Mar 1-7, 2011

Mar 1-7, 2011 / Vol. 25 / No. 1

Live review: Motorhead

Motorhead, Clutch, Valient Thorr The Fillmore Charlotte March 5, 2011 The Deal: Motorhead rumbles back into Charlotte with Clutch and North Carolina’s own Valient Thorr. The Good: The night got started with North Carolina quintet Valient Thorr and their brand of metal infused with hints of Southern Rock. Singer Valient Himself stripped his shirt off…

Jeff Hahne

CMS’ performance pay plan: ‘Sucking hind tit and proud of it’

The School Board should tell CMS Supt. Gorman to ditch the “performance pay” plan for teachers. It’s being introduced at the wrong time, it costs too much, particularly in these budget-slashing days, and there’s very good evidence that it won’t work anyway. Let me back up a minute. In a recent column mentioning the ridiculous…

John Grooms

Got a dime? You have more than B of A pays in federal taxes

Before the government slashes everything in sight in order to cut into the deficit, maybe they could get the fat cats to pony up their share — especially the fat cats who got the country into its current financial mess to begin with. I’m talking specifically about big banks that pay no federal taxes –…

John Grooms

CIAA: Phoenix, 3/3/11

The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Rho Psi Omega Chapter, brought Pink Groove 6 to Phoenix Thursday night. Photos by Debra Renee Seth

Priscilla Tsai

Anthony Hamilton tickets on sale

Live Nation is having a sale on tickets to the Anthony Hamilton concert tomorrow night at The Fillmore Charlotte. You can get two tickets for the price of one ($50 plus fees). It runs through 10 p.m. tonight.

Jeff Hahne

Startling income inequity — and what to do about it

Part 1. Here is a disturbing but enlightening chart from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In the clearest visual terms yet, it shows just how thoroughly the super-rich hijacked the U.S. economy during the past 30 years. The chart illustrates how average American households’ incomes, adjusted for inflation, have flatlined since the late 1970s, while…

John Grooms

Motorhead on Jimmy Fallon

Motorhead was on Jimmy Fallon last night to perform their classic, “Ace of Spades.” The band will be performing at The Fillmore Charlotte on Saturday night along with Clutch.

Jeff Hahne

N.C. politicians with guns: You’ve GOT to be kidding

Chris Fitzsimon at NC Policy Watch points to the General Assembly in Raleigh for what he calls “a candidate for the most ridiculous bill” of the year. Introduced by one Rep. Stephen Laroque (R-Bumfuck, Eastern N.C.), the bill would let elected officials in North Carolina carry a gun anywhere, anytime. Fitzsimon notes that, if passed,…

John Grooms

House GOP refuses to cut subsidies for Big Oil

The shiny new Republican majority in the U.S. House showed how serious it is about cutting unnecessary spending yesterday,  when the GOPers voted unanimously to keep on throwing away  billions on multinational oil corporations. Yes, you read that right. House GOPers voted unanimously (along with 13 Democrats) to continue big federal subsidies — no one…

John Grooms

Mecklenburg County’s ridiculous CIAA tickets brawl

If members of the County Commission want some idea of why so many people are fed up with them, they should watch themselves in last night’s meeting. Case in point: the incredibly petty arguments over whether commissioners should accept free tickets to the CIAA tourney. Only a governmental board as semi-dysfunctional as our County Commission…

John Grooms

Broadway and Off-Broadway, 2011 cont.

To see previous post, click here. Off-Broadway The Divine Sister (***1/2) – Rejoice greatly, for Charles Busch has a new drag shtick in his arsenal, donning the holy habit and taking us to a nunnery, where he stars as the Mother Superior, nee Susan Appleyard, in desperate need of a benefactor. While he’s at it,…

Perry Tannenbaum

Bristol Palin has a book deal?! Aarrrghhhh!

Here is the latest sign that the cultural apocalypse is upon us: Bristol Palin has a book deal. Sorry to bring you the news, but it’s true. The former world’s-most-famous unwed teen mother; spokesperson for sexual abstinence while banging Baby Daddy again behind Mom’s back; writer of nearly illiterate, homophobic tweets in which she gracefully…

John Grooms

Broadway and Off-Broadway, 2011 cont.

For previous post, click here. Broadway Driving Miss Daisy (***1/2) – Two powerhouses, Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones, square off in this revival of Alfred Uhry’s lapidary delight, and it’s fascinating to watch the titans squeezing into the skins of retired gradeschool teacher Daisy Worthan and her déclassé chauffeur Hoke Coleburn. Redgrave must make…

Perry Tannenbaum

Where to find it: Bulk Olive Oils and Vinegars

To properly ripen, olives require a long, hot, growing season. Olive trees have been grown throughout the Mediterranean region since ancient times. During that period, olive oil was “liquid gold” and provided a basis for international trade. Today, some of these Mediterranean countries pride themselves as having the “best” olive oil. Spain produces the most…

Tricia Childress

FILM: Charlotte Jewish Film Festival

The seventh annual Charlotte Jewish Film Festival promises to be out of this world — literally. The 11-day event kicks off with a free screening of An Article of Hope, a documentary about Israel’s first astronaut, Ilan Ramon, and the tiny Toran scroll that accompanied him into space aboard the ill-fated shuttle Columbia. All told,…

Matt Brunson

Malpractice reform efforts could hurt patients

Suppose that the next time you go to a grocery store or restaurant, you’re asked to sign a form guaranteeing that you won’t sue if you contract a food-borne illness from their products. Would you sign it or be so offended you’d walk out the door? What if the management explained that according to the…

ART: Old is New Again exhibition at Elder Art

A brand spankin’ new exhibition is set to open at Elder Gallery tonight. Crawl on over to check out Old is New Again — showcasing illustrations and paintings by Ernest Walker (see photo for a sample of his work) and Leon Makielski. Continues through March 29. Elder Gallery, 1427 South Blvd. 704-370-6337. www.elderart.com.

Anita Overcash

Sexism, xenophobia and midwifery in N.C.

Women’s bodies have been the talk of the town (more than usual) for the last few weeks. Funding for Planned Parenthood is under attack. Michelle Obama, who is promoting breastfeeding as a method of reducing childhood obesity as part of her campaign to help get America’s kids healthier, is being lambasted by the right for…

Nsenga Burton

BENEFIT: Mardi Gras Ball

Get your mask and dress to impress for the 2011 Mardi Gras Ball, presented by Guys with Ties. The festivities included an open bar, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction and live entertainment. Proceeds benefit Victory Junction, an organization helping children with chronic medical conditions or serious illnesses. $60. 8 p.m.-12 a.m. The Design Center, 127…

Anita Overcash

Capital follies: How do you say ‘unconstitutional’?

  Thank God someone in Raleigh knows something about the U.S. Constitution. That someone would be N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper, who last week told Gov. Perdue that he could not defend the GOP-sponsored challenge to the national health care reform law, since — plain and simple — “State legislatures cannot pick and choose which…

MUSIC: Yasmin Levy at McGlohon Theatre

Preservation is important to Israeli songstress Yasmin Levy. Through music she aims to capture the essence of Ladino (a dying language derived from Judeo-Spanish, which dates back to 15th century Spain). Mixing it with Andalusian Flamenco, she also draws from Middle Eastern influences to produce a passionate arrangement of songs that can be enjoyed whether…

Anita Overcash

CL previews upcoming concerts (March 3-8)

THURSDAY, MARCH 3 MYSTIKAL About a decade removed from his height, Mystikal is bouncing back. The Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum rapper spent six years incarcerated, but hit the road as soon as he was released, trying to get back to the form that gave us songs like “Shake Ya Ass,” “The Man Right Chea” and “Danger” when…

COMEDY: Gallagher

You can leave your ponchos at home, as there’s no flying fruit in this show. Gallagher may be retired from using his sledgehammer to smash watermelons, but that isn’t stopping him from swinging through Charlotte and the surrounding area — with stops to McGlohon Theatre and The Comedy Zone Lake Norman — on his latest…

Anita Overcash

Nightlife profile: DJ Complete

Touring and sharing the stage with mainstream artists such as Wiz Khalifa and Sean Kingston, DJ Complete has made a name for himself based on his capacity to deliver the “complete” package during any performance. The official DJ of the Charlotte Bobcats and producer of the hit song “I Love Charlotte,” he has the ability…

MUSIC: George Winston at McGlohon Theatre

Easily identifiable as one of this century’s greatest piano phenoms George Winston is inspired by the seasons. With his versatility in playing the organ, the folk piano, the stride piano and the acoustic piano, Winston is able to capture any audience with his array of melodic sounds and diverse instrumentals. Whether Winston’s taken influences from…

Decision to learn guitar leads to formation of Dum Dum Girls

A few years ago, Kristin Gundred was the singer/drummer in the band Grand Ole Party. San Diego Magazine called them one of the 50 People to Watch in 2008 and many expected the band to break into the mainstream any day. But in 2009, breakup rumors led to canceled gigs and the eventual end of…

Jeff Hahne

THEATER: Cirque du Soleil’s Totem

Cirque du Soleil’s latest production Totem is bringing its tented extravaganza to Charlotte. The show — which mixes theatrical and circus-like elements — contains an assortment of skilled acrobats (including ring tossers, tapeze artists, unicyclists, jugglers, skaters and more) and animals. But it’s not all about showing off those moves. Its main theme centers around…

Anita Overcash

Green Goddesses: Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth

Locally grown agricultural products were jettisoned from many menus around town during the recent economic troubles. But the close of 2010 brought the concept back. Halcyon, Flavors from the Earth is a spot-on beautiful facility adjacent to the Mint Museum that features “farm chic” cuisine. Owners Jill Marcus and Karen Teed, who also own Something…

Tricia Childress

Book reviews: Ron Rash’s Burning Bright

Burning Bright by Ron Rash (Ecco, 224 pages, $12.99). Ron Rash is that rare writer who can capture the emotional feel, attitudes, and ways of seeing of the southern Appalachians. Very few writers have done it well — Lee Smith, John Ehle and Sharon McCrumb come to mind — but from early in his career,…

Hall Pass: Making the grade

It’s hard to wax philosophic about a film in which a portly guy stoned out of his gourd elects to use a golf course sand trap like so much kitty litter, so let’s just state that Hall Pass, the latest yarn from those wacky Farrelly Brothers, doesn’t merely alternate between scenes that are dumb and…

Matt Brunson

Book review: David Aaronovitch’s Voodoo Histories

Voodoo Histories by David Aaronovitch (Riverhead, 402 pages, $16). Subtitled “The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History,” journalist Aaronovitch’s book asks why many folks believe odd, incredibly complicated explanations for some events. He tackles conspiracy theories such as: the secret Zionist world empire; 9/11 was an inside job; the moon landings were…

Uprisings: From the Middle East to the Midwest

Up to 80,000 people marched to the Wisconsin state Capitol in Madison last Saturday as part of an ongoing protest against newly elected Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s attempt to not just badger the state’s public employee unions, but to break them. The Madison uprising follows on the heels of those in the Middle East. A…

Amy Goodman

Theater review: Rock ‘n’ Roll

Like the music itself, Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll is many things: a play about history, a play about political systems, a play about love — and yes, a play about the role of rock in all of these. At its core, the story is about the unlikely friendship between two very different men. Cambridge…

Perry Tannenbaum

Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, like hell

The new comedy Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son isn’t like Some Like It Hot; instead, it’s like every other witless sequel meant to prolong the life cycle of a flailing franchise. Like it or not, the fact remains that there’s not much to like here, and it only escapes a bomb rating because it’s…

Matt Brunson

EXHIBIT: Bring the Family

This new exhibit at The Light Factory zeros in on the necessity of family. Photographers Tina Barney, Lydia Panas, Catalina Kulczar-Marin and Natalie Young have formed a collection of images which capture the essence of family, friends and home in making one’s life meaningful. Continues through May 22. Free admission. Open Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.;…

Anita Overcash

Exhibit: Free Radicals

The latest exhibit displayed in the Crutchfield Art Gallery at Johnson C. Smith University showcases an excellent combination of paintings and poetry. Titled Free Radicals, the exhibit revolves around class struggle and the efforts to improve social standing in the world today. It includes works by local artist Antoine Williams (including the painting pictured at…

Anita Overcash

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of March 2

BARNEY’S VERSION Paul Giamatti’s excellent performance earned him the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, and he certainly deserved the honor over his embarrassingly weak competition. What isn’t so clear, however, is why this film was thrust into the Comedy category in the first place. Certainly, this adaptation of Mordecai Richler’s…

Matt Brunson

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Look Harder: Employees working for Richard A. Peniston & Associates showed up at work one morning last week to find that their building had been vandalized. Police responded and saw that someone had spray-painted a figure on the door with “big eyes and a large nose.” I haven’t even seen this “figure,” but judging by…

Ryan Pitkin

Is it possible to freeze your cojones off?

There’s an MP3 on the ‘net right now purporting to be a “North Dakota weather alert” in which some reject from Fargo warns, “It is f’ing cold outside. Stay inside, dumbass. You will freeze your balls off.” When I was growing up in upstate Pennsylvania, my father used to declare this would be the fate…

Cecil Adams

MARCH 17: Women of Will

Win a pair of tickets to the performance presented by Collaborative Arts Theatre and The Charlotte Shakespeare Festival.

Weekly horoscope (March 2-8)

Pisces The Fish (Feb. 18–March 19) The Fish generally prefer to swim underwater and stay out of the limelight. At present this is almost impossible because you are no longer invisible. You have the gifts that the world around you needs so don’t hesitate to offer them. Your physical body is in an action-oriented mode.…

Vivian Carol

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