Poll shows N.C. opposed to ban of same-sex marriage
You may not have heard about it, but there are two proposed amendments before the N.C. legislature to ban same-sex marriages. The proposals have been stuck in committee, and after today’s newly announced poll results on the subject, that may be where the anti-gay legislation stays. An Elon University poll released today asked North Carolina…
Rita’s giving out free Italian Ice on Friday
Get your sweet fix free today.
What is this Lindsay Lohan garbage?
Imagine a talking skeleton surrounded by the shittiest 80s music and graphics you can think of.
Food news: March 23
Brixx Uptown, 225 E. 6th St., is hosting a Spring Beer Dinner on Tuesday, March 24 at 6:30 p.m. The dinner features pork from local farmers Grateful Growers and paired with microbrews from Highland Brewing of Asheville. The four course menu includes St Terese’s Pale Ale with prosciutto-wrapped jumbo shrimp with bruschetta crostinis; Gaelic Ale…
Broadway Light Series announced
Check out the press release below, announcing Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s upcoming Broadway Lights Series. BLUMENTHAL ANNOUNCES BLOCKBUSTER BROADWAY LINEUP FOR 2009-2010 CHARLOTTE, NC – A blockbuster lineup of Broadway’s most popular and critically acclaimed productions will visit the Queen City in 2009/10 as part of the N.C. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center’s Broadway Lights Series.…
Free and cheap makeup applications, brow waxing, more at Pop Life
This Wednesday (March 25) at Pop Life, the eclectic nightlife event brought to you by Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen, the good folks at the Flawless Make Up company will be offering free and cheap beauty services all night long. What services you may ask? Well, first up Flawless Make Up “Artisans” will be…
Common, Kanye West, Erykah Badu do “The Light” at SXSW
Two M.C.’s and one singer perform the hip-hop hi
A-Rod’s free hooker
The same madam who supplied ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer with women thought Alex Rodriguez was so hot she didn’t charge him for their “dates.”
Sale at Coco Fleur
Coco Fleur is taking an additional 20 percent off of all their clearance merchandise. Also, our sister store “Too Haute,” a designer handbag consignment store, is accepting new handbags! Please call for more information 704-321-2626 8145 Ardrey Kell Rd # 102 704-321-2626
Middle East Festival, 3/21/09
Check out these photos from the Middle East Festival, which went down at Queens University of Charlotte on Saturday. Photos by Anita Overcash.
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 3/21/09
Crowds lined the streets for the St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green: St. Patrick’s Day Festival held Uptown on Saturday. Photos by Anita Overcash.
Help the Deputy
Zach Deputy has all of his equipment, gear, clothing stolen. That’s just not right…
Hugo Chavez calls Obama an ‘Ignoramous’
I know you are, but what am I?
CL’s Star Ratings
Star ratings for all reviewed films.
Observer suffers even more cuts
Can the death of Charlotte’s daily newspaper be on the horizon?
The Coffee Cup is Alive!
Yeah, they closed. But now they’re open again. Stop rolling your eyes and go get some grub. Like the killer in a bad horror movie, the Coffee Cup restaurant is never quite dead, or so it seems. Less than two months after owner Gardine Wilson said the historic eatery was closed for good, it apparently…
The Coffee Cup is Alive!
One of Charlotte’s first integrated restaurants is back in business.
Here We Grow Again!
Here We Grow Again, a children’s consignment boutique, has been open since May 2008. Even though the shop has been open for less than a year, it is bursting with clothing and accessories for infants, toddlers and teens. Here We Grow Again also carries maternity clothing and women’s accessories. If you are in search of…
Got gas? Some don’t
Piedmont Natural Gas customers forced make tough decisions during a tough time: pay the rent or the gas bill?
Remember the Power Rangers?
The Orange Power Ranger has something to say…
Daily consumer dish: March 23
Headlines from the world of retail, fashion and shopping. • Are more men buying American?: The Squeeze (an Observer blog) • Kim Kardashian opens ShoeDazzle.com: TalkingShopping.com • National passion seeps into crisis fashion: Reuters • AT&T: No-contract iPhones coming: CNet.com
Bacon-Bit Burgers with Smoked Gouda and Steak House–Smothered Onions
These burgers, created by my favorite Rachel Ray, are amazing. Crunchy bacon bits and sauteed onions are mixed into the beef patty, and then smothered onions and melted gouda top the burger. I’ve made these burgers a few times prior, but when I made these again over the weekend, I remembered again exactly how good…
Two free docs at Main Library
Main Library presents two free films.
Eating at Nikko
Friday night at Nikko was like being at a club, but instead of just dancing, people were eating AND dancing.
The Wack List: March 23
Bad TV shows, bad utility companies and other wack-errific stuff
Is good sex in the stars?
If you’re looking for a quick fun read, check out “Good Sex: Star Signs.”
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Going buck wild at Buck Wild
Man Show Mondays are buck wild at Buck Wild
And having a penis is supposed to be so cool
So does this mean older men should keep it in their pants? No, this just means that men have to work out and keep their weight down if they want to continue having sex into their old age.
Sale of the Day: Monday
Check out today’s sale of the day
Today’s Top(less) 5: Monday
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, Mar. 23, 2009— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Black Sheep, 3/20/09
Friday night, Black Sheep Skate Shop hosted an art show, giving artists the tasks of showcasing their depiction of “What is Black Sheep?”
Photos: Vintage fashion show @ Alley Cat
It’s one thing to go to a fashion show, see the pretty clothes and wish you could afford to buy them; it’s another thing to go to a fashion show, see the pretty clothes and go to the shop the next day and pick out an outfit for under $50.
Music Menu (3/22/09)
Coma League: we likee. Gomez mix understated pop with over-the-top rock. N.C.-based Chris Cook has settled into the ease of solid songcraft with his new CD. Altamira twirls jazz, punk and progressive with who-knows-what.
Music Menu (3/21/09)
Local legends, The Spongetones, revisit the golden era of pop songwriting.
Concert announcement
The Jonas Brothers are heading back to Charlotte this summer when they stop by The Cable Box (Time Warner Cable Arena) on Aug. 21 with Jordin Sparks and Honor Society. Tickets go on sale to fan club members on March 23 and to the general public on March 28.
Slow jam the news…
Jimmy Fallon and The Roots “discuss” the AIG problems.
The Twitter Song
This song is dedicated to our editor Carlton Hargro, who went Twitter crazy.
Joe the Plumber to GOP: ‘You’re making me horny’
More cringe-worthy commentary from America’s most infamous “regular Joe”
I Love You, Man: Male pattern badness
I Love You, Man worth embracing.
Not Knowing is better than Knowing
Knowing finds Nicolas Cage headlining another forgettable effort.
Bodrick’s Bar-B-Q Rib Tips
I’m back! I just got back from Bodrick’s Bar-B-Q Rib Tips. Here’s what it looks like from the outside: And here’s the inside: Bodrick’s resides in a very humble free-standing building on Statesville Ave. Find a stoop to sit on or plan to take the food home with you, because it’s take-out only. The menu…
Cheap date: Revolution Pizza & Ale House
Yeah, there’s a recession going on at the moment — but you still gotta get laid, right? OK, that’s a bit crude. Forgive me. Let’s put it like this: a lack of money should not mean a lack of romantic encounters (casual or otherwise). To that end, I’ve found a great place to take a…
Don’t cry for me Rihanna
A hard head makes for
Get in the game, make a Play Date
Bored with nightlife? Break out a board game….Need some one to play with? Make a Play Date.
Live Review: How I Learned to Drive
Davidson Community Players’ How I Learned to Drive Armour Street Theatre March 19, 2009 The Deal: Davidson Community Players tackle serious subject matter in its performances of Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive. Staged in the new performance space, Armour Street Theatre, the opening night show was packed. The Good: The play follows the…
So you still want to date a banker?
The above headline is from an interesting piece on Salon.com, but naturally applies to folks here in Charlotte. Here’s an except from the article: As guys lose jobs in greater numbers than their female counterparts, we seem to be approaching an unprecedented social and economic moment, in which the incremental changes of past decades –…
Cheap Date: Revolution Pizza & Ale House
Munch on a dinner for two for the low-low
Top 10 dumbest music hairstyles
From Flock of Seagulls to Static-X, who would you think has the dumbest hairstyles in music? Check out the top 10 from FoxNews here.
Stolen Italian statue update!
We have learned of a huge new development in the Case of the Stolen Italian Statue. The art world was surprised by yesterday’s revelation that a small wooden statue, stolen from a church in Naples over 20 years ago, had shown up in a couple’s home in Charlotte. Today’s news, though, will likely bowl over…
High-rollers secret club raided thanks to CrimeStoppers tip
Drugs, cash, guns, sports stars and easy women were available at an old warehouse in West Charlotte until a couple weeks ago.
Gov. Perdue visits the Q.C. to announce new jobs, open her office
“Major jobs” on the way as the governor keeps her promise to be more accessible to Charlotteans.
Madoff employee’s insider perspective
It is amazing this scheme was allowed to continue, amazing people didn’t pay attention to the warning signs. Read the last sentence of this article: “‘But now, I keep thinking about the 90 year old man who lost even his house and is bagging groceries. Then I think of the fact that I may have…
Meet Jason Surface, produce market manager
Jason Surface is the manager of the family-owned business Hillbilly Produce Market. Hillbilly is tucked away inside an enormous garage located on East Independence Boulevard. But this isn’t your average market, and Surface has expanded the merchandise from more than just produce. Creative Loafing: What’s the history behind this place? Jason Surface: My father, Marshall…
10-in-10 CD reviews
Each Friday, we bring you reviews of 10 recently released CDs done in 10 words each.
John Grooms
John Grooms is the tragicomic product of a bilingual postwar home in a small South Carolina town, interspersed with spurts of living in Brussels, Belgium. He is a multiple award-winning writer and editor, as well as a teacher, public speaker, event organizer, music lover, rock history fanatic, off-and-on Catholic, husband, father, and incurable smartass. He…
Kiss Lounge, 3/19/09
The Fashion House presented the Photo Lounge and Go See Flow by Tara Davis.
Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Though I make fun of Rachel Ray, I like her recipes.
The Wack List: March 20
Five people, places and things we really ain’t digging today. • All of the women on VH1’s Tough Love • Oh fuck it — ALL the Love-centric reality shows on VH1! • BofA • Fear of a weak dollar • Cage fights
For those who love antiques …
We received this notice: WAXHAW SEMI-ANNUAL ANTIQUE & COLLECTIBLE SALE Sponsored by the American Legion’s Auxiliary Post 208 Friday, March 20 and Saturday, March 21@ 9 A.M. – 4 P.M. American Legion on HWY 75 Don’t miss the great buys at this semi-annual sale! Furniture, jewelry, art, glassware and an impressive assortment of collectibles. Also…
Food news: March 20
The 14th annual Taste of the Nation Charlotte will be held April 15.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Update your makeup (affordably); advice from a pro
Don’t think you can afford a new look? Think again.
Daily consumer dish: March 20
Headlines from the world of retail, fashion and shopping. • Shoe Carnival to open 3 stores in Charlotte area: Charlotte Business Journal • Designers sound off: Buy less and buy better: Charlotte Observer • Jos. A Bank to give refund if customer loses job: Baltimore Sun • More details on Saturday’s House of Style premiere:…
Sale of the day: Friday
Today’s sale of the day is an online sale: Amazon.com’s Friday Sale. Choose from dozens of items in apparel, footwear, watches, home & garden, personal care & grocery, and kitchen & dining and save up to 75 percent off.
Obama on Jay Leno
Here’s the full video of the
Obama on Jay Leno
In case you missed this last night, here’s the full video of President Obama on the Tonight Show:
Music Menu (3/20/09)
The Lenny Federal Band (once the Federal Bureau of Rock ‘n’ Roll), a Charlotte music staple in the 70s and 80s, still hasn’t changed their recipe. Laura Reed & Deep Pocket gets a little more funky with it.
Today’s Top(less) 5: March 20
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered — with or without a date — going down in and around Charlotte today, Mar. 20, 2009.
Gomorrah: Badfellas
Gomorrah focuses on badfellas.
Bodrick’s Bar-B-Q Rib Tips, Inc.
I’m going to Bodrick’s tomorrow for lunch and I’m so excited.
Dress up your cupcakes with these Sophisti-Cakes cupcake wraps
Transform a cupcake into a barrel of wine, a piece of sushi, and more.
Spacey sounds at The Evening Muse tonight
Tonight local Charlotte indie experimental rockers Flagship Brigade will perform with The Influence at The Evening Muse. Expect to hear spacey sounds from Flagship Brigade, reminiscent of Icelandic experimental music pioneers, Sigur Ros. The show starts at 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.
Weekender
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend.
Charlotte unemployment soars
The state Employment Security Commission released new unemployment numbers today and they are shocking. Charlotte’s unemployment rate soared to 10.5 percent in January, from an already terrible 8.9 percent rate the previous month. By comparison, the state of South Carolina has the second highest unemployment rate in the nation, 10.4 percent, which is still slightly…
Win a Top Chef trip to New Orleans
Top Chef and New Orleans Online are giving away a trip for two.
Gov. Richardson repeals death penalty in New Mexico
The former death penalty supporter says living in the maximum security cells are punishment enough. He also cited DNA evidence that proved innocent people were murdered by the state in the name of justice.
UNC Charlotte is moving into the First Ward
Because covering the entire University City campus in brick and steel just isn’t enough.
Captain Obvious graces our city
Good news for those who love self-important gasbags: Captain Obvious is in town! Yes, none other than Thomas Friedman, the columnist and author who has lots of people convinced he’s an unimpeachable source of insight. The man who earns his super-hero status by staying a quarter-step ahead of the public (which, unlike Friedman, has to…
Employers maneuver around the WARN Act
Face it, we’re all just an employee number to the guys and gals at the top of the food chain.
Natasha Richardson is dead at 45
What seemed like a minor bump led to her death.
‘How to live with a huge penis’
Just received this book in the mail today. From the back cover: “Here at last is the first self-help book for men with Oversized Male Genitalia (OMG), a genetic birth defect that grows the penis to absurd proportions.” What a great book to leave around for a first date to see.
Friday Film Openings
What’s opening locally this weekend at movie theaters.
Anna Faris strips
This video, courtesy of the E! channel, is slightly cheesy and not my thing; however I can’t argue with the fact that Anna Faris looks damned good. Moreover, she’s one hell of a comedian. So, people can masturbate and crack up to her at the same time. Anyway, here’s the vid: E! News Now -…
This week’s new releases (3/17/2009)
Better late than never — here’s a list of some of the albums that were released this week: Les Claypool — Of Fungi and Foe Willie Nelson — Naked Willie Static-X — Cult of Static
Vintage fashion show Saturday night!
Clothes are courtesy of Hong Kong Vintage.
Belk Rewards Card purchase bonuses
The company plans to waive interest charges and required payments for three months when purchases are made on their store credit card during two upcoming weekends.
Re-creating the Mona Lisa in burger grease
This guy uses burger grease create a masterpiece. Tasty.
The Wack List: March 19
Five people, places and things we really ain’t digging today. • Merrill Lynch • Charlotte’s slowing growth • The closing of an area mill — leaving 111 people jobless • The death of Natasha Richardson • The stupid gang-initiation text hoax
Get to know Pinky the pornstar
The pink-haired pornstar hits town tonight
Pop Life @ Apostrophe Lounge, 3/18/09
Here are pics from last night’s Pop Life party.
A Scrapbook of Shenanigans
A Scrapbook of Shenanigans: Charlotte’s equivalent to TMZ
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Food news: March 19
Providence Café is hosting a Treana wine dinner on Thursday, March 26.
Daily consumer dish: March 19
Headlines from the world of retail, fashion and shopping. • Blakeney adding retailers: Charlotte Business Journal • Marc Jacobs is engaged: Fashionologie.com • Valentino: The end of extravagance?: WSJ.com • Discovery accuses Amazon of Kindle patent infringement: TalkingShopping.com
Today’s Top(less) 5: March 19
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, Mar. 19, 2009. • The pornstar known as Pinky makes a stop at Club Onyx • Check out artistic pics at The Light Factory • See poetry in motion…
Music Menu (3/19/09)
Lipbone Redding uses his ability as a “voicestrumentalist” to create amazing trombone sounds. Oh, and he’s a N’awlins soul singer, too.
Sale of the day: Thursday
Check out today’s sal
Box Office Top 10
The week’s top moneymakers.
New Leela James video
New music from the bombastic soul singer
More from Nonna’s Kitchen…
Nonna’s Kitchen is hosting a Pacific Northwest Wine Tasting on Wednesday, April 1 at 7pm.
Wrong about Perdue
I admit that I voted for Beverly Perdue for one reason: She wasn’t Pat McCrory. During the gubernatorial campaign, while McCrory continued playing his life role of Smug Yuppie, Perdue seemed ill at ease, vague, and frankly, kind of out of it. So although I was glad she won and thereby kept the GOP and…
New Eels album?
Eels make plans to release a new album in June.
‘Tangled up in poo’
Bob Dylan’s neighbors protest the porta-potty the singer installed for his 24-hour security staff.
Obama’s NCAA Championship pick is …
Keeping his election-trail promise to ESPN, President Obama completes his NCAA bracket. Yesterday, the cable sports channel revealed Obama chose North Carolina for the final four.
Obama loves gays.
Offical leak: Obama to sign a U.N. Gay Rights declaration Bush refused to sign. Both the Vatican and the Organization of the Islamic Conference oppose the declaration.
Richardson’s skiing accident more serious than first suspected
Her husband, Liam Neeson, their two sons– aged 12 and 13, and her mother, Vanessa Redgrave, are by Natasha Richardson’s side in a New York Hospital.
He said it
Sen. Grassley told AIG execs to kill themselves– dark age Japanese style– then takes it back. Now, he wants them to repent– dark age religious style.
Dubya’s kiss of death
Disaster struck the Obama administration yesterday, yet few have noticed it as of this morning. It happened in Canada, where former President George W. Bush had come to Calgary to give a speech. Bush discussed the new President and uttered the words no one who supports Obama wanted to hear: he wants Obama to succeed.…
Idol thoughts – Top 11
Adam Lambert — did he trash or pay tribute to Johnny Cash?
Beer dinner at Brixx
The eatery’s Uptown location rolls out microbrews and grub next w
Want $100 million?
Check out this free online contest. Create a perfect NCAA bracket and you can win. For those who plan to fill in the details at work, there’s even a “boss button.”
The Wack List: March 18
Crazy dogs, crazy writers and more craziness
St. Patrick’s Day in Uptown, 3/17/09
We see green people!
Teeny Weeny Green Bikinis @ Fox & Hound, 3/17/09
Though it was chilly outside last night, it was hot up in Fox & Hound uptown with girls strutting their stuff in tiny green bikinis for the St. Patrick’s Day contest.
It came from Craigslist: March 18
If you ever need a good laugh, check out the personal ads on Craigslist. They’re usually desperate-sounding, smut-filled and sometimes thinly veiled attempts at prostitution. Here are few choice ads I found today (and yes these are from the Charlotte edition of Craigslist): Trying to Get Fucked this weekend – w4m – 22 Reply to:…
A “Dy-No-Mite” night at The Hooker … as in Lake Norman Comedy Zone
Checking out some comedy around the area.
Food news: March 18
Sullivan’s Steakhouse is hosting a Microbrews of the Carolinas Dinner on Friday.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, March 18, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Lark & Key One-Year Celebration Exhibit, featuring new works by Duy Huynh and Diana Fayt at Lark & Key Gallery and Boutique • Death of a Salesman…
What does Black Sheep mean to you?
Retail and art go hand in hand, if you ask me.
Meet custom fashion designer Luis Machicao
Originally from Peru, his work has most recently been seen in runway shows for the Catawba Care Coalition and the Junior League.
Today’s Top(less) 5: March 18
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, Mar. 18, 2009. • Pick someone up at Pop Life. • Get caught up in Martini Madness (featuring half-price martinis) at Therapy • Live in the lap of luxury…
Music Menu (3/18/09)
This Brooklyn, N.Y., band is more country than Nashville.
Daily consumer dish: March 18
The aesthetics of March Madness, the new iPhone 3.0 and other headlines from the world of retail, fashion
Sale of the Day: Wednesday
Cheap Joe’s Art Stuff is having a great outdoor sale. Sale applies to easels, canvas boards, oil sets, drawing pads, aquamonolith pencils and more. Ends March 24. 4420 Monroe Road 704-333-2527
Populism, shmopulism: Where’s the jail time?
Let’s not get mad, let’s get some folks loc
That sounds ‘Familiar’…
You may recognize some of the voices in the new Bojangles commercial.
Kimberly Lawson
Kimberly is a sweet girl from Georgia, or at least she’d like to think she is, and currently serves as CL’s operations editor, often without shoes on. She earned her Bachelors in English with a minor in journalism from Augusta State University in 2006 and moved to North Carolina shortly after because she thought the…
Light Factory wears short shorts
Submissions are now being accepted for the 9th Annual Carolinas Media Showcase.
India.Arie returns to Charlotte
Just got word that soul legend India.Arie is coming back to the Queen City on May 6 — after a 7-year absence from our fair town. The folks at The Sol Kitchen are promoting the show, which pops off at Amos’ Southend and promises to spotlight India’s classics as well as stuff from her latest…
Read something Irish
Happy St. Patrick’s Day. Read something. That’s right, before you get loaded on green beer, take time to pay tribute to Ireland’s tradition of great writers, only a few of whom are that well known in the United States. You know the legends: Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde, Bram Stoker and James Joyce; and maybe Ireland’s…
Amber Rose, Kanye’s new girlfriend, talks dirty
Mr. West’s new lad
Perdue’s state budget leads to layoffs and more jobs
The state’s budget is 50 percent larger than it was eight years ago; Gov. Perdue plans to change that fact.
Big box stores are soooo yesterday
Lowe’s plans smaller stores while remaining focused on its 10-year plan.
This Week’s DVD Releases
What’s new on DVD.
Retailers, residents say: ‘Shop local’
A tough economy brings neighbors and retailers together
The real St. Patrick was pretty boring
We’ve been duped.
Free wings today!
But you may have to leave work a little early to indulge in the wingy goodness.
Styling and profiling at Pop Life
Those Fashion Friday folks are everywhere, aren’t they? Check them out tomorrow night at Apostrophe Lounge: Fashion Friday, the|ENTERTAINMENT, JSW Media Group in association with Pop Life (Creative Loafing & The Sol Kitchen) present: “The Elements of Style: Infusing Fashionable Chic into Your Pop Life.” Some things to look forward to: • Charlotte Style Magazine’s…
Playing jazz in Charlotte — a review
You may know there are several good spots to catch live jazz in Charlotte — Blue, The Cajun Queen, The House of Jazz, The Pewter Rose, Big Ben’s, not to mention the concerts that are often held at our local universities. But what is it like to play jazz in these venues? How is jazz…
It’s bracket time
In this tournament style, 32 meat face-off, So Good readers will vote on what is the greatest meat over the next 25 days.
The Wack List: March 17
Sarah, bonus-loving corporations and more wickety-wack stuff
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, March 17, 2009 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Author Kathryn Stockett signing The Help at Park Road Books • Diva’s Night Out at Apostrophe Lounge • Simplified at EpiCentre’s Wild Wing Cafe • St. Patty’s…
Food news: March 17
Upstream and its Oyster Extravaganza.
Daily consumer dish: March 17
Headlines from the world of retail, fashion and shopping. • In times of trouble, pink is the shopper’s comfort color: NYTimes.com • J.C. Penney now shuns fur, says Humane Society: SeattlePI.com • CFDA announces nominees for 2009 awards: WWD.com • Best Buy confronts newer nemesis: WSJ.com
Amber Rose, Kanye’s new girlfriend, talks dirty
In case you haven’t heard (and if you give a rat’s ass at all), rapper/producer Kanye West appears to have a new lady friend: a damned-pretty model named Amber Rose. And judging from a recent raunch-tastic interview on satellite radio, she’s definitely a keeper! Check it out for yourself:
Sale of the day: Tuesday
Check out today’s sale of the day: Taylor, Richards and Conger in Phillips Plac e
Breaking nightlife news: enso opening, Wachovia Phillip’s Place Block Party relocated, HOM to reopen and …
Some updates from around the nightlife scene.
Today’s Top(less) 5: March 17
Leather, lace, cheap massages and more
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. If you’re a musician, be sure to grab your music gear, make your way to The Evening Muse and hit the stage to play those musical creations, you’ve always wanted to play in front of a crowd. (No one can…
CD Review: Lily Allen’s It’s Not Me, It’s You
The Deal: Brit singer Lily Allen releases sophomore album, follow-up to Alright, Still. The Good: You can’t say that Allen doesn’t speak her mind. There’s plenty of talk about sex and drugs on the album. The opening track, “Everyone’s At It,” is about the widespread use of drugs and anti-depressants. Her songs are musically pop…
DANCE: Burn the Floor
If you like Dancing with the Stars, you’ll love Burn the Floor. And you might recognize the dance troupe too. NBC featured the dance troupe on Superstars of Dance back in January. The 24-member dance company takes its feet to the Belk Theater stage March 24-29. Watch them boogie their way from Vienna to Harlem,…
When did being rude become the norm?
Recently, through a series of unfortunate events, I got to thinking about how rude and ill-mannered folks have become. I spent most of my life as a young adult trying to “unlearn” my Southern upbringing, but now I understand what my mother was trying to teach me: manners. While I do not pretend to be…
ART: Masterpieces from the New Orleans Museum of Art exhibition at Mint Museum of Art
Gaze upon a variety of works by big names in the art world, including Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and lots of others at Mint Museum of Art’s newest exhibition, Masterpieces from the New Orleans Museum of Art. Fees that the NOMA generates by the traveling exhibition will go to…
DVD Review: Ladysmith Black Mambazo Live
The Deal: Recorded at a show in Ohio last year, Ladysmith Black Mambazo proves that its world music is still world-class. The Good: It’s hard to believe you can get this much depth and range from a vocal chorus. The nine-member group sounds like an orchestra. Looking like a troupe of male Rockettes with their…
Passion and rebirth on paper
Two terrific spring books
The Whitewater Six: Meet the men who blew $12 million
Last Monday, Charlotte City Council members were looking for someone to blame, mainly so no one would blame them. Plus it gets them extra camera time. As often happens when big booster projects go bust around here, council members were finally asking the questions someone should have asked when the U.S. National Whitewater Center was…
Bite-sized comic reviews for the week of March 18
As usual, I’ve been reading an ass-load of comic books lately — more than I have room to review in this small space on a weekly basis. So, once again, in an effort to cover as many titles as possible, I’ve decided to devote this column space to a few bite-sized comic reviews. Check, check…
Retailers, residents say: ‘Shop local’
A tough economy brings neighbors and retailers together
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
No Telling: A 24-year-old woman called police to say that a known suspect has been trying to track her down. The suspect went to each of the victim’s addresses and asked for her, and the victim has no idea why she is being searched for. The suspect stated at one point, “No telling what I’m…
CD Review: Gregory Douglass’ Battler
The Deal: Singer/songwriter Gregory Douglass releases seventh studio album, titled Battler. The Good: The album is deeply melancholy with lots of layers. It starts with the melodic, piano-driven track “Broken Through,” and leads to the album’s second track “Cathedrals,” which offers some loaded lyrics about religion and sex. Highlights on the album include, “Devotion” a…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of March 18
THE CLASS Don’t be embarrassed if you start watching The Class and can’t figure out if it’s a documentary or a fictional piece; that’s doubtless the effect that director Laurent Cantent was hoping to achieve. Winner of the top prize at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival as well as an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign…
Ballsy drama queens in The Drama Club
Chalk up another fine premiere for Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and artistic director Alan Poindexter. The Drama Club delivers the most gripping and pertinent playwriting we’ve seen from former WBTV news anchor Bob Inman in his fruitful post-retirement. He is definitely stretching himself, the ImaginOn audience, and Children’s Theatre with this intrepid new script. Looking…
Gina Gallo talks about the success of her family’s business
I drag corporate wineries though the mud. Family-owned companies exude more devotion and spunk than mainstream, money-driven entities, so it’s painful when they sell out to big business, even for good reasons. Maybe the founders want to finally enjoy retirement, and their children don’t want to live knee-deep in vineyard dirt. It seems insane that…
It’s been a while since we saw Death of a Salesman
Ten seasons have passed since Charles LaBorde starred as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at Theatre Charlotte — with Annette Gill as Linda and Josh Gaffga as Biff sweeping CL’s 1998 Theatre Awards in the drama category with their performances in the key supporting roles. A competition version of the Queens…
CL previews upcoming concerts (March 18-21)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18 Yarn Brooklyn’s Yarn is more authentically country than half the crud coming out of Nashville. The band’s sing-a-longs and toe-tappers sound as if recorded on rickety porchfronts in the rural South, though they hark from the urban jungles of N.Y.C. Yarn weaves quaint country tunes taking cues from the Americana paths laid…
A helluva ride in Basic Training
While the new Stage Door at the College Street side of the PAC isn’t the busiest spot in town, it’s evolving into the performance art venue of choice for those who like to witness solo performances up close, daring and raw. Unlike the catechisms and the cavemen that play upstairs at the Booth Playhouse, Kahlil…
Q&A with George Romero’s chosen one
Robert W. Filion’s movie See the Dead catches the eye of the zombie master himself
Checking in at the Suburban Motel
Tough times are assailing the restaurant biz, so Pineville Dinner Theater is charting a new course. They’ve changed their menu, slashed buffet prices, and cooked up a couple of special student deals. Chef Cliff has gone totally country in the kitchen: fried chicken, braised short ribs, beer-battered tilapia and country-fried steak with gravy among the…
What’s better for the environment, a scooter or a car?
A co-worker who considers herself “green” rides a scooter to work, confident she’s leaving a smaller carbon footprint than us slugs who drive cars. But her ride has a two-stroke engine. I recall hearing that running a lawn mower for 30 minutes pollutes more than commuting all week in a car. What’s the deal, Cecil?…
Those hit hardest get no bailout
Taxpayers’ bailout money for AIG bonuses has rightfully provoked a massive backlash against AIG, Wall Street, President Barack Obama and his economic advisers, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Larry Summers. The U.S. public now owns 80 percent of AIG. The outrage is bipartisan: Iowa Republican Sen. Charles Grassley even suggested that AIG executives “resign or…
Charlotte’s Dylan Gilbert’s solo style
Read up on the one-man band
THEATER: How I Learned to Drive
The Davidson Community Players have taken a courageous step by choosing a production with very serious subject matter. How I Learned to Drive, written by Paula Vogel, will be shown at the Armour Street Theatre. This Pulitzer-Prize-winning play tackles the difficult issue of sexual abuse, particularly pedophilia. In the story, the protagonist Li’l Bit recalls…
What’s Mex? Try Maria’s Mexican Restaurant
Owner changes name but keeps things the same
THEATER: Aida
Elton John just visited Charlotte and now here comes AIDA, the Broadway play he composed the music for, alongside of Tim Rice, who wrote up the lyrics. The musical tells the story of a love triangle, between characters Aida (a Nubian princess), Radames (the leader of the Egyptian army, which captures Aida) and Princess Amneris…
Q: Look, I know you guys have some new stuff to plug — so just plug away, OK?
A: So glad you asked! Over the last few weeks, Creative Loafing has been launching and announcing tons of new additions to our Web site — www.charlotte.creativeloafing.com. And in an effort to keep this streak going, we’ve got yet another announcement: Last Thursday (March 12), CL debuted our brand-spanking-new Sex & Love Web site. Found…
FESTIVAL: Middle East Festival and performance by comedian Ahmed Ahmed
The Middle East Council of The Carolinas, International House and Queens University of Charlotte have teamed up to bring Charlotteans a day of cultural merriment via the Middle East Festival. The fest, held at Queens University of Charlotte, offers a variety of entertainment, including a dance performance by Nairi Armenian Dance Group of Charlotte, music…
BofA should bail out CMS
You hear all the time that the best way to solve a problem is to see it as an opportunity. And you can’t be around business types for 10 minutes without hearing someone talk about “synergy” or “confluence of interests.” Charlotte today finds itself now in a situation tailor-made to test those ideas. We have…
MUSIC: Gomez with Josh Ritter
The English indie pop rock group Gomez is ready. Ready for what you ask? Two things: one, to perform in Charlotte at Visulite Theatre on March 22 and two, for the release of its sixth studio album, A New Tide, on March 31. Expect to hear a wave of newbie tracks, along with past-time favorites…
Crowntown Showdown: Same name, different bands
We might be promoting the hell out of the Crowntown Showdown each month, but are you aware the bands (and venue) are constantly changing? Last month’s show at the Double Door Inn kicked off with an entertaining set by a barefoot Jared Allan, followed by an amazing, atmospheric-instrumental set by Sea of Cortez. Kenni Falls…
