Crashing into journalism

I was driving through downtown Durham Sunday when I spotted this mangled Herald-Sun box. Looks like a car smashed into it this weekend. A couple of other newspaper racks were tipped over too, including the Indy’s.

Also, I think it’s amusing that the photo of the Herald-Sun on the front of the rack features one of the stories I wrote when I worked for the paper about five years ago. I guess it can get pretty expensive replacing these advertisements, but it is interesting that they haven’t been swapped out of some Herald-Sun boxes for at least four years.

Where do you take out-of-town guests for dinner in the Triangle?

Where do you take out-of-town guests for dinner in the Triangle? I recently found myself pondering this when my childhood friend Todd called and said he was in town and wanted to meet up.

I lost touch with Todd in high school. He moved away the summer before 8^th grade. We remained pen pals for a couple years, and even visited each other a couple times. But our snail mail dwindled when we got our driver’s licenses, probably because we were spending less time at home and more time pursuing friendships in our own towns.

In college we briefly managed to find each other through the Internet. We exchanged an e-mail or two, but lost touch again. Occasionally I would Google him, but I could never find enough information to track him down.

Then a few months ago, through the power of facebook, we reconnected. I found out he was living in Atlanta and occasionally flew to RDU for business. He recently called me to say he was in Durham and soon we were making dinner plans. We had not seen each other in 12 years.

I wanted to show Todd how cool Durham is, so I suggested we meet at American Tobacco for dinner. Then I realized there was a Bull’s game that night, so the place would be packed. I opted for The Federal by Brightleaf Square, where I ordered the always tasty pork carnitas.

After dinner, we headed over to Tyler’s Taproom for beers. I showed him the rushing water feature, explained the area’s tobacco legacy and even walked him over to the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. The game was underway, so the crowds had dispersed outside.

We didn’t have time to wander around downtown or take a stroll down Ninth Street. But between Brightleaf Square and American Tobacco, I felt like he got to see some of the Bull City’s flavor.

If you only had 3 hours to show an old friend around your Triangle city, where would you take them?

Your guide to free summer concerts around the Triangle

Summertime means free concerts in and around the Triangle.

Here’s a list of all the summer concert series that I know about (some of my tweeps helped fill in the blanks). The list is alphabetical by city/town.

I know I’m missing some shows. Help me fill in the blanks by adding links and details in the comments section. Please note that I’m only listing free shows though, because in these tough economic times, we can’t all afford to pay $50 to see Jason Mraz.

CARY

WHAT: Sertoma Series

WHEN/WHERE: Sporadic Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays between now and July 18. See the full schedule here. All shows are at the Sertoma Amphitheatre in Bond Park, 801 High House Road.

COST: Free!

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: Chatham County Line, an awesome bluegrass band, will perform at 3 p.m. May 16. Also, don’t miss Blues man John Dee Holeman on June 20.

CHAPEL HILL

WHAT: Southern Village Summer Music Concert Series

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m.  Sundays between now and Sept. 13. There are also a few additional shows on Fridays and Saturdays. Download and print the calendar here. The concerts are on the green, but if it’s raining, they’ll be moved to 610 Market Street (in the space that used to be Market Street Books).

COST: Nearly all of the shows are free, but a few have an admissions fee. It’s best to check before you arrive.

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: This eclectic concert series includes everything from B.O.D. (a Grateful Dead cover band) to Project Mastana (Bollywood sounds). Chances are you can find at least one concert matching your taste. (Thanks for the link @jreesnc)

CLAYTON

WHAT: The 2009 Clayton Town Square Concert Series

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month between May 21 and Sept. 17 in Clatyon’s Town Square.

COST: Free but vendors are on hand to sell pizza, beer and Italian ice.

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: Liquid Pleasure apparently won praise at this concert series last year. The dance band has performed with The Temptations and The Four Tops among many others. But I think Abbey Road Live (a Beatles cover band, of course) sounds like fun. Although, as a huge Beatles fan myself, I’ve always been a bit skeptical of bands that claim to cover the Fab Four. (Thanks for the link @mediatwo)

DURHAM

WHAT: 2009 Music on the Lawn Concert Series

WHEN/WHERE: Various dates between now and Sept. 4. All concerts are from 6 to 8 p.m. at the American Tobacco Campus (on the lawn). Check the schedule here.

COST: The concerts are free, but Tyler’s Taproom is nearby and they’re usually selling beer. Organizers ask that you don’t bring coolers or dogs (sorry, Fido).

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: The bands usually perform on the brick island under the Lucky Strike tower, creating a picturesque scene. The series is co-sponsored by N.C. Public Radio WUNC, which means the bands are part of the station’s Back Porch Music series.

WHAT: Warehouse Blues Concert Series

WHEN/WHERE: The series starts July 24 and runs every Friday until Sept. 4.  It’s located in the courtyard of Durham’s West Village Apartments, 604 W. Morgan St. All shows are from 6 to 8 p.m.

COST: Free. The concert series is sponsored by the City’s Parks and Recreation Department. The city even provides chairs.

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: The schedule is tentative, a parks employee told me. I highly recommend John Dee Holeman (scheduled Aug. 7). Cool John Ferguson is a must-see and he is tentatively scheduled to perform on Sept. 4. Don’t miss Captain Luke either (he’s scheduled for July 24). Both Ferguson and Luke are featured in the video below.

HILLSBOROUGH

WHAT: Last Fridays

WHEN/WHERE: The last Friday of every month from April through September. Concerts start at 6 p.m. Here’s a list of this year’s performers. The shows are on the old courthouse lawn in the downtown historic district.

COST: The concerts are free. But food vendors, crafters and others set up booths on the sidewalks surrounding the courthouse, so bring money if you plan to indulge.

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: This month’s performance features the Cyril Lance Band (Blues/Rock), but I’m a big bluegrass fan so the June 26 performance by Strictly Clean and Decent (Bluegrass/Folk/Celtic) would be my pick. (Thanks for the link @Hillsborough).

RALEIGH

WHAT: Downtown Live

WHEN/WHERE: Seven concerts are scheduled on Saturday nights between May 30 and Aug. 22, check the schedule here. The concerts start at 2 p.m. with the headliners usually taking stage close to 10 p.m. The shows are in Moore Square. Bring a blanket or chairs if you plan to arrive early, otherwise, plan on standing and working your way to the stage.

COST: Free. But since it’s sponsored by Bud Light, plan to pay a billion dollars for a small cup of beer (really, I think it’s like $5 a cup).

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: As always, this year’s line-up features a few one-hit wonders (Jimmy’s Chicken Shack and Marcy’s Playground) and few-hit wonders (Candlebox, Filter and Tonic … May 30, June 13 and Aug. 8, respectively). But there are some gems, including Joan Jett on July 11 and The Charlie Daniels Band on July 25.

WHAT: Music on the Porch at Seaboard Station

WHEN/WHERE: Friday nights starting May 15. Shows are from 7 to 9 p.m. at Seaboard Station by Ace Hardware and Peace China, 802 Semart Dr.

COST: Free, but alcohol will be available for purchase.

MUSICAL HIGHLIGHTS: I have not found a complete listing, but I did find this. Looks like the only two performances announced are The Tims Bluegrass Band on May 15 and Funkuponya on May 22. (Thanks for the links @jcstille and @ayeshamus).

Lots of Festivals and other things to do in the Triangle this weekend

I’m writing this a little later than I would like, so I’m leaving off Friday events.

Here’s your list of some weekend to-dos in the Triangle:

SATURDAY

* It’s festival season. Here are a few you can check out today: Apex PeakFest, Wake Forest Meet in the Street Festival, Downtown Raleigh Festival of Hope, Carrboro Day, Strawberry Festival in Old North Durham Park. Of course there’s also World Beer Festival (which is where I’ll be), but I’m pretty sure both sessions are sold out. You may be able to find last minute tix on craigslist though. I wouldn’t advise paying over $65 unless you’re dying to go (they were about $60 each w/ fees for folks who ordered them online).

* If you love horses (or if a horse show is the closest your kid is going to come to getting a pony) then check out the May Days Annual Horse Show at the Hunt Horse Complex at the NC State Fairgrounds. The event is Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

* If you’re in the mood for comedy (you know I always plug comedy), the Triangle will see two professional comedians. You can see Bill Bellamy (who I’ll always remember from countless hours of watching “MTV Jamz” and “MTV Beach House”) at Goodnight’s Comedy Club in Raleigh. Or you can head to Durham Performing Arts Center to see the Mike Epps and Friends Comedy Show.

SUNDAY

* If you like jewelry, crafts, art, etc. do not miss The Handmade Market. The event features “hip handmade goods from 50 of the best and brightest independent designers, artists, and crafters from NC and beyond.” I went last year and walked away with a painting, keychain, necklace and an awesome seahorse shirt. (See pic I took at last year’s event on the right). The event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Marbles Kids Museum.

* The May Days Annual Horse Show is also today (see above).

I’m positive there’s a lot more going on this weekend, but I didn’t have as much time to dig around this week as I would like. So, as always, feel free to add the weekend events you know about/are looking forward to in the comments section.

Have fun.

Nine things to do in the Triangle this weekend

This weekend is shaping up to be the most gorgeous one of the year so far. With temperatures forecasted to reach nearly 90 degrees this weekend (they’re calling for sunny and a high of 89 on Saturday and 87 on Sunday).

So with the wonderful weather and the stupid recession in mind … Here’s your list of weekend events that might be worth checking out in the Triangle:

FRIDAY

* The 3d annual Bluesfest Benefit at Longview Center in downtown Raleigh sounds like a good deal. You’ll get to hear John Dee Holeman (who was one of the best performers at Shakori Hills last weekend. The 80-year-old Bluesman and Storyteller still has it.) and harmonica man Geroge Higgins. Tickets are $10. It starts at 7:30 p.m. and proceeds benefit the very deserving Music Maker Relief Foundation.

*Head to Golden Belt in Durham to see The Rosebuds, Midtown Dickens and Lost in Trees for $12! The money benefits the Durham Arts Council. (UPDATE — I accidentally posted this under Saturday, but the concert is tonight!).

SATURDAY

* Put the finishing touches on your spring cleaning by dropping off all the documents you need shredded at the NBC17 Shred-It Event (what, you didn’t think you’d get through this list without any shameless self promotion in this post, did you?). So if you have a box (or boxes) of old documents you need shredding, come to Village Square Shopping Center in Cary or Indigo Corners Shopping Center in Durham between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., we’ll handle the rest.

* Go shopping for random props, vintage screen art, signage and scenery at the Valentine Design Group and Aardvark Printing yard sale. The Clean Out The Clutter Parking Lot “yard sale” is from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.  Saturday 1019-1021 East Whitaker Mill Road in Raleigh. If you still have the yard sale bug after visiting this sale, head over to the N.C. State Fairgrounds for the flea market. It’s always fun and completely free to get in.

* The Durham Earth Day Festival is probably your best bet if you want to be outside doing something different on Saturday. The growing festival features music, plenty of vendors and educational booths, and it gives you a chance to hang out in downtown Durham. It’s from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday in CCB Plaza.

* If you’re already in Durham for the Earth Day Festival, steer over to Duke Gardens for the Plant and Craft Festival, which runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

* Springfest at Chavis Park in Raleigh sounds like it could be fun for families. The free event will supposedly feature rides, vendors, entertainment and food. It’s from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday.

* If you’re an aspiring photographer, but can’t afford to take an intense class. You can drop $12 on the Introduction to Digital Photography Workshop that the Raleigh City Museum is hosting. The class is perfect for those of you who haven’t dived into digital photography yet. It’s at 2 p.m. Saturday.

* Go to a drag show. Legends in downtown Raleigh is featuring a 9:30 matinee, a midnight show and another at 1 a.m. for you night owls. Be sure to get a Shish-Kabob afterward from the man who sets up his cart near the club’s entrance. They are delicious! (See my pic on the right … mmmm).

Please ADD YOUR EVENTS to the comments section so us Triangle dwellers don’t miss out on something cool!

Five things to do in the Triangle this weekend

My Saturday plans have been crushed with the rescheduling of the Raleigh St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Forecasts of rain and chilly temps prompted them to push it back to March 21.

So I figured it was time to see what else was going on this weekend. Here are some events that should keep you dry, warm and entertained:

* Artistic bailout. Go see the Bailout Biennial exhibit at Golden Belt in Durham. The exhibit features 57 works by 26 artists all center on the messed up economic situation we’re facing and the scandals and greed that got us there. Not only is the show worth checking out, but so is the venue. Golden Belt is a restored historic textile mill that is simply gorgeous. Here’s a snippet from an N&O article about the show:

The staging could hardly be more spare; the works are arrayed around a vast second-floor room with tall windows and high ceilings. The show is remarkable not only for the variety of media it includes — painting, photography, sculpture, installation, audio — but the variety of perspectives and approaches the artists took. Some of the works are subtle, others distinctly less so, and some offer no easy or obvious interpretations.

The exhibit is scheduled to end Sunday. So this is your last chance to check it out. The gallery is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

* Political theater. Can you believe the Iraq war started six years ago this month? Carolina Theatre is marking the anniversary with a one-man show by ex-soldier and playright Kenny Carnes. “Pieces of War” starts at 8 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $24.

* Hang out with some live alligators and sea turtles. Saturday is Reptile and Amphibian Day at the North Carolina Museum of Natural History. The 16th annual event will feature hundreds of live creatures. Best of all? It’s free. It’s from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Just don’t snicker about the theme “Extreme Herps” in front of your kids (they mean Herpetology, of course. Geez, I can be immature sometimes).

* Get your comedy on. You know I’m a big improv fan. If you’re in Raleigh on Saturday night, check out the return of the Super Sparkle Showcase at Comedyworx. The talent competition is supposed to be hilarious. Or if you’re closer to Carrboro Saturday, head over to DSI Comedy Theater for the “Best Show Ever” — a comedy showcase.

The Super Sparkle Showcase starts at 10:30 p.m. Saturday and costs $10. The Best Show Ever starts at 9:30 p.m. and costs $12 (or $10 if your a student, in the military or a senior).

* Look at the stars. The Morehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill has several shows scheduled this weekend. Admission is $6 for adults and $5 for children. Though there are discounts, including this $1 coupon for Sunday shows. News & Observer subscribers can get buy one, get one free admission using this coupon.

As always, there are plenty of other events worth checking out around the Triangle including the Bishop Allen concert at Local 506 Saturday, the craft fair at the State Farmers Market, the Hillsborough Street Renaissance eco event in Raleigh, Art After Dark at the Ackland Art Museum and more.

If there are other events we should know about, please share in the comments section.

Happy chilly, wet weekend!

A crappy way to wake up on a snow day

It snowed in North Carolina overnight. And since everyone else seems to be posting their snow photos on their blogs, I figured I would join them. Here’s my snowy back porch scene:

But of all the snow entries I read today, none were as interesting as the post made by Durham resident Sonja Foust. She woke up to a car filled with snow. Here’s what happened.

Downtown Raleigh’s new bus service needs a theme song

I ate dinner at The Borough last night, and saw Raleigh’s new downtown circulator bus (called the “R Line”) drive past the restaurant at least four times. So we decided to climb aboard and check out the route for this new, free service.

The hybrid, electric bus service launched Friday and allows residents to take a free ride to various stops downtown.

We waited at the “R” stop for a few minutes last night, but it was quite cold. So we stepped back into the Borough and watched the stop from the door. We didn’t get out the door fast enough to catch the R bus when it made its rounds again, so we chased after it, with no luck.

On the drive home, we got a little goofy and decided to create some improv theme songs for the new bus service. For the record, we both know we’re not good singers. We strung together about six or seven possible themes, but I’ve only posted two for you. If you make it through this entire video, then you deserve a cookie.

The photos in the video were taken by Leo who runs the fabulous Raleigh Connoisseur blog.

Have you taken the R Line yet? It has recieved some positive reviews on the Raleigh Philosophical Society blog. I think the bus line will be a handy service that will help downtown Raleigh’s efforts to grow.

If you want to try your hand at creating a theme song for the R Line, feel free to send me a video clip or use the Seesmic plugin in the comments section.

New Durham Transportation Station will improve bus service for Bull City

A lot has changed in downtown Durham since 2004. The nearly-complete Durham Station Transportation Center is just another gleaming example of the transformation happening downtown.

Back in 2004, the glass-encased building had not even been sketched by an architect. The site the new bus station now occupies on Chapel Hill Street used to be the home to the dilapidated Heart of Durham motel. The motel, built in the late 1960s, was once a cool place to stay. But after it turned seedy after it changed ownership, reports Endangered Durham. The motel sat empty for about 12 years before it was condemned by the city and seized through eminent domain. The city later bought the property to house a new bus station.

On Sept. 30, 2004, the city staged a cheesy demolition ceremony. Here’s the lead I wrote for the event (which had the theme “Jump Start the Heart”) when I worked for the Herald-Sun:

Three firefighters armed with a heart defibrillator dashed through the parking lot of a dilapidated downtown motel Thursday, but they weren’t there to rescue anyone. Instead, they used the device to jump start changes at the Heart of Durham motel, releasing a large, heart-shaped balloon into the sky. The scene was part of a city demolition ceremony that was more symbolic than destructive.

By February 2005, the site was cleared and designs for Durham Station were complete. At the time, the transportation hub was expected to cost $15.3 million, but that price has since climbed to $17.6 million, the N&O reports.

But the new building is probably worth the wait for DATA bus riders. Here’s how N&O transportation guru Bruce Siceloff recently described the current bus station:

The transfer center is crowded, littered and chaotic. Its unisex toilet is filthy and seatless. … The buses are packed headlight-to-taillight at the curb, so they cannot come and go according to their timetables. Ready or not, each driver begins a new circuit through town when the bus at the head of the line starts rolling.

Here’s a sneak peak of the lobby of the new center:

And, as you can see, there are plenty of terminals where the buses can line up:

It’s a shame that the planned February opening has been pushed back to March so the city can tackle some nearby street improvements required by the NCDOT. But when it opens, we can all look back on the Heart of Durham days and realize just how far downtown has come (even if it took more than four years).

Book lovers looking for something to do should go to the Raleigh City Museum

Dear Book-Loving Triangle Residents,

If you’re like me, you love perusing eclectic titles and you love a good deal. That’s why you must make an effort to visit the Raleigh City Museum sometime between Saturday and Jan. 17. That’s when the downtown museum is hosting its twice-a-year book sale.

You might remember that I went to the sale this summer and didn’t want to leave:

The titles were impressive, including many classics, some old textbooks and an impressive children’s book selection that brought back memories of my “Choose Your Own Adventure” and “Fear Street” reading days. I could have spent an hour or more scouring the tables for titles. But not all of my friends were thrilled about spending Friday night browsing used books, so I paid for my 1950s edition of Huckleberry Finn, a biography about Freud and some retro mini-Hallmark greeting books with plans to return

The sale also includes CDs, DVDs and other odds and ends, the museum reports. And while you’re there, you can even check out the [R]evolution of Media exhibit, which explores the history of newspaper, television and radio in Raleigh (basically it’s just a big promotional exhibit for WRAL and the News and Observer, which makes sense since they dominated the local media market for so long. Still, the exhibit is still pretty interesting even if my station isn’t really represented).

So consider this your head’s up. The book sale is definitely worth the trip.

Sincerely,

Your book-loving blogger,

Ginny Skalski