Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com
EDITORIAL
Editor CHANEL R. DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com
THE 2024 SUMMER FESTIVAL RUNDOWN
Summer is here, with all the heat and happenings, y’all. Here’s your annual rundown of independent music festivals around the state.
YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL
MARK BURGER
KATEI CRANFORD
JIM LONGWORTH
DALIA RAZO
LYNN FELDER
JOHN BATCHELOR
PRODUCTION
Senior Designer ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com
Onça O’Leary says that, despite the 21st century’s neo-burlesque revival, there are still misconceptions about the art form she has been practicing and producing for decades, which will be celebrated BURLESK CON of the Carolinas, held in Winston-Salem on July 4 through July 7.
he OLD TOWN FILM FESTIVAL screenings for July will be The Blob on Thursday, July 11 and The Thing on Thursday, July 25. As these are double features, showtimes have been adjusted: 6 p.m. for the original film, followed by the remake at 7:30 p.m.
Having caused a stir at the Sundance Film Festival and sold-out RiverRun International Film Festival’s opening night in April, THELMA now arrives in general release and not a moment too soon — because in a disappointing summer movie
season thus far, this little film with a lot of heart is an unabashed highlight.
10 Just as parents consider the many SCHOOL CHOICES available in North Carolina, lawmakers are making choices about where to put our taxpayer dollars to yield the best outcomes for our children.
14 “Our DELTA SPIRITS o ers an alternative to folks turning away from alcohol in search of a healthier lifestyle,” said Josh Coe of the cannabis beverage he and his partners are brewing, pouring, and bottling.
16 Hundreds of musically gifted young students and distinguished faculty members from across the globe will call Greensboro home for the next five weeks as part of the 2024 EASTERN MUSIC FESTIVAL (EMF).
Designer SHANE HART artdirector@yesweekly.com
ADVERTISING
Marketing ANGELA COX angela@yesweekly.com
TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com
Promotion NATALIE GARCIA
DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK
[SPOTLIGHT]
WINSTON-SALEM AND FORSYTH COUNTY 1 OF 18 U.S. COMMUNITIES
HOLDING ARTS FOR EVERYBODY EVENTS ON JULY 27 PRESS RELEASE
Winston-Salem and Forsyth County is 1 of 18 communities across the United States selected to be part of a national initiative called Arts For EveryBody. The initiative, announced in September 2023 and designed to bring together artists, civic leaders and community health providers to foster healthier communities, will hold events in all 18 communities on Saturday, July 27.
Led by local arts and health leaders, Winston-Salem and Forsyth County’s July 27 event will be held at United Health Centers, located at 2101 Peters Creek Parkway in the Marketplace Mall, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The local July 27 event is called “Creative Wellness Community Day” and will include traditional West African dance and djembe drumming, interactive creative spaces for youth and families, food trucks, and live performances highlighting local artists in a variety of disciplines. Free health screenings will be provided in addition to various health resource vendors, all in celebration of Winston-Salem’s commitment to health and wellness through the arts.
“Arts For EveryBody marks a true breakthrough moment in the relationship between the arts and health in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County and in the other 17 participating communities,” Winston-Salem and Forsyth County’s Arts For EveryBody Program Manager of Events and Production Stephanie Hurt said. “Three inaugural neighborhoods in our area were identified to participate in the Arts for EveryBody initiative — wHappy Hill, Boston Thurmond, and Cleveland Avenue.”
Hurt said Arts for EveryBody identified mental wellbeing as the Winston-Salem and Forsyth County focus, because many in our community experience barriers to accessing physical and behavioral health providers. The July 27 event in WinstonSalem will serve as springboard for future activities focused on mental health and wellness.
Programs in all 18 communities are being led by local artists, municipal o cials and community health leaders, who are working together to create large-scale participatory arts projects that advance health, equity and community connections. In Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, the key collaborating organizations include five entities: Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, City of
Winston-Salem Neighborhood Services, Forsyth County Health and Human Services, Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, and United Health Centers.
“At a moment in time when Americans face acute challenges to their individual and collective wellbeing, Arts For EveryBody will prove how the arts can lead to healthier people and healthier communities,” Winston-Salem and Forsyth County Arts For EveryBody Program Manager for Strategic Planning and Research Issis
Kelly Pumarol, MD said. “Arts for EveryBody is a celebration of unity and diversity through the arts. From Winston-Salem to Seattle, from Providence to Honolulu and all across America, the July 27 events will be an outpouring of local joy that brings together people and communities to foster wellbeing and health.”
In addition to Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, other communities that are part of the Arts For EveryBody cohort are Chicago; Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), Chicago; Edinburg, Texas; Gainesville, Florida; Harlan County, Kentucky; Hawai’i Island, Hawaii; Honolulu, Hawaii; Kansas City, Missouri; Oakland, California; Phillips County, Arkansas; Providence, Rhode Island; Rhinelander, Wisconsin; Seattle, Washington; The Bronx, New York; Tucson, Arizona; Utica, Mississippi and Washington, DC.
Arts For EveryBody is led by One Nation/One Project, a national arts and health initiative designed to activate the power of the arts to help repair the social fabric of America and heal the country’s communities. Participating in the arts reduces stress and loneliness, which are risk factors for a wide range of ailments, including hypertension and heart disease.
Arts for EveryBody is supported by research showing the substantial health benefits of arts participation, including a 63% lower risk of dementia, benefits comparable to weekly exercise, improved physical and mental health, and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. In addition, older adults who participate in the arts report a 48% lower risk of depression. There are also social benefits — young adults are more likely to stay in school and four out of five young adults who had arts rich experiences are more likely to vote. !
Not your grandfather’s girly-show North Carolina burlesque figure reflects
Onça O’Leary says that, despite the 21st century’s neo-burlesque revival, there are still misconceptions about the art form she has been practicing and producing for decades, which will be celebrated at Burlesk Con of the Carolinas, held in Winston-Salem, July 4-7.
“Some people think it’s just women stripping for men,” said O’Leary, who hosts one of the convention’s main events, the July 6 Sideshow, Burlesque and Drag Spectacular at Hel’s Bar at 545 Trade St. NW. “That can happen, but it’s the least part of the story.”
Madame Onça, as she is known in the burlesque, sideshow, and Tarot communities, is a dancer, singer, writer, and artist who has produced hundreds of events across the Southeastern United States, including ABSFest, Asheville’s annual Burlesque and Sideshow Festival, which she co-founded in 2009. At Burlesk Con, she will be one of the speakers on the art form’s history at the July 7 Burlesque & Drag Chillout Brunch at Finnegan’s Wake at 630 Trade St. NW.
“I think that most folks coming from outside the community may think that burlesque is just performative sexualized femininity for the male gaze, but in my experience, it’s rarely that.”
As anyone who has attended a recent
local burlesque show knows, audience demographics are very di erent from the days of legendary performers like Gypsy Rose Lee and Blaze Starr.
“As a queer gender-fluid person and drag performer, it’s my observation that lesbians, queer women, and non-binary folks have more societal prevalence now than ever before,” said Roy Fahrenheit, currently reigning Mr. Pride Winston-Salem and a producer of Burlesk Con. “Enjoying the art of burlesque has been a way for us to reclaim that space as an art form that is not centered around men’s pleasure. This is similar to how drag once catered to the cis gay male gaze, but is now much more inclusive.”
Fahrenheit (aka former YES! Weekly editor Katie Murawski) believes that WinstonSalem is leading the growing alliance between North Carolina’s burlesque, drag, and LGBTQ communities.
“We’ve forced our audiences to watch what wasn’t perceived as ‘acceptable’ in the drag and burlesque scene of old, as we queer-identifying individuals want to see more of ourselves in our shows.”
Madame Onça believes burlesque is a powerful force for diversity and empowerment.
“Much of what I see and experience is artists of every gender and gender expression using burlesque as a tool for comedy, empowerment, and social commentary, and they just happen to use burlesque as the medium to do so. That is why my generation, and the generations of artists coming up after me, have no patience for patriarchal bullshit. What we want and need is to reclaim the erotic and the positivity of being a person incarnated in a
on the art form’s inclusive revival
body. Everything about it is about learning how to change the way we exist in the world after growing up in a very shamebased culture.”
She is also thrilled that Winston Burlesk Con is celebrating the life and legacy of Willa Mae Buckner.
A legendary blues musician, burlesque artist, snake-dancer, and self-proclaimed hoodoo practitioner, Buckner was born in Augusta, Georgia, in 1922, but ran away at the age of 12, and spent a year at her uncle’s Winston-Salem home before joining an all-Black traveling tent show, where she performed as a singer, pianist, dancer, sword-swallower, and contortionist. Once of legal age, she posed at the adults-only tent shows carnivals and state fairs held after midnight, at which the curtain was raised on a naked woman, who stood still as a statute for 30 seconds or so before the lights went out. If she danced or even moved an inch, the show could be shut down as an “obscene” performance, but as long as she was motionless and only briefly visible, it was deemed (or at least proclaimed) “educational” about the human body.
After seeing a male “snake charmer” with a harmless boa constrictor at the 1963 World’s Fair, Buckner acquired 36 pythons, touring fairs and carnivals, where she posed with and lectured about her serpentine menagerie, while also singing and playing piano at roadhouses, blues clubs and tent shows. As a composer and performer, she was known for risqué lyrics like “Baby, let me play with your yo-yo, I’ll let you play with mine,” and in her later years, was described by her friend, blues legend Taj Mahal, as “a combination of Granny on
the Beverly Hillbillies and a seriously crazy Black burlesque queen from back in the day.”
In her decades on the road, she was slurred, harassed, and shot at. She boasted of never leaving home without lipstick, high heels and a knife, which her friend and fellow sideshow performer Tattoo Joe recalled her pulling on him when he joked that her Burmese python Pepe would make good boots. When her trailer broke down in the Triad in 1973, she and her pythons moved to Winston-Salem, where she owned her own home and worked as a city bus driver, but also brewed the moonshine that made her a well-known figure in East Winston drink houses. After decades of playing carnivals, juke joints, and burlesque theaters, she performed at Carnegie Hall, where she received a standing ovation. She died in Winston-Salem in 2000 at the age of 77.
“I’m thrilled that the Burlesk Con is focusing on Willa Mae Buckner,” said Madame Onça. “Burlesque a hundred years ago was functioning inside very di erent social constraints, and kids coming up right now may not be aware of how hard those people who survived as burlesque legends had to work, so that those interested in it today can go take a class at the community center, where it’s only slightly more risqué than hooping or belly-dancing.”
She also described the “honor and pleasure” of working with Selia d’Katzmeow, owner/producer of Camel City Burlesk. After attending The Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender and Museum in Las Vegas for several years, d’Katzmeow and her associates recognized the need for a consortium of artists and art lovers to create a space to share the uniqueness of Carolinas’
Ian McDowell
Contributor
Ophelia PopTart
Anna Yacht
Madame Onca
Phoebe Nyx
burlesque history, and so they revived, revamped and reimagined the Carolina Burlesque Festival that d’Katzmeow cofounded in 2012.
“I’ve known her for a number of years and she’s always been a great performer, but she’s really hitting her stride at this point in her life, with her capacity to rivet a crowd. We had her as our regional headliner at my festival this year, because she absolutely had 500 people at the edge of their chairs, not just by being a pretty face, but by absolutely dominating the creative
space and electrifying everyone. I’ve really seen her grow into that, and it’s been such a pleasure to witness her commitment to not just her own career as a strong soloist, but to do this kind of community work, which is what a festival is. You’re not running a festival to make a ton of money. You’re taking on a ton of headaches and hours and hours of logistics to create something bigger than you and your solo act. I am honored that she’s asked to participate as an emcee and panel moderator, and share what I know. It’s great to see her not
just prioritizing herself, but the growth of the community she lives in.”
According to d’Katzmeow, the honor and pleasure are mutual.
“Madame Onça is an icon because she has made waves not only in Asheville, which is how I originally met her while I was in Greensboro years ago; but because she has had major inspiring e ects on the entire state, region, and globally with her brand of connection and celebration. Onça has brought renowned performance artists of all genres — belly dance, burlesque,
sideshow — to Asheville, and invited us all in the region to perform and commune alongside those performers. She holds fast to bringing education, comradery, and challenging the status quo in our region. She is serious about the history and preservation of our art forms.”
d’Katzmeow is also proud that burlesque legend Gabriella Maze is performing at Winston Burlesk Con. “She danced in the early 1970s, traveling the world; and returned to the stage in 2011, which was the the first time I met her. We danced the same stage together that night, and talked and talked outside.”
Burlesk Con of The Carolinas will run from Thursday, July 4 through Sunday, July 7. All shows and events will be hosted in community partnership with various Winston-Salem Art District businesses on Trade Street, and in conjunction with producers local to the Carolinas. There will be individual show tickets as well as all-show passes available. All shows are 18+, some shows are 21+. !
IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose book I Ain’t Resisting: the City of Greensboro and the Killing of Marcus Smith was published in September of 2023 by Scuppernong Editions.
Hausson Byrd
Hausson Byrd will host poetry writing and live performance workshops until July 15.
Mona Loverly
Stella dKatzmeow
Willa Mae Buckner
The Old Town Film Series doubles up with double features
Not unlike movies based on literary works (“The book was better”), remakes are often regarded in the same dismissive terms (“The original was better”).
Now, the Old Town Film Series is about to showcase exceptions to the rule, according to Michael DiVitto Kelly, the recreation center supervisor at the Old Town Neighborhood Center (4550 Shattalon Drive, WinstonSalem), where the series is presented, each o ering carefully selected by Kelly himself.
There will be no screenings on July 4, and Kelly will be on vacation later in the month, so the screenings for July will be The Blob on Thursday, July 11 and The Thing on Thursday, July 25. As these are double features, showtimes have been adjusted: 6 p.m. for the original film, followed by the remake at 7:30 p.m. As always, admission is free, and refreshments are available for purchase.
A life-long genre aficionado, “I love creature double features,” Kelly said. “To pair the original Blob and Thing with stellar remakes is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
On July 11, it’s time for another visitation from that shapeless mass of interstellar menace known as The Blob. The original 1958 film, which marked the big-screen debuts of Steve McQueen (billed as Steven McQueen) and Aneta Corseaut, soon to find small-screen fame as Helen Crump on the long-running situation comedy The Andy Gri th Show. They play teenagers in small-town Pennsylvania who first spot the meteorite bearing the Blob crashing to Earth then try to warn the populace of the threat, which grows bigger, redder, and hungrier.
IT Specialist
(Multiple Openings)
Maint, fix, & troublesh wired & wireless netw that can supp over 500 devices, etc. Bachelor’s Degree in Comp Sci, Info Tech, or a rel field. FT. Triad Math and Science Academy Co. Greensboro, NC. Apply at hr@tmsapcs.org
A sleeper hit and an instant cult sensation, The Blob even spawned a hit single “The Blob,” penned by no less than future Oscar winner Burt Bacharach and Mack David.
Thirty years later, the remake of The Blob (rated R) hit screens in the summer of 1988. The basic premise was the same, but there were some key alterations to the plot, which are best, not divulged here. The cast includes Kevin Dillon, Shawnee Smith, Donovan Leitch, Joe Seneca, Je rey DeMunn, and Candy Clark. The remake earned good reviews but struggled at the box o ce, although many people — Kelly included — considered it that rare remake that surpassed the original.
“As for the original Blob, I love Steve McQueen in his first starring role as the nearly 30-year-old “teenager” there to save the day,” Kelly said. “The theme of no one believing teenagers in the throes of marauding monsters has been a mainstay since the 1950s — and who can forget the catchy theme song?”
Regarding the ’88 version, “I had the pleasure of meeting Chuck Russell, director of the Blob remake, a few years ago in Fort Lauderdale,” Kelly recalled. “There was a fun Q&A session afterward where he answered a couple of my questions. What I love about the remake is the tone is set right o the bat as the credits roll. The imagery of the struggling town, a struggling town, a stray cat, the moody score, the cemetery, and then a shot of a high-school football game. I like my horror with a side order of humor, and Russell’s Blob delivers.”
Produced under the auspices of Howard Hawks’ Winchester Pictures, 1951’s The Thing (also released as The Thing from Another World) marked the feature directorial debut of Hawks’ long-time editor Christian Nyby, although debate still rages regarding who actually called the shots behind the scenes.
Yet again, as was so often prevalent in the Cold War era of the 1950s, a monstrous alien being poses a threat to mankind. Military personnel and scientists unearth a spaceship frozen in the ice near the North Pole. They also unearth, and later accidentally thaw out, its only inhabitant, an enormous, semi-human creature (played by a pre-Gunsmoke James Arness) that immediately proceeds to go on a violent, murderous rampage.
Filmmaker John Carpenter, riding high on the success of the 1978 smash Halloween, paid homage to Hawks (his favorite filmmaker) by mounting his biggest production to date, a remake of The Thing
(Fans of Halloween will undoubtedly remember that scenes from the original film are shown on television during the night in question.)
Carpenter mainstay Kurt Russell heads a peerless ensemble cast (including Wilford Brimley, Donald Mo at, Richard Masur, Richard Dysart, and Keith David in his first film) in a film more faithful to John W. Campbell Jr.’s original 1938 novella “Who Goes There?” in that this “Thing” is able to replicate its victims, thereby magnifying the paranoia exponentially.
Released in the summer of 1982, Carpenter’s R-rated version of The Thing was met with such critical derision and disgust — most of it centering around Rob Bottin’s groundbreaking (and graphic) special e ects — that it rocked the filmmaker’s reputation, and not in a good way. Yet in the ensuing years, Carpenter’s The Thing has undergone an almost complete reverse critical re-evaluation, with many now considering it to be the crowning achievement of his career.
Although not necessarily a fan of remakes — just ask him about the 2015 version of Poltergeist — Kelly believes these remakes are at least equal to the
original films. “I’ve had the pleasure of seeing the Blob and Thing remakes in the theater,” he said. “Both are in my top-five favorite films of all time. The first time I saw The Thing, I knew I had just seen one of the greatest horror films ever. I was in total awe of the special e ects.”
The Old Town Film Series is again presenting its “Kids Summer FilmFest,” a selection of family-oriented films that are suitable for all ages. The June 13 screening of Babe was a big success, according to Kelly, and July’s o erings are Journey to the Center of the Earth (July 11) and Spy Kids (July 18), each starting at 2 p.m.
As Kelly notes, the Old Town Film Series is a great way to embrace and enjoy the magic of movies and is considerably cheaper than streaming services — because it’s free!
Kelly will introduce each film and there will be an informal discussion after each screening. For more information, call 336922-3561 or e-mail michaelke@cityofws. org. !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2024, Mark Burger.
Mark Burger
Contributor
Growing up as a Moravian in Summerfield on the outskirts of Greensboro, Michael Isley learned to play the organ. Sticking close to his roots, he became the organist of his family’s Moravian Church in Oak Ridge. This drove his interest in visiting churches, cathedrals and basilicas when he traveled to see and hear the pipe organs. He often found in these venues most also used stained glass extensively and his interest for this art form soon rivaled his interest in pipe organs.
It’s no surprise Isley found himself in a beginning-stained glass class at Sawtooth School for Visual Art in WinstonSalem several years ago. As with music, he had a natural knack for working with glass. Fast forwarding to today, Michael Isley’s finely-honed skills and creative concepts have earned him the reputation as one of the Triad’s premier and most sought-after stained glass artists. There’s still a little time to see his work for yourself. More than 50 pieces conceived and created by stained glass artist Michael Isley are on display in the exhibition titled “From A Grain of Sand” in the Main Gallery of the Milton Rhodes Center for the Arts in downtown Winston-Salem. The show, presented by Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, opened last month and will run through the end of June. The show’s title refers to how glass has been produced for thousands of years. Silica is the primary ingredient in glass, and silica is the primary component of sand, so all glass started out as sand.
Abstract works are his sweet spot as opposed to imagery, creating an image of a tangible object, like a butterfly or the moon. Isley speculates that he gravitates toward abstracts because this genre allows full freedom of choice, which is something he is passionate about in art and other facets of life. “Imagery dictates many of the materials in a piece. My creative juices flow better when I can choose the colors, textures, shapes and patterns that just innately feel right to me,” Isley explained. Time is running out to see the results of Michael’s creativity! Don’t miss this beautiful show of abstract stained glass and light. Hours for the exhibition are Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. ! [ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP] FINAL WEEK OF “FROM A GRAIN OF SAND”
VOTED SECOND BEST CHICKEN WINGS
In addition to traditional stainedglass pieces created to hang in a window, Isley incorporates his creative stained glass designs into various other repurposed items. “From a Grain of Sand” features lanterns, candle table centerpieces, small keepsake boxes and large co ee table boxes. One of his most popular and unique pieces is a stained glass spinning wheel, created from old bicycle tires. This piece can be used inside, or as outside yard art. Isley said he has one in his own front yard. “Mine is backlit, so it’s beautiful at night as well. When the wind catches the wheel and light catches all the di erent colored glass pieces between each spoke, it looks like a nighttime laser light show,” Isley said. “There’s also an extra bonus,” he added. “This keeps several old scrap items out of the landfill.”
MON: $2.50 Domestic Bottles & All Burgers $10.99 TUE: 1/2 Price Wine | WED: $4 Draft THU: $8 Bud Light Pitchers & $3 Fireball
Band Schedule
JUNE 26 An Evening w/ Benji Morris
JUNE 27 Jimmy Hayes and Friends
JUNE 30 Bluegrass Jam
BY MICHAEL ISLEY
Having caused a stir at the Sundance Film Festival and sold-out RiverRun International Film Festival’s opening night in April, Thelma now arrives in general release and not a moment too soon — because in a disappointing summer movie season thus far, this little film with a lot of heart is an unabashed highlight. It’s easily one of the most enjoyable films of the year thus far, with June Squibb (doubling as executive producer) giving a career performance that ranks among the year’s best.
The e ortlessly likable Squibb portrays the titular Thelma, a still-spry 93-year-old widow still managing to get along on her own. One day, she falls for a phone scam that costs her $10,000 in cash — and a considerable dent in her self-esteem. (That the voice of the scammer belongs to Malcolm McDowell might have clued her in that it wasn’t legitimate, but …) Thelma decides to take matters into her own hands by intercepting the mailed money and confronting the culprit(s). To this end, she seeks out old friend Ben (the late, great Richard Roundtree), not so much for assistance but his two-seated electric scooter. Ben opts to accompany her, more to keep an eye on his scooter than anything else, and they proceed on a zippy jaunt through the not-so-mean streets of Los Angeles.
This may sound like the set-up for a wacky slapstick romp, but writer/editor/ director Josh Margolin (making his feature debut in the latter capacity) has more on his mind than mere laughs, although Thelma certainly delivers on that score. This is a bittersweet, sometimes poignant, observation about aging that contains real moments of pathos and avoids too many detours into maudlin sentimentality. The sentiment is present, but not unlike Paul Mazursky (whose 1974 classic Harry and Tonto this echoes), Margolin creates quirky, sometimes eccentric characters who find themselves in situations
that somehow ring true. He also incorporates some welcome and well-placed digs at the use (and misuse) of technology into the mix, further enhancing its impact. Although this is undeniably a showcase for Squibb, who never makes a false move, Margolin a ords each actor a chance to shine. Producer Fred Hechinger is winning as Thelma’s faithful grandson Danny, who’s at a crossroads in his young life. Parker Posey and Clark Gregg portray Danny’s typically uptight, neurotic parents, but they never lapse into caricature, as their concern for both Thelma and Danny feels genuine. McDowell’s grubby villain is a lighter variation on the many heavies he’s played throughout his career and even his character has unexpected dimension. Finally, there is Roundtree, who died last October and whose last film this is. It’s a good, meaty role and he’s terrific, and it’s impossible not to feel a pang when he speaks his last line to Squibb: “You be well.”
In addition to putting the vast majority of mega-buck summer blockbusters to shame, Thelma is also a film that will be remembered at year’s end, first and foremost for Squibb’s award-worthy performance but also for its sheer charm and contemporary relevance. It’s a handsdown winner.
MARK BURGER’s reviews
2024, Mark Burger.
Mark Burger
Contributor
ANGRY WHITE MAN (Indican Pictures): The Southern redneck stereotyping’s in full force in director Brian James O’Connell’s innocuous low-budget comedy (filmed in 2011) starring screenwriter Bob Hardison as a wannabe country singer who embarks on a road trip to Nashville to meet his hero (Matt Berry), a dissolute and obnoxious British country star. Scoot McNairy (sporting sunglasses and a “Shut Up & Fish” baseball cap), who’s been upped to top billing on the DVD sleeve, and Steve Agee e ortlessly steal scenes while Genevieve Jones brings an earthy sexiness to the schoolteacher who takes a shine to Hardison. A few scattered laughs, particularly in the second half, but otherwise predictable and even dated. The DVD ($24.99 retail) includes audio commentary, deleted scenes, and trailers.
“ARTHUR
DONG’S
LGBTQ STORIES” (Kino Lorber): The title tells all in this Bluray collection ($29.98 retail) of critically acclaimed documentaries, many award winners, produced and directed by the award-winning filmmaker Arthur Dong that examine the hardships faced by the LGBTQ community in the past: Coming Out Under Fire (1994) narrated by Salome Jens, Licensed to Kill (1997), Family Fundamentals (2002), and Dong’s “Out Rage ‘69” segment from the four-part 1995 mini-series documentary The Question of Equality.
BAD LIEUTENANT (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): A 4K Ultra HD combo ($39.95 retail) of Abel Ferrara’s intentionally controversial 1992 psychological thriller starring Harvey Keitel (in a fearless turn) as the nameless titular character, a wildly self-destructive New York detective who unexpectedly finds a shot at redemption when he investigates the rape of a young nun (Frankie Thorn) who has forgiven her assailants. A meditation on morality as only Ferrara could create, this wallows in sleaze and sordidness but stays the course and true to his vision — although it’s an uncompromising and wild ride that’s not for all tastes. Bonus features include audio commentary, retrospective documentary, retrospective featurette and interview, and theatrical trailer. Rated NC-17.
BLOOD AND SNOW (Cleopatra Entertainment/MVD Entertainment Group): Director/cinematographer Jesse Palangio’s sci-fi shocker sees a meteor crashing to Earth in the Arctic tundra, unleashing an alien being capable of replicating
[VIDEO VAULT]
BY MARK BURGER
DVD PICK OF THE WEEK: BLUE VELVET
(The Criterion Collection)
Following the critical drubbing and financial disappointment of Dune (1984), the indomitable Dino De Laurentiis reunited with writer/director David Lynch for this wildly controversial — and wickedly entertaining — 1986 black comedy that appalled some viewers but became one of the most talked-about films of the year, if not the decade. It may be an overstatement to say Blue Velvet saved Lynch’s career, but it earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Director and clearly influenced his next project, the equally talked-about ABC television series Twin Peaks
Kyle MacLachlan, also rebounding from Dune, portrays
Je rey Beaumont, the clean-cut college student who returns home to the bucolic burg of Lumberton after his father su ers a heart attack. Walking through an abandoned field, he discovers a severed ear, which he dutifully presents to George Dickerson’s Detective Williams, who deadpans “That’s a human ear all right.” This is only the first in a series of bizarre experiences that befell the innately curious Je rey and put him on a collision course with alluring but tormented torch singer Dorothy Vallens (Isabella Rossellini) and, more threateningly, the demented Frank Booth (Dennis Hopper), who holds sadistic sway over Dorothy.
The year 1986 marked Hopper’s big comeback, as he roared back into the limelight in thanks to his Oscar-nominated turn in Hoosiers, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2 (to a lesser extent), and especially with this instantly iconic, unforgettably twisted turn. Everyone, however, is excellent, including Laura Dern, Dean Stockwell, Hope Lange, Priscilla Pointer, Brad Dourif, and Jack Nance. The film also brought renewed interest to Bobby Vinton’s title tune, although in ways Vinton surely could never have anticipated.
Despite the mystery and psycho-sexual overtones, at heart Blue Velvet is a subversive, and outrageous, dissection of the dark underbelly of traditional Americana. The outward, placid normalcy masks hidden secrets and twisted desires, and although the film ends on an upbeat note its unsettling imagery and tone remain indelible and still shocking to this day, despite countless imitations.
The 4K Ultra HD combo ($49.95 retail) includes retrospective documentaries, alternate takes and deleted scenes, and more. Rated R.
its victims, with genre veteran Vernon Wells heading an ensemble cast including Anne-Carolyne Binette, screenwriter Simon Phillips, Michael Swatton, Brooke Chamberlain, and co-producer Adam Huel Potter, available on Blu-ray ($19.95 retail) including slide show and trailers.
BOUND (The Criterion Collection): The Wachowskis (then Larry and Andy, now Lana and Lilly) wrote and made their feature co-directing debut with this scorching, award-winning 1996 thriller starring Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon — both in top form — as partners, in love and crime, who plot to rob Tilly’s mobster boyfriend (the excellent Joe Pantoliano) of $2 million in laundered money. This crackling contemporary film noir, now considered a landmark in LGBTQ+ cinema, is first and foremost a first-rate thriller, and to this day the Wachowskis’ most satisfying film. In his final feature, character actor ex-
costume design. An interesting failure but a must for Bogdanovich bu s. The special-edition Blu-ray ($24.95 retail) includes audio commentaries, theatrical trailer, and more. Rated PG.
“PATRICIA ROZEMA BLU-RAYS” (Kino Lorber): A trio of Blu-rays (each $24.95 retail) — replete with bonus features — devoted to the works of acclaimed, award-winning Canadian filmmaker Patricia Rozema, who specializes in stories that explore feminist and lesbian issues: White Room (1990) starring Kate Nelligan, Sheila McCarthy, and Margot Kidder; When Night is Falling (1995) starring Pascale Bussieres, Rachael Crawford, and Henry Czerny; and her most recent feature Mouthpiece (2018), based on the play by screenwriter/co-stars Amy Nostbakken (in her feature debut, and also the film’s composer) and Norah Sadava.
ROOTS OF FIRE (First Run Features/ Kino Lorber): The husband-and-wife duo of Jeremey Lavoi and Abby Berendt Lavoi produced, edited, and co-directed this a ectionate 2022 documentary feature that shines a light on the contemporary Cajun music scene in Louisiana, featuring appearances by such popular performers as Joel Savoy, Jourdan Thibodeaux, Kelli Jones, Kristi Guillory, Wilson Savoy, and others. The music is catchy and the atmosphere appropriately flavorful, although the pleas to preserve the culture are made early and often, and tend to become a little repetitious, available on DVD ($19.95 retail).
traordinaire John P. Ryan enjoys a terrific role as a steely mob enforcer with a soft spot for Tilly’s character. Both the Blu-ray ($39.95 retail) and 4K Ultra HD combo ($49.95 retail) include audio commentary, retrospective interviews, video essay, and trailers.
DAISY MILLER (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): After a run of successful films, Peter Bogdanovich was assailed by critics for his 1974 adaptation of the classic 1878 Henry James novella, starring Bogdanovich’s muse Cybill Shepherd (miscast) as the title character, an a uent, flirtatious American tourist in 19th-century Rome wooed by neurotic expatriate Barry Brown before fate intervenes. Both Bogdanovich and Shepherd took a lot of heat for this elegant and ambitious, but ultimately inconsequential melodrama, but on second look it’s not without its modest attributes, including Oscar-nominated
“WELCOME BACK, KOTTER”: THE COMPLETE SERIES (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment): A self-explanatory 12-disc DVD collection ($74.99 retail) of all 95 episodes from entire 1975-’79 run of the hit ABC situation comedy starring Gabriel Kaplan (who co-created the series with Alan Sacks) as Gabe Kotter, the wise-cracking but attentive teacher who returns to his Brooklyn alma mater and immediately bonds with the misfit students known as “the Sweathogs” (played by John Travolta, Robert Hegyes, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, and Ron Palillo), with Marcia Strassman as Julie Kotter and John Sylvester White as the perennially scowling vice-principal Mr. Woodman. An immediate ratings smash, John Sebastian’s theme song was a #1 hit, and the series earned four Emmy nominations including Outstanding Comedy Series (in 1976). !
See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies.
School Choice? Or Schools’ Choice?
Decisions about education are some of the most important decisions families — and therefore state leaders — make. Just as parents consider the many school choices available in North Carolina, lawmakers are making choices about where to put our taxpayer dollars to yield the best outcomes for our children. Families across North Carolina want public schools that prepare their children to be well-rounded, self-su cient, and successful in the workforce and life.
Our state leaders in the General Assembly have choices as to how to allocate
taxpayer dollars. Recent decisions have led to the following results when it comes to public schools, which serve approximately 85 percent of students in North Carolina:
North Carolina ranks 48th in the country on per-student spending and 49th on funding e ort — the amount we spend on education as a percent of our GDP.
North Carolina ranks 38th in the country on average teacher pay, falling nearly $13,000 below the national average.
The General Assembly recently opted to enact universal, taxpayer-funded private school vouchers, making private school “opportunity scholarships” available to any family, regardless of their income or whether they had previously enrolled in public schools. These vouchers were previously accessible only to low-income families who had previously attended public schools. With this decision, state lawmakers are choosing to send hundreds of millions of dollars per year to private and religious schools that can practice discriminatory admissions policies, and do not have to share what
they teach or how their students perform.
With the increase in taxpayer funds being diverted to private schools in the name of expanding “school choice,” we must consider: how can parents and caregivers be sure that the schools they are choosing are adequately preparing their children to be well-rounded students who are prepared for a successful career and life? And what if the private schools they choose don’t choose them back?
Using data from the State Education Assistance Authority and school websites, the Public School Forum of North Carolina conducted research on the 200 schools that received the most taxpayer funds from school vouchers through the Opportunity Scholarship Program during the 2023-2024 school year. We gathered information on religious a liation and curriculum, teacher credential requirements, and admissions policies.
The findings highlighted that there are stark di erences between public and private schools when it comes to testing accountability, teacher certification requirements, and data reporting requirements. Some major takeaways:
Only 8.5 percent of the private schools receiving vouchers report standardized testing scores on their websites
Only 2 percent of private schools require their teachers to be certified by the state Traditional public schools, by comparison, are required to report student outcomes and require all teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and to be licensed. Families are able to easily access information on sta ng, student outcomes, and more for all public schools online.
Private schools, including those that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers, also decide who they allow into their schools. 89 percent of the private schools receiving the most funding through vouchers discriminate in some capacity within their admissions process, thereby excluding a
significant proportion of North Carolina students in the state from having access. These broad discriminatory practices take various forms:
RELIGIOUS
90 percent of the top voucher-receiving schools are religious, and 68 percent have religious requirements for admission.
ACADEMIC
59 percent of private schools receiving the most voucher funds have academic requirements. While we do not have reliable academic outcome data for private schools in North Carolina due to a lack of testing and reporting requirements, national studies have shown that students receiving vouchers do not perform better, and oftentimes perform much worse in private schools than public schools.
LGBTQ
41 percent of the top voucher-receiving schools have explicit exclusions for LGBTQ students. Many schools include a provision in their handbook that states that “the school reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse admission to an applicant” who “practices or promotes a homosexual lifestyle or alternative gender identity, or otherwise has the inability to support the moral principles of the school.”
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
38 percent of these schools have exclusions for students with disabilities. Some explicitly note that they do not “o er exceptional services as mandated in the public schools.”
These admissions policies make clear that private schools have as much of a choice in choosing students as families have in choosing a school. Public schools, by comparison, accept and serve all students.
As the North Carolina General Assembly considers dramatically expanding funding for private school vouchers yet again, it is critical for taxpayers to understand where their tax dollars are going and who will benefit. In the face of calls for increased school choice, we must consider: by providing taxpayer-funded vouchers to schools that practice discriminatory admissions policies and are held to some of the weakest accountability and reporting requirements of states with universal voucher programs in the country, are we really providing more quality school options to children and families in North Carolina? Or have we instead expanded schools’ choice? !
BY ELIZABETH PAUL AND MARY ANN WOLF Public School Forum of NC
leisure [KING CROSSWORD]
SUDOKU]
The 2024 Summer Festival Rundown
Summer is here, with all the heat and happenings, y’all.
Here’s your annual rundown of independent music festivals around the state.
First things first: the inaugural Summer Folk Summit goes down at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country in Boone on June 27. Presented by Mountain Home Music and Carolina Ramble Productions, the summit features a triple bill featuring Alexa Rose, Dori Freeman, and Viv & Riley.
In Winston-Salem, the inaugural Burlesk Con of The Carolinas (presented by Selia d’Katzmeow and Camel City Burlesk) will shimmy a certain spirit of the bereaved rockabilly Fourth of July riot that was Heavy Rebel Weekender–the Wiggle Room part, at least–with shows, events and panels spread throughout the Trade Street Art District, July 4-7.
The con kicks o with a mixer at Single Brothers on Thursday; a Wiggle Room
and HRW salute of showgirl competitions at Dye Pretty Salon & Arts on Friday; a sideshow variety spectacular at Hel’s on Saturday; and a chillout brunch and panel discussion, with burlesque and drag, at Finnigan’s Wake on Sunday. Held in honor of Willa Mae Buckner, featured performers and hosts for the weekend include the legendary Gabriella Maze, Onca O’Leary (founder of Asheville Burlesque and the Americana Sideshow Festival), The Vixens, Miss Jessica, Ophelia PopTart, Nikki Menagerie, May Hemmer, and Roy Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, over at Gas Hill Drinking Room, the Camel City Shake rattles some HRW memories with a two-day bash (July 5 and 6), featuring The Tremors, the bo-stevens, Malamondos, Moose Trainwreck Roberts and Th’ Wampus Cats, Viva Le Vox, and Creep-A-Zoids; event proceeds will go toward establishing an art scholarship in memory of Ian Bredice In the Triangle region, the 45th annual Festival For the Eno makes a splash over two days and four stages along the shaded banks of the Eno River, on July 4 and 6. Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, Big Daddy Love, Dangermu n, Holler Choir, and Lightnin’ Wells are a small sampling of the more than 60 artists scheduled.
July comes in hot as freaks hit the coast and Beach Party Terror strikes the Cape Fear region, July 12-13. Celebrating the annual return of NC’s gnarliest Hank Williams, the mayhem starts with a Friday night DJ party at the Sandspur in Carolina Beach; followed by a Saturday metal massacre at Reggies 42nd Street Tavern in Wilmington with Greensboro’s Döltz and Blood Ritual; along with Tooth, Resurrector, and Mania For Conquest. Meanwhile, Merge 35 o ers the hottest ticket of the summer — the birthday celebration for the legendary indie-rock Merge Records label is nearly sold out — and it’s not hard to see why with a line-up of more than 30 crazy rad Merge artists like: A Giant Dog, Fucked Up, Mary Timony, Fruit Bats, Carson McHone, Imperial Teen, The New Pornographer, Lampchop, Rosali, Wye Oak, Dawn Richard & Spencer Zahn, and Superchunk (naturally). If you can get tix, get ‘em. The party rocks July 24-27 in Carrboro. Up in the mountains, Wicked Weed Brewing and Worthwhile Sounds are bringing AVLFest back to Asheville for a second year, August 1-4. Akin to Hopscotch, set high on the hill, the multigenre celebration is spread across more than 20 Asheville-area concert halls, clubs, and outdoor venues — with an art-
ist lineup mixing local and national artists including: The Heavy Heavy, Daikaiju, Toubab Krewe, Dylan LeBlanc, Floating Action, Yarn, Bask, Dangermu n, ¡Tumbao!, Boulevards, The Deathbots, John Kirby and The New Seniors, Jon Charles Dwyer, Mama and the Ruckus, Palmyra, and Harriers of Discord; and that barely scratches the surface of scheduled acts. In Marion, it’s a double-dose of weekend concerts at the Tom Johnson Camping World festival site. First up: the McDowell Country Music Roundup, August 11-12, with a bootscootin’ lineup including The Malpass Brothers, Tony Jackson, Lee Greenwood, and Greensboro’s own “King of Country Rock,” Billy “Crash” Craddock. The Malpass Brothers will stick around for the N.C. State Bluegrass Festival the following weekend, August 15-17. Over in the eastern end of the state, the third-annual Carolina BBQ Festival throws down at Doja Vineyard & Grounds on August 24. Featuring a mash of hiphop, food, and now a Carolina BBQ Flea vendor market, the festival has grown from its Greensboro origins, now serving as a “catalyst for empowerment by providing a platform for over 300 artists, creatives, and small businesses.”
The Big Something has also grown from its Greensboro-area origins and will
Katei Cranford
Contributor
celebrate its 10th year hosting the Big What?, running August 22-24 at Shakori Hills. The multi-sensory artistic experience will feature three surprise-themed nights, and music from Big Something, an Andy Frasco Superjam, Late Night Radio, the Isaac Hadden Organ Trio, Cosmic Collective, The Keith Allen Circus, The Slys featuring Matt Laird, and more. Over at Panther Lake, Spider Bucket will present the second year of their DIY BucketFest, August 30-September 1. Plans are underway for “BucketFest II: The Bucketing,” but fans can count on summer camp vibes set for high-energy folk-emo-country-punksters.
In the Triad, Labor Day weekend is reserved for jazz and the 13th annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival (August 31 - September 1) in High Point. Sponsored by The Friends of John Coltrane, dedicated to preserving Coltrane’s legacy and the enriching power of jazz, the 2024 lineup features artists like: Incognito, Samantha Fish, Bilal, Jesus Molina, Brian Culbertson, the UNC-G Spartans Jazz Band, and more.
As September starts, so does the most contentious weekend all year in N.C. music: the post-labor day swansong calendar collision of the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh (September 5-7), The North Carolina Folk Festival in Greensboro (September 6-8), Antlers & Acorns: Songwriters Festival in Boone (September 5-7), and the Mountain Song Festival
in Brevard (September 6-7).
This is my annual soapbox moment: Hopscotch has been a leader of central N.C. music festivals since 2010. With a staggering lineup across a handful of hoppable venues, the ticketed elements of the festival are a single facet of the blowout that includes a festival’s worth of free-day parties and other new events. It’s such a shame for the younger NC FolkFest to run the same weekend, a mere 90 miles away.
Issues of time and place aside, FolkFest is worth seeing — though so long as it runs the same weekend as Hopscotch, there’s a measurable music-loving population who won’t be around to actually see it.
Folks who do stick around town, however, can enjoy a stronger presence of Greensboro folk like: Colin Cutler, the Sam Fribush Organ Trio feat. Calvin Napper and Charlie Hunter, Dashawn Hickman Presents Sacred Steel, Abigail Dowd, Drew Foust, the Unheard Project, and Old Heavy Hands. Susto, Emanuel Wynter, She Returns From War, Mipso, and Holler Choir are among the regional o erings; along with national acts: The War and Treaty and Los Lonely Boys.
The “Not Your Average Folk” contest also returns, with top winners snagging a performance slot during the festival. Submissions from N.C. music folk are currently running through July 7.
Down in Raleigh, Hopscotch is the
king of the block, back in force with an instance lineup of more than 100 bands ranging the genre and notoriety gamut (including the mighty return of Winston-Salem native power-poppers, the dB’s), along with a blowout featuring: Waxahatchee, Snail Mail, Faye Webster, BADBADNOTGOOD, St. Vincent, Guided By Voices, The Jesus Lizard, Ty Segall, Late Bloomer, Teens In Trouble, Fancy Gap, Sour Widows, Zorn, Mutant Strain, Flower in Bloom, Geeked, Verity Den, Ribs and so very many more. It’s gonna be wild.
Meanwhile, in the mountains, the Antlers & Acorns songwriter’s festival explores the softer side with folks like Shawn Mullins, Caleb Caudle, and Eric Erdman. Over in Brevard, The Steep Canyon Rangers ring in their 18th annual Mountain Song Festival, benefitting the Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County; with a lineup of artists like Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway, Hank, Pattie and the Current, and the Tray Wellington Band.
As September rolls along, so does the fall festival action. But as of now, that’s a whole season away: time to lather on the sunscreen and turn up the heat! Be safe out there, y’all. !
KATEI CRANFORD is a Triad music nerd who enjoys spotlighting artists and events.
Read us on your phone when you’re at the bar by yourself.
Little Brother brews cannabis-derived alcohol substitute
“Our Delta Spirits offers an alternative to folks turning away from alcohol in search of a healthier lifestyle,” said Josh Coe of the cannabis beverage he and his partners are brewing, pouring, and bottling. “There’s no calories or carbs; it’s the healthiest thing you can drink and still get a buzz.”
The 39-year-old Coe grew up in Saxapahaw but has lived in Greensboro for decades (when not on tour as the bassist for Kill Whitney Dead and Old Heavy Hands). Along with Jeff Collie, Daniel McCoy and Mike Foderaro, Coe is co-owner of Little Brother Brewing, the boutique brewery with taprooms at 348 S. Elm St. in Greensboro, 221 Main St. in Kernersville, 106 W. Elm in Graham; and a lawn service kiosk in Greensboro’s LeBauer Park.
Delta Spirits contains 3 milligrams of delta-9 THC, the primary active ingredi-
ent in cannabis, per 1 oz serving. According to Coe, it contains less than 5 calories per serving and does not produce a hangover.
“If you just want to relax and not feel high, you can take a low dose, but if you want the same effect as recreational marijuana, make it a double. It’s straightup THC, but the North Carolina legal kind.”
The 2018 federal Farm Bill federally legalized hemp and hemp derivatives, with the restriction that delta-9 THC content must be below 0.3%. State regulations vary, but North Carolina law currently mirrors the federal statute. Proposed bill House Bill 563 seeks to address current ambiguity and explicitly legalize and regulate consumable hemp products.
Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant, cannabis sativa. The distinction is a legal one; hemp is cannabis sativa bred to have less than 0.3% delta-9 THC content, in compliance with federal law.
Delta-8 is a slightly different chemical compound also extracted from hemp, with a milder and slightly different intoxicating effect, and has become popular
because it can be legally manufactured in greater concentration. According to DrinkDeltaSpirits.com, “We prefer the effect of delta-9, so our products use that compound exclusively.”
“We came up with this for people who want to come to the tavern and enjoy beverages and live music, but don’t want liquor,” said Coe.
“You can put it in any drink, like a margarita or a Bloody Mary. Our Delta Spirits cocktails contain no alcohol but can give you a pleasant relaxed buzz. You can substitute it for any kind of liquor.”
He said his patrons are finding new uses for it, such as putting it in coffee.
“It’s a very neutral flavor that tastes like a little bit of cannabis, with herbal or floral notes. Any kind of sugar completely hides the flavor. But if you want to taste the product, you can put it in soda water with a twist of lime.”
Little Brother has begun canning its Delta Spirits cherry limeade cocktail.
“Caleb Creed from Neighbors and the Flat Iron developed all our cocktail recipes, including those with THC instead of alcohol. It’s been fun putting all the pieces together and figuring out how to do this. For Caleb’s stuff, we used fresh fruit juices, carbonated water, and the concentrated THC dissolute, and there’s a lot of math and science that goes into that, especially when it comes to putting it in cans.”
He described what led him and his partners to the creation of Delta Spirits.
“We’d been trying to come up with a liquor substitute. At one of our work meetings, a partner brought some THC liquor he bought from a company in California. It was one of those meetings
where we hang out and try new products to gauge what we want to brew next. So, we were talking about it, and I’ve got a really good connection with a local THC company, and I said, we can totally make this.”
After some investigation, they found it was not only legal but feasible.
“There’s no law prohibiting it. The state is currently looking at the possibility of putting it under ABC licensure, and frankly, we support that, because if it happens, it will just make it more
Ian McDowell
Contributor
legitimate. I’m only selling it to buddies’ accounts right now, until we have this distribution deal in all of our taprooms, and some people are still hesitant, as there’s no law that says it’s legal, it’s just that, for now, it’s not illegal.”
Coe said he and his partners formed Delta Spirits as a separate company from Little Brother Brewing.
“We’re about to sign a big distribution deal, but can’t quite talk about that yet. The first time we ever served it was at our big Christmas pop-up where we changed the name of this building. We didn’t have the bottles or cans yet, but we put a few cocktails on that Christmas menu, it took o and people loved it. Instead of drinking water at the end of the night, people would hang out and sample this while sobering up before driving. After that, we started working with our graphics guy to design the bottle.”
He said Delta Spirit cherry limeade cans will be sold at the Lawn Service kiosk in LeBauer Park, where it will debut at the July 19th Reggae Fest celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley & The Wailers album “Legend,” at which the Wailers will be playing. “Our big launch will be at the North Carolina Folk
Festival, with all the bars o ering our THC stu . My band Old Heavy Hands will also be playing, so I’m really looking forward to it.”
He stressed that the demographic buying Delta Spirits is not what some may expect.
“Soccer moms, older people trying to relax at night, people who don’t drink anymore, and people with PTSD; those are some of the people who’ve been responding to it, and are happy to have this product they can keep at their house and use as an aid to comfort and relaxation.”
DeltaSpirits.com notes consumers should not drive while under the influence of their product, and that THC will register in a urine test.
“While many employers and institutions have softened their stance on personal use of hemp and marijuana, a drug test may detect delta-9 THC derived from hemp in the same way it would after marijuana consumption. In other words, take a break if you’ve got a big job interview coming up.” !
Tickets are $10 and to avoid fees fans can buy at the gate or at the LJVM box office. Post-game Independence Day Fireworks show! Fun stuff to do for kids. Free parking until first pitch. The place in town to be for the 4th. Game held at Wake Forest University’s Couch Ballpark
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.
Eastern Music Festival Readies For 63rd Season
Festival welcomes 262 students and 58 faculty from around the world to Greensboro
Hundreds of musically gifted young students and distinguished faculty members from across the globe will call Greensboro home for the next five weeks as part of the 2024 Eastern Music Festival (EMF). Celebrating its 63rd year, EMF is one of the premier training programs in the US for talented, young musicians who are studying orchestral instruments, piano, classical guitar, and conducting.
This year’s Festival features 262 student musicians between the ages of 14 and 23 hailing from 37 states and 12 countries. The students will be joined by 58 renowned professional musicians, performers, and conductors serving as faculty members to help the students prepare for a career as professional musicians and music educators.
In addition to one-on-one coaching, the students and faculty will also perform 65 formal and informal concerts, many of which are free, held for the public on the campus of Guilford College and at select locations throughout Greensboro.
According to EMF Executive Director Chris Williams, the educational component of EMF is both central to its theme
and something that separates it from most music festivals and orchestras. “For more than 60 years, we’ve remained true to our mission in guiding young musicians on their way to careers in performing arts,” said Williams. “With that mission in mind, we could not be more excited to welcome this year’s outstanding class of students and our accomplished faculty to Greensboro as we kick o the 63rd season of Eastern Music Festival. It’s truly a lifechanging experience for the students to learn from and perform alongside worldrenowned musicians drawn from major orchestras and music schools around the country.”
Many EMF students and alumni have advanced their artistic careers to become professional performers and teachers. Among them are Grammy award-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis; Stephanie Collins Matsuo who is the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s first female Concertmaster; and rising cello sensation Sterling Elliott.
special musical guests who are attending this season. We hope they enjoy calling Greensboro home as much as we’ll enjoy having them in our community.”
Several faculty members have longstanding relationships with the festival and make Greensboro their summer home every year. To continue building upon those relationships, the EMF Board of Directors has entered into an e ort to negotiate a fair and beneficial collective bargaining agreement with Local 342 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents a majority of the faculty employed by EMF.
Students and faculty began arriving on Guilford College’s campus on Saturday, June 22.
Programs cover “a lot of territory”
Included among the highlights of the 63rd EMF season are:
Longtime and distinguished Music Director Gerard Schwarz returns in 2024 to conduct the five Joseph M. Bryan Jr. ’60 Festival Orchestra Series programs on Saturday evenings and other performances.
The full schedule of performances can be found online (www.easternmusicfestival.com). PRESS RELEASE
“For over 60 years, the Eastern Music Festival has been making beautiful music to the delight of thousands of Greensboro’s residents,” said Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan. “We look forward to welcoming the talented students, faculty, and
Bela Fleck joins the Eastern Festival Orchestra on Saturday, June 29, for the opening festival series program which features the 18-time Grammy-winning
banjo player performing his arrangement of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Also, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 in E minor and pieces by Debussy and Zwilich are on that program.
Other “signature performance” programs include.
• Monday, July 1, with The Amernet String Quartet that includes EMF violinists Misha Vitenson and Avi Nagin along with Michael Klotz on viola and Jason Calloway, cello, performing pieces by Schulho , Mozart and Dvorak.
• Wednesday, July 10, with the U.S. Air Force Heritage Winds Quintet including four EMF alumni, performing a variety of pieces by living female composers. The program is free of charge to the public.
• Wednesday, July 24, the EMF Classical Guitar Summit at Temple Emanuel with guitar faculty including Dana Professor of Music Kami Rowan as well as young artists. The guitar program is in its 10th year. !
WANNA go?
CARBORRO
Cat’S CradlE
300 E Main St | 919.967.9053
www.catscradle.com
Jun 27: the Queen’s Giant, the Phoebes
Jun 28: Whitehall
Jun 29: the Sandwich Shoppe Showcase
Jun 30: of Montreal
Jul 5: the Frozen Charlottes, carcrashpoolparty, the Flowers of Beltane, Solar Illusion
Jul 6: Pedro the lion
Jul 7: Mush, Puppy!
Jul 10: the Greeting Committee
Jul 13: Bicycle Face
Jul 17: Winnetka Bowling league
Jul 19: the Connells
ChARlOtte
BoJanGlES ColISEuM
2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com
Jun 27: that Girl lay lay
Jul 9: donny osmond
Jul 26: Brit Floyd
thE FIllMorE
1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com
Jun 30: Matisse
Jul 5: Felly
Jul 6: hobo Johnson & the lovemakers
Jul 11: Bktherula
Jul 12: rumours atl: Fleetwood Mac tribute
Jul 12: the lox
Jul 13: northlane
Jul 14: ShxtsnGigs
Jul 19: lucki
Jul 20: lil Poppa
Jul 21: Is For lovers & hawthorne heights
PnC MuSIC PavIlIon
707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292 www.livenation.com
Jun 26: alanis Morissette, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts & Morgan Wade
Jun 27: Maroon 5 & Maren Morris
Jul 13: Foreigner, Styx & John Waite
Jul 14: Janet Jackson & nelly
Jul 17: Xscape, SMv, Mya, 702 & total
Jul 19: Sammy hagar & loverboy
Jul 20: Jam Fest: Kevin Gates
Elementary School Teacher
(Multiple Openings)
Teach courses to elem school students through lectures, discussions, demonstrations, & labs, etc; Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a rel field. FT. Triad Math and Science Academy Co. dba TMSA Triad Elementary School. Greensboro, NC. Apply at hr@tmsapcs.org
ClemmOns
vIllaGE SQuarE
taP houSE
6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330
www.facebook.com/vstaphouse
Jun 27: anna Mertson
Jun 28: Sons of Bootleg
Jun 29: the real Goodsong Ft. Ben robinson
Jul 6: Shotgun Saints
www.reevestheater.com
Wednesdays: reeves open Mic
Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam
Jul 5: Shemekia Copeland
Jul 12: Charlotte Bluegrass allstars/ reedy rier String Band
Jul 13: Presley Barker
Jul 19: Chatham County line
gReensBORO
CoMEdY
1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com
Jun 28-29: tony roberts
Jul 5-6: Shaun Jones
Jul 11: Justin Whitehead
Jul 12-14: darren Knight
Jul 16: Ellen Skrmetti
Jul 19-20: Jon reep
221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967 www.flatirongso.com
Jun 26: the Brown Mountain lightning Bugs w/Kyle Caudle & tImberline + Emily Stewart
Jun 27: Josh Morningstar
Jun 28: Get Back! + Condado
Jun 29: donnie doolittle + Blood ritual + Instant regrets
Jul 3: Justin Jeansonne
Jul 5: Chuck Mountain + When We’re Sober
Jul 6: ...of Sinking Ships with Killer antz + dai Cheri GaraGE tavErn 5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.facebook.com/GarageTavernGreensboro
Jun 28: ragtop Betty
Jun 29: dear Sister
Jun 30: doug & deland
GREENSBORO COLISEUM
1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400
www.greensborocoliseum.com
Jul 27: Boys Like Girls
Jul 30: Jamey Johnson
HANGAR 1819
1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480
www.hangar1819.com
Jun 28: Dead Reckoning w/ To Be King, Until They Bleed, Sacrificial Betrayal, Violent End
Jul 1: Evergreen Terrace w/ Chained, Screwed Ends
Jul 2: The Spill Canvas w/ Have Mercy, Old Suns
Jul 6: Fallujah w/ Persefone, Vulvodynia, Down Of Ouroboros, Detest The Throne
Jul 10: Danny Worsnop w/ Jericho Rose
Jul 11: POET The Band w/ Waking Tera, Fifty Flies, Endoxa
STEVEN TANGER CENTER
300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500
www.tangercenter.com
Jun 27: David Spade
Jun 29: Sonic Symphony
Jul 9: RAIN
Jul 9: The Rocket Man Show
THE IDIOT BOX COMEDY CLUB
503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com
Thursdays: Open Mic
Jun 27: The Greener Side
Jul 12: Ben Jones
Jul 13: Jared Stern
Jul 19: Nik Macik
HIGH POINT
1614 DMB
1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 https://www.1614drinksmusicbilliards.com/
Jun 28: Shotguns & Roses
Jun 29: Bad Habits
Jul 12: Discoveries & Friends
Jul 13: Ironside Inc w/ Bomb Co.
Jul 20: Soundkraft Amped
Jul 26: Ledneck
Jul 27: Novas Fade
JAMESTOWN
THE DECK
118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.facebook.com/TheDeckJamestown/
Jun 27: The Aquarius
Jun 28: No Strings Attached
Jun 29: Radio Revolver
Jul 5: Sons of Bootleg
Jul 6: Brother Pearl
OAK RIDGE
BISTRO 150
2205 Oak Ridge Rd | 336.643.6359
www.bistro150.com
Jun 29: Two for the Road
RALEIGH
CCU MUSIC PARK AT WALNUT CREEK 3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111
www.livenation.com
Jun 26: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Jun 27: Alanis Morissette
LINCOLN THEATRE
126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400
www.lincolntheatre.com
Jun 28: The Convalescence w/ Monochromatic Black, Gorepig, The Coursing, Dreadnight
RED HAT AMPHITHEATER
500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800
www.redhatamphitheater.com
Jun 28: Bailey Zimmerman
PNC ARENA
1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com
WINSTON-SALEM
EARL’S
121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018
www.earlsws.com
Mondays: Open Mic
FOOTHILLS BREWING
638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348
www.foothillsbrewing.com
Sundays: Sunday Jazz
Thursdays: Trivia
Jun 28: Anne & the Moonlighters
Jun 30: Megan Doss Duo
Jul 5: Michael Chaney
Jul 6: Taylor Mason & Heather Foster
Jul 7: Darrell Hoots
Jul 12: Ladies Auxilary
Jul 13: Fruit Smoothie Trio
THE RAMKAT
170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714
www.theramkat.com
Jun 26: Flower in Bloom
Jun 28-29: 1Love Festival
Jul 5-6: Camel City Shake
WISE MAN BREWING
826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008
www.wisemanbrewing.com
Thursdays: Music Bingo
Jun 28: Souljam
Jun 29: Clara Dean Trio
Jul 6: Unwritten
Natalie Garcia
[1. HISTORY: What is America’s first colony?
[2. ENTERTAINERS: Which actress’ mother is actress Melanie Gri th and grandmother is actress Tippi Hedren?
[3. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president is the only one born on Independence Day?
[4. GEOGRAPHY: In which country is the Mont-Saint-Michel medieval monastery located?
[5. SCIENCE: What does a kelvin measure?
[6. ASTRONOMY: Which star is the brightest in the sky?
[7. MUSIC: What are the first names of the Gibb brothers who formed The Bee Gees?
[8. AD SLOGANS: Which company’s slogan is “You’re in good hands”?
[9. MYTHOLOGY: What did Prometheus steal from the gods, resulting in his eternal punishment?
[10. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What is a baby turkey called?
answer
2024 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
[SALOME’S STARS]
Week of July 1, 2024
[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Temper your typical Arian urge to charge into a situation and demand answers. Instead, let the Lamb’s gentler self emerge to deal with a problem that requires delicacy.
[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You are aware of what’s going on, so continue to stand by your earlier decision, no matter how persuasive the counterarguments might be. Money pressures will soon ease.
[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) By all means, have fun and enjoy this newly expanded social life. But don’t forget some people are depending on you to keep promises that are very important to them.
[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You need to wait patiently for an answer to a workplace problem instead of pushing for a decision. Remember, time is on your side. A financial matter also needs closer attention.
[LEO (July 23 to August 22) You now have information that can influence a decision you planned to make. But the clever Cat will consult a trusted friend or family member before making a major move.
[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Good news: You’re finding that more doors are opening for you to show what you can do, and you don’t even have to knock very hard to get the attention you’re seeking.
[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your gift for creating order out of chaos will help you deal with a sudden rush of responsibilities that would threaten someone who is less able to balance their priorities.
[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Congratulations! Your energy levels are coming right back up to normal — just in time to help you tackle some worthwhile challenges and make some important choices.
[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) The sage Sagittarian should demand a full explanation of inconsistencies that might crop up in what had seemed to be a straightforward deal.
[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A conflict between obligations to family and your job can create
$699,000
A beautiful 4,800 sq ft 7 bedrooms and 7.5 baths house in Danville, VA. Only two owners. Attached green house, detached brick storage building with built in grill, irrigation system, security system, 2 car garage, 2nd kitchen in basement, new copper gutters, slate roof, includes a 2nd lot, tall ceilings, large kitchen & kitchenette, formal dining room, living room and den, natural well water on the property. Bomb shelter, custom moldings. Upgraded pool!
1. Jamestown, Virginia. 2. Dakota Johnson. 3. Calvin Coolidge was born on July 4, 1872.
4. Normandy, France. 5. Temperature.
6. The Dog Star, Sirius. 7. Barry, Robin and Maurice.
Allstate.
Fire.
A poult.
stressful problems. Best advice: Balance your dual priorities so that one doesn’t outweigh the other.
[AQuArIus (January 20 to February 18) Don’t guess, speculate or gossip about that so-called “mystery” situation at the workplace. Bide your time. An explanation will be forthcoming very soon.
[PIsces (February 19 to March 20) Boredom might be creeping in and causing you to lose interest in a repeat project. Deal with it by flipping over your usual routine and finding a new way to do an old task.
[BorN THIs week: You can warm the coldest heart with your lyrical voice and bright smile. You find yourself at home wherever you are.
answers
[
crossword] crossword on page 11
[weekly sudoku] sudoku on page 11
© 2024 by King Features Syndicate
