The Weekend Has Landed - June 26th

*Friday*

Music on the Lawn @ Ambacco - Fresh off of an appearance on NPR's A Prarie Home Companion, Big Medicine will be playing outdoors at Ambacco.

North Carolina Horse Council Benefit Concert @ Broad Street Cafe- Stevie Coyle will be performing in order to benefit the constrution of equestrian and hiker trails for the Eno River State Park.

Team USA vs. Team Canada @ The DBAP - The U.S.A. National Team will play the Canadian National Team right here in Durham. The first pitch is at 7:05pm, and it is a fireworks night.

Live Music @ Brightleaf - Carnivalito will be on stage from 7-9pm.

*Saturday*

Beer Y'all Moving Screening @ Triangle Brewing Company - Check out our feature on this.

Team USA vs. Team Canada @ The DBAP - Game two in the USA Canada series. The first pitch is at 7:05pm.

Live Music @ Broad Street Cafe - Last Watch at 8pm, 8 Eyes at 10pm, Bob Funck and The New World Heroes at 11pm.

Ear Power CD Release Party @ Pinhook - The Ex-Monkeys at 10pm, Adventure at 11pm, Ear Power at 12pm.

*Sunday*

Team USA vs. Team Canada @ The DBAP - Game two in the USA Canada series. The first pitch is at 5:05pm.

Beer Y'all - Movie Screening

Triangle Brewing Company will be hosting the Triangle Premier of Beer Y'all, a documentary on North Carolina breweries and a rock band out on the open road.

The Triangle Premier Party will feature musical performances by Pink Flag and Simeon, food from Simply Fresh Seafood, and of course beer from TBC. Here's the schedule:

4:30 pm Doors Open (as brewery tour ends)
6:00 pm Live Music from Pink Flag and Gap Civil (featured in Beer Y'all)
9:00 pm Screening of Beer Y'all

The Indy wrote up an article on the movie, and embedded below is the trailer:

2nd Annual Triangle Pub Crawl

From the Triangle Brewing Company blog:

Triangle Brewing Company welcomes all guests and esteemed beer drinkers to join us for our 2nd Anniversary Pub Crawl. The date is set for July 11 and will begin at 6:00pm. The cost is free except for your bar tab. We will have a different keg at every bar with special prices to make sure it is affordable for all. The starting location will be at Bull McCabes on Main Street at 6:00pm, so feel free to get there early and grab a bite to eat prior to the crawl. We will be finishing at Satisfactions with live music from the Lawn Darts and a pizza buffet, and one or too many pints. We will have special beer released for this event, but I'm not telling what or when we will be pouring it!!! Please RSVP to rick@trianglebrewery.com with a head count to get added to the list for the crawl. Keep your checking back for more info. Cheers.

The Weekend Has Landed - June 19th

*Friday*

Third Friday Durham - Downtown will be dripping with culture, check out our feature and plan out your evening.

Best of the Triangle 2009 Free Party - Check out our feature and celebate with your reader selected winners.

Music on the Lawn @ Ambacco - The Grass Cats will be playing an outdoor bluegrass concert from 6-8pm.

Durham Bulls vs. Pawtucket Red Sox - Help the Bulls breaking their losing streak, first pitch at 7:05pm.

Live Music @ Broad Street Cafe - Steve Jack at 8pm, The Will McBride Group at 10pm.

Live Music @ Pinhook - Honcho at 10pm, Citified at 11pm, The Scott Waite Debacle at 12pm.

*Saturday*

Hillsborough Hog Day - If you're up for an adventure outside of the Bull City, head over to Historic Downtown Hillsborough for Hog Day. There will be all kinds of children activities, including an appearance by Durham's own Wool E. Bull. For the adults, there will be a cruise in auto show, featuring hot rods, classic and vintage automobiles. The bands that will be performing include:

• Will McFarlane and Friends
• The Holiday Band
• Hot Rooster
• The Swang Brothers
• Blake Addison
• Under the Atmosphere

Durham Bulls vs. Pawtucket Red Sox - Game 2 of the series with the Sox, first pitch at 7:05pm.

Live Music @ Broad Street Cafe - Jimmy Brown at 8pm, Black Dog Syndrome at 10pm, Barefoot Blue at 11:30pm.

Live Music @ Pinhook - The Battle Rockets at 10pm, Shipwrecker at 11pm, Free Electric State at 12pm.

*Sunday*

Father's Day - Call your dad!

Music on the Lawn @ Ambacco - Durham Jazz and Durham Community Concert Band, from 2-5pm.

Durham Bulls vs. Pawtucket Red Sox - Game 3 of the series with the Sox, first pitch at 5:05pm.

Bully for Ballpark Food

Today is a Thursday, and your Durham Bulls are playing at home. That means tonight is a great opportunity to indulge in ballpark delicacies without damaging your bankroll.

If $1 hot dogs, fries and popcorn aren't enough stimulation for your complex palette, give the Carolina Q Dog a try, which was recently reviewed by the BBQ Jew.

For those who like to bookend their baseball with beer, Tyler's Taproom is the place to be. Cuban Revolution is supposed to open in the next couple weeks, which has the potential to challenge Tyler's dominance of the Ambacco nightlife.

The Bulls have had a rough week this week, and need some serious fan support to help spirit them back to victory. If you can't make it out to the DBAP tonight, the Bulls will be playing every night until Tuesday during the current home stand.

Let's Go Bulls!

Best of the Triangle 2009 Party

The Independent Weekly will be hosting their Best of the Triangle 2009 Party at Golden Belt this Friday.

This is your opportunity to celebrate with the reader selected 2009 favorites from around the Triangle.

Live music will be provided on two stages. On the outdoor stage will be Thad Cockrell and Hobex. The indoor stage will be featuring an experimental sound installation by Bradley William Cook and guests.

Food will be provided by dozens of the Best in the Triangle restaurants, serving up samples of their fare upstairs from 6-10 pm. In addition, the legendary Only Burger truck will be on site.

Drinks will be available from a cash bar, including beer, wine, Cheerwine, and water.

Also be sure to check out the live/work lofts, shop in the open artist studios and LabourLove Gallery, view the This is Bull City art exhibition before it closes, and design your own currency for a cause with the FUNDRED DOLLAR BILL PROJECT in Studio 115.

Third Friday Durham - June 19th

This month's Third Friday Durham will be a great way to say goodbye to Spring, and hello to Summer!

Straight from thirdfridaydurham.com:

• Paul Dean and Jim Kellough: Loose Diamonds & W O S @ The Scrap Exchange - The Green Gallery at the Scrap Exchange presents Paul Dean & Jim Kellough: Loose Diamonds & W O S. Check out this mixed media madness! Show runs from June 19 – July 11. OPENING on Third Friday June 19th from 6-9 pm, come and meet the artists!
• Jeff+King's MuSaIC/mOsaic @ CCB Plaza - Jeff+King will create a genre-bending ensemble of live music, while artist Jeannette Brossart invites you to participate in making a community mosaic.
• INDY Best of the Triangle 2009 Party @ Golden Belt - Check out our feature on this.
• Art Hanging Featuring the Works of Ethan Wenberg and Robert Fisher @ Kung Fu Tattoo - Food, music and of course great art, featuring two local artists: Ehtan Wenberg and Robert Fisher. Ethan's work ranges from the bizarre to the surreal. He is an illustrator working mostly in pen and ink. for a sampling. Robert Fisher is a Raleigh photographer who uses a variety of tools to capture and create. His most recent project blends language and art on a daily basis. Lots of food and drink including some of Carolina Brewing Company's finest.
• Running with Scissors & Under the Sun: 2 Exhibits opening @ Durham Arts Council - Running With Scissors is a collection of paper cut-out illustrations by Sherill Anne Gross, in the Allenton Gallery. Under the Sun is a collection of paintings by Miriam Sagasti in the Semans Gallery.
• Steven Foster Art Exhibit @ Broad Street Cafe - Stephen Foster has been painting abstract, gallery-ready work for over 7 years, with intermittant formal training. Most of his work is highly intuitive and relies on the shape/concept to emerge once the colors begin to hit the canvas. He works mostly in acryllics but also in oils and mixed media. Foster grew up in Burlington, NC, and is in the investment management business, which he says, "only pays the bills so I can paint." He has sold numerous abstract works--including web-based graphics--through his website. A portion of all art sales will be donated to local arts related organizations or a non-profit of the artist's choice. This month's artist has chosen Special Olympics as the recipient.
• Open Studios / Jeff Mahorney paintings in foyer gallery @ Bull City Arts Collaborative - Daily Paintings by Jeff Mahorney. From the artist's statement: "My paintings are my practice. They are my dedication to developing my eyes. I’m just trying to see the color truth of what’s in front of me. How much cooler, darker and colorful is the shadow side of that apple than its light side. It’s getting that color relationship right that gives a scene a true sense of light. That’s it." “Paint the truth and it will be beautiful.”—Charles Hawthorne. The exhibit will be up through June 26, and the foyer gallery is open every Friday from Noon-2.
• Carl Chiarenza, PICTURES COME FROM PICTURES: Selected Photographs 1955 - 2007 @ Through This Lens - A sampling of prints from over 50 years of picture making, Carl Chiarenza's abstract images explore the properties of transformation inherent in the photographic process. Chiarenza's artistry is truly impressive. We're thrilled to be able to share with you work from this modern master whose pieces are in the permanent collections of public institutions worldwide, including Museum of Modern Art, New York; National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; International Center of Photography, New York; George Eastman House, Rochester; Art Institute of Chicago; Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris; and the Ackland Art Museum in our own backyard of Chapel Hill.

The Weekend Has Landed - June 12th

*Friday*

Live Music & Cask Ales @ Broad Street Cafe - Check out our feature on this event: Heathens, Heaters and Casks.

*Saturday*

WordCampRDU 2009 - This is a conference style event for all users of the various flavours of WordPress. Go to learn, teach or meet fellow users, developers, and gurus.

Cleveland-Holloway Neighborhood Tour - Check out our feature on this event for more information.

Triangle Brewing Company Brewery Tour - The skilled braumeisters at TBC will be opening the doors to their HQ and giving out samples of their handiwork.

TRKfest2009 - Trekky Records will be holding this annual event at Piedmont Biofuels over in Pittsboro. It's an outdoor music festival, complete with games, vendors, food and activities. Here's the schdule and line-up:

2:00 - The Never

3:15 - The Strugglers

4:00 - Vibrant Green

4:30 - Mount Moriah/Liza Kate

5:30 - Butterflies

6:15 - Midtown Dickens

7:00 - Embarrassing Fruits

7:45 - Des Ark

8:30 - Pants-off Dance-off

9:00 - Hammer No More the Fingers

9:45 - Ivan Rosebud

10:15 - Lost in the Trees

11:00 - Megafaun

Live Music @ Broad Street Cafe - Starfish Coffee at 8pm, The Whiskey Smugglers at 10pm.

Live Music @ Pinhook - Fontana at 10pm, Tunes at 11pm, DTown Brass at 12pm.

Cleveland-Holloway Neighborhood Tour

This weekend, select home and condo owners in the Cleveland-Holloway Neighborhood are opening their doors to the public, to showcase some beautiful historic spaces in various stages of renovation.

This is a great opportunity to see the inside of some beautiful homes, and chat with some friendly owners who are passionate about where they live.

The tour begins at 502 Mallard Ave, a 1911 Folk Victorian Tri-Gable. The house is owned by Jessie and Matt (along with their dog Cleveland), who collectively run the Shake the Frame blog.

The event runs from 1-4pm, and includes a neighborhood afterparty.

Carpe Durham Creates Map of Durham Eateries

Durham food blog Carpe Durham launched a complete redesign of their site today. One of the new improvements is a google map mash-up showing all of the places they've reviewed. Very cool!

Heathens, Heaters, and Casks

The Broad Street Cafe will be a mecca of beer and music tonight.

The Triangle Brewing Company will be tapping two of their cask ales, a Belgian-style Golden and an India Pale that was dry hopped especially for the show.

While you consume your local libation, there will be an excellent line-up of acts up on the stage. They include:

• The Dirty Little Heaters
• Rat Jackson
• The Dry Heathens

Blogotwitsphere Convergence - Burgers/Yogurt/Wine

Only Burger returns to Wine Authorities tonight with a special recipie. Also, check out Local Yogurt while you're there. From Wine Authorities:

The burger truck returns to tonight, June 11th!  Only Burger, live and in beefiness, from 4:30 to 6:30 PM brings back the Burger Speak Easy.  Featuring an original creation "The Jackaroo Burger" just for Wine Authorities with our Close Out Hunter: Winter Creek Shiraz. The Jackaroo is a burger made with lettuce, tomato, bacon, crispy-fried onions, pepper-jack cheese and shiraz-spiked bbq sauce.  Come through the front door of Wine Authorities and head to the back. Also a great opportunity to welcome our new neighbors, localyogurt, and try some of their goodies.

Sounds like a pretty good time to me!

The Weekend Has Landed - June 5th

The two marquee events this weekend are the 17th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Jam and the Ride For Clive. Here's the weekend rundown:

*Friday*

Poetry Slam (Preliminary Competitions) - These preliminary poetry competitions will be held simultaneously at 7 and 9 PM and the following three venues:

• Pinhook - 117 W Main St, Durham, NC
• Blue Coffee - 202 N Corcoran St, Durham, NC
• 108 Morris St, Durham, NC (Next to the Durham Arts Council)

Poetry Slam (Erotic Open Mic) - Starts at Midnight @ 108 Morris Street

Poetry Slam (Rainbow Open Mic) - Starts at Midnight @ Pinhook

Durham Bulls vs. Toledo Mud Hens - It's Friday Night Fireworks at the DBAP. The game is scheduled to start at 7:05 PM.

Humble Tripe w/ Birds or Monstors @ BCHQ - Not much info available on this, but might be worth checking out.

Midtown Dickens, Paleface and Holy Ghost Tent Revival @ Local 506 - Durham's own Midtown Dickens will be headlining over in Chapel Hill.

Live Music @ Broad Street Cafe - Karla Davis at 8pm and The Lawn Darts at 10pm

*Saturday*

Ride For Clive - Get up bright and early to get some exercise, meet some bike enthusiasts, and give respects to Clive.

Poetry Slam (Teen Slam) - If you're between the ages of 13 and 19, show off your poetry skills and compete for cash prizes. 10am - 12noon at the Hayti Heritage Center.

Poetry Slam (Preliminary Competitions) - These preliminary poetry competitions will be held simultaneously at 1 and 3 PM and the following three venues:

• Rigsbee Hall – 208 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC
• Blue Coffee - 202 N Corcoran St, Durham, NC
• 108 Morris St, Durham, NC (Next to the Durham Arts Council)

Poetry Slam (Finals) - The poetry slam finals will start at 7pm at Duke's Reynolds Theater.

Roller Derby Bout - It's worth the trek out to Raleigh to support your Carolina Rollergirls. It's a double-header, with the Carolina All-Stars taking on the defending champion Gotham Girls, followed by the Carolina Bootleggers taking on the River City Rollergirls.

Live Music @ Pinhook - Nathan Oliver at Midnight, Luego at 11pm and Mike Slaton and the Wheels at 10pm.

Live Music @ Broad Street Cafe - e-s guthrie at 7:30pm, Chelsea Lynn at 8pm and Triple Wide at 10pm.

17th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam

This weekend, poetry will be Durham's predominant form of art. That's because the Bull City will play host to the 17th Annual Southern Fried Poetry Slam.

What is a poetry slam, you ask? It's the competitive incarnation of a poetry reading. The poet has 3 minutes to perform their piece, and they are then at the mercy of the judges and the audience to assign a quantitative rating (from 1 to 10) to their performance.

The Southern Fried Poetry Slam is the second largest slam in the nation, and was NC grown over in Asheville, circa 1993.

There will be exhibitions and preliminary competitions happening Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with venues including Pinhook and Blue Coffee. These lead up to the finals on Saturday night, which will be held at Duke's Reynolds Theatre.

Here's the schedule of events; tickets to the finals can be purchased online or at the event.

Ride for Clive

In remembrance of Clive and to promote bike safety, Bull City Cycling and McKinney are hosting Ride for Clive on June 6 starting at 8am in front of the Durham Performing Arts Center. Participants will bike 12 miles on the American Tobacco Trail from the American Tobacco Campus to Southpoint and back. If this is an event you are interested in, please join us! It is a free, recreational ride for people of all ages.

Clive Sweeney spent 4 years as a Flash developer at McKinney and was a true Durhamite. He was an avid collector of Durham Bulls hats, he volunteered with the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, and he developed the Triangle Battle of the Bands website to support Durham's Center for Child and Family Health. Clive was a proud grandfather who could dead lift 420 pounds and loved cycling. Sadly, he passed away June 3, 2008 in a bike accident. Ride for Clive will be our way to honor the man we knew and loved.

Find out more at http://rideforclive.com/.