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NCDOT TO HOLD PUBLIC MEETING JULY 25 & 26 NOTICE OF PRE-CONSTRUCTION PUBLIC OPEN HOUSES IN JULY FOR PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS TO I-485 BETWEEN I-77 and U.S. 74 (Independence Boulevard) The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) will hold two public open houses at the following times and locations:
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Wednesday, July 25 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. CPCC Levine Campus – Building II 2800 Campus Ridge Road Matthews, NC 28105
Thursday, July 26 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pineville United Methodist Church 110 S. Polk Street Pineville, NC 28134
EDITORIAL
NEWS EDITOR • Ryan Pitkin rpitkin@clclt.com FILM CRITIC • Matt Brunson mattonmovies@gmail.com THEATER CRITIC • Perry Tannenbaum perrytannenbaum@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS •
The proposed project would add one express lane in each direction on I-485 between I-77 and U.S. 74 (Independence Boulevard), providing travel time reliability and improving traffic flows on this critical transportation corridor. This project would also add one general purpose lane in each direction between Rea Road and Providence Road. In coordination with other projects in south/southeastern Mecklenburg County, this project would serve as part of a larger network of express lanes offering drivers the option of more reliable travel times. NCDOT representatives will be available in an informal, open house-style setting to answer questions and gather public input regarding the proposed project. The opportunity to submit written comments or questions will be provided and is encouraged. Citizens may attend either open house at any time between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.. There will be no formal presentation.
Erin Tracy-Blackwood, Allison Braden, Catherine Brown, Konata Edwards, Jeff Hahne, Vanessa Infanzon, Alison Leininger, Ari LeVaux, Kia O. Moore, Grey Revell, Dan Savage, Debra Renee Seth, Aerin Spruill,
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Project maps and other information can be found online at www.publicinput.com/I-485-Charlotte. A brief survey is also available on this website. For more information, contact Carly Olexik, of NCDOT’s Communications Office at caolexik@ncdot.gov or (919) 707-2671. NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who want to participate in this public open house. Anyone requiring special services should contact Diane Wilson at pdwilson1@ncdot.gov as soon as possible so that arrangements can be made.
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14
Janelle Monáe will be bringing the house down at the Fillmore on July 24. Check out our Top 10 Things To Do on page 14 for more cool shit to do.
PHOTO BY JOE MABEL
We put out weekly 8
NEWS&CULTURE KEEPING THE ENEMY CLOSE Charlotte City Council approves
hosting RNC by thin margin BY RYAN PITKIN
6 EDITOR’S NOTE BY MARK KEMP 7 THE BLOTTER BY SOPHIE WHISNANT AND RYAN PITKIN
12
FOOD&DRINK IF YOU COOK IT, THEY WILL COME NoDa Bodega’s Vegan Night
brings big crowds on a weekly basis
14 16
BY SOPHIE WHISNANT
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK
MUSIC STEP UP TO THE MIC Explore Charlotte’s open mic nights to find the newest of the new among the city’s ever-expanding musical talent
BY STAFF
18
THE BEST AND THE REST Top 10 Charlotte releases of the last year BY MARK KEMP 20 SOUNDBOARD
22
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT FROM INFAMY TO DIVERSITY New documentary tells story of mysterious mixed-race people
BY PAT MORAN 23 FILM REVIEW: BY MATT BRUNSON 24 ARTSPEAK: CARLOSALEXIS CRUZ BY SOPHIE WHISNANT
26
ODDS&ENDS 26 NIGHTLIFE BY AERIN SPRUILL 27 CROSSWORD 28 SAVAGE LOVE BY DAN SAVAGE 30 SALOME’S STARS
GO TO CLCLT.COM FOR VIDEOS, PODCASTS AND MORE!
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CLCLT.COM | JULY 19 - JULY 25, 2018 VOL. 32, NO. 22
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NEWS
EDITOR’S NOTE
CHARLOTTE ONSTAGE A musing on music, open mics and political conventions WHEN CHARLOTTE SINGER Kevin national acts that travel through town just to “Mercury” Carter decided to hang up the play a night at one of the big amphitheaters clothes he designed under his fashion name or arenas. Speaking of big arenas, it’s looking more Kevin Vain and begin exploring his musical talent, he took to the city’s open-mic nights and more likely that Charlotte will be the to see how his multi-octave voice and songs big arena for the next Republican National Convention. At a special meeting on Monday, would go over in a live setting. That was three years ago. Earlier this July 16, the City Council narrowly voted in month, on July 11, Mercury Carter performed favor of inviting the RNC to Charlotte in 2020. On the surface, that seems reasonable on a stage in Geneva, Switzerland, having been invited to take part in the prestigious enough. After all, Charlotte hosted the Democratic National Convention in 2012 Montreux Jazz Festival. Not every artist who signs up for an open- and it put the city in a favorable light on the mic night achieves the success of a Mercury national stage. But beneath the surface are Carter — after all, major talent plays a big serious concerns. Today’s Republican Party role for those who graduate from open mics is not the 2012 Democratic Party — it’s not to world-famous festivals. But a singer, poet, even the 2012 Republican Party that held its convention in Tampa, Florida, the same rapper, dancer or instrumentalist has year Charlotte hosted the Democrats. to start somewhere. And that Today’s Republican Party somewhere is often an openis led by a president who has mic night. encouraged violence and For last year’s annual hatred, once instructing his Music Issue, we put the loyalists to “knock the crap CL spotlight on 10 local out of” demonstrators, and artists to keep an eye another time referring to out for in the coming some of the Nazis and white year. They ranged from supremacists who staged the R&B singer Dexter a deadly march through Jordan to the acoustic Charlottesville, Virginia, artist Randi Johnson to as “very fine people.” Today’s MARK KEMP the experimental art-punk Republican Party is led by a project Lofidels. Since then, president who disparages the United Creative Loafing has profiled each States and our allies while championing of them in longer stories, and each murderous dictators like Vladimir Putin. And has continued to write and perform. This year, we decided to turn the spotlight today’s Republican Party consists of many to the spaces where local artists workshop leaders who refuse to speak out against that their music — open-mic nights. There are president’s traitorous bullying. Another event that put Charlotte on the many of them all across the Charlotte area, but we chose 10 that showcase a range of national stage was the 2016 uprising that artists, from singer-songwriters to rappers, followed the police shooting of Keith Lamont poets, producers and instrumentalists. Open- Scott. That event brought a military-style mic nights are events where you can see the police force to our streets, leading to multiple newest of the new in Charlotte, and maybe injuries and a death. It’s true that the 2020 RNC will put even run across the next Mercury Carter. Also in the Music Issue this year, I have Charlotte on the national stage again, but the compiled a list of the 10 best LPs or EPs question is: Will it be the kind of celebratory that have come out since last year’s Music stage performance that the DNC was (even Issue, along with a longer list of Honorable with the protests that came with it), or will Mentions. It’s a way of showing the trajectory it be a tragic stage performance that will an artist may take from performing two or make the 2016 uprising look like a mere dress three songs at an open-mic night to recording rehearsal? Those are questions City Council an album worthy of praise. (If you disagree members debated among themselves and the with my choices, tell me about it in the community, and they decided the attention the RNC will bring is worth the gamble. We can comments section online.) It’s often said that Charlotte began only pray that was the right decision. No matter what happens, Charlotte’s experiencing a musical renaissance in the 2010s; if that’s so, it doesn’t seem to be artists — its singers, songwriters, rappers, letting up. And as long as this city continues poets, actors and painters — will respond in to produce great new musical artists, we’ll their works at local galleries, breweries and be covering those local artists, and not the music venues — and at open-mic nights. MKEMP@CLCLT.COM
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NEWS
BLOTTER
BY RYAN PITKIN & SOPHIE WHISNANT
WHAT GOES UP PSA for all dumbasses on
the Fourth of July: Do not shoot your gun into the air to add to the firework display. See, fireworks don’t come back down at a deadly speed. Police are still trying to find out which idiot shot into the air at around 10:30 p.m. on July 4 in the Plaza Midwood area, because their bullet came down and struck a 35-year-old man in the shoulder, causing serious injury. If found, the suspect faces charges of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury.
NEXT STOP, PLEASE It’s bad enough having to work on a holiday, but one CATS bus driver had to deal with an especially rude rider on July 4 while driving a bus through west Charlotte. The driver reported to police that the bus was on its route on Tuckaseegee Road when one of the passengers lit a firework on the bus before hopping off fleeing the scene. MUSKET MISTAKE A woman in northeast
Charlotte was probably trying to get into the patriotic spirit when she loaded up what police described as “a black powder firearm” on July 4, but things ended badly for her. Although the report does not state what type of firearm it was, a black powder firearm is one of the earlier gun technologies, most of which use a flintlock and are considered antiques by law enforcement. According to the report, the 66-year-old woman dropped the gun, “causing it to fire accidentally and strike her in the leg,” at her home near Reedy Creek Park. While musket balls will do plenty of damage if loaded and shot correctly, the report states the victim suffered no injury in the incident.
COAL IN YOUR STOCKING What’s worse than planning a cookout for the whole fam and realizing that you forgot the charcoal necessary to grill your dogs and burgers? How about having the charcoal you did remember stolen right out from under you. That’s what happened to one victim at Nevin Community Park in north Charlotte. The 45-year-old woman told police that she got to the park at 7 a.m. on July 4 to begin preparing the cookout, but when it came time to throw the coal on the grill at around 11:40 a.m., she found that someone had stolen her $14 bag of charcoal. It’s a hot dog eat dog world out there, folks. STOLEN VALOR Other suspects near Uptown were also willing to steal in order to make their Fourth of July celebrations go smoothly. On July 2, employees at Target in the Metropolitan shopping center caught a suspect trying to leave the store with $13 worth of “American flags and trinkets,” according to the report. FALLEN POSTERS With the amount of
money it costs just to see a movie these days, it’s only right that folks be allowed to take a souvenir with them. That was apparently the thinking of one recent moviegoer in south Charlotte. Staff at the Regal Stonecrest at Piper Glen movie theater called police after an unknown suspect opened a movie poster display board in front of the theater and stole a Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom poster at about 8 p.m. All in the name of Chris Pratt.
ESSENTIALS Productive people like to
knock out their grocery shopping early, and productive shoplifters get more cranky the earlier you try to confront them. Employees at a Bi-Lo on Mt. Holly-Huntersville Road in northwest Charlotte had to deal with a woman who came into the store at about 8 a.m. and went for the trifecta: chicken wings, beer and baby wipes. The woman tried to leave the store without paying for her bounty, and that’s when she was confronted by three Bi-Lo employees. It was then that the shoplifter made it clear that she was not a morning person, threatening all three of the people in her way. It’s unclear in the report what exactly happened in the struggle that followed, but police reported that all the beer and baby wipes were recovered, while only $140 of the $200 worth of chicken she had tried to steal could be saved. Whether the rest of the chicken was spilled taking the suspect into custody or she made off with it, we’ll never know.
MR.
POTATO HEAD Threatening another person is never nice, but involving an innocent produce in the matter is just hateful. A grandmother opened the front door of her home in the Ballantyne area to find a threat directed towards her grandson. The woman found a note with the words “Fuck you” along with the grandson’s name scribbled on a piece of plastic. To further the message, next to the note was a potato with two holes, which grandma believed signified bullets through her grandson’s heart. We’re usually supporters of symbolism in art, but this has gone too far.
INTERNATIONAL CONSPIRACY A
40-year-old man filed a police report after recently learning that his phone has been pranking people without him even knowing it. He said that on one afternoon in early July, he started receiving calls and text messages from strangers upset with him because he was calling them and hanging up. The only problem was, he hadn’t personally called any of these people and nobody had used his phone. The man’s only answer was that his phone was “spoofed” and that his number was now “dialing numbers and hanging up on people all over the world,” according to the report.
All stories are pulled from police reports at CMPD headquarters. Suspects are innocent until proven guilty. CLCLT.COM | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | 7
NEWS
FEATURE
KEEPING THE ENEMY CLOSE Charlotte City Council approves hosting RNC in razor-thin vote BY RYAN PITKIN
A
S RAY MCKINNON walked out of Monday’s specially called Charlotte City Council meeting on Monday, July 16, he was disappointed but not surprised that council members voted 6-5 to officially invite the Republican National Convention to Charlotte in 2020. McKinnon, co-founder of local political organization New South Progressives, had led the movement calling for #NoRNCinCLT over the past month. In that time, he and others had helped convince four city council members to join District 2 representative LaWana Mayfield in her opposition to the convention coming to Charlotte. But in the end, his efforts were not enough. Despite “nay” votes from Mayfield, Justin Harlowe, Braxton Winston, Dimple Ajmera and Matt Newton, the six remaining council members sided with Mayor Vi Lyles in deciding to order city manager Marcus Jones to negotiate contracts with the RNC and local host committee. Although Lyles did not have a vote on Monday, she has been public in her support for bringing the RNC to Charlotte. The RNC site selection committee is expected to award Charlotte the convention during a vote in Austin, Texas, later this week. McKinnon was the first speaker of more than 100 who addressed the council during a public forum that lasted about two hours hours on Monday afternoon. The speakers were nearly split between being opposed to the RNC and supporting the decision to host the convention in Charlotte, with a slight majority speaking in support. After the meeting, McKinnon said he was taken aback by the refusal of some city council members to stand with their base. “It is ironic to me that this council chamber is filled with Republicans cheering on our Democratic mayor and our Democratic council members, and they’ll remember that next year when they’re not going to be the ones that they have to convince to vote,” McKinnon said. “It’s going to be those of us who worked hard for them, we worked our butts off for this council — to get this? For them to appease?” Council member Larken Egleston, who represents District 1, was the only vote McKinnon said he was unsure of going into the meeting. When it came Egleston’s time to speak on Monday, he mentioned that he had heard from more than 300 constituents from 8 | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
GRANT BALDWIN
Council members vote yes at Monday’s Meeting
“WE WORKED OUR BUTTS OFF FOR THIS COUNCIL — TO GET THIS? FOR THEM TO APPEASE?” RAY MCKINNON, NEW SOUTH PROGRESSIVES his district wanting to share their opinions for or against the RNC. He warned against stereotyping Republicans based on the Trump administration. “To paint with broad strokes and insinuate all Republicans share the moral shortcomings of the current president is reckless, and doing so prohibits us from any claim to the moral high ground,” Egleston said. “The polarization of our current political climate is toxic. It’s caused many to retreat to their respective ideological corners. Many will say it’s naïve to believe we can mend fences and forge partnerships across the aisle at such a divisive moment in our country, but I would far prefer to pursue that goal than resign myself to the idea that those with whom I disagree are inherently evil and incapable of compromise.” At-large representative Dimple Ajmera restated her 2017 comments that “Donald Trump’s values are not Charlotte values” before questioning city attorney Bob Hagemann about financial issues regarding the convention.
Ajmera pointed out that, of the $50 million awarded by Congress to cities that host conventions, Charlotte spent $49.5 million during the DNC in 2012. She fears that heightened security and inflation would put the city over that amount in 2020. If that were to happen, Hagemann said, a $10 million backup would be funded by the RNC, although Newton later voiced his concern that he could not trust the RNC to have that money on hand if it were needed.
AFTER THE MEETING, McKinnon said he was upset to hear Egleston’s comments about inclusion being the reason he voted in support of the RNC. “To have council member Egleston try to lecture us about divisiveness, and he hadn’t said anything about Donald Trump, when is he going to say anything about Donald Trump?” McKinnon asked. “It’s time for him to stop trying to appease [council member] Tariq Bokhari and the Republicans in Charlotte and start listening to his constituents. Some
of the main leaders in this #NoRNC2020 are from his district. He should have thought about that instead of trying to come for us.” Egleston did, in fact, address those concerns during his speech on Monday, stating that he knew his vote may be unpopular with a large group of his constituents. “We must lead by example and make tough decisions which will often be unpopular,” he said. “We are not elected to constantly protect the odds of our own reelection, but to do what’s best for Charlotte, even when those decisions come at a personal cost.” On social media, reaction was mixed. Nikki Wolfe, community and marketing director with Yelp Charlotte, took to Twitter to show support for Egleston, citing his connections with the service industry, which stands to benefit from an event like the RNC. “I support Larken 100 percent and am damn proud to see him stand up for this,” Wolfe wrote. “He’s worked in service industry for at least 15 years, he knows the impact events of this magnitude have on local
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Supporters of the RNC in Charlotte went outside to make themsevles heard after addressing city council (above). A man confronts a Trump supporter outside of the government Center (below).
businesses. He talks to these business owners every single day.” Many of the speakers who showed to support the RNC in Charlotte were members of the service and hospitality industry, from hotel managers to Uber drivers.
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Many opposed to the convention cited Trump’s despicable policies and expressed fear for what types protests the RNC would spur. Multiple people referenced the white supremacist march on Charlottesville, Virginia, at which a counterprotester was
killed on August 12, 2017, speculating that the convention could bring much higher rates of violence. Local activist Luis Rodriguez recalled the story of a childhood friend named Mikey who had lice and therefore was not allowed to come to the Rodriguez house to play. He used the story as a metaphor for the GOP. “Mikey wasn’t a bad kid, but he had a condition that made him coming over out of the question, not unless we wanted lice of our own to deal with,” Rodriguez said. “Right now, the GOP is full of fine people, I am sure, but the GOP has a bad case of lice; KKK lice, neo-Nazi lice. It’s undeniable. You can see them with the naked eye. And just as sure as my mother knew then, we know now, you can’t let people come into your house with lice and not expect to get lice yourself.” During the debate that followed the public forum, District 5 representative Matt Newton voiced concerns stemming from the atmosphere of today’s political climate, as well as the fresh wounds of the Charlotte Uprising, which occurred in September 2016. “I know that the vitriolic rhetoric I’ve heard, it’s on both sides. And I know that that’s not us, but at the same time I believe it’s because this event represents something different, and I don’t know if it’s fair for us to expect that to change over the next two
years. It could, quite frankly, get worse,” Newton said. “I would also be remiss if I didn’t entertain the thought that we as a city still need to heal from the events of September 2016, and we may be opening up old wounds instead of allowing those wounds to heal,” he continued. While multiple members of the council praised the more than 100 speakers who addressed the issue for keeping things civil throughout the debate, outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center tensions flared during the meeting, as Trump supporters waving flags argued with Charlotte Uprising protesters marching in protest of recent deaths at the Mecklenburg County Jail. As McKinnon walked out of the meeting, a man in a white T-shirt and red Make America Great Again hat could be heard screaming loudly at a young black man about how he was proud of his white heritage. A police officer had to step between the two men as things became more heated. In that moment, McKinnon seemed to grow all the more despondent over the results of the council vote. “Welp,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s already started.” RPITKIN@CLCLT.COM
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FOOD
FEATURE
NODA BODEGA VEGAN NIGHT Thursdays, 5-8 p.m.; 1200 E. 36th St.; 704-375-8704; facebook.com/ NoDaBodega
IF YOU COOK IT, THEY WILL COME NoDa Bodega’s Vegan Night brings big crowds on a weekly basis BY SOPHIE WHISNANT
F
RIED,
CREAMY,
RICH
and delicious are not typical adjectives a non-vegan would associate with vegan food. However, for more than a year now, the folks at NoDa Bodega have been chipping away at the misconceptions about what vegan food can be by hosting Vegan Night on Thursdays. Judging by the growing popularity of the weekly event, people are starting to get the message. NoDa Bodega, located at 1200 E. 36th Street, made a name for itself offering affordable, unique and downright gourmet pressed sandwiches. But since January 2017, the deli has been showcasing vegan fare with a changing menu created and executed by chef Bryan Moore, who’s been filling up the spot every Thursday with big crowds of food lovers, vegan and non-vegan alike. When husband and wife Bryan and Lisa Moore opened NoDa Bodega at its original location on 35th Street — where Local Loaf is now — Bryan was fulfilling a lifelong dream of opening a sandwich shop. After training at the Culinary Institute of America and working at high-end restaurants in cities like New York, he was ready to join Lisa, a fellow chef with a knack for business, to make his dream a reality. From working with the bare necessities at the restaurant’s first location — a hot plate, microwave and soup warmer — the deli gained a following. Now with its new location on 36th Street, the kitchen is slammed at lunchtime with NoDa locals and new customers clamoring for the reuben or to try one of the multiple daily specials. “One of my mentors told me ‘If you want to be successful, you open up a restaurant where people want to eat every day,’” Bryan Moore says. Taking that to heart, the Moores offer as many as five or six daily specials at the deli, making it easy for customers to try something new every day. No matter what you try, you can be sure you’ll be eating some kind of creative twist on familiar flavors. But even with a big lunchtime following, the Bodega was desolate at dinner. “Our lunches were already established but we needed to try to find a way to justify the bigger space, the bigger rent, the full kitchen, and that’s when we started doing nights,” Lisa Moore says. 12 | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
NoDa Bodega served up fried avocado tacos (top) and a BBQ bean burger (bottom) on a recent Vegan Night. On Wednesdays, she created Family Night, during which she serves up family-friendly homestyle meals as well as a Whole 30 diet option. But it was Bryan’s introduction of Vegan Night on Thursdays that brought in the big nighttime business. “I used to try to be competitive with him, but he crushed me over and over and over,” Lisa says. Around the time Bryan’s sister became a vegan, he realized there weren’t a lot of options for plant-based dieters. He started to see that providing an alternative to the regular vegan joints could help his business. “This is like a need [that] maybe we could do to get sales up,” he says he originally thought. “And then I really got into it, ‘cause for me it kinda forces me to get outside of the box.” Veganizing food became a fun challenge for the chef. He says that at first the biggest hurdle was adjusting to not focusing a dish around protein, a mindset that was ingrained in him. But now his main concern is consistently coming up with new, delicious recipes. For those who cringe at the thought of a meal with no animal products, NoDa Bodega
PHOTOS BY SOPHIE WHISNANT
tricks you into eating a vegan meal without noticing. “You’ll like this vegan,” Lisa says, confidently. The menus, which are posted on social media at 5 p.m. on Thursdays as Vegan Night starts, have included dishes like Oreo cheesecake, fried mushroom po’ boys and a “Carolina dog” — a hot dog made out of a carrot. “When I go into a vegan restaurant I think tofu, tofu, tofu and I’m just not a fan,” Lisa says. “But he does a lot of just plant-based where everything’s not shoved full of tofu.” The July 12 vegan menu featured one of Bryan’s personal favorite creations: the fried avocado taco. In this dish, a beer-battered and fried hefty avocado slice sits on a bed of chipotle slaw, pico de gallo and pickled red onion, all on a soft flour tortilla. Besides being packed with flavor, the contrast of the crispy fried shell around a warm, gooey avocado slice sends this taco over the edge. Also served was a BBQ bean burger with a zucchini and kidney bean patty, sorghum barbecue sauce and celery root slaw, which is so creamy it will leave you genuinely confused about the whereabouts of the mayonnaise, on
a sesame kaiser roll. For a more traditionally vegan entree there was the gazpacho with broccoli and white bean salad. The freshness of the dish is pared with a spicy kick that seems to be coming from the croutons, which have melt-in-your-mouth levels of buttery tastiness, minus the butter. And just because you’re eating plantbased doesn’t mean you can’t have your cake and eat it too. The dessert option, a peach cobbler, is reminiscent of what your Southern grandma might whip up at Christmas. Even with vegan butter, the cobbler tastes rich and places an emphasis on sweet, juicy peaches with a perfect pastry. The cobbler is a brand-new recipe, one that the Moores weren’t certain would even work. Lisa says she had texted Bryan that he better not publish the vegan night menu until the cobbler was out of the oven and tested. With a small staff and no set of rules to follow, Bryan says there’s not a lot of time for recipe testing. But that doesn’t stop him from being creative. “I’ll see an idea, but then take that and run with it and add things,” he says. Experimentation and creative cooking feel at home in NoDa, and Bryan characterizes the Bodega’s customers as adventurous. “They’re cool,” he says. “They’re into like, trying different things.” The result of adding Vegan Night to the lineup has been wildly successful. At 6:30 on a Thursday you can expect the restaurant to be packed, and that doesn’t even reflect the to-go business going on at the counter. Lisa credits Vegan Night and the addition of weekend brunch as the reasons for the recent growth in business. Even with the obvious business Vegan Night has generated, the Moores haven’t thought about adding another one to the routine. The two have been incredibly busy balancing the deli with their two children, ages 2 and 4, as is. “We’ve just kind of been holding on and trying to add and do as much as we can without losing a kid on the way,” Lisa says. For the time being, the team plans on keeping up Vegan Night in their little holein-the-wall spot in NoDa, hassles be damned. “We’re like a neighborhood restaurant. I mean, we don’t even have a sign out,” Bryan says, laughing. “It’s like a mom-andpop neighborhood restaurant in the strictest sense of the word.” The Moores are extremely grateful for their customers and for the community around them. They’re also thankful for their impressive 4.5-star Yelp rating. Not only do the owners and chefs at NoDa Bodega know that they have a successful business model, but they are filling a gaping hole Charlotte’s food scene in the most yummy and innovative ways possible. That’s worth a fifth star. BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM
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FRIDAY
20 MOUSE FEST 2018
SATURDAY
21
DOLLAR SIGNS
What: Yell it from the rooftop: “Fuck cancer.” And what better way to express that notion than to rock out all night at one of Charlotte’s most historic music venues? This year marks the first time Milestone hosts the Mouse Fest, a fundraiser put on by local punk rockers FOZMO to benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute. They’re bringing plenty of friends, too, including Fernway, The Fill Ins, Never Home, The Cult Classics, Jail Socks, Charlie Work and Horrible Girl.
What: The readers’ pick for Best Local Band in last year’s Best of Charlotte issue, Dollar Signs is back with a brand new album, This Will Haunt Me. The local rockers have convinced old friends the Radio Reds to drive in from their homes in Washington D.C., Virginia and Greensboro to reunite specifically for this album release gig. But wait, theres’ more! Also check out Dollhands and Johnny Moss and the Bastards Out of Carolina. Is that enough for you? Are you not entertained?
When: 8 p.m. Where: The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road More: $12. themilestone.club
When: 10:30 p.m. Where: The Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. More: $8-10. eveningmuse.com
THINGS TO DO
TOP TEN
Dollar Signs SATURDAY
PHOTO BY BOBBY WHITMIRE
SUNDAY
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SUNDAY
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CHARLOTTE PERUVIAN FESTIVAL
YOUNG DOLPH, GUCCI MANE, 2 CHAINZ
What: Looking for a more wholesome and culturally insightful Sunday activity? Check out the Peruvian Festival at Camp North End. Complete with live music from local Latin tropical rhythm makers UltimaNota, folk dances and — most importantly — Peruvian food, the event offers a glimpse into the South American country’s culture. Take our word for it: You will not want to leave without trying some authentic Peruvian chicken.
What: After literally dodging 100 bullets in uptown Charlotte in February 2017, Young Dolph is back in the Q.C., this time with 2 Chainz and Gucci Mane as his trusty steeds, for the Pizazz Mega Jam. Dolph was targeted during the 2017 CIAA tourney, inspiring tracks on his Bulletproof album like “100 Shots” and “In Charlotte.” Come out to CMCU to watch the artful dodger alongside Gucci aka Big Guwop, and 2 Chainz aka Titty Boi.
When: Noon - 8 p.m. Where: Camp North End, 1824 Statesville Avenue More: $5, children under 10 free; camp.nc
When: 5 p.m. Where: CMCU Ampitheatre, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. More: $69 and up. charlottemetrocreditunionamp.com
You might have caught Cyanca on stage at the recent Made From Scratch Music & Arts Festival, or on the cover of last week’s issue of CL. Now catch her on Local Vibes, hitting clclt.com on Thursday, July 19. 14 | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
TUESDAY
24 JANELLE MONÁE What: Grammy-nominated Janelle Monáe makes a stop in Charlotte touring her latest release Dirty Computer. The album, accompanied by a stunning visual “emotion picture,” continues Monáe’s legacy of challenging the mainstream (we can relate) and cheerleading acceptance for the black and queer communities in her music. Monáe has become the millennial face of Afrofuturism, which is sure to make predecessors such as the late Sun Ra proud. When: 6:30 p.m. Where: The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St. More: $39. fillmorenc.com
Peruvian Festival SUNDAY
NEWS ARTS FOOD MUSIC ODDS
Lauryn Hill WEDNESDAY
Miranda Sings TUESDAY
TUESDAY
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TUESDAY
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WEDNESDAY
25
MIRANDA SINGS
BOOK OF MORMON
LAURYN HILL, BIG BOI
What: Miranda, alter ego of comedian Colleen Ballinger, is a tragically horrible singer and YouTube sensation known for her nails-on-a-chalkboard, vibratofilled voice, bright red lipstick and huge ego. Miranda will share the stage with her creator Ballinger, giving your eardrums a break to hear the mastermind behind the brand speak. Catch up on Miranda’s repertoire in the Netflix original series Haters Back Off or ask the closest 20-something musical theater nerd — they’ll know.
What: If you missed out on Book of Mormon in New York due to it being the most impossible ticket before Hamilton, now’s your chance. The nine-time Tony Awardwinning musical comedy, brought to life by the creators of South Park and the composer of Avenue Q, is coming to Charlotte to tell its story of missionaries who traveled to Africa to spread the Good Word. If you’re anti-musical but procomedy, this one’s for you.
What: When The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill dropped 20 years ago, Ms. Hill established herself as one of the greatest hybrid emcee/singers of all time. Now, the queen is on tour celebrating the anniversary of five-time Grammy-winning LP. After keeping out of the spotlight for the past two decades, Ms. Hill is back and touring with Big Boi. There’s comfort in knowing that if Ms. Hill comes out late, you’ve at least got one of the best rappers of all time there to cover for her.
When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. More: $39-77. blumenthalarts.org
PHOTO BY JEREMY RICHARDS
PHOTO COURTESY OF COLLEEN BALLINGER
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COME UP SHOW
When: Runs through July 29, times vary Where: Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St. More: $25 and up. blumenthalarts. org
When: 7 p.m. Where: CMCU Ampitheater, 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. More: $48 and up. charlottemetrocreditunionamp.com
WEDNESDAY
25
WEEZER, PIXIES, SLEIGH BELLS What: Three generations collide in this bill that brings together millennial noise-pop duo Sleigh Bells with the Pixies, a band that itself could be called a millennial seeing as how it was born in 1986. Stick in legends of the late-’90s alternative scene Weezer to cover the in-betweeners, and you’ve got a hell of a one-two-three punch. Sure, the Pixies ain’t what they used to be, but the same could be said for you. When: 7:30 p.m. Where: PNC Music Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd. More: $22 and up. charlottemusicpavilion.com
WEDNESDAY
25
BLAME THE YOUTH What: OK, we’re all adults here, so we can admit when we made a mistake. And letting Blame The Youth play a full Snug Harbor residency before we shouted them out in the Top 10 was a mistake. One of our favorite bands here at CL, the trio closes out its slate of July shows by sharing the stage with trippy indie-popper Zuli, beatmaker BoomChld and alt-indie rockers Lonely Jones, who describe themsevles as “a bunch of corgis.” We guess that makes this show pet-friendly. When: 9 p.m. Where: Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. More: $5. snugrock.com
sten. We joined up with heavy hitters on The Charlotte Podcast, The Comedy Zone Podcast, Cheers Charlotte Radio and The Yelp Charlotte Podcast to show what CLT has to offer in the audio realm. Be sure to check out our new squad at queencitypodcastnetwork.com. CLCLT.COM | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | 15
STEP UP TO THE MIC Explore Charlotte’s open-mic nights to find the newest of the new among the city’s ever-expanding musical talent For last year’s Music Issue, Creative Loafing put the spotlight on 10 local artists and bands to keep an eye out for in the coming year, including Lenny Muckle’s art-punk project Lofidels, R&B singer Dexter Jordan, the Latin-tinged act Quisol and singer-songwriter Randi Johnson. In the year since, all of those artists have issued new music and each has been featured in larger pieces in CL’s pages. This year we decided to turn your attention to a few of the city’s open-mic nights, where you’ll find even lesser-known artists workshopping new ideas. The 10 open mics listed here represent only a few, but they range from events focusing on singer-songwriters to those featuring hip-hop cyphers, as well as the Blumenthal’s eclectic open-mic night that’s more like a local version of America’s Got Talent, with its lineups of singers, dancers, jugglers, magicians and more. As Charlotte’s music scene continues to grow and develop and gain national attention, new crops of musicians can be seen every week at the city’s open-mic nights. So get out and explore them, as the future of Charlotte music depends on fledgling artists willing to get up the nerve to take the mic. FIND YOUR MUSE
This event, hosted by Dollar Signs’ Erik Button, is one of the more popular openmic nights in Charlotte. “Performers get two songs or 10 minutes, and comedy acts and poetry get six minutes,” Button says. The Find Your Muse event has been going for more than a decade and has won “Best Open Mic” in Charlotte for six years in a row. What’s more, Button says, “A featured act that is usually a professional touring musician [appears at each Find Your Muse event] to inspire you. We have professional sound equipment and a dedicated sound man.” Not to mention an attentive audience there just to see a new group of Charlotte performers make their mark every Monday night. When: 8 p.m. Mondays Where: Evening Muse, 3227 N Davidson St More: $3. eveningmuse.com
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THE SMOKIN’ JS’ OPEN JAM
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this weekly jam session is also an open-mic night, in which professional, amateur and fledgling musicians can strut their stuff with members of house band the Smokin’ Js (James Brock, K. Omari Wilkerson, Chase Killough, Paul Agee and Jason Atkins) as backing musicians. Equipment is provided, and soundman Hooter Hough has been running the board since 2002. (Fun fact: Hough recalls the first rock show he ever saw: The Monkees at Charlotte Coliseum in 1967, backed by an up-and-coming guitar slinger named Jimi Hendrix.) All the openmic participants have to bring is talent and chutzpah, but be sure to put your name on the sign-up sheet early, because it’s firstcome, first-served. When: 9 p.m. Tuesdays Where: Smokey Joe’s, 510 Briar Creek Rd. More: $3, smokeyjoescharlotte.com
TOSCO MUSIC OPEN MIC
About two decades ago, when the Tosco Music Party series was growing from living room sing-alongs to events in larger venues, some folks began to miss the familial atmosphere of the old parties, at which anyone could get up and sing. So three years later, John Tosco began hosting his Tosco Music Open Mics at the newly opened Evening Muse. Beginning with a half-hour sing-along, the event often showcases younger talent, including many of Tosco’s students from his day job as a guitar teacher. “Ours is definitely a little more family-oriented, kid-friendly,” Tosco says. “It’s one thing to have a recital, which tends to be more classical, as opposed to kids who are learning guitar or voice lessons or any other instrument to get the opportunity to perform on a stage at the Evening Muse.” When: 7:30 p.m., first Wednesday of each month Where: Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St. More: Free, eveningmuse.com
ECLECTIC SOUL TUESDAYS
“We combine the old-school experience of open mics with an urban touch to it to make it (more) attractive,” Anthony Macklin says. Last November, Macklin, better known to spoken-word lovers as Sir Abstraxxx, partnered with Apostrophe Lounge to launch Eclectic Soul Tuesdays. In addition to poetry and spoken word, Apostrophe patrons can also enjoy live painting from local visual artists, eats by Rondot’s Mobile Kitchen, and R&B, trap and eclectic soul played by DJs Blanco or SPK. Just don’t expect to hear singing over pre-recorded tracks. Live music is on the Eclectic Soul menu, so Macklin says you have to perform a cappella or with a musical instrument in order to create a more organic sound. When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays Where: Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St. More: Free, apostrophelounge.com
SOUNDS & SIXTEENS
This Radio Rehab event is for hiphop artists of all kinds, from producers to emcees. According to host Bluz, “The producers’ names are drawn randomly and each producer gets to play three to four beats, depending on how many producers we have signed up for that night.” Emcees are allowed to drop a sixteen, freestyle or written, over each of the featured producers’ beats, and even singers and poets can join the fun, as the event also features a band that interacts with the producers. “This is what we ultimately wanted to happen: Two people, who may or may not know each other, connecting over their common love for music,” Bluz says. “It creates a situation where they can go back and revisit the song from that night, get into the studio and really craft something awesome.” When: Second to last Wednesday of each month Where: Morehead Tavern, 300 E Morehead St. More: Free; moreheadtavern.com
HIP HOP WEDNESDAY: CYPHER OPEN MIC
Hip Hop Wednesday does it for the culture every week at Common Market in Plaza Midwood, but the open mic is only once a month. “We rotate between three different themes,” host DJ SPK says. “The first and forth weeks [of each month] are concerts featuring indie hip-hop artists from across
the country, but predominantly North Carolina. The second week is the DJ Party and features either myself, Earl Grey or a guest DJ. And the third week of every month is our Cypher Open Mic.” The rap cypher features one indie hip-hop artist and alternates between a DJ set and the openmic cypher. The DJ drops a beat and each rapper gets a minute until everyone in the cypher has had a chance to go at it. When: 8 p.m. every third Wednesday Where: The Common Market, 2007 Commonwealth Ave. More: Free; commonmarketisgood.com
WAK WEDNESDAY
Hosted by musician Derrick Hines, Wak Wednesday is a quaint open-mic night ideal for artists to try out new music and for novices to gain experience performing for small audiences. It’s open to all types of performers, but singer-songwriters tend to show up, with the occasional poet, rapper or instrumentalist added to the mix. Expect a night of improvisational music paired with singers workshopping new songs. “I set up and play for a while, improvising on electropercussion; sometimes I tell a story or joke,” Hines says. “If anyone is there to perform, we sort of nod back and forth. We get two or three performers besides me, so it’s rare that a performance is less than four songs apiece.” After the performers run through their songs, DJ Nostalgia takes over and spins old-school records on an old-school turntable.
When: 8:20 p.m. Wednesdays Where: Rhino Market, 1500 W. Morehead St. More: Free; rhinomarket.com
LISA DE NOVO OPEN MIC NIGHTS
De Novo came up hitting all the local open mics, so it’s only natural she continues to cultivate that scene by hosting this weekly event. “Everything is new and fresh,” says De Novo, who pushes the acts — most of which are solo acoustic performers — to play original songs, not covers. And what’s more original than De Novo’s “Word Song,” for which she passes a clipboard to everyone in the audience and improvises a song on the spot based on the words they write down? “Theres a lot of people that come by the brewery and don’t really know what’s happening,” she says. “The ‘Word Song’ is a good way to get them involved.” If you can’t make her Monday show, she also hosts an open mic at Temple Mojo Growler Shop in Matthews on the first Thursday of each month. When: 7 p.m. Mondays Where: Legion Brewing More: Free; legionbrewing.com
JACKBEAGLE’S OPEN MIC
Hosted by the very entertaining Jared Allen, this open mic involves getting up on the big patio stage and belting out your best, because chances are the whole neighborhood is going to hear it. “There is no official sign up form,”
says Allen. “We play it by ear. Which means whoever gets there early gets to play longer.” JackBeagle’s makes it easy to party like a rock star. Take the edge off with $1 discount whiskeys or celebrate a successful set with a plate of 50-cent wings. The outdoor vibe guarantees a decent crowd on a hot summer day, so don’t fuck up. In fact, aim to be the one whose beautiful voice draws in folks as they wander down North Davidson Street. When: 8 p.m. Wednesdays Where: JackBeagle’s, 3213 N. Davidson St. More: Free; jackbeagles.com
BLUMENTHAL’S OPEN MIC NIGHT
This periodic event is the local version of America’s Got Talent — without the judginess. All performing artists are welcome, from singer-songwriters and rappers to poets, dancers and magicians. The only requirement is that it be family-friendly. “We believe that everyone should have a chance to perform on our stage, so Blumenthal’s Open Mic is open to performers and spectators of all ages and all skill-levels,” says Kacy Connon, Blumenthal’s education programs coordinator. “Whether you’re performing, supporting a friend who is on stage for the first time, or just looking for something fun to do on a Friday night in Uptown, Blumenthal’s Open Mic is a great place to see our community shine.” When: 7:30-9:30 p.m. (see “more info” below) Where: McGlohon Theatre, 345 N College St. More: Free; blumenthalarts.org; for more info, email openmic@ncbpac.org.
SURVIVING SEXUAL ASSAULT IN CHARLOTTE. A NEW PODCAST FROM WFAE. AVAILABLE ON APPLE PODCASTS, GOOGLE PLAY, NPR ONE AND AT WFAE.ORG/SHESAYS
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | 17
THE BEST AND THE REST Top 10 Charlotte releases of the past year BY MARK KEMP
Between last year’s annual CL Music Issue and this one, a lot of great music has come out of Charlotte, but these are the 10 releases that I’ve spent the most time listening to, that I’ve found the most compelling, and that I see the most potential for making even more of an impact in the coming months and years. When considering this Top 10 and the ranking of each release, I used the following criteria: Does it say something about the world we live in? Does it say something about the South we live in? Does it say something about Charlotte, North Carolina? Is the music interesting and/or innovative in some particular way? And mostly, is it good? Does this music warrant repeat listens? I admit to some blind spots. You won’t find much in terms of metal or mainstream pop-country here, because those aren’t genres I pay as much attention to as I do hip-hop, soul, funk, jazz, Americana or other kinds of rock. I’m sure music critics who follow metal and mainstream country would choose very differently from me, and I encourage readers to submit their own Top 10 choices in the comments section below the online version of this list. One trend I was surprised to see as I compiled this list was a rebirth of several variations on jazz. So if there’s an innovative contemporary Charlotte sound today, it’s a decidedly adventurous blue-collar spin on jazz and soul. Sure, much of this music still contains time-honored traditions like country, gospel and blues, but Charlotte music, like the city itself, continues to evolve, folding in new sounds, new ideas and different cultural traditions. Check out each of these releases — and also check out the list of honorable mentions at bottom.
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1. LUTE: ‘WEST 1996 PT. 2’
(Dreamville, September 2017) “West Charlotte legend ain’t drop a tape in five years / So redefine what’s great,” Lute raps, self-consciously, in “Morning Shift,” the first track from his first official album on J. Cole’s Dreamville imprint. Lute would take the No. 1 spot in my Top 10 with “Morning Shift” alone, but that’s not all the greatness he’s redefined here. He’s “Still Slummin’” from the mixtape that got Cole’s ear, but on Lute’s major-label debut, his sweet slurring has become a sharpened flow. He brings his Forever FC bud Hi I’m Ry on for “Living Life” and bumps it with Elevator Jay on “Home.” No rapper says Charlotte, North Carolina, quite like Lute does, with his balanced mix of laid-back hip-hop, summertime soul and a solid workingman’s vibe. For all those reasons and more, West 1996 Pt. 2’s top billing here was a shoo-in.
2. PATOIS COUNSELORS: ‘PROPER RELEASE’
(Ever/Never, May 2018) Also working the workingman’s vibe is Bo White, whose raw, Fall-like lead-off track “Disconnection Notice,” from the debut full-length album by his latest band Patois Counselors — as I wrote in my earlier CL review — “reveals itself to be part of a larger punk-rock meditation on what lies beneath the surface of the banalities of day-to-day life in the 21st century.” So much could (and has) been written about this respected Charlotte experimental musician’s crowning achievement, you just gotta trust us: This is not only the best rock release from Charlotte in the past year — it’s one of the best rock releases of the year, period.
3. ELEVATOR JAY: ‘AIN’T NOTHIN’ FINER’
(self-released, August 2017) If Lute and Patois Counselors are rewriting the workingman’s blues in their own particular genres, Elevator Jay is not just rapping or singing the workingman’s blues, he’s representing hard for Southern working folks. He fishes, he twangs and he even kicks off his latest release with a moaning harmonica. Jay’s been killing it over the past
few years in Charlotte’s hip-hop scene with his Player Made parties and earlier releases like Slurred in Mecklenburg and Sum’na Say, but he’s upped his game here. This ain’t OutKast, y’all, this is classic Southern rock — only it’s hip-hop.
the guerrilla warfare that pitted Northern Irish Catholics against Protestants in the late 20th century. The result is this stunning song-cycle in which the singer-songwriter reflects on his youth lived in places “even a ghost wouldn’t come back to haunt.”
4. CYANCA: ‘THE ISLE OF QUEENS’
7, AMIGO: ‘AND FRIENDS’
(self-released, July 2017) From “Rosa,” the femme-empowering spoken poem that opens this brief, six-song EP over a Miles Davis-like muted trumpet, keys and other ambient jazz sounds, to a jazzy homage to Erykah Badu and playful songs like “New Phone, Who Dis?” and “Eat,” R&B singer Cyanca’s debut is packed with rich musical sustenance for the mind, body and soul. If Cyanca continues in this vein, we’ll be hearing a lot from this talented Charlotte singer in the coming year.
5. GHOST TREES : ‘THE FASCINATION’
(self-released, October 2017) Speaking of jazz: Who says the only place you can find great free jazz is New York City? Or that jazz in Charlotte sucks? OK, I’ve been guilty of the latter, but it’s not true. And the the stuff about NYC is an old misperception going back to the days when Alabama-born Sun Ra, Texas-born Ornette Coleman and others among their inventive crew convened in New York in the 1960s, followed by the experimental no wavers of the ’80s, who kept the downtown NYC fire burning. These days, though, mind-blowing Charlotte saxophonist Brent Bagwell and his percussionist buddy Seth Nanaa create and perform some of the best free jazz right here in N.C., where the inventor of free jazz, John Coltrane, was born and raised. The Fascination is Ghost Trees’ fascinating first LP following two earlier EPs.
6. MICKEY STEPHENS: ‘WASTEGROUND’
(self-released, January 2018) After he recorded one album with the Mighty Shamrocks, the almost-made-it pub-rock band of late-’70s Northern Ireland, singersongwriter Mickey Stephens moved to America, dove into the Americana music scene of the ’90s and 2000s, and eventually landed in Charlotte, where last year he began writing of his harrowing experiences during
(Carlisle Beauregard, January 2018) The alt-country sound that began offering a fresh but traditional alternative to the mainstream pop-country of the 1990s had itself become stale and formulaic by the 21st century. But a few great singers and songwriters — like North Carolina artists Rhiannon Giddens, Sarah Shook, Caleb Caudle and Charlotte’s own Slade Baird of Amigo — continue to keep country-tinged music interesting. On Amigo’s latest and best album yet, the band gets just the right measure of tragedy and comedy into a terrific set of songs — most focusing on physical, emotional and spiritual dis-ease — that reference the wit of John Prine and the musical muscle of the late Texas Tornado Sir Douglas Sahm.
8. ZODIAC LOVERS: ‘MY LIFE IN THE BUSH OF REAL PEOPLE’
(self-released, March 2018) In an earlier era of experimental electronic music, Brian Eno and David Byrne recorded a classic set of tribal beats, exotic melodies and sampled voices called My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. It was a game-changer, marrying the sample-based sounds of the fledgling early-’80s hip-hop scene with a then-growing fascination with traditional music from other countries, namely Africa and the Middle East. It was heady stuff that put the voices of real people into a then-contemporary electronic soundscape. This set by Charlotte’s Casey Malone (Zodiac Lovers) takes a different approach, according to fellow local musician Bo White. “Eno and Byrne used sampling to make the human seem more modern and alien,” White recently noted. “Zodiac Lovers is doing the reverse. This was a conscious technique — taking the alien, removing any sterility, and placing it firmly into a soulful human sound.” A soulful human sound, we might add, that is positively spellbinding.
9. CHÓCALA: ‘EN[DEMO]NIÁ’
(self-released, December, 2017) It’s only a demo, as the title suggests, and it’s not even very long — just shy of 15 minutes. But the three funky and mesmerizing, Latin-tinged experimental rock/jazz/dance tracks on this brief EP — “Ojos Bobolos,” “Reina de Mi,” and “Sombras” — make up one of the strongest sets of recorded music released in Charlotte in the past year. The deep percussion, the blurting saxophone, the electronics, the powerful vocals sung in Spanish — it all dances together in a musical gumbo that feels both freely improvised and fully formed, like the best jazz sets of any era. We can hardly wait for the quartet’s full-length debut.
10. TOMBSTONE BETTY: ‘TOMBSTONE BETTY’
(self-released, June 2018) In the department of classic Southern rock, one might ask, How could anybody make that old warhorse sound fresh again? Here’s how: You take a powerful black female lead vocalist with knowledge and respect for the traditions that made up classic Southern rock in the first place, put her in front of a ragtag band of shaggy Lynyrd Skynyrd doppelgangers, and have her take her cues from another powerful black woman who fronts a ragtag group of white men: Rep. Maxine Waters of California. On Tombstone Betty’s self-titled debut EP, singer Adrienne Nixon Basco reclaims her time in Southern rock, drawing from a tradition that somehow brought us from Little Richard, Irma Thomas and Otis Redding to the Allmans, Skynyrd and the Drive-By Truckers. In short, Nixon Basco is settling a score.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Dead Sea $crilla, Dead Year’s Eve; Late Bloomer, Waiting; Shadowgraphs, Venomous Blossoms; Jah Monte, Real Life and Real Life II; Day Brown, 199G; Mineral Girls, This Is The Last Time Every Time; Black Linen, 3.0; Sincerely, Iris, Goodnight Carolina; Phase Gawd, Dark Dreams; Trash Room, Whiskey & Bad Decisions; The Hawthornes, The Hawthornes; Lisa De Novo, Big Bang!. MKEMP@CLCLT.COM
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | 19
MUSIC
SOUNDBOARD JULY 19 COUNTRY/FOLK Darrin Bradbury, Jon Latham, Nick Nace (Evening Muse) Flatland Tourists (U.S. National Whitewater Center)
DJ/ELECTRONIC Dende (Salud Cerveceria) DJ Matt B (Tin Roof) Le Bang (Snug Harbor)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Rich Homie Quan (The Underground)
POP/ROCK Open Mic for Musicians (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub) Open Mic at Studio 13 (Studio 13, Cornelius) Funky Monks (Rooftop 210) Greg Rider (Tin Roof) Jordan Middleton (RiRa Irish Pub) Karaoke (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern,) Karaoke with DJ ShayNanigans (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Mike Strauss Trio (Comet Grill) The Roosevelts, Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats (Visulite Theatre) Shana Blake and Friends (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) The Vel Crows (Summit Coffee Co., Davidson) Witchsister, The Chroma Divide, Angry Earth, Cheveron (Milestone)
JULY 20 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Electric Kif (Evening Muse) Jazzy Fridays (Freshwaters Restaurant)
BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL Sounds on the Square: Biscuit MIller & the Mix (Spirit Square)
COUNTRY/FOLK Cash Unchained: The Ultimate Johnny Cash Experience (The Underground) Confederate Railroad (Don Gibson Theatre, Shelby) The Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Southern Soul Sessions: Trevor Lamont & Karl Almaria (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub)
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DJ/ELECTRONIC DJ Boss Austin (RiRa Irish Pub) DJ Matt B (Tin Roof) Flux Pavilion, Drinkurwater, Sugar Society (World)
POP/ROCK Summer Concert Series (Blakeney Shopping Center) Aloha Broha, Sibannac, Waste Man (Snug Harbor) And The Luckier, Dark Sun Kult, TWiNVASiON, Middleasia (Keg & Cue) Angel Incident (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Arbolea, Soul Press, Withdraw, Dadfight, Brigades (Oso Skate Park) David Taylor, David Z. Cox, Dillon Clary (Petra’s) The Eyebrows (Birdsong Brewing Co.) Jerry Garcia Band Cover Band (Visulite Theatre) Larkin Dodgen (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Lindsey Stirling, Evanescence (PNC Music Pavilion) Mouse Fest: Fozmo, Fernway, The Fill Ins, Never Home, The Cult Classics, Charlie Work, Horrible Girl (Milestone) Nate Randall Band (RiRa Irish Pub) Ruen Brothers (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Rusty Knox (Summit Coffee Co., Davidson) Sweet Crude (Evening Muse) Vaughan Penn (Cabarrus Brewing Company, Concord) Zoso - A Tribute to Led Zeppelin (The Fillmore)
JULY 21 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL AfroPop! Charlotte: Tribal-Palooza, Two Year Anniversary! (The Underground)
CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH Displace (Heist Brewery)
COUNTRY/FOLK Biggins, Old Heavy Hands, Hashbrown Belly Boys (Snug Harbor) Natalie Royal, Kelly Hoppenjans (Evening Muse)
DJ/ELECTRONIC DJ Method (RiRa Irish Pub) Tilted DJ Saturdays (Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Release Classic and Soulful House Party: Chosen
MUSIC
SOUNDBOARD Few DJs (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub)
Amphitheatre)
POP/ROCK
COUNTRY/FOLK
Summer Concert Series (Blakeney Shopping Center) 7 Mile Mushroom (Tommy’s Pub) Leslie & Walter (Mickey & Mooch, Arboretum) The Annual Milestone Beach Formal: Sext Message, Modern Primitives, Mikal kHill, Sulfur (Milestone) Boy George & Culture Club, The B-52s, Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey (PNC Music Pavilion) Brian Burton Trio (Cabarrus Brewing Company, Concord) The Carolina Music Video Awards (McGlohon Theater) David Webb’s Burning Bush, Josh Cotterino, TOFU, Lofidels (Oso Skate Park) Dollar Signs, The Radio Reds, Dollhands, Johnny Moss and the Bastards (Evening Muse) Holy Ghost Tent Revival (U.S. National Whitewater Center) Hopesfall, Greyhaven, Violent Life Violent Death, Never I (Neighborhood Theatre) Jupiter Coyote (Visulite Theatre) LeAnna Eden & Garden Of, Dentist, Radio Lola (Petra’s) Leisure McCorkle (Comet Grill) Party Battleship (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Pluto for Planet (RiRa Irish Pub) Real Work, OCNS, Estuarie (The Rabbit Hole) Willie Douglas (Smokey Joe’s Cafe)
Joe Pug (Neighborhood Theatre)
Z Trio (Summit Coffee Co., Davidson)
JULY 22 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL Archaic Agenda (RiRa Irish Pub) Brew-Grass Sundays with High Ridge Pickers (Cabarrus Brewing Company, Concord) The Reverend Shawn Amos (Full Band) (Evening Muse)
DJ/ELECTRONIC Bone Snugs-N-Harmony: Bryan Pierce (Snug Harbor) More Fyah - Grown & Sexy Vibes (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Pizazz Mega Jam: Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, Young Dolph, Kash Doll (Charlotte Metro Credit Union
POP/ROCK Cave Of Swimmers, Old Scratch and Whispering Man (Skylark Social Club) The Dead Tongues, Brit Drozda (Visulite Theatre) Lines In The Sky, Reflect/Refine, East Viridian (The Rabbit Hole) Metal Church Sunday Service (Milestone) Omari and The Hellhounds (Comet Grill) Sunday Music Bingo (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern)
JULY 23 CLASSICAL/JAZZ/SMOOTH
7/19 ROOSEVELTS 7/20 JGBCB 7/21 JUPITER COYOTE 7/23FANTASTIC NEGRITO 7/25 THE SHEEPDOGS 7/27 PORCH 40 7/28 COSMIC CHARLIE - JERRY GARCIA BIRTHDAY BASH! 8/10Abacab A Tribute to GENESIS 8/5 LYDIA 8/11NATALIE PRASS 8/17 RED BARCHETTA A Tribute to RUSH 8/24 TREEHOUSE 9/11 JOSEPH 9/19 NOAH GUNDERSEN 9/28 CAAMP 10/2 MT. JOY 10/9 WELSHLY ARMS Dave Matthews Band (PNC Music Pavilion) Engage the Threat, Morganton, Syneresis (Keg & Cue) Open Jam with the Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s Cafe) Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill) Reels, Never Home, Charlie Work, Amity Pointe, Rowdy Leaf (Milestone) Uptown Unplugged (Tin Roof)
JULY 25 BLUES/ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL Ritmo Latino Dance Social: DJ Pete “El Calentador” (Morehead Street Tavern)
COUNTRY/FOLK
Jazz Jam (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub)
Open Mic (Comet Grill)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B
DJ/ELECTRONIC
#MFGD Open Mic (Apostrophe Lounge) Knocturnal (Snug Harbor)
COUNTRY/FOLK Megan Jean (Thomas Street Tavern)
POP/ROCK Fantastic Negrito, Michelle Malone (Visulite Theatre) Find Your Muse Open Mic with featured artist Austin Miller (Evening Muse) Music Bingo (Tin Roof) Music Trivia (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Open Mic with Lisa De Novo (Legion Brewing)
JULY 24 COUNTRY/FOLK Red Rockin’ Chair (Comet Grill)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B
KARAOKE with DJ Alex Smith (Petra’s) BYOV: Bring Your Own Vinyl (Petra’s) Cyclops Bar: Modern Heritage Weekly Mix Tape (Snug Harbor)
HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B Lauryn Hill (Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre,)
POP/ROCK July Residency : Blame the Youth, Zuli, The Lonely Jones (Snug Harbor) Keelan Donovan, Andrea von Kampen (Evening Muse) Matt Stratford (RiRa Irish Pub) Open House & Karaoke (Sylvia Theatre, York) Open Mic (Summit Coffee Co., Davidson) Open Mic (JackBeagle’s) The Sheepdogs, Brent Cowles (Visulite Theatre) Trivia & Karaoke Wednesdays (Tin Roof) Weezer, Pixies, Sleigh Bells (PNC Music Pavilion)
Eclectic Soul Tuesdays - RnB & Poetry (Apostrophe Lounge) Janelle Monae, St. Beauty (The Fillmore) Soulful Tuesdays: DJ ChopstickZ, DJ JTate Beats (Crown Station Coffeehouse and Pub) Stereoloud, Indigo Jo, Lil Skritt (Evening Muse)
Marilyn Manson (August 1, Fillmore) Janet Jackson (August 3, PNC Music Pavilion)
DJ/ELECTRONIC
NEED DIRECTIONS? Check out our website at clclt.
DJ Steel Wheel (Snug Harbor) Lost Cargo: July Edition (Petra’s)
POP/ROCK
COMING SOON
com. CL online provides addresses, maps and directions from your location. Send us your concert listings: E-mail us at mkemp@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 | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | 21
ARTS
FEATURE
FROM INFAMY TO DIVERSITY New documentary tells story of mysterious mixed-race people BY PAT MORAN
E
VEN TODAY, Vardy Valley is remote, according to Charlotte historian Heather Andolina. Situated in Hancock County, in northeastern Tennessee, the narrow valley can only be reached via a series of hairpin switchbacks on State Highway 63. Andolina, the senior museum assistant at Wells Fargo History Museum in uptown Charlotte wo holds a masters degree in History from Winthrop University, has made the trek to this isolated sliver of Appalachia because it’s the ancestral homeland of the Melungeons, a group of mixed-race mountain folk who for much of their existence have borne the brunt of racism and discrimination. The title of the documentary that Andolina and her brothers Jacob and Andrew Gillen are currently producing about Melungeons, Infamous Characters, Notorious Villains, reflects this shameful history. In 1805, in Robeson County, North Carolina, a Melungeon petitioned the court to fine Major William Odom, claiming he treated the plaintiff unfairly because of skin color, Andolina explains. Major Odom disdained the claim, calling Melungeons “Infamous characters and notorious villains.” (In a rare instance of early American racial justice, the court ruled against Odom.) “My brother was thinking that would look great on a T-shirt.” Andolina remembers. “I said, ‘Andy, that’s the title of our documentary!’” One focus of the documentary is the Melungeons’ origins, which remain shrouded in mystery and speculation. Depending on the story, Melungeons, who are also found in parts of southeastern Kentucky, western Virginia and western North Carolina, are descended from the survivors of the lost colony of Roanoke, Angolan slaves brought to Jamestown in 1619, or members of an illfated Spanish expedition to find an overland route to Mexico. Some even claim Melungeons are one of the lost tribes of Israel, Andolina says, but few take that particular theory seriously. Clearly, the story of these once-obscure people is a boon to a history buff like Andolina, but her quest for knowledge is also fueled by personal reasons. Andolina believes that her family is descended from these once criminalized and reviled people who are now experiencing a rebirth and rediscovery. “It all started when we learned my grandmother had a rare blood disease,” 22 | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | CLCLT.COM
PHOTO BY JACOB GILLEN
Heather Andolina in Vardy Valley
The ruins of the Vardy Community School
PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
“(MY GRANDMOTHER) HAD A TEACHER TELL HER THAT SHE WAS UGLY BECAUSE OF THE COLOR OF HER SKIN MADE HER LOOK DIRTY.” HEATHER ANDOLINA
Jacob, Andrew and Heather in Big Stone Gap, VA Andolina says. Maxine Partin was diagnosed with polycythemia vera, in which the body makes too many red blood cells, causing clots to form easily. The family was concerned the disease was hereditary. It turned out it isn’t, but curiosity led Andolina and many of her relatives to take a DNA test. The results were surprising for a family that had long considered itself mostly white. “My grandmother had light mocha skin color, and she was always told that there was Native American blood in our family tree,” Andolina says. “She had a teacher tell her that she was ugly because of the color of her skin made her look dirty.” Andolina’s family’s DNA tests turned up the expected Native American ancestry — and much more. Evidence of African, Middle Eastern and Southeast Asian, as well as European ancestry turned up. It was then that Andolina recalled hearing her mother and her cousin discussing
PHOTO BY ANDY GILLEN
a group of mixed-race mountain folk. It was the first time she heard the word Melungeon. It turns out there are certain surnames associated with Melungeons, and one of those names, Gibson, was the last name of Andolina’s great-great-grandfather Jesse. After tracing her ancestors to neighboring Claiborne County in Tennessee in the 1830s, Andolina can place her family in Vardy Valley in Hancock County by the early 1850s. “In the early 1800s two gentlemen by the name of Vardemon Collins and Shepard Gibson established a settlement for Melungeon people in that valley, “ Andolina says. “The Vardy Valley is named after Vardemon.” In that remote corner of Appalachia, the Melungeons may have escaped some of the discrimination they encountered elsewhere, but the living was still hard. “Because of their mixed ethnicity Melungeons were not allowed to attend the
white schools,” Andolina says. Happily, a Presbyterian group came to the valley, Andolina says, where they built a church in 1897 and a school for the children of Vardy in 1902. The school closed in the 1970s and collapsed in the early 2000s. Andolina and her brothers shot footage of the school’s ruins for their documentary, and they also filmed interviews with elderly Melungeons who attended the school before it closed. Two of them, Troy Williams and DruAnna Williams Overbay, have fond memories of the institution, which they say provided them with opportunities, Andolina says. In addition to shooting in Vardy Valley and nearby Newman’s Ridge, Tennessee, the compact documentary crew has shot in Morganton, at Big Stone Gap, Virginia and in Beaufort, South Carolina. Big Stone Gap is where the Melungeon Heritage Association holds its annual conference, Andolina says. The MHA is an organization that brings together people who are either interested in the Melungeon story or are of Melungeon descent. Morganton is key in determining the origins of the Melungeon people, Andolina says, because it’s the location of the Berry archeological site. To understand the importance of the Berry site, it’s necessary to turn to another one of the crew’s shooting locations: Beaufort. In 1565, after establishing Saint Augustine on Florida’s Atlantic coast, Spanish admiral and explorer Pedro Menéndez de Avilés
ARTS
FILM
TUMBLING DOWN ‘Scuse Me While I Diss The Skyscraper BY MATT BRUNSON
Jacob Gillen in Vardy Valley
PHOTO BY JACOB GILLEN
journeyed to what is now Paris Island, South Carolina (near Beaufort) where he established a settlement called Santa Elena, Andolina says. De Avilés ordered conquistador Juan Pardo to find an inland route to Mexico. Pardo set off from Santa Elena and ventured into the interior of North America, going through North Carolina and Tennessee. Along the way, he established five forts. The most important one, Fort San Juan, was established next to a bustling Native American village called Joara. Today we know the location of the village and the fort as the Berry site in Morganton. (Spoiler alert: Juan Pardo never made it to Mexico.) “We interviewed Dr. David Moore, the lead archeologist at the Berry site, for the documentary,” Andolina says, adding that one of the most likely Melungeon origin theories posits that Pardo’s men interbred with Native Americans in and around Joara. The theory explains some of the ancestry found in the DNA of Melungeons, but Andolina stresses that to understand the background of any mixed-race people, we need to realize that Western Europe has never been the all-white society we’ve often been led to believe. Throughout their history, Melungeons often referred to themselves as Portuguese, Andolina says, to avoid the stigma of having African-American ancestry in their bloodline. They may have been more accurate than previously thought. Many European explorers and settlers came from diverse bloodlines, Andolina says. The Moorish invasion of Spain, Portugal, Italy and France in the eighth century introduced African ancestry to European bloodlines. Starting with the Crusades of the 11th century, Turks and Arabs brought Middle Eastern and near-eastern DNA to the genetic melting pot. In their journeys beginning in the 15th century, Portuguese and Spanish explorers encountered and intermixed with people from Africa, India and Southeast Asia. As a result, many western “white” Europeans were mixed race long before they set foot on North American soil. Once they were in the new world, the Europeans’ family trees were crossed with African and Native American ones.
Andrew Gillen films at the Berry site in Morganton, NC
PHOTO BY ANDREW GILLEN
‘INFAMOUS CHARACTERS, NOTORIOUS VILLAINS’ Underbyte Productions A documentary about family, DNA and the search for belonging and identity kickstarter.com/ projects/2030263034/infamouscharacters-notorious-villains; facebook.com/ underbyteproductions/
If Infamous Characters, Notorious Villains can be cast as a detective story to discover the roots of Melungeons, Andolina points out, it may be a mystery with multiple solutions. Given the scope of the Melungeons’ story, Andolina and her brothers are currently crowd-funding to give their documentary a bigger look and a broader palette. Their Kickstarter campaign has a base goal along with four stretch goals, ranging from $10,000 for basic post-production to $100,000 for an expanded crew, audio and image sweetening, and a representative to lock down distribution deals. As production continues, they have presented their work-in-progress to the Mecklenburg Genealogical Society on June 11, where it was enthusiastically received. A similar presentation is planned for the Cabarrus Genealogy Society in October. With President Trump in office and the white supremacist movement on the rise, the subject matter of Infamous Characters, Notorious Villains has never been more relevant, Andolina maintains. “Race is really an invention,” she says. “The idea that America is white America is just not true. We’ve been mixed from the getgo, a mosaic of cultures.” Andolina points out that America’s past is entwined with diversity and its future will be even more diverse. “If you look at human history,” she says, “you see that it’s a story about migration.” BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM
HOW IMPOSSIBLY CHARISMATIC is Dwayne Johnson? I wouldn’t go so far as to say I would watch him read a phone book, but an Archie comic or the back of a cereal box wouldn’t be out of the question. As for watching him in something as stridently generic as Skyscraper (** out of four), that’s a tougher call to make. With the notable exception of that snooze-inducing Hercules movie from a few years back, the general congeniality and good-guy vibes exhibited by The Artist Formerly Known As The Rock have elevated many a questionable project. Here, the actor must muster all his appeal to float this action yarn in which his character, Will Sawyer, is a former FBI agent whose poor job-related decision ended up costing him his left leg. But life has gotten better, as he’s now a dedicated family man (Neve Campbell plays his spouse while McKenna Roberts and Noah Cottrell portray their kids) who has just landed an enviable position as the security overseer at The Pearl, a Hong Kong skyscraper and the world’s tallest such edifice. Sawyer has barely had time to stop and smell the success when he’s framed for a devastating fire ripping through the building, one meant to cover up a crime targeting The Pearl’s creator, Zhao Long Ji (Chin Han). Worse, Sawyer’s family is trapped inside the towering inferno, meaning he must resort to impossible measures to rescue them. Unfortunately, the criminals are also trapped in the building, meaning various games of “hide and seek” will ensue. Basically, Skyscraper is a variation on the Die Hard template, but there’s not much here that will lead to many declarations of yippeeki-yay from audience members. Oversized action flicks will always go for the gusto with bigger and better and crazier stunts, but the level of suspension of disbelief necessary to swallow the stunts on view here probably hasn’t been invented yet. Those with acrophobia might respond to some of the sky-high action sequences, while the climactic skirmish will amuse fans of the classic “hall of mirrors” sequence from Orson Welles’ The Lady from Shanghai. Otherwise, this is entertainment on autopilot, with plot pirouettes that barely matter, double crosses that can be spotted from across the Atlantic, and snarling villains cut from the most generic cloth possible. Ultimately, the entire picture is as artificial as Sawyer’s left leg.
(PHOTO: ANNAPURNA) LaKeith Stanfield and Tessa Thompson in ‘Sorry to Bother You’
AN OUTRAGEOUS and uncompromising assault on capitalism, consumerism, racism and other unpleasant -isms that have come to define these United States of America, Sorry to Bother You (*** out of four) stars LaKeith Stanfield as Cassius Green, a struggling young man who lands a job at the telemarketing firm RegalView. Cassius is having no luck landing any sales until an older colleague (Danny Glover) informs him that he must adopt and employ a “white” voice. Cassius takes his advice (David Cross provides the Caucasian vocals), and it’s not long before he becomes a raging success at the company. His meteoric rise gets noticed by Steve Lift (Armie Hammer), the CEO of a company (WorryFree) that promotes a modern version of slavery. Steve feels that Cassius is just the man he needs to take his plans to the next level, but is Cassius willing to sell out to such an unprecedented extent? Written and directed by Boots Riley, Sorry to Bother You is both bold and unpredictable, with radical characters (including Tessa Thompson as a fearless performance artist), a plethora of killer quips (Will Smith and Lionel Ritchie had best duck) and a smattering of ingenious sequences (the interlude where Steve forces Cassius to rap for a room of well-privileged whites is a mini-masterpiece). It’s only after the potent first half that the film takes a turn into a truly fantastical direction. This gamble on Riley’s part will doubtless thrill many while turning off an equal number — personally, it didn’t wreck the movie for me, but I was disappointed that Riley felt such a lurch was necessary to bring his points home. The film’s structure — a simmering first half followed by a risk-taking back end — mirrors that of last year’s superb Get Out as well as the excellent “Black Museum” episode of Black Mirror, but whereas those challenging works eased into the outrage and thus made them believable and acceptable, this one steps too far over the line into occasional silliness. Sorry to Bother You will remain one of this summer’s more memorable releases, but had Riley maintained a tighter grip on the reins, it might have resulted in a true cultural phenomenon. BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM
CLCLT.COM | JUL. 19 - JUL. 25, 2018 | 23
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SEVEN IS A MAGIC NUMBER Nouveau Sud debut new sinful acrobatic show BY SOPHIE WHISNANT
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the internationally known Cirque du Soleil, CarlosAlexis Cruz and Nouveau Sud hope to link the seven deadly sins with seven forms of social oppression found in Charlotte with a new show, Septem. The Nouveau Sud — “New South” — troupe are debuting their latest show on July 20 for a two-night run at Booth Playhouse. The group, founded by UNC Charlotte physical theatre professor Cruz, will use acrobatics, aerial performance and more to tell its story. Cruz, a Puerto Rico native and graduate of Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre in California, has been awarded grants to start the troupe and bring a social circus to Charlotte in the form of his past shows Sûr: An Acrobatic Journey in Search of Safety and the self-titled Nouveau Sud. The upcoming project follows seven Charlotte natives and friends who have decided to return to the city and reconnect with their home. Cruz recently took a break from the one-man show he is performing in San Francisco, Pícaro, a take on the journey of a Central-American immigrant, to discuss the concept behind his upcoming Charlotte show. Creative Loafing: What is the concept for Septem and how is that story told? CarlosAlexis Cruz: Nouveau Sud currently has seven strong core members … When we were sitting we started floating up on the number seven, and we’re also floating around what is around the number seven, and also what is connected with the number seven that matches our social mission. So somebody brought up the idea of the seven deadly sins and we were like “Oh, that’s very intriguing.” We started researching a little bit more and we found ways that the seven deadly sins were also connected to seven new forms of our social oppression, so we started to think a little more in that conversation. So we crafted this story about seven friends who grew up in Charlotte and left and now are coming back. What inspired you to do this show right now? We are taking a story which feels very common, which is seven friends that left and came back to live together, and they don’t seem to listen to each other, they don’t seem to get along anymore, and they might end up in something catastrophic happening. I know we all have different traits,
CarlosAlexis Cruz
PHOTO BY DENEB CATALAN
whether good or bad, that makes us different and a tad unbearable, but we also have to have a a level of compassion and a level of openness to each other in order to make community happen. We at Nouveau Sud want to continue the idea that we are a community and that the power of us is in the sum of everybody, but we tend to not do that in spite of ourselves, internally and externally. I think that’s very present for us now, that’s very present for the city of Charlotte, that’s very present for the national level. What makes Septem different than your past shows with Nouveau Sud? I think it’s very story based. There is a level of actually getting to know a little bit more each of the characters in the show. This is also in a more intimate setting. Our past shows have been very spoken word. This one has a little bit more … We are aiming for people to actually connect with each of the friends, with each of the characters so that we can spark that conversation of community. This is more in the theatrical performance of circus … In circus more often than not the emphasis is on the act, and we’re trying to put emphasis on the actor. The other thing is we really took a long time researching. It’s a very complex subject and it needed that attention. What do you hope that people take away from the show? We all have a part in this. That in order to make Charlotte the city that it wants to be, right, that it is the “New South” … In order to do that it is not enough to just talk, but it is important to listen and it’s important to take action together. I also want people to continue to talk and think about how diverse populations still feel because of things that are happening, like the ICE situation. Community exists from micro to a macro perspective, and in order to make community happen we need to truly listen and we should question if we’re truly listening. There’s higher level acrobatics there than anything that you see at a local level, and I think by way of using a physical language that is spectacular, it is a way that we can trigger images … We can break barriers with images that perhaps is a little harder with just words.
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No matter who’s “safer,” the reality is LAST WEEK, I was watching the news that your mom and dad — who can come — a rare occurrence for this writer because off as fearmongers at times — aren’t all that local news stations tend to irk me. However, the boyfriend had left the TV on after wrong when they spout lines like, “Nothing watching one of the millions of World Cup good happens after 2 a.m. You can’t trust soccer matches and the news popped on. I people anymore. People are crazy.” No matter was shocked, for lack of a better word, to how much we want to believe that people are hear that a female Uber driver was sexually innately good, sometimes they’re not. assaulted by a passenger and then instructed So what’s the point, Aerin? As of late, to drop him off at his destination. my senses have become heightened to how Wow. For the longest time, ridesharers little bar- and club-goers take for granted have been more concerned about the fact when it comes to safety. We’ve heard all that a driver may do the same thing to them the stories and yet, we keep hearing more and for some reason, we never thought about things that end up going wrong. From about the flip side. bar fights and gunshots to poor hookup A couple years ago, I listened to two decisions and roofies, we’ve heard it all. And separate male coworkers tell me that they yet we often forget to make sure experienced a weird coinky dink with a male driving the same we’re aware of the rules required car on two separate weekends. in order to truly be aware of Long story short the man our surroundings. in each case pretended Every time I think about to be an Uber driver on walking home alone at the nights when they were end of a night or think distracted or unable to about how I’ve let friends double check who they go home with a stranger should be riding with. the more annoyed I get Fortunately, he didn’t at myself for even being end up doing anything aggravated by the friend (or to them, however he did AERIN SPRUILL when I’m in my man-hating convince them to ride home phase, the “male chauvinist who with him to “take out his dog” all while he consumed blow in the thinks he knows what’s best for me”) front seat. who suggested I practice better safety habits. Last month, we heard multiple accounts True, we can’t live every moment in of female patrons allegedly being drugged fear, but we can make the best decisions at Rooftop 210 and Suite in the EpiCentre. during the time we have. “Stranger danger” Geez. is a real thing that we may take for granted I thought we left roofies behind a after we become “grown.” However, that long time ago. Especially after Rick Ross doesn’t mean the threat doesn’t exist. And was dropped by Reebok after rapping a let’s be real, if alcohol is involved, the threat controversial sexist verse in a 2013 song, becomes even more relevant. “You Ain’t Even Know It (U.O.E.N.O.). “I die Just last week, a regular at a local watering over these Reeboks, you ain’t even know it/ hole was telling me and my boyfriend that a Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t couple was stabbed and mugged just an ear even know it/I took her home and I enjoyed throw away. How easily that could’ve been that, she ain’t even know it,” the artist rapped. This was a full seven years after us if we had parked on the same dimly lit the Me Too movement was founded by street. The incident may not have made it Tarana Burke and four years shy of it gaining to the news, it may not have been a part popularity. of some huge conspiracy, but nevertheless, Other nights, I sit around a table with it happened in an area where we both feel mostly male friends and listen to some say fairly comfortable. how, “Women shouldn’t walk home alone.” All this to say, let’s not be stupid. Shit I roll my eyes thinking they’re sexist or just happens and we can’t always avoid it. But plain annoying. And even though I know the every other day, we can make smarter female-male dichotomy of “who can better choices, especially when we approach nights take care of themselves” can be annoying, in the Queen City. the fact that the conversations are relevant BACKTALK@CLCLT.COM are just as annoying.
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1 Greek letters after rhos 7 French country house 14 Classic game consoles 20 Vain type 21 Loud warning gizmo 22 With 71-Across, pretalkies time 23 Valuable desert plants? 25 Graf of tennis 26 “Leave it in” 27 PC-to-PC hookup 28 Shuttle org. 30 Chalk out 31 Pine cousin 32 Test of one’s holiness? 37 Most gross 41 Twistable cookie 42 Legal title 43 Dollar or euro divs. 44 Really bad-mouth a physician? 47 Good (at) 49 Tool in a wood shop 50 Walk- -- (tiny parts) 51 Iowa’s tree 53 Slim, slithery fishes 56 Voting “no” 57 Really small 59 Tennis’ Korda 61 Jet boat model 63 Rehearse with great enthusiasm in Britain? 67 Poker prize 70 401(k) cousins 71 See 22-Across 72 Itsy-bitsy bit 73 Suns’ org. 74 Scandal over legal agreements in Tehran? 79 Tea varieties 80 Trial pledge 81 Huck’s craft 82 Acclaim 86 Give out 87 James Bond, e.g. 88 Mom’s skill, for short 89 Suit material 90 Far Eastern mercenary 93 Oil-anointing rite in old Russia? 98 Chillax 100 Without, in Paris 102 Bank holding 103 Ballet garb 104 Draw out feta or Brie? 107 “Uh-uh,” rural-style
108 Elisabeth of “Molly” 109 Boxing wallop 110 Kit -- bar 111 Re 115 Ones giving GIs orders 117 “That bee just ingested poisoned plant fluid!”? 123 Warming current 124 Hastened 125 Cornell’s city 126 Abate 127 May’s gem 128 Enthusiastic about
DOWN
1 Stitches up 2 “-- it!” (sandlot cry) 3 Ex-veep Al 4 Pol Romney 5 Bat wood 6 Fashionable 7 “Elf” actor James 8 Big name in fruit drinks 9 Actor Carney 10 Fri. preceder 11 Goddess of the dawn 12 Lack life 13 Not voiced 14 Evaluated 15 Little bird 16 First Hebrew letter 17 Outwardly shown by 18 Actually 19 Is lousy 24 -- blanche 29 Surf and turf’s “turf” 31 Big bash 32 Woody Allen’s wife Previn 33 Curved lines 34 Post-taxes 35 Talk lovingly 36 F preceders 37 Mallorca, por ejemplo 38 Tribal bunch 39 Actor William or Nicky 40 “Gotcha,” to a jazz cat 45 “Keep it up” 46 Pictorial paper part 48 Highest point 52 Excavation discovery 54 Lisa of pop music 55 Sammy of the diamond 57 Poi plants 58 Confident cry 59 Roost
60 Floride, par exemple 61 Tuned to, as a dial 62 Hollywood’s Morales 64 Basmati, e.g. 65 Usher in 66 “The Tao of Pooh” author Benjamin 67 Organ part 68 Provo’s neighbor 69 Alternating 75 Curt denial 76 Light shafts 77 Dahl of film 78 Butler played by Gable 83 “Eri tu,” e.g. 84 Monster-film lab assistant 85 -- -lease 87 Christmas Eve visitor 88 Bonds 89 Garbage-hauling boat 91 Covert org. 92 “Bad” singer Michael 94 Bullring call 95 Contend 96 Lower arm bones 97 Clean freak 98 Artery, e.g. 99 Breathe out 101 Reaper’s tool 105 Former TV host Philbin 106 Boring 110 NBA’s Jason 111 Dull pain 112 Getz of jazz 113 Fiesta snack 114 Algerian city 116 Compass dir. 118 Before 119 Fumble 120 Vardalos of the screen 121 Playa -- Rey 122 Summer, to Yves
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CONNECTIONS If it’s good, stop worrying BY DAN SAVAGE I’m a 20-year-old submissive woman. I’m currently in a confusing affair with a 50-year-old dominant married man. He lives in Europe and has two kids close to my age. We met online when I was 17 and starting to explore my BDSM desires — out of the reach of my overbearing, sex-shaming, disastrously religious parents — and we’ve been texting daily ever since. We’ve since met in different countries and spent a total of three weeks together. Those weeks were amazing, both sexually and emotionally, and he says he loves me. (Some will assume, because of the age difference, that he “groomed” me. He did not.) I date vanilla boys my age, with his full support, while we continue to text daily. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to blow up his family if (or when) our affair is discovered. But at the same time, our relationship has really helped me navigate my kinks and my sexuality. Expecting him to leave his wife for me is a highly unrealistic cliché, I am aware. Yet I fear I’ve become dependent on his conversation and advice. I’m graduating soon and have a big job lined up in a big city. I’ll finally be financially independent, and I’d like to start making the right choices. Any perspective you have would be much appreciated. THINGS MUST IMPROVE
He is not going to leave his wife for you, and you shouldn’t assume his wife is going to leave him if (or when) this affair is discovered (or exposed). Divorce may be the default setting in the United States in the wake of an
Living my truth permits others in my affair, TMI, but Europeans take a much more, fairly conservative circles — Christian well, European attitude toward infidelity. family struggling to accept a gay son, Definitely not cricket, not necessarily fatal. colleagues in a traditionally masculine And you don’t need him to leave his wife field — to accept gay/other/different for you, TMI. OK, OK — you’re in love, and folks. I identify as a bottom, and the three weeks you’ve managed to spend until recently I thought I had erectile together were amazing. But don’t fall into dysfunction because I would literally the trap of believing a romantic relationship go soft at the thought of topping requires a tidy ending; film, television and another man. I should mention literature beat it into our heads that that I’m black in the Pacific romantic relationships end either Northwest, so there is happily at the altar (à la Pride this odd “BBC” fixation and Prejudice) or tragically at and an expectation the morgue (à la Forensic from many guys that Files). I will top. However, B ut romantic I am usually very relationships take many submissive and drawn forms, TMI, as does to hypermasculine, romantic success. And dominant guys. But this relationship, such as I recently noticed an it is, this relationship asDAN SAVAGE attraction to married is, sounds like an ongoing guys — specifically, success. submissive bottom masculine/ In other words, TMI, I think muscular married guys who you’re confused about this relationship like to wear lingerie. I met a few and because there won’t be a resolution that fits became this dominant guy who fit the into a familiar mold. But you don’t need a stereotype most guys expect when they resolution: You can continue to text with see me online or in person. Now I’m him, and he can continue to provide you with very confused. I tried topping recently, his advice and support while you continue because a married guy begged me to. to date single, available, and kinky men (no He said, “You’ll never know if you like more vanilla boys!) closer to your own age it until you try it!” Which is the same and/or on your own continent. thing my traditional uncles have said Eventually you’ll meet a new guy you’re to me about women. My life would be so crazy about — someone you can see for more much easier if I just married a woman! So than one week a year — and you’ll feel less this sudden turn from bottom to top is dependent on and connected to your old troubling me. I don’t think it is possible flame. to turn straight, but I didn’t think I
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was a top until a few weeks ago. So am I capable of turning straight? That would validate everything my homophobic family members have said. I’m repulsed by vaginas but fascinated by boobs. Have you seen/heard of things like this? PRAYING THE STRAIGHT AWAY
If you’re a regular reader, PTSA, you’ve seen letters in this space from straight-identified guys into cock. Many of these guys have described themselves as being fascinated by cock but repulsed by men; some of these guys seek out sex with trans women who’ve kept their dicks. Your thing for hot guys in lingerie and your thing for boobs might be the gay flip of this erotic script — boobs fascinate you, but you’re not into the genitalia most women have. Muscular guys in lingerie turn you on — big pecs can fill out a lacy bra just as alluringly as big boobs — and it’s possible you might enjoy being with a trans woman who got boobs but kept her dick. All that said, PTSA, discovering after years of bottoming that you enjoy topping certain types of men — masculine/muscular married guys who beg for your dick while wearing lingerie — doesn’t mean you’re “capable” of turning straight. Going from bottom to versatile isn’t the same thing as going from men to women. And being fascinated by a body part that typically comes attached to people, i.e., women, who fall outside your usual “erotic target interest,” as the sex researchers say, isn’t a sign that your uncles were right all along. In short, PTSA, you aren’t potentially straight — you’re gay and a little more complicated, interesting and expansive than you realized at first.
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ARIES (March 21 to April 19) With new facts to work with, you should feel more confident in moving ahead. But continue to do so at an unhurried pace so you can spot details you might otherwise miss. to May 20) Taking on that new workplace project could be one of your smarter career moves. Expect a surprising show of support from someone who had always been a critic.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You might feel you’re too busy to undertake a new responsibility. But check it out before making any decisions. What you learn could persuade you to change your mind. July 22) You feel quite content enjoying all the comforts of home right now. But the urge to travel grows stronger, and by week’s end, you could begin packing your bags.
LEO (July 23 to August 22)
A hectic period begins to ease up, but that doesn’t mean the Fine Feline can do much catnapping these days. You need to finish those old tasks and prepare for new ones.
VIRGO (August 23 to
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November 21) Meeting a former adversary might be unsettling at first. But time has softened hard feelings, and you could be on the brink of starting a new relationship.
SAG I T TA R I U S (November 22 to December 21) A troubling situation close to home might cause you to change your travel plans. But getting all the facts before you act might cause you to reconsider.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) You might be quite alone right now in deciding to support a major workplace shift. But others will join you as new information supports your bold move.
AQUARIUS
(January 20 to February 18) A former coworker returns with news that could persuade you to reassess recently made plans. Be sure to consult with a trusted colleague before you act.
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September 22) Expect to get some good news about your financial situation by week’s end. But it could still be too early to rush out with a long shopping list of things to buy.
(February 19 to March 20) Your motives behind a recent decision could be called into question by a rival. But once you present the facts, all doubts will be resolved. Enjoy an arts-rich weekend.
BORN THIS WEEK While you love being the center of attention, your generous heart allows you to share the attention with others.
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