Chapel Hill
Oxford American Benefit
Crook’s Corner–The 13-year-old Oxford American survived a year’s publishing hiatus to return as a fiscally sound nonprofit magazine with ties to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. But small magazines need help, and when they’re as good as OA, they deserve it. Will Blythe is scoring big in these parts with his lore-and-war-soaked book detailing the fanaticism of the Duke-UNC basketball rivalry, while Allen Gurganus’ Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All enjoyed a run on Broadway. Both authors will read as patrons dine on the appropriately fantastic Southern cuisine of Crook’s Corner head chef Bill Smith. Tickets for the 6:30 p.m. fundraiser are a tax-deductible $100. For more, visit www.oxfordamericanmag.org.
Carrboro
Teddy Geiger
Cat’s Cradle–There’s something genuine behind Teddy Geiger’s perfect, puppy dog eyes. Sure, he’s a celebrated musical prodigy (in the John Mayer sense), an accomplished actor (in the Matt LeBlanc sense) and a budding teen-rag heartthrob (in the Aaron Carter sense), but Geiger’s 17 years have given him a soulful voice and a storehouse of feelable songs that pine for girls, celebrate youth and worry about the future. It’s standard pop subject matter that somehow sounds more believable and lived-through on his major label debut, Underage Thinking. The album–like Geiger himself–is clean-cut and inoffensive, but after its 12 tracks, there’s something seemingly honest to the young New York native’s boy-next-door schtick. Make your own call at 7:30 p.m. for $10. –Robbie Mackey
