Music Editor Jeff Hahne presents: Off the Record — starring Holy Ghost Tent Revival and E-S Guthrie
New series combines performances with interviews
The worst of Fox News in 2010
We give Fox News a lot of well-deserved grief for claiming to be “fair and balanced,” seeing as how they’re the unofficial news organization of the Republican Party and have been since Day One. Media Matters, a liberal group that looks at media bias, has now compiled an eye-opening report called “Off the Rails: The…
Some N.C. sex laws that make no sense … to me
If a sex offender can’t find forgiveness in a church in the Bible Belt, we’re all screwed.
Obama ‘report card’: Great for banks, not so much for you and me
Nomi Prins is a journalist, author, a former managing director at Goldman Sachs, and head of the international analytics group at Bear Stearns in London. She has emerged as one of Wall Street’s most knowledgeable, and fiercest, critics. You can tell where she stands on economic issues by the title of her latest book, It…
Enjoy free hip-hop at Jeff’s Bucket Shop
My suggestion? Monday Night Mic Fights at Jeff’s Bucket Shop on Montford Drive.
NYE @ Whisky River, 12/31/10
Whisky River held a Casino Royale New Year’s Eve party on Friday night.
NYE @ Black Finn, 12/31/10
Black Finn hosted their New York New York A Big Apple New Year’s Eve on Friday night. Photos by Jeaumane McIntosh
The CLog Top 10: December 2010
Feature counts down the 10 most-read CLog stories of the previous month.
Resolution tips, tricks and failure risks
Keep your promise to yourself in 2011.
Make better food choices in 2011
Here’s your opportunity to be part of the solution.
I got Spanx’ed on New Year’s Eve
Adventures of New Year’s Eve at Butter — wearing my trusty Spanx.
Amos’ taking aim at Live Nation?
Amos’ Southend has launched a new Website at the same old address, amossouthend.com. Aside from the visual differences, I couldn’t help but notice one little change in wording. It now says, “Charlotte’s Affordable Live Music Venue.” Could it be a swipe at Live Nation’s Fillmore? Maybe. There’s nothing that says it is, but it was…
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Photos: 34th and Hudson Benefit
Benefit concert was held on Jan. 1, 2011, at the Evening Muse.
Bobcats bringing the Heat: Free tix to Bobcats vs. Miami
Win tickets to see LeBron bring the Heat to Charlotte
Today’s Top(less) 5: Monday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Charlotte’s Stupidest Thing of the Year
There were a lot of contenders for this prestigious award: Harold Johnson vs. Tim D’Annunzio was a no-brainer, as were a variety of shenanigans by city and county “leaders.” However, a mundane, but all too typical, firing of an employee who dared speak her mind took the cake, in this writer’s opinion. In May, a…
Ignored Story of the Year: U.S. taxes pay for Afghani child sex slaves
I know, I know, there are too many godawful things going unreported to name just one award “winner.” But one true story, which received pitifully little coverage in America despite the whole thing being funded by U.S. taxpayers, needs to — at the very least — be given some kind of Shame Award. While the…
Today’s Top(less) 5: Friday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Dating defined by Charlotteans
What in the hell is dating anyway?
Bill James says he’s ‘good press for Charlotte’
In response to yesterday’s post about his latest anti-gay slurs, County Commissioner Bill James responded, in CL’s comments section, that “I just say what everyone else thinks and believes.” Which is true, if what you mean by “everyone else” is “other bigots,” or maybe “those on the losing side of social progress.” In James’ latest…
Grids nearing the end?
Local trio eyeing Feb. 4 concert as its last.
You’re just now noticing gas prices?
It’s all about supply and demand … and politics.
Waste less food in 2011
Waste not, want not … feel less guilty.
Professors to rich: Donate your tax cuts
Good effort, guys.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Dating defined by Charlotteans
What in the hell is dating anyway?
Catching up with our angel Levines
Because they’ve now honored the Levines, we can look at the laurels bestowed by The Echo Foundation and the Gantt Center with increased respect.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
‘What the hell is wrong with Bill James?’
I received an e-mail from a friend this morning who, referring to Bill James’ latest round of outlandish gay-bashing, wrote, “What the hell is wrong with this guy?” What my friend (who is a straight male, in case you’re wondering) was talking about was James’ refusal to sign on to a county commission resolution from…
ECO Center for Women benefits from one woman’s birthday
When Letha Taylor turns 44 this Sunday, she’s going to celebrate by giving back.
Mortgage crisis semantics
Bank of America is getting sued. (Again.)
Every time it snows, a climate change skeptic gets his wings
Dear climate change skeptics: Read a book.
Enviros, economists question EPA’s coal ash numbers
EPA accused of bolstering industry’s claims, discounting environmental and health claims.
Charlotte Restaurant Week returns Jan. 21 – Jan. 30
Queen’s Feast is here again.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Sales to check out before the new year gets here
I know, I know. Your new year’s resolution is to budget your money better. Me too! But the new year is still three days away; until then, you can take advantage of these sales going on in the area. • The Pink Hanger: 20 percent off all embellished dresses and tops • Vivian Boutique: 35…
New Year’s Eve event commercials
Here are some videos previewing a few of the many, many New Year’s Eve events going on Friday night. First Night Charlotte The A List, Blue Goose, Inner Circle Events, The Sol Kitchen present The ILLUMINATI Collective. MAZ Entertainment presents Midnight Morphosis. Six Figure Entertainment presents Majestueux.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
New Year’s Eve … perfect time for a one-night stand?
Some people will be ringing in 2011 with someone they’ll never see again.
‘Most Admired’ list: Who are your picks?
Surely it isn’t a politician or some other celebrity, is it?
No cramming: Year-round resolutions
Fuck a New Years Resolution!
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Our senators stand up to Congress
Kudos to you, Senators.
Cheap tickets!
Made ya look.
Grow a pair, FDA
Stop goofing around and protect the people.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Exhibit: Progeny Two
According to the folks at the Harvey Gantt Center, the ongoing exhibit Progeny Two “highlights the impact of family, history, and memory on the processes of artistic production.” The show combines the talents of two mothers, Deborah Willis and Fo Wilson, and their two sons, Hank Willis Thomas and Dayo Harewood, and features works of…
Examining the Charlotte food scene of 2010
If you haven’t been to the center of the city in a while, you need to revisit. While Uptown has been a destination for sports and bars for a decade, the southern edge of Tryon seems to have transcended its place to become a cultural center. Really. A few weeks ago, I took in two…
FILM: For-Adults-Only Monday Movies
Gaston County Public Library’s 2011 For-Adults-Only Monday Movies series (featuring award-winning foreign and independent films) begins with a screening of the Scandinavian drama/thriller, Troubled Water. In the film, a young man — fresh out of prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit — must take charge of his life. He begins playing the…
The best (and worst) movies of 2010
They say that the cream always rises to the top; that goes for the cream of the cinematic crop as well. Glance at any two random critics’ 10 Best lists for 2010 and chances are the majority of the titles will match. What that means — at least to my way of thinking — is…
Exhibits: Daniel Allegrucci: Deliberate Acts & Patricia Steele Raible: InnerSights
Check out the 2nd and 3rd floors at the McColl Center for Visual Art for solo exhibitions by its 11-month affiliates. Daniel Allegrucci, best known for woodcuts of explosions and other intimations of force (such as the pictured “Explosion 15”), is jumping out of his comfort zone and adding installations to his repertoire. Patricia Steele…
President Obama’s Christmas gift to AT&T (and Comcast and Verizon)
One of President Barack Obama’s signature campaign promises was to protect the freedom of the Internet. He said, in November 2007, “I will take a back seat to no one in my commitment to network neutrality, because once providers start to privilege some applications or websites over others, then the smaller voices get squeezed out…
SPECIAL EVENT: Get to Know the Show
In preparation of upcoming performances (Jan. 12-30) of Billy Elliot The Musical at Ovens Auditorium, comes another educational Get to Know the Show series from Blumenthal. UNC Charlotte professor Noel Freidline will discuss pop icon Elton John’s journey to Broadway and his written scores for Billy Elliot The Musical. Complimentary sandwiches and beverages will be…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Dec. 29
BLACK SWAN Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan is a messy masterpiece. Like Apocalypse Now, Eraserhead and Aronofsky’s own Requiem for a Dream, it’s one of those films that will force viewers to either reject it outright or allow it to burrow into the brain and remain there for days, weeks, months on end. It’s a character…
The best comic books of 2010
In the sea of comics that hit stands in 2010, what was really worth your time and money? Here are my picks for the year’s best comics: Chew: Image’s cibopathic detective comic remained a hilarious and engrossing (and gross) read throughout 2010, proving it’s more than a one-year wonder. Stumptown: A more real-world take on…
Why can’t they make highways last forever?
As one way to alleviate my otherwise simmering rage while crawling along the Eisenhower Expressway these days, I’ve been trying to figure out why they can’t make a highway that lasts forever. Aside from the need to preserve triple-overtime jobs for road construction workers, is there some other (possibly physical) reason why this can’t be…
EXHIBIT: Fables and Foibles
For three decades, artist Pauline Dove Lamal served as the program chair in the visual arts department at Central Piedmont Community College. Her offbeat mixed media has been showcased in faraway places like Nepal, Vietnam, India and Germany. Don’t miss your chance to see some of her clay and paper creations (including the pictured piece…
The Year in Music 2010
I’m ending 2010 with roughly 95 concerts under my belt. I traveled to Chicago for Lollapalooza and to the sweltering fields of Manchester, Tenn., for Bonnaroo and made my way around venues small and large in the Queen City. As I began going through the thousands of photos I had taken this year, I began…
COMEDY: Derek Richards
Comedian Derek Richards has been busy. He’s not only battled disease (he’s a cancer survivor) but also ventured across the globe (to Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, etc.), providing laughs to the armed forces. His act mingles a range of tales, some of which include his time being raised in Detroit, the holidays, life…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
Food Fight: Police responded to a call at the Salsarita’s near the airport after an employee threw a fit at work. The general manager told officers that he asked the employee to leave the store and the kid started throwing food items all over the place. The irate employee reportedly threw beverages, meats, vegetables, dairy…
Stargazer’s Annual 2011 Horoscope
See next week’s column for individual sign projections. The years 2008 through 2015 are a challenge for the average person. The cosmic arrangement over these years is almost a replica of what astrologers call “The Depression T square” of the 1930s. The road to recovery requires significant patience and adaptability from each of us. It…
More music photos of 2010 (part 2)
More photos (part 1) More photos (part 3) More photos (part 4)
Where to find it: Tamales
A reader is looking for tamales, which is not unusual at this time of year. Tamales are as much a tradition at Christmas in some parts of the U.S. as eggnog is in others. Tamales, though, are eaten throughout the year. Assembling tamales is labor intensive. The masa mixture is spread evenly on one section…
More music photos of 2010 (part 3)
More photos (part 1) More photos (part 2) More photos (part 4)
CL previews upcoming concerts (Dec. 29-Jan. 1)
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 29 THE CONNELLS Formed in North Carolina in 1984, The Connells quickly evolved into college circuit darlings and remained active though the ’90s. The band’s instantly hummable jangly pop, oft laden with jazz and rock touches, still rings fresh. Most of its CDs maybe out of print but fret not, all the favorite…
More music photos of 2010 (part 4)
More photos (part 1) More photos (part 2) More photos (part 3)
Local killers dodge justice
Ever wonder what the odds are of, as the old saying goes, “getting away with murder”? Look at the people around you in traffic sometime — or maybe at the grocery store. You’ve probably passed right by a person who has committed the most reviled of all crimes. They are a statistically elite group, and…
Best-laid plans
You’ve heard the saying “If you want to make God laugh, make plans.” As 2010 comes to a close, it seems like this was this case. This time last year, I was mourning the loss of my nephew who died unexpectedly in his sleep a few days before Christmas. Christmas, a holiday that I usually…
HOLIDAY: Holiday Lights at the Garden
Nothing says the holidays like lights. The more the merrier — well, at least until the power bill arrives. Good thing Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens goes all out with its Holiday Lights at the Garden so that we don’t have to. During the seasonal event, the garden is decorated with more than 600,000 gleaming lights.…
Favorite books of 2010
As always, these year-end picks are just one critic’s favorites, not necessarily a list of the “best” books of the year. I’ve supplemented the picks with a list of books I wish I had had time to read (the booklover’s standard lament). Consider those extras as recommendations, too. Non-Fiction Just Kids by Patti Smith (Ecco…
HOLIDAY: Back to the Future Bash
In its 8th year, the Breakfast Club’s annual Back to the Future Bash is proof that some folks would rather be somewhere in the ’80s than 2010 (soon to be 2011). Honoring the era of big permed/crinkled hair trends, neon clothing, leggings, slap bracelets and new wave sounds, the three-level club will also offer party…
A 2010 dictionary
This was the year of “WikiLeaks,” “refudiate,” and “don’t touch my junk.” Every year, Americans learn new words, terms and phrases from the news, but the long, dreadful year 2010 offered a particularly rich supply of catchphrases and made-up words. Charlotte had its share of phrases to get used to during the past 12 months.…
COMEDY: Derek Richards
Comedian Derek Richards has been busy. He’s not only battled disease (he’s a cancer survivor), but also ventured across the globe (to Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, etc.) providing laughs to the armed forces. His act mingles a range of tales (some of which include his time being raised in Detroit, the holidays, life…
3 questions with JR Adduci, craft service connoisseur
JR Adduci is no stranger to the world of film and television. A trained actor from New York City, he got his start right here in Charlotte at East Mecklenburg High School. After spending over 12 years working in Manhattan as an actor by day and sous chef by night, Adduci’s travels have brought him…
