Queen City Nerve - July 10, 2024

Music Issue2024

Artists to watch as things heat up this summer

PUBLISHER

JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS jlafrancois@qcnerve.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

RYAN PITKIN rpitkin@qcnerve.com

DIGITAL MANAGER

RAYNE ANTRIM rantrim@qcnerve.com

STAFF WRITERS

ANNIE KEOUGH

akeough@qcnerve.com

DEZANII LEWIS dlewis@qcnerve.com

ART DIRECTOR

AIDEN SIOBHAN aiden@triad-city-beat.com

AD SALES EXECUTIVE

RENN WILSON rwilson@qcnerve.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS & OPINION

4. Stick the Landing by Ryan Pitkin Greg Willingham prepares to open Rozzelles Ferry Landing despite delays

ARTS & CULTURE

6. Life Is But a Game by Rayne Antrim Phoenix Down RPG builds accessible connections between gaming and classical music

8. Lifeline: Ten Cool Things To Do in Two Weeks

MUSIC ISSUE 2023

10. Be Thy Name by Dezanii Lewis Howard McNair’s funky jazz has deep roots in gospel

11. Clarity by Jonathan Golian

11. Wastoid by Dan Russell-Pinson

12. Cassettiquete by Annie Keough

13. No Options: Hip-Hop in Appalachia by Tyler Bunzey

14. Soundwave

FOOD & DRINK

16. Start at the Roots by Ryan Pitkin Cherie and Wisdom Jzar build urban farmers network at Deep Roots CPS Farm

LIFESTYLE

18. Puzzles

20. Aerin It Out by Aerin Spruill

21. Horoscope

22. Savage Love

Thanks to our contributors: Grant Baldwin, Aerin Spruill, Jonathan Golian, Dan Russell-Pinson, Tyler Bunzey, Michael Maxwell, Eli Hausman, Eric Snoza, Xavier Jimenez, Eddy Rissling, and Dan Savage.

NEWS & OPINION

STICK THE LANDING

Greg Willingham prepares to open Rozzelles Ferry Landing despite delays

BY RYAN PITKIN

When Queen City Nerve last spoke with Greg Willingham in December 2020, he, like many other business owners at the time, was in the midst of a major pivot.

His company, SoundVizion LLC and its subsidiary Jazz N Soul had recently begun live-streaming virtual concerts, and was seeing some success with it. Though steadfastly COVID-cautious, he was already longing for the days when he could bring live performances back to audiences in person.

“Can we keep moving forward? Yes, we can. Do we want to in this light? No, I don’t think we do,” he told staff writer Pat Moran. “We really need the theaters, clubs and the parks to open up. The musicians [may be] okay streaming, but they really need people, and I think we need each other as well.”

Fast forward nearly four years and Willingham is now on the verge of opening not only an entirely new music venue, but a cluster of businesses that aim to serve as a community hub in the Historic West End.

Located on Rozzelles Ferry Road across from Judson Avenue, Rozzelles Ferry Landing will be a cultural campus that includes an intimate 60-seat music venue, a speakeasy-style bar and lounge, a coffee shop and an outdoor gathering area for families and community members to come together.

Years in the making, Rozzelles Ferry Landing was originally set to open in fall 2023, though Willingham and his team have continuously hit snags. They originally hoped to simply move into the historic buildings located at 2831 Rozzelles Ferry Road and upfit them for their new needs, though permitting restrictions and other obstacles have delayed the process greatly.

Now, Willingham sees a light at the end of the tunnel, as he puts it, with plans to open Rozzelles Ferry Landing before the end of summer. In the lead-up to the opening, we thought our Music Issue would be the perfect time to catch up with Willingham and discuss the process and why it’s all worth it to bring live music back to the West End.

Queen City Nerve: Last we spoke with you, Jazz N Soul was streaming shows with live audiences of five to 10 people. How has the company swung back since venues began to reopen?

Greg Willingham: We’re alive and kicking. We just wrapped up a concert that was a partnership with Blumenthal Performing Arts with Will Downing at the Knight Theater. So we [filled] about 96% of the house. So that was pretty successful.

It’s very exciting. Pre-pandemic, we were partnering with Middle C Jazz, and then the pandemic hit and everyone suffered tremendously. We were blessed to work with the Arts and Science

Council to get some funding to do some streaming work during the pandemic. So we still had a lot of music going, but it’s been phenomenal just seeing the excitement around the city with what’s happening with us. We’ve been doing some pseudoprivate shows at Rozelle’s Ferry Landing. We’ve partnered with Middle C. We’re partnering with Society at 229 and Blumenthal Performing Arts. So it’s very exciting.

We’ve seen the jazz scene grow a good bit in recent years, not only due to the arrival of Middle C Jazz but through the work of Jazz N Soul and other actors and agencies. What are your thoughts on that scene currently?

It’s encouraging. I mean, Charlotte has grown quite a bit as well, I think we’re a little shy of 2 million [in the] Metro. So traditionally, a city the size of Charlotte, you would have live music, national [jazz] acts here four or five times a month for the city of this size, in addition to having four or five different clubs. And we’re not quite there yet, but we’re definitely getting there.

The work that Michael Kitchen is doing with Soul Kitchen is very pivotal in that. He’s bringing a ton

of acts. Middle C is still doing what they do, and we’re doing the same thing. So I think Charlotte’s on the right track. I think now it’s just a matter of establishing a few more rooms in the city so that local artists have an opportunity to be nurtured the way they should and to grow the way that they should. So I think we’re still short a few rooms, but I think everyone’s doing well.

And you’ve been working hard over the last two years to create one of those new rooms. What has the process been like and what are the obstacles you didn’t see coming?

What I didn’t really see is it turned into a land development project. Because the property has two very old buildings on it. And because of the age of the buildings, there’s certain specific parameters that the city requires that need to get done. So I’ve learned a lot about city requirements, parameters, learned a lot about land development, and it’s been a journey. It’s been quite the journey because we didn’t expect this. But right now we’re right at the end, we’re working with a phenomenal minority-based architecture firm, Neighboring Concepts, that’s been helping us along. It’s helped us with the redesign of

PHOTO BY GREG WILLINGHAM

NEWS & OPINION FEATURE

the smaller building, which is going to be our little live music hub. And they’ve helped us with designing a few of the grounds, and hopefully, that will all come to fruition sometime in the beginning of August. So in September, all this construction should be done.

You’ve spoken about how much a role The Excelsior Club played in your own social life when you moved here, making you comfortable in the city. What does it mean to you knowing that history that’s right down the street and playing your part in reviving that atmosphere?

It means a lot because, first and foremost, there’s nothing there right now. On the west side, there’s really no live music spots that are anywhere close to equivalent to what Excelsior was back in the day or even meeting places for older and more seasoned African-Americans. Claiborne’s was another spot that’s now gone. There’s a lot of spots that are gone. So being able to build out a place like that, that’s not only a comfortable place for middle-aged AfricanAmericans, but a comfortable place for a lot of music lovers in general, on the west side, it means a lot. And I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, originally. I grew up in spaces like this. Not too fancy, but really nice.

Developers are eyeing the West End more and more. Did you feel it was important for you to create this community-centered hub in order to help the area keep some of its identity?

Yeah, absolutely. And that’s why the Historic West End Partners [were so important]. I want to name drop at this point; J’Tanya Adams approached us on this. And that’s specifically why J’Tanya approached us because, honestly, we’re looking at a completely different place. Because we just knew we needed a home, and when she approached us on it and gave us the history of the area, what the area used to look like years ago, it just resonated with me and my partner, Keith Anderson.

We definitely have a lot of passion around it. We’re both in a Black fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Incorporated, which is founded on community service. So just based on who we are, our fraternity roots, and the areas that we grew up in — in Milwaukee, in Minneapolis — this is something that we have a lot of passion and love around.

What was it like for you back in the fall to be able to get a taste for what you want to do there by hosting a couple of those pseudoprivate shows you mentioned? Was that an inspiration to keep going?

Yeah, and we actually needed it. Again, we walked into this thing with a certain set of beliefs

and based on some due diligence, but we were hit with some things that we just had no idea were even floating around out there.

So we actually needed that, and it was cool to see the community support us. And they still do, by the way, even though we don’t do many things there anymore because of the build-out that’s happening. But folks still call us, and they say, “We still want to come in.” The neighborhood supports us. The number of neighbors that have walked over, their children, they’re just ready for it to open.

With all these delays, have you ever had any concerns that this was never going to come to fruition?

Man, every month. Every month is a concern. But we’ve reached a point where we can see the light at the end of the tunnel because we have one meeting left with the city and then we can actually activate all of our resources. And we have a ton of support, a ton of resources. So, yes, there’s been plenty of concerns by us and the owners of the property.

What are some lessons that you’ve taken away from this whole process that you’ll remember now as someone who’s now been through this process with so many road bumps, as you move into the next chapter, which is to open? Well, first of all, I think having a solid vision is important. Having support is very important to build anything that’s new. But what I’m going to take away from this is that, even though we have a ton of expertise in production and promotion and in the music industry in general, land development is a completely different animal. It’s exciting to take a piece of land and develop it and turn it into something that benefits the community.

Is it something that you would ever want to do again?

I think now that I’m prepared, I would definitely do it again.

RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

PHOTO BY GREG WILLINGHAM

ROZZELLES FERRY LANDING WILL SERVE AS A MUSIC VENUE AND COMMUNITY HUB.

PHOTO BY GREG WILLINGHAM

THE VENUE HOPES TO FULLY OPEN BEFORE THE END OF SUMMER.

LIFE IS BUT A GAME

Phoenix Down RPG builds accessible connections between gaming and classical music

BY RAYNE ANTRIM

Every living thing has a beginning and an end. A phoenix may burn as bright as the sun, the sight of majestic wings filling the sky with flames burning orange and yellow hues, but every flame eventually burns out.

A phoenix’s life ends in ashes, with a new one resurrecting from a pile of what is thought to be heatless gray ruins.

The term “Phoenix Down” comes from the Final Fantasy video game series. Typically in these games, you have a team that goes into combat, and if everyone goes down in the game, you have the option to use a Phoenix Down to bring players back to life.

That was the inspiration behind the name of altclassical ensemble Phoenix Down RPG, launched by husband-and-wife Dylan Lloyd and Teil Taliesin. Playing a mix of classical, new music and geek chic, the group has gained in popularity this year hosting interactive events like Name That Tune and even live-scoring a Super Smash Bros. tournament at Camp North End.

With a goal to make gaming and the live music experience more accessible, Phoenix Down RPG has in the past held regular events like Video Game Mixtape, Campfire Tales and Klezmertron, which all led to the Super Smash Ultimate Video Game tournament, during which the duo played the game’s music score live.

Held in partnership with local game development organization Potions & Pixels, the first Melody & Mayhem took place at Camp North End on June 1.

“It was really cool to see the players. They felt special, being on the big screen and having us play music,” Lloyd said. “Sometimes, in between rounds, they would ask us, ‘Can you play this or can you play that?’ It was just really cool to see how special they thought it was.”

“It was just as special for us,” Taliesin added.

On June 20, the city announced that Phoenix Down RPG would receive a $38,252.50 grant from its Opportunity Fund, part of the city’s new Arts & Culture Plan, which will allow the group to expand its offerings even further through 10 Campfire Tales events.

Phoenix Down RPG wants the event series to act as a portal that welcomes anyone and everyone to music and gaming. They want audiences to look on the stage and be able to see themselves doing the same thing. They want a community of creatives to be able to lean on one another.

“It’s a goal of ours to include as many different creators in the Charlotte area with this project. We want to bring in musicians, visual artists, actors, singers, dancers … you name it,” said Taliesin.

“We want to help them not only create a connection with our audiences, but to show their creativity in a new light. They’re storytellers, and we want to have their storytelling through a lens of a community-based, collaborative effort.”

Relighting the fire

Like a phoenix, a person’s spark — their fiery passion — can burn out. The things they love to do become untouchable — a pain that can be indescribable. For Dylan Lloyd, co-founder of Phoenix Down RPG, his efforts in pursuing a doctorate in Musical Arts caused the clarinet player to put down his instrument for years.

He had begun school with the intention of being an orchestra musician. By the time he entered his master’s program, his interests stretched beyond orchestra, which led him to pursue a doctorate in music — specifically exploring klezmer music, which by its most narrow definition is an instrumental folk music tradition of the Jewish people.

“It was a great way for me to have a good subject for my dissertation by exploring something that meant something to me, and push beyond a purely orchestra viewpoint,” Lloyd explained. “At the same time, getting a doctorate is exhausting. By the time I was done, I was a little burnt out on music. I graduated, and I honestly didn’t want to touch my instrument for a while.”

Whether it’s sitting on a stand in the corner of your room, lying on your favorite chair, or collecting dust on the windowsill — the tools you create art and meaning with burn their eyes into the back of your head. The daunting task of perfection, significance and purpose looms in the background of your everyday thoughts.

A month turns into a year, then a year turns into two. The want slowly turns into a need, because that lost aspect of identity will make us feel whole again. For Lloyd, exploring his love for video game music through his background in classical training relit a fire within him.

Lloyd met his future wife, Teil Taliesin, at the University of Louisville while they were both pursuing a degree in music. Taliesin, a classically trained musician who began playing the oboe at a young age, still found the music to be incredibly invigorating as a university student, though she was tired of playing the same Eurocentric composers at every concert.

“I started feeling the lack of representation, not only of ethnicity, but of gender; female, non-binary … There’s a lot that I felt was missing from the

BY

PHOTO

ERIC SNOZA

ARTS

orchestra stage, which led me to start playing oboe with a looping station,” Taliesin said.

She calls her style of play oboetronica, something she has since worked into Phoenix Down RPG’s live performances.

“When Dylan started arranging video game music for an ensemble we didn’t have, I saw the passion that brought him back into music. That’s what got me excited about playing music that other people love,” she said.

Taliesin found more representation in the world of video game music than the world of classical music not only in gender and ethnicity but in age and era. The composers within the video game industry are alive and well; though they reach a smaller audience their fanbases are filled with fervent followers.

Classical music is often associated with people of high-class. There’s an air of elitism around the genre based on the aesthetics paired with it — the grandiose of the concert hall, the ticket prices, the attire.

But in recent years, classical music has been modernized with live orchestras performing

movie scores during screenings or pop songs being arranged with strings to be used in shows like Bridgerton.

Similar to Ivy League colleges, classical music has been around for a very long time. We can put these institutions or genres of music on a pedestal due to their association with the upper class, but the associations are built on nothing.

“There’s room and value in that,” Lloyd said of the high-end aspects of cultural music. “There’s also room and value of having a concert [for video games] where you can show up in your T-shirt and feel comfortable.”

From tabletop games to local engagement

Recently Phoenix Down RPG received an Infusion Opportunity Fund grant to host 10 Campfire Tales over the next year. The event series involves live tabletop gaming with local creators as the players, adding, of course, interactive improvisatory music in front of an audience.

Receiving the grant was a major milestone for the group, one that has been eight years in the making.

After Lloyd started arranging music in 2016, he

saw how important gaming became to Teil — not just video games, but community-based tabletop games.

“I got into playing Dungeons & Dragons at a time where I had hurt my shoulder and I was having a difficult time playing [music], so I needed another creative outlet,” Taliesin said.

“I met a lot of gatekeeping in the D&D community,” she continued, “which essentially is a lot of male players either keeping me out of the community, making games that were very uncomfortable, or pushing boundaries in ways that they don’t with male players.”

These interactions inspired Taliesin to run her first D&D game at a classical music festival. Her plan was originally to do a one shot, which usually means a four-to-six-hour game with four to six players, but it ended up as a three day mini-campaign with 10 players involved.

The group continued gaming together after the festival and started streaming their games on Twitch. About a year in, the crew decided to set aside a weekend in Chicago to hangout and create character theme songs. They launched a series of albums called Dragon Ballad, which served as the inspiration for Campfire Tales.

Lloyd and Taliesin both valued that quality time — bonding with their new friends through the Dragon Ballad projects and playing off each member’s talents to create the different threads of a large tapestry.

The grant for Campfire Tales allows Phoenix Down RPG to expand on the project, hiring 30 local artists with the live performances being recorded for a podcast.

“There will be elements of audience interaction within these performances that help steer the path of the story as it’s unfolding. It’s going to be crazy fun,” Taliesin said.

And what more could we ask for than community building, creative collaboration and crazy fun?

RANTRIM@QCNERVE.COM

PHOTO BY XAVIER JIMENEZ

MUSICIANS PERFORM DURING A NAME THAT TUNE TRIIA EVENT.

NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES

ONGOING Fri SAT SUN ONGOING Thur

7/12 - 7/14

MIKE EPPS

Mike Epps reached a whole new level of fame starring alongside Ice Cube as Day-Day Jones in the 1999 sequel Next Friday, but true Def Comedy Jam fans know he got his start on that tour back in the mid-’90s. In fact, Ice Cube personally asked Epps to audition after witnessing one of his stand-up sets. Since then, he has stolen scenes in every film and TV project he’s appeared in, from How High to The Hangover. Like any comedian with his tenure, Epps has courted his share of controversy, most recently landing in hot water with his wife (He stated on a podcast that he “never treated a woman right 100%”) and Shannon Sharpe, who called Epps out for comments he made about Sharpe’s podcast during a set. He’ll surely be pressing buttons during his five shows in this upcoming three-night Charlotte run.

More: $65-$80; July 12-14, times vary; Comedy Zone, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd.; cltcomedyzone.com

7/11

Visiting Charlotte as part of the Gantt Center’s Golden Year 50th Anniversary celebrations, the Pulitzer Prize-winning creator of The 1619 Project will be just across the street at Knight Theater, where she’ll discuss the implications, impact and impetus for our future from the work, which has began as a magazine project before being turned into a bestselling book, a best-selling children’s book, and a six-part Hulu miniseries. Of course, Hannah-Jones was doing meaningful investigative work around racial inequality and injustice since before The 1619 Project; her reporting has earned her the MacArthur Fellowship, a Peabody Award, two George Polk Awards and three National Magazine Awards.

More: $35 and up; July 11, 6:30 p.m.; Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

THE LOX

7/12 - 7/28

‘YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN’

Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked sidekick, Igor, and a leggy lab assistant named Inga Inga, Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors. Adapted from the screenplay of Mel Brooks’ classic 1974 film, Young Frankenstein is an outrageously entertaining musical comedy full of double entendres and monstrous puns that will be brought to life at Matthews Playhouse under the direction of Jill Bloede, with choreography by Emily Hunter and musical direction by Matt Primm. In addition to the regular ticketed performances, the MP team will host a pay-what-you-can preview performance on July 11, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local LGBTQ+ youth organization Time Out Youth.

More: $18-26; July 12-28, times vary; Matthews Playhouse, 100 E. McDowell St.; matthewsplayhouse.com

7/12

Formed in 1994 out of Yonkers, New York, The LOX — comprising Jadakiss, Sheek Louch and Styles P — originally signed with Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records in 1996 but ditched the shiny suits in favor of dirt bikes, joining up with DMX’s Ruff Ryders three years later. Seeing massive popularity around the turn of the millennium, the gritty trio has continued to make music throughout the 21st century, sometimes solo and sometimes together. In August 2021, the group took part in a Verzuz event at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, showing up rival rap group The Diplomats and solidifying their spot in hip-hop history … not that they needed a stronger legacy.

More: $181 an up; July 12, 8 p.m.; The Underground, 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com

7/13 7/14

CHARLOTTE WATER LANTERN FESTIVAL

While they’re called many things in different iterations around the world — lantern festivals, lights festivals, floating lanterns, water fests, or Chinese lanterns — the Charlotte Water Lantern Fest has become a staple of the Queen City over the years. A family-friendly event filled with fun, happiness and hope (not to mention all the Instagrammable content you could ask for), this is a peaceful, memorable experience you won’t soon forget. But you’ll be taking more than memories home; each attendees receives a floating lantern kit, LED candle, commemorative drawstring bag, conversation cards, and playing cards. Lantern retrieval and clean-up is part of the ticket cost, so you will be able to bring your creation home with you as well.

More: $28-$56, July 13, 6-10 p.m.; Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Road; waterlanternfestival.com

‘SHXTSNGIGS’

While we are of the opinion that nine out of 10 random podcast clips posted to social media on any given day serve as proof that they just need to stop making podcast mics altogether, these guys are different. A top-five Spotify podcast featuring Black, British best friends James Duncan and Fuhad Dawodu, ShxtsNGigs features their hosts unfiltered opinions on whatever happens to be on their mind. Known for their viral Twitter Hall of Fame segment, the most recent episode at the time of this writing featured the Question of the Week (What’s a question that’s guaranteed to start an argument?), a crazy story, a show recommendation (Scavengers Reign), and the popular Trash News segment. It takes a talented coupla lads to make all that interesting, but they pull it off. This is the pair’s first North American tour, following up on more than 350 podcast episodes on YouTube.

More: Sold out, available for resale; July 14, 7:30 p.m.; The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com

NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES

Courtesy of Gantt Center

STYLES P OF THE LOX

Photo by Eddy Rissling 7/12

WED

KENYON DIXON

7/17

Before breaking out as his own artist in the mid2010s, LA native Kenyon Dixon was already doing a lot behind the scenes of the music industry, composing and writing critically acclaimed songs for artists like Tyrese, Faith Evans and Chrisette Michelle while touring and doing back-up vocals for Justin Timberlake, Nick Jonas, Mac Miller, John Legend, Usher and others. Having released six projects between 2014-’17, he has stayed busy into this decade. Even while on tour the Grammy-nominated singer is releasing new music, dropping his latest single “Far Away” on July 8. Co-produced by Dixon and Frank Rose, “Far Away” is a breezy R&B tune about two lovers escaping everyday life to enjoy each other’s company.

More: $40 and up; July 17, 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E. 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com

SAT

7/20

OFF THE WALL 13TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY

Off the Wall launched as a pop-up dance party in summer 2011, serving up vibes with Golden Era hiphop, classic R&B, reggae, and classic house music. The JETA Team behind the party has not only kept it going but kept things fresh, hosting a number of themed events over the last year alone, including the resumption of the famed annual Michael Jackson tribute party for the first time since pre-COVID, plus A Tribe Called Quest Native Tongues edition, Down South edition and more. Marking 13 years at Snug, this party brings it back to the basics, featuring a few familiar faces including the inimitable Chief Rocka Aking, DJ Justice, Danielle Kharman and DJ Chance. More: $12.50; July 20, 10 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS

7/19

Having formed in Middleburg, Florida back in 2003, pop-punk emo group Red Jumpsuit Apparatus broke through with its major-label debut Don’t You Fake It in 2006. While the lead single from that project, “Face Down,” became the band’s biggest success, they’ve been a continuous touring draw across the planet for nearly two decades, from their early days sharing stages with My Chemical Romance and Taking Back Sunday to throwing down in front of Warped Tour Nation denizens all the way to the Far East. Orlando’s 408 joins two strong Charlotte poppunk acts in Seneca Burns and Stress Fractures to round out the bill.

More: $25-$30; July 19, 8:30 p.m.; Amos’ Southend, 1423 S. Tryon St.; amossouthend.com

SUN FRI

7/21

DEN OF WOLVES W/ SUNBREAK, LONGSUFFERING, WINTER’S GATE

Five years ago, Den of Wolves frontman Chris Deitz told Queen City Nerve, “I like to think we’re like the universe, once we create something we start zooming outward like the Big Bang.” The Charlottebased metalcore rockers have now been together for over a decade and their sound continues to expand outward — certainly making a big bang along the way. They’re joined on this bill by fellow local rockers sunbreak, who balance on a thin line between posthardcore, metalcore, rock, and pop; plus pain and disdain pushers Longsuffering; and deathcore fivepiece Winter’s Gate.

More: $12-$15; July 21, 8 p.m.; The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road; themilestone.club

BE THY NAME

Howard McNair’s funky jazz has deep roots in gospel

BY DEZANII LEWIS

Sitting behind his keyboard, Howard McNair counted in his band members to kick off rehearsal at The Playroom. The snap of drums came, followed by the strum of guitar, and then the rest of the group joined in. They easily slid into a jubilant, upbeat song which immediately had toes tapping and heads bobbing.

He may not have looked like your typical jazz musician at that moment, in a black baseball cap and black-and-white Jordan 11 Retros, but McNair was in fully his element as he kicked off that rehearsal at The Playroom.

On July 7, McNair would celebrate the release of his debut album, Hear Me Out, with a show at Middle C Jazz that doubled as a birthday party, as he would turn 40 years old three days later.

As he tells it, all 40 years were spent playing jazz.

“I don’t remember not playing,” he said. “Music has been a part of my life all my life.”

Speaking before the rehearsal, I got the chance to talk to McNair, who performs as Howard B Thy Name 7, about his lifelong love of music and where he hopes to take it as he drops his new project.

A trained ear

Growing up in the rural town of Goldsboro, McNair didn’t have many options for hobbies outside of sports or church. His family was heavily involved in the latter, so that’s where he spent a lot of his time. And in the Black church, music and praise go hand-in-hand.

“Everybody went to church,” he said. “Everybody played something.”

His father was a preacher who played a few instruments and sang, as did his mother, while his sister directed the choir. In fact, it was his mother who introduced him to the instrument he still sits behind today.

“She’s the first musician I’ve ever heard, and she showed me around the piano, and the rest is history,” he said.

McNair started playing instruments at a young age — drums at the age of 2 and keyboard at 9. While church is where he developed a love for music in general, he grew to appreciate all forms of music.

While his dad was strictly a church guy, his mom had a more diverse taste, which she shared with her son.

“She started taking me to hear symphonies and ballets,” recalled McNair. “I remember going to The Nutcracker and things like that when I was a kid. I remember hearing Herbie Hancock play when I was about maybe 6 or 7, and it was just an awakening.”

Because of his religious upbringing, he couldn’t exactly dive into secular music the way he wanted to. He recalled sometimes sneaking to listen at times when his father wasn’t around.

His passion for all music never faltered, however. In high school, he started playing trombone for a jazz band and fell in love with the genre.

“That was pretty much it,” he said. “I didn’t just want to be just a church guy. I wanted to explore all kinds of music.”

And he did. Listening to secular music allowed him to develop an eclectic taste in music that ranges from rap group NWA to Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff.

He leans heavily toward jazz and blues music, but despite his decades-long effort to branch out from the church music he started with, gospel still holds a special place in his heart.

“The gospel that I grew up on, my mom had records, and my grandmother had records, and they would just play the records; I would come home from school and sit on the piano and just try to play whatever I heard,” he recalled. “I would sit for hours and just listen to the radio and try to play whatever song came on the radio.”

“I was hearing things that they didn’t hear, but they could read what I couldn’t read,” he said. “So school taught me that I was playing all the stuff, but school taught me how to read it and recognize it and prepare and be professional and that type of thing. So I didn’t feel like I was at a disadvantage, but it was just once I put the pieces of the puzzle together with reading and playing by ear, it opened everything up. “And then from that, I developed my own sound.”

An improvisational talent

McNair’s roots in gospel helped prepare him for a life in jazz, where the ability to improvise trumps all.

“I feel like jazz is the most expressive music,” he told me. “Between jazz and gospel, it’s the most expressive because the spirit of improvisation is all in it, where I’m not structured to what’s on the page. I can go beyond that. You’ll hear some of that today if you stick around for rehearsal.”

Drawing influences from his many musical tastes, McNair can’t pinpoint his exact style of jazz, insisting that he’s reluctant to try because he doesn’t want to be pigeonholed.

“I will describe my style of jazz as whatever feels good,” he said. “Sometimes the word jazz boxes in because everyone has their opinion of what jazz should be. But my music, much like jazz, evolves. It changes based on my mood.”

He described some of the songs on his album as “vibe-y, warm, and chill” while describing another particular track, “Black Queen,” as a different experience altogether.

“I just thought, a lot of times, men, we don’t ever do anything to appreciate our sisters,” he said. “It’s no knock to anybody. It’s a piece where it contains spoken word, and there’s some vocals on there. My ancestors are Liberian, so it’s [a bit] of Liberian language on there. It’s jazz, but it’s a piece that’s

McNair’s mother taught him to play by ear, as is usually done in the church. He never learned to read piano sheet music until he attended North Carolina A&T University, where he earned his degree in General Music.

“Growing up in church, you really train,” he continued. “In my opinion, I feel like church musicians are the best musicians because the ear training that we have is just second to none.”

In school, his peers could all read sheet music, but they couldn’t play by ear.

At The Playroom on the afternoon we met, McNair rehearsed with his band: lead guitarist Carmelo Smith; bass guitarist Elliott Foster; saxophonist Marcus Jones; drummer Brian House; background vocalists Jade Spratling, Emmanuel Thomas, and Jae Nelson; and lead vocalists Jay D Jones and Tyra Scott.

While rehearsing the soulful, funky song “Change the World” at The Playroom, McNair asked the vocalists to add some harmonious ad-libs to the chorus. Without missing a beat, the vocalists complied, to a magical result. In another moment, he asked that they all change the key to G mid-song, and after a brief moment of confusion, the players got back on the same non-existent page.

going to make you think.”

At the heart of it all, McNair just wants to use his music to make people feel the way great music makes him feel.

“I just want people to feel good,” he said. “I want people to remember their experience, and I want them to feel good.”

As he bobbed his head and smiled eagerly while playing his keyboard at rehearsal, he exuded a joy so infectious that everyone in the room was hardpressed not to catch it.

If you’re willing to hear him out, there’s a great chance you’ll catch it too.

DLEWIS@QCNERVE.COM

HOWARD MCNAIR REHEARSES FOR HIS ALBUM RELEASE SHOW.

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

FAR FROM A MIRAGE

Clarity draws listeners into her pain with new track

BY JONATHAN GOLIAN

There is an allure to the sound that local psychedelic soul and gothic blues artist Clarity gives to her music that is hard to pinpoint, and after listening to her on and offstage, it’s that unidentifiable appeal that serves as my personal buy-in.

Combined elements of neo-soul and psychedelia make up the general sound behind Clarity’s music. Yet, the slowed pacing of the instrumentals weaving in and out of the tracks adds an atmospheric melody that can shift between haunting, enticing and foreboding.

Her latest single, “Mirage of Fate,” released on June 28 and performed at Clarity’s July 6 show at Petra’s, is a perfect example of this phenomenon. The slow burn of the bass at the beginning of the track, isolated until a few moments in, seems to summon Clarity to the microphone, her voice arriving piecemeal in echoes until she fully enters the scene.

Her lyrics and the delivery through which they arrive are laced with the pain, derived from the artist’s own literal chronic pain, a result of neurological disorder.

“The devil represents the archetype of that pain,” she says. “Despite the challenges, I’ve unearthed solace in movement.”

Drums and guitar pair with the bassline, adding to the atmosphere yet never losing the desolate

feelings introduced at up front. The track marks the first collaborative efforts between Clarity and her new band — Drumsmoke on drums, Allison Friday on bass, and Stephen Pane on guitar.

The song becomes a slow dance, enjoyable in its movement despite the sorrowful melancholy that comprises much of the emotion throughout.

A track still on the setlist from 2023, “Purple,” sets a stark but welcome contrast. The drums switch places with the bass to kick this track off, finding Clarity in a state of euphoria rather than suffering, A love song through and through, the keys added in bring a levity to the warmer emotion in the vocals.

The pain gone, if only for a short time, Clarity’s voice carries a giddy quality in “Purple,” one that matches the excitement one feels when discussing what it feels like to be loved. The backing instruments on this track also work off of a slowed-up pacing, adding more with less and giving listeners a bit of an elevated depth to swoon on.

In either case, Clarity is able to peel back the layers of her heart and fully embrace the emotions within, painting with light and shadow as the situation calls for each within the thralls of the music.

An artist like Clarity is the perfect pairing for headphones and a cup of warm tea, a setting that allows listeners to be drawn deeply into her world.

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

NO SOUND TO WA STE

Wastoid rides the wave of Mike Smith’s energy

BY DAN RUSSELL-PINSON

Some bands are greater than the sum of their parts, representing something larger than just music. Cultivating a special bond with their fans and respect from their fellow musicians, Wastoid has earned a revered place in the Charlotte music scene. Wastoid began as a duo in 2021 when frontman Mike Smith and friend Jarret Mintz wrote their first song together, inspired by a Black Lives Matter protest they attended where police trapped and tear-gassed protesters. Following several personnel changes, the hard-rock group has arrived at what could be considered its quintessential lineup of Smith (vocals), Lane Claffee (guitar), Grace Nelson (bass), and Andrew “Tommy” Knockenhauer (drums).

The band’s early albums, including 2022’s Government Sanctioned Weaponized Fem Boys, contain songs written when the band was still a duo, including several crowd favorites like “Glass Pack” and “4am.” Those early songs contained the initial Wastoid spark, but the music really caught fire when the full band came together, as it did to create its latest album, Occur Everywhere

It only takes a few minutes into any given Wastoid show to catch on to the free feeling that Smith embodies on stage. He might be hanging from the ceiling one moment and jumping into the crowd the next.

“You literally just let your body convulse in any direction you want to,” says Smith. “It’s like the only form of freedom I really have in life. It’s the one time where you can get up there and everything’s on your terms for 25 minutes.”

Whether you call it hardcore, sludge or punk, Wastoid’s sound is raw, loud and relentless. Though

certainly comfortable in the hardcore landscape, Wastoid can’t be constrained by any one genre.

Claffee, Nelson and Knockenhauer weave in elements of metal, post-punk and experimental music, giving Smith a wide musical palette to work with. Smith’s rabid and visceral vocals are often delivered at a blistering pace, but in other moments can be more quiet and subdued.

No matter what decibel level Smith sings at, there is no denying the humanity and vulnerability in his delivery and lyrics, as on the song “Human Error.”

“How many days should I sleep in before it gets better?/ It won’t get better/ I don’t wanna live here/ Or anywhere…”

Fans at Wastoid shows connect with Smith, feeling heard and understood in a world where that can be a rarity. Combine this with loud guitars, heavy amounts of sweat, and aggressive moshing and the emotional intensity is palpable. Far from just entertainment, this is catharsis.

In many ways, Wastoid represents the antithesis of our modern woes, providing authenticity in a society that encourages artificiality; community in a capitalistic system that promotes isolation and an accepting; and an inclusive environment existing in a judgemental, social media-driven world.

“I was always someone on the outskirts,” says Smith. “I was always a reject. I was always someone that wasn’t a part of the scene. We welcome the rejects. We welcome the people who weren’t cool enough because we have never been cool enough, and we will never be cool enough.”

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

WASTOID PERFORMS AT THE MILESTONE ON JUNE 12.

PHOTO BY DAN RUSSELL-PINSON

CLARITY PERFORMS AT PETRA’S ON JULY 6.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GOLIAN

CAT’S OUT OF THE B AG

Newly formed alt-rockers Cassettiquette prepare to record first EP

BY ANNIE KEOUGH

Believe it or not, the name Cassettiquette came from an especially well-behaved cat.

Shortly after the inception of the then-nameless indie-alt band, the members were having a beer at original bass player Hyatt Morrill’s house when someone commented on the great manners of Morrill’s cat, Cassette.

“Cassette had excellent etiquette, and then the name ‘Cassettiquette’ was born,” explained lead guitarist and songwriter of Cassettiquette, Connor Hausman. “Basically drunk cat observations.”

Now a foursome, the band currently consists of Hausman, Emma Freas on keys, Chris Gibson on bass and Trevor Martin on drums.

Purposefully or not, the eccentric origins of the band’s name reflect the same principles that set it apart from the legion of talent based in Charlotte, Hausman said.

“While our songs can touch on some hard topics, we are generally goofy and love to have fun while performing,” he said. “Sad boy lyrics with upbeat music.”

Though the band has yet to release any music publicly, they’ve played a number of live shows throughout the city this year at venues like Snug Harbor and Petra’s. Crowd-favorites like “Thelma and Louise” and “Disintegrate” draw inspiration from Death Cab for Cutie, Band of Horses, Radiohead and The Killers.

After months of live shows and building a fanbase, the band hopes to record a five-song EP with the possibility of more during its six-day studio run at Jason Scavone’s Sioux Sioux Studios in August.

Scavone is a Charlotte-based singer, songwriter, engineer and producer that Hausman has been hoping to work with for years. He never got the chance with his past project, popular indie rockers The Business People, but he’s now excited to get his wish.

For this project, Hausman brings songs to the band as he writes them. Though he starts the process, the arrangement of the song is a collaborative effort between members.

“I feel that can very quickly make a good song a lot better,” he told Queen City Nerve. “I am always thinking about how the songs will translate in a live setting. The entire band is ‘instrumental’ in that process. Pun, unfortunately, intended.”

Taking the time to test out which songs work during live shows has put the band in a good position for the money and effort it takes to record, a process Hausman is hopeful will return fully fleshed-out tracks by October.

Until then, follow the band at @cassettiquette for updates on upcoming shows.

CASSETTIQUETTE PERFORM AT SNUG HARBOR

PHOTO BY

MOVING MO UN TAINS

‘No

Options’ captures the wide-ranging talent of Appalachian hip-hop

BY TYLER BUNZEY

The Appalachian area conjures distinct images for most Americans. Spanning Alabama to New York, the mountainous region conjures scenes of finger-picked banjo strings echoing over foggy mountain vistas at its best and red-county trailer park poverty at its worst.

A new album release from the Kentucky-based June Appal Recordings label is seeking to challenge this limited perspective of one of America’s most overlooked regions.

No Options, the label’s first hip-hop release, features 24 tracks from artists across Appalachia, as curated by Jomo “JK” Turner with the support of his father, renowned Appalachian scholar William H. Turner, and ETSU ethnomusicologist Ted Olson.

With the support of an Appalachian Regional Commission grant, JK Turner helped curate the first Appalachian hip-hop collection of this scope.

Turner networked with scholars and artists from Georgia to West Virginia to represent the various textures

of Appalachian hip-hop, from the ironclad delivery of the appropriately named WV legend Monstalung to incarcerated rapper Stunna T to New York-to-Tennessee transplant Sista Zock.

North Carolina’s contributions on the project come from our foothill gateways to Appalachia: Aberdeen’s Jetpack John$on and Winston-Salem’s Ced Bankz.

The tenth track of the stylistically diverse collection, “Don’t Get Hit” marks Jetpack’s raucous contribution. Over double-time trap drums, 808s and chants of “Imma get him,” the rapper boasts of his come up with a warning to his adversaries: “Imma let it flick/ brrt brrt brrt/ come up from the pit/ he lit, get rich…”

Two tracks later, Winston-Salem’s Ced Bankz follows that braggadocio with melancholic reflection on “Die Alone.” He penned the blues-laden track while reflecting on his divorce and the loss of his best friend’s son. “I don’t wanna die alone/ put my heart in every song,” he laments

in the chorus. “By His grace I’m holding on…”

However, Ced’s second contribution “Let Em Know” brings more self-confident energy toward the end of the collection. “Y’all want it? I’m gonna let y’all know/ Don’t give a fuck about my past…” he declares in the chorus.

“My past doesn’t define me,” he reflected to the Queen City Nerve. “I can get out of any hole. I can keep it pushing … you’ve got to stand 10 toes at all times.”

Mirroring the range of expression between these two North Carolinian emcees, No Options presents a

diverse Appalachia. While many of the artists narrate stereotypical struggles with poverty and addiction, that struggle is juxtaposed by resilience and faith.

Alongside expected banjos and folk melodies lie 808s and snares. The album beckons listeners to tune their ears to a truer Appalachia, one that represents the vibrant multicultural contours of a region oft-cited and rarely understood.

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

JETPACK JOHN$ON PHOTO COURTESY OF APPALSHOP

WEDNESDAY, JULY 10

JAZZ/BLUES

Jazz Nights at Canteen (Camp North End)

Anthony Geraci w/ the Boston Blues All-Stars (Middle C Jazz)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Beats @ Birdsong (Birdsong Brewing)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Barcerado w/ The Mummy Cats (Snug Harbor)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Russell ‘n’ Woods (Goldie’s) OPEN MIC

Wednesday Variety Open Mic & Songwriter Circle (Starlight on 22nd)

THURSDAY, JULY 11

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Arrows in Action (Amos’ Southend)

Peach Rings w/ Rain Recordings, Hill View #73, Between Two Trees (The Milestone)

Cheer Up! w/ The Abstratica, Alone Together (Petra’s) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

A. Lee Edwards w/ Amanda Neill (Evening Muse)

Pametto Drive w/ Fred Heintz (Goldie’s)

Ashes & Arrows (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Jazz Funk Soul (Middle C Jazz)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Bktherula (The Underground)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Chinobay & Friends (Snug Harbor)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Abbey Elmore (Comet Grill)

OPEN MIC

CLT Open Jam (Crown Station)

COVER BANDS

Thurston Howell Band (The Amp Ballantyne)

FRIDAY, JULY 12

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Thirsty Curses w/ Faye (Evening Muse)

The Poontanglers w/ It Could Be Nothing, Iodine, The Negulators (The Milestone)

Pocket Strange w/ The Kindest People (Snug Harbor)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Pink Pny Club: Chappell Roan Club (Amos’ Southend)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

The Get Right Band w/ Brother Oliver (Camp North End)

Night Cap (Neighborhood Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Kayla Ray w/ Mando Saenz (Evening Muse)

Ryan Trotti Band w/ Jake Valdenhang (Goldie’s)

Ben O’Connor (Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts )

JAZZ/BLUES

Jazz Funk Soul (Middle C Jazz)

The Bill Miller Blues Band (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar) HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

The Lox (The Underground)

Celeste Moonchild w/ Suspenceful Music Playing, Simon SMTHNG (Petra’s) COVER BANDS

Rumours ATL (Fleetwood Mac tribute) (The Fillmore)

The Soundwave is Queen City Nerve’s comprehensive guide to live music happening in Charlotte every night of the week. This list is pulled together by our editorial team every other week from combing through Charlotte music venue calendars and separated by genre. None of these listings are paid advertisements. We understand that many non-traditional music venues offer live music like coffee shops, breweries, art galleries, community events and more.

This list may not have every event listed. To have a venue included in the editorial compilation of this list, please send an email to info@qcnerve.com with the subject “Soundwave.”

SATURDAY, JULY 13

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Even Flow w/ Valor Bound, Minutes & Years (Amos’ Southend)

Aurora’s Hope w/ The Simplicity (Evening Muse)

Moving Boxes w/ Clipboards, Sunday Morning, Finalbossfight!, Lawn Enforcement (The Milestone)

Northlane (The Underground)

The Dollyrots w/ The Boreouts (Neighborhood Theatre)

Foreigner w/ Styx, John Waite (PNC Music Pavilion)

Snooper w/ Mutant Strain, Paint Fumes (Snug Harbor)

The Moss w/ Dogpark (Visulite Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Kenzie Cait w/ Blake Proehl (Evening Muse)

Benton w/ Lynsea, Hillmouse (Petra’s)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Bill Noonan (Comet Grill)

Katie Alling & Friends (Starlight on 22nd)

JAZZ/BLUES

Satyr Black & the Blackhawk Quintet (Middle C Jazz)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

REO Survivor & Co. w/ Randy Paul Duo (Goldie’s)

SUNDAY, JULY 14

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Mall w/ Innerpeace, Adam Cope, Austin Royale, Youngdeathgod, Raatma (The Milestone)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Nic @ Nite (Petra’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Soul Sundays feat. Guy Nowchild (Starlight on 22nd)

JAZZ/BLUES

Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill)

Sunday Smooth w/ JD feat. Rob Zinn, Deon Yates (Middle C Jazz)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Sunday Tunes w/ Jack and Pat (Free Range Brewing)

Andy Ball (Goldie’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Janet Jackson (PNC Music Pavilion)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Shakedown Sunday (Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts)

MONDAY, JULY 15

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s) OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic feat. Ashtyn Barbaree (Evening Muse) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

TUESDAY, JULY 16

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Red Rocking Chair (Comet Grill)

MX Lonely w/ Dish, Jackson Fig, Rocks for Lizards (The Milestone)

OPEN MIC

Open Mic Night feat. The Smokin J’s (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Kenyon Dixon (Neighborhood Theatre)

Xscape w/ SWV (PNC Music Pavilion)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

The Weasels w/ Groove Skeletons, Council Ring (Snug Harbor)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Josh Daniel w/ Jim Brock, Kerry Brooks (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

Lola Grace Duo (Goldie’s)

JAZZ/BLUES

Jazz Nights at Canteen (Camp North End)

Spyro Gyra (Middle C Jazz)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Beats @ Birdsong (Birdsong Brewing)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Jordain Rainer (Goldie’s)

OPEN MIC

Variety Open Mic (Starlight on 22nd)

THURSDAY, JULY 18

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Kings of the Wild Things w/ Family Video, Caught Off Guard (The Milestone)

Drivin N Cryin (Neighborhood Theatre)

Breed (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Major Keys & Saxy G (Comet Grill)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Hannah Montana Night (The Underground)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Sam on Somedays (Evening Muse)

Valley Range w/ Rusty Colton, Zac Robins (Petra’s)

OPEN MIC

CLT Open Jam (Crown Station)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Joseph Gallo Band w/ Josh Daniel (Goldie’s)

Shana Blake’s Musical Menagerie (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

COVER BANDS

Java (90’s R&B and Dance Hits) (Middle C Jazz)

FRIDAY, JULY 19

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus w/ 408, Seneca Burns, Stress Fractures (Amos’ Southend)

The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)

Sweet Leaf w/ String Theory (Goldie’s)

Sidequest (The Milestone)

Sammy Hagar w/ Loverboy (PNC Music Pavilion)

Connor Kelly & the Time Warp w/ Weekend Friends (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Najee (Knight Theater)

Art Sherrod & Lin Rountree (Middle C Jazz)

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears w/ Shane Guerrette (Visulite Theatre)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

¡Tumbao! w/ Alexa Jenson (Camp North End)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Lucki (The Fillmore)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Green Velvet (Blackbox Theater)

Hannah Montana Night (The Underground) FUNK/JAM BANDS

Joëlle Jacobs & The Enthusiasts (Free Range Brewing)

Boat Command w/ Jombi, Once Below Joy (Petra’s)

The Angie Rickard Band (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

COVER BANDS

Allman Brothers Tribute (various acts) (Neighborhood Theatre)

SATURDAY, JULY 20

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Pintos (Comet Grill)

Mercury Dimes w/ Thousand Dollar Movie, Motel Portrait, Whistler (The Milestone) JAZZ/BLUES

Matt Von Roderick (Middle C Jazz)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

HNY WLSN w/ Sunset Honor Unit, The Mystery Plan (Petra’s) Off the Wall 13-Year Anniversary

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Low Groves w/ Chip McGee (Evening Muse) FUNK/JAM BANDS

The Ben Gatlin Band (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar) Council Ring w/ Lucid Evolution (Starlight on 22nd) Banned From Utopia w/ The Paul Green Rock Academy (Visulite Theatre)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Lil Poppa (The Underground)

Kevin Gates & Friends (PNC Music Pavilion)

COVER BANDS

Queen Flash (Amos’ Southend)

Kids in America w/ Ryan Trotti (Goldie’s) Watchtower (Dave Matthews tribute) (Primal Brewery)

SUNDAY, JULY 21

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Green Light (Evening Muse)

Is For Lovers w/ Hawthorne Heights (The Fillmore)

Den of Wolves w/ Sunbreak, Longsuffering, Winter’s Gate (The Milestone)

The Soundwave is Queen City Nerve’s comprehensive guide to live music happening in Charlotte every night of the week. This list is pulled together by our editorial team every other week from combing through Charlotte music venue calendars and separated by genre. None of these listings are paid advertisements. We understand that many non-traditional music venues offer live music like coffee shops, breweries, art galleries, community events and more.

This list may not have every event listed. To have a venue included in the editorial compilation of this list, please send an email to info@qcnerve.com with the subject “Soundwave.”

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Square Roots (Goldie’s)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Soul Sundays feat. Guy Nowchild (Starlight on 22nd)

JAZZ/BLUES

Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill)

Marqueal Jordan (Middle C Jazz)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Hazy Sunday (Petra’s)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Brut Beat (Free Range Brewing)

MONDAY, JULY 22

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Backbiter w/ Place Blame, Chained (The Milestone)

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Charlotte Bluegrass Allstars (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, JULY 23

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Red Rocking Chair (Comet Grill)

Killing Pixies w/ Brandy & the Butcher, Skewer Rat (The Milestone)

Third Eye Blind w/ Yellowcard (PNC Music Pavilion)

A Giant Dog w/ Alone Together (Snug Harbor)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Back In Time Band (VisArt Video)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Warp Street w/ The Dead Flowers, Groove Skeletons (Petra’s)

EXPERIMENTAL/MIXED-GENRE/FESTIVAL

Idobi Radio Summer School (The Fillmore)

OPEN MIC

Open Mic Night feat. The Smokin J’s (Smokey Joe’s Cafe & Bar)

VISIT QCNERVE.COM FOR THE FULL SOUNDWAVE LISTING

START AT THE RO OTS

Cherie and Wisdom Jzar build network of urban farmers at Deep Roots CPS Farm

BY RYAN PITKIN

In fall 2022, when Mecklenburg County received a $14,000 grant to be put toward a farmland preservation plan, Cherie Jzar of Deep Roots CPS Farm in northwest Charlotte thought it signified that the county was on the right track.

Then came a meeting of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners in March 2023, when the farm preservation plan was adopted, at which District 2 commissioner Vilma Leake made a comment that showed Jzar the type of misinformation she was working against as a local urban farmer.

“One of our commissioners said in the meeting when they adopted it, ‘Farmers? We got farmers in our community? When I think about farmers, I think about somebody out east with overalls and the straw hat on,’” Jzar recalled. “And I was just furious. I was like, ‘What in the world? You’re about to pass a farmland preservation plan and one of our commissioners is asking who are the farmers?’ So that’s what inspired it.”

By “it,” Jzar is referring to the formation of the Growers Network, a coalition of Mecklenburg County farmers, advocates and adjoining agencies who have been working together to better inform one another about resources and opportunities available to local farmers — and better inform the elected officials who control those opportunities.

“I invited every county commissioner [to our farm]. I sent an email to every one of them and said, ‘Hey, I’m glad you passed this plan. It’s great that we’re preserving land. We also need to preserve farmers and support farmers and increase the number of farmers. Come to our farm, you’ll see a farmer, and you’ll see a farm in Mecklenburg County,’” Jzar said. “So that was the impetus about it.”

Having launched their family-operated urban farming business in 2019, Cherie and her husband

Wisdom Jzar quickly entered the small group of farmers still operating in Mecklenburg County, and an even smaller group of Black farmers in the area.

Since then, the pair have worked to not only increase food access for those in the Beatties Ford Road corridor but to strengthen the network of farmers working toward their own similar missions through advocacy and education.

At a recent meeting held by Mecklenburg Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor and Chair Barbara Bleiweis at Renfrow Hardware in Matthews, some members of the Growers Network had a chance to interact with NC Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler.

Together, local stakeholders discussed how local farmers often struggle with navigating planning and zoning regulations, how to capitalize on the continued growth of the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, and how improvements at the market could help farmers and community members.

For the Jzar family, the Growers Network is just the latest step in their ongoing mission to connect communities with fresh food and a more informed outlook.

A place of their own

Married since 2003, Cherie and Wisdom originally began doing urban farming with a goal to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to their family. In 2019, after that work made them more aware of food access issues in Mecklenburg County, they launched Deep Roots CPS as a business.

The couple farmed separate plots spread piecemeal around the city, offered up by folks with extra land they weren’t using — unknowingly forming the beginnings of their evergrowing “green network,” as Cherie called it.

Predictably, developmental pressure pushed them off of the largest plot they were farming, so they

began looking for a stable space. They found a 7-acre property off Primm Road near Oak Hills Park, located between Oakdale Road and Beatties Ford Road in northwest Charlotte, and began farming it in 2021.

Between that time, COVID-19 swept through Charlotte and the rest of the world, uprooting countless businesses and forcing others to pivot whatever plan they operated under. For urban farmers like the Jzar family, however, the pandemic actually pushed people their way.

With distribution channels shut down across the country and grocery stores limiting their hours, people began to rethink where they get their food.

“People reached out to local farming communities, and then farmers markets were some of the only places the governor said were essential so they didn’t shut down,” Jzar recalled. “So a lot of people discovered local farmers and local food, and demand was very high, which was something that we were able to capitalize on because we had started our business a year prior to COVID.”

Their location along the Beatties Ford Road corridor also allowed the Jzars to serve a community

that struggles with food access even when there’s no pandemic on.

According to Cherie, that was no mistake; it actually played a large role in choosing the farm’s location.

“We wanted a property in northwest Charlotte; we wanted it as close to Beatties Ford as possible,” Cherie said. “I said that we wanted to address food insecurity, right? And so we know that they call them food deserts, even though there are other terms that we could use — one is food apartheid — but there is this disinvestment along that area, and we wanted to be the change that we wanted to see in the world and invest in a farm that people can come to.”

Deep Roots CPS — the acronym stands for Community Planning Solutions — began doing more community engagement, not only hosting events and allowing people to shop for produce on their property but going out into the community. They partnered with Historic West End Partners to build 60 4-foot-by-4-foot garden beds in and around the West End.

CHERIE AND WISDOM JZAR (LEFT TO RIGHT), FOUNDERS OF DEEP ROOTS CPS FARM. COURTESY OF DRF

FOOD & DRINK FEATURE

“We wanted to have the youth see farmers that look like them, have the community see people who look like them growing their food, people who care about them growing their food, and then take it a step further, just so they see the food growing in their community,” Cherie said.

Working toward change

According to Cherie Jzar, a big reason why she and Wisdom launched Deep Roots was to make an impact on the lack of farmers of color they knew to exist in and around Mecklenburg County. As they grew the business, the disparity became more glaring.

They saw how, due to systemic discrimination by governmental agencies like the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) over the years, farmers of color from previous generations lacked resources and opportunities enjoyed by other farmers who enjoyed closer relationships with the USDA.

They learned how, as farmland shrank in Mecklenburg County, the state’s largest farming agency, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, shifted its focus from farmer support to gardening and nutrition-based programming locally.

“We were struggling just to find information, and it wasn’t until we stumbled upon a couple of

farmers in Huntersville who started to share information, and then people started reaching out to us, asking us for information, that I was like, ‘We all need to be together so we can support one another,’” said Cherie.

She came across a research article from the American Farmland Trust that found that more than half of all farmers say they get most of their information from other farmers.

“So I was like, ‘Okay, we need to form a group that our whole intention is to network, to share resources, to share information, to support one another so that we can be the help that we need and we can speak for ourselves,” Cherie said.

county’s formulation of a new farmland preservation plan, but has continued to cultivate the coalition to advocate for each other and residents who need more access to produce and fresh foods.

other expand the days when they’re present at the market, but also expand resources for people shopping there.

She helped launch the Growers Network in late 2022 and early 2023, originally focusing on the

The July 1 meeting between local farmers, officials and agency representatives gave a glimpse at the issues the Growers Network is currently focused on. Multiple farmers at the meeting, for example, discussed how they struggled with zoning regulations in the county — regulations that some of them shouldn’t even need to worry about as farmers.

State law grants exemptions to most zoning laws for properties recognized as “bona fide farms,” allowing them to build sheds, barns and the like on their land without having to go through a lengthy permitting process.

According to Jzar, however, many farmers who should be exempt aren’t even aware that the exemption exists. She said inspectors should be informing these folks of their rights to an exemption rather than placing more work on themselves and the farmers by moving forward with rezoning or permit processes.

The group at the July 1 meeting also discussed the continued growth of the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market, which Troxler said is operating at a profit for the first time in its existence. The vendors in attendance discussed how they could help each

Troxler was reportedly surprised to learn that, unlike other farmers markets in the Charlotte area, EBT food assistance is not automatically accepted at the market. Instead, it’s up to each separate vendor whether to accept EBT, which can be hard for businesses without a brick-and-mortar location.

The Growers Network will be working in the coming months to bring the North Carolina Local Food Council onboard at the market, as that is the organization that has helped expand the use of EBT at other similar markets. Jzar said she’d also like to see a bus stop closer to the market to increase accessibility.

While all of this is going on, the Jzar family is also preparing to host its first Youth Summer Camp, which will run from July 22-26. Young participants will spend the week learning both how to grow and raise things on an urban farm and the importance of food access and food justice.

“We’re calling all the campers ‘future farmers,’” said Jzar, “hopeful, with fingers crossed, that we light somebody’s fire to really want to work in this space.”

She knows the best way to grow a network is to start with deep roots.

RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

CHARLOTTE FARM.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MAXWELL

THE COUPLE LAUNCHED THEIR BUSINESS IN 2019.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL MAXWELL

SUDOKU

BY LINDA THISTLE

TRIVIA TEST

1. GEOGRAPHY: What is the highest peak in Europe?

2. TELEVISION: What is the name of the town in the Netflix series “Stranger Things”?

3. LITERATURE: What is the title of the book about a little girl who lives at The Plaza Hotel in New York City?

4. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: What is the traditional stone associated with the July birth month?

5. MYTHOLOGY: Which mythical creature has snakes for hair?

6. MOVIES: Who voices the character Joy in the animated movie “Inside Out”?

7. ANATOMY: What is the outermost layer of skin called?

8. INVENTIONS: Which blue medication, originally developed to lower blood pressure, had an unexpected effect on male patients

CROSSWORD

Adv tise With Us

COLUMN

AERIN’ IT OUT DEJA VU IN UPTOWN

5th Street Live brings back the AA5 vibes

BY AERIN SPRUILL

When I received an invite to check out 5th Street Live, the new Thursday happy hour hotspot, I was hesitant to accept.

After witnessing the beautiful chaos of Uptown’s coveted weekly “networking” event known as Alive After 5 (aka AA5) in the 2010s, did I want to behold yet another botched stab at reincarnation? Because sorry, not sorry, the kid-friendly, PGA-infused SouthPark After 5 sequel could never.

The difference is that 5th Street Live isn’t trying to recreate, it’s trying to elevate.

If you’re new to the Queen City, you may not know that a decade ago, the EpiCentre was a bustling hub for drunken shenanigans, mediocre (but nostalgic) eats, and poor decisions in the heart of Uptown.

Now an empty shell of its former self — though in the midst of an attempted renovation and rebranding as Queen City Quarter — only the echoes of faded facades hint at its once vibrant past. But on Thursdays, Charlotteans used to show up and show out for AA5.

Take a walk with me down memory lane. It’s Thursday, circa 2014. My PIC and I are counting down to the 40th hour when we could escape our miz, entry-level jobs and dive into the regularly scheduled program: pregaming for AA5 at Rooftop 210.

“Girl dinner” of charcuterie for sustenance. Curated iTunes playlists to set the mood to maneater. Perfectly-timed shots of Fireball to chase the inhibitions. Full-face beats complete with top and bottom eyeliner. And complementary fits paired with leather jackets and heels.

“The cabs’a hea!” someone would yell, a la Jersey Shore, as we’d crawl into an Uber en route to the EpiCentre.

Cigar smoke from the first-floor lounge playfully danced around our plumes of perfume as we looked up weighing the plethora of options across the multi-level venue. Walkways were filled with miniskirts and 4-inch heels waiting to get into club

favorites, Suite and Bubble.

The buzz of inebriates and live music from the likes of Tin Roof spilled into the district center, delivering the perfect “red carpet” theme song for ascending the escalator. What a time to be alive.

Over 10 years later, I donned my frozen-in-time, all-black fit of choice and braved the hellish summer evening heat to check out 5th Street Live. As a seasoned vet in the nightlife game, I became both

intrigued and anxious as I experienced the déjà vu of the summer solstice at AA5 before its demise.

Bathed in an orange sunset, the Truist Center tower loomed over the plaza filled with a hodgepodge of Charlotteans mingling and milling about. The live music brought to us by Southside Watt filled the air for blocks, convincing passersby to “pop in for a quick one.”

Back in the day, I would’ve been racing to the crowded bar to get an RBV. But gone are the days of playing with the Raging Bull, and to my surprise, getting a bevy was a breeze. With seven satellite bars ready to wet your whistle, there’s plenty of time and space for genuine networking opps or peoplewatching.

As the sun began to set, I snagged a seat and figurative popcorn anxiously waiting for the controlled chaos of daylight to devolve into sundown debauchery. *Enter DJ Yona*

Just the seasoning we needed to usher in the boozy boogie. “The same, but different,” I thought to myself as I felt the electric energy reminiscent of AA5 Thursdays tickle my arm hairs dancing to the beat.

At 9:37 pm, as if on cue, a lush in a hot-pink tennis skirt with major main character energy bent over to twerk front and center.

I resisted the urge to press record the moment she gave into her foolish pursuits of playfully exposing her Spanx to smack her booty. Who was I to interrupt the spirit of Tyla’s “Water” moving through her? After all, this was the late-night AA5 vibe I came for.

There will never be another AA5 as we knew it, but we knew that as it started to fizzle out well before its finale in 2019.

While 5th Street Live may be building on a coveted legacy, it isn’t trying to replicate the past. It represents a promising example of the innovation Uptown needs to rejuvenate a happy hour scene that’s been stale as hell for the past few years.

If you’re craving a Thirsty Thursday in Uptown with a dash of nostalgia, come alive at 5th Street Live, held every Thursday night at Truist Center Plaza from 5-10 p.m. You gotta be 21 and up, sorry kiddos!

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

PHOTO BY AERIN SPRUILL OUTSIDE

HOROSCOPE

JULY 10 - JULy 16 JULY 17 - JULY 23

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your Arian leadership qualities can help bring order out of confusion, whether it’s on the job or at home. But be careful to guide, not goad, others into following you.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Applying a more personal view to a job-linked issue could help provide better insight into persistent problems. Use your keen Taurean logic to cut through the double talk.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Taking some time off could be the best way to get through a seemingly endless round of demands. You’ll return refreshed and ready to tackle things from a new perspective.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Restoring a sagging professional relationship takes a lot of effort. By all means, state your position. But also make sure that you pay close attention to the other person’s point of view.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) A hot prospect intrigues the Big Cat, who is always on the prowl for a promising investment. But be careful that this “promise” has a chance of being kept. Check it out more carefully.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A friend could use some of your compassion and concern. If they don’t ask for help, be sure that you step up and make the first move. Also, check out a new career possibility.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) You might have difficulty getting your opinions heard because of all the noise being made by the other side. But hang in there. Others should line up with you once they learn the facts.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Offering to help a colleague is commendable. But before you commit your time and effort, check to see if this person’s situation is all that they have led you to believe it is.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) You should soon be seeing positive results from your recent efforts on behalf of a family member. On another matter, check that you have all the facts regarding a job assignment.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your aspects favor closer family relationships this week. Take time for visits, whether in person, by phone, by mail or in cyberspace. Let them know how important they are to you.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A missed opportunity isn’t always a negative. Maybe your instincts are telling you not to rush into something you “thought” was worthwhile. Make time for family this weekend.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your sense of humor helps you get through a tricky situation. But some stickin-the-muds might not be so willing to make the changes that you and others agree are necessary.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a gift for making everyone you know — or even just met — feel important and welcome in your life.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You face the possibility of raising your relationship to another level. However, your partner might demand that you make some promises, for which you’re not sure that you’re ready.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) As changes continue, expect things to get a little more hectic at your workplace. An unexpected travel opportunity could open up new career prospects.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Confront the person who caused your hurt feelings and demand a full explanation for their actions. You’ll not only recover your self-esteem, but you’ll also gain the respect of others.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A personal problem in the workplace is compounded by someone’s biased interference. Stand your ground, and you’ll soon find allies gathering around you.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) You don’t accept disapproval easily. But instead of hiding out in your den to lick your wounded pride, turn the criticism into a valuable lesson for the future.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) A former friend who you thought you’d cut out of your life is still affecting other relationships. Counter their lies with the truth. Your true friends are ready to listen.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) What appears to be an unfair situation might simply be the result of a misunderstanding. If you feel that something is out of balance, by all means, correct it.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A stalled relationship won’t budge until you make the first move. Your partner offers a surprising explanation about what got it mired down in the first place.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A coworker shares some startling news, but before you can use it to your advantage, make sure it’s true. The weekend favors family matters.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your usual conservative approach to family situations might not work at this time. Keep an open mind about developments, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Plans might have to be put on hold because of a family member’s problems. Don’t hesitate to get involved. Your help could make all the difference.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Relationships in the home and in the workplace need your careful attention during this period. Be careful not to allow misunderstandings to create problems.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a keen, insightful intellect and enjoy debating your views with others who disagree with you. You also love to solve puzzles — the harder, the better.

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Trivia Answers

1. Mount Elbrus.

2. Hawkins, Indiana.

3. “Eloise.” 4. Ruby.

5. Medusa. 6. Amy Poehler. 7. Epidermis. 8. Viagra. 9. Charlemagne.

Virginia, with eight.

SAVAGE LOVE THE OUTSIDERS

Back at it

BY DAN SAVAGE

Question about genders and dating apps which I will try to keep brief. I am a 45-yearold married cis male. After more than a decade of dipping in and out of the swinging lifestyle, my wife and I have decided to open up to dating other people.

I’m trying to catch up with the language of dating apps. I would like to express that I am open to dating people of various genders and orientations so long as they don’t have a penis. I am attracted to lots of different kinds of people along the masc/femme continuum, but I know from personal experience that I’m not interested in D.

“Looking for people AFAB” was suggested by a friend, but that doesn’t seem very nice to me. Any suggestions on how to convey this in a way that doesn’t sound awful? Also, if a “straight” man has sex with or dates a non-binary-identifying AFAB individual, would he be considered bisexual?

Oh, and you don’t need to tell me this is all moot. I am aware that middle-aged and married cis dudes don’t pull a lot of likes from beautiful, non-binary folks anyway.

CONCERNING INTIMATE SEMANTICAL MEANINGS AND NUANCES

Climbing out on a limb here to say … there’s nothing bisexual about a person who was assigned/ observed male at birth and currently identifies with his assigned/observed sex and is exclusively attracted to AFAB persons, CISMAN, not even when that guy is balls deep in the vagina of someone with a rad haircut who uses they/them pronouns. If I had to slap a label on the sex you hope to have with AFAB enbies… if someone held a gun to my head and forced me to print out a label… I would slap the “straight sex” label on it. And that’s fine, CISMAN, as consensual straight sex is nothing to be ashamed of and can be quite lovely. It’s also how God makes more queers, so have at it.

Now, an AFAB person who identifies as non-binary is queer — because, of course, they are — but having sex with a queer person doesn’t automatically make you queer.

Like a straight guy with a bisexual girlfriend, CISMAN, fucking or dating a non-binary AFAB individual doesn’t magically make you something other than straight. But since a non-binary AFAB is queer, a straight guy in a relationship with a non-binary AFAB is in a queer relationship, just like a straight guy with a bisexual girlfriend is in a queer relationship.

But I would argue — this is a hill my gay ass is prepared to die on — that straight guys who are only interested in AFAB persons, regardless of how they identify or present, so long as those AFAB persons have vaginas and want dick, are and always will be straight guys.

Moving the fuck on…

“Exclusively attracted to AFAB people, however they identify,” is not only a perfectly respectful way of asking the internet for what you want, CISMAN, it’s a good way to avoid wasting the time of people who don’t have what you want. Despite what you may have heard from some loud people online, “genital preferences” are not bigotry.

Sexual orientations are real, and primary sex characteristics are something our sexual orientations orient us toward. While some people are attracted to particular kinds of gender expression and genitals are irrelevant or interchangeable — and while many any-junk-will-do types realize this about themselves until giving it some thought (so everyone should give it some thought) — for most people, the combo platter of gender presentation and primary sex characteristics are hardwired dealmakers.

People who argue with one breath that sex matters when it comes to their gender identity — and conflict between the two must (quite rightly) be resolved in gender’s favor — can’t turn around and argue with the next breath that sex shouldn’t matter

when it comes to other people’s sexual orientations. That cunt won’t hunt.

Finally, CISMAN, don’t sell yourself short! You may not be overwhelmed by the response you get online (most men aren’t), but you’re gonna be someone’s jam.

To optimize your odds of success, however, you’re not going to wanna rely exclusively on dating and hookup apps. The increasing “enshitification” of dating apps, as described by the brilliant writer Cory Doctorow, is inspiring people to go actual places and do actual things again in the hopes of meeting actual people who actually wanna fuck them.

So, in addition to putting your profile up on apps, head out to bars and clubs where you feel comfortable, go to or throw parties and invite your friends to bring friends, join a few clubs, and volunteer for an organization whose mission you support.

Because you never know; a hot AFAB person — binary or non — who would’ve swiped left on your photo might actually wanna fuck you after meeting your straight cis married ass in person.

I’m one of those basic heteroromantic bisexual dudes — attracted to women sexually and romantically, but only attracted to men sexually — but I did the right thing and came out to my wife very early in our relationship. (I credit years of reading you for coming out about being bisexual.)

She broke up with me at first, then we got back together, and after two years, she gave me permission to have sex with other men so long as all outside sex was as safe as I could make it. (Condoms, PrEP-on-demand, doxypep.) Her only other rule: just men, no other women. (You could say she has a strict “onepussy” policy.)

Everything is out in the open except one thing: My wife thinks I’m a top.

Years after giving me the okay, she confessed — during sex — that she thinks about me penetrating other men when she masturbates. She thinks me topping other men is hot because it makes me an even bigger stud. (Her word, not mine.)

Thing is, I’m almost always the bottom with men. On the rare occasion when I do top someone, it’s a dominant bottom twink and I am his sub top.

My wife has gone from not wanting me to have sex with other men to wanting to hear about my experiences to tentatively suggesting she might want to watch me penetrate

one of my “skinny twink bottom boys” at some point. I don’t know where she got that — I’m into twinks (except the rare dominant one) and I never used that word around her — but the guys I’m typically into are bigger, stronger, older, and very into dominating me. I’ve played along with my wife’s assumption that I’m a top for years, Dan. What do I do here?

BASIC BISEXUAL BOTTOM

P.S. She doesn’t read your column. I tried to get her into your column and podcast, but she felt you were crude and used more profanity than you needed to in order to get your point across.

If your wife is erotically invested in this mental image of you as a dominant top — if she’s aroused in (w)hole or in part by the idea of her husband being a hole-punishing stud — knowing you bottom for other men could be a libido killer for her.

But seeing as your wife went from not wanting to hear about you fucking other men to wanting to watch you fuck another man in front of her, BBB, it’s possible your wife’s erotic imagination is expansive enough to incorporate the bottom you actually are into her erotic mental image of you.

So, I think being honest with her is the best way to go here. But you should test the waters by bringing up vers guys you’ve played with and talking about how studly they were.

And since she’s curious about watching two men have sex, you could show her some gay porn featuring a dominant power bottom being served by a sub top and then talk about a few of the studly bottoms you’ve encountered.

It is hot to think about keeping the lie going by recruiting a dominant vers bottom to play the sub in front of the wife in exchange for him getting to destroy your ass later — full disclosure: I spent a little time thinking about it — but involving someone else takes this from easily forgiven passive deceit to harder to forgive active deceit.

So, as hot as that suggestion might be, maybe don’t do it.

P.S. Is that what she said? Well, fuck her then.

Got problems? Yes, you do! Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love; or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love.