CITY BANS FREE FOOD DOWNTOWN
“In coordination with Greensboro Downtown Parks Incorporated, Parks and Recreation, and public safety members, our o ce has asked that free food giveaways cease in these parks and right-of-way areas...”
Last year’s exhibit at the High Point Museum titled “ FIELDS AND FEATHERS, Hunting at Deep River Lodge 1895-1935” brought Jamestown history not only to High Point, but to many Jamestown resi-
Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL
Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com
RiverRun will present the third anCAN FILM FESTIVAL to benefit Samaritan Ministries on Saturday, December 7 at Marketplace Cinemas (2095 Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem).
With its 90th season in full swing, the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem will present its fall “Youth Production” of THE STINKY CHEESE MAN & OTHER FAIRLY STUPID TALES,” which runs Friday through Sunday at Mountcastle Forum, located in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St., Winston-
Co-directed by executive producers Adam Schindler and Brian Netto, the DON’T MOVE (Netflix) doesn’t tread any new ground but puts an effective, no-nonsense spin on familiar genre elements. It’s well-acted, suspenseful, and never outstays its welcome.
FELDER
10 Last Tuesday, knowing of his many crimes against this nation and with full knowledge that he will enjoy immunity from any future crimes, 72 million AMERICANS BAILED OUT DONALD TRUMP, and enabled a convicted felon to go free and once again occupy the highest office in this land.
14 Nearly complete, BACK TABLE is projected to be the next big thing.The future cafe/music venue is located at 816 S. Elm St. in downtown Greensboro in the old North State Milling Company building next to The Continental Club.
15 On the day following the November 5 election, many Black Americans in several states, including North Carolina, began receiving RACIST TEXT MESSAGES, telling them to “go to the plantation and pick cotton” and other slurs.
16 THE RINALDIS are revving back into action with a string of new singles — driving their cinematic garage-rock into an upcoming EP, “Year of the Rat,” their first release since 2018’s “Rain In The Face.”
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are paintings, maps or blueprints.
Hunting exhibit collection transferred to archive
BY CAROL BROOKS | Cab1hp@gmail.com
Published in the Jamestown News, Oct. 30, 2024.
Last year’s exhibit at the High Point Museum titled “Fields and Feathers, Hunting at Deep River Lodge 1895-1935” brought Jamestown history not only to High Point, but to many Jamestown residents. Museum sta said some people visited the exhibit more than once and so many people visited that the exhibit was extended for two extra weeks.
The question arose, however, of what to do with the collection when the exhibit was over. With such an array of subjects — hunting, dogs, kennels, Clarence Hungerford Mackay family, Edward Armstrong family, ocean voyages, Jamestown, and more — several locations were discussed as possible homes for the collection, or at least part of it.
The winner might seem strange to many, however. As of July, the Special Collections
Research Center at N.C. State University
Libraries now is the guardian of many of the items that were in the exhibit as well as some that were not exhibited.
Dr. Gwynn Thayer, associate head and chief curator of the Special Collections Research Center, had visited the exhibit and spoken with Shanna Moore, who was appointed administrator of the Johnson family archives, and Marian Inabinett, curator of collections at the High Point Museum.
“It was really well-done. It showed me immediately the research value of the materials and why it would make perfect sense for us to acquire the collection,”
Thayer said.
“I think it’s a really, really interesting story. [The exhibit] brought something to the community that it didn’t know about. It definitely has research value, a particular moment in history in that region. [It shows] what was going on in terms of the families coming there and what activities they were involved in with animals, dogs, hunting and whatnot. It’s not particularly well-known.”
“It checked o a lot of their boxes (architecture, local history, agriculture, dogs and veterinary medicine) and didn’t conflict with collections at other surrounding universities,” Moore said. “Gwynn made the case to the decision makers about accepting it and were so happy that they did.”
Another person who was very happy was Bill Johnson, a N.C. State graduate and grandson of Edward (Ned) Armstrong, the first gamekeeper and dog trainer of Deep River Kennels.
“This was the goal when we started,” Moore said. “To have a research institution accept the archive, do a more complete organization of it and assign finding aids was ideal.”
“It is in a very, very good place,” Inabinett said.
“[Bill] told me pretty much from the outset that he would like it to be publically accessible,” Inabinett said. “He was really enjoying seeing other collections that were digitized and available online and he wanted it to stay together as much as
possible. After I saw it, I agreed about the ‘staying together.’”
Bill and Bebe Johnson made the final decision to donate the collection to N.C. State.
Not everything that was in the exhibit went to N.C. State. Some personal items went to the Johnsons and the High Point Museum kept some.
“We’re more paper-centered than object-centered,” Thayer said. “We did take a few physical items – paper things, dog collars, metal children’s toys from the turn of the [20th] century, hunting items, picnic sets, framed pieces, letters, estate management papers, etc.”
Moore began working on the collection in her home in 2019, filling boxes after boxes separated into categories, like “letters of George Armstrong,” “transatlantic travel,” and “Clarence Mackay.” Once she realized what a treasure she had, she contacted the High Point Museum and the result was the exhibit.
“What you saw here was the tip of the iceberg,” Inabinett said.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MARIAN INABINETT
Dr. Gwynn Thayer, in the truck, works with students packing up the collection from Shanna Moore’s house. The large pieces
many banker’s boxes of
“Shanna did a lot of the work [of arranging] already because she worked very, very hard,” Thayer said. “We’ll just be tying up any loose ends in terms of organizational and putting materials into archival containers and folders. Making sure everything is properly stored.
“We create what is called a collection guide, or finding aid. It’s basically an inventory of what is in the collection. Not an item-level inventory. That process can take a fair amount of time depending on the size of the collection, the content and the condition in which it arrives. [Since Shanna did so much] this process won’t take as long.”
The collection is currently titled “The Armstrong Family Collection on the Deep River Lodge,” but that name will probably change.
“We have no plan to digitize. It would be impossible to do that,” Thayer said. “There are too many sheets of papers but if grants or funding sources becomes available, we might do it. It’s a good candidate. The state protocol for new collections is not to scan everything. If there is a re-
searcher studying something in the reference room and they see something they’re interested in, they can pay for a scan.”
Still, there could be some published research in the future.
“Ideally, in a perfect world, scholars from anywhere who are made aware of this can go in and do research and they will publish. We hope this will happen,” Thayer said.
One couple who will undoubtedly visit the SCRC many times are Bill and BeBe Johnson. The couple recently moved to Raleigh.
Thayer emphasized several times that the collection would not be available to the public for several months. The SCRC will issue a press release when it is open for researchers. !
SCRC Purpose
• Support the research and teaching needs of the university community and other users by collecting, preserving, and providing access to special collections and archives in a variety of formats
• Support strengths within the Libraries’ overall collections by collecting in subject areas that are of substantial and sustained interest for the university.
• The SCRC is an archive, not a museum.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SHANNA MOOREW
The
files collected and sorted by Shanna Moore were scattered across several rooms of her house.
RiverRun to Host Can Film Festival with Screenings of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Christmas
Vacation
RiverRun will present the third annual Can Film Festival to benefit Samaritan Ministries on Saturday, December 7 at Marketplace Cinemas (2095 Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem). This year, the event is expanding to include two holiday films and three screenings: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at 12:30 p.m. and again at 3 p.m. and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at 7:30 p.m.
The Can Film Festival will take place on the same day as Samaritan Ministries annual Penny Campaign collection at Truist Stadium from 9 a.m. until noon. Requested admission to the Can Film Festival is a minimum of two cans of food for Samaritan Ministries per person per screening. Samaritan Ministries is particularly in need of ground co ee, spaghetti sauce, canned tuna, canned chicken, canned vegetables and canned fruit. RiverRun is presenting The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Christmas Vacation
as free screenings, however, tickets are required. Tickets can be requested at riverrunfilm.com, subject to availability.
A new family film for 2024 and rated PG, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever shares the story of the Herdmans, six siblings who have a reputation for being the worst kids in the world. However, when they take over the local church pageant during the holidays, they just might teach a shocked community the true meaning of Christmas. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever features actors Peter Holmes, Lauren Graham and Judy Greer.
A holiday classic released in 1989 and rated PG-13, Christmas Vacation features Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase), who wants to have a perfect family Christmas. He bedevils his wife, Ellen (Beverly D’Angelo) and children as he tries to make sure everything is in line, including the tree and house decorations. However, things quickly go awry. His cousin, Eddie (Randy Quaid), and his family show up unplanned and start living in their camper on the
Griswold property. Even worse, Clark’s employers renege on the holiday bonus he needs.
Tom Ackerman, ASC, who teaches Cinematography at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts School of Filmmaking and served as director of photography on the set of Christmas Vacation will be on hand for a discussion following the screening.
“The Can Film Festival is a favorite at RiverRun every holiday season. We’re thrilled to again partner with Samaritan Ministries to be able to help stock their food pantry while o ering a rare opportunity to see both a new film and a holiday classic on the big screen,” RiverRun Executive Director Rob Davis said. “We look forward to this opportunity for members
of our community to enjoy great films and do a great thing for Samaritan Ministries at the same time.”
The Can Film Festival is presented with support from Capture Public Relations and Marketing. Partners for the three screenings include Samaritan Ministries and Marketplace Cinemas. !
THE RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAl is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Founded in 1998, RiverRun is a competitive event that annually showcases new films from both established and emerging filmmakers around the world. Each spring, RiverRun screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, o ering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories. For more information, visit riverrunfilm.com.
Christmas Vacation
“Cheese” to please: Little Theatre serves up laughs for all ages
BY MARK BURGER
With its 90th season in full swing, the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem will present its fall “Youth Production” of “The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales,” which runs Friday through Sunday at Mountcastle Forum, located in the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce St., Winston-Salem. Showtimes are 7 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $14 and are available by calling 336-725-4001 or online at https://www.ltofws.org/.
The production, which is suitable for ages seven and up, is based on the bestselling 1992 children’s book of the same name written by Jon Scieszka and edited by Lane Smith, which won the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year award in 1993 as well as being selected a Caldecott Honor book. Like the book, the play o ers high-spirited satirical and musical ri s on such classic fairy tales as “The Gingerbread Man,” “The Ugly Duckling,” “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” and many others.
The ensemble cast includes Annabelle Babb, Eden Bailey, Adianna “Adi” Bryan, Ken Burton, Harrison Carter, Olivia Carter, Gianna Davis, Libby Dyer, Grace Hayes, Adrian King, Aubrey Knight, Lilianna Knight, Riley Lawrence, Alexandra Major, Sarah “Rex” Nance, Allie Perry, Grayson Sharp, and Serenity Velazquez, with costume design by Daisy Neske, musical direction by Charity Hampton, Grace Hampton as stage manager, and DJ Merritt calling the shots as director.
Thus far in rehearsals, “the production has gone pretty smoothly,” said Merritt. “I think for some of the young actors, playing multiple characters was a challenge at first but they’ve all risen to the occasion.” Merritt previously directed the Little Theatre’s “Youth Production” of “The Seussification of Romeo and Juliet” and is well-versed in combining classic stories with contemporary humor. “This is my second year with the Little Theatre,” he said. “Both the sta and volunteers are such a pleasure to work with. Everyone is so passionate about what they do, and it feels like a family. If there is one thing I would like for audiences to take away from this show, it would be that it’s OK to have a bit of chaos in your life sometimes. We all try to control so many things in life but sometimes the chaos we deal with is necessary.”
DJ Merritt, director of “The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales.”
Indeed, Merritt is a firm believer that the arts are a way of sometimes dealing with that chaos. “The arts have been important since the beginning of time and will continue to be until the end of time,” he said. “Art is a form of self-expression and without that we have nothing. We all have emotions, feelings, and thoughts that make us all di erent but also the same at the same time. Art reminds us that we may feel di erently about certain things, but we are all still connected and more alike than we realize.”
Sometimes a director will select or suggest a show, but in the case of “The Stinky Cheese Man & Other Fairly Stupid Tales” it was already on the Little Theatre’s agenda, and Merritt prefers it that way. “This show was something already scheduled, which I always like doing because I find it enjoyable to work on a show that I don’t know much about at first.”
As a result, both he and the cast approach it with fresh eyes and an open perspective. Merritt also subscribes to the notion that the combination of work and play are entirely compatible — to say nothing of comfortable — when mounting a stage production. “The balance between work and play when putting a show together is so important if not essential,” he notes. “Without the work, you just have a bunch of random people acting crazy on a stage, but without play you take away the very thing that makes us all human.”
For more information, call 336-7254001 or visit the o cial Little Theatre website: https://www.ltofws.org/. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]
WARM UP WITH HOBBIES: WINTER CLASSES NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AT SAWTOOTH
BY ROBERT GRAND
Find joy in the colder months by pursuing darkroom photography, crafting a mid-century side table, learning the basics of watercolor, or embarking on a jewelry crash course in upcoming classes at Sawtooth! Registration for January through March classes and workshops opens this week at the landmark community art school located in the heart of downtown.
New o erings this session include copper etching classes in the printmaking studio, digital art classes on how to use Procreate software, more beginning wheel-throwing ceramics classes at their new Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness studios, and hundreds more art and craft classes across 11 disciplines to help you tap into your creative side.
Sawtooth will also host Visiting Artist workshops with basketmaker Sarita Westrup, who is currently a resident artist at the esteemed Penland School of Craft, and potter Katherine Maloney, known for her elegant vessels incorporating remarkable, detailed animal figures through techniques of sculpting and carving. Both workshops are open for registration starting today.
Sawtooth’s two-hour Taste of Art and Hands on Clay workshops are perfect for a unique date night, a staycation activity, or a fun family outing. Try something new and walk away with one-of-akind, handcrafted artwork! Valentine’s Day-themed workshops include their popular Patrick Swayze Experience where you and a partner can replicate, yes, that iconic wheel-throwing scene from Ghost. In others, make silver intertwined rings, eco-printed scarves, and other beginner-friendly projects that make for a spectacular, heartfelt gift.
Thanks to new studios at the Intergenerational Center for Arts and Wellness (114 W. 30th Street), Sawtooth has expanded its popular ceramics and mixed-media o erings. Generations Center programming is open to all adults, regardless of age or zip code, with registration and class listings on sawtooth.org
Also, mark your calendars for Saw-
tooth Spotlight: Holiday Market + Juried Exhibition, a year-end celebration of fine art, craft, and community featuring one-of-a-kind artworks perfect for holiday gift-giving. Their Holiday Market transforms the Milton Rhode Center for the Arts, bringing together over 65 artist vendors, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and an array of food trucks. It’s fun for the whole family!
Sawtooth Spotlight: Holiday Market is on Saturday, December 7, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event is open to all with a $5 suggested donation supporting Sawtooth’s scholarship and community outreach programs. Find out more at sawtooth.org/spotlight.
Sawtooth is proud to partner with Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, presenting the holiday market as one of the community-wide celebrations acknowledging Arts Council’s 75th anniversary.
Since its founding in 1945, Sawtooth School for Visual Art has served generations of artists, from skilled professionals to novices of all ages. Studios include art + wellness, ceramics, drawing, digital arts, glass, lapidary, metals, painting, photography, printmaking, textiles, and wood. Their instructors, world-renowned and dedicated to their craft, create a nurturing atmosphere that combines technical experience with the freedom to experiment and grow.
Registration for all programming is now available on Sawtooth’s website, at sawtooth.org, or by calling 336-7237395. !
MICHELLE MERRILL MUSIC DIRECTOR
Experience Music in a New Way.
High tension in Don’t Move
Co-directed by executive producers Adam Schindler and Brian Netto, the thriller Don’t Move (Netflix) doesn’t tread any new ground but puts an e ective, no-nonsense spin on familiar genre elements. It’s wellacted, suspenseful, and never outstays its welcome.
Expansive Soundscapes
Surround yourself in great music as award-winning cellist Sterling Elliott dazzles in Dvořák’s famous cello concerto plus the Nordic expanse of Nielsen’s huge Symphony No. 3 featuring audience favorites Jodi Burns and Jason McKinney.
Kelsey Asbille plays Iris, a young woman grieving the tragic loss of her young son on a mountain in Big Sur. She returns to the scene with the express purpose of taking the same fatal plunge when she encounters Richard (Finn Wittrock), who is polite, attentive, and sympathetic … but not for very long.
That’s because he’s a serial killer and Iris is next on his hit list. He violently subdues her but she manages to escape … again, not for very long. Dosed with a slowacting drug that will render her paralyzed in approximately 20 minutes, Richard patiently pursues her, waiting for it to kick in, but the irrepressible Iris digs deep within herself and her resolve to stay alive. The irony, which even Richard points out to her, is that he literally talked her out of committing suicide. “Look how far you’ve come,” he says late in the game. (This might be termed “serial-killer logic.”)
The ensuing game of cat and mouse is grim and harrowing, although the film isn’t nearly as gory as it might have been. Cinematographer Zach Kuperstein, who did such exemplary work in the recent Woman of the Hour, does likewise here, capturing both the natural beauty and underlying peril of the landscape. Don’t Move is set in Northern California but was shot in Bulgaria, and the neophyte would be hard-pressed to discern any di erence in the terrain.
In addition to Asbille, who e ortlessly and expertly combines courage and vulnerability as the harassed heroine, and Wittrock, who clearly relishes playing so insidious and manipulative a character, there’s a strong turn by Moray Treadwell as a grizzled local who gives Iris sanctuary and engages in an all-too-brief battle of wits with Richard. Alas, as befits the genre, Treadwell’s is an expendable character. One of the nice — and unexpected — aspects of Don’t Move is that the trajectory of the narrative doesn’t depend on the stupidity of its characters. They don’t traipse into danger unwittingly but are instead thrust into a dire situation and, in most cases, must rely on their wits and resources to extricate themselves from it. That’s not to say the film is an intellectual exercise, but it has been assembled with intelligence and respect for the genre (and, more importantly, the audience), with an economical and e cient script penned by the duo of TJ Cimfel and David White. Don’t Move is a surefire cult movie but above all, it’s a solid, satisfying movie — one that works very well indeed on its own terms. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
Mark Burger
Contributor
CROSS CREEK (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Mary Steenburgen portrays author Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings in producer/director Martin Ritt’s atmospheric but leisurely paced 1983 adaptation of Rawlings’ 1942 memoir, detailing the circumstances that inspired her to write her Pultizer Prize-winning 1939 novel The Yearling when she relocated to rural Florida. A fine cast includes Alfre Woodard (in a star-making turn), Rip Torn, Dana Hill, Peter Coyote, Keith Michell, Joanna Miles, and Steenburgen’s then-husband Malcolm McDowell (as editor Maxwell Perkins), but this doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts and was a major boxo ce disappointment, although it earned Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Torn), Best Supporting Actress (Woodard), Best Costume Design, and Best Original Score. The Blu-ray ($24.95 retail) includes audio commentary, the retrospective featurette “Cross Creek”: A Look Back with Steenburgen, and theatrical trailer. Rated PG.
DEVIL’S MEN (Indican Pictures): Producer/screenwriter/co-star Dave Bresnahan’s award-winning feature directorial debut, based on executive producer Mark J. Nelson’s non-fiction book With the Black Devils, stars Caleb Hafen as a wide-eyed Wyoming farm boy who served with distinction as a member of the First Special Service Force during World War II. A valid but generic and obvious tribute to courage under fire, this is earnest, episodic, riddled with war-movie clichés, and the third-act inclusion of faith-based elements feels tacked on. The exploits of the same unit were dramatized far more e ectively in Andrew V. McLaglen’s star-studded The Devil’s Brigade (1968). Both the DVD ($24.99 retail) and Blu-ray ($34.99 retail) include bonus trailers.
ELVIRA: MISTRESS OF THE
DARK (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group): Leading lady/co-screenwriter Cassandra Peterson brings her titular small-screen character to the big screen in this affectionate, award-winning 1988 comedy in which she travels to Massachusetts to claim a family inheritance and runs afoul of the conservative locals. A ectionate and energetic, if rather flimsy, but “Elvira” devotees have a big head start. The limited-edition 4K Ultra HD combo ($49.95 retail) includes multiple audio commentaries, collectible booklet, feature-length 2018 documentary Too Macabre: The Making of “Elvira: Mistress of the Dark,” original trailers and teasers, and more. Rated PG-13.
BY MARK BURGER
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: THE ITALIAN CONNECTION (RaroVideo/KinoLorber)
Originally titled La mala ordina but retitled for its U.S. release (clearly riding on the coattails of William Friedkin’s Oscar-winning 1971 masterpiece The French Connection), screenwriter/director Fernando Di Leo’s 1972 crime drama is one of the filmmaker’s best, most well-rounded e orts.
When a $6 million worth of heroin disappears, all fingers point to Luca Canali (Mario Adorf), a small-time pimp and numbers runner in Milan. American godfather Corso (a wildly miscast Cyril Cusack) dispatches hardbitten hit men Dave (Henry Silva) and Frank (Woody
Strode) to kill him, thereby showing up gravelly Milanese godfather Don Vito Tressoldi (Adolfo Celi).
But Luca Canali, whose name is spoken aloud so many times it could be a drinking game, is completely innocent of the theft, having been set up by Don Vito. Luca Canali has found himself in a Kafka-esque nightmare in which he is betrayed and persecuted for a crime he didn’t commit.
There’s the old adage that nothing is more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose, and as his friends and family are violently killed, Luca Canali proves it by embarking on a one-man crusade of vengeance, and he proves to be a more formidable foe than his adversaries could have ever anticipated.
Cusack (who was Irish) may be the unlikeliest Italian crime boss in screen history yet still adds a touch of class to the gritty proceedings, while Luciana Paluzzi and Svlva Koscina are decorative (though expendable) token female females. The Silva/Strode duo reportedly informed Tarantino’s John Travolta/Samuel L. Jackson pairing in Pulp Fiction (1994), and Celi snarls with frustration and indignation as befits his character, but Adorf is the standout. Although never a terribly restrained actor, he brings an earthy, empathetic grit to the wronged Luca Canali, and the climax in an abandoned auto junkyard is nothing if not memorable, replete with an ambiguous fade-out.
The Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) includes original Italian (with English subtitles) and English-dubbed audio options, audio commentary, vintage documentary Roots of the Mafia, and trailers. RaroVideo/Kino Lorber has also released a Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) of Di Leo’s R-rated 1973 follow-up The Boss (Il boss), starring Silva and Richard Conte. Rated R.
FIRST LOVE (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Susan Dey and William Katt are an attractive but bland romantic duo as collegiate lovers in director Joan Darling’s 1977 debut feature, based on Harold Brodkey’s 1957 short story Sentimental Education, which features reliable Robert Loggia as Dey’s married lover and early big-screen roles for John Heard, Beverly D’Angelo, and Swoosie Kurtz. Despite a promotional push emphasizing the film’s sexual content, this plays like an R-rated made-for-TV movie. Both the DVD ($19.95 retail) and Blu-ray ($24.95 retail) include audio commentary. Rated R.
I AM A NYMPHOMANIAC & I AM FRIGID … WHY? (Mondo Macabro): A Blu-ray double feature ($29.95 retail) of two R-rated softcore sex romps written and directed by cult filmmaker Max Pecas
(1948), and others, narrated by Martin Scorsese (who has done much to preserve and celebrate their work) and featuring rare archival footage and vintage clips, available on DVD ($19.95 retail) and Bluray ($29.95 retail).
“SEVERIN FILMS BLU-RAY PREMIERES” (Severin Films): A self-explanatory collection of cult-friendly feature films never before released on Blu-ray in the United States, each retailing for $29.95 and each boasting a variety of bonus features: Anthony Eisley and John Carradine star in 1969’s The Mummy and the Curse of the Jackals; Ana Belen and Juan Diego headline Eloy de la Iglesia’s 1977 psychological thriller The Creature (La criatura), in Spanish with English subtitles; director/screenwriter Antonio Isasi’s 1977 political thriller A Dog Called … Vengeance (El perro) starring a post-Exorcist Jason Miller, in Spanish with English subtitles; writer/director Paul Vecchiali’s Don’t Change Hands (Change pas de main), which was originally rated X and is in French with English subtitles; Vince Edwards, Chuck Connors, and Neville Brand star in writer/producer/director Bert I. Gordon’s R-rated 1973 police thriller The Mad Bomber (also released as The Police Connection and Detective Geronimo); and writer/director Rogerio Sganzeria’s awardwinning, fact-based 1968 feature debut The Red Light Bandit (O Bandido da Luz Vermelha) stars Paulo Villaca, in Portuguese with English subtitles.
(1925-2003) and starring Sandra Julien: 1970’s I Am a Nymphomaniac (originally titled Je suis une nymphomane and also released as Young Casanova and The Sensuous Teenager), and 1972’s I Am Frigid … Why? (originally titled Je suis frigide … pourquoi? and also released as Let Me Love You). In French with English subtitles, bonus features include retrospective documentary and deleted scenes
MADE
IN
ENGLAND:
THE FILMS OF POWELL & PRESSBERGER (Cohen Film Group/Kino Lorber): The title tells all in director David Hinton’s feature documentary chronicling the partnership of British filmmakers Michael Powell (1905-‘90) and Emeric Pressburger (1902-‘88), whose esteemed and highly influential big-screen collaborations included The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), Black Narcissus (1947), The Red Shoes
TOPKAPI (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): A special-edition Blu-ray ($29.95 retail) of producer/director Jules Dassin’s 1964 adaptation of the Eric Ambler novel The Light of Day starring Melina Mercouri (Dassin’s wife) and Maxmillian Schell as impossibly chic ex-lovers who reteam to steal a priceless dagger from the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, aided and abetted by bumbling but lovable con artist Peter Ustinov, who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Robert Morley, Akim Tamiro , Jess Hahn, Gilles Segal (in his feature debut), and Dassin’s son Joe round out a charming cast. A triumph of style over substance, including Henri Alekan’s cinematography, Theoni V. Aldredge’s costumes, and a zesty score by Manos Hadjidakis. Occasionally selfindulgent but still a treat. Bonus features include audio commentary and theatrical trailer. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger
If you drive the get-away car for a bank robber, you are considered to be an accomplice because you aided and abetted the robber. That means you face the same liability and culpability as your friend who physically entered the bank and robbed it, and, likely as not, you will face the same punishment. Last Tuesday, knowing of his many crimes against this nation and with full knowledge that he will enjoy immunity from any future crimes, 72 million Americans bailed out Donald Trump, and enabled a convicted felon to go free and once again occupy the highest office in this land. Certainly, those folks did not help Trump commit bank
A Felon in the White House
and insurance fraud, or sexually assault women, or steal classified documents, or stage an insurrection to overturn an election, but in voting for Trump they condoned his criminal acts and helped him escape sentencing for his many offences. That makes them complicit in his past crimes and culpable for any future ones.
The question is, why would anyone vote for a criminal to be the leader of the free world? Some pundits say it’s because of inflation, but the truth is, inflation is way down. Others say it’s because Kamala Harris didn’t care about regular folks, but her economic plan included helping more people buy their first home. Then there are the folks who say Harris let too many illegal immigrants into our country, but Trump is the one who killed Biden’s immigration bill that would have solved the problem. And what about all of the Evangelicals who chose an adulterous, sexual predator who has never read the Bible (he only sells them) as their vessel of Chris-
tian leadership? What about Trump supporters who say that they voted for him because he was persecuted by the Justice Department? But here’s a reality check: Jack Smith didn’t force Donald to organize fake electors or pressure election officials to find him more votes. But the thing that most disturbs me about most Trump voters is that they claim to be pro-law and order, yet downplayed an insurrection that injured over 140 officers and resulted in the death of four more. That MAGA mob acted on Trump’s orders because he wanted to halt the certification of votes in order to replace legal electors with fake ones.
I will never forget the visceral reaction I had to watching 3,000 rioters storm our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021, causing death and destruction in their maniacal wake. If people say they voted for Trump because of his immigration policy, or if they forgive and forget his other criminal acts then so be it. But if you don’t care about the
collateral damage of January 6, then you are worse than complicit, you are un-American.
Trump not only led the insurrection, he did nothing to stop it until hours later when he told the rioters, “Go home now, we love you.” Today he refers to the insurrectionists as “hostages,” and he promises to pardon them after he takes office. In wake of that, we should all remember the words of three brave officers who survived January 6, beginning with Capitol Police officer Caroline Edwards who received traumatic head injuries when the mob hit her with a bike rack.
“I felt the bike rack come on top of my head, then my head hit the concrete stairs behind me. I saw officers with blood all over their faces.”
Metro D.C. Officer Mike Fanone was brutally beaten, suffered traumatic brain injury and a heart attack. He describes Trump as “An authoritarian with a violence fetish.” And he sees Trump’s victory as a personal a front. “It feels like America said, ‘fuck you, Mike Fanone!”
Meanwhile, officer Aquilino Gonell who sustained severe injuries, which caused him to retire, remarked, “People who voted for Trump put him above the law. He betrayed us, and the vast majority of Americans think that’s OK. The majority of people in this country saw what happened on January 6, but they seem to have amnesia.”
The day after the election Melania Trump tweeted, “We will safeguard the heart of our Republic.” That sentiment comes as a surprise to 142 police officers, as well as to scores of former Trump cabinet members (including his own vice president), who say Donald Trump is not fit to be Commander in Chief. Even Trump’s new running mate, J.D. Vance once referred to his new hero as “America’s Hitler.”
The 72 million people who voted for Trump have essentially just driven the get-away car for a serial criminal, and unlike him, you are not immune from the bad things he will do over the next four years. !
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+.
Jim Longworth
Longworth at Large
Mention his name to just about any country music lover and the response will likely be, “What an awesome vocalist!” Between 1979 and 1990 John recorded and marketed six albums on his own Clear Sky Records label. But it was his stunning performance of the title track of the 1995 CD “O Holy Night” that led to his most enduring legacy. John Berry began doing a Christmas tour in 1996, and 2021 marked his 25th consecutive Christmas concert series. As John has grown
his
City bans free food distribution in downtown parks
Ian McDowell
In October, multiple signs were placed in downtown Greensboro’s Center City Park stating: Food and resource distributions are no longer allowed in or adjacent to the downtown parks, including along Friendly Avenue or Elm Street, due to ongoing pedestrian safety and waste management concerns.
Distributions may now be o ered and reserved at two alternate locations, by contacting the parties below:
City Hall Plaza, 200 N. Greene Street.,
(near the corner of Washington and Greene Sts), contact: (336) 373-7817.
Tiny House Community Development, Hope Center, 360 West Gate City Blvd., contact: (336) 897-1018
These signs were installed after the hiring of Trey Davis as City Manager on October 4. On October 7, Deputy City Manager Chris Wilson emailed Mayor Nancy Vaughan and council about “some changes that will take e ect immediately in the Center City/LeBauer Park downtown area.”
“In coordination with Greensboro Downtown Parks Incorporated, Parks and Recreation, and public safety members, our o ce has asked that free food giveaways cease in these parks and right-ofway areas. The continuous unorganized and often unscheduled activities have created large amounts of trash and large
gatherings that pour out onto the streets and block pedestrian access to sidewalks. This level of gathering poses safety concerns for both drivers and pedestrians. It is unlawful to impede pedestrian access to sidewalks and the activity has created conflict with public enjoyment of the park.”
The only council member to respond via email was At-Large Representative Hugh Holston, who on October 8 wrote Wilson and asked “What suddenly changed?” and “What is the proactive communication/socialization plan with these organizations to share this change and receive any input they may have?”
“The change is the result of multiple incidents over a period of years,” replied Wilson on October 14. “Variations of approach and location e orts in the same vicinity have been attempted over that
period and none have avoided the safety issues very well.”
To Holston’s second question, Wilson responded:
“Our special events o ce, onsite security, and parks sta are engaging providers to o er the new location schedule coordination. Sta is also doing outreach to those providers who we have been in contact with previously. Many new groups and individuals have surfaced recently and simply show up and o er food, which has created unplanned challenges. We will seek to engage them as they arrive, since we do not have contact information. To my knowledge, the providers who o er food under the bridge at Spring Garden near South Elm are still operating as well.”
The first phone number on the sign is that of Josh Sherrick, Events and Engage-
Contributor
Center City Park in Downtown Greensboro
David Moriis feeding homeless in Downtown Greensboro
Lebauer Park in Downtown Greensboro
ment Division Manager for Greensboro Parks and Recreation. On October 29, Sherrick sent the following response to questions about the “alternate locations.”
“The two locations that we’re encouraging resource distributors to use are Tiny Homes/Hope Center at 360 Gate City Boulevard, and the corner of Greene St. and Washington St. (200 N Greene). Tiny Homes has o ered to be a partner and host to any organization/individual that supports the unhoused and the Washington/Greene location is strategically important as it is a large area, with su cient lighting, security, seating, and adjacent parking, in addition to being centrally located downtown within short walking distance of other resource providers.”
Sherrick also addressed the distributions under the bridge.
“We have also discussed using the ‘Under the Bridge’ location at Spring Garden and Federal Place for a group of Sunday distributors. That is a good location due to the coverage of the bridge and it’s a popular location for Saturday night distributions, so familiarity is good. Unfortunately, this location is only suitable on weekends, as it’s used for parking during the workweek.”
Sherrick said the city ordinance Sect. 18-445, Blocking or impeding street and sidewalk access, “goes back a few years,” but the decision to use this ordinance to forbid food and resource distribution in the parks “only occurred in the last month or so,” and came from the city manager’s o ce.
“It is very revealing of how supportive and caring our community truly is, that so many di erent groups/individuals provide resource distributions there. Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming response of those in need, the sidewalk simply cannot accommodate the distri-
butions and remain passable and accessible to all users. Also, when distributions are not managed well/actively, we’ve experienced serious conflict between people in need that has spilled into tra c along Friendly Ave. and into the park. Ideally, we want to provide a location that is much larger and accommodating to the needs of all persons involved in the distributions.”
Some of the individuals and groups currently using the space under the Spring Garden bridge to o er food and other resources originally did so on the Friendly Avenue side of Center City Park. As previously reported, in 2021, they included Earle and Kriste Clodfelter, a formerly homeless couple who met at the Interactive Resource Center; chef Manoli Krinos; and British-born rugby coach Mike Willer.
In September 2022, many of these same volunteers were feeding people in the parking lot of the IRC, as they had been asked not to use Center City Park during the N.C. Folk Festival. At that time, several of them bristled at statements made by District 3’s Zack Matheny, where he called for putting those doing the feedings through a training and certification process, and accused some of “leaving significant trash behind.”
Those he was referring to included church groups and several volunteers. Another organization that has regularly distributed food and resources to the unhoused is WHOA, the Working-Class & Houseless Organizing Alliance. On October 29, WHOA sent YES! Weekly the following statement:
“The signs prohibiting resource distribution are the City’s latest attempt to address the crisis of houselessness by punishing people who are houseless and those who assist them. The excuse that resource distributions obstruct public passage is just that — an excuse, and a flimsy one. The fact this e ort was launched directly after the IRC has been forced to end its extended services is further evidence that the City has no real solution to the housing crisis beyond trying to push its e ects out of view. If anything is blocking public passage on these sidewalks, it is the implementation of large concrete ‘planters,’ as advocated by Mayor Nancy Vaughan to deter people from resting in public spaces. We condemn any e orts to restrict aid to those in need, including the absurd twisting of generic ordinances to obscure the reality of the policies being implemented.” !
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.
The welcoming energy is felt in the open rooms that are flooded with colorful, ambient light from chandeliers overhead. There’s scattered chaos from construction projects, evidence of the months of hard work. Nearly complete, Back Table is projected to be the next big thing.
The future cafe/ music venue is located at 816 S. Elm St. in downtown Greensboro in the old North State Milling Company building next to The Continental Club. It’s a jack-ofall-trades, working as a three-for-one property. The plan of owners Josh Tovey and Galen Foresman is to use every inch of the property — even the old silos. The open floor plan includes three rooms; one will be used as the cafe section, the other has a hand-built stage for musical performances, and the third has couches and a massive wooden table which will be used as a classroom for just about anything creative.
“We talked to a couple of dancers from UNCG who are trying to start a program to teach dance to the community and have committed to them to let them use the space if they want,” said Foresman, who is also a Professor of Philosophy at N.C. A&T.
The silos are cleared out and have gazebo-like wood platforms attached at the bottom. With a blacklight directed up one of the silos, Foresman pointed and said he
Local venue gets new life
imagines he will fill the inside walls with artwork for people to look up at. Tovey, on the other hand, said he would love to host movie nights on the lawn adjoining the building and use the outside walls of the silos as a projector screen.
The two had dreamed for a while about opening the Back Table and it felt like a door opened when Tovey’s wife saw that Eric Robert, owner of The Continental Club, was posting about leasing the space next door.
Then it happened.
Tovey and Foresman bought the space.
Perfect timing.
In early September the world lost a gem of a soul. For those who knew Matty Sheets, they knew he was a person who cared about everyone, who always gave more than he had, and loved the community with every inch of his heart. He was a local music legend in the Triad and host of open mics for nearly 20 years. His talents spoke to people and brought them together. In homage to his legacy, Foresman and Tovey decided to create Back Table following the closure of The Green Bean. Foresman explained the Tuesday open mic was a ritual for so long that when it came to an end everyone yearned for its return. “We joked that it was a kind of Tuesday church for people to come together and play music,” he said. Foresman was the owner of The Green Bean from 2020-2021 until his ex-wife Amy Foresman took over.
Tears were shed as Foresman explained he and Tovey were working at Back Table when they got a text from Sheets asking if they could call an EMS. “I wanted to open a place where Matty always had a spot.
He was going to teach ukulele lessons and have a space in the corner just for him. He wanted to be in the community,” said Foresman. “He was larger than life. Seeing the people that gathered around him was shocking and impressive and such a cool thing to see,” said Tovey.
The name of the space comes from the table Foresman and Tovey would sit at during open mic at The Green Bean. Sheets would lovingly refer to it as “the back table.” As a trial run, Back Table had a soft open on November 10. Free food and drinks were provided and musicians were welcomed on stage to perform in Sheets’ honor. “The Matty Sheets Memorial was a beautiful celebration of the music community in Greensboro. Matty was such a champion for so many people in the music scene, and it was really moving to see all of those people come together and honor him,” said singer-songwriter and friend of Sheets, Ashley Virginia.
“There is a lot of energy in this space and this building itself. I think [walking in] will bring a special type of feeling. We want it to be overwhelmingly welcoming. Come, hang out, take a nap, have some really really great espresso,” said Tovey.
The exact date of the building is hard to track. Most sources point to 1912 as the year the building was constructed. North State Milling Company manufactured plain and self-rising cornmeal and flour, hen scratch, bran, and feed for livestock. Several of the bags for grain were found by Foresman and Tovey in a safe in the building. Alongside the bags were old newspapers about the mill. In commemoration of the building’s long history Tovey and Foresman plan to have a book that guests can sign and write interesting stories about Greensboro and their experience in the city.
Back Table will be unlike any other cafe/venue, according to Foresman. “I wouldn’t claim to be an expert on what’s out there and we’ve got a lot of cool stu in Greensboro, but I haven’t seen a space this size. That functions in this way,” explained Foresman. The two hope to build a community around the arts and a safe place for people to hang out and express themselves.
Foresman and Tovey want to network with the community. They plan to serve cafe fairs sourced from distributors around Greensboro and North Carolina. They are big advocates of supporting the local community and small businesses. “We love people… I think it will translate very well,” said Tovey. Continuing, he said, “It seems like everything, to me, has a root to people, human beings, and I find the older I get that humans are the most important thing.”
The duo are stoked to be so central to both A&T and UNCG. “We would really like to be a place where students can come, work, and be a part of the Greensboro community rather than just islands outside,” said Foresman. “One of the things I’ve learned from my job at A&T is that there are a lot of smart, capable young people that just need a chance to do stu . Loan them a guitar for a second. It’s nice to give people a chance to do stu .”
There are talks of having weekend art or plant markets, music and dance classes, a festival in the giant parking lot, concerts, drag shows, and a weekly open mic.
It’s been a long and winding process, however, Foresman and Tovey are excited and optimistic about the future to come. “We may not be able to see the trees whipping by, but we feel that we’re moving forward,” explained Tovey. For more information, including an opening date, visit @backtablegso on Instagram. !
MAGGIE MARSHALL is a Greensboro based freelance writer and zine maker. She graduated from UNCG with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies. Her writing interests include music, film, sustainability and counterculture.
Maggie Marshall
Contributor
Matty Sheets at Back Table
Authorities search for sender(s) of racist texts
BY CAROL BROOKS | Cab1hp@gmail.com
On the day following the November 5 election, many Black Americans in several states, including North Carolina, began receiving racist text messages, telling them to “go to the plantation and pick cotton” and other slurs.
Authorities across the country are investigating after these texts have been received by middle-school children, college students, and working professionals. Federal investigators appear to have an idea who or what group is behind the message, which appear to originate in Poland and may contain malware.
One stated, “Please be prepared to leave your home November 24, 2024. You will be picked up at 8 a.m. sharp in our white van. Also you will sit with Group C.” At least some of the messages are signed “A Trump Supporter.” A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign said it had “absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.”
Some messages say to go to a location for pickup, if not, they would be “searched down.” The High Point Museum’s location at 1859 E. Lexington Ave. was one location.
“It was our address but it said to go to the High Point Plantation,” said Museum Director Edith Brady. She said the museum has received several phone calls from people asking about it.
“Most callers think it’s spam but we did receive one threat.” Extra police presence was on-site at the time of the scheduled “pickup” but no one showed up.
Brady believes the texts are spam, perhaps from overseas.
“It’s a stupid hoax,” said Shawn Rogers, director of Mendenhall Homeplace in Jamestown, which was not one of the pickup locations. “People need to get new hobbies!”
Mendenhall Homeplace changed its name from Mendenhall Plantation several years ago to dispel any association with slavery at the Quaker homesite. Perhaps that is why it was not targeted.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are looking into the texts as are state attorneys general.
“The FBI is aware of the o ensive and racist text messages sent to individuals around the country and is in contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter,” the agency said in a statement on November 7.
“The unfortunate reality of electing a president who, historically, has embraced and at times encouraged hate, is unfolding before our eyes,” said NAACP CEO Derrick Johnson. “These messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday’s election results.”
“The text messages hark back to the era from the early 17th century to the end of the Civil War in 1865, when millions of enslaved Africans were shipped to the United States and forced to toil plantations,” reported CNN. “Enslaved people were often auctioned o and sold to other slave owners, leading to families being separated. Slave catchers, known as slave patrols, were legally charged with controlling the enslaved population.”
Some law enforcement agencies are treating the messages as low-level threats.
The text is slightly di erent on each message and some people are receiving more than one message. Some messages apparently give the name of the “sender” who wishes a “good evening” or “Have a nice day.”
“It’s just disgusting. It’s just, there’s nothing comical about it,” said a Durham resident.
Children receiving these texts are especially susceptible to emotional and psychological impact. Parents are being urged to talk to their children about the texts. Do not respond to these messages. Anyone receiving such text and believes to be threatened should contact their local law enforcement and FBI field o ce.
The North Carolina State Attorney General’s o ce is working with the federal government to find the source of the texts. Victims should report the text to 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or ncdog.gov/complaint. !
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The Rinaldis rev into action for “Year of the Rat”
The Rinaldis are revving back into action with a string of new singles — driving their cinematic garage-rock into an upcoming EP, “Year of the Rat,” their first release since 2018’s “Rain In The Face.”
With the first single “Spring Garden Street” harkening to the infamous Greensboro strip in a surf-punk blend of what guitarist Joe Rinaldi describes as “speeding ticket music,” the band of siblings isn’t looking to slow down.
“Really, it’s an homage to Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Bang Bang,’” he said. “I wanted to take that old story and make it fast and dirty — and set it on the streets of our home base and stomping grounds. It’s a love story. It’s a heartbreak story. Lots of metaphorical gunshots and romantic blood spilling.”
The track itself bleeds with sonic nods to Blondie and The B-52’s, edged with post-punk tendencies and notes of television-eque guitars and Sonic Youth. For Rinaldi, “it’s the sort of sound that makes me want to throw it in the car and not want to slow down.”
Not that life slows down if you want it to — as songstress Stacey Rinaldi, knows all too well. Looking back over the six years since their last album, “We endured a global pandemic, I had a baby, and our wonderful mother passed away,” she said, not skipping a beat — relaying those experiences into creative drive. “I’m tired and forever heartbroken, but still silly and hopeful. Life has given me more sad songs to write but it’s also made me want to write more cheerful songs — which never happens — so that’s been fun.”
Though the cheer might have to wait. “We have had these songs written and stashed away for a while and decided it was time to record them and send them out into the world,” she explained, with new material being reserved for a not-sodistant future. With “Year of the Rat,” the Rinaldis are more making up for lost time than blazing new trails.
“We took an extended break from performing once the pandemic hit and at that point, most of us had new jobs
or new kids or moved to a new place so we were scattered a bit,” Stacey noted.
“Despite all the life changes, I think we all still felt compelled to write and make music and we decided we couldn’t leave these songs sitting unfinished on the shelf. Getting back together to record and release these songs has definitely been a catalyst for leaning back into our creative shoes and working on future ideas for this band and other projects as well. Life is short and miserable at times, but it is more miserable when we aren’t creating or around other creatives.”
Musing the long and short of the 10 years since releasing their first record, ironically titled, “Old Hat,” (back when they went by The Rinaldi Flying Circus), Joe considers the milestone paramount to pushing new releases. “10 years was a holy shit moment for me,” he said. “Makes you realize how far you’ve come and also how much I missed doing the damn thing. Seeing the 10-year anniversary of our first album about to hit really turned some jets back on for me to get back to making music and get back on a stage.”
Stacey agreed. “We are old!,” she exclaimed, “‘Old Hat’ was such a precious launching pad for us. We’re all so much more polished and experienced now, but there’s nothing like recording your first album as young, fairly dumb musicians. I would sing them all di erently now, but I’m proud of all those songs and the baby Rinaldis that made those songs.”
Now with a baby — nay a toddler — of her
“some faster, boppier songs that are just straight-up fun-as-hell to play.”
Peter Bassett and Ryan Downing join the fun, accenting some rowdy background vocals on the release — though “Year of the Rat” doesn’t stray entirely from the dark and moody. “The Way Down,” features a swing and groove, “half a fever dream, or an Edgar Allen Poe story with a still-beating heart beneath the floorboards,” Joe noted. “It’s about feeling stifled, stuck, or not able to express yourself or be completely open, about feeling shut out or shut up, and the anger and resentment is building up until it overflows. And the music was made to match that feeling like a creeping, dark scene where you’re wandering down the wrong road at night or trapped in a basement by yourself.”
own, Stacey’s pride swells through the years put into “Year of the Rat.” “I was 8 months pregnant when I laid down those tracks,” she recalled. “Basically, I took a long break, got knocked up, and recorded some of the best vocals of my life.”
With an extra Rinaldi added to the brood, the release comes as the siblings encounter the shift of life together. “We wrote ‘Year of the Rat’ before a lot of these major life changes, but it’s funny how we were already di erent people when we went back to record them and even now we are new versions of ourselves as we finally release them. I know that I hear them di erently when I listen to them now. That’s what’s so great about music. The same song can hit di erently depending on the day or year or whatever bags you are carrying when you hear it.”
It’s a concept that resonates for Joe as well. “I’m definitely less tightly wound than I used to be, haha. Less reactionary too…slightly. Not perfect but better. A good amount of life and loss has filled the past bunch of years and that shows you what’s really important. Time and family and music and friends.”
With that, the siblings look ahead. More mature, more polished. Still goofy. “We really developed the production and arrangements and took our time with them and it shows immensely,” Joe explained, referencing a push toward a more energetic presentation compared to the broodish nature of “Rain in the face; resulting in what he considers
Elements of theater remain in the Rinaldis work. Each track o the new EP features an accompanying music video and faux movie poster. “Our family is a bunch of movie geeks. We were raised on old movies and musicals and have a deep love for all things film,” Joe explained, reinforcing ways their posters (designed by Rob Rinaldi) lean into their “natural absurd humor and paying homage to our other big love: movies.”
And the movies love them back. Two Rinaldis’ songs appear in the 2022 British zombie flick, Among the Living; and two more will appear in Laws of Man, an upcoming neo-western crime movie featuring Heavy Keitel. “We’re beyond excited and it’s really given the band some fuel,” Joe said. “It feels great and we are taking that re-inspiration and dumping it right back into the band and even more new songs.”
“The o cial release date and trailer for the movie should be dropping soon!,” he added, turning to their upcoming sort of “comeback special,” on December 22 at Rubies at Five Points in Downtown Durham. “It’s a holiday show with five acts, including Katharine Whalen’s Certain Seas and other friends of ours ranging from arthouse electronic to alternative to indie rock with a dance party to finish. We’re calling it ‘The Rinaldis Holiday Bonanza;’ and it’s gonna be a night!”
The Rinadlis return, with a string of singles on streaming platforms, leading to “Year of the Rat,” coming soon! !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.
Katei Cranford
Contributor
ARCHDALE
FIREHOUSE TAPROOM
10146 N Main St | 336.804.9441 www.facebook.com/firehousetaproom/
ASHEBORO
FOUR SAINTS BREWING
218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 www.foursaintsbrewing.com
Thursdays: Taproom Trivia
Fridays: Music Bingo
Nov 27: Corey Hunt and the Wise
CARBORRO
CAT’S CRADLE
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053 www.catscradle.com
Nov 13: Matty Frank, Johnny Sunrise, Nicole Tester
Nov 14: Houndmouth
Nov 14: Slater
Nov 15: Ace Monroe
Nov 15: Dante High
Nov 16: Victoria Victoria
Nov 16: The Old Ceremony
Nov 17: Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Nov 18: SASAMI
Nov 19: Michigander
Nov 19: Sun June
Nov 20: Odie Leigh
Nov 20: Ratboys
Nov 21: Olive Klug
Nov 22: Essenger
Nov 22-23: Mipso
Nov 23: Ethan Regan
Nov 24: Bit Brigade
Nov 29: Harvey Street
Nov 30: Crazy Chester
Nov 30: The dB’s
Nov 30: Speed Stick
CHARLOTTE
BOJANGLES COLISEUM
2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com
Nov 12-13: Tedeschi Trucks Band
Nov 20: Bonnie Raitt
THE FILLMORE
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com
Nov 14: Nurse John
Nov 14: Molly Turtle
Nov 15: Local Natvies
Nov 16: Charles Wesley Godwin
Nov 16: Panchiko
Nov 17: Real Friends
Nov 17: Majid Jordan
Nov 18: Polo G
Nov 19: The Pineapple Thief
Nov 20: Leon Thomas
Nov 22: Juvenile
Nov 23: W.A.S.P
Nov 23: Stephen Wilson Jr.
Nov 24: Mipso
Nov 27: Kany Garcia
Nov 30: Ky-Mani Marley
PNC MUSIC PAVILION
707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292 www.livenation.com
SKYLA CREDIT UNION AMPHITHEATRE
former Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre
820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com
SPECTRUM CENTER
333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com
Nov 13: Iron Maiden
Nov 14: Justin Timberlake
Nov 18: Maverick City Music
CLEMMONS
VILLAGE SQUARE
TAP HOUSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
Nov 14: Megan Doss
Nov 15: Anna Mertson Band
Nov 16-17: Bad Romeo
DURHAM
CAROLINA THEATRE
309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org
Nov 14: SistaStrings
Nov 16: Michael W. Smith
Nov 17: Bruce Cockburn
DPAC
123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787
www.dpacnc.com
Nov 16: Marlon Wayans
Nov 19: Bonnie Raitt
Nov 20: Dan and Phil
Nov 22: Mannheim Steamroller
Christmas
Nov 23: The Illusionists
Nov 25: Derek Hough
Nov 27: Air Supply
Nov 29-Dec 1: Hadestown
ELKIN
REEVES THEATER
129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com
Wednesdays: Reeves Open Mic
Fourth Thursdays: Old-Time Jam
Nov 15: Charles Wesley Godwin
GREENSBORO
BARN DINNER THEATRE
120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com
Nov 16-Dec 1: Black Nativity
CAROLINA THEATRE
310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com
Nov 26: Nurse Blake
CHAR BAR NO. 7
3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555 www.charbar7.com
COMEDY ZONE
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com
Nov 15-16: Shaun Jones
Nov 22-23: Damon Darling
COMMON GROUNDS
602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.388 www.facebook.com/CommonGroundsGreensboro
CONE DENIM
117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 www.cdecgreensboro.com
www.flatirongso.com
Nov 13: Will Willis & Friends w/ Evan Blackerby
Nov 14: The Gone Ghosts, Crenshaw Pentecostal, Charles Latham & The Borrowed Band
Nov 15: Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast
Nov 20: SJ Mcdonald + Madison Hughes
Nov 29: George Huntley
Nov 30: House of Fools w/ Fancy Gap
GARAGE TAVERN
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
GRANDOVER RESORT
2275 Vanstory Street Suite 200 | 336.294.1800 www.grandover.com
Wednesdays: Live Jazz w/ Steve Haines Trio
GREENSBORO COLISEUM
1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com
Nov 17: Ana Gabriel
HANGAR 1819
1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480 www.hangar1819.com
Nov 16: LitFrank w/ DDK, Ernie Wayne
Nov 21: Chat Pile w/ Mamaleek, Thirdface
Nov 22: Nookie
Nov 23: Tommy Vext w/ Faith & Scars, Feverhill, Automag
LITTLE BROTHER BREWING
348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678
www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew
Wednesdays: Trivia
Fridays & Saturdays: Free Live Music
PIEDMONT HALL
2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400
www.greensborocoliseum.com
Nov 15: Green Queen Bingo
Nov 23: Q104.1 Rising Stars ft. Tigirlily Gold, Dylan Marlowe, Jackson Dean, George Birge and Matt Stell
RODY’S TAVERN
5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950 www.facebook.com/rodystavern
STEVEN TANGER CENTER
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500
www.tangercenter.com
Nov 22: The 5th Dimension
Nov 23: Mannheim Steamroller
Christmas
Nov 24: The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays
Nov 29: Derek Houghs
THE IDIOT BOX COMEDY CLUB
503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699
www.idiotboxers.com
Thursdays: Open Mic
Nov 15: Hari Knodabolu
Nov 22: Jake Weddle and Ben Malone
WHITE OAK AMPITHEATRE
1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com
WINESTYLES
3326 W Friendly Ave Suite 141 | 336.299.4505
www.facebook.com/winestylesgreensboro277
HIGH POINT
1614 DMB 1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113
https://www.1614drinksmusicbilliards.com/
Nov 22: Clay & Fran w/ Being Followed
Nov 23: Mojogypsy
Nov 30: Mostley Crue
GOOFY FOOT TAPROOM
2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567
www.goofyfoottaproom.com
HIGH POINT BISTRO
3793 Samet Dr. #165 | 336.875.4444
https://www.facebook.com/p/High-PointBistro-61552711048428/
HIGH POINT THEATRE
220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401
www.highpointtheatre.com
Nov 23: Danae Hays
Nov 30: John Berry
PLANK STREET TAVERN
138 Church Ave | 336.991.5016
www.facebook.com/plankstreettavern
SWEET OLD BILL’S
1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476
www.sweetoldbills.com
JAMESTOWN
THE DECK
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999
www.facebook.com/TheDeckJamestown/
Nov 15: Wesley Bryan Band
Nov 16: Alek Ottaway Band
Nov 22: Stereo Doll
Nov 23: The Roar
Nov 30: Salem Smoke
KERNERSVILLE
BREATHE
COCKTAIL LOUNGE
221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822
www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge
Wednesdays: Karaoke
Nov 15: Stereo Doll
KERNERSVILLE
BREWING COMPANY
221 N Main St. | 336.816.7283
www.facebook.com/kernersvillebrewing Thursdays: Trivia
LIBERTY
THE LIBERTY
SHOWCASE THEATER
101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844
www.TheLibertyShowcase.com
Nov 16: The Grascals
Nov 16: Shenandoah
Nov 22-23: Doug Stone
OAK RIDGE
BISTRO 150
2205 Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.6359
www.bistro150.com
RALEIGH
CCU MUSIC PARK
AT WALNUT CREEK
3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com
LINCOLN THEATRE
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com
Nov 13: Delvon Lamarr
Nov 15: The Stews w/ Harvey Street
Nov 21: Microwave w/ Prince Daddy & The Hyena, Just Friends, Ben Quad
Nov 22: Eastwood Homes & B93.9’s Rising Stars ft. Conner Smith, Jackson Dean, George Birge, Matt Stell, Dylan Marlowe
Nov 23: Runaway Gin
Nov 29: Into the Fog & Friends
Nov 30: Julia, The Psycodelics, Duck
RED HAT AMPHITHEATER
500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com
LENOVO CENTER
1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com
Nov 11-12: P!NK
Nov 19: Maverick City Music
Nov 26: Rod Wave
Nov 30: Pentatonix
WINSTON-SALEM
EARL’S
121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com
Mondays: Open Mic
FIDDLIN’ FISH
BREWING COMPANY
772 Trade St | 336.999.8945
www.fiddlinfish.com
Tuesdays: Trivia
Nov 15: Creatio
Nov 22: Province of Thieves Trio
Nov 29: Hotwax & The Splinters
FOOTHILLS BREWING
638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348
www.foothillsbrewing.com
Sundays: Sunday Jazz
Thursdays: Trivia
Nov 13: Anna Mertson
Nov 15: The Phoebes
Nov 16: Patrick Rock Duo
Nov 17: Crane & Co
Nov 20: Robertson Boys
Nov 22: Laura Clay Trio
Nov 23: Brown Mountain Lightning
Bugs
Nov 24: Camel City Blues
Nov 27: Desi & Cody
Nov 27: Taylor Mason
Nov 29: James Vincent Carroll
Nov 30: Anne and the Moonlighters
MIDWAY MUSIC HALL
11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter
Mondays: Line Dancing
MUDDY CREEK CAFE & MUSIC HALL
137 West St | 336.201.5182 www.facebook.com/MuddyCreekCafe
THE RAMKAT
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com
Nov 13: The Wood Brothers, Lindsay Lou
Nov 14: Vertical Horizon
Nov 15: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio
Nov 19: Ben Folds
Nov 21: Couldn’t Be Happiers, Doug Davis & Radio Silence
Nov 22: Town Mountain, Caleb Caudle
Nov 23: The Lone Bellow, Gabe Lee
Nov 29: Camel City Yacht Club
Nov 30: The Mountain Goats, Joelton Mayfield
Nov 30: Joe Troop’s Truth Machine
ROAR
633 North Liberty Street | 336-917-3008 www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater. com
WISE MAN BREWING
826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008 www.wisemanbrewing.com
Thursdays: Music Bingo
Nov 16: The Tan and Sober Gentleman
Nov. 21 - The Ramkat
Natalie Garcia
Southern Junk Holiday Vendor Market 11.9.24 | Jamestown
[TRIVIA TEST]
by Fifi Rodriguez
[1. MOVIES: In the movie The Shawshank Redemption, what is Andy Dufresne’s occupation before he was imprisoned?
[2. LITERATURE: Which of Shakespeare’s plays features the characters of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?
[3. TELEVISION: Which 2000s TV drama starred a character named Jack Bauer?
[4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: What was First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy’s maiden name?
[5. HISTORY: Which dynasty built the Forbidden City in China?
[6. MYTHOLOGY: What is the name of the mythical creature who is half man and half horse?
[7. CHEMISTRY: What is aqua regia?
[8. GEOGRAPHY: Where was the ancient region of Mesopotamia mostly located?
[9. ANATOMY: Where are the alveoli located?
[10. FOOD & DRINK: What is hummus mostly made of?
answer
6. Centaur. 7. A corrosive mixture that can dissolve gold. 8. Iraq. 9. Lungs. 10. Chickpeas.
© 2024 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
[SALOME’S STARS]
Week of November 18, 2024
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A long-sought workplace change could be happening soon. Consider reworking your ideas and preparing a presentation just in case. Meanwhile, a personal relationship takes a new turn.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your persuasiveness doesn’t really start to kick in until midweek. By then, you can count on having more supporters in your camp, including some who you doubted would ever join you.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Your workload is still high, but good news! You should start to see the daylight by the week’s end. Reserve the weekend for fun and games with friends and loved ones. You deserve it!
Ming Dynasty.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Regardless of how frustrating things are, keep that “Crab” under control. A cutting comment you might think is apt right now will leave others hurting for a long time to come.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Be more
sensitive to the emotions of loved ones who might feel left out while you’re stalking a new opportunity. Be sure to make it up to them this weekend. A nice surprise could be waiting.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) The gregarious Virgo rarely has a problem making new friends. But repairing frayed relationships doesn’t come easily. Still, if it’s what you want to do, you’ll find a way. Good luck!
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A misunderstanding with a partner or spouse needs to be worked out before it turns into something really nasty. Forget about your pride for now and make the first healing move.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Communication dominates the week. Work out any misunderstandings with co-workers. Also, get back in touch with old friends and those family members you rarely see.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) As busy as your week is,
make time for someone who feels shut out of your life. Your act of kindness could later prove to be more significant than you might have realized.
[cAPrIcorN (December 22 to January 19) Congratulations! Your busy workweek leads to some very satisfying results. Sports and sporting events are high on your weekend activities aspect. Enjoy them with family and friends.
[AQuArIus (January 20 to February 18) Your generosity of spirit reaches out once again to someone who needs reassurance. There might be problems, but keeping this line of communication open eventually pays off.
[PIsces (February 19 to March 20) You are among the truth-seekers in the universe, so don’t be surprised to find yourself caught up in a new pursuit of facts to counter what you believe is an insidious exercise in lying.
[BorN THIs week: You believe in loyalty and in keeping secrets. All things considered, you would probably make a perfect secret agent.
answers
[crossword] crossword on page 11
[weekly sudoku] sudoku on page 11
© 2024 by King Features Syndicate
