Queen City Nerve - February 8, 2023

News: Mount Holly’s Black History hero pg. 4

Food: Loto Café picks up where EastSide Local left off pg. 10

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NEWS & OPINION

4 A Hero of Mount Holly by Ryan Pitkin Family of formerly enslaved businessman fights to keep his legacy alive

6 Lifeline: Ten Cool Things To Do in Two Weeks

7 Soundwave: Live Music Listings

ARTS & CULTURE

8 Expect the Unexpected by Annie Keough Caroline Calouche & Co. mixes dance and cirque in chaotically controlled productions

MUSIC

9 A Dream in the Works by Rayne Antrim Jameilyara prepares breakthrough debut after many years performing at Charlotte venues

FOOD & DRINK

10 An Oasis Reborn by Pat Moran Loto Café blossoms in former EastSide Local space at Eastway Crossing

LIFESTYLE

12 Savage Love

13 Puzzles

14 Horoscope

14 The Seeker by Katie Grant

Thanks to our contributors: Rayne Antrim, Grant Baldwin, Annie Keough, Hailey Knutsen, Tom Topinka, Sarah Devoti and Dan Savage.

A HERO OF MOUNT HOLLY

Family of formerly enslaved businessman fights to keep his legacy alive

BY RYAN PITKIN

As a boy growing up in Mount Holly in the 1960s, Eric Wilson knew firsthand that each thundercloud had a silver lining. His grandmother, Mena Hunter Wilson, wasn’t fond of storms, so she would call down to Eric’s parents whenever one began to roll in.

“She would always call my mom and dad and say, ‘Send one of the kids to come sit with me during the storm,’” recalled Eric, now 63. “I would tell my grandmother, ‘Grandma, tell us a story,’ and she would go back in her memory books and tell us how things were.”

It was there in his grandmother’s house at the corner of West Glendale Avenue and South Hawthorne Street in Mount Holly during stormy afternoons that Eric Wilson first became familiar with the legend of his great-grandfather Ransom Hunter, Mena’s father.

Hunter was born into slavery only to become one of the area’s most successful businessmen following the Civil War, lifting up other folks like him who had survived slavery in the Carolinas and playing an important but largely forgotten role in forming the community that would become Mount Holly.

In the 1870s, Hunter built the house where a century later Eric would sit on the floor and listen to stories from his grandmother.

“There were some bad times; she told us some stories of Klans coming to the house as a small girl, harassing Ransom,” Wilson told Queen City Nerve. “It was not all hunky-dory, there was some challenging times.”

Yet so much of what he learned from his grandmother was uplifting, including how Hunter had built up his own land only to then sell to other formerly enslaved people escaping postReconstruction violence and turmoil in South Carolina, forming the Freedom community.

Wilson has dedicated a large part of his life to preserving his great-grandfather’s legacy, becoming

a self-taught family historian and tracing his grandmother’s stories back through time to confirm the truths behind the legends of Ransom Hunter.

“I went back from her mouth all the way back to Africa,” Wilson said.

Now, as Wilson nears retirement and plans to move back to Mount Holly from Greensboro, where he currently works as an architect, he hopes to bring his work to a close by accomplishing a goal that he and other descendants of Ransom Hunter have fought for over the past 10 years: to turn Ransom Hunter’s former homesite into a public park.

One man’s journey

It is believed that both of Ransom Hunter’s parents were brought to America on slave ships, though Eric Wilson has only found documentation of his father’s

arrival, listed in the manifest as “Slave No. 13.”

Ransom’s father was sold at auction in Charleston to the owners of the Middleton Plantation, where he met his wife, who had been given the name Julia, and they took the last name Hunter after one of the overseers on the property. The two were officially married at Middleton, and it is believed that Ransom was the couple’s only son. He was born on March 14, 1825.

At 13 years old, Ransom was torn apart from his parents, sold off to the owners of the Hoyle Plantation in Gaston County between what are now the towns of Dallas and Stanley. He was kept on the Hoyle Plantation for more than two decades until he was freed around 1860 in the lead-up to the Civil War.

He bought a small parcel of land in the Woodlawn community that would later become Mount Holly, but before he could start a new life post-slavery, there was something he needed to do.

“When he was freed, the first thing he did was he went to try to find his mom and dad,” Wilson said, “and he went back to South Carolina and he was told that they had died. So he never saw his parents again. That was very traumatic for him. So he came back to his property and he started to establish his life.”

Ransom Hunter’s property was in an advantageous location in the sparsely populated Woodlawn community; it was split by a dirt road that people took from towns like Stanley to the nearby Catawba River, where there was trading to be done or crossings if needed.

Taking advantage of some of the skills he had learned in bondage, Hunter built a small blacksmith shop, offering horseshoe services and other iron

work from the front while sleeping in the back. He eventually built a livery stable, then began work on the home that would become a point of pride in his family for more than a century to come.

“He had the only blacksmith shop around. He had a commodity that people needed. The next blacksmith shop was all the way in Gastonia or King’s Mountain. Let’s say a wagon wheel broke or your horse threw a shoe, then you had to stop at his shop,” Wilson explained. “So he was making money when a lot of people wasn’t making money. If your car is your only choice of transportation and it breaks down, you’re gonna get your car fixed so you can get to work. So people would pay to get their horses shoed. And he did iron work so he could repair wagons, he made nails, he made bolts, anything that was iron he did it. So that’s how he started making his money … and every bit of money that he made, he started buying land, he started adding and adding.”

The birth of Mount Holly

In the early 1870s, Hunter began hearing troubling news from South Carolina; white supremacist Southerners were becoming more aggressively opposed to Reconstruction policies that had been created ostensibly to allow formerly enslaved people to succeed. Plantation owners had begun claiming land sold to formerly enslaved people as part of the federal government’s “40 acres and a mule” policy, forcing them to work as sharecroppers on plots that the freed people had cleared and built on themselves.

Hunter became concerned that the same thing

A RARE PHOTO OF RANSOM HUNTER, TURNING AWAY FROM THE CAMERA BESIDE HIS HOUSE IN 1870. COURTESY OF ERIC WILSON

NEWS & OPINION FEATURE

could happen to him, so he had a deed drawn up officially marking the land that he had worked so hard to obtain.

Many years later, Wilson found the first land deed in Hunter’s name, written in 1872, showing his property stretching for three miles in each direction from his home — bordered by Dutchman’s Creek to the north, the Catawba River to the east, the Springs property to the west, and what is now Tuckaseegee Park to the south.

Around this time, New Jersey businessmen and brothers A.P. and D.E. Rhyne came around the Woodlawn community looking for a place to build a new cotton mill, along with A.P.’s father-in-law, Ambrose Costner. The group approached Hunter after discovering that the land they most wanted was deeded to him.

Having long been bothered by stories of freed families being forced into sharecropping in South Carolina, Hunter decided this was a time to use the leverage he now had.

“He said, ‘I will sell you the land under the stipulation that you hire former slaves that are now sharecroppers,’” Wilson said. “They agreed.”

Hunter sent word down to the communities near where his parents lived and died, and families began to seek out Hunter’s farm, which he had by then given the name Freedom Farm.

Wilson has been able to uncover records of around 35 Black families that came up from South Carolina, bought small parcels of land from Hunter and worked at the cotton mill. The community of formerly enslaved people came to be known as the Freedom community.

While the land around Hunter’s property was originally thought to be too rocky to farm — Hunter and many of the nearby residents originally called it Rocky Grove — he and his new Freedom neighbors got to work clearing all the large rocks, selling them to companies that were beginning to build roads in the area. From there on out, the land was farmable and families in Freedom were able to sustain productive gardens on their respective properties.

As the 20th century approached and the arrival of the railroad and then personal vehicles made business slow at Freedom Farm, Hunter began selling parcels of land at a profit to developers building out the burgeoning town of Mount Holly, named such by A.P. Rhyne and Co. in 1879 following completion of the Mount Holly Cotton Mill.

Many of the buildings that still stand in Mount Holly today were built on land purchased from Hunter.

The house that Hunter built was demolished

around the turn of the 21st century, burned to its foundation by the city after being deemed unsafe. Remnants of the chimney are all that protrude from that foundation today.

However, while the property is heavily wooded, a large white rock is still visible at the corner of Glendale and Hawthorne. Pulled from the land as part of Hunter’s improvements to “Rocky Grove,” the rock was used as a step for clients to mount their horses after they had spent some time on Hunter’s porch drinking lemonade while their wagons or horses had work done.

To this day, the word Freedom is still clearly etched on the street-facing side of the rock.

Keeping the legacy alive

When Eric Wilson’s grandmother Mena Hunter Wilson passed away in 1983, it was the end of an era for the descendants of Ransom Hunter. Up until then, Mena had held annual family reunions for members of the sprawling family tree to connect at Ransom’s old house, where she lived until the day she died.

When Mena went, so did the family reunions, until the funeral of Eric’s aunt, one of Mena’s daughters, in 2013.

“Of course it’s a huge number of us and we went to the funeral, and we talked about, ‘Why are we only getting together now for funerals when we used to have these big family reunions?’” Wilson recalled. “Basically 30 years, that’s two generations of people that didn’t even know about a family reunion.”

Wilson and eight other descendants — one from each of his father’s eight siblings — formed a committee to plan a family reunion. During those discussions, Wilson realized that more than just the family reunions had been forgotten.

“I said, ‘We need to clean up Ransom’s grave,’ and some of the family members said, ‘Who is Ransom?’” Wilson recalled. “I said, ‘That’s grandma’s daddy, he’s the one that made all of this possible. We came from him!’”

Located just a block from the old homesite, Wilson remembered planting an oak tree with his grandmother to mark Ransom’s grave as a child. Throughout her lifetime, after Ransom’s death in 1918, Mena would bring fresh-cut flowers from the rose bushes Ransom had planted on the property to lay on his grave every Sunday.

The first order of business for the committee was to fund and install a proper new headstone at Ransom’s gravesite, now shaded by the massive oak tree that Wilson could once fit his arms around as a small child.

In 2014, the Wilson-Hunter family held its first family reunion in 30 years, returning every two years

until COVID canceled the 2020 event. They were able to continue the tradition in summer 2022.

Some local news outlets picked up on the story when the family installed the new headstone in 2014, and following that, the family heard from Mount Holly officials about the potential to clear the homesite and build a park there.

“I think at the time maybe some of the people who were in charge maybe saw some dollar signs,” Wilson told Queen City Nerve. “‘We can take this name of Ransom Hunter and maybe we can bring some notoriety to Mount Holly.’ They didn’t say that but I think that was the thought. Because we were only approached after all of these news articles came out, and it was on all the news channels in Charlotte and they came to our family reunion and it was on everybody’s TV as they watched at night eating dinner. They bought the land, they told us they were going to develop it into a park.”

The family asked that the park be named after Ransom Hunter as a way to memorialize the man that played such a large part in the town’s creation. Though members of the Mount Holly City Council originally balked at the idea, they eventually asked the committee to get a petition signed to name the park after Hunter. The committee presented their petition to council in

the spring of 2015, exceeding the number of signatures needed for approval.

The council accepted the petition then tucked it away, according to Wilson.

“They said, ‘OK, well, we’ll go to the next step,’ and then it was put on the back burner,” he said.

That was nearly 10 years ago, and not much progress has been made on a Ransom Hunter Park — or on anything at the homesite — since.

Calls and emails to the Mount Holly Parks & Recreation Department had gone unanswered at the time of this story’s publication, but Wilson did say that talks have been renewed over the last year. According to him, the city formed a new committee to explore options for the homesite in summer 2022, and are expecting to come back with recommendations following a retreat scheduled for February, with a possible final decision coming this summer.

Wilson, who has been fighting to preserve his great-grandfather’s legacy since taking up the cause in college, reserves his right to a cautious optimism.

“I’m very optimistic. I give everybody the benefit of the doubt, but 10 years?” he asked. “It’s been a long time … We’re just sitting, watching, in hopes that our time will come.” RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

PASSPORT TO EUROPE

Can’t afford to travel abroad? The Bechtler offers the next best thing with a journey that immerses patrons in the diverse European influences that inspire the paintings, prints and sculptures found within the museum’s collection. By extension, the grand tour also subliminally suggests that Americans’ view of ourselves and our place in the world has been filtered through a Eurocentric lens. On a more straightforward level, the Bechtler’s “trip” functions as a kick-ass travel brochure with cool artwork by Edgar Degas, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and others.

More: Free; Feb. 8, 5 p.m.; Bechtler Museum, 420 S. Tryon St.; bechtler.org

‘THE KUDZU QUEEN’ & ‘HEMLOCK HOLLOW’ AUTHOR TALKS

Get a dose of Southern gothic plant life when North Carolina authors Mimi Herman and Cully Holderfield discuss their latest novels, both of which put the culture in horticulture. In The Kudzu Queen, 2017 NC Piedmont Laureate Herman delves into Tar Heel history to weave a tale that snakes through sexuality, power, race and kudzu like a tangled vine. In UNC-Chapel Hill graduate Holderfield’s Hemlock Hollow, a supposedly murderous ghost inhabits a family cabin, prompting a meditation on how we haunt the places we love and how they haunt us in return.

More: Free; Feb. 9, 7 p.m.; Park Road Books, 4139 Park Road; parkroadbooks.com

PICASSO LANDSCAPES: OUT OF BOUNDS & BEARDEN/PICASSO: RHYTHMS & REVERBERATIONS

The Mint celebrates the opening of two landmark exhibits. Featuring over 40 dynamic landscapes spanning the artist’s career, Picasso Landscapes: Out of Bounds debuts in Charlotte, the first of only two venues where it’s scheduled to appear in the US. The Bearden/Picasso: Rhythms and Reverberations exhibit invites viewers to compare and contrast Picasso’s work to that of Black Charlotte-born painter and collagist Romare Bearden. For instance, Picasso’s “Three Musicians” is a jazz-and-blues-influenced cubist abstraction while Bearden’s “Three Musicians” is equally kinetic, yet more down to Earth.

More: $25; Feb. 11, 10 a.m.; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org

BLACK FILM SERIES: ‘LOVE & BASKETBALL’ & ’TALK TO ME’

Independent Picture House continues its first annual Black Film Series, launched on Feb. 3. In Love & Basketball (2000), two neighbors (Omar Epps, Sanaa Latham) strive to balance passion for each other with love of the game. UNC Charlotte Social Sciences & Business Librarian Angel Truesdale leads a post-film discussion on Feb.14. Don Cheadle shines as radio personality Ralph Petey Greene in the turbulent bio-pic Talk to Me (2007). Journalist Mary C. Curtis moderates a panel on the impact of Black radio on Feb. 11.

More: $10-$12; Feb.10-14 (Love & Basketball), Feb.11-15 (Talk to Me); Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St.; independentpicturehouse.org

CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES

Given The Beatles’ overarching ambitions and vision from 1965 on, a program of orchestral re-imaginings of the Fab Four’s oeuvre is not that far a stretch. The whirlwind orchestral maelstrom that brings “A Day in The Life” to a close with a final foreboding piano chord drew contemporary comparisons to radiation from the Big Bang. For good or ill, The Beatles’ practice of augmenting pop with orchestral flourishes spawned an entire sub-genre (The Moody Blues, Electric Light Orchestra). This tribute ensemble is presented and bolstered by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.

More: $31 and up; Feb. 17-18, 7:30 p.m.; Knight Theater, 420 S. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

BLACK FILM SERIES: ‘WATERMELON WOMAN’ & ’DESTINATION PLANET NEGRO’

Week three of Independent Picture House’s Black Film Series presents two gems. Mock documentary The Watermelon Woman (1996) follows a Black lesbian filmmaker on the trail of a beautiful Black actress who played a mammy character in 1930s dramas. In the satirical send-up of cheap sci-fi flicks Destination Planet Negro (2013), three African American intellectuals respond to Jim Crow in 1939 by building and manning a rocket to Mars. Things go haywire and they land in America in 2013. CineOdyssey Film festival founder Tre McGriff leads a post-screening discussion, date TBD.

More: $10-$12; Feb.17-21 (Destination Planet Negro), Feb.18-22 (The Watermelon Woman); Independent Picture House, 4237 Raleigh St.; independentpicturehouse.org

ADAM SANDLER

A comic that defined the field in the ’90s and early 2000s, Adam Sandler returns to his stand-up roots. By now, Sandler’s apparent contradictions have taken on a warm nostalgic glow. His dumb (albeit funny) comedies will never be confused with good films, and they rely too much on Sandler yelling like an angry man child. Meanwhile, his serious film roles display considerable dramatic range. Which is the real Sandman? His stand-up act suggests he’s both. His comic stories rely on irritation and getting grumpy with age, while his absurdist songs are inspired rare gems.

More: $35 and up; Feb. 18, 7:30 p.m.; Spectrum Center, 3330 Trade St.; spectrumcentercharlotte.com

DREW LYNCH

“I stutter. I have to say that every show, because people look at me like, ‘Does he know?’” Back in 2017, Drew Lynch debuted on Conan O’Brien with a standup set about stuttering, dating and turtle shells. Until his 20s, Lynch was a chatty actor, until a softball injury left him with a severe stutter. No matter, with his sly comedy he came in second place on Season 10 of America’s Got Talent. Amassing a YouTube following of over 2 million subscribers, Lynch has become a dynamic content creator with his channel hosting his own original animated series, a popular vlog and a cache of clever comedy sketches.

More: $29 and up; Feb. 19, 7 p.m.; Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.; boplex.com/events

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

Growing up poor in a tiny Texas town, visionary choreographer Alvin Ailey was profoundly influenced by Black church services and music he heard at the local dance hall. In 1958 he launched the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Since then, the multi-racial dance ensemble has popularized modern dance around the world. The troupe’s dancers electrify the stage with contemporary works by in-demand choreographers and classic favorites from the repertory. Each program closes with Revelations, which Ailey said came from “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church.

More: $29.50 and up; Feb. 21-22, 7:30 p.m.; Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

KING BUFFALO, THE SWELL FELLAS

With a brooding buildup of hovering synths, King Buffalo’s barnstorming title track to their 2022 LP Regenerator kicks into gear with scything guitar riffs and crisp galloping drums. Then guitarist/vocalist Sean McVey launches into a psychedelic koan-like lyric, borne aloft on an addictively catchy melody: “I rise from the withering night/ New dawn brings the morning light.” The Rochester, New York trio flows seamlessly from heavy blues rock to psychedelic prog and whip-smart pop. Nashville’s The Swell Fellas deliver equally heavy psych rock with a mystical bent that suggests the result of dropping acid in a biker bar.

More: $17.30; Feb. 21, 9:30 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES 2/17-2/18 Public domain

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

John Mellencamp (Ovens Auditorium)

Quad w/ Majic Dust, Ego Death Machine (Snug Harbor)

Prog For Wishes (Visulite Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Carrie Underwood (Spectrum Center)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Shindig! A Night of ’50s & ’60’s Music w/ Cory Wigg & Robin Knudsen (Tommy’s Pub)

OPEN MIC

Tosco Music Open Mic (Evening Muse)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Emanuel Wynter w/ Elora Dash (Evening Muse)

Rah Digga w/ Kil Ripkin, Indigo Jo (Snug Harbor)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Canaan Cox (Amos’ Southend)

JAZZ/BLUES

TRS: Famous Girl Groups Through the Decades (Middle C Jazz)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Ben Mignogna (Comet Grill)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Dr. Bacon w/ Bella’s Bartok (Neighborhood Theatre)

OPEN MIC

Open Mic Night w/ Josh Daniel (Tommy’s Pub)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Lenny Federal (Comet Grill)

Outerloop w/ The Groove Skeletons, Ink Swell, Moving Boxes (The Milestone) Supersuckers (Neighborhood Theatre)

The Phantom Friends w/ Carver Commodore, Regence (Petra’s)

The Bunny The Bear w/ MISERY!, LIFE right now, Fleshworm, Victim Complex (Skylark Social Club)

Vinyl Williams w/ Spirit System, The Wormholes, NA$A (Snug Harbor)

Face 2 Face (Elton John & Billy Joel tribute) (The Fillmore)

Maiden Voyage (Iron Maide tribute) (The Rooster)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Corey Smith (Coyote Joe’s)

Town Mountain w/ Cole Chaney (Visulite Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Oceanic w/ Trent Thompson, Willingdon (Amos’ Southend) Reflexions w/ DJ Velvetine (Tommy’s Pub)

JAZZ/BLUES

John Dillard Band (Stage Door Theater)

Jamison Ross w/ Tamra Simone & the Finnas (Evening Muse)

Noel Freidline & Maria Howell: Love Letters from Middle C (Middle C Jazz)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Brahms Symphony No. 4 (Belk Theater)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Pintos (Comet Grill)

Kathleen Edwards w/ Matt Sucich (Evening Muse)

Jim Messina (The Fillmore)

Shoegaze Prom feat. The Mother Superior, Vespers, Swae, DJ Honey Power (The Milestone)

Late Bloomer w/ Complaint Club, Jackson Fig (Petra’s)

30th Annual Johnson Valentine’s Bash feat. Alternative Champs, Hardcore Lounge (Snug Harbor)

Tool Chest Productions Presents: Hard Rockin’Valentine (Tommy’s Pub)

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Tamra Simone & the Finnas (Starlight on 22nd)

JAZZ/BLUES

Keb Mo (Knight Theater)

Noel Freidline & Maria Howell: Love Letters from Middle C (Middle C Jazz)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Ben Gatlin Band (The Rooster)

Yo Momma’s Big Fat Booty Band w/ Cosmic Collective (Visulite Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

DJ Adoni (World Nightclub)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Brahms Symphony No. 4 (Belk Theater)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Mercury Dimes w/ Pocket Vinyl, Gaffer Project, Family Video (Tommy’s Pub)

JAZZ/BLUES

Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill)

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13

HIP-HOP/SOUL/R&B

Lil’ Darkie (The Underground)

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic feat. Dan Martin (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

STRFKR (The Underground)

Wine Pride w/ Goon, Teethe (Petra’s)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Matt Nathanson (Amos’ Southend) ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Tosco Music: Songs for Lovers (Booth Playhouse)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Red Rocking Chair (Comet Grill)

Cosmic Jam Session (Crown Station)

JAZZ/BLUES

Songs in the Key of Love feat. JD, Robyn Springer, Jay D Jones (Middle C Jazz)

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Parkway Drive (The Underground)

Selfgod w/ Angel Massacre, Corpse Dust (Snug Harbor)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Charles Wesley Godwin & the Allegheny High w/ JR Carroll (Amos’ Southend)

Lua Flora w/ Taylor Winchester, Wilfred (Evening Muse)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

The North Country w/ Swansgate, The Real Dolls (The Milestone)

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Kind Hearted Strangers w/ Kaska Sun (Evening Muse)

Tenderlash w/ The Mother Superior, DJ Sweetboy (Snug Harbor)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Charles Wesley Godwin & the Allegheny High w/ JR Carroll (Amos’ Southend)

Russell Dickerson (The Fillmore)

Ben Sollee w/ Scott Mulvahill (Neighborhood Theatre)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Jeff Ruby w/ Jackson Fig, Kevin Goodwin, Val Merza (The Milestone)

JAZZ/BLUES

Selwyn Birchwood (Middle C Jazz)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Space Truck (Comet Grill)

OPEN MIC

Open Mic Night w/ Josh Daniel (Tommy’s Pub)

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Lenny Federal (Comet Grill)

Brent Cates w/ Garrett Huffman (The Rooster)

Wombat Junction w/ The Menders, Aluminum Six (Tommy’s Pub)

Trial by Fire (Journey tribute) (Visulite Theatre)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Lainey Wilson (Coyote Joe’s)

Kayla Ray w/ Justin Clyde Williams (Evening Muse)

Colby Acuff (Evening Muse)

For the Love of Doc feat. Jack Lawrence, CLT Bluegrass All-Stars (Doc Watson tribute) (Neighborhood Theatre)

JAZZ/BLUES

Jacob Webb (Middle C Jazz)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Gimme Gimme Disco: Abba DJ Dance Party (The Underground)

Peace Love & Rage: A Divorced Dad Rock Dance Party (The Milestone)

Deep Fried Disco (Snug Harbor)

DJ Dance Night (Starlight on 22nd)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Classical Mystery Tour (Beatles tribute) (Knight Theater)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Ryan Hughes (Birdsong Brewing)

Jason Scavone w/ Ashlyn Uribe, Carly Taich (Petra’s)

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Wonder Years w/ Hot Mulligan (The Fillmore)

Wilwither w/ Discoveries, Heirlooom, Den of Wolves, Blaakhol (The Milestone)

Chris Ferree & Medicine Crow w/ ECHO13 (The Rooster)

Jacuzzi Boys w/ Snacks, Paint Fumes (Snug Harbor)

Harvest Moon (Crosby Stills Nash & Young tribute) (Visulite Theatre)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Long Live: Taylor Swift Dance Party (Amos’ Southend)

JAZZ/BLUES

Mandyl Evans (Middle C Jazz)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Adam Melchor (The Underground)

CLASSICAL/INSTRUMENTAL

Charlotte Symphony: Classical Mystery Tour (Beatles tribute) (Knight Theater)

LATIN/WORLD/REGGAE

Night in Rio (Neighborhood Theatre)

Urbanda Celebrando La Independencia De Republica Dominicana (World Nightclub)

EXPERIMENTAL/CROSS-GENRE

The Wormholes w/ Late Nite Laundry, Jameilyara (Petra’s)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Federation of Mecklenburg Natives (Primal Brewery)

Ben Gatlin Band (Comet Grill)

Space Lazers (Starlight on 22nd)

FAMILY

Charlotte Symphony: Emperor’s New Clothes (Knight Theater)

OPEN MIC

Carolina Waves Showcase and Open Mic (Evening Muse)

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Within Destruction w/ VCTMS, Fix Lake, Carcose (The Milestone) Palmetto Drive (The Rooster)

No Anger Control w/ Bog Loaf, Dumpster Service, The Whiskey Predicament (Tommy’s Pub)

JAZZ/BLUES

Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill)

COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

A Bluegrass Gospel Sunday feat. Kayla Ray, Kevin Dedmon & Friends (Evening Muse)

POP/DANCE/ELECTRONIC/DJ

Danny Ocean (The Fillmore)

Hazy Sunday (Petra’s)

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Youth Crusher w/ Dry Cough, Boiling Point, Dead Senate (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

The Bill Hanna Legacy Jazz Session (Petra’s)

OPEN MIC

Find Your Muse Open Mic feat. William Massey (Evening Muse)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Colony House (The Underground)

King Buffalo w/ The Swell Fellas (Snug Harbor)

JAZZ/BLUES

Seven Day Haze w/ Social Creatures, Fox n’ Vead, Anna Kimm (The Milestone)

FUNK/JAM BANDS

Red Rocking Chair (Comet Grill)

Cosmic Jam Session (Crown Station)

Fat Tuesday feat. The Soda City Brass Band (Middle C Jazz)

ACOUSTIC/SINGER-SONGWRITER

Ron Sexsmith w/ Jay Garrigan (Neighborhood Theatre)

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EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

Caroline Calouche & Co. mixes dance and cirque in chaotically controlled productions

BY ANNIE KEOUGH

Blue, black and pink aerial silk, elevated trapeze bars and black metal shapes — which I later learn are called “invented apparatuses” — dangled from the ceiling of Caroline Calouche & Company’s rehearsal space on Monroe Road in the Sardis Woods area of southeast Charlotte.

Three dancers practiced whimsical, ballet-like steps facing the mounted mirror while another performed martial arts-style flips and hand-balancing tricks off to the side. As soon as I got used to the light footwork of the dancers, the women broke out their heels — only for their male counterparts to lift them over their shoulders and throw them around.

To an inexperienced dancer, the scene might sound unexpected — chaotic even. For the professional artists, this is their intent.

Rouge, the upcoming show the rehearsal was dedicated to, warns the audience of one thing: “Expect the unexpected.”

For Caroline Calouche, who launched her namesake company in 2006, the unexpected has always been part of the game.

“[Growing up], my dad was like, ‘You should own your own business.’ I don’t think he meant a nonprofit dance company,” Calouche jokes, barely breaking a sweat after an intense 90-minute Rouge rehearsal.

The artistic and executive director of Caroline Calouche & Company (CC&Co.) and the adjoining Charlotte Cirque and Dance Center, Calouche has been heavily influenced by various dance styles.

“I love all genres of dance and that echoes into my circus arts, too,” she told me.

And yet, contemporary circus acts were harder to come by. In fact, she insisted that the only way to truly learn about the circus where she grew up in 1980s Gastonia was to run away and join Ringling Bros.

Calouche found a new way to view dance upon a visit to Texas, where she came across a performance by the Brenda Angiel Dance Company, an Argentinian company that worked the aerialist arts into its shows. Angiel performers danced the tango in the air attached to ropes and harnesses.

She came across similar performances while doing post-graduate work in Austria, and though she

found Charlotte’s art scene much improved upon her return, the availability of circus arts was still lacking.

So Calouche did the unexpected; she established her own professional dance company.

Representation matters

Calouche shared her two original goals for the company, which still drive her today: present engaging art that the audience has an authentic connection with and educate people on how contemporary dance and circus can benefit their lives. She believes an engaged, authentic connection can only be made when the audience sees themselves on stage.

“I very much love a diverse cast,” Calouche said. “That means diversity on the stage [with] skin tone, age, body type.”

Calouche is about more than lip service when it comes to representation, says Malanah Hobgood, a cast member in Rouge, who described how Calouche works hard to include different bodies, taking the time to learn their dance anatomy.

“Whenever we’re warming up, she’s like, ‘Use this muscle’ and I’ll be like, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t even know I had this muscle,’” Hobgood said.

CC&Co. also partners with elementary, middle and high schools to educate students on potential dance careers and hobbies. Calouche makes sure to bring in male teachers to show young boys that dance is a legitimate option.

Although she didn’t originally plan on attaching a school to her professional company, she saw a desire to learn different art forms in the dance community. The Charlotte Cirque and Dance Center just fell into place, she said.

“I love teaching,” Calouche said. “I love giving back, I love sharing knowledge and I also gain knowledge from my students.”

Working with so many different disciplines requires Calouche and her performers to collaborate and find out what’s possible in their shows.

“I’m not going to pretend I know what every single different body is going to need,” she said. “Along the way, I have to ask and they have to give me feedback on what’s working, what’s not working

and give me their suggestions to get the job done in a great and safe way.”

Calouche stresses a“quality over quantity”philosophy to her students and teachers. While there are programs available for intense training at CC&Co., she believes the art form requires time for a dancer’s body and mind to recover in order to prevent potential injuries.

Calouche has seen the psychological consequences of forcing dancers onto a stage; they lose their will to dance.

“We never pressure anyone to perform in our school … That’s not at all what it’s supposed to be about,” she said. “I care that the students develop a passion and a desire to intrinsically train and not want to appease anybody else but themselves.”

A hobby or something more

Calouche wants to assure all aspiring dancers that, yes, dancing can be a full-time job. During its 16-year run, CC&Co. has helped students audition for and pursue track programs to join professional circuses in the U.S.

The Charlotte Cirque and Dance Center offers students four different levels of training programs, which vary depending on skill and commitment level. Whether beginner or professional, though, you’re allowed to mess up, said Hobgood.

Calouche creates a place where you can learn to dance at your own pace, in your own time, she emphasized.

“You definitely feel safe to be yourself with Caroline Calouche,” she said.

The Charlotte Cirque and Dance Center also offers scholarships, financial aid and support for those looking to train with the school.

CC&Co.’s productions began with local artists but have expanded to bring outside talent from around the country, including Boston, Kansas City, Chapel Hill and Greensboro. Students from the Charlotte Cirque and Dance Center are also welcome to audition for CC&Co.’s production of Clara’s Trip, an annual holiday production billed as “The Nutcracker with a twist” for which Calouche put on its 10th anniversary rendition in December 2022.

As for Rouge, it’s a broad mix of styles and genres, from comedy to thrilling feats of physical prowess, featuring breakdancing, contemporary dance, Cyr Wheel, aerial straps and more from a mix of dancers and cirque performers.

Rachael Houdek, madame of ceremonies for the past eight Rouge productions, says the difference between CC&Co. and other companies is Calouche’s dedication to continued education and adding widespread variety to her dance techniques.

“Caroline is constantly expanding the artistry within her own studio,” Houdek said.

Rouge’s run includes a performance in Raleigh on Feb. 10, followed by a performance in Greensboro on Feb. 11, then a run of four Charlotte shows from Feb. 17-19, with tickets starting at $27.

Although all showtimes are rated PG, Calouche suggests families go to the Feb. 18 show at 6 p.m. or Feb. 19 at 2:30 p.m. for a more tame experience.

Calouche insisted that the adult humor will fly right over your kid’s heads (she can’t promise anything for your teens, though). You’ve been warned to expect the unexpected, after all.

CAROLINE CALOUCHE

PHOTO BY TOM TOPINKA

A DREAM IN THE WORKS

Jameilyara prepares breakthrough debut after many years performing at Charlotte venues

BY RAYNE ANTRIM

Your first true love is the dream you never wanted to let go of. It gave you a reason to get up in the morning and work toward making that dream a part of your reality. It makes you giddy and nervous to walk up to it, shake its hand, and introduce yourself. You adore it so much that it’s almost terrifying to touch it.

Jameilyara Moore was born and raised in the Charlotte area and grew up going to shows at local venues like Snug Harbor and Evening Muse. As a multi-talented artist who thrives as an illustrator and digital artist, Moore’s first true love is music, as she has been writing and performing songs for the last 15 years, going simply by her first name: Jameilyara.

Now, after many years of paying her dues, the indie singer-songwriter is finally ready to debut beyond the stages, with a new single set to drop on Feb. 18, the same day she’s scheduled to perform at Petra’s, and a debut EP in the works for spring.

Jameilyara has garnered high praise from friend and local pop sensation Quisol, who recently called her “the long-awaited songbird of the Charlotte area.”

Hard to say which side has been waiting longer, but now Jameilyara is ready to reintroduce herself.

In the family

As a kid, Jameilyara Moore was obsessed with music, inspired by her late grandmother, who was a published poet. Her father gave Jameilyara one of her grandmother’s books, and she fell in love with it immediately.

“I always thought poetry was super awesome, and I spent my entire elementary career just writing poetry — always silly little goofy things,” she told Queen City Nerve. “I picked up a guitar when I was about 11ish and my dad’s friend taught me how to play. I realized that if I just play guitar and say a poem at the same time, that it’s kind of a song. I just kept writing from then on.”

It’s apparent that music runs in the Moore bloodlines. Jameilyara bonds with her mother over music, jamming out to English rockers Gorillaz

whenever they can. Her dad plays piano and has always been really supportive of her efforts pursuing music and writing songs.

“He’s always been right there pushing me to do music,” she said smiling.

The undying support from her friends and family keeps her pursuing what she loves, as she regularly performs around town either alone or with her band.

“The first show I ever played was actually at The Evening Muse when I was 15,” she recalled. “I skipped a grade, so I was still in 10th grade maybe, and was so excited.”

Moore booked that show through Afton Music, a now-defunct organization that helped local musicians book local venues and helped artists sell tickets beforehand to make a cut of the proceeds.

“We were packed. People were standing out the door, and I was like, ‘Oh, cool,’ All my friends from school and church came — it was a really exciting time,” she said.

Now, more than a decade later, Moore is entering an exciting phase of her life, beginning with an updated musical sound. Her new single, titled “REMShank,” drops on streaming platforms on Feb. 18, the same day as her Petra’s show.

The track dives into themes of unrequited feelings and constantly thinking about what could’ve been.

“The song itself is about having these hypotheticals — these dreams where you’re playing through these scenarios, like, ‘Well, what if I do this?’ and ‘Would this have happened if that hadn’t happened?’ and sort of how that takes up a lot of your time and energy.

“REM is referring to the REM cycles of sleep,” she continued. “Shank is like being shanked in prison, and sort of just being stabbed — you’re getting killed by the dreams that you’re having — the scenarios that you keep playing over and over, instead of just waking up and living.”

The sound of the new single is sonically reminiscent of electro-pop, incorporating ’80s pop with its use of synths to add depth and atmosphere to the song.

Moore’s voice is a refreshing one — unique with light and airy tones, and different from what’s typically heard around Charlotte.

You can still hear a little bit of acoustic guitar coming in and out of the track, while the vocals are tastefully mixed. The layering is light, but the production offers an echoing effect on Moore’s voice.

“REMShank” elevates Moore’s more practiced indie-pop acoustic sound. Having built her name on a mix of R&B and alternative inspirations, she’s now found herself in a more electronic space.

The song puts the listener in a trance, taking them to the realm between deep sleep and just waking up. It exists in those moments of realizing what’s there and what isn’t, and what it is that one really loses sleep over.

A new sound

Moore says she believes her friends and family will be surprised with the sound she’s created in “REMShank,” mainly due to the production; most of her previous songs are made up of her acoustic guitar, her voice, and a drum loop she found online.

With her new sound, she has striven to dive deeper into the music, she explained.

Her new recording process began when she recently got an iPad to start digitally drawing then saw a TedTalk from artist and producer Steve Lacey about how he’d recorded his new album on GarageBand.

“I was like, ‘What is this GarageBand I have? What does this mean? What can I do with it?’ And

then I saw his TedTalk and was like, ‘Oh, shit, I can do a lot with this,’” Moore said.

“That [iPad is] where I started writing most of this album and ended up getting a MacBook, which I’m not an Apple person at all. This has been a whole culture shock, honestly, but it’s really helped me elevate my sound.”

She found a new love for her own music within the electronic soundscape, and gets excited to listen to it in her car and throughout the day.

Moore plans on releasing her new project, titled Magic Number, sometime in March, and is performing five songs off the upcoming EP at her show at Petra’s on Feb. 18, where she’ll perform alongside The Wormholes and Late Nite Laundry.

“I’m very excited. It’s been a long time coming,” Moore said cheekily. “My dad jokes and he calls me selfish because I’ve been sitting on these songs for so long. ‘Just put it out. No one’s going to know what it sounds like if you don’t do it,’” she told Queen City Nerve.

“And honestly, I’ve had to have a come-to-Jesus moment with myself where it’s like — if no one listens to this, at least I did the thing,” Moore said. “I’ve been wanting to put music out since I was like, 13-14 years old. I think if my 13-year-old self knew at 28 I still haven’t dropped anything, she’d be pissed. I just want to do it, just make her happy.”

For what it’s worth, we’ll be happy to have it as well.

JAMEILYARA MOORE

PHOTO BY SARAH DEVOTI

AN OASIS REBORN

Loto Café blossoms in former EastSide Local space at Eastway Crossing

BY PAT MORAN

The cool yet cozy café is dead; long live the (new) cool yet cozy café!

Visitors to VisArt Video or nearby businesses like Bart’s Mart, Armada Skate Shop or Book Buyers may have noticed changes coming to east Charlotte’s coolest strip mall. Tucked into an alcove at the Eastway Crossing shopping center, at the end of a long sunlit patio, EastSide Local had been serving some of the city’s best vegan and vegetarian fare for close to four years.

In April 2022, Gina Stewart and Brenda Gambill, restaurant founders, lifemates and bandmates in Queen City Americana rock band Doubting Thomas, closed the hip yet unpretentious eatery.

Many mourned its passing. In Queen City Nerve’s 2022 Best in the Nest issue, we wrote, “Something may reopen at the end of the patio, but it won’t be nearly as cool as EastSide Local.” We were wrong.

Leonardo and Kellie Solis, lifemates and bandmates in experimental electronic pop duo Solis, have taken over the former EastSide Local space. On a chilly February morning, they hosted a soft opening for their new Latino-influenced coffee shop Loto Café. Leonardo estimates that more than 300 customers passed through the café’s doors that morning.

“They were ecstatic,” Leonardo says, “[We felt] all their love and support.”

As executive director of nearby VisArt, Stewart was instrumental in helping her successors settle into the space. She notes that there are differences between her old establishment and the one that supplanted it. EastSide Local boasted a diverse and eclectic menu centered on Gambill’s vegan and vegetarian creations. Loto Café launched with a menu comprised of craft coffees, meat and vegetarian empanadas and glutenfree and pan dulce pastries, designed as a springboard for further culinary expansion.

“Their menu is smaller than what we did at ESL, but it’s perfect,” Stewart says. “If [I did] it again, I would have done something like what they’re doing. It’s a smart, concise plan.”

Despite the differences, there’s an undeniable symmetry in this culinary changing of the guard at Eastway Crossing. With ESL, the city lost a labor of love

nurtured by two of its respected and beloved musicians. With Loto Café, Charlotte gains the same.

“I tell Kellie if I wasn’t in the music industry, I would be in a kitchen somewhere,” Leonardo offers. “Food … dramatically connects me to my ancestors in a deeper way than music sometimes.”

Recipes and bloodlines

The story of Loto Café can be seen as the recent rising of a coffee shop phoenix from the ashes of a vegan eatery, but the story goes back a further than that. It begins with a boy growing up in the late 1980s in San Bernardino, California, 60 miles east of Los Angeles, enraptured by a family kitchen filled with warmth and enticing aromas.

Growing up in a household with six children — a mix of siblings and cousins — Leonardo remembers the making of each meal as a community-minded activity. As a young boy he often helped his mother

and grandmother in the kitchen. The basics of Mexican cuisine, like making fresh tortillas and salsa, were integral to his upbringing.

“I remember weekends and holidays where there were tamales, mole and very deep flavors,” Leonardo says. He recalls his grandmother purchasing half of a pig at a butcher shop and using every part of the animal. “She would be out in the backyard with this massive cast-iron pan over an open flame … [making] chicharrón and chorizo. I have a vivid memory of growing up around an open fire.”

Inspired by his musician father who taught him how to play, Leonardo pursued his other passion. He moved to Hollywood at age 17 to study audio recording at Musicians Institute. He then began touring the U.S. and overseas as a musician and engineer in 2009.

“That exposed me to a lot of other cultures and so many different types of food,” Leonardo says. “I always joke that the road raised me.”

“It wasn’t until I met Leo that I was introduced to the aspect [of] community around food,” Kellie says.

Growing up in Charlotte since second grade, she recalls few transcendent food experiences with her family prior to meeting her husband. “We had some Hamburger Helper moments,” she says with a laugh.

The couple met at a show at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach in 2009 when Leonardo was touring with Charlotte alternative group Paper Tongues.

“The way Leo talked about food was different for me, and I loved that,” Kellie says.

After marrying in 2011, the couple moved around. By 2013 they had settled in Charlotte, where they started writing and recording their sometimes dark, often winsome brand of lush and dreamlike electronic pop. With songwriter Kellie on piano and vocals and producer Leonardo on multiple instruments, Solis released a self-tiled EP in 2016 and the full-length album Veil in 2020. The couple continues to play and record as Solis, with a new album planned for later this year.

In addition, Leonardo launched the record label Four Finger Records with close friend Jeremy Ryan Smith. In 2022, Kellie, Leonardo and Ryan Smith added to their already full plate by launching Gigantic Recording Company. A business that takes customer’s demos and rough drafts of tunes and turns them into fully produced professionalsounding songs.

During this time, the couple began to get involved in Charlotte’s food scene. Their explorations sparked the genesis of Loto Café. Spurred by his love of coffee, which has been fueled by his extensive travels, along with a friendship with James Yoder, co-owner of Not Just Coffee and Night Swim Coffee, Leonardo started to delve into curated coffee concepts.

Leonardo and Kellie began to think in terms of launching coffee shop pop-ups. The seed for a Latinstyle café was germinating.

LOTO CAFÉ HAS REPLACED EASTSIDE LOCAL IN THE EASTWAY CROSSING SHOPPING CENTER.

PHOTO BY GRANT BALDWIN

FOOD & DRINK

Transition at EastSide

FEATURE

Meanwhile, despite the enthusiastic response to EastSide Local and Stewart and Gambill’s efforts to weather the economic downturn brought by the COVID pandemic, the partners were getting ground down by long hours and lack of staff.

“I am not one to give up easy,” Stewart says, “but it has been a grueling couple of years.”

Inside of five months, Stewart lost both of her parents in 2022. She was working constantly and felt she couldn’t take time off from the business to spend more time with her ailing mother.

At the same time, as executive director of VisArt, Stewart launched a multi-purpose screening room and started to define what the nonprofit would be beyond just a neighborhood video store.

VisArt had been collaborating with EastSide Local, presenting food/drink/movie screening combos. Now, as the struggles mounted at the eatery, Stewart had an epiphany. She realized that the collaborative events and programs she brokered between VisArt and EastSide Local were her true calling.

“My priorities shifted,” Stewart says. “What I love more than anything is collaboration. My real gift is pulling people together and finding ways to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. [That] was going to [happen] more through VisArt than it was ESL.”

Another factor in Stewart and Gambill’s decision to close the café was an uptick in activity in the pair’s music career. After a successful reunion gig at Neighborhood Theatre, the long-semi-dormant Doubting Thomas band became a full-time concern again, with a new album on the way. Stewart and Gambill also teamed up with a longtime friend, singer/songwriter Christy Snow, to form the allwoman five-piece The Christy Snow Band. The group has already booked several festival gigs.

Stewart says she feels the heartbreak of the people who loved EastSide Local, but that she and Gambill just had to walk away. They had put much into the eatery, and felt they had little to show for it.

“We were never rich people,” Stewart says. “We didn’t have deep pockets.”

The sale of EastSide Local became problematic. A garage door onto the patio meant that VisArt and whoever moved into the vacated EastSide Local property would share the outdoor space. It would be ideal if the neighboring businesses were compatible, Stewart says, especially with VisArt’s increasing calendar of events and screenings.

An initial sale to local businessmen connected to the restaurant Moo & Brew ended with the buyers

selling up and putting the property back on the market. The instability was resolved when a private third party brought the lease on the old EastSide Local property and gifted it to VisArt.

It was at this point that Leonardo entered the picture.

From pop-up to full blown café

“Leo Solis and I are longtime friends,” Stewart says. The pair had met on a gig where they were both working as audio engineers. Leonardo was subsequently surprised to learn that Stewart was also co-owner of EastSide Local.

“I thought it was such a cool thing for somebody to be involved with music plus the coffee world,” Leonardo says.

Two weeks before Christmas Eve 2022, he reached out to Stewart and asked if the eatery was open because he wanted to stop in and get a cup of coffee. That’s when Leonardo learned the space was vacant.

He presented a plan for a café where he and Kellie would serve coffee and some traditional Latino pastries in the mornings. The idea snowballed.

“We talked about doing pop-ups dozen of times before,” Kellie says, “usually something centered around coffee and Mexican recipes Leo grew up with.”

After a single phone call with Stewart, Leonardo came back to Kellie with a whole menu. What had been meant as a small weekend pop-up had turned into a full-blown coffee shop.

“It happened fast,” Kellie says. She remembers the couple heading out with Remy to pick up the keys to their new business on Christmas Eve, not even three weeks after their first conversation with Stewart about the idea.

“It’s the best possible outcome,” Stewart says.

By the time of Loto Café’s Feb. 3 soft opening, Gambill had progressed on a redesign of the patio that reflects the space’s synergy with VisArt. A black-andwhite theme suggests frames of film, augmented with movie posters. Leonardo and Kellie also profess their love for VisArt and look forward to future collaborations with the nonprofit where their café will provide themed food for some screenings and events.

Inside the café, white contrasted by bold reds are the dominant aesthetics. Leonardo says the décor is inspired by his father’s career in construction while also being derived from Latino mom-and-pop shops Leonardo would frequent as a child in L.A. and Mexico City.

“We did the entire build by ourselves and created the drywall texture ... with stucco,” he says.

With no dishwasher at the moment, the café has made all plates and utensils disposable, though Loto

Café is composting the food and utensils through Crown Town Compost.

“Anything you get from the café will be able to go right into the compost bins that we have,” she says.

Leonardo and Kellie also have something that Stewart and Gambill seldom had: staff, albeit a small one.

“We have Jeremy Radio (Four Finger co-founder Jeremy Ryan Smith) and coffee jedi LaChrista McArthur, who developed our coffee program,” Leonardo says.

The Solis family also offers remote support from New Mexico in the form of Leonardo’s parents who own a restaurant there, and his sister, Betsy, who helped create the café’s concept.

With a successful soft opening under their belt, Leonardo and Kellie look forward to their grand opening. The café has sponsors lined up and the opening will be patterned on the community swap meets Leonardo remembers from his childhood

where he bought used Nintendo games. It will be a celebration of diversity in the local small business community on Charlotte’s east side, where the Solis family resides.

“We want to brand it as ‘Loto Swap Meet,’ and host it every first Saturday of every month, spring and summer,” Leonardo says.

He sees the café as going beyond being a business and becoming a focal point for the east Charlotte community.

“I feel like I’m back to that melting pot of hard-working families that want to create a better environment for their kids,” Leonardo says. “I want people to feel the love.”

“I’d like people to see Loto Café as somewhere anyone can feel comfortable when they walk in,” Kellie says. “I want them to feel like you belong here.”

PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM

SAVAGE LOVE QUICKIES

They’re coming in waves

BY DAN SAVAGE

My fiancé has a foot fetish, and he hates it. Can you tell him it’s harmless and immutable?

Harmless! Immutable! Also, we’re living in the golden age of foot-fetishist representation — from the conniving, murderous, unctuous Ser Larys Strong on HBO’s House of the Dragon (prestige television!) to the sweet, goofy, traumatized Jimmy on TLC’s MILF Manor (trash television!), guys with a thing for feet are suddenly all over our screens. And as kinks go, there are far … well, I don’t want to say worse fetishes. Let’s just say there are fetishes that are far harder to explain, far riskier to attempt, and that a vanilla partner is far less likely to happily indulge you in.

Would you contact an ex after a year to ask how they are?

Depends on the ex, depends on the breakup, and depends on where we left things. If the ex was a genuinely nice person that I liked, I might be inclined to reach out. If I experienced the breakup as amicable and I have every reason to believe my ex did too, I might be inclined to reach out. And if the last time we talked we both said we would be open to being friends in the future, I might be inclined to reach out.

Are you experienced with chastity?

I have tried on a cock cage — once a philosopher — but the idea of having my cock locked up for an extended period of time doesn’t appeal to me.

Is sexting real sex or mutual masturbation? Is sex with an AI chatbot real sex or masturbation?

The American Psychological Association defines “mutual masturbation” as a “sexual activity in which two individuals stimulate each other’s genitals at the same time for the purpose of sexual gratification.”

(Emphasis added for, well, emphasis.) Since you can’t touch someone’s else junk via sext message, sexting wouldn’t count as mutual masturbation. It’s a shared erotic experience, and one many people in monogamous relationships would consider cheating, but it’s not a sex act. And while you can certainly stimulate your own genitals as you swap messages with an AI chatbot, that’s not fucking. That’s typing.

How do I get my libido back? I’ve lost it to SSRIs and boredom.

Talk to your doctor about adjusting your meds — advocate for your own libido — and then talk to your partner about breaking out of your sexual rut(s). If you’re always having sex with the same person, in the same place, at the same time, and in the same way, try having sex with someone else, someplace else, at some other time, and in some other way. If you aren’t allowed to have sex with anyone else, then have sex someplace else, at some other time, and in some other way with your partner. And if the only person you’re allowed to have sex with (or want to have sex with) isn’t willing to give other places, times, and ways a try, well, breakups are never boring.

How does one find space for masturbation when living together with very little alone time?

One takes long showers, one gets up early or goes to bed late, one seizes opportunities as they present themselves, e.g., partner has a doctor’s appointment, partner is out with friends, partner is locked in the storage unit in the basement.

Speaking of Muppet faces … who is your favorite actual Muppet?

My ideal man has always been Janice from the Muppets no lipstick, less mascara, and a very big dick.

What can/should I wear to a fetish party if leather/latex aren’t my thing(s)?

Check if the fetish party you’re planning to attend has a dress code. Some require a certain kind of fetish attire (usually leather and/or latex), but these days most fetish parties are open to any kind of fetish attire. You’ll see people at fetish parties in leather and latex, of course, but you’ll also see people in zentai suits, wrestling singlets, jockstraps, canvas straightjackets, fursuits or nothing at all.

What is the best way to meet bi cis women in LTRs with men who want to hook up?

There are apps for that.

Shoes or boots?

Wearing? Shoes. Licking? Boots.

I have two friends who hate each other. Neither knows I’m friends with the other. What do I do? Whatever you’ve been doing, I guess, seeing as you’ve managed to be friends with both without either finding out. Alternatively, you could tell them both and watch what happens. If one issues an ultimatum (you can’t be friends with both of us, you have to pick, etc.), you should definitely end your friendship — with the person who issued the ultimatum. If they both issue ultimatums, go make new and better friends.

How do I cope with feeling ostracized from my local kink community due to some unfair accusations?

Get input from people who know you and may have observed your interactions at kink events and/or with your past partner(s), learn from your mistakes (if any), make amends (if possible), and get help (if necessary). And if you’re still not welcome in your local kink community … you’ll have to find or create a new one.

I’m feeling very weird about trans women exploring tampons with such wonder, a feeling that has taken me off guard.

We got used to having a King of England who once explored — through fantasy and, for all we know, through roleplay — being his then-mistress’ tampon. How did we all manage to do that? Well, we tried not to think about it; and when that failed (when certain prestige dramas reminded us), we tried to remember that it’s none of our business. You can get used to trans women exploring tampons the same way: Try not to think about it and if you find yourself thinking about it despite your best efforts … remind yourself that it’s none of your business.

Can someone be bad at cuddling? Yes.

Is it possible to “turn” someone gay? No.

Is marriage worth it? Yes and no.

Gay tops and bottoms — nature or nurture?

Some gay men really, really wanna bottom but can’t because bottoming — being the one getting fucked during anal intercourse — just doesn’t work for them; there’s just some physiological thing that prevents them from getting fucked. That’s nature. Some gay men don’t wanna bottom because it conflicts with their selfconception — the person they see themselves as — and some gay men don’t want to top for the same reason. That’s nurture. And some people are versatile, of course, and some — sides — aren’t interested in topping or bottoming, at least when it comes to anal sex.

Why would my boyfriend spend an amazing weekend filled with sex and affection with me, then make future plans, only to dump me over the phone a few days later without any real explanation, empathy, or care? I feel confused and abandoned.

Your ex-boyfriend’s behavior wasn’t confusing. It was clarifying. Now you can clearly see what you missed before: Your ex-boyfriend is an asshole. You don’t (or shouldn’t) want to be with an asshole, so he did you a favor — a painful favor, but still — by revealing himself to be an asshole and promptly exiting your life, which is the nicest thing an asshole can possibly do for you.

My boyfriend drinks three to four drinks per day. Is it my place to ask him to reduce consumption? It’s his body, after all.

It’s his body, he can do what he likes with it, and he gets to make his own choices. But your body is your body. You can do what you like with your body, and you get to make your own choices. And if you and your body don’t wanna be with someone who drinks as much as your boyfriend does, you can choose to take your body and go. If your boyfriend and his body would like you and your body to stay, he can choose to drink less.

I’m a 40-year-old man and I’m about to be single again. How do I approach dating?

With a sense of wonder and anticipation — also, a real appreciation for your luck, as your timing could not be better. You don’t mention your sexual orientation, but the world is suddenly full of men and women — some your own age, some significantly younger — who are all about dating, fucking, and possibly marrying daddies, e.g., hot men in their 40s and 50s. Make sure you’re in good working order, be respectful, and brush up on the campsite rule (always leave ‘em in better shape then you found ‘em), and have fun out there.

Is it wrong to watch incest scenarios in porn?

I fear this is a trick question designed to make me say something that could be construed as positive about incest. So, for the record: As a person with siblings, parents, stepparents, aunts, uncles, etc., and a vivid and very visual imagination, blech blech blech. With that out of the way…

If watching incest porn troubles you, ask yourself why you’re watching it. If incest scenarios are your kink, well, then you’re going to keep watching incest porn. But if you’re watching incest porn because it’s transgressive and taboo and it feels wrong, well, there’s lots of other transgressive, taboo, and wrong sexual scenarios portrayed in porn and erotica that you might enjoy just as much and feel a little less shitty about “consuming.”

Send your burning questions to mailbox@savage.love; podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love!

SUDOKU

BY LINDA THISTLE

TRIVIA TEST

BY FIFI RODRIGUEZ

1. ART: Where is the Prado Museum located?

2. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only country that the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn pass through?

3. LANGUAGE: What does the Latin phrase “tempus fugit” mean?

4. MATH: What is another name for the division sign?

5. MUSIC: How long did it take singer Bob Dylan to write the big hit “Blowin’ in the Wind”?

6. ANIMAL KINGDOM: How many times on average does a rubythroated hummingbird flap its wings in one second?

7. MOVIES: Which movie features the line, “Keep the change, ya filthy animal”?

8. LITERATURE: Which novel features four children named Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy?

9. TELEVISION: What is Joey’s famous line in the sitcom “Friends”?

CROSSWORD

PLACE A NUMBER IN THE EMPTY BOXES IN SUCH A WAY THAT EACH ROW ACROSS, EACH COLUMN DOWN AND EACH SMALL 9-BOX SQUARE CONTAINS ALL OF THE NUMBERS ONE TO NINE.

10. ANATOMY: What is a common name for the pinna in human anatomy?

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Guess what, Lamb? You’re about to experience a new perspective on a situation you long regarded quite differently. What you learn could open up more opportunities later.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) The Bold Bovine is tempted to charge into a new venture. But it might be best to take things one step at a time so that you know just where you are at any given point.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) It’s a good time to go on that fun getaway you’ve been planning. You’ll return refreshed, ready, and, yes, even eager to tackle the new challenge that awaits you.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) The Moon Child loves to fantasize about magical happenings in the early part of the week. But the sensible Crab gets down to serious business by week’s end.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) What goes around comes around for those lucky Leos and Leonas whose acts of generosity could be repaid with opportunities to expand into new and exciting areas of interest.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Your concern about your job responsibilities is commendable. But it’s time for you to take some quiet moments to share with someone who has really missed being with you.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Aspects favor getting out and meeting new people. And, as a bonus, you might find that some of your newly made friends could offer important business contacts.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) You might take pride in wanting to do everything yourself. But now’s a good time to ask family members to help with a demanding personal situation.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Pay more attention to the possibilities that could come with a workplace change. It could show you the way to make that long-sought turn on your career path.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Your need to succeed might overwhelm obligations to your loved ones. Ease up on that workload and into some well-deserved time with family and friends.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Love rules for amorous Aquarians who can make good use of their ability to communicate feelings. Don’t be surprised if they’re reciprocated in kind.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Fishing for compliments? No doubt, you probably earned them. But it’s best to let others believe they were the ones who uncovered the treasure you really are.

BORN THIS WEEK: Your good work flows from an open, generous heart. Nothing makes you happier than to see others happy as well.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A hectic period begins to wind down. Take time to draw some deep breaths and relax before getting into your next project. A long-absent family member could make contact as well.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) You’re eager to move forward with a new challenge that suddenly dropped into your lap. But you’d be wise to take this one step at a time, to allow new developments to come through.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You’re almost ready to make a commitment. A lingering doubt or two, however, should be resolved before you move ahead. An associate could provide important answers to your questions.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Caution is still the watchword as you move closer toward a decision about a new situation. If you act too fast, you might miss some vital warning signs. Go slowly and stay alert.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your new goal looks promising, and your golden touch does much to enhance its prospects for success. In your private life, Cupid does his best to make your new relationship special.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) That impatient side of yours is looking to goad you into moving before you’re ready to take that big step. Stay calm and cool. Let things fall into place before you act.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A legal matter you hoped would finally be settled could be a pesky problem for a while until all the parties agree to stop disagreeing with each other. Be patient.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Partnerships -personal or professional -- which began before the new year take on new importance. They also reveal some previously hidden risks. So, be warned.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your associates are firmly on your side, and that persistent problem causing you to delay some activities should soon be resolved to your satisfaction.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Favorable changes continue to dominate, and you should be responding positively as they emerge. Someone wants to become more involved in what you’re doing.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A friend wants to share a secret that could answer some questions you’ve wondered about for a long time. Meanwhile, travel aspects continue to be strong.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Stay on your new course despite so-called well-meaning efforts to discourage you. Rely on your deep sense of self-awareness to guide you to do what’s right for you.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have the capacity to meet challenges that others might find overwhelming and turn them into successful ventures.

THE SEEKER

TURN UP THE TEMP

The downward facing dog days of winter at Arrichion

BY KATIE GRANT

Was your dry January a success? I fell off the wagon during the first week, so I took a comedic stance and committed to drinking dry wine only for an entire month.

So now here we sit, straddling two seasons resignedly. If I were to describe the month of February in one word, it would be “disorienting,” as though an identity crisis blindfolded it. Does it want to remain wintry? Undecided. Does it want to deviate toward spring? Uncommitted.

Shitty weather and complaining aside, what is the short month of February perfect for? Personally speaking, hot yoga is my go-to strategy to burn (pardon the pun) through these last few weeks of the marrow of winter.

If you’re keeping up, you’ll remember I attended an essential oil-infused deep-stretch class in January, facilitated by Khali Yoga in the NoDa neighborhood. That kicked me into gear, as afterward, I decided to quit half-assing my yoga practice and fully committed to the annual class pass.

However, I still like the occasional adventure and decided on some solo South End tourism. I checked into Arrichion’s hour-long 7:15 a.m. core-strengthening hot pilates class, welcomed by their glowing market lights in the early morning darkness.

Sure, the class description includes the word “hot,” which I am used to, no big deal, but this hot was something else. It was sweltering, but I am not complaining! The upbeat playlist was fun, the workout was challenging, and the environment was welcoming (i.e., the staff and clientele weren’t douchebags). My experience felt like being embraced in a sweaty hug — the best way to start the day if you’re into sweaty hugs.

The studio offers various hot yoga and circuittraining classes, each with a unique name specific to the series. Examples include bloodstone (a challenging vinyasa class) or diamond (a slow flow). Next on my list of things to try is Arrichion’s MMA Yoga class — highintensity yoga with weights that incorporates techniques from mixed martial arts training. I’m slightly intimidated because I have sub-zero martial arts experience, but I am ready to expand my hot yoga horizon.

I cannot wait to return for more, but this time with a towel for a post-session shower. The studio only offers towels for purchase. (This is an approach that many studios have adopted, but I find capitalizing on everyday items exhausting.)

Arrichion is a family-owned business with an inspiring success story that started in a garage. They offer yoga teacher training and even the opportunity to

franchise. Since no one has yet heard my plea to open a gym or yoga studio in east Charlotte, this may be my next career move. But until I open a studio of my own, let’s come back down to Earth and check out the agenda for the rest of the month.

I’m the lucky gal who married a man who loathes Valentine’s Day, so I plan to celebrate with my “galentines.” (My husband manages a restaurant, so let’s be honest, he’s working that evening anyway.) We are often like two ships in the night, communicating only through Google Calendar. (Be sure to follow me for more tips on how to keep the romance alive.)

There’s nothing downhearted about this day dedicated to love, however. My gal pals are planning to procure a charcuterie feast to celebrate our adoration of wine and cheese together. After all, don’t wine, cheese, and friendships get better with age?

I noticed that The Culture Shop in the Belmont neighborhood offers a pre-ordered Valentine’s Day menu for two this year. The menu includes a salad I plan to copycat for our girl’s night in: mixed greens, tomatoes, radishes, cheese, and croutons drizzled with a homemade strawberry champagne vinaigrette. While a cheese spread alone may be satisfying, I plan to compliment it with some roughage for a happy post-holiday belly. If you are in search of some holiday inspiration, you are welcome.

But while my own romantic life can be depicted as peaks, valleys and plateaus, I’m learning to enjoy living vicariously through my single friends; that mostly means listening to their dating horror stories and browsing strangers’ profiles. I never used a dating app in my past life as a single person, but it feels wickedly satisfying to swipe left.

Even though Valentine’s Day is just one day out of the month, why limit our sense of love and appreciation to a 24-hour window? Something I never thought I would look forward to is the upcoming Carolina Alpaca Celebration in Cabarrus County! I can’t wait for an afternoon of fourlegged friend snuggles and browsing vendor merch featuring alpaca and other fiber-related items.

Do I foresee an alpaca farm developing on my property soon? Well, if the east Charlotte yoga studio doesn’t happen, something’s gotta give. My homeowners’ association is going to love me.

INFO@QCNERVE.COM

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