Oct 5-12, 2016

Oct 5-12, 2016 / Vol. 30 / No. 33

Cover Story

Best of Charlotte 2016

For this year’s Best of Charlotte issue, the staff of Creative Loafing decided to go with a “cosplay” theme. We got excited about the idea of dressing in costumes that channeled our inner heroes and villains, as well as storybook characters (although some of us were left squealing from the heat of a full body…

CL Staff

The Birth of a Nation: Not Black and White

THE BIRTH OF A NATION *** (out of four) DIRECTED BY Nate Parker STARS Nate Parker, Armie Hammer Now as always, it’s important to separate the artist from the art, although in the case of Nate Parker and his motion picture The Birth of a Nation, that’s often difficult to do. In 1994’s Bullets Over…

Matt Brunson

The Girl on the Train: Next Stop, Mediocrity

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN ** (out of four) DIRECTED BY Tate Taylor STARS Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett The herrings in The Girl on the Train might be the usual shade of robust red, but the film itself is largely a bloodless affair, not so much a whodunit as a wellobviouslythatpersondunit. Based on the smash…

Matt Brunson

Power pop group The Posies pops up at alternative venues

We’re not nostalgic about any particular period in our music making,” Ken Stringfellow says, “often to our fans’ frustration.” Speaking from his home in the south of France, Stringfellow is discussing a new musical direction for The Posies, the melodic, hard rocking outfit he founded with fellow guitarist/songwriter Jon Auer in 1988. This fall, The…

Pat Moran

Weekly horoscope (Oct. 6-12)

For All Signs: The archetypal battle in the sky is among power and social justice versus The sovereign rights of the individual. This is symbolic of the birth of the aquarian age. It is a quarrel that will last for much of this decade at multiple levels. If you pay attention, you will see it…

Vivian Carol

Food & Drink

CRITICS’ PICKS Best Pastry Shop Renaissance Pâtisserie Amélie’s may have a French name, but Renaissance Pâtisserie has a French heart. Or, to be more precise, the Frenchest Frenchman that ever lifted an eyebrow. Sylvain Rivet has cooked for some pretty illustrious audiences, and now he’s brought true French pastry to Charlotte. Yes, this is the…

Arts & Entertainment

CRITICS’ PICKS Best Solo Artist Showcase Arthur Brouthers’ Chroma exhibit Held in a warehouse in South End, Arthur Brouthers’ many new works — which made up his Chroma exhibit in June — filled the room with life and color. Vibrant paint globs formulated cell-like bodies and lush landscape scenes via canvass. Brouthers creates the whirling…

City Life

CRITICS’ PICKS Local Hero/Heroine The trans community After finally getting the non-discrimination ordinance they had asked for in 2015, Charlotte’s trans community was shoved into the spotlight early this year when the North Carolina GOP went into a panic and passed House Bill 2, using fear-mongering and claims of danger in the bathrooms. Many from…

Charlotte protests remind us of intersections we can’t ignore

Charlotte. It is here. The metaphorical chickens have come home to roost. Now is the time to have the conversation that’s been a long time in the making, and we have to face it head on. The killing of Keith Scott by an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department symbolized the “final straw” for communities…

Matt Comer

Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files (Oct. 6)

Cross Buzz A man was caught trying to steal a couple beers from a golf course last week, but further investigation showed that he had plenty of other options if he wanted to get turnt on the course. A responding officer stated in the report that the man stole two 12-ounce cans of Rolling Rock,…

Ryan Pitkin

After Dark

CRITICS’ PICKS Jeff’s Bucket Shop Ready to take your shower routine to the main stage? We think the best karaoke spot in the Queen City is none other than Jeff’s Bucket Shop. Tucked at the bottom of a stairwell next door to The Roasting Company on Montford Drive, Jeff’s is the diviest dive bar in…

Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Co. traces Concord history

The soon-to-open Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Co. in Concord, N.C., is named after the original 26-acre plot on which the town of Concord was founded in 1796. Two of its flagship beers — Corban Ave. Honey Blonde and 26 Union St. Oatmeal Stout — were named after Concord’s equivalent of Trade and Tryon streets. And a…

Bo McMillan

Hussain and sitarist Niladri Kumar perform in Charlotte

There are times you can tell when musicians performing live are so in tune with each other, they seem telepathically connected. Jazz musicians come to mind. Another is a gathering of trained Indian classical musicians. In India, there are two prime iterations of classical music. Carnatic music is the Southern classical tradition, while Hindustani music…

Samir Shukla

Consumer Culture

CRITICS’ PICKS Best Place to Find a Dusty Treasure Sleepy Poet Antique Mall It’s no secret that Sleepy Poet has plenty of odds and ends. With more than 200 booths throughout the complex, you’ll find antiques, furniture, art and other trinkets and rare, vintage items. Make a day out of the exploration and bring along…

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