2016 Issue 33 Creative Loafing

CLCLT.COM 6 - OCT. 23, 12, 2016 CLCLT.COM | MARCH| OCT. 17 - MARCH 2016 VOL. VOL. 30, 30, NO. NO. 33 04

1 | DATE - DATE, 2015 | CLCLT.COM

Serving Charlotte-Mecklenburg Children & Families Since 1992 n OPERATION CHECK HUNGER feeds children and families with thousands of take home backpacks of food and operates mobile and in-school food pantries n OPERATION SCHOOL BELL® has provided new school clothing, shoes, books and hygiene kits to more than 34,000 children since 1995 n MECKLENBURG COUNTY TEEN COURT allows youthful offenders to take responsibility for their actions before a jury of their peers n ASSISTANCE LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIP FUND has awarded more than $350,000 in scholarships to outstanding students since 2002

How Can You Help? n BECOME A MEMBER AND VOLUNTEER Flexible opportunities to fit schedule and interests n MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION Visit website for more information n SUPPORT OUR PROGRAMS BY PURCHASING AND DONATING ITEMS AT OUR THRIFT SHOP

we feed • we clothe • we mentor • we educate

Assistance League of Charlotte • 704-525-5228 3405 S. Tryon • Thrift Shop Open Tu, Th, Fri, Sat 10-4 www.charlotte.assistanceleague.org 2 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

THANKS FOR MAKING US #1 AGAIN! THIS FRIDAY

❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

ELI YOUNG BAND

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $17 ALL OTHERS $20

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

OCTOBER 14

TRENT TOMLISON’S CD RELEASE PARTY FEATURING

DARRELL HARWOOD & OUT

OF THE BLUE

TICKETS ON SALE NOW $5

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

OCTOBER 22

COREY SMITH

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $20 ALL OTHERS $25

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

OCTOBER 28

TRAVIS TRIT T

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $20 ALL OTHERS $25

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

OCTOBER 29

BOO BASH

BEST COSTUME CONTEST IN CHARLOTTE $1800 CASH PRIZES TICKETS ON SALE $10

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

NOVEMBER 5

BRE T T YOUNG

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $12 ALL OTHERS $15 NOVEMBER 11

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

MICHAEL RAY TICKETS ON SALE NOW $10 NOVEMBER 18

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

ERIC PASLAY SPECIAL GUEST CALE DODDS

LIMITED ADVANCE TICKETS $15 ALL OTHERS $17 NOVEMBER 19

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

RUSSELL DICKERSON TICKETS $10 AT DOOR 1-2-3 NIGHT

WILD1-2-3 NIGHTS OCTOBER 8,15, 21 & 29

FREE STUFF! CLCLT.COM/CHARLOTTE/FREESTUFF

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

ON SALE AT COYOTE JOES AND COYOTE-JOES.COM COYOTE JOE’S : 4621 WILKINSON BLVD

704-399-4946

❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈ ❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈❈

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 3

4 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 5

6 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 7

CREATIVE LOAFING IS PUBLISHED BY WOMACK NEWSPAPERS, INC. CHARLOTTE, NC 28206.

OFFICE: 704-522-8334 WWW.CLCLT.COM FACEBOOK: /CLCLT TWITTER: @CL_CHARLOTTE INSTAGRAM: @CREATIVELOAFINGCHARLOTTE

STAFF PUBLISHER • Charles A. Womack III publisher@yesweekly.com EDITOR • Anita Overcash aovercash@clclt.com

EDITORIAL

NEWS EDITOR • Ryan Pitkin rpitkin@clclt.com STAFF WRITER • Madeline Lemieux FILM CRITIC • Matt Brunson mattonmovies@gmail.com THEATER CRITIC • Perry Tannenbaum perrytannenbaum@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS • Corbie Hill, Erin TracyBlackwood, Vivian Carol, Charles Easley, Chrissie Nelson, Page Leggett, Alison Leininger, Sherrell Dorsey, Dan Savage, Aerin Spruill, Chuck Shepherd, Jeff Hahne

ART/DESIGN

GRAPHIC DESIGNER • Dana Vindigni CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS • Justin Driscoll, Brian Twitty

ADVERTISING

To place an ad, please call 704-522-8334.

SALES MANAGER Aaron Stamey • astamey@clclt.com ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Candice Andrews • candrews@clclt.com Melissa McHugh • mmchugh@clclt.com ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Pat Moran • pmoran@clclt.com

Creative Loafing © is published by CL, LLC 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd., Suite C-2, Charlotte, NC 28206.

Periodicals Postage Paid at Charlotte, NC. Creative Loafing welcomes submissions of all kinds.

Efforts will be made to return those with a self-addressed stamped envelope; however Creative Loafing assumes no responsibility for unsolicited submissions. Creative Loafing is published every Wednesday by Womack Newspapers, Inc. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. First copy is free, all additional copies are $1. Copyright 2015 Womack Newspapers, Inc. CREATIVE LOAFING IS PRINTED ON A 90% RECYCLED STOCK. IT MAY BE RECYCLED FURTHER; PLEASE DO YOUR PART.

A MEMBER OF:

8 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

JIMMY FONTAINE

82

13

Charlie Puth performs at The Fillmore on Oct. 6.

COVER STORY BEST OF CHARLOTTE: Our annual issue

highlighting the very best this fine city has to offer returns for the 29th year.

THIS WEEK’S COVER, FEATURING CL STAFF, WAS PHOTOGRAPHED BY GRANT BALDWIN AND DESIGNED BY DANA VINDIGNI.

72

NEWS&VIEWS THE REVOLUTION WILL BE LIVESTREAMED: Protesters find value in Facebook

Live and other live-streaming apps.

BY RYAN PITKIN 74 THE BLOTTER 75 NEWS OF THE WEIRD 76 THE QUERY 77 TQ IN THE WORKPLACE

78

FOOD COMING TO A CONCORD NEAR YOU: Twenty-

Six Acres Brewing Co. traces town history.

BY BO MCMILLAN

84

ARTS&ENT FIRST DATE GETS SECOND CHANCE AT BOOTH PLAYHOUSE: Possible match is in the works.

BY PERRY TANNENBAUM 84 FILM REVIEWS

90

MUSIC ZAKIR HUSSAIN, A GLOBAL MUSIC TROUBADOUR: Hussain and sitarist Niladri Kumar to perform in Charlotte.

BY SAMIR SHUKLA

THE POSIES ARE BACK IN BLOOM: Power

poppers pop up at alternative spots.

BY PAT MORAN 96 SOUNDBOARD

82

ODDS&ENDS

82 TOP 10 THINGS TO DO 98 MARKETPLACE 98 NIGHTLIFE 99 CROSSWORD 100 SAVAGE LOVE 102 HOROSCOPE

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 9

YOU’RE INVITED TO OUR

CUSTOMER APPRECIATION EVENT FOR VOTING US CHARLOTTE’S BEST VAPE SHOP

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7TH - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9TH 20% OFF EVERYTHING STOREWIDE* MEGA SEDUCE JUICE SALE : 15ML FOR $5 | 30ML FOR $9 | 118ML FOR $25 1 OUT OF EVERY 10 LOYALTY CUSTOMERS GET A 50 POINT BONUS

CH A R L OT T E VA P E S UNIVERSITY • WHITEHALL • LAKE WYLIE • GASTONIA w w w.charlottevapes.com *Excludes already discounted items. Offer valid while supplies last.

10 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 11

Friday OCT. 7TH McColl Center for Art & Innovation 29

th ual ann

 1  2 12 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

6PM-10PM tickets $25

Party!!!

Party Party!!!

For this year’s Best of Charlotte issue, the staff of Creative Loafing decided to go with a “cosplay” theme. We got excited about the idea of dressing in costumes that channeled our inner heroes and villains, as well as storybook characters (although some of us were left squealing from the heat of a full body suit while out in the heat). There’s something about dressing up — and not in the typical sense — that feels like CL. Thanks to Morris Costumes for helping us find the perfect oddball assortment of costumes and for putting up with us as we roamed the store, fascinated by the many options and cracking jokes along the way. It should come as no big surprise that when it was time to do the BOC photo shoot, most of us were eagerly raising our hands and volunteering in the name of team spirit. The result was a photo shoot with the talented and very patient Grant Baldwin. Baldwin shot us in several spots in our office and around the AvidXchange Music Factory (big thanks to the folks at La Revolucion and The Underground for allowing us to freakishly stomp in their quarters). We hope that anyone who attends this year’s BOC Party at McColl Center for Art + Innovation on Oct. 7 will dress in costume. We’re even hosting a costume contest in the hopes that you will all take it to another level.

As always, we’d like to thank everyone who helped put this issue together — including our regular writers, our graphic designer, sales staff, photographers, printers and distributors. We’d also like to thank all of our readers who pick up CL on a regular basis and who took the time vote on the people, places and things that make Charlotte such a great city to live in.

— Anita Overcash, editor Critics’ Panel: Anita Overcash, Ryan Pitkin, Jeff Hahne, Matt Brunson, Perry Tannenbaum, Dana Vindigni, Madeline Lemieux, Pat Moran, Page Leggett, Chrissie Nelson, Alison Leininger, Aerin Spruill Design: Dana Vindigni

Cover and Section Lead Photography: Grant Baldwin

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 13

GRANT BALDWIN

LOCAL HERO/HEROINE

critics’ picks

14 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

The trans community After finally getting the nondiscrimination ordinance they had asked for in 2015, Charlotte’s trans community was shoved into the spotlight early this year when the North Carolina GOP went into a panic and passed House Bill 2, using fear-mongering and claims of danger in the bathrooms. Many from the local trans community have stepped up, oftentimes reluctantly, to educate the rest of us in order to counter the smears and false information.

BEST MULTITASKER C3 Lab C3 Lab in South End bills itself as a creative hub, which is an easier way of saying that it is everything a local artist could want. An office, coffee shop, community center and studio by day, the Lab also hosts events ranging from multimedia screenings to art shows to calligraphy workshops. If it was conjured up in the right side of your brain, it has a home in C3 Lab.

BEST LOCAL INSTAGRAM @704Shop You’d expect a local clothing company

best known for its T-shirts to just feature a bunch of corny photos of millennial models rocking their tees by the Blue Line tracks on its Instagram account, but 704 Shop instead acts as the best aggregation of CLT skyline photos from local photographers.

BEST TWITTER @AgendaFive With two popular news blogs in town competing for clicks, it was only a matter of time until someone stepped in for a satirical spin. The mysterious “A.B.” curates the account, often pulling headlines from the daily newsletters and adding a perfect

JEFF HAHNE

Andy the Doorbum at The Milestone. (Critics’ Best Crowdfunded Project).

bite of sarcasm. Example headline: “Babalu invited us to their invite only event last week hoping we’d give them some free press and boy were they right!” (Honorable mention: @ SupportiveDude)

BEST OPEN DOOR ourBRIDGE for Kids In a year that’s seen sentiment toward immigrants and refugees take a sour turn, ourBRIDGE for Kids has continued to valiantly serve both communities in Charlotte. Founder Sil Ganzo could easily qualify for this year’s “Local Hero” category, as she’s quietly worked behind the scenes to improve the lives of hundreds of immigrant and refugee families in Charlotte with ourBRIDGE for Kids’ afterschool and tutoring programs, while also adovcating on their behalf.

BEST SILENT PROTEST Rose Hamid Rose Hamid was protesting at Donald Trump rallies before protesting at Donald Trump rallies was cool. On Jan. 8, Hamid was escorted out of a Rock Hill, South Carolina, Trump rally for silently standing from her seat in the stands so anyone watching could read her shirt, which read, “Salam, I come in peace.” The Trumpers must not have forgotten about her, because she was once again escorted out from a Trump rally in Charlotte eight months later for committing the crime of handing out roses to Trump supporters in the lead-up to his speech.

BEST NEWS IN A DEPRESSING NEWS CYCLE Joe Gillespie remains felony free Creative Loafing has never before seen the sort of response to a story that we got following

our interview with Joe Gillespie, aka the Homer Thief, in last year’s Best of Charlotte issue. That response was overwhelmingly positive, with countless folks agreeing that he shouldn’t have been facing felony charges for his escapades in Homer’s costume. In June, Gillespie pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor larceny charge and got off with 15 months of probation. It’s not ideal, but it’s no felony.

BEST CROWD-FUNDED PROJECT Save The Milestone With music venues shutting down across Charlotte this year, it’s all the more important to support efforts to save one of Charlotte’s most iconic venues. In April, co-owners Jonathan and Stephanie Hughes launched a GoFundMe campaign to fund renovations needed in the 100-year-old building and 45-year-old business for it to keep going. In four months, they reached

about one-third of the goal, but much more is needed. Every time a new venue closes, music fans take to social media wondering what they could have done to save it. Here’s your chance to be proactive.

BEST WAY TO PISS OFF EVEN THE MOST TEPID VEGANS Ride Horses In June, the Charlotte Observer’s blog/newsletter CharlotteFive ran an essay from Taylor Slaughter titled, “I’m a vegan and I ride horses. And, no, that doesn’t make me a hypocrite.” Since CF, perhaps smartly, does not feature a comments section, the ensuing chaos spilled onto social media. Slaughter was harassed by vegans from all reaches of the internet for months following the article’s publication, but took it in stride,

SEE

CRITICS P. 18 u

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 15

The CityLYNX Gold Line. (Readers’ Worst Use of Tax Money)

16 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

RYAN PITKIN

Joe Gillespie. (Critics’ Best News in a Depressing News Cycle)

RYAN PITKIN

Readers’ picks LOCAL HERO/HEROINE Cam Newton

BEST PLACE TO GET BACK TO NATURE

BEST ACTIVIST/ACTIVISM GROUP

Crowders Mountain ncparks.gov/crowders-mountain-state-park

Equality NC equalitync.org

BEST FESTIVAL

BEST MEMBER OF GOVERNMENT

Yiasou Greek Festival yiasoufestival.org

Jennifer Roberts @CLTmayor

BEST FREE EVENT

BEST USE OF TAX MONEY

#CLTStartupSocial cltstartupsocial.splashthat.com

LYNX Blue Line lynxcharlotte.com

BEST NEW THING

WORST USE OF TAX MONEY

DoorDash Food Delivery doordash.com

CityLYNX Gold Line lynxcharlotte.com/citylynx-gold-line/

BEST AREA TO LIVE IN CHARLOTTE Plaza Midwood

BEST NEWS STORY OF 2016 Panthers go to the SuperBowl

BEST APARTMENT COMMUNITY

Q.C. ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION (tie) Overdevelopment and homelessness

Wesley Village 2715 Wet Stone Way 855-687-8492 wesleyvillageapts.com

BEST ATHLETE

BEST CHURCH

Cam Newton

Carolina Panthers’ Sir Purr

Missiongathering Charlotte 420 E. 15th St. 704-412-4028 mgclt.com

BEST REC CENTER

BEST HOTEL

YMCA (Dowd location) 400 E. Morehead St. 704-716-6100 ymcacharlotte.org

The Ritz-Carlton 201 E. Trade St. 704-547-2244 ritzcarlton.com

BEST GOLF COURSE

BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH

Quail Hollow Country Club 3700 Glen Eagles Road quailhollowclub.com

EpiCentre 210 E. Trade St. 704-688-5980 epicentrenc.com

COOLEST TEAM MASCOT

BEST DISC GOLF COURSE Kilborne Park 2600 Kilborne Drive 704-643-5725 charmeck.org

BEST PLACE TO TAKE OUT-OF-TOWN VISITORS U.S. National Whitewater Center 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway 704-391-3900 usnwc.org

Rose Hamid. (Critics’ Best Silent Protest)

Rose Hamid

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 17

CRITICS FROM P. 15 t oftentimes posting the comical things (one troll warned her that her horses have Stockholm syndrome?) with sarcastic responses of her own.

BEST WAY TO GEEK OUT Potions & Pixels Abari Game Bar in NoDa has enjoyed great popularity in its first year, and rightfully so, but a new event that began in June is geared more toward the console-loving gamers. Michael Zytkow and Jason Haynes started Potions & Pixels to cultivate their love for independent games and connect gamers from all around the city. It must’ve worked, because P&P has already expanded from once a month at Petra’s to a biweekly event in two different locations.

BEST WAY TO GET HIT BY A CAR Augmented Reality This summer saw the introduction of augmented reality on smartphones, a trend that will surely only grow as more options become available. The sudden popularity of PokemonGO got people outside and into Charlotte’s parks and public spaces this summer, but rarely were they looking up from their phones. The game flared for a while and still enjoys an impressive following, but we’re excited to see what new worlds augmented reality will bring us into in the coming year.

BEST WAY TO SPEND THE SUMMER SFER Action Network Fellowship While many of their peers were stacking money with side jobs or lounging by the pool, a group of students spent 12 weeks this summer discussing advocacy tactics in a classroom at the AvidXchange Music Factory and canvassing in the sticky heat for three hours a day; all in the name of educational equality. Organizers Kayla Romero, Lula Dualeh and Meg Judy worked with 17 students — mostly college with high- and middle-school students peppered in — to “make the entire political process sexy” to the youth, as Dualeh put it.

Carolina Book Fest 2016 Authors are swooping in to the Queen City to deliver an event you will not forget!

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

O CTOBER 15

O CTOBER 16

F ORLORN S TRANGER TRANGERSS H H H H H D AVI AVID D C HIL HILDERS HILD D ER ERSS and T HE S ERPENT ERPENTSS H H H H H

DIXIE MOON BLUEGRASS H H H H H STEPSIDE DELUXE

Over t he Rhine S TAGE S PONSOR

Jim AVETT

Marriott City Center Charlotte, NC

Author Signing/Meet & Greet: 10-3pm Monster Mash After Party: 7:30pm-10pm

B AND S PONSORS

CONNECT WITH US: www.carolinabookfest.com

C ORNHOLE T OURNAMENT S PONSOR 6500 South New Hope Road Belmont, NC 28012 Ph: (704) 825-4490 www.dsbg.org

18 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

October 15, 2016

H H H H H

Jam Sessions with Catawba River Bluegrass Association, Food Trucks, CornholeTournament, Family Activities and more.

S PONSORED B Y

Join us to meet over 90 bestselling authors from all genres!

www.facebook.com/carolinabookfest carolinabookfest@gmail.com

Hanna Mitchell with Repower Our Schools. (Critics’ Most Audacious Ask)

Ryan Pitkin

critics’ picks con’t BEST FRIEND TO HEADLINE WRITERS Brain-eating amoebas There is no better way to strike fear in a human heart (and get clicks) than to use the words “brain-eating amoeba.” When an unfortunate young woman passed away after contracting Naegleria fowleri at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, people lost their shit.

They also overlooked the rarity of the amoeba actually infecting anyone — only 138 known cases in 53 years despite its presence in most lakes and rivers in warm-weather states — and demanded answers from USNWC. Ironically, many of those same people have sat on their hands as Duke Energy’s coal ash ponds have seeped toxins into sources of drinking water.

(Runner Up: Clowns in the woods)

BEST ALTERNATIVE USE OF CHARLOTTE STREETS Open Streets 704 On May 1, traffic-clogged streets from NoDa to First Ward opened up to pedestrians for the first Open Streets 704 event, a festival/ community gathering that was sure to be the biggest block party in Charlotte history. In hopes to keep up the momentum and continue

to advocate for the use of bikes and other greener transportation, organizers have already announced the next one, planned for October 23rd and reaching from west Charlotte to Historic South End.

MOST AUDACIOUS ASK Repower Our Schools The North Carolina Clean Energy Technology Center at North Carolina State University began the year by completing a report describing in detail how Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools could conceivably transition completely to renewable power in the coming decades. In early February, the local Repower Our Schools coalition took it from there, pushing for CMS leaders to begin taking the necessary steps. In Creative Loafing’s story, Phil Berman, executive director of building services for CMS, assured us that the report “has been and will be part of our goals and objectives, as will driving energy efficiency.”

MOST DISAPPOINTING SILENCE Carolina Panthers on HB2 Those who have spoken out against the North Carolina General Assembly’s embarrassing passage of House Bill 2 include sports legends CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 19

Readers’ picks BEST PLACE TO GET HITCHED

BEST RADIO SHOW

(tie) Van Landingham Estate and Mecklenburg County Courthouse 2010 The Plaza vanlandinghamestate.com

WFAE’s Charlotte Talks wfae.org

BEST TV PERSONALITY

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY

Fox 46’s Page Crawford fox46charlotte.com

Asheville exploreasheville.com

BEST TV STATION

BEST TAXI COMPANY

WSOC wsoctv.com

Uber uber.com

BEST TV NEWS ANCHOR/TEAM

BEST CO-WORKING SPACE

WBTV’s Maureen O’Boyle and Paul Cameron wbtv.com

Advent Coworking adventcoworking.com

BEST TV SPORTSCASTER

BEST CODING SCHOOL

WBTV’s Delano Little wbtv.com

Tech Talent South 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd.

404-491-9887 techtalentsouth.com

BEST BLOG Freckled Italian freckleditalian.com/blog/

BEST CHARITY

BEST PODCAST

The Assistance League of Charlotte 3405 S. Tryon St. 704-525-5228 charlotte.assistanceleague.org

Margarita Confessionals themargaritaconfessionals.com

BEST FACEBOOK PAGE

BEST SUPPORT GROUP

CharlotteFive facebook.com/charlottefivenews

Al-Anon charlottealanon.org

BEST TWITTER FEED

BEST PLACE TO VOLUNTEER

CharlotteFive @charlotte_five

The Assistance League of Charlotte 3405 S. Tryon St. 704-525-5228 charlotte.assistanceleague.org

BEST INSTAGRAM CharlotteFive @cltfive

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

BEST CELEBRITY

WFAE’s Mike Collins wfae.org

Cam Newton

20 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Marchers in Winston Salem supported plaintiffs in a voter suppression lawsuit in July.

(Critics’ News Story That Needs More Attention) ADVANCEMENT PROJECT CRITICS FROM P. 19 t like Michael Jordan, Roy Williams and Mike Krzyzewski — who actually used the word “embarrassing.” There has remained a deafening silence on Mint Street, however, as no leaders from the Panthers organization have raised their voice against the discrimination bill. What can you say? Bigots buy tickets.

MOST DISTURBING LOCAL STATISTIC Stolen Guns, Drive-By Shootings A Creative Loafing investigation in April found that about 2.5 guns go missing in the Queen City every day. We were on pace for a decrease in the total number of guns lost or stolen — compared to 1,270 in 2015 — but the number was still alarming, especially when police called a press conference a couple months later to announce a 25-percent increase in incidents in which suspects were shooting (oftentimes blindly) into occupied residences like homes and cars. Please folks, if you have a gun, lock it up.

LOCAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION Voter Suppression It was cause for celebration in July when a federal appeals court struck down most of North Carolina’s racist voter ID law, passed in

2013. However, local election boards quickly picked up where the NCGA left off, passing new laws in counties throughout the state that are sure to affect the black vote. A letter acquired by the Raleigh News & Observer from NC GOP executive director Dallas Woodhouse showed him encouraging local election boards to oppose Sunday morning early voting and polling places on college campuses.

MOST PAINFULLY PROTRACTED DEATH The Charlotte Observer building on Stonewall A quick implosion would have been nice, akin to swiftly ripping a Band-Aid off a scraped knee. Instead, journalists of all stripes had to watch as the longtime home to the city’s daily came down slooowly, chunk by chunk, day after day, for approximately a month. As one former Observer employee posted on Facebook, “I was hoping for it to go down in one big boom while everyone was gathered at a safe distance and champagne corks were popping. I’m going to stick with that image in my mind. The reality is too sad.”

MOST ANTI-CLIMACTIC MOMENT The Super Bowl We still have trouble talking about it.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 21

Park at Drexel 4310 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28205

708 Summit 708 S. Summit Ave, Charlotte, NC 28208

Plaza 25 1114 Clement Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

FIND YOUR NICHE

mynicheapartments.com 704-512-0594

The Arden 3306 N McDowell St, Charlotte, NC 28205

The Edison 1800 Commonwealth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

OWN YOUR LIFE

The Nook 1421 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205 22 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

2100 Queens 2100 Queens Rd W, Charlotte, NC 28207

The Davy 514 E 35th Street, Charlotte, NC 28205

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 23

BEST SOLO ARTIST SHOWCASE

critics’ picks

GRANT BALDWIN

Arthur Brouthers’ Chroma exhibit Held in a warehouse in South End, Arthur Brouthers’ many new works — which made up his Chroma exhibit in June — filled the room with life and color. Vibrant paint globs formulated cell-like bodies and lush landscape scenes via canvass. Brouthers creates the whirling details within these compelling works. The exhibit featured around 60 pieces of artwork by Brouthers, the smallest measuring in at six-by-six inches and the largest at eight-by-eight feet. The latter left us scratching our heads and wondering, how will anyone who buys this fit it through their home’s door frames?

BEST ARTS COLLECTIVE RETURN Genome Arts Collective Back in 2012, Genome Gallery, a funky gallery in Latta Arcade, closed its doors for good. The founders — artist Henry Schreiber and his friend John Josef — decided to take a break and Josef moved to Atlanta for a bit before the pair reunited as Genome for a series of planned pop-up shows. The debut pop-up, held at The Art Hole in May, featured works from several artists who had worked with Genome collective, one new guy, and Schreiber’s signature marmots. Oh, how we missed those furry little rascals!

24 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Charles Williams’ “Big Gulp” (Critics’ Best Use of Art as a Form of Therapy)

BEST ART/COMMUNITY/ ENVIRONMENT PARTNERSHIP Particle Falls installation The Andrea Polli installation, which was on view from March through April in Uptown, came about through a partnership between UNC Charlotte College of Arts + Architecture and Clean Air Carolina. Showcased along UNCCharlotte’s Center City, it continuously captured colored readings of Charlotte air quality, putting the importance of clean air and air pollution into abstract visuals. Should we start wearing masks?

anymore, then that’s when I’ll take swimming lessons.” We suggest you keep splashing that paint onto canvasses, Charles.

the crew behind these arts endeavors — the two Amy’s, Amy Bagwell and Amy Herman — have since moved on to occupy new quarters at 516 North College St. The space provides artists with room to work and it gives the public a chance to view pieces from local artists during monthly showcases. Now that’s what we call a win-win.

Plus, it’s putting an otherwise empty building to good use.

BEST NEW PUBLIC ART

BEST USE OF ART AS A FORM OF THERAPY Charles Williams’ Continuum exhibits Greensboro-based artist Charles Williams has had three near-death experiences, all of them involving water. Luckily, he turned his bad experiences into a good thing through his Continuum series, which showcased at CPCC’s Ross Gallery during this year’s Sensoria and also at New Gallery of Modern Art in Uptown.

Williams has acknowledged his fears of water and accepted that he can’t swim, although his ability to paint water and ocean scenes has been a success. As he said in an interview earlier this year: “When I feel like I don’t want to paint water

One of Arthur Brouthers’ works (Critic’ Best Solo Artist Showcase)

One of Henry Schreiber of Genome’s signature marmots. (Critics’ Best Arts Collective Return)

BEST ARTS HAVEN Goodyear Arts First holding artist residencies in the defunct Goodyear Service Center building in Uptown,

Mural of deceased drag queen Brandy Alexander What better way to honor a former Q.C. entertainer than by painting their face on the side of a building in one of Charlotte’s artsiest neighborhoods? Local artists Nick Napoletano, Matt Hooker and Matt Moore painted the masterpiece, which dominates a side of 1510 Antiques and Consignments in Plaza Midwood.

In the painting, Alexander holds a wand with the Hand of Justice and there are other nods toward HB2 disapproval, including her pearl necklace with a transgender bathroom charm on it and cameo earrings with what looks like Gov. Pat McCroy’s face on them.

BEST USE OF A SPRAY CAN Fried Chicken Art Party In May, local artist Phoebe Alicia organized this graffiti art show with Matt Fletcher of Armada Skate Shop. Featuring works from several local and regional artists, the exhibit displayed the talent that can come from taking up a spray can. Alicia, who started doing graffiti at a young age, has stressed the importance of being mindful and law abiding, but she feels that folks generally have misconceptions when it comes to the art form. She’s raising funds and taking the show on the road with stops in cities like Austin, Wilmington, Nashville, Los Angeles, scheduled for later this year and more to come in 2017.

BEST FILM SERIES “Hollywood Shoots Itself” at the Main Library and ImaginOn A film series for film lovers, this program focused on movies about making movies, and in the process acquired the services of Billy Wilder, Mel Brooks, Robert Altman and other helmers who knew a thing or two about the behind-thescenes shenanigans in Tinseltown.

SEE

CRITICS P.

26

u

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 25

Readers’ picks BEST MUSEUM Mint Museum Uptown 500 S. Tryon St. 704-337-2000 mintmuseum.org.

BEST ART GALLERY Twenty-Two 150 Central Ave. 704-334-0122 gallerytwentytwo.com

BEST EXHIBIT (tie) 80x80 at Mint Museum and Body Worlds at Discovery Place 500 S. Tryon St.; 301 N. Tryon St. 704-337-2000; 704.372.6261 mintmuseum.org; discoveryplace.org

Jonzi D, the founder of Breakin’ Convention. (Critics’ Best Place for B-boys and B-girls to Congregate) CRITICS FROM P.25 t

BEST MOVIE THEATER AMC Concord Mills Anybody remember those long-ago days when mall theaters used to be cramped, hole-inthe-wall spaces featuring a mere one or two auditoriums? Clearly, they’ve come a long way, and this spacious and well-maintained venue continues to serve as a flagship of sorts for such shopping center-supplemented multiplexes.

Bonus: Right outside the theater, there’s a Cinabbon, a nice, sweet treat after all that salty popcorn.

BEST WAY TO SHOOT A FILM UNDER PRESSURE 48 Hour Film Project In its fourth year, this film challenge is not for the faint of heart. Will Fisher, the Charlotte city producer for 48HFP, organizes the project and folks participating have 48 hours to write, direct and shoot a short flick. There are genre

26 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

DANIEL COSTON

critics’ picks con’t requirements (you draw from a box and hope you don’t get ‘Sci-Fi’ or ‘Western’) and featured requirements (lines and objects that must be in the flick). It can be tough, but the results are worth the stressful efforts. And for Charlotteans who just get to kick back and watch the films when they showcase on the big screen at Blumenthal, it’s all just a care free ride.

BEST USE OF WORDS AND AUTHOR VISITATIONS Amy Bagwell Artist/poet/teacher Amy Bagwell’s Wall Poems remind us of the power of words — sometimes in the most forgotten corners. Snippets of poetry, painted and adorned by Graham Carew on the sides of buildings are a refreshing sight.

Bagwell also organizes appearances from authors/poets that come to Charlotte for CPCC’s annual Sensoria, and she also curates author visitations at McColl’s New Frequencies series.

If literary lulls are your thing, she can direct you to compelling reads and she certainly has had

a part in enlightening Charlotteans who have stumbled aross her words and the words of those she favors.

BEST PERFORMING ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA BOOM In April, this three-day Charlotte showcase of experimental and contemporary performance and visual art dominated Plaza Midwood.

Organized by the creatives who make up QueOs — the collective responsible for Charlotte’s Pecha Kucha — BOOM featured entertainment from Q.C. groups like XOXO, OnQ, Taproot and more.

BEST PLACE FOR B-BOYS AND B-GIRLS TO CONGREGATE Breakin’ Convention The second annual Breakin’ Convention highlighted breakdancing as an artform, along with the hip-hop culture that goes hand-inhand with it. Giving locals a chance to break a

BEST ART SPACE C3 Lab 2525 Distribution Center St. 980-349-5803 c3-lab.com

BEST DISPLAY OF PUBLIC ART ArtPop

BEST VISUAL ARTIST Rosalia Torres-Weiner

BEST PERFORMING ARTIST Big Mamma D

BEST THEATER COMPANY Children’s Theatre of Charlotte 300 E. 7th St. 704-973-2828 ctcharlotte.org SEE

READERS P. 29 u

Grand Opening! Savings!

Treat Yourself Our Location 6157 E. Independence Blvd. Charlotte NC 28212 704/567-9531

www.AerialCLT.com Info@AerialCLT.com 980.292.1593

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 27

critics’ picks con’t move, in addition to hosting international break dancing troupes — from South Korea, England, Canada and South Africa — and workshops around Levine Center for the Arts, the two-day event is any b-boy or b-girl’s dream come true.

Bluz, who co-host’s the event, and creator Jonzi D are just as entertaining. It’s so exciting to finally have an event like this in the Q.C.

BEST PLACE TO TELL A STORY Charlotte Storytellers The group created its first “safe” space in February of 2015 and has since gone on to host regular shenanigans — from those that feature members of the group who share their stuff to open mic style gigs that welcome anyone who signs up. The group meets weekly and is open to anyone who wants to hone their craft in a workshop-like setting before disclosing it to the masses. It’s a fun, quirky group that will push you out of your comfort zone and get you in a more creative and relaxed mindset.

BEST COMEDIANS TO KEEP AN EYE ON

best musical company in Charlotte, particularly with their summertime slate. In 2015-16, they certainly led in ambition and daring with their Phantom of the Opera extravaganza, which I suspect would easily win the popular vote around town. But at my electoral college of quality, Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte and Queen City Theatre Company were more deserving.

ATC’s Fly by Night sported the best cast I saw all season — and a fine score — but I’m giving the edge to QCTC’s Heathers the Musical. It was fresher, funnier, and far more relevant, merrily hitting the topics of bullying and terrorism in its brash high school takedown.

BEST COMEDY PaperHouse Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte’s Bad Jews and Stephen Seay Productions’ Killing Women were the edgiest comedies of last season, and Theatre Charlotte’s revival of The Importance of Being Earnest was the most elegant. But PaperHouse

(tie) Ryan Davis and Sid Davis Both of these comedians, who are totally unrelated, merit a closer look. Keep an eye on Ryan Davis, a fresher comedian who comes to the Q.C. by way of Concord, in addition to Sid Davis, whose been in the comedy game a bit longer — though he got his start later in life.

Both Ryan and Sid regularly open for a lot of bigger named acts that fill The Comedy Zone, but can easily stand alone and are no strangers to headlining gigs.

BEST UNCONVENTIONAL USE OF A BATHROOM McColl Center for Art + Innovation’s Open Occupancy: Artists Respond to HB2 McColl’s Open Occupancy featured seven installations that were placed on every floor of the art center in public restrooms. Participating artists included D’Angelo Dia, Raymond Grubb, John W. Love, Tom Thoune, Andrea Vail, Jason Watson and Rosalia Torres Weiner. They came together to address sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, that came with a message of peace and tolerance.

BEST MUSICAL GEORGE HENDRICKS

The cast of Queen City Theatre Company’s Heathers: The Musical. (Critics’ Best Musical) 28 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Queen City Theatre Company’s Heathers: The Musical Once upon a time, CPCC Theatre ruled as the

Cast of PaperHouse Theatre’s Much Ado About Nothing. (Critics’ Best Comedy)

Theatre’s triumphant return to the Frock Shop for their zany environmental staging of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing keeps this quirky company on top of the comedy heap.

The mad tea party atmosphere whirled indoors and outdoors with an orgy of role switching and cross-dressing, sustained by a clunky hand puppet when one performer had to be two people at the same time.

Phantom in excellence. Nevertheless, Jill Bloede takes the laurels for her astonishing performance as Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest. Bloede was such a majestic tugboat from the moment she entered as Her Ladyship — a crowdpleasing villain who actually drew an ovation when she exited — that I proposed changing her name to Bloede Bracknell forever after. Whether the new rhyming moniker sticks is doubtful, but this Best Actress plaudit should add an exclamation point to her distinguished résumé.

BEST ACTOR

AMY STEINBERG

The cast of Breaking the Moon. (Critics’ Best Musical Combat Against Teen Suicide

BEST DRAMA (tie) Queen City Theatre Company’s Casa Valentina and Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte’s Father Comes Home from the Wars Honorable mentions go to Three Bone Theatre for their acerbic Seminar and Warehouse PAC for their cosmic Constellations, but once again Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte and Queen City Theatre Company vied for preeminence. With a dark intensity that occasionally echoed O’Neill or Williams, QCTC’s Casa Valentina delved into the intimacies and betrayals of a Fire Island transvestite klatch. ATC’s Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2, and 3), on the other hand, was epic, recalling the soaring ambitions of August Wilson. Chronicling the service of an African American slave to his wicked Confederate master during the Civil War, Suzan-Lori Parks’ three-act drama, paralleling Homer’s Odyssey and mischievously strewn with time-warping anachronisms, is just the first installment of an ongoing project that will eventually take her Ulysses far beyond his emancipation.

BEST ACTRESS Jill Bloede Caroline Renfro’s one-woman show, Grounded, certainly made her a contender, and Meredith Zahn’s exploits as Roxie Hart were a prime reason why CPCC’s Chicago eclipsed their

Michael Harris Looking for multiple excellent performances helped narrow the field to Jerry Colbert, Berry Newkirk, and Michael Harris. Newkirk, probably the most unique performer we’ve had around here since Alan Poindexter, excelled with his twisted, neurotic delicacy in Casa Valentina and P.S. Your Cat Is Dead.

One of our most versatile veterans, Colbert was an avuncular presence in Fly by Night and a pompous patsy in Sleuth. Harris powered through to the prize as two memorable protagonists, a humble beekeeper who beguiles a quantum physicist in Constellations and the arrogant author in Seminar.

That’s not to mention the amiable nature of every employee.

With so much

turmoil in the local music scene these days, the Muse has remained the

Readers’ picks BEST ACTOR/ACTRESS (tie) Matt Cosper, Michelle Busiek and Rob Brafford

BEST THEATER SHOW OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS

needed, solid foundation. Thanks, Joe!

(tie) Queen City Theatre Company’s Heathers: The Musical, Shakespeare Carolina’s They Fight and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane McGlohon Theatre 345 N College St. 704-372-1000 queencitytheatre.com

BEST MUSICAL COMBAT AGAINST TEEN SUICIDE Breaking the Moon Local musician Amy Steinberg of POP (Performance on Purpose) Theatre wrote and directed this musical that debuted at Studio 1212 with shows that followed in Asheville and back in Charlotte at CPCC’s Tate Hall. The set was barebones, but the show’s teen subjects — ranging from 13-16 years old — packed a powerful punch with teen angst, saracasm and a public display of verbal scar tissue as they chatted about what got them into a treatment facility, most of which was the result of bullying and self love. It was an intense convo, but the journey ended with hope.

BEST VENUE Evening Muse For years, the Evening Muse has been a fixture in the Charlotte music scene and the model of consistency. Pick a night, and you know you’re going to hear quality performers in the city’s best-sounding room. Find Your Muse, the Monday night open mic, is a launching pad for most local artists, and the booking is solid from day to day, week to week and month to month.

WORST BEST REASON TO GO TO A CONCERT One last show before the venue closes It seems like every time you turn around, another venue is closing its doors. First it was the Chop Shop, then it was Tremont Music Hall, then it was Tommy’s Pub and now the Double Door Inn and Amos’ Southend have both announced future closings.

A terrible reason to go to a concert is “because it’s the last time you’ll be able to go there,” so get out and support the ones that are open and show love on a regular basis, or go say farewell before Amos’ and the Double Door say “last call” for a final time.

SEE

BEST MOVIE THEATER Regal Cinemas Manor Twin 609 Providence Road 944-462-7342 regmovies.com SEE

READERS P. 30 u

CRITICS P. 30 u CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 29

Readers’ picks READERS FROM

P. 29

t

BEST CHARITY EVENT Walk a Mile in Her Shoes walkamilecharlotte.org

BEST PLACE TO HEAR SPOKEN WORD UpStage 3306 N. Davidson St. 704-749-4245 upstagenoda.com

BEST IMPROV TROUPE Robot Johnson robotjohnson.com

Lindi Ortega performed at this year’s Housing Fest, presented by Urban Ministry. (Critics’ Best Concert for a Good Cause)

BEST PLACE TO SEE COMEDY The Comedy Zone 900 NC Music Factory Blvd., Suite B3 980-321-4702 cltcomedyzone.com

BEST COMEDIAN Johnny Millwater

BEST DRAG PERFORMER Beth Amphetamine

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER (tie) Daniel Coston, Brian Twitty and Donna Bise

The cover of Ancient Cities’ Supermoon Blackout.

(Readers’ Best Local Album of the Past 12 Months) CRITICS FROM

P.29

critics’ picks con’t

t

MOST PROMISING NEW MUSIC VENUE The Underground This new venue at AvidXchange Music Factory took over Bootleggers Saloon, a former honky tonk spot that failed to generate a shuffle.

The Fillmore Charlotte’s Chris Ozment and his crew now reign over the spot, which has been revamped with a state of the art lighting rig, an improved sound system and an elevated lounge area in the back of the room. They are also slated to add an outdoor patio. But the biggest upgrade isn’t cosmetic at all. Folks at the Underground are promising more local music coverage and they’re welcoming Charlotte area bands. Their first show on July 30th was an all-local showcase with Fifty Watt Freight Train, Something Clever & The Reason You Stayed.

They plan to do local bills, of varying genres, monthly.

30 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

BEST CONCERT FOR A GOOD CAUSE Urban Ministry’s Housing Fest This concert to end homelessness featured an impressive lineup and performances to match from Josh Ritter, Lindi Ortega, Jim Lauderdale, Nikki Hill and Matrimony, a former Charlottebased act that reunited for this good cause. With all the growth and development happening in Charlotte via apartments popping up on every corner, it’s easy to forget that many folks are struggling to make ends meet. Hearing a story of a man who had overcome homelessness was inspiring, giving folks a good nudge and urging them to help out in the community.

BEST CONCERT SERIES Squirt Day Parties

For fun in the heat, you can’t beat the Squirt Day Parties at Snug Harbor on a summer afternoon.

Aside from the fun of acting like a kid again and shooting water guns at random people and friends — better leave your attitude at the door, because you will get wet — they also have fantastic lineups with national and local artists. The atmosphere of relaxation and fun is a huge part of why this series continues to be so successful.

BEST MUSICAL RESPONSE TO BIGOTRY Stand Against HB2 Concert Series As soon as the NC GOP took power, they peered into the abyss, liked what they saw, and dove in headfirst, enacting racist, sexist and trans-phobic laws left and right. In response, promoter Mike Allen and a group of tarheel musicians launched

Stand Against HB2, a powerful concert series that will conclude touring the state on Nov. 6th at Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro. The all-star show hit the Neighborhood Theatre on Sept. 24th with Jon Lindsay, Bless These Sounds Under the City, Rapper Shane, Alternative Champs, The Loudermilks and many more. Proceeds raised from the shows go to Equality NC, a nonprofit dedicated to pursuing equal rights for LGBTQ North Carolinians and QORDS, a Southern summer camp that builds queer community through music.

BEST ALBUM Ancient Cities’ Supermoon Blackout Stephen Warwick has always been one of the city’s finest songwriters, but the sophomore album from his band Ancient Cities solidifies that status. But it’s not all about Warwick here — this one’s got more depth and truly presents itself as the work of the band. There have been a lot

moRe Readers’ picks BEST SOLO PERFORMER

BEST CONCERT FOR A GOOD CAUSE

(tie) Funky Geezer and Drake Margolinick

Save the Milestone benefit concerts

BEST OPEN MIC

BEST CONCERT OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS

Find Your Muse at The Evening Muse 3227 N. Davidson St. 704-376-3737 eveningmuse.com

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER (tie) Christy Snow, Crystal Crosby, Deirdre Kroener

BEST NEW BAND El Maipais

The Cure

BEST MUSIC EVENT OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS God Save the Queen City

BEST CONCERT VENUE Visulite Theatre 1615 Elizabeth Ave. 704-358-9200 visulite.com

BEST ROCK/COUNTRY/FOLK BAND (tie) Hectorina, Dead Cat and Love Sucker

BEST BLUES/JAZZ/SOUL BAND Fat Face Band

BEST PLACE TO HEAR JAZZ (tie) Cajun Queen and Petra’s 1800 E. 7th St.; 1919 Commonwealth Ave. 704-377-9017; 704-332-6608 cajunqueen.net; petraspianobar.com

BEST RAPPER Rapper Shane

BEST HIP-HOP/R&B BAND Well$

BEST PLACE TO HEAR COUNTRY Coyote Joe’s 4621 Wilkinson Blvd.

704-399-4946 coyote-joes.com

BEST LOCAL ALBUM OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS Ancient Cities’ Supermoon Blackout

of great local albums released in the last year, but this is one of the few that gets better with every listen and doesn’t have one track we want to skip over.

BEST NEW BAND El Malpais We’re not quite sure what’s in that Childers bloodline, but if there’s ever one involved (father David or son Robert), you can be sure it’s gonna sound damn good. Drummer Robert Childers is partnered here with multi-instrumentalists Buck Boswell and Jude Salinas for instrumental music that’s befitting of the group’s “Badlands” name.

This is far less hectic than Boswell’s Hectagons work, providing more subtleties to carry the listener along. The band’s only done a handful of gigs, but they’re already set for the November residency at Snug Harbor.

BEST ALT-ROCK EN ESPANOL Patabamba Taking Peruvian chica, a blend of folk music, addictive cumbia rhythms and American psychedelic rock, as a jumping off point, Patabamba craft coiling, catchy and hypnotic songs that mix a range of Latin genres with indie rock, Brazilian grooves and darkly alluring lyrics. The foursome — percussionist Claudio Ortiz, his sister and keyboardist Lisa, guitarist Patrick O’Boyle and drummer Davey Blackburn can also be cited for “Best Use of Farfisa Organ and Demon Masks”. Lisa Ortiz mans the vintage Farfisa, an instrument forever associated with swirling 1960s acid rock, which is a key to Patabamba’s Pan-American sound. The band gets further props for creating wonderfully creepy Carnivale masks for a surreal Halloween show.

SEE

CRITICS P. 34 u CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 31

32 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Mention Creative Loafing & receive $4 off the price of your ticket.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 33

critics’ picks con’t BEST UP AND COMING SINGER/ SONGWRITER LeAnna Eden Whether strumming solo or playing with her supple, genre-jumping band The Garden Of, singer-songwriter LeAnna Eden is a force to be reckoned with. The self taught guitarist weaves her spell with a grab bag of influences ranging from neo-soul to alt-rock, coupling the fierce intelligence of Ani DiFranco with the soulful swing of Joan Armatrading. But what really puts this young artist over are her songs. From the uplifting and defiant “Protest Song” to the whirlpooling and aspirational “If There’s Nothing More,” Eden’s alluring and deceptively smooth tunes connect with the sharp bite of truth.

BEST JAZZ BAND Ghost Trees This duo, comprised by Brent Bagwell (tenor saxophone) and Seth Nanaa (drums), isn’t your typical jazz band. This is free jazz at it’s finest and having them in Charlotte is a real treat.

The duo frequently crosses the pond for shows in Europe, but they play shows around town somewhat regularly — sometimes Ghost Trees Big Band, featuring a number of other musicians who contribute eclectic sounds to the unique performance. Earlier this year, The Ghost Tress Big Band released Goodyear, one of 2016’s finest.

critics’ picks con’t We are a family friendly store specializing in board games, card games, and more. Want to try a game before you get it?

It's free to bring family and friends in to play at one of our tables. Rather play at home? No problem, we rent games too!

LeAnna Eden

BEST THEATRICAL SOLDIER FOR SOUL Quentin Talley The musician/actor/producer behind On Q Productions, Charlotte’s only theater spotlighting the African-American experience, is on a mission to share the music, words and rhythms of black culture.

“Q” produced and starred in Miles & Coltrane: Blue (.), a powerful story of the interwoven lives of two jazz legends. His annual revue, A Soulful Christmas, puts some soul into the season.

BEST CREATIVE COLLABORATION Donna Scott Productions/Charlotte Art League What are three innovative actresses to do when they’ve got talent to spare but no place to perform?

Donna Scott and her partners in Donna Scott Productions (DSP) — Tonya Bludsworth and Glynnis O’Donoghue — didn’t let a little thing like not having a physical address deter them from bringing theater to South End. They set up shop at the Charlotte Art League and — twice a year — convert the front of an art gallery into a theater. DSP is now the gallery’s resident theater company. And people who never knew the space existed have rented it for events … including a wedding.

BEST EARLY MORNING MOVER AND SHAKER Matt Olin Writer Matt Olin is Charlotte’s Pied Piper of creativity, leading hundreds of people on the first Friday of each month to an early-morning breakfast meeting that feels more like a party. Since Olin brought CreativeMornings, an international movement, to town last year, he’s attracted throngs to these monthly gatherings where people mingle, hear live music and get inspired by a guest who’s been assigned a one-word topic ranging from “risk” to “magic.”

BEST WAY TO DISCOVER EMERGING ARTISTS

300 East John Street, Suite 110, MatThews, NC 28105 Mon-Thurs: 12-10 Friday: 12-12 Saturday: 10-12 Sunday: Closed

(704) 729-4547 www.yourlocalgamestore.com 34 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

The Arts & Science Council’s Community-Supported Arts program ASC’s CSA program is based on Community-Supported Agriculture. With a traditional CSA, you pay a fee to a farmer or farming co-op and get whatever’s harvested that week. With ASC’s CSA, 50 shareholders who have bought into the co-op get nine original works of art — paintings, pottery, jewelry — created by carefully vetted local artists. And the harvest is delivered at three arts-related events, like one last season at Theatre Charlotte, where shareholders got to see a preview of The Miracle Worker. And just as you get to know who’s growing your food in a traditional CSA, ASC’s version allows patrons and artists to establish relationships. Be warned: Shares sell out quickly.

SC STATE FAIR OCTOBER 12 - 23

ARTS & DRAUGHTS COLUMBIA MUSEUM OF ART NOVEMBER 11

SC STATE FAIR ALOE BLACC OCTOBER 12 - FREE

BEST NEIGHBOR Dear Sister City, we know Charlotte’s got a lot, but every now and then you’ll need a weekend getaway. Try these local events and experience why Columbia, SC is Charlotte’s best neighbor!

JAM ROOM MUSIC FESTIVAL FEATURING THE MOUNTAIN GOATS NOVEMBER 12

RESTAURANT WEEK OCTOBER 13 - 23

FAMOUSLY HOT PINK HALF MARATHON OCTOBER 22

GERVAIS STREET BRIDGE DINNER OCTOBER 23

VISTA LIGHTS NOVEMBER 17 CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 35

GRANT BALDWIN

critics’ picks

BEST PLACE FOR KARAOKE Jeff’s Bucket Shop Ready to take your shower routine to the main stage? We think the best karaoke spot in the Queen City is none other than Jeff’s Bucket Shop. Tucked at the bottom of a stairwell next door to The Roasting Company on Montford Drive, Jeff’s is the diviest dive bar in the area. The small venue features cheap drinks in plastic cups, a rooftop patio and an all-you-can-sing karaoke stage. Be sure to put your name on the list early and before the crowd packs in. Before you know it, the random person you thought was just a local drunk will be performing everything from Biggie to Metallica. (1601 Montford Drive. 704-5250425. jeffsbucketshop.com)

BEST PLACE FOR CRAFT COCKTAILS The Punch Room at The Ritz-Carlton Is your palate for craft cocktails ready to stretch its muscles? The Punch Room at the Ritz-Carlton in Uptown is going to be a dream come true. Master mixologist and craft cocktail connoisseur, Bob Peters, is known to make

36 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

RYAN PITKIN

Hattie’s Tap & Tavern (Critics’ Best Multitasker Bar)

a mean drink. And when I say mean, you can trust that these cocktails aren’t for the faint of heart. The prices pack a punch, but the buzz does too. You can successfully pregame with a single punch bowl, whether you’re sharing or not. Did I mention there are also artisan-crafted small plates? Sounds like the perfect date night if you ask me! (201 E. Trade St. 704-547-2244. ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/charlotte/dining/ punch-room.)

BEST PLACE TO RELIVE THE COLLEGE LIFE

FOMO (fear of missing out) over your college glory days? There’s good news! Prohibition is the perfect destination for a nasty, sweaty slow grind. Every single time I’ve gone there the floor was wet, everyone was wasted and PDA was in every corner. Not sure if the floor was wet because of sweat, spilled drinks, vomit or a combination of the three. Either way, you’re in for a nostalgic revival unrestricted by inhibitions.

(200 N. Tryon St. 704-358-4244. prohibitionclt. com.)

celebrated their two-year anniversary, can do it all. There were too many topics that came up during our Best of Charlotte discussions during which Hattie’s came into the discussion.

Dog-friendly. LGBT-friendly. Boardgame-friendly.

Mario Kart-friendly. Best Game of Thrones watch party. Best Bingo night. Most recently, it’s even been virtual reality-friendly. You get the picture. There’s always something cool going on at Hattie’s. (2918 The Plaza. 980-938-6228. hattiescharlotte.com)

BEST MULTITASKER BAR

BEST COCKTAIL PARTY ON THE ROOF

Prohibition Are you a recent grad experiencing serious

Hattie’s Tap & Tavern The folks at Hattie’s Tap & Tavern, who recently

City Lights at Le Meridien This chic new rooftop bar at Le Meridien

opened back in June. And while it offers a fabulous view of the city, there are also tasty cocktails.

The City Lights crew concocts some drinks that are seasonal, too. Their breakout summertime signature drinks were called “Sparkle and Pop” and featured Prosecco with King of Pops popsicles. (555 S. McDowell St. 704-372-9610. citylightsrooftop.com.)

SEE

CRITICS P. 39 u

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 37

38 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Readers’ Picks BEST NEW NIGHT SPOT Kandy Bar 201 E. Trade St., Suite 342 980-585-4337 kandybarcharlotte.com

BEST WEEKLY NIGHTLIFE EVENT (tie) Alive After Five and Shiprocked 210 E. Trade St.; 1228 Gordon St. 704-526-0848; 704-561-1781 aliveafterfives.com; snugrock.com

BEST ANNUAL PARTY Charlotte Pride

BEST CLUB DJ (tie) DJ Dirty and That Guy Smitty

BEST DANCE CLUB Suite 210 E. Trade St., Suite A300 704-971-7878 suitecharlotte.com

BEST DOG BAR The Dog Bar 3307 N. Davidson St. 704-370-3595 dogbarcharlotte.com

BAR WITH HOTTEST STAFF (tie) Bubble and Label 210 E. Trade St., Suite A200; 900 NC Music Factory Blvd., Suite B6 704-733-9427; 704-910-0526 bubblecharlotte.com; labelcharlotte.com

BEST COUGAR BAR Howl at the Moon 210 E. Trade St., Suite A308 704-936-4695 howlatthemoon.com

BEST COLLEGE NIGHT Label 900 NC Music Factory Blvd., Suite B6 704-733-9427 labelcharlotte.com

BEST BAR TO PEOPLE-WATCH (tie) Common Market and Snug Harbor 2007 Commonwealth Ave.; 1228 Gordon St. 704-334-6209; 704-561-1781 commonmarketisgood.com; snugrock.com

BEST HOOKUP BAR (tie) Suite and Snug Harbor 210 E. Trade St., Suite A300; 1228 Gordon St. 704-971-7878; 704-561-1781 suitecharlotte.com; snugrock.com

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE Soul Gastrolounge 1500 Central Ave. 704-348-1848 soulgastrolounge.com

critics’ picks con’t BEST REASON TO GO GREEK FOR A COCKTAIL Goat’s Breast Milk at Kid Cashew This funky little cocktail features amaretto, honey, fresh lemon and mint, and ouzo — cloudy and milky white in appearance with a liquorice-like flavor. This combination makes it all the more enticing and you don’t have to go treading through the pastures in search of a goat’s teat to suckle (yuck! why the hell would you do that anyway?). Be open-minded and try this one first. The restaurant’s other cocktails are delish and tempting, too. You’ll be saying “Opa!” in no time. (1608 East Blvd. 704-2084148. facebook.com/kidcashew/)

BEST USE OF LAVENDER The Workman’s Friend You probably think of lavender, if you think of it at all, as a good scent for a lotion or dryer sheet. But

BEST KARAOKE (tie) NoDa 101 and Jeff’s Bucket Shop 3205 N. Davidson St., #101; 1601 Montford Drive 980-729-8019; 704-525-0425 noda101.com; jeffsbucketshop. com

BEST WINE BAR Foxcroft 1235 East Blvd., Suite 1 704-602-2133 foxcroftwine.com

BEST HAPPY HOUR Rooftop 210 210 E. Trade St. 704-526-0848 rooftop210.com

SEE

READERS P. 43 u

lavender is best, I’m here to tell you, when imbibed. The Workman’s Friend has invented the perfect girly-girl drink featuring lavender as a main ingredient. (But real men won’t let that description dissuade them from trying something this delightful.) “A Fine Thing,” as it’s called, blends a bubbly prosecco with lavender honey and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. It’s somehow even more refreshing when enjoyed on the back patio. (1531 Central Ave. 980-224-8234. theworkmansfriend.com)

GONE TOO SOON Crown Station Coffee House & Pub This popular, and now defunct, nightlife spot has left our hearts aching. Crown Station, located in the heart of Elizabeth, closed its doors in March of this year. It was our spot for late night latte’s, cheap beers in a carefree, casual atmosphere. There was also regular late night local-centric comedy and music open mics, as well live music from a variety of musicians and bands.

SEE

CRITICS P. 42 u

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 39

Voted“Best Place To Drink Too Many Cocktails!”

Join us for Broken Spoke & Great Wagon Road Distill� Events ev� week!

Tues-Thurs: 3pm - 11pm Frid�: 3pm - Midnight Saturd�: Noon - Midnight Sund�: Noon - 8pm

227 Sou�side Drive Charlotte, Nor� Carolina 1-704-469-9540 The now defunct Crown Station (Critics’ Gone Too Soon)

Readers’ picks BEST PAINT AND SIP Wine and Design 1419 East Blvd.

704-951-5916 wineanddesign.com

BEST BOWLING ALLEY 10 Park Lanes 1700 Montford Drive 704-523-7633 rollten.com

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR Thomas Street Tavern 1218 Thomas Ave. 704-376-1622

BEST DIVE BAR Thirsty Beaver 1225 Central Ave. 704-332-3612

BEST SPORTS BAR All American Pub 200 E. Bland St. 704-370-2000 40 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

allamericanpubclt.com

BEST HOOKAH BAR Crave 500 W. 5th St., Suite 120 704-335-0588 cravedessertbar.com

BEST LGBTQ BAR L4 Lounge 2906 Central Ave. 704-567-2158 l4lounge.com

BEST UPTOWN BAR Connolly’s 115 E. 5th St. 704-358-9070 connollysirishpub.com

BEST STRIP CLUB Uptown Cabaret 108 E. Morehead St. 704-344-0802 uptowncabaretclubs.com

ANITA OVERCASH

GRANT BALDWIN

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 41

Selling Your Strongest Self: Cut the Bullsh*t!

Join us! for a lively #DSPeakUp interactive discussion! featuring PR expert Rachel Sutherland of Rachel Sutherland Communications!

Do you find it easier to talk about all the things your counterparts and friends are doing rather then yourself?

Rachel Sutherland has been there, but emphatically says “Get over it!”

Learnin to speak strongly and clearly about what you Learning love and what you do is imperative to the success of your brand and your business!

Facilitated by Anita Overcash, Editor at Creative Loafing.

Monday Oct. 17th 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Wine and light appetizers will be served.

Free admission, but RSVP is required Limited seating available RSVP: http://bit.ly/28ZsNAa

Donna Scott Productions Women Entrepreneurs in Business and Arts Speaker Series Charlotte Art League 1517 Camden Road in South End

Joey Hewell and Scott Lindsley of NoDa Company Store. (Critics’ Best New Chill Spot)

RYAN PITKIN

CRITICS FROM P. 39 t out there, love is now a monthly series that’s moved over to The Rabbit Hole on the second Tuesday of each month. Though you might not be willing to share the first go-round or ever for that matter, you’ll feel like a fly on the wall taking in some juicy nooky word play. (1801 Commonwealth Ave. therabbitspot.com/rabbithole/).

BEST NEW CHILL SPOT

ANITA OVERCASH

Photo Booth Rentals for Corporate Events and Weddings

A cocktail from The Cellar at Duckworth’s in Uptown. (Critics’ Best Place to go Halfsies on the Bill)

BEST DIRTY LITTLE SECRET Foreplay Goes South What first started out at UpStage as an open mic series devoted to stories and spoken word related to sex and, for the hopeful romantics 42 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

NoDa Company Store Scott Lindsley and Joey Hewell, the two guys who brought us NoDa Farmer’s Market, have teamed up again — they’re married so they’re pretty much always a team doing awesome things at all times — to open this new spot in a historic home in the center of NoDa, tucked behind Smelly Cat Coffee. Grab some wine or one of the local beers on tap and check out the local art exhibits inside or the picnic tables and swinging chairs on the lawn. CL favorite: there’s always red and white sangria mixed and on tap.

We suggest you order some. (1531 Central Ave. 980-224-8234. theworkmansfriend.com)

BEST PLACE TO GO HALFSIES ON THE BILL The Cellar at Duckworth’s Tucked away down a flight of stairs at the

ANITA OVERCASH

Exterior of Salud and Fud at Salud.(Critics’ Best Place for a Night of Craft Beer Consumption)

MORE

CRITICS u

entrance of this Uptown sports bar is The Cellar. It’s a little more pretentious than its upstairs counterpart, but the quality is supreme.

Mixologists razzle and dazzle patrons with their skills (some of which include the use of fire — the bourbon heavy East Village cocktail)

on handcrafted cocktails and then there’s the food. There are plenty of delicious small plates that are easily sharable — from flatbreads to the highly recommended truffle mac and cheese.

Order several cocktails and small plates and split the bill with a bud while relaxing in this dark, sophisticated atmosphere. (330 N. Tryon St. 980-349-4078. thecellaratduckworths.com)

BEST PLACE FOR A NIGHT OF CRAFT BEER CONSUMPTION Salud Bottle Shop Let’s be honest, if you’ve been in Charlotte for even just the past few months you know that the craft beer movement has exploded here. Breweries are popping up everywhere with great patios and dog-friendly atmospheres. Sometimes it’s hard to decide where to go. And then, there are bottle shops — Salud being our fave. It offers diverse selections (local, regional and global) of quality craft beer. Plus, if you get hungry Fud at Salud has a fantastic selection of wafflewiches and other grub, too. (3306 N. Davidson St. 704-900-7767. saludbeershop.com.)

Readers’ picks BEST MIXOLOGIST

ritzcarlton.com; soulgastrolounge.com

(tie) Bob Peters and Colleen Hughes The Punch Room; Crepe Cellar 201 E. Trade St.; 3116 N. Davidson St. bobpeters.net; crepecellar.com

BEST PLACE TO DRINK TOO MANY COCKTAILS

BEST BOTTLE SHOP Salud 3306 N. Davidson St. (28205) 704-900-7767 saludbeershop.com

BEST COCKTAIL SELECTION

The Broken Spoke 227 Southside Dr., Suite A1 704-469-9540 brokenspokenc.com

BEST CRAFT TAP SELECTION Duckworth’s 330 N. Tryon St. 980-939-1166 duckworths.com

(tie) The Punch Room and Soul Gastrolounge 201 E. Trade St.; 1500 Central Ave. 704-547-2244; 704-348-1848 CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 43

44 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Mon-Tue 8 AM - 3 PM Wed-Sat 8 AM - 10 PM Sun 9 AM - 9 PM

Oct 15th

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Local food support of North Carolina farms ��hh�h�hh�h�h�hhhh�hhh�h�hhh�h�hhh�hhh�h 1601 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 332-3663

! ! e t t o l r a h C s k n a h T ” ! t s a f k a e s “Best Br

u g n i t o V r fo

Thank You Charlotte!

for Voting Donnie Simmons as “Best Chef 2016!”

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 45

Grant Baldwin

BEST PASTRY SHOP

critics’ picks 46 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Renaissance Pâtisserie Amélie’s may have a French name, but Renaissance Pâtisserie has a French heart. Or, to be more precise, the Frenchest Frenchman that ever lifted an

eyebrow. Sylvain Rivet has cooked for some pretty illustrious audiences, and now he’s brought true French pastry to Charlotte. Yes, this is the bakery you’re looking for, even if the dingy-looking strip mall doesn’t seem appropriate. Step into the cheery yellow space and feast your eyes: true croissants, Napoléons and the famous Kouign Amman that are driving pastry connoisseurs wild. Rivet sources many of his fruits locally, and also includes some Franco-American fusions, like pear Danishes and French cheesecakes. Vive la gourmandise! (2809 South Blvd., 980-8198771, renaissancepatisserie.com)

BEST BREAKFAST The Yolk @Dawn For the past several years, folks looking for the best breakfast in town have actually headed south of the border. But this year Gregory and Subrina Collier graced the Queen City with its own version of Rock Hill’s The Yolk@Dawn, a coffee-shop styled eatery in Steele Creek’s Ayrsley development. Subrina oversees the quirkily decorated dining room while Greg mans the grill. Locally sourced ingredients, house-cured bacon and Greg’s proprietary PerfectTN seasoning create a real eye-opener

of a menu. These revamped versions of waffles, grits and Benedicts will make you take breakfast seriously. And listen: someone at the table must order pancakes. You’re welcome.

(2130 Ayrsley Town Blvd., 980-201-9839, theyolkcafe.com)

BEST BRUNCH Letty’s Owner Letty Ketner makes everyone feel at home in this casual spot along Shamrock Drive.

The eggs salchicha, two poached or fried eggs on a biscuit topped with sausage patties and gravy with grits or potatoes, doesn’t look very appetizing but it tastes good. Salmon cakes and egg scramble and the fried green tomato benedict, which includes two fried green tomatoes and soysage topped with two poached eggs smothered with creole sauce and served with grits or potatoes, are other tempting selections. (2121 Shamrock Drive, 704817-8702, lettysonshamrock.com)

BEST SMALL MALL KIOSK TURNED FOOD TRUCK Cafe Ganache Before we would have voted Cafe Ganache as “best reason to make a trip to SouthPark Mall,” but now that the pastry shop is on wheels, it’s worth a trip to whatever neighborhood it stops at. Sadruddin Abdullah and his wife spend a lot of time in the kitchen where they create macaroons, flaky pastries and cronuts, the latter coming in simple plain form and special monthly flavor with extra garnishings, fillings and glazes. (706-614-5911, dessertspecialists. com)

BEST FOOD TRUCK FOR KOREAN GOODNESS HiYa Since Korean restaurants in Charlotte aren’t all that plentiful, we were pretty stoked last year when HiYa launched. Daniel Pitre, who is part Korean, uses the truck for his Korean fusion blends. While you’ll find Korean staples like bulgogi, there are also unusual twists like the Carolina bulgogi burger. (hiyafoodtruck.com)

BEST SMOOTHIES Carolina Smoothies While you can’t ever go wrong with Smoothie King, we still find our taste buds most tantalized by the delicious concoctions blended together at this venerable East Boulevard shop. In fact, their smoothies are so fantastic, you might find yourself heading there not only during

ANITA OVERCASH

Salmon cakes and egg scramble with fruit at Letty’s (Critics’ Best Brunch) the summertime but also during those months when the average temperature is well below 95. (1408 East Blvd., Suite D, 704-358-0006)

BEST CHEESE PLATES Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop While a lot of Charlotte restaurants and bars offer cheese and charcuterie plates for you to snack on, you’re going to get a great selection of cheeses and the best bang for your buck at Craft Tasting Room and Growler Shop. Craft’s cheese plates aren’t just pretty to look at, they are also affordable; for just $9 ($6 on Wednesdays!), you’ll get a selection of artisan cheeses from both local North Carolina purveyors and some abroad paired with local North Carolina honey, nuts, fresh bread and olives. Order a charcuterie plate (also just $9) and wash it all down with a pint of craft beer and you’ve got yourself a pretty delicious meal! (1320 S. Church St., Suite 100. 704207-3716, craftgrowlershop.com)

SEE

Readers’ picks BEST NEW RESTAURANT Sea Level 129 E. 5th St. 704-412-2616 sealevelnc.com

BEST LATE-NIGHT EATERY Diamond 1901 Commonwealth Ave. 704-375-8959 diamondcharlotte.com

BEST HANGOVER-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT Midnight Diner 115 E. Carson Blvd.

980-207-3641 midnightdinercharlotte.com

BEST FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT Heirloom 8470 Bellhaven Blvd.

704-595-7710 heirloomrestaurantnc.com

BEST RESTAURANT IN SOUTH END Futo Buto 222 E. Bland St. 704-376-8400 futobuta.com

BEST RESTAURANT IN NODA Cabo Fish Taco 3201 N. Davidson St. 704-332-8868 cabofishtaco.com

CRITICS P. 48 u CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 47

ANITA OVERCASH

Curry laksa at Co. (Critics’ Best Place to Sweat it Out)

critics’ picks con’t BEST CURE FOR THE LATE-NIGHT MUNCHIES Benny Pennello’s Certainly, Amelie’s will always remain the champ when it comes to seeking crisp sandwiches, soothing soups and perfect pastries deep into the night (and morning). But on some nights, nothing hits the spot like a food that’s as sinful as the alcohol you’ve been guzzling, and for that, there’s the pizza at this NoDa venue. Plus, the size of each individual slice is roughly on par with that of Rhode Island. (2909 N. Davidson St., Suite 100. 980-949-8398, bennysva.com/ BennyPennellos)

BEST PLACE FOR FRIED CHICKEN Shell Gas Station (corner of South and East Boulevard)

48 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Step aside, Colonel, anyone who’s been in the city for a while knows that Price’s is a local favorite. At night, however, our fave place to get fried chicken for the low low is the Shell gas station at the corner or South Boulevard and East Boulevard. A gas station?! That’s right, cafeteria-style and everything. Get a couple pieces of chicken, potato wedges and a roll for like $5. Thank me later. (200 East Blvd., 704-3330807)

BEST PLACE TO GET BRAIN FREEZE Two Scoops Creamery Any of the ice cream flavors at this new joint in South End can be made into a milkshake, but for a more diverse tasting experience opt for a cone or bowl with two scoops. All the flavors pack a powerful punch, so you’ll want to get brain freeze on more than one. Folks who want an

extra kick should try the Cappuccino Kahlua or Rum Raisin (and yes, they contain alcohol). (913 Central Ave. 704-900-5792, twoscoopscreamery. com)

BEST STREETCAR STOP Earl’s Grocery Whether you’re pro or anti streetcar, you have to admit it passes one of Charlotte’s culinary meccas as it trundles down Elizabeth Avenue.

One part bodega, one part coffee shop/café, Earl’s Grocery exudes a chill vibe and caters to the inner foodie in everyone with a diverse menu of dishes ranging from seasonal salads and grilled cheese to Bahn mi and noodles, as well as a deli case and grocery section boasting all sorts of high quality and unique foodstuffs, including bitters, spices, meats, cheese, beer and wine

(and a whole lot more!).

(1609 Elizabeth Ave., 704333-2757, earlsgrocery.com)

BEST CHEAP EATS Sabor Latin Street Grill When you think of cheap, you usually think of a lot of things: sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, pizza. Next time you’re looking for cheap dinner, think outside the pizza delivery box and head to Sabor for affordable quality, delicious, authentic grub. You can get a Latin street food feast for two people that’s fit for a king for the small price tag of about $20. Go to Sabor and order the things you can’t get anywhere else: arepas, empanadas, gorditas, and stock up on a variety of salsa from the salsa bar while you wait. And Taco Tuesday is a must do ($1 tacos autenticos: cilantro, lime and onion) but go early, there’s usually a line out the door. (415 Hawthorne Lane (Elizabeth); 3205

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 49

Noodle dish from Rai Lay (Critics’ Best Twist on Thai)

50 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

MADELINE LEMIEUX

The exterior of Kindred in Davidson (Critics’ Best Reason to Drive on I77 Northbound)

critics’ picks con’t N. Davidson St., Suite 105; other locations, too. saborcharlotte.com)

BEST PLACE TO SWEAT IT OUT Co This new Asian-fusion spot has a variety of dishes — from rice and noodle takes to handpressed sushi — but the curry laksa is pretty high up on the list of things to try. The dish, a Malaysian curry coconut soup with chicken and shimp, has a kick but it’s nothing that seasoned foodies can’t handle. Take it all in and drink extra water if you have to. It’s perfect for fall/winter, but tasty enough to lap-up in the summer heat as well. (4201 Park Road, 980-2374655, eatatco.com)

BEST USE OF BALSAMIC Goat Cheese Strawberry Balsamic doughnut from Joe’s Doughs If it sounds like an odd combination, that’s because it is. But at Joe’s Doughs, it’s a hit and one of the many doughnuts that rotates in the shiny glass counters. For owner and doughnut master Joe Pepe, it’s one of the doughnuts he’s most proud of. The former pop-up business turned brick-and-mortar shop earlier this year.

Salad purists might opt for a sweeter option — the peanut butter s’mores? (1721 N. Davidson St. 704-343-5234, joesdoughs.com)

BEST TWIST ON THAI Rai Lay Take a tasty trip to Thailand’s exotic Rai Lay beach, no passport necessary, with this South End eatery.

Inspired by regional Thai street food, Rai Lay is a great place to stop for afterwork tapas and drinks, or to sample a menu of authentic entrees. We recommend the Moo Ping — grilled pork skewers served with a chili dipping sauce and sticky rice!

(1520 South Blvd., Suite 130, 980-207-0991, railaythai. com)

BEST DUMPLINGS The Dumpling Lady Zhang Qian and John Nisbet met and fell in love in Chengdu, China. Four years later, she joined him here in the United States. Now, the residents of Charlotte are slowly but surely falling in love with the Zhang and Nisbet team. There’s

Readers’ picks BEST RESTAURANT IN PLAZA MIDWOOD Soul Gastrolounge 1500 Central Ave. 704-348-1848 soulgastrolounge.com

BEST RESTAURANT IN SOUTHPARK Cowfish 4310 Sharon Road 704-365-1922 thecowfish.com

BEST RESTAURANT IN UPTOWN Dandelion Market 118 W. 5th St. 704-333-7989 dandelionmarketcharlotte.com

BEST WAITSTAFF/SERVICE Crepe Cellar 3116 N. Davidson St. 704-910-6543 crepecellar.com

The Dumpling Lady (Critics’ Best Dumplings)

RYAN PITKIN

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 51

Readers’ picks BEST RIBS Midwood Smokehouse 1401 Central Ave. 704-295-4227 midwoodsmokehouse.com

BEST JUICE BAR Viva Raw 7th Street Public Market 224 E. 7th St. 980-275-3834 viva-raw.com

BEST PIZZA Pure Pizza 1911 Central Ave. 980-430-1701 purepizzaclt.com

BEST RESTAURANT PATIO Moo & Brew 1300 Central Ave. 980-585-4148 mooandbrew.com

BEST BREAKFAST Zada Janes 1601 Central Ave. 704-332-3663 zadajanes.com

BEST LUNCH Sabor Latin Grill 3205 N. Davidson, Suite 105 (as well as other locations) 980-207-3589 saborcharlotte.com

BEST BRUNCH Heist 2909 N. Davidson, Suite 200 704-375-8260 hesitbrewery.com

BEST DOUGHNUTS Duck Donuts 1710 Kenilworth Ave., Suite 220 704-910-5355 duckdonuts.com

BEST BARBECUE Midwood Smokehouse 1401 Central Ave. 704-295-4227 midwoodsmokehouse.com

BEST SOUL FOOD Merts 214 N. College St. 704-342-4222 mertscharlotte.com

BEST STEAK HOUSE Beef & Bottle 4538 South Blvd.

704-523-9977 beefandbottle.net

BEST SEAFOOD Sea Level 129 E. 5th St. 704-412-2616 sealevelnc.com

BEST TAPAS Soul Gastrolounge 1500 Central Ave. 704-348-1848 soulgastrolounge.com

BEST VEGETARIAN/VEGAN FRIENDLY Luna’s Living Kitchen 2000 South Blvd., Suite 300 704-333-0008 livingkitchen.com

oftentimes a line coming from their red food truck, which can often be found outside of The Company Store in NoDa serving dumplings and noodle plates from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. While Zhang’s dumplings are stuffed with magnificent meats like sweet pork belly or swordfish, the juices that the dumplings are served in might make you want to drink from the tin pan once the dumplings are gone. (thedumplinglady. com)

BEST INDIAN BUFFET FOR OVERINDULGING Persis Biryani Indian Grill This buffet features some familiar Americanized Indian staples, but more importantly, it features other, more ethnic dishes native to India that you’ll be hardpressed to find at some other spots around town.

There’s Indo-Chinese selections, too. Pace yourself and don’t hold back. And if you don’t know what something is, don’t hesistate to ask. The friendly staff is glad to explain and they may even push you to eat outside your comfort zone. Trust us and take their advice. (3130 Driwood Court, 704-817-8198, persischarlotte.com)

BEST REASON TO DRIVE ON I-77 NB Kindred The 30-minute trip north to Davidson is definitely worth it to enjoy a meal at Kindred. The refined yet carefree restaurant is the perfect spot to enjoy cocktails and a spread of simple yet sophisticated tapas.

52 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

DINE-IN | TAKE-OUT | CATERING

MIDTOWN 1605 Elizabeth Ave. 704-295-1466

STONECREST 7930 Rea Rd. 704-295-4961 Steele Creek Location Coming Late Fall 2016!

12740 S. Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28273

FOLLOW US! @nothingbutnoodlesclt

FREE WIFI AT ALL LOCATIONS!

A bao barbecue taco from Improper Pig (Critics’ Best Barbecue Joint with an Asian Twist)

critics’ picks con’t You should order The Bartender’s Choice, a custom cocktail made with your preferred liquor and flavor profile. And don’t forget the milk bread and a slice of chocolate birthday cake. (131 N. Main St., Davidson. 980-231-5000. kindreddavidson.com)

BEST FACELIFT OF A LONGTIME EATERY Showmars on Monroe Road This long time Showmars location was renovated earlier this year and the results (outside and inside) look great. It’s more chic, but still casual with great service, gyros and seasoned French fries to match. The veggie pita is a must-try for veg heads. (2004 E. 7th St. 704376-0565, showmars.com)

BEST REASON TO BUY FROZEN Zone 7 This take-away shop, manned by husbandand-wife team, Chris and Emily Hoody-Russell, on Monroe Road is open for lunch during the week and cooks up delicious soups, sandwiches and ricotta rolls. While you’re there, pick up something from the freezer (there are a variety of soups and pizza’s all fresh with farm-to-table

ingredients). Charlotte falls into zone 7 of the United States Department of Agriculture country zoning, hence the name. (4113 Monroe Road, Suite A, zone7foods.com)

2016 Creative Loafing Critics Pick: “Best Place To Get Brain Freeze!”

Two Scoops Creamery is Charlotte’s Premier Homemade Ice Cream Shop!

BEST REASON TO GO NUTS My Buddy’s Nuts Comprised of husband-wife team Phil Anderson and Bonnie Jones, this local brand of nuts is likely to make you go loco. The maple mustard is must-try, but there are other flavors, too. They make for great gifts and they’re good to cook with. Look for them at a variety of shops around town. (mybuddysnuts.com)

BEST NEW CHEF WHO’S NOT NEW AT ALL Matthew Krenz (The Asbury) Matthew Krenz’s star has been rising for years, but it’s remained hidden by his proximity to other local headliners. He was Luca Annunziata’s right-hand man as Passion8 grew successful enough to move on up to the east side. At The Asbury, he helped Executive Chef Chris Coleman strengthen ties to local purveyors while bringing a fresh eye to seasonal plates. Now that Coleman has moved on to the Marriott,

Two Scoops offers 28-36 flavors year round as well as seasonal specials

customer request and flavor suggestions always welcomed!

Hours 1-10pm Sun thru Thurs 1-11pm Fri and Sat

Two Scoops is located in Plaza Midwood at

913 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC.

#twoscoopsclt

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 53

Readers’ picks BEST SANDWICH Common Market 2007 Commonwealth Ave. 704-334-6209 commonmarketisgood.com

BEST BURGER Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar 1626 East Blvd.

704-714-4888 baddaddysburgerbar.com

BEST TACOS Sabor Latin Grill 3205 N. Davidson, Suite 105 980-207-3589 saborcharlotte.com

54 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

BEST HOT DOG JJ’s Redhots 1514 East Blvd.

980-225-8880 jjsredhots.com

BEST WINGS Lebowski’s 1524 East Blvd.

704-370-1177 lebowskisgrill.com

BEST CHINESE Wan Fu 10719 Kettering Drive 704-541-1688 mywanfu.com

BEST VIETNAMESE Lang Van 3019 Shamrock Drive

704-531-9525

BEST JAPANESE (tie) Ru San’s and Futo Buta 2440 Park Road; 222 E. Bland St. 704-374-0008; 704-376-8400 rusanscharlotte.com; futobuta.com

BEST THAI Thai Taste 324 East Blvd.

704-332-0001 thaitastecharlotte.com

BEST KOREAN Pepepro 10920 Monroe Road 704-845-2107

BEST SUSHI Rusan’s

2440 Park Road 704-374-0008 rusanscharlotte.com

BEST FRENCH Lumiere 1039 Providence Road 704-372-3335 lumieremyerspark.com

BEST ITALIAN Portofinos 3124 Eastway Drive 704-568-7933 portofinocharlotte.com

BEST MEXICAN Three Amigos 2917 Central Ave. 704-536-1851 threeamigoscharlotte.com

Black bean hummus from Babalu (Critics’ Best Place for Sharing Edibles)

Krenz’s talent is blazing forth, inspired by some of the most innovative chefs in the country. Yet the modest small-town kid remains, tied by his father’s cattle ranch to the land that provides his ingredients. Keep your eye on this one; he’s going places…quietly. (235 N. Tryon St., 704-3421193, theasbury.com)

BEST BARBECUE JOINT WITH AN ASIAN TWIST Improper Pig This casual Cotswold hot spot can be complicated, but it’s not the kind of complicated that’s a bad thing. Imagine going on a perfect date that’s followed up by a totally different, yet equally exciting date with another person. Get to know the eatery’s signature staples — barbecue and Southern sides like collard greens, mac and cheese, baked beans, and more — as well as monthly Asian fusion bowls (think Pad Thai or

curry and rice). The Chow Bao tacos that comes with your choice of filling (barbecue, salmon, etc.) and hoisin sauce is a good choice, too. The Asian twist is inspired by the location’s former front as Mama Fu’s. When the business closed they left their woks behind and we’re so glad they did. We wouldn’t blame you one bit for wanting a taste of both options. (110 S. Sharon Amity Road, 704-714-7878, theimproperpig.com)

BEST CHEF TO FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA Marc Jacksina (Earl’s Grocery) Marc Jacksina’s Facebook profile photo reveals a sharpness of wit in his half-cocked eyebrow and nascent smile hidden under a salt-and-pepper mustache. He has been the wild-child talent at several Charlotte landmark establishments— Halcyon, Nan & Byron’s, Lulu—but his abilities surge beyond the kitchen. Originally a student

of philosophy, he tosses out deeply informed repartee on everything from national politics to skateboarding. He posts clever photos of his boxer Joe and outtakes from his pet project Order/Fire, the Queen City’s own foodie film series. Lately he’s been puttering with pottery, posting photos from his courses at CPCC that show innate talent. No matter the topic, Jacksina’s brash take on the world breathes fresh air into a selfie-clogged scene. (@MarcJacksina on Instagram & Twitter, Marc C Jacksina on Facebook)

in singles or sets of three) to the mix. But the most unexpected surprise at this joint is the Baba burger — with Aspen Ridge natural angus beef, roasted roma tomatoes, carmelized onions, white cheddar cheese avocado, smoked bacon, chipotle aioli that’s all on a sweet sour dough bun that provides more width than height, making it easy to consume this bad boy. For the full experience, order it on your tapas outing and cut accordingly. (1511 East Blvd. 704-334-1511, eatbabalu.com)

BEST PLACE FOR SHARING EDIBLES

BEST OFF-THE-BEATEN PATH

Babalu Tapas & Tacos This new Dilworth spot has Latin-inspired fare that’s good for sharing and while the tapas list is extensive, don’t hesistate to add tacos (and damn good ones — try the Redfish — available

Nellie’s If you’re looking for small town flavor, you’ll find it on the menu at Nellie’s. Founded by Carolina native Kevin Jonas (best known for fathering the Jonas Brothers), this trendy spot pays homage

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 55

*

Creative Loafing Reader’s Choice Best New Restaurant | Best Seafood

Carolina Seafood at its Best

Craft Cocktails | Craft Beer | Oyster Bar | Fresh Catch Seafood 704 • 412 • 2616

---

SeaLevelNC.com

---

129 E. 5th St.

---

Charlotte, NC 28202

FREE PARKING --- WALK-IN --- CALL AHEAD SEATING --- RESERVATIONS

Readers’ picks BEST MIDDLE EASTERN Kabab-Je 2233 Matthews Township Parkway 704-845-0707 kababje.com

BEST INDIAN Woodland’s 7128 Albermarle Road 704-569-9193 woodlandsusa.com

BEST CARIBBEAN Mama’s Caribbean Cafe 1504 Central Ave. 704-375-8414 mamacaribbeangrill.webs.com

56 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

BEST FROZEN TREAT King of Pop’s 2500 Dunavant St. 980-498-0737 charlotte.kingofpops.com

BEST BAKERY

Amelie’s 2424 N. Davidson St., Suite 102 704-376-1781 ameliesfrenchbakery.com

BEST GOURMET/SPECIALTY FOOD STORE

Amelie’s 2424 N. Davidson St., Suite 102 704-376-1781 ameliesfrenchbakery.com

Earl’s Grocery 1609 Elizabeth Ave. (28204) 704-333-2757 earlsgrocery.com

BEST BAGELS

BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE

Poppy’s 2921 Providence Road 704-366-8146 poppysbagelsandmore.com

Healthy Home Market 1330 Central Ave. 980-267-3303 healthyhomemkt.com

BEST PLACE TO GET DESSERT

BEST PLACE TO BUY INTERNATIONAL

ITEMS Super G Mart 7323 East Indepenence Blvd.

980-321-4048 supergmart.net

BEST CHEF Donnie Simmons chefdonniesimmons.com

BEST FOOD TRUCK Tin Kitchen tinkitchenfoodruck.com

BEST DESSERT FOOD TRUCK Hart’s Soda Shop hartssodashop.com

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 57

58 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Thank you Charlotte

For voting us the Best Bagels for 3 years running!

Reader’s picks BEST BURGER FOOD TRUCK

woodenrobotbrewery.com

Tin Kitchen tinkitchenfoodtruck.com

BEST BEER SELECTION

Papi Queso facebook.com/papiquesotruck

Salud 3306 N. Davidson St. 704-900-7767 saludbeershop.com

BEST FARMERS MARKET

BEST BLOODY MARY

BEST FOOD TRUCK CONCEPT

NoDa Farmers Market 701 E. 36th St. 704-906-1705 nodasfarmersmarket.com

Moo and Brew 1300 Central Ave. 980-585-4148 mooandbrew.com

BEST ICE CREAM

BEST MARTINI

Elizabeth Creamery 1535 Elizabeth Ave. 704-376-3426

BEST COFFEE SHOP Central Coffee 719 Louise Ave. 704-335-7288 @centralcoffee

BEST WINE SELECTION Common Market 2007 Commonwealth Ave. 704-334-6209 commonmarketisgood.com

BEST NEW BREWERY Legion Brewing 1906 Commonwealth Ave. 844-467-5683 legionbrewing.com

BEST BREWERY Olde Mecklenburg Brewery 4150 Yancey Road 704-525-5644 oldemeckbrew.com

2921 Providence Road Charlotte, NC (704)366-8146

Punch Room 201 E. Trade St. 704-547-2244 ritzcarlton.com

BEST MARGARITA Carrburritos 445 S. Main St., Davidson 704-237-3040 carrburritos.com

BEST DISTILLERY Doc Porter’s 232 Peterson Drive 704-266-1399 docporters.com

Ha HA!

BEST BEER Wooden Robot’s Good Morning Vietnam 1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 110 980-819-7875

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 59

Grub from Nellie’s (Critics’ Best Off-the-Beaten-Path)

to its namesake, family matriarch Nellie, and her hometown of Belmont. The bacon-topped four cheese macaroni is worth taking a mini-road trip. (36 N. Main St., Belmont, 704-396-7169, nelliessouthernkitchen.com)

BEST WAY TO EAT YOURSELF INTO A FOOD COMA FEAST Food Tours Oh, sure. You could eat yourself into a stupor by scarfing down a whole frozen pizza. But it wouldn’t be nearly as satisfying as a FEAST walking food tour. FEAST owner Kristi Martin has the inside scoop on all the restos uptown and in the neighborhoods nearby. Her “Dives to Dining” tour of Plaza Midwood includes stops at Pizza Peel (where you’ll discover the secret menu), Dish, The Diamond and more. Pizza and craft beer are followed by chicken and dumplings and sweet tea, which are followed by a slider and Cheerwine. And that’s just the first half of the tour. At each stop, you’ll meet an owner or chef

60 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

and hear about their restaurant’s history. Be a tourist in your own town – and enjoy eating your way through a neighborhood you only thought you knew. (feastfoodtours.com)

throughout the summer and you’ve got one of the best events in the Queen City, River Jam. (5000 Whitewater Center Parkway, 704-3913900, usnwc.org)

next social media blast of delicious dishes. She doesn’t just walk the local-food walk, she runs it. (heidibillottofood.com, Heidi Billotto Cooks on Facebook)

BEST PLACE TO DRINK CRAFT BEER OUTSIDE

BEST CHEERLEADER FOR LOCAL FOOD

BEST DIVISION SINCE THE WAR BETWEEN THE STATES

U.S. National Whitewater Center The craft beer scene is one of the best things to happen to Charlotte; there’s no shortage of breweries to hang out in and local beer to try.

The Whitewater Center has a leg up on any old patio in Charlotte; you drink a beer after you’ve spent the day rafting or kayaking (refreshing). Or skip any form of outdoor activity, and just drink a beer outside next to some water while other people raft and kayak. Really there’s nothing like enjoying a cold one next to the rushing water, with zipliners overhead, while the sun sinks behind the trees and over the Catawba River.

Couple Charlotte beer with free live music (and a $5 parking fee) on Thursdays and Saturdays

Heidi Billotto (Charlotte Magazine, Heidi Billotto Cooks, Competition Dining, etc.)

Heidi Billotto is a walking trademark — tiny of stature, with blazing ginger hair and brightly colored cat’s eye glasses, she is an energetic whirlwind who’s hard to miss at any of a dozen food events. Whether in print, online or behind the camera, she never seems to slow down in promoting local chefs, farmers and products.

To her cooking classes, columns and blogs highlighting local ingredients, she’s added a tireless wielding of the bullhorn for the Competition Dining series and biannual Southern Ideal Home Shows. Yet she still somehow has the time to cruise through multiple farmers’ markets every Saturday, stocking up for her

Duke’s vs. Hellman’s When it comes to food, “southern” usually conjures up fried chicken, greens or grits. But the true test of a cook’s culinary heritage comes in a mayonnaise jar. Charlotte-area chefs have recently fomented a friendly but boisterous rivalry between the two heavy hitters: hometown favorite Duke’s and Yankee import Hellman’s.

Southern boosters claim Hellman’s inclusion of sugar wipes it right off the table, while Duke detractors turn their noses up at its sharp acidity.

The Piedmont Culinary Guild finally put them to the test in July, hosting a blind tasting and a feast of ‘mater sandwiches. The winner by a landslide: Hellman’s. Yup, even Block & Grinder’s

8 Ă Ă Ă "Ă = Ă = Ă

“This side of the pond�

Big Ben PUB

Trivia every tuesday 7pm

Weekdays 4-7 PM

Live Entertainment every Friday 8pm

W I Ă D Ă 6 Ă GREAT tUkPPĂ wĂ tYkPPgĂ

NFL PACKAGE with Game Day Specials

HAPPY HOUR PRICES!!

23 Beers on tap!

$3.00 carlsberg $2.50 miller Lite

Daily Beer and Cocktail S p e c i a l s

Champions league and Premiere League soccer

Back in play!

Georgia-born Ben Philpott, the de facto captain of Team Duke’s, voted for his despised rival.

Sorry, Ben, but that’s the way the mayo slathers.

BEST COFFEE Smelly Cat Coffeehouse & Roastery This is the gasoline that fuels Creative Loafing.

Our news editor usually gets his way in the debate about which blend to bring into the office (a specially made mix of Declawed Decaf and Black Cat brews), but everyone agrees that these are the only beans allowed in our blender.

Also, don’t sleep on the ice-creamy goodness of the mocha frappes ... or any other flavor for that matter. (514 E. 36th St., 704-374-9656, smellycatcoffee.com)

BEST TACO La Revolucion This critics’ pick comes with a certain location bias. As we’ve sadly watched our lunch options dwindle here at the Music Factory with the closing of Mattie’s Diner and Eight Sushi, we’ve

2000 south blvd ste. 150 atherton mill charlotte, NC 28203 welcomed the arrival of La Revolucion with open arms. Bias aside, we’re all taco connoisseurs in our own right, both in and out of work, and we all keep returning to this hidden gem across the plaza. Office favorites: crispy chicken, ground beef or rajas con queso. (900 NC Music Factory Blvd. Suite 1, 704-716-2327. larevolucionnc.com)

BEST NON-BASIC FALL BEVERAGE Windy Hill Orchard Forget Pumpkin Spice Latte; the true taste of fall is day-drinking hard cider on a crisp autumn day while picking apples and eating cider doughnuts.

All of those things (and more!) are on the menu at Windy Hill Orchard. Located in York, this just-outside-town fall mecca may be a bit of a hike for Charlotteans, but you’ll know it’s worth it once you’re sitting on a bale of hay holding a cool glass of their signature Rusty Gold cider as a free-range chicken pecks at your Ugg boot. #FallForAll (1860 Black Highway, York. 803-6840690. windyhillorchard.com).

BEST CAMPUS CUISINE Feisty’s Hot Dogs at UNCC As a UNC-Charlotte alumni, my school pride is centered around one very specific campus institution. No, I’m not talking about the new-ish football field or the now-defunct Belk Tower. I’m talking about Feisty’s. Located in the Prospector dining hall, this hot dog and fries stand is the unsung hero of campus cuisine: their fries are fresh cut and aren’t dumped in the fryer until you order them, and they will put literally anything you want on a hotdog. (9201 University City Blvd. (Prospector building), feistyhotdogs.com).

BEST KITCHEN FOR A CAUSE King’s Kitchen The mission at King’s Kitchen to feed the hungry — physically and spiritually — and the message of feel-good food doesn’t end with the menu of southern comfort dishes. By partnering with local ministries, King’s Kitchen is able to employ struggling Charlotte residents “in search of a

new beginning,� and donate 100 percent of their profits to serve the poor. (129 W. Trade St., 704375-1990, kingskitchen.org).

BEST PLACE TO WITNESS A SALAD MASSACRE Chopt Although it may seem intimidating when you first enter, it soon becomes clear that Chopt is a well-oiled salad slaying machine. The hustle and bustle of the busy Park Road location is nothing compared to the slew of salivating folks that can’t wait to get their forks into some custom salad art. Connoisseurs arrive early, as the lines are almost always long. (4125 Park Road, 980321-9034, choptsalad.com)

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 61

GRANT BALDWIN

BEST PLACE TO FIND A DUSTY TREASURE

critics’ picks 62 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Sleepy Poet Antique Mall It’s no secret that Sleepy Poet has plenty of odds and ends. With more than 200 booths throughout the complex, you’ll find antiques, furniture, art and other trinkets and rare, vintage items. Make a day out of the exploration and bring along some allergy medicine if your nose is sensitive to old fibers and potentially dusty quarters. (4450 South Blvd. 704-529-6369. sleepypoetstuff.com)

BEST PLACE TO SHOP TILL YOU DROP Buffalo Exchange (Plaza Midwood) It’s no big surprise that one of Charlotte’s edgiest neighborhoods would have one of the best Buffalo Exchange locations. There’s used clothing, bags, shoes and jewelry that you’d be hard-pressed to find elsewhere at such affordable prices. Walk in for a striking shirt and leave with a pair of flamboyant shoes and flashy jewelry to back the rockstar look. (1521 Central Ave. 704-372-3200. buffaloexchange.com/locations/charlotte/charlotte/)

RYAN PITKIN

Lunchbox Records (Critics’ Best Revival of a Defunct Funeral Home)

BEST POP-UP RETAIL EVENT Vintage Charlotte Amy Herman of Vintage CLT does a great job at organizing these seasonal pop-up events with lots of local vendors — the more, the merrier — selling vintage and handcrafted items. There are also food trucks and other vendors on hand for those much needed time-outs. (vintagecharlotte.com)

BEST PLACE TO FIND PREVIOUSLY LOVED BOOKS/DVDS/RECORDS The Last Word Last year, this popular used books/cds/dvds/ records shop, moved from one spot on Tryon Street to another. Everything in the shop seems to come with TLC and there’s lots of nostalgic and sometimes rare finds, in addition to the “that’s just what I was looking for” mass-

produced bygones. (5744 N. Tryon St. 704-9669673. thelastwordcharlotte.com)

BEST PLACE TO SHOP FOR A SPECIAL FRIEND Frock Shop This big, old home in Plaza Midwood has cool vintage and new items that make you feel like you’re getting a one-of-a-kind gift. Still aren’t sure what your friend might like? Opt for a gift card, which comes as a kind of old-school certificate, and let your friend do the work for you. (901 Central Ave. 704-236-4196)

BEST REVIVAL OF A DEFUNCT FUNERAL HOME Lunchbox Records This longtime indie record shop, open for more

than a decade, moved to a bigger location in the spring. Now occupying a former funeral home, owner Scott Wishart has traded the formaldehyde in for vinyl. You’ll find everything from chart-toppers to obscure bands and even stuff from locals made right around the corner. The new space is brought to life even more (get it?) with a better stage and frequent popup shows. (825 Central Ave. 704-331-0788. lunchboxrecords.com)

BEST DISC GOLF SHOP Another Round Disc Golf Disc golf pairs well with local brews (on tap and to-go) available in the shop. Come in for “Flingin’ Fridays” and try, swap or keep a selection of discs or trade in “lost & found” items. The folks who run this shop can steer newbies in the direction of disc golf havens and tune you into

Final Round Radio, a disc golf podcast for locals in the know. (3522 N. Davidson St. 704-931-3568, anotherrounddiscgolf.com)

BEST WAY TO WEAR YOUR FAVORITE LOCAL BREWERY ON YOUR SLEEVE Ink Floyd This Charlotte-based custom screen-printing company is responsible for so many kickass designs and swag — they do T-shirts and apparel, stickers, flyers and banners for businesses around town. But we’re pretty excited that they’re making T-shirts for lots of local breweries, so that we can sport our favorite watering hole on our sleeves. Legion Brewing’s Juicy Jay, created after the brewery’s American IPA style beer, is just one of many. (inkfloyd.com)

SEE

CRITICS P. 65 u

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 63

Readers’ picks

Local Artists | American Made | Fair Trade Located in Dilworth (Next to sunflour Baking Co.)

224 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203 (704) 332-5332 32flavorsboutique.com Follow Us! @32FlavorsBoutique

Boutique Hours Mon-Fri 11 am-6 pm Sat 10 am-5 pm Closed Sun

Thanks CL readers for Voting us Best New store!

BEST NEW STORE Cltch 1512 Central Ave. 704-375-2444

BEST LOCAL CLOTHING STORE Boris and Natasha 1214 Thomas Ave. 704-375-0079

BEST LOCAL CONSIGNMENT SHOP Buffalo Exchange 1521 Central Ave. 704-372-2300 buffaloexchange.com

BEST PLACE TO BUY VINTAGE Sleepy Poet 4450 South Blvd.

704-529-6369 sleepypoetstuff.com

BEST GIFT SHOP Paper Skyscraper 300 East Blvd.

704-333-7130 paperskyscraper.com

BEST SHOE STORE Black Sheep 830 Lamar Ave. 704-333-1423 blacksheepnc.com SEE

Visit us in Plaza Midwood for great gifts and accessories and men and women.

Find us @cltchit 1512 Central Ave Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 375-2444 64 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

READERS P. 66 u

RYAN PITKIN

The Frock Shop (Critics’ Best Place to Shop for a Special Friend)

BEST COSTUME SHOP WITH A HISTORIC LEGACY Morris Costumes This costume shop on Monroe Road has a backstory that’s just as far out as some of the costumes and masks that you’ll find inside (some for sale, some for rental). Philip Morris, owner of these shops (along with some Halloween Express locations) was formerly known as Dr. Evil, a magician and spook show host. For years, the shop also housed a haunted house, though that wing of the building is now closed off for good. It’s ok...it would have scared you shitless anyway. (4300 Monroe Road. 704-333-4653. morriscostumes.com)

BEST SHOP FOR ALMOST FAMOUS ACTIVEWEAR Fabletics Back in July, this shop — the eighth of a chain — opened in South Park Mall. Housing a line of activewear by Kate Hudson, it’s a nice place

critics’ picks con’t to shop for colorful new threads that you’ll be more than willing to show off at the gym.

(4400 Sharon Road, Suite G19A. 704-343-5820. fabletics.com)

BEST PLACE TO ACCESSORIZE CLTCH This boutique opened in August of last year and specializes in providing shoppers with unique accessories that will make eyes pop and score some “ohhs and ahhs” over the course of any evening function. Don’t be afraid to let others in on the shopping secret, as they won’t be able to copycat you, but be prepared to be envious of any treasures they might find on their own. (1512 Central Ave. 704-375-2444)

BEST COMIC BOOK SHOP Heroes Aren’t Hard To Find This comic book shop in the heart of Elizabeth is

a repeat winner in this category for good reason.

In addition to selling an assortment of comic books and sometimes hard-to-find gems, the team at Heroes also organizes conventions and special events throughout the year. Something tells us they’ll get creative for this year’s cosplaythemed Best Of Charlotte party. (1957 E 7th St. 704-375-7462. www.heroesonline.com)

BEST PLACE TO SPOIL YOUR DOGS, CATS OR CHICKENS Four Dogs Pet Supplies You won’t find any pets for sale at this supply shop in NoDa, but just about anything the pets you already have could want can be found behind its door. The premium pet food is always all natural, and the owners are constantly adapting their inventory based on research and word of mouth. You’ll even find an animalrelated art gallery in the back room if you’re

looking to adorn your walls. (2630 N. Davidson St. 980-298-6046. fourdogspetsupplies.com)

BEST PLACE TO GET IT HOPPIN’ DefyGravity Charlotte Do you ever sit there watching American Ninja Warrior telling your significant other how you could get through the course in record time?

Time to put your money where your mouth is. On top of their own Ultimate Ninja Course, DefyGravity also offers open jump, trampoline dodgeball, GravityFit (workout) and exclusive nights for college students, families and special needs jumpers. (8116 University City Blvd. 704817-4660. defygravity.us/charlotte/)

BEST PLACE TO GO IF YOU’RE BORED Your Local Game Store Board games have been making a comeback lately, but Your Local Game Store in Matthews has been on top of things in that arena for about four years now. YLGS hosts meet-ups and recurring events nearly every night, including

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 65

Readers’ picks

BEST JEWELRY STORE Custom 3206 N. Davidson St. 704-980-9840 customjewelrylab.com

BEST LOCAL PRODUCT Lenny Boy Kombucha 3000 S. Tryon St. 980-585-1728 discoverlennyboy.com

Candace Stamper of Bohemian Stylehouse 1318 Centrl Ave., Suite A1.

BEST MAKEUP ARTIST Jennifer Yates facebook.com/jenredmakeup

BEST BARBER SHOP No Grease 333 E. Trade St. 980-355-0191 nogrease.com

BEST NAIL SALON

Alice Andrews

Polished 2041 South Blvd.

704-954-0004 ipolished.com

BEST HOME ACCESSORIES STORE

BEST MASSAGE SHOP

BEST LOCAL FASHION DESIGNER

West Elm Metropolitan 1100 Metropolitan Ave. 704-333-0642 westelm.com

Okra 1912 Commonwealth Ave. 704-266-1443 okracharlotte.com

BEST FURNITURE STORE

BEST TATTOO SHOP

Ikea 8300 Ikea Blvd.

888-888-4532 ikea.com

Fu’s 3200 N. Davidson St. fuscustomtattoos@gmail.com fustattoos.com

BEST BICYCLE SHOP

BEST PIERCING STUDIO

Uptown Cycles 1432 W. Morehead St. 704-632-7440 uptowncyclescharlotte.com

Sadu 1515 Central Ave. 704-344-0011 facebook.com/sadubodymods

BEST HAIR SALON

BEST FITNESS STUDIO

Bohemian Stylehouse 1318 Central Ave., Suite A1 980-859-7633 bohemianstylehouse.com

66 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

BEST HAIR STYLIST

Aerial CLT 801 N. Tryon St. 980-292-1593 aerialclt.com

CRITICS FROM P. 65 t

A shot from a past Vintage Charlotte event (Critics’ Best Pop-Up Retail Event)

a board game night on Saturday. Check their website to see what’s going on. (300 E. John St., Matthews. 704-729-4547. yourlocalgamestore.com)

BEST HAIR SALON Alchemy: The Workshop Taylor Daye, co-owner and artistic director, and the crew at Alchemy: The Workshop know how to put magic into a day at the salon. Adding special touches — artsy knots and twists — to the styling process, you’ll leave thinking ‘How’d they do that?’ You can try dissecting the specimen (ie, your hair after a night out on the town) but we’re pretty sure you won’t be able to get the creative oomph back on your own. (1225 South Church St. alchemytheworkshop.com)

BEST HAIR MIRACLE WORKER Genc Burgija at Tribe Salon When Genc Burgija fled war-torn Kosovo and arrived in the United States as a refugee, he brought with him the dream of one day owning his own business. Years of hard work eventually made that dream a reality, and earned Burgija the reputation of one of Charlotte’s most trusted hair and makeup stylists. Specializing in all hair types — black, white, or alien green! — Burgija is best known for his color correcting services, and creating bombshell blondes. (2151 Hawkins St., Suite 100. 704609-8994. facebook.com/genctheartist)

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 67

Ink Floyd designed this T-shirt for Legion Brewing (Critics’ Best Way To Wear Your Favorite Local Brewery on Your Sleeve) The interior of Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find (Critics’ Best Comic Bookstore)

RYAN PITKIN

critics’ picks con’t BEST FOR QUEEN CITY MEMORABILIA Green with Envy Friends don’t let friends decorate their homes with generic ‘Live. Laugh. Love.’ wall decals, and neither does Green with Envy. Whether you’re looking to warm your home with a hand-crafted beeswax candle that’s fragrance profile is based on your favorite Charlotte neighborhood, or you’re on the prowl for a bright painted canvas that makes the Charlotte skyline look a little more impressive than it actually is, you can find it here, among other Queen City themed chachkies. (1111 Central Ave., Suite 200. 704-3448774. envycharlotte.com)

BEST TECHNOLOGY GUARDIAN ANGEL Best Computer Fixers If you’ve ever found yourself facing a blank screen as you make the terrifying realization that the computer that holds your entire life has essentially turned into a useless brick, then you know that no expense is too great for the sorcerer capable of magically retrieving those 68 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

lost gigabytes from the dark underworld of your deceased hard drive. Luckily, the workers at Best Computer Fixers won’t take advantage of your fragile psyche; their repair and recovery rates are reasonable, they work fast, and they won’t even shame you for not using an external harddrive. (2001 Commonwealth Ave. 704-3332827. cfcomputerstore.com)

BEST BLOWOUT ON A BUDGET Aveda Institute SouthEnd Balling on a budget doesn’t need to cramp your style! Staffed by current students, SouthEnd’s Aveda Institute offers your favorite beauty services at prices that won’t break the bank.

Whether you want a basic cut and color, or something more decadent (the Institute offers signature Aveda spa services, too), you can indulge all of your champagne tastes on a beer budget. (1520 South Blvd. Suite 150. 704-3339940. avedainstitutesouth.edu)

We Love You, Charlotte!

Thank YOU for voting us

The BEST Air Conditioning & Heating Company

in Charlotte!

RYAN PITKIN

Lunchbox Records (Critics’

6 3 3 7 6 1 704-8 CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 69

us g n i t o v or f s ! k e n r a a c Th y a ie D g g o D t as Bes Readers’ picks

Sex paraphernalia at The Reddoor (Readers’ Best Sex Store)

Thanks for nominating us for Best Salon!

We can’t wait to meet you.

704 444 4444 bohemianstylehouse.com

BEST YOGA STUDIO

BEST SEX STORE

NoDa Yoga 3201 N. Davidson St. 704-351-3185 nodayoga.com

The Reddoor 3609 South Blvd.

704-255-2041 thereddoorstore.com

BEST BOOKSTORE

BEST DENTIST

Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find 1957 E. 7th St. 704-375-7462 heroesonline.com

Heather Gentry DDS of Gentry Dental 5950 Fairview Road, Suite 16 704-554-1007 gentrydentalcharlotte.com

BEST RECORD STORE

BEST DOCTOR

Lunchbox Records 825 Central Ave. 704-331-0788 lunchboxrecords.com

Dr. Rhett Brown MD of Novant Health Midtown 335 N. Caswell Road 704-3847980 nhmidtownfamilymedicine.org

BEST VAPE SHOP instagram.com/bohemianstylehouse facebook.com/bohemianstylehouse

Charlotte Vapes 9510 University City Blvd.

704-547-0011 charlottevapes.com

BEST HEAD SHOP

70 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

RYAN PITKIN

BEST PLUMBER Three Way Plumbing 174 Church St. NE, Concord 704-795-9349 3wayplumbing.com

High Life 1525 Central Ave. 704-379-1400 highlifesmokes.com

BEST CAR MECHANIC

BEST CIGAR STORE

BEST HEATING & AIR REPAIR

Tinder Box 200 S. College St. 704-334-3449 tinderboxcigars.com

Morris Jenkins 1530 Center Park Drive 704-357-0484 morrisjenkins.com

Nick’s Auto Repair 2437 Central Ave. 704-374-0205

BEST SPA

BEST PET STORE

Ballantyne Resort and Spa 1000 Ballantyne Commons Parkway 704-248-4000 starwoodhotels.com

(tie) Four Dog Pet Supply and PetSmart 2630 N. Davidson St.; 206 S. Sharon Amity Road 980-298-6046; 704-366-3807 fourdogpetsupplies.com; petsmart.com

BEST AUTO DEALER

BEST DOGGIE DAYCARE

Hendrick BMW 6950 E. Independence Blvd.

704-321-4851 hendricksbmwcharlotte.com

Midwood Petsitting 3320 Eastwood Drive 704-449-9742 midwoodpetsitting.com

BEST VET

BEST IN-STORE PET (NAME OF PET AND WHERE TO FIND IT)

Long Animal Hospital 2523 South Blvd.

704-523-2996 longanimal.com

Daisy at Aerial CLT 801 N. Tryon St. 980-292-1593 aerialclt.com

5950 Fairview Rd. Suite 16 Charlotte, NC 28210 Daisy at Aerial CLT (Readers’ Best In-Store Pet)

MELISSA MCHUGH

Readers’ picks con’t BEST DRY CLEANER Elite Cleaners 3904 Colony Road, Suite C 704-554-0595 elite-clean.com

BEST ATTORNEY Tatianna Moreland of Moreland Legal 980-349-8202 morelandlegal.com

Thank you Creative Loafing readers for voting Heather M. Gentry, DMD as Best Dentist!

Mention this ad and receive: $99 new patient exam, xrays, cleaning.

Free Invisalign consult

BEST REALTY AGENCY BEST SHOE REPAIR Dean’s Shoe Repair 2925 Selwyn Ave. 704-334-8985 deansshoerepair.net

Savvy & Co. 14825 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite 165 704-438-9800 savvyandcompany.com

BEST BANK (SPECIFY LOCATION) BEST ALTERATIONS Anna’s Alterations 2400 Park Road 704-348-5488 annasalterationscharlotte.com

Wells Fargo (South Blvd.)

1625 South Blvd.

704-383-5803 wellsfargo.com

Contact us: 704-554-1007 gentrydentalcharlotte.com

heather@gentrydentalcharlotte.com CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 71

NEWS

FEATURE

@CMPD

A wall of photos being used by those investigating looting and vandalism cases during unrest following the Keith Lamont Scott killing were taken from surveillance video, news footage and social media feeds.

THE REVOLUTION WILL BE LIVE-STREAMED Protesters find value in Facebook Live and other live-streaming apps

BY RYAN PITKIN

A

T ABOUT THE 23-minute mark in an untitled Periscope stream posted by Jamil Gill under the username KingMillion, he covers most of the screen with his fingers and steps into a Jimmy John’s in Uptown that was being looted by other protesters on the night of September 21.

Over the sounds of crushed glass beneath Gill’s feet, you can hear someone else yell “Grab that register.” Gill stays quiet, 72 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

however, and doesn’t appear to join in the looting. He records audio for a short time before leaving the Jimmy John’s, taking his finger off the lens and continuing to document the unrest happening that night in Uptown, which followed the killing of Keith Lamont Scott by an officer with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department the day before.

Surveillance photos of Gill in the Jimmy John’s show him holding his camera out, streaming live to hundreds of thousands of

followers he had gained while streaming the previous night’s reaction to the Scott killing in University.

In a link to the Periscope feed that he posted on his Facebook account under the name Mills Shaka Zulu Gill, he wrote, “Proof that I didn’t steal anything. Proof I didn’t break anything. I simply just protected my people from being indicted. I didn’t want charges placed on them. I’m always watching out for my people. That’s who I’ve always been.”

The CMPD, however, didn’t see it that way. Gill has since been arrested twice for charges related to the two nights of unrest that followed the Scott killing. He’s become an inspiration to other protesters — who have continued to march peacefully and plan actions focused on police brutality throughout Charlotte — many of whom believe he was unfairly targeted because of his work documenting the protests through live streams.

Gill has been charged with a slew of

crimes ranging from breaking and entering to larceny to assault with a deadly weapon on a government official resulting from allegations that he struck three police officers with his car on Interstate 85 on Sept. 20.

In an interview posted to Facebook on Oct. 2, Gill shows an electronic monitoring bracelet he’s been ordered to wear in the lead-up to his trial and acknowledges that the police may be among his most faithful followers.

“They’re probably watching this live feed right now,” Gill says. “So we’ve got to be very careful in what we say and what we do and what we publicize.”

“THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA OUTLETS CAN NO LONGER ACT AS

GILL’S EXPERIENCE UNDERSCORES

social media feeds.

“I think something that we could do a little bit better is to give people trainings on how to do live streams so we’re recording what we should be and there’s nothing that could incriminate people,” says Dhruv Pathak, whose stream from the protests at the scene of the shooting on Sept. 20 garnered about 4,000 views. “We understand the way that the police work and they can find any little thing to arrest people. I do worry about it but I also think the benefits do outweigh the negatives in terms of surveillance, because they’re clearly watching everything that we do in general already.”

To Kass Otley, however, she welcomes police to watch any feed she streams and believes they should use it as an opportunity for introspection and training.

“I don’t have anything to hide. Anything that I say publicly, I have no problem with anyone knowing, so I’m fine with that,” she says. “If they want to look at my video they can knock themselves out, because they’re going to see a lot of their people doing things that they weren’t supposed to be doing.

They’re going to see a lot of inappropriate behavior by officers. They definitely could have de-escalated that situation and they did not, so I would love for them to actually watch that.”

Otley believes the CMPD used jammers to disrupt service during the protests, making it tougher for live-streamers to get a signal. She cited the department’s secretive use of the StingRay phone tracker since 2006 as evidence that they’re willing to use any technology available to their advantage.

“They’re saying, ‘We’re going to watch your feed,’ but they don’t want that, because they can’t control it,” Otley says. “The local media, they can control the narrative. Even with some of the bigger media, they can control the narrative, but when you have someone streaming live and everybody is seeing it, there’s nothing you can say to that.

So even though they’re saying that, they don’t want that.”

Some protesters cite the recent implementation of House Bill 972 as all

a new trend that has played an integral role in Charlotte protests since Scott’s killing: live-streaming apps and their use in growing the movement and in prosecuting the movement. “[The use of live streaming] goes hand in hand with what occurred in the Arab Spring around 2011,” says Jose Mujica with Charlotte Uprising. “You saw the internet revolutionize the way we can share information and it democratized media. The mainstream media outlets can no longer act as sole gatekeepers of information.

Information can disseminate quickly and without approval or any corporate sponsors.

For something such as this, which is essentially the people against the state, it’s hugely important.”

Mujica praised the work of Gill, who also goes by King Mills, at a press conference held by members of Charlotte Uprising on Sept.

26. Speaking for this story, he expounded on how important Gill and other live-streamers were following the Scott killing.

“The Charlotte Uprising during those first couple days — without the King Mills live streams, without Lyric Scott’s initial viral video — it would not have gotten the attention that it did and that would’ve played into the police’s hands. With so many eyes on you, it’s harder to hide.”

Local organizer Kass Otley says she first heard about Facebook Live, which allows users to stream live to all Facebook users, when the girlfriend of Philando Castile used it to record Castile’s death at the hands of a police officer in July.

“I just happened to get on my phone and at first I was like, ‘What is this?’ And then I realized, ‘Oh my God this is actually happening right now and he’s dying,’ and I felt like, what am I supposed to do?” Otley says.

What she did was make calls to the St. Anthony Police Department after Diamond Reynolds, who had streamed the shooting, was arrested. She asked questions and demanded that Reynolds be released.

When Otley showed up at the scene

SOLE GATEKEEPERS OF INFORMATION. INFORMATION CAN DISSEMINATE QUICKLY AND WITHOUT APPROVAL OR ANY CORPORATE SPONSORS. FOR SOMETHING SUCH AS THIS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE PEOPLE AGAINST THE STATE, IT’S HUGELY IMPORTANT.” JOSE MUJICA, CHARLOTTE UPRISING

RYAN PITKIN

Jamil Gill, aka King Mills, live-streams from the top of his vehicle on Old Concord Road on Sept. 20.

of the Scott shooting on Sept. 20, she remembered that experience and decided to begin streaming live rather than hope the media got the story right.

“This was the first time I ever used Facebook Live, and I noticed that people can comment while it’s going on, people can ask questions while it’s going on, people can offer help and assistance while its going on, which is great, as opposed to after the fact people saying, ‘We should’ve asked this or we should’ve done this or don’t do this,’” Otley says.

“I think when you’re actually live, people understand that this is actually going on while they’re watching it. That’s a different feel to it as opposed to me filming something and later just uploading it. I really do like it and I definitely plan on doing it all the time,” she says.

CMPD SPOKESPEOPLE DID not

respond to multiple requests for an interview for this story, but they have not been secretive about the fact that they are constantly using social media posts to help in investigations of wrongdoing during the protests.

During a press conference on Sept. 22, CMPD Chief Kerr Putney thanked everyone who posted from the protests for helping investigators.

“We appreciate that people are posting things that they see,” Putney said. “Because I can tell you, we use those opportunities to fully investigate all crimes and all allegations relative to what goes on in a chaotic scene.”

On Sept. 24, a picture was posted to the CMPD’s official Twitter feed showing a collage of photos of those who they say took part in looting. It’s made up of surveillance stills, news photos and pictures taken from

the more reason why it’s important for protesters to live-stream. HB 972 went into effect on Oct. 1, and made it harder to gain access to police footage in North Carolina, whether it be body camera or dashboard camera footage, in the event that police misconduct allegations arise. Also, in light of reports that officers confiscated phones of bystanders following a recent police shooting in El Cajon, California, some say live-streaming is the only way to ensure your video is seen.

In Charlotte’s activist community, at the very least, it seems the new reliance on live-streaming technology will be more than a trend. If there’s one thing the Charlotte Uprising has taught Mujica, it’s the importance of this new platform, filmed for and by organizers like himself.

“In Charlotte, in the organizing community, we all know, we’re out there fighting to get coal ash out of our water, for a higher minimum wage, we know each other, we know that all we care about is justice for the people,” he says. “So to have all of us agree on the same narrative and be such at odds with what’s being pushed out in the mainstream media, it really brings it home and makes it hit harder that the media is really just the fourth branch of government.”

For him, the risk associated with the police attention that popular live streams garner is worth the growth it brings for the movement.

“Yes, I make myself a target, yes the police might come get me, but it’s more important that the movement carries on because it inspires other people to step up,” he says. “So even if you do take out one of us, or a couple of us, hopefully the message that we helped spread inspires 10 other people to come out and start live-streaming.

You don’t need media, you don’t need a college degree to come out here, you don’t need any approval or accreditation from any establishment or institution, you just come out here. If you have a phone you have a voice, so come and use it. That’s what democracy is about.”

RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 73

ACTIVIST JOBS

*TO HELP STOP LGBT BULLYING*

NEWS

BLOTTER

BY RYAN PITKIN

CROSS BUZZ A man was caught trying to

FIGHT HATE GROUPS TEACH TOLERANCE SEEK JUSTICE Full Time & Career Opportunities Earn $360-$535 a Week Call 980-819-0959 GrassrootsCampaigns.com

steal a couple beers from a golf course last week, but further investigation showed that he had plenty of other options if he wanted to get turnt on the course. A responding officer stated in the report that the man stole two 12-ounce cans of Rolling Rock, but was also found to be in possession of 91 Xanax bars, a bong and a small amount of hashish.

COMMON

SENSIMILLA The management at a local chain of head shops must have decided it wasn’t worth it any longer to sell “spice,” which is a smokable incense that looks like marijuana but has effects on the user that closer relate to a hallucinogenic. Ownership at Buddha’s Bazaar, which has locations in University and South End, turned in $10,000 worth of the stuff to be destroyed, apparently deciding it would be better to keep their customers on this planet. Police did an inventory on the goods before seizing them, and the stash included names like Triple Threat, Cloud 9, Captain Kratom, Captain Blue Lotus and Remarkable Herbs.

FAIR TRADE Someone broke into a

25-year-old west Charlotte woman’s car last week, but the victim in this case came out on top. The woman said that the suspect was trying to steal some personal items but wasn’t able to. The suspect apparently was gone in a hurry, leaving their flip flops behind at the scene of the crime.

CUT CLASS A 16-year-old girl in east Charlotte suffered the worse type of embarrassment for a girl that age in school at the hands of a bully. According to a police report, a classmate at Garinger High School cut a large chunk of the girl’s hair off with scissors when she wasn’t paying attention.

GET SOME BALLS The football team at E.E. Waddell Language Academy will be a bit vulnerable on the field next week if they aren’t able to quickly replace some equipment that went missing from a recent break-in. Staff at the school told police that, at some point in a one-week period, someone broke into the school’s equipment room and made off with $2,700 worth of football helmets and $360 worth of footballs.

GOTCHA A person walking into a gas station in South End went through a rollercoaster of emotions after thinking his day had turned around and later realizing that it hadn’t.

The man approached an officer and said that he found a $100 dollar bill on the ground outside of 7-Eleven (awesome!), and then quickly realized that it was a counterfeit (awwww).

74 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

TAKE THAT A 69-year-old woman in

southeast Charlotte filed a police report after someone vandalized her car with trash last week. The woman told officers that someone shoved coffee grinds and some other unknown substance in the space between her door jams and on the hood of her Toyota Avalon. There was no permanent damage done to the vehicle.

NEED MORE TEETH A 51-year-old man

in the University area was the victim of a vehicle break-in and now he only has one set of teeth. The man told police that someone punched his door lock overnight and stole a .45-caliber handgun from his car along with his spare set of teeth.

DON’T SLEEP Employees at a truck

delivery service in southwest Charlotte came to work last week only to realize they had been robbed overnight. Someone broke into a row of trucks parked on the property and made off with a huge collection of mattresses. The thieves stole 27 mattresses and 19 box springs, for a total of nearly $17,000 in losses. For good measure, they also stole the batteries out of both trucks.

LEAVE THE DOG To break into a person’s

house and steal their belongings is already a low thing to do, but to steal someone’s dog is to stoop lower than low. That’s what happened to a woman in northeast Charlotte who returned home from work one day to find that someone had broken a window and entered her home, leaving with a television, a Playstation 3, an iPad and a laptop. But worst of all, she said the thieves took her brown Dachschund when they left the home.

GAUGE YOUR REACTION A 69-year-

old woman called police after someone ransacked her car outside of her Dilworth home but didn’t take much of anything. The woman told police that someone had entered her Lexus RX350 because it was unlocked.

The only thing stolen during the incident was a small case that was lying on the floor of the car, which contained a tire gauge.

Good take.

TO THE VICTOR Police responded to a Hunter Wrecker yard on North Davidson Street after the victim of car theft recovered her car but didn’t want to keep the thief’s belongings that were left behind. Employees at the yard told officers that when the woman came to recover her stolen car, there was a $300 guitar and a purse in the trunk that didn’t belong to her. Instead of taking the booty and taking a guitar lesson, the woman left the stuff behind — probably because the purse only had 70 cents in it.

Blotter items are chosen from the files of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 75

FREE

TIP TOP SALE

VIEWS

THE QUERY

Buy One,Get One

S e l e c t S h o w s . S e l e c t S e a t s .*

F R I D AY, O C T. 7 O N LY !

First Date Now-Nov. 20 • Booth Playhouse Henry Rollins Oct. 18 • McGlohon Theater

Birdman Film + Live Drum Score Oct. 30 • McGlohon Theater Odd Squad Live!

Nov. 4 • Knight Theater

Josh Ritter Dec. 2 • McGlohon Theater The Hot Sardines: Holiday Stomp Dec. 5 • McGlohon Theater

The Illusionists Live From Broadway Oct. 21-23 • Ovens Auditorium

Cabaret Nov. 8-13 • Belk Theater

Mark O’Conner An Appalachian Christmas Dec. 7 • McGlohon Theater

Unelectable You Oct. 23 • McGlohon Theater

Savion Glover STePz Nov. 14 • Knight Theater

Jim Brickman Comfort and Joy Holiday Tour Dec. 14 • McGlohon Theater

Jordan Smith Something Beautiful Tour Oct. 27 • McGlohon Theater

Fela! The Concert Nov. 20-21 • Belk Theater

The Hip Hop Nutcracker Dec. 27-30 • Knight Theater

Mandolin Orange Oct. 28 • McGlohon Theater

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Nov. 25 • Belk Theater

Riverdance Jan. 31-Feb. 5 Ovens Auditorium

BOGO on Balcony Seats and More. While supplies last.

*

Check online for the complete list of participating shows.

704.372.1000 • BlumenthalArts.org/TipTop

76 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

WHEN SILENCE EQUALS VIOLENCE Charlotte protests remind us of intersections we can’t ignore Charlotte. It is here. a cursory glance at those organizing local The metaphorical chickens have come protests will reveal them to be those who home to roost. move within our very own LGBT leadership, Now is the time to have the conversation activist and advocacy circles. that’s been a long time in the making, and It’s not a coincidence, because the issues we have to face it head on. The killing of being addressed by BLM, the Charlotte Keith Scott by an officer with the CharlotteUprising and other advocacy efforts aren’t Mecklenburg Police Department symbolized just race issues. The racial, social, economic, the “final straw” for communities long health and criminal justice issues at hand silenced in this glistening New South city. are interwoven with LGBT issues and our Decades of sometimes polite and sometimes collective struggle for freedom and liberation. aggressively coerced silence bubbled over into That’s what the white LGBT people I have frustration and anger. The largely peaceful interacted with simply didn’t understand. They protests in Uptown and elsewhere that couldn’t see past the skin tones of organizers to followed Scott’s killing have forced this city — analyze critically the demands of the Charlotte more appropriately, forced our leaders — to Uprising and the efforts of BLM organizers. have a conversation that, perhaps, we were Whether it’s policing and criminal never really ready to have. justice reform, the school-to-prison I get a go at this column pipeline, continued economic just once a month, with about or health disparities and 750 words to reflect on so many more, the issues recent events and their faced by people of color are impact on our local LGBT magnified for those who community. This was also identify as LGBT. one of the most difficult Trans women of times I’ve had in trying to color, in particular, face determine what to write increased levels of violence and how to write it. from civilians and law It is not my place to enforcement officers alike.

MATT COMER speak for people of color, In schools, LGBT youth are the Charlotte Uprising, Black more often hit with disciplinary Lives Matter or other POC-led actions, up to and including arrest. organizations. But I do want to speak to New research shows that as many as 60 my fellow white LGBT people. From one white percent of LGBT youth arrested or detained person to all others, there are some things we in the juvenile justice system identify as Black need to talk about. or Latino. Our continued HIV/AIDS epidemic As the protests unfolded over these last continues to disproportionately affect LGBT few weeks, I sat in astonishment at the level people of color. Men who have sex with of misunderstanding, ignorance, fear and, yes, men and transgender women continue to prejudice, toward organizers of the Charlotte account for a staggering proportion of new Uprising and others. Most disappointing was HIV diagnoses. Among them, men and trans the prejudiced and biased language I saw women of color are more likely than white coming from white LGBT people, several who men and women to get HIV. have held themselves out as leaders in our It is simply not possible to care about local community. I was angered and saddened LGBT equality without also caring about the to realize that these so-called leaders were so issues pushed to the forefront of our social blind and unable to understand the very real consciousness by groups like BLM and the intersections of prejudice and discrimination Charlotte Uprising. To my fellow white LGBT occurring right here in Charlotte. leaders, it’s time to take a stand and quit It’s no coincidence the founders of the turning a blind eye toward justice that more Black Lives Matter movement are queer. It’s fully includes everyone in our community. no coincidence that BLM is overwhelmingly It’s time to hold ourselves and each other LGBT-affirming and often seeks to center accountable, examining our own privilege the experiences of some of the most and exactly how that shapes what kind of marginalized among our community — movement we are instead of the movement queer and trans women of color. It’s no we should be.

BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM coincidence that here in Charlotte, even

VIEWS

TQ IN THE WORKPLACE

In our August 4th issue, we introduced CL contributor Lara Americo’s new Trans and Queer in the Workplace photo series. Check that issue or online for our interview with Americo about why she began photographing trans and queer Charlotteans in their work environment, as well as a slideshow of all the photos shared thus far. This week’s photo features Emily Olynick, the lead field intern for TurnOUT! NC.

“I consider it my duty as a citizen to fight unjust laws because I need to fight not just for myself, but for trans people in North Carolina and around the country.

A lot of trans people aren’t comfortable having their status get put in the spotlight and so they shouldn’t have to rep the community if they don’t want to.

- Emily Olynick

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 77

FOOD

FEATURE

Eric Troutman (head brewer), Wes Ports (general accounting manager), and Joel Padgett (operations manager) of Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Co.

COMING TO A CONCORD NEAR YOU

TWENTY-SIX ACRES BREWING CO.

Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Co. traces town history

7285 W. Winds Blvd. NW, Concord.

26acres.com.

BY BO MCMILLAN

T

HE

SOON-TO-OPEN

Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Co. in Concord, N.C., is named after t h e original 26-acre plot on which the town of Concord was founded in 1796. Two of its flagship beers — Corban Ave. Honey Blonde and 26 Union St. Oatmeal Stout — were named after Concord’s equivalent of Trade and Tryon streets. And a welder who’s 78 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

worked with NASCAR designed the LED-lit aluminum and copper tap handles at the brewery’s taproom.

Safe to say, it’s a place steeped in local history. The personal stories behind it, though, are perhaps just as compelling.

Twenty-Six Acres was founded through two primary factors. First was co-owner Joel Padgett’s undying love of beer that made him

that guy — “the beer guy” — in the ‘90s, the one who always had the latest hop bombs and deep stouts before they were cool (sorry hipsters, ‘80s and ‘90s beer nerds own that provenance). Second was the World Series of Poker.

Unfortunately, I’m not referring to a jackpot of winnings, but a regular group of guys who get together on occasion to shoot

the shit and play cards, and who also go to Vegas together to participate in the real deal.

The group is where Padgett first flexed his beer tasting muscles through impromptu flights for his friends, and also where he met his business partner, Wes Ports.

“I tried to form a brewery maybe eight different times,” said Padgett. “There’s a barrier to entry in brewing.”

FRESH SIMPLE GOOD Take-Outs Welcomed!

Mon-Fri 11am-10pm

Fri & Sat 11am-11pm

Sun 11am-9pm

SATURDAY & SUNDAY

BRUNCH

Joel Padgett, Eric Troutman, Wes Ports, Ron Wood at Big Elkin Brewfest.

Ports, who founded the WSOP group with Padgett, stepped in to to help Padgett revise one particular plan that made it farther than the others, and this iteration clicked. Twenty-Six Acres came to life.

“I was born in Concord, so I thought, man, it would be awesome to put a brewery in Concord,” said Padgett.

It sounds trite, but Padgett has more point than platitude in his idea.

Concord law, until the passing of a text amendment in May 2015, prevented nonbrewpub breweries to have taprooms, thus disparaging a major monetary incentive for potential beer entrepreneurs (a few of which have now emerged). Many of North Charlotte’s breweries, too, are clustered in the Davidson and Cornelius areas, so the I-77 corridor is paved North-to-South with malt, while one could say I-85 suffers a relative dearth.

Furthermore, and perhaps most importantly, Padgett lives in Highland Creek, the sprawling suburb community on the border of Concord and Charlotte that contains over 4,400 homes. Padgett estimates thousands of folks from that neighborhood trek close to 20 minutes each way to get to a brewery. When TwentySix Acres opens, it will be minutes from Highland Creek, much closer than other Concord brewing start-ups such as Cabarrus Brewing Co. and High Branch Brewing Co. “No one is here but it makes no sense,” said Padgett.

Twenty-Six Acres is located in a business park across from Concord Regional Airport, an area that calls to mind the locations of Cornelius’s D9 Brewing Co. and Ass Clown Brewing Co. The inside is spacious, with concrete floors, an air hockey table, high ceilings, filament lights, and a bar adorned with patterned, multi-colored wood.

In the back, a man named “Tater” — aka Eric Troutman, Twenty-Six Acres’ head brewer — will be working his magic on a new 15-barrel system, though currently the brewery is making inventory on a 2-barrel experimental setup.

Padgett hesitates to give Troutman’s brews a style — “We’re agnostics,” he says — and he talks a lot about his appreciation for how Troutman’s beers defy expectation.

It’s easy to want to raise an eyebrow at his metaphors and artistic rhapsodies (see: “If people see a painting, and it calls to them and they see ‘it,’ they become into art; same thing with beer.”). But when it comes to his brewery’s beers, Padgett deserves leeway.

I only had two of the brews, but they were good. Beyond expectation.

The Honey Blonde was clean, creamy, and subtly floral, much like orange blossom honey. Industrious People Ale (yes, an IPA) was tropical, with ripe pineapple and tangerines up front, some toasted coconut and alcoholic warmth on the back, and a faint hint of gummies. Many “juicy” IPAs have a syrupiness that relegates you to only having one (or two). This beer did not suffer that symptom at all.

Padgett plans on having a few invite-only soft openings in the coming weeks. The brewery will hopefully open sometime in the next month.

“We’ve written business plans for multiple scenarios, and I don’t have a driving ambition that takes me much past being a brewery that the neighborhoods continue to come to,” Padgett said. “What I want to do is retire doing what I love, and retire in comfort, in the same house I’m in, and without worrying about paying bills.”

$2

9:30AM-2PM

Miller High Life

& PBR’s

$3

16oz

Bud Light

$3Goose Island .50 IPA

Aluminum

Half Priced Appetizers Mon-Fri 4-6pm

Premium Wings in 14 flavors! Hand Pattied Burgers!

12 WIDESCREEN TV’S!

H

a

n

d

a

d

f

v

a

d

f

v

DAILY DRINK SPECIALS Bloody Mary Bar

4548 Old Pineville Rd 980-430-5403 CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 79

H

a

n

d

a

d

f

v

a

d

f

v

SHUCK IT, LET’S PARTY PEARLZ 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

WE CATER SUNDAY, OCTOBER 9 FROM 1-4PM OYSTER ROAST CELEBRATION

DELICIOUS LOUISIANA CREOLE CUISINE gumbo, crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, crawfish mac, red beans & rice, bread pudding... & plenty more!

704.779.6512

maescreolekitchen.com

/maescreolekitch

Thank you!

For choosing us

A love affair with breakfast...

Best Breakfast in Charlotte - Creative Loafing Critics’ Picks

2 SHUCKING TABLES OUT FRONT $20 ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT OYSTERS LIVE MUSIC $3 MIMOSAS / $4 OMB DRAFTS $5 BLOODY MARYS

@Dawn 2130 Ayrsley Town Blvd Charlotte, NC, 28273 (980) 201-9839 www.theyolkcafe.com/ 80 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

Hours: Mon-Tues: CLOSED Wed-Fri: 7am-2pm Sat-Sun: 8am-2pm No reservations

7804 REA RD, SUITE A BALLANTYNE / CHARLOTTE 980-498-7247 SUN – THURS: 11AM – 11PM FRI & SAT: 11AM – 12AM

Best burger in Charlotte

(we hate to brag, but you’re the one who voted) www.baddaddysburgerbar.com Dilworth•Ballantyne•Birkdale •mooresville

GRAND OPENING

LAURIE SMITH PHOTOGRAPHY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14

8110 University City Boulevard - 704-509-2542

CLOAF - Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. Offer valid on any one non-discounted regularly priced item at ANY Bargain Hunt store.

Excludes discounted merchandise, TVs, sale items, and/or clearance items and major appliances under the BBA deal code family. Coupon applies only to one single item (not entire purchase). Limit one (1) coupon per customer. Excludes prior purchases. Coupon valid through November 13, 2016.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 81

THURSDAY

6

FRIDAY

7

THINGS TO DO

TOP TEN

La Santa Cecilia SATURDAY

FRIDAY

FRIDAY

7

SATURDAY

7

8

BEST OF CHARLOTTE PARTY

JENNIFER NETTLES

ART UNLEASHED

What: He may only be 24 years old, but Charlie Puth has already made a mark on the music landscape. He gained his first taste of fame via YouTube, but was bolstered by collaborations with Megan Trainor and Wiz Khalifa. His debut album, One Track Mind, was released in January. He’s already got a handful of award wins and Grammy noms to his name, as well.

Not a bad start to a new career.

What: Creative Loafing’s 29th Best Of Charlotte party is themed around cosplay. Folks attending the shenanigans can dress as their favorite super hero or villain, as well as other comic, sci-fi and fantasy characters and enter our costume contest. Though you might not recognize every “Best of” winner from around town, they’ll be there and you should be, too.

What: With a new holiday album set to be released at the end of the month, there’s a good chance some Christmas tunes might make their way into the set list on this night.

A bit early? Perhaps, but Nettles is a talent who could sing the phone book and make it entertaining. The days of Soul Miner’s Daughter and the Jennifer Nettles Band are long behind her, but you can expect a few Sugarland tunes as well as a heavy dose of solo material.

What: Folks with furry friends will understand the importance of this event, which benefits animal welfare organizations including Spay Neuter Charlotte. In addition to helping needy canines and felines, there will be art by more than 49 artists available for purchase. The artists were kind enough to donate their work (and there’s everything from paintings and ceramics to jewelry and other mediums) for this good cause.

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.

More: $25. 704-916-8970. livenation.com.

When: 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

Where: McColl Center for Art + Inovation, 721 N. Tryon St. More: $20-$25. clclt.com/ charlotte/ItsPARTYtime/Page.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. More: $34.50-$79.50. 704-3721000. blumenthalarts.org.

When: 5 p.m.-7:30 p.m.

Where: C3 Lab, 2525 Distribution St. More: Free. artunleashedcharlotte. org.

CHARLIE PUTH

— JEFF HAHNE

82 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

— ANITA OVERCASH

— HAHNE

— OVERCASH

LA SANTA CECILIA W/ LATIN AMERICAN FESTIVAL What: Based out of California, this Mexican-American group is a hodgepodge of music genres — Afro-Cuban, Cumbia, Bossa Nova, rock and more. In 2014 the band’s Treinta Dias picked up a Grammy and this year’s Buenaventura — which features the single “Nunca Mas,” a song about standing up against violence — couldn’t have come at a better time.

When: 12 p.m.-8 p.m.

Where: Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Road.

More: $5; free for children 8 years old and under. festivallatinoamericano.org.

— OVERCASH

LISA SICILIANO

Renaissance Festival SATURDAY

Carl Broemel SATURDAY

NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS

Elephant Revival SATURDAY

SATURDAY

SATURDAY

8

SATURDAY

8

What: This outdoor event is a great way to celebrate the coming of fall.

The day starts with an obstacle trail race, and is followed by cider tastings (Flat Rock Ciderworks, Windy Hill, Bold Rock, Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Bull City Ciderworks Noble Cider and Red Clay Ciderworks) and live music (Samantha Fish, Billy Strings, and Yonder Mountain String Band).

When: 4 p.m.

Where: U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway.

More: Free admission; $6 for cider sampling. 704-391-3900. usnwc. org.

— OVERCASH

What: This solo venture from Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket came unexpectedly. The musician was generally surprised that he wanted to write material on the side when vacationing from his duties in the national music act.

There was sleep lost, but at the cost of that physical strain the byproduct is a mindfulness that embodies his newer works — the latest being this year’s 4th of July, his third solo album in six years.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: The Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. More: $15-$18. 704-376-3737. eveningmuse.com.

— OVERCASH

SATURDAY

8

8

CARL BROEMEL

FALL FINALE

SATURDAY

8

AGAINST ME!

ELEPHANT REVIVAL

RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL

What: The Florida punk rock outfit underwent turmoil after singer/ guitarist Laura Jane Grace came out as transgender. Aside from Grace’s personal life, the band had internal strife of its own leading to a lineup change. These days, the band is eyeing the future and riding on the release of its seventh fulllength album, Shape Shift With Me, in September which features a new style of singing for Grace that leans more toward rap/spoken word.

What: Based in Colorado, this group provides folk, roots vibes that showcase their instrumental talents. They are currently touring in support of their album Petals, which captures the stages of love and loss through the likes of lush harmonies that are formed from eclectic arrangements (you’ll hear guitars, fiddles, washboard, cello, bass, horns, pedal steel, mandolin and banjo). With Forlorn Strangers.

What: In its 23rd year, this popular festival is a damn good time.

Whether you come for the hysterics (Hey Nunnie, Nunnie; Tortuga Twins; The Angels; and The Washer Wenches are shows you shouldn’t miss), the acrobats and fire jugglers, the jousting, or just to peoplewatch, it’s a fun adventure. Pair that with a costume and a turkey leg and you’ve taken in the whole experience.

When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: The Fillmore, 1000 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.

More: $29.50. 704-916-8970. livenation.com.

When: 8:45 p.m.

Where: Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. More: $15-$18. 704-358-9200. visulite.com.

When: On Saturdays and Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Where: 16445 Poplar Tent Road, Huntersville.

More: $11-$23. 704-896-5544. carolina.renfestinfo.com

— HAHNE

—OVERCASH

— OVERCASH

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 83

ARTS

FILM

FOX

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children

NYUK FOR THE BUCK Charlotte-set comedy steals a few laughs

BY MATT BRUNSON

N

OBODY WOULD EVER

mistake Masterminds (**1/2 out of four) for a good movie — it’s sloppy, it’s cartoonish, and it takes an incredible and unbelievable true-life tale and needlessly gilds the lily, piling on extra absurdities to the point that any given film in, say, the Shrek or A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise looks like 84 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

an exercise in cinema verité by comparison.

But Masterminds is a comedy first and foremost, and it would be criminal to deny the huge laughs strewn throughout, sneakily exploding like depth charges at random intervals.

The movie is based on the 1997 Loomis Fargo robbery that took place here in Charlotte, and scripters Chris Bowman,

Hubbel Palmer and Emily Spivey refused to change the names to protect the stupid. Zach Galifianakis plays David Ghantt, a Loomis Fargo employee who’s convinced by former co-worker Kelly Campbell (Kristen Wiig) and her sleazy associate Steve Chambers (Owen Wilson) that it would be a good idea to swipe $17 million from the company vaults. A flight to Mexico, a tenacious cop

(Leslie Jones), and a wisecracking hit man (Jason Sudeikis) eventually figure in the proceedings.

Three of the four Ghostbusters take part in the film, with Wiig effective as always, Jones doing what she can with a paperthin role, and Leslie McKinnon amusing as Ghantt’s fiancée. Galifianakis and Wilson play more stereotypical hicks, with the

Zach Galifianakis and Kristen Wiig in Masterminds

former comfortably in his element and the latter trying mighty hard to pretend he’s a Southern fried imbecile and even harder to convince viewers that he’s a ruthless, loathsome guy. Most of the humor is broad, and, as usual, there’s an overreliance on the sort of scatological material that will only crack up fratboys and 5-year-old boys.

But there are also some genuine beauties on display, from a hysterical crack namedropping Kenny Rogers to the hired assassin’s attitude toward Chambers’ seemingly dimwitted sons. Masterminds may be short on brains, but it’s fairly well-stocked when it comes to funny bones.

TIM BURTON’S PROPENSITY to frolic with the freaks has informed the vast majority of his career, and his latest effort is no exception. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (**1/2 out of four), adapted from the bestselling YA title by Ransom Riggs, finds the filmmaker hanging out at the titular orphanage, a place where such Burton protagonists as Edward Scissorhands and Jack Skellington would feel completely at home.

Come to think of it, so would the X-Men, since the establishment is basically a safe haven at which mutants can learn

RELATIVITY

to control their special gifts. Screenwriter Jane Goldman, who co-wrote the x-cellent pair of X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past, doubtless agrees, fashioning her societal miscasts, all huddled under the protective eye of Miss Peregrine (Eva Green), as decent kids longing to belong to a world that rejects them.

The main thrust of the picture involves a young boy named Jake (Hugo’s Asa Butterfield) hopscotching through time and getting caught in a Groundhog Day scenario where he must remain with the misfits of science as they protect themselves from fearful creatures led by the cackling, shapeshifting Mr. Barron (Samuel L. Jackson, as anachronistic as ever). The story is overstuffed, incomplete and, frankly, not always terribly interesting. But, boy, does the film look great, thanks to the dazzling cinematography by multiple Oscar nominee Bruno Delbonnel (Inside Llewyn Davis, Amélie), the resplendent costumes by multiple Oscar winner Colleen Atwood (Alice in Wonderland, Chicago), and the creepy creatures that sprung from the hands of the visual effects team and from the mind of Burton. The plotholes are plentiful at Miss Peregrine’s Home, but so is the razzle dazzle.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 85

ARTS

THEATER

DANIEL COSTON

Katerina Papacostas and Matthew Schatz in First Date.

FIRST DATE GETS SECOND CHANCE AT THE BOOTH PLAYHOUSE Possible match in the works

BY PERRY TANNENBAUM

W

HEN IT HIT Broadway three years ago, First Date wasn’t exactly a critical or box office triumph. Starring Zachary Levi (TV’s Chuck) and Krysta Rodriguez (from Smash), the pocket-sized musical — six actors and 90 minutes — drew jaundiced eyes from the theater press. Though the critics generally liked what they saw from Levi and Rodriguez, they focused far less charitably on the script

by Austin Winsberg and the score by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner. The most 86 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

positive reviews conceded that mediocrity was in sight for the sitcom script and the pop rock score, yet when a few of those jaundiced eyes deigned to look around and observe others in the house, they had to admit that the audience was having a rollicking time. After the notices came out, attendance began to tumble, never to recover until the announced closing week less than five months later.

To give First Date a second chance on the road, its creators needed to think makeover. In a new Blumenthal Performing

Arts presentation, now at Booth Playhouse through Nov. 20, it’s obvious that Charlotte’s backers and new director/choreographer Dan Knechtges have sparked a lot of rethinking.

Aaron is still a buttoned-down, slightly nerdy, risk-averse guy who is in a steady job without any self-fulfillment on the horizon.

Mutual friends have set him up with Casey, an artsy Bohemian who keeps good guys like Aaron at arm’s length. Her weakness for bad boys has littered her past with a string of relationships that never worked out.

At the point where those bad boys come into play, Zachary and Weiner have gone to work on their songlist. Edgy British Guy and Edgy Rocker Guy are replaced by British Artist and Stoner Guy while their song, “Can’t Help but Love Me,” is similarly altered. Before that, we have a revamp of “Forever Online,” a song that was cut from the Broadway production soon after the opening. Now a new character, Google Girl, joins Casey and Aaron for “The World Wide Web Is Forever,” and this song — about Googling prospective dates before

be seated right there next to him!

In this more informal format, it becomes more obvious that the very idea of first dates is a powerful draw for audiences, stirring up old memories, tingling feelings of anticipation, and long-dormant hormones. Perhaps the best alteration Winsberg has made to his script is making sure that some of the comedy at every performance will be unscripted.

FIRST DATE $19.50 and up. Oct. 6, 7:30 p.m.; Oct. 7, 8 p.m.; Oct. 8, 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Oct. 9, 1:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. Continues through Nov. 20. Booth Playhouse, 130 N. Tryon St. 704-372-1000. blumenthalarts.org.

you meet them — may be the freshest, most delicious segment that First Date has to offer.

Transplanting the show from the 1100-seat Longacre Theatre in New York to the 434-seat Booth, Knechtges has implemented far more fundamental changes.

Not only has he reduced the cast from six to five, he has brought members of the audience onstage, seating them around the bar and at tables at the restaurant where Aaron and Casey meet. These customers don’t sit around idly during the action.

Critics reviewing this remake can’t ignore the audience because they’re part of it. The main responsibility for getting patrons involved falls to Paul Ianniello as our Bartender/Waiter. Though we’ve relocated from Manhattan to Uptown Charlotte, this Waiter fits the New York stereotype of waiters biding their time until that magical day when they nail an audition. He’s super gregarious, marking Aaron as a dude on a blind date as soon as he enters, telling him to lose the tie and unbutton the shirt if he plans to reach first base.

He’ll also chat up the diners and drinkers, prevail upon them to switch tables, move to the bar, or even kick up their heels. Or he might reappear on the roof of the building or re-enter the restaurant from the street.

Most memorable among his thought-cloud characters, Ianniello dons a tallit and enters as Aaron’s disapproving grandfather when he

First Date runs through Nov. 20 at Booth Playhouse. discovers that Casey is a shiksa.

Gretchen Wylder is Grandma Ida in this Jewish guignol number inspired by the Fruma-Sarah haunting from Fiddler on the Roof, getting the cheap laugh when she sings “I will break your matzo balls.” Tapering off just a smidge on her madcap energy, she also pops up at odd moments from behind the bar as Aaron’s former bipolar fiancée. Wielding a cocktail glass or a frying pan out in the box seats, Wylder is also Casey’s older and wiser sister, Lauren, reminding the prodigal that her biological clock is ticking or — more to the point — busting her on her self-defeating defensiveness with good guys.

As you’ve already divined, Aaron and Casey’s first date is littered with real and imagined interventions. In multiple incarnations, Kevin Zak as Man #2 completes the unholy trinity. Wearing a Luke Kuechly jersey and toting a “brewski,” Zak is most often Aaron’s best bud Gabe, telling the newbie to blind dating whether or not he’s straying from the golden path to Fuck County.

Or he might change costumes and resurface from behind the bar as Reggie, a dimwitted

DANIEL COSTON

ex-boyfriend who gets enraged when Casey doesn’t answer his repeated bailout calls to her cellphone.

At the eye of this cyclone of eccentricity, Matthew Schatz can be fairly nebbishy as Aaron without coming close to relinquishing his hold on comparative wholesomeness.

Likewise, Katerina Papacostas doesn’t need to softpeddle Casey’s practical joking and hostility to sustain her desirability. Together, they rock “First Impressions” almost immediately after they meet, building up a pile of appeal they can squander.

Schatz’s take on Aaron makes him somewhat less cartoonish than Brad in Rocky Horror, while Papacostas’ Casey is slightly more wholesome than the most mainstream member of The Addams Family. Oh, wait a second: Rodriguez was Wednesday Addams, originating that role on Broadway before originating Casey. Pure coincidence, I’m sure.

Papacostas’ foxiness drew extra play on press night when our Waiter asked a customer to move over to the bar so Casey and Aaron could be seated. The audience member shot back a counterproposal, suggesting that Casey

PROXIMITY OF LAST week’s openings in Charlotte to the police shooting of Keith Lamont Scott — and its tumultuous aftermath — seemed to tamp down turnout at Booth Playhouse on Thursday. Crowds outside for Friday evening’s Breakin’ Convention preshows, the spoken word slammers outdoors on the Levine Center for the Arts Plaza and the b-boys working the cypher in the Knight Theater lobby, were about the same anemic size as last year, when bad weather curtailed attendance.

But when the sun shone so brightly and beautifully on Saturday afternoon, I could tell just by driving past the Spirit Square parking lot that Breakin’ Convention’s all-day Street Jam was bigger and better. Around the corner on 7th Street, another robust crowd of parents and kids were lapping up the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte revival of A Year With Frog & Toad, which is every bit as delightful as the 2008 version at ImaginOn — and more completely polished.

Charlotte Symphony subscribers kept the good vibe going on Saturday night, thronging to the All Tchaikovsky concert at Belk Theater. Guest soloist Esther Yoo gave them more than ample artistry with her fire, precision, and honeyed tone in the Violin Concerto, drawing a standing ovation after the opening movement. Music director Christopher Warren-Green and the orchestra were vibrant and dynamic in their accompaniment, so I had no qualms about joining the cheers and the ovation when Yoo’s performance reached its triumphant end.

Calling all Local Artists!

Want to see your work on a billboard in our city-sized gallery?

Submissions due by October 24 for consideration here:

CharlotteCultureGuide.com/ArtPop #ArtPopCLT CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 87

Extended HALLOWEEN Hours Begin OCT. 10 MON-FRI 10am-7pm | SAT 9am-1pm

704-209-1589

112B S. Main St. Salisbury, NC EasternCostumeCompany.com

88 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

an

4stu0m,e0s in0 s0 tock!

More th

co

The Salvation Army is hosting an

AUCTION Every Mon-Fri

930am-11am

Closed Sat,Sun and Holidays

$2.oo

Bidding Fee

(non-refundable)

Auction Location:

1023 Central Ave Charlotte, NC 28204 704-332-1171

Show this Ad for

1 Free Bid

The Law Offices Of

T A M E L A T. W A L L A C E Located in the heart of Charlotte, N.C., the Law Office of Tamela T. Wallace, P.A. practices in all areas of Family Law and Personal Injury Law. LGBTQ Friendly / Pre-Birth Orders / Adoptions / Wills

704.371.4212 | TamelaTWallace.com 301 S. McDowell St., Suite 803, Charlotte, NC 28204 CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 89

MUSIC

FEATURE

SUSANA MILLMAN

Zakir Hussain and Niladri Kumar perform at CPCC’s Halton Theater on Oct. 9.

ZAKIR HUSSAIN, A GLOBAL MUSIC TROUBADOUR Hussain and sitarist Niladri Kumar perform in Charlotte

BY SAMIR SHUKLA

T

HERE

ARE

TIMES

you can tell when musicians performing live are so in tune with each other, they seem telepathically connected. Jazz musicians come to mind.

Another is a gathering of trained Indian classical musicians. In India, there are two prime iterations of classical music.

Carnatic music is the Southern classical tradition, while Hindustani music is the North Indian classical tradition. Hindustani musicians have performed in an intuitive, improvisational manner for centuries, albeit 90 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

with the foundation of ragas. They fuse this with their rigorous training to perform while filling in the spaces as needed, adding hues and subtleties. These ensembles are small, generally duos and trios, instrumental or with a vocalist.

Showcasing the traditions of Hindustani music is one such duo, tabla legend Zakir Hussain and sitar player Niladri Kumar.

They are slated to perform in Charlotte at CPCC’s Halton Theater on Oct. 9.

Hussain is a pleasure to chat with, patiently giving answers to questions that have likely been asked hundreds of times in

the past. He is, after all, a legend in Indian music, a global music troubadour steeped in traditions but willing to take his music and tabla into myriad genres and multiple possibilities. I asked him to talk a bit about this upcoming performance during a recent interview. He said, “This will be a detailed classical performance. I don’t get to do many performances like this so it’s nice to be able to have this opportunity. Let’s see if I can still keep up with these young punks (laughs, lovingly talking about Niladri Kumar).”

Niladri Kumar is a 5th generation sitar player, an astute proponent of the

instrument, and able to play at speeds that would make an electric guitar god’s jaw drop. I asked Hussain about this, and if that’s what he meant by keeping up with young punks. “Yeah, to put it mildly, he is 2 point something gigawatts of power. There’s power there but also great attention to the traditional requirements. He’s a very special combination of traditional values and their validity in the modern world of music.”

Sitar is a complex instrument, requiring years of rigorous study with a dedicated guru. Niladri Kumar is one of a small crop of young sitar players fully adept at its

Tabla legend Zakir Hussain meditative power as well as energy.

Hussain has been performing and recording since the early 1970s with myriad musicians and delved into numerous genres.

He has jammed with the Grateful Dead, recorded and toured with a colorful cast including John McLaughlin, Bill Laswell, Bela Fleck, Mickey Hart, as well as jazz and Celtic musicians, African musicians, Western classical orchestras, and of course, many luminaries of Indian classical music from the legendary Ravi Shankar to young players like Kumar. Hussain can weave in and out of any genre of music, but he shines when he returns to traditional Hindustani music, the elder statesman guiding the young lights.

So for a musician who has dabbled in all sorts of musical conversation and experimentation, what does he feel is his biggest musical challenge? He said that would be Western classical music.

“The reason why I say that because jazz and Indian music are somewhat distant cousins. They have elements of improvisation and therefore spontaneity plays an important role in the musical expression. In that way you are somewhat on familiar ground. If you understand the language of the music you are interacting with then you can speak the language and are able to fit in more easily than you would with music that is totally opposite. So when

JIM MCGUIRE

ZAKIR HUSSAIN AND NILADRI KUMAR Oct. 9, 4 p.m. CPCC’s Halton Theater, 1206 Elizabeth Ave. http://tix.cpcc. edu, www.ipaac.org/Zakir.htm.

you think about Indian classical music as an improv form of music and western classical music, which is a fixed form of music and has an element that Indian music does not have, which is harmony and counter point where four notes are played at the same time. And then you suddenly end up with a 95-piece orchestra and you have to figure out that you are not just interacting with one or two musicians who are just as ready to be spontaneous and improvise in the musical form you are connecting with.”

Niladri Kumar is also versed in playing with numerous genres and has invented his own instrument called the Zitar (an electrified sitar), although he will only perform with the sitar for this concert.

Sitar and tabla are the sound of the cosmos. This is a meeting of telepathic minds, a veteran and a young punk. Listeners will bask in their convergence.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 91

MUSIC

FEATURE

DOT PIERSON

Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow of The Posies.

THE POSIES ARE BACK IN BLOOM Power poppers pop up at alternative venues

BY PAT MORAN

“

W

E’RE NOT NOSTALGIC

about any particular period in our music making,” Ken Stringfellow says, “often to our fans’ frustration.”

Speaking from his home in the south of France, Stringfellow is discussing a new musical direction for The Posies, the 92 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

melodic, hard rocking outfit he founded with fellow guitarist/songwriter Jon Auer in 1988. This fall, The Posies are back after a six-year hiatus with Solid States, a set that suffuses their power pop with electronica, impressionist washes of sound and their most challenging lyrics to date. Just as the new album subverts fans’ preconceptions, Stringfellow and Auer are also embarking on

their most unusual tour. For the Solid States Secret Shows, The Posies are playing nontraditional venues, including private homes.

Fans who purchase tickets only learn the exact location of the gig 24 hours before the show. The Posies play Charlotte on Oct. 7, but I haven’t the faintest idea where.

The Posies have made a career of confounding expectations. Surfacing in

Seattle on the cusp of the alternative wave that lifted Nirvana to fame and (mis)fortune, The Posies went against the grunge grain, marrying bright ‘60s Britpop song craft to loud ‘90s guitars. This approach produced at least one stone cold classic, 1993’s Frosting on the Beater. For any other band, Frosting would have established a surefire sonic template for commercial success, but The

THE POSIES $25-$100. Oct. 7, 7 p.m. Search “The Posies Secret Pop Up Show Charlotte” on eventbrite.com.

The Posies perform a pop-up show in Charlotte on Oct. 7.

Posies subsequently showed scant interest in any formula, exploring everything from baroque psychedelia to stripped down roots rock. Their signature guitar sound is present on Solid States, but it’s just one aspect of a multifaceted project that also displays an increasingly political bent.

With couplets like “don’t trust no God who says he needs to be relied on, or a government that says I should be spied on” in the song “Squirrel vs. Snake”, The Posies examine the concept (and illusion) of liberty on the new album.

“I think the walls are closing in on personal freedoms,” Stringfellow says. “It’s amazing what people are willing to give away (to government and corporations) on the first negotiation.”

“America’s had a few sunny years, enjoying the somewhat progressive policies

DOT PIERSON

of Obama, but the corporate land grab of intellectual space continues unabated.

It’s growing, especially in the information sector. Google is an effective monopoly. It’s much bigger than our government. Since when is that a good thing?”

The erosion of free speech and free will is a serious matter, but Solid States is informed with even weightier concerns, Stringfellow reveals. As he and Auer assembled the building blocks for the album, they were shaken by the passing of two former band members, Darius Minwalla and Joe Skyward (born Joe Howard). Skyward’s death from cancer in 2016 was not unexpected, says Stringfellow, “But with Darius we had no ability to cope.”

“He was a fit and healthy man in his late 30s with a long and healthy life ahead of him, who just fell over and died. For us it was

Pearl Harbor. We were annihilated.”

“A good half of the album is about Darius,” says Stringfellow pointing to Solid States’ prettiest, most tranquil tune “Unlikely Places.”

“It’s a bright melody, but what I’m really saying here [to Darius] is ‘I’m still looking for you. I still think you’re going to walk into the room at any moment.”

Even “Radiance,” the album’s mystic and uplifting coda, contains currents of questioning and doubt. “It’s a transcendent song because Darius transcended — in the way that energy is never destroyed. He’s converted into something else.” The tune attains a hopeful peak, Stringfellow asserts, “But we wouldn’t have reached that note if we hadn’t been hit with a hammer. That’s what rang that bell.”

Themes of loss and transition thread through the album, but they didn’t dictate Solid States’ change of musical direction — a shift from upfront guitars to subliminal electronics and experimental rhythms.

Stringfellow says he and Auer had their blueprint for the record in place before their two friends and colleagues died.

The band’s previous two albums — Every Kind of Light (2005) and Blood/Candy (2010) — were tracked live in the studio, drawing on organic, in-the-moment energy, Stringfellow explains. In contrast, Stringfellow and Auer drew from their considerable experience composing soundtracks and producing records for other people for their current

collection. Applying layers of textures, Stringfellow and Auer assembled each track like a puzzle, placing emphasis on effective sounds rather than easily identifiable instruments.

“In the past, we amped up our songs live and played as fast and furious as we could,” Stringfellow recalls. For this tour, he proposed using a laptop to weave electronics into their performance.

“It’s worked like a charm. The shows feel wild and everyone forgets there’s a computer involved. We’re going places, but the sound is more subtle,” he says. “Now, there are more diverse timbres live.”

The change in playing live inspired a new, guerilla approach to touring — namely The Posies’ slate of pop-up gigs in alternative venues.

“You have to buy tickets to find out where we’re playing. That creates excitement for the audience and us,” says Stringfellow.

He notes that the ticket price, double the cost of a club date, has not been an obstacle to sales. “If you love our music, you’re happy to pay that, because you don’t have to share the space with people who are ambivalent about being there.”

No club dates also means no gigs in beer soaked bars, says Stringfellow, and that’s provided an unexpected bonus.

“There’s a pure vibe when you remove alcohol. The music benefits immensely from that healthy energy. In fact, these are some of the best shows we’ve ever played.”

With a challenging album, a dedicated following, and a surprising tour, Stringfellow seems to have found the sweet spot between too little and too much success. That suits him fine, he maintains.

“I don’t make music that’s easy to digest with the goal of getting on the alpha track of my profession. I just make stuff I believe in.”

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 93

FREE STUFF! CLCLT.COM/CHARLOTTE/FREESTUFF

94 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 95

MUSIC

SOUNDBOARD

THU 10/6

GREG HUMPHREYS + Special Guests

ELECTRIC TRIO

OCCASIONAL MILKSHAKE FRI 10/7

LOVE CANON SAT 10/8

elephant revival forlorn strangers + special guests

FRI 10/14

EDEN Futurebound Tour FRI 10/21

SUN 10/30

OCT. 6 POP/ROCK *Antiseen w/ Svetlanas and Hammerlock (Milestone) *Charlie Puth (The Fillmore) Eilen Jewell w/ Candlewyck (Double Door Inn) Greg Humphreys Electric Trio w/ Occasional Milkshake (Visulite Theatre) *Shiprocked (Snug Harbor)

OCT. 7 COUNTRY/FOLK

THU 11/3

RAINBOW KITTEN SURPRISE

*Jennifer Nettles (Belk Theater) The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)

POP/ROCK August Burns Red w/Erra, Silent Planet, and Make Them Suffer (Amos’ Southend) Bakalao Stars w/ Mofungo (Double Door Inn) Birds In Row, Frameworks, Listener, Cabron, Violent Gods (Milestone) Gareth Asher & The Earthlings Waking April (Evening Muse) Howie Day (Stage Door Theater) Jaggermouth w/ Ttotals and Ravagers (Snug Harbor) Love Canon (Visulite Theatre) Mountain Heart w/ Packway Handle Band (Neighborhood Theatre) Reed Turchi and the Caterwauls (Evening Muse) Thirsty Horses (Tin Roof) Zoso - A Tribute Band to Led Zeppelin (The Fillmore)

OCT. 8 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH *Charlotte Symphony: Chris Botti (Belk Theater)

COUNTRY/FOLK *Elephant Revival w/ Forlorn Strangers (Visulite Theatre) K Phillips w/ Kyle Swartzwelder (Double Door Inn)

POP/ROCK *Bad Religion and Against Me (The Fillmore) Blue Monday (Tin Roof) *Carl Broemel, Daniel Martin Moore (Evening Muse) Modern Primivites w/ Belmont Playboys, It’s Snakes (Snug Harbor) Paul Pfau CD Release plus The Rocketboys 96 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

(Evening Muse) Warboys, Self Made Monsters, Zodiac Panthers, Street Clones (Milestone)

OCT. 9 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL The Charlotte Blues Society Blues Talent Competition (solo/duo) (Double Door Inn)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B YG, RJ, Kamaiyah, Sad Boys (The Underground)

POP/ROCK *Ceschi Ramos and Factor Chandelier, Hectagons, El Malpais, The Dead Men (Milestone)

OCT. 10 HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Knocturnal (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK Find Your Muse Open Mic with Wilder Adkins (Evening Muse) The Monday Night Allstars (Double Door Inn)

OCT. 11 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Bill Hanna Jazz Jam (Double Door Inn)

COUNTRY/FOLK Country Tuesday (Snug Harbor)

POP/ROCK Chrome Sparks w/Roland Things (Neighborhood Theatre) *Finish Ticket w/ Run River North (The Underground) Pasadena w/ Taco & Da Mofos, and Ray Wroten (Tin Roof) Sister Helen, The Dollys, For the Byrds, Futurists (Milestone) Walter Salas-Humara (Evening Muse)

OCT. 12 COUNTRY/FOLK *Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl King (Knight Theater) Open Mic (Comet Grill)

POP/ROCK Joe Smothers and Jack Lawrence w/ Four Days Gone (Double Door Inn)

LOVES CHILDREN

&OTHER PETS...

FOR DINNER

NEED A PET SITTER? ADVERTISE WITH A CREATIVE LOAFING CLASSIFIEDS AD! email pmoran@clclt.com

*Mall Goth (“The Rise of Stepdad”) w/ Dollhands, Everyone Is Dirty (Snug Harbor) Roxy Roca (Evening Muse) Such Great Heights, Favelas, Tyler Frey (Milestone) The Temperance Movement w/ The Sheepdogs (The Underground)

COMING SOON Die Antwoord (Oct. 25; The Fillmore)

Bob Dylan (Nov. 6, Belk Theater) Stevie Nicks and the Pretenders (Nov. 10, Spectrum Arena) * - CL Recommends

NEED DIRECTIONS? Check out our website at clclt.

com. CL online provides addresses, maps and directions from your location. Send us your concert listings: E-mail us at aovercash@clclt. com or fax it to 704-522-8088. We need the date, venue, band name and contact name and number. The deadline is each Wednesday, one week before publication.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 97

ENDS

MARKETPLACE

JOBS | POSTINGS | LISTINGS | RENTALS

ENDS

NIGHTLIFE

NO NEED FOR PLANS IN THE Q.C. Unexpected adventures are great

PHOTOGRAPHY Family Engagement Real Estate Events and more

www.JeffHahnePhotography.com

704-737-2145

The Perfect Combo.

98 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

RECYCLE ME, PLEASE (Only after you’re done reading me)

table before the dinner rush.

ONLY AN HOUR-LONG wait at Soul If you’ve read my articles before you Gastrolounge. Unicorn balloons and throw know that I’m obsessed with this cozy little up in the corner of Thomas Street Tavern.

And premier seats for watching the game tapas spot in Plaza Midwood. But getting at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. That just a table can feel impossible after 8 o’clock. about sums up this past weekend in the Many frequenters are familiar with the Queen City. Surprisingly, none of it was popular venue’s two-hour wait times. But planned. guess what? We only had to wait for 45 I’ve fallen into a rut in the nightlife minutes! Yes, I know, be jealous. scene lately. I’m not sure if I’ve been going After a mule, RBV, sushi, shrimp skewers, to same places too often or if recent events goat cheese flatbread and a cubanini, we in the city have put a damper on looking were ready to take on the night. Our first for an adventure. Nevertheless, I refused to stop? Whiskey Warehouse to catch up with waste the weekend away being trapped in a co-worker. Home of arguably one of the the house. best rooftop bars in the Queen City, it was After spending Friday evening catching a beautiful night for cocktails and peoplesome high school football with my boyfriend watching. Afterwards, my boyfriend was a — and missing out on a slice of pizza I’d been responsible adult and decided to head home. craving all day long — most of my homies I, on the other hand, headed over to Thomas were too tired to rally. I didn’t complain Street Tavern to kick with my partner though, I decided to get some wellin crime. Big mistake. The patio needed rest.

The next morning, my was packed which led to drunk boyfriend and I skipped our convos with random people Saturday morning sleepand a surprise burp forced in and hopped in the car me into the corner for to head to Little Spoon some relief, if you catch Eatery. The last time my drift. Soon after, I I went to this popular called an Uber to go home. brunch spot featuring The next morning I old school hip-hop, Luke had the privilege — well, Kuechly waltzed in for a battling a hangover made tasty breakfast of his own.

AERIN SPRUILL any task a challenge — of Never a dull moment! This attending the baptism of a time, I ventured away from my good friend. It was an uplifting and usual: eggs over-medium, cinnamon terrifying experience all at once. A couple of toast brulee and pork belly bacon. And while us ended up being on camera for the event, I wished I had stayed in my own lane, I’m but seeing the appreciation on my friend’s genuinely amazed by the Southern staples face made it all worth it. sprinkled with Korean fare.

After the service, I grabbed a biscuit and After breakfast, my boyfriend’s priority was getting home to watch the game. But I pondered whether or not I’d make plans for wanted to get a few minutes of shopping in.

Sunday Funday while my boyfriend had I begged him to take me to Anthropologie “guy’s time.” My partner in crime convinced in South End before we had to rush back me that laying on the couch wasn’t an option. for babysitting his nephews. Surprisingly, The next thing you know, I’m basking in an he agreed — even though he was sitting amazing booth at Dilworth Neighborhood on a display couch after 10 minutes into Grille. I’d been anticipating visiting this bar perusing. In any event, I snagged a few for a while and was pleasantly surprised that coasters I’d been eyeing for months and on game day, in a packed house featuring a convinced him to check out the Atherton brunch buffet that we scored a booth all to Mill market before heading home. ourselves. Mimosas, please?!

Did you know that cats can get testy Of course, one thing led to another and around two-year-olds? Welp, we figured that a quick trip and a couple drinks turned out after watching my boyfriend’s nephews into Sunday Funday madness that ended for a few hours Saturday afternoon. In with crab legs at Hooters Uptown. I can’t spite of a two to three-hour naptime, my complain though, an unplanned weekend cat and I were “hangry” (a mix of hungry turned into a weekend win! and angry) and exhausted by the time the BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM bambinos made their exit, so we rushed to Soul Gastrolounge in the hopes of getting a

ENDS

CROSSWORD

I WILL NOT BE A PART OF THIS! ACROSS

1 School, in Soissons 6 Paquin of “X-Men” 10 Mascara enhances it 14 Impertinent 19 Volcano emissions 20 Tackiness 22 Spanish for “milk” 23 Letter after phi, chi, psi 24 Person in a sit-in, say 25 Skin soothers 26 Period to remember 27 “The Matrix” star 29 -- healthy pace 30 It made the Ciera, briefly 31 Being hauled to the station 32 Unit of binary digits 34 2004-12 Fox medical drama 36 St. -- University (Philadelphia school) 38 Girders, often 42 Very easy 45 Zany 46 Beef cattle with back humps 47 Musical mix 51 Tony winner Hagen 52 Rubble of Bedrock 53 Upscale German ride 56 Dawn 57 Tic -- (wee mint) 58 Correct, as text 59 Not exciting 60 Seizes 61 Summoned by invitation 62 Like grass at dawn, often 63 Quench 64 Old hi-fi format 65 Bigwig 66 “-- you sleeping?”

67 National Mall’s vicinity 68 Question 69 Tijuana wife 70 -- -Mart (retail titan) 71 Redford with many roles 72 Butcher knife 73 After a lengthy delay 75 “Heavens!”

78 “Yankeeography” cable channel

83 Wife on “The Sopranos” 84 19th-century stage actress Charlotte 85 Part of UAR 86 Property liquidations 94 Dawn’s direction 95 Gene material 96 Span 97 “Say what?” sounds 98 Terre -100 Elec. flow in power supplies 101 Allan- -- (“Robin Hood” minstrel) 103 Stared at lecherously 104 Class writing assignment 105 ESPN baseball analyst Buster 106 Plants often extirpated 107 Spear 108 Pieta mother 109 Della of song

DOWN

1 “Do Ya” rock gp.

2 “C’est Moi” musical 3 Late 4 Celebrity chef Emeril 5 That, to Juan 6 Attached 7 U.S.-Canada air-watch org.

8 0% of the group 9 Pianist Rubinstein 10 Hair removal tool 11 Fall flower 12 Singer Winwood 13 Old “Tonight Show” intro 14 Ga. neighbor 15 Puts a new tag on 16 Subspecies adapted to a particular habitat 17 Sword cases 18 “... -- my brother” 21 Prefix with 32-Across 27 Campfire spiritual song 28 Raided 30 Cries of insight 33 Suffix with shepherd 35 Glue brand 37 Don’t budge 39 Superior to 40 People fighting los toros

41 They’re between “Alt” keys 42 Faded, as an emotion 43 24 images per second, for most films 44 Goodbyes 47 Volcanic rock material 48 Greek coins 49 Sipped, say 50 Gray wolf 53 Siren sound 54 Constructor 55 Spelt, e.g.

59 Spill secrets 61 Long bicycle saddles 63 Actors Baio and Bakula 65 Taunting type 67 He created Whoville 69 Dark purple fruit 72 Fought against 74 Lineage 75 1970s label of Elton John 76 Gridiron gain 77 Bit of sand 79 Coax 80 Largest city in the Cornhusker St. 81 Grapples, in the sticks 82 Chess piece: Abbr.

87 “Be silent,” musically 88 Ghana’s largest city 89 Glove part 90 Wyatt of the Wild West 91 “Git!” 92 Corn pancake of Colombia 93 Solitary soul 98 “-- so?”

99 Masthead VIPs 101 “Which is longer, -- B?” 102 Body part that’s a homophone of the vowel that is totally absent from this puzzle’s answer

SOLUTION FOUND ON P. 102.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 99

ENDS

SAVAGE LOVE

VULVA VA VOOM Biking booboos

WHO ARE YOU AFTER DARK?

Try FREE: 704-943-0057 More Local Numbers: 1-800-700-6666

FREE TO LISTEN AND REPLY TO ADS redhotdateline.com 18+ FREE TRIAL

Discreet Chat Guy to Guy

Free Code: Charlotte Loafing

980.224.4669

Dating

made Easy

FREE

to Listen & Reply to ads.

FREE CODE: Charlotte Loafing

FIND REAL GAY MEN NEAR YOU

Charlotte

(704) 643-6437 For other local numbers:

Charlotte:

(704) 556-0006

18+ www.MegaMates.com

Meet sexy friends who really get your vibe...

Try FREE: 704-731-0113 More Local Numbers: 1-800-811-1633

vibeline.com 18+

100 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

www.megamates.com 18+

REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.

Try FREE: 704-943-0050 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000

Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+

problem. “I don’t want to over-promise, A QUESTION ON your favorite topic, since BV remains a challenging diagnosis Dan. Just kidding, it’s a question about and often does come back at some point,” my vagina. I’m having a problem with said Dr. Herbenick. “There’s no one-sizethe microbiome of my vulva and vagina. fits-all approach to BV, which is also why I’ve been going to my gyno for the last I think VULVA is best off meeting with a six months for recurrent bacterial health care provider who lives and breathes vaginosis and yeast infections. She vaginal health issues. The ISSVD is full of shrugs, gives me a script, the symptoms health care providers like that — they’re the go away for a week or so, then they come Sherlock Holmes of vaginas and vulvas, none back. I understand the infections are of this ‘shrug and here’s a script’ business. likely due to an imbalance in my vaginal VULVA can check out ISSVD.org for more pH, but I don’t know what to do to fix information.” this. I’ve used probiotic suppositories to boost the amount of lactobacillus I have a question about biking and and these help more than anything else, female genitalia. I’m a woman in my but the problem remains. I also wear forties, and I love biking! My husband cotton, loose-fitting undies and practice and I often go for long rides on the good hygiene and never douche or use weekend. Unfortunately, this anything scented. The problem makes various parts of my started when I stopped using crotch sore, especially the condoms with my partner, clitoris. Certain bike seats but it’s not an STI. are better, but none We’ve both been tested. eliminate the soreness.

There’s tons of sites Two years ago, we had online talking about a baby, which not only this problem, but no made my crotch more one has a solution that prone to soreness I’ve found. How the hell but makes it a lot less can women with this likely that we’ll have problem fix their pH?!

DAN SAVAGE sex except on weekends, Vexed Und Lacking often after biking. The sore Vaginal Answers clit makes sex more painful, but it also increases sensitivity, “I love that she used the word so the whole thing can be an alternating ‘vulva,’” said Dr. Debby Herbenick, a research experience of “Ow!” and “Wow!” Am I scientist at Indiana University, a sexual causing my clit any permanent damage health educator at the Kinsey Institute, and by the biking and/or the post-bike the author of Read My Lips: A Complete Guide poking? Any suggestions for decreasing to the Vagina and Vulva and numerous other crotch soreness? books.

Bike Related Injury To Clit; Help Dr. Herbenick recommends seeing a Ease Soreness “true vulvovaginal health expert” (TVHE) about your problem, VULVA. “The few studies that have been As for your particular problem — a tough conducted on women and cycling — case of bacterial vaginosis — Dr. Herbenick, generally cisgender women — found that who isn’t a medical doctor but qualifies as a cutout seats are linked with a higher risk of TVHE, had some thoughts. genital symptoms, as are handlebars that are “There are many different forms of lower than the saddle,” said Dr. Herbenick. bacterial vaginosis (BV) and different kinds “So broader saddles and higher handlebars of yeast infections,” said Dr. Herbenick. may be the way to go. Some of the research “These different kinds respond well to notes higher rates of genital symptoms different kinds of treatment, which is one among people who go on longer rides.” reason home yeast meds don’t work well To decrease your risk of un-fun genital for many women. And all too often, health symptoms, BRITCHES, Dr. Herbenick care providers don’t have sufficient training recommends mixing it up. “Go biking some to make fine-tuned diagnoses and end up weekends and try other activities on other treating the wrong thing. But if VULVA’s weekends — maybe hiking or swimming? recurrences are frequent, I think it’s a wise Follow Dr. Debby Herbenick on Twitter @ idea for her to see a true specialist.” debbyherbenick. Reach Dan Savage at mail@ savagelove.net.

A TVHE is likelier to pinpoint the

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 101

LILLY SPA

ENDS

STARGAZER

704-392-8099 MON-SUN 9AM-11PM LOCATED NEAR THE AIRPORT EXIT 37 OFF I-85 WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

SOUTH ON BEATTIES FORD ROAD THEN FIRST RIGHT ON MONTANA DRIVE (LOCATED 1/2 MILE ON THE LEFT | 714-G MONTANA DR)

SOLUTION TO THIS WEEK'S PUZZLE

FREE TRIAL

THE HOTTEST GAY CHATLINE

1-704-943-0051 More Local Numbers: 800-777-8000

www.guyspyvoice.com

Ahora en Español/18+

FOR ALL SIGNS: The archetypal battle in the sky is among power and social justice versus The sovereign rights of the individual.

This is symbolic of the birth of the aquarian age. It is a quarrel that will last for much of this decade at multiple levels. If you pay attention, you will see it in the news, perhaps in your neighborhood or job, and also inside your own head. The signs most affected at this time are: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn and Leo. Many are trying to deal with things or people that just don’t make sense or won’t come together and flow as they “should.”

When dealing with the conflicts, we must open our perspective lens wider so we can see a divine purpose at work. Instead of doing battle, we need to understand and appreciate our differences. If we can accomplish that, the battles are unnecessary.

ARIES: During late fall of last year, you started a project related to your work, health and/or daily life. Now you arrive at a turning point in which you must decide whether to pour more resources into it. Chances are, you will feel it worth the effort. Your energy level is high and you have a need to use your muscles.

TAURUS: The act of caring for a friend may provide a healing balm for both of you.

This week is especially good for discussing important subjects with partners. You each are in a cooperative frame of mind and communications flow well. You can give and receive mutual help at this time and improve the overall energy in the relationship.

GEMINI: Mercury, your ruling planet, moves into the sector of life related to children, recreation, personal creativity, and romance.

You likely will be a chatter box, relative to your norm. One or more communications will allow you to sooth a wound from the past.

CANCER: You are in a physical low cycle.

Give attention to your health, lest it break down under pressure. You may fall into negative self-talk, which only causes you to feel worse. Focus attention on what you are thinking and change dark thoughts to neutral, if not positive.

VIEW FROM THE COUCH For reviews on the latest in home entertainment, visit

CLCLT.COM/CHARLOTTE/VIEW-FROM-THE-COUCH/

LEO: Your plans and ideas may be challenged by another at this time, perhaps a co-worker or a sibling. In order to hold your own in this situation, you must have clarity about who you have become. Do your best to generate a win-win situation out of the duel, and avoid a frank battle of wills. Each of you has a truth. A larger perspective will handle both.

VIRGO: Your ruling planet, Mercury, moves into the sector related to personal income and resources for the next two to three weeks.

Your attention will be drawn to organizing your financial picture. Perhaps there is a

102 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM

large expenditure that you wish to make.

Give this careful thought and planning. By next week you will be emotionally ready to spring for it.

LIBRA: This is the week to recognize and cease to repeat a compulsive pattern, with origins in your childhood. Sometimes it requires a major episode to bring the damaging behavior to light. If you are willing to see this pattern upfront, maybe you won’t have to act it out again. Focus on the facts and on your own behavior.

SCORPIO: During the late fall and winter

last year, you began a new friendship. The two of you may have hatched a plan for travel. Something has changed since the inception of that plan and you may find that you have altered your choice. You now have a need to be somewhere that will satisfy your desire for solitude and communing with your soul.

SAGITTARIUS: This is a week of peaks in

your social activity. Your planetary avatar is squared by Mars and you could easily be encouraged to spend money you do not have.

Everything seems important and strikes you with passionate fervor. It is important for you to remain financially cautious at this time. Don’t carry your credit cards on your travels or if you do, try not to use it for anything except for an emergency.

CAPRICORN: It is of paramount importance that you control your mouth this week. Although you have an opinion about whatever is happening, let it go and say nothing unless asked to share it. Being “right” is not as important as maintaining human relations. Later you can take action to correct what you perceive is wrong, but now you would be challenged to a fight.

AQUARIUS: You have been pondering serious things in recent weeks and months.

It is possible that you have critiqued yourself for not producing more in your life thus far. Your friends and family would readily tell you that who you are for them is by far greater than what you have produced. Listen to them.

PISCES: You are happily preparing for travel at this time. If finances are an issue, you may go overboard on your credit cards.

Fortunately debts owed to you will likely be paid this week, which makes it harder to remain conservative on your spending.

Everyone gets party favors, but remember to be smart about your budget.

Are you interested in a personal horoscope? Vivian Carol may be reached at 704-366-3777 for private psychotherapy or astrology appointments. Website: www.horoscopesbyvivian.com.

CLCLT.COM | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | 103

AWARD WINNING BURGERS

CONVENIENTLY LOCATED IN CHARLOTTE, HUNTERSVILLE, KANNAPOLIS, GASTONIA, CONCORD, DENVER AND MORE

“Cooked Outdoors Style” ™

100% FRESH ALL-BEEF HAMBURGERS

Corn Dog 5 Pc. Chicken Nuggets All White Breast Meat

BLT Sandwich

CHARGRILLED CHICKEN SANDWICH

99

¢

each

Chargrilled HAMBURGERS Fresh With Homemade Chili and Slaw!

Chargrilled HOT DOGS Cook Out Style • Bacon Cheddar • Mexi Dog • Mustard Relish OPEN LATE NIGHT, EVERY NIGHT!

104 | OCT. 6 - OCT. 12, 2016 | CLCLT.COM