Housing for the homeless = jail?
The number of homeless people in the Mecklenburg County jail increased by 24 percent, according to a July 26 count by the Homeless Services Network. The night’s 609 homeless inmates made up more than one-fifth of the jail’s population. In its news release, the network also cited a recent study by the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s…
Take a deep breath …
… if you’re flying during the Labor Day weekend, ’cause Charlotte’s airport is sure to be crowded. Orbitz Insider Travel is predicting only Chicago’s O’Hare is going to be busier (via Travel Mole): After O’Hare, the busiest airports you might to avoid if at all possible are, in order: Charlotte Douglas, Philadelphia International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta…
New moon
Puddle of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin wasn’t too happy with people staying in their seats during their opening set at the Nickelback concert last Saturday. After continued urges to the crowd went unnoticed, Scantlin dropped his pants…
Cure postponed
The Cure has postponed its upcoming show at Charlotte Bobcats Arena (along with the rest of its fall tour) so the members can finish work on their new album. All tickets for the postponed shows will be valid for the 2008 shows once they’re rescheduled. Here’s what the announcement says: With all apologies for any…
My lungs are filled with courage
by Rudy Giuliani You know, I hate talking about 9/11, but since you people in the media keep bringing it up … Yes, I spent more time at Ground Zero than all the other rescue workers combined. Yes, I dug through the rubble with my bare hands and saved countless women and babies. Yes, I…
The Clinging Creeper
Position: The woman entwines her limbs and arms into his, like tendrils of a fragrant jasmine creeper. The couple then draws taut in an embrace, moving with a relaxed gentle rhythm, swaying their hips in unison. On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate the position (1 as horrible, 10 as sexual…
Lucrative List
The List, the new movie based on Charlotte author Robert Whitlow’s novel and filmed entirely in North Carolina, has scored with local audiences in its exclusive run at Ballantyne Village Theatre. In its opening weekend (Aug. 10-12), the film grossed $22,824, surpassing the venue’s previous record holder, the Oscar-winning Little Miss Sunshine (which grossed $16,200…
Pride Firsts
It looks like this weekend could be big for gay pride festivals in Charlotte. Organizers at Pride Charlotte are expecting record crowds. Meanwhile, the Triad is hosting its first festival ever. More info: InterstateQ Pride Charlotte
The Cost of War
• 3,702 soldiers dead as of Aug. 17; 86 from North Carolina • About 12 percent to 20 percent of veterans returning from Iraq suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. • The war in Iraq has cost N.C. taxpayers alone $12.3 billion. • With the $1.3 billion the war has cost U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick’s district,…
FESTIVALS, BENEFIT HIGHLIGHT WEEKEND SHOWS
La Vida Local
Life Flows On
In the past, people complained that “it’s not Ozzfest without Ozzy.” Well, he’s back this year, and if you were lucky enough to get tickets, you know it’s a free show. While the “Prince of Darkness” is headlining the show, the supporting acts aren’t too shabby, either. Lamb of God, Static-X and Hatebreed are some…
Dream ‘Make-Unders’
You ever look down at the clothes you’re wearing and say, “This ain’t me”? Hey, we’ve all been there. So many of us toil away at our 9-to-5 gigs that we forget the dreams we used to dream — and we forget how much those dreams influenced the way we thought, walked and dressed. But,…
Music menu
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 22 Mona Ray Charlotte indie rockers Mona Ray offer a mix of folk, jazz and acoustic-touched eclecticism that manages to expand the sound while gently coaxing sparse instrumentation. The layered addition of harmonica and piano, along with jazzy percussion, results in impressive songcraft. Also on the bill are Kirkley and Kenni Falls. The…
Go Green or Go Home
The Hood Hargett Breakfast Club is determined to turn its members into lean, green money making machines and brings only the wisest and savviest of business leaders in to show them how to get there. Wednesday’s panel discussion on “How Going Green Can Improve Your Bottom Line” will reinforce the club’s goal of giving their…
Film Clips
New Releases EL CANTANTE Wouldn’t it be nice to see a screen biopic about a musician that focused on, you know, the music? Of course, depicting the act of creating art in any medium is extremely difficult (though not impossible) for a movie to pull off, and most filmmakers lazily opt to wallow in the…
Summer madness
A Gang at Gatsby Here’s a small selection of the folks who assembled for last Saturday’s Great Gatsby Party (benefiting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Mid-Atlantic Chapter): (From left) Mitzi Lynch, Craig Lynch (national board secretary for M.S. Society), Diana Hoppa, Jim Hoppa (members of the M.S. Society Board of Trustees), Dick Roberts (local…
Leona Had a Party!
Brand Spankin’ New
This way instead of that way
Moodswing
Spreading The Comic Virus
Performing Arts 44Arts Agenda 47Comic Proportions 5247
Jaida Benjamin
Profile
The Education of Karl Rove
Boomer With Attitude
Settle Sore
Advice Goddess
Stargazer
Virgo The Virgin: (Aug. 22 — Sept. 22) The eclipses of this 18-month series have drawn attention to your partnerships. Patterns from your childhood history needed to be uncovered, repaired or removed in order to allow your growth into a more mature relationship. For All Signs: On Aug. 28 we will experience a full moon…
Soul Crusher
Charles Burnett Interview 36Film Clips 38View From The Couch 3938
Comic Proportions
The Immortal Iron Fist No. 8 Published by Marvel Comics. Plot and script by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction. Pencils and inks by David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth. The Deal: The Immortal Iron Fist chronicles the adventures of the superhero known as Iron Fist — aka Daniel Rand (that’s his secret identity). For all intents…
Living La Vida Loophole
Citizen Servatius
Meal Tickets
Table Dancing 70Corkscrew 72Good Eats 7570
The Chow Must Go On
Performing Arts
Fear of Flying
The N Word
The Brighter Light of August
The Deal: Charlotte-based indie rockers release debut album, recorded in town at Reflection Sound Studios. The Good: Good grooves and solid songwriting comprise the album’s 13 tracks. You don’t hear the piano much in rock these days, but S.O. Stereo work it in nicely — think Coldplay (without the sap and cheese) or Cold War…
COming Attractions
thursday, aug. 30 You may only get to see your favorite players for a quarter or two, but preseason games can be as much of a warm-up for fans as they are for players — try out that new grill, practice yelling at the refs for a bad call or simply enjoy the beauty that…
Pop Life … The End?
All good things must come to an end, and that goes for Pop Life, too. All summer, Creative Loafing and the Sol Kitchen has been hitting the Q.C. with this cool event — which featured eclectic music, guest DJs, fashion, art, food and more. Well, on Aug. 29 the party train reaches its final destination…
Noble Creatures
The Deal: Texas hill-grass-a-billy innovators reinvent themselves once again. The Good: The Gourds’ latest, Noble Creatures, is more musically well-rounded than a lot of their previous efforts, best classified as psychedelic bluegrass. There’s no hick-hop on this one, no reminder these are the guys who brought you the best rendition of Snoop Dog’s “Gin and…
Street Style
To hell with the Rodeo Drive, Michigan Avenue and Madison Avenue — if you’re looking for cutting-edge fashion, look no further than the streets of Crown Town (you know, Charlotte?). We combed a bunch of neighborhoods in our fair city and spotted a handful of random well-dressed citizens eager to dish about their shirts, skirts…
Letters to the editor
And the winner is … (In response to The N Word: “Nobody Knows My Name” by Nsenga Burton, Aug. 15) Congratulations! In a Southern city, the home of NASCAR and a well-known redneck mecca nonetheless, you have managed to win the title of “biggest racist”! Your columns are drivel, possessing the logical prowess of a…
Untitled
The Deal: Rockers release eighth studio album, following up success of their Unplugged release and 2005’s See You On The Other Side. The Good: I’d almost call this some of Korn’s best work. When taken on its own, the album is damn good. It hits hard with heavy riffs, has Jonathan Davis’ signature screams and…
Against the tide
Prolific filmmaker Charles Burnett is virtually unknown to anyone who is finely tuned to the mainstream. The humble director, working behind the lens on such works as Killer of Sheep, To Sleep With Anger (a film that catapulted the career of Danny Glover and features what is still hailed as his greatest performance) and the…
Wines of Sicily
Corkscrew
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
The Deal: Allman Bros. bring some regional friends for six-hour shindig in the 100-degree heat. The Good: JJ Grey served up some Delta blues that got the small crowd into the groove early in the evening. Drive-By Truckers got the rest warmed up on the way to a two-and-a-half-hour Allmans set. The slide guitar work…
Fall Fashion Hits and Misses
OK, after the heatwave we’ve experienced this summer, we know you can’t wait for that crisp, fall air to descend. But what are you going to wear? Lucky for you, the fine folks at CL consulted Charlotte’s fashion gods to uncover the season’s biggest “must-haves” … and “must-drops.” ?MYK (aka Michael Pate) BACKGROUND: Tastemaker. An…
Karma Cleanser
Dear Karma Cleanser: For five or six months, I have been planning a trip with a group of three friends. As the date of our trip approached, I began to realize that we all saw the vacation in a different light. I wanted a nice and relaxing week at the beach, with no cellphone and…
Wii Are Gonna Dance the Night Away
All you movers, shakers and wiiners out there need to polish up that routine before heading over to the mid-wiik Pringles Stix Wii Tour. Snack on any of the four favors of the new Pringles Stix to get fueled up for your new music video compliments of Boogie, the new singing and dancing game for…
View From the Couch
THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982) / LABYRINTH (1986). Two ambitious undertakings from Jim Henson and his Muppet factory, The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth are both lavishly realized fairy tales brooding enough to earn their PG designations. In short, don’t expect cameo appearances from Kermit or Fozzie; the worlds on view in these films are full of…
Puppy Love
Table Dancing
Living Life to Eternal Our Soul
Soulive and its continued quest to keep soul alive here in the Carolinas are back for a repeat performance. Not since February have we seen the Evans Brothers and Eric Krasno in the QC. Still coasting on the release of Breakout, the trio hopes to get people moving and grooving to their particular blend of…
Dirty Looks
Fall is coming and you know what that means: It’s time for all those damn fashion rags to trot out a ton of stylists from Los Angeles and New York to tell you what to wear. And aren’t you sick of that? I mean, what do folks like June Ambrose, Phillip Bloch and Constance White…
Wind it up at noda’s Wine Up
QC After Dark
Where’s Your Pride?
Having the largest LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) population between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta is a great honor for Charlotte. Are you freakin’ serious?! This is the Bible Belt, for goodness sakes! The only things we’re proud of are the exorbitant amount of churches, a big pitcher of iced tea, and grandma’s recipe for fried…
‘Bush’s Brain’ Bolts
Breaking the Sound Barrier
Finding new life
Betta Listen
Through the Microscopic Lens
Ever wanted to go “through the looking glass,” or in this case through the microscopic lens to find out just what it is that makes us tick? No, of course, you didn’t and neither did Alice. All she wanted to do was play with the cute, little white rabbit. But, as we’ve all learned from…
The Blotter
A CONSIDERATE, IF CREEPY THIEF: Someone broke into a woman’s apartment and stole only a pair of shoes. Then the person made the woman’s bed. PC LOAD LETTER?! $%@#: While at an apartment complex office, someone picked up a printer and threw it at a resident. FRIENDS WITHOUT MONEY: A coffee shop reported several employees…
One can’t survive on Ozzfest alone
Standing in your pajamas in the middle of a Columbus, Ohio, parking lot doesn’t sound like a very “metal” thing to do, but it’s a task Wayne Static has undertaken in order to get better cell phone reception. It’s almost a worthless effort as the call is dropped a handful of times in the first…
Harry Gives His All
Daniel Radcliffe returns from an express need to go commando onstage as troubled stable boy Alan Strang (appropriately named, don’tcha think?) in the West End production of Equus to again don the wizard robes of Harry Potter in the latest installment. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix picks up on the deluded aftermath…
