For months the media has been screaming about the recession. In Fayetteville, until recently, we haven’t felt the crunch as much as many in the nation because to a certain extent, we are insulated by the presence of the military in our community.
   Unlike many communities across our nation, we don’t have to fear that our largest industry will close down. The military appears to be recession proof. So, in our community, unlike many other communities, you will still find a lot of people with money to spend. I saw this as I made a stop to get a pedicure recently. Yes, a pedicure is frivolous. I recognize this. But it is one of the few things that I do for me. As I relaxed in the chair over the weekend, I saw plenty of people getting not only pedicures, but manicures as well. Many women were paying simply to have their nails painted. So, it would seem that there are still many in our community who are not feeling the pain of the recession.
  {mosimage} The same cannot be said of area businesses. On Saturday, we visited two stores that were closing their doors. Probably everyone in the community knows that Circuit City will be shutting down. Over the weekend, they started the first of their markdowns. More for curiosity than anything else, we stopped in. People were shopping like crazy. Unlike the corporation that owns the chain of electronics stores and its employees, they had money to spend.
   The second store we visited had a huge impact on me — not because I personally frequented it often, but because of the impact I know the closing had on the owners and their loyal clients. Tarheel Fish and Game, a specialty outdoor store located on Raeford Road, was one of my husband’s favorite destinations. The owners were knowledgeable about their inventory. They cared about their customers and their wants. They were willing to share their knowledge and their skills. In short, they were everything that a good business should be.
   As we visited the store on its last day, I told my husband I felt like we were vultures circling their bones.
   We expressed our regret at their closing, and they told us they had had a very good year, but didn’t think they had the ability to make it in the uncertain economy. They said the risk was too big. Many businesses may soon have to assess their viability in this tough economy. Our hope is they won’t have to make the same decision.

Contact Janice Burton at editor@upandcomingweekly.com

   Salvador Dali was not an attractive man.
   With his pencil-thin, heavily waxed mustache and prominent, aquiline nose, he came across as the raffish love child of Cyrano de Bergerac and former Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Rollie Fingers.
But oh, his art … sexy, seductive, surreal … imbued with Freudian-inspired symbolism … now that’s hot. And so is the play References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, opening at the Gilbert Theater on Jan. 29.
Based on the story by Jose Riviera — whom you may know better as the author of The Motorcycle Diaries — References To Salvador Dali Make Me Hot blends the deliciously surreal with a story line that the local military and the spouses of those warriors can certainly identify with.
   {mosimage}Gabriele is a beautiful Latina woman in her sexual prime living in the high plains desert town of Barstow, Calif., with her husband Benito, a soldier who leaves her alone to fight in the first Gulf War; after returning to Gabriele he is called away for yet another tour of duty. Left alone, Gabriele finds herself lonesome and throwing off hormones like a nuclear plant venting radioactive steam.
Her passion is so palpable that both human and non-humans — and even celestial bodies — fall for her body. Among the characters who seek to woo this dark-haired moon goddess are a coyote, a 14-year-old boy named Martin, and the moon itself.
Sound surreal enough for you so far?
   That’s the point, says Brooke Sullivan, who plays the oh-so-sensual Gabriele.
   “I think the way the play is written, it’s very surreal,” said Sullivan. “Marcella (Casals) is directing it in a way in which people might not always understand what’s going on, but I think that’s the point of the story.”
However, despite its dreamlike narrative, References is still accessible, says Director Casals … especially for residents — men and women — of a military town like Fayetteville.
   “Benito is in the Army and he’s been away in the Gulf War,” said Casals, who has most recently directed Assassins and Cabaret at the Gilbert. “And as soon as he gets back they send him back into the field. And it seems she’s always waiting for him. She wants him out and he has nine years to go until retirement. He loves what he does and is proud of what he does.
   “It’s very apropos for Fayetteville because we have so many of us who understand that very, very well,” said Casals. “So it’s really for everyone but I think the military will really identify with it... both spouses .. I think everyone will identify with the struggle between the magic of love that we feel and the reality of everyday experiences... and that it is a give and take and that fear that we are giving up too much to have this wonderful person and sometimes we don’t know where we begin and the other begins. There’s a line from the play where she says ‘how do I know if these are my thoughts that I’m thinking?’ She has a whole inner life... she talks to the moon and to her cat and they talk to her.”
   The play is especially real for Will Moreno, who plays Benito. Moreno is an Army vet in real life; he is also starring in his very first play — a prospect nearly as daunting as facing a well dug-in enemy.
   “This is my first time on stage. I got a call that they needed a Hispanic man so I tried out for the part,” said Moreno. “I had no idea it was for one of the lead roles. My family is a little surprised but they’ve been very, very supportive.
   ”I think it’s very real,’ said Moreno. “I relate to my character because I’m a vet. I think military spouses will really be able to relate to the play.”
   The rest of the cast is rounded out by Rickie Jacobs as the moon, Teresa Dagaz as the cat, Steve Jones as the coyote, and newcomer  Manquillan Minnifee as Martin — the 14-year-old neighbor who lusts after      Gabriele (and, on a side note, Minnifee is Casals’ son).
   “This is a young, mostly inexperienced cast that’s really got a lot of energy and is really gelling well,” said Sullivan. “I can’t wait for opening night to get here.”
   Fair warning: This is not a family-friendly play. There is very strong language as well as the aforementioned all-pervading undercurrent of sexuality. Bring your imagination and sense of wonder but leave the kiddies at home.

Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com



 

    Bedtime Stories (95 minutes) is Adam Sandler’s first Disney movie.  Even though critics aren’t loving it, the screening I attended was packed with kids (carrying a whole lot of cold germs), parents (who covered their ears and cried a little when the Jonas Brothers concert was advertised), not-so-hip young people (who laughed when the trailer for Paul Blart: Mall Cop came on) and hip young people (who laughed ironically when the trailer for Paul Blart: Mall Copcame on). 
    I was predisposed to LOVE this movie however much it failed to entertain, because it was directed by Adam Shankman. After viewing his Prop 8: The Musical (funnyordie.com) I instantly forgave him his involvement with The Pacifier and resolved to love without question his next three projects, which means you can also look forward to stellar reviews of Hairspray 2 and Topperin 2010.
    Before we continue on to the actual film though, a note to its female stars is in order. Dear Keri Russell, you were in an awesome movie about pie, and people like you. Please note that your arms should be thicker around than a chicken bone. 
    {mosimage}Dear Courtney Cox, you are married to a very funny guy and laughing is meant to cause wrinkles. Botox is a toxic substance, and you should probably stop using it so that your facial expressions can return.
    Dear Xena: Warrior Princess, you look great, you did fine. When is Battlestar Galacticareturning?
    On to the review!  A man named Marty Bronson (Jonathan Pryce) had a dream. That dream was to raise his little family in his little motel in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, Marty didn’t go to business school, and when his motel begins to fail Barry Nottingham (Harry Potter’s uncle, Richard Griffiths) buys him out and promises that his son can run the new motel he is erecting in its place.  Marty’s son Skeeter (Adam Sandler) spends the next 20 years or so working in that hotel.
    One day, Skeeter’s sister Wendy (Courtney Cox) needs some long term childcare, so Skeeter splits the responsibility with Wendy’s friend Jill (Keri Russell), and since his sister doesn’t allow television or sugar in the house, he kills time by telling them bedtime stories. The next day, some elements of his story coincidentally occur and he immediately plans to take advantage of this newfound luck.  Of course, until he works out the rules for making fantasy into reality, misadventures abound. 
    Russell Brand (who is not as funny as he thinks he is) takes the role of Mickey, the best friend. An appropriately sleazy Guy Pierce plays Kendall, Skeeter’s first nemesis. The always fabulous Lucy Lawless rounds out the solid cast as his second nemesis, Aspen. The children are played by newcomers Jonathan Heit and Laura Kesling, who do a pretty good job of not being whiny while holding their own with far more experienced cast members.
    The bedtime stories are fairly well promoted in the trailers. There is the medieval story, the Old West story, the gladiatorial combat story and the sci-fi epic. In each story, the cast members get to play a small counterpart role.     Unfortunately, the bedtime stories are so cute they make the rest of the movie seem like filler. Overall, a fun movie with several genuine comic moments.

Contact Heather Griffiths at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    At the age of 19, most young adults are either enrolled in college, trying one of many jobs in order to find their niche or stuck in their parents living room playing their Wii.
    That isn’t the case for one Pennsylvania-born teen. More often than not, you can find this teen in a recording studio, or hanging out glam pals Kelly Pickler and Carrie Underwood. You could also have caught her on CMT talking about herself or on tour or a host of other places. Taylor Swift took country music by storm in 2006 with the relase of her debut single “Tim McGraw,” which was quickly follwed up by “Teardrops on My Guitar,” “Our Song,” “Picture to Burn,” and yet another number one in “Should Have Said No.”
    If you’re thinking that was all just beginners luck, you might want to get your head examined. With the release of her newest album Fearless, Swift proves she has what it takes to keep her front and center in Nashville and in the running for America’s sweetheart.
    {mosimage}Released on Nov. 11, 2008, the first song relased from the compilation, “Love Story,” shot straight to the top of the charts. Following the album’s release, The New York Timescalled the country crooner “one of pop’s finest songwriters, country’s foremost pragmatist and more in touch with her inner life than most adults.”
    That’s a lot for a 19-year-old who still lives at home with mom and dad. Of course, Swift started her career fairly young, and even at this age has earned her chops in Nashville. Her first trip to Music Row was at the age of 11. Doors slammed in her face, but that didn’t keep the plucky songstress from trying again. At 15, she rejected a deal with RCA Records because they wouldn’t let her record her own music, but later that year, she caught the eye of Big Machine Records chief Scott Borchetta who knew gold when he saw it.
    Fearlessdebuted at the top of the Billboard charts, and had the largest opening U.S. sales week in 2008 by a female artist in all genres. So, if you’re one of the few country music or even pop fans who haven’t heard this album yet, let me tell you what you are missing.
    Fearless is full of heartbreak. The majority of the songs on the album deal with love gone wrong. I don’t know if this has anything to do with her break-up with that Jonas Brother, but Swift might want to look at exploring some new content.
With that sad, Swift is the princess of break-up songs, from “White Horse” to “Breathe” to “The Way I Loved You,” she puts all the angst of  heart ache into her lyrics. “White Horse” talks about the realization that love isn’t always a fairytale and doesn’t always have Hollywood endings, and usually a prince isn’t going to ride in on his — you got it — white horse to save you.
    One of my favorite songs on the album is “Fifteen,” which tells the story of a girl’s freshman year and all the dreams and hopes she has. For some of those girls, their dreams get dashed because in Swift’s words they “forget to look before they fall.” The song, geared to the teen crowd, encourages young women to realize that at 15, they don’t who they are going to be and it encourages them to give themselves the time to figure that out before they get into serious relationships and take on responsibilities (like motherhood) that they are too young to deal with.
    My other favorite on the album is one of the few songs not abot heartbreak. It’s actually a tribute to Swift’s mother. Called, “The Best Day,” the song chronicles days spent with her mother. If you have a close relationship with one of  your parents, you’ll get this song.
    {mosimage}Overall, the CD is probably geared more toward the pop/teen scene, but the music is good, and with a few more years, Swift will be able to sing about more than teen heartbreak, and then we’ll really have something to talk about.

Contact Janice Burton at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    The Fayetteville FireAntz opened 2009 at home against their I-95 rival, the Richmond Renegades. It was the seventh contest between the familiar opponents, with the FireAntz holding a slight 2-1-3 advantage over the Renegades this season.
    In front of 3,025 hockey fans at the Crown Coliseum, the FireAntz looked to get off to a fast start in the New Year... and they did just that.
    Rookie Chris Leveille got the FireAntz on the scoreboard first, scoring at 7:18 of the first period with a goal set up by a great pass from defenseman Lawne Snyder. Team leading-scorer Rob Sich followed with a goal of his own a little over 4 minutes later to give the club a two-goal cushion. It would not be the last that Leveille and Sich would be heard from on the night as the FireAntz took a 2-0 lead to the locker room at the end of the first period.
    {mosimage}The FireAntz continued to pressure in the second frame and extended their lead. Goals by Rob Colangelo and Sich (2) were scored in the first 5 minutes of the period. Richmond’s Beau MacLauglin narrowed the lead to 4-1 with a power play goal at 6:14; however, Fayetteville’s Sich completed his hat trick with a power play goal of his own at 11:06, to give the FireAntz another four-goal advantage going into the third period.
    Richmond’s MacLaughlin (2) netted his second goal of the game, at 1:52, to shrink the FireAntz’ lead to 5-2. But the FireAntz speedy rookie, Leveille, was not done. On back-to-back shorthanded situations Leveille was able to split the Renegades’ defense and score twice, giving him a hat trick to match that of Sich. It was Leveille’s first professional hat trick and the first time in team history that a player had two shorthanded goals in a game. He was also named the “1st Star of the Game.”
    Goaltender Chad Collins was also stellar between the pipes for the FireAntz, turning aside 35 of the 37 shots he faced.
    Expect more of the same from your hometown hockey team the remainder of the season as they look to climb the Southern Professional Hockey League Standings and capture another championship.

Contact Jason Fleming at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    World War One. 
    It was the war to end all wars, or so we thought. 
    November 11, 2008 marked the 90th anniversary of the end of World War I; and to commemorate that long and brutal conflict, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum and the Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum are hosting exhibits with artwork and objects from the Great War — a war in which for the first time, the United States ‘flexed’ it’s military muscle for the entire world to see.
    “We’ve got to remember this about World War I — we entered the war with the intention of making war impossible after peace was achieved, and that was Woodrow Wilson’s intent,” said ASOM Director John Duvall. “The U.S. was sort of coming of age in World War I. It was becoming a great power. It was sort of flexing its muscles and saying ‘We have a role in the world and we can bring this war in Europe to an end.’”
    {mosimage}Duvall has procured art from the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington D.C. to convey the Woeld War I experience. While there had been artists on the battlefield long before WWI, it was during this time that the Army officially sent artists to the front to document what our soldiers were experiencing. The works of Jules Andre Smith, George Harding and master printmaker Kerr Erby will be on display. There will also be posters used by the government during World War I, including the famous Uncle Sam “I Want You” recruiting poster. Posters were used extensively for not only recruiting but selling war bonds and promoting other civic actions.
    “One of my concerns about this exhibit,” said Duvall “is that people will miss the subtleties of these works.”
    The lithographs and etchings provide a unique look at the battlefront, as well as life in smalltown France.
    The Fayetteville Area Transportation Museum exhibit explores how Fayetteville and the surrounding areas were impacted by World War I. The exhibit is heavily supplemented with war-related artifacts, including some items on loan from the 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum located at Fort Bragg. Visitors can expect to see a German machine gun, a French machine gun, rifles, bayonets, uniforms, radios, medals and personal items that were carried by soldiers, such as shaving kits and helmets.
    Fayetteville Historic Properties Manager Bruce Dawes designed the exhibit to touch upon every possible aspect of World War I. 
    “We talk about the ordinary soldier from Cumberland County and his experiences,” said Dawes. “We talk about the hometown unit which was the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry. We tell about what was going on at the home front; patriotic speeches, recruiting, war bonds... all those things that the civilians back here were doing to support the troops.  
“I think this is a very hometown exhibit, so it brings with it a lot of old Fayetteville names that you will recognize,” said Dawes.
    For example, William O. Huske, who was associated with Huske Hardware, was gassed and wounded during the war.  
Duvall and Dawes both mentioned that there is a permanent World War I exhibit at Fort Bragg’s 82nd Airborne Division War Memorial Museum that fits in nicely with the events going on downtown.

Contact Stephanie Crider at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    On a recent Saturday afternoon, the Jets were on the move and on the lookout for the Sharks. They were ready to rumble. As they waited, they worked hard on some of their moves. Of course, one of the moves they were working on was named twinkle toes, not a standing back-kick. The Jets we’re talking about are the cast of upcoming production of West Side Story at the Cape Fear Regional Theatre.
    The majority of The Jets are young, local actors. The training they are getting for this play rivals the training that dancers get on Broadway. That’s because the director/choreographer, Robert Bianca, and the assistant director/choreographer, Mary MacLeod, believe that’s the only way to get ready for a production like West Side Story.
Both Bianca and MacLeod are veteran Broadway performers. MacLeod was on stage at the CFRT in the production of Chicago. This is Bianca’s first trip to the area. How they got here makes an interesting story.
    When Bo Thorp, the CFRT’s artistic director, decided to add West Side Story to the season lineup, Dirk Lombard told her she had to talk to MacLeod because she “knew everyone who dances.” Thorp gave MacLeod a call just before Christmas to see if she could give her some advice.
    {mosimage}MacLeod immediately recommended Bianca, with one caveat. “Bo wanted to do the play with its original choreography. I told her ‘I know him well enough if you’re interested, but he’s not going to want to do the original.’ So she talked to him and they hit it off great. I didn’t think I would be involved, but Bobby wanted me to work with him, so I was glad to come.”
    Bianca said when he first talked to Thorp, she explained that many people wanted her to do the original version, but once he explained his ideas, she was on board. He noted that the dancers in the original production all had classical training and that to try and impose that kind of strict dancing on local actors who do not have that kind of training would be “forced and not effective.”
    He added that the local dancers had an “incredible spirit, energy and talent.”
    “Even though we aren’t doing the original choreography, the feeling and respect for the original ideas is intact,” he said.
    Along with Bianca and MacLeod, the CFRT has also brought two young actors from New York to play the leading roles of Maria and Tony. Jen Anaya, an Arizona native, moved to New York several years ago and began auditioning for regional and local plays. This will be her first time performing in West Side Story, but she noted that playing Maria has always been a “dream role” for her.
    That feeling is shared by Jeremy Janet, who will be playing Tony. Janet was raised in a small town outside of Green Bay, Wisc. He moved to New York four years ago and has been doing regional theater.
    “I remember seeing the movie musical when I was 11- or 12-years-old,” said Janet. “It was one of those New Year’s Eve sing-alongs, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘I could do that.’”
    Rehearsals have been going on since the beginning of January, and Bianca admits it has been grinding. He said rehearsals have been very demanding and intense in order to bring out the raw emotion needed for the production.
    “There is no slickness to this play. Raw emotion is the point of the show and these kids are great for that. When they dig deep and they hit it, it’s inspiring. It’s effective because it’s real,” said Bianca.
    West Side Story opens at the CFRT on Friday, Jan. 23, with a preview performance at 8:15 p.m. Tickets are $15. The Champagne Opening is on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tickets are $28. The play runs through Feb. 8. For reservations, call the CFRT Box Office at 323-4233.

Contact Janice Burton at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    Change.
    As the Jan. 20 inauguration of this nation’s 44th president, Barack Obama, grows nearer and nearer, you can feel change in the air. It’s as present, as palpable, as that first cool September breeze cutting through the oppressive summer heat, signaling the start of another autumn.
    {mosimage}It’s a change that’s being felt across this nation and across Fayetteville, a shifting of history’s tectonic plates as the first African American readies himself for the Oval Office.
    It is a change that Helen Hooks Farrior, a former member of the Cumberland County School Board who will be traveling to Washington D.C. to see the inauguration firsthand, says has surely been a long, long time coming.
“I feel disbelief that this has happened in my lifetime,” said Farrior. “I was born back when we didn’t have access to what we have now. There were so many doors that were closed to us … opportunities that were closed. I can remember the school bus passing me and we were walking. I can remember getting school books that were not new. I remember having to go to the outside of a restaurant and having sandwiches passed to you. Never in my wildest dreams did I think we would have someone of African descent becoming president.”
    And the fact that the inauguration of a person of color is happening in conjunction with the celebrations of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life and legacy is not lost on Farrior. She sees the timing as something more than just coincidence … she sees it as something divinely ordained.
    “It’s sort of amazing that it would happen at this time,” said Farrior. “Someone said that it seems to have a religious aspect, not that religion is the cure all and the panacea for everything, but some are thinking that it’s an omen … something is most definitely happening.
    “I have a brother who says that God is in this thing,” said Farrior, “to which I have to say, ‘God is in everything.’”
    Just as Farrior thinks God is in everything, she — and many others at this crossroad in American history — believes that President-Elect Obama is walking in the footsteps of those who blazed the Civil Rights trail before him … a trail splattered with the blood, the sweat, the tears of those who believed that all men and women, indeed, are created equal.
    Another who believes Obama is following the path worn by Dr. King and Rosa Parks and Medgar Evans, is 77-year-old Illa Haire, who will be attending her first inauguration when Obama takes the oath.
    And like Farrior, she is also in a daze of disbelief at what has come to pass.
    And she too talks of the tide of “change.”
    “I never in my lifetime thought this would happen,” said Haire. “It didn’t look like it was ever going to happen. The country has come a long, long way. This is history right here. And all the things Dr. King and the rest went through … this makes it all so very worthwhile.”
    While Farrior and Haire share the historical perspective of this monumental change, having lived through the Civil Rights struggles, having seen the televised attacks by Bull Connor’s dogs and the loosening of  the fire hoses and heard the hateful vitriol of George Wallace, some see the change in a more immediate and contemporary way.
Folks like Fayetteville City Councilmember Charles Evans, who has seen the change and the renewed belief in the political system Obama’s election has brought to a generation of young people. Evans will also be attending Obama’s inauguration.
    “Unlike Mrs. Farrior, I’m not amazed,” said Evans. “While I understand her amazement, I saw how energized the younger folks became over this man. So while I’m extremely excited, I’m not surprised.”
    {mosimage}“They (the young people) looked beyond the color,” said Evans. “They looked at the needs of the country. This man sang the praises of change, change, change and they embraced that. They’re seeing that they can make a very big difference on our future.”
    Someone else who sees and feels the change, the electricity of the moment sweeping across the country like a benevolent tidal wave, is Haire’s son, Fayetteville City Councilmember D.J. Hare, who will be alongside his mother for the inauguration.
    “I think it’s going to heal up a lot of wounds … not all of them,” said D.J. Haire. “We still have a long, long way to go and he’s got a lot on his shoulders. But I really think the country is pulling together.
    “This is an opportunity for black folks to stick their chests out … but now we need to go even further than that,’ said Haire. “ I tell people if their yard is not clean, clean up your yard; if you’ve got cars that aren’t running and broken down let’s fix them or take them to the junkyard. Those may sound like simple things but it’s sticking your chest out and having pride. I’m telling the young men ‘Pull your pants up. Take the earring out, do this, make this change in your life.’ Let’s make more of a significant change than just this. And I see it. I hear it in conversations. I think we’re going to see even more changes coming.”
    Even though Haire sees the inauguration as a chance for African Americans to stick out their chest, he says it’s also an opportunity for all people to feel pride and embrace change — after all, he points out, Obama is not only half black, but also half white.
    This sense of pride and excitement is most definitely shared by Haire’s fellow councilmember, Val Applewhite.
Like all the others previously mentioned in this article, she is also attending her very first inauguration.
    “I am so excited,” said Applewhite. “It is very, very special. When he (Obama) came to Fayetteville to speak I looked around and there was such a mixture of people … a mixture that you don’t normally see in Fayetteville.
    “It’s all a reflection of Dr. King’s dream,” said Applewhite. “His dream that we could all come together … that we could change things for the better. I have no doubt that during the inauguration I will start crying … it’s just such an emotional thing.”
    When Applewhite cries they will be tears of joy that will undoubtedly mingle with the waterfall created by millions of like minded folks as they weep for what they see as a new age … an age of renewed equality … an age of change.

Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com 

    If you’ve recently taken the family out for dinner and a movie, you know that such a night on the town can inflict a dent of Grand Canyon proportions on your bank account.
    After paying for the meal, buying the tickets and a tub or two of popcorn, you’ve expended roughly the entire annual budget of a breakaway Russian republic.
    Fortunately, for both your family and your finances, Huske Hardware House in downtown Fayetteville has a solution: the restaurant/brewery is offering Dinner and a Movie Night every Tuesday, with kids 10 and under allowed to eat for free.
    Tonia Collins, co-owner of Huske Hardware House, says Dinner and a Movie Night will screen films at 6 and 8 p.m.; plus, she says all movies will be family fare, rated PG-13 or better.
    “There will also be romantic movies for a date night,” said Collins. “And even families can enjoy a date night; we’ve got enough room so kids can sit at a table or booth separate from mom and dad so the parents can have their own personal date night.”
    Collins says the movies will either be played off a DVD or streamed via satellite onto the restaurant’s two large screen TVs — an additional pair of large screen televisions will be set up in the future.
    {mosimage}Collins says she believes the idea is original to Huske Hardware House and she also says that viewers will not only be treated to great food and a great picture, but great sound as well.
    “This idea came to us when we were doing a UFC fight and we previewed a movie afterwards,” said Collins. “We played it late that night after we were closed and we realized what a great sound system we have... it was almost like a theater. So we thought how great it would be to have a movie night.”
    The sound system is so good, in fact, that Huske Hardware House has another cinematic idea coming down the pike in February after football season is over: “almost live” concerts on Monday nights, featuring prerecorded video concerts such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall.
    A specific time for the video concerts has not been decided on, though Collins says it will probably be a little later in the evening, perhaps eventually segueing into midnight movies.
    “We don’t necessarily want to be playing Pink Floyd’s The Wall when there are a lot of children in the restaurant,” said Collins. “But this does offer a lot of possibilities.”
    Collins adds that restaurant goers uninterested in a movie or video concert need not be concerned about the noise level generated by these events.
    “The sound for the movie is great, but you can still have a conversation,” said Collins. “The way the restaurant is built it absorbs the noise. You can have the TV blaring and still have a conversation.”
    Collins says Huske will probably offer drink specials for the Monday night concert films and perhaps movie-themed meal specials on Dinner and a Movie Night, which started on Jan. 6.
    For a list of upcoming movies, call Huske Hardware House at 437-9905. 

Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com 

    Jeff Worth, seated, and Paul McArdle are ready to get your motor running as Rockfish Motor Sports prepares to open a go-kart course on Rockfish Road.
    On Jan. 17, Rockfish Motor Sports will open a 1/8th-mile track on Rockfish Road, just behind the Rockfish Flea Mall.
You will be able to bring your go-kart to the track to kick up dust and trade a little paint, or, if you don’t own a go-kart, you’ll be able to rent one.
    It’s all about having fun while keeping safe and out of trouble said Paul McArdle, a spokesman for Rockfish Motor Sports.
    “It’s going to be a family-oriented operation,” said McArdle. “It will give kids a place to ride go-karts rather than down railroad tracks or power lines or streets or neighbors’ yards.”
    The track is the brainchild of Bill Brown, owner of Brownies Towing on the Cumberland/Hoke County line. Brown used to race competitively himself, burning up the oval in the Legends series — a sort of miniature version of NASCAR.
Also, Brown’s two sons — a 4-year-old and a 14-year-old — are into riding go-karts.
    “It’s a hobby more than a business for Mr. Brown,” said Jeff Worth, a mechanic for Rockfish Motor Sports. “It’s something he got hooked on. He wants to make money but it’s also to have fun.”
    While McArdle says the track will give kids a safe alternative to tearing up local streets or cow pastures, he realizes that “big kids” will be attracted to the thrill of the ride as well.
    “We feel there is going to be a great demand, not only from children but by military personnel,” said McArdle. “The Special Forces and 82nd Airborne are very gung ho and like thrills.”
    And even though there will be plenty of thrills and chills at the track, safety will be the first concern. While some of the go-karts sold by Rockfish Motor Sports will attain speeds of up to 40 mph, there will be a 25 mph speed limit on the course. The limit will be enforced on the rental karts through the use of a governor.
    In order to further ensure safety, all drivers must sign a waiver before taking the track and anyone under 12 must have the signed permission of a parent or guardian.
    Also, all drivers will be required to wear a helmet and goggles while on the track.
    “If people exceed the speed limit we’ll ask them to leave,” said McArdle.
    The price for racing around the track is $30 a half hour — $25 if you have your own kart. The rental price includes the use of goggles and a helmet. Of course, McArdle says Rockfish Motor Sports would love to sell you those safety accessories … as well as a go-kart or two.
    {mosimage}Worth says the company has hopes of having organized, competitive races at the track — races fueled, perhaps, by a local professional rivalry or two.
    “Maybe we can get some Hoke County deputies and some highway patrolmen out there and have a little friendly competition,” said Worth.
    There are also tentative plans to invite groups and organizations that may not have access to go-kart racing.
    “We’d like to bring in groups like handicapped children and have them ride the karts for free,” said McArdle, “… set up certain days for certain groups.”
    And to make sure the racers are well fed, Rockfish Motor Sports will have food vendors on hand to satisfy the masses. In fact, pretty much all food vendors are invited to come on out and set up — just call the folks at Rockfish Motor Sports and tell them you’re interested.
    Food vendors will probably do a pretty brisk business, as numerous go-kart aficionados have already inquired about the track.
    “We’re getting all kinds of interest since we put signs up and started advertising,’ said Worth. “One day when we over there working on the track we had 30 people come in asking about it.
    “We really think this will take off because there’s nothing like it around here,” said Worth.
    The tentative hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-noon; and Sunday, 2-5 p.m.
    For more information, call Rockfish Motor Sports at 237-5898, or stop by the company’s location at 10298 Fayetteville Road.

Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com





























 
 






 
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    The true measure of a great leader lies not in a gushing dissection of her many attributes but in weighing her impact. Sarah Palin could not undo in nine weeks what the Republican Party had done to itself for the better part of eight years, but she bought them time, paid for not just with charm, radiance and a hypnotic brand of likability but with a knack for bringing out the best in those who follow her. No less an embedded Washington centrist than John McCain was able to rouse his conservative base just by adding her to his ticket.
    With the possible exception of George W. Bush early in his presidency, she has fired up the conservative base like no one since Ronald Reagan, inspiring chivalry in conservative men, and women, who know that she is tough and can handle herself, think of her as a sister they want to protect. To them, she defines authenticity, so they are upholding not just a name but a set of shared values: common sense, rugged self-reliance, traditional family, faith and the all-American notion that the everyday denizens of our country can not just beat city hall, they can run it.
    Much to the chagrin of wordy intellectuals from the left and the right, the future of conservative leadership could well belong not to the traditional political class but to Sarah Palin and other hockey moms and Joe the Plumbers from small towns far outside the New York-Washington-Ivy League corridor, united by the Internet.
    {mosimage}Even in defeat, Palin garners more press than Vice-President Elect Biden and her star power will certainly fill arenas as a fundraiser and speaker, as it did for Senator Saxby Chambliss who won the Dec. 2 runoff in Georgia. While no one credits her alone, she undoubtedly possesses enormous political capital that pays off not just for herself but for her party. She may well run for president in 2012 with four more years as governor to season her again for the national spotlight. Or, if a popular President Obama appears headed for a second term, she could wait ‘till 2016 when she will be 52, just a kid in political years.
    The left is already writing her political epitaph, some blaming her for the GOP’s defeat, when, in truth, she brought out many conservatives who might have stayed home, uninspired by John McCain. Granted, independents and moderates expressed skepticism over her readiness for high office, but in the end, economic concerns ruled and they voted against the incumbent party, for change and for Barack Obama.
    Some naysayers, mostly on the left, concede that the governor possesses charm, good looks and a large enough following to attain success as a TV talk show host. In other words, let the big boys mold public policy, little lady, and you just stay on the sidelines and look good. They used to tell her that in Alaska, too.
    With all the press coverage of her clothes and her pregnant teen daughter, the average voter may be only vaguely aware that she has laid solid foundations for ethics reform, an energy policy designed for her state to lead America to independence from foreign oil and advocacy for special needs children. Even without a spot on a national ticket, she would be a valued part of a future Republican administration.
    Provided with ambition, Sarah Palin will endure in American life because the values, of which she is both a conduit and a cradle, will endure: faith, family, skepticism of federal power and a rugged, outdoorsy can-do spirit reminiscent of Teddy Roosevelt. Even if she never holds higher office, her spot in the annals of politics is secure. Indeed, in the pantheon of conservative greats, some merit a a military salute and some merit a firm handshake. Millions would surely stand in line to give Sarah Palin a hug, as she earned their respect and affection — not a bad start for a great legacy.

Contact David Bozeman at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    AIDS is the number one killer of African-American women aged 23-34. In the African-American community, discussing HIV is taboo. This is a conversation that the African-American community needs to have. We should be afraid. Presently, African-American women have the highest rate of HIV infections and are 23 times more likely to contract AIDS vs. other ethnic groups. A woman is twice as likely to contract HIV infection during unprotected vaginal intercourse with an infected partner. Why is this happening in our community? These women are wives, girlfriends, mothers, sisters, heads of household and the gatekeepers of the African-American community. It’s going to get worse if we do not do something about it. 
   {mosimage}Reasons for this epidemic inclkude unprotected sex, intravenous drug use and brothers on the “down low.” Some African-Americans face challenges that put them at a higher risk of contracting HIV: socioeconomic status, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and less access to high-quality medical care. 
   It saddens me to see this going on in our community. I feel that there is a denial that AIDS is an epidemic among African-Americans which makes people reluctant to get tested or have conversations about the disease. The issue needs to be addressed. We cannot wait on the government to help us with this epidemic and should work together to find a solution to the problem. Early diagnosis is the critical step in dealing with this crisis.
   We are now living in a society where people live double lives, or shall I say double lies, and put others at risk of becoming infected because of selfishness. These actions can destroy the spirit of a woman and cause her not to trust so easily. Women, protect yourselves and listen to your gut feeling when you are getting to know your mate. You know when something is not quite right about a person. HIV statistics among African-American women are rising and you have to take care of you. 
   The African-American community needs to acknowledge that AIDS is an issue and should talk about it. Everyone needs to be involved in the process. We need to educate one another about prevention, encourage HIV testing and provide treatment to those who need it. We have to make sure African-American women are around to take care of their children and contribute to our community. It is time to stop living in denial and do something about it.

Contact Shanessa Fenner at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    The Windsors were a part of our household when I was growing up. I saw them frequently and viewed the Windsor children who were close to my ages as my chums. Our mothers dressed us in much the same ways, and it seemed to me that we had common interests and experiences as “baby boomer” children growing up in the decades following World War II.
    It did not really register with me then that the Windsor children’s mother was Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and all its royal dominions and mine was, well, my mother.
    My father had been an Army medic in England, and he and another soldier boarded in the home of an English widow. My father, a personable and courtly Southerner, struck up a friendship with Mrs. Fox which endured until she died in the 1960s. I suppose because the two young families, the Windsors and the Highsmiths, were in the same stage of life, she sent us many books about the British Royal Family.
    The books were PR efforts to portray the Royal Family as — almost — regular folks. They were filled with wonderful and charming photographs. Some were formal portraits involving crowns, scepters, and robes trimmed with ermine. Most though, were family scenes, concocted I am now sure to garner and keep the affection and respect of the Queen’s British subjects, not unlike the slightly later Camelot photographs of President Kennedy’s young family. The Queen’s son Charles, who was actually a cute little boy and her daughter Anne who had Shirley Temple-like yellow curls, were pictured swinging, playing with their dogs, and, occasionally, getting into some slight mischief.
    I loved those books and remember once asking my father to write Mrs. Fox requesting that she invite Charles and Anne to visit us in Fayetteville. I imagined that they would enjoy running around with the children and dogs in our Haymount neighborhood as much as my sister and I did.
    Needless to say, they never showed.
    {mosimage}There has been much water over the dam since then for both the Windsors and the Highsmiths, so I watched with great interest the various celebrations of Queen Elizabeth’s 80th birthday last week. Her people are very fond of her, and so am I.
I will not bore you with my “water over the dam” experiences, but think for a moment about the Queen who has remained unruffled and serene for decades despite everything from the final dismantling of the once-global British empire to the toe-sucking antics of my imaginary playmates, her precious children, and their wacky spouses.
    Think of having to meet with prime ministers ranging from the Iron Lady, Margaret Thatcher, to the more freewheeling Tony Blair — once a week, every week whether she liked them or approved of their policies and without legal authority to affect what they do.
    Imagine hearing a recording along with the rest of the world of your son and heir to the throne telling a woman he is not married to that he would like to be “in her trousers” or hearing your-daughter-in law, the woman who would be Queen, confess on worldwide television to an affair with her riding instructor.
    Think of presiding over the final days of the once-great Empire and the rise of the European Union. Imagine what it felt like to see the monetary system which bore your face and those of your ancestors on pounds, shillings, and pence morph into the drab but convenient Euro.
    Imagine watching your grandchildren referred to as “studs” and hoping they will get themselves under control more effectively — or at least more privately — than their parents did.
    Queen Elizabeth has done this and more with dignity and a constant and unwavering hairdo that could have been styled at the Downtowner beauty parlor on Franklin Street in 1965.
    I have a favorite Queen Elizabeth story which, accurate or not, sums up what I think of as her true self.
I heard it from my walking chum who, like Queen Elizabeth, owns and loves Corgis. It seems that one day the Queen was walking her brood, with her security detail at a discreet English distance. One of her subjects came up to the monarch and observed, “My, you certainly look like the Queen.” To which Her Majesty, Queen of the United Kingdom and Defender of the Faith smiled and replied calmly and sweetly, “That’s reassuring.”
    If my mother were living she would be a few years older than Queen Elizabeth and I suspect she would have much the same hairdo and, I hope, the same serenity which comes from long enduring the human experience, be we royalty or commoner.
    The Queen’s celebrations last week included gatherings with her family and with 99 other Britons born the same day as she. I have no idea what anyone said, but if I had been there, I would have wished her many returns of the day and given her the Dicksons’ special birthday greeting, coined by a toddler who could not quite get it all out.
    “Hap to you, your Majesty.”

Contact Margaret Dickson at  editor@upandcomingweekly.com

    Remember this song? Cha cha chains... Cha cha chains... Cha cha chains, chains, chains, chains... Set me freeeeeeee! Sometimes it is hard to get that tune out of my head as I drive around Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Take a look around. What do you see? Chains (chain stores). Everywhere! Surely, we must rank at the top of the list for having more national chain stores per capita than any other North Carolina city.
    What a dubious honor.
    As our national economy patiently awaits for relief, and unemployment rates continue their rise and the threat of higher local property taxes looms on our horizons, it’s time to remind everyone that we should focus more attention, shopping and money on our own community. Shop local! We should support local commerce and do business with local organizations and merchants. We should throw away the foreign catalogs, toll free numbers and cyberspace bargains and search out products and professional services provided by local neighbors in our own backyard. Nothing is more dependable, beneficial and reliable than homegrown products and professional services. We should give them the opportunity to do business because local merchants have already invested in the local economy.
    {mosimage}I know the big chain and box stores do provide some jobs. However, these are usually entry level, part-time and pay minimum wage without health or insurance benefits. Local merchants make a commitment and investment into the  community of their unique talents, time and money. These independents have a passion for being unique and for serving all aspects of the community. It is these people and businesses that make our community very special and give us flair, color and that unique personality. Besides, for every chain and box store business in the county there is a local merchant providing the same product or service while adding value and stability to our local economy. You will find many of those people marketing and promoting their services in our community paper. And why not? The key word here is community. I would list all of the local businesses if I had the space but unfortunately I do not. However, it makes a fun game to match the local merchants to the chains. Afterwards, you have a great list of venues to visit and to recommend to your friends, neighbors and visitors. A few examples of local retailers include: Bullards (for furniture), Quality Sound (for electronics), Bella Villa and Pierros (for pizza), Elle’s for women’s fashion and Ed’s Tire and Pro (for tires).
    Pretty cool, huh? I could go on, and on, and on, but I think you get my point. Chains and box stores contribute little to our local culture. However, local businesses and the people who operate them are the foundation of our community. Support them. In the future we will be doing more to showcase, support and thank these people for their commitment. We hope you will do the same.
    Oh, by the way, don’t look for a copy of this “free”community newspaper in any of the national or chain stores. Their corporate policy doesn’t allow them. Hmmmmmm? Isn’t that the point!
    Thank you for reading.

Contact Bill Bowman at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    Hamlet brandishing a cell phone?
    Guildenstern and Rosencrantz strapped with pearl-handled .38s?
    Alas, poor Yorick, I thought I knew one of Shakespeare’s greatest works so well; however, there appears to be more things going on in Sanford with the Temple Theatre’s production of Hamlet“than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”
    Beginning Jan. 8 and going through Jan. 25, Shakespeare lovers will be treated to a production unlike any they have probably ever seen as Hamlet is modernized, complete with all the trappings of the 21st century, including the aforementioned cell phone and firearms, as well as a multimedia presentation never dreamt of by the stage hands working the old Globe Theatre.
    {mosimage}Temple Theatre has partnered with Washington, D.C.-based Cyburbia Productions to present new media displays designed to enhance the impact of Shakespeare’s great tragedy. This twist on Hamlet marries theater with film. Images on screens will be scattered across the stage, movies are presented to the court, and an entire chapel is created with the magic of digital video. 
    Rick St. Peter, the play’s director, originally staged this version of Hamlet at his home theater, Actors Guild of Lexington, Ky. 
    “This will be a very different production of Hamlet,” said St. Peter. “As the action unfolds on the stage, there will be video and animations accompanying the play. We will be taking one of the great canons of Western literature and combining it with a 21st century production. Watching this version of Hamlet makes the audience feel as if it is inside a live movie.”
    Before all you Shakespeareophiles doth protest too much over a seemingly heretical redoing of this great tragedy, know that this is not the first time the Bard’s works have been altered to reflect modern times. Take for instance the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet, which was set in present day Verona Beach, Calif., featuring gun-toting Montagues and Capulets, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in the titular roles. Also, Shakespeare’s Othello was retold in the 2000 flick O, with Mekhi Phifer as a high school basketball star named Odin who travels down the primrose path of Shakespearean tragedy in the modern South.
    And while this modernized riff on Shakespeare’s tragic warhorse may be new to folks around here, St. Peter is an old pro, having pulled off the play numerous times before, though, according to St. Peter, never with such a talented cast.
    “This is probably the best cast I’ve had,” said St. Peter. “They are sensational. Theater goers are in for a real treat.”
    The cast is pared down to 10 actors, including Temple favorites Tom Dalton and Michael Brocki; St. Peter also cast Adam Luckey, who portrayed Hamletin the original production at Actors Guild of Lexington.
    In addition to retelling the story of the murder of Hamlet’s father and the title character’s bittersweet revenge, St. Peter and his cast have made a work that is dense with symbolism and metaphor a little more “real.”
    “The Temple Theatre’s board of directors watched one of our final rehearsals and they said they loved it because they could understand it,” said St. Peter. “It’s such great material … It’s the ultimate ghost story.”
    And remember, all you folks concerned that this isn’t your father’s Shakespeare, when you come right down to it, the play’s the thing.
    Hamletwill be performed at the Temple Theatre in Sanford from Jan. 8-25. Show times are Thursday 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 8 p.m., and Sunday 2 p.m. (Student matinees Friday, Jan. 16 & 23 at 9:30 a.m.) For ticket prices and more information, call the Temple Theatre at (919) 774-4155, or the Web site www.templeshows.com.

Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com 

    In 1994, California transplant Lynn Pryor opened a theater in the basement of his Fayetteville home.
    “The first season was a short one; we were on the ground floor of my house and seating 40 people,” said Pryor, artistic director and founder of the Gilbert Theater. For the next eight years, performances were at the house — five plays a year (sometimes more) with three inside the house and two in the garden. 
    “We did Shakespeare and children’s plays,” said Pryor. “Many of our plays would not have been seen here otherwise.”
    {mosimage}Next came three years of performing at the Art’s Council building before moving into the current location on Bow Street.
    From the theater’s first days, Pryor had every intention of building something with staying power — so much so that he gave it a name that connected it with the city. 
    “When I decided to move here and I saw this space I knew that I could start a theater and I knew that I wanted to associate is somehow with Marquis de Lafayette,” said Pryor. “I can’t even remember what it is now but I decided that is what was going to be the name of the theater.
    “Then, the next night I thought ‘Are you crazy? Do you want to spend the next 25 years telling people how to pronounce it... how to spell it?’” said Pryor. And then I looked at his (Lafayette’s) full name and he had four or five Christian names and the one that his family used was Gilbert — and that is how it is directly related to our city’s namesake.”
    Of course, many things went right for the Gilbert Theater from the beginning; however, Pryor gives ultimate credit to those who have played a part over the years, naming not only the great actors, producers, business sponsors and artistic supporters, but also the audiences that have come to be entertained.
    “People here are so marvelous, so kind and generous,” he said, comparing it to the analogy of a snowball rolling downhill. “Very soon I could see that it would last, given the community and the commitment that I had from people that were coming to the heart of it. After the first season or two I could see the trajectory of it.”
    On the theater’s Web site it reads, “Gilbert Theater: Where the process is as important as the product.” Pryor is serious about that motto, recalling acting companies in other theaters where all that mattered was opening night — no matter what the wreckage might be in terms of people saying they would never work there again.  
    “I want this to be the absolute opposite here,” said Pryor. “I want people to return because they are treated with respect and have a time of growth and collaboration and fulfilling artistic impulses.”
    Unfortunately, it is still a few weeks too early for Pryor to give many details about what is in store for the coming season, though he did offer a few clues.
    “There is going to be a premier original musical... if all goes well,” said Pryor. “A second musical and our Christmas Caroland then a contemporary play that I saw in London a couple of years ago and knew would be perfect for us.
“There will be a very, very humorous comedy,” he added. “It is just a couple of weeks too early to spill the beans right now.”

Contact Stephanie Crider at editor@upandcomingweekly.com 

    If we all could “see” music as a shimmering palate of colors, chances are a cool sax riff by Charlie “Bird” Parker or a smooth solo from George Benson’s guitar would probably resemble one of Eric McRay’s paintings.
    Talking in the vernacular of a jazz musician, McRay describes his art as “improvisational.”
    “Improvisation is a big part of my art,” said McRay, “just like a jazz musician. My art is a random type of expression. For me, painting is pulling all these notes together into one piece. In my next life, I’m coming back as a musician.”
    Thankfully, for art lovers, McRay is living in the moment rather than some future existence as a New Orleans trumpeter, allowing us to be treated to his paintings, some of which will be on display at the Fayetteville Museum of Art from Jan. 17-March 8 as part of a two-person exhibit entitled Visual Allegories. The other featured artist is Chandra Cox.
    Both McRay and and Cox are African-Americans, appropros for the Visual Allegories exhibit, which will compare the artists’ work with utilitarian African objects that are part of the FMoA’s Lewis Pate collection.
McRay’s paintings — many of which are centered around jazz, as well as North Carolina landscapes — are full of “allegories” and metaphors... at least sometimes.
    {mosimage}“I put a lot of myself into my art,” said McRay, who owns McRay Studios in Raleigh. “I use my knowledge of art history and African-American history to try and connect my art to the human experience.
    “But sometimes,” said McRay, in perhaps a mild swipe at learned art scholars who overanalyze and psychoanalyze every brush stroke, “sometimes... a tree is just a tree.”
    Speaking of trees, despite his deep love of jazz, which is the subject of many of his paintings, including some works that will be on display at the FMoA, part of McRay’s continuing maturity as an artist includes more landscapes.
“Art is all about change,” said McCray. “I painted a lot of jazz when I was into popular music and hung out with jazz musicians and writers. Now, I’m painting more landscapes because I’m traveling more and meeting all these ‘well-to-do’  folks who live on the coast and have beautiful houses.”
    But fear not jazzbos, you’ll get more than your fix of McCray’s illustrated representation of your favorite music at the Visual Allegories exhibit, especially in such works as the collage piece “Late Night Jazz.”
    You’ll also be treated to a variety of artistic mediums by Cox, a practicing artist, image-maker who works in a range of mediums from oil and acrylic to digital media.
    Her work has been presented in numerous museums and galleries around the country such as the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Her artworks in public collections include North Carolina State University, North Carolina Central University and The University Of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She illustrated the children’s book Christmas Makes Me Think, published by Lee and Low of New York.
Among her awards are the Artist-in-Residence Fellowship at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Sausalito, Calif. Cox also received the Outstanding Teacher Award in 1985 and 1995, and the Undergraduate Alumni Distinguished Professor Award in 1988.
    You can get an early look at the work by these two artists at the museum’s premier party on Jan. 16 from 6-8 p.m. There will also be some audio, thanks to Chapel Hill band Physics of Meaning. Daniel Hart, leader and chief songwriter for Physics of Meaning, has contributed to such groups as St. Vincent and the critically acclaimed Polyphonic Spree.

Contact Tim Wilkins at tim@upandcomingweekly.com