Charlotte comic Jason Allen King snagged the NC’s Funniest Person win at Goodnights Comedy Club.
It takes guts, grit and a whole lotta giggles to snag the title of NC’s Funniest Person. Each summer, Goodnights Comedy Club turns into a laugh battleground, with comics vying for the crown, the cash and the bragging rights and winning over the judges—think comedy club owners, Netflix reps and other big players in the game. This year’s champ? Charlotte-based comedian Jason Allen King, who now joins the ranks of past winners like Mark Brady and JD Scranton. We caught up with King fresh off his win.
Congrats on the win! How’s it feel? It’s pretty wild, actually. And it’s wild because of the other people who have won in the past, who I really admire… Now to be spoken in the same sentence with some of the same credits and accomplishments, it means a lot to me. It’s that thing where it’s like, ‘Oh, you know what, maybe I might be pretty good at this.’ It’s pretty inspiring.
Tell us about your winning set. For me, I have a high laughs-per-minute. I like a very dense set with a lot of laughs—my story about myself, some self-deprecating things and just observations of how life is today. I like to splash in, ‘What do I look like in that space?’: What are my experiences in my family life, who my friends are and how I fit into what the world is doing right now.
Most memorable moment from the competition? My immediate thought goes to how talented the people were. And that was my first time performing in the main room of Goodnights. That was pretty exciting.
Are you excited to host prelims next year? I’m thrilled. Networking is crucial. You want everyone in your scene to do well, and then that expands to your city or your region. There’s a lot of pride that comes with being a comic in this state.
What’s next for you? The big thing for me is getting my social media numbers up. I’m actually going to be at Goodnights this week on the 21st… for me, that’s a big push.
Raleigh’s most over-the-top music tradition—a six-night, full-costume, secret-lineup spectacle—is getting the PBS NC treatment Aug. 21.
Raleigh’s rowdiest musical tradition is getting the big-screen treatment. The Great Cover Up—a documentary on the six-night, no-setlist, full-costume lovefest for live music at Kings—is premiering Aug. 21 on PBS NC.
It all started in 1999, when Kings co-founder Paul Siler and friends—touring musicians tired of the lack of indie-friendly venues—decided to open their own spot and throw a hurricane benefit. “A friend told us about this event where bands would dress up as a famous band and perform. We decided to make a curtain, not tell anybody who it was, and when the reveal happened, people just loved it,” Siler recalls. That two-night show is now a six-night festival with as many as 10 bands per night.
The rules? Learn a short set. Go all in on the costumes. Keep your band identity secret until the curtain drops. “The anticipation of who the next band is going to be is always fun,” muses Siler. “It’s an endless supply.”
Kings event manager Yvonne Chazal says the vibe is different from your typical dark-wall club. “We… know how to treat folks well… and the little things that make playing a show really comfortable,” she says. “We pride ourselves on throwing cool shows.”
Onstage, Siler emcees in his now-iconic ’70s-game-show-style jacket. Offstage, the Cover Up raises funds for multiple causes over the course of the week—past beneficiaries have included everything from the Red Cross to local soup kitchens.
The PBS NC documentary focuses on the people and the community that keep the tradition alive—longtime fans who’ve waited in line for decades, bands perfecting every note and wig flip, and even one first-time group prepping for their big reveal. For Siler, it’s a love letter to Raleigh: “It’s a cultural little slice of our city everybody gets excited about.” kingsraleigh.com
Breeze through Raleigh’s sizzling summer with these hot tips for staying stylish, professional and blissfully sweat-free.
It’s felt like an oven outside all summer—and yet, the office still calls. So how do you beat the seemingly 1 million-degree heat without showing up in a soggy tee and flip-flops? Here, our tips for smart fabrics, lighter hues and a “don’t sweat it” mindset. Go on—let your wardrobe do the heavy lifting while you handle the heat with grace. Raleigh may be hot, but your style’s hotter.
Linen, cotton, silk—oh my! These breathable babes are your best bet when the thermostat’s playing dirty. Think linen blazers, cotton poplin shirts and silk tanks—aka fabrics that let you breathe and still keep you boardroom ready. In short, keep clothing loose and breezy so you’re not fighting clingy fabric on top of the humidity.
Keep it light (colorwise too) Ditch the all-black-everything—the only thing that’s good for is camouflaging sweat. Instead, reach for pale neutrals, cool blues or soft blush tones that bounce back the sun’s rays and give off “just back from brunch” energy.
Sleeves optional A sleeveless dress under a linen blazer is peak hot-day office chic. If your office leans relaxed, short-sleeve button-downs or fluttery blouses are your besties. And if your day’s stacked with back-to-back meetings, a lightweight jacket you can toss on helps keep things polished when the AC’s blasting.
Flats > heels (for once) We love a power heel, but your feet will mutiny by 3pm. Opt for loafers, slingback mules or block-heel sandals to stay cute and comfy. You’ll still look put-together without plotting your escape under the conference table.
Hydrate like it’s your side hustle When it feels like the surface of the sun outside, a cute water bottle isn’t just practical—it’s your hottest accessory. Call it the clutch’s summer replacement, keeping your glow firmly in the dewy, not sweaty category.
Keep it up—your hair that is Frizz and a sweaty neck? Meet your worst enemy. When the humidity inevitably bullies your hair, a slick pony or top knot is your best revenge look. Bonus: A bun with a fun clip adds personality to any ’fit.
Fertility rates are falling—and while the White House is pursuing ways to bump the baby rate, most of society doesn’t seem too bothered. From trendy restaurants to snarky social feeds, it’s clear: Kids are less welcome than ever.
Locally, ZincHouse Winery & Brewery went adults-only after little ones turned their property into a free-for-all—think rock-throwing, stair-sliding, fountain-jumping chaos. North Hills’ Tamasha took a similar route, banning kids under 5 to preserve “high standards of service and ambiance.” And they’re far from alone. Across the U.S., eateries from New Jersey to Brooklyn are banning young diners or tacking on disruptive-child surcharges.
And the kid-aversion extend way past dinner reservations. Scroll TikTok or X and you’ll see people flippantly calling children “crotch goblins” or breaking down why their wedding was child-free. Parenting experts say these jabs, once confined to niche forums, have exploded in public view.
So, what’s fueling the shift? In part, it’s concentrated in city living—more child-free adults cluster in urban hubs, rarely crossing paths with kids until there’s a meltdown at brunch. When said outbursts do occur, common gentle parenting tactics (think iPads) can be controversial. NTM adults everywhere are embracing parenthood significantly less: U.S. adults below age 50 who say they never plan to have kids grew 10% between 2018 and 2023—from 37% to 47%—and it’s a trend playing out globally. Beyond parenting woes, other factors like independence, financial challenges, climate change and political anxiety are fueling the trend.
Meanwhile, current parents feel the pressure. Some argue to let kids be kids while others apologize and frantically hush tears mid-tantrum, worried about becoming a viral “bad parent” clip. It’s a vicious cycle—modern day societal views often counter that if you do have kids, you should keep them quiet… but also keep them off screens, out of public spaces and maybe out of sight entirely.
So, the boom in child-free spaces adds up. And regardless of whether it’s a sign of a collapse in parenting or just a growing collective intolerance of kids being kids, you may want to start checking that fancy restaurant’s child policy before touting along the kiddos.
Foundation’s latest release is hyperlocal, super creative and boasts major flavor.
Leave it to Foundation to launch a whiskey with literal roots in Raleigh. To toast the grand opening of Gipson Play Plaza at Dix Park, the iconic underground bar just unveiled Dix Whiskey—a bourbon so local, it was aged via a tree that once stood in the park itself.
Photo courtesy of Cook’s Mill
“We’ve had this idea for a long time… getting some local oak trees and finding a way to age whiskey,” recalls Foundation owner Kyle Hankin. That vision finally came to life thanks to a wild little invention called the Squarrel—a steel structure that acts like a customizable aging barrel. “You can change what the wood is, you can change the char… total flexibility,” describes Hankin.
When the city removed several trees during construction, Hankin and his team seized the moment. They teamed up with custom furniture makerRaleigh Reclaimed to turn salvaged white oak into staves for the Squarrel, giving the whiskey a hyperlocal finish no other spirit can claim.
But they didn’t stop there. To fill the barrel, they tapped Cook’s Mill, an NC-based distillery that uses heritage corn developed with help from NC State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “All the grain that’s in Cook’s Mill is made in North Carolina and grown in North Carolina,” notes Hankin. “As far as bourbon goes, it’s as local as it gets.”
Flavorwise, Dix Whiskey hits in all the right ways. “A little more vanilla, a little more caramel… still has a really nice kind of spicy finish, maybe even a bit of red berry,” says Hankin. At Foundation, you can get it neat, on the rocks or in rotating house cocktails like an old-fashioned.
And as for feel-good points? You’ll get those too, as a portion of the proceeds from all sales are going toward the Dix Park Conservancy. So whether you’re a whiskey nerd, a park lover or just thirsty for something fresh, this is one small pour for man, one giant sip for Raleighkind.
