Jan 31 – Feb 6, 2018
Domestic violence cover, #CoffeeInACone, Quisol, Arsena, Bonnie & Clyde
Cover Story
Advocates Work to End the Scourge of Domestic Violence in Charlotte
Melody Gross is not your stereotypical victim of intimate partner violence, and that’s a point she’s more than happy to make “It doesn’t have a look, and we have to get out of that mindset,” Gross tells me. Although small — just 5 feet 1 inch tall — Gross’ body language and thick New York…
Spring Forward Into Film
As January is traditionally co-opted by the plethora of year-end Oscar nominees finally stretching their commercial wings, it often feels that the new movie year doesn’t truly begin in earnest until February. So with February now upon us, it’s time to offer a sneak peek at what lies ahead over the course of the next…
The Blotter: Tide Pod Gods
Do Not Resuscitate They say the generation after millennials are called Generation Z, because they’ll be the last one. That makes more sense when you consider the fact that the assholes have been eating Tide Podes and filming themselves doing it on the internet. Police responded to a Family Dollar on Sugar Creek Road last…
Blade Runner 2049, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming. Ratings are on a four-star scale.) BLADE RUNNER 2049 (2017). Is Blade Runner 2049 a masterpiece like its 1982 predecessor? Definitely not. To be honest, it’s not even a match for 2016’s superb Arrival, the previous film from…
Listen Up: John Tosco and Louis Beeler Put On a Show on ‘Local Vibes’
In the lead-up to the year’s first Tosco Music Party, Ryan and mark brought in the event’s creator, John Tosco, as well as Louis Beeler, founder of the popular Tiny Stage Concerts. [CONTEST] We’re giving away two tickets to Saturday’s Tosco Music Party at Knight Theater. Just answer the following question: Vadim Kolpakov will be…
News of the Weird: Waspy
Weird Chemistry In Lawrence County, Tennessee, law enforcement officials are confronting the fallout from a new drug known as “Wasp” (crystallized wasp repellant mixed with methamphetamine). To wit: On Dec. 18, as the Johnson family baked Christmas cookies in their Lawrenceburg kitchen, Danny Hollis, 35, walked into their home and asked for help. NewsChannel 5…
What To Do About ‘Alternative Facts’?
We live in chaotic times. Turn on the TV and we get a constant barrage of “breaking news” from Washington, D.C. It feels like 1973 all over again, particularly for those of us who were there in 1973, when every day, more revelations came out about Watergate and the Nixon White House. The difference: In…
‘Bonnie and Clyde’ Plan a Bloody Heist at Matthews Playhouse
“There will be gunshots,” Billy Ensley promises. “There will be blood.” Ensley is discussing his latest project as director, Bonnie & Clyde, a musical based on the exploits of the two Depression-era outlaws who became folk heroes. When the story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow was turned into a movie in 1967, the studio…
Fiber Up With a Winter Smoothie
The easiest way to consume loads of fiber is to drink it. Whether it’s a powdered supplement stirred into a glass of water, or a delicious green smoothie, drinking fiber is a stealthy way to get it down, compared to chomping your way through a pile of whole grains, stems and leaves. While it is…
The Personal Becomes Political in Quisol’s ‘Latinx Future’
No matter where New York singer Ismael Miranda performs, the veteran Fania Records sonero, known affectionately as “El Niño Bonito de la Salsa” (the Pretty Face of Salsa), always pulls out the popular standard “En Mi Viejo San Juan.” Like so many Puerto Ricans of a certain age, Miranda, who is 67, was born on…
Everyone’s a Friend at Smokey Joe’s
Let’s talk about dive bars. . . again. Last week I described how I fell in love with Midwood Country Club from the moment I almost fell into the patio. Instead of the venue being an actual country club, I had stumbled upon a dive bar and couldn’t have asked for more. Why? Beause I’m…
Arsena Schroeder to Perform With Jason Jet at Tosco Music Party
Arsena Schroeder was studying communications and sociology at Pfeiffer University in Charlotte when she got the opportunity to do an internship in Washington, D.C. While there, she bought herself an acoustic guitar and, in her spare time, began writing and singing the stories that were in her head. It’s a good thing. The singer, who…
Children’s Theatre Deals With the ‘N’ Word and Other Big Questions
Adam Burke came to Charlotte because of his passion for youth theater and education. After a stint as founding artistic director of Chicago Theatre for Young Audiences, he took a five-year detour into academia at a San Antonio university. When the artistic director position at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte came open, the ImaginOn theater facilities…
