Jun 17-23, 2015

Jun 17-23, 2015 / Vol. 29 / No. 17

Cover Story

‘Weird Al’ hasn’t run out of ideas

He’s “White & Nerdy.” He dresses like Michael Jackson to “Eat it.” He lives in an “Amish Paradise,” he “Lost on Jeopardy” and is “Pretty Fly for a Rabbi.” No one makes a music parody quite like “Weird Al” Yankovic. Though he’s become a household name by recording 14 studio albums since the early ’80s…

Jeff Hahne

Eat This: Border springs lamb ribs at Bonterra

In the land where pork barbecue is practically a birth rite and hamburgers come a dime a dozen, it’s refreshing to see other proteins earn space on local menus. At Bonterra, Chef Blake Hartwick and team are delighting diners with a not-often-seen cut of lamb. Ribs. Not racks, ribs. Inside this church turned restaurant off…

Keia Mastrianni

#BlackLivesMatter marchers speak outside of Confederate Museum

Although much of mainstream media focused on the “Unity Chain March” across the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge in Charleston on Sunday, a group of peaceful protesters saying they were the Charleston chapter of Black Lives Matter took to the streets on the previous day to honor the nine victims of the Emanuel AME Church shooting…

Ryan Pitkin

Inside Out: Head trip

INSIDE OUT **** DIRECTED BY Pete Docter STARS Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith In the immortal words of the great Mark Twain, reports of Pixar’s death have been greatly exaggerated. Well, maybe I’m paraphrasing — at any rate, that’s the takeaway following the release of Inside Out, which immediately establishes itself as one of the best…

Matt Brunson

Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files (June 18)

Urine Trouble: Police responded to an east Charlotte neighborhood in response to a vandalism call between next door neighbors. The victim told officers that his neighbor damaged five setions of his lawn by pouring dog urine on them, effectvely killing the grass in each area. The report detailed the size and location of each patch…

Ryan Pitkin

Weekly horoscope (June 18-24)

For All Signs: Summer solstice begins on June 21. This is the point of the year when the northern hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun. This is also, theoretically, the longest day of the year. For centuries, pagans celebrated this day with prayers and requests for blessings from mother earth. Take a moment to…

Vivian Carol

World Refugee Day event spotlights those who risked it all to come to Charlotte

About 600 refugees make their home in Charlotte each year. They become students, teachers, business owners, homeowners, consumers and taxpayers while quietly adjusting to the world they’ve arrived in. On June 20, these refugees will come together to educate and entertain Charlotte residents who want to learn more about those who have escaped persecution in…

Ryan Pitkin

Bone broth believers

For longer than there have been kitchens, people have found ways to boil bones. From rural villages to urban restaurants to grandma’s house, the virtues of bone stock, and its salted cousin broth, are hardly a secret. But lately, bone broth has boomed into a trendy end in itself. You can pay nearly 10 bucks…

Ari LeVaux

Three questions with Mike Watson, chef at Double Tree’s Libations

There’s more to Hilton’s Double Tree than fresh-baked cookies — but, damn, those sweet melt-in-your-mouth bites sure do leave a lasting impression. The hotel, located in the heart of Third Ward, is stepping things up a notch with Libations Kitchen & Bar, a new restaurant slated to open on Aug. 1, after renovations and a…

Anita Overcash

The War on Drugs’ sound ideas

From the keyboardist’s epic organ-esque synth riff to the singer’s unabashed climactic whoops, every individual element of “Red Eyes,” seems to harken back to the late ’80s and early ’90s, as if the song was a simultaneous homage to Bruce Springsteen and Tom Cochrane. And yet, the tune’s unique take on those aged influences made…

Kyle Mullin

Brad Thomas hosts solo exhibit before departing

Brad Thomas isn’t bothered by the prospect of shoveling snow, a task that awaits him at his future home in Minnesota. He sounds overly optimistic that it will be a good workout. But, weather aside, it’s the Twin Cities’ sprawling arts scene that draws Thomas to brave the harsh temperatures. In many ways, the cities’…

Anita Overcash

Free range parenting is not for everyone

School’s out for the summer and there is a strong contingent in the parenting landscape advocating for a “free-range” approach to kids. That’s right, it’s not just about farm animals anymore. Small humans are also being released from the confines of over-scheduling and hyper-vigilance and encouraged to roam freely around their streets and neighborhoods. The…

Ailen Arreaza

What to expect on your trip to the fertility clinic

No one ever tells you what it’s going to feel like to walk into a fertility center. They don’t tell you, because you don’t ask. And you don’t ask , because your mom had you. Her mom had her. Maybe you’ve heard of other women who’ve struggled, but that’s them and you’re you. But if…

Claire Gibson

New law could crush North Carolina’s solar industry

In the last seven years, North Carolina has climbed to the forefront of solar installation in the United States thanks to progressive regulations put in place in 2007 that set mandatory minimums on how much renewable energy utilities must sell their customers. Some in the solar industry say a new law in the state legislature…

Ryan Pitkin

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