Resist

Mouth-watering pork, masterfully marinated and seasoned, then smoked for hours to the point of perfection.

Want to go?The 27th Annual Barbecue Festival will take place in uptown Lexington from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The opening ceremony will take place at 9 a.m. on the Grandstand on the Square. Three barbecue tents will open at 10 a.m., located on Third Avenue, West Center Street and Third Street. There will be six stages of music, more than 200 vendors and a wide variety of shows that take place throughout the day. For more information go to www.barbecuefestival.com.

That's what the 27th Annual Barbecue Festival is all about — celebrating Lexington's heritage of barbecue.

Last-minute preparations are being finalized as the city prepares for thousands of people to arrive. Uptown Lexington is the place to be Saturday where thousands can enjoy what the town has to offer. The forecast looks promising, too: Overnight lows Friday are expected in the upper 30s, and Saturday's prediction is for mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid 70s.

“Leading up to the festival we know things are going to be very busy,” said Stephanie K. Saintsing, executive director of the festival. “It's a very exciting time. We're really looking forward to Saturday and showcasing our community.”

The best thing about the one-day festival, which is sponsored by BB&T and The Dispatch, is the wide variety of food stands, live entertainment, special attractions and hundreds of vendors. Admission is free.

“We work all year long to have a world-class event that showcases our community and highlights our famous hometown heritage,” Saintsing said. “We know there are thousands of people at the festival. What I love that morning is the energy and enthusiasm, people are just happy and excited.”

Festival organizers will begin putting up tents and banners Friday evening. Once the main streets close at 7 p.m., the transformation will begin, Saintsing said. The festivities will begin at 9 a.m. with the opening ceremony on the Grandstand on the Square. A blessing, Pledge of Allegiance, “God Bless America” and the national anthem will start the celebration before Jason D. Williams takes the stage.

“I truly enjoy the opening ceremony and taking that moment overlooking the crowd and looking over the historic court house to be proud of what we were all able to accomplish,” Saintsing said. “I can't think of a better person — Jason D. Williams is a festival favorite. Everybody be ready to see Jason D. Williams; he loves the festival.”

The arts and crafts vendors throughout the streets will be ready by 10 a.m. More than 200 vendors will offer unique stained-glass designs, woodworks, jewelry, pottery and anything you could think of.

Six stages of music will rock the streets all day long ranging from blues, beach, bluegrass, beach blues, rock ‘n' roll, country, gospel and steel drum.

“We have an awesome variety of music,” Saintsing said. “We've got it all.”

A favorite of Saintsing's is Stage 6, which showcases local talent. This year's line-up features Tony Corner, Trinity, Ken McIver Davis, Allison Crowell and the Drones, the 2010 Childress Idol finalists and metal band Resist.

“It's particularly exciting we can feature so many local talented artists,” she said. “We are so proud they can be part of the event.”

Barbecue tents will be located on Third Avenue, Center Street and Third Street all off Main Street. Other food and concessions stands will be available. Saintsing said get ready for apple pies, ice cream, funnel cakes and other festival favorites. A hospitality garden will be located at Sam's Xpress Lube and Car Wash parking lot on North Main Street at Third Avenue.

Also, throughout the day events including a bicycle stunt show, Pig Sand Sculpture, Hogway Speedway, lumberjack show, mountain climbing wall and car show extravaganza will take place.

“The best part of it all is everything is free to see all the special attractions and six stages of music,” Saintsing said.

Saintsing did want to remind everyone to leave pets, skateboards, bicycles, roller blades, skates and radios at home. There will also be a field hospital, sponsored by Davidson County Emergency Services, off of Fifth Avenue and South Main Street and a first aid station, sponsored by Lexington Memorial Hospital, in front of the Lexington Police Department for emergencies. Last year, Saintsing said 50 people were treated for emergency incidents and states it's a good thing to have emergency stations at the festival.

The celebration will end at 6 p.m. for festival-goers. Every year, Saintsing says it amazes her the transformation that takes place on the streets during the following 24 hours.

“What happens in that short period of time with the festival is gone the next day,” she said. “During the day I try to take everything in. I don't get to see a lot because I'm constantly moving around a lot. I like watching the videos and seeing the pictures.”

- The Dispatch - Lexington Nc

Combine three guys who share the common interest of music with a drum set, guitars and microphones, and you'll hear sounds you cannot resist.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?For more information on Resist, go to www.myspace.com/ resist336. The band will perform at 9 p.m. July 18 and Aug. 14 at SoundVent, 120 W. Main St., in Thomasville.

That's exactly what the band Resist wants anyone who hears them to feel. They took their name from the phrase "you have the right to resist."

Brad Rhodes, Brandon Mabe and Chris Charter make up the three-member metal band. Their music is 99.9 percent original, said Charles Mabe, manager of the band and father of Brandon. He writes the lyrics while the band members come up with the music.

"If you see a positive response where people are nodding their heads and jumping around, you know you're doing something right," Charles Mabe said. "They have the right attitude. They're totally creative, and it's a great thing to be a part of."

Rhodes and Mabe, who both graduated from Central Davidson High School this month, created the band a year ago after hanging out and just playing for fun with some peers.

Brandon Mabe, 18, grew up always listening to music. He started playing the guitar nearly two years ago and recently began taking lessons.

"It's fun," he said "It gives me an adrenaline rush."

Rhodes, 18, enjoys playing with the band because it gives him something to do. He's been playing the guitar since he was 12 years old.

"This keeps me out of trouble," Rhodes said. "It's the only thing that knows how you feel - you can put emotions into it."

The band went through eight other members until they came across Charter on Craigslist after placing an advertisement two months ago. Charter, 24, lives in Mount Airy.

"It's going great," he said. "It seems like we've been playing together for years."

Since its creation the band has been playing at private parties, such as graduation and senior parties, as well as a prom. The band has become a regular at SoundVent, a bar in Thomasville featuring live music. During Memorial Day weekend the band played in front of Roses in Lexington.

At a Central Davidson High talent show, the group won first place in bands and second place overall. They have also performed at clubs and parties in Winston-Salem.

"It's 100 percent entertainment all the time," Charter said.

Their songs are about everything, including topical subjects. For example, they have a song called "Blood for Oil," which refers to U.S. troops fighting overseas, which came straight from Charter, who served in the Army from 2003-06.

"People can relate to our music," Charter said. "It's about real things in life."

The band plans to release an album in October called "First Offense," referring to someone getting in trouble for the first time.

"We've been through a bunch of stuff and wanted it to be short but powerful," Rhodes said.

With all the members holding jobs, they have to work around everybody's schedule to practice. When they do come together at Charles Mabe's garage they may practice for up to 11 hours. Charles gives so much time to the group because he was in a band for seven years and wants to help the members reach the top.

"They sound like nobody else," he said. "They're really fresh. No one is really doing the stuff they're doing. It's good music."

One thing that bothers Charles is the fact that there aren't many venues to play live music in the city. He said the band has to travel outside of Lexington to perform.

He suggested maybe the city could host an event for residents where live music could be performed.

"To us this town is more than barbecue," he said. "It would help the economy here if there was something for the youth to do. I'm asking town officials to step up to the plate and support your youth and talent in this town. It's a shame you can't play in your hometown - you have to go to somebody else's town."

The band encourages everybody to support local bands and venues where live music is performed.

"They really do put on a great show," Charles said. "Come and see what they're about. You never know who will be the next star to come out of North Carolina."

- The Dispatch - Lexington Nc

Resist, a metal band based in Davidson County, has been busy during the past year recording its first CD and entering contests in search of a record contract.

The band is made up of Brad Rhodes, lead vocals/guitar; Brandon Mabe, guitar; Joe Pierce, bass; and Chris Charter, drums. Pierce of Winston-Salem joined the former three-man band within the past year.

Resist’s first CD was recorded by Gary Hawkins in his studio in Winston-Salem and is available for purchase.

In addition, the band played in the Sonic Records Showcase Battle of the Bands at Club 315 in Salisbury and won, and the live performance of the group’s song “Blood For Oil” was aired for one week on Time Warner Cable in May.

The title track of the CD “War Zone” is on radio station 100.3 the Buzz’s website.

On Sept. 25 , the band will play at the Nirvana Complex in Greensboro starting at 2 p.m. and is still in the running for a recording contract based on the band’s performance at the Gorilla Productions Battle of the Bands. Resist made it through the first round at the Tremont Music Hall in Charlotte. If Resist wins, the band will be signed to a record label. Pre-sale tickets will be available soon for that show.

- The Dispatch - Lexington Nc