Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Whiskey Warehouse, 5/21/12
Photos from the second annual mac and cheese eating contest, benefiting CFF
LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
A roundup of CL‘s top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte this week.
Being John Malkovich, The Grey among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD.) BEING JOHN MALKOVICH (1999). Playing by its own rules every step of the way, Being John Malkovich is clearly the sort of movie that needs to be made more often — that is to say, the film medium is…
2 Chainz talks voting rights to ex-felons
Through its role as convention host and largest city in the swing state of North Carolina, Charlotte will attract politicians and political pundits leading up to the Democratic National Convention in September. But then there will be the less obvious visitors who carry equally important messages. Hip-hop artist 2 Chainz stopped in the Queen City…
Dunce of the Week: Pastor Charles L. Worley
This is the stuff “Saw” movies are made of.
Jane’s Addiction’s greatest Escape
Drummer Stephen Perkins saunters down New Orleans’ Canal Street on Nov. 1, 2009. He makes his way down sidewalks that are bustling with people on their way to the Voodoo Music Experience in City Park. Perkins, who performed at the three-day music festival the night before as a member of Jane’s Addiction, appears relaxed on…
Marigny, 5/19/12
Photos from Peter Presta’s Birthday Bash.
All you can eat Mac ‘n’ cheese
Whiskey Warehouse event benefits Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Bee Gees’ Robin Gibb dies at 62
The Bee Gees’ singer’s oeuvre extended well beyond disco
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Variety in Pretty Things Peepshow
A little carnival for adults at Neighborhood Theatre.
Touchdowns for a cure
Blondes vs. Brunettes football showdown is about more than hair color.
Kenny Roby at the Double Door Inn tonight (5/19/2012)
KENNY ROBY The Triangle veteran is shopping around his new one, tentatively titled The Fault, and shouldn’t have trouble finding a taker even in this shitty music-seller’s market – it’s a stunner. Not so much a transformation as an impressive recalibration, Roby subdues the twang that’s trailed him around since his 6 String Drag days…
Recipe: Tempeh Qunioa Stir-Fry
Stir-fries are the first thing I think of when I get a hankering for an Asian-inspired meal
Go green
Charlotte Clean and Green Festival offers environmentally-friendly workshops and more.
Spelling Precocity, Part Deux: Eleemosynary
The new Ballantyne Theatre is serving up Lee Blessing’s play.
Halo, 5/17/12
Photos from Thursday’s foam party.
Dunce of the Week: James O’Keefe
Maybe “JK LOL” was in the director’s cut.
Godfather of Go-Go Chuck Brown now winds it up on high
Chocolate City is nigh on meltdown this week from the sad news that North Carolina-born, D.C.-based funk icon Chuck Brown has gone to Glory. Although his 1978 eternal mutha “Bustin’ Loose (Parts 1 & 2)” (this critic’s favorite song) long remained the sole national hit of the genre he spawned (until the late ’80s ascendancy…
Weekend Film Reviews: Battleship; The Dictator; What to Expect When You’re Expecting
What’s new and covered in theaters.
Live review: Monophonics, Double Door Inn, 5/17/2012
San Francisco group brings funk and soul to Charlotte.
Battleship: That sinking feeling
BATTLESHIP * DIRECTED BY Peter Berg STARS Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson The massively budgeted, heavily hyped and supremely awful Battleship isn’t the first time the Hasbro board game has been seen in some form on the big screen. In 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey, one sequence spoofs the classic chess match from Ingmar Bergman’s…
The Dictator rules, then falters
THE DICTATOR **1/2 DIRECTED BY Larry Charles STARS Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris Love it or hate it, Borat, the 2006 mockumentary that turned Sacha Baron Cohen from a minor cult figure into a bona fide star, pushed the envelope in new and unexpected ways. And while it ultimately registered as a disappointment, so did…
What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Don’t expect much
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING *1/2 DIRECTED BY Kirk Jones STARS Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez Following in the footsteps of He’s Just Not That Into You, Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve comes What to Expect When You’re Expecting, another all-star idiocy that strands a number of good (and some not-so-good) actors in several…
Live review: Kellie Pickler, Whisky River (5/17/2012)
Albemarle Idol strips down her sound in the fake plastic breeze of Charlotte’s EpiCentre complex
Live review: Styx, REO Speedwagon, Ted Nugent, 5/17/2012
Trio of bands hits Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre for trip down nostalgia lane.
Masters of movement
Alvin Ailey performances at Knight Theater include a repertory of new and old material.
Photos: 5Church
The vibe in this new spot is uptown sophisticated, with a splash of artsy cool and geek chic. But the food? Amazing.
Wedding bells are ringing at Lineage Bridal
A recap of the new Uptown bridal consignment shop’s grand opening celebration
Flashy footage in Crazy Horse
Acclaimed filmmaker Frederick Wiseman explores the legendary Parisian cabaret club.
Tremont Music Hall, 5/16/12
Photos from Less Than Jake’s 20th Anniversary tour stop
Treasure Fest in Plaza Midwood tonight (5/18/2012)
TREASURE FEST With 64 bands spread across eight venues in two days, Treasure Fest’s $25 weekend pass is a wicked good deal. And because we music writers love making lists, here are five standout acts among the huge spread of wicked, fringe-leaning music to hit town this weekend. The Emotron, a Milestone favorite, is a…
Mike Evans’ dirty politics
Channeling the Rev. Billy Graham, Evans, one of the strongest defenders of Israel in America, uses a non-fact-based religious and political message to attack the White House.
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Live review: My Secret Other Girlfriend, Milestone, 5/16/2012
My Secret Other GirlfriendThe MilestoneMay 16, 2012 From the moment the band took the graffiti-adorned Milestone stage on Wednesday night, My Secret Other Girlfriend’s music progressed from genre to genre and era to era while creating a positive vibe that radiated from one end of the venue to the other. The Charlotte quartet stood on…
What’s in the water at Camp Lejeune?
Doctors are using the seventy seven cancer patients who were contaminated at the military base – and the base itself – to find a cure.
Donna Summer dies at age 63
Disco legend was a five-time Grammy winner.
MTV moves awards show up an hour to avoid DNC conflict
Yay Democracy!
Yep Roc celebrates 15 years with weekend festival
Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock, Chatham County Line to play October event in Carrboro.
Live review: Jonathan Wilson, Visulite Theatre, 5/15/2012
Former N.C. resident returns to the Charlotte stage.
Ted Nugent at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre tonight (5/17/2012)
TED NUGENT Ted Nugent made a name for himself rocking power ballads about bagging chicks with such nuanced lyrics as “she’s so sweet when she yanks on my meat,” but he’s better known now as a court jester for the 24-hour news networks. In recent years, he’s done everything from implying that he’d like to…
Monophonics at the Double Door Inn tonight (5/17/2012)
MONOPHONICS The reason ’70s urban crime movies like Across 110th Street stick to the synapses is because genuine gravitas and street grit underlie the surface chintz of flares and awesome ‘fros. Similarly, while San Francisco’s Monophonics bring dynamic arrangements and precision chops to their retrofitted soul, the shiny new sleekness reinforces the raw power of…
N.C.-born funk man Chuck Brown dies at 75
The man who kept go-go going and going has left the capital.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Opening This Week
What’s new in theaters this week.
The 3 B’s of goodness: Tonight at Queen City Q
Beer, bourbon and BBQ, starting tonight at 5 p.m.
LOL: Comedy in the Q.C.
A roundup of CL‘s top picks for comedy shows in Charlotte.
Off the Record with Natalie Royal at The Evening Muse tonight (5/16/2012)
OFF THE RECORD Natalie Royal returns to Charlotte with a new album, Savor, in tow. The singer-songwriter has matured by miles in recent years, and a music education at Belmont University is serving her folk-driven songwriting well, giving her even more substance within the sweet tone of her vocals. Off the Record, hosted by yours…
Casinos, election reform, Super PACs and redistricting – these are a few of our favorite things
Poll results show the priorities of North Carolina’s voters just in time for the 2012 legislative session.
Nellie McKay at the McGlohon Theatre tonight (5/16/2012)
NELLIE MCKAY Since she took a stab at stand-up before following her idiosyncratic muse, Nellie McKay might appreciate this joke: Q: “How may feminists does it take to screw in a light bulb?” A: “That’s not funny!” McKay is a devoted feminist, as well as a committed environmentalist and animal rights activist, but she sees…
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros at The Filmore tonight (5/16/2012)
EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS Frontman Alex Ebert leads a free floating band of troubadours who reveal a love for ’60s folk and psychedelia-touched, happily acoustic and patchouli-scented sounds that converge somewhere in the Summer of Love while taking a Magical Mystery Tour via the eclectic sing-alongs of the Flaming Lips. The songs bloom…
Fool’s Gold at the Filmore tonight (5/16/2012)
FOOL’S GOLD This L.A.-by-way-of-Israel outfit led by guitar wiz (and Beach House producer) Lewis Pesacov and singer/lyricist Luke Top began life as one of those mega-member open-ended collectives with its eponymous ’09 debut. The band has since trimmed down to a quintet, and the increased focus resulted in one of last year’s best summer listens,…
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Junior Astronomers release “Settle Down” video
Song is from the band’s 2010 EP.
Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: Despite Protests and Amendment Votes, the DNC Must Go On
Everyone knows the DNC won’t leave Charlotte. But a petition asking for just that only adds more fuel to demonstrators’ fire.
Live review: Your Fuzzy Friends, Snug Harbor, 5/12/2012
Your Fuzzy FriendsSnug HarborMay 12, 2012 The shimmering backdrop of Snug Harbor’s stage reflected light onto Lee Grutman and Mono the Unicorn, the group known as Your Fuzzy Friends. They serenaded the audience with a hilarious one-man, multi-puppet, gay-themed musical full of crass humor and dance jams. Grutman enamored his spectators with multi-voiced, energetic “duets”…
Tim & Eric’s Billion Dollar Movie, We Were Here among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD.) ALBERT NOBBS (2011). There’s a towering performance in Albert Nobbs, and it sure as hell doesn’t belong to Glenn Close. A labor of love for the actress, Close not only stars in the picture but also serves as co-writer…
Eating With Your Dollars: The best fast food money can buy
The Food Babe talks juicing.
Exhibit: Recollection
There’s a variety show going on over at MoNa Gallery in Plaza Midwood. It features jewelry, sculptures, ceramics, paintings and mixed media works by local-area artists — Alyssa Wood, Ben Premeaux, Diane Hughes, Felicia Van Bork, Nathaniel Lancaster, and others — who have formerly showcased at McColl Center for Visual Art. Another artist, Andrea Vail,…
Ezekiel Cheney
Spotted at Chima Brazilian Steakhouse in Uptown, Ezekiel Cheney is one of the restaurant’s managers. Originally from Atlanta, Cheney says he’s “an open canvas when it comes to style.” Not to mention, the guy smells really good, too. When we shared that compliment, his eyes brightened. “It’s Hermes!” he said enthusiastically. “I never go a…
Exhibit: Tranquility
RedSky Gallery is decorating its quarters with works by North Carolina-based artists Victor Chiarizia and Sarah Faulkner. Chiarizia uses glass as his primary medium, while Faulkner, who is inspired mostly by flowers and nature scenes (see her painting “Red Poppies,” left), applies acrylics and wax to canvases for simple, glazed results. Exhibit continues through July…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte polices files (May 16)
The Jerk: A 41-year-old teacher at James Martin Middle School filed a police report for simple assault after one of her students tried a little too hard to get her attention. She told officers that she was walking through the aisles of desks in her classroom while students did their work when suddenly a boy…
Weekly horoscope (May 16-23)
Taurus The Bull (April 20-May 20) This eclipse pattern has emphasized issues of sexuality, intimacy and material accumulation. Reorganization of debt and investments may be in progress. You may now be more conscious than usual about existential matters related to life, death and what is on “the other side” of normal, waking consciousness. For All…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of May 16
AMERICAN REUNION Where all the sequels to 1999’s American Pie — 2001’s American Pie 2, 2003’s American Wedding and now American Reunion — go wrong is that none manage the balancing act between sweetness and seediness as well as the original film, instead tipping the scale toward the bawdy end to an unnecessary degree. And…
Upping the Ante in Ballantyne: Blackthorne Restaurant & Bar
For those who live in Ballantyne, a place with a culturally confusing feel and thus a growing list of restaurant road kill, chowing options have expanded recently. A pair of enterprising brothers, Tim and Jay Duffy, opened the 135-seat Blackthorne Restaurant & Bar last January. This is the Duffys’ first restaurant venture, although they have…
3 questions with Baxter Hoffman, owner of vegetarian bed and breakfast
Tucked away on a corner in Elizabeth is a house with people laughing loudly in German on the front porch, a poodle named Mushroom scampering around inside, and chicks chirping in the backyard. It’s a somewhat curious scene, but just another morning for Baxter Hoffman, who turned her home into a bed and breakfast (www.baxterandthebees.com)…
Band of Gypsies: Gogol Bordello
Eugene Hütz doesn’t sit or stand still for long. When performing, the 39-year-old Ukrainian makes use of an entire concert stage, and it doesn’t take long for his thin, often-shirtless frame to become drenched with sweat. If you think he needs a runner’s endurance to last through a performance, it won’t surprise you to learn…
Healing rhythms: DrumStrong
On Sunday, May 20, more feelings will be poured into a brief moment of silence than most people experience in a lifetime. After 30 hours of nonstop drumming, the sixth annual DrumStrong event will come to an abrupt close before cheers and tears are unleashed in a “we did it” outpouring of emotion. Those few…
CD Review: Midtown Dickens’ Home
“Crocodile Mile,” the seventh song on Midtown Dickens’ new LP, Home, is a rambunctious barn burner. Shambling but controlled, it bounces along on slapping stand-up bass and caterwauling slide banjo. It resounds with youthful energy which is appropriate for a song about a Slip ‘n Slide. Singer Catherine Edgerton describes herself at 7 years old,…
CD Review: Estrogen Highs’ Irrelevant Future
On their third LP, Connecticut’s Estrogen Highs begin with a look back. “Tell It To Them” recalls 2009’s Tell It To Them in title, sure, but also in its wound-up anxious fitfulness. The rest of Irrelevant Future isn’t so unhinged. Between Tell It To Them and Irrelevant Future, Estrogen Highs refined their sound, introducing Kiwi-pop…
Coal, foreclosures and Bank of America’s extraordinary event
Shareholder meetings can be routine, unless you are Bank of America, in which case it may be declared an “extraordinary event.” That is what the city of Charlotte, N.C., called the bank’s shareholder meeting last week. Bank of America is currently the second-largest bank in the U.S. (after JPMorgan Chase), claiming more than $2 trillion…
Yeah, the passing of Amendment One stinks
Unless Alzheimer’s comes knocking one day, I will never forget the front page of the Charlotte Observer the morning after Amendment One was approved. There stood preacher Mark Harris of First Baptist Church of Charlotte, a pro-amendment leader, cupping his hand to his mouth and whooping it up at a party in Raleigh. The image…
Job prospects looking up for college grads
Anyone entering the job market knows this story all too well. A downward economy, spawned by one of the worst recessions in modern American history, has forced college graduates to settle for less than they and their expensive degrees are worth. But economists in Charlotte agree this year will look a little different — maybe…
Meet Charlotte’s new alpha slob at The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Jeremy Shane isn’t a newcomer in Charlotte, but until the current Theatre Charlotte production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the actor was a somewhat rare delicacy tasted only by fans of the absurdist fare served up by Machine Theatre (ThomThom) or the juvenilia at ImaginOn (How I Became a Pirate and Jingle…
The corner of 5th and Church streets: Reinvented
Charlotteans are notorious for getting stuck in their own neighborhoods, hardly daring to venture out of their comfort zones to explore the offerings of other districts. Some things shake folks out of their doldrums, though — like when a local restaurant/nightspot that has changed hands a number of times finally finds its niche. That’s what…
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Weekend Film Reviews: Dark Shadows; Crazy Horse; plus, In the Family Q&A
Warner Bros. Dark Shadows Click on the title to be taken directly to the review. Crazy Horse Dark Shadows Click here to read Godfrey Cheshire’s interview with Patrick Wang, writer-director-star of In the Family (currently playing at Park Terrace Cinemas). Finally, click here if you missed last week’s review of the record-smashing (and “Hulk smash!”-ing)…
