Talib Kweli to be rescheduled
The Talib Kweli show for Aug. 1 has been canceled and will be rescheduled, according to the promoter.
Live Review: Beyoncé f/ Robin Thicke
Before I begin this review, it has been brought to my attention that maybe I’m not the most unbiased person to handle this (I did say once that I wasn’t a fan of Beyoncé per se). Whatever. How about we push that to the left for now. I attended the concert with the sole intention…
Moon Shots vs. Moon Shine
— Cartoon by Jim Hunt
The Challenge
Position: This position requires a sturdy chair, flexibility from the woman and strength from the man. The woman gets into position by leaning forward in a seated position. Then with her feet on the seat and elbows on knees, the man enters her yoni from behind, keeping firm grasp of her waist to keep both…
A Mystery To Remember
The 2007 Summer Film Series at ImaginOn ends this weekend, so if you haven’t yet ventured out for any of the showcased titles, here’s your last chance. This year’s theme was “All About Mank: Classic Films of Joseph L. Mankiewicz,” and the program ends with 1972’s Sleuth, the final picture the filmmaker helmed before his…
Rebels with a cause
Revolution Charlotte, an alternative Christian church, is teaming up with The Victor Ministry and The Milestone to put on a night of religious rock with a message of hope. Special guest speakers include Jay Bakker, son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker and leader of the Revolution NYC church, and Chip Harbin, pastor, founder and…
Titillating Noir
Organizers of the Charlotte Literary Festival are revving up their engines for this year’s edition — and one of the lead-in events for the fest is the Soulful Sinful Readings series. Held in NoDa, this sensual new series presents erotic poetry and fiction read by local celebrities — like 92.7 radio personality Ifé Moore, among…
Best Thing To Show Off To Out-Of-Town Guests
This oasis for outdoor sports enthusiasts is situated on more than 300 acres along the Catawba River and has the largest multi-channel river in the world — yes, the world. There are also two rock climbing walls and 11 miles of mountain biking trails. And after a day of climbing, boating or biking, you can…
Best New Club
The general rule is the more clubs, the healthier the scene. But atmosphere and music are the make-or-break, and this port succeeds on both counts. Nightly eclectic local booking is expanding to draw in regional and national acts, who should be equally pleased with the just-cozy-enough room, outdoor patios and Davy Jones motifs. Y’arr, nicely…
Whine, Women And Song
Advice Goddess
Summer games
We all can’t be professional ballers or Olympic athletes, so we common folk have our own sports where endurance equates to a high tolerance, motor skills are optional and being genetically enhanced is replaced with impaired drinking games, if you will. The AL (Alcohol League) encompasses beer pong, flip cup, asshole and all the games…
Life Flows On
A little rain never hurt anyone. Until some levies broke. And the Arabian horse trainer in charge didn’t send help fast enough. View the devastation of Katrina through the lenses of high school students from Charlotte and New Orleans in the film and photography exhibit Message in a Bottle: Reconstructing Lives. Runs through Sept. 21.…
Best Place To Live In Charlotte
Once the crux of Charlotte’s textile industry, North Davidson fell on hard times after the last factories closed in the 1970s. But in the early 1990s, a group of artists, musicians and urban pioneers moved to the area and have since transformed the downtrodden neighborhood to a hipster’s paradise deemed NoDa. Located just a few…
Best College Hangout
Located just down the road from UNC-Charlotte, Soho East/Daisy Dukes is the ideal place for college students to hang out — which they do, in droves. This multi-level club takes one part swanky and hip ambiance (Soho East) one part honky-tonk and mechanical bull (Daisy Dukes), adds liberal amounts of alcohol, shakes well and serves…
Comic Proportions
Green Arrow Year One No. 1 (of four) Published by DC Comics. Plot and script by Andy Diggle. Pencils and inks by Jock. The Deal: The first issue of Green Arrow Year One, DC’s re-telling of Green Arrow’s first year as a costumed superhero. Now, some folks reading this may ask, “Who the hell is…
Acoustic in the Q.C.
My original thought was that this column would focus on two concerts, four women and their acoustic performances. Then, it turned out, one of them was plugged in, amped up and almost fully electric. Oh, and then a guy got thrown into the mix. So, there’s not an overriding theme, but maybe that’s the way…
Fluffy Takes ‘Em Down
Is your dog begging for glory each time he barks? Does your hamster wheel furiously squeak away as your furry friend rigorously trains for a race he may never run? Let them compete! Pit your pets against others at the Petco Invitational in a day of races, eating contests, feats of discipline and prizes. Their…
Worst Intersection
Already congested and ugly, this particular intersection devolved into an infuriating, dangerous and hellish mess since light rail construction began. Best advice: Avoid it at all costs. If that’s not possible, get a cool drink, pop some aspirin, repeat a soothing mantra, and resist the urge to kill that idiot who just cut you off!
Best Pool Hall
Don’t you just hate dark, smoky bars populated by a bunch of slackers shooting pool and drinking beer? Us neither. This Central Avenue hangout has long been a favorite of folks who enjoy billiards, darts, cold beer and a complete lack of pretension or fussiness.
Coming Attractions
WEDNESDAY, AUGust 1 As far as hip-hop prophets go, Talib Kweli is basically royalty. He’s stopping in for one of only two Carolina appearances, and the performance will include hits from his latest Ear Drum (drops Aug. 21) including the first single, “Listen!!!” plus others like “Country Cousins,” “Say Something” and “More or Less.” For…
Ask the Editor
Q: Hey, I heard you host a radio show on the Internet. What’s that all about? A: Yeah, I host a weekly urban music and culture show called “Audiofloss”. It’s all about … well … urban music and culture. I play an eclectic blend of music that you probably will never hear on the radio,…
Seeing is Believing
We all know about Beyoncé but before you see the diva perform (hopefully in her freakum dress), you can’t miss R&B sensation Robin Thicke. Thicke, the son of former Growing Pains and current informercial star Alan Thicke, had success before “Lost Without U” with 2002’s “When I Get You Alone,” but ditched the Jesus look…
Best Computer Store
While Windows still dominates the computer market, Apple is the undisputed king of cool and trendy gadgets, and their SouthPark store reflects that. Helpful and enthused staff members will gladly show you around and explain how all the their thingamajigs work, including Apple’s newest bid for total cool-gadget world domination, the iPhone.
Best Bowling Alley
What makes Northcross Lanes the best bowling alley? Why, the plethora of non-bowling activities, of course. In addition to the 40 lanes, there’s laser tag and a video arcade, karaoke bar, live music, and a full-service snack bar. So what are you waiting for? Grab your balls and get busy.
Justice for the Jena Six
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Karma Cleanser
Dear Karma Cleanser: I’ve been committing a minor act of insurance fraud for five or six years now. I don’t want to go into the details of how it works out, but suffice it to say that this thing started out as a little white lie and then grew into something much more complicated. My…
Lion’s Share
Come away with us into the mighty jungle is what the national touring cast of Disney’s The Lion King asks as they whisk you away into a lighter-handed version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet for a younger generation. Actually, that’s what the movie did; the musical takes that world and kicks it up several notches by adding…
Best Place To Buy Dvds
A copout answer? Perhaps. But locally, only Border’s has a selection that makes it worthy of this award. Unless they learn that it’s better to give (generous discounts) than to receive (full price), it’s hard to beat online sites that frequently offer 50 percent off any given title.
Best Neighborhood Bar
A relatively new entry in the rapidly growing NoDa nightlife line-up, Solstice is an intimate spot that serves simple but tasty food, has plenty of drink specials and a growing collection of funky artwork. It’s the perfect spot to meet friends, have a drink and relax.
The Blotter
LAUNDRY SERVICE: A woman came over to an acquaintance’s apartment. The two began arguing, and the visitor threatened the apartment dweller with bodily harm. The visitor was bigger than the woman, so she took her threat seriously. On her way out, the visitor decided to take a parting gift: a basket of laundry containing socks…
Letters to the Editor
Attention aspiring music artists In my opinion there are two main reasons Charlotte hasn’t captured a music identity thus far (“Searching For An Identity” by Mike McCray, July 11): the artists and their teams’ lack of knowledge/experience in the “business” of music and the fact that many of them, although they no longer consider themselves…
Who Got Served?
Save the Last Dance, Step Up, Take the Lead, and Stomp the Yard have all capitalized on this cultural phenomenon. And still, they pale in comparison to watching it live and direct. Got beef? Take it to the dance floor!! Breakdancing party and competition hosted by MC Blues. Music provided by DJs: Wiiz Kid, Tomato…
Best Breakfast
They serve brunch on the weekend, including a delicious vanilla bean French toast.
Canvas Monkey Art and Gifts
Brand Spankin’ New
Best Strip Club
It’s a pretty simple equation: Guys with money to burn come to this hot spot near Uptown to watch beautiful, scantily clad women dance, gyrate and remove what little clothing they have on. There’s certainly no shortage of similar places in Charlotte, but based on the crowds that fill this place up on a regular…
The anti-artist
Moodswing
CL AND THE SOL KITCHEN PRESENTS: POP LIFE
A weekly event featuring cool people, art and the most eclectic blend of music in the city. Aug 1: Presenting the after party for the Talib Kweli show (which takes place that night at the Neighborhood Theatre) and a special celebration for the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity (in town for the group’s conclave). Plus: A…
Read All About It
Hello, Loafers. It’s time for our grandest ish of the year. That’s right. You guessed it! Best of Charlotte 2007: The Hollywood Edition. We’ve taken you on a family-friendly tour of the Queen City and into CL’s Immigration Nation. This time around it’s all about the luxe and glamour. So, pick up a copy, dress…
Best Happy Hour
Therapy’s cool, sexy, inviting atmosphere — and, of course, their trademark double martinis — is more than enough to lure folks to this hip Uptown spot. But when you add great weekly specials like Wednesday’s “Martini Madness,” when all martinis are half price, the place becomes downright irresistible. There’s also live music and a full…
The Worst of All Gangs
Boomer With Attitude
Stargazer
Leo The Lion: (July 22 — Aug. 22) Your ego is antagonized and you are itching for a fight, yet you know better. The circumstances are such that you could make things much worse if you are aggressive. This may be the point at which you decide firmly you are not going to leave yourself…
T.I. vs. T.I.P.
The Deal: The man, who came out proclaiming he’s serious, then put some music out for the trap, became an urban legend and was later crowned King of the South, fights internally on fifth album. The Good: T.I. worked with a diverse group of producers including Wyclef, Just Blaze, Eminem and Mannie Fresh, but people…
Best Beer Selection
With over 120 taps and 70-plus bottles, Flying Saucer is the ideal place for beer connoisseurs to sample and compare drafts from around the world. Or get really plastered. And you can use all that beer to wash down some of the restaurant’s tasty offerings, which include bratwurst, wraps, salads and burgers.
Jorge’s Reign of Terror Part II
Citizen Servatius
Girl Fight
The N Word
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
The Deal: Texas’ indie vets return with mixed bag. The Good: “Don’t Make Me a Target” should go down as the Bush era anthem. It’s a furious, spiky rocker that just gets more pissed-off as it thunders forward to its beyond-politics, no-shit-Sherlock bottom line: Thanks to the “nuclear dicks with their dialect drawls,” singer Britt…
Best Martini Selection
When it comes to a superlative and varied martini selection, no one even comes close to Therapy. Moreover, they’re huge and have naughty names like “Dirty Talk,” “Three Way” and “G Spot.” But please, resist the urge to order one “shaken, not stirred”; the wait staff might just snap and beat you about the head…
Transit troubles
Here’s a recap of the top three controversies plaguing Charlotte’s Light Rail project (so far): 3. Transit study at UNCC. A study comparing the South Corridor Line in Charlotte to light rail systems in other cities has been touted far and wide as independent. Conducted by the Center for Transportation Policy Studies at UNC Charlotte,…
Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
The Deal: 23 artists put their own spin on classic Lennon tunes. The Good: There are a lot of good tracks on the album, but some are standouts. “Give Peace a Chance” teams Aerosmith up with Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars for a funky, reggae-style version of the classic song. While many bands add their…
Film Clips
Current Releases EVAN ALMIGHTY My parents may have been the ones to plunk down the dough to purchase the classic comedy album Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow… Right!, but as a child, I think I was the one most responsible for wearing out the vinyl via repeat listens to the famous “Noah” skits…
As the Garden Turns
Arts Agenda 36Comic Proportions 4036
Best New Restaurant (Opened in Last 12 Months)
A first for Creative Loafing: Chef-owners (and graduates of the Culinary Institute of America) Stratos Lambos and Angelo Kaltsounis have done it again. Like winning a second Oscar a la Sally Field, this team has opened Nolen Kitchen and Crescent Bar and Lounge, which gets our nod for this year’s Best New Restaurant. (Their first…
The Supertaster Unveiled
Corkscrew
Predatory Lenders Bite Back
Consumer groups cheered when payday lenders were booted from North Carolina, but that doesn’t mean the high-interest loans no longer have local ties. Two of Charlotte’s economic giants, Bank of America and Wachovia, bankroll some payday lenders — the same lenders whose operations high-ranking officials found so distasteful that they drove them from the state.…
Best Locally Made Desserts
Kaltsounis, a graduate of the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan, specializing in pastries, cut his teeth at Kyma in Atlanta. Now, he’s merely the best pastry chef in town. You can’t miss with any of his desserts at either Nolen Kitchen or Ilios Noche.
King For a Day
Table Dancing
Don Rosenberg
Profile
Best Impersonation Of A Good Ol’ Downhome Gal
Dole — U.S. Senator from North Carolina, sporadic resident of the state and darling of the N.C. media — loves to portray herself as a kind of “Southern belle made good.” The truth, though, is that Dole is a consummate Washington insider who has spent her four years in the Senate carrying water for big-money…
Looking for a Bigger Meaning
Talib Kweli makes his living with his mouth, but he’s not content for his sound just to be heard. He wants to move you as well. His latest, Ear Drum, links the function of the ear with the percussive rhythms of his speech, providing movement to your lower regions. He’s got something for your head…
No Scrubs
Film Clips 30Films In A Flash 3230
Best-Dressed Public Figure
Sure, this Charlotte native has an admirable lists of accomplishments: Davidson College graduate, where he served as student body president; New York University School of Law graduate; trial lawyer with big-time law firm; and, as of 2005, a Charlotte City Council At-Large seat holder (see “Best Member of Local Government,” above). But as any fan…
Trailer Park Memories
Paul Thorn speaks deep Southern, his slow drawl in tune with the laid-back rhythms of his Tupelo surroundings. But that’s not slow in terms of backward. Thorn’s observations on life are sharp and funny with the keen eye of one who’s lived the rough and tumble life he writes about. “When I left home at…
Becoming a Localvore
Table Dancing 54Corkscrew 56Good Eats 5954
Charlotte’s Sexiest Woman
As the host of Power 98 FM’s late-night program “Grind Time,” Consuella gets the city of Charlotte all hot and bothered from the sound of her voice. But take a look at the radio personality in person and you’ll agree that she’s not a jock who only has “a face for radio.” The woman is…
Best Concert Of Past 12 Months
It’s now become an annual tradition. The Avett Brothers’ New Year’s Eve gig at the Neighborhood Theatre always sells out and is consistently one of the top shows of the year in Charlotte. Well, last year it was the best live show. The Avetts, Seth and Scott, along with Bob Crawford, weave a seamless version…
CL Previews upcoming Shows
WEDNESDAY July 25 Bruce hazel & Some volunteers As one of the Fence Lions’ integral components, Hazel is used to ensemble playing. But this project — which resulted in 2005’s Between the Journey and the Destination — is the proverbial pick-up game, with Hazel running point and directing the flow of the action no matter…
How Sweet it is
Hit & Run Reviews 74Music Menu / Soundboard 77
Lamest New Theme Park
The “Parkway Preacher” is a hometown hero of sorts, so we expected big doings at the new Billy Graham site. So what do we get? No rides, no cotton candy or elephant ears and one lousy animatronic cow. Jesus Christ! Well, at least it’s free.
Best Club For Dancing
Like Breakfast Club, this was also a runaway favorite in the balloting. Beautifully decorated and artfully designed, The Forum’s hip, stylish vibe and booming sound system is enough to persuade even the most rhythm-challenged patron to get out there and shake that thang. When you’re ready to take a break from the bump and grind,…
