In this year’s Top 10 edition, we wanted to highlight those who don’t always get recognition but continue doing the work necessary to make Triad communities the best.
4 This past October, the neighborhood welcomed THE POWDER ROOM, a muchneeded local café now serving an exquisite selection of coffee, wine, spirits, and even breakfast and lunch.
6
“Greensboro’s had a perfect score for several years now,” said Vaughan, “largely due to our staff and the steps we’ve taken to FOCUS ON LGBTQ ISSUES. I’m proud of that 100-point score.”
8 The RiverRun International Film Festival gets the New Year off to a roaring start with A Silver Celebration: RIVERRUN @ 25, which will he held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 21st, 2023, at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem.
the entire time.
14 A CHRISTMAS DISAGREEMENT between a Greensboro business owner and two local nonprofits is emblematic
Walking dis-
tance from Winston-Salem’s downtown, West End’s Burke Street and its businesses continue to grow and enrich the thriving City of Arts and Innovation. This past October, the neighborhood welcomed The Powder Room, a much-needed local café now serving an exquisite selection of coffee, wine, spirits, and even breakfast and lunch. Brought to the West End neighborhood by Anne Rainey Rokahr, also the business owner of The Snob Shop and Trouvaille Home, the café has quickly established itself as part of Burke Street’s local culture.
From her time as a Wiley Middle
School student, Rokahr continues to cherish vivid memories of running across Hanes Park after school to her job at the Snob Shop, a consignment store then on West End Boulevard. “That has always been my favorite job, it felt like Divine Providence,” said Rokahr. “It was always such a core of who I was.” Upon leaving for college, she went on to become a successful and world-renowned film and commercial producer, and not long after returning home years later, she didn’t think twice when the opportunity arose to purchase the shop. Managing it full-time for about four or five years, the consignment shop continued to grow and inspire Rokahr, leading her to open another business, Trouvaille Home. “I got this idea that I wanted to have a shop that had new furniture as well as antiques and vintage, where everything was curated and it was not like a consignment shop,” said Rokahr. Intending for Trouvaille Home to only be a furniture store, she began getting requests from clients for
her to decorate their homes, which was never part of the plan.
“A business will tell you what it wants to be, and that shop wanted to be an interior design shop,” said Rohkar. “You have to be flexible, you have to listen to your customer, and respond, give them what they want.” Once she had Trouvaille Home up and running as a residential and commercial interior design firm and furnishing store, she focused on finding a new home for the Snob Shop, which had started bursting at the seams. She co-purchased the building she moved the Snob Shop into and having always loved hospitality, kept in the back of her mind that Burke Street was missing a coffee shop of sorts.
Rokahr had a very specific idea of what she wanted to present with the Powder Room and was set on covering all the food categories while ensuring all menu items were equally as good.
Bringing award-winning chef Adam Barnet on board, Barnet dove into developing Rokahr’s vision of having
something for everyone in West End’s daytime neighborhood scene. The Powder Room’s light bites for breakfast and lunch range from scrumptious parfaits assembled from granola made in-house to frittatas, salads, and appetizers, all with vegan, gluten-free, and even dairyfree options.
Clients coming through the door are guaranteed a healthy meal, and even the sweeter side of the menu is designed to support a balanced diet. Cookies are made with just the right amount of sweetness and have a minimum of 20 grams of protein, again, offering glutenfree options. The Powder Room Power Cookie, for instance, is a medley of oats, dried blueberries, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and flax seeds. The Chickpea hummus, made from scratch by Barnet himself, has quickly become a favorite among the store’s perfectly sized appetizers or nibbles. “He is a true French chef,” said Rokahr, “His flavor profiles are perfect.”
Beverage and service manager, Gwendolyn Hartless, with her expertise in coffee, liquor, wines, and non-alcoholic beverages, has also been a huge asset to the Powder Room’s initial success. Since the cafe’s opening, Hartless has led wine tastings, all of which have been successful and accessible to the many young people in the area learning about wine. “I call her a new category of person,” said Rohkar. “She really knows what she’s doing.”
All wine tastings are free to the public to ensure the Powder Room is available to the entire community, and
any donations collected during these events are forwarded to non-profits specifically paired with the tastings to support them. In addition to regular business hours, the Powder Room is also available for private events during the evenings and all day on Sundays. A very tongue-in-cheek space with a little nod to the 80s, the café looks to provide a safe and fun space for clients getting off of their third shifts jobs as well.
“Everything is so serious now,” said Rokahr. “We wanted to create something fun and not dreary.” With so many memories of growing up in a cool and even edgy Winston-Salem, she hopes to bring that fun back. She may have been gone for many years, but Rokahr always knew she wanted to return, and is grateful that she did. She would have never been able to open the Powder Room or any of her other businesses in a place like New York City the way she has done here. “I love North Carolina. I love Winston-Salem. You can make your own opportunities here,” she said.
While Rohkar and her team have made it a point not to advertise any of her businesses, she does have a marketing budget from which she uses its entirety to support nonprofits throughout the community. “The worst thing that can happen to you is growing too fast,” she said, “Controlled growth is what we
are after. Every step we take we want to make it perfect, not have to go back and change it.” With a heavily educated and high-quality staff, Rohkar could not be more proud of the café’s team and work environment.
The Powder Room has recently begun serving a variety of in-house-made biscuits on Saturdays, which have sold out every single time. Accompanied by jams made out of fresh fruits or a choice of protein, the café will continue this new tradition as it continues to explore and discover what its customers love and want. While Rohkar is hopeful the café will contribute to Burke Street becoming a walking district where people venture out to shop, eat, or even just spend the day, there is no doubt that the Powder Room will quickly become a Winston-Salem staple. !
The 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.
The Powder Room is located at 1016 Burke Street in Winston-Salem. Business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit https://www.thepowderroomcafe.com.
“We just received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign,” announced Mayor Nancy Vaughan during the closing minutes of the December 6 Greensboro City Council meeting. Vaughan was referring to the 11th annual Municipal Equality Index (MEI) issued by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the 42-year-old nonprofit that is the nation’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization.
“Greensboro’s had a perfect score for several years now,” said Vaughan, “largely due to our sta and the steps we’ve taken to focus on LGBTQ Issues. I’m proud of that 100-point score.”
According to the report’s preface, in 2022 “a record-breaking 120 cities earned the highest score of 100,” which is 109 more than were given that score on the first MEI, issued in 2012. This, stated in the preface, indicates, “striking advancements municipalities have made despite some being in states that have seen increased extremist-led anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and legislation.”
The HRC’s 11th annual MEI rates 10 North Carolina municipalities, including two Triad cities and four Triangle ones.
Greensboro, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill received perfect scores of 100 points each. The remaining seven are WinstonSalem and Durham, each with 92 points; Charlotte, with 86 points; Raleigh, with 85; Cary, with 50; Wilmington, with 46; and Fayetteville, with 41.
The 2022 report rated 506 U.S. cities, as has every report since 2016. The 2015 report rated 408 cities; the 2014 report rated 353; the 2013 report rated 291; and the first MEI report, issued in 2012, rated 137 cities. That first list only included three North Carolina ones: Raleigh, with 43 points; Charlotte, with 39; and Durham, with 37.
Greensboro and Winston-Salem were added to the list in 2013, and have remained the only Triad cities rated since. In their first year on the list, they earned the lowest scores in North Carolina, with Winston receiving 34 total points and Greensboro receiving 42. Durham topped that year’s list with 56 points, followed by Charlotte with 51 and Raleigh with 43.
In 2014, Winston ranked above Greens-
boro for the first and last time so far, with 51 points to Greensboro’s 50. Raleigh also received 51 and Durham received 59, with Charlotte leading the state with 63.
But from 2015 until 2019, Greensboro received the highest score in the state, with 85 in 2015, 80 in 2016, 82 in 2017, 79 in 2018, and 79 again in 2019. In those same five years, Winston plummeted, then climbed much more slowly, with 33 points in 2015, 44 in 2016, 48 in 2018, 52 in 2018, and 52 again in 2019.
In 2020, Greensboro remained at 79 and Winston rose two points to 54, but Chapel Hill took the lead with 86. But in 2021 and again this month, Greensboro received a perfect score of 100 points, with Winston receiving 92 this year and 87 in 2021.
Greensboro’s “perfect scores” for the last two years do not mean the city received every possible point in every possible category.
For instance, in Municipality as Employer, Section II of its “scorecard,” Greensboro received 28 out of 28 possible points. In Section III, Municipal Services, it received 12 out of 12 possible points. And in Section V, Leadership on LGBTQ+ Equality, it received 8 out of 8.
But in Section 1, Non-Discriminatory Laws, the city received 24 out of 30 possible points. In Section IV, Law Enforcement, it received 17 out of 22 possible points.
If rated on these criteria alone, some of which include laws that can only be created at the state level, Greensboro’s score is 89 out of 100. However, each section of the MEI includes “flex points,” awarded on criteria that “aren’t available to all cities at this time,” and which can boost a city’s total score. For instance, as Joe Killian noted in “North Carolina communities making LGBTQ equality gains, according to annual report,” a December 1, 2022 article for the NC Policy Watch publication The Pulse, cities o ering domestic partner benefits and youth bullying prevention policies receive flex points.
In the 2022 MEI, Greensboro received a total flex score of 15. As no city can receive more than 100 total points, this raised its combined score to 100 rather than 104.
In comparison, Winston-Salem received 24 out of 30 possible points in Section 1, Non-Discrimination Laws, just as Greensboro did. In Section II, Municipality as Employer, it received 22 out of 28, as opposed to Greensboro’s 28 out of 28. In Section III, Municipal Services, Winston received 7 out of 12, whereas Greensboro received 12 out of 12. In Section IV, Law Enforcement, Winston received 22 out
of 22, 5 points better than Greensboro’s score. In Section V, Leadership on LGBTQ+ Equality, Winston received 8 out of 8, just as Greensboro did.
In total, the seat of Forsyth County received 83 points, 6 lower than Greensboro, and a total flex score of 9 points, 6 lower than Greensboro, for a final score of 92 points.
High Point is not included in the MEI, even though its population is higher than Chapel Hill’s or Carrboro’s. However, as the “How Cities Were Selected for Rating” section of the 2022 MEI explains, population is not the only criteria.
The 2022 Municipal Equality Index rates 506 municipalities of varying sizes drawn from every state in the nation.
These include the 50 state capitals, the 200 largest cities in the United States, the five largest cities or municipalities in each state, the cities home to the state’s two largest public universities (including undergraduate and graduate enrollment), 75 cities and municipalities that have high proportions of same-sex couples and 98 cities selected by HRC and Equality Federation state groups members and supporters.
These 75 cities with the highest proportions of same-sex couples are drawn from an analysis of the 2010 Census results by
the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, which ranked the 25 large cities (population exceeding 250,000), 25 midsize cities (population between 100,000 and 250,000), and 25 small cities (population below 100,000) with the highest proportion of same-sex couples.
As previously reported, Vaughan’s statements at the council meeting about the MEI report were in the context of remarks she and District 5’s Tammi Thurm made about the rise of anti-LGTQ hate speech across the state, most recently in Moore County.
In her closing comments at the December 6 council meeting, Thurm spoke of the link between hate speech and violence.
“About a week and a half ago,” said Thurm, “we had our first vigil for those in our state and across the country and throughout the world for those who have been killed because they were transgender. It was a very solemn occasion, but we had a nice crowd. It was the Transgender Task Force’s first vigil and I thought it very beautiful and moving and want to thank the task force for their e orts on that.” !
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.
Theatre Alliance had a busy 2022 and is are prepped for an even busier 2023!
In January, 2023, we present Stephen King’s Misery Misery follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by his “number one fan,” Annie Wilkes, and wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed o her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does. Misery runs Jan 20, 2023 - Jan 29, 2023.
In February, 2023, we have two events slated. First, The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, written and performed by Ms. Diane Faison. In the African American storytelling tradition, the life of one of history’s boldest humanitarians is channeled through Diane Faison in her original one-woman show. With well over 300 performances under her belt, her powerful portrayal of Harriet Tubman leaves audiences moved. Ms. Faison is a recipient of a grant from Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County to perform in retirement homes as well as a Wells Fargo Arts in Education Grant to perform in WS/FCS middle schools. Theatre Alliance is proud to bring The Spirit of Harriet Tubman to the stage. The onenight show runs Friday, February 3, 2023 at 8:00 PM. Our mainstage production in February is Titanic: The Musical. Epic and majestic — with moments of heartbreaking intimacy — Titanic captures the triumph and tragedy of the hopeful passengers on the ill-fated Ship of Dreams. This is the factual story of that ship—of her o cers, crew and passengers, to be sure—but she will not, as has happened so many times before, serve as merely the background against which fictional, melodramatic narratives are recounted. The central character of our Titanic is the TITANIC herself. Titanic sets sail Feb 10, 2023 - Feb 19, 2023.
In March, 2023, Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, graces the Theatre Alliance
stage. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a love story for the ages. The Capulet and Montague households have been embroiled in a bloody fight for as long as anyone in Verona, Italy can remember. The death toll is mounting, and it seems that the best thing anyone can do is keep the two sides as far from each other as possible. But when young Romeo Montague crashes the Capulet ball, he falls head-over-heels in love with young Juliet Capulet — and she falls just as in love with him. What ensues is one of the most romantic and devastating love stories in the theatrical canon. Fall in love with Romeo and Juliet Mar 17, 2023 - Mar 26, 2023.
Additional productions during Theatre Alliance’s 39th season include The Boy From Oz and The Color Purple. WinstonSalem Theatre Alliance aims to inspire, transform, and unite the people of the Triad through a broad range of unique, diverse, and unconventional theatrical experiences. More at www.theatrealliance.ws.
ARTS COUNCIL is the chief advocate of the arts and cultural sector in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. Our goal is to serve as a leader in lifting up, creating awareness and providing support to grow and sustain artistic, cultural and creative o erings throughout our region We acknowledge that it takes every voice, every talent, and every story to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Arts Council is committed to serving as a facilitator, organizer, and promoter of conversations that are authentic, inclusive, and forward-thinking. There are over 800,000 art experiences taking place in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County annually. To learn more about upcoming arts and culture events happening in our community please visit www.cityofthearts.com.
The RiverRun International Film Festival gets the New Year o to a roaring start with A Silver Celebration: RiverRun @ 25, which will he held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 21st, 2023, at the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts, 251 N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem. This commemoration of RiverRun’s 25th anniversary will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, a silent auction of various film events and memorabilia, and probably a surprise or two. Tickets are $50 and are currently on sale at https:// riverrunfilm.com/.
For a quarter of a century, most of it headquartered in Winston-Salem, the RiverRun International Film Festival has brought the magic of movies to appreciative and enthusiastic audiences. Not the big-budget special-e ects extravaganzas that dominate multiplexes, but the more modest (and often more a ecting) independent films — both features and shorts — that otherwise might not have played here theatrically.
In addition to the festival itself, RiverRun has instituted several year-round programs (including “RiverRun Retro” and “Films With Class”) that have entertained and enlightened local audiences of all ages. Such legendary screen luminaries as Cli Robertson, Bill Pullman, Ned Beatty, Piper Laurie, Jane Alexander, Veronica Cartwright, Karen Allen, Celia Weston, and Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss have been bestowed with the festival’s annual “Master of Cinema” awards, and RiverRun has become an ingrained part of the cultural fabric of Winston-Salem and the state of North Carolina.
“The festival would not have grown the way it has or be as successful as it were it not for enthusiastic, loyal, and steadfast audiences,” said Rob Davis, RiverRun executive director. “I also think it’s important to recognize Dale Pollock’s role in bringing the festival from Brevard to Winston-Salem in its early years. We have only presented our Visionary Award one time, and that was during our 20th anniversary when we presented it to Dale
in recognition of his role in bringing the festival to this part of the state.”
Indeed, it was Pollock, the two-time dean of the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) who engineered RiverRun’s move from its original home in Brevard to Winston-Salem in 2003.
“It’s hard for me to believe that RiverRun has been a vital part of the WinstonSalem and Forsyth County arts ecosystem for a quarter of a century,” Pollock marveled. “When the festival started in 1998 in Brevard, no one imagined that it would end up here. Our region has embraced RiverRun and made it the successful international film festival it is. Under Rob Davis’ stewardship, RiverRun has thrived and become one of the best regional film festivals in the country.”
“Festival work is hard work, but it’s also fun especially in terms of all the people one meets, whether fundraising or working with filmmakers, and seeing the joy on the faces of audience members and filmmakers alike is a very rewarding experience,” said Davis. “I’ve worked with a lot of workplace teams throughout my career, and I’ve never encountered such an impressive group of professional, dedicated, and enthusiastic team members that we have at RiverRun. It’s a pleasure to work with such a talented group, and we all have a pretty terrific sense of humor!”
Pollock concurs. “Mary Dossinger and her programming sta have proved to be expert in what they do and deserve much of the credit for the innovative mix of foreign and domestic features and short films,” he said. “The fact that we are an Oscar-qualifying festival in two short film categories (animated short and documentary short) validates our programming approach.”
“The event is celebrating a true Winston-Salem gem — one that is a treasure not only to the local community, but to the entire region as a showcase for the vibrant filmmaking that happens across the state and the artists who make those films,” said Deborah LaVine, the current UNCSA School of Filmmaking dean and a member of RiverRun’s board of directors. “I’ve been thrilled to be a small part of the (celebration) planning. RiverRun introduces a wide breadth of cinematic experiences to audiences who love movies.”
The success of the RiverRun Interna-
tional Film Festival was interrupted — although not impeded — by the cancellation of the 2021 festival due to the COVID pandemic, and again Davis praised the sta and volunteers for dealing with this unforeseen hurdle.
“I had said even prior to the pandemic that the RiverRun team was a truly adaptable group of professionals,” Davis said. “I had already been impressed by their willingness to embrace and produce year-round programming that was a huge increase compared to earlier years. With the pandemic, we knew we had to adapt our business model in order to survive, and although we had never operated a virtual cinema, we were in the ‘virtual cinema business’ within weeks of our live event being canceled and used social media and our e-newsletter to stay in touch with our audiences and supporters.”
The 25th annual RiverRun Internation-
al Film Festival is scheduled for April 1322, 2023, and the groundwork is already being laid in place.
“We are still formulating the 2023 festival, but I suspect we will have some sort of online component again,” Davis said. “Last year, our first online ticket sampler was sold to an individual in Burbank, California, so the virtual cinema has expanded our audience base beyond the immediate area. We have more than 1,740 submissions for the 2023 festival, which is up from 1,676 last year.” !
See MARK BURGER ’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.
(336) 724-1502
Although perhaps best known for his light-heartedly heroic or comedic roles, Brendan Fraser has displayed his dramatic capabilities over the years. Extraordinary Measures (2010) might have played like a Lifetime tearjerker, but he displayed his serious side to good e ect in Gods and Monsters (1998), the Oscar-winning Crash (2004), and The Quiet American (2001) — although in each his work was overshadowed by that of his co-stars, particularly Ian McKellen in Gods and Monsters and Michael Caine in The Quiet American. With The Whale, producer/director Darren Aronofsky’s powerfully e ective adaptation of screenwriter Samuel D. Hunter’s play, Fraser is a hurricane of emotion, and he’s front and center the entire time. If there was any doubt about Fraser’s talents, The Whale should dispel them. It’s a career performance.
Since his auspicious debut, Pi (1998), Aronofsky has specialized in films depicting desperate characters (be it Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Black Swan, or even Noah) and The Whale is no exception. The film’s four principal characters are emotionally wounded, some by circumstance and some self-inflicted.
Such a character is Charlie (Fraser), a 600-pound man who ekes out a solitary, almost sordid existence in his secondstory walk-up apartment. When he’s not wallowing in despair and self-pity, he’s either gorging himself with food or conducting online college tutorials. His camera is turned o so that his students are unable to see the condition he’s in.
Years before, Charlie left his wife and daughter for one of his students (male), but their subsequent relationship turned tragically toxic when his lover developed (ironically enough) an eating disorder and committed suicide. Now, in his own way, Charlie is killing himself. His mobility is understandably compromised, and he su ers from severe hypertension and heart disease. If there’s blame to be ascribed for his circumstances, Charlie need only look in the mirror — which he does
ashamedly from time to time.
Charlie is tended to by Liz (Hong Chau), a down-to-earth nurse who happens to be the sister of Charlie’s late lover, and she knows him well enough that her admonishments and warnings will be summarily ignored. Charlie simply doesn’t care, and it infuriates her. It’s been a great year for Chau, who scored as the deliciously deadpan maître d’ in The Menu and does equally exemplary work here.
As Charlie gobbles his way to an early grave, he receives two unexpected visitors: Thomas (Ty Simpkins), a young missionary who just happens to knock on Charlie’s door at a pivotal moment; and Ellie (Sadie Sink), Charlie’s estranged and
endlessly embittered teenaged daughter.
Thomas is there to o er spiritual comfort, which Charlie disdains (although he likes talking to Thomas), and Ellie is there to unleash her fury upon him for abandoning her (which Charlie cannot refute).
In this, the last week of Charlie’s life, he is unexpectedly forced into confronting his own demons and failings. He has betrayed those around him and has betrayed himself by “creating” a body that e ectively imprisons him. Yet he’s not quite willing to give up yet, and this is the dynamic that The Whale hinges upon. Neither Aronofsky or Fraser go for easy sentiment here — it’s a particular anathema in Aronofsky’s work — yet it’s hard not to be moved by these characters and their respective and collective plights.
Late in the game, Charlie’s ex-wife Mary (Samantha Morton) shows up, and her long-simmering outrage is tempered by her shocked reaction to his physical state. There are some crackling, heartbreaking exchanges here, and the principal ensemble — Fraser, Chau, Simpkins, and
Sink — deliver them with intensity and verve. There’s not a weak performance in the lot.
Admittedly, there are a few contrived moments, and the final scene might be described as flowery, but those don’t impede the overall impact of The Whale Some observers claim that the film exploits obesity, but it’s equally — if not more — conceivable that someone suffering from a similar condition might be inspired after seeing this film to seek help to get healthy. The prosthetic makeup is disturbingly good (and a surefire Oscar contender), but the gimmick would be more conspicuous or overt had Fraser not been able to deliver so persuasive a performance. He truly embodies this tormented character. The Whale isn’t perfect, and it can’t necessarily be labeled a crowd-pleaser, but it’s a shattering experience nevertheless. !
See MARK BURGER ’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2022, Mark Burger.
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available for home games below:
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. LONGWOOD Thursday, December 29
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. GARDNER-WEBB Saturday, December 31
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. UNC ASHEVILLE Wednesday, January 4
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. USC UPSTATE Saturday, January 7
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. CSU Wednesday, January 11
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. WINTHROP Wednesday, January 18
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. RADFORD Saturday, January 21
MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. CAMPBELL Wednesday, January 25
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. GARDNER-WEBB Saturday, January 28
Faculty/Sta Appreciation
Holidays in High Point
Halftime Act: Red Panda Acrobat
Draw Like a Panther Night
Halftime Act: Jonathan Burns
On Dec. 11 in Katwe Kabatoro, Uganda, a 2-year-old boy was playing near a lake when a hungry, hungry hippo “grabbed ... the boy from his head and swallowed half his body,” the Telegraph reported. Bystander Chrispas Bagonza witnessed the event and started chucking rocks at the hippo, which caused it to spit the toddler out. As the beast lumbered away, onlookers rushed the child to the hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained in the attack. Police warned residents in the area to be on the lookout for the hippo, as they can become aggressive when they feel threatened.
— If you don’t mind sharing a ride with the quintessential bah humbug, you stand a chance at beating traffic in the HOV lane. At least, that’s what one driver in Arizona was hoping on Dec. 13 as he cruised along Interstate 10 with an inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat, CNN reported. “While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation,” the Arizona Department of Public Safety noted on Twitter.
business, Caganer.com. Working fourhour shifts, prisoners mold, bake, polish and paint the figures. David Fernandez, an inmate at Puig de les Basses prison, said he feels like “an elf.” “I feel very good working all year to get the job done and spread illusion. It’s very cool. It’s something from deep inside.”
Elito Circa, 52, a Philippine artist, creates his paintings with an unusual medium: his own blood. Circa told Reuters that using his blood started when he was young and had little access to painting supplies. Now he sources his “paint” every three months when he goes to Manila’s health clinic to have 500 ml extracted, which he stores in a cooler in his studio. “My artwork is very important to me because they come from me, it is from my own blood, my DNA is part of it,” Circa said.
Halftime Act: HPU Greek Challenge
Halftime Act: Xpogo Stunt Show
Halftime Act: On Stage School of Dance
Halftime Act: Umbrella Lina
Halftime Act: Kernersville Dance Company
— Motorists in Marathon, Florida, who didn’t heed the school zone speed limit on Dec. 13 were met with a choice: a citation, or an onion presented by the Grinch himself. Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy Lou Caputo, a 37-year veteran of the force, started dressing up as the surly green character more than 20 years ago, the Associated Press reported. “It’s about education, awareness that our school zones are still operating even though it’s the holiday season,” Caputo said. “It catches them off guard.” Some speeders have even elected to eat the onion right on the spot.
The Catalonia region of Spain has a quaint tradition at Christmastime that features “caganers,” or “poopers” — figurines of shepherds with their pants down, relieving themselves, Reuters reported. The figures are usually placed among nativity scenes, but more recently, they’ve morphed into caricatures of famous people such as Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and King Charles III. And now, inmates at a prison north of Barcelona are getting in on the action: They’ve been trained to produce the clay figurines for a private family
This week’s “And What the Heck Have YOU Done?” story comes from Golden, Colorado, and 8-year-old Maddock Lipp. On Dec. 1, The Denver Post reported, Lipp skied with his family on Mount Heogh in Antarctica, achieving in his short lifetime a big feat: He has skied on all seven continents and is unofficially the youngest person to do so. Lipp said he liked Antarctica best because he “got to ski next to the penguins.” He hopes to nab a Guinness World Record for the accomplishment.
An Argentinian soccer superfan became alarmed on Dec. 13 as he headed home to watch his team’s match with Croatia in the World Cup semifinals, Oddity Central reported. The 53-yearold was frustrated at the slow progress of the bus he was riding, so when the driver stopped and stepped out to buy something at a kiosk, the soccer fan allegedly hopped into the driver’s seat and took off toward his home. He drove about 4 miles, then abandoned the bus and its occupants and continued on foot. But police officers caught up with him and took him into custody — and he missed the whole game.
Turns out these officers weren’t the first to be fooled; paramedics were called out to assist the woman in October. !
here are people who are always on the scene. They are at every ribbon-cutting, cultural performance, artist gallery show, and community event.
In this year’s Top 10 edition, we wanted to highlight those who don’t always get recognition but continue doing the work necessary to make Triad communities the best.
The Shalom Project of WinstonSalem has been a long-standing presence in the City of WinstonSalem and its surrounding areas. With the goal of building “a strong and healthy community by meeting the needs of people with compassion, celebrating diversity, and working for justice,” the agency serves the community in several di erent ways. They have a medical clinic and pharmacy, providing primary care for those in need and filling prescriptions at no cost. They have a Food Pantry and Clothing Closet providing clothing and emergency groceries once a week to those in need, at no cost. They also o er assistance with diapers through a partnership with the NC Diaper Bank. Through its Flourish program, the agency helps women who are heads of households get a handle on their finances and transition out of poverty. The 18-month financial empowerment and holistic program recognizes that stress and trauma accompany poverty. It helps to connect the women participating to resources to better themselves and their situations.
If you stay in any location long enough, you’re bound to run into Winston-Salem’s most active ambassador.
Mackenzie Cates-Allen has been a proponent for the city for many years, since moving to the area in 2004. The wife and mother of three has a passion for people and building community.
“I love meeting and connecting with new people.”
With a love of learning and sharing with others, Cates-Allen founded The WinstonSalem Ambassadors and the WS Friends Crew. She’s been involved in the WinstonSalem Jaycees, the Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem, the Business 40 Reopening Project, the Northwest Child Development Center, and the Bath Creek Falls Committee. Anyway that Cates-Allen can help aid in the betterment of WinstonSalem and its residents, she will.
cinema each spring. The Academy Awardqualifying film festival showcases a variety of narrative, documentary, student, animated, and short films from all genres.
RiverRun also presents a broad range of special events, including high-profile regional premieres, celebrity tributes, family matinees, and classic retrospectives as well as a mixture of panel discussions and parties. Noted filmmakers and special guests travel to share their films, passions, and stories with audiences.
In addition to the festival itself, RiverRun has instituted several year-round programs (including “RiverRun Retro” and “Films With Class”) that have entertained and enlightened local audiences of all ages. The 25th annual event is scheduled for April 13-22, 2023 and there are already 1,740 submissions for the festival.
A fixture in the Triad arts community, Lynn Felder has been an asset for many in the arts and nonprofit community.
Felder has been a working journalist for more than 30 years, writing about the arts, yoga, culture, and entertainment for multiple media outlets, including her art blog, ARTZENSTUFF.
The Greensboro Mutual Aid and those behind the organization have worked diligently over the past few years to help Greensboro residents find and build a solid foundation. The grassroots organization, formed during the pandemic, aims to connect residents with resources that they may need during layo s, housing, and such. That help is found through community donations sent to a virtual tip jar and distributed by community organizers.
Based on the idea of solidarity and connection during one of the roughest times in the nation, Greensboro Mutual Aid said that this is nothing new.
For a quarter of a century, most of it headquartered in WinstonSalem, the RiverRun International Film Festival has brought the magic of movies to appreciative and enthusiastic audiences. Featuring independent films, both features and shorts, the festival has showcased some of the world’s best
She’s a poet, playwright, voice actor, avid Zumbaist, media consultant, and yoga instructor. She’s a member of the American Theatre Critics Association, Winston-Salem Writers, and the N.C. Writers Network. Just because you see Lynn out and about doesn’t particularly mean she’s working, but it does mean that she’s supporting the arts and culture in any way she can.
“Mutual aid is not new, it is a thing that has kept Black, Indigenous, working-class, and immigrant communities thriving over the years. This is a very old concept. In that process, part of what we have been doing is also providing education around the concept of mutual aid, but it’s also very natural to some people. We’ve had a lot of people who found out about us because they were on the virtual tip jar, then after some time, they became more secure, removed themselves, and started being more involved in contributing — that is, the power of mutual aid. It is based out of the notion that we have everything to meet everyone’s needs, we all have the ability to contribute, and we all have the ability to receive. Mutual aid also helps keep people more connected and engaged with each other.”
Greensboro Mutual Aid is involved with the Mutual Aid Fund, which is “a network composed of 12 organizations doing mutual aid or neighborhood-specific work throughout the city, fiscally sponsored by grants from the YWCA.”
The Triad Health Project has been serving the community for the past 35-plus years with the mission to help people in the Triad living with HIV as well as to provide sexual health education and testing. Beginning in 1986 as a grassroots e ort amongst friends, THP is one of the largest AIDS service organizations in North Carolina, with o ces in Greensboro and High Point. The agency o ers support to persons living with, or at risk for, HIV/ AIDS and their loved ones, and educational and advocacy services for those in the HIV/ AIDS community or a ected by HIV/AIDS. Beyond the Triad and clients, they implement strategies to educate those at risk and the community about HIV/AIDS, and advocates on a local, regional, and national level. They o er Case Management, access to a day center, and a food pantry for clients, along with educational and prevention outreach.
a airs television programs. It is through his platforms that the Winston-Salem native constantly informs readers and viewers, introducing them to community organizations and concepts that some may have never heard of in the Triad.
Longworth began his career as an announcer for WSJS radio, then worked as on-air talent for WFMY-TV in Greensboro, WSOC-TV in Charlotte, and WRIC-TV in Richmond, before starting his own company. In 2003, Mr. Longworth created Triad Today, the Piedmont’s only locally produced public a airs talk show broadcast on commercial television. In addition to hosting and producing Triad Today, he also created and produced UNCG Today, the state’s first and only commercially broadcast University-based talk show.
Longworth is the author of “TV Creators: Conversations With America’s Top Producers of Television Drama, Volume One and Volume Two” (Syracuse University Press). His columns and articles have appeared in TV Guide, the Winston-Salem Journal, and TVParty.com. His award-winning column “Longworth at Large” appears in YES! Weekly each week.
Drawers of Hope Resources Center, established in September 2020 by Sarah Graham, is a nonprofit in High Point dedicated to providing resources to at-risk youth to overcome everyday challenges. The all-inclusive program focuses on decreasing crime rates and poverty levels, and building a firm foundation for successful living for High Point communities.
According to its website, the organization places its focus on “positive change” to help youth between the ages of 9-12 deal with the challenges they face including, peer pressure, criminal activity, gang violence, hunger, poor educational support, verbal and substance abuse.
They also focus on communities and neighborhoods with high youth crime rates, gang-related activity, and poverty; and rebuilding and restoring lives by providing resources to families.
The nonprofit provides skill training and programs that focus on life skills, confidence building, career planning, educational tutoring, after-school care, and o ers programming for first o enders.
Jim Longworth is a veteran broadcaster, author, lecturer, columnist, and is President of Longworth Productions, which specializes in the production of public
You’ve seen him at numerous events throughout the City of High Point, whether it’s at a High Point University game receiving a check for the United Way of Greater High Point or at a community dinner supporting community and business leaders. Joe Barnes is bound to have crossed paths with you in some capacity having been with the agency for at least 18 years. The Vice President of Resource Development for the United Way of Greater High Point is always in a room with a smile, willing to lend an encouraging word or helpful hand. A proponent for volunteering and a champion in his community, Barnes has introduced many to local boards within the agency’s connection of nonprofits so that they may continue to serve their community.
Last, but certainly not least, our readers are our unsung heroes. It is them that help us stay connected to the happenings in the city and help us to ensure that we get the cover right, every time. !
A Christmas disagreement between a Greensboro business owner and two local nonprofits is emblematic of the debate over whether or not pandemic protocols are still necessary.
On December 15 and 21, Anna Freiberg, who owns Bender’s Tavern in Greensboro, posted three widely-shared Facebook videos in which Freiberg described serving 5,000 free Christmas meals annually for 10 of the last 12 years. “We did not do this in 2020 or 2021 because of Covid, but this year, we’re back. Last week, I was hit with a little bit of a roadblock and I want people to know what’s going on.”
In her first video, Freiberg alleged being told by Greensboro Housing Authority (GHA), the nonprofit that runs Gateway Plaza, a 221-unit a ordable housing highrise at 200 Spring Garden Street, that she could not deliver meals inside that facility.
“I have delivered to the building every year since 2010. We pull up, drop o the food, the residents get it out to every floor and every person in that building. I have one point of contact who is a resident. Last Friday, I got a call from GHA saying they would allow me to deliver to that building because of Covid, but we can partner up next year. And it hit me the wrong way because Guilford is in the top 15 counties in this country su ering food insecurities. I’m really just pissed and that’s why I’m speaking out.”
In a second video, posted at 11 a.m. on December 21, Freiberg said the meals intended for Gateway Plaza would be delivered across the street to 360 Federal Plaza, where residents of Gateway Plaza would have to “walk outside in the cold” to receive them. She also said that she had been communicating with Greensboro Urban Ministries, and had been told that, due to the low temperatures, her volunteers would be allowed to serve meals in the dining room of that nonprofit’s facility at 305 West Gate City Boulevard.
Returning to her frustration with GHA,
Freiberg alleged that the residential service manager for that nonprofit “is not allowing us in because of [air quotes] ‘Covid protocols.’ So, everyone who lives in that tower at 200 Spring Garden Street is going to have to come out of that building in the frigid cold weather and come across the street to get their Christmas meal.”
At 12:14 p.m. that day, Freiberg posted what was ultimately the most-shared of her three videos, in which she stated she had received a call from Greensboro Urban Ministries. “They said our volunteers can come inside and pass out the meals, but none of the homeless population is allowed to come in and eat the meals inside. Guys, I’m pissed, I’m so upset. I’m asking all of you guys to reach out to your local politicians, news reporters, whatever. These are non-profit organizations that are denying free meals and it’s just wrong.”
YES! Weekly spoke to both Freiberg and Chip Berry, Director of Development for Greensboro Urban Ministries, about the disagreement. Berry expressed considerable admiration for Freiberg and her work in the community but said they had philosophical di erences regarding the CDC’s November relaxation of Covid protocols.
Both parties acknowledged that their disagreement was not actually over whether the free meals could be given out at that location, but whether anyone other than those men and women residing in the homeless shelter at the Gate City Boulevard facility would be allowed to eat inside. Berry described the building as housing two separate facilities: Potter’s House, the first-floor kitchen and dining room; and Weaver House, the secondfloor residential facility, which at capacity houses 100 adult men and women.
“We’ve not used the dining room at Potter’s House for three years for anyone other than residents. We serve the people staying at Weaver House in that dining room while social distancing. But for three years now, a couple hundred times a day, we’ve been serving visitors through a window we’ve installed in the back of the dining room.”
Freiberg said she used to partner with Greensboro Urban Ministries, but separated from them after becoming disenchanted with the organization.
“I’ve been doing this since 2010. I write the check now. I pay for it out of my own
personal checkbook. I no longer ask for any money from Urban Ministries, so I don’t have to be told for political reasons how things need to be done. I appreciate everything that Urban Ministries does, but this is my meal that I’m providing and I will continue to do my good work.”
YES! Weekly asked Freiberg why she alleges “political reasons” are behind Urban Ministries rescinding permission to feed people other than the building’s residents in their dining room.
“I’m very much aware of protocols and making sure no one gets sick, but we’re two years out of Covid at this point and everyone keeps using that as their excuse and it’s time to move on from it. We have to get on with life and we have to keep on continuing to do the right thing for people. I’m not saying that Urban Ministries are bad people or they don’t care, but I was o ered something, and then it was taken back. People are going to be outside in the cold on Christmas Day, not being able to eat a hot meal for 20 minutes, and that’s a big issue.”
Berry said he understood Freiberg’s anger.
“I want to stress that we love what Anna does and that she’s a really good person. I do believe that part of her frustration is that she thinks the world has moved on and it’s like it was before Covid. We probably just look at it through a totally di erent lens than she does. I know a lot of small business owners like Anna and I get their frustration. It’s been
a really challenging time for them in different ways than it it’s been for us.”
Berry said that Weaver House is unlike Greensboro Urban Ministries’ family shelter in North Greensboro, which consists of separate e ciency apartments.
“At Weaver House, you can imagine the issues, as homeless folks have a high propensity for lung diseases and the ones that stay with us are generally older and have health issues. We used to let people who weren’t staying at Weaver House come inside and eat, but we just couldn’t do that, we literally have hundreds of people come every single day for meals, and our Potter’s House Dining Room is very small, particularly when you set it up for social distancing. So, what we’ve done is, the residents of Weaver House have been served three meals a day indoors, but for the people who don’t live there but come to us every single day, we put in a window to serve them. We don’t like what we’ve had to do, but feel it’s the right thing. Our doorbell is rung 22,000 times a year. People don’t get the scale of what we do.”
He called the CDC’s latest guidelines “much more open to interpretation” than the ones in place before November 29. “We’re working with a Cone Health physician, Dr. Pat Wright, to interpret things. We learned so many lessons from Covid, and can’t pretend that everything’s the same. We’ve got to continue doing some things di erently.”
GHA special projects manager Maggie
Larkins responded to Freiberg’s statements with an email that began:
“After learning about Anna’s e orts recently, we reached out to her to discuss o cially partnering with GHA to successfully and safely serve the residents. After that discussion and an email follow-up, Anna replied. See the two emails below.”
Larkins attached GHA resident services manager Anthony Banks’ December 12 email to Freiberg, in which Banks expressed caution about “large-scale indoor events (meal distribution) without GHA team members involved,” as well as concern that “with several viruses circulating, protecting GHA residents, vendors, and sta has been our priority.” Banks concluded by stating that he looked forward to meeting with Freiberg to discuss “partnering” with her next year.
Larkins also attached Freiberg’s response, in which she stated disinclination to “partner” with an entity that, according to her, had not previously involved itself in the interactions between Freiberg’s volunteers and the building’s residents.
“It appears that she doesn’t want to partner,” stated Larkins. “If that changes, we are MORE than open to adding her to our list of over 15+ community partners currently working with us to provide meals and nutritious food options to our residents.”
Despite these disagreements, Freiberg said she and her volunteers served Christmas meals inside both GHA’s Gateway Plaza and Greensboro Urban Ministries’
“At Gateway Plaza, our usual liaison called us on Christmas Eve and said there had been some sort of social event there on Thursday and that GHA had left the dining room unlocked, so she went in and set it up for us. She then told me ‘Let’s not meet across the street like we planned; it’s too cold and some of these people are 85 and shouldn’t be outside. If GHA has a problem with that, I’ll take the blame. So, we pulled up, and she took 250 meals inside the building, and another 250 to some homeless people who meet under that bridge, whom she let come in and sit in the dining room. This morning, she told me that, for one of the women who lives in that building, the meal she got from us was the first time she’d eaten in two days.”
According to Freiberg, when she and her volunteers pulled into the Urban Ministries parking lot, someone inside that building immediately opened the door for them. “I said I was told we were not allowed inside, and she said ‘I’m a volunteer, what are they going to do, fire me?’ And so, she let everybody in, and we fed 300 hundred meals there. We also fed 50 meals at Hall Towers over on Church Street, which is also owned by GHA. In total, I fed 2,500 meals yesterday.” !
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.
Blues guitarist Eric Gales o ers a 2022 crowning achievement as his latest album “Crown” is up for Grammy nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” at the 65th annual edition of the awards, airing February 5.
It’s been a banner year for Gales. “Crown” made its debut at the top of the Billboard Blues Album chart, followed by tours and appearances around the world. “It’s just a huge accomplishment,” Gales said of the nomination. “Win, lose or draw. I’m pinching myself every day. After this many years in the game — you know 19 albums under my belt and my backstory — you know what I’ve been through. Just to be nominated is such a huge honor. And I’m just filled with gratitude.”
Born in Memphis, Tennessee Gales calls Greensboro home these days. Though he’s out on the road so often
BY KATRENA WIZE
— his home feels more like a kingdom stretching across concert halls and highway miles all over the world. A kingdom for which he’s crawled “from hell and back,” a journey through addiction and resolution — all laid bare across tracks and ri s on “Crown.”
While the Grammy’s harken, his newfound home celebrates. Earlier in December, the Greensboro City Council approved a resolution to honor Gales and his achievements. Meanwhile, Gales keeps a foot and a few beats back in Memphis — having recently appeared at an event with The Bar-Kays and performing the national anthem and half-time show for an NBA Grizzlies Game.
“We’re rippin’ and runnin’,” Gales said, looking ahead to the New Year. “For myself and my wife, LaDonna, the work never stops.” Though they do have plans to pause for a family-oriented New Year’s Eve in warmer climates. “It’s rare that we aren’t playing. So we’re going to take advantage of it,” he explained. “Kick back and enjoy, because next year is going to kick into high gear — higher than ever before. We’re just going to decompress and ring in the New Year and thank God for allowing us. Stay tuned because there’s a lot coming.”
Coming in 2023, Gales will head to Las Vegas in January for Joe Satriani’s “G4 V6.0 Experience,” a sort of guitarlovers fantasy camp with artists like Peter Frampton, Steve Lukather, Steve Morse, Alex Skolnick, Andy James, and John 5. The retreat will feature workshops, live performances, and various mentor sessions. “Patrons come out for sit-downs with artists and guitarists they admire,” Gales explained. “I’m honored to be amongst that crowd.” Then comes the Grammy awards in February. “We’re excited to finally walk across that red carpet,” Gales said. “My congratulations go out to all the nominees. In
each category. I’m actually friends with everybody in my category. I can’t wait to find out who goes away with the hardware.” He’ll face friendly competition from Shermekia Copeland, Ben Harper, North Mississippi Allstars, and Edgar Winter.
Meanwhile, Buddy Guy is up for “Best Traditional Blues Album,” an honor that precedes Guy’s “Damn Right Farewell Tour,” on which Gales will perform a handful of dates in February and March. King Solomon Hicks is also on a few dates — with Gales and Hicks making their own stop for a show at the Ramkat on March 30.
Turning to his “Crown” and its success, Gales is honored though not entirely surprised. “I knew we were in the midst of making something special,” he said. “Especially when the content of what we were talking about began to come into focus. And how the songs were coming together.”
Gales’ gratitude and honors extend to the artists that helped build “Crown” along the way. “They’re the cherry on top,” he said. “The whole pie is filled with a recipe of good ingredients that I think helped enable it to be a good Grammy candidate.”
And while most of that pie was recorded in Nashville with Josh Smith and Joe Bonamassa in the producer’s seat, overdubs and additional elements for “Crown” were done with Benjy Johnson at Earthtones Studio in Greensboro. “If you ain’t been over to Earthtones to get your work done, you’re missing out,” Gales said. “Earthtones is the spot. That is my second home. Benjy is amazing. If my name is called at the awards, it’s a win for quite a few things involved with being in Greensboro. So it’s going to be pretty huge.”
And the honor is reciprocated. “‘Crown’ is — no pun
intended — a crowning achievement for him and the whole team,” said Johnson (who’s credited on the album as “Overdub Engineer.”) A fan from the start, Johnson foresaw the outcome while working with Gales in the studio. “As God is my witness, I told Eric, ‘you know this is going to be nominated for a Grammy,’” he explained.
“I told him, the game has changed,” Johnson continued. “‘Crown’ isn’t a guitar record — it’s a song record. And every song tells a part of his journey and where he is at right now. To see his career go from a 16-year-old phenom, to being dropped from his label — to drug addiction and prison time — to his marriage to LaDonna and rising above his substance addiction — to now being nominated for a Grammy is just incredible!”
Ecstatic at the news of the nomination, Johnson is honored to have been involved. He’s also been busy with his own work — having been involved with projects for Amazon Prime, HBO, CBS, and National Theatrical releases (and even a Martin Scorsese film). Looking back on 2022, his personal highlights include recording Triad artists like DaShawn Hickman and Charlie Hunter. “And of course ‘Crown’,” he said. “Thanks to the Gales and all my clients for entrusting me with their musical projects. It’s a big responsibility and I don’t take it lightly.”
Johnson plans to tune in to the Grammy Awards on February 5.
As for Gales, “It bears repeating: just to be nominated is a huge, huge acknowledgment,” he said. “And it just gives me even more motivation to keep pushing. To keep going and keep doing what I’ve been doing for years.” !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who spotlights area artists and events.
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
Cat’S CraDlE
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053 www.catscradle.com
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
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
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com
Dec 31: Peekaboo
Jan 20: giggly Squid
Jan 21: gregory alan isakov
taP HouSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
Dec 29: Joey whitaker
Dec 30: Motorvader
Jan 5: James Vincent Carroll
Jan 6: ryan trotti Band
Jan 7: next o Kin
Barn DinnEr tHEatrE
120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com
Jan 7: Stephen Freeman
Jan 13,14, 20,21: Ms. Mary’s Boys: Meet Me at Mary’s Place
Jan 28: the legacy
3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555 www.charbar7.com
Dec 29: whiskey Pines
Dec 30: Savannah Harmon
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: Katherine Blanford
5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
Dec 29: renae Paige
Dec 30: gipsy Danger
Dec 31: retro Vinyl
Jan 6: Brother Pearl
1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com
Dec 28: wwE live Holiday tour
Jan 14-15: Monster Jam
Jan 27: a night of Soul: Frankie Beverly & Maze, the isley Brothers
Hangar 1819
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
BrEwing
348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678 www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew wednesdays: trivia Fridays & Saturdays: Free live Music Dec 31: Paleface & Mo
2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com
Jan 27: Steel Panther
StEVEn tangEr CEntEr
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500
ThE DEck
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.thedeckatrivertwist.com
Friday & Saturday: Live Bands
Dec 29: DJ Jen
Dec 31: hampton Drive
kErnErSviLLE
BrEwing companY
221 N Main St. | 336.816.7283 www.facebook.com/kernersvillebrewing Thursdays: Trivia
Dec 30: kevin holdson
Dec 31: Stone parker Band
ccU mUSic park
aT waLnUT crEEk
3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com
Dec 30: magic of Lights: DriveThrough holiday Lights Experience
LincoLn ThEaTrE
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com
Dec 29: cris Jacons
Dec 20: into the Fog
Dec 31: red panda
Jan 12: By george, harvey Street company, Late notice
Jan 13: adam knight’s Buried alivea Tribute to phish
Jan 15: Shot Thru The heart - Bon Jovi Tribute w/ Bullet the Blue Sky
Jan 18: Spafford
Jan 21: weekend Excursion w/ runaway cab
kamikazE’S TavErn
5701 Randleman Rd | 336.908.6144 www.facebook.com/kamikazestavern
karaoke Every Tuesday & Thursday
Dec 28: Josh Jennings
Dec 30: Travis grubb & The Stoned rangers
Dec 31: halden vang (Finalist from The voice)
EarL’S
121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com
mondays: open mic Thursdays: will Jones
Dec 30: The mighty Fairlanes
Dec 31: The megan Doss Band
Jan 6: killer wabbits
Jan 7: anna Leigh Band
FooThiLLS BrEwing
638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 www.foothillsbrewing.com
Sundays: Sunday Jazz Thursdays: Trivia
Dec 28: Banjo Earth
Dec 30: The Sun Dried Tomatoes
Jan 6: carolina clay
Jan 8: Jon montgomery
Jan 13: andrew wakefield
Jan 15: Eddie clayton & Friends
Jan 20: camel city Blues
Jan 22: David childers
Jan 27: patrick rock
Jan 29: Dana Bearror
Feb 5: heather rogers
Feb 5: megan Doss
miDwaY mUSic haLL
11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter mondays: Line Dancing
Dec 31: Jimmy Shirley Jr.
mUDDY crEEk caFE & mUSic haLL 137 West St | 336.201.5182 www.facebook.com/MuddyCreekCafe
Dec 29: Eddie 9v
Jan 21: Led head: Led zeppelin Experience
ThE ramkaT 170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com
Dec 29: Dead president$
Dec 30: circles around The Sun
Jan 5: nirvani
Jan 6: men in Black
Jan 7: old heavy hands
Jan 13: charlie Starr
Jan 14: The mayByrds w/ magnolia green
Jan 20: cosmic charlie
Jan 21: maiden Boyage: iron maiden Tribute
Jan 28: Them pants w/ withdrew
Feb 2: mike and the moonpies
Feb 3: The Steeldrivers
Feb 4: Squirrel nut zippers
Feb 8: The mountain goats Duo
Feb 19: SUSTo
Feb 23: catz in pajamas
Feb 24: The paul Thorn Band
Feb 25: Jeremy’s Ten
Feb 27: Los Lobos
wiSE
826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008 www.wisemanbrewing.com
Thursdays: music Bingo Dec 30: Souljam nYE
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Start preparing now to make sure you get the credit you’re due for all the e ort you put in to get a project o the ground. A new challenge emerges in a few weeks.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You’re charging full steam ahead on the job -- and that’s fine. But take time to bask in the excitement of a new year, and be grateful for all you accomplished during this one.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A former detractor resists joining your ranks just yet. Give them time to learn more about what you’re doing. Meanwhile, devote more time to friends and family.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Be careful not to be goaded into a ti by someone who might be looking for a fight. Remain cool as you make your exit. Be assured that others will rally to your support.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Kudos on getting the well-deserved Lion’s share of the rewards for a job well-done. Now you can take a breather from your workaday duties and spend time with your family.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You enjoy a quick spurt of renewed energy just in time to meet that upcoming deadline. A potentially romantic situation looms. How it develops will be up to you.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Watch out for distractions that could cause delays and leave you running twice as fast to finish your work. Then go ahead and have fun. You deserve it.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You might prefer to work on current tasks on your own. But be open to a potentially useful suggestion from someone who admires you and wants to help.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Avoid rushing full gallop into that volunteer project without knowing what’s expected of you. Take things a step at a time as you begin to find your way.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Good news: You should begin to feel more comfortable expressing your emotions. This will go a long way in helping you with that personal situation.
[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) An old friend gives confusing signals. Best advice: Don’t assume that things will necessarily work themselves out. Ask questions and demand straight answers.
[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A new relationship needs time to develop. Be careful not to let your emotions flood your natural sense of caution. Meanwhile, check out that new job o er.
[BORN THIS WEEK: Your sense of right and wrong sometimes causes you to come into conflict with others. But you invariably come out ahead.
© 2022 by King Features Syndicate
by Fifi Rodriguez
1. TELEVISION: What is the name of the next-door neighbor on TV’s sitcom “Home Improvement”?
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[ 6. MEDICAL TERMS: What is a common name for the disorder called sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia?
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2. LITERATURE: Which war was the setting for Anthony Doerr’s novel “All the Light We Cannot See”?
[ 7. ASTRONOMY: Where is the Oort Cloud in space?
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3. MUSIC: Who wrote the song “All Along the Watchtower,” performed by Jimi Hendrix?
[ 4. GEOGRAPHY: When is Earth Day celebrated each year?
[ 5. HISTORY: Which two city-states fought the Peloponnesian War?
[ 8. GEOMETRY: How many sides does a nonagon have?
[ 9. FOOD & DRINK: What’s another name for egg white?
[ 10. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: How large is the Times Square ball that drops at midnight on New Year’s Eve?
1. Wilson. 2. WWII. 3. Bob Dylan. 4. April 22. 5. Athens and Sparta. 6. Brain freeze. 7. The most distant region in our solar system, beyond the Kuiper Belt. 8. Nine. 9. Albumen. 10. 12 feet in diameter.
© 2022 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
