Queen City Nerve - December 15, 2021

VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2; DECEMBER 15 - DECEMBER 28, 2021; WWW.QCNERVE.COM

More Than Skin Deep

BEHIND THE INK PROJECT SHARES STORIES OF BODY ART IN MULTIPLE MEDIUMS

BY NIKOLAI MATHER

NEWS: THE WINDING ROAD TO ZERO TRAFFIC DEATHS PG. 4 MUSIC: CHARLOTTE’S RAREST RECORD STORE PG. 12

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PUBLISHER

NEWS& OPINION ARTS& CULTURE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MUSIC

JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS jl afra n co i s @ q cn er ve.com RYAN PITKIN rpitk i n @ q cn e r ve. c om

ART DIRECTOR

JAYME JOHNSON jjo h n s o n @ q cn er ve . com

DIGITAL EDITOR

KARIE SIMMONS ks i mmo n s @ q cn er ve.com

STAFF WRITER

PAT MORAN pm o ra n @ q cn er ve . com

STAFF WRITER

NIKOLAI MATHER n m at h e r @ q cn e r ve.com

4 BUMPS IN THE ROAD BY DARRELL HORWITZ Vision Zero faces many challenges in eliminating traffic fatalities in Charlotte 6 A JOURNEY INTO SOUND BY RIKKI POYNTER How hearing aids have and haven’t changed my life 8 MORE THAN SKIN DEEP BY NIKOLAI MATHER Behind the Ink project highlights body art through multiple mediums 10 LIFELINE: 10 COOL THINGS TO DO IN TWO WEEKS 12 A NOBLE ENDEAVOR BY PAT MORAN

Noble Records offers up rare vinyl and good vibes

11 SOUNDWAVE

16 FOOD& DRINK LIFESTYLE

STARTING FROM SCRATCH BY RYAN PITKIN Mary Jayne Wilson brings Thoughtful Baking Co. out of the oven

18 PUZZLES 20 AERIN IT OUT BY AERIN SPRUILL 20 HOROSCOPE 22 SAVAGE LOVE

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THANKS TO OUR CONTRIBUTORS: PAT MORAN, NIKOLAI MATHER, RIKKI POYNTER, DARRELL HORWITZ, KEVIN ‘SURF’ MITCHELL, DAVID FLOWER, AERIN SPRUILL, AND DAN SAVAGE.

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BEHIND THE INK PROJECT SHARES STORIES OF BODY ART IN MULTIPLE MEDIUMS

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NEWS & OPINION FEATURE

CMPD had not responded to requests for It’s one of multiple factors Berry puts in the “poor The main cause for most car crashes and traffic comment for this article at the time of publication. choices” category, along with driving while impaired Solving traffic safety involves more than slowing and texting while driving. fatalities in Charlotte is the most obvious one: speed. down; inattention also plays a role in many crashes, There are also more complex obstacles inherent Of 81 lives lost to traffic fatalities in Charlotte in 2020, according to CMPD reports. According to CDOT’s in Charlotte’s infrastructure that pose challenges for 43 were due to crashes that involved speeding.

Maj. Dave Johnson of Charlotte-Mecklenburg traffic safety and Vision Zero manager Angela Berry, the Vision Zero team.

“There are 50-plus years of auto-centric Police Department told Charlotte City Council on inattention doesn’t necessarily mean someone is driving Vision Zero faces many Oct. 7 that the department is doing its part by and texting or fiddling with their radio, it can also refer development here in Charlotte where we built roads challenges in eliminating implementing “saturation patrols” and checkpoints to drivers whose minds are elsewhere, thinking about to get you from A to B in a direct line as quickly as traffic fatalities in Charlotte along the city’s most problematic corridors, known what they’re going to cook for dinner or getting their possible,” she said.

Part of Vision Zero’s job will be informing decisions as the High Injury Network. However, reporting kids to whatever activities they need to get to.

BY DARRELL HORWITZ “It takes a very focused effort to keep your around new street designs and road improvements, a from WFAE found that CMPD has made far fewer traffic stops for speeding over the past decade as thoughts on what’s going on around you. How far job that will take decades to truly make an impact.

In response to a troubling increase in traffic traffic deaths have more than doubled. are you following the car in front of you? Are you “While we would love to be able to undo 50 fatalities over the past decade, the city of Charlotte On a Dec. 7 episode of WFAE’s radio show speeding?” Berry said. “Especially if the flow of years of auto-centric construction with the wave of developed the Vision Zero program in 2018 as part Charlotte Talks, Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said traffic is speeding, it’s very easy if you’re not paying a wand, it will take time and commitment from us of Charlotte Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) attention to not realize you’re speeding too because and our residents to make the needed infrastructure 2019-2030 Transportation Action Plan, with and perspective changes so we may all a goal to bring down the number of crashes travel safely,” she added. and traffic-related deaths and injuries on Charlotte streets.

What’s been done so far Patterned after a safety program started While much of the public discussion in Sweden in 1997 that focused on how around Vision Zero has been about installing people naturally behave to help eliminate speed and red-light cameras, state law or minimize those mistakes from becoming requiring permission from the state more serious, Vision Zero set a goal to reduce legislature to do so has pushed that idea to the number of fatal car crashes in our city to the bottom of the priority list. Berry’s team zero by 2030. In the time since, the number is focusing on more short-term solutions. of traffic-related deaths has only risen, and at In its first three years, the program has a faster rate than should be expected due to adopted a number of procedures aimed at population growth. making the streets safer for drivers, cyclists Between 2012-2016, 238 people and pedestrians. The process to implement were killed on Charlotte’s streets, an these procedures began with identifying average of about 48 people each year, an areas in Charlotte with a historically higher alarming increase from the average of 39 incidence of fatal and serious injury crashes. traffic fatalities in the previous five years.

It’s called the High Injury Network Then in 2017, 71 crashes resulted in 74 (HIN), a working document of a map deaths on Charlotte streets. It was the that staff is constantly updating so as to PHOTO BY DAVID FLOWER third consecutive yearly increase in traffic THE CITY OPENED BIKE LANES ON PARKWOOD AVENUE IN OCTOBER. identify improvements that could be made fatalities, and that’s without including the to address fatal and serious-injury crashes 27 pedestrians killed that year. speeding and unsafe driving have been the top you’re just keeping up with traffic.” happening along those corridors in real time. This The city responded in 2018 by developing Vision concern she’s heard from constituents throughout In Charlotte, more than 6,147 crashes involved includes analysis of speed limits, street lighting and Zero, which was adopted by Charlotte City Council her tenure on city council. distracted drivers in 2020. This also plays into why the signage, among many other potential variants. in 2019. While much of the first two years of the “We have changed the culture of driving in this Vision Zero team calls them crashes instead of accidents.

Since implementing Vision Zero, the city has program has consisted of research and analysis, city,” Eiselt told host Mike Collins. “I remember a It’s a purposeful use of phrasing, Berry said. improved lighting on 93 segments of the HIN, CDOT has begun implementing safety measures time when you would drive through the city and see “Traffic crashes are fixable problems. They are transitioning from high-pressure sodium lamps to on city streets over the last two years. Still, traffic a police car on the corner waiting for speeders and not accidents,” she said. “My perspective is the word LED lamps, which provide better visibility, consume deaths have continued to increase. accident implies no causality, and there’s always a less energy, and alert CDOT to outages so they can be you just don’t see that anymore.”

The city saw 81 traffic-related fatalities in 2020, She cited the police department’s shortage cause behind a crash, whether it’s glancing at a text replaced more quickly. and as of October this year, the most up-to-date of officers and focus on violent crime as potential from their wife, impaired driving, or [they] took a CDOT has also lowered speed limits to 25 mph information CDOT could provide us, there were 61. reasons for the lack of enforcement, and advocated curve too fast and weren’t wearing their seatbelt.” on 181 local streets for traffic-calming purposes, These rising totals have raised questions about for automated enforcement, something she has About 40% of people killed in crashes each year and regularly analyzes the need to lower speed whether the Vision Zero solutions will be enough or consistently pushed council to explore further on average aren’t wearing their seat belts, though limits on other streets upon request, three to five of if help will be needed from state legislators to enact during her tenure. the number was closer to 35% in Charlotte in 2020. which come in every day, Berry said. stronger measures such as camera enforcement.

BUMPS IN THE ROAD

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Challenges for Vision Zero

NEWS & OPINION FEATURE The Driver Feedback Sign Program is another piece of Vision Zero that’s been rolled out in its beginning stages. Placed below speed limit signs, a driver feedback sign flashes a driver’s speed back at them and orders them to slow down if they’re going too fast. There are currently 15 of the signs located around the city, rotating placements every six weeks, and the city is looking to double that number to 30 in the near future.

Additional new technology includes pedestrian hybrid beacons, which allow pedestrians to control a stop light on high-volume streets such as South Boulevard; and rectangular rapid flashing beacons (RRFB), which help people cross high-volume streets by alerting drivers to their presence using strobe lights. As of October, RRFBs had been installed in five locations around the city, including at Central Piedmont Community College’s Uptown campus.

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Would cameras help?

During public discussions at Charlotte City Council meetings, much of the talk has centered on automated traffic enforcement, using technology such as speed cameras and red-light cameras. Charlotte operated the SafeSpeed program from 2003-06, which utilized speed cameras, though the legislation allowing them to do so required that a CMPD officer also be present to log speeds with a radar gun.

The legislation also named 14 specific locations in Charlotte where CMPD could implement the program, not allowing for any other options, and based those locations on their proximity to schools, not crash data. The legislation expired in 2007 and the program was terminated.

Red-light cameras are used more widely in North Carolina and around the country. The cameras are deployed at intersections with stop lights, where they detect vehicles that pass the white stop bar after a light has turned red, triggering high-speed cameras that take photos of the violating car, then mail citations to the owner of the violating vehicle.

Charlotte discontinued its previous red-light camera program in 2006 after the N.C. Supreme Court ruled that 90% of civil penalty proceeds must go to the local school board, making it too costly for the city with little return.

The data on red-light cameras show mixed success, with most studies finding they do cut down on angle crashes — which tend to be more severe — but often lead to more rear-end collisions, as cars attempt to stop short when they see a camera.

The largest study on red-light cameras in this country to date, carried out by the Chicago Tribune in 2014, collected data from 90 intersections with red-light cameras installed. After three years, the study found an unremarkable difference in crashes at those intersections — one that was within the study’s margin of error.

A 2005 analysis by the Federal Highway Administration evaluated 132 intersections with red-light cameras in seven cities throughout the country. That study found a 16% decrease in rightangle injury crashes but a 24% increase in rearend injury crashes. Because rear-end crashes are usually not as dangerous as angled crashes (getting “T-boned,” for example), officials considered the cameras beneficial to public safety.

In Charlotte, data taken from four locations where the red-light cameras were previously installed covered three years before the cameras, three years during their use and three years after. It showed that, while there was an uptick in rear-end collisions at the intersection while the cameras were there, the intersections saw an overall decrease in collisions during and after the program was in operation.

One solution to the uptick in rear-end crashes caused by red-light cameras involves lengthening the interval time of a yellow light, commonly known as the “dilemma zone” during which drivers must decide between stopping or continuing through an intersection. The HSRC study states that “a dilemma zone exists when a reasonable and prudent driver can neither stop the vehicle in time nor enter the intersection before the onset of a red light.”

Multiple studies have suggested that increasing the time span of yellow lights by 1.5 to 3 seconds would dramatically reduce rear-end collisions. Berry said CDOT uses national and state-adopted formulas to calculate yellow and red light times based on the physical geometry of the intersection and the travel speeds. Yellow lights in Charlotte are typically between four and six seconds.

Hitting a red light

In a Dillon Rule state like North Carolina, where state legislators must delegate authority to municipalities like Charlotte, there would have to be approval from the North Carolina General Assembly for these programs to be activated in Charlotte.

There is currently legislation on the table that would allow for the use of red-light cameras, though none that mentions speed cameras.

At a Charlotte City Council meeting on Dec. 6, District 1 representative Larken Egleston addressed the use of red-light cameras, stating the Vision

Zero team is continuing to study the impacts, while prioritizing more short-term solutions, as the N.C. General Assembly may not be playing ball until 2023 at the earliest. “[Vision Zero] has gotten reports back on those, but they also want to look at things that don’t require potential legislative partnership,” Egleston said. “Those things we want to keep on the table, but we understand that there is a need to get buy-in or rule changes in Raleigh, so those are not quick, short-term solutions.”

Speaking on Charlotte Talks on the following morning, however, Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt said she wished council would be more active in working with state legislators to pursue those changes.

If the red-light cameras and speed cameras were to be active again, cost is a factor. There is no funding established to pay for the program, and the current legislation going through the N.C. General Assembly only allows 10% of the funds collected to be used to fund the program, as was mandated during the previous implementation of the cameras.

While her team is always analyzing the many options to strengthen public safety, Berry said there are no current plans to make red-light cameras a part of the Vision Zero program, though if city council directs her to do so, she will look into it.

In the meantime, she and her team will continue implementing solutions more feasible for the city in the short-term. While much of the first years of Vision Zero were spent doing research and analysis, since the team began taking action in 2020, the need for solutions has only become more apparent.

“The numbers from last year and this year are not just a Charlotte challenge, but in fact a nationwide challenge,” Berry said. “I do remain optimistic that we must always strive for zero. That being said, it is a complex ball of string to untangle to get us to zero.

It will take all of us at every level of the community to engage in this effort.”

Yet Berry is determined to see that magic number of zero. She understands that it’s a lofty goal, and maybe an unrealistic one, but it is an important one to her.

“If you don’t say zero, what do you say? Do you say Vision Five or Vision Ten? What if one of those five or 10 people is someone in your family or a friend?

We have to set the bar high and shoot for zero.

Vision Zero isn’t about overall crash reduction. It’s an overall injury-reduction strategy. I want to take people out of the trauma unit at the hospital.”

Ryan Pitkin contributed reporting to this article.

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NEWS & OPINION OPINION

JOURNEY INTO SOUND

How hearing aids have and haven’t changed my life

BY RIKKI POYNTER

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Rikki Poynter is a columnist covering disability issues for Queen City Nerve. To read her past work visit qcnerve.com/author/rikki-poynter.

In October, at 30 years old, I got my first pair of hearing aids.

I was only 11 years old when my mother took me to an audiologist about my hearing. My friend’s mom had noticed that I often wouldn’t turn around when she was calling my name, so she told my mother, who is also deaf, that I should get checked out.

The audiologist confirmed a decent amount of hearing loss. I don’t know exactly how much, as I was too young to pay attention or care at the time, but it was enough to consider the option of hearing aids, but they were just too expensive for us to afford.

The average cost of hearing aids can be anywhere from $1,000 to more than $6,000 depending on where you live, what you’re getting and, in rare instances, what insurance will pay.

I spent the rest of my school years without hearing aids or other accommodations, dealing with increasing struggle as those years went on and graduated with only a 2.6 GPA. Alongside no access to hearing aids, I also did not have access to American Sign Language (ASL). Every time it was brought up, the option was brushed aside and nobody around me learned it either.

Despite North Carolina School for the Deaf being about a half an hour away from me, I continued to enroll in mainstream schools until I graduated high school.

I never did go to college, either, due to the lack of accessibility.

So I was forced to get by with the hearing I had left while attempting to lipread, which I’m terrible at. As the hearing loss became more aggressive, things became more and more difficult.

When I finally started learning about and integrating into the deaf community in my early 20s, I started to feel a little more comfortable

learning ASL. I no longer felt like it was useless to me since I finally found people like me.

Unfortunately, I didn’t actually live near these communities, at least not near deaf people my age.

They were either small children going to the deaf school, or older people that I would have little to no connection to other than being deaf.

After high school, I struggled to get a job. I applied anywhere that didn’t require too much experience, but because of my deafness, I was not hired.

Yes, that is illegal but difficult to enforce.

Employers can simply say they didn’t find you to be the right candidate for the job and don’t need to get more specific than that. That’s how they work around the American Disabilities Act. Shortly after I graduated high school, I began frequenting YouTube, a place that anyone can be a part of. You are in charge of what goes on your own channel and how the content is made.

I started my first few years on YouTube as a makeup guru, reviewing makeup products and doing tutorials in hopes of one day becoming a professional makeup artist.

Eventually, I grew bored of doing makeup for YouTube, and it was costing me more money than it was worth, so I changed niches and started talking about being deaf and accessibility.

Talking about accessibility on YouTube is what kicked off my public speaking career. I started hosting workshops at conventions like VidCon and Playlist, and even got to be on stage for Google and Apple.

While the actual events themselves — be it a panel or a workshop — come with a captioner and an ASL interpreter — the networking, the afterparties, etc., did not.

Each entire event, minus the one or two hours when I was onstage, was me on my own, the only deaf person in a crowd of hearing, non-signing people.

This made it a struggle to hang out with peers and potential clients one-on-one, and especially in groups where there’s multiple people talking at once.

The issues don’t stop with people and events though. It has become more difficult to edit my own videos. I speak in the majority of my videos and don’t script them, so I have to use the hearing I have left and settings in my headphones and editing program to try to understand myself and know what to cut out and leave in.

YouTube is a large part of my career, so to be unable to have some sort of solution could mean risking that.

With all of those things heavy on my mind early in 2021, I strongly considered looking into hearing aids. Yet there was still that ultimate barrier: the cost.

I didn’t get health insurance until a few months into the year, but even then, trying to afford hearing aids on top of the cost of appointments was out of the question. I make around $1,000-$1,500 a month before taxes and have a car to pay for.

Getting hearing aids seemed impossible and my frustrations grew higher. So I did what any YouTuber would naturally do when frustrated about something: I tweeted about it.

An acquaintance saw the tweet and gave me an answer I’ve gotten numerous times before but never took seriously in fear of it not working out: VR. VR, or VRS, stands for Vocational Rehabilitation Services, which helps disabled people by providing jobs, accessibility tools, and laptops, tablets, or any such equipment they need for work.

I’d heard about VR before and considered contacting them, but every time I thought about it, I chickened out.

Finally in April, I bit the bullet and sent a message.

Shortly after, I received a response that eventually allowed me to start the process of acquiring hearing aids. A lot of paperwork and background checks, a new hearing test and audiogram (which confirmed progressive moderate-to-severe and severe-toprofound hearing loss depending on the ear and the frequency levels), and earmold application later, I officially received my first pair of hearing aids in August: a pair of Phonak Naida Paradise buds with black hardware and pink earmolds.

Using them has been quite the journey, to say the least.

I had no volume control for the first two weeks, as my audiologist wanted me to get used to sound in general. Things were incredibly loud. Even the sounds of lightly brushing a paper bag and putting a memory card down onto the table hurt my ears.

The beeping and buzzing noises of the refrigerator and washing machine made me think they were broken or that I was in a real-life Conjuring movie.

Every single time I walked past people who were talking, I would turn my head, as it seemed they were talking directly to me. Everything sounded a bit computerized, which I found in my research to be normal, as it takes the brain a few months to train itself to all the new sounds.

Even as that subsides somewhat, in the end, I will never register sound the same way as hearing people do.

The hearing aids needed to be readjusted and volume control needed to be turned on, but I had to wait.

On the upside, conversation with hearing people became a lot easier. Granted, only really with unmasked people, and only as long as we were still facing each other.

It often felt as if I was being screamed at instead of being talked to at a normal volume, but still, progress was being made.

The best upside of all was hearing both of my cats meow and realizing that their voices really should be switched. My meaner cat sounds like the sweetest, most dainty cat in the world while my sweeter and extremely cuddly one actually sounds threatening, like he’s yelling at me all the time.

Two weeks after getting my hearing aids, they were finally readjusted and things began to sound a bit more normal — according to my understanding of normal, anyway.

Spoken language and music continue to sound a bit robotic, but I don’t imagine that lessening soon as it is just computerized hearing, not natural hearing.

I feel the relaxing of my throat, as I no longer have to strain it to project so much in my YouTube videos just to make sure I can hear myself later in post.

I haven’t been able to try editing with them in yet as my headphones cover too closely to the speaker, which makes things staticky and painful.

Last week, I gave a TEDx Talk and was able to understand a few brief things the staff told me when my interpreter wasn’t around for a moment.

(Bathroom breaks and the like. She’s not slacking off, I swear!)

Overall, finally getting my hands on hearing aids has been a beneficial experience. Getting them through VR has helped tremendously and I don’t know where I would be now if I hadn’t received their help.

With that all being said, it’s important to know that hearing aids are not miracle workers; they’re not cures. So if you see someone with hearing aids, please do not assume they can hear you, as hearing aids work differently for everyone’s levels of deafness.

Hearing aids are simply assistive devices to help with noticing noise and increasing accessibility. A larger effort for equal communication from hearing people is still required. Hearing aids don’t “fix” my deafness, as deafness isn’t something that needs to be fixed in order to thrive.

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ARTS FEATURE

MORE THAN SKIN DEEP

Behind the Ink tells many beautiful stories in multiple mediums

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BY NIKOLAI MATHER

The story of Behind the Ink, a years-long photography project from local arts organization Creating Exposure Through the Arts (C.E.A.) that has since spurred exhibits, a book and a documentary, began on a Saturday back in 2008, when Joseph Johnson was getting clowned by his friends.

“They thought one of my tattoos was girly …

They were giving me hell about it being a rose,” he recounted.

C.E.A. executive director Mark Pendergrass, who had not yet founded his organization but was volunteering with the kids at a local youth center that weekend, aimed to make it a teachable moment.

He asked Johnson to share the backstory of his tattoo. Johnson explained that his mother died when he was only 2 years old, and he wanted to pay tribute to her by getting a tattoo of a rose with her name.

Pendergrass, who was teaching photography at the time, saw how youth responded to this compelling tale. Within a week, he had decided to work it into the curriculum.

“We would do these workshops where if you had a tattoo, you’d come in and get a portrait,” he said. Portrait subjects — friends, family members, teachers, volunteers and the like — would pose for students, then share their reasons for getting their respective body art.

Initially, these began as casual conversations — born out of small talk while waiting around to take pictures. Students would ask about the meaning behind their subjects’ tattoos, and Pendergrass began to recognize just how powerful these stories were in building context for the art itself. He began recording them to act as companions to the photographs.

“We intentionally started capturing interviews a couple years ago, where we would talk to them about their stories,” he said.

Since 2008, the idea has developed and branched into several different creative projects. And

since founding C.E.A. in 2012, Pendergrass has been able to put a stronger focus on the project.

In addition to multiple exhibitions throughout Charlotte, select photos from the project have made it into a Behind the Ink coffee-table book.

Though released in April, C.E.A. was finally able to celebrate the book release with an event in The Collector’s Room in South End on Dec. 7.

The book features portraits and stories A ‘BEHIND THE INK’ COFFEE TABLE BOOK DROPPED IN APRIL. from many Charlotte folks, including tattoo artists like Crystana which were brought on by COVID-19.

“Dutchess” Lattimore, a The film follows Fedelina Feliz, a young woman Charlotte Latin grad and former star of VH1’s Black Ink Crew who played a major role in the Behind affiliated with C.E.A., as she gets her first tattoo. She the Ink Project; photographer Justin “UncleJut” connects with Anthony Morrow, a former NBA player McErlian; rapper Deniro Farrar; former Panthers turned creative who introduces her to Lattimore, who gives Fedelina her first tattoo. linebacker Thomas Davis; and others.

The journey is intercut with interviews in which At the Dec. 7 event, organizers also screened a other people with tattoos — a 70-year-old woman, documentary by the same name that also wrapped a mother working in the corporate world, a muralist, in spring 2021 after two years of delays, many of

and so on — share their stories. They describe their creative visions for their respective pieces of body art, the inspirations behind them and their advice for young people considering tattoos.

Young C.E.A. affiliates were involved in every step of the process. They wrote interview questions, took photographs and shot the scenes with help from their adult mentors. Morrow, who interviewed Fedelina as part of the documentary, was struck by the students’ work.

“When I was in the field with them, I got to really see how versed in the craft they all were,” he said. “I told them all, basically, like, ‘I’m really proud of all y’all.’ For these guys to come in and get into a position of purpose at a young age — that’s something.”

C.E.A. didn’t stop with the documentary.

Since its release, the team has hosted screenings, curated exhibits and competed in film festivals locally and nationally. In 2020, Pendergrass had several enormous banners with photos from their exhibitions printed out for the Charlotte SHOUT! street festival. Though the festival was ultimately canceled, he worked with the city to keep the street exhibit, which is currently still displayed on the outer walls of the soon-to-be-demolished Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Main branch in Uptown. It will remain up through the end of the year.

The Uptown street exhibit includes QR codes on nearby signs, which lead interested passersby to a nine-minute clip from the documentary. Building new things continuously off of one idea is most gratifying to Pendergrass.

“I’m most proud of the teamwork that it took to get this from images to documentary to the desire to make a docuseries,” he said. “There are so many images that we haven’t even shared yet … There’s so much that we can create with that people can enjoy.”

More than tattoos

CRYSTANA ‘DUTCHESS’ LATTIMORE (LEFT) AND HER DAD, RICKY LATTIMORE. PHOTO BY KEVIN ‘SURF’ MITCHELL

Behind the Ink has done more than just give young people a creative outlet. It has changed perspectives on tattoos. Some documentary subjects tell funny stories, like Morrow, who talks about his mother’s reaction to his first tattoo.

“She went crazy until she saw it was her name!” he said.

Others, like Charlotte artist DeNeer Davis, provide deep introspection. Davis recounted a suicide attempt that led her to getting inked out of a feeling of self-love and recovery.

Morrow, who grew up in the same neighborhood as Davis, thought it was important to end the stigma around body art for those reasons.

“For so long, we got shunned for having

ARTS FEATURE tattoos,” he said. “But I truly believe it is art. For me, personally, my body tells my life story.”

Charlotte photographer Aliya Minter said she was transformed by her work with young people on Behind the Ink. As a mother of four, she had a long list of concerns about tattoos before working on the project.

“I was just like, ‘Oh my gosh, why would you put that on your body? It’s permanent, if you don’t like it, you’re gonna be stuck with it and have to pay money to get it removed’,” she said. “I never looked that deep into a tattoo.”

But the thought-provoking stories she heard while volunteering changed her mind — so much so that she and her husband got tattoos themselves.

“I am not the age to be doing something that crazy,” she laughs. “But me and my husband, we were just like, ‘You know what? We’re gonna do it.

they’ve passed through C.E.A. The nonprofit is on a mission to foster a passion for the arts among students, mostly serving young Black creatives and people of color.

On the weekends, instructors get together with students in libraries and community centers to lead workshops on photography, writing and editing.

Through these classes, special events and mentorships, students develop the skill sets and networks necessary for creative careers.

Essynce’s experience had a ripple effect; as her passion for the program grew, so did her mother’s.

“If there was anything they needed, I would just be there to help as a parent. I would take care of the small stuff, the little things that would make it go smoothly,” Minter said.

After helping out as a parent for several years, she jumped at the chance to become an instructor.

“I just believed in Mark’s vision, you know,” Minter said. “Being a photographer, I related to not just where he was coming from, but the

Pendergrass, who works full time for Wells Fargo, described his work with C.E.A. as “a labor of love,” and that labor goes beyond the arts.

C.E.A. has helped fundraise for academic opportunities like study-abroad trips or immersivelearning experiences for high-achieving students.

C.E.A. also maintains partnerships with local grocery stores to help donate food to families in its network as well as nonprofits like The Relatives, a system of resources that helps children and youth find shelter and support.

Pendergrass keeps tabs on freelancing gigs and other opportunities for those affiliated with C.E.A. “If there’s anything big going on in Charlotte that he thinks we don’t know about, he’s definitely gonna let us know,” Minter laughed. “Mark’s support is just unmatched. We’re so much of a family at Creating Exposure, and I really appreciate our

relationship.”

Perhaps nothing has affected Minter as much as her work on Behind the Ink, which is far more than skin deep.

She said she wasn’t just inspired by the body art she saw, but by the perspective change it invoked in her.

“We tend to judge what we don’t understand.

Because of Behind the Ink, I’m a lot slower to judge … Young people should join us because getting involved will really change your perspective of the world as a whole … That’s a major responsibility for a program. But they do it so well. I think it’s so rewarding in the end.”

NMATHER@QCNERVE.COM

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Maybe we’ll make the next documentary.’”

Minter raised her daughter Essynce around the arts. She took her to photo shoots and supported her interest in music and dance from a young age. Then she met Pendergrass during National Night Out on West Boulevard some years ago.

She signed her daughter up for the program, and that’s when Essynce’s interest in the arts went from hobby to passion.

“Meeting Mark was absolutely an opportunity for her to come into her own,” Minter said. “That really increased her love for photography.”

That’s just one of hundreds of similar stories of lives that have been touched and impacted as

students as well. Watching my daughter grow in the program actually helped me, because there were a lot of things I ended up learning through being a supportive parent. As I was supporting, I was kind of a student as well.”

C.E.A. is staffed entirely by volunteers. Like Minter, many started out as supportive parents.

Several others began as students of the program who, after successfully making careers in photography and the arts, return to share their knowledge with younger generations.

“I’m really proud of the students who were part of the origin and are now still part of it,” Pendergrass said.

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ONGOING ‘MARS 1001’

There’s less than a month to check out Discovery Place’s out of this world exhibit When We Went to the Moon. If you haven’t visited yet, this 30-minute science fiction film tie-in is that extra something that should get you through the door. The plot sounds like an update on serious 1950s sci-fi flicks like Destination Moon that tried to spotlight scientific discoveries: “Space reporter Miles O’Brien guides you through the first human mission to Mars — a daring 1,000-day mission to fly an international crew to the red planet and return them safely to Earth.”

More: $15 and up; ongoing, Saturdays & Sundays, times vary; Discovery Place Science, 301 N. Tryon St.; science.discoveryplace.org

‘SUZANNE HOSCHEDÉ-MONET SEWING’ Artwork by John Leslie Breck

12/15

VINCENT VAN GOGH SELF PORTRAIT Artwork by Vincent Van Gogh

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As part of the Mint’s Free Wednesday Evenings, Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, senior curator of American art at The Mint Museum, leads tours of the museum’s current running exhibit, John Leslie Breck: American Impressionist. Born at sea off Hong Kong’s coast in 1860, the son of a naval officer, Breck studied in Munich and Paris, then traveled to Giverny, France where he befriended impressionist master Claude Monet.

Learning and adopting the style and techniques of his new friend, Breck introduced impressionism to the U.S. with a show in Boston in 1890.

More: Free; Dec. 15, members tour 2 p.m., public tour 6:30 p.m.; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org

This December iteration of the Gantt Center’s monthly guided 30-minute tour series is titled Landscapes: Places and Spaces. The subject is explored in relation to the Gantt Center’s current exhibition, Visual Vanguard: An Exhibition of Contemporary Black Carolina Artists.

The exhibit, in turn, examines 25 artists who create in a variety of vibrant and versatile media, which survey the struggles, strengths and celebrations of Black creativity in the Carolinas through visual art, performance, video and poetry. By examining the ambiguity within each variation, each artist amplifies the ideals of racial pride, social power and identity.

More: Free; Dec. 16, Noon; Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org

Rap and Vincent Van Gogh may seem strange bedfellows, but consider that the prolific postimpressionist — who created most of his masterworks in the last two years of his life — has already been the subject this year of Detroit rapper ZelooperZ’s stylistically slippery Van Gogh’s Left Ear, which draws on the tortured Dutch master’s chaotic energy. Rap Van Gogh’s unique hip-hop experience doesn’t include ZelooperZ, but instead blends art, bars and music into an engaging event inside the Immersive Van Gogh Charlotte space, where the audience gets to choose the winner of a battle-like lyrical contest.

More: $15; Dec. 16, 8 p.m.; Ford Building, Camp North End, 300 Camp Road; blumenthalarts.org

This open house is hosted by a cooperative of diverse artists including BLKMRKTCLT, Jazz Arts Charlotte, McColl Center and more working with Mecklenburg County to transform an underutilized county building, the former Hal Marshall Center, into the Visual and Performing Arts Center. Their plans are that the VAPA Center will eventually be a mecca for arts and live entertainment in downtown Charlotte, featuring galleries, multiple theaters, rehearsal space, practice space, and art studios for individual artists. More than 120 artists are already in residence at VAPA. More: Free; Dec. 17, 6 p.m.; VAPA Center, 700 N. Tryon St.; vapacenter.com

JOHN LESLIE BRECK CURATOR-LED TOUR ART BREAK

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‘MARS 1001’ Film still

Ongoing

RAP VAN GOGH

VAPA CENTER HOLIDAY SOCIAL EXTRAVAGANZA

‘ANKH’ IN THE VISUAL VANGUARD EXHIBITION Artwork by Georgie Nakima

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Imagine if the ’90s alt-rock boom didn’t stagnate into blurry third-generation copies of grunge (Hello Spacehog!) or spiral into evolutionary dead ends like rap metal. What if alt rock had continued to develop in imaginative ways that kept pace with contemporary musical developments? Charlotte bands Roman Candles is doing just that. The five-piece crafts melodic satisfying rock that carries listeners through surprising twists and wraps songs in a lyrical conceit that’s part street poet/part pugilist.

More: $10; Dec. 18, 8 p.m.; Heist Brewery, 1030 Woodward Ave., heistbrewery.com/concerts

Blumenthal Performing Arts presents its monthly Poetry Slam event, hosted by SlamCharlotte, Charlotte’s own three-time national championship team of spoken word poetry. SlamCharlotte strives to promote poetic growth, enhanced performances and increased camaraderie among poets and the community through the monthly slam competitions.

SlamCharlotte’s current Slammaster, Boris “Bluz” Rogers, is the 13th ranked individual poet in the world and an Emmy Award-winning poet and author.

In September 2020, he was named Blumenthal Performing Arts Director of Creative Engagement.

More: Free; Dec. 22, 8 p.m.; Ford Building, Camp North End, 300 Camp Road; blumenthalarts.org

Launching with a grating pulsing guitar stab like a flashing warning beacon, Vicarious’s catchy 2020 single “Not Quite Sober” tumbles into a guttural yet supple groove that culminates in an unlikely singalong chorus: “Not quite sober yet/to see the toxic places you left me.” Comprised of bassist/ vocalist Brad Williamson, guitarist Colin Moser and drummer Zach Winton, Vicarious weaves funk, jazz, psych, classic rock and metallic prog into a carboliclaced cocktail before electroshock therapy.

More: $10; Dec. 23, 8 p.m.; The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd.; themilestone.club

In April, Pullover founder Phil Pucci set off in a direction that diverges from his main band with his solo project Invader Houses. The project’s debut single “Me and Gina” charts a soulful psychedelic course where melody and mood predominate. With reverberating guitars and percolating acoustic drum samples, it’s a dream-pop/R&B hybrid weighted with the eerie frisson of a well-told ghost story.

Pucci’s lyrics convey a giddy mix of yearning, mourning and dread.

More: $10; Dec. 25, 10 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

ROMAN CANDLES, DONNER DEADS, THE LOCAL ODYSSEY

SLAMCHARLOTTE POETRY SLAM

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VICARIOUS Promotional photo

INVADER HOUSES, PETROV, ALAN CHARMER, PROBABLY WILL

THE HIP HOP-NUTCRACKER Photo by Tim Norris

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‘THE HIP HOP NUTCRACKER’

A perennial holiday mash-up, The Hip Hop Nutcracker celebrates its seventh season on tour. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, the contemporary dance spectacle is a re-mixed and re-imagined version of the classic, where hip-hop dance and Tchaikovksy’s timeless music collide.

The presentation boasts a powerhouse cast of dancers, a DJ, a violinist, and MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip-hop’s founding fathers and the first commercially successful rap artist who paved the way for Grandmaster Flash, Run DMC, and everyone who followed. He opens the show with a short set.

More: $20; Dec. 27 & 28, 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.; Knight Theater, 430 S Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

SLAMMASTER BORIS “BLUZ” ROGERS Photo courtesy of SlamCharlotte

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PHIL PUCCI OF INAVDER HOUSES Photo by Sarah Blenis & Eli Pittman of Kosmorama

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MUSIC FEATURE

me and listens intently. He trains that same intensity toward playing records; they’re a media meant for much more that background listening.

“It’s such an intentional experience to put a record on,” he says. “It’s the closest thing to playing music.”

Smith’s enthusiasm is not just confined to music he likes. He’s proud that the store takes a “something for everybody” approach.

“I think record stores have a bad reputation for being gatekeepers and elitists,” Smith says, laughing when I share a story about a quintessentially rude clerk at Chicago music store Wax Trax Records who called my purchase “absolute shit.” (The clerk, Alain Jourgensen, went on to front abrasive industrial metal band Ministry.) Smith actively discourages

deemed uncool. The best thing about vinyl was that it was cheap.

“CDs were expensive, and records were a quarter each or people were giving them away,” he remembers. Smith went to thrift stores with his mom and snapped up all the vinyl he could fine, developing a taste for classic rock. “Whenever I got Noble Records offers up rare a CD, it wasn’t as exciting to me. They were smaller.” vinyl and good vibes He loved the detailed — and larger — artwork vinyl offered, getting immersed in gatefold

BY PAT MORAN illustrations, lyric sheets and liner notes. Smith also began to play guitar, deepening his appreciation “Peel slowly and see,” read the instructions on for the musicians he discovered on vinyl. At the age the album’s cover — but no one has in the 54 years of 14, he decided he was going to own and run a since the sticker was placed there. Somehow, the brick-and-mortar record store, even though there previous owner or owners of this original edition were no stores anywhere near his rural hometown of the Velvet Underground’s 1967 debut of Midland, 25 miles east of Charlotte. album, The Velvet Underground & Nico, After being home-schooled through resisted the temptation to peel off the his middle school years, Smith attended banana-skin sticker on the record’s cover Central Cabarrus High School, where he to reveal the phallic-pink fruit beneath. bought, renovated and sold guitars as a That makes this particular piece of vinyl side gig. He also played guitar, and it was rare and collectible, but it’s also what through music that he met his wife Emily. makes it fun and exciting, says Dillon They both played music and performed at Smith, owner of Noble Records. their church.

“That’s the kind of stuff I like to find,” “I was probably 16 when I met her,” Smith says. “You can’t just go on Amazon Smith recalls. “We played music and just and buy it new. You have to get lucky.” stuck together. We’re like-minded I guess.”

Smith is the owner of Noble Records, Through all his business endeavors and situated in a shopping center on East life changes, Smith continued to listen Independence Boulevard on the border to and love records. He bought a topof Charlotte and Matthews in southeast loading turntable on which he could stack Mecklenburg County. After 10 year multiple records to drop down and play. of selling records online and hosting Smith remembers loading two copies of pop-ups at local breweries and other Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ Damn businesses, Smith launched his brickthe Torpedoes — one on side one and and-mortar establishment in October the other on the flip side — so he could 2019. lay in bed at night and listen to the whole PHOTO BY PAT MORAN Having just celebrated its second DILLON SMITH, OWNER OF NOBLE RECORDS, IN HIS SOUTHEAST CHARLOTTE SHOP. album without having to get up. anniversary, Noble has more in common In 2010, Dillon and Emily married. Amid with the unassuming businesses it shares a building landed in an Atlantic Records executive’s home. such snobbery. all the challenges and changes in the newlywed’s with — ones like Beltway Gun & Pawn or Blue When the exec’s daughter spun the hot-mixed disc, “People like what they like,” he says. “They lives, records went on the back burner. Smith was Chameleon Consignments — than the shiny new it skipped like crazy on her cheap turntable. Atlantic should feel comfortable buying Spice Girls or only making $1,000 a month playing guitar at branch of Elevation megachurch that sits across the immediately halted production of the album and whatever.” Hence the shop’s homey sitting area. church on Sundays. He sold his collection of over parking lot. ordered a more subdued mix — the mix most Smith wants people to feel at home, and able to 1,000 records on Craigslist to drum up extra money.

The unpeeled VU & Nico is not the only collector’s consumers hear to this day. strike up a friendly conversation about favorite — To make ends meet, he also sold cars at a dealership prize in Smith’s bright and cozy 200-square-foot “They stripped out all the stuff that made it so and sometimes rare — records. “I want us to have and worked in landscaping. In the meantime, he shop. On the same wall is a cache of rare vinyl that magical,” Smith concludes. a good reputation, where if you come in, you’ll find was trying to figure out what he wanted to do in can set a collector’s pulse racing and spark joy in the Stories like these cut to the heart of Smith’s love something you’ll get excited about.” life. Then in 2012, he hit the jackpot. hearts of music lovers. A copy of English psychedelic for records. The history of specific discs fascinates “It was the luckiest break in my whole life,” rockers Soft Machine’s self-titled 1968 debut sports him. A friendly 33-year-old bearded bear of a man, Smith says. He doesn’t remember the name of his rare dye-cut artwork. Next to that, mystical singer- he speaks with laid-back folksy ease as we sit in a Where Smith got his start CDs were the big thing when Smith discovered benefactor, nor much about his background, but a songwriter Judee Sill casts her eyes downward as comfortable seating area by the front of his store. man from Chicago sold Smith a huge collection of she graces the cover of her second — and final His eyes sparkle whenever he turns his attention to records at age 10. It was well before the vinyl revival, vinyl that set Smith on his current path. The man had and he didn’t care that records were at that point — album, 1973’s Heart Food. The holy grail among

A NOBLE ENDEAVOR

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these treasures is a record by Smith’s favorite band, Led Zeppelin.

Smith digs into the origin of the coveted Robert Ludwig pressing of Led Zeppelin II on Hi-Fi Friday, a recurring feature on his YouTube channel, where he recommends records, arranges to buy vinyl collections and raises a little advertising revenue for his store. He also talks records and collecting with various guests on his podcast Vinyl Biography.

“This is the very first pressing on Led Zeppelin II,” Smith recounts in the YouTube video.

After Zeppelin’s second album was recorded then mixed by Eddie Kramer, Kramer hired American engineer Ludwig to cut a mix so loud and hot that the punchy platter would leap off the turntable — and that’s exactly what it did. A copy of the disc

MUSIC FEATURE once owned a record store in the windy city, and had planned to launch a new establishment in Charlotte, but records weren’t yet the hot commodity they are today.

“All this inventory he stuck in his spare bedroom and it was 7,000 records,” Smith says. “I went in there and I was blown away.”

With his background in classic rock, Smith had no knowledge of this wondrous collection of punk and alternative, everything from Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds to The Cure and sealed Pearl Jam originals.

Smith was between jobs, and only had $200 to his name, but the seller was moving out and needed to unload his stock. He took the $200. To move the records, Smith had to make several trips in his SUV with all the seats down. He tied records to the top of his vehicle to get all of them home. For four years, the Smiths got by through Dillon selling records on eBay as DAE Smith Records (Dillon And Emily Smith).

Once the couple began having kids, records alone wouldn’t cut it. Smith worked in graphic design for a few years, then at a fiber optics plant, while the couple raised two sons: Noble, from whom Smith’s record store takes its name; and Cannon.

Smith was working 70 to 80 hours a week. The money was decent but not worth it, he recalls.

“I wanted to build something,” he says. “My kids were getting older and I was working my butt off trying to make a living and not seeing my family as much as I wanted to.”

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A sound business

Soon Smith found an even more pressing reason to spend more time with family. He noticed communication problems developing between himself and his oldest son. Noble was sharp when it came to motor skills, but he wasn’t talking. The couple took Noble to a neurologist, who diagnosed him as autistic. “[Autism] is such a spectrum, and they call it a spectrum for a reason,” Smith says. “Kids with autism, no two are the same.”

Despite challenges, Smith says Noble is gradually learning how to live his best life with autism, not despite it. His parents champion him in areas where he’s really strong, and help him in challenging areas.

“Would I change anything about him? No,” Smith says. “I have to connect with him and be more attentive to his needs. We have our own language. I can communicate with him without talking.”

Now 8 years old, Noble’s communication is still limited, though he is clearly intelligent.

“At some point in his life there’s going to be great things that come from his mind,” Smith offers.

“It just works different.”

The attention Noble needs became a big factor in opening a brick-and-mortar store. Wanting to spend more time at home and be more involved in Noble’s development became Smith’s main priority.

He and Emily noticed a space available on East Independence Boulevard and started driving by it repeatedly to see if it was still open.

“We wanted it badly,” Smith says.

Around that time, Smith launched a series of pop-ups. The first, in 2017, was orchestrated by Emily, who was working at a coffee shop that hosted vendors on Saturday mornings. She figured, why not let Dillon come and sell his records?

“I had never done a pop-up,” Smith remembers.

“I had never sold anything in person.” A crowd of people came out, and he made much more money than he anticipated. He sniffed out a collection that came up for sale the next day, and with extra money in his pocket from the pop-up, snapped it up. He scheduled another pop-up and, as he tells it, “It just snowballed from there. At a certain point, I started making more money with pop-ups than I was at my regular job.”

Perhaps the highest profile pop-up was a 2018 event at Divine Barrel Brewing in NoDa. Dillon and Emily wanted to bring Noble to Santa Fe, New Mexico to see an alternative specialist, but they had no money to make the trip. Determined to make it happen, the couple branded their pop-up as a fundraiser for Noble’s new treatment. The popup was a huge success, and along with donations from Smith’s parents and grandparents, the family pulled the money together. They turned the trip into an adventure as they drove out to New Mexico in a 15-passenger van. Both the treatment and the trip had a beneficial effect, Smith says.

“It was a huge turning point. He started doing a lot better,” Smith says.

Prior to the trip, Noble wouldn’t sleep through the night, a problem perhaps exacerbated by Smith pulling too many 12-hour overnight shifts. But after the trip, which Smith thinks helped socialize Noble, his sleeping difficulties disappeared.

“Nothing’s going to flip a switch where everything will be normal,” Smith says. “You have to fight for every single victory that you get, and you keep building off that success.”

Finally, in the fall of 2019, Smith had enough money to buy the space for his store. He could do

what he loved with a flexible family-centered schedule.

“My number one thing is being a dad and being there for my kids,” Smith says. “Music is great, and I love records. It just so happens to be something I can do from home.”

He hopes someday, his sons will take over the business. He notes that his younger son Cannon, now 5 years old, already loves records.

The classic rock of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, Grateful Dead, and others are the bread and butter of Noble Records, Smith says. That said, there are trends.

When the new Get Back documentary came out about The Beatles, people rushed to buy their records. Country music sales spiked when Ken Burns’ Country Music documentary dropped. Similarly, Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart piqued interest in the long-running Australian brother act.

What hasn’t changed, is Smith’s attitude towards his customers.

“When people come in here, they get our attention, and they get our smile,” Smith says.

The store’s staff of four includes Dominic Geralds and Jeremy Smith. Both are professional musicians, playing with John Mark McMillan’s band. As a side gig, Geralds and Smith also run Gigantic Records.

“Basically, you send them a demo of you playing guitar and singing and they will take that and completely transform it into an incredible song,” Smith says. “They will transform into however you want it to sound. They are awesome musicians.”

Smith’s staff also includes Grateful Dead enthusiast Ashley Johnson and relative newcomer Matt Crowder.

“When I hire somebody, the number one thing isn’t if they know records, it’s if they’re nice,” Smith says. “It’s more than a shop to me. It’s a way that we can serve people and be nice to people.”

In the past couple years, Smith notes that practically everybody has had a hard time. When there’s a bunch of people having difficulties, they act hostile and get at each other’s throats and hostile, he continues. He believes that often people just need somebody to be nice to them. Encountering pleasant and helpful people can make a make a big difference in someone’s day.

“I think people’s joy is important,” Smith says.

“Getting a record that they’ve been looking for can spark some joy in their heart and help them out. It’s a small thing to help people, and sure I’m making money doing it, but I really enjoy that about it.”

PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM

MUSIC FEATURE

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Digital Noir feat. DJ Spider (The Milestone)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 19 ROCK/PUNK/METAL [SOUNDWAVE DISCLAIMER: Genres are subjective and actually quite stupid. If you haven’t heard of a COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA Pecos & the Rooftops (Amos’ Southend) specific artist on this list, Google is your friend.]

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Justin Osborne w/ Jordan Igoe (Visulite Theatre)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Josh Waters w/ Byron Juane (Evening Muse)

BLUES/FUNK/JAM BANDS

Dopapod (Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16 HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Rap Van Gogh (Ford Building, Camp North End) Greg Cox (online broadcast hosted by Neighborhood Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Charles Wesley Godwin (Amos’ Southend) Amanda Anne Platt & the Honeycutters (Neighborhood Theatre) Elonzo Wesley (Primal Brewery)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL

Mark O’Connor’s An Appalachian Christmas (Knight Theater) Lava Band Presents Warm at Christmas (Middle C Jazz)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Carolina Songwriters Showcase feat. David Childers (Petra’s)

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POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Black Guys in Hats feat. A-Minor, Blood Diamond, Trife (Snug Harbor)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) Fireball Christmas Party feat. Lil Skritt, Careless Romantic, Duckbeak (The Milestone) Neon Deaths w/ Rikki Rakki, Dylan Gilbert (Petra’s)

Jeremy Pinnell & Emily Nenni w/ Kristina Murray (Evening Muse)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Magic of Christmas (Knight Theater) The Heart & Soul Christmas Show feat. Nils & Johnny Britt (Middle C Jazz)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Dane Page w/ Chip McGee (Evening Muse)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Dieselboy (SERJ) Cosmic Collective w/ Brut Beat, 2 Weeks Notice (Snug Harbor) Dada Life (World Nightclub)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Vegabonds w/ The Stews (Amos’ Southend) Roman Candles, Donner Deads, The Local Odyssey (Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts) Sarah Shook & the Disarmers w/ Izzy Jeffrey, Featherpocket (Neighborhood Theatre) Funeral Chic, Worsen, Guilty View (Skylark Social Club) Alternative Champs w/ It’s Snakes (Snug Harbor) Shem Creeps w/ Queen City Rejects, Trash Room (Tommy’s Pub)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Poundgame Addison w/ Lil@h (Evening Muse) Celeste Moonchild w/ Gabriel Knows Everything, Chocolate KNDY (Petra’s)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Magic of Christmas (Knight Theater) The Heart & Soul Christmas Show feat. Nils & Johnny Britt (Middle C Jazz)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC Will Blackburn (Evening Muse)

Hunter’s Travesty (Comet Grill) Double Door Inn Anniversary Reunion Party feat.

Lenny Federal Band (Neighborhood Theatre) The Bloodworth Project (Smokey Joe’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Weird + Awesome Christmas Show feat. Nige Hood, Seph Dot, Flat Out Insult, Tre Ahmad, Spraypaint Jesus (The Milestone))

CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL/RELIGIOUS

Gospel Sunday Holiday Edition feat. Brave Entertainment (Middle C Jazz)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Magic of Christmas (Knight Theater)

Charlotte Symphony: A Very Thorgy Christmas (Knight Theater) A Charlie Brown Christmas feat. The Sean Mason Trio, Tyra Scott (Middle C Jazz)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Vicarious w/ Venus Invictus, Latepost (The Milestone)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Winter Soul Fest feat. The Isley Brothers (Bojangles Coliseum) Emily Sage (virtual broadcast hosted by Neighborhood Theatre) Che Noir w/ Khrysis, Shame Gang, Indigo Jo (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL

A Charlie Brown Christmas feat. The Sean Mason Trio, Tyra Scott (Middle C Jazz)

CHRISTIAN/GOSPEL/RELIGIOUS A Time to Heal (Knight Theater)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 20

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Council Ring w/ Jackson Fig, Troubleshoot, Red Stone Revival (The Milestone)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Tosco Music Holiday Party (Knight Theater)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21 HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Soulful Noel (Booth Playhouse) MoonLander (live streaming event hosted by Neighborhood Theatre)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Karla Davis Christmas Show (Evening Muse)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Self Made Monsters w/ Cheezus Crust (Snug Harbor)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Soulful Noel (Booth Playhouse)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

A Very Snug Christmas feat. Invader Houses, Petrov, Alan Charmer, Probably Will (Snug Harbor)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 26 BLUES/FUNK/JAM BANDS The Smokin’ Js (Comet Grill)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 27 JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28 POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Lost Cargo: Tiki Social Party (Petra’s)

JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL

Damien Escobar: 25 Days of Christmas (Knight Theater)

VISIT QCNERVE.COM FOR THE FULL SOUNDWAVE LISTING.

ura O i k d c e Chieal M Soc for ber ms e c DeSale @TheBagLadyIntuitiveGifts

The-Bag-Lady.biz

1516 E 4th St TheBagLady.rocks

DECEMBER 2021 WED, DECEMBER 15

JOSH WATERS W/ BYRON JUANE

FRI, DECMEBER 17

DANE PAGE & CHIP MCGEE

JEREMY PINNELL & EMILY NENNI

JOINED BY KRISTIA MURRAY S A T, D E C E M B E R 1 8

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WILL BLACKBURN ALBUM RELEASE

SUN, DECEMBER 19

JAKE MANNING FAREWELL SHOW

TUE, DECEMBER 21

KARLA DAVIS CHRISTMAS SHOW

WED, DECEMBER 22

WOLFGANG HUNTER & AARON RANSOM COMEDY SHOW (18+)

POUNDGAME ADDISON & LIL@H eveningmuse.com

3 3 2 7 n d av i d s o n s t, c h a r l o t t e n c

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

STARTING FROM SCRATCH Mary Jayne Wilson brings Thoughtful Baking Co. out of the oven

BY RYAN PITKIN

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There’s a movement quietly building in Station West at the corner of Berryhill Road and State Street, and it smells amazing.

The mixed-use redevelopment, located in a former warehouse in west Charlotte’s Seversville neighborhood was first home to Delectables by Holly, run by founder Holly McLelland. In January 2021, McLelland made space in her kitchen for a new concept from Mary Jayne Wilson called Thoughtful Baking Co. that focuses on pies — pot pies and dessert pies. Then in August, one of Charlotte’s most popular bakers, Christina Rojas, aka The Batch Maker, opened up The Batch House 2.0 in the same building.

MARY JAYNE WILSON PHOTO COURTESY OF TBC

Though Wilson is only there temporarily while she searches for a brick-and-mortar location to call her own, the set-up serves her passion for collaboration well. As soon as Rojas moved in next

door, she and Wilson teamed up on a peach oatmeal wasn’t a big part of her upbringing, she remembers cream pie that utilized The Batch Maker’s oatmeal having an early interest in food. cookies for a crust, filling that with sweetened cream “I remember in elementary school I wanted cheese, fresh North Carolina peaches and topped to be the kid who brought the cupcakes for the with oat streusel and a mini oatmeal cream pie. birthday party,” she said. “I loved that.”

It’s indicative of how Wilson has approached her first year in business, cultivating the strong connections she built to local and state food producers as chef ambassador for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and collaborating with local bakers and chefs in a way she couldn’t during her nine years working for Amelie’s in Charlotte.

“I feel like there’s so much competition, and during my time at Amelie’s, we were so separated from the local food community, and I think a lot of people saw us as separated,” Wilson explained when Queen City Nerve stopped by the kitchen on a recent morning. “So I really wanted my business to be more integrated and work with some of the amazing people in Charlotte, and I feel like if we work together, we kind of raise each other up versus being on our own.”

Wilson’s collaborative inclinations THOUGHTFUL BAKING CO.’S NEW HOLIDAY SELECTION. have been on show during the holiday season. For Thanksgiving, she She got a taste for working in the restaurant partnered with Gerald Hawkins, pastry chef industry while attending Pfeiffer University in at Leah & Louise, on a Thanksgiving Pot Misenheimer and working at Ms. Ruby’s in Gold Hill.

Pie that featured cornbread stuffing crust, She called it “the one little restaurant” in the area turkey confit, veggies, citrus herb gravy and that wasn’t a diner. mashed potatoes.

It must have made its mark, because following For another dish included in her newly her first year in college, she decided to ditch Pfeiffer released December holiday menu, Wilson for Johnson & Wales, becoming part of the first class teamed with Angry Nani, a local chef who’s at the renowned culinary school’s Charlotte campus, known for her Indian spice blends. The duo which opened in 2004. created a gingerbread chai cheesecake, She knew upon attending culinary school that for which Wilson made a gingersnap crust she had found her home in the food-service industry. and mixed cream cheese and goat cheese “Just looking at our classes, it was like Harry fillings with her favorite Angry Nani chai Potter classes: breads and rolls, classical French blend. pastries,” she recalled. “I just thought that was so Other options on her holiday menu cool. I loved it, and I really got a lot out of it.” include pies like Orange Crush, sweet Wilson earned an associate’s degree in Baking potato praline, apple cranberry lattice, & Pastry and a bachelor’s degree in Food Service and chocolate pecan. They’re available for Management. She hit the ground running, working online order at thoughtfulbakingco.com to as a line cook at Rí Rá Irish Pub while still in school, be picked up at Station West on Dec. 23-24. then after graduation taking a job at Zebra, the nowclosed fine-dining establishment in SouthPark.

Next, she went into catering, where she first The first class met McLelland, then helped launch MEZ in the Wilson was born in Concord and raised in newly opened Epicentre, working as sous chef Richfield, a town of less than 1,000 people about an hour’s drive northeast of Charlotte. Though cooking and pastry chef there. She eventually started her

own business, called Lady Jayne’s Bakery, before she “unintentionally fell into Amelie’s” when their executive chef left just as she was in talks to lease kitchen space from the French bakery.

When she came on at Amelie’s, they only had

PHOTO COURTESY OF TBC

their original location on North Davidson Street, and she spent the next nine years helping them open five more locations and learning the ins and outs of restaurant management — the bad and the good.

“I learned a lot about what I wanted to do, and learned a lot about what I did not want to do as far as being a business owner,” she said of her time at Amelie’s. “I knew that eventually I would go back to working for myself again.”

In 2019, Wilson competed in the NC Restaurant and Lodging Association’s annual Chef Showdown, where she won runner-up.

That meant serving as a Chef Ambassador for the state over the next year, partnering with the department of agriculture on events across North Carolina.

“I was always inspired by North Carolina produce and food products, but that sort of networking opportunity allowed me to connect with a lot more chefs and food producers,” she said. “I tried to do some of that with Amelie’s, but it’s just very hard to do it on a large scale. So that’s kind of what inspired Thoughtful Baking Company. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to make, but I knew I wanted it to be centered around North Carolina local food production.”

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FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

it wasn’t as much a calling card as a way to alleviate the workload she faced as a new business owner working on her own.

What’s in the oven “That style of the pot pies, folding the edges The fact that Wilson launched her business in around, that really came from me being by myself the midst of the pandemic — right as a winter wave in the kitchen for the first few months, and it was began to keep people home again — played its role easier for me to do one that I could roll than to in helping her curate a menu. roll two separate doughs for every single pie,” she While she knew she wanted to bake delicious explained. “So I just kind of went with that.” dessert pies, she also wanted to keep some savory She has since hired three more team members, items in rotation. Pot pies were the perfect way to but kept the signature style of pot pies. do that.

Throughout her first year, she sold her pies “Chicken pot pies were something that I always at pop-ups and farmers markets, which she sees made for people; if somebody’s sick or had a new as the perfect way to connect with the local food baby, bought a new house, I would always bring community and meet customers — both regulars them as gifts for people,” she explained. “And it and potentials.

Thoughtful Baking Co. sells at the Uptown, South End, Regional and Camp North End farmers markets. It was in Uptown where she first met Angry Nani, and has connected with many other collaborators in the same way.

“That’s one of my favorite things about this business is you get to meet those people at all the markets who are hustling just like you are and then you get to use their products,” she said. “It’s been really cool just saying, ‘Hey can we start getting carrots from you?’ There are farmers that will plant the things you want to make food with, so you cannot be more connected to the local food chain than to be part of the markets.”

Though Wilson plans to continue attending and selling at farmers markets APPLE CRANBERRY LATTICE PIE IS A VEGAN HOLIDAY OPTION. for as long as she’s in business, she PHOTO COURTESY OF TBC does hope to open a brick-and-mortar sometime in 2022. She will set up a pastry was like the middle of the pandemic, so I was like, case and sell quiche and pot pies hot out of the oven, chicken pot pies are the ultimate comfort food.” while continuing to offer frozen pies as she’s done She began baking chicken pot pies and veggie during her first year in business. pot pies along with her dessert pies, and felt a In the meantime, she’ll continue cooking up freedom in the fact that she didn’t have to worry so collaborations and new menu items depending on much about appearance as she had for all that time what’s available locally. She’s already eyeing some at Amelie’s. duck that’s scheduled to arrive in January, building “I went from these years where everything had recipes that will work well for her pot pies. to be perfect and look so beautiful and shiny to And that’s the nice thing about pot pies, she something people can bake in their house, make the said: They’re flexible. whole house smell good,” she said. “It doesn’t have “It’s just really fun,” she says of creating new to look perfect as long as it tastes delicious.” menu items. “You can put anything in a pie.”

And yet, Wilson’s work is far from ugly. She makes many of her pot pies with a specific pattern, RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM leaving holes in the middle that make them recognizable as hers.

As she explained to Queen City Nerve, however,

IT’S HOLIDAY TIME! EXPERIENCE ALL THE THINGS IN NODA AT

INSTA: @theartisanspalate FB: @theartisanspalateclt

COCKTAILS TAPAS ART GALLERY

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LIFESTYLE PUZZLES

LIFESTYLE PUZZLES SUDOKU

TRIVIA TEST

BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ

BY LINDA THISTLE

PLACE A NUMBER IN THE EMPTY BOXES IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH ROW ACROSS, EACH COLUMN DOWN AND EACH SMALL 9-BOX SQUARE CONTAINS ALL OF THE NUMBERS ONE TO NINE. ©2020 King Feautres Syndicate, Inc. All rights reserved.

1. SCIENCE: How long does it take for light to travel from the Sun to Earth?

2. TELEVISION: Which comedian used the catchphrase “one ringie dingie, two ringie dingies” in a TV character sketch?

3. MEASUREMENTS: How many centimeters are equivalent to 100 inches?

4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Who is the only president to serve nonconsecutive terms?

5. LANGUAGE: How many languages are spoken in the world today?

6. GOVERNMENT: Which branch of U.S. government is responsible for making laws?

7. SPORTS: Which famous baseball pitcher’s nickname is “The Chairman of the Board”?

8. FOOD & DRINK: What type of food do the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles love?

9. GEOGRAPHY: Which ocean does Bermuda lie in?

10. MATH: What is a prime number?

CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 Tribal carving 6 Beatle Ringo 11 Depict with bias 15 Ellipsoidal 19 Earthy tone, to a Brit 20 Magazine release 21 Irene of “Fame” 22 Central point 23 He played Jim Dial on “Murphy Brown” 26 Kazan with three Tonys 27 Carp in a garden pond 28 Football’s Manning 29 “-- my way!” (“Scram!”)

30 Cathedrals’ main areas 31 Necklace of 12-Down 32 Strong product-selling influence 36 Toon skunk Le Pew 39 Nonstick cookware brand 41 Ending for priest 42 In-favor vote 43 Partly joking 46 Shabby hotels 51 Striped stone 52 “Are you -- out?”

53 Currency of Belgium 55 Dormant 56 Able to feel 58 Taking a rolling pin to 62 Period 63 Add- -- (extras) 65 Brings a civil action 66 Snare loops 67 What the Australian Open is played on 72 Druids, e.g.

75 Burn soother 76 Bruins’ Bobby

77 Purpose 80 Black Protestant denom. since 1821 84 Have coming 87 Green shade 88 Blood-related 89 Daddy 91 Pond buildup 92 Expected saviors 95 Gave a worthy effort 97 -- -ray Disc 98 Long-headed antelope 100 Florence’s river 101 Pod items 102 Franz Liszt piano piece in 3/4 time 108 Purpose 110 In regard to 111 Conga relative 112 Standoffish 113 Animal kept in the house 116 Feudal VIP 117 Crossing during a journey 122 Balladeer Burl 123 Green shade 124 Ho-hum feeling 125 Volunteer’s offer to be sent 126 Disaffirm 127 Male tabbies 128 Regards as 129 Sequence found in this puzzle’s nine longest answers DOWN 1 Tick follower 2 Eight, in Madrid 3 Bangkok resident 4 Fumble 5 Rumble 6 “Yes, yes!,” in Mexico 7 “For shame!”

8 “Just -- suspected!”

9 Bit of hearsay 10 Reprimands 11 Actors Baio and Wolf 12 A Hawaiian Island 13 Work unit, in physics 14 Sound of a crying baby 15 Ryan of “Love Story” 16 Swedish vehicle make 17 Ta-ta, to Tati 18 Most minor 24 Aristocratic 25 Numbered hwys.

30 Scholastic sports org.

31 Some turns and jabs 32 Principal 33 Standoffish 34 Tarp material 35 “I didn’t know that!”

36 Period 37 Avid 38 First strategy 40 Buddy 44 Viking locale 45 E-address 46 Plaster painting 47 Archie Bunker, e.g.

48 Hubbubs 49 Model binder 50 U.S. Open units 53 Sewing case 54 Beehive State college team 57 Bodily trunk 59 Ed of “Roots” 60 Habituate (to) 61 Negative conjunction 64 Neat piles 67 Visibility reducers 68 DiFranco of song 69 Pre-coll., in education

GET BACK TO DOING WHAT YOU LOVE.

Pg. 19 DEC 15 - DEC 28, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM

# YO U I M P R OV E D # YO U I M P R OV E D

YOUR CARE. YOUR WAY. | ORTHOCAROLINA.COM ENGLISH QUINTET ©2020 King Feautres Syndicate, Inc. All rights reserved.

70 Pluralizable word 71 Appoint to holy office 72 Oahu tree 73 French gal pal 74 Tiara stones 77 Have a tiff 78 She divorced Donald 79 Intersects 81 Bible book after Micah 82 Tax form pro 83 Went to town on 85 Plant pouch 86 Run off to tie the knot 90 Cuzco locale 93 “Likely story!”

94 “Thrilla in Manila” boxer 95 Spoke indistinctly and softly 96 Put one’s finger on, say 98 “R.I.P.” sites 99 City in Alaska 102 Legitimate 103 Superior to 104 Sophia of “Two Women” 105 Froth-filled 106 Pious song 107 “Common Sense” writer Thomas 109 Aleppo locale 112 Possible reply to “That so?”

113 Hungarian sheepdog 114 Kellogg’s waffle brand 115 Holier-than- -117 Blast source 118 -- Grande 119 Dir. from Little Rock to Chicago 120 Juicy Fruit, e.g.

121 Bullring yell

LIFESTYLE COLUMN

AERIN IT OUT

LIVE FROM THE THERAPIST’S OFFICE

Reconnecting with the crowd and a lost love

Pg. 20 DEC 15 - DEC 28, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM

BY AERIN SPRUILL

At the risk of sounding like a B-minus high school student searching for an overused quote to meet the word or page count for a term paper, I find that Bob Marley’s, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain,” is genuinely the only way for me to describe how I’ve felt over the past couple months as I’ve reignited my flame for live shows.

At the first gig I attended post-shutdown, I felt as anxious as I would feel secretly meeting with an ex-lover that I vowed to never stir up emotions for again. And I didn’t know why I felt this way as I stood in the lobby of Belk Theater across from my love (my true love, as I am not planning on meeting an ex-lovers, it’s just an analogy), guzzling a plastic cup of overpriced whiskey and cola before rushing to our seats. It was my boyfriend who led me back to this star-crossed lover before and watching him gaze at live music brought me alive; not because of the music itself, but because of the intimacy of the experience — of standing next to him waiting for his glance or his arm around my back when the darkness fell around us like a warm blanket.

You’d think I’d invite our third wheel in with open arms, but instead, I fumbled through the emotions as if live music and I were making love for the very first time. As we took our seats, I couldn’t figure out why I was so nervous. Then the lights dimmed and my breath trembled at the first notes, unbeknownst to my sweet love, and I became overwhelmed with the eerie, the hypnotizing, the enchanted crowd, and the movement of it all.

But it wasn’t the band. It wasn’t the performers that time nor at any of the shows that followed. None were my choice, none were even my genre. It was the simple fact that I’d forgotten in those moments that when the lights dimmed, and the music began, nothing else mattered. The metaphorical cloud of sadness that seems to follow me everywhere I go, that creeps in when I’m smiling the hardest, goes away.

During our string of breakups, I loathed live music. The outrageous drink prices. The sitting in the back seat of a long Uber ride. The standing in line waiting patiently to be stopped, frisked and wanded. And most importantly, every single person seemingly having “too much fun” sent me into a frenzy of “what ifs,” convinced that I’d experience the worst-case scenario of having to claw my way to the top of a human stampede.

It wasn’t until after a pandemic and four deaths in the family that I realized how much I genuinely loved the chaos and beauty of it all.

A plethora of screenshots and pics proving my vaccination status are scattered about in my phone, now lost in a sea of food, drink, dogs, and the memes I save in between shows. The crotchety staff scanning IDs, securing wristbands, and triplechecking said vaccine pics. The shock of buying a tallboy and a whiskey cola knowing that I’d hear, “That’ll be $28.50.” The often unpleasant smell of the bathroom that’s surely situated far enough away that you’ll miss at least one song if you “break the seal.” The entitled but excited showgoer that asks ever-so-politely, “Can you pull your beanie down so I can see over your head?” as if magically your head can shrink. And of course, the sweat beneath a mask that can’t wait for the reprieve of not-so-fresh air.

At each show, I took a deep breath to appreciate the aroma of secondhand smoke and alcohol that hung in the air. Then I breathed out as if settling into downward-facing dog in a yoga class releasing every negative emotion and thought into the air.

The first sounds of the set pour into the room like the squeal of a teapot that’s been brewing quietly on the stove for quite some time, as the light show creeps in — laser beams cast into a dark room spreading across the stage. That’s when the trauma ends and my renewed faith in hour-long therapy sessions sans the $350 out-of-network fee begins.

Oh, how I missed you.

After so long a distance between this world and my own reality, it’s now that I fear that this love affair stuck in the cycle of on-again, off-again will come to a familiar abrupt end. That I’ll forget how much we missed one another, or I’ll follow my eating habits and overindulge, both paths leading to my outgrowing the pure, simple and childlike nature of these moments in the dark, encapsulated by music once more.

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

HOROSCOPE

DEC 15 - DEC 21

DEC 22 - DEC 28

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Make your holiday preparations one step at a time in order to avoid being overwhelmed and leaving things undone. That confusing family situation continues to work itself out.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) I know, dear Lamb, that you don’t like anyone trying to take charge of one of your projects, but try to be a bit more flexible. A new idea could help hasten a positive result.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Ease this year’s holiday money pressures by letting your thrifty side guide you as you look for those perfect gifts that typically reflect your good taste and love of beauty.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) I’m sure, like the timethrifty Taurus that you are, that you’ve done much of your holiday shopping. But don’t relax yet. Wrap those gifts now to save yourself lots of unwanted pressure.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You’ll have a good handle on potential holiday problems if you delegate tasks to family members, friends or co-workers — most of whom will be more than happy to help out.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be receptive when a family member or friend asks to confide in you. Your positive reaction could ensure that he or she will have a happy holiday experience.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Right now you are especially vulnerable to holiday scams that seek to take advantage of your generosity. Best advice: Check them out before you send out your checks.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Don’t be rushed into wrapping up that workplace problem. Consider leaving it until after the holidays. This way you’ll have the facts you need to reach the right resolution.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) The upcoming holiday season gives the Big Cat much to purr about.

Relationships grow stronger, and new opportunities loom on the horizon, just waiting to be pounced on.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You’ll get news that will make you glow brighter than the lights of the holiday season. Be sure to use what you learn both carefully and kindly, to avoid giving the wrong impression.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A changing situation brings conflicting advice about how to go forward with your holiday plans. Your best bet: Make the decision you feel most comfortable with.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) That frayed relationship could be mended in time for the holidays if you were more flexible. Give a little, and you could get back a lot more than you imagined.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Holiday plans get back on track after some confusion about the direction you expected to take. A potentially troublesome money matter needs your immediate attention.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Things might not seem to be settling down as quickly as you would prefer. But it might be just a little holiday time flutter.

You’ll soon get news that will lead to more stability.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your holiday preparations are on track. But you need to confront a personal situation while you can still keep it from overwhelming everything else.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Stop getting so involved in everyone’s personal problems that you lose precious time with loved ones. Remember, even the Supreme Court closes for the holidays.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Tight financial matters ease a bit during this holiday season.

But the sagacious Sagittarian is well-advised to keep a tight hold on the reins while shopping for gifts.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) All signs point to a bright holiday, with all of those pesky problems finally resolved in your favor. Share the good times with people you love and, of course, who love you.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Don’t put off making decisions about this year’s holiday celebrations, despite the negative comments you’ve been getting from several quarters. Do it NOW! AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) The holidays will bring new friends and new opportunities.

Meanwhile, be careful to use your energy wisely as you go about making holiday preparations.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) There’s good news coming from a most unlikely source. And it could turn out to be one of the best holiday gifts you have had in years. Remember to stay positive.

BORN THIS WEEK: You are respected for your honesty and loyalty. You make friends slowly — but with rare exceptions, they’re in your life forever.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your plans should not be set in stone and cemented over. Leave some openings in case you need to make changes.

Spend the holidays with your nearest and dearest.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Surprise! This holiday finds you on the receiving end of the generosity of those who are usually the recipients of so much that you give so freely and lovingly.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) That piece of good news assures that you’ll be swimming in clearer, calmer waters this holiday season. There might be a storm or two ahead, but you’ll weather it all in fine style.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a flair for seeing things as you’d like them to be, as well as a gift for turning your perceptions into reality.

2021 KING FEATURES SYND., INC.

PG.18 PUZZLE ANSWERS

Don’t JUST Recycle,

Recycle

right!

ONLY RECYCLE THESE SIX ITEMS

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LIFESTYLE COLUMN

PG.19 PUZZLE ANSWERS

SAVAGE LOVE REEVALUATE YOUR CONTENT Quickies

BY DAN SAVAGE

friends, at work, in a bar, etc. Keep at it, NGS, because you never know when your bad luck is going to run out.

I’m a 34-year-old female and my husband (of only two years!) blindsided me by asking for a separation on my birthday in June and a divorce via text message a month later. We owned a home and ran a business together. Needless to say … this all sucks. I’ve had to start my entire life over again. I’ve settled into a new home with a new job and I’m trying to be a badass about the whole situation. But it’s been a lot. I’ve gone back and forth on when to start dating again.

I feel mounting pressure to “get back out there” and I’m on the apps again but I bail about a week into every new flirtation. Why am I hesitating?

Pg. 22 DEC 15 - DEC 28, 2021 - QCNERVE.COM

My wife and I are in a great ENM marriage.

We have two couples that we are friends with and get together regularly for sex, and we each pursue solo FWB relationships. During COVID, we started posting pictures on Reddit, which were well received. This morphed into my wife starting an OnlyFans account because why not? So, at what BALKING AT LOVE, KNOWING I’M NERVOUS, GAH! point do we spill the beans to our FWBs? We don’t show our faces on OnlyFans, we use fake names, Hm … my guess is you might be hesitating, BALKING, and we only post content made with people that because your soon-to-be-ex-husband stomped on your know it’s going up on OnlyFans. Is this just “our heart and turned your life upside down LESS THAN SIX secret” and doesn’t hurt anyone, so, who cares? Or MONTHS AGO. And you’re doing great: you got a new place do our FWBs have a right to know? to live, you got a new job, and you recently got back on the POSTING INTIMATE CONTENT apps. Maybe you’re not ready to start dating again right You’re under no obligation to tell your casual sex this minute but getting back on the apps is a sign you will partners that you have an OnlyFans account where you be soon. Lowering the temperature with the guys you’re share photos and videos you make with your other casual connecting with online might help (be chatty, not flirty), sex partners. OnlyFans seems like something you should as will keeping the stakes low on those first dates when you be able to share with your FWBs, but “you should be able are ready (a quick coffee, not a dinner). You can do this! to” ≠ “you are obliged to.”

I recently read this in your column: “PIV or PIT or PIB.” Ok, I know PIV (“penis in vagina”). But the Cis-het black woman. I have been working on other two?

I’ve been reading you for years and I’m myself for a while and a side effect of that is now stumped on this!

I have standards and I am unwilling to settle for CREATIVE ACRONYMS TOTALLY CONFOUND HIM mediocre partners. For me a quality partner is a cis or trans man (a penis haver) who is an ally to Hm … you probably could’ve worked this one out on equality movements (sex, gender, race, etc.), your own, CACTH, if you’d given it a moment’s thought. emotionally healthy, kink-positive, and can afford Besides vaginas (PIV) … where else do penises go? PIT their own life. Where does one find a person who stands for “penis in throat” and PIB stands for “penis in meets these criteria? I’ve tried Tinder, Bumble, butt.” I could’ve gone with PIM (“penis in mouth”) and PIA OkCupid, and FetLife, etc., with no luck. (“penis in ass”), I guess, but why not go for the rhyme?

NEVER GONNA SETTLE There is no settling down without some settling for. If you’re lucky, you’ll meet someone who comes close enough to what you want — an employed penis-having person, for instance, who’s an ally to equality movements everywhere but isn’t exactly kink-positive but has an open mind and could get there. Or an emotionally healthy, kink-positive penis-having student who isn’t rolling in dough right now but has a realistic career plan. And where do you find that guy? Well, you might get lucky and find him on one of the sites you’re already on — keep those profiles up and updated — or you might get lucky and meet him through

I just discovered your column. I’ve been reading you for a month. Four weeks, four disgusting columns. I do not give a rat’s ass about the sex lives of strangers. If you do not reevaluate your content, I shall not continue to read.

DISGUSTED

If you just finished reading your letter, D, and you’re reading my response now … you’re gonna want to stop reading now. Because you’re really not gonna like the next couple of letters.

TRIVIA ANSWERS: 1. Eight minutes, 20 seconds 2. Lily Tomlin, as telephone operator Ernestine 3. 254

4. Grover Cleveland 5. More than 7,000 6. The legislative branch -- U.S. House and Senate 7. Whitey Ford

I am a 24-year-old woman in a mostly happy marriage. My husband is not interested in oral sex.

At all. Not giving it, not receiving it. In previous relationships this was the way I most consistently achieved orgasm. I miss this type of intimacy so much I’m now curious about the legality of putting peanut butter on myself in hopes that my dog would come up to me on his own — unforced — and lick it off. I imagine this to be no different legally than a dog eating something out of your hand. I haven’t done it. But I am curious about your opinion. If you have other recommendations on how to get the specific sensation of oral sex when you don’t have a willing partner, I welcome your advice.

8. Pizza 9. Atlantic 10. A number that is only divisible by itself and 1

steel rod into someone’s urethra — is an actual medical procedure with legit medical purposes (also easily Googled!), but some people enjoy recreational sounding, both for how it feels (good, I’m told) and what it symbolizes (penetrating a penetrator’s penetrator). So long as you’re using sterilized sounds and sterile lube, you and your husband should be able to safely enjoy sounding on the regular. Besides upping his risk for the occasional UTIs, there’s not much risk of harm — so long as you don’t force it, you stop if there’s pain or blood, and you have access to an autoclave.

Someone assigned male at birth, with male genitalia, but on estrogen to feminize their appearance and identifies as trans-agender.

DISGUSTING OBSESSION GROSSES GIRL OUT Curious how to identify their sexuality. They are only attracted to people who identify as women or You’re 24 years old and your sex life with your husband is femme-nonbinary. So how does someone without so miserably unsatisfying that you’re seriously thinking about gender define their sexuality if they are only tricking your dog into eating you out, which is illegal in lots attracted to one gender identity? of places. (Since I don’t know where you live, DOGGO, you’ll NARROW ATTRACTIONS COMPLICATE MULTIFACETED IDENTITY have to Google it yourself.) My advice: Put down the peanut butter and back away from it. Then get a divorce, get a lover “It’s complicated.” Also, I’m pretty sure lumping all (a human one), or get yourself one of those new clit-sucking sex toys that — according to the reviews I’ve read by clit- “women or femme-nonbinary” people into a single “gender having people — do a pretty amazing job of simulating the identity” is incorrect. (And would lead to a Title 9 complaint at Oberlin.) I mean, I’ve personally and biblically known gay specific sensations of oral sex. Hell, get all three! men who identify as femmes and there are lots of femmeI have a question about urethral sounding. nonbinary people out there — AMAB, AFAB, ACAB — who My husband wanted me to do this to him for two would object to being lumped into a single category with years and I finally did. It was interesting! But I’m mere women. It’s all so very, very complicated. Which is great, wondering what kind of harmful effects this could of course, because we can’t talk about climate change and the growing threat of authoritarianism all the time, right? have if we were to do it long-term.

MAKING ENQUIRIES ABOUT TAKING URETHRAL SOUNDS

Follow Dan on Twitter @FakeDanSavage; email questions to questions@savagelove.net; find Dan’s Urethral sounding — sliding a well-lubed stainless- columns, podcasts, books, merch and more at savage.love.

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