Jun 23-30, 2009

Jun 23-30, 2009 / Vol. 23 / No. 17

Fox confuses satire for reality. Again.

Ever wonder just how dumb some of the folks at FoxNews and their FoxNation website are? God knows a lot of us do. First, Fox hires someone of dubious IQ like Sean Hannity to be a major voice for their neocon rants (“Sean Hannity: He asks the questions other reporters are too smart to ask”).…

John Grooms

Best bets in Charlotte comedy: June 29-July 5

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, JUNE 30, 2009 Taboo Tuesday Stand-up Open Mic at 9:00 p.m. Stand-up Comedy Open Mic.  This show…

Debbie Millwater

Charlotte Symphony pops

Last night the Charlotte Symphony held another one of its special Summer Pops concerts at Symphony Park at SouthPark Mall. The event was dubbed “That’s Amore!” and featured a variety of mostly Italian-themed selections. Highlights included “Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh,” and “The Pink Panther Theme.” If you’re in town this week, be sure to pack…

Anita Overcash

Forget about me owning the Bobcats – for now

OK, this is the last straw. As you and everyone else on earth knows (Note to the slow: This is an ongoing joke), I made an opening bid for the Charlotte Bobcats a month ago, offering $11,500 ($500 upfront and $100 per month) out of the goodness of my heart, trying to help out poor…

John Grooms

Carolina Warehouse Sale ends today

The Carolina Warehouse Sale was a success this weekend. According to the various people I follow on my Twitter who were able to hit up the sale, everyone showed up to take advantage of the sales event— there was a line just to get in the door. The CWS twitter feed says this morning that…

Kimberly Lawson

BET Award winners

Here’s a quick list of the winners from last night’s BET Awards: Video of the Year — Beyoncé “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” Best Male R&B Artist — Ne-Yo Best Female R&B Artist — Beyoncé Best Male Hip-Hop Artist — Lil Wayne Best Female Hip-Hop Artist — M.I.A. Best Group — Day26 Best…

Jeff Hahne

Sale of the day: Fifi’s Fine Resale

Check out Fifi’s Fine Resale’s Independence Day sale, now through July 5. Check out these specials … Items brought in April and earlier: 75 percent off May items: 60 percent off May and earlier Red Dot & Jewelry: 20 percent off 8301-7 Magnolia Estates Dr. Cornelius, North Carolina 28037 704-892-7070

Kimberly Lawson

Today’s Top 5: Monday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 29, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Human Touch exhibition at Providence Gallery • DND-Monday Reaper at Jeff’s Bucket Shop • Wines of Spain at McNinch House Restaurant • Leisure McCorkle at Comet Grill…

Anita Overcash

Food News: The McNinch House, Brixx, Zebra

• The McNinch House, 511 North Church Street, has the following tutored wine tasting events with their wine steward Anthony Wesley: June 29th Wines of Spain;  July 13th Wines of Australia; and July 27th Wines of South Africa. Tastings are held from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and are $20. Reservations required. 704-332-6159. • Brixx…

Tricia Childress

40 years ago, bigotry hit a stone wall

Tomorrow, June 27, marks the 40th anniversary of the event that triggered the gay rights movement in America: the Stonewall Riots. On June 27, 1969, the New York City Police Department’s Public Morals Squad (sounds like something from the novel 1984, doesn’t it?) raided a gay bar called the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street in…

John Grooms

Cosper’s Comet

Thanks to Matt Cosper’s predisposition toward forming guerilla groups, we get to see the absurdist works of Eugène Ionesco in Charlotte with more regularity than named comets. Cosper dropped the last dose on us back in the days of the Children’s Theatre Black Box when, as co-founder of The Farm, he brought The Lesson to…

Perry Tannenbaum

Summer Guide events: June 26-July 1

Here are  a gaggle of summer events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area June 26-July 1 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. THEATER Cinderella Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts stages performances of the popular Rodgers and Hammerstein musical fairytale. For more information, call 704-846-8343 or visit www.matthewsplayhouse.com. June 26, 7:30…

Anita Overcash

Sanford’s unexpected humanity

Isaac Bashevis Singer, the wonderful Nobel-winning author, wrote of how both love and fiction “merge the passions of the flesh with the yearnings of the soul.” I thought of that quote while watching a replay of SC Gov. Mark Sanford’s teary press conference, in which he ditched fictional tales of hiking for an unexpected love…

John Grooms

Il Posto’s last day at Phillips Place

According to Observer food writer Helen Schwab, tomorrow (June 27) will be Il Posto’s last day at Phillips Place; menu items will appear at sibling restaurants Toscana (Specialty Shops on the Park by SouthPark) and MezzaNotte (at the corner of Providence and Sharon Amity roads).

Kimberly Lawson

Today’s Top 5: Friday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 26, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Evil Dead: The Musical at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte • Music and Bratwurst at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery • Stump Dickens at The Evening Muse • Friday Night…

Anita Overcash

Live review: Ice Cube

Ice Cube Dub Car Show, Charlotte Convention Center June 20, 2009 The Deal: One of the West Coast gangsta rap originators hits the Queen City with fancy cars and broads, while everyone wonders to themselves how he’s still a headliner. The Good: Starting with newer music probably wasn’t the best way to grab the audience…

Mike McCray

Grand Opening: It’s a Bridal Thing!

It’s a Bridal Thing! is a full-service bridal boutique specializing in wedding planning, bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, formal footwear, invitations, favors, and décor. Co-owners Sonya Fogle and Tomeka Lynch are holding their grand opening event this Saturday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.  Sponsored by Premiere Bride Magazine, this free event will feature a DJ, ShutterBooth, caterers,…

Aviva M. Cantor

Michael Jackson album sales jump hours after death

In death, great artists become so much greater. Rest in peace Michael. The self-proclaimed “king of pop” who died suddenly on Thursday occupied the top 15 slots on online retailer Amazon.com Inc’s (AMZN.O) best-selling albums within hours. The No. 1 disc, not surprisingly, was the 25th anniversary reissue of his 1982 blockbuster “Thriller,” the biggest…

Kimberly Lawson

Sale of the day: Inifinity’s End

If today’s your birthday and you’re looking to indulge in some stuff from Infinity’s End (a smokeshop with a full line of domestic and imported tobacco; bidis, cloves, tobacco, shisha, hookahs, and tobacco accessories), make sure you show them your ID — you’ll get 10 percent off your entire purchase. 5119 South Blvd. 704-369-0223 5622…

Kimberly Lawson

Michael Jackson dead at age 50

Pop legend Michael Jackson has died of cardiac arrest at age 50. It’s sad, but it’s also kinda funny that people are completely ignoring the freak show side of his life… the alleged child molestation, his white children, etc. He was a music legend and also a bit of a side-show freak. Sorry, but it’s…

Jeff Hahne

Heading miles away

In preparation for On Q Productions’ upcoming performances of its newest production Miles & Coltrane: Blue(.) in New York (July 16-18) and in Edinburgh, Scotland at The Edinburgh Fringe Arts Festival (August 13-16), a special gig is set to take place at McGlohon Theatre. The production features works by Concrete Generation in collaboration with The…

Anita Overcash

Chuckleheads devote show to parents

With a name like The Chuckleheads, you’d better be able to make folks laugh. The Charlotte troupe, part of Actor’s Crib, is regularly on the prowl in the Q.C. and the surrounding area performing its improv/stand up comedy. This Saturday, they will present a special show, titled “The Return of Scott Pacitti’s Parents 2009” at…

Anita Overcash

Palin’s pissed off again

Sarah Palin really needs to get over herself. Not satisfied with bashing David Letterman for cracking a  joke about her daughter, now she’s raising hell about a political blogger in Alaska who photo-shopped an image of a conservative talk show host, Eddie Burke, onto the head of a baby being held by Palin. The blogger…

John Grooms

Hong Kong Vintage’s new location

Hong Kong Vintage’s new location opens up today at 1514 Central Ave., between Thomas and Pecan avenues. It’s biggers, better and only a couple of blocks away from the old location. Now you won’t scrap the bottom of your car trying to get into the parking lot next to the store (as was the case…

Kimberly Lawson

Sale of the day: Heels.com

The Charlotte-based shoe Web site is offering more than 50 percent off hundreds of designer shoes at an event tonight held at Wine Loft from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. 2201 South Blvd. RSVP to linda@heels.com.

Kimberly Lawson

Today’s Top 5: Thursday

Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, June 25, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Metamorphoses at Carolina Actors Studio Theatre • Beer Dinner with New Belgium at Revolution Pizza and Ale House • Island Vibe Nights at The Attic • Garden…

Anita Overcash

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, June 25, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Champagne Thursday at Club Onyx. • Buy your mate a table dance, a table dance. •…

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

EPA: QC air OK except for those who breathe

The Environmental Protection Agency has news for Mecklenburg County residents. It’s not the standard good news/bad news balance, this is more like pretty crummy news and even worse news. The EPA today released a report that assesses the cancer risk from breathing the air for every county in the nation — some of the reporting…

John Grooms

Carolina Warehouse Sale makes it on Vogue

By now you’ve certainly heard about the Carolina Warehouse Sale starting this weekend. It’s only been dubbed the “sale of all sales in Charlotte, North Carolina.” At least, Vogue thinks so. Carolina Warehouse Sale is a one-week (June 27-July 4) premiere discount sales event offering top designer items for unbeatable prices. This event will offer…

Kimberly Lawson

Gorman needs to cut his TV gig

CMS Superintendent Peter Gorman must love seeing himself on television. That’s the only reason I can think of for his refusal to cut CMS-TV from the system’s budget in order to save money during our current economic mess. Yesterday, Gorman told the School Board that in addition to already announced cuts, he’s prepared, in a…

John Grooms

Thurston Moore on Jimmy Fallon — what’s that t-shirt?

This week’s episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon has sparked a lot of interest. Why? Because of the performance of Sonic Youth. Well, maybe not the performance, exactly, but more about singer Thurston Moore’s t-shirt. You can try to see it here: \\\\\\\\\\ ?uestlove has called it “the riskiest tshirt ive ever seen on…

Jeff Hahne

What every man should have in his closet

I’m asked quite often, “How many suits should a man have in his closet?” Well that depends on what he does for a living. If his job requires him to wear a suit, he should have at least 10; if not, he should have three to four. Why so many you ask? Well, I’ll tell…

William Wilson

Shopping for the good of mankind

Slate.com has an interesting story for you shoppers who want to support worthy causes by buying cool products. The writer focuses on two specific ways of buying charitable gifts: buying regular products for which a percentage of the proceeds go to charity; or buying products from companies or nonprofits that have figured out how to…

Kimberly Lawson

Sale of the day: Ladies Night Out at Morrison

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., enjoy these sales tonight at the shops at Morrison: Asana Activewear: $19 off Any Purchase. Black & Blue: 20% off plus shop their annual $99 jean sale before the general public. Chezelle:  15% off any purchase. e.martini:  20% off a single item. Scout & Molly’s: 20% off your purchase.…

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, June 24, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Free Salsa Social. • All You Can Eat at The Men’s Club. • Wet Wednesday at…

Mustang Sally, Mayor of Bang Town

Gingrich on Big Coal’s payroll

He Whom We Shall Apparently Never Be Rid Of, AKA Newt Gingrich, runs a political advocacy group called American Solutions for Winning the Future (ASWF). That group has started running TV spots opposing the Waxman-Markey clean energy reform bill, which it refers to as an “energy tax.” The truth, as reported by ThinkProgress.com, is that…

John Grooms

Children’s World Museum finds temporary spot

According to this story (see below) in The Charlotte Observer, The Children’s World Museum in Mint Hill – which closed last week – has found a new spot in the Matthews Community Center for the time being. The Children’s World Museum is back in business – in Matthews. Last week, co-founder Jerry Helms closed the…

Anita Overcash

Sanford hikes but doesn’t walk the walk

South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, who was reported missing yesterday but was found hiking part of the Appalachian Trail, missed Father’s Day during his hike. Our guess is that he didn’t want to miss out on another important celebration also taking place on June 21 — national Naked Hiking Day. If by some chance Sanford…

John Grooms

Dress lights up when wearer’s phone rings

Let me just go ahead and say that I wouldn’t be caught dead in this dress. What was this British design student thinking? Last week, an attention-grabbing dress was unveiled: It was a prototype dress that is designed to light up when the phone of the person wearing the dress rings. What the heck? Georgie…

Kimberly Lawson

Dolce & Gabbana slash prices

Finally, some good is coming out of this recession. The good folks with Dolce & Gabbana have realized that if they want to stay in the luxury goods business, they need to make their stuff a little more affordable. Alas, don’t get your hopes up too much. They’re only cutting prices down by 10 to…

Kimberly Lawson

Maya Angelou and the hats

The Charlotte Observer has an interesting slide show of photos on their site showcasing “Maya Angelou Hat-i-Tude.” The South is known for its flamboyant headgear, isn’t it? Maya Angelou spoke at the Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon at The Westin on Saturday.

Kimberly Lawson

Sushi at Zink

One of our Facebook friends filled us in on the haps at Zink, so we thought we’d pass it on: In case you haven’t heard, Zink American Kitchen is now the newest destination for getting your sushi fix during lunch in the Uptown area. We will be featuring crowd favorites such as the Philly Roll…

Kimberly Lawson

MUSIC: Ben Prestage at Double Door Inn

Ben Prestage racks up amps-load of cred with his Beale Street country blues shuffling along to vocals that channel Tom Waits growl and the accompanying cacophonous picking and percussion. But Prestage is a bluesman in his own right with an ear for bluesy gin joint rockers that would be also at home in a backwoods…

Samir Shukla

CD Review: Street Sweeper Social Club

The Deal: Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello teams up with The Coup’s Boots Riley. The Good: First, it should be praised that the duo released the album independently, with the help of Warner Bros. instead of going with a label and worrying about a record deal, etc. The album’s music rests somewhere between…

Jeff Hahne

THEATER: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

Got a golden ticket? Well, that’s OK if you don’t. You can buy a ticket (though it may or may not be golden) to watch as CPCC’s Summer Theatre stage performances of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory — based on the film adaptation by Gene Wilder of Roald Dahl’s 1964 book. And don’t forget…

Anita Overcash

Analogies in the news

Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words to explain your position on an issue without sounding like a policy wonk. You come across all, “The profit margins have been decimated, so a contract extension should not be forthcoming blah blah blah,” and you notice that the person you’re talking to has gone to sleep.…

Brutality in Invincible No. 63

Invincible No. 63 Published by Image Comics. Written by Robert Kirkman. Pencils by Ryan Ottley. Inks by Cliff Rathburn. The Deal: It’s the latest issue of Kirkman’s teen superhero series. This month we’re getting part three of the “Conquest” story arc, which seems to involve Invincible getting the shit kicked out of him by an…

Carlton Hargro

True tales of survival in recession-era Charlotte

Open up a newspaper, visit your favorite news Web site or turn to any local news program, and you’ll see that Charlotte and the surrounding area is experiencing joblessness that borders on historic. According to the latest figures from the North Carolina Employment Security Commission, the jobless rate in the Charlotte metro area is 10.2…

Cheris Hodges

Fan of the Opera?

After hearing an astute theatergoer at opening night of The Phantom of the Opera declare that he liked the action and special effects but couldn’t follow all the conversation — I’m guessing he was referring to the climactic Act 1 sextet — I chanced upon the question that pierces directly to the tension at the…

Perry Tannenbaum

Examining the NFL’s so-called system of justice

I sure hope that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is a saint — because his law-and-order approach to football is flawed at best and downright ridiculous at worst. The commissioner recently suspended NFL player Donté Stallworth indefinitely for his role in a DUI case that left a pedestrian dead. Let me be clear, I am disgusted…

Nsenga Burton

Plus, choosing the Company you keep

At just before 9:55 p.m. last Saturday evening, I snuck a look at my watch during Act 2 of Stephen Sondheim’s Company, now inaugurating CPCC Summer Theatre’s 36th season. Now that’s so unusual for me that my wife Sue noticed and was curious about my explanation. Quite simple, really: I wanted to make a special…

Perry Tannenbaum

Californification: Part II

If you’re going to suck another $1.5 billion out of one of the most devastated employment economies in the nation, you need high drama. So last week, state leaders trotted out blind kids to advocate for higher taxes. For days after that, students at the state’s school for the blind served as handy props in…

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Little Surprise: A 66-year-old man called police after being assaulted outside his home. He told officers he was walking through his neighborhood when a man approached him and hit him over the head with a garden troll that was two-feet tall. I guess when you walk through that yard, you pay the toll or deal…

Ryan Pitkin

Best of Bonnaroo: A look back at four days of music

Over the course of four days, I managed to catch 54 bands during the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. Some of them I watched from start to finish, but most I would watch for three songs from the photo pit before moving on to the next. It would take pages and pages to capture…

Jeff Hahne

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of June 24

ANGELS & DEMONS Angels & Demons, the follow-up to the international smash The Da Vinci Code, feels like nothing more than a cross between a Frommer’s travel guide and a scavenger hunt, as Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon hits all of Rome’s holy hot spots gathering up clues as if they were empty Dr. Pepper bottles…

Matt Brunson

The current world crisis and the Great Depression

Regular horoscope will return next week. There is a particular arrangement of planets that is known to astrologers as the Great Depression T-Square. It involves the planets Saturn, Uranus and Pluto in challenging aspects to each other. Their last war in the sky began in 1930. One could think of them as the super-gods of…

Vivian Carol

Get a ticket to West Side Story

Last I heard, there were just 300 tickets left for the final week of Davidson Community Players’ production of West Side Story up on Exit 30 off I-77. And there are numerous reasons to reserve one for yourself before they’re gone. Fundamentally, for those of you wary of smalltown community fare, the DCP production at…

Perry Tannenbaum

Easy Virtue: Easy come, easy go

Alfred Hitchcock directed a silent version of the Noel Coward play Easy Virtue back in 1927, which is sort of amusing given that Coward’s works are known for their verbal wit and audio elegance — factors that hardly benefit from the employment of title cards. Director Stephan Elliott’s new version finds the characters speaking loud…

Matt Brunson

Charm is charm in Cinderella

Over in Matthews, there’s one overpowering reason to catch the Matthews Playhouse edition of Cinderella. Steve Bryan is back on the local radar as Cindy’s wicked stepmother, bustling with true Rodgers & Hammerstein flamboyance — and a fresh shtick or two. It’s a warm-up for Bryan’s upcoming feature role in The Producers next month at…

Perry Tannenbaum

Burma VJ: Inside access

Back in 1988, Burmese citizens who were tired of their country being run by a military regime staged a massive protest, an act that led to the slaughter of thousands of innocent people by the barbaric ruling class. A similar uprising occurred again in 2007, and Burma VJ provides inside access to that clash, even…

Matt Brunson

Free speech vs. surveillance in the digital age

Tools of mass communication that were once the province of governments and corporations now fit in your pocket. Cell phones can capture video and send it wirelessly to the Internet. People can send eyewitness accounts, photos and videos, with a few keystrokes, to thousands or even millions via social networking sites. As these technologies have…

Amy Goodman

Professional wine writer seeks Murphy-Goode Winery job

The six-month dream job of Wine Country Lifestyle Correspondent at Murphy-Goode Winery has been blowing up the blogosphere. $10,000 per month to live at the winery in Sonoma Valley, write, and ride the social media wave. It’s a sweet gig for whoever gets it. And I threw my glass into the ring. Initially, I learned…

Taylor Eason

SPECIAL EVENT: Summer Soirée

Summer is officially here, and it’s time to take all your clothes off — and put on a swimsuit, silly. It’s hot outside! Charlotte STYLE Magazine presents Summer Soirée, a benefit for Dress for Success Charlotte. Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a fashion show featuring men’s and women’s swimwear. As an added bonus, those in…

The Lodge angles for success

The old saying is you can’t shoot a moose from the lodge, but at The Lodge: A Sportsman’s Grill in south Charlotte, you can fantasize about eating one. There may not be a Palin-styled moose burger on the menu, but burgers are offered with bison or venison meat. The 70-seat Lodge, which opened last April,…

Tricia Childress

THEATER: Company

The character of Robert in Stephen Sondheim’s Company is handsome and charming, yet ever so single. Enter reality TV. No, that’s not how it goes, though he sounds like the perfect guy to try for a spot on The Bachelor. But, instead of rollin’ ABC style, this play’s protagonist gets an earful of good tips…

Anita Overcash

A Nashvegas hangover

I woke up Sunday morning in my friend’s guest bed with a splitting headache and a diamond ring on my finger. No, I didn’t wake up in Vegas … Nashville actually — close enough. I was in Nashvegas for the CMA Music Festival, and apparently my own version of the movie The Hangover. I chased…

SPECIAL EVENT: RuPaul at Alive

RuPaul is considered by many to be the best drag queen ever. And it comes as no surprise, since the star’s rise to fame in the 1990s has only continued to shoot upward. It’s even spawned RuPaul’s Drag Race, a reality TV show, much like America’s Next Top Model, but bent on finding the next…

Anita Overcash

Book review: Kill the Music

The Deal: Author Michael Plumides writes his story about the creation and demise of Charlotte’s 4808 Club. The Good: Plumides offers his view into the creation of the club and includes stories involving a number of bands such as Jane’s Addiction, L.A. Guns and GWAR. It’s the final show with GWAR that led to the…

Jeff Hahne

MUSIC: The Lemonheads

Singer/guitarist Evan Dando is the only member stagnant in the alternative rock act The Lemonheads, which emerged onto the music scene in 1986. Dando’s newest album of lemon concoctions is called Varshons. Produced by Gibby Haynes, front man of the rock act Butthole Surfers, it features tracks from GG Allin, Wire, Leonard Cohen and Linda…

Anita Overcash

CL previews upcoming concerts (June 24-30)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 The Black Hollies Not all that far removed from a Brian Jonestown Massacre (all except for the ego-trip, drug bit shit), The Black Hollies sound like you might expect, even though the band members might not necessarily look the part. Heavy doses of ’60s-style soul and pop bubble and squeak with feedback,…

FILM: The Lost Boys

Who says you can’t vamp out on Mondays? Get out of the house and head to Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte for a special film screening of The Lost Boys during Cult Movie Mondays. The screening is free and so is popcorn, but get there early to guarantee yourself a seat. Free. 8 p.m. Actor’s Theatre…

Anita Overcash

CD Review: Jarvis Cocker’s Further Complications

The Deal: Second solo disc from ex-Pulp singer. The Good: In the acrimonious Blur vs. Oasis battles of the ’90s, I thought the clear winner was Pulp. Jarvis Cocker, the band’s lightning rod front man, was better-read and less loutish than the Gallaghers, but more open about his appetites than Damon Albarn. The result was…

John Schacht

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