Travis Barker update
Travis Barker updates his myspace blog.
Rodney Crowell cancelled
The Rodney Crowell show at the Visulite Theatre on Oct. 18 has been cancelled.
Body of Lies trailer
Body of Lies serves up the superstar teaming of Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe, but it’s the pairing of DiCaprio and the relatively unknown Mark Strong which provides the fireworks in this latest attempt to make a successful motion picture set in the Middle East. Read more here.
The Express trailer
There’s nothing daring in the least about The Express, which, like most real-life sports stories co-opted by major Hollywood studios (The Rookie, Miracle, Remember the Titans), strips the achievements of any individuality or historical worth and renders them all part of the same gumbo of sticky clichés. Read more here.
Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Nick and Nora (no “h”) were the sophisticated sleuths played by William Powell and Myrna Loy in the wildly popular The Thin Man movies back in the 1930s and ’40s, and this married team never encountered a criminal they couldn’t bring to justice. By contrast, the Nick and Norah in this new feature are vanquished…
Trigger happy policemen
Marvin Gaye sang about police brutality in his hit song, “What’s Going On.” It seems that we’re living it in the Charlotte area.
An outside take on N.C. as battleground state
Salon has an interesting outsider’s take on the prospect of an Obama win (and Dole loss) in N.C. Here’s some of the more interesting snippets: “As for the incumbent, Dole seems to be running a much more somnambulant campaign. She dodged five proposed debates, passive-aggressively failing to commit to them rather than outright refusing. Voters…
Are you angry at Starbucks’ lids too?
Starbucks has changed the plastic lids they use on their cold beverages. And apparently, these lids are the lids from hell! The slit in which you insert the straw either doesn’t allow the straw through, tears the straw, or strangles the straw. One blogger has had enough and is starting a campaign against these straw-hating…
It’s not all Bush’s fault (don’t laugh)
Bill Clinton laid the foundation for this.
Break Fest at Breakfast Club, 10/12/08
Dancers were breaking it town at Breakfast Club Sunday night at Carolina’s largest break dance event – Break Fest. The dance party continued until 2 a.m. with contests, food, and music. Photos by Renaul Hill, Charlotte Vibe Photography.
The Fresh Fest, 10/10/08
The Fresh Fest: Old School Reunion 2008, a hip-hop tour, stopped at Charlotte’s Cricket Arena Friday night.
Today’s Menus (10/13/2008)
Bible of the Devil and State Radio will both appear in concert tonight.
Today’s Top 5
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Oct. 13, 2008 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • State Radio performs at Visulite Theatre • Find Your Muse Open Mic at Evening Muse • Learn to line dance at Southern Star Ballroom • “How to…
Brandy visits Charlotte
Pop/R&B songstress Brandy visited Charlotte’s Apostrophe Lounge last Friday, promoting a new CD that’s due to hit stores in December. And look, we snapped a pic of her: Photo by Jasiatic.
Today’s Menu (10/11/2008)
Donna Jean and the Tricksters will be in concert at Double Door Inn.
3 Doors Down rescheduled
3 Doors Down to play Cricket Arena on Dec. 12.
Spare the rod?
What’s up with parents today? They are acting more like children than adults. They are giving their children everything without requiring anything. Then we blame the kids for being spoiled ingrates. Perhaps we’re blaming the wrong folks. While I don’t believe in hitting children, spare the rod also speaks to discipline and responsibility. If we…
An end in sight for Purgatory
You might want to go to purgatory this weekend. Read this.
Haven’t registered to vote? Don’t despair.
You can still register and vote beginning Thursday.
New uptown restaurant offers healthy options
Blynk, an organic cafe-type restaurant, opened Monday at 200 South Tryon Street.
Bar Charlotte, 10/9/08
Thursday is College Night at Bar Charlotte. And apparently, by the looks of last night, college night means a big rowdy party.
Be careful what you say … NSA’s listening
To think that all of the phone conversations I shared with my deployed Army friend were being recorded is incredibly creepy.
Ralph: Me fail English? That’s unpossible.
Sarah Palin and Ralph Wiggum are a perfect match.
5 Reasons to worry about Sarah Palin
5. As McCain’s supposed expert on energy issues, she didn’t even know that Alaska doesn’t export any of its oil, nor that Congress doesn’t ban exportation of Alaskan oil. Please — it’s own friggin’ state, the biggest oil-producing behemoth in North America, and she doesn’t even know basics like that? How do you spell “clueless…
Today’s Menus (10/10/08)
Pat McGee Band,
Today’s Top 5
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Oct. 10, 2008 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Ventriloquist/comedian Terry Fator at Belk Theater • Fresh Fest: Old School Reunion 2008 goes down at Cricket Arena • Charity beer tasting at Morton’s Steakhouse • Tim…
Q&A: Ventriloquist Terry Fator
Interview with Terry Fator.
John McCain’s rage
New film asserts that the Arizona senator has nager mana
Finally Democracy?
A new date has been set for the release of Guns N Roses long-awaited Chinese Democracy album. On Nov. 23, the album will be available as a Best Buy exclusive. Yeah, I’ll believe it when I see it on the shelves. Dr. Pepper must be panicking though – they said they’d give everyone in America…
Thursday Throwback 2
A clip of the misunderstood band Steely Dan
Tales of Charlotte: Episode 4
Creative Loafing columnist Brittney Cason takes the spotlight for this week’s episode of Tales of Charlotte — the original, Web-based TV show that features Charlotteans telling their most bizarre, true-life stories. Behold:
Kinda really funny
Found on http://postsecret.blogspot.com.
Pet sausages
Banksy, the British muralist and prankster artist with a cult following, is hosting his first exhibition in New York. Here is one of his silent movies. Cute or totally disturbing?
Better watch your back Rocky
No one is safe from Palin.
Unemployment equals bloodshed?
A story on McClatchyDC.com addresses the issue of unemployment in Iraq. U.S. officials estimate that well over half of Iraqis who want to work can’t find jobs. In fact, the situation is so dire that even insurgents — called the Sons of Iraq — have agreed to turn against violence in exchange for paying jobs.…
Martha Stewart wants to eat children
The queen of all things domestic is perhaps really a baby-eating witch after all. On her TV show, she lays out a scrumptious spread of holiday dishes… made of BABIES. She has one kid baked up in an apple pie and another roasted as turkey stuffed with baby stuffing. Check out the video.
Unnecessary deaths
Our community does a woeful job in spaying or neutering our pets.
Today’s Menu (10/09/2008)
Jonathan Richman Whether it’s from his Modern Lovers guise, his solo work or even his Conan O’Brien cameos and appearance in the movie There’s Something About Mary, Jonathan Richman’s open-hearted take on pop and punk has influenced a slew of modern performers, including The Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants, Ween, Weezer, Art Brut and…
Today’s Top 5
The five best events going down in Charlotte today, Oct. 8, 2008.
Lake Norman Sports Grille ‘hard’ opening
Nightlife at the lake: Lake Norman’s Sports Grilled opens
Human Slinky
Girls, if you are in search of a hot, slinky Halloween costume, consider this.
Beer-filled USB drive
Another interesting gadget. If you are too thirsty, you might break open your USB drive and then probably lose all your data.
Whatever You Like
“Weird Al” Yankovic’s new single “Whatever You Like.”
Crappy service becomes an epidemic
I’m starting to believe there’s a serious surplus of pissed-off folks in Charlotte, and it’s not all due to gas lines or WalkOverYa tanking.
Gadgets made of meat
This gives a whole new meaning to “playing with your food.” Click here to see a bigger version.
I like men like I like chocolate – rich and dark
Here in this hilarious Axe body spray commercial, you can have a chocolate man. Even better! embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/CHVx1CODU30&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1″ type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”425″ height=”344″>
Canceled: Buckcherry show
Buckcherry’s scheduled performance in Charlotte on Oct. 8 has been canceled. To get “all lit up again,” try watching Buckcherry’s newest music video for the track “Too Drunk” here.
“That One”
That one. Those two words have gotten a lot of attention since John McCain muttered them during last night’s debate about Barack Obama.
PrayforSarahPalin.com
For what it’s worth, this Web site wants to get prayers for Palin and her family from every zip code in America. Hmm.
Today’s Menu (10/8/2008)
Today’s
Today’s Top 5
The five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Oct. 8, 2008
Cooking Mama
Wii game requires players to use th
Biggest idiot on the Web: UPDATED
Even more dumb shit from the mouth of Pastor James Manning
Sadly needed?
Today’s featured story on Cracked.com is titled, “6 E-mails You Get When Your Company Is About To Go Under.” Seems like Charlotte should pay close attention. Examples? The Email You’ll Get: “I hope you’ll all welcome Jennie Thurber. She’s visiting to take a look around for us and offer some perspective to management. Give her…
Putting N.C. in play
As little as a month or two ago, the idea that a Democrat could carry North Carolina was near-laughable. But with polls now giving Barack Obama a slight edge in the Tarheel State, I’m wishing I’d placed a few bets on the prospect. Pundits are crediting the state’s high number of new registrations. It also…
Overheard at Starbucks
The things people say over coffee.
Zombie Walk, 10/05/08
Over 80 participants took part in the Second Annual Charlotte Zombie Walk on Sunday, Oct. 5. The walk, which served to promote Halloween related activities in Charlotte, started and ended at the Alley Cat in Uptown. Check out all the spooky costumes! Photos by Ben Koski.
CD Review: Hey Monday
The power pop band Hey Monday releases its debut album.
The CL Interview: Michael Kitchen
A local music promoter talks about Charlotte’s entertainment scene and making money in tough economic times.
Kyle Petty sings about the belly button monster
NASCAR driver Kyle Petty sings children’s song.
Are you registered to vote?
You’ve got three days left to register to vote. What are you waiting for?
Are you registered to vote?
The deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is Friday. Are you ready to do your part?
Shakira Endorses Obama
Er … OK
Today’s Top 5
The five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Oct. 7, 2008.
Ask the Editor
A: Well, here are the facts: Creative Loafing Inc., the company that owns Creative Loafing Charlotte, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Sept. 29. Of course when people hear the word “bankruptcy,” they usually think a company is going out of business. But that’s really not the case here. We’re still alive and kicking…
SPECIAL EVENT: Carolina Break Fest 2008
Get your toprock, downrock, power moves and freezes ready for break-dancing at Carolina Break Fest 2008. The event sports a crew vs. crew break dance competition with a grand prize of $1,000 and a singles pop-n-lock dance competition with $200 up for grabs. Not a break dancer? It’s OK. Just watch the skilled do their…
A review of Dennis Lehane’s The Given Day
Historical fiction touches on race, corruption in Boston
In response to ‘Guided by spirit’
Sarah and the spirit If Karen Shugart’s aim was to cause red flags to wave because Sarah Palin may or may not be a spirit-filled Christian, she failed miserably (“Guided by spirit?” Oct. 1). I’d much rather have a Pentecostal Christian a heartbeat away from the presidency than someone of less specific faith who might…
ART: Mixed Company
Providence Gallery’s newest exhibition Mixed Company features two artists whose works could be seen within the realm of art as being just a little mixed-up. But, that’s OK. When was normal ever fun? Rod Wimer uses deft melding for the vast monochromatic tones and textures within each of his art pieces. Just take a look…
Review of Batman No. 680
Batman No. 680 Published by DC Comics. Written by Grant Morrison. Pencils by Tony Daniel. Inks by Sandu Florea. The Deal: Behold the latest issue of Batman — and another chapter of the “Batman R.I.P.” story arc. Now, I would tell you “The Deal” about the storyline, but honestly I’m not sure I totally understand…
Black Monday: Banktown goes down
It was one hell of a roulette run. As “our” banks gobbled up other institutions in a volatile industry, Charlotte emerged unscathed again and again. Until last Monday. To suggest, even as recently as a few months ago, that the city was putting too many eggs in the banking basket was to risk being treated…
COMEDY: The Second City: DeFace The Nation
With the presidential election drawing near, the political atmosphere is stirred. Gas is hard to find these days and all of us could use a little humor, so when The Second City: DeFace The Nation releases their own concoction of comedy geared for the elections, there’s cause to celebrate. Get a laugh as the comedy…
Review of Amy Wilson’s one-woman show, Mother Load
Car seats, non-toxic toys, safe cribs, truly enriching bedtime stories, and top-notch daycare. If only quality parenting were just that complicated! No, as Amy Wilson reminds us in her engaging one-woman show, Mother Load, the intricate labyrinth leading to parental adequacy, laid out by a profusion of experts and hucksters, begins before an aspiring mom…
More lousy service tales
Readers responded in droves to a column we ran recently about the pervasiveness of lousy customer service. Most of the readers had their own tales of a descent into consumer hell. I saved those stories and waited to relay some of them until I had another saga of my own to share. After having been…
SPECIAL EVENT: A Novello Evening with Khaled Hosseini
As best-selling author Khaled Hosseini books it to Charlotte for A Novello Evening with Khaled Hosseini, you’ve got to get out of the house and over to Ovens Auditorium. Known for his literary works The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini’s taking the time out of his day to be interviewed by Mike…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
Wild Child: A 41-year-old woman called police because her teenage daughter went totally wild, ripping up her father’s shorts and kicking in his bedroom door. The woman said she doesn’t know what caused her daughter to act so violently toward the man. The Hook-up: A TJ Maxx employee reported that a fellow employee had let…
A look at the week’s best photos
Oldie but goodie Singer/producer Raphael Saadiq jams, 1960s-style, on the Amos’ Southend stage, Oct. 3. Go Green Cassie Rodenberg and Justin Rose check out some art at Green Rice Gallery during NoDa’s gallery crawl last Friday. Keeping up with Kourtney Kourtney Kardashian, sister to celebutante Kim Kardahian, was in town last Friday for a…
CD Review: George Clinton
The Deal: The Grandfather of Funk goes back to his N.C. roots for an album of soul covers. The Good: You can’t say that Clinton didn’t rally his friends for the new album – Sly Stone, Carlos Santana, El DeBarge, Kim Burrell, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and a handful of P-Funk stars all make…
Your weekly horoscope
Libra the Scales (Sept. 22-Oct. 22): You and a significant other may need to have a clear discussion about your expectations of one another. You are tempted to shovel uncomfortable issues under the rug right now, but that will serve only to cause you to feel isolated and disconnected from partner. You need instead to…
Tso what?
The true story behind a ubiquitous Chinese dish
CD Review: Buckcherry
The Deal: Rockers release fourth studio album, follow-up to platinum, Grammy-nominated 15. The Good: Singer Josh Todd has one of the better rock vocals out today – enough rasp, can hit the notes and a guttural scream that charges you up. The album kicks off with a couple of heavy rockers – “Rescue Me” and…
Soldiering on through wine-tasting fatigue
I surveyed the room, sparsely filled with cosmopolites, edibles and alcohol, hoping this would be the night I would spot the elusive “good value wine.” In this wretched economy, I find it crucial to provide my readers with a respite from high prices. This is perhaps the tenth formal wine-tasting fundraiser my husband and I…
Morgan Rose discusses Sevendust’s past, future
Get your Freak on
CD Review: Damien Jurado
The Deal: Eighth full-length from Jurado – More campfire indie rock for the forlorn. The Good: Jurado’s been turning in compelling records since emerging from the Northwest in the late ’90s, though to little fanfare. That’s a head-scratcher, since Jurado’s haunting minor-key vignettes and Raymond Carver-like relationship ditties far surpass in intelligence the likes of,…
Blindness, Burn After Reading, and more
Capsule reviews of films currently playing
Eric Benet brings new outlook on Love & Life to Q.C.
The last time we saw R&B singer Eric Benet, he was defending himself against his divorce from Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry. For a while, people knew Benet as Mr. Halle. “Take that as an occupational hazard,” he said of his time with Berry. “I was with somebody who was internationally famous and successful.…
Invasion of the sea-smurfs
A little-noticed story surfaced a couple of weeks ago in the Army Times newspaper about the 3rd Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. “Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months,” reported Army Times staff writer Gina Cavallaro, “the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern…
Iraq films let soldiers speak for themselves
Reviews of Standard Operating Procedure and Body of War
Late night in the city
One writer searches for life in Charlotte after 2 a.m.
Three questions with caterer Janet Woodson
In the 15 years since Janet Woodson founded La-tea-da’s Catering and Events, it has grown from a café that throws tea parties to a successful catering business with big-name clients (such as the Mint Museums) throughout the city. Woodson says this growth is due to what she calls the “La-tea-da’s touch,” a focus on every…
Where’s Pat McCrory been in Charlotte’s time of need?
Mayor M-I-A on the campaign trail
NASCAR drivers take a turn at the music biz
The Red Hot Chili Peppers may have had the balls to pose au naturale for the cover of Rolling Stone, but do you think they’d have enough nerve to strap into an 850-horsepower stock car and take it three-wide at 200 mph on a super speedway … for 500 miles? OK, maybe those guys aren’t…
Repairing rifts with immigrant communities
Since he was appointed Mecklenburg County sheriff in February, Chipp Bailey has walked a tight line, trying to forge relationships with immigrant communities while continuing a program many within those communities find repugnant. “I know that most of the immigrant community, especially those who are undocumented, don’t trust me,” Bailey acknowledged last week at Central…
CD Review: Heywire
The Deal: Charlotte quartet independently releases eight-track album, Smells Like Vegas. The Good: Combining elements of numerous styles, Heywire’s music isn’t easy to describe. One minute it sounds like a jam band, the next Americana and the next straight-up rock. That’s not to say the music is confused – the diversity fuses well into something…
What are the statistics on people regretting the tattoos of their youth?
Here’s a quick way to lose a new friend: Ask them if they think that tattoo that seemed like such a good idea at age 22 will appeal at age 45 or 60. Blows their minds and gets their backs up in one fell swoop. I poked around the Net, but couldn’t find stats about…
A special night of Whitewater
I was thisclose (cue to me holding my index finger a half inch above my thumb) to having to tap dance in front of Phil’s Tavern for 20 minutes on a Saturday night — wearing a Sean May UNC jersey. Why? Because that’s what my wager was with the UNC entourage if North Carolina pulled…
An interview with Hank West
Queen City Theatre Company will be delighting lovers of spoofs, satires, nostalgic homages, and crossdressing with a grand mishmash of a comedy, Die Mommie Die! opening this week at Spirit Square. At the center of this looniness is aging film queen Angela Arden, striving to revive her sputtering career — and desperately clinging to her…
CL previews upcoming shows
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 8 Autopassion Recent N.C. émigrés, this quintet now calls Brooklyn home (what up-and-coming band doesn’t?) and that would seem to fit their aesthetic: melodic pop rock with elements of the Strokes, Interpol, and the Walkmen clearly discernible. This year’s Sit Back and Make a Difference managed to be more fun than fluff, and…
THEATER: Die Mommie Die!
Drama, drama and more drama make up Die Mommie Die! The play, having already celebrated success on Broadway and as a feature film in 2003, can now be seen in Charlotte at the Duke Energy Theatre. The comedy involves an unsatisfied marriage for character Angela Arden (played by Hank West — yeah we said Hank).…
Local civic events
WFAE’s Politics Unplugged Wednesday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Discovery Place, Wachovia Science Theatre, 301 North Tryon St., free, registration required at www.wfae.org. Col. Ann Wright, peace activist Thursday, Oct. 9, 7 p.m., Piedmont Unitarian-Universalist Church, 9704 Mallard Creek Road, davisxyz@hotmail.com or 704-499-3918. Candidate Meet and Greet Saturday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. to…
MUSIC: The Fresh Fest
In the 1980s there emerged the first major hip-hop tour, dubbed the Fresh Fest, featuring now legendary rappers like Run DMC, The Sugar Hill Gang and Kurtis Blow. If you’re a lover of old-school hip-hop, there’s a reunion coming to town you’ll want to attend. The Fresh Fest: Old School Reunion 2008 reiterates the fact…
The media’s low expectations of Palin
The media sucks. I have been a member of this industry since I contributed at age 16 to the local newspaper in my hometown of Richmond, Va. I remember believing in the idea of the Fourth Estate, an unofficial/official part of American society that was there to guard truth and honesty. That shit is over.…
SPECIAL EVENT: Purgatory
Military fashion show? It might as well be as Single Cell Productions hosts Purgatory 40: Blitzkrieg Military Fetish Ball. Recently voted “Best Place To People Watch” in our “Best Of Charlotte” issue, Purgatory is none other than the best for the crowd that can’t stay away from the fetish shows, electronic and industrial music and…
