Sep 5-11, 2012

Sep 5-11, 2012 / Vol. 26 / No. 28

Cover Story

An insider’s guide to country cooking in the Q.C.

Say “soul food” aloud in Charlotte and the first response likely will be “Mert’s.” It’s an institution. Everyone has contemplated sneaking a nap atop those red and white tablecloths after a Roman orgy of savory delight. Along with polished newcomer Delta’s and Simmons on Graham Street, Mert’s is the star in Uptown’s soul-y trinity. But…

Emiene Wright

CD Review: Temperance League

There’s no irony to Temperance League’s Midwestern working-class rock — even though it’s a Charlotte band. There’s a long, respectable history of East Coast outfits composing stunning, often-defining, big-rock anthems, the kind of music that’s perfect for Nebraska’s endless cornfields or the dry, expansive Dakotas. From The Boss himself to his fellow Jersey-ites Gaslight Anthem,…

Corbie Hill

Good election-year reads

You’ve probably heard about this: The Democratic National Convention is taking place downtown this week. In honor of the occasion, we present three new books and an older one to keep you up to date on that whole politics thing the Dems are talking about. As befits a gigantic gathering of Democrats, the authors here…

John Grooms

Rich man, poor man

In the long stretch of South Boulevard, you’ll find a niche of Charlotte that could be called our Décor District. The area has longed served artists of all kinds and holds a steady place among the interior design set, boasting over 120 unique shops and stops for the aspiring Martha Stewart. Two new furniture stores…

Natalie Howard

Capsule reviews of films playing the week of Sept. 7

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN Perhaps it’s best to think of Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man and Marc Webb’s 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man as the cinematic equivalents of Coke Classic and New Coke. Despite some alterations to the source material (hey, where’s Gwen Stacy?), the Raimi take earned the trust of most purists, offering a near-perfect Peter Parker…

Matt Brunson

Mixed feelings at the Republican National Convention

The nice Republican volunteer ladies told us the stripper illustration in our version of “The Seven People You’ll Meet At The Convention” was “disgusting” (although we think they were more disgusted by the Republican-bashing). We sort of regretted the stripper, too, after every media outlet in the world resorted to lap-dance jokes to characterize our…

David Warner

3 questions with Irene Politis, pastry maker

Since its start in 1978, the annual Yiasou Greek Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral has lured countless Charlotteans out for a celebration of Greek culture and, as the gods would have it, food. The deliciously sweet pastries are prepared by the church’s Agia Elpis Ladies Philoptochos Society. Irene Politis, a longtime pastry maker…

Anita Overcash

Dining With Friends event ramps up

In homes all over the city, they gather. For a few convivial hours, Charlotteans share a collective culinary consciousness, breaking bread and swapping stories as part of Regional Aids Interfaith Network’s annual Dining With Friends event. “They say it takes a village to raise a child,” says Nathan B. Smith, director of development and marketing…

Laura Camilo

Bizarre crimes from Charlotte police files (Sept. 6)

Feed the Tree: A 22-year-old called 911 after coming frighteningly close to suffering one of the worst deaths imaginable while landscaping in south Charlotte last week. The man told medics he was feeding a tree branch into a wood chipper when the machine got hold of some rope he was holding onto, dragging him toward…

Ryan Pitkin

This week’s concert listings (Sept. 6-Sept. 12)

** Bullet points indicate CL’s critics’ picks** Thursday, Sept. 6 Blues/Roots/International Bayou Butch Lucas (Villa Antonio (Ballantyne)) Blues and More… (Wet Willie’s) Latin Thursdays (Dream Nightclub, Matthews) Classical/Jazz/Smooth Beats and Keys (Encore Bistro and Bar) Bill Hanna’s Vintage Dance Band (Grand Central Events) John Alexander (Blue Restaurant & Bar) Country/Folk The Goddamn Gallows, Molly Gene…

Screw the format: Charlotte Video Project aims for art

In a dance studio in Plaza Midwood, eight women glide gracefully across the cold, gray floor. Their bare feet squeal occasionally, as they make turns and circles, but the music has them hypnotized. Another person, also barefoot, tiptoes around their sways and bends, careful not to get in the way. The video camera hanging from…

Kimberly Lawson

Chasing the Hill puts a psychological spin on politics

Brent Roske, creator and executive producer of the new pay-per-view series Chasing the Hill, isn’t sticking his head in the sand as the election climate intensifies and his political drama sweeps the Internet. Instead, he’s packing up his cast and sending them to the very center of the storm. The docu-style program, filmed mostly in…

Anita Overcash

Weekly horoscope (Sept. 6-12)

Virgo The Virgin (Aug. 22-Sept. 22) You have a desire to celebrate. The temptation to overspend is strong. Consider what would be fun and interesting that doesn’t require a big expenditure. Activities concerning education, publishing, the law, and travel have positive aspects. You are talkative and in an exploring frame of mind. For All Signs:…

Vivian Carol

Sanitation workers get dirty end of the deal

Santee Jones looked tired as he picketed last Monday’s City Council meeting. The 32-year-old sanitation worker had spent Sunday night collecting trash, and he would return to work once the meeting ended. As thousands of delegates, journalists and politicians party day and night this week, sanitation workers like Jones are putting in mandatory 12-hour shifts,…

Ana McKenzie

Dear Mr. President

Mr. President, welcome to Charlotte, the banking city that’s been so consumed by your nominating convention, we seem to have lost our minds. This open letter, though, isn’t about us. It’s about your first term in office and your relationship with, for lack of a better term, your base. As a longtime progressive, I am…

John Grooms

How Kendrick Lamar helped win back the West

Growing up in Compton, Calif., during the volatile ’80s and ’90s, Kendrick Lamar’s friends called him K.Dot. The nickname he earned as a kid stuck through his early hip-hop mixtapes, creating a kind of character, like one you’d see on television. When it came time for K.Dot to look in the mirror and truly tell…

Mike McCray

Nobunny knows …

Something is different about Nobunny. It’s apparent as soon as he picks up the phone and says hello. It takes six calls and two days to track down the Oakland-based man who dons a ratty old bunny mask and little else to play classically catchy garage-pop gems. Such flakiness has long marked his relationship with…

Jordan Lawrence

Charlotte’s homeless fall victim to the DNC

Most of Henry’s meals come from different churches and advocacy centers in Uptown. He’s not sure where he’ll eat this week. While the Democratic National Convention has created lots of positive buzz about Charlotte, it has caused a serious problem for the homeless. Though the city hasn’t tried to “move” anyone during the convention —…

Ryan Pitkin

The difference between soul food and Southern food

One thing I missed most about the South when I lived in New York and Los Angeles in the ’80s and ’90s was sweet iced tea. Oh yeah, and grits. And corn bread. And pork chops. And collard greens. And black-eyed peas. And candied yams. I was told that what I was missing was soul…

Mark Kemp

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