Cover Story
‘CL’ Picks Charlotte’s 12 Best Sandwiches
Sometimes our job can be really hard. For example, we’ve spent the last couple of weeks gorging on sandwiches from all around town and deciding which are the best of the best. Here’s a dozen we decided on, and we’re sure you agree with every last one of them. But if you don’t, feel free…
Beloved Charlotte School of Rock Instructor Dies
Eric Lee Lockwood, the music director of Charlotte’s School of Rock, cofounder of the band Little District, and a fixture on the city’s music scene for almost 15 years, died near his home in Pineville in the early morning hours of August 8. The much-respected singer-songwriter and music educator was 34. Due to the delicate nature of…
What It Really Means to Be a Charlotte Native
I am not a native Charlottean. I was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina. (Camp Lejeune). My family relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where I attended elementary and middle school. I moved to Charlotte only after several years at the edge of Mecklenburg County, where I attended Davidson College in 2004. I moved to an area…
Descendents satisfy every punk fan’s dream
Legendary punk rockers prove they still have what it takes at Charlotte show.
The Dark Tower: Tower heist
THE DARK TOWER *1/2 (out of four) DIRECTED BY Nikolaj Arcel STARS Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey The long-in-the-making movie The Dark Tower runs 95 minutes yet is based on the Stephen King book series that ran over the course of eight novels. Such a condensation may not be quite as vexing as attempting to place…
Muslim in Charlotte: News Producer Rand Zafer
Last year, CL contributor Lara Americo debuted her photo series “Trans & Queer in the Workplace” in Creative Loafing between August and December. The series was eventually picked up by Huffington Post and served as the basis for Americo’s Chrysalis exhibit at C3 Lab. This year, Americo has decided to highlight another marginalized and misunderstood…
The Boss Baby, Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex, The Zookeeper’s Wife 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 BOSS BABY (2017). Signing Alec Baldwin to voice a toddler who dresses up in business suits and speaks like a character straight out of Glengarry Glen Ross (which, incidentally, co-starred Baldwin)…
Listen Up: Rapper Elevator Jay Tells Some Big Fish Stories on ‘Local Vibes’
This week, rapper Elevator Jay talks with Mark and Ryan about fishing, Southern living, Charlotte music and West Side Pride. Listen to Jay’s latest album, the terrific, blues-informed Ain’t Nothing Finer; and check out his earlier work at his Bandcamp page, and watch his latest video, for “The River,” at YouTube. But right now, kick…
Weekly Horoscope (Aug. 3-9)
For All Signs August is the eclipse month this year. We begin this week on August 7, 2017, with a full moon eclipse in the sign of Aquarius which carries the symbolism of that which is good for everyone. The second, a total solar eclipse, occurs on Aug. 21, 2017, in the sign of Leo.…
Writer Valaida Fullwood Confronts “Imposter Syndrome”
Anyone who’s ever done anything creative — from an arts project to journalism to a business venture — can identify with sometimes feeling like a fraud. There’s a name for that. It’s called “imposter syndrome,” and Charlotte writer Valaida Fullwood, author of Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists, has suffered from…
Twin Oaks Residents and NoDa Neighbors Organize Against Displacement
Late on a humid Sunday afternoon, July 30, at Twin Oaks apartments on East 36th Street, about a dozen residents mingle under a large oak tree. Some sit on stoops, others pace. Some sit quietly, others discuss the conundrum they’ve found themselves in through no fault of their own. “I just don’t know what I’m…
CL’s Intrepid Nightlife Reporter Discovers a Snug Harbor
One night a few weeks ago, I had my Uber drop me off in front of Snug Harbor in Plaza Midwood. Next door to the ever-changing art gallery Twenty-Two and familiar Soul Gastrolounge, Snug is a nightlife venue that folks in the music scene frequent regularly. I hopped out of the car with my work…
Jose Ayala Survived a Terror Attack to Bring Furia Tropikal to Charlotte
On a typical New York City morning, Jose Ayala arrived early to his carpentry gig in lower Manhattan: building a reception area for a high-powered law firm. The office was in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. The date was September 11, 2001. “You can’t imagine the sound of that impact,” Ayala says…
Broadway Dreams takes Charlotte performers to the next stage
Charlotte is a crazy source of talent for musical theater,” Sam Faulkner says. “A lot of people don’t realize it, but I’ve always known it.” Faulkner knows what he’s talking about. Four years ago, the 19-year-old Charlotte native was cast as the lead in Billy Elliot the Musical at the Ogunquit Playhouse, in Maine, and…
‘Expertise’ is Highly Overrated
When news editor Ryan Pitkin and I were doing the research for this week’s cover story on Charlotte’s best sandwiches — and by research, I mean eating tons of sandwiches at spots all across the Q.C. — we’d scurry back into the office, bellies full, and do a quick powwow on the quality of the…
