Category Archives: Events

I was in downtown Raleigh early Saturday morning last week to cheer on runners in the Krispy Kreme Challenge when I snapped the pic above of two runners carrying this HUGE cup of coffee for 5 miles along the race course. I’m a big fan of the classic donut and coffee combo and earlier this month Krispy Kreme announced they would be offering their customers all-new, freshly brewed coffee designed to pair perfectly with their awesome doughnuts. Guests are now able to choose from two blends of fresh coffee: Smooth for subtle, easy drinking and a Rich blend for a more complex flavor profile. Both are made from 100 percent Arabica beans and brewed fresh all day long. Best of all, from now until February 28th Krispy Kreme will offer customers a free Original Glazed doughnut with purchase of any size freshly brewed coffee.

Krispy Kreme is a North Carolina institution based out of Winston Salem dating back to the late 1930’s. They have stores all over the country today and we are lucky to have an awesome location in downtown Raleigh on the corner of Person and Peace Street (within walking distance of my office no less). This location was built around 1970 and still has a large neon light sign on the corner the likes of which you just don’t see anymore these days.

I love taking out of town guest there when they visit. When relatives from Portland were visiting a while back my wife and I took them there one evening after a night of exploring downtown Raleigh. Stopping at this iconic location ended up being the perfect ending to their visit. We noticed the “Hot Now” sign was on as well drove up Person Street and decided to stop so they could see the doughnut making in action. Our guests were thrilled to see the glazed donuts being made and marching down the conveyor to be glazed. It was a really fun experience and was honestly one of the highlights of their trip.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner I stopped by recently for an early morning coffee and one of the heart shaped donuts. It was nice to grab a few quiet moments before work and watch the donuts being made as I sipped my hot coffee. You may have noticed following this blog that I drink a lot of coffee. So it goes without saying that I always appreciate a fresh brewed cup. It went great with the free glazed donut that came with it. Seriously, when you get those donuts hot they practically melt in your mouth.

So while Krispy Kreme may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you are looking or a spot to bring out of town guests, or even a date, I recommend thinking outside the box and stopping in for one of their classic glazed donuts and a cup of coffee to share. It’s a fun experience and something that offers a little slice of the downtown Raleigh experience.The free donut with each coffee promotion will conclude at the end of the month so don’t miss your chance and remember to keep an eye out for the “Hot Now” sign!

(This post is sponsored through a partnership with Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own)

Friday 

Scott Tixier CD Release Party at Beyu Cafe
Scott Tixier is an award winning French jazz violinist and recording artist. This Friday you can hear him perform  at Beyu Caffe in Durham. Scott is on tour for his latest album “Cosmic Adventure”, which celebrates the mystical nature of life. Scott has enlisted an all-star ensemble of fellow visionaries including Yvonnick Prene (harmonica), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Luques Curtis (bass), Justin Brown (drums) and special guests Pedrito Martinez (congas) and Chris Potter (saxophone). This sounds like it will be a very unique experience. Shows are at 7pm and 9pm. Tickets are $28 in advance / $30 at the door.

Saturday

Morehead Planetarium – Carolina Skies: Valentine Edition
This is a special hour-long version of the classic show at the planetarium in Chapel Hill focusing on tales of star-crossed lovers. Learn the romance, heartbreak, and intrigue behind sights in the nighttime sky, ending with a fly-through of the universe. It’s a great date night idea. During this live storytelling show, you’ll hear tales of astronomical suitors, terrible in-laws, the Lord of the Northern Lights, wedding crashers, and daring rescue attempts from terrible sea monsters. Tickets $8

Sunday

Run For Good at Runologie
Come out and support three great non profits at local running store Runologie in downtown Raleigh Sunday from 1-5pm. This event will feature two elite distance runners and a Runologie relay team as they attempt to run for four hours on a treadmill. Runners include The Umstead 100 defending champ Jason Tischer, who is fundrasing for Team Tassy which pays for job creation and job training programs to help eliminate poverty in Haiti. Omer Abdulrahman, a refugee from Sudan, is raising money for the ACLU of North Carolina. And Runologie’s own Brent Francese and Alex Warren are just two great guys who want a fair system are fundraising for Common Cause NC, the group fighting to end gerrymandering. Donations can be made per mile, to the charity of the runner who goes the furthest, or any other way you want to do it!

The new live show BRAIN CANDY LIVE!, starring Adam Savage, the former co-host of the Emmy-nominated Discovery series “MythBusters,” and Michael Stevens, creator of award-winning YouTube Channel “Vsauce” will debut at the DPAC for one night only on Wednesday, March 1st.

The show is an outrageous evening of entertainment from two of the most amazing minds of our time.  The two will be bringing more than three tons of their crazy toys, incredible tools and mind-blowing demonstrations for a celebration of curiosity that’s been described as “A cross between TED Talks and the Blue Man Group.”

Savage and Stevens can’t wait to unleash their collective sense of wonder, curiosity and fun for audiences to join-in and get their minds messy. The show has been described as a two-hour play date with Walt Disney, Willy Wonka and Albert Einstein.

Ask yourself, “Is it possible to 3D print a human – live onstage?” “Can you slow down the effects of gravity with something we throw away every day?” “What happens if everyone on earth jumps in the air at exactly the same time?” Discover all this and more as Adam and Michael entertainingly answer questions, question answers and talk Mother Nature into doing some things she’s never done before!

Ticket Giveaway
Thanks to the great folks at DPAC I am excited to be able to offer one lucky reader two free tickets to the Brain Candy Live show on March 1st. To enter just leave a comment below about why love science or simply share a memory about your favorite science show on tv. You can earn additional entries into the drawing by sharing this post on twitter and facebook using the hashtag #ExploreBrainCandy. The winner will be randomly selected on Monday February 20th. Good Luck!

Trombone Player Terry Hsieh & his Quintet Play Beyu Cafe Friday Night
(Photo courtesy Terry Hsieh Music)

Here’s a quick guide to my top five things to check out this weekend. Have a suggestion for next week? Feel free to shoot me an email at triangleexplorer (at) gmail (dot) com, or leave a comment below. Happy Exploring!

Friday

Check out Google Fiber Space in Raleigh
The new Google’s Fiber Space opened in downtown Raleigh this week at 518 West Jones Street. A community event will take place there tonight as part of Raleigh’s First Friday monthly celebration. In honor of the local artist community and to kick off Black History Month, Google Fiber will unveil the latest addition to Raleigh’s mural scene, created by Victor Knight, III, as well as some of his other works. Music for the evening will be  provided by 9th Wonder. Event is free and open to the public.

Live Music w/ Trombonist Terry Hsieh at Beyu Cafe
I do love a good quintet, especially when it includes a terrific trombone and trumper player! Tonight trombonist Terry Hsieh returns to Beyu Caffe for an evening of historical, original and arranged music, featuring his quintet. He is joined by Al Strong on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tyler Leak on drums, Kenny Phelps-Mckeown on bass, and Russell Favret on guitar. Sets at 7 PM and 9 PM. Cover is $13

Saturday

PICNIC One Year Anniversary Celebration
PICNIC, a whole hog barbecue restaurant in Durham, will celebrate its one year anniversary this weekend with a pig pickin’ on Saturday with $4 Barbecue Sandwiches. There will also be live music from Counterclockwise String Band and $4 beers from Ponysaurus Brewing. Celebration kicks off at 11 a.m.

Krispy Kreme Challenge
This Saturday few thousand people try to run 5 miles and eat 12 donuts in under 1 hour as part of the 13th Annual Krispy Kreme Challenge. It’s always fun to go out and cheer them on along the course. Runners start at the N.C. State Belltower and then run to the Krispy Kreme on Peace Street – and back. You are sure to see some fun running costumes on display. Race begins at 8am.

Sunday

Super Bowl Parties
Sunday is all about watching the Super Bowl. I usually watch the game at home but if you are looking to go out to watch the game with friends while enjoying some great local beer I recommend catching it at Ponysaurus Brewery, Fullsteam Brewery, or Big Boss Brewery.

Euan Morton as Hedwig
(Photo by Joan Marcus)

On Tuesday my wife and I attended opening night of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” at the Durham Performing Arts Center. It was quite a different experience from the other musicals I have scene to date. It is put on as if it were an actual rock concert. In some ways it felt like a one-person show with the very talented Euan Morton playing the title role of Hedwig – a genderqueer rock singer who uses the “concert” to tell the audience her story filled with pain, rejection, and ultimately redemption. She is joined on stage by only one other character

It is a story that will take you to uncomfortable places at times. Its the tale of Hansel, a “slip of a boy” from East Berlin escapes from behind the Iron Curtain by becoming a woman and marrying an American soldier. The sex-change operation is botched as Hansel transforms into Hedwig with a scarred “angry inch” where his penis used to be. After escaping to America Hedwig is abandoned by his husband, but falls for another boy who, like Hedwig has musical aspirations. This relationship also ends painfully with Hedwig feeling abandoned and betrayed.

Hedwig’s tells her story through a monologue interspersed between musical numbers. Meanwhile all this takes place upon a stage that recycles a set depicting a war damaged scene from a fictional “hurt locker” performance that supposedly took the stage the night before. The carnage of the set is a reflection of Hedwig’s damaged past.

The only other character who shares the stage with Hedwig throughout the show is her assistant, back-up singer and husband, Yitzhak, played by Hannah Corneau. Yitzak is a former drag queen that has a toxic codependent relationship with Hedwig. Hedwig verbally abuses Yitzak throughout the evening, and it becomes clear that she is threatened by his natural talent, which she fears eclipses her own.

Like I said, this show is different. Throughout the performance Hedwig breaks down the “4th wall” of theater and speaks directly to the audience. At times even coming off the stage to interact with people in the front row of the theater. The performance is sprinkled with local flavor such as referencing Hedwig’s former lover performing next door at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. There are even a few jabs at local politics and House Bill 2 as Hedwig laments not being able to use the restroom since arriving in NC.

A few things you should know before heading into the show. It hits on some pretty mature topics. While I think these are important issues for society to talk about it may not be suitable for younger audiences. Also, it runs 90 minutes without an intermission. Again, the format is concert like and not your typical musical. The music is glam rock in nature. There is no pit band, the musicians are right there on the stage as part of the show and completing the concert like atmosphere. The show can be loud, bright, and even a bit shocking at times, as Hedwig becomes increasingly unhinged as the story progresses until a wonderful transformation as the shows end draws nears breathes a sense of hope, change and acceptance.

Morton and Corneau deliver powerful performances. I’ve never seen a production with just two characters on stage. It can’t be easy carrying the weight of a show like that, and they make it look effortless pouring themselves into their roles. This is a show that will make you think. Maybe about things you never even considered important before. It may not be a story everyone is ready to hear, but it is a story that our increasingly open society can’t afford to ignore if we all want to move forward recognizing the struggles some go through to achieve acceptance.

“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” shows through this Sunday, February 5th at DPAC. For tickets visit https://www.dpacnc.com/events/detail/hedwig-the-angry-inch