Raleigh
Wicked Wheels of the East
Dorton Arena, State FairgroundsOne of the latest viral YouTube videos is of a 53-year-old librarian whose after-hours identity is a roller derby contestant. Triangle viewers of this video shouldn’t have been surprised, for the Carolina Rollergirls have been competing in women’s flat track derby for five years now. Underneath all the funky clothes and cheeky pseudonyms”KGBebe” or “Ms. Anthrope the Mordant”is a serious, fiercely contested sport.
Beginning today is an important three-day tournament, irresistibly marketed as Wicked Wheels of the East, complete with a green-skinned witch on wheels. Ten teams, mostly from the Northeast, are competing in the regional finals of the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association championship. The top three finishers at the end of the weekend will move on to the national championship. First round play begins this morning at 11:15 and continues all day. The Carolina Rollergirls’ first-round game is tonight at 8, versus the Boston Derby Dames. Tickets are available for single games ($10-$20) and the full tournament ($25-$50). Visit www.wickedwheelsoftheeast.com for more information. David Fellerath
Raleigh
D.L. Hughley
Goodnight’s Comedy ClubIt’s been long enough since Aaron Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip went off into inglorious cancellation that we can stop mentioning it every time D.L. Hughley comes through town, right? Hughley has moved on (and so has Sorkin, penning an excellent script about the founding of Facebook) with the short-lived CNN comedy show D.L. Breaks the News and more recently as host of The D.L. Hughley Morning Show on NYC’s WKRS. One of the Original Kings of Comedy, Hughley has always been most at home in his stand-up act, doing hilarious riffs on contemporary cultureand the title of his latest tour, Unapologetic, suggest that the knives will be out this time. He’ll be performing at Goodnight’s through Sept. 13. For more information, visit www.goodnightscomedy.com or call 828-5233. Seriously, though, Studio 60 was like the Heaven’s Gate of quality TV. What the hell went wrong with that show? Zack Smith
Chapel Hill
Lucy Wainwright Roche
University MallEmerging from a family of folk musicians, Lucy Wainwright Rochethe daughter of Loudon Wainwright and Suzzy Rocheadds her own upbeat perspective to the genre. With a sweet, crisp voice and confessional lyrics, she manages to say even the saddest things with a satisfied smile.
Wainwright currently calls New York City home, but she grew up on the road with her parents. After spending some time in Durham earning her master’s degree in education and teaching elementary school, she started singing backup for her brother, Rufus Wainwright, before going solo as a singer/songwriter. As a solo artist, she has distinguished herself by writing unadorned songs that offer vulnerable sincerity. This show is the beginning of a new monthly series presented by The ArtsCenter at University Mall. Local songwriter Jocelyn Arem opens. The $13 show begins at 7:30 p.m. Check www.artscenterlive.org for more information. Whitney Kenerly
Durham
Michael Jawer
Rhine Research CenterIn what could be the most mind-blowing event this week, Michael Jawer discusses The Spiritual Anatomy of Emotion, which examines the nature of sentience. We’re told his book synthesizes the “the latest findings on health, emotions, neurobiology, and immunology into a bold explanation of extraordinary forms of sensitivity.” The talk takes place at the Stedman Auditorium 7:30-9 p.m. and costs $15. For more information, visit www.rhine.org or call 309-4600. For more on Jawer’s book, visit www.emotiongateway.com. Jawer also appears at noon Saturday, Sept. 12, at Dancing Moon Books in Raleigh. Zack Smith
