Sex Q&A: Poet Jessica Holter pens erotic novel
“I want women to know that men have a special button in their ass …”
Live review: Mad Tea Party
Local rockabilly quartet JT and the Dragpipes opens.
Breaking Nightlife News: Big Ben reopens in new location after fire
The clock restarts on Big Ben Pub.
Creative Living: A peek into some cool rentals
In this week’s cover story, Creative Loafing is offering you the opportunity to peer into some of your neighbors’ homes
The summer of oil
… the first of many.
The State of North Carolina vs. pimento cheese
Mark Binker is a fine writer for the Greensboro News & Record, whose blog is a regular haunt for those who want to know what’s really going on in the General Assembly in Raleigh. His stories on the legislative session that just ended are invaluable if you want clear reporting that actually tells you what…
Too many owe too much, state suffers
Where does our tax money go, anyway?
Q.C. leaders preparing to woo DNC
We can handle the chaos and the publicity with characteristic Southern grace.
Best bets in Charlotte comedy this week, July 13-17
Here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte this week.
Halo, 7/10/10
Aveda Institute and Halo presented Recycling – The way of the future Saturday, July 10. The hair and fashion show benefited the Gulf Restoration Network. Photos by Jeaumane McIntosh
Tea Party: ‘What? Us Racist?!’
The NAACP is holding its national convention this week, where the group will propose a resolution “condemning racism within the Tea Party movement.”
Gaga for Dada, 7/11/10
The event was the fourth annual celebration of the arts benefiting Time Out Youth.
Street Style: ‘I’m with the skater boy’
Name: Marquarius Mungo Occupation: Skater and sales associate at the Common Market Spotted: South End Rockin’: Hat: Black Sheep Shirt: American Apparel Cargo Shorts: American American Apparel Socks: Urban Outfitter Sneakers: Nike SB’s What inspired your look today?: “Skateboarding inspired my outfit.”
Win tickets to Counting Crows on July 14
We’re giving away two tickets to the July 14 concert.
Tonight’s Top 5, 07/12/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, July 12, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Live review: Michael Bublé
Crooner entertains large crowd at Time Warner Cable Arena on July 10, 2010.
The Pink Hanger’s summer clearance sale
The Pink Hanger kicks off their Summer Clearance Sale with prices to make your mouth water.
S’more Cupcakes
Too cheap to purchase a $30 blow torch, I’ve designed my own version of a s’more cupcake with a marshmallow fluff buttercream, graham cracker cake base, and chocolate filling in the middle.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Monday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
A Summer Scrapbook of Shenanigans
Snooki and girls in bikinis in a Scrapbook of Shenanigans, don’t worry Snooki is not in a bikini!
Criticism from all angles
Not everyone agrees with everyone, that’s the beauty of an opinion.
CD Review: Childish Gambino’s Culdesac
Comedian and co-star of NBC’s Community proves his side project is more than just noise.
Major clearance sale at Sloan and Step by Sloan
Sloan and STEP by Sloan are selling summer- and it’s 50 percent off!
Local Leak: Eyes of the Elders’ “American Man” (Video)
New video from Eyes of the Elders.
Hopscotch Music Festival schedule released
Public Enemy, Broken Social Scene among those scheduled to perform.
Snug Harbor, 7/8/10
The weekly Shiprocked party at Snug Harbor rocked on Thursday, July 8. Photos by Victoria Creasy
Alive After 5, 7/8/10
Alive After Five continues to kick it at the EpiCentre every Thursday. Here are pics from last night’s party.
Tonight’s Top 5, 07/09/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, July 9, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Street Style: Fun in the sundress
“It’s a pretty sundress on a pretty sunny day”.
Shoe photo gallery from Shiprocked
The mix of people in at Snug Harbor on a Thursday night is crazy, and sometimes the outfits are even crazier.
What is a smart grid, anyway?
Our current grid is based on 1960s technology.
Tell the EPA what you think about coal ash regulation
This isn’t an issue we’re removed from. This is an issue that’s affects us all.
Despicable Me: What’s not to like?
Animated adventure is both witty and warm.
Cyrus worth getting to know
Offbeat film mixes dark humor with sympathetic characterizations.
Winter’s Bone cuts deep
Indie effort benefits from taut direction, pungent atmosphere and a great central performance.
I Am Love: Amore, Italian-style
Those who stick with foreign import will be amply rewarded.
Weekender, July 9-11
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend.
10-in-10 CD reviews
Each Friday, we review 10 recently released CDs in 10 words each.
Alvin Greene action figures win!
Friday is time for the Stupid Thing of the Week Award, but we got to thinking: There are different kinds of stupid. Some things are stupid and dangerous — namely, some of the Tea Party candidates for various national offices, like the Alabama guy whose commercials as much as incite people to violently overthrow the government.…
Here comes the drought again
Water — and energy — conservation tips.
A tale of two pastors
Just think about this, if it cost money to molest boys in the flock, this would’ve been brought to an end a long time ago.
Variety of N.C.-based bands tonight (July 9)
Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh and Asheville all represented in town tonight.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Friday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Marcus Kiser
your favorite finger and why? “Right index, it was injured once, never quite heeled right, i think it actually aids in my drawing ability.”
Dr. Oz talks health in lecture
Dr. Oz visits Charles Mack Citizen Center in Mooresville for a lecture, titled “All About You.”
Alvin Greene: the new G.I. Joe?
A wtf moment!?
Lou-zanna OKs guns in church. Nuts or what?
How often has this happened to you? You’re sitting in church on Sunday, and the preacher starts slamming the congregation for not giving enough money to buy him a new car. The more you listen, the more pissed off you get, until finally you think, “I wish to God I could bring my .357 to…
Victor Wooten tonight (July 8)
Bass pl
Brittney After Dark goes behind the bar, for charity
Brittney guests bartends at Whisky River for charity.
What’s Fannie’s and Freddie’s problem with green?
Who says mortgage lenders get to decide how to regulate construction?
EPA tightens reins on dirty coal
This is great news for all breathers.
Our crazy ‘war on drugs’
Hell yeah they are, but this is no surprise.
Free concert: Bell Biv DeVoe
The Summer Concert Series continues at Pavilion at EpiCentre this Saturday.
Tonight’s Top 5, 07/08/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, July 8, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Coconut macaroons
It’s incredibly easy to make these cute, chewy cookies.
Kalu opens, Courtside
Kalu Asian Kitchen and Bar opens in Uptown
Same-sex parents win court victory
The mainstream media largely downplayed the story, but despite our brothers and sisters in gray’s disinterest, gay and lesbian couples won a big court victory last week, a decision that was announced yesterday. Tennessee’s Court of Appeals overturned a 2008 ruling by Gibson County, Tenn., Chancellor George Ellis. He had ruled that Angel Chandler and…
A21 Campaign hosts party at Dharma Lounge
This Friday, the A21 Campaign will host a party at Dharma Lounge.
Rare fish may affect Duke Energy’s dam licenses
How’s a fish supposed to spawn around these parts?
Shocker: BP’s promises not worth much
Company has only skimmed or burned about 60 percent — total — of the oil it promised to clean up in ONE day.
Sen. Burr not worried about oily ads
The senator has accepted nearly half a million dollars from oil companies.
Seven Spanish-speaking officers sworn into police department
CMPD’S diverse new recruits hope to put Charlotte’s Latino community at ease
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Justin Smith
3 songs currently playing on your i pod: “About Today” (The National), “Walking on a Dream”(Empire of the Sun) and “Detlef Schremppf” (Band of Horses) i love: “Photography, music, life, Charlotte.” hometown: Charlotte NC i want to be remembered for: “Making people smile.” what language do you speak other than English: “American…modern English.” plug: Le…
Celebrity Chef Tour comes to Blue
Chefs are coming to Charlotte for The James Beard Foundation’s fundraiser Celebrity Chef Tour, being at Blue Restaurant and Bar.
Smashing Pumpkins release fifth track
The Smashing Pumpkins have released the fifth song, “Freak,” from Teargarden by Kaleidyscope today. Freak is available for download on the band’s site. The band will be performing at The Fillmore Charlotte on July 16.
Lore Emelio launches E-boutique
Shopping for quality, locally crafted accessories from the convenience of home? Love it.
The right’s weird soccerphobia
Much research has been done in the past few years into differences in the ways conservatives and liberals think. A lot of the research merely reaffirms the obvious: Liberals are more open to considering new ideas and information that contradict their normal beliefs, while conservatives often have a nearly instinctive resistance to new ideas and…
Hong Kong Vintage’s July coupon
Print this off and present it at the Plaza Midwood vintage shop to get your 15 percent discount.
Drink of the week: $1 margaritas every day
San Antonio’s Modern Mexican offers a varied margarita list and 60 tequilas on hand.
Viagra leads to more STDs?
Maybe it’s time to educate older people on what sex is like in the 21st century when doctors hand them the little blue pill.
Street Style: Pretty fly for a plaid guy
Name: Robert Kellogg Occupation: Student Spotted: American Apparel South End Rockin’: Shirt: Urban Outfitters Jeans: Pacsun Socks: True Religion Shoes: Clarks What inspired your look today?: “What inspired my outfit today is being very positive. I’m a positive person and bight colors bring out the positivity in myself.”
Senior advertising executive named Creative Loafing Associate Publisher
This just in from the folks here at Creative Loafing:
This week’s new releases (7/6/2010)
A quick rundown of some of the new albums hitting stores today.
Tonight’s Top 5, 07/06/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, July 6, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
California’s NAACP backs legalization
Organization calls it a “civil rights issue.”
‘Jellyfish gone wild’
Houston, we have a problem.
The powerful Sen. Graham
The South Carolina senator likes being disliked.
USNWC, 07/04/10
The Fourth of July celebration at U.S. National Whitewater Center brought out a big crowd and some dogs, too.
Best bets in Charlotte comedy this week, July 6-9
Here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte this week.
Frolic on the 4th, 7/4/10
A three-venue party hosted by Maz Entertainment went down on Sunday, the Fourth. The Frolic on the 4th party was held at Latorre’s, Fiji and Kashmir on July 4.
The powerful Sen. Graham
Sunday, in a five-page spread in the paper’s weekly magazine, The New York Times declared S.C. Sen. Lindsey Graham “This Year’s Maverick.” (Read the article, by Robert Draper, here.) In the profile, Graham, a Republican member of the U.S. Senate for only seven years, is portrayed as someone who views being disliked by both political…
The Penguin’s Pig Pickin’, 7/4/10
The Penguin’s annual Pig Pickin’ was held July 4.
Molly MacPherson’s, 7/1/10
Molly MacPherson’s held their grand opening Thursday night.
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Will working the graveyard shift put you in one sooner?
I’ve been working third shift for approximately four years now. On my days off, despite my three children, I try to maintain somewhat the same schedule (easier since they reached school age). I’ve heard all kinds of horror stories about people working third shift living shorter lives, women being more prone to breast cancer, and…
MUSIC: Counting Crows
Counting Crows’ departure from longtime record label Geffen in 2009 didn’t mean the end of their career in music. The group — whose last CD, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, came out in 2008 — is currently on its “Traveling Circus and Medicine Show,” despite no new album release. With a lengthy catalogue of hit…
Weekly horoscope July 7-13, 2010
Cancer The Crab (June 21-July 21): The eclipse on the 11th says that your personal identity is the subject under consideration. Who are you becoming? Who do you need to be? How can you develop an individual identity that is workable while simultaneously maintaining a personally rewarding relationship? For All Signs: This summer is a…
The Young Veins find a new direction
With two hit records under its belt, the pop-punk band Panic at the Disco was poised for longevity and success in 2009 as they headed into the studio to work on its third album. However, when guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker began writing, they started to see themselves going in a new direction…
Chloe, The Crazies among new DVD reviews
THE BOUNTY HUNTER (2010). If nothing else, the soundtrack for The Bounty Hunter contains a delightfully eclectic mix of songs, from The Rolling Stones’ “Hang Fire” and Run-D.M.C.’s “It’s Tricky” to Frank Sinatra’s “This Town” and Jerry Reed’s “She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft).” And believe me, there’s nothing’s else. Honestly, what’s there…
COMEDY: J. Jay Boyd at Lake Norman Comedy Zone
Comedian J. Jay Boyd is articulate in his storytelling. Whether he’s imitating other languages and explaining the many wonders of satellite radio or getting down-home and honest about his stay in a redneck hotel, this New Yorker will have you laughing in no time. Check him out when he pays a visit to Lake Norman…
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse: Beauty and the beasts
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse isn’t the best of three, but neither is it the worst. Instead, this adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s blockbuster book falls somewhere in the middle, between the nicely captured teen angst of 2008’s Twilight and the ill-fated emotional oasis of 2009’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon. Obviously, we’re not talking about quality…
FESTIVAL: Recess Fest
What person in their right mind didn’t love recess? A time to relax the brain from work and play with friends, recess was and always will equate to ultimate fun — which is probably how local Zach Reader came up with the idea Recess Fest. This event — aimed at getting folks out to enjoy…
CD review: Evelynn Rose
The Deal: Charlotte band Evelynn Rose independently releases its second album, Like Royalty. The Good: The band kicks off the album with “Everyone Knows,” a solid Southern rocker that spends five minutes letting you know what the band is capable of – solid solos, strong vocals and good songwriting. The band is able to balance…
Series of events raises questions about Uptown
Over the last two weeks, Charlotte’s center city was dealt a series of body blows. As usual, no one around here is talking about the implications of four key happenings, which is how you know they were really important. Each of these four events would have been simply unfathomable just five years ago. Taken together,…
One dollar margaritas shine in SouthPark
Charlotte has dozens of actual Mexican cuisine emporiums, an abundance of taco trucks, taquerias, and a smattering of places offering Cal-Mex (fish tacos and burritos). Finding a family-friendly Tex-Mex restaurant, however, has been as elusive as finding Okie-styled chicken fried steak here. Now Charlotte is poised to host a bevy of Tex-Mex eateries. One of…
Carolina races attract national attention
It was already unusual when North Carolina politics received so much national attention during the last presidential campaign. (We were considered a toss-up state.) Now, though, the Carolinas feature three political races that are considered bellwethers of how voter discontent will play out in the fall. That means we’ll be on the national radar until…
Where to find local peaches
If 75 miles is the diameter of a localvore’s eating circle, July will prove to be a delicious month. Within that distance is the epicenter for South Carolina’s peach crop, and July is the heart of peach season. By mid-July, the freestones (meat falls from pit) are on the market. Black’s Peaches, York, S.C., 803-684-2333.…
CD Review: The Roots’ How I Got Over
The Deal: Hip-hop icons turned revolutionary television house band release their ninth album. The Good: Whoever thought playing intro music for Jimmy Fallon and slow jammin’ the news might make The Roots mundane as an act was wrong. They’re as mainstream as they’ve ever been but still avant garde enough to pick indie bands and…
The Last Airbender: Let’s hope so
The live-action spectacle The Last Airbender is based on the animated Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, and were writer-director M. Night Shyamalan really as brilliant as his admirers insist, he would have demanded that the studio retain the word Avatar in the title — that act alone could have added an extra $10 million…
CL previews upcoming concerts (July 7-12)
WEDNESDAY, JULY 7 The Bill Murray Experience Sorry, no Caddyshack or What About Bob one-liners here. Despite the ambiguity of the band name, this New York City-based quartet is comprised of veterans of big city street corners and parks while entertaining onlookers with their vintage 1930s ragtime and blues display. Lead vocalist and whistler Jessy…
Book Review: Roxana Shirazi’s The Last Living Slut: Born in Iran, Bred Backstage
The Deal: The autobiography of a woman born in Iran who eventually finds what she’s looking for in the laps of countless musicians. The Good: While the book starts slowly as it traces her early years in Iran, you quickly get an idea of the sex drive that “burdens” the life of young Roxana Shirazi.…
Cheap Thrills 2010: 50 fun things to do for $5 or less
So, the recession isn’t over yet. Times are still hard. And you’re still broke. But life goes on my friends. Don’t sit around and fret — go out and have a good time. And believe it or not, you can have a good time while your pockets are looking like rabbit ears. You just have…
A teen lies dead — but who’s the real killer?
Last week in Charlotte, 16-year-old Tyesha Roberts was charged with the first-degree murder of 18-year-old Laqueda Antoinette Hall. The two had a lot in common. They were young, African-American teen mothers fighting over their baby’s father, who has yet to be identified in the press. I find it interesting that while all of the details…
Theater review: Barefoot in the Park
It’s been just under a year since Sue and I trekked up to Davidson College to see the first local staging of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park since Charlotte Rep had done the show in the spring of 2004. That was a nice five-year respite that Davidson Community Players provided us with. This time…
THEATER: ThomThom (if that bird won’t sing)
Machine Theatre is taking its ThomThom (if that bird won’t sing) to the stage of Duke Energy Theatre from July 8-17. The musical, which you may have heard about from trial readings and runs around town, is derived from the imagination of Matt Cosper and directed by Barney Baggett with songs composed by Jon Lindsay.…
We can’t afford war
“General Petraeus is a military man constantly at war with the facts,” began the MoveOn.org attack ad against Gen. David Petraeus back in 2007, after he had delivered a report to Congress on the status of the war in Iraq. George W. Bush was president, and MoveOn was accusing Petraeus of “cooking the books for…
BENEFIT: Gaga for Dada
No, Time Out Youth’s Gaga for Dada does not mean you have to sit in a corner and it has nothing to do with babies, despite what you may be thinking. Instead, the soiree — being held at Theatre Charlotte on July 11 — gives you the chance to have a fun-filled evening that features…
Judging Snooki and look-alikes
I have never seen an episode of MTV’s Jersey Shore … don’t judge me. For starters, there’s too much nightlife in Charlotte to sit around and watch TV. So, I have no idea what “The Situation” is, yet I can’t go anywhere without seeing Snooki and her “poof,” on magazines and Whisky River flyers. Last…
Who says nonfiction can’t be entertaining?
Summer 2010 has seen the re-release of some remarkable, and remarkably accessible, nonfiction books. Any of these four new paperbacks would make engaging, lively, out of the ordinary beach reading. Pick one up and see why very often, fiction’s story appeal more than meets its match in real life. American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures…
MUSIC: Find Your Muse open mic at The Evening Muse
It’s Find Your Muse open mic night at The Evening Muse this and every Monday. Musicians, grab up your music gear and head over to perform one of your own creations in front of a crowd. No one can guarantee they’ll be liked, but constructive criticism is always helpful! Get there early to snag a…
Comic review: Green Hornet No. 5
Green Hornet No. 5 Published by Dynamite Entertainment. Written by Kevin Smith. Pencils by Jonathan Lau. The Deal: The revival of pulp heroes the Green Hornet and (his partner-in-arms) Kato continues in the latest issue of this ongoing monthly series. The Good: This book is finally hitting its stride. The first few issues left me…
ART: Ceramics exhibition at RedSky Gallery
RedSky Gallery’s latest exhibition is devoted to ceramics. The show features a combination of sculptural and studio ceramics (like the artistic little teapot pictured) by six talented artists — Donna Craven, Kim Ellington, Carol Gentithes, Fred Johnston, Matt Kelleher and Emily Reason. Stop in today for the opening reception, from 6 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
Not The Time: Two police officers filed a report on a trespassing suspect for threatening them after being arrested. In the report, the officers stated that the man was being processed at intake when he told them, “If I ever see you on the street again I’m going to beat the goddamned hell out of…
Local LGBT events partner for the first time
Charlotte Black Gay Pride kicks off July 15, marking five years of celebrating diversity in the LGBT community. Black Gay Pride is one of two annual local events designed to recognize gays and lesbians in Charlotte. The other — dubbed Pride Charlotte — takes place this year in October and reportedly targets gay people of…
