Oct 5-11, 2010

Oct 5-11, 2010 / Vol. 24 / No. 32

Hey, media! Less Panthers, more baseball!

Do you know someone who watched the entire Panthers vs. Bears game yesterday? If so, please be nice to that person today; they’ve suffered enough. In today’s daily paper, sports writer Scott Fowler, after a few weeks of pretending otherwise, states the obvious: this year’s Panthers are the worst team in the NFL. Some fans…

Anthrax + Fall Out Boy + Every Time I Die = The Damned Things

There’s a new supergroup to keep an eye on — this one combines Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax with singer Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die and Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley. The result is something heavy enough to be called metal but melodic enough to find plenty of…

Who’s the saddest candidate in America?

One of the most striking things about the 2010 election season has been the number of candidates we can only describe as “sad.” Sad can mean a lot of things, but we’re determined to pin things down and hand out our new “Saddest Candidate” award. So who are the contenders, and what kind of “sad”…

Weekend events (Oct. 8-9)

Today’s listing of events for the weekend is brought to you by this lovely white mocha frappe I’m sipping on. Gah. Don’t you love Fridays? Friday, Oct. 8 • Did you know that Stoli is doing a Hugh Hefner’s Limited Edition Playboy Bottle? Stoli Orange! Town Tavern is hosting a Bunny Party to commemorate the…

Lord of the ring

When it comes to men, one thing I never looked for while subconsciously surveying the terrain was a wedding ring — until recently.

Jackasses have free speech rights, too

Do followers of nutcase preacher Fred Phelps have a constitutional right to picket the funerals of American soldiers? That’s what the Supreme Court is trying to decide, after an appeals court overturned a $5 million jury verdict against Phelps and his church, Westboro Baptist, for “intentional infliction of emotional distress” and “invasion of privacy.” Phelps…

Can marijuana save the Democrats?

With less than a month to go before the midterm election, Democrats are scratching their collective ass and asking themselves if the can they get young people out to vote by putting pot legalization on the ballot. Ummm … what do you think? To everyone besides Democratic political strategists, who apparently like to sit on…

Official meetings, tweets, and douchebags

Last night, as you know by now, the County Commission rejected Bill James’ latest attempt to crap on anyone who differs from his archaic views. It doesn’t matter who it is — blacks, gays, immigrants, he doesn’t care — as long as they’re politically weaker than white men in suits, James will gladly bully them.…

Bill James says let U.S. citizen babies stay sick for all he cares

As we wrote here last week, America’s current shit storm, aka the immigration policy debate, is hitting Charlotte. County Commissioner Bill James intends to propose tonight that the Department of Social Services be ordered to hand over a detailed list of all undocumented immigrants who have applied for DSS help. Seeing that it would be…

Flavors of the Pacific Northwest @ The Capital Grille

The Capital Grille debuted their new prix fixe dinner menu “Flavors of the Pacific Northwest” a couple weeks ago. I was able to enjoy the fresh fall flavors myself last week when I stopped by to check out the 3-course dinner. The beef tenderloin was perfectly cooked and accompanied with an assortment of luscious mushrooms.…

This week’s new releases (10/5/2010)

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s new in stores this week: The Avett Brothers Live, Volume 3 Down Diary of a Mad Band Fistful of Mercy As I Call You Down Guster Easy Wonderful Toby Keith Bullets in the Gun Joe Satriani Black Swans & Wormhole Wizards KT Tunstall Tiger Suit

Tonight’s Top 5, 10/05/10

The top five nightlife-related events going down tonight, Oct. 5, as chosen from the folks at Creative Loafing. • Open bar (with $12 cover charge) at Tilt from 8 p.m.-midnight) • Young Affiliates of the Mint’s monthly happy hour at Andrew Blair’s (1/2 price wine tonight) • Deadbolt w/ The Belmont Playboys & The Aqualads…

Upcoming: Grand reopening of Niche

In case you hadn’t heard, Niche is under new ownership, and if you follow their updates on the Facebook page, you’ll find that they’re freshening up the space and the brands they offer. They will officially reopen on Saturday, Oct. 9, and a Sebago rep will be there for a trunk show and a giveaway.…

DANCE: Dracula

Vampires are all the rage right now. Unfortunately, the quality of these blood-loving biters has strayed from ruthless fiend to sparkling sentimentalist (Thanks a lot, Twilight). North Carolina Dance Theatre has chosen to summon a classic in the vein with performances of Dracula. Mark Godden’s gothic ballet uses a mysterious blend of bats, transformations and…

N.C. could power entire state with wind energy

Duke Energy needs to get behind a U.S. Senate bill to spur investment and production of offshore wind energy. When Duke recently announced it was canning its three-turbine project in Pamlico Sound, it said larger-scale wind projects offshore are more promising; the problem, however, is that the company doesn’t have plans for those, either. Long…

ART: Charlotte Fine Art & Craft Show

Art is plentiful during The 3rd Annual Charlotte Fine Art & Craft Show at The Park Expo & Conference Center. Local and regional artists will be selling an array of original and handmade works, such as paintings (like the one pictured by Wan Marsh), glass, sculptures, jewelry, photography and more. You can buy or browse,…

The Social Network: Facebook face-off

Like the screwball comedies and film noir staples of yore, The Social Network exhibits an extraordinary gift for gab. Words fly like machine gun strafes, and arguments generally end with the more verbally adroit speaker standing over the other person like a wave that’s managed to tumble a surfer. If screenwriting was considered a sport,…

MUSIC: Gwar

Those of you who don’t like fake blood (and other bodily fluids), should stay away from the front rows at a Gwar concert. The monster shock rock clan is known for splattering the crowd with its “juices” during its raunchy, over-the-top performances. The group also picks celebrities and other figures from the news to mock…

Let Me In a welcome remake

The world needed an immediate remake of Sweden’s 2008 Let the Right One In about as much as it needed another vampire flick, yet the good news is that Let Me In can hardly be construed as a shoddy, cash-in-quick product. Crafted with extreme care by writer-director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield), this is that rare retelling…

FILM: The Exterminating Angel

As part of The Light Factory’s “Dreams In Motion” film series, you can watch the 1962 film The Exterminating Angel tonight. Directed by Luis Bunuel, the flick revolves around a group of bourgeois cosmopolitans who are invited to a mansion for dinner and find themselves unable to leave. In Spanish with English subtitles. Held in…

Funding, support increases for Hispanic artists, art groups

Festival Latino Americano (aka the Latin American Festival) will celebrate two decades in Charlotte when it kicks off its annual festivities on Oct. 10 at Symphony Park, highlighting the diversity of Latino culture through dance, food, visual arts and music. Organizers of the festival, The Latin American Coalition (Charlotte’s oldest and largest Hispanic service agency),…

THEATER: Reefer Madness: The Musical

Let’s be blunt. Marijuana isn’t quite as dangerous as some extreme church folks made it out to be in the late 1930s film, Tell Your Children. The cautionary flick — in an effort to expose the “evils” of smoking — exaggerates the drug’s effects on users, who go horrifyingly insane after a puff. When rediscovered…

CL previews upcoming concerts (Oct. 6-11)

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 6 NATALIE GELMAN UNC Charlotte’s Union Unplugged series continues with this acoustic, indie rock singer/songwriter. Gelman cut her teeth as a street performer in the N.Y.C. subway and roller-bladed 1,500 miles up the East Coast from Miami to NYC for charity to mark the release of her debut album. The disc received 4…

FESTIVAL: Ciao, Italia! Festival

Pizza-tossing is serious business. To avoid a disaster (and enjoy a tasty, crisper crust) you need to possess culinary skills or else you might be scraping dough from the floor (and that would just be gross). Luckily, Siler Chapman, a world champion pizza acrobat, is making a special appearance to demonstrate his own tricks of…

Latin American Festival food comes to SouthPark

Homesick? Want a taste of your travels or places you would like to go? If you’re going south, the trip may be shorter than you think. On Sunday, Oct. 10, you’ll be able to have cachapas and churrasquinhos in nearby SouthPark. Festival Latino Americano: The Latin American Festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year,…

The Credeaux Canvas explores various issues

Within the past month, a new playwright’s work has burst upon the local scene, presented by two small companies, Edge Theatre Company down in Rock Hill and, just this past weekend, the new Actor’s Gallery Theatre Company at Story Slam. Together, the two dramas by Keith Bunin, The Busy World Is Hushed and The Credeaux…

Local musicians pick their favorite area performers

The music critics who write every week in the pages of Creative Loafing and daily online at our music blog Qcvibes.com are constantly sharing their opinions of the good, bad and the ugly of the Charlotte music scene. But this issue, instead of once again telling you who you should be watching and listening to,…

Exhibit: Charlotte Fine Art & Craft Show

Art is plentiful during The 3rd Annual Charlotte Fine Art & Craft Show on Oct. 9 and 10. Local and regional artists will be selling an array of original works, such as paintings (like the one pictured by Wan Marsh), glass, sculptures, jewelry, photography and more. You can buy or browse, but either way, you’ll…

3 questions with Chef Frank, executive chef

The one thing men may love more than women is a heaping plate of drool-worthy food. At The Men’s Club, Chef Frank Van Den Bosch’s leadership in the kitchen has made it so that the offered culinary delights actually rival the visual spectacles for attention. Hailing from Holland, he came to Charlotte when he was…

Event: The 15 Project

This fall, talk show viewers will have more than just Jay, Conan and Letterman to watch; visual artist Fahamu Pecou plans to get in on the act with The 15 Project. A live talk show hosted by Pecou, The 15 Project features him interviewing guests (local tastemakers, celebrities and more) and providing a stage for…

What’s brewing? CL‘s local CD Homebrew

For years, I’ve always known that people are reticent to support music that they don’t know. They’ll shell out $5 on a beer or $10 on a movie, but when it comes to going to a concert, they hesitate to spend the money. In 2008, I decided to try my best to help the local…

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files

Superboy: A man called police last week to report that a man was shooting a shotgun into the air outside of his house. When officers arrived, the suspect admitted to shooting at the sky but nothing else. It was later reported by a 10-year-old boy that the suspect had actually been shooting at him and…

CD REVIEW: Paleface’s One Big Party

The Deal: Concord-based duo Paleface releases its second Ramseur Records album. The Good: One of the New York anti-folk scenesters from the mid-’90s, Paleface has quickly established his own identity in recent years. This follow-up to his 2009 album, The Show is On the Road, takes a simpler straightforward approach, focusing on songwriting and emotions.…

Did loose lips actually sink any ships?

I ran across the phrase “loose lips sink ships” on the sports page the other day (in some article about Twittering athletes harming their teams). I know this was part of a WWII propaganda campaign to keep civilians from talking about troop movements and shipping schedules. But did loose lips actually sink any ships? That…

Benefit show planned for local blues singer Robin Rogers

The blues is a feeling. It’s pain, suffering and hard times. Historically, singing about it has helped to ease the pain, letting others know they aren’t the only ones suffering. The best communicators are the ones who have lived it. Robin Rogers sings the blues with all her heart and soul. She’s been there, and…

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Oct. 6

THE AMERICAN The title would suggest that here’s a film reminiscent of Mom and apple pie; in truth, it has more in common with Padre and panna cotta. Deliberately paced and artfully rendered, this frequently feels like an Antonioni knockoff whose prints ended up at the multiplexes instead of the art-houses. George Clooney stars as…

CD REVIEW: Anna Bullard’s Split Heart

The Deal: Charlotte songstress Anna Bullard releases debut, 11-song CD. The Good: Split Heart kicks off with a vocal, immediately letting the listener know what’s going to be front center for the duration of the disc. Bullard’s voice is reminiscent of Zooey Deschanel of She & Him — enough sweetness to be soothing and enough…

Case 39: By the numbers

The horror flick Case 39 is one of those unwanted Hollywood bastards, a production that was completed years ago and has even been released in other territories but is only now making its stateside debut. Just how old is this picture? Let’s just say that when filming began, David O. Selznick was still combing the…

Nightlife profile: Ann Quagliato

  Ann Quagliato is not much of a poet, but she loves poetry. Maybe that’s why she, along with co-owners Kelly Oyama and Devian Richmond, are the proprietors of Wine Up, the longest running poetry spot (over six years) in the Queen City. The NoDa establishment started out as a beer and wine bar and…

Verdict in Montgomery trial answers few questions

The trial is over, but things still don’t quite add up. Last week, a jury convicted Demetrius Montgomery of first-degree murder in the killing of two police officers. But did he act alone? For more than three years, I’ve waited for an answer to that question, but the trial just left me with more questions…

Rich Man, Poor Man among new DVD releases

THE BLACK CAULDRON (1985) / BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991). After years of middling animated fare that failed to match Walt Disney Pictures’ earlier classics — let’s face it, the likes of Robin Hood and The Aristocats can hardly compare to such masterpieces as Pinocchio and Lady and the Tramp — The Black Cauldron was…

FBI raids and the criminalization of dissent

Early in the morning on Friday, Sept. 24, FBI agents in Chicago and Minnesota’s Twin Cities kicked in the doors of anti-war activists, brandishing guns, spending hours rifling through their homes. The FBI took away computers, photos, notebooks and other personal property. Residents were issued subpoenas to appear before a grand jury in Chicago. It…

Sins of Bishop Eddie Long’s academic past

You’d have to be dead or unconscious to not have heard about the church scandal seen around the world. Bishop “Dead Wrong” Eddie Long — the man who built the mega New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, which spawned another branch here in Charlotte — is under fire for charges that he allegedly coerced…

Weekly horoscope Oct. 6-12

Libra The Scales (Sept. 22-Oct. 22) It is time to keep your nose to the grindstone and do the “grunt” work that is at the basis of creativity. You are working hard to blend a new concept with an older concept in order to create a revised version. Sidestep the tendency to be critical of…

ART: Troubled Life: A Commemoration of Edgar Allan Poe

Art meets literature during the Culture Initiative’s Troubled Life: A Commemoration of Edgar Allan Poe at Baku Art Gallery. The opening reception — to take place on the night of Poe’s mysterious death — is set for Oct. 7, from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. For the exhibition, participating artists were assigned to create artwork for a…

Where to find it: Harissa

  Move over, Sriracha, harissa is the coolest hot condiment around. It’s so trendy, jars of it can be found at Crate & Barrel at the SouthPark Mall ($5.95 for a 10-ounce jar). Harissa has its roots in northern Africa, specifically Tunisia. The best Tunisian harissa comes from chilies grown in two coastal towns of…


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