Queen City Nerve - November 30, 2022

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JUSTIN LAFRANCOIS jlafrancois@qcnerve.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF RYAN PITKIN rpitkin@qcnerve.com

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KARIE SIMMONS ksimmons@qcnerve.com

STAFF WRITER PAT MORAN pmoran@qcnerve.com

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WHAT CONNECTS US

Best in the Nest 2022 is our look back from the future

BY RYAN PITKIN

It’s hard to believe that we’re here bringing you our fourth annual Best in the Nest issue. I remember sitting in this same office building (in a much smaller office) working on our first Best in the Nest in 2019, and to think about how much we have all been through since then is overwhelming.

So instead, let’s think about this issue, which is filled with all the people, places and things that made 2022 a great year to live in Charlotte.

There’s an important point I try to make in this Editor’s Note every year, which is that the Best in the Nest is not about gatekeeping. Because I get it: Who the hell are we to tell you what is better than something else?

That’s why I think of this issue as more of a year-end guide to everything that we thought was awesome about 2022 — as a team of journalists

who make it our mission to spend all year seeking out such things.

Our theme this year is ’22 and You, which we thought was a cool way to play on the popular 23 and Me trend. What are these year-end issues — or any of our issues for that matter — if not a snapshot in time to be looked back on by generations to come who want to make the connections to their own relative present. Sure, their own relative present might be an apocalyptic hellhole, but that’s not what we’re here to ponder at the moment.

When I used to read through the archives at the old alt weekly I worked at before launching this one, I was always struck by how similar the issues were that people cared about 30 years ago, as if the same public forums were being held at the same city council meetings three decades later.

Whether you find that intriguing or depressing, there’s no denying that we remain connected to those who came before us, for better or worse, and I find it an important part of our mission here at Queen City Nerve to ensure that those who come after us have a source to learn more about the ones who came before them — those who fought similar battles, made similar art, jammed on similar stages, and cooked on similar lines.

I also find it extremely important to acknowledge those who help us in that mission, because Lord knows the paper you’re reading right now was not an easy one to put together.

So here’s a huge shout out to all the folks who make Best in the Nest possible — those who contributed, those who did the reporting that contributors pulled from, those who provided the visuals, and most of all, those who shared their stories with us in 2022. Thank you.

Best in the Nest Contributors: Pat Moran, Karie Simmons, Timothy DePeugh, Aerin Spruill, Allison Frazier, Dezanii Lewis, Rayne Antrim, Sam Spencer and Katie Grant.

With reporting from: Nikolai Mather, Autumn Rainwater, Yvonne Bynoe, Clarissa DonnellyDeRoven, Katie Dukes, Jeff Taylor, Perry Tannenbaum, Jasiatic Anderson, Isaac Naylor, Jillian Mueller, Syn Harris, Matt Cosper, Shelley Bennett, Jeff Hahne, Liz Logan, NC Health News and Education NC.

And photos by: Grant Baldwin, Brian ‘BT’ Twitty, Jonathan Golian, Sarah Slusarick, Remy Thurston, Kenty Chung, Peter Taylor, Steven Key, Darnell Vennie, Ryan Allen, Mary Benson, Jamel Shabazz, Kevin ‘Surf’ Mitchell, Morgan Shields, Shane Travis, Daniel Coston, Gothika Magazine, Brandon Romeo, Jonathan Cooper, Jeff Hahne, Gage Skidmore, Jay Bowser and Fenix Foto.

Special thanks to the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room at the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library for allowing use of the photos we used on the cover and in the section headers throughout this paper.

RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

‘WHERE INSPIRATION AND STRENGTH BLOOMS’ BY SAM GUZZIE, OWL, AND KALIN RENÉE DEVONE

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

CRITICS’ PICKS: CITY LIFE

Every day there are folks working hard to ensure a better future for our city. This is for them.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Ella Scarborough

Ella Butler Scarborough was a keystone of Charlotte politics for over three decades, but she almost didn’t make it to the Queen City. As a student at South Carolina State University, she joined a protest to desegregate a bowling alley; South Carolina Highway Patrol officers fired into the crowd killing three of her classmates and injuring many more. Ella survived and went on to be the first African American woman elected to the Charlotte City Council, then the first to serve as chair of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners. She inspired many women leaders who continue to serve today, and her 2022 passing marks another blow to the collective memory of our community.

“Ella’s survival — in the first days of her life, during the Civil Rights Movement, and even at the Orangeburg Massacre — was a miracle, but the greater miracle of Ella Scarborough was that after she counted her many blessings, she extended those blessings to others, both as a member of her faith home, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, and as an elected official and public servant,” stated U.S. Rep. Alma Adams during a speech honoring Scarborough on the floor of the United States House of Representatives in June. “Blessings are not just ours to have, but to give. That was the lesson I hope we can all learn from Councilwoman, Commissioner, and Chairwoman Ella Scarborough as we honor and remember her.”

ELLA SCARBOROUGH

COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF ALMA ADAMS

LOCAL HERO: Calla Hales

Speaking at a protest in front of the CharlotteMecklenburg Government Center on June 24 following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, Calla Hales called the Supreme Court illegitimate and called the United States “a country that is becoming a nation of conservative Christofascism.”

After stating the many reasons she had to be enraged over the decision and the political climate surrounding it, Hales said, “Tonight I’m reminding us all that this is not the moment to lose ourselves in our heartbreak. There is too much at stake to lose ourselves in the oblivion of grief. Instead, it’s the moment to lose ourselves to rage and let it radicalize us. Our personal rights, our freedoms and our lives are at stake.”

Hales is the co-owner and executive director at A Preferred Women’s Health Center, a network of abortion clinics that includes four locations: one in east Charlotte and one in Raleigh, where abortions are still very much legal; and two in Georgia, where an abortion ban took effect shortly after Roe v. Wade was overturned. The Georgia ban was blocked by a judge in November, leaving Hales unsure of where things will stand in the future, but we’re sure she will continue to help folks receive the health care they deserve one way or another.

MOST EXCITING NEWCOMER:

Dante Anderson

Dante Anderson was elected to the Charlotte City Council representing District 1 this year. Anderson experienced housing instability and food insecurity growing up in and around the Southside Homes community in south Charlotte, as she explained during an episode of Queen City Nerve’s Nooze Hounds podcast following her election, so she understands what many Charlotte residents need in their representative. She is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community and hopes to make the city a more diverse and inclusive place.

Anderson holds a dual Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and Cinema Studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a Master of Fine Arts in Cinema Studies from New York University’s The Tisch School, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She said she wants all Charlotte residents to feel that they can achieve success and plans to apply her professional skills, experience, and insight to help Charlotte City Council advance its goals.

BEST CONTENT CREATOR: Shionda Farrell

In the ever-growing city of Charlotte, it feels like there is a new restaurant every other day. Keeping up with the food scene is equivalent to having a full-time job. In fact, some folks have made it one. Shionda Farrell, a Charlotte-based food and lifestyle content creator, went full-time just a year and a half ago.

She started off posting pictures of food to her Instagram for fun. Then as TikTok rose to prominence, short videos and Reels became more appealing to the masses. As Farrell started to post more TikToks and videos, she began to go viral with regularity.

Known as @shiondafarrell on Instagram and on TikTok, Farrell has over 75,000 followers on the platforms combined. She has always been a foodie, and hopes to have her own travel business in the future, bringing people to different countries to try their cuisines and experience their cultures.

BEST TWITTER: T. Greg Doucette, @greg_doucette

Attorney T. Greg Doucette probably shouldn’t qualify for Best in the Nest — not because he’s a conservative, but because he’s in Durham. But hey, Charlotte Twitter has to step its game up because we’re not here to settle.

Doucette gained our attention with his courthouse stories, then kept it in 2020 with a running thread of police violence against protesters that turned into an archive of unwarranted police violence in general. His advocacy for criminal justice reform and penchant for wholly embarrassing members of the Republican Party, which he left during the Trump era, has kept him in our good graces.

BEST INSTAGRAM: Yvonne Bynoe, @shelovesblackart

The handle is self-explanatory: Yvonne Bynoe lives Black art, and if you do too you’ll want to follow her Instagram account. Bynoe is a creative herself (we’re looking forward to the Renaissance of Brooklyn exhibit she’s curating for The Brooklyn Collective in January 2023) and a writer who covers art, as well. What we’re trying to say here: She knows her stuff, and that’s how she seeks out the wonderful collections she shares on her Insta regularly.

BEST TIKTOK: Cory Wilkins, @blackguyscook

They say you should never go grocery shopping hungry, and that’s because you’ll end up buying out the store. You should never visit Cory’s @ blackguyscook account on TikTok when you’re hungry, but that’s only because you might faint. It’s a great guide to turn to if you’re looking for a new spot to try for lunch though. We’ve discovered The Premiere Chef, Shell’s Kitchen, Renaldo’s and so many more thanks to Cory’s work.

BEST REPORTER: David Hodges

In an age of disinformation and access journalism, Charlotte is lucky to have many local reporters willing to grind, go deep into a story, and do the work. This year, WBTV investigative reporter David Hodges stands out for his consistent, vital reporting on the state of the Charlotte Area Transportation System (CATS), the growing Tepper Sports & Entertainment empire, and challenges that affect Charlotte residents.

BEST INSTAGRAM (BUSINESS): Camp North End, @campnorthend

The fun thing about all the great aesthetics on the Camp North End Insta is that there really is as much to do there as the account makes it seem like. In other words, the FOMO is justified. From Bayhaven Food & Wine Fest to Dia de los Muertos altars to Friday Nights at Camp North End, there’s always something going on and it’s always Instagrammable.

Hodges also shines light on local government’s notorious stonewalling practices. In August 2021, he didn’t have much luck submitting Freedom of Information Act requests as reporter “David Hodges.” However, as O.W. Kenobi, he was able to receive a request from Charlotte Fire in record time. With his reporting, Hodges makes it clear the ability to hide a public record is insignificant next to the power of The Force.

DAVID HODGES APPEARS ON QUEEN CITY NERVE’S ‘NOOZE HOUNDS’ PODCAST.

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

CALLA HALES (LEFT) COURTESY OF CALLA HALES

BEST NEWSLETTER: Charlotte on the Cheap

It’s not the most aesthetically pleasing newsletter in the city, but it’s the most utilitarian. They say Charlotte’s got a lot, and local writer Jody Mace is on top of all of it, putting together guides daily that range from event listings to coupons and everything in between. Mace launched Charlotte on the Cheap in 2009, making her an OG of the newsletter scene, and she’s still on top of her game.

BEST STATE NEWSLETTER: NC Local

Maybe we’re biased, but this niche weekly newsletter from Eric Frederick at Elon University covering all things local journalism keeps our attention each time it hits the inbox. The veteran journalist offers resources and links to training, funding opportunities, plus examples of good work from throughout the state. Sure, we’ve made the latter list a few times, but that’s not why we’ve chosen NC Local; we’re in it for the love of the game.

BEST PODCAST: ‘Equal Time with Mary C. Curtis’

It’s been cool to hear veteran Charlotte journalist Mary C. Curtis make her mark in the podcast game over the last year, filling in as guest host for Mary Harris on Slate’s daily What Next pod, but she’s in her element when she’s chasing down the stories she’s most passionate about in her monthly episodes of Equal Time. As listed in the show description: “Curtis tackles policies and politics through the lens of social justice, illuminating the issues that have been, and still are, dividing the country.”

BEST COMMUNITY ORGANIZER:

Ismaail Qaiyim

Ismaail Qaiyim, founder and principal attorney at Queen City Community Law Firm and political education and policy co-chair with Housing Justice Coalition CLT, was hired earlier this year to help vendors at the Central Market, a flea market that has operated on the former Eastland Mall site since 2015, who were displaced on Feb. 11 in the lead-up to the site’s redevelopment. Vendors say their pleas for the city to help them relocate and continue on with their market have gone unheard. He helped the vendors form the Central Market Association fight for a new space, which they finally received in November.

“We wanted to be able to have a meeting, figure out what the plan was,” Qaiyim told Queen City Nerve following the February eviction from Eastland, which involved aggressive police. “Everybody knew that the vendors were going to have to go to a different site, but at the same time, giving a week or two weeks of notice instead of this, I felt like they escalated the situation by doing it this way.”

BEST ACTIVIST/ADVOCATE:

Leondra Garrett

Being a community advocate is not for the faint of heart, but for Leondra Garrett, there is nothing more important. She has worked with several nonprofit organizations, such as Block Love, an organization assisting houseless people; My Pieces, an organization that she founded to assist Black and brown people on the autism spectrum; and, more recently, Alternatives to Violence, a violence interruption program on the Beatties Ford Road corridor.

“I always ask, ‘What else is it that you would like to be doing other than this? So if I can take this away, what else is it that I can give you that you’re really going to stick to and it’s going to be a thing?’” she told Queen City Nerve of her work with at-risk youth. “And that’s been the biggest help for this work.”

BEST ACTIVIST/ADVOCATE ORGANIZATION: Mutual Aid Free Store

The Mutual Aid Free Store (MAFS) formed in November 2020 as a response to Charlotte’s growing crisis of houselessness. The organization, which is founded on principles of mutual aid and harm reduction, seeks to support those living on the streets by providing eviction crisis response, resources and education.

In November 2021, MAFS set up two community resource drop boxes, which they call Displaced Donation Stations, where people can drop off clothing, toiletries and other supplies for displaced neighbors. Both projects have earned them national media attention and a sizable social media following thanks in part to their collaboration with local artists to make the boxes stand out.

But MAFS goes beyond awareness campaigns. The organization’s main focuses are eviction crisis response, helping tent-dwelling neighbors safely relocate after an encampment is cleared, and running their namesake free store.

BEST COALITION:

Housing Justice Coalition CLT

In July, a grassroots coalition of Charlotte-area community organizations, nonprofits and residents presented its new “Housing Resolution,” a document that lays out the group’s platform, including goals, policies and demands of city leaders all built upon one driving principle: housing as a human right. The Housing Justice Coalition CLT’s new Housing Resolution called for specific actions in three focus areas: tenants’ rights, gentrification and displacement, and development policy/community benefits.

The five-page document made 31 demands of local leaders, mostly directed at elected officials at the city and county level.

“A lot of the decision-making around housing that directly impacts residents in Mecklenburg County is done by local government,” said Ismaail Qaiyim, political education and policy co-chair with the Housing Justice Coalition. “Local government actors have significant power to enact policies and utilize decision-making towards the realization of housing as a human right.”

The resolution calls for the city to create an office for tenant/renter assistance and counseling, for the county to expand tax relief plans for residents, and for both local bodies to establish a cap on campaign donations from developers, among other demands.

ISMAAIL QAIYIM COURTESY OF ISMAAIL QAIYIM

THE MUTUAL AID FREE STORE CREW: MAGENA DAVIS, NIC WHITE, TYLER BONE, NIC FELDT. PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

BEST MENTORSHIP PROGRAM:

Camping with Cradle

Inspired by his own trial-and-error experiences with camping, Keith Cradle launched this nonprofit in 2021 as a way to get underserved high schoolaged children involved with the outdoors. Cradle leads a group of six to eight kids on a long hike and camping trip for each outing, with a focus on team building, outdoor skills, environmental education and school support throughout the trip. If we know Cradle, we know he’s serious about his food, too, so we expect that even his dehydrated meals are not to be messed with. The CWC team is on winter break but will be hitting the trails again in April as things warm up.

and training led by EIG Electrical Systems, along with an hourly stipend, equipment, tools and a variety of industry certifications including OSHA 10, Aerial & Scissor Lift, and CPR & First Aid.

During their time in the program, participants were exposed to and became comfortable engaging with a variety of technologies, including both augmented and virtual reality, and career pathways such as solar energy that are shaping modern electrical construction. Additionally, EIG Electrical Systems and DPR Construction have committed to hiring a minimum of five program graduates, jumpstarting their careers within the industry.

BEST NONPROFIT:

Carolina Abortion Fund

Founded in 2011 by a collection of people who wanted to make abortion more accessible, the Carolina Abortion Fund (CAF) pays for abortions and the logistics of getting to an abortion clinic. It’s part of the National Network of Abortion Funds, organizations which have existed for years as many states have made abortion increasingly difficult to access even as it remained legal on paper.

Following the Supreme Court’s June 24 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, abortion regulation will be left entirely up to the states; millions of people will find themselves in abortion care deserts.

BEST WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT:

Potions & Pixels Legacy Program

In September, Charlotte Hornets and Lowe’s launched a 13-week workforce development program in the Grier Heights community created by Potions & Pixels. Twenty-two students, all of whom were at least 18 years old and live in or have a connection to Grier Heights, learned fundamental, high-demand electrical skills in order to pursue careers in electrical construction. The classes took place at the Grier Heights Community Center and other job sites. Students received hands-on learning

In a typical week, the fund receives about 80 calls and uses $5,000 to cover between 15 and 20 patients. They choose who to fund based on whose appointment is the soonest. The organization encourages those who don’t receive support one week (because their appointment is the following week) to call back when their abortion gets closer in order to potentially receive financial support. The fund also tries to help patients CAF turns away find another source of money. Many clinics have funds they can pull from to help reduce costs for patients who can’t afford their abortion. The Carolina Abortion Fund sometimes helps people access this money from the clinic where their procedure is scheduled.

BEST STATE GOVERNMENT DECISION:

Abolishing the Private Club Rule

As North Carolina saw more cities and towns implement social districts, as allowed through a new state law passed in 2021 (and Charlotte continues to drag its feet), state legislators continued to relax Bible Belt restrictions on drinking.

In July, Gov. Roy Cooper signed a slew of bills into law, including one abolishing a membership

rule that had long been seen as burdensome for local bars and that the NC Bar Owners Association (NCBOA) said was “rooted in racist beginnings designed to legally discriminate against people of color.”

The previous law designated any bar that doesn’t serve food — or make enough of its gross income from food sales — as a “private club” and mandated

that customers become paid members before they could be served alcohol. That meant customers at Charlotte bars like NoDa 101, Hattie’s Tap & Tavern or 1501 South Mint had to pay a nominal fee, have their ID scanned and give their phone numbers before they could be served.

CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY’S MOBILE LIBRARY, “MOLI.” COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG LIBRARY

KEITH CRADLE TALKS WITH CAMPERS. COURTESY OF CAMPING WITH CRADLE

STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM BY POTIONS & PIXELS. PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

BEST LOCAL GOVERNMENT DECISION: County’s first Behavioral Health Urgent Care

The Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners plans to launch a Behavioral Health Urgent Care (BHUC) in Mecklenburg County in early 2023 with help from Carolina Panthers legend Steve Smith. It will be the county’s first mental health urgent care facility.

At the board’s annual budget retreat in January, Smith announced that Mecklenburg County partnered with Alliance Health, Daymark Recovery and the Steve Smith Family Foundation to create this new facility.

The BHUC will be a 24/7/365 option to those experiencing crises related to mental illness or substance abuse. The facility will provide immediate mental health treatment to adults and children as an alternative to an emergency room visit. In addition to on-site assessment and treatment, BHUC staff will also be able to refer out cases.

Mecklenburg County will invest $2 million into the construction of the BHUC and plans to cover $750,000 worth of operating fees each year.

Smith, who has been outspoken about his own struggle with mental illness, presented preliminary plans for the new facility at the retreat. “That is my purpose, and when they lay me in the ground here, I want to leave a legacy on this city the same way that they’ve changed the legacy for my family for generations,” he said.

BEST POP-UP FOR A CAUSE: CML Mobile Library

In January, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library proudly introduced its new mobile library, affectionately referred to as “MoLi” (pronounced “Molly”), to the community. The 33-foot-long vehicle is stocked with over 1,000 books. It travels to high-need areas of Mecklenburg County, such as areas with low or no access to a brick-and-mortar library building.

The project is based on diversity, equity and inclusion ethos. MoLi seeks to connect with all age groups across Charlotte by meeting locals where they are. To do so, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library team has mapped out circulating routes to reach readers around Mecklenburg County.

But MoLi offers more than just books; visitors can access free Wi-Fi inside the mobile library and within a 50-foot radius of the vehicle. MoLi is also ADA-compliant with a wheelchair lift, offers

large print books, audiobooks, a Spanish literature selection, storytime and more.

LOCAL ISSUE THAT NEEDS MORE ATTENTION: Mass Death of Caregivers

Research published in October in the Journal of Pediatrics revealed the high toll caregiver deaths are taking on children nationwide, particularly Native American, Hispanic and Black children. The researchers used fertility, household composition data, and COVID-19 and excess death rates to estimate what they termed “COVID-19-associated orphanhood.” They estimated at least 1,855 children in North Carolina lost a caregiver between April 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

Updated estimates now put this number even higher. As reported by Education NC, a new report published in December 2021 by the COVID Collaborative used a similar methodology to expand on the previous estimate, including deaths from January 2020 through mid-November 2021. That study estimated 3,626 children have lost caregivers in North Carolina during that time.

The death of any caregiver can have negative impacts on the learning and health outcomes of children over the course of their lives. Children

who’ve lost caregivers are more likely to experience mental health problems and lower self-esteem. They’re also at higher risk of suicide, violence, sexual abuse and exploitation. Additionally, this type of loss is associated with shorter schooling, at a time when all students are struggling thanks to COVID-19 setbacks.

MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENT/ OPENING: Humane Society of Charlotte Animal Resource Center

To say the old Humane Society of Charlotte (HSC) needed an upgrade is a serious understatement. Crumbling walls, bugs, vermin, tight quarters, improper infrastructure and unhygienic conditions were among the daily challenges employees and volunteers faced at the nonprofit’s longtime shelter on Toomey Avenue in south Charlotte.

The building was originally used by CharlotteMecklenburg Police Department’s Animal Care and Control division, so it was designed for containment, rather than rehoming and rehabilitation. There also wasn’t enough room to host educational groups, provide resources for behavior modification, hold effective training and owner education, or offer expanded spay/neuter surgeries and other veterinary services.

On June 1, HSC finally left those struggles in the past with the opening of a new $15-million, 27,000-square-foot animal resource center on Parker Drive off Remount Road in west Charlotte. The new facility, which sits on 17 acres, was a decade in the making, fully funded by community donations raised over a five-year campaign.

MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENT/ OPENING OUTSIDE 485: Cain Center for the Arts, Cornelius

This is not normally the type of category you’d expect for a repeat win, let alone two wins separated by a full year. But alas, you know how those supply lines have delayed just about everything, and since the Cain Center will anchor a north-Mecklenburg town’s arts district that has been in the works since 2013, what was another couple years after we named the Cain Center for the Arts the Most Exciting Development in 2020?

It appears the time has finally come: The Cain Center’s grand opening week is scheduled for Jan. 3–7, 2023, with a public open house set for Jan. 3. There is already a full range of concerts, exhibits and classes set to launch throughout next year, so keep your eye on the event calendar.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF CHARLOTTE’S NEW ANIMAL RESOURCE CENTER.

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

BEST RENOVATION: Pearl Street Park

Originally opened as a WWII Victory Garden for Charlotte’s Black population, then adopted as part of the now-razed Brooklyn neighborhood, Pearl Street Park in Midtown unveiled its long-anticipated facelift in December 2021: 11 acres along the Little Sugar Creek greenway with basketball courts, a playground, fitness equipment, a pavilion for performances and a lighted field.

Pearl Street’s nicest new attraction is a large sculpture that pays homage to the history of the space. Called “Brooklyn Stories,” the sculpture is engraved with documented quotes and stories from Brooklyn residents. Created by Cliff Garten, the artwork was a collaboration between the Second Ward High School Alumni Association, Levine Museum of the New South, the Arts and Science Council and Mecklenburg County.

The park and artwork will hopefully serve as a reminder of the harm done by Brooklyn’s destruction, even as it’s surrounded by new construction related to Atrium Health’s coming Innovation District, which they’ve nicknamed The Pearl.

BEST NEW LAND USE: Ballantyne’s Backyard

In the 1980 classic Caddyshack, Rodney Dangerfield’s Czervik famously proclaimed, “golf courses and cemeteries are the biggest wastes of prime real estate.” Might we tweak that a bit to say that golf courses are the biggest waste of prime park space?

Last year, commercial real estate agency Northwood Office opened Ballantyne’s Backyard, a new community park on a former golf course in the Ballantyne neighborhood of south Charlotte.

Ballantyne’s Backyard features over 100 acres of lush green space with the former cart paths making up miles of running and walking trails and the water hazards now serving as catch-and-release fishing holes.

The space is more accessible to the community as a park than when it was a golf course. Over the past year, Ballantyne’s Backyard has put on several public events, including a summer outdoor concert series with food trucks, monthly open-air markets, outdoor movies and group fitness classes.

In September, Ballantyne’s Backyard hosted a number of visual and immersive art installations by international and local artists as part of the inaugural Charlotte International Arts Festival. We’re looking forward to seeing this park continue to become a vital space for the community to gather.

BEST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: Mecklenburg County Participatory Budgeting

Dozens of community projects recommended by residents are currently underway across Mecklenburg County thanks to a new participatory budgeting pilot program called PB Meck.

The county set aside $3 million — $500,000 for each of the six county commission districts — in its FY2023 budget for one-time projects pitched by residents through PB Meck.

In an effort spearheaded by local firm Civility Localized, community volunteers representing each district began working with residents in November 2021 to come up with ideas for projects, which were then vetted by county staff for cost and feasibility. The final list was voted on by residents during the spring and the top projects were revealed in September.

Many of the winning projects in the pilot round of participatory budgeting were related to park, greenway and environmental improvements, including new educational and literacy initiatives in county recreation centers. The county is set to implement them within the next 18 months.

BEST REBRANDING:

Housing Collaborative

Formerly known as Social Serve, Housing Collaborative is a local nonprofit organization that aims to tear down barriers and build up people starting where it matters most: at home.

When the organization was founded in 1999, they operated primarily as an information gateway to affordable housing. Over the years, the organization has grown and so has their mission with a new look and name today that better suits their cause. Housing Collaborative offers much more than information about affordable housing to Charlotteans, they collaborate with a wide range of people, groups, and organizations across our community to provide flexible, responsive support and resources tailored to people’s housing needs — whatever those needs may be.

Whether you’re a landlord looking to learn more about how affo–rdable housing works, an organization looking to make a difference when it comes to housing, or an individual seeking housing, Housing Collaborative is a one-stop shop for resources, information and guidance.

A CHARLOTTE INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL INSTALLATION AT BALLANTYNE’S BACKYARD.

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

BEST FREE EVENT OF 2022

Winner: Charlotte Pride

Runner Up: Festival in the Park

BEST JOURNALIST

Winner: Joe Bruno

BEST CHARLOTTE HERO

Winner: Candelario Saldana

Runner Up: Greg Collier

BEST CHARLOTTE HEROINE

Winner: Stefania Arteaga

Runner Up: Bree Stallings

BEST LOCAL CELEBRITY

Winner: Steph Curry

BEST LOCAL FESTIVAL

Winner: Charlotte Pride

Runners Up: Sam Spencer, Theoden James

BEST LOCAL PODCAST

Winner: Charlotte Talks

Runner Up: just a sip.

Runner Up: Onya Nerves

Runner Up: Charlotte Shout!

BEST LOCAL MEDIA OUTLET

Winner: WFAE

Runner Up: Queen City News

BEST POLITICIAN

Winner: Je Jackson

Runner Up: Braxton Winston

BEST RADIO SHOW

Winner: All Things Considered (WFAE local content)

Runner Up: Charlotte Talks

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

Winner: Jessica Charman

Runner Up: No Limit Larry

BEST NEWS ANCHOR

Winner: Molly Grantham, WBTV

Runners Up: Fred Shropshire, WCNC Brien Blakely, Queen City News

BEST TV PERSONALITY

Winner: Brad Panovich, WCNC

Runner Up: Joe Bruno, WSOC

WHAT WE NEED MORE OF

Winner: A ordable Housing

Runner Up: Public Transit and Walkability

LOCAL

BEST TV SPORTSCASTER

Winner: Eric Krakauer, Charlotte FC

Runner Up: Lloyd Sam, Charlotte FC

ISSUE THAT NEEDS

MORE ATTENTION

Winner: A ordable Housing

Runner Up: Homelessness

MOST IMPORTANT NEWS STORY OF THE PAST 12 MONTHS

Winner: City Approves Source of Income Discrimination Protections

Runner Up: Panthers HQ Fiasco

BEST TV NEWS STATION

Winner: WBTV

Runner Up: WSOC

BEST USE OF LOCAL TAX MONEY

Winner: Naturally occurring a ordable housing

Runner Up: Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools

CRITICS’ PICKS: HALL OF SHAME

We hate to be downers but there are some people walking the streets of Charlotte who made the year shittier for everyone. Do better.

City Nerve. “You’re only as good as your crew is, but he came in there so arrogant and just didn’t care.”

WORST USE OF TAXPAYER MONEY: Clear Backpacks

In December 2021, then-CharlotteMecklenburg Schools Superintendent Earnest Winston wrote a letter to staff and parents addressing what he called “a crisis of student aggression and violence within our community and our schools,” and describing a number of new safety measures his staff was considering.

Among other measures, Winston stated that his office had ordered clear backpacks for CMS high schools, though delivery would be delayed until February.

The district spent more than $441,000 on the 45,980 clear backpacks, which critics including Board of Education Student Advisor Juan Torres Muñoz warned only provide the “illusion” of safety.

In March, CMS halted distribution of the backpacks due to concerns about Proposition 65 tags on them — which are mandatory on any

item made with plastics that have been found to be potentially cancerous and are all but meaningless. The saga came to an end in July when CMS auctioned the backpacks off on a website called GovDeals for a grand total of $85,000.

WORST LAW ENFORCEMENT

OFFICIAL: Sheriff Garry McFadden

Sheriff Garry McFadden was sworn into service in 2018. The following year, he was voted “Best Rabble Rouser” in our 2019 Best in the Nest awards because of his innovative approach to changes in law enforcement.

Unfortunately, over the past year, it has become clear that Sheriff McFadden was not well-suited to the task.

“What he don’t realize, the people who work under you, they make you or break you,” Hope Abraham, a former staff member and 22-year veteran of the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office, told Queen

Abraham was one of many staff members who spoke out against McFadden as violent incidents at the Mecklenburg County central jail increased — some of whom even wrote a letter to Mecklenburg County officials to address their concerns about McFadden.

Additionally, the NC Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) issued a report about the conditions of the jail. McFadden responded to the report and did not hold himself accountable. He instead blamed the staff for not following various policies and procedures.

In December 2021, DHHS Chief Jail Inspector Chris Wood ordered McFadden to cut the jail population from 1,400 to 1,000, stating that overpopulation and staff vacancies presented a health and safety hazard. The DHHS gave McFadden 60 days to correct the safety violations, threatening to close the jail if he failed to do so.

McFadden was able to sort that issue out … sort of. In June, he announced that his office would shut down the Mecklenburg County Juvenile Detention Center in north Charlotte, citing “loss of revenue because of the depopulation efforts

recommended by the State after inspections that found staffing at the Detention Center Central inadequate to operate that facility.” The MCJDC officially ceased operations on Dec. 1.

WORST ORGANIZATION: Moms for Liberty

Moms for Liberty paints itself as a grassroots organization advocating for parents’ rights, but it’s really a billionaire-funded far-right group that uses parents as pawns to further a Christo-Fascist agenda.

Opposed to schools practicing protective COVID-19 measures and teaching true American history or sex education, the group has set up county-specific chapters (including in Mecklenburg County) across the country that target local school board meetings and members, administrators and teachers with a toxic stew of stochastic terrorism including harassment, intimidation and threats of violence.

The group’s origin story, spread by mainstream news outlets like The Washington Post, is spurious. One of the “grassroots moms” who co-founded the group is married to the vice chairman of the Florida Republican Party. Moms for Liberty claims

to be funded by T-shirt sales, but the group is well-connected with Republican politicians and right-wing groups like Conservatives for Good Government and The Heritage Foundation.

These “ordinary concerned moms” are a front for powerful players on the far right who are dedicated to dismantling public education, and an alarming amount of people in county leadership have gotten in bed with them.

WORST POLITICIAN: Kim Eagle

As part of an exhibit titled Into the Darkroom, featured at the Gaston County Museum of Art and History over the summer, photojournalist Grant Baldwin included a picture of husbands Bren and Justin Hipp sharing a kiss during 2017 Charlotte Pride celebrations.

Gaston County manager Kim Eagle later had the image removed.

“What the museum told me was that the county said that it was removed because it was an advocacy image,” Baldwin said. “That was the operative word.”

Gaston County spokesman Adam Daub released a statement about the removal of the photograph,

saying Eagle “instructed museum staff to work with the photographer to find an alternative photograph to display that would be more considerate of differing viewpoints in the community.”

The statement also said: “The museum is government-funded, and as such, it is important for the items it shares to be informational without championing political issues.”

As long as love is a political issue to some folks, we have no problem championing it over here.

WORST SPORTS OWNER: David Tepper

Credit where credit is due: Queen City Nerve previously gave David Tepper a C+ for his ownership of Charlotte FC during a largely successful inaugural season. However, as the owner of the Carolina Panthers and as a partner to local governments, Tepper has failed tremendously.

His fights with local reporters and local governments alike is reminiscent of George Shinn’s tumultuous ownership of the original Charlotte Hornets in the 1990s. His community work doesn’t make up for broken promises to east Charlotte and a three-party lawsuit with Rock Hill and York County,

South Carolina. He took far too long to fire coach Matt Rhule, and has made questionable decisions both in the front office and on the field.

WORST FAIL: CMPD’s New Media Policy

Police often use the passive voice and word choices like “officer-involved shooting” in their communications because the truth — an officer shot and killed an unarmed community member — doesn’t sound as warm and fuzzy. On Sept. 20, however, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department went a step further on Twitter and made comments detached from observable reality, claiming that “no facilities had been evacuated” Uptown when there was a possible bomb in a trash can next to the Spectrum Center.

Enter WSOC’s Joe Bruno, who quoted CMPD’s tweet with “This tweet by CMPD is not true,” then went on to post multiple pictures of an evacuated transit center and arena. CMPD proceeded to start a fight with Bruno on Twitter, lose, then delete their tweets.

Bad timing for CMPD, as the incident came around the same time they announced they will

no longer be answering requests for information from media and will instead focus the energy of their Public Information Office on recruitment and sharing the stories they wish the public to hear. So much for transparency.

WORST COMPANY: Charlotte Area Transit System

It was a rough year for Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) CEO John Lewis, to say the least, as multiple issues within the company, which is contracted but not run by the city of Charlotte, came to a head. CATS is responsible for citywide transportation. Serving 3,628 bus and rail stations scattered across the greater Charlotte area, the 69-route network boasts an average of 320,000 weekly riders, totaling more than 16.5 million riders annually.

The pandemic hit public transport hard nationwide, causing a dip in ridership that will most likely last for the foreseeable future. In 2020, Axios reported that the pandemic dealt an $8 million loss to Charlotte’s mass transit system. According to CATS data, ridership in April 2019 stood at 1.8 million but the pandemic slashed that number down by more than two thirds. Yet, CATS was spiraling downward long before the pandemic. In July, WFAE reported that ridership has been decreasing since 2014, when the Federal Transit Administration reported 23.9 million bus trips from CATS compared to 5.9 million in 2021.

The end of COVID regulations has ushered in a gradual recovery, but labor shortages have left dayto-day operations reeling, with reports of “ghost buses” and long delays on the Blue Line rampant throughout the year.

Rather than take accountability, Lewis shifted blame from the pandemic to unionized workers purportedly abusing the sick-leave policy, which affords 40 paid sick days a year. More than a third of drivers working weekday shifts and 20% of total drivers called in sick on June 22. Lewis claimed the “attendance policy loopholes” for CATS employees could result in more service cuts, potentially shortening weekday service to Saturday levels for several months. The issue there is that, following the shooting death of bus driver Ethan Rivera in February, CATS employees have been calling on Lewis to improve their standards of safety to little avail.

Then in October, Lewis jumped ship, announcing he would step down from his position to take a job in the private sector. The next person to step into the position will have a lot of work ahead of them. They better not dare take a sick day.

PHOTO BY RYAN PITKIN

MECKLENBURG COUNTY SHERIFF GARRY MCFADDEN.

MOST DESERVED DOWNFALL:

Southern Baptist Convention

For many years, Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) leaders and members alike have grasped onto the moral high ground like a life raft, casting aspersions on their neighbors for sins both real (sexual abuse in the Catholic Church) and perceived (bigotry in all its forms as justified by a misreading of the Bible).

This year, the other shoe dropped on those who like to pretend their own branch of evangelism is justified in judging anyone.

In May, an independent investigation found that SBC leaders had mishandled allegations of sexual abuse, intimidated victims and resisted attempts at reform over the course of two decades.

The report stated that the church’s executive committee leaders responded to allegations of sexual abuse by becoming “singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC to the exclusion of other considerations,” adding that victims’ claims were sometimes met with “outright hostility.”

The report included a list of 700 people associated with the church accused or convicted of sex crimes, at least 30 of which are from North

Carolina. The crimes include molesting children, rape and soliciting prostitutes. It was announced in August that the Department of Justice had launched an investigation into the systemic issues around sexual abuse in the church.

What struck us the most upon hearing this news was that it came in a year that saw countless socalled Christians, many of whom proud members of the Southern Baptist Convention, join a movement to wrongfully paint LGBTQ+ people as pedophiles, sexual deviants and “groomers.”

Our advice: Look inward.

DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU: Madison Cawthorn

How quickly the North Carolina Republican Party’s golden boy of 2020 turned into 2022’s tarnished goods. The youngest Republican elected to the House of Representatives was always a loose cannon, but the GOP was probably blinded by what they perceived as good optics.

Cawthorn, who is wheelchair-bound due to a 2014 automobile accident that left him partially paralyzed, must have seemed like a

can-do conservative unhindered by bad luck. Then came allegations by three young women of Cawthorn’s sexual misconduct, but those didn’t derail his election to western North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District and his subsequent term.

Nor was Cawthorn hampered by his enthusiastic “bucket list” trip to Hitler’s alpine hideaway near Berchtesgaden, from which he posted on social media referring to Hitler as “the Führer.”

His flurry of lies about when and why he was rejected by the U.S. Naval Academy, various gun charges at airports and getting ticketed for driving without a license didn’t slow him down, either.

GOP support only faltered when photos surfaced showing the hyper-Christian paragon of masculinity wearing lingerie and being butt-naked while pantomiming getting a blow job from a guy. The party of personal responsibility finally washed its hands of Cawthorn when he started babbling about sexual perversion among coke-snorting elected officials in Washington D.C.

PHOTO BY JAY BOWSER

ELEVATION CHURCH IS A MEMBER OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION.

PHOTO BY GAGE SKIDMORE

MADISON CAWTHORN

CRITICS’ PICKS: OBITUARIES

We’ve seen plety of businesses close this year, be it through rising rents, retirement, new plans, or in the case of Josephine “Jyoti” Bayog Friedland of Jyoti’s World Cuisine, the death of a beloved restaurateur. Whatever the case, we hope the memories remain fond ones.

Eastland DIY

On Feb. 15, city officials announced that skaters at the hugely popular Eastland DIY skatepark only had two weeks to enjoy the fruits of their labor — built up over seven years on the former Eastland Mall site — before the skatepark would be shut down on March 3.

Though skaters quietly got seven more months of time at the park after that announced deadline, on Sept. 14 the backhoes got to work and began digging up the site where so many Charlotte skaters had become part of a community in recent years.

“We brought the funds and the materials and concrete and everything we needed together and did it as a team, which is the

cool thing about skateboarding in general; it is a community,” longtime skater Chris Guller told Queen City Nerve before the demolition. “Everybody here doesn’t know each other when they come here but as you kind of get together and build this park together you build a bond with these people and that’s what we’ve had for the past seven years and now it’s going to get torn down for whatever the city has planned … It’s a staple in the skateboarding community, so to have it torn down is a big blow for everybody.”

Many skaters said they felt the city’s announcement — and the refusal of developers to include a skate park in the Eastland redevelopment plans — were signs

of how elected leaders and other officials had ignored a large and growing subculture and community in Charlotte.

“This has been an ongoing problem for 20 years … we’re never heard,” said Eastland DIY veteran Brian Mitchell. “They struggle so hard to create culture and that’s not how culture is created, it’s organic. This is culture.”

Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte

Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte was a staple in the Charlotte community and was known for its unconventional way of storytelling. Like many organizations, the business shuttered at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed operations in 2021. Unfortunately, they were plagued with problems from the time they reopened and were never quite able to overcome their issues.

Poor ticket sales and subscriptions, the aftermath of the pandemic, and the inability to find another venue once the company’s contract at Queens University’s Hadley Theatre ended were cited as reasons for the closure.

After over thirty years of productions, the Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte closed its curtains for good in the fall, after its final production, Evil Dead: the Musical ended.

“For decades, we’ve been able to showcase Charlotte’s wide range of local talent, while providing a home for working artists to tell contemporary stories and entertain residents,” wrote Executive Director Laura Rice in a statement announcing the closure. “I hope ATC’s journey has made the path easier for another theatre company to fill the void we are leaving behind.”

Coaltrane’s Char Grill

Coaltrane’s announced its closing in an Instagram post that said, “Thank you for supporting our restaurant through the highs and lows over the past 5 years. Thank you for the constant reminders of how cool our staff is and how damn good our food is! Tonight is our last night to serve you. Short notice we know, but that’s how the universe works sometimes.”

Coaltrane’s joined a slew of Plaza Midwood businesses that have had to move or close their

doors recently — including Reggae Central and Soul Gastrolounge, Kiki Bistro and Sister in the same building as Coaltrane’s — which was open for about five years after filling the space formerly occupied by John’s Country Kitchen. According to owner Mike Libretto, the business was doing okay, he just wanted to focus on his other restaurant, Libretto’s Pizzeria in Ballantyne. Let’s hope they bring those stuffed avocados over to the Libretto’s menu, then.

Several news outlets have since reported that Que Onda, a Charlotte-based Mexican restaurant focused on tacos and tequila, will open its fifth location where Coaltrane’s used to be.

Eastside Local

Launched by Gina Stewart and Brenda Gambill — friends, life-mates and bandmates from groundbreaking local Americana rock band Doubting Thomas — Eastside Local was a hidden oasis for vegan diners. A short walk down a sunlit patio nestled among cool businesses in a growing strip mall in east Charlotte, the hip yet unpretentious café offered delectable vegan/vegetarian fare, including a homemade Impossible Breakfast Biscuit, the café’s own coffee blends, and The Shamrock, a green smoothie containing pineapple, mango, spinach and banana.

On top of that, the café partnered with nearby business VisArt Video, also managed by Stewart, to present food, drink, and movie screening combos. Due to building code violations, ESL was forced to close, and mounting costs prompted Stewart and Gambill to sell the site to new owners. Something may reopen at the end of the patio, but it likely won’t be nearly as cool as Eastside Local.

PHOTO BY FENIX FOTO

ACTOR’S THEATRE OF CHARLOTTE’S PRODUCTION OF ‘LADY DAY.’

PHOTO BY PAT MORAN

SOUL GASTROLOUNGE

CRITICS’ PICKS: CONSUMER CULTURE

So what if you’re only adding to existing supply chain problems, shop ‘til you drop.

BEST RELOCATION: Reggae Central

As one of the creatives and business owners who helped build Plaza Midwood up to what it is today, Reggae Central owner Carolyn Barber knew she wasn’t long for the neighborhood once her longtime neighbors began getting forced out due to rising rents. Her lease on the Reggae Central location along Plaza Midwood’s main Central Avenue strip, squeezed between longtime neighborhood staple Mama’s Caribbean Grill and newcomer Emmy Squared Pizza, came to an end on New Year’s Eve 2021. She couldn’t afford to renew it. Barber had seen the neighborhood change from an eccentric space to one where she didn’t feel like she fit. After decades of regular foot traffic, she wasn’t getting as much attention as she once had.

Barber moved into The Shoppes at Citiside, a large and diverse shopping center located at the corner of The Plaza and Eastway Drive, where in May she celebrated 25 years in business for Reggae Central. She told Queen City Nerve she feels rejuvenated in her new location.

“Every day I’m getting new people here,” she told us during a visit to the new space in March. “So I feel really good. Central Avenue, it was good when it was good, but then I could feel that it was kind of going not that way; instead of up, it was slowing down over there for me. And so now I came over here and I’m like energized again with people coming in. There [on Central Avenue], at the end I was like, ‘Oh, it’s slow.’ You just see people jogging and walking by, you know what I mean? But over here it’s a little more energized.”

BEST LOCAL PRODUCT: Shandoka Cycles

In 2010, Charlotte native Ernest Eich came up with an idea and began writing the patent for a structural conversion method so that gas motorcycles could be fully electric. Under that patent, he launched Shandoka Cycles. The Shandoka conversion system allows any motorcycle to be structurally converted for electric power using Eich’s method of modular components to customize the motorcycle for a rider’s preferences.

“The same motorcycle can become a highpower, long-range machine with an appropriate price tag, or low cost and built for convenient commuting and around-the-town rides,” Eich told Queen City Nerve.

With no gears to shift or clutch to pull, Shandoka motorcycles are easy to learn to ride. Removable battery packs on some models mean easy charging in your office, dorm or home.

If this year has taught us anything, it’s that we should all be getting away from gas as best we can.

BEST LOCAL ARTISANAL PRODUCT: Oar & Shovel

Everyone and their mom makes candles these days, it seems, so it can be hard to decipher which ones are of high quality and which ones are just some stuff thrown into a glass jar and left to sit until it hardens. Shuffletown native Noelle Singleton’s artisan soaps and candles are the real deal, however. We know it because we’ve been using these products all year, and the aromas given off by both are strong enough to let you know you’ve got a legit product — without being so pungent as to put you on your ass.

Singleton gets creative with her scents and ingredients — this year she experimented with a rice milk and rice flour soap using match and scented with green tea and cucumber — but for our money, we’re fans of the lavender, sage and honey.

She’s been on hiatus from her normal market rounds as she gets settled into a new studio, but keep an eye out for when she returns in summer 2023: @oar_n_shovel on Instagram.

BEST GIFT SHOP:

Pura Vida Worldly Art

Teresa Hernandez recently celebrated her 18th anniversary in business at Pura Vida, with a dozen of those years coming in her current NoDa location after the move from Plaza Midwood in 2010. She’s become a staple along the main drag during that time, stocking handmade goods from countries all over the world, and there’s just no way you can walk out without at least one gift — be it for a loved one or yourself.

Gifts range from handmade jewelry to the more eccentric, so be sure to make your rounds and scope out everything — including the art studio in the back — before you make a decision.

BEST PET RESCUE: Billie’s Buddies

Stephanie Matejovich, founder of Billie’s Buddies, grew up finding, rescuing and rehoming animals from a young age. “I’ve always had a passion (obsession) of putting animals above all else,” she wrote on her company’s website.

After she found an abandoned boxer/pit/lab dog (for whom the organization was eventually named) and moved to Charlotte, Matejovich founded Billie’s Buddies in 2020 to help neglected and abandoned animals find a loving home.

The organization also assists with rehoming animals whose families can no longer care for them and those in overcrowded shelters. Billie’s Buddies is a 501c3 nonprofit animal rescue and runs solely on donations and volunteers, according to the organization’s website.

BEST VINTAGE SHOP:

OldNews Vintage

If you’re tired of spending your free time sifting through the Goodwill racks or hitting up yard sales and estate sales only to come up empty handed, we have good news: OldNews Vintage has done the digging for you.

Tucked away next to ReniMart on North Davidson Street in NoDa, attached to the Renaissance townhomes, this vintage clothing store is a gold mine for ’80s and ’90s apparel. They carry a huge (but curated) selection of reasonably-priced vintage T-shirts, hats, jackets, accessories and crewneck sweatshirts. Plus, lots of old Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers apparel, Carhartt, Harley Davidson and band tees.

Keep an eye on OldNews Vintage on Instagram

for random sales and promotions, or to shop online via DMs. You can also sell and trade your own vintage items at the store.

BEST VIDEO STORE: VisArt Video

Yeah, we get it. VisArt is Charlotte’s only video store, so it has to be the best, right? But that blinkered attitude can close you off to the benefits of this one-of-a-kind establishment, and that’s why we are sure to include it each and every year.

In an era when streaming services can pull and disappear shows faster than the GOP can abscond with all that money you paid into social security, physical media has gotten way cooler — and VisArt has a lot of hard-to-find movies and shows in physical format.

Also, the store’s screening room joins the Independent Picture House in hosting one of the city’s coolest facilities for watching films with an audience. On top of that, VisArt also hosts rock concerts, comedy shows, parties and events.

So, VisArt is the city’s best video store — not because it’s the only one but because it’s a treasure trove.

BEST RECORD STORE: Noble Records

Nestled in a Matthews strip mall off Independence Boulevard, Noble Records offers up rare vinyl, good vibes and more. Dillon Smith’s cozy

200-square-foot shop houses a cache of rare vinyl that can set a collector’s pulse racing: a limited pressing of English psych rockers Soft Machine’s self-titled 1968 debut; mystical singer-songwriter Judee Sill’s second, hard to find album Heart Food; and the coveted Robert Ludwig pressing of Led Zeppelin II — a mix so hot and punchy that Atlantic Record immediately scuttled it for the subdued mix we know today.

Smith, however, is no elitist gatekeeper for esoteric LPs. He and the friendly staff take a “something for everybody” approach to music.

“People like what they like,” Smith told Queen City Nerve. “They should feel comfortable buying Spice Girls or whatever.”

Just tell him what ya want, want ya really really want.

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

REGGAE CENTRAL RELOCATED FROM PLAZA MIDWOOD TO THE SHOPPES AT CITISIDE THIS YEAR.

PHOTO BY PAT MORAN

DILLON SMITH OF NOBLE RECORDS.

BEST HANGOUT FOR THE DAY: Eastway Crossing

Home of Book Buyers, Tommy’s Pub and Bart’s Mart, Eastway Crossing is the perfect place to do a bit of shopping and exploring on your days off.

Start off your day by grabbing some ramen at Sosu or yam porridge at Royal African Cuisine before heading over to Gear Goat XChange to check out the expansive selection of outdoor gear. Feeling active but not into hiking? Stop by Armada Skate Shop instead.

To fulfill your entertainment needs, VisArt Video offers a wide array of movie selections — more than 35,000 of them, in fact, many of which you

won’t find on any streaming services. There are also events like Cult Movies in the Cave every month, so you can hang out for an evening flick or walk down to Tommy’s to see what bands are playing.

BEST COLLABORATIVE SPACE: Innovation Barn

On Seigle Avenue in Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood (right nextdoor to Queen City Nerve) sits a former horse barn turned materials innovation lab where people are diverting materials from area landfills by making new products and finding new uses.

The Innovation Barn is ground zero for Circular Charlotte, a joint project between Envision Charlotte and the City of Charlotte to transition Charlotte to a circular economy.

The barn showcases several closed-loop systems, incubates new programs, offers learning opportunities, and creates a place for sustainability enthusiasts to collaborate. The barn is currently home to Carolina Urban Lumber; an aquaponic garden; a plastics lab; a teaching kitchen; a composting facility; a taproom; and a local coffee kiosk.

The plastics lab is currently experimenting with turning plastic takeout containers and beer can carriers into benches and bricks to build sheds and tiny homes. Other projects include weaving old T-shirts from Goodwill into acoustic sound panels for noisy restaurants and event spaces.

BEST HIDDEN GEM:

Sleepy Poet Antique Mall

A Charlotte treasure for over 13 years, Sleepy Poet has been the head and shoulders above all antique malls in the area. A crucial part of the experience at Sleepy Poet is looking through all the stuff and finding something so unique and unnecessary that you have to take it home. The antique maze is meant to be revisited multiple times in order to properly capture the essence of the space.

Following its November 2021 move into a new six-acre space on South Boulevard, long-time customers may have had a rough time finding it this year, but it’s just right up the street from the old location.

BEST MUSIC SHOP: Gold Tone Workshop

“We make things sound good.” That’s a simple enough slogan for this music shop, opened in November 2020 on Central Avenue by local musicians Philip Wheeler and Colin Watts.

“In the process of going out … on tour we’ve had really good guitar techs, and I picked up a lot of tricks and tips from them along the way,” Wheeler told Queen City Nerve when the shop opened. “Guitars and whoever plays notes are the most important things in my life, and I treat everyone’s instrument like they play for a living.”

While there are pieces of consigned and new equipment for sale in the shop, including vintage guitars, this is also a space you go to when your gear just isn’t sounding right. Need your guitar strings set up? Need a tune-up on a pedal? Need a re-fret? These guys will take care of it for you and have you back onstage (or in mom’s garage) sounding good.

BEST CBD STORE: The Hemp Source

Education is a major platform at Lesley Pittman Thomas’ South Boulevard cannabis dispensary, The Hemp Source, because she wants customers to feel comfortable and confident exploring the world of cannabis — from CBD to delta-8 and everything on the spectrum of legality.

Her dispensary is a franchise of a Blackowned and family-run organic cannabis company, headquartered in Wendell, that’s licensed by the state to grow industrial hemp. It serves as the

PHOTO BY KARIE SIMMONS LESLEY PITTMAN THOMAS AT THE HEMP SOURCE.

grower, processor, supplier and seller, allowing for control at every stage.

Pittman Thomas said she works every day to dispel the misconception that hemp is fake by educating people on the similarities and differences between marijuana and hemp — full spectrum and broad spectrum, CBD and delta-8 — and has data on hand to back it all up.

“People say, ‘Oh, I use the real stuff.’ Like, OK, hemp is real, too,” Pittman Thomas told Queen City Nerve in April. “It’s cannabis. I always use the analogy of greens. You have different types of greens — turnip greens, mustard greens — but they’re still greens.”

The Hemp Source carries a variety of hemp CBD products such as oil, gummies, bakery treats, soap,

bath bombs, shisha for hookah and pre-rolled joints, as well as products containing delta-8 THC.

BEST PLANT SHOP: Oakdale Greenhouses

An OG plant destination in Charlotte for more than 40 years, Oakdale Greenhouses has a little something green and leafy for everyone. Home to a friendly and extremely knowledgeable staff, Oakdale Greenhouses has an insanely wide selection of tropical indoor plants, outdoor landscaping plants, succulents, bonsai, aquatic plants, and more; they even have “event plants” you can rent for your next big occasion!

Beyond being a go-to destination for plant lovers in Charlotte, it is not uncommon to see couples taking engagement photos amongst the foliage. They even host several seasonal local makers markets throughout the year.

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN GOLD

Buying plants is more than just a hobby for many — the folks behind Oakdale Greenhouses strive to cultivate a welcoming atmosphere for all because, at the end of the day, whether you’re a beginner or a plant aficionado, being a plant person means being part of a community that believes in growth and getting back to nature.

BEST BOOKSTORE: That’s Novel Books

Nestled on a little hill in Camp North End, aka The Mount, you’ll find That’s Novel Books.

Featuring a wide selection of formerly-loved books and a small selection of new books written by Charlotte authors, you never know what you might find inside. If you want cookie cutter

bestsellers, go to Barnes & Noble. But if you’re looking for a little adventure? Look no further than That’s Novel.

Even if you’re not in Charlotte and you just happen to be browsing the Best Consumer Culture Choice in this city for some odd reason, you are in luck. That’s Novel Books features an online shopping portal — a rarity for a used bookstore even in 2022.

Perhaps this is a product of opening just prior to the COVID-19 shutdowns of spring 2020, but if you’ve ever met owner Alyssa Pressler you know this speaks to the dedication and perseverance she’s built her shop on.

Much like your favorite protagonist embarking on their hero’s journey, That’s Novel Books is proof that when you are driven by something you love and believe in, anything is possible.

PHOTO COURTESY CAMP NORTH END

ALYSSA PRESSLER OF THAT’S NOVEL BOOKS.

PHOTO BY SARAH SLUSARICK/ESTHER AND ELSA

NEBEL’S ALLEY NIGHT MARKET IN SOUTH END.

BEST POP-UP: Nebel’s Alley Night Market

Nebel’s Alley Night Market is a pop-up market that launched in 2018 and has quickly become a beloved attraction. Between the months of April and November, it occurs every third Saturday of the month and has a theme for each event. This year’s themes included Plant Alley, Diagon Alley and Happy Holidays.

Nebel’s hosts over 30 local vendors and is located in South End under the Design Center water tower. It is an intimate event that can be the main staple of someone’s evening, but people have also visited while waiting for service at nearby restaurants like Jeni’s Ice Cream or Hawker’s.

BEST NEW DEVELOPMENT: Humane Society of Charlotte Animal Resource Center

The Humane Society of Charlotte’s (HSC) new animal resource center in west Charlotte is more than just a shelter for pets awaiting their forever homes, it’s a community hub for animal lovers.

Opened on June 1, the $15-million, 27,000-square-foot facility offers more room for staff and animals in a climate-controlled environment with improved cleaning and sanitation systems; an expanded veterinary clinic; adoption center; a pet food bank for families in need; cat café; and a public dog park.

The animal resource center also features a community education center for childhood education and adult programs, summer camps, field trips, kids tours and other activities.

HSC’s new home on Parker Drive off Remount Road allows the nonprofit to provide services to more than 30,000 animals annually, a 40% increase in capacity over its previous facility — a small, aging building that used to belong to CMPD’s Animal Control division.

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

BEST ADVERTISING AGENCY

Winner: Black Wednesday

Runner Up: Yellow Duck Marketing

BEST EVENT PLANNERS

Winner: Esther & Elsa

Runner Up: Satarah Productions

BEST ATTORNEY

Winner: Connie Vetter at Attorney at Law

Runner Up: Troy Thresher at Attorney at Law

BEST HEATING & AIR COMPANY

Winner: Morris-Jenkins

Runner Up: One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning

BEST LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

Winner: Living Color Gardens

Runner Up: Crown Town Landscapes

BEST PEST CONTROL

Winner: Black Pest Prevention

Runner Up: Dodson Pest Control

BEST LAW FIRM

Winner: James, McElroy & Diehl

Runner Up: Sodoma Law

BEST AUTO DEALER

Winner: Hendrick BMW

Runner Up: Subaru South Blvd

BEST GENERAL CONTRACTOR

Winner: Signature Home Kitchen & Bath

Runner Up: DeRhodes Construction Home

BEST CAR MECHANIC

Winner: Nick’s Auto Repair

Runner Up: Dynamic Auto Works

BEST CAR RENTAL SERVICE

Winner: Enterprise

BEST HOME/OFFICE CLEANING SERVICE

Winner: Clean N Care LLC

Runner Up: A&T Queen Cleaning

BEST CLOTHING ALTERATIONS

Winner: Anna’s Alterations

Runner Up: Kim’s Alterations

BEST MOVING & STORAGE COMPANY

Winner: Hector & Sons Moving Co.

Runner Up: Haulers and Installers

BEST DRY CLEANERS

Winner: 2U Laundry

Runner Up: V Cleaners

BEST PARTY & EVENT RENTAL

Winner: Party Re ections, Inc.

Runner Up: Picnic, Party, Repeat.

BEST ELECTRICAL SERVICE

Winner: Ambrose Electric

Runner Up: Avian Electric

BEST INSURANCE AGENT

Winner: David Swimmer

Runner Up: Cli Currie

BEST MEMBERSHIP/ SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE

Winner: Flower Child Heirlooms

Runner Up: Crown Town Compost

BEST PET GROOMING

Winner: The Dog Salon

Runner Up: Skiptown

BEST TRAVEL AGENCY

Winner: Travel Now with April - Dream Vacations

Runner Up: Mann Travels

BEST BARBER SHOP

Winner: Midwood Barbers

Runner Up: No Grease! Barbershop

BEST PLUMBING SERVICE

Winner: Rose Plumbing, LLC

Runner Up: M.D. Plumbing & Mechanical

BEST TAX PREP & ACCOUNTING SERVICES

Winner: Emily Plauche at Nuru International

Runner Up: Jim Powderly, CPA

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

Winner: Brittany Craig at CK Select Real Estate

Runner Up: Brett Carraway at Northstar Real Estate

BEST DOGGIE DAYCARE

Winner: Skiptown

Runner Up: Midwood Barkery

BEST PR COMPANY

Winner: Yellow Duck Marketing

Runner Up: Black Wednesday

BEST LOCAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

Winner: Pipes hate wipes

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

Winner: Savvy + Co. Real Estate

Runner Up: Keller Williams Charlotte

BEST INSURANCE AGENCY

Winner: State Farm

Runner Up: David Swimmer at Main Street Insurance Group

BEST FASHION DESIGNER

Winner: Scott Wooten, 704 Shop

BEST HAIR STYLIST

Winner: Allie Babazadeh

Runner Up: Kelsey Deuel

BEST NAIL SALON

Winner: Mimosas Nail Bar

Runner Up: Cosmic Nails

BEST MAKEUP ARTIST

Winner: Jennifer Yates

Runner Up: Artistry by Alyssa

BEST HAIR SALON

Winner: Bohemian Stylehouse

Runner Up: Established Hair Studio

BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER

Winner: Natalie Papier

Runner Up: Monika Nessbach

BEST PIERCING STUDIO

Winner: Sadu Body Modi cation

Runner Up: Michael Wilson - Made To Last

BEST TATTOO SHOP

Winner: Made To Last

Runner Up: Canvas Tattoo & Art Gallery

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WEST CHARLOTTE HIGH SCHOOL SHOWCASE & RECEPTION

SouthEnd ARTS (SEA) honors West Charlotte High School with an evening of art, performances and fundraising located in the newly opened cafeteria. West Charlotte band, chorus, dance and theatre students will perform while surrounded by artworks from 24 students and 10 SEA-invited artists. Four artists will win cash awards to mint their own NFT. Through the event, SEA is soliciting donations for West Charlotte High School’s Art Department to support creative students with needed supplies to fill their new classrooms. The event is the first in the new building to celebrate historic West Charlotte High School’s long history.

More: Donations appreciated; Dec. 1, 6 p.m.; West Charlotte High School, 2219 Senior Drive; southendarts.net

FRIMONTHURFRI

KAMERON MARLOWE, WYATT MCCUBBIN

Kannapolis native and former The Voice contestant Kameron Marlowe returns to Charlotte in the wake of releasing his debut album We Were Cowboys this year. Inspired by ’70s and ’80s country, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ray Charles and Kings of Leon, Marlowe’s sound inhabits the darker corners of the honkytonk, built around electric guitar twang, gritty rock beats and coruscating blues production that enwraps surprising tenderness. Like his songwriting collaborators Tyler Farr and Casey Beathard, Marlowe favors deliberate beats and minor keys, signaling that the wolf is just beyond the barroom door.

More: $15-$19; Dec. 2, 7 p.m.; Coyote Joe’s, 4621 Wilkinson Blvd.; coyote-joes.com

MERRY KRAMPUS

Amid the dazzling lights bedecking Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden (DSBG) this holiday season lurks something darker. Krampus is a malevolent/ mischievous horned figure in Central and Eastern Alpine lore who punishes misbheaving children during the Christmas season. On Krampus Nacht, DSBG visitors can enjoy German-inspired food trucks and join the parade, where Krampus traditionally attempts to scare the audience. It brings a whole new meaning to the holiday song lyrics, “He knows when you’ve been sleeping/ He knows when you’re awake/ He knows if you’ve been bad or good/ So be good for goodness’s sake.”

More: $10-$20; Dec. 5, 5 p.m.; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont; dsbg.org

‘GREMLINS’

Forget Krampus and Finnish feral-Santa masterpiece Rare Exports, because Gremlins is one of the most anarchic Christmas movies ever. Sure, we love holiday staple Die Hard, but Hans Gruber dropping off Nakatomi Plaza on a repeating high-speed loop couldn’t match the grinning insanity of director Joe Dante’s satirical spectacle of chaos. Our favorite scene involves the hero’s plucky mom popping one of the titular malevolent monsters into a microwave and watching it burst. When this was released 1984 it was marketed as a kids’ movie! The outdoor experience features surround sound, campfires, infrared heaters and retro arcade games.

More: Free; Dec. 8, 7 p.m.; Camp North End, 300 Camp Road; camp.nc/events

MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS OPENING

It’s an opportunity to twist your neurons in knots, wring your cerebellum like a wet sponge and leave you questioning the nature of reality — all without the use of drugs! With its grand opening, The Museum of Illusions Charlotte proffers illusion rooms for patrons where they can glimpse infinity, walk in upside-down world and grow and shrink their bodies. Installations allow visitors to hang out with their clones, swap noses with their friends and serve their heads on a platter. The brainteasing establishment also comes equipped with a collection of holograms.

More: $24; Dec. 9, 10 a.m.; Museum of Illusions, Ally Center, 601 S. Tryon St.; moicharlotte.com

KAMERON MARLOWE

Promotional photo

MERRY KRAMPUS

Courtesy of Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Photo by

FRI

OUTKAST ON A QUEST

In memory of DJ Boney B, local organizations We Are Hip Hop and Radio Rehab Carolinas present Outkast on a Quest. This celebration of fluid raps, gritty soul and ambitious jazz-inflected hip-hop features Jarobi of A Tribe Called Quest, The Mighty DJ DR, Mr. Incognito and Emmy-winning poet Bluz, all together in a dance party paying tribute to two iconic groups. It would be impossible to comprehend 1990s-2000s popular music and its aftermath without Dirty South exemplifiers Outkast and progressive rap group A Tribe Called Quest. It would be like processing the 1960s without The Beatles.

More: $25-$30; Dec. 9, 8 p.m.; Carolina Esports Hub, 3401 Saint Vardell Lane; blumenthalarts.org

SATSAT SUN

12/9 12/10 12/13

12/10 12/11

PROJECTED REALITIES

Enrobed in bold teals, reds and yellows, Princess Cureton’s autobiographical creations leap off the canvas. Cureton employs acrylic paint, clay and surface manipulation to make her central figures emerge from the canvas and step out onto the gallery floor. With embedded glass, beads and flowing fabric she updates the Trompe-l’œil technique — paintings that trick the eye into perceiving two dimensions as three. Cureton’s dynamic figures draw attention to her paintings’ surreal backgrounds, landscapes drawn from Cureton’s memories, from which her figures break free. After its opening reception, the exhibit runs through Jan. 7.

More: Free; Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m.; Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery, VAPA Center, 700 N Tryon St.; nineeighteennine.com

SHADOWS 2022

Artists will dance, defy gravity and breathe fire in a performance/ritual that encourages participants to embrace their shadow selves. As the duo Satarah, Katie Rothweiler and Sarah Hahn have been mounting Bloom, their annual celebration of the aerial, terpsichorean and incendiary arts, since 2012. Shadows 2022 continues that tradition with an introspective turn, embodying feelings that aren’t talked about often: fear, pain, anger and abuse. “It is a show for healing,” writes Rothweiler, “for using art and creativity to work through feelings, some that we may not even be able to put into words.”

More: $10-$20; Dec. 10, 7 p.m.; Bloom Movement Artistry, 6150 Old Pineville Road; bloommovementartistry.com

CLASSIC BLACK CINEMA SERIES: ‘CABIN IN THE SKY’

An assured directorial debut by Vincente Minnelli (An American in Paris) the 1943 musical Cabin in the Sky almost begs to be put in context. It’s a faux-folk parable of faith, temptation, loyalty, and salvation in the imagined life of Black people created by great Black actors and white studio filmmakers. The story revolves around sinner Little Joe Jackson (Eddie Anderson) asking for one more chance before passing through the pearly gates. All the heavyhanded theology, however, is quickly forgotten when performers like Lena Horne and Ethel Waters grab the spotlight.

More: $7-$9; Dec. 11, 2 p.m.; Harvey B. Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org

TAIL LIGHT REBELLION, THE WHISKEY PREDICAMENT

A pair of rough-hewn, witty and wise diamond-in-the-rough singer-songwriters take the stage at The Milestone. Rust Belt folk-and-roots outfit Tail Light Rebellion is a vehicle for Jonny Swagger, who can take the stage with the force of a full band. This is fierce and gritty acoustic music, steeped in the I-don’tgive-a-fuck ethos of Irish malcontents The Pogues. The Whiskey Predicament is Charlotte-based oneman-band Nate Fey, who’s been producing his twisted version of happy-go-lucky acoustic rock tunes on lo-fi equipment since the band’s inception in 2010.

More: $10; Dec. 13, 8 p.m.; The Milestone Club, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road; themilestone.club

CRITICS’ PICKS: FOOD & DRINK

Pass that plate down the line.

BEST NEW RESTAURANT: PARA

If you’ve tasted the crab Rangoon alone, then it goes without saying that PARA is Charlotte’s Best New Restaurant of 2022. And this despite its South End location, where most new places are about as vacuous as the Ashleighs who vacate them as soon as their attention spans have waned. PARA was an affront to that banality — a restaurant with an actual point of view, with a menu of dishes brimming with wit, and so much style you could shake a sakura martini at it.

Maybe it was a bit of being at the right place at the right time, swooping in post-COVID as it did to remind us all what it was like to have a good time. Maybe it was the story of the prodigal chef son extricating himself from the shadow of his accomplished father to make a name for himself in

the “new” Charlotte food scene that won us all over.

But who really needs a narrative to explain why Alex Verica’s thoroughly original restaurant is just so damn good?

BEST FOOD EVENT: BayHaven Food & Wine Festival

Subrina Collier and her husband, three-time James Beard Foundation nominee Chef Gregory Collier, got tired of not having a seat at the table, so they made one for themselves and other Black culinary artists and mixologists.

The couple hosted their second annual BayHaven Food and Wine Festival in the fall for the second year in a row, expanding it to five days instead of three like the previous year. The theme for

this year’s event was centered around homecoming collegiate events, as the couple noted they’ve had an exceptional amount of support from nearby universities and colleges.

The festival was originally borne out of a desire to showcase the many ways in which Black people flourish culinarily. Noting that Black people can be shoehorned into one style of cooking, Subrina thought the festival would be a great way to display their talents.

“When they think of Black people, sometimes we get boxed into soul food or traditional; macaroni a certain way, collard greens a certain way, chicken a certain way,” she told Queen City Nerve in the lead-up to this year’s event. “You can have all these ingredients and the technique be done in different ways. These chefs do that.”

BEST WEEKLY FOOD EVENT: UCity Food Truck Friday

It’s hard to describe what sets the UCity Food Truck Friday, held outside Armored Cow Brewing Co. from 5-9 p.m. on Friday nights, from all the other countless food truck events that occur regularly around the city. All we know is that we’ve tried them all, and the vibes are just always right at this one.

There are usually about a half-dozen food trucks, including at least one for dessert (and oftentimes one for dogs), along with a small vendor market set up in the middle.

If you want to see if we’re right, you’ve got to act quick; Food Truck Friday season is almost over. This year’s run kicked off in mid-March and ends on Dec. 16, so act fast if you’re willing to brave the chill.

BEST BREWERY: Protagonist Beer

Whether you’re looking for a smaller, intimate space or a large sprawling location, Protagonist has you covered. Their original location, a nano-brewery in NoDa that opened in 2019, is the opposite side of the spectrum from the South End spot, which opened in late 2020 and whose taproom is nearly nine times bigger than the entire space in NoDa.

But a range in feng shui isn’t what makes Protagonist the best brewery. In a record-setting year for Charlotte beer at the Great American Beer Festival — seven medals in all — the Protagonist team was the only one that took home two: a gold medal for its Bizarro in the American-BelgoStyle Ale category and a silver for its Franz in the Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest category. Cheers to that.

MOST WELCOMING BREWERY: Resident Culture

Recently celebrating its five-year anniversary by turning its Central Avenue parking lot into a skate park, Resident Culture is a welcoming space in which weirdness is fully embraced.

Absurdity is common, and the company encourages authenticity without fear of judgment. With the opening of its South End location, the brewery has transcended all that brewery culture tends to offer.

The locally owned and crafted brewery has a genuine appreciation for assertive, hop-forward styles while striving to accentuate the character and quality of any given harvest.

BEST NEW BREWERY: Gilde

Opened in lower South End in late February, Charlotte’s Gilde is the first U.S. location for the German brewery, serving as the U.S. headquarters and the distribution center for the country. Gilde has a unique connection to Charlotte, as the city’s namesake Queen Charlotte was also the Electress of Hanover, where the company originated. Gilde hopes to honor her by bringing her hometown beer to the city named after her.

The large space allows 350 seats for people to enjoy their Pilsners and Hefeweizens across the bier haus as well as the outdoor bier garten and patio. The various beers can be enjoyed alongside Gilde’s Obazda & Brezel, a German cheese cream served with a warm pretzel. Other authentic foods Gilde offers include Weisswurst and Schnitzel.

BEST DISTILLERY:

Seven Jars Distillery

The story behind Seven Jars Distillery in northwest Charlotte is one of organized crime, romance, nightclub gambling in Prohibition-era Charlotte, bootleg liquor and buried treasure. But above all, it’s a tale of relatively unknown Charlotte history.

The family-run Seven Jars is a nod to their former patriarch, notorious bootlegger Frank Ratcliffe, who brought illegal liquor into Charlotte in the 1920s and 1930s.

As the story goes, after Ratcliffe’s death, his family unearthed seven mason jars stuffed with recipes from old moonshiners he buried on the golf course they owned in University City.

Those recipes eventually became the base for Seven Jars Distillery’s signature products: an Ava Gardner bourbon whiskey, apple pie whiskey, straight bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, rum, vodka and pickleback vodka, which visitors can try in the distillery’s tasting room.

BEST BAKERY: Lé Cakes

Throw out your Marie Callender’s and cancel your reservation at The Cheesecake Factory because Charlotte baker Anheleta Chatman is doing it better — bending the possibilities of flavor with her artisan New York-style cheesecake business, Lé Cakes.

Each cake is rooted in the same family recipe that was passed down to Chatman by her uncle years ago when she was a child. She’s since taken that recipe and manipulated it over a dozen times to make flavors such as Fruity Pebble, banana Biscoff, lemon Oreo, dulce de leche, carrot cake and cinnamon roll. She even takes customer requests for new flavors and offers keto- and diabetic-friendly versions.

But there’s no graham cracker crust here. Instead, Chatman uses a smorgasbord of crushedup cookies and cereals including Fruity Pebbles, Nilla Wafers, Lotus Biscoff Cookies and Oreos (you can guess which one of the aforementioned flavors each crust goes to). Lé Cakes doesn’t have a physical location (yet) but offers local pickup and delivery in Charlotte.

BEST FOOD TRUCK: Mogogo Eatery

Mogogo Eatery founder Samrawit Berhane was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, before moving to the United States at a young age. After graduating from UNC Asheville, she moved to New York City, where she fell in love with street food. That last part worked out to the benefit of all of us.

She managed restaurants in Washington D.C. then back in her home country of Ethiopia before circling back to North Carolina and becoming part of the food truck community.

According to Berhane’s website, mogogo is a griddle made from either a large black clay plate placed over a fire or a specialized electric flat surface stove and used to cook injera, one of the best items on Mogogo Eatery’s menu. We also recommend the Mogogo Tibs, cubes of beef sauteed in a garlic,onion, rosemary and herbal butter.

BEST SNACKS: Bar à Vins

Name a better combo than caviar, Lay’s potato chips and crème fraiche … we’ll wait. Now do we wanna pay $36 for the “Even Fancier Caviar?” No, but if you got to Bar à Vins to flex for a date who loves wine, you better get it.

The point is, the snacks at this wine bar are far better than just charcuterie board options — and that’s why you’re not reading this in the Nightlife section. Still, however, the moody ambiance

will have you feeling cozy whether you’re going home alone or with said date. Plus, our “first sip” background song was Black Star’s “Respiration.”. Now that’s a wine vibe. Finally, a NoDa replacement that feels like it will be permanent.

BEST BREAKFAST: Deli St.

Located on the corner of Central Avenue sits the welcoming doors of Deli St.

Deli St.’s concept is to offer busy young professionals and neighborhood residents healthy meal options for those who are always on the go. Their edge to the neighborhood full of diverse restaurants, breweries and coffee shops, Deli St. highlights their house-made baked goods with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The deli has a full coffee bar to fulfill your caffeine needs.

Their Briar Creek Toast with avocado, spinach, chickpea and vegan mayo on toast is a deli favorite and one of the highlights for their breakfast options, and there are also bagels, which shouldn’t be a big deal but are sorely lacking elsewhere in the city.

BEST BRUNCH: Flying Biscuit Café

As its name suggests, Flying Biscuit Café is famous for its grits and biscuits (they bake almost 5,000 biscuits per week at each location), but that’s not all they do. The restaurant is an institution,

Pg. 35

PHOTO BY REMY THURSTON

KARAOKE NIGHT AT RESIDENT CULTURE BREWING COMPANY.

serving breakfast all day for almost 30 years and growing to 25 locations throughout Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Texas.

In Charlotte, we have two Flying Biscuit locations: Park Road Shopping Center in the Montford neighborhood; and in the Stonecrest Shopping Center on Rea Road in south Charlotte.

Despite the franchise’s growth, it has always kept that quintessential neighborhood spirit with a Southern-inspired menu of comfort food made with fresh ingredients (plus vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options). And for non-breakfast lovers they also serve lunch and dinner throughout the day.

Brunch highlights include chicken and waffles, “oh my grits” bowls, fried green tomato BLT, chorizo hash, and the peaches and cream waffle breakfast.

BEST LUNCH: Rhino Market

A neighborhood market and deli that fulfills the various needs of urban foragers, Rhino Market strives to give their customers the best service and provide a relaxing, fun environment for everyone. The market and deli support local brewers from Charlotte and throughout NC and provide imported specialty beers.

Along with tasty drinks, Rhino Market has freshly prepared foods, cheese, chocolates, sauces, soft drinks, kombucha, ice cream and a variety of freshly baked goods. It’s a great place to grab a quality meal on your way back to work from your break or if you’re in a rush.

With a killer iced vanilla late that our editor-inchief gets on the daily, Rhino Market serves Pure Intentions’ Nitro Cold Brew on tap year round.

BEST LUNCH UNDER $10: Sub One

Ask anyone, “Where can I get lunch Uptown for $10.” Then wait. The person you’re asking is scrounging for options for the universal palate, but know they’re on the struggle bus if after a 30-second think they still can’t come up with anything. If you want the most bang for your buck and you work Uptown (or don’t mind a quick drive) on your lunch break, Sub One Hoagie has got you.

This Black-owned, no-frills, mom-and-pop Graham Street staple is a local favorite in Fourth Ward. The Jones family celebrated 30 years in business this year, and if three decades of skin in the game doesn’t tell you somethin’, with the final three years coming in a pandemic, we don’t know

what else you would need to hear. Repeat offenders recommend the #1 (the New Jersey Steak) with a lil’ steak sauce to act as the game changer.

BEST DINNER: Tomahawk Tuesdays

at The Crunkleton

The Crunkleton is a private club located in east Charlotte’s Elizabeth neighborhood. The bar, known for its high-end selection of spirits, is accompanied by a full kitchen centered on open hearth, live fire cooking for dinner nightly. The dinner menu is designed to complement the cocktails with appetizers, entrees and shared plates featuring everything from dry-aged meats and hearth-hung chickens to seasonal small plate offerings and a really good burger.

hoping that there’s enough staff if they’re even still open. Luckily for you, The Degenerate, located on North Davidson Street in Villa Heights, has come through for all of us.

The menu currently features 19 shareable plates, six sandwiches, and three desserts. When asked if they really serve the full menu until an hour before close the answer was an unequivocal, “Yes.”

The crowd-favorite are the pierogies with potato, cheddar cheese, bacon, shallots, sour cream and apple gastrique. But why wouldn’t you be an actual degenerate and order THE Degenerate Burger with beef, pulled pork and crispy prosciutto?! And what’s even better? None of this closed-on-Monday mess — they’re open seven days a week.

for one night only during a special dinner showcasing the Piedmont Culinary Guild. Perhaps he’ll take this as a hint to bring the dish back and keep a good thing going into 2023.

BEST SIDE ITEM: Jimmy Pearls’ Joloff-Pickled Mussels

Jimmy Pearls Chefs Oscar Johnson and Daryl Cooper continue to keep the Charlotte food scene exciting. Tucked hidden amongst a table of noshes and nibbles at an outdoor picnic late last spring was an itty bitty jar of mussels pickled in fiery jollof spice. The significance of that first bite cannot be understated, for we hardly remember what our lives were like before.

Instead, what we do remember is biting down into bivalve, letting acid and heat spread out over our tongues, and wincing at how pristine and perfect the flavors were. Turns out that day, way out on a farm west of Charlotte, Oscar and Coop debuted what can only be described as lightning in a jar.

BEST BURGER: Good Wurst Company

The influencer-proof Wurst Burger at The Good Wurst Company in Plaza Midwood is the Best Burger in Charlotte. Perhaps because it’s just so basic. For one thing, that bun — the supermarket-brand stuff of wistful childhood memories. Lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and cheese; impossible for an Influencer to “OMG-you-guys” ruin them.

Let the ingredients speak for themselves is the approach taken at Good Wurst, where the only real choice to make is whether to have a single or a double. Bacon is a must, as is that playful secret sauce.

BEST SOUL FOOD: La’Wan’s Soul Food

Every time Tomahawk Tuesday rolls around, Thee Crunkleton offers up half-price steaks, including a 42-ounce ribeye that’s usually $150. It serves two to four people and comes a la carte to be paired with any of their sides or appetizers.

BEST LATE-NIGHT MENU:

The Degenerate

If you’ve been in Charlotte for a hot minute you may have experienced the collective sigh that happens anytime someone (especially an out-oftowner) asks, “Where’s a good place to eat late night in the city?”

“Define ‘good’” would be the genuine response, but usually someone opts for a bar or Domino’s

BEST MENU ITEM: Vegan Charcuterie Board at The Goodyear House

The Goodyear House took the lessons of 2021 to heart and came back with a new resolve in 2022 to be, at the very least, its namesake: good. That drive to bounce back is possibly what inspired Chef Chris Coleman to do things to the traditional charcuterie board that removed the need for meat altogether.

“Cabbage cooked like country ham” let everyone else in on a secret that vegans have known for centuries: that vegetables are exciting in the right hands. And just as ham was replaced by cabbage, so too was cheese replaced by squash in a resplendent pimento spread.

Sadly for us all, Coleman’s charcuterie appeared

Serving the Charlotte community since 2001, La’Wan’s Soul Food is a family-owned business with homestyle family recipes that use a modern twist. You are bound to see Kenny Adams waving from the kitchen, one of the Adams daughters waiting tables, or La’Wan Adams chatting with one of the countless customers she knows on a first-name basis.

The restaurant serves lunch and dinner and provides catering services to local businesses and residential communities on demand.

Known for their incredible mac and cheese, La’Wan’s offers mouth-watering fried or baked chicken, fried salt-and-pepper catfish, smoked pork chops, broiled seafood, country-fried steak and seasoned veggies with smoked turkey and collard greens. No one does soul food like La’Wan’s.

PHOTO BY KENTY CHUNG

GOOD WURST COMPANY

BEST PIZZA: Salud Cerveceria

If you don’t want to try a pizza that will have you in a chokehold, then Salud Cerveceria might not be the pizza spot for you.

The Latin Lingo Elote Pizza has all of the elements that a well-rounded palate could love at once: the sweet corn, spicy jalapeño, sour lime, meaty chicken, silky crema, light spicy cream base, citrusy Tajín, crunchy red onion, and salt cotija cheese. Sure, there’s no tomato base, and that sends pizza purists running for the hills, but we promise … just try it! If you’re eating for two (meaning sharing, not spawn) then go ahead and get two of ‘em or you’ll regret it.

BEST ICE CREAM (OR SOMETHING

LIKE IT): Cold Hearted Gelato

With all the staples seemingly shutting down and moving out of Plaza Midwood, Elinn Hesse arrived in August ready to get to work with her new gelato shop in the old Rita’s space in Midwood Corners.

The gourmet gelato shop locally sources its ingredients and rotates its flavors on a regular basis. Some notable niche options she’s offered have included horchata chai tea, apple cider ginger sorbet, and Old Bay hot honey. Scoops of frozen dessert are served in a bowl or house-made brown butter waffle cones.

Even with some longtime residents decrying the direction of the neighborhood, Hesse is confident that the future is bright for Plaza Midwood.

“Plaza is very community-based and I love that. If anything, it’s going to get stronger because a lot of small businesses want to open up here,” she told Queen City Nerve. “Even with big developments coming in, it still has a very community-based feel to it.”

BEST FOOD FOR A CAUSE:

The Underground Truffle

Founders Blanca Lopez Luchaire and Ben Henderson of CocoaEthika and have partnered with Esa Weinreb of The Underground Truffle in the chocolate-making process because all three are dedicated to paying farmers a fair price for growing cacao, then helping them harvest it in an efficient and sustainable manner.

Located in Plaza Midwood, The Underground Truffle is known to be fresh, authentic and rooted in

ethically sourced products. Founder Weinreb makes everything to order and has house-made chocolate bars, truffles and other desserts from cacao beans. Weinreb gives classes on the bean-to-bar process and hosts tastings and special events like a recent open house with local Vietnamese coffee company Robusta.

CocoaEthika and The Underground Truffle’s partnership and friendship has remained strong and true, and the homemade practices make for a product that is reliable but never the same.

“It’s our dream to support the farmers and make beautiful chocolate. Every time it’s the same ingredients, but every single time we make a bar it can taste different, and in different beautiful ways,” Henderson said.

BEST EXPANSION: Cuzzo’s Cuisine

Cuzzo’s Cuisine is located on Tuckaseegee Road in west Charlotte’s Enderly Park neighborhood. Known for producing some of the best southern cuisine around, they’ve got everything: wings, shrimp and grits, chicken and waffles, pineapple bowls, and their “world famous” lobster mac and cheese.

In addition to their Tuckaseegee Road location, they have a food truck that can often be found at Charlotte Premium Outlets, and after their first attempt at a brick-and-mortar in University in February 2020 failed after 20 days, they were able to try again in December 2021. This one appears to have stuck the landing. More options on where you can pick up some of their fine strawberry banana pudding is never a bad thing.

BEST COFFEE SHOP: Killer Coffee

Residing in the back corner of the main floor of Resident Culture’s South End location, the fullservice Killer Coffee shop exclusively serves SanDiego based Mostra Coffee, named Roast Magazine’s 2020 Micro Roaster of the Year, and features espresso, drip coffee, iced coffee, cold brew and lattes.

The coffee-bar also serves tea-based lattes, loose leaf tea, and other specialty drinks. Baked goods like breakfast tacos, sandwiches, and toast perfectly complement your cup of joe. See, the irony here is that it actually keeps you alive.

BEST RESTAURATEUR: Christa Csoka

The Artisan’s Palate is an art gallery restaurant with a femme-forward focus sitting elegantly at the southern end of East 36th Street. The hybrid art gallery and restaurant opened in July 2019.

Csoka has a rich history of different roles in the service industry: bartender, caterer, waitress, coffee shop manager, staging, professional chef … you name it … so she was ready for what came when a video of a baby handing cash to a drag queen at a brunch event at Artisan’s Palate went viral this year, leading to threats against the business and Csoka. She stood behind her staff and patrons proudly, as she should have.

Living in a lot of different areas, Csoka decided to settle in Charlotte in 2003. She spent time in NoDa and grew a love for the art community that the neighborhood was once known for. Her later idea for The Artisan’s Palate came from a desire to provide a comfortable space where guests can enjoy well-crafted food and cocktails while supporting a talented local art community.

THE GREG COLLIER AWARD FOR BEST CHEF: Hector González-Mora

Chef Hector González-Mora is Charlotte’s best chef and also (or because) he’s the city’s most versatile. With El Toro Bruto at Resident Culture South End, he avoids the temptation to zhuzh up the taco, and instead, with confidence, lets the humble street food shine with almighty light.

At a collaboration dinner earlier this year at Leah & Louise, he turned quail and mole into the most refined example of what Mexican fine dining could look like.

Absolutely everything about him, up to and including his food, has that certain je ne sais quoi that practically guarantees he will be the Charlotte chef to follow in Greg Collier’s footsteps and take his place on the national food stage. You heard it here first.

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PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN COLD HEARTED GELATO

BEST VEGAN CHEF: Velvet Kelty-Jacobs

Veltree is a Black-owned vegan restaurant owned and operated by chef Velvet Kelty-Jacobs and her wife, Treona, aka Tree. The couple decided to open VelTree in 2018 after being unsuccessful in finding a good vegan restaurant during a previous trip to Charlotte. They made the name a portmanteau of their own names.

In December 2021, Velvet and Tree moved from their original takeout spot in University to a bigger space in Ballantyne that allows for dine-in service. They’re not done yet; next year Velvet plans to launch a food and music festival called Soulchella in 2023.

“Soulchella is going to be a celebration of everything we love: good vegan food, family fun, and great music,” she told Queen City Nerve. “With that in mind, it was a no-brainer to do an event like Charlotte has never seen in the vegan community. We will be bringing in the best of the best to throw down at Soulchella.”

With everything she’s got on the table, Velvet is careful to enjoy the now and not get ahead of herself.

“We have many things planned but we’re taking it one day at a time. The pandemic really did a number to our industry along with the great resignation. We’re just blessed to still be here!”

BEST PASTRY CHEF: Mary Jayne Wilson

Mary Jayne Wilson was part of the first class at Johnson & Wales’ newly opened Charlotte campus in 2004. After graduating, she went on to work in various Charlotte-area restaurants, including Rí Rá Irish Pub, Zebra, and MEZ. After helping Amelie’s open five new locations, she struck out on her own, opening Thoughtful Baking Co. in 2021 and serving her popular pot pies.

“Chicken pot pies were something that I always made for people; if somebody’s sick or had a new baby, bought a new house, I would always bring them as gifts for people,” she told Queen City Nerve. “And it was like the middle of the pandemic, so I was like, chicken pot pies are the ultimate comfort food.”

Wilson has also collaborated with fellow pastry chefs to make amazing desserts, including a Peace Oatmeal Cream Pie with her neighbors at The Batch Maker and, in August, a full back-to-school dessert box with Jasmine Macon, formerly of Leah & Louise,

that included their twists on childhood flavor favorites like the chocolate peanut butter pretzel pie, strawberry Pop Tart, raspberry sprinkle donut and PB&J donut.

BEST MIXOLOGIST: Kayleigh Williams-Brown

Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Williams-Brown got her start in hospitality in 2014 and worked the line, prep and grill, then moved up to kitchen manager and eventually general manager — all before the age of 21. She has been a Charlotte local for the last 15 years, and worked behind the bar at the Royal Tot and El Thrifty Social before joining Leah & Louise as bar manager in early November.

She’ll have big shoes to fill in replacing Justin Hazelton, but L&L co-owner Gregory Collier has confidence she’ll do well.

“Kayleigh was brought on by Justin Hazelton to help out on the bar, and her talent and passion made it clear to us that she needed the space to showcase more of that ability,” he stated upon her hiring.

Williams-Brown is a fan of agave spirits and rum, and her favorite cocktails are gimlets or daiquiris.

BEST POP-UP: Mattie’s Front Porch by Lisa Brooks

Leaving corporate America is a dream shared by many. Chef Lisa Brooks of Charlotte not only saw her vision come to life but reached heights even she probably couldn’t have imagined when she initially made the decision to pursue cooking full-time.

Brooks would go on to launch Heart and Soul Personal Chef Service after enrolling in a culinary arts program, and now leads a team of seven Black women chefs. In February, she starred in an episode of Food Network’s Chopped competition show featuring an all-Black cast.

In June, she launched Mattie’s Front Porch, an intimate monthly multi-course dinner series showcasing Lowcountry and Southern coastal cuisine.

Mattie’s Front Porch was created in honor of the leading women in Brooks’ family, specifically her grandmother Mattie. Each dining experience is carefully curated to share parts of Chef Lisa’s life through new and inventive cuisines in an intimate setting with a maximum of only 24 guests at each dinner.

“I create a menu you wouldn’t receive at our normal dinner parties,” she told Queen City Nerve. “It’s great because it’s not a family or a group that knows each other. These are strangers that come in and have a meal together at my table. It’s like an open chef’s table experience.”

BEST FARM: Nebedaye Farms

From a parking lot in west Charlotte’s Savona Mill to an 11-acre farm in Indian Trail, Bernard Singleton has come a long way in just three years. He credits the spiritual power of his ancestors, and one in particular — his late son, Caesar Singleton, who passed away tragically in 2010 at just 15 years old.

“All of the ancestors are powerful, but he is the most powerful,” Singleton told Queen City Nerve. He was preparing for a Sept. 18 Eh’vivi Ghanian Cuisine dinner at the location, in which Chef Awo with Awo’s Catering would cook dishes using ingredients grown at Singleton’s Nebedaye Farms.

Singleton regularly hosts dinners like this one as he reaches harvesting season; they are how he carries out his mission to educate Americans on the roots of African food and the ancestral culinary arts that were brought here by enslaved Africans hundreds of years ago.

Having originally launched Nebedaye Farms on land owned by the Carolina Farm Trust in Indian Trail with the intention of exclusively growing moringa, Singleton has expanded in recent years, adding more than 30 plants that are native to Africa but are able to grow in our climate.

Those include Carolina gold rice and indigo, two of the largest cash crops grown by enslaved people in Singleton’s hometown of Charleston, South Carolina.

“We host dinners around these crops to introduce it to a lot of people who are not familiar with it and not aware that it actually can grow here,”

KAYLEIGH WILLIAMS-BROWN

PHOTO BY PETER TAYLOR

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN BERNARD SINGLETON AMONGST HIS CAROLINA GOLD RICE AT NEBEDAYE FARMS.

Singleton said. “We are practicing a lot of the arts of our ancestors and paying homage to them in their sacrifice when they went through here. That’s why the rice is important and the indigo is important.

“A lot of those skills were lost or not kept up, but what we’re doing is bringing those skills back to honor the ancestors,” he continued. “And it’s great for economic empowerment for the community because you’re working on a lot of rare niche crops. So things have been going very well.”

BEST TAKEOUT: China Bowl

We came all too close to having to place China Bowl in the Obits section of this paper. On April 6, a car went careening through the wall at the tiny orange takeout spot on The Plaza. Fortunately, no one was harmed but the business was closed for a month or two. They’re back, baby, and so are their wonderfully greasy combo meals — those rare dinners for two that come in under $20. You just don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s almost gone.

BEST PIVOT:

Cheat’s Cheesesteak Parlor

After a series of wildly popular pop-ups during the height of the pandemic, Cheat’s Cheesesteak Parlor finally put down roots in July with the opening of a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Pecan Avenue — next to Villani’s Bakery and Rico’s Acai.

Ryan Hart, Greg Balch and Hannah Smith created the concept for Cheat’s while working together at The Crunkleton in Elizabeth during the pandemic.

The trio’s pop-up series, which they agreed to do only on their days off, was meant to drive a little interest in the business and cultivate a taste for Cheez Whiz while they worked on a permanent location. They quickly saw more than a little interest and brought on additional industry professionals to help handle the demand.

Now Cheat’s is churning at full speed in the new spot and has even updated the menu following customer feedback. In addition to classic, chicken and vegan cheesesteaks, Cheat’s also offers breakfast sandwiches, Italian hoagies, fries and floats.

BEST PLACE NOBODY TALKS ABOUT: Forchetta

Formerly Caffe Siena, Forchetta is a storefront connected to The Holiday Inn Charlotte Center City that opened in June 2019. The restaurant’s

sleek lines and stone accents create an elegant atmosphere that accompany Chef Luca Annunziata’s award-winning menu.

With over 20 years of experience in the hospitality and food service industry, and a victory in Food Network’s popular show Chopped, Annunziata’s passion for Italian cuisine led him to travel across the world in pursuit of deep love for the art of cooking, and many of his dishes come straight from the streets of Naples.

Forchetta offers light options such as soup and salad to complement shared appetizers and flavorsome entrees. Pair your Squid Ink Pappardelle Pasta with an elegant wine, curated cocktail or gourmet coffee.

BEST COOKBOOK: ‘Tutu’s Table: Memorable Meals and Fun Celebrations with Family and Friends’ by Jill Aker-Ray

Personal chef, local TV personality and now author Jill Aker-Ray shares how recipes can mean more than just food in her debut cookbook memoir, Tutu’s Table, released on April 1. Written as a tribute to her mother, who is the namesake of the book and created all the recipes in it, Aker-Ray connects each meal with a story tying it back to Tutu.

By sharing her own experiences with cooking,

Aker-Ray shows how relationships can be fostered through food–whether through its preparation or its consumption. Aker-Ray wants her recipes to “invoke memories and connection to people’s own family recipes and special times together.”

MOST EXCITING DEVELOPMENT:

Carolina Farm Trust’s Local Foods Production and Distribution Center

On Feb. 14, Charlotte City Council voted to allocate $1.5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to the Local Foods Production and Distribution Center (LFPDC). The location is the site of an old food production and distribution facility on South Hoskins Road, with 25,000 square feet of existing building space and 60,000 square feet of open space around it.

Upon completion, the facility will include an event space, a butchery, a grocery store, a teaching kitchen and more. CFT will buy and sell local food out of the space, including produce, livestock and dairy, while also providing patio space to gather and eat onsite.

Zack Wyatt and the CFT team plan to make the facility an oasis in west Charlotte’s food desert, and though the organization’s reach spans throughout the Carolinas, they want to keep this effort as close to home as possible.

PHOTO BY STEVEN KEY

CHEAT’S CHEESESTEAK PARLOR

JILL AKER-RAY COURTESY OF JILL AKER-RAY

CRITICS’ PICKS: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Regardless of where the funding is coming from, creatives continue to act as the heart and soul of our city.

BEST CREATIVE: Kaja Dunn

Intimacy coordinator Kaja Dunn makes strides for women and people of color, consulting actors about their movements in sexually or emotionallycharged scenes on stage or screen. Dunn also works as an assistant professor of theatre at UNC Charlotte and serves as the head of The Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Intimacy Initiative (EDIII) for Theatrical Intimacy Education and a consultant on race for Actor’s Equity Association.

Dunn told Queen City Nerve’s Autumn Rainwater in May that she sees the importance of displaying elements of consent as well as representing people of color by combating particular tropes through choreography.

“If I do my job well, the audience isn’t gonna go, ‘Wow, they’re upending two centuries of sexual and

racial tropes!’” she said. “But they will see beauty and they’ll see it as an expression of what has existed.”

BEST MURALIST: Georgie Nakima

Georgie Nakima’s colorful public art fuses representations of Black women with the natural world and spiraling geometric shapes. She’s gained notoriety within the art world, and has traveled to Michigan, Rhode Island and Texas. Nakima’s talent goes far beyond murals, as this year she has been asked to create sculptures, digital art and interactive pieces all around the country.

“I considered myself very analog, but I think it’s important to break out of molds that we hold for ourselves, and to continue learning,” she told Queen City Nerve. You might know her work from the mural “Earth Keeper,” which sits above the lobby at the

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture or her colorful “Mwanzo” sculpture paired with her murals at East Town Market, both of which were finished this year. Nakima promises to increase the visibility of Black women in her work, and vows to be a visual translator of our times while finding new ways to present her vision.

BEST FIBER ARTIST: Katrina Sánchez Standfield

Intricacies like knitting and weaving take time and patience. Katrina Sánchez Standfield takes it to another level with fibers and mixed materials to create vibrant and tactile objects that examine the weaved net that keeps everyone together. She pairs traditional processes like weaving and knitting, experimenting with texture, color and scale to explore contemporary issues. Intersectionality is the center of what inspires her work.

Standfield was born in the Republic of Panama and currently lives in Charlotte. She obtained her higher art education at Central Piedmont Community college, and a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in fibers at UNC Charlotte. She has been a member of Goodyear Arts and has her art exhibited all over the country.

Standfield explores ideas of community, healing and renewal through dabbling in other methods such as mending, street art and interactive installations, but her work with fibers remains her focal point. At the heart of her work is a desire to elicit a multi-sensory experience while engaging the audience’s desire to investigate and play.

BEST AVANT-GARDE ARTIST:

Edelweiss Vogel

Edelweiss Vogel is an illustrator, freelance artist and educator. Much of her childhood was spent making art of one medium or another — portraits, weaving, sculptures, or making garments. Vogel has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio arts with a concentration in illustration.

Not only is Vogel an artist with a crossdisciplinary background in painting, digital media, and contemporary garment design, but she is also an educator. She teaches visual art at The Brawley IB World School and enjoys incorporating diverse cultural backgrounds into lessons. Her goal is to help students become innovative and use their art to create discourse around finding solutions to issues they’re facing.

Vogel’s latest work, “T’nalak,” features the T’boli, one of the native groups in her home country who are known for being “dream weavers.”

BEST EXPERIMENTAL ARTIST: Veda Saravanan

Based in Charlotte for nearly three decades, Veda Saravanan’s work primarily involves creations of unique masks depicting different human facial expressions.

Her distinctive style and cultural upbringing allowed her to become the artist that she is today. Traveling and experiencing different cultures has greatly impacted the different ways Saravanan uses colors and culture in her work.

Saravanan is a 2022 Art Pop Street Gallery artist whose art has been painting abstract architecture and stylized faces. She doesn’t hesitate to let colors take control of her creative process. She loves to see the surprise end-result when incorporating different colors and designs in her work.

Her style of mask-making has been inspired by her own collection of masks, gathered while traveling the world. It also stems from her interest in mythology that exists heavily in her culture. Facial expressions have always inspired her, because the smallest expression can tell volumes.

BEST SCULPTOR: Stuart Peterman

Stuart Peterman is a fine art sculpture artist who loves to experiment with shapes, textures and shadows. His goal when making his sculptures is to simplify an object, then add an unexpected shape or texture to create a sleek and modern look. His sculptures are made from hand-cut, handhammered, welded stainless steel. A lot of which feature aquatic animals, while taking inspiration from nature and humans.

Peterman is also a painter whose work is considered a contemporary version of a modern, mid-century style.

He is a two-time Art in Embassies artist and recipient of a 2020 Professional Development for Artists Grant from the Arts Council of Hillsborough County.

BEST INSTALLATION ARTIST:

Meredith Connelly

Meredith Connelly is a multidisciplinary installation artist whose site-based installations illuminate her perceived manufactured materials to highlight their organic qualities.

She is best known for her work on Lights, an illuminated walking trail commissioned by the U.S. National Whitewater Center in 2019, for which she was inexplicably not invited back to contribute to in 2022.

Connelly’s works have also been on view at art museums throughout the Southeast. She has been selected for a number of public projects, such as the Arts and Science Council’s community supported arts program, the I Heart Rail Trail, and Charlotte SHOUT! through CLT Center City Partners.

“I also deeply care about nature and light, which typically presents itself in my work, so I would like to know more about what community members are drawn to when they are outside, what they hope to experience within the park through art and how art might enhance and complement the land in their eyes.”

In January, Connelly was selected to spearhead the creation of a “significant public artwork” at Ezell Farms Community Park in Mint Hill, a 90-acre county-funded project that will be located on what

was once a privately owned farm at MatthewsMint Hill Road and Mintwood Drive. The artwork is expected to be completed in spring 2023 as part of the first phase in the park’s construction.

BEST ARTS ORGANIZATION: Shelves Bookstore

Originally launched at Queen City Grounds in June 2019, owner Abbigail Glen has made Shelves an online and pop-up bookstore that partners with other small businesses to educate families and celebrate the joy that reading books brings to people all over the world.

Shelves believes that reading is freedom, and the goal is to not only provide supporters with great books, but also create amazing lifestyle products made exclusively with readers, writers, and dreamers.

Glen’s most impressive accomplishment has been her pivot to delivery during the COVID-19

subjects that you’re comfortable with, which is why we also push the narrative of really diversifying the subject matter that you read,” Glen told Queen City Nerve in January.

BEST NEW ARTS EVENT: MAB’s Public Art Walks for the Blind

Dana Draa, chief program officer at Metrolina Association for the Blind (MAB), was inspired to creeate public art walks for the blind after visiting the Black Lives Matter mural in Uptown amidst the protests of summer 2020. Draa’s visually impaired friend Sherri Thompson asked her to describe what the newly painted mural looked like.

“It was so impactful for her,” Draa said. “That planted the seed in my head.”

Artwalks CLT and Disability Rights & Resources worked with MAB to create the Art is for Everyone ArtWalk, a descriptive walking tour that allows people with low or no vision to experience Charlotte’s

pandemic as well as the launch of her Reading is a Lifestyle subscription service, which operates like a virtual book club, making reading more inviting and therefore accessible to folks who may not otherwise be interested.

“When you read a book, you are freeing yourself from your biases, especially when you are reading books that are not necessarily about topics and

public art scene through audio description, artist analysis and fellowship.

The tour makes stops at nine public works that allow participants to physically touch the art or just drop back and take in the detailed audio descriptions.

“We’re making a piece of art come alive,” said Draa.

PHOTO BY MARY BENSON

MEREDITH CONNELLY IN FRONT OF “FUNGI.”

BEST NEW ARTS SPACE: VAPA Center

The Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Center, a nonprofit organization, was formed in 2021 by 10 anchor arts organizations in Charlotte to create a space for artists to create, practice, exhibit and perform their craft after the closure of Spirit Square in Uptown. While some institutions such as McColl Center and Levine Museum of the New South helped with the founding of the space, grassroots creatives like Joanne Rogers with Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery and Will Jenkins with BlkMrktClt spearheaded the efforts to launch this affordable studio space where artists could create, rehearse and host functions.

The space is home to a number of staples in the Charlotte arts community ranging in mediums from theatre (Charlotte’s Off-Broadway) to comedy (Charlotte Comedy Theater) to song (Gay Men’s Chorus of Charlotte and Women’s Chorus of Charlotte) and, of course, visual art (OBRA Collective, The Light Factory and more).

BEST INDIVIDUAL EXHIBIT: America Gentrified by John Trey Miles III at Nine Eighteen Nine Studio

John Trey Miles III’s America Gentrified exhibit, featured at Nine Eighteen Nine Studio Gallery in January, was a 50-piece collage series constructed on 11-by-14-inch panels that showcased the various forms of gentrification within a community. The collages were composed of pre-selected photographs that Miles chose for how they represent gentrification in one way or another.

He constructed each piece by manipulating the photographs on a computer then cutting and arranging them to recreate a hyper photorealistic collage.

“America Gentrified tells the story of gentrification everywhere,” said Nine Eighteen Nine owner Joanne Rogers, who curated the show. “People are disenfranchised, they lose their home, they lose their investments because other people are coming in and investing in the land … The artist tries to make you feel like it’s only one place. He shows you the story of the changes going on in one neighborhood throughout all 50 series.”

BEST COLLABORATIVE EXHIBIT: MÔR: A Collective Exhibition of Black Lesbian Thought at Goodyear Arts

Inspired by the words of poet Audre Lorde and the desire to create a space for Black lesbian artists, Alexandra Jane and Briona Simone Jones launched a visual arts exhibit titled MÔR: A Collective Exhibition of Black Lesbian Thought at Goodyear Arts in January.

“We just haven’t seen that space [for Black lesbians to support each other],” said Jane. “And since none of us will be hosting parties anytime soon, we thought that this was something that felt genuine to the both of us that we could open up to the Black lesbian community.”

The collective featured several artists whose work best conveyed the message of the exhibit. The featured artists were also diverse in their respective talents.

“We wanted multi-theorist forms of art, so there will be sculpture, collage work, photography; there will be a rhythm,” Jones said. “We selected people we felt we could place in conversation with one another.”

BEST EXHIBIT BY VISITING

ARTIST: Reflections of a People: Photographs from the Archive of Jamel Shabazz at Gantt Center

Photographer Jamel Shabazz has had a unique career spanning 40 years, and while he’s known for his work in one field specifically, he wants people to know that, as Dead Prez would say, it’s “bigger than hip-hop.”

The New York City-based photographer held an exhibit, which featured the documented lives of Black people in and around New York between 1980 and 2014, at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for AfricanAmerican Arts + Culture in January. He believed that people who weren’t from New York could still feel fulfilled by the exhibit. At the crux of Shabazz’s message was love.

“I’m hoping that through the images they get a glimpse of another side of New York,” he told Yvonne Bynoe with Queen City Nerve in February. “Often we hear about the violence, and the negativity and the poverty. I want to show images that reflect pride, dignity, families, and togetherness … that’s very important to me.”

BEST HISTORICAL ART EXHIBIT: The Language of Clay, Catawba Indian Pottery and Oral Traditions at Charlotte Museum of History

A historic treasure trove sits in plain sight, overlooked because it began with utilitarian intent. It is distinctive blue-gray-colored pottery, including jars and jugs, used to gather water from the Catawba River by members of the Catawba Indian Nation for thousands of years.

The Charlotte Museum of History shined a spotlight on this treasure with The Language of Clay: Catawba Indian Pottery & Oral Traditions, an exhibit that featured 41 clay pottery pieces from the 19th century to the present.

“It’s so hard to fathom the scale of it, but the United States is maybe 250 years old, while the Catawba have been here for 6,000 years,” said DeLesslin “Roo” GeorgeWarren, an artist, educator and member of the Catawba Indian Nation, who took part in the exhibit by imparting traditional Catawba stories.

Rather than the Eurocentric history taught in U.S. schools, it is the Catawba tradition that is the true story of Charlotte and the surrounding lands.

PHOTO BY JAMEL SHABAZZ

“SALUTE” FROM THE REFLECTIONS OF A PEOPLE EXHIBIT.

THE LANGUAGE OF CLAY EXHIBIT COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE MUSEUM OF HISTORY

BEST PHOTO EXHIBIT: BLACK GAZE: Representation, Identity, and Expression at The Light Factory

Inspired by a chance encounter with photographer Titus Brooks Heagins about a lack of resources for emerging Black photographers that he had during a visit to The Light Factory in the midst of the pandemic, BLACK GAZE: Representation, Identity, and Expression was born of his desire to give back.

Heagins and Light Factory staff mentored six Black photographers and later displayed the photographers’ work throughout Charlotte, featuring work from Cheryse Terry, Jessica Dunston, DaRemen J., Gavin Boulware, Cordrell Colbert and Phillip Loken. The exhibition ran at The Light Factory from January to April.

BEST POP-UP: ArtCart NoDa

After having shown and sold work from more than 100 local artists in the space over the last two years, Tough Ass Crew had to pack up and be out of their North Davidson space at the end of September due to rising rent. And so Matt Alvis, a guerilla artist before he had a brick-and-mortar location, went back to his DIY ways.

In November he launched ArtCart NoDa, a new way to window shop. ArtCart NoDa allows art fans to peruse work placed in abandoned windows or in participating places like Evening Muse, then order it online and have someone bring it right to you.

Alvis pointed out that for as long as the Tough Ass Crew [Extended] Pop-Up existed, it was the only art gallery left in the neighborhood. He treasures the time he spent in the space, meeting new artists and allowing both established creatives and up-and-comers to make some money in his gallery. He also treasures the idea that NoDa is an art-centered community, which inspired his choice of location to launch his new window-shopping venture.

“That’s a central part coming into the neighborhood for anybody,” he said. “If they’re from out of town, they’re coming in an Uber or on the light rail, and if they come on the light rail, I don’t want the question to be, ‘I thought this was the art district.’ I will try to overwhelm them from all of the places where people have been priced out.”

BEST EDUCATIONAL EXHIBIT: Mental

Health:

Place

MIND MATTERS at

Discovery

The special exhibition Mental Health: MIND MATTERS, open at Discovery Place from January to April, explored the stigma of mental illness, emphasizing that it is common, can happen to anyone, and is treatable.

For a locally exclusive portion of the exhibit, Atrium Health partnered with Discovery Place to build the Path to Mindfulness, which asked patrons to gauge a few aspects of their own mental health, getting them into the right mindset to peruse the broader MIND MATTERS exhibit.

“Although [the exhibit] does an exceptional job at assessing the mental health side of the equation, we felt that mental health is a part of overall health. So if we’re not suffering from a mental illness that doesn’t mean that there’s not something for all of us to learn and maybe consider adding to our lives,” Discovery Place’s Chief Science Officer Heather Norton told Queen City Nerve.

“We wanted to have the complementary conversation around being mindful because we feel like, especially over the past many months, all of us have been grappling with feelings of stress or confusion, maybe depression, and this is something that maybe could be beneficial for everybody.”

Mental Health: MIND MATTERS also featured hands-on activities and multimedia experiences, some of which were labeled as “empathy-building” to demonstrate what some people who live with mental illnesses experience, including but not limited to depression, PTSD and schizophrenia.

BEST NEW PUBLIC ART: ‘Where Inspiration and Strength Blooms’

by Sam Guzzie, Owl and Kalin Renée Devone

The arrival of this beautiful 80-foot-high mural along the Rail Trail at the Convention Center in the summer came with a bittersweet message from perennial Best in the Nest winner Sam Guzzie, one of three artists who worked on it. In an Instagram post titled “An ode to murals: The death of a profession,” Guzzie revealed that she would be leaving the medium due to health complications related to her fibromyalgia diagnosis five years previous.

In the heartfelt post, Guzzie voiced her love for the practice.

“Not only did I thrive on the challenge of large scale painting, but I saw repeatedly, the positive impact on individuals, community and cities alike.

And particular in healing grief and loss, collective heartache. Murals have the power to inspire beauty in the mundane, offering the spark to ignite the endless possibilities of growth within our everyday,” she wrote.

“My excitement for murals and public installation, and my belief in their large scale healing potential, is genuine, to the core of my being. My eyes honestly light up over that shit. Public art is part of my identity, not just what I’ve done for work. It’s how I think, it’s the medium through which I first saw humanity outside of myself. And yet thoroughly an aspect of self.”

Though we’ve sadly lost Guzzie as a muralist, we’ve seen her create beautifully in a number of other mediums over the years and are intrigued to see where her mind will take her and the Charlotte arts scene next.

BEST NEW PUBLIC ART AS PART OF GOVERNMENT PROJECT: Excelsior by Stacy Utley and Edwin Harris

technically unveiled their latest public installations in summer 2021, but since the long-awaited 5 Points Plaza in west Charlotte didn’t officially open until spring 2022, we’re counting it as a new project this year.

Collectively known as Excelsior, the project is named after the historic Excelsior Club, a longtime center of Black social and political life in Charlotte. Individually, the artworks are titled “Ever Upward” and “Even Higher,” the Latin definitions of excelsior.

“Ever Upward” is a cluster of folded laser-cut metal panels found at various points on West Trade Street on the southwest side of I-77. The four 7-foot abstract forms represent “‘the walk upward’ that Dorothy Counts made to integrate public schools in Charlotte, ‘the charge upward’ that every student that passes through the arch of Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) takes, ‘the road upward’ that is Trade Street from ‘Uptown’ to the highest point, which is Biddle Hall and the ‘the prayers upward’ as we continue this journey,” Utley said in his artist statement.

“Ever Higher” is a sculpted piece consisting of three metal panels that include images significant to the Historic West End and the Five Points area.

Pg. 47

Charlotte artist Stacy Utley and Durham-based architecture firm Evoke founder Edwin Harris

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

‘WHERE INSPIRATION AND STRENGTH BLOOMS’ BY SAM GUZZIE, OWL AND KALIN RENÉE DEVONE

One panel features a reflective finish where the viewers can see themselves reflected in the artwork. Combined, its panels form a torch that is illuminated at night by LED spotlights.

It includes images of Dorothy Counts Scoggins, who was one of the first Black students to integrate public schools in Mecklenburg County; signage from the Excelsior Club; and JCSU’s Biddle Hall.

BEST FOLLOW THROUGH:

Independent Picture House

It all began as a dream, shared by many but articulated by two men. In spring 2020, Brad Ritter and fellow cinephile Jay Morong set out to open Charlotte’s very own community movie theater in the wake of the Manor Twin closure. Due to delays related to the supply chain, the Independent Picture House’s (IPH) proposed summer 2021 opening was repeatedly pushed back. Still, Charlotte Film Society Board President and IPH Executive Director Ritter; and Morong, a senior lecturer in theater and film at UNC Charlotte and the program director for the CFS, remained undeterred.

While construction pressed forward, they concentrated on fundraising and fostering community support. On June 24, the Independent Picture House, Charlotte’s first ever nonprofit community cinema, opened with three screens, a lavishly appointed main theater, a cozy-cool micro-cinema, and something in between for the Goldilocks viewers. The picture house has garnered over 750 new members and counting, and it has reached its capital campaign goal of raising $750,000. Charlotte is the real beneficiary here, getting screenings of Oscar-tipped fare like Tar, the immersive David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, a program of locally produced Halloween-themed horror movies and much more.

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER:

Kevin “Surf” Mitchell

Kevin “Surf” Mitchell is an accomplished photographer who graduated from Northwest School of the Arts in Charlotte. You may have seen Surf’s work on MTV, BET, iTunes, or other mainstream media channels. Despite all his endeavors, Surf calls Charlotte home and continues to support his community.

Surf’s latest project, the Couch Surfing Expedition, spanned over eight years. The premise of the expedition consists of typically 10-15 creative

collaborators who travel to a destination to set up for a photo that depicts Surf’s wife Kaylin Little sleeping in a onesie pajama on a loveseat-sized couch. The set-up and breakdown of the set has to be done quickly due to location choices like a busy street or a very public area.

“It really represents the risk that artists take and the struggles that they go through to get to wherever they want to go. Every great success story starts with a couch. The couch is the representation of the start of the journey,” Surf told Queen City Nerve in July.

BEST ARTISTIC FASHION STATEMENT:

Bonito’s Hats

Behind Bonitos Hats is Dreamer Jorge Gonzalez, who started making and selling the painted hats from his childhood in Mexico as a way to feel more connected to his family and culture. Now his hats are in pop-ups and markets in Charlotte, Asheville, Charleston, Raleigh, Durham and Winston-Salem, and shipping online to customers all over the world.

Bonitos Hats are made in Mexico by Gonzalez’s cousin before they’re shipped to Charlotte, where Gonzalez and his husband, Trey, paint them with traditional Mexican and Aztec patterns, as well as butterflies, flowers, birds, cacti, feathers, snakes and custom designs. While some are more popular than others, no two hats are exactly alike. Jute and canvas hats are sealed with a clear acrylic polyurethane

cover, which prevents fading smearing and makes them water-resistant and UV ray-protected. Some folks hang them on their walls, but they are truly wearable pieces of art.

MOST EXCITING ARTS DEVELOPMENT/ OPENING: Archive Book Cafe

After her mother passed away, Cheryse Terry found consolation in collecting Black memorabilia from eras that impacted her mother’s life. That collection eventually led her to opening Archive Book Cafe at the corner of Beatties Ford Road and Lasalle Street in August.

A west Charlotte native, Terry’s mission at Archive is dedicated to preserving the history of Black culture.

It is a Black-owned, Black-centered vintage enthusiast cafe that has items ranging from HBCU yearbooks to rare publications to vintage inspired posters. Famous XXL and Ebony magazine covers adorn the shelves next to works from Audre Lord and James Baldwin.

The book cafe also displays art from Black creatives in Charlotte, and offers an array of beverage choices from ethically sourced coffee to curated mixed drinks. We suggest the Foxy Brown iced latte, which by itself is worthy of a mention in the Food & Drink section. Stop in for some chill time or to attend any of the array of events hosted at Archive, including coffee tastings, monthly book clubs, wellness events and community engagement.

BEST ARTS BOOK: Behind the Ink, Creating Exposure Through the Arts

Behind The Ink is a years-long tattoo photography project from local arts organization Creating Exposure Through the Arts (C.E.A.) that showcases impactful images and a short film documentary of people from various races, cultures, ethnicity and age groups telling the stories behind their tattoos.

Though officially released in April 2021, C.E.A. was finally able to celebrate the book release in December of that year, which is how it got our attention.

Through a series of photo workshops, a collective of teen students, former students and instructors explored similarities among various identity groups with a focus on diversity and inclusion when sharing dialogue around differences.

The book is a 32-page photo coffee-table book featuring portraits and stories from many Charlotte folks, including tattoo artists like Crystana “Dutchess” Lattimore, a Charlotte Latin grad and former star of VH1’s Black Ink Crew who played a major role in the Behind the Ink Project; photographer Justin “UncleJut” McErlian; rapper Deniro Farrar; former Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis; and others.

PHOTO BY KEVIN “SURF” MITCHELL TATTOO ARTIST CRYSTANA LATTIMORE AND HER DAD, RICKY, IN BEHIND THE INK.

BONITOS HATS COURTESY OF BONITOS HATS

BEST FICTION BOOK: ‘Poster Girls’ by Meredith Ritchie

Meredith Ritchie’s debut novel follows the story of two women living and working in Charlotte during World War II, delving into a largely forgotten part of Charlotte’s history. Ritchie’s two protagonist Charlotte transplants — Kora, a Black woman from Alabama; and Maggie, a white woman from Boston — take jobs at the Shell Assembly Plant, a massive naval munitions assembly factory that employed one in 10 Charlotteans during WWII.

Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, Ritchie wanted to acknowledge white guilt and white savior complexes. She reflects on a time when men weren’t around and corporations were forced into a situation that proved how gender and racial equality is attainable — if only it were desired by those in power.

“It’s a labor shortage — plain and simple, an economic labor shortage. [Poster Girls] lifted the curtain on this really brief two-and-a-half-year period of equitable history in Charlotte,” she told Queen City Nerve upon the book’s release in early 2022. “Like, they got paid the same, they rode the same buses together, they got along well, and then they were literally fired the day the Japanese surrendered and the tree snapped back, and they were all told to go home and be exactly as it was. But it worked for those two-and-a-half years.”

BEST POETRY BOOK: ‘The Other Woman’ by Rosebud Turner

Rosebud Turner has been a Charlotte resident for over 40 years. It’s where she started her career in education and raised her children. Due to diabetic complications, Turner lost her sight in her late fifties.

The Other Woman serves as a poetic memoir of the emotional journey of a woman who puts others’ needs before her own. She feels as though she is “the other woman” to her husband, her children, and even to herself. The detrimental selflessness had caused her to lose her true self. It’s not until she loses her eyesight that she fully gives herself the authority and permission to be who she’s always been: strong, insightful, creative and resilient.

The story allowed readers to connect with the poems through personal reflections on their own life experiences.

BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK: ‘All the Places We Call Home’ by Patrice Gopo

In her 2018 collection of short stories for adults titled All the Colors We Will See, Charlotte-based author Patrice Gopo explored how the reality of being different affected her quest to belong. Inspired by her own upbringing as a Black child of Jamaican immigrants living in Anchorage, Alaska, Gopo expanded on these themes in a way that children could relate to in hopes of reaching kids who are going through similar experiences that she once did.

In All the Places We Call Home, a child requests bedtime stories based on her multilayered heritage: from South Africa to Jamaica to Zimbabwe to her

current home in the United States. This beautiful book creates a stirring portrait of a child’s deep ties to cultures and communities beyond where she lays her head to sleep — something many children can relate to.

BEST ARTS WORKSHOP: We Rock Charlotte, Amplify!

We Rock Charlotte, which rebranded from Girls Rock Charlotte in February in an effort to reflect their increasingly LGBTQ+ clientele and become a more welcoming and inclusive space for trans kids among a wave of hatred from the right, holds year-round Amplify workshops to help build on that mission; it’s not just about welcoming, but lifting up.

Workshops range from writing, practicing and performing music to learning to spray-paint a wall and other ways to use arts to boost the voices of underserved communities, including film, social justice programming and more.

“There’s so many things that young people carry with them. So much judgment and shame,” class leader and acclaimed Charlotte artist Elizabeth Palmisano told Queen City Nerve in April. “But when you introduce a creative outlet, they take that thing inside them and kind of pull it out and look at it in a more objective way. They really look at it and not feel judged.”

BEST DANCE PERFORMANCE: Megan Payne & Joy Davis, ‘PLOW’

An original dance performance by Megan Payne and Joy Davis featuring music from Dylan Gilbert, PLOW was a hymn to our lived experience of “home,” as well as a celebration and interrogation of Payne’s origins in Central Appalachia. Payne and Davis are two of the most exciting dance artists working in the region.

In his May review, Queen City Nerve contributor Matt Cosper wrote, “Sequences of expansive unison movement and tightly nuanced gestural work explode out of those long stretches of mundane task based choreography. This tension of opposites forms the backbone of the excavation Payne is performing here, and they serve to shed light on what might be the most interesting formal aspect of PLOW: its complicated relationship with form.

“The piece is choreographed for two performers and so ostensibly speaking it is a duet. But even though there are two performers, does PLOW have two characters? The specter of this question haunts the entire performance. Am I seeing two distinct characters or two versions of the same woman? Two aspects of the same self?”

BEST SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCE: Kia Flow & Jerm 747, ‘Flow Town’

Part of BOOM Charlotte’s return to in-person festivities at Camp North End in April, husband-andwife team Kia Flow and Jerm 747 showcased their respective strengths as spoken-word performer and musician/producer with “Flow Town,” the story of an artist “who has elaborate visions of her grand performance someday with thousands of people in the audience cheering her name. While she “still has a 9-to5, is a full-time student and is still trying to figure this thing called life … she enjoys creating and has enlisted the help of her companion in her latest endeavor.”

PHOTO BY MORGAN SHIELDS

DANCERS MEGAN PAYNE AND JOY DAVIS.

A semi-autobiographical account — Kia met Jerm at an open mic in 2015 and has collaborated with him artistically since — the tale is a relevant one in the era of grind culture and gig jobs.

BEST LOCAL THEATRE PRODUCTION: ‘The Maids,’ XOXO

Under the direction of company founder Matt Cosper, experimental theatre troupe XOXO has delved into darkness, madness and playtime. In the wake of the troupe’s occult woodland trek Bohemian Grove, psychedelic Zen western All the Dogs and Horses and post-apocalyptic fever dream #Cake (Year Zero), it should be no surprise that Cosper and company grab Jean Genet’s absurdist masterwork The Maids, by the scruff of its neck and bend the play to XOXO’s will.

As the two sisters/servants who roleplay as imperious mistress and groveling lackey, Kadey Ballard and Kate McCracken are by turns capricious, vulnerable and frightening. When Jennifer Adams swans in as the real Madame, her disdain comes across as clueless disregard — like Elon Musk’s prepubescent snark toward victims of violence. Nothing, however, can prepare an audience for Cosper’s lurid reconfiguration of Genet’s climax, a ghostly, demonic ritual where no one is in control — a peek into the well of tortured souls.

BEST COMEDIC THEATRE

PRODUCTION: ‘She Kills Monsters,’ Charlotte’s Off-Broadway

The spring co-production of She Kills Monsters from Charlotte’s Off-Broadway and Women-InPlays, directed by Sheri Marvin, was plenty of fun, much louder than it was fearsome. Yet there was a serious side to Agnes Evans’ quest for the Lost Soul of Athens in the fantasy realm of New Landia. Wresting the stolen Lost Soul from the fearsome five-headed Tiamat isn’t truly the crux of Agnes’s quest (nor was it stolen, precisely, for we’re back in 1995, when demon overlord Orcus actually traded the soul for a neat TV/VCR combo).

If you can manage to take so much silliness seriously, you might descry a distinct vein of feminism in Marvin’s directing, for the men, when not merely annoying, consistently deliver their villainous vaunts at high volume. Kudos, then, to Nyugen as well for upending this traditionally masculine world of geekery.

BEST STUDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION:

‘Diary

of Anne Frank,’ CPCC Theatre

Anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. somehow turned famed 13-year-old Dutch immigrant Anne Frank into a talking point in January, comparing rules enforcing COVID vaccinations to the tyranny of Hitler’s Germany. Fast forward to the end of the year and we’ve seen a wave of anti-Semitism bubble up from under the surface where it has always existed. Safe to say 2022 was a ripe time for dusting off and re-examining The Diary of Anne Frank. CPCC Theatre director Marilyn Carter brought the 1997 Wendy Kesselman adaptation to life onstage at Halton Theatre in February, where set designer Robert T. Croghan impressively fit four floors. Croghan’s costume design was as impeccable as his set, and Carter’s casting is always spot-on, allowing theatre patrons to get a new view of an old tale that is as relevant now as ever.

BEST TOURING THEATRE

PRODUCTION: ‘Hadestown’

Musicals can oftentimes become hackneyed once it becomes apparent that the creators could have just written a play with some adjoining music rather than fit every line of dialogue into song, but the experience at Hadestown was quite the contrary. The jazz Harlem Renaissance-era blues and jazz music, played onstage by a live band that blended well with the cast, made this show feel more like a concert than a play.

Yet still, the actors pulled the audience into the plot, intertwining two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invited us on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Playwright and music director Anaïs Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and stage director Rachel

BEST ACTOR/ACTRESS: Nasha Shandri

Nasha Shandri stormed the stages of Charlotte this year, putting on no less than three great performances: paying multiple roles in Brand New Sheriff’s run of The Colored Museum in February, as Averie in Three Bone Theatre’s production of Colman Domingo’s Dot in May, and again with Three Bone in August as the titular character in the company’s run of Toni Stone. It was this third rendition of the first woman to sign a pro baseball contract and play with a men’s team that locked her in as Charlotte’s top stage performer of the year.

As our theatre critic Perry Tannenbaum wrote upon catching the play, “Nasha Shandri immerses herself engagingly in all of Toni’s quirks, vulnerabilities, and strengths — candid rather than arrogant, sassy rather than seductive. Above all else, Toni loves baseball — the ball, the glove, the game. Both [playwright Lydia R.] Diamond and Shandri make us believe it.”

BEST STAGE-TO-SCREEN TRANSITION: Lil’ Skritt as Jeremy in ‘Babe Beach’

Locally-made buddy comedy Babe Beach was the first acting gig for Daniel ‘Skritt’ McLemore — best known as Charlotte rapper Lil Skritt — but it didn’t show.

Skritt was a natural in front of the camera in his starring role as Jeremy, a self-appointed sex-crazed maniac obsessed with helping his nerdy friend, Danny, lose his virginity. The two embark on a wild and raucous road trip to Babe Beach, a legendary beach full of women that may or may not even exist.

The independent feature-length film, directed and co-written by Charlotte filmmakers Cagney Larkin and Bobby Canipe Jr., sold out its premiere screening in June at The Independent Picture House in NoDa.

In an interview before the premiere, Skritt told Queen City Nerve that his experience rapping and in music videos helped him memorize and perform his lines for Babe Beach.

“To make everybody’s life easier … I’m going to go over [a] scene a thousand times where it’s just like playing off in my head,” he said. “But before this, I had no acting experience, so the jargon and all this other stuff, I mean, I learned a lot while being on set for this movie.”

Skritt added that he caught the acting bug during his experience on Babe Beach, so maybe we’ll see more from him on the big screen soon.

PHOTO BY DARNELL VENNIE

CPCC’S PRODUCTION OF ‘THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK.’

Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love.

CRITICS’ PICKS: MUSIC

Where would we be without music?

BEST NEW MUSIC EVENT:

Queen City Jam Session

It’s been many years since Charlotte was home to a music festival we could be proud of, but this year’s partnership between Maxx Music and NoDa Brewing gave us hope that the wait is over. The three-day festival, held in and behind NoDa’s Brewing’s North Tryon street location, featured a slew of wonderful local, regional and national acts, not to mention a vendor market filled with amazing local artists, food trucks galore and, oh yeah, beer. But we were there for the music, and we were not sent home disappointed. Highlights on the local stage inside included longtime Queen City Nerve favorites like Natalie Carr, Yung Citizen, Sinners & Saints, Cyanca and more, while outside we found regional bands like Nude Party and War & Treaty playing alongside national acts like The Mountain Goats, Nikki Lane and Spafford. While attendance could have been better — estimates were between

1,000-1,500 — we’re confident from how this event was implemented that the inaugural year was just a teaser for what we’ll see in the future.

BEST MUSIC ORGANIZATION:

We Rock Charlotte

Krystle Baller wears many hats, but none has been more important than that of music director for the organization formerly known as Girls Rock Charlotte, which has amplified the voices of girls, women, and gender-diverse youth and adults since 2014.

With its popular series of summer camps, GRC has moved the needle for inclusion and gender equity. In February, the organization announced a full rebranding, changing its name from Girls Rock Charlotte to We Rock Charlotte, and Baller made the jump to creative director for the organization. The decision makes the program more visibly inclusive to trans and gender nonconforming young people.

As We Rock Charlotte, the organization has also expanded its reach and programs, now offering year-round music classes, workshops, corporate team-building, leadership retreat experiences and more. “We were just … waiting for the right timing,” Baller says. “Because when we started in 2014, the gender language wasn’t where it is now.”

BEST BAND: Falling Through April

After releasing the well-received pop-influenced album Zodiac in 2017, Falling Through April turned to a harder rocking sound. Along with its redefined

edge, the group also embraced burgeoning maturity with song and video combinations that tackle serious subjects, like the powerful anti-drug-abuse polemic “Recover/Relapse.”

While the song incorporates an infectious electro–dance sound in places, the video follows an attractive protagonist into a downward spiral of addiction that leads to an early grave. With a collaboration with Raleigh-based rapper Big Greg under its belt, the band continues to grow musically while simultaneously expanding its fanbase, having toured the Southeast and Midwest this year.

COURTESY WE ROCK CLT

BEST NEW BAND: Dreamboat

Dreamboat’s rampaging riff-laden rock delivers a bracing endorphin rush. Their sharp and melodic debut single “Cover to Cover” kicks off with guitarist Nic Pugh’s clangorous intro before diving into Sydney Nieboer’s taunting, snarling vocals: “I read it cover to cover/ And I feel the same way…”

Razor sharp guitar darts in and out of the vocals while Nieboer’s lyrics and delivery suggest a bruised vulnerability lurking under the bravado. “We set out to … make a Riot Grrrl band, but with … [the] actual substance of real issues, like family, friendships and lost love,” Nieboer told Queen City Nerve in August.

Dreamboat stirs up a welter of emotions, but amid their music’s anger, hope, defiance and confusion, the prevailing feeling is an open-hearted empathy as deep as the Marianas Trench.

BEST RAPPER: MAVI

MAVI has been paying his dues on the Charlotte hip-hop scene, first rising to popularity in 2014 as part of the collective KILLSWITCH, which included fellow Charlotte rappers SSCOPACK!, MESSIAH!, and Ahmir The King. He branched out in 2019 with his debut solo album, Let the Sun Talk, the same year he gained some national recognition through a feature on Earl Sweatshirt’s Feet of Clay EP.

It was with this year’s release of Laughing so Hard, It Hurts that MAVI truly stepped into his own. The intimate 16-track album bounces between lyrical styles like dishes at a potluck, but he brought every one of them himself. In the final track, “Last Laugh,” MAVI raps, “The routes I ran in Charlotte carved into the small of my back.” Those routes are leading toward more nationwide acclaim in the coming years, and we’re confident MAVI won’t forget the place he came up in — or the team he came up with.

BEST EMERGING RAPPER:

Midas Black

Usually when an artist drops an album, especially a debut, they want to spend some time pushing it out to the public — performing the songs and building a following around what they hope to become a defining piece of art.

For local singer, rapper and producer Midas Black, his debut album Free Midas, which dropped in December 2021, is already just a reminder of the past.

“A lot of people are telling me, ‘You should keep performing the songs, keep pushing the album,’” he told Queen City Nerve. “The only reason I don’t want to do that is, it’s really dark. I’m not in that place anymore, I’m really not.”

The Monroe native recorded Free Midas when he was struggling. Relationship trouble, financial issues and an over-reliance on self-medication had Midas Black, whose real name is Daniel Thomas, feeling trapped in a cycle of depression and negativity that he could only escape through self-expression and music. What came out was something worth being proud of and pushing to the people, but we can’t wait to see what comes next now that he’s in a better place.

BEST RAPPER OUTSIDE 485:

TiaCorine

Hip-hop might not be the first thing you think of when you think of Winston-Salem, but TiaCorine is on her way to changing that notion. The young rapper first started gaining buzz with the release of “Lotto,” which teased her penchant for mixing earworm rhythms with solid lyrics — bouncing along beats in a way that will have the listener repeating their own thoughts in Tia’s tempo and pattern for hours.

Raised by her Japanese-African-American father and a Shoshone indigenous mother, Tia was exposed to a wide range of musical styles growing up, and it shows not only in her music today but in her style, which sees a mix of hip-hop and anime/gaming

culture. The September release of I Can’t Wait, a follow-up to her 2021 debut 34Corine, cemented her as one of North Carolina’s most promising musicians.

BEST PRODUCER: FLLS

On May 1, longtime Charlotte producer FLLS dropped his debut rap album, Lavonte Is My Real Name, and it was clear from the first listen that he poured his heart into it. FLLS looked inward, sharing personal life stories while at the same time ratcheting up the gritty, hardcore style that local rappers and fellow Hovis House cohorts like JahMonte and Cuzo Key have done so well with.

His lyrical prowess deserves praise, and he now represents Charlotte’s most threatening hip-hop multi-hyphenate, but it’s impossible to ignore that Lavonte Is My Real Name, most of which was selfproduced by FLLS as well, highlighted why he’s still the best behind the boards, full stop. Upon the new project’s release in May, FLLS told Queen City Nerve he wanted to begin experimenting more with house music, which only gives us more evolution to look forward to.

BEST DJ: DJ Fannie Mae

You’ve definitely heard of DJ Fannie Mae in conversation about Durag Fest or when she was recently crowned the official DJ of our new sports club, Charlotte FC. But one thing we’ve learned watching the evolution of Fannie from when we first saw her spinning at L4 Lounge is that it’s impossible to put boundaries on what she’s capable of. If you thought a football club was outside the box try the Charlotte Ballet, for which she’s also served as resident DJ.

Her spot as innovator is cemented by her work launching Sainted: A Trap Choir Party, which, as the name suggests, are praise-and-worship events served with a side of trap music and seasoned with saints. These are immersive parties that highlight the church experience — complete with artistically designed church fans — through music like trap, old-school funk, soul and hip-hop, all with DJ Fannie Mae at the helm, where she naturally belongs.

BEST R&B/SOUL: The Ton3s

With male R&B groups all but extinct in this day and age, The Ton3s have had an interesting career path, first getting a foothold as Anthony Hamilton’s backup singers, then garnering national attention with viral, comedic gospel renditions of songs like Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and Birdman’s “Respeck.” This year, having rebranded from The Hamiltones to The Ton3s, the trio got serious.

PHOTO BY SHANE TRAVIS

DREAMBOAT

The May release of We Are The Ton3s not only included features from Snoop Dogg, PJ Morton, Sir The Baptist and Tarriona “Tank” Ball, but unveiled a new versatile sound that proved The Ton3s can stand on their own six feet without the help of their onetime leader or viral gimmicks.

BEST POP: Quisol

With his second album Dreamworld, Quisol marks a change in his musical path — a turn from projects that amplify social movements to more personal songs. Advance single “In The Flesh” is an autobiographical narrative from Quisol, a Gates Millennium Scholar with a masters degree from Harvard University who is also queer.

The lilting indie-pop love song looks to his upbringing in a Filipino-Puerto Rican-American family with deep ties to its church. Containing elements of alt R&B, pop-soul, electro and jazz, Quisol’s songs also trace a throughline to praise music.

Quisol continues to support organizations that work for issues like housing justice and equity and inclusion for the arts, but for now he’s delving into the feelings associated with love. His current music is positive, uplifting — and always queer.

BEST COMEBACK: Davey Blackburn

After a three-year hiatus from Charlotte’s music scene, one of the city’s most inventive musicians (Chócala, Don Telling’s Island Mysteries) came back with his first solo album. Curiosidades de Bombrile offers 12 propulsive and hypnotic songs comprised of Blackburn’s multi-tracked shape-shifting rhythms that snake under his layered vocals.

Blackburn has worked on these tracks for more than 10 years, but he set them aside in October 2019 when his son, Cuauthy, was diagnosed with leukemia. After Blackburn and his wife concentrated on the care and treatment of their son, Cuauthy’s cancer went into remission. Blackburn’s joy at overcoming his family’s ordeal is palpable in Curiosidades de Bombrile’s celebratory lyrics that cut to the quick.

They’re a compendium of what matters most to Blackburn: people, places, plants, animals and, most of all, family.

BEST MULTI-TASKER:

Martin Hacker-Mullen

Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Martin Hacker-Mullen is also a multi-tasker, shepherding two critically praised musical projects, both undergoing growth and meaningful change.

Charlotte band Clearbody — comprised of bassist Hacker-Mullen and their two closest friends, vocalist/guitarist Eric Smeal and drummer Seth Wesner — garnered national attention and rave reviews with its 2020 debut album One More Day

and its follow-up live EP Audio Tree

At the same time, emo-punk-inspired Stress Fractures, which began in 2017 as Hacker-Mullen’s solo project, has stepped up its game with music that faces the rigors of being alive head on. “The lyrical themes play into the concept of a stress fracture — doing something over and over again until it breaks,” Hacker-Mullen told Queen City Nerve. “I’m using my own moniker as my … inspiration.”

BEST VOCALIST: Mikaela Salazar

In Falling Through April’s 2021 single “Paralyzed,” Mikaela Salazar’s impassioned vocals depict a tipping point in a toxic relationship and only she can change: “Tell me why should I believe in you/ When every kiss leaves an open wound…”

Shunning rock conventions, Salazar eschews delivering her kiss-off/declaration of agency with a piercing scream, rather she drives the point home with a soaring, heartfelt croon. The result is powerful and relatable rock, tuneful as a pop gem, harder than a diamond.

Salazar continues to apply her counter-intuitive approach to rock performance. Despite her melodic, soaring and supposedly pop-friendly vocals, a harder rocking approach proves to be the perfect choice for Salazar.

BEST PERFORMER: Mercury Carter

On June 11, Mercury Carter cemented his reputation as the Queen City’s most innovative and electrifying performer — and he did so not by

singing his accomplished tunes, but by interpreting experimental, jazz-electronica-pop legend Bjork.

With visceral and celestial songs, Bjork’s music possesses an alien beauty akin to the rocky crags of her native Iceland. Carter’s ethereal 3.5 octave range has drawn comparisons to Queen’s Freddy Mercury, yet he proved he’s just as outré as Bjork, while never losing sight of his individualism.

Even Bjork’s taste in fashion and glam was mirrored in Carter’s taste in gossamer stage design and tasteful attire of a cropped graphic tee, Girbauds and sneakers. No by-the-numbers tribute, the show, and the rest of his tour covering Bjork at venues and institutions around the city, played out as a match made somewhere along the astral plane imbued with otherworldly grandeur.

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER:

Kadey Ballard

Accomplished actress Kadey Ballard proves just as accomplished at making music with her haunted hymns and Appalachian-infused incantations.

There’s a sense of serenity in songs like “The Changeling Well,” where Ballard’s acoustic guitar canters like a buckboard jostling on a carriage route. Gradually, her feathered vocals gain force like wind shaking the treetops, as ghostly harmonies and layered instruments join in. All the while, Ballard’s lyrics cast a spell where human needs and nature’s magic meet.

QUISOL

PHOTO BY GOTHIKA MAGAZINE

PHOTO BY DANIEL COSTON

DAVEY BLACKBURN

MERCURY CARTER

PHOTO BY BRIAN ‘BT’ TWITTY

“There’s something that I obviously need to express … in a certain way. I want to be a conduit for that,” said Ballard, who has harnessed her love of nature to conjure an emotional reaction in audiences — a live energy exchange that’s as powerful as any mountain witch’s spell.

BEST EMERGING SINGER/ SONGWRITER: Royal Ranger

It may seem like Dan Anderson came out of nowhere when he dropped “Libra Libra,” the first single from his new solo project Royal Ranger, in September, but he’s been bopping around the NC music scene for his time, playing with blues band The Swamp Doctors before branching out on his own to experiment with different sounds.

From that emerged Royal Ranger, and since “Libra Libra” is all we have to go by now, we’re not sure if he plans to stick to the spaced-out Spaghetti western sound he so magnificently implements in the single, but it’s such a damn good song we have to recognize it for the potential it has to make Royal Ranger a fixture on the local scene.

BEST COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA:

Loose Lugnuts

Formed by brothers and Thirsty Beaver coowners Mark and Brian Wilson, The Loose Lugnuts are authentic yet contemporary purveyors of folk storytelling and barstool laureate poetry. The foursome plays all-American rough-edged rowdy country, the font from which rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll emerged.

They’re so good at what they do, it’s impossible to tell the difference between the emotionally direct covers they love to play live and the powerful punchy originals they craft, which sound like they could have been cut by “the singing lineman” Jimmie Rodgers.

Mark Wilson’s writing is plain-spoken poetry, deft and emotional without calling attention to its cleverness. Amid lashings of pedal steel, the song “Fingerprints on the Bottle” drops one of the more evocative lines ever written about a neglected relationship when it references “dust on my wedding band.”

BEST METAL/HARDCORE: Duckbeak

Originally formed in Weddington in 2018, Duckbeak was inspired by modern beat-down hardcore and metalcore but still carries influences

from old-school punk music. This year saw the release of “Quietkind,” the first single since their Snakes & Rats album dropped in 2021. The song references depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide in a way that allows for maximum release.

“The song is about bottling up your emotions and the struggle with not being able to open up about anything that’s going on inside,” vocalist Mike Smith told music site No Echo in September upon the single’s premiere.

At the very least, it’s enough to ramp you up to break that bottle.

BEST EXPERIMENTAL: Coyote 87

In 2015, writer Devan T. Penegar made a shattering impact with his essay “I Dream of Goats,” weaving idyllic childhood memories with a harrowing account of Penegar’s own sexual assault at the tender age of 15, and his subsequent struggle with PTSD.

Seven years on, the writer has deftly turned the page to become an experimental electronic musician. Coyote 87 crafts layered synth-based songs with cut-and-paste vocals drawn from and podcasts, as well as kinky and/or chilly recitatives

Barber and bassist Morgan Johnson as permanent members of thinking man’s power trio Sometime in February. The group charts a sound that hews to the modern progressive crunch of bands like Periphery and Between the Buried and Me, augmented with techniques Auman picked up by playing indie rock, such as guitar pedals and effects.

“Shredding a great solo is always fun,” Auman told Queen City Nerve, “but it’s the song as a whole that is the most important thing to me — and the most fun.”

BEST ROCK: The New Creatures

Forged in the crucible of a McAdenville house called the Creature Farm, The New Creatures are a rarity in mainstream rock’s menagerie of largerthan-life figures; they’re regular folks who write relatable, catchy rock songs.

The band’s fresh yet familiar-sounding tunes draw from surf, country, indie and classic rock, and can range from “Telephone Wire,” where chiming, frenetic rhythm guitars that suggest nerdy ’80s indie band The Feelies give way to an amiable Quicksilver Messenger Service canter, to the Big Star-styled rocker “Now We’re Dancin’,” which nods to Sticky Fingers-era Rolling Stones with percussive electric piano and spiraling country-rock guitar riffs.

“All I ever wanted was to write a song that anybody can relate to and listen to, and it will brighten up their day a little bit,” guitarist John Carstarphen told Queen City Nerve in February.

from his friend Camryn Bell, who works as dominatrix under the moniker Princess Camryn.

Penegar also augments his musical armory with analog electronic sounds — the spooky churchyard ambience of 1970s Italian horror stalwarts Goblin and the metronomic canter of veteran Krautrockers Tangerine Dream — for a nostalgic and frissonfilled listening experience.

“I consider Coyote 87 a persona rooted in nostalgia while still trying to move forward,” Penegar explains. “I choose using the coyote in place of my face on album covers because they give me a sense of awe.”

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ACT: Sometime in February

Having played a variety of genres ranging from classic rock to heavy metal, guitarist Tristan Auman feels he’s found his voice by dropping the vocals.

After composing pensive and menacing tone poem “Better Late,” in which he played practically everything, Auman recruited drummer Scott

BEST POP PUNK: Clearbody

In 2014, guitarist/vocalist Eric Smeal launched Dollhands as a solo effort. As Smeal’s interests shifted to other musical genres, Dollhands shed its old identity as a punk-inflected garage rock outfit and became Clearbody. In the process, a very good band became an inspired trio comprised of Smeal, bassist Martin Hacker-Mullen and drummer Seth Wesner.

With heavy driving guitar tones, intricate guitar leads and atmospheric rhythms, Clearbody became the city’s best pop punk outfit. The band’s quantum leap in quality is crystal clear in “Ultraclarity,” where fuzzed subterranean bass anchors jagged distorted guitars that radiate outward in a shimmering emo/ hardcore aurora.

Similarly, the anthemic “Quarterback” enfolds wheeling scythes of flashing guitars with sweet and soaring vocals. Ethereal wordless vocals also simmer atop chugging hardcore riffs on “Scratch the Color.”

The release garnered national attention from Spin Magazine and others.

SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY

PHOTO BY ANDERS JOHANSON

PHOTO BY BRANDON ROMEO

THE NEW CREATURES

“We were confident in [Clearbody’s One More Day], but had no idea it would have that range of appeal,” Hacker-Mullen told Queen City Nerve. “We thought that our friends would like it, and … peers would listen to it. But magazines that I bought at Books-A-Million when I was in high school writing about me now is not something I expected.”

We expect he and the rest of the guys in Clearbody will only see more of that in the years to come.

BEST SECOND WIND: Doubting Thomas

The band officially disbanded in 2001, but Doubting Thomas, fronted by Gina Stewart and Brenda Gambill, never really went away, continuing to exert its hold on Charlotte’s musical imagination with a diverse definition-defying sound.

There are echoes of 1970s folk-inflected Laurel Canyon singer-songwriters and sympathetic rockers like The Eagles in Doubting Thomas’ indelible imagerich songs, but the band transcends genre, pulling from fiery protest tunes, experimental progressive rock and indie pop.

After the rapturous response to a Sept. 17 reunion show, the band has booked a Jan. 28 gig at Neighborhood Theatre and is open to more shows. There’s no doubt that the resilient indomitable band never died. After more than 20 years, Doubting Thomas refuses to fade away.

BEST ALBUM: Faye, ‘You’re Better’

After three years of frustrating delays to their debut album release thanks to COVID-19, supplyline issues and the dissolution of a whole record label, indie rock trio Faye finally dropped You’re Better in August, and it was worth the wait.

Recorded with renowned producer Justin Pizzoferrato, You’re Better showcases a cleaned up sound as compared to the 2019 self-titled EP that trades in distorted dreamscapes for crisp, in-yourface alt rock — more Veruca Salt than Rilo Kiley.

“The EP was honestly kind of tentative, like we weren’t sure who we were as a band or if we knew what we were doing or if we were allowed to do it,” explained Sarah Blumenthal, Faye’s bassist who shares songwriting and vocal duties with guitarist Susan Plante. “So there’s a lot more steadier footing on the LP — definitely more confidence, definitely more intention.”

BEST EP: Quentin Talley & the Soul

Providers, ‘Fall Thru’

Quentin Talley and the Soul Providers’ debut EP, Fall Thru, which dropped on July 1, consists of one extended song cut into four tracks and served as an anthem for getting outside this summer.

The group had been fine-tuning the piece over the past two years, waiting for that time when they felt comfortable to put it out there — comfortable with the music and comfortable with the climate.

“Last year, we thought it was time and then the Omicron came back and got us,” Talley told Queen City Nerve. “And we still had some more mixing to do anyway. But I’m hoping it will be somewhat of an anthem for people to call up their people that they ain’t seen in a minute, tell them to fall through and have a drink or get up at a certain spot and just kind of hang out and catch up with folks that you haven’t seen.”

The song is a plea for socialization, all in the upbeat and uplifting soulful jazz style fans have come to expect from Quentin Talley and the Soul Providers over the years.

BEST SONG: “Four Corners” by Erick Lottary feat. Deniro Farrar, KAS, Southside Gauxst

After getting in his bag with the R&B sound on “Blessins” in 2021, Erick Lottary came back to show the hip-hop community he’s still got it in ’22. First he dropped separate singles with KAS and Southside Gauxst, then brought them both back and threw Deniro Farrar into the mix for this banger, “Four Corners,” all glued together by a beautiful bell of a beat by Smwhereat4am.

BEST VIDEO: “PB&J” by Cyanca

Charlotte’s Queen of Neo Soul released this soothing kick-back track in 2021, but the visuals dropped in May of this year and feature a slew of Charlotte music cameos. Produced by Paul Jahn, the video tracks Cyanca through a series of exchanges that ends with … a “To Be Continued” message. That’s usually a letdown but the vibes from the song won’t let us be disappointed. We’re just patiently waiting for Part 2.

BEST COLLABORATIVE PROJECT: Ultima Nota, ‘Soñando’

On “Mi Sueño,” a single off UltimaNota’s album Soñando, funky guitar and rippling timbales coalesce around an ebullient chorus, but the Spanish-

language lyrics detail the travails of immigrants consigned to the shadows in their new homeland.

Recorded by guitarist Tony Arreaza, who has supported and fostered a flourishing Latin music community in Charlotte for nearly 30 years, the album features 12 original songs spotlighting local Latinx guest artists including Ana Lucia Divins and Carlos Crespo of acoustic duo Café Amaretto, songwriter Dalia Razo, Charlotte salsa band Orquesta Mayor and many more.

Funded in part by an Arts & Science Council Creative Renewal Fellowship award, Soñando means “dreaming.”

Arreaza hopes the project will convince nonLatinx listeners that Latin music is Charlotte’s music, and that the musicians who create it are part of — and not separate from — the city’s greater creative community.

BEST BREAKTHROUGH PROJECT: Alan Charmer, ‘Don’t You Worry’

Terrence Richard is anything but a “breakthrough artist” in Charlotte, considering the role he’s played as frontman of hugely popular indie rockers Junior Astronomers, but his solo project Alan Charmer is so far and away different from anything JA did that it deserves to be viewed through an entirely different lens.

After dropping his first single in February 2021 and teasing out a few more since then, Richard finally gave us his first EP, Don’t You Worry, in July, allowing us to take in seven tracks of the smooth R&B aesthetic he’s embraced as Alan Charmer. Richard has found his voice and gotten his footing as Charmer, and now the sky’s the limit.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN COOPER QUENTIN TALLEY

BEST NEW SOUND: Coughing Dove

As was the case with so many others, the pandemic gave Charlotte musician Nicholas Holman a lot of time to think. Holman, who has played in bands such as Landless, Pullover and Dreamboat but performs solo as Coughing Dove, spent a lot of time in nature with his then-partner and a hound dog the two had recently adopted, which gave him time to ponder the complexities of life.

“That time away gave me mental space to think a lot about who I am, who I want to be, not just as an individual, but in relation to the life forms and rhythm of the planet,” Holman told Queen City Nerve. “I thought about ghosts from my past, friends and family who have passed, why I want to create. I spent a little time learning trees by name and just appreciating the quiet time in my mind.”

From those sessions came the foundation for Coughing Dove’s new album You & Me Lee, which he released in September. With 2019’s debut Nearly a Complete Ghost showcasing an exploration of jangly indie rock, dusty fingerpicked folk and rattly sound experiments, this year’s follow-up found Coughing Dove traversing further into the world of country than we’ve seen him in the past, and it fits him perfectly.

BEST NOSTALGIA TRIP: Family Video, ‘The Image’

On Valentine’s Day, Family Video dropped “The Image,” a grinding electro-pop track/retro glitchy video documenting the band’s love/hate relationship with nostalgia.

Shot in bandleader Josh Shabtai’s garage, the deliberately low-res video nods to David Cronenberg’s 1983 body horror classic Videodrome as band members record dating profiles on VHS before merging into one another. Then, as ski-masked dancers from Georgia — the country, not the state — and Malaysian teens bust out their own choreographed dances to the track, viewers are treated to 1980s clips of Brooke Shields, hair mousse and cans of Spam.

Shabtai admits that, like us, he’s a sucker for a manufactured rosy view of the Reagan era.

“We feed on the same nostalgic stuff that gets fanboys up in arms and washed-up ’80s celebrities elected to office,” he said.

BEST LOCAL SHOW: Lost in Space

In 2021, composer and visionary Elizabeth Kowalski’s Your Neighborhood Orchestra invited Charlotte music fans to stare into space at the

Stargazer Music fest. A year later, on Oct. 2, Kowalski and company invited them to get lost in it.

An Afrofuturist sci-fi bio-mystery with a genrebending chamber orchestra and spoken-word artistry, Lost In Space was a collaboration between co-directors and producers Master Kie and RoyalCity Lif, composer Scott McLaughlin, Kowalski’s YNO. At the center of the show was aerialist Stryx defying gravity on a lyra hoop as the cosmonaut Ludmilla, who ascends beyond the struggles of humanity, adrift among the stars.

The purpose of the show was to invite the audience to channel the astronaut’s perspective, but the sheer amount of local talent in one room was enough to leave us spaced out.

BEST NATIONAL SHOW: Alicia Keys at CMCU Amphitheatre

On Aug. 2, Alicia Keys performed at the Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, the first stop on her Alicia + Keys World Tour and only one in the Carolinas. Keys performed a varying amount of her discography, with newer hits like “Show Me Love” and “So Done,” and classics like “Fallin’” and “If I Ain’t Got You.”

“Alicia Keys can easily swing the pendulum between heartfelt and playful, as her vocals easily convey whatever emotion she’s going for,” Queen City Nerve’s live music reviewer Jeff Hahne wrote at the time.

Alicia Keys showed off her versatility that night, mixing up her act by moving around from the piano onstage to the lawn of the venue, giving fans a closer glimpse of the singer, who reportedly hasn’t

been to Charlotte since 2004.

Singer Pink Sweat$ opened for Alicia Keys and by the end of the event, fans were so enamored by her performance that they demanded an encore.

BEST VENUE: Middle C Jazz

It appears that 2022 was the year that Middle C accomplished what the owners originally set out to do upon opening in 2019, just a mere months before the pandemic: Resuscitate the jazz scene in Charlotte. This year saw a string of big-name acts pass through Middle C: Kat Edmonson (April), Nicole Henry (April), Joey DeFrancesco (May), Jonathan Butler (June), Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra (June), Kirk Whalum (July), Jeff Kashiwa (July), Jeff Lorber (September), and Euge Groove (November).

We’ve seen some of these players before, like Kirk Whalum and Delfeayo Marsalis, at special events dating back to JazzCharlotte in the late ’80s

and, more recently, at the Blumenthal Performing Arts’s annual Charlotte Jazz Festival, but until now jazz fans had to satisfy themselves with hoping that these special events would return the big acts to us annually.

Now it’s a weekly thing.

“I think the pandemic became a catalyst,” said owner Larry Farber. “Because people then had to wait months and years to get back out, so I think now all this pent-up demand, in addition to what we already knew was going to be a demand in the market, gave us a double boost, and it’s really propelled us in a big way.”

BEST COLLABORATIVE VENUE: Petra’s

It seems as though Petra’s is constantly evolving as a venue, and always in the right direction. One of the coolest ways the venue is constantly cultivating collaboration is through its themed art shows. Just as one example out of many, The Last Night, held in October, asked local creatives for their perspective on the end times. It featured music from Makeda Iroquois, Terra Grata, Day Brown and FLLS to supply the vibes for art on display from more than a dozen local visual artists including Arko, Marcus Kiser, whatisrelax and more.

BEST WEEKLY EVENT: Bill Hanna

Legacy Jazz Session at Petra’s

Known as the Godfather of Jazz in Charlotte, Bill Hanna left behind a legacy that is appreciated by many. That is never more apparent than when Petra’s invites anyone and everyone with an interest in jazz to their spot every Monday night to jam out. You didn’t have to know Bill to know what he meant to this city once you catch the passion that comes out of these jam sessions, whether two people show up or 20.

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

PHOTO BY JEFF HAHNE

ALICIA KEYS AT CMCU AMPHITHEATRE

BEST ART GALLERY

Winner: Mint Museum

Runner Up: Petra’s

BEST DISPLAY OF PUBLIC ART

Winner: Camp North End Runner Up: Charlotte International Arts Festival

BEST MOVIE THEATER

Winner: Independent Picture House Runner Up: AMC Park Terrace 6

BEST EXHIBIT

Winner: Fresh2Death: Streetwhere? at Camp North End Runner Up: Divine Feminine by Ryan Sumner at Artisan’s Palate

BEST MURALIST

Winner: Bree Stallings

Runner Up: Osiris Rain

BEST PHOTOGRAPHER

Winner: Alex Cason

Runner Up: Daniel Coston

BEST CONCERT VENUE

Winner: Neighborhood Theatre

Runner Up: Snug Harbor

BEST TATTOO ARTIST

Winner: Hayley Moran

Runner Up: Matt Terry

BEST MUSEUM

BEST ACTOR

Winner: Kevin Shimko

Runner Up: Jeremy DeCarlos

BEST ACTRESS

Winner: Iris DeWitt Runner Up: Andrea King

BEST DRAG PERFORMER

Winner: Riley Malicious

Runner Up: RC Cola

BEST COMEDIAN

Winner: Jordan Centry Runner Up: Jason Allen King

BEST IMPROV TROUPE

Winner: Therapy Adjacent Runner Up: The Fungibles

BEST COMEDY VENUE

Winner: Comedy Zone

Runner Up: Starlight on 22nd

BEST PERFORMING ARTIST(S)

Winner: Cirque du Cosplay Runner Up: The Flamingo Revue

Winner: Mint Museum Runner Up: Bechtler Museum of Modern Art

BEST VISUAL ARTIST

Winner: Elizabeth Palmisano

Runner Up: Miss Lotus

BEST THEATRE COMPANY

Winner: Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte Runner Up: Three Bone Theatre

BEST SKETCH COMEDY ROUTINE

Winner: Screw Up TV

BEST THEATRE SHOW (LOCAL)

Winner: Pu s, Or: Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic by Proxymoron Productions Runner Up: The Maids by XOXO

BEST THEATRE SHOW (NATIONAL)

Winner: Waitress Runner Up: Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations

BEST PLACE TO HEAR SPOKEN WORD

Winner: The Evening Muse Runner Up: Petra’s

BEST RECORD LABEL

Winner: Four Finger Records

Runner Up: Self Aware Records

BEST LOCAL SHOW THIS YEAR

Winner: The Flamingo Revue Presents The Ides of March at Visulite Theatre Runner Up: The Wormholes, Solis, Modern Moxie at Visulite Theatre

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL (IN STATE)

Winner: Queen City Jam Session

Runner Up: Merlefest

BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL (OUT OF STATE)

Winner: Bonnaroo

Runner Up: Shaky Knees

BEST PLACE TO HEAR JAZZ

Winner: Petra’s

Runner Up: Middle C Jazz

BEST NATIONAL SHOW THIS YEAR

Winner: Nas and Wu-Tang Clan at PNC Music Pavilion

Runner Up: Rage Against the Machine and Run the Jewels at PNC Arena

BEST MUSIC SCHOOL/LESSONS

Winner: School of Rock Charlotte

Runner Up: We Rock CLT

BEST OPEN MIC NIGHT

Winner: Find Your Muse at The Evening Muse

Runner Up: Open Mic Tuesdays at Starlight on 22nd

BEST RECORDING STUDIO

Winner: Jambox Runner Up: Sioux Sioux Studio

BEST PLACE TO HEAR COUNTRY MUSIC

Winner: Thirsty Beaver Saloon

Runner Up: Coyote Joe’s

BEST BLUES/JAZZ/SOUL BAND

Winner: Matt Postle Runner Up: Jazz Is Led

BEST EXPERIMENTAL MUSICIAN/BAND

Winner: SOLIS Runner Up: Hey RICHARD

BEST COUNTRY/FOLK BAND

Winner: Sinners & Saints Runner Up: Jude Moses

BEST DJ Winner: DJ Vanna Vanity Runner Up: DJ Spider

BEST INDIE ROCK BAND

Winner: Modern Moxie Runner Up: The Wormholes

BEST LOCAL ALBUM

Winner: Jude Moses - The Beauty Runner Up: Occult Fracture - Bones & Bon res

BEST PRODUCER

Winner: Krystle Baller

Runner Up: Master Kie

BEST R&B SINGER

Winner: Dexter Jordan Runner Up: K. Omari Wilkerson

BEST LIVE PERFORMER(S) Winner: The Wormholes Runner Up: Hey RICHARD

BEST POTENTIAL BREAKOUT ARTIST

Winner: Natalie Carr

Runner Up: Jude Moses

BEST RAPPER

Winner: Phaze Gawd Runner Up: ReeCee Raps

BEST NEW BAND

Winner: Dreamboat

Pg. 59

BEST SINGER/SONGWRITER

Winner: Lisa De Novo Runner Up: Søelle

CRITICS’ PICKS: NIGHTLIFE

If there’s one thing we’ve done our research on, it’s where to have a good time in this town. We’re more than happy to share what we’ve found.

BEST NEW NIGHTLIFE SPOT:

Starlight On 22nd

Starlight on 22nd is a bar and arts venue on East 22nd Street in Optimist Park, opened by artists and NoDa pioneers Ruth Ava Lyons and Paul Sires and their son, Orion, who runs the day-to-day.

Since opening in late 2021, Starlight has become a go-to nightlife spot for a number of subcultures throughout Charlotte, hosting events and themed nights regularly, including drag shows, open mic nights, live music, stand-up comedy, fashion shows, theatre productions, spoken-word poetry, disc golf putting competitions and more.

Starlight is located within walking distance of NoDa, Belmont, Villa Heights, Optimist Hall and the Blue Line, and cultivates a kitschy vibe that Orion describes as “NoDa nostalgic” — a fusion of his modern ideas and his parents’ eclectic, thrifted, artsy style.

All the decor is either thrifted, repurposed or created; the ceiling in the entryway is made completely out of streetlights, above the bar hang the old doors of The Evening Muse, and on top of each table sits a trophy or vintage trinket. And if you get bored, there’s a supply of board games in the back that always seems to be in rotation (our theory is that the good ones keep getting stolen).

BEST NEW BAR: Humbug

Have you been looking for a legit cocktail bar in Plaza Midwood that you don’t have to/can’t make a reservation for (especially now that Soul Gastrolounge is gone)? Well bah Humbug, we’ve got your replacement. If you didn’t know that they’ve opened a boutique, five-room, limited engagement hotel (Refuge) with a ridiculously amazing cocktail bar that’s arguably its claim to fame on Central Avenue, now you do.

If veteran mixologists Larry Suggs and Andrew Schools really wanted to flex, you wouldn’t be able to get in the door if you tried, but instead they operate this spot more like a speakeasy — at least more so than the so-called speakeasies that advertise themselves as such, which defeats the purpose of the speakeasy, but we digress.

The cocktails this magical duo cooks up will keep any newcomer and regular alike coming back for more. Plus, they’re keeping us on our toes with dinner pop-up series, flexible menus, $10 specialty cocktail nights, and creative themes that switch things up. December’s theme is Krampus so we can’t wait to get naughty!

BEST COMEBACK: Super Abari

The original Abari was cool, but they don’t call the new location Super Abari for nothing. When Abari on Parkwood Avenue and North Davidson Street closed in 2020 due to COVID-19 and rising rent prices, hearts across Charlotte broke — none more-so than owner Zach Pulliam’s. But after two years of hard work, dedication and sheer willpower, Super Abari emerged like a phoenix from the ashes on Seigle Avenue in the heart of Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood.

As expected, Super Abari stayed true to its roots, featuring wall-to-wall games of every kind, including some iconic classics and a killer pinball selection. They added an amazing outdoor patio space and an unbelievably spacious interior as compared to the sometimes cramped space in the original location. The newly renovated location has allowed Super Abari to truly come into its own while maintaining the sense of inclusivity and community that so many had come to know and love. As LL Cool J would say, “Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years!”

BEST HOTEL BAR: E’terie Bar & Grill

Have you ever found yourself walking around the Second Ward area, circling the Nascar Hall of Fame ‘round midnight looking for a nightcap only to discover that you are in a damn ghost town? Dip into the Embassy Suites at the corner of Martin Luther King Boulevard and South Caldwell Street and walk through the lobby until you find E’terie, a sleek little bar with a large lounge for … well, lounging. The service is impeccable, the martinis are mixed perfectly, and the popcorn is some of the best we’ve ever had. No, seriously, the popcorn is really good.

BEST PLACE FOR FUN & GAMES: Puttery

We got a chance to check this spot out before it opened in December 2021 and spent a great afternoon knocking balls around two themed indoor mini-golf courses: one that places players in a bougie library and another that places them somewhere in the Triassic period.

The idea for two wholly different courses offers a nice change of pace, but it’s the country club … err, bar and lounge area, that truly sets Puttery apart. The huge windows facing Hawkins and Rampart streets will have you wishing you were looking out on something other than the construction that has been and will be consuming the area for the foreseeable future. Pay that no mind, however, as the interior gives you plenty of things to shift your focus to. With comfortable lounge chairs placed in a plant-heavy setting and amazing cocktails and food items on the menu, you might just forget about the fun and games.

BEST PLACE TO DAY DRINK:

Moo & Brew

Located on Central Avenue in the northern tip of the Elizabeth neighborhood, Moo & Brew offers large patio spaces and outdoor windows for walkup ordering. Nothing can beat their Large Marge, a 20-ounce bloody mary, paired with a burger or

grilled cheese while sitting outside. It’s a laidback spot in walking distance to any number of nearby bars, breweries and eateries in Plaza Midwood, Elizabeth or Belmont. And what’s more: the newly opened Gold Line gives access right through Uptown to any number of other hangouts if you get bored.

Here’s the thing: You won’t get bored.

BEST PLACE TO BAR HOP:

Plaza Midwood

This might seem a bit repetitive, but Moo & Brew isn’t even in Plaza Midwood, so let’s just call it complementary. If you’re looking for the best one-mile stretch to bar hop in Charlotte, look no further than Central Avenue in the heart of Plaza Midwood. Sure, a lot has changed (read: closed) and there’s plenty to complain about, but there’s still a great combination of low-key dive bars, intimate music venues, vibrant restaurants, family-friendly breweries and more, all east of the train tracks.

You can even take a break from bar hopping to shop locally made artisan goods, jewelry, and vintage clothing! Plaza Midwood is (still) home to some of Charlotte’s favorite (and most iconic) watering holes like Thirsty Beaver, Legion Brewing, and Thomas Street Tavern — now with new editions like Burial Beer Co. Whether you’re looking for a night out or an afternoon of activities, this quirky energetic length of Central Avenue reaching from Hawthorne Lane to Iris Drive is packed full of fun for everyone.

BEST PATIO: Vaulted Oak Brewing

Since opening in summer 2021, Vaulted Oak Brewing has been an easy target for folks who see the proliferation of local beer as just another sign of gentrification. What could be more symbolic of Charlotte’s two bro identities than a bank turned brewery, especially one that still looks so much like a bank branch from the road?

All jokes aside, however, and Vaulted Oak is a pretty damn cool place to hang out, and a lot of that is due to what we’ll call three levels of shelter. First there’s the main tap room, which is similar to any other brewery bar, if a tad cramped. Then there are two awesome patios: one that’s mainly covered — garage style — with TVs, tables and plastic chairs, and another that’s fully outside, giving backyard vibes with picnic tables lined up and plenty of space for vendors, musicians, a smoker, and whatever else is needed to make for a special afternoon (beer and friends are usually enough, though).

And you can take that to the bank.

BEST ROOFTOP PATIO: Novelty House

Though Connolly’s on 5th is still right where it’s always been (on 5th), where the upstairs patio once stood is now home to the five-floor Binaco Tower, topped by Novelty House, a rooftop cocktail bar, with the exclusive Havana Smoke and Reserve lounge on the floor below. That’s what we call leveling up!

You may see pics of the floral decor, the neon “WISH YOU WERE HERE” sign, and the built-in mirror ring light in the bathroom and think “chintzy” or “so what?” But the truth is, the pioneers behind these two new nightlife destinations left no stones unturned when it came to cultivating an experience down to the most minute details. As a result, they’ve created a “novel” 5th Street destination that offers an elevated atmosphere unlike any other on the block.

BEST NEW PATIO: Burial Brewing Co.

Asheville-based Burial Brewing Co. opened its first Charlotte location in June on Thomas Avenue, and boy did they have a sweet skyline view for about two months. That’s when the ghastly new Central Square development started going up, including a parking garage that completely blocked off any line of sight to the city in the west. Ahh well, this type of shit happens, and it’s not as if Burial had some long claim to their view; they’re newcomes, too!

But still, even without an Instagrammable view, the vibes on the rooftop at Burial are cozy and cool, with a nice rooftop bar selection that means you don’t have to go up and down stairs all night.

And if it’s an extra breezy night, head downstairs, where another outdoor patio is sufficiently closed off from the world while still offering enough space to be comfortable.

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

& BREW

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

PUTTERY

BEST EXPANSION: NoDa Company Store Canteen

It seems that just about every week Camp North End is announcing a new tenant addition to its sprawling campus, and it was an only a matter of time before someone took over the event space that looks out on The Boileryard, the epicenter of the popular Friday Nights at Camp North End, where bands perform and people gather under the old water tower.

We’d venture to say that no one could have filled that space better than Joey Hewell and Scott Lindsley with NoDa Company Store have since opening their new Canteen location in September.

The 1,650-square-foot interior features a bar, oversized tables and seating for more than 50 people, and is the perfect stop for those Friday nights, when we used to have to wait in line at Company Store’s mobile tiki shack instead. As with the flagship location in NoDa, the Canteen serves a great lineup of local beers, wine and wine-based sangrias, including the ever-popular NoDaColada.

BEST SPORTS BAR:

The Kilted Buffalo

It’s about time that someone got this space right. The Kilted Buffalo, located on Central Avenue in the space that formerly housed Pour Taphouse, is the perfect place to both watch and play games. There are about a dozen big-screen TVs, a large projector screen, an indoor astroturfed cornhole area, a ping-pong table, two pool tables, a comfy lounge area, ample space to hoot and holler, a full kitchen, a full draft beer menu and all the cocktails you need to watch your team get embarrassed (if you’re a fan of local teams lately).

BEST DIVE BAR: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern

A perennial winner in the Best Dive Bar category, there’s just no beating a night at Hattie’s. It perfectly balances the vibes between introvert and extrovert, whether you want to hang out inside and make friends around the bar or lounge areas, start up a game of pool with strangers, or go out back with just the one (or few) you came with to hold court at one of the picnic tables, you’ll find whatever vibes you’re looking for.

As always, old-school game systems await if you’re interested in a game of Mario Kart on

Nintendo 64, or even older-school game systems called board games for folks who are more analogminded. Oh yeah, and the most important part of any dive bar: cheap drinks! Next round’s on us.*

*This is just an expression and we are not contractually obligated to, in fact, provide anyone with rounds.

BEST OFF-THE-BEATEN-PATH: Gibson Mill

If you’ve ever wanted to experience what it may have felt like to walk into the disorganized, tchotchke-filled version of the Room of Requirement in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, look no further.

Boasting 88,000 square feet, the Depot at Gibson Mill is chock full of curiosities, vintage furniture, and even a humongous buffalo head. It’s no wonder this antique mall is lauded as the largest in the South. But that’s just an inkling of what the old mill in Concord has to offer. They’ve been adding tenants at Camp-North-End speed this year. Opened on Oct. 5, the Gibson Mill Market food hall features Cara’s Cookie Company, Johnny Rogers BBQ & Burgers, Taco Street, Churn Buddies Ice Cream, Defined Coffee, and The Market Bar.

Those vendors joined existing tenants High Branch Brewing Company and Luck Factory Games, the largest board game library and cafe in North Carolina.

BEST WAY TO SPEND A SOBER NIGHT: Wednesday Night Live

Wednesday Night Live is a weekly event series that includes free admission to the museums that are part of Levine Center for the Arts every Wednesday from 5-9 p.m., as well as live entertainment or

programming each week.

The special programming rotates among the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, the Knight Theater and The Mint Museum. The current lineup includes everything from Brazilian dance performances to spoken-word artists to film screenings. The past year has seen fashion runways, guided exhibit tours with drag queens and plenty of other cool stuff.

Soon, Levine Museum of the New South will also join in on Wednesday Night Live at its new location in the former Wells Fargo Museum in Uptown.

BEST MONTHLY PARTY:

Deep Fried Disco

That Guy Smitty is a magician — a musical

alchemist with impeccable taste for infectious tunes and flawless transitions. The DJ born as Anthony Smith not only reads a room, he guides it with telepathic ease.

You — and everyone else — want to follow his flow, which shuns the hits and entwines hip-hop, funk, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and more. Along with DJ/ drummer/producer/engineer Jay “VonFunkhauser” Cooper, who spins tunes that harken to the era of classic disco and funk, Smitty hosts the best damn dance party in Charlotte.

Mark your calendars for Deep Fried Disco’s upcoming New Year’s Eve party at Snug Harbor, where That Guy Smitty and VonFunkhauser welcome guest artists Charles Gatling, Oba Shanti and Steve Howerton.

GIBSON MILL

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLACK WEDNESDAY

BEST ARCADE BAR

Winner: Super Abari Game Bar

Runner Up: Pins Mechanical Co

BEST COCKTAIL BAR

Winner: Idlewild

Runner Up: Dot Dot Dot

BEST BOWLING ALLEY

Winner: 10 Park Lanes

Runner Up: AMF University Lanes

BEST DIVE BAR

Winner: Thirsty Beaver Saloon

Runner Up: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern

BEST HOOKAH BAR

Winner: The Peace Pipe

Runner Up: Crave Dessert Bar

BEST CIGAR BAR

Winner: The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar

Runner Up: Havana Smoke and Reserve

BEST NEW NIGHTCLUB

Winner: Resident Culture South End

Runner Up: The Hive

BEST MUSIC BINGO NIGHT

Winner: Mindless Minutia Trivia Events

Runner Up: Ed’s Tavern

BEST SPORTS BAR

Winner: Ed’s Tavern

Runner Up: Tavern on the Tracks

BEST STRIP CLUB

Winner: Uptown Cabaret Runner Up: The Men’s Club

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

Winner: Tommy’s Pub

Runner Up: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern

BEST ANNUAL PARTY

Winner: Shiprocked! Pride Party at Snug Harbor

Runner Up: Spring Fest at Sycamore Brewing

BEST NEW NIGHTCLUB

Winner: Resident Culture South End

Runner Up: The Hive

BEST PLACE TO GRAB A QUICK DRINK

Winner: NoDa Company Store

Runner Up: Tommy’s Pub

BEST POOL HALL

Winner: Midwood Country Club Runner Up: Montford Billiards

BEST TRIVIA NIGHT

Winner: Mindless Minutia Trivia Events

Runner Up: Wooden Robot

BEST WINE BAR

Winner: Rosie’s Wine Garden Runner Up: The Artisan’s Palate

BEST SINGLES BAR

Winner: Snug Harbor

Runner Up: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern

BEST MOBILE TROLLEY/PUB

Winner: Trolley Pub Charlotte

BEST WEEKLY NIGHTLIFE EVENT

Winner: Mindless Minutia Trivia Events

Runner Up: Karaoke Night at Snug Harbor

BEST BALLANTYNE BAR

Winner: Duckworth’s

Runner Up: Bradshaw Social House

BEST NODA BAR

Winner: JackBeagle’s

Runner Up: Salud Cerveceria

BEST UPTOWN BAR

BEST BELMONT BAR

Winner: Jekyll and Hyde Taphouse Grill

Runner Up: The Bearded Bu alo Sports Bar

BEST NORTH CHARLOTTE BAR

Winner: Petty Thieves Brewing Co

Runner Up: NoDa Company Canteen

Winner (Tie): Connoly’s, The Roxbury

Runner Up: Dandelion Market

BEST PLAZA MIDWOOD BAR

Winner: Workman’s Friend

Runner Up: Snug Harbor

BEST EAST CHARLOTTE BAR

Winner: Tommy’s Pub Runner Up: Smokey Joe’s Cafe

BEST MATTHEWS/MINT HILL BAR

Winner: Seaboard Brewing, Taproom & Wine Bar

Runner Up: CharBar 7

BEST WEST CHARLOTTE BAR

Winner: The Milestone

Runner Up: JackBeagle’s Moorehead

BEST SOUTH END BAR

Winner: Resident Culture South End Runner Up: Vinyl

BEST NORTH MECKLENBURG BAR

Winner: Hello, Sailor Runner Up: Primal Brewery

BEST CLUB DJ

Winner: That Guy Smitty Runner Up: Flock of Slagles

BEST DANCE CLUB

Winner: The Roxbury Runner Up: Lost & Found

BEST KARAOKE Winner: Bone Snugs N Harmony at Snug Harbor Runner Up: NoDa 101

BEST SOUTHPARK BAR

Winner: Dot Dot Dot

Runner Up: Lucky Lou’s Tavern

BEST BAR TO MAKE A NEW FRIEND

Winner: Tommy’s Pub Runner Up: Snug Harbor

BEST BARTENDER

Winner: Chris Burns at Snug Harbor Runner Up: Stacey Badger at Tommy’s Pub

BEST BAR TO PEOPLE-WATCH

Winner: Common Market Plaza Midwood Runner Up: Workman’s Friend

BEST LGBTQ-FRIENDLY BAR

Winner: Petra’s Runner Up: Snug Harbor

BEST MIXOLOGIST

Winner: Ciara Mariano Runner Up: Bob Peters

BEST PINEVILLE BAR

Winner: Tavern 51 Runner Up: Pineville Tavern

BEST STEELE CREEK BAR

Winner: Lucky Dog Bark & Brew

BEST UNIVERSITY CITY BAR

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE

Winner: The Artisan’s Palate Runner Up: Dilworth Tasting Room

Winner: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium Runner Up: Boardwalk Billy’s

SUDOKU

BY LINDA THISTLE

TRIVIA TEST

BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ

1. GEOGRAPHY: Which country is the most forested in the world?

2. HISTORY: When were tanks first introduced in war?

3. TELEVISION: What is the name of the Netflix sequel to the “Karate Kid” movies?

4. MUSIC: Which music prodigy was signed to a record deal at age 11?

5. ASTRONOMY: In which year will Halley’s Comet reappear?

6. LAW: Which justice served on the Supreme Court for the longest?

7. ANIMAL KINGDOM: What kind of dogs did President Obama’s family have in the White House?

8. FOOD & DRINK: Where did the first White Castle restaurant open?

9. ANATOMY: What is the rarest human blood type?

10. LITERATURE: What is Harry Potter’s middle name?

CROSSWORD

AERIN IT OUT A HEART THROBS

Promises will be broken

BY AERIN SPRUILL

When we laid our heads down on a recent Saturday night, none of us could have predicted that our Sunday morning wake-up call would be the news of yet another mass shooting. I’m aware that sentence alone conjures a collective sigh because, sadly, it is becoming so commonplace that we almost wake up expecting to hear bad news. This time, the attack targeted the LGBTQIA+ community at Club Q in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In an instant, one of the few safe spaces that members of the LGBTQIA+ community could call home was violated by a domestic terrorist resulting in five deaths and leaving 25 others wounded. As easy as it is to give up fighting or turn the other cheek in the face of such violence, it’s that much harder to grab your platform heels, throw on your makeup and give them all you got. But that’s exactly what the performers do on Heartthrob Tuesdays for LGBTQIA+ night at Broken Promises.

For months, Broken Promises, brought to us by the owners of Lost & Found, teased us with cryptic posts leaving me to wonder whether or not there would ever be a promise to break. Then they pulled up on the nightlife scene like they’d been here the whole time — nickname and all. Next thing you know everybody and their mama is saying, “Headed to Broken.” Just like folks that were saying (and still say), “Headed to Lost,” when someone drunkenly begged the question, “Where are we goooiiiing?” Even out-of-towners say it like they’re “in” on a secret that only locals know about.

Clout-chasing aside, my curiosity was just waiting for the right time to pay the swanky sister of Lost & Found a visit. Coincidentally, that time came just a week after my visit to Resident Culture South End. “Do you guys wanna go to a drag show at Broken with me tomorrow?” my girlfriend asked with a curious lilt. On any other day, her sweet little voice wouldn’t fool me into visiting South End two weeks in a row, but somewhere deep down it felt like an obligation.

I expected a ridiculous line to greet me on the sidewalk but was pleasantly surprised when we were able to walk right in and snag the last two seats at the bar — prime real estate for watching a drag show. The cherry on top was my girlfriend saying, “I love their espresso martinis!” Yep, I’ll take two.

I turned the chair around to take it all in. No cover, check. Anime girl with a heart around her eye crying next

to the neon Broken Promises sign, check. Instagrammable phrases pulled from every bitter love diary scribbled on the walls, check. Patent leather platform boots and yams (the human thigh kind), check. A girl could get comfortable in a place like this.

The plush “sections” (which you can reserve on Tuesdays for FREE.99 with no minimum spend, apparently) were placed in a stadium-seating arrangement allowing for maximum visibility and optimal surface area to make it rain (are they still doing that?).

Suddenly, my view was obstructed by a swarm of Ashleighs. One, in particular, I’m going to call her “Cis-ter,” whipped her weave around so hard I could feel the wind on my face. “Are we in your way? I should be sorry,” she said sarcastically with a Cheshire grin in between giggles before swinging back around with zero remorse. South End gonna South End, after all.

Before I could hold a grudge, the host of the night began introductions. I slunk down in my seat; one thing I’ve learned is you best not be too seen or too heard at a drag show or you may just get publicly dragged, honey!

The anxious anticipation fell away from the expressions of everyone surrounding the stage and were replaced with excitement. And from that moment on there was an overwhelming feeling of “good vibes.”

A cliche description, I know, but every time I’ve been to a drag show or an LGBTQIA+ bar from “Scorpio’s” (y’all know y’all don’t call it The Scorpio) to Lost & Found and every other in between, I always leave with a smile — no matter how slammed, sweaty, or expensive the drinks are.

Your rules are drop-kicked out of the window as soon as you walk through the door. You accept (and relish in) the fact that when a queen walks in, they run the house. Every effortless split, hair flip, outrageous outfit, unglued wig, and vogue moment is an act of defiance, a declaration of unapologetic self-love, a delightfully disruptive style of performance activism (the dramatic, in-your-face kind and not the fake, performative kind), and a creatively colorful “Fuck you” to those who dare stand against it.

Needless to say, Heartthrob Tuesdays delivered on its promise.

BORN THIS WEEK: You’re a good friend and a trusted confidante. You would be a wonderful teacher or a respected member of the clergy.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your honesty continues to impress everyone who needs reassurance about a project. But be careful you don’t lose patience with those who are still not ready to act.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Pushing others too hard to do things your way could cause resentment and raise more doubts. Instead, take more time to explain why your methods will work.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Be more considerate of those close to you before making a decision that could have a serious effect on their lives. Explain your intentions and ask for their advice.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) You might have to defend a workplace decision you plan to make. Colleagues might back you up on this, but it’s the facts that will ultimately win the day for you. Good luck!

LEO (July 23 to August 22) The Big Cat’s co-workers might not be doing enough to help get that project finished. Your roars might stir things up, but gentle purrr-suasion will prove to be more effective.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Someone you care for needs help with a problem. Give it lovingly and without judging the situation. Whatever you feel you should know will be revealed later.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) While you’re to be admired for how you handled recent workplace problems, be careful not to react the same way to a new situation until all the facts are in.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Rely on your keen instincts, as well as the facts at hand, when dealing with a troubling situation. Be patient. Take things one step at a time as you work through it.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your curiosity leads you to ask questions. However, the answers might not be what you hoped to hear. Don’t reject them without checking them out.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Be careful not to tackle a problem without sufficient facts. Even sure-footed Goats need to know where they’ll land before leaping off a mountain path.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Appearances can be deceiving. You need to do more investigating before investing your time, let alone your money, in something that might have some hidden flaws.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Your recent stand on an issue could make you the focus of more attention than you would like. But you’ll regain your privacy, as well as more time with loved ones, by week’s end.

BORN THIS WEEK: Your ability to keep secrets makes you the perfect confidante for friends, family and co-workers.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Your work requires increased effort during the next few days. But it all will pay off down the line. Things ease up in time for weekend fun with family and/or friends.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Your genuine concern for others could prompt you to promise more than you can deliver. It’s best to modify your plans now before you wind up overcommitted later.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) A situation that seems simple at first glance needs a more thorough assessment before you give it your OK. Dig deeper for information that might be hidden from view.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Careful: Right now, things might not be quite what they appear. Even the intuitive Crab could misread the signs. Get some solid facts before you act on your suspicions.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your energy levels are high, allowing you to complete those unfinished tasks before you decide to take on a new project. A social invitation could come from an unlikely source.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You might think you’re helping, but unless you’re asked for a critique, don’t give it. If you are asked, watch what you say. Your words should be helpful, not hurtful.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your attempt at mediating disputes might meet some opposition at first. But once you’re shown to be fair and impartial, resistance soon gives way to cooperation.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Go ahead. Reward yourself for helping settle a disturbing workplace situation. On another note: A personal relationship might be moving to a higher level.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A sudden change of heart by a colleague might create some momentary uncertainty. But stay with your original decision and, if necessary, defend it.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Rely on a combination of your sharp instincts along with some really intense information gathering to help you make a possibly lifechanging decision.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Instead of worrying if that new person in your life will stay or leave, spend all that energy on strengthening your relationship so it becomes walkout-resistant.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A sudden financial dry spell could reduce your cash flow to a trickle. But by conserving more and spending less, you’ll get through the crunch in good shape.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

UaZit w/ Read-Only Time Travel, Mike Venum, Cosmic Guest (The Milestone)

Modern Color w/ TAGABOW, Soft Blue Shimmer, Mofie (Snug Harbor)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Rod Wave (Bojangles Coliseum)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Dexter Jordan w/ Nia J, Saint Floyd (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Groove Centric feat. Chae Stephen (Middle C Jazz)

EXPERIMENTAL/CROSS-GENRE

Bit Brigade performs Mega Man II & Ducktales (Neighborhood Theatre)

Women’s Winter Showcase feat. Soelle, Tiyane, Nani Layilaa (Petra’s)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

A Day to Remember w/ Wage War (Ovens Auditorium)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Kendall Street Company w/ Travers Brothership (Amos’ Southend)

Blue October (The Fillmore)

Soen (The Underground)

The Girls w/ Babe Haven, Regence (The Milestone)

Paint Fumes w/ Dreamboat, Ground Score, Sweet Boy (Petra’s)

Banditos w/ Teddy & the Rough Riders, Amigo (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Joey Alexander (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICA

Kameron Marlowe (Coyote Joe’s)

Jim Lauderdale (Evening Muse)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

A Very Merry MeSo (SERJ)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Handel’s Messiah (Knight Theater)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Pluto Gang w/ Secret Formula Band (Visulite Theatre)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Flip Turn w/ Early Eyes (Amos’ Southend)

State Champs (The Fillmore)

Rid of Me w/ Wine Pride, Late Bloomer, Thousandaire (The Milestone)

Pet Bug w/ North By North, The Mongos (Petra’s)

Pretty Baby w/ Gasp, Wastoid (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Joey Alexander (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICA

NC Bluegrass Jam Night (Birdsong Brewing)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Handel’s Messiah (Knight Theater)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Tim Baker w/ Eric Slick (Evening Muse)

The Dolly Disco (The Underground)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Consider the Source w/ Motion, Funkwondo (Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts)

Runaway Gin (Phish tribute) (Visulite Theatre)

EXPERIMENTAL/CROSS-GENRE

Sometime in February w/ Subvertigo, St. Jupiter, Swae (The Milestone)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4

JAZZ/BLUES

Johnny Burgin (Neighborhood Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Release the Pressure (Crown Station)

Hazy Sunday (Petra’s)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Handel’s Messiah (Knight Theater)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic feat. Rupert Wates (Evening Muse)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Margo Price (Neighborhood Theatre)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Brett Milstead (Birdsong Brewing)

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

HOLIDAY

A Very Dave Barnes Christmas (Booth Playhouse)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Allman Family Revival (Ovens Auditorium)

LATIN/REGGAE/WORLD

Daddy Yankee (Spectrum Center)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Jinjer (The Fillmore)

Tim Reynolds TR3 w/ Joe Lawlor, Kristen Rae Bowden (Neighborhood Theatre)

EXPERIMENTAL/CROSS-GENRE

Quinn Rash w/ Physical Digital, Complaint Club (Snug Harbor)

OPEN MIC

Tosco Music Open Mic (Evening Muse)

HOLIDAY

Debbie Gibson’s Winterlicious (Knight Theater)

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Machine Head (The Fillmore)

Slothrust w/ Tongues of Fire (Snug Harbor)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

HARDY (Coyote Joe’s)

Noah Guthrie & Good Trouble w/ Kenny George Band (Evening Muse)

John R. Miller w/ Taylor Kingman (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Street Life (Joe Sample & the Crusaders tribute) (Middle C Jazz)

HOLIDAY

All-Star Regional Jazz Orchestra: Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Swing (Booth Playhouse)

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Without Waves w/ Fault Union, Sond (The Milestone)

Bask w/ Cosmic Reaper, Stormwatchers (Snug Harbor)

Jump Little Children w/ Francis Cone (Visulite Theatre)

Tell Me Lies (Fleetwood Mac tribute) (Amos’ Southend)

JAZZ/BLUES

Connie Han (Middle C Jazz)

Tab Benoit & the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Neighborhood Theatre)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

NiiTO (Evening Muse)

SINGER-SONGWRITER/ACOUSTIC

Jason Scavone w/ Solis, Evan Miller (Petra’s)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

HARDY (Coyote Joe’s)

Jim Avett (Evening Muse)

HOLIDAY

All-Star Regional Jazz Orchestra: Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Swing (Booth Playhouse)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

At War w/ Nemesis, No Anger Control, Oblivion Throne (The Milestone)

Bakalao Stars w/ Los Acoustic Guys (Snug Harbor)

Bullet the Blue Sky (U2 tribute) w/ Fix You (Coldplay tribute) (Amos’ Southend)

Same As It Ever Was (Talking Heads tribute) (Visulite Theatre)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Southern Soul Music Festival (Ovens Auditorium) Blckfriend w/ OG Spliff, NU-WRLD (Evening Muse)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

HARDY (Coyote Joe’s)

Kelsey Waldon w/ Abby Hamilton (Evening Muse) Ian Noe (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Gena Chambers & Mandyl Evans (Middle C Jazz)

HOLIDAY

All-Star Regional Jazz Orchestra: Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Swing (Booth Playhouse)

Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Spectrum Center)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Hey Revolver w/ Bog Loaf, Occult Fracture (The Milestone)

Aloha Broha w/ Dial Drive (The Milestone)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Ballantyne School of Music: Winter Jam ‘22 (Amos’ Southend)

HOLIDAY

Mindi Abair w/Vincent Ingala, Lindsey Webster, Adam Hawley (Middle C Jazz)

MONDAY, DECEMBER 12

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic w/ Alexa Jenson (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Tail Light Rebellion w/ The Whiskey Predicament (The Milestone)

Special Interest w/ Patois Counselors (Snug Harbor)

VISIT QCNERVE.COM FOR THE FULL SOUNDWAVE LISTING.

SAVAGE LOVE QUICKIES

At your own peril

BY DAN SAVAGE

I’m a 29-year-old cis straight male. What are the ethics of having a minor cum/breeding kink? Thanks, Dan!

No one chooses their kinks — our kinks choose us — so having a kink doesn’t raise ethical issues. Acting on our kinks … making choices that impact others … that’s where ethical concerns kick in. So, if it turns you on to “breed” someone, as the gay boys (very problematically!) like to say, and you never act on it, if you just sit in your apartment wanking about it, there are no ethical issues. But if you act on this kink with another person — if you want to have unprotected sex with a woman — you need to make sure she’s aware of the risks going in and that birth control is her responsibility. And you should be fully aware — going in and out and in and out — that child support could be your responsibility. (Also, you should read Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think About Abortion by Gabrielle Blair.)

I have misophonia. Blowjob noises make me sick. Is it possible to give a quiet blowjob?

Misophonia is a sensory disorder that makes certain sounds extremely unpleasant; eating sounds — mouth noises — can be particularly triggering for sufferers. Noise-cancelling headphones seem like an obvious solution, but they won’t work, as noises made in your own mouth have a very different path to your eardrums. So, what you need are noise-generating headphones, i.e., regular ol’ headphones blasting music cranked up so loud you literally can’t hear anything else — not even those plunger-being-used-in-desperation-as-the-water-risesto-the-top-of-the-toilet-bowl sounds someone giving a blowjob makes when their work is almost done.

Beginning to think I’m bad at sex. I try to be GGG. Any tips?

Sex isn’t just about giving pleasure; it’s not just about being GGG for your partner. It’s also about taking pleasure and giving your partner the opportunity to be GGG for you. So, figure out what it is you like and what you want — sex acts or scenarios or dirty talk or materials that turn you on — and find someone who wants to give you those things, and take them.

I’m a mid bi woman in her mid-30s a few years into an open/poly marriage to a man. I’ve fallen pretty hard for my girlfriend of six months. I’ve

had relationships with women before getting married, but this one has me questioning if I’d be happier as a full-fledged lesbian. How do I work out if this is just NRE (new relationship energy), a specific connection with her, or actually a waning interest in men altogether?

Wanting to be with your new girlfriend all the time — that’s NRE for you — doesn’t mean you’d be happier as a lesbian, fully-fledged or otherwise. But it doesn’t not mean that either. You won’t know how you’re going to feel until the NRE wears off, which it should soon.

My boyfriend doesn’t want an open relationship and won’t have sex with me. But he looks at Grindr and watches a lot of porn. What do I do?

“I love you, honey, and I can do a sexless relationship — I mean, that’s what we’ve been doing for a while, so I can obviously do it — but I’m not going to lead a sexless existence. So, we’re either opening our relationship or we’re ending it. One or the other, your choice.” (My hunch is that your boyfriend has already opened things on his end, literally and figuratively. Guys don’t get on Grindr for the recipes. So, it’s ultimatum time.)

Best advice for keeping sex hot in your late 40s, when you’re tired, you hurt, you’re crabby, and you’re bitter?

Realistic expectations, scheduled sex, pot edibles, E.D. meds, and erotic adventures planned months in advance (anticipation is a turn-on).

I have a vanilla boyfriend (of three years) and a Master (of three years). My boyfriend knows. My Master wants my boyfriend to start asking Him — to call and ask Him — for His permission whenever my boyfriend wants to have sex with me, since I’m His “property,” but I know my boyfriend won’t want to do this and will be angry that I asked. I love both, in very different ways, and I don’t know what to do. (My Master uses He/Him pronouns, always uppercased. If you respond, please use uppercase He/Him in reference to my Master.)

Like your boyfriend, I am not your master’s slave. So, you can uppercase his pronouns on his orders — his, his, his — all you like, but you can’t order me to uppercase his pronouns. Which I probably would’ve done if you

hadn’t told me I must. (I usually capitalize “Master” and “Mistress” and “Dom,” too, but I’m making an exception for your master, as I’m kind of annoyed.) Now, your boyfriend having to call and beg him (your master) when he (your boyfriend) wants to have sex with you (the person who annoyed me just now), that would be hot … if your boyfriend was into it … which he’s not. So, tell your master involving your boyfriend is a hard limit. And if your master can’t respect that limit, end things with him. If you can’t bear the thought and you’re willing to deceive both men in your life, well, you could buy a burner phone, impersonate your boyfriend’s voice, and pray you don’t get caught.

How do I convince straight men that constantly pumping me full of vacuous, superficial compliments is not a substitution for a personality, a conversation, or flirting?

By refusing to fuck them, one vacuous, superficial, meaningless-compliment-spewing straight guy at a time. (That said, compliments > negging.)

Urban dictionary and most folks consider ‘cocksucker’ to be an insult. Most of us consider “muffdiver,” on the other hand, to be a compliment. Is there a complimentary term for someone who sucks cock?

“Husband material.”

Do you owe your romantic partner 100% honesty about everything?

No.

Best advice for newlyweds? See previous question.

My husband of more than 20 years once told me he’d prefer to be the one initiating all sexual contact between us. It was fine as long as I didn’t think about it too much. Recently, I have begun to feel restrained by this and it has become a big problem for us. Is this a common hang-up for straight guys? Our sex life was really good for a long time, but I suddenly feel zero agency. He feels bad about it, too, but we can’t seem to get past it. Your thoughts?

Sounds like your husband needs to see a therapist; preferably a sex-positive therapist, and preferably in 1998. Your husband might think women aren’t supposed to feel lust, and so a woman who initiates is a turn-off, or your husband might be uncomfortable — as some men are — being the object of desire, so you initiating turns him off. One or the other, both or neither, he needs to see a shrink.

Is it okay to keep seeing someone who caught feelings for you when it’s not mutual? I’ve communicated where I’m at emotionally and reiterated that this isn’t exclusive. Am I doing my friend a disservice by continuing to see them? I

don’t want to give up my only intimate outlet but being kind is more important to me.

It’s okay to keep seeing/fucking someone who caught feelings for you. But since you can’t know how that person is really feeling — they might be miserable and hiding it because they hope your feelings will change if they can just fuck you long enough — then calling it off is the kinder choice.

Should I keep fucking my best friend who doesn’t want to be more than friends?

If you’re enjoying the sex, you’re not feeling used, and you don’t have false hopes, yes. If you’re hoping the sex will lead to something more, no.

My previously very sub maso partner now has PTSD after a workplace injury. No idea if his relationship to pain will ever reset so we can play again. I can deal, but this is a big part of what got us together in the first place.

Like a horny new dad whose wife is still recovering from the trauma of childbirth … you’ll have to deal while your partner heals. And if your partner can never again enjoy the kind of pain play that brought you together, you can explore less physically intense — and potentially triggering — kinds of pain play, perhaps supplemented with more intense psychological play. Mind fucks, humiliation, degradation, e.g., emotional sadomasochism. Negotiated carefully, rolled out slowly.

I want something very specific done to me sexually, but I don’t want to ask for it. I don’t think it would be as hot if I asked for it. I need to “inception” the idea. How do I do it?

At your own peril.

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7. Portuguese water dogs. 8. ichita,W Kansas. 9. AB negative. 10. James.

1. Russia. 2. 1916, Battle of the Somme. 3. “Cobra Kai.” 4. Stevie Wonder. 5. 2061. 6. William O. Douglas (36 years).

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