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publisher’s note Thanks for picking up this month’s issue of Elevate Lifestyle, your Fall 2013 Guide. Those who say Charlotte has nothing to do must stay in their houses and never venture out. Actually, one of the articles we have is perfectly titled, “Nothing to do in Charlotte?”, in which the writer has written a brief synopsis about ten or so places in Charlotte that are perfect to visit for the first time or over and over again as they get new exhibits. Fall means football, whether it’s college or professional we have the place to go watch your favorites play and hopefully win! All these places have awesome food and drink specials but if you want to eat the perfect food for watching football check out the Wild Wild Wings editorial. One of our dining contributors takes a trek across Charlotte to see what restaurants have the best wings. Once you get filled up on wings, you will need to be outdoors to work off some of those calories. And with the cooler weather, it’s the perfect time for some outdoor event. Elevate Lifestyle is doing a weekly music event on Wednesdays at The Brevard Court on Church Street, and on Thursdays we will be having ladies night at City Tavern on their award winning patio. Then on Saturday, October 19 we kick off the weekend with a trip out to the Carolina Renaissance Festival to enjoy the sights and great food; we will meet up in Southend.. To round out the month we are partnering up with Third Rock Events to throw the first annual South End Beer Festival, we will have over 50 local, regional, nationally and international craft beers. There will be live music from 5 on Sundays and the Jonathan Birchfield Band, and over ten of Charlotte’s most sought after food trucks. Check out the editorial on page 24 for more information. More details on these events and plenty more at ElevateLifestyle.com. And of course it is October, which means Halloween, and Charlotte has a couple of the biggest costume parties in the country: The Grave Diggers Ball at Dixie’s Tavern and the Music, Monsters and Mayhem at the NC Music Factory. They are both Saturday, October 26. Hope to see you all at one of our great events! Steve Caldwell
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TEAM MEMBERS Publisher: Steve Caldwell Editor: Telisha Wheeler Creative Director: Greg Smith Design and Production: Greenspon Advertising Business Manager: Elizabeth Dickinson Cover Photography and Cover Girl Winner Fashion Spread: Photography: Ryan Sumner, Fenix Fotography Model: Heather Foster Makeup and Styling: Angie Cottone Hair: Leigh Claiborne, Orange Olive Clothing: Lipp Boutique | Location: X Nightclub Advertising, Sponsorship, And Website Sales Information: Christie Hannula, Christi@ElevateLifestyle.com Steve Caldwell, Steve@ElevateLifestyle.com Contributing Editors: Culture Editor: Louise Albano-Hurley Dining Editor: Angela Kim, The Squishy Monster Lifestyle Editor: Debra Kennedy Contributing Writers: Brandon Russell | Corinna Kahn | Chelsea Flower | David Sentendrey Elizabeth Dickinson | Emily Valine | Jay Johnson | Jiya Williams Julie Tache | Lauren Nguyen | Sarah Hudson | Sean McKelvey Sheila Fate | Stanley Owings | Steve Caldwell | Sydney Miles TekaRose | The Squishy Monster | Troy Adams Contributing Photographers: Lazyday.com | CM Photography, Backprint.com/CMPhoto Green Valley Photography, GreenValleyPhoto.biz Johnny Perez, Jammin JP Production S Ali Photos, SAliPhotos.com | TrueBlue Management Group Contributing Videographers: N-Digilabs, NDigiLabs.com
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October 2013 Contents 20 fashion
Botanical Tan & Spa
24 South Eend Beer
24
Festival
30 The Atlanta
Showstoppers
34 CafĂŠ Muse Fuse
30
40 Fun Fall Festivals
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48
48 Scarowinds
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52 Autumn Theater Guide 58 Who’s Got Game? 64 NoDa’s Neighborhood Theatre
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70 Wild Wild Wings! 76 Nothing To Do In Charlotte?
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fashion
Botanical Tans & Spa: Custom Spray Tans I’m sitting down with Erika Suhr owner and operator of Botanical Tans & Spa. They are located in South Park inside the Sola Salon Studio’s. Erika is very excited to announce that they are currently working on their second location in South Charlotte with plans to open early 2014. Elevate Lifestyle: Can you explain what Botanical Tans does? Botanical Tans: Botanical Tans is the All Natural Anti-Aging Boutique. We specialize in completely organic spray tans and all natural homeopathic skin care. Everything we recommend to our clients is completely organic and healthy for mind and body. It is our passion to educate our clients on the harmful effects of indoor outdoor tanning, and furthermore, the harmful ingredients found in
majority of our body care and food products today. We have found a true demand for natural and organic products in this industry. It is our goal to provide it with the highest quality products, service and education. EL: What is a Botanical Tan? BT: First let’s start with the definition of a Botanical. Botanical – of, pertaining to, or made from a plant. A botanical tan is an organic, custom spray tan that includes the highest quality organic ingredients available. Our Botanical Blends product line was created after many trials with sub-par tanning solutions. We wanted to create something that you wouldn’t question putting on your skin! A Botanical Tan includes Aloe Barbadensis, Sugar Beets and Essential Oils, all derived from their purest source! EL: What will the new Botanical Tans & Spa offer it clients? BT: Botanical Tans & Spa will offer our clients a warm and welcoming atmosphere where they can shop our boutique, relax with coffee, wine, etc in our lounge, and learn about homeopathic remedies if they choose. Of course only the best custom spray tans and red light therapy will be offered for enhanced anti-aging. Botanical Tans & Spa will be a place for you to unwind, relax and pamper yourself naturally at an affordable price! Additionally, we will become the premier training facility for others wanting to start or continue their education in spray tanning, etc.. EL: How did you get into spray tanning and pharmacopeia? BT: It’s a funny story actually! At a very young age I knew I wanted to be my own boss! I’d seen my family do it, and I wanted to as well! While in high school I worked at a tanning salon 21
and baked myself for 20 minutes every day! I loved it so much that I decided I would someday own a tanning salon or boutique. At the age of 27 I was working in property management, eating non organic foods and putting drugstore skin care products on my skin and nowhere near that goal. Not until I reunited with my cousin Shelly after 15 years. She had been practicing organic living for 20 years and spray tanning for almost 2. She gave me my first spray tan and I immediately knew this was my new journey! Now 3 years later it is an amazing feeling to know that I am living my dream and doing exactly what I was meant to do! EL: Where do you see yourself and Botanical Tans & Spa in 5 years? BT: It has been a dream since the beginning to create a product line of organic solutions and skin care products that people are proud to use. We are currently working on distributing our line to other salons and retail outlets. By year 5, we will have expanded our product line, created amazing brand recognition, and opened multiple locations throughout Charlotte and the Southeast. I’ve learned the hard way not to plan on a personal level, only God can do that. But I hope he’ll bless me with my prince charming soon and we’ll be working on our future goals together. Really, I just hope I’m alive, healthy and able to provide a healthy lifestyle for my family and friends! Steve Caldwell, Publisher 22
South End Beer Festival Beer is one of the oldest beverages human beings have produced, dating back to the 5th millennium BC. Today, beer continues to be one of the most beloved beverages among people of all cultures--but none more than that of Historic South End in Charlotte, NC. As the South End area’s growth continues to explode in terms of new apartment complexes (2,400 new units), retail and shopping areas, as well transportation, its love for beer has kept pace. With three local breweries and many boutique beer stores within the footprint of South End, the art and craft of brewing and enjoying beer has become part of its culture.
To celebrate South End’s love for craft beer, Elevate Lifestyle and Third Rock Event are throwing South End’s FIRST EVER Beer Festival on Saturday, November 2nd from Noon - 6pm at the “South End Food Truck Lot” conveniently located on the corners of East Park Avenue and Camden Road. Below, we give you the complete 411 on what organization this event benefits and details of all event participants. Featuring 50 plus local, regional, national and international craft beers that will you will be able to sample, some of the most sought after food trucks in the Charlotte area, and live local music. This will be one event you won’t want to miss! Benefiting CHARITY About CharlotteONE: CharlotteONE helps 20-30 something’s get connected, make a difference, and find their purpose. It is a collaborative effort of nearly 50 local churches to provide young professionals with greater opportunities for establishing significant roots in Charlotte. On Tuesday nights throughout the year, over 500 20-30 something’s from across the metro area gather together as ONE to worship God in the heart of Uptown. CharlotteONE is part of a larger network called CityONE Network, which united its vision, mission and motivation on a city level across the U.S. Their VISION is to empower local churches to reach 20-30 something’s together. Their MISSION is to facilitate a unified outreach service to reach 20-30 something’s for Christ and connect them to a local faith community. The motivation of CharlotteONE is rooted in the prayer Jesus prayed for his followers in John 17:23 when He said “Let them 25
be ONE, so that the world may know that you sent Me, and love them even as much as you have loved Me.” Charlotte is known as the “City of Churches”, yet many young professionals are not connected to Christ or a local church. Therefore, CharlotteONE helps local churches reach 20-30 something’s for Christ together…as ONE. BREWERIES We will have over 50 local, regional, national and international Craft beers from these 15+ breweries. You will be able to purchase a ticket that includes unlimited sampling. At press time, these are the breweries we have committed so far: Abita Brewing, Big Boss Brewing, Blue Point Brewery, Brooklyn Brewery, Carolina Brewery, Catawba Valley Brewery, Goose Island Beer Company, Green Flash Brewing, Kona Brewing, Lonerider Brewing, Natty Greene’s Brewing, Redhook Brewery, RJ Rockers Brewing, Shocktop Brewing, Starr Hill Brewery, Stella Artois Brewing, Southern Tier, and Widmer Brothers Brewing.
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FOOD TRUCKS Some of Charlotte’s best food trucks will be there to serve city favorites. They are The Herban Legend, The Tin Kitchen, Papi Queso, Thai 2 Go, Dan The Pig Man, Minaccis Gardens, Ooo We BBQ, Sals Road Side Eatery, Ruthies, Belly Backers, Sticks and Cones, and Cupcake Delirium. ENTERTAINMENT Five On Sundays: FOS began as a couple friends getting together on the weekend to jam. Jason (keys) brought Zak (bass) and Eric (drums) together in 2010 to play around wherever they could find space and whenever they could find time. Later on in 2011 Mark (guitar) joined, but they still lacked a bona fide lead singer. After a bit more floundering, Ryan (lead vocals) appeared in late 2012 and everything clicked. We started practicing regularly and even scored a few small gigs. Finally, the last piece of the puzzle fell into place when Jessica (lead vocals) moved to Charlotte and joined up with the band in mid-2013. Now the sky’s the limit. They won’t be stopped until they’ve taken over the Charlotte live music scene! Jonathan Birchfield Band: For more than 25 years, JB has toured throughout the southeast with this band. He’s been 27
around, to New York, Dallas, and Chicago, but his biggest fan base has developed in the southeast. His sound is fueled with the funk of Little Feat, the driving country of Zac Brown, the mournful lyrics of John Hiatt and Jackson Browne, the harmonies of CS&N and the Eagles... rounded out with JB’s originals that have been compared to Lyle Lovett, and Chris Isaak. JB and his band have such a wide variety of music and styles that every ear will be entertained. TICKET INFORMATION Designated Driver: $10.00, this ticket is for our wonderful Designated Drivers it includes two free bottled waters. No purchase at the door. General Admission: $20.00 before October 6th, $25 between October 6th and November 1st, and $35 day of the event. All GA tickets include five hours of sampling from over 50 local, regional, nationally and international craft brewers. VIP: $50.00, this ticket includes an area with seating and HDTV’s, access to limited and seasonal beers, an extra hour of sampling, catered food, and your own Porta Jon. Any additional information or to purchase your tickets please go to SouthEndBeerFestival.com Steve Caldwell, Publisher 28
BEST EVENT BAND IN THE USA: THE ATLANTA SHOWSTOPPERS Entertainment comes in many different forms. The goal for all entertainers should be: the ability to capture your attention, leave the audience wanting more and the “buzz” after the event about how amazing the entertainment was. As the Lifestyle Editor for Elevate Lifestyle Magazine I am thrilled to share with you, our fabulous readers, the absolute BEST entertainers in the country, The Atlanta Showstoppers! I attended a wedding several months ago and was mesmerized by this phenomenal 12 piece band. In just over 4 years, The Showstoppers have quickly become one of the premier event bands in the USA. Bandleaders Glenn Carvin (keyboards) and Kenny Faison (sax) have assembled one of the most talented and versatile party bands in the country. It was not a surprise to me that members of the band have performed all over the world with major recording artists including Aretha Franklin, Peabo Bryson, and most recently Justin Beiber and also have appeared on Late Night with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show, Saturday Night Live, and Dancing with the Stars. What I was most impressed with was that the band performed everything “live” and without the aid of pre-
recorded or “sequenced” tracks to supplement their sound. I felt as if I were on Broadway and watching one of the most raved about shows in the Country. The Atlanta Showstoppers have become one of the most sought after bands for destination weddings, major corporate events and social galas around the globe. This band offers the best vocal frontline of any band anywhere period. The 3 hour non-stop show is “Pure Genius!” The band consists of 5 amazing vocalists on the front line, 3 power packed horns and an amazing rhythm section. In my line of work, I attend many events but quite honestly I am only impressed with a few. When I am blown away, I love to share the joy. I can truly say, I am totally blown away with The Best Show Band in the Business, The Atlanta Showstoppers Bandleader Glenn Carvin reminds me of the Legendary Doc Severinsen (Bandleader on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson) with his good looks, attention to detail and the ability to please the audience. Under Doc Severinsen’s leadership, The Tonight Show Band became the most visible big band in America. The Showstoppers are on the fast track to following this path very quickly. The qualities that make The Atlanta Showstoppers brilliant are the combination of chemistry between the band members, having their “audience radar alert” working with songs that please the crowd, performing a “show” that entertains everyone, constantly learning and performing new songs as well as oldies but goodies and most importantly loving what they do!
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They play an extensive list of songs to please even the pickiest bride (if it is not on the list, they learn it) as well as songs to please everyone at events and gala’s. Due to their popularity and the fact they have to turn away so many clients, Pure Party Band was formed. With the combination of two power house bands, you will be the “talk of the town” when your friends leave your event talking about the entertainment, just like I did! For booking information contact Glenn Carvin at 770.329.7531, email Glenn at gcarv@bellsouth.net or visit their website AtlantaShowStoppers.com. I love bringing you the best in Lifestyle. Keep the e-mails coming about what you like, what you want more of or any ideas for future featured articles. Debra A. Kennedy, Lifestyle Editor debra@DebraKennedyShow.com
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Café Muse Fuse – When Art and Food Unites Restaurants and Galleries Bring Literal Appreciation to the Fine Art of Dining Entrepreneurs Judith Weston Voglesonger of JWV Artists Gallery, and J. Sam Daniels, of J. Sam’s at Piedmont Towne Center in SouthPark, proves there’s an art to dining and entertaining. Truth be told, the boundaries between gallery and restaurant have increasingly become blurred, as there has long been an association between art and restaurants. Restaurants are a great medium for art if you get it right — but not everyone gets it right. The synergetic level of Voglesonger’s and Daniels’ partnership proved to be a successful symbiosis at the collaborative opening début in a packed house at J. Sam’s on September, 12, 2013. Featured artists were Allison Chambers and Marlise Newman. “We believe that ultimately the art can shape the dining experience — it brings another dimension — it creates talking points, says Voglesonger and J. Sam Daniels.
Judith Weston Voglesonger and J. Sam Daniel, Heather Liebler Photography Voglesonger and Daniels are a dynamic team, with an ideal business partnership — the pairing of fine art with excellent quality foods. Both businesses have the same demographic, therefore feed off of one another. Daniels had the venue and a desire to rotate the visuals on his walls; while Voglesonger was on a quest to expand her home based gallery business, and art consulting services, to SouthPark. The pair was brought together by a mutual friend, Kim Hollis — Daniels’ neighbor. This dynamic duo brings something different, that je ne sais quoi — the artistic flair to “big business” SouthPark, if you will. Their partnership is organically phenomenal, and is what is going to make them successfully stand out in the SouthPark area. Over the last few years, I’ve seen and dined in some very chic, unique theme restaurants and eccentric cafes — which happens to be one of my favorite topics to cover, and is why I’m so excited to have one of the most creative gems right here in one place. J. Sam’s is a unique place, with an experience to match its artistic setting. Upon arrival, the air of affability and liveliness of the restaurant’s ambiance captures the moment and immediately awakens the senses — call me “Honest Abe”, I cannot lie, I must admit, I found myself humming the theme to “Cheers” as I approached the door to conduct my interview.
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J. Sam’s is a charming “farm-to-fork” philosophy restaurant — with an artsy, eclectic wine bar atmosphere, boasting a rotating selection of fine wines, savory entrées, and delectable dessert menus — where you not only find art on the plates, but on the walls. Along with JWV Artists’ exclusive artworks, its casual, chic décor includes both modern and handmade furnishings by none other than Daniels himself — along with the help of his nine year old son [Holt]. Daniels, one half of the joint venture is clearly a man intimately acquainted with impeccable customer service; he goes the extra mile to connect with his clientele, and to make them feel at home. Both he and his staff encompass the true standards of Southern hospitality. “It is important to me to connect with my patrons; I want them to think of J.Sam’s as their second home,” says Daniels. JWV Artists Gallery will run event based promotional galleries every 4-6/8 weeks; which will showcase the unique works of new, local, and surrounding area artists. The joint venture will allow Voglesonger to bring the art to where the people are; and to illustrate that it is possible to purchase original, affordable art for their homes or businesses. Prices range from $150 to $2,000. Elevate: What has been the reaction in the area since you débuted your collaborative concept? JWV/J. Sam’s: Hugely positive — everyone is excited about the concept. We opened to a packed house! Elevate: What makes JWV Artists Gallery/J. Sam’s unique from other galleries/venues in the area? JWV: What sets JWV Artists Gallery apart from other galleries in the area is that I provide the lower price point, and we actively promote the art, and the artists. In essence, the art is not just hanging on the walls, we are marketing the pieces to our extensive contact base, and moving them from walls; whereas in comparison, a lot of area galleries will have a reception, and have to rely on that in coming traffic — JWV
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Heather Liebler Photography
Artists Gallery has the “built in traffic” of J. Sam’s — which is ultimately always packed.
J. Sam: The thing that differentiates J. Sam’s is we are unique to SouthPark; we are bringing the art to an area known for its corporate air. Also, we not only rotate our wine and menu list, we rotate the art work to keep it interesting and exciting for the patrons; whereas a lot of other restaurants that display artwork from artist [who’s put their hearts and souls into the work] — in lieu of promoting and rotating the works out, they will make the mistake of keeping the art on display for six months or so; essentially rendering the piece inconspicuous — in essence, the painting becomes a print, or blends as just part of the décor. Our goal at J. Sam’s is to incessantly change the vibe so that it invokes permanent excitement. Elevate: Do you have upcoming events? JWV: November 7th – Heidi Kirschner’s opening at JWV Artists Gallery at J.Sam’s at7:30pm; December 5th – Judith Williams and Heather Liebler opening at JWV Artists Gallery at J.Sam’s at 7:30pm J. Sam’s: Live music every Saturday night from 8:30 to 11:30. Or contact J. Sam’s if you would like him to hosts a special event. Brilliant To learn more about JWV Artists and J. Sam’s check out: www.jwvartists.com and www.jsamsplace.com Sheila Fate, Contributing Writer
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D&G BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12TH AT OAK ROOM
10PM
D&G PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CARL MILLER AND DOUG BROOKS MODELS: JESSICA WEISE, BIANCA BYRD, DESIRAE WALKER, GRANGER HICKS, NICOLE GARVEY, AND JULIO VICTORIA HAIR AND MAKE-UP : DEME J FOURTOUNIS, CAMILA PIRES, TAYLOR ELLIS, AND SARAH SPOLE W W W . FA C E B O O K . C O M / D A N D G C L T
Fun Fall Festivals What would a warm welcome to a hopefully cool, crisp fall season be without some Fall Festivals? If you’re looking for a way to entertain yourself…you know outside of the seemingly obligatory celebration of footballs official return, Elevate Lifestyle has a few ideas for you. Living in and around Charlotte has its perks this time of year. So much to do to keep your artsy side occupied your belly full of delicious fall favorites and the weather is great to boot! You can’t help but to get excited for this season with nothing to top it besides the excitement of Holidays soon to come. So grab a buddy, grab a scarf (if need be) and head out to explore all that fall has to offer. Hibernation is still a few months off… your couch can wait! So here’s to an active autumn season, complete with a list already made for you from us. Enjoy!
The Carolina Renaissance Festival, Huntersville, NC October 5 – November 24 Saturdays & Sundays 10 am to 5:30 pm Rain or Shine FREE PARKING! Introduced in 1994, the Carolina Renaissance Festival has grown to be one of the largest of the Renaissance fairs nationwide. The Renaissance Festival is a 16th century European style art and entertainment festival combining outdoor theater, circus entertainment, arts and crafts marketplace, a jousting tournament, a feast fit for royalty, and much more. A Carolina favorite, The Renaissance Festival boasts one of the most interactive entertainment shows ever created with wonderful amusements and antics ongoing all around you! Set on 20 acres, you’ll get to experience a theme park atmosphere complete with charming cottages and castles, kitchens and pubs, and a most unusual collection of people powered rides and games of skill. You can sit back and watch, or you can become a part of the action, surrounded by over 500 costumed characters roaming the festival village. They have something for everyone. The Marketplace features over 100 artisans displaying a variety of unique, hand-made wares ranging from hand blown glass art, pottery & sculptures to leather work, jewelry and clothing. The food is always delicious and you can choose from a variety of medieval foods, including giant turkey legs, various soups, stews, and chowders, “Steak on a Stake”, fish and chips, corn on the cob, and Scotch eggs. With
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acts ranging from jousting, music, dancing and singing, The Carolina Renaissance Festival is sure to take you back to the good ole days…way back HUZZAH! For more details visit: RoyalFaires.com The Haunted Mill, Belmont, NC Open Now – November 2nd Getting larger and more popular for over 15 years The Haunted Mill has been scaring us every Halloween without fail. Each year they refit The Mill with new scenes or update active scenes. This year, you get two frightening options on how you want the wits to be scared out of you. They have The Regular and The Wicked Nightmare Mature Show for 18 years and older. Not one to be scared? That’s okay, just head over to Purple Planet where they feature 3D Mini Golf, in an indoor, climate controlled black light lit putt-putt course. They also have a game room and a party room that can be rented out for any occasion, but make no bones about it, they are in the business to scare and this year they are going all out with many new scenes. Hours vary so be sure to call ahead or check online before you go, and for the faint of heart…take a change of pants! For more details & ticket info visit: HalloweenCharlotte.net NoDaWEEN, Charlotte, NC Saturday, October 26 Starts at 2pm The NoDa Neighborhood & Business Association presents their 4th Annual NoDaWEEN celebration! A full day of Halloween festivities for all ages held in the Historic Arts District of NoDa. Events include a KiDaWEEN, a 5K fun run, a kickoff party and a viewing of The Rocky Horror Picture Show™ at midnight. A portion of all proceeds will benefit Running Works, a running program that uses its funds to encourage the homeless community in Charlotte. KiDaWEEN is from 2-5pm and is a FREE family-friendly event located between Jack Beagle’s & Solstice Tavern. They’ll have
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games, music and a costume contest. The Freaky 5K Costume Run Twilight Race begins at 6pm, and has a $30 advance registration. Every registered runner gets a chance to win $1,000 cash prize. The NoDaWEEN Party kicks off at 7:30pm and has NO COVER! They’ll be located in the Highland Mill parking lot in front of Heist Brewery and costumes are encouraged. There’ll be a pumpkin judging exhibition for $500 cash prize. The Rocky Horror Picture Show™ Doors open at 8:00pm, with a $10 cover with prop bag included located at the Neighborhood Theatre. Three live bands (Black Market, Red Money and The Stellas) will be playing and a proper RHPS virgin initiation ceremony (at 11:30) and movie viewing will commence at midnight. For more info about NoDa Neighborhood & Business Association (NoDa NBA) please visit NoDa.org. For event details and registration visit: NoDaWEEN.com Latin American Festival, Charlotte, NC Sunday, October 13 Noon-8:00pm (rain or shine) Charlotte’s signature cultural event, the Latin American Festival, hosted by Charlotte’s own Latin American Coalition is sure to please everyone who attends. With more than 20,000 lovers of culture and music, you surely don’t want to be the one left out. The 23rd annual Latin American festival will feature internationally renowned musical acts on several stages, visual artist demonstrations, dance presentations, and children’s activities! Fun for the whole family, you can also enjoy delicious cuisine and shop at the
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authentic marketplace. Dance to the beat of your own drum and join in on the fun! The Festival will be held at Symphony Park at South Park Mall. General admission is $5. Children 8 and under are free. All proceeds from the festival support the Latin American Coalition and the Latin American Women’s Association For more details visit: LatinAmericanCoalition.org
Southern Ground Music & Food Festival, Charleston, SC Saturday & Sunday October 19 – 20 Zac Brown Band’s Southern Ground Music & Food Festival in Charleston, SC brings you the best of what the south is known for…music and food! With a musical lineup that includes Willie Nelson & Family, Band of Horses, The Head & The Heart, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Dawes, Kacey Musgraves, Natalie Maines, Fitz & The Tantrums, Blackberry Smoke, The Wood Brothers. The Zac Brown Band will feature nightly Super Sets with sit-in performances by Kenny Rogers and Clare Bowen (from the hit ABC show Nashville). Stating food will be served is a blatant understatement when you have top chefs such as Southern Grounds Executive Chef Rusty Hamlin bringing along some of today’s biggest culinary personalities - Chefs Craig Deihl, RJ Cooper, and Kelly Liken, plus Pastry Chef Claire Chapman; all preparing the ultimate in gourmet Southern cuisine. The festival will also feature beer pairings as recommended by Doemens Beer Sommelier Gary Valentine who will be curating the festival’s Craft Beer Tent featuring a diverse assortment of today’s most unique brews. For more details & ticket info visit: Charleston.SouthernGroundFestival.com Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit, Asheville, NC Friday - Sunday October 25 - 27 The Mountain Oasis Electronic Music Summit is a 3-day music festival set in the heart of downtown Asheville, NC. 44
Surrounded by Asheville’s beautiful mountains, the festival features world-class musical performances by many of the greatest artists in contemporary music, along with seminars, and panels by artists, interactive experiences for audiences, art installations, exhibitions and more. All of the events take place indoors, within walking distance of one another, in downtown Asheville. At venues ranging from the ExploreAsheville. com Arena and the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, both housed under one roof at the U.S. Cellular Center, to the world-renown music club, the Orange Peel; the beautiful performing arts space, the Diana Wortham Theatre; and in the intimate, high energy Asheville Music Hall. The mountain oasis lineup features Nine Inch Nails, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Neutral Milk, Animal Collective, Gary Numan, Godspeed You!, Black Emperor, Pantyraid and many, many more! The Music Summit is produced by AC Entertainment, known as the founders and producers of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the Big Ears Festival they produce over 750 concerts and events each year, and they have been the primary concert promoter in Asheville, NC, for over a quarter of a century. For more details & ticket info visit: MountainOasisFestival.com These are some of the larger Fall Festivals happening in our area this Autumn Season. Check out other food, music and themed fests happening all season long. Google should be a big help, but here’s some others to save you the leg work: Charlotte Fall Wine & Food Festival, Bands & Beats Music Festival, Local Flavors of NoDa, FreeMore, Charlotte Fine Arts Festival and I can’t forget to mention the NC State Fair. Simply put, no one wants to miss out on a funnel cake. Enjoy, and happy Fall y’all! Teka Rose, Entertainment Contributor
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SCarowinds Every weekend night this Halloween season, Carowinds transforms into Scarowinds Halloween Haunt, the premiere haunted attraction of the Carolinas. Scarowinds is filled with over 500 roaming monsters, vampires, clowns and ghouls who are guaranteed to make you scream. There is also variety of scare zones, haunted mazes, live shows; thrill rides that run in total darkness and three new haunted attractions! Scarowinds is a complete sensory experience, with creepy Halloween decorations everywhere you turn, fog machines, and special soundtracks for each scare zone. You can even hear the screams from the roller coasters, adding a real-life sense of terror to the night. Now in its fourteenth year, Scarowinds is more frightening than ever before. Three new attractions have been added, including two scare zones, London Terror and Scary Tales, a zombie filled maze called Zombie High. But beware; because once you enter a haunted maze, you cannot turn back.Â
The preparations for London Terror began in June and resulted in an extremely detailed depiction of the haunted city of London in the 1800s, including a 30 foot Big Ben clock tower. The scare zone features dark, foggy sidewalks, large abandoned buildings, and a twisted marketplace with deranged shopkeepers in Victorian garb ready to torment their customers. Watch out for classic characters like Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd. Scary Tales is a dark, twisted forest where your favorite fairy tale characters are mad and no one lives happily ever after. Expect to see Rapunzel, Humpty Dumpty, Raggedy Ann and many others like you’ve never seen them before. At Zombie High, the un-dead class of ’87 rules the school and heavy metal music plays in the halls. Scarowinds visitor Kathryn Searles says, “Scarowinds new addition, “Zombie High” is the perfect fit. From the creepy cafeteria to the spooky school dance, their version of high school doesn’t miss a beat. Even outside the attraction it feels like the campus of a real high school.” Classic mazes that visitors have always enjoyed include Fury, a top secret weapons facility that uses an experimental military drug to mutate and disfigure its human subjects. Cornstalkers is a corn maze filled with scarecrows ready to chase down the new harvest of flesh. Asylum is a twisted facility for mental patients where insanity is your only hope of forgetting the horrific sights and sounds you’ll see within. If you are afraid of clowns, Last Laff 3D is your worst nightmare. Clowns and circus freaks are looking for fresh blood to continue their demented
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performances, and you are their next target. For a dollar, you can purchase 3D glasses and fully experience the 3D glow paint and effects. Defex is a deranged toy factory and Silver Scream is a “sinematic” tour of some of the creepiest horror films ever made. There are also three live shows performed by the ghostly characters including Blood Drums, Enternal Jamnation , and Night Terrors. Scarowinds also includes thrill rides in the dark that are more terrifying than even before. Rides include Afterburn, Carolina Cobra, Carolina Cyclone, Carolina Goldrusher, Hurler, Intimidator, Nighthawk, Thunder Road, and Vortex. The Intimidator is the tallest, fastest, and longest roller coaster in the Southeast, and was just ranked one of the top ten roller coasters in the US in an article for Time Magazine. “SCarowinds Halloween Haunt continues to grow larger and more lurid each and every year as we’ve developed it into the premier Halloween event in the Carolinas,” said Bart Kinzel, Vice President and General Manager of Carowinds. “The goal each year is to exceed our guest’s expectations. With the addition of 3 new haunted attractions, there will certainly be the opportunity to send guests home afraid to sleep through the night after their visit!” SCarowinds Halloween Haunt is too intense for young children, and is not recommended for those under the age of 13. No costumes or masks are permitted. For additional information, visit Scarowinds.com. Date & Time: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights from September 14th to October 27, 7pm to midnight, and a special late-night haunting on October 19 and 26 and is located 14523 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273. Tickets: Advance tickets range from $26.99 to $40.00 depending on the night of your visit. There are a limited number of Fright Lane tickets that allow you to bypass the regular wait lines for every one of our Haunt mazes one time each. The Fright Feast Group Package is exclusively for groups of 15 or more, and includes a devilishly tantalizing all-you-can-eat meal and early entry into Scarowinds. Emily Valine, Contributing Writer
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Autumn Theater Guide Just because summer has come to an end and the days have grown shorter doesn’t mean the passion for the arts and cultural performances has burned out. Fall is the perfect time to gather your friends and family and head down to the theater, whether your favorite hot spot is Ovens Auditorium, Levine Center of the Arts, or the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. From mesmerizing dance performances to light-hearted comedies, Charlotte’s theater scene has something for everyone, and we’ve composed a list of the performances we’re looking forward to the most! Dracula Bites Two genres that are difficult to blend are comedy and horror, but Dracula Bites does it well. Part spoof and part commentary, the plot is centered on a writer who has composed a play strictly following the original
Dracula novel. When he finally gets his big break and a chance to see his name in lights, things start to go hilariously wrong, and what results is a brand new horror story no one could have predicted. Perfect for vampire-lovers and Halloween enthusiasts everywhere, Dracula Bites opens just in time to get into the holiday spirit. Dracula Bites opens Saturday, October 12 at 2 p.m. at the Duke Energy Theater and runs until Saturday, October 19, which will also be a costume night for attendees to show off their favorite Halloween garb! Rouge Mixing daring acrobatics with contemporary aerial performance and the grace of ballet, Caroline Calouche & Co. knows how to blend a variety of artistic dance that has captivated audiences since their founding in 2005. Their performance of Rouge is no exception. Filled with jaw-dropping silk aerial fabric dances contrasted with
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witty comedy, Rouge is the perfect blend of mystique and light atmosphere to provide the perfect escape for an enjoyable night of acrobatic feats and wonders. Rouge opens on Friday, October 11 at 7 p.m. at the Booth Playhouse and runs through Saturday, October 12. Carmen A historical drama based on dangerous attraction, Sasha Janes’ version of Carmen brings local flare and culture to Georges Bizet’s play. Originally written in the 1870s and set in Spain, Carmen has since undergone a transformation to take place in the 1930s in Charlotte, with the title character working in a textile mill during the famed strikes of the time. The production strongly pulls on traditional ballet as well as American folk dancing in its choreography, and breathes life into a fiery seductress who uses her wits and charm to captivate the powerful figures in the community, from a National Guard soldier to a baseball star. Carmen will be open at the Knight Theater, running Thursday, October 17 at 7:30 p.m. to Saturday, October 19. Arsenic and Old Lace A combination of comedy and murderous twist, Arsenic and Old Lace follows the journey of Mortimer Brewster as he frets over whether or not to keep his promise to marry the love of his life while juggling the stresses his family places on him. Between homicidal aunts who poison old men and bury them in the cellar to an insane brother who believes he is a former president, this wild tale will entertain and hold you at the edge of your seat - especially as Mortimer has to deal with the local police! The play will open Friday, October 25 at 8 p.m. at Theatre Charlotte and will close Sunday, November 10.
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Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty For the dance enthusiasts among us, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty is another fantastic production by the award-winning British director that showcases grace and complex choreography heavily based in ballet. A self-proclaimed “gothic romance” with Tchaikovsky backing the musical score, Sleeping Beauty is a drama of epic proportions, delicate period costume, and radiant, highly contrasted stage lighting and sets. The story is based on “love, death, birth, and romance,” in the words of actress Hannah Vassallo. Bourne has directed a number of highly successful Broadway productions in the past – including Mary Poppins – and has won over fifty awards for his groundbreaking work and beautiful choreography. Sleeping Beauty will open Tuesday, November 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Belk Theater and will run until Sunday, November 10. Forbidden Broadway Forbidden Broadway is an eclectic collection of various skits and parodies of popular, in-season Broadway productions, including: Spiderman, Death of a Salesman, and Book of Mormon. Along with over-the-top performances from an award winning cast, the show includes tongue-in-cheek rewrites of popular songs as well as hilarious replications of recognizable costume and characters. Comedy is no stranger to the group who re-enacts Broadway scenes; included on their resumes is performances in Yo, Vikings!, Legally Blonde, and You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up. Forbidden Broadway opens on Tuesday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Booth Playhouse and runs through Sunday, November 24. Sarah Hudson, Entertainment Contributor
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Who’s Got Game? You have your lucky jersey on. Fantasy teams are set. Your rally cap is ready, cowbell in hand and all pre-game rituals have been performed. Now where do you watch the game? Charlotte has a host of great places to watch the game. Whether it’s NFL or College football, the Baseball World Series or the start of hockey and basketball seasons, there’s somewhere great to watch the game. Here are a few places to check out and why. All-American Pub & Cans Recycled Home Team: Florida State Seminoles TVs: 20 Specials: Half Priced Appetizers Mon-Fri 4-6 PM, $5 Panther Punch Shots, and $4 Bloody Mary Bar Sundays. Located in Historic Southend at the Bland stop for the light rail, All-American Pub provides countless options for game-day. The Pub is open for lunch, dinner, and late night every day, featuring one of the area’s best Sunday Brunch menus.
The chef’s menu proudly takes traditional bar food to a new level by integrating the freshest ingredients into Classical Southern fare. The menu changes seasonally, but the steaks, salads and burgers are always solid choices. Upon entering the Pub, take notice of the large wooden beams, rustic brick, and hardwood floors from this early 20th century building. Watch the games outside or inside at the bar, in a booth, at a table or on a couch. Cans Recycled has taken over The Oak Room at All-American Pub, open 12pm-2am on Panther home game days. As the Official Panthers Home Game After-Party… it’s sure to be a good time with their renowned Tall Boy cans, full bar and small food menu. 200 E Bland St., Charlotte, 28203 | 704.370.2000 | AllAmericanPubClt.com Brazwells Home Team: All of them! TVs: 28 Specials: Half Priced Appetizers Mon-Fri 4-6 PM, $5 Woo Woo Shots, and $4 Bloody Mary Bar All Weekend. Named after William Joel Braswell (5/17/31 – 8/22/06), a University of Florida graduate, devoted Gator fan and member of Shaggers on the Strand’s “Living Legends Hall of Fame,” Brazwell’s Premium Pub encourages their guests to live life to the fullest and enjoy the company of friends. To foster that ideal, Brazwell’s offers a bit of everything. Guests can sit inside or outside, with the rear patio being the biggest draw with its own bar and new 70” TVs. There are great drink specials and weekly sports trivia with WFNZ. Parking on Montford is often tricky, but the food, service and atmosphere at Brazwell’s are worth it. 1627 Montford Dr., Charlotte, 28209 | 704.523.3500 | BrazwellsPub.com Fitzgerald’s Home Team: Pittsburgh Steelers, University of Georgia, Penn State TVs: 26 Specials: $4.00 Wells, $6 Double Wells, and $5 Baby Guinness. Located in uptown Charlotte, Fitzgerald’s is open seven days a week. With the flex-
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ibility of an outdoor patio, top bar and private dining room in additional to the wall-long main bar, tables and booths, Fitzgerald’s Irish Pub can hold 400 people. That makes for some good game watching. Throw in some good eats and you could be here awhile. The menu boasts some traditional Irish dishes like Corned Beef Cabbage, Shepherds’ Pie and Fish and Chips. There’s also the standard bar fare and eight differ burgers. Don’t know where to park? Fitzgerald’s validates parking at the Wake Forest Parking Garage with validation between 5pm-3am. 201 E 5th St., Charlotte, 28202 | 704.900.8088 FitzgeraldsCharlotte.com Hooters Home Team: Panthers TVs: 26 Specials: Half-Prize Appetizers 10pm-close, and buy 10 get 10 wings. Showing everything from football to soccer to UFC and WWE, Hooters allows fans of all sports to settle in and watch their favorite sport. Whether you’re there for the game, the food or the Hooters girls, you’re sure to have fun. 123 W Trade St., Charlotte, 28202 | 704-333-4566 9807 South Blvd., Charlotte, 28273 | 704- 643-2044 Hooters.com Icehouse Home Team: South Carolina Gamecocks TVs: 20 Specials: $4 Bloody Mary Sundays, $12 Buckets of Beer, and $4 Gamecock Shots. Located in historic Atherton Mill in Southend and in walking distance from the West Blvd Light Rail station, IceHouse features upscale casual American fare with over 250 beers and one of Charlotte’s largest covered patios.
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The 100-seat covered area has a unique translucent awing that lets sun shine through while keeping the heat at bay. The impressive interior is accented with dark woods and electric blues to provide an inviting, casual, energetic atmosphere. The upper level billiards loft and semi-private dining overlook the restaurant below. 2100 South Blvd., Charlotte, 28203 704.375.1128 | IcehouseSouthend.com Jock and Jills TVs: 75-plus Specials: $2.50 select Drafts, $3.99 Jack & Cokes, and $4.79 select wine by the glass. Opened in 1996, Jock and Jills claimed Best New Sports Bar and Best New Restaurant that same year. 17 years later and they’re still going strong…with more than 75 HD TVs to watch the games on. Yes, that’s right…75. Conveniently located off Tyvola Rd between I-77 and I-85, Jocks and Jills also has a 100-seat covered patio…with TVs of course. Add in seating for another 200 people inside and free Wi-Fi to check your Fantasy
scores and sports fanatics can’t go wrong. 4109 Southstream Blvd., Charlotte, 28217 | 704.423.0001 | JocksAndJills.com
Kennedy’s Home Team: Cleveland Browns TVs: 20 Specials: $2 Select Drafts, $4 Great Lakes Drafts, $4 Drink of the Day, $4 Wells, $5 Fireball, and $5 Irish Car Bomb. Voted the Best Patio in Charlotte, Kennedy’s Premium Bar & Grill is located in the historic Elizabeth area of Charlotte. Big screen TVs are spread throughout the pub and large deck area. The food and drink menu features a variety of both American and Irish choices. 366 N Caswell Rd., Charlotte, 28204 | 704. 375.0218 | KennedysCharlotte.com
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Men’s Club Home Team: All of them TVs: 16 and 1 Projector Specials: Monday NFL Madness there are $3 Domestics, $5 Cocktails, and $10 for 12 wings. Whether you’re in the mood for appetizers, steak, seafood or burgers, the 50-item menu at The Men’s Club of Charlotte offers something for everyone. The 15,000 square-foot luxury entertainment complex also features are 4,000 square-foot Sky Lounge providing an aerial view of the club and activities below. 444 Tyvola Rd., Charlotte, 28217 | 704.525.8525 | MensClub.com Picasso’s Home Team: Panthers and 49ers TVs: 20 Specials: Uptown location they have $3 Sam Adams, and $4 Well Drinks and University location they have $12 Buckets. Previously voted as Best Sports Bar and Best Wings in Charlotte, Picasso’s features 20 HDTVs and a 16-foot HD Movie Screen at the Uptown location. The University location has fifteen 50-inch HDTVs and a 13-foot HD Movie Screen. With 14 different kinds of pizzas, 13 ways Wings are prepared and free shuffleboard, it’s hard to go wrong making Picasso’s a game-day favorite. 222 S Church St., Charlotte, 28202 |704.376.8767 230 E W T Harris Blvd., Charlotte, 28262 | 704.595.9553 | PicassosSportsCafe.com Whiskey Warehouse Home Team: Alabama TVs: 18 Specials: Half Priced Appetizers Mon-Fri 4-6 PM, $3.50 Sweet Water 420 Extra Pale Draft, and $5.50 Chardonnay. The rooftop patio at Whiskey Warehouse is one of the best in town. With a large, wraparound, granite bar, wood floors, umbrella-covered tables and a great view of uptown’s skyline, the “Top Shelf” is a popular spot still. Mix in a long drink menu of more than 50 beers and 70 whiskeys, large food menu, plenty of seating and ample TVS in the main room, and Whiskey Warehouse is another solid game-watching venue. 1221 The Plaza, Charlotte, 28205 |704.334.7005 | WhiskeyCharlotte.com Troy Adams, Contributing Writer
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MEET ME AT THE MILL
The Belfast Mill located in historic Brevard Court is a charming little Irish Pub with loads of character, a brilliant atmosphere and one of the coziest bars in all of Charlotte. Everyday Specials on Draft Beer, Bottled Beer, Mixed Drinks and Shots. Catch NFL, College Football, Baseball Playoffs, English Premiership and a whole host of other sports on our large high resolution TV’s.
Open 7 Days A Week Mon – Fri: 3pm to 2am Sat: 11am to 2am Sun. 12pm to 12m
144 Brevard Ct. Charlotte 28202 704.333.7160
NoDa’s Neighborhood Theatre Gaining Momentum Continuing to Reshape The Neighborhood Theatre, located in Charlotte’s North Davidson District (NoDa) is looking to become the premier music venue of its size in the Southeast. They’re off to a great start. At just under a capacity of 1,000, the Neighborhood Theatre reopened its doors last May after an ownership switch that temporarily left it vacated. With a bare theatre and a prime piece of real estate, Gregg McCraw and his company, MaxxMusic, entered to take control. “We inherited this space and there was nothing,” McCraw said. “We managed to get shows on the books and reopened in a little over two months. With that comes some new venue pains and I think some people may have been under the impression that with the same name it would be more or less
the same (venue). Certainly when they came through the doors they realized a lot had changed.” One of the first things that continues to strike concertgoers when entering the remodeled Neighborhood Theatre is that there is a brand new, wrap-around bar in the front room with a walkup from the back, mainconcert room. The bar is easily accessible from all ends of the venue – a welcoming change from the old setup of two, small bar areas with long, single-file lines that tested the patience of concertgoers. Another surprising fact is that the old Neighborhood Theatre didn’t accept credit cards – new ownership quickly changed that. With the closing of several art galleries in Charlotte, the Neighborhood Theatre determined to fill the gap and opened it’s bar room into somewhat of a gallery – displaying the work of local artists. The artwork will be changed out monthly, similar to what the Evening Muse (another staple of NoDa) does with its wall space. A small stage has also been added to the bar room in an attempt to make the Neighborhood Theatre open on a night-to-night basis. With simply not enough acts available to fill the 1,000-person main room seven-nights per week, the small stage in the bar room will give more local acts the opportunity to get on a stage in town and allow more Charlotte residents a place to grab a drink and enjoy live music. The Neighborhood Theatre is, by far, the largest attraction in NoDa and, in a way, has maintained a symbiotic relationship with the neighborhood and it’s strip of restaurants, bars and other attractions. “When we have large events we can bring 1,000 people to the neighborhood that all need to eat at the restaurants and maybe before or after the show go to one of the bars around here,” McCraw said. “So yeah, I think economically it’s safe to say we’re the centerpiece of the neighborhood. “We’d certainly love for people to come in early and have a drink with us or stay later and have a drink with us,” McCraw laughed. “That’s part of our new plan but we also completely understand how we fit
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in the neighborhood. The [Evening] Muse is also a very important piece of the neighborhood because it’s open almost seven days a week with music.” All in all, feedback from concertgoers and music fans around Charlotte has been high praise to the Neighborhood Theatre. Alex Shaw (general manager of the facility) handles all social networking aspects for the NT and has seen a lot of excitement through those platforms since ownership switched hands. Shaw held similar responsibilities under the old regime, so he has a very clear perspective on how things have changed for the better. “When we posted a picture of the (newly remodeled) women’s bathroom (to Facebook) you would’ve thought we posted a picture of the Second Coming,” Shaw joked. McCraw, Shaw and the rest of the crew in charge of running the Neighborhood Theatre admit that the renovations are still a work in progress and, in fact, they want people to know they’re aware changes are still needed. “We’re listening to what everyone says and making changes as quickly as we can to get as close to perfection as we can,” McCraw said. Social networking has been an attractive forum to hear what people want to see changed and what they are enjoying. “We ask a lot of questions (online),” Shaw said. “We like to get responses out of people. Instead of informational posts we like to post more behind the scenes stuff.” It will be at least another 12 months until the Neighborhood Theatre is where it wants to be, according to McCraw. But it doesn’t take more than a quick glance to see that it has come a long way in less than six months and is not only exceeding expectations but also having no plans of becoming stagnant in the music community. McCraw has been an active member of the Charlotte music scene for over 17 years. There was not a lot of music venues when he started out but he has watched the scene continuously develop – and takes joy in doing
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his part of bringing new acts to Charlotte that may have previously been skipping over the city. His booking company, MaxxMusic, has been bringing national acts to Charlotte venues like Visulite Theatre, Double Door Inn and more since 1999. McCraw says that the biggest battle for the music community in Charlotte is to develop a culture where when people get home from work, they don’t feel options are so limited that they need to stay home and call it a night. “There’s a vibrant music culture in this town,” he said. Check out NeighborhoodTheatre.com for upcoming concert information and “Like” them at www.facebook.com/neighborhoodtheatre for unique status updates and to share feedback. David J. Sentendrey, Contributing Writer David is a professional writer and musician based in Charlotte. He can be reached at davidsentendrey@gmail.com.
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Every Hour is Happy Hour at The French Quarter One of Uptown’s Oldest Establishments “Serving Charlotte Since 1978”
LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM ROMAIN BEARDON PARK
JOIN US PANTHERS SUNDAYS We will be open 10:30 am till ?? 9/8 vs Seahawks | 9/22 vs. Giants DAILY DRINK AND FOOD SPECIALS Open Mon. Through Fri. 11 am - 9 pm Kitchen Open Till 10 pm On Friday’s Bar Open Till Last Call LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY’S KICKS OFF AT 6PM - NO COVER
321 S. Church St. 704.377.7415 Located in Historical Brevard Court
Wild Wild Wings! You’re a faithful fan…of wings. You love your sports and your team…but with wings you don’t have to love just one. You can cheer for Buffalo, Montreal, Hawaiian or Southwest. That wouldn’t go over well with Carolina and Atlanta, Boston and New York or Chapel Hill and Columbia. Thankfully, the following list gives you both wings…and a great sports-watching experience. Fuel Pizza Number of flavors: 12 Specials: Gluten Free Pizza & Beers Other: Field to Fork program Fuel Pizza has been making great pies in Charlotte since 1998. And it all started with a few transplants from New York that couldn’t find the right slice, so they decided to do it themselves and found a funky 1930s gas station on Central Ave. to start from.
15 years later and there’s six Charlotte locations to choose from. Fuel Pizza is also active in the community with the Field to Fork program, where selected students plan, grow and harvest their own vegetable gardens. Their menu includes 12 flavors of wings, available in Crispy Buffalo or Tender Boneless. Multiple locations please check their website at FuelPizza.com.
Wild Wing Café Number of flavors: 33 Specials: $2.50 PBR / $4 Fireball / Football & Daily Specials Other: Uptown; All-You-Can-Eat Wings, Mon-Fri, 11:30AM-1:30PM / ALL: $3 Hungry Hour, Mon-Fri, 4-7PM Your team may be winning or losing…but you’ll be the one having the “Atomic Meltdown,” yelling “FREEEEEEDOM” as you go “Braveheart” and tell “The Boss” he/she is an “Old Yeller” with a “China Syndrome.” 2132 Ayrsley Town Blvd., Charlotte, 28273 | 980.297.7000 9539 Pinnacle Dr., Charlotte, 28262 | 704.708.9453 210 E Trade St. #262, Charlotte, 28202 | 704.716.9464 WildWingCafe.com
DD Peckers Number of flavors: 26 Specials: Daily Lunch and Drink Specials Other: Live music every weekend & live trivia contests each Wednesday. Serving regulars and irregulars since 2002 is one of their slogans, clearly staying consistent with their other: “A fun neighborhood joint.” Bring enough people and they’ll put on whatever game you want on their 12 TVs. Or show up on trivia and try to be the smartest person in the room. Either way, eat the wings…and you win again. 10403 Park Rd, Charlotte, 28210 | 704.541.4113 | DDPeckers.com
Buffalo Wild Wings Number of flavors: 16 Specials: Wing Tuesdays and Boneless Thursdays specials Other: They’ll put on Rhythmic Jujitsu if you can drink beer and eat wings to it.
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With 16 signature sauces and 5 different seasons, the combinations are many. You do the math. A simpler equation though would be 25 wings + 30 Flat Screen TVs = sports bliss. 400 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd., Charlotte, 28202 | 704.971.9464 2530 Sardis Rd N., Charlotte, 28227 | 704.849.9464 440 E McCullough Dr. #230, Charlotte, 28262 | 704.510.1545 BuffaloWildWings.com
Wing Zone Number of flavors: 17 Other: Eat enough wings and earn mugs, coolers, cornhole boards & chairs! Eat in, order out, earn your wings…and wing rewards. Wing Zone delivers… both literally and figuratively. Want to try something new? How about the Tokyo Dragon, Mango Fire or Cinnamon Maple? If you’re brave, try the Nuclear Habanero, then take the rest of the night off. 9605 N Tryon St., Charlotte, 28262 | 704.717.2445 | WingZone.com
Buffalo Wings & Rings Number of flavors: 9 Specials: $2.50 Pints / $2.50 Bottles Other: True Death Contest Nine flavors. Five heat levels. Six core values. Buffalo Wings & Rings takes their wings seriously and since 1984 has set out to give customers the finest wings in America. What they may also give you…is the True Death. If you think you can survive, you’ll need to eat 6 of their Atomic wings in 6 minutes, then sit for 6 minutes with no drinking, eating or going to the bathroom. Do that and you’ll receive free wings, a survival t-shirt and a picture on the Wall of Flame. 16715 Orchard Stone Run, Charlotte, 28277 | 704.543.9464 CarolinaWingsAndRings.com
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Lebowski’s Neighborhood Grill Number of flavors: 6 Specials: Twice a Day Happy Hour Mon-Fri @ 4-6pm and 10pm-12am Other: Over 70 craft and imported beers Locally owned and operated, Lebowski’s is also an Official Bills Backer spot. As in Buffalo…which is also one of their wing flavors. Bring your friend Bill, eat some Buffalo style wings and watch more Bills. Or eat some wings, enjoy some cold beverages and head home to watch “The Big Lebowski” on a full stomach and nice rug. The Dude would be proud. 1524 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203 / 704-370-1177 / LebowskisGrill.com
Saucemans Number of flavors: 6 Other: Winner of BBQ Pitmasters, Best NC BBQ. Located in Historic SouthEnd, Sauceman’s delicately fries Prestige Farms jumbo chicken wings and slathers them in their original wing sauce. They’re flash finished on the grill then served to you to stuff in yours. Founded over a love of Lexington-style BBQ, you can’t go wrong with wings or BBQ. Soo-ee! 228 West Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203 / 704-333-7070 / Saucemans.com
Wild King Café Number of flavors: 45 Specials: Daily Specials Other: Live music Wings are King at Wild King Café. That’s their slogan of course, and from our research, it appears to be true. Their 45 different flavors are the most variety we found in Charlotte. You can find 24 Karat Gold, Maui Wowie, Sweet Chili, Old Bay and more. Of course, Wild King Café will tell you they like ‘em hot and naked. 13209-B Carowinds Blvd., Charlotte, 28273 | 704.504.1954 | WingKingCafe.net Troy Adams, Contributing Writer
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NOTHING TO DO IN CHARLOTTE?
Blumenthal Performing Arts Center Blumenthal Performing Arts Center presents the best in the performing arts; and in partnership with others, it shares and employs the arts as a major catalyst to strengthen education, build community cohesiveness and advance economic growth. Blumenthal Performing Arts is home to outstanding arts organizations including Charlotte Symphony, Community School of the Arts, North Carolina Dance Theatre, NCDT2 (Apprentice Company of North Carolina Dance Theatre), On Q Productions, Opera Carolina, Queen City Theatre Company, and The Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film. The Blumenthal also takes the performing arts off the stage and to area classrooms. Their arts-integrated instruction helps to raise test scores, boost student enrollment and retain talented teachers. 130 N. Tryon St., Charlotte | 704.372.1000 | BlumenthalArts.org
Mint Museum RANDOLPH Housed in what was the original branch of the United States Mint, the Mint Museum Randolph opened in 1936 in Charlotte’s historic Eastover neighborhood as the first art museum in North Carolina. Today the Mint features collections that span more than 4,500 years of human creativity from all over the world. Intimate galleries invite visitors to engage with the art of the ancient Americas, ceramics and decorative arts, historic costume and fashionable dress, and European, African, and Asian art, among other collections. Resources include a reference library with over 15,000 volumes, a theater featuring lectures and performances, and a Museum Shop offering merchandise that complements both the permanent collection and special exhibitions. 2730 Randolph Rd., Charlotte | 704.337.2000 | MintMuseum.org Mint Museum UPTOWN The Mint Museum Uptown houses the internationally-renowned Mint Museum of Craft + Design, as well as outstanding collections of American, contemporary, and European art. Cell phone audio tours are available for the permanent collection and special exhibitions. Release your child’s inner artist in the Lewis Family Gallery and browse the Museum Shop’s rich selection of hand-crafted artworks. 500 S. Tryon St., Charlotte 704.337.2000 |MintMuseum.org Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture exists to present, preserve and promote African American art, culture and history for the education and enlightenment of all. Formerly known as the Afro- American Cultural Center, the center has celebrated the contributions of Africans and African-Americans to American culture for 35 years and serves as a community epicenter for music, dance, theater, visual art, film, arts education programs, literature and community outreach. 551 S. Tryon St., Charlotte | 704.547.3700 | GanttCenter.org Discovery Place Step into a world where science is brought to life through interactive exhibits and explosive experiments during daily programs. Connect with the past and future with groundbreaking exhibitions, larger-than-life IMAX Dome films and hands-on activi-
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ties that let you explore more. As one of the leading hands-on science centers in the country, Discovery Place offers visitors the opportunity to gain a greater understanding of the basics of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in a fun, interactive and informal setting. 301 N. Tryon St., Charlotte | 704.372.6261 | DiscoveryPlace.org Bechtler Museum of Modern Art Welcome to Charlotte’s new, world-class Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The museum features the private art collection of Andreas Bechtler and his family, with more than 1,400 artworks created by major figures of 20th century modernism. The collection is also accompanied by books, photographs and letters illustrating the personal connections between the artists and the Bechtler family. 420 S. Tryon St., Charlotte | 704.353.9200 Bechtler.org Charlotte Museum of History and Hezekiah The Charlotte Museum of History is an educational organization that captures and shares the stories of the Charlotte region from settlement forward through exhibits and programs. The museum collects, preserves, researches, and interprets regional artifacts, including the oldest surviving house in Mecklenburg County, the 1774 Hezekiah Alexander Homesite. 3500 Shamrock Dr., Charlotte |704.568.1774 | CharlotteMuseum.org Charlotte Nature Museum Charlotte Nature Museum is dedicated to providing high-quality, high-energy, naturebased learning that enlightens, educates and inspires. Visitors can walk among free-flying butterflies, observe live animals, buzz around with insects or hang out in the natural world. Daily programming including puppet shows and hands-on activities provide the opportunity for structured learning and informal play for the young and old alike. 1658 Sterling Rd., Charlotte | 704.372.6261 CharlotteNatureMuseum.org Actor’s Theater Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte is your entertainment destination for bold, engaging and innovative new plays in Uptown Charlotte. Now in their 24th season, ATC has become
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known throughout the Carolinas as THE place to see the best and brightest new plays from across the country. As Charlotte’s most award-winning professional theatre group, they work hard to bring you the finest in live entertainment, all without the high cost normally associated with quality theatre. So, if you like your theatre fresh, new, entertaining, and yes, sometimes controversial, Actor’s Theatre is the perfect place for you. 650 E. Stonewall St., Charlotte | 704.342.2251 ActorsTheatreCharlotte.org Levine Museum of the New South This is the nation’s only history museum focused on the people, places and a period of time – from 1865 to today. It reveals new ways of thinking about economic, political and cultural life in the South. The museum collects, preserves, and interprets the materials, sights, sounds, and ideas that illuminate and enliven this history. Exhibits feature post-Civil War southern society, black and white, rich and poor, long-time residents and newcomers who have shaped the South since the Civil War. 200 E. 7th St., Charlotte | 704.333.1887 MuseumOfTheNewSouth.org McColl Center for Visual Art McColl Center for Visual Art is a nationally acclaimed contemporary art center dedicated to connecting art and artists with the community. Located in a historic, neo-Gothic church in Uptown Charlotte, the Center houses nine artist studios and over 5,000 square feet of gallery space. McColl Center for Visual Art welcomes the public to explore their exhibitions and connect with artists through various programs including open studios, community outreaches, workshops and more. 721 N. Tryon St., Charlotte | 704.332.5535 | McCollCenter.org North Carolina Dance Theatre North Carolina Dance Theatre is a Charlotte-based, world class repertory dance ensemble. It performs classic, contemporary and cutting-edge dance with virtuosity, energy, and artistic excellence for local, statewide and national audiences. Dance Theatre’s collective talents provide the opportunity and give us the responsibility to challenge, stimulate, educate, entertain, and thereby enrich our audiences. It provides artistically excellent programming to diverse audiences in its home city of Charlotte, the Southeast region, and to the varied communities it serves while on tour across the nation. NC Dance Theatre has received critical recognition nationally for excellence in programming, education and outreach, and dance training. 701 N. Tryon St., Charlotte | 704.372.0101| NCDance.org Sydney Miles
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