I was at the Evening Muse last Wednesday, watching The Corduroy Road, a really good band from Athens, Ga. that plays a blend of folk, rock and bluegrass. Termed the “bluegrass rockers” by the Athens Banner Herald, because of their rock 'n' roll edge, The Corduroy Road performs with a fervor that reminds me of acts like Paleface or the Avett Brothers.

After the show, I was talking to Drew Carman, singer and banjo player for the band. Drew has a master's degree in landscape architecture from the University of Georgia but left his blossoming career to focus on his passion — performing. I mentioned that the unpredictable income and heavy touring must be difficult sometimes but Drew quickly responded, “I wouldn’t change a thing. I love what I’m doing”.

It reminded me of how much my life has changed over the past few years since I opened my store. Like Drew, I too wouldn’t change a thing.

When I worked at Accenture and later at Bank of America, my job encompassed most of my time. I put in long hours every day, often working into the night. Sometimes I’d even work on the weekends. Work filled my life. Today, art and music fill my days. Effortlessly.

Seeing local art, for me, is no longer limited to the museums in Charlotte or crawling through NoDa several times a year. I’ve also discovered there are more than a handful of places to enjoy good music. I don’t have to wait for a good band to come to the Blumenthal, the Neighborhood Theatre or one of the arenas. I don’t have to settle for “live music” playing as background music in a restaurant while I’m having dinner. I don’t have to wait for big festivals to see a lot of good bands at one time. There’s good music playing somewhere in Charlotte every day — in small settings where you can easily talk to the musicians afterwards.

In the last three weeks, I’ve seen music at nine different venues (not counting my own): Prevue Music Hall, Snug Harbor, the Common Market, The Neighborhood Theatre, Philosopher’s Stone, Century Vintage, Petra’s Piano Bar, Smokey Joes, and the Evening Muse. Many of these are located one block from my store in Plaza Midwood, so it’s easy for me to walk to them after work. Others are just a few minutes away in the Elizabeth or NoDa. And there are many other small and mid-size venues throughout Charlotte.

Last Thursday, after watching the Altar Boyz at Spirit Square my friends suggested we grab some wine. I told them I had music I was going to go see; no time to waste sitting at a restaurant sipping wine when there was a good band to catch. The days of only seeing music several times a year or hearing it as restaurant background music are over for me.

Late last month, the Big O (The Charlotte Observer) published a big putdown of Charlotte audiences who unconscionably give everything that plays at Belk Theater a standing ovation. The broad implications were that Belk audiences were unique and that Charlotte’s indiscriminate standing O’s exposed our pitiful provinciality to ridicule. Well, here’s my answer to Larry Toppman and his “Sit down!” vitriol: you need to get out more.

• In the Heights

Up here in New York, we’ve seen a half dozen shows, on Broadway and off. Whether we went to In the Heights, still boasting robust audiences after a year-and-a-half; the ragtag Toxic Avenger: The Musical over on the west side; or 9 to 5: The Musical, expiring ignominiously after a run of less than five months; the story was the same. Every night, you could count on a standing O. It made no difference that the critics had lambasted 9 to 5 – and no difference that an understudy had taken over the lead at In the Heights.

So relax, Charlotte. You’re no more ignorant or provincial as a theater audience than the theatergoers in the Big Apple. We can’t say that about Toppman – unless we cut him some slack.

Now, I do agree with Toppman that indiscriminate standing ovations cheapen the value of the gesture. Ticket prices for Broadway theater do enter into the equation. If you’re paying $121.50 for prime seats, you’re expecting something special. And there are dozens of people onstage, backstage, in the light booth, or potting sound who are busting tail to make sure it all lives up to those pricey expectations.

But the idea that performers are somehow offended by a lukewarm ovation is naïve. I could go into a long disquisition on how current Broadway and touring shows are choreographed to ensure a standing O, but I’ll cite one example:

At the end of Hair, railings are rigged alongside steps leading up to the stage, and audience members are invited to join the cast onstage. You tell me how the severest critic alive is supposed to remain seated in his aisle seat during such a jubilant bacchanal.

So go ahead and ignore the curmudgeonly fulminations of Grandpa Toppman. Meanwhile, I’ll deliver my critiques of current Broadway and off-Broadway shows in coming weeks – plus some dips into the FringeNYC festival.

Live review: Dustin Diamond and Johnny Millwater

Aug. 20, 2009

Lake Norman Comedy Zone in Galway Hooker

The Deal: Comedian Dustin Diamond, better know as "Screech," from TV's Saved By The Bell, visited Cornelius for a stand-up comedy performance at Lake Norman Comedy Zone in Galway Hooker Irish Pub. Local comedian Johnny Millwater opened the show.

The Good: Millwater kicked off the show, and geez, this guy is funny. He does a damned good impression of Robert De Niro and Bill Clinton too. After his set, Dustin Diamond (Screech!) took the stage, immediately firing up into his raunchy comedy with a long discussion on “grandma porn.” Diamond also took on the topics of sex, relationships, farting, fecal matter and more. He criticized the audience for its quick recovery from laughter and even pointed out folks in the crowd on numerous occasions. When one woman in the audience went missing, he asked her companion where she had went. When the man said she had gone to the bathroom, Diamond insinuated that she was pooping. With that said, he started yelling the woman’s name and telling her to “push.” At another point during the show, Diamond was talking about lewd sexual acts when a guy from the crowd yelled that he’d seen Diamond’s sex tape. Diamond, who seemed a bit surprised, played off the comment, saying something along the lines of the guy being “a Zack fan,” and “a fag.” Overall, Diamond did do what he does best though, which is blue stand-up comedy. He got the audience laughing and performed a whopping two hours, since no one “flashed a light” to let him know when to stop. Usually, he told me after the show, his sets last around 45 minutes.

The Bad: Well, blue comedy isn’t really my thing, so I found a majority of his jokes rather vulgar. Needless to say, other folks probably did as well, especially those expecting some sort of Screech resurrection. Diamond may have offended some folks when he talked about the mentally challenged, which he referred to as “retards,” and how funny it is to watch them fall. I heard a woman near me heave a sigh during the show: “I don’t like that,” she said.

The Verdict: Dustin Diamond is worth seeing live for once in your life. He is outrageous. During his set I found myself thinking on numerous occasions, “Did he really just say that? Yeah … he did.” Diamond isn’t afraid to shock, disgust or offend members in the crowd, but he does want folks to have a good time. He makes nasty funny too. At this show, folks got a long feel for Diamond, who stayed on stage well past his requirement. On another note, Charlotte comedian Johnny Millwater also made quite an impression. If you’re local, you need to check this guy out when he performs around town. He’ll make you laugh without feeling the need to throw up simultaneously.