What they do is direct resources — including money and time but also attention and feedback — toward the development of new plays. Much like The Playwright’s Center in Minneapolis, where Rose spent time, QCNPI is an incubator for new work.

This is very important if Charlotte wants to be a place where culture is created and from where culture can be exported. Right now, at least in Charlotte’s theatre scene, we are importing the vast majority of our theater.

That is obvious in the case of touring shows that come through the Blumenthal Performing Arts stages in Uptown, but it’s also a factor in the seasonal programming at homegrown theatre companies; most of the work produced on area stages was written by folks who have never set foot in the Queen City.

Now, before you start throwing things, there are exceptions, of course. But the fact remains overwhelmingly true for a majority of both local and touring productions. And if we want our stages to be more of a real reflection of our community, then we have to do better at nurturing the voices of local playwrights.

That’s the work that Queen City New Play Initiative is doing and it’s worth giving a damn about. Step one in giving said damn: Come out and be a part of NC in the Margins.

Programming includes new work by Rose herself, as well as Gage Tarlton and James Webb. I’m not privy to content of the specific plays these artists are presenting, but if I were a gambler I’d wager that Tarlton’s work will trace some contour of the erotic and be inflected with an extremely online sensibility, while Webb’s will engage somehow with the spiritual.

As for Rose … well, Rose is a wild card whose written output never fails to surprise me, but I’ll expect to laugh and also likely be a little horrified.

And to be clear, that’s generally exactly why I go to the theater.

COURTESY OF STACEY ROSE

STACEY ROSE

ONGOING JAQUES BREL

5/31 - 6/11

UNWED SAILOR, THOUSAND DOLLAR MOVIE, OF SINKING SHIPS

No vocalists allowed for this evening of primo instrumental rock. Unwed Sailor’s Johnathan Ford crafts direct basslines that drive the melody for the band’s hook-laden instrumentals. On the band’s latest album, Mute The Charm, Ford shares his love for ’80s pop tunes like “London Fog,” in which digitized guitar sounds recall the opening of U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name,” while Ford’s fluid bass summons memories of New Order. Unwed Sailor is a primary influence on Charlotte post-rock outfit Thousand Dollar Movie, and Brooklyn’s Of Sinking Ships craft sweeping atmospheric instrumentals.

More: $12; June 3, 8 p.m.; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; petrasbar.com

EMPANADA FESTIVAL

Anefo Nijs 5/31-6/11

Photo by Jac. de

JIVE TALK, MONSOON

There’s a whole lot more to Nashville-based theatrical rock band Jive Talk than a sartorial penchant for blue-tinted swimming goggles, but that’s a telling detail about their stage persona. With a sound pitched between surf rock and new-wave-besotted early aughts bands like The Killers, Jive Talk goes big onstage with a scenery chewing live set that draws on the kinetic moves and oversized clothes of Stop Making Sense–era Talking Heads. Athens, Georgia duo Monsoon is an indie-rock outfit that weaves together unorthodox styles to create music that dips between the conscious and subconscious.

More: $14.30; June 2, 10 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

EMPANADA FESTIVAL, HAVANA NIGHT

Third time’s a charm for the Empanada Festival, which has been rescheduled twice already — once in April and again in May — due to inclement weather. It was all written in the stars, however, as organizers with Carlotan Talents already had their Havana Nights celebration scheduled for June 3 and are now planning a mashup of cultural eats and revelry. The Empanada Festival kicks off at noon in Camp North End’s Ford Building, featuring the original hot pockets in whatever style you crave: meat, vegetarian, fried, baked, flour, corn. Then make your way over to the Boileryard and NoDa Company Store Canteen for traditional Cuban music, food and dancing.

More: Free; June 3, noon-10 p.m.; Camp North End, 300 Camp Road; camp.nc/visit/events/

AUGMENTED REALITY FUNDAMENTALS: ENHANCE YOUR ART

In this class, tailored for artists and facilitated by Charlotte native Lusenii Kromah, participants learn how to use augmented reality (AR) technology to enhance their art and bring their creations to life. Classwork includes experimenting with AR software, 3D models, 3D software and animation tools while receiving personalized feedback from Kromah, who has built a career working for companies that range from successful startups to institutions like Adobe and Twitter. By the end of the class, students will have gained the skills and knowledge to incorporate AR into their artistic practice. No prior experience is required.

More: $25; June 6, 6 p.m.; Harvey B. Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org

SAM MORRIL

Photo by Tre Soho Studios 6/3

“They should make broken-family-style restaurants.” Fast-rising comic Sam Morril can be lethal with his dry and dark punchlines, peppering a stand-up set that encompasses fucked-up fairy tales, biting social commentary and surreal conceptual stuff like comparing condom wearing to volunteer work, wondering if murderers critique each other’s work, and reminiscing on his friendship with a vigilante. Morril offers a night of trenchant stand-up that’s not quite right in the head. The New York native has also premiered a new sports podcast Games with Names, and recently appeared on Netflix’s hit series That’s My Time with David Letterman.

More: $45; June 7, 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com

One of the most unexpected theatrical hits of the late 1960s was Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, a musical revue featuring the sophisticated storytelling tunes of Belgian songwriter Jacques Brel that ran well into the ’70s. Brel’s highly theatrical songs soon swept through the English-speaking world, influencing artists like David Bowie and Scott Walker. Inspired by the hit stage presentation, Charlotte’s Off-Broadway’s Jacques Brel transports audiences back to a stylish and groovy evening in 1973, with a cast of Charlotte stars performing the works of the master of modern chanson.

More: $35; May 31-June 11, times vary; VAPA Center, 700 N. Tryon St.; charlottesoffbroadway.com

6/9

CAIFANES

Launched in 1987, Mexico City alt-rock band Caifanes adopted the moody grooves, black clothes and pale makeup of Robert Smith’s ensemble from across the pond, earning the stateside moniker “The Mexican Cure.” Early hit “Cuentame Tu Vida” is definitely indebted to Smith and Co., but a closer listen reveals the band’s wide-ranging variety, encompassing reggae, ’80s new wave, jazz torch songs, and traditional Mexican folk tunes. Underpinning this eclecticism is Caifanes’ facility for crafting killer hooks and memorable melodies, punched home by frontman Saúl Hernández’s powerful vocals. Make no mistake; this is a major, massively influential altrock band.

More: $49.50; June 9, 8 p.m.; Fillmore, 1615 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com

FRI SUN

SUMMER NODAHOOD MARKET

Divine Barrel Brewing, Great Wagon Road Distilling, Free Will Craft & Vine, Crown Station and Mountain Khakis co-host an open-air vendor market in NoDa. The market, featuring 90-plus artisans, small businesses, and entrepreneurs, will be held in the shared parking lots at Divine Barrel Brewing, as well as across the street at Great Wagon Road Distilling. The event boasts DJs at each location, plus food options and alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. A clearance sale by Mountain Khakis coincides with the market, and specially designed NoDaHood T-shirts and zip-up hoodies will be on sale.

More: Free; June 10, 1 p.m.; 3701 N. Davidson St.; divinebarrel.com/dbb-events

‘WILD AT HEART’ & ‘MULHOLLAND DRIVE’

To coincide with screenings of Alexandre O. Philippe’s Lynch/Oz, a documentary examining director David Lynch’s obsession with the 1939 Technicolor classic The Wizard of Oz, Independent Picture House is showing two classics helmed by Lynch. Aficionados can spot the Oz references in Wild at Heart, which boasts a cameo by the Wicked Witch of the West; and Mulholland Drive, where Naomi Watts’ character(s) suggest Oz’s Dorothy Gale experiencing neo-noir meltdown in a Hollywood hellscape. (Is the film’s title a take on Tinsel Town’s tawdry version of the yellow brick road?)

More: $8; June 9-15, times vary; Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St.; independentpicturehouse.org

ONGOING 6/9 - 6/15 6/11

ENTER THE JANNA: ‘PAPERBACK HERO SAGA’ LAUNCH EVENT

In 2018, local rapper/actor/author Mason Parker wrote and released his first comic book, The Paperback Hero Saga, accompanied by a short film starring Malcolm-Jamal Warner of The Cosby Show fame and scored by local spoken-word poet Bluz. However, after returning to Charlotte and finding a new distribution deal for the book, Parker pulled the original from shelves and began reworking the story into what has now become a longform graphic novel rooted in hip-hop and comic book fantasy. If we know one thing about Parker, especially with this many years in the making, he’ll make this launch event a memorable moment for all in attendance. More: Free; June 11, 4-6 p.m.; DUPP&SWAT, 1824 Statesville Ave., Suite 105; tinyurl.com/EnterTheJanna

JIVE TALK

Photo by Anna Warnere 6/2

CAIFANES

Photo by Secretaría de Cultura de la Ciudad de México 6/9

AUGMENTED REALITY FUNDAMENTALS

Photo by Henrysz 6/6

MASON PARKER, ‘PAPERBACK HERO SAGA’

Photo by Joshua Galloway 6/11

MUSIC FEATURE

IN THE REALM OF SENSES

True Lilith builds an art rock sanctuary

BY PAT MORAN

With Chloe James’ snaking ’60s spy movie guitars and Anna Spurrier’s clambering new wave synths, True Lilith kicks off its latest single “Urban Decay” with a sense of shivery delight. James’ ethereal vocals evoke a sensual succubus luring listeners in like a Venus flytrap.

“Solemn affair (solemn affair)/ Breathing in, angel air (angel air)/ So I wait patiently/ Down and out (down and out) / Drown it out...”

Then Clay Case’s stalking sub-stratum bass and Jared Stone’s skittering yet swinging drums launch the tune into overdrive, as James’ vocals suggest Dracula’s brides recast as a ’60s girl group, launching a blood spattered assault on a shouted apocalyptic chorus.

“I hate this/ And I hate that/ My my fate is/ Obliterated...”

Galloping drums and buzz-saw bass pause for a swampy psychedelic guitar line that entwines and tangles around a deceptively sweet sounding bridge.

“Oh the audacity/ Where is your empathy?/ Decayed reality/ Our rights are melting...”

With that unsettling message, Charlotte altpsych-goth rockers True Lilith gallop to the finish line of the single, which dropped in April. The band plays the tune along with its considerable catalog of songs at The Milestone on June 10.

“Urban Decay” is the group’s best work yet, but what is it? Alt rock, goth rock, or something else?

It’s clear True Lilith approaches musical genres as suggestions rather than boundaries. Shoutouts to inspirations are as likely to include New Orleans R&B legends The Neville Brothers as alt-art-rock icons Siouxsie and the Banshees.

“This genre where we sit is so liquid that I didn’t know what we were writing,” says bassist Case, who counts punk rockers NoFX and Rancid among his inspirations. Despite that, his playing evokes the rocket engine roar of Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, and the heavy labyrinthine runs of Yes bassist Chris Squire. Like Squire, Case plays with a pick and not his fingers. “You really hear it on the bass solo [on “Urban Decay”],” he says. “It’s heavy … like a chainsaw revving up!”

Inspired by her jazz drummer father, Spurrier was working on blues-based music when True Lilith recorded its latest single.

“I remember I was playing along with this bluesy Meters song, and there was this riff in it,” Spurrier tells Queen City Nerve. “It sounds similar to what I’m playing in ‘Urban Decay.’”

Spurrier cites her father as an inspiration, as well as her grandmother, who taught her to play piano when she was only 5 years old.

“It was before my first show with the band that Chloe showed me the [guitar] riff,” says Stone, who was captivated in middle school by the “grandiosity” of Green Day’s American Idiot.

“I liked [James’] weird direction, but I was like, ‘I could probably go in an even weirder direction.’”

Barrett is a massive influence.”

Pink Floyd’s insane genius, however, is not James’ only inspiration

“Joy Division is probably my favorite band. They’re a massive influence, [as are] Bauhaus and Souixsie and the Banshees,” James says, adding that she’s also into indie rock. “[Listening to] The Strokes, learning both guitar parts and how they interweave, really helped me learn guitar.”

The band is young, with oldest member James aged 23 and Case, the youngest, at 19. Except for frontwoman and founder James, all other band members joined in mid-2022, first Stone and then Spurrier. Case came into the fold in September. Despite their youth and their fairly recent inclusion in the band’s current iteration, they play with cohesion, confidence and what seems like a telepathic interplay.

With its mélange of alt-, indie-, psych- and postrock, True Lilith’s sound cannot be reduced to just goth, but the genre is still central to a spirit of inclusion the band has adopted. Much maligned even during its 1980s heyday due to fans’ preference for black clothes,

issues like climate change in “London Calling,” long before they became topical, goth-rockers like London’s Specimen focused on creating community by launching hot spot the Batcave in the early ’80s. Meanwhile, other goth communities welcomed society’s outsiders and diminished members. Even cock-rocking goths The Cult extols the power of the feminine in “She Sells Sanctuary.”

From divine feminine to Femme Fest

True Lilith was born in Belmont in Gaston County, when 7-year-old James received an unwanted video game for Christmas.

“I got a Wii Guitar Hero 3,” James says. “I didn’t want it, but I ended up being the only person to play the game and beat it.”

She turned from Guitar Hero to a real guitar. Drawing on the game’s setlist — especially enthralled with The Rolling Stones’ “Paint it Black” — James taught herself to play guitar and ventured into songwriting at age 15.

“I didn’t know how to write songs, so I was test driving it, trying to copy Nirvana as everyone does,” James says.

An early iteration of the band was a garage-rock power trio, very heavy on guitar. At the end of 2019, that lineup released the four track EP Wilt, which James calls a collection of the band’s bare-bones early work.

In the meantime, James scoured internet forums and sites, looking for inspiration for a band name. She struck pay dirt with True Lilith. In Hebrew mythology, Lilith was Adam’s first wife. She refused to submit to Adam, so she was cast away, and ultimately remembered as a demon, James says.

“The coolest part is she was just being herself and saying, ‘Fuck societal norms,’” James offers. James was heavily into astrology at the time, where Lilith is associated with the dark moon, a time to process everything that’s going on in your life and declutter your mind and heart.

At the time, Stone was listening to R&B artist Anderson Paak.

“I liked his style of drumming [and] … implemented that kind of drum beat into the song. It ended up fitting better than I thought.”

Prior to recording “Urban Decay,” James wrote the verse and chorus of the song on guitar, but it was a bare-bones version of the creepy and funky juggernaut it is today.

“I love early Pink Floyd, and it’s actually a direct shoutout to [Floyd’s] ‘Lucifer Sam,’” James says. “Syd

pale makeup with industrial levels of eyeliner, willowy “tree in the wind” dances and enough hairspray to punch a hole in the ozone layer, goth has been a genre that has welcomed all — gay, trans, nonbinary and bullied — throughout its history.

“Our music is trying to be our personal safe space for anyone who wants to listen,” Stone says. “I hope [people] will feel as accepted in our fan base as I’ve been accepted in this band.”

While punk bands like The Clash attacked

“Lilith’s placement in a person’s chart represents their subconscious, deeper, maybe taboo, desires that they want to ignore consciously. It’s stuff that might not be socially acceptable,” James says. “It’s tapping into the true part of you that is unfiltered and unaffected by society.”

In addition to invoking the feminine force, James also embraced its power.

“I am very much a feminist,” James says. “I’ve experienced during my time in the [music] scene, a lot of misogyny. I [would] get, ‘You’re pretty good at guitar for a girl,’ all this demeaning stuff and backhanded compliments.”

In 2020, True Lilith delivered a manifesto

TRUE LILITH PLAYS A SHOW AT THE MILESTONE.

PHOTO BY KENNETH BROWN

MUSIC FEATURE

on feminism and misogyny with the single and accompanying video for roaring rocker “Trash.”

Amid scorching psychedelic guitars, hissing hihat on drums and bubbling rubbery bass, James delivers a take-no-prisoners recitative: “I want to take you out ‘cause you’re trash...”

“[‘Trash’] is an anthem for me. Getting my frustrations out of things that I’ve dealt with [regarding] men and people giving their unsolicited advice,” James says. “I’m a pretty sensitive person. I wasn’t born with a thick skin, but I’ve developed it to the point where now I’m very strong and confident.”

She characterizes the tune as “turning negativity in a positive, productive creative thing.”

The video for the tune satisfyingly depicts James giving male stalkers and scumbags their richly deserved comeuppance. It’s directed by Viky Leone, then the bassist in Charlotte band Wilma. Leone’s brother, Wilma guitarist Matthew, plays a Chad who stalks James. (The Leone brothers subsequently disbanded Wilma, and moved to Virginia where they play as Orbweaver.)

“We had a loose concept, and we wanted to visually display everything we were talking about in the song, just men being creepy,” James says.

In addition, True Lilith played their first benefit show for Femme Fest, a fundraising nonprofit organization that advocates against domestic violence and sexual assault, in 2019.

“Just to help support that is really incredible,” James says. “It’s great to not just say, ‘Oh yeah, we’re feminists,’ but to actually contribute to something.”

From ‘Celestopia’ to ‘Urban Decay’

True Lilith had been playing gigs at venues like The Milestone and Skylark Social Club when the COVID pandemic reached Charlotte in March 2020. Some members left the band, which ultimately went on

hiatus until quarantine ended, at which time James recruited new band members and True Lilith returned.

In the summer of 2022, the band released its debut full length album, Celestopia. The LP also introduced a new sound for the band: a fleshed out, more space-rock soundscape with an influx of sinuous synthesizer textures.

“My tastes had changed a bit,” James says. “At first, I was into grunge and garage rock and I wanted it to sound really raw. Then I started listening to different kinds of music that were more electronic and synth-based.”

The synths, courtesy of Abby Stewart, deliver outer space whooshes over James’ swooping guitars on one of Celestopia’s stand out songs, “The Tower.” Here, James’ vocals are by turns childlike and sinister. The chorus deliberately mentions masks as an analog to the masks worn during the height of COVID.

“What’s behind the mask?/ So afraid to ask/ What lies underneath/ Unsuspecting teeth...”

“‘The Tower’ was written about COVID, just feeling so beat up and dragged through the trenches, being mentally and physically exhausted,” James says.

Celestopia boasts many highlights, including the buzzing giallo-style synths on “No Exit,” and the stuttering and grinding “Calypso,” but the strongest track may be the gossamer and ghostly “Graveyard of Stars.” Here, True Lilith anchors its spidery needleguitar alt-goth sound with sing-along girl group vocals and the sassy 1970s glam rock attack of Suzi Quatro. Meanwhile, James trades vocals with Stewart in what appears to be a battle between the material world and its spirit counterpart.

“There are two girls,” James explains. “They’re both young, and one has died. She feels like her life has been robbed. There is a living girl that she becomes fixated on.”

In alternating verses, Stewart takes the part of the dead girl: “I’m terrified I that I know/ Faking death was easy/ living never pleased me/ The afterlife’s intriguing/ Do you really see me?”

James sings the role of the living girl, who loses possession of her body to the hungry ghost: “Her ghost stole my body/ waiting and finding/ deleted memories and/ now they’re distant daydreams/ My reflection’s fading...”

Like “Trash,” True Lilith’s Celestopia was recorded at The Knothole in Weddington in Union County by the studio’s technical director/owner Boo English.

“Not only will [English] tell you if something needs to be changed, [he suggests] additions that make the songs sound cool,” Stone says.

“He’s easy-going and nonjudgmental,” says James. “He lets you steer the ship.” English subsequently recorded “Urban Decay.”

James praises English’s patience with her, describing herself as picky and self-critical about her music.

“I’ll talk myself out of doing something, because I have really bad anxiety that I struggle with,” James says. “A lot of the songs are about that and depression.”

True Lilith, however, is on an upswing. The band has undertaken its first tour, which it kicked off in New York City on May. Based on “Urban Decay,” the bandmates are pleased with the direction their music is taking.

“The synth part adds a good layer to the song,” Spurrier says. “After we recorded it, I find myself adding even more things.”

“I feel like this song was a team effort,” James says. “We all worked together and fed off of each other’s ideas.”

The band is committed to reworking its sound to be more dancey and punky, she adds, continuing in the direction of “Urban Decay.”

At the same time, the band is devoted to spreading its message of inclusion, an idea that often gets lost in the grind and roar of punk and grunge.

“I want a range of emotions,” James says. “That’s why our music has ups and downs. We don’t just go all heavy.”

James says it’s hard not to notice the surfeit of testosterone in hardcore punk music.

“It’s cool and all, [but] I want to bring that feminine energy and even gender-neutral energy to music, and show that music is not better just because it’s heavy. You can be soft and vulnerable and powerful.”

James hopes True Lilith listeners will take away a sense of their own personal empowerment through the vulnerability and struggles that thread through the band’s music.

“Our music is about empowerment,” she says. “It’s okay to be vulnerable. It’s okay to be human, and it’s okay to not give a fuck ... in a good way.”

PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM

They say spring goes out like a lamb, but in this case it went out like a … winter? Despite a cold and rainy Memorial Day weekend in the Queen City, real summer doesn’t start until late in June, and we’re sure the sharp, soggy holiday that was supposed to mark the uno cial start of the summer season was just a uke. Get ready for a hot summer, with no shortage of things to do to enjoy it.

Live Music

PNC Music Pavilion

707 Pavilion Blvd.; tinyurl.com/PNCPavilion2023

June 24: Weezer

June 27: Big Time Rush

June 28: Shania Twain

June 29: Peso Pluma

July 2: KIDZ BOP

July 11: Matchbox Twenty

July 19: Boy George w/ Culture Club

July 22: Sam Hunt

July 23: Mudvayne

July 28: Jodeci w/ SWV

July 29: Post Malone

July 30: Lil Durk

July 31: Disturbed

August 6: Bret Michaels

August 8: Snoop Dogg w/ Wiz Khalifa and Too $hort

August 9: Foreigner

August 10: Jason Aldean

August 11: Gov’t Mule w/ Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening

July 15: Young the Giant w/ Milky Chance

July 18: Yellowcard

July 19: Louis Tomlinson

July 24: Maggie Rogers

July 29: Walker Hayes

July 30: Manchester Orchestra w/ Jimmy Eat World

August 1: Counting Crows w/ Dashboard Confessional

August 3: Dirty Heads

August 5: Jason Mraz

August 7: Lindsey Stirling

August 15-16: Tyler Childers w/ S.G. Goodman

August 25: Parker McCollum

September 2: 3 Doors Down

September 8: Caamp

September 16: The Australian Pink Floyd Show

The Fillmore

820 Hamilton St.; llmorenc.com

June 21: Jesse & Joy

June 30: Larry June

July 7: The Struts

July 28: A Flock of Seagulls w/ Strangelove

August 2: Social Distortion

August 10: Parliament-Funkadelic ft. George Clinton

August 11: Toosii

August 12: Death Grips

August 22: JVKE

August 27: Clutch

September 6: Coheed and Cambria w/ Deafheaven

September 10: Bishop Briggs w/ MisterWives

September 13: Weyes Blood

The Underground

July 15: Killer Mike

August 17: Tom Keifer

August 18: Ocean Alley

September 7: Soulja Boy

September 10: Delain

September 19: Owl City

September 20: OhGeesy

September 22: Joy Oladokun

Bojangles Coliseum

2700 E. Independence Blvd.; boplex.com

June 24: Grupo Frontera

August 11: Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake

Ovens Auditorium

2700 E. Independence Blvd.; boplex.com

June 26: Tori Amos

August 12: Marca MP

August 20: Matute

August 27: Bronco

September 2: Intocable

September 19: Becky G

Spectrum Center

333 E. Trade St.; spectrumcentercharlotte.com

June 30: Banda MS

July 2: Alicia Keys

July 6: Santa Fe Klan

July 9: LL Cool J

July 14: Blink-182

July 16: Erykah Badu

August 29: Guns N’ Roses

August 12: RÜFÜS DU SOL

August 13: Pentatonix

August 16: 50 Cent

August 18: The O spring w/ Simple Plan and Sum 41

August 22: The Smashing Pumpkins

September 1: Lynyrd Skynyrd w/ ZZ Top

September 9: Outlaw Music Festival ft. Willie Nelson, Tedeschi Trucks Band, The String Cheese Incident

September 14: ODESZA

September 19: Avenged Sevenfold w/ Falling In

Reverse

September 23: Eric Church

Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd.; tinyurl.com/Skyla2023

June 22: Two Friends

June 23: Straight No Chaser

June 24: Melanie Martinez

June 25: Peter Frampton

July 4: Don Toliver

820 Hamilton St.; llmorenc.com

June 26: Animals As Leaders

July 8: LPB Poody

July 14: Yung Pinch

September 5: $uicideboy$

September 12: Lil Baby

September 15: Bert Kreischer

September 22-23: Drake

SUNDOWN SOUNDS AT ROMARE BEARDEEN PARK. COURTESY OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARK AND RECREATION

Bank of America Stadium

800 S. Mint St.; panthers.com/stadium

July 15: Luke Combs

August 9: Beyoncé

U.S. National Whitewater Center

5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy.; whitewater.org

The U.S. Whitewater Center’s River Jam features live music on an outdoor stage every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night at 7 p.m. from May through September. Genres span roots rock, Americana, bluegrass, folk and funk. Other activities include yoga, open-water swims and, of course, whitewater rafting. Admission is free aside from parking.

Family Night at the Movies

The Charlotte Symphony plays magical musical moments from family films such as Encanto, The Wizard of Oz, Frozen and others.

More: Free-$20; June 25, 8:15 p.m.; Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Road; charlottesymphony.org

Celebrate America

The Charlotte Symphony performs patriotic favorites and memorable anthems and marches followed by a fireworks finale.

More: Free-$20; July 2, 8:15 p.m.; Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Road; charlottesymphony.org

Live at 11

Various artists perform in this outdoor concert series on the first Friday of each month from July through September. Food trucks will be on site.

More: $10, free for 5 and under; July 7, Aug. 4 & Sept. 1, 6-9 p.m.; Ballantyne’s Backyard, 11611 North Community House Road; goballantyne.com

Summer Breeze

A signature event by Monroe Road Advocates, aka MoRA, showcasing local singer-songwriters at the Embrace Sculpture in front of Edge City Brewery.

More: Free; July 20 & Aug. 17, 6-8 p.m.; Embrace Sculpture, 6697 Monroe Road; moraclt.org

Sundown Sounds

A summer music concert series by Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation that takes place at various park locations across the county.

More: Free; June 22-Aug. 24, 7-9 p.m.; Various locations; parkandrec.mecknc.gov

Arts, Culture & Retail

Belk Theater

130 N. Tryon St., blumenthalarts.org

July 4-16: SIX The Musical

July 25-30: Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations

August 1-6: To Kill a Mockingbird

August 8-13: The Book of Mormon

September 1: Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Live in Concert

September 12-17: Chicago

Bojangles Coliseum

2700 E. Independence Blvd.; boplex.com

July 16: 85 South Show Live

Booth Playhouse

130 N. Tryon St., blumenthalarts.org

June 21-30: Charlotte Squawks 18: Barely Legal

July 1: An Evening With Omari Dillard

July 8: Geoff Westley w/ Colin Allured

July 9: A Night of Artistic Renewal Vol. III: History In Living Color

July 13-14: The Complete History of Comedy (Abridged)

July 15: Burlesque 3000

July 20: Sweet Baby James (James Taylor Tribute)

July 29: Joey McIntyre

August 6: The Juno Show

August 19: That’s My Jam!

Knight Theater

430 S. Tryon St., blumenthalarts.org

July 14: Melissa Etheridge

July 15: Take 6

July 19: Jinkx Monsoon

July 20: Ilana Glazer

July 25: Herb Alpert & Lani Hall

July 28: Kavita Krishnamurti Concert

August 6: Avery*Sunshine w/ The Baylor Project

August 10: Lyle Lovett

August 11: Mary Chapin Carpenter

August 12: The Bald Brothers

August 13: Boney James

August 18: Please Don’t Destroy

August 25: Tony Hinchcliffe

September 2: A Woman’s Live: The Stage Play

September 9: Small Town Murder

Ovens Auditorium

2700 E. Independence Blvd.; boplex.com

June 21: RuPaul’s Drag Race: Werq the World

June 23: Franco Escamilla

June 25: Her Lies, His Secrets .

June 29: Trey Kennedy

July 21: Russell Peters

August 19: Bill Maher

August 25: Chris D’Elia

September 16: Joe Gatto

September 17: Daniel Tosh

Stage Door Theater

155 N. College St., blumenthalarts.org

June 22: Yes And! The Audience Participation Show

June 24: AAPG 10-Minute Play Festival

July 21-22: Warren Wolf Plays The History Of Jazz Vibes

August 18-19: Jazz Room Presents: Piano Night

August 20: For The Luv Live

September 15-16: Jazz Room Presents: Carlos Henriquez and Latin Algorithm

September 20: Damien Jurado

Wednesday Night Live

Presented by Bank of America, Wednesday Night Live includes free admission to the Mint Museum, Bechtler Museum and Gantt Center every Wednesday, as well as live entertainment or programming at one of the four Levine Center for the Arts institutions each week ranging from dance performances to spoken-word artists to film screenings.

More: Free; Wednesdays, 5-9 p.m.; locations vary; mintmuseum.org

Garden Nights

Free admission to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden on select Thursdays throughout the summer, plus food trucks and either live music or an outdoor movie.

More: Free; Thursdays through July 27, 4-9 p.m.; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont; dsbg.org

Crossroads Cinema

Every Thursday this summer, catch iconic ‘80s and ‘90s movies like Jaws, Space Jam, The Princess Bride and Big Momma’s House on a jumbo screen with surround sound against the backdrop of the historic Ford building.

More: Free; Thursdays through Aug. 31, 8:30 p.m.; Camp North End, 1824 Statesville Ave.; camp.nc

Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes

An exhibit showcasing the evolution of Marvel’s story in print, film and other media through artifacts including costumes, props and original art.

More: $20-$44; Now through Sept. 4, 10:30 a.m.4:30 p.m; Discovery Place Science, 301 N. Tryon St.; my.discoveryplace.org/marvel

Modernism + Film: Barbicania

A screening of Barbicania — a documentary capturing a month-long immersion in the life of the Barbican Centre and Estate in London, one of the most representative achievements of brutalist architecture.

More: $8-$10; June 22, 7 p.m.; Knight Theatre, 430 S. Tryon St.; bechtler.org

JUKEBOX MUSICAL ‘AIN’T TOO PROUD’ RUNS JULY 25-30 AT BELK THEATER. PHOTO BY EMILIO MADRID

Durag Festival

An annual festival co-founded by Charlotte artist Dammit Wesley that showcases Black fashion, art, music, food and culture.

More: $40-$115; June 24; Camp North End,1824 Statesville Ave.; duragfestival.com

Girl Tribe Pop Up

A curated shopping experience featuring womenled boutiques, beauty brands, jewelers and artists, plus drinks, food and photo ops.

More: $5-$15; June 25 & July 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; The Revelry - North End, 701 Keswick Ave.; girltribepopup.com

Party in the Park

Enjoy free admission to the Mint Museum Randolph, plus food trucks, live music, special programming and a cash bar on the front terrace.

More: Free; June 25, July 30 & August 27, 1-5 p.m.; Mint Museum Randolph, 2730 Randolph Road; mintmuseum.org

Front Porch Sundays

An open-air market that hosts more than 70 local vendors, food trucks and live music all along the Rail Trail at Atherton Mill in the South End.

More: Free; July 2, Aug. 6 & Sept. 3, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Atherton Mill, 2000 South Blvd.; southendclt.org

Nebel’s Alley Night Market

An evening of open-air shopping, tasting and entertainment under the iconic Design Center water tower in the South End.

More: Free; July 8, Aug. 12 & Sept. 9, 4-9 p.m.; 101 W. Worthington Ave.; southendclt.org

The Vault Opening Celebration

The opening of the exhibition The Vault, which features the private collections of four prominent Black collectors, plus a cash bar and complimentary portrait photography.

More: Free; July 15, 1-3 p.m.; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org

CLT Edge Fest

A festival by Charlotte Street Art Collab that features live painting by local mural artists, DJ, music and dance performances, spoken word, yoga, interactive art experiences, an art scavenger hunt, and food and drink vendors.

More: Free; July 15, 3-9 p.m.; Charlotte Art League, 4237 Raleigh St.; cltstreetartcollab.com

Slam Charlotte

Poets of all levels and backgrounds compete for cash prizes and bragging rights to be the best slam poet.

More: $5; July 21, 8 p.m.; Goodyear Arts, 301 Camp Road #200; blumenthalarts.org

FabFest

A weekend celebration of Beatles music that includes two concerts at the Knight Theater — BritBeat at 8 p.m. on July 21 and Tosco Music

Beatles Tribute at 7:30 p.m. on July 22 — and FabFest Daytime, a full day of live music, memorabilia, speakers and activities from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on July 22 at The Parr Center at Central Piedmont Community College.

More: $21.50 and up; July 21-22, times vary; Knight Theater & Central Piedmont Community College; fabfestcharlotte.org

Charlotte Pride Festival & Parade

Charlotte Pride returns for an annual LGBTQ celebration featuring entertainers, musicians, vendors, art exhibits, food and a parade that pays tribute to more than 50 years of LGBTQ liberation.

More: Free; August 19-20, times vary; Uptown Charlotte; charlottepride.org

Sports

Carolina Panthers

Bank of America Stadium, 800 S. Mint St.; panthers.com

Preseason

August 12 vs. New York Jets

August 25 vs. Detroit Lions

Regular Season

September 18 vs. New Orleans Saints

Charlotte Knights

Truist Field, 324 S. Mint St.; milb.com/charlotte-knights

June 21-25 vs. Louisville

July 4-9 vs. Jacksonville

July 18-23 vs. Memphis

August 8-13 vs. Gwinnett

August 22-27 vs. Memphis

September 5-10 vs. Durham

September 12-17 vs. Nashville

Charlotte FC

Bank of America Stadium, 800 S. Mint St.; charlottefootballclub.com

June 24 vs. CF Montréal

July 8 vs. FC Cincinnati

July 29 vs. Necaxa

August 26 vs. Los Angeles FC

August 30 vs. Orlando City SC

September 16 vs. D.C. United

September 20 vs. Philadelphia Union

Charlotte Independence

American Legion Memorial Stadium, 310 N. Kings Drive; charlotteindependence.com

July 9 vs. Lexington SC

July 19 vs. Greenville Triumph

July 22 vs. Central Valley Fuego FC

July 29 vs. NC Hailstorm FC

August 12 vs. Tormenta FC

September 9 vs. Chattanooga Red Wolves SC

September 23 vs. Forward Madison FC

Charlotte Motor Speedway

5555 Concord Pkwy. S; charlottemotorspeedway.com

June 27-August 1: Summer Shootout

August 19: Circle K Monster Truck Bash

September 9: SuperMotocross World Championship Playoffs

September 22-24: Betway NHRA Carolina Nationals

CONCACAF Gold Cup

The United States men’s national soccer team takes on Nicaragua at 7 p.m., then Honduras faces Haiti at 9 p.m., as part of the 2023 Gold Cup — a tournament to determine the continental champion of North America, Central America and the Caribbean. More: $50 and up; July 2, 7 & 9 p.m.; Bank of America Stadium, 800 S. Mint St.; panthers.com

CHARLOTTE PRIDE FESTIVAL & PARADE RETURNS AUG. 19-20 TO UPTOWN CHARLOTTE.

PHOTO BY INTREPID MEDIA

WEDNESDAY, MAY 31

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Jason & the Argue Nots w/ Killing Pixies (Tommy’s Pub)

JAZZ/BLUES

Curtis Salgado (Middle C Jazz)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Boris Grebenshikov & Friends (Amos’ Southend)

Eladio Carrión (The Fillmore)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

See Bird Go (Camp North End)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Aarodynamics w/ Spoken Nerd, Nige Hood, B-Villainous (The Milestone)

Verbal Van Gogh w/ Promise Tha Gahd, Makeda, Yung Bizzle, NXGXL (Snug Harbor)

OPEN MIC

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic (The Rooster)

THURSDAY, JUNE 1

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Occult Fracture w/ WyndRider, Witch Motel (Skylark Social Club)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Break Free feat. DJs Andy K, A-Minor, Probably Will, GlitterGirl (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Paul Lover (Comet Grill)

Groove Centric (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Bluegrass Jam Night (Birdsong Brewing)

Luke Hendrickson (The Rooster)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Frances Grove w/ Jordyn Zaino, Val Merza, January

Knife, Ian Perkins (The Milestone)

FRIDAY, JUNE 2

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Archers w/ Two Sides of Me, Sometime in February, Cosmic Twynk (The Milestone)

No More People w/ Squirt Vile, The Body Bags, Dark Sun Kult (Skylark Social Club)

Jive Talk w/ Monsoon (Snug Harbor)

Lipstick Stains w/ Evergone, The Challenged (Tommy’s Pub)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

DOAP Concert (Crown Station)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Beth Neilsen Chapman w/ Mia Morris (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Braxton Bateman w/ Menastree (Camp North End) Trombone Shorty w/ Orleans Avenue (Skyla Amphitheatre)

Tygressa (Middle C Jazz)

SATURDAY, JUNE 3

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Collection w/ Evan Bartels (Evening Muse)

Anand Wilder (Evening Muse)

Dying Oath w/ Angel Massacre, Valar Morghulis,

Nameless Anonymous, Undead Crow, The Enemy Within (The Milestone)

Unwed Sailor w/ Thousand Dollar Movie, Of Sinking Ships (Petra’s)

Wailin Storms w/ Seismic Sutra, Flippants (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Jazmin Ghent (Middle C Jazz)

Davis Family Band w/ World Sauntering Day (The Rooster)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Flat Tire Trio (Comet Grill)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Sofar Sounds Surprise Show (Starlight on 22nd)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Akita w/ Kendall Street Compant (Visulite Theatre)

SUNDAY, JUNE 4

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Palace (The Underground)

Cultus Black w/ Savage Empire, Annabel Lee, The Silencing Machine (The Milestone)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Bones w/ Xavier Wulf, Eddie Baker (The Fillmore)

JAZZ/BLUES

Carl Ratliff & Dawn Anthony (Middle C Jazz)

The King Bees (Neighborhood Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Hazy Sunday (Petra’s)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Trace Casanova (The Rooster)

MONDAY, JUNE 5

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Hellwitch w/ Consumed with Hatred, Nemesis, Night Attack (The Milestone)

The Disaster Artist w/ Friend, YUKK (The Rooster) JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Taj Mahal w/ Los Lobos (Knight Theater)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, JUNE 6

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Within Chaos w/ Squidhammer, Heathensun, Until They Bleed (The Milestone)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Darrell Scott (Neighborhood Theatre)

LATIN WORLD/REGGAE

Bang Yong-guk (The Underground)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Cosmic Jam Session (Crown Station)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 7

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Cactus Dayjob w/ Blankstate and The Sour (Amos’Southend)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

See Bird Go (Camp North End)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

The 502s (The Underground)

JAZZ/BLUES

Rebecca Kleinmann (Middle C Jazz)

EXPERIMENTAL/CROSS-GENRE

Bog Loaf w/ The Emotron, Bongfoot (Snug Harbor)

OPEN MIC

Tosco Music Open Mic (Evening Muse)

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic (The Rooster)

THURSDAY, JUNE 8

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Big Wreck (The Fillmore)

Falsifier w/ Downswing, Bottomfeeders, Discoveries, Chained (The Milestone)

Scout Gillett w/ Patois Counselors, Lofidels (Snug Harbor)

Billy Batts & the Made Men w/ Chargedcam 36 (Tommy’s Pub)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Zach Evington (The Rooster)

JAZZ/BLUES

Shana Blake w/ Ziad Rabie (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Ethan Wooten (Comet Grill)

The Ballroom Thieves w/ Sincerely, Iris (Evening Muse)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Jeff Draco w/ Low Groves, Charm (Petra’s)

FRIDAY, JUNE 9

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Jason Scavone w/ Faye, It’s Snakes (Petra’s)

Wet Hot Punk Rock Summer (The Rooster)

Zach Moss & the Half Measures w/ Sam Wilson Morris, An Archaic Agenda, Andrew Wooten (Tommy’s Pub)

The Wormholes w/ Swansgate (Visulite Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Eliot Bronson w/ Stevie Tombstone (Evening Muse)

Blue Dogs (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Incognito w/ Maysa (Knight Theater)

Vincent Ingala (Middle C Jazz)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Joe May w/ Willingdon (Evening Muse)

Phaze Gawd w/ Jaguar Perry, Jiu-Jitsu, Encre Noire (The Milestone)

Monica w/ Tyrese, 112, Silk, Mya, Eric Benet, Shai (Spectrum Center)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

AJ Smith w/ Galloway (Camp North End)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Caifanes (The Fillmore)

SATURDAY, JUNE 10

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Jason Moss (Comet Grill)

Homemade Haircuts w/ Foe Daniels (Evening Muse)

The Girls w/ The Genders, True Lilith, The Mother Superior (The Milestone)

The Phantom Friends w/ North By North, WAG (Petra’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Logic (Skyla Amphitheatre)

Lil Skritt & the Porchbomb w/ Alternative Champs, 2 Slices (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Vincent Ingala (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Angie Aparo (Evening Muse)

Adam Ezra Group (Neighborhood Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Prince BDay Celebration (Starlight on 22nd)

Reflexions (Tommy’s Pub)

SUNDAY, JUNE 11

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Stigmata Flex w/ Xbound, Zach Moss, Caldera (The Milestone)

Spirit of the Beehive w/ MSPaint (Neighborhood Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Stephen Sharer (Knight Theater)

CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL/RELIGIOUS

Gospel Sunday w/ Jay D. Jones (Middle C Jazz)

MONDAY, JUNE 12

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Safety w/ Pulses., With Sails Ahead, Forever We Roam (The Milestone)

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, JUNE 13

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Dave Mason (Knight Theater)

Dischordia w/ The Last of Lucy (The Milestone)

Juan Wauters w/ Zodiac Lovers (Petra’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Tank & the Bangas w/ Tre. Charles (Visulite Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Noah Kahan (Skyla Amphitheatre)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Cosmic Jam Session (Crown Station) VISIT QCNERVE.COM FOR THE FULL SOUNDWAVE LISTING.

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

MOUNT HOLLY MADE

Firehawk Brewpub is a family affair with roots in the community

BY RYAN PITKIN

Erin Tracy-Blackwood estimates that it was around 16 years ago, not long after she began dating Scott Blackwood, that the two were taking a stroll around Scott’s hometown of Mount Holly and came across an old abandoned firehouse.

Scott knew the building well; he had been rushed there by family members as a kid after splitting his head open on a coffee table. During their walk, the two stopped to ponder about the building.

“Scott was like, ‘Man, it would be so cool to put a restaurant there,’” Erin recalls. “And I was like, ‘Yeah,’ and we had this plan for what we would call it.”

There was no real reason to believe they would ever see such a plan through; Scott had only recently landed his first food-service gig at Darryl’s Restaurant & Tavern, a since-closed eatery on Albemarle Road in east Charlotte.

And yet on May 20, hordes of hungry folks from Mount Holly and surrounding towns in Gaston and Mecklenburg counties descended on the newly renovated building to see that idea come to fruition with the opening of Firehawk Brewpub, a family-run restaurant serving Carolina barbecue, fish camp and grilled meats cooked over live fire along with beers brewed right there in the building’s using homebrewing equipment.

“We were just daydreaming,” Erin says of that fateful stop along the banks of Dutchman’s Creek all those years ago, “but even that long ago, I feel like we manifested it or something at the very start of our relationship.”

A lot had to happen to make that manifestation a reality.

A path to something bigger

Though he did grow up around a family that loved to cook — reunions, cookouts, family breakfast every Saturday, “all that normal Americana stuff,” as he calls it — Scott Blackwood had no real intention of entering the restaurant industry until he found himself in need of a job once he dropped out

of college around 2006. He took the job at Darryl’s out of necessitybut didn’t think of it as a career path by any means — nor did anyone around him.

“The standard script from loved ones for the majority of the time was, ‘You’ve been at a restaurant all this time, don’t you think it’s time to get a real job?’” Scott says. “And then I would go get a quoteunquote real job, be miserable and end up quitting or getting fired, and I would go back to a restaurant. Then I’d work at a restaurant for six months to a year, and somebody in my life would say, ‘Don’t you think it’s time for a real job?’ And that cycle really kind of repeated itself.”

It went on like that for about a decade. In the meantime, Erin and Scott were doing some booking work for touring acts coming through Charlotte, and one of their favorite things to do was to host cookouts for the musicians they brought to town.

The two began to hone their skills on the grill and

in the kitchen. Mr. Dibs, touring DJ for Atmosphere and Run the Jewels, once told Erin, “Your mac and cheese is so good I want to punch you in the face.”

Erin, in turn, began to encourage Scott to think about food service work as a potential career rather than a means to an end.

“For the first time in my life, somebody said, ‘You’re really good at this. This is what you should do,’ instead of saying, ‘You should get a real job,’ and that was Erin,” Scott says. “And basically she said, ‘Go for it,’ and I went hard in the paint.”

Scott has helped to launch three ventures since then: The Bottle Tree Restaurant in Belmont; Khakis, a restaurant inside of a private country club in Cramerton; and the Killer B’s food truck, which Scott and Erin worked on together.

While Scott took lessons from each experience, there were always other interests at play.

“Partnerships are incredibly difficult, and if you’re trying to do something new and creative, sometimes it’s impossible to get multiple people on the same page when it comes to that, professionally speaking,” Scott says.

With Firehawk Brewpub, that all changes.

Employees first

Upon opening their first brick-and-mortar restaurant that is based solely on their own vision, Scott and Erin want to make sure their employees understand one thing: This is a real job.

Recalling how he was condescended to over 10 years of part-time restaurant gigs, Scott is

prioritizing stability for his team at Firehawk.

There is a $15-an-hour minimum wage for each and every employee, with tips pooled between all positions. Each employee gets a share of quarterly profits and flexibility when it comes to scheduling around their personal lives and avoiding burnout.

“We believe strongly that mental health is health, and we give everyone in the building the space and grace to take care of themselves the best that they can, and we do everything we can to make that possible,” Scott says. “We know the struggles of being single parents in a young family, and so this being a family business, we prioritize our employees’ and coworkers’ family lives, and we give them the space to take the time that they need in order to be the parents that they feel they need to be and we encourage that.

“We’re trying to make this as stable and legitimate a job as possible because that stability gives people the access to planning and comfort in their personal lives,” he continues.

Scott estimates that, of his team of more than 30 employees, about half are direct relatives through blood or marriage.

All recipes have been passed down among family members over generations, which can make for a straight-forward decision-making process when it comes to the menu — except when it doesn’t.

“The desserts were a particular sticking point because I have my banana pudding and Scott’s mom has hers,” Erin says. “I have my great grandmother’s ambrosia recipe, and Scott has his grandmother’s,

COURTESY OF JTC MARKETING

LEFT: FIREHAWK BREWPUB OPENED IN AN FORMER FIREHOUSE IN MOUNT HOLLY; RIGHT: A PULLED-PORK SANDWICH FROM FIREHAWK.

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

and they’re, like, fundamentally di erent. So that’s the only place we really found anything weird.”

Having been served on opening day to rave reviews — including from this satis ed writer — Erin has conceded on the banana pudding recipe. Her renowned mac and cheese and collard greens recipes aren’t going anywhere, though (rightfully so). Scott oversees most of the grilled meat items, while Erin’s brother-in-law, Matthew Young, is in charge of brewing beer.

There was one menu item, however, where the couple couldn’t come to a compromise.

“We had to take shrimp o our initial menu because I’m from Florida and expect shrimp to be a certain way; it needs to be butter y, Mayport style, and that’s like a hard boundary,” Erin says. “And Scott is from here, where it’s like a Calabash sort of style. So we were like, ‘You know what? We’re never going to align on this. Let’s just take it o the menu.’”

What remains, however, is a wonderful mix of meat, sh and Southern sides and desserts that make up a range of a ordable options. And if you don’t nd them a ordable according to your own personal budget, put it on Papa Ray’s Tab, a fund named in honor of Scott’s father that will be used to foot the bill for less fortunate neighbors who want to come in for a warm meal.

An homage to history

Firehawk Brewpub is located on North Main Street along a scenic stretch of Dutchman’s Creek, a tributary of the Catawba River just over the line from Mecklenburg County that has served as a lifeline to the Mount Holly community since long before it was called Mount Holly.

Scott recognizes that the creek, and the mills built alongside it, are what brought jobs and people to the town.

“It literally is the cornerstone and the reason, or one of the reasons, that the city even exists,” says Scott.

He also acknowledges another one of Mount Holly’s historic tales, that of Ransom Hunter, the formerly enslaved man who built up the Freedom community for other newly freed families before then selling o some of the properties he had bought up along the creek and elsewhere to allow for the development of the mills that would lead to the town’s founding.

“That’s an important story for us to tell,” he says. “The importance of the creek, the importance of this

natural environment, there’s a lot of history that just sort of exists in the ether here where we are.”

With that in mind, the Firehawk team plans to do what they can to preserve Dutchman’s Creek and reinvigorate the community space surrounding it. Along with Muddy River Distillery, which is currently adapting an old mill across the street from Firehawk for a new location along the creek, they are clearing 300 yards of kudzu and other overgrowth to create more space for residents to enjoy Dutchman’s Creek.

On June 10, Firehawk will host its inaugural Get the Muck Out event, with live music and vendors representing many neighboring businesses. The day will center around a creek clean-up in partnership with the Catawba Riverkeeper, with proceeds funding the removal of a capsized pontoon boat that has been languishing along the banks of the creek

since a ood left it there in 2019.

During the event, Firehawk will also announce a partnership with Charlotte-based Aquatic Adventures, which will organize more than a dozen kayak trips about an hour down the creek to the mouth of the river then shuttle them back to the restaurant.

David Childers & the Serpents will also perform at Get the Muck Out. As a longtime musician in Charlotte, Scott has seen plenty of support from the local scene, including his Ogres bandmates like Childers. Guitarist Cody Benett helped set up all the audio systems in and around the restaurant while DJ Justin Aswell has been promoting and helping with opening duties.

It’s an extended family a air; without such help Scott says the restaurant would have never opened.

“I’m not surprised because pretty much all of our other endeavors, artistically and musically, have always been this way,” he says. “This is just the rst time that I’ve really seen it fused together on the food and beverage side of things.”

When a business is built around such a foundation of love, it can only spread to the customers from there.

“Our friends and family work here,” says Scott, “so we treat everyone like friends and family.”

For Scott and Erin, the restaurant opening was just the beginning, but in a sense, it also serves as an endpoint to a walk they took together 16 years ago.

Looking back on the couple’s journey that in some ways began that day, “Every step along the way has just been leading to this,” says Erin.

LIFESTYLE PUZZLES

SUDOKU

BY LINDA THISTLE

TRIVIA TEST

BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ

1. MOVIES: When was the first “Star Wars” movie released?

2. GEOGRAPHY: In which body of water is Bermuda located?

3. TELEVISION: Who was the first host of the game show “Jeopardy!”?

4. ANATOMY: Which part of the brain controls balance and coordination?

5. LITERATURE: Which short story is described as the first modern detective story?

6. ANCIENT WORLD: Which two cities were destroyed by a volcano in 79 A.D.?

7. U.S. CITIES: What is the nickname of Albuquerque’s (New Mexico) minor league baseball team?

8. FOOD & DRINK: What does “en croute” mean?

9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What kind of farm did Jimmy Carter have before he became president?

10. AD SLOGANS: Which restaurant urges customers to “Eat fresh”?

CROSSWORD

PLACE A NUMBER IN THE EMPTY BOXES IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH ROW ACROSS, EACH COLUMN DOWN AND EACH SMALL 9-BOX SQUARE CONTAINS ALL OF THE NUMBERS ONE TO NINE.

AERIN IT OUT SIDE OF THE MORNING TO YA

Morningside Pub replaces Krazy Fish at the Plaza Midwood border

BY AERIN SPRUILL

Heading away from Uptown on Central Avenue, you may remember a restaurant called Krazy Fish. Located on the corner of Club Road between Skylark Social Club and Three Amigos, the name and branding alone conjured a mental picture somewhere between Rainforest Cafe and Ariel’s secret grotto in The Little Mermaid. And that’s why driving past the local “seafood joint’s” eclectic exterior, you’d think, “Nailed it!”

The unsightly amount of metal yard deco cordoning off the Central-facing patio rivaled those of a welltraveled art hoarder. Driving by, the rainbow vomit of yard art would force you to avert your gaze and leave you wondering, “What in the Plaza Midwood?!” A quick Google search will confirm that what you saw on the outside was a solid reflection of both the inside as well as the unique fusion creations featured on the menu.

But, in case you missed it, the once-familiar Central Avenue curiosity has since replaced artsy Krusty Krab vibes with a local watering hole-in-the-wall bar mood. Despite making an appearance on Guy Fieri’s Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Krazy Fish quietly closed in early 2022 after being a part of the community — and the center of multiple controversies — for over a decade.

Following the remodel, all that remains is a metal bike perched atop a bike rack at the entrance (a sink with a screw for one handle was still lying around in April but has since been replaced). In its place, the same old “seafood shack” bones are now dressed as a more subdued, casual, rust-colored dive appropriately named Morningside Pub — it’s located between Club Road and Morningside Drive — featuring a limited bar food menu, spirits, pool and darts.

From the moment you walk through the door, it’s clear that Morningside brings the same laid-back, madefor-locals vibe reminiscent of the neighborhood’s beloved Elizabeth Billiards (RIP). No frills, no thrills, no bullshit.

The innards of the ceiling lay fully exposed, with jerseys hanging scattered among its rafters. The smell of beer hangs in the air unsure of whether or not to wander out onto the patio. The only discernible “decor” are branded neon signs, and from across the room you can feel big “Don’t try me” energy spilling from behind the bar as the bartender sits in wait to shut down any nonsense. I gulped and gathered my courage to ask the unforgivable, knowing my boyfriend’s expression was already toying between utter embarrassment and amusement, “What kind of ciders do you have?” Without

an obvious eye roll, condescending tone, or deep sigh, the bartender responded, “We’ve got Angry Orchard.” Thank God.

That’s when I realized it was the same bartender who’d raised an eyebrow at my request for a “sweet” shot in my father’s memory the weekend EB’s closed its doors. I chuckled at the irony as he turned to grab the bottle, and even though I may always be perceived as “extra,” recognizing him gave me the confirmation I needed: This spot is Plaza Midwood approved. (I should acknowledge, however, that the owner still appears to be the same proudly pro-Trump guy who has inspired much hatred on the ol’ socials, so do your research if such things are dealbreakers for you.)

Open seven days a week until 2 a.m., Morningside is situated just far enough down Central and just spacious enough to deliver a refuge from new post-Covid hours, bar service that’s four-deep, obnoxious Chads, and a deluge of out-of-towners.

On any given night, regulars and industry folks move with an ease of familiarity while bar hopping or unwinding after a shift, making it feel like the beginnings of a locals-only, best-kept Queen City secret after only a year or so operating as Morningside. A much brighter outlook for a spot that’s had its fair share of public scrutiny and a win for a neighborhood that’s been fighting loss and change tooth-and-nail since COVID.

While waxing my boyfriend’s ass in a game of pool (read: losing terribly three times in a row), I watched as a guy “audibly whispered” instructions on the best shot and how to hit it into his girlfriend’s ear. She and I locked eyes and smiled, both acknowledging and accepting our inevitable respective “Ls” with a nod and quiet contempt toward the counterparts who didn’t “let us win.” Or wait, was that just me?

It was then, in the aftermath of my indignant loss, that I realized it was almost closing time. And just like that, the last call turned into utter despair when I was forced to accept the ultimate loss: no food to satisfy my late-night hanger. If asking for a cider was a borderline dive bar faux pas, asking about the brand of (a presumably frozen) pizza on deck and if I could have one at the late hour, was absolutely out of the question.

I guess avoiding that “scratch” will be worth the W until I return, Morningside.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Problems begin to affect relationships, both personal and professional. Act now to shore up those weak foundations before it all comes crashing down around you.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Take a break from all that hard work you’ve been doing. There’s nothing like some well-earned fun and games to charge up those Bovine batteries and send you back fully energized and ready to go.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Deception can sometimes affect perception. You should take a longer, deeper look at what you’re being offered. Things might not be quite what you first thought they were.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A friend’s loyalty suddenly comes into question. But, before you rush to judgment, listen to what they have to say. This could be an important learning lesson for you.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) The time has come for you to set things right. Your courage will help you meet the difficult challenge ahead. Others will be inspired by your actions and rally to support you.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A stubborn insistence that your way is the only way to solve problems could make things worse than they are. Open your mind to suggestions from others.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A close associate reveals a secret that could affect an upcoming decision. Rely on your natural instinct to weigh everything carefully, to help you get through this dilemma.

BORN THIS WEEK: You love to entertain. You appreciate fine food and elegant surroundings. You’re happiest when you make other people feel good about themselves.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Congratulations! Your decision to take action and deal with a long-simmering situation in the workplace begins to pay off. In addition, a family member has some good news.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You still need to persuade your partner that you’re sincere in wanting to save this relationship. Remember: Performance speaks louder than promises.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A disappointment in the workplace can be a blessing in disguise. Take another look at your goals and see if this is the path you really want to follow.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Avoid winding up in the middle of an unpleasant family situation by reassuring your cantankerous kinfolk that you love them all — but that you won’t take sides.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A successful workplace move begins to pay off with offers of new opportunities, but some might come with strings attached. Check them all carefully before deciding.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The often skeptical Aries might find that an answer to a question is hard to believe. But check it out before you chuck it out. You might well be surprised at what you could learn.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your resolute determination to stick by a position might make some people uncomfortable. But if you’re proved right (as I expect you to be), a lot of changes will tilt in your favor.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might feel conflicted between what you want to do and what you should do. Best advice: Honor your obligations first. Then go ahead and enjoy your well-earned rewards.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) That financial matter still needs to be sorted out before you can consider any major monetary moves. Pressures ease midweek, with news about a potential career change.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) A workplace problem threatens to derail your well-planned project. But your quick mind should lead you to a solution and get you back on track without too much delay.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) An opportunity opens up but could quickly close down if you allow pessimism to override enthusiasm. A trusted friend can offer the encouragement you need.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a fine business sense and a love of the arts. You enjoy living life to its fullest.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You’ve come through a difficult period of helping others deal with their problems. Now you can concentrate on putting your energy to work on your own projects.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Forget about who’s to blame and, instead, make the first move toward patching up a misunderstanding before it creates a rift that you’ll never be able to cross.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Good news for the travel-loving Sagittarian who enjoys galloping off to new places: That trip you put off will soon be back on your schedule.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A mood change could make the gregarious Goat seek the company of just a few friends. But you charge back into the crowd for weekend fun and games.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A decision you made in good faith could come under fire. Best advice: Open your mind to other possibilities by listening to your challenger’s point of view.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You can avoid being swamped by all those tasks dangling from your line this week by tackling them one-by-one, according to priority. The weekend brings good news.

PUZZLE ANSWERS

2. North Atlantic Ocean.

3. Art Fleming.

4. Cerebellum.

5. “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” by Edgar Allen Poe.

6. Pompeii and Herculaneum.

7. The Albuquerque Isotopes.

8. Food baked in a pastry crust.

9. Peanut.

10. Subway.

SAVAGE LOVE APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION

Nice double life, would be a shame if someone outed it

BY DAN SAVAGE

I’ve had a successful career as an artist and thousands follow my professional accounts on social media. My followers think they know me, but I am living a secret double life. What I’ve kept hidden is that I’m bisexual. I have hidden this fact from everyone: from my followers, from my family, and from the three ladies who married me believing I was the straight guy I pretended to be. All my marriages failed, ending in divorce with no children produced, thank God, and my ex-wives all went on to find real men who could father their children.

In 2016, knowing my success and investments meant I could live comfortably for the rest of my life, I quit my career in the arts and fulfilled a lifelong dream of becoming a hardcore gay porn slut. (“Slut” fits me much more closely than does “actor,” since what I do on camera is not an “act.”) I truly love the hot sex I’ve had with Alpha Males in the 250ish videos I’ve starred in so far. Truly, my only regret is not doing porn much sooner in my life, as I’m happier now than I’ve ever been.

Question: Should I continue pretending to be straight and keep the people who still follow me on Facebook and Instagram in the dark? Or should they be advised to Google my full and actual birth name and the word “porn” so they can see the real me? (My full legal name and my professional name — as both an artist and porn slut — are the same.) I don’t want anyone’s life to be negatively impacted should it become known they follow a person who appears in hardcore porn and does things most people would regard as offensive and grotesque. It seems best that followers who are interested in my art be advised to Google me so they are aware of what I am doing now and can unfollow me if they wish.

If you want to include my full legal name in your column, I’ll most likely say yes. And please feel free to give me hell because I understand the things I let men do to me are vile and disgusting.

[FULL LEGAL NAME REDACTED]

I have no desire to publish your name.

But rest assured, FLNR, that I fell for it. I Googled your name and the word “porn,” I was negatively impacted, and I will always regret it. (Gotta work on my impulse control.) The porn you’re making is, as confessed/boasted, vile and disgusting and grotesque and offensive. It’s also not illegal and can be enjoyed by consenting adults … who hopefully floss, brush their teeth, use mouthwash, and don’t kiss their mothers with those mouths. (Relieved I don’t have to alert the authorities. The health department, on the other hand…)

Look, I know what you’re trying to do here. You choose to porn under your own name, the same name you used as an artist — your legal name, your professional name, your porn name — because the thought of being exposed and ruined turns you on. Almost as much as the thought of ruining someone else’s day by tricking them into taking a look at your work. (I only saw the titles, FLNR, but that was enough.) But what you want most is to be exposed and destroyed — that’s your ultimate fantasy — and you’ve been fantasizing about the moment you’re found out and destroyed since you posted your first video.

And here you are, 250 videos later, and no one who follows you — no one who has admired or collected your work — has stumbled over your vast archive of vile and disgusting and grotesque and offensive porn. Maybe if your pornographic output was a little more mainstream, maybe if yours was a taste shared by more than a tiny handful of people, you would’ve been found out and destroyed already. But the porn you star in is so niche — and so vile and so disgusting, etc., etc. — that not one of your followers has stumbled over it. Or stepped in it. And even if one had, FLNR, he couldn’t jump into a comments thread on your Instagram to tell on you without also telling on himself.

So, now you want me to do your dirty work for you … you want me to inflict you on my readers in the hope it’ll get back to your followers … and I’m not gonna do that to my readers. Or to you.

And I don’t think you would you want me to, FLNR, if

you thought about it more during your refractory periods. As things stand now, FLNR, you get to enjoy the dread of discovery and destruction every day. You get to enjoy your perfect fantasies about how the shitstorm coming for you when the inevitable happens — or what you thought was inevitable 250 videos ago — and your life and reputation and artistic legacy are all destroyed in a moment. But like Bernd Brandes, a German man whose ultimate fantasy was to be murdered by a cannibal after first having his own penis cut off, cooked, and served to him, you may find reality falls short of your fantasies. In Brandes’ case, the cannibal he met online, Armin Meiwes, wasn’t a very good cook. Meiwes overcooked Brandes’ penis, which wound up being too tough to eat, and since Brandes didn’t have another penis, a do-over wasn’t possible. He died disappointed.

Just like Brandes had only one dick, you have only one life. There will be no do-overs for you either. So, you’re better off as you are now — enjoying your perfect fantasy of your destruction rather than enduring the sure-to-be-a-letdown reality.

P.S. Your kinks are just as vile and disgusting and grotesque and offensive as advertised — but I’m not going to give you hell about them. First, because no one chooses their kinks and, second, because the disgust is obviously part of the turn-on for you and I’m not here to cup your balls. (And to be clear, bisexuality isn’t the kink we’re talking about.) If you want to warn people to unfollow and/or de-acquisition your work to avoid being smeared by association, you can do that without suggesting they Google your name + porn. You pretend to be motivated by concern for your followers, FLNR, but I’m not swallowing that shit.

Etiquette question. I started seeing a massage guy about a year ago after connecting with him on Scruff (“not here for sex but if you want a great massage…”). He turned out to be terrific at it. First couple of times I got incredible deep and thorough massages, paid him for the time, and added a tip — all good. Then, and with no words exchanged, the massages started getting sexual. Now I get about a brief massage and then his fingers start tickling my butt and we end up fucking. He’s totally hot and great at it, always gets me off within the hour session. (He never gets off but is totally hard and enthusiastic the entire time.) We don’t have any interaction outside the sessions, aside from texts setting up the next time. No complaints about the sex at all, it’s great, but I miss the massages! Somehow this relationship went from a massage deal to sex work. (HTH?!?) So, my question: I’ve never hired a sex worker before. How much does a person tip a sex worker? And any ideas how can I steer the relationship back to more pounding of muscles without giving up the pounding of butt? Thanks!

LOVING HIS DICK, MISSING HIS HANDS

How did this arrangement go from a massage deal to sex work? How’d that happen? Your “massage guy” did it.

Your massage guy is a sex worker but a choosy one. He looks for prospective clients on hookup apps, offers “massage-only” meetups at first, and once he has a good feeling about someone — someone who respects his initial “massage-only” boundary, shows up freshly showered, and tips well (20-25%), e.g., someone like you — your massage guy “upgrades” his new-ish client from massage (not what most guys are seeking on Scruff) to dick (what all guys are seeking on Scruff). If you miss his massages, LHDMHH, book an extra hour and use your words. (“Love your excellent dick, miss your amazing massages!”) Then you can have it all … with “all,” in this instance, being defined as “good massage and expert dicking.”

I’ve been with my boyfriend since COVID. We were sexually incompatible from the start (both bottoms), but made it work due to the pandemic. Then I blinked and three years passed. We live together and I love him, but it just feels like a comfortable nice life as opposed to being “in love.” And we never had that hot passionate stage start to fall back on or feel nostalgic about. I wonder if the end of the pandemic means it’s time to move on. I’m 41 years old and feel life can offer more. Am I being short-sighted in wanting more?

SOMEWHAT UNFULFILLED BOTTOM

Two bottoms can have hot and passionate sex. I mean, are there no double-ended dildos in Gilead? Are there no tops in your vicinity, single and coupled, willing to guest star? Are oral sex and/or mutual masturbation not a good time?

Look, finding someone you love and enjoy living with isn’t easy, SUB, so you owe it to yourself to give this relationship a chance. I get it, I get it; you’ve been together for three years, you’ve already given this a relationship a chance. But it doesn’t sound like you’ve given radical honesty a chance. (“We have to fix this or it’s over.”) You don’t wanna wake up five years from now in a no-longer-new relationship with someone you don’t love. Even if you had managed to have a lot of hot sex with that person at the start, SUB, nostalgia for great sex with someone you don’t love (as much or at all) is unlikely to sustain you through the decades between the NRE wearing off and death. Whereas making space in the loving relationship you’re already in — space for passionate sexual experiences together and/or with others (on your own or both) — could be all the sustenance you need.

It’s fine to want more, SUB, but before seeking more from someone else, ask for more from the someone you’ve already got.

Send your burning questions to mailbox@savage.love; podcasts, columns, merch and more at Savage.Love!