Apr 18-24, 2018
4/20 Issue. New Era Music Festival, Charlotte CBD, BOOM, Brian Hester, SUM Bucha, Sunflour Baking Co., Charlotte NORML
Cover Stories
New Era Music Festival Aims to Change Hearts and Minds in Charlotte
[Image-1] On a hot April afternoon at the Music Factory near uptown Charlotte, Xavier Walker stands atop a grassy knoll between the Fillmore and the VBGB Beer Hall, taking a giant drag from what appears to be a blunt. He cocks his head to one side, his golden locks dangling from a blue aviator hat,…
Top 10 Must-See Moments at the New Era Music Fest
Every act on the New Era Music Festival roster is worth checking out, but here are 10 highlights you must not miss. (This list is in the order of their performances. The party starts at noon on Saturday, April 21, at the New Era Music House, 5814 Old Concord Road. Tickets are $20. Check the…
LISTEN: Indigo Jo Releases a Bounce-Worthy Shout-Out to #CLT
Charlotte rapper Indigo Jo has released his brand new EP IN, which includes “CLT,” his bounce-worthy shout-out to the west side of Charlotte. Contributor Emiene Wright mentioned the song in her April 4 Creative Loading profile, “Indigo Jo’s Truth is Subject to Revision.” Check out “CLT” here, then listen to the rest of the EP. It’s a…
I Feel Pretty: Mixed Messages
I FEEL PRETTY ** (out of four) DIRECTED BY Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein STARS Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams Important issues receive an often problematic presentation in I Feel Pretty, an exercise in empowerment that ultimately proves to be less than the sum of its parts. Or should that be body parts, given the film’s…
The Commuter, MST3K revival, The Post among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming. Ratings are on a four-star scale.) THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937). Merely one of the greatest comedies ever made, the screwball classic The Awful Truth earned Leo McCarey the Best Director Academy Award and nabbed five additional nods for…
Listen Up: Charlotte Goes Experimental on ‘Local Vibes’
For this special edition of Local Vibes, we’re checking the pulse of Charlotte’s more experimental, avant-garde and art-music leanings with a panel of adventurous local musicians who know how to tinker with different tones and musical ideas — electronic musician Angela Saylor (Minthill), experimental rock artists Lenny Muckle (Lofidels, Patois Counselors) and Bo White (Calabi Yau, Yardwork, Patois…
BOOM Charlotte Revs up for Year Three With Taproot and Others
Salena Mable Stamp is instantly recognizable in her Taproot T-shirt as she enters the Roasting Company on Central Avenue, flanked by two of her Taproot cohorts, Yessena Whitfield and Shakeela Mays. “I wore the T-shirt so you’d spot us quickly,” Stamp says with a grin. Mission accomplished. The members of Taproot CLT are headed to…
Get Your Grown Folk on with Bottle Shops and Grocery Stores
On Sunday I woke up around 3 p.m. Give me a break, Saturday was a late night that turned into an early morning. It happens. I checked my email and saw something from my P.I.C. It was an invite for a birthday celebration in the coming weeks. I scrolled down to see the location and…
Local Couple Serves Up SUM Bucha
Sarah North hasn’t been sick in five years. But this wasn’t always the case. In her 20s, trips to the doctor were routine. To help with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s disease, North was administered B12 shots regularly. Then one day, she simply didn’t have to anymore. “What are you doing differently?” her doctor asked. Sarah didn’t…
Corey Hedgepeth Takes Over at Charlotte NORML
The Charlotte branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) works to expand the legal right to plant, grow and consume cannabis. Corey Hedgepeth, newly appointed executive director of Charlotte NORML, spoke with Creative Loafing about why expanding legal access to cannabis is about more than getting high. Creative Loafing: Tell…
Rappers, Cannabis Entrepreneurs Bust Stereotypes
[Image-1] Stereotypes. They’re so uncreative. Hemp gets lumped in with marijuana. Marijuana gets lumped in with images of hippie stoners and bleary-eyed rappers. Rappers get lumped in with violence and aggression. None of those stereotypes have much to do with reality, and yet society continues to believe what it wants to believe. But things change.…
Charlotte’s First Cannabidiol Dispensary to Open Despite Lingering Hemp Stigma
At Carolina Hemp Company, an industrial hemp distribution company in Asheville, the sales floor doesn’t take up much room, but there’s no lack of products. In fact, there’s seemingly no end to the uses for the magical cannabis plant, and those uses go well beyond the ability to get someone high. At CHC, customers can…
