Going out in Charlotte doesn't have to be expensive. In fact, to prove that statement, we've compiled a list of cheap - $10 or less - things to do in the Q.C. this weekend. These events may vary, but they're all entertaining and they won't break your bank (piggy banks excluded).
2014 Blue Ball at Blue: The ball, benefiting Pints for Prostates, features complimentary appetizers and drink specials. Register to win gift cards to EpiCentre venues like Vida Vida, Strike City, Rooftop 210, Blackfinn Ameripub, Bubble and Suite. Blue attire is encouraged. $5 donation. Sept. 26, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. Whisky River, 210 E. Trade St. 704-749-1097. www.thewhiskyriver.com.
Triptych Collective at Twenty-Two: The event features snippets of new works for the collective's fall season. For more information, www.triptychcollective.com. Sept. 26, 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. Twenty-Two, 1500 Central Ave.
Modernism + Film Series at Bechtler Museum of Modern Art: Screening The Vision of Paolo Soleri: Prophet in the Desert. Event reception with cash bar and free light bites begins at 6 p.m. in the Bechtler lobby and is followed by the presentation and film screening in the auditorium at 7 p.m. $10 for non-members, $8 for members and $5 for students with valid school I.D. Sept. 26, 6 p.m. Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, 420 S. Tryon St. 704-353-9200. www.bechtler.org.
The Boxtrolls - Animated; voices of Ben Kingsley, Elle Fanning
The Equalizer - Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz
The Skeleton Twins - Kristen Wiig, Bill Hader
Charlotte native Kendra James was thrust into reality TV stardom when she appeared on season four of Oxygen network’s Bad Girls Club in the winter of 2010. Audiences tuned in every week for four months to see what type of chaotic — drunken, violent, sexual, hilarious, impulsive — situations the young women would be shown in. James also went on to be cast in a spinoff show, Love Games: Bad Girls Need Love Too, that year.
And then she did what most reality TV starlets do these days: she embarked on a career, so to speak, of being paid to host parties and nightclub events around the country. An impromptu tour of sorts that she found herself on for two years. She made a lot of money and enjoyed a lot of wild nights. She “turned up,” as they say.
But then it was time to get back to reality — real life, not that stuff you see on TV. And she’d made a name for herself, and quite a few headlines, along the way, that she wasn’t too proud of. Now, at age 27, she wants you to know that she’s making changes for the better. And she’ll take a big step this Sunday when she gets baptized at Elevation Church.
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Sept. 25, 2014 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Through A Lens Darkly at Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture
• Alive After 5 w/ Who's Bad: Ultimate Micheal Jackson Band at Rooftop 210
• The Ultimate Power Lunch at The Fillmore
• Arnez J. at The Comedy Zone
• Sabor Latino at Mint Museum Randolph
The chairman of the Charlotte Airport Commission aired grievances with the group's standing - it hasn't been able to exercise any power since the General Assembly created it last year - during a meeting at the airport Wednesday. “The position that the city and the state have put this commission into, I believe, is outrageous,” Chairman Robert Stolz said. “We’re still stuck in the mud. Maybe worse, we’re stuck in the middle of a battlefield in what I would consider to be no man’s land, shooting all around us.”
In August, the U.S. government relocated to North Carolina 219 refugee children who fled Central America. About 43,420 children detained at the U.S.-Mexico border were sent to sponsors, mostly family members, between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31. North Carolina received 1,648 in that time.
A grand jury has decided not to charge NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in the death of fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. Stewart hit Ward after Ward exited his vehicle during a race and walked into traffic. A toxicology report shows Ward was high enough on marijuana to impair his judgement.
A U.S.-led airstrike against ISIS militants in Syria has killed 14 members and five civilians. Targets included ISIS' headquarters in Deir Ezzor, a training camp and several small-scale oil refineries used by the group to raise money.
Last time Dave Chappelle came to Charlotte, back in June 2013, the initial booking sold out so quickly that the Blumenthal added two more shows.
Nov. 10 brings you another opportunity to see the popular comedian in Charlotte. He'll be at Ovens Auditorium, and tickets are $70.82.
Here's a clip from Chappelle's recent appearance on the Jimmy Fallon show, earlier this summer.
Here are the five best events going down in Charlotte and the surrounding area today, Sept. 24, 2014 as selected by the folks at Creative Loafing.
• Snarky Puppy at Neighborhood Theatre
• Word of Mouth at Dupp&Swat
• Partners for Parks Award Event at Dressler's
• Paula Deen Live at Belk Theater
• Ghost Trees at Snug Harbor
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools says it is "busting at the seams" after student growth has far exceeded projections, in part due to the surprising unpopularity of charter schools. The population grew about 2 percent from last year, which could also signal a growing economy. Either way, classes are too big and the district doesn't have enough money.
More than 10,000 people have recently signed up for Section 8 housing - or the "Housing Choice Voucher - after the list opened for the first time in seven years. All applicants must be low income and make 30 percent of their area's average income.
Students in Jefferson County, Colorado, are protesting their school board after some members proposed to do away with teachings that "would encourage or condone civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law" in favor of curriculum that promotes patriotism, respect for authority and the free-market system. (Join the debate at #JeffcoSchoolBoardHistory.)
More unrest in Ferguson ensued last night after a memorial to Michael Brown burned (firefighters said the area had a strong gasoline odor). At least two protesters were arrested, and the blaze damaged some nearby structures.
In case you're thinking about getting a chimp as a pet, don't. But do consider dying at 75.
When local actor and activist James Lee Walker II first learned the famous speech from Charlie Chaplin’s 1940 film The Great Dictator, he says he thought he’d already hit his “righteous indignation limit” but that he was wrong.
He says that memorizing the speech, which he performed as a supplement for a larger performance, did something to him. Namely, it forced him to realize how far we have not come in all the years following Chaplin’s plea for unity, sanity, kindness and peace.
“That five minute speech should have changed the world in a way that makes where we are now feel shameful,” Walker says. “I shudder to think how heavy and disappointed Chaplin’s soul must be. I feel ashamed.”
The biggest buzzkill nowadays in NoDa is the lack of parking. If you've ever maneuvered through the vehicles parked (sometimes illegally) on the side streets of North Davidson on Friday or Saturday nights, you feel my pain. (If you're a resident in the thick of the 'hood, I truly feel for you.)
Unless you're going out after 9 p.m., it's about to get a little harder to find a spot to stow your car. Last week, the Johnston YMCA notified its members of a new parking policy in which permits will soon be required. Without one, you might get towed if you leave your car in one of the lot's 145 marked spots.
From the Johnston Y's website:
We feel fortunate to live, work and play in the NoDa community. More and more, adults and kids are making our neighborhood a destination of choice. While we are proud of the positive development happening here, we recognize the growth is creating parking lot access challenges for our members.We hope to alleviate this by implementing a parking permit program beginning October 1, 2014. Vehicles without a proper permit will be subject to towing at the owner's expense.All active Johnston YMCA members, with a valid driver's license, will be issued an annual parking permit for access to the YMCA parking lot at no cost.
According to Molly Thompson, the Y's senior director of public relations and communication, the lot is available to the public after the Y is closed.
The Johnston Y is open Monday — Friday 5:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.—5 p.m.; Sunday, noon-5 p.m.