Weekend at a Glance: MLK Day, Music and Mixology

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Make the most of your long weekend! Shop a local market, listen to live music and give back to local causes to commemorate MLK Day.

Weekend at a Glance: Dream Big Book Drive
Bring your used books to donate and snap a photo with Wool E. Bull – seen here with Book Harvest Executive Director Ginger Young – at the nonprofit’s 11th annual Dream Big Book Drive at Durham Central Park.

Compiled by Megan Tillotson

‘Reckoning and Resilience: North Carolina Art Now’ – Thursday-Saturday – This exhibit at the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University features near 100 works by 30 emerging and established North Carolina artists who work in drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, video and mixed media. The artists invite viewers “to reckon with hard truths, seek healing in collective reflection and demand transformative action.”

Migrant Birds – Thursday, 5-8pm – The indie-folk band featuring Spencer McNair Asycue, Tara Lancaster Logue and Scott Peters performs live at Boxyard RTP. Vendors will be open for food and drinks to accompany the show. 

Tom Segura – Thursday, 7pm – The comedian, actor and writer performs live at DPAC as part of his “I’m Coming Everywhere World Tour.” He is best known for Netflix specials like “Ball Hog” (2020) and “Disgraceful” (2018), podcasts and TV appearances. 

Carolina Lightnin’ and Their Cast of Characters – Thursday, 7-9pm – Alice Zincone and Rick Lafleur pay tribute to their late bandmate Tommy Edwards with a traditional bluegrass performance featuring three special guests live at The Blue Note Grill. Expect original pieces and songs from other genres re-imagined in the bluegrass style.

‘Everyday Beauty’ – Friday-Saturday, noon-8pm – This opening exhibit at Horse & Buggy Press and Friends displays paintings from award-winning artist Anthony Ulinski and wheel-thrown, sodium-vapor, glazed stoneware by Pittsboro-based potter Doug Dotson.

HBCU Sports Panel Discussion – Friday, noon – Join the Museum of Durham History via Zoom for a discussion on the experience of athletes at nearby historically black colleges and universities. The discussion features Durham Sports Commission Executive Director Marcus Manning as panel moderator and North Carolina Central University and NC A&T athletic directors Ingrid Wicker McCree and Earl Hinton III, respectively. 

NC Rare Pre-Party with Divine Barrel – Friday, 5pm – The Glass Jug Beer Lab‘s downtown location hosts a tap takeover with the Charlotte-based brewery to promote the NC Rare & Vintage Festival happening on Jan. 29. The evening features raffles, unique beers on tap, live music from Myles Travitz and eats from Smokehouse Bandits BBQ. A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit The Michael James Jackson Foundation for Brewing & Distilling, which funds scholarship awards to Black, Indigenous and people of color within the brewing and distilling trades. 

Meditation, Miracles and a Mantra – Friday, 7-9pm – The Rhine Research Center presents an online lecture with Oklahoma State professor Tom Spector on techniques for meditation and its healing and restoration benefits. This virtual event is free, but donations are accepted. 

‘Sundays in July’ – Friday, 7pm-Sunday, 11pm – The Hayti Film Next Level series screens Joseph E. Austin II’s directorial debut that follows a young New York couple through three stages of their love story during an online event followed by a filmmaker talk.

Gabriel M Trio – Friday, 7:30pm – The band, which includes Gabe Mascarella, Lo Taylor on drums, Ed Moon on bass and Will Ellis on keys, performs pepped-up blues live at The Blue Note Grill

Jo Koy – Friday, 8pm – The rising comedic star returns to DPAC on his “Funny is Funny World Tour.” Known for his relatable sense of humor, this stand-up comic has released several specials on Netflix and Comedy Central, and he also produces a weekly podcast, “The Koy Pond with Jo Koy.”

Show Me Reptile & Exotics Show – Saturday, 10am-3:30pm and 6-9pm; Sunday, 10am-3:30pm – Get up close and personal with snakes, frogs and reptiles of all types at this traveling expo at the Durham Armory. Bring the family to a daytime showing or opt for the Reptiles After Dark show on Saturday evening.  Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. 

Mystic Cocktail Class – Saturday and Sunday, noon-2pm and 4-6pm – Learn the history and techniques behind some of Mystic Farm and Distillery’s favorite cocktails with head bartender Aaron Thomas Stienessen. Tickets may be purchased prior to the class.

Third Saturdays Local Maker + Vintage Market – Saturday, noon-4pm – Browse unique work from local artists, artisans, makers and vintage sellers at Durty Bull Brewing Company. The market will be followed by live music until 6pm (see below).  

Feels on Hicks St. LIVE – Saturday, 4-6pm – The Durham-based band – featuring Jordan Bryan on drums, John Joshua Miller on saxophone, Neelan Kumar on bass and Daniel Shapiro on keys – performs outdoors at Durty Bull Brewing Company.

Dylan Innes – Saturday, 7:30-9:30pm – Sip on your drink of choice while enjoying original live music from the Boone-based singer-songwriter at The Oak House Durham.

Junction Trio – Saturday, 8pm – Duke Performances hosts the ensemble at Baldwin Auditorium as part of its Chamber Arts Series. Violinist Stefan Jackiw, cellist Jay Campbell and pianist Conrad Tao present a program of Charles Ives’ “Piano Trip,” John Zorn’s 2015 composition, “Ghosts,” and Brahms’ “Piano Trio No. 1, op. 8.”

Jambalaya Soul Slam New Year Poetry Slam – Saturday, 8-10:30pm – Experience the Triangle’s longest-running poetry event as spoken word artists from across the state bring their work to the stage at the Hayti Heritage Center

Love and Laughter Comedy Show – Saturday, 9-11pm – The LINK Center of Durham presents a night of laughter headlined by T-Ray Sanders and featuring comedians like Rob Wright, BIG Mike Thaxton and more. Doors open at 8:30pm. 

Boyz II Men – Sunday, 8pm – The four-time Grammy-winning R&B group performs their most celebrated classics and greatest hits at DPAC with special guest Caleb Elliott. With more than 64 million albums sold, the trio is best known for their emotional ballads, such as the hit single “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday.” 

Citizen Cope – Sunday, 8pm – American songwriter Clarence Greenwood, who is known for his mix of blues, soul, folk and rock, performs at The Carolina Theatre as part of his nationwide tour. 

Dream Big Book Drive – Monday, 1-4pm – Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day at Durham Central Park for Book Harvest’s 11th annual event as the community joins together to donate new and gently used children’s books. The day includes free popcorn from The Mad Popper and community appearances by The Poetry Fox, Wool E. Bull, The Scrap Exchange and Mr. A’s Beignets.

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