Photos: The Avett Brothers’
The Avett Brothers w/ Langhorne Slim and the War Eagles Belk Theatre Dec. 31, 2007
Live Photos: The Noises 10
Just a few photos from The Noises 10 concert at the Visulite Theatre on Dec. 29. It was a packed house and a great show. The band gets better every time I see them – it’s no surprise they’re working with a major label these days (Jive). Expect big things from them in 2008.
Food For The New Year
If you plan to party hearty on New Year’s Eve, make sure you do it right with good food to compliment all the bubbly. Here are just a few places making extra special meals to bring in the new year. Ballantyne • Table Restaurant will have a DJ after 10 p.m. and will host their…
The Downward Dog
The woman is instructed to lie face down across a bed. Sliding forward, she places her hands on the floor and continues to move her body across the edge of the bed until only her waist and thighs are supported. The man then enters her from behind, with his legs positioned inside of hers, with…
Tiger convinct was held in low-security, country-club facilities
By Nancy Grace Three young men, enjoying a trip to the zoo on Christmas day. Suddenly attacked by an escaped tiger. A case of random violence at the hands of a wild, unpredictable animal? Or further proof of the danger of LENIENT SENTENCING? Sure, zookeepers say this tiger was secured in captivity. But a moat…
New releases (12/25, 1/1)
As you may (or may not) know, Tuesday is the day for new album releases… Well, thanks to holidays falling on Tuesday – both Christmas and New Year’s – there’s not much of anything coming out. In the meantime, you can go local and check out Lindy Dobbins’ CD release this Friday at Evening Muse,…
Charlotte’s Transit Plans
— Cartoon by Jim Hunt
N.C. comment period on gassing animals ends soon
If you want to voice your opinion on banning gas chambers at N.C. animal shelters, now’s the time. The state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will stop accepting public comments for the new proposed rules, which would continue to allow gas as a way of euthanizing animals at shelters around the state, on Dec.…
What Would You Rather Do?
QC After Dark
Going Long
Granted, it’s awards season, so we can expect the Oscar-bait titles to unspool at a leisurely pace, regardless of whether the extra length is genuinely required for the story’s sake or if it’s merely a smoke screen meant to convince Academy members that they’re watching An Important Movie. But do the period’s popcorn pictures also…
Smart Rock for Smart-Asses
“Make us sound smart” — Mike Mitschele They pulled their name from a hat full of nouns and adjectives, and thus nearly became the Sausage-y Guys. For their first live show they hung “the world’s biggest flyer” from the club’s marquee — “They’re Coming, April 13” was all it said. They’ve titled their albums Love…
Winter wonderland fare
I’m always a little slow waking up to the holidays. If it weren’t for Rudolph, Cindy Lou Who and Winter Warlock, my cartoon friends for more than 30 years, I’d still be taking my Thanksgiving nap. Last week, while making dinner, I could hear the musical stylings of Burl Ives as Sam the singing snowman…
When Crime Does Pay
Meet Keller. He’s walking around New York shot up with Novocain after a lengthy dentist’s visit. Keller watches a bit of street-hustle basketball on a playground. Since childhood, any game of hoops has always depressed him. Keller is a contract killer and — delicious irony — his next job is in Indianapolis, where his patron…
Ring in the New Year With Music
By this time, you should have your plans for New Year’s Eve all laid out. If not, here’s a quick listing of a few of them: Amos’ Southend — Synthetic New Year’s with Angels on Acid, Anders Manga, Onesiktrik, DJ Lechter, DJ Koji, DJ Karma and shows by the Purgatory fetish dancers. $20 in advance,…
Welcome home
Where else would they play? The Avett Brothers, after enjoying plenty of success this year, will return to Charlotte on New Year’s Eve for a sold-out show at the Belk Theatre. They’ve come a long way since the days of Nemo (their first band). They won two Americana Music Awards and performed on Late Night…
Birthday Soot
Advice Goddess
Music Menu
THURSDAY, DEC. 27 Bullship Minimal and distilled from guitars, drums and bass, Bullship’s math rock invents new formulas and associated genres along with them. There’s dissonance, but not the tidal wave of feedback variety, rather just enough weirdness to wonder where the heck the sound is coming from. The Charlotte trio is working on a…
Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love
The Deal: Trisha Yearwood released her twelfth album, Heaven, Heartache, and the Power of Love. According to her debut song from the album (the song for which the album is named), heaven is where she hopes she’s going and heartaches where she’s been. Catchy twang lyrics, yes, but the melody is honky-tonk with an old-school…
Surviving a CIA ‘Black Site’
Breaking the Sound Barrier
The Blotter
HIT AND RUN: A 34-year-old man said he was walking on the sidewalk in front of the parking deck of the Transamerica Building, located at 100 W. 7th St., when a vehicle that was exiting the deck hit him. He said he wasn’t knocked to the ground, but the car hit him on the arm,…
La Cucaracha
The Deal: On this, their first album in several years, Ween-ers Dean and Gene aim high artistically, and low morally and spiritually. That’s typical of these Coen Brothers of rock. Not everyone gets them, but that’s part of their charm. As sophomoric as ever, maybe a bit more malicious, you’ll either experience some discomfort or…
Karma Cleanser
Dear Karma Cleanser: So I’m standing in line at the post office and the place is basically a war zone. Everyone in town — including myself — had apparently waited until the Saturday before Christmas to get all their gifts in the mail. The line stretched back for miles and people were pretty touchy about…
Detention Dissension
A coalition of immigrant advocates, progressive religious folks and old-school community organizers are prepping for a fight over a proposed federal detention center for illegal immigrants. The activists want to stop construction of the detention center, billed as a first-of-its kind holding jail for undocumented immigrants as they await deportation. “Nobody wants to be known…
Since the Last Time
The Deal: You may not have heard from them in a while, but the happy hip-hoppers are back. The Good: The group’s music hasn’t changed much over the years, though they broke up back in 1996. They still touch soul, funk and R&B while Speech spits rhymes that generally have a positive message. You can…
Letters to the Editor
It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature In reference to the essay written by Mr. Bill McKibben (“Kyoto 10 Years Later,” Dec. 12), I would like to offer these comments. Global warming exists. It is without question. How long it will last is one question. What should we do is another. Mr. McKibben writes: “……
Schism in the Party
News Brief
Sports: Hoops for kids
Today is Day One in a three-day tournament hailed as one of the Top Five high school basketball tournaments in the nation. Boy and girl teams from all over will compete against Charlotte’s best for the Bojangles High School Basketball Shootout trophy. This tourney’s altruism will spread a little love to the former Dell Curry…
Stargazer
Capricorn The Goat: (Dec. 21 — Jan. 19) The new year begins in fine form for the Goats this year. You certainly deserve it, after experiencing a number of challenging years in the past. Your mood is optimistic and finally it seems that your business is showing an improvement. A contract may be on the…
Finding the missing
News Brief
Music: Oh, What Fun
Just in time for the holidays, a little hip-hop love comin’ at ya. Atlantic Records is letting a few of their artists provide a lovely holiday serenade … “Soon as I seen her, told her I’d pay for it/’Lil Mama the baddest thing around and she already know it” … at Jingle Jam 2007. That’s…
Ah … the smell of it
I kill a tree every year. Despite my environmental inclinations, I buy a real Christmas tree to celebrate the holiday. I just can’t get excited about a fake one with no pine smell. I suppose a “fir-scented” candle might impart some realness to the plastic-and-metal imposter, but my psyche would invariably suffer. Ever since I…
Get Physical
Let’s face it, everyone overeats during the holidays. With all of those pies, cakes and cookies just being passed around, it’s hard not to gain holiday weight. But, no one wants to go into the New Year carrying the weight of Christmas (and Thanksgiving) past. Instead of wasting money on a gym membership that you…
Music: Get Into the Groove
Go on and get your groove on as Perpetual Groove performs a two-night stint in NoDa. Duh. The Athens, Ga.-based band, who is known for its New Year’s runs, released its third major album, LiveLoveDie, in March. Wear your dancing shoes … it’s gonna be a long night(s). 9 p.m. $30 ADV; $35 day of.…
The Morning After
Looking for an eatery after a late night? Some of the breakfast spots that are normally open, such as John’s Country Kitchen, Eddie’s, and Izzy’s, will be closed on New Year’s Day. But others — including hotel restaurants — will be doing business as usual, albeit delayed. If you want that slice of pineapple coconut…
While You Were Out Fighting the Shopping Traffic
On Being An Author Brett Mitchell-Webb reads aloud from his book On Being a Gay Parent: Making a Future Together at a book signing at The Lesbian and Gay Community Center, Dec. 19. Show Me A Lotta Leg Local dance instructor Rodrigo Jimenez shows off his wife Wendy’s goodies as they perform with…
Holiday: Yankees Find Home
Can’t get out of town and into Times Square this New Year’s? Then try out the next best thing right here in Crowntown. The 2nd Annual “New York, New York” New Year’s Eve Party is the place for Yankee imports and wannabes alike. So, grab your guy, girl, whoever and hit a local hotspot. Just…
Film Clips
Current Releases ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS About the best one can say about this occasionally rancid but mostly just dull film is that it’s not as excruciating as Garfield: The Movie, another ill-conceived project that placed CGI animals in the real world. Here, Jason Lee is the hapless human who serves as the sacrificial-career lamb:…
Holiday: Skating on Thin Ice
Ice skating is really harder than it looks. Not everyone can aspire to be Michelle Kwan. But of course, you’re going to be stubborn and try to do it anyway. In that case, check out WBT Holiday on Ice at the Green Uptown, Charlotte’s only outdoor ice-skating rink. January 6 is the last day it’s…
Comic Proportions
BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS NO. 3 Published by DC Comics. Plot and script by Chuck Dixon. Pencils by Julian Lopez. Inks by Bit. The Deal: It’s the third issue of the new Batman and The Outsiders series. The original series of the same name ran in the 1980s and was pretty damn cheesy — but…
View From the Couch
FIRST SNOW (2007). Building upon an impressive indie career, Guy Pearce (Memento, The Proposition) adds another prickly personality to his resume, further revealing that here’s an actor who couldn’t give a damn whether audiences warm up to his characters. He plays Jimmy, an unctuous salesman who visits a fortune teller (J.K. Simmons) off the side…
Visual Arts: 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…
FCC Homeboy In The News
Boomer With Attitude
Going Attractions
RICHMOND, VA. Seymour’s Annual New Year’s Bash: Children’s Museum of Richmond. 2626 West Broad St. www.c-mor.org. 804-474-7000. New Year’s Eve with Carbon Leaf: Toad’s Place of Richmond, 140 Virginia St. For ages 18 and older. Doors open at 8 p.m. $25 ADV; $30. 804-648-8623. ASHEVILLE, N.C. New Year’s Eve at The Health Adventure: 3 p.m.-5…
Sports: Football Central
Charlotte-based Raycom Sports operates the Meineke Car Care Bowl. This game is a rivalry between the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East Conference. U-Conn has already accepted a bid. If you can’t watch it in person, this bowl will be telecast on ESPN. 1 p.m. $30/$55. Bank of America Stadium, 800 S. Mint St.…
Bringing up baby
The N Word
Satan and other influences
Moodswing
Jus K
Profile
UNC’s black contractors allege bias
In May 2006, Todd’s Grading & Hauling, a black-owned, mom-and-pop construction firm run from an attic office in Zebulon, was wrapping up work on a $380,000 contract at East Carolina University’s new College of Allied Health Sciences building. The superintendent on the job asked owner Griffin Todd and his workers to repair concrete sidewalks that…
Remember when?
Citizen Servatius needs a break, so this is her best of the year in review. Enjoy. Merry Christmas! If the city of Charlotte spends $54.97 to buy a case of Kleenex and I want to know about it, the city must give me a full accounting if I ask. But police officers, who are city…
No Need for Column B
In the Charlotte scheme of things, culture is regarded as an asset that lures intelligent and creative folk to our metropolis so that they may live under the thumbs of their rightful masters and exploiters – the power brokers, the pragmatists, and the filthy rich. So it’s really no wonder that the unprecedented objections of…
