YES! Weekly - August 4, 2021

THE KATHERINE

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BEE YOUNITED FEST

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JEFFREY DEAN FOSTER

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AUGUST 4-10, 2021 VOLUME 17, NUMBER 31

16 5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204 Greensboro, NC 27407 Office 336-316-1231 Fax 336-316-1930

HAUS OF LACKS

Publisher CHARLES A. WOMACK III publisher@yesweekly.com

Members of the HAUS OF LACKS collective continue constructing avenues to build greater arts communities around Greensboro with their latest series Underground Now. The bi-monthly programming endeavor launched in June, and features two artists sandwiched around a “discussion centering empathetic community building through the arts in a post-pandemic climate.” Initially slated through August, the series will roll into the fall, with dates tentatively scheduled through October.

EDITORIAL Editor CHANEL DAVIS chanel@yesweekly.com YES! Writers IAN MCDOWELL MARK BURGER KATEI CRANFORD

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ParticiPate in research Dr. Blair Wisco, a clinical psychologist at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, is currently recruiting participants for a research study. This research study examines emotional and physical reactions to memories of extremely stressful or traumatic experiences. In order to participate, you must be 18 years old or older and must be able to read and write in English. If you are interested in participating, first you will be asked to complete screening questions online or over the phone to see whether or not you are eligible for the study. If you are eligible, you will be invited to participate in the study, which involves five visits to Dr. Wisco’s lab on UNCG’s campus within two weeks. During the first lab visit (3 hours), you will be asked to complete an interview and fill out questionnaires about your emotions and life experiences. You will then wear a portable cardiac monitor under your clothes and to complete questionnaires on a tablet computer outside the lab on three separate days (30-minute set-up per day, plus time spent completing questionnaires). In the last lab visit (2 hours), you will be hooked up to a similar monitor in the lab and be asked to listen to audio-recorded scripts describing personal past experiences. If you participate in these procedures, you will be compensated $150 for your time. If you are interested in this research participation opportunity, please email copelab@uncg.edu to learn more and receive the screening questionnaire.

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THE KATHERINE is named for Katherine Reynolds, a bon-vivant of the illustrious Winston-Salem Reynolds family, who loved Parisian style and French cafes.

Styled as an art deco French brasserie, with tile floors and filament lighting, the restaurant occupies a section on the ground floor of the historic Reynolds building, a precursor to the Empire State Building. Setting and seating encourage lingering, multi-course meals, and conversation.

5 Television’s annual Emmy Awards won’t be handed out until Sept. 19th – with the ceremony being broadcast on CBS – but it’s safe to say that the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is already victorious, given the GRADUATES of its School of Drama and School of Filmmaking who find themselves in the running for the small screen’s highest accolade.

6 Here in the United States, an animal suffers ABUSE every 60 seconds, and each year more than 10 million animals die from abuse. Given those statistics, you’d think that we as a nation would inflict extremely severe punishment on the abusers. Unfortunately, that’s not the case.

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Dreary and weary in equal measure, MIDNIGHT IN THE SWITCHGRASS is a sub-par serial-killer thriller that marks the feature directorial debut of producer Randall Emmett, prolific purveyor of an endless stream of (mostly) direct-to-video action schlock.

12 Triad residents will have an opportunity to interact with local farmers while learning more about agriculture in the area.

Mother’s Finest Urban Farm will host the BEE YOUNITED FESTIVAL on Aug. 14, 2021, at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

The agricultural and arts event, held from noon to 8 p.m., will feature a live performance from the legendary rock band, Mother’s Finest.

13 JEFFREY DEAN FOSTER is bringing friends, and his new EP, “I’m Starting to Bleed,” to the Gas Hill Drinking Room on Aug 7. “I’m playing my first full-band electric show in many, many moons,” Foster said of his upcoming Winston show, though the Triangle got a taste in July when he performed with the Backsliders for the second round of Record Store Day at School Kids Records in Raleigh.

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DISTRIBUTION JANICE GANTT ANDREW WOMACK We at YES! Weekly realize that the interest of our readers goes well beyond the boundaries of the Piedmont Triad. Therefore we are dedicated to informing and entertaining with thought-provoking, debate-spurring, in-depth investigative news stories and features of local, national and international scope, and opinion grounded in reason, as well as providing the most comprehensive entertainment and arts coverage in the Triad. YES! Weekly welcomes submissions of all kinds. Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however YES! Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. YES! Weekly is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1.00. Copyright 2021 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

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Chow down with John Batchelor at The Katharine

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

he Katherine is named for Katherine Reynolds, a bon-vivant of the illustrious Winston-Salem Reynolds family, who loved Parisian style and French cafes. Styled as an art deco French brasserie, with tile floors and filament lighting, the restaurant occupies a section on the ground floor of the historic Reynolds building, a precursor to the Empire State Building. Setting and seating encourage lingering, multi-course meals, and conversation.

A new Executive Chef, Eric Brownlee, took over in late spring. He grew up working on his grandfather’s farm in Pennsylvania, where he opened his first restaurant, for family, at age nine. He started out professionally as a line cook at the James Beard award-winning Accomac Inn, then moved to Charleston to attend Johnson and Wales. He was a sous chef at Daniel Island Country Club, then Executive Chef at Cork Neighborhood Bistro.

During this time, he helped found the Sustainable Seafood Initiative in partnership with the South Carolina Aquarium. In 2012, he moved to High Point, first as Executive Chef of the String & Splinter, then as Corporate Executive Chef for the Blue Plate Restaurant Group, where I admired his work and praised those restaurants.

Many chefs these days, especially the younger ones, tend to pronounce flavors up front. You get the impact as soon as you taste something, and it stays with you throughout. Chef Brownlee’s dishes at The Katherine strike me as more subtle, more refined. You taste the main ingredient first, then, if you pay attention, pick up nuances and enhancements in each subsequent bite.

Consider Fried Brussels Sprouts. These have become very popular- and in my case, welcome- in the Triad. They almost always taste good, sometimes really good, due to myriad treatments- balsamic vinegar, nuts, cheese, whatever.

But often as not, the flavor of the primary ingredient is either buried somewhere or lost altogether in the process. Here, the first impact comes from the vegetable, lightly crisped leaves on the exterior giving way to a softer, naturally flavorful interior. A mild, yet quite tasty saffroninfused aioli is served on the side, allowing as much, or as little, influence as you choose.

Likewise the French Shrimp Cocktail. Poached jumbo shrimp are graced with crème fraiche, spiked with brandy.

Three flavors clearly emerge, shrimp in

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BEEF TARTARE

DUCK

MUSSELS

the forefront, the brandy evident, but not overpowering. One suggestion for readers- this kitchen makes an absolute killer seafood cocktail sauce. Consider asking for it with the shrimp. That sauce normally comes with Oysters on the Half Shell, along with a rose’ Champagne mignonette. The oysters provide clean, pure flavors, subtly identifiable regarding different origins, well served by the condiments.

Our server identified Beef Tartare as her favorite starter. I got the impression that service personnel here have not only been taught how to recite the food, they have actually tasted things. Minced tenderloin of exceptional quality, raw and chilled, is topped with a sous vide 65 degree egg.

Mix the egg and the meat together to get the full experience. A smoky, mildly spicy aioli plus cornichons and pickled shallots provide flavor extensions, hosted on charred crostini.

Mussels swim in a broth of white wine, lemon juice, and their own natural liquor, simmered with garlic, shallots, and clipped tarragon. The tarragon is especially appealing. Grilled baguette slices should be swirled in the broth. Sip some more broth with a soup spoon. It’s wonderful.

Roquette is a salad of baby arugula, dressed in lemon vinaigrette, sprinkled with thinly shredded Parmesan cheese.

Simple and delightful.

Duck fans should make a special trip for the Seared Duck Breast entree. It is sliced, flanked by soft-cooked creamed leeks (I would make the drive just for the leeks), and sautéed turnip greens. A coulis of red currants, raspberries, and blackberries thinned with orange juice serves the fowl flavor well. (Berries vary according to fresh availability.)

Trout is sourced from North Carolina farms. The exterior is dusted with crushed pistachios. Flavors emerge from the fish and the nuts, neither competing with the other. Chive crème fraiche lends a gentle effect. The presentation utilizes frisee lettuce, scattered with crumbled bacon, plus charred lemon. Cooking the lemon softens its impact somewhat, so the juice tends to sharpen the flavor of the other ingredients, rather than insinuating itself inappropriately. Little slivers of fingerling potatoes have been soaked in salt and vinegar, then fried crisp. I think this is the best potato treatment I have ever encountered.

I would also rank Chicken au Poivre Flambe’ in that elite category. This is a deboned half chicken sprinkled with cracked black pepper that has been seared in a cast iron pan, then roasted, tender and moist, augmented with an exquisite Cognac mushroom cream sauce. The assembly is complex, yet well-coordinated- surrounded by herbed fingerling potatoes, roasted garlic cloves, and a shallot poached in red wine. I seldom single out chicken for a primary recommendation, but this one has to be experienced.

My wife and I tried two desserts, Strawberry Sorbet (flavors vary almost daily) and Chocolate Pot de Crème. The chocolate is infinitely rich and creamy, the sorbet light and refreshing. Both outstanding renditions.

We visited briefly with Justin Rankin, the bar manager, who advised that the wine selections, especially those by the glass, had been recently revised. Somebody made good decisions, yielding some of the best food matches in our experience among local restaurants. Prices are reasonable, for the setting. I would

especially recommend the Sokol Blosser pinot gris, among the whites, and do not miss the Belle Glos Ballade pinot noir.

And should you be so inclined, the urbane, Parisian ambience of the bar here is exceptionally attractive, as are the mixed creations served therein.

I have one regret. I have not had a steak here. I have therefore missed the several toppings made in-house- smoked tomato sauce, whipped Roquefort au poivre butter, red wine and mushroom Bordelaise, or horseradish and honey crème fraiche, for example.

I will remedy this omission on a future visit!

For Winston-Salem readers, online ordering for pickup or delivery is available.

No matter how you experience it, The Katherine is one of the Triad’s premier restaurants. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/cookbooks: Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast, and Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina.

Contact him at john.e.batchelor@gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

WANNA

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The Katharine Brasserie & Bar is located at Kimpton Cardinal Hotel, 401 North Main Street, WinstonSalem, 27101. (336) 761-0203 | katharinebrasserie.com Hours: Breakfast, 7-11 a.m. daily; Lunch, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Monday-Friday; Weekend Brunch, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Dinner, 5-10 p.m. daily. Bar open with limited menu 5-11 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

Hors d’oeuvres: $13-$21 | Salads: $9-$10 | Soups: $11 | Entrees: $15-$38 | Desserts: $8-$9 | Additional vegetables, a la carte: $5-$8 | Most recent visit: July 27

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visions

Emmy nominations recognize UNCSA graduates

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elevision’s annual Emmy Awards won’t be handed out until Sept. 19th – with the ceremony being broadcast on CBS – but it’s safe to say that the UniverMark Burger sity of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) is already Contributor victorious, given the graduates of its School of Drama and School of Filmmaking who find themselves in the running for the small screen’s highest accolade.

Zene Baker (BFA Film ‘98) earned his first Emmy nomination for Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the series finale of the Disney+ mini series WandaVision, an offshoot of the popular Marvel Comics Universe. The mini-series itself earned 23 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

Baker, whom yours truly interviewed in 2017 for his work on the Marvel blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok, has also edited such feature films as 50/50 (2011), Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012), This is the End (2013), and The Interview (2014).

Jeff Seibenick (BFA Film ‘98) was nominated for Outstanding SingleCamera Picture Editing for a Drama Series for The Mandolorian, the popular Disney+ spin-off of the Star Wars franchise. The

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Zene Baker (left) and Jonathan Majors (right) series earned a total of 24 nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and Seibenick was nominated in the same category for The Mandolorian last year.

Seibenick’s feature credits include Inner Demons (2014), Amateur Night (2016), Flower (2017), and Austin Found (also ‘17), and his small-screen editing credits include episodes of The Sarah Silverman Program, Parks and Recreation, Eastbound & Down, Young Sheldon, and Cobra Kai. Jonathan Majors (BFA Drama ‘12) earned his first Emmy nomination as Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Atticus Freeman in the HBO horror series Lovecraft Country, based on Matt Ruff ’s best-selling 2016 novel. The series received a total of 18 Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Drama Series, and Majors was also nominated in the same category this year by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films and the Critics Choice Super Awards.

Majors has appeared in such acclaimed

feature films as The Last Black Man in San Francisco (2019), Jungleland (also ‘19), Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods (2020), and his upcoming films include The Harder They Fall, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, and Creed III. His television credits include the 2017 mini-series When We Rise and the popular Marvel fantasy series Loki.

Craig Zobel (BFA Film ‘99) was nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for the HBO mini-series Mare of Easttown, which earned a total of 16 Emmy nominations

including Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series. Zobel also served as executive producer for the mini-series.

Zobel’s big-screen credits include his 2007 break-out Great World of Sound, as well as Compliance (2013), Z for Zachariah (2015), and last year’s sleeper hit The Hunt. His television credits include episodes of American Gods, The Leftovers, Westworld, and all 10 episodes of the 2018 series One Dollar, on which he also served as executive producer.

If such recognition weren’t enough, the UNCSA School of Filmmaking was also recently celebrated by MovieMaker magazine in its annual round-up of the best film schools in the United States and Canada. The article, written by Greg Gilman and published July 21st, praised the School of Filmmaking for its outstanding screenwriting training. (To read the entire article, visit https://www.moviemaker. com/best-film-schools-in-the-us-andcanada-2021/.)

The official UNCSA website is https:// www.uncsa.edu/. !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2021, Mark Burger.

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Tougher sentences needed for animal abusers

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ere in the United States, an animal suffers abuse every 60 seconds, and each year more than 10 million animals die from abuse. Given those Jim Longworth statistics, you’d think that we as a nation would inflict Longworth extremely severe at Large punishment on the abusers. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Take, for instance, NFL quarterback Michael Vick who tortured, burned, hung, and killed at least eight dogs, and abused dozens more. He served a mere 21 months in prison, then returned to the playing field to loud cheers, and saw his jersey become the NFL’s top-selling item. Is it just me, or is there something wrong with this picture? Does the public

care so little about animals that we easily forgive and reward people who abuse them? Perhaps so. After all, State legislatures and the courts don’t consider animal torture a serious felony, only a minor one. More on that in a moment.

First, let’s take a look at a couple of recent abuse cases closer to home.

Last month, a particularly evil individual snuck into Martin Luther King Park in Statesville and proceeded to use ducks for target practice. He also beat some of the ducks over the head and cut the feet off of others. A total of 43 ducks were tortured and killed. That person is still at large. Not so with Caleb Dewald, a 19-year-old man from Winston-Salem.

Dewald was arrested last month on multiple counts of animal cruelty, including electrocuting squirrels, and cutting off the ears and noses of other animals while they were still alive. Fortunately, Dewald was stupid enough to post the torture online, otherwise, he might never have been caught. But catching and arresting an animal abuser is one

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thing. Convicting them and putting them behind bars is quite another.

Here in North Carolina, animal torture is a Class H felony, so a convicted abuser faces only a maximum of 25 months in jail. That needs to change. Our State legislature should re-classify animal torture as a Class B felony, which carries at least 8 years in prison. Unfortunately, a lot of folks don’t agree with me. They don’t value the life of animals, and they think that prison is too harsh a punishment for abusing, torturing, and killing them. But even if you don’t care what happens to animals, you should care about what else their abusers are capable of.

According to the humane society, 71% of domestic violence victims reported that their abuser also targeted pets. In fact, pet abuse occurs in 88% of families under supervision for physical abuse of their children. These statistics are consistent with a report by the Animal Legal and Historical Center, which revealed that 85% of battered women entering shelters say that pet abuse occurred in

their families. And what about young people who torture pets? What becomes of them? For decades, FBI studies have warned that children and teens who torture animals often grow up to commit violent crimes, and even become serial killers. Such was the case with Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, and Jeffrey Dahmer. Purdue University professor Gail Melson concurs, concluding in a recent report that, “Animal abuse is often the first sign of serious disturbance among adolescent and adult killers.”

The warning is clear: people who turn a blind eye to animal abuse might also be turning a blind eye to violence against humans. That’s why we must lobby our State representatives to make animal abuse a more serious felony. Criminals who torture animals deserve to be locked away for a long, long time. For all of our sakes. !

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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flicks

Midnight in the Switchgrass: Foul play in Florida

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reary and weary in equal measure, Midnight in the Switchgrass is a sub-par serial-killer thriller that marks the feature directoriMark Burger al debut of producer Randall Emmett, Contributor prolific purveyor of an endless stream of (mostly) direct-tovideo action schlock.

Set in Pensacola, circa 2004 (for whatever reason), the simple-minded narrative follows FBI agent Megan Fox and state policeman Emile Hirsch in their individual and joint pursuit of a serial killer who preys on young girls.

There’s no surprise who the killer is, as it’s quickly revealed to be Lukas Haas, a long-distance trucker who, by all outward appearances, is a normal, doting husband and father. Nevertheless, he’s also religiously paranoid and, in quieter moments, sniffs the garments of his victims. In short, your typical screen nutcase.

Midnight in the Switchgrass goes about its dubious business in predictable, clichéd fashion. Fox and Hirsch are repeatedly ordered to drop their investigation – for reasons that are never made clear, except that they’re de rigueur in films like this.

Fox’s typically world-weary partner, played by Bruce Willis, seems not so much world-weary as simply bored. Willis has worked, if that’s the proper term, with producer Emmett before (First Kill, Trauma Center, Survive the Night), usually in roles he can coast through on autopilot. So it is again here. His character has absolutely no bearing on the (predictable) outcome of the story.

The film aspires toward some contemporary relevance, with Fox and Hirsch WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

repeatedly proclaiming that the killer’s victims have been discarded by the system. If this is an attempt at social commentary, it’s a simple-minded one.

Inevitably, pursuers and quarry will collide, and Fox proves to be such a crack FBI agent that it takes Haas roughly 60 seconds to drug and abduct her from a bustling honkytonk bar and spirit her back to his hideaway, with a frenzied Hirsch in pursuit.

Hirsch at least tries to inject some urgency into the stock role of the maverick cop on a relentless quest, and Caitlin Carmichael is affecting as the villain’s latest captive. Welker White brings some pathos to the role of the embittered mother of a previous victim, as well as giving the reason for the film’s title (an ersatz riff on The Silence of the Lambs), but the talented Michael Beach is wasted in a one-scene bit as an obligatory by-thebook cop who rebuffs any assistance from the FBI (!). That the FBI didn’t bother to inform local law enforcement of their undercover operation is simply another example of the laziness of first-timer Alan Horsnail’s shoddy screenplay.

If there is a footnote to this forgettable film, it’s that Fox and rapper Machine Gun Kelly became a romantic duo during production. Actually, Kelly, who is billed under his real name –Colson Baker–, recently tweeted about the film in dismissive terms. Understandably. He has only two scenes, both with Fox, and she roughs him up in both.

That’s about it for Midnight in the Switchgrass. !

– Midnight in the Switchgrass is available on-demand, on digital platforms, DVD ($19.98 retail) and Blu-ray ($21.99 retail) from LionsGate Home Entertainment, the latter two boasting bonus features.

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2021, Mark Burger.

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[NEWS OF THE WEIRD] GOOD GUY WITH A GUN?

An unnamed man in Yakima, Washington, was arrested on July 24 after a curious incident inside his home, KIMA reported. The man was stocking Chuck Shepherd his refrigerator with soda cans when one exploded, witnesses explained to police. He pulled a handgun out of his waistband and fired a round into the bottom of the fridge.

When police arrived, the man was outside his home in the alley, “yelling incoherently,” police said, with a gun lying on the ground.

He told police that he believed the people living in the basement were trying to kill him, but it turns out no one lives in the

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basement — because there is no basement in the home. He also told police he had found the gun, but he was arrested for second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and discharge of a firearm.

WHAT A TRIP!

Reza Baluchi of central Florida didn’t get very far in his effort to walk on water from St. Augustine to New York City, Fox News reported. On July 24, Baluchi washed ashore in Flagler County, Florida, inside a bubble-like vessel, which he hoped to use to run (sort of like a hamster in a wheel) up the East Coast. He told sheriff’s deputies that he had encountered “complications” that brought him back to shore. “My goal is to not only raise money for homeless people, raise money for the Coast Guard, raise money for the police department, raise money for the fire department,”

Baluchi said. This was not the first time he had been rescued after going to sea in a hydro bubble.

BUT THE SQUIRREL SURVIVED

On July 15, a 19-year-old driver from Hingham, Massachusetts, swerved to avoid hitting a squirrel in the road and ended up in the living room of a historical home built

by Abraham Lincoln’s great-grandfather in 1650. The Boston Globe reported that the unnamed driver “drove off the right side of the road, over the sidewalk and into the front of the house” around 6:30 a.m., where residents were still sleeping upstairs.

The driver was issued a citation for failing to stay in marked lanes, police said.

LEAST EMPATHETIC CRIMINALS

Two girls, 16 and 17 years old, were walking to a gas station in Medina Val-

ley, Texas, on July 26 when they noticed something in a drainage ditch. It turned out to be a dead man, whom investigators believe hanged himself from a railing using “what appeared to be a shirt,” Fox News reported. When the girls came upon the body, they called a friend, who called 911. But before officers arrived on the scene, the girls allegedly helped themselves to the dead man’s gold necklace, documenting the theft on Snapchat.

The video was anonymously sent to the Bexar County Sheriff’s office, and deputies charged both with theft from a human corpse — a felony. A friend of the 17-yearold told officers she stole it because it “matched her fashion style.” ! © 2021 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

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

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[KING Crossword]

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Pub. houses hire them One of the Judds Cannes’ Palme — Actress Lena Iris’ place in the eye Hindu social classes as they relate to government affairs Cherishes Taverns Lord’s home

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Actor Davis in many Spike Lee films Creme-filled cookies Puppy bite Funny Fey Wallet singles Internet ID — Lankan Fury Comedian Rickles USNA grad.

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feature

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Building up the Haus

M

embers of the Haus of Lacks collective continue constructing avenues to build greater arts communities around Greensboro with their latest series UnderKatei Cranford ground Now. The bi-monthly programming Contributor endeavor launched in June, and features two artists sandwiched around a “discussion centering empathetic community building through the arts in a post-pandemic climate.” Initially slated through August, the series will roll into the fall, with dates tentatively scheduled through October.

“We hope that providing an opportunity to invest in local artists leads to overall investment in our community,” said members of the Haus, who speak collectively, “and also open pathways to participate in larger conversations about the vibrancy and efficacy of the arts community in Greensboro.”

Taking their name from Henrietta Lacks, “a Black woman with the first known case of immortal cells—which never die and continue to multiply— led to advancements in medicine beyond comprehension.

And they never recognized her for it,” they said. Turning to their work in the Triad, “the songs, voices, and truths of our communities are our immortal cells. They never die.

They multiply. The Haus is here to make sure we recognize them.”

Uplifting artists and bestowing recognition is one pillar on which the Haus hinges.

“Offering visibility and opportunity for artists so they can have a platform to speak their truths,” they defined. The other involves “bridging the gap between those artists and their community members to help facilitate empathetic and educational conversations.”

The Underground Now series builds upon both. “We really want to invite people to the table with love, so a lot of the impetus for these shows is to build out a safe, intimate space, where artists can express themselves free of judgment, expectation or censorship,” the Haus explained. “We try really hard not to force the music, or the inevitable conversations, into a box by leading conversations in a specific direction, but rather offer artists a platform to do what they were made to do: share ideas.”

The Haus holds their ideas like torches lit by five founding members: Justin YES! WEEKLY

AUGUST 4-10, 2021

‘Demeanor’ Harrington, Savannah Thorne, Virginia Holmes, SeLena Little, and Maia Kamil - who “came together during the wake of George Floyd’s murder - and executed the “Black Elm Street Project.”

Harrington, Holmes, and Thorne continue, “carrying those torches under the nonprofit Haus of Lacks, centered around the same mission and vision.”

Their unique, but complementary, backgrounds provide a certain poise to their pursuit. Harrington (who performs as “Demeanor”) is a musician, along with Kamil (who specializes in ethnomusicology). Holmes is a visual artist who also founded the Haze Art Collective and co-founded The Collective GSO. Little is an arts administrator and project manager for the ACOBE Festival, who, along with Thorne (an art historian), was involved in the Greensboro chapter of “So Far Sounds,” a nationwide network hosting pop-up music events.

“Because we each individually interface with different aspects of the artistic process,” they said reflecting on their backgrounds, ”we see the disparities that marginalized voices face in each of these fields, we’re able to focus our programming in hyper-specific ways to make the act of expression—from pop-up shows to galleries—as equitable as possible for the artists we serve.”

While the five were acquainted before building the Haus, it was during the protests following the wake of George Floyd’s murder that truly brought them together.

“Greensboro has deep artistic roots, and the community here is very strong. It seems everywhere you go, you run into someone you know,” they noted. “And we all found ourselves drawn downtown after the news broke - and like most people, we were all soaked in grief and anger. Although we didn’t go downtown together, it became apparent from the beginning that the people called to lead were members of the arts community,” they explained. ”Later, when the protests had settled down and we had time to reflect, our mission and vision started to come together.”

Taking the helm, armed with the notion of artists as “culture-bearers for the community,” they began collaborating on the “Black Elm Street Project,” a demonstration and performance platform, and actual app (developed by musician Ben Singer) wrapped in one package, serving as a catalyst to the Haus of Lacks.

“We knew we wanted to do something for Juneteenth - but only had about 20

PHOTO BY KATEI CRANFORD

Virginia Holmes hosting the Pieces of Now party PHOTO COURTESY OF HAUS OF LACKS

Sonny Miles plays guitar at the show. days to organize and pull off a pretty large vision - so we set out to create this giant proof of concept,” they explained of their inaugural endeavor. “We placed ten artists downtown and equipped each with a specific disparity facing the black community—everything from healthcare to education, to police brutality. They had 30-minutes to create a set of their choosing to express what that specific disparity meant to them.”

The intention was multi-faceted. “On the one hand, we wanted to make sure there was representation for the Black folx, who desperately needed to see themselves reflected on stage. On the other, we wanted to educate in a way that was accessible and approachable for folx who weren’t dealing with these disparities on a daily basis.”

The result of “Black Elm Street” was “a beautiful testament for us that five people who barely knew each other could create something meaningful in less than three weeks,” they said. “From there, we took the momentum and ran with it.”

Within a few days, they had fiscal sponsorship aiding their formation as a 501c3 nonprofit. And began drafting their mission. “The Haus maintains that artists aren’t simply decorative, which at our core

is the motivation for our existence,” they explained. “And artists are, at the core of their being, members of our community, who have the hefty job of synthesizing their experience and feel called to express that information in a way that resonates with the community.”

The Haus sees their mission as a nonprofit to, “build out intentional spaces to celebrate the inherent humanity in artistry, and to make sure that we aren’t separating intention from the art we are consuming,” they said. “Art is created with a purpose; we want to make sure that it is consumed with its purpose.”

Defining their purpose as an avenue for action, the Haus contends, “there are many efforts around the world that use art to underscore societal issues. We’ve seen people perform at protests, we’ve seen artists perform at the White House, we’ve seen artists create campaign flyers. All of this is beautiful, yet sometimes it seems that art is used to decorate a problem rather than respected as an actual solution,” they noted. “We’re here to build community, to fight for a better future together.”

From a holistic perspective, the Haus sees artists as community voices. “They’re brave souls that speak intimate truths about the realities we face,” they said.

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“Bridging gaps between people, artists are crucial to societal development, and we firmly believe that by empowering the artist community, we’ll build a more compassionate future.”

Acknowledging “artists aren’t the only pieces in the puzzle,” the Haus sees art as the “connection between us all,” with DIY efforts driving that connection. “Grassroots organizations are more in touch with the reality of creation, and the realistic needs of artists outside of profit margins,” they explained. “Obviously, major institutions love the spirit of expression just as much as the underground scene, but there’s a deep value in creating opportunity out of necessity.”

Exploring disparities within the art world, and the issues around the “trickle-down Robinhood” method utilized by major arts organizations, the Haus aims for a more equitable approach. “That’s not to say that working with these institutions can’t be incredibly beneficial for an artist from any background, or that they don’t offer some incredible opportunities,” they said, ”but the sudden emphasis on inclusion and equity doesn’t automatically deem historically wealthy, white institutions as safe spaces.”

Finding their own balance has been vital—the Haus is currently working on galleries with the Center for Visual Arts, sits on a community board with the North Carolina Folk Festival, and is involved with the award-winning “Pieces of Now” exhibit at the Greensboro History Museum. And within that, they’ve internalized a quote they attributed to Carly Jones (of the North Carolina Arts Council): “it’s okay to work inside of these institutions, as long as you agree to be a disruptor.”

That agreement has shaped their goal of “flooding as much of the Greensboro artist community into the programming as possible.” An approach with which the Haus also shifts to the holistic. “And not just their art, but their stories,” they explained, referencing their work on “Pieces of Now,” which goes beyond the interviewees’ mo-

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAUS OF LACKS

T. Walker speaks to the crowd as Savannah Thorne looks on. tives to paint during the protests; extending to “what that expression meant for those artists in the context of experiences growing-up in Greensboro.”

The focus of the exhibit itself, which opened in September, revolves around street art created during the protests, along with photos, and video interviews with artists and organizers, while inviting the community to share their experiences around the current events facing our area today. Holmes, Thorne, and Emilio Marz (of the Collective GSO) created the entry piece for the exhibit, which includes the art piece Holmes made on the storefront of Cheesecakes by Alex during the protests.

The Haus celebrated the anniversary in June by hosting the “Reflections on Pieces of Now” party, with DJs, art installations, hip-hop artists, and more than 250 attendees in the museum’s Mary Richardson Park. “It set a standard for what can be accomplished when unity is not a topic but also an action,” they said, noting their excitement to continue collaborating with the museum as “aids to ever-changing history, setting new precedent, breaking cultural boundaries, and archiving Greensboro History.”

From archiving the history to active

creation, the Underground Now series was launched a few weeks later. “We joke that after every great plague comes a renaissance - but in many ways it’s inevitable,” they said. “The goal has really been to make sure there’s a new standard for when artists come back to performing regularly in Greensboro.”

The “intimate” concert series takes several cues, and artists, from Thorne’s So Far shows—of which the Double Oaks was also a venue—the Bed and Breakfast boasting a more interesting set of programming and libations than seen in similarly lofty spaces. And the Underground Now series being more affordable and accessible than the So Far variety.

Beginning with Leroy Pridgen and XOXOK in June, the following sessions saw performances from Sonny Miles and T. Walker; and Sunqueen Kelcey and Debbie the Artist.

The next round on Aug. 15, will feature rap artist Chris Meadows and producer Jordan Lee, whose impressive credentials include ACOBE Festival founder, Entertainment Arts Curator for Guilford County Schools, and Director for the Modern Music Production Program at Penn-Griffin School for the Arts in High Point.

“We’re psyched,” the Haus said of the upcoming session and extending the series through the fall, possibly longer. “If we continue having the incredible support that we’ve received so far,” they said. “This has been such an eye-opening experience for us - perhaps it’s just because we’ve had a devastating pandemic, but we’ve found Greensboro to be more open, willing, and excited to consume and support the arts than ever.”

Beyond live shows, the Haus is developing “Underground Everywhere,” a docu-series about “humanity in creation, featuring local Black artists at historic Green Book sights.” And “Underground All-access,” an online educational outreach series of master classes and workshops for upcoming artists.

“An important piece of our work is providing as many opportunities as possible,” they said. “We’re all artists in our own right, so we’ve been through the gauntlet. We know what it’s like to put your everything into something which doesn’t exactly pay the bills. Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, we’re doing our part to support, uplift, and empower those who are narrating our world.”

“This city has limitless potential,” they continued. “We can’t wait to keep building and see where it goes in the next few years. Hopefully, the work we do here also lends itself to communities around North Carolina and beyond.”

With several projects in the works, including collaborations with the NC Black Creatives Revival, galleries with CVA, and several secret projects underway, the Haus continues to build.

“Anything we CAN do, we WILL do,” they said. “Promise.”

The next edition of “Underground Now” will feature Jordan Lee and Chris Meadows on Aug. 15 at Double Oaks in Greensboro. !

KATEI CRANFORD Is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Thursday Tour Report, a radio show that runs like a mixtape of bands touring NC the following week, 5:30-7pm on WUAG 103.1fm.

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Festival aims to unite and educate Naima Said

Contributor

YES! WEEKLY

Triad residents will have an opportunity to interact with local farmers while learning more about agriculture in the area.

Mother’s Finest Urban Farm will host the Bee Younited Festival on Aug. 14,

AUGUST 4-10, 2021

2021, at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds.

The agricultural and arts event, held from noon to 8 p.m., will feature a live performance from the legendary rock band, Mother’s Finest.

Attendees will have access to a maker’s village, a farm-to-table chef cook off, field day games, arts and crafts vendors, farm and garden equipment expo, bee yard, and a live art exhibition.

Samantha Foxx, owner of Mother’s

Finest Family Farm and local beekeeper, originally began farming to get back to her roots of growing up in Eastern North Carolina.

“Getting into farming was originally just for me. It was something I needed to do for myself and my family,” she said.

“It aligned with the morals, and goals I wanted to teach my children.”

Her husband, Derrick Monk, emphasizes that the event is more of a community event.

“Our event is called ‘Bee Younited’ for a reason. We aim to increase our bees and to support our local farmers. We want more people to support the locals, and that is in regards to any city,” he said. “A community has to come together to deal with hardship. We all work together, we all farm on the farm. We are a family of farmers and artists.”

The festival will have an array of artists, both on the local level and international level. Mother’s Finest is an internationally recognized band known for its signature soul, funk rock sounds. Their hit songs include “Angels” and “I Don’t Mind.”

“Lead Singer Joyce Kennedy is a powerhouse on stage. She demands the stage, and puts on one hell of a show,” said Foxx.

Legendary DJ Kool will also be of attendance and local soul singer Sonny Miles.

“It is a strong day to get people involved, learn, and have a good time,” shared Foxx. “The big picture is to help connect people with resources. It is a great day to give Winston-Salem a boost, economy-wise.”

There will be a multitude of demonstrations and performances at the Bee Younited Festival including Foxx’s live bee demonstration and bee exhibition. “High Mowing, a seed company, will be donating 1,000 seeds to help us place pollinators around Winston-Salem,” shared Foxx. “I hope people will take the seeds and plant more pollinator plants to help increase the bee population in a variety of areas.”

Monk, an artist and sculpture, will lead a metal casting workshop. The WinstonSalem State University graduate has worked on a number of public art projects for the city.

At the end of the festival, Foxx will give people the opportunity to sign up for courses of demonstrations they may have been interested in. The goal is to not just offer them entertainment but education, as well.

“We want to continue the education we are offering and will hold classes in the fall for either art classes or farming education, both animals and bees,” said Foxx. “We want families to be expressive,

Samantha Foxx provide food for themselves, and build community gardens. I will even bring out my tractor for a grazing demonstration.”

Both Foxx and Monk say that the festival is a long time coming and something that they’ve worked hard to bring to the community.

“We wanted an opportunity to build a community. This wasn’t a thought we had just yesterday. We had been planning this event for a while now. Due to Covid, we were unable to go through with it so we postponed until we felt it was safer for people to come together,” Foxx said.

Monk agrees and said that they believe in what they are doing and believe that they deserve to be represented.

“It gave us time to figure out what would be best for local farmers and businesses,” he said. “It puts things into perspective that those businesses are important, brave, and inspiring in the role they play in our community.” !

NAIMA SAID is a 22 year old UNCG theatre graduate and host of Heeere’sNeeNee Horror Movie Podcast.

WANNA

go?

For more information and ticket sales, visit Eventbrite at https://www.ticketmaster.com/ bee-younited-festival-with-mothers-finestwinston-salem-north-carolina-08-14-2021/ event/2D005AD0BDA03B72.

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tunes

J

Jeffrey Dean Foster and friends

effrey Dean Foster is bringing friends, and his new EP, “I’m Starting to Bleed,” to the Gas Hill Drinking Room on Aug 7.

“I’m playing my fi rst full-band elecKatei Cranford tric show in many, many moons,” Foster Contributor said of his upcoming Winston show, though the Triangle got a taste in July when he performed with the Backsliders for the second round of Record Store Day at School Kids Records in Raleigh.

The event celebrated official RSD releases from both acts, who along with Chis Stamey and The Veldt, released official titles to benefit the Shalom Project, the Winston-Salem anti-poverty center where Foster serves as Program Manager—an inclusion that came at the recommendation of Michael Kurtz, a former bandmate of Foster’s, and RSD cofounder. “He heard ‘I’m Starting to Bleed,’” Foster explained, “and suggested that it should be released on RSD, and that the vinyl sale proceeds should go to benefit The Shalom Project.”

The Shalom Project, which “never missed a beat” during the height of the pandemic, is one of the longest-running programs of its kind in the city. They’ve been working since 2006 to help ease the burden of poverty around Winston-Salem by offering assistance with medical care, clothing, food, and other basic necessities.

In tandem, Foster recently contributed a track to the “Be Good To Yourself” project, an initiative aimed at providing North Carolina musicians access to mental health care and substance abuse counseling services. Fiscally sponsored by the 501c3 organization Abundance NC, the project was created by musicians and activists in the Triad, Charlotte, and Triangle areas.

Foster (along with Stamey) are among the 60 North Carolina musicians featured on the project’s 27-song compilation— composed of tracks recorded exclusively for the project. Scheduled for release in the fall, Don Dixon, Mitch Easter, Peter Holsapple, and Snuzz offer a sampling of other Triad notables featured on the record.

And whenever Foster records, Dixon and Easter—longtime friends and collaborators—aren’t far behind. They mixed the EP, with Dixon lending bass and drums on a track. “I’m Starting to Bleed” was masWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

offers a lush build on Foster’s solo, acoustic appearance on the Ramkat’s “Home Sweet Home” series during the shutdown.

Remote additions from Dixon on drum and bass, McKee’s Wurlitzer, and vocals from Marti Jones elevate the bare-bones track into a “panoramic pop song,” with a bit of inspiration from Johnny Cash’s TVto-album transitions.

Turning to the show, “my good friend Beth McKee will be there too, singing and playing her singular brand of Laura Nyro meets the bayou kind of songs,” Foster said of the upcoming date. “See you there, I hope.” !

PHOTO COURTESY OF JDF WEBSITE

KATEI CRANFORD Is a Triad music nerd who hosts the Katei’s Thursday Tour Report on WUAG 103.1fm.

WANNA tered by Dave McNair, another recurrent figure in Foster’s fold, who’s worked with the likes of David Bowie, Bob Dylan, and Patti Smith.

Influences of the three big stars (and Big Star themselves) resonate in Foster’s latest work, with Bowie mentioned amongst artists Foster followed especially while writing the record. Notes of Harry Nilsson, elements of Earth, Wind and Fire, Flamin’ Groovies, and a lot of Smokey Robinson likewise weave through the record—a simultaneous culmination and departure from Foster’s four-decade career.

And while the Winston twang-popper remains content with streaming releases from his home in the Pfafftown woods, he’s embracing “musical happenings as they happen.” Besides the Raleigh RSD performances, Foster opened for Sam Frazier and the Side Effects—with whom he’s been “making some noise,” as of late—at Doodad Farm in July. And has a string of solo Triad shows scheduled through October.

But the upcoming Gas Hill gig sees his return backed by a full band, further highlighting the ways Foster enjoys getting by with his friends—a notion not missed on the EP, which features a photo taken by his “forever friend,” Tabitha Soren, and a slew of songs centered around “telling somebody you love them, today.”

Foster’s quick to extend that love— praising Eddie Garcia’s alternate “Pastoral” version of the title track, which features “epic” guitar orchestration thanks to the trademark “tiny symphonies” Garcia gives as 1970s Film Stock.

“I’m Starting to Bleed” is otherwise a mostly solo-release, recorded remotely— an effort that both explored and prevent-

ed pandemic isolation. And while themes encircling friendships and mortality offer continuity from his previous album “The Arrow,” Foster’s latest EP is distinctly stand-alone—a product of “the disorienting cauldron” of 2020. A particular record for a particular time.

With that, “When was the Last Time,”

go?

Jeffrey Dean Foster will be at the Gas Hill Drinking Room on August 7 before heading to the Wake Forest Listening Room on September 16 with Steve Nieve (Elvis Costello and The Attractions/ The Imposters). He’ll return to the Triad on October 2 for IdeasCity, in Winston-Salem’s Bailey Park, and for Art In The Arboretum on October 3 in Greensboro.

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last call

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

BOND SCARE

Amy Alkon

Advice Goddess

My roommate and I are best friends, and we’ve lived together for four years. Recently, she got into a pretty serious relationship, and it seems her priorities have totally shifted. Is a best friend always second place to a boyfriend? Or are they both of equal value? —Hurt

A female best friend can do a lot to make you happy — even give you a baby — though she’ll have to wait till the NICU nurse gets busy and kidnap one for you.

It can feel like a betrayal to be downgraded in your bestie’s life when a serious boyfriend comes around. However, evolution’s ultimately to blame. “We are survival machines — robot vehicles blindly programmed” by evolution to preserve our genes by passing them to generations after us, explains biologist Richard

Dawkins in “The Selfish Gene.”

Simply put, we’re each a big flesh bus driven by our genes, subconsciously steered to do their bidding. Psychiatrist and evolutionary medicine founder Randolph Nesse sums up the grim reality: Evolution “does not give a fig about our happiness.” It likewise doesn’t care whether we have friends, save for how they might help us survive and pass on our genes.

This sounds cold, but understanding the evolutionary reality can help you stay in your friend’s life and keep her in yours — perhaps without taking her shift in priorities personally. I use that understanding — despite finding kids loud, sticky, and expensive — to be supportive of friends who are moms of young kids. I insist to them (and genuinely feel) that it’s okay if they need to put off a call or drinks we’ve planned when they’re wiped from work plus momming. An important caveat: These are dear friends who show up for me if I’m in need; I’m not rolling over for a bunch of userish socio-Pattys.

You likewise might consider reconfiguring your expectations so you two can stay friends and you won’t make her feel

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she has to choose between you and the guy. You’d surely lose that battle — which means you and she would both end up losing. Supposedly, a truly “intimate” relationship is the sort you have with a man you love, but...well...when’s the last time coffee with your bestie ran long and you faked an orgasm so you could get on with your day?

HASTE CRIME

After my third date with a guy, he texted and asked why we hadn’t had sex yet. I was taking it slow-ish because I was trying to figure out whether I liked him (and vice versa). I was pretty annoyed at his question, and we agreed we should stop seeing each other. Well, last week, he started texting me again. Nothing groundbreaking, just “hey” and “what’s up.” What’s his deal — does he want another chance? Do I give it to him? — Unsure You probably like to wait to have sex till a guy shows he’s truly interested in who you are — reflected in his asking questions like, “So, who are your favorite authors?” as opposed to, “Say, can you

put your feet behind your head?”

Having sex can leave a woman with a belly of “OMG. How the hell do I pay for orthodontia, rehab, and grad school?”

Because of this, female emotions evolved to make women feel unhappy or ambivalent about having sex in the absence of signs a guy cares about them (and will stick around and “invest”).

However, men’s standards for sex partners tend to be, um, lower: along the lines of, “So, are you female?” (if the man asking is solidly straight) — and in a pinch: “Are you at least a mammal?”

When the evolved “sexual strategy” that’s typically optimal for one sex — like women taking it slowly — conflicts with that of the other, “strategic interference” like deception often ensues, explains evolutionary psychologist David Buss.

Men feigning commitment to get sex is an example of this. However, with the evolution of this strategy, a deceptioncircumventing counterstrategy coevolved in women: defaulting to the assumption they’re being conned into bed until proven otherwise.

Chances are the guy’s little “where’s my sex?!” tantrum resulted from his

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getting impatient and fed up and falling out of strategic pretendo mode. Buss explains that our emotions are our first line of defense against strategic interference, and right on cue, yours were all “You pig!”

Regarding why the guy’s back, he might be bored or desperate — or think he made a mistake. It’s possible he misses you and wants another chance.

If you’re open to giving him one, make it clear that if he’s just looking for a hookup, he’s in the wrong place. As for when you might have sex with him, if ever, it’ll happen when it happens. (Your vagina is not on a preset timer like a bomb.) !

GOT A PROBLEM? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., #280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@ aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com). Follow her on Twitter @amyalkon. Order her latest “science-help” book, Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence. ©2021 Amy Alkon. Distributed by Creators.Com.

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