Jul 14-21, 2009

Jul 14-21, 2009 / Vol. 23 / No. 20

Best bets in Charlotte comedy this week: July 20-26

As the headline suggests, here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte — from stand-up to improv to sketch comedy and more. For a complete listing of all comedy visit www.CharlotteComedyLIVE.com. Tuesday, July 21 Stand-Up Comedy at Lake Norman Comedy Zone at 8 p.m. Nationally touring headliner Dave Tucker.…

Debbie Millwater

Banks stay true to form, screwing us all

You probably thought that since banks’ collective butts were pulled out of the fire by taxpayers handing over billions in TARP funds, things would be different. Surely, you may have surmised, the banking industry would now be a new, friendlier, more humble business that would get back to the business of providing enough credit to…

John Grooms

Angela Hilst

Lawyer by trade. Writer by passion. 1980s music genius. Angela has written all over the place — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Viewpoint, Charlotte Post and Pride Magazine, locally, and also publications in New York, Florida, California and Michigan. One of the few Charlotte natives left here, she can probably give you directions to anywhere in the…

Web Editor

New restaurant opening: Bombay Cuisine Exotic Grill and Chaat

Opening Tuesday, July 21 is restaurateur Bhupin Engineer’s 100-seat Bombay Cuisine Exotic Grill and Chaat, 4435 Park Road. The space is located on the corner of Montford and Park. Engineer plans to have 80 plus items on a buffet for lunch and dinner. Dishes will range from various Indian cuisines to IndoChinese. Prices for lunch…

Tricia Childress

Serious crimes in Gaffney

On the heels of a thrill killer stalking small town Gaffney, S.C., another horrific crime ended in the South Carolina town known for it’s peaches and outlet shopping. According to the Charlotte Observer, a Gaston County family was abducted from a popular watering hole in Belmont then were taken to Gaffney by a convicted killer,…

Cheris Hodges

Today’s Top 5: Monday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, July 20, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Find Your Muse Open Mic at The Evening Muse • Grand Imperial Poetry Night at SK Netcafe • The Monday Nite All-Stars at Double Door Inn •…

Anita Overcash

Today’s Top(less) 5: Monday

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, July 20, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Bark at The Moon night. • Live music at The Diversity Den. • Learn the Flamenco.…

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

Upcoming: Blu Magazine Fashion Show

Fashion Show at Blake Hotel Pool on July 18. Benefiting the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Showcasing fashion from six Charlotte-area boutiques: Niche, Black & Blue, Revolution, Lotus, Petal and Black Sheep. Music: DJ Blngxbdgt. Fashion show 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. Tix $10 at the door. Dress up, dress down, it’s up to you. Drink…

Kimberly Lawson

Harper’s ToGoGo closing

Another restaurant is closing its doors. From the Charlotte Observer: Harper’s will close its uptown ToGoGo site at 121 W. Trade St. after Friday. Harper’s director of operations, Steve Seitz, said a proposed rent increase “forced us to close that business” but that many of its customer favorites will be incorporated at Harper’s Grill, which…

Priscilla Tsai

Upcoming: Botox party at Peek-A-Boo Couture

From 5 p.m to 8 p.m. this evening, indulge yourself in a night of pampering at Peek-A-Boo Couture. Metrolina Plastic Surgery will be on site with botox treatments and to introduce their new mineral makeup collection. Sparkle Smile Teeth Whitening Technician will also be on site for teetn whitening. Wine tasting and hors d’oeuvres will…

Kimberly Lawson

Street Style: Summer Casual

Who: Meredith Hinshaw Occupation: Sales associate Spotted: LUNA at Phillips Place Rockin: Casual flowy Urban Outfitters top, polished Anthropologie shorts, and girly wedge Target shoes Style Philosophy: “I like to pair something flowy with something tailored.”

Aviva M. Cantor

STEP in style

Looking to feed your shoe addiction?  Check out STEP by Sloan in Dilworth. Featuring contemporary and luxury heels, flats, and more, STEP by Sloan will satisfy any shoe lover’s cravings. Dan Mauney, co-owner of STEP by Sloan, strives to offer quality service and a varied selection of footwear, encouraging each customer to “be who you…

Aviva M. Cantor

Opening reception at Center of the Earth Gallery

This evening, from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., stop by Center of the Earth Gallery for the opening reception of City/Country: Sharon Dowell, Dana Johns, Maxx Morgan, and Christopher Stephens. The exhibition features works that capture everything from nature scenes to urban landscapes. You can check out pictures of some of the works featured in…

Anita Overcash

Stupid Thing of the Week

This week’s stupid thing may actually be one of the most mind-bogglingly stupid things of all time, and that’s no exaggeration. As Associated Press reported yesterday, NASA — this is so unbelievably stupid and incompetent it’s hard to even type it — OK, start over. NASA erased the original video of the live television transmission…

John Grooms

Comic headlines: Iron Man 2 photos, Tom Baker returns to Dr. Who

: Am I the only person reading this book? I admit the first story arc since the reboot started out pretty lame, but now it’s picking up. RIP Ellie Frazetta: The famed artist’s life/business partner succumbs to cancer. Our condolences. Iron Man 2 photos: In case you missed it, here’s an early look at the…

Carlton Hargro

Today’s Top 5: Friday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, July 17, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • The Producers at CPCC’s Halton Theater • Comedians Damon Williams and Double D at Alive •  Afromotive at Neighborhood Theatre • La Petite Mort Burlesque at Halo…

Anita Overcash

Alive After 5, 7/16/09

Alive After 5 was in full swing last night at the EpiCentre with Same As It Ever Was, a Talking Heads tribute band. Photos by Renaul Hill, Charlotte Vibe Photography.

Priscilla Tsai

Mayfield, meth and a bitch stepmom: That’s racin’!

The controversy over NASCAR driver Jeremy Mayfield’s alleged crystal meth use is priceless. Personally, I don’t know, and honestly don’t care, whether Mayfield is a meth head, although I can see how other drivers might object. I mean, meth isn’t exactly Red Bull, or even Adderall, which is widely believed to be NASCAR drivers’ stimulant…

John Grooms

Momentum shift favors real health care reform

Never thought I would read the following in a news report: “Democrats are becoming less tolerant of dissent from their supposed allies in the health care industry.” But there it was, in a Los Angeles Times story picked up by Charlotte’s daily paper. The story was about the strong health care reform legislation approved by…

John Grooms

Stephanie

alias: “Steezy Nix” passion: Cycling,sewing, skating, constantly seeking spiritual growth inspiration: Spirituality, connection to the universe favorite place to hang out: Soul current city: Charlotte plug: Orange Olive Hair Gallery (she’s a stylist there) To see more photos by Jasiatic, visit www.createtressphotography.blogspot.com.

Jasiatic

Speak with a purpose

There’s an old adage: “It’s not what you say it’s how you say it.” Though this is sometimes true, quite often it isn’t — it’s both. How you say something is important, but a silly statement made with passion and eloquence, just sounds eloquently and passionately silly. It is important that your vocabulary be equal…

William Wilson

Suite, 7/15/09

Suite welcomed those 18 and up to party last night during Level Wednesdays. Photos by Renaul Hill, Charlotte Vibe Photography

Priscilla Tsai

Today’s Top(less) 5: Thursday

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, July 16, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • $2.50 drafts and oysters on the half shell. • Learn the Samba. • No cover and…

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

Cool Mom debuts at The Boulevard

A new clothing line debuted at The Boulevard today … check out these photos of Cool Mom Boutique. The pretty lady holding up the cool threads is Susie Weiler, one of the founders of the line.

Kimberly Lawson

New ad says Sotomayor ‘supports terrorists’

The Sonia Sotomayor hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee keep bringing the rightwing crazies out of the shadows and into the light of day. Earlier, we told you about Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has the gall to imply that Sotomayor is a racist when his own racist behavior has been public knowledge for years and…

Web Editor

New ad says Sotomayor “supports terrorists”

The Sonia Sotomayor hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee keep bringing the rightwing crazies out of the shadows and into the light of day. Earlier, we told you about Sen. Jeff Sessions, who has the gall to imply that Sotomayor is a racist when his own racist behavior has been public knowledge for years and…

John Grooms

Live Nation’s package deal, and voting

Live Nation is currently offering a 24-hour special that started last night at 12:01 a.m. It runs until midnight tonight — It’s $29.99 for a lawn ticket without fees and it includes a hot dog and drink, or $49.99 for any seat with no fees and a hot dog and drink deal to select shows.…

Jeff Hahne

Sex news roundup: Wednesday

Here’s a look at the sex headlines floating around the Internet today. Teen sex is fun — a study was needed for this? Bruno is morally dangerous, in the Ukraine. Too much sex info from Jada Pinkett Smith. Surviving a Political Sex Scandal.

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

Pick your Fashion favorite

This Thursday night, viewers can vote for their favorite designer in the finale of The Fashion Show on Bravo.  As the competition has narrowed from 15 contestants down to the final four, who will prove to be the viewers’ favorite? How will you decide? Here is a crash course in the four remaining designers: James-Paul…

Aviva M. Cantor

Age cannot wither her

When the great English poet W.H. Auden edited the magisterial five-volume Viking Portable Poets of the English Language, he and co-editor Norman Holmes Pearson had the unenviable task of distilling the best of Shakespeare into a corner of a pocket-sized anthology. Well, a thick pocket-sized anthology. Their deliberations are neatly summarized in the introductory pages…

Perry Tannenbaum

So that’s how Bank of America is surviving

The Kings of Tryon Street seem to have found an ingenious way to repay all the bailout money taxpayers gave them. Associated Press is reporting that a man in New Hampshire used his BofA debit card at a gas station to purchase cigarettes and was charged — get this — more than 23 quadrillion dollars…

John Grooms

Linda

alias: Lin Sun Soul passion: Guiding people to be who they are: uplifting inspiration: My great-grandmother’s spirit. My families journey from Laos. favorite magazine: National Geographic current city: Charlotte plug: Watch for the new group “Creative Birthing” To see more photos by Jasiatic, visit www.createtressphotography.blogspot.com

Jasiatic

Concert announcement – Revolting Cocks

Revolting Cocks, the side-project of Ministry frontman Al Jourgensen, will perform at Tremont Music Hall on Oct. 24. The LubricaTour will also feature the Jim Rose Circus, Blownload and Left Spine Down.

Jeff Hahne

Rock the Bells cancelled

The Rock the Bells show at Amos’ Southend on July 23 has been canceled. Ticket sales are not to blame however, as headliner Reflection Eternal — Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek — have decided to do a tour on their own this fall. After the headliner dropped off, the wheels did too, so to speak.

Jeff Hahne

Sen. Sessions’ own racist record

Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama is leading the Republican charge against the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. To hear him and other Republicans tell it, Sotomayor is a racist and practically an anarchist who will single-handedly destroy the American justice system; in actuality, she’s been a very respected, center-left judge who…

John Grooms

Why does Mark Sanford still have a job?

The South Carolina governor is passing up more work for another woman. This time it’s his wife–so Mark Sanford says. Wednesday, the Associated Press reported that Sanford’s staff said he would be taking the rest of the week off for a personal trip with his wife. It’s hard to believe what comes out of that…

Cheris Hodges

Sale of the day: EQ3

Check out the furniture store’s summer sale: Take 15 percent off custom upholstery and up to 50 percent off select furniture and accessories. 2137 South Blvd., Suite 100 704-334-0200 www.eq3.com

Kimberly Lawson

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, July 15, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Wet Wednesday at Leather and Lace Southend. • Wine-thirty at 6:30 p.m. • Jazz on the…

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

What recession? $136,000 car stolen from Carolina Panther

If you can afford a classic Chevy and show it off, you shouldn’t be surprised when it gets stolen, Thomas Davis. The Carolina Panther linebacker said his $136,000 1975  Caprice Classic was stolen from his home, according to The Charlotte Observer. But the joke is on the car thief who shouldn’t get that far in…

Cheris Hodges

Film Contributors

Matt Brunson Curt Holman Carlton Hargro Anita Overcash Louis Gurgitano Adam Frazier Brooke Edge Sam Boykin Dennis Darrel Brian Daye

Web Editor

Arts Contributors

Matt Brunson Perry Tannenbaum Scott Lucas Carlton Hargro Anita Overcash John Grooms Chris Deal Teresa Hernandez Nepherterra Estrada Debbie Millwater Gamma Testing Jasiatic Angela Lindsay Jeff Jackson Barbara Schreiber Manoj P Kesavan

Web Editor

McCrory to ‘tour’ against health-care reform

You might want to know where your mayor will be next week. Pat McCrory, whose mayor’s salary is still being paid by you and I, will spend next Tuesday and Wednesday, July 21 and 22, giving speeches against health-care reform in Raleigh and Wingate. It’s part of a “tour” being sponsored by a group called…

John Grooms

This week’s new releases (7/14/2009)

Here’s a quick rundown of some of this week’s new releases: August Burns Red Constellations Clutch Strange Cousins from the West Daughtry Leave This Town The Dead Weather Horehound DevilDriver Pray for Villians Judas Priest A Touch of Evil

Jeff Hahne

An interview with local jewelry artist Karen Landis

Karen Landis is planning to make a name for herself in the world of jewelry, despite the trying times. Her gorgeous wire-wrapped gemstones and 3-in-1 necklaces offer stunning, timeless, and affordable options for ladies who still want to look and feel special even without a lot of cash to spare. Her dive into retail may…

Samantha Webster

Today’s Top 5: Tuesday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, July 14, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Shear Madness at Stage Door Theater • Comedian Tim Kidd at Lake Norman Comedy Zone in Galway Hooker • The Offspring at Uptown Amphitheatre • My Epic…

Anita Overcash

Corkscrew: Red wines for the summer

I find it more thirst-busting to lace my fingers around a chilled glass of rosé or white wine when the mercury hits 85. But there are a lot of red-wine-etarians out there and I occasionally desire something ballsier even as sweat drools down my face. Enjoy reds in the summer? Sure.

Taylor Eason

I’m on a ‘Second’ tour of Chicago

I’m back in Chicago for my second semester at The Second City — and while I am here to attend school, just like back in elementary school, I’m finding myself playing a lot of games. Such as “dirty-slang Scrabble” at The Annoyance Theater and Bar, following Susan Messing’s improv show “Messing with a Friend” (which…

MUSIC: Subaru River Jam at US National Whitewater Center

What better way to spend a warm summer evening than watching the sun set over the raging waters over the US National Whitewater Center as you relax and listen to the bluesy Thom Crumpton Trio? This band, is just one of the many appearing at various dates during the free Subaru River Jam summer concert…

Kate Robinson

Suds and flames make great summer meals

What is the secret connection between grilling and beer? Yes, we cook outside in the summer when the heat drives us out of the kitchen, and beer is the classic hot-weather quencher. And yes, guys drink most of the beer and guys also buy most of the grills. But the real taste connection between the…

Julie Johnson

NIGHTLIFE: Hazmat at The Players Club & Lounge

Whether you think of a mutated villan from a comic or video game, or the more obvious dangerous materials and protective safety suits, when you hear the word Hazmat, havoc might spring to mind. Single Cell Productions’ (known widely for its former Purgatory fetish, S&M bondage parties) Hazmat isn’t really dangerous. But the event tampers…

Anita Overcash

Samantha Crain enjoying her current path in life

When Samantha Crain was performing “Get the Fever Out” at the Ramseur Records Showcase at the Visulite Theatre in May, her energy was infectious and her dancing looked like something you’re more likely to see during a Native American powwow than at a concert. The singer, after all, has Choctaw heritage, but when asked, it’s…

Jeff Hahne

COMEDY: Dick Gregory

With so much political activism at under his belt, it’s easy to forget that, back in the 1960s, Dick Gregory used to be a full-time comedian. Along with guys like Bill Cosby, he helped to sweep away minstrel-flavored black entertainment. Then, once he was done making comedic history, he chose to use his quick wit…

Carlton Hargro

Donna Fargo to be inducted

Singer Donna Fargo will be inducted into the Carolinas Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the July 16 meeting of the Rock and Roll Oldies Club of the Carolinas. The club meets on the third Thursday of each month at the American Legion, 1940 Donald Ross Road at 7 p.m. Fargo will not be…

Jeff Hahne

THEATER:The Producers

In Mel Brooks’ The Producers two very different men become friends as they develop a plan to get rich by conning people into seeing a flop of a show. “Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgade” is the script they choose to carry out their plan. “I’m hysterical! I’m having…

Kate Robinson

CL previews upcoming concerts (July 15-19)

WEDNESDAY, JULY 15 The Lighthouse and the Whaler Call ’em the Campfire Coldplay. Featuring something of the orchestral sweep of a My Morning Jacket, alongside the jouncy jangle of someone like Seawolf, The Lighthouse and the Whaler are, relatively speaking, a young band in time-spent-together terms (they formed in 2008 when Michael LoPresti, Evan Storey…

NIGHTLIFE: Karaoke Night at Dixie’s Tavern

Mondays suck. The beginning of the work week comes much too fast after a fun weekend of drinking and hanging with good peeps. Why not extend your weekend fun a bit by checking out Karaoke Night at Dixie’s Tavern. This is one of the hottest spots to be at every Monday, with $2.50 drafts and…

MJ still dead: Celebrity, hype and the U.S. of A.

Wow, there sure were a lot of unhappy people last week, griping about the Michael Jackson memorial in L.A. It was “tacky,” they said. “Tasteless,” they wailed. “Grotesque,” “weird as hell,” “maudlin,” “sappy,” and one commentator even called the event “emotional debauchery.” Whew, take a deep breath, people. When I heard the complaints, my mind…

CD Review: Stardeath and White Dwarfs’ The Birth

The Deal: Former roadies for The Flaming Lips start their own band, Stardeath and White Dwarfs. The Good: If you hadn’t read that first sentence and simply pushed “play,” you’d be able to draw immediate comparisons to The Flaming Lips with the band’s unique sense of psychedelic rock. While the band plays more of a…

Jeff Hahne

Beach books for the smart set

In our continuing effort to let you know about great beach books that are smart and engaging — in other words, books that aren’t so fluffy that you forget what you’ve been reading before you get back to your rental — here are three current paperbacks. We’re even including a nifty system of grades for…

CD Review: Tortoise’s Beacons of Ancestorship

The Deal: Instrumental band releases first studio effort of new material in five years. The Good: The sixth album from Tortoise kicks off with a “go big or go home” effort in the form of the eight-minute song “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In.” The song is full of stop-start synth that slowly builds into…

Jeff Hahne

Buy Wednesday Comics No. 1, dammit

Wednesday Comics No. 1 Published by DC Comics. Art and writing by various. The Deal: Wednesday Comics is DC’s attempt at capturing the look and feel of those old, full-page comic strips that used to run in the Sunday editions of newspapers waaayyyy back in the day. The folks at DC have gathered together a…

Carlton Hargro

Reflections on the death of Steve McNair

Last week, NFL great Steve McNair was laid to rest. A man who led a charmed life as an athlete, making history, setting records, coming from an HBCU in this day and age and taking his NFL expansion team to the Super Bowl only to lose in grand style. McNair was the truth on the…

Nsenga Burton

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Shoot ‘Em Up: A 54-year-old man told police that when he returned home from a trip on July 6, he found a bullet lying on his living room floor. There was also damage done to his roof and ceiling. He told officers the bullet probably came from when everyone was shooting guns off on the…

Ryan Pitkin

The rest of the story on habitual felons

Suppose someone breaks into your home during the day when you’re away and steals everything of value that you own. You later learn that this person was convicted of breaking into four other homes before yours. Should he spend a couple months on probation, or be eligible for eight years in prison? In several jaw-dropping…

Horoscope for July 15-21, 2009

Cancer The Crab: (June 21-July 21) The eclipse of the 21st may represent circumstances that cause you to decide you are at the end of your tether in a relationship. This is not quite true. In the back of your mind you are looking to the end of 2009 as the turning point. For All…

Vivian Carol

COMEDY: Dave Tucker

Dave Tucker is one of those great discoveries of the comedy world. He may not be a household name for us all, but he certainly holds his own among the comedy greats. His honors, include being featured on the HBO New Faces of Comedy Showcase Comic Strip and winning the US Comedy Arts Competition -…

Kate Robinson

Coraline, latest MST3K set among this week’s DVD reviews

CORALINE (2009). Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas was actually Henry Selick’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, given that it was the latter who actually directed the film. Here, he displays his mastery again, helming an eye-popping animated extravaganza he adapted from Neil Gaiman’s best-selling book. Dakota Fanning provides the voice of Coraline, a lonely little…

Matt Brunson

Was all that money spent on Y2K wasted?

What’s the final word about Y2K? We were told this was a serious problem, and that huge dollars and man-hours were needed to head off trouble. Why didn’t the sky fall, as predicted? Were the dollars spent before January 1, 2000, well spent or not? The date change seemed seamless to a layman. Was this…

Cecil Adams

Moon: Worth the voyage

MOON ***1/2 (out of four) DIRECTED BY Duncan Jones STARS Sam Rockwell, Kevin Spacey With Ziggy Stardust for a father, Major Tom for an uncle and, presumably, the spiders from Mars for assorted in-laws, is it any wonder that Duncan Jones chose a science fiction project to mark his feature film debut? Jones, of course,…

Matt Brunson

Top health-insurance whistle-blower knows where the bodies are buried

Wendell Potter is the health-insurance industry’s worst nightmare. He’s a whistle-blower. Potter, the former chief spokesperson for insurance giant CIGNA, recently testified before Congress, “I saw how they confuse their customers and dump the sick — all so they can satisfy their Wall Street investors.” Potter was deeply involved in CIGNA and industrywide strategies for…

Amy Goodman

Food, Inc.: Plenty to digest

The documentary Food, Inc. is the perfect bookend movie, adaptable to many double-feature bills. When paired with Super-Size Me, it serves as the “before” shot, showing how those hamburgers came into being (so to speak), and how they’re made so tasty — and unhealthy. When paired with The Corporation (still the scariest movie I have…

Matt Brunson

Management should be dismissed

Combining a jock’s air of entitlement with a slacker’s sense of detachment has allowed Steve Zahn to carve out a lengthy (if not exactly stellar) career in all manner of indie fare. Not charismatic enough to hold his own in major-studio efforts, Zahn can usually be found in supporting roles in small-scale efforts, sniffing around…

Matt Brunson

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