Cover Story
Creative Loafing turns 25!
Welcome to Creative Loafing’s 25th Anniversary Edition. Woo-hoo! To celebrate, we offer you, dear loyal readers, the 25 most important stories in CL’s history. How did we come up with these choices? A lot of arguing among the editorial staff. Are we right? Well, what's right when you're talking about literally thousands of stories? The…
LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
A roundup of CL‘s top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte this week.
The Artist, Deliverance among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD.) THE ARTIST (2011). Although its cribbing from Singin’ in the Rain, A Star Is Born and more means that this black-and-white silent picture sometimes runs short on invention, it easily makes up for it in style, execution and a…
Bernardin’s celebrates 1/2 year anniversary
A glimpse into this upscale Uptown location, complete with photos.
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Tenacious D at The Fillmore tonight (6/26/2012)
They only find their mojo when they stick to potty humor and dick jokes.
Dunces of the Week: Conservative Supreme Court justices
They heart undocumented immigrants and corporate spending on political campaigns
2012 Dub Show Tour, 6/23/2012
Photos from Rick Ross headlining at Charlotte Convention Center.
Heroes Con, 6/23/2012
It’s a great time to wear your convention’s best.
Charlotte Does The Wall, 6/22/2012
Local musicians recreate classic Pink Floyd album.
Silent Disco, 6/22/12
Photos from Friday night’s Silent Disco party.
Chasing Stan Lee
When I put on my Wonder Woman costume Saturday morning, my only expectation was to have fun at the 30th annual Heroes Convention. Like Peter Parker before he became Spider-Man, I was blissfully unaware of my superhero destiny. Donning my red boots, shiny cape and starred gold crown — and blue eyeshadow a la Lynda…
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Where to find it: Cannoli
Cannoli would seem to be a simple affair: fried pastry shells stuffed with a sweet cream. In many restaurants the cream and shells are pre-made, but are assembled onsite by extruding the cream flecked with chocolate chips into the pastry tube, finishing them with a dusting of powdered sugar. The filling of a cannolo (singular)…
JJ’s Red Hots does a dog right
Hot summer days, a crowd singing “Take Me out to the Ball Game,” food carts on late nights — these are the images that come to mind when the word “hot dog” is mentioned. But Jonathan Luther wants Charlotteans to think of JJ’s Red Hots and the highest quality of ingredients when the restaurant opens…
Tommy Castro at the Double Door Inn tonight (6/24/2012)
Tommy Castro is a funky soul man with a blues implant in his heart.
Purgatory welcomes superheroes and villains
Fetish-centered nightlife event sports a “S&M Superheroes” theme.
Come hungry to the Charlotte Bayou Festival
A celebration of Cajun and Creole cuisine.
The Young at Snug Harbor tonight (6/23/2012)
The fuzzy guitars, lo-fi percussion and punk rock tempos locate the band closer to Brooklyn than Austin.
D&D Sluggers at The Evening Muse tonight (6/23/2012)
Band bridges the gap between music and gaming worlds admirably.
Hold the Lifeboat
The Main Library film series Ships Ahoy!! 8 Classic Seafaring Films continues.
Matrimony at Neighborhood Theatre tonight (6/23/2012)
Charlotte band recently signed with Columbia Records.
Go Incognito at Uptown Charlotte Jazz Fest
Smooth R&B- and pop-based acts dominate Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheatre.
Local blogger Jane Bernard shares interior design inspirations
The blog Finding Fabulous offers design and style tips and inspiring project photos to thousands of followers every month. Owner Jane Bernard calls Charlotte home, and Creative Loafing spoke with her on blogging, design, and simple ways to make any home chic, on the cheap. Creative Loafing: First and foremost: What interior design styles do…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte’s police files (June 21 Edition)
Dark Knight Rises: The head of a home owner’s association in south Charlotte called police last week after realizing that a crime fighter left his mark in their suburban neighborhood. The victim told police that at some time during the evening a suspect spray-painted a black bat encircled by a yellow circle on a 6-foot…
Weekend Film Reviews: Brave; Seeking a Friend for the End of the World; Rock of Ages; That’s My Boy
What’s new and covered in theaters.
Party like it’s Mardi Gras
When truck driver Jason Foux is out on a long stretch of road, his mind escapes to his favorite space at home — the kitchen. The native Cajun, who moved from Sulfur, La., to Charlotte in 2011, can make a mean gumbo for family and friends. As long as there are peppers, onions, and celery…
Brave: Too timid for its own good
BRAVE **1/2 DIRECTED BY Mark Andrews & Brenda Chapman STARS Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly Belle’s mom in Beauty and the Beast? Dead. Cinderella’s mom? Deceased. Ariel’s mom in The Little Mermaid? Nowhere to be found. Jasmine’s mom in Aladdin? Kaput. And this is just a small sampling from the Disney universe, where mother-daughter dynamics rarely…
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World: Seek it out
SEEKING A FRIEND FOR THE END OF THE WORLD ***1/2 DIRECTED BY Lorene Scafaria STARS Steve Carell, Keira Knightley Call it this summer’s Garden State. Tag it this season’s 500 Days of Summer. No matter what angle is adopted, it’s clear that Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is the sort of…
Rock of Ages frequently tone-deaf
ROCK OF AGES ** DIRECTED BY Adam Shankman STARS Julianne Hough, Tom Cruise As someone who came of age in the 1980s, I’m forever coming to the defense of the music of that period, using classic tunes by the likes of (among many) Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Talking Heads and the criminally underrated (except by serious…
That’s My Boy: Disown it
THAT’S MY BOY *1/2 DIRECTED BY Sean Anders STARS Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg In the name of full disclosure, I missed the first 15 minutes of the 115-minute That’s My Boy. With so many advance screenings presently being held at Regal Stonecrest, a tardy arrival was bound to happen one day, given that getting from…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of June 22
THE AVENGERS The Avengers is, quite simply, a brainy and brawny blast. It’s a culmination of numerous super-sagas that have been building toward this moment, and it manages to trump every last one of them. In this instance at least, too many cooks have not spoiled the broth, as writer-director Joss Whedon and co-writer Zak…
The Avett Brothers on Conan last night
Band appears on television to perform “Murder in the City.”
Live review: Iron Maiden, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, 6/21/2012
Band kicks off 2012 tour in Charlotte.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Recipe: Peanut Tofu Noodle with Greens
A versatile dish that allows you to include several servings of vegetables in one sitting.
Todd Snider at the Visulite Theatre tonight (6/22/2012)
His by-the-numbers country-rock stands out for its intelligence.
Uptown Charlotte Jazz Festival tonight & Saturday night (6/22&23/2012)
Third annual event brings more smooth R&B- and pop-based acts than actual jazz to town.
Robert Earl Keen at Coyote Joe’s tonight (6/22/2012)
His honky-tonk twang and barroom rockers were an early influence on alt-country’s development.
Earth, Wind & Fire at Ovens Auditorium tonight (6/22/2012)
EWF’s syrupy ballads and squeaky-clean image belie its ability to rock like a motherfunker.
Weekly horoscope (June 21-27)
Cancer The Crab (June 20-July 21)The sun returns “home” to your sign this week. You likely will find it to be energizing. Now is the time to focus on new plans for this next year of your life. While the Sun continues its path through your sign, notice how its warmth is bringing inspiration into…
Protesters dump 500 pounds of coal in front of Bank of America
They dumped enough coal on Bank of America’s doorstep in Uptown to hold a summer cookout for the city, but protesters had other intentions. A group representing the Rainforest Action Network, Occupy Charlotte and 350.org gathered in front of the the bank’s headquarters on Thursday with their “gift” to denounce Charlotte’s third consecutive poor air…
DNC 2012 Notebook: Group questions transparency on contracts
The diversity-focused group says members are informed about big contracts but are left out of whatever isn’t in press conferences.
Eugenics victims must wait even longer for compensation
Why not give legislators a taste of their own medicine?
Admit It: You shop at the JLC Wearhouse
The JLC Wearhouse in Plaza Midwood: the consignment store where everyone shops but no one admits to it.
Squawks finally crosses the line
Theater review of Charlotte Squawks’ Eight Misbehavin’.
Just me and the boybands
It was beginning to get very surreal. For months we’d been broadcasting live out of a brand-new studio overlooking Times Square, first as “MTV Live,” and then later — after many long meetings and much debate involving executive outbursts like, “but dude!” — as “Total Request Live.” We’d tried out numerous potential hosts. There was…
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Bohemian Boosterism
In 1989, I was two years out of North Carolina, living in Brooklyn, working my way up the music-journalism ladder that would ultimately lead me to Rolling Stone and MTV. That year, one of my first big stories for a national publication was a feature on Charlotte’s Fetchin Bones, who were already bona fide rock…
Save the Music
On Jan. 11, 2010, the Neighborhood Theatre announced it was planning to shut its doors for good. Fingers were pointed and panic set in. While the management team (JEM Entertainment) was ready to walk away from the venue, thousands of fans joined a “Save the Neighborhood Theatre” Facebook page, voiced their concerns and showed their…
Night of the Living Hugo
On the morning after Hurricane Hugo struck the city, we had no idea whether or not we’d publish a paper the next week. Luckily, the old Creative Loafing offices on South Boulevard, across from a convenience store we all called the Perv-Mart, never lost power. That Friday, the building became an ad hoc hangout for…
The Life and Crimes of Rae Carruth — 10 Years Later
Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth immediately emerged as a fan favorite, thanks to his impressive rookie season. That adulation ended for the 1997 NFL draft pick after the night of Nov. 16, 1999. Fingered by his dying — and pregnant — girlfriend Cherica Adams as the man responsible for shooting her four times as…
Gwar busted in Charlotte
Blood sprayed into the crowd as spike-covered aliens severed human heads onstage at Charlotte’s 4808 Club. The aliens then mock-ejaculated, spewing forth what appeared to be bodily fluids. It was shock-art, for sure, but to Charlotte cops circa 1990, it was also illegal. Following the publication of a Music Menu item in Creative Loafing, Charlotte…
Occupy Yourself
“If you make a revolution, make it for fun, don’t make it in ghastly seriousness.” Thus spake D.H. Lawrence in his 1929 poem, “A Sane Revolution.” And thus began our December 2011 satire of Occupy Charlotte. Why did we quote Lawrence? Because, frankly, we felt the local movement needed a little levity. Creative Loafing had…
1993 Charlotte Film & Video Festival
The internationally renowned Charlotte Film & Video Festival, spearheaded by Mint Museum film curator Robert West, was a real feather in the cap in a town that has never been known for embracing cinema. Creative Loafing was happy to pay more attention to this fest each year than any other Charlotte media outlet. In 1993,…
Welcome to Charlotte!
When the NCAA Final Four came to Charlotte, the visionaries from the city’s Chamber and Tourism nexus belatedly realized that all those visitors would want easy access to post-game bars and such places in the downtown area. Oops. In 1994, Uptown Charlotte, as we know it today, had little in the way of entertainment options.…
Homegrown
My Viking soul had been telling me for weeks that something was about to go down — the feeling was getting stronger and stronger. “It will come tonight,” I told my photographer friend, Michael Traister. That very night, the TV announced “it” and the next day North Carolina launched a fleet of helicopters. I had…
2001: A Video Odyssey
I’ve penned a few thousand reviews, interviews and features since contributing my first Creative Loafing video-review column as a freelancer back in 1988, but this still remains one of my favorite stories. At a point when Blockbuster outlets and online websites were putting mom-and-pop movie rental stores out of business at an alarming rate, this…
Lost in the Shuffle
Creative Loafing’s 2001 story about Robin Hester is as heartbreaking as it is troubling. The 27-year-old AIDS patient, who was blind because of complications from the disease, was in desperate need of affordable housing. She lived with her grandmother, Sara Wright, who prohibited her granddaughter from sitting on the front porch after a stray bullet…
Hunks on Wheels
If there’s one thing the staff of Creative Loafing’s always had, it’s the capacity to spot hotness. Whether we’re talking guys or trends, doesn’t matter. In this story, CL looks at both: the sexy guys who make up NASCAR and the surge of women (a 70-percent increase that year alone) and young people watching the…
City at Risk
Charlotteans live closer to multiple big nuclear plants than any other city in the nation. We thought the one-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was the right time to look into how well the city’s nukes were protected from terrorist attacks, and how well the county’s evacuation plans would work. This was a remarkable investigation…
Angels in America
Angels in America was always going to be a watershed cultural event when it arrived in Charlotte in 1996. Tony Kushner’s gay fantasia, seven hours long and presented on Broadway in two parts, had won the Pulitzer Prize and an unprecedented two Tony Awards for best play. Charlotte Repertory Theatre’s production of Angels was by…
The Agony & The Ecstasy
Sam Boykin spent a good chunk of the 2000s working as a full-time reporter here at Creative Loafing, and his presence resulted in many of the paper’s most interesting pieces. If there was a colorful or off-the-beaten-path story to cover, Sam was our man. Folks with Tourette’s syndrome; The Fabulous Moolah, TV’s first female wrestling…
New Latino South, Old Latino South
By the mid-aughts, the Latino population explosion in Charlotte and the Carolinas that had begun in the 1990s had positively changed the landscape, and anti-immigrant hysteria was at a fever pitch. So when reporter Jesse James DeConto came to me with a story idea about an archaeological dig that showed Hispanics had beat Anglos to…
The New Great Migration
In the early 20th century, a Great Migration began in the South. It happened in waves and lasted well into the 1970s. Some 6 million African Americans left this region and other intolerant parts of the United States, heading up north to metropolitan areas like Chicago and New York City, where jobs were more plentiful…
How would Amendment One affect your life?
We published it to make a difference. And for a while, we did. Longtime Charlotte journalist Ed Williams approached Creative Loafing with a story idea that would make our readers — gay or straight — aware of all the negative impacts of what became known as Amendment One, which made marriage between a man and…
It’s Our Thing Now
Sports. Charlotte. The two words go together like country and Nashville. Motown and Detroit. Hip-hop and the South Bronx. So when Charlotte nabbed the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association — or, as we lovingly know it, the CIAA — basketball tournament from Raleigh in 2006, the roar of applause was deafening. And that was just from…
Hope in Optimist Park
In 1987, Optimist Park was a down-on-its-luck Uptown neighborhood, burdened by substandard housing, violence and drug dealers. That was the year Charlotte’s Habitat for Humanity chapter, under the leadership of Susan Hancock, decided to go all out in Optimist Park. Habitat got the Jimmy Carter Work Project and more than 200 volunteers to come to…
Party Politics
"Several white club and bar owners declined to talk with us for this story, but a few were refreshingly candid. Gropper of Hoops & Dreams says he's tried to build a diverse clientele but believes many business owners aren't color blind — and neither are their customers. He describes one fear this way: 'If a…
R.I.P. Don Swan, Chris Radok
R.I.P. to Creative Loafing photographers Don Swan (1956-1995) and Chris Radok (1955-2011).
The Mystery of Jesse Helms
On the eve of Jesse Helms’ fourth election as the state’s most controversial senator, columnist Hal Crowther wrote a brilliant piece on the hideous Helms’ appeal to so many North Carolinians. “Try to think of him as a dreadful pet, a mascot, something like a huge pit bull, useless and vicious, that sits in its…
Back to the Future; A Not-So-Wonderful Year
Beginning in mid-2007, the global economy began to collapse like a sand castle at high tide, unfolding from a U.S. housing-finance debacle into the worst recession in decades. In early 2008, longtime Creative Loafing food critic Tricia Childress wondered how the crisis might manifest itself on the Charlotte restaurant scene in the coming year. “I…
Hornets-Mania!!
From NASCAR and the Carolina Panthers to roller derby and the Charlotte Bobcats, sports are ingrained into the fabric of this city. But if things look bright for the football team’s future, the outlook on the hardcourt couldn’t be more dismal. The Bobcats are coming off of the worst season in NBA history (7-59) and,…
Mayor Pat Leaves the Building
“After seven terms, the only mayor that many Charlotteans have ever known is stepping down.” So wrote Creative Loafing contributor Mary C. Curtis in her 2009 cover story on Pat McCrory, who had served as Charlotte’s mind-numbingly moderate mayor over the previous 14 years. McCrory had stepped down to run for governor, an office he…
25 years of Creative Loafing — had enough yet?
Twenty-five years ago a mighty wind hit Charlotte. I’m not talking about Hurricane Hugo (that came a couple years later), I’m talking about Creative Loafing. Before CL arrived here on April 4, 1987, Charlotte had no general alternative voice like New York City’s venerable Village Voice, the L.A. Weekly or even Raleigh’s Independent Weekly. It…
Unions: Labor Day Parade is being snubbed by city
The Democratic National Committee’s selection of Charlotte to host its convention has angered labor unions, with advocates arguing that the right-to-work state is one of the least supportive for union work, and that the city — home to Bank of America’s headquarters — has no unionized hotel workers. Now unions say they have another reason…
All About Style: Joy Randall of Flawless Makeup Art
Our gal T. Strong chats with makeup artist extraordinaire Joy Randall about the opening of her new studio.
Live review: LMFAO, Bojangles Coliseum, 6/19/2012
Duo brings a party to Charlotte – musical talent optional.
Searching Instagram for Charlotte
Instagram is shaping how we and others view Charlotte with each snapshot of our culture.
More than a DREAM
More than 300 Sisters of Mercy are meeting in Concord June 21-24 for their biennial assembly and have set aside part of their time together to fight for the future of young, undocumented immigrants in the United States. The Sisters of Mercy is an international community of religious women who serve the sick, impoverished and…
It’s been 25 years?!
They tell me I’ve contributed to Creative Loafing in one way or another for 25 years, but that’s impossible since it feels like I just took the job about 10 years ago. That’s how time works, right? I can’t help it. I love writing, and I love the news business, although, along with other Americans,…
