Apr 12-18, 2011

Apr 12-18, 2011 / Vol. 25 / No. 7

Lady Gaga reveals ‘Born This Way’ album cover

She recently said the angled protrusions on her face are not implants of any kind, so don’t be surprised if Lady Gaga now tries to convince you that she’s some kind of Transformer when she’s not on stage. The artist has revealed her latest album cover for Born This Way and it’s some kind of…

Jeff Hahne

Tea Party honcho Marilyn Davenport sends e-mail of Obama as a chimp

Remember when Tea Partiers denied over and over that their group contained an inordinate number of racists? And then still denied it, even after a gazillion photos of racist Tea Party rally signs were revealed by the press? Well, that “issue” — as if there was much doubt left about that crowd’s feelings — is…

John Grooms

Easter brunch and a movie at Mez

Mez at the EpiCentre will be hosting Easter brunch and a movie for $29.95 per person on April 24. Brunch without a movie is $23.95, and kids’ meal is $10.95 per person. The brunch buffet will include breakfast selections, salads, fruits, a carving station, and assorted pastries.

Priscilla Tsai

Chima celebrates Easter

Chima Brazilian Steahouse will be celebrating Easter, April 24, with earlier hours and family-friendly activities like face painting and kid’s entertainment.

Priscilla Tsai

Live review: Hayes Carll

Hayes Carll w/ Shovels and Rope Stage Door Theatre April 17, 2011 The Deal: Hayes Carll rolls into intimate setting for long night of music, Shovels and Rope in tow. The Good: The night started around 7 p.m. with a 45-minute set by Charleston, S.C., husband-and-wife duo Shovels and Rope. Bringing front-porch style, dirty folk…

Jeff Hahne

Observer soft-pedals drastic drop in Bank of America profits

About a year ago, in the middle of an article about a local bank, I wrote that The Charlotte Observer routinely sucks up to big local banks. This wasn’t a revelatory statement, and it wasn’t meant to be — just a confirmation, or restatement, of what is commonly accepted knowledge among people who don’t work…

John Grooms

‘Patriotic Millionaires’ want to pay more taxes

I’ve bitched in the past about the super-wealthy’s class war on the rest of us, and even wrote a column titled “Eat the Rich.” So it may come as a surprise that I want to express admiration and support for a group of more than 40 millionaires. They call themselves the “Patriotic Millionaires,” and they’ve…

John Grooms

This weekend’s nightlife events (April 15-17)

Friday, April 15 • Village Tavern at 5, courtesy of Paschal Promotions • Yardwork record release presented by Shuffle Magazine at Neighborhood Theatre • Dance for Japan fundraiser at RE:Public • SocialFlockers Bunny Bash & Egg Hunt at Mez • 2nd Annual Tax Relief Party at Whisky River Saturday, April 16 • 2nd Annual Decade…

Kimberly Lawson

Food bloggers unite

If you consider yourself a food blogger, you might want to join the food blogging meeting going on at 11 am this Saturday, April 16, at Freedom Park.

Priscilla Tsai

Ticket giveaway: The Whigs

Want to see The Whigs on Thursday night at the Neighborhood Theatre? We’re giving away tickets for you and a guest to go to the show. To enter, simply comment on this post via valid e-mail address and let us know your favorite Whigs song. We’ll pick a random winner on Wednesday at 5 p.m.…

Jeff Hahne

Duke Energy’s nuke efforts dealt a blow

Duke Energy’s plans to build more nuclear power plants just took a hit. The Charlotte Business Journal’s John Downey is reporting today that Robert Gruber, the executive director of the Public Staff of the N.C. Utilities Commission — in other words, Duke customers’ representative on the commission — is now opposed to Duke’s proposal to…

John Grooms

Blaqstarr The Mixtape released

Blaqstarr The Mixtape is out today and you can download it for free here Featured are Lil Wayne, M.I.A., Rye Rye, Diplo, Talib Kweli, Mos Def and more. Enjoy!

Jeff Hahne

This week’s new releases (4/12/2011)

Here’s a quick rundown of some of what’s new in stores this week: Brett Dennen Loverboy Elbow Build a Rocket Boys! Foo Fighters Wasting Light Jason Isbell and 400 Unit Here We Rest Jessie J Who Are You Alison Krauss and Union Station Paper Airplane K.D. Lang Sing it Loud Paul Simon So Beautiful or…

Jeff Hahne

Pot industry uses too much power

Yeah, America has a pot industry; but you middle-aged, whitebread tokers already know that. (What? White folks smoke more than minorities? Yep.) But, instead of subsidizing and babying the marijuana industry like we do so many others — I’m looking at you coal, oil, natural gas, Wall Street, big banks, farms, etc — we expect…

Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Hissy Fit: A 22-year-old woman called police after her clearly unstable boyfriend assaulted her. The man became enraged one day last week and started throwing and breaking things around the house. The woman went outside to call for help and then went inside to attempt to get her children out. The suspect threatened to shoot…

Ryan Pitkin

Southern Blend: A Dating Experiment

Sometimes it was a prolonged glance. Other times, it was a sideways stare … or a tilted head. Whatever the reaction was, we noticed it. “I mean, this is 2006, right?” we would ask ourselves.Then we would joke that maybe all the attention was because we were so good-looking. Sarcasm aside, my ex-husband and I…

Angela Lindsay

Will hookworms relieve my asthma?

I was recently distracted from my dust allergy woes by a Radiolab episode discussing how the noble but misunderstood hookworm might offer me some relief. Apparently the parasite has been shown to calm the immune system when certain allergens make it overenthusiastic. What’s the straight dope? — Charo Serventy, Wollongong, Australia Infecting yourself with hookworms…

Cecil Adams

Tammy Hsu lends an artistic helping hand

Numerous studies show that students who are exposed to the arts do better in school. But in tough financial times, families may not have the money to pay for expensive classes and training. Tammy C. Hsu, executive director and founder of the Intermezzo Awards, however, doesn’t think money should kill a child’s interest in the…

Cheris Hodges

Weekly horoscope (April 13-19)

Aries The Ram (March 20-April 19) During the late summer/fall of 2010 you may have begun a relationship that you suspected was not in your best interest. At this point you know the full story and can make a more informed decision. Allow this enlightenment to percolate for just a few weeks before you take…

Vivian Carol

‘Bonnie and Clyde’ case exposes problems at CMPD

No doubt the pressure on police to solve the “Bonnie and Clyde” burglaries was intense. Every time the male-female duo robbed another wealthy south Charlotte home, it was all over the evening news. They burglarized places in broad daylight, stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of stuff, then drove off in a red Jeep…

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of April 13

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

One Guantanamo trial that will be held in New York

On the same day President Barack Obama formally launched his re-election campaign, his attorney general, Eric Holder, announced that key suspects in the 9/11 attacks would be tried not in federal court, but through controversial military commissions at Guantanamo. Holder blamed members of Congress, who he said “have intervened and imposed restrictions blocking the administration…

Amy Goodman

A sober look at the new Arthur

Here’s the dirty secret about 1981’s Arthur: It’s no classic. While a gargantuan box office hit and a double Oscar winner, it hasn’t exactly entered the annals as an equal compatriot of, say, Some Like It Hot or Annie Hall — in retrospect, this likable lark wasn’t even the funniest film of its year (both…

Matt Brunson

Harry Potter and Narnia flicks among new home entertainment titles

ARTHUR (1981) / ARTHUR 2: ON THE ROCKS (1988). With the theatrical release of Arthur this past weekend, it’s not surprising that Warner Bros. has elected to release the 1981 original and its belated sequel as a two-movie set on Blu-ray. A commercial smash, Arthur casts Dudley Moore in his career role as the irrepressible…

Matt Brunson

EXHIBIT: Beauty in the Broken

Artist Kendra Baird enjoys traveling around the world. After visiting 11 countries, she’s broadened her horizons and found her muse. Her new works (including the pictured piece, titled “The One”) reflect the people, places and things that she’s encountered on her journeys. Exhibit continues through May 29. Green Rice Gallery, 451 E. 36th St. 704-344-0300.…

Anita Overcash

Win Win emerges a champ

If life is indeed about enjoying the little things, then it’s entirely appropriate that the best scenes in Win Win are the little slice-of-life ones. Writer-director Tom McCarthy is a master at making movies that tap into instantly recognizable emotions and experiences — his previous pictures were 2003’s superb The Station Agent (Netflix that one…

Matt Brunson

CONTEST WINNER: Coheed and Cambria

Since its 2002 release, The Second Stage Turbine Blade, the debut album from Sci-Fi prog. rockers Coheed and Cambria remains a favorite among its diverse but loyal fan base. On Monday, April 18, the band returns to The Fillmore for “Neverender: SSTB –An evening with Coheed and Cambria” in which they will perform the album…

Doug Earls

SPECIAL EVENT: The Big Brew Ha

Mint Museum Uptown is bubbling over with all things brewed during The Big Brew Ha. The event — which helps to fund preservation efforts for the historic St. Peter’s Catholic Church on Tryon Street — features a dinner with gourmet breakfast selections (provided by Dean & Deluca, Harvest Moon Grille, Amelie’s French Bakery, the Healthy…

Anita Overcash

Hanna cuts to the chase

With a young girl as its steely-eyed, bloodletting protagonist, Hanna can’t help but be compared to Kick-Ass, what with its steely-eyed, bloodletting Hit Girl. Bring it on: This is one film that can take down its competition. While Kick-Ass was criticized in many circles for glorifying the mayhem exacted by its pint-sized heroine, director Joe…

Matt Brunson

FASHION: Passport For Fashion

I’ve always thought it’d be really cool to make a dress out of some old issues of Creative Loafing. Alas, the best I could probably do is fold together an origami hat — if that. But if you’re interested in seeing what real artists can do when they take recyclable material and fashion it into…

Kimberly Lawson

Where to find it: Pork Gyros

Last October, I wrote a story expressing my dismay that in a town filled with Greek-Americans — and, more importantly, many Greek-American restaurateurs — the city lacked authentic Greek gyros (pronounced yee-ros). The meat used in the gyro sandwiches around town is typically a cone of pressed meat, usually beef and lamb trimmings with bread…

Tricia Childress

THEATER: Dead Man’s Cell Phone

Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte’s latest production Dead Man’s Cell Phone is the perfect example of why it’s sometimes better to let a phone ring off the hook than answer it. The surrealist comedy by playwright Sarah Ruhl unfolds when a woman grabs up a stranger’s cell phone after he croaks in a cafe. Whatever the…

Anita Overcash

Diamond Restaurant delivers a trendy retro concept

Jimmy King and Brian Rowe, two of the operators who revived the Penguin in 2001 with Andy Kastanas, owner of Soul Gastrolounge in Plaza Midwood, and John Fuller, of the rock band Player/Kommander, reopened the Diamond Restaurant two months ago. This group owns the name and leases the space from retired restaurateur Jerry Pistiolis. The…

Tricia Childress

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…

Anita Overcash

3 questions with Aaron Ward, server

One of Aaron Ward’s most memorable experiences was working with “a chef who was from Amsterdam, a total loon” who had admirably “forgotten more than other chefs will ever know.” The same could be said of Ward. Although his hometown of Salisbury is far from Amsterdam, his years working as everything from server to general…

Laura Camilo

THEATER: Blue Man Group

Looking like something from another planet, the phenomenal Blue Man Group makes a landing at Blumenthal’s Belk Theater. Using music, comedy and stage props, the performance art trio has made its mark. They don’t speak, but as the ol’ saying goes: “Actions speak louder than words.” In this case, the technological theatrics say it all.…

Anita Overcash

Hayes Carll: walking a long road on path to success

Though people are still slowly learning the name Hayes Carll, the singer-songwriter isn’t new to the music business. He’s been performing for the last 12 years or so and recording albums for the last 10. They say that slow and steady wins the race, so Carll must be on the right path. His fourth album,…

Jeff Hahne

MUSIC: Off the Record w/ Harvard and Electric Coma

In case you haven’t heard about CL music editor Jeff Hahne’s new music series “Off the Record,” here’s another reminder. Happening monthly at The Evening Muse, it goes beyond just music. Between songs Hahne asks questions to performing musicians, giving the audience a better insight into the bands songs and artistic process. This week, the…

Anita Overcash

CL previews upcoming concerts (April 13-19)

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 13 A TRIBUTE TO THE LOUVIN BROTHERS When Charlie Louvin passed away at 83 in January after a remarkable second act this decade, the curtain dropped on of one of country music’s most overlooked yet influential acts. Charlie and his brother Ira — the hard-drinking yin to Charlie’s mild-mannered yang — were one…

Butch Baker, The Righteous Maker among new comic reviews

As always, I’ve been sifting through an ass-load of comic books lately. Here are a few quick looks at some recently released titles: Butcher Baker, The Righteous Maker No. 1: Writer Joe Casey is back with a new satirical superhero comic that is sure to please scrotum fans everywhere … and that’s about it. What…

Carlton Hargro

Nightlife profile: Rita Miles

You must tip your hat in admiration to Rita Miles, for she is a busy woman. While her background is in commercial and residential interior design (which she actively utilizes in her company Miles Interiors), Miles founded the events and promotional company Charlotte Seen last year to help create more visibility for local charities. Her…

Kimberly Lawson

Dead Man’s Cell Phone makes a strong connection

Anyone who subscribes to the notion that women aren’t into electronics might do well to investigate the comedies of Sarah Ruhl. Dead Man’s Cell Phone, first presented off-Broadway in 2008 and now at Actor’s Theatre though April 23, introduces us to a woman who is drawn into a total stranger’s life by her compulsion to…

Perry Tannenbaum

CD REVIEW: Yardwork’s Brotherer

THE DEAL: Local sextet delivers an all-together-now debut. THE GOOD: An album-long ovation to togetherness should really be broadcast to the world in unison — an idea Yardwork emphatically stands behind over these nine anthemic tracks. “We’re marching in this line together/single file won’t do,” the multitudes sing to the martial beat of “Eddie San,”…

John Schacht

EXHIBIT: Figuratively Speaking

Twenty-Two’s newest exhibit is pretty self-explanatory. A collection of figurative paintings and drawings, it features works from a ton of artists — including Drea Cofield, Sharon Dowell, Melissa Hickok, Matt Hooker, Kelly Keith (see her far-out pictured piece, titled “Prussian Blue familiar”), Robert Page, Mike Watson and Chris Watts. Continues through April 30. Hours: Tuesday-Thursday,…

Anita Overcash

CD REVIEW: Simplified’s Brighter Days

THE DEAL: Charlotte quartet releases its third studio effort, produced by O.A.R. saxophonist Jerry DePizzo. THE GOOD: From the opening riff of “Shall We Begin,” Simplified lets you know this album has a different sound than previous albums. Though they’ve had a few residencies in Key West, the laid-back beach vibe of earlier efforts has…

Jeff Hahne

EXHIBIT: The Green Shadow

Featuring installations by artists Jeff Schmuki and Heather Lewis, the exhibit touches on both the environment and technology. While Schmuki (see pictured photo of one of his pieces) uses materials fused with chia to create a green setting that aims to “address fragility, decomposition and rebirth,” Lewis uses mixed media to capture light and looming…

Anita Overcash

Killing faster Internet service: Time Warner has Raleigh do its dirty work

Salisbury, N.C. is just a 40-mile trip up I-85 from Charlotte. It’s home to around 30,000 people and, along with the city of Wilson in eastern N.C., it boasts the fastest Internet speeds in the state. Salisbury and its citizens own the Fibrant fiber optic network, while Wilsonians own the Greenlight Community Network; both of…

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