A JAZZY TREAT
The John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival is bringing a holiday treat to Triad residents.
Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com
EDITORIAL
Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com
SKYLA PIEDMONT WINTERFEST is in full swing in Greensboro’s LeBauer Park. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the outdoor ice skating rink in downtown Greensboro.
The 2024 HOLIDAY TOUR OF HOMES will be held Dec. 12 from 3 to 7 p.m. It will feature the private homes of Barry and Donna Church, 5315 Wayne Road; Miles and Holly Rudd, 3000 W. Sedgefield Drive; and Scott and Amy Petitfils, 5505 High Point Road.
Don’t Look Up was also the principal inspiration for Greensboro filmmaker Lonnie Ray Atkinson’s feature film DON’T LOOK UP — AGAIN (the satire that changed the world), which posits the theory that the film
The frosty thriller WHITEOUT has nothing to do with the popular liquid-paper product or the forgettable 2009 Kate Beckinsale vehicle, but instead the feature debut of executive producer/writer/director Derek Barnes, based on his 2016 short Walking Supply
8 10 13
10 In the fall of 1962, President Kennedy issued his yearly THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION in which he recognized his home state of Massachusetts as the site of America’s first Thanksgiving.
13 “Great neighbors make great neighborhoods” is the mantra of SUNSET HILLS Neighborhood. On Thursday, Nov. 21, the neighborhood celebrated its 100th anniversary.
14 Three days before Christmas of 2023, Srinivas Potluri purchased three Greensboro apartment complexes for $14.34 million. Since then, multiple residents of those units allege that, once Potluri took ownership, he stopped authorizing repairs, even when a grandmother’s heat failed in the DEAD OF WINTER
16 Hold on to your seats, Triad music lovers, the holidays are here! And along for the ride are the annual rounds of HOMETOWN SHOWS from folks now living far and wide.
MCDOWELL PRODUCTION
Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com
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Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com
Promotion NATALIE GARCIA
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Skyla, Downtown Greensboro bring ice skating to the park
Chanel Davis
Editor
Skyla Piedmont Winterfest is in full swing in Greensboro’s LeBauer Park. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the outdoor ice skating rink in downtown Greensboro. The community event brings in 10,000 skaters a year for residents and families interested in donning skates and shredding some ice during the winter season.
“We’re excited to officially kick off the holiday season with the opening of the iconic downtown ice rink welcoming thousands of visitors to enjoy this fun activity in our center city,” said Zack Matheny, president & CEO of Downtown Greensboro, Inc. and Greensboro City Council District 3 Representative. “Thanks to the support of generous sponsors like Skyla Credit Union, Winterfest has become a holiday tradition bringing together our community to celebrate and support local businesses during the winter season.”
This year the Skyla Piedmont Winterfest will operate through Sunday, January 26, 2025. They have plenty of seating and photo opportunities. Organizers are adding live music from area musicians on Saturday afternoons, and curling competitions on Monday and Tuesday nights.
Regular admission for ice skating is $15 per person, which includes state rentals and ice safety trainers for beginner skaters.
The event is a public-private partnership sponsored by Skyla Credit Union, organized by Downtown Greensboro Inc., and operated in partnership with the Greensboro Ice House.
“It’s something that brings the community together. Seeing the different folks and the smiles on people’s faces, with hopefully no injuries,” Matheny said. “It’s been a terrific thing and I’m grateful for our partnerships.”
A sentiment that Skyla Credit Union agrees with.
“One of our five pillars is to create an amazing culture and this is one of the ways we think we can do that,” said Geri Hopkins, chief operations officer at Skyla Credit Union. “It’s not just how we interact with each other but it’s also how we interact with the community. We want to have fun. We want the members we serve to have fun. We want the communities we live in to have fun as well. This is a great opportunity to do that.”
Hopkins said she hopes the partnership brings joy to the community.
“Our goal is to make our members happy and we feel like one of those ways is to engage with our membership in ways that they can enjoy themselves, outside of getting a car loan or opening a checking account,” she said. “We want to make sure the community understands that we want them to have fun and we feel like this a great way to bring
that to the community.”
Chuck Burch, general manager at The Icehouse, said that he and his team are excited to get started.
“We cannot wait to get started and see all the smiling faces and all the happy families here in the park. Curling is something new that we’ve been offering the last few years and it has really grown. There are lots of opportunities for local families to come out and enjoy.”
Downtown Greensboro Inc. will continue ushering in the holiday season with its annual Festival of Lights on Friday, December 6 beginning at 5 p.m. There will be live performances, food, holiday shopping, a community sing-along, family-friendly activities, and the city tree lighting. The event will be spread throughout downtown with ice skating and a vendor market in LeBauer Park,
the Festival of Lights Program and tree lighting in Center City Park. There will be a musical strong along Elm Street, from Friendly Avenue to Lewis Street, with live music by local musicians. There will be a DJ, family activities, and traditional favorites like Mrs. Claus, the Snow Queen and King, and the Silver Drummer Girl. There will also be a winter wonderland and a light show. !
CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.
For more information, including times, visit www. downtowngreensboro.org.
Holiday Tour of Homes to aid WNC
BY NORMA B. DENNIS | ndworddesign@gmail.com
During the past seven years the Holiday Tour of Homes, sponsored by the Sedgefield Colony Garden Club, has become so popular there is a waiting list of homes to be used for future events.
“People come to us and volunteer to use their homes for the tour,” said Katharine Byerly, who along with Nora Swo ord is co-chair of this year’s event. “People love the fact that it is a fundraiser for charity. “It is also a nice way to kick o the holiday season.”
The 2024 Holiday Tour of Homes will be held Dec. 12 from 3 to 7 p.m. It will feature the private homes of Barry and Donna Church, 5315 Wayne Road; Miles and Holly Rudd, 3000 W. Sedgefield Drive; and Scott and Amy Petitfils, 5505 High Point Road. They all will be decorated for Christmas by the owners and may be visited in any order.
Parking is limited and instructions for where to park can be found on the event tickets. Guests will be shuttled to the homes.
Tickets are $25 each by cash or check and are limited to the first 300 sold. They are available by email at sedgefieldhometour @gmail.com or by contacting any member of the Sedgefield Colony Garden Club. Tickets may also be purchased at The Soap Lady in Jamestown, 106 E. Main St., or at the door.
In the past, money has been given to a variety of local charities — Feeding Lisa’s Kids, Sanctuary House, the Healing Garden and the Senior Resource Center to name a few. This year members have chosen Western North Carolina Hurricane
Relief as the beneficiary of the proceeds raised from the ticket sales and two ra e baskets.
Tickets for the baskets will be sold at the home of the Churches and Petitfils. The cost is $5 each or five for $20. If people want to buy ra e tickets but cannot go on the tour, they may contact a club member who will purchase tickets for them. Winners will be drawn at the end of the evening of the tour. You do not have to be present to win.
The baskets are filled with items donated by businesses in Western North Carolina.
“Those who have donated like the idea that the funds raised will go back to help their communities,” Byerly said. “But some businesses have been so devastated they are afraid they might have to close.”
Byerly has seen the destruction in Western North Carolina for herself and says photos and news clips do not do the damage justice.
“It tugs at your heart,” she said. “This is the mountains and people are not used to floods. Homes, as well as lands, have been lost and people and animals have all been a ected. If we can help just a little it will be worth our e ort.”
Support the Sedgefield Colony Garden Club as they support Western North Carolina and enjoy a beautiful start to the holiday season in the process. If unable to attend the event, donations may be made to the Garden Club that will go directly to those hurting in WNC. In the past tickets have sold out so it is good to make your purchase early. Check the group’s Facebook page (Sedgefield Colony Garden Club) for any updates including weather, parking, etc. !
Greensboro filmmaker addresses climate change in mock documentary
Three years ago, noted filmmaker Adam McKay unleashed his contemporary sci-fi satire Don’t Look Up, in which Earth is threatened by an approaching comet. While politicians and pundits delay and dither, concerned about the potential political and social ramifications of such a global threat, only a brave few make the attempt to make their voices heard to prevent the impending apocalypse.
The film featured an all-star cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Mark Rylance, Timothee Chalamet, Cate Blanchett, Tyler Perry, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, and Kid Cudi, and was widely (and correctly) perceived as a treatise about the ongoing threat of climate change.
The film was billed as being “based on truly possible events and foregoing a major theatrical release in light of the COVID pandemic, became one of the most watched films in Netflix’s history and earned four Oscar nominations including Best Picture, as well as polarizing both audiences and critics alike with its thinly veiled storyline, with its detractors tending to focus exclusively on the film’s
message more than anything else.”
Don’t Look Up was also the principal inspiration for Greensboro filmmaker Lonnie Ray Atkinson’s feature film Don’t Look Up — again (the satire that changed the world), which posits the theory that the film — and, to a lesser extent, the Oscar-winning Davis Guggenheim/Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth (2006) — inspired activists and journalists worldwide to take a stand, defying corporate and government interests to report the urgent truth about climate change. It’s a “what-if” parable featuring interviews and re-enactments regarding what one character calls “the first major act of climate solidarity in the country.”
Don’t Look Up — again is now available for viewing on YouTube (https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=rp8IWDNJqdU) and the o cial website is https://unsafemedia.com/again/.
Atkinson has long been concerned about climate change, and when he saw Don’t Look Up, it unquestionably resonated with him.
“When I watched Don’t Look Up in December 2021, it was simultaneously cathartic and depressing,” he recalled. “I thought it captured the absurdity of our response to climate change, in particular, how non-serious the reporting has been by the mainstream media and how the interests of capital influence our government. Identifying with the desperation of Jennifer Lawrence’s — and later Leonardo DiCaprio’s — on-air freakout, I decided
FOREST HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW
that if I was going to make a film about climate change, I wanted to give people a glimpse, albeit satirically, into what it might take to get past these seemingly insurmountable institutional hurdles.”
As for the pseudo-documentary format of his film, “I think ‘mockumentary’ is a technically accurate term,” Atkinson said. “I personally prefer ‘fictional documentary’ for this film, if only because the term ‘mockumentary’ in a lot of minds implies a certain type of humor or literal mocking. Don’t Look Up — again is grounded in an alternate history — a satire more serious than funny. The work also serves as a launchpad for Youth Spring: The Movie, a very real activist experiment that crowdsources TikTok videos into its own feature-length film where young people get to tell their own version of the Youth Spring Climate Movement.”
Initially, “the original idea was to make a snarky short [film] depicting the various cynical and/or complacent reactions Don’t Look Up garnered, and how afterward it didn’t seem like the urgency to act had increased in the slightest,” Atkinson said. “That later morphed into an idea about a satirical short posing as a news report, investigating why nothing had come from the movie, but that too seems easily ignorable. Then I wondered how absurdly
di erent it might look if everyone who’d watched Don’t Look Up had then begun organizing/mobilizing for real systemic change. And as much as I do truly hope people will take inspiration from this film to get involved, at the time I thought: Now, that’s satire!”
The filmmaking process posed certain hurdles for its maker. “I didn’t have a movie budget, which means I had no crew,” he said. “I’m not a filmmaker and the overwhelming majority of the cast were not actors. But we all took a chance, and now we’ve got a feature-length film — a pretty damned good one, if I may say so. It makes no sense that we were able to pull this o , but we did it because each of us committed to showing up and giving it a shot. That’s the takeaway.
“Climate change is only going to get worse, and the only way to mitigate it is if enough of us find where we fit into the fight and commit to showing up. This script was one I felt I needed to write. I view the film as similar to a protest song, in that it’s meant to get people excited to — or at least seriously considering how they might — join the fight for a sane climate policy.” !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
Mark Burger
Contributor
[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]
UNCSA’S “THE NUTCRACKER” PRESENTED BY FLOW AUTOMOTIVE OPENS DEC. 6 AT THE TANGER CENTER IN GREENSBORO
SUBMITTED BY SCOTT CARPENTER
A beloved holiday tradition will soon return to the Piedmont Triad when the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) stages its 2024 production of “The Nutcracker ” at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts in Greensboro. Beginning Friday, Dec. 6, through Sunday, Dec. 8, UNCSA will present five performances of “The Nutcracker” at the Tanger Center for a second year, while its home theater, the Stevens Center in Winston-Salem, undergoes a comprehensive renovation.
The UNCSA schools of Dance, Design & Production and Music collaborate annually to produce “The Nutcracker.” Proceeds from “The Nutcracker” support student scholarships at UNCSA.
Performances are Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 7, at noon and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 8, at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Ticket prices begin at $39 and can be purchased at TangerCenter.com/ Nutcracker. Optional upgrades include on-site VIP parking, Lee & Wrangler Lounge access and the Tanger Center’s pre-event Prelude Dining experience for select performances.
This year’s production will feature exciting choreography by talented UNCSA School of Dance faculty member Ilya Kozadayev, an international, awardwinning dancer and choreographer. More than 100 ballet, contemporary and Preparatory Dance students will perform. Guest artist Penny Jacobus returns as guest lighting designer.
An accomplished conductor, Chancellor Brian Cole will conduct the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra for all performances, as he did in 2023.
“Last year’s performances at the Tanger Center were magical for our students and audiences alike,” said Endalyn T. Outlaw, dean of the School of Dance and executive director of “The Nutcracker.” “We’re thrilled to return for a second year and invite guests from across the Piedmont Triad to experience the wonder of ‘The Nutcracker’ once again. There’s truly nothing like it to inspire the holiday spirit!”
“In 2023, we set records for attendance and gross ticket sales at the Tanger Center,” said UNCSA Chancellor Brian Cole. “Nearly 17,000 tickets were distributed across all performances, including tickets for more than 2,500 schoolchildren from Forsyth and Guilford counties. With a capacity more than twice that of the Stevens Center, the Tanger Center allowed us to reach a larger audience, and both matinees nearly sold out. We look forward to welcoming audiences back to this beautiful venue to experience the magic of ‘The Nutcracker’ again this year.”
Temporarily staging “The Nutcracker” at the nearby Tanger Center o ers students the unique opportunity to tour, set up and perform in a state-ofthe-art, 3,000-seat venue just a short distance from UNCSA.
Presented for the first time on Dec. 10, 1966, in Reynolds Auditorium in Winston-Salem, the UNCSA “Nutcracker” production has since been reimagined, recreated and refreshed numerous times.
Flow Automotive is the presenting sponsor of “The Nutcracker.” More information available at uncsa.edu/ nutcracker. !
The frosty thriller Whiteout has nothing to do with the popular liquidpaper product or the forgettable 2009 Kate Beckinsale vehicle, but instead the feature debut of executive producer/ writer/director Derek Barnes, based on his 2016 short film Walking Supply. Barnes collaborated on the screenplay with leading actors James McDougall (also an executive producer) and Douglas Nyback (also an associate producer).
McDougall, Nyback, and Joel Labelle play three Americans who are abducted by Russian soldiers and tossed into a gulag, ostensibly to be held for ransom — although the Russians, led by cigar-
Whiteout
chomping Brock (Dru Viergever), don’t seem in any hurry to negotiate. Thus, they hastily improvise an escape plan and take flight into the night, wandering through the frigid wild. Initially, Whiteout appears to be a latter-day version of Renny Harlin’s 1986 debut Born American (for those who may remember that film — and there probably aren’t many).
The tenacious trio is joined by a pair of fellow Russian escapees, including Victor (Ian Matthews), who dispenses such wisdom as “The wilderness is our prison now.” Indeed it is, and once the Russian soldiers give up their pursuit, they’re left to fend for themselves. Not only must they contend with the elements, but they soon must contend with each other. McDougall’s flabby, out-of-shape Henry comes to realize exactly why his more macho-minded cohorts selected him to accompany them, which the film’s original title hints at. (Take a wild guess, folks.) It gives new meaning to the adage “survival of the fittest.”
As befits the simple but reasonably ef-
fective storyline, there aren’t many laughs in Whiteout although there are some genuinely suspenseful moments. Under the frigid, and limited, circumstances, the actors play their roles with teeth-gnashing conviction, particularly Nyback as the wild-eyed Kurt, who’d have been better o in the gulag. McDougall is a able and likable as the only truly sympathetic character in the film. The foreboding terrain has been well-shot by cinematographer Russ De Jong.
The film is grim but not crude. It’s not cheap or slapdash, having been executed with utter competence and even a bit of flair, even if its existential aspirations fall somewhat short of the mark. Whiteout is a time-killer but not a time-waster, and it’s impressive enough (on its own terms) to make one anticipate what the filmmakers will come up with next. Whiteout is available On Digital and On Demand. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
Mark Burger
Contributor
1992 (Lionsgate): The tumult of the Los Angeles riots in spring 1992 following the Rodney King verdict forms the backdrop of screenwriter/producer/director Ariel Vromen’s slick action thriller starring executive producer Tyrese Gibson as an ex-con and single father trying to protect teenaged son Christopher A’mmanuel when they accidently stumble across a heist masterminded by hair-trigger career criminal Ray Liotta (in his final feature) and his sons Scott Eastwood and Dylan Arnold. The film makes o ers some valid, still-timely observations but ultimately lapses into a contrived albeit well-made shoot-‘em-up, and it’s nice to see Liotta (to whom the film is dedicated) go full-tilt nasty one last time. The DVD/Blu-ray combo ($29.99 retail) includes audio commentary, behindthe-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, and theatrical trailer. Rated R.
ARABESQUE (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): Gregory Peck and Sophia Loren make an attractive screen duo in director Stanley Donen’s award-winning espionage 1966 romp in the Hitchcock tradition, with Alan Badel, Kieron Moore, George Coulouris, Duncan Lamont, and John Merrivale (in his final feature) on hand. Enjoyable and stylish but lightweight, the 4K Ultra HD combo ($39.95 retail) includes audio commentary, theatrical and television trailers, and more.
BATTLE OF THE COMMANDOS (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): The Blu-ray bow ($24.95 retail) of director Umberto Lenzi’s predictable but action-packed 1968 World War II melodrama (originally titled La legione dei dannati and also released as Legion of the Damned) starring a snarling Jack Palance as a Scottish (!) o cer who assembles a ragtag group of convicts and misfits (in Dirty Dozen fashion) to sweep a minefield prior to the Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy in June 1944. Wolfgang Preiss plays the pursuing German o cer while Curt Jurgens (billed as “guest star”) picks up an easy check for a cameo as a Nazi general. This highly generic outing marked an early, inauspicious screenwriting credit for Dario Argento. Bonus features include audio commentary and trailers.
THE CHAMPIONS (Eureka Entertainment/MVD Entertainment Group): A limited-edition Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) of writer/director Brandy Yuen’s 1983 feature directorial debut, a light-hearted martialarts romp (originally titled Boh ngau) starring Yuen Biao as a country bumpkin who becomes an unlikely soccer superstar when he travels to the big city. Bonus features
[VIDEO VAULT]
BY MARK BURGER
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: PLAY MISTY FOR ME (Kino Lorber
Studio Classics)
Clint Eastwood scored a direct hit with his first outing as director, a fast-moving 1971 suspense thriller that would have done Hitchcock proud. As it turned out, it was only the first in a series of directorial triumphs that later saw Eastwood winning two Oscars in that category (1992’s Unforgiven and 2004’s Million Dollar Baby).
Eastwood’s Dave Garver is the smooth-talking disc jockey at a jazz station in Carmel, thereby incorporating Eastwood’s love of jazz and showcasing the picturesque California seaside town he’s called home for many years. He’s also a bit of a ladies’ man, which Eastwood might know a thing or two about, as well.
One of Dave’s regular callers is Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter), who always requests that he play the Erroll Garner standard “Misty” (hence the film’s title). By coincidence (?), she encounters him at his favorite tavern — long-time Eastwood director Don Siegel plays the bartender, Murphy — and they begin a relationship. Dave is clearly more casual about it than Evelyn is, particularly when she begins exhibiting possessive, and then obsessive, behavior toward him, culminating in a gruesome suicide attempt when he attempts to break things o .
While Evelyn is committed to a mental institution after subsequently breaking into his home, Dave tentatively renews his romance with ex-girlfriend Tobie (Donna Mills), but it’s not long before Evelyn is released from incarceration. She calls Dave — to request “Misty,” of course — but tells him she’s moving to Hawaii for a fresh start in life. Needless to say, she has other plans in mind — for Dave, for Tobie, and anyone else who gets in her way.
In addition to his trademark machismo, Eastwood displays facets of vulnerability as the conflicted Dave, Mills is appealing in the stock role of the inevitably endangered Tobie, and John Larch is solid as a good-natured police detective who comes to a bad end — but Play Misty for Me is Jessica Walter’s finest hour on the screen. Her Oscar-worthy turn as Evelyn is alternately terrifying and pitiful, and even sympathetic at times. The film is also noteworthy for introducing the classic Roberta Flack song “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” which is still heard in regular radio rotation all these years later.
As a first-timer, Eastwood the director works in an economical, e cient, and highly assured fashion. As Kevin Thomas, who reviewed the film for the Los Angeles Times, put it: “Clint was the real deal.”
The 4K Ultra HD combo ($39.95 retail) includes audio commentaries, vintage featurettes, video essay, trailers and TV spots, and more. Kino Lorber Studio Classics has also released 4K Ultra HD combos (each $39.95 retail) of the PG-rated Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970), which teamed Eastwood with Shirley MacLaine under Siegel’s direction; and the R-rated 1975 adaptation of The Eiger Sanction, based on Trevanian’s 1972 best-seller, which Eastwood directed and stars with George Kennedy and Jack Cassidy (in a lively but extremely stereotypical turn as a gay double agent). Rated R.
include original Cantonese (with English subtitles) and English-dubbed audio options, audio commentaries, collectible booklet, trailer, and more.
CIRCUS OF HORRORS (Kino Lorber
Studio Classics): Sidney Hayers made his feature directorial debut with this lurid, stylish 1960 thriller starring Anton Di ring as a deranged plastic surgeon who eludes capture and assumes control of a traveling circus, where he continues his nefarious (and inevitably ill-fated) experiments,
MARGUERITE’S THEOREM (Icarus Films Home Video): Anna Novion co-wrote and directed this award-winning 2023 drama (originally titled La Theoreme de Marguerite) starring Ella Rumpf in the title role of a brilliant but socially awkward mathematics student whose life is thrown into chaos when she impetuously quits school after an error is discovered in her thesis, then attempts to erase her past and embark on a new path, only to come full circle due to unforeseen circumstances. This stylish, sometimes episodic drama conveys the pressures and latent sexism of academia and is anchored by fine performances by Rumpf (in a nervy yet empathetic turn), Jean-Pierre Darroussin as her compassionate but vaguely envious mentor whose motto is “Mathematics and emotions do not mix,” and Julien Frison as a student rival-turned-collaborator. In French with English subtitles, available on DVD ($26.98 retail), replete with bonus trailers.
PARASYTE: THE MAXIM — COLLECTOR’S EDITION (Sentai Entertainment): A three-disc “collector’s-edition” Bluray Steelbook ($99.98 retail) of all 24 episodes from the entire 2014-’15 run of the popular, award-winning anime fantasy series (originally titled Kiseiju: Sei no kakuritsu) based on writer/illustrator Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga, in which an average teenager is the only one aware of an ongoing alien invasion by parasitic creatures known as “Migi,” which either take over human beings as hosts or feast on them outright. In Japanese with English subtitles.
PLENTY (Kino Lorber Studio Classics):
with Yvonne Monlaur, Erika Remberg, Yvonne Romain, Jane Hylton, Kenneth Gri th, Conrad Phillips, and genre icon Donald Pleasence lending support. Less a horror film than a thriller with overtones of Edgar Wallace and Georges Franjau’s 1960 classic Eyes Without a Face (Les Yeux sans visage), this was a surprise hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Both the special-edition Blu-ray ($24.95 retail) and 4K Ultra HD combo ($39.95 retail) include audio commentary, theatrical trailer and TV spots.
Meryl Streep shines in director Fred Schepisi’s award-winning 1985 adaptation of screenwriter David Hare’s acclaimed play, as a restless Englishwoman consumed with memories of her experiences with the French Underground during World War II and unable to reconcile that past with her current life. A bit long-winded at times, but the cast makes all the di erence: Charles Dance (in one of his best performances), Sam Neill, Tracey Ullman, Sting, Ian McKellen, and John Gielgud. Streep likely would have earned an Oscar nomination had she not been nominated for the higher-profile and more popular Out of Africa, released the same year. Bonus features include audio commentary, retrospective interview with Schepisi, and theatrical trailer. Rated R. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
JFK and the First Thanksgiving
Presidents are only human, so they make mistakes. No, I’m not talking about Bill Clinton hooking up with Monica Lewinski, or Joe Biden once saying there are 54 states in the Union. I’m talking about John Kennedy, and how he misread history, unintentionally insulted the state of Virginia, and was compelled to make amends.
The story begins on Wednesday, December 4, 1619. That’s the day 38 English settlers from the London Company, navigated their ship down the James River and onto Berkeley Hundred (Harrison’s Landing), in what is now Charles City, Virginia, just 20 miles upstream from Jamestown, which had been settled 12 years prior. The landing party was led by Captain John Woodlief, who, as prescribed in the company charter, ordered a day of Thanksgiving to be observed upon their arrival, and every December 4th thereafter.
Over time, Berkeley became known for its historic firsts. The first bourbon whiskey was made there in 1621 (by a preacher no less). “Taps” was played for the first time while the Union army was encamped at Berkeley in 1862. And, of course, it was the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. More on that in a moment.
In 1907, Berkeley was purchased by John Jamieson who had served as a
Union drummer boy during the army’s encampment at the plantation. Ownership later fell to his son (and my friend) Malcolm, who passed away in 1997. Mac loved Berkeley and was aggressive in marketing the historic site, including through the use of promotional videos and commercials which I helped to produce. He invited the public to tour the house and grounds, sold Berkeley boxwoods and bourbon, and held an annual Thanksgiving pageant which attracted tourists from across the country. But the celebration wasn’t always widely recognized.
One hundred years after his father beat the Yankee drums at Berkeley, Mac was upset by something another Yankee did. In the fall of 1962, President Kennedy issued his yearly Thanksgiving Proclamation in which he recognized his home state of Massachusetts as the site of America’s first Thanksgiving. And so, on November 9th of that year, Virginia State Senator John Wicker was prompted by Mac to write to the president and point out Kennedy’s faux pas. In his telegram, Wicker referenced historical records about Berkeley’s celebration, which took place one full year before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in 1620.
Later that year, Kennedy confidant and noted historian Arthur Schlesinger sent a reply to Wicker with a tongue-incheek apology from the President. According to Berkeley records, Schlesinger “attributed the error to unconquerable New England bias on the part of the White House staff.”
The following year, on November 5, 1963, President Kennedy had to eat crow during his annual Thanksgiving proclamation, saying, “Over three centuries ago, our forefathers in Virginia AND Massachusetts, far from home, in a lonely wilderness, set aside a day of
thanksgiving.” Kennedy’s New England bias wouldn’t allow him to disavow Plymouth entirely, but Mac was happy that Berkeley finally gained official recognition for holding the first Thanksgiving, even if it was a shared honor. Sadly, it was to be Kennedy’s last proclamation. He was assassinated 17 days later in Dallas.
The holiday season is now upon us, and that means gathering together with friends and family to share food, gifts, and goodwill. And, despite the personal and financial losses we might have endured over the past few years, we will find a way to give thanks for what we have and who we’re with. Perhaps we would also do well to emulate those weary English settlers, and just be thankful for surviving another day of our long journey. So, here’s a Berkeley bourbon toast to Captain Woodlief, a little drummer boy, old Mac, and that Yankee president who finally set the record straight. May God bless, and happy Thanksgiving. !
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
President John F. Kennedy receives a turkey presented to him for Thanksgiving by the National Turkey Federation and the Poultry and Egg National Board.
PHOTO BY ABBIE ROWE. WHITE HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHS. JOHN F. KENNEDY PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM, BOSTON
in Kalamazoo”
A Jazzy Treat: Festival brings holiday concert to the Triad Festiva oncert
The John Coltrane Interna-
tional Jazz and Blues Festival is bringing a holiday treat to Triad residents.
The organization will be hosting a holiday concert, in partnership with AARP and World of Life Tabernacle, on Thursday, Dec. 5 beginning at 7 p.m. The concert, held at 1801 Deep River Road in High Point, will feature live music by Kirk Whalum and 1aChord. Tickets start at $20.
“We’ve been wanting to make something like this happen for a while now,” said Joe Williams, organizer for the event. “This is something more isolated and intimate. It really gives us an opportunity to take a deep dive into the spirituality of Coltrane.”
Williams said that the Friends of John Coltrane group, who produce the Labor Day festival, wanted to look at doing more mid-year events.
“It just made sense to do something like this,” Williams said.
Whalum and Williams had discussed doing this when the saxophonist came to town a few years ago, following his visit to The Coltrane House.
“We went over there and walked through the house. I could just see the emotions on him from being in the house where Coltrane grew up. It meant a lot to him. You could just feel it in the air,” he said. “It was much more than somebody just walking around the house or taking a tour. It meant a lot to him. The idea came together this year.”
The saxophonist and songwriter began his solo career in the ‘80s, forming his own band that led to him developing his skills in Houston. It was there that jazz pianist Bob James “discovered” him and brought him on tour, which led to five successful albums with Columbia Records, and a Grammy nomination for their collaboration album, “Joined at the Hip.” After moving to Los Angeles, Whalum became an in-demand session player for top artists like Barbara Streisand, Al Jarreau, Luther Vandross, Larry Carlton, Quincy Jones, and most notably, Whitney Houston, amongst many others. It’s his sax heard on the mega-hit,
“I Will Always Love You,” according to his biography. In addition to more than 25 solo recordings, Whalum was also a member of the soul/jazz group, BWB, with Rick Braun (trumpet) and Norman Brown (guitar).
Kennedy — met by chance in the Fountain View Dining Hall at the University of North Carolina - Greensboro and bonded over their talents and shared musical idols.
The group began singing, went viral, and landed an auction on America’s Got Talent Season 16. The group would eventually end up in the semifinals of the competition, with judges describing their sound as “angelic” and “heavenly.” Since the show, they’ve been performing across the nation.
Williams said the group is impressive.
“They have a gift, and to reintroduce them to the community is really what I’m trying to do,” he said. “I thought this was a perfect occasion to do that.”
Williams said though they did not do a big advertising campaign for the concerts, tickets have been selling well.
An ordained minister, Whalum has a Masters of Art in Religion, hosts a daily podcast called “Bible in Your Ear,” and is a music professor at Visible Music College in Memphis.
He has won numerous awards including three Dove Award nominations, an NAACP Image Award nomination, and two Stellar Awards-Gospel music’s highest honor. Whalum is a 12-time Grammy Award nominee, winning his first Grammy Award (2011) for Best Gospel Song (“It’s What I Do” — featuring Lalah Hathaway) alongside songwriter Jerry Peters. Whalum has also been honored with a Brass Note on the Memphis Walk of Fame and a Star on the Nashville Walk of Fame.
1aChord will also be performing at the holiday concert. The trio — Tavis Cunningham, Christo Hairston, and Julian
“The word has been getting out with social media and word of mouth. People have been purchasing tickets and making inquiries,” he said. “There has been a lot of calls, a lot of interest and excitement. It’s the holiday time and this is just infusing that into it, focusing on Coltrane and what he means to the community.”
Williams said that residents and jazz lovers could look forward to more events throughout the year. Recently they hosted performances at Pennybyrn and Well Spring Senior Centers.
“We are looking to do more,” he said. “We are exploring what we can do throughout the year and keep this train moving.”
For more information or tickets, visit www.coltranejazzfestival.com. !
CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.
Chanel Davis
Editor
Maggie Marshall
“Great neighbors make great neighborhoods” is the mantra of Sunset Hills Neighborhood. On Thursday, Nov. 21, the neighborhood celebrated its 100th anniversary. Fittingly, the ceremony commenced at sunset. Dozens bundled up and met at the Sunset Hills Park on the corner of Madison Avenue and West Greenway Drive. Against pink skies, the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new sculpture commissioned by Lawrence Feir and celebration of the neighborhood’s centennial year took place. In the center of the statue lies a plaque with the aforementioned mantra engraved, forever set in steel, a reminder of the homely feeling the neighbors of Sunset Hills create.
The iconic Christmas balls were suspended from the trees surrounding the park, dazzling audience members as presenters spoke about some of the bountiful history of Sunset Hills, why they love the community, and their hopes for the future of the neighborhood. Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Councilwoman Nancy Ho mann, Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association President Scott Michaels, and Sunset Hills Centennial Chair Cindy Ramsay participated in the ribbon cutting.
The Sunset Hills neighborhood was established in 1914 in the heart of Greensboro. Central to both downtown and the University of North Carolina - Greensboro campus, Sunset Hills is a desirable location for an eclectic mix — professors, students, hospital employees, and more call the Sunset Hills home. The most recognizable feature of the neighborhood is the old architectural homes. Colonial Revival architecture, Tudor Revival architecture, and bungalow/American Craftsman architecture are common styles used throughout the neighborhood. Several of the homes were built between 1925-65. Sunset Hills was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2013 and today it remains the largest such district in Guilford County.
Not only well known amongst Greensboro locals, the neighborhood is recognized across the country due to its annual Christmas decor. Every year giant balls of lights are scattered among the trees throughout the community. The tradition was started in 1996 by residents
Sunset Hills Turns 100
Jonathan and Anne Smith. Smith, who spoke at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, recalled that the tradition started after his daughter came home from college for Christmas one year and told him of a giant light ornament she had seen. She begged him to make one, and he did.
From there it spread like wildfire. The Smiths hosted ball-making workshops so other neighbors could join in on the festivities. Now, almost every tree between West Friendly and West Market Streets is decked out in glimmering chicken wire balls of light.
Another notable hallmark of Sunset Hills is its annual “Running of The Balls.” The event is a 5K run throughout the neighborhood that raises money and collects food donations to be donated to food banks throughout North Carolina. According to Reader’s Digest, as of 2019 Sunset Hills “provided 2.8 million meals and raised nearly $400,000 to combat hunger.”
On Saturday, the neighborhood hosted “Light The Park.” The event marked the beginning of the neighborhood’s winter wonderland transformation. Neighbors and community members joined together to help each other deck the trees with balls of light. The endearing glimmer lit up the community, but also shined a light on the warmth and communal spirit of Sunset Hills. School of Rock, a Chapel Hill based kid-fronted band that covers classic rock songs, and Winston-Salem’s Appalachian rock band Big Daddy, performed and food trucks Carolina’s Finest, Pearl Kitchen, and Whims provided food.
Sculptor Lawrence Feir acknowledged that a neighborhood like Sunset Hills deserves recognition. He built a 16-foot tall monument — not including the height of the stone base — funded by the Sunset Hills Neighborhood Association and Greensboro Parks Foundation in honor of the neighborhood and community. Made
of 100 percent steel, the 1,500-pound monument sits in the middle of the Sunset Hills Park on West Greenway Drive, adjacent to West Market Street. Feir said Roman and Greek Statues inspired the sculpture.
Atop the sculptor stands a stainless steel tree, homage to the neighborhood’s dedication to preserving the trees in the area. Alongside the monument, volunteers and members of the Sunset Hills Environmental A airs Committee planted native canopy trees in the neighborhood — some include Red Mulberry, White Oak, Sugar Maple, Eastern Red Cedar, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Scarlet Oak, and American Holly to name a few. Collectively, the neighborhood planted 120 native trees from Berkeley Street to Friendly Street. Each tree is marked with a little pink ribbon and holds the name of the person who planted it.
Feir was invited to build the sculpture after some residents, who also work at Moses Cone Hospital, saw the steel tree he built for the Meditation Gardens. The design for the hospital sculpture came to Feir while undergoing cancer treatment. He frequently doodled on napkins as a patient and attended the Meditation Gardens to relax. He was commissioned for the centennial project in early spring of this year and completed the project sometime in September.
As a Sunset Hills resident for the past 25 years, Feir has witnessed a lot of community warmth. “This neighborhood means a lot to me. I lived right up on Walker Avenue. I exercised here, met a lot of wonderful people, and did a lot of the artwork for Fishbones and Sticks and Stones,” said Feir. “We all know each other well and support each other. That’s the way this neighborhood is. Everyone respects each other and looks out for one another,” he explained. He credits the micro-business district between Walker
Avenue and Elam Avenue where several restaurants reside alongside bars, a coffee shop, and a general store, for allowing neighbors to meet and hang out.
Enclosed in the steel sculpture is a time capsule featuring historical documents found online, a list of prices of gas and stamps among other things, brochures from Preservation Greensboro’s Tour of Homes in 2012 and from this past May, a recent newsletter, and a medal from a resident who won an Olympic badge during the Paralympics. According to Feir, the plan is to reveal the relics in another 50 or 100 years.
Board Secretary for Greensboro Parks Foundation Cindy Ramsey closed out the centennial celebration with a few thoughts on the neighborhood. “What an amazing community Sunset Hills Neighborhood is. During the nine years that I have lived here, I have seen neighbors with extreme passion; passion for fighting climate change, passion for helping families in need, passion for fighting racism, passion for the arts and music, and a really strong passion for trees and the holiday spirit,” she said. “Sunset Hills is nationally known and it is a neat place with people who love each other and have a lot of those shared passions. I am lucky to call this neighborhood my home and I look forward to seeing what the next 100 years bring to this magical place.” !
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.
WANNA know?
For more information about Sunset Hills and future events follow @sunsethillsgso on Instagram or Sunset Hills Neighborhood — Greensboro on Facebook.
Contributor
East Greensboro residents allege housing bias, poor living conditions
Three days before Christmas of 2023, Srinivas Potluri purchased three Greensboro apartment complexes for $14.34 million. Since then, multiple residents of those units allege that, once Potluri took ownership, he stopped authorizing repairs, even when a grandmother’s heat failed in the dead of winter.
Public records not only support these allegations but indicate the city has reached out to the N.C. attorney general’s office about claims of racial bias.
According to www.capstone-companies.com, the Capstone Carolinas brokerage team sold Potluri three multifamily East Greensboro properties
with a combined 232 units: Lincoln Grove Apartments at 503 S. O. Henry Blvd. (116 units), New Garden Place Apartments at 1916 Phillips Ave. (76 units), and Alexander Homes at 403 S. O. Henry Blvd. (40 units). The posting quoted his plans “to implement additional efficiencies that
will further benefit residents within each of the three communities.”
In October, complaints in lawsuits filed by two of Potluri’s tenants cited his business addresses as 2417 E. Ozark Ave., in Gastonia, and 4129 W. Rincon Ave. in Campbell, California. OpenCorporate. com lists Potluri as managing 62 LLCs at the Gastonia address, including New Garden Apartments LLC, Fortune Holdings LLC, Lincoln Grove Apartments LLC, and Venture Rentals LLC.
At venturerentalsapts.com/about-us, the section titled “Meet Srini Potluri, Managing Member of Venture Rentals” states that Potluri “has acquired, rehabbed, and currently manages over 2,400 units across North Carolina and South Carolina.” It describes Potluri as “a strong advocate for affordable housing,” whose property is maintained to the highest standards” with “the utmost attention and care.”
When Linda Bethea spoke at the November 4 meeting of Greensboro City Council, she told a different story.
“My heater went out February 25,” said Bethea, who lived in New Garden Apartments from 2014 until November of this year.
“He never fixed it, and my entire family, including my husband and my grand-babies, whom I babysit for, caught the flu. Every time I told the property management office, they’d promise to fix it as soon as possible, but it still wasn’t working when I moved out this month.”
Bethea said a maintenance director finally inspected her apartment’s HVAC system in April and told her the compressor had failed. “And then nothing was done. I had no heat or AC for 10 months,
even though I was still paying my full rent.”
Bethea also stated, while she waited for repairs that never happened, multiple new tenants moved into neighboring units, whom she alleged received speedy repair service for any problems they reported. “Unlike me, none of my new neighbors were Black. One of them, a nice Hispanic man, told me that he was paying $1000 a month. I was paying $550.”
Bethea filed a lawsuit against Potluri in October and moved out in early November. At the Nov. 4 council meeting, she and her neighbor Brigette Babington, who is also suing Potluri, spoke about the problems they experienced once he became their landlord.
“I also have no heat, and my kitchen electrical outlets aren’t working,” said Babbington. “I complained to the management and they said ‘maintenance will be there next week, we’re coming out this week,’ but they never did. And now part of my floor is caved in and my windows won’t open.”
District 1’s Sharon Hightower and District 2’s Goldie Wells both indicated they were aware of these and other ongoing issues at this and other properties owned by Potluri, where multiple code violations had been found. “But they’re not being enforced,” said Wells.
Mayor Nancy Vaughan also expressed concern. “We’re also reaching out to the attorney general’s office, which is a pretty big deal. A building can be condemned without heat.”
“We don’t want that for you,” said Hightower to Bethea and Babbington, as condemnation of their units would leave
Ian McDowell
Contributor
Brigitte Babbington
Linda Bethea
them homeless. “I don’t want an order to demolish, I want an order to repair.”
Public records show from March through the end of October, the city of Greensboro has made multiple attempts to get Potluri to address violations at his properties.
On June 4, Code Compliance Inspector Valerie Sarver noted that, as “no repairs have been completed and owner still has not hired maintenance sta to address work,” she was “issuing civil penalties.”
On Oct. 10, Code Compliance Supervisor Jarod LaRue emailed Andrea Harrell, Assistant City Manager for Public Safety, that Potluri “has been mostly unresponsive to our notifications” and “repairs are not actively being made.” According to LaRue, some tenants have complained, “of being treated di erently than others, with some potential bias.” For this reason, “we’ve sent notification to the attorney general.”
On Nov. 6, Harrell emailed council that Potluri owes the city $17,150.00 in civil penalties, which “have been accruing since April of this year.”
According to Harrell, there are “17 units that code compliance is working on and seeking immediate repairs.” Sixteen of these have been submitted to the Minimum Housing Commission, which will file in court for receivership. As previously reported, N.C. General Statue 160D-1130 allows the city of Greensboro to put condemned residential units and homes
under the control of a court-appointed receiver, who will be empowered to rehabilitate them, put them on the rental market for two years, and use rents to recoup the costs of bringing the dwellings up to code.
Greensboro is not the only state city in which properties owned by Potluri have been condemned. In April, approximately 150 people, including 72 children, were left homeless when the city of Henderson shut down the 121 Motel for various health and fire violations, including a collapsed awning and doors, mold, and bedbug infestation. According to OpenCorporates, Potluri was the owner via Fortune Hospitality LLC at his Gastonia address. YES! Weekly has made multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Potluri via the phone numbers, email addresses and website portals of his o ces in Gastonia and California, as well as the phone number for the property management o ce of New Garden Apartments. On Nov. 14, a secretary at the Gastonia number stated she would convey a request for comment on the allegations made against Potluri at the Nov. 4 council meeting. Subsequent calls to that number and the one for the property manager at New Garden Apartments have gone to voicemail. !
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.
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Happy Hour Specials MONDAY-WEDNESDAY 3-6PM MON: $9.99 Wings | TUE: $9.99 Nachos WED: $5.99 Snackables
Planes, trains, and automobiles bringing Triad folks home for the Holidays
Hold on to your seats, Triad
music lovers, the holidays are here! And along for the ride are the annual rounds of hometown shows from folks now living far and wide.
Folkknot Friendsgiving; November 27 at the Flat Iron Folkknot hasn’t quite flown the coop, but they’ll celebrate friends returning home with a “Folkknot Friendsgiving” at the Flat Iron on November 27. Laura Maine is the supporting artist; though the evening will feature a surprise array of special guests. “Join us,” the band said, inviting folks to enjoy “as we give thanks for the awesome music community we have in Greensboro and welcome friends of the band up on stage to play alongside us as we roll through our set!”
George Huntley and Darren Jessee; November 29 at the Flat Iron
A couple of Triangle heavy-hitters, George Huntley and Darren Jessee, are popping into the Triad for a show at the Flat Iron on November 29. As a co-founding member of Ben Folds Five (featuring Winston-Salem’s favorite son, the eponymous Ben Folds who recently played at the Ramkat), Jessee’s own songwriting highlights personal monuments through vintage keyboards, “languid vocals and plainspoken, yet elegiac lyrics.” For Huntley, part of the “thinking man’s rock” troupe the Connells, it’s a post-Thanksgiv-
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ing parade of his All-Star band, featuring Scott Carle (Dillon Fence), Andrew Branan (Cage Bird Fancier), Tom Mills (Johnny Folsom 4) and Alex Lawhon (The Roman Spring).
“As a musician, it’s a pure joy to work with some of the best players around,” Huntley said. “Performing with Scott, Andrew, Tom, and Alex brings any show to the next level.”
House Of Fools, Fancy Gap, and Larry Wayne Slaton; November 30 at the Flat Iron
The Flat Iron takes the hometown experience to another level the following night with House Of Fools, Fancy Gap, and Larry Wayne Slaton on November 30. To no one’s surprise, the show has sold out — but it’s worth mentioning the experience of Flat Iron owner, Josh King, getting his house in order with his old homies, House of Fools; joined by Slaton as a special quest and the Greensboro-debut of Fancy Gap, the new project from Stuart McLamb (The Love Language).
“Jam for Joe:” a memorial open jam for Joe Hundertmark and Nathan Harris; November 29 at Krankies Co ee Meanwhile, in Winston-Salem, friends will gather from around the country in a memorial jam celebrating the lives and music of the late Joe Hundertmark and Nathan Harris, who were killed in a car crash on September 6. The two “titans of WSNC music” will be remembered for their work in an array of projects — from the improv studies at UNC-School of the Arts
to the late-nights at Rubber Soul — and will be honored in a “round robin odyssey,” cementing the everlasting power of their music.
Joe Troop’s Truth Machine; November 30 at Gas Hill Drinking Room
A di erent Joe is in the spotlight the following, as Joe Troop brings his Truth Machine to Gas Hill Drinking Room on November 30.
Troop grew up in Winston before becoming a resident around the world. A graduate of R.J. Reynolds High School, Troop formed the Grammy-nominated Latingrass ensemble Che Apalach during his time in Argentina; and now lives in the Triangle, where he performs in a number of outfits, including being one-half of the Venezuelan-Appalachian folk duo Larry & Joe (who’ll celebrate their latest album with a release show on December 12 at the Fruit in Durham); and the upcoming jazz ensemble (featuring flutist Rebecca Kleinmann, drummer Gastón Reggio, bassist Ramon Garcia, and Bailey Newman on viola,) that will make their debut at the Fruit on December 19.
But it’s Troop’s Truth Machine that he’ll bring to his hometown stomping grounds. “Over the years, I’ve carved a niche as an ‘artivist’, entwining music and social justice,” Troop explained of the Truth Machine band. “I’ve now recruited some of my favorite festival friends from the Old Time and Bluegrass scene to form a political protest powerhouse.” On the line — playing both at Gas Hill on November 30
and at the Fruit on December 5 — is guitarist Lu Furtado, fiddler-player Deb Shebish, mandolinist Olivia Fernandez, and Greensboro’s Jimmy Washington on bass.
The dB’s and Rachel Kiel; December 6 at NCMA W-S Another set of Reynolds grads are making their way back to Winston-Salem; as the dB’s bring their reunion tour, supporting the reissue of their 1981 debut LP “Stands for Decibels,” to NCMA W-S for a sold-out sixth installment of the museum’s Southern Idiom concert series that celebrates the diverse artistry of WinstonSalem musicians, past and present. Formed in late-1970s New York City by R.J. Reynolds High School alumni Peter Holsapple, Chris Stamey, Will Rigby, and Gene Holder, The dB’s are often regarded as the band that bridged the gap between classic ‘70s power pop and the jangly new wave of smart, Alterna-pop made famous by groups like R.E.M. They’ll be joined by supporting songwriter, Rachel Kiel, who combines wit and generous vulnerability to explore fresh pop sensibilities with the flair of creative reinvention.
Wednesday (solo) and Cryogeyser (solo); December 19 at the Flat Iron Wednesday is an Asheville band, but the narratives, experiences, and patchwork of American South portraits reside in Karly Hartzman’s mind and memories of their Greensborian upbringing. Marking her first return to the Triad since selling out NCMA W-S in January, the Flat Iron show on December 19 will culminate the solo tour shared with Shawn Marom (of Los Angeles-based Cryogeyser).
Hobex, Tom Mackell, and Farewell Friend (solo); December 20 at the Flat Iron
The Reynolds alumni keep rolling home as Greg Humphreys’ Hobex returns to the Flat Iron for a Holiday party on December 20 with Charleston’s Tom Mackell and Tom Troyer (of Farewell Friend) in tow. Welcome home to all you roving Triad musicians out there. Here’s to the bounty of your work and a full plate at your Thanksgiving table! !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.
Katei Cranford
Contributor
Side by Side with Nido Qubein is a 30-minute, behind-the-curtain conversation with people whose influence and impact are felt throughout the state of North Carolina and beyond. High Point University President Nido Qubein, an internationally known author and business consultant, digs beneath the surface conversation to reveal insights and inspiration from each special guest. Featuring both timeless and topical themes, the weekly series runs yearlong on PBS North Carolina.
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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 29: Harvey Street
nov 29: Philstock ‘24
nov 30: Crazy Chester
nov 30: the dB’s
nov 30: Speed Stick
dec 5: Slippery Hill
dec 9: ridE
dec 10: lynn Blakey Christmas Show ft. dave Hartman, FJ Venture, Ecki Heins
dec 12: Chris Chism, Earleine, Breezy
dec 13: Jake Xerxes Fussell
dec 14: alisa amidor
dec 14: Chatham County line
dec 14: Southern Culture on the Skids
dec 17: wednesday, Cryogeyser
dec 19: rachel despard
dec 19: Shakey graves
dec 21: He is legend
dec 30-31: Cosmic Charlie
CHARlOttE
BoJanglES ColiSEuM
2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com
dec 5: Christmas with CeCe winans Ft. roman Collins
dec 6: Keith & Kristyn getty
dec 7: Boochella ft. Boosie
dec 11: lindsey Stirling
dec 12: Jason Bonham
dec 31: the avett Brothers
tHE FillMorE
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970
www.livenation.com
nov 27: Kany garcia
nov 30: Ky-Mani Marley
dec 1: Peezy
dec 4: Young nudy
dec 5: Cowboy Bebop live
dec 6: layz
dec 7: dexter and the Moonrocks
dec 8: atsuko okatsuka
dec 8: Maddox Batson
dec 10: underoath
SPECtruM CEntEr
333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000
www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com
dec 5: Kacey Musgraves
dec 8: rod wave
dec 14: trans-Siberian orchestra
ClEmmOnS
VillagE SquarE
taP HouSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct |
336.448.5330
www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
dec 5: dustin York
dec 6: wesley Bryan Band
dec 7: Muddy Creek revival
dec 12: anna Mertson
dec 13: Vinyl tap
duRHAm
Carolina tHEatrE
309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030
www.carolinatheatre.org
dec 6: Cowboy Bebop live
dec 7-8: amahl and the night Visitors
dPaC
123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787
www.dpacnc.com
nov 27: air Supply
nov 29-dec 1: Hadestown
dec 5-15: ‘twas the night Before’ by Cirque du Soleil
dec 18-22: a Christmas Carol
ElKIn
rEEVES tHEatEr
129 W Main St | 336.258.8240
www.reevestheater.com
wednesdays: reeves open Mic
Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam
nov 29: time Sawyer
dec 6-7: donna the Buffalo
dec 12: luke Mears & Friends
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
dec 7: twitty & lynn
dec 12-15: greensboro Ballet: the
nutcracker
dec 13: Jayne trinette and the Ma Jestik Souls Band
dec 14-15: greensboro Ballet: tea with Clara
dec 14: Chad Eby and ariel Pocock
CoMEdY ZonE
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034
www.thecomedyzone.com
dec 4: that one Mailman and Friends
dec 5-7: Shelly Belly
dec 12: Chris Estrada
dec 13-14: Chris wiles
dec 27-28: Comedy Hypnotist Bob lauder
dec 31: Burpie from MtV’s Wild ‘N Out
Flat iron
221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967
www.flatirongso.com
nov 29: george Huntley
nov 30: House of Fools w/ Fancy gap
dec 1: olth, ostraca, Middle Earth
dec 3: Colin Cutler & Hot Pepper Jam w/ Momma Molasses
dec 5: 30 is dead, girl Scout riot and wash away
dec 6: Jamie Mclean Band
dec 7: Make the Yuletide gay: Flamy grant, Jennifer Knapp, Crys Matthews
dec 10: Eric Johanson
dec 12: underground Springhouse, Big Shrimp, Jacoozy
dec 13: lowborn, galloway and Blankstate
dec 14: Fifth Floor, Bedroom division, Moving Boxes and nervous Surface
dec 19: wednesday, Cryogeyser
garagE taVErn
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
nov 27: dear Sister
nov 29: Stereo doll
nov 30: Hwy 42 Band
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
dec 1: Crown Magnetar
dec 3: two Piece
dec 5: Seven Kingdoms
dec 6: unto others
dec 7: rep Your City Fest
dec 8: a Killers Confession
dec 14: thoughtless: the Korn Experience
dec 16: Suffocation
dec 20: Black Flag w/ the queers
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 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 nov 27: Matt Page nov 29: Flannel
nov 29: derek Hough dec 6-8: the nutcracker dec 10-15: ElF the Musical dec 21: a drag queen Christmas
JAMESTOWN
THE DECK
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999
www.facebook.com/TheDeckJamestown/
Nov 30: Salem Smoke
KERNERSVILLE
BREATHE COCKTAIL LOUNGE
221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822
www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge
Wednesdays: Karaoke
Nov 29: Contraband
LIBERTY
THE LIBERTY
SHOWCASE THEATER
101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844
www.TheLibertyShowcase.com
Dec 6: Guy Penrod
Dec 7: Rhonda Vincent
Dec 14: Jimmy Fortune
Dec 31: Jerry Allisons Oldies Show
LINCOLN THEATRE
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400
www.lincolntheatre.com
Nov 29: Into the Fog & Friends
Nov 30: Julia, The Psycodelics, Duck
Dec 6: Dexter & The Moonrocks
Dec 7: The Breakfast Club
Dec 12: One For Don ft. Idlewild South & Friends
Dec 13: The Connells w/ The Mayflies USA
Dec 14: Start Making Sense
Dec 19: Tab benoit w/ Jesse Dayton
Dec 20: Yarn w/ Dune Dogs
Dec 21: Dillon Fence w/ George Huntley Band, Alex Lawhon
Dec 27-31: Big Something
LENOVO CENTER
1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com
Nov 30: Pentatonix
Dec 6: Jhene Aiko
Dec 9: Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time
Dec 18: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Dec 21: Rod Wave
WINSTON-SALEM
FIDDLIN’ FISH
BREWING COMPANY
772 Trade St | 336.999.8945
www.fiddlinfish.com
Tuesdays: Trivia
Nov 29: Hotwax & The Splinters
Dec 6: The Asheville Mountain Boys
Dec 13: Jessie Dunks
FOOTHILLS BREWING
638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348
www.foothillsbrewing.com
Sundays: Sunday Jazz
Thursdays: Trivia
Nov 27: Desi & Cody
Nov 27: Taylor Mason
Nov 29: James Vincent Carroll
Nov 30: Anne and the Moonlighters
Dec 1: New River Overlook
Dec 6: Bradley Edge
Dec 7: Heather Foster
Dec 8: Justin Cohen
Dec 11: Vogan Thompson
Dec 13: Michael Chaney
Dec 14: Natalie Goodman
Dec 15: Coia and Russell Kelly
Dec 18: Kevin Holdson
Dec 20: Megan Doss
Dec 21: Big Bump and the Stun Gunz
Dec 22: Doobe and the Accomplices
Dec 27: Tyler Millard Duo
Dec 28: Eddie and Josh
Dec 29: Nick Branscome
Dec 31: Mystik Muse
THE RAMKAT
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714
www.theramkat.com
Nov 29: Camel City Yacht Club
Nov 30: The Mountain Goats, Joelton Mayfield
Nov 30: Joe Troop’s Truth Machine
Dec 5: Gavin Adcock
Dec 7:Shakey Graves & Bu alo Hunt
Dec 8: Patterson Hood
Dec 12: Kyle Caudle & Timberline, Farewell Friend, Janus 4-14
Dec 13: High School Reunion
Dec 14: Puddles Pity Party
Dec 17: Boogie Winter Wonderland with Piedmont Wind Symphony
Dec 19: Improvement Movement, Tori Elliot
Dec 20: The Smyle Band Christmas
Dec 21: Morgan Wade
Dec 27-28: Cosmic Charlie
WISE MAN BREWING
826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008
www.wisemanbrewing.com
Thursdays: Music Bingo
Nov 29: Possum Jenkins
Nov 30: Barefoot Modern
Dec 6: Tom Petty Tribute Show by Men in Black
Dec 7: MeloDeacs
Dec 7: Evan Blackerby
Dec 13: Jay McCormick
Dec 13: Deece Casillas
Dec 15: Handmade Holidays Market
Dec 21: Red Umber Jazzy Christmas Special
A Carolina Christmas Sun, Dec 1
3PM
Reynolds Auditorium
Ring in the holiday season with your Winston-Salem Symphony. Michelle Merrill conducts the orchestra, chorus—and you, the audience!—in yuletide favorites for this family-friendly event. Stunning soprano Dee Donasco stars.
Natalie Garcia
PRESENTS
hot pour
[BARTENDER OF THE WEEK COMPILED BY NATALIE GARCIA]
NAME: Daniel Emerson
BARS:
Bitter’s Social House and Freeman’s Grub & Pub, both in Greensboro, N.C.
AGE: 35
WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Climax, N.C.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING?
Check out videos on our Facebook!
I’ve been behind the bar close to a decade and a half!
HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER?
I’ve always loved throwing parties and from time to time I would bartend at house shows and underground events. Eventually I got hired at a legitimate and licensed bar and it’s been nothing short of a dream ever since!
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING?
I love people and the human connection above most things in life. I’m blessed to have my social needs met while making a good living and to me, that’s the perfect life! Being able to curate an experience for patrons and cultivate community by the glass is beyond rewarding.
WHAT IS THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF BARTENDING?
People aren’t always drinking in good spirits. I’ve worked countless shifts following memorial services for folks that sat at the bar earlier that week. People want to gather in that space to morn and it’s up to you to hold it together and be there for the community. Often times repressing your grieving until you clock out and carry everyone else’s tears home with you before you can shed your own. Pretending to be strong isn’t for the weak that’s for sure.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE?
out because so many places miss the mark, but when it’s done well, there’s nothing like it.
WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK?
I love a mule or a dark and stormy after a meal. Something crispy to spark your palate while the ginger beer settles your stomach.
The only thing better than perfectly layering a New York Sour is the look on a patrons face after they take their first sip of it. There’s something magical about it.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK?
I love a traditional old fashioned. I rarely order them
WHAT’S THE STRANGEST DRINK REQUEST YOU’VE HAD?
Fireball pickleback. I would have advised against it had they not been rude to me prior to ordering. I served it with a smile and cherished their immediate regret.
WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING?
A “National Geographic” documentarian from Australia shouting about the reproductive organs of rhinos over the microphone during karaoke.
WHAT’S THE WEIRDEST THING YOU’VE FOUND IN A BAR BATHROOM? A strap-on in the trash can.
WHAT’S THE BEST/BIGGEST TIP YOU’VE EVER GOTTEN?
$1,600
WANNA BE FEATURED IN HOT POUR? Email Natalie Garcia at natalie@yesweekly.com and ask about being our Bartender of the Week!
[SALOME’S STARS]
Week of December 2, 2024
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A project benefits from your organizational skills that get it up and running. Your success leaves a highly favorable impression. Don’t be surprised if you get some positive feedback soon.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Spend time on practical matters throughout the week, then shift your focus to more artistic pursuits. Resist being overly self-critical. Just allow yourself to feel free to create.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20)
Restarting those creative projects you had set aside for a while will help provide a much-needed soothing balance to your hectic life. Besides, it will be like meeting old friends again!
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A change in plans could make it tough to keep a commitment. But stay with it. You’ll get an A-plus for making the e ort to do what’s right and not taking the easy way out by running o .
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) The Lion’s enthusiasm for a workplace policy review is admirable. But be sure you know who is really behind the resistance to change before pointing your finger at the wrong person.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You can expect to have a lot of work throughout the first half of the week. Devote the rest of the week to checking your plans in case some need to be adjusted.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Try to avoid signing on the dotted line during the early part of the week. You need time to study issues that weren’t fully ex-
plored. The latter part of the week might be more favorable for decision-making.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) A new development could snarl travel schedules or other holiday-linked projects. Some flexibility might be called for, to deal with problems before they get too far out of hand.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Relatives seek your advice on a matter you’d rather not be involved in. If so, use your sage Sagittarian tact to decline the “o er” so that no one’s feelings are needlessly hurt.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A shift in your planning direction might help you speed up your progress toward achieving a long-planned goal. Trusted colleagues are ready to o er valuable support.
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) An unexpected demand for the settlement of an old loan could create some preholiday anxiety. But you might not really owe it. Check your records thoroughly before remitting payment.
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) It’s a good time to get involved with your social circle. Enjoy some well-earned fun and games with those closest to you before you have to resume more serious activities next week.
[BORN THIS WEEK: Your ability to sense the needs of others makes you a wise counselor for those seeking help with their problems.
[CROSSWORD] crossword on page 11 [WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 11 answers
[TRIVIA TEST] by
Fifi Rodriguez
[1. GEOGRAPHY: In which country would you find the Angkor Wat temple?
[2. SCIENCE: Which vitamin aids in blood clotting?
[3. MUSIC: Which pop music icon has a Pantone color named after him?
[4. TELEVISION: Which 1990s TV comedy series features the theme song “Cleveland Rocks”?
[5. U.S. STATES: Which state is last alphabetically?
[6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is an adult female turkey called?
[7. MOVIES: Which popular 1994 movie features a character named Red?
[8. AD SLOGANS: Which company’s advertising slogan is “Like a Good Neighbor”?
[9. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How long is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade route?
[10. ANATOMY: What are beta cells?
answer
10. Specialized cells in the pancreas that produce insulin.
9. 2.5 miles.
8. State Farm.
7. The Shawshank Redemption.
6. A hen.
© 2024 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
2024 by King Features Syndicate
1. Cambodia.
2. Vitamin K.
3. Prince (“Love Symbol #2,” a purple shade).
4. The Drew Carey Show.
5. Wyoming.
53rd Annual Christmas
Prayer BREAKFAST
This year’s inspiring message will be provided by Rev. Susan Sparks, Senior Pastor of Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City.
Friday, December 6, 2024 | 8 A.M.
Special music provided by Mr. Wintley Phipps, pastor, worldrenowned vocal artist, motivational speaker, and education activist.
For 53 consecutive years, High Point University has brought the wider High Point faith community together for the Annual Prayer Breakfast. Enjoy a festive program that honors the birth of Jesus Christ and the reason for the season.
Parking and shuttle service will be available in the parking lot located at 1315 North University Parkway, High Point, NC 27262 beginning at 7:30 a.m. Handicap accessible vans will be available from the parking lot to transport guests to the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center.