Oct 5-11, 2005

Oct 5-11, 2005 / Vol. 19 / No. 31

In search of the soul of charlotte

Almost 15 years ago, Spin magazine sent music reporters across the United States, from Miami to Tulsa to Anchorage, to try to find “the soul of rock & roll.” It was 1991, just months before a little trio from Aberdeen, WA, would bring the passion that had been lurking in the wrinkles of popular culture…

CL Recommends

Lovesick Blues: The Life of Hank Williams by Paul Hemphill (Viking hardback). This sparse bio is both a joy and a disappointment, but mostly the former. As a straightforward biography of the country music giant, it’s well-crafted but too short and lacking in detail. But Hemphill, a native Alabaman who has written for years about…

Breaking News

ASHLEY SMITH, FORMER HOSTAGE WHO ALLEGEDLY USED PRAYER TO TALK DOWN HER CAPTOR, NOW SAYS SHE FIRST GAVE HIM CRYSTAL METH The Christian Science Monitor showed amazing foresight back in March when it suggested Smith “has become Jessica Lynch with a crystalline memory. . .” ANNA NICOLE SMITH’S CLAIM ON LATE HUBBY’S $474 MILLION GOES…

The Blotter

Cuts Like A Knife: A couple of young lovers who have lived together for about a month got into an argument in the street outside their home. The woman pulled out a knife and cut her 23-year-old boyfriend across the face, chest and back. The knife-wielding woman was arrested and the boyfriend was treated and…

Sam Boykin

Stargazer

Libra The Scales (Sept. 22 — Oct. 22) Your focus of attention shifts to travel, education and communications. Those who are teaching will have appreciative audiences. Favors and small gifts may come to you through neighbors, siblings and others who routinely traverse your life. For All Signs On Oct. 1, Mars, ancient god of war,…

Vivian Carol

Letters to the editor

Arena Redux I thought your assessment of the Bobcats’ problems were right on (“From Bandwagon to Hearse,” by John Grooms, Sept. 21). I don’t think, however, that Bobcat Johnson should be totally left off the hook. I experienced him to be kind of arrogant with regard to being a “success” here in Charlotte. He has…

Karma Cleanser

Dear Karma Cleanser: So there’s this new guy in my office, Chad, who has a pretty big job being the supervisor to three people and the head of his own department. Because both of us work long hours, we’re often there in the office after the other employees have left the building. I walked into…

From the Editor

On Monday morning, as we were wrapping up what we’ve been calling our “Charlotte soul” issue, I read The Washington Post’s news account of the Sunday Mass held at St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter. “With prayers, tears, hymns and even a handful of humorous T-shirts,” the article began, “more than 1,000 parishioners celebrated…

Mark Kemp

View From The Couch: Cinderella, Unleashed, The Warriors

CINDERELLA (1950). Disney’s version of the timeless fairy tale has lost none of its luster — if anything, it’s added some, thanks to the painstaking efforts to restore the 55-year-old animated treasure for this Platinum Edition release. As with the previous five titles under the Platinum banner, the studio has gone all-out in producing this…

Matt Brunson

In search of the soul of Charlotte

Nick Karres’ Double Door Inn. Just before Christmas 1973, Nick Karres (at left, surrounded by staff) opened the Double Door Inn to a city that had been waiting for a consistent, first-rate live music club. Karres proved to be an astute and bold booker, presenting everything from Charlotte’s first reggae show to full-tilt blues legends,…

Film Clips

New Releases THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED Based on a true story, this handsome drama directed by actor Bill Paxton (his second stint behind the camera, following the muddled thriller Frailty) centers on the 1913 US Open and how a 20-year-old American lad named Francis Ouimet (Shia LaBeouf) finds himself pitted against two British pros…

Matt Brunson

In search of the soul of Charlotte

Scythe (above). Zenas Fewell, known to friends as Scythe, has dreams. Lots of them. But he won’t be found working 70-hour weeks in a corner office to get them. Scythe puts his ambition on paper. The homeless 20-year-old has been writing poetry since he was 13 and has plans for a book, Scythe the Rhyme…

The Wine List

Great Grapes: Wine, Art and Food Festival The outdoor festival offers premier wines and some of the best local, regional and national jazz and blues. www.uncorkthefun.com. Sat., Oct. 8, 12-8 p.m. $15-$20. Symhony Park at SouthPark Mall. 800-830-3976. Wine Classes Fall classes presented by the Carolina Wine Club. www.carolinawineclub.com. Oct. 11: Building a Wine Vocabulary,…

Tasty Delights

Food: primal pleasure or poor man’s crack? I dunno, ask me after I’ve eaten that whole big bowl of buttered popcorn. These hot linx could be appetizers to your own delectable indulgences: just don’t blame me when you fall off the wagon. Scary Foodwww.candyboots.com/wwcards.html The Meatrixwww.themeatrix.com The People’s Republic of Delicious Foodwww.prdf.com/costume.html Food and Advertising…

Little Shiva

Sit & Spin

MORCHEEBA The Antidote Echo Morcheeba has undergone a radical transformation, shedding its electronic skin in favor of jazzy, folk-tinged, orchestral pop. While not as dramatic as Dylan going electric, the group’s acoustic approach and the disc’s relative absence of loops or burbling electro-noise will shock some fans. Morcheeba’s last two albums have been more experimental,…

Kandia Crazy Horse

Jeffrey Williams

How ’bout those political-activist musicians? We got ’em by the boatload here in Charlotte, so what’s the deal on the national level? When activist rock bands hit the big time, their outrage over stuff like the war in Iraq turns to friendly benefit shows for organizations no one disagrees with. And what does this have…

See & Do Picks

Wednesday, October 05 If you caught the clear sound of the Chanticleer vocal ensemble at Belk Theater a couple of seasons ago, you’ll likely want to heed our cock-a-doodle-do and head down to McCelvey Center for a fresh helping. The group delivers slices of a cappella heaven spanning nearly a millennium, including ancient chants, spirituals…

DIY or DIE

Lots of folks have made connections through Creative Loafing. Some folks get dates from the date pages, others have met here and married. Still others have had lovely, one-time encounters replete with latex and extra-virgin olive oil. Brian McKinney made a connection — a musical connection — not long after he sent a letter to…

Timothy C. Davis

Piedmont Pottery Festival

The festival features pottery identification, kick-wheel demos, brick-making, kids activities, displays, food, speakers, music by bluegrass band Kilocycle Kowboys and more. The event celebrates the region’s rich pottery traditions and there will be plenty of pottery for sale. It happens on Sat., Oct. 8 from 10am-4pm at Historic Brattonsville, 1444 Brattonsville Rd., McConnels, SC. The…

Dance Dance Dance

Normally, I bring you the latest video games in this space, but this week I want to tell you about something you should experience. You may not know it, but a dance craze has been sweeping the nation since 1998. It’s not disco, but the floor can light up under you. It doesn’t happen in…

Samantha Gellar

Can Wheeler Win Again?

When she was at the height of her power, former City Council member Lynn Wheeler’s campaign committee met at the Bank of America building. Executives and other influential people dialed for dollars and backed Wheeler’s fundraisers, and the campaign contributions rolled in. After her perennial first place finish in the four-person at-large race, Wheeler would…

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