Cover Story
To Bieb or not to Bieb
Justin Bieber is coming to town. Beliebers are rejoicing, while others groan, roll their eyes and declare, “Music is dead.” Yet this 18-year-old Canadian is only the latest in a long line of mass-culture child stars and teen idols dating back at least to Shirley Temple — though probably before. And while most of these…
Upcoming: Dining in the Dark Event at Osso
Experience heightened senses on Jan. 30.
Inauguration 2013: Celebrity Mardi Gras
No one told me it was just a giant party.
City officials set sights on restaurants, bars… again
Planning Department holding meetings on the entertainment taking place inside Charlotte establishments.
Frank Ocean tops Village Voice Pazz & Jop poll
Annual critics list creates requisite buzz
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
Listed below is a roundup of CL’s top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte this week. Hopefully, they keep you entertained and, more importantly, laughing out loud. Like so many other comedians discovered after stints on NBC’s Last Comic Standing, Jeff Dye has gone beyond riding his post-LCS wave of success. In addition to hosting…
‘Timeline’ ties past to present
The gray days of winter in Charlotte have been struck by color thanks to “Timeline,” Robert Winkler’s new public sculpture in Latta Park. The city’s most recent publicly commissioned art project began when an entire line of trolley tracks were unearthed in 2009 during construction on East Boulevard. The tracks had been buried underground since…
Bayard Rustin: Unsung hero of the civil rights movement
Numerous celebrations this week will honor the legacy of fallen civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year is especially poignant: It marks the 50th anniversary of King’s “I Have A Dream” speech, which he delivered during the historic March on Washington in 1963. But I would like to spend a moment celebrating…
Mez, 1/19/2013
EpiCentre club shuts its doors after final party.
Suite, 1/18/2013
A look at the Snow Bunny Bikini Fashion Show.
Acoustic shell provides sonic difference at Knight Theater
Charlotte Symphony tests out new cocoon that improves sound quality at the venue.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Bryan Adams at Knight Theater Tonight (01/21/2013)
For anyone who is a fan of watching dead horses being beaten.
Five fitness professionals share their menus
You smash cans of PBR on any given week night, take shots of dark liquor like it’s your job and end your drunken evenings gorging on cheesy fries and fried mushrooms. Your saving grace is that your environmentally conscious ways have you riding your bike to and from work, and occasionally to pick up a…
Inauguration 2013: The train up
Like many before me, I opted to take a train to D.C.
Real Live Tigers at The Milestone Tonight (01/20/2013)
Organ swaths and liquid guitar parts provide shuffling tempos that suggest Sisyphus’ eternal task is, somehow, worth the effort.
Hot Water Music at Amos Southend Tonight (01/20/2013)
Gainesville band draws from the gruff-voiced pop-punk of Jawbreaker and the angular dynamics of Fugazi.
Weekend Film Reviews: Mama; Rust and Bone
What’s new and covered in theaters.
The Magic Flute at Belk Theater Tonight (01/19/2013)
Mozart’s almost contemporary opera, a love story with more than a little occultism.
Charlotte Film Society screens The Well-Digger’s Daughter
An adaptation of a work by author Marcel Pagnol.
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Jan. 17)
Five-dollar Idiot: Police responded to a robbery call in east Charlotte after a woman successfully fought off her attacker in a shopping center parking lot. The 33-year-old victim told officers that a man ran up and tried to grab her purse. The woman put an elbow into his chest and he fell backward and let…
Buzz off: How I managed to piss off nearly every Charlotte Hornets fan in town
Then sit down with the guy behind “the movement”
Mama: When Jessica Chastain met Norbit
MAMA ** DIRECTED BY Andres Muschietti STARS Jessica Chastain, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau It will someday be coined The Norbit Effect, that unfortunate instance when a popular performer has a turkey in theaters at the same time that he or she is hoping to score Oscar gold for a celebrated movie. This was the case in 2007,…
Rust and Bone not polished enough
RUST AND BONE ** DIRECTED BY Jacques Audiard STARS Marion Cotillard, Matthias Schoenaerts Like a carnival barker or presidential candidate, the French release Rust and Bone promises far more than it delivers. Marion Cotillard, one of the best actresses on today’s international scene, stars as Stephanie, a whale trainer who loses her legs in a…
Nice knowing ya, Pewter Rose
Cheers to butterscotch scones, y’all.
Resilient glassmaker Melissa Beard’s jewelry line shines
“Glass is hypnotizing when it’s glowing brightly from the flame and flowing with gravity.”
Question the Queen City: What became of the old Charlotte airport?
And what is its association with Stephen Colbert?
Martha Graham Dance Company returns to Charlotte
Renowned dance troupe performs at Knight Theater.
Country megaticket and more concert announcements
Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley; Emmylou Harris, Crosby Stills and Nash, Anthrax coming to Charlotte.
iPhoneography 101: Channeling the Wayfaring Tech Nomad in you
Taking great pics on mobile isn’t that hard – if you know what you’re supposed to be doing.
Recipe: S’more Brownies
The toasted marshmallow layer makes this brownie recipe very messy.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Antje Duvekot at Evening Muse Tonight (1/18/2013)
Singer offers provocative, keenly observed chamber folk.
Vamos! Eat your way through Latin America in Charlotte
The city is blowing up with authentic Latin American eateries that are a must try for anyone looking for authentic, homemade cuisine.
BREAKING: N.C. Attorney General sides with undocumented immigrants in license case
Sadly no word on how to manage long lines at the DMV.
The Island, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Taken 2 among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD.) COMPLIANCE (2012). One of the most deeply disturbing movies of recent vintage, Compliance opens with the words “Inspired By True Events,” a declaration that should always be taken with a grain — or pound — of salt. Yet my…
New details emerge in arrest of Ron Paul’s grandson at Charlotte airport
“If I could turn back time…”
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
The Oscars: Miss directed
It promised to be the most exciting Oscar race in years. Instead, it turned out to be nothing but a tease. Before the nominations were announced last week for the 85th Annual Academy Awards, there was speculation that this could be a rare four-horse race for the Best Picture Oscar rather than a contest that…
Rage against the Machine: Mum’s the Word
The world has changed in the 34 months since I watched the premiere of Mum’s the Word in the comfort of a Patchwerk Playhaus sofa in Plaza Midwood. So has playwright/director Matt Cosper’s script and two of the three players in an intriguing reboot now at Duke Energy Theater. Four years into the Obama administration,…
Bank of America’s deal lets bank off the hook
Last week, Bank of America did its best to present its latest settlement with the government over illegal foreclosures as a victory for borrowers and homeowners. Ten banks, including BofA, agreed to pay $8.5 billion to those who victimized by predatory policies. Before the settlement was reached, however, the government told banks to hire consultants…
Weekly horoscope (Jan. 17-Jan. 23)
Aquarius The Waterbearer (Jan. 19-Feb. 18): The sun returns “home” to your sign this week. You likely will find it to be energizing. Now is the time to focus on new plans for this next year of your life. With this birthday month, transformation lands right on your doorstep and demands that you step up…
The Friday Arts Project focuses on food
Dan Huntley is spinning a tale of his youth growing up in Charlotte as the son of a textile mill owner. He offers one of his fondest memories set around a bubbling caldron of catfish stew. In a raspy voice, Huntley recalls the rough hands of mill workers cutting squirrel meat with garlic and onions…
Live photos, setlist: Bloc Party, The Fillmore (1/15/2013)
A look at the sights and setlist from Tuesday night’s concert.
Light rail exhibit crosses over to UNC Charlotte
The light rail has been the subject of some pretty interesting events and projects lately. Last weekend, folks dropped their trousers for No Pants Day (read an account from CL reporter Joanne Spataro here). This week, UNC Charlotte’s Storrs Gallery unveils an exhibit of proposed artwork, specifically created for the Charlotte Area Transit System LYNX…
Are you a YBIR (Young Black Indie Rocker)?
You may be interested in knowing you’re not alone.
Addict alert: Step away from the Facebook
Social networking causes impulsive behavior, violence, egomania and perhaps even the end of the world as we know it – oh my!
Whole Capitalism
Whole Foods founder John Mackey calls Obamacare “fascist”
Greedy Jerry Richardson wants you to pick up the tab
How can one of the most profitable sports franchises in the world not afford to renovate its stadium?
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Immigration Assistance Program: Fixing what’s broken
A private security guard steps into the lobby of a building in an office park off Albemarle Road and announces instructions to men seated in plastic chairs. Some understand him and stand, cueing those who don’t speak English to rise as well. They’re told to line up against a wall and walk into a room…
John Brennan, Sami al-Hajj and the blight of Guantanamo
It takes courage to enter a war zone willingly, armed with a microphone and a camera as a journalist. That is what Al-Jazeera cameraman Sami al-Hajj was doing in Dec. 2001, as he was entering Afghanistan from Pakistan to cover the U.S. military operations there. While his colleague was allowed in, al-Hajj was arrested, in…
