Oscar Talk on Charlotte Talks
Local film critics Matt Brunson of Creative Loafing, Lawrence Toppman of the Charlotte Observer and Sean O’Connell of Charlotte Weekly will discuss this year’s Academy Awards race and offer their predictions on Charlotte Talks, to be aired at 9 a.m. Monday, Feb. 18, on WFAE. The 80th Academy Awards ceremony will be shown live at…
Playing oldies to attract younger listeners
Radio station WNMX (106.1 The Mix) changed its format today, and I guess baby boomers are supposed to be happy because now the station is playing “oldies” of the 1960s and 70s. If you’re under 30, you may have never heard of, much less actually listened to, The Mix, but for awhile, some time ago,…
Coming soon
Hey there Queen City, we’ll be launching our newest blog, CL-TV featuring original made-for-web videos and stuff y’all submit.
Howard the Duck creator dies
The movie version of Howard the Duck was, of course, utterly horrendous, but the comic book the film was adapted from was pretty damn incredible. Well Steve Gerber, the writer who created Howard — as well as a slew of other stuff like Thundarr the Barbarian animated series (which was dope) — died Sunday. The…
Radiohead is coming – date/venue announced
Radiohead will be performing at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on May 9, 2008. Pre-sale tickets will go on sale Feb. 14. General tickets go on sale on Feb. 16 at livenation.com, ticketmaster and at the box office at Verizon Wireless.
News Roundup, 2/12/08
Obama, Clinton face off in Md., Va., and D.C.: Voters in Maryland, Virginia and the D.C. area are turning out in high numbers today to choose their candidate in the primary elections. Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain are favored in their respective parties to take the elections. Full story: www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23123924/ Panthers cut Morgan,…
Radiohead announces date/venue
Radiohead will be performing at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on May 9, 2008. For more information, check out qcvibes.com
Here comes the sun
Some things are just certain in life. Like the shattering of a beautiful dream after a night devoid of sleep until a few hours before your alarm goes off. Your reasons for not being able to sleep? Maybe it’s because the room was too cold or your brain wouldn’t shut up from worry over an…
The Cork Screw
The Cork Screw promises much clitoral stimulation as well as a grand view and easy pumping action for the guy. The Cork Screw begins with the woman on her back and the man above her in missionary position. The woman then closes her legs and twists her waist so that her knees are on her…
Animal euthanasia vote could be Wednesday
The N.C. Board of Agriculture is set to consider rules governing euthanasia at the state’s animal shelters Wednesday. The board meets at 10 a.m. in Raleigh at the State Fairgrounds, according to a press release from the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services The most controversial aspect of the proposed rule change is whether…
I’ll always love my mama
It’s a hard truth, moving back home after years out on your own. Walking around naked, coming in at all hours of the night, in various conditions, and tidiness or the lack of become things missed and cherished. An equally hard truth is the transition from child to authority figure in caring for an ailing…
A look at Rahsaan Patterson
I wrote an article about soul vocalist Rahsaan Patterson for this week’s issue of Creative Loafing (set to hit stands Wed., Feb. 13). The piece was meant as a promo for his show at Tempo this Friday. Never heard of Rahsaan? Well check out this performance; it’s him doing a song from his new album…
It’s Gramm-tastic!
Want a detailed synopsis of the 2008 Grammys? Read Jeff Hahne’s version here.
News Roundup, 2/11
Pentagon charges Sept.11 suspects Officials will seek the death penalty for six detainees connected to Sept. 11 attacks under a military tribunal system that draws criticism about its representation policies for defendants. Judges will review evidence acquired from the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding to determine if it will be allowed in trial. Candidates abound…
Can you s-p-e-l-l?
I’m really tired of the Gwen/Fergie songs that spell words. At least Fergie can joke about it: The Spelling Bee with FERGIE on FunnyOrDie.com
The stimulus plan
– Cartoon by Jim Hunt
2008 Grammys
So, what’d you think of the Grammys? Glad I’m not the only one who’s tired of Kanye West’s attitude. I thought Vince Gill and Usher were hilarious when they gave him a hard time. So, here are my thoughts on last night’s show: – Alicia Keys kicked if off with a duet with a taped…
Oh, just shut up, Sarah
I’ve written and edited hundreds of stories about popular music, and taught popular music history, for three decades, and have helped launch and organize musical events. So it’s not without substantial background when I say that Charlotte Observer writer Sarah Aarthun’s comment today about Herbie Hancock taking Album of the Year honors at last night’s…
Jill Scott cancelled
The Jill Scott show scheduled for April 4 in Charlotte has been cancelled.
CMS in the Toronto Star
The resegregation of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools was the subject of a story Sunday in the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest daily newspaper. It doesn’t say much that locals wouldn’t already know (or at least have guessed), but it’s always interesting to see how folks elsewhere see Charlotte: Manners and civility are prized; accents are thick as buttermilk.…
If I were a Democrat in Mecklenburg County, I’d be embarassed
With the fallout over the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s race causing the resignation of the head of the county’s head donkey, it makes you wonder how many other elections have been jacked up by the party. I’m glad I never registered as a Democrat. When I first registered to vote in North Carolina, it was right…
Live Review: Mavis Staples, Blind Boys of Alabama
Blind Boys of Alabama w/ Mavis Staples Duke University, Durham Feb. 8, 2008 Review by Grant Britt You don’t follow the Blind Boys of Alabama. If they lead, you get out of the way. That’s the lesson Mavis Staples learned the hard way Friday night at Duke University’s Soul Power Series. Though her name appeared…
Fools in love: The crowded Valentine’s weekend schedule
If you don’t know the difference between Alvin Ailey and Edward Albee or alban elved, the glut of performing arts scheduling in the Metrolina area next weekend is merely confusing. To those of us with an active interest in all three, it’s a dense jungle of cultural delights, too lush to be completely enjoyed. The…
Bob Marley biopic planned
Martin Scorsese will be at the helm of a Bob Marley documentary, according to Variety. The movie, which has gained the endorsement of the Marley family, has not yet been titled and is scheduled for release on Feb. 6, 2010 — what would have been Marley’s 65th birthday.
But what if I want to be fat AND lazy?
Forget using modern science towards medicine. No, what we really need is a more efficient way to be carnivorous and caffeinated. Introducing the next best reason since cellphones for your car insurance rates to go up — the combo chicken nuggets and Coke cup, The Col-Pop. Yeah. Dead McBirds and corn syrup combined in one…
Live Review: Deepfield, Drowning Pool, Saliva
Live Review by Chey Scott Deepfield, Drowning Pool, Saliva Amos’ Southend Feb. 6, 2008 The Deal: Metal bands deal three hours of full-on, head-banging hard rock. The Good: From the moment that Drowning Pool took the stage, it was go time. The pint-sized front man Ryan McCombs unleashed a kicking, screaming demon while the crowd…
News Roundup, 2/8/08
Six dead as gunman ‘goes to war’ with Missouri city In Kirkwood, Mo. on the night of Feb. 6, lone gunman Charles Lee Thornton killed two police officers, a councilwoman and a public works director. He critically wound Mayor Mike Swoboda. The gunman’s brother Gerald Thornton told CNN, “The only way that I can put…
So, what’s a foreskin among family?
[SATIRE ALERT!] Why can’t the government butt out of people’s private business? Take Johnny Marlowe, for instance. Water cooler and radio talk today are buzzing about Marlowe of Dallas, N.C., in nearby Gaston County. And all because Marlowe circumcised his infant sons with a utility knife. So what? You think it doesn’t hurt when a…
Local author and radio host Cooper Lawrence discusses her latest book
As a radio host, author, relationship and psychology expert, Cooper Lawrence is always on the go. She is a regular guest and expert on CNN Headline News’s Showbiz Tonight and has been on The Today Show, The O’Reilly Factor, The Early Show and The Tyra Banks Show, among many others. Lawrence says the inspiration for…
Who says don’t judge a book by its cover?
Creative Loafing is proud to announce that Just Can’t Get Enough, a novel by our very own Cheris Hodges has been nominated for cover of the year! The Emma Awards, the premier awards event for writers and readers of black romance, will be handed out at this year’s Romance Slam Jam in Chicago beginning April…
Heather Tidwell wins Almost Famous Chef Mid-Atlantic Regional!
After CL interviewed Heather Tidwell before her Almost Famous Chef showdown, she went on to steal the show! Tidwell will be heading to the finals competition at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, Calif., on March 7. We wish Heather the best of luck and would love to see a Charlotte…
The Homebrew is coming!
CREATIVE LOAFING – CHARLOTTE RELEASES FIRST “HOMEBREW” COMPILATION CD Charlotte’s Creative Loafing has released the first edition of a new CD series entitled, Creative Loafing presents Jeff Hahne’s Homebrew. The 12-track CD, the Winter Harvest 2008 edition, is a collection of independently released music from the Charlotte area. Featuring a bit of everything from hip-hop…
Who’s a punk?
Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney bowed out of the primaries today.
Western civilization: An idea whose time has come
Attorney General Michael Mukasey sipped his water nervously. It was the first time he was testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee since his controversial confirmation. At issue then and now: torture. Does he consider waterboarding torture? Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., made it personal: “Would waterboarding be torture if it was done to you?” “I would…
The Homebrew is coming!
CREATIVE LOAFING – CHARLOTTE RELEASES FIRST “HOMEBREW” COMPILATION CD Charlotte’s Creative Loafing has released the first edition of a new CD series entitled, Creative Loafing presents Jeff Hahne’s Homebrew. The 12-track CD, the Winter Harvest 2008 edition, is a collection of independently released music from the Charlotte area. Featuring a bit of everything from hip-hop…
News Roundup, 2/7/08
Rise in School Dropout and Suspension Rates A report released today by the North Carolina Board of Education reveals that state high school dropout and suspension rates rose in 2007. About 5 percent of high school students reportedly dropped out of state public schools last year. Two committees have been created in the General Assembly…
My prepared remarks to the CPAC
By John McCain Hello friends, I thought I’d share with you the speech I will give today in front of CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Committee, a fine group of upstanding citizens with a few minor concerns about my record. Enjoy. Hello friends [expected scattered boos, laughter]. I come to you today with an olive…
News Roundup, 2/6/08
A new sheriff in town Charlotte has finally resolved its two-month-long sheriff debacle. Last night, Mecklenburg County Commissioners voted 7 to 1 to install Chipp Bailey as the new county sheriff. Bailey’s appointment ruffled plenty of feathers within the local Democratic Party, particularly among supporters of his opponent, Nick Mackey, who claim that Bailey’s nomination…
Endorsed by Satan
I’m no Mitt Romney fan, but this strikes me as a little, er, hyperbolic. My favorite part is the disclaimer: The purpose of this website is to educate the public on the Mormon cult. It is in no way meant to tell people who to, or who not to vote for. A little Satan comparison…
Celebrity chefs of tomorrow
Tonight is the big night for six culinary students competing in the S. Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Competition Mid-Atlantic Regional. The students will be presenting their signature dish to the judges tonight in hopes that their personal style and skills will push them on to the final round. Among the ambitious chefs competing to go…
Toxic cocktails
Enough is enough. Drug culture has gone mad in this country. Pills for this. Pills for that. Every segment of the population is being inundated with advertisements for medications that will fix anything that you can imagine. Joint pain. Back pain. Colds. Restless leg syndrome. We are constantly being told that we need fixing, and…
A case of serious slack-assedness
Have you ever felt that everyone around you was going crazy over something that wasn’t nearly as big a deal as they thought? That’s how I’ve felt during the whole sheriff debacle, which has to rank as the most overblown brouhaha I’ve witnessed in Charlotte in a long time. Angry racial politics came into play…
New flavors for the new year
The Vietnamese lunar new year has arrived, and the Levine Museum of the New South is celebrating with its next Global Dish Dinner. The event will feature authentic Vietnamese cuisine and a presentation on the food, culture and traditions. Find out where to experience the flavors of this culture from Creative Loafing’s own Tricia Childress.…
Bonnaroo lineup – the early edition
They’ve made this first announcement for artists performing at this year’s Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., from June 12-15. Scheduled to perform: Pearl Jam Metallica Jack Johnson Kanye West Robert Plant and Alison Krauss featuring T-Bone Burnett Phil Lesh & Friends My Morning Jacket The Allman Brothers Band The Raconteurs Willie Nelson Death Cab for Cutie…
Western civilization
Attorney General Michael Mukasey sipped his water nervously. It was the first time he was testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee since his controversial confirmation. At issue then and now: torture. Does he consider waterboarding torture? Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., made it personal: “Would waterboarding be torture if it was done to you?” “I would…
A picket or a festival?
Operation Save America to continue suit against city
The Blotter
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?: A 35-year-old man said he was in his office, located inside a church on Albemarle Road, when one of his female acquaintances busted in and started an altercation with him. He said she poured soda on his office equipment, causing damage to his computer, printer and fax machine. He said she…
Theater: Truly madly deadly
“Tale as old as time” … wait wrong story. This one revolves around a pair of deeply infatuated teens from rival families who decide to stick it to all concerned in favor of “true love.” It’s not often that you sneak into a party thrown by your enemies and find your soulmate with one glance…
DJ Supa Skip
Known to Charlotte nightlife as “DJ Supa Skip,” Jeff Clark is a professional DJ who uses his talent on the turntables to express his love for music. Supa Skip is the resident DJ at Forum nightclub but appears in other clubs along the Southeast. Everybody knows everybody in the DJ community. Supa Skip says that…
A thug and a Rorschach test
By the time you read this, the Super Tuesday primaries will be history, and the identity of the major parties’ presidential nominees could be all but settled, particularly for the GOP, which uses a winner-take-all delegate selection process in most states. Still, the two men who dropped out of the presidential race on the same…
Art: Ghost show
Come one, come all! Step right to see something truly amazing … years ago, stories were performed using “magic” lanterns and rear projectors to create dancing shadows (ghosts) to frighten unsuspecting crowds. Phantasmagoria: Specters of Absence is hoping to re-animate this old art form invented in France in the late 18th century and re-frame it…
Is that who I think it is?
You oughta know Alanis Morissette performs at Cricket Arena on Jan. 29. Morissette, who opened for Matchbox Twenty, will release her new album, Flavors of Entanglement, this spring. For a review, turn to the Vibes section. For setlists and more photos, log on to www.qcvibes.com. Blackened Machine Head singer Robb Flynn belts it out…
Letters to the Editor
Add another to the list Loved Grooms’ column about the various types of inept Charlotte drivers (Boomer With Attitude: “Watch out, you jerk!” by John Grooms, Jan. 30), but I would like to point out to you a certain style of driving I call the “Tighten Up” (fabulous Boomer reference, no?). What I’m used to,…
Special Event: Julienned info
And the hits just keep on coming … by that, I mean thieves hitting you in the wallet through identity theft. It’s become one of the fastest growing crimes in America with nearly 25 million suffering from the aftereffects. Shred-it Charlotte and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department hope to dwindle those numbers, at least locally. That’s…
Sexy books at SouthPark cause uproar
What has a penis pokey ever done to anyone? For one man walking past Urban Outfitters in SouthPark Mall last week, it was enough to make him call the police. Urban Outfitters is known as an edgy store that sells products like the famous “Buck Fush” T-shirt. The shop also sells books about sex and…
In the clink
Gaston County commissioners were to meet Saturday to discuss a proposed federal detention center for illegal immigrants. Supporters say building the jail there could generate revenue for the county. Opponents say such construction would be an ill-advised, immoral move. Here are a few points to ponder: • The United Methodist Church came out in 2000…
Music: 3 Mo’ Divas
In the grand style of The Three Tenors and 3 Mo’ Tenors comes 3 Mo’ Divas, a sister act to the hit concerts. The show stars Nova Y. Payton, whose credits include Dreamgirls, Smokey Joe’s Café and being on tour with Roberta Flack and Stevie Wonder; Laurice Lanier, a 2002 Juilliard grad, and Jamet Pittman,…
Fear is the Key
Leave it to Stephen King to make the Sunshine State a dark place. With Duma Key, the Bangor Bard eschews the familiar setting of his native Maine (no crusty New Englanders here) in favor of his adopted winter home along the Gulf Coast. God’s Waiting Room, it turns out, encompasses plenty of horrors beyond geriatric…
Am I black enough for you?
If I get one more e-mail about why I have to vote for Barack Obama, I am going to scream. I believe that the right to vote includes the right to support whichever candidate I like. According to the plethora of e-mails that I have received, I suffer from post-traumatic slave disorder, am an “Uncle…
Film: Diamonds and eggs
“All literature is gossip.” Or so says Truman Capote, the writer of the novella-turned movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and even a bit of “non-fiction.” To celebrate this renaissance writer, the Public Library presents Truman Capote Goes To The Movies. The six films cover a wide and diverse range: films Capote wrote as a hired scriptwriter,…
Apocalypse eventually
Apocalypse Eventually My girlfriend of four years is sweet, smart and sexy, in a vanilla kind of way, but I’ve never felt passionate about her. We’re both grad students and we were getting sick of our respective roommates. My girlfriend wanted to move our relationship forward, and found us a great deal on a rental,…
Black politics in Charlotte 101
The racially charged fallout from the sheriff’s election has the Charlotte establishment wringing its hands. Where did this animosity come from? Why now, when the Queen City has long avoided the racial clashes that have plagued other cities? They’re stumped. Or, more likely, they are pretending to be. Establishment-backed feel-good groups like the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community…
Music: All you need is love
R&B crooner Ne-Yo has gathered together his posse and is rolling through town for a very important affair. I-Rock Entertainment is newly formed and decided to use its launch party to raise funds for charity and bring some much-needed star quality to the Queen City. Spread Love will be hosted by Hall of Famer and…
Karma Cleanser
Dear Karma Cleanser: The question I have has to do with sexual karma. Since I got divorced a couple of years ago, I haven’t had much of a sex drive. My sexual appetite had already started to go downhill as we were in the final stages of the marriage, and I feel like it never…
Operation Zebra in Memphis
As challenging as it is to stage Aida with all its color and majesty, Verdi’s grandest opera may be even more difficult to sing and act. From Radames’ opening plaint, “Celeste Aida,” and onwards, the arias are deceptively simple, calling for clear tones and commanding power. And that Antonio Ghislanzoni libretto! Colossal, conflicted and so…
Gallery Exhibit: The people speak of river
The Catawba River has gone through some changes lately. As have nearly every body of water in the world, thanks to global warming. The Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography teamed with York County’s Culture & Heritage Museums to give us a project focused on the Catawba River. River Docs: A Catawba River Narrative is…
The super-rigger
All my talk about trailers has inspired Lary to try to put an old Airstream on his roof. He says all he has to do is drill a big hole in his ceiling as well as through the underside of the trailer, then bolt one of those wrought-iron spiral staircases into place, and voila, an…
View from the Couch: Gone Baby Gone, Groundhog Day, more
BECOMING JANE (2007). Perfectly pleasant yet also somewhat rudderless, Becoming Jane comes across less as a motion picture and more as a victim of identity theft. Given the glut of exemplary films based on the works of Austen – from the fairly faithful (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice) to the radically reworked (Bridget Jones’s…
CD Review: Jack Johnson
The Deal: Folkie continues his surf style on fourth album. The Good: Known for his happy, funky acoustic stylings that easily convey his surfing lifestyle, Jack Johnson has taken a mellow turn on his new album, though one that would still fit well on a beach. After having recorded the soundtrack for the Curious George…
Stargazer
Aquarius The Waterbearer: (Jan. 19 – Feb. 18) You may be overloaded with ideas, plans and inflated expectations at this time. Talk over important changes with a trusted friend or a counselor. Sometimes we are unable to recognize and interpret facts objectively. Does your best friend share your views? For All Signs: The planet Mars,…
Film Clips
Current Releases THE BUCKET LIST If Morgan Freeman and Judi Dench ever made a film together, would the world simply explode? After all, Freeman always plays the smartest character in his movies and Dench always plays the wisest character in her pictures, so wouldn’t this fall under some sort of “irresistible force meets immovable object”…
LIve Review: Matchbox Twenty, Alanis Morissette, MuteMath
The Deal: ’90s hit-makers bring along the newbies for four-hour show. The Good: The buzz before the show was about Matchbox Twenty and Alanis, but it was MuteMath that got the crowd going first. The band hammered away on just a few songs, but left after a drum-pounding fury. It’s no surprise that the band…
Through the grapevine
Champagne taste, two-buck budget California Institute of Technology conducted a vinous experiment on 20 students, offering samples of Cabernet Sauvignons from various price points. They tasted a $90 bottle marked with its real price and tasted the same wine again, this time with a $10 price tag. Another sample was labeled with its actual price…
Diversity in the arts
Mecklenburg County has a growing Latino population, and the Arts & Science Council wants the artists to leave their imprint on the community. The ASC is even willing to pay for it. With its Latino Initiative Program, the ASC is hoping to increase access to Latino arts, science and history offerings for Mecklenburg County’s growing…
CD Review: Eels
The Deal: Eels releases two-CD collection, containing a total of 50 tracks. The collection also features a DVD of Eels performing 6 songs at Lollapalooza. The Good: There is too much that’s good about this collection. For starters, it contains some of the most loved unreleased Eels tracks “Fucker,” “Animal,” “Stepmother” and a whole lot…
Should birthdays last just one day?
It took my mom over 72 hours of labor to give birth to me. Apparently, I’ve been feisty since the womb. But in turn, I have a birth-week as opposed to a birthday … at least according to my celebration agenda. Celebration #1 – Wednesday The CL Lust List casting party at Madison’s. Rather than…
Cutthroat Everyman
Plus, there’s not much in Egypt
Havens keeps it happening
Forty-one years into his recording career, the iconic folk/soul singer Richie Havens still sees himself as being a song interpreter — just as much as he sees himself as a songwriter. Indeed, in concert, he often delivers Haven-ized covers of Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower,” The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock,”…
Alternate awards
No Oscars? Try these honors on for size
Benefit scheduled for local guitarist
Kim Karnes has been rocking Charlotte as the guitarist for Luna’s Lament, but her recent diagnosis with breast cancer has struck a major chord in the local music community. The “KimNiption ‘Fit” is going to be held at Amos’ Southend on Feb. 17 to help support the battle she faces. “She’s looking at surgery in…
More than a Mofro
JJ Grey puts himself out there on new album
Music Menu
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 6 White Williams Smoke, the electro art pop debut from Brooklyn-via-Cleveland native Joe Williams, has generated plenty of keystroke heat among critics and bloggers since its November release. It’s often too busy and processed for my pedestrian tastes, but Williams has been lauded for his ability to recall the decadent dance rock of…
Hell hath no fury …
Scorned Charlotteans tell tales of revenge … Happy Valentine’s Day.
Bullship cuts the crap
Too often these days, record titles read like inside jokes or “dig our complexity” declarations — nine years on and we’ve just about wrapped up reading Fiona Apple’s 90-word epic When the Pawn…, and still scratching our heads over all the extra sputtering Spoon’s Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga required last year. So it’s refreshing…
Sweet spots
Desserts and portable treats in Ballantyne and Myers Park
