YES! Weekly — April 1, 2026

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YES!

Writers JOHN BATCHELOR

MARK BURGER

KATEI CRANFORD

LYNN FELDER

JIM LONGWORTH

IAN MCDOWELL

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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 2026 Womack Newspapers, Inc.

APRIL 1-7, 2026

VOLUME 21, NUMBER 14

4

MICHAEL R. MILLER is a very busy man these days. In addition to teaching at the UNCSA School of Filmmaking, where he’s the chair of the Department of Picture Editing and Sound Design, he recently participated in a/perture cinema’s “Red Carpet Gala” for the 98th annual Academy Awards.

5 The Animal and Adoption Rescue Foundation of Winston-Salem, commonly known as AARF, was founded in 1995 by a small group of people wanting to improve the lives of homeless cats and dogs while strengthening the humananimal bond.

6 “ FORBIDDEN FRUITS” marks the feature directorial debut of Meredith Alloway, who co-wrote the screenplay with Lily Houghton, based on the latter’s 2019 play “Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die”

10 Robert Frederick REQUESTED PUBLIC RECORDS at the beginning of January 2023 and is still waiting to receive them due to the $3,520.00 price tag that comes with it.

12 Over a period of more than 40 years, I have enjoyed many evenings at GIOVANNI’S. In the old days, Giovanni Carandola, a colorful personality, would sing, often with sidekick Emilio Prada playing guitar. Giovanni eventually semiretired to Myrtle Beach and opened a restaurant there.

14 On March 31, the City of Greensboro announced the hiring of former Dayton, Ohio, Police Chief KAMRAN AZFAL as the new chief of the Greensboro Police Department. He succeeds former Chief John Thompson, who retired on Feb. 27.

16 Flowers are blooming and CONCERTS ARE POPPING — thanks in no small way to the lovely hostesses with the mostesses making music moments around the Triad!

Michael R. Miller — on the cutting edge

Michael R. Miller is a very busy man these days. In addition to teaching at the UNCSA School of Filmmaking, where he’s the chair of the Department of Picture Editing and Sound Design, he recently participated in a/perture cinema’s “Red Carpet Gala” for the 98th annual Academy Awards (“Great fun,” he said, “I had a wonderful time”) and April 14 marks the o cial release of his first book, “Developing the Editor’s Eye,” published by Routledge Press, with pre-orders being taken on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, and Routledge websites. If that weren’t enough, at the upcoming RiverRun International Film Festival (April 17-25), Miller will be honored with a Master of Cinema award on April 19 at a special screening of Joel and Ethan Coen’s classic 1987 comedy “Raising Arizona” at the UNCSA Main Theatre, located on the main campus, 1533 S. Main St., Winston-Salem.

“When you look at the films he’s done and the people he’s worked with, Michael is iconic,” said Michael Morin, RiverRun executive director. “The stories he has, that kind of history and knowledge — it’s a no-brainer. In musical terms, the editor is like the drummer in a band, and you don’t have a song without the drummer.”

“Developing the Editor’s Eye” explores the art of film editing in a clear, concise, and entertaining fashion, attractive to both aspiring and working filmmakers as well as film bu s. It’s not a textbook but a celebration of the craft he has practiced and mastered for the better part of 50 years. It details not only films he’s worked on, but films edited by others, with some emphasis on Jerry Greenberg (“The French Connection”), Alan Heim (“All That Jazz”), and Paul Hirsch (“Star Wars”), all Oscar winners and all friends and mentors to Miller, particularly Hirsch. “From the feedback I’ve gotten, I have found people like to hear behind-the-

scenes stories,” Miller said. “I wanted to highlight the importance of editing and to share my love of filmmaking. It was great fun revisiting all these films.”

Miller’s impressive list of credits encompasses almost every genre. He worked as an assistant editor on Woody Allen’s “Manhattan” (1979) and “Stardust Memories” (1980) and alongside Oscar winner Thelma Schoonmaker on Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull” (1980). He edited the first three Coen Brothers films (“Blood Simple,” “Raising Arizona,” “Miller’s Crossing”), “I’m Gonna Git You, Sucka” (1988), 1990’s “Mr. Destiny” (filmed in Winston-Salem), “Boys on the Side” (1995), the original “Anaconda” (1997), “Ghost World” (2001), “Strangers With Candy” (2005), and Angus MacLachlan’s “Abundant Acreage Available” (2017), which was made after he came to teach at UNCSA.

“In college [Cornell University], like a lot of people, I discovered a love of movies,” Miller recalled. “My fantasy would have been to bring a taste of the French New Wave by first being a film critic and then a filmmaker, like Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Tru aut, and Peter Bogdanovich.”

But once he got into the editing room, he didn’t want to leave. “Paul Hirsch is one of the most inspiring people I’d ever met and just as inspiring as a filmmaker. I began to fall in love with editing. It was awe-inspiring and it was like having a normal sta job, and it was a union job, so I was making money!

“Paul told me, ‘As soon as you feel comfortable as an assistant editor, stop,’ and I knew that moment had come on ‘Stardust Memories’ where I knew which scenes they’d want before they even told me, and (then) my leap forward was working on really bad films that were fun.” These would include 1984’s “Violated” and 1987’s “Blood Rage,” also released as “Nightmare at Shadow Woods.”

Miller has directed a handful of short films but opted early on not to pursue a directing career, simply because his editing career was thriving and taking time o would likely have meant losing potentially lucrative editing gigs, so he simply sought out challenging projects in various genres to sustain his ambition and enthusiasm. “I learned a thousand

lessons working with great writers and directors,” he said, and some of those lessons can be found in the pages of “Developing the Editor’s Eye.”

Miller carried over that enthusiasm when he came to teach at UNCSA in 2015, and he received a UNCSA Excellence in Teaching Award for 2023-’24. “Michael is a master storyteller, whether it is his use of language or the way he ‘writes’ with images in the language of cinema,” said Deborah LaVine, School of Filmmaking dean. “The new book is sure to capture Michael’s command of his craft and his ability to weave a hypnotic story around it.”

As far as the Master of Cinema award is concerned, he is delighted and honored, and the selection of “Raising Arizona” to commemorate the event was easy. “It’s my favorite because it’s everyone’s favorite,” he said with a smile. “That’s the one everybody asks me about the most, and I knew when cutting it that no one had cut a movie like this before.”

Although Miller and the Coens parted ways professionally after “Miller’s Crossing” (appropriate!), they remain friends and the Coens never employed another editor for their subsequent films, editing themselves under the pseudonym “Roderick Jaynes,” earning Oscar nominations for “Fargo” (1996) and “No Country for Old Men” (2008).

“Michael Miller is a blessing for the School of Filmmaking and, in my opinion, the most e ective faculty there,” said Julian Semilian, who taught editing alongside Miller until his retirement last year. “I feel fortunate to have worked

with him for 10 years. Not only does Michael have the most voluminous resumé of edited films — some, like “Raising Arizona” and “Miller’s Crossing,” are classics — he is also well-versed in film theory, as evidenced by the publication of his new book, which I feel is going to be a classic.

“I felt fortunate when he arrived at the School of Filmmaking, as we shared the same visions of creating the best film editing program in the U.S.A., perhaps in the entire world. That vision started to come true only one year after Michael began in 2016, when our editing students swept the American Cinema Editors student Eddie award. In other words, all the finalists were UNCSA students! The winning streak continued for almost seven straight years, with our students winning four Eddies and being nominated seven times. He is indeed a treasure. Under his tutelage, the next generation of American film editors has been created and will continue to be for as long as he is there!”

For more information about “Developing the Editor’s Eye,” visit https://www. routledge.com/Developing-the-EditorsEye/Miller/p/book/9781032946375. For more information about the RiverRun International Film Festival, visit the o cial website: https://riverrunfilm.com/ !

See MARK BURGER’s reviews of current movies. © 2026, Mark Burger.

Party 4 Paws Gala to support AARF mission

According to PetRadar. com, every year, about 1.6 million dogs and 1.6 million cats are adopted into forever homes. That’s the good news. The bad news is that nearly 8 million dogs and cats are abandoned each year, which leaves 5 million pets to die from neglect or to await euthanasia in overcrowded animal shelters. Fortunately, here in the Triad, there is an organization dedicated to improving those odds for our four-legged friends.

Longworth at Large

The Animal and Adoption Rescue Foundation of Winston-Salem, commonly known as AARF, was founded in 1995 by a small group of people wanting to improve the lives of homeless cats and dogs while strengthening the humananimal bond. AARF is a no-kill, nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that facilitates foster care, adoption, medical services, spaying and neutering, community outreach, and education.

“Whenever we encounter a lost, abandoned, neglected, or abused cat or dog, we feel it is our civic and humane duty to rescue and save that animal,” says Carly

Cockerham, executive director of AARF.

AARF is headquartered in a 6,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility in Winston-Salem and relies on donations to sustain its mission. Toward that end, the organization hosts fundraising events such as the annual Party 4 Paws Gala, now in its 10th year. This year’s gala takes place on Friday, April 11, at the Millennium Center downtown.

“This event reflects the powerful community support that makes our life-saving work possible year after year,” said Cockerham.

The gala will include live and silent auctions, where partygoers can bid on such items as a seven-night stay at a luxurious oceanfront beach house. There will also be fine jewelry to bid on and plenty of sports memorabilia up for grabs. And, as always, there’ll be a dog fashion show.

The evening kicks o with a VIP reception at 6 p.m., one hour ahead of the main celebration. Tickets are on sale now, and seating is limited. For tickets, visit www.onecau.se/p4p2026.

For more information about AARF, its mission, and services, visit www.aarfws. org. !

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) and streaming on WFMY+.

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[ WEEKLY ARTS ROUNDUP] FESTIVALS CONNECT US

9-11)

SUBMITTED BY ANDREW

As Greensboro welcomes spring, a renewed energy pulses through the city. Music, art, and a steady stream of festivals mark the season. Through the Festival Grant Program, The ACGG helps make many of these moments possible.

We continue to support festivals as a dynamic way to bring the community together around the arts.

For Greensboro Bound Book Festival (April 9-11) organizers shared that their festival “simply wouldn’t exist as it is without The ACGG.” By offering free workshops and connecting nationally recognized authors with the community, the festival fosters an accessible and engaged literary culture.

Other festivals focus on the development of talent. The ACE Spirit Week Festival (starts April 24) is “building the next generation of creative leaders,” transforming from a student-led concert into a multi-day summit of intergenerational artists.

The Strange Fruit Festival (April 17-19) has been sponsored by The ACGG since its inception. It highlights black influence on American music and focuses heavily on local artists, with a blend of free and ticketed events.

Arts Unbound (May 2) presented by Creative Aging Network-N.C., is a multicultural, intergenerational festival

that brings people of all ages together through art, performance, and shared experience. Rooted in connection and creative expression, it celebrates aging as a time of continued growth and contribution.

CultureWorks (May 23) produced by Creative Greensboro, brings together fashion, visual art, and music in a oneday showcase of Greensboro’s creative community. While not a liated with The ACGG’s Festival Grant Program, it reflects the broader momentum of arts activity across Greensboro.

At Juneteenth GSO Fest (June 19-21) the support helps sustain a celebration of cultural identity described as a living tapestry of culture and heritage. By honoring past voices and amplifying new ones from across Greensboro’s historic Black neighborhoods, the festival creates an exciting and essential space for community reflection.

These festivals demonstrate what is possible when we invest in creative infrastructure. Festivals are ambitious endeavors, but they are worth the effort. They are tangible markers of a healthy community that values heritage and supports the arts and those who craft it. This spring The ACGG is proud to support all of the organizations that work toward a more vibrant, art-filled, and connected community. !

‘Forbidden Fruits’

a flirtatious, sassy

“Forbidden Fruits” marks the feature directorial debut of Meredith Alloway, who co-wrote the screenplay with Lily Houghton, based on the latter’s 2019 play “Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die” (sometimes shortened to “Of the woman”), and although the film falters in the home stretch, it’s a wicked little treat in the tradition of “Heathers” (1989), “The Craft” (1994), and “Mean Girls” (2004).

The title is derived from the principal characters, a group of young women who worked at the same trendy (and hilariously overpriced) boutique called “Free Eden” nestled in the heart of the Highland Place Shopping Mall in suburban Texas. These lissome ladies share many common bonds, including their collective passion for haute couture, a collective attitude of haughty condescension, and each being named for fruit.

The undisputed leader is Apple (Lili Reinhart), who has initiated co-workers Cherry (Victoria Pedretti) and Fig (Alexandra Shipp) into a latter-day witches’ coven, where they cast spells when the mood strikes. The latest to join the coven is Pumpkin (Lola Tung), who proclaims, “My job doesn’t define me; my hotness and personality do.” She’s certainly got the attitude down.

The film almost never leaves the confines of the mall, which is essentially the “realm” that the Fruits control, and the colorful cinematography by Karim Hussein, an old hand in the horror genre (“Séance,” “Orphan: First Kill,” “Infinity Pool”), is appropriately splashy and stylish. Special mention must also be made of costume designer Sarah Millman’s exemplary contribution here.

Yet, to an extent, “Forbidden Fruit” is more style than substance, and its

casts

spell

momentum sags at just the wrong time: When tempers begin to fray, and the coven threatens to come undone. That’s when Pumpkin’s true motivation becomes clear, and that’s when things get bloody, having been rather restrained up to that point.

The most potent attribute is the chemistry among the leading ladies, which is palpable throughout. Reinhart, as the wickedest of the witches, tends to dominate the proceedings by sheer dint of the character’s will, but that’s not to downplay the appealing work by Tung, Shipp, and especially Pedretti, who comes close to stealing the show as the promiscuous Cherry. It’s also a refreshing change of pace to have a film told entirely from the perspective of its female characters. Popular podcaster Emma Chamberlain makes her feature debut in a small but pivotal role (her character’s name is “Pickle,” incidentally), and the charismatic Gabrielle Union plays Sharon, the manager of Free Eden, who is often referred to and sometimes heard but only briefly seen, the circumstances of which are best not divulged. !

BY MARK BURGER

DVD PICK OF THE WEEK:

“SALEM’S LOT” (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment Group)

It’s not perfect, but Tobe Hooper’s 1979 mini-series adaptation of Stephen King’s best-selling 1975 novel is a classic, even a landmark, in the genre — particularly for a television production. There’s no question it broadened the parameters of what was permissible on the small screen in terms of horror.

The sleepy New England town of Jerusalem’s Lot (Pop. 2,103 — but not for long) has some newcomers: Ben Mears (David Soul), a novelist who spent summers there as a boy and is formulating a book about the town’s resident haunted house, the Marsten House, and Richard Straker (the magnificent James

Mason), who is opening an antiques store with his partner, the soon-to-arrive Kurt Barlow (Reggie Nalder), and has recently purchased said Marsten House. Salem’s Lot has plenty of skeletons in its closet, and there are (many) more to come, courtesy Mr. Barlow, who is something of an antique himself — he’s a voracious vampire and Straker his obedient minion.

The teleplay by Paul Monash, who’d earlier adapted King’s novel “Carrie” for the big screen in 1976, alters some elements and characters but remains true to the novel’s spirit (King himself praised the script). As the bloodless bodies start to pile up, Mears and new girlfriend Susan Norton (Bonnie Bedelia) begin to suspect something is very, very wrong in Salem’s Lot, and teen-aged horror fan Mark Petrie (Lance Kerwin) discovers his love of the genre comes in mighty handy when battling bloodsuckers. The trouble is trying to convince others of the truth. Criticism has long been leveled as Soul for being a bland hero, as well as Bedelia and Kerwin being too old for their respective characters, but in retrospect all are entirely competent in the roles they play. The one element all agree on is that Mason steals the show as the cunning, mysterious Straker. When he casually says, “You’ll enjoy Mr. Barlow, and he’ll enjoy you,” it still sends shivers up the spine. The rest of the cast is impeccable: Lew Ayres (in his final TV movie), Kenneth McMillan, Ed Flanders, Geo rey Lewis, Elisha Cook Jr., Marie Windsor, George Dzundza, Julie Cobb, Clarissa Kaye (Mason’s real-life wife), Barbara Babcock, Brad Savage, Ronnie Scribner, and even Fred Willard (he’s great, too!).

In retrospect, what’s truly amazing about “Salem’s Lot” is how it encapsulates the post-Vietnam, post-Watergate malaise of the late 1970s, an era rocked by economic and global political turmoil and a mounting sense of dread and mistrust (hmmm …). Friends and neighbors have become corrupted into undead fiends, and anyone could be next. Evil has taken root in Salem’s Lot, and it’s credibly rendered here in a genuinely chilling, well-paced two parts (a shorter version with some additional footage was released as a feature overseas). Some scenes have become indelibly etched in the memories of those who saw it back in the day, and if you’ve seen “Salem’s Lot” before you know precisely which moments those are. It’s a remarkably pessimistic work, which only enhances its impact.

“Salem’s Lot” earned three Emmy nominations: Outstanding Achievement in Graphic Design and Title Sequences, Outstanding Achievement in Makeup, and Outstanding Achievement in Music Competition for a Limited Series or Special (Dramatic Underscore) and was later remade — quite well — as a TNT miniseries in 2004 and a long-delayed feature film shot in 2020 but not unveiled until 2024. But this is undoubtedly the version that everyone remembers, with good reason.

The limited-edition 4K Ultra HD combo ($59.95 retail) includes both the original mini-series and theatrical versions, audio commentaries, collectible booklet, poster and sticker, retrospective featurettes and interviews, image gallery, trailer, and more.

“COVEN OF THE BLACK CUBE” (Blood Sick Productions/MVD Entertainment Group): A veritable one-man band, Brewce Longo is co-story writer/screenwriter/editor/producer/executive producer/director/co-star (whew!) of this low-budget smorgasbord of black magic, stoner comedy, star-crossed romance, serial killers, unhappy wives and ill-fated husbands, and even LGBTQ+ issues and heavy-metal music interludes, shot on video with an ensemble cast including Morrigan Thompson, co-writers Josh Schafer and Zoe Angelie, Tina Krause, Kasper Meltedhair, David “The Rock” Nelson, Joe Swanberg, and Chris Seaver, available on Blu-ray ($24.95 retail) replete with audio commentary, behindthe-scenes featurette, and outtakes.

“DATE WITH A VAMPIRE” (Visual Vengeance/MVD Entertainment Group): The “collector’s-edition” Blu-ray bow ($29.95 retail) of producer/director Je rey Arsenault’s low-budget, direct-tovideo erotic shocker starring Lori Thomas as a lusty, voracious bloodsucker at large in New York City and Robin Macklin as her latest intended victim, with Arsenault adopting the directorial pseudonym “Gregory Cabot.” Bonus features include the bonus 2002 feature “Blood Craving” (written, produced, and directed by Arsenault), audio commentaries for both films, collectible mini-poster, retrospective interviews, image gallery, trailers, and more.

“THE DIVINE SARAH BERNHARDT” (Distrib Films/Icarus Films Home Video): Sandrine Kiberlain’s flamboyant but touching turn dominates this episodic biographical drama (originally titled “Sarah Bernhardt la divine”) tracing the turbulent life of acclaimed actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) as she reflects upon her past, particularly her long-standing, tumultuous relationship with fellow actor Lucien Guitry (played by Laurent Lafitte). The exquisite period detail is further augmented by a stellar selection of classical music courtesy such master composers as Debussy, Ravel, Chopin, Schubert, and others. In French with English subtitles, the DVD ($26.98 retail) includes trailers.

“EVIL NUN” (The Asylum Home Entertainment): Members of a Catholic youth ministry (including April Clark and Evan James Henderson) experience

Satanic panic when terrorized and killed o one-by-one by the titular specter in an abandoned church in Mexico in this senseless, low-budget shocker from story writer/screenwriter/director Jose Prendes, featuring top-billed Noel Gugliemi (billed as “Noel G”) as a pistolpacking priest with some dark secrets of his own, available on DVD ($16.99 retail), replete with trailers.

“NOT WITHOUT HOPE” (Ketchup Entertainment): Producer/director/ screenwriter Joe Carnahan’s earnest adaptation of the 2010 non-fiction bestseller penned by executive producer Nick Schuyler and Jeré Longman dramatizing the tragic capsizing of a fishing boat in the Gulf of Mexico, in which Schuyler (played here by Zachary Levi) was the sole survivor, with Quentin Plair, Terrence Terrell (in his feature debut), and Marshall Cook playing his ill-fated friends (two of whom were professional football players), along with JoBeth Williams as Schuyler’s mother and Josh Duhamel as the Coast Guard o cer overseeing the search. Despite some obvious CGI e ects, this is reasonably engrossing and well-made but also repetitious, thereby missing the mark. The DVD ($24.98 retail) includes theatrical trailer. Rated R.

“THE PRISONER OF ZENDA” (Kino Lorber Studio Classics): The American Blu-ray bow ($29.95 retail) of director Richard Quine’s final feature, a muddled 1979 slapstick spoof based on Anthony Hope’s classic 1892 adventure novel, reconfigured as a vehicle for Peter Sellers (who essays three roles), who plays the kidnapped king of Ruritania (and his ill-fated father) and the lookalike coach driver recruited to impersonate him, with Lynne Frederick, Elke Sommer, Lionel Je ries, Jeremy Kemp, Gregory Sierra, Catherine Schell, Graham Stark, Stuart Wilson, and John Laurie (in his final feature) in support. This is the only film Sellers and real-life wife Frederick co-starred in and was another project in which Sellers proved di cult to work with — later disowning the film altogether. Aside from Henry Mancini’s score and a few scattered laughs, the behind-the-scenes contretemps are only too evident. Bonus features include audio commentary and theatrical trailer. Rated PG. !

leisure [WEEKLY SUDOKU] [KING CROSSWORD]

LANGUAGE GROUP

ACROSS 1 Knee, elbow or shoulder problem

9 Pop’s Easton 15 Koranic faith 20 Make hostile 21 “Omoo” writer Melville 22 Cheese, in Chihuahua

23 Instruments such as maracas and congas

25 Slow-moving mollusk

26 “Little” girl in “Hairspray” 27 Comment just after waking

28 Certain Fed 30 “Nuts!” 31 Angsty rock subgenre 33 Loose-skinned citrus fruit

38 Upper-left PC key 41 Anxious condition, for short 43 Tranquillity

44 City in Ohio 45 Famed ethnic fi ghters 49 Uncool character 51 Big melees 52 Pop’s Celine

53 See 130-Across 54 Gas brand in Canada 58 Speller’s clarifying words

59 Mrs., in Essen

60 Rembrandt, Vermeer or Hals

Makes illegal

To a great degree

The Bollywood film

“Ask — questions ...”

vehicle

Bumped into

“Je t’—” (“I love you,” in Paris)

Tranquillity

Skip o to the altar

Adar, Nisan and Tishri

Flax-colored

(disinfectant)

Gp. for people

64 Hush-hush 66 Horse father

Like galaxies 68 “Well now!”

70 Alternative to Kool-Aid or Hi-C 74 One or more 75 Israelites’ Promised

The Clone Tours APRIL 18, 2026 @ 7:30 PM

Since breaking out on “America’s Got Talent” and “Penn & Teller: Fool Us,” viral sensation Piff the Magic Dragon has won the heart of America with his network television appearances, non-stop touring, and unyielding passion for snacks. The billboard may say "The Loser of America’s Got Talent," but Piff is anything but. Voted one of Variety’s Top Ten Comics to Watch, crowned champion of TBS’ “Tournament of Laughs,” he is the first act to ever win Best Comedian, Best Magician and Best Headliner at the Best of Las Vegas Awards.

Delayed Request: Triad resident fights for public records

Robert Frederick requested public records at the beginning of January 2023 and is still waiting to receive them due to the $3,520.00 price tag associated with them.

THE REQUEST AND THE RESULTS

At the beginning of 2023, Frederick sent a request through the Town of Jamestown Public Records Portal for:

1) all copies of invoices for work performed by Mr. Tom Terrell, the town’s Land Use Attorney; and 2) all emails sent/received by council members, mayor, town manager, town clerk/assistant town manager, starting (and including) 11/30/2022 up until (and including) 1/17/2023 that are considered public record per N.C. law. That includes emails regarding policies/directives, drafts or reports, recommendations, correspondence, and memos related to o cial business, work schedules/assignments, meeting agendas/notes, any document or message that initiates, facilitates, authorizes, or completes a business transaction, and messages that create a precedent, such as issuing instructions or advice.

“I wanted to see if Jamestown had paid for a meeting,” he explained as to why he wanted the records. The response to his request from the Town Manager, Matthew Johnson, is below:

We have received several requests from you requesting public records from the Town of Jamestown. Multiple requests within a short period of time may be considered a single request for purposes of determining whether to charge fees.

Per the Town’s Public Records Request Policy, the Town may require the payment of fees for requests that exceed four (4) hours of clerical time. The presumed rate of $31 per hour would be charged for any clerical sta time over 4 hours, in addition to any costs incurred for the purchase of software or IT consultations required to accommodate your request. The estimates below are just estimates and you would be responsible for any additional time or costs incurred. The Town would reimburse any monies owed to you should the request take less time than the estimate. Those estimates were listed as:

a) Software license and upload of data - $395/month + $25/GB for a total of 20 GB

Estimate of costs for software - $895

b) Estimated cost for IT consultant to retrieve records $145

c) Costs for sta to compile the records (in excess of 4 hours) —

Estimate of time to complete — 80 hours at $31/hour - $2,480

d) Costs for review by attorneys*** -

Estimate of time to complete — 20 hours at $325/ hour - $6,500

***This fee is not chargeable to Mr. Frederick, but reflects a direct cost to the Town of Jamestown and its taxpayers for work involved in fulfilling his request.

Total estimate - $3,520

75% due prior to the fulfillment of the request - $ 2,640

An amount that Frederick calls excessive.

“My first thought when I saw it was this was an absurd charge,” he said.

Frederick said he is still hoping to get his request answered, without the hit to his wallet.

“That would be wonderful. It would help me understand how it was that the town’s land development ordinance was changed,” he said.

He even went as far as contacting the North Carolina Department of Information Technology to mediate a meeting with town o cials to assist in getting the requests. That March 2023 meeting led to costs being reduced to $2,005 and a keyword list to assist sta with pulling records.

“The only thing that the town was willing to do was to consider a reduced request limited by keywords. So I sent them a list of keywords to reduce the request, and the charge was still around $2,000,” Frederick said.

That new estimate is below; however, that estimate was only valid within 30 days of the March 15, 2023, letter.

Estimate cost to complete:

a) Software license and upload of data - $395/month + $25/GB for a total of 9 GB

Estimate of costs for software - $620

b) Estimated cost for IT consultant to retrieve records $145

c) Costs for sta to compile the records (in excess of 4 hours) —

Estimate of time to complete — 40 hours at $31/hour - $1,240

d) Costs for review by attorneys*** -

Estimate of time to complete — 20 hours at $325/ hour - $4,875

***This fee is not chargeable to Mr. Frederick, but reflects a direct cost to the Town of Jamestown and its

taxpayers for work involved in fulfilling his request.

Total estimate - $2,005

75% due prior to the fulfillment of the request$1,503.75

Frederick said that the cost for software for the town to fulfill the request was “questionable.”

“It seems like I should be able to show up at town hall and just have somebody look over my shoulder as I look through email. Or you could just download it and put it onto a thumb drive.”

Frederick said he o ered a thumb drive or to come in person.

“They said absolutely not, we’re not going to allow you to inspect those records in person,” he said.

Johnson said the town is charging for the subscription to the software because it is not something they would typically have on hand. He said the request would have included more than 10,000 emails, including the keywords.

“We’re an extremely small sta , and that would take an incredibly large amount of time for us to complete. The request that he’s made would have to be reviewed by the town attorney, and we redact it because there are certain things, legally, that we can’t provide. The software is not something that we subscribe to. This would be a one-o type of thing for us. We don’t typically receive requests that would be this involved or lengthy,” Johnson said. “It would not be in the public’s best interest for us to have that type of software on deck just in case. It’d be something that we would have to subscribe to for a period of time until we can fulfill that request. Because again, as the stewards of the public money, we don’t need to be spending money on such types of software if we don’t need it. And 99.9% of the time, we don’t need it. We’ve been very, very clear as to what the procedure is. Mr. Frederick has refused to accept that.” As to the rest of the estimate, Johnson said the fees are appropriate.

“The four hours of ‘free work’ this far exceeds that, not to mention the excessive amount of taxpayer dollars that would have to be used with the town attorney to fulfill a request like this. Those fees cannot be passed on to the requester. So those are fees that the taxpayers would have to eat,” Johnson said. “They’ve already eaten quite a bit of money and time with the town attorney for this one individual’s request on numerous, numerous occasions. Mr. Frederick has been through mediation on this with the state and neglected to follow their advice. We still tried to work with Mr. Frederick, and he refused. So at this particular juncture, I don’t know that I have any more information to give on that particular request. We treat everybody the same. If somebody else were to do that, it doesn’t matter who it is; it would be the same.”

Johnson wanted to be clear that there was no delay in fulfilling Frederick’s request.

“He has requested a fairly lengthy request, and per the state law, we are required to give him a quote on fulfill-

ing that request or letting him know that it is a lengthy request, and the option is for him to pay towards that so that we can fulfill that request. I don’t know that I understand where the — where the impasse is, but he has been given all of the tools to choose whether or not he wants to do that or not,” Johnson said. “This is like a several-year-old request, and at this point, I think Mr. Frederick probably needs to seek the advice of a counsel rather than— not the town council, but a counselor, a legal advisor— rather than to continue to ask for people to fight on his behalf. I’m not sure I understand why the newspaper would pick this up. We would have spent thousands more fulfilling that request than what we’re able to charge him. So, as a person who is responsible for protecting the public’s money, it is incumbent upon us to try to recoup costs where we can.”

Johnson said Frederick’s request is not the norm and that the town typically can fulfill requests without the steep price tag.

“We would happily provide records for people in reasonable requests. It’s not a problem at all. It just depends on the nature of the request. If you were to ask for, I don’t know, a copy of the agenda from last week, we’ll send that right over to you. It’s no problem. We do occasionally get requests like that. But if it were going to be a long and involved process, it would be met with the same type of scrutiny as Mr. Frederick’s request. It’s just that we are responsible for protecting the public’s money, and this is an unreasonably large request. It’s a very large and tedious request, and it’s several years old at this point. I’m not sure why this wouldn’t have been resolved through other means. If he feels like he needs to find a resolution, again, I would maybe ask him to talk to an attorney rather than having the local newspaper try to fight the fight for it,” Johnson said. “Catering to one particular individual who makes

excessive requests on a frequent basis or a semi-frequent basis doesn’t seem like that’s the best use of the government’s time or money. I would expect my government to expect some sort of skin in the game, if you will, to o set those costs. We don’t work for just Mr. Frederick. We work for about 4,000 other folks in this town.”

Johnson said that the town’s policy of “considering multiple requests within a short period of time as a single request” is to prevent people from “working the system.”

“It’s to prevent people from trying to work the system by saying, ‘OK, I’ve got 17 days’ worth of work and I want to parse it down into 3-hour requests at a time.’ It’s to stop bad behavior because Mr. Frederick has exhibited that same behavior. This was after the policy was adopted. But that doesn’t work either. It’s the same e ect on sta . Again, my responsibility is to make sure that we are good stewards of the public’s resources, their financial resources. And Mr. Frederick continues to want to take advantage of what he sees as, in my opinion, free work. Mr. Frederick feels like this should be free, and he has stated that,” Johnson said. “I think you should include in your report that he expects all of this information for free, at no cost to him ever. It costs the public taxpayers a tremendous amount of money to deal with him. Over the past four years, we’ve already spent well over $20,000 just responding to Mr. Frederick alone. That is a significant amount of money. In a time when our taxpayers are concerned about the fees and the taxes that they’re paying, we don’t want to be using this in a frivolous way.”

Frederick said he thinks the town’s Public Record Request Policy was “put into place because they were trying to actively discourage public records requests.”

“I think a lack of transparency breeds more people seeking transparency. I think that’s what’s happening now, too. People have contacted me to say, ‘I’ve made a public records request.’ We just want to see what our money, our taxpayer dollars, have been used for.”

Editor’s Note: This story is part one of YES! Weekly following-up on a reader’s request to look into the city’s public records policy. !

Chow Down with John Batchelor at Giovanni’s

BY JOHN BATCHELOR

Over a period of more than 40 years, I have enjoyed many evenings at Giovanni’s. In the old days, Giovanni Carandola, a colorful personality, would sing, often with sidekick Emilio Prada playing guitar. Giovanni eventually semi-retired to Myrtle Beach and opened a restaurant there. Throughout the Greensboro years, Robert Holden was cooking by Giovanni’s side. He started when he was a teenager, handling the kitchen whenever Giovanni worked the floor. After Giovanni moved to Myrtle Beach, Holden became chef-partner at Giovanni’s in Greensboro. After Giovanni died, the Myrtle Beach property closed.

The Greensboro property has continued under Holden’s sway. He did some redecorating this spring, closing for a few days early this month, then reopened with a revised menu dedicated to flexibility and value, while retaining the perennial favorite selections that have maintained a devoted following for such a long time. I would argue that Giovanni’s pretty much defined high-end Italian dining for a previous generation. But times have changed, and the new menu seeks to adapt to an expanded audience. The restaurant has been rechristened Giovanni’s Italian Steakhouse.

A bar, upscale, noisy, with high energy, often with live music, flanks the left of the entry. The main dining room is upscale and contemporary in décor, following a black, white, and gray color

scheme, with black over white tablecloths, yet casual in ambience.

I had no difficulty selecting wines — over two dozen are provided by the glass, and all the selections I have had are quite good. The list balances California with Italy, plus a smattering of French. Beers should be more than adequate, even for the enthusiast, and I predict satisfaction with pricing. The cocktail list provides good descriptions. The aroma of freshly baked bread arrives before you actually see the basket. The crusty flavor lives up to the olfactory promise, and that is a real compliment. Butter is provided, of course, but if you ask for it, you get a high-quality extra virgin olive oil, interspersed with herbs and laced with balsamic vinegar. Restrain yourself. Do not spoil your dinner by eating too much bread, which is easy to do. (Regular readers know that I hardly

ever compliment bread.)

The Antipasti section of the menu retains prices that were in effect almost five years ago, when I last wrote about this place, an amazing accomplishment in itself. The usual suspects are present — Calamari Fritti, Oysters on the Half Shell, Shrimp Cocktail, Oysters Rockefeller, Mussels Marinara — all at least as good as you will find anywhere else, often better. Several others, however, stand out, either because they are unusual in the Triad or because their preparation is especially good: Lamb Lollipops, grilled, with fresh rosemary and a Marsala wine reduction; Escargot with garlic herb butter, sauteed then baked; and Homemade Meat Balls with tomato marinara sauce dabbed with ricotta cheese.

The Small Plates section offers pasta dishes, considered “small” because they stand alone, not because

the portions are skimpy. Linguine alle Vongole— clams simmered in natural jus with white wine, garlic, and olive oil — is well-balanced, the light clam flavor coming through clearly within the garlic and wine. Shrimp Livornese uses five real jumbos, egg-battered, then baked in a sauce of garlic, butter, white wine, and lemon. The shrimp are tender, the whole dish downright delicious, an excellent rendition of this recipe.

Other selections include Spaghetti Carbonara, with prosciutto and pecorino — Romano cheese in spaghetti; Pasta Pomodoro, a vegetarian concoction based on San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, and basil over linguine; Chicken Fricasse — breast meat in white wine with lemon and mushrooms; and Veal Saltimbocca, with ham and mozzarella cheese in a white wine and mushroom sauce.

If you have a monster appetite, order one of these as a pasta course and dine like the old Giovanni’s. But having one by itself provides an excellent meal at a moderate price, and that is the intention now. Add a side vegetable if you are worried about getting your greens, or a House Salad, and you have a complete, well-balanced meal at a very good total price. That House Salad is one of the best in the Triad — mixed lettuces, peeled cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, fresh mushroom slices, and cubes of Parmesan cheese. The ranch dressing is pleasantly mellow.

For a salad entrée, seriously consider Salmon Carpaccio. I cannot recall seeing this on any other area menu, and it’s a real winner. Smoked salmon — and plenty of it — is interspersed with lettuce leaves, plus quartered tomatoes, sliced fresh mushrooms, slivered onions, and capers, dressed in a light balsamic vinaigrette. A light meal, but well satisfying, and a high value.

Add a bowl of soup — Pasta e Fagioli, Minestrone, or soup of the day — and even I would leave full! Again, at a relatively low price.

Entrée pastas come with the House Salad. I tried Lobster Ravioli and was impressed with how the rich cream sauce complemented the claw meat inserted into the pasta pockets. Other pasta mains include Lasagna, Spaghetti alla Carbonara with pancetta, Rigatoni alla Vodka with San Marzano tomato cream sauce, Manicotti, Spaghetti and Sausage, and Spaghetti with Meatballs. Giovanni himself taught me how he made Fettuccine Alfredo. It is a lush concoction, heavy with butter and cream and egg yolks. Given the new nomenclature, I would draw attention to the Prime Steaks section of the menu. A T-Bone for Two is the highlighted feature, “alla Florentina,” with blue cheese herb butter, drizzled olive oil, and garlic. At $82, it’s certainly not cheap, but the price includes two salads plus a choice of side vegetable. I’ve seen the same dish on other Triad steakhouse menus priced over $120. So the value theme holds, even at the top end.

On Robert Holden’s recommendation, I ordered the Bone — In Pork Chop on my most recent visit. This is a thick cut — at least an inch — tender and juicy — seasoned with fresh rosemary. The exterior is seared to an excellent crust, the overall flavor enhanced with fresh mushrooms in a light tomato and

white wine sauce. Artistry in pork! One of the best I have had.

My wife got Chicken Piccata that night, one of her favorites. She says Holden’s version is better than mine, a remark I do not take lightly, but on reflection, his should be better. That’s why you go out to restaurants — to get better food than you get at home. The sauce is creamy, with a precise balance between otherwise strong lemon and caper flavors, all simmered in white wine and butter with mushrooms and onions.

Plenty of other seafood and fowl fare round out the entrée section of the menu. I have had just about everything, factoring in the old favorites that are still available. I have always left well-pleased.

Our server remarked that most people do not order dessert. It’s not because the desserts are not good. They are. It’s because customers at Giovanni’s tend to be too full for another course.

Zee Aguirre is service manager, responsible for ensuring a welcoming feel for all customers. Mari Cruz is Master Chef, helming Giovanni’s kitchen for 15 years. I think this team has done a really good job of reconceptualizing a high-end, exclusively fine dining restaurant into a high-value restaurant without losing any of the quality that has been present for a generation. !

JOHN BATCHELOR has been writing about eating and drinking since 1981. Over a thousand of his articles have been published. He is also author of two travel/ cookbooks: “Chefs of the Coast: Restaurants and Recipes from the North Carolina Coast,” and “Chefs of the Mountains: Restaurants and Recipes from Western North Carolina.” Contact him at john.e.batchelor@ gmail.com or see his blog, johnbatchelordiningandtravel.blogspot.com.

WANNA go?

Giovanni’s Italian Steakhouse 5831 W. Gate City Blvd. Greensboro, NC 27407 336-852-8890 giovannisnc.com

Hours: Lunch 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday; Dinner 4:30-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 4:30-10 p.m. Thursday, 4:30-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday Appetizers: $14-$21, Salads: $11-$16, Soups: $8, Pizza: $15-$21, Entrees: $21-$52, Desserts: $10 Most recent visit: March 20

New Greensboro Police chief chosen

On March 31, the City of Greensboro announced the hiring of former Dayton, Ohio, Police Chief Kamran Azfal as the new chief of the Greensboro Police Department. He succeeds former Chief John Thompson, who retired on Feb. 27.

Claims that Azfal had been hired over a popular internal applicant, Assistant Chief Stephanie Mardis, went viral on social media last week. On March 27, a post on the city’s Facebook page stated the viral claims were not true. At 7:30 p.m. on March 30, City Manager Trey Davis texted YES! Weekly that the final selec-

tion had not yet been made, and “the process is ongoing.”

Davis made this statement immediately after approximately 100 community members rallied downtown in front of the Greensboro Police Department, where they urged the city to promote Mardis to chief rather than hire Azfal. The key speaker was Dr. Irish Spencer, author of the viral social media posts stating Azfal had already been o ered the job.

Other speakers included community organizers Gene Blackmon and C.J. Brinson, Guilford County Board of Education Chair Deena Hayes-Greene, and former Greensboro NAACP President Kay Brown.

Several speakers described attending community forums in November and December, at which Davis told the crowd that, once the selection process had been narrowed to two candidates, both would be introduced at a commu-

nity forum and invited to answer public questions.

That never happened.

police department and the community are asking for right now. They were asking for somebody who had experience in community policing and had organizational management skills, and had the touch-point of community accountability and transparency. All of those things, we saw in him. As Greensboro is growing, public safety is a big part of it, and what we saw in this candidate is someone who can really drive this community into a place that both the whole community and the police department want to go.”

“Community accountability and transparency” are what speakers at the previous evening’s rally accused the city of not providing.

Asked about this, Davis did not confirm or deny having said there would be a public forum with the two mostqualified applicants. Nor did he answer a subsequent question about why no such forum was held. After saying he must “respect the integrity of the process,” he o ered the following statement.

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“Chief Azfal has strong history in lawenforcement. We have been pursuing di erent candidates with di erent skills, and what we saw in him is what the

“Given the centuries-long problems between the African American community and the police department,” said Hayes-Greene, “you’d think they would not make these kinds of decisions anymore. It’s such a slap in the face. It’s so disrespectful. It’s not even about Assistant Chief Mardis; it’s about process and transparency. The way they’re doing this is not how to restore trust and build relationships. We had all these forums about safety in the neighborhood, and then when it came to one of the biggest decisions on who’s going to lead the number one law enforcement agency in this city, we heard nothing.”

Spencer sco ed at Davis’s statements that the process was still ongoing, and

accused the city of not only having made the wrong choice for the next chief, but also of not being transparent with the public and media.

“They didn’t even contact you and tell you who the last two candidates were. If I were you, I would’ve been pissed o .”

She condemned the city for choosing an applicant from Ohio over “a woman who has been in this community for 20+ years,” adding, “How are you going to get down to only two people left, and pick the one that’s on his third retirement and is going to come down here on his retirement tour?”

Azfal began his law enforcement career with the U.S. Capitol Police in 1991 and served 24 years with the Arlington County Police Department, with 12 years

in command sta . Prior to being hired as Dayton’s chief in late 2021, he served with the Durango Police Department in Colorado in 2017-2018, and as Police Chief in Hopewell, Va., from 2019 to 2021.

According to a 2017 interview with the Durango Herald, Azfal was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and immigrated to Springfield, Va., with his family in 1982 when he was 15.

In both Durango and Dayton, he made it a priority to increase police presence downtown. In a Jan. 7 interview with Dayton’s WHIO TV7, he said, “We are going to go full-time, 24-7, in downtown.”

On March 30, the same day as the rally in front of the Greensboro Police Department, community leaders and

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concerned residents gathered in front of Dayton City Hall to protest the police killing of Reginald Thomas. Thomas was stopped by a Dayton police o cer on March 24 while riding his bicycle near a downtown park. Bodycam video shows the o cer telling Thomas he was stopped because he didn’t have a light on his bike and was riding on the sidewalk. The o cer asked Thomas if he had a gun and asked to do a pat-down search. Thomas fled on foot, and the o cer ran after him. The video footage shows Thomas holding a gun while fleeing, but dropping it after being commanded to do so by the pursuing o cer. When the o cer attempted to handcu Thomas, there was a struggle, during which a second o cer arrived on

the scene and fatally shot Thomas. At the March 25 media conference, Azfal said Thomas was shot because he was reaching for the dropped gun.

“I want to assure you that this matter will be investigated fully, thoroughly, and with complete transparency,” said Dayton Mayor Shenise Turner-Sloss on Monday. “I also want to clarify that the statements made by the chief of police during the press conference were only the beginning of this process and not its conclusion.” !

IAN MCDOWELL is an award-winning author and journalist whose

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Hello Triad, especially all you hostesses with the mostesses out there!

Hello Triad music lovers, did you miss me?

It’s been a long, cold, bustling winter — but I’m thrilled to pop back into the swing of things before International Women’s Month comes to a close and honor a round of fabulous female “hostesses with the mostesses,” in 2026. Starting in High Point, Sammi Dagmi and Toni Brayo are plugging away at a variety of programming in a new era of Cohab.Space, now a non-profit “dedicated to fostering a vibrant and sustainable creative workforce by supporting artists, makers, and designers through advocacy, collaboration, professional development, and market opportunities.” Keeping concerts in the fold through their “Social Saturdays Cohab Sessions,” a monthly event that combines studio activities, exhibition openings, and performances that transcend the general showroom concept.

Contributor

and the sax-techno stylings from Kike Naranjo. “This is an all-ages event,” Lively said, ”so bring your friends, your crew, and your best energy.”

The upcoming session, on April 4, will feature an electronic music DJ set from Night School Watcher, along with a “Passive Art: Micro-Surfaces Lab,” which offers hands-on material experimentation aimed to “let people explore process, repetition, and decision-making — the way the exhibiting artists do — on a tiny, approachable scale.” And in the gallery, they’ll celebrate the opening of “Work Around,” which explores ways regional materials and distinct stylistic approaches shape the process of resident artists and local studios.

Keeping things electric, Tay Lively, DJ and founder of the pop-up party group, Groove Lab N.C., will bring the groove to Greensboro for a fresh round of “Boogie at the Bodega” on April 26. Planning to turn things up with a full Funktion-One Sound System experience powered by fellow party purveyors Partly Cloudy N.C.; along with sets from JSSE, DUGARTE,

Meanwhile, Kathie Cavanaugh’s Soul Sessions WS works to amplify ”voices in our community and bring music closer to those who need it most. Feeding the body is essential — but feeding the soul matters, too.” In a pursuit to generate communal connection through music, Soul Sessions WS hosts monthly live recording sessions at the CMPND in downtown Winston-Salem. “We aim to create a welcoming space where artists can share their original music, and where the community can come together to feed their souls.” For the April 11 session, Cavanaugh looks forward to serving selections from The Graes and Victoria Victoria.

A few blocks over, Ti any Thompson hosts the monthly “Evening in the Atrium” music and culinary series in the 500 W. 5th building. With free o erings from the adjacent Downtown Grille, the first 2026 season started with Martha Bassett in January and will culminate on April 16 with music from Freeport Jazz.

Speaking of Bassett, the ninth season of “The Martha Bassett Show” is ocially underway, boasting two live shows a month through the fall and featuring a

fabulous lineup of musicians performing from the stage at the majestic Reeves Theater in downtown Elkin. The most recent episode featured Abigail Dowd, Blue Cactus, and Je Miller on March 19. Bassett and her crew look forward to welcoming John Howie Jr., E’Lon JD, and Sean Kiely on April 2.

Meanwhile, Dowd’s third-Tuesday residency at the Flat Iron in Greensboro continues, with special guests Joey Recchio and Willie Shane Johnston on April 21.

The Flat Iron is chock-full of hostesses this season (hat tip to co-owner/operator/bad mamajama behind the scenes, Abbey Spoon.) On stage, Lauralynn Dossett has joined the residency fold, with a weekly Wednesday appearance running through April. Dossett’s “full band arrangement (featuring DaShawn Hickman, Chaisary Schenk, and Butler Knowles) is on the books for April 8 and April 15; the amazing Lumbee-Tuscarora songstress, Charly Lowry, is the special guest on April 1; and the series will close with Bet Williams on April 29.

Dossett was a recent guest on WQFS DJ of the century, Chris Roulhac, host of the North Carolina Music Show, who makes the list every year because she rules. She also organizes the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society’s community

outreach program that arranges monthly performances at adult facilities like PACE of the Triad.

On the other end of downtown, Laura Jane Vincent wrangles the events at the Back Table (home to Ashley Virginia’s What the Folk: Songwriter Sessions and Ashley K. Price’s “Ground & Groove Yoga”). And next door, Erin Hayes keeps the tradition alive at the weekly Matty Sheets Open Mic, Wednesday nights at the Continental Club.

Hopping back to Winston-Salem, Taja Seafus, founder of The D.O.S.E. Collective, is also keeping traditions alive with the relaunch of the Lab in its new home at Gas Hill Drinking Room. Technically, the 25th lab session, the 2026 launch on April 6 sticks to the mission “to provide opportunities for artists to experiment, collaborate, and share work with the community,” and will feature performances from Fifth Floor, Transuente Errante, and Katie Blvd (hostess of the Beats.Batch series.)

Flowers are blooming and concerts are popping — thanks in no small way to the lovely hostesses with the mostesses making music moments around the Triad! !

CARBORRO

Cat’S CradlE

300 E Main St | 919.967.9053

www.catscradle.com

apr 1: Big Star Quintet — Jody Stephens, Mike Mills, Chris Stamey, Jon auer and Pat Sanstone

apr 2: rigometrics, Pollen

apr 3: lucius

apr 3: remember Sports, youbet

apr 4: the Blazers

apr 5: vaultboy, dreamfone

apr 6: Camping in alaska, dead Butterflies, Stella

apr 7: In Color, Eden Joel

apr 8: tigers Jaw, Hot Flash Heat Wave, Creeks

apr 9: Jordan Smart + Willy tea taylor, Jodi Jones

apr 10: Billie Marten

apr 10l Wild Party, Pretoria

apr 12: Femtanyl, Strawberry Hospital, takihasdied and friends

apr 12: Field Medic, Euphoria again

apr 14: Mei Semones, John roseboro

apr 14: Sarah Kinsley, Charlie Burg

apr 14: the Braymores, echo plum, Noah richardson

apr 15: Bluegrass Backroom

apr 15: Kishi Bashi, Bayonne

apr 16: Martin Sexton, Chris trapper

apr 16: Never Ending Fall, moony

apr 17: alice Phoebe lou

apr 17: Wallice, Fake dad

apr 18: Cut Worms

apr 18: Eliza Mclamb, tombstone Poetry

apr 18: rec Hall

apr 19: delicate Steve, red Smoth

apr 20: Snail Mail, Sharp Pins

apr 20: the Moss, Hotel Fiction

apr 20: the red Pears and together Pangea, the High Curbs

apr 21: Caroline Kingsbury, Bershy

apr 23: Easy Honey, Homemade Haircuts

apr 24: Krooked Kings, Night Cap

apr 24: ritt Momney

apr 25: Caitlin, Ggwendolyn

apr 25: Superchunk

apr 26: Cece Coakley, Horsepower

apr 28: luna luna, ValE

apr 29: Fishbone

apr 29: arts Fishing Club, Harvey Street

apr 30: Foxtide

ChARlOtte

BoJaNGlES ColISEuM

2700 E Independence Blvd | 704.372.3600

www.boplex.com

apr 9: CeCe Winans

apr 16: david and tamela Mann

apr 24: Floetry

apr 26: Phil Wickham

tHE FIllMorE

1000 NC Music Factory Blvd |

704.916.8970

www.livenation.com

apr 1: Zara larsson

apr 1: Indigo de Souza

apr 3: Heated rivalrave

apr 4: Juvenile, 400 degreez Band

apr 4: lee Fields & Monophonics

apr 7: Cameron Whitcomb’

apr 8: Bob Moses & Cannons

apr 8: Sons of legion

apr 9: Phoneboy

apr 10: Black label Society

apr 10: Cupcakke

apr 11: Blessed

apr 12: Nimesh Patel

apr 13: Fied vs. Ferxxo

apr 14: august Burns red & the amity affliction

apr 14: Bad Suns

apr 15: Sarah Kinsley

apr 16: dark tranquility & SoEN

apr 16: Baby Keem

apr 17: Grungefest

apr 17: St. Paul and the Broken Bones

apr 18: Emo Nite

apr 19: danny Brown

apr 19: the Midnight

apr 20: Boys likes Girls

apr 22: Concrete Boys

apr 23: I love You But... I Choose the Maine

PNC MuSIC PaVIlIoN

707 Pavilion Blvd | 704.549.1292

www.livenation.com

apr 17: Mt. Joy

SPECtruM CENtEr

333 E Trade St | 704.688.9000

www.spectrumcentercharlotte.com

apr 4: Eric Church

apr 9: Jeff dunham

apr 11: Katt Williams

apr 12: Cardi B

apr 18: Shane Gillis live

home grown mu S ic S cene | c ompiled by Shane h art

rettClemmOns

VIllaGE SQuarE

taP HouSE

6000 Meadowbrook Mall Ct | 336.448.5330

www.facebook.com/vstaphouse

apr 4: Bad romeo

duRhAm

CarolINa tHEatrE

309 W Morgan St | 919.560.3030 www.carolinatheatre.org

dPaC

123 Vivian St | 919.680.2787

www.dpacnc.com

apr 1: Puscifer w/ dave Hill

apr 3: Santana

apr 8: Bill Burr

apr 9: Nick offerman

apr 10: arrival of Sweden — the Music of aBBa

apr 11: Hannah Berner

apr 14: the Naked Magicians

apr 15: theresa Caputo

apr 17-18: Bert Kreischer

apr 19: david and tamela Mann

apr 24-25: alison Krauss & union

Station ft. Jerry douglas

apr 26: Floetry ft. raheem deVaughn ft. teedra Moses

apr 27: Biscuits & Banjos

apr 28: alice Cooper

apr 30: SatchVai Band ft. Joe Satriani & Steve Vai

elKIn

rEEVES tHEatEr

129 W Main St | 336.258.8240 www.reevestheater.com

Wednesdays: reeves open Mic

Fourth thursdays: old-time Jam

apr 2: Sean Kiely, E’lon Jd, John Howie Jr.

apr 3: Walter trout

apr 11: dirty logic

apr 17: oliver Wood

apr 18: Women of Guitar — Vicki Genfan and ali tod

gReensBORO

1808 CraFt & VINE 3326 W Friendly Ave Ste 141 | 336.638.1222 1808craftvine.com

CarolINa tHEatrE

310 S. Greene Street | 336.333.2605 www.carolinatheatre.com

apr 21: troubadours tour: Josh Baldwin, Matt Maher, John Mark McMillan

apr 29: ariella & Nicolaas

CoMEdY ZoNE

1126 S Holden Rd | 336.333.1034 www.thecomedyzone.com

apr 1: Martin amini

apr 3-4: Charlie Mac

apr 9: d’lai

apr 10-11: Bruce Bruce

apr 16: ryan Goodcase

apr 17-18: George Wallace

apr 24-25: Comedian CP

Flat IroN

221 Summit Ave | 336.501.3967

www.flatirongso.com

apr 1: laurelyn dossett

apr 2: SuSto

apr 3: Sam Frazier & the Side Effects + lemon Sparks

apr 4: Mana afterparty w/ los acoustic Guys

apr 7: Colin, Huey, Jacob and Molly

apr 8: laurelyn dossett

apr 9: JVK, Scoby + Willingdon

apr 10: the ain’t Sisters

apr 11: Possum Jenkins

apr 12: Jordan Smart + Willy tea taylor w/ Jodi Jones

apr 14: Billy Strings afterparty w/ North State Grass & Yeller Grass String Band

apr 15: laurelyn dossett

apr 16: dylan Walshe + Watkins

apr 17: Strange Fruit Music Festival: Gabby Guitar & the txlips Band

apr 18: Welsh tornado Gareth Pearson

apr 19: lightnin’ Wells

GrEENSBoro ColISEuM

1921 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400

www.greensborocoliseum.com

apr 14: Billy Strings

apr 14: Wyatt Flores with Kashus Culpepper

apr 18: Boyz 4 life ft. B2K & Bow Wow

GIOVANNI’S ITALIAN

STEAKHOUSE

5831 W Gate City Blvd | 336.852.8890

www.giovannisnc.com

Apr 2: Johnny Woodard

Apr 3: Patrick Rock

Apr 4: Al Zaid

HANGAR 1819

1819 Spring Garden St | 336.579.6480

www.hangar1819.com

Apr 3: Varials

Apr 7: He Is Legend w/ A Lot Like Birds, Cold Clay Mountain, Winterwell

Apr 9: Zero 9:36 with Elijah, Downswing, Ireveri

Apr 10: Hyperglow

Apr 12: Danny Worsnop & Tyler Rich w/ Kasey Tyndall

Apr 17: House of Heavy

Apr 18: Cupcakke

Apr 20: Melrose Avenue

Apr 21: Vana

PIEDMONT HALL

2411 W Gate City Blvd | 336.373.7400

www.greensborocoliseum.com

Apr 24: Green Queen Bingo

RODY’S TAVERN

5105 Michaux Rd | 336.282.0950

www.facebook.com/rodystavern

Mar 27: Dalton Allen

STEVEN TANGER CENTER

300 N Elm Street | 336.333.6500

www.tangercenter.com

Apr 12: Bert Kreischer

Apr 13: A Conversation with Kamala Harris

Apr 15: William Shatner

Apr 16: Matt Fraser

Apr 17: The Avett Brothers and Mike Patton

Apr 18: Mandy Gonzalez

Apr 21-26: Kimberly Akimbo

THE IDIOT BOx COMEDY CLUB

503 N. Greene St | 336.274.2699

www.idiotboxers.com

Apr 9: Caleb Synan

Apr 10-11: Mike Mello

Apr 18: Nik Macik

Apr 24: Pedro Gonzales

Apr 25: Ben Jonez

high point

GOOFY FOOT TAPROOM

2762 NC-68 #109 | 336.307.2567

www.goofyfoottaproom.com

Apr 4: Evan Blackerby

Apr 11: Beth Turner

Apr 18: James Vincent Carroll

HIGH POINT THEATRE

220 E Commerce Ave | 336.883.3401

www.highpointtheatre.com

Apr 17: Parker Webb & Guilford in Concert

Apr 18: Piff The Magic Dragon

SWEET OLD BILL’S

1232 N Main St | 336.807.1476 www.sweetoldbills.com

kernersville

BREATHE COCKTAIL LOUNGE

221 N Main St. | 336.497.4822 www.facebook.com/BreatheCocktailLounge

Wednesdays: Karaoke

Apr 17: Radio Revolver

liberty

THE LIBERTY SHOWCASE THEATER

101 S. Fayetteville St | 336.622.3844 www.TheLibertyShowcase.com

Apr 10: Dailey & Vincent

Apr 11: Wade Hayes

Apr 17: Starlett & Big John

Apr 18: The Travelin’ Band

Apr 24: Blackhawk

raleigh

CCU MUSIC PARK AT WALNUT CREEK

3801 Rock Quarry Rd | 919.821.4111 www.livenation.com

Apr 26: Peso Pluma & Tito Double P with Friends

Apr 29: Tedeschi Trucks Band

LINCOLN THEATRE

126 E. Cabarrus St | 919.831.6400 www.lincolntheatre.com

Apr 3: Proving Ground

Apr 4: Dogs in a Pile

Apr 7: Old 97’s

Apr 10: Knot Your Kind — Slipknot Tribute

Apr 11: Bertha: Grateful Drag

Apr 15: The Band of Heathens

Apr 16: Tennessee Whiskey Band &

Ultimate Eric Church Tribute

Apr 17: Harvey Street w/ The Wallabies

Apr 18: Danny Brown

Apr 21: Concrete Boys: It’s Us

Apr 24: The Happy Fits w/ Bel

RED HAT AMPHITHEATER

500 S McDowell St | 919.996.8800 www.redhatamphitheater.com

Apr 14: Bush

Apr 16: Lamb of God w/ Kublai Khan Tx, Fit For An Autopsy & Sanguisugabogg

Apr 23: Russell Dickerson

Apr 25: Alabama Shakes w/ Mon Rovia winston-salem

FIDDLIN’

772 Trade St | 336.999.8945 www.fiddlinfish.com

Tuesdays: Trivia

Apr 3: Sam & Bingo

Apr 10: Kris Atom

Apr 24: Red Umber

THE RAMKAT

170 W 9th St | 336.754.9714

www.theramkat.com

Apr 2: Wafer Thin

Apr 3: Charles Latham & The Borrowed Band, The Goodbye Horses

Apr 5: Wednesday

Apr 6: The Lab: Experiment 025

Apr 8: Charles Walker, Evan Blackerby

Apr 9: BigDumbHick

Apr 10: Mikaela Davis, The Dead Tongues & Luke Scheider

Apr 11: Old 97’s, Lizzie No

Apr 12: Sound System Sunday

Apr 15: Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers

Apr 16: Residual Groove, All Night Boogie Band

Apr 17: Penny & Sparrow, Caleb Elliott

Apr 18: Red Not Chili peppers

Apr 19: Melissa Etheridge

826 Angelo Bros Ave | 336.725.0008

www.wisemanbrewing.com

Thursdays: Music Bingo

Apr 3: Souljam

Apr 4: Hot Wax & The Splinters

Apr 10: Big Daddy Love & Friends

Apr 11: Spring Jam 2026

Apr 17: The Deluge

Apr 19: Camel City Cars & Coffee

[SALOME’S STARS]

[ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Changes in the workplace might be daunting for some, but you love challenges and will do just fine with this one. Remember to work with facts, not rumors.

[TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Just when you need some emotional reassurances, an almost-forgotten friendly gesture gets repaid in the most wonderful way. More good news follows!

[GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You have a chance to restart a stalled personal relationship. Meanwhile, a workplace change bodes well for new opportunities, but you need more facts before you can act.

[CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Talk to your longtime friends about why they’re not in sync with your new pal. You might learn some startling facts. Additionally, a di cult workplace situation eases.

[LEO (July 23 to August 22) What seems to be a golden opportunity is naturally attractive to LEOs, but be careful that it’s not just a lot of surface glitter. You need to ask more questions.

[VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) There are still some problems with getting decisions made on your workplace project. Talk to a supervisor about possible ways to break the impasse.

[LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A family matter could become more

complicated and reach an apparent dead end. Don’t give up on trying to find a solution. Work patiently with everyone involved.

[SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You’ll soon hear more about an o er that could change the direction of your career. Meanwhile, enjoy the newly positive on-the-job environment.

[SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Expect a favorable reply to a workplace request. On the home front, a full explanation helps you sort out a long-standing personal problem.

[CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) A serious matter needs focused consideration. Watch that your sometimes-capricious nature doesn’t create any unnecessary distractions.

[AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) You win added support for your determination to turn a bad situation into a good one. One new ally arrives from a most unexpected source.

[PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Family and friends need to be told about a decision that you’re about to make. Be prepared to o er a full explanation when asked. Hold nothing back.

[BORN THIS WEEK: You can be a fighter and a lover. You are a natural leader with a strong, no-nonsense sense of justice that makes people respect you.

[1. TELEVISION: What is Ron Swanson’s favorite food group in the sitcom “Parks and Recreation”?

[2. GAMES: In Scrabble, how many tiles does each player get to start?

[3. GEOGRAPHY: Dubai is in which Middle Eastern country?

[4. MOVIES: What is Neo’s real name in “The Matrix”?

[5. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which president was born with the name Leslie Lynch King Jr.?

[6. LITERATURE: Which 19th-century English novel introduces the character Mr. Rochester?

[7. FOOD & DRINK: Cornelius Rooster is the mascot of which cereal brand?

[8. SCIENCE: What is the process called when water evaporates from plants?

[9. CHEMISTRY: What is the most abundant metal in Earth’s crust?

[10. ANATOMY: How many vertebrae are in the human spine?

answer

6. “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte.

7. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. 8. Transpiration. 9. Aluminum. 10. 33. © 2026 by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

ARTS AND CULTURE FUEL GREENSBORO’S FUTURE.

The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro invests in local artists and arts organizations because creativity strengthens our community, enriches our culture, and drives our local economy.

Together, we make it happen.

See what’s happening in Guilford County arts. Scan to discover events, performances, and exhibitions.

THEACGG.ORG