Nov 29 – Dec 5, 2011

Nov 29 - Dec 5, 2011 / Vol. 25 / No. 40

Cover Story

Enter stage right: CL‘s theater holiday preview

That holly jolly season is back. You know: that pleasin’ season when everything is rhyming and chiming, when the most improbable and far-fetched miracles can happen on TV and in the movies, and when everything your heart desires is happily offered to you — at temptingly steep discounts. It’s a different world out there as…

Perry Tannenbaum

Duke University study says Duke Energy is full of it

Duke Energy says that meeting the South’s energy needs will take a big rate hike, with more hikes to come in the future. Duke University, on the other hand, says Duke Energy’s viewpoint amounts to a myth that should be discarded. (Please note that I refuse to make a corny joke about the two entities…

John Grooms

Coat/cape sale at Lotus

Today only, Lotus has 20 percent off all coats and capes. It’s about lunchtime, folks. Perfect time to drop by Lotus at Metropolitan … if you ask me. If you have to wait until after work, they close at 8 p.m. today. 1111 Metropolitan Ave., Suite 140704.335.8884

Kimberly Lawson

The Goddamn Gallows’ psychobilly debauchery – Tonight @ Snug Harbor

Webster’s defines “debauchery” as … oh, hell, you know what it is, if not through personal experience then, like pornography, you know it when you see it. This psychobilly-and-then-some band from Lansing, Mich., celebrates it onstage like few others, pulling in elements of gypsy music and punk rock to spice things up. Long-player titles like…

John Schacht

Illbotz’s well-made hip-hop – Tonight @ The Milestone

Illbotz’s songs may be driven by punch lines, but this Roanoke group’s rapping is no joke. Emcees Stevie D (sometimes seen wearing a DVD case on a necklace, Flava Flav style) and Big Perm trade comedic rhymes with Run DMC-style precision while addressing such nerd-happy topics as zombies and the Nintendo Powerglove. DJ Samson, who…

Corbie Hill

Carolina Chocolate Drops keep it real – Tonight @ Neighborhood Theatre

A lineup change has modernized the old-time string music base of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, but they still hold true to the traditions they embody. The February 2011 departure of Justin Robinson has led to the addition of his replacement, Hubby Jenkins, in addition to beatboxer Adam Matta. While Matta can add beats when necessary,…

Desiree Kane

Duke Energy: Lower rates for the poor? You’re kidding, right?

The ongoing wrangling before the N.C. Utilities Commission over Duke Energy’s request for a rate hike has become pretty good theater. The parade of executives, politicians, protesters and various experts are providing a snapshot of current politics, competing ideas about energy, and — to the point here — a peek into the corporate mindset at…

John Grooms

The Carolina Chocolate Drops — Dec. 3 @ Neighborhood Theatre

With a new lineup and ever-increasing national prominence, the Carolina Chocolate Drops’ sound continues to evolve. But the Triangle-area band’s mission remains the same — keeping the tradition of old-time black string music alive. Before you go see the Chocolate Drops at the Neighborhood Theatre this weekend, check out this 30-minute performance on Wisconsin Public…

Mark Kemp

More information about Queen City Q

Remember when I blogged about being followed by Queen City Q on Twitter? Well, here’s some more information, courtesy of a recent press release. Boom! Charlotte Entrepreneurs to Create Jobs With Great BBQ Teams With Award Winning Restaurateur to Open Queen City Q Charlotte, NC (November 30, 2011) — Bryan Meredith and Sue Johnston have…

Kimberly Lawson

Hometown hero Anthony Hamilton – Tonight @ The Fillmore Charlotte

What more can be said about one of Charlotte’s best soul exports? Hamilton’s consistency is what has separated him from other artists in the city. A steady stream of critical acclaimed hasn’t changed the hallmarks of his music, which remains honest, soulful and gritty. You have to expect something special for his hometown audience, especially…

Mike McCray

Repeal of Racial Justice Act isn’t racist — yeah, right

On Monday, the N.C. Senate voted to repeal the 2009 Racial Justice Act, which allowed judges in death penalty cases to consider statistical evidence of historic racial bias. The repeal now goes to Gov. Perdue’s desk. Thus, the 1950s Retread Squadron, also known as the GOP majority in the N.C. General Assembly, continues its battle…

John Grooms

Boom Chick’s primal rock goodness – Tonight @ The Evening Muse

The duo, Frank Hoier (guitar/vocals) and Moselle Spiller (drums), lays on a mess of early rock, blues, garage and rockabilly with a punk urgency. Using vintage drums and raggedy guitars, their music is conducive to glorious lo-fi that’s rambunctious and raw, releasing the energy of primal rock. RIYL: Flat Duo Jets, Dexter Romweber Duo. $7.…

Samir Shukla

New curfew is all about uptown’s fear of young blacks

The Charlotte City Council has a lot of important issues on its plate, and its members are elected to take care of them. Sometimes, though, like all legislative bodies, they waste their time on issues over which they have very little control, in order to give voters the impression that they’re doing something valuable. Yesterday,…

John Grooms

Sustainable style: Rachel Martin’s eco-home improvement

Rachel Martin has taken the concept of “going green” far beyond her day job. In addition to running an environmentally savvy graphic design firm — Rachel Martin Design (www.rachelmartindesign.com) — she owns a spacious eco-friendly condo in Wesley Heights. The modern three-story, 2,000-square-foot rectangular structure with a white institutionalized-like exterior is situated in Celadon, an…

Anita Overcash

Legalize it!: N.C. House Bill 577, aka the medical cannabis act

Take a look at the current N.C. General Assembly legislative calendar and you’ll find one thing missing: discussion of House Bill 577 — the medical cannabis act. The bill seeks to create a state law that would protect people who use marijuana for treatment of conditions including HIV, cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, hepatitis C, Lou Gehrig’s…

Cheris Hodges

Triumph of the trivial: Why TV news sucks

It’s not exactly a secret that TV news can be shallow. You know it, I know it, and after a drink or two, plenty of TV news employees will tell you they know it, too. Naturally, some broadcasts and reporters are better than others, but overall, TV news is constrained by some of the habits…

John Grooms

Smart, striking gift books

As usual during the holidays, bookstores (sans the late, lamented Borders) are loaded with gift books, otherwise known as “coffee table books” The lousy economy means there are fewer new gift books than we were accustomed to way back in, say, 2007, but there’s one advantage, too: Some excellent gift books published in the past…

John Grooms

Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files

rated PG-13 for Violence: Police responded to a disturbance at Regal Phillips Place Stadium 10 last week after two men were fighting. A 20-year-old man told officers that he was sitting in the movie theater when another man punched him in the face, bloodying his nose. The victim and suspect then took it outside to…

Ryan Pitkin

Weekly horoscope (Nov. 30-Dec. 6)

Sagittarius The Archer (Nov. 22-Dec. 20) Give special attention to unusual messages or to new people who enter your life during this time. A “teacher” crosses your path in the form of a person, a book or the right message that will steer you in the next favorable direction. You may have heard this message…

Vivian Carol

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Nov. 30

ABDUCTION Sure, it’s easy to pick on the Twilight guy. Because who’s gonna rush to his defense other than smitten Team Jacob fans? Make no mistake about it: Abduction, in which Taylor Lautner is handed his first starring role in a motion picture, will never, ever, ever be mistaken for a good movie. But the…

Matt Brunson

Chakra calm: Fern blossoms in Plaza Midwood

Jill Marcus and Karen Teed’s sophisticated new vegetarian restaurant, Fern: Flavors from the Garden, has been doing brisk business since opening in October. The space exudes the kind of well-worn earthy charm we’ve come to expect from Marcus and Teed. Unfinished wood table tops are set with forged utensils, artichoke salt and peppers, and mason…

Tricia Childress

3 questions with Kristian Pedersen, owner of Valhalla Pub & Eatery

Norway native Kristian Pedersen is a warrior of Brevard Court. The owner of Vintage Wine Lounge, Courtyard Hooligans and Valhalla Pub & Eatery — all of which operate in the quarters — Pederson took to the restaurant biz three years ago. His exclusively Scandinavian restaurant, Valhalla Pub & Eatery (317 S. Church St.), is his…

Anita Overcash

Is this the end of The Chelsea Daggers?

The first Chelsea Daggers concert I witnessed also happened to be the band’s first show. The trio hit the Snug Harbor stage in May with a tight performance fueled by thunderous rock ‘n’ roll. In the six months since, the band has toured the Southeast, with a few occasional gigs here in its hometown, and…

Jeff Hahne

CD review: Scapegoat’s I Am Alien

Zestone; Release date: Sept. 3, 2011 Charlotte rock quintet Scapegoat’s fifth album, I Am Alien, merges melody with metal forging forward on the same path the band created over its 12 years together. Hitting the ground running, the title track kicks things off with technical riffs, thundering drums and Kit Walters’ singing and screaming. The…

Jeff Hahne

CD Review: Tom Waits’ Bad As Me

Anti-; Release date: Oct. 25, 2011 By now, we’re all familiar with Tom Waits’ characters — the wild-eyed Carney barker, the devil’s bluesman, the cabaret trickster, the barstool balladeer. The entire cast shows up for Waits’ first record of freshly penned music since 2004’s Real Gone, and they suggest the 61-year-old hasn’t lost a thing…

John Schacht

Pulling accounts from the unaccountable

Less than a month after Occupy Wall Street began, a group was gathered in New York’s historical Washington Square Park, in the heart of Greenwich Village. This was a moment of critical growth for the movement, with increasing participation from the thousands of students attending the cluster of colleges and universities there. A decision was…

Amy Goodman

Kimberly Wilkinson

This young, bubbly entrepreneur brings a whole lot of fun to shopping and style: it’s no wonder she’s is the mastermind behind Vivian B, a women’s clothing and accessory shop in NoDa. Kimberly Wilkinson lives, breathes and dreams fashion forward. From her boutique to her own closet, her style is the real deal. Whether you…

Lauren Blake

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