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Thursday, October 29, 2009
Arts / See & Do: The Weekender / News Weekender
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Check out these events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area this weekend— as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
Friday, Oct. 30
Dr. Cornel West is one heavy thinker, who ponders big issues, usually related to race, democracy, and human rights. Don’t miss him when he addresses the "State of the Union" at Knight Theater.• Comedy Mitosis, a two-man improv team, presents a special show titled Halloween Eveill at Carolina Actors Studio Theatre tonight. With Crackers and Snackmeat. more...
• Special Event Tonight the Visulite Theatre becomes home of the 2009 Glitterati Masquerade Ball: The Devil’s Last Waltz. Break out your craziest outfit or costume and join DJ Wiiz Kid, George Brazil, The J Studio Dancers, Angela Lopez, Roxy C. Moorecox and more for a night of festive dancing, mingling, and drinking. more...
Saturday, Oct. 31
Amos' Southend
CarnEvil 2009 will feature live performances by Lilith Deville and Beth Ann Phetamine, as well as La Petite Mort Burlesque Troupe and music from a variety of DJs. There will also be a “Zombie Fashion Show,” fire performances and more.
• Special Event For a good fright on Halloween, The Haunted Mill comes alive with a staff of scary-looking folks on hand to disturb you and send you home screaming. For the less adventurous, there’s also a game room and mini-golf. more...
• Special Event Danse Macabre at Dammit Janet, - presented by Single Cell Productions – will offer live music from Angels On Acid, S.O.U.L and Grevious, as well as a surplus of DJs (DJ Karma, DJ Torchure and DJ Spider, among others). Also, you can expect drink specials, giveaways and lots of fetish performances. more...
Sunday, Nov. 1
Levine Museum of the New South
Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, will be celebrated at Levine Museum of the New South today. Those attending can enjoy authentic food and a variety of entertainment, including dancing, art/altar displays, crafts - like decorating a sugar skull with colorful icing and sequins - and more.
• Music Eric Benet may be better known as the ex-husband of actress Halle Berry, but he can also play music. You can expect him to crank out a series of melodic soul tunes when he performs at Ovens Auditorium tonight. more...
• Theater Theatre Charlotte’s latest production The Woman in Black was adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from Susan Hill’s book. It’s a haunting tale about a ghost that no one wants to encounter, as those who see it die shortly afterwards. more...
Pop Culture / News 'Don't Stop Believin'' — the Journey continues ...
Posted By Angela Hilst on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 3:48 PM
As the Baltimore Ravens scored to time the game at versus Minnesota Vikings with 3 minutes 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter, a tune — familiar and fierce — began to rise above the cheers and whistles ... until, before long, the entire stadium was engulfed in a hearty rendition of legendary rock band Journey’s signature song, “Don’t Stop Believin’.” From Broadway to cable to sports, the nearly 30-year-old hit just keeps on swinging.
The 1981 power balled is a soaring, hard rockin’ anthem for those who refuse to let a little thing like doubt keep them from what they want. The song reached No. 8 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
That was back then. Now, the tune has taken on a life of its own due to repeated appearances on some of TV’s hottest shows.
In 2008, it was the 72nd most downloaded song in the iTunes store and is its "most downloaded song not released in the 21st century" of all time. Arguably, the most recognizable and most referenced song in popular culture right now, but it received a jolt of new life by the finale of HBO’s addictive series The Sopranos in 2007. In fact, sales of the song on iTunes rose 482 percent over following days. It has shown up on Family Guy, Scrubs, and MTV’s Laguna Beach.
Earlier this year, contestants from American Idol sang “Don’t Stop Believin’” as a group at the beginning of the results show, and if you caught them when they rolled through Time Warner Cable Arena in August, the song was used as the closing group song for the Season 8 tour. It was ranked as the 11th greatest song on VH-1’s Greatest Songs of the 80’s countdown. Most recently, the cast from one of my favorite new shows Glee performed a cover of the song.
So, what is it about the song that seems to transcend generations and genres? Sure, much of its resiliency is due to its own purely musical kick-ass nature. But it’s one of those rare creations with a message that speaks to a feeling to which most anyone can relate. “Don’t Stop Believin’” brings us to a place we have all been at least once — a point where with a dream in our hearts, we throw caution to the wind and, even when the odds seemed stacked against us, we soldier on and ... well, at the risk of stringing together any more motivational clichés, it’s a damn good song from the lyrics to the instrumentation to frontman Steve Perry’s powerful delivery and is, thankfully, not at all like much of the unintelligible and incomprehensible “music” in heavy rotation on the radio today.
If you are currently living under a rock and have no idea what this song is, the band is perpetually in tour mode, albeit without the golden-piped Perry.
Film / Film Reviews / News This Is It: The Music Man
Posted By Matt Brunson on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 3:33 PM
By Matt Brunson
THIS IS IT
***1/2
DIRECTED BY Kenny Ortega
STARS Michael Jackson
A sadness permeates the opening moments in the behind-the-scenes piece This Is It, but it has nothing to do with Michael Jackson’s death. Instead, the sequence — filmed, like the rest of the movie, while Jackson was very much alive — centers on the talented young dancers and singers who auditioned to be a part of the King of Pop’s planned series of London concerts. As each person describes the thrill of being included in the Jackson legacy — many of them tearing up as they speak — they comment on how much this opportunity means to them, with one or two even stating that this concert gave them a newfound purpose in their unfocused lives. It’s a heartbreaking sequence, considering that Jackson’s death meant that none would be able to live the dream that seemed within their collective grasp.
Film / Film Reviews / News Cirque du Freak: Engaging but overstuffed
Posted By Matt Brunson on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 3:33 PM
By Matt Brunson
CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT
**1/2
DIRECTED BY Chris Weitz
STARS John C. Reilly, Chris Massoglia
Based on a series of books for kids, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant would seem to be aimed at either those young viewers with an affinity for the Twilight franchise or perhaps at those young viewers seeking an alternative to the adventures of Bella and Edward. Either way, this PG-13 confection would seem to be geared primarily at the teen crowd, with adult attendance a passing afterthought. But older moviegoers who can recall the spate of like-minded horror flicks from the 1980s will find much to appreciate as well.
Film / Film Reviews / News Amelia has trouble getting airborne
Posted By Matt Brunson on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 3:33 PM
By Matt Brunson
AMELIA
DIRECTED BY Mira Nair
STARS Hilary Swank, Richard Gere
In its effort to be one of the first Oscar-bait titles out of the gate, the stately but sterile Amelia ends up stumbling over its own feet. A handsome production that fusses over every detail in order to provide the proper look, this biopic forgets to include any sort of spark necessary to get its motor running.
Arts / News Charlotte-area Halloween parties, events and more (updated)
Posted By Anita Overcash on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 3:00 PM
Updated.
Here are a few of places to find Halloween events in Charlotte — from costume parties to concerts and more. Look for more events coming soon!
Thurs., Oct. 29
• Charlotte College Fest at Cans
$500 costume contest. Half-price cover for 21 and under until 11 p.m.
10 p.m. Cans, 500 W. 5th St. 704-940-0200. www.cansbar.com.
• Forbidden Farms
Haunted trail with scare zones that include "Miners Mayhem," "Cursed Chasm," "3D Experience," and "Moonlit Corn Maze." Continues through Nov. 1.
$15-$20. Oct. 29, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m.; Oct. 30, 7 p.m.-11 p.m.; Oct. 31, 7 p.m.- 11 p.m.; Nov. 1, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Carrigan Farms, 1261 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy., Mooresville. 704-664-1450. www.carriganfarms.com.
• Scarowinds
Features scare zones, mazes, and spooky shows. Also, some rides have a dark twist. For more information, visit www.scarowinds.com. Continues through Oct. 31.
$33.99-$42.99. Carowinds, 14523 Carowinds Blvd. 704-588-2600. www.carowinds.com.
• The Campground Massacre Haunted House
Haunted attraction features an indoor haunted house (Mina's Mansion) and the Campground Massacre with three acres of woods.
Continues through Sat., Oct. 31. Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Take exit 88 (Gold Hill Rd. and Tega Cay). Turn right off the exit. The event is 1/4 mile on the right. For more information, visit www.the massacre.com.
• The Haunted Mill
For a good fright on Halloween, The Haunted Mill comes alive with a staff of scary-looking folks on hand to scare you away. For the less adventurous, there’s also a game room and mini-golf.
$15-$19. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Last tickets sold at 11:30 p.m. 6325 Wilkinson Blvd. 704-829-6455. www.thehauntedmillnc.com.
Fri., Oct. 30
• 2009 Glitterati Masquerade Ball: The Devil's Last Waltz at Visulite Theatre
Break out your craziest outfit or costume and join Dj Wiiz Kid, George Brazil, The J Studio Dancers, Angela Lopez and the Queens of the Masquerade, Simone and her Whipping Booth, and Roxy C. Moorecox for a night of festive dancing, mingling, and cocktail drinking. For more information, email glitteratiball@gmail.com.
$5-$8. 9 p.m.- 2 a.m. Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704-358-9200 www.visulite.com.
• 80's Fab-O-Ween at Apostrophe Lounge
This Halloween Party takes a blast from the past with its 1980’s theme. Dancing and costume contest for “Best Outfit of the 80's. Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St. 704-371-7079. www.apostrophelounge.com.
• BooWalk Billy’s Halloween Bash at Boardwalk Billy’s Raw Bar & Grill
Costume contest with prizes, games, drink specials and music from DJ Deafrent.
9 p.m. Boardwalk Billy’s Raw Bar & Grill, 1636 Sardis Rd. 704-814-7427.
• Creep-a-thon at Scorpio
Best underwear contest. Hostess Angela Lopez. $5 cover with draft.
Showtime 11:30 p.m. Scorpio, 2301 Freedom Drive. 704-373-9124. www.scorpios.com.
• Fashioween: "A celebrity for one night" at The Forum
Si Revista presents this Halloween celebration of fashion and beauty. Event will feature three rooms with DJs providing Latin and international music. $1,500 in prizes for categories including, “Best Hair Design,” “Best Makeup,” and “Best Apparel.”
18 and up. For tickets, visit www.groovetickets.com. $10. 10:55 p.m. The Forum, 300 N. College St. 704-375-8765. www.thecharlotteforum.com.
• Ghostbusters Boo Bash Costume Party at The Breakfast Club
Come take your picture with the ECTO-1 with Ghostbusters Ambulance. It's also 1-2-3 night ($1 domestics, $2 imports, $3 mixed drinks).
$7 for members, $8 for non-members. The Breakfast Club, 225 N Caldwell St. 704-608-3081. www.that80sclub.
• Halloween at Comet Grill
Halloween party with live music from the Truchstop Preachers. Drink specials.
Comet Grill, 2224 Park Rd. 704-371-4300. www.cometgrillcharlotte.com.
• Lycan Lust at Luna Lounge
Embrace "LYCAN LUST" with Resident DJ's Nick Spain, Kaotika, Steven K & Rob Reeves with special guest DJ NVS. Winners of costume contest get 2 bottles of vodka and a VIP table of their choice for the evening.
$5. 9 p.m. Luna Lounge, 521 N. College St. 704-376-8303. E-mail Krystie@lunacharlotte.com for VIP packages.
• Masquerade Halloween Party at Blue Restaurant and Bar
Samba Dance Entertainment, DJ spinning from 10 p.m.- 2 a.m., costume contest, drink and appetizer specials.
Advance tickets for couples $20, at door $30; Advance single tickets are $15; at door $15. 10 p.m.- 2 a.m. Blue Restaurant and Bar, 214 N. Tryon St., Ste. 100.
• Nightmare on 5th Street
5 bars for $5. Costume party, prizes and giveaways, awesome specials. Connolly's, The Attic Bar, Town Tavern, Phil's NY Deli, Madison's. 5 p.m.
• The Hades Incident at Enso Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar
A celebration of supernatural entertainment presented by Inner Circle Events. Your finest costumed attire is requested.
10 p.m.-2 a.m. Enso Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar, 210 E. Trade St. Limited advance tickets available at clubtix.net.
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show Takeover at Dammit Janet
Watch the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show during a live screening of the film. For more information, call 704-906-6531 or email dan@takeoverfriday.com .
$5. 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Dammit Janet, 319 Grandin Rd.
• The Campground Massacre Haunted House
Haunted attraction features an indoor haunted house (Mina's Mansion) and the Campground Massacre with three acres of woods.
Continues through Sat., Oct. 31. Oct. 29, 6:30 p.m.-10 p.m.; Oct. 30, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m.; Oct. 31, 6:30 p.m.-11 p.m. Take exit 88 (Gold Hill Rd. and Tega Cay). Turn right off the exit. The event is 1/4 mile on the right. For more information, visit www.the massacre.com.
• Forbidden Farms
Haunted trail with scare zones that include "Miners Mayhem," "Cursed Chasm," "3D Experience," and "Moonlit Corn Maze." Continues through Nov. 1.
$15-$20. Oct. 30, 7 p.m.-11 p.m.; Oct. 31, 7 p.m.- 11 p.m.; Nov. 1, 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. Carrigan Farms, 1261 Oak Ridge Farm Hwy., Mooresville. 704-664-1450. www.carriganfarms.com.
• Scarowinds
Features scare zones, mazes, and spooky shows. Also, some rides have a dark twist. For more information, visit www.scarowinds.com. Continues through Oct. 31.
$33.99-$42.99. Carowinds, 14523 Carowinds Blvd. 704-588-2600. www.carowinds.com.
• The Haunted Mill
For a good fright on Halloween, The Haunted Mill comes alive with a staff of scary-looking folks on hand to scare you away. For the less adventurous, there’s also a game room and mini-golf.
$15-$19. Open Wednesday-Saturday, 7 p.m. Last tickets sold at 11:30 p.m. 6325 Wilkinson Blvd. 704-829-6455. www.thehauntedmillnc.com.
Arts / News Taking a bite into Charlie Huston's vampire series
Posted By Chris Deal on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 12:57 PM
The image of the undead bloodsucker has taken a hit in recent years. The fact of the matter is, vampires aren’t scary anymore, and they're not dangerous. The vampire is lusted after, the Twilight series has all but defanged the vamp.
It came as a surprise to me back in 2005, when I discovered a writer by the name of Charlie Huston. Huston was in the beginning of an epic writing spree, - having published 10 novels since 2004 - with more on the horizon. Having begun the Hank Thompson series with his debut, Caught Stealing, Huston proved to be a new voice in the world of noir, bringing a rough-hewed, blue collar, razor sharp, direct tone to his writing.
In 2005, his first in a The Joe Pitt Casebooks series, Already Dead, proved him also capable of handling the dried up corpse of the vampire archetype. Coming out the same year as the first in the Twilight series, Already Dead put readers dead in the center of an original and unique take. These vampires, or Vampyres as Huston calls them, are similar to the way vampires have been depicted in the past, but not entirely. Yeah, they need blood, and sunlight kills them in an explosion of tumors, but garlic, holy water and crosses are no threat to them.
Boomer with Attitude / News Judge FrankenBelk to be ousted?
Posted By John Grooms on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 12:43 PM
First, two quick follow-ups to blogs from yesterday:
1. In last night’s mayoral debate, John Lassiter didn’t stick by his idea to roll back part of 2006’s property tax hike, but he did eagerly wear the mantle of Lower-Taxes Man, shoring up his base of support among the GOP faithful. Anthony Foxx, on the other hand, positioned himself as being less beholden to developers than Lassiter, which should help shore up his support among progressives. At this point, the race is so close, it could come down to how well each man's campaign gets out the vote.
2. Um, yes, I noticed that my beloved Yankees, specifically the members of their stellar batting lineup, had their collective ass handed to them last night by Phillies pitcher Cliff Lee, whose performance was the best by a starting Series pitcher this fan has seen in many years. Thank God the guy can’t pitch every day.
In today's news, the notorious FrankenBelk, a monster created by family money and entitlement, says the state Judicial Standards Commission told him it will recommend he be removed from his position as a district judge. The fate of FrankenBelk, alias Judge Bill Belk, will be determined by the state Supreme Court after it gets the judicial commission’s recommendation. The monster has upset the genteel judicial system by refusing to leave a corporate board, acting like an arrogant nutcase with another judge, and generally being an unbelievably obnoxious, self-important schmuck who woke up on third base and thought he’d hit a triple. Below is a rare photo of Frankenbelk getting a trim from Floyd the barber when the monster stopped in Mayberry, on his way to a Judicial Standards Commission hearing earlier this year.
News Judge Bill Belk: one step closer
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 11:44 AM
Judge Bill Belk, potentially Charlotte's brattiest rich kid, should be out of a job soon. Whew.
Belk said Wednesday the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission has decided to recommend his removal, after hearing two days of testimony on misconduct charges involving his service on a corporate board and his altercation with another judge.The judge told Observer news partner WCNC-TV the commission informed him of its decision earlier Wednesday. The N.C. Supreme Court has the final say on whether to remove Belk.
"It was to be expected," Belk told WCNC. "I knew that this was coming down, actually, when I got elected because the rumor mill was talking about it - that they were going to try to figure out how to get me off the bench. The issues that have come forth at this time - if it hadn't been those issues it would have been something else."
Belk was accused in April of violating the N.C. Code of Judicial Conduct because he continued to serve on the board of directors for Sonic Automotive, one of the nation's largest auto retailers. He was also accused of making disparaging remarks during a confrontation with Chief District Judge Lisa Bell.
n a hearing last month, the commission's counsel, Nancy Vecchia, wrapped up her case against Belk by calling his refusal to resign from Sonic "willful disobedience" of rules meant to ensure public trust in the legal system and "selfish pursuit" of his own interests.
She called Belk, grandson of the founder of the Belk department store chain, "a man clearly used to having his way."
She told commissioners Belk essentially ignored at least three opinions - including one from the state Supreme Court and one from Judge Martin himself - that said his membership on the boards of Sonic and Monroe Hardware violated judicial canons. Court officials say judges are prohibited from serving on business boards to avoid conflicts of interest.
Over hours of testimony, Belk alluded to what he suggested was a "cover-up" - apparently by the commission - and accused Ross of "bullying." In an interview just before the hearing, Belk accused Ross of acting "kind of like a dictator" in picking and choosing which complaints to act on.
Read the entire Charlotte Observer article here.
Want some background on the story? Click here.
News Obama greets fallen soldiers
Posted By Rhiannon Fionn-Bowman on Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 11:42 AM
When was the last time you heard of any president greeting America's fallen soldiers as they returned home in their new home, a flag-draped casket? I've never know a president to do anything of the sort. In fact, until Bush, part duh, left office, the American media wasn't allowed to photograph their return at all.
Makes you wonder if he, too, is tired of every other month being declared the "deadliest month" of fighting in Afghanistan.
U.S. President Barack Obama saw first hand the human cost of the Afghanistan war Thursday as he saluted the flag-draped caskets of 18 soldiers and Drug Enforcement Administration agents killed in Afghanistan this week.After a midnight flight in his Marine One presidential helicopter, Obama landed in Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, home of the largest U.S. military mortuary and main point of entry for service members killed abroad.
The previously unannounced visit came as Obama weighs whether to send more troops to Afghanistan to fight an insurgency that has reached its fiercest level in eight years.
A military chaplain accompanied Obama and other officials onboard and said a prayer over each casket before it was transferred out of the aircraft, military officials said.
The military calls the process a dignified transfer, not a ceremony, because there is nothing to celebrate. The cases are not labeled coffins, although they come off looking that way, enveloped in flags.
By 4:45 a.m., the president had touched back down on the South Lawn.
