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Bass for your face: Is Charlotte becoming Electronic Dance Music central?
DJ Odi stands behind the turntables at Crown Station Pub in Elizabeth, scratching and mixing, pumping out 175 beats per minute of drum-and-bass, the skittering subgenre of electronic dance music that peaked in popularity during the mid-1990s. Odi is working the crowd of 150 people hard on this crisp February night, until a couple of…
Rampart: Buzz For Woody
RAMPART *** DIRECTED BY Oren Moverman STARS Woody Harrelson, Sigourney Weaver Dave Brown, the corrupt cop at the center of Rampart, is described by one of his own daughters as “a dinosaur … a classic racist, a bigot, a sexist, a womanizer, a chauvinist, a misanthrope, homophobic clearly.” Why stop there? He’s also a bully,…
John Carter: Not quite out of this world
JOHN CARTER **1/2 DIRECTED BY Andrew Stanton STARS Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins Released in 2-D, 3-D, IMAX and possibly even a sepia tone version, John Carter arrives on the 100th anniversary of the title character’s first literary appearance, when Edgar Rice Burroughs initially gave him life in the pages of a pulp periodical. It wasn’t…
Bonnaroo 2012 lineup additions
A few additions have been added to the 2012 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival lineup: Danzig Legacy — featuring music by Danzig, Samhain and Danzig/Doyle performing The MisfitsPusciferSantigoldThe Temper Trapfun.The Cave Singers These bands join the already announced lineup including Radiohead, Phish, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Avett Brothers and more. Related Stories
Wake-up call
A new study shows HIV/AIDS rates among Latinos and African/Americans is as high in some parts of the U.S., including N.C., as in sub-Saharan Africa.
Charlotte Film Festival Preview: Bailout
Documentary about banking crisis will be screened as part of Charlotte Film Festival.
Those Manic Seas play Tommy’s Pub (3/12/12)
THOSE MANIC SEAS Teleprompter-driven vocals notwithstanding, Richmond’s Those Manic Seas sounds like 2002 all over again. There’s the asymmetrical, sinuous guitar of pre-Good News for People Who Love Bad News Isaac Brock, the disco-rock stomp of early-‘00s Brooklyn indie, and just enough hints of U2 and Radiohead to give the whole thing a radio-ready glaze.…
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Surrealist Sundays at the Mint Museum
Lecture on surrealist poetry and screening of The Blood of a Poet.
Buff Faye’s Sunday Drag Brunch
Battling in Survivor-style mode.
Martha Connerton/Kinetic Works presents new dance show
The New KinetiCollective centers around the theme of “Family Secrets”.
Music of Michael Jackson tonight (3/10/12)
MUSIC OF MICHAEL JACKSON This is almost too weird to be true, and if it didn’t cost what it does I’d recommend going for the spectacle alone. As what it is — a sort of Dollywood-level pop-martyr worship — it succeeds, though a wholesale focus on sentimentality is a disservice to Jackson’s blistering personal insights…
Eugene Robinson plays Snug Harbor tonight (3/10/12)
EUGENE ROBINSON Eugene Robinson’s set may end up being the most visceral and fascinating portion of this evening. The vocalist for San Francisco’s long-lived avant-rock outfit Oxbow, who just happens to be built like six tanks, is also an author. This tough-as-shit brainiac (he’s also a Stanford graduate) will tell stories and read passages from…
Dead Confederate headlining at Chop Shop tonight (3/10/12)
DEAD CONFEDERATE First, the cause. This evening is billed as the Uncle Sam Jam, or a Night of Giving Back, and is sponsored by the Echo Foundation. The locally based organization brings world renowned humanitarians (Elie Wiesel, for one) to Charlotte to galvanize the locals into democratic action of the communally uplifting variety — what…
Fit for print — and film
The Morrison Regional Library will host a screening of Page One: Inside the New York Times.
Sleeping Beauty and the twisting of toes
N.C. Dance Theatre production meshes choreography by Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux with Tchaikovsky scores.
Bubba Sparxx at Suite, 3/8/12
Photos from the rapper’s performance on Thursday night.
Vanilla Ice at Whisky River, 3/8/12
All we can say is, Ice, Ice, Baby.
Food Truck Rally in NoDa, 3/8/12
Photos from NoDa Passport’s kickoff event.
Flagship releases “Backseat” video
From the merging of two local artists in Drake Margolnick and Campbell the Band comes Flagship, Charlotte’s latest indie rock quintet. The buzz-worthy band has finished its debut EP, which includes the song “Backseat.” I’ve caught brief glimpses of the band live and online and what I’ve heard so far has intrigued me. Here’s the…
Crockpot Arsenal: Rice Pudding
Rice, rice, baby!
Repeat defender
Antonio Villaraigosa, Democratic National Conention, DNC, Lakers, Charlotte, gay marriage
Weekend Film Reviews: John Carter; Rampart
Here’s what’s newly covered on the cinema scene.
A hot, smelly mess
My cat pooped on my floor this morning. So did Arizona Republican Sen. Nancy Barto.
Deaf and dry in Davidson
Children of a Lesser God is sold-out, while Stones in His Pockets kicks off.
Jem Crossland injured in motorcycle accident
Local rockabilly singer/songwriter Jem Crossland was injured in a motorcycle accident on Wednesday, requiring surgery on his right leg and left wrist. Crossland is a member of Jem Crossland and the Hypertonics as well as with JT and the Dragpipes. A benefit show for the uninsured musician is already in the works to help him…
Dancing and all that jazz at the Gantt Center
Lindy Hop dance program and film screening of A Man Called Adam this weekend.
‘Disco Inferno’ singer Jimmy Ellis dies in Rock Hill
The Trammps front man had been in failing health.
Funky art in Repel No Ghost exhibit
Artist Graham Carew’s paintings contain personal reflections.
‘Burn, baby, burn’: Jimmy Ellis opened my mind
The Rock Hill, S.C.-born singer of the Trammps’ dance-floor classic “Disco Inferno” died Thursday
The Winter Sounds at Snug Rock tonight (3/9/12)
THE WINTER SOUNDS Not too long ago, this Nashville quintet went to Chicago and played a swanky company Christmas party, recorded a Daytrotter session, and played sets at Martyr’s and for a local high school choir class. Which is actually a neat summation of the music — it’s just exotic enough to sound like that…
Analog Daze with The Blackhounds at Double Door Inn (3/9/12)
ANALOG DAZE/THE BLACKHOUNDS Self-described as “jangledelic,” this Charlotte three-piece lets that Rickenbacker ring while raising a considerable racket. But Analog Daze’s brand of jangle is less British invasion, and more the dusty psychedelia of 80’s paisley underground outfits like True West and Green on Red. Guitarist Craig Hanks’ fretwork come straight outta The Dream Syndicate’s…
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Ear for an ear
Monday Funday isn’t so fun after all.
Hardly a lump of coal
A long-time Creative Loafing contributing writer earns credit where credit is due.
First Look: Depp as Tonto
Johnny Depp as the reincarnation of Jack Sparrow?
Bros unite!
After years of trouble, the EpiCentre emerges from bankruptcy protection.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Can Obama get an Amen?
He came to talk energy and left with a religious experience.
LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
A roundup of CL’s top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte this week.
Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: Charlotte politics seep into pop culture
Rudy from the Cosbys brings even more political attention to the Queen City.
The PPL kickoff party, 3/6/12
Photos from the March 6 kickoff party for The PPL.
Christopher Bell at Amelie’s tonight (3/7/12)
CHRISTOPHER BELL To call this Christopher Bell unique would be an understatement. Picture a lone musician on stage strumming away at a guitar, pouring out his soul. Now, replace the guitar with a cello, and you’ve got Bell. Bell takes the cello and turns it on its side, slung over his shoulder with a guitar…
Langhorne Slim & The Law play Visulite tonight (3/7/12)
LANGHORNE SLIM & THE LAW Slim’s everyman crooning, never overpowered by his guitar or the accompanying comrades, is a fine showcase of a confident folk-rock tenor. His words tell tales, coaxed further with musical shadings of blues, gospel and American roots. He’s no slacker when plucking the acoustic guitar, either. Quite simply, Langhorne Slim is…
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
All About Style: Pamper Parlor Volume 1
A video feature from the recent Pamper Parlor event at RE:Public, with makeup artist Joy Randall.
Yelp’s Passport to NoDa for the food and drinks
A 10-day neighborhood spotlight encouraging folks to come hang out in NoDa.
Iron Chef America winner to ‘guest chef’ at Mimosa Grill
A “surprise dish”, featured on the Food Network show, has been added to the menu.
Party for The PPL
The locally grown DNC-related media initiative hosts its kickoff tonight.
Kalu Asian Kitchen arrest renews interest in noise ordinance
After Jason Vicks, owner of Kalu Asian Kitchen on 6th Street in Uptown Charlotte, was arrested for violating the Charlotte noise ordinance on March 3, 2012, his attorney, Ken Harris, announced he is calling on the city to rescind the ordinance. The noise ordinance, which was passed in May of 2011, limits the decibels and…
Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub opens just in time for March madness
No joke, this place smells like my new car.
Fairytales, Fantasies & Fear at Mint Museum
Fairy tales, science fiction, fantasy and horror stories serve as inspiration for a wide range of works.
Wikileaks vs. Stratfor: Pursue the truth, not its messenger
WikiLeaks, the whistle-blower website, has again published a massive trove of documents, this time from a private intelligence firm known as Stratfor. The source of the leak was the hacker group “Anonymous,” which took credit for obtaining more than 5 million emails from Stratfor’s servers. Anonymous obtained the material on Dec. 24, 2011, and provided…
Perry on Broadway: Reviewing the hits and misses
Within the space of less than six months, I experienced a pair of highly unusual East Coast earthquakes. The first came last August, down here in my hometown, with the unnerving rattling of porcelain as I sat in my bathroom. The second was when my wife Sue and I came to New York last month…
Personality crisis: As DNC nears, city remains in denial about homeless
Charlotte is suffering from mass schizophrenia. On one hand, we are the Shiny Penny of the South, getting all gussied up for our dance with the Democratic National Convention. In the Uptown area, we have brand-new museums, chic restaurants, an arena, a stadium, cookie-cutter condos, massive corporate headquarters, beautiful historic churches, and green spaces for…
Stolen bases: The Knights and Uptown’s good old boys don’t play fair
Not many people would enjoy seeing the Charlotte Knights in an Uptown stadium more than I. Baseball has long been my favorite sport, both to play and to watch live, so when local officials started looking for a stadium site a few years ago after the Knights declared their wish to move back to Charlotte,…
Eastside eastern: Korean Restaurant, Pho Huong Que
For anyone who grew up in the world of weirdly wonderful Chinese dishes — those creations with a lobsterless lobster sauce — and has moved on to other Eastern cuisines, East Charlotte yields gastronomic treasures, though of unequal quality. When the Super G Mart opened in a shopping center, which has been in an identity…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of March 7
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…
Hugo, The Town among new home entertainment titles
HUGO (2011). Movie mavens who were startled by the fact that Martin Scorsese had elected to direct a family film when he’s exalted for his string of hardcore crime flicks clearly know little about either the man or his achievements. Scorsese has hopscotched between genres far more often than he’s given credit for — the…
Where to find it: Locally made pralines
On March 14, New Orleans Sweet Traditions will open a shop near the seafood counter in the 7th Street Public Market.
CD Review: Laura Gibson’s La Grande
An LP whose theme – moving forward fearlessly – is captured here in the timeless voice of a unique young songwriting talent.
Political musical chairs in Charlotte
Ever since Gov. Bev Perdue announced in January that she would not seek a second term, the new rule for North Carolina politics is to expect the unexpected. So last week, when Democratic Mecklenburg County Commission chair Harold Cogdell, Jr. announced he would not be seeking re-election, it just proved to be the last dance…
The N.C. Governor’s Race: Bill Faison Q&A
In the coming weeks, Creative Loafing will be running political news contributor Mike Cooper’s online-exclusive series of interviews with North Carolina’s gubernatorial candidates. This week we begin with Rep. Bill Faison. The 2012 race for governor in North Carolina was long billed as a rematch between incumbent Bev Perdue and the Republican challenger, former Charlotte…
Home decor trend: Large mirrors
As Snow White’s nemesis took pride in her own reflection in the mirror, people take pride in where they live, be it a house, apartment, condo — or even castle. One way to add some pizzazz to your home — any evil queen plotting to take out the most beautiful in the land would agree…
Exhibit: Animus
By Anita Overcash Artist Miranda Lake’s solo show reflects on her recent travels to South Africa (*insert jealousy here*), as well as the inspirational subject matter she encounters on other soils. Lake believes, “There’s always some hidden treasure or visual treat waiting to be found; you just have to look.” The Animus exhibit at Hidell…
CD Review: Soft Swells
The soundtrack to the Occupy Movement has been rich and varied, encompassing everything from the living blues of hip-hop to old-school anthems like Patti Smith’s “People have the Power.” To that mix I would add Soft Swells, the self-titled debut from California-by-way-of-Brooklyn based duo Tim Williams and Matt Welsh. Bright and adventurous guitar pop may…
Film: The Blood of a Poet
Who knew that sketching your face onto a canvas could be a terrifying ordeal? For those who have seen the 1932 avant-garde film, The Blood of a Poet (Le sang d’un poète), you know exactly what I’m talking about. Directed by Jean Cocteau, the first in the filmmaker’s Orphic Trilogy was so controversial that its…
Collette Ellis
The circus is typically not the first place one would think to look for stylish people. So when I spotted Collette Ellis at Amelie’s French Bakery in NoDa recently, looking every bit the vintage fashion plate, I was surprised to find out that she had recently returned from traveling with Cavalia, the equestrian circus. Her…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (March 7)
Weee’re dealin’: Two people pulled over for routine traffic stops in Charlotte last week are now kicking themselves for not obeying the rules of the road. One man was pulled for a window tint violation and was found to be carrying three separate bags of cocaine, three separate bags of marijuana and eight grams of…
Weekly horoscope (March 7-13)
Pisces The Fish (Feb. 18-March 19) You may be caught in a conflict that seems inexplicable to you. The Other is angry over an event from the past. If you value the relationship, you probably should listen. Don’t get defensive. Meanwhile, the realm of teaching, communication and social life is favored. For All Signs: Mercury,…
CIAA 2012: DeJa Vu at Blue Restaurant, 3/2/12
Digital Divas hosted their annual CIAA party DeJa Vu at Blue Restaurant on Friday, March 2.
