Cover Story
8 people you’ll meet at Pride
Gay, straight, queer or trans, Pride is an opportunity for you to meet fun-loving, equality-minded people. Here, CL contributor and proud femme lesbian Joanne Spataro offers humorous takes on some folks you might run into at the Charlotte Pride Festival and Parade, happening Aug. 16-17. Do yourself a favor and approach folks with an open…
Fast and Furious Filmmaking
Come see the Charlotte shorts entered in The 48 Hour Film Project.
Fillmore lands on list of popular U.S. music clubs
N.C. Music Factory venue is ranked No. 18.
Six months in, Affordable Care Act seems to be working
But N.C. shot itself in the foot by not expanding Medicaid.
Creative Loafing Charlotte to be sold
Womack Newspapers, Inc. will acquire the assets of Creative Loafing Charlotte, the deal to close at the end of the month.
First Drip (8/19/14): Refusal to expand Medicaid will cost N.C. billions, protests in Ferguson continue, more
The news you need to know today.
PHOTOS: Charlotte Pride 2014
Organizers estimate more than 100,000 attendees hit Uptown this weekend.
Live review: LeAnn Rimes, Uptown Charlotte (8/17/2014)
Singer caps off day which included second annual parade.
First Notes (8/18/2014): Oderus Urungus gets a Viking funeral, more
A weekly update of recent happenings in the world of music.
Who are the Inhumans?
Examining Marvel’s next big movie franchise.
First Drip (8/18/14): Bidding war for Family Dollar wages, chaos reigns in Ferguson, more
The news you need to know today.
Calvary: Heaven Can Wait
CALVARY ***1/2 DIRECTED BY John Michael McDonagh STARS Brendan Gleeson, Chris O’Dowd “That’s nothing but cheap cynicism!” bellows Father James (Brendan Gleeson) to a villager detailing his dark view of the world, only to be told that it may be cynical but there’s nothing cheap about it — it was hard-earned. A similar description can…
The Expendables 3: A Rocky Endeavor
THE EXPENDABLES 3 ** DIRECTED BY Patrick Hughes STARS Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham Say this for The Expendables 3: It’s arguably a fraction better than the two previous installments in this AARP-endorsed franchise. Then again, I’d hate to live on the difference. The series has always been promoted as an all-star action romp in which…
The Giver not worth receiving
THE GIVER ** DIRECTED BY Phillip Noyce STARS Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep An adaptation of Lois Lowry’s award-winning novel, The Giver might be one of the best films of the year … were the year 1996. As it stands, it’s merely the latest in the recent deluge of movies based on popular Young Adult titles,…
‘Ol’ Bigot Bill’ James a wellspring of racism following Michael Brown’s death
Why is this man still in office?
The Big Chill, Locke, Muppets Most Wanted among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD.) THE BIG CHILL (1983). A critical and commercial hit when it was released back in 1983, writer-director Lawrence Kasdan’s The Big Chill has always had more than its share of detractors, folks who dismiss it as nothing more than…
Here’s how much military-style equipment local police departments have received since 2006
It’s enough to make you want to take to the streets and protest. Oh, wait.
Question the Queen City: The Disappearance of Denise Porch
She quite literally vanished.
PHOTOS: Rally against police brutality in Marshall Park
Speakers recollected local police brutality and attorneys called for reform of the Citizens Review Board.
First Drip (8/15/14): DENR secretly rewrites rules governing streams, benches to remain in Uptown, more
The news you need to know today.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
TONIGHT: #NMOS14 vigil at Marshall Park
In response to the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson and other cases of police brutality, there will be a moment of silence across the nation tonight.
Creative Loafing gets its own sushi roll
Take a bite out of CL at AZN Azian Cuisine.
Pillow Talk’s Joanne Spataro chats with Roxy C. Moorecox
The two will be emceeing at Pride this weekend.
Live review: Panic! at the Disco, Uptown Amphitheatre (8/13/2014)
Brendon Urie and Co. keep the crowd entertained with diverse 90-minute set.
One man’s baggage is a lonely woman’s headache
What will a woman who’s just moved to the city put up with?
You say tomato and I say, which one?
How the heck do you know what type of tomato to buy?
First Drip (8/14/14): McCrory failed to disclose Duke stock in ethics filings, more
The news you need to know today.
When Sam loved me
I never had a dog growing up. It was not for lack of trying. I asked for some version of a four-legged friend every Christmas. And every Christmas morning, I’d wake up thinking just maybe there would be a pony tied to the swingset in our backyard. After Santa and my parents repeatedly failed me…
Weekly horoscope (Aug. 14-20)
For All Signs: Jupiter is inconjunct to Neptune. There are 150 degrees between them. This is the first of two weeks that demand adjustments to reality. Whatever the specific details of our individual lives, we are faced with a dilemma: A desired objective or goal cannot be attained in the present structure, or if it…
City proposes swapping land near airport with Duke Energy to house coal ash
Duke is deciding whether to accept the terms.
The Pull List (8/13/14): Star Wars ends for Dark Horse
What’s available in the comic book store this week.
Eat This: Pan Seared Swordfish at Barrington’s
This standout dish offers a crisp yet tender piece of mild Atlantic swordfish with European flair.
New Avett Brothers video celebrates 10th visit to Red Rocks
Performance clips, interviews highlight 14-minute video.
WTF Wednesday (8/13/2014): Electric Zoo warns against use of Molly
New PSA reminds us of a classic anti-drug commercial for pills.
Live review: Carnivores Tour f. Linkin Park, 30 Seconds to Mars, AFI, PNC Music Pavilion (8/12/2014)
Arena rock rules the night.
Nothing More stands out from the hard rock pack
Nothing More singer Jonny Hawkins is on the road somewhere in the Midwest. After a couple of weeks on tour, places start to meld and he has to ask someone nearby where they are. “Kansas City,” he says. “At least in Europe places are different, but in the States everywhere starts to look the same.”…
Cakes da Killa is gutter fabulous
Cakes Da Killa may be my favorite new rapper. He had me at “gully cunt,” which is how the Jersey-born rapper describes himself, and how I too have always thought of myself, although I was never able to put it into words so eloquent. Basically, it means a mix of gutter street sensibilities and fabulous…
The invisible lives of LGBT immigrants
Unbeknownst to each other, Jaime Villeges and his mother both hid pieces of themselves for years. Jaime, 22, only recently learned of her undocumented status, after years of asking questions about their family history. She learned he was gay only a month ago. In a way, their reasons for maintaining secrecy were similar. After migrating…
Three questions with Courtney Buckley of Your Mom’s Donuts
What started as a joke — “I just came from your mom’s,” a retort often passed between Courtney Buckley and her fiancé Benjamin Frye — has now become the name of a hot spot for families and doughnut lovers alike. The owners of Your Mom’s Donuts, which launched in October 2013, specialize in organic and…
