A sneak peek of Raleigh’s shimmer wall … lit up

Workers were testing the LEDs that will back light the shimmer wall that adorns Raleigh’s new convention center on Monday night. They appeared to only be testing one panel, at least when I stopped. So I snapped the photo below.

The plan is to officially light up the entire waving Oak Tree on Sept. 5, when the convention center officially opens.

When fully lit, the wall can shimmer in tons of colors. They can even tailor the colors to match holidays (say green for St. Patrick’s Day) and special events (say red if the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup).

Here’s a sneak peak of a single panel.

Can you imagine how beautiful this will look when it’s all lit up?

Take your Breathalyzer on-the-go

You’ll be able to get more than a hot dog and bag of chips at a vending cart in downtown Raleigh this weekend.

If you’re drinking at one of the bars in the Glenwood South district Friday night, you’ll have a chance to take an alcohol breath test, but it’ll cost you.

Yes, for $5 you can take an alcohol breath test (the term “Breathalyzer is a brand name, or I would just say that instead) at a push cart. The cart will be set up by Alcohol Educators, Inc. The service will let drinkers determine their blood alcohol concentration to help them determine whether they should drive home or not. The company’s slogan is apparently “DWI = $10,000. Knowing what you’d blow = Priceless.”

My guess is there will be more than one group of buddies who stumble upon on the vending service and challenge each other to see who can blow the highest BAC. But who knows, maybe the service will discourage someone from driving home with a BAC over North Carolina’s 0.08 percent legal limit.

The cart will be on the corner of Glenwood and Johnston Avenues (the same corner where Bogart’s is located) from 9:30 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to a news release I read today. It won’t be there if there’s “inclimate weather” though.

Do you think this service will lead fewer people to drive home intoxicated or do you think it will spark more binge drinking among competitive friends?

It’s no shimmer wall, but it’ll do

I had Raleigh’s new shimmer wall on the brain when I walked past the Durham Performing Arts Center last week. The shimmer wall adorns the side of Raleigh’s new convention center, providing an artistic splash on the wall that covers the center’s air conditioning system. So, when I passed Durham’s new arts center last week, I was initially disappointed to see that the side of the center facing the American Tobacco complex was concrete and vacant.

I was prepared to suggest that the city (which funding the $44 million arts center) sponsor a mural contest, encouraging local artists to submit their designs, with the winning one being selected to cover the blah wall. But I contacted city spokeswoman Amy Blalock first to make sure the city wasn’t ahead of me, and it looks like the city already has a plan to hide the concrete. Here’s her e-mail response:

According to Alan (DeLisle, assistant city manager with the Office of Economic & Workforce Development) the South and West sides of the deck will be covered with long banners from the Broadway plays until the development occurs around the deck.  Eventually, the deck will be wrapped with development and you won’t be able to see the concrete.  In the meantime, the banners will cover the concrete.

I’m also excited about the Broadway shows that will be appearing at the Durham Performing Arts Center during it’s debut season. Among them are Rent, The Color Purple and Legally Blonde. The city’s huge downtown investment in this project is about to take off.

And while there are some naysayers who didn’t support the city’s decision to invest so many tax dollars into this project, now that the center is nearly complete, it would be lovely if Triangle folks would come together and support yet another Durham leap into the arts.

Raleigh’s shimmer wall is stunning

The shimmering oak tree that lives on the west facade of Raleigh’s new convention center is simply stunning. The sprawling tree is made up of nearly 80,000 light and dark aluminum squares and was completed a couple weeks ago. When the wind blows, the squares flap and it looks as if waves are rolling over the tree.

Soon, the tree will be backlit by LEDs, allowing the tree to glow and reflect a ton of colors. That won’t happen until the convention center officially opens on Sept. 5.

The success of this public art piece (or design feature, depending on who you ask) is apparently a big deal in Raleigh, which has had some hangups with other public art attempts, the News & Observer reports.

Two years ago, Raleigh officials rejected a hydro-electronic abstract sculpture planned for Fayetteville Street that was designed by Jaume Plensa, an internationally known Spanish artist. The decision led businessman Jim Goodmon to withdraw his offer to pay $2.5 million to help fund the project.

And then, in the mid-90s, there was a debate over the Time + Light Tower located in the median of Capital Boulevard north of the Fairview Road ramp, the N&O reminds us. The 40-foot tower is made up of glass panels that reflect rainbow colors.

I remember riding down Capital with my friend Graham when I first moved to Raleigh and asking him what that tower was. When he told me it was a public art piece, I laughed. It’s actually pretty cool (compared to most things in the Capital Boulevard median, anyway). When the Time + Light Tower went up, it “was called an ‘old derrick with mirrors’ by Tom Fetzer, Raleigh’s mayor at the time,” the N&O reports.

If you haven’t had a chance to see the shimmer wall for yourself, check out this hasty video I made.

The easiest place to pull over and view it is on Cabarrus Street, which is sorta closed for construction right now. Just head down South Dawson Street and turn left on Cabarrus Street to park. Then get out of your car and admire it’s beauty. An oak tree, of course, is a fitting shimmer wall stamp for the City of Oaks.

Have you seen the shimmer wall yet? Do you love it or are you underwhelmed?

Jesse Helms’ memorial takes over Five Points

You can’t help but do a double take when satellite trucks are parked in Raleigh’s quaint Five Points neighborhood and reporters and photographers are stationed outside the stately Hayes Barton Baptist Church.

The media is taking over the grounds surrounding the church because that’s where former Sen. Jesse Helms’ memorial service and funeral are being held.

The News & Observer has thorough coverage of seemingly every aspect of Helms’ life and career:

Helms became known as “Senator No” for his battles against everything from increased government spending to civil rights legislation, from communism to the National Endowment for the Arts. Helms was even willing to wage war against fellow Republicans if he thought they were straying from the conservative agenda.

In North Carolina, Helms was a political surgeon, grafting the old segregationist Democratic Party into the body of a newly revived Republican Party. Helms made sure Robert E. Lee was remembered at GOP dinners, and the playing of “Dixie” was never out of fashion at his rallies.

I took a few pictures outside the church Monday night, but I didn’t feel compelled to go inside.

I watched Gallagher smash watermelons and you can too

I saw Gallagher on Hilton Head Island Saturday night. I’ll give you a second to mull that over since there’s such a disparity between the watermelon-smashing comedian and the resort island.

It’s true, Gallagher came to Hilton Head, and one of my reporter friends got to interview him in advance of the show and snagged us free tickets. (He’ll be coming to Raleigh in a couple of weeks).

I didn’t know what to expect. I remember spotting a much younger Gallagher smashing watermelons into a plastic-covered crowd on several late night channel-surfing sessions. I always thought it was stupid, and really, it sort of is, but when you’re in the crowd (especially just out of range of flying bits of food) it becomes incredibly amusing.

Here’s how it unfolded. First, Gallagher opened up for himself, warming up the crowd by making fun of them and telling some jokes. Then, when it was time for his show to begin, he introduced himself and started his routine. He apparently traded in his famous striped shirt for a T-shirt provided by the club that was hosting him (which he later removed, along with his pants, possibly to keep from getting more messy but more likely because he likes the way it feels when bits of food his bare chest).

His act featured some politically incorrect jokes and some down right offensive jokes (including one about Ted Kennedy that made most of the audience groan). He apparently doesn’t like gay people or anyone from Mexico, because it seemed he targeted those two groups the most. He pulled some young girls on stage and made them wear underware vests that he created. Then he finally began mixing some pies to smash. The ingredients ranged from dog food mixed with Pepto-Bismol to cottage cheese, a head of lettuce coated in flour and, of course, watermelons.

Watch him smash some of those pies in this video clip:

By the way, the stage reeked after the show.

So Gallagher is apparently performing five shows at Goodnight’s in Raleigh July 24 to 26. Although, it’s a little unclear whether he’ll be smashing stuff at Goodnight’s. The comedy club’s website says “bring your plastic” but it later contradicts the need for plastic by saying:

Don’t miss it when Gallagher brings his “No Sledge Tour,” featuring his classic stand-up and props (but none of the messy stuff) to Goodnights Comedy Club.

It may be worth checking with the club to confirm he’ll be smashing stuff before you buy tickets. Because, while some of Gallagher’s jokes were worth a laugh, the food smashing was really the most amusing part of the show.

A 700-pound crab is sitting on Crabtree Valley Mall

His name is “Jake” and he took up residence on top of the the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant at Crabtree Valley Mall around 3:30 p.m. today. Jake the Crab is named after one of Bill McCormick’s original seafood restaurants, which had the name Jake in it.

This inflatable crab weighs in at 700 pounds and stands about 17-feet tall, according to a news release from the restaurant. For more on this huge crab, check out Sue Stock’s story in The News & Observer.

So is this a good promotional gimmick to let people know this restaurant is coming to town? Or is it a little too tacky?

Find out what happens when 7 Tweeple take on a downtown Raleigh scavenger hunt

In hindsight, I see how naive I was. I truly thought our 7-member team had a chance to win the Raleigh Typhoon 2 scavenger hunt. To win, we had to decipher clues that lead us to more than 25 businesses in downtown Raleigh and complete a series of laughable tasks to earn puzzle pieces. Those puzzle pieces were the key to success, because they revealed additional clues that led to mega-bonus points.

Our team, “Tie-phoon Tweeple”, featured several Raleigh residents who use Twitter: @dtraleigh, @dimambro, @nematome, @kitch and two non-Tweeple.

I approached the adventure with an “in it to win it” attitude. As the only chick on the team, I was grateful that the guys let me take over the planning and execution of our strategy. You can watch a 1-minute video of us planning things out here. I had no idea that approximately 85 teams had entered, and it’s a good thing too because I don’t think I would have been as hardcore about our efforts If I knew that tidbit.

We managed to complete all but one of the tasks on the list, although it took us seven hours to do so. Here are some of the tasks we had to complete:

* Throw two bullseyes, bounce a quarter in a cup, win at Connect Four, toss two ping pong balls in a cup (beer pong style), sink a trick shot at the pool table all at Alibi Bar.

* Act out a white collar crime using props (we acted out blackmail, I played the role of a News & Observer reporter, while Kitch pretended he was running for city council) at a hip bar I’d never been to before appropriately named “White Collar Crime.” (Footage of this exists somewhere and if it makes it online, prepare for laugh).

* Count all the Frieda Kahlo images at Dos Taquitos (this was tricky b/c they were everywhere, including the bathrooms). There are 47, in case you were wondering. I think this was actually the most difficult challenge.

*Answer a bunch of questions about various things hanging on the walls at Napper Tandy’s, then sing karaoke as a team (the DJ picked Shaggy’s “Angel” for us, we were truly horrible).

*Take a picture of a hidden marker at 101 Lounge + Cafe and then put together a puzzle.

*Find a business card hidden in some pants pockets and take a picture of three palms at Vintage Nation (a vintage clothing shop that also sells plants).

And much, much more. To read all about our day, please check out @nematome’s blog about it. He truly captured the essence of the day from beginning to end.

Our team did not win, however. Although Leo (aka @dtraleigh) was able to decipher one of the clues after we put together our puzzle pieces. Thanks to him, we snagged 40 bonus points by locating the fountain on Fayetteville Street that is below ground.

In the end, I think we needed to start earlier in the day. We also needed to put together our puzzle much earlier. I had no idea there were more than 85 teams participating until we finished, or I might have lost some of my motivation. But I’m glad we put forth a solid effort. See more pictures here.

If you were there, what was your favorite memory? Mine definitely was acting out our skit at White Collar Crime.

Get your summer reads at Raleigh City Museum

A lot of my friends know I get a physical rush when I’m shopping for shoes or clothes in a store that carries stuff in my style. I have to run my fingers over the fabric, pick up the shoes, ponder the possibilities. I feel more alert, but also a little soothed. I must slow down and take everything in. This is why I prefer shopping alone. I don’t like being hurried.

I get a similar rush when I’m in a book store, particularly a used book store. There’s nothing like thumbing through titles you never knew existed until you wandered down a different aisle. I love the musty smell lingering on the pages of aged books. I read the first pages of many books that will never become my own. I buy books knowing it may be years before I pick them up again. But there’s something about letting them live on my shelves until I’m ready for them … unlike shoes and outfits, they’ll never go out of style.

On Friday, my friends and I stepped into the Raleigh City Museum on Fayetteville Street to see what was on display. I was thrilled to find a used book sale happening inside. 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 runs through Friday, according to staff at the museum. You can browse the books (and the historic displays) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. The museum is also open from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Hardbacks run $3, paperbacks are $1, and children’s books are 50 cents. The proceeds benefit the museum and its educational programs.

Let me know some of the other non-chain book stores worth checking out in the area. I’m particularly fond of the Regulator Bookshop in Durham and Lazy Lion Used Books in Fuquay-Varina.

If Dwight Schrute were in charge of a Christian coffee shop…

These would be the rules.

This poster was hanging at the open mic event Friday held at a church that meets above Adam Cave Fine Art on Hargett Street in downtown Raleigh. The poster is referencing Dwight from the Office, who is big on rules. I had to give props to the clever person who posted this sign. I wish I had taken better notes on what church is located on the third floor of the building and what their mission is. If anyone is aware, please fill me in. It’s an awesome venue, and an interesting pick for a church.

The only other interesting sign I spied during this month’s First Friday festivities was at Father & Son Antiques. The steamy weather kept the retro shop from staying open for the evening’s wandering art seekers. In case you didn’t know, there are artist galleries/studios on the third floor of this shop that seem to always be open whenever the store is open. If you haven’t made it that high up in the business, I’d suggest taking a peak.