Crystal Bright

The music of Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands is not easily pigeon-holed.

From gypsy jazz, to klezmer rave-ups, to Danny Elfman-esque gothic soundscapes, the music forges a dark yet whimsical path.  Led by vocalist & multi-instrumentalist Crystal Bright, a 12 piece version of the band is playing a CD release concert for The Absolute Elsewhere this weekend in Carrboro.  The new cd was inspired by 13 photographs from Rusty McDonald of DividingME Photography

Crystal spoke with Eddie Garcia about her new, photograph inspired album. 

If you can't make the trip to Carrboro this weekend, Crystal will be playing at The Garage in Winston-Salem in January of the new year.

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Pamela and Andrea Howland: Songs Our Mothers Taught Us

Pamela Howland is an acclaimed American pianist and Steinway Artist. She's toured the country, performed live on National Public Radio and for ambassadors overseas. She's known for educating many an audience member with her informative, imaginative, and entertaining performances. Pamela's documentary film on Chopin, Remembering Frederic, premiered at the the 2012 RiverRun Film Festival.   

Pamela's daughter Andrea is a celebrated soprano. She took first place at the 2013 Heafner-Williams Vocal Competition in Lincolnton, North Carolina (see video below), and she's appeared in opera's such as Little Women, Il Campanello, among many others. Andrea currently resides in Durham and works with North Carolina Opera.

Pamela and Andrea are bringing their talent and imagination to Parkway United Church of Christ this Sunday with their program: Songs Our Mothers Taught Us. The concert is the first in Parkway UCC's series, Music that Matters. Pamela and Andrea will perform music of their heritage - works by Polish, French, and American composers.

The concert begins at 4:00pm. Donations are accepted and proceeds will benefit City With Dwellings, an ecumenical coalition working to end homelessness with opportunities for advocacy and outreach.

http://youtu.be/UIe6VZoWnyI
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JF Jones Mobiles

Triad-based artist Jay Jones began his career 30 years ago in New York as a scenic builder for TV, Film and Theater and Dance. Along the way he worked designing and building for Pee Wee's Playhouse, Saturday Night Live, dancer Trisha Brown, and he collaborated with other artists too like groundbreaking American painter and graphic artist Robert Rauschenberg. In 1995 Jay moved his woodworking company to Greensboro, and, after 12 years engineering and inspecting for City of Greensboro, he started JF Jones Mobiles.

Jay's hand crafted copper mobiles range from 1 to 8 feet tall with delicately shaped and polished leaves of dogwood, ginko, maple, and oak. The way they reflect the light is magical, and you'll find them in galleries, shops and museums like MoMA,  The Smithsonian, Guggenheim and National Gallery of Art just to name a few of the 150 plus locations worldwide. Jay's latest creation, his mobile kits made out of different materials, can be assembled by anyone in an infinite variety of ways.

All JF Jones Mobiles are Made in the USA—Greensboro, North Carolina, USA to be exact. The owner, designer, and builder says it all began for him in 2008 following his family's Thanksgiving holiday visit to Washington D.C., and one fateful trip to the National Gallery of Art where he chanced upon a 35 foot wide metal mobile floating gently in the rotunda. It was designed by legendary mobile maker Alexander Calder..

http://youtu.be/IxqVKGZZE1k

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Ultimate Comic Challenge

Last month, The Idiot Box Comedy Club in Greensboro presented The Ultimate Comic Challenge Finals.

The Carolina Theatre was packed with close to a thousand laughter seeking audience members and they got what they paid for big time with this year's winner Alex Stone absolutely slayin' ‘em!

Past UCC winners have gone on to open for some of the most critically acclaimed comedians in the country including Mike Epps, and Doug Stanhope. Former Comic Challenge winners Eric Trundy and Jourdain Fisher along with Idiot Box Founder, comedian Steve Lesser dropped by recently to remind us that, while the Comic Challenge is a wonderful annual event, you'll find outstanding standup comics, improv artists, workshops and comedy classes going on just about every day of the week right in the heart of downtown Greensboro.

The Ultimate Comic Challenge stand-up comedy competition began back in September with 66 comics and concluded last week with comic Alex Stone taking first prize. But you can see and hear incredible comedic talent just about every day of the week at the Idiot Box in Greensboro. Open Mic night is Thursday, there's Stand Up and Improv Comedy Friday and Saturday nights, with weeknight classes in stand-up, and improv wokshops as well. 

 
 
 

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