And Me, I’m in a Rock & Roll Band

Elon Law students — and a few faculty members — packed the Greene Bean this evening for the third annual law school hootenanny. The crowd were kind enough not to toss rotten vegetables while I performed. Here’s one of the songs I did, “The Last to Know” by Alejandro Escovedo.

How Now, Clown Yow?

The local paper reports that incumbent Rep. Howard Coble (in whose district I currently reside) will face a GOP primary challenge from the delightfully named Billy Yow, currently a Guilford County Commissioner. As a relative newcomer to Greensboro, I was previously unfamiliar with Yow. He seems like a charming fellow:

In 2004, Yow sold shirts with a cartoon character urinating on the letters NAACP on one side and a Confederate battle flag emblazoned on the other.

Even reactionary loon Orson Scott Card has said he’s “a Democrat because of Billy Yow”. Thankfully, there is little prospect of this cracker jackass actually winning against Congressman-for-Life Coble (who leans much too far right for my taste, but at least has done a good job of bringing home the bacon serving his constituency).

Greensboro Goddam

In the crush of a busy week, I nearly overlooked the fact that Tuesday marked the 30th anniversary of the Greensboro Massacre, in which neo-Nazis and KKK members murdered five anti-racist and labor activists and wounded another eleven. As far as I can tell, the anniversary passed without any official public commemoration in Greensboro. I can understand that residents might be reluctant to recall that dark moment in our city’s history. A Truth & Reconciliation Commission held public hearings and issued a detailed report just a few years ago. But my sense, as a newcomer to the city, is that sentiment remains divided, both about the massacre itself and about the commission.

However painful, it is essential that we remember.

The authoritarian personality on display

Gang leader Jorge Cornell is running for City Council in Greensboro. Yesterday, he was arrested and charged with “obstructing and delaying a law enforcement officer.” As the video shows, he was doing nothing more than talking to the police, in a reasonably calm and non-threatening manner. As with the Gates brouhaha, this is another example of how the police simply can’t abide the idea of anyone not bowing down to their authority.

If this happened in Iran, there would be howls of protest across the U.S. media. Because it happened here, and because Cornell is a “gang leader” rather than an “opposition figure”, the incident will attract almost no notice.

They’re all as mad as hatters

By way of Ed Cone, I learn that the “tea-party movement” — which is a movement in precisely the same sense as a bowel movement, being likewise full of shit — is coming to Greensboro next month. Amusingly enough, the organizers have had to move the event from Center City Park (which is on private property) to the public plaza outside of City Hall. The irony is, no doubt, entirely lost on the tax-hatin’ party-goers.

Everything’s OK, thanks to the Everybodyfields

I just got home from seeing The Everybodyfields at the Eastern Music Festival Fringe. It was simply incredible.

Greencards in Greensboro

The Greencards gave an outstanding show on Friday evening as part of the Eastern Music Festival. I’d enjoyed their music before, but until seeing them live, I hadn’t fully realized what virtuoso musicians they are.

Here’s a short clip from Friday’s show.

Sorry About Dresden live at dotmatrix project

Sorry About Dresden played the inaugural dotmatrix project show in Greensboro in April. Because of a babysitter snafu, I missed it. Fortunately, I now have a taste of the experience, thanks to the live recording  that Sean’s made available on Amie Street (a terrific source for independent music). The early bird gets it cheap (currently $0.18 as of this writing, but increasing as the clock ticks).

This explains why I feel like crap

For the past few weeks, I’ve been astounded by the sheer volume of pollen everywhere, like a yellow blizzard that doesn’t melt away. I thought perhaps that my perspective was skewed after three years in relatively pollen-free San Francisco. But, it turns out that Greensboro really does have it worse than nearly everywhere else.

Sorry About Dresden headline inaugural Dotmatrix music show

Sorry About Dresden are a band I discovered haphazardly a few months ago. I had no idea that they were from nearby Chapel Hill.

Now, thanks to local music impresario Sean Coon, I’ll get the chance to see Sorry About Dresden, along with opening act The Radials, live in the nice intimate setting of Greensboro’s Green Burro, at the very first Dotmatrix Project monthly live show this Friday, April 25th.

If you live in or around Greensboro, I hope you’ll come check it out. If you ask nicely, I might even buy you a beer.