Queen City Nerve - June 14, 2023

News: A mother’s special needs battle pg. 4

Food: Julia Simon sells Nourish, looks ahead pg. 11

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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FINDING FAULT

Concerned mother calls on charter school to address her son’s struggles with special needs

BY RYAN PITKIN

Danielle Farmer will always remember April 25, 2023, as the day her son first voiced suicidal ideations to her.

It happened on the way home from Lake Norman Charter Middle School (LNCMS), where the 8-year-old had spent the last half of his secondgrade school year and nearly his entire third-grade year struggling mightily due to mental health conditions.

Matthew Farmer* had been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and sensory processing disorder. After nearly 18 months of back and forth between his mother, teachers and school administration — time that included allegations that one of his teachers had publicly shamed him in front of his classmates — Matthew told his mom he didn’t want to be alive anymore.

“He got home and he just started crying. We hadn’t even gotten out of the car yet and he was crying, bawling. So we just sat in the car,” Farmer told Queen City Nerve, pausing as tears welled up and she became emotional in her recollection.

“I had to explain to him that if he left, he would be letting them win and how sad I would be and how sad daddy would be. So he promised me that if he ever felt like that, he was going to say something.”

With plans to enroll Matthew elsewhere now that he’s finished third grade, Danielle is speaking up in hopes that the lessons learned during her experience will force LNCMS administration to rethink how they approach the treatment of children with special needs.

Allegations against Matthew’s third-grade English Language Arts teacher include bringing up his repeated bathroom trips — a symptom of his anxiety — in front of the class and repeatedly punishing him for behaviors that are known symptoms of his condition according to his 504 Plan, a plan created for students with special needs or disabilities to ensure they are not discriminated against or left to fall behind their classmates.

Farmer is now calling on the school to “clean

house” by firing the superintendent, principal and the teacher she alleges shamed her son.

“The solution is not to have parents walk,” Farmer said. “The solution is not to pull the kids. The solution is to clean out the house a little bit and change the mentality because they have the possibility to be amazing.”

Farmer pointed to a letter from Quentin Powell, a licensed therapist with LifeStance Health that has been seeing Matthew, now 9 years old, for nearly 18 months now. In the letter, dated April 27, 2023, Powell confirmed that Matthew had been experiencing ideations of self-harm and asked that the school take action.

“I have become concerned that [Matthew] has begun to feel unsafe as the school year has progressed specifically with one teacher,” Powell wrote.

The therapist acknowledged Matthew’s behavioral issues, ranging from his struggles to stay on task to sudden and prolonged increases in energy.

“That does not mean [Matthew] should feel uncomfortable, even to the point of wanting to selfharm because it can be difficult to manage these symptoms in the classroom settings,” Powell wrote. “I feel that if [Matthew] is feeling this way, that maybe other students may also feel this way, but do not have the ability to speak up for themselves or have someone to speak up for them such as [Matthew] does. I encourage the staff at LNC to please take these concerns of safety for [Matthew] as seriously as they would for any other child in the school.”

The school did not act on Powell’s recommendation. When asked about the Powell letter, a spokesperson at LNCMS said, “The school did consult with Mr. Powell whose professional opinion was not in line with or supportive of Ms. Farmer’s claims or demands.”

Though Powell could not discuss specifics about Matthew’s case, when asked to clarify about this consultation by Queen City Nerve, he responded, “I spoke with the school once after I wrote the letter.

I told them what I thought would be best and they chose another route.”

For their part, school administration has denied any wrongdoing in Matthew’s case.

After Queen City Nerve reached out to the school with a request to interview someone in a leadership position, the school requested that we send questions over email instead, then responded to those questions with a statement, insisting that the school had “no interest in engaging in further dialog with the media as it relates to this matter.”

The statement read, in part, “The nature of the school environment demands that we routinely operate with numerous external factors present, whether they are supportive of our mission or not, and that we remain laser focused on cultivating an atmosphere where every student is encouraged and supported in their quest to reach their greatest potential, both academically and beyond.

“As such, we are skilled and accustomed to filtering out any distractions or diversions inconsistent or unsupportive of that goal and forging on, without bias, in the best interest of the student.”

The school instead blamed Farmer for “egregiously inappropriate and disruptive conduct” over the past school year, during which she was banned from the campus due to what the school called “explosive and threatening episodes” — the first time administration has taken such a measure.

Queen City Nerve has reviewed recordings of in-person meetings between Danielle, her husband and school administration that did sometimes breakdown into shouting matches. She said she was banned from campus for allegedly directing the middle finger at a school staff member in the school’s pick-up line, something she denies.

“I’m not going to do something like that, knowing how you’re going to react,” Danielle told Queen City Nerve. “I wouldn’t sink the ship of all the work that

we’re trying to put in and be professional and then do our steps to flip you off in the carpool line.”

Months of emails between Farmer and school administration reviewed by Queen City Nerve show a relatively cordial back and forth in which Farmer repeatedly asks for a meeting with teachers and school officials so as to create an Individual Education Plan for Matthew, which would implement more specific practices to help him succeed.

In an email from October 2022, LNCMS principal Michelle Holland told Farmer that even considering Matthew’s IEP eligibility could take up to 90 days and that, “There are other students already in the process so they are ahead of [Matthew] in all that is involved in determining if a child does indeed have a disability. It is not a quick process.”

Holland added that she had sat in on Matthew’s ELA class and noticed that, though he was not creating disruption for other students, he did not follow along with a story that was read aloud nor did he participate in the following discussion.

Holland told Farmer that Matthew “would need to meet us halfway. He has to want to improve,” citing Holland’s past job as an exceptional children’s teacher for more than 12 years and her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Special Education.

Farmer thought the email showed a misunderstanding of the urgency of Matthew’s case, eventually leading to his withdrawal, dissociation and self-harm ideations.

“This needs to be a safe place,” Farmer said. “If you remove that mentality, that fixed mindset that you’re already the best, it allows room to grow and actually become the best.”

Farmer said she wants see the school remove Holland and Matthew’s ELA teacher from their positions by the start of the next school year to help ensure other children like Matthew aren’t met with the same apathy.

“Take away that need to not be challenged and put somebody in there that wants to be challenged because they might miss something, who are open and perceptive to the fact that there’s numerous ways to learn,” Farmer suggested.

“We’re not even cracking the book here on neurodivergence. When you block these kids, you’re missing what they’re capable of. And so that’s a big problem, but even despite that, you have big issues here where a child’s wanting to take his own life and you’re discrediting that. You said it was his perception. That’s not who we need in here taking care of these kids.”

*Matthew’s first name has been changed to protect his identity.

DANIELLE FARMER PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

FRONT LAWN FRIDAY: SUMMER RESIDENCY 2023

McColl Center’s monthly Front Lawn Friday event for June gives folks a chance to get to know this summer’s artists in residence, who make up the museum’s second season of its Parent and Educator residency program. This season’s participants include interdisciplinary artist Olaniyi Akindiya, aka AKIRASH; visual artist Mary Valverde; fabric-based sculptor Nicole Havekost; and Pablo Garcia, who creates experimental videos and sculptures made from natural silk. While these new residents will share their work in an exhibit that’s spread across the first and second floor, departing studio artist Nil Smith will simultaneously show her solo exhibition, Diaspora Disassociation, on the third.

More: Free; June 16, 6-9 p.m.; McColl Center, 721 N. Tryon St.; tinyurl.com/JuneFrontLawnFriday

HEROESCON 2023

Heroes assemble! One of the oldest and largest independent comic book conventions, HeroesCon, returns for its 41st year to take over 280,000 square feet at the Charlotte Convention Center. Founded in 1982 by Shelton Drum, owner of Charlotte’s Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find comics shop, HeroesCon has garnered a well-deserved reputation as a convention that puts comics first. Fans showcase their costumes, mingle with hundreds of creators and illustrators and peruse millions of comics and memorabilia over three days. Kids under 16 get in free with a paying adult.

More: $30-$65; June 16-18, times vary; Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St.; heroesonline.com/heroescon

ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N., COSMIC COLLECTIVE

Andy Frasco is a music veteran who’s never lost his youthful enthusiasm for rock. Hope even permeates his mordant 2022 single/video, “Oh What A Life,” which features Frasco as a disheveled disillusioned circus clown. Here Frasco’s trenchant empathetic observations suggest The Kinks’ Ray Davies gone emo, with a dash of The Flaming Lips’ show-tune psychedelia plus a rap breakdown. The Jangly, jaunty “Iowa Moon” off upcoming LP L’Optimist is even sunnier. Charlotte’s Cosmic Collective are equally eclectic and upbeat, with tunes built on crab-walking bass, sparkling keys and Nikki Enslow’s bright, feathered vocals.

More: $20-$25; June 21, 8 p.m.; Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave.; visulite.com

GO SKATEBOARDING DAY PARTY

Super Abari and Black Sheep Skate Shop are hosting a party to celebrate Charlotte’s local skate community on Go Skate Day — a global event started by the International Association of Skateboard Companies that encourages people to skate and promotes the positive aspects of skateboarding. Paint Fumes and Cuzco will provide the tunes and MecklenBurgers food truck will provide the eats. A raffle with prizes including gear from Black Sheep and game consoles from Super Abari will raise funds for The Charlotte Skate Foundation’s new Kilborne DIY Skatepark. More: Free; June 21, 6 p.m.; Super Abari Game Bar, 1015 Seigle Ave.; superabarigamebar.com

PETROV, MAIDEN MOTHER CRONE, SUBVERTIGO

We love Petrov. The indie-rock powerhouse was our 2020 pick for top pop punk band, and best 2021 video winner for “Outlier,” where impassioned vocalist Mary Grace McKusick’s head explodes. Latest single “Dior” eschews the four-piece’s careening post-punk guitars and muscular melodies, for a moody, hypnotic collaboration with rapper Killa. Trippy Atlanta shoegaze/progressive rockers Maiden Mother Crone conjoin the clangorous and the ethereal on latest LP

The Sky Lay Still, While All Around us Fell. Charlotte’s Subvertigo craft dynamic alt-rock that turns from a whisper to a shout on a sharp shiny dime.

More: $7; June 23, 8 p.m.; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; petrasbar.com

HAYLO FIRE PARTY

Surrender that which needs to be released at Haylo Healing Arts Lounge’s annual Fire Party, at which attendees feed the flames with mementos they no longer need to hold onto — be they love notes to the universe or a journal from a past phase of your life you’d like to move on from. See live art from ESTKO, Jenn Garrison, Dannie D., John Hairston Jr., Elizabeth Palmisano, Katherine MacNab, Gigi Dover and Cheryl Lecroy of Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats, the beneficiary organization for this event. Common Market supplies the booze … err, Elixir of Life, while DJ Mojo Le Fay spins the tunes and the Haylo team knocks out Fire Party flash tattoos. More: Free; June 24, 7 p.m.-midnight; Haylo Healing Arts Lounge, 1111 Central Ave.; haylostudiolounge.com

X, SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS

L.A. punk juggernaut X outlasted the late 1970s punk explosion that spawned it. A hard-hitting fusion of punk, rockabilly and blues, supporting the soaring/quavering blood harmonies of thenmarried couple John Doe and Exene Cervenka, X was today’s alt-roots music decades before its time. Fronted by another now-divorced couple, Jimbo Mathus and Katherine Whalen, Chapel Hill’s Squirrel Nut Zippers soared to popularity in the 1990s. Unfairly linked to that era’s swing revival, the Zips craft rollicking tunes from the sounds of old weird America — Crescent City jazz, Harlem jump, and jug band stompers.

More: $45; June 24, 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com

PUERTO RICAN FESTIVAL OF THE CAROLINAS

The Puerto Rican Festival of the Carolinas returns to Concord with an exciting lineup of music, food, art, culture and dance … lots and lots of dance. Internationally renowned musicians on the bill include Luisito Carrion; Jose “El Canario” Alberto; Roberto Roena y Su Apollo Sound; and Soundboy

Cartagena, aka HipHop Jibarito. The festival also highlights local acts including Julio J. Descalzo, Nabori Sexteto, Frankie Peña, Michael D. Rivera, Cristina Medina La Next, Kmilo Roque, Casa de la Cultura and more. Peruse vendors from around the Carolinas as well as Chicago, New York and Miami, sample a slew of different foods and, more

importantly, wear your comfiest dancing shoes. More: $10; June 24, noon-10 p.m.; Route 29 Pavilion, 5650 Sandusky Blvd., Concord; tinyurl.com/PuertoRicoInConcord

GIRL TRIBE POP UP

Girl Tribe Pop Up was founded in 2015 by the team at Girl Tribe Co. — a Charlotte boutique by Carrie Barker and Sarah Baucom located in South End, SouthPark and Huntersville — with the mission to create a positive community for women-led businesses and the people who support them to connect. The pop-ups, which only happen a few times a year, are curated shopping experiences featuring dozens of women-led businesses, beauty brands, jewelers and artists, plus drinks, food, Instagrammable photo moments and activities. It’s a one-stop shop for supporting small businesses.

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

WILLA MAE, SOLIS, ZOE BAYANI

Willa McCollough (aka Willa Mae) crafted her superb debut LP Kids, a collection of lush, open hearted indie pop, at the tender age of 17. Kicking off with the plaintive, yearning title track, Kids captures the hopefulness of young adults as well as the creeping cynicism that infects them as they confront pervasive corruption. Recent single “Clean” reveals a harder rocking, defiant edge. By turns extravagant and oldtimey, indie singer-songwriter Zoe Bayani draws from nostalgic Americana and folk to craft dreamy, catchy altpop. Solis’ winsome oneiric electronic pop fills the bill.

More: $12.30; June 27, 9 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

PETROV

Madelyn Blair Photography 6/23 WILLA MAE

Courtesy of Willa Mae 6/27

FOR THE RECORD

Homage exhibit highlights Charlotte couple’s cultural collection for Juneteenth

BY DEZANII LEWIS

In 2021, President Biden officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Having seen ups and downs in its popularity over the decades, some felt that Biden’s designation was long overdue and a step in the right direction, albeit a long overdue one, considering how much of Black history goes overlooked.

Today, many celebrate the holiday, which marks the latest point at which enslaved people were informed of their freedom in Texas on June 19, 1865, with festivals and parties. Others, like historical collector Nia McAdoo, choose to celebrate by educating and highlighting Black history with the Homage Exhibit.

Showing at the Eastway Regional Rec Center on June 15 from 1-7 p.m., the Homage Exhibit is a traveling collection of more than 650 original artifacts, documents and art that showcases the vast African American experience. The exhibit is owned by McAdoo and her husband Morris, who have been collecting these items for more than 20 years.

It features works by artists such as Romare Bearden and Elizabeth Catlett, alongside original documents from Frederick Douglass, Shirley Chisholm, Booker T. Washington, Ralph Bunche and more.

The collection ranges from pieces Nia McAdoo describes as cute, such as magazine clippings or some sorority items (McAdoo pledged AKA), to more devastating items, like one newspaper she found at a library auction.

“We were able to acquire a 1921 newspaper from a library auction in California that was talking about the Tulsa Race Massacre the day after the Tulsa Race Massacre, and it’s front page, above the fold,” McAdoo said.

McAdoo spoke with Queen City Nerve about the importance of telling these stories and what inspired her to embark on this journey.

Queen City Nerve: When did you first start collecting?

Nia McAdoo: I’ve been collecting for about 20 years, and then my collection started to take focus when Barack Obama was elected president the first time. I’m originally from New York, and my

grandmother was in New York City, and so when that election happened, my grandmother and I were able to bond over that. She would box up everything, like campaign letters, newspaper clippings she would cut out and send to me in priority mailboxes.

And what she said was, “It’s very important that these items are kept and that the stories are told through the eyes of people who are involved.” She talked about the importance of those stories coming from people of color who were involved with the campaign. That was the point where I said, “You know what, I think I need to collect with a little bit more focus.”

What inspired you to collect in the first place?

I’ve always loved history, and so originally I was very interested in historic magazines. Jet magazines and Ebony magazines – as I would read through those, I was being introduced to events that I hadn’t heard of, people I hadn’t heard of, and would just get me deeper into research on African American history. That’s sort of how it started — really looking for those cute pieces I could put in the house. But then as I’m doing a deep dive into the artifacts, I’m learning about things that would otherwise be lost to history.

And so with the exhibit, we do have a lot of things that relate to big names. So Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglas, but you’re also going to see artifacts that relate to small protest marches around the country, people who took leadership roles on a local level. If it’s not someone like us that’s really collecting and amplifying those voices and stories, they would be lost to history.

Though you collect art as well, many of these Homage pieces are not art but historic items displayed as you acquired them.

One thing I think is important is that we only collect original artifacts. There’s nothing that is skewed. If you see a newspaper from 1834 with slave ads, runaway slave notices, that is an original artifact or document. So we can talk about the piece and the role it plays in history, but we can’t pretend that it didn’t exist. The exhibit pieces are really a

starting point for discussion. It’s just a safe place to start these conversations and the backdrop to that is historical original artifacts.

When you first started collecting, was this the end goal, or were you just collecting as a hobby?

I like to collect. Our collection has a mix of original artifacts and documents, but we also have artwork. My grandmother had an extensive art collection so, growing up, I loved to look at the pieces she had, and so I knew collecting art was important. I knew that I would have my own collection when I grew up, but this isn’t what I envisioned. It’s just something that really just happened.

At this point, we have a little over 650 pieces. We collected pieces here and there. We would travel and collect items, and it wasn’t until that 2008 time period that my thoughts about it would change. So, no, I didn’t start the collection thinking, “Oh, we would have this collection that tours the country and partners with colleges and universities and corporations for education.” That wasn’t where it started, but it’s a blessing that we can share it in that way.

In 2008, once you had the idea that these stories need to be told, what was the next step? How did you get from just collecting because you love to collect to this point?

Since it’s a private collection, I really collect what I like and what I’m drawn to, and so I think there’s beauty in that. We would share it with friends, and when we did that, people would always say, “You all should really stop being selfish. Let’s put it out.”

So we would pull some pieces out and show friends and things like that. Then I was encouraged to share the art collection first, and then from there, I turned it into a traveling exhibit.

We’ve partnered with colleges and universities all over the country, bringing the exhibit virtually and in person. It was really about cataloging those first pieces that I had. When we look at pieces from the ’60s, when you are looking at the civil rights movement, and then you are starting to collect things related to Barack Obama, that’s a large [time]span. How did we get here? We tell that story through their original pieces and we needed to talk about what happened to get us here.

So given everything that you’ve gone through in getting to this point, what impact has this had on you personally?

One thing that is important to me as I look back is that when I was growing up, I loved theatre, history and culture, but those things weren’t really accessible to me. I could only experience it if the community center went or someone donated free tickets. Through the exhibit, I have the ability to bring history and culture up close and personal and we meet people where they are. They don’t have to get dressed up to go to a museum. I’ve had more college students in pajamas than I’ve had anything else. People are able to see things in person that they’ve only heard about or that they’ve only seen in books and people respond to history differently when it’s right there in front of their face. They might not read a chapter in a book, but when they see it at the exhibit, they will take a picture, they will Google it, they will ask questions.

PHOTO COURTESY OF NIA MCADOO

NIA MCADOO DURING AN EARLIER HOMAGE EXHIBIT

ARTS FEATURE

When we’re doing community shows, we often have intergenerational grandparents and grandchildren and those conversations that they have are very different because a parent or a grandparent can identify and then they tell the family story. When I think about 11-year-old Nia growing up in Buffalo, New York, and when I see young people come through the exhibit, or if we do a show at an elementary school, I see the light bulbs. I see the pride, I see the questions. And that’s what I really love.

You said people respond differently to history being run in front of them. How would you say they respond differently?

It’s interesting because at almost every show I hear some version of, “Oh my God, I didn’t realize … I knew this was a thing, but I’ve never seen this before. I’ve seen it in a book, but I’ve never seen it in person,” and I think when they see it in person, they have a different response to it. It’s like if you read a story or someone reads a story to you, it’s different. You engage with it differently.

When we bring the traveling exhibit out, we have a lot of questions, and we answer them through the lens of a collector, not an academic, which I also think is different and important because I think when people think about history and collection, they’re thinking you have a doctorate in something or that this is an academic approach to history. It’s not, it’s a very casual conversation on what the pieces mean to us.

I think people engage with that differently as well. I’m not necessarily beating you over the head with the historical significance of the piece. We’re having a conversation: Hey, this is what it is, so how does that make you feel? What’s your response to that?

People feel more comfortable sharing their responses to the pieces, even when the pieces are sometimes difficult to really take in — when you’re looking at a runaway slave ad featuring a family or original press photos from civil rights marches. But people are able to navigate the exhibit and then talk with my husband and I at the shows to really get an understanding of why we think the piece is important and why we added it to Homage.

What impact have you seen this exhibit have on people?

We did a CMS school, Dorothy J. Vaughn Academy, for Black History Month. There were three

little Black girls, and they’re just jumping all over the place, and they’re so excited. And the one girl kept coming back, and she’s pulling me table to table to table. And she’s like, “This is just so cool. We’ve never done anything like this at this school. I’ve never seen this.”

She was so excited she couldn’t focus because there was so much to focus on. Then her principal sent me a message a few days later, saying, “I have some students who really enjoyed this, could not stop talking about the experience.”

What makes this important now, specifically?

Children, teenagers, college students, younger people now are experiencing [the whitewashing of history] in a way that me at 44 is not. To see Black history unapologetic on full display, it’s a sense of pride for a lot of people.

We see people who tear up at the exhibit because it’s needed, especially now at a time where books are being banned and history is being told falsely, a lot of people really are appreciative of the fact that it’s open to the community and accessible.

What do you hope people take away when they attend an Homage showing?

A greater understanding of the history and contributions of African Americans. I love when people use the exhibit as a launching point for deeper conversations, and we’ll be handing out discussion guides where people can have reflection questions based on what they’ve seen at the exhibit.

Do you think it’s possible that more exhibits like this can happen with other collectors or curators?

I think so, yes. But I really hope that people leave this and do more to collect and understand their family or cultural history a little deeper. A lot of the emails I get are about, “We have my great grandmother’s old trunk of items, like, what do we do with that?”

And so just making sure that people better understand how to preserve their family’s history. I think it’s a starting point for any private collector: just nailing down the stories that are important to them. I think it’s important.

McAdoo’s Homage Exhibit is part of Mecklenburg County’s celebration of Juneteenth. The exhibit will be on display at Eastway Regional Recreation Center on June 15, from 1-7 p.m. It is free and open to all. INFO@QCNERVE.COM

MUSIC FEATURE

LIFE AFTER LIVE

Chris Shinn debuts stunning solo album

BY PAT MORAN

Chris Shinn says he’s scared shitless.

The singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist has fronted several bands, including multi-platinum selling alternative rock group Live from 2012 to 2016. The Charlotte native has written countless songs and has performed in front of thousands of people, but he admits that he’s very nervous about a gig at Snug Harbor on June 16. That’s because the hometown show is the live debut of Shinn’s solo album, Falling Up, credited to ShinN, which dropped in November 2022.

A vulnerable, emotionally direct and frequently dark fusion of beauty, angst and desperation, Falling Up is Shinn’s masterpiece, a gripping rumination on trauma and hope.

“[The record] is not like anything I’ve done,” the 30-year music industry veteran says, speaking from his Charlotte home. “With this record, there’s no compromising. I played all the instruments, engineered the record and mixed it. I took some chances on arrangements, and it’s weird. Some people are going to think I’m crazy.”

It’s with a mix of trepidation and elation that Shinn is putting this challenging material on its feet before a crowd, and his emotions are heightened because the Snug show is the first time Shinn’s played live since December 2019.

“When I was in Live, I was never nervous, because they weren’t really my songs,” Shinn says. ”I was singing songs that were 20-something years old that everyone already liked.”

Even in other bands Shinn cofounded, Celia Green, Unified Theory, and Everything is Energy, Shinn felt the same; his bandmates had written the material together, so any failure was a group failure.

“If [Falling Up and the Snug show] don’t work, it’s all on me,” Shinn says. “That’s a different feeling, and it’s exhilarating and scary as shit.”

Shinn has assembled a crack band to play the full album, including old friends Patrick Dahlheimer, who is Live’s former bassist; and Jason Gerken, drummer with Kansas City rock band Shiner. Shinn is clearly proud of the album he created in his home studio, calling it “fiercely revealing and vulnerable.”

A father’s sins, a son’s adventures

Shinn’s last name may spark recognition among Charlotte sports fans, because his father, George Shinn, launched the Charlotte Hornets in 1988, only to move the franchise to New Orleans amid a tsunami of fan venom in 2002.

Chris remembers growing up amid the supernova of his father bringing an NBA team to Charlotte as living in a bubble.

“It was fascinating and fun, but ultimately it probably didn’t do my family any favors. As the

Though the family wasn’t musical, George bought Chris and his brother miniature quarter-sized guitars, which the boys never played. That changed when Chris dusted off one of the instruments and started accompanying himself singing while writing songs. He remembers R.E.M. and The Cure as big influences. As a student at Myers Park High School, Shinn became a fan of Live, particularly the York, Pennsylvania band’s 1991 album Mental Jewelry.

Meanwhile Shinn’s junior high and high school band Imaginary Heroes booked gigs at The Milestone Club and Pterodactyl Club. Shinn befriended Charlotte-based musicians Benji Hughes and Jonathan Wilson, and soon after turning 18, Shinn and his friends made the move to Los Angeles.

As a result, Shinn was out of town when everything went south with his father and the Hornets. In 1999, George Shinn admitted during a nationally televised sex assault trial to having sexual relationships outside of his marriage, thereby tarnishing his reputation. The elder Shinn withdrew from the public eye as his popularity — and

Wilson played guitar with artists like Roger Waters. As a producer, he’s worked with acts including Father John Misty and Billy Strings.

Meanwhile, Shinn founded alt-rock band Celia Green in 1995. The band recorded but never released an album.

The band gained notoriety when the house Shinn was renting from landlord Dean Torrence, of 1960s surf-pop duo Jan & Dean, burned down. The band had been rehearsing at the house, so Shinn and his bandmates lost all their gear in the blaze. Then Celia Green imploded when the guitarist and the drummer left to play with rock/hip-hop crossover artist Everlast.

“Right after that happened I met Christopher Thorn, so one door closed and the other one opened,” Shinn says.

Thorn was the guitar player for retro-hippie alt-rockers Blind Melon. Two years after frontman Shannon Hoon’s drug overdose death, Thorn was scouting musical collaborators. Shinn went with Thorn to Seattle to meet Blind Melon bass player Brad Smith.

With the addition of Pearl Jam drummer Dave Krusen, the band Luma launched in 1998, but Shinn and his bandmates quickly renamed themselves Unified Theory. Based in Seattle, the group spent a year touring and recording their self-titled debut album that dropped in 2000. Shinn first met his future bandmates from Live when Unified Theory toured with Live and Counting Crows in 2003.

By 2006, Unified Theory was playing packed showcases in LA and New York clubs. The band had completed its second album Cinematic, but Shinn was exhausted. He took a brief vacation back in Seattle, but told his bandmates that he was just a phone call away.

“For some reason they took it as if I was leaving,” Shinn says. “What a shame. We could have evolved into a monster of a band. We were on fire.”

Whatever the reason, Thorn and Smith ghosted Shinn and Krusen, who continued to play together for several years. Unified Theory, on the other hand, simply fell apart.

Band of brothers

Hornets were happening there was no emphasis on my schooling,” says Shinn, who remembers jetting off to other cities on school nights to catch NBA games. “My grades went in the shitter.”

At the same time, Shinn showed scant interest in the family business.

“I wasn’t a sports kid. I was a skater and a musician,” he says.

Hornets ticket sales — plummeted. Both factors likely prompted the Hornets’ move to New Orleans.

Far from the tumult, Chris played music with Hughes and Wilson until the friends went their separate ways. Hughes and Wilson launched altrock act Muscadine with debut album The Ballad of Hope Nicholls in 1995. Hughes released his critically praised 2008 debut album A Love Extreme while

After launching short-lived heavy-rock band Everything is Energy, Shinn moved around, splitting time in LA and New Orleans. By 2012, Shinn was living in Nashville and attending a pool party when three members of Live called him on speaker phone. In 2009, Live had gone on hiatus which turned permanent when vocalist and chief songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the fold. The remaining members, guitarist Chad Taylor, bassist Patrick Dahlheimer and drummer Chad Gracey,

CHRIS SHINN (RIGHT) ONSTAGE WITH LIVE.

PHOTO BY LUCIA DE GIOVANNI

reformed Live without Kowalczyk and recruited Shinn to rerecord songs from Live’s back catalog so the band could license the music for commercials.

“On the re-records, I went [to York, PA] and nailed it,” Shinn says. “I parroted Ed as close as I could.”

After the session went well, Taylor, Dahlheimer and Gracey asked Shinn to join the band and go on tour. Shinn, a fan of the band since high school, accepted the offer.

Live went on the Summerland Nineties nostalgia tour in 2013 with Everclear, Filter, and Sponge. After that, they went into the studio to record new Live album The Turn with producer Jerry Harrison, former keyboardist and guitarist with Talking Heads. At least some of the band went into the studio.

“Taylor, Dahlheimer and Gracey cut the backing tracks without me there,” Shinn says. “Then Jerry [Harrison] and I spent at least a month together [in the studio] working our asses off on that record.” In the process, Shinn impressed Harrison with his talent and work ethic, and the two forged a tight friendship. Today, the 48-year old Shinn refers to the 74-year old Harrison as his “musical dad.” Shinn also receives a writing credit on every song on The Turn.

“Our goal [with The Turn] was to push the boundaries and take this awesome ship they had built to other places,” Shinn says.

He soon realized that other Live members had a different goal: to get product out in order to play it on tour and keep the commercial juggernaut rolling.

In a 2022 Rolling Stone interview, Shinn remembered his reaction to Live’s money-minded approach to making music. In response, Taylor dismissed Shinn’s recollections as the opinions of a “trust fund kid.” Shinn says he’s heard the “rich kid” put-down before, including one from notoriously rude super producer Bob Ezrin (Lou Reed, Alice Cooper), but such denigrating comments are water off his back.

The trauma Shinn has until recently internalized from his firing from Live is another matter. Shinn says he was determined to remain loyal to Live, but after he refused to cancel a long-planned family reunion in Arizona for a last minute one-off gig, his bandmates started negotiating a return to Live with former frontman Kowalczyk. In 2016, Taylor called Shinn to give him the boot.

“I could give a shit that I’m not in the band,” Shinn says. “It was never my band to begin with.”

One of the conditions for Kowalczyk returning to the fold, however, was having The Turn essentially erased from the band’s history.

“To have The Turn just removed, and then have everything taken down — any video things we had done, it was a big kick to the gut. I spent five years, and all I did was focus on that band. It was a massive betrayal that I pushed way down,” Shinn says.

Harrison, who produced three other Live albums in addition to The Turn, has urged Shinn to release the album as a ShinN solo project. The plan should come to fruition soon, Shinn says.

Still, the betrayal Shinn felt from his former bandmates stung.

“Who the fuck do you talk to about that?” Shinn says. “How many people do you know who have sung in multi-platinum selling bands, but they now want to pretend that you don’t exist. There aren’t many people to talk to about that, so you push that shit down.”

‘Falling Up’

In the meantime, Shinn had married, but the eight-year relationship, including over two years of marriage, was unraveling. Then COVID and the shutdown that followed removed distractions and put a magnifying glass on the couple’s problems.

After the divorce, Shinn turned to the home studio he had built with money earned fronting Live. He learned to use all the equipment he had once watched first-rate producers and engineers use, but now he was at the helm.

“It’s funny what trauma will do,” Shinn muses. “I fully gave myself to the music, which I hadn’t done before.”

The result is Falling Up.

“I remembered 18-year-old me who had fire

on “The Artist.” Over strummed guitars and a stuttering drum pattern, Shinn’s hushed confidential vocals surge forward:

“I am the reject, the keeper, the sleeper/ The underachiever in charge/ Casting a spell starts the raining in Hell/ Somewhere in there is a heart...”

The lyrics display the fierce optimism and hope that underpin even the album’s darkest songs.

“‘The Artist’ is me truly in my power,” Shinn says. “Hands down, music is magic for me.”

Shinn’s redemptive optimism is also evident on his 2023 EP Tentacles and Teeth, which is comprised of darkly psychedelic experimental pieces that didn’t quite fit with Falling Up’s flow.

Soaring, stomping and apocalyptic, the EP’s “Black Around the Edges” was composed during Shinn’s separation and divorce. The music is married to new celebratory lyrics about the current love in Shinn’s life, his girlfriend.

“How can you take/ Your aim off the draw?/ And not cross a lane?/ for real/ Control is letting go/ A steep climb, a stain...”

in his eyes and was fearless,” Shinn says about recording the album.

Accessing the passion of his younger self, Shinn focused his decisions on what worked for the album.

“Whatever was coming through those speakers needed to resonate with what was happening inside [me], the same way dogs howl when the sirens go by,” Shinn says.

Shinn addresses his inner turmoil in the harrowing kick off track “I’m Inside.” Amid grinding guitars and clashing cymbals, Shinn’s supple yet hair-raising vocals ascend like a secular hymn.

“Taking each day/ in over cast gray/ Has secret meaning/ studying shapes in bottomless lakes/ The ancients, still breathing...”

“It’s the beginning of acknowledging that I was locked up emotionally,” Shinn says.

Shinn stretches himself with an arrangement including the sounds of strings, violin and Mellotron

His bandmates have expressed an interest in playing additional shows, but right now, Shinn’s steep climb is preparing for the gig at Snug Harbor. That includes reuniting with bassist Dahlheimer.

Shinn stresses that he doesn’t hold his old Live bandmate responsible for the ugliness that arose near the end of his tenure with the band. In fact, Shinn says, Dahlheimer reached out a few years back with a heartfelt note that touched Shinn deeply.

“For him to be back with me right now is such a monumental and incredible thing,” Shinn says. As for his music and the future of his band, Shinn is dedicated to be fearless.

“I decided in my head and in my heart, that whatever I imagined, I would just do,” Shinn says. “If it’s a crazy thing with a song, or the videos I make, that’s it. Don’t be afraid to be exactly who the fuck you are.”

PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM

CHRIS SHINN

PHOTO BY LUCIA DE GIOVANNI

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Bastille (The Fillmore)

Thotcrime w/ Cocojoey, Cosmic Twynk, Sayurblaires (The Milestone)

Spotlights w/ Bog Loaf, Spirit System (Snug Harbor)

Ryan Monroe & Josh Roberts w/ Jason Scavone (Visulite Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Shindig! A ‘50s and ‘60s Dance Party (Tommy’s Pub)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Jonathan Birtchfield w/ Jay Hoff (Goldie’s)

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Headkicker w/ Circuit, Patois Counselors, Adam Cope (The Milestone)

Heroes & Villains Night feat. Petrov (Snug Harbor)

Chris Taylor & the Rumor (Goldie’s)

HIP-HOP/R&B/SOUL

Caskey w/ Benny Holiday, Cremro Smith (The Rooster)

JAZZ/BLUES

Kim Cage Riley (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Tenci (Neighborhood Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Zella Day w/ Okey Dokey (Visulite Theatre)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Ben Mignogna (Comet Grill)

Brendan Abernathy w/ Tinayeshe Manyika (Evening Muse)

Sam on Someday (Petra’s)

Bald Brothers w/ Matt Stratford (Goldie’s)

OPEN MIC

Every Other Thursday Open Mic Night w/ Finn Castelow (Tommy’s Pub)

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Jameson Tank w/ Fox N’Vead, Regence (Evening Muse)

Runaway Brother w/ Molly O’Malley, Swae, Modeneverything (The Milestone)

Noir Noir w/ Cinemartyr (Petra’s)

Shadow’s Edge w/ Trace Casanova (The Rooster)

ShinN w/ Saudade (Snug Harbor)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Mr. Groove (Middle C Jazz)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in Concert (Belk Theater)

JAZZ/BLUES

Lucy Yeghiazaryan Quintet (Stage Door Theater)

Gary Harris w/ Jay D. Jones (Evening Muse)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Dale Watson (Neighborhood Theatre)

Sashimi w/ Hexxus, Mikey Tookie, Dark Adaptation (Tommy’s Pub)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

¡TUMBAO! w/ Relay Relay (Camp North End)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Scoot Pittman w/ Casey Clark (Goldie’s)

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

True Lilith w/ Aurora’s Hope, Beauty (Evening Muse)

Hihtower w/ The Panic Broadcast, Dark Sun Kult, October (The Milestone)

Morrowville w/ The Menders, American Theory, Tiny City (The Rooster)

Council Ring w/ Funky Geezer, Bombanishish, Bert Wray (Tommy’s Pub)

JAZZ/BLUES

Lucy Yeghiazaryan Quintet (Stage Door Theater)

Alyson Williams (Middle C Jazz)

HIP-HOP/R&B/SOUL

Tink & Friends (Ovens Auditorium)

Skinny Jay & Friends (Camp North End)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Truckstop Preachers (Comet Grill)

Dierks Bentley (PNC Music Pavilion)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Wild Party w/ Galloway

Miami Dice w/ See Bird Go, Chaka Fever, DJ Lampshade (Snug Harbor)

Su Casa Saturday Sounds (Starlight on 22nd)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in Concert (Belk Theater)

ACOUSTIC/SINGERSONGWRITER

Ashlar Sargent (Primal Brewery)

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

The Whiskey Predicament (Tommy’s Pub)

JAZZ/BLUES

The Boneshakers (Middle C Jazz)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Hazy Sunday (Petra’s)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Kimberly Underwood (Primal Brewery)

Randy Paul w/ Rayen Belchere (Goldie’s)

OPEN MIC

Open Mic Night (Starlight on 22nd)

MONDAY, JUNE 19

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Roy Daye Jr. (Goldie’s)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic ft. Paul Edelman (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Triathalon w/ Current Blue (Neighborhood Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

$NOT (The Underground)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

The Russian White w/ Solemn Shapes, Same Story (The Milestone)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Cosmic Jam Session (Crown Station)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Nathan Davis w/ Brent Cates (Goldie’s)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Crywank w/ Foot Ox (The Milestone)

Bog Loaf w/ King Cackle, Shanked (Snug Harbor)

Andy Frasco & The U.N. w/ Cosmic Collective (Visulite Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

The Watson Twins w/ Taylor Winchester (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Johnathan Birtchfield w/ Mike Ramsey (Goldie’s)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

The Ries Brothers w/ The Hourglass Kids (Evening Muse)

House of Funk: The Music of Prince (Middle C Jazz)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Jesse & Joy w/ Nicole Zignago (The Fillmore)

OPEN MIC

Singer/Songwriter Open Mic (The Rooster)

THURSDAY, JUNE 22

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

No/Mas w/ Knoll, Shanked, Victim Complex (The Milestone)

Blood Orchid w/ Au$tin Royale, Augurs, Josh Cotterino (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Tatiana Eva-Marie (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Keegan Federal (Comet Grill)

Malcolm Holcombe w/ Jared Tyler (Evening Muse)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Two Friends (Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre)

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Brojob w/ Fractured Frames, Reflect//Refine, Cleansing of the Temple, Severed by Dawn (The Milestone)

Petrov w/ Maiden Mother Crone, Subvertigo (Petra’s)

Witch Motel w/ Stormwatchers, The Pentitentials, Gurthworm (The Rooster)

Leisure McCorkle (Goldie’s)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

David Graham & the Eskimo Brothers (Evening Muse)

Chatham County Line w/ Joseph Terrell (Neighborhood Theatre)

Jukebox Rehab (Goldie’s)

JAZZ/BLUES

Harvey Cummings II (Middle C Jazz)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Wake Moody w/ XOXOK (Camp North End)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Emo Night Brooklyn (The Underground)

Deep Fried Disco (Snug Harbor)

Ape Audio (Starlight on 22nd)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Liz Longley w/ Mando Saenz (Evening Muse)

Scoot Pittman (Goldie’s)

SATURDAY, JUNE 24

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

X w/ Squirrel Nut Zippers (Neighborhood Theatre)

Weezer (PNC Music Pavilion)

Roosterlympics (The Rooster)

Hellfire 76 w/ No More People, Anchor Detail (Tommy’s Pub)

Pluto for Planet (Goldie’s)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Joe Pug w/ Anna Tivel (Evening Muse)

Humbletown w/ Planet Sized Planet, Joseph Gallo (Skylark Social Club)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Melanie Martinez (Sklya Credit Union Amphitheatre)

Digital Noir w/ DJ Price (The Milestone)

Hotel Fiction w/ Mellow Swells, Deion Reverie (Snug Harbor)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Grupo Frontera (Bojangles Coliseum)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Elonzo Wesley (Primal Brewery)

Spencer Rush w/ Scott Pittman (Goldie’s)

SUNDAY, JUNE 25

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Peter Frampton (Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Gena Chambers (Middle C Jazz) POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Ape Audio Presents (Starlight on 22nd)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Joe Pug w/ Anna Tivel (Evening Muse)

Brandon Davidson w/ Rayen Belchere (Goldie’s)

MONDAY, JUNE 26

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Animals as Leaders (The Underground) Well Wisher w/ Faye, The Real Dolls (The Milestone)

Death Valley Girls w/ The Coyotes, The Girls (Snug Harbor) POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Tori Amos (Ovens Auditorium)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Roy Daye Jr. (Goldie’s)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic ft. Bank Run (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Willa Mae w/ Solis, Zoe Bayani (Snug Harbor)

Dan Hood Trio (Goldie’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Sammy Adams w/ Moonlander (Neighborhood Theatre) POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Big Time Rush (PNC Music Pavilion) FUNK/JAM BANDS

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

PASSING THE FORK

Julia Simon hands over ownership of vegan meal delivery service Nourish

BY KARIE SIMMONS

It’s one thing to believe in the philosophy that wholesome food is better for our bodies and our planet and should be easier to find, but it’s another to make it your life’s work.

That’s what Julia Simon has done with Nourish Charlotte — a locally sourced, organic, plant-based and gluten-free prepared food delivery service she started in 2012 at the age of 31. Nourish puts out a new menu every week and customers subscribe to meal plans or order individual meals a la carte to be brought to their doorstep.

It’s been a labor of love for Simon and for a long time it brought her great joy, until one day it didn’t.

Burnt out from the exhaustion of running a meal delivery company during the pandemic and the scramble of opening a new restaurant, Plant Joy, at Camp North End during a time of unprecedented change in the food industry, Simon realized she bit off more than she could (comfortably) chew.

Also in 2020, Nourish became heavily involved in the Black Lives Matter movement, specifically with Mutual Aid Free Support, Feed the Movement CLT and Jail Support.

It eventually became too much for Simon to juggle and consistently working 21-hour days was taking its toll. She said once she felt like she was losing sight of the big picture, she knew it was time to take something off her plate.

On June 6, Simon officially handed the reins of Nourish to Charlotte chef Hannah Riley in order to focus solely on Plant Joy. Riley is the founder and owner of Alternative Chef, a well-established catering, weekly meal prep and private chef service centered on healthy, local foods.

Simon said it feels strange yet gratifying to let go of her business after more than a decade — her longest endeavor to date.

“I feel like when I had to decide between the two, I felt like I needed a new adventure and [Plant Joy] is that,” Simon said. “I still don’t really know what I’m doing. I know I have a ton to learn, but I feel like I know a lot about how Nourish works. I’ve learned that lesson.”

Finding a successor

It was after many years working on her endeavors that Simon realized she was spreading herself too thin; she had her fill of Nourish and it was time to find a successor.

Simon initially reached out to her vegan network and then her farm-to-table network, most of whom are fellow chefs that belong to the Piedmont Culinary Guild. Nourish received several offers from interested buyers, but Simon said Riley’s was the strongest.

She liked Riley’s vision for Nourish and their similar ideologies around food, being an ethical businessperson and treating employees well.

“I felt like we were sisters in the field,” Simon said.

Riley has worked in the food industry for 22 years, half of which have been in Charlotte. At 18 years old she started her own catering company, which grew into personal chef services and led to her becoming a live-in personal chef for families.

She honed her passion even further when she began branching off to offer meal prep and personal chef services to people with dietary restrictions or health issues trying to mitigate their side effects with food. Her work hit home when she found out people close to her had food allergies that were detrimental to their health and in some cases life-threatening.

“I really dove deep into the allergen side of cooking to learn the ways that people who have food restrictive diets can still enjoy the foods they love without having the foods that are going to make them sick,” Riley said. “Hence the name Alternative Chef.”

For Riley, Nourish is the perfect opportunity to continue in her calling. She said it’s been a seamless transition to add Nourish as a sister company because she and Simon share the same focus of making locally sourced, farm-to-fork, all-natural meals.

It also helped that Nourish has its own dedicated space, so Riley doesn’t have to work out of a shared commercial kitchen any longer.

“When the option to purchase a pre-existing meal prep company came up, I was immediately interested because that means I get my own kitchen,” Riley said.

As an added plus, Nourish is already a gluten-

free kitchen, which Riley said is kind of the crux of Alternative Chef. Her son cannot eat gluten and, although he wasn’t born when she started the company, she pivoted her entire business to learn how to cook for his needs.

Now that he has graduated high school and is heading to college in the fall, she said she has more time to devote to taking on another business with Nourish and expanding her services.

Ensuring everyone is nourished

The most glaring difference between Nourish and Alternative Chef is that Alternative Chef is not exclusively vegan like Nourish is, though the company already offers some plant-based options.

Simon said staying completely plant-based wasn’t a requirement to take over Nourish, especially since her customers have shared through feedback surveys that veganism falls low on the list of what’s important to them. She’ll leave it up Riley to decide how much of a priority it remains at Nourish.

Riley has already done some sharing between menus, like offering vegan dishes at Alternative Chef.

“But we haven’t crossed the line yet with Nourish offering animal proteins. We’re kind of being conscientious of the current clientele base, and not putting that out there to hopefully not scare them off.”

Simon left Riley a database of six months of recipes to build from, including favorites like the mac and cheese, and has trained her in some of her Nourish practices.

She said it was important to her to set Riley up for success because the mission of Nourish “is not just to feed moderately to extremely wealthy people,”

but to also nourish those that are part of it and that includes the person at the head of the table.

What happens next

Simon plans to use some of the capital from the sale of Nourish to figure out what’s next with Plant Joy, whether that means a larger space, a second location or more of a commissary-style kitchen concept.

But before any decisions are made, she’s taking a month off and going to the desert.

“That’s where I tend to go when I’m not sure what’s next. I tend to go to that biome and like, hang out a minute,” Simon said. “I have the great privilege to be able to do that for the next three or four weeks and then come back to Charlotte ready to kick it.”

As for Riley, on July 1, she plans to open a retail space in the lobby of Nourish’s kitchen, located on Orchard Lake Drive in the Sardis Woods area of southeast Charlotte. It will have grab-and-go items, ready-to-eat meals, local kombucha, CBD drinks, and products from local farmers, chefs and artisans.

Simon said Riley’s energy when it comes to Nourish has been exciting and refreshing to see, especially for the staff.

“I feel like it’s been a minute since the Nourish kids have seen that and I think it’s exciting for them to see somebody coming in, painting stuff, making it beautiful, having really strong ideas and really excited to execute them. My energy has been a lot lower key,” Simon said.

With a new leader comes a new era for Nourish and that, Simon said, is what’s bringing her joy again.

KSIMMONS@QCNERVE.COM

PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIA SIMON JULIA SIMON

THE SEEKER A NOT SO GOOD GRIEF

A storm of emotions

BY KATIE GRANT

I held my mother’s hand as she took her last few breaths. She was heavily sedated in the emergency room as pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis pulled her away.

It was a beautiful spring day, which only added to the feeling of shock and confusion. My pink cotton sundress was inconsistent with the emotions that shrouded the hospital room as I studied her body for the last time — the hands that once held me, the belly that grew me, the pallid lips that used to kiss my head. I am learning that grief summarizes the heartache felt after a loved one passes; dynamic and undulative.

Determined to allow the storm of emotions to flow through me but not consume me, I was ready to be around people again a week later. I headed to the annual ONE Fest, hosted by Dancing Lotus Yoga at Lenny Boy Brewing Co. for some yoga, arts and much-needed healing.

This event drew my attention because ONE Fest proudly hosts diverse classes and workshops. This year’s lineup was accessible, fun and represented various healing practices — starting the weekend with an intense yoga flow and chiropractic adjustment outdoors?

Yes, please!

Another form of self-care I ventured into this spring is a form of semi-permanent makeup: lip tattooing.

What is the lip tattoo process, you ask?

Also known as “lip blush” or “semi-permanent makeup for lips,” lip tattooing is a cosmetic procedure that involves inserting pigment into the skin using a machine and a fine needle. Through several rounds of pigmentation and two initial appointments, the artist works to “build up” the pigment on your lips. It’s a process of layering to get the desired saturation.

Lip tattooing can add definition and fullness to the lips, correct uneven lip shape or asymmetry and enhance the natural lip color. It can also help to create the appearance of a fuller pout by defining the lip border. The procedure is customizable, allowing customers to choose their desired shade and intensity of color.

As for me, I was tired of looking in the mirror and seeing a pair of asymmetrical lips, so I decided to do something about it finally. I booked my first tattoo session with a local female-owned and operated tattoo studio. After several rounds of rescheduling due to personal issues on the artist’s end, I finally laid down in her chair. Am I allowed to feel annoyed when it comes to elective procedures?

The artist first consulted me, asking about my goals (symmetry) and finally choosing a color. Pigments used

HOROSCOPE

JUNE 14 - 20 JUNE 21 - 27

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You Ewes and Rams will find your ideas cheered by a mostly receptive flock. Those few dissenters could well be turned around by your charm and powers of persuasion.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A stubborn refusal to go ahead on a project mystifies colleagues who expected more flexibility. But once you explain your position, they’ll understand and even applaud you.

are usually chosen to match or enhance the natural lip color. She recommended choosing a shade I gravitate to most of the time, so we arrived at a coral pink shade. She then outlined my lips to establish the desired shape. They looked so full; I did not realize they held so much potential!

After numbing me for 30 minutes, the artist used a specialized tattoo machine to deposit the pigments into the lip tissue. She started on the top lip, moved to the bottom lip, and alternated between the two for about three hours. I was continuously and adequately numbed throughout the process.

It’s important to note that lip tattooing is a semipermanent procedure, as the pigments gradually fade over time — and fade they did.

I went for a touch-up a few weeks later, which was included in the price, thankfully. The artist admitted the pigment was light, so we did another three-hour tattoo session.

She was transparent when disclosing how factors such as individual metabolism, sun exposure, and lifestyle can affect the tattoo’s longevity.

Touch-up sessions may be needed every few years to maintain the desired color and shape, but I will save my money after sitting through two sessions and seeing minimal results.

Either way, I have a makeup drawer full of lipsticks, lip stains, lip glosses, and tinted lip balms begging not to be forgotten. By not re-booking, I will be $500 richer simply using what I already have.

While navigating the unpredictable sea of grief this spring, I’ve explored the tattoo route (which allows the body to release endorphins but has not proved worth the price) as well as yoga, with travel up next on the list. I’ve booked a yoga retreat in Mexico, combining my bereavement days and a long holiday weekend for a summer break in the southern hemisphere.

While grief is universal, I am learning that everyone experiences it differently; sometimes the stages overlap. From what I’ve read, the standard five stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Grief can also feel like regret, shame, anxiety and include physical sensations. For me, the anxiety manifests physically in the form of excruciating headaches.

Thus far, I have found that yoga is providing the solace I need, in addition to abstaining from alcohol for mental health reasons. And therapy, lots of therapy. INFO@QCNERVE.COM

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s time for the bold and beautiful Bovine to shake off the dust of the past and shape up new ideas for the future. This could surprise some folks, but they’ll soon adjust.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Those nagging new doubts about an upcoming decision should alert you to step back (at least temporarily) so you can reassess its potential impact from a new perspective.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) That unpleasant situation you hoped would go away by itself needs immediate attention before it affects an upcoming decision. Expect your supporters to rally around your cause.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You’re moving up and away from that recent setback. But remain cautious about finances. An exercise in thrift today helps cushion a possible end-of-the-month money squeeze.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You’re still dealing with overtones of pessimism that cause you to doubt your ability to make some needed changes. But the negative pressures will ease up by week’s end.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) There could be some fallout from the way you handled a recent family problem. But those who know that you were in the right won’t hesitate to step in on your behalf.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Financial strains ease by week’s end. Meanwhile, focus on cultivating that new relationship if you hope to have it blossom into something more meaningful.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Health matters once again dominate the week. Be careful not to ignore recurrences of an old problem. An almostforgotten commitment resurfaces.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) The emergence of an unusual selfish streak could dismay those close to you. Defy it -- don’t justify it -- so you can become your gracious self again.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Reassess your decision to stay with the status quo. It might seem like the sensible thing to do right now, but changes around you could make that choice a risky one.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Move decisively, but cautiously, when dealing with a delicate personal matter. The fewer mistakes you make now, the less likely it is that the problem will recur later on.

BORN THIS WEEK: You can find beauty where many cannot, and you enjoy sharing your discoveries with others.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A relationship seems to be stuck in the same place. Now it’s up to you, dear Bovine, how far you want it to go and how intense you want it to be. Choose well and choose soon.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A relationship progresses more slowly than you would prefer. Best advice: Insist on a frank and open discussion. What is learned could change minds and, maybe, hearts.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) It’s all right to be grateful to a workplace colleague who has done you a good turn. But gratitude shouldn’t be a lifelong obligation. The time to break this cycle is now.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) It’s going to be especially nice to be the King of the Zodiac at this time. A recent money squeeze eases. Plans start to work out, and new friends enter Your Majesty’s domain.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Before you make a commitment on any level (personal, professional, legal), get all of the facts. There might be hidden problems that could cause trouble later on.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Personal relationships improve. Professional prospects also brighten. A job offer could come through by month’s end, and an old friend seeks to make contact.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your senses detect that something is not quite right about a matter involving a workplace colleague. Best advice: Follow your keen instincts, and don’t get involved.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A prospect offers rewards, but it also demands that you assume a great deal of responsibility. Knowing you, you’re up to the challenge, so go for it — and good luck.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A favor you did a long time ago is repaid, as a trusted colleague steps in to help you with a suddenly expanded workload. A family member has important news as well.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A new job offer could require moving across the country. But before you let your doubts determine your decision, learn more about the potentials involved.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your sense of fair play doesn’t allow you to rush to judgment about a friend who might have betrayed you. Good! All the facts on the matter are not yet in.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a romantic nature that allows you to find the best in people. You would excel at poetry and drama.

LIFESTYLE PUZZLES

SUDOKU

BY LINDA THISTLE

TRIVIA TEST

BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ

1. TELEVISION: When did “Sesame Street” debut on PBS?

2. MOVIES: What is the name of the moon where “Avatar” takes place?

3. GEOGRAPHY: Which country is home to a tall rock structure called the Finger of God?

4. HISTORY: What was Babe Ruth’s real first name?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How many of Snow White’s seven dwarfs have names ending in “y”?

6. MUSIC: Which country did the band AC/DC come from?

7. LITERATURE: How many books are in the primary Harry Potter novel series?

8. GOVERNMENT: How many national parks are in the United States?

9. FOOD & DRINK: In which country was the Caesar salad invented?

10. ANATOMY: Where is the uvula in the human body?

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.

QUICKIES

Unlike most sexperts, I’ve actually had sex

BY DAN SAVAGE

1. Is it good to see your ex naked?

Well, it depends. If you’re on good terms with your ex and seeing your ex naked (looking at old pictures, swapping new ones, having breakup/FWB sex) doesn’t keep emotional wounds incurred during the relationship open and bleeding (making it harder for you and/or your ex to heal and move on) and seeing your ex naked doesn’t bother your current — if you have a current — then seeing your ex naked can be great.

2. I have genital herpes, but I’m asymptotic. Panic or NBD?

Herpes is not a big deal for most people with herpes — most people with HSV1 or HSV2 are likewise asymptotic — so, don’t panic. I’ve done a few of episodes of the Lovecast on herpes with Dr. Ina Park, a professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and Medical Consultant at the Centers for Disease Control Division of STD Prevention. Dr. Park discussed the stigma vs. the reality, disclosure vs. nondisclosure, treatment options and more.

3. Does performing kegels with a cock or dildo in a male’s anus strengthen the sphincter?

In all honesty, I don’t know — but that’s never stopped me from telling a guy I’m fucking that doing kegels is a good idea.

4. Do you prefer boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs on men?

I’m an ABT guy myself — anything but thongs.

5. How does one deal with emotional discomfort during sex?

Well, it depends. Before I go any further, a lot of “sexperts” will tell you to stop at the first sign of emotional discomfort … but unlike a lot of “sexperts,” I’ve actually had sex. And this may come as a surprise to some of my readers … I actually have some sexual hang-ups. (Places I don’t like to be touched, things I don’t like to do, words I don’t like to be called, etc.). And if I called off sex whenever I experienced mild-to-middling emotional discomfort, I would’ve missed out on a lot of sex (and a few relationships) that turned out to be pretty good or even great. So, instead of ending things at the first sign of mild emotional discomfort, try saying things instead — try communicating in the moment —and if the person you’re with quickly corrects course and your

discomfort passes, you’ll most likely be glad you didn’t call it off. If your emotional distress is severe, obviously call off the sex.

6. I’m a cis gay man that really enjoys his sex toys, however, when I try to bottom for other men, I find that experience super itchy and uncomfortable. This doesn’t happen when I use toys and I have no idea why. Is this some kind of anal vaginismus?

“Itching can be due to an allergic reaction, an STI, or lack of lubrication,” said Dr. Carlton Thomas, a gastroenterologist and gay health expert. “Sometimes the hair on genitals can create an itchy sensation depending on its length. In this case, I wonder if our person is using condoms and might be allergic to the latex.”

Follow Dr. Thomas at @doctorcarlton on Instagram and TikTok.

7. I’m a straight woman who’s in love with a gay man who is also my cousin, but he was adopted so we aren’t genetically related. He’s the most amazing human being I’ve ever met. I don’t think it’s reciprocated but he is very sweet to me. I constantly fantasize about him passionately kissing me. Is this something people live with?

The fact that this guy is your cousin isn’t the biggest hurdle you face — his homosexuality is a much bigger obstacle — and other than waiting for it to pass, there’s really nothing you can do about this unrequited crush. There are no magic words that will turn your cousin straight or turn him into … not your cousin. An unrequited and/or unrequitable crush is a kind of madness, but one most people recover from in time.

8. All of the Andrew Tate, alpha male, and incel content online has turned my attraction to men into a revulsion. I am literally attracted to no one, and I hate it. What should I do here?

You should stop looking at Andrew Tate, alpha male, and incel content.

9. I’m a straight man but wannabe fag. I want to be forcibly feminized and fucked by dominant gay alpha males. But I need to be forced because I am too weak to really do it. How can this happen to me if I can’t ask for it? Asking for it would ruin it. Gay men do a lot of crazy things … but gay men don’t

go around kicking down doors and then forcibly feminizing and fucking any straight men they find cowering behind them. To find a gay guy who wants to do that shit to you — and there are gay men who would be into it — you’re gonna have to ask for it. Then, once you find a guy who wants to top you, you’ll have to do what everyone else with elaborate sexual fantasies involving force and submission has to do: Suspend your disbelief and pretend that the panties and ass fucking wasn’t your idea all along.

10. Lesbian/all-women sex parties. Are they a thing?

They are — but they’re a less common thing than gay/all-men sex parties. People like to debate why gay sex parties are ubiquitous and lesbian sex parties are few and far between (socialization, slut shaming, sex differences, testosterone, etc.), but debates don’t make lesbian sex parties happen. People with the ovaries to throw them do.

11. How do men identify who are only into men/cock sexually? No attraction on the street.

Some identify as bi, some as pan, and a small handful identify as phallophiles — that is, people who are attracted to penises but not the men they (almost always) come attached to.

12. Lots of “bi” guys I’ve met will suck cock but don’t want to kiss men. What’s up with that?

Congrats, you’ve encountered the not-at-all elusive bi-identified phallophile in the wild. No need to put “bi” in scare quotes; a phallophilic bisexual is perfectly valid bisexual, and you got your dick sucked, didn’t you?

13. After hooking up with a rando, isn’t it polite to say thank you and you were great after?

Just as it’s polite to say, “Everything was great, thanks,” when the waiter comes to take your plate after you’ve finished, it’s polite to say, “That was great, thanks,” after finishing up with a rando. Some people worry that being polite might give a rando the wrong idea — that they’re interested in seeing the rando again — and others are so overwhelmed by shame after casual/ anonymous/rando sex that they can’t be polite. People who can’t be polite to randos (and grateful for randos), or have to take their self-loathing out on randos, should stay home and masturbate instead.

14. One snorer and one light sleeper, longterm relationship. How do we share a bed?

You don’t — separate bedrooms, if you can afford it, a pull-down bed or pull-out couch in the living room, if you can’t.

15. How do I get my male partner to be comfortable pulling out? I’d love to get rid of condoms.

You send him to Planned Parenthood’s information page on the pull-out method (effective for preventing pregnancy when done correctly), you show him the box

of Plan B emergency contraception you already have in your medicine cabinet in case he doesn’t pull out in time, you assure him that you will get an abortion if you wind up getting pregnant, and you move to a blue state if you aren’t already living in one so you can get an abortion if you wind up getting pregnant.

16. Is there any empirical evidence that there are more “tops” or “bottoms” among gay men?

Tons of evidence, but it’s all anecdotal — and seeing as the U.S. Census only started asking about cohabitating same-sex couples in 2020 (with no other questions touching on sexual orientation or gender identity), it’s going to be a long time before they add “top, bottom, or vers?” to it.

17. My semen has gotten very thick. I’m 39. Can I thin it out somehow? I think I’m hydrated. You can dilute it by mixing it with another man’s semen … but that’s probably not the answer you wanted.

18. An everyday object that can be repurposed for some sexy fun time (wooden spoon = spanking paddle) is called a “pervertable.” But what do you call an item intended to be used during sex that can be used for non-sexy things? I have a nubby “sensation dildo” that is entirely too pokey for me but it’s fabulous for docking pizza dough or pie crusts. (Docking here means “poking lots of tiny holes to prevent giant bubbles.”) Any suggestions?

A sex toy used for a non-sexual purpose could be called an “ex-toy” (when permanently reassigned for non-sexy use) or a “flex-toy” (when temporarily used for non-sexy purposes). A pervertable that gets returned to everyday use — say, a wooden spoon that gets returned to a drawer in the kitchen after being used as a spanking paddle — could be called a “revertible.”

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

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