Half-priced wines every Tuesday at 131 Main locations
This just in from the folks at 131 Main …
Time to say goodbye to Eastland Mall
The landlord at Eastland Mall has told its tenants they must vacate by June 30.
Upcoming: Ballantyne Village’s Spring Soiree
Big savings at Ballantyne Village April 23-25.
Live review: Salvador Deli Gallery Crawl
Three bands. $3 beers and sandwiches. All in the midst of NoDa Gallery Crawl.
Oklahoma anniversary & today’s “hatriots”
Today is the 15th anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in downtown Oklahoma City. Until 9/11, it was the worst single terrorist act in U.S. history. The bomber, Timothy McVeigh, and his cohort, Terry Nichols, were right-wing extremists who believed the U.S. government was “the enemy.” They retaliated against that “enemy” by…
1st Annual Bar Madness
Special Advertising Section 1st Annual BAR MADNESS While March Madness fanatics and bracket addicts fill up their local watering hole the staff here at CL thought it was only right to have some of the best bars get into the fun. Crowning our area’s best bar is not going to be an easy task. Charlotte’s…
THERE IS A LATE NIGHT DINER IN UPTOWN…
EggHeads is open late serving breakfast and booze
Live review: Red All Over
Local band entertains small Snug Harbor crowd.
Live review: Carolina Chocolate Drops
Carolina Chocolate Drops w/ Pat “Mother Blues” Coen Neighborhood Theatre April 16, 2010 The Deal: Reviving black traditional music gets packed venue up and moving for duration of trio’s set. The Good: Having missed the first opener in talented singer/songwriter Ian Thomas, my night started out with a short set by Pat “Mother Blues” Coen.…
The primaries are here; where to vote early
Don’t be a slacker. Vote.
Down with bullies
Up with kindness.
Grass is stupid
It’s high-maintenance, expensive and a danger to our environment. Let’s break up with grass and plant trees.
Tonight’s Top 5, 04/19/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, April 19, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Concert announcement: Carrie Underwood
Fresh off last night’s award for winning Entertainer of the Year at the Academy of Country Music Awards, Carrie Underwood’s fall tour will stop by Time Warner Cable Arena on Oct. 30. Tickets go on sale on April 24.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Monday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Black Bear Saloon grand opening, 04/16/10
Black Bear Saloon has opened, giving us another option of nightlife at the N.C. Music Factory.
DVD Pick: The Last King of Scotland
Don’t miss Forest Whitaker’s Oscar-winning performance as Idi Amin.
Checking in on STDs in Mecklenburg County
April is Sexually Transmitted Disease Awareness Month — so what better time find out what STDs are on the rise?
Martin Lawrence talks Death at a Funeral (and more)
A talk with the actor/comedian about his latest movie and current projects
VIDEO: Taste of the Nation
Here’s another taste of Taste of the Nation:
Black Bear Saloon opens at the N.C. Music Factory
Black Bear Saloon opened its doors to the public today, making it the first restaurant to open in the complex.
Sex Q&A: Sexy slumber party at a book store
A sexy slumber party in NoDa.
The local video dilemma
Music videos present a unique conundrum for local artists especially.
Art openings this weekend
Here are a few picks of exhibition openings and art events to check out this weekend in Charlotte.
The Burger Company opens, producing Beef and Beer
A new burger bar opens and the burger bar is the new thing in Charlotte
McConnell wins race for Stupid Thing of Week
Competition was fierce for this week’s honor as the Stupid Thing of the Week. Let’s take our contenders one by one. First, Mike Huckabee told a newspaper that the effort to let gays and lesbians marry is equivalent to legalizing incest or polygamy, and that gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt because “Children aren’t…
Skillet — Not your mom and dad’s Christian rock band
An interview with Skillet singer John Cooper.
Petra’s, 4/15/10
It was The Dating Game and Cheap Drunk Night at Petra’s Piano Bar on Thursday, April 15.
Tonight’s Top 5, 04/16/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, April 16, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Paula Deen comes Charlotte again on April 30
The 21st annual Chef’s Best event benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina’s Community Food Rescue Program will feature Paula Deen this year.
10-in-10 CD reviews
Each Friday, we review 10 recently released CDs in 10 words each.
Win a free bottle of Moulin Rouge 1889
Boutique owner Jeffre Scott returnsfrom a recent trip to Paris with a gift for the women of Charlotte.
Tax-free weekend at Black & Blue
Now that taxes are done, tre
Upcoming: Girls’ Night Out
A fashion-fun event for the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte!
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Friday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Mother: Mommie dearest
Parent protects her son in Korean import.
Mixtape Review: Wiz Khalifa’s Kush & Orange Juice
Checking out the pre-4/20 release of new mixtape.
Have a Heart …
Brittney After Dark weekend party pick: an event with style, and heart
Yesteryears: The ‘Charlotte Cheers’
This Independence Boulevard pub is big on karaoke … and collecting shit.
Weekender
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend.
Adult Cupcakes in Ballantyne
The Blushing Bakeshop cupcake designers Carolina Rust and Moniker Patel are offering $3 “adult” cupcakes on Thirsty Thursdays (and sometimes on Fridays). Their roster includes the (un-pc) Irish Car Bomb: a Guinness chocolate cake stuffed with whiskey ganache and iced with Baileys Irish Cream buttercream; a vanilla vodka cake iced with Limoncello buttercream; and the…
Tea Party poll: We reflect most Americans’ views
The Tea Party folks are out in force today, and have been rallying this week in various places, to coincide with Tax Day. We’ve all seen news coverage of the tea partiers, we’ve seen their signs, hats, flags, and whatnot, but, really, who are these people? Are they just ordinary Americans who are fed up?…
In concert: The Ravenna Colt & Todd Snider (04/15/2010)
The Ravenna Colt and Todd Snider add a little seasoning to Charlotte
Tonight’s Top 5, 04/15/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, April 15, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Jamila
i want to be remembered for: “Being the best mom/grandma/great-granny in the world, which in turn will have produced world healers. Prepare.”
Sheriff Shon = Sheriff Sean?
Review of Shon Wilson’s Epic Sketch at Duke Energy Theatre.
Photos from Taste of the Nation
As part of the National Taste of the Nation campaign, Charlotte’s event featured amazing food from the top restaurants in town, auctions, live music, and a buffet of drinks.
Behind the financial reform push, worries of warring regulators
Watchdogs are nipping at each other.
Coal execs face Congress
And it wasn’t pretty.
State of the County Address this morning
Guess what’s on the agenda.
Taste of the Nation, 04/15/10
Last night, the Wachovia Atrium was packed with people, food, drinks and good times
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Japanese-style sweet buns
For a carb-o-holic, this is pure heaven.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Sale of the day: Paul Simon for Women
All cotton tees and spring jewelry are 25 percent off, now through Saturday. Go. Now. Spend. 1033 Providence Road 704-333-6139
Palin hustles her way to $12 million
Remember when Sarah Palin quit her job as governor, and some people said she was doing it for the money? Guess what? Palin has raked in more than $12 million from book and TV deals and speaking engagements since she quit public office last July. That’s a conservative estimate, but is still nearly 10 times…
VIDEO: Creative Loafing’s Theater Awards return!
Here’s CL’s resident theater critic Perry Tannenbaum with all the details …
Paula Deen in Charlotte
Food Network star, cook, and author Paula Deen made a stop at Park Road Books to sign copies of her book Savannah Style last night, April 13.
Creative Loafing’s Theater Awards return!
After a long hiatus, Creative Loafing is bringing back its annual Theater Awards (aka the “Perry Awards.”) Here’s CL’s resident theater critic Perry Tannenbaum (hence the “aka”) with all the details (Be sure to stick around to the end of the video for a surprise climax!): (Video produced by John Merrick and Big Shot Film.…
Eat, drink for charity tonight
Charlotte’s finest restaurants and culinary schools come together for Taste of the Nation.
Bug Girl from Down Under (04/14/2010)
Bug Girl performs live for Charlotte
Ed’s Tavern, Take 2
Ed’s Tavern in Dilworth opens a new location in Elizabeth.
Tonight’s Top 5, 04/14/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, April 14, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Jeremy Deen
3 songs currently playing on your i pod: “Witche’s Rave, Millbrook, and Kings and Queens.” i love…..: “My son and the moon & stars, of course.” hometown: Charlotte i want to be remembered for: “Showing Ethan (my son), the world and that we can find the good in all that’s evil.” do you own a…
Our tainted beef problem
It’s deadly.
Twitter: The ads are coming
Put your blinders on.
I-485 plans revealed
Community gets a glimpse.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
UNC-Charlotte presents Assassins
Performances of Assassins kick off on April 14 and continue though April 18 at UNC-Charlotte.
Checking in on Butter NC with owner Scott Sartiano
Butter NC has been open at the N.C. Music Factory for a few months now — we wondered how business has been.
50% off drinks at BLT Steak
To take the stress off of Tax Day, BLT is offering 50% off all alcoholic beverages.
Best I’ve Had All Week: Quiche Florentine at Café Monte French Bakery & Bistro
You would be surprised at how many SouthParkers battled the Yellow Season by having brunch outside. One favorite spot is Café Monte French Bakery & Bistro. Monte’s interior captures the feel of La Belle Époque with tumbled Italian marble floor tiles and the lace café curtains. In fact, owner Monte Smith continuously tweaks the interior,…
Bestiality and sedition: Tea Parties want ‘respectability’
Various Tea Party organizers say they want a more respectable image for their movement. They better reiterate their wishes to their fellow TP’s in New York and Oklahoma, because those folks haven’t gotten the message. Carl Paladino, the Tea Party choice for New York governor has been caught once again being anything but respectable. The…
Cavalia gallops into Charlotte
Just came from a “big-top-raising” ceremony announcing the arrival of Cavalia in Charlotte.
Spring trend: Jeweled sandals
Beads, rhinestones and other kinds of bling adorning your sandals will be hot this spring.
Style expert Lloyd Boston coming to Southpark
The Belk at Southpark is really reeling them in, aren’t they? Isaac Mizrahi was here recently, Tim Gunn is scheduled to appear in May, and this weekend, Lloyd Boston, a regular fashion contributor to NBC’s The Today Show and Jones New York’s resident style expert, will be making an appearance. According to a press release,…
Need to see Needtobreathe
A conversation with lead singer Bear Rinehart.
Unexplained symptoms
Veterans from the first Gulf War still suffering.
Video: Shaq covers Rick James
The NBA’s class clown is at it again, this time covering Rick James.
Save energy, create jobs
Do your part. Turn off the lights.
This week’s new releases (4/13/2010)
Here’s a quick list of some of the new albums being released today: Jeff Beck Emotion & Commotion Coheed and Cambria Year of the Black Rainbow Kaki King Junior Natalie Merchant Leave Your Sleep MGMT Congratulations Justin Nozuka You I Wind Land And Sea Passion Pit Manners
WePad?
iPad, you pad, WePad.
Sale of the day: Laura James Jewelry
Are you a fan of this local artist? You should be!
Death metal rooster
Apparently, I’m a little slow in finding out about this, seeing as there are nearly 3 million views on YouTube, but I can’t stop laughing… So, here it is. The death metal rooster: \\\\\\\\\\
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
How to win Lady Gaga tickets
Register to win at Bar at 316.
Sing the blues (04/13/2010)
Check out Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm at the Muse
Tonight’s Top 5, 04/13/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, April 13, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Middle East Festival
The Middle East Festival took place at Queens University on Saturday, April 10.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
COMEDY: Bobby Collins at McGlohon Theatre
Bobby Collins has starred in both TV shows and movies, but his reputation in comedy is the real backbone of his career — and he’ll visit Charlotte to demonstrate just that on April 21 at McGlohon Theatre. Having released two CDs (On the Inside and Out of Bounds), Collins has toured extensively with his stand-up…
The bid to be sheriff in Mecklenburg County
The last time two Democrats faced off for the office of the sheriff in a primary race was 1998. That’s not counting the chaos that occurred two years ago after former Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph left his position to take a job with the federal government and the county’s Democratic party had to appoint…
Book review: Hot Stuff by Alice Echols
For many music lovers, the disco era was something to endure until the next big thing would mercifully come along. Disco seemed endlessly repetitive, the lyrics were banal, and damn, all that polyester. In short, disco is an era the American mainstream would largely like to forget. To paraphrase Dylan, we were so much older…
Help save the Internet, support ‘net neutrality’
There’s a lot of confusion about “net neutrality” these days. That’s one result of a federal court decision that favored cable and Internet giant Comcast Corp. over the Federal Communications Commission. If you think net neutrality isn’t something you need to be concerned about, please read on. First, some background. The court case started in…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
I’ll Cut You: Police were called to an area elementary school regarding a girl bringing a knife to school. She was found to be in possession of a 2-inch razor blade. You really think this little girl was going to hurt someone? Maybe she was just doing lines of coke in the bathroom. Let her…
Who’s really to blame for teen violence?
Violence among teenagers is on the rise. You may recall that not too long ago a 17-year-old boy was caught bringing a gun to West Charlotte High School. He allegedly stole the gun from his girlfriend’s grandfather and brought it to school. When authorities located the gun, it was loaded with five rounds. This is…
Will special paint keep my house cooler in summer?
I ran across your 1984 Straight Dope column about whether water freezes or boils in outer space. (You said it boils, then freezes.) You mentioned that polished aluminum in space can absorb enough solar radiation to reach 850 degrees, but some types of white paint will absorb so little they will reach only -40 degrees.…
CD Review: Longital’s Gloria
The Deal: Straight outta Bratislava comes an ethereal sounding duo singing romantic harmonies, beautifully mannered folk-ish tunes, sometimes transformed into up-tempo, electronic raves. Slovakia’s best-loved indie group is touring America and looking to break into a larger demographic, bigger at least than its native Slovak Republic. Melancholy yet upbeat, this is soothing, gorgeous, exotic and…
Horoscope for April 14-April 20, 2010
Aries The Ram (March 20-April 19): On the 14th you are presented with the new moon in your sign. It represents the purest of new beginnings, the planting of new crops in your life. You may initiate several ideas at this time that will require cultivation and care before you know which ones will emerge…
Is smart energy in N.C. full of crap?
A couple years ago, some state politicians got this bright idea. They’d run the state on crap. To do their part to save the earth from man-made global warming, they’d force the state’s utilities to get 12.5 percent of the state’s energy from pig and chicken poop, biomass, and solar and wind energy. It sounded…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of April 14
ALICE IN WONDERLAND Here’s the problem with the vast majority of movies based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass: They’re too tame, too hesitant and too conventional to really tap into the more unsettling aspects of an immortal fantasy that provides as much satisfaction for adults as for…
Toy Story, Sherlock Holmes among new DVD reviews
FANTASTIC MR. FOX (2009). Whatever is in the water out in Los Angeles is forcing today’s most acclaimed young filmmakers to bring beloved children’s books to the big screen. First it was Spike Jonze directing an adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and then it was Wes Anderson helming a motion…
Suffer a Jett: The Runaways
Granted, Chewbacca is a memorable movie character, but would Star Wars have become such a smash had the bellowing Wookiee been the protagonist rather than Luke Skywalker? And who doesn’t love Peter Clemenza in The Godfather (“Leave the gun; take the cannoli.”), but would we have rather spent the majority of the running time following…
Theater review: AvantVanGuard’s Venus and Adonis
The run in Venus’s stocking wasn’t the only blemish in the faultless ethereal beauty of the love goddess as the AvantVanGuard latenight series presented its dramatized version of Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis at CAST for a second weekend, with two more performances yet to go. Anyone who remembers writer/director Tony Wright’s most recent conflation of…
A Prophet worth hearing out
An Academy Award nominee this year for Best Foreign Language Film, the French import A Prophet brings some necessary new life to that favored offshoot of the crime genre, the prison flick, before finally — and somewhat regrettably — settling down into a familiar groove. For the most part, though, this tough-minded tale from director…
Theater review: The Piano Lesson
Panoramic Pease Auditorium has been handsomely remodeled with nicer seats, larger aisles, and more legroom. Fittingly, the first CPCC Theatre production in the renovated hall, August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson, has become the centerpiece of CP’s weeklong Sensoria celebration of the arts. The show has a fine cast and a director, Corlis Hayes, with the…
Checklist for success at Brevard Court Sundries
When you go out to try a new restaurant, it is a good idea to have a way to evaluate a possible destination before, during and after visiting. I have a simple checklist. First, is the place busy? In the case of Brevard Court Sundries housed in Latta Arcade (145 Brevard Court), that would be…
Theater review: The Reluctant Lovers
Between two ambitious projects, Neil Simon’s three-act Last of the Red Hot Lovers and Athol Fugard’s mighty Road to Mecca, The Warehouse is squeezing in a small patio farce at its storefront stage off Exit 25 in Cornelius. Directed by Rachel Jeffries, The Reluctant Lovers is a goofy rash of nobly repressed amorousness newly written…
Wild East Pan-Asian Bistro offers recession-proof prices
Asia is a continent with larger-than-life cuisines; some have become entwined throughout that region. By the time these cuisines are represented in the U.S., they become entangled with various taste preferences and expectations. In the current economic climate, new restaurateurs favor those cuisines that have worked in the recent past, those appealing to a broad…
Massey disaster not just tragic, but criminal
Massey Energy runs the Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine in Montcoal, W.Va., where 29 miners were killed last week. The loss of life is tragic, but the UBB explosion is more than tragic; it is criminal. When corporations are guilty of crimes, however, they don’t go to prison, they don’t forfeit their freedom — they…
THEATER: End Days at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte
A rip roaring rapture is swiftly approaching Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, and you’d better bet Deborah Zoe Laufer’s play End Days has a lot to do with it. Under direction from Chip Decker, this twisted drama zooms in on one very (very, very, very!) warped family. Consisting of a mother who is a frenzied evangelizing…
3 questions with caterer Ami Novak
Do you cringe every time you have to cook for a large number of guests? So do we. But for Ami Novak, throwing a party of large proportions is all part of her job as a caterer. This devoted mother, fiancee and chef defines herself as “the eye of the storm, grace under pressure and…
MUSIC: Carolina Chocolate Drops at Neighborhood Theatre
The Durham-based string trio — comprised of Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens and Justin Robinson — known as Carolina Chocolate Drops released its major-label (Nonesuch Records) debut, titled Genuine Negro Jig, in February 2010. Following the disc, the group climbed the charts for its bluegrass excellence and has been touring consistently since — they’ll visit Charlotte…
The other kind of ‘Queen’ City
To the guy at the EpiCentre who lifted up my dress as his friends looked on and laughed … I hope the swelling’s since gone down on your face. Is it just me, or does the nightlife scene sometimes feel like a sixth grade dance? So, last weekend when I felt like going out dancing,…
ART: Charlotte Arts Catalyst’s First Days silent auction
Seekers of original art look no further, as the Charlotte Arts Catalyst is set to hold a silent auction, dubbed First Days. The event will feature more than 40 artists — including works by Anne-Blythe Moore, Ben Gelnett, Jessica Sea and Steve Chellis — which amounts to a lot of diversity. In addition, live jazz…
With Alice in Chains, William DuVall finds his audience
More than 25 years have passed since William DuVall’s tirades as the guitarist and songwriter for Neon Christ kicked open the door for Atlanta’s hardcore scene in the early ’80s. Back then, people called him Kip, and the same scene he played a vital role in creating during the Reagan era still resonates on local…
BENEFIT: 6th Annual Hope Floats Duck Race
Watching 15,000 sunglass-wearing rubber ducks being dropped into the waterway at the U.S. National Whitewater Center to race might not sound like your idea of quality entertainment. Add in the chance to win prizes (including a $5,000 cash grand prize) and most of us will be ready to participate (and maybe even quack!). At the…
CD review: Chasing Edison
The Deal: Charlotte groove rock quartet – Justin Babcock (drums), Greg Dalton (guitar), Alex Giles (keys) and Jeff Lewis (bass) – gets ready to independently release debut album, Black Maria. The Good: There’s an interesting balance in the tunes – distorted guitars with some keyboard riffs dropped in behind it highlight the opening track, “Watch…
THEATER: The Turn of the Screw
Actors Scene Unseen will kick off performances The Turn of the Screw today at Duke Energy Theatre. Based off the classic novella by Henry James, this ghoulish drama captures deadly frights to the core. The Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Coalition is sponsoring the production in honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month. Following the show,…
CL previews upcoming concerts (April 14-19)
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14 Bug Girl High-voltage Aussie rock duo – he drums while she sings and smashes guitars – keeps it simple with time-weathered riffs – AC/DC, Motley Crüe – that are stroked with good ole T ‘n’ A lyrics suitable for framing. Yeah, you get the picture. The blokes from down under obviously love…
MUSIC: Alice in Chains
With the death of the legendary Alice In Chains’ vocalist Layne Staley in 2002, it seemed the band was through. Wrong. When William DuVall stepped in to replace the lead singer of the group, along with guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, remarkable results were in order. Not only does Alice In Chains continue to rock,…
CD Review: John Butler Trio’s April Uprising
The Deal: First John Butler Trio album in three years finds Australian singer/guitarist with a new band, new label and new vibe. The Good: While Butler’s last album, Grand National, immediately hit the listener with something upbeat and funky in “Better Than,” April Uprising starts slowly with the opening track, “Revolution,” and builds over the…
