AIA NC Hosting “Old Buildings, New Designs” Author
from the press release:
Join Author, Charles Bloszies to discuss his book, Old Buildings, New Designs. Increasingly, architects are asked to design new work for existing structures. Whether for reasons of preservation, sustainability, or cost-effectiveness, the movement to reuse buildings presents design constraints and possibilities that differ from those encountered during the design of new buildings. Old Buildings, New Designs | Architectural Transformations reveals and explores the issues of working within a given architectural fabric—from the technical matters that arise from aging construction to the controversy generated by the various project stakeholders to the unique aesthetic possibilities created through the juxtaposition of old and new. Old Buildings, New Designs | Architectural Transformations features nineteen innovative case studies of built work by an international list of renowned architects including Daniel Libeskind, Renzo Piano, Foster + Partners, and Herzog & de Meuron, as well as an insightful foreword by noted architect and preservationist Hugh Hardy.
Date: Monday, April 30, 2012
Time: 6 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: AIANC Center for Architecture and Design 14 East Peace Street, Raleigh NC 27604
Free and open to the public
http://aianc.org/cde.cfm?event=383728
Mayor Announces Free Concert Series
Today Mayor Nancy MacFarlane announced a free concert series that will take place over seven Thursays at City Plaza. Here is the press release:
Raleigh’s newest free concert series, Oak City 7, kicks off May 31, 2012, in City Plaza on Fayetteville Street in downtown Raleigh. Admission is free to the public and the events take place from 5pm to 9:30pm every other Thursday, beginning the Thursday after Memorial Day, and ending the Thursday before Labor Day. There will be seven shows total.
OC7 features notable local and regional bands along with local and craft beers. There are three bands per event. The genres will include Americana, Indie Rock, Folk Rock, and Bluegrass.
OC7 does not utilize any taxpayer money and is 100% sponsor driven. The series will drive substantial revenue into the local economy encouraging attendees to visit local shops, bars, and restaurants before and after each event."Raleigh is a great place to live and work, and to attend concerts. This area is home to some of the most talented musicians in the world and Oak City 7 is a great showcase of this amazing talent. Oak City 7 helps stimulate the local economy without being a burden to taxpayers as it is funded solely by private sponsors," says Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane. Showcasing amazing local products, services, and artists is the foundation for Oak City 7, all the while providing the public with a comfortable and enjoyable free concert setting.
"We have some of most talented musicians and bands in the world right here in the Triangle," says Oak City 7 spokesperson Dave Rose. "Oak City 7 will feature the best of this amazing local talent pool."
The full line-up of artists performing will be announced on April 30, 2012 at OakCity7.com.
Oak City 7 dates:
- May 31, 2012
- June 14, 2012
- June 28, 2012
- July 12, 2012
- July 26, 2012
- August 9, 2012
- August 23, 2012
Sponsors include: RA Jeffreys, Big Boss Brewery, Triangle Brewing Company, Carolina Brewery, LoneRider Brewing Company, Sweet Water Brewing Company, Brooklyn Brewing Company, Aviator Brewing Company, Starr Hill, Kona Brewing Company, Red Hook, Got to Be NC Agriculture, Pepsi, Red Hat, Johnson Lexus, Cheerwine, Stewart Engineering, Hardin Construction, Brooks Pierce Law Firm, and LGBT Center of Raleigh
For more information visit OakCity7.com
“Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” Coming to UNC
On Tuesday, April 24, “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” will tape their show from UNC. The show’s primary guest will by President Obama. Ticketing information is not available yet.
Hopscotch Festival Announces Lineup
The third annual Hopscotch Music Festival is coming to downtown Raleigh the weekend of September 7. This year’s lineup was announced at midnight, and it promises more quantity, 169 acts, than ever. A listing of all acts by state/country follows after the break:
City Council to Pick Site 4 Developer
In February, the Raleigh City Council released a Request for Proposals for development of the storied Site 4 location in downtown. In Tuesday’s 1pm meeting (video stream), the Council will select a developer to build a new hotel on the site.
A boutique hotel was once planned for the site, however funding was unobtainable by the developer within a reasonable period, and the city retracted their selection and waited for the economy to recover. Now there are three developers proposing projects for the site:
- Summit Hospitality Group, Ltd.
- Raleigh Prime Investors, LLC
- Noble DLR Group
A selection committee of city staff and others reviewed the proposals and recommends the Summit Hospitality Group plan to build an Overcash Demmitt-designed Residence Inn of about 9 stories.
It’s been a long, long while since there has been this much (any) activity in the private sector, so we should probably just be happy that something is being built. However this building will be around a long time, and will contribute to the downtown Raleigh “Money shot”, so while the hotel doesn’t have to be a lavish design, it should stand for quality instead of just meeting a budget.
Overcash Demmitt has some interesting projects and some monotonous cookie cutter garbage. Hopefully we’ll see a project that more closely resembles the Charleston Hotel than the Hilton Garden (College Park, GA). Given the standard that has been set by hotel design in those blocks, well…we’ll see.
map it
100 Great Concerts Coming to Raleigh
Summer is just around the corner, and that means another great concert season in Raleigh. From now until the end of September, there is a slew of shows guaranteed to ramp up the fun rate in the area. In fact, there are very few dates between now and mid-June that have no event scheduled, so save up, and get out of the house!
There are 100s of good entertainment options coming this summer. The best 100 of them (as of today) are assembled below. Click the venue name for ticket information, opening acts, directions, and more.
In addition, soon, all of these events will appear individually in the gogoraleigh DoIt Calendar, so you can easily add any event to your personal calendar.
| Date | Event | Location | |
| 4/6 | Alabama Shakes | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 4/7 | Daughtry | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| 4/7 | Loretta Lynn | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/7 | We Were Promised Jetpacks | Motorco Music Hall Durham | |
| 4/9 | Joan Osborne | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 4/10 | Kevin James | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/11 | Daniel Tosh | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/11 | Magnetic Fields | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 4/12 | Magnetic Fields | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 4/13 | Lewis Black | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/14 | Lambchop | Motorco Music Hall Durham | |
| 4/14 | Martina McBride | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/15 | Cake | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 4/15 | Patti Labelle | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/17 | Mickey Hart | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 4/18 | !!!/Shabazz Palaces | Motorco Music Hall Durham | |
| 4/18 | Buddy Guy | Carolina Theatre | |
| 4/18 | World Series of Comedy Begins | Goodnights Comedy Club Raleigh | |
| 4/19 | Drive-By Truckers | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 4/21 | Amy Ray | Carolina Theatre | |
| 4/21 | Dayglow | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 4/21 | Van Halen/Kool & The Gang | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| 4/23 | Candlebox | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 4/25 | Bela Fleck & The Flecktones | Memorial Hall (UNC) | |
| 4/26 | Needtobreathe | Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh | |
| 4/26 | Tommy Johnagin begins | Goodnights Comedy Club Raleigh | |
| 4/28 | Sugarland | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 4/29 | Elvis Costello | DPAC, Durham | |
| 4/29 | The Beach Boys | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 4/29 | The English Beat | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 5/2 | Mayer Hawthorne | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 5/2 | Nick Lowe/Tift Merritt | Fletcher Opera Theater, Raleigh | |
| 5/3 | Feist | Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh | |
| 5/5 | Beach House | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 5/9 | Esperanza Spalding | Carolina Theatre | |
| 5/10 | Greg Morton | Goodnights Comedy Club Raleigh | |
| 5/11 | Kevin Hart | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| 5/11 | Mike Doughty | Carolina Theatre | |
| 5/11 | Ryan Montbleau | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 5/11 | Zac Brown Band | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 5/12 | Archers of Loaf | King’s Barcade, Raleigh | |
| 5/12 | B-52s/ Band Together Benefit | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | |
| 5/12 | Spiritualized | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 5/13 | Coheed and Cambria | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 5/13 | New Edition | PNC Arena | |
| 5/15 | Madeleine Peyroux | Carolina Theatre | |
| 5/16 | Collective Soul | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 5/16 | Jonny Lang | Carolina Theatre | |
| 5/17 | Rhett Miller | ArtsCenter, Carrboro | |
| 5/18 | Dar Williams | ArtsCenter, Carrboro | |
| 5/18 | Dierks Bentley | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| 5/19 | David Allan Coe | Lincoln Theater, Raleigh | |
| 5/22 | Jane’s Addiction/The Duke Spirit | Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh | |
| 5/23 | St. Vincent | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 5/26 | The Polyphonic Spree | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 5/27 | Keith Sweat | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| 5/29 | Natalie Merchant | Meymandi Hall, Raleigh | |
| 6/2 | A Prairie Home Companion | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | |
| 6/2 | Yanni | Memorial Auditorium, Raleigh | |
| 6/3 | Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers | DPAC, Durham | |
| 6/8 | Lady Antebellum/D. Rucker/T. Square | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 6/12 | Gavin DeGraw/Colbie Caillat | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 6/15 | Apassionata begins | PNC Arena | |
| 6/17 | Anita Baker | DPAC, Durham | |
| 6/21 | Aziz Ansari | Meymandi Hall, Raleigh | |
| 6/22 | The Wailers | The Longbranch, Raleigh | |
| 6/24 | Vince Gill | DPAC, Durham | |
| 7/6 | The Jacksons | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 7/8 | Crosby, Stills & Nash | DPAC, Durham | |
| 7/9 | Hot Tuna | ArtsCenter, Carrboro | |
| 7/9 | Roger Waters | PNC Arena | |
| 7/11 | Furthur | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | |
| 7/12 | Barenaked Ladies/Blues Traveler/Big Head Todd/Cracker | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 7/13 | Best Coast | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 7/14 | Everclear/Sugar Ray/Gin Blossoms/Lit/Marcy Pground | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 7/14 | Neko Case | NCMA Amphitheater, Raleigh | |
| 7/15 | Toby Keith | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 7/22 | KISS/Motley Crue | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 7/25 | 311/Slightly Stoopid | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 7/27 | Jason Aldean | Raleigh (venue TBD) | |
| 7/30 | Nickelback/Bush | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/1 | Maze w/ Frankie Beverly | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/1 | Rod Stewart/Stevie Nicks | Greensboro Coliseum | |
| 8/4 | Little Feat | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 8/5 | Chicago/Doobie Brothers | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/8 | O.A.R. | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater | |
| 8/10 | Rascal Flatts/Little Big Town | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/11 | ABBA | Booth Amphitheatre, Cary | |
| 8/15 | Cirque Du Soleil DRALION begins | PNC Arena | |
| 8/18 | George Jones | DPAC, Durham | |
| 8/19 | Jason Mraz | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/21 | Duran Duran | DPAC, Durham | |
| 8/22 | Big Time Rush/Cody Simpson | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/24 | Brad Paisley/The Band Perry/Easton Corbin | Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion | |
| 8/25 | Mary Chapin Carpenter | NCMA Amphitheater, Raleigh | |
| 9/6 | Hopscotch Music Festival Begins | Downtown Raleigh venues | |
| 9/15 | John Tesh | Carolina Theatre | |
| 9/15 | The Feelies | Cat’s Cradle | |
| 9/29 | Ian Anderson | DPAC, Durham | |
| 9/29 | The Fresh Beat Band | Downtown Raleigh Amphitheater |
Joe Bonamassa Returning to DPAC
On Wednesday, November 28, guitar wiz Joe Bonamassa returns to the DPAC in Durham. General Public tickets go on sale tomorrow, and appear to range between $72 and $105.
Staats Battle Wins National Name Championship
Raleigh’s Staats Battle was just named the winner in ESPN’s Coolest NCAA Name Contest. The 64-player field was laid out when the March Madness brackets came out, and Battle was a 6-seed. Viewers voted Battle, an NCSU walk-on, to the Championship where he faced Marquette’s Vander Blue. However the championship was a blowout, with Staats Battle winning 77% of the vote.
Time For A New Phone Number Format?
On Saturday the introduction of the 984 area code overlay brought mandatory 10-digit dialing to the area for all calls, local and “long-distance”. I may be wrong but it seems that the convention for phone numbers widely accepted for around 50 years now has been XXX-XXX (local) and (XXX) XXX-XXXX (full).
When we could dial 7-digits to reach a party, the area code wasn’t needed, so that prefix to the number was largely implied, and set off with parentheses. However now that it is mandatory, this 3-digit block is just as important as any other block in the number. Therefore it is not correct to use parentheses. Instead, it seems the two most acceptable phone number formats are:
- XXX-XXX-XXXX
- XXX.XXX.XXXX
Which is preferable? One of these formats is more confusing to computers than the other. The first presents itself as a mathematic expression while the second shows a double decimal number. Any thoughts here?
Players’ Retreat Converting to P.R. Shenanigan’s
For 61 years the Players’ Retreat has been a staple in the dinner/pub scene near N.C. State. That all will change on May 1 when the restaurant changes its name to P.R. Shenanigan’s. Local lawyer “Gus" Gusler said in an exclusive interview that he is tired of the same old thing at the restaurant, and wants so spice up the place with some personality.
One of the major changes diners will notice is the wardrobe of the waitstaff, which will now be clad in button-covered vests, or “flair”. Also there will be a bell at the door that patrons can ring to show their approval of their experience. Each time the bell is run, the waitstaff will yell “Shenanigans!”
Gusler says the menu will change somewhat. Most items will remain, but some new menu items, like Extreme Shrimp Poppers, Amazing Amazon Atkins Nachos, Ultimate Salad Shooters.
Interior improvements will also me made, as the red lighting will be replaced with green thematic lighting, more TVs will be added, and musical restaurants and canoeing equipment will be mounted to the wall for absolutely no apparent reason.
MyFace Launches in Raleigh
Local social networking upstart SummerDonna Ltd, announced today a new social network. “Today marks the next wave of social networking on the internet, MyFace.” The network will feature facial recognition for login, games that use facial gestures for control, live video chat, and fun mashups of your friend’s faces.
“It will be a new era in social marketing,” said Scott Leibowitz,, SummerDonna CEO. “It’s really addicting to spend time on MyFace. With all of the flexibility, I can easily envision people spending all night on MyFace”.
St. Mary’s/Lassiter Mill To Go One Way
Raleigh’s popular north-south corridor, St. Mary’s Street and Lassiter Mill Road will be converted to a Northbound One Way street, announced the City Council today. The move is being made to accommodate bike lanes on the thoroughfare.
Planners were unable to resolve conflicts with adding bike lanes to the 24’ wide street. Instead of making the lanes narrower or making the sidewalk work for bikes, planners felt it will work better to remove the southbound lane and convert it to 2-way bike traffic.
City Councilor Thomas Crowder proposed making the street entirely a bicycle thoroughfare, but pulled the resolution when the street’s residents refused to be relegated to always riding a bike to and from their house.
A group of citizens called “The Streets Is Too Damned Narrow” is planning a protest, however. The group plans a Hummer blockade of the street at strategic places to block out the 5 bicyclists per week that use the thoroughfare.
Raleigh Tiny Flag Campaign A Success at Roundabout
The much maligned traffic circle at Hillsborough and Pullen in Raleigh has been solved. Recently a report of the intersection’s alarmingly high accident rate was released. In response, the City of Raleigh placed tiny red flags measuring 2” x 2” at the intersection, causing accidents to nearly disappear over night.
“I never even knew I was supposed to yield until I saw the flags,” said NCSU student Justin Humphries. “Once I saw those flags I slammed on brakes and let traffic in the circle go in front of me.”
City of Raleigh traffic reports indicate that the number of accidents in the circle, which was once five per week, has decreased to 4.9 accidents per week.
One traffic official said,”These flags are a miracle. We are out to save lives.” A city councilor who did not want to be named said,” This near-disappearance of accidents shows that when the City of Raleigh gets creative, it can do achieve almost anything!”
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