SOUTHEASTERN N.C. — The weekend lineup of events highlights goings-on in theater, music, art, culinary happenings and more.
All events featured were scheduled as of Thursday; however, it’s wise to check in ahead of attending any one. Inclement weather, changes in schedules and unforeseen circumstances may shift for organizers at the last minute.
Thursday, Jan. 15
Alec Chambers Benefit Show
Reggie’s 42nd Street, 1415 S. 42nd St. • Tickets: $15
A benefit concert is being held to honor a beloved pro-skateboarder who was killed in a tragic DWI incident last month. Alec Chambers died on Dec. 30, and in addition to his friends prompting the city to change the name of Greenfield Grind Skate Park in his honor, a benefit concert is being held Thursday evening.
Reggie’s 42nd Street is hosting rock outfits The Girls, Pearl and Yule starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds benefit Chambers’ family. Reggie’s suggests buying tickets ahead of time in case the show sells out; it’s being sponsored by Another Skateshop, Last Stop and Modern Love.
Tickets are available here.
Friday, Jan. 16
‘Purlie Victorious‘
Thalian Hall, 310 Chestnut St. • Tickets: $32
The Willis Richardson Players will produce “Purlie Victorious (A Non-Confederate Romp through the Cotton Patch)” for one weekend at Thalian Hall.
The show was written by Ossie Davis, the first Black playwright to stage a play on Broadway. Davis also starred in the show’s inaugural run in the ‘60s. The production had a revival in New York a few years ago as well; the Willis Richardson Players’ director, local thespian and writer Fracaswell “Cas” Hyman, saw it during this time.
“I was stunned how modern it was,” he told PCD last year. “And how it had things to say that we still need to hear today. It remains of the moment.”
A big theme of the show is perseverance — in this case Purlie not giving up on saving his small hometown church in rural Georgia. Set in the Jim Crow south, the plot centers on the preacher’s scheme to win back his inheritance. Hyman called the protagonist a “trickster,” or rather an opportunist in search of equity.
“He’s not trying to take something that isn’t his,” Hyman clarified. “Rather, he is up against a system, in the ‘60s South, that is stacked against him at every turn. He is smart enough and wily enough to get around it.”
Purlie faces trials and tribulations on his path and the play covers it humorously.
Willis Richardson Players have been around Wilmington for five decades, to help propel stories indicative of African-American culture presented by actors and actresses of color. The group went on hiatus in 2019 and remained inactive due to Covid-19. They hope to relaunch with at least two shows a year.
“Purlie Victorious” will be staged Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday’s show is sold out and tickets are available here.
OTHER FRIDAY EVENTS
Free Concert Friday — The Eagle’s Dare and CFCC’s Wilson Center is hosting Free Concert Friday at 6:30 p.m., with music beginning at 7 p.m. The free event hosts general admission and is open to the public; no tickets or reservations are needed. The show features three Wilmington bands, including Kicking Bird (sweaty dance party band), Tercel (alternative rock) and Churchyard Ghost (jazz, Southern rock, dark folk). Also present will be food trucks and local vendors, with Wilmington-based record label Fort Lowell Records spinning vinyl in the lobby and free raffle prizes from CFCC’s Wilson Center.
‘Blue Velvet’ — Best revered by Wilmingtonians as being the top cult classic filmed locally, “Blue Velvet” will screen in honor of its 40th-year celebration. David Lynch’s film, starring Dennis Hopper, Isabella Rossellini, Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan, was released in September 1986. Years before, local film crews were set up in in downtown, at Barbary Coast, Fifth Avenue’s Carolina Apartments, New Hanover High School and more to capture the story of a college student who finds a severed ear — created by local makeup artist Jeff Godwin, nonetheless — which leads him to the underbelly of small-town Lumberton and some of its corrupted players. The Lynch classic screens at 7 p.m. and tickets are $10-$12 here.
Saturday, Jan. 17
Ahamed Weinberg
Dead Crow Comedy Room, 511 N. Third St. • Tickets: $24-$36
A Philadelphia comedian, writer, and director who has worked on Ramy Youssef’s animated series “#1 Happy Family USA” and Netflix’s upcoming series “GOLF” will be performing at Dead Crow Comedy Room this weekend.
Ahamed Weinberg, also an actor, has most recently be seen in the Emmy award-winning series “Hacks” but appeared in “Late Bloomer” and “Insecure,” in addition to doing the late-night circuit. He has opened for acts like Shane Gillis and Hasan Minhaj and done numerous Comedy Central sets and appeared in “Don’t Tell Comedy.”
Earlier this year he quipped about an impending civil war in the states on “Don’t Tell Comedy”: “Liberals are f**ked. For the civil war, I chose the wrong side. Conservatives, they live near fresh water — they’re near the lakes, they all have guns. We are near the ocean, we are unarmed. What have we been doing? We’ve been working on coffee for, like, 80 years.”
He performs at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; tickets are $24.
OTHER SATURDAY EVENTS
Bowie + Elvis Birthday Dance Party — With rock icons David Bowie and Elvis Presley sharing the same birthday, Jan. 10, a celebration dance party is being thrown in their honor this weekend. Satellite Bar and Lounge is hosting The Beehive Blondes, DJs Jess James and Lauren Jones, who will spin Bowie and Presley tunes all night long. The dance is free and takes place at Satellite Bar and Lounge from 9:30 p.m. to midnight.
The Warped Band — Bowstring Brewyard is throwing back its weekend of rock to The Vans Warped Tour. The legendary trek was an annual occurrence from 1995 through 2019, bringing together the most diverse rock outfits, featuring punk, ska, metal-core and more from bands like Green Day, Blink-182, My Chemical Romance, Panic! At the Disco, Good Charlotte, No Doubt and others. This weekend at Bowstring The Warped Band pays tribute to these sounds and brings back the nostalgia; doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25.
Salty Swirl — Contra dance is being celebrated this weekend at the Hannah Block USO at the Community Arts Center. Salty Swirl is a mini dance weekend, taking place both Jan. 17 and 18, with live music from ContraForce and Hot Coffee Breakdown with Emily Rush and Kenny Greer calling the dances. It starts Saturday at 10 a.m. with classes all day at the USO before culminating in an evening dance. Sunday features a 10 a.m. morning waltz at Station No. 2 on Castle Street. Learn more here.
Let’s Dance — It’s DJ vinyl night with Fort Lowell Records at The Underfront starting at 8 p.m James Tritten will spin a variety of music — pop, disco, boogie, indie, hip-hop, R&B, electronic, and more. Put on your dancing shoes and come prepared to pay $5 at the door upon entry. Fort Lowell hosts the dance parties twice a month, first and third Saturday monthly.
Symphony Speakeasy Gala — The Wilmington Symphony Orchestra is hosting a creative black tie fundraising event at UNCW Burney Center, with a Symphony Speakeasy Gala. Inspired by the glamour and energy of the Roaring Twenties, the winter event will be a celebration of vintage charm and modern flair to support the WSO’s artistic and educational programs. There is cocktail hour, hors d’oeuvres, seated dinner, and a live and fund-a-need auction. Entertainment throughout the night will be provided by Speakeasy7, an ensemble from the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestras. All proceeds benefit the WSO community initiatives, with tickets available here.
161st Anniversary of the Capture of Fort Fisher — Commemorating the historic capture of Fort Fisher, a one-day family-friendly event at the national historic landmark is taking place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. featuring artillery demonstrations on four cannons, as well as explorations of life during the Civil War. Historical artifacts will be on display and participants can add a tour of the site. The 161-year commemoration is free to attend for spectators, with food and drink available for purchase. Doors open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., with free parking available; the landmark is at 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd S. in Kure Beach.
TreeFest — The 28th annual TreeFest takes place 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 16, and Saturday, Jan. 17, at Independence Mall inside the JCPenney corridor. There will be more than 5,000 plants available. Each household can take up to five trees; a $5 donation is suggested. All trees are NC native species — Longleaf Pine, Bald Cypress, Chickasaw Plum, Buttonbush, Red Maple (Piedmont), River Birch, Flowering Dogwood and others — and offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Grasses are also available.
Sunday, Jan. 18
WSO’s Young People Concert
Wilson Center, 703 North Third St. • Tickets: $12-$18
Introducing young audiences to classical music is the goal for the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra concert being held Sunday.
The Young People’s Concert is designed for children ages 6 and up and in the Wilson Center’s lobby ahead of the show will be a Discovery Zone. Starting at 2:30 p.m., kids can engage in the interactive area, with hands-on instrument play.
At 4 p.m. there will be a 50-minute concert with the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra joining the WSO for a side-by-side performance on two pieces. The concert will also feature Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and The Wolf, brought to life with engaging narration by local actor Logan Mack.
Tickets to the show are $12 to $18.
OTHER SUNDAY EVENTS
Dead on Deck — In honor of Grateful Dead guitarist Bobby Weir’s recent passing, Katy’s Grill and Bar is celebrating the music of the Dead all weekend long. On Saturday, Dec. 17, at 8 p.m. Dirty Dead is a Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia tribute act from Asheville, NC, will play. Then on Sunday, Jan. 18, local act Dubtown Cosmonauts and Dragons with Matches will perform Dead tunes from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
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