VOLUME 1 ISSUE 15: JUNE 19 - JULY 2, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
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Pirate Extravaganza Tiki Drink Throwdown Help us crown the ‘Treasured Tiki’
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Drinks Music Games Treasure Hunt Sideshow Acts Vendor Market & More!
Charlotte’s Cultural Pulse STAFF
PUBLISHER • Justin LaFrancois jlafrancois@qcnerve.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Ryan Pitkin rpitkin@qcnerve.com
EDITORIAL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR • Courtney Mihocik cmihocik@qcnerve.com STAFF WRITER • Pat Moran pmoran@qcnerve.com
ART/DESIGN
ART DIRECTOR • Dana Vindigni dvindigni@qcnerve.com
MARKETING
MARKETING MANAGER • Jayme Johnson jjohnson@qcnerve.com
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To place an advertisement please call 980-349-3029 Queen City Nerve welcomes submissions of all kinds. Please send submissions or story pitches to rpitkin@qcnerve.com. Queen City Nerve is published every other Wednesday by Nerve Media Productions LLC. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Queen City Nerve is located in Advent Coworking at 933 Louise Ave., Charlotte, NC, 28204. First Issue of Queen CIty Nerve free. Each additional issue $5.
NEWS & CULTURE
6 No Home For Me Here by Kassidy Brown Charlotte’s leading black woman entrepreneurs are leaving the city 4 Editor’s Note by Ryan Pitkin 8 Keep It 100 by Shameika Rhymes 9 The Scanner by Ryan Pitkin
ARTS
10 Extremely Odd and Incredibly Curious by Courtney Mihocik Local artists join traveling expo of the bizarre 12 Artist Statement: Stray Cat Sideshow by Courtney Mihocik
LIFELINE
14 How not to kill your social life
MUSIC
16 Make a Date with Julian Calendar by Pat Moran Experimental band schedules new music 18 Soundwave
FOOD & DRINK
22 Chef Joya-rdee by Ryan Pitkin Vegan cook puts childhood experience to use 23 Behind the Stick: Yoshi Mejia by Liz Logan 24 The Buzz
NIGHTLIFE
26 Aerin It Out by Aerin Spruill 27 Crossword 28 Horoscope 29 Sudoku 30 Savage Love
Cover Design by: Dana Vindigni
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHUGAR SHACK DOLLS
EDITOR’S NOTE BECOME AN OUTSIDER
Why it’s important to leave your bubble
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BY RYAN PITKIN
LAST WEEKEND I attended an event I had no interest in at all, and I’d highly recommend you do the same whenever you get the chance. Held since 1982, HeroesCon is one of the oldest and largest independent comic book conventions in the country. Hosted by the owner of local comic book store Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find, the convention has become a staple for comic books fans around the country. Now mind you, while I’ve always been aware of the important role Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find and HeroesCon have played in Charlotte’s nerd culture (is that OK for me to say?), I’ve never been big into the comic book culture. Even now as the culture enjoys a renaissance of sorts, I’ve only seen three of the 20-something Marvel Universe movies, and two of those I was dragged to by my 10-year-old mentee, or my Little, as they’re called in the Big Brothers Big Sisters world. I say this not out of smugness or some judgmental idea about comic book culture, it just never caught on for me. So it was that I found myself heading to my first HeroesCon on Sunday, my Little in tow. The sheer scope of the convention caught me off guard, with aisle after aisle of all things comics. For someone to truly get a good look at all the vendors and their wares who set up shop at the convention, they’d have to attend all three days. Within minutes of walking into the event, my sister had found a full Iron Man costume for my Little. As he flew around the convention floor, we came across art auctions, cosplay contests and an endless amount of vendor tables. For the most part, we just hit the tables on the outside, and that alone took a couple hours. There were comic books, graphic novels, original art, throwback toys, miscellaneous merch and, holy shit, so many Funko dolls (I’m serious, even Ross Gellar has a Funko doll). Attending events like HeroesCon can be looked at the same way many people see traveling. It’s important to go out and just exist in a culture that’s different from whatever bubble you live in most of the time. It gave me perspective on the comic culture just to walk around HeroesCon
and people-watch for an afternoon or eavesdrop on conversations between vendors and fans, some of whom dedicate their life to this world of superheroes, anime characters and fantasy realms. It’s cool to see such a large group of folks who have grown up in a world where they’re so often viewed as dorks or outcasts because of their passions — even if that’s not the case in today’s mainstream cultural climate — come together at an event that caters to their interests. As HeroesCon was taking place at the Charlotte Convention Center, just north of Uptown at Camp North End, Jimi Thompson and BlkMrktCLT were hosting their second annual Durag Fest, another cultural celebration based on inclusivity and putting an underrepresented community at the forefront. Despite a divisive battle between organizers over who truly owns the “Durag Fest” brand, the event itself was created to connect the black community. For reasons made clear in this week’s News feature on page 6, black creatives and entrepreneurs can often feel pushed out of Charlotte’s business community. The Durag Fest is a chance for Charlotte’s black community to take the lead, and for anyone else to leave their own bubble to see what that community has to offer. That doesn’t mean white folks should be flocking to the Durag Fest wearing durags any more than they should be appropriating other cultures during celebrations like Cinco de Mayo. But it is a chance to find out how you can support a community that all too often doesn’t see that support from a large part of Charlotte’s population. As Alexandra June wrote in an essay about Durag Fest that you can find at qcnerve.com: “I have heard many times that you have to pay to play, but tell me, when have Black people ever had the opportunity to be dealt into the game? The way I see it, if society repeatedly tells us that it is our responsibility alone to free ourselves from economic oppression, we are at least owed the chance to do so.” That can only be done when the insiders are made to be outsiders on a regular basis. So switch spots as often as you can. RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM
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NO HOME FOR ME HERE
Charlotte’s leading black woman entrepreneurs are leaving the city
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BY KASSIDY BROWN
OMING INTO 2019, it would appear that Charlotte was a top spot in the country for black business leaders to thrive. The 14,000 black-owned businesses in Charlotte reported in recent U.S. Census data meant the city’s growth rate in that area was at 35%. A recent Forbes report ranked Charlotte No. 6 in the country for “African-American prosperity” based on median household income, home ownership rate, population growth and the percentage of people who are self-employed. In 2018, the city hosted the 23rd annual Black Entrepreneurs Summit, touted as the most successful one ever by its leaders. The summit will return to Charlotte on June 19, rebranded as FWD (pronounced “Forward”), with a new focus on tech-driven businesses. With all this progress on paper, why is it so hard for many entrepreneurial black women to feel at home in our city? In January 2018, local black-owned tech incubator BLKTECH Interactive opened a 1,200-square-foot office space in Camp North End to much fanfare. Mayor Vi Lyles was on hand to help celebrate the occasion, and national publications picked up the story, praising the work BLKTECH founder Sherrell Dorsey had done since launching in 2016. However, about a year later, BLKTECH CLT was forced to shut down its physical space and cut back on its work in the field due to lack of capital support. Now, after Dorsey has been hailed by city officials,
Sherrell Dorsey’s future in Charlotte is unclear after she had to shut down BLKTECH CLT’s physical space and scale back operations.
local business leaders and national press as an example of what’s possible for Charlotte’s future, her own future in our city is unclear. I recently spoke with Dorsey about her experience and why she believes her company wasn’t able to thrive in Charlotte despite its momentum and measurable results. Dorsey’s goal with BLKTECH Interactive was to create a space for young black professionals who were excited about tech and wanted to pursue that interest. Members had the opportunity to expand their portfolio and connect with like-minded individuals in the industry. In 2016, BLKTECH launched in the Hygge coworking space. “The intention was to create a community and serve a need while building an exciting environment for black leaders,” Dorsey said. There was an outpouring of interest among their targeted group and beyond. Over the last three years, BLKTECH placed more than 24 high school students in tech programs, hosted events that reached more than 2,100 area residents and created job opportunities for numerous people of color in the tech space.
Their influence within the community was irrefutable. One Charlotte native told Queen City Nerve that because of BLKTECH, her brother obtained a mentorship that put him on the right path to job security. “We brought attention to Charlotte in a way that specifically invested in inclusion,” Dorsey says. “People in the community needed an on-ramp to jobs in tech. We provided a means for a middleclass demographic of people to feel excited about tech.” With the outpouring of community support, continuous upward mobility would appear to have been the next step on the ladder for BLKTECH. However, as Dorsey explains, the steps were more like chains and the ladder was nothing more than a modern-day minstrel show. “We were asked to tap dance for survival,” Dorsey wrote in a Twitter thread in May, explaining her reasons for closing down the space and reconfiguring the operational strategy. “They would give $5,000 for something that required a six-figure budget. They didn’t see our company as an investment.” During an interview with WFAE in February, Derek Dingle, editor-in-chief at Black Enterprise
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHERRELL DORSEY
magazine, pointed out the difficulty for black entrepreneurs in raising capital. He stated that 95% of black-owned businesses in America are sole proprietorship, and many of those are funded by friends, family members or crowdsourcing campaigns. According to Dingle, black-owned startups are three times less likely to be approved for a business loan than white-owned startups. “The individuals making the decisions are older white men,” Dorsey explains. “Their networks are limited. They’ve never been entrepreneurs and they’re tone-deaf to entrepreneurship.” Dorsey believes the lack of representation at higher levels trickled down through the city, which in turn prevented BLKTECH from reaching its full potential. It became clear during discussions with potential investors that none of them knew the value of her business — if they understood the mission at all. Most people immediately assumed that BLKTECH was a nonprofit organization that targeted “innercity, low-income” residents. Not once did a heavy hitter with venture capital assume that BLCKTECH Interactive was a for-profit organization.
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Dorsey’s experience points to underlying issues of subconscious prejudice. Caucasian men with money were assuming that, because BLKTECH Interactive is owned and operated by a woman of color and served people of color, it must be geared toward the low-income sector. “Assuming that we are a nonprofit is racist. Women are considered the mule of the world. We have to beg for sustainability,” Dorsey said. “The nonprofit/industrial sector is saturated in Charlotte. Everything is about charity and the atrisk demographic, which the media uses to strip people of their humanity. They don’t look at black or brown people as investments.” To test this theory, I ventured over to a popular news site and searched, “Top Black Businesses in Charlotte.” The results were interesting. Before even finding an article with valuable content, I came across countless ones referring to homicides. Words like poverty, low-income and gentrification dominated the themes pertaining to the African-American voice in Charlotte. I found one report that shed a positive light on black businesses in Charlotte. The experience stuck with me. I began to look at words differently — words that I had grown numb to. I questioned everything. Why are the only black-owned businesses in the city limited to the restaurant or beauty industries? When was the last time you saw a black-run law firm, a black doctor’s office or a black-owned investment company portrayed in the news? “Charlotte loves poverty stories. They love to push gentrification or sad stories in the news and media outlets. Nobody has seen black people in any other context other than a repressed story,” Dorsey said. “That narrative doesn’t push us to solve problems. People celebrate mediocrity. We want to give ourselves a handclap for doing basic things. When people aren’t challenged, you’ll continue to stay the same.” Unfortunately, the inherent bias Dorsey experienced in Charlotte wasn’t limited just to her. It’s also prevented plenty of Charlotte-based businesses from gaining the recognition they deserve. Colorstock, a stock photo portfolio that focused on inclusivity and diversity, was launched by Charlotte entrepreneur Jenifer Daniels in 2015. The company didn’t survive for many of the same reasons that it was needed in the first place. “I was building a business that highlighted the lack of diversity in a city that didn’t even realize we
were on the cusp of an uprising.” After years of triumphs and trials, Daniels had to close the business in March 2018. “Frankly, I don’t even think people realized that Colorstock was Charlotte-based and born because I simply did not feel comfortable sharing my vision with the movers and shakers of the city,” Daniels recalled. Slightly jaded but inspired by her experience in Charlotte, she moved back home to Detroit, a city often portrayed in the media as moving in the opposite direction as Charlotte. “I could not envision this city making the same investment in me as I was willing to make in it,” Daniels said of Charlotte. “That’s when I knew I needed to return home.” In Detroit, Daniels felt more welcome to include herself. Out of the 61,868 businesses in Detroit, 50,946 are minority-owned. So what are other cities doing that Charlotte isn’t? “Other cities across America have fellowship programs and investment dollars specifically tied to human capital,” Daniels said. “I never even heard the term ‘human capital’ mentioned in any conversation that I had in Charlotte when I lived there for nine years. In addition to losing business owners, Charlotte is also struggling to keep political voices in. Lula Dualeh was 3rd Vice Chair of the Mecklenburg County Democratic Party in 2016. Her work to build up Charlotte’s west side and bring social issues to the forefront gained state-wide recognition. Unfortunately, an experience similar to the aforementioned entrepreneurs led her to relocate to New York City, where opportunities were more plentiful. “As a new and young entrepreneur, there are unique hardships that I think are often overlooked,“ Dualeh said. “It’s almost as if we have to prove ourselves twice as hard, which is impossible without any support. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been encouraged to start my own business, even from many influential people in the city. However, that advice was never met with any resources.” As with Daniels, Dualeh could no longer personally invest in a city that she didn’t feel was investing in her. “For years, I would turn down opportunity after opportunity because I didn’t want to leave Charlotte. Charlotte’s my home,” Dualeh explained. “I spent most of my adult life pouring my everything into this city but I started to feel as if this city wasn’t pouring back into me.” And so, just like that, she was gone.
Jenifer Daniels didn’t feel she could continue to run her business in Charlotte.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JENIFER DANIELS
“I COULD NOT ENVISION THIS CITY MAKING THE SAME INVESTMENT IN ME AS I WAS WILLING TO MAKE IN IT.” Jenifer Daniels
“I decided to relocate because I wanted a real chance as a millennial woman to have financial stability to start my life. That wasn’t going to happen in Charlotte.” In 2017, Dualeh left to pursue endeavors in the marketing audience development sector. While access to capital would surely help businesses succeed, support from prominent figures would also boost the success rate amongst minority leaders, Dualeh said. “If black entrepreneurs saw a more concerted effort among elected officials and philanthropists working together to influence and create policies to support us, which in return will help the city tenfold, I believe that would be a great start to make us more inclined to stay.” she said. Daniels also feels that a stronger political influence would prompt leaders to stay in the Queen City. “[Charlotte] does not highlight underrepresented talent,” Daniels expressed. “It does not represent them on 40-Under-40 lists and even squelches their
voices when they hold public office.” Since 2017, Mayor Lyles has worked to strengthen the voice of the underrepresented community. In a recent interview with Essence magazine, she explained her mission to make Charlotte a great place for everybody to live and work. This hopeful attitude is quite evident even amongst the challenges. “I feel so hopeful for Charlotte,” Dorsey said. “There is an opportunity for black women to get prominent visibility in major roles. [Those in power] need to listen to the needs of what black women need. It’s an ongoing battle but I know we’ll get there.” But before we are to get there, Daniels explained, the city will have to come to terms with why it can’t keep black woman entrepreneurs within its city limits. “Charlotte needs to have a come-to-Jesus moment. The first step is Charlotte admitting that it has a problem.” INFO@QCNERVE.COM
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Get a glimpse at the next issue with our editor-in-chief every other Tuesday night
FILTERED FOOLISHNESS
One step up from a catfish ain’t far enough BY SHAMEIKA RHYMES
Dear Shameika, I’m a 40-something male who sometimes uses dating apps to meet what might be my future wife (Hey, a guy can hope, right?). What I’ve found lately is that with the rise of apps like Snapchat and Instagram, it seems more women are applying filters to their profile photos, smoothing out what might be rough edges, looking model-esque, even while ultimately misrepresenting themselves. How do you suggest men like myself go forward when coming across theses profiles? Do we ask for an unfiltered photo? Do we straight up call them liars? Report them as spam? What is the protocol to proffer proper profile photos from potential date participants? Help. Me. FOOLED BY FACIAL FILTERS FOR FAR TOO LONG
Snapchat filters on every pic you post is doing the most. What we can’t do is assume that women are using these filters due solely to a lack of self-esteem or body image issues. It’s more likely that, just like on other social media outlets, filtered photos have become the norm — which is scary in its own right. But as for you, Mr. Fooled, perhaps just like women post “no hookups” or other directives, you could always do the same and post a disclaimer: Any interested woman must have an unfiltered photo in their collection of photos on their profile. Granted, that might get you bypassed, but it would help weed out those that for some reason or another just can’t let the filter go. Calling women liars will get you cursed out and blocked — rightfully so — so don’t go down that road. You could be bold and ask for an unfiltered photo only after you have looked through their profile and then talked for a bit. If those are, for whatever reason, the lesser pictures, it may not matter as much if you’ve already made a personal connection. Let me talk to the ladies for a second. Chile, what are y’all doing putting up blurry pics, pics that have stars swarming around your head or turning yourself into an animal with your tongue all out while trying to land a date or future bae? You know they like to ghost! While looking into Fooled by Filters’ question, I ran across a study conducted by UK website Metro that found that profile pics featuring Snapchat profiles are one of the most common causes for men having swiped left on a woman’s Tinder profile. People just don’t be trusting strangers online in the era of the catfish. It’s time to love yourself and show off the photos that show your inner and outer beauty! For both men and women, the trick to getting more matches is to make a real connection and that starts with being your authentic self and showcasing that through photos and words. You have to reel in the fish first before you can take it offline, so why not be honest? Ultimately, you have to Keep it 100 with each other if love is going to bloom outside of the app. Good Luck!
Dear All the Fs, You know I have to ask this, but what do you look like sir? Are you looking for what someone has to offer on the outside or what’s on the inside? I get it. It’s hard for you to be on a dating site, swiping or sliding into someone’s inbox hoping for a love connection and realizing you don’t really know what the person on the other end of the screen really looks like. But think about how for years women have had to play hopscotch in their inboxes to avoid the traps men set, whether through sending unsolicited peen pics or vulgar language or even the simple-but-irritating-ashell, “Hi,” without any continued conversation. I’ve seen more than my share of men posting how they looked 20 years ago with all of their hair and no beer belly. Bottom line: It’s rough for both sexes. While I am not currently on a dating site — and haven’t been on one in a decade because my nerves are bad — I can imagine that you are getting plenty of cat ears, puppy dog noses with tongues extended or even the more subtle filters women use to lighten or darken their skin. Photos can give a lot of insight about a person. Let’s be honest, they are the top dealbreaker (or maker) as to whether you swipe right and push the online convo to the next step. There’s If you have a dilemma you need help solving, drop nothing wrong with including those filtered photos me a line: shameika@themofochronicles.com on a profile, but making one your top pic or including
SCANNER BY RYAN PITKIN
VICE GRIP Police responded to a Compare Foods on Arrowood Drive after a badass woman refused to fall victim to a thief who was roaming the store. According to the report, the 28-year-old woman was standing in line at the grocery store and holding cash in her hand while she waited, at which time a man came up and tried to grab the cash from her hand before running out of the store. Fortunately, the man was not able to pry the money from her hand, and the woman was not injured. After they struggled for a moment, the would-be thief gave up and ran out into the parking lot, where he hopped into a waiting car and sped off.
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SMOKERS GON’ SMOKE Police responded to a Circle K convenience store on East W.T. Harris Boulevard after an underage girl cause a ruckus in her attempt to get a single blunt wrap. Employees told officers that the suspect walked into the business right at midnight and tried to buy a cigar. After she was denied by the cashier, the girl walked behind the counter and grabbed a Game cigar, then tried to leave the store with it. When an employee confronted her at the door, the girl stated that she would go get her brother, who would shoot up the business if they didn’t let her leave. She then left in a red Honda Accord. In an unrelated incident at a Circle K on Sunset Drive, a woman threw a large slushie on the cashier after he asked for ID to sell her two Black & Mild cigars.
PRE-CONSTRUCTION OPEN HOUSE IN JUNE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO I-485 BETWEEN I-77 AND U.S. 74 (INDEPENDENCE BOULEVARD)
assault with a deadly weapon that was later found to have never happened. Records showed that the woman had unlawfully called 911 32 times between May 2 and May 28. PARK IT A suspect trying to evade arrest in south Charlotte’s Farmington neighborhood did a dumb, dangerous thing that ended up looking like a cool trick when he hopped out of a moving vehicle recently. According to the report, an officer was trying to pull the man over on Peach Grove Lane when the man suddenly jumped from the car. He was arrested, and luckily the car went right into a garage rather than run someone over or slam into another car with a driver inside. The only problem was that the garage door wasn’t open, so by the time it came to a stop, the car had done $1,500 in damage to the door. STORAGE WARS A 54-year-old south Charlotte man went to check on the horror movie paraphernalia that he kept in Extra Space Storage on Ardrey Kell Road and found terrifying results. At some point over the last month, an unknown suspect had apparently broken into the victim’s storage unit and stole a 3-foot Jaws statue worth $2,400; a 2-foot Freddie Krueger statue worth $1,500; a bust of Linda Blair from The Exorcist worth $500; and another bust of a zombie from Night of the Living Dead worth $500.
SAY WHAT? We recently reported on a property manager who found “Someone was murdered here” written on the wall of an abandoned apartment in red liquid, and a local judge recently received a similarly creepy message, albeit seemingly more of a prank. According to the Mecklenburg County judge, he arrived home to his south Charlotte home to find that someone had posted a metal sign to his front door that read, “No Trespassing. We’re Tired of Hiding the Bodies.”
TOXICITY Police responded to Piedmont IB Middle School near Uptown just before the school year ended after a teacher found that one of her students did not want her to have a good summer. The 52-year-old woman told police that someone had tainted her water, and worse yet, she did not find out until her supervisor told her about it. The report does not state exactly how the water was tainted, or how much of it was drunk, but it makes my stomach uneasy just to see the word “water tainting” listed in the report.
CALL ME TOMORROW Police finally took action against a west Charlotte woman after she spent the month of May on the phone with 911, whispering sweet nothings into the dispatcher’s ear. According to the report, the woman called 911 at 7 a.m. on May 28 trying to report herself as the victim of an
SNACK TIME Police responded to a 7-Eleven on North Tryon Street recently after two suspects came into the store and began knocking shelves over, doing a total of $1,000 in damage. When the duo got tired, they each picked up a bag of Doritos and walked out of the store. Two weeks later, just a little
STIP NO: I-5507 The North Carolina Department of Transportation and Turnpike Authority will hold a pre-construction open house public meeting to display and explain design features of the I-5507 project. Thursday, June 27 Noon to 7 p.m. Endhaven Elementary School 6815 Endhaven Lane Charlotte, NC 28277 The project will add one express lane in each direction on I-485 between I-77 and U.S. 74 (Independence Boulevard), providing travel time reliability and improving traffic flows on this critical transportation corridor. This project will also add one general purpose lane in each direction between Rea Road and Providence Road, and a new interchange at Weddington Road. In coordination with other projects in south/southeastern Mecklenburg County, this project would serve as part of a larger network of express lanes offering drivers the option of more reliable travel times. Updated information regarding noise walls will be available at another public meeting later this year. Representatives from the design and construction team will be available in an informal, open house-style setting to provide information and answer questions regarding upcoming construction. Citizens may attend at any time between noon and 7 p.m. There will be no formal presentation. Project maps and other information can be found online at: www.ncdot.gov/projects/i-485-express-lanes. For more information, contact Carly Olexik, of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority at caolexik@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-2671. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who want to participate in this public open house. Anyone requiring special services should contact Diane Wilson at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.
Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494.
further south down the street at an Xpress Mart at the intersection of Matheson Avenue, an employee reported that a man walked in and nonchalantly filled up a slushie, picked up a pack of crackers and a bag of Cheetos Puffs, then walked out while already eating the food. THE GREAT ESCAPE A 44-year-old University City woman filed a police report after her daughter ran away and made a big fuss out of her exit. The mother told officers that her daughter got angry with her, then tried to smash a TV over her head. Then, the daughter sprayed bathroom cleaner in her mother’s eyes before grabbing some clothes and running out of the home. The mother did not see which way her daughter went … for obvious reasons.
Aquellas personas que no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800481-6494.
WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE A 49-year-old east Charlotte man can’t even trust his own family members around his property — even when he’s standing right there. The man called police on one recent afternoon after he had some family friends over who weren’t there just for a good time. The man told police that he went outside to smoke a cigarette at around 4 p.m., and when he came back in, he saw his two nephews running out the back door holding four car tires with rims that he had been keeping in his home. All Scanner entries come from CMPD reports. Suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
The King Stag metal jewelry design.
EXTREMELY ODD AND INCREDIBLY CURIOUS
Local artists join traveling expo of the bizarre
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BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK
T’S TIME TO GET WEIRD, CHARLOTTE. If you like preserved specimens, have always wanted to learn taxidermy or have an itch to watch performers slide swords down their throats, the Oddities & Curiosities Expo in Concord is probably already on your radar. Husband-and-wife combo Tony and Michelle Cozzaglio started the expo in 2017 in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as a way to showcase the truly strange and utterly out-there. After turning out 1,000 people for their inaugural event, the couple took their show on the road, hitting eight cities in 2018. This year, they’ve continued their expansion, increasing to 16 cities across the country. Their June 29 stop at the Cabarrus Events Center & Arena will be the first for the expo in North Carolina. “At the end of last year, we did a poll all across the country and we wanted to see where people wanted us to come and so many people said Charlotte and so many even just said North Carolina in general,” Michelle explained. “That’s how we chose it. We said, ‘Charlotte sounds pretty cool, let’s try it out.’” From a young age, Michelle had an affinity for fringe culture and going against the norm. Starting an expo for the odd and curious seemed like a natural extension of her interests. “I’ve collected preserved specimens, or animal skulls, just odd antiques. I dabble in all things weird, really,” she said. “It always piqued my interest growing up in punk music and already being involved in alternative culture.” Michelle and Tony’s expo attracts a wide variety of people across demographics. Some people hate it — which is OK according to Michelle — while others never thought they’d enjoy an event dedicated to the unusual. As the list of vendors keeps growing and the event gets bigger every year, the two make sure to be as inclusive of odd interests as possible. “We have the stuff for real oddities collectors so you can buy animal skulls and preserved specimens, human skulls, whatever, but not everybody is into that,” Michelle stated. “Someone else can go and grab a really cool piece of original art or some jewelry that’s Halloween-themed. We really try to have a little something for everyone.” Of the hundreds of vendors that will participate in the expo, many are local. We talked to four local artists from the area who will peddle their wares and products to attendees for the first time in an expo setting. A couple of them have never set up shop outside of an Etsy store — mostly for concern of the strange looks they receive for their weird and creepy products. At this expo, however, you’re more likely to find daggers made for throwing than people shooting daggers. So if odd, curious and fantastical is your thing, then check out these four artists who will have something for you.
PHOTO BY JASON DULIN
Jason Dulin, The Edge of Dreaming HUNDREDS OF HOURS have gone into Jason Dulin’s fantasy jewelry pieces. He meticulously designs pendants and beads using Zbrush, the same program used to digitally sculpt the creatures and characters from Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit. Each of his designs, which he sells under a brand he’s called The Edge of Dreaming, have anywhere from 200 to 400 hours of work put into them. “I don’t actually output a lot of designs, it can be very frustrating for myself and maybe for other people who like my stuff,” Dulin said. “I guess because I’m a little bit of a perfectionist, but also every time I look at it with new eyes I see other things I could do to improve upon.” After digitally sculpting a piece, he sends it to a manufacturer to create the metal jewelry, turning them into rings, pendants and beads. He’s constantly building on a mental list he keeps with ideas for more unreleased and unfinished designs, but it could take upwards of 10 years to complete if he tried to create every single one. Although his released pieces might not be categorized as creepy or odd, he still fills a needed fantasy niche as a jewelry designer. “I’m very much in the fantasy realm; that’s what I grew up on, reading J.R.R. Tolkien and Piers Anthony and stuff like that,” Dulin explained. “I think maybe in a way it’s only odd because of how I seem to have an affinity for finding ways to combine things that don’t seem like they would go together.” The newest product to come from Dulin’s fantasy metal jewelry is a pendant and a bead design of a man’s face sharing a head with a bear’s face, to be titled Bear Father. It’s still in production, but he hopes to finish it soon. The Oddities & Curiosities Expo will not be Dulin’s first appearance as an art vendor at an event, but it will be his first time with the expo, like many of the artists who have joined the fray in cities across the country. “It’s exciting to have an entirely new crowd,” he said. “I’ve done Renaissance Festivals, I’ve done a couple cons but this will be very new to me so I’m very excited just to see what the reaction is from a different demographic.” edgeofdreaming.com
“As Above, So Below” enamel pins
PHOTO BY KRYSTAL DAYVAULT
PHOTO BY RACHEL POWELL
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Rachel Powell, The Pickety Witch RACHEL POWELL HAILS from New England, and there was a time when she and her family would make the pilgrimage to Salem, Massachusetts every year. That trip makes more sense when you consider Powell’s profession: She’s a witch. While Powell won’t commune with the spirits to set a curse upon you, she does design spell-binding apparel and accessories for the witch lifestyle. Launching from a Kickstarter campaign in late-2017, she raised around $800 to produce her first two enamel pin designs for her brand, The Pickety Witch. Of the first two pins created from the fundraiser, one was a hand holding a smudge stick to ward off spirits while the other hand enamel pin sported an evil eye design made for the same use. Since then, the line has expanded to include more pin designs and she’s recently ventured into clothing and traditional art. One thing that’s true regardless of her grwoth: She stays true to the witch aesthetic. “I grew up surrounded by the witchy thing. I [have] witches in my family, growing up we played around with ouija boards and we did all the creepy things. It sticks to my roots and seeing it kind of emerge in the mainstream fashion scene recently is really cool because it’s cool to see that representation,” Powell explained. “It’s an expression of me and myself and my beliefs but also what I grew up with.” The expo on June 29 will be the first time she’s sold her products as The Pickety Witch. As soon as saw that the Cozzaglios would be coming to the Charlotte area, she knew she had to be there. “Because it’s a travelling show, and for them to come so close, it’s like, I have to try to get into this,” Powell said. Visitors to her table can expect a wide representation of the witchcraft lifestyle and aesthetic — not just creepy, dark occult magic. Her cute designs include animals like deer, fawn and her best-seller: a baby goat flying on a broomstick. “I like the balance between the dark, witchy aesthetic, and then you have a whole realm of magic, like plant magic and home magic, and there’s so many different areas you can go,” Powell said. “So instead of sticking just to the dark occult gothic side, which I really like, it’s just a wide variety of witchcraft, really.” etsy.com/shop/thepicketywitchshop
Tyndale’s black floral steer design.
Tiffanee Tyndale, Beauty Bone Custom Skulls BONES DON’T BOTHER Tiffanee Tyndale. She grew up on a ranch out west and spent a lot of time with animals and had a deep interest for bones since she was young. Now, she’s combined her interest in animals, bones and art to launch a passion project, Beauty Bone Custom Skulls, for which she decorates real animal skulls. “I saw another woman doing it and I loved it. So I have some extra bones left over from when I lived out west, because I lived on a ranch, so I decided to do it myself,” Tyndale said. “I just really enjoy the process.” Her designs use dead animal skulls — seen by many as gross or unseemly — and turns them into beautiful displays of artistic skills. In some designs, she implements methods like decoupage — which uses paper cutouts and special paint effects — while for others she sprays them with chemicals that react with paint. She covers bat and muskrat skulls in gradient glitter or sits them serenely in a hanging terrarium surrounded by moss. “When it comes to what I do with them, they’re all unique, but they’re very feminine. I like pretty, sparkly things,” she explained. “Honestly, any kind of things that I can do, I just try to go all-out on everything.” Because of her odd and unconventional canvases, Tyndale is no stranger to the strange looks her skulls by perusers at pop-ups. The expo is a chance for her to connect with a demographic that more readily accepts her art. “I’ve never done any vending events that are based on what I do. I’ve done a lot of events that are art festivals, but I’m really the only person with anything like this, so I get a lot of strange looks sometimes,” she explained. “I feel like with this expo, I’m going to be reaching out to more people that are going to be interested and understand what I do.” etsy.com/shop/beautybonecustomskul SEE CURIOSER ON PG .13
STAGE LEFT TWO STRAYS FIND HOME
Stray Cat Sideshow goes on record about record-setting feats
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BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK
ECORIA DEKITTEN and Robin Souls are a most curious couple. Between DeKitten’s unwavering sword-swallowing abilities and Souls’ intense death-defying stunts, the two are a match made in heaven. It’s only fitting that the newlyweds are featured performers at The Oddities & Curiosities Expo in Charlotte on June 29 at Cabarrus Arena & Events Center in Concord. Souls got his start at Alternacirque in Columbia, South Carolina, and moved to Charlotte five years ago, where he was hired alongside DeKitten for a fire performance at the now-closed Chop Shop. Before meeting Souls, DeKitten was performing on the Renaissance Fair circuit, where she learned belly dancing. She eventually came under the tutelage of the late King of Swords, Johnny Fox. She has since become the only woman in history to swallow a model-T Ford car axle. A few years after meeting, Souls and DeKitten started their own act together, naming the company as an homage to their nomadic beginnings. “We gave it the name Stray Cat Sideshow because both of us have been stray cats,” Souls explained. “We’ve wandered around the country.” Along with sword- and fire-swallowing performances, the duo slices food out of each other’s mouths with chainsaws and pushes the limits of their bodies with pins, chains and glasseating. I caught up with Souls before the couple hit the road to Asheville for another performance in the lead-up to the expo. He gave me the lowdown on their lifelong training, their upcoming expo performance and DeKitten’s record-setting feats. Queen City Nerve: How long do you have to train to feel safe and secure performing dangerous acts? What precautions do you take? Robin Souls: Depending on the act, it probably depends on how much time it takes to learn it. With something like sword swallowing it can take
five to seven years to learn how to do it. I guess preparation, what it takes as far as learning sword swallowing and preparation to make sure you don’t injure yourself. Without sending me through five years of training, how exactly do you swallow a sword without hurting yourself? To swallow a sword without hurting yourself, there’s a couple things involved. One, you have to be able to beat three gag reflexes that your body has. You have one at the back of your mouth where it enters into the throat, then one a couple of inches down from there that basically separates where food is going from where air is going into your lungs. Then you have one for items entering into your stomach. You have to make sure that you’re standing correctly, that everything is lined up so it has a straight path. Secoria also can swallow a 90-degree curved sword and in that case, she has to make sure that she aligns her body at a 90-degree curve to get past all the gag reflexes and shapes it all into the correct alignment to get it the whole way down. There’s not a lot of people who can do 90 degrees. There’s [people who do] 35 or 45 [degree], but there’s very few people who can swallow a 90-degree curved sword. I’m sorry, my jaw just dropped to the floor. How much training does that take? It takes about 10 years to learn to be able to do that. You have to have the proper flexibility and for her, a lot of it was her belly-dance training and her dancing training that help out to be able to align everything properly.
Robin Souls (above) and Secoria DeKitten of Stray Cat Sideshow.
something and having that muscle memory where you’re doing something over and over, mechanically it helps because you’re used to doing these things and doing them in a way with precision. So those Is there a lot of cross-training in your stunts? cross over a lot. Once you’ve learned it, mastered Yeah, there’s a lot of crossover, especially in fire learning one thing and then master another in the performing — things like fire pole, fire staff, fire same sort of way. fans — where moves are similar with the various props. They kind of cross over, also to a certain What kind of stunts should we expect from degree, to whip tricks with the bullwhip and knife Stray Cat Sideshow at the expo? throwing. Learning your body and learning to repeat We’ve done a number of shows with that group. It’s
PHOTO BY MEGHAN NORTH POTTS
a wonderful husband-wife combo who started this out about three years ago now [see Arts feature]. This is their third year, our second year working with them. Of course, we’re excited for Charlotte to be a hometown show with it. [DeKitten’s] looking at having a chain or lock-picking escape. I’m looking at debuting either an upside-down straitjacket escape or possibly an underwater straitjacket escape. Visit qcnerve.com for the full interview
CMIHOCIK@QCNERVE.COM
CURIOSER FROM PG. 11
(Left to right) Post-Apocalypse Patty, Zoe the Zombie and Zombie Bride by Vass-Eudy.
“I’VE COLLECTED PRESERVED SPECIMENS, OR ANIMAL SKULLS, JUST ODD ANTIQUES ... I DABBLE IN ALL THINGS WEIRD.” Michelle Cozzaglio, co-founder, The Oddities & Curiosities Expo
Her inventory includes a Carrie-inspired doll and two twin dolls modeled after the Grady girls (from the “Come play with us” scene from The Shining), which are featured on our cover. Many of her creations are informed by her favorite author — and the creator of the aforementioned characters — Stephen King. For the upcoming expo, Vass-Eudy is working on a doll inspired by Pennywise, the antagonist of It, which she recently re-read. “The movies lose a little something that the books have,” she said. “The story’s a little bit different, the characters, a little bit different, so I wanted to re-read the book and get back into the character of Pennywise and see if my doll is going to reflect that.” With each doll she creates comes a backstory, a reimagining on how they were found and what journey they endured before they came to Vass-Eudy. All the dolls’ new purposes are born from the desolate condition she found them in. “My dolls, they have sadness to them and there’s tragedy and there’s another part,” she said. “This may come from when my mother passed and trying to deal with that, but there’s this part that’s resurrected that’s healed that is not in that darkness anymore. They’re out of the darkness.” etsy.com/shop/shugarshackdolls CMIHOCIK@QCNERVE.COM
JUNE 7th JUNE 23rd
PHOTO COURTESY OF SHUGAR SHACK DOLLS
ODDITIES & CURIOSITIES EXPO June 29, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.; $10-20; Cabarrus Arena & Events Center, 4751 NC-49, Concord; odditiesandcuriositiesexpo.com
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM VISIT: MATTHEWSPLAYHOUSE.COM
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Kim Vass-Eudy, Shugar Shack Dolls NO ONE DOES creepy dolls the way that Kim Vass-Eudy does creepy dolls. After her mother’s death about three years ago, Vass-Eudy needed a creative outlet to process her grief. She turned to painting, despite having always been a writer, and found that she was surprisingly good at it. She eventually built on her creative passions, adding painting, sculpting, sewing clothes and writing backstories for the dolls that she collects, which she sells as Shugar Shack Dolls. Vass-Eudy finds her projects in thrift stores or from people who inherit them. One friend gave Vass-Eudy another doll that was buried in the backyard and recently unearthed, which she turned into “Veinessa.” Back when collecting dolls was a popular pastime, they served a much different purpose than what VassEudy intends for them That’s why she aims to give them new meaning through her work. “Somebody had them on display; they’re supposed to be the epitome of beauty and they’re just thrown away. I take them and I just reimagine them. I change them, I change the concept of what beauty is by making them into something else,” she said. “It’s my art, I look at what it means to be beautiful, what it means to be a woman in our society, what it means to go against that idea of beauty.”
SUMMER @ MATTHEWS PLAYHOUSE Sing.
Act.
SUMMER CAMP INFO: Half-Day and Full Day Summer Theatre arts camps for children (pre-K thru 18 years)
for more information, and to register: www.matthewsplayhouse.com
Dance.
Explore.
MUSICAL THEATER INTESNIVE Acting Intenstive, improv, AND many more!
MATTHEWS COMMUNITY CENTER 100 E MCDOWELL STREET, MATTHEWS 704-846-8343
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19TH
VICE VERSA 01
What: Vice Versa is a new quarterly art series hosted by The Light Factory to help promote artistic collaboration by partnering a photographer with a Charlotte artist who uses other mediums. For the kickoff, local photog Toni Lovejoy will team up with multi-talented artist de’Angelo Dia to tell “Sacred Stories,” as installment 01 is titled. More: Free; 7-9 p.m.; Free Range Brewing, 2320 N. Davidson St., #D; tinyurl.com/LightFactoryVice
THURSDAY, JUNE 20TH ‘TITUS’
What: Nudity, gore and poetry! Shakespeare Carolina puts a post-apocalyptic spin on the bard’s bloodiest play — a tale of rape, murder, revenge and cannibalism. Director Chris O’Neill’s reimagining is set in a future wasteland where feral children reenact a vengeful Roman general’s exploits as a blood-spattered ritual. More: $20; 7:30 p.m.; Duke Energy Theater, 345 N. College St.; shakescar.org
FRIDAY, JUNE 21ST
LIFELINE
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JUNE 19TH - JUNE 25TH
GO SKATE DAY
What: Abari offers up more than 35 skateboard decks painted by local artists, with all proceeds going to Boards For Bros. Looking to actually go skate? The crew will have a mini ramp set up to skate if you donate. Better with your fingers? Take part in the Tony Hawk Pro Skater tournament playing on the bar TVs all day. More: Donations suggested; Noon-2 a.m.; Abari Game Bar, 1721 N. Davidson St.; tinyurl.com/AbariSkate
SATURDAY, JUNE 22ND VAMPIRE WEEKEND
What: Everyone’s favorite prep rockers are back with a new album, Father of the Bride, and a new tour to show off the fresh slate of songs. The band recently played the Parks & Rec theme song during an Indiana tour stop, so maybe Ezra Koenig might whistle the Andy Griffith Show tune for us. More: $103 and up; 7:30 p.m.; CMCU Ampitheatre, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd.; vampireweekend.com
SUNDAY, JUNE 23RD KALE FARM FARMERS MARKET
What: A two-acre family farm in Matthews, Kale Farms does plenty more than just grow kale. See what they’re about at the farm’s first ever farmers market, which will feature some of their healthy-gut specialties, including fermented foods, ginger beer and more. Stick around and take part in a yoga class right in the front yard. More: Free; 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Kale Farms, 3232 Kale Lane; kalefarms.farm
MONDAY, JUNE 24TH
DUO ZONDA
What: Presented by the Charlotte New Music Festival, Duo Zonda is a collaboration of flutists Orlando Cela and Wei Zhao. Consider their performance a perfect entry point into the festival, which includes loadbang at Petra’s on June 26, Beo String Quartet at Crown Station June 29 and much more. More: $5-10; 7 p.m.; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; charlottenewmusic.org
TUESDAY, JUNE 25TH THE PAUSES
What: Influenced and mentored by ’90s alt-rock juggernaut Jawbox, Orlando indie trio The Pauses have always been about churning propulsive guitars. What’s new is their embrace of cello, Theremin, weird-ass electronics and warped girl-group vocals on their 2018 sophomore LP Unbuilding. More: $7; 8 p.m.; The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road; themilestone.club
Social Calendar a little light? Check out
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for cool events happening in the queen city!
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26TH
THE INTERSECTION OF FINE ART AND COMMERCIAL ART
What: There’s no better duo to enlighten you about the intersection of fine and commercial art than Kyle Mosher, a multidisciplinary artist whose work crosses contemporary aesthetic with traditional fine-art techniques and David J. Butler, founder of Analogue Luxury and communitiy initiative/creative hub Be Social. More: Free; 6-7:30 p.m.; Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art, 1520 S. Tryon St.; tinyurl.com/ElderIntersections
THURSDAY, JUNE 27TH FRIENDS IN DIVERSITY
What: New Charlotte Regional Business Alliance CEO and President Janet LeBar will preside over this meeting of the local Black, Latin American and Asian American chambers of commerce, held during a River Jam concert. More: $15; 6:30-9:30 p.m.; U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy.; tinyurl.com/FriendsDiversity
FRIDAY, JUNE 28TH
LIFELINE
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JUNE 26TH- JULY 2ND
ALI WONG
What: The star of Always Be My Maybe shared during a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live that she recently donated the dress she wore while filming the instant-classic 2016 stand-up special Baby Cobra to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Maybe save your ticket stub from this icon in the making. More: Sold out; 7 p.m.; Ovens Auditorium, 2900 E. Independence Blvd.; ovensauditorium.com
SATURDAY, JUNE 29TH CAROLINA STYLE FESTIVAL
What: The Carolinas come together for the culture at this festival, which features Charlotte rappers Deniro Farrar, Elevator Jay and 10 Cellphones joined by Erick Lottary from Fayetteville, NC; Diamond Miller from Rock Hill, SC; Spaceman Jones & the Motherships from Asheville, NC; and Buddy Cuz from Mullins, SC. More: Free; 5-11 p.m.; Station House, 600 E. Sugar Creek; tinyurl.com/CarolinaStyle
SUNDAY, JUNE 30TH
SHAKEN, STIRRED, OR HOWEVER
What: A mixology competition in which bartenders representing venues around the city mix vodka cocktails for attendees to vote on the winner. Wow. Doesn’t that sound an awful lot like The Vodka Masters, hosted by Queen City Nerve just two months ago? Sounds like someone knows a good idea when they see one. We’re flattered. More: $25; 2-5 p.m.; Tyber Creek Pub, 1933 South Blvd.; tinyurl.com/ShakenStirredStolen
MONDAY, JULY 1ST REVOLT COMEDY SHOW #09
What: Launched in 2018 by local comedians Brian O’Neill and Alex Spears, Revolt Comedy is aimed at showcasing the bevy of local talent in the comedy scene every month with edgy jokes and laughs for everybody. By the time this paper hits racks, you’ll be able to find the newly announced lineup online. More: $3; 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Heist Brewery, 2909 N. Davidson St.; tinyurl.com/RevoltComedy9
TUESDAY, JULY 2ND SKEWED
What: Last January, torture jazz combo Skewed dueled with improv outfit High Cube to provide a soundtrack to Maya Deren’s phantasmagorical films. There are no black-and-white movies this time around, but the shared bill with Zodiac Lovers and Rocky River Nightmare Band promises to be just as wonderfully weird. More: $10; 8 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com
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for cool events happening in the queen city!
MAKE A DATE WITH JULIAN CALENDAR
Experimental band schedules new music
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BY PAT MORAN
N ARCHITECT, a novelist and a journalist walk into a bar. No, this isn’t a set up for a dad joke. Instead it’s the scene on a rainy Friday afternoon in Plaza Midwood when Jeremy Fischer, Jeff Jackson and I repair to Common Market’s back patio to discuss the imminent release of new music from Julian Calendar, the pair’s indie band that they launched along with poet Amy Bagwell in December 2016. For those that haven’t kept up with Roman dictators and reformist popes, the band takes its name from the 12-month calendar introduced in 45 B.C.E. by Julius Caesar. Caesar’s timetable never reflected the actual amount of days it took Earth to circle the sun, and over the years it fell out of sync. In 1582, Pope Gregory XIII introduced the improved Gregorian calendar we use today — although we still haven’t figured out how to do away with leap years. Speaking of timetables, fans of unpredictable, unclassifiable pop rock should circle the date June 19 on their (Gregorian) calendars. That’s when Julian Calendar’s #MeToo-themed single “Men are Cancelled,” backed with a radically reworked, distaff cover of The Doors’“Back Door Man,” drops. It’s the first new music released by the band since their debut album Parallel Collage came out in August 2017, and Jackson says it’s a small sampling of a batch of fresh material slated to come out this year. All proceeds from sales of the digital “Men are Cancelled” single on Bandcamp will be donated to Planned Parenthood. “The band felt this was important since women’s healthcare and reproductive rights are under attack,” Jackson says. “It’s a small way we can highlight an important cause and encourage people to donate to it.” Fittingly, it takes time for the Calendar to produce music. The delay between the release of the album and the current single is partially due to Julian Calendar’s inclusive method of making music. Songs are allowed to gestate and evolve, and though Jackson sings and writes lyrics, and Fischer composes and plays a host of instruments including bass, guitar, keyboards and percussion, both men
stress that they alone are not the band. Everyone in the group contributes to shaping the songs, Fischer says, and Julian Calendar’s ranks currently include vocalist Hannah Hundley, multiinstrumentalist Scott Thompson, drummer Lee Herrera and keyboardist/vocalist Nelly Anderson. Another time factor is that both Jackson and Fischer tend to get a little busy. Along with his day job as an architect, Fischer also plays bass with hypnotic primal rockers TKO Faith Healer. With his most recent novel, Destroy All Monsters, Jackson makes language rumble and flow like rock ‘n’ roll, which has earned the tome accolades from Pitchfork, The New York Times Book Review and many others. The book’s success has kept him occupied. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s turn back the clock on the Calendar to that fateful day in late 2016 when Fischer took stock of some of the music he’d written and decided he wanted some input on lyrics. “I immediately thought of Jeff and Amy Bagwell,” the 41-year-old Statesville native remembers. He approached both his friends in one email, asking if they wanted to work together on some songs. Jackson, who knew Fischer from a local book club, almost passed on the opportunity. “I was very skeptical about it, because it’s such a different type of writing,” the 47-year old novelist says. “I wasn’t sure I had the tool kit to do it.” Out of the gate, Jackson decided not to write anything literary for lyrics. As a novelist, he had been using language to create highly charged moments that exist beyond language, words that captured feelings without over-explaining them. In contrast, writing lyrics is both easier and harder than prose, Jackson explains. “It’s about [writing] something that’s easily understood, but still has complicated resonances,” Jackson says. As a songwriter, he shoots for impactful content that contains multiple meanings, something that can reach a person listening in a noisy club. When it comes to composing music, Fischer finds himself following a similar tack. “I want to keep things ambiguous and give them the freedom to breathe and live on their own,”
PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIAN CALENDAR
The “Men are Cancelled” cover
Fischer explains. Fischer is in the habit of recording stream-ofconsciousness fragments of music into his phone. He logs them on a Google drive, and then shares access with Jackson. Either man can revisit these musical bits and pieces, to massage them, revise them or pair them with potential lyrics. “These little fragments of music that I write come out of the emotional state I’m in at the time,” Fischer explains. “After a while that feeling is no
longer attached to that music anymore, so it can become something else.” Fischer and Jackson’s free-flowing collaboration began in 2016, with Amy Bagwell as a lyricist partner. Jackson remembers the time spent hanging out, trading Spotify lists and developing a shared
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JULIAN CALENDAR, POST HUNK, ZODIAC LOVERS July 4, 8 p.m.; $5; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; petrasbar.com
musical language. Jackson had hoped Bagwell would want to sing some of the songs, but she preferred not to perform. Eventually, she left the project, but not before she wrote the lyrics and vocal melodies for three songs on Julian Calendar’s debut album: the darkly psychedelic “Pretty Sounds,” the clangorous “Acid-Eaten Sweetheart” and the haunted nursery rhyme “I am a Thing.” Those songs seemed to demand a female vocal, Jackson and Fischer decided, so they approached Hundley, who also belonged to their book club, to join the band. “I sensed that [Hannah] was an artist who had never been asked to step forward,” Jackson says. Concurrently, Fischer recruited Thompson on drums, bass and keyboards to fill out Julian Calendar’s sound. “Scott plays everything,” Fischer says. “He was the perfect person to help us out.” The quartet recorded Parallel Collage over the course of several months, with Fischer and Thompson trading off on drum kit duties. Without a full-time drummer, the band didn’t play live, even after releasing their first album. That changed when Lee Herrera, who has played with Foreign Air, Patois Counselors and HRVD, took over the drum stool. But even with this solidified lineup, Julian Calendar didn’t stray from their inspired amateur ethos. When they played their first gig on November 17, 2017, at Snug Harbor, it was the first time Herrera ever played drums with a band, and it was the first time Jackson and Hundley had performed for an audience at all. More than a year-and-a-half later, Julian Calendar is planning a new slate of live gigs, kicking off with a Fourth of July show at Petra’s which will feature recent music like “Men are Cancelled.” The snarky, sassy single serves a serious purpose, Jackson says. Its political message critiques the Republican party’s war on women with humor, and as such it’s a harbinger of the band’s soon to be released project, a cache of 17 to 18 songs that Julian Calendar may release as a series of EPs rather than another album. Jackson and Fischer feel that the new material, while retaining a through line to the tunes on
PHOTO BY TYLER BAUM
Julian Calendar’s debut album cover
Parallel Collage, represents a quantum leap forward for the band. While Parallel Collage’s stylistic smorgasbord touched on progenitors ranging from the Velvet Underground to Pylon and expanded on those influences, the new batch of tunes strays even further afield and takes far more chances, Jackson says. “The new material is more confident,” he continues. “It’s bolder in terms of what we’re trying to put across.” The B-side of the new single grabs Willie Dixon’s blues rock standard “Back Door Man,” recorded by Howlin’ Wolf and The Doors, by the scruff of its neck and wrings out every last drop of macho bluster. The cock-rocking swagger of Jim Morrison is transformed by Hundley’s airy vocals and the band’s shimmering sheets of sound into ethereal dream pop. “I was thinking how great it would be to hear a woman singing these lyrics and turning the blues machismo on its head,” Jackson says. In theatrical terms he feels it’s a critique of the song, and he wonders how much a cover can stretch a tune’s DNA before it damages the song. But Fischer feels experimentation can only enhance a song. “Musically, I had the idea to defang ‘Back Door Man,’” Fischer explains. Typical of a blues song, “Back Door Man” has a lot of minor sevenths, so Fischer decided to turn them into major sevenths and expand on them. “That’s where the dreamy quality comes in,” he continues. “You’re taking the machismo out of the music and softening it up, making it more like Cocteau Twins.” After pulling back the swagger, Fischer added some dissonance on top to give the tune a radically different sonic identity.
PHOTO BY BILLY HEMPSTEAD
Julian Calendar performs at Tommy’s Pub.
“THE BAND FELT THIS WAS IMPORTANT SINCE WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ARE UNDER ATTACK.” Jeff Jackson, Julian Calendar
Julian Calendar’s secret weapon may be that, for band categorized as indie rock, they aren’t that committed to rock ‘n’ roll. In fact, they can take it or leave it. When asked why he’s in a rock band, Fischer has a simple answer: It’s what’s available to him. Rock musicians are the crowd he runs with, but creatively he could just as easily be working with a string octet, he explains. “I’m open to all possibilities of how to write,” Fischer says. “I think of it as a creative endeavor more than a band.”
Band branding also means little to Jackson. When more of their newer material is released, he says, people will have a truer sense of what the band’s been up to and what makes it tick. Julian Calendar has been experimenting with folk tunes, dance grooves and electronic soundscapes, he continues. “We’re really casting a wide net,” Jackson says. “Without being schizophrenic, I think we’re genreneutral.” PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM
SOUNDWAVE JUNE 19
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Moon Hooch, Nathan-Paul & the Admirables (Neighborhood Theatre) Chase Atlantic (Underground) The Lemon Twigs, The Boa Constrictors (Visulite) Swearwolf, Seven Year Witch, Purple Skies (Skylark Social Club) Tosco Music Open Mic (Evening Muse) June Residency: Pinky Doodle Poodle, The Phantom Friends (Snug Harbor) Chon, Domi, JD Beck (Amos’ Southend) Josh Daniels, Jeremy Shaw (Smokey Joe’s) Open Mic with Lisa De Novo (Pour Taproom) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Open Mic with Leebo (Comet Grill) Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers (Knight Theater) DJ/ELECTRONIC
The Wizard’s Roadshow (The Post Sports Bar & Grill) ROOTS/BLUES/INTERNATIONAL
Ondas do Brasil (Petra’s)
JUNE 20 POP
JoJo Siwa, The Belles (Ovens Auditorium) Music Open Mic (Crown Station) Pg. 18 June 19 - July 2, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
U.S. Nero, Anchor Detail, The Cocker Spaniels Witch Party (The Milestone) O.A.R., American Authors, Huntertones (CMCU Amphitheatre) Open Mic Night w/Bee & Kat (Tommy’s Pub) SAWCE with SubuTech (Evening Muse) Shana Blake & Friends (Smokey Joe’s) Crystal Fountains (Comet Grill) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Todd Snider, Kevin Gordon (Neighborhood Theatre) Housingfest 2019: Mandolin Orange, Daughter of Swords (Knight Theater) Upstate (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Southern City (Tin Roof)
DJ/ELECTRONIC
Techno Syndicate: Spectre, Stacey Essene, J Costea, DjCkole (Skylark Social Club) Le Bang (Snug Harbor) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Ghostemane, Ho99o9 (Underground)
JUNE 21
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Phish (PNC Music Pavilion) Runaway Gin: Phish Tribute (Visulite) Nathan Angelo, Kevin Goodwin (Evening Muse) Forming The Void(Evening Muse) Pen15 (Tommy’s Pub) Sounds on the Square: Tony Lucca (The Square at Spirit Square) Hippo Campus (The Underground) Pro Teens, Dollhands, Wine Pride (The Milestone) Hippo Campus (Fillmore) 84 The USA: Van Halen Tribute, Hair Nation (Amos’ Southend) Moses Jones & the Dirty Southern Soul (Smokey Joe’s) Phish Afterparty w/ Chachuba (Heist Brewery) Phish Afterparty w/ The Snozzberries (Thomas Street Tavern) The Mike Strauss Band (Free Range Brewing) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Cajun Dance Party with Carolina Gator Gumbo (Petra’s) Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) The Orange Constant (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Thirsty Horses (RiRa) The HC Oakes Band (Primal Brewery)
RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Ari Lennox (Underground) Hipgnostic (Neighborhood Theatre)
JUNE 22
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Vampire Weekend, Chicano Batman (CMCU Amphitheatre) Saxophonist Steve Wilson (Stage Door Theater) Den of Wolves, Slowride, Old Moons (Snug Harbor) Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops: The Gentlemen The Body Bags (Repo Record) of Hip-Hop (Belk Theater) Witchsister, Lo, The Flight Risks (Skylark Social DJ/ELECTRONIC Club) OH Snap! DJ SPK, SativaSlcts (Snug Harbor) The Sammies, Jordan Igoe (Tommy’s Pub) The Wizard’s Roadshow (The Fat Parrot Bar & Grill) JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
The Buzzards of Fuzz, Temperance League (Evening Muse) Weekend Excursion, Downtown Abbey & the Echoes (Amos’ Southend) The Vegabonds (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Cody Blackbird Band, WDB (Smokey Joe’s) Mighty Mango (Comet Grill) Adam Doleac (Tin Roof) Pistoltown (RiRa) The Phryg (Thomas Street Tavern) Silver Train (Primal Brewery) DJ/ELECTRONIC
Electrohex: DJ Price (The Milestone) #LocalOnly Saturday with DJ Teddy & Mike Boyer
SOUNDWAVE (The Milestone)
Country Music Monday (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern)
Saxophonist Steve Wilson (Stage Door Theater)
Duo Zonda (Petra’s)
Kim Richey, Josh Rouse (Neighborhood Theatre) Dane Page and Heart Hunters (Evening Muse) Bluff City Bandits (Tin Roof) South Hill Banks (Free Range Brewing)
JUNE 25
JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Denzel Curry (Underground)
ROOTS/BLUES/INTERNATIONAL
Su Casa: The June Edition (Petra’s)
JUNE 23
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Bennett Wales & the Relief (Neighborhood Theatre) Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Bone Snugs-N-Harmony (Snug Harbor)
ROOTS/BLUES/INTERNATIONAL
Live Bluegrass w/Greg M Clarke & Friends (Tommy’s Pub)
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Shinedown, Badflower, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Broken Hands (CMCU Amphitheatre) The Stolen, Mighty Mango (Neighborhood Theatre) The Pauses, Motel Glory, True Lilith, Jordyn Zaino (The Milestone) Roy West, Lofidels, Sonic Afternoon (Snug Harbor) Futurist and Alex Di Leo and Cody Lovaas (Evening Muse) Smokin’ Js Open Jam (Smokey Joe’s) Morganton, 3:33, Nuclear Desolation (Oso Skate Park) Uptown Unplugged: Dan Smith (Tin Roof) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill)
RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Soulful Tuesdays (Crown Station)
Hayes Carll, Ben Dickey (Visulite) George Banda Album Fundraiser (Evening Muse)
Lost Cargo: A Back Patio Tiki Party (Petra’s)
Gregory Porter (Knight Theater) Bill Hanna’s Jazz Session (Petra’s)
JUNE 26
JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
Pg. 19 June 19 - July 2, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
JUNE 24
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Bent Self (Skylark Social Club) Find Your Muse Open Mic: Emanuel Wynter (Evening Muse) Open Mic with Lisa De Novo (Legion Brewing) Cito Jamorah & Friends (Smokey Joe’s) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Jazz Jam hosted by Occie Davids, Troy Conin, Ron Brendle (Crown Station) Knocturnal (Snug Harbor) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
DJ/ELECTRONIC
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Lawn Chairs, Petrov, Charles Walker, Origami Angel, Stress Fractures (The Milestone Parachute (Underground) Big Al, Porter Blue (Tommy’s Pub) June Residency: Pinky Doodle Poodle, King Cackle, Asbestos Boys, Hunger Anthem (Snug Harbor) Open Mic with Lisa De Novo (Pour Taproom) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Open Mic with Leebo (Comet Grill) Josh Daniels, Jeremy Shaw (Smokey Joe’s) DJ/ELECTRONIC
The Wizard’s Roadshow (The Post Sports Bar & Grill) RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
SOUNDWAVE Rich The Kid, Quando Rondo, Jay Critch, Yung Bino, 83 Babies (Fillmore) JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
Loadbang (Petra’s)
JUNE 27 POP
Music Open Mic (Crown Station) ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Open Mic with Lisa De Novo (Heist Brewery Barrel & Arts) Open Mic Night w/Paul Lover (Tommy’s Pub) AJ Ghent, J Michael Peeples (Evening Muse) There is Art in Everything, The Lamplight Gospel, Caleb Lail (Petra’s) Empire Strikes Brass (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Shana Blake and Friends (Smokey Joe’s Café) Taylor Dean and the Dean’s List (Tin Roof) DJ/ELECTRONIC
Le Bang (Snug Harbor) The Wizard’s Roadshow (Hartland’s Bar & Grill) Riley Byrnes (Comet Grill)
Sleepwalkers (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Deluxe Motel (Smokey Joe’s Café) Trash Room, Greevac, Forsaken Profit$ (Tommy’s Pub) The Hardest Part: A Tom Petty Tribute (Tin Roof) Bald Brotherhood (RiRa) The Grass is Dead (Heist Brewery) Leon Majcen, Bryan Elijah Smith, Szlachetka (Free Range Brewing)
VOICE OVER CASTING MIX SOUND DESIGN
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
MUSIC
Damien Jurado, Corrina Repp (Neighborhood Theatre) Matt Heckler, Casper Allen, Cat Glenn (Evening Muse) Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) Jay Taylor (Tin Roof) Virginia Ground (Thomas Street Tavern)
WHISKEY
DJ/ELECTRONIC
Mirror Moves (Petra’s) The Wizard’s Roadshow (The Fat Parrot Bar & Grill) JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
Charlotte Symphony Summer Pops: Video Games Live (Belk Theater)
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Pg. 20 June 19 - July 2, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Rascal Flatts, Billy Currington, Locash (PNC Music Pavilion) Chris Jones & the Night Drivers (Free Range Brewing)
JUNE 28
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Delicious, The Asound, Something Went Wrong, Van Huskins (The Milestone) Biggins, Old Heavy Hands (Snug Harbor) Dead & Company (PNC Music Pavilion) Sugar: System Of A Down, Third Eye: Tool Tribute (Underground) Repeat Repeat (Visulite) Casey & The Comrades (Evening Muse) Nevermind: The Nirvana Tribute Band (Amos’ Southend)
JUNE 29
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Disrupt Festival: The Used, Thrice, The Story So Far, Atreyu, Sleeping With Sirens, Four Year Strong, Trophy Eyes, Juliet Simms, Hyro The Hero, Circa Survive, Memphis May Fire (PNC Music Pavilion) Morrowville, Dinner Rabbits, North Elementary, No Rope (The Milestone) The Menders, Bizness Suit, Warboys (Snug Harbor) ABACAB: The Music of Genesis (Visulite) Oshima Brothers (Evening Muse) Arson Daily and BadCameo (Evening Muse) Doom Cabaret: Terpsichore Raqs Fusion Belly Dancers, October, The Boron Heist, Whitney Polk, Mercury Dimes, Dumpster Service (Tommy’s Pub) Sons of Texas, Killakoi, Scars Remain (Amos’ Southend)
GROUNDCREWSTUDIOS.COM
Willie Douglas Band (Smokey Joe’s Café) The Barbed Wires (Comet Grill) Heroes at Last (RiRa)
Kids Rock Camp (McGlohon Theater)
Michelle Malone, Sarah Peacock (Neighborhood Theatre) Little Lesley & the Bloodshots, Jason Moss & the Hosses, Wes & the Railroaders (Petra’s) Coddle Creek (U.S. National Whitewater Center)
#LocalOnly Saturday with DJ Teddy & Mike Boyer (The Milestone) Drake Party (Underground)
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
Carolina Voices: Great Vocal Bands (Duke Energy Theater)
RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Biz Markie (Fillmore) DJ/ELECTRONIC
JUNE 30
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Propersleep, Remorsefully Numb, Bergenline,
SOUNDWAVE Futurists, Faye (The Milestone) Kristen Hersh, Fred Abong (Neighborhood Theatre) Algebra (Underground) Ballantyne School of Music Presents: Summer Jam 19 (Visulite) Lisa de Novo (Mac’s Speed Shop South End) The Spongetones (Evening Muse) Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Bone Snugs-N-Harmony (Snug Harbor)
ROOTS/BLUES/INTERNATIONAL
Live Bluegrass w/Greg M Clarke & Friends (Tommy’s Pub) JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
Bill Hannah’s Jazz Session (Petra’s)
JULY 1
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Find Your Muse Open Mic: Delirium Trio (Evening Muse) Piano Bar Karaoke with Ryan Stamey (Petra’s) Cito Jamorah and Friends (Smokey Joe’s) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Jazz Jam hosted by Occie Davids, Troy Conin, & Ron Brendle (Crown Station) Knocturnal (Snug Harbor) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Pg. 21 June 19 - July 2, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Country Music Monday (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern)
JULY 2
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ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Wine & Warpaint, Rawls, No Rope, Cyan (The Milestone) Skewed, Zodiac Lovers, Rocky River Nightmare Band (Snug Harbor) Smokin’ Js Open Jam (Smokey Joe’s) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Uptown Unplugged: Greg Adams (Tin Roof) Visit qcnerve.com for the full Soundwave listings.
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PHOTO BY ANN NORMENT
CURATED WITH CHEF JOYA July 21, 5:30 p.m.; $125; Address TBA; tinyurl.com/CuratedWithJoya
CHEF JOYA-RDEE
Vegan cook puts childhood experience to use
Pg. 22 June 19 - July 9, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
F
BY RYAN PITKIN
OR THE FIRST 34 years of her life, Adjoa Courtney was just an artist who liked to cook. Over the last year and a half, she’s become one of Charlotte’s most sought-after vegan cooks thanks to her talent for turning traditional soul food favorites into vegan masterpieces, whetting the appetites of carnivores and omnivores alike. As a young girl dancing in an African Dance Company in her hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Courtney spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her grandmother while her mother was at work. Courtney’s mother was vegan, and thanks to a traumatizing incident involving an allergic reaction to a bratwurst at a cookout when she was 7 years old, Courtney jumped on that boat without hesitation. Twenty years later in 2011, Courtney moved to Charlotte to escape the cold Milwaukee winters and be with her brothers, who were attending Johnson C. Smith University. She worked full-time as a freelance makeup artist, hired on by production companies for commercials, corporate videos, short films and the like. She had since become a flexitarian, sometimes incorporating meat into her mostly vegan diet. One thing about her culinary habits remained steady: she loved to cook. “When I moved to Charlotte, I started meeting different people, and that’s always been my thing is just to cook for people,” she recalls. “Eventually my friends were like, ‘Why are you doing this for us?’” They encouraged her to attend culinary school. Her mentor told her that might not be necessary, as she already harbored such natural talent. It wasn’t until her mentor tasted one of her vegan creations, picked up from her childhood, that Courtney’s future became clear. “I gave her some vegan food one day and she was like, ‘What is this? This is your niche! This is what you need to be doing!’” Courtney remembers,
Chef Joya does her thing at a recent pop-up event in north Charlotte.
“I WANT TO SHOW PEOPLE HOW YOUR HISTORY, YOUR ROOTS, CAN BE ELEVATED.” Adjoa Courtney, aka Chef Joya
laughing. “To me it was nothing. That’s the stuff I grew up with. I’m like, ‘Who wants this?’ Come to find out, everybody want it.” So Courtney became Chef Joya and hopped around a bit as a culinary freelancer — beginning as a meal prepper, then working as a private chef. Since last summer, she’s been building a brand for herself outside of the private kitchens. In July 2018, she won Vegan Outreach’s Mac Down Charlotte vegan mac and cheese competition, which led to numerous appearances at local festivals and pop-ups. That same month, Joya launched a string of YouTube videos titled “Say What! It’s Vegan?,” inspired by the popularity of her Facebook Live cooking streams. Her popularity garnered the same ingenuous reaction she once gave to her mentor. “I was just cooking at home and people were watching and I was like, ‘Y’all are really watching this?’ Y’all really want to see this?’” It was two months after her Mac Down victory when she attended VegFest for the first time that Courtney could no longer deny it: Chef Joya was on the map. “I did not know anybody knew who I was, I just knew I won the Mac Down,” Courtney remembers of her VegFest experience. “I had not done any public events here. I came to VegFest, it opened up at 11 o’clock. I was talking to my staff. I turned back around and I looked up, I had a line that was all the way dooowwwwnnn. I was like, ‘Who are these
people? How do they even know who I am?’ It pretty much stayed like that until I was sold out. So now everyone knows, when I have an event it’s going to be a sellout.” While last summer became a defining one for Chef Joya, this one promises to bring her career to another level. On July 21, she’ll launch her first curated dining series, consisting of five-course meals for 24 attendees that will explore different branches of her family tree. The first iteration will focus on Gullah Geechee cuisine, with later installments serving up vegan adaptations of dishes enjoyed by her Cuban, Jamaican and Native-American ancestors. “My family has always been big on history and teaching us our culture, and so those are things that have always been dear and near to my heart. So when I decided to do this first series, I wanted to do a whole culinary journey,” Courtney says. “Within this whole series, each dinner is going to be a different part of me; it’s going to be a different culture, and it’s going to be elevated because a lot of those food items from those different cultures aren’t necessarily considered fine cuisine. But with my twist and my spin and my creativity on it, I want to show people how your history, your roots, can be elevated.” At a recent private event in north Charlotte, Chef Joya served up a number of plates that have put her food in high demand in the Charlotte market. Dishes included Cajun okra shooters with avocado mango aioli, apricot barbecue short rib sliders and — one
of her most popular recipes — Monkey Joe Chick’n & Waffle Skewers. Joya says most people are dumbfounded by how she’s able to recreate meaty dishes with a vegan spin. She believes growing up cooking vegan foods in her home at an early age — when next to no one was even experimenting with veganism — gave her the necessary experience. “The benefit that I have with growing up vegan is I know about a lot of substitutes that a lot of people don’t even know about,” she says. “That’s because there wasn’t a lot back then, so we used a lot of things, and those products still exist but a lot of people don’t know about them. So I’ve already known things [that work] texture-wise.” She gets requests in her DMs on a near-daily basis for recipes, and she’s not one to hold onto family secrets. This fall, she plans to release her first cookbook, a call-back to her meal-prepping days without all the meal prepping. Between working on that and launching the dining series, Chef Joya may be sparse over the next few months, but she wouldn’t leave her fans drooling for that long without offering up a little fun for them. She’s also initiated a Where’s Joya pop-up series, for which she posts hints about a location a few days prior to the pop-up, then sets up and sells a specific menu until the food is gone. Her last Where’s Joya pop-up was on June 14, with another planned for the end of the month. If you’re super lucky, you might catch a few Chef Joya favorites coming through the window at Veltree, a vegan soul food joint in University City run by her close friend Chef Velvet Jacobs. Joya hangs out at Veltree during her rare free time, to the point where some regulars are convinced she’s Jacobs’ culinary partner and call in to ask when she’s working next. One thing is clear, Chef Joya doesn’t take many rests, and the Charlotte food scene is better for it. “Sometimes I don’t even know how I have the energy, but I know there’s things that I want and there’s things that I want to do,” Courtney says. “And people are asking for it, so my followers and my fans keep me doing a lot of things … It’s always exciting to see that people want more from you, so that’s the driving force.” As we move toward 2020, it’s hard to imagine that driving force will be letting up anytime soon. RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM
BEHIND THE STICK THE TEA BEFORE THE COCKTAILS
Yoshi Mejia spills about her experience as a Charlotte bartender
Pg. 23 June 19 - July 9, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
BY LIZ LOGAN
AFTER CIRCLING THE block on foot, showing my complete ineptitude in navigating Charlotte’s Uptown, I finally began following my gut as opposed to my GPS and landed at the obtrusive wooden doors of Loft & Cellar. Sitting at the end of a long bar lined with a uniform row of house-made syrups from Grassroots Beverage was Yoshi Mejia, drilling away at her computer, preparing her bar for the weekend and tying up loose ends for the many projects she’s currently got her hands in. As we got to talking, Mejia answered my questions with a pervasive honesty often missing in Southern hospitalityindustry conversations. Mejia got her start in bartending when she lived in Washington, D.C. There, she had little trouble getting into the field as an Afro-Latina woman. Her experience in Charlotte, however, has been quite different. Mejia’s experiences in Charlotte have led her to feel devalued, even dehumanized. At one establishment, she was always placed on the rooftop bar, even in the dead of winter. “That’s where we were — me and the only two other people of color,” Mejia recalled. “But people of color are in the background here. I just want to work and do what I love.” Our conversation was thoughtful and complex, much like the beverages she carefully concocted for me. In the first of Queen City Nerve’s new Behind the Stick series showcasing local bartenders and mixologists, Mejia gave an inside look at what is happening behind the scene. Queen City Nerve: Have you found that race or gender have played a part in your journey to where you are, locally? Yoshi Mejia: Absolutely! Despite my many years of experience prior in D.C. nightlife, working for many reputable companies and individuals that could’ve been contacted per my references, an opportunity was never presented. I would be lied to, to my face with the saddest excuses, but yet I would return
another day and sure enough, an inexperienced girl that looked like the rest of the staff was given the shot. There are politics in everything, I just never understand why. The people in authority play favorites. When I was placed into a position, because of my experience, staff members — mostly males — would complain. Managers love to play the “We want to do what’s fair” game. What’s fair is telling your employees the truth. “Yoshi can handle it, you can’t.” End of discussion. Managers don’t manage, they just let these young girls manipulate them instead of putting the business first. It’s easy to get picked on when there’s only about three people of color in the front of the house. I always felt targeted because of race and insecure people. This is the tea but this is real. It’s 2019 and this is what we deal with. How have you overcome it? When all the doors close, you build your own. People say things are “equal opportunity” and then they don’t stand by it. We have to charge less for things others don’t have to. But we want everyone to join in and want our community to be a part of this. I’ve been in Charlotte six years and only now feel comfortable. I have the best intentions for everyone. You’ve got to pay it forward. What are your plans moving forward? I am currently focusing on creating events where people of color can feel comfortable in our own element — culturally conscious experiences to welcome others to partake on different happenings in the city. I have the honor of creating cocktails for Durag Fest on June 15th in Camp North End. This is a huge event in recognition of Juneteenth that was caught on national-known TV outlets such as ESPN, Revolt and more. I have an ongoing monthly event called Champagne and Chicken held at BlkMrkt. It’s brunch made simply. Families and children come together. There’s music, dancing, eating and just good vibes; people enjoying the company of others.
Yoshi Mejia at work.
For the future, I want to continue encouraging and supporting small and minority-owned businesses; creating the understanding that it’s okay to support what is different. There’s a stigma of not supporting what’s not “cool” or “poppin’” ... you don’t always have to follow a crowd. How has Loft & Cellar assisted in the development of your brand? By simply giving me the opportunity. I took the jump into working for myself. I have assisted with training staff. That has brought me so much joy to know I am making a difference. What I need to be doing for my own community has become even more clear. The brand is still evolving along with me in this journey, but one thing is certain and clear: I am going to make change. Opportunities were not given to me out of straight ignorance, so I will create the platform to assist more individuals that have faced the same adversities I have
PHOTO BY JONATHAN COOPER
to obtain opportunities to win. Whether it’s personally training them, placing into jobs or hiring them for my own events. Everyone deserves the opportunity to showcase their skill set, to take pride in their work and to make an honest living. Considering your past experiences, what’s it like now working in a black-owned space? [Former Loft & Cellar executive chef] Greg Collier is the person behind the menu creation, and Stephen Marshall is behind our bar menu and Grassroots Beverage. I was given this experience by another black woman in a black-owned space. I’d rather be here than anywhere else. Note: Just before this issue went to print, Yoshi Mejia left Loft & Cellar. You can learn more about upcoming events on her Instagram (@super_yosh) and consulting website (creativeconsultingclt.com). INFO@QCNERVE.COM
DILWORTH BAKERSFIELD
Monday: $3 Jack Daniels Tuesday: $3 Tres Generaciones, $10 Don Julio 1942 Wednesday: $3 Bulleit Bourbon Thursday: $3 Espolon Friday: $3 George Dickel No. 8 Saturday: $3 Lunazul Sunday: $3 Larceny Bourbon 300EAST
DILWORTH NEIGHBORHOOD GRILLE
Monday: $4 Crown & Down Tuesday: $4 drafts, $12 pitchers, $5 flights of North Carolina drafts Wednesday: 1/2 off wine bottles and martinis Thursday: $12 domestic buckets, $18 import buckets Friday: $3 craft drafts, $5 flavored vodka Saturday: $5 mason jar cocktails Sunday: $4 bloody marys SUMMIT ROOM
Monday: 1/2 off wines by the glass Tuesday: 1/2 off beer cans and glasses of Italian Tuesday: $4 drafts Wednesday: 1/2 off glasses of wine reds Thursday: $7 Summit cocktails Thursday: $3.50 local drafts, $8.50 Matilda Wong cocktails Sunday: 1/2 off wine bottles, $5 mimosas & SOUTH END bloody marys, $6 Bellinis BAD DADDY’S BURGER BAR
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Monday: 20-oz. draft for 16-oz. price Tuesday: $5 specialty cocktails Wednesday: $3.50 local drafts Saturday-Sunday: $5 mimosas & bloody marys
COMMON MARKET SOUTH END
Monday: 1/2 off select pints Tuesday: Free beer tasting 5-7 p.m. Wednesday: $2 off select pints, wine tasting 5-7 p.m.
BIG BEN PUB
Monday: $5.50 20-oz. NoDa craft beer Wednesday: $5.25 20-oz. Spaten, 1/2 price wine bottles Friday: $5.50 20-oz. Crispin and Guinness, $5 Dale’s Fireball shot Saturday: $5.50 20-oz. seasonal beers, $5 mimosas & bloody marys Sunday: $5.25 20-oz. Boddington, $5 mimosas & bloody marys MAC’S SPEED SHOP
Monday: $3 pints, $5 Titos Tuesday: 1/2 price wine, $3 mystery draft Wednesday: $4 tall boys, $5 Lunazul Blanco Thursday: $3 mystery cans and bottles, $4 Jim Beam Friday: $1 off brewery of the month (D9) Saturday: $1 off North Carolina pints Sunday: $4 mimosas & bloody marys GIN MILL
Monday: $5 Titos and New Amsterdam Tuesday: 1/2 price wine Wednesday: $4 draft beer Thursday: $2.50 PBR, $5 Jack Daniels and Titos
UPTOWN THE LOCAL
Monday: $7 Casamigos, $2 Natty Boh and Miller High Life, $5 Jager Tuesday: $3 Modelo, $5 house margaritas, $5 Don Julio Wednesday: $5 Crown & Down, $3 Southern Tier Thursday: $5 Captain Morgan, $7 craft mules, $16 Bud Light buckets Friday: $3 Jell-O shots, $4 drafts, $5 wells Saturday: $3 PBR, $5 Jager Sunday: $7 loaded mimosa, $7 Grey Goose bloody mary, $16 Bud Light buckets THE DAILY TAVERN
Wednesday: $5 whiskey Thursday: $4 pint night Sunday: $4 Miller Lite, $6 bloody marys DANDELION MARKET
Monday: $3 select drafts Tuesday: $15 select bottles of wines Saturday-Sunday: Bloody mary bar
ROXBURY
Friday: $5 flavored vodka drinks, $5 fire shots, $3 bottles Saturday: $5 fire shots, $4 ZIMA, $3 bottles
NODA CABO FISH TACO
Monday: $5 El Cheapo margarita Tuesday: $3.50 Tecate and Tecate Light, $5 Altos WORLD OF BEER silver tequila Monday: $2 off North Carolina drafts and spirits Wednesday: $7 Absolut Lime Moscow mule Tuesday: 25 percent off bottles and cans, $5 Thursday: $1 off neighborhood beers on draft mules Friday-Saturday: $8 margarita special Wednesday: 1/2-priced wine, wheats and Sunday: $5 mimosas, $6 Absolut Peppar bloody sangrias mary, $7 Absolut Lime Moscow mule Thursday: $4 old school, $4 well, $4 signature shots JACKBEAGLE’S Friday-Saturday: $3 shot of the week Monday: $5 Cuervo margaritas Sunday: $2 mimosas, $3 bloody marys & Tuesday: $3 drafts, $5 vodka Red Bull beermosas Wednesday: $1 off whiskey PROHIBITION
Tuesday: 1/2 off everything Wednesday: $3 drafts Thursday: $2 PBR, $4.50 wells, $6 vodka Red Bull Friday-Saturday: $4 call-its
Thursday: $6 Deep Eddy’s vodka Red Bull Friday: $5 Fun-Dip shots, $5 Crown Black Saturday: $5 Gummy Bear shots, $5 big mimosa, $6.50 double bloody mary Sunday: $5 big mimosa, $6.50 double bloody mary SANCTUARY PUB
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Monday: $7 Bulleit and Bulleit Rye, $3 Yuengling and PBR APA
Tuesday: $6 Tuaca, $6 Tullamore Dew Sunday: $4 mimosas, $5 Brunch Punch, $5 Wednesday: $3 Birdsong beers, $5 Sauza, Fireball, $10 champagne bottles Thursday: $2 Bartender Bottles, $6 Crown Royal Sunday: $3 Birdsong, $3 Tall or Call
PLAZA MIDWOOD
NODA 101
Monday: $4 Ketel One Lemon Drop, $4 well liquor, $5 Camerena Tuesday: $6 seasonal cocktails, $6 Jameson, $4 Grape Gatorade Wednesday: $5 Green Tea Shot, $6 Blue Balls Thursday: $5 Jagermeister, $6 vodka Redbull, $6 Oxley Gin Cocktail Friday: $5 Fireball, $6 vodka Red Bull, $6 Jameson Saturday: $5 Fireball, $6 vodka Red Bull Sunday: $5 Deep Eddy Flavors, $1 off tequila, $5 White Gummy Bear shots
HATTIE’S TAP & TAVERN
Monday: $6 Pabst & Paddy’s Tuesday: $5 Fireball Wednesday: $3 mystery craft beers Thursday: $6 margaritas Friday-Saturday: $5 well drinks Sunday: $10 domestic buckets INTERMEZZO
Monday: $4 Makers Mark, $2 domestic bottles Tuesday: $4 margaritas, $7 Titos mules, $3 Blanche de Bruxelles, $3 OMB Copper Wednesday: 1/2 price wine bottles, $2 off bourbon of the week BILLY JACK’S SHACK Thursday: $6.50 Ketel One Botanical Series, $4 Monday: $1 off moonshine, $3 domestics Stoli Tuesday: $1 off all drafts, $7 Jameson Friday: $4 20-oz. Birdsong LazyBird Brown Ale Wednesday: $1 off bottles and cans and Birdsong Jalapeño Ale Thursday: $4.50 wells Saturday: 1/2 price martinis Friday: $5 Fireball, $1 off local bottles and cans Sunday: $3 drafts Saturday: $4 mimosas $5 Brunch Punch,
Do you want your bar or restaurant featured in The Buzz? Contact Ryan Pitkin rpitkin@qcnerve.com
CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER
Odd, but true, tales of Charlotte’s nightlife
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BY AERIN SPRUILL
WHEN MY EDITOR reached out to me last week reminding me of my column deadline, she informed me that this issue’s cover story would report on The Oddities and Curiosities Expo: a traveling event featuring oddities varying from old antiques to taxidermy. She followed that with, “But if that’s a stretch for you in nightlife, then do whatever you’d like!” I think I actually laughed out loud reflecting on all of the oddities and curiosities I’ve stumbled upon or heard about almost every single night that I’ve gone out in the Queen City. Granted, everyone has a different opinion on what’s odd and curious. And if you know me, you know that I’m quite strange myself. So I’m going to just share a few instances that raised more than just my own brow, but caught the attention of many. FAILURE TO LAUNCH Picture this: Local watering hole, 12:35 a.m. A regular announces she’s going to call it a night. That wouldn’t be curious at all, but said regular is then spotted walking with a young gentleman across the street — caught ya! And to make matters worse, just when they thought they had inconspicuously made it to the gentleman’s car and on their way to “Netflix and Chill,” the car wouldn’t start! A knee slap and a guffaw later, my group of onlookers watched as the gentleman and another couple were pushing the car down the road. Awkward. Said regular never emerged from the car to help. My only question was how “in the mood” can one be after that? CARRIE IN THE CLUB Once upon a nightlife, my friends and I were having a casual night at Jackalope Jack’s in Plaza Midwood. Next door, however, there was a really intense heavy metal situation going on
at The Rabbit Hole. Things didn’t get weird until I went to the bathroom, which can only be accessed by crossing over to (going down?) The Rabbit Hole. Little did I know, I’d be welcomed by what I thought at first glance was Carrie herself from the 1976 horror film. Apparently, there was a band playing that encouraged showgoers to wrestle in a pool of fake blood and throw fake bloody body parts? I was told to think of it as a typical Gwar show. All I knew, is when one of the bloody show attendees found his way to Jackalope Jack’s and ran toward my friend (who was wearing a white top) with open arms, it was time to go. PASSING PATIO GAS Earlier this month, at another local hole in the wall, a large group of warm-weather lovers were gathered on the patio. The energy of conversation was elevated and everyone seemed to be in a decent mood. But when the drinks are flowing, you know that the good times can quickly come to an end. A man sauntered out of the bar and walked over to chat with a friend. Upon resting his bum in the metal patio chair, he let out one of the loudest farts I’ve ever heard, especially considering that we were in public. This obtrusion was followed by dead silence as we all sat in confusion wondering if what had just happened had really happened. To add icing on an already uncomfortable cake, he committed the crime a second time! TINDER TERROR This is one of the craziest stories I’ve heard to date. I know, I know, when you hear the word “story,” you probably envision this elaborate game of telephone. But this is a story that one would categorize as, “You just can’t make it up.” A woman goes on a handful of dates with a guy she met on a dating app. They seemed to hit it off. That’s why she didn’t hesitate to accept an invitation to his place for a home-cooked meal. A couple of days later, she goes to the doctor because she didn’t feel well. The doctor ended up sending her home saying everything looked OK. But then, she received a call from the same doctor asking her to return and that’s when he informed her that after examining the contents of her stomach, she’d been fed human remains! What’s worse, I’ve since Googled this phenomenom and this isn’t uncommon! Exercise caution, ladies and gents. Unlike the former stories, there’s nothing comical about this tale of the night. Queen City nightlife is no stranger to oddities, curiosities, or atrocities. Share your outlandish stories with me! INFO@QCNERVE.COM
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THINK FAST
Across 1 Advance again, as money 7 Goofs 14 German subs 20 Eritrea’s capital 21 Fudgelike candy 22 “Bachelor Father” actress Corcoran 23 Memoir or expose, e.g. 25 Beginning language course with conjugations 26 Cut -- (dance) 27 Model’s gig 29 1974 hit for Kool & the Gang 36 Trips to wildlife areas, say 37 Ending with switch 38 Ski lift variety 39 Theories 40 Huge sea wave 44 Asimov of sci-fi 46 Expatriate 52 Cask aging in a cellar 54 You, old-style 57 Certain Alaska native 58 Ortiz of “Ugly Betty” 59 Center 60 Dumbfound 62 Wraps tightly in cloth 64 Pained bark 66 “Veni,” translated 68 Biting African pest 69 Balsa floater 72 Move in a way suggested by this puzzle’s 10 longest answers 74 Past due 75 Earthlings 79 With 91-Across, spaghetti topper 81 Many free TV ads, for short 85 Stretch out 86 Isr. neighbor 87 “You said it!” 90 Env. add-in 91 See 79-Across 92 Sea wrigglers 94 Informal pause-marking punctuation
97 Vile smiles 99 Hanker (for) 101 Of a western U.S. mountain range 102 Jekyll’s counterpart 105 British noble 107 Height: Prefix 108 More tired 113 Techie 117 Injury of a bodily band 119 Cost per unit 120 Garb 121 2013 black-comedy crime film 129 Where streets meet 130 Dan Brown’s “The -- Code” 131 Glimpsed 132 Manipulates, as dough 133 Lettering aid 134 Rents
DOWN
1 Sprinted 2 That, to Juan 3 Alphabet consonant sequence 4 Big galoot 5 Popular typeface 6 Mother-of-pearl 7 Keg feature 8 Zodiac feline 9 Tavern 10 Tavern 11 Listerine rival 12 “This is bad!” 13 Some black teas 14 Let free 15 Brag 16 Giant in lawn care 17 Alphabet vowel sequence 18 Choir part 19 Foul moods 24 Cask 28 Cable chan. for old films 29 Airplane-boarding bridge 30 Bearlike 31 Of a certain part of speech 32 Extinct 33 Stage award 34 Quaint light source 35 Radio host Flatow 39 Kant’s “I” 41 “Black-ish” network 42 Chinese chairman 43 Bother 45 Had a meal 47 Center 48 Very involved 49 Deep ravine 50 Cambodian currency unit 51 Website with handmade crafts 53 -- center
55 Letter before tee 56 Baby female sheep 61 Crying 63 -- standstill 65 Frolic about 67 Suffix of enzymes 68 Colts’ stats 70 Infuriate 71 Monk’s title 73 Membrane of hearing 75 Giant in oil 76 -- Bator 77 Pouting look 78 Letter before dee 80 Letter before upsilon 82 Hunt 83 “Master of None” star Aziz -84 Nose, in slang 86 Florence-to-Rome dir. 88 Wallach of “Sam’s Son” 89 Once surnamed 93 Caustic stuff 95 Like spud-peeling GIs
SOLUTION ON PAGE 30
96 Pick a card 98 Stars, e.g. 100 Bother 103 Thus far 104 Really fears 106 Continental train pass name 108 Pile 109 Reveal 110 -- nous 111 Minneapolis suburb 112 Ruminated (over) 113 -- Coeur, Missouri 114 Light brown 115 TV landlady Mertz 116 Find another function for 118 “I -- your service” 122 -- Tin Tin 123 U.S. “Ltd.” 124 A fifth of MV 125 Health resort 126 “-- a pity” 127 Spike of film 128 Pub. staffers
JUNE 19 - JUNE 25 ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Things that usually come easily and quickly for the Aries Lamb might need more of your time and attention during the next several days. Try to be patient as you work things out. TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A changing situation can create some complications. But if you apply that sensible Bovine mind to what seems to be a hopeless tangle of confusion, you’ll soon sort things out. GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Creating a new look for your surroundings is fun. Expect to hear mostly positive comments on your efforts, as well as some well-intended suggestions you might want to note.
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CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Maybe you’d rather do anything else than what you’re “stuck with” right now. But if you stop complaining, you might see how this could lead to something with real potential. LEO (July 23 to August 22) Even a proud Leo ultimately recovers from hurt feelings. However, a damaged relationship might never heal unless you’re willing to spend more time and effort trying to work things out. VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) There are lots of changes on the horizon, so be prepared to make some adjustments in your usually fine-tuned life. One change might even impact a personal decision you’ve been putting off. LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Being the dependable person you are could work in your
JUNE 26 - JULY 2 favor for a project that requires both skill and ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A change of accountability. But check this out carefully. There seasoneinvigorates the Lamb, helping to overcome the effects of a recent slower-paced period. This is a could be a hidden downside. good time to restate your feelings for that certain SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A someone. temperamental outburst about a mishandled project causes some fallout. Be sure to couple an TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You might not like apology with an explanation. A new opportunity using your authority to correct a workplace beckons by week’s end. situation, but that’s what being placed in charge is all about. Besides, you have people ready to lend SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) support if need be. Changing horses midstream is usually unwise but sometimes necessary. Examine your options GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Your creativity continues carefully before making a decision. A trusted to run high and helps guide you to make some fine colleague offers good advice. choices in the work you’re doing. Keep the weekend free for those special people in your life. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) While much of your time is involved with business CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Don’t be surprised if you matters, fun-time opportunities open up by week’s experience a sudden spurt of energy strong enough end. Enjoy yourself, but be careful that you don’t to pull you out of that recent period of indecision overspend. and put you back in charge of your own goals. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A “revelation” opens your eyes to what is really going on in the workplace. What you learn could make a difference in your career path. Continue to be alert for more news.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) This is a good time for Leos and Leonas to set new goals regarding health, educational choices and possible career moves. The plans you make now could be a blueprint for your future.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Not wanting to make waves might be the safest way to deal with a difficult situation. But no substantive changes can be made unless you share your assessments with others.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might have much to offer a potential employer, but it can all be overwhelmed by too many details. Let the facts about you speak for themselves without any embellishments.
BORN THIS WEEK: You have a way of talking to LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) This is a good people that makes them want to listen. You could week to balance your responsibilities to your workfind a successful career in politics. a-day world with your obligations to the people in
your private life. Expect news that could lead to a change in plans. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A changing attitude on the part of a once determined adversary could cause changes down the line. Be prepared to take advantage of an unexpected new opportunity. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You’d be a truly wise Sagittarius to be skeptical about an offer that doesn’t answer all your questions. Even a colleague’s testimonial doesn’t replace facts that aren’t there. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) It’s a good idea to avoid spending on unnecessary purchases this week in order to keep a money reserve against a possible upcoming (but, fortunately, temporary) shortfall. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) More information is what you should demand regarding that workplace situation that recently came to light. Don’t be surprised at who might turn up as one of your supporters. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) You might still be in a “treading water” mode, but by midweek, a shift in your aspect favors taking a more active role in pushing for the changes you feel are necessary. Good luck. BORN THIS WEEK: You exude a warm, caring attitude that comforts everyone who comes into your life. 2018 KING FEATURES SYND., INC.
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WHY NOT ME?
It’s time to move on BY DAN SAVAGE
I found your column after a Google search. I saw your e-mail address at the bottom and was hoping for some insight. My issue is this: Two years into our 23-year marriage, my wife declared that she didn’t want to kiss me or perform oral on me. Several years ago, she had an affair and confessed that she not only kissed this other person but performed oral on them as well. Why them and not me? Should I just go find someone willing to do what I want? I have a high sex drive, but I find that I don’t want to sleep with my wife anymore because there is never any foreplay and a few minutes into it she’s telling me to hurry up. I don’t feel wanted, and honestly I no longer desire her. What do you make of this?
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HURTING UNWANTED HUSBAND
Before telling you what I make of your e-mail, HUH, I want to tell you what I wish I could make out of your e-mail: a time machine. If I could turn all those pixels and code and whatever else into a working time machine, I’d drag your ass back to 1996 (and try to talk you out of marrying your wife) or 1998 (and try to talk you into leaving her after two years of marriage). But since time machines aren’t a thing — at least not yet — we’ll have to talk about the here and now. Your wife isn’t attracted to you, and never was, or hasn’t been for a long, long time. And now the feeling is mutual; you aren’t attracted to her anymore, either. And if you’re seriously wondering why she kissed and blew that other person — the person with whom she had an affair — when she hasn’t wanted to kiss or blow you for 20-plus years (“Why them and not me?”), HUH, the answer is as painful as it is obvious: Your wife was attracted to her affair partner (that’s why
them) and she’s not attracted to you (that’s why not you). Now, it’s possible your wife was attracted to you a long time ago; I assume she was kissing and blowing you while you were dating and during the first couple dozen months of marriage. (She wouldn’t have to announce she was going to stop doing those things if she’d never started.) But at some point relatively early in your marriage, HUH, your wife’s desire to swallow your spit and inhale your dick evaporated. It’s possible her desire to swallow/inhale the spit/dick of her affair partner would have evaporated in roughly the same amount of time, and she would have lost interest in him and his dick and his spit, as well. Some people have a hard time sustaining desire over time — and contrary to popular belief, women and disappointment you feel over what it’s not. And to be clear: If your marriage is have a harder time sustaining desire in committed, companionate, you should both be free to seek sex romantic relationships than men do. Wednesday Martin wrote an entire NYT best- with outside partners. selling book about it, Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free. Of course, it’s possible your wife isn’t the problem. You may have said or done something that extinguished your wife’s desire for you. Or, hey, maybe your personal hygiene leaves everything to be desired. (I’ve received countless letters over the years from women whose husbands refuse to brush their teeth and/or can’t wipe their asses properly.) Or maybe you’re emotionally distant or cold or contemptuous or incredibly shitty in bed. Or maybe you’re not the problem! I don’t know you, HUH, and other than the very few details you included your very brief letter, I don’t know what’s going on in your marriage. But I do know this: If you can leave, HUH, you most likely should. But if you decide to stay because you want to stay, or because leaving is unthinkable for cultural or religious or financial reasons … well, seeing as how your wife hasn’t wanted to fuck you for decades, and seeing as how you no longer want to fuck your wife, you should release each other from the monogamous commitment you made more than two decades ago. If you can adjust your expectations — if you can both agree to define your marriage as companionate, i.e., you’re friends and life partners, not romantic or sexual partners — you may be able to appreciate your marriage for what it is. But to do that, you’ll have to let go of the anger
On the Lovecast, Stéphane Deschênes on living the nudist life: savagelovecast.com; mail@savagelove. net; Follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage; ITMFA. org
LILLY SPA 704-392-8099 MON-SUN 9AM-11PM EXIT 37 OFF I-85
WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS
SOUTH ON BEATTIES FORD THEN FIRST RIGHT ON MONTANA DRIVE (LOCATED 1/2 MILE ON THE LEFT 714-G MONTANA DRIVE
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scallywagsocial.eventbrite.com
PRESENTS
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2p Live performances by: Jonathan Scales Fourche ra
27th
Pirate Extravaganza Tiki Drink Throwdown Help us crown the ‘Treasured Tiki’
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