Yes! Weekly - May 23, 2018

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an appeal for legalization in North Carolina THE BASIL LEAF

P. 8

MATTHEW SWEET

Your entertainment source

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JESSICA MASHBURN

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MAY 23-29, 2018 VOLUME 14, NUMBER 21

22 MEDICAL MARIJUANA This happened in 2013 when I was being treated in a local hospital for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, the disease that killed my mother when I was 6 and would have killed me if a prototype of my chemotherapy hadn’t been invented 11 years after her death. Since recovering from the chemo, I’ve rarely smoked or otherwise consumed CANNABIS, at least partially because, aside from the issues of legality, I find the buzz pleasant but usually not worth the expense, and my pot-using friends stopped giving it to me for free once I was well. But I’ll never forget what it did for me when I was very, very sick.

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5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930 Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITORIAL Editor KATIE MURAWSKI katie@yesweekly.com Contributors IAN MCDOWELL JON EPSTEIN JOHN ADAMIAN MARK BURGER JENNIFER ZELESKI JENNIFER BEAN BOWER CHANEL DAVIS JIM LONGWORTH OMAR OBREGON-CUEBAS PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX ELDRIDGE designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com

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As High Point’s food scene continues to grow, my eyes are always open for new, sprouting restaurants. THE BASIL LEAF is one of the newest additions, neighboring other newcomers on the block, Duck Donuts and Burger Batch, all of which are located right off of NC Highway 68.

10 MARY KATHARINE SMITH was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 1880 and described by the Morning Post as “a young lady of rare accomplishments.” She graduated college in 1902 and was afterward employed as R.J. Reynolds’ personal secretary.

11 Before Blazing Saddles (1974), before Young Frankenstein (also 1974) and High Anxiety (1977), Mel Brooks made his bigscreen bow as writer/director with The Producers, which celebrates its 50TH anniversary this year.

12 Indie-rocker MATTHEW SWEET just released a new album, Tomorrow’s Daughter, this month. The music sounds a lot like the records that Sweet has been making steadily since he first started putting out solo albums over 30 years ago.

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MAY 23-29, 2018

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As a boy just beginning elementary school in Ferrum, Virginia, CHARLES “CHUCK” D. JOHNSON displayed such an intense interest in music that his father, a well-known bluegrass musician in the Northern Piedmont, taught him a few chords on the guitar.

18 The main thrust of DEADPOOL 2 finds Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) trying to protect a young mutant (Julian Dennison) from the imposing Cable (Josh Brolin), who has journeyed back from the future Terminator-style to eliminate the boy and thus prevent future heartbreak.

24 JESSICA MASHBURN is a full-time entertainer/singer/songwriter/DJ/ performer in the Triad. She wrote in an email that she has been making hats or fascinators as an expression for current events and whenever she is hired for themed events.

25 The Reverend JESSE JACKSON was born in Greenville, South Carolina, but folks in these parts claim him as a native son because he graduated from North Carolina A&T State University. In fact, Jackson will tell you that he found himself at A&T...

ADVERTISING Marketing BRAD MCCAULEY brad@yesweekly.com TRAVIS WAGEMAN travis@yesweekly.com ANDREW WOMACK andrew@yesweekly.com TRISH SHROYER trish@yesweekly.com Promotion NATALIE GARCIA

DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT JENNIFER RICKERT KARRIGAN MUNRO 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 2018 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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MAY 23-29, 2018 YES! WEEKLY

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EVENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS | BY AUSTIN KINDLEY

be there

SYCAMORE BONES THURSDAY THUR 24 SYCAMORE BONES WHAT: The music of Sycamore Bones combines the folk songwriting of the Appalachian mountains with flowing harmonies and an energy filled performance. At the heart of Sycamore Bones are its two songwriters, as contrasting as they are tenacious.

WHEN: 7 p.m.

WHERE: Foothills Brewing Tasting Room.

3800 Kimwell Dr., Winston-Salem.

MORE: Free entry.

FRI 25

VOLUME FIVE SATURDAY FRI 25

4TH FRIDAYS CONCERT SERIES

& THE O.HENRY TRIO

WHAT: 4th Fridays are music centered community events held on the fourth Friday of each month. The event presents an opportunity to gather with family, friends, and neighbors to eat, drink, and listen to music with our historic downtown depot as the backdrop. There are local food trucks and alcohol vendors on-site, along with many kid-friendly activities.

WHEN: 4:30 p.m.

WHERE: Burlington Historic Depot.

128 East Front Street, Burlington.

MORE: Free event.

WHAT: Enjoy vintage craft cocktails and delightful seasonal tapas along with an eclectic array of jazz artists performing in the varied styles of contemporary jazz.

We’ve added a special performance date so that we can feature Chuck Johnson as he travels through Greensboro. Please join Chuck and O.Henry artists in residence, Dave Fox, Neill Clegg, and Matt Kendrick.

WHEN: 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: O’Henry Hotel.

624 Green Valley Rd., Greensboro.

MORE: Free entry.

JAZZ SERIES: CHUCK JOHNSON

FRI 25

SAT 26

BRASS ON BROADWAY

VOLUME FIVE

WHAT: The North Carolina Brass Band performs hits from the Broadway stage! You’ll hear some of the most popular music from the history of Broadway, plus a celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday.

The band will be joined by superstar guest vocalist, Lindsay Kesselmann you dont want to miss it!

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Dana Auditorium.

5800 W. Friendly Avenue, Greensboro.

MORE: $20 tickets. $5 for students.

WHAT: Volume Five is certainly blazing a red-hot trail on the bluegrass scene with their live stage performances and chart topping albums. Their newest release, Drifter, on Mountain Fever Records, certainly demonstrates their various styles of bluegrass that has earned them critical acclaim from media, radio and their peers.

WHEN: 8 p.m.

WHERE: The Ramkat.

170 W 9th St., Winston-Salem.

MORE: $17-22 tickets.

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.

Visit our website for a virtual tour: sportscenterac.com/sportscenter-virtual-tour Contact Chris King at 841-0100 for more info or to schedule a tour!

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[SPOTLIGHT]

PANHANDLING IN GREENSBORO

BY OMAR OBREGON-CUEBAS

On April 24, the Greensboro City Council repealed the ordinance requiring a license for panhandlers. The City Council responded to the decisions of federal courts expanding the free speech doctrine and therefore affecting panhandling laws.

The decisions started with the Supreme Court’s decision in Reed v. Gilbert which further expanded the notion of free speech and what is allowed such as panhandling.

Cities across the country have been forced to repeal panhandling laws in response to this Supreme Court decision. Different iterations of panhandling laws exist across the country. There those that regulate “aggressive behavior” and those that restrict who can panhandle. The Greensboro City Council changed its ordinance from a restriction-based to behavior regulationbased.

The City Council replaced the ordinance believing that it was targeting the poor and homeless of the community. The new ordinance focuses on regulating panhandling behavior. Rather than require a panhandling license and criminal background check, the new ordinance targets panhan-

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dling that is disruptive to the public.

In response to the City Council meeting on the panhandling ordinance, the newly formed group Homeless Union of Greensboro hosted a press conference and protest on April 24 before the council meeting.

The main topic of the conference and protest was the existence of any panhandling law no matter the wording. For many, the existence of such a law is a public and legal attack against the poor and homeless of Greensboro. Members of the Homeless Union of Greensboro and supporters spoke at a makeshift podium to orate their grievances.

“My clients today are still getting arrested for exercising their right to free speech,” Attorney Brennan Aberle said, calling the ordinance unconstitutional.

Aberle and his group of attorneys have put together evidence of different panhandling ordinances across the nation that are similar in nature to the one Greensboro has passed.

Richard Vaught, who has been homeless for the last few months said the law should be replaced completely.

“Our lives are more important than politicians getting re-elected,” he said. “It’s what we do to survive… We’re not here to fight anyone, we’re just trying to survive.”

Suzanne Marshall, homeless for over six years, spoke about her long-term experience of homelessness. She admonished those in Greensboro who have turned a blind eye to the struggles she and others have felt.

“Listen to what we are saying, come out here and experience what we experience,” she said. “Won’t nobody help us, that’s why we are asking you to help us. Live in a tent

for a week, month, a year; you won’t do it.”

The press conference and protest ended with the rallying call of “house keys not handcuffs.”

The City Council voted to keep a panhandling ordinance, however, Councilwoman Sharon Hightower requested a re-vote, as she had a different position.

The re-vote took place on May 15 leading to a continuation of the newly passed ordinance. The 5-4 vote means that there will be a second vote because a supermajority was not reached. The second vote will take place in June. !

MAY 23-29, 2018

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The Basil Leaf comes to High Point

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s High Point’s food scene continues to grow, my eyes are always open for new, sprouting restaurants. The Basil Leaf Thai and Jennifer Zeleski Sushi Restaurant is one of the newest additions, neighborContributor ing other newcomers on the block, Duck Donuts and Burger Batch, all of which are located right off of NC Highway 68.

The Basil Leaf’s first location is found in Winston-Salem, and the new High Point location is its first expansion into another area of the Triad. The soft opening was held on May 7, and a variety of solid Facebook reviews followed, so I was eager to try it for myself.

My boyfriend Peyton and I decided to stop in for a Friday lunch, hoping to avoid a potential wait time at dinner and to experience the dining room in the daylight. The first thing I noticed about the restaurant space was just how bright it was. There are (almost) floor to ceiling

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MAY 23-29, 2018

windows that allow sunlight to fall on every glass table, each topped with a purple orchid for a nice modern touch. I was amazed to find that there wasn’t a single table open, but the host quickly ushered us to the bar as they cleaned one up for us from departing guests.

Although we were seated promptly, we were quick to notice that the staff seemed a bit overwhelmed by the volume of those dining in. The slight delay in the time allowed me to get a detailed glance at the menu, where one could find anything from curry to sashimi. Some dishes were recognizable, and others were unique to the location. I settled on the lunch special Pad Thai with chicken, thanks to the suggestion of a repeat customer at the bar.

Peyton decided on the green curry lunch special.

Both of the lunch specials came with the choice of a salad or a spring roll, which we split in order to get a taste for both.

The salad and spring roll were both accompanied by a small bowl of tofu soup, which also included scallions, carrots, cilantro and cabbage for added crunch. I enjoyed the taste of the soup, which was equally sweet and savory, without even a hint of salt. Peyton compared it to a very molasses-like flavor. Aside from the soup,

the spring roll lacked the flavor I hoped for.

The sweet sauce paired with it was a bit of a complement, but overall, the fried flavor took it over. In the future, I would be more likely to opt for the salad instead, which featured freshly-chopped lettuce, shredded carrots, and a ginger peanut dressing.

Our food came out steaming, and the presentation of both dishes was admirable. The dishes of those around us were also plated beautifully, and I made a

mental note to glance at the plating of their sushi rolls in the future.

I was excited to take my first bite of Pad Thai, which I had never tried in the past, but I was also slightly intimidated by the portion of chicken and noodles that would be plenty for my appetite. The sauce looked as though it could have been heavy by the end of the dish, but it wasn’t nearly swimming in sauce as I have experienced in the past.

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The Pad Thai was sweet, and the chicken was tender, which I appreciated.

The texture of the rice noodles was great, and the dish didn’t include much egg, which I preferred. I opted to leave out the peanuts that came on the side for a few bites, but they did add a nice crush when added in. I thoroughly enjoyed adding the fresh squeeze of lime, and wish I would have had more to cut the overall sweetness of the dish. The bites that I found the most flavor were those that included a bit

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of the carrot and green onion. I would have loved to have had more throughout, but I enjoyed it. The noodle texture and flavor was quickly addicting but could have become sickening for those who aren’t fans of overly sweet dishes.

After eating what I believed to be a decent amount of food, I realized I had hardly put a dent in the dish. With that being said, it is important to note that the lunch portions are more than enough, and priced well for what you receive.

Thanks to our curiosity, and growing a bit tired of our respective dishes, Peyton and I switched our plates halfway through to try and get a feel for both.

The green curry was also sweet, with a mild spice that lingered after each bite.

The chicken was also tender and carried the curry spice well, but the vegetables were the real winners. The eggplant was soft and bursting with the curry flavor, but I had to ignore the bell peppers due to its slightly overwhelming flavor. The bamboo shoots might be a deterrent for some, but I do love them in curry, so it stepped up the dish for me. The curry paired with white rice took it to a higher level, but it wasn’t nearly in the realm of better curries I have had before. But if you do prefer a sweeter, vegetable-packed and flavorful green curry, this could be the one for you.

Although I had somewhat high compliments of the food, I could not deny the issue we had with our service. After finishing our meals, we waited approximately 30 minutes for a server to return with our check. Instead, we’re surprised with free ice cream due to our long wait.

We appreciated the kind gesture, but we were already so full from our meals, and yet still, no one brought us our check so we could leave. Luckily, we had time to spare. But if I were on a quick lunch break,

it could have set me back more time than I needed to spend, especially since I was seated, served and finished eating in a timely manner.

Our initial experience was overshadowed by the lack of efficient service and the somewhat average food, but I will try not to let it deter me from returning.

The sushi menu sounded delectable, and there were dozens of other options to try including house specialties, stir-fries and fried rice.

I would suggest trying the Thai tea that several customers ordered, which was black tea over ice, topped with half-andhalf and served in a mason jar mug. Just the midday pick-me-up you might need for a summer lunch break. Until next time, I hope The Basil Leaf has a chance to grow a bit more in its service and to hopefully bloom at the new location. !

JENN ZELESKI is a student contributor to YES! Weekly.

She is originally from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Communications at High Point University.

WANNA

go?

The Basil Leaf is located at 2766 NC Highway 68, Suite 111, High Point, NC 27265

MAY 23-29, 2018

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Remembering Katharine Smith Reynolds (1880-1924)

BY JENNIFER BEAN BOWER

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF REYNOLDA HOUSE MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

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headline in the Feb. 23, 1905, edition of the Raleigh Morning Post declared: MR. R. J. REYNOLDS TO MARRY Miss Mary Katharine Smith to Become the Bride of the Wealthy Bachelor Without a doubt, everyone in the state was familiar with the name Richard Joshua “R. J.” Reynolds. He was the founder of R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in Winston-Salem and the “wealthiest man in North Carolina.” His bride-to-be, however, likely needed an introduction.

Mary Katharine Smith was born in Mount Airy, North Carolina, in 1880 and described by the Morning Post as “a young lady of rare accomplishments.”

She graduated college in 1902 and was afterward employed as Reynolds’ personal secretary. She was his first cousin once removed and 30 years his junior. A romance blossomed between the two and on Feb. 27, 1905, they were “quietly” wed in Mount Airy.

At the end of their European honeymoon, the couple returned to Winston and moved into a “beautiful home” that was located a short distance from R. J.’s tobacco factories. Katharine did not remove herself from her husband’s business but instead initiated progressive reforms in the factory that included the installation of water fountains, a provision of hot lunches and a nursery for working mothers. In addition, she became involved in numerous civic and social organizations that worked to improve the community and better the lives of others.

A year later, Katharine purchased land West of the city in order to build a country estate designed for healthy living. “In most cases,” said Michele Gillespie in her

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MAY 23-29, 2018

Katharine Smith Reynolds with her children dual biography of the couple, Katharine and R. J. Reynolds: Partners of Fortune in the Making of the New South, “the land was registered in [Katharine’s] own name alone, a rare legal act for married women in this period.”

Between 1906 and 1911, Katharine and R.J. saw the birth of four children: Richard Joshua Junior, Mary, Nancy and Zachary Smith. Despite her new responsibilities, Katharine continued to purchase land and focus on the estate. In 1912, her dream was realized when construction began on “Reynolda.”

At its completion, the estate totaled

more than a thousand acres. The “largescale” bungalow featured a host of modern conveniences that included a central vacuuming system and air conditioning.

Because hygiene was of utmost importance, the kitchen was designed with stainless steel counters and each bedroom had a bathroom—some bedrooms also had an adjacent sleeping porch. And, to ensure music could be heard throughout the house, Katharine had an Aeolian pipe organ installed. The grounds of the estate—which promoted recreation and exercise—consisted of formal gardens, meadows, woods, an outdoor swimming pool and an 18-acre lake.

The Reynolds family did not move to the estate until December 1917, yet it was already alive with the activities of farmers and their families. In addition to the house, Katharine created a model farm where “progressive agricultural methods” could be learned. On the self-sufficient estate, disease-free milk was produced, livestock was raised and produce was grown. For her employees, Katharine created a community of schools, churches, recreational facilities and a post office. As noted by Gillespie, “The completed estate was a marvel.”

Seven months later, however, on July 29, 1918, sadness entered the house

when pancreatic cancer took the life of Winston’s tobacco tycoon. Following R. J.’s death, Katharine continued to manage the estate and support philanthropic programs. In 1921, she and J. Edward Johnston—the former superintendent of Reynolda School—were married in a “secretive ceremony” at Reynolda. And, like she and R. J. before, the two traveled to Europe for their honeymoon. In 1924, Katharine gave birth to J. Edward Johnston Junior, but she would not live to see him grow. Three days after the delivery, on May 23, 1924, Katharine died as the result of an embolism.

Although her time at Reynolda was short, Katharine’s legacy has endured.

Reynolda House Museum of American Art opened “to the public as an institution dedicated to the arts and education in 1965, and as an art museum in 1967.”

Today, visitors can tour the restored Reynolds family estate, walk the landscaped grounds and enjoy the gardens. At Reynolda Village, tourists can explore buildings that “once supported the estate” but now house shops and restaurants. Thanks to the vision of Katharine Smith Reynolds, there is a place of unequaled beauty in Winston-Salem where “all are welcomed.”

For more information, visit www.reynoldahouse.org. !

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The Producers: Still funny at 50 Before Blazing Saddles (1974), before Young Frankenstein (also 1974) and High Anxiety (1977), Mel Brooks made his big-screen bow as writer/director with The Producers, which celebrates its 50th Mark Burger anniversary this year.

Boasting the Contributing unlikely but uproarious star duo of Zero columnist Mostel and Gene Wilder, and featuring the even unlikelier musical number “Springtime for Hitler,” The Producers remains an incorrigible, irreverent, one-of-akind comedy. Not only did the film provide a major career springboard for Wilder (who’d made his screen debut in Bonnie and Clyde the year before), earning him an Oscar nomination as Best Supporting Actor, but in a surprise upset, Brooks took home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, all the more remarkable when you

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consider the other nominees that year: The Battle of Algiers, Faces, Hot Millions and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

To mark the momentous occasion of The Producers’ 50th birthday, Fathom Events has joined forces with Turner Classic Movies and Rialto Pictures to bring the film back to the big screen as part of the ongoing “TCM Big Screen Classics” series, with special screenings June 3, followed by encore screenings June 6. More than 700 cinemas nationwide will present The Producers – including the Greensboro Grande Stadium.

Mostel, in a performance perhaps best described as “unhinged,” portrays Max Bialystock, a has-been two-bit Broadway producer who now specializes in seducing elderly dowager ladies in order to finance his fictitious upcoming productions. Wilder plays Leo Bloom – so named

by Brooks in honor of the protagonist in James Joyce’s “Ulysses” – a timid accountant who goes over Bialystock’s financial statements and realizes he’s a complete and utter fraud.

Bialystock doesn’t deny it – and fact, he revels in it – and he manages to cajole, coerce, and finally convince Bloom to help him produce a Broadway play that can’t help but flop, thereby allowing them to escape with the investors’ money.

After all, who would seek returns on a flop?

To further pad their pockets, Bialystock and Bloom essentially sell 250 percent of the play to investors.

And what a play it is: “Springtime for Hitler,” a fond – and thus far, unproduced (with good reason) – valentine to the Third Reich as penned by Franz Liebkin (Kenneth Mars), a former Nazi determined to celebrate his Fuhrer as he remembers him – with love and affection.

The director, one Roger DeBris (Christopher Hewett), is a clueless cross-dresser whose track record is that his

plays usually close on the first day of rehearsal. Finally, for the all-important role of Hitler, they select Lorenzo Saint DuBois (Dick Shawn), an over-the-hill flower child who goes by the nickname “L.S.D.” Not unlike the characters in the story, Brooks had considerable difficulty finding backers for The Producers, which he initially considered as a play. He even cast Dustin Hoffman as Liebkin, but the actor begged off when movie mogul Joseph E. Levine – one of The Producers’ backers – tapped him to audition for the role of Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate (1967). When the film was initially screened in late 1967, audience response was so poor that the distributor (Levine’s Embassy Pictures) seriously considering shelving it and taking, yes, a loss. In this case, however, life did not imitate art. Actor Peter Sellers, whom Brooks had once considered for the role of Bloom, hosted a screening of the film at his home in California and was so entertained he took out a full-page ad in Variety trumpeting its merits. When The Producers finally saw release in 1968, some critics were tickled and others appalled. The same could be said for audiences, some of whom simply weren’t prepared for the sheer audacity and rapid-fire farce that became a Brooks trademark.

In the end, Brooks certainly had the last laugh, to say nothing of an Academy Award: In 1996, The Producers was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” by the U.S. Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.

As a bonus, Brooks and TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz appear in a brandnew interview segment in which Brooks discusses not only the film’s genesis but its enduring legacy, which included a smash Broadway musical that opened in 2001, earned a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards and ran over 2,500 performances. !

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The TCM Big Screen Classics presentation of Mel Brooks’ The Producers will be screened 2 pm and 7 pm June 3 and June 6 at Greensboro Grande Stadium 16, 3205 Northline Ave., Greensboro. Tickets are $13.34 (general admission) for all shows. For advance tickets or more information, check out www.FathomEvents.com.

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Matthew Sweet to play Gears & Guitars Festival in Winston-Salem

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ndie-rocker Matthew Sweet just released a new album, Tomorrow’s Daughter, this month. The music sounds a lot like the records that Sweet has been making John Adamian steadily since he first @johnradamian started putting out solo albums over 30 years ago. That Contributor sound has remained one that refers back to late-’60s psychedelic-tinged folk-rock of Buffalo Springfield and Moby Grape with a heavy dose of Big Star and Cheap Trick-style power pop. These are some of the compass points for the terrain that Sweet traverses.

Sweet and his band plays WinstonSalem’s Gears & Guitars festival at Bailey Park on May 26, on a bill that includes Blues Traveler and Soul Asylum. (The four-day festival will also feature Liza Anne, Colony House, Cold War Kids, Charley Crockett, Amanda Shires, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Luxuriant Sedans, June Rise, Muddy Creek Players and Big Daddy Love.) I spoke to Sweet last week by phone from his home in Omaha, Nebraska. We talked about the new record, his move back to Nebraska, where he was born, his series of Under The Covers albums of expertly curated covers with Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles, and about Tomorrow’s Daughter, which is Sweet’s 13th studio album.

The songs on the new record were all written and recorded as a part of the batch of material that went into Tomorrow Forever, his double album released in 2017. As part of the crowdfunding campaign that helped pay for the 2017 record, Sweet had promised some key contributors an album’s worth of advance demos, but as life got hectic and Sweet began work in his home studio, he skipped the demo phase altogether.

“I just started making real recordings of everything,” Sweet said. “I knew that I wanted this to be a stand-alone album that was sort of like a little child of Tomorrow Forever.”

(His crowd funders received early mixes of what became this new record.)

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MAY 23-29, 2018

The record opens with “I Belong To You,” the chorus of which contains these lines: “I don’t wanna be free, I just wanna believe.” The song has the mix of muscle and cotton-candy harmonies that would be at home on a Badfinger record. And that lyrical sentiment, the desire for a kind of mysterious faith, a certain style of surrender, might relate to how Sweet thinks about what he does.

I asked Sweet about his approach, steadily making records, and not burning out.

“You have to have this almost leapof-faith belief that it’s gonna happen,” Sweet said.

Sweet grew up in Nebraska, moved to Athens, Georgia, in the 1980s and then out to Los Angeles in the late 1990s. Over the years, in addition to writing, performing and producing his records, Sweet has also taken up pottery on the side.

“Making pottery is humbling,” Sweet

said. “It’s very similar to music.”

The importance of practice and physical action is one point of overlap between the two artistic pursuits. Pottery doesn’t become real until you sit at the wheel with a lump of clay and get your hands dirty, pressing and digging into the thing as it takes shape. There’s no music until you make a sound. There are no songs — more or less — until you string some words together and hang them on a melody with a few chords. One might make a connection, particularly in Sweet’s case, between the utilitarian nature of pottery, the relatively limited number of its forms, and the familiarity and durability of classic song structure. Sweet seems like he isn’t necessarily wringing his hands over some self-imposed struggled to come up with new ways of making music. He’s remained pretty content with the ways that people were making records in the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s.

When his single “Girlfriend” became a hit in 1991, it sounded vaguely nostalgic, with its psychedelic riffs and Byrds-ish vocal harmonies. Since then, Sweet has signaled his fondness for masterfully produced old records in covers of bands such as the Left Banke, Love, the Zombies, the Grateful Dead, Mott the Hoople, Bread, Roxy Music, the Smiths and many others.

Where some artists treat a cover as an opportunity to rethink and reinterpret a well-known song, Sweet and Hoffs have approached their ongoing covers series as a reverent homage to both the song, the archival performance, and production techniques used to make the original recording. Listen to their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Second Hand News,” with its peculiar trebly guitar figure up front in the mix and those distinctively pillowy drum sounds, and one can tell that Sweet and Hoffs geeked out in their loving recreation of the classic recording.

“We really tried to not throw away the spirit of the original record,” Sweet said of his and Hoffs’ approach to those covers.

Knowing how to zero in on the artistic essence of a thing can be the core challenge for anyone engaged in a creative endeavor. Sweet says his writing-andmaking process is both focused and intuitive.

“I don’t really access a lot of rational thought. It kind of comes from a weird space.”

Sweet seems to view every chance to make music or art as a new puzzle with unknown solutions. The process is partly about pursuing the smallest fragments of inspiration and seeing where they lead.

“I’m looking for the very birth of the tiny idea that catches my fancy,” he said.

“It really only has to be a little thing with a little bit of melody or some word, and I know it will become a song. I believe the process is gonna work.” !

JOHN ADAMIAN lives in Winston-Salem, and his writing has appeared in Wired, The Believer, Relix, Arthur, Modern Farmer, the Hartford Courant and numerous other publications.

WANNA

go?

See Matthew Sweet at Bailey Park in downtown Winston-Salem on Saturday, May 26, doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets for Saturday are $35. gearsandguitarsfest.com

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

Charles D. Johnson: Good work is the key to good fortune As a boy just beginning elementary school in Ferrum, Virginia, Charles “Chuck” D. Johnson displayed such an intense interest in music that his father, Dr. Jon Epstein a well-known bluegrass musician in the Contributor Northern Piedmont, taught him a few chords on the guitar.

By the age of 10, Johnson had all but mastered the guitar and moved on to banjo, taking up the claw hammer “Three Finger” technique and joined his father playing music and dance halls that still anchor the rural communities all over the Piedmont region of North Carolina and Virginia. By the time he had reached his late teens, Johnson had all but outgrown the insular community in Ferrum and moved to Roanoke where he quickly began to play guitar in many rock and top 40 bands before forming the band Bananas at Large, which built up a substantial following.

In the mid-1990s Johnson moved to Winston-Salem to become the assistant director of performance facilities at the University of North Carolina’s School of the Arts and quickly became one of the Triad’s most sought-after guitarists. Before long, he found himself in the popular band Headbangers Ball playing, as the band name would suggest, covers of ‘80s metal tunes. It was during his tenure with Headbangers Ball that Johnson met guitarist Troy Winemiller, bassist Steve Layne and drummer Bill Schlueter and the idea for an original hard rock project, and TK-421 was born.

From the very beginning, TK-421 was fighting an uphill battle. The Piedmont music community is one that is musically conservative and heavily oriented toward tradition. Anything that strays too far from the status quo is considered suspicious at best. The continued popularity of “Beach Music” (which in every other part of the country is referred to as Rhythm and Blues or “Motown”) and Americana speaks volumes regarding this phenomenon. The members of TK-421 were quite aware of this but felt strongly enough about the potential of their original music to bite the bullet and record their first EP “Hollow.” Encouraged by the attention garnered by “Hollow,” TK-421 began work on their first full-length CD “Disengaged” WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

PHOTO BY KATHERINE GILRAIN

which has been called “by far the best hard rock album ever produced in the Piedmont” by Rocklist. “Disengaged” remains TK-421’s masterpiece.

In addition to his work with TK-421, Johnson joined Triad rhythm and blues favorite Charles Green’s band on the strength of an impromptu, and now legendary, rendition of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”, and Hall and Oats “Sarah Smile.” It was from Green, Johnson said, that he learned the importance of serving the song, the centrality of a groove, and the “less is often more” philosophy that informs all great rhythm and blues.

Green’s importance to Johnson’s musical growth is second only to that of his father, a feeling that is expressed in sublime fashion in the song “Smile Down” on TK-421’s latest release “Thick as Thieves” in 2016.

In 2007, Johnson returned to Piedmont after several years living in Louisville, Kentucky, and commuting to gigs in Piedmont with the intention of returning to his position at the School of the Arts. Almost immediately upon his return, he received a phone call from his friend Jon Perdue to ask him if he would be willing to talk with the Grammy nominee jazz artist Najee about auditioning for a slot in his touring band as a guitarist. Never being one to turn down an opportunity, Johnson arranged to have a phone conversation with Najee, and was asked to fly to Baltimore the following week for an audition and to provide the saxophonist with examples of his work, including the TK-421 album “Disengaged.” Within several days he received a call from Najee’s management who offered him the position with his “audition” becoming his first rehearsal with the band. He has held down that role ever since.

Despite having moved to Vancouver,

British Columbia, in order to be closer to his wife’s family in 2015, Johnson has maintained an active presence in the Triad music community. TK-421 remains an active concern and performs several times a year around the Piedmont, in 2016 he collaborated with local hard rock band HayMarket Riot on the bands covers EP, performs solo acoustic gigs several times a year, and was introduced through a mutual friend to

Greensboro jazz giants Neill Clegg Jr. and Dave Fox and became a regular guest artist at the O’Henry Hotel Jazz Series which is coordinated by Clegg’s wife Victoria. His next performance at the O’Henry will be held this Friday, May 25th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Hotel Lobby. !

DR. JON EPSTEIN is a writer, artist, and musician living in Winston-Salem.

MAY 23-29, 2018

YES! WEEKLY

13

14

Submissions should be sent to artdirector@yesweekly.com by Friday at 5 p.m., prior to the week’s publication.

Visit yesweekly.com and click on calendar to list your event online. home grown muSic Scene | compiled by Austin Kindley

ASHEBORO

FOUR SAINTS BREWING

218 South Fayetteville St. | 336.610.3722 foursaintsbrewing.com May 25: Shay Lovette May 26: Heather Kenney Jun 1: Open Mic w/ Wolfie Calhoun Jun 2: Bear Stevens Jun 8: The Couldn’t Be Happiers Jun 15: Casey Noel Jun 16: Reed Turchi Jun 22: Momma Molasses Jun 23: Earleine Jun 29: Emma Lee Jun 30: Laura Jane Vincent

clEmmOnS

VILLAGE SQUARE TAP HOUSE

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 May 25: Whiskey Mic Jun 1: DJ Bald-E Jun 2: Lasater Union

Jun 8: Whiskey Mic Jun 9: Second Glance Jun 14: James Vincent Carroll Jun 15: DJ Bald-E Jun 16: ABC Trio Jun 22: Whiskey Mic Jun 23: Tyler Miller Band

dAnBuRy

GREEN HERON ALE HOUSE 1110 Flinchum Rd | 336.593.4733 greenheronclub.com May 26: Nicolas May 2: Sam Frazier and the Side Effects Jun 9: Travis Griggs Jun 16: Gooseberry Jam Jun 23: Mystery Hillbillies Jun 30: Alicia B. And The Now Jul 7: Hot Trail Mix Jul 14: Eddie Atkins and Company Jul 21: Grumpy Funk and the City Blues Jul 28: Mystic Chicken Aug 4: Abigail Dowd Aug 11: Travis Griggs

BEERTHIRTY

gREEnSBORO

ARIzONA PETE’S

2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 arizonapetes.com May 25: 1-2-3 Friday Jul 19: Ar’Mon + Trey Jul 29: Anthony Green, Good Old War, Found Wild

ARTISTIKA NIGHT CLUB 523 S Elm St | 336.271.2686 artistikanightclub.com May 25: DJ Dan the Player May 26: DJ Paco and DJ Dan the Player

BARN DINNER THEATRE

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 Jun 30: Wonderwall: A Tribute to The Beatles Aug 2: Ms. Mary & The Boys Aug 11: Stephen Freeman : Elvis Tribute

505 N. Greene St May 25: Leather and Lace Jun 1: Chad Barnard Jun 8: Mark Wingerter Jun 15: Lyn Koonce

THE BLIND TIGER

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 theblindtiger.com May 25: Smashat Rock Tribute May 26: Lowborn w/ Companyon & Glow May 28: Matt Irie & Friends Jun 1: Saving Abel, Shun The Raven, White Knuckle Blackout, Stellar Circuits, State of Illusion Jun 2: Daddy Fat Saxxx Tour, The Third Leg Jun 13: Combichrist, Wednesday 13, Nightclub, Prison, Death Valley High, Murder Maiden Jun 14: Cash Unchained: Johnny Cash Tribute Jun 15: The Motet Jun 16: Underground Invasion: A Hip

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MAY 23-29, 2018

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Hop Festival with Ed E. Ruger, Illpo, Young Dirt, G-$antana, Mr. Rozzi, Big Body & King, Nas T, Platinum Mazeratti, Tre Magic, Cedric James, Dirt N Poncho, 1ne Vision, Chilly, Joe Bizz, Cruz, Phillie Phr3sh Jun 21: The Cadillac Three Jun 22: American Aquarium - Things Change Tour Jun 23: David Allan Coe Jun 24: Reverend Horton Heat w/ Big Sandy, Lara Hope and the Arktones Jun 25: Angel Vivaldi, Hyvmine, Decennary

CHURCHILL’S ON ELM 213 S Elm St | 336.275.6367 churchillscigarlounge.com

THE CORNER BAR

1700 Spring Garden St | 336.272.5559 corner-bar.com May 24: Live Thursdays

COMEDY ZONE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 thecomedyzone.com May 25: Darren “DS” Sanders May 26: Darren “DS” Sanders Jun 1: Shaun Jones Jun 2: Shaun Jones Jun 7: Tom Mabe Jun 8: Julie Scoggins Jun 9: Julie Scoggins Jun 15: Grandma Lee Jun 16: Grandma Lee Jun 21: Don “DC” Curry Jun 22: Don “DC” Curry

COMMON GROUNDS

11602 S Elm Ave | 336.698.3888 May 25: Lauren Andrews and Vega Varia Jun 16: Andrew Kasab Jun 18: James Ryan Orr Jul 21: Couldn’t Be Happiers Aug 25: Andrew Kasab

CONE DENIM

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 cdecgreensboro.com May 29: Ledisi Jun 1: Whiskey Myers Jun 15: Corey Smith Jun 30: Dipset Jul 29: Tory Lanez Sep 26: Kaleo Nov 3: Lewis Black

GREENE STREET CLUB 113 N Greene St | 336.273.4111

HAM’S NEW GARDEN

1635 New Garden Rd | 336.288.4544 hamsrestaurants.com May 25: J. Timber, Joel Henry WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

SOMEWHERE ELSE TAVERN

5713 W Friendly Ave | 336.292.5464 facebook.com/thesomewhereelsetavern May 26: Murder Maiden Jun 23: Nature of Rebel Minds, Aside Oceans, Skyfold, Scars Remain, N.O.R.M. Jun 29: Poison Anthem Jun 30: Nevernauts

SPEAKEASY TAVERN

1706 Battleground Ave | 336.378.0006 May 27: Julian Sizemore Jun 1: Chris Hedrick Jun 8: Patrick Rock Jun 15: Julian Sizemore Jun 22: Stephen Legree Jun 29: Turpentine Shine

THE IDIOT BOX COMEDY CLUB

2134 Lawndale Dr | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com May 25: Lucas Gumbrecht May 26: Saturday Improv

HIGH POINT

AFTER HOURS TAVERN

1614 N Main St | 336.883.4113 afterhourstavern.net May 25: Karaoke - DJ Dance

Y T R A P T S E G G THE BI O WHEELS. ON TW

BAR 65

235 Cornell Dr | 336.543.4799 May 26: Kwik Fixx May 31: Magic Male XXL the Show

HAM’S PALLADIUM 5840 Samet Dr | 336.887.2434 hamsrestaurants.com May 25: The Dickens May 26: Bad Romeo

JAMESTOWN

THE DECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 thedeckatrivertwist.com May 23: Open Mic May 25: Big Daddy Mojo May 26: Jill Goodson Band May 30: Open Mic Jun 3: Heads Up Penny

rk a P iley a B T I 8 • N 2 U 0 5 0 2 HE l4 Asylum T D May N A LL ou

E S B S I N JASO WARSKhiIDreSs BLUES ANODRE! COLDAmandCaolony TRAVELEeRstM.com e arsF Hous Guit : TICKETS

s Gear

And

KERNERSVILLE

DANCE HALL DAZE

612 Edgewood St | 336.558.7204 dancehalldaze.com May 25: The Delmonicos May 26: Crimson Rose

MAY 23-29, 2018 YES! WEEKLY

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BREathE CoCktail loungE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822 facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge May 25: Freddie Fred Fridays

lewisville

old niCk’S puB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 OldNicksPubNC.com May 25: karaoke w dJ tyler perkins May 26: the Bootleggers

randleman

RidER’S in thE CountRY 5701 Randleman Rd | 336.674.5111 ridersinthecountry.net

winston-salem

SECond & gREEn

207 N Green St | 336.631.3143 2ngtavern.com Jul 4: Marvelous Funkshun

Bull’S tavERn

408 West 4th St | 336.331.3431 facebook.com/bulls-tavern May 23: karaoke May 24: the Reef May 25: Souljam May 26: Fruit Smoothie trio May 31: J. timber & Joel henry Jun 15: little Bird, the Ries Brothers Jun 22: the lilly Brothers Jun 23: Brothers pearl

BuRkE StREEt puB 1110 Burke St | 336.750.0097 burkestreetpub.com Jun 9: Band ii Jun 16: Fuhnetik union Jun 29: Southern Eyes

CB’S tavERn

June 2, 2018 FOOD • BEER • WINE & MUSIC FESTIVAL Downtown Winston-Salem • 12–6 PM Foothills Brewing After Party Concert • 6–9 PM Tickets & more at SpiritsOfSummer.com

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MAY 23-29, 2018

3870 Bethania Station Rd | 336.815.1664 May 25: karaoke

Finnigan’S wakE

620 Trade St | 336.723.0322 facebook.com/FinnigansWake

FoothillS BREwing

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 foothillsbrewing.com May 23: Mason via & hot trail Mix May 26: Big Bump & the Stun gunz May 27: Sunday Jazz May 30: letters to abigail Jun 2: Marcus horth Band Jun 6: Swannanoa Jun 9: grooveFood Jun 13: the Maggie valley Band Jun 16: karon Click

JohnnY & JunE’S Saloon

2105 Peters Creek Pkwy | 336.724.0546 johnnynjunes.com

MaC & nElli’S

4926 Country Club Rd | 336.529.6230 macandnellisws.com May 24: karla kincaid May 25: Stephen henson, Bullmoose May 26: whiskey Mic May 31: darrell hoots

MillEnniuM CEntER 101 West 5th Street | 336.723.3700 MCenterevents.com

MilnER’S

630 S Stratford Rd | 336.768.2221 milnerfood.com May 27: live Jazz Jun 3: live Jazz

MuddY CREEk CaFE & MuSiC hall

5455 Bethania Rd | 336.923.8623 May 24: open Mic w/ Country dan Collins May 25: South hill Banks, the Misty Mountain String Band May 26: Carson Mac May 26: time Sawyer May 27: phillip Craft May 27: Molly Stevens May 30: lost dog Street Band May 31: open Mic w/ Country dan Collins Jun 1: Sultans of String Jun 2: Ryan newcomb Jun 2: angie aparo Jun 3: down the Mountain Jun 3: the Bo-Stevens/El duderino feat/ Brian Baity Jun 3: Corey hunt Band, Clay Melton Jun 7: Misnomer Jun 8: Cane Mill Road

thE RaMkat

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 May 25: o.S.p. Band, dJ Bebop May 26: volume Five, Raincheck May 30: the Steel woods, Jive Mother Mary Jun 1: dJ J-Flex Jun 2: Crenshaw pentecostal, grand old uproar Jun 6: international dJ Cafe Jun 8: Music & Mayhem Jun 9: king’s X, Sound & Shape, Clay howard Jun 12: hollywood anderson & the hits Jun 15: Son volt Jun 23: party time party Band Jun 29: Emisunshine & the Rain

www.YesweeklY.coMw

[CONCERTS] Compiled by Alex Eldridge

GREENSBORO COLISEUM

CARY

BOOTH AMPHITHEATRE 8003 Regency Pkwy | 919.462.2025 www.boothamphitheatre.com

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Jun 3: Gin Blossoms Jun 8: Earth, Wind & Fire

BOJANGLES COLISEUM

CMCU AMPHITHEATRE former Uptown Amphitheatre 820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com May 23: Khalid May 30: Dirty Heads Jun 11: alt-J Jun 15: The Revivalists

THE FILLMORE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.fillmorecharlottenc.com May 21: St. Vincent May 25: Ledisi May 25: Bishop Briggs May 26: TECH N9NE May 30: Big Boi Jun 2: Killakoi Jun 3: Jake Paul Jun 4: Smallpools & Great Good Fine Ok Jun 5: Chon w/ Polyphia, TTNG, & Tricot Jun 7: BROCKHAMPTON Jun 8: Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls Jun 9: GrungeFest 2018 Jun 9: Project X Jun 10: Lany Jun 11: Hayley Kiyoko Jun 14: Royal Blood

500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com May 20: Primus & Mastodon w/ All Them Witches May 25: Brian McKnight May 31: Dirty Heads w/ Iration Jun 7: Khalid Jun 14: The Revivalists Jun 15: Paramore

WHITE OAK AMPITHEATRE

CHARLOTTE

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.bojanglescoliseum.com Nov 1: A Perfect Circle

RED HAT AMPHITHEATER

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

DURHAM

PNC ARENA

HIGH POINT

CAROLINA THEATRE

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com May 26: Sugarland Jun 5: Journey & Def Leppard

HIGH POINT THEATRE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401 www.highpointtheatre.com

DPAC

WINSTON-SALEM

RALEIGH

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Jun 5: Anita Baker Jun 9: Get The Led Out

WINSTON-SALEM FAIRGROUND

CCU MUSIC PARK AT WALNUT CREEK

421 W 27th St | 336.727.2236 www.wsfairgrounds.com

3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.831.6400 www.livenation.com May 25: Outlaw Music Festival Jun 9: Dead & Company Jun 14: Styx / Joan Jett & The Blackhearts w/ Tesla

GREENSBORO

CAROLINA THEATRE 310 S Greene St | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com

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OVENS AUDITORIUM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.ovensauditorium.com Jun 7: Anita Baker

TWC ARENA

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.timewarnercablearena.com Jun 9: Journey & Def Leppard WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

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MAY 23-29, 2018 YES! WEEKLY

17

flicks

18

T

Everybody into the ‘Pool’

BY MATT BRUNSON

he best part of Deadpool 2 ( ) is what occurs during the closing credits.

Additional moments inserted during (and after) the final text scroll are par for the course in superhero movies, yet the gag here is especially ingenious and absolutely hilarious.

The worst part of Deadpool 2 is what occurs before the opening credits. The snarky introductory text treats this development as something shocking and unexpected, but really, it’s similarly par for the course — and utterly predictable — when it comes not only to superhero tales but any action flicks focusing on heroic loners.

As for that vast middle ground between the opening and closing credits? It’s mostly a kick, adopting the same levels of arrogance, attitude and faux insouciance as exhibited in 2016’s Deadpool. If it doesn’t quite reach the plateau of its predecessor, that says less about the freshness of the film’s irreverent approach and more about the comparative stagnation in the character’s development.

The main thrust of Deadpool 2 finds Wade Wilson/Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) trying to protect a young mutant (Julian Dennison) from the imposing Cable (Josh Brolin), who has journeyed back from the future Terminator-style to eliminate the boy and thus prevent future heartbreak.

To combat Cable, Wade assembles a ragtag outfit of mutants, and the sequences centering on their recruitment and subsequent deployment into the field are among the film’s best (look for a brief appearance by an A+-list star as Vanisher).

As expected, several supporting characters from the original Deadpool have returned alongside our sarcastic superhero. Morena Baccarin is back as Vanessa, Wade’s significant other — their relationship was a high point of the first picture, and it retains its sweetness in this outing.

T.J. Miller is also on hand to add more of his customary (and overdone) shtick as Wade’s sidekick Weasel; Karan Soni again amuses as cabbie Dopinder; Leslie Uggams is largely wasted as Blind Al; Brianna Hildebrand makes a welcome return as Negasonic Teenage Warhead (and, aww, she has a girlfriend!); and a little of Colossus (voiced by Stefan Kapicic) goes a long way.

Speaking of Colossus, he’s again on the scene to remind Wade of the necessity of belonging to something larger YES! WEEKLY

SCREEN IT!

MAY 23-29, 2018

than the individual. Indeed, there’s a lot of yammering in this picture about the importance of family, but for the most part, it feels about as insincere as in those gross-out comedies that make fun of various players for 90 minutes and then suddenly ask viewers to open their hearts to them. But aside from Wade’s moments with Vanessa, such sentimentality feels forced in a quip factory such as this one.

The film works best when it takes nothing seriously, and Deadpool is never more endearing than when he’s directing his wisecracks at DC movies, the Avengers, the X-Men and Thanos. Oh, and Logan.

Always Logan.

DIANE KEATON WILL forever remain one of my favorite actresses, thanks primarily to her superb performances in Annie Hall (for which she won an Oscar) and Reds (for which she should have won a second Oscar). Jane Fonda is another screen legend, mesmerizing in such works as Klute and The China Syndrome. Candice Bergen was a slow starter, enduring critical razzies for her early film work before scoring with Starting Over and, of course, T.V.’s Murphy Brown. And who doesn’t love Mary Steenburgen, who’s been charming audiences for decades in such efforts as Melvin and Howard and Back to the Future Part III? As has become the norm these days (see also Last Vegas, Going in Style, etc.), all these screen legends have been brought together not for an instant classic

that deserves all the awards but for a frothy comedy that, frankly, is far beneath their collective talents. Yet bless them all for signing those contracts. Without such a high-caliber cast, there would be very little reason to see Book Club ( ).

But because these actresses are involved, the picture marginally works as a showcase for their respective screen personas.

Diane (Keaton) is recently widowed and has to contend with two misguided if well-meaning daughters (Alicia Silverstone and Katie Aselton) who treat her as if she’s already got one foot in the grave.

Vivian (Fonda) is a hotel owner whose endless string of one-night stands allows her to keep her guard up and never get emotionally close to anybody. Sharon (Bergen) is a divorced federal judge who hasn’t had sex in 18 years (a discussion of Werner Herzog films leads someone to crack that her vagina is a “cave of forgotten dreams”). And Carol (Steenburgen) has long been married to Bruce (Craig T. Nelson), but these days, he’s more interested in fondling his newly restored motorcycle than his wife’s body.

These four women meet monthly for their book club, and since the latest novel (selected by Vivian) to be digested is Fifty Shades of Grey, they all find themselves heavily thinking about sex and refusing to let their aged libidos go to waste.

Diane hooks up with a dashing pilot (Andy Garcia). Vivian runs into Arthur (Don Johnson), the one she let get away decades earlier. Sharon joins the Bumble

dating site and meets the charming George (Richard Dreyfuss). And Carol tries to figure out how to seduce her inattentive husband.

One sure sign of a desperate comedy is the inclusion of a Viagra joke, and writer-director Bill Holderman (scripting with Erin Simms) lamentably makes sure that such a gag receives the spotlight in a painfully protracted scene. Indeed, much of the humor is smarmy and self-satisfied, and most of the rom-com relationships are strictly boilerplate. Nevertheless, the film makes some salient points about society’s irrational insistence on negating the continued aspirations of its senior members (particularly in regards to sex and love), and it’s a pleasure watching all these pros in action. Bergen is especially a delight, as her character is gifted the lion’s share of the best wisecracks.

Male members like Dreyfuss and Garcia hold up their end, although it’s the scenes in which the women interact with each other that provide the largest charges.

Clearly, these tailor-made parts don’t require these actresses to stretch even one finger, but they enjoy an ingratiating and easy-going camaraderie, particularly in the precious few scenes in which they actually discuss literature. Fifty Shades of Grey, Wild and Moby-Dick are the books showcased here; perhaps the sequel will allow us to hear their opinions on Miller’s Tropic of Cancer, Nabokov’s Lolita, and the entire Twilight oeuvre. !

WWW.YESWEEKLY.COMW

STAGE IT!

theatre

NCBRC gets a new home

S

taff will soon be busy packing at the North Carolina Black Repertory Company as they get ready for a big move. The organization will be moving from its Chanel R. Davis current location at 610 Coliseum Dr. to a prime location, 419 Contributor Spruce St., in downtown Winston-Salem

by Aug. 1. The move comes after The Arts Council of WinstonSalem and Forsyth County announced its intention to sell the Coliseum location in January.

“It’s not something that we necessarily want to do but must. We’ve looked at a number of places around the community and have settled on the 419 building,” said Nigel Alston, executive director of the North Carolina Black Repertory Company.

“It’s a good location. It’s in the heart of the arts district and its downtown so we’ll be right there in the middle of the action.”

John Singleton, former board of director member, said that the move is good for the organization.

“I say that this move represents an outstanding opportunity for the NCBRC to continue to connect to our community and bring outstanding performances to theatre lovers throughout the Triad.”

Alston said the move brings about mixed emotions after being at the theater for so long, but he looks forward to being downtown. The organization has been in the building for the past 30 years, excluding a temporary move out for renovations at one point.

“It’s been home for about 30 years, so you become attached to it. A lot of good things have happened while we were there and performing in the theater,” he said.

Founded in 1979 by Larry Leon Hamlin, the North Carolina Black Repertory Company is the first professional Black theater company in the state. The nonprofit organization is universally recognized for its artistic and administrative achievements and its international outreach program, the National Black Theatre Festival.

NCBRC produces Black Theatre classics, up and coming African-American writers, along with the annual presentations of WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity” and Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration.

One of the biggest challenges the move will create is finding a place large enough and suitable enough to hold the audience for the annual “Black Nativity” play. While it was typically held in the old building, Alston said they are now having scour the community for a suitable theater.

“We pretty much know the venues in the community because we’ve used them for other things. HanesBrand is a venue that we’ve been using and will continue to use. The challenge is “Black Nativity” because that’s a much larger production, but we have to find the right location with the right stage size, lights and setup.

At this particular point we are looking at Wake Forest University,” Alston said.

Nationally, the company is recognized for its artistic and administrative achievements and its international outreach program, the National Black Theatre Festival. In previous years, NCBRC would have satellite stations downtown for people to pick up tickets and buy tickets for the event. That will no longer be needed.

“The host hotel is downtown, and the gala is right there. We’ll be in the hub of things in terms of the offices now,” Alston said. “This move brings us from the outskirts of downtown, in terms of the art scene, to the middle of it all on a daily basis and not just during the festival year.”

The organization also houses the Teen Theatre Ensemble, which works to develop, train and showcase the theatrical talent of local teens, and a broad range of community outreach programs and partnerships.

Alston said despite the move there are some exciting things planned for the upcoming year.

“We’re also branching out into some other places in terms in terms of taking “Black Nativity” on the road. Last year, we worked with the Winston-Salem Symphony to do an event after Thanksgiving and we’re looking forward to doing that again.

We have some other things similar to that that are outside the community and look forward to taking them on the road.”

For more information, contact NCBR at 336-723-2266. !

CHANEL DAVIS, a journalism graduate from N.C.A&T SU, is a freelance journalist based in High Point who has worked in the industry for the past five years.

May 25-31

[RED]

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG-13) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 11:00 AM, 1:50, 4:40, 7:30, 10:20 POPE FRANCIS: A MAN OF HIS WORD (PG-13) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 11:55, 2:25, 4:45, 7:05, 9:25, 11:45 BOOK CLUB (PG-13) LUXURY SEATING Fri - Thu: 12:00, 2:25, 4:55, 7:20, 9:55 SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 10:00 AM, 12:00, 12:50, 2:50, 3:40, 5: 40, 6:30, 8:30, 9:20, 11:20 Sun - Thu: 10:00 AM, 12:00, 12:50, 2:50, 3:40, 5 :40, 6:30, 8:30, 9:20 DEADPOOL (R) Fri & Sat: 10:20 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:15, 1:00, 2:10, 2:55, 3:40, 4:50, 5:35, 6:20, 7:30, 8:15, 9:00, 10:10, 10:55, 11:40 Sun - Thu: 10:20 AM, 11:30 AM, 12:15, 1:00, 2:10, 2:55, 3:40, 4:50, 5:35, 6:20, 7:30, 8:15, 9:00, 10:10 SHOW DOGS (PG) Fri - Thu: 12:20, 7:25 BREAKING IN (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 11:40 AM, 1:45, 3:50, 5:55, 8:05, 1 0:15, 11:55 Sun - Thu: 11:40 AM, 1:45, 3:50, 5:55, 8:05, 10:15 LIFE OF THE PARTY (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 11:35 AM, 2:00, 4:30, 7:10, 9:35, 11:55 Sun - Thu: 11:35 AM, 2:00, 4:30, 7:10, 9:35 RAAZI (NR) Fri - Mon: 11:30 AM, 2:30 Tue & Wed: 11:30 AM, 2:30, 5:30, 8:30 Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:30

[A/PERTURE] May 25-31

POPE FRANCIS A MAN OF HIS WORD (PG) Fri: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 Sat & Sun: 10:30 AM, 1:00, 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 Mon & Tue: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30, Wed: 6:00, 8:30 Thu: 3:30, 6:00, 8:30 RBG (PG) Fri: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00 Sat & Sun: 10:00 AM, 12:30, 3:00, 5:30, 8:00 Mon & Tue: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00, Wed: 5:30, 8:00 Thu: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00 THE RIDER (R) Fri: 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Sat: 11:00 AM, 1:30, 4:00, 6:30, 9:00 Sun: 11:00 AM, 1:30, 4:00, 6:30 Mon & Tue: 3:45, 6:15, 8:45 Wed: 6:15, 8:45, Thu: 3:45, 6:15, 8:45 SWEET COUNTRY (R) Fri: 4:15, 9:15, Sat: 1:45, 4:15, 9:15 Sun: 1:45, 4:15, Mon: 6:30 PM Tue: 4:00, 9:00, Wed: 9:00 PM Thu: 6:30 PM 1945 (NR) Fri: 6:45 PM, Sat & Sun: 11:15 AM, 6:45 Mon: 4:00, 9:00 Tue & Wed: 6:30 PM Thu: 4:00, 9:00

RBG (PG) Fri - Thu: 12:05, 2:30, 5:05, 7:15, 9:40 LET THE SUNSHINE IN (UN BEAU SOLEIL INTÉRIEUR) (NR) Fri & Sat: 12:05, 2:20, 4:25, 7:00, 9:25, 11:35 Sun - Thu: 12:05, 2:20, 4:25, 7:00, 9:25 A QUIET PLACE (PG-13) Fri & Sat: 2:35, 5:00, 9:45, 11:55 Sun - Thu: 2:35, 5:00, 9:45 BLACK PANTHER (PG-13) Fri - Thu: 11:30 AM, 2:10, 4:50, 7:35, 10:15

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[NEWS OF THE WEIRD] THE NAKED TRUTH

Letitia Chai, Cornell University class of 2018, arrived at her “Acting in Public: Performance in Everyday Life” class on May 2 ready to present a trial run Chuck Shepherd of her senior thesis wearing a buttondown shirt and cutoff denim shorts. Professor Rebekah Maggor was displeased, however, and asked Chai, “Is that really what you would wear?” She referred specifically to Chai’s “too short” shorts and told Chai that her clothing choices would distract “men’s attention” from the content of her presentation. Chai left the room, but soon returned wearing just her bra and panties and delivered the entirety of her presentation. On May 5, she returned to the classroom to officially present her thesis and stripped down again, with more than two dozen others in the room joining her in bras and panties or boxers. Chai posted on Facebook about the incidents, telling The Cornell Daily Sun she wanted to raise awareness about this “huge societal issue.”

TRY THE DECAF

In Hudson, Florida, Brandon Donald McCray, 47, came unglued on May 1 after discovering two of his socks missing.

When suspicion fell on his roommate, Frank Smith, 53, McCray attacked him with a sword, according to WTVT. The attack continued as McCray also struck and injured two women living at the home. Pasco County Sheriff ’s deputies

said Smith nearly lost several fingers trying to defend himself. Deputies arrested McCray at a neighbor’s house on charges of attempted homicide and battery.

CLICHE COMES TO LIFE

Dimitri the Husky can thank a Good Samaritan for reporting that someone was abusing a dog in Lantana, Florida, on May 10. Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s officers arrived at the apartment home of Patrick Shurod Campbell, 27, where two roommates said Campbell “beat the hell” out of Dimitri, the Palm Beach Post reported. Officers found the 2-year-old dog locked in a dark closet, shaking and submissive, with a bloody ear. Campbell told police he had bitten the dog to “establish dominance.” Campbell was charged with aggravated animal cruelty; Dimitri was turned over to Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control for treatment and re-homing.

IT’S GOOD TO BE A MILLENNIAL

As finals were ramping up at the University of Utah at the end of April, one student’s class project went viral: Senior Nemo Miller created a stand-alone closet, placed in the J. Willard Marriott Library, where stressed-out students could go for a good cry. KSL TV reported The Cry Closet (#cryclosetuofu) caught on quickly; even with a suggested 10-minute limit, @Gemini tweeted, “I stayed 11 mins but feel so much better thank you to whoever built this. Can we add a box of tissues please?” Miller filled the closet with stuffed animals and soft materials.

“I think everyone just needs a safe space sometimes,” she said, “even if it’s in a very public place.”

MAKE ART GREAT AGAIN!

A French museum dedicated to the work of painter Etienne Terrus announced April 27 that more than half of its collection from the 19th-century artist are forgeries. The Terrus museum in Elne, where Terrus was born, gathered a group of experts to inspect the works after a visiting art historian noticed some of the paintings depict buildings that were not constructed until after Terrus’ death. In all, 82 paintings were determined to be fake. BBC News reported that the town’s mayor, Yves Barniol, called the situation “a disaster” and apologized to museum visitors.

HIGH ON THE HOG

On Yaji Mountain in China, hog farmers are experimenting with high-rise hog breeding facilities that house 1,000 head of sows per floor. Xu Jiajing, manager of Guangxi Yangxiang Co. Ltd., told Reuters the “hog hotels” save “energy and resources. The land area is not that much, but you can raise a lot of pigs.” The buildings range from seven floors to 13, with elevators to move people and pigs, and air circulation and waste management systems designed to reduce the risk of spreading disease.

ARMED AND CLUMSY

Fort Dodge, Iowa, may not exactly be the Wild West, but tell that to Balew, the pit bull-lab mix belonging to 51-year-old Richard Remme. As Remme and Balew roughhoused at home on May 9, Balew bounded back up onto the couch, where, according to The Messenger, he managed to shoot his owner in the leg. “I carry

in a belly band, under my bib overalls,” Remme told the newspaper. “And apparently he bumped the safety one time, and when he bounded back over one of his toes went right down into the trigger guard,” he explained. Remme didn’t realize he’d been shot until his pant leg started to turn purple. Balew, however, “thought he was in trouble for doing something wrong,” Remme said. He “laid down beside me and cried.”

PEOPLE WITH ISSUES

Police in Loerrach, Germany, responded May 14 to complaints about a domestic disturbance after a neighbor reported a loud confrontation that had been going on for some time. But when they arrived, they found a 22-year-old man arguing with his girlfriend’s parrot, according to Metro News. The parrot had been barking like a dog, and the man became annoyed with it. No charges were filed.

LOVE IN THE DRIVE-THRU

@BurgerKing was looking for love in all the right places on May 9 when workers changed a Boston location’s sign to read: “@Wendys ... Prom?” and posted a picture to Twitter. United Press International reported that it took less than an hour for the red-headed fast-food heartthrob, just a few doors down, to respond: “OK, but don’t get handsy and we have to be home by 10.” In a classic love triangle, @ MoonPie expressed his disappointment: “I knew I should’ve asked sooner.” !

© 2018 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

Send your weird news items with subject line WEIRD NEWS to WeirdNewsTips@amuniversal.com.

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Snakebite treaters Roomy rides Slowly, in music Tie in a race Actress Wilde of “House” — now and then Taft’s foreign policy Jacket-and-tie affairs Look from a villain Word after lo or chow Non-U.S. gas brand Use a recliner, e.g.

Forward, as a message with a hashtag Grand Prix racing A doc prescribes it Imbiber’s hwy. offense Half-diameters He voiced Carl in “Up” Bachelor suitable for marriage, say Licoricelike herbs Novelist Ira Margaret Mitchell’s plantation African nation — Trapp family Three-card game Some book blurbs Apollo program org.

The girl Elderly Smurf Shifting of responsibility to another Co. name abbr.

Golf rarity PayPal funds, e.g.

Lead-in to skeleton Egg mass

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Edible soft-shell mollusk Burning liquid Bowl over Hens and heifers War group Bakery treats Mom’s treatment Volkswagen family car Moore or Lovato Use profanity Very strong Late 19th-century political group De-creasing workers Gallery stand Laugh half Mao — -tung Brand of flavored balms in tubes Tower atop a mosque Hack (off) Kitchen lure Actress Olin Day of song Beat poet Ginsberg University SSE of Spokane V-formation fliers Medieval balladeer, maybe French folk song Snaky curves Perplexes Eellike fish

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Partook of Always, to Donne “Too cool!”

“Once upon — ...”

Gem in a ring North Carolina university Not so bright Gardner of “Mogambo” Less nasty Bully’s words of authority Block-filled theme park Entertainer Gabor Wrestling holds New hire Pearl makers Eyes closely African nation Bath fixture Wheaton of “Stand by Me” Fruit that’s often dried Like OPEC nations Koreans and Laotians Ott of baseball High-school junior’s grade Person with an exspouse Crime scene material — mill (bar) Sicilian volcano “Star Wars” creature Feature Royal staff “Faust” and others Greyhound transport Signal to pilots Treaded winter vehicles 1940s film critic James

61 62 63 64 65 68 69 73 74 75 79 80 81 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 92 93 94 96 101 103 104 107 109 110 111 113 115 116 117 118

Cobra sound Actress Dawber “Pow!” Pivot point Put turf over Graceful street liner Coral island Some poplars Cliff rock Solo often in Italian Slum abodes Moseying Old carrier Tentacled reef dwellers Fine violin — Moines Hits the gas Dark loaf Rob violently Twins’ rivals Overturns Attention Part of a dance move Prefix with plop or flop Glowers Frank topper Of birth Redcap at work, often Speech therapy topic $20/day, say Really small Uses eyes Suffix with 29-Down Actor/comic Gilliam “That guy!”

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North Carolina should legalize medical marijuana

“

Those brownies won’t help if you don’t eat one, sweetie,” said the nurse when she saw the zip-close bag beside the armchair I slumped in while she changed my bed.

Ian McDowell The bleeding mouth sores that erupted during my Contributor first weeks in the cancer center were healing, but eating would have still been painful even if I wasn’t nauseous and everything didn’t taste like cardboard or latex. Brownies were the last thing I wanted.

She tucked in fresh sheets, then turned and draped a blanket over my aching bony frame, as I shivered in the new gown she’d rolled me into after cleaning off my vomit. My I.V. beeped, signaling an occluded tube.

“We won’t confiscate them,” she said of the brownies as she fixed the drip. “I never said this, but there’s nothing we can legally give you that will help as much with the nausea and the loss of appetite.”

My brain was foggy from pain, depression and the lingering effects of oxyco-

done. The last was what they gave me at mealtime to help me force down the protein shake ordered by the nutritionist alarmed by my increasingly cadaverous physique. The oxycodone was necessary because, despite my mostly-healed sores, the grains of nutritional powder in the shake still hurt no matter how well it was blended. Did she expect me to be able to eat a dry day-old brownie? It wasn’t until she continued on her rounds that I realized she’d assumed the brownies contained pot.

They didn’t. I was given the brownies the day before, while I was pushing my I.V. pole down the hall in the slow shamble that was my mandated daily exercise. An older and even frailer patient had peered from his room, then held the bag shakily out to me, his hollow eyes imploring as he quavered that his wife had baked her family-famous from-scratch recipe and he didn’t want her to know he’d not been able to eat them. I knew they didn’t contain pot because he became offended when I asked him if they did, and shut his door as forcefully as a sick old man can.

The night after my day-shift nurse made her chance remarks while cleaning up where I’d puked on my bed and myself; I pecked out a typo-ridden email to a friend. The next day, she brought the kind of brownie the nurse had suspected the earlier ones of being.

The author displaying the physical results of his 2013 chemotherapy (Left) and the author at Wake Forest Cancer Center in 2013 (Right) YES! WEEKLY

MAY 23-29, 2018

It was big and still fresh and moist.

After the nurse brought me a protein shake and hooked up the oxycodone, I slowly sipped the shake until she left.

Then I crumbled the brownie into the cup and added more milk, mixing it as thoroughly as I could with a spoon. Despite the tacit assurance I’d been given, I was afraid to ask someone to put it in a blender.

The mushy brownie fragments were even more painful than the powder grains, but the oxycodone dulled the mouth ache just enough for me to choke the chunky mixture down.

Chasing the opioid with pot was dangerous, I belatedly and blurrily realized when the drowsy waves of dizziness kicked in. “Please, please, please, don’t let me throw it up,” I thought. The room reeled, but this was the first time in a month that eating didn’t make me nauseous. Instead, my body unclenched into a surprisingly pleasant nap.

When I woke, I was more hungry than queasy, a sensation I almost didn’t recognize. Despite my aching mouth, I ate half a ham sandwich. The first solid food I’d had in weeks stayed down.

This happened in 2013 when I was being treated in a local hospital for Acute Myeloid Leukemia, the disease that killed my mother when I was 6 and would have killed me if a prototype of my chemotherapy hadn’t been invented 11 years after her death. Since recovering from the chemo, I’ve rarely smoked or otherwise consumed cannabis, at least partially because, aside from the issues of legality, I find the buzz pleasant but usually not worth the expense, and my pot-using friends stopped giving it to me for free once I was well. But I’ll never forget what it did for me when I was very, very sick.

This is why I recently emailed Jon Hardister, the North Carolina House Majority Whip and Representative for District 59.

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In that email, I told Hardister that, when I was undergoing treatment for leukemia, a medical professional had admitted that there was nothing she could give me that would be as effective as marijuana for combating the side effects of my chemotherapy. What, I asked, was his position on the legalization of medical marijuana, the subject of House Bill 185 and Senate Bills 648 and 579? All of those were introduced in 2017, but none have yet received even a committee vote.

“This is something that I would likely support,” he wrote in an email on May 16. “I believe we should allow doctors to do what is in the best interest of their patients. I will defer to medical experts and law enforcement to determine the best way forward.”

Representative Hardister is the rare Republican to voice even implicit support for the legalization of medical marijuana.

All of the sponsors of these bills, which include District 57’s Pricey Harrison and District 72’s Edward Hanes Jr., have been Democrats.

Abner Brown, Executive Director of the NC Chapter of the National Organization for Reforming Marijuana Laws, (NORML) claims that’s no coincidence. In an email, he called Republican officials “the largest roadblocks in getting significant cannabis reform passed,” adding that “more Democrat legislators have stepped up to co-sponsor bills that have been introduced.”

Brown wrote that NORML “would like to see the repeal of all statutes against cannabis, so our rights are restored.” The organization’s ideal society, he wrote, would be one in which citizens “would be free to grow their own if they couldn’t afford the market price, and in which all forms of ingestion would be allowed.”

Brown described himself as a man who owes his life to cannabis, writing that he suffered a severe opiate addiction as a teenager and that he believes cannabis can be an important weapon in battling North Carolina’s opioid epidemic.

“Cannabis, along with support from my amazing family and friends, helped me get clean and remain opiate free for 16 years.”

He wrote his primary motivation was seeing six of his friends die from opioidrelated overdoses in the past three years.

“It was those tragedies that moved me to become active for cannabis law reform.”

The word “cannabis” can refer to both a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae (the exact number of species in that genus is a matter of some dispute) and to the drug derived from those plants, which can be used for either medicinal or recreational purposes.

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The plants contain many compounds that act upon cannabinoid receptors in the brain (“cannabinoid” can refer to either the receptor or the compound).

The most notable of these compounds is tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, which produces the “high” associated with recreational marijuana use.

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is another compound found in the cannabis plant.

Unlike THC, it has no psychoactive effect, but many believe it can relieve pain, anxiety and seizures. CBD oil is legal in all 50 states, but only if it is derived from hemp, a form of the cannabis plant grown in such a way that it contains only trace elements of THC. CBD oil is sold in many smoke and vape stores throughout North Carolina. But this practice has occasionally resulted in law enforcement raids and confiscations, such as the recent ones in Mount Airy and King, where police officers claimed the CBD oil contained more than the allowable amount of THC. Typically, retailers selling CBD oil tout its effectiveness in treating pain, inflammation, anxiety and seizures.

Sara Carleton, a 24-year-old nanny and restaurant employee, living in Greensboro, recently told me about her medical problems and how she’s treated them with both legal CBD and illegal-in-North Carolina THC. Her harrowing account of her experiences, which began shortly after her 21st birthday, is too long and complicated for a detailed summary here but includes several alleged misdiagnoses, including one for Lyme disease, and treatment based on those misdiag-

NC House Majority Whip Jon Hardister “would likely support” the legalization of medical marijuana

noses that exacerbated her suffering and damaged her gallbladder. Eventually, she said, she was correctly diagnosed with Connective Tissue Autoimmune Disease.

The symptoms are debilitating, many and varied, but include joint pain and a variety of severe gastric problems.

In an email, she described her current condition as one of “flares that can and will attack any organ system (dermal, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, central nervous system, etc.)” and “are triggered by UVB ray exposure, heat, stress, certain foods, flashing and/or fluorescent lights, viral and bacterial infections, and medications.”

While she was still being treated for what was then believed to be Lyme disease, a friend gave her a vape pen containing “Charlotte’s Web,” a high-CBD, low-THC cannabis extract marketed as a dietary supplement under federal law of the United States. The extract is named after Charlotte Figi, whom a 2014 article in the International Business Times described as “the girl who is changing medical marijuana laws across America,” after Figi’s parents and physicians testified she experienced a reduction of her epileptic seizures after her first dose of medical marijuana.

Carleton wrote that her friend gave her the CBD vape pen to help with the muscle tremors she’d been experiencing.

“While it did not eradicate them, it definitely eased them.” But, she wondered, might something with a higher THC content help even more?

She told me that she had not “smoked weed” since high school, and was reluctant to try it again, as she was leery of the psychoactive effect.

“But, terrified of trying any other synthetic medication to treat my symptoms, I gave it a go,” Carleton wrote. “I started really small and worked my way up to a comfortable level. Soon after, I could finally sleep again. That was the first thing I noticed. Then the constant anxi-

ety and worry started to fade, and I could breathe a little easier.”

In her written account, she claimed that “CBD alone was not strong enough to manage my pain. It also didn’t touch the nausea.” She described herself as suffering the dilemma of “knowing a viable and safe solution for many of my symptoms, but not having access to it.”

She also stressed that “THC, when taken in minute amounts and specific strains, doesn’t always create a psychoactive response. If a strain of marijuana is CBD dominant and has a very low THC content, the medical results for pain management, nausea and anxiety can be dramatic. THC acts as a catalyst for the CBD’s medicinal properties and makes it much more effective. To do this, you really only need a teensy tiny bit.”

She pointed out that states that legalized medical marijuana, such as California and Florida, “have options like THC tinctures that go under the tongue, which are easy to take for people who can’t inhale smoke or vapor, swallow a pill or stomach an edible. This is the sort of thing that would be an amazing tool to have access to for someone who struggles to manage their health in the way that I so often do.”

Carleton was adamant that the legalization of medical marijuana would be life-changing for herself and many other people.

“The opportunities currently available for treating my autoimmune disease cause so much more harm than good. I’m so ready to have the option to treat this awful disease legally and naturally and get some much, much-needed relief. I’m ready to get back to living again.” !

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.

MAY 23-29, 2018

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Creativity in solidarity On May 16, educators and supporters from all across North Carolina traveled to Raleigh and marched with a plan to “secure tangible legislative gains for students, teachers, administrators and Katie Murawski support personnel in North Carolina schools,” stated on Editor the #RED4EDNC website, www. red4ednc.com.

However, some educators and supporters could not make it to Raleigh last week. Most of those folks shared various outlets’ coverage of the march on social media or wore red in solidarity.

One Greensboro woman took her support to a whole new creative level and made something she was known for making: a decorative hat.

Jessica Mashburn is a full-time entertainer/singer/songwriter/DJ/performer in the Triad. She wrote in an email that she has been making hats or fascinators as an expression for current events and whenever she is hired for themed events.

She made the “Apple Hat” in solidarity with the #RED4EDNC march on May 16.

Her picture of it on Facebook got over 300 likes.

Mashburn wrote that her “Apple Hat” is “reminiscent of a ‘Carmen Mirandastyle’ fruit headdress,” except it is composed completely of artificial red apples.

Mashburn wrote that she worked around eight hours total on making the hat out of steel and floral wire, faux apples, felt, poly-fill, glitter balls and hot glue.

“It’s hard to tell from the photo, but it actually lights up,” Mashburn wrote.

“I wired in a string of battery power-rice wire lights for an added flair. Public school teachers made me ‘bright.’”

Mashburn wrote that she could not attend the march last Wednesday due to a performance, but she knew about 100 educators and supporters throughout North Carolina who attended and “kept up with them” on social media that day.

“I was very inspired by the mission and wanted to create something as an expression of my solidarity with public school teachers,” Mashburn wrote. “After all, I received all of my grade school education in public schools. I had such incredibly inspiring teachers that I still love to learn.”

Mashburn wrote that she supports YES! WEEKLY

MAY 23-29, 2018

#RED4ED because she has watched and experienced the “drastic decline of funding” in public schools.

“I find it strange that education has somehow become a major part of ‘identity politics’ and liberals like me want to fund public schools and conservatives want to de-fund them as much as possible,” Mashburn wrote. “That makes no sense to me because it’s unrealistic in a capitalist/free market economy that everyone will be able to afford private schools. It seems to me that a bettereducated public/population would be able to contribute greater skills that generate more profit thus more people would have disposable income to spend.

May I quote Eleanor Roosevelt? ‘It’s bet-

ter for everybody when it gets better for everybody.’”

When Mashburn graduated high school, she wrote that she wanted to be a music teacher because she was inspired by her elementary school music teacher, Eleanor Nesbit, and her high school choral teacher, Maggie Gallagher.

“It’s my wish that they both know how much they enriched my life. Their spirits are always in my heart,” she wrote. “I know they sacrificed having a better paying job to do something that they loved.

That I can relate to. My little music career has not made me rich, but I love what I do and I’m so grateful that I get to do it.”

After having to pay for her education at the University of North Carolina

Greensboro herself (even after help from FASFA), she realized that she was either going to be in “major debt” to finish her degree or she needed to find a more affordable option. She then transferred to Sandhills Community College in Pinehurst, North Carolina, (where she grew up) and majored in music. There, she earned her Associates in Fine Arts with honors.

She then planned to transfer back to a four-year school and also pursue her Master’s degree. But after looking up how much public school teachers were paid (even after getting a Master’s degree), she realized she made more money waiting tables (as she did in college to support herself). “Why would I go into major debt to make less money?”

She wrote it was a hard decision, and though her plans changed from being a music teacher to event management (while playing music on the weekends) and then to playing music full time, “my conviction to support public schools and public school teachers has never wavered,” she wrote. “I will always cast my vote for representatives that support funding public schools as they should be and that believe in paying public school teachers a fair (and) gracious, livingwage.”

Mashburn got through tough times, traveled to new places and still has a lifelong bond with her classmates that would have never existed without musical education.

“I can remember practically every song that Eleanor Nesbit taught me at Alamance Elementary School,” she wrote. “Those songs still lift me up. When Maggie Gallagher was my choral teacher at Southeast Guilford High School, she taught me songs that got my mind off of the pain of my parents’ divorce and she helped me raise the funds that allowed me to go on the first major trips in my life: to NYC twice, Disney World and the Bahamas, all for choral competitions.”

She wrote that music education enabled her to find and express herself, which is a gift she wrote, that not everyone is given.

Mashburn encourages everyone to not be afraid of creativity and to “tell a great teacher that you’ve had ‘thank you.’”

“There’s music in every heart,” she wrote. “Please support the people that can teach us how to hear it.” !

KATIE MURAWSKI is the editor of YES! Weekly. She is from Mooresville, North Carolina and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in film studies from Appalachian State University in 2017.

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Jesse Jackson to guest on ‘Triad Today’ The Reverend Jesse Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, but folks in these parts claim him as a native son because he graduated from North Carolina A&T State Jim Longworth University. In fact, Jackson will tell you that he found himLongworth self at A&T, where he at Large was a star football player, student body president, and leader of a movement to integrate public facilities and businesses in Greensboro.

Jackson went to work with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1965 and in 1967 took over the Chicago-based “Operation Bread Basket”, where he was successful in persuading area companies to hire minorities.

He became an ordained minister following Dr. King’s assassination, then founded Operation P.U.S.H. (People United to Serve Humanity) in 1971. He organized the Rainbow Coalition in 1984 and merged the two groups in 1996. Rev. Jackson ran for President in 1984 and 1988, and over the years he has been instrumental in freeing scores of hostages from foreign adversaries.

Earlier this month, Rev. Jackson was in Greensboro to deliver the Baccalaureate address at Bennett College, and, thanks to some creative wrangling by Bennett President Phyllis Dawkins, we were fortunate to have Jackson visit the abc45 studio, where I taped an extended interview with him for “Triad Today”. On that day, Rev. Jackson was greeted like a rock star by a large, enthusiastic and mostly female studio audience. He stopped to shake hands and have photos taken with everyone, and gave my wife Pam a big hug before ascending to the stage. I asked him, “What is it with you and women?”

“We have an understanding,” he replied with a smile.

Age (Jackson is 76) and Parkinson’s have slowed his stride and softened his once-booming voice, but his words are still filled with the fervor of a man on a mission of economic empowerment and racial unity. During our 25 minute conversation, Rev. Jackson talked about his early days at A&T, working with Dr. King, his two runs for the Presidency, gun violence, WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

OFTEN IMITATED NEVER DUPLICATED

racial profiling, social media and Donald Trump. The “Triad Today” special airs this Sunday night. Here are some highlights.

JL: You played football, baseball, and basketball in high school. Which was your favorite?

JJ: Football ultimately because that’s how I got my scholarship.

JL: But which sport were you better at?

JJ: Maybe baseball, but football was my meal ticket.

JL: Everyone knows about the Greensboro Four who staged the first lunch counter sit-in, but folks forget that it was you who organized “wade-ins” at all-white swimming pools, “Watch-ins” at segregated movie theatres, and more.

JJ: The real deal was when the four brothers made that gallant step, but then the Bennett women sustained it. They showed the strength and courage to follow through.

JL: Dr. King was sort of like a father to you. What did you learn from him?

JJ: Strong minds bring strong change.

You have to study diligently and study every day, and pray fervently and have the courage of your convictions.

JL: You did well in the 1984 and 1988 primaries, but didn’t win the nomination.

Why didn’t you run as an independent?

JJ: I was trying to honor the system. We wanted to expand the base of Democrats at that time. One of my concerns then and now is that people must run for change, not just run for themselves.

A special edition of “Triad Today” with the Rev. Jesse Jackson, airs this Sunday, May 27 at 8 p.m., on MY48 (cable channel 15). !

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).

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Since the day I turned 21.

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My regulars know me.

How did you become a bartender?

Just lucky I guess.

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HALF HOUR FREE

last call

[HOROSCOPES]

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) Things change as you go from being ignored to being Lionized once again. This is a good time to reintroduce those previously rejected ideas to a more receptive audience.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You’ve been going through a spate of uncertainty involving people you care for.

But it might be time to take a stand on a position you feel sure you can defend.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Someone new in your life creates both anticipation as well as anxiety. Avoid the potential for misunderstandings by watching what you say and how you say it.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Treading water keeps you busy, but it won’t get you where you need to go. Time to stop making excuses and to start moving ahead toward your goals.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22)

Watch your budget so that you don’t overspend now and have less to invest when the time is right later on. Arrange to share your weekend with someone special.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November

21) The temptation to involve yourself in a friend’s or family member’s personal problems is laudable. But get the facts before you make a firm commitment.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to

December 21) You might be upset by some of your critics. But most of your associates continue to keep the faith in your ability to get the job done, and done well.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to Janu-

ary 19) You’ve reached an important point in your ongoing pursuit of your goals. You might now want to consider letting someone you trust join you on your journey.

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) An apparent act of injustice might turn out to be either an error in judgment or just plain stupidity. So calm down and cool off, and let the explanations roll out.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) It’s upsetting when someone you trusted might have failed you. But with new opportunities ahead, you’ll soon be too busy to feel even a wee bit sorry for yourself.

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A sense of uncertainty could be a good reason to change your position on an important matter. Someone close might try to talk you out of it, but it’s your decision to make.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Being too zealous in pursuing your goal could create some resistance. Try to be more mindful of what you ask people to do, and they’ll be more likely to do it. © 2018 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

[STRANGE BUT TRUE]

by Samantha Weaver

* It was British writer and humorist Jerome K. Jerome who made the following sage observation: “It is impossible to enjoy idling thoroughly unless one has plenty of work to do. There is no fun in doing nothing when you have nothing to do. Wasting time is merely an occupation then, and a most exhausting one. Idleness, like kisses, to be sweet must be stolen.”

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* Modern dietary trends notwithstanding, raw vegetables have not always enjoyed the healthsome reputation they now have. In medieval times, in fact, veggies would always be cooked; raw ones were considered to be bad for the humors. * Have you ever heard of an “adhocracy”? If you’re like many frustrated workers these days, you may be employed by one.

An adhocracy is an organization characterized by lack of planning, responding to problems as they emerge rather than anticipating and avoiding them.

* In La Paz, Bolivia, you can find one of the most unusual prisons in the world.

At San Pedro Prison, inmates have to purchase their cells. Those who are well off financially can buy private cells with bathrooms, television and kitchens. Those who are less lucky must share tiny rooms. * You might be surprised to learn that the world’s most-translated author, by far, is Agatha Christie. Jules Verne ranks second, followed closely by William Shakespeare. It’s interesting to note that three of the top 10 — Enid Blyton, Hans Christian Anderson and Jacob Grimm — wrote works for children.

Thought for the Day: “The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.” — Terry Pratchett © 2018 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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[THE ADVICE GODDESS] love • sex • dating • marriage • questions

ENDSHIP RING

I was roommates with a girl five years ago. I was a spoiled brat for many years, but I’ve worked very hard to change. She, on the other hand, is still supported by her father, has no Amy Alkon job or interests, and just wants to get Advice married. Whenever she calls, she wants Goddess advice on the same boy drama. I just don’t have the time or patience for this anymore. I tried not responding to her, but she keeps calling and texting, “I need to come over right now!” — Drama-Weary “I need to come over right now!” What are you, a day spa for her emotions crossed with the Burger King drive-thru?

It’s easy to confuse the chunk of time a friend has been in your life with reason for them to continue being there. It helps to unpack the mystique about how friendships form. Social science research finds that a major driver of friendship is similarity — shared values and attitudes, for example. But demographic similarity is part of it, too — like both being 30-yearold single female zoo workers who went to a crappy college.

And though we want to believe we carefully choose the friends in our lives, personality psychologist Mitja Back and his colleagues are among the researchers who’ve found that “mere proximity”

seems to play a big role in who our friends are. This means, for example, living in the apartment next door, working in the same department, or, in Back’s study, being randomly assigned to “neighboring seats” in a college class. In other words, you probably became friends with this woman because she was sleeping in the next room, not because you conducted a nationwide search for the best possible buddy for you.

Now’s the time to choose whether she stays in your life — and you don’t do that by hoping she’ll hear your vigorous eyerolling over the phone and take the hint.

Breaking up with a friend — if that’s what you want to do — should work like breaking up with a romantic partner. Don’t just wordlessly cut off contact; that’s cruel — and likely to backfire. Tell her that you need to end the friendship, explaining the problem in broad terms: You’ve “grown apart” or you’re “in different places” in your lives. Even if she presses you, keep it kind by keeping it vague. The point is telling her it’s over, not informing her that she’s got all the emotional depth of a goldfish and then ducking out forever via call waiting: “Sorry — gotta go. Important robocall from Rachel from Card Services on the other line!”

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We often do crazy things simply to keep up with our peers who are doing those things — not, say, because we were bored on a Saturday afternoon and had a little brainstorm: “I know! I’ll pay some total stranger $55 to spread molten wax on my labia and rip out all my pubic hair!”

We evolved to be creatures of “social comparison” — judging how well we’re doing personally and professionally by how we stack up to others. As I often explain, our emotions are not just for mental decoration; they’re motivational tools. When we’re lagging behind our peers, envy often rises up — as it seems to be in your friend. Envy is mistakenly assumed to be ugly and shameful, but evolutionary social psychologist Bram Buunk and his colleagues explain that the feelbad we get from envy pushes us to get on the stick and narrow the “status gap” between ourselves and others.

Understanding the underpinnings of

envy can help you have compassion for your friend, which might help you avoid taking it personally when she fails to celebrate your achievements by pulling out confetti and a kazoo. Try to accept that she probably can’t express the excitement you’d like her to because every success you rack up sneers, “Hey, loser!

How come she’s up there and you’re down here?”

If you do tell her about some win, consider pairing the news with mention of the years of grubby work and daily failures that went into it. This might help her view the success you’ve achieved as something attainable — as opposed to some magical gift: “OMG, I was just sitting on my porch drinking a beer, when my boss called and said, ‘You often cut work and smoke a lot of pot. Let’s give you the VP job.’” !

GOT A problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave, #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or e-mail AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com) © 2018 Amy Alkon Distributed by Creators.Com.

TO THE BITTER FRIEND

After six years of hard work, I’m starting to have some success in my career. Disturbingly, my best friend seems envious.

I’ll tell her some exciting news, and she’ll barely respond. I understand that she’s trying to break through while working a

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