Speed Street, 05/28/10
Check out photos from Day 2 at Speed Street.
Best bets in Charlotte comedy this week
As the headline suggests, here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte — from stand-up to improv to sketch comedy and more. For a complete listing of all comedy visit www.CharlotteComedyLIVE.com. Tuesday, June 1 Stand-Up Comedy at Lake Norman Comedy Zone at 8 p.m. (Seating at 7 p.m.) Nationally…
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Bayou Butch Lucas Tonight (5/30/2010)
Blues veteran brings soul to Villa Antonio.
Electric Coma, Truckstop Preachers tonight (5/29/2010)
Sun Domingo and Greg Laswell also highlight Saturday night’s events.
New music from Kanye West
I get it. You don’t like him. You think he’s an asshole. Etcetera, etcetera, right? That still doesn’t change the fact that whenever Yeezy decides to get back in the studio, it’s a big deal and when he actually decides to drop new music, it’s usually even bigger. Anywho, I’ll skip the lecture (he doesn’t…
Ozzy scares his fans
Ozzy Osbourne had a little fun recently at Madame Tussad’s Wax Museum: \\\\\\\\\\
Hayley Williams topless photo circulates
Topless photo of Paramore’s Hayley Williams hits the Internet.
CD Review: Reflection Eternal’s Revolutions Per Minute
CL cover boys, Reflection Eternal, Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek, team up for their first studio album in a decade.
Wild arguments and U.S.’ first gay military hero
Today there’s good news and more good news and some bad-but-so-stupid-it’s-funny news. Good News 1: The House of Representatives voted yesterday to let the Defense Department repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, the ban on gay and bisexual people serving openly in the armed forces. Also yesterday, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a similar measure…
Speed Street, 05/27/10
Speed Street has invaded Uptown! Here are pictures from day one.
Nightlife in Ballantyne is D’vine
D’Vine Wine Café is located in Ballantyne Village, in the space right above Dilworth Coffee.
Sex and the City 2: Desert storm
Trip to the Middle East leads to middling results.
Prince of Persia: More like a pauper
Better than most video game adaptations, it’s still only an average fantasy flick.
Casino Jack and the United States of Money: Politics as usual
Documentary traces story of disgraced Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Tonight’s Top 5, 05/28/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, May 28, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Last day to request public hearing on high-hazard coal ash ponds
Without the Catawba River there would be no Charlotte.
Raise my taxes, please
Many of us are willing to help, but don’t know where to start.
Live review: Country Throwdown 2010
A dozen new and up-and-coming acts hit multiple stages for a long, hot day of country music.
Blacks more likely to have a white spouse
Do we still care about these types of things?
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Friday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
The Weekender
FRIDAY MAY 28 Die Roten Punkte Booth Playhouse Move over Spinal Tap, Die Roten Punkte is on your tail. Visiting the Q.C. for performances at Booth Playhouse, this German electro-synth pop duo — comprised of Berliners, Otto and Astrid Rot — is prepared to rock audiences into a rage of humor-driven hysteria. Take one look…
Mez, 5/26/10
Mez hosted a Sex and the City 2 movie party Wednesday, May 26. Photos by Renaul Hill
Aking
i want to be remembered for: “My courage and for being my true self.”
Thanks, mayor, for leadership on libraries
Finally – finally – someone in local government is showing some actual leadership on an issue that has much of the community up in arms. So here’s a big Thank You to Mayor Foxx for his staunch support of the library system in the face of dull, uninspired councilmembers’ opposition. Foxx told the Observer that…
Speed Street takes over Uptown
Kicking off TODAY and continuing through May 29 is an annual free festival that jump-starts the race weekend and leads up to the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on May 30.
Tonight’s Top 5, 05/27/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, May 27, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Meaty cookies: Bacon chocolate cookies
These sweet and salty cookies are an amalgamation I pieced together using a Korova chocolate sable cookie dough and studding it with bits of crispy bacon and dark chocolate.
Live Review: Drake
A strange mashing of hip hop and teenage angst come together to see Drake at The Fillmore.
Quick Idol thoughts
Will winner Lee DeWyze join the ranks of forgotten Idols?
Maya Angelou is coming to Charlotte
Eighth Annual UNCF-Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Luncheon will be held June 19.
Solar energy attracting thousands of jobs to N.C.
… and there’s more on the way.
Big Queen City names linked to ‘pyramid scheme’
Get rich quick? Yeah right.
Country Throwdown Tour tonight (5/27/2010)
Country Throwdown Tour rolls into Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Alive After Five – Piedmont Town Center, 5/26/10
Piedmont Town Center rocked out again with their weekly Alive After Five Wednesday party, May 26.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
‘It Ain’t My Fault’ released for Gulf Aid
Mos Def, Lenny Kravitz, the Preservation Hall Band, Trombone Shorty and Tim Robbins teamed up recently to record “It Ain’t My Fault” to benefit Gulf Aid, a nonprofit created in response to the oil spill off the Louisiana Coast. \\\\\\\\\\
Opening this week
What’s new in theaters for the Memorial Day weekend.
When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth Tonight
Austin noisemakers invade Snug Harbor.
Fed insurance pool won’t overload N.C.
We’ve heard some squawking from the usual loudmouths on the right that North Carolina will go broke if it takes part in the feds’ high risk health insurance pool. As is too often the case, however, they’re wrong. Most of the health care reform enacted this year won’t go into effect until 2014, so the…
Sex and the City Party 2, 5/25/10
KISS 95.1, Elevate Lifestyle, Charlotte Seen and Ballantyne Village presented the Sex and the City 2 premier party last night.
An un-Common event
Come out and meet/party with rapper/actor Common in the flesh.
Porgy and Bess: Tour or jailbreak?
How many Porgys were in Porgy and Bess?
Tonight’s Top 5, 05/26/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, May 26, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing. • Queen City Shootout at Whisky River • Giant Panda Guerulla Dub Squad at Visulite Theatre • Charlotte’s Official Sex and The City 2 Prescreening Event • PURE WEDNESDAYS Presents The MS. HALO Model Search at Halo…
McCrory on why oil spills never happen
There are days when we miss ol’ Mayor Pat, so we want to share something that reminded us of his sometimes, um, unique vision. In this video clip, from a 2008 campaign stop when McCrory ran for governor, he delights the crowd with his deep knowledge of energy issues, explaining how oil spills are pretty…
Greeks at least get who’s screwing them
The citizens of Greece, the country that invented democracy, deserve an international round of applause from regular folks all over the world. I’m talking about their reaction to the pillaging of their country’s economy by Goldman Sachs, other international bankers, and their own corporate-tool government. When the verdict came down that Greece’s former right-wing government…
Dora’s an illegal alien?
Her handlers are keeping Dora’s deets on the DL.
Jim Rogers gets an ‘I’ for Incomplete
Greenwasher or visionary?
Coal’s dirty secret
The EPA needs to hear from you.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, May 26, 2010 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Heaven On Wheels at Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte • Bike Nite at Quaker Steak & Lube in Concord • Pop Life at Luna Lounge • Chorus from…
Today’s Top(less) 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Justin “Aswell” Blackwood
i love: “Music, people and vibrations.”
Get to know some gurgitators
Q & A with Major League Eaters competing in Charlotte.
Highlights of Bonnaroo press conference
Some notes from the press conference call with Nathan Followill of Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews and Jeff Ross.
Charlotte Museum of History announces new president & CEO
This just in from the folks at the Charlotte Museum of History …
Live Review: King of the QC, DJ Competition
Last night the turntables decided who the real King of the QC was.
Santana concert canceled
So, Santana has canceled the July 28 concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte due to “scheduling conflicts.” Really? Because the July 27 and July 29 concerts are still going on as planned. I’d guess it’s more like poor ticket sales — but did they even give them much of a chance? I’ve seen comments…
What I do at my desk…
I day dream and sketch out my cupcake designs.
Best I’ve Had all Week: Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer
Great Scott: a local root brew. A few sodas have their roots here in North Carolina: Pepsi and Cheerwine. Now there’s a new local Carolina soda on the block: Uncle Scott’s All Natural Root Beer – out of Mooresville. Co-owners Suzanne and Scott Ramsey, and Jeff Fleenor tweaked an old time recipe out of Pennsylvania…
Help Alysse Stewart get a show on Oprah’s new network
Great news: Charlotte radio personality and Creative Loafing blogger Alysse Stewart — of On Air With Alysse Stewart — is in the running for her own show on Oprah’s new network.
Meat market: learn your cuts of Angus, win a book
It’s grilling season, so learn your stuff!
Blogger’s claims stir doubts in S.C. primary
As the uproar continues over claims by conservative blogger Will Folks that he had “an inappropriate physical relationship” with South Carolina GOP gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley, the case keeps getting curiouser and curiouser. Haley categorically denies Folks’ claims. Her opponents deny that they had any part in the matter (wink wink). And, according to a…
More Sex (and the City) events than you can handle
Ladies, pull out those sexy stilettos and check out these SATC-themed events happening this week.
This week’s new releases (5/25/2010)
A quick rundown of what’s new in stores this week.
Free table at Butter
Win a VIP table for Denny Hamlin’s party tonight.
Tonight’s Top 5, 05/25/10
The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, May 25, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing.
Sprechen sie Deutsch?
Performances by Die Roten Punkte at Booth Playhouse May 26-31.
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top(less) 5: Tuesday
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, May 25, 2010 — as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing. • Boots and Bikinis at Whisky River • $2 Tuesday at Club Onyx • Poker Night at…
Actress of the Year
Since her jaw-dropping debut in Thoroughly Modern Millie propelled her to Newcomer of the Year honors in 2007, Caroline Bower has quickly risen to become Charlotte’s pre-eminent musical comedy sweetheart. After wearing the gingham in the Children’s Theatre production of The Wizard of Oz, it wasn’t surprising to see the Judy Garland youthfulness and pluck…
THEATER: Die Roten Punkte
Move over Spinal Tap, Die Roten Punkte is on your tail. Visiting the Q.C. for performances at Booth Playhouse, this German electro-synth pop duo — comprised of Berliners, Otto and Astrid Rot — is prepared to rock audiences into a rage of humor-driven hysteria. Take one look at their music video, “Ich Bin Nicht Ein…
Bachelorette invades the Q.C.
Seeing as how Charlotte is now a destination city, thanks in part to the booming nightlife, my best friends from elementary school came from all over to invade it for a bachelorette weekend. Out of the 16 girls occupying the house we rented on Lake Norman, I was the only single one. Go figure. But…
Archive of past winners
THEATERPERSON OF THE YEAR 1987: Bob Croghan 1988: Steve Umberger 1989: Terry Loughlin 1990: George Brown and Steve Umberger 1991: Jill Bloede and Tom Vance 1992: Mark Woods 1993: Alan Poindexter 1994: Janet Isenhart and Dan Shoemaker 1995: Michael Vance 1996: Alan Poindexter, Eric Winkenwerder, Keith Martin, and Steve Umberger 1997: Dennis Delamar 1998: Jim…
Director of the Year
Winning his fifth Director title, Alan Poindexter took the best talent in Charlotte and, ho hum, brought out their best — in two different categories. Elements of mime and vaudeville elevated the juvenile comedy of If You Take a Mouse to the Movies, brilliantly pairing Nicia Carla and Mark Sutton in the leads. Then he…
COMEDY: Darren “D.S.” Sanders
Homegrown comedian Darren “D.S.” Sanders is no stranger to Charlotte, the stage, being 40 or airlines. When it comes to everyday life, he’s pretty much got things covered. As D.S. glides through Lake Norman Comedy Zone on June 1, he’ll help his audience to discover just how disturbingly funny the simple things in life can…
Rights vs. profits
Two of the core conflicts at the heart of American identity and character were played out publicly last week in Charlotte, in very different ways. The conflict between individual freedoms and the rights of money-makers, which has been written about for more than 200 years — most sharply in Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy In America…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of May 26
THE BACK-UP PLAN Jennifer Lopez’s first screen outing in four years isn’t a motion picture so much as it’s a new form of Chinese water torture: Seemingly innocuous at first, it continues to pelt the viewer with one abysmal scene after another until insanity seems like the only logical result. Lopez stars as Zoe, a…
Tech of the Year
We’ve had six or seven designers on our roster of Theaterpersons of the Year, almost invariably because they had done something else besides. So I thought it would be nice to bring back the Charlotte Theater Awards with a surprise, and the best I could think of was to establish a Tech of the Year…
SHOPPING: The All Arts Market
Some people find buying for others simple. But many of us, myself included, find the task of purchasing the perfect gift for friends and relatives (whether it be for holidays, birthdays, or other occasions) overwhelming and tedious. That’s where NoDaRioty — a nonprofit group advocating for local arts in the NoDa neighborhood — comes in.…
Help a kid by firing Harry Jones
Would somebody please just fire Harry Jones? It’s becoming clear that, as Mecklenburg County manager, he’s in way over his head. The present crop of politicians running the county commission may be as well. The last straw was the theft of $30,000 from foster children — foster children mind you — by a county Department…
Chicago torturer’s overdue day in court
Abu Ghraib has nothing over Chicago. Forty years ago, Jon Burge returned from Vietnam, joined the Chicago Police Department and allegedly began torturing people. He rose in the ranks to become a commander in Chicago’s South Side, called Area 2. Electric shocks to the genitals, mock executions, suffocation with bags over the head, beatings and…
Show of the Year
My brother-in-law from High Point came down to see the dreamy, splashy Metamorphoses that Michael Simmons masterminded at CAST, and I’m not sure that he’s stopped raving about it yet. Yes, it beautifully retold a slew of myths with a wit and sensuality that Ovid himself would have appreciated. But it also emphatically raised the…
Book review: Kid Carolina by Heidi Schnakenberg
If any one person ever personified the adage “Money can’t buy happiness,” it was R.J. “Dick” Reynolds Jr., of Winston-Salem. An heir to one of the great tobacco fortunes, Reynolds spent a life surrounded by lots of money. How much money we’re talking about can be surmised by this sentence regarding Dick’s father, R.J. Reynolds…
Film champion Dennis Darrell leaves behind rich legacy
Last week, I and many other Charlotteans were shocked to learn of the passing of Dennis Darrell. Dennis was a tireless advocate of independent film, especially black film, here in Charlotte. If you read this column regularly, you may remember a recent piece titled, “Where is Charlotte’s Independent Film Community?” I had the opportunity to…
Company of the Year
In a year when drama dominated the Charlotte theater scene, Carolina Actors Studio Theatre dominated the drama category. With four of our eight nominees for best drama, two of our three top-rated shows, and five of our Sweetest 12. Two shows that did not crack our Sweet 16, No Exit and Someone Who’ll Watch Over…
Comic review: Superman: War of the Supermen No. 3
Superman: War of the Supermen No. 3 Published by DC Comics. Written by James Robinson and Sterling Gates. Pencils by Cafu. Inks by Bit. The Deal: It’s part three of DC’s four-issue series War of the Supermen, which pits the newly returned inhabitants of New Krypton against the people of earth. It’s complicated. The Good:…
Pisces is a sign of the times
The urban bridge (Pearl Park Way) over Little Sugar Creek Greenway, connecting South Kings Drive to Kenilworth Avenue, as well as the surrounding sculptural and landscape features of this newly developed portion of the 15-mile Greenway, spans a “waterfront” park. Beside this charming bridge is The Metropolitan, a mixed use complex. Not all restaurants in…
More summer performing arts events
May HEAVEN ON WHEELS This musical – by Tally Sessions and Peter Holland – is about the history of stock car racing. Co-production of Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte and Once Upon a Blue Ridge Production. May 26-29, 8 p.m. $25. Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte, 650 E. Stonewall St. 704-342-2251. www.actorstheatrecharlotte.org WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE…
Drama Winners
Best Drama: Metamorphoses — Carolina Actors Studio Theatre Best Actor: Charles LaBorde — Metamorphoses (Bacchus, Poseidon, Philemon), Marat/Sade (Marquis de Sade) Best Actress: Iesha Hoffman — Antony and Cleopatra (Cleopatra) Best Director: Michael R. Simmons — Metamorphoses Best Supporting Actor: Michael Sharpe — Death of a Salesman (Happy) Best Supporting Actress: Cassandra Lowe Williams –…
Artist Paris Pierides inks Charlotte
Tattoo artist Paris Pierides journeyed from Cyprus to come to Charlotte. His purpose? To open a tattoo studio. The elaborately decorated Paris Tattoos, which opened this March and is located at 1820 South Blvd., Ste. 102 (next to The Sunset Club and downstairs from Pewter Rose and Tutto Mondo), is proof that he’s achieved his…
3 questions with Blake Hartwick, executive chef
Formerly of Bonterra Dining and Wine Room and Las Ramblas, Blake Hartwick is currently rustling things up as the executive chef at Andrew Blair’s. He’s been in the business of food since he was a teenager, when he started working for his dad’s catering company in New York. Recently, Hartwick has worked with Sous Chef…
Summer Movie Guide: Of blockbusters and others
Iron Man 2. Check. Robin Hood. Check. Shrek Forever After. Check. So far, the 2010 summer movie season is proceeding according to schedule, with a handful of heavily hyped titles behind us and approximately three dozen more on the way. Here, then, are 16 of those movies — one per summer release date — coming…
Musical Winners
Best Musical: Beauty and the Beast — Children’s Theatre of Charlotte Best Actor: Sean Watkins — Beauty and the Beast (The Beast) Best Actress: Caroline Bower — Evil Dead: The Musical (Linda), Beauty and the Beast (Belle) Best Director: Alan Poindexter — Beauty and the Beast Best Conductor/Music Director: Drina Keen — A Year With…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
Bad Mood: Police were called to Morgan School after someone decided they weren’t going to take it anymore. A suspect created a large disturbance and damaged school property. The suspect pushed over a walk-through metal detector, kicked a garbage can across the front lobby and kicked out the glass portion of a front door. But…
Outernational gains inspiration through its idol
Few people get to meet their idols, let alone have conversations and hang out with them. For Miles Solay, a chance meeting with his idol has led to collaboration, musical creations and a friendship. Solay, the singer for the band Outernational, snuck into a taping of Saturday Night Live in the mid-’90s for a chance…
More summer film events
May JUST WRIGHT MOVIE PREMIERE EVENT Spend an intimate evening with hip-hop artist and star of Just Wright, Common. May 29, 10 p.m. The Forum, 300 N. College St. For more information, visit www.thesolkitchen.com. June MATTHEWS SUMMER CONCERT & MOVIE SERIES Film screening of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Pre-movie activities begin at 7…
Comedy Winners
Best Comedy: Southern Rapture — Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte Best Actor: Sultan Omar El-Amin — Day of Absence (Mayor) Best Actress: Laura Depta — Southern Rapture (Marjorie Winthrop) Best Director: Chip Decker — Southern Rapture Best Supporting Actor: Jeremy DeCarlos — Southern Rapture (Reverend DuPree, Mickey Stedman, Anton Finewitz) Best Supporting Actress: Sheila Snow Proctor…
Did Native Americans cut off the noses of adulterous wives?
Is it true Native Americans cut off the noses of adulterous wives? Sounds like European propaganda about “savages.” — Lisa W. Evidently some did, which unarguably is savage behavior. But how best to define the group of savages we’re talking about? Candidates: 1. Native Americans. 2. The human race. Seriously, you ever hear of cocker…
Local CD review: Damsel Down
The Deal: Concord quartet independently releases debut album, Now We Rise, on March 20. The Good: Damsel Down’s music lies in that radio-friendly brand of metal – melodic lyrics combined with heavy drumming and some loud and energetic guitar riffs. It’s music that’s built for clubs and larger venues – you won’t hear this blowing…
Summer Concert Guide: Soundtrack of the season
The summer music season has arrived, which means lots of bands touring, plenty of outdoor concerts and festivals and day-long parking lot gatherings. Loads of events are going on around town — or if you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can make the trip out to Manchester, Tenn., for the four-day Bonnaroo Music and Arts…
Tech Winners
Best Lighting Designer: Michael R. Simmons and Camara McLaughlin — Metamorphoses Best Set Designer: Robert Lee Simmons and Michael R. Simmons — Metamorphoses Best Costume Designer: J. Dylan Stout, Maria Marciano, and Dot Marciano — Metamorphoses Best Sound Designer-Composer: Alex Mauldin — Marat/Sade Best Special Effects: Rosalyn Morris — Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Installation…
Horoscope May 26-June 1, 2010
Gemini The Twins (May 20-June 21) During Uranus’ transit of Aries (seven years) you are likely to be exposed to a new social life and broaden your sense of community and friendship. You will attract unusual people into your life that will serve to expand your interest in humanitarianism. Your overall goals and life choices…
CD Review: Band of Horses’ Infinite Arms
The Deal: South Carolina-based alt-indie darlings release third studio effort. The Good: Now off of the Sub Pop label and hanging around the big names at Columbia Records, Band of Horses’ opening track on the new album, “Factory,” is a hint to the money that now backs them – a string section backing the slow…
More summer music events
May ALIVE AFTER FIVE AT THE EPICENTRE May 27: Slippery When Wet, a Bon Jovi tribute band on the Rooftop Stage. EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.aliveafterfives.com. ALIVE AFTER FIVE AT BALLANTYNE COMMONS May 27: Too Much Sylvia. Ballantyne Commons, 15205 John J. Delaney Drive. www.aliveafterfives.com. ALIVE AFTER FIVE AT PIEDMONT TOWN CENTER May 26:…
Sweet 16
1. Metamorphoses — Carolina Actors Studio Theatre 2. Southern Rapture — Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte 3. Marat/Sade — Carolina Actors Studio Theatre 4. Beauty and the Beast — Children’s Theatre of Charlotte 5. Evil Dead: The Musical — Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte 6. Blue — Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte 7. Killer Joe — Carolina Actors…
The Road, Walkabout among new DVD reviews
THE ROAD (2009). Zombies seem to be de rigueur in today’s strain of post-apocalyptic motion pictures, yet this adaptation of the novel by Cormac McCarthy (No Country for Old Men) offers nothing quite so fanciful. The undead shambling through this bleak movie’s ravished landscapes are, technically speaking, still human, though many have taken to…
CL previews upcoming concerts (May 27-June 1)
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26 When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth This intriguing posse of noisemakers from Austin unravel melodies, where the guitars hum and howl in unison and the next minute brawl like drunken sailors. The percussion, sometimes even an accordion, is unfurled in a coordinated noise attack inducing a slow, neck-swaying trance. And that’s just in…
Summer Special Events Guide: NoDaRioty’s All Arts Market
Some people find buying for others simple. But for the rest of us, the task of purchasing the perfect gift for friends and relatives can be overwhelming and tedious. That’s where NoDaRioty — a nonprofit group advocating for the presence and support of art and artists in the NoDa neighborhood — comes in. In December…
Da Bombs
1. Alice in Concert — Children’s Theatre of Charlotte 2. High School Musical — CPCC Theatre 3. Spooky Dog and the Teen-Age Gang Mysteries — Queen City Theatre Company 4. Cell Phone Blues — On Q Productions 5. To Kill a Mockingbird — Matthews Playhouse 6. Club Carolina: Greatest Hits! — Carolina Voices
The Square: Aussie neo-noir
The Square recalls one of cinema’s all-time classic lines, that moment in 1981’s Body Heat when Kathleen Turner’s femme fatale Matty Walker studies William Hurt’s gullible Ned Racine and declares, “You’re not too smart, are you? I like that in a man.” The Square’s Carla Smith (Claire van der Boom) isn’t clever — or evil…
CD Review: John Nemeth’s Name the Day
The Deal: John Nemeth’s soul burns with a blue flame. The Good: Blues may be his avocation, but at heart, John Nemeth is a soul man. His latest has a vintage Memphis sound, like something Stax Records would have put out in the ’60s with Booker T and the MGs backing Otis or Sam and…
More summer special events
May BIKE NITE Featuring live music, contests, prizes and giveaways, food and drink, vendors and a variety of custom bikes and choppers. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. Continues through Oct. 27. Quaker Steak and Lube, Concord. HIKE FOR YOUR HEALTH 2-3 mile hike through the nature preserve. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Ages 12 years old…
Newcomer of the Year
Salvador Garcia — Living Out (Bobby), Dangerous (Marcus), The Full Monty (Buddy “Keno” Walsh), West Side Story (Bernardo)
MacGruber: Another SNL strikeout
It’s not unusual for a film to be held from critics until the last minute — generally a 7:30 p.m. screening the night before opening — but in the case of MacGruber (*1/2 out of four), its studio elected to hold it until the last second, which in this case translated into a 9 p.m.…
Summer Guide 2010
Here we go again. Another summer is almost upon us (goodbye wack weather) and, consequently, another Creative Loafing Summer Guide is upon you. You remember Summer Guide? Or maybe it’s your first time picking it up? Well, this special issue is our attempt to catalog the best events happening in Charlotte all season … sort…
Summer visual arts events
May CENTER OF THE EARTH GALLERY A Sculptor’s Life. Featuring works by James Clark. Continues through May 29. CTE Collects. Featuring gallery acquisitions. Continues through May 29. 3204 N. Davidson St. 704-375-5756. www.centeroftheearth.com. CHRISTA FAUT GALLERY Behind Harold’s. Featuring new paintings on paper and canvas by John Borden Evans. Continues through June 19. 19818 N.…
FESTIVAL: Food Lion Speed Street Festival
With one of the biggest weeks of NASCAR in Charlotte approaching, it only seems fitting to share Food Lion Speed Street Festival with fans of the sport and non-fans — so you can hunker down indoors. Kicking off on May 27 and continuing through May 29 is an annual free festival that jump-starts the race…
Shrek Forever After: Four snore
The Shrek series now stands at 2-2 thanks to the latest addition to the cartoon canon. After the first two entertaining (if wildly overrated) installments made enough money to seemingly feed and clothe the entire U.S. population, the filmmakers opted to give us a pair of desperate lunges at more filthy lucre. Shrek Forever After…
Summer Theater Guide: Curves ahead for CAST
Josefina Lopez wrote her first play, Real Women Have Curves, when she was all of 19 years old — at a playwriting workshop that took her from her hometown in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, all the way to New York. “I had been documented for 13 years,” Lopez recalls, “and when I got my legal…
Theater in Charlotte: A year in review
You may have heard about it: Arts funding was tight in 2009. Just because a new president took office, discretionary spending didn’t skyrocket, and the economy — even in Banktown — kept losing jobs. Opera Carolina postponed the beginning of its season, and Symphony teetered on the brink of extinction as basic operating grants from…
FESTIVAL: InkFest Live 2010 Tour
Ink-covered bodies unite at this weekend’s InkFest Live 2010 Tour. The tattoo expo spotlights talented tattoo artists from the U.S. and beyond. This year’s guest artists include Chuey Quintanar (of Good Time Charlie’s Tattooland in Anaheim, California), George Galindo (of World Famous House of Pain Tattoo Studio in EL Paso, Texas) and Paris Pierides (formerly…
The Critic’s Apprentice recommends The Burger Company
New to the restaurant scene is The Burger Company, which has already found a spot on the palates of Charlotte’s residents. Located at 1500 W. Morehead St., this burger bar has it all. The restaurant touts in-house ground beef for its tasty burger options, ranging from the simple cheeseburger to the Left Coast Burger stuffed…
Best Original Show
Southern Rapture by Eric Coble — Actor’s Theatre
Theaterperson of the Year
A leading candidate for both Actor of the Year and Director of the Year honors, Charles LaBorde was a runaway winner for our top individual award and the first person to win it alone since 1998. LaBorde gave outstanding performances in the Metamorphoses lagoon, in the marquis title role of Marat/Sade, and in reprising his…
FILM: Screening of Meet Me In St. Louis
There’s good news and bad news regarding the Main Library’s annual summer film series. The good news is that the theme is “The Bad and the Beautiful: 8 Films by Vincente Minnelli,” and the first title being screened in this series devoted to the Oscar-winning director is his 1944 classic Meet Me In St. Louis.…
Racing Dreams: The need for speed
A Spellbound or Mad Hot Ballroom for the NASCAR set, Racing Dreams ends up speeding past its niche market and working its magic on anyone with a rooting interest in the dreams and ambitions of this country’s youth. Like the aforementioned pair of documentaries, this one also corrals a group of kids and tracks their…
Best One-Person Show
Drew Allison — A Tangle of Tales (Grey Seal Puppets)
Actor of the Year
It takes a special kind of talent to bring depth and texture to good-guy protagonists, and Jeremy DeCarlos continued to show that gift as Reuben Clark, the hero of Blue. We’ve seen that ability since his college days at Winthrop when he starred in Topdog/Underdog and later when Take Me Out marked his Charlotte debut…
MUSIC: Greg Laswell and Jimmy Gnecco
Melodic is one of the best words to describe the music of solo artists Greg Laswell and Jimmy Gnecco (pictured) — both of whom will perform at The Evening Muse tonight. Laswell, whose songs have appeared on TV shows (Grey’s Anatomy, True Blood, Smallville, etc.) and in films (Confessions of a Shopaholic and My Sister’s…
Medical marijuana bill’s major sponsors lose races
The May 4 Democratic primary ended State Rep. Nick Mackey’s immediate future in Raleigh as he lost to challenger Rodney Moore. But before the short session at the state capital ends, Mackey is working to get House Bill 1380 — which would make marijuana legal for people with chronic illnesses like glaucoma, cancer and ALS…
Theater Event of the Year
The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later — Edge Theatre Company + Story Slam!
