Cover Story
Music Issue 2011: Meet the promoters fueling Charlotte’s eclectic music landscape
Indie rock, EDM, jazz, hip-hop and Latin music – local promoters bring the noise to area venues
3 questions with Chris Duggan, Cast Iron Waffles owner
A two-item menu, a suburban location, and the rim of a recession spell trouble for a restaurant. Nevertheless, the buzz around Cast Iron Waffles is growing like neighborhood gossip. Last October, entrepreneur Chris Duggan and his wife Krista opened their own restaurant and made it a home for two specialties: Liege waffles and espresso. The…
This week’s new releases (10/11/2011)
A quick rundown of what’s new in stores this week.
Bar Charlotte, 10/7/11
Bikinis, bull-riding and Bar Charlotte. Need we say more?
Live review: Nurses, Dominant Legs
Bands fail to disappoint small Tremont Music Hall crowd on Oct. 8, 2011.
Creative Loafing has been sold, but not down the river
SouthComm, the company that owns the Nashville Scene, Kansas City Pitch and Louisville, Kentucky’s Leo Weekly, has acquired CL’s papers in Charlotte and Tampa.
A year later, BofA and Wells still fabricating documents to speed up foreclosures
Little has actually changed in Charlotte’s two mega-banks’ mortgage practices.
Live review: Aterciopelados
Rock en Español innovators entertain record crowd at Latin American Festival on Oct. 9, 2011.
Great way to celebrate Columbus Day
Passing along an e-card from an old friend.
Live review: Joshua James
Poetic 25-year-old transcends the folk genre.
How will Charlotte become a fit city with 30 Bojangles’?
Thirty Bojangles’ in one city? Why?
Occupy Charlotte: Working out the glitches
Concerns about media waking sleeping occupiers.
A progressive governor? Perdue is against a same-sex marriage ban
Governor is against marriage ban. General Assembly is out of touch.
Today’s Top 5: Monday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Theater review: The Women
The current Old Courthouse Theatre production of Clare Boothe Luce’s The Women is full of leading ladies.
UPDATED: CMPD holds Occupy Charlotte press conference
Police plan to mediate and protect; would not speculate on how many occupiers will attend Saturday event.
Friday Film Reviews: The Ides of March, Real Steel, Dream House
Here’s what’s newly covered on the cinema scene.
Hunger inducing exhibits
New art exhibits at Ciel Gallery and Mint Hill Arts may cause hunger.
RE:Public, 10/5/11
Pop Life, the weekly Wednesday night shindig at RE:Public, hosted a Courvoisier Rose Launch Party.
SoBo Loft Boutique and Gifts hosts grand opening
The sheer amount of merchandise they have on deck, from gifts to jewelry to stationary and more, is enough to keep you perusing for hours on end.
How about an Occupy Charlotte theme song?
Here’s wishing good luck and success to participants in the Occupy Charlotte events tomorrow, starting at 3 p.m. at Old City Hall on 4th St. If the Occupy Wall St./D.C./Charlotte/etc. movement needs a theme song, we have a suggestion: “No Banker Left Behind,” from Ry Cooder’s recent album Pull Up Some Dust and Sit Down.…
Tracklisting announced for Homebrew Vol. 5
All 15 bands featured on compilation CD announced.
Palin bows out, world smirks
Raise your hand if you give a flying damn whether Sarah Palin runs for president. On a day when cultural giant Steve Jobs died and the nation’s attention was increasingly gripped by the Occupy Wall Street protests, Palin’s announcement that she’s not running in 2012 got what it deserved: minimal coverage and a big collective…
Today’s Top 5: Friday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Film series screening offers Howling good time
Modern werewolf classic will be shown this Monday at the Neighborhood Theatre.
Live review: Other Lives
Opening band for Mates of State show at Visulite Theatre leaves lasting impression.
Weekender, Oct. 7-9
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend.
GOP pushes for vote on amendment to coal-ash regulations
If you’ve got something to say about coal ash, now is the time.
Opening Friday
What’s new in theaters this weekend.
It’s official! Rand Paul is a goofball moron
There’s an incredible story on the Mother Jones website about U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). It seems that Paul, the supposedly really bright son of Rep. Ron Paul, sent out an alarmed message to his fans and supporters, telling them that the United Nations is coming for their guns. He warned them that the UN…
Charlotte films honored at upcoming ceremony
Film awards ceremony / costume party to be held this Monday.
Listen to voices from Wednesday’s #OccupyUNCC
Listen to the students explain their walk out in their own words.
ProPublica: “Secret Docs Show Foreclosure Watchdog Doesn’t Bark or Bite”
Charlotte’s banks are all up in this.
A so-called tent sale, courtesy of The Furniture Connector, High Cotton
On Saturday, Oct. 8, more than 30,000 square feet of South End will be taken over by a humongous sale.
Today’s Top 5: Thursday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
DeVondia Roseborough to be profiled on Morning Express with Robin Meade
AIDS activist to be featured on HLN.
Police make an arrest in sex assault and robbery
Charlotte Mecklenburg Police apprehended a suspect in yesterday’s robbery and sexual assault.From the police: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Detectives have arrested Daven Lorenzo Teeter, B/M, DOB: 03/07/1990 in relation to this case. He was arrested at the 1800 block of Vinton Street and charged with 1st Degree Rape, 1st Degree Sex Offense, 1st Degree Kidnapping (2 counts),…
No, BofA didn’t have to go all ‘Bankster’
A blog post we wrote Friday about Bank of America’s thrilling new $5 customer debit card fee inspired a slew of reader comments, including an argument that’s become popular among the Fox News crowd: Blame the government! The Dodd-Frank law, you see, lowered fees that debit-card companies can charge retailers, and so, the argument goes,…
DeVondia Roseborough to be profiled on HLN’s Morning Express with Robin Meade
AIDS activist to be featured on Morning Express.
The Ides of March trailer
Political drama opens this Friday, Oct. 7.
Item of the Week: Gourd Jewelry
Who knew the secret ingredient to gorgeous jewelry would be right in your coffee canister or local produce section?
Grab tickets for Lights! Camera! Fashion!
General tickets are still available!
Crawl Space: Martique Lorray
This local artist works to draw out stories from viewers.
Swig: How to make Sullivan’s Steakhouse Bacardi Light Mojito
Bartender Kate Bender walks us through the steps to make this refreshing drink.
Style Stalker: Ricki Wilson
The latest subject of our Web series says, “I hate full prices”
Protesters urge college-student walkout on Wednesday
Are you participating? Tell us why.
Today’s Top 5: Wednesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Concert announcement: Marsha Ambrosius
Floetry singer coming to the Fillmore in November.
Restless trailer
Drama opens this Friday, Oct. 7.
Democratic National Convention 2012 Notebook: Party visitors offer starkly different views of government
It was a tale of two visions of government. And when politicians from both parties came through Charlotte with plans on what it’s going to take to get the country back to work, the difference was stark.
Roasting oysters … well, not really … at Growlers
It’s oysters and beer, but so much more than that.
Cottage Chic has a new breast friend
Fighting breast cancer with home decor has to be one of the best ideas.
Bob Crawford on leave from Avett Brothers
Bassist is focused on the health of his daughter.
Scott Partridge’s Lost x Found exhibit
Scott Partridge speaks to CL about his upcoming exhibit.
Live review: Voltaire, This Way to the Egress, Hellblinki
Unique atmosphere invades the Milestone for one-of-a-kind night.
This week’s new releases (10/4/2011)
Feist, Zola Jesus, New Found Glory, Mutemath release new albums.
Who are the 99 percent?
We are — and you probably are, too.
New Walmart skirting stormwater regulations?
Way to be a good neighbor!
Today’s Top(less) 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events to get you hot and bothered with or without a date.
Is the government spraying stuff into the atmosphere to protect us?
On the History Channel’s Ancient Aliens series, they said aliens came to earth to mine gold in order to protect their atmosphere. On radio’s Coast to Coast AM, they said our government is shooting gold into the atmosphere to protect us from gamma rays. How do they get the gold to stay up in the…
Blogger Brooke Gibbons’ home offers a sense of nostalgia
The faded wood pie safe is the one piece of furniture that sums up Brooke Gibbons’ two-story home in Steele Creek. She found it at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo, and it looks like something you’d see in a diner, only without the original doors or hardware. Inside, you’ll find a collection of teacups and saucers,…
Weekly horoscope (Oct. 5-11)
Libra The Scales (Sept. 22-Oct. 22) This is a tremendously busy week. You are concentrating on multiple tasks. You are pulling things together that are symbolic of who you have become and what you have learned, especially over the last two years. This is a month of achievement and also one that represents a new…
Camila Amortegui, jewelry maker
Find out where she gets inspiration for her fringe earring collection.
Bridesmaids, Dead Alive, “Manos” The Hands of Fate among new home entertainment titles
BRIDESMAIDS (2011). Bridesmaids arrived with the look, feel and attendant buzz of a sleeper hit, but its $169 million haul and solid critical support (90% over at Rotten Tomatoes) doubtless exceeded any studio suit’s wildest expectations. Judd Apatow is one of its producers, and the film certainly falls in line more with his brand of…
The Ides of March: Et tu, George?
Friends, Charlotteans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Clooney, not to praise him. It’s not that I love Clooney less, but that I love good movies more. And for huge chunks at a time, The Ides of March is a good movie. What’s more, director-producer-cowriter-star George Clooney is not only a fine…
Krazy Fish finds a home in the belly of the East
Early in the aughts, ultra-themed restaurants had a “no expense is too great for the ambiance” approach to the dining experience. Ambitiously swank establishments popped up throughout Charlotte. But the current economic climate allows diners to explore all levels of creative design — even décor — on a budget. Now comes Krazy Fish, a creation…
Real Steel: Heavy metal, soft heart
Not nearly as awful as its premise and previews might lead one to believe — hey, how’s that for a ringing endorsement? — Real Steel should prove to be a modest surprise to those who had been expecting nothing more than a Transformers-style blend of CGI cacophony and callow characterizations. Although loosely based on a…
Dream House: Not worth the asking price
Between its tell-all trailer and its tell-all poster, there’s not much to tell about Dream House except that it’s a crushing disappointment considering all the Herculean talent on display. A bastard child of a movie that got caught in one of those ugly divorces between a studio and a filmmaker, this was wrested away from…
Bo White of Kinnikinnik Records helps shed light on Charlotte’s underground
Rock music has always relied on independent labels to capture vibrant underground scenes that the big brutes don’t deem worth their financial time. Bo White has been doing that for a slice of Charlotte’s underground scene since 2004, when as a 23-year-old musician, he began Kinnikinnik Records, a limited-release label and promotions vehicle that put…
Mindelixir brings parishioners to Bass Church
Bill Schimel isn’t into the status quo. Best known as Mindelixir, the do-it-all DJ, promoter and manager has a blatant disregard for how things are normally done with electronic-music show structures — talented but disregarded local acts buried under a big-name headliner. What started out as his idea for a small local gathering has turned…
Tony Arreaza introduces new Latin flavors to local scene
Aterciopelados headlining the 21st Annual Festival Latino Americano on Oct. 9 is not only a sign the Latin music scene in the Charlotte region is gaining strength, but also a signal that hard work truly pays off. Tony Arreaza, events manager for the Latin American Coalition since 2008, has booked shows in the area for…
Sa-Idah Harley sparks up jazz series
Charlotte’s difficulty attracting touring musicians is well-documented, and complaints about it often overshadow the city’s own fertile music scene. Fight or flight is a typical reaction, and 31-year-old Sa-Idah Harley — who goes by “Sai” — knows this better than most. She’s tried both on more than one occasion. It’s a good thing Harley, a…
Gregg McCraw uses MaxxMusic to book numerous venues
Every promoter faces challenges — risks, expenses — when trying to book bands for a particular venue, but imagine trying to book shows in nearly 10 different locations. That’s the task Gregg McCraw faces on a regular basis while promoting and booking shows under the MaxxMusic monicker at venues including The Evening Muse and Double…
Mike Kitchen works to break artists in the Charlotte market
Remember when Esperanza Spalding shockingly won the Best New Artist Grammy in February? Mike Kitchen, who puts on shows under the name The Sol Kitchen, wasn’t surprised. The 40-year-old promoter brought her to Charlotte for a concert at the Knight Theater in 2010. He’s got an eye for talent like that and consistently brings acts…
Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Oct. 5
BAD TEACHER It’s no Bad Santa, but Bad Teacher brings just enough naughty behavior to the table to make it a decent watch for viewers tired of PG-13 timidity. In her best role since 2005’s underrated In Her Shoes, Cameron Diaz plays Elizabeth Halsey, a gold-digging middle-school teacher who, having just been dumped by her…
Troy Davis and the machinery of death
On Sept. 21 at 7 p.m., Troy Anthony Davis was scheduled to die. I was reporting live from outside Georgia’s death row in Jackson, awaiting news about whether the Supreme Court would spare his life. Davis was sentenced to death for the murder of off-duty Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail in 1989. Seven of the…
Exhibit: Sew E.A. Poe and Organic Landscapes
Organic Landscapes features photography by Diane Hughes, while Sew E.A. Poe showcases gothic-style works by textile artist Danielle Crane. At the opening reception on Oct. 6 (from 7 p.m.-10 p.m.), folks can indulge in wine and refreshments while listening to literary readings of works by Edgar Allan Poe and Washington Irving. Exhibit continues through Oct.…
Are Dr. Michael Land’s submachine gun-toting ways crazy or what?
That’s crazy,” said my friend Dee. “Yeah, it kinda is,” I replied. “Kind of?” shot back Dee. “People like that are lunatics, I don’t care what your uncles did.” Dee and I have had this sort of conversation before, this latest back-and-forth brought on by a news story about Dr. Michael Land, a gynecologist in…
Exhibit: American Women
Elder Gallery is paying tribute to works created specifically by leading ladies in contemporary art from across the United States. Eleven women — Martha Armstrong, Cheryl Chapman, Cora Cohen, Mary Erickson, Claire Miller Hopkins, Cathryn Miles, Stephanie Neely, Jane Allen Nodine, Anne Raymond (see her pictured painting “Quiet”), Betty Anglin Smith and Angelita Surmon —…
Greenpeace leader Kumi Naidoo brings strong message to Charlotte
During his visit to Charlotte last week, Kumi Naidoo, the international executive director of Greenpeace, had some harsh words about energy executives, Democrats and the Democratic National Convention, which will be held here next September. “The very fact that [Duke Energy CEO] Jim Rogers was appointed as the co-chair is a very big statement about…
Center City Gallery offers a gentle push out of the comfort zone
When UNC Charlotte’s Center City Building opened to the public on Sept. 17 with a flurry of art, performance and other presentations, it wasn’t an isolated event or a community obligation to check off a list. It was an expression of a philosophy. Because of its suburban location, the university has long been dogged by…
Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files
14 Shots to the Dome, please: A 20-year-old man called police after his life was threatened in the Steele Creek area last week. He said he was in the parking lot of his apartment complex with friends when a man approached with a gun. The suspect pointed it at the victim and asked, “Where do…
Billionaires apparel line targets the EDM crowd
Charlotte designer Drew Burdick merges music and style
Today’s Top 5: Tuesday
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today.
Best bets in Charlotte comedy, Oct. 4-9
Here are a few of the best places to find comedy events in Charlotte this week.
Aterciopelados set to play Latin American Festival this weekend
Colombian rocker Andrea Echeverri has a host of reasons to put on airs. Her band, Aterciopelados, has won two Latin Grammys, been honored by the United Nations for denouncing violence, and was named one of the top three global bands by Time Magazine. And yet, she’d like to be perceived by her millions of fans…
Friday Film Reviews: 50/50, Moneyball, Abduction, Killer Elite, Higher Ground
Here’s what’s newly covered on the cinema scene.
