Cover Story
Occupy Yourself
“If you make a revolution, make it for fun, don’t make it in ghastly seriousness…” — D.H. Lawrence, “A Sane Revolution” It had to happen. Mix gross economic inequality with modern technology that levels the communication playing field and — voila! — instant revolution. The Occupy Wall Street movement may borrow heavily from ’60s be-ins,…
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Serendipitous poetry: Cometry at Neighborhood Theatre
There once was a show. I randomly decided to go. It began with a DJ. Spinning hybrid new and old school, circa Marvin Gaye.
Yelp’s Big Fat Wrapping Party
On Wednesday, Dec. 14, head out to The Boulevard at South End for a wrapping party that will benefit the Crisis Assistance Ministry.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Charlotte blues; Tampa strikes back
Men’s Health mag hires a recent intern to report CL markets among the most depressing in the union. 🙂
Coming up: Boots & Beats fashion mixer at Chima
The season’s arrival is marked by the turning of the leaves, the chilling of the weather and another, fashion-specific marker: the coveting of thy neighbor’s boots. With an amazing array of colors and styles to choose from, the footwear of choice for brisker months works for practically any event. On Tuesday, Dec. 13 Chima Brazilian…
The Royal Tinfoil’s “soulful drug-laced Americana” – Tonight (12/11/11) @ The Milestone
This Charleston quintet plays a rowdy, earthy style of country-folk that they liken to “drunken gypsy sex” and “soulful drug-laced Americana.” What’s most promising — if not fully fleshed out yet — about the Tinfoil are the girl-boy vocals of Lily Slay and Mackie Bones. Slay, in particular, has a husky-sexy voice well-suited to the…
Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion’s sweet, psychedelic country-rock – Tonight (12/11/11) @ Neighborhood Theatre
The husband-wife duo has been making sweet folk and country-rock, laden with acoustic guitars and harmony, since their debut in 2005. Their newest recording, Bright Examples, is hewn with psychedelic flourishes where the songs flow into atmospheric moods. Both are astute songwriters, and, with talents combined, the results are wonderfully coherent and listenable. With Amanda…
Native Pride! Anybody Killa – Tonight (12/11/11) @ Tremont Music Hall
Hailing from Detroit, ABK has serious N.C. ties and has carved out his own lane as a Native American hip-hop artist. The son of Lumbee Indians from eastern North Carolina, he’s blended elements of that upbringing with gangsta rap and horror themes made famous by the Insane Clown Posse into a career well into its…
Shana Blake’s vocal showcase – Tonight (12/10/11) @ The Saloon
As a member of The Near Misses, Shana Blake was always able to showcase her vocals — within harmonies or front-and-center. After a brief detour in the rock outfit Wavy Space, Blake is back in her wheelhouse finding the balance her voice needs in a mix of soul, funk, blues and Southern charm. The Saloon.…
In memory of Rodney Lanier
Local musician died on Dec. 9, 2011.
Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: DNCC looks for next class of interns
A registered Independent, 24-year-old Douglas Cole worked for Hillary Clinton’s campaign in 2008 and Organizing for America in 2010. Time is running out on internships at the Democratic National Convention Committee for Shaneice Simmons, Douglas Cole and Miguel Jaramillo. But the three Central Piedmont Community College students hope to return for the January-April session, to…
New Year’s Eve drops the ball
All-star idiocy not worth celebrating.
Has Duke Energy gone wobbly on mercury emission regs?
Mercury John Downy of the Charlotte Business Journal reports that Greenpeace, which now has an office in Charlotte, is pressuring Duke Energy to clarify its position on the EPA’s tentative rules for controlling mercury emissions. According to Greenpeace’s coal campaign director Gabe Wisniewski, Duke has been talking out of both sides of its mouth. First,…
CL and HuffPost team up for DNC/Occupy Charlotte coverage
Charlotte officials negotiate what to do about its Occupy protesters as the DNC gets closer.
Live review: Pile
PileThe MilestoneDec. 8 Although the population within was dwindling, the Milestone itself had a positive vibe of anticipation that could be felt throughout the building. It had been awhile since Boston’s Pile had come through, and despite the low turnout of this Thursday night, those who were in attendance were stoked to the point that…
New names for Southern Baptists …
Southern Baptists may be looking at a name change; here are our Top Ten suggestions.
Edgier stuff on the edges of town: Spring Awakening, God of Carnage, Vanities
Reviews of theater performances happening NOT in Charlotte.
Beards BeCAUSE’s follicular finale – Tonight (12/8/11) @ Amos’ Southend
Don’t think the words “local rock bands” mean a group of talentless hacks who are finally free of their garage/basement. The trio of acts performing at this charity fundraiser are probably more worthy of being showcased on radio than the typical swill you’ll find there. From the female-fronted assault of Grown Up Avenger Stuff to…
Groove 8’s free fusion funk – Tonight @ The Chop Shop
Formerly known as Audioform, this Charlotte-based jazz and funk collective has been together and touring for sometime. With members from all over the map. they’ve pooled their sound into what they call free fusion funk and brought all their individual taste and talents to the table to create it. With four studio albums in, their…
More voices from Occupy Charlotte
Charlie Howell splits his time between Occupy Norfolk and Occupy Charlotte.
Weekend Top(less) 5
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Former state rep. Nick Mackey charged with DUI in Concord
Nick Mackey faces DWI charge.
Pile stomps and hollers – Tonight @ The Milestone
One Pile touchstone, indie legend Jawbox, never quite hit as hard as this Boston powerhouse. But what do you expect? With Boston’s long history of hardcore and other basement-grown styles, it stands to reason even indie rockers would pack brass knuckles. On Magic Isn’t Real and the more recent Big Web 7-inch, Pile stomps and…
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Comparing camps: Occupy Boston v. Occupy Charlotte
Danny Foster, from Occupy Boston, talks about that group’s raid, his march with Occupy Charlotte and how the camps compare.
Enjoy the moment, Chairman Cogdell, there won’t be many more
” title=”Hey, has anyone here seen my integrity>” width=”319″ height=”238″ /> Hey, has anyone here seen my integrity> So Harold Cogdell is now the chair of the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, having connived with Republican board members to remove former chair, and fellow Democrat, Jennifer Roberts from her position. I, and many other political…
Ferns offers ‘Sundown Sampler’ menu
Available from 2-5 pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Whisky River, 12/6/11
Ugly Christmas Sweater parties — oh how we love them.
7th Street Market opens today
7th Street Market is now open. Go forth, buy fruit and multiply. Grant Baldwin City leaders cut the ribbon, declaring the market is now open.
Candyland Pajama Party at Marigny
Also functioning as a holiday/anniversary party. Friday, December 9, at 10pm.
IKEA goes solar in Duke Energy’s backyard
And Duke Energy said solar and wind are no-gos in the Carolinas.
Tonight: Virtue Salon + Spa holiday party
If you’re looking for a new place to go to get your hair did, but don’t want to commit to the cut without first hanging out with your stylist, here’s an event you should check out. Tonight, Virtue Salon + Spa, located next to The Melting Pot in Midtown, is hosting a holiday party, which…
Scout & Molly’s hosts coat and sweater sale
Don’t you want this in your closet? Head to Scout & Molly’s today to get 25 percent off all coats and sweaters. They close at 6 p.m. 3920 Sharon Road, Suite B150704-817-7009
Roseanne Cash brings it back – Tonight @ McGlohan Theatre
The chanteuse’s three-plus decade career has seen ups and downs, twists and turns, plenty hits and a few misses. Old-school country is in her blood, of course, but she also broke ground for pop country with her early ’80s releases, opening the doors for pop-country drivel of Shania Twain, Faith Hill and the like. But…
Group behind anti-gay amendment push is the same old bunch of hateful nuts
Charlotte publication QNotes has published an expose of some of the hateful nutcases comprising the Vote for Marriage NC committee, which plans to push for voter approval of the anti-gay amendment in May 2012. The amendment Vote for Marriage NC is pushing would ban marriages or civil unions for same-sex couples, and although still in…
See “Madama Butterfly” for free
Opera tickets available on a first-come-first-served basis through Dec. 16.
BofA is better off than it was in 2008, says its CEO. So what’s with all the layoffs?
Another episode of “Can’t Truss a Banker”
Support Bright Blessings at The Boulevard at South End
Two words that should never be paired together: homeless and children. Luckily, there are organizations out there working to help these babies out. Like Bright Blessings, for example. A volunteer-led 501(c)3 non-profit organization, they bring birthday parties to homeless children through their shelter program and anonymously through outreach progams in local schools. On Dec. 8,…
Former CL editor Carlton Hargro hosts 282
The WTVI news round-up makes its debut online, but will soon be available on the tube.
Going overboard with sexual harassment
School suspends nine year old for calling teacher cute, says he was suggestive in the way he said it — to a friend, not the teacher.
Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: A tiny business strikes a giant deal
For one small local business — actually, a business of one — the Democratic National Convention’s vendor directory worked as advertised. “It will be my biggest contract,” said Karen Lawrence, a Charlotte-based meeting and planning designer, whose firm, It’s My Affair, will partner with two Atlanta-based firms on housing services for the 2012 convention in…
How sweet it is: Think Chocolate and Davidson Chocolate Co.
Ever since chocolate became more than just a Hershey’s candy bar, the popularity of artisanal chocolate has grown exponentially in the U.S. Ambitious young pastry chefs are teaming up with business-savvy entrepreneurs to open small chocolate shops. These are not the conveyor belt Kramer’s Kandy Kitchen variety where Lucy and Ethel worked. These delicacies are…
Living up to its name: Mayhem
Seventeen years and three full-length albums separate Mayhem from its landmark debut De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. In the intervening time the band has become an influential force in modern heavy music, often cited as the leader of the Norwegian black-metal movement, which spawned a new genre and some of the most appalling band mythologies in…
A study in structures: Moenda
Earlier this fall, in a small NoDa architectural studio converted into a performance space for the night, the Charlotte trio Moenda debuted a new as-yet-untitled composition. Setting aside his drum kit, Davey Blackburn traversed the open space playing a berimbau, a bow-and-gourd instrument central to the Afro-Brazilian martial arts practice of capoeira, and new to…
Cry, the beloved climate
The United Nations’ annual climate summit descended on Durban, South Africa, this week, but not in time to prevent the tragic death of Qodeni Ximba. The 17-year-old was one of 10 people killed in Durban Sunday, the night before the U.N. conference opened. Torrential rains pummeled the seaside city of 3.5 million. Seven hundred homes…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Dec. 7
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…
Boomer talks Chiquita bananas
Welcome to another luminous edition of Ask Boomer With Attitude, the Q&A column brought to you live from Charlotte, N.C., where the Occupiers keep hanging in there, and the two biggest members of the city’s signature banking industry are accused of illegally foreclosing on U.S. soldiers fighting overseas. Note: Only one of the following questions…
Scrimping on a lump of coal: Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells!
I cannot speak with any authority on the caustic slur leveled against the Caped Crusader in the title of Junie B. in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells! But I am prepared to issue a blunt statement about the other title character in the current Children’s Theatre production: she is not the perfect role model. Junie B.…
Occupy humility
Let’s be real: the democracy we hope for in our American dreams is nowhere in sight. If you are thinking I am about to praise the values of liberals and deride the deterioration of liberalism in America, then you might be pretty disappointed. Yes, I am a Unitarian Universalist minister who serves a progressive faith.…
From real estate to retail: Amy Pickard
Doesn’t it feel great when you take a life-changing risk and it pays off? That was one of the questions I asked Amy Pickard, owner of men’s consignment store Revolve (1222 East Blvd.) and women’s online boutique Olive (www.shopoliveonline.com). I wasn’t at all surprised when her answer was a resounding “Yes!” Revolve was the first…
How does Occupy Charlotte stack up?
At the Occupy Charlotte encampment on East Trade Street, people continue to come and go after two months of occupation. Tents still dot the Old City Hall grounds, but the kitchen is now a shadow of its former self. The numbers of demonstrators have dwindled at the Saturday protests from a high of about 600…
Handpicked in harmony: Allyson Speaks
Allyson Speaks is nothing if not 100 percent authentic. As the owner of Century Vintage, a popular clothing and furniture resale store on Central Avenue, her normal day’s work consists of finding and refurbishing unique pieces from previous eras and re-introducing them to the modern day consumer market. From old-school, retro furniture and clothing to…
Interview: Adrian D. Howe, makeup artist
The dainty, prim and polished Adrian D. Howe may not seem like the type to own a large utility tool box from Lowe’s. But this isn’t just any ordinary tool box. It’s a cosmetic abyss filled with pounds of foundation, blush, eye shadows and lip colors. In the case that ruby, crimson or fire engine…
Exhibit: Modern Masters: Paris & Beyond
Paris was the place to be if you were an artist in the early 20th century. New Gallery of Modern Art’s Modern Masters: Paris & Beyond exhibit — opening with a reception on Dec. 9, from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. — offers a glimpse at works rooted in Parisian avant-garde beginnings. Artists include Marc Chagall, Pablo…
Exhibits: Son of The Ten Thousand Islands and Romance Redux
Portland-based artist Katherine Ace’s Romance Redux exhibit showcases oil paintings incorporating digitally downloaded texts, while Charlotte’s own Ruth Ava Lyons has created a dazzling dreamland of colorful landscapes (like the pictured “Tsunami”) in her Son of The Ten Thousand Islands exhibit. Exhibits continue through Dec. 23. Hidell Brooks Gallery, 1910 South Blvd., Suite 130. 704-334-7302.…
Depth of field: Streetwise: Masters of 60s Photography
A few weeks ago, we were united in disgust, watching a clip of a campus police officer pepper spraying peaceful Occupy protesters at UC Davis. Perhaps a turning point in the Occupy movement, this incident was also a reminder that images, whether from professionals or amateurs, have long been a vital part of political and…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Dec. 7 edition)
Black Friday: Employees at a local Harris Teeter called police last week after a woman went on a hefty shopping spree without any money. She filled up her cart and was found with the following before getting away: a 24-pack of Miller Lite, bleach, trash bags, detergent, toilet paper, cups, a laundry basket, forks, more…
Weekly horoscope (Dec. 7-13)
Sagittarius The Archer (Nov. 22-Dec. 20) Your personal identity is the subject under consideration. Who are you becoming and who do you need to be? How do you wish to define yourself before the world? How can you develop an individual identity that is workable while simultaneously maintaining a personally rewarding relationship? For All Signs:…
Where to find it: Italian Christmas Goodies
Of all the Italian goodies offered at Christmas, panettone is perhaps the most familiar. This is the traditional cake of Milan that has become popular during the holidays, primarily due to its shelf life. Panettones are readily available. But for most Italian holiday treats you need a bakery, like Nona’s Sweets (9331 JW Clay Blvd.;…
Valentine’s Day: Heartache tonight
Sloppy comedy not as much fun as a sloppy kiss.
