YES! Weekly - April 26, 2023

A recent bill filed in the state’s General Assembly would make it illegal for some of the Triad’s favorite drag queens to perform in public venues.

5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 O ce 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

EDITORIAL

Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com

YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD JIM LONGWORTH NAIMA SAID DALIA RAZO LYNN FELDER

PRODUCTION

Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com

Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com

ADVERTISING Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com

4 “I really believe in the notion of paying forward,” said Josh Shuminsky, founder of SOLUTIONS AFOOT, a Winston-Salem-based LLC specializing in database development. “We had the technology, and it’s great to be able to use it for a good cause.”

6 Spirits were high Saturday night at Hanesbrands Theatre in Winston-Salem, where the RIVERRUN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL held its closing-night gala for its 25th-anniversary event.

7 Wake Forest University’s communityfacing FACE TO FACE Speaker Forum brings world-renowned, influential voices to Winston-Salem to discuss topics in a variety of areas including politics, arts and culture, business and social justice.

8 KATHY MANNING is currently serving her second term in Congress representing the 6th district of North Carolina, and TED BUDD has switched chambers and is

now our State’s freshman Senator.

9 On this, the 50th anniversary of the release of The Exorcist , filmmakers continue to crank out stupid knockoffs, the latest of which is THE POPE’S EXORCIST, based on the best-selling books by Father Gabriele Amorth (“An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories”).

15 On April 6, Greensboro’s acclaimed 21-year-old professional live theater company released the following statement: Triad Stage regrets to announce THE CANCELLATION OF ITS UPCOMING PRODUCTION OF “THE CAKE” due to financial restraints.

16 CHUCK MOUNTAIN invites listeners to join their “Fool’s Journey,” with a drink in hand, cracking beer-paired releases to celebrate songs leading to their debut LP. It’s southern rock with a side of suds from a trio who’ve enjoyed chugging along across brewery stages...

TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com

Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK

We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2023 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

If you’ve lived in Greensboro long enough, you’ve heard of Michael Joseph Roberto.

Whether through his time working for the Greensboro News & Record or the Carolina Peacemaker as a journalist, as a professor at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, or as a past regular at Al Brilliant’s Glenwood Community Bookshop and the meetings of Democracy Greensboro, Roberto has firmly established himself as a fixture of the Greensboro community.

If you’ve ever met Michael Joseph Roberto, then you know it’s impossible to forget him.

He’s one of those outsized characters, a relic of some era that’s hard to place, with a composite of personalities ranging from the enraged to the endearing. There’s nobody in Greensboro who could claim to be neutral on Roberto; that

BAZOOKA!

BY JUSTIN HARMON

would simply be preposterous.

He’s not quite in the “either you love him or hate him” category, but he’s close. After spending an evening with him, you either walk away lost in thought, laughing to yourself or ticked o . And maybe that’s just part of his charm: he pulls emotions out of you, makes you feel things, whether you were looking to feel something or not.

And that’s what Roberto intends to do on Sunday, May 7th at 7 p.m. at The Crown, atop the Carolina Theater. He promises to make you hear and feel things that have long gone unheard and unfelt in Greensboro since, well, the last time he played the congas in front of an audience.

If you’ve lived in Greensboro long enough, then you’ve heard the music of Michael Joseph Roberto.

For all that Roberto may and may not

be, in this, his second act, he’s a musician. Although to say this is a “second act” is to give him short shrift — he’s been a musician all his life, he just took some time o to pay the bills. But now he’s back, and he’s put together quite the ensemble.

The debut of his band Bazooka! is decades of promise and years of struggle finally coming to fruition. After the pandemic derailed the first iteration of the group in March 2020, Roberto went back to his roots and dug into practicing, eventually setting up a studio inside the Music Barn on Chapman Street.

For bandmates, he’s recruited some of the best musicians of the Triad, including Neil Clegg on saxophone, Pete Delos on guitar, Marcelo Falconi on bass, Byron Lattimore on drums, and Anderson “Butch” Stewart on keyboards. The band will also feature the mesmerizing vocals of Diana Tu n for the evening.

They’ll be playing two sets of what can best be described as “FunkFusion,” with roots in soul, jazz, Latin, and rock. Fans of Gato Barbieri, Weather Report, Herbie Hancock, and Carlos Santana, to name but

a few of their influences, will all find the music of Bazooka! much to their liking.

As for the band’s name — Bazooka! — well, it doesn’t just accurately capture the essence of the ensemble’s music; the name fits Roberto like a pair of finely made Italian leather gloves, too.

Loud and clear, determined, and emotional, Roberto’s Bazooka! will leave attendees clamoring for another opportunity to see the band — and left wondering why they had to wait so long since the last time he stood behind the congas.

Since retiring from A&T in 2018 and finishing his first book, Roberto has had one purpose: to build a band for the community of Greensboro. And on May 7th, he’ll have his first opportunity to deliver on that goal and show the people of the city what he’s built for them.

Because once you’ve heard the music of Michael Joseph Roberto, you’ll need to hear it again. !

JUSTIN HARMON is an associate professor at UNCG. When not in the classroom he can be found in the forest with his dog or lost in the crowd at a concert.

Michael Joseph Roberto

Winston entrepreneurs develop online learning for displaced Ukrainian students

said Shuminsky. “We were presented with helping Ukraine refugee children be able to continue their learning after their schools were destroyed. This seemed like a no-brainer for us, so we jumped on it, and it’s now being used by refugee kids who enroll in online classes, or are enrolled by their parents, and the volunteers who teach them long distance.”

In a phone interview, Shuminsky and Solutions Afoot partner and chief knowledge o cer Chris Vaughan said these classes began mid-March.

ippines, and the Dnipropetrovsk Region of Ukraine. It specializes in database-centric web and custom cloud applications, with an emphasis on reducing development time and cost.

refugees in the United States.

That cause is free online classes for displaced students from Ukraine, taught by qualified volunteer instructors.

“Last year we were approached by a company looking for developers to develop applications for Ukrainian refugees,”

“We are not the ones running the classes,” said Vaughan. “We created the environment for the virtual classrooms. We partnered with a company called Caspio.”

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Caspio is an American software company with o ces in Kraków, Valencia, Makati City in the Phil-

“They had a history in Ukraine,” said Vaughan, “so the crisis there really hit home for them. They put out an o er to companies based in or doing work for Ukraine, saying Caspio would provide free hosting through their platform. As we’re a gold partner with Caspio, they approached us to see if we wanted to develop something. They ended up introducing us to UA English Club.”

UA English Club is a program of Ukrainian American House (uahouse. org), a Sacramento-based nonprofit founded in 2018 to raise awareness of and increase support for Ukraine, ensure stable delivery of humanitarian aid to that county, and support Ukrainian

“They’re a not-for-profit that had been running classes using Zoom,” said Vaughan. “They’d been having to set up everything manually, so we o ered to donate our time to help build the application on the Caspio platform, so that the students could easily get access to the volunteers, and the volunteers could easily get access to creating classes for the students.”

Ever since Solutions Afoot partnered with Caspio, the two companies have been discussing the Ukrainian crisis.

“When Caspio first approached us,” said Vaughan, “they really were like, hey, do you want to create anything to help companies in Ukraine? And we said sure, we’re happy to do anything to help and to build an application for them. We asked them what they had in mind, and they presented us with two or three di erent options.

“I really believe in the notion of paying forward,” said Josh Shuminsky, founder of Solutions Afoot, a Winston-Salembased LLC specializing in database development. “We had the technology, and it’s great to be able to use it for a good cause.”

Ian McDowell

Contributor

I am a former teacher of mathematics, so when they talked about something to help displaced students, Josh and I immediately realized that’s what we wanted to work on.”

Vaughan graduated from Mount Tabor High School and has a BA in Communications and an MBA from Wake Forest. Shuminsky graduated from Florida State but is a longtime Winston resident who hosts the Small Business Spotlight Show at WTOB 980AM & 96.7 FM Radio.

“We’re both out of Winston-Salem,” said Vaughan, “where Josh created Solutions Afoot in 2017. He and I used to work strategically on some projects. At the beginning of 2022, I bought in to become a partner of the company and we have been growing Solutions Afoot since then. Josh had been doing much of the work prior to that, but I’d done some work with him and he had a couple of other people with him, but since we partnered up, we brought in another partner named Nike Roach. He helps run the marketing side of our team. With our combined e orts, we’ve grown from Josh and I doing a lot of coding to 13 people that are working with us on a part-time to full-time range.”

Both men stressed that not only Caspio and Ukrainian American House, but also a third company has been crucial to the partnership. That’s Vonage, the cloud communications company based in Holmdel, N.J., which provided the Application Programming Interface (API).

“They have video messaging software and were willing to provide API access and usage so that the meetings could be run online,” said Vaughan. Shuminsky o ered another detail regarding Vonage and its foundation.

“They provided the credits for the application to be used so that all the videos are being brought to the UA English Club for free through their foundation’s donation. Everything involved in the development of this, from the hosting to the API usage to the development of the application, was all donated.”

Shuminsky and Vaughan want all interested parties to be aware of what they have scheduled for Wednesday, April 26.

“The companies that are part of this, along with the UA English Club, are doing a live webinar at 11 a.m. eastern on that date,” said Shuminsky, “as a kind of demo and walk-through and to answer questions about this project.” !

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 the Webinar, as well as the registration link, visit: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/4179862/4B5868

9D0E54C54CA5594CF91523AAE8

A video demo and walk-through of the virtual classroom interface can be viewed at: https://solutionsafoot.com/demo/ua-englishclub

Northwest Guilford Farmers Market

local goods from the earth

May 3 - October 28

Every Wednesday 4-6:30pm & Saturday 8:30am-12:30pm

RiverRun 2023 wraps its 25th-anniversary festival

Spirits were high Saturday night at Hanesbrands Theatre in WinstonSalem, where the RiverRun International Film Festival held its closing-night gala for its 25thanniversary event.

This year’s festival boasted a selection of 174 films (features and shorts), representing some 34 countries.

“This was the most ‘normal’ festival we have had since the pandemic,” said RiverRun executive director Rob Davis. “I think folks were finally ready to come out and experience the live event in person. We had our first sellout since the pandemic and several films were near sellouts. We also had strong sales for virtual films both locally and from ticket buyers around the country.”

“I think it’s been going great,” said Dale Pollock, the former dean of the School of Filmmaking at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA), who was responsible for bringing RiverRun to Winston-Salem more than two decades ago. “We just saw a perfect closing-night film (Ride Above), and it’s been a great festival.”

“It went really well,” said Karen McHugh, the festival’s theater operations manager/development assistant. “The weather’s been amazing and we’ve had great feedback from our patrons.”

“The energy that the audiences have brought, it’s been really lovely,” concurred program manager Mary Dossinger. “It just … brings that momentum, and that’s so important.”

“Several filmmakers commented on our engaged audiences this year,” noted Davis. “David Connelly — director and star of The Magic Hours, Peter Fonda’s last film — told me how thoughtful the audience questions were at both screenings. His film was one of four world premieres, which helped make our silver anniversary extra special.”

Filmmaker Emily Harrold was the recipient of this year’s “Spark” award, given to an up-and-coming film talent, and this was her second go-round at RiverRun.

“I had the pleasure of screening my feature documentary While I Breathe, I Hope at the 2019 festival, which focused on South Carolina politician Bakari Sellers and the challenges he faced running a statewide race as an African American Democrat in a red conservative state,” Harrold said. “It was great to screen the film at RiverRun — a highlight was that a group of women who were alumni of a

sorority chose to see the film as a group. They had wonderful questions and really brought energy to the audience’s reactions. As a filmmaker, hearing people laugh, gasp, and audibly react is always such a treat.”

This year, Harrold saw two of her films, both documentary shorts, included in the event: Meltdown in Dixie and In the Bubble with Jaime. The former details the controversy surrounding the flying of a Confederate flag outside an ice cream shop in Orangeburg, SC (Harrold’s hometown), and the latter a chronicle of Jaime Harrison’s 2020 U.S. Senate campaign against Lindsey Graham in South Carolina.

“I am so excited to take part in the 25th-anniversary festival,” Harrold said. “Twenty-five is quite a milestone, and it is so exciting for North Carolina and the South generally. Being able to attend film festivals in the South — and the Carolinas in particular — is a highlight for me, since so much of my work is focused on South Carolina. RiverRun to me is a mix of all the great things that film festivals o er. It has a great local community audience base, but also attracts

top-quality films and filmmakers.”

“It is so critical for an organization like this to remind multiple generations of the true magic of film,” said Deborah LaVine, the current UNCSA School of Filmmaking dean and a member of the RiverRun’s board of directors.

Unlike years past, the festival’s award winners were not announced on the closing night, as the jurors were still deliberating. The winners will be announced later this week and ticket sales and attendance figures are also being tabulated at this time.

Davis deserves the last word. “RiverRun has been a success because the people of this region embrace having a world-class film festival in the Piedmont Triad,” he said. “While their philanthropic support and ticket prices have been critical to the festival’s economic survival, they also embrace the creativity of the filmmakers.” The o cial RiverRun International Film Festival is https://riverrunfilm.com/. !

$2.50 Grilled Chicken or Beef Tacos

Shrimp or Crispy Chicken Tacos

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2023, Mark Burger.

Mark Burger

Contributor

[

WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP]

SPRING THEATRE ANNOUNCES 12TH SEASON OF SUMMER CAMP PRODUCTIONS

BY DAN BECKMANN | Spring Theatre

WFU Face to Face Speaker Forum Announces 2023-24 Lineup

Wake Forest University’s communityfacing Face to Face Speaker Forum brings world-renowned, influential voices to Winston-Salem to discuss topics in a variety of areas including politics, arts and culture, business and social justice.

The 2023-24 Face to Face Speaker Forum season will feature:

Doris Kearns Goodwin and Michael Beschloss — Presidential historian, political commentator, and Pulitzer Prizewinning and New York Times best-selling author Doris Kearns Goodwin meets Presidential historian, NBC News and PBS NewsHour, New York Times columnist and best-selling author Micahel Beschloss for a conversation.

(September 27, 2023, Wait Chapel)

Daymond John, CEO and Founder of American hip-hop apparel company FUBU, is a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales worldwide. He is best known for his commentary on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank, where he demonstrates his marketing prowess and business insights.

(November 1, 2023, Wait Chapel)

Liz Cheney and Jon Meacham — Former U.S. representative Liz Cheney, attorney, politician and author, served as the U.S. representative for Wyoming’s at-large congressional district from 2017 to 2023. She is co-author, along with her father Dick Cheney of, “Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.” Jon Meacham, American writer, reviewer, historian and presidential biographer will join Cheney.

(February 22, 2024, Wait Chapel)

Trevor Noah, a South African comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor and the former host of The Daily Show. Noah is the author of the New York Times bestseller “Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood” and founder of the Trevor Noah Foundation to improve equitable access to quality education for underserved youth in South Africa.

(April 17, 2024, Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum)

Season subscriptions to the Face to Face Speaker Forum will be available on April 13 on the Face to Face website. Since its launch in 2020, The Face to Face Speaker Forum has hosted former U.S. president George W. Bush, economist Tom Friedman, singer and actor Kristin Chenoweth, author Malcolm Gladwell, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta among others. A complete list of past Face to Face events can be found at https://facetoface. wfu.edu/pastevents/.

When possible, Face to Face o ers a special opportunity for a student-led Q&A with the speakers prior to the evening event. Wake Forest students and students from area schools are invited to attend at no charge. !

WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY combines the best traditions of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a large research university. Founded in 1834, the school is located in Winston-Salem, N.C. The University’s graduate school of arts and sciences, divinity school, and nationally ranked schools of law, medicine and business enrich our intellectual environment. Learn more about Wake Forest University at www.wfu.edu.

Spring Theatre, the Triad’s premiere theatre organization for local youth, will be mounting its 12th season of Summer Camp productions starting this June.

Deemed “The Season of Empowerment,” the lineup will begin with the Rogers and Hammerstein musical classic Cinderella , and will be available for kids ages 5 and up. Following this, Spring will be turning its attention to the high-energy, hip-hop infused Bring It On , written by Lin-Manuel Miranda of Hamilton, Moana and Encanto fame. Finally, the summer will round out with a production of Puffs, a hysterical offbroadway hit satirizing the characters and events surrounding J.K. Rowling’s classic magical universe. And for those who want a crash course into the theatre world, Spring will also offer a week-long ‘Theatrics 101’ camp.

Spring Theatre’s Artistic Director Dan Beckmann is particularly excited for Bring it On. “It’s a show centering on identity,” says Beckmann. “On the surface it’s a tongue-in-cheek musical about competitive cheerleading, but it’s really about a bunch of high schoolers navigating new and sometimes uncomfortable environments while remaining true to who they are.”

“The show features characters with very specific needs as far as who portrays them,” Beckmann continues. “There is a strong roster of black characters, characters with specific body image issues to work through, and one of the leads is transgender. And on top of that, the cast need to be able to rap,” he chuckles.

“But because we really want to focus on identity as a central theme for this production, it’s very important to us that we find representatives from the Triad to step into these characters’ shoes to tell their stories.”

The other summer experiences aim to be equally fulfilling, as Erinn Dearth, the Executive Director of Spring, points out. “Cinderella is a classic story that everyone can enjoy, and it reminds us

to be kind no matter what, to never stop dreaming, and to follow your heart.” Dearth will direct a cast of all ages for the musical fairytale.

For young actors seeking a non-musical experience, Puffs is a perfect outlet for the comedic actor. Fast-paced and whip-smart, it delivers a one-act knockout in a unique ensemble cast experience. And for those looking to explore the world of theatre for the first time, or wish to sharpen their theatrical abilities, Theatrics 101 will provide a one-week intensive course on the ins and outs of how playmaking works, and how to find your place inside the theatre community.

“We cannot wait to uplift a whole new group of young artists this summer,” Beckmann reflects. “This is our Season of Empowerment, and no matter which experience you choose to be a part of at Spring, we hope to add a little fire to your identity in 2023.”

To register for camps or for more information, visit www.SpringTheatre. org

Budd, Manning to Appear on Triad Today

Kathy Manning is currently serving her second term in Congress representing the 6th district of North Carolina, and Ted Budd has switched chambers and is now our State’s freshman Senator.

Manning is from Greensboro and Budd was born in Winston-Salem, but their political views couldn’t be further apart. During the Easter break, they both taped a special edition of Triad Today , which airs this weekend. Here are some highlights from our conversation.

JL : We had a couple of bank failures earlier in the year. Are the banks OK? And is our money Safe?

KM : Your money is safe. The banks are OK. The Treasury Department did the right thing. It has insured that all depositors will get their money, and also, the heads of those two banks that failed were fired, which I think sends the right signal.

TB : I think we did the right thing to stop the bleeding and stabilize the system. Bottom line? Yes, they’re safe. What we really saw, though, was those in charge of regulating and managing, not doing a very good job of either.

JL : There have been over 130 mass shootings this year so far, and that includes school shootings where over two dozen little children have been injured or killed.

TB : Ultimately no matter where you stand on the 2nd Amendment, we want people to come home safely each and every day. We don’t want to have these incidents. Now, we go about this very differently. We want to protect the 2nd Amendment, but at the same time, we want to make sure we keep firearms out

of the hands of dangerous individuals. Bottom line? We don’t have a device problem, and it’s very frustrating when people run to limit a device when ultimately, we have a people problem. We have to deal with the criminal element. We have to deal with mental illness, and so let’s focus on those things, which will really make a difference.

KM : Congress took a big step last term. We passed the bi-partisan Safer Communities Act. It’s the first piece of major gun legislation that has been signed into law in 30 years. That Act has done a number of things to keep our communities safer. You mentioned school shootings, so this Act has allowed for enhanced background checks for people under the age of 21, and we know that a number of school shootings actually happen because of shooters who are under the age of 21. This Act also allows us to look into juvenile and mental health records for people under 21 who are trying to buy a gun, and that is a step in the right direction. It also provides funding for gun violence reduction programs, and there is funding in that Act for mental health treatment for school children, and mental health training for first responders. All this won’t solve the gun violence problem, but it is moving in the right direction.

JL : Are you for cuts to Social Security? How do we keep the system solvent?

TB : You’ve got to protect it. Especially for those who are either currently in retirement or who are approaching retirement. You also have to protect the fiscal soundness of our nation. But you

can’t allow fear-mongering that people often do about Social Security and the benefits these people have worked their whole life for. Again you have to make sure our nation is economically strong, and that goes back to inflation. Some people feel like they’re getting a cut in social security benefits because the cost of groceries, medical, and gas is increasing.

KM : I am NOT for cutting Social Security. We’ve all paid into Social Security all our lives, and those are benefits that we’ve earned.

JL : So then how do we make sure it remains solvent?

KM : I have signed onto a bill called the Social Security Trusted Promise Act. It is a bill that addresses some things which helps to shore up the Social Security trust fund, and we will continue to work on issues that make sure Social Security is there now and for the future.

The entire interview with Budd and Manning can be seen on a special edition of Triad Today this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. on abc45, and Sunday at 11 a.m. on MY48. Triad Today also streams on wfmy+. !

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

Jim Longworth

Longworth at Large

Ted Budd

Kathy Manning

The Pope’s

On this, the 50th anniversary of the release of The Exorcist , filmmakers continue to crank out stupid knockoffs, the latest of which is The Pope’s Exorcist , based on the best-selling books by Father Gabriele Amorth (“An Exorcist Tells His Story and An Exorcist: More Stories”). The film is touted as being “inspired by the actual files of the Vatican’s chief exorcist.”

Unfortunately, those files fell into the hands of screenwriters Michael Petroni and Evan Spiliotopoulos, working from a story by R. Dean McCreary, Chester Hastings, and Jeff Katz, which is simply another half-baked rehash of satanic shenanigans. All the familiar trappings are here — flickering lights, contortionism, levitation, guttural growling, desiccated skeletons, vomiting, et al — but director Julius Avery simply can’t make them scary.

Sporting an Italian accent and the requisite holy robes, beefy Russell Crowe rumbles through the proceedings as Amorth, whose unorthodox exorcism techniques have not always found favor within the walls of the Vatican.

Yet he has a staunch supporter in the Pope (Franco Nero), who assigns him to a case at the San Sebastian abbey in Spain, which has been inherited by young widow Julia (Alex Essoe) and her children Amy (Laurel Marsden) and Henry (Peter DeSouza-Feighoney).

They’re still grieving the loss of Julia’s husband, and Henry was so traumatized that he hasn’t spoken a word since. A few hours in the spooky abbey, however, and soon Henry is talking plenty, and wouldn’t you know it, kids say the darnedest things — and in the weirdest voice. Local clergyman Father Esquibel (Daniel Zovatto) is helpless, so Father Amorth comes riding to the rescue

astride his trusty Vespa — quite a haul from Rome to Spain. He’s so tough he doesn’t even wear a helmet. One assumes that God is his co-pilot.

The slumming Crowe, who plays Amorth with something of a wink and a nod, manfully faces up to the forces of darkness, but no one else has a chance. Essoe is such a simpering, whimpering mess it’s a wonder she can function.

Zovatto’s Father Esquibel is the typical wide-eyed rookie cleric and Marsden the typical rebellious teenager (she sneaks cigarettes). DeSouza-Feighoney (in his feature debut) has a few effective moments as hell-spawn Henry, but nothing Linda Blair didn’t do better in the original Exorcist . As the ailing Pontiff who nevertheless makes a miraculous recovery — after vomiting blood, no less — Nero plays it low-key, perhaps hoping he wouldn’t be noticed.

The characters have been sketched in rudimentary fashion, and the plotting is haphazard, to say the least. If the Pope is aware of the abbey’s heinous history

— he even tells Amorth that it’s been a problem for years — how did Julia inherit it? And given the secrets hidden within (and beneath) its walls, wouldn’t someone at the Vatican have made sure it remained sealed, or at least warned the people there? Of course not, because then there wouldn’t be a movie. The Pope’s Exorcist has what Roger Ebert used to call “the Idiot Plot.” Does it ever.

Among the meager lessons learned here are that prayers are more effective when spoken in Latin, that it’s always handy to have a Zippo lighter, and that even an actor as talented as Russell Crowe can’t save a movie all by himself. In interviews, he’s claimed he particularly enjoyed filming in Ireland (which doubled for Spain). Evidently, he enjoyed the pasta, too. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2023, Mark Burger.

Mark Burger

VOTED

Weekly Specials

MON: $2 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $9.99

TUE: 1/2 Price Wine | WED: $3 Draft

THU: $6 Bud Light Pitchers & $3 Fireball

Band Schedule

APRIL 27

TurpentineShine Trio

MAY 5

Jimmy Hayes

VOTED BEST BURGER IN HIGH POINT DURING EAT AND DRINK BURGER WEEK

1232 NORTH MAIN STREET, HIGH POINT, NC 27262

WWW.SWEETOLDBILLS.COM | (336) 807-1476

MONDAY-THURSDAY 11AM-10 PM | FRIDAY-SATURDAY 11AM-11PM

SUNDAY 11AM-8PM | BRUNCH 11AM-2PM

BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

CREME DE LA WEIRD

The Mondaiji Con Cafe Daku (loosely translated: Problem Child Concept Cafe) in Sapporo, Japan, was forced to fire one of its waitresses in April after she was discovered to be adding her own blood to cocktails, the Daily Mail reported. The cafe owner called her actions “absolutely not acceptable” and said the establishment would close while every drinking glass was replaced. “We will hire a contractor to clean the store, change glasses and dispose of alcoholic beverages that may have been contaminated,” he said. He called her actions “part-time job terrorism.” A local doctor said anyone who had patronized the cafe should visit a doctor and have a blood test.

IT’S A MYSTERY

Over the last several months, Don Powell and his wife, Nancy, have been puzzling over uninvited inhabitants of their fancy mailbox in Orchard Lake, Michigan. USA Today reported that in August 2022, two small dolls, a miniature couch and a small table appeared in the mailbox, which is custom-built to resemble the Powells’ home, with windows and a solar-powered interior light that comes on at night. The dolls were accompanied by a note: “We’ve decided to live here. Mary and Shelley.” Powell thought a neighbor might be spoofing him, but after exhaustive investigatory work, he’s no closer to knowing the source of the figures. Over time, the home gained a four-poster bed, a dog, a rug and art for the wall. “The whole thing got rather whimsical,” Powell said. At Halloween, Mary and Shelley were replaced by two skeleton dolls dressed in black, and at Christmas, tiny, wrapped gifts appeared. Now, Powell is thinking of writing a children’s book about the mailbox mystery. “I think it creates a novel story,” he said.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS

Angel Footman, 23, a teacher at Gri n Middle School in Tallahassee, Florida, was arrested on April 7 and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, the New York Post reported. The charges came after school administrators learned Footman was allegedly hosting violent brawls between students in her classroom. Naturally, she set down rules: no recordings, and no pulling hair. No screaming (draws attention). Fights must be limited to 30 seconds each. However, several sixth-grade girls alerted administrators, and video turned up showing Footman at her desk while students

fought each other. She’s scheduled for arraignment in May.

BRIGHT IDEA

Drivers along Interstate 5 near Eugene, Oregon, were startled on April 11 to see $100 bills floating through the air, Fox News reported. In fact, many cars stopped along the highway to grab the loot. When the Oregon State Police tracked down the source, it was Colin Davis McCarthy, who told them he’d been throwing the money out of his car to “bless others.” He said he thought he’d dispersed around $200,000. The OSP later revealed that McCarthy’s family had been in touch; he had depleted a shared family bank account for his Robin Hood moment.

NEWS THAT SOUNDS LIKE A JOKE

Northern Railway in England has made a specific appeal to its riders: Please stop watching porn on the train. The Mirror reported that Northern provides “Friendly Wi-fi,” which meets (apparently the bare) minimum filtering standards. Tricia Williams, chief operating o cer, said people should remember that “some content is not suitable for everyone to see or hear — particularly children.” While the company understands that the ride may be “the first opportunity to view content,” commuters should “wait until you get home.”

PRECOCIOUS

Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, told CNN on April 18 that a toddler was able to breach the fence around the White House, setting o security alarms. The “curious young visitor” crawled through the fence posts on the north side and was quickly apprehended by Secret Service police officers, who reunited him with his parents. Perhaps he’s considering a bid for 2052.

UPDATE

Last week, News of the Weird reported that former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had taken street maintenance matters into his own hands and filled a pothole in his neighborhood. His good deed turned out to be an “oops” moment, though, according to the Associated Press. The “pothole” was actually a utility trench that had been temporarily filled by Southern California Gas Co. and was set to be fixed permanently later. SoCal Gas said rain had delayed the permanent paving. The Terminator tweeted, “Teamwork. Happy to help speed this up.” !

©2023 Andrews McMeel Universal

TWELVE OF DIAMONDS

ACROSS

1 “— Sharkey” (‘70s sitcom)

4 Winter bug

7 Corn, to Brits

12 SoCal daily paper

19 Mammal with a black mask

21 Cook’s wear

22 Ant-Man’s partner in a 2018 superhero film 23 Oakland baseballer’s footwear?

25 Boarded, as a train 26 Langston Hughes poem 27 Stuff hitting an umbrella

Fa-la linkup 29 Coop female

30 Calamari prepared by a San Francisco baseballer?

34 Atlanta baseballer’s collection of Kia cars?

38 Son of Isaac

39 Watch slyly 41 — Park (home of Edison)

Attys.’ gp.

“Scorpio” co-star Delon

Chicago baseballer moonlighting as a journalist?

Designer von Fuerstenberg

68 Tether again

69 Actor Quinn

70 OshKosh — (kids’ clothing brand)

71 What a Minnesota baseballer sleeps on?

75 Enormous

78 Latin “to be”

79 Litigious sorts 80 Taunt

82 Article in Ulm 84 Pioneer Boone, briefly 85 Cincinnati baseballer’s chewy candy?

87 Something a St. Louis baseballer confesses?

93 “Oh My My” singer Ringo 94 Ending with cash 95 Kitchen range brand

96 Warhol and Roddick

98 Pixar’s lost swimmer

100 Kansas City baseballer’s toast topper?

103 Pennant

2 Singer LaBelle

3 Women’s golf star Lorena

4 Enemy

5 Filming locale

6 Bi- minus one

7 Member of a Kenyan tribe 8 Plant pests

“Fe” element

Saldana of “Guess Who”

Type widths

No. 2 in a statehouse

Burn — in one’s pocket

Vietnamese New Year

— Jima

1

32 — Mae

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.

Shhaadddee: NC’s House Bill 673 is a drag for some in the Triad

Arecent bill filed in the state’s General Assembly would make it illegal for some of the Triad’s favorite drag queens to perform in public venues.

House Bill 673 was filed by Forsyth County Rep. Je Zenger and has been co-sponsored by roughly a dozen other members from across the state. The bill states that “male or female impersonators who provide entertainment that appeals to a prurient interest, regardless of whether or not performed for consideration” and it would be labeled as “adult live entertainment.” The bill groups drag entertainers with exotic dancers and strippers under the “adult live entertainment definition.”

Under this bill, to engage in “adult live entertainment on public property” in the presence of a minor (under the age of 18) would become illegal and a Class A1 misdemeanor.

If passed the bill could go into e ect on December 1, 2023, according to the bill summary.

North Carolina recently made the news after a video circulated on social media depicting a high school student getting a lap dance from a drag performer at Forsyth Technical Community College.

Triad Drag Queens, Kings, LGBTQ community members, and allies are not happy with the proposed bill and have been vocal about their thoughts. The Guilford Green Foundation and LGBTQ Center in Greensboro released the following statement:

Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center (GGF), unequivocally opposes the recent onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation introduced during the 2023 NC General Assembly legislative session including HB 673 which would make drag performances illegal on public property or in the presence of anyone under the age of 18.

The proposed ban on drag performances is a clear attack on the LGBTQ community, and it sends a message that our identities and expressions are not valued or respected. This legislation will create a more hostile and unwelcoming environment for LGBTQ individuals and will have long-lasting negative e ects on mental health and well-being. Drag performances are a form of self-expression and have been an integral part of our culture for decades. These shows provide a safe space for performers and audience

members to explore their identities and celebrate diversity in all its forms.

“When a young queer person sees a drag queen, they might think, if that towering person in a mermaid-cut sequin gown can do that, then maybe I can make it one more day at school in the face of those bullies — as opposed to ending my life,” says Brenda the Drag Queen, host of Green Queen Bingo.

Green Queen Bingo is the longestrunning drag event in North Carolina. Since 2004 Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center has produced Green Queen Bingo and raised over $700,000 to support the LGBTQ community. Tens of thousands of people have attended Green Queen Bingo making it a staple of the Greensboro community. Green Queen Bingo will be held on Friday, April 21st at Piedmont Hall. We encourage the community to attend Green Queen Bingo and other drag events in our community to show your support for drag performers.

We demand that our lawmakers protect the rights and freedoms of all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The LGBTQ community deserves to be treated with dignity and respect, and we will not rest until we achieve full equality and inclusion in all aspects of society,” says Jennifer Ruppe, executive director of Guilford Green Foundation & LGBTQ Center.

To date, bills restricting access to gender-a rming healthcare for transgender youth SB 639, SB 560, SB641, bills excluding transgender students from school sports SB 631/HB 574, SB 636, bills censoring discussion of LGBTQ+ Identity and racial justice from school curriculum SB 49, HB 187, and a bill to ban drag performances HB 673 have been introduced.

When asked what she thought of the bill, Brenda The Drag Queen, the current

Chanel Davis

Editor

Roy Fahrenheit

Brenda The Drag Queen at Green Queen Bingo, April 21, 2023

PHOTO BY ANNA YACHT STUDIOS

Green Queen and host of Guilford Green Foundation’s Drag Queen Bingo, said that this bill is more than about drag and minor protection.

“My thoughts are that this is just an extension of what we’ve seen in our country many times before. It was never about water fountains just like it’s not about drag. It’s about targeting and taking aim at marginalized communities. For example, Rep. Zinger who put forth the bill from Forsyth County, we were on opposing sides of a news story last night on ABC and he said ‘this is not a drag thing, it’s a minor protection thing.’ If that were true then all entertainment would be under fire from this. Movies have ratings, music has explicit content warnings, and just like that there is drag, just like there are theaters, of all types. Some that are appropriate for certain groups, and some that are inappropriate for certain groups,” she explained. “If the issue is minor protection, then the scope of this would be incredibly large. The fact that it is focused on drag queens is an extension of the forever existing connection that somehow queer people are perversive merely by existing.”

Drag King Roy Fahrenheit called the bill “blatantly transphobic and deeply unsettling for anyone who cares about the 1st Amendment.”

“It’s transphobic because it purposefully puts folks trying to live authentically as themselves in the same category as adult entertainers ... and they aren’t the same. Adult entertainment is a legitimate career and they shouldn’t get beat up by the government either, but being trans is NOT a job. It’s not a choice. It is who people are and any denial of that is the denial of a valid human life. Trans folks in NC deserve to be left the hell alone for once, especially after how

our state treated them and collectively made a fool of ourselves to the rest of the country for HB 2.”

Fahrenheit said the underlying “transphobic aspects of this bill is definitely the scariest thing about it.”

“My partner doesn’t do drag but they are trans so by the logic of this bill he’s not allowed to go outside in public to their job at the doctor’s o ce? If the government can take this steep action then what’s next? Does that mean my partner then gets put on a list? What kind of government puts certain people on a list? Think about that. It’s terrifying, an invasion of privacy and it’s just morally bankrupt. For me as a drag performer and as a former journalist, it’s incredibly frustrating to see my state’s Republican representation completely warping and let’s call it what it is: LYING to their base about who is actually going out to see drag shows and what happens at drag shows. It’s mind-boggling to me how a party that prides itself as advocates of small government are actually participating in fascism by infringing upon others’ 1st amendment rights of the freedom of expression… I’m so thankful that my community in Winston-Salem values drag as legitimate art.”

Fahrenheit invites those who’d like to experience a drag show to Monstercade on June 16, 2023. The event is to support 5th Ave. Alliance, an organization in Winston-Salem that helps trans folks who are unhoused with employment, education, health/wellness, and legal assistance.

Brenda said that bill opens the community up to being perceived as a threat to the general community.

“What it’s telling us is that simply existing as LGBTQ around minors, is a threat. We know that can be deadly with such

higher rates of suicidality and mental health concerns among queer, young people. We know because we’ve heard, seen, and learned that their exposure to other queer people, which also happened to a lot of kids and young adults in the presence of drag queens, that exposure and that inspiration can empower them to push on, find their voice and become the best version of themselves and all those wonderful things. This bill is not only robbing them of that opportunity, but it’s also telling people that simply existing in this country around the age of someone under 18 is a threat.”

Joanne Black agrees with Brenda. She brought her 13-year-old son out to Guilford Green Foundation’s Green Queen Bingo on Friday to give him the experience of being in the presence of drag queens. She’d taken him to a Drag Queen Story Hour at Scuppernong Book years ago and said that it made an impression on him.

“I think that that led to him feeling comfortable a couple of years ago to tell me that he experienced some same-sex attraction. We supported him as much as we can.

Instead of just getting angry about everything that’s happening I thought it would be really important to just bring him here because I don’t know if there’s going to be another event because of all of this crap that’s happening in the state house. I wanted him to have a real experience beyond what he had before. I thought that he would enjoy it and that it would be enlightening, fun, and expose him to di erent people and experiences,” she said.

Black said doesn’t understand “what’s to protect” minors from.

“This is just entertainment and they’re just beautiful queens dressing up, entertaining, and having fun. I don’t think shielding children from di erences is appropriate. I think you need to be exposed to di erent types of experiences and views so that they can decide what they want to do in life,” Black said.

Grandmother Hannah Toran brought her 13-year-old granddaughter out to the event as well. She said that she feels if the parents don’t mind, neither should legislatures.

“The bottom line is if the parent decides to bring them or they are at the age where they say they want to go, then it should be ok,” Toran said. “Instead of passing a bill about who is performing, they need to figure out how to control other issues at school like bullying.”

Brenda The Drag Queen said that she finds it interesting that people argue that “kids can’t consent to be brought to these events.”

“Well, they’re not able to consent to be brought to church either. I’m not saying that this is consistent across all religious experiences, a liations, or whatever ever but I am saying that what I’ve never heard at a Drag Queen Story Hour or at a drag queen event from people who are under 18, is that you’re wrong, you’re broken and you are going to hell. All of which I know my queer brothers, sisters, and siblings have heard in church. For a large period of your upbringing, you can’t really consent to anything that your parents do to or bring you to. So again, the argument is not about drag because you got people taking their kids to Hooters.”

This isn’t the first time that legislation has been introduced that would ban drag shows. The “Stop the Sexualization of Children Act” introduced to the U.S. House legislators last year, would’ve banned drag shows at federally funded buildings including public libraries and public schools. That bill failed.

Brenda feels that this bill will also fail and that it will not garner the support that some feel it will.

“I don’t think the bill will pass. We’ve seen this live and in action in Tennessee. The bill in Tennessee was passed but then suspended by a judge. The reason is that all of these bills have a complete

Picture of the Drag Queen Storytime at Bookmarks

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY BOOKMARKS

lack of clarity. For a judge to have to adjudicate cases around this with that little clarity, it’s an unrealistic expectation. And it’s just bad legislation. Not to mention the fact that it’s discriminatory.”

Bookmarks, a nonprofit organization in Winston-Salem, has used the Drag Queen Storytime as part of its programming and a way to engage with all members of the city’s community.

“This makes us sad,” said Juliana Reyes, marketing manager at Bookmarks of the proposed bill.

“This was an event for us to reach out to our community in a deeper way. We really do focus on cultivating communities and we do that with these events. We were trying to invite families and create a space where children and other people who didn’t have access to all parts of our community can be around a drag queen and be able to ask questions, have fun and enjoy themselves. We wanted to cultivate this community around belonging, and especially books.”

Reyes said the families they host enjoy the event.

“A lot of kids asked questions and they were just really engaged. They brought pictures to the performer and they were very excited to have them there. Everyone

wanted to be there and have a good time.”

The organization had two Drag Queen Storytimes last year, one during Pride month and another holiday storytime in November. Reyes said that they received a lot of negative comments and a few threats behind the event.

At the time, they released the following statement:

Bookmarks looks forward to a safe, fun, and family-friendly Drag Queen Storytime this Saturday morning. Storytime is a regularly scheduled program that cultivates community through family engagement and celebrates the rich diversity of our world.

We look forward to welcoming everyone who wishes to celebrate Pride Weekend with us.

We look forward to welcoming all those who stand with us for the virtues of empathy,inquiry, free expression, and respectful discussion. We look forward to welcoming anymembers of our community who believe, as we do, that our community is better when it isinclusive, equitable, honest, and open.

We appreciate the support and cooperation of Pride Winston-Salem and the securityprovided by the Winston-Salem Police Department, and hope that those

who come downtown for Drag Queen Storytime will stay to enjoy the Pride Festival Parade and Food Truck Rodeo. We appreciate the ongoing and vocal support of our sta , board, volunteers,and loyal customers, who embody a wide and varied cross-section of Forsyth County andthis region. We are grateful for the many people in and around Winston-Salem who havespoken up in support of this Storytime and of Bookmarks’ wider mission of “cultivating community by bringing people of all ages together with books and authors who educate, inspire, challenge, and entertain.”

We look forward to welcoming ever more readers — of all ages, backgrounds, and genders — this weekend and in the weeks and months ahead. We look forward to encouraging the spirits of childlike curiosity and mature understanding that reading can foster, the same spirits that make a community thrive and endure. We imagine a community where the power of the book brings forth connection and belonging for every person. Bookmarks will continue to strive towards this goal and welcome anyone who shares our vision to join us.

Reyes said there is no question on who wants to attend these events and it leaves the organization in limbo when planning programming for the rest of the year.

“We know who wants to be here. We don’t need anyone to cause harm. It just makes us sad that this is something that we have to keep an eye on or that this is something that we may not be able to do in the future when this is purely out of inviting everyone and trying to have a good time and supporting that love of reading and community,” Reyes said. “We are currently just in limbo as we kind of wait it out. Right now we’re trying to plan out our next quarter storytime and other events like that which we would

have a drag queen come.”

Pride Winston Salem released the following statement in response to the announcement of the bill:

Pride Winston Salem, a local LGBTQ+ advocacy group, strongly opposes the newly proposed bill that would make it illegal to perform a drag show in public or where a minor could see it. The bill, if passed, would criminalize drag performances and impose felony charges on performers.

This proposed bill is a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community and our freedom of expression. Drag performances are one of the cornerstones of our culture and history, and they provide a platform for self-expression and creativity. Banning drag performances would not only harm the performers but also the entire LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Winston Salem calls on all North Carolina legislators to reject this discriminatory bill and to stand up for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. We urge them to listen to the voices of their constituents and to recognize the importance of drag performances in our society.

We also call on all members of the community to join us in opposing this bill and to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. We must work together to ensure that our rights and freedoms are protected and that we can continue to express ourselves without fear of persecution and retribution.

Pride Winston Salem remains committed to advocating for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and to promoting equality and acceptance for all. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and to take action to protect the rights of our community. !

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.

Performer at Green Queen Bingo, April 21, 2023

Performer at Green Queen Bingo, February 24, 2023

PHOTO BY NATALIE GARCIA

PHOTO BY NATALIE GARCIA

Curtains for Triad Stage?

On April 6, Greensboro’s acclaimed 21-year-old professional live theater company released the following statement:

Triad Stage regrets to announce the cancellation of its upcoming production of “The Cake” due to financial restraints. Additionally, the theater will be pausing ticket sales and subscriptions, as well as other non-essential operations, while we examine all options available to our organization at this time. Ticketing operations for the Eastern Music Festival are not a ected.

“The Cake,” which would have been the final show of the company’s 2022-23 season, was in rehearsal and scheduled to open on May 2. A comedy about the clash between traditional southern values and a gay wedding, as well as the nature of love, family, and truly great baking, the play is by Winston-Salem native Bekah Brunstetter, producer and writer of NBC’s “This Is Us.” In any normal theatrical season, it might have resulted in a healthy turnout.

Like every live theater venue in the world, Triad Stage has not had a normal theatrical season in almost three years, but not all of its problems are due to the pandemic.

In late 2020, the local theatrical community was rocked by allegations of sexual abuse of college students and other young men by Triad Stage artistic director and co-founder Preston Lane. Multiple alleged victims, who spoke to a UNCG investigative committee, the Triad Stage board, and Triad City Beat reporter Jordan Green on conditions of anonymity, recounted being invited to one-on-one “mentoring” sessions in which Lane allegedly plied them with alcohol and insisted on giving them naked massages while showing them pornography. Lane taught acting and directing as an adjunct professor at UNCG until December 2019

“I would like you to know that the university has been aggressively working on this issue since alumni brought it to our attention in August,” wrote Bruce McClung, dean of the UNCG College of Visual and Performing Arts, to University faculty and sta in November 2020. The Triad Stage board also launched its internal investigation.

Shortly after Triad City Beat’s reporting, Lane resigned from Triad Stage. Lane’s

attorney told the press that Lane “denies any and all allegations of sexual abuse.” No charges were filed against him.

At the time of Lane’s November 2020 resignation, the company had already closed its doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.

In June of last year, the restructured company reopened for its 20th season of live performances and announced a greater focus on diversity. In October, Kate Holland became its new Executive Director, joining Artistic Director Sarah Hankins on its leadership team. Its season included the world premiere of Mike Wiley’s “Rebellious,” which followed the lives of four Bennett College Belles through the tumultuous years of the sit-in movement in downtown Greensboro. While the play was well received by those who saw it, ticket sales were less than the company hoped for.

On March 14 of this year, Triad Stage produced “The Revolutionists,” a dark comedy by Lauren Gunderson about four women caught up in the French Revolution’s Reign of Terror. It closed on April 2 after 19 performances.

Last week, Triad Stage hosted a giveaway and sale at its warehouse at the Nussbaum Center for Creative Leadership on S. Elm-Eugene Street. Costumes, props, and pieces of sets were mostly given away for free, while tools and supplies were sold.

In a statement to News 2, Holland said that the warehouse clearance was not a sign of permanent closure, but “spring cleaning” that had been long-scheduled. “It’s to clean out the space that has been a storage unit for us during the pandemic. We had intended to do it this summer, but we’d rather do it in the spring when it’s cooler. This does not have anything to do with where we are in our business strategy.” She said that the company had long intended to close the warehouse, as it was

not only an unnecessary expense, but not an optimal storage space, due to the lack of climate control.

The event was intended for all weekend, but only lasted from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, as the unexpectedly heavy turnout emptied the space.

On Monday, Holland emailed YES! Weekly the following statement about Triad Stage’s recent past and uncertain future:

There are many factors that over time have led Triad Stage to this moment. These include the COVID-19 pandemic, the loss of the founding leadership (including sexual misconduct accusations against one, which were denied), and longtime budgetary deficits. In normal circumstances, any one of these would significantly impact the operations of a nonprofit theatre company. We have been managing in the shadow of all three.

Professional regional theatre is struggling all over the country. The pause in operations due to the pandemic is primarily to blame, but also the cost to produce the kind of high-quality theatre audiences came to expect has nearly doubled, qualified labor is challenging to find — even with new DEIA and work culture initiatives in place, and audiences have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. This is not specific to Greensboro and Triad Stage.

Currently, our Board of Directors is working on a strategic plan for the future of Triad Stage. I’m proud of the work we have done this year despite our challenges, and I look forward to hearing what direction the Board will take us in.

Last week, Triad Stage board co-chair Deborah Hayes addressed the News & Record question as to whether her organization’s financial woes were created or exacerbated by competition from the Tanger Center.

“Touring houses are also important resources for live performance consumption for all communities, and I stand by the belief that Triad Stage and the Tanger Center are meant to complement each other, rather than compete,” said Hayes to reporter Nancy McLaughlin. “Still, it is a fact that there is a finite number of entertainment dollars available in any community, and to a certain extent we all compete for our share of them.” !

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.

Ian McDowell Contributor

Chuck Mountain’s Fool’s Journey

Chuck Mountain invites listeners to join their “Fool’s Journey,” with a drink in hand, cracking beer-paired releases to celebrate songs leading to their debut LP.

It’s southern rock with a side of suds from a trio who’ve enjoyed chugging along across brewery stages — and now their shelves — with a fresh beer release to accompany their latest single, “Moonshine” out April 28.

“Moonshine” marks the second single o “Fool’s Journey” and the band’s third o ering of brews — a pattern they intend

to repeat for each song on the album.

“It all started as a joke and led us to the path we’re now following,” guitarist Beau Wigington said, reflecting on their first brewing foray back in 2021. “Chuck Mountain Dew’’ would end up being released through Oden Brewing in partnership with “Ales for ALS” (a national non-profit geared toward treatment for ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease).

“It was one of the coolest things to go up and order a beer with our name on it,” he said, “and even cooler grabbing a can with our silly faces on it.” The satisfaction stuck around, igniting a passion within the band that also hosts the “Brews Rock” podcast.

“We’ve spent a ton of time playing a lot of di erent breweries with the band, so we thought it was about time to learn about making beer and the business behind it,” Wigington explained. “It’s been a lot of fun so far. We get to go and travel to new spaces and chat with brewers and people working.”

For Wigington, the podcasts and beer pairings are an extension of their role to help keep food on the table — for both brewers and bands. “We hope collaborating helps to get new customers out; or get beers into bars, restaurants, and bottle shops in markets they might not be yet,” he said.

It’s a notion tied not only to their music within the working-class veins of southern rock but within their own formation. Wigington met drummer Sammi Printz as a co-worker at Hops Burger Bar; and was introduced to bassist Je Wysosky when being interviewed for an instructor gig at Guitar Center.

Together, the trio brings along their experiences arriving at “Chuck Mountain,” Wigington’s nickname from his days in The Heavy Heavy Hearts — the rock ‘n’ roll group he joined in Los Angeles and moved with to Nashville, before landing in Greensboro in 2017. Their songs were in shows like “Shameless” and in the movie “Bad Country.” Wigington’s solo work appeared on ABC’s “Nashville.” Around these parts, Wysosky is known for his time in The Billyfolks.

And it’s those experiences that provide the bedrock of their sound. “Grooves and ri s surrounded by honest lyrics are the backbone of our sound,” Wigington noted,

praising the on-stage chemistry between his bandmates.

O stage, that chemistry translates into their songs. “They’re a collection of road-ready anthems vividly documenting the struggle between virtue and vice through a decidedly southern-tinted lens,” Wigington continued.

For “Fool’s Journey,” that southerntinted lens also happens to flow through tarot cards.

“It follows the idea behind the Major Arcana in the tarot,” Wigington said, referencing the sequence laid out in the self-titled first single. “It sets out following — the call to adventure,” he explained. “It’s learning who you can trust along the way, falling into addiction, working on trying to get out of it, finding yourself, and emerging, letting go of that previous life and starting the journey all again.”

Relaying his own personal journeys through song, “You start o learning along the way about life until you figure out all the answers have been inside the whole time,” Wigington explained, pointing to the balance between complexity and simplicity paralleled into the “Fool’s Journey Hazy Pale” beer pairing with Little Brother

Brewing. “The star of that beer was definitely the Idaho 7 hops and creamy mouthfeel,” he described. “It was super smooth and just bitter enough to make you want another one.”

In terms of releases, Wigington sees their prior stand-alone singles as “stepping stones” leading up their own sort of mountain. “We were exploring our sound,” he said, reflecting on their DIY backlog. “All those songs were self-produced and recorded, except for ‘Got Nobody’ which we tracked in Nashville with Don Bates.”

For their o cial debut LP, Chuck Mountain turned to Benjy Johnson at Earthtones Studio in Greensboro. “Benjy was awesome to work with,” Wigington said. “The production is pretty straightforward — we didn’t want to go too wild with overcomplicating it. We just wanted it to sound huge.“

Drawing from influences ranging from Wolfmother and Cage the Elephant to Gary Clark, Jr., Blackberry Smoke, and the Cadillac Three. Chuck Mountain o ers a variety of sounds often expounded from a trio, “Fool’s Journey” is thickened by added guitar work from Seth Williams, Anthony Mancini, and Andrew Davis from

Katei Cranford

Contributor

PHOTO CREDIT DANIEL WHITE | @FREEDANIEL

Them Dirty Roses (who also mixed and mastered the record).

Williams appears on the upcoming “Moonshine” single, a song that Wigington wrote years ago, intended as a theme song submission for the “Moonshiners” television show.

As for the beer, its o cial title is still pending approval from the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, but some variation of “Chuck Shine” is in the brewing process. “It’ll be a hazy pale ale featuring galaxy hops. Dry and crisp and packing a punch at around 6% ABV,” Wigington explained, pointing to the Kveik yeast that speeds up the fermentation process. “We wanted to carry the spirit of moonshine — with a quick process and only available if you knew where to look.”

Those looking to indulge should head to the Little Oblivion Brewing taproom in Graham, where it’ll be released exclusively through their work with brewer, Eric Lebsack.

As for the band, Chuck Mountain will return to Oden Brewing on May 6; and rock the stage at the Power & Sound Revival in Elon (along with hosting a cornhole tournament while camping at the weekend festival) May 19-20. They’ll also be at Craft City Sip-In in Greensboro on May 27 and at Southend Brewing on June 2.

“Moonshine,” the latest single from Chuck Mountain, is out April 28. !

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

Grandfather Mountain House For Sale in exclusive Grandfather Golf & Country Club

612 HILLSIDE DR, LINVILLE, NC

Priced to Sell! $996,000 | Home Comes Furnished!

5 bedrooms | 5.5 bathrooms | 4,000 square feet

Beautiful 2 level home on a lot totaling 2± acres in gated and secured Grandfather Golf & Country Club. Situated in a beautiful wooded setting, the living, dining, kitchen, and master bedroom open to a large, multi-level deck with fire pit, hot tub, outdoor eating/ living area, dining porch, indoor/outdoor sound system, covered porch areas. Renovated eat-in kitchen with new appliances, dining room, game room/den, utility room. Additional features include gas logs, heated master bathroom floor, two stone fireplaces, a two car garage, wine closet, new Jacuzzi, new Medical infrared Sauna and covered porch. Built in custom bar with ice maker & liquor cabinet. New roof, gutters, paint (inside and out), HVAC, windows, tile in all bathrooms, toliets, and bamboo floors. Completely furnished! This property is for sale by the Property Owner. Call Charles at (336) 253-6164 for more information.

PHOTO BY KATEI CRANFORD

PHOTO CREDIT DANIEL WHITE | @FREEDANIEL

ASHEBORO

Four SaintS BrEwing

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722

www.foursaintsbrewing.com

thursdays: taproom trivia

Fridays: Music Bingo

apr 29: Corey Hunt and the wise

May 6: Jamie trout

May 27: william nesmith

CARBORRO

Cat’S CradlE

300 E Main St | 919.967.9053

www.catscradle.com

apr 27: Pedro the lion

apr 28: Kill alters

apr 29: david Cross

apr 29: Chessa rich

apr 30: nova twins

May 1: augustana

May 1: uPSaHl

May 2: arlie

May 2: James McMurtry

May 3: Yaeji

May 4: Erie Choir, lud

MBE/WBE/DBE SUBCONTRACTORS & SUPPLIERS

Morgan Contracting, Inc. is soliciting material, equipment, and subcontractor bids for the following work: Dewatering/Bypass Pumping, Aggregates, Concrete Materials, Pre/Post Videography/Photography, Erosion Control, Seeding & Mulching, Traffic Control – Turnkey, Pavement/Concrete Work, CCTV/ Cleaning, Pipe & Appurtenances, Clearing/ Grubbing, Surveying, and Hauling among many other traades; for the Eastside WWTP

UV Disinfection Upgrade & Primary Clarifier Drain Pump Station in Jamestown, NC. The bid date is set for May 10, 2023, at 2 PM EDT. Minority, Veteran-Owned, and Women Owned businesses are encouraged to submit bids/proposals for this work, but please consider bidding even if you are not a DBE.

Project information may be obtained by contacting Norma George-Ferrara at estimating@morgan1.com or (865) 444-4626 Ext. 410.

Morgan Contracting, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

CHARlOttE

BoJanglES ColiSEuM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600

www.boplex.com

May 3: it’s time Ft: naomi, tasha, natalie and taya

May 4: Seal

May 7: Blessd: Blessd Corner

May 12: Ceelo green, Plies, Juvenile, trick daddy, goodie Mob, lil webbie

May 26: ramon ayala

tHE FillMorE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970

www.livenation.com

apr 26: Prof

apr 27: the Cadillac three

apr 28: obituary

apr 28: the garden

apr 29: Snow tha Product

apr 29: Muna

apr 30: Babyface ray

apr 30: Ministry

May 2: Seven lions: Beyond the Veil

May 2: VallEY

SPECtruM CEntEr

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000

www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com

May 6: tomorrow X together

ClEmmOnS

VillagE SquarE

taP HouSE

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330

www.facebook.com/vstaphouse

apr 28: next o’ Kin

apr 29: Jill goodson

May 5: whiskey Mic

May 6: Matt dylan & the Honky tonk

duRHAm

Carolina tHEatrE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030

www.carolinatheatre.org

May 8: Morgan wade

May 9: Keb’ Mo’

May 12: leonid & Friends: a tribute to the Music of Chicago

dPaC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787

www.dpacnc.com

apr 26: andrew Santino & Bobby lee

apr 27: travis tritt

apr 28-30: Chicago

ElKIn

rEEVES tHEatEr

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240

www.reevestheater.com

wednesdays: reeves open Mic

Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam

May 13: the Foreign landers

gREEnSBORO

Barn dinnEr tHEatrE

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211

www.barndinner.com

apr 22- May 27: the Sweet delilah

Swim Club

CHar Bar no. 7

3724 Lawndale Dr. | 336.545.5555

www.charbar7.com

apr 27: Coia

CoMEdY ZonE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034

www.thecomedyzone.com

april 28-29: Carlos Mencia

garagE taVErn

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020

www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro

apr 27: Jacob Vaughan

apr 28: Brother Pearl

apr 29: room 42

apr 30: Buddyro

grandoVEr rESort

2275 Vanstory Street Suite 200 | 336.294.1800

www.grandover.com

wednesdays: live Jazz w/ Steve Haines trio

grEEnSBoro ColiSEuM

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400

www.greensborocoliseum.com

apr 29: Kenny Chesney w/ Kelsea Ballerini

May 6: Mana

May 12: Straight Jokes! no Chaser

May 17: Kevin Hart

Hangar 1819

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480

www.hangar1819.com

apr 28-29: Slaughter to Prevail

littlE BrotHEr

BrEwing

348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678

www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew

wednesdays: trivia

Fridays & Saturdays: Free live Music

upcoming EvEnts

Apr 26: Brandon Tenney

Apr 27: Chessa rich w/ Kill The Buddha

Apr 28: Tumbao w/ Africa Unplugged + DJ Brydecisive

Apr 29: Weekend Excursion

MAy 3: Tecoby Hines

MAy 4: Step Friends w/ Gentle Junior

MAy 5: Cinco De Mayo w/ royal Jelly + The Mobb

HOURS: Tues-Fri: 3pm-unTil saT & sun 12pm-unTil

apr 28: Swamproots

apr 29: david Childers

PiEdMont Hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400

www.greensborocoliseum.com

May 6: alter Bridge: the Pawns & Kings tour

May 11: grace Potter

rodY’S taVErn

5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950

www.facebook.com/rodystavern

apr 26: JVC

apr 28: Shane Key

StEVEn tangEr CEntEr

300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500

www.tangercenter.com

apr 27: theresa Caputo live!

apr 28: Ben Folds

May 5: Jill Scott

May 7: Zach williams

May 11: Branford Marsalis

ThE IdIoT Box

ComEdY CluB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699

www.idiotboxers.com

Thursdays: open mic

may 9: maria Bamford

high point

1614 dmB

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113

https://www.1614drinksmusicbilliards.com/

Apr 29: Carolina Rhythm machine

hIgh PoInT ThEATRE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401

www.highpointtheatre.com

may 5-7: hPu Theatre: matilda

jamestown

ThE dECk

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999

www.thedeckatrivertwist.com

Apr 28: Carolina Ambush

Apr 29: Radio Revolver

may 5: Brother Pearl

kernersville

BREAThE

CoCkTAIl loungE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822

www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktail-

Lounge

Wednesdays: karaoke

may 13: Burlesk Flower Power

liberty

ThE lIBERTY

ShoWCASE ThEATER

101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844

www.TheLibertyShowcase.com

Apr 29: Jimmy Fortune

Apr 29: doug Stone

may 13: Bryan White

may 20: Rhonda Vincent & The Rage

raleigh

lInColn ThEATRE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400

www.lincolntheatre.com

Apr 26: The hip Abduction

Apr 28: dillon Fence w/ Wonderwhys

Apr 29: Enslaved & Insomnium w/ Black Anvil

REd hAT AmPhIThEATER

500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800

www.redhatamphitheater.com

may 28: Ryan Adams & the Cardinals

winston-salem

EARl’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018

www.earlsws.com

mondays: open mic

Thursdays: Will Jones

Apr 28: Time Bandits

Apr 29: Aaron hamm and the Big River Band

Apr 30: Josh mcBride Eddie Clayton

FIddlIn’ FISh

BREWIng ComPAnY

772 Trade St | 336.999.8945

www.fiddlinfish.com

Tuesdays: Trivia

Apr 29: Terra-String

may 5: Fruit Smoothie Trio

FooThIllS BREWIng

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348

www.foothillsbrewing.com

Sundays: Sunday Jazz

Thursdays: Trivia

Apr 26: Colin Cutler

Apr 28: Whiskey mic

Apr 29: Vogan Thompson

Apr 30: Brown mountain lightning Bugs

may 3: The Robertson Boys

mIdWAY muSIC hAll

11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218

www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter

mondays: line dancing

Apr 29: Atlantic Coast highway

may 6: oldskool Band

ThE RAmkAT

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714

www.theramkat.com

Apr 26: Beer & Banjos: The Brewer’s Brothers

Apr 27: Temperance league, Clay howard & the Silver Alerts

Apr 28: By george, The Fidgets, Carolina Crossing

Apr 29: Cosmic Charlie

RoAR

633 North Liberty Street | 336-917-3008

www.roarws.com | www.roarbrandstheater.

com

Apr 28: Chuck dale Smith, Corky James, dJ Professor

Apr 29: The Blue genes, dJ Professor

WISE mAn BREWIng

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008

www.wisemanbrewing.com

Thursdays: music Bingo

Apr 28: Friday night music Club

Apr 29: Fruhlingsfest

may 12: gipsy danger

High Point University invites the community to campus for an exciting lineup of complimentary cultural events. The spring schedule includes a variety of speakers, art, music and theater performances.

For a complete list of community events and to sign up for email notifications on future events, go to: www.highpoint.edu/live.

CLARINET AND PERCUSSION

ENSEMBLES CONCERT

April 14

5:00 - 6:30 pm

Charles E. Hayworth, Sr. Memorial Chapel

SENIOR DANCE CAPSTONE BY CONNIE QUAGLIATA BLOOM

April 14 - 15

7:30 - 9:00 pm

Charles E. Hayworth, Sr. Memorial Chapel

THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE SILENT SKY BY LAUREN GUNDERSON

April 20-22

7:30 - 9:30 pm

Hayworth Fine Arts Center, Pauline Theatre

WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT

DEPARTURES

April 26

7:30 - 9:30 pm

Hayworth Fine Arts Center, Pauline Theatre

CHORAL CONCERT REQUIEM BY MOZART

April 24

7:30 - 9:30 pm

Hayworth Fine Arts Center, Pauline Theatre

Secure your complimentary tickets by visiting www.highpoint.edu/live.

Green Queen Bingo @ Piedmont Hall

4.21.23 | Greensboro

[SALOME’S STARS]

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Changes in the workplace might be daunting for some, but you love challenges and will do just fine with this one. Remember to work with facts, not rumors.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Just when you need some emotional reassurances, you find an almost-forgotten, friendly gesture repaid in the most wonderful way. More good news follows.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You have a chance to restart a stalled personal relationship. Additionally, a workplace change bodes well for new opportunities, but you need more facts before you can act.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Talk to your longtime friends about why they’re not in sync with your new pal. You might learn some startling facts. Also, a di cult workplace situation eases.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) What seems to be a golden opportunity is, naturally, attractive to Leos. But be careful that it’s not just a lot of surface glitter. You need to ask more questions.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) There are still some issues with getting decisions made on your workplace project. Talk to a supervisor about ways to break the impasse.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A family matter could become more complicated and reach an apparent dead end. Don’t give up on trying to find a

solution. Work patiently with everyone involved.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You’ll soon hear more about an o er that could change the direction of your career. Meanwhile, enjoy the newly positive on-the-job environment.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Expect a favorable reply to a workplace request. On the home front, a full explanation helps you sort out a longstanding personal problem.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A serious matter needs focused consideration. Watch that your sometimes capricious nature doesn’t create any unnecessary distractions.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You win added support for your determination to turn a bad situation into a good one. One new ally arrives from a most unexpected source.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Family and friends need to be told about a decision you want to make. Be prepared to o er a full explanation when asked. Hold nothing back.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You can be a fighter and a lover. You are a natural leader with a strong sense of justice that makes people respect you.

© 2023 by King Features Syndicate

answers

crossword on page 11

sudoku on page 11

by Fifi Rodriguez

[1. MOVIES: Which movie gave actor Tom Hanks his first Oscar?

[2. SCIENCE: Apollo astronauts reported that the Moon smelled like what substance?

[3. GEOGRAPHY: How many stars are on the Australian flag?

[4. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president killed a man who insulted him in a duel?

[5. MUSIC: Which pop group produced the hit song “God Only Knows”?

[6. TELEVISION: “The Brady Bunch” features how many blended family members?

[7. LANGUAGE: What is the o cial language of the United States?

[8. U.S. STATES: What is the state capital of Rhode Island?

[9. ASTRONOMY: Which is the only planet in our solar system that is not named after a god or goddess?

[10. FOOD & DRINK: What is a cheese connoisseur called?

answer

10. A turophile.

9. Earth.

8. Providence.

7. TITLE: None – the United States doesn’t have an o cial language.

6. Eight: six children and two parents.

5. The Beach Boys.

4. Andrew Jackson. In 1806 he shot and killed Charles Dickinson in a duel.

3. Six.

2. Burnt gunpowder.

1. “Philadelphia.”

© 2023 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.