Billy Graham & McCain in Fantasyland
Today’s confused story about John McCain and Billy Graham brings us another example of how the right-wing blogosphere really works – and how unhinged it has become. On the heels of last week’s ludicrous paranoia about Rachael Ray’s supposedly terrorist scarf comes today’s all-new episode of right-wing lunatics. Former White House staffer Doug Wead and…
News roundup, 6/10/08
Quake lake water surges through cities: After weeks of trying to safely drain the Tangjiashan lake in the southwestern Sichuan province of China, officials said they’ve drained the water to a safer level. They are careful to also say that there is still danger if the man-made drainage channels collapse. Full story: CNN.com Flash floods…
Live Review: CMA Fest
CMA Fest Nashville, Tenn. June 5-8, 2008 The Deal: The Country Music Association Festival took over Nashville last week the way NASCARnival takes over Charlotte. Just about every country music star performed at some point over the weekend; it was the Bonnaroo of country music. Meanwhile, The Nashville Convention Center was like a career fair…
Pop Life gets cinematic!
Inject your normal nightlife with a dose of “pop” at Pop Life. Held every damn Wednesday at Loft 1523 (1523 Elizabeth Ave.), Pop Life is your weekly opportunity to experience art, drinks, cool vibes, cool people and the best (seriously) and most eclectic blend of music Charlotte. The fun starts at 6 p.m. and, as…
Coming soon — Blogaroo!
Once again, I’ll be posting daily blogs and photos from Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn. You can expect to find them each morning — Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday — for the previous day’s events.
CL sponsors writing workshop
Interested in freelance writing? If so, you should sign up for The Editor’s Guide to Freelance Writing. The Editor’s Guide is a two-hour workshop that Creative Loafing Editor-in-Chief Carlton Hargro will conduct Sat., June 14 from 10 a.m. to noon at Pura Vida Worldy Art (1521 Central Avenue, Charlotte 28205). This course is perfect for…
Live Review: Jakob Dylan
Jakob Dylan w/ Abe Reid Neighborhood Theatre June 5, 2008 By Anita Overcash The Deal: The Wallflowers frontman, Jakob Dylan (also son of big daddy Bob Dylan), tours again (hitting Charlotte’s Neighborhood Theatre) after crafting a new album that is his first solo effort. The Good: Local bluesman Abe Reid opened by jammin’ on his…
Of all the places to find a dead ex
WCNC-TV reports that a Gaston County woman found her ex-boyfriend’s dead body in the trunk of her car. GASTONIA — A woman searching for the source of a foul odor that had bothered her all weekend found something shocking in the trunk of her car: The body of her ex-boyfriend. WCNC-TV of Charlotte reported this…
Bad air warning today
The NC Division of Air Quality says today’s air quality index of 130 means the ozone level is unhealthy for sensitive groups (children, the elderly, etc.) An Air Quality Action Day has been declared for Charlotte, NC, on Monday, Jun 9. The Charlotte air quality forecast region includes Cabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Union, and…
Taste of Charlotte 6/06/08
Photos by Chey Scott
The Shoppes at University Summer Concert Series 6/05/08
Photos by Charlotte Vibe Photography
Bush pressured “Idol Gives Back” to let him appear on show
In an interview with OK! magazine, Nigel Lythgoe, the superhoncho of “American Idol,” revealed that he fought against letting President Bush appear on “Idol Gives Back” in April. Lythgoe said that after Bush’s 2007 appearance on the program, the show’s producers were very unhappy about Bush’s paltry efforts to alleviate poverty – which is the…
A quest for Charlotte’s best cookie
As a baker’s daughter, it’s hard to not love sweets — especially cookies with a soft chewy inside, crisp-to-the-bite edges, chocolate chunks, nuts, and made-from-scratch flavor. Spoiled by the cookies from my mother’s bakery, I decided to search for a cookie with the right balance of puff, crisp, and chew in Charlotte. As I went…
Get Rockin’ on Saturday
Just a friendly reminder that the 5th annual Rockabilly BBQ will be held on Saturday at Puckett’s. There’s food, vendors and a whole bunch of good music by a number of bands. Here’s a schedule: 1:00 The Throttle Kings 2:00 Tommy Ray and the Rayguns 4:00 Slip and the Spinouts 5:00 Psycho Devilles 6:00 The…
The Advanced Black Bee
For those of you who have always thought the Black Bee as just too laid back. As a reminder in case you don’t know the Black Bee by heart, it starts with the man in the seated position with both hands behind holding himself upright. The woman then enters the picture and rides him like…
Real or fake?
It’s like Office Space 2: Rage Against The Machine But, is it staged? This cubicle rage has been floating around the internet lately, and it’s dated from last month. Crazy dude is conveniently positioned right under the security camera. What do y’all think? \\\\\\\\\\
The Weekender
Friday, June 6 Film Kung-Fu Panda: Be prepared to hear scores of small children singing, “Everyone was kung-fu fighting! Da-da-da-da-da-da Da!” and suffer an overload of caffeine-induced McBurger promo, because there’s a new cartoon frenzy hitting the theaters. Grab your younger comrades, brace yourself for Jack Black’s spastic antics and try to take solace in…
Therapy Cafe 6/4/08
Photos by Tricia Gillis
News Roundup, 6/5/08
After happy reunions, FLDS faces criminal inquiry: All of the children of the polygamist sect that was raided two months ago have been reunited with their families. However, the Texas Department of Safety and the attorney general’s office are still investigating the allegations of young girls being forced into marriage. Full story: CNN.com China quake…
News Roundup, 6/4/08
Obama reaches historic milestone: The last Democratic primaries were held yesterday in the race for the Democratic nomination. After tallying the votes, Obama is the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. Full story: CNN.com Peru to protect isolated tribes: Peru has vowed to stop illegal loggers from invading the indigenous tribes in the Amazon who’ve never contacted…
Foot Fist On Its Way
The Foot Fist Way, the martial arts comedy that was made in Concord, N.C., on a shoestring budget by former North Carolina School of the Arts graduates Jody Hill, Danny McBride and Ben Best, now has a Charlotte release date. It is scheduled to open June 13 at AMC Concord Mills.
Utah Phillips has left the stage
“Utah” Phillips died this week at the age of 73. He was a musician, labor organizer, peace activist and co-founder of his local homeless shelter. He also was an archivist, a historian and a traveler; playing guitar and singing almost forgotten songs of the dispossessed and the downtrodden, and keeping alive the memory of labor…
Unbelievable! D.A. responds to community outrage
In an unprecedented move (for him), District Attorney Peter Gilchrist has asked the SBI to investigate Charlotte’s latest “death-by-police.” In the past 10 years, 36 people have been shot by a police officer, but this is the first time Gilchrist has asked the state for help. Perhaps Gilchrist has finally gotten the message that people…
Charlotte’s heat wave
We’re in for 10 days of 90+ degree weather. While most people know what they should do to keep from having a heat stroke — drink water, stay out of the sun, save your major activities for the evening hours and so on — a lot of people don’t know what to wear. Yes, it’s…
Film Clips
Current Releases THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN This C.S. Lewis adaptation is darker than 2005’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which seems to be the path taken by many second installments in film franchises (The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Back to the…
Helen Kearney Konen
Profile
Southern comfort
Eaters’ Digest
View from the Couch
THE BIG TRAIL (1930) / FOX WESTERN CLASSICS (1950-1954). If the Main Library’s summer film program of classic Westerns doesn’t satisfy your yen for sagebrush sagas (see Movie Missives in this section), check out these four titles from 20th Century Fox’s vaults. The Big Trail is given its own two-disc special edition, while three other…
When Keystone Cops kill
Citizen Servatius
Activist and singer encouraged change through music
“Utah” Phillips died this week at the age of 73. He was a musician, labor organizer, peace activist and co-founder of his local homeless shelter. He also was an archivist, a historian and a traveler; playing guitar and singing almost forgotten songs of the dispossessed and the downtrodden, and keeping alive the memory of labor…
How the West was fun
Plus, a fancy fundraiser and a Charlotte premiere
Green with NV
The body electric Obesity may be a problem plaguing America, but this ripped and toned model seems quite immune to the fat epidemic. (Yes, I’m jealous.) She showed her goods on May 31 during Caché’s summer preview fashion show at NV Nightclub. The rest is unwritten Natasha Bedingfield performs at a packed Whisky River…
She said, she said
Sex and the City, Priceless celebrate more than material gains
Pop Life keeps it poppin’
Inject your normal nightlife with a dose of “pop” at Pop Life. Held every damn Wednesday at Loft 1523 (1523 Elizabeth Ave.), Pop Life is your weekly opportunity to experience art, drinks, cool vibes, cool people and the best (seriously) and most eclectic blend of music Charlotte. So escape the Top 40 crap for a…
Obama’s Chili Reception
Talking food with Barack Obama
Funky hybrid Monkey
On Memorial Day, the last day that Freedom Schooner Amistad was moored in Charleston, I strolled onto the Maritime Center boardwalk just after 4pm, camera at the ready. So less than an hour remained before tours of the historic replica were scheduled to end — and our next Spoleto Festival USA jazz concert was scheduled…
Scene in America
Arts Flash
Is there shellfish in this food …?
QC After Dark
Quote This: Charlotte Bestsellers List
1. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch 2. Dissent: Voices of Conscience by Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright and Susan Dixon 3. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen 4. The Wilde Women by Paula Wall 5. The Last Days of Black Beard the Pirate by Kevin Duffus 6. Long Dead Lover by Robert Boisvert 7. Coal…
A little bit Cajun, a little bit rock ‘n’ roll
Betta Listen
Final Crisis No. 1
The Deal: Presenting the first salvo of DC’s summer blockbuster limited series. According to advertisements, heroes — and maybe the universe — will die in the pages of this comic, which stars a ton of the company’s most popular good guys and bad guys. And somehow, Final Crisis is supposed to be the final…
Big getting bigger
Bonnaroo continues to draw huge names like Pearl Jam
Festival: Year of the dragon
FESTIVAL
Literary liquid
Local Lit
Rockabilly BBQ hits for fifth year
La Vida Local
Film: The Western rides again
The Main Library’s annual Summer Film Series is back, this time riding tall in the saddle. This year’s program is Once Upon a Time in the West: Great Hollywood* Westerns (* and one Italian), offering 11 oaters over the course of nine Sundays. The program kicks off with Howard Hawks’ 1959 masterpiece Rio Bravo, which…
Spirited away
Quiet Spirit, Skillful Hand: The Graphic Work of Clare Leighton
Music Menu
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4 Ana Lola Roman N.Y.C.-based avant-garde performer Roman weaves abstract lyrics into obtuse keyboards and percussion-caressed performance rock. It takes a while to warm up to her Lori Anderson-inspired adventurism, but Roman has the musical knack to keep it from becoming artsy-fartsy shtick. Whether performing in art galleries or saloons, Roman is generally…
The Blotter
Never Let Your Ex-girl Talk to Your New Girl: A 29-year-old man said his girlfriend was on talking on the phone with his ex-girlfriend when the two women began arguing. Unfortunately, the man received the brunt of the current girlfriend’s anger: She busted out the windows of his 1997 Ford Expedition and keyed the SUV.…
No plumbing, no problem
Turn On, Tune In
Karma Cleanser
Dear Readers: Seven years ago this month, the Karma Cleanser column launched on the following impious note: Dear Karma Cleanser: I laughed at a little fat girl. Luckily, she didn’t see me. Assuming the child was 14 at the time, as I posited in my original answer, she’d be a healthy 21-year-old now. And now,…
Stupidity Sweepstakes winner!
Boomer With Attitude
Beauty product
Moodswing
Proposal could require more information on doctors
Proposal could require more information on doctors
Summer taste time
EAT & DO
Gemini
The Twins: (May 20 — June 21) This is a very fine week for the Twins, with plenty of activity to keep “both” of you going socially. Relationships to all significant people are flowing smoothly. Romance is a treat. You are the center of attention. Enjoy and give as much to others as they give…
Live From Chicago
The Deal: ’70s band icon shows his sound still resonates down through the years. The Good: This live ’07 Chicago show (two DVD’s and a CD) shows Miller at the top of his form, backed by a band in which the new guy, bassist Victor Wooten’s keyboard-playing brother Joseph, has only 14 years in the…
Last week on The CLog …
The List
anywhere I lay my head
The Deal: Sit right back and you’ll hear a tale of another actress trying to make it in the music world … The Good: Johansson didn’t go the route of creating her own music instead opting for an album of Tom Waits songs. Her deep, sultry vocals are combined with simplistic music that stay true…
Store Wars
Once again, Creative Loafing has tasked me, the paper’s resident food critic, with the mission of seeking out what’s good, or lacking, in Charlotte’s grocery stores. Since last year’s edition of “Store Wars,” much has changed in the local supermarket scene. Trader Joe’s opened in south Charlotte and in the University area, with a third…
Give fathers their due
The N Word
Fight With Tools
The Deal: Denver, Colo., hip-hop collective releases debut album. The Good: While rap-rock has gone the way of the dodo, Flobots take it in a new direction – call it funk-rap. Setting the band apart even more is its use of a viola. Toss in the occasional trumpet and you’ve got a unique sound that…
