YES! Weekly - December 22, 2021

TATTOO ARCHIVE

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MELROSE COFFEE

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MUSIC AND GOOD WILL

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December 22-28, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

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DECEMBER 22-28, 2021 VOLUME 17, NUMBER 51

12 FROM THE TOP ROPE Waking up and deciding he’d be a professional wrestler has worked out well for 24-year-old GRIFF GARRISON. So much so that he’s gone from recreating WWE wrestling matches on the trampoline in Winston-Salem to flying off the top rope in the AEW wrestling ring in sold-out coliseums.

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

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Tattoos were never just for sailors, convicts, and carnies. Dorothy Parker, Teddy Roosevelt, George Orwell, Winston Churchill, and his mother Lady Jenny, all had them.

Chuck Eldridge and his wife, Harriet Cohen, owners of the TATTOO ARCHIVE AND BOOK MISTRESS, located at 618 W. 4th Street in Winston-Salem, also have them, untattooed tattooists being rarer than skinny chefs.

6 After careful deliberation, the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has selected its award winners for the year 2021, and Jane Campion’s THE POWER OF THE DOG dominated the awards, winning five — including Best Picture and Best Director.

8 Back in July, Democratic Senate candidates CHERI BEASLEY and Jeff Jackson confirmed that they would tape a special voter education episode of “Triad Today” on December 15, so that folks throughout the Piedmont could learn more about them and their positions ahead of next year’s primary.

9 The immensely talented Kenneth Branagh has made his most personal film with BELFAST, a fact-based chronicle of his youth set in the late 1960s, when he was just

a lad. Appropriately enough, the principal character is Buddy, a bright-eyed boy played with delightful charm and gusto by newcomer Jude Hill.

15 A California dream has turned into reality for the folks behind MELROSE COFFEE + WINE BAR in Winston-Salem. “We’re all friends from Los Angeles, California, and ended up in NC together,” explained Nevin Anuran, who runs the shop with his wife, Karen; and their friend, Marrisa Cerna. “My wife wanted to open a coffee shop so during the pandemic, we figured why not take the chance and open a coffee shop,” he continued, “we’re transplants from Southern California and wanted to bring a piece of home to Winston-Salem.”

19 MUSIC AND GOOD WILL go hand in hand, and as 2021 comes to a close, I’d like to reflect with gratitude for artists across the Triad using their talent and platforms to fundraise for worthwhile causes over the year.

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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.

A good show is an opportunity for good times, even in the face of loss—a notion at the core of ScottFest, a music festival honoring Scott Johnson; and fundraiser...

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[SPOTLIGHT]

VIBES TO LOVE AT XO SOCIAL LOUNGE

BY KATEI CRANFORD

XO Social Lounge in downtown Greensboro beckons patrons to “catch a vibe” and hit the club this holiday season.

Whether looking to unwind in an upscale atmosphere, or glam-up with holiday flair, Jonathan “Jonra” and Jewel Southall, the husband-and-wife team behind XO are working to create a vibe worth loving.

“We strive to create an environment with the perfect vibe for the weekend,” they said, boasting the music, hookah, and drinks (including bottle service) they offer in the heart of downtown Greensboro.

“We make a good Strawberry Hennessy,” Jonra Southall said of one of his favorite drinks they feature on select Friday nights. A native of Washington D.C., he came to the Triad to play basketball and run cross-country for Greensboro College. Choosing a path of entrepreneurship after school, “I did weekly events at just about every club in Greensboro until I eventually became part owner of Greene Street Nightclub and The Mill Entertainment complex,” he explained of his background.

“I have about 15 years of experience in the industry,” he continued. “I started off as a nightclub promoter—just eager to learn the business.” That eagerness translated into a reputation for “throwing some of the hottest weekly events in the city,” he said, pointing to his 8-year run hosting “Greene Street Fridays.”

“That success put us in position to buy the club.”

Following a brief pandemic pause, Southall embarked on a new project: XO Social Lounge, which opened on Elm St in June (in the site of the former Rue-Bar and Blu Martini space). Harkening experience as a team player on the court and in the entertainment world, he’s enjoyed taking both to a new level. “Building a strong team is the fun part about ownership,” he said. “I’m blessed to be able to work with some familiar people that I’ve worked with over the years. Having lasting relationships has made it easy to put our staff together, and it also helps in establishing a great culture.”

Fulfilling a longtime dream of opening a space downtown, Southall has enjoyed the process. “Being able to develop a concept and put all of the pieces together has been exciting,” he said. “My experience made some things smooth and I also enjoy the learning process behind things I don’t know.”

Part of that experience has been honWWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

R&B singer Ne-Yo, center, served as special host for RNB•ISH Saturdays at XO Social Lounge on December 11. ing elements of Triad club culture, while also broadening horizons with outside inspiration from famed clubs like San Diego’s Side Bar (an “intelligent combination of both ultra-lounge and nightclub,”) which inspired Southall’s overall vision.

His ultimate goal, however, involves serving the city. “I absolutely love being in the heart of downtown,” he said. “I have so much history on Elm Street. It’s where I’ve thrown countless parties, it’s where I got married—at the Kress Rooftop. Jewel and I had our first drink at Blu Martini, which is now XO, we have so many memories here. Being able to build this brand with her at this location is really cool.”

And with that brand comes bright lights and a big party vibe from a small space. “The biggest adjustment for me was getting used to a smaller venue,” Southall explained. “It’s really about the vibe. The music, food, lighting, ambiance, and the people. Customer service also plays a huge role in creating that experience.”

Southall balances levels of upscale ambiance with low-key comfort. “I love being able to walk into a venue and feel comfortable,” he explained, “to feel safe, be welcomed by the staff, see smiling faces and be able to meet new people.”

And while the overall environment is somewhat elevated, his practice is fairly down-home. “I’m a laid-back guy, who likes to have a good time,” he said. “I like to put smiles on people’s faces and ultimately I’m just trying to do everything possible to make my guests’ night memorable.”

In making memories, XO Lounge has hosted an array of artists and pumping regular weekly events like their “RNB•ISH Saturdays” series. “I must say that having R&B singer Ne-Yo come and enjoy a night with us this past weekend is at the top

of the list,” Southall said of his favorite memories thus far. “It was a surprise for a lot of our guests, and he was nice to everyone.”

Looking ahead, Southall is especially looking forward to New Year’s Eve. “It’s my favorite event every year and I’m excited to have our first celebration at XO,” he said, reflecting on their work in 2021. “We inherited a nice structure and we really just started putting our touch

on it—but we’re going to take our decor to the next level in 2022. And I can’t wait for everyone to see.” !

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

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History of Skin: Winston-Salem’s Tattoo Archive

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attoos were never just for sailors, convicts, and carnies.

Dorothy Parker, Teddy Roosevelt, George Orwell, Winston Churchill, and his mother Lady Ian McDowell Jenny, all had them.

Chuck Eldridge and his wife, Harriet Contributor Cohen, owners of the Tattoo Archive and Book Mistress, located at 618 W. 4th Street in WinstonSalem, also have them, untattooed tattooists being rarer than skinny chefs.

Besides inking his patrons, Eldridge preserves the history of those decorations in his museum. Cohen, the Book Mistress, sells beautiful volumes of historical and modern body art.

Born in Elkin, NC, in 1947, Eldridge first wanted to get tattooed when he was eight but had to wait another decade.

“There were no tattooists in Elkin,” he said. “The only tattoos I ever saw there was on my dad, my uncles, and my older brother, who got theirs in the Air Force, even though that’s the least-inked branch of the Armed Forces.”

Eldridge took to sea rather than the air, but continued his family’s tradition of

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DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

service and ink, entering the San Diego Naval Training Center 1965. With both the boot camp and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot next to each other, the streets full of uniformed men jostling shoulder to shoulder, those shoulders (and arms and chests) getting inked 24 hours a day.

After 13 weeks at NTC-SD, Eldridge had several hundred bucks in his pocket and 12 hours of liberty. He got four tattoos that day. He also started his tattoo scrapbook that would eventually become his museum.

First assigned to the Naval Air Station in Beeville, Texas, he regularly traveled to Corpus Christi to increase his collection. In 1967, he served on the USS Oriskany in the

Gulf of Tonkin. That aircraft carrier took him to Japan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Hawaii. At every port, he added to both his scrapbook and his skin.

When his enlistment ended in 1969, he studied welding on the GI Bill at Forsyth Tech.

“Thinking I wanted to build bicycles, I went back to California to apprentice with a frame builder in Oakland and was also getting tattooed by D. E. Harvey in San Francisco. He offered me an opportunity to learn the art of tattooing, and I realized that was my true calling.”

Eldridge opened his first shop in Berkeley in 1978. “I had had a tattoo archive there, sort of a miniature version of this because of the cost of rent. History and archiving were always part of my tattoo business.”

But he eventually found himself missing North Carolina. “I knew I was going to burn out on the big city thing, and Harriet and I came here in 2007, and opened this shop.”

Showing off his collection, he talked about the central irony of his specialty and the history of tattooing in America.

“As a commercial profession, it was brought here by Irish and Germans, even though Native Americans had been doing it for millennia. It took that first big immigration push, as professional tattooing had gone on in those counties for a long time, and they brought it with them.”

The art also has a long history in Asia.

“Particularly in Japan, less so in China. But it’s all over Asia now, and walk-in street shops, which didn’t use to exist there, have become common. Tattooing is in its Golden Age all over the world now.”

Eldridge is aware of the social opprobrium the art once suffered, which included the denunciation my grandfather used

Chuck Eldridge in front of a tattoo parlor in Fayetteville back in its “Fayettenam” days when he caught me ogling the sexy lady designs in the window and said, “the only civilians who wear that trash are carnies, crooks, and floozies.”

“I never experienced much of that snobbery myself, as I never traveled in the circles where it was looked down on as disreputable. But of course, I knew the pressure was there for other people and other groups.”

I asked him who his tattoo heroes are.

“All the classic American guys. There’s Charlie Wagner, who worked the New York Bowery from the 1890s until his death in 1953. That he was in the media capital of America for over 50 years might explain his popularity, but his skill deserved the fame. Percy Waters was basically the same in Detroit. A lot of them are on the walls here. Our goal is to keep those names alive. You know how technology is. Everything pushes forward, and a lot of important history gets left behind by the latest sparkling gadget.”

One of Eldridge’s displays is of the electric pen patented by Thomas Edison in 1876 for cutting stencils to make multiple copies of a document. “A. B. Dick, the big supply company, bought the patent from Edison and started selling them. Irish Tattoo Artist Samuel O’Reilly saw this and

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[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP ADVERTORIAL] LOCAL ARTIST HIGHLIGHT: YOSIMAR ALVAREZ GIVES BACK TO HIS WINSTON-SALEM HOMETOWN NEIGHBORHOOD

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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.

$2,000 goal to build and supply the first Community Play Box. Their timeline is to have it built and installed by early March 2022. Alvarez also sells art where the proceeds go towards the Community Play Box project. Alvarez hopes that he can build more Community Play Boxes in Winston-Salem and in the future branch out to support neighboring underserved communities.

THEATRE ALLIANCE ELF: THE MUSICAL Theatre Alliance’s Elf: The Musical opened at the Ihrie Theatre on Thursday, December 16. Even with added an added show, the entire run of the show was sold out. The house was full of families and friends of the cast, and lovers of theatre. The set was colorful and featured snowflake figurines hanging from the ceiling. Elf: The Musical is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema Movie Elf, and tells the story of Buddy the Elf (or so he thinks) and his adventure in traveling from the North Pole to New York City to find his - father.

The musical starred Hal Roberts (Buddy), Yosim Rebecca Barnhardt (Jovie), and Steve ar Robinson (Walter Hobbs). Roberts, recently relocated to North Carolina from Austin, TX making Elf: The Musical his second production at Theatre Alliance.

Winston-Salem Theatre Alliance partnered with the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Winston-Salem.

Members of the DSA were also a part of the ensemble cast in this production. The production was directed by Jamie Lawson, choreographed by John C. Wilson and Mary Isom, and musically directed by David Lane. Theatre Alliance returns in the new year with The SpongeBob Musical in January 2022. z vare Al

went ‘I fucking think I can tattoo with this.’

So, he modified the tube assembly and turned it into the first tattoo machine.”

Eldridge is also an expert on Norman Rockwell’s paintings of tattoos. The most famous is “The Tattooist,” a 1944 Saturday Evening Post cover depicting a sailor with the names of six women marked-through on his shoulder, and a tattoo artist writing the seventh one, “Betty.” Eldridge’s museum contains a reproduction of that cover, but when the original was on tour from the Rockwell Museum and displayed at the Reynolda House in 2014, he was invited to lecture about it.

“I made friends with the curator of the Rockwell Museum and got to see some of the behind-the-scenes stuff, including the photographs Rockwell took for reference.

You can’t really see the tattoo machine in this painting, but he went down to the Bowery and befriended a tattooer named Al Neville, who loaned him a machine.

Rockwell elaborately posed photographs that he used as reference, in order to get it correct. Rockwell did his homework so thoroughly.”

The walls of the Tattoo Archive are also decorated with hundreds of examples of historic flash art, designs tattooists displayed on signs, or on paper in their shops’ windows. He pointed to 19th-century flash depicting the transition from sailing ships to steam as perhaps his oldest exhibit. “I got it from Singapore John Anderson, an old carney tattooer in San Antonio, who was a collector like me. A lot of tattooers aren’t collectors, as they travel a lot and it’s difficult to take stuff with them. That’s why I preserve their heritage.”

That preservation remains crucial even as society increasingly takes tattoos for granted, a cultural evolution made poignant by one of his friends. This was Captain Don Leslie, also known as Mister Circus Sideshow, a famous sword-swallower and fire-eater from the 1950s until he died in 2007.

Leslie was also a Tattooed Man, a sideshow attraction that dates back before the dawn of commercial tattooing, when sailors who had been gotten full-body tattoos, usually in the South Pacific or the East Indies, would retire from the sea to circuses and carnivals, where they became popular attractions.

“Captain Don told me he first realized everything was changing when he was standing on the sideshow platform and looked into the crowd, and the people in the crowd had more tattoos than he did.” !

Yosimar Alvarez (he/ him) is a Winston-Salem native from the Boston Thurmond Neighborhood located in North WinstonSalem. He recently completed a fellowship with MIXXER, an inclusive community makerspace that makes available Joshua Ridley resources allowing people to explore their Marketing & creativity and curiosity; Communications community members can Manager learn, explore, and craft with electronics, sewing, woodworking, etc. During his six-month fellowship, made possible by the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts and The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation, Alvarez served as the Community Outreach Coordinator. He completed tasks that supported underserved communities including the Boston Thurmond Neighborhood. “I have come full circle and have been able to give back to the neighborhood where I grew up,” said Alvarez.

As an artist, Alvarez focuses on drawing, sculpture, and watercolor.

Additionally, Alvarez is available for commission work. His recent commissions include wearable fashion; Alvarez paints his designs on shoes, jackets, dresses, canvas tote bags, as well as other products. Examples of his work can be found on his Instagram page @Thingsby.Yosi. In the summer of 2019, Alvarez was a part of the Arts Starts mural project, a collaborative effort where artists joined together to paint murals in the stairways of the 500 West Fifth Street Building.

Currently, Yosimar Alvarez is partnering with MIXXER and Kimberly Park Elementary School to build Winston-Salem’s first Community Play Box. The Community Play Box will be reminiscent of the Free Little Libraries found throughout our greater community. Rather than books, the Community Play Box will feature outdoor toys such as jump ropes, balls, frisbees, and sidewalk chalk. “I don’t want to just cater to kids who enjoy sports or kids who love to do physical activity. I want it to have a broader reach and include kids who are more artistic,” Alvarez expressed. Kimberly Park Elementary School, located in the Boston Thurmond Neighborhood, will be the first to receive the Community Play Box. Alvarez and MIXXER are currently raising funds toward their

ARTS COUNCIL is the chief advocate of the arts and cultural sector in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County.

Our goal is to serve as a leader in lifting up, creating awareness and providing support to grow and sustain artistic, cultural and creative offerings throughout our region. We acknowledge that it takes every voice, every talent, and every story to make our community a great place to live, work, and play. Arts Council is committed to serving as a facilitator, organizer, and promoter of conversations that are authentic, inclusive, and forward-thinking.

There are over 800,000 art and cultural experiences taking place in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County annually. To learn more about upcoming arts and culture events happening in our community please visit www. cityofthearts.com.

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

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The year’s best films: SEFCA has spoken

BY MARK BURGER After careful deliberation, the Southeastern Film Critics Association (SEFCA) has selected its award winners for the year 2021, and Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog dominated the awards, winning five — including Best Picture and Best Director. The all-star Western, based on Thomas Savage’s acclaimed best-seller, marks Campion’s first feature in over a decade, her last being Bright Star (2009). This marks the second time that Campion won both the Best Picture and Best Director accolades from SEFCA, having done so for The Piano in 1993.

“Jane Campion has been one of our finest directors for decades, and I’m thrilled

that our members chose to recognize her exquisite work on The Power of the Dog,” said SEFCA president Matt Goldberg.

“Campion has crafted a unique Western that gets to the core of the genre while still feeling fresh and vital. It’s an absolute triumph of mood, performances, and craft that will certainly go down as one of her finest movies in a career full of marvelous filmmaking.”

SEFCA’s top 10 films of 2021 are as follows: (1) The Power of the Dog. (2) Licorice Pizza. (3) Belfast. (4) The Green Knight. (5) West Side Story. (6) The French Dispatch. (7) Tick, Tick … BOOM! (8) Drive My Car. (9) Dune. (10) Summer of Soul.

Best Actor: Benedict Cumberbatch, The

Power of the Dog. Runner-up: Will Smith, King Richard.

Best Actress: Kristen Stewart, Spencer.

Runner-up: Alana Haim, Licorice Pizza.

Best Supporting Actor: Kodi SmitMcPhee, The Power of the Dog. Runnerup: Jeffrey Wright, The French Dispatch.

Best Supporting Actress: Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog. Runner-up: Aunjanue Ellis, King Richard.

Best Ensemble: The French Dispatch.

Runner-up: Mass.

Best Director: Campion, The Power of the Dog. Runner-up: Steven Spielberg, West Side Story.

Best Original Screenplay: Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza. Runner-up: Wes Anderson, The French Dispatch.

Best Adapted Screenplay: Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog. Runner-up: Tony Kushner, West Side Story.

Best Documentary: Summer of Soul.

Runner-up: Flee.

Best Foreign-Language Film: Drive My Car. Runner-up: The Worst Person in the World.

Best Animated Film: The Mitchells vs.

The Machines. Runner-up: Flee.

Best Cinematography: Greig Fraser, Dune. Runner-up: Ari Wegner, The Power of the Dog. Best Score: Hans Zimmer, Dune.

Runner-up: Jonny Greenwood, The Power of the Dog. The official SEFCA website is https:// www.sefca.net/. !

Independents day: A/perture Cinema presents Sundance Festival premieres If you’re not able to attend the Sundance Film Festival in person, a/perture cinema (311 W. Fourth Street, WinstonSalem) has the solution.

Beginning Jan. 20, local audiences can enjoy the Sundance experience as part of its Satellite Screen program running Jan. 28-30.

Satellite Screens was inaugurated last year as a partnership between the Sundance Institute and independent arthouse cinemas, and this year a/perture cinemas was selected in recognition of its shared purpose as a mission-driven non-profit and the organization’s ongoing commitment to vibrant independent film, excellence in community programming and outreach, and to inclusion and equity.

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This year’s program consists of eight films — five narrative features and three documentary features — all of which are enjoying their world premiere at Sundance: Keke Palmer, Common, and Jonny Lee Miller star in screenwriter/ director Krystin Van Linden’s fantasy Alice; R.J. Cyler and Donald Watkins star in this timely drama Emergency, directed

by Carey Williams; Alika Tengan directed the coming-of-age drama Every Day in Kaimuki, starring Naz Kawakami and Rina White; Julie Ha and Eugene Yi co-directed the documentary Free Choi Soo Lee; Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown headline screenwriter/director Adamma Ebo’s drama Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul; the boxing documentary La Guerra Civil,

was produced and directed by actress Eva Longoria Baston; screenwriter/director Gabriel Martins’ Marte Um (Mars One) stars Rejane Faria and Carlos Francisco; and screenwriter/producer/director Rita Baghdadi’s rock documentary Sirens.

Tickets for the Sundance films at a/ perture cinema will be exclusively available beginning Jan. 6, 2022, at https:// aperturecinema.com/. To participate in the Sundance Film Festival online, package sales begin Dec. 17, and single-film tickets will be available Jan. 6 at https://live-sundance-org.pantheonsite.io/festivals/sundance-film-festival/satellite-screens/. Due to local mandates, attendees at the a/ perture screenings must follow the health safety policies for in-person screenings, be

fully vaccinated at least two weeks prior to attending, and wear a mask indoors.

“We cannot wait to bring the Sundance Film Festival experience to our hometown audiences,” said Lawren Desai, curator and executive director of a/perture cinema. “A/ perture cinema prides itself on its quality programming year-round, and starting off 2022 by sharing these standout festival titles with Winston-Salem’s film lovers is going to be a thrill.”

For more information about this or other screenings at a/perture cinema, call 336-722-8148 or visit the official website: https://aperturecinema.com/. !

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

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Senate Candidate Beasley on “Triad Today”

B

ack in July, Democratic Senate candidates Cheri Beasley and Jeff Jackson confirmed that they would tape a special voter education Jim Longworth episode of “Triad Today” on December 15, so that folks Longworth throughout the at Large Piedmont could learn more about them and their positions ahead of next year’s primary.

However, Jackson failed to appear, then, days later, announced he was dropping out of the race. Fortunately, Judge Beasley showed up as promised, and we spent a half-hour together talking about her life and career.

JL: You were the first woman of color to become Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court. How did that make you feel at the time?

CB: Instantly I truly realized the full impact of the appointment. I understood that I would be leading all of the courts across the State. I understood I would be leading the Supreme Court of North Carolina, and those were really important roles to make sure the court system was working fairly and in full service to everybody across the State.

The unanticipated piece of that was all of the responses we received from all over the world who were excited

Cheri Beasly and Jim Longworth grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, and we were a very close family.

We always came together for Sunday dinner, and we were very communityoriented. My Mom earned her Ph.D. when I was a little girl, and she was very much steeped in service, and her service was steeped in faith. We were all very active in church and that is so much a part of the foundation of who I am as a person, as a judge, as a Mom, as a wife.

JL: Then is it your Mom who most shaped your life and career?

CB: She had a great impact, she was an amazing woman and was a trailblazer in her own right having created academic programs particularly for young people who Handy Work • In Home Repair lived in public housing, to make sure that they Assembly & Installation • Lawn Cleanup had a good chance in Call for free estimates! 336-689-7303 life. And so she was my

that I was serving as Chief Justice. It helped me to see that it really mattered. That diversity matters, that for so many young boys and girls it really does matter that they’re able to see people of color in leadership. So it was a real honor. I enjoyed my service and was really thankful for it.

JL: Tell us about growing up.

CB: I grew up with my mom and my

iWork FIX IT ALL

YES! WEEKLY

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

role model. I loved her dearly. I just knew that so much of who she was as a person and so much of the obligations that she felt and lived around giving back to others and being in service. I don’t know that I consciously knew that was where I would be, but that’s just what we did.

Judge Beasley and I covered a lot of ground during the half-hour, addressing such issues as: Is the Affordable Care Act still viable? Do you favor forgiving college debt and offering free tuition?

What can Congress do to stem the tide of gun violence?, and Is the Democratic Party out of touch with most Americans? !

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).

WANNA

watch?

This special episode of “Triad Today” will air on December 25 at 7:30 a.m. on abc45, and again on December 26, at 11 a.m. on MY48.

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flicks

Kenneth Branagh recalls a boyhood lived in Belfast

T

he immensely talented Kenneth Branagh has made his most personal film with Belfast, a fact-based chronicle of his youth set in the Mark Burger late 1960s, when he was just a lad. ApproContributor priately enough, the principal character is Buddy, a brighteyed boy played with delightful charm and gusto by newcomer Jude Hill.

Buddy, who lives with his Ma (Catriona Balfe), Pa (Jamie Dornan), and older brother Will (Lewis McAskie), enjoys a fairly idyllic childhood in the blue-collar neighborhood. He’s starting to get interested in girls, he’s enchanted by theater and film, and although he’s too young to fully comprehend the nature of what is quaintly referred to as “The Troubles,” he’s fully aware that the ongoing clashes between Catholics and Protestants could conceivably endanger himself and his family.

It’s against this backdrop that Belfast wields its emotional heft. There are tensions within the household and certainly tension within the community, but Belfast is something of a valentine to childhood and coming-of-age. It never loses focus on its characters and, indeed, celebrates them, even in their foibles, failings, and eccentricities. It’s a story of familial love, but with an edge of harsh reality, steeped in nostalgia and affection.

The film is reminiscent of John Boorman’s wonderful, similarly themed Hope and Glory (1987), which was set in London during Boorman’s boyhood against the backdrop of World War II, and in both cases, the filmmaker has brought a past era fully to life on the screen. The blackand-white cinematography by Haris WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Zambarloukos is drenched in atmosphere, and a marvelous score by Van Morrison (himself Belfast-born) further enhances that distinctive Irish flavor.

Although Branagh himself does not appear in the film, there’s no mistaking who Buddy is based on, thanks to some judiciously placed references and in-jokes.

Leave it to Kenneth Branagh to pay uproarious tribute to that quintessential kiddie matinee of the late 1960s, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). In addition to his string of fine Shakespearean screen adaptations (Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing), Branagh proved his versatility in the Marvel Universe by helming the Thor movies, and his technical wizardry is on full display here — yet never at the expense of the basic story and the characters inhabiting it. It’s a near-perfect balance.

The acting is impeccable, with Balfe and Dornan in career-best performances. Colin Morgan exudes charismatic menace as a boyhood chum of Pa’s who urges him in no uncertain terms to take a stand — and a side — lest there be consequences. Best of all are Buddy’s grandparents, played with irresistible blarney and humor by Judi Dench (who simply can do no wrong) and the always-welcome Ciaran Hinds, who quietly encourage the family that leaving Belfast might be the best option. They’ve lived their lives in Belfast, know the hardship and risk, and want subsequent generations to make their own mark elsewhere.

History has shown that Branagh did exactly that. Yet he hasn’t forgotten his roots, nor his lifelong affection for and ties to his birthplace. Belfast is the result of this and is, quite simply, one of the best and most appealing films of the year.

For a list of rental options for Belfast, visit the official website: https://www.focusfeatures.com/belfast/. !

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

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[NEWS OF THE WEIRD] THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

Chuck Shepherd

Fritz Turner, 23, returned to his hometown of Newport, Washington, to find the city’s Christmas tree “embarrassing.”

The scant trimming comprised a series of vertical rope lights dangling from the

top of the tree down the sides, The News Tribune reported. “This is not gonna do,” he said. So he set up a GoFundMe page on Dec. 2, hoping to raise $5,000 for better lights and more decorations. “We can do better. Even Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree looked better than this sad spruce,” he wrote. The page raised more than $2,700 for the lights, and the local utility company hung them on the tree. And middle- and high school students donated handmade ornaments for it. For the first time in many

years, the chamber of commerce organized a tree-lighting ceremony on Dec. 11. Turner said he’s been “inspired” by the support.

“Together, we’re really powerful.”

CHUTZPAH

On Dec. 6, Laura Oglesby, 48, pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally providing false information to the Social Security Administration, The New York Times reported. Her story is much more complicated than that one charge. In 2016, Oglesby used her estranged daughter’s identity to create another life for herself as Lauren Hays, a 22-year-old college student in Mountain View, Missouri. She obtained a Social Security card and driver’s license, then racked up more than $25,000 in debt with student loans and other expenses.

She also worked at Southwest Baptist University and rented a room from Wendy and Avery Parker. “Everybody believed it,” said Mountain View Police Chief Jamie Perkins. “She even had boyfriends that believed that she was that age: 22 years old.” Oglesby may face up to five years in prison and will have to pay restitution to her daughter and SBU.

MY KINGDOM FOR AN EDITOR

Thankfully, a sign on Interstate 95 in Delaware directing drivers to a Wilmington exit was only temporary, but that didn’t stop commuters from noticing it. The Associated Press reported that the sign was missing an “A” in the avenue’s name (“Delware”); transportation officials said it was made in a hurry in case the permanent sign didn’t arrive in time for the opening of the exit, which had been under construction. There’s always time for correct spelling, kids.

THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS

Those large inflatable Christmas decorations may fill the hearts of children with holiday cheer, but one young ursid saw a sparring partner and went on the attack in Monrovia, California, on Dec. 8. Donna Hargett captured video of a bear cub wrestling with her neighbor’s inflatable reindeer as the mama bear looked on, United Press International reported. “I looked up and there it was, jumping on the reindeer,” Hargett said. “We see these two around all the time. They’re trouble,” she said. In fact, Hargett said they once broke into her home and left paw prints on the bed. No word on Rudolph’s condition.

LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

Lauras Matiusovas, 30, was suddenly (and mistakenly) released from the Pentonville Prison in North London on Nov. 26

YES! WEEKLY

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

after serving only 48 hours of a four-year sentence. After he called the probation officer, who told him that everything was in order, Matiusovas did what any grateful con would do: He embarked on a 10-day boozing binge with his friends. “It’s mad,” one buddy said, according to the Daily Star.

“He could have jumped on a flight and left the U.K. Instead, he chilled with us and had a great time.” But it all came to an end on Dec. 6, when he was hauled back to his cell. The Ministry of Justice commented: “Releases in error are incredibly rare, but we take them extremely seriously.”

NOT YOUR FATHER’S BUICK

Sure, the Greatest Generation may be coasting down the road at 32 mph in their Le Sabres, much to other drivers’ frustration, but Buicks weren’t always old-man cars. In fact, car collector Anthony Saia sold a 1987 Buick GNX on eBay on Dec. 11 for $249,999, Fox News reported. The GNX, part of a limited edition of 547 built for only one year, was produced by Buick along with McLaren Engines and ASC Inc. It was the second-fastest 0-to-60 mph car of its day (behind the Porsche 911 Turbo), and others have sold for similar amounts. Saia’s car had 426 miles on it.

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Working at home? Stubbed your toe while making the commute from the bedroom to your desk? In Germany, you can now sue for worker’s comp insurance for injuries suffered while working at home.

Germany’s Federal Social Court ruled that an unnamed man who slipped on a spiral staircase and broke his back was entitled to coverage, saying it viewed the “first morning journey from bed to the home office as an insured work route,” NBC Washington reported.

YIKES!

Rob and Marcela Wild of Robertson, South Africa, figured there might be a mouse in their newly decorated Christmas tree when their cats started watching it intently on Dec. 10. Instead, they found one of the most venomous snakes in Africa, a boomslang, CNN reported. The Wilds called on snake catcher Gerrie Heyns, who used “snake tongs” to put it on the floor. “Once I had it under control, the family came right up to see the snake,” Heyns said. “A scary moment turned into an exciting moment for the children.” Heyns released the female snake, about 4 1/2 feet long, back into the wild a couple of days later. !

© 2021 Chuck Shepherd. Universal Press Syndicate.

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

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Texter’s “I think ...”

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PHOTO CREDIT: ALL ELITE WRESTLING/ AEW

From the top rope: Triad Wrestler rises to Professional Wrestling fame

W

aking up and deciding he’d be a professional wrestler has worked out well for 24-year-old Griff Garrison.

So much so that he’s gone from Chanel Davis recreating WWE wrestling matches on the trampoline Editor in Winston-Salem to flying off the top rope in the AEW wrestling ring in sold-out coliseums.

Garrison, one half of All-Elite Wrestling’s tag team duo “Varsity Blonds,” YES! WEEKLY

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

said he grew up a wrestling fan and was “one of those kids that never really grew out of it.” He said he remembers watching the matches on TV and going to the events with his mom and dad.

“I think the reason why wrestling in my hometown is so special to me is because every single time there was a wrestling event or wrestling show at the coliseum, me and my dad, or my mom would always go,” he said. “There’s a restaurant across the street called Stamey’s. We would always go there first and we’d eat hot dogs, and then we’d walk across the street. We’d go inside and I’d be so excited to see the setup and the show happening. It would be one of the best nights of the year for me. Being able to come back, retrace my steps and wrestle

in the coliseum, and not just be a fan, is pretty cool to me.”

Idolizing WWE superstars like John Cena and Edge, Garrison and his best friend Marcus Kross decided to take to the ring themselves. Garrison played football in high school and was never an amateur wrestler, although Kross did and is also a professional wrestler.

“We were just wrestling on the trampoline. We would come home and wrestle on the trampoline after practices’ for hours,” he said. “We woke up one morning and we’re like ‘let’s see about doing this for real.’ We looked up pro wrestling schools near us, not really all that hopeful, but we found a lot.”

That search led them to Fire Star Pro Wrestling in Greensboro where they

would train under LaBron Kozone for the next few years, including while Garrison was in completing his undergraduate studies at Guilford College. In fact, Garrison credits the training with kickstarting his wrestling career.

“I was literally waking up, going to lift, going to college classes, coming back, packing my stuff, and going to train for five, six, or seven hours. That was an everyday thing for me,” Garrison said. “He’s (Kozone) a great guy, a great trainer and he knows what he’s talking about. It was great just being able to go there and learn the fundamentals. That’s the kind of trainer he is. He is the kind of guy that preaches the fundamentals over and over until you get it. Then you get to go to all these shows around the country,

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wrestling with guys and you learn more.”

After graduating from Guilford College in 2020, with a double major in Education and History, Garrison was looking for a teaching job as COVID-19 halted many matches and shows across the country. He was honing in on a teaching and football coach job at Grimsley High School when he received the call he’d been training all his life for.

“It was wild. It was sort of like an emotional roller coaster. All of a sudden I got a call saying we need you down in Jacksonville. I did a couple of trial matches and I guess they liked what they saw.

They kept bringing me back. This past July, me and my tag team partner Brian Pillman got signed to full-time deals.”

Garrison said the journey to get to this point has been crazy and filled with peaks and valleys.

“I was a college student but could train, wrestle and do what I love to do. I www.yesweekly.com

think that was a high in my life. A couple of years later, I was at the beach doing backflips and I broke my foot, my heel bone. Then I found out I had a tumor in my heel bone and I needed that removed. That was in 2018 and that was a valley,” Garrison explained. “After that, I hit another peak and we were doing matches everywhere six months later.

They were talking about signing us at Ring of Honor, another wrestling promotion, and then COVID hit and they were not going to do any more shows or sign anyone. That was another valley. Then I was looking for that teaching job and I got the call and went to AEW and now I’m here. So now we’re riding another peak. It’s been up and down for a long time.”

One thing’s for sure, Garrison wouldn’t want to go through the valleys or climb CONTINUED ON PAGE 14] December 22-28, 2021

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FROM PAGE 13

the peaks without the person he began this journey with, Marcus Kross.

“I moved into his neighborhood when I was probably in middle school and I met him shortly thereafter. We both had trampolines; we (the kids in the neighborhood) would all hang out and just beat each other up. It sounds bad but that’s what we’d do. We would all get on the trampoline and recreate matches and we just love it. It was our favorite thing,” Garrison said. “Not a lot of people get to see their really good friend after high school. So to be able to keep him in my life after high school, travel with and do stuff with your best friend, it’s a blessing.”

He’s excited to build that same bond with his new tag team partner, Brian Pillman Jr. as part of Varsity Blonds.

While Garrison says it takes time for tag team partners to form a bond and solid YES! WEEKLY

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

connection, he feels like he’s done that with Pillman.

“We have grown close. We have conversations about politics, wrestling, and about anything. I like to have talks with him and just get close with him about stuff. We are definitely getting there for sure if we’re not already there yet. To be able to do what we’ve done in such a short period of time as a tag team I think to me is impressive and we can only go up from here.”

That connection will come in handy for the latest match the duo will face.

Garrison is excited to be returning to the Triad for the Greensboro AEW event on Wednesday, Dec. 22., at 7 p.m. The event features not only the flagship “AEW: Dynamite” show but the league’s newest show, “AEW: Rampage.” There he will face one of the biggest singles matches of his career when he faces Malakai Black but he’s not worried.

“He’s tough and he’s been doing this

for such a long time. The fans love him.

Facing him in my hometown is by far going to be the toughest challenge that I’ve ever faced. I’m up for it 100 percent,” he said. “I think the Greensboro crowds got me. They’re going to get loud. They’re going to get electric. I’ve said this before; I think the Triad has the most passionate wrestling fans in the world so being the hometown boy is the advantage for me. Going into this I’m 100 percent confident and focused. He’s going to bring the fight and I’m ready for that as well.”

While Garrison may have idolized the stars of WWE, he’s quickly becoming one himself in the AEW arena.

All-Elite Wrestling is a professional wrestling league out of Florida “offering an alternative to mainstream wrestling, with a roster of world-class talent that is injecting new spirit, freshness, and energy into the industry.” “AEW: Dynamite” airs on Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. on

TNT and “AEW: Rampage” airs Friday on TNT from 10 to 11 p.m. Beginning in 2022, TBS will start airing “AEW: Dynamite.”

“The atmosphere at AEW is just a fun, welcoming place. Everybody is just friendly. They all want to make AEW successful and I think that’s the beauty of it,” he said. “When you have all these minds and all these people working together to achieve one goal, it’s beautiful to watch. It’s the best place to work and it’s the best wrestling place in the world.

I’ll say that until the day I die. Being able to be a part of it is a dream come true.”

AEW will be returning to the state in January. Tickets and more information can be found at www.AEWTIX.com. !

CHANEL DAVIS is the current editor of YES! Weekly and graduated from N.C. A&T S.U. in 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She’s worked at daily and weekly newspapers in the Triad region.

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Melrose Coffee + Wine Bar comes to Winston-Salem A California dream has turned into reality for the folks behind Melrose Coffee + Wine Bar in WinstonSalem.

“We’re all friends from Los Angeles, California, and ended up in NC together,” Katei Cranford explained Nevin Anuran, who runs Contributor the shop with his wife, Karen; and their friend, Marrisa Cerna.

“My wife wanted to open a coffee shop so during the pandemic, we figured why not take the chance and open a coffee shop,” he continued, “we’re transplants from Southern California and wanted to bring a piece of home to Winston-Salem.”

Located in the Stratford Ridge strip center next to Joann Fabrics and Hemporia (another business Anuran operates). “We used certain parts of Southern California that inspired the overall look and vibe of the coffee shop,” he explained of their Instagram-worthy decor and design. “For example, our garden hallway is inspired by the restaurant Catch, with their floral entrance.”

As for the coffee, the selection stems from Karen’s passion. “We don’t have a professional background in coffee other than my wife being a huge coffee fanatic,” Anuran said. “She appreciates good quality coffee like a bottle of wine. So we entrusted her with the selection of coffee beans and roast.”

Carrying the Wunderlust label for coffee and teas, “we went with an artisan roaster

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who shares the same values in coffee,” he said. “It took over a year of trial and error trying to get the menu and flavor profile right.

We’re still striving to add new items to the menu that Winston hasn’t seen yet, like our latest Ferrero Roche Frappe.”

Topped with the hazelnut treat, the concoction itself isn’t intended to be overly sweet. “We believe our customers should enjoy the true taste of the coffee and flavors and then adjust the sweetness to their liking.”

Beyond the lattes and teas found in most shops, Melrose looks to expand Winston’s coffee profile, offering pour-overs, affogato (ice cream topped with espresso), and dalgona (a frothy mix of whipped coffee atop iced milk).

They also hope to keep the menu interesting with a revolving secret menu featuring an array of interesting brews, like the fruity pebble latte or blueberry lavender latte (one of Anuran’s favorites

to make). He also enjoys whipping up a vanilla rose latte, and exploring their line beyond coffee, like a Butterfly Lemon Spritz.

Getting into the season, their special holiday drink menu features coffee standards like a white chocolate peppermint mocha (topped with crushed peppermint) and a caramel gingerbread latte. Coal isn’t just for the naughty list at Melrose with a “Dirty Santa Latte,” featuring activated charcoal, mixed with strawberry and a choice of milk.

And they offer a line of mocktails like ”Rudolph’s Red Nose Fizz,” a cranberry-topped tonic that “bursts with flavors of gingerbread, cranberry, and orange.” Or their twist on the classic eggnog, coming in the form of a non-caffeinated steamer beverage.

With no kitchen, Melrose partnered with local purveyors from across the Triad—and the globe—for eats; and currently offers wares from the Porch, Camino Bakery, Cheesecakes by Alex, and The BloomBoard.

As for building their menus, “we wanted to reflect our style,” he said, noting the inclusion of vegan and gluten-free options for both food and coffee offerings.

His personal favorite runs along their line of croissants, from the sweet chocolate and Nutella, to the savory chicken salad.

“It was so important for us to find the right vendors,” Anuran continued. ”They’re all amazing and delivered on the quality we aim to serve our community. Our macaroons are the only item on the menu not local as we get those from Paris.”

The Parisian and Californian influences extend to their upcoming expansion into an evening wine bar. Featuring a mix of bottles from California, Italy, France, Germany, and South Africa, their goal is to serve labels “that you can’t find in local grocery stores or bars,” he said. “We’re working with select distributors and brands after multiple tastings to make sure the notes and palate fit our vision and communicate the quality of standard we offer.”

Anuran looks to pair wine with atmosphere, “we wanted to bring the lounge aspect to Melrose Coffee and wine gives you the inviting lounge vibe,” he said, with plans still underway to broaden their space. “Once we obtain our wine license we’ll be looking to add live music, along with networking events for small business owners, speed dating, and wine tasting nights.”

Beyond the main space, Melrose also offers a private, VIP business suite. “It allows folks to have a private meeting, take a zoom call or interview without the eyes and ears of other customers listening or eavesdropping on sensitive topics,” Anuran explained of the space. A booking site and monthly membership plan is in the works, “it will allow patrons to book an hour of time out with complimentary drip coffee and tea during the session.”

As they get their footing into the new year, “we hope to be Winston’s staple craft coffee shop and be here for the long run,” Anuran noted. For those running errands in a holiday dash, Melrose is currently offering a happy hour special: 30 percent off cheesecakes with any drink purchase, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. daily.

Melrose Coffee + Wine Bar is currently open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 1608 S-Stratford Road, Suite C in WinstonSalem. !

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

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

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[FACES & PLACES]

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AROUND THE TRIAD YES! Weekly’s Photographer

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One Thirteen Brewhouse + Rooftop Bar 12.17.21 | Greensboro

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hot pour PRESENTS

[BARTENDERS OF THE WEEK | BY NATALIE GARCIA] Check out videos on our Facebook!

BARTENDER: Erin Barnes BAR: One Thirteen Brewhouse AGE: 27 WHERE ARE YOU FROM? Greensboro born & raised!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BARTENDING? 10 months HOW DID YOU BECOME A BARTENDER? Toby Leasure had faith in me and decided to give me a chance at his new bar!

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY ABOUT BARTENDING? I absolutely enjoy interacting with people and I love the fast pace environment!

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE? I love to make a good Old Fashioned.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE DRINK TO DRINK? I also love to enjoy a good Old Fashioned!

WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND AS AN AFTER-DINNER DRINK? Vodka & Soda with a Lime!

WHAT’S THE CRAZIEST THING YOU’VE SEEN WHILE BARTENDING? A Proposal!

Also, newlywed’s dancing in their suit & wedding dress.

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December 22-28, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

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Ugly Christmas sweater party @ Lager Haus at Red Oak Brewery 12.19.21 | Whitsett

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DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

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tunes

HEAR IT!

M

usic and good will go hand in hand, and as 2021 comes to a close, I’d like to reflect with gratitude for artists across the Triad using their talent and Katei Cranford platforms to fundraise for worthwhile Contributor causes over the year.

A good show is an opportunity for good times, even in the face of loss—a notion at the core of ScottFest, a music festival honoring Scott Johnson; and fundraiser for The Guilford County Solution to the Opioid Problem (GCSTOP) held at Lebauer Park in June.

With its first incarnation raising more than $15,000 (and distributing more than 100 overdose reversal kits) organizers are hosting a holiday reprise at the “Super Yamba & Friends’ 6th Annual Holiday Jam,” on Dec. 23 at the Flat Iron in Greensboro.

“This will be our first holiday without our dear friend and musical partner Scott Johnson,” organizers said over Instagram.

“In his memory, we’re dedicating the show to Scott and all proceeds from the show will benefit GCSTOP.” Featuring members of Kaleta & Super Yamba Band, Big Something, Reliably Bad, Black Haus, Brand New Life, and more (including DJ sets from Prez throughout the night) the dance party tradition continues with a mission: raising funds for GCSTOP’s signage campaign targeting musicians, bars and venues across North Carolina.

Awareness related to harm-reduction practices is but a facet of GCSTOP’s overall pursuit, which seeks to address the increasing incidence of opioid overdoses and WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Good Will, Cheer, and Music opioid-related deaths in Guilford County.

They serve residents through naloxone training and distribution, coordination with community partners, and operating mobile and fix-site syringe exchange programs (SEP) all with the purpose of relationshipbuilding and prevention of death by overdose.

Similarly, Mental Health Greensboro hosted their “Stomp the Stigma” fundraiser concert in June with Russ Varnell & His Too Country Band and Michael Cosner & The Fugitives. The funds allow MHG to continue helping “promote mental wellness and support those in mental health recovery,” organizers said. They’ve also partnered with the United Way in “working to break the cycle of poverty for families in Greater Greensboro.”

Groove Jam X likewise addressed poverty and hunger with a return to its annual live music festival at Doodad Farm in September, raising more than $25,000 and 1,780 pounds of food, to benefit the Greensboro Urban Ministry.

In Winston-Salem, FemFest carried on— honoring its late-founder Bryn Hermansen—with a virtual music festival, to raise more than $12,000 for Family Services of Forsyth County, which offers safe haven and assistance to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Casey Noel, Bob Fleming & the Cambria Iron Co., P-90’s, Alexis Ward, and Rebecca Reel were Triad artists among the twelve acts, which appeared as part of the virtual festival on Youtube in November.

Back in the spring, Jeffrey Dean Foster released “I’m Starting to Bleed” as an official “Record Store Day” title, with all proceeds going to the Shalom Project, which “runs programs that challenge the cycle of poverty in our community with a spirit of inclusion, compassion, and justice.”

Foster likewise lent his talents, with a

track, “Ruby Beach” (featuring his daughter, Ava Louise) to the album for the “Be Good To Yourself” project, an initiative in the works since 2019 to offer North Carolina musicians access to mental health services.

The album itself features a number of Triad artists, including organizer and “Defacto Brother” Ed Bumgardner, Rob Slater, Gino Grandinetti, Doug Davis, Bruce Piephoff, Snüzz, and Mitch Easter. In all, more than 60 North Carolina musicians contributed to the record, which serves as the project’s main fundraising source.

The mission, according to organizers, is to raise, “much-needed awareness and funds to provide underinsured music industry professionals access to mental health care and substance abuse counseling services in times of crisis when they need it most. Let’s start helping our artists and those who support them in the profession to be good to themselves.”

Created by a group of artists from the Triad, Triangle, and Charlotte areas, the “Be Good to Yourself” project is sponsored by the 501c3 organization Abundance NC, and is partnered with Mind Path Care Centers across the state. They’ll also be working with the Texas-based SIMS Foundation, which exists to offer mental health support to entertainment professionals, in its transition to North Carolina.

And while this list is hardly exhaustive of the work of musicians and organizations which helped our community in 2021, if you’re rushing for a last-minute gift, or are into non-material gifting all together, I’d suggest a cue from the Triad music world for worthwhile donations in this season of giving.

Merry Christmas, y’all. !

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

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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 www.foursaintsbrewing.com Thursdays: Taproom Trivia Fridays: Music Bingo Jan 1: Kayligh Jackson Jan 8: Brooke McBride Jan 15: Jon Ward Beyle Jan 16: Honky Tonk Jam w/ Mark Dillon & Friends Jan 22: Casey Noel Jan 29: Sterling Scott

CHARLOTTE

BOJANGLES COLISEUM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600 www.boplex.com Dec 23: Winter Soul Fest feat. The Isley Brothers Dec 30: Charlie Wilson Jan 7: Ron White Jan 14: Tom Segura: I’m Coming Everywhere Jan 21: Jason Isbell w/ Special Guest Adia Victoria Feb 2: Joss Stone & Corinne Bailey Rae Feb 6: Winterjam22

CMCU AMPHITHEATRE former Uptown Amphitheatre 820 Hamilton St | 704.549.5555 www.livenation.com Apr 20: Modest Mouse May 16: Leon Bridges Jun 5: Barenaked Ladies

THE FILLMORE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd | 704.916.8970 www.livenation.com Dec 30: Wakaan Takeover Jan 8: Wooli Jan 11: Allen Stone Jan 14: Anderson East Jan 15: Sainted feat. DJ Fannie Mae Jan 18: Motion City Soundtrack Jan 21: Two Friends Jan 25: Set It Off Jan 27: Cheat Codes Jan 28: Tenille Townes Feb 1: YUNGBLUD Feb 1: BIGBABYGUCCI Feb 5: Subtronics Feb 6: Mammoth WVH & Dirty Honey Feb 8: MUNA Feb 10: K.Flay

YES! WEEKLY

DECEMBER 22-28, 2021

[BIG SOMETHING] December 29 - Lincoln Theatre

PNC MUSIC PAVILION

707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292 www.livenation.com Apr 30: Jimmy Buffet May 8: AJR - The OK Orchestra Tour May 12: Tim McGraw May 24: Foo Fighters May 29: Nick Cannon

SPECTRUM CENTER

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000 www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com Jan 16: Trevor Noah Feb 6: Billie Eilish Feb 10: Jeff Dunham

DURHAM

CAROLINA THEATRE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org Dec 23: Drag Queen Christmas Jan 9: The Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle Jan 15: Donna Washington Jan 16: Citizen Cope Jan 24: The Movement Jan 27: Tig Notaro Jan 28: Ashley McBryde Jan 29: Whitney Cummings

Feb 3: Alan Parsons Live Project Feb 5: Shana Tucker Feb 9: Pat Metheny Side-Eye Feb 10: Al Strong & Trio

DPAC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Dec 26: The Hip Hop Nutcracker Jan 12-13: Tom Segura Jan 14: Jo Joy Jan 16: Boyz II Men Jan 18: Erasure Jan 22: Trey Kennedy Jan 28-30: RENT Jan 31: Mystery Science Theater 3000 Feb 1: The Choir of Man

ELKIN

REEVES THEATER

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com Fourth Thursdays: Old-Time Jam Dec 31: NYE w/ Reeves House Band Jan 8: Reliably Bad Jan 14: Cruz Contreras Jan 21: Jim Lauderdale Mar 4: Della Mae

GREENSBORO

BARN DINNER THEATRE

120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com Dec 17-23: Peace, Love, & My Mother-In-Law Jan 8: Stephen Freeman Jan 22: The Lagacy - Motown Revue Jan 29: The Spirit of Harriet Tubman Feb 12: Walter Johnson Encounter Feb 19: Ms. Mary & The Boys

THE BLIND TIGER

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 www.theblindtiger.com Dec 25: Casey Cranford Dec 26: Brice Street Dec 31: NYE 2022 w/ Jukebox Rehab Jan 7: Camel City Yacht Club Jan 8: Maiden Voyage Jan 18: Inhuman Condition w/ Crusadist Jan 20: Pressing Strings Jan 28: The Breakfast Club Feb 10: Big Mountain w/ Mighty Mystic

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Carolina ThEaTrE

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com Jan 9: Doug Baker

ComEDY ZonE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com Dec 31: Shaun Jones w/ Chris Wiles Jan 6-8: David a. arnold Jan 14-15: Kier “Junior” Spates Jan 28-30: David Koechner Feb 11-13: Jesus Trejo apr 1-3: Jason Banks

FlaT iron

221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967 www.flatirongso.com Dec 23: Kaleta & Super Yamba Band Dec 26: The hit w/ Chuck Pinckney Dec 29: inTheBeatofThenight feat.

Prez Jan 2: The hit w/ Chuck Pinckney

GaraGE TavErn

5211 A West Market St | 336.763.2020 www.garagetaverngso.com Dec 30: Tony & Katy Dec 31: nYE Party w/ DJ Todd

GrEEnSBoro ColiSEum

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Dec 22: Playboi Carti Dec 31: The avett Brothers Jan 8: Greensboro hip hop Festival

PiEDmonT hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Feb 12: andy Gross

SouTh EnD BrEWinG Co. 117B W Lewis St | 336.285.6406 www.southendbrewing.com Tuesdays: Trivia night

STEvEn TanGEr CEnTEr

300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500 www.tangercenter.com Dec 28: Come From away Jan 4: Shen Yun Jan 14: leanne morgan Jan 15: The Texas Tenors Jan 21-23: Porgy and Bess feat. rhiannon Giddens Jan 25: Steve martin

ThE iDioT Box ComEDY CluB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com Dec 29: Trouble With Shapes Jan 1: 40 First Jokes of the new Year Jan 8: maddie Wiener Jan 15: Brad Tassell www.yesweekly.com

Jan 22: ryan Bender Jan 27: mo alexander Jan 29: Paul hooper Feb 5: Cabell Wilkinson Feb 12: robert Baril Feb 12: Eric Brown Feb 16: Drew harrison

high point

ham’S PallaDium

Best Nightlife in the Triad Christmas Week @ Breathe: Wed 12/22: Christmas Karaoke with Mike Lawson 8pm Thursday 12/23: Dj Mike Lawson 8pm Friday 12/24: DJ Orlando 9:30-2am Sat 12/25: Closed; Merry Christmas!

Get Your Tickets to Breathe’s New Years Eve Bash $35 Includes Midnight Breakfast Buffet

5840 Samet Dr | 336.887.2434 www.hamsrestaurants.com Dec 25: opal moon and the Darksides Dec 31: hampton Drive

hiGh PoinT ThEaTrE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401 www.highpointtheatre.com Jan 15: James Gregory

BreatheCocktailLounge.com 221 N Main St, Kernersville: Upstairs • Wed & Thurs: 5-12 • Fri & Sat: 5pm-2am

SWEET olD Bill’S

1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476 www.sweetoldbills.com Dec 23:Purple house Dec 30: Chris Sheppard Jan 6: Big Bump and the Stun Gunz Jan 13: TBD Jan 20: ladies auxiliary Jan 27: matt Walsh’s Blue revue Feb 3: Shiela’s Traveling Circus

jamestown

ThE DECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.thedeckatrivertwist.com Dec 23: DJ Jenn Dec 31: Soul Central

kernersville

BrEaThE CoCKTail lounGE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822 www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge Wednesdays: Karaoke Fridays: DJ

lewisville

olD niCK’S PuB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 www.OldNicksPubNC.com Fridays: Karaoke

liberty

ThE liBErTY ShoWCaSE ThEaTEr 101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844 www.TheLibertyShowcase.com Jan 8: mark Chesnutt Jan 22: The isaacs

December 22-28, 2021

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raleigh

CCU MUSiC Park at WalnUt CrEEk

3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com nov 19-Jan 2: Magic of lights

linColn thEatrE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com Dec 23: Smell the Glove w/ Midnight Snack Dec 29: Big Something w/ Maggie rose Dec 30: Big Something Dec 31: Big Something w/ Josh Phillips and ranford almond Jan 1: Big Something w/ Dr. Bacon Jan 8: the Eric Strickland Band, Sixteen Penny, rebels Fox Jan 9: School of rock raleigh Jan 13-14: ZoSo: led Zeppelin Experience Jan 15: anderson East w/ Bendigo Fletcher Jan 21: the Breafast Club 80’s Party Jan 22: Moon Water: tribute to Widespread Panic Jan 25: railroad Earth Jan 26: Cheat Codes w/ kastra Jan 27: Dopapod

Jan 28: Who’s Bad: the Ultimate Michael Jackson Experience Feb 3: american aquarium w/ old 97’s Feb 4: american aquarium w/ aaron lee tasjan Feb 5: american aquarium w/ Zach Bryan Feb 5: ripe w/ the Collection

rED hat aMPhithEatEr 500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com May 7: aJr Jun 16: Cody Johnson Jul 16: Barenaked ladies

PnC arEna

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Feb 10: imagine Dragons Mar 2: Eagles Mar 19: Winter Jam 2022

winston-salem

BUll’S tavErn

408 West 4th St | 336.331.3431 www.bullswsnc.com Wednesdays: karaoke

BUrkE StrEEt PUB 1110 Burke St | 336.750.0097 www.burkestreetpub.com tuesdays: trivia

thE raMkat

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 www.foothillsbrewing.com Dec 22: Folkknot Dec 26: Sunday Jazz Dec 29: Banjo Earth Jan 2: Sunday Jazz

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com Dec 31: the Plaids Jan 7: Men in Black Jan 8: Donna the Buffalo Jan 13: Brown Mountain lightning Bugs, Sarah Sophia Jan 14: Spirit System, Ships in the night, Buried in roses Jan 15: rumours: a Fleetwood Mac tribute Jan 20: Bad Dog, Unknown nobodies, the Camel City Blackouts Jan 21: Marty Stuart & his Fabulous Superlatives Jan 22: leo kottke Jan 27: Songwriter’s Circle w/ Emily Stewart, ryan Johnson, Billie Feather, & Colin Cutler Jan 28: abbey road Feb 3: runaway Gin: Phish tribute Feb 12: Cosmic Charlie Feb 19: Cannibal Corpse, Whitechapel, revocation, Shadow of intent

MiDWaY MUSiC hall

WiSE Man BrEWinG

CB’S tavErn

3870 Bethania Station Rd | 336.815.1664 www.facebook.com/cbtavern Dec 31: the o.S.P. Band

Earl’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com Dec 24: Will Jones Dec 31: Shane Pruitt & Sam robins Jan 1: killer Wabbits

FoothillS BrEWinG

11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter Wednesdays: line Dancing w/ Denise Dec 31: Sidekix

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008 www.wisemanbrewing.com Wednesdays: Game night thursdays: Music Bingo Dec 31: DJSk

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December 22-28, 2021

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last call

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

EASY REWRITER

At a dinner, a woman asked how my husband and I met. He says he spotted me in the campus dining hall, deliberately bumped me and spilled my drink on my tray, Amy Alkon and used getting me a refill to ask Advice me out. This never happened. (We Goddess met in class, and he asked me out.) What does it mean that he has such faulty recall about the entire origin of our marriage?

—Disturbed There is such a thing as “total recall,” and it’s what automakers rush to do after they sell a car that is not only self-driving but self-destructing: dropping parts like breadcrumbs as it tools down the highway.

What total recall is notis a feature of the human mind — despite the widely believed myth that memory is a form of mental videotape: faithfully preserving our experiences for playback. Ideal as this would be for spouses with prosecutorial tendencies, our minds are, in fact, hotbeds of fragmented, distorted, partial recall.

We create this mess ourselves, simply by remembering — and remembering again. “Using one’s memory shapes one’s memory,” explains psychologist Robert Bjork. Basically, the more we tell a story, the more we believe it — along with all the embellishments (aka big fat lies)

we added to funny it up and otherwise impress (so social situations feel less like reenactments of being picked last for dodgeball).

And when I say “we,” I mean me. When I lived in Manhattan, I’d brag about my response to a street-corner flasher: “Looks like a penis — only smaller.” I’m now pretty sure this never happened. I did see an escaped trouser snake or, uh, five on the subway. (New Yorkers think of this as “Tuesday.”) That was probably my sourdough starter for the cleverbrag I trotted out endlessly at parties — till I was snidely informed that my “original” circa mid-’90s line appeared in the 1978 movie “Bloodbrothers.”

Consider that your husband’s memory might not be the only one that’s been, um, redecorated. Also consider (see my cleverbrag above) that we tend to “remember” events in self-serving ways.

Any guy can ask a girl out after class, but in your husband’s version, he goes on a mini-quest to get a date with you. Not exactly the stuff Sir Lancelot was made of, but modern men must make do with the heroics available to them: “I won her love — after a bloody battle with a cafeteria tray and a glass of 2% milk.”

crossword on page 11

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Dating sites work very hard to be inclusive in the type-of-partner options they list — “man seeking woman,” “man seeking man,” and even “man seeking genderbeige” — yet they omit a checkbox for “man seeking hostage.”

That appears to be the model for your man’s ideal relationship (as an adult who gets “upset and anxious” on nights his boo’s away). Though he paints his longing for nonstop togetherness as the height of romance, his “You complete me!” is not so much a romantic declaration as an accidental disclosure of extreme neediness. It also makes him a poor match for any woman whose relationship goals are best summed up as: togetherness, yes; conjoined, no.

As a woman, you’re likely on the high end of the spectrum of a personality trait called “agreeableness.” On a positive note, this plays out in being “kind, considerate, likable, cooperative, (and) helpful,”

reports psychologist William Graziano.

On a less positive note, it often leads to prioritizing these lovely behaviors over one’s own needs.

A personality trait is not a behavioral mandate. You can shift out of auto”pleaser” mode by pre-planning to assert yourself — “Here’s what I need!” — and then doing it, no matter how uncomfortable it feels at first. The more you do it, the more natural (and even rewarding!) it’ll feel — till your default position becomes standing up for yourself instead of rolling over for everybody else.

Guesstimate how much weekly togetherness and apartness works for you, and make it clear to men you date — starting by informing your current guy that your social world will continue to extend beyond being his human binky. In short, the sort of relationship that works for you is one in which you’re bonded but not zip-tied. !

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.

THE INCREDIBLE SULK

I hang with friends about twice weekly and also like my alone time. The guy I’m seeing not only wants to be together constantly but seems to need that. He’s upset and anxious on nights I’m not with him. The first time I said I couldn’t get together, he was annoyed. He now complains I’m “dependent on” my friends, meaning unhealthily. He claims a great relationship

TR ASURE The

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answers [CROSSWORD]

is two people who are always together (a la “you complete me”). I don’t want to hurt him, but I won’t give up my friends or myself for a relationship, and I don’t know how to tell him. —Conflicted

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