Sep 24-30, 2014

Sep 24-30, 2014 / Vol. 28 / No. 31

Cover Story

Brews With Bands

My earliest beer memories are of Budweiser and Molson Golden — back when I was a rascally teenager and thought it was the coolest thing to hold a can or bottle in my hand, even if I didn’t quite like the taste yet. These days, I love a beer most when it’s hot out —…

Jeff Hahne

The Skeleton Twins fleshes out dysfunction

THE SKELETON TWINS***DIRECTED BY Craig JohnsonSTARS Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig Oh, look, another movie about family dysfunction, a subject Hollywood filmmakers find as addictive as crack cocaine. After the recent train wreck that was This Is Where I Leave You, filmgoers might be understandably wary of hanging out with more folks who seem as defined…

Matt Brunson

The Equalizer: And Justice for All

THE EQUALIZER***DIRECTED BY Antoine FuquaSTARS Denzel Washington, Marton Csokas Edward Woodward’s primary claim to fame — at least among cineastes — remains his starring role in the macabre 1973 classic The Wicker Man (remade, as we all know, as a bad Nicolas Cage vehicle that in turn led to a great YouTube compilation clip). Yet…

Matt Brunson

Bizarre crime from Charlotte police files (Sept. 25)

Sure, bro: With how easy it is to charge your phone these days, it’s time to retire the ol’ my-phone-died-on-me trick, guys. A woman called police after her husband went missing for a few hours. He showed up later in the evening and said his phone had “died” and he was unable to reach his…

Ana McKenzie

Weekly horoscope (Sept. 25-Oct. 1)

For All Signs: Cosmic energies favor new design of old or outmoded business or organizational systems. Financial or business pressures may be the motivator. It is time to update and modernize, especially if you are working with an old method out of habit. Constructive and fresh ideas will flow freely and you may wonder why…

Vivian Carol

The house I tried to burn

I discovered the masochistic joy of skipping meals when I was 11. Twelve hours without food left me feeling clean and alert, attuned to the taut flatness of my stomach, the pleasing sharpness of my ribs and hipbones. After a day or more I would feel lightheaded, hollow and aching, but proud of my discipline.…

Scarlett D'Anna

This week’s concert listings (Sept. 25-Oct. 1)

** Bullet points indicate CL’s critics’ picks** Thursday, Sept. 25 Blues/Roots/International The Instigators (Comet Grill) Classical/Jazz/Smooth An Indigo Life Fund Benefit f. Will “saxman” Smith (Evening Muse) Country/Folk Greensky Bluegrass, Swear and Shake (Visulite Theatre) Jon Caneda (Village Tavern) Open Mic (Hef’s Bar & Grill/Blonde Lounge) Open Mic w/ Zach Moss (Tommy’s Pub) Two Cent…

27 Views of Charlotte surveys a pushy city

As someone who’s read her fair share of Charlotte-centric stories — thanks to this here newspaper and writers like John Grooms and David Aaron Moore — the works in 27 Views of Charlotte feel familiar, like slipping into an old winter coat at the first sign of cool weather. The first in the anthology, “A…

Kimberly Lawson

Touched by a Stranger

Imagine strolling down the street and being approached by a stranger. He seems friendly enough, a man in his 40s with tats on his arms and a professional camera in his hand. He tells you that he’s a photographer and asks if he can take your picture — but, not so fast, he doesn’t want…

Anita Overcash

#Whyshestayed

Beverly Gooden glanced at her Twitter feed and became incensed. It was Sept. 8, the morning after TMZ released the full video of Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancée (now wife) Janay in an Atlantic City elevator. Twitter was full of opinions, but the tone was not in condemnation of the NFL player’s violent act.…

Ailen Arreaza

Shedding baby shame

In one month alone, it took Livia Furr at least 192 hours to try to get pregnant. That’s how much time she spent on buses traveling between Charlotte and New York City, where she met with the country’s best infertility doctor. In the middle of any given week in March, she’d work a half day…

Ana McKenzie

Duke Energy gets serious (seriously) about solar

Just as more wind-harnessing turbines are popping up in Southern California and Texas, more solar panels will soon dot North Carolina. In mid-September, Duke Energy announced it is investing $500 million in the acquisition and construction of new solar farms in rural parts of the state (where land is cheap), including the largest such farm…

Ana McKenzie

In the beer-ginning

On Sept. 27, the 16th annual Charlotte Oktoberfest takes place for the second straight year at the N.C. Music Factory. One of the most anticipated beer events in the city, the fest didn’t have the smoothest of starts. In its second year, an initial sponsor started going under. For some time following, the festival’s continuation…

Jonathan Wells

The art of preservation

Hey, Carolina foodies, I have some sobering news for you: Tomato season is almost over. Yes, it happens every year, but the growing season in Charlotte is so long that it’s easy to forget fall and winter are just waiting in the wings. While apple cider donuts and pumpkin pies have their charms, I don’t…

Alison Leininger

Recent

See all

Gift this article