Pres. Haley ‘Boss Hogg’ Barbour? Please.
The fact that Haley Barbour wants to rewrite the South’s history wasn’t the biggest surprise that came out of his mega-gaffe last week.
Dharma Lounge, 12/25/10
After the presents were all opened, the kids came out to play at Dharma Lounge Christmas night.
How to drive on ice (and why you probably shouldn’t)
Here’s what you need to know about ice: It’s not mud.
Daniel Balsam: Man against spam
Down with spam!
The case against excess packaging
Be part of the solution: Buy smart, recycle, reuse, donate, compost.
CL’s list of Charlotte-area New Year’s Eve parties
Here’s Creative Loafing’s compilation of New Year’s Eve parties for your early planning pleasure.
Best bets in Charlotte comedy, Dec. 28-Jan. 2
Here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte this week.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Monday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Snug Harbor, 12/23/10
The weekly Shiprocked party, hosted by Scott Weaver, celebrated the holiday on Dec. 23.
Film 2010: The Best & Worst
Titles include Black Swan, Inception and Exit Through the Gift Shop.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Friday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today December 24, 2010 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • After Hours Party at The Men’s Club • DJ Styles at Club Onyx • Now Open,…
The King’s Speech a royal treat
A witty script and sterling performances power this historical drama.
PHOTOS: Kickstand Burgers -N- Bar
With good food, no wait to be seated, ample parking, and reasonable prices, I’d say this place is a prime player in the Charlotte burger restaurant scene.
Little Fockers should be neither seen nor heard
Third film in franchise is painful rather than funny.
True Grit a decent Western update
Coen Brothers version is comparable to John Wayne Oscar winner from 1969.
I Love You Phillip Morris not very likable
Approach undermines potentially intriguing tale.
The great Darlene Love on Letterman
Today I’m taking off my political hat, putting on my rock history professor hat, and talking about one of the greatest rock singers ever, Darlene Love. Over the years, I’ve probably made too many of my friends, or former students, suffer through excited monologues about Darlene Love. She sang lead, with her deep, piercing, smooth…
All ye faithful at CAST
At the end of its fifth annual mini-season, The Birth: A Reflective Celebration of the Coming of Christ and the Starving Artist Productions people who bring it to us tacked on an extra celebration. After the 47-minute ragout of biblical readings, music, dance, and three monologues by Frederick Buechner adapted for the stage and performed…
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Charlotte’s a swingtown
If you live in the Queen City, then Swingtown didn’t end, it just got a local setting.
Rev. Pat Robertson: “Legalize pot, mon!”
Even in eventful, jam-packed 2010, this has to be the shocker of the year: Pat Robertson has come out in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. Robertson, one of the founders of America’s Christian Right, former presidential candidate, calmer of hurricanes through prayer, and, in general, an out-of-touch, doddering loon, said on a recent episode of his…
Don’t be trashy during the holidays
Repurpose or recycle your holiday trash instead.
Coal ash: Two years of promises and no action
There’s no telling when the EPA will finalize their decision.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Whisky River, 12/21/10
It was the Boots and Bikini Finals 2010 at Whisky River last night, Dec. 21.
King Harry Jones stonewalls city/county consolidation
Here’s a shocker: Harry Jones, King of Mecklenburg County, er, rather, county manager, is stalling on pursuing consolidation of city and county governments. Today’s Observer reports that Jones wants to delay any definitive moves toward a merger; Mayor Anthony Foxx, who has been pushing for just such a merger, is none too happy about Jones’…
WikiLeaks founder confirms Bank of America is next target — maybe
BofA girds its loins.
Census says: Immigrants, Yankees flock to North Cackalacky
Here’s hoping they’re all ready to pay taxes.
FCC manages to tick off most everyone
Can you hear me now?
Ring around the Patsy
Theater The Wrestling Season
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5 Wednesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Christmas at Scorpios
Scorpios’ Christmas shindig (on Wed., Dec. 22) boasts of “the return of the Godmother of Drag: Boom Boom LaTour.” Apparently Boom Boom will be performing a special ‘12 Days of Christmas’ spectacular — guess you just have to attend in order to find out exactly what this consists of, huh? In addition, there will also…
The Ultimate Cupcake and Cookie Challenge
When baking cupcakes gets competitive.
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
A sampling of New Year’s Eve dresses found in Charlotte shops
Ladies, what are you going to wear for New Year’s Eve?
At Secession Gala, Charleston “uppa cruss” celebrate good ol’ days of slavery
The Secession Gala we wrote about in yesterday’s blog took place as scheduled last night in Charleston, S.C. Some among the 400 gala attendees showed up in antebellum costumes, some even in Confederate uniforms, while most wore modern formal clothes. About 100 protesters, black and white, stood outside the civic auditorium where the gala was…
Happy Birthday, Frank Zappa
Remembering the great musician on what would have been his 70th birthday.
Should the state privatize liquor sales?
This is a no-brainer, Gubnah.
Harriet Jinwright appeals
She’s supposed to report to prison in April.
Sen. Al Franken wants you to fight for the Internet
Says the FCC’s plan is bad for consumers.
Opening This Week
What’s new in theaters this Christmas week.
This week’s new releases (12/21/2010)
Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new in stores this week: Keyshia Cole Calling All Hearts Jamie Foxx Best Night of My Life Ghostface Killah Apollo Kids Keri Hilson No Boys Allowed
Do you have a fear of falling?
Are you dating a “Justin Case?”
Game over: Tron: Legacy
If the hype is to be believed, 1982’s TRON was the Gone With the Wind of its day, a Citizen Kane for the modern age, a blockbusting, award-winning blah blah blah. No. TRON was a lightly entertaining movie (and notorious box office underachiever) whose sole claim to fame was its groundbreaking, computer-generated effects. So not…
Hot weather reads to warm you up
I don’t know what the weather will be like when this story is published, but as I’m writing this, it’s teeth-chattering cold, the coldest December in years. Leaving the house is like walking out into a refrigerator, and money’s too tight for a long getaway, so what to do? When in doubt, start reading. If…
Was the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs fixed?
As I just turned 70 and know my time on earth is limited I’d appreciate an answer to my question. Years ago I watched on TV the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King. Just before the match it was announced that King would be able to hit to…
Affluent blacks still overlooked in the Q.C.
Although African-Americans are considered one of the largest consumer groups in the nation, we are still seen by many — not all — as an undesirable customer base. That philosophy can be seen in action here in Charlotte; just look at all of the trials and tribulations that black folks have faced over the years…
A royal treat: The King’s Speech
Arriving on the scene like so much high-minded Oscar bait, The King’s Speech is anything but a stiff-upper-lip drama as constrained as a corseted queen. It is, however, perfect film fodder for discerning audiences starved for literate entertainment. Director Tom Hooper and particularly screenwriter David Seidler manage to build a towering film from a historical…
Weekly horoscope (Dec. 22-28)
Capricorn The Goat (Dec. 21-Jan. 19) The new eclipse series emphasizes your need for internal order and self-reflection. You must remain true to your deepest self and maintain faith that time will yield the secular opportunities that you need. Consider hypnosis or meditation, psychotherapy, dream work or journaling as resources to help you contemplate. Solitude…
The Fighter comes out swinging
True to form for controversial director David O. Russell (Three Kings), The Fighter takes a real-life story and turns it into a scrappy, hard-edged motion picture. Its focus is the relationship between Micky Ward (Mark Wahlberg), a boxer with real potential, and his brother-trainer Dicky Eklund (Christian Bale), a boxing has-been and crack addict holding…
True Grit: Quick on the draw
TRUE GRIT *** DIRECTED BY Joel & Ethan Coen STARS Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon It’s been well-documented that the Coen Brothers’ take on True Grit isn’t a remake of the 1969 film that won John Wayne his only Academy Award but rather a more faithful adaptation of Charles Portis’ novel. That’s all well and good,…
Knight and Day and Vampires Suck among new Blu-ray releases
KNIGHT AND DAY (2010). Cameron Diaz did some of her best acting when she was cast opposite Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky, but the difference between that dark mindbender and this sunny concoction is as glaring as the difference between … well, I’m not gonna say it. The similarity between the films, though, is obvious…
Lion tamer: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
On the sliding scale of Narnia adaptations, 2008’s Prince Caspian was slightly better than 2005’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but any hope for continued ascendancy in this franchise ends with The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. A costly tentpole that switched studios midstream, the Narnia series (based, of…
I Love You Phillip Morris not very likable
The based-on-fact tale I Love You Phillip Morris contains a scene in which Ewan McGregor goes down on Jim Carrey, and it’s moments such as these that doubtless kept the film out of U.S. theaters since its Sundance premiere almost two years ago (on the other hand, it’s been playing in more progressive countries since…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Dec. 22
BURLESQUE Sorry, camp-classic aficionados: Burlesque is no Showgirls or Staying Alive. Certainly, the film contains some risible moments, but nothing wretched enough to plunge it into the bowels of bad cinema. Ultimately, it’s too competently made to be a genuine stinker yet too indebted to hoary show biz clichés to come close to succeeding. Cher,…
Where to find it: Marzipan fruit
Before peppermint bark (a dark chocolate flecked with bits of peppermint candy) and the Peeps chocolate mousse reindeer, the holidays starred such candies as divinity, ribbon candy and marzipan fruit. Of these, ribbon candy is still readily available, but divinity, a meringue-type confection studded with a pecan half, is not. Once common in the South,…
Neither seen nor heard: Little Fockers
Let me get this straight. Dustin Hoffman deemed the script for Little Fockers so awful that he refused to participate until new scenes were written for him. And here he is now, having agreed to a revised screenplay that has him uttering lines like “You can pick your nose, but only flick the dry ones,…
Intro to New Year’s Eve Guide 2010
As 2010 comes to a close, we celebrate the end of a year that some might call pretty craptastic. We’ve dealt with so much these past 12 months — from massive budget cuts, library closings and teacher layoffs to the legalization of public groping (aka TSA security measures). On top of all that, thanks to…
Pinky’s Westside Grill inspires hope for the neighborhood
Morehead Street from Third Ward to Freedom Drive has slowly changed over the past five years. An older eatery, The Open Kitchen, has made Morehead its home for decades and a few new ones have become urban pioneers. Now, at the corner of Freedom and Morehead, Pinky’s Westside Grill has staked its claim. There’s a…
MUSIC: Leslie at Double Door Inn
A trio of men known as Leslie will continue their “residency” at The Double Door Inn tonight. After forming in 2004, the group made a name for itself as “one of Charleston’s most riff-heavy and boisterous underground rock bands.” Since then, they’ve spent most of their time touring around the Southeast. The band’s most notable…
The top New Year’s Eve parties in Charlotte
So many choices, so little time. Here’s a list of our top party picks.
3 questions with Michele Carney, cupcake queen
Floating on a cloud of fluffy cupcakes and yogurt swirls, Michele Carney — originally from Louisville, KY — planted her Southern shoes in Charlotte at the tender age of 7 years old. Harnessing a passion for family and sweets, Carney traded in her 9-to-5 corporate job and became the CFO of a friend-owned cupcake and…
HOLIDAY: Holiday Lights at the Garden
Nothing says the holidays like lights. The more the merrier — well, at least until the power bill arrives. Good thing Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens goes all out with its Holiday Lights at the Garden so that we don’t have to. During the seasonal event, the garden is decorated with more than 600,000 gleaming lights.…
Ballin’ on a budget: New Year’s Eve parties under $10
Cover charge $10 or less? Sounds like a party to us!
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree with Jon Lindsay
With his debut nationally-released album, Escape from Plaza Midwood, Charlotte singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Jon Lindsay earned accolades from publications around the country for his unique spin on the pop-rock genre. While most people would take that praise and fuel their next album with it, Lindsay isn’t content simply working on his next solo effort. Though he is…
NIGHTLIFE: Global Fever: Christmas Edition at Dharma Lounge
Though the prospect of trekking around the world sounds exhilarating, it also sounds exhausting. I wouldn’t want to step into Santa’s shoes, and I’m betting most of you wouldn’t want to either. Luckily, Ouzo Productions is hosting its Global Fever: Christmas Edition at Dharma Lounge on Dec. 25 — reindeer/passports are not required. The party…
New Year’s DVDs
Alas, all that Christmas spending has left you too poor to attend any overpriced New Year’s Eve events. No problem: Just hold your own New Year’s Eve party in the comfort of your own living room. Armed with a DVD player, you should have no problem getting into the spirit of the night with these…
CL previews upcoming concerts (Dec. 22-26)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 22 CARY ANN HEARST & MICHAEL TRENT Maybe better known by their stage name, Shovels + Rope, Cary Ann Hearst & Michael Trent make simple, folksy, country and blues music. The South Carolina duo also perform apart as solo acts but together they gel to create pure, no frills, Southern charm with a…
MUSIC: The ‘Bout It Boyz at The Milestone
The ‘Bout It Boyz will be the first to tell you that their music has more tongue in cheek than a horny teenager at a spin-the-bottle battle. Well, they won’t tell you outright: they’ll tell you that they’re ’bout “drinkin’, fuckin’ and rappin’,” and furthermore that they’re the “baddest, most def gangsta’ rappers in the…
New Year’s Eve dinners in the Queen City
Where to go for bubbles and food.
Nightlife profile: Buff Faye
Buff Faye is an avant-garde performer in the world of drag. She’s won multiple pageants, such as Miss Crown Royal Rugby Pageant 2008 and Miss Scorpio Drag Idol 2010. The Southern belle has also worked to raise money for charities like the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Time Out Youth, RAIN and Campus Pride. For a good…
MUSIC: Find Your Muse open mic at The Evening Muse
It’s Find Your Muse open mic night at The Evening Muse this and every Monday. Musicians, grab up your music gear and head over to perform one of your own creations in front of a crowd. No one can guarantee they’ll be liked, but constructive criticism is always helpful! Get there early to snag a…
New Year’s Eve concerts
• Simplified — Kick off the new year with something local as Charlotte’s Simplified brings out the mellowed-rock grooves. With Rayen Belchere. $15 advance, $18 day of show. 8:45 p.m. Amos’ Southend, 1423 S. Tryon St. www.amossouthend.com. • Keller Williams — Celebrate the holidays with three sets of music: reggae/dub, bluegrass and looped acoustic grooves.…
CD REVIEW: Deadmau5’s 4×4=12
THE DEAL: The year’s hottest DJ, aka Joel Zimmerman, releases his third album. THE GOOD: For fans of the electronic DJ genre, and Deadmau5 himself, the release of his third album will be the highlight of a holiday season. Sofia Toufa offers up some vocals on “Sofi Needs a Ladder,” Greta Svabo Bech on “Raise…
COMEDY: Derek Richards
Comedian Derek Richards has been busy. He’s not only battled disease (he’s a cancer survivor), but also ventured across the globe (to Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, etc.) providing laughs to the armed forces. His act mingles a range of tales (some of which include his time being raised in Detroit, the holidays, life…
Book review: Phil Sutcliffe’s AC/DC High Voltage Rock ‘N’ Roll: The Ultimate Illustrated History
THE DEAL: The ultimate AC/DC souvenir. THE GOOD: With all the hype that usually surrounds most rock endeavors, it’s refreshing to find one that actually lives up to its name. This AC/DC chronicle is so ultimately illustrated it’s hard to concentrate on the text. That’s not meant as criticism. Once you’ve pawed through the book…
EXHIBIT: Holiday Group Show
Shain Gallery’s Holiday Group Show features new works from three different artists: Geoffrey Johnson, Veronica Clark and Amy Dobbs (see her pictured painting, “Cotton and Magnolias”). Stop by to see the exhibit soon, as it’s only on view through the month of December. Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Shain Gallery, 2823 Selwyn Ave. 704-334-7744.…
The Bechtler turns one
While Charlotte’s NASCAR Hall of Fame was making headlines for not attracting as many visitors as projected and losing money like a car with a busted oil pan, it was a different story a few blocks over at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The Bechtler, which celebrates its one-year anniversary on Jan. 2,…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
Read It, Beat It: Police were called to the Borders bookstore on Rea Road after a 34-year-old woman was startled to find a man masturbating in a public part of the store. Maybe that’s why all the pages in my copy of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo are stuck together. Grinch: A 57-year-old man…
‘Assangination’: From character assassination to the real thing
Despite being granted bail, WikiLeaks founder and editor Julian Assange remains imprisoned in London, awaiting extradition proceedings to answer a prosecutor’s questions in Sweden. He hasn’t been formally charged with any crime. His lawyers have heard that a grand jury in the United States has been secretly empaneled, and that a U.S. federal indictment is…
EXHIBIT: A Few Of My Favorite Things
If you frequently look at pieces of art and wonder what inspired its artist(s), you’ll want to visit Green Rice Gallery’s current exhibit. Various artists (such as Kendra Baird, whose painting “Into the Rain” is pictured) were asked to display their favorite works with a written explanation (e.g., what they were thinking when they created…
Amazing grace: Black Swan
Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a messy masterpiece. Like Apocalypse Now, Eraserhead and Aronofsky’s own Requiem for a Dream, it’s one of those films that will force viewers to either reject it outright or allow it, however reluctantly, to burrow into the brain and remain there for days, weeks, months on end. It’s a character…
A quick 2010 quiz
Everyone is way too busy this week, so I appreciate your reading this column. This quick year-end quiz won’t take up much of your time. Here’s how it works: Below are three situations from the past year that called out for an intelligent, measured response. If you pick the best answer, you’ll know for sure…
Comic review: Black Panther: The Man Without Fear No. 513
The Deal: After recent developments in two Marvel comic books — Doomwar and Shadowland — the blind superhero Daredevil has decided to leave Hell’s Kitchen (the neighborhood he protects). In his place stands the Black Panther, who takes on the role without his famed technology, his powers, his royal mantle or even his wife (the…
No harm in charm: How Do You Know
Often as likable as a frolicking puppy — and always as messy — How Do You Know is one of those pictures in which everyone is so gosh-darn charismatic that the battle — at least for the filmmakers — is already half over. When compared to writer-director James L. Brooks’ early efforts in television and…
Airport security breach flies under the radar
It was one of the most remarkable American airport security breaches of 2010, and it happened right here in Charlotte. Delvonte Tisdale, 16, somehow got past airport security, onto a tarmac and into the wheel well of a US Airways plane bound for Massachusetts. Pieces of his body were subsequently found splattered across several lawns…
EXHIBIT: Holiday Square Works Show
In its sixth year, this annual exhibit features a mix of mediums that are each squared and 20″ x 20″ or smaller. The gallery sorted through over 150 submissions from more than 80 artists across the Carolinas for the show’s content. It includes works by Isabel Forbes, Scott Partridge, Sharon Grubbs and Charlotte Faust (see…
