JANUARY 13 THURSDAY
@WAG body:Any short list of the best hip-hop albums of the last 20 years should include at least three by KRS-One‘s Boogie Down Productions: Criminal Minded, By All Means Necessary, and Edutainment. While “The Blastmaster” has been erratic in his recorded output lately, he remains impossible to ignore. See our story in the music section of this issue. For tickets, times, and other information, call 704-377-6874 or log on to www.amossouthend.com. (Davis) Show cancelled after presstime
JANUARY 14 FRIDAY
Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley brings his famed Clinch Mountain Boys with him as he plays the Neighborhood Theatre at 8pm. From his wonderful work in the Stanley Brothers with brother Carter to his star take on “O Death” in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, “Dr. Ralph” has been delivering the straight medicine for a half-century now. When he sings in his patented tight, high-lonesome keen, itís like looking at the regionís hardscrabble past come to life. Tickets are $25, available via phone at 704-358-9298 or at www.neighborhoodtheatre.com. (Davis)
The Charlotte Bobcats take on Bonzi Wells, Jason “White Chocolate” Williams and the rest of the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at 7pm at the Charlotte Coliseum. Tickets are $10-$115, available at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 704-522-6500. (Davis)
JANUARY 16 SUNDAY
Local musicians are coming together to raise funds for the survivors of the
most devastating natural disaster in modern times. The Talk, Contagious Blues
Band, Sea of Cortez, Bellglide, Poprocket, The Sammies, David Childers and several
other bands are playing at the Tsunami Relief Benefit Concert to help
the survivors of the recent tsunamis that hit Asia. All ticket proceeds from
this concert will go to the World Vision Tsunami relief fund. Call 704-358-9298
or hop on over to www.neighborhoodtheatre.com for further details. Tickets are $15. (Shukla)
For family fun, head over to the Belk Theater today to see The Gizmo Guys & The Spencers: Theatre of Illusion. The Gizmo Guys are a duo of “wow-wee” jugglers whose humor reaches all ages — from toddlers to great-grandparents. The Spencers are a husband and wife team of illusionists that critics have dubbed “modern-day Houdinis.” The merriment starts at 4pm. Tickets are $20-$35. Call 704-372-1000 or visit www.blumenthalcenter.org for info and tickets. (Vespa)
JANUARY 18 TUESDAY
Ah, the exquisite beauty of the female form! — and ouch, the debilitating agony of living inside a woman’s self-image. Part women’s consciousness powwow and part theater event, The Body Chronicles tackles the question of who decides what female beauty is. Among the five short plays and two poems on the bill are works by Wendy Wasserstein, Kathy & Mo, and Maya Angelou. Some of Charlotte’s most celebrated actresses are in the ensemble, including Gina Stewart, Julie Janorschke, Lolly Foy, Joanna Gerdy, and Donna Scott. The endeavor is produced by Scott and directed by Sheila Snow Proctor with proceeds earmarked for the nonprofit Girls on the Run International. Performed at the SouthEnd Performing Arts Center through Sunday, tickets are $65 for an opening night gala hosted by Interiors Marketplace at 2000 South Boulevard. Tickets for just the performances at 201 Rampart Street are $20. Post-show talkbacks are planned after the shows on the 19th (sold out) and 20th — with experts in the fields of eating disorders and health. Call 704-332-5300 for reservations. (Tannenbaum)
Chicago’s legendary Second City comedy troupe wrote the book on improv sketch comedy. Then they established the school to teach it! Alumni include Bill Murray, Joan Rivers, Dan Ackroyd, and Mike Myers — not to mention the late Gilda Radner and John Belushi. Today’s troupe drops in at McGlohon Theatre for one night only as part of The Second City 45th Anniversary Tour. Expect satire that’s as edgy, topical and hilarious as ever, together with some of the best sketches, songs, and improvisations from the company’s venerable past. Part of the PAC’s Original Voices Series, the current Second City troupe graces our burg with tickets going for just $12.50-$25. Call 704-372-1000 to get in on the fun. (Tannenbaum)
This article appears in Jan 12-18, 2005.
