Apr 5-11, 2011

Apr 5-11, 2011 / Vol. 25 / No. 6

Theater review: The Colored Museum

I was rather amazed to discover that it had been more than seven years since the last time I saw George C. Wolfe’s audacious take on Afro-American history, The Colored Museum here in the Queen City. So much has changed on the local scene since that November 2003 production at CAST directed by Dee Abdullah.…

Perry Tannenbaum

South Carolina: Still fighting the non-existent threat of Muslim law

The state of South Carolina has a shockingly huge Muslim population — 7,000! That’s a whopping 0.2% of its entire population! Not to fear, though; in response to the Muslims’ evil demographic juggernaut, the wise government of the land south of Carowinds is taking steps. The state is now one step closer to enacting a…

John Grooms

Serious deficit reduction: a liberal plan

Deficit reduction is the rage on Capitol Hill as well as in the General Assembly in Raleigh, but the list of cuts offered by lawmakers is pretty limited, mostly consisting of slashing programs that help the poor (or rather, the politically powerless who can’t put up much of a stink). As usual, conservatives have concocted…

John Grooms

Coaching the county commissioners: the bad dream team

Jennifer Roberts has a good sense of humor, if her latest scheme is any indication. As Commission chair, Roberts needs for members of the Commission to get along — at least well enough that meetings don’t turn into the kind of weird and snotty hate-fests we’ve seen lately. There are, after all, a few problems…

John Grooms

Bonnaroo lineup additions announced

They’ve made some additions to the 2011 Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival lineup: NOFX Galactic Anthony B G Love & Special Sauce Black Uhuru Shpongle Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears Ben Sollee Graveyard Dennis Coffey The Knux Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens Futurebirds Hangaii Lewis Black Cheech Marin John…

Jeff Hahne

Bobcats fall out of playoff contention

Charlotte’s D.J. Augustin missed a last second layup, sending the team’s battle with the Magic into overtime. But the fire that burned within the Bobcats during the second half and charged a comeback couldn’t fuel their overtime abilities as Orlando scored the first nine points and sent the Bobcats packing. There will be no joy…

Jeff Hahne

Honey-Roasted Onion Tart from Bon Appetit

Perhaps I subscribe to too many culinary magazines – I always get inundated with a flurry of them at the same time each month. And while I am excited to crack open every glossy, candy-colored magazine, I can’t help rushing through each one just so I can tackle the next. With a full library of…

Priscilla Tsai

Today’s Top 5: Thursday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, April 7, 2011 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Food Lion AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway • Tiesto at Phoenix • Futurebirds at The Evening Muse • Charlotte House of Comedy at Allure • Press Your…

Anita Overcash

Another kink for ReVenture

As reported on The Charlotte Business Journal’s website by Susan Stabley: The Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League has filed a petition with the N.C. Utilities Commission challenging ReVenture Park’s waste-to-energy plant project. ReVenture has asked utility commissioners to designate “refuse-derived fuel” as a renewable energy resource. That’s connected to a bill state legislators approved last…

Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman

Wind energy farm for NE North Carolina moves forward

In energy news outside of wannabe energy hub central (aka Charlotte): A proposal to build a 300-megawatt wind energy farm in the northeast corner of North Carolina has so far cleared a major milestone that has long eluded wind power in this state: It has generated no organized opposition. Indeed, the lack of controversy prompted…

Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman

Area stores welcome back The Avett Brothers

There are a number of deals and giveaways going on around the area surrounding the homecoming concert of The Avett Brothers on April 9 at Bojangles Coliseum. Here’s what the guys just posted on Facebook: Hello Charlotte Fans! Do not forget about all the great deals in the Charlotte area to celebrate the homecoming of…

Jeff Hahne

Niche, 4/5/11

Niche in SouthEnd hosted a party featuring Samantha Busch on Tuesday night, with drinks by FUZE and tunes by DJ BlngxBdgt. Photos by Justin Driscoll

Priscilla Tsai

The heart of fashion

Charlotte STYLE Magazine’s 3rd Annual 25 Most Stylish People in Charlotte event benefits American Heart Association’s Go Red Campaign.

Kimberly Lawson

2011 FemmeFest details announced

2011 FemmeFest will take place on Saturday, May 21, around the NoDa neighborhood. Among the artists scheduled to perform are: Jennifer Knapp Elizabeth and the Catapult Donna Duncan Reeve Coobs Mieka Pauley Natalie Royal Grown Up Avenger Stuff HuDost Karla Davis Rebecca Pronsky Shana Blake

Jeff Hahne

Book review: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

“How did I go from being a rock star to being a fat fuck no one cares about?” That’s what one of the characters asks in Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad, and through most of the book, the author stays busy answering that question. The winner of the National Book Critics Circle…

The urge to splurge

Sticking with a budget is a lot like dieting. You start out with good intentions but somewhere along the way you get tempted. My approach to staying with a budget is the same as the one I take when I want to lose some weight. You’ve stayed with the low-calorie foods, you’re close to your…

Susan Palmquist

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of April 6

THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU One person’s religious beliefs is often another person’s existentialist theories, and The Adjustment Bureau offers plenty of theological fodder to go around. Because it tinkers with notions involving God and chance and destiny and all that other stuff that’s fun to discuss, it might turn off those types of folks who misunderstood…

Matt Brunson

EXHIBIT: Nothing Personal

Most folks around town know Jasiatic as a creative artist/photographer (she’s done plenty of work for CL), but what you might not know is that she’s also a single mother. In her latest showcase, she’ll be featuring photos of her children — captured in both sweet and wild moments. It’s family with a funky twist;…

Anita Overcash

Weekly horoscope (April 6-12)

Aries The Ram (March 20-April 19) This is not the best week for mechanical objects. Breakage or failures are highly possible. Your reflexes are strung too tightly, so make an effort to relax muscles and concentrate on steady but consistent forward motion. This is the advice whether driving the car or running a mile. Keep…

Vivian Carol

FESTIVAL: Sensoria

Spring’s bloom is getting fuller as Cental Piedmont Community College’s Sensoria kicks off. A celebration of the arts, the week-long fest features a plethora of theater (Almost, Maine, Shakespeare to Go), dance (NCDT’s Bearden and Ballet), visual arts (Families of Abraham, The Art of Music exhibits) and film (Redneck Roots), as well as culinary arts,…

Morgan Jones

CL previews upcoming concerts (April 6-12)

JON WAYNE AND THE PAIN Over a set of irresistible beats Jon Wayne and The Pain are taking their Sublime-esque sound and making it their own. The Minneapolis quartet offers a unique mixture of reggae, rock and a hint of funk to keep dance floors packed with their Dub-step experimentation. $7. Double Door Inn. www.doubledoorinn.com.…

MUSIC: Tiësto at Phoenix

Fans of electronic/trance should make sure they’re at Phoenix tonight for a performance by DJ/musician/producer Tiësto aka Tijs Verwest. The Dutch artist is currently on the U.S. leg of his Club Life World Tour in celebration his brand-spankin’-new compilation Club Life: Volume One Las Vegas. A legend when it comes to spinnin’ throbbing tunes with…

Anita Overcash

Comic review: The Walking Dead No. 83

The Deal: The latest issue of Image Comics’ The Walking Dead gives us part four of the book’s “No Way Out” story arc. In this edition, our lead characters and the community they’ve been building for the last few months gets overrun by zombies. The Bad: A common pitfall in the world of serialized fiction…

Carlton Hargro

Kofi Burbridge calls Charlotte home, one week at a time

Kofi Burbridge is sitting inside Nova’s Bakery in Plaza Midwood. He got home from his tour with Jeff Coffin’s MuTet a few days ago. There’s enough time to do laundry, get his mail and catch a Prince concert in town. He’ll probably see his parents and sister who also live in Charlotte before he heads…

Jeff Hahne

THEATER: Zombie Prom

We just can’t seem to get enough of zombies these days. The decomposed fleshly fiends are always popping up somewhere, whether it’s in film, comics and now … stageplays. Matthews Performing Arts Center is taking to the grave with performances of the musical Zombie Prom. Based off the 1950s comic book and musical-made-film, the story…

Anita Overcash

The Music Never Stopped: An easy-listening experience

The music never stops in The Music Never Stopped (**1/2), and that would be a problem if the tunes on parade were on the order of, say, Phil Collins’ execrable “Sussudio” or Rebecca Black’s splinter-in-the-tongue Web hit “Friday.” But with a soundtrack lined with the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan (even Buffalo Springfield’s…

Matt Brunson

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Getting Started Early: Employees at a local Walmart called police after a kid was caught shoplifting from the store. The manager told officers that an employee spotted the juvenile pocketing seven packs of Yu-Gi-Oh cards. He was stopped and detained before he could reach the exit, and seemed shocked that Trishula, Dragon of the Ice…

Ryan Pitkin

The Music Never Stopped: An easy-listening experience

The music never stops in The Music Never Stopped (**1/2), and that would be a problem if the tunes on parade were on the order of, say, Phil Collins’ execrable “Sussudio” or Rebecca Black’s splinter-in-the-tongue Web hit “Friday.” But with a soundtrack lined with the likes of The Beatles and Bob Dylan (even Buffalo Springfield’s…

Matt Brunson

Cheap Thrills 2011

We know, we know — the economy still sucks … and your pockets still look like rabbit ears. But even though you’re broke, you don’t have to spend your evenings eating ramen noodles and watching Hulu.com. Yes, you recession-ravaged reveler, you can have a good time without having to take out a second mortgage. And…

Cheris Hodges

Women drivers: Everything you know is wrong (maybe)

When my husband and I go somewhere together, he drives. And since we go practically everywhere together, I hardly ever drive — except to work. I couldn’t tell you why we do this. It’s just been that way for so long that I automatically settle into the passenger seat without thinking about it. But is…

Nightlife profile: Sarah Mickney

With flair and originality, Sarah Mickney breaks away from your standard bottled beers and Captain and Cokes when she experiments behind the bar. Armed with brains and a kick-ass disposition, this bartender — pouring at both Cosmos in Ballantyne and Boardwalk Billy’s in Matthews — uses her patrons to test out new, innovative cocktails. When…

Jordan Bullington

FASHION: La Vie en Glamour at Dharma Lounge

A quick venture into the clothing shop Boris and Natasha in Plaza Midwood can send just about anyone on either a shopping spree or (if you lack the funds) a dreamy window-shopping ordeal. So it’s no wonder that La Vie en Glamour — a fashion show featuring looks from Boris and Natasha — is worthy…

Anita Overcash

Source Code‘s sour coda

Has Duncan Jones already sold out? It’s hard to say, but Source Code (**1/2 out of four), his sophomore effort as director, can only be considered a disappointment given his knock-it-out-of-the-park debut. 2009’s Moon, which missed my 10 Best list that year by one spot, was a dazzling achievement, the sort of heady sci-fi extravaganza…

Matt Brunson

NIGHTLIFE: Mi Casa at Dharma Lounge

Nightlife in Charlotte gets a new look, feel and — most importantly — sound with the launch of the brand-new monthly event Mi Casa. Created by the local photographer/scenester Jasiatic, Mi Casa actually started months ago as a weekly house party (held, literally, in her house), but it quickly evolved into an epic soiree frequented…

Carlton Hargro

CD REVIEW: Temperance League’s Freedom From Evil Spirits

The Deal: Charlotte garage rockers release handful of songs on self-titled debut EP. The Good: Temperance League has always been defined by the quality of its songwriting and lyrical content, and the release of its debut EP will get its music to more ears. From the Beatles-esque opening riff of “Ain’t Nobody Listening” to the…

Jeff Hahne

FILM: Tornado Alley

Get ready to dodge pounding hail, pouring rain, and relentless winds all in an IMAX theater near you. Sound dangerous? Imagine it in 3-D. As tornado season arrives in Charlotte Discovery Place’s The Charlotte Observer IMAX Dome Theatre has released Tornado Alley, a film that according to them, is “the most eagerly awaited IMAX film…

Morgan Jones

Insidious: Decent horror betrayed by overkill

INSIDIOUS **1/2 DIRECTED BY James Wan STARS Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne It’s not as if the world really needed yet another exorcist tale when The Last Exorcism hit theaters late last summer, but that masterfully constructed faux-documentary unexpectedly proved to be a welcome addition to the horror canon. Likewise, while it’s probably time to call…

Matt Brunson

FILM: Lets Get Reel Music and Movies, screening Key Largo

Key Largo, Montego, baby why don’t we go … to Mint Museum Uptown for its Let’s Get Reel music and movies series this evening? In case you hadn’t heard, the museum hosts this special event — featuring live music and a movie — on the second Tuesday of every month. This week, Charlotte bassist Ron…

Morgan Jones

Sucker Punch clobbers viewers with inanities

It wouldn’t be quite accurate to call Sucker Punch (*1/2) the ultimate fan-boy film, but it’s a designation that nevertheless offers a near-perfect fit. It only fails the fan-boy test in that its protagonists aren’t chiseled macho men but rather five women, and as everyone knows, fan boys are too scared of modes of feminine…

Matt Brunson

BENEFIT: Taste of the Nation

No child should have to go hungry. That’s where Share Our Strength’s campaign to end childhood hunger in America comes in. In its 16th year, its Taste of the Nation benefit raises funds to help stop such tragedies. The hefty ticket price gets you food from more than 30 restaurants (Blue Restaurant, Mez, The Capital…

Anita Overcash

Where to find it: Shish tawook with toum

The word tawook comes from the Turkish work for chicken, thus shish tawook is skewered chicken. But shish tawook has become many representations throughout the Middle East. In Lebanon, the garlic sauce used on this dish sets it apart. In Lebanese, this sauce is known as toum and is similar to the aÏoli from Provence,…

Tricia Childress

Singer Anthony David evolves, but stays true

You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying that there’s no such thing as an overnight success. Well folks, it’s true — especially when it comes to soul singer/musician Anthony David. David — who hails from Savannah, Ga., but lives in Atlanta — has been on the grind since the mid-1990s, but with each album he’s released (from…

Carlton Hargro

CD REVIEW: Des Ark’s Don’t Rock the Boat, Sink the Fucker

The Deal: Passion fires latest from outspoken Argote. The Good: Aimee Argote’s latest razes most of the bullshit baggage she tends to lug along through these eight baptism-by-fire songs of fury and forgiveness, empathy and accusation. Rock the Boat took two years and two studios to finish, with attention to detail the sine qua non.…

John Schacht

Movies passes

Get free movie passes to see Your Highness and Scream 4.

Booster brainstorm for 2012 Democratic convention

  Scene: A corporate conference room containing a large table, chairs, a snack tray, water bottles, and a couple of ferns. Characters: Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Tim Newman, Center City Partners honcho Michael Smith, CCP Sr. VP for Communications Moira Quinn, and a Charlotte Observer editor who wishes anonymity because of the puzzling public…

Book review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

In 1951, Henrietta Lacks was a spirited, 31-year-old African-American mother of five, originally from the tobacco farms of Virginia, but living at the time in Baltimore. She was diagnosed and treated for an unusually virulent case of cervical cancer at Baltimore’s Johns Hopkins hospital. Doctors could do little to treat Lacks, other than give her…

3 questions with Kiana Morrison, restaurateur

Before the South was urbanized with other diverse flavors, soul food defined the foundation of Southern culinary heritage. Surprisingly enough, Nana’s Soul Food Kitchen wasn’t born from someone of Southern origin. Kiana Morrison, co-owner of Nana’s, moved with her husband and family to Charlotte from New York, after falling in love with the Queen City…

Nicole Pietrantonio

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