YES! Weekly - December 21, 2022

What started o as a creative Christmas gift has grown into an enterprise between friends binding them, and their customers’ love of books, together.

4 BRIXX IS A NORTH CAROLINA NATIVE, having originated with three partners in Charlotte. This is not a chain, it is a franchise. A Triad partnership, BGSO Operations, owns the Greensboro property.

6 JUMP LITTLE CHILDREN are taking their last leap — making a farewell tour stop in the city where it all started — with a show at the Ramkat on December 23.

7 A LITTLE PRAYER, the latest film written and directed by Winston-Salem’s own Angus MacLachlan, will make its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, which will be held January 19th –29th, 2023 in Park City, UT.

8 One small neighborhood – only 24 homes – has just witnessed a TWISTED “CHRISTMAS MIRACLE”: four of its small, single-family homes are being transformed into a dense, 80-unit housing development.

9 THE INSPECTION, which marks the feature debut of writer/director Elegance Bratton, is “inspired by true events” – specifically Bratton’s own stint in the Marine Corps 20 years ago.

14 Backpack Beginnings, the GREENSBORO-BASED NONPROFIT that feeds, comforts, and clothes children in need, is looking for volunteers to staff its new market where all the food is free.

15 Winston-Salem artist and founder of The Center for Female Sovereignty, Cashavelly Morrison, has brought forth yet ANOTHER SAFE SPACE in the name of supporting and celebrating women and their creative journeys.

16 But while it may be dark outside, Triad tunes keep spirits bright and venues pop with parties to celebrate the impending year. LOOKING TO RING IN 2023 WITH FRIENDS AND SONGS? Look around the Triad.

Chow Down with John Batchelor at Brixx

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

Ilike pizza. I like it quite a lot, actually, so much that I consider it one of the essential food groups in my diet. Over many years, I think I have sampled all of the chains, but I am not inclined to repeat any of them. Some strike me as fairly good, others not very good, but none as appealing as a handful of places that are native to the Triad.

There is one exception. Brixx is a North Carolina native, having originated with three partners in Charlotte. This is not a chain, it is a franchise. A Triad partnership, BGSO Operations, owns the Greensboro property. They also own Brixx in Winston-Salem (1295 Creekshire Way, 27103, (336) 837-0664, brixxpizza. com/locations/Winston-salem ). The Greensboro manager is Clay Webster; he started out in the kitchen when the restaurant opened about 18 years ago. Josh Gibson is Assistant Manager. He has approximately 25 years in the business, with 10 at this Brixx.

Although I have had meals here in person, most of my experiences have been takeout. With a triple winter virus curse in the offing for winter, takeout is becoming a focus again.

I have had two selections from the starters section of the menu, and I like them both. The flavors of the named ingredients in Spinach and Artichoke Dip are evident, blended into a dip based on cream cheese, topped with diced tomatoes. I find the accompanying blue corn tortilla chips especially enjoyable. Hummus Trio provides scoops of roasted red pepper and black bean hummus, surrounded by toasted pita wedges, carrots, celery, and red pepper slices. You can get multiple vegetable servings this way!

Salads are attractive as well as nutritious and tasty. (Contrast these preparations with what you find in many chain restaurants, where an otherwise healthy dish is converted to a nutritional catastrophe by adding fat, salt, and sugar with heaps of cheap cheese and/ or sweet dressings.)

The Brixx Salad is available as a

smaller portion side or a full size, which is large enough to share (as are the other salads). Spring mix lettuces host pistachio nuts, crumbled goat cheese, and crisp croutons, dressed in white balsamic vinaigrette. Caesar uses hearts of Romaine lettuce, plus crisp croutons and shredded Parmesan cheese, with a traditional Caesar dressing. Mediterranean Salad is based on chopped Romaine hearts, decorated with Roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, and banana peppers, lightly coated with lemon tahini vinaigrette.

Pizza, of course, is the main event. They are all the same size (my wife and I share one), baked in a wood-fired oven, based on a thinnish crust that imparts really good flavor in its own right — an essential quality for pizza, in my estimation.

If you want tomato sauce, consider one of these. Americo places slices of pepperoni and fresh mushrooms with mozzarella cheese. The Bronx Bomber incorporates spicy Italian sausage with prosciutto, plus mozzarella and gor-

gonzola cheese, sprinkled with fresh oregano. This is really rich! Wood-Roasted Vegetable combines mushrooms, broccoli, onions, bell peppers, and fresh oregano with mozzarella cheese. In each of these, the low-acid tomato flavor is evident but does not overpower the primary ingredients.

My favorites here, however, use an olive oil base. The 4x4 features slices of sausage, pepperoni, prosciutto, and bacon, plus mozzarella, parmesan, gouda, and goat cheeses. The meats and the cheese all deliver quality flavors from genuine ingredients. In Chicken Florentine, you encounter slices of wood-roasted chicken, plus crumbled (real) bacon, Roma tomatoes, and spinach leaves, along with feta and mozzarella cheeses. Margherita is based on fresh, mozzarella cheese, made in-house, plus Roma tomato slices and fresh basil leaves.

Pear and Gorgonzola takes a classic combination of ingredients — sliced pears, mozzarella and gorgonzola cheeses, and walnuts, plus caramelized onions — and places them on pizza crust.

Caesar Salad

Rosemary Chicken and Mushroom Pizza

Novel, but delicious! Rosemary Chicken and Mushroom combines that woodroasted chicken with rosemary leaves, fresh mushrooms, caramelized onions, and a blend of mozzarella, smoked gouda, goat, and Parmesan cheeses. I order this one most often.

Pastas are easy to enjoy and recommend as well. The highly enjoyable flavors that appear in the chicken pizzas are also on display in Roasted Chicken Alfredo, augmented with crumbled bacon and fresh mushrooms, in creamyrich alfredo sauce, over angel hair pasta. If your taste preferences tilt toward tomato sauce, then Pasta Pomodoro with fresh basil, garlic, and red onion is the most obvious rendition. Meatball Pomodoro pasta augments that base with meatballs and more sauce. Although it is not on the menu, this kitchen has always accommodated my request for Pasta Pomodoro with Italian sausage, peppers, and onions. An abundance of flavor!

Although several desserts look interesting, I have never tasted them. I never order dessert on takeout. Have to manage my diet some way, and this is one of the controls I have in place.

Positioned solidly in the mid-range, pricewise, Brixx represents a good value.

But many discounts are available, either on their website, their app, or through Groupon. Use these, and you wind up with one of the best dining deals in the Triad. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina. Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail. com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel. blogspot.com.

WANNA go?

Most recent visit: December 11. Brixx is located in Greensboro, 1424 Westover Terrace, 27408, (336) 235-2749. brixxpizza.com/locations/greensboro/

Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. daily Appetizers: $7.95-$9.95 Salads: $4.95-$13.95 Entrees: $9.95-$18.95 Desserts: $6.95-$7.95

There is also a Brixx location in Burlington, 1022 Boston Drive, 27215, (336) 538-9770.

Italian Sausage Pasta

Jump Little Children are taking their last leap — making a farewell tour stop in the city where it all started — with a show at the Ramkat on December 23.

For the band, “the past 30-plus years have been an incredible adventure,” they said in a post. “A mosaic of indescribable events, emotions, and connections that have shaped who we are as people. It’s a story of highs and lows, of successes and failures, creativity, imagination and brotherhood, a story of a deep sense of awe and love for the art of songwriting and a story of the greatest fans a band could ever wish for. A story that will live within us forever.”

The story itself started in Winston-Salem in 1990, when a handful of students at UNCSA started jamming together blends of Irish traditionals with an upbeat, indie flair. From the o , it was a casual collection bridging two guitars, a cellist, and clarinet from Jay Cli ord, Christopher Pollen, Ward Williams, and Matt Bivins. A second Bivins, Matt’s brother Evan, followed shortly to fill out the drums. Over

the next few decades, the group jumped around the country, o ering an answer to the age-old question: “what happens to art school kids that decide to rock?”

In their case, the answer came in nine albums, a handful of lineups — stints living in Boston and ultimately Charleston, South Carolina — placements on the Billboard charts, songs appearing on television, in shows like: “Party of Five,” “Everwood,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” Netflix’s “The Society,” and a double-dip in Zach Bra ’s media world: on “Scrubs” and in Bra ’s 2014 movie, “I Wish I Was There.”

Then came hiatus — though the group remained friends, Jump Little Children took a break — from 2005 to 2015, exiting with a black-tie a air and re-entering with a round of shows commemorating the anniversary that sold out within minutes.

Fans jumped at the resurgence, which fueled a regrouping and the albums that followed: 2017’s “Sparrow” and 2022’s “Foundering,” which serves as a closing chapter to their catalog.

Jump Little Children’s final chapter features songs written primarily by Cli ord — though with the notable absence of the Bivins brothers. “As you’re aware, our brothers, Matt and Evan, decided to bow out of this last chapter and we continue to wish them all the success in the world,” the band said, with allusions to special

guests slated in their place. “It’s time for us to make good on our promise of a new album and at the same time honor their legacy by completing this last chapter and closing the book.”

And it’s a book for which they acknowledge the fans in helping bring to life — having funded “Foundering” through crowd-support and the Jump Little Children Patreon, which began as an experiment in 2019. The success of which spawned “an explosion of content,” including: the “Cool Demo” podcast which explored the making of “Sparrow,” along with b-sides and previously unheard tracks, concert footage, and home shows live-streamed during the pandemic.

Ultimately, it was the fans and their appetite which fueled “Foundering,” with tracks chosen through fan votes — the group headed to Nashville in February to work with Josh Kaler and other special guests like: Ruby Amanfu, Cary Ann Hearst (Shovels and Rope), Christina Cone (Frances Cone), Owen Biddle (John Legend, The Roots) and Travis McNabb (Sugarland, Better Than Ezra).

Released in September, the band offered a “special thanks to the patrons for their constant support and to everyone who pre-ordered the new album,” they said in a released announcement. “It’s

impossible to put into words what your support has meant to us. Releasing a record independently is no small feat and you are the reason we’ve been able to do it. From everyone on the Jump team, we hope you feel our most sincere sense of gratitude.”

With gratitude and only the slightest bit of grief, the group also announced its latest tour would be their last. Calling it “The Farewell Tour,” Jump Little Children aims to close on the high-energy notes they’ve carried across their career.

”It’s in that spirit that we ask you to come celebrate the past three decades of music with us,” they said. “It’s a celebration! We’ll be performing songs from the very beginning all the way up to the new release and everything in between.”

The tour runs along the east coast, circling around the southeast stomping grounds they’ve called home — with a stop in Winston before heading to Charleston for two shows to close the year and their chapter as a band.

Jump Little Children comes to the Ramkat, with indie-pop duo Frances Cone, on December 23. !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who spotlights area artists and events.

Katei Cranford

Contributor

MacLachlan’s A Little Prayer to open at Sundance next month

A Little Prayer, the latest film written and directed by Winston-Salem’s own Angus MacLachlan, will make its world premiere at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, which will be held January 19th – 29th, 2023 in Park City, UT. The film, which stars David Strathairn, Will Pullen, and Jane Levy alongside University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) graduates Celia Weston, Anna Camp, and Steve Coulter, was also co-produced by UNCSA School of Filmmaking assistant dean of graduate studies Lauren Vilchik, was filmed locally this past June on a tight 19-day schedule.

MacLachlan, himself a UNCSA graduate, is no stranger to Sundance, having first attended as a volunteer in 1989. He was back three years later with the short film Tater Tomater and again in 2005 with Junebug, both of which were directed by Phil Morrison. Junebug was the film that catapulted actress Amy Adams to stardom. She won a special jury prize for her performance and earned her first Academy Award nomination for her performance. (She has since earned five more, so far without a win.)

“It’s thrilling to return,” said MacLachlan. MacLachlan has no interest in superhero movies or big-budget special-e ects extravaganzas, preferring to focus on what could euphemistically be called the human condition. His films are about people, their emotions and complexities, and the relationships between characters. A Little Prayer is no exception, as it details how a father (Strathairn) discovers his son (Pullen) is being unfaithful to his wife (Jane Levy) and attempts to intercede on her behalf.

“I’ve been working on it for six years,” MacLachlan revealed. “I started it when my daughter was 16 and in retrospect, I see that it is about parenting adult children: How you still want to protect them and tell them what to do, and you can’t.”

“It’s thrilling to work in our own backyard and community to make a film that resonates with people,” Vilchik said. “It’s about the trials and tribulations of family, what defines parenting, and what that looks like when we’re faced with challenging decisions.”

This marks the third feature that

MacLachlan has directed, following 2014’s Goodbye to All That and 2017’s Abundant Acreage Available, both of which were also filmed locally and included UNCSA students and alumni in the cast and crew. The filmmakers who inspired him are an illustrious bunch: Jean Renoir, Mike Leigh, Yasujiro Ozu, William Wyler, Kenneth Lonergan, Koganada, Robert Altman, and Hal Ashby.

“As a visual arts and drama school graduate of UNCSA, it was wonderful to have numerous alumni and current students both in front of and behind the camera,” he said. “It’s important for me to touch upon the variety of issues changing the modern South and the limits of patriarchal influence while showcasing successful films here in my home state.”

In addition to making an independent film on a limited budget and schedule, the filmmakers also had the additional hurdle of contending with pandemic precautions.

“It was very challenging to produce –which I did with two fellow producers, Lauren Vilchik and Max Butler – and then COVID hit and put it in purgatory for a year and a half,” said MacLachlan. “We shot it in June with high (safety) protocols. Very challenging, not enough money, not enough time, and no wiggle room like bigger films. If their main actors got sick, they could shut down for a week or 10 days. If that had happened to us, the whole shebang would have foundered.”

Yet MacLachlan enjoyed the experience and was particularly pleased to work again with Weston, who also appeared in Junebug and Goodbye to All That. “She’s a dream,” he said. “Her ability to balance humor and emotional truth in practically the same moment is amazing. She gets what I’m aiming for, like an Olympic marksman.”

Although he’d never worked with Strathairn before, “he as a person is everything you imagine him to be – such a mensch.” !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

WANNA go?

This year’s Sundance Film Festival features an online component, so even those who are not attending in person can order tickets and watch A Little Prayer – and other films being showcased there – at home. For more information, visit https://www.sundance.org/festivals/ sundance-film-festival/about/.

WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP

MUSIC CAROLINA PRESENTS WINTERFEST 2022

BY JOSHUA RIDLEY

Friday, December 16, 2022 marked the start of Music Carolina’s WinterFest 2022.

A Charlie Brown Christmas with guest vocalist Diana Tu n kicked o the twoconcert winter music festival.

Music Carolina, formerly the Carolina Chamber Symphony Players, was founded when conductor Robert Franz and a group of fellow musicians from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts formed a chamber orchestra in 1992. The organization began to focus on small ensemble performances in 2006 and two years later premiered the Music Carolina SummerFest, which has taken place each August since in WinstonSalem.

In 2012, Music Carolina added WinterFest to its seasonal o erings, making it one of the most active music organizations in North Carolina. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of WinterFest.

A Charlie Brown Christmas with guest vocalist Diana Tu n featured music from the beloved TV special A Charlie Brown Christmas, composed by Vince Guaraldi. Selections include O Tannenbaum, Skating, Linus and Lucy, and much more. Vocalist Diana Tu n joined the trio for holiday favorites such as I’ll Be Home For Christmas, I’ve Got My Love to Keep You Warm, The Christmas Song, O Little Town Of Bethlehem, and Go Tell It On The Mountain.

This Friday, December 23 will con-

clude

of her favorite holiday jazz tunes. She’ll be joined by Matt Kendrick, bass; Federico Pivetta, piano; John Wilson, drums; and Ken Wilmot, trumpet. This quintet has worked together for over a decade and their rapport on stage is intuitive and engaging. Selections include Let it Snow, Blue Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Santa Baby, Jingle Bell Rock, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, White Christmas, and more.

The upcoming concert is sold out. “We are so glad that the community gets to come out and enjoy the local talent that Winston-Salem has to o er,” expressed Joe Mount, Co-Artistic Director of Music Carolina. “Celebrating the holidays with friends, family, and music is a pleasure.”

“It has been a swinging holiday with WinterFest this year for Music Carolina,” shared Matt Kendrick, Co-Artistic Director of Music Carolina. “It’s always a dream come true to be joining my longtime friends and colleagues on the bandstand playing great music. I hope you can make it out for some holiday magic!”

WinterFest 2022 has been a great success with two sold-out performances and will conclude on Friday, December 23, 2022. Stay tuned for information on Music Carolina’s SummerFest 2023. For more information about Music Carolina and its programming, visit www.musiccarolina.org.

Mark Burger

Contributor

WinterFest 2022 with Holiday Jazz with Martha Bassett. Vocalist Martha Bassett will present a program

Can You Fit 80 Homes in Your Back Yard?

It feels so much like ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas,’ and we are the Whos from Whoville.” One small neighborhood — only 24 homes — has just witnessed a twisted “Christmas Miracle”: four of its small, single-family homes are being transformed into a dense, 80-unit housing development.

“Our street is only 18’ wide in some places and they want people coming from 80 homes entering and exiting on our tiny little street?” Asks Paula Sieber, a resident. “It’s not that it is crumbling, but that everyone considers it to be in critical condition because of its narrow lanes, poor sight distance, and lack of shoulders that make it unsafe for modern increased traffic or travel.”

It begins with buying property for investment or if you like euphemisms, “renewal and improvement.” Mike Bateman and Ralph L. Jones of 90/10 Partners LLC did exactly that, acquiring four lots on the corner of Oak Hill Drive and the on-ramp to Lawndale Drive in January 2022. On December 5, 2022, a handful of residents received a letter from Tuggle & Duggins, the law firm representing 90/10 Partners, an LLC less than a year old. It informed residents of the rezoning submission proposal and invited them to a Zoom meeting being held two days later on December 7, 2022. If the rezoning proposal is approved by Greensboro Planning and Zoning on December 19 and later by the Greensboro City Council, four homes will be demolished and 90/10 Partners LLC will have the go-ahead to build 80 homes. How is that even possible?

The letter from Tuggle & Duggins

was an ill-timed disruption during the busiest time of the year. It’s the Holidays. For those who do celebrate, it’s a special and meaningful time of the year. For Gray and Matt Cloer, it was going to be particularly so. At 25, they finally achieved their dream of buying a house. “We’d been living in apartments for years, and we knew we wanted a peaceful, safe community where we could finally settle down and start a family together. We’ve had a lot of firsts this year, but our first Christmas will be spent worrying about the future of our neighborhood.” While Matt and Gray will be celebrating their first Christmas in their house, across the street Randall Bean will be celebrating his 62nd holiday in the house he was born in and which his father built. Randall recalls everyone in the neighborhood coming out during one particularly big snow to

sled and stand around a barrel fire while sipping Russian tea (Tang mixed with instant tea, actually). That’s the kind of memory that Matt and Gray should be making on their first Christmas — not attending grim neighborhood meetings.

One homeowner shared, “I’m mad that they’re compromising my safety, my neighbors’ safety, the safety of the surrounding communities, and honestly the safety of any new residents of this redevelopment that would be forced to use our neighborhood as a cut through. It’ll no longer be safe to walk, bike or even put our trash cans out at the road. How does that line up with the future plans for our city?”

“I enjoy the greenway — walking my dog or riding my bike. I think if there is a substantial increase in traffic, that could lead to a bad or fatal accident,” says one resident.

“I’m not the only first-time homebuyer on the block here. But one thing my girlfriend and I dreamed of that we could never do until owning our home is to create a really biodiverse, food-dense yard space. We’ve spent several years now diligently researching ecosystem mechanics, adding in various species, and working with natural processes to layer in deep ecosystem interactions that support and enhance each other. We’ve been rewarded not only with a bit of food production and the pride that comes with having grown it yourself but importantly a myriad of wildlife. We get visits from various types of bees, birds galore, and all sorts of critters,

from common squirrels and chipmunks to rabbits, groundhogs, and even the occasional fox. I’m particularly proud of the Schweinitz’s sunflower growing in our yard — to see an endangered species taking root in its native region, but also right under our oak tree — it really makes me feel like we’re doing something good in some little way. But to see the looming destruction planned for our neighborhood habitats by this developer — it’s hard not to feel kind of sunk. A mature ecosystem that has taken generations to grow is slated to be bulldozed, all so they can cram in a bunch of apartments or townhomes our community doesn’t even want. I know it’s a tired refrain, but this kind of development is not sustainable,” states Evan Goldfarb.

If you’ve never had this happen in your backyard, you might be wondering if the existing community has much say in any of these proceedings, and your gut probably already guessed correctly: no, not really. Because development and zoning changes are somewhat about meeting legal conditions, the considerations of the impacts on the pre-existing community are mostly infrastructurerelated, and definitely exclude effects on property value, community members’ visions for their own neighborhood, and residents’ quality of life. And if your takeaway from this is that someone with enough cash could, at a whim, turn your community, and by extension, your own home, into something unrecognizable, you’ve gotten the point. !

“

SUBMITTED BY PAULA SIEBER

in The Inspection

he Inspection, which marks the feature debut of writer/director Elegance Bratton, is “inspired by true events” — specifically Bratton’s own stint in the Marine Corps 20 years ago. The film also owes a bit to David Rabe’s groundbreaking 1976 play Streamers (later made into a film by Robert Altman), which depicted the plight of a homosexual serviceman during the Vietnam War. Indeed, with a few adjustments, The Inspection could easily be transformed into a play.

The principal character, Ellis French (Jeremy Pope), has no direction or purpose in life, and thereby enlists in the Marines, hoping to find both. His mother Inez (Gabrielle Union) disdains his lifestyle and expresses little confidence that he’ll even last through basic training.

As a character study, The Inspection isn’t bad but it’s not particularly enlightening, and the supporting characters tend to be stereotypes, familiar to anyone who’s ever seen a movie about the military. There’s Laws (Bokeem Woodbine), the hard-nosed drill instructor who justifies his own actions and attitudes because he’s preparing his recruits for combat. Rosales (Raul Castillo) is another drill instructor, albeit a more sympathetic and compassionate one.

When his fellow recruits discover Ellis’s sexual orientation, he is subjected to some taunts and abuse, but hardly to the extent one might have expected. Once upon a time, being gay would have resulted in his immediate dismissal, but here it’s simply one more hurdle for him to contend with.

Individual scenes have great power, but despite the film’s overall sincerity, those scenes don’t add up to a great film. There’s never a clear backstory regarding French’s character, nor for the supporting characters. Hints are dropped here and

Tthere, but beyond the novelty of French’s sexuality this isn’t very far removed from An O cer and a Gentleman (1982) or any other mainstream military movie.

The film’s principal asset is Pope, who played Jackie Wilson in 2020’s One Night in Miami, as Ellis. With his expressive eyes, he scarcely needs any dialogue to convey the character’s emotions. He’s the best thing about the movie, and he brings a lot more to the role than Bratton ever really gives him. Woodbine and Castillo are fine in their roles, as is McCaul Lombardi as Harvey, the squad leader whose antagonism toward Ellis — which is never clearly defined outside of simple homophobia — leads to an inevitable (and satisfying) beating at Ellis’s hands. Union, also an executive producer, simmers with bitterness as Inez, who is simply and resolutely unable to come to terms with her son’s sexuality, no matter his accomplishments in the Marine Corps.

Earnest and well-intentioned, The Inspection’s heart is in the right place, and its pleas for tolerance are worthy, but it’s never as compelling or incisive as it attempts to be, and perhaps should have been. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.

Sportscenter Athletic Club is a private membership club dedicated to providing the ultimate athletic and recreational facilities for our members of all ages. Conveniently located in High Point, we provide a wide variety of activities for our members. We’re designed to incorporate the total fitness concept for maximum benefits and total enjoyment. We cordially invite all of you to be a part of our athletic facility, while enjoying the membership savings we offer our established corporate accounts.

Mark Burger

Contributor

leisure

WHO KNEW?

In June 2023, people in South Korea will suddenly become younger, the BBC reported. On Dec. 8, the South Korean parliament voted to switch from two traditional methods of counting age to the more widely recognized international method for o cial documents. Currently, Koreans are 1 year old at birth and then gain another year on the first day of each following year. An alternate method has them at 0 upon birth, then adding a year each Jan. 1. So, for example, someone born on Dec. 31, 2002, is 19 years old using the international method. But under Korea’s traditional methods, they might be 20 or 21 years old. One member of parliament said the change would reduce “unnecessary socio-economic costs, because legal and social disputes as well as confusion persist due to the di erent ways of calculating age.”

UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT

Phoenix police o cer Christian Goggans, who had been assigned to home duty, took advantage of the situation by dedicating more hours to his porn career, KOLD-TV reported. Goggans is facing an internal investigation after he allegedly traveled back and forth to Las Vegas while on the clock to produce and star in pornographic videos. He posted the films to a public Twitter page using his “stage” name, Rico Blaze (which has since been made private). A Phoenix PD public information o cer said Goggans’ workfrom-home assignment required only that he call in once daily.

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK

Someone aboard the USNS Yuma, a Navy transport ship moored on the Greek island of Crete, is having a superior bathroom experience, thanks to the installation of the Bio Bidet BB-1000, The Washington Free Beacon reported on Dec. 12. At a cool $553, the BB-1000 o ers a heated seat, blow dryer, remote control, deodorizer and an “e ective enema function,” which a retailer called “the absolute strongest spray pressure of any electronic bidet seat on the market.” The Military Sealift Command confirmed the purchase but declined to o er more details.

PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM US

In Japan, a phenomenon known as rojo-ne — literally, sleeping on the road — is once again becoming a hazard as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted and people are out partying more, reported

The Guardian. The number of deaths of snoozing partiers has nearly doubled in Tokyo compared to last year, police say, and they’re worried that the impending end-of-year celebrations will only add to the problem. O cials have also asked taxi drivers and others to drive with their high beams on and slow down.

ANIMAL ANTICS

A live nativity scene in Carolina Beach, an island community about 140 miles southeast of Raleigh, North Carolina, was missing its cows on Dec. 4, the News & Observer reported. The two cows escaped their pen at Seaside Chapel around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, police explained, and were apparently so determined to get away that they ended up in the Cape Fear River. Carolina Beach police were joined by state park rangers and a K-9 with special herding skills as they hauled the soggy bovines back to shore.

BRIGHT IDEA

A homeowner in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, was puzzled when he discovered five bullet holes in the siding of his house, along with another in his son’s bedroom window, the Grand Forks Herald reported. Police were summoned, and they questioned a next-door neighbor, Michael James Powers, 76, who readily admitted that he’d been shooting at a squirrel that was on his bird feeder; as he put it, “Well, that’s war.” Powers was aiming from his own bedroom window, and said it wasn’t the first time he’d shot at squirrels. He o ered to go talk to “the other guy” and make it right, but o cers had something di erent in mind: They arrested him for reckless discharge of a firearm. When Powers told his wife he was being arrested, she responded, “Well, I told you.”

POLICE REPORT

Anthony Thomas Tarduno, 48, saved the Hernando County (Florida) Sheri ’s O ce the trouble of investigating after one of their patrol cars was set on fire on Dec. 7 in Spring Hill, Florida, WTSPTV reported. As o cers looked over the scene, Tarduno walked up and confessed to being the arsonist, saying he “had been drinking at a bar ... and decided he’d like to set it on fire.” Tarduno placed a bag of garbage under the patrol vehicle and used a lighter to set it ablaze, police said. Tarduno admitted to detectives that when he gets drunk, he does “stupid things.” !

©2022 Andrews McMeel Universal

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Chanel Davis Editor

What

Literary Bound: Friends make it their mission to give new life to old books

started was the ornament that Diana made. People were asking where did you buy them,” Tedford said.

started o as a creative Christmas gift has grown into an enterprise between friends binding them, and their customers’ love of books, together.

Diana Goldstein and Rosalind Tedford met at Wake Forest University where they were undergraduate roommates. Tedford was born and raised in Winston-Salem and works at the university’s library as a research librarian. Goldstein transplanted from Tennessee and works from home in Winston-Salem for several educational consulting firms.

The two birthed Bookish Birds in 2015 after Goldstein made Wake Forest University alma mater ornaments as gifts for WFU employees. Since then the duo has expanded beyond one ornament and is selling internationally.

“I basically printed o the Wake Forest alma mater on gold cardstock, sliced it up, curled them, put them in an ornament, and put a big black bow on it. I made like 35 of them to go to my husband’s sta and team. We had a lot of people who really liked them,” Goldstein said.

“The absolute first thing that got us

The following year, with her best friend’s assistance, Goldstein was stocked and ready.

“We went to the Wake Forest art exhibit there and sold them. That year, we had a ‘Harry Potter’ book that was falling apart, so we took that apart and tried selling those as ornaments and they were popular.”

Goldstein said though they started with the ornaments they knew it was a seasonal product.

“We were really only going to sell those from October to December and we really wanted to have something that we could sell year-round.”

They got the idea to create pages while traveling in Europe.

“We spent some time in London a few years back and saw someone selling dictionary prints with images on them,” Goldstein said. “They were images that were mostly touristy. Things like teapots, double-decker buses, and things like that. We wondered if we could actually use dictionary pages as printer paper here, so we tried it out.”

The pair said that some images didn’t sell as well, so they started putting book quotes on the pages and those became very popular. Using pages from popular books, plays, music scores, and an old 1985 Webster’s Dictionary, they’ve printed a variety of music, movie, and literary quotes.

Goldstein said that you just never know what is going to be popular.

“We’ve tried out some books in the past that hardly ever sell and then there are those that surprise us. We had one year that ‘Little House on the Prairie’ just kept selling on Etsy. We found a copy of ‘A Series of Unfortunate of Events’ and it’s sold eight or nine times already in a few weeks.”

Tedford said that they find ideas everywhere.

“With the page art, we started with the ‘Harry Potter’ quote because we knew that would probably be popular, and then we started with some other book quotes. We have book quotes, movie quotes, ‘Lord of

the Rings,’ ‘Monty Python,’ and Hamilton quotes,” Tedford said. “We print on dictionary paper primarily but our Shakespeare quotes are on complete works of Shakespeare, Harry Potter is on ‘Harry Potter’ pages, Percy Jackson is on ‘Percy Jackson’ pages and then the bigger ones are all on dictionary pages.”

While they can pull out the classics and pop culture, they also can fill custom requests.

“A lot of our pages are from where people have written to us and said ‘hey can you do this quote on a page’ and we do,” Goldstein said. “And then we end up really liking it and we add that in. A lot of

people see things and think that should be on a t-shirt. We’re like that’s funny, we should put that on a page.”

While Tedford and Goldstein both agree that they are getting rich or quitting their jobs any time soon, the pair will say that they had a successful run when the Hamilton craze happened. They put up an ornament in October 2017, which has since sold 1400 times on Etsy alone.

“That made us enough money that we were able to take our kids to Chicago and we were able to see Hamilton live,” Tedford said.

“A lot of people order and want us to put when they are going to go see the show or the dates they saw the show on the tags,” Goldstein said.

The avid readers and book lovers say they are giving the books new life. They find old books from consignment shops, books sales, Goodwills, and bookstores that would typically be on the way to the trash or the recycling bin. They either turn them into ornaments or pages.

“We use old books. Repurpose them. Things that were ready for trash or recycling. We repurpose them into art,” Goldstein said.

Tedford seconds that.

“It’s just a matter of what books we can find that are sort of falling apart or that are in the dollar bin at a used bookstore that we think might be popular.”

Their works have gone beyond the Etsy shop and are now being sold in roughly 35 independent bookstores across the nation, including Bookmarks in downtown Winston-Salem, pushing the shop into the wholesale arena.

“When Bookmarks went from being a nonprofit to having a brick-and-mortar bookstore, we talked to them about selling our stu and they were like ‘Absolutely. We’d love to sell your stu .’ They’re also

really connected with the independent bookstore community and they were like there are going to be a lot of other independent bookstores that probably will like your designs,” said Tedford. “We’ve worked with some associations of independent bookstores, we’ve been to a conference, and we’re going to be going to another conference in the spring. That’s sort of how we got tapped into the independent bookstore side of things. So we have the wholesale business, then we have the Etsy business and then we do a few events around Winston-Salem every fall.”

Goldstein said they would still take on-demand orders from bookstores when they have an author visit.

“We quickly go to Google and become an expert on the big quotes from the author and design those pages,” she said.

Tedford is excited that Bookish Birds gets the opportunity to assist independent bookstores across the nation.

“The best thing is when we get a new bookstore and they order blind, and then a few weeks later order more because their customers enjoy our designs,” she said. “It just tells us that our stu is selling and we love that because it lets us know that we are helping independent bookstores stay in business and that is something we feel really strongly about. We love that our things are helping make some additional profit.”

Goldstein enjoys the opportunity to surprise the public with the variety that Bookish Birds has to o er.

“It’s really di erent and unique. It’s an idea with endless options. There are gaming pages, ‘Steel Magnolia’ pages, and ‘Harry Potter’ Pages. You can sort of check o everybody on your shopping list by just coming to our booth because we’ll almost always have something even if they’re not a book lover,” she explained. “We really love the in-person events because you get to see people get really excited about finding something that was just perfect for someone, especially someone that they often find it hard to buy for.”

While the best friends never anticipated growth on this level, they do look forward to retiring and traveling the country in an e ort to bring Bookish Birds to everyone.

“We talked about getting a vehicle and driving around to craft fairs for retirement. It’s just something we truly love doing, and we love selling to bookstores and to the public,” Tedford said.

For more information or to shop Bookish Birds, visit https://www.etsy.com/shop/ BookishBirds. !

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.

JOHN

Billy Prine is a natural-born storyteller just like his late, great brother John Prine was a natural-born songwriter. John was a great communicator of the human experience whittled down to the best words. His big, little brother, owner of a rich, booming voice yet full of subtleness, is one of the finest orators you’ll ever hear – also choosing just the right turn of phrase. During these concerts celebrating John’s life in song, Billy will tell stories about or surrounding some of John’s most beloved songs before leading his band through his version of John’s timeless masterpieces. As an example, fans will get to hear the first time John played his classic song “Paradise” for their father as the family sat around the kitchen table.

Backpack Beginnings o ers free market to families with children in need

Backpack Beginnings, the Greensboro-based nonprofit that feeds, comforts, and clothes children in need, is looking for volunteers to sta its new market where all the food is free.

“Obviously, monetary donations are important to us,” said Parker White, who founded the 501(c)(3) organization in 2009, “but we’re 95% volunteer and utilize hundreds of those volunteers every week, to deliver goods, to sort items in our warehouse, and now to help in our new Family Market at 3711 Alliance Drive.”

The organization is also looking for donated goods. “We’re always having food drives and supply drives, but there’s a lot of ways that people can help us, even if just by cleaning out their children’s or grandchildren’s closets. We take gentlyused children’s clothing and shoes, books, stu ed animals, toys, and new this year, household goods. Just anything that most homes and families need.”

The organization has come a long way in more than a decade.

“When we started, we were solely a

backpack program within the school system,” said White.

Backpack food programs, the first reported example of which began in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1995, o er families free groceries for weekends and school breaks.

“So, in the beginning, we were providing food backpacks to children over the weekends who were identified as being food insecure, either having not been fed a lot of food or nutritious food. Now, the word ‘backpack’ indicates our focus is children. Backpacks are associated with kids and we serve them from birth to 18.”

She said that Backpack Beginnings has been constantly growing and evolving during its 13 years of existence.

“In the last few years, our growth has been such that we needed larger space. We found a building right down the street from our old location that had more space than we anticipated needing. I was reading Reinventing Food Banks and Pantries: New Tools to End Hunger, in which author Katie S. Martin writes about client choice and the importance of providing dignity in that choice.”

Reading Martin’s book while finding themselves in an unexpectedly large space led White, her small sta , and many volunteers to have conversations about new ideas and increased capacity.

“Those discussions resulted in our creating this family market and continuing to do what we do by providing basic needs and goods out into the community through partner agencies. We could also extend our programming to have families come on-site and have a shopping experience within our larger warehouse.”

Backpack Beginnings moved into its new home in January and launched the Family Market in April. At first, it was only open to social workers and partner agencies, who came and chose the items they needed for the families they serve. White wanted to test the new system and work out kinks before inviting families on-site.

“In June, we started with 30 pilot families that were referred to us from our partner agencies. And then month after month, we continued to grow or spread as people told friends and family. Each month, we have served more families. We’ll probably end this year serving over 200 families a month.”

The Family Market’s inventory includes produce, refrigerated items, frozen products, canned goods, refrigerated items, but also children’s clothing, hygiene products,

school supplies, children’s books, toys, household goods, baby accessories, diapers, and formula.

“Everything is free. Families came come once every 30 days to shop. We do have limits on some items, but not on others.”

While shopping at the Family market doesn’t require an ID, proof of citizenship, or immigration status, customers must make an appointment.

“We speak with families who call us or otherwise reach out to us, and if they say they have a need and are struggling to provide for their children, we make sure that they have children under the age of 18 in the household and that they live in Guilford County. Those are the two qualifiers. Then we make an appointment for them to come shop. After the New Year, they’ll be able to make their appointments online, but we’re still in the middle of transitioning to that.”

White was born and raised in Greensboro, but moved away and lived in DC for 11 years. It was there she got the idea that became Backpack Beginnings.

“I was watching a news program that highlighted a teacher in Texas who was sneaking food into her children’s backpacks. She spoke about how they were coming back to school hungry and unable to really concentrate and learn, and that stuck with me. I had my own children, my first born up in DC, and about a year after she was born, we returned to Greensboro, and still couldn’t get that newscast out of my head. I honestly feel like God was pushing me and telling me to do something about that.”

So, she decided to contact Guilford

County Schools and see if there was a need for a backpack program.

“My assumption was there would not be. I grew up here, in the public school system, and did not see or hear of people talking about that. But what they told me was there was a huge need, and while di erent groups were helping, they could always use more. I started at Wiley Elementary, partnering with Second Harvest Food Bank to raise enough money for 50 children, but raised a little more than I needed.”

So, she thought, why not two schools?

“Those two schools led to three and three led to four, and working with those schools, I met social workers and ask what their other needs were for these children and families. They said clothing and hygiene products and school supplies, and year after year, we continued to add programming or new items to what we distributed. About eight years in, we expanded outside of the school system into a healthcare setting and partnered with other nonprofits, and it continued to grow and the Family Market came along this year.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is the author of two published novels, numerous anthologized short stories, and a whole lot of nonfiction and journalism, some of which he’s proud of and none of which he’s ashamed of.

WANNA know?

For more information about how to help or to be helped by Backpack Beginnings and its Family Market, visit backpackbeginnings.org or call (336) 954-7445.

Ian McDowell

Contributor

Parker White, founder of Backpack Beginnings

Songbird Supper Club Celebrates Female-Identifying Artists’ Journeys

Winston-Salem artist and founder of The Center for Female Sovereignty, Cashavelly Morrison, has brought forth yet another safe space in the name of supporting and celebrating women and their creative journeys. With a scheduled monthly performance on the last Tuesday of each month, Morrison introduced the Songbird Supper Club this fall, a cozy and casual performance series celebrating the work of both seasoned and brand-new female-identifying artists in the area. A firm believer that when one of us hurts we all hurt, by establishing spaces for each of us to expand, we all expand.

From the Center for Female Sovereignty, a place designed to provide a number of empowering and healing opportunities for women, branched the idea for the Songbird Supper Club. Meeting with her already established co-leaders and guest teachers at the center, Morrison suggested considering what they needed as women. “We all shared our stories, and we all had these deep wounds with women,” said Morrison. “I think patriarchy isolates us and then we come against each other because there is scarcity, like the one woman spot in a music festival.”

Intent on fighting toxic relationships and dynamics that continue to be in place and pit women against each other, Songbird Supper Club is committed to uplifting and supporting women, by not only placing them in positions of power

but by providing a healing space for them as well. A multidisciplinary artist, Morrison knows firsthand the challenges of working as a female musician, including the di culties of trying to be understood by certain men in power. “I never felt fully understood,” she said. “I was so open about everything and I wasn’t able to talk about my miscarriage because certain things were turn-o s.”

Having taught for 13 years at UNCSA, including a class on gender disparity in the arts, Morrison feels strongly about the absence of a true, authentic female-identified story in every art field. Consistently having access to data showing the lack of equal opportunities in the arts, it’s no surprise to her how artists live in a permanently competitive culture. Through the Songbird Supper Club, Morrison looks to shift the whole paradigm, allowing artists to authentically share their vision with the community, and why they do what they do.

In a format similar to that of a variety show with deep conversation, the event usually features five or six artists, all of which have been di erent thus far through the beginning stages. Featured women are not required to identify as artists, either, as the event seeks to support women who create anything at all. While the event has mostly featured musicians, it is not limited to music performers, either. “We knew it was going to lean more towards music but we wanted to keep it open to all women, the reason being I didn’t always consider myself a musician or songwriter,” said Morrison.

A professional dancer until around the age of 20, Morrison always had the

desire to create that she hid for years. Having always been terrified to use her voice, going to acting school for a couple of years in New York did wonders for her, allowing her to finally face her fear of using her voice. She eventually returned to Winston-Salem to attend Salem College where she experienced her first sisterhood and the support of an institution committed to preparing her to change the world. “I swear that’s what they did, they really emboldened us,” she said. “I got to witness what we are like when we’re not under the male gaze, and we are very di erent.”

Familiar with the feeling of questioning her right to make music, Morrison wants all women to feel that whatever their deepest longings and dreams are, whatever stage they may be in within their process, it is all welcome at Songbird Supper Club. Morrison herself opens each event by introducing the event’s philosophy and performing a new song, so new, she reads o lyrics she has still been editing the day of. She then invites the first guest up to perform a few songs amongst which she takes the time to interview the artist on their vision, creative process, and what support they may need from the community.

Artists who don’t perform such as photographers and painters are also invited into the spotlight for an interview through which they can showcase their visual work, and even have the opportunity to sell some of it during the event. Both guest artists and spectators during the first few events have described the experience as magical, which Morrison’s husband, who is a therapist, credits to the

corrective experience the setting provides for everyone’s trauma. The Songbird Supper Club is e ectively disrupting a long-established pattern of disconnection on how women are seen and supported. Pleasantly surprised at the success of the first couple of events, Morrison sees people’s hunger for changing the way things have been done. She consciously invites male friends and colleagues to Songbird Supper Club and publicly thanks them for attending and being witnesses to the conversations that arise. Topics brought to the table have included the e orts to make peace with menstrual blood and the stigma of aging, being taught that as we get older we lose value and disappear. “Why have we been taught that menstruating is disgusting?” asked Morrison. “In our culture, we are discouraged to talk about it, but women go through this every month. It literally makes life.”

Never having experienced the role of being an interviewer, Morrison was clueless as to what it would be like for her. All she knew was how badly she wanted to know the women who come across Songbird Supper Club without all the shields and guards we are forced to put up for our survival. “I think after the pandemic we are so tired of doing that, being perfect and polished so that we are protected from judgment,” she said. “We talk openly about who we are when we take the masks o and all our protective strategies, and I think that’s what art is.”

The next Songbird Supper Club is scheduled for Tuesday, December 27 at 6 p.m. at the West Salem Public House located at 400 S. Green St. in Winston-Salem. The upcoming event will feature musicians/ singers-songwriters Flower in Bloom, Tori Elliott, Sarah Howell-Miller, Jessie Dunks, and artist Aimee Garcia. While it normally o ers food selections for purchase from Native Root, this month’s event will o er free trays of holiday treats and invites anyone attending to bring leftover holiday treats they would like to share. !

WANNA know?

For more information on the Songbird Supper Club, visit https://femalesovereignty.org/songbird.

DALIA RAZO is a bilingual journalist, fine arts educator, and doctoral student at UNCG.

Dalia Razo

Contributor

Long nights lead to a bright new year

appy yule, y’all. It’s the week of the winter solstice — the longest night when the winter begins and a new year looms. But while it may be dark outside, Triad tunes keep spirits bright and venues pop with parties to celebrate the impending year. Looking to ring in 2023 with friends and songs? Look around the Triad.

For bluegrassers and earlybirds, the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra will join the Krüger Brothers at the Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts on the evening of December 31, with toetapping Appalachian American music to close out the year.

Drew Foust’s Wheelhouse rock-androlls into the New Year with a stacked lineup at the Flat Iron in downtown Greensboro. Marking Foust’s second NYE show at the Flat — he’ll be joined by George Sluppick, DaShawn Hickman, Jimmy Washington, Jared Church, and other special guests to close out 2022 with a bang, twang, and rippin’ chord or two.

Around Greensboro’s downtown brewery scene, the Carri Smithey Band will be at Joymongers with Keith Ingalls, Joel Kiser, Josh Coe, and Ryan Burgess;

HPaleface is hosting a New Year’s Eve show with Mo at Little Brother Brewing; Gipsy Danger will play a New Year’s Party at One Thirteen Brewhouse + Rooftop Bar; and Marvelous Funkshun will be at SouthEnd Brewing — with a champagne toast and Greensboro’s only midnight keg drop to ring in 2023.

Down Gate City Blvd, Viva La Muerte is “damn eager” to jam, frolic, and “deliver diapered Baby New Year” to folks at Oden Brewing. The roaring 1920s take over Mac’s Speed Shop on Battleground Avenue for a “Gatsby’s Gala” with multiple stages of performers. On the west side of town, DJ Todd and RetroVinyl Band are playing a special NYE bash at Garage Tavern on W. Market Street.

Out in the surrounding areas, Four Saints Brewing in Asheboro will host its second annual New Year’s Eve Winter Formal, an adults-only prom-style party complete with photo sessions, snacks, and special one-night-only cocktails. Meanwhile, Another Level will perform a “New Year’s Eve Concert Bash” with a big ol’ midnight balloon drop at Summerfield Farms.

For the more casual folks out there, Boxcar will host a “No Fuss, No Frills NYE Party” eschewing dress codes and cover charges, while still keeping the champers flowing. And over at the Idiot Box, it’ll be “Lots a laughs and goodbye to 2022” with improv comedy and an aftershow gathering at the Next Door Beer Bar and Bottle Shop.

Feeling swanky? Elm Street Lounge is

hosting a “Black n’ Gold A air” to ring in 2023 with food, drinks, and hookah on hand — plus music from the DJ Wright Band and DJ Tramare. Meanwhile, a “Harlem Nights Red Carpet Sneaker Ball” rolls into the Meridian Convention Center with DJ Jimmy Jam and MC JimBoogie.

Wanna jazz it up? Double Oaks will swing into the New Year with a champagne soirée fueled by Borough Co ee ca eine and a jazz quintet led by Evan Campfield. O. Henry jazz parties are so nice, they’re doing it twice with an early show from Jessica Mashburn and the O. Henry Trio (Matt Kendrick, Dave Fox, and Niel Clegg Jr) followed by an evening show with Diana Tu n, Matt Reid, William Ledbetter, and Drew Hays that runs into the midnight hour.

Mashburn, meanwhile, will pop over to Grandover for a performance with Evan Olson — as part of the exclusive party in the resort’s “all that glitters” package that also includes overnight accommodations, dinner, dancing, and a piano breakfast come New Year’s Day.

In High Point, the High Point Arts Council is also celebrating New Year’s Day with a Jazz Brunch at the Centennial Station Arts Center on January 1. The spread features holiday staples: blackeyed peas, collard greens, cornbread, and pork; along with live jazz quartet performances by Evan Campfield, Chris Pebbles, Chrishawn Darby, and Matt Reid.

Turning back the clock to New Year’s Eve, Huckleberry Shyne will be at Side-

lines; Vinyl Tap rings in the New Year at Rixter Grill; Bending Fate will be at 1614 Drinks - Music - Billiards; and Usual Suspects celebrate New Year’s Eve at Firehouse Taproom in Archdale. Over in Winston-Salem, your favorite weirdos get weird with a dance party at Monstercade. Cowpokes can scoot on over to the “Boots and Suits New Year’s Eve Bash” at Roar — with a three-story party featuring a round of DJs and music from Matt Dylan and the Honky Tonk Outlaws. The Phoebes will rock a bluesy NYE at Joymongers Barrel Hall and DJSK is on deck for a New Year’s Eve Bash at Wise Man Brewing. Down at the Truist Stadium, the “New Year’s Eve Bash with the Dash” rings in 2023 with The Dryes (as seen on the Voice) and sets from DJ HEK YEH.

Around Forsyth County, the Carolina Shreds Rockin’ New Year’s Eve Party rips at Tanglewood Pizza Company. Camel City Yacht Club looks to sail folks into a smooth new year for a “2023 Welcome Party” at The Playground Golf and Sports Bar in Clemmons — complete with caricatures and other favors for partygoers. And it’s a casual a air with Twin City Mini’s for a New Year’s Eve Hangout at the Brewer’s Kettle in Kernersville.

Auld Lang Syne, my dudes. Here’s to good times ahead and the brightest year possible. Cheers! !

KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who spotlights area artists and events.

Katei Cranford

Contributor

ASHEBORO

Four SaintS BrEwing

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 www.foursaintsbrewing.com

thursdays: taproom trivia

Fridays: Music Bingo

Jan 1: randolph Jazz Band

Jan 7: graymatter

Jan 15: Honky tonk Jam w/ Mark Dillion & Friends

Jan 28: High Cotton

CARBORRO

Cat’S CraDlE

300 E Main St | 919.967.9053 www.catscradle.com

Dec 22: Maddie wiener

Dec 29: Carolina waves open Mic & Showcase

Jan 6: Billy Prine & the Prine time Band

Jan 7: the Kingsby Manx, nathan Bowles & Joe o’Connell

Jan 14: Victoria Victoria

Jan 14: Magic City Hippies

Jan 19: Hammered Hulls

Jan 20: town Mountain

Jan 20: Chuck Prophet trio

Jan 22: Quarters of Change

Jan 24: night Moves

Jan 25: John Craigie

Jan 27: rubblebucket

Jan 27: Matt Heckler

CHARlOttE

BoJanglES ColiSEuM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com

Dec 31: the avett Brothers

Jan 13: Stephen Sharer

Jan 29: asphalt Meadows w/ Momma

tHE FillMorE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com

Dec 31: Peekaboo

Jan 20: giggly Squid

Jan 21: gregory alan isakov

Jan 25: Babytron

Jan 26: we Came as romans

Jan 27: noel Miller

Jan 27: glorilla

Jan 29: Steel Panther

SPECtruM CEntEr

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com

Jan 13: Future

Jan 21: Barry Manilow: Hits 2023

Feb 8: Carrie underwood

ClEmmOnS

VillagE

HouSE

SQuarE taP

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.facebook.com/vstaphouse

CHar Bar no. 7

3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555 www.charbar7.com

Dec 22: Michael Chaney

Dec 23: Dustin Curlee

Dec 29: whiskey Pines

Dec 30: Savannah Harmon

CoMEDY ZonE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com

Dec 30: Bodacious

Jan 6-7: Shaun Jones

Jan 12: Emma willmann

Jan 13-15: Erik griffin

Jan 20-21: Catherine Blanford

Jan 27-28: Big Jay oakerson

Feb 3-4: Michael Palascak

garagE taVErn

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro

Dec 22: Bradley Steele

Dec 23: DJ todd

Dec 29: renae Paige

Dec 30: gipsy Danger

grEEnSBoro ColiSEuM

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com

Dec 28: wwE live Holiday tour

Jan 14-15: Monster Jam Jan 28: toby Mac

Hangar 1819

Jan

Feb 14: Chris wiles

Feb 17-18: t.K. Kirkland

Feb 22: Casey Frey

ConE DEniM

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 www.cdecgreensboro.com

duRHAm

Carolina tHEatrE 309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org

Jan 30: Kenny wayne Shepherd Band

DPaC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com

Dec 22: Fantasia

Dec 23: the Hip Hop nutcracker

Jan 3 -8: tina -the tina turner Musical

Jan 14: Stephen Sharer

Jan 18-22: Come From away Jan 31- Feb 5: Cats

ElKIn

rEEVES tHEatEr

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com

wednesdays: reeves open Mic

Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam

Jan 14: Blue ridge opry

gREEnSBORO

Carolina tHEatrE

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com

Jan 6: Bill and the Belles

Jan 7: will McBride

Jan 28: M’Soul in the Crown

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480 www.hangar1819.com

Dec 30: larger than life: 90’s & 00’s Pop Dance Party

Jan 6: in the End: linkin Park tribute Jan 21: trial By Fire: Journey tribute

littlE BrotHEr

BrEwing

348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678 www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew wednesdays: trivia

Fridays & Saturdays: Free live Music Dec 31: Paleface & Mo

PiEDMont Hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com

GoofY foot taproom

2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567 www.goofyfoottaproom.com

Dec 23: Greg payne of the piedmont Boys

jamestown

thE DEck

Dec 30: travis Grubb & the Stoned rangers

Dec 31: halden vang (finalist from the voice)

winston-salem

EarL’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com mondays: open mic thursdays: will Jones

Dec 23: Sam robinson Band

Dec 24: christmas Eve with will Jones

Dec 30: the mighty fairlanes

Dec 31: the megan Doss Band

Jan 6: killer wabbits

kernersville

kErnErSviLLE BrEwinG companY

Jan 7: anna Leigh Band

foothiLLS BrEwinG

W 4th St

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

Dec 22: Jump, Little children w/ frances cone

Dec 23: Smell the Glove

Dec 29: cris Jacons

Dec 20: into the fog

Dec 31: red panda

Jan 12: By George, harvey Street company, Late notice

randleman

kamikazE’S tavErn

5701 Randleman Rd | 336.908.6144 www.facebook.com/kamikazestavern

karaoke Every tuesday & thursday Dec 28: Josh Jennings

miDwaY mUSic haLL 11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter mondays:

Natalie Garcia

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) You’ve let yourself get distracted from what’s really important. But love finally gets your attention this week. However, it comes with a challenge that could create a problem.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Be careful not to bully others into following your lead. Best advice: Persuade, don’t push, and you’ll get the cooperation you need to move forward with your plans.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Resist the urge to gloat now that you’ve proved your detractors wrong. Instead, charm them back into your circle. Remember: A former foe can become your best ally.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might want to claim all the credit for making this holiday season special. But is it worth producing a lot of hurt feelings by rejecting o ers of help? Think about it.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Ignore a co-worker’s questionable behavior. Instead, put your energy into making your own project special. Then sit back and purr over your well-deserved applause.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might not want to accept those suggested changes in your workplace, but don’t chuck them out before you check them out. You could be happily surprised.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your plans might have to take a back seat for a bit so that you can handle a problem with a friend or family member. Your schedule will return back to normal in a few weeks.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Relationships in general are beneficial during the early part of the week, including in the workplace. Also, expect some overdue changes in a personal situation.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) “Prudence” should be your watchword this week. Best not to be too open about some of the things that are currently happening in your life.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Money is on your mind, so you’d best mind how you’re spending it. Take another look at your budget and see where you can make adjustments.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Resolving to revive an old friendship could open some old wounds. Are you sure you want to risk that? Think this through before making a commitment.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your need to know more about a new friend could lead to some startling revelations. Best advice: Keep an open mind about what you learn until all the facts are in.

[BORN THIS WEEK: Your loyalty to friends makes you a very special person to those whose lives you’ve touched.

© 2022 by King Features Syndicate

[TRIVIA TEST]

by Fifi Rodriguez

1. TELEVISION: What is the primary setting of the Netflix series “Bridgerton”?

[

[6. MOVIES: What was Henry Fonda’s jury number in “12 Angry Men”?

[7. MATH: What is a heptahedron?

[

2. GEOGRAPHY: Where is the Republic of Maldives located?

[

3. LITERATURE: What is the subject of Walt Whitman’s poem “O Captain! My Captain!”?

[8. BUSINESS: In what year did McDonald’s introduce the Big Mac to all of its customers?

[

4. LANGUAGE: What is the third letter of the Greek alphabet?

[9. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president tried to ban Christmas trees from the White House?

[

5. HISTORY: When was the last time the Liberty Bell rang in Philadelphia?

[10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What do bees collect from flowers and use to make honey?

answer

1. London, England. 2. Indian Ocean. 3. The death of President Abraham Lincoln. 4. Gamma. 5. 1846. 6. Juror No. 8. 7. A polyhedron with seven faces. 8. 1968. 9. Theodore Roosevelt. 10. Nectar.

© 2022 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.