YES! Weekly - January 8, 2025 by YES! Weekly

THE LOCKDOWN

The 2020 pandemic lockdown left Greensboro artist Patrick Griggs spending a lot of time inside his studio and head. He turned that experience into the more than 50 paintings in “The Lockdown – 2020 Collection,” which opened at the gallery of Greensboro’s Center for Visual Artists on Jan. 7

In the upcoming fear feature THE CRIES, Gabriel Tufano Jr. and Dana McBride play Jack and Ari Weaving, a young couple grieving the tragic loss of their young child.

4 Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and the Arts Council of Greater Greensboro (The ACGG) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 ARTIST SUPPORT GRANT, with a total of $67,000 awarded to 42 artists across North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant Region 11.

4 Triad residents are gearing up for loads of life stories and laughter next weekend with the upcoming comedy show THE KARENS. Famed comedians Karen Mills and Karen Morgan are bringing their creative hilarity to High Point Theatre on Friday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

6 If our General Assembly followed Virginia’s lead and designated five economi-

3 7 9

cally distressed counties to hold referenda on CASINO GAMBLING, it stands to reason that one of them would be in the Piedmont, say for instance, in Surry or Randolph.

7 2025’s first new release, THE DAMNED, is a quality effort from top to bottom. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Thordur Palsson, who also wrote the original story, and is wellacted by a tight ensemble cast headed by Odessa Young, who combines vulnerability and fortitude in an appealing fashion.

9 Making this short and sweet, Triad. It’s freezing. I’m sick. …Good thing there’s SICK NEW RECORDS to start off this sick new year.

12 16 CENTS MINISTRY is a church dedicated to feeding the unhoused. The church meets every Saturday at 6 p.m. under the bridge at 300 Spring Garden St.

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

EDITORIAL

Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com

YES! Writers

BURGER KATEI CRANFORD LYNN FELDER JIM LONGWORTH MAGGIE MARSHALL

IAN MCDOWELL

PRODUCTION

Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com

Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com

ADVERTISING

Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com

TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com

Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK

Homegrown Horror: Terror comes to the Triad

In the upcoming fear feature The Cries, Gabriel Tufano Jr. and Dana McBride play Jack and Ari Weaving, a young couple grieving the tragic loss of their young child. In a desperate e ort to repair their relationship, they embark on a journey to a remote house in the country to participate in an unorthodox form of couple’s therapy. Instead, they find themselves facing phenomena that could either be psychological or supernatural in nature — or, perhaps, both — and find themselves fighting for their sanity and their survival.

This independent, low-budget thriller, filmed entirely in the Piedmont Triad region, began production in October and will resume shortly, with the previously shot footage currently being edited. The Cries clearly falls within the realm of horror, a genre with a built-in audience receptive to new talent. One need only look to Cabin Fever, the award-winning 2002 shocker (also filmed in North Carolina) that launched filmmaker Eli Roth’s career as well as a full-fledged big-screen franchise. The makers of The Cries hope that lightning will strike twice, and they’re working hard to make it happen.

“By summer the ﬁnal product should be entirely completed,” Tufano estimated. “It’s a long and grueling process, but to call it ‘rewarding’ would be an understatement. Working with great castmates and crew makes it a wonderful experience and blessing. It’s been a great experience working on an indie horror feature in North Carolina. Living and working with your castmates and crew for extended periods of time gifts you with a new family and being part of a story and being able to play a character in a make-believe world with no consequences is living a dream.”

“The Cries is an opportunity to tell a unique story through the eyes of each character,” observed McBride. “The dedication and hard work from this talented cast and crew have made The Cries an interesting and intense journey that breathes life into the characters and the setting. [I think] the audience will experience a unique and disturbing experience

with laughs, mystery, and something to think about.”

“I am an actor by trade so it’s not my first feature, but it’s the first feature I am co-producing involving many decisions behind the camera, logistics, and the entire business side of making a feature film,” explained Tufano. “There is a lot of inspiration behind the decision to go forward with this project. It’s a lot easier now to push a finished product out than ever before from the indie community. There are more avenues for independently produced films, and horror has a massive fanbase. North Carolina is no stranger to filmmaking success and I wanted to be part of that success. There’s a lot of very hardworking and genuine love for the cinema in the area and wanted us to come together as a community and make something everyone would be proud of.”

Tufano, McBride, and co-star Rick L. “Ricky” Nelson (who plays Lewis Wood in the ﬁlm) have taken an active hand in creating their characters and, indeed, in creating the overall ﬁlm, bringing their prior experience to bear in what is undoubtedly a very personal project for each of them.

“This is my third feature ﬁlm,” said Nelson, who previously appeared in 2014’s Witching Hour and 2016’s Witching Hour II (which also featured McBride). “This

was a great opportunity to work with individuals from the past. I’ve worked with Gabriel Tufano and Dana McBride on countless short ﬁlms, [and] we three have a great chemistry together.”

“We have a wonderful team that has been assembled,” Tufano conﬁrmed. “It takes a village to make a ﬁlm, and every single person is important. We have become a very close-knit family and though it can get exhausting, the main thing is having fun, with everyone respecting each other and genuinely wanting to make this together. To me, the most important thing is a family coming together and enjoying themselves. Tackling a full-length movie enlightens everything a lot more!”

“Doing an independent film takes time and determination,” Nelson points out. “We don’t have a budget like big feature Hollywood films so we make do with local resources around the Triad that we can use. Trying to find time and work around everyone’s schedule is very tough. It just means when we get on set we have to be ready to give our best performances. I enjoy all genres but horror is definitely a top genre for me. Horror is definitely a solid genre to film if done the correct way. You’ve got to know what you’re doing on set and in the editing room to make a good horror film.

“The cast and crew have been a delight

and it’s been an amazing experience,” he continued. “I hope audiences can see the determination and passion and love we had making this ﬁlm, and experience a special kind of reality in what local ﬁlmmakers can create in a small, tight community like the indie circuit.”

“North Carolina has a very good filmmaking community throughout the state — lots of good and talented people,” Tufano said. “I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of it for many years, and the fact that it continues to grow on a daily basis is wonderful. Over the past few years, I’ve seen so many more people wanting to be a part of the filmmaking world and it’s great to see new people finding a new passion or a passion that’s always been there, but they are finally able to go forward with it.” !

WANNA know?

For more information, the o cial Facebook page for The Cries is https://www.facebook. com/people/The-Cries/61562883676824/, the o cial Instagram is https://www.instagram. com/thecriesmovie/, and the crowdfunding site is https://crowdfundr.com/thecriesmovie.

Mark Burger

Contributor

Actors left to right, Gabriel Tufano Jr. of Greensboro, Dana McBride of Winston-Salem, and Ricky Nelson of Jamestown

PHOTO BY KEITH MCBRIDE

Grants awarded to support the work of artists in a ﬁve-county Triad region

PRESS RELEASE

Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and the Arts Council of Greater Greensboro (The ACGG) are pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Artist Support Grant, with a total of $67,000 awarded to 42 artists across North Carolina Arts Council Artist Support Grant Region 11, which includes Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Guilford, and Randolph counties. These grants are designed to support the professional and artistic development of local artists. Funded annually by the N.C. Arts Council, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the grants are part of a statewide initiative to foster artistic growth. Additional funding for the program was provided by Bank of America.

This year, we are thrilled to support a dynamic range of projects, including the creation of large-scale sculptures ﬁred in communal kilns, a reimagined jazz organ

album blending hip-hop inﬂuences, the design and weaving of Shaker Tape for furniture and small projects, and the development of innovative tools for producing kinetic wind sculptures.

“Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, in collaboration with the ACGG and the North Carolina Arts Council, is deeply committed to supporting artists in their creative pursuits and professional growth,” says Samantha Howard, President and CEO of Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

“Artist Support Grants provide essential resources to help artists advance their careers and continue contributing to the cultural vibrancy of our communities.”

120 applications were received, with awards ranging from $835 to $2,000 in the following disciplines: visual arts and crafts, literature, ﬁlm, dance, music, and performing arts.

Artist Support Grantee Jacinta V. White requested funds to support her literature project titled “Unearthed.” This histori-

cal novel is based on a character who time travels and ﬁnds herself as an Afro Moravian in Salem, N.C. which is currently Old Salem in Winston-Salem. “Having recently relocated to the historic Old

Salem area of Winston-Salem, I have been inspired to delve into the lives of the Black individuals who contributed to the development of this region as both free and enslaved laborers,” says White. “These individuals walked the same streets I now traverse and lived in neighboring areas.” Max Saunders requested funds to build a wood-ﬁring “train kiln” just outside of Greensboro, N.C., communally ﬁred to support multiple community members. “This will have a massive impact helping us build the kiln”, says Saunders.

The leading arts councils, Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, and The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro administered the grant process and oversaw a review panel to determine awardees. More information about these grant recipients can be found on The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro’s and Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County’s websites. !

A night of comedy with The Karens heads to High Point Theatre

Created by Larry Gallagher

10-11 & 17-18 at 7:30PM

12 & 19 at 2PM

Adults: $21 Military/Student/Senior (62+):$19

Triad residents are gearing up for loads of life stories and laughter next weekend with the upcoming comedy show The Karens. Famed comedians Karen Mills and Karen Morgan are bringing their creative hilarity to High Point Theatre on Friday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m. Known for their clean, relatable wit, these powerhouse queens of comedy cover everything from family life and aging to the quirks of modern-day living. Karen Mills is a seasoned comedian who has made audiences laugh for over 25 years. With appearances on The Grand Ole Opry, SiriusXM Radio, and countless comedy clubs nationwide, Karen’s sharp wit and storytelling ability leave audiences in stitches. Karen Morgan, a former trial attorney turned comedian, brings her unique perspective. She has been featured on Nick

at Nite’s Search Funniest Mom in America and SiriusXM’s Blue Collar Radio, captivating audiences with her clever observations and quick wit.

“We are thrilled to have The Karens joining us with their signature mix of humor, charm, and energy,” said Dr. Dan Barnard, director of High Point Theatre.

“Their performance will leave guests laughing and clapping from beginning to end.”

High Point residents can receive a $5 discount per ticket. To receive this discount, please call the box o ce at 336.887.3001, Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. (Resident discounts are unavailable online).

The Karens comedy show will be held at High Point Theatre, 220 E. Commerce Ave. in High Point, Friday, Jan. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. !

Jacinta V. White

[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]

UNCSA PREPARATORY DANCE: TRIAD’S PRE-EMINENT DANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM – SPRING 2025 ENROLLMENT

BY NICHOLAS A. LORENZO

Founded in 1975, UNCSA Preparatory Dance trains dancers aged three to adults with rigor and joy, cultivating a love and long-lasting knowledge of the arts and its future possibilities. The Prep Dance Program utilizes the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum, which combines solid technical and artistic training, dancer health, and principles of child development. The program consists of ABT Curriculum levels Pre-Primary (ages 3-4), Primary (ages 5-7) and Levels 1-5 (ages 8 and above). In addition, Adult Ballet classes are available for dancers ages 16 and older.

Enrollment is now open for the spring semester! New students can join PrePrimary, Primary, or Adult Ballet with no audition. For Levels 1-5, an audition is required. To schedule your audition, please email prepdance@uncsa.edu. Classes began on Monday, January 6 on the UNCSA campus. Students may join throughout the semester or until the class is full. Spaces ﬁll fast so don’t miss out on this opportunity to register. Read more about the curriculum below.

To register at UNCSA Preparatory Dance, visit: https://www.uncsa.edu/ community/preparatory-dance/index. aspx

Pre-Primary & Primary (Ages 3-7)

The Preparatory Program o ers two years of Pre-Primary to introduce young children to ballet through creative movement, stretching, strengthening and coordinating games. Primary levels focus on introductory ballet vocabulary with exercises to prepare young dancers for balletic movements. Students learn the structure of ballet class with an

understanding of moving rhythmically to music. No audition or experience is required.

Levels 1-5 (Ages 8 and above)

Preparatory Dance o ers Levels 1-5 to systematically advance technique and artistry from year to year. Level 1A and 1B (ages 8-10) focus on posture, coordination, and musicality, emphasizing leg rotation, foot articulation, and spinal alignment. Meanwhile, Level 2 (ages 9-11) students sustain alignment to strengthen hip rotation, working primarily with one hand on the barre with correct posture and maximum turnout. Level 3A and 3B (ages 10-12) continue to emphasize posture and alignment while students take responsibility for personal corrections, while Level 4A and 4B (ages 11-13) introduce artistic nuances to develop and enrich movement. Lastly, Level 5 (ages 12-14) students demonstrate competence in ballet vocabulary, artistry, technique, and musicality through conﬁdence with complex movement patterns.

Adult ballet at UNCSA is a wonderful way to experience the art of ballet for both the novice and experienced dancer. Through each class, dancers will enjoy the beneﬁts of building ballet practice strength, ﬂexibility, and balance with experienced instructors and state of the art facilities. Intro to Adult Ballet is suited for beginners, dancers with minimal experience, or those returning to dance. Advanced Beginner Adult Ballet is for dancers with a foundational ballet knowledge, while Adult Intermediate Ballet introduces more complex movements requiring prior experience and a strong understanding of ballet basics. !

MICHELLE

Beyond the Blue Ridge

Jan 11 & 12

Reynolds Auditorium

GRAMMY®-winning violinists Mark & Maggie O’Connor bring their bluegrass fiddling virtuosity to the classical stage in Mark’s Double Violin Concerto and his Strings & Threads Suite. Music from The Magnificent Seven and Copland’s ballet score Billy The Kid round out these cowboy-vibed concerts.

The Karens Karen Mills & Karen Morgan

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 2025

@ 6:30PM // SHOW @ 7:30PM

Piedmont Triad Deserves a Casino

DWhat’s most important to note is that the Virginia General Assembly only selected localities that were economically distressed, and that’s something that our elected officials in the Piedmont Triad should consider.

National headlining comedians Karen Mills and Karen Morgan join together to bring you an evening of comedy ﬁlled with much needed laughter and zero toxic behavior. They are funny (not fractious), intelligent (not ignorant), and affable (not angry). They both bring a different hilarious point of view to this clever and clean comedy show. The Karens is a great date night or fun night out with friends!

on’t get me wrong, I’m all for interstate commerce, but for the life of me I can’t understand why, when it comes to trade between North Carolina and Virginia, it always has to be a one-way highway. During Prohibition, for example, North Carolinians had to drive across the state line to buy liquor. Later in the century, we had to drive up to the Old Dominion to buy lottery tickets, cheaper gas, and wager on horse races. In recent times we also had to travel into Virginia to buy marijuana. And over the past year and a half, those of us in the Piedmont have gotten into our cars and driven to Danville to play blackjack, poker, craps, and slots, first in a temporary casino, and now in a permanent facility which opened on Dec. 17. All of this historic one-way traffic has put millions of North Carolina dollars into Virginia’s coffers while our state legislators continue to drag their feet on creating new revenue streams from non-traditional sources.

Yes, Cherokee’s gambling resort has been up and running for a while, but Caesar’s Danville complex has all the same Vegas-style amenities and is much more convenient to the Triad. That’s why it’s not surprising that the Danville parking lot is always filled with cars from North Carolina, and that brings me to the point of this column.

In 2020, the Virginia legislature identified five possible cities that could establish casinos providing that people in those localities held referenda and voted to allow gambling in their back yard. Those five cities were Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond. Residents of Bristol, Danville, and Portsmouth approved casino gambling, Norfolk is still working on their project, and Richmond voters rejected gambling within city limits, giving way to Petersburg to launch its own project.

Though our three largest Triad cities have relatively strong economies, several counties in our immediate area are, by definition “economically distressed.” That is the conclusion of the North Carolina Department of Commerce whose most recent ranking of 100 counties identified dozens of distressed areas, including three within the Piedmont Triad region, those being Randolph, Rockingham, and Surry. If our General Assembly followed Virginia’s lead and designated five economically distressed counties to hold referenda on casino gambling, it stands to reason that one of them would be in the Piedmont, say for instance, in Surry or Randolph. A casino in Mount Airy would make sense because of its close proximity to both the Triad and southern Virginia, so we could actually draw gamblers from the Old Dominion. On the other hand, Randolph has lots of land available and can draw patrons from the entire region. And while we’re mentioning that county, the wild card in the deck could be High Point, a small sliver of which is actually located in Randolph, therefore, a casino could theoretically be located in or adjacent to the furniture city. In that case, Triad area residents who now drive an hour to Danville to gamble, could roll the dice 15 minutes from home. It also means that the Piedmont would gain over a thousand new jobs and the state would accrue at least another $40 million dollars per year in revenues that could be used for everything from teacher pay and school security, to infrastructure projects.

Interstate commerce should be a two-way street, and building five more casinos in North Carolina could level the playing field with Virginia. !

JIM LONGWORTH is the host of Triad Today, airing on Saturdays at 7:30 a.m. on ABC45 (cable channel 7) and Sundays at 11 a.m. on WMYV (cable channel 15) and streaming on WFMY+.

The new year gets o to a scary start with The Damned

January is traditionally the dumping ground for new movies, which are frequently leftovers from the year before designed to make a quick buck as the holiday blockbusters begin to wane and Oscar hopefuls continue to trickle into wide release.

Therefore, it comes as a surprise — and a pleasant one — that 2025’s ﬁrst new release, The Damned, is a quality e ort from top to bottom. The ﬁlm marks the feature directorial debut of Thordur Palsson, who also wrote the original story, and is well-acted by a tight ensemble cast headed by Odessa Young, who combines vulnerability and fortitude in an appealing fashion.

The setting is a (very) remote ﬁshing village o the coast of Iceland during a particularly brutal winter in the 1870s. Young portrays Eva, a young widow whose late husband was killed the year before. Determined to keep his memory alive, she has soldiered on, supervising the ﬁsherman as they go on about their arduous task in the punishing climate.

One day, they observe a sinking ship in the distance and make the decision to leave the survivors to their potential doom due to the lack of food they have in storage. It’s a fateful decision that will have severe — and potentially deadly — consequences for all concerned. Helga (Siobhan Finneran), the resident “voice of doom,” warns that their actions could manifest itself in the arrival of the “draugur,” a vengeful spirit that preys on guilt and remorse, but her admonitions are dismissed as “old wives’ tales.” Of course, any genre aﬁcionado knows full well that, sometimes, those old wives knew a thing or two about the supernatural. It doesn’t take long for things to take an eerie turn. People start hearing and seeing things, and when the food supply mysteriously vanishes, some begin exhibiting bizarre behavior and even turning on each other. Whether it’s the result of their

paranoia or hysteria or a legitimately supernatural phenomenon remains unclear until the very end, which yields a truly wicked sting in the tail.

The Damned is not a fast-moving film, but at 90 minutes it never outstays its welcome, and that’s plenty of time for Palsson to display his talents as a filmmaker. The stark locations look great on film, particularly given the painterly touch that cinematographer Eli Arenson employs, but it’s not a place you’d want to visit, much less live, and Stephen McKeon’s mournful score accentuates the increasingly brooding and desperate atmosphere. It’s eminently clear from the get-go that a happy ending is not in the cards, yet one is so engrossed in the story and the technique to remain engaged throughout.

In addition to Young, who ably anchors the ﬁlm, and Finneran, there’s good work from Joe Cole as Daniel, who was best friend to Eva’s late husband Magnus, and towering Rory McCann as Ragnar. Yet the real star of The Damned is Palsson, who exhibits total conﬁdence in his craft. If this is any indication, a potentially stellar career awaits him — and deservedly so. !

MONDAY-THURSDAY 11AM-10 PM | FRIDAY-SATURDAY 11AM-11PM SUNDAY 11AM-8PM | BRUNCH 11AM-2PM VOTED THE

MON: $3 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $10.99 TUE: 1/2 Price Wine | WED: $4 Draft THU: $8 Bud Light Pitchers & $3 Fireball

Daily Happy Hour Specials

MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 3-6PM MON: $9.99 Wings | TUE: $9.99 Nachos WED: $5.99 Snackables Weekly Specials

Mark Burger

Contributor

ACROSS 1 Posh parties 6 Lumberyard tool 12 Rd. crossers 15 Quick bite 19 Japanese ﬁlm genre

20 Mob code of silence 21 — au vin (chicken dish)

22 Qualiﬁed

23 Milk or egg container in a precinct refrigerator?

25 Volcanic event

27 Bible book after Genesis

28 Strike zones, to pitcher Kershaw?

30 Hefty slice

32 White-coated Scottish terrier, for short 33 Ohio city whose residents all have messy mop tops?

41 It merged with Exxon in 1999

45 Studio alert 46 O -course 47 Dalai — 50 Brian of electronica 51 Play spiritedly 52 People evaluating a central California city?

55 Wedding vow 56 Seder bread

76 William who played Hopalong Cassidy

T. Rex, e.g.

— fatuus (delusion)

Longtime “Conan” airer

Rocker known for the loud crashing noises in his songs?

Flapjack chain, in brief

of “Soul Man”

Tactful reply when Churchill asked “Who dislikes me?”

Glorify

Mai — (cocktails)

Name of a labor union in a city south of Los Angeles?

Pressure felt at lifto

“Sounds right to me”

Clara who collected cleansing cakes?

See 75-Down

Cleo of song

57 Makes public 58 Su x with million 59 Has a feeling 61 Shepherd of “Mr. Iglesias” 64 Conjunction with a slash 65 Appliance invented by the ﬁrst U.S. president?

70 “A Bell for —” (novel)

72 Caged (up)

73 24 actress Cuthbert

Top 5 sick new years for a sick new year

Making this

short and sweet, Triad. It’s freezing. I’m sick. …Good thing there’s sick new records to start off this sick new year.

Contributor

“Riding the Stream” A Tribute to Bruce Piephoff Greensboro’s “father of songwriting” put out more than two dozen records in his five-decade career; and it’s through those selections that his friends, family, and fellow songster compatriots have chosen to honor his memory. “Riding the Stream” features an array of artists near and far, gathered by Claire Holley to the Fidelitorium Recording Studio, offering their take on choice selections from Piephoff’s dizzyingly expansive catalogue.

Holley is joined on the record by a lineup of musicians like Sam Frazier, David Childers, Ranford Almond, Daniel Ayers, Doug Thompson, Jason Harrod, and Martha Bassett.

A listening party and memorial is scheduled for January 10 at UNCG’s Alumni House. A concert celebrating Piephoff, featuring performers on the album, is scheduled for the following evening, January 11 at the RA Fountain General Store in Fountain, NC.

Ben Singer — “Sixteen Songs”, released December 28

Speaking of Bassett, “the Martha Bassett Show has been one of the few places to find me recorded,” said Ben Singer, announcing the release of his “Sixteen Songs” record. “But now there’s an album on Bandcamp. As seen on radio!”

While he’s put out a number of recordings and live scores under his Modern Robot moniker, “Sixteen Songs” is the first demo of his lyrical music, laid bare in wonderous string arrangements. Simultaneously timeless and anachronistic, the album highlights Singer’s elevated yet approachable nature. Pensive and enthusiastic. Soft billows of winding dust bowl echos. Effervescent guitar plucking and songwriting that is deeply, listlessly, upbeat. And the right bit of haunting.

“I got myself a highway,” Singer exclaims on “Trouble No More” a track I’ve been waiting to play on-demand for years now. It’s a match to the loft and lonely “Empty streets”, which offers a quintessential closer for a demo album recorded during that lonesome Christmas of 2020.

If you know Singer’s styles — or are remotely interested in a certain astute variety of guitar-slinger — the sort with shelves of antique media (I’m talking gadgets and gizmos of yesteryear a’plenty), you’re in for a treat.

Laura Jane Vincent — “Interstellar”, released December 30

Both Singer’s earthly tones and the luscious orbital sounds on Vincent’s new record offer a glimpse into the zenith of Matty’s Sheets’ musical orbit.

“Available everywhere you stream and steal music,” as Vincent noted, her latest record is a full-on affair with collaborators out the Milky Way. Featuring production from her trusty Farewell Friend, Tom Troyer (save a single from songwriter co-oper, Ashley Virginia,)

“Interstellar” is a lynchpin in Vincent’s new direction. Forged from loved ones along the way, with eyes set across the hemisphere, fingers firm on the fret, and Vincent’s celestial vocal styling catapulting full speed ahead through a rock’n’roll dreamscape.

Katie.Blvd — “Blvd Bumps Vol. 3: For You &Yours (SIDE B)“, released December 16

The Triad’s beat boss lady supreme has officially dropped her fourth beat tape, “Blvd Bumps Vol. 3: For You & Yours (SIDE B),” a follow-up to 2023’s “SIDE A” variety. Continuing on the path of exploring ways to burn it all down, Katie.Blvd’s latest offering features a

“collection of beats about when things don’t go as you planned,” which seems like a solid match for the unforeseen that lies ahead.

Camo Face — “Four-Leaf Clover” released Dec 20

Sure, Camo Face are technically Richmonders, but they love Greensboro. And I love them. So they make the list (plus they invited Greensboro’s Instant Regrets to be part of their debut bill back in July. They’re Triad-by-extension). And they released what is unabashedly one of my favorite EPs, period. “FourLeaf Clover” is a firework of a lil’ record from a fairly new band composed of two old buds who’ve often toured this way as part of the punk outfit Sportsbar.

As Camo Face, Stuart Holt, and Kemper Blair, push the limits of drums and bass — with the dynamic duo producing a freakin’ wall of rocketing fuzzed-out sound. It’s anthemic. It’s driving. It’s wild how so much sound comes outta two weird dudes. But that’s the blast and synthed-out pop-punk build of Camo Face.

Whether gettin’ a little salty on “Crimes,” looking for the good with fingers crossed on the title track “FourLeaf Clover” or reflecting on the oldest tree in the forest for “Methuselah,” Camo Faces rips in a way that is ripe for dancing. I’m going to wear their cassette plum out.

It’s a new year, Triad music lovers, time for some new tunes to set it off right! !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.

Katei Cranford

“Express Yourself” painted by Patrick Griggs

The Lockdown: Center for Visual Artists

exhibit focuses on 2020

Contributor

“It’s kind of remarkable that something you did because you were locked up, has now, ﬁve years later, seen the light.”

Originally from Whitsett, Griggs has worked for more than three decades as a hairdresser. After moving to Greensboro in 2011, he became serious about painting.

“In 2013, my best friend Derek Roach passed away and I inherited his art studio. So, I came down one day, picked the prettiest colors, and started painting. I then took a lot of art classes. Once you’ve studied and trained, you kind of lose yourself in it, and that’s what happened to me, and I became very strict on myself. I wanted to get out of that

mindset, so I went and started just painting who I am and what I enjoy; the character of people.”

Then came COVID.

“During the 2020 lockdown, I painted every moment in time that something happened that year. I was painting people with the emotions and feelings we felt each time we heard something about the pandemic or responses to it — the new strains, the vaccine, any event that happened through that time, including the George Floyd protests. For each of these events and responses, I painted a character person, depicting how you would feel. Every painting has an emotion in it related to the pandemic. I just kept painting and painting until the end of that year.”

Recently, Griggs found himself reﬂecting on that year and what he painted during it.

“I hired Angela Shore as my manager. She thought the collection had relevance and we started from ground zero, talking to di erent organizations. Then I got an email from the Center for Visual Artists [CVA] saying they’d like to show my collection.”

CVA Gallery Coordinator Sage Betts said she was excited when Griggs approached her during last year’s North Carolina Folk Festival, she was deeply impressed with his art and excited by his plans for it. She immediately knew she wanted it for her gallery’s ﬁrst show of 2025.

“We were super busy, but he came to us and we sat down and chatted about it for a little bit and I just couldn’t get it out of my mind. I didn’t have a lot of time because we wanted it to be in 2025, this being the ﬁfth anniversary of COVID. So, I really had only these last few weeks to prepare.”

But the excitement she felt about the project made it worth the time pressure.

“I immediately loved the idea of the emotional turmoil visually represented through paintings and how that would look in a gallery. When he told me he had over ﬁfty paintings, my eyes perked up. It’s an amazing show. His paint-

Ian McDowell

ings are kind of exaggerated portraits that highlight the emotional and psychological toll that COVID put on all of us. It reﬂects not only those emotions but the physical transformations we all went through. For him, I think it was more therapeutic, it was a way to feel what we were all feeling, through painting. We all had our personal experiences with the pandemic and the lockdown, but he put his on canvases.”

Betts said she was impressed with Griggs’ technique as well as his subject matter.

“He’s an acrylic painter, but he does a lot of underpainting. He has a great way of showing that negative space of his underpainting in layers. He has a unique style and I think when you see the paintings you’ll be able to understand what I’m talking about.”

Betts stressed that, despite the traumatic transformations of the COVID lockdown, the work Griggs produced during it is not depressing.

“It’s not a dark show, it’s very vibrant. Some of his work is very bright pinks, it’s not all negative emotion. It’s the highs and lows, the falls and the pits, but also some of the good things that come out of something like that.”

Griggs described his painting as representing a journey rather than an ordeal.

“Each painting has relevance, it’s a time capsule of when the world shut down. It’s also a collection that’s made to travel and be educational. It asks the viewer; how did you feel when this happened?”

The exhibit that opened this week includes not only Grigg’s work, but a unique partnership between the CVA and the Interactive Resource Center (IRC), the day campus for Greensboro’s unhoused community.

“Patrick partnered with the IRC,” said Betts. “He curated eight panels that came from the local Black Lives Matter move-

ment when businesses were boarded up downtown, and which the IRC houses in their warehouse. A couple of other panels from those protests ended up in the Smithsonian, and are there still. The ones the IRC stored will add a dynamic layer of social commentary to the exhibition. I really think the exhibit is going to convey the emotional impact, not only of the pandemic but also the social justice movement in our community. This show is going to be a really great way to bring that all together cohesively for Greensboro’s community.”

Griggs said he never expected his work from 2020 to be hanging in a gallery ﬁve years later, but his plans for it won’t end with the showing.

“I want it to be a traveling exhibit. We’ll see how far it goes.”

Betts agreed. “That’s why the collection is currently not for sale, as he’s hoping to show this beyond our gallery and tour with it.”

As he does with all his paintings, Griggs has added a personal touch to those in the exhibit.

“Since my mother passed, I’ve signed all my art with ‘When this you see, remember me.’ So, when someone passes on and gives a painting to their kids, it’s a timeless quote. It makes it personal.”

Betts feels that, with the “Lockdown Collection,” the CVA gallery is beginning 2025 on a very high note.

“I really think Greensboro is going to feel this show. We want our gallery to be a place where people hang out and we want everyone to come. We are very inclusive and our shows are free to the public. We really want to be the gallery known for inclusivity and everyone being part of art. I think a lot of people are afraid to be a part of the art world and I think this show in particular is a great way for anyone to come out and enjoy art.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.

WANNA go?

“The Lockdown – 2020 Collection” runs from Jan. 7 to 18, 2025, at the CVA Gallery in the Greensboro Cultural Center at 200 N. Davie St. The opening reception, featuring an Artist Talk with Griggs, will take place on Friday, Jan. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. Both reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE

Welfare Reform Liaison Project, Inc. OIC-CAA will conduct a Public Hearing regarding its 2025-2026 Community Service Block Grant Application January 15, 2025 4 PM at High Point Public Library 901 N Main Street, High Point, NC 27262 and January 16, 2025, 4 PM at Warnersville Recreation Center 601 Doak Street Greensboro, NC 27406.

Finding Hope and Church Under the Bridge

We’ve known since childhood that trolls live under bridges and eat whoever tries to cross.

But in Greensboro, one particular bridge provides sanctuary for worship and an opportunity for generosity.

16 Cents Ministry is a church dedicated to feeding the unhoused. The church meets every Saturday at 6 p.m. under the bridge at 300 Spring Garden St. Hot meals are provided to those who need them, alongside clothes, hygiene products, and other necessities. Fellowship is held and bands and musicians perform songs of worship. It began when founding member Mike Murray had the idea to bring the church to the unhoused. Before the materialization of the church, Murray and other church members helped out the homeless regularly by providing food and volunteering to take them to their church.

“We formed as a group to start another worship service at our church and we were planning that service for every Saturday night. We would always have something to eat. One night we decided we would pack up a few meals and hand them out to people and God just kind of changed our trajectory and what we were supposed to be doing. From that night on we started [providing food] every Saturday night,” said Murray. He explained that over 18 months they went from handing out six or seven meals to 130 plus meals each week.

By infiltrating houseless camps and finding folks to help out, Murray’s group developed relationships with many houseless people and built trust between them.

“Building relationships and trust in our minds are vital,” said Murray. He alongside his group spent a lot of time with the houseless community of Greensboro, becoming friends with many. This is when Murray started to invite people to their church. “What we noticed at that point was just like you and I have inadequacies about the way we look or the way we dress, they have the same thing. They would walk into a church service and feel inadequate,” said Murray. “We

felt God telling us that we needed to start a church that could be theirs.”

This epiphany turned into the 16 Cents Ministry. A name inspired by an older woman who, after receiving food from one of their services, felt the need to pay and gave Murray everything in her pocket, which was 16 cents. The first meal and worship service of Church Under the Bridge was held in September 2013.

“One of the things we discovered was the inconsistency of those who go out and feed. Rather it’s a large organization or small organization, if something came up and they just couldn’t go, the [houseless] were just left standing there. Someone else walking out on them was the feeling they were getting. We looked at that as something we needed to do, be consistent,” explained Murray. He said they have not broken their promise of consistency. The team has not missed a Saturday meal in 14 years, despite challenges like the COVID pandemic.

The 16 Cents Ministry also began Project Warmth, which provides warm clothing to those who need it. Donated sweaters and other winter wear are hung up on the fence under the bridge where the church is held. The idea is that people who need it take the clothing and

people who can, donate clothing. Project Warmth was started roughly 6 years ago. There was an issue with the owner of the bar near the bridge on Spring Garden Street that year so the church moved to a parking lot on an adjacent hill. After the bar closed its doors, Church Under the Bridge moved back. From that point forward the city allowed 16 Cents Ministry to put a fence under the bridge for Project Warmth, which helps keep everything dry.

The Project Warmth fence is up from Dec. 1 to March 1. Donations of winter clothes are welcome. Organizers ask that those donating don’t drop off bags of items or food around the site, in order to keep the area neat and comply with the sidewalk rules of the city.

Murray said last year they probably ran upwards of 1,500 coats off the fence. “Around mid-December, it takes on a life of its own,” he said.

“It’s never been about what the government should be doing or what other groups should be doing. It’s what God has called us to do and what God’s commanded us to do as Christians is to take care of the widows, the orphans, and the less fortunate. It’s time for the church to take back those responsibilities and

Maggie Marshall

Contributor

not rely on the government to do those things,” explained Murray.

The vision for 16 Cents Ministry is to start a recovery system for the houseless to help get people off the streets. The program will teach life skills and set people up with jobs and counseling to help them compete and thrive in society again. “We’ve had multiple encounters with people who have gotten their life back on track, who just need a hand up,” said Murray.

The goal for the future of the 16 Cents Ministry is to develop multiple sites across the Triad and to create a rehabilitation center for the houseless community of Greensboro. The ministry plans to open up a faith-based center for the houseless to use to shower or wash clothes, use as a pantry, or use as a counseling center for job advice or help with addiction.

One idea Murray is passionate about is creating a detox program for those struggling with addiction. “There are a lot of places out there that will help with addiction, but you have to detox

them first and right now our system is not detoxing people at the hospital anymore,” he explained.

The ministry also hopes to run shortterm housing programs. The program will provide people with a place to stay, collaborate with other businesses to get employment, and help them save their earnings so that when they graduate they have something to fall back on.

“In these programs, you also teach people how to budget and how to manage their money. We also will get people educated. If they dropped out, let’s get them their GED,” said Murray.

He continued that the most important part to him is to not forget about them once they leave the program but to follow up and make sure that people are on their own two feet and headed in the right direction. !

MAGGIE MARSHALL is

Candise Zimmerman

Sweet Old Bill’s

1.4.25 | High Point | Photos by Candise Zimmerman

[SALOME’S STARS]

Week of January 13, 2025

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) It’s a good time to take a much-needed break from your recent hectic schedule and spend some time in quieter surroundings. Important news could arrive early next week.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) The Taurean traits of reliability and thoroughness could be well-tested when decisionmakers consider your proposals and/or requests. Be prepared to answer some probing questions.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A sudden attack of boredom leaves you with some tasks undone. It’s OK to take a short respite, but get back to work by week’s end so that you have time for other projects.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Avoid prejudging a situation just because it looks bad. Facts could emerge that can make your position uncomfortable, to say the least. Meanwhile, a relative has interesting news to share with you.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) This is a good time to begin reassessing some of your recent decisions about your longrange goals to see if they still have merit. In addition, spend more time with loved ones this weekend.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) An unsettled situation at home or on the job early in the week could drain your energy levels, making it di cult to get your work done on schedule. But things improve by midweek.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A temporary setback could give you time to go over your plans to ﬁnd weak-

nesses that you might have overlooked before. Also, a romantic getaway with a special person is favored this weekend.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Professional and personal situations beneﬁt you once you set a positive tone in getting things o to a good start. Honest dialogue smooths over any occasional display of balkiness.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A problem with workplace colleagues or family members seems to defy even your sage counsel. But be patient. Your words will eventually lead to a resolution.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Don’t just wait out an unexpected and unexplained delay in your career move. You could gain added respect if you ask why it happened and what you can do to move things along.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Although your workplace strategies are usually accepted, you could be challenged by someone who isn’t so favorably impressed. Be prepared to defend your positions.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your friendship circle expands with new people coming into your life at this time. Welcome them warmly, but don’t neglect cherished longtime personal relationships.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You love to search for knowledge and share it with others. You would make an especially ﬁne teacher!