Nightlife in Goldsboro

Laugh Out Loud hosts well-established laugh conjurers and undiscovered comedic masterminds capable of leaving the audience doubled over in harmonized chuckles. Past Laugh Out Loud audience-slayers have graced the stages of HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central, and upcoming performers include musical comedian Ron Feingold, who produces a cappella backup, lead, and percussive vocals with his three separate mouths (July 28–30). Lyndel Pleasant, a former stagemate of Chris Rock, weaves anecdotes of marriage and fatherhood into his act (August 4–6), and Ward Anderson, author of The Ultimate Bachelor’s Guide, tackles audiences with his physical comedy (August 11–13). All shows last approximately two hours and showcase three comedians or one mythical hydra that wants to know what the deal is with airplane peanuts.

For more than 10 years, the enthusiastic instructors of Elite Cheer and Dance have been teaching kids to leap, tumble, and electrify a crowd. Timid beginners and seasoned cheerleaders alike are welcomed into the center's spacious gym to realize their fitness potential and make new friends. Whether it's the eye-catching cheers, the Olympics-inspired routines of tumbling, or the graceful moves of dance, the classes work together to make kids stronger, more confident, and less likely to notice when the planet's gravity turns off.

Whether sinking into a lounge chair with a cup of joe or drinking in the sounds of live music, visitors to Electric Beanz Coffee Bar will discover freshly brewed, locally roasted coffee and pastries in a laid-back atmosphere. In addition to serving a selection of coffee standards, Electric Beanz's baristas also blend fresh-fruit smoothies, pour Italian sodas, and sling a variety of fresh-baked pastries, ranging from muffins to empanadas. Specialty single-origin coffees are also available, brewed in a French press, an appliance that famously gave Jean-Claude Van Damme all his muscles.

Formed in the glory days of heavy metal, Queensrÿche rocks audiences with songs that reveal the fierce polish of 30 years of evolving artistry. The band's distinctive mix of prog rock, metal, and subliminal messaging rocketed their Empire album up the charts, launching hits such as "Silent Lucidity," "Jet City Woman," and "Best I Can." Normally reserved only for members of Queensrÿche's fan club, a backstage meet-and-greet lets a small group of the devoted make personal connections with the four lords of loudness, shaking their lightning-fast hands and comparing headbanging techniques. With experience opening for Nickelback and Staind, opening band The Fifth's wailing guitars rally fist pumps and head thrashes as raging as a riverbed full of angry bulls.