Feb 1-7, 2011

Feb 1-7, 2011 / Vol. 24 / No. 49

Sue Myrick flips over Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood

Good ol’ Sue is at it again. The Carolinas’ Princess of Paranoia is now all aflutter and agog over the protests and turmoil in Egypt. Many of you may see the impending end of the brutally corrupt Mubarak regime as a positive thing for the Egyptian people, but not Sue Myrick. Ever vigilant against any…

John Grooms

The Spiveys… coming soon video

Charlotte band The Spiveys has released a teaser video to promote its upcoming, debut album. The band is working with Joe Kuhlmann and if you’ve caught their live show, you know they’ve got a solid rock sound, great stage presence and the ability to draw a listener in with its lyrics. Check out the video:…

Jeff Hahne

Immigration and misinformation

A survey released late last week is showcasing the importance of accurate information when it comes to one of the more contentious issues in the US today; immigration.

Laura Camilo

Conservatives celebrate their Reagan myths

Yesterday would have been Ronald Reagan’s 100th birthday, which was celebrated across the country by Republicans and other members of the American right. The farther we get from Reagan’s presidency, however, the more mythologized he becomes in the minds of today’s conservatives. For instance, a president whose favorable poll numbers hit a low of 35…

John Grooms

February 7: Unofficial National Beatles Day

February 7 is the anniversary of the day in 1964 when the Beatles first came to the United States. As far as many baby boomers such as myself are concerned, that’s when “The Sixties” actually began, eventually opening up the possibility of widespread cultural changes and loosening western civilization’s painfully tight sphincter (so to speak).…

John Grooms

Today’s Top 5: Monday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Feb. 7, 2011 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Robert Plant and The Band of Joy at Ovens Auditorium • For-Adults-Only Monday Movies: Screening of Welcome at Gaston County Public Library • Chubby’s Karaoke at Dixie’s…

Anita Overcash

California Guitar Trio, Dark Star Orchestra, Modern Primitives tonight (2-5-11)

CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO Originally coming together playing with (Robert) Fripp’s League of Crafty Guitarists, the California Guitar Trio’s evolved virtuosity on guitars creates spacey originals, classical interpretations, jazz, surf and covers ranging from “Bohemian Rhapsody” (makes sense) to “Freebird” (huh?). But they make it work, with otherworldly playing and the ability to rise out of…

Contributing Intern

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Boardwalk Billy’s now open in Dilworth

The Deck on East Boulevard has closed and is now reopen as Boardwalk Billy’s. There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that if you liked the food and drinks at The Deck, you can still get the exact same fare at Boardwalk Billy’s. The bad news is if you were hoping for…

Priscilla Tsai

Shocker: N.C. lawmakers may give creditors access to your bank account

Thanks to Rob Schofield at NC Policy Watch for pointing out a disturbing bill already making its way through the new GOP-run legislature in Raleigh. Here’s the short version: If conservative lawmakers have their way (in other words, unless Gov. Perdue vetoes this outrageous idea), credit card companies or other “general creditors” will be able…

John Grooms

NOFX, Grids, Terrence Simien and the Zydeco Experience (2-4-2011)

NOFX The Cali goofballs formed in 1983 and are still kicking with their good-time punk-pop tossed around with dub and power-punk. All is game, political commentary, drunken blabbering, self-mockery, with often satiric and punchy lyrics that on many songs rise above the “poke in the eye” punk prose. They’ve umpteen E.P.’s, records, singles and comps…

Contributing Intern

NoFX concert postponed

The NoFX concert scheduled for Feb. 4 has been rescheduled for Oct. 21. Singer Fat Mike has been diagnosed with laryngitis. Tickets purchased for the Friday February 4 concert will be honored night of show on October 21. Tickets are on sale now at LiveNation.com, The Fillmore Charlotte box office, Ticketmaster or charge by phone…

Jeff Hahne

Hasni Mubarak learns from Christine O’Donnell?

In an effort to position himself as a regular ol’ Egyptian guy — rather than a pampered, out of touch dictator — Pres. Hasni Mubarak is now appearing in a new commercial on Egyptian television, emphasizing that he is no different from anyone else in his nation. Mubarak’s media advisers obviously thought highly enough of…

John Grooms

Get best Egypt coverage on Al Jazeera

U.S. networks’ coverage of the goings-on in Egypt is suffering from more than a decade of severe cuts in their foreign reporting budgets (although CNN still tries, bless their hearts). And with the BBC clinging to its definition of “up to date news” as “this morning’s news all day long,” serious news junkies have passed…

John Grooms

Today’s Top(less) 5: Wednesday

Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, February 2, 2010 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • The Wednesday Fabulous Feast at The Men’s Club • Wet Wednesday at Leather and Lace SouthEnd…

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

Books: Why we’re at war all the time

Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War by Andrew Bacevich (Metropolitan Books, 250 pages, $25). The American Way of War: How Bush’s Wars Became Obama’s by Tom Engelhardt (Haymarket Books, 269 pages $16.95). It’s almost hard to imagine these days, but until the Japanese forced America’s hand by attacking Pearl Harbor, a large majority of…

The CMS debate: What they say vs. what they mean

  Charlotte-Mecklenburg is in the middle of a school-funding firestorm, as a result of possible major cuts. All of a sudden, everyone seems to be talking about the schools, which presents two problems. First, you can’t hear very much when everyone is talking at once. Second, and more to the point, many of the comments…

The New York Five among this week’s comic reviews

This week, I’ve got a few more quick reviews of comics I’ve been reading lately. Boo-ya: The New York Five No. 1: I guess it would be unfair to compare The New York Five to Sex and the City. But the fact is, the comic is about four (well, five) women trying to make it…

Carlton Hargro

Nightlife profile: LaTasha ‘Pink’ Carter

LaTasha “Pink” Carter moved to Charlotte from Long Beach, Calif., to get to know her extended family and pursue a career in property management. While living the champagne life and soaking up all she could of the city’s upscale social scene, Carter noticed something was missing — something sexy. Fast-forward two-and-a-half years and the oh-so-creative…

EXHIBITS: Juried Exhibition & RubberMADE

On Feb. 4, Winthrop University celebrates the opening of two new exhibits. The 23rd Annual Undergraduate Juried Exhibition features student/artist works, such as paintings, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, photography and more. And RubberMADE (see pictured image from the exhibit) contains a collection of objects — described as “both interactive and wearable” — by Courtney Starrett. Feb.…

Anita Overcash

CD REVIEW: Elonzo’s A Letter to a Friend

THE DEAL: Rock Hill-based Elonzo releases sophomore effort. THE GOOD: The band quickly establishes its brand of Americana within the first few bars of the rolling and rollicking lead track, “Chosen One.” Hints of slide guitar and an Allman Brothers-like ending scale set the tone for what’s to follow. Singer Jeremy Davis uses a smooth…

Jeff Hahne

EXHIBIT: The Forest and the Trees

Artist Kesler Woodward may reside in Alaska, but he’s got Carolina ties. Woodward, who grew up in Aiken, S.C., graduated from Davidson College in 1973. Currently a professor of art emeritus at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, Woodward’s latest works can be seen in a special solo exhibit (featuring the pictured acrylic on canvas…

Anita Overcash

The search for Phylicia Barnes continues

It has been one month since Phylicia Barnes went missing. You remember Barnes? She’s the honor student from Monroe with a gorgeous smile and brilliant mind who disappeared while visiting her stepsister in Baltimore. It has been a month since her mother last saw her — a mother who is clearly heartbroken, yet refuses to…

Nsenga Burton

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Biggest Loser: Employees at a local CVS called police after a very motivated person stole from the store. The suspect grabbed 20 Alli diet pill refills, 10 Zantrex diet programs, 10 Hydroxycut diet programs and 10 boxes of Zyrtec allergy medicine. This does not sound like the type of person the employees should’ve had a…

Ryan Pitkin

A tale of two hate groups

Two hate groups came to the city of Charlotte. Both are officially listed as hate groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Both have long records of asserting that the world would be better off were it not for the existence and actions of a particular race of people. Both spew rhetoric remarkably similar to…

Weekly horoscope (Feb. 2-8)

Aquarius The Waterbearer Mercury travels rapidly through your sign between now and Feb 21. During this period there likely will be greater emphasis on communications, errands and other short-distance travels. Your mind will be quick and your attitude persuasive. You are loaded with creative ideas. Keep a diary so as not to forget. For All…

Vivian Carol

Sundance and the art of democracy

PARK CITY, Utah — This small, alpine mountain town is transformed every winter during the Sundance Film Festival into a buzzing hive of the movie industry. While much of the attention is focused on the celebrities, Sundance has actually become a key intersection of art, film, politics and dissent. It is where many of the…

Amy Goodman

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Feb. 2

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…

Matt Brunson

CD REVIEW: Social Distortion’s Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes

THE DEAL: Formed 32 years ago, Social Distortion releases its seventh studio effort. THE GOOD: Though the only original member still in the band is Mike Ness, that’s about all you need when you’ve got talent like his. He’s not breaking new ground, but continuing on the solid greaser rock path that he established a…

Jeff Hahne

Red and Alice in Wonderland among new home entertainment releases

ALICE IN WONDERLAND (1951). Despite the existence of over two dozen film versions of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale, an alarmingly small number have been wholly satisfying — my vote for the best adaptation is Czech filmmaker Jan Svankmajer’s creepy 1988 stop-motion-animated Alice, with honorable mention going to 1985’s Alice offshoot Dreamchild (with Ian Holm marvelous…

Matt Brunson

Black History in the Making

As our nation’s annual observance of Black History Month kicks in once again, there’s no need to flip through history books in search of influential African-Americans — especially here in Charlotte. All you have to do is head down to the Blumenthal, catch a show at Amos’ Southend, turn on your radio and/or visit the…

Brooks Newkirk

Oscar does OK

Looking over the list of nominees for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards, I realized that my initial gut feelings regarding two of the films had been correct. Sobering afterthought: I would gladly have been wrong. Here, then, are some thoughts on this year’s slate. Low Points: • Only five nominations for Black Swan. Many of…

Matt Brunson

Calvin Richardson

Calvin Richardson is the exact opposite of what you would think a successful, Grammy-nominated recording artist would be like. No iced-out jewelry. No entourage. No ego. He’s just a down-to-earth guy with a soulful voice. “This is just who I am,” he said one afternoon while grabbing a bite to eat at Boston Market. “I’ve…

Brooks Newkirk

THEATER: Frozen at Warehouse Performing Arts Center

The atmosphere is cold at Warehouse Performing Arts Center up at Lake Norman. Currently its staging performances of British playwright Bryony Lavery’s 1998 play (widely criticized for its “borrowings”), Frozen. Revolving around the disappearance of a 10-year-old girl, three characters’ lives become intertwined. This includes the girl’s mother, the girl’s killer and a doctor bent…

Anita Overcash

Bleak is Biutiful

An Academy Award nominee for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor, the Mexican import Biutiful has much in common with writer-director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s previous film. Like Babel, it takes some interesting ideas and belabors them for well over two fidgety hours. In a typically compelling performance, Javier Bardem stars as Uxbal, a Barcelona…

Matt Brunson

Catherine Courtlandt-McElvane

Catherine Courtlandt-McElvane lives in a world of swirls, dots and abstract objects. A world full of goddesses and spirits — a world that she conjures up using colored pencils, markers and whatever materials are close to her fingertips when she’s inspired. “There’s always dots and swirls in my work,” said Courtlandt-McElvane, 43, as she laughed…

Brooks Newkirk

SPECIAL EVENT: Charlotte Symphony: Tango & Tapas

Charlotte Symphony goes international during its latest Tango & Tapas shindig. The concert will feature exotic music from four Latin countries (Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Puerto Rico) with a guest appearance by soloist Elena Urioste (pictured). Arrive early for pre-concert cocktails and appetizers at Knight Theater at 6:30 p.m. Also, wear your dancing shoes, as…

Anita Overcash

3 questions with Anu Mehra, Foodie Call owner

Anu Mehra spent years in the corporate world in sales and marketing, until she made a major shift to the food industry last year. She says one of her biggest annoyances was the fact that so few restaurants provided a delivery service to her work and home. “I’d end up eating at the same five…

Victoria Creasy

John W. Love Jr.

Don’t try to put John W. Love Jr. in a box. Is he an actor? A dancer? A poet? A set designer? A painter? A singer? The answer is: “yes … all of the above.” And, probably “yes” to a vast and varied array of other things. But there is one constant: John W. Love…

Brooks Newkirk

BENEFIT: Runway for the Ballet

Spring is just around the corner, which means it’s time to start worrying about the wardrobe. Luckily, folks attending North Carolina Dance Theatre’s Runway for the Ballet will get to peek at a roundup of some of the spring’s high-fashion trends, as selected by Neiman Marcus. In its fourth year, this shindig — benefiting NC…

Anita Overcash

Somewhere goes nowhere

For my money, Sofia Coppola’s 2003 Lost in Translation was such an unblinking masterpiece — one of the two or three best films of its entire decade — that it’s a shock to witness the near-worthlessness of Somewhere. In a general sense, both films are similar, focusing on a Hollywood superstar who combats his loneliness…

Matt Brunson

Ayisha McMillan

Ayisha McMillan never imagined that dance would take her this far — from a studio in her hometown of Oak Park, Ill.; to companies here and in Houston; to stages in London, Hong Kong and across the globe. “I’m amazed,” McMillan said as she looked back on her career. “I’m just amazed and humbled. Who…

Brooks Newkirk

THEATER: What My Husband Doesn’t Know at Ovens Auditorium

Playwright David E. Talbert’s What My Husband Doesn’t Know, is a suspenseful drama about a successful husband, a lonely wife, and of course, another man. The play stars Michelle Williams from Destiny’s Child, and the very sexy Brian White, known for his several roles in TV and film including, Stomp the Yard and Men of…

CL previews upcoming concerts (Feb. 2-8)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 2 DAMON MOON & THE WHISPERING DRIFTERS Georgia’s Moon crafts folky-rock with an open-ended compositional verve. Apparently, the mood of the moment gets added to the song at hand. Old-time country, psychedelic riffs, controlled noise, whispering, howling and generally creating a one-man muse backed by a revolving crew of players. It’s a slow…

Quentin ‘Q’ Talley

If you’ve seen an African-American-oriented play in Charlotte within the last three years, there’s a good chance that it’s thanks to Quentin “Q” Talley and his On Q Productions. “I didn’t see theater in Charlotte that represented me,” said Talley, 31. “There were too many minority actors around town that were just too talented, and…

Brooks Newkirk

FILM: For-Adults-Only Monday Movies: Welcome

Gaston County Public Library’s 2011 For-Adults-Only Monday Movies series (featuring award-winning foreign and independent films) continues today with a screening of the French drama, Welcome. The film — a winner of Berlin International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival and Gijon International Film Festival — follows the relationship between two unlikely folks, a young Kurdish…

Anita Overcash

Where to find it: Simit

Street vendors around the world sell hot portable breads. In the U.S., this bread takes the form of pretzels. Around the eastern Mediterranean, street vendors sell a similar item — this one isn’t covered with salt but flecked with sesame seeds. In Greece, this hot bread is called koulouri and is sweetened with sugar and…

Tricia Childress

Ida Divine

Rapper/singer Ida Divine is troubled by the lack of females in hip-hop. “We had so many women in the ’80s rapping … Roxanne Shanté, MC Lyte, Queen Latifah,” she said one afternoon as she sat in a recording studio on the outskirts of Charlotte. “But now it’s funneled down to three or four. It’s really…

Brooks Newkirk

SPECIAL EVENT: Ignite Charlotte

Have an idea that you’d like to share with the community? During Ignite Charlotte you can do so — just be sure to register in advance for a spot. The event — featuring a variety of presenters who are each given five minutes to speak and display 20 slides, which switch out every 15 seconds…

Anita Overcash

FILM: Light The Wick

The idea behind Teton Gravity Research’s Light The Wick film couldn’t be clearer: To capture the essence of skiing by dispersing skilled athletes in snowy spots across the globe — destinations include Croatia, Italy and more — along with a steady film crew to capture their every move from all angles. You can see the…

Anita Overcash

The Civil Wars storms into musical bond

There’s something beautiful, majestic and undeniable about the music of The Civil Wars, and people are taking notice. Don’t believe me? Half of the tickets to the band’s upcoming concert at The Evening Muse sold before the venue had the show listed on its site. They also performed on The Tonight Show weeks before its…

Jeff Hahne

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