Brotha Fred's AM Mayhem at the Little Black Dress party at Halo. Nice dress, Cubby... that's a trash bag.
No Michael Waltripp does not have a harem ... those are all MY girls. We ran into him (and he into our picture) at the Enso grand opening in the EpiCentre.
O.A.R comes to "This Town" ... to the NC Music Factory Uptown Amphitheater and Whisky River.
I'll be at the NASCARnival, but I'll be missing out on a lot in Charlotte this weekend while I drink and watch people drive.
My party picks for this weekend ...
FRIDAY: Lil Gaga will be at BAR Charlotte. Yes, I just promoted a party at BAR Charlotte. But there's a little Lady Gaga performing! That and BAR Charlotte is turning 14 years old, and it's having its birthday party this weekend. BAR Charlotte is the oldest bar in Uptown, yet it has a night for 13 and up, making the bar older than some of its patrons. People hate on BAR Charlotte all the time (guilty!), but that place has the shelf life of canned corn. Whereas a lot of bars expire more quickly... like milk.
SATURDAY: The Krawl in Plaza Midwood goes pink to "Save the Ta-Tas" in support of Breast Cancer Awareness month. Emphasis on the tatas because Big Momma's House of Burlesque will be at the Common Market, while La Petite Mort Burlesque will be at SOUL Gastrolounge. The breastacular krawl is 6 - 11 p.m. and afterwards you can stay in the Midwood hood to see Robot Johnson at CAST Theater. There's also a bunch of music going on.
I figure that considering the best place to go to get free shit is a NASCAR race, that I should give away a lot of free shit on race week ... involving NASCAR superstars.
The National Tailgating League will be holding tournaments at the track this weekend, and you can secure a spot in it right now (fo' free, no fee).
The Friday tournaments are at 2 and 4:30 p.m. Raise your hand if you want in ... or e-mail me at brittney.cason@creativeloafing.com
The NTL presented by Budweiser will be set up right by the track on the corner of Morehead and Highway 29, adjacent to the racetrack, so stop by the Porta-Party before you go in, and play some Cornhole - there is free play (practice, if you will) in between the tournaments. Saturdays tournaments are at 12, 2 and 4:30 p.m.
The NTL is giving away free shit too as the proceeds for this weekend's NTL tournament will go to benefit the Kasey Kahne Foundation.
And as for the free shit at NASCAR races — I have accumulated samples of tums, tylenol, gum, lotion, energy drinks, vitamins, candy ... moonshine. So, if you don't win entry into the tournament, you can still make out like a bandit at Lowe's Motor Speedway.
... well I am going to give it to you.
...as in tickets to Budweiser and Kasey Kahne's One Night Stand concert at Coyote Joe's featuring Eric Church. So, if you want to go to Church for the One Night Stand, I have 10 tickets compliments of WSOC 103.7.
All you have to do is e-mail me at brittney.cason@creativeloafing.com and tell me who you want to win this weekend at our home track.
If you don't win the tickets to Kasey's concert, but you're into stalking NASCAR superstars - you can still see another Casey. Casey Mears will be at Hooter's Uptown tonight from 6 - 9 p.m. with Jack Daniel's.
... was actually in October this year. (It’s usually in September despite the fact it’s called Oktoberfest, but that’s neither here nor there.)
Not only did one of Charlotte’s biggest (and drunkest) festivals change months, but locations as well. This year the massive beer sampling went back to the Metrolina Expo rather than Memorial Stadium. As a result, it had more of a county fair feel than the Renaissance tailgate one Memorial Stadium provided.
Oktoberfest celebrates the culture of drinking with 350 beers on tap from different brewers. They give you a shot pint glass and you go sampling like Saturday at Costco.
And with a lot of drinking, came a lot of peeing. While I was standing in line to break my seal in the outdoor restrooms, all along the woods surrounding the beer tents were guys watering the bushes. At that moment, I decided that I wish I were a guy. Not only would I be better at football and exempt from makeup and menstruation, but I could avoid porta-potties all together, let alone the lines for them — guys can just whip it out and instant bladder relief.
This past weekend, I went on my own little sanctioned Uptown bar crawl… the non-EpiCentre crawl.
Nothing against the EpiCentre, as I have spent many a night there at its many venues. But that’s just my point … I spend too many a night there. Do you suffer from a monotonous nightlife — as in your friends always want to go to the same places, which is where you usually end up? Well, if your nightlife is falling into a routine, like a 9 -5 … just take a vacation.
I started my vacation at the grand opening of Fiji and Kashmir — which felt like a trip to the Twilight Zone. I don’t know what it is about the 5th Street corridor, but it really does have the vibe of a curse that no amount of remodeling can seem to eradicate.
Especially when it’s haunted by the bad attitudes of some of the pretentious patrons and bouncer the grouch. But the sushi is good at Fiji, and the (one) table-top touchscreen in the Zen Lounge of Kashmir was fun to play on — literally play on as you aren't able to control the music, dictate the television screen, and order food, but we doodled our names and played tic-tac-toe. Either I am just a big kid, or I was just bored … either way, we sailed onward on our Uptown foot cruise.
...Charlotte is getting a homegrown version of a House of Blues or Hard Rock Cafe — that's what's going down the Blvd. ... or going up rather.
The Blvd. is located down the Boulevard ... Independence, that is, where Stir used to be, but they are stirring it up completely. For starters, it’s not a nightclub anymore — it’s an all-genre entertainment venue. And I do mean all genres.
They have a big-name schedule and diverse calendar penciled in, but general manager Marc Harding said they do not wish to announce it just yet. But Marc did tell me the schedule will include a blend of country acts to pop to beachy music, to old school pop, to '70s and '80s mix. From local to national acts and concerts to comedy.
Wednesday night is comedy night, Thursday will host local to regional bands, Friday and Saturday are slated for national acts and a Gospel Brunch on Sundays.
That’s what I did last weekend. Literally.
John Mayer was right … there is no such thing as the real world. Sure, the only thing consistent in life is its inconsistencies, but despite the changes in our lives over the years, there’s one thing that never, ever changes … our nightlife.
This I learned last weekend after going home to Hometown, Va., for Harrisonburg High School's class of '99 10-year reunion.
Other than some added responsibilities, bills, mileage, experience and Facebook friends … not much has changed in a decade.
What did we do in high school? Party. What did we do at our high school reunion? Party. Just like we did in 1999 — except we handle our liquor (and actions) a little bit better now. And just like in high school, when I came stumbling in late I got a lecture from my mother. Another thing that never changes in life are true friendships. My current band of best friends is the same band I played with in high school … the “Spice Girls” and we still do the same things together as we always have — we just hire babysitters and invite our …(their) … husbands.
Unfortunately, however, there is another thing that doesn’t seem to change, and that's the gossip — people talking behind others' backs and spreading rumors. While my class graduated from hating on one another, you never graduate from having haters in your life. The real world has those, too, and they can cost you a lot more than your high school reputation. But my theory is that if someone talks behind your back, you are just two steps in front of them. And haters serve as great motivational speakers because nothing’s more motivating than someone discrediting you. I guess you can say the only thing that changed for me over the past 10 years is that I grew out of giving a damn.
Good thing because is it just me, or does the Charlotte social scene sometimes seem like Nightlife High?
Diet Beer! … This is the best thing since frozen yogurt. Not only does Bud’s Select 55 only have 55 calories, it only has 1.9 g of carbs and even has some protein … a whole .5 g. Sure, it’s mostly water (and only 2.4% alcohol) … but that’ll keep you hydrated and functionally drunk.
But sadly, this diet beer delicacy is only available in test markets now. I found such wonderment in my friend’s fridge. Select 55 will be available in Charlotte in February.
First Enso opened up in the EpiCentre, then Room 112 magically (or quietly rather) opened tucked in the corner of Trade and Tryon.
And now, Fiji and Kashmir are opening where Feast and Liv use to have a HOM. That's Fiji Sushi Bar and Lounge — not to be confused with Fujo Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar in One Wachovia Building.
Kashmir Nightclub and Fiji Sushi Bar and Lounge are opening this weekend, Oct. 9 and 10, with a fashion show from Jordanos boutique on Saturday. The event will feature "surprise sponsors and celebrities"... which I'm guessing is still somewhat a surprise to them as well. I've heard a rumor that one of them is my bathroom buddy from a party at Sundance ... Paris Hilton. That's hot. And the liquor sponsor is Johnny Love Vodka. It's their launch party in North Carolina this weekend as well.
Within this sushi club is the Zen Lounge, exclusive for VIP Gold Card members. But this card has more perks than just a roped off room. According to manager Chandler Alan Beal, the gold card members will have full-out concierge services. Wednesday-Friday from 5-7 p.m. gold card members get fed and their first beverage free - and there will be a massage therapist available. They also have WiFi, should you want to access the Internet at happy hour. Random... but nice nontheless.
And according to a press release: T1 Visions will be unveiling a demo of its patent-pending T1 Connection BoothTM system, an electronic touch surface incorporated into a conventional lounge table that will allow customers in the VIP room to control audio and visual content in the room, including choosing songs, photographs, music videos and internet content from either a local database or their own portable devices. This will be the first use of the T1 Connection BoothTM Technology in a night club setting.
In laymen terms ... there will be touch screen table tops
Oh, and the sushi is said to be good.
Want a VIP Gold Card? ... well you are golden because I am giving one away. Just e-mail me at brittney.cason@creativeloafing.com and tell me your favorite sushi place in Charlotte ... because I can't decide. First e-mail to hit my crackberry wins.
Meanwhile, for Halloween Kashmir and Fiji are teaming up with ELEVATE Lifestyle Magazine for "Nightmare on 5th Street" ... the lift the curse party.
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