Wednesday, August 2
The Boy Wizard again casts his spell on the Queen City. Except this time the place to be isn’t first in line at a bookstore, but outside the Discovery Place for a grand movie watching experience. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire comes to the IMAX Dome Theatre, a giant planetarium-like room with miles to go between your head and that screen. It’s the fourth outing for Harry & Co. and fans are finally treated to an actual viewing of Lord Voldemort, the arch nemesis that gave Harry his famous lightning-bolt scar. At IMAX, sound hits from all angles, literally drawing you into the picture. Just don’t try to follow all the action with your eyes, or you’ll suffer a migraine or worse — “Clarence the Cross-eyed Lion” syndrome. The movie plays through Sept. 4. Tickets are $9-$11. For more information, visit www.discoveryplace.org or call 704-372-6261. (Calloway)
It must be something of an out-of-body experience touring the States while friends and family back home in the Middle East are embroiled in the latest nightmare, but that’s a risk any musician from the region lives with. Monotonix, the drums/guitar/vocals trio hailing from Tel-Aviv, have built up a cult following at home on its riff-happy garage rock and high-protein live gigs, even opening for the Silver Jews on their recent tour of Israel. It’s gotta be equally surreal watching the televised insanity, but then one of rock & roll’s best palliatives is the chance to channel all that angst on stage and hurl it back at the universe. With Labia Minor, Electric Damn and the Bite at the Milestone. Ticket info at www.themilestoneclub.com. (Schacht)
Thursday, August 3
Six weeks of fine provocative theatre, packaged by BareBones Theatre Group as What the F*&%$tival! are coming to a climax at Theatre Charlotte. And what a climax! We’re getting a reprise (from 2004) of The Last Five Years, a delicious two-hander featuring Charlotte’s musical power leads, four-time CL Best Musical Actress Susan Knowlson and two-time Best Musical Actor Patrick Ratchford. Jason Robert Brown’s intriguing analysis of romance gone wrong takes us forward, in Jamie’s eyes, from the magical first meeting to the depressing breakup. Intercut with Jamie’s chronology, Cathy takes us backwards to the glorious beginning. Jeana Borman directs the five-piece band through Aug. 12 at 501 Queens Road. Evenings at 8pm Thursdays through Saturdays, with a 2:30pm Sunday matinee on Aug., 6 and a Tannenbaum Talkback on Aug. 4. Tickets are $20 on Friday and Saturday, $15 on Thursday and Sunday. Call 704-334-9128. (Tannenbaum)
Friday, August 4
Relentlessly enterprising, Martha Connerton/Kinetic Works Dance is bringing fresh choreographic perspectives to the unlikeliest of venues — the Dowd YMCA at 400 E. Morehead. Summerdance Project 2006: Outer Space is the culmination of family “Sparts” (Sports+Arts) workshops last month at the Hines Gym. One of the new Connerton choreographies in the show will be a similar contraction, “Spance,” a sports dance created especially for the Project. Kinetic revives two past company faves, “Momenta” and “Tapestry,” and premieres Connerton’s “5, 4, 3, 2, 1.” Performances are at 7:30pm Fridays and 4pm Saturdays through Aug. 12. Tickets at the door are $15, discounted to $10 for Y members. Or PayPal a reservation for $12 at www.mckineticworks.org. (Tannenbaum)
Saturday, August 5
Thanks to Hustle and Flow, now the whole world knows (even Oscar voters!) that it’s hard out there for a pimp (one imagines, if the movie’s any indication, that it’s harder out there for a hooker, but who’s countin’?), and Three 6 Mafia even took home a well-deserved statuette for Best Original Song. Good thing: The band’s Memphis-style Bar-b-bling deserves a wide audience. Young Jeezy, the rapper with the self-proclaimed diarrhea flow, has also said of himself that he hates rappers, as “You niggas just write — I recollect.” Well, your recollections are mumbled, boring as hell and in need of some decent production. Young Joc is more or less Diddy’s new Mase, but he has a world of buzz right now. Not horribly original or anything, but since when is that a prerequisite these days? All three acts hit the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre stage tonight at 6:30pm. Tickets start at $30. Info at 704-522-6500 or www.verizonwirelessamphitheater.com/charlotte. (Davis)
What happens when you mix dance, skateboarding and hip hop? The birth of an all-new kind of swing for the QC. BattleSlamJam is an exhibition of the urban athlete. Never heard of an “urban athlete” before? Every time you watch some kid on the corner poppin’ and lockin’ or performing tricks on his board or a DJ/rapper tearin’ the club up, you’ve been exposed to the urban athlete. The battle begins noon today at Grayson Outdoor Skate Park, 750 Beal St., where the best and brightest will face off in, to name a few of the categories, turntablism, krumping and visual arts. It’s free for the public, but $10 to compete. Show to see if it lives up to its promise to “shut the Queen City down!” For more details, call 704-536-2789. (Calloway)
Tuesday, August 8
Whoa, it has been a quarter century since Joan Jett released the “fists in the air” classic I Love Rock & Roll. Jett has influenced tons of riot grrrl bands and has finally released a new record this year after a recorded break of some dozen years; although she has never stopped touring all this time. Sinner racks up plenty of potent rockers with the signature Joan Jett & the Blackhearts thud. She is one of the headliners of the ever-hip VANS Warped Tour today at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Warped Tour is the value tour of the year where $27 gets you more bands than your eardrums can possibly handle. Details at 704-522-6500 or visit www.warpedtour.com. (Shukla)
Wonders never cease. Vocalese in Hebrew invades the buttoned-down Queen City as the Seeds of Sun Concert brings Israeli jazz to Temple Israel at 8pm. Lilach Koch handles the vocals in the holy tongue — with occasional excursions into English — ably backed by a swinging quartet featuring Yoav Polachek on piano, songwriter Mattan Klein on flute, Yuval Lion on drums and Gustavo Amarante hugging the bass. Touring from the Kennedy Center to Hong Kong, Seeds has developed a tight ensemble, verifiable at its eponymous Web site and on CD. Hearing is also believing live in Charlotte with tickets to this kosher jazz concert obligingly priced at $3 for adults and $2 for children under 12. At the door or the Temple office, 4901 Providence Road. Call 704-362-2796. (Tannenbaum)
New Orleans’ Mute Math give Christian rock a whole new dimension. Using old-school samplers and homemade and traditional instruments, the band rocks with an energetic blend of electronica, rock, jazz and loads of effects without being overtly preachy. It inspires through the music first, and that’s something the majority of today’s generic Christian musicians need to hone in on. It is one of umpteen bands playing today at VANS Warped Tour at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Tickets are $27. Details at 704-522-6500. (Shukla)
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2006.
