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SUMMER GUIDE: 15 Cheap Thrills
As we welcome the stickiness of another Southern summer, we bring you our annual guide to being the coolest person in your group. Who doesn’t love the person who always knows what’s going on in Charlotte, right? Exactly. We’ve also pulled out 15 events happening this season that are $5 and less. Because the best…
Lawmakers refuse to wait for Ag-Gag bill, force bill through override vote
Gov. Pat McCrory had vetoed the bill on Friday.
First Drip (6/3/15): Cam Newton signs $103.8 million deal with Panthers
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton signed a five-year extension worth $103.8 million yesterday, according to league sources. The deal will keep Newton in Carolina until 2020 and will pay him $60 million in guaranteed money. He is now among the top five highest paid quarterbacks in the NFL. Clint Eastwood will reportedly direct a movie…
Jupiter Ascending, The Saint box set among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD. Ratings are on a four-star scale.) FOCUS (2015). With Will Smith and The Wolf of Wall Street’s Margot Robbie at the top of the ticket, we’re guaranteed a movie that’s easy on the eyes, even if its inconsistencies render…
Phat Burrito expand hours; Amelie’s opens new shop
Everyone always has something to bitch and moan about. One place isn’t open “early enough,” while others are “too far” to drive to. So, here’s to hoping this news inspires you to appreciate the little things (which can also be big things – especially if you’re a fan of burritos and pastries!). Forget Taco Bell,…
Loving the new Local
New Uptown ‘rock ‘n’ roll dive bar’ opens in the former spot of Phil’s Tavern.
First Drip (6/2/15): N.C. health insurers propose rate increase
North Carolina health insurance companies want to raise average premiums between 11 and 26 percent in 2016 on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. The proposed change is due to data concerning customers who have signed up for Obamacare over the last two years; Blue Cross Blue Shield reps say they are sicker than expected. More…
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
First Drip (6/1/15): Police searching for shooting suspect
CMPD officers are still searching for a man who shot at a police officer early this morning in the University area. An officer responded to a suspicious person call on Minglewood Drive, and when he arrived the suspect shot a him and fled the scene. Police said the suspect was a black male, 15 to…
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top 5: Sunday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Today’s Top 5: Saturday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Aloha: Hawaiian punch
ALOHA **1/2 DIRECTED BY Cameron Crowe STARS Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone Far from the madding crowd of big-budget blockbusters comes Aloha, and will there be a more infuriating film this summer than this one? Writer-director Cameron Crowe, who once upon a time earned an Oscar for writing Almost Famous but whose last two features were…
San Andreas: Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
SAN ANDREAS **1/2 DIRECTED BY Brad Peyton STARS Dwayne Johnson, Carla Gugino The new disaster flick San Andreas features an earthquake that measures 9.8 on the Richter scale, but on the cinematic scale, the film itself only rates a 5. That’s actually not too bad a number, considering the dismal quality of most of the…
First Drip (5/29/15): John’s Country Kitchen to close
John’s Country Kitchen is closing after nearly 40 years in its Plaza Midwood location. The owners said they are moving on to other things after the landlord upped the rent on them for the in-demand Central Avenue location. John Margiotis opened JCK with his mother in 1977. Davidsonnews.net and Corneliusnews.net are stopping publication as of…
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
First Drip (5/28/15) No death penalty in ‘Top Model’ killings
Prosecutors announced they will not seek the death penalty in the killings of a local “America’s Next Top Model” contestant and three others in February. A bill that would extend the waiting period for women wanting abortions in North Carolina has moved closer to a state Senate vote. Charlotte native Steph Curry and his Golden…
Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files (May 21)
They Left The Kitchen Sink: A 53-year-old north Charlotte man phoned police to report a theft. Sometime between April 24 and May 19 — was he out of town? not paying attention? — someone stole a Torrent fishing rod, a flower vase, a weed whacker, a fireplace guard, a ladder and a tan and red…
Weekly horoscope (May 28-June 3)
For All Signs: Mercury, ancient messenger god, is unusually busy throughout this week. This suggests that most of us will be preoccupied with communication of one form or another. There may be many phone calls, messages, letters, quick conversations, rapid decisions, and/or papers to write. The complication is that Mercury is retrograde at present. Beware…
Want To Know a Secret?
When I was younger, I was really bad at keeping secrets. It’s not that I meant to be a terrible friend, but I’ve always loved stories and storytelling — the slow, dramatic unraveling of suspense in little details. I’m easily seduced by a narrative, which often leads me to forget the whole “this is between…
Empire of the Ants, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, The Rose among new home entertainment titles
(View From The Couch is a weekly column that reviews what’s new on Blu-ray and DVD. Ratings are on a four-star scale.) AMERICAN BUFFALO (1996). It’s not mere hyperbole to state that David Mamet’s American Buffalo was a key play of the American theater during the late 20th century, startling audiences with its blunt rat-tat-tat…
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Music to my ears
Have you ever had one of those generational or cultural encounters that left you just shaking your head? So, I was out one day pumping gas in my neighborhood — which also happens to be in the hood —listening to one of my favorite jazz crooners, Little Jimmy Scott. A car comes up, bumping some…
Summer Guide: Comedy, Theater, Film & Arts
Comedy Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte July 11: OTC Improv. 650 E. Stonewall St. otcimprov.com. Amos’ Southend June 17: Jeff Ross. 1423 S. Tryon St. 704-377-6874. amossouthend.com. Belk Theater May 28: Jay Leno. 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org. Comfort Suites University June 6: Showkase Comedy “Classic Man” Summer Fundraiser Part 1. 7735 University City Blvd.…
Summer Guide: Festivals, sports and more events
Sports/Outdoors Charlotte Hounds May 30: vs. New York Lizards; June 5: vs. Ohio Machine; June 27: vs. Denver Outlaws; vs. Florida Launch . American Legion Memorial Stadium, 310 N. Kings Drive. charlottehounds.com. Charlotte Knights May 28: vs. Columbus Clippers; May 29-31: vs. Lehigh Valley IronPigs; June 5-7: vs. Norfolk Tides; June 16-18: vs. Pawtucket Red…
Spoleto 2015 In Review
As usual, the new season at Spoleto Festival USA brings a dizzying array of opera, theatre, dance, chamber music, and jazz — with occasional sprinklings of puppetry, circus, and Americana — to historic Charleston. Keeping up with everything is an exhausting and rewarding marathon. Arriving last Friday, I was ticketed for 10 events and two…
Summer movie preview
We’re a few weeks into the summer movie season, and we’ve already learned that Avengers: Age of Ultron is so-so, Hot Pursuit is a no-no and Mad Max: Fury Road is a go-go. But what about the rest of the releases heading our way in the next three months? Here’s a checklist of the 12…
Batman gets spanked at Purgatory
It was a long wait. My Batman mask was starting to sweat off the powder concealer on my face. The woman who finally took down my name looked bored even though she was dressed as a sexy version of my arch nemesis, the Joker. The earliest she could book my appointment to get spanked was…
A pint of politics
You may not be politically inclined, but if you enjoy NoDa’s Hop Drop ‘N Roll, Olde Mecklenburg’s Copper, Red Oak’s eponymous flagship or Wicked Weed’s Freak of Nature, pay attention. You’re about to get a swift, unpleasant kick in the pint glass. In past years, the North Carolina Brewers Guild motto referred to us as…
Picky eaters need not join
It’s a conversation couples and friends have probably been having since the concept of going out to eat arose. You: I’m hungry. Him/Her: Me too. You: Let’s go out to eat. Him/Her: OK. What do you feel like eating? You: I don’t know. What do you feel like eating? Him/Her: I don’t know. You: You…
Ultimate Carolina beach reads
What’s better than beach reading? Nothing. Setting up on the sand and sweating your way through a good book while listening to and gazing at the ocean is one of the best things in life, period. If you agree, enjoy these recommendations during your time at the shore — or, for that matter, anytime this…
11 Must-See Outdoor Concerts In Charlotte
Warm weather gives people an urge to get out of the house, so why not head to the great outdoors for a night of music? Sure, there are plenty of great shows happening inside venues all around Charlotte (see sidebar), but it’s nice to enjoy an evening under the stars from time to time when…
Opening day of I-485
Can you hear that? It sounds like a chorus of angels … A deep bellowing voice shouting “Hallelujah!” to the rooftops. No, it’s not rain ending the California drought. It’s not term limits for members of Congress. It’s not a guaranteed Panthers Super Bowl championship. It’s the completion of the I-485 loop around Charlotte. After…
O.N.E. Charlotte pushes for restorative justice in CMS
It was a sunny Tuesday afternoon. A hundred or so people were gathered outside of the Mecklenburg County Government Center. The last time I’d attended a rally here, the speakers spewed a “We love you but hate your sin!” message when City Council was considering a nondiscrimination ordinance that had to do with transgender people…
See ya later, Charlotte
Nine years ago, I took a leap of faith for a part-time copy editor job at this newspaper. I had no idea what Loafing was, or how one would do it creatively. But it was a job in print journalism, and I needed to get my 22-year-old foot in the door somewhere, even as it…
Play for the kids
What do NASCAR legend Richard Petty and Carolina Panther Cam Newton have in common? The answer is the Ricky Proehl Celebrity Golf Classic, and a friendship with the man for whom the event is named. Proehl, a former NFL great and now wide receiver coach for the Panthers, is also founder of the P.O.W.E.R. of…
