Cover Story
The usual suspect: Gabino Sanchez
Gabino Sanchez’s deportation case isn’t very different from the 330,000 others pending across the country. But that’s why it’s gotten so much attention. Sanchez, a Mexican immigrant and father of two boys, both U.S. citizens, was taken to jail after police caught him without a license in November near his trailer home in Ridgeland, S.C.…
Systems rock The Milestone tonight (4/3/12)
SYSTEMS Post-rock and thrash seem to have nothing in common. The patient, atmospheric epics of bands like Mono, built on slow crescendos from whisper quiet to end-of-the-world loud, may be the polar opposite of thrash’s anxious, claustrophobic churn. Yet Carrboro’s Systems renders a single style from these disparate worlds, bringing post-rock’s soaring, lonesome guitars and…
All About Style: An interview with Tyrese
The recording artist/actor talks Trayvon Martin, his music and book and his start in the modeling industry.
Marigny, 3/31/12
Photos from the Be Proud event, benefiting the HRC.
Phoenix, 3/31/12
Photos from the Uptown spot’s one-year anniversary party.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Robert Glasper Experiment plays Neighborhood Theatre (4/1/12)
Robert Glasper Experiment Throw any preconceived genre definitions out the window when you’re talking about Robert Glasper. The 33-year-old jazz pianist teeters on a line between jazz and hip-hop that isn’t often toyed with as he pushes the boundaries of the traditional as far as they can go. His latest album, Black Radio, welcomes guests…
RUN DMT play Milestone tonight (3/31/12)
RUN DMT Visitors to DMT hyperspace often mention experiencing “alien music” and a “universe of formless vibration.” There’s a dubstep duo with the same RUN DMT name who think this means clubbing you over the head with tedious beats until you wig out at some shitty rave. Oh, yeah. Fuckin’ deep, bro. No, this act…
John Wesley Harding with Moody and Pernice at the Stage Door Theater tonight (3/31/12)
JOHN WESLEY HARDING, RICK MOODY AND JOE PERNICE Strange combo, this, since Mr. Moody is better known as the author of The Ice Storm and other fine novels. He’s also a crack essayist, though, and his latest, On Celestial Music, takes on everybody from Otis Redding to Arvo Pärt. Harding is the dude who pinched…
Remy St. Claire plays Common Market tonight (3/31/12)
REMY ST. CLAIRE He cites a bevy of brooding Byronic influences: Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Townes Van Zandt and blues hellhound Son House – a “mad, bad and dangerous to know” bunch if ever there was one. But in performance, Remy St. Claire is more akin to the mighty Tims – Tim Buckley and Tim Hardin.…
Leadville Social Club plays Double Door Inn tonight (3/31/12)
LEADVILLE SOCIAL CLUB In a short time, Charlotte’s Leadville Social Club, featuring veteran regional musicians, has garnered a lotta love in the area. The band’s energetic roots-rock, alt-country and sunny Southern music fires up any gathering, whether lazing on a porch front, soaking in gin joints or sweltering in an outdoor summertime gig. The band…
Planning for prom with Belk
Belk hosts a Prom Gown Fashion Show on Saturday, March 31.
Weekend Film Reviews: Mirror Mirror; Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie; We Were Here
Here’s what’s newly covered on the cinema scene.
Hope springs in Savannah
I’m almost glad I missed Tchaikovsky’s “Souvenir de Florence” when members of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra presented the sextet at the Myers Park Baptist Church earlier this month. Down at the Savannah Music Festival, where I’m spending five days in jazz and chamber music bliss, my wife, Sue, and I attended a performance led by…
Flying high at the McBride
Caroline Calouche & Co. have certainly earned an encore.
Photography exhibit at LGBT Community Center
Reception for StillOut Photography Club’s 3rd Annual Photography showcase.
Two news exhibits at MoNa Gallery
MoNa and Untethered Land exhibits showcase local art.
Wine down
More than 100 wines available for tasting at Aquavina’s 5th Annual Wine Festival.
Speakeasy at Prohibition
1920s-themed event raises money for the Alzheimer’s Association.
Introducing Traverse Consignment
Upscale consignment shop gives back to the community.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Easter Recipe: Honey Glazed Ham
Ham is oftentimes reserved for special occasions. Here’s a recipe on how to make the glaze your own.
DJ Jesse Marco spins at Butter
NYC DJ comes to NC Music Factory.
PMCR Presents … featuring Temperance League, The Bear Romantic (3/30/12)
PMCR Presents Ever turn on the radio, hear a live concert and think it would be the “coolest thing ever” to be at that show? Here’s your chance. Broadcasting live on Plaza Midwood Community Radio, this free show – a $5 donation is suggested – will feature Temperance League, The Bear Romantic (pictured at left),…
Mavis Staples brings Soul to the McGlohon Theater (3/30/12)
Mavis Staples If you’re looking for an upcoming concert that is flying under the radar, yet promises to offer a soul-inspiring good time, this could be it. Mavis is the youngest of the legendary The Staple Singers, who were an institution of 1970s soul music with hits like “I’ll Take You There.” Since then, Staples…
Tea Leaf Green at Visulite tonight (3/30/12)
TEA LEAF GREEN Whoever said “irony is dead” was probably being ironic. Witness San Francisco’s Tea Leaf Green. These American gypsies hit the crazy Kerouac highway that begins at Big Pink and swings past Dylan, the Dead and the Band. The dreaded goo of jam-bandery doesn’t stick to TLG’s heels as they head for the…
’80s Dance Party at Hartigan’s Pub
Raising funds for the LGBT Community Center.
Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie: Not worth a cent
TIM & ERIC’S BILLION DOLLAR MOVIE * DIRECTED BY Tim Heidecker & Eric Wareheim STARS Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim The funniest thing in Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie — excuse me, the only funny thing in Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie (in case you missed the above box, it's worth repeating: * out…
Mirror Mirror reflects poorly
MIRROR MIRROR *1/2 DIRECTED BY Tarsem Singh Dhandwar STARS Julia Roberts, Lily Collins It’s long been established that the emperor has no clothes, which explains why Tarsem Singh Dhandwar can usually be spotted sporting nothing but a strategically placed fig leaf. Dhandwar, who in the past has billed himself as Tarsem Singh or, when he’s…
We Were Here: A film worth remembering
WE WERE HERE ***1/2 DIRECTED BY David Weissman & Bill Weber STARS Paul Boneberg, Ed Wolf A powerful film that absurdly failed to snag a Best Documentary Feature Oscar nomination this year (despite making the Academy’s shortlist), We Were Here is a nonfiction piece in the old-school style. Forgoing the catchy graphics, gotcha tactics and…
Doug Clark asks, is everyone in a crappy mood today?
One Greensboro columnist lets his hair down for a “satirical” piece about Obama.
You speak a foreign language? Teach it to your kid!
Can I be critical and opinionated for just a quick second? Okay, thanks. I think that immigrant parents who don’t speak their native tongue to their kids are doing them a huge disservice. And whenever I encounter one speaking in often broken and accented English with their offspring I have to take deep breaths to…
DNC Notebook: Get on the bus, and maybe drive it
The DNCC announces transportation-services providers, which includes a local company, for the convention.
Dub City takes over Caviar Nightlife
Uptown dance club ventures into Charlotte’s EDM scene.
Suite, 3/28/12
Level Wednesdays: Where the young folks celebrate Hump Day by shaking their humps.
Banjo legend Earl Scruggs dies at age 88
He brought progressive mountain folk music to a mainstream audience.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Holocaust lecture at Temple Beth El
Dr. Christopher R. Browning presents a lecture, titled “Holocaust History and Survivor Testimony.”
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today
Teal and purple, teal and purple: Swarm Time Warner bar crawl
Charlotte Hornets “Beelievers” swarm uptown.
Possum Jenkins plays Visulite Theatre tonight (3/28/12)
POSSUM JENKINS The N.C. quintet hits the road locked and loaded with its recent recording Carolinacana. The title sums up the combo’s exuberant Southern rock, rural Americana and acoustic-guitar-fueled blues boogie. The band’s songs are whittled from music of the South, with a keen sense of interplay within the band, and a natural emphasis on…
Calling all artists to the N.C. Music Factory tonight
UnopenedProdux presents Artist Mingle 2.0 at the NC Music Factory.
Hong hangs around Charlotte
Blade Runner actor will conduct a seminar this weekend.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
west elm + Etsy: We Love Handmade Art event
On March 31, Etsy sellers will take over the modern furniture and home accents store for a day of handmade goodness.
Occupy Charlotte returns to protest a CATS fare increase
They’re baaaaaack!
Do you know the Bagel Man?
25-year-old Charlotte entrepreneur opens third Einstein Bros. Bagels.
Cornel West talks to a packed house at Queens University
The noted civil-rights activist addressed racial tension that has arisen from Trayvon Martin’s case and what Whitney Houston’s funeral was like.
Meet the Muslims event spotlights the faith and its culture in the Queen City
On the heels of reality shows like TLC’s “American Muslim” and Bravo’s “Shahs of Sunset,” a diverse panel of Muslims set the record straight about their religion, practices and daily life.
Alive After Five celebrates 11 years… of cover bands
Alive After Five will celebrate its 11th year this summer. It’s a long tradition of bringing mediocre cover bands to Uptown stages on Thursday evenings where guys in business suits and girls in their finest summer dresses can hang out, get drunk and listen to what amounts to a glorified top-40 radio station. Of course,…
Picante Mexican Grille now open
A new fast-casual, kids-friendly concept that serves fresh Mexican inspired burritos, tacos and salads.
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
All About Style: An interview with Project Runway’s April Johnston
On Saturday, the season 8 contestant was in Charlotte to promote her new line of apparel fabrics.
LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
A roundup of CL‘s top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte this week.
Tenacious D coming to the Fillmore on June 26
Tenacious D will perform at the Fillmore Charlotte on June 26. The band, comprised of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, is touring in support of its upcoming album, Rize of the Fenix, set for release on May 15, 2012. Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 30, at 10 a.m. The band released a video…
“The Daily Show” comes to Charlotte
The popular late-night comedy show will film in the Queen City during the Democratic National Convention.
Pop Life celebrates 6 years
How many weekly parties do you know have stayed around for that long?
Stoners, lend us your ears!
Creative Loafing Charlotte is looking for pot-smoking stories for its 420 issue
Fashion Whoreoscope: Aries
A new feature that blends fashion and the cosmos by highlighting local boutiques, using the stars as my guide
The Bodyguard, The Deer Hunter among new home entertainment titles
THE BODYGUARD (1992). Lawrence Kasdan, the filmmaker whose credits include the superb efforts The Big Chill and The Accidental Tourist, wrote the script for The Bodyguard back in 1975, during his off-hours from his job as an advertising copywriter. He fashioned it as a vehicle for Steve McQueen, but the screenplay didn’t see the light…
Where to find it: Foods for Passover, including Gluten-Free
In order to prepare for Passover (April 6 to 14), observers seek food products guaranteed not to contain the specific items restricted during the holidays, including items made with yeast and baking powder. But Passover dietary restrictions are far-reaching. Wheat, barley, oats, rice, dry peas and dry beans are also not permitted. For Ashkenazi Jews,…
Sunday lunch encounters: Le’s Banh Mi, Lupitas Tortilleria y Carniceria
If you can get past — literally — the potholed crevices in the expansive parking lot of Asian Corners Mall, your reward will be a flavorful banh mi sandwich from Le’s Banh Mi. The space, though, has much to overcome. Built in the late 1960s, the mall fell into disrepair after Hurricane Hugo swept through…
Emmanuel Jal delivers strong message through his music
There’s no answer when the phone rings in Emmanuel Jal’s New York City hotel room at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday. He’s not asleep though. Jal woke up at 5 a.m. to eat breakfast. He says if you have a light dinner, your hunger wakes you up early the next day. Perhaps that’s something he…
CD Review: Lindsey Ryan’s The Divers
Lindsey Ryan Horne, the best female vocalist winner in CL’s 2011 Best of Charlotte Awards, is set to release her sophomore studio album, The Divers. With help from a variety of Charlotte musicians, Ryan finds the perfect soundscapes to showcase her sweet, angelic vocal style. Helping her bolster the music are guitarists Randolph Lewis and…
CD Review: Run Dan Run’s Normal
The four-and-a-half years which elapsed since Run Dan Run’s 2007 debut, Basic Mechanics, served the Charleston, S.C., band well. Basic Mechanics showed promise, sure, but too often let itself drift out of focus. Normal, the band’s follow-up, offers both a refinement of songwriting and an expansion of sonic scope. From the opening salvo of “Lovesick…
Exhibit: Bright Light, Big City
This solo exhibit showcases new works by Susan Grossman, New York artist and drawing instructor at the National Academy School of Fine Arts. Grossman creates dreary cityscapes that pop with smidgens of color. She finds her muse in the streets of New York City, where she captures the imagery of everyday city life through her…
While walking black: The killing of Trayvon Martin
On the rainy night of Sunday, Feb. 26, 17-year-old Trayvon Martin walked to a convenience store in Sanford, Fla. On his way home, with his Skittles and iced tea, the African-American teenager was shot and killed. The gunman, George Zimmerman, didn’t run. He claimed that he killed the young man in self-defense. The Sanford Police…
Weekly horoscope (March 28-April 3)
Aries The Ram (March 20-April 19) This spring equinox is exploding right on your doorstep. There is a sense of general chaos among corporate bodies, and it appears to include you in a personal way. Take a fresh look at where you want to direct your attention. Use this month to let go of past…
Out-of-the-Box Awards
It’s an election year, and things are crazy. Trees are coming down and city taxes are going up. Times like these make us thankful for the wise leaders who watch out for the interests of everyday people like you and me. While we’re down here floundering amid the turmoil, some of the people we elected…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of March 28
THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN Finally, here’s one seven-year itch that can be scratched. When 2004’s The Polar Express made film history as the first animated movie to be created wholly by employing the motion-capture process, we instantly recognized that we were in the presence of something ghastly. Awkward and unsightly, the ersatz innovation rendered all…
Book review: John ‘Derf’ Backderf’s My Friend Dahmer
My Friend Dahmer by John “Derf” Backderf (Abrams Comicarts, 224pp, $24.95). Cartoonist John “Derf” Backderf is the creator of The City, one of the most widely read alternative comic strips printed in numerous weekly papers across the country, including, once upon a time, this publication. I met Derf in 1995 at the annual alternative newsweeklies…
This Modern World (March 28)
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Exhibits: MoNa and Untethered Land
MoNa, the newly named gallery space formerly known as Plaza Muse, is unveiling two new exhibits with a reception on March 30. The first, MoNa (a namesake to the gallery), is a group exhibit of artists’ reinterpretations of Leonardo da Vinci’s famous Mona Lisa painting. This includes works by Alexandra Loesser, Bethany Hadden, Christina Welsh,…
Pretty perspective: Charlotte through the eyes of a fashionista
I’ve been in the world of fashion pretty much my whole life. At age 8, I decided I wanted to be a “shopper” for a living. Although I didn’t know it then, that thinking led me to become a retail buyer — essentially “a shopper” — in New York City. In my time working in…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (March 28)
Redundancy Impaired: A police officer filed a report last week after responding to a vehicle-accident call in which a man collided with a tree. In the report, the officer stated that the man driving the vehicle “was impaired on an impairing substance that impaired his mental or physical faculties.” But was he impaired? PETA to…
Item of the Week: Scarves from Summerbird
This spring, the trend is all about pops of color that brighten up any wardrobe like the colors of gerbera daisies. Rainbow hues aren’t just represented in spring flowers; they are found in the designer scarves on display at the upscale consignment boutique, Summerbird, formerly known as Monarch. (Owner Cindy Siesel changed the name from…
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March27
A test page from within Foundation 2.8
George Benson to play Knight Theater tonight (3/25/12)
GEORGE BENSON His sweetly fluid guitar ranges from cool and creamy soul-jazz to fractured hard-bop. But it’s George Benson’s silky smooth vocals – think Stevie Wonder minus the underpinning angst and an octave or two – that nearly derailed Benson’s career. Singing, particularly scatting to a single string solo, on 1976’s “This Masquerade” netted Benson…
My pregnancy goal
Well, I’ve already introduced myself, so I feel like we are close enough to discuss something that is near and dear to my heart. I dare say, near and dear to the hearts of all mothers. Something that, until I became a mom, was hardly ever given a second thought and was never the topic…
