Cover Story
Shoot to Thrill: The year in live music through the CL lens
Three songs are never enough. But that’s all that publicists and handlers give photographers at the big arena shows. From the moment the lights go out until the security guards usher you away from the stage, the rapid clicking of cameras goes by in a heartbeat. Miss a moment and it’s over. Photographing local bands…
Hot off the presses: Newspaper film series begins
Here’s the complete schedule for the Main Library’s latest film series.
Friday Film Reviews
Here’s what’s newly covered on the cinema scene.
Get grossed out with Treephort – Tonight (12/27/11) @ The Milestone
To be honest, punk rock doesn’t seem quite right without some kind of gross-out element. Thankfully, we have the reformed Treephort, a peculiar set of pyromaniacs and exhibitionists with a penchant for igniting their own dicks onstage. Snotty punk jams like “Jesus Would Play This Show for Free” and “Pencil Thin Douchebag Beard” fall midway…
“Natural Charlottean” That Guy Smitty – Tonight (12/27/11) @ Philosopher’s Stone Tavern
A self-described “natural Charlottean,” this DJ has taken a record collection that started with Prince’s Soft and Wet in 1978, turned it into somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,000 and built a career from spinning his favorite music since the mid-’90s. Influenced by down-tempo hip-hop and house, he’s carved out a lane in the city…
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
That’s ‘Happy Holidays’ to you
Let’s be real, the real holiday in this country hails from the modern religion of consumerism.
John Edwards: Too sick for trial?
Not sure what the illness is. Maybe asshole-itus?
Friday Film Reviews: War Horse; We Bought a Zoo
Here’s what’s newly covered on the cinema scene.
Theater review: Chaps! A Jingle Jangle Christmas
No, podner, we ain’t saddled with many Christmas tunes in this here musical.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
The Metric System’s acoustic pop – Tonight (12/23/11) @ Snug Harbor
Charlotte-based indie pop trio writes music that’s custom-made for springtime, or for whistling along, toes in the sand, and lazing about on a sun-drenched afternoon by the seaside. Corny? Not by a long shot. They’re quite refreshing and generous with the melodies, and the guitars, either floating or chirpy, get along quite well with the…
The Catch Fire’s sweet pop – Tonight (12/23/11) @ Visulite Theatre
Birthed in our fair state, The Catch Fire, co-fronted by Mike Mitschele (Jolene/Alternative Champs) and Jon Lindsay (Benji Hughes/The Young Sons), write sweetly hewn pop music that saunters about with louder, shall we say, looser rockers. The quartet is rounded out with drummer John Cates (The Young Sons, Bellglide) and bassist Adam Roth (Bellglide). The…
We Build Rockets – Tonight (12/23/11) @ Tremont Music Hall
This local rock outfit has a Warped Tour show under their belt and a sound that combines radio-friendly pop-punk with some electronic and more hardcore influences. The band has performed steadily despite changes and are moving forward with the same high-energy show. $10-$12.Thunderbear and Butterfly Corpse are also on the bill, plus more. Tremont Music…
EPA finally limits toxic mercury
But chickens out on enforcement.
The Weeknd completes mixtape trifecta
R&B singer releases his third mixtape of 2011.
Dharma Lounge, 12/21/11
How could we possibly start our holiday celebrations off right without stopping at Le Bang at Dharma Lounge?
Free vinyl from Great Architect w/ show ticket – Tonight (12/22/11) @ The Milestone
Charlotte’s free music purveyors celebrate their new 7-inch, Mission: Aloha and 5 to the 6, two relatively structured — though still wildly eclectic — backbeat-friendly pieces. It’s what one of them calls a “little love letter to David Shire and his ’70s film-score comrades,” and these cuts do indeed have that funky celluloid feel. The…
Weekender, Dec. 23-24
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend.
Naughty or Nice party – Suite (12/21/11)
Looks like there was a little bit of naughtiness and an awful lot of niceness going on at Suite last night for their Naughty or Nice party.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
More than $600 million in Homeland Security grants to NC since 9/11
And that’s not counting the $50 million for the DNC
Last-minute holiday shopping at Petal
For all of my last-minute shoppers out there who have waited until the 12th hour to finish checking off their Christmas list, you are in luck! Today through Friday, Dec. 23, you can receive 30 percent off one full price item at Petal. Guys, if you want to surprise your lady with a fabulous new…
Bank of America to settle with feds over bias case
Company to pay a record $335 million to settle suit charging discrimination against minority homebuyers.
Latinos demand The Charlotte Observer stop using ‘illegal’ to describe people
Editor says paper does not use the term ‘lightly’
Live review: The Dance Party
Upbeat band surprises at the Milestone on Dec. 18, 2011.
Best bets in Charlotte comedy, Dec. 21-23
Here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Shiprocked got Talent Finale @ Snug Harbor, 12/12/11
Shiprocked got Talent Finale was at Snug Harbor this past weekend. Peep the photos below!
Anthony Hamilton on Letterman last night
Charlotte soul singer performs “Woo.”
Ornaments on sale at City Supply
I wish I had a Christmas tree that was larger than 12 inches. Just so I could buy these ornaments and hang them. These and other ornaments are currently 50 percent off at City Supply (1219 Thomas Ave.)
On sale now: 2012 Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend tickets
Charlotte Wine and Food Weekend will be held April 18 through 22, and tickets for all events are now available online.
Holiday spirited chocolate peppermint at Tasty Yo
Nothing says holiday spirit like chocolate peppermint.
War Horse leads the holiday film charge
WAR HORSE ***1/2 DIRECTED BY Steven Spielberg STARS Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson Steven Spielberg is no novice when it comes to presenting moviegoers with the horrors of war, whether it’s the muted screams of Schindler’s List, the frontline carnage of Saving Private Ryan or even the knotty retaliations of Munich. While all those films deservedly…
We Bought a Zoo: Demand a refund
WE BOUGHT A ZOO *1/2 DIRECTED BY Cameron Crowe STARS Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson While the concept of dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s is a wonderful one to pass along to small children just learning how to write, it earns Cameron Crowe a failing grade for rigidly applying it to We Bought a…
Dragon Tattoo: You go, Girl
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO ***1/2 DIRECTED BY David Fincher STARS Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara Think of it as the “close but no cigar” brand of cinema, where American adaptations of foreign hits prove to be better than expected yet don’t quite trump their highly regarded predecessors. Let Me In, Matt Reeves’ take on…
The Adventures of Tintin always in motion
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN *** DIRECTED BY Steven Spielberg STARS Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis Finally, here’s one seven-year itch that can be scratched. When 2004’s The Polar Express made film history as the first animated movie to be created wholly by employing the motion-capture process, we instantly recognized that we were in the presence of…
Latest Mission almost Impossible to resist
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE — GHOST PROTOCOL *** DIRECTED BY Brad Bird STARS Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner There’s a scene in Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol in which Tom Cruise’s agent extraordinaire Ethan Hunt must climb up the outside of a tall building with only the aid of a pair of electronic gloves that fasten themselves to…
Young Adult: Wicked fun for grown-ups
YOUNG ADULT *** DIRECTED BY Jason Reitman STARS Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt In an effort to prove she was more than just a pretty face, Charlize Theron was horribly made up for Monster and dowdily dressed down for North Country, consequently winning an Academy Award for the former and a nomination for the latter. In…
Climate Apartheid
“You’ve been negotiating all my life,” Anjali Appadurai told the plenary session of the U.N.’s 17th “Conference of Parties,” or COP 17, the official title of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Durban, South Africa. Appadurai, a student at the ecologically focused College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, addressed the plenary as…
Weekly horoscope (Dec. 21-Dec.27)
Sagittarius The Archer (Nov. 22-Dec. 20) You will be issuing opinions many times this week. Your ability to see the big picture is important to those around you. Use absolute discretion when speaking of other persons, lest your statements return to bite you. Aspects are positive in the financial department now. For All Signs: The…
New school board means big potential for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
I was startled in August when Creative Loafing readers picked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools as the issue they were most sick of hearing about. Then I noticed that the readers’ pick for the issue that needs more attention was education. Huh? After mulling it over, I understood the dichotomy. CL readers, like any citizens genuinely concerned about…
Where to find it: More Holiday Treats
Last summer, a reader asked where she could find cardone (car-doan-ee). But this vegetable becomes available during the winter. Although it resembles overgrown celery, it cannot be eaten raw. Cardone is actually a cousin of the globe artichoke and is often served deep fried as part of a traditional Italian Christmas dinner. Once the outer…
Art in the heart of the Tofano home
On a crisp December day, the unbearably cute, 13-year-old pooch Bernie greets me on the front porch with his tail wagging. A wrought iron fence surrounds the plush green front lawn of Daidree Tofano and her mom Valerie’s home, which is host to one of the most amazing vegetable and herb gardens I’ve ever seen.…
Interview: Kam Sok, owner of Wink Studio
At times you can tell what a woman is thinking just from the look in her eyes. Kam Sok, licensed esthetician and owner of Wink Studio (at Sola Salons, 2000 South Blvd., Suite 100; www.winkstudio.net), aims to enhance the intensity of a client’s gaze through her extensive brow and lash services. Aside from Sok’s focus…
Lowe’s, Bank of America miss opportunity to be the good guys
Lowe’s and Bank of America’s actions during the controversy last week over the TV show All-American Muslim made the two Charlotte-area corporations come off, respectively, as supporters of bigotry and as moral cowards. It all hit the fan when the Florida Family Association (FFA), a far-right, supposedly Christian group, declared the TLC reality series about…
Local picks for holiday wines
The cathartic release of tiny bubbles emanating from the base of a glass flute makes sparkling wines almost a prerequisite for celebrations, especially during the holidays. But not everyone is fond of champagne and other sparkling wines. I attribute that to the unfortunate consumption of cheap wines masquerading as sparklers. Nevertheless, sparkling wines, whether champagne,…
Glitter for your hair: Tinsel extensions
The folks at Escape Hair and Skin Studio recognize the sparkling power of tinsel — and want to use it to make you glitter this holiday season. Tinsel is the latest craze of hair extensions to hit the styling scene; it wasn’t long ago when we were seeing women with feathers in their manes. Now…
Sherlock Holmes: Game over
SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS ** DIRECTED BY Guy Ritchie STARS Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law If I wanted to see a movie featuring Indiana Jones, I would watch Raiders of the Lost Ark. If I wanted to see a movie featuring James Bond, I would watch Goldfinger. If I wanted to see a…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Dec. 21)
Performance Artist: A 22-year-old woman filed a police report after being threatened via text message. She said she received a text from the suspect stating, “I will hurt you in public. I don’t care who is around.” But he will make love to her in private. Demolition Derby: Police responded to an accident off Monroe…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Dec. 21
ABDUCTION Sure, it’s easy to pick on the Twilight guy. Because who’s gonna rush to his defense other than smitten Team Jacob fans? Make no mistake about it: Abduction, in which Taylor Lautner is handed his first starring role in a motion picture, will never, ever, ever be mistaken for a good movie. But the…
Memorial service for Rodney Lanier ends with style
Weekend events included Christmas songs, New Orleans style processional.
