Beer At The Movie Theater

When I moved here 9 years ago, I happened upon Mission Valley Cinemas and was stunned...no, shocked...to discover they served beer at the snack bar.  Not just beer, craft beer...and this was before the craft beer revolution hit the Triangle.

This past holiday weekend, I visited Six Forks Station Cinema to see "The Avengers".

Same owners as Mission Valley, and still serving good beer at incredible prices!  You expect to get ripped off at the movie theater - yet here you can get a 24 oz. Sierra Nevada for $6.  That's value, my friends.  They aren't the only theater selling beer, but all their prices, including food and the tickets themselves, are very reasonable - and they've done the nearly impossible...keeping an old theater relevant with first run movies in an era of fancy multiplexes.

You can take your long lines, overpriced candy, and tiny screens and stick em you know where.

I'll take my blockbuster flicks with a tall cold one, thank you very much.

Foster
Radio 96.1

Why the 80's is the greatest decade

As we're about to kick off our Randomly 80's Weekend on Radio 96.1, I'm waxing nostalgic.

Or, as some younger than me might say, sounding like an old fart.

I know, every generation thinks the time they grew up was the best time ever....and in 1980 I was in 2nd grade,  while graduating middle school by 1989.  So these were undoubtedly my formative years.  But let's be honest:

"Breakfast Club", "Pretty In Pink", "Ferris Bueller", "Sixteen Candles" and "Back To The Future" vs. "American Pie" and "Clueless" (and I liked the latter two, but c'mon.)

We made mix tapes, played with Rubik's Cubes, watched MTV when it played videos, and took brightly colored fashion and ripped jeans very seriously.

Technology has certainly made our world a different place.  Do I prefer having a cellphone than not? Yes.  Do I like having Facebook? Usually.  Would I rather have cassettes than an ipod?  No chance - but I do miss vinyl.

But I guarantee the Randomly 80's Weekend will bring back a LOT of memories...hopefully good ones like mine!

Foster
Radio 96.1

What's a lung transplant??

A few months ago, I got an e-mail from Harry Collins regarding the Lung Transplant Foundation Golf Tournament in Durham.  Would Radio 96.1 be interested in being a part of this year's event?

Truth be told, I only recently learned that a lung transplant is even possible, and for good reason -  it's a relatively new procedure used for illnesses such as COPD and Cystic Fibrosis.  Harry, who is on the Board of Directors of the Lung Transplant Foundation, was himself diagnosed with COPD and underwent a lung transplant at Duke in 2010.

The good news?  Many people receiving lung transplants are returning to active lives quickly after the procedure.  The bad news?  Long term prognosis so far is discouraging.  Funds are needed for research and medical advancements.

I'm proud to be playing in and hosting the Lung Transplant Foundation Golf Tournament on June 10th at Duke University Golf Club to raise funds for this very worthy cause.

Will you join me?

http://lungtransplantfoundation.org/main/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=67&Itemid=6

Foster
Radio 96.1

Life Is Like A Box Of Chocolates...

...you never know who you're gonna meet.

I'm lucky, in this business I've had the privilege of meeting a lot of talented musicians, both national acts and local legends.  But I'm always shocked when someone approaches my boyfriend and not me to slip a CD into his hands.

We were at Sam Ash this past weekend, and the guy that was helping us buy a gig bag was hysterical.  His name was Neal, "Neal D. Bluesman" he said, as he spun a yarn to us about becoming the Bluesman and his band.  He told jokes and we listened politely.  He even gave my Brit a special guitar pick:

This was just not any guitar pick.  It's a pick with the dude's face on it AND devil horns.  Then, Neal D. Bluesman told us a funny story about how the man keeps him down and he's not allowed to use the devil horns pick.  (Yeah, we didn't know, either.)

Then the moment came:  he asked my Brit if he liked music, if he appreciated rock and roll and blues--and handed him a CD.  Usually we put things like that in a pile to listen to at a later date; but this time, because Neal D. Bluesman was so funny and kind and genuine--we popped it in the CD player in the car.  Boy, were we ever glad we did.

This guy can WAIL.  He is AMAZING.  He's got great songs, even better guitar licks, and he sings like nobody's business. Click this link to listen to yet another amazing Raleigh musician--a local guy trying to catch a local break.  I think you'll be glad you did.  And, if you go to Sam Ash, ask for Neal D. Bluesman to sell you something, anything.  He'll tell you lots of silly stories while you check out.

Bluesman's Music!


Alli


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The Trader Joe's Effect

A few days ago, I was driving a friend around Raleigh when he spotted a store familiar to him from his home base of Pennsylvania - Trader Joe's.

I knew just the tone he was using to imply that he was impressed we had our very own TJ's.  The underlying message was: "You've got a Trader Joe's, that means your town is a happening place".

There's something to that - Trader Joe's has a certain mid to upscale hipster meets hippie vibe that doesn't work in every city.  It may not have worked in Raleigh 10 years ago, but it certainly works today.  With additional stores in Cary and Chapel Hill, the Triangle is well covered.

It reminded me of the time I brought someone in for an interview when I lived in Buffalo, and he used that same tone to describe Starbucks (as in "wow, that's cool, you've got a Starbucks).

Now almost every Target has a Starbucks.

How times change.

Foster
Radio 96.1

David Beckham in Cary??

It could happen.

It's true that most of us in the Triangle are not familiar with Major League Soccer.  It's true that most of us have never even been to a Carolina Railhawks game (I went to one and loved it).

It's also true, however, despite our limited soccer knowledge that we know who David Beckham is.

I mean, they made a movie with his name in it.  He's married to Posh Spice.  He plays for the LA Galaxy, an MLS team made up of all-stars that includes Landon Donovan, one of the greatest American players in history (you might remember him from the World Cup runs).

If the Carolina Railhawks defeat PSA Elite, a team from Irvine, CA this coming Tuesday, the Railhawks would then host the LA Galaxy the following Tuesday at Wake Med Soccer Park in Cary as part of the US Open Cup.

That, my friends, would be a BFD.  Maybe we'd even get a Spicy spotting.

Foster
Radio 96.1

A VERY giving community

I had a terrific time at Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary on Saturday night, when over 4,000 people showed up to see the B-52s, Southern Culture on the Skids, and Big Something.

How great it was to see a check presented by Band Together to Urban Ministries for $552,000!!

Band Together is a non-profit that helps various local charities and they've done a remarkable job over the past decade mobilizing Triangle businesses to donate and putting on concerts to direct additional funds towards worthy causes.

Raising money through music?  That gets a BIG Radio 96.1 thumbs up!

Foster