YES! Weekly - September 1, 2021 by YES! Weekly

BLUE DENIM

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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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SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2021 VOLUME 17, NUMBER 35

5500 Adams Farm Lane Suite 204

WS FASHION WEEK 2021 The 7TH ANNUAL WINSTON-SALEM FASHION WEEK SHOWCASE will run September 17th through the 25th, bringing fashion awareness to the city. Winston-Salem Fashion Week is regarded as one of the premier events in the Triad since launching in 2015. According to the press release, WSFW is a “multicultural community event that provides an opportunity for, but not exclusive to, local designers, artists, and professionals in the apparel industry as well as sponsoring business owners and partners to showcase their collections and talents while expanding their brands.”

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

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JIM LONGWORTH NAIMA SAID PRODUCTION Graphic Designers ALEX FARMER designer@yesweekly.com AUSTIN KINDLEY artdirector@yesweekly.com

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When he got a chance to open his own restaurant, he envisioned something more casual, less expensive. A return to his Louisiana roots provided the perfect concept. With another eye to local heritage, he named the restaurant BLUE DENIM in honor of Greensboro’s historical relationship with that fabric. 5 JOEL P. MCKENZIE has been named technical director of the Little Theatre of Winston-Salem, the oldest performing arts organization in the city of Winston-Salem. McKenzie, who holds a BFA in production design (scenic lighting) for theater, dance, and film from the University of New Mexico, worked with the UNM theater department and as UNM’s Popejoy Hall as a production manager in collaboration with Broadway Across America... 6 Innovative chamber music ensemble CATCHFIRE COLLECTIVE opens its third season of imaginative and impactful performances with “Hop//Skip//Jump” at Hope Chapel in Greensboro on Sept. 9, 2021 and First Christian Church in Winston-Salem on Sept. 10, 2021.

Once upon a time, local TV stations were really committed to local programming, and I’m not just referring to local news and weather. It was a time when locally produced programs defined the station, and the people who produced those programs did it for one reason. They loved television. That was JACK MARKHAM in a nutshell. 8 The Misfits, a flashy but flimsy heist picture, is touted as being “from the director of Die Hard 2.” That is true. Renny Harlin did direct Die Hard 2 — which was released in 1990. That’s over 30 years ago. 14 RHIANNON GIDDENS didn’t like deciding that only those vaccinated or recently tested for Covid can attend the first public performance at Greensboro’s Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Arts, where she kicks off her They’re Calling Me Home tour on Thursday, September 2. 20 With an upcoming full-length album, a string of EPs and videos, and slots on major summer festivals, native-Winstoner SONNY MILES is stepping out around the state—and stepping into his own blend of intergalactic soul, acoustic hip hop, and alternative R&B.

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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

Chow down with John Batchelor at Blue Denim

CRAWFISH BEIGNETS

SHRIMP SHUMAI

STEAK FRITES

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

ody Morphis spent his early years in professional kitchens at Café Giovanni and the House of Blues in New Orleans. After relocating to Greensboro, he cooked at Pastiche (RIP), which I regarded as one of the Triad’s best, ever. When he got a chance to open his own restaurant, he envisioned something more casual, less expensive. A return to his Louisiana roots provided the perfect concept. With another eye to local heritage, he named the restaurant Blue Denim in honor of Greensboro’s historical relationship with that fabric. The interior retains much of the downtown building’s historic structure in the original brick walls, wood floors, and stamped pattern ceiling. In Louisiana tradition, the food is all about flavor. Everything here just tastes so good. Consider Crawfish Beignets. The crisp exterior gives way to an interior studded with bits of crawfish that stand out in their own right. Comeback sauce is a variation on remoulade, a perfect complement. Crispy Oysters are appropriately named, their interior plump and moist. These rest in chili oil, which imparts a bit of heat, supplemented by tangy remoulade sauce. I love okra. Blue Denim’s Crispy Okra dusts this local vegetable with cornmeal, again fried crisp, giving bite to the inherent flavor of the main ingredient. A mildly spicy buttermilk dressing marries well. Shrimp Shumai seems to stray from the Louisiana concept, but it is a welcome diversion. These are steamed dumplings, filled with shrimp and pork YES! WEEKLY

TOMATO TART

SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2021

CRAWFISH ETOUFFE

SHRIMP AND GRITS

and onions, augmented by miso chili garlic sauce and sweet soy sauce. Tomato Tart could serve as a shared starter or a light, inexpensive main course. My wife declared it the best version of this perennial favorite she has had. Of course, I would not disagree. The preparation places low acid tomatoes in Gruyere and ricotta cheeses, with basil for accent, plus spinach and red onion jam. Killer! It would be hard to name a favorite among the starters, and I would be equally hard-pressed to declare a single winner among the full-size entrees. They are all favorites! Shrimp and Grits uses wild-caught domestic shrimp, interspersed with shiitake mushrooms, Tasso ham, and Andouille sausage, in a rich cream sauce over Old Mill of Guilford grits. I’ve had many renditions of this dish, and Blue Denim’s compares favorably with any of them. Etouffee is available with crawfish or shrimp. In keeping with Louisiana tradition and because I had shrimp in other dishes, I chose crawfish. They were tender and tasty, not overpowered by the deeply rich Creole stew of onions, peppers, and garlic, over Jasmine rice. Gumbo Yaya, another Louisiana classic, is equally rich, combining shrimp, chicken, and Andouille sausage in filé gumbo, over Jasmine rice. Filé gumbo is a product of long-simmering chicken and vegetables — peppers, onions, garlic, and parsley, sharpened by

GUMBO YAYA

file powder — from dried sassafras leaves. Trout is sourced from North Carolina farms, pan-seared, enhanced with a mojo sauce (citrus, cilantro, chile) and pineapple-mango salsa. The complex presentation laces grilled asparagus over the fish. Deconstructing things produces a steady taste adventure. Catfish is also sourced from North Carolina farms. Its pure white flesh is clean and fresh tasting, dusted with cornmeal and fried delightfully crisp, presented over Old Mill of Guilford grits, with charred okra, surrounded by red pepper Creole sauce. Usually, I skip catfish. Here, I would make an exception. And the smoky influence of the okra is a perfect foil. Steak Frites is based on a USDA Prime NY strip, grilled. It was cooked perfectly, exhibiting solid, robust depth of flavor. This kitchen makes its own steak sauce. Chef ought to consider packaging and retailing it. It’s one of the best I’ve had. French fries are cut fresh, in-house, and fried crisp. They are among the best you’ll get in the Triad. A small salad of mixed leaf lettuces and sliced cucumbers ensures a complete meal. Since everybody has been gaining weight this past year (like I need an excuse!) my wife and I indulged in desserts. Banana Pudding is novel in appearance and rendition. A caramelized half banana sticks out of vanilla pot de crème and salted caramel pot de crème, requiring a bit of navigation, but the taste justifies

the effort. White Chocolate Pecan Bread Pudding is decadent, enhanced with whiskey creme anglaise. Servers are knowledgeable, deliveries well-paced. I really like the way they handle by-the-glass wine orders. The bottle is brought to the table, so you can really see what you’re getting, and a small taste is poured to ensure you like it. No risk wine ordering. That’s a good thing! I feel safe here. All personnel are vaccinated, and they all wear masks. They also ask that patrons wear masks until seated. Sidewalk seating adds another dimension of protection, if you are so inclined. I welcome Elm Street’s closing to vehicles. When the weather is appropriate, I find al fresco dining particularly enjoyable. No matter where I sit, however, I look forward to return visits to Blue Denim. This has been a personal favorite for a long time. ! 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.

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Little Theatre appoints new technical director and opens 87th season

rankles Kate, who is determined to get rid oel P. McKenof the dog. zie has been The original 1995 off-Broadway pronamed techniduction of Sylvia starred Blythe Danner, cal director Charles Kimbrough, and Sarah Jessica of the Little Parker (as Sylvia). The 2015 Broadway reTheatre of vival starred Matthew Broderick (Parker’s Winston-Salem, the real-life husband), Julie White, and Anoldest performing naleigh Ashford (as Sylvia). arts organization in The Little Theatre’s production stars the city of WinstonMark Burger Chad Edwards as Greg, Hayley Hanson Salem. as Kate, and Britt Stone as Sylvia, and is McKenzie, who directed by Nick Zayas. holds a BFA in Contributor “I’ve always thought that the best production design comedies can make you roll with laughter (scenic lighting) for one minute and then have you wiping theater, dance, and away tears the next. I think this play does film from the University of New Mexico, that,” said Zayas. “Sylvia is a tricky role to worked with the UNM theater departplay because I really think the optimism ment and as UNM’s Popejoy Hall as a and seemingly endless supply of affection production manager in collaboration that people seem to connect with in their with Broadway Across America on such pets has to be there, or popular shows as Book else it will just be a farciof Mormon, Cinderella, cal portrait of a human Matilda, and Wicked. He acting like a dog. Britt also worked on lighting, Stone does a phenomescenic, and sound design nal job of balancing the for numerous communiphysical embodiment of ty theater and film and those animal impulses television productions with the real emotion, throughout Albuquerpathos, and sweetness que and Santa Fe, inthat people will reccluding such acclaimed ognize from their own series’ as Better Call experience with dogs. Saul, Graves, and Night It’s a heartwarming Shift. Joel P. McKenzie show for everyone, but “We’re privileged especially anyone who and excited to have has ever loved a pet.” this skilled young artist Sylvia will be presented at 7:30 pm join our staff,” said Philip Powell, execuThursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays and 2 tive director of LTWS. “Joel brings a lot of p.m. on Sundays. Ticket prices range from needed expertise and enthusiasm to this $12-$14, with discounts for students (with position, and we look forward to bringing valid ID), senior citizens, and groups of 10 our community many stunning producor more. Due to strong language, the play tions with his help.” is recommended for audiences 15 and One of those productions, A.R. Gurney’s older. award-winning comedy Sylvia, which There will be an opening-night reception kicks off LTWS’s 87th season, opens Sept. beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 10th, with 10th at the Hanesbrands Theatre, 209 complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine. N. Spruce Street, Winston-Salem, and is During the run of the production, LTWS scheduled to run through Sept. 19th. has joined forces with the Forsyth Humane The story focuses on an upwardly Society (FHS). Patrons and volunteers mobile couple in the 1990s. Greg is a sucwho wish to make an impact on the lives cessful financial trader who finds a bright, of shelter pets are encouraged to donate affectionate dog in Central Park whom he FHS “wish-list” items by bringing them names Sylvia and brings home to his wife, to the show or shopping their Amazon Kate. The new addition to the household WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

The Little Theatre’s cast of Sylvia includes Hayley Hanson as Kate, Britt Stone as Sylvia, and Chad Edwards as Greg. or Chewy wish lists at https://forsythhumane.org/wishlist/. The Arts Council of Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County requires proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PRC lab test result from 48 hours prior to the scheduled performance audiences wish to attend in order to enter their venues, including Hanesbrands Theatre. Face masks are

also required while inside the building, as required by the city of Winston-Salem. For advance tickets or more information, call (336) 725-4001 or visit the official Little Theatre website: https://www. ltofws.org/. ! See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2021, Mark Burger.

9th Annual

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Festival SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2021

SCYTHIAN Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road His & Hers BackPorch Bluegrass Featuring free kids’ activities – unique vendors – delicious foods classic car show – auction – bring your own chairs, please! WWW.CBCBLUEGRASS.COM – Carolina Bible Camp 1988 Jericho Church Road – Mocksville, NC Free admission for all active duty US military, LEO’s, Firefighters and EMS with proper ID! SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

Catchfire Collective opens third season with two world premieres during “Hop//Skip//Jump” Innovative chamber music ensemble Catchfire Collective opens its third season of imaginative and impactful performances with “Hop//Skip//Jump” at Hope Chapel in Greensboro on Sept. 9, 2021 and First Christian Church in Winston-Salem on Sept.10, 2021. This program is an auditory exploration of different musical worlds and landscapes, from busy city traffic to an episode of Antiques Roadshow, with the ensemble moving around the space as the program progresses. The program also features world premieres by two of Catchfire’s members: Manifold Destinies by percussionist Isaac Pyatt and Dark Jewel Tones by cellist Peter Swanson. Also on the program are Patter by Robert Honstein; Roadshow for Otto by Carl Schimmel; Shimmering Dust by Erin Rogers; Bus Music by Arie Van de Venn; and Listening Through an Open Door by Nicholas Hall. The 60-minute performance will proceed from start to finish without pause. The audience will be able to experience guided improvisational music from all parts of the venue, making for a unique and more interactive chamber music experience. Pay-what-you-can tickets can be reserved at catchfirecollective.com/

The Catchfire Collective Ensemble will play in the Triad next week. september2021 or purchased at the door, with a suggested price of $10 for individuals and $25 for families. Masks and social distancing will be required for all attendees regardless of vaccination status. Hope Chapel is located at 908 N. Josephine Boyd Street in Greensboro. First Christian Church is located at 2320 Country Club Road in Winston-Salem. Catchfire Collective presents innovative,

Photo By: Brittany Faith Photography

powerful, and inspiring performances that reignite the chamber music experience. Based in Greensboro, Catchfire’s programming has been praised as “magical,” featuring “relentless pulse, contrasting textures, and beautiful individual playing.” This season, Catchfire Collective will be in residence at the Stephen D. Hyers Theater in the Greensboro Cultural Center to present their May program “i am a

shadow...the true self.” In 2019, Catchfire was the featured ensemble at the 2nd Annual Darkwater Women in Music Festival. Catchfire has also been featured as a guest artist at Virginia Tech, Towson University, Tennessee Technological University, and Grand Valley State University. For more information and to learn about their upcoming 2021-2022 season, please visit catchfirecollective.com. !

Small Business Spotlight

Listen every Sunday at 9 AM for WTOB’s Small Business Spotlight. Hosted by Josh Schuminsky, you will learn about the many small, locally-owned businesses in the Winston-Salem area.

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nce upon a time, local TV stations were really committed to local programming, and I’m not just referring to local news and weather. Jim Longworth It was a time when locally produced programs defined Longworth the station, and the at Large people who produced those programs did it for one reason. They loved television. That was Jack Markham in a nutshell. Following a stint in the NAVY, Jack attended UNC-Chapel Hill and was in the first graduating class of the University’s famed School of Radio and Television Arts. After that he spent the better part of three decades at WFMY-TV, first working in production, and later as Program Director. During that time he either directed or oversaw the production of scores of local programs, including The Good Morning Show, What’s Cooking Today, RFD Piedmont, TV Matinee, A&T Sports Report, The Old Rebel Show, Newsmakers, Sandra and Friends, and many others. And it was Jack who authorized and coordinated a multi-station telethon to raise money for what became the North Carolina Zoo. Jack helped to put WFMY on the map, and made it one of the most successful and respected TV stations in the country. He also happened to be the best boss I ever worked for. Jack passed away last September during the pandemic, and his memorial service will be held this Saturday. Jack Markham was 93. After learning my craft at the UNC-G studio where we produced weekly programs for UNC-TV, I was hired by WFMY to run the camera and perform other related production duties on just about every one of our local programs. Eventually, I

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Jack Markham WAS local TV worked my way up to late-night weatherman and promotion manager, but in those early days Jack’s door was always open to the crew, so whenever I had an idea for a special program, he would tell me to go for it. During the bicentennial, for example, he let me produce “So you Think you Know the Constitution”, which challenged viewers to answer questions about our nation’s greatest document. I also produced an Old Rebel tribute program, a salute to Vincent Price, and a prime-time half-hour special with Red Skelton, which was taped at the WFMY studio in front of a live audience (can be viewed on www.jimlongworth. com). One year, Jack even sent me to Hollywood to tape a series of interviews with CBS stars. In addition to being program director, Jack was also an actor, and a real ham, so I occasionally recruited him to appear in my farcical Newsreel 2 segments, which aired during the 11 p.m. Nightbeat news. One evening I was assigned to attend a cocktail party to interview celebrities who would be playing in the Pro-Am at the Greater Greensboro Open (forerunner to the Wyndham). But prior to that, Jack and I had traveled to a muddy field in Guilford County and taped an interview at what we said was the site of the Newsreel 2 Open, a fictional golf tournament that was to compete with the GGO. During that spoof segment, Jack portrayed a developer named Mark Jack, who guaranteed that the course would be ready for play that weekend. Fast forward to the cocktail party where I asked the celebrities if they would be willing to skip the GGO and instead play in the NewsReel 2 Open. Some of the celebs thought Jack and I were serious, but most of them got the joke. Then there was that afternoon in 1977 when I came to Jack and said, “You know, Saturday Night Live is really popular, and CBS doesn’t offer much on Saturday nights, so how about letting me produce a weekly variety show?” Jack gave me the green light, and several weeks later I delivered an

hour pilot titled, “Grab Bag”, which featured celebrity interviews, a magician, music by Sammy Anflick’s Jazz Band, and a fake telethon in which we pretended to raise money to fight dandruff, psoriasis, and venereal disease. Jack looked at the show, laughed a lot, then killed it. It was, he said, just too racy for WFMY. I was disappointed, of course, but Jack’s decision taught me about boundaries and made me a better producer in the decades to come. In fact,

this is my 51st year in broadcasting, and not a week goes by that I don’t think about Jack Markham and how much he meant to me. In addition to all he did for his industry and his community, you just have to love a guy who can make up a fake golf tournament. ! 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).

Jack Markham

SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

flicks

The Misfits: A motley band in a motley movie

he Misfits, a flashy but flimsy heist picture, is touted as being “from the director of Die Hard 2.” That is true. Renny Harlin did direct Die Mark Burger Hard 2 — which was released in 1990. Contributor That’s over 30 years ago. Since then, Harlin’s career has included a few good films, most notably Cliffhanger (1993), but mostly bad ones, including Mindhunters and Exorcist: The Beginning (both 2004), The Covenant (2006), and the one-two punch of Cutthroat Island (1995) and The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996), a pair of expensive box-office flops that did the career of his ex-wife and leading lady Geena Davis no favors whatsoever.

True to form, The Misfits doesn’t do any favors for its cast either, including executive producer Pierce Brosnan, cast as nimble-fingered thief Richard Pace. When first glimpsed, Chase is seen at an opulent bar drinking — what else? — a martini. For the former James Bond, The Misfits is shaky, not stirring. Pace has been surreptitiously sprung from prison — on the eve of his parole, no less — to join the titular team of like-minded bandits. Nick Cannon, who plays Ringo, spends much of his time onscreen in a sleeveless T-shirt, all the better to display his biceps and tattoos. He also provides the film with endless exposition via his wisecracking narration, which serves only to eliminate any suspense from the proceedings. It’s obvious from the get-go that the Misfits will succeed in their endeavor. Others members of the Misfits include

executive producer Rami Jaber as The Prince, Jamie Chung as Violet, Mike Angelo as Wick (named for his expertise in explosives), and Hermoine Corfield as Pace’s daughter Hope. Make no mistake, this isn’t Oceans’s Eleven — or even “Brosnan’s Six.” It’s a slick, shallow jumble of fancy cars, far-flung locations, ornate settings, and CGI explosions. The screenplay, by Kurt Wimmer and Robert Henry (who wrote the original story), is predictable in the extreme, a half-hearted attempt to possibly fashion a big-screen franchise. The mind reels … Thieves aren’t generally known for their altruism, but the Misfits are determined to steal a fortune in gold to prevent it from terrorist groups. Or something like that. The setting is the fictitious Middle Eastern nation of Jazeristan, which is evidently a hotbed of terrorist activity. The gold being targeted is secured, sup-

posedly safely, beneath a maximum-security prison. In order to infiltrate the prison, a distraction is necessary. To this end, the inmates’ food is tainted, causing them to projectile vomit every which way. Although played for laughs — “yucks” might be more apt — it’s not funny. On the contrary, it’s rather disgusting. Wearing a perennial smirk, Brosnan coasts through the film on charisma alone. It’s not enough. Nor is the presence of Tim Roth, who like Brosnan certainly deserves better. Roth plays Schultz, the resident villain, and although he initially attempts to imbue this one-dimensional role with a series of quirks and tics, eventually he merely seems bored. Even the sweeping camerawork of cinematographer Denis Alarcon Ramirez doesn’t help, although it’s attractive. The Misfits is a misfire, which – let’s face it — is par for the course in Renny Harlin’s oeuvre. — The Misfits is available on digital, on-demand, and on DVD from Paramount Home Entertainment ($14.99 retail). !

Tripping through Tinseltown in Mondo Hollywoodland It is well nigh impossible to provide an adequate description or synopsis for Mondo Hollywoodland, which makes sheer mockery of conventional storytelling. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and although the film defies logic at almost every turn, and occasionally pushes too hard for cult status, it can safely be said that it’s one-of-a-kind. Taking an outsider’s view of contemporary Tinseltown, Mondo Hollywoodland is narrated with mock gravitas by Ted Evans, playing “The Man from the 5th Dimension,” who has come to Hollywood to decipher the meaning of “mondo,” which he describes as “the true cosmic language.” It’s never quite clear if he finds what he’s

looking for, a situation that could also be applied to the film as a whole, which is basically a series of character vignettes. The characters who inhabit Hollywood are an eclectic and eccentric bunch, most of them existing on the outer fringes of show business. Befitting the film’s free-wheeling spirit, characters come and go at will. Some reappear, others do not. If there is a central character, it would be Normand Boyle (Chris Blim), a goodnatured dealer in psychedelic mushrooms who’s clearly been helping himself to his product, all the better to deal with the mania surrounding him. Besides, who better for a being from another dimension to consult about “mondo” than Normand?

Blim, who also served as the film’s production designer and one of its producers, penned the script with editor/producer/ director Janek Ambrose (who appears as an overworked, coke-snorting producer) and Chad Hart, who also appears in the film. They throw in everything but the proverbial kitchen sink. The film showcases some eager young talent on the rise. Jessica Jade Andrews, Paige Collins, Barry Shay, Alyssa Sabo, Miranda Rae Hart, and Jeff Blim may not be household names, but each makes an impression here, which, given the incessant nuttiness, is something of an accomplishment. Does it add up to much? Not really. Does

it matter? Actually, not really, because the film is such a goofy exercise in selfindulgence that it’s best to sit back and enjoy the ride. Mondo Hollywoodland is unabashedly silly, but it’s colorful, occasionally inspired, and sometimes very funny. It may not be cohesive, or even coherent, but it’s never dull — and the music selections are hilarious. — Mondo Hollywoodland is available on Amazon Prime Video. The official website for the film is: https://mondohollywoodland. com/. ! See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies on Burgervideo.com. © 2021, Mark Burger.

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It’s back-toschool time all across the country, and in Kentucky, one district has an unexpected challenge in one of its high schools. Chuck Shepherd WLKY-TV reported that high school students in the Meade County school district are attending school dressed as and acting like ... cats. One grandmother is upset because her two grandchildren don’t want to go to school anymore. “Apparently, from what I understand, they’re called ‘furries,’” she said. “They identify with animals. These people will hiss at you or scratch at you if they don’t like something you’re doing. The students are told they can’t wear hats or Budweiser shirts in school, but they can wear cat ears, cat tails, masks, leashes. It doesn’t make sense.” Superintendent Mark Martin says the problem is being handled on an individual basis, which he can’t discuss.

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The Vatican in Rome is full of the spoils taken by or given to popes over the centuries, but Pope Francis has a new toy that’s delighting him: a foosball table. The Associated Press reported that a Tuscany-based table football association, Sport Toscana Calcio Balilla, presented the pope with the game on Aug. 18, and he immediately struck up a match with Natale Tonini, president of the club. Pope Francis is a big fan of soccer and of his home club, San Lorenzo, in Argentina.

BRIGHT IDEAS

— Two Polish companies are joining forces to make construction workers’ lives more pleasant, Reuters reported on Aug. 23. Budimex and Lotos have created a floral-scented asphalt with a mixture of natural and synthetic oils that neutralize the typical smell of asphalt. “At times one could smell the scent of flowers, which made working more pleasant,” said Slawomir Szpak, a foreman for Budimex. The company is planning to introduce the new compound on a wider scale. — In Canberra, Australia, farmer Ben Jackson recently lost his beloved aunt. He couldn’t attend her funeral because of COVID-19 restrictions, so he did the next best thing: He dropped his sheep’s food from a truck in the shape of a giant

heart, then shot video from a drone as the ewes gathered to eat. “It took me a few goes to get it right ... and the final result is what you see,” Jackson told the Associated Press. “That was as close to a heart as I could get it.”

CRIME REPORT

Kristin Levine of Bristol, Connecticut, was the victim of a porch pirate on Aug. 23, but the thief was a little unusual: It was a black bear who walked across her driveway with an Amazon package in its mouth, NBC Connecticut reported. Fortunately, the bear wasn’t much interested in the contents (toilet paper) and dropped the item in her neighbor’s yard. “I knew nothing in there was going to be irreplaceable, so it was a fun afternoon for sure,” Levine said.

COMPELLING EXPLANATION

Erick Minto, 49, walked into a convenience store in Wawa, Florida, on Aug. 17, and asked for free food, The Smoking Gun reported. When the clerk refused, Minto allegedly pulled out a knife and pointed it at the worker, uttering a quotable line: “Don’t make me do something stupid for a Snickers bar.” The clerk handed over the candy bar, but Minto left the store without it and later told Pinellas County Sheriff’s officer that he was “attempting to trade the knife for a Snickers bar.” He was charged with armed robbery.

ANIMAL ATTRACTION

The Antwerp Zoo in Belgium has banned Adie Timmermans from visiting Chita, a 38-year-old male chimpanzee, after their “relationship” has caused him to be ostracized by the other chimps, the Daily Mail reported. Timmermans has come to see Chita every week for the past four years, and the two blow kisses and wave to each other. “I love that animal and he loves me,” Timmermans argued. “I haven’t got anything else. Why do they want to take that away?” Chita started his life as a pet, but came to the zoo 30 years ago and is known to be interactive with humans. However, when Timmermans isn’t there with him, he spends most of his time alone. “An animal that is too focused on people is less respected by its peers, and we want Chita to be a chimpanzee as much as possible,” explained zoo curator Sarah Lafaut. !

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LEAVES AND SHEDS

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Is lacking Colombia’s national airline Vid recorder Q-Tip’s music Sound from Sneezy Wheels on swivels Ring great Muhammad Australian bush bird Start of a riddle Company employee Prefix with plop Pvt.’s superior Frankenfood item, in brief A tailor may take it up or down Riddle, part 2 Gooey mass Really silly Nada Toward sunset Shared living quarters Crime that gets MADD mad Kumar’s partner in films Riddle, part 3 Crooner Perry “Prolly not” High-flying eagles, e.g. “Just — feared” Bishops of Rome Hair clump Et — (and others) Riddle, part 4 Prefix with -syncratic Sod Bursting stars Kisses, on love notes

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Discard Gp. giving tows In addition Riddle, part 5 Human Pro-firearm gp. Phone again Lone Star State sch. U.N. Day mo. Minneapolis suburb Flubs it up End of the riddle Early night Contract sealer: Abbr. Blemish 1040 pro Title sorority of a 1985 film 119 Riddle’s answer 124 Uno plus due 125 Tandoor-baked bread 126 French “Stephen” 127 Ham it up 128 Prov. on Hudson Bay 129 Agcy. 130 Mailed, e.g. 131 Tender spots

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Bird of prey Nagging dull pain Robin Hood’s forest Prefix with 74-Down “Skoal!,” say Perfumery compound Kilmer who played Batman Lanai, e.g.: Abbr. From — Z Just-hired man, e.g.

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Pinch into small ridges Part of ASAP Measures of business profitability Make changes to Marlins’ home Distill, e.g. Makes changes to Most sinless String after E Took to the sky Desktop introduced in ‘81 Pantheon figures Shutout, e.g. Gibson garnish Blazing thing Bikini top Chaney Sr. or Jr. Split to unite “Dogma” co-star Matt “Meh” August sign Day, in Peru “Ixnay” “Chicago” actress Queen Mardi — Coiled shape Overdone Cheekiness Just slightly “Hawaii” co-star Max von — Stilted reply to “Who’s there?” Office phone no., often Erwin of early films Bogland Even if, for short Parasite site

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Dragnet Cole Porter’s “Well, Did You —?” Knightly trait Point of debate Unit of resistance — -Aztecan (language family) Crowding into “Storage Wars” airer More mature Cut in glass Works by painter Henri Expedition Yemen’s capital Film VIP “Yuk” cousin Raised train lines In the practice of Gin joint Hole to receive a shoelace Kick a football Sidle through, say Band around a sleeve Harpsichord relative About even (with) Seven, in Spain Mai — Compels Folk singer Seeger Greek war deity Despite this Yoko from Tokyo First prime minister of Burma Network of med. providers

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Fashion Week returns to the runway of Winston-Salem

ikita Wallace, founder and creative director of Winston-Salem Fashion Week returns for her seventh year of inspiring and showcasing local Naima Said artists. “It is a delight to be back in person after having to go Contributor fully virtual last year. We were successful in our efforts, but nothing beats being present,” Wallace said. The 7th Annual Winston-Salem Fashion Week Showcase will run September 17th through the 25th, bringing fashion awareness to the city. Winston-Salem Fashion Week is regarded as one of the premier events in the Triad since launching in 2015. According to the press release, WSFW is a “multicultural community event that provides an opportunity for, but not exclusive to, local designers, artists, and professionals in the apparel industry as well as sponsoring business owners and partners to showcase their collections and talents while expanding their brands.” The theme for this year’s showcase is, It’s all About the Decades of the ‘80s and ‘90s. According to the release, it’s a

reflection and homage to the beginning of a colorful, carefree yet political era that made statements through art, music, dance, and fashion. “It will be exciting to see each designer’s inspiration on this monumental era transformed on the runway; while we continue to celebrate the achievements and accomplished history of the City of Winston-Salem; transforming into technology, and expanding in the Arts Culture,” Wallace said. The runway showcase will reflect the energy and electricity of eight designers that will present their Fall/Winter 2021 or Spring/Summer 2022 Collections on the runway by professional models. Local retailers will introduce their looks for 2021 Fall/Winter or Spring/Summer 2022. The kickoff begins September 3rd from 5:30 to 7 p.m. with the first-ever Designer and Artist Exhibition at the Milton Rhodes Center. The opening night is in collaboration with the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and Milton Rhodes. “It is an opportunity to share our designer’s process and progress, with all the artwork and design work being from residents of North Carolina,” Wallace said. Following the opening night reception, the opening showcase for HanesBrand’s Champion line will be on September 17th at 6:30 p.m., at Innovation Quarter.

Model Jirah Thomas is wearing a look by Alysha Williams

Model Monique Austin models the 2020 WSFW Project RunSlay look

“The theme for this year is Urban Street Style,” Antonina Whaples said, a thirdyear designer for WSFW and co-owner of Kindred Spirits. “Kindred Spirits has been part of the downtown Winston-Salem community since 1994. We believe that every person, regardless of race, gender, or spiritual path, is on the shared journey of life. And we exist to provide the provisions that support and enrich that journey. Twenty-five local artists focus on sustainability, and I am using that ability in what I make and what I design for the WinstonSalem Fashion Show.” Whaples was recently inspired by the Winter Olympics in Tokyo, especially

American gymnast Simone Biles. “I admire her expression of being a real champion,” Whaples said. “I decided to take a leotard and transform it into a red, white, and blue lace dress, along with a Wonder Woman headband that I hand beaded. I didn’t want to stop there, so I created a giant metallic cape, which has the Olympic logo at the top with the American flag and Simone Biles doing a backflip on it.” This look will be modeled by Melanie Vaughn, the North Carolina Miss Cosmos pageant queen, who owns and runs dance explosion performing arts, and will also be participating in New York Fashion Week as a model this year.

Champion showcased its line last year duing the virtual WSFW YES! WEEKLY

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This collection from 2020 WSFW was compiled by Antonina Whaples of Kindred Spirits in Winston-Salem “Winston-Salem Fashion Week’s purpose is not only about exploring the world of design, but also discussing the benefit and beauty of sustainability,” Wallace said. On September 18th and 19th from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Hampton Inn, located in Downtown Winston-Salem, is a two-day event on sustainable fashion including a large clothing swap, upcycling workshop, vendors, music, and door prizes. There will be a panel discussion featuring the Swap Across America team- Rick Davy, Bridgett Artise, and Caprece Ann Jackson. “This event is in collaboration with BK Style Foundation from out of Brooklyn, New York, and is about bringing in your nice,

used apparel and continuously swapping with others to put together a new outfit. It is a good way to interact with others, play around with style, and save the environment,” Wallace said. As WSFW gets closer to its designer and retail showcase, they will host their annual opening night reception at 6:30 p.m., located at SECCA, to highlight all their sponsors and partners. “The Mayor of Winston-Salem, Allen Joines, will be in attendance, giving the welcoming address at the reception, as he does every year. We also expect the Champion staff and leading VP’s to be present that night,” Wallace said.

Handbag design by Antonina Whaples that says “peace” in Arabic

Hat design by Antonina Whaples of Kindred Spirits

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The final event of WSFW is the designer and retail showcase, which will take place September 25th at 1 p.m. and is located at SECCA. The showcase brings back Goodwill’s “Diva, Dapper on a Dime,” where designers receive a gift card to shop at Goodwill, and with those items, the designers’ upcycle them to create a new look. This year, designer Melissa Coleman has been working on re-dyeing and incorporating splatter paint on formal wear. Alongside the showcase is the second annual Project RunSlay Competition, where WSFW designers upcycle clothing to be reimagined in correspondence with the theme. Three finalists will be chosen at the end by guest judges. “Diva, Dapper on a Dime” model, Kristopher Brown, shares his excitement about being in WSFW for the third year. “I always say to enjoy the ride as long as it’s safe and fun. The world of fashion came as a bucket list for me. When I turned 30 years old, I knew I had to walk the runway once,” Brown said. “I auditioned for Greensboro Fashion Week back in 2014, and that was my first modeling experience. That was my first experience doing anything fashionrelated, and after that, it didn’t seem to stop.” While we see courage, confidence, and catwalks on the stage, we recognize the creatives behind the scenes. “I have had the privilege of watching the models, and designers grow over the years,” Eric Wallace said, runway photographer and son of Nikita Wallace. “I am a full-time photographer and am able to capture the precious and powerful moments both on and off the stage, and that

is my dream. I give thanks to my mother for showing me you can do anything you set your heart out to do.” Dreams and aspirations fill the streets of Winston-Salem, leaving hope and creativity in its tracks. Wallace aims to give them a platform. “Winston has a huge apparel industry that it has been serving for years and years. All I want is to provide opportunities to our locals, who deserve to have their hard work showcased, whether they want to be global one day or stay local and still be lucrative in their work. My dream is to one day grow our event to be the next New York Fashion Week,” Wallace said. “This all started as a senior project idea I had for a thesis back in 2015 at Salem College. The first Winston-Salem Fashion Show happened in 2015 at Salem College. After the first show was presented, I began getting calls from makeup artists and designers asking me when next year’s show will be, and I had nothing planned then. At that moment, I realized it’s not a one-person team, but that we all work together to make a successful show, and the show must go on.” Winston-Salem Fashion Week is sponsored by Foothills Brewery, Goodwill, YES! Weekly, Hanes Mall, Winston Salem Mayor’s Office, Hanes Brand Inc., Innovation Quarter, Once Logix, Dewey’s Bakery, Champion, Royalty Marketing, Hampton Inn by Hilton, and SECCA. For more information and ticket sales, visit WSFW’s website at; https://wsfashionweek.com/. ! NAIMA SAID is a 22 year old UNCG theatre graduate and host of Heeere’sNeeNee Horror Movie Podcast. SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

Rhiannon Giddens comes home but keeps her audience safe Rhiannon Giddens didn’t like deciding that only those vaccinated or recently tested for Covid can attend the first public performance at Greensboro’s Steven Tanger Center for the Performing Ian McDowell Arts, where she kicks off her They’re Calling Me Home tour on Contributor Thursday, September 2. “Oh, honey, it’s ridiculous that I’m the one who had to make that choice,” said Giddens when I called her at her Irish residence while she packed for her flight to the city where she was born. “I’m a singer, not a doctor or government health official. But I had to make the best decision that I could, for myself, my partner, my musicians, my crew, my family, the venue, and the audience.” I told her a mutual friend is very glad she did, and that another person I admire, who just returned from Paris, said she had felt much safer in a country where proof

of vaccination was required everywhere from bistros to the Metro. “My friends and family here are glad, too, but I shouldn’t have had to make the decision. It should have been mandated by the health department, with a unified system for all the states, just like your friend experienced in France. Fortunately, the folks at Tanger agreed, so there was no problem in Greensboro. A couple of other venues required negotiation, but we figured out how to make it work for all the gigs. I’m really happy about that.” She’s also happy that another Grammywinner paved the way. “I know that Jason Isbell was the first major artist to require proof of vaccination, and he’s got enormous shows. My shows in general are a fraction of what he has. People like him have made it easier for people like me to make this decision.” She said that, while many approve of the requirement, she’s gotten some pushback on social media. Some who love her music but don’t agree with vaccination mandates are sad or angry. Then there are the trolls, who threaten to “boycott” an artist they’ve ever listened to or spent money on. “They claim to be all about individual PHOTOS BY EBRU YILDIZ

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choice, but are so upset at mine.” Her fans were very happy when she changed her mind about not making an album this year. In April, Nonesuch Records released the haunting “They’re Calling Me Home,” which she recorded with her partner, multi-instrumentalist Francesco Turrisi, while the couple was under lockdown in Ireland. Unable to travel, the two expats made starkly beautiful music suffused with thoughts and dreams of exile and loss, drawing deeply on the traditions of their native and adoptive countries of America, Italy, and Ireland. At Hellfire, a small studio on a working farm outside of Dublin, they recorded the album’s 12 tracks in six days. I told Giddens that every one of those tracks seemed to be about home, death, or both. “Oh, absolutely. We’d not been to his Italy or my North Carolina in a long time, and didn’t know when we’d be able to return to either.” But that’s not the only thing meant by home. “There’s also the homecoming of death, and how we all deal with the finality of life, the grief and sorrow that’s nipping at all our heels right now with this pandemic, and how we deal with that through home and family. Most of the traditional songs come from a time when everybody lost children. We have been so privileged since the 1950s. Even before that, when more Americans died in childhood or childbirth, we had masks and shutdowns, and folks willingly complied, because they knew how disease hit children. Go to Greenhill Cemetery and see how almost all of the oldest graves contain babies.” Inscriptions on markers in that and other cemeteries across the world also record how death rates for all ages, but

particularly the young, spiked in 1918-19, during the influenza pandemic we called Spanish Flu, because neutral Spain’s news media, not being subject to wartime censorship, were the first to report it. The earliest known case was actually at Fort Riley, Kansas. I told her I’m researching how the Piedmont region responded during that pandemic, with many communities acting in a more rational manner. While there was no vaccine against influenza until the 1950s, smallpox vaccination was mandated by George Washington. By the 1850s, schools were requiring smallpox vaccinations, and mandatory vaccination was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1905. So why is vaccination even an issue in 2021? “Social media and its echo chamber of enraged ignorance may have made us so much less united than we were in 1918, but even before Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, we were changing as a nation. We don’t really prize community here. Everything is competition. So many people don’t want to take care of anyone but themselves, and then other people have to take care of them when they end up on ventilators. But the vaccinated people who say they deserve it aren’t helping. That’s part of the division, too.” Moving away from public health and public discourse, I told her how bowled over I was by my favorite track on the album, the traditional American folk song “O Death.” Backed by Turrisi’s hypnotic mastery of the daf (a Persian frame drum somewhat similar to the Irish bodhran), her soaring and searing refrain of “spare me over to another year” combines primal howling lament and exaltation in a manner suggestive of both an Appalachian preacher

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pleading with the Lord and a Voudo priestess “ridden” by one of the spiritsaints called lwa. I asked her how she felt about the Guardian’s rave review, which said she “went full Merry Clayton.” Giddens laughed in surprise at being compared to the great soul and gospel singer who backed Mick Jagger on “Gimme Shelter.” “Omigosh, did they say that? That’s so flattering! I’m really proud of that track. We did, like three passes, where I just added words and phrases as I went along, feeling like somebody or something was singing through me, that I wasn’t so much performing as letting something happen.” She said something similar happened when she and Turrisi recorded their remarkable reinvention of “Amazing Grace” live and in one room, with Giddens singing without words to Turrisi’s frame drum, Niwel Tsumbu’s guitar, and Emer Mayock’s flute and uilleann pipes. I told her that I’d imagined that she and Turrisi deliberately removed the words from the Anglican hymn to emphasize the bardic beauty of the old Gaelic tune. But no, it was another creation the couple “let happen.” “We don’t think too much ahead of time about that stuff. Francesco started playing this drum beat and I started singing these vocal notes that came to my head. I was singing it like a bagpipe, which made me realize it would be cool to add an actual piper. I never thought about putting the words on it. It was just instinct.” The album’s ten other tracks are great with several being transcendent. The latter include the traditional “Black as Crow,” the 1624 madrigal “Sì dolce è’l tormento” by Claudio Monteverdi (Giddens graduated from Oberlin Conservatory after the North Carolina School of Science and WWW.YESWEEKLY.COM

Mathematics and UNCG), and “Nenna Nena” (an Italian lullaby Turrisi used to sing to his daughter). We concluded by talking about a longgestating project, a musical based on the Wilmington Insurrection of 1898. That bloody first act of the Confederacy’s postwar revenge restored white supremacy and de facto slavery to most of the South for half a century, erecting most of the monuments to itself in the process. “It was basically the complete and total deconstruction of Reconstruction, in which we don’t even know the names of most of the Black people murdered. I’ve been working with John Jeremiah Sullivan, an amazing researcher who has uncovered so much about what really happened that year. He’s finding some game-changing things, but until we have the full picture, I’m kind of waiting and hanging. It’s not something we can rush.” Other North Carolina examples of “hidden history” include the assassination of Black Union veteran and Graham police officer Wyatt Outlaw that’s not acknowledged by the Alamance County Historical Museum. “These days,” said Giddens with a sigh, “those in power try to hide history with money instead of Klan militias, by what they do and don’t fund, what they teach and keep from being taught. There’s always going to be people being assholes and trying to hush things up, who are scared of stories other than the white man on the horse. The important thing is to keep digging, and telling the uncovered stories.” ! 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.

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Sonny Miles steps out

ith an upcoming full-length album, a string of EPs and videos, and slots on major summer festivals, nativeWinstoner Sonny Miles is stepping Katei Cranford out around the state—and stepping into his own blend Contributor of intergalactic soul, acoustic hip hop, and alternative R&B. Keeping one foot in the Triad, and the other among musical communities across central North Carolina, Miles’ ability to connect cities and transcend genres started as a kid playing drums at church. And while his dad sang for the choir, secular music was mostly limited in their home (Motown aside). But his grandpa had a jazz record collection, and Miles had the Tony Hawk soundtrack. “It made music feel like it was mine,” Miles explained of discovery music in secret. “It was kind of taboo to like certain things in my house, so hiding what I knew, and finding ways to listen to it, was fun,” he added. “Music just felt like my thing to keep to myself, so unlearning that has been a beautiful process.” In the process, Miles picked up the

guitar, opened for T.I., and appeared on LesTheGenius‘ “Raleighwood Hills,” which landed amongst J. Cole and Migos on Barack Obama’s “Favorite Music of 2019” playlist. With nods to major artists like Prince, Sly and the Family Stone, and Stevie Wonder, Miles also asserts the influence of rock acts like Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, and System of A Down in his musicianship—a notion he’s excited to carry with a full backing band— “I’ve been searching for the pieces for years and it’s locking in,” he said of the group, which had their first headlining show with Cyanca and DL Zene in August at the Pour House in Raleigh. Branching influences of jazz standards, acoustic tunes, and hip-hop into an R&B package, Miles’ summer calendar has stayed full: playing as part of the newly launched “Friday Night Live” series in downtown Greensboro, as a feature at functions presented by the Haus of Lacks collective and Piedmont Blues Society; and at festivals including Summer in tha Carolinas, Festival for the Eno, and Bee Younited. He’s excited to round it all out with two sets at the Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh on Sept. 10 and 11. Sprawling genres amongst musical connections seems to be a forte for both the Hopscotch Festival and Miles as a musician—the sprawl of his sound perhaps matched only by his connection

PHOTO FROM HAUS OF LACKS

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across major cities of central NC. “I find myself tapping back into rock and punk roots, more of my childhood influences,” Miles said of working in Winston-Salem. “I find myself jamming more on R&B or soul when I’m in the Triangle or Charlotte.” In April, Miles released “Still” with Winston rapper OG Spliff, and Raleigh’s Lesthegenius. He’s a regular in the pages of Charlotte’s CLTure Magazine; and is scheduled to play their Hopscotch Day Party at Transfer Co. Food Hall on Sept. 11. The free show will also feature Greensboro hip-hop punkers Black Haus, Waynesville songwriter Young Mister, Mique, and Christian Sinclair (from Durham’s Young Bull), and a special VIP DJ session from Raleigh-based DJ Stone Zone. While Miles celebrates the swirl of sound and artists from around the state, he’s especially amped for a national variety at his official Hopscotch slot on Sept. 10 at City Plaza, during which he, and his band, kicks off an evening of jazzy genre-blends, headlined by Los Angeles rapper Flying Lotus; with Chicago beat scientist, Makaya McCraven and Philadelphia’s rhythmic electronic weirdo Body Meat in between. With a summer of fests in his rearview, Miles is pumping his latest three-pack release, “Tre;” and remains focused on the upcoming single, “Keep it so Kwiet,” one of the 10 tracks fans can expect from his

full-album flush of the 2019 “Gamma” EP. Releasing a sneak peek collection of rough mixes as the “outtakes,” EP in April, Miles has continued teasing the eventual release—a product of his loving life, and excitement of sharing songs on the topics that inspired the record. “I think I avoided my love life in the past,” he explained, reflecting on his catalog. “I avoided being a bit vulgar and earnest. But now I’m putting that on the forefront. And it’s registering for those who’ve heard it, which is exciting.” Calling the new record “richer and more relatable,” Miles noted the jump from the “world analysis” on the EP, to the full-length introspective exploration “of myself, those around me, and how we’re shaped by that world,” he said. “Ya know, just general life shit.” It’s all part of what Miles calls the “beautiful struggle”—coming into himself and his craft—refining a sound enjoyable to himself and the audience, without conforming to a particular process. And the release date remains unconfirmed, he admitted the record is ready, “I can’t keep pump-faking,” he said, “it’s done.” Stepping beyond that struggle, and into himself, Miles reflects on guitar calluses, pianos, and the road ahead: “If I can figure out the keys,” he said of what’s next, “it’s over.” ! KATEI CRANFORD Is a Triad music nerd who hosts “Katei’s Thursday Tour Report” on WUAG 103.1FM.

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ClEmmOnS

villagE SquarE taP houSE 6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330 www.vstaphouse.com www.facebook.com/vstaphouse Sep 11: american hair Band

duRHAm

Carolina thEatrE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org Sep 2: Mallaremé Chamber Players w/ hank, Pattie & the Current Sep 10: nurse Black www.yesweekly.com

DPaC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787 www.dpacnc.com Sep 4-5: StoMP Sep 18: the ultimate queen Celevration Sep 20: Bianca Del rio Sep 24: Jeff Foxworthy Sep 25: indigo girls

ElKIn

rEEvES thEatEr

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam aug 19-oct 21: the Martha Bassett Show aug 28: Camel City Yacht Club Sep 18: the reeves house Band Sep 24: Big Daddy love

gREEnSBORO

arizona PEtE’S

2900 Patterson St #A | 336.632.9889 www.arizonapetes.com Sep 14: ice nine Kills w/ Escape the Fate, Currents & Fame on Fire

Sep 11: trial By Fire - tribute to Journey, w/ hard rock reunion

Carolina thEatrE

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com Sep 3: alexa rose & libby rodenbough Sep 10-11: Bus Stop Sep 17: Shane wheeler + the unheard Project Sep 17: Full Moon Fever - a tribute to tom Petty

CoMEDY zonE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com Sep 3-4: Mike Paramore Sep 17-18: nY Kings of Comedy Sep 21: lane Moore Sep 24-25: renny

grEEnSBoro ColiSEuM 1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Sep 3: Kane Brown Sep 5: Kevin gates Sep 18: Dan + Shay Sep 28: J. Cole w/ 21 Savage oct 2: Feed the Streetz tour

littlE BrothEr BrEwing

348 South Elm St | 336.510.9678 www.facebook.com/littlebrotherbrew Sep 9: nC Comedy Festival

PiEDMont hall

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Sep 18: Big head tood and the Monsters

South EnD BrEwing Co.

ConE DEniM

117 S Elm St | 336.378.9646 www.cdecgreensboro.com Sep 10: Drake white w/ Kasey tyndall Sep 17: zz’s Best - tribute to zz top

5105 Michaux Road | 336.282.0950 www.southendbrewing.com tuesdays: trivia night wednesdays: Music Bingo

Barn DinnEr thEatrE 120 Stage Coach Tr. | 336.292.2211 www.barndinner.com aug 7-Sep 25: the Color Purple

BaxtEr’S tavErn

536 Farragut St | 336.808.5837 www.baxterstavern.com Fridays: Karaoke Sep 11: Cory luetjen and the traveling Blues Band Sep 12: Jim quick & the Coastline Band

@coalpitlive

thE BlinD tigEr

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.272.9888 www.theblindtiger.com Sep 2: hellzapoppin Circus Sideshow Sep 3: Flying high again - ozzy tribute Sep 4: Emo night Brooklyn Sep 5: Pigweed, haymaker, allusions of grandeur & more Sep 8: Consider the Source Sep 9: lee Myers Benefit Concert w/ trailer Park orchestra, ascentia, Dismantled, Midnite Massacre Sep 10: unleash the archers w/ aether realm, & Seven Kingdoms

CRENSHAW PENTECOSTAL — AND — CLAY HOWARD & THE SILVER ALERTS SEPTEMBER 4TH @ 6:00 PM BAILEY PARK, WINSTON-SALEM NC Free Admission / No Outside Alcohol Presented By

september 1-7, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

ThE IdIoT Box ComEdY CluB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699 www.idiotboxers.com Sep 2: open mic Sep 3-12: North Carolina Comedy Festival Sep 7: The liar’s Club Podcast live Sep 9: F*ck You dad Podcast live Sep 11: Brian Kiley

WhITE oaK amPIThEaTrE

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400 www.greensborocoliseum.com Sep 24: Trevor Noah Sep 28: Counting Crows Sep 29: Earth, Wind & Fire

high point

PlaNK STrEET TavErN 138 Church Ave | 336.991.5016 www.facebook.com/plankstreettavern Sep 3: Blue City Bombers Sep 11: acoustic Fusion

jamestown

ThE dECK

118 E Main St | 336.207.1999 www.thedeckatrivertwist.com Sep 2: laren myers Sep 9: renae Paige Cooke duo Sep 16: Jamie Pruitt Sep 23: Sean Kaye Sep 30: Songs by Carey leigh

kernersville

BrEaThE CoCKTaIl louNgE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822 www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge Sep 3: dJ mike lawson Sep 4: dJ mike lawson

lewisville

old NICK’S PuB

191 Lowes Foods Dr | 336.747.3059 www.OldNicksPubNC.com Fridays: Karaoke Sep 18: hawthorne Curve

liberty

ThE lIBErTY ShoWCaSE ThEaTEr

101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844 www.TheLibertyShowcase.com Sep 10: Jimmy Fortune Sep 11: The drifters review ft. Nature-Blu

raleigh

CCu muSIC ParK aT WalNuT CrEEK

3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com Sep 10: lil Baby w/ lil durk Sep 11: Shake Your money maker Sep 15: maroon 5

lINColN ThEaTrE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com Sep 3: Todd Snider w/ aaron lee Tasjan Sep 4: Nightrain - guns N roses Experience w/ la maybe Sep 6: Charley Crockett Sep 10: mustache The Band Sep 11: mo lowda & The humble w/ little Bird

rEd haT amPhIThEaTEr 500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com Sep 4: PrImuS Sep 5: rod Wave Sep 12: lord huron w/ allison Ponthier Sep 14: Judas Priest Sep 15: Trippie redd

PNC arENa

1400 Edwards Mill Rd | 919.861.2300 www.thepncarena.com Sep 10-11: luke Combs Sep 17: Katt Williams Sep 29: guns N roses

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september 1-7, 2021

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

Earl’S

121 West 9th Street | 336.448.0018 www.earlsws.com Sep 3: anna leigh Band Sep 4: Jack of Clubs Sep 10: Wagon load of Trouble

FIddlIN’ FISh BrEWINg ComPaNY 772 Trade St | 336.999.8945 www.fiddlinfish.com Sep 3: marvelous Funkshun

FooThIllS BrEWINg

638 W 4th St | 336.777.3348 www.foothillsbrewing.com mondays: Trivia in the Tasting room Tuesdays: Trivia at Footnote! Sep 1: hazy ridge Sep 5: Sunday Jazz

mIdWaY muSIC hall

11141 Old US Hwy 52, Suite 10 | 336.793.4218 www.facebook.com/midwaymusichallandeventcenter Wednesdays: line dancing w/ denise Sep 8: Brett Tolley and Friends Sep 10: oldskool

ThE ramKaT

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714 www.theramkat.com Sep 1: Todd Snider & aaron lee Tasjan Sep 2: Carolina uprising Takeover Sep 3: Colin allured Sep 4: Smyle Band reunion

WINSToN-SalEm FaIrgrouNd

421 W 27th St | 336.727.2236 www.wsfairgrounds.com Sep 11: montgomery gentry Sep 11: Classic Country Concert Series ft. michael montgomery w/ Whiskey Fox Trot, Joe Nichols w/ Cooper alan, mark Chesnett w/ Jukebox rehab

WISE maN BrEWINg

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008 www.wisemanbrewing.com Wednesdays: game Night Thursdays: music Bingo

www.yesweekly.comw

last call

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

SHIFTY-FIFTY

A close friend and I spend a lot of time discussing her issues with her boyfriend. I’m always there for her, even late at night when she’s upset about something. HowAmy Alkon ever, when I bring up someone I’m Advice interested in, she’ll cut me off or say she Goddess just can’t listen to me talk about the guy. Is it petty to feel hurt and to expect more from her? —Disturbed There are friends you can count on — and friends you can count on to fake their own kidnapping the moment you are the slightest bit in need. This sort of “friend” can be hard to identify because we want to believe their friendship is based on more than seeing us as an easy mark. This isn’t to say we lack the psychological tools to identify and deal appropriately with users posing as friends. As humans began living in groups, we evolved to have a social “loss prevention team” — the psychological version of the squad department stores have to catch crafty shoppers who get nine months pregnant in a matter of minutes, uh, with 26 designer dresses. Our minds are tuned for “cheater detection,” to notice sneaky nonreciprocators — people who intentionally take more than they give — explain evolutionary psychologists Leda Cosmides and John Tooby. The police force of our cheater detection system is our emotions: anger and resentment and other gloom-eristic

feelings that rise up when we’re giving and giving and being shafted by somebody who’s all take. That said, friendship isn’t always 50/50, and it’s important to identify when a good friend is temporarily unable to act like one because they’re going through a rough patch. Unless that’s the case here, your emotions are telling you the balance of give and take between you is just not right. Now, maybe she’s just a selfish taker and things will never be right. Then again, you could explain that you feel shorted and give her a chance to right the balance. Even good people sometimes act like crap people. As I see it, one job of a real friend is to put us on notice when we’re falling short. This gives us the chance to make the requisite sacrifices to be a good friend to them — like by dragging our emotional immaturity out back and slaughtering it like a goat on a stone altar (uh, the condo patio).

ON CLOUDY NINE

I’m having this undefined thing with this great woman I see just about nightly. She ended a toxic relationship seven months ago, and I’m still recovering from a terrible breakup. We’re great friends, crack each other up, are extremely honest with each other, and have great sex. Should we try to label this? I worry this free love/ no-strings-attached approach can’t last. —Troubled

not lunch on them with a side of purse dog. Also, once two people spell out that they’re a “we,” the parameters of decision-making expand accordingly: “What works for us?” instead of “What’s best for me?” But sometimes, people still licking their wounds from their last relationship have the close-to-perfect next partner show up inopportunely early. They could push that person away with “I’m not ready now,” which could turn out to be “goodbye forever.” Or...maybe they could have a “not-quite-sure-what-this-is” thing until they feel ready for a relationship again. There’s a challenge to this looseygoosey approach, and it’s how disturbed we humans are by uncertainty: a lack of information about what might happen. The murky unknown revs up feelbad emotions like anxiety and dread over our inability to narrow down the various ways things could go toiletward. Different people have varying levels of what psychologist Mark H. Freeston and his colleagues describe as “intolerance of uncertainty.” To decrease yours (and the angsty feelings that come with), spell out what you can — a likely worst-case

scenario: for example, a woman you’ve grown attached to tires of you and takes to Tinder like a duck to those little goldfish crackers. Painful, yes. But, as you’ve shown, survivable — if temporarily deadly to the ego. Understanding this should help you avoid any temptation to rush things — possibly blowing up the relationship in an attempt to relieve the tension of uncertainty. To help yourself stay on the straight and ambiguous, keep in mind that this uncertainty-alleviating impulse is the business model for horror movies. Without it, they’d be horrifying bores that fizzle out at the three-minute mark — when the teens hear unearthly growls coming from the basement of the abandoned house and one says to the rest: “Yeah, whatevs. Let’s just stay here upstairs playing strip chess.” ! 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.

Zoos have cages so the lions don’t wander through suburbia, snacking on children and labradoodles. Commitment serves a similar boundary-establishing function, though out of the worry that one’s partner will sneak over to the hot neighbor’s for a nooner,

answers [CROSSWORD] crossword on page 11

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[WEEKLY SUDOKU] sudoku on page 11

SEPTEMBER 1-7, 2021 YES! WEEKLY

Sturgill Simpson

Tedeschi Trucks Fireside Live

Melissa Etheridge

Mavis Staples

Margo Price

LeAnn Rimes

JOHNNYSWIM

Shovels & Rope

The Milk Carton Kids

We Banjo 3

Balsam Range

and many more performers!