Honor the Red, White and Blue with Red, White and Brew … Red, White and Boom … Red, White, and Pabst Blue Ribbon. There are all kinds of ways to celebrate our independence and do a little indepen-dance in Charlotte, but below are the Brittney After Dark party picks, as in pick of party.
Britt’s pick …
Inaugural Queen City Hot Dog Eating Contest. There’s just something about shoving wieners in your mouth at a rapid rate that sounds fun … and to benefit the troops no less. Friday, July 3 at Alley Cat - $2 door donation that includes one free hotdog and there’s a $1000 cash prize to whoever can inhale the most wieners.
The Intern’s Party Picks ….
When I first moved here, I had to beg my friends to stop going to B&B, as they called it, because it's the only place they went (granted, it was one of the only places to go), but, now, I feel bad because come Tuesday Brick and Barrel is sealing the barrel and shutting their doors.
I guess that's what happens when the EpiCentre takes half of your staff and pretty much all your customers. I am slightly surprised no one is trying to sue them for a monopoly — or just challenge them to a game of it or something.
But they'll be blowing out the Barrel with a blow-out bash all weekend long before they blow the doors off on Tuesday.
Hey, when one bar closes, another door opens...
Meanwhile, Murphy's off Woodlawn also closed. To be honest, the only reason I ever went there was for one random night of karaoke, and to partake in the Charlotte SkeeBall League — which has since relocated to Hef's and Blondes ... had some good times there. Moment of silence, please.
Michael Waltrip is a trip! … and rather flexible might I add.
A crotch shot of Julianne Hough at Whisky River’s one year anniversary party. Enjoy this boys cause she’s taken. So taken in fact there’s a t –shirt of her and her boyfriend making out on it. See…
It was Vargas … then Amnesia … then V Lounge … then V on 4th … and now it’s Bentley’s RSVP. Sign companies throughout Charlotte probably really like that location.
I RSVP'ed yes to the recently opened Bentley's to check it out when my girl Jacinda was hosting the party with the official DJ of the Black-Eyed-Peas, DJ Rocky Rock.
There was a NASCAR race on downstairs, which was kind of random, but later the television switched to show live footage of the dance floor upstairs. Because the downstairs is a lounge, and the upstairs is a club. And the VIP sections upstairs are segregated nicely with two different sections — one for those that want to be seen ... and one for those that don’t.
There’s free parking on the corner of 4th and so, if nothing else, it’s a good place to park, go in for a drink (if you’re the passenger) and a dance (if you’re the driver) – and you can mosey elsewhere later. But you need not mosey if you're looking to dance — it's the kind of place your hips can’t sit still. The house DJ is so good he won a trophy.
For some reason every time I used to drive by the Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte I pictured it to be like a playhouse, with school play caliber shows starring little kids … but that was about as accurate as me also thinking the Aquatic Center down the road from it was an Aquarium. (I am just going to say that I was being more attentive to driving rather than what I was driving by … that’s my story and I’m sticking to it).
Well, I actually went into the Actor’s Theatre to see the frightfully funny and horrifically humorous Evil Dead: The Musical. That’s right, I said a horror–comedy-musical … that genre blend in itself is worth seeing. At points in the play you’ll wonder why you’re laughing at a woman singing about the fact that all the men in her life keep getting killed by Candarian demons, but the comedy comes in as they make fun of the cheese factor in horror flicks. Such as the romance clichés and “bit part demons.”
And the musical was classic with lyrics like, “I’m the man, I bitch slap evil with my one good hand” and “What the Fuck was That?”
Out of business that is.
Apparently Babe Ruth doesn't just create curses in baseball, but in bars as well because it's game over for George Hermans in the French Quarter. The baseball bar struck out and had to close it's doors. When I asked why, the response I got was: "The EpiCentre."
R.I.P George Herman's
I always thought I belonged in the circus with the sideshow freaks … but I found another form of circus act welcoming me to their big-time-big-top. Although, they called me a dork when I hadn’t yet seen their show, referring to it as “Nitrus Circus,” as opposed to the correct name of the popular MTV show — Nitro Circus.
But I quickly became a fan of these fun and funny guys, and apparently I fit right in when I suggested we hijack paddle boats and race them through the lake at University – apparently that was illegal though, so we just ended up playing beer pong at Boardwalk Billy’s instead … with water.
I met up with the guys (and gal) Tex, Jim “T-Rex,” Andy Bell, Travis Pastrana and Jolene in University due to the fact they were staying at the Hilton and remaining within walking distance. Nitro Circus set up tents, and shut down downtown in order to film their show here, including Andy and Travis racing Scott Speed and Brian Vicker’s RedBull cars through Uptown Charlotte.
And meanwhile in University …
OK so, Charlotte is not a big enough market to get an actual, real deal, movie premiere - not even for movies like Leatherheads and Talladega Nights, which were filmed here. But that doesn't mean we can't have our own red carpet gala in our plush new EpiCentre Theater, equipped with a red carpet entrance lined with the Transformer cars - and an after party with Las Vegas' D.J. Five following at Mez. The point is to make our own market bigger so that we're seen as one ... and as with red carpets and celebrities - if you roll it, they will come.
So why don't you come, cheers with cinematic cocktails!
Transformers comes out in theaters today, but the premiere event is this Friday, June 26 ... and I have V.I.P passes for the 7:10 p.m. showing to the first person that e-mails me at brittney.cason@creativeloafing.com wins ... extra points for anyone that humors me by saying I look like Megan Fox - just so I can pretend. (That was a joke)
I’ve come to the conclusion that being single these days is like the state of the current economy – but with all these new places opening throughout Charlotte, come new faces.
But it doesn’t really matter where you go – you’re going to meet people there, some of which will be tools trying to nail you with bad pick up lines.
Like these...
One night at Cans, I made the mistake of wearing my Jessica Simpson’s Butterscotch lickable body lotion and a guy just walked up to me and took a bite out of my shoulder and told me I smelled like pancakes and made him hungry.
At the Sunset Club, this guy just threw his arm around my waist and pulled me close to him. Like he was fishing and I was an unsuspecting goldfish or something. I wiggled my way free and he looked shocked, “Do you not know who I am?” he asked.
“Am I supposed to?”
“Be gone,” he told me. “You’ll find out by the end of the night.”
I still have no idea who that guy was, other than a guy with seriously bad game. But I’m sure there are girls out there who fall for that... don’t be that girl, or guy for that matter.
According to the book “The Game” by Neil Strauss, the most successful method of picking up women is to insult them and scrutinize their insecurities. A “neg” will not only get their attention, but possibly them. Because the good guy always finishes last, after all. Why is that ladies?... and how can we make it stop? But sometimes great people pop up in the most unsuspecting places. I met the last guy I dated that didn’t suck while judging a bikini contest at Whisky River.
I used to think that I was flypaper for tools, but I've come to the conclusion that it's only the tools with overinflated egos that use those pick-up lines. But if you're out looking for a tool - look no further, there will be one at Forum on Wednesday night ... as if there weren't enough tools in Charlotte as is, we had one shipped in.
But as for the economy, I have a theory…. if Brittney Spears can make a come back, well, so can the economy.
I'll take you out to the ballgame. Well, RockHouse Events will ...
All aboard the Ragin' Uptown Party Bus to the Knights Stadium for the Charlotte Knights vs. the Louisville Bats, Triple-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds for which I am throwing out the first pitch on June 24. Cost is just $15 and includes lower level reserved ticket to the game, transportation to and from, and beers on the bus. BUT ... I am giving away a ride, as well as a RockHouse Event baseball hat (to get you into the mood).
And for added entertainment you can point and laugh at me while I attempt to successfully get the ball from the plate to the mound without making the catcher dive for a ground ball. Last year, I didn't do as bad as Mariah Carey, Carl Lewis or BaBaBooey ... I did get the ball to the plate, but let's just say that if I were bowling, it would have been a gutter ball.
Special thanks to Wes Wisler for diving to catch the play then play it off as though he never changed his stance, and to my friends at LazyDay for capturing the before and after shots of my missed shot...
You can purchase tickets here
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