Raleigh
Della Mae
Berkeley Cafe“Lay off of my man if you don’t want to go to fist city,” the upbeat “Fist City” warns a girl with too wide of a gaze. Smiling, Della Mae takes control. The female bluegrass quintet from Boston plays with the exuberance of youth and the confidence of experience. Laura Cortese’s vocals twang with tension, ready to let loose on lovers and losers alike. The band boasts talent like national fiddle champion Kimber Ludiker, whose bowing is deep, strong, and clear. Della Mae follows local bluegrass act The Hotwires, an all-male outfit of earthier tonea nice contrast to the main event. Pay $10 at 7 p.m., and see www.berkeleycafe.net. Andrew Ritchey
Durham
An Evening with Paula Deen and Family
Durham Performing Arts CenterKnown to a legion of Food Network fans as the quintessential Southern chef, Paula Deen makes Southern cookin’ that’s hard on the waistline and arteriesshe smothers everything in butter or mayonnaise (sometimes both). Ms. Paula and her sons, Jamie and Bobby, kick off the first event in DPAC’s An Evening with Celebrity Chefs series, which includes later visits by Tyler Florence and the Neelys. The evening will feature cooking demonstrations, Q-and-A sessions and storytelling. As always with Deen, it’s sure to be unpredictable. (Remember when she suffered a Thanksgiving ham to the face?) She’ll be dishin’ it up at 2 and 8 p.m. For more information, visit www.dpacnc.com or call 688-3722.Sarah Ewald
EVENT POSTPONED: DPAC announced that Paula Deen has postponed both performances scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 21. Paula Deen issued a statement saying:
“I love traveling the country sharing stories, cooking and visiting with folks, it’s one of my favorite things to do. That’s why I’m so sorry that those who bought tickets or were planning to attend are going to be disappointed. I apologize for that and I appreciate their patience.”
DPAC is in communication with the Celebrity Chef Tour’s promoter and Paula Deen’s representatives and are hoping to announce a rescheduled date as soon as possible. Ticket holders are encouraged to retain their tickets until further details regarding a new date are announced. For questions customers can contact: customerservice@dpacnc.com
Chapel Hill
Ben Towle
Chapel Hill ComicsWinston-Salem cartoonist Ben Towle has become one of the most acclaimed names in the independent comics scene with his first two graphic novels, Midnight Sun and Farewell, Georgia. Towle’s work combines both cartoonish and detailed figures, creating an illustrative and highly cinematic look. His new book, written by Sarah Stewart Taylor, is a biography of Amelia Earhart aimed at young readers titled Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean, published by Disney/ Hyperion and presented by the Center for Cartoon Studies. It is almost assuredly better than the recent Hilary Swank movie. Towle, an educator as well as a cartoonist, will give a special presentation about how he created the art for this book. His local appearance runs from 2 to 4 p.m. The event is free; for more information, call 967-4439 or visit www.chapelhillcomics.com. Zack Smith
Raleigh
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
Memorial Auditorium, Progress Energy CenterFolkloric ballet meshes two traditional worlds, one of classical ballet and the other of traditional cultural dance. Founded by Amalia Hernandez in 1952, the company got off the ground with only eight dancers. Since then, the company has grown to 35 dancers and has represented Mexico at various events abroad. Hernandez also began a Mexico City school to better staff her company with dancers well-equipped to deal with the rigors of folkloric ballet. (She’s known as one of the pioneers of the technique.) The group is well-known for presenting dances that focus on indigenous Mexican themes and traditions, specifically Mesoamerica. The dancing begins at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.progressenergycenter.com or call 831-6060. Sarah Ewald