Jan 21-27, 2015

Jan 21-27, 2015 / Vol. 28 / No. 48

Cover Story

15 People to Watch in 2015

When people visit our offices at the N.C. Music Factory, they usually gush with compliments about what a fantastic space we’ve got. Indeed, it is pretty awesome: brightly colored walls, creaky hard-wood floors, tall windows that bring in a lot of natural light. Over the years, we’ve garnered an interesting collection of, well, stuff. Near…

The Boy Next Door: How J-Lo can she go?

THE BOY NEXT DOOR*DIRECTED BY Rob CohenSTARS Jennifer Lopez, Ryan Guzman Back in 1944, “The Boy Next Door” was a popular tune sung by Judy Garland in the musical masterpiece Meet Me in St. Louis. Fast forward to 2015, and The Boy Next Door refers to a Jennifer Lopez movie certain to induce groans in…

Matt Brunson

Opera Carolina’s Turandot turns up the heat

Turandot is a 12th century Asian princess, a Middle Ages era cross between contemporary uber-bitches Cersei Lannister and Kim Kardashian. Her beauty is so captivating that countless men vie for her affection. Those who incorrectly respond to three puzzling questions laid before them as a condition of her hand are rewarded with a visit to…

Michael J. Solender

Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files (Jan. 22)

You Kids Stay Off My Lawn!: Two northwest Charlotte neighbors in their late 60s phoned police after someone drove through their yards, hitting a mailbox before driving away. Dude, Where’s My Car?: A 37-year-old man, who had previously reported that his key fob was stolen, called police after someone moved his 2009 BMW to a…

Jeff Hahne

Weekly horoscope (Jan. 22-28)

For All Signs: Mercury, ancient god of travel, communications and routine business, turns retrograde on Jan. 21 and continues in his retrograde trek across the sign of Aquarius through the end of February. Routine astrological advice suggests: 1) Delay the initiation of important new projects. 2) Use this time to research and investigate alternatives for…

Vivian Carol

Jason Glunt: Foreman

It’s not a typical Tuesday at Salud Beer Shop. Construction chaos from the expansion next door has bled over, and store owner Jason Glunt, 32, seems a bit on edge. You’d only notice because he’s smiling a little less than he normally does. I’m just a patron, and I’m trying not to pull my own…

Jonathan Wells

Roger Kalia: The understudy

As assistant conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, Roger Kalia has to be ready to take over for Maestro Christopher Warren-Green at a moment’s notice. He learns every score the orchestra is playing — just in case Warren-Green is unable to fill his duties. It’s sort of like being the runner-up in the Miss America…

Page Leggett

Kathie Collins: The Scribe Whisperer

Telling stories is always more fun with an audience. So why do so many writers toil in private? Kathie Collins, 48, thinks it shouldn’t have to be that way. She founded the new August Moon Creative Co-op to foster a sense of community among Charlotte writers. “For a long time, I’ve had a dream of…

Emiene Wright

Neil Mauney: Multi-tasker

Singer/guitarist Neil Mauney is currently in three bands — the alt-country outfit Pullman Strike, indie rock trio Late Bloomer and his solo project Family Friend. But the two most memorable gigs he’s played happened years ago when the now 28-year-old was in high school playing with a metalcore band. “God, we were terrible, but we…

Jeff Hahne

Amy Chiou: Frequent Hashtagger

For 2015, Amy Chiou, 31, isn’t cutting herself off from unhealthy eating and occasional laziness. Instead, she, who supported both Hillary Clinton’s and Anthony’s Foxx’s runs, has vowed not to work on any campaigns. For this political junkie (she live-tweeted the mayor’s State of the City address — you knew that was a thing, right?),…

Anita Overcash

Theater reviews: 1984 and 2 Across

In a recent New Yorker piece on the democratizing effect of paperback novels on the American book industry and our reading habits, the steamy cover of George Orwell’s 1984 serves as the poster child for the whole phenomenon. Books were set loose from the confines of mail-order book clubs and scarce, far-flung bookstores, free to…

Perry Tannenbaum

Bill Cronin: Man in Suit

When it comes to being politically correct, city officials are a different breed. It’s not that they worry about offending anyone as much as they don’t want to look like they’re supporting one over another. Ask about a favorite restaurant, and there’s fear of it looking like a city’s endorsement. If they even mention a…

Jeff Hahne

Dennis Reed Jr.: The Do-gooder

Dennis Reed Jr. wasn’t even 10 years old the first time he performed in front of an audience. In full view of a church congregation of more than 500 people, Reed sang a song he calls “almost an old spiritual” — “I Know I’ve Been Changed.” “That’s when I got a feeling,” Reed says. “Hey,…

Kimberly Lawson

Joe Mason: The Technoratti

According to TechCrunch, people don’t actually talk much on the phone anymore. They’d rather spend an average of 2 hours and 19 minutes a day using mobile apps, for gaming, scrolling Facebook and screening potential dates. So when mobile app evaluation company Zyndigo opened up shop in Charlotte, it made sense that it would pop…

Emiene Wright

Jim McPhilliamy: Soccer Bum

Jim McPhilliamy isn’t trying to change the world. He isn’t trying to cure Ebola or fight crime. But he is trying to diversify the landscape of professional sports franchises in Charlotte. McPhilliamy, 49, is the owner of two less-than-mainstream teams. The Hounds, a Major League Lacrosse franchise, play every summer but remain largely under the…

David Aurelius

Melinda Robinson and Ciara Lilly: Webmasters

During our 15 minutes together, Melinda Robinson, 28, and Ciara Lilly, 27, spend a lot of time gazing into each other’s eyes. It’s not as sappy or lovesick as that sounds though. After six years together, they’ve consistently turned to one another for inspiration. When the two first got together, Robinson admits things were difficult…

Kimberly Lawson

Hayley Moran: Spiritual leader

Hayley Moran vividly remembers the first tattoo she gave someone. She spent nine hours meticulously eyeing every detail and making sure it looked right. She still loves it to this day and looks at it on a regular basis. After all, the tattoo is on her own foot. “That’s what I needed to do,” Moran,…

Jeff Hahne

Brian ‘Cataclysm’ Williams: The UnChef

It’s not every day a bearded ginger walks into a Honduran restaurant and rattles off his vegetarian lunch order in perfect Spanish, but that’s what happened the first time I met Brian Williams. Over pupusas, baleadas and a plate of huevos rancheros, Williams shares a rich tale steeped in travel, hip-hop and multi-cultural experiences. His…

Keia Mastrianni

Joanne Spataro: Human Woman

If you know Joanne Spataro, you already know she’s an established writer (CL, Huffington Post), a celebrated MC and an unofficial backup dancer for Leanne Rimes (Pride 2014). You may even know she likes nachos a bit more than the average person. But did you know that the 29-year-old business development associate, who typically prefers…

Melissa Oyler

Jimi Thompson: Riot starter

Jimi Thompon, better known around town as Dammit Wesley, brings new meaning to the term “starving artist.” In college, he used pizza boxes as canvasses because he was a broke student. Luckily, he found endless resources at Papa John’s. “You could use your meal plan to get pizzas, so I had access to a lot…

Anita Overcash

Donna Scott: The Nonconformist

An ’80s-era photograph shows a trio of third-graders on an elementary school stage. A Sharpie-drawn arrow points to one, in a huge hat, fake beard and mustache, with a scrawled accompanying note: Donna is dressed as a boy. Donna Scott, with partners Glynnis O’Donoghue and Tonya Bludsworth, is taking the starch out of traditional theater…

Emiene Wright

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