Jul 4-10, 2018
Davita Galloway; Georgie Nakima; Randi Johnson; Ace of Spuds food truck; Sustain Charlotte, city resolution; Lara Americo, ‘Nobody is Illegal’
Cover Story
Charlotte Artist and Patron Davita Galloway Says ‘Yes’ to the Best
[Image-1] She is unmistakable: her shaved head, her funky glasses and tattoos from head to toe — literally. “It’s so cliché,” Davita Galloway says, with a laugh. “But art was always there for me. It’s in me, on me, all the time.” The one at Galloway’s hairline is her favorite: Lovey, her grandmother’s name, in…
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Middling Buzz
ANT-MAN AND THE WASP **1/2 (out of four) DIRECTED BY Peyton Reed STARS Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly With Ant-Man and the Wasp, the Marvel-Disney moneymaking machine doesn’t quite pull off the cinematic hat trick of 2018, instead coming up a few stitches short. Not only does the 20th entry to date in the Marvel Cinematic…
Sicario: Day of the Soldado: Just Say Maybe
SICARIO: DAY OF THE SOLDADO **1/2 (out of four) DIRECTED BY Stefano Sollima STARS Benicio Del Toro, Josh Brolin Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Taylor Sheridan, the 2015 feature Sicario focused on conscientious FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt) as she became involved in a clandestine effort to bring down a powerful Mexican…
The Blotter: Wendy Don’t Play
Where’s the Beef? An incident occured recently in north Charlotte that proved the fact that you should never fuck with fast food employees. An employee at a Wendy’s on Sunset Road walked an order out to a car at 1:30 a.m and was greeted by two customers who were upset with their wait. One of…
Blockers, The Curse of the Cat People, Let’s Make Love among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray, DVD and Streaming. Ratings are on a four-star scale.) BLOCKERS (2018). It all starts going downhill around the time Jon Cena drinks beer through his butt. Until then, Blockers is a rather savvy and – if you squint really hard —…
News of the Weird: Hold My Beer
Undignified Death In the northeastern town of Teesside, England, last August, 22-year-old Jordan Easton of Thornaby was at the home of a friend, hanging out in the kitchen, when he boasted that his vest was “stab-proof.” To prove it, he “took hold of a knife to demonstrate,” Karin Welsh, Teesside assistant coroner, testified, “and sadly…
Singer Randi Johnson Is a Talented Woman Who Just Wants to Be Well
[Image-6] It’s a typical Wednesday night at the Rhino Market in the Freemore West neighborhood. Derrick Hines is setting up the open mic area with a microphone stand, speaker and soundboard, and hooking up his electric guitar and drum pad. Hines’ Rhino Market Open Mic is one of singer-songwriter Randi Johnson’s weekly performance staples. Johnson,…
Lara Americo Enlists Amanda Palmer and Others for ‘Never Illegal’ Comp
Lara Americo doesn’t let an urgent cause prevent them from getting things done — yesterday. That’s how Americo’s recent compilation, Never Illegal, came about. The Charlotte musician, artist, activist and award-winning Creative Loafing contributor quickly realized there was a need to get funding down to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Service…
Do We Still Care About a Safe and Free Press in America?
[Image-2] On August 13 of last year, a reporter in Asheville was live-streaming a peaceful anti-racist protest when a man approached him. “Get that camera out of my fucking face!” the man scowled. The man attempted to grab the camera and aggressively shoved the reporter. Later in the scuffle, the man told the reporter, “Get…
Georgie Nakima Connects Communities with Environment Through Art
Most folks have a tendency to use either the analytical and orderly “left brain” or the artistic, imaginative “right brain.” It’s safe to say Georgie Nakima gets good use out of both sides. The Charlotte muralist and self-proclaimed math nerd holds a degree in biology from Winston-Salem State University, where she also minored in chemistry,…
Ace of Spuds Food Truck Brings a New Concept to the Queen City Streets
It’s been a long time since chef Swerlin Goodwin had the idea to open a restaurant showcasing the culinary possibilities of the potato. It’s been four years in fact, but this week customers can finally enjoy Goodwin’s creations wherever he happens to park his truck. The Ace of Spuds food truck will make its much-anticipated…
Stakeholder Process Led to Unanimous Vote on Sustainability Resolution
When Shannon Binns launched Sustain Charlotte in 2009, like many activists who’ve come before and after him, he felt unheard by local government. For him, the path forward for any city wishing to sustain itself is clear, and it’s built upon three pillars: economic, environmental and social. “They must be in balance,” Binns said. On…
How To Crash Service Industry Night
Even though my 30s are looming on the horizon, I’m still considered a millennial in social situations (insert eye roll). I do believe, however, my “millennial” status is one of the main reasons why money, savings, student loans and anything finance-related is always on the top of my mind. That’s why my first visit to…
