VOLUME 1: ISSUE 19 AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Pg. 2 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Diversity makes for a better cocktail party.
Charlotte’s Cultural Pulse STAFF
PUBLISHER • Justin LaFrancois jlafrancois@qcnerve.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF • Ryan Pitkin rpitkin@qcnerve.com
EDITORIAL
ASSOCIATE EDITOR • Courtney Mihocik cmihocik@qcnerve.com STAFF WRITER • Pat Moran pmoran@qcnerve.com
ART/DESIGN
ART DIRECTOR • Dana Vindigni dvindigni@qcnerve.com
MARKETING
MARKETING MANAGER • Jayme Johnson jjohnson@qcnerve.com
Pg. 3 Aug. 14- AUg. 27 , 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
ADVERTISING
To place an advertisement please call 980-349-3029 Queen City Nerve welcomes submissions of all kinds. Please send submissions or story pitches to rpitkin@qcnerve.com. Queen City Nerve is published every other Wednesday by Nerve Media Productions LLC. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Queen City Nerve is located in Advent Coworking at 933 Louise Ave., Charlotte, NC, 28204. First Issue of Queen CIty Nerve free. Each additional issue $5.
NEWS & CULTURE
4 A Parent’s Place by Liz Logan An honest talk about gender identity and motherhood 6 The Scanner by Ryan Pitkin 7 Keep It 100 by Shameika Rhymes
ARTS
8 Follow Your Intuition by Pat Moran Basic Instinct does what feels right
LIFELINE
10 How not to kill your social life
PRIDE GUIDE 2019
12 Wells Fargo Stage Performers by QC Nerve Staff 15 What To Do on Pride Weekend
MUSIC
18 King of Queens by Ryan Pitkin Nekeith takes Pride in his androgyny 20 The Buzz
FOOD & DRINK
22 Daytime Drag by Courtney Mihocik Drag culture moves from the nightclubs to your brunch table 24 The Buzz
NIGHTLIFE
26 Aerin It Out by Aerin Spruill 26 Sudoku 27 Crossword 28 Horoscope 30 Savage Love
Cover Design by: Dana Vindigni
PHOTO BY REX WHITE
on this path of peace and understanding, I don’t have a lot of patience for it. Normally I’m not around people who are close-minded and I’m prepared and in a setting of knowing my audience. I feel sorry for people who are totally Republican or conservative Christian, who love their kids, and the kind of shit they have to deal with. I don’t have to lose my community over this.
A PARENT’S PLACE
What has the response been from your family members? For about the past year, we have all been calling her Tina — us and her sister, her extended family. They are all generally accepting of this change, even though we are all still learning as we go. But we did have one family member who went back on what she’d said and decided she wasn’t going to be accepting of this and would not be calling her Tina. But, I’m like, “You didn’t name her the first time and you don’t get to this time either.” Then, she came back a few days later and said she was actually accepting and had changed her mind. It’s kind of a mindfuck and we don’t really know how to handle it.
An honest talk about gender identity and motherhood BY LIZ LOGAN
[Note: The following interview was done with the full knowledge and support of Tina Barker, and we thank her for her courage.]
Pg. 4 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
B
EFORE HAVING kids, you know everything you will and won’t do. “Oh, my kid will for sure eat a well-balanced diet,” or, as you side-eye the screaming indignant toddler, “My kid will know better. I will not let my kid behave that way.” And then, once pregnant, it somehow gives people license to interject and superimpose their own ideals on everything you should do, from delivery methods and nursing advice to childrearing. And once the baby is born, you forget everything you’ve heard and realize we are all taking it day by day, learning as we go. Parenting is incredibly unpredictable. You have this little person and assume you know them from the onset. You get an ultrasound, find out a gender and start preparing yourself as though this tidbit of insight into their prebirth humanity sets a precedent for who they will become. Parents treat gender reveals like the unveiling of what’s behind door number three on a game show, like they’ve won this giant prize once they figure out if the baby is blue or pink. Oftentimes, viral gender-reveal videos even depict parents showing grotesque outward disappointment in the outcome. But let’s leave aside the question over what happens when your child grows up to learn that they weren’t what you wanted. Let’s ask another question: What happens when your child does not identify with the assumptions that the gender reveal made? Fifteen years ago, Kim Barker gave birth to
How would you like to see people handle these thoughts? If you’re having an internal battle, keep it to yourself. Wait until you figure it out. You think you know the risks of dividing your family, but you don’t.
Kim Barker
a little boy, Tino. He was confident, loving and reserved, but sure of himself. Around age 10, there was a bit of a shift. The quiet parts of him got more quiet, and he began spending more time in his room. He maintained a good relationship with his family but just wasn’t quite himself. When Tino was in eighth grade, he sat his family down and told them he was gay. Kim, a musician and medium, was proud of him for knowing himself. She and her husband, Matthys, gave him their full support. But that wasn’t the full story. Later that year, Tino sat them down and said, “You know how hard it was for me to tell you I like boys? Well, actually, I think I’m a girl.” And now, for the past year, Tino has been going through a slow and intentional transition, claiming her new self as Tina, while the Barkers have stood by her. They are learning daily things they never considered — how to deal with combative family members or the stares of strangers, as well as how
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIM BARKER
to keep their daughter safe. In the lead-up to Charlotte Pride, we spoke with Kim about those lessons. She shared what she wishes she’d known and what she wishes other people knew.
How has it been interacting with others during this? What’s that like? People still constantly talk to me like I’m her spokesperson, which I’m fine with for the most part, but I’m also trying to figure it out, too. And everybody in the fucking world keeps saying this one line, they’re like, “I just don’t want to say the wrong thing. I don’t want to call her ‘him’. I just want to make sure I’m using the right pronouns.” I’ve been hearing it every day of my goddamn life since this happened. They keep saying “What do we do?” It’s compassionate in a sense but it’s really fucking annoying. Like with family, they’ll say, “Is it OK for me to ask her if she wants to go do things with the girls?” Everyone just has something to say. Every single person. But there has only been one person in this whole process who has asked me how I’ve been. No one else, aside from a therapist, has asked Matthys and I how we are doing.
Queen City Nerve: What are some things wellintended people say to you that you really just wish they wouldn’t? Kim Barker: Because of the bubble I’ve created, the people that get on my nerves the most are the ones on the way to being self-actualized. It’s because you just expect them to be bigger and more accepting than they are. People ask questions like ‘Have you really thought about this?’ or ‘Have you thought of all the options or how this will affect her life in the future?’ And I’m like ‘No, bitch. I haven’t.’ I expect that kind of response from close- Has this changed how you parent her? minded people — Trump supporters, people I don’t Having an awareness that I have a black boy child and know. But when it’s people who are supposed to be fearing for his life. “You can’t play in the front yard
“TINA HAS THIS POWER THAT NOBODY FUCKS WITH HER.” Kim Barker
with your guns. Play with your guns in the backyard.” I’m this basic maternal, fire-bear mama, meaning I’ll probably murder someone for you, in the right setting, anyway. Then you add the layer of going from black boy to transgender African-American female, the worry doesn’t become any less. It’s actually more. There are a lot of people in the black community who are still not accepting of this. Tina has this power that nobody fucks with her. She can walk through any scenario and people will come to her and think she’s cool, but she doesn’t think that many other people are cool. My fears and awareness as a mother are heightened. I’ve started assuming the worst about people and how they feel about my daughter if I don’t know them. How do I know she’s safe? I really have to practice that. She’s not in a rush to get her license and I am not pushing it.
Pg. 5 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
How has this changed how you talk about sex? She talked with me at home and then with the doctor and the therapist. Mine is more about the heart and not giving yourself away or selling out your heart. We’ve always been open and now there is a different kind of awareness. How do you talk to her about her peers? The hardest part, before she came out, was that she had to tell her old friends. But she’s now at a progressive, supportive school that has been her support system. It’s been the more conservative people we grew up with that are the hardest. For the most part, she just needed encouragement. “What can I say?” “Would you talk to their mom?” I told her, like anything, you have to go through it to the fullest. You can change your mind in the future, it doesn’t matter. But for now, this is where you are. You have to be willing to risk it all to be yourself. Has this affected your relationship? We are able to go through this well because we have always been so close. But honestly, it’s the teenage stuff that’s hard anyway. This stuff is really secondary to the annoying teenage bullshit we deal with. She can say, “I know that at the end of the day, my mom has my back.” And there is nothing at the
BUY ONE, GIVE ONE.
ASK HOW TO GET A BRILLIANT NEW iPHONE® ON US.
end of the day that matters to a mother as much as that. It hasn’t really increased our bond but I feel I have a greater advantage having gone through this. It’s increased my bond with my younger daughter. Everything is out in the open. There’s no hiding behind anything. It’s an advantage in a lot of ways. It’s putting the most private thing you can imagine — your sexuality — just all out in the open for our family. No stone is left uncovered. Has this affected your relationship with your husband or your other daughter? My other daughter, Ziva, had to take a stand really young. When people have not accepted Tina, she’s been able to say, “Your love is conditional and I stand by my sister.” The two have gotten closer. Ziva gets into her world more than most people. For my husband, Tina’s stepfather, he has been incredibly supportive, although it hasn’t been without trials for any of us. When we first went to pick up the hormones, Matthys kind of freaked out. Like, we knew we were going to do this. We’d talked about it. But it still seems to catch us off guard at different points and in ways we didn’t imagine. What have you been able to do to help Tina with her self-expression? Tina was at a queer music camp called QORDS (Queer-Oriented Radical Days of Summer) and was able to be herself. She was the star in her element. She was like she used to be before all of this happened, like when she was a little kid. It gave her tools for a voice and her own advocacy. How do you show her your support and how do you think others should support people going through this? By helping her find a voice and her self-advocacy as a person. For others, having a broader sense of empathy, by learning more, asking how they are, holding hands through it. Ask, “How can I be here for you?” Do your own research and be there for the person in your life going through things instead of expecting them to have all the answers. Because we don’t. We’re still learning. INFO@QCNERVE.COM
Skip the line and get your new phone today! Call now. Iv Support Holdings LLC
866-272-0706
www.freephonesnow.com/queen
Ltd time. Select devices. Each req’s min. $750 on installment. Req’s new line. iPhone XR 64GB free after credits over 30 months. Credits start w/in 3 bills. If svc cancelled, R device balance due. $30 Activation, add’l fees, taxes, other charges, & restr’s apply. © 2019 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T and the Globe logo are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. NRO SF T 0119 1191 E
THE SCANNER
NCDOT TO HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING FOR THE PROPOSED WIDENING OF N.C. 160 (STEELE CREEK ROAD) FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA LINE TO I-485 IN CHARLOTTE
BY RYAN PITKIN
STIP PROJECT NO. U-5766
COOL PARENTS Last week we reported on a man who let a friend borrow his car in 2018 and reported the car as stolen a year later when the friend hadn’t returned it yet. This week, a woman filed a report after her husband was even more inconsiderate with her Chevrolet Trailblazer. The 41-year-old west Charlotte woman called police at around 7 p.m. on a Saturday evening and told officers that her husband had “let an unknown teen borrow her car” at midnight on the previous night, and surprisingly, this mystery Gen Z-er hadn’t returned with the vehicle yet.
Pg. 6 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL Police responded to a Shell gas station on Glenwood Drive in west Charlotte after receiving a call about a man who was sleeping in his running car at a gas pump. Officers quickly recognized the car as the suspect vehicle in a recent nearby robbery, and would eventually find that it was in fact the car used in the robbery. Upon searching the suspect, officers found a crack pipe, which probably explains where all the money from the robbery went. In a similar incident, police responded to a welfare check on Carmel Road after a woman was seen laying unconscious near the street. When officers woke her, she was found to be in possession of two purses, $200 worth of jewelry, two pairs of sunglasses, two unmatching shoes, $200 worth of prescription pills, a jewelry box and the driver’s license of the person she had stolen all these things from during a break-in at a nearby home.
The N.C. Department of Transportation will hold public meetings regarding the proposed widening of a seven-mile section of N.C. 160 (Steele Creek Road) from the South Carolina Line to I-485 in Charlotte. Two public meetings will be held to present the same information: Monday, August 19 4-7 p.m. Kennedy Middle School 4000 Gallant Lane, Charlotte
Wednesday, August 21 4-7 p.m. Southwest Middle School 13624 Steele Creek Road, Charlotte
At the meeting NCDOT representatives will display maps and be available to answer questions and receive comments. Comments will be taken into consideration as work on the project develops. Written comments or questions can also be submitted at the meeting or by phone, email or mail no later than September 6, 2019.
it took servers by surprise because, according to the report, “the listed suspect came into the restaurant portraying himself as a paying customer.”
WHAT NEXT? A criminal report filed after a singlevehicle car wreck in southeast Charlotte just kept getting worse for the driver of the car. Officers responded to the scene of the crash on East W.T. Harris Boulevard near East Independence Boulevard on a rainy afternoon and found that the man who wrecked the car had been driving with a suspended license. Further investigation found that he had been driving well over the speed limit, despite the weather. A search of the car found a handgun lying on the suspect’s floorboard. Further investigation found that he is, in fact, a convicted felon and cannot be in possession of a handgun. Now’s about the time when SALTY Leslie’s Swimming Pool Supplies in north you want to go ahead and plead the fifth. Charlotte is one store where we don’t often see shoplifting reports, but the fun thing about The NOT MINE A man found to be involved in a Scanner is that anything can happen at any time. fight in NoDa recently could have used that Fifth Police responded to the supply store one recent Amendment when he found himself speaking afternoon after staff said a man walked out with a with police officers. According to the report, police $1,230 salt system designed for jacuzzis and never broke up the fight and, while interviewing those made any effort to pay for his selection. involved, found one of the men to be in possession of a car that had recently been stolen from a home in MONOPOLY MAN A recent report about a dineWaxhaw. The man readily admitted to police that he and-dasher in Uptown raises the question of was driving the car and knew it to be stolen. what exactly a paying customer looks like. Officers responded to Capital Grille on North Tryon Street WASH IT DOWN A 22-year-old South End man filed a after a man drank four bottles of beer and took a police report after someone broke into his work vehicle shot of Jack Daniels before walking out on his tab. overnight recently and took a bevy of items, some This happens all the time, to be sure, but this time of which more useful than others. According to the
Information will be posted on the U-5766 project webpage as it becomes available: https://www.publicinput.com/SteeleCreek-Widening For additional information contact: Brian Query, PE, Project Manager, NCDOT Division 10, by mail at 12033 East Independence Blvd, Suite H Matthews, N.C. 28105 by phone at (980) 262-6294, or via email at tbquery@ncdot.gov or Project Consultant, Aileen Mayhew, PE, Project Manager (Mott MacDonald) by mail at P.O. Box 700, Fuquay-Varina, N.C. 27526 by phone at (919) 552-2253 or via email at aileen.mayhew@mottmac.com NCDOT will provide auxiliary aids and services under the Americans with Disabilities Act for disabled persons who wish to participate in this workshop. Anyone requiring special services should contact Kayla Weber by phone at (919)707-6061 or by email at knweber@ncdot.gov as early as possible so that arrangements can be made. Persons who do not speak English, or have a limited ability to read, speak or understand English, may receive interpretive services upon request prior to the meeting by calling 1-800-481-6494. mecklenburg_queen-city-nerve_U-5766.indd 1 victim, the suspect stole his cellphone, two watches, a pair of sunglasses, a parking garage fob, two pairs of headphones and a pack of acid reflux medication.
DONGED OUT A local porch pirate probably thought they were rich when they opened a package they stole from the porch of a home in the Landsdowne area of south Charlotte, but no such luck. According to the 76-year-old victim of the crime, the package that was stolen from her porch contained 4,000,000 Vietnamese dongs, which has been the currency in that country since 1978. While that may seem like a whole lot of money, the conversion rate is only $1 for every .000043 dongs, putting the value of the package at around $252.
Aquellas personas que no hablan inglés, o tienen limitaciones para leer, hablar o entender inglés, podrían recibir servicios de interpretación si los solicitan antes de la reunión llamando al 1-800-481-6494. 8/2/19 3:10 PM
CATCH ‘EM ALL Pikachu’s powers were of no help during a recent car break-in in Dilworth recently. According to the 37-year-old victim, an unknown suspect broke into car and stole $50 worth of Pokémon cards — nothing else. In an unrelated incident that cost a victim 1,000 times the value of the previous theft, a 64-year-old man reported that someone had stolen $50,000 worth of sports memorabilia from his unit at Extra Space Storage in Lower South End. All Scanner entries are pulled from CMPD reports. Suspects are innocent until proven guilty.
KEEP IT 100 BROTHER’S KEEPER
Swimming in the gene pool BY SHAMEIKA RHYMES
Dear Shameika, I’m in my late 30s, and after years of being single and dateless in the Queen City, I finally got asked out by a 50-something-year-old man a year ago ... and then he ghosted me. Fast-forward to this July, we ran into each other again and made plans for a sushi date. He arrived at my house 15 minutes early to pick me up for the date and he was the perfect gentleman. The date was great. He shared that his younger brother lives with him and it seems like I have more in common with him, such as driving the same car, and loving the same kind of wine! The following week, I stepped out of my comfort zone and asked him if he would like to hang out later, and he said “Cool.” He called me that day around noon to explain he was busy and would hit me up when he finished. He didn’t get back to me until 8:30 p.m. but I was already in bed because that is too late. He sent “Good morning” texts and nothing else. One day he asked about going out later that week and I never heard back from him. A week later, I hit him up and asked him to give his brother my number since we have more in common. He responded saying he would pass the info along, but he was sorry he didn’t get back to me due to a death in the family. Was I wrong for my text?
Pg. 7 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
HOOK A SISTA UP
because he’s older and isn’t a good texter or was he expecting you to pick up the ball and run the convo until you reached a touchdown? It sounds like neither of you were putting forth much effort. Now, I’m sure dude wasn’t telling you about his brother so that you would think his sibling is a better fit. He was probably just opening up and telling you about his life. Allow me to keep it 100 with you — 8:30 p.m. treads the line of being late depending upon what kind of plans you were thinking about. Besides, he told you what he had going on, so you can’t assume it would be wrapped up in a pretty bow by 2 p.m. It also sounds to me like you never set a specific time as to when you wanted to hang out. “Later” is not a time, “later” is exactly what it is, later, and that could have meant the next day, the next week, month or hell the next year. Now, people do have things going on in their lives, and most folks have mastered using a telephone to communicate such things. It doesn’t sound like you two had much of a texting or phone call relationship to begin with, and it was triflin of him to not reach out after asking you to go out. At that point, you already knew his history of ghosting, so why continue to entertain him by texting the following week? Is it because you wanted some attention, or were you feeling rejected because he fell off the face of the Earth again, or did you genuinely like him? It sounds like some self-love is needed here, because when you love yourself, you will put that man in his place, which is out of your life. I do think asking him to pass your number along to his brother was dead-ass wrong. You don’t know him, never met him, and all this old-ass ghoster has told you is what kind of car the brother drives and the type of wine he drinks; a love connection that does not make. If you are interested in learning more about the brother, then find another way to meet him — don’t take the lazy route asking him to pass your number along. It almost sounds like you wanted to disrespect him for disrespecting you, but come on, being petty isn’t the answer.
Dear Hook a Sista Up, In between my blank staring and blinks, I must say congratulations on landing a date in Charlotte and being open to going out with someone older. But, with all the craziness that goes on in the news, have you lost your mind letting that man pick you up for the first date?! Hopefully you exercised some good sense and let your circle of friends know where you were going and with whom! So you went back out with this perfect gentleman, but did his ass bother to explain where he was for the past year? While the “Good morning” texts are cute If you have a dilemma you need help solving, drop me and all, why was that the extent of your convo? Is it a line: shameika@themofochronicles.com
Out of this world dentistry finally in your neighborhood!
-Offering Whole Family Dentistry & Oral Surgery specialty care on an extended schedule
-Locally owned
7am-7pm and select Saturdays
No Insurance? No Problem! Ask about our in-house Dental Savings Plan
www.StellarDentalCLT.com
University
9010 Glenwater Drive 704-547-1199
Noda
2100 North Davidson 704-688-7120
Tune in to WCCB News Edge every week night at 10:30 p.m. Get a glimpse at the next issue with our editor-in-chief every other Tuesday night
FOLLOW YOUR INTUITION
Basic Instinct does what feels right
Pg. 8 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
I
BY PAT MORAN
T WAS nearly 10 years ago when Dee Smith and Gereme McConneaughey learned a vital lesson that is seldom covered in dance classes: Listen to your mother. Though Smith, who’s from Brooklyn, New York, and Charlotte native McConneaughey had both attended Northwest School of the Arts, where they shared a mutual love of dancing, they didn’t run with similar crowds. If their paths ever crossed at school, neither can remember it. “My mom and Gereme’s mom worked together for a few years,” Smith says. “They were always hanging out and they would tell us about each other, but we never met.” That all changed after graduation, when Smith and McConneaughey just happened to hit the same nightclub. “It was my first time ever going to the clubs,” Smith remembers. “A Beyoncé song came on and we both started doing the same thing at the same time. It was weird and awkward but super cool too. That’s how we started.” That near-telepathic connection between the two — and the way they both moved to the beats — sparked more than a friendship. Today Smith and McConneaughey are better known as Dzirre and Fudg3, two thirds of Charlotte’s dazzling dance troupe Basic Instinct, which will perform at Charlotte Pride on the Wells Fargo Stage at 2:45p.m. on Saturday, August 17. Smith can’t remember when she wasn’t
“
PRIDE ALLOWS US TO PERFORM ON A GRANDER SCALE. Gereme McConneaughey, Basic Instinct
“
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE PRIDE
Basic Instinct (from left): Stephon Fonseca aka Onyx, Dee Smith aka Dzirre and Gereme McConneaughey aka Fudg3
dancing. She was very young when her aunt started showing her music videos and introducing her to the latest dances. McConneaughey also got an early jump on expressing himself through movement. Seeing videos by Michael and Janet Jackson lit a fire under him while he was still in grade school. Despite the pair’s passion for dance, they never thought of it as a profession. They were tearing up the ballroom and turning heads at Scorpio nightclub, but it was all just in fun. That all changed when Stephon Fonseca caught sight of their highspirited impromptu choreography. The Silver Spring, Maryland, native was on break from Boston College, where he studied advertising and public relations as well as ballet, modern and jazz dance. Like Smith and McConneaughey, Fonseca
caught the dancing bug early. He remembers being fascinated with Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” video when he was just 4 years old. “It put a spark in me, and I’ve been dancing ever since,” Fonseca says. Smith and McConneaughey saw a simpatico partner in Fonseca. In 2011, the trio met to see if they meshed and moved together well. Eight years later, the three friends are still dancing together; Fonseca performs as Onyx, onethird of Basic Instinct’s Terpsichore trinity. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize they had captured lightning in a bottle. “We started to become something special in our eyes,” Fonseca explains, “That was when we became more official.” The trio chose their moniker because they knew
that whatever experiences life would throw their way, their “basic instinct” would be to meet it with dance, Fonseca says. The friends collaborated on choreography, and their routines starred drawing curious spectators to Scorpio, where the troupe won the club’s Entertainer of the Year award three years in a row. But one club could not contain the performers for long. Since its inception, Basic Instinct has performed in Winston-Salem, Greensboro, New York, Miami and throughout South Carolina. But it hasn’t been an easy road. McConneaughey says that initially each member had to climb a steep learning curve. For him, the challenge was in realizing that each member approached things a little bit differently than the others.
Pg. 9 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
“The great thing about the three of us is that we all have very distinct styles of dance,” McConneaughey continues. “That is our art, mixing the styles all together.” McConneaughey feels the troupe’s style has grown more fluid now because the partners have been dancing with each other for so long. “We’re pulling contributions from each individual.” Pull up any performance video of the troupe on YouTube, and the benefits of this differentyet-compatible approach are readily apparent. In the past few years, the troupe has entered contests, producing videos for the Iggy Azalea #SallyWalkerChallenge and the Nicki Minaj #MegatronChallenge. In each video, the 6-foot-5inch Smith is a towering fulcrum, the pivot point against which McConneaughey and Fonseca’s spiraling, angular and cyclical movements pull. Basic Instinct’s routines are precise, yet not lockstep. Subtle shifts in body placement reveal each performer’s individuality — the personality that McConneaughey feels is essential to Basic Instinct’s appeal. Each of the two videos was shot at Scorpio, Smith reveals. “We went to the club before anyone got there and had our way with everything,” Smith says with a chuckle. “We’d get the scenery together and go over how we wanted to do it.” One such contest paid unexpected dividends. The troupe was stoked to produce a response to a video challenge for Dawn Richard, originally of Danity Kane, because they were such big fans of the performer. “We idolize her,” Smith confesses. After deliberation, the group chose to craft a routine for Richard’s “Dance.” From a stately starting point that suggests a scene from Greek mythology, Basic Instinct turns the performance into an ode to unbridled joy. Richard was apparently taken with the final product. She liked the video and followed each Basic Instinct member on social media. Then, when Richard came to town to perform for a CIAA event at Dilworth Neighborhood Grill, she asked Basic Instinct to dance onstage with her. Since then, Richard has always made time for Basic Instinct, Smith notes. “We’ve gone to a lot of [her] concerts, and every time she’s super nice,” Smith enthuses. “She always invites us to the VIP.” Another surprise guest performance occurred at Scorpio in 2014. High Point native and R&B singer Fantasia came to the club looking for Basic Instinct. The troupe had just finished dancing at Scorpio’s main stage and was performing in the club’s smaller lounge. “[Fantasia] got on the mic and said ‘I want y’all to dance.’” Smith remembers. “Then she got into the
middle of the dance floor. The music started and it was amazing.” Other cherished memories for the troupe include a few choice side gigs for individual members. The statuesque Smith auditioned for and won a modeling spot on the streaming WE TV series Angel Brinks: The Real Bling, and Smith still remembers the time she won a singing contest at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem when she was only 14 years old. McConneaughey scored an extracurricular singing gig when he opened for R. Kelly at the Greensboro Coliseum in May 2018. It was one of the R&B singer’s first performances since the #MuteRKelly movement accelerated boycott efforts, yet despite the controversy surrounding the headliner, McConneaughey’s enthusiasm for the experience remains undimmed “It was my first time singing for a stadium full of people,” McConneaughey says. “That was cool.” But the most important gig for Basic Instinct — the show that is dearest to the troupe’s heart — is Charlotte’s Pride Festival, says Fonseca. By his count, this year will mark Basic Instinct’s fifth Pride performance. “It’s the [show] we anticipate and look forward to the most,” Fonseca says. “The thing I love about performing at Pride is that it’s different from our regular performances. We have more free rein [and] we can be more open.” “Pride allows us to perform on a grander scale,” McConneaughey says. “It allows us to be more ambitious creatively, as well.” He feels that the members of Basic Instinct reflect a message of acceptance to their audience just by being who they are. “We all come from different backgrounds, but we all share the things that determine who we are,” he says. “We find freedom in that and we want other people to find freedom in that too.” For an example, he turns to how he and Smith found each other, and undying friendship, more than a decade ago. “We both went to the same high school and we never would have thought that we’d be the friends we are today,” McConneaughey says. “We hope that our camaraderie and togetherness affects other people as well.” For her part, Smith wants people who experience Basic Instinct’s performance to feel free to be whoever they want to be and connect with the right people, whether that be in terms of friendship or more. “I hope they walk away feeling unapologetic for whatever decisions they’ve made or who they choose to be with,” she says. PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM
Grandiflora by Day
Grandiflora by Night
Daily, through Sept. 29 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tickets available at the door!
Thursday – Sunday, through Sept. 29 6 - 10 p.m. Tickets available at DSBG.org & the door!
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden celebrates its 20th anniversary with an awe-inspiring, larger-than-life botanical glass exhibit, Grandiflora: Gamrath Glass at the Garden. Guests will be mesmerized by hundreds of pieces of glass making up dozens of installations by Seattle-based artist Jason Gamrath. Towering 10-foot orchids, vivid pitcher plants, energetic Venus flytraps and more will be on display. 6500 S. New Hope Road Belmont, NC 28012 (704) 825-4490 www.DSBG.org
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14TH
CANDIDATE CONVERSATIONS ON CLIMATE
What: As the local primary elections draw closer (less than a month now), you’re going to be seeing more panels, town hall meetings and all-around stumping than you can wave a ballot at. If climate is one of your main concerns — and if it’s not you’re an idiot — hear where the candidates stand at this event. More: Free; 6-8 p.m.; 7th Street Public Market, 224 E. 7th StreetSt.; tinyurl.com/CandidatesonClimate
THURSDAY, AUG. 15TH
CULTURE BITES
What: This is one of three Culture Bites events held by the Arts & Science Council this August, and you already missed the first two, but let’s be honest, you don’t want to go to Huntersville or Ballantyne for culture. Family fun includes performances from the Mandyl Evans Band and Bluz, plus a ton of other fun arts and culture to experience. More: Free; 5:30-8 p.m.; Renaissance West STEAM Academy, 3241 New Renaissance Way; tinyurl.com/CultureBites
FRIDAY, AUG. 16TH
LIFELINE
Pg. 10 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
AUG. 14TH-AUG. 20TH
CAROLINA CANNABIS CONVENTION
What: While the hype around CBD oil has subsided, there’s still a fight for legalization in the Carolinas. The Cannabis Convention brings education, innovation and medication to the forefront for two days. More: $20-$100; 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., through Saturday; Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel, 2800 Coliseum Centre Drive; carolinacannabisconvention.com
SATURDAY, AUG. 17TH ROCK EN ESPAÑOL
What: In the early 2000s, a rock-en-español wave transformed Charlotte, and scores of local Latin rockers rose up fully formed from the red Carolina clay. Of those originals, only Bakalao Stars remain. Seventeen years on, these punked-up reggae rockers continue to push the boundaries of music, regardless of language. With Mofungo and Dorian Gris. More: $10; 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com
SUNDAY, AUG. 18TH
THE RACONTEURS
What: According to Jack White, The Raconteurs did not get together with the goal of recording their first new album in more than a decade, but that’s what happened, and now that Help Us Stranger exists, we should all be thankful. The four-piece visits Charlotte for the first time and tickets will be hard to come by if you’ve waited this long. More: $105; 7 p.m.; The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com
MONDAY, AUG. 19TH OPEN MIC W/ KEITH SERPA
What: Legion Brewing’s Monday open mic usually features Lisa De Novo, but since that self-described bubblegum blues purveyor is currently touring the West Coast, local producer/guitar teacher/down-to-earth working dad Keith Serpa will host Charlotte’s singers and strummers on Legion’s stage. More: Free; 7 p.m.; Legion Brewing, 1906 Commonwealth Ave.; legionbrewing.com
TUESDAY, AUG. 20TH SMASHING PUMPKINS
What: OK, we’re going to be honest here. Gary Clark Jr. is playing the CMCU Ampitheatre on this same night, and that’s by far the better show for your money. But Clark just played right next door at The Fillmore four months ago, and we put him in Lifelines then, as well as Summer Guide. We’re not his PR reps for God’s sake. More: $29.50 and up; 7 p.m.; PNC Music Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd.; smashingpumpkins.com
Social Calendar a little light? Check out
QCNERVE’S LIFELINE
for cool events happening in the queen city!
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21ST SISTERS WITH STORIES
What: In case you missed her event at the library on the 14th, photographer $HAN Wallace’s “Sisters With Stories” project documents the everyday struggle of survival for black women. Delve into her thought-provoking body of work with a documentary about Wallace’s work and projects at Elder Gallery. More: Free; 6-8:30 p.m.; Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art 1520 S. Tryon St.; tinyurl.com/SistersStories
THURSDAY, AUG. 22ND
HISTORIC PRESERVATION AWARDS
What: One would think there aren’t enough good restoration projects in Charlotte around which to hold an entire awards show, but one would be wrong. These awards exemplify the best of preservation and historic neighborhood integration by shining a light on successful projects in Mecklenburg County — in hopes that others will follow that lead. More: $25 and up; 6-8 p.m.; Charlotte Museum of History, 3500 Shamrock Dr.; charlottemuseum.org
FRIDAY, AUG. 23RD
LIFELINE
Pg. 11 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
AUG. 21ST- AUG. 27TH
COUGHING DOVE ALBUM RELEASE
What: Fleet Foxes were forced to parachute into a secluded ’70s AM radio station run by Sonic Youth and they came up with Coughing Dove. At least that’s our explanation for the clattering drums, detuned guitar noise and wistful weird-ass vocals of this solo project by multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Holman (Landless, Pullover). More: $5-7; 9 p.m.; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; petrasbar.com
SATURDAY, AUG. 24TH QUEEN CITY SUMMER FESTIVAL
What: This will be the last Saturday before the CMS 2019-2020 school year starts, so give the kids one last hurrah. With laser tag, food, face painting and more, it’s hard to deny the little ones their own end-of-the-summer party before they have to sit still in class until next year. It’s free, it’s fun and it’s a festival. More: Free; 1-5 p.m.; The Carole Hoefener Center, 615 E. 6th St.; tinyurl.com/QCSummerFest
SUNDAY, AUG. 25TH
BECK, CAGE THE ELEPHANT
What: Prolific American singer songwriter Beck exploded onto the scene in the early 1990s with his first single, “Loser,” an anti-folk song of sorts with a jarring riff and almost nonsensical lyrics. On the other hand, Cage The Elephant snuck in during the early 2000s with single “Ain’t No Rest For the Wicked,” and subsequent self-titled album. More: $29.50 and up; 6 p.m.; PNC Music Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd.; cagetheelephant.com/tour
MONDAY, AUG. 26TH GIRLS NIGHT OUT: THE SHOW
What: Forget Magic Mike and its forgettable sequel, Magic Mike XXL. If you want a real high-class show, then shell out the dough for Girls Night Out. Promising ripped abs in your face and an empowering interactive show, Girls Night Out is a highlychoreograped party with pretty men taking off their clothes on stage. More: $19.95 and up; 8-10:30 p.m.; Chasers Lounge, 3217 The Plaza; girlsnightouttheshow.com
TUESDAY, AUG. 27TH ALI CALDWELL
What: P. Diddy says Ali Caswell has one the finest voices he’s ever heard, and who are we to argue? Before she staked out her turf — mid-tempo R&B with undercurrents of aching nostalgia — Caldwell competed on reality TV shows The Voice and The Four. She lost, which means surely she’s miles beyond the winners no one can remember. More: $15-20; 7 p.m.; Evening Muse, 3227 N Davidson St.; eveningmuse.com
Social Calendar a little light? Check out
QCNERVE’S LIFELINE
for cool events happening in the queen city!
Pride can be fun for a bunch of reasons (parties on page 15), but we’re here for the music. Head to the Wells Fargo Stage at North Tryon and Stonewall (that had to be on purpose) to see these 12 performers on Saturday and Sunday.
ASIA O’HARA
Pg. 12 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
CHASERS DRAG REVIEW
Regular old gender-bending drag competitions? That’s so 2010. We’re on to the next thing, which in the case of the Boulet Brothers’ Dragula, means species-bending, fantastical darkness. Season 3 of the OUTtv reality series features more drag competitions that work in the realm of the undead, monsters and being buried alive. This is not like any drag competition you’ve ever seen. This Pride review will feature Abhora, reigning Drag Queen of the Year and drag supermonster. Her winning portrait shows her decked out in a dress that includes body organs, a new take on accessorizing. Abhora will be joined on stage by fellow performers like Vegas Van Dank, Misster, Skylar Michele Monet, Erica Chanel, Angela Lopez, Riley Malicious and Rosè Zaye. When: Saturday, Aug. 17; 4 p.m.
There’s flamboyant and then there’s Asia O’Hara. The drag queen, costume designer and reality television personality attracted the ire of PETA, Ru Paul and the VH1 network during the season 10 finale of RuPaul’s Drag Race when she attempted to release a swarm of live butterflies from her costume. Spoiler alert: it did not end well for the insects. Taking her cue from exotic Egyptian and Aztec goddesses, O’Hara has crafted other outlandish outfits including a yellow feathered costume inspired by the Warner Brothers cartoon character Tweety Bird. Born Antwan Mason Lee, O’Hara grew up in Grand Prairie, Texas, where she helped raise her five sisters. The showbiz bug bit O’Hara hard in high school, where she performed in band, color guard and theater. She’s since gone on to win three national drag pageant titles, and in 2016 she was crowned Miss Gay America. From her humble beginnings, O’Hara has gone on to television fame and entrepreneurial success. An accomplished makeup artist, O’Hara has launched Helen of Seven, a couture company where she creates and designs custom costumes for dance teams, color guards, ice skaters and drag queens. O’Hara’s career is a true rags-to-fabulous outfits story. When: Saturday, Aug. 17; 7 p.m.
BETTY WHO
It turns out that independence is a feature, not a bug, in Betty Who’s career. The bold and brassy R&B singer of Queer Eye’s second-season theme song inked a deal with RCA in 2014 and subsequently scored a string of hits that catapulted her into Billboard’s Hot 100 and Dance Club charts. Then in 2017, at the crest of her commercial impact, she walked away to become an indie artist. The move resulted in Who’s 2019 release Betty, a showcase of her most heartfelt, introspective and eclectic music to date. The gutsy decision is characteristic of Who, born Jessica Anne Newham in Sydney, Australia. Who originally set out on a classical music career, picking up the cello at age four and moving to America in her teens to study the instrument at Berklee College of Music in Boston. But she was also enamored with larger-than-life pop divas like Robyn and Katy Perry. While still at school, Who met producer Peter Thomas and the pair started developing material together. In the end, pop’s siren song won out, and Who devised a sound that entwined carefully crafted songwriting with addictive synth pop hooks. Since then, Who continues to break through stylistic barriers. When: Saturday, August 17; 9 p.m.
AMARA LA NEGRA
A breakout star on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop: Miami; an electrifying entertainer who has shared stages with Latin legends Tito Puente and Oscar de Leon and a fearless advocate who routinely speaks out about race and sexuality, Amara La Negra still pisses off some people simply by existing. The 27-year-old singer ruefully describes the racist pushback she’s encountered: “Too black to be Latina, too Latina to be black.” Born Diana Danelys De los Santos in Miami to parents of Italian and Dominican descent, she deliberately includes “Negra” in her stage name because the term is a pejorative in many Latin American countries, the Dominican Republic included. Claiming the language of oppression and turning it on its head is just one aspect of La Negra’s activism. If La Negra’s appearance and outspokenness push against prejudicial barriers, her soulful and militant Afro-Latin dance pop ups the ante. She challenges assumptions about race and gender, applying powerful feminine energy to traditionally macho genres like reggaeton, Latin hiphop, favela funk and dembow. Her recent singles and videos “What a Bam Bam” and “Insecure” are smart, sexy and danceable, illustrating a contemporary yet timeless confluence of Cardi B and Celia Cruz. When: Sunday, August 18; 4:30 p.m.
Pg. 13 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
COURTNEY LYNN & QUINN GIA WOODS
Courtney Lynn Russell and Jocelyn Quinn Russell have been busy lately. After a packed first half of the year between live performances, adding a new member and stepping into the studio for their first full-length with drummer Steven Cornacchia and bassist Luke Barnette, the Charlotte-based band is taking to Charlotte Pride’s Wells Fargo Stage on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. With Quinn backing up Courtney Lynn on vocals, their voices and lyrics layer and weave in and out with one another easily, as if they’ve been singing together their whole lives. While supported by experts Cornacchia and Barnette, the two have finally rounded out their sound and added an extra dimension of sound with the recent addition of Barnette. The upcoming EP, Remiss, is a turn away from Courtney Lynn’s 2016 solo project, Wander Years. With more soul in their sound and more years of life experience under their belts, Courtney Lynn & Quinn are set to explore the underlying theme of “remiss,” whether it be lacking self-care or lacking care in your relationships. Don’t be remiss in catching their new EP when it drops. When: Saturday, August 17; 3:30 p.m.
Centering on rippling synths, languid beats and Gia Woods’ smoky purr of a voice, “Only a Girl” was the Persian pop goddess’s big breakthrough in 2015. The accompanying video garnered over 10 million views, but Woods was particularly focused on two of those viewers — her mother and father. The video is more than dreamy images of queer eroticism on the tennis court. It was Woods’ official coming out to her parents. Growing up in Los Angeles, Woods channeled her interest in music into playing the violin when she was a kid, and later teaching herself how to play guitar. Woods bypassed college to pour her energy into honing her songwriting and a signature sound that entwines sultry pop with the kind of experimental quirks essayed by Lorde. “Only a Girl” represents just the first step in Woods’ self-discovery. Subsequent singles like “Feel It”and “One Big Party” examine freedom along with the frisson of anxiety that comes from experiencing life without a safety net. Fans are grateful that her music has inspired them to explore and accept their sexuality, yet Woods looks beyond being a member of LGBTQ pop’s holy trinity of Hayley Kiyoko, Zolita and herself. “My sexuality … is a part of me,” she recently told pop culture website i-D. “But I don’t think that is all of me.” When: Sunday, AUgust 18; 4 p.m.
KAMERON MICHAELS
After earning a runner-up title in season 10 of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Michaels went on to release her own music video single, “Freedom.” Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, and identifying as a muscle queen because of her body-building hobby, Michaels is one of only a handful of queens to go on to release their own music. In the music video, over bumping beats and staccato synth, Michaels sends positive messages throughout the drag community and beyond about being comfortable in your own skin and embracing who you truly are. Because what would Pride be without self-love and acceptance? But it wouldn’t be a drag show performance without lip-syncing, an entertainment category in which Michaels excels. During her time on RuPaul’s Drag Race, she set multiple lip-syncing records. This has earned her the name, “Lip Sync Assassin,” after eliminating other contestants through a suddendeath lip syncing challenge. Catch her lip-syncing prowess and the recent single, “Freedom,” on the Wells Fargo Stage. When: Saturday, August 17; 7:30 p.m.
KOTIC COUTURE
Something new and something fresh is probably the best way to describe Baltimore-based rapper Kotic Couture. With lyrics and one-liners as colorful as his makeup, Kotic Couture toes the line between club music and cruising tunes. Starting out DJing eighth grade and high school dances, Kotic Couture had to work harder to overcome the bias of how he presented himself. While it’s not easy to break out in a scene that might balk at a black, gay rapper who wears makeup, Kotic Couture took his hard work and undeniable talent and turned it into success and a prolific backlog of music on Soundcloud. Diary of a Dreamer is the latest EP release, which dropped in May 2019, and takes a more serious turn from his previous releases. While Kotic Couture had previously released music asking for beef and touting his excellence, Diary of a Dreamer delves into more emotional and introspective lyrics, as shown in “Intro,” the first track of the EP. “I promised myself as the librarian of my heart, I would never allow it to be rented,” his voice echoes over silence of the track. When: Sunday, August 18; 3 p.m.
Pg. 14 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
KRISTEN MERLIN
Kristen Merlin has received some odd looks for diving into the country genre despite being from Boston, Massachusetts. But Merlin’s voice more than makes up for her unconventional roots. With a sweet twang and smooth vocals over her acoustic guitar, Merlin finished top five in season six of TV-singing competition The Voice. Merlin’s slow-burning covers of tunes like “Girl Crush” by Little Big Town and “Marry Me” by Train show off her talent and ability to draw in listeners through somber lyrics paired with vocals dripping with emotion. Her December 2018 single, “Don’t Call It a Comeback,” is a classic example of a modern country song. With nods to Johnny Cash and drinking wine at night with a significant other, it slides right into the country genre’s repertoire of bittersweet love songs. While there aren’t many other country singers out there that are openly gay — see Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally — Merlin noted in an interview with AfterEllen.com that she hopes her involvement in country music will break the genre’s mold. When: Sunday, August 18; 3:30 p.m.
MAX
To say it’s been one hell of a year for MAX would be an understatement. Though the musician-artistactor-dancer-model has been enjoying success since releasing his debut album Hell’s Kitchen Angel in 2016 — touring the world multiple times, getting featured alongside Madonna in a Dolce & Gabbana campaign and starring in critically acclaimed films and TV shows — people are really taking notice in 2019. As MAX prepares for his sophomore release, he’s been a 2019 iHeart Music Awards “Best New Pop Artist” nominee and called a top popstar by Billboard, not to be outdone by GQ, which called him a “Young Pop-God.”We may stop short of calling anyone a deity in these pages, but MAX will have the crowd swooning with his smooth voice and relatable storytelling. Though he said it was his honesty that shot him to stardom with the release of his single “Lights Down Low,” MAX said he’s just “scratching the surface” of the emotional well. “The new music continues to dive deeper into spreading a message of being true to who you are, wearing what you want to wear, loving who you want to love, and being accepting,” he said. When: Saturday, August 17; 8 p.m.
TT THE ARTIST
Born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, TT the Artist came into her own as an artist of multiple mediums in Baltimore, where she attended the Maryland Institute College of Art. She tried the NYC life after graduating, but returned to the community she connected with most in B-More, where she then went on to grow her innovative style of both art and live music performances. As a musician, the “Queen of the Baltimore Club Scene” mixes her roots into a blend of Baltimore club and Miami bass, with a good bit of hip-hop, EDM and R&B thrown in for good measure. Her single “Payroll” goes heavy on the hip-hop aspect, as her intense delivery hits harder over a chill, soothing beat. The visuals for the song show why TT the Artist lives up to her name, as she’s recently been expanding her interests into filmmaking and directing. She’ll soon debut her first feature-length film, Dark City Beneath the Beat, about the Baltimore club and dance culture. As for the Pride performance, expect TT to bring that Baltimore essence to Charlotte, as she’ll bring her dance crew and put on a show unlike anything you’ll see over the weekend. When: Saturday, August 17; 7:30 p.m.
UNISEX
Billed as Charlotte’s only LGBTQ+ rock cover band, UNISEX is all about diversity, inclusion and bringing people together through music. The band is made up of (in their own words) hairy beast and proud trans man Mac on vocals; lost hippy child, smooth character and Rainbrow Brite fashionista Froman Howard on bass; proud trans woman and raunchy rocker chick with a wicked sense of humor Andi on lead guitar; and brother pastor church aka Bruce Vayne aka the Batman on drums. When: Saturday, August 17; 3 p.m.
Be sure to visit qcnerve.com for videos and songs from all of the performers.
AUGUST 14
AUGUST 16
What: This craft event focuses on embroidery. More: 6:30-8:30 p.m.; $30-$36; Wooden Robot Brewery, 1440 S. Tryon St., #110; tinyurl.com/ CrownedCraft
What: Be proactive about the things you’ll consume this week with an LGBTQ-inclusive workout. More: 6 p.m.; $25; Silver Wolf Crossfit, 2128 Remount Road; theoutfoundation.org
CROWNED SPARROW CRAFTXCRAFT
WINE DOWN WEDNESDAY
What: Grab a front-row seat to a great cast of drag queens with host Onya Nerves. Oh, and pizza. More: 8 p.m.-Midnight; Free; Mellow Mushroom, 255 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; tinyurl.com/ WineDownMellow WHISKEY SCHTICK PRIDE EDITION
What: Your weekly comedy show featuring upand-coming Charlotte comics, only more gay. More: 8 p.m.; Free; Single Barrel Room, 1221 The Plaza; tinyurl.com/WhiskeyPride
AUGUST 15
FAMILY PRIDE PICNIC
What: A family-friendly Pride event hosted by one of Charlotte’s more inclusive churches. More: 5-8 p.m.; Free; Missiongathering Charlotte, 420 E. 15th St.; tinyurl.com/MissionGathering
Pg. 15 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
QUEEN CITY CONNECTS PRIDE MIXER
What: Charlotte’s premier LGBTQ+ networking org hosts an event with more than 45 organizations. More: 5:30-8 p.m.; Donation suggested; Argon, 4544 South Blvd. #H; tinyurl.com/ArgonMixer RISE TO PRIDE
What: Celebrate a pre-Pride party in the sky with panoramic views from the 33rd floor. More: 6-8 p.m.; Free, registration required; Ascent Uptown, 225 S. Poplar St.; tinyurl.com/RiseToPride POUR PRIDE
What: Pride Music Bingo featuring multiple drag performances by Tricia Lust, Shania Satisfaction and Onya Mann. More: 6-11 p.m.; Free, limited capacity; Pour Taproom, 1212 Central Ave.; tinyurl.com/PourPride
OUTWOD CHARLOTTE
CROWNED SPARROW CRAFTY HOUR
What: If embroidery isn’t your thing, join Crowned Sparrow to make some Pride pennants. More: 6:30-8:30 p.m.; $24; Catalyst, 255 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.; tinyurl.com/PridePennants BAD ROMANCE: A TRIBUTE TO LADY GAGA
What: We’re not usually big on plugging cover acts, but we’ve heard good things about this one. More: 7:30 p.m.; $12; The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com CHARLOTTE PRIDE WOMEN’S TAKEOVER
What: A pre-Pride takeover for women and femmes with drink specials, raffles and gift bags. More: 8 p.m.-Midnight; Free; Taproom Social, 430 W. 4th St.; tinyurl.com/PrideWomen BEAR HAPPY HOUR
What: FURnace hosts this Bear Happy Hour every month, but Pride makes for the best party of the year. More: 8 p.m.-2 a.m.; Free; Crown Station, 3629 N. Davidson St.; tinyurl.com/BearHappyHour QUEEN CITY LEGENDS OF PRIDE
What: Buff Faye hosts this party featuring all your favorite former Miss Charlotte Pride queens. More: 8:30-10:30 p.m.; $10-$75; Rooftop 210, 210 E. Trade St., Suite B320; tinyurl.com/LegendsofPride PRIDE WEEKEND AT SNUG
What: On the night before Pride, check out Boomchld, Celeste Moonchild, Seebirdgo and DJ SPK. More: 9 p.m.; $5; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. PRIDE FEST FRIDAY NIGHT
What: Day one of The Vanity House’s three-day Drag Fest features Nina West of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
More: 9 p.m.-Midnight; $25 and up; Ink N Ivy, 222 S. Church St.; thevanityhouseinc.com NEON ’90S PRIDE KICKOFF
What: Drag queens, specialty cocktails and neon. More: 9:30 p.m.; Free; World of Beer, 210 E. Trade St., Suite E280; tinyurl.com/WorldofNeon STONEWALL BIRTHDAY PRIDE DANCE PARTY
What: DJ Neon the GlowGo Bear leads a party that celebrates the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. More: 10 p.m.-2 a.m.; $15; Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave.; visulite.com SLAY X SHIPROCKED
What: Two generations of award-winning drag and burlesque performers come together. More: 10 p.m.; $10-$15; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; tinyurl.com/SlayShiprocked
AUGUST 17
CHARLOTTE PRIDE FESTIVAL
What: You know what it is. More: Aug. 17, Noon-10 p.m., Aug. 18, Noon-6 p.m.; Free; Uptown Charlotte; charlottepride.org SCORPIO PRIDE FESTIVAL
What: An outdoor festival concert featuring Kash Doll, Bre-Z, Tyra B and The Lion Society. More: 3:30 p.m.; $30; Scorpio Nightclub, 2301 Freedom Drive; tinyurl.com/ScorpioPrideFest NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL DRAG
What: Buff Faye continues her Rooftop Pride residency with queens based on the stars. More: 8:30-10:30 p.m.; $10 and up; Rooftop 210, 210 E. Trade St.; tinyurl.com/WhatICallDrag ZUTOPIA JUST TWIRL PRIDE PARTY
What: DJ/producer Dan Slater of Australia leads a party for folks of all furs. More: 9 p.m.; $25 and up; World Nightclub, 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.; tinyurl.com/ZutopiaTwirl
PRIDE FEST SATURDAY NIGHT
What: Pride Fest continues with Roxxxy Andrews, Cara Cavalli, Axel Andrews and Kennedy Davenport. More: 9 p.m.-Midnight; $25 and up; Ink N Ivy, 22 S. Church St.; tinyurl.com/PrideFestNight2 NO GUIDANCE BUS BAR HOP
What: Why hit one party when you could hit four? More: 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; $75; Pick up: Crystal Reggae Club, 3018 The Plaza; tinyurl.com/NoGuidance CHARLOTTE PRIDE AFTER CREEPSHOW FT. ABHORA
PARTY:
What: Abhora of Dragula season 2 and winner of Alaska Thunderfuck’s Drag Queen of the Year. More: 10 p.m.; $10; Chaser’s, 3217 The Plaza; tinyurl.com/AbhoraCreepshow RAINBOWTOPIA
What: Check out Charlotte’s DOMii, DJ Annalyze and DJ Stampede Beats. More: 10 p.m.; $15-$20; Bassment Charlotte, 911 E. Morehead St.; tinyurl.com/RainbowtopiaDOMii
AUGUST 18
KARAOKE BRUNCH
What: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern hosts a karaoke brunch with $1 off mimosas. More: 10 a.m.-1 p.m.; Free, RSVP required; 7th Street Public Market, 224 E. 7th St.; tinyurl.com/ KaraokeBrunch CHARLOTTE PRIDE PARADE
What: You know what it is. More: 1-3 p.m.; Free; Uptown Charlotte; charlottepride.org NODA PRIDE AFTERPARTY
What: The LGBTQ-owned Company Store will have its own float at Sunday’s parade, then they’re taking the party back to their place after that. More: 1-8 p.m.; Free; NoDa Company Store, 3221 Yadkin Ave.; tinyurl.com/CompanyStoreAfterParty
Pg. 16 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Pg. 17 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
“
shop small shop local for all of your needs
I ALWAYS FELT LIKE I HAD TO WEAR A MASK. I DID NOT LIKE THAT AT ALL. I JUST WANTED TO TRY TO BE MYSELF 100%. Nekeith
“
VINYL LOTS OF CDS, TAPES, & TURNTABLES TOO tons of new & used vinyl needles, sleeves, frames, boxes, cleaners, all of your record needs shop local!
voted creating loafing “best RECORD STORE” 2012-2018
lunchboxrecords.com
KING OF QUEENS
PHOTO BY MARIE MITCHELL
825 CENTRAL AVE. CHARLOTTE, NC 704-331-0788
Nekeith
Pg. 18 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Nekeith takes Pride in his androgyny
S
BY RYAN PITKIN
ITTING ACROSS from Nekeith on a recent afternoon at Coffee Cone Cafe near his home in University City, it was hard for me to believe that I was speaking with the same person I had been watching in videos in the lead-up to the interview. After excitedly shaking my hand and grabbing the strawberry smoothie he had ordered before my arrival, he explained that he had just gotten into town from Atlanta and hadn’t had a chance to shave yet. But it wasn’t
the facial hair or dressed-down appearance that struck me, it was Nekeith’s soft-spoken nature that took me by surprise. Surely, this couldn’t be the same Nekeith that was named one of the top 10 contenders in BET’s Freestyle Friday Los Angeles contest after passionately delivering his minute-long verse, during which he made sure to let everyone know he was there to represent the LGBTQ community. It couldn’t be the Nekeith that rocked the chain-mail crop top and black tape
Xing out his nipples in the video for “Gay” — his remix of Tyga’s “Rack City” — that dropped last November. When not in front of the camera, Nekeith is Christopher Mitchell, a 24-year-old recent college graduate who can be hard to hear, even in the quiet confines of the coffee shop that we basically had to ourselves. However, as we spoke further, it became clear why Mitchell was able to hit that switch when he got on stage: he was a born performer.
Growing up in High Point, Mitchell’s mother placed him in talent shows, and he took naturally to the spotlight. “I always would go out to talent shows,” Mitchell recalled. “My mom used to put me in talent shows in elementary school and middle school. She always used to push me. I remember one time she had put me on the Soul Train auditions when I was a kid, and ever since then, when I blessed that stage, I was ready for it.”
Pg. 19 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
CHARLOTTE PRIDE: NEKEITH PERFORMANCE 2:30 p.m.; Free; Wells Fargo Stage, South Tryon and Stonewall streets; charlottepride.org
Around the age of 15, Mitchell put together his passions for fashion design, theatre and hiphop and became Newprettyboi, releasing his first mixtape, Unbelievable, in 2012. He’s since begun performing under his middle name, Nekeith, and has grown into an inimitable artist who has performed all around the country and racked up more than 100,000 views on his YouTube streams and music videos. In June, Nekeith dropped Androgynous Queen, a seven-track album, and he expects to drop the first two singles with videos in late August and early September. But first, on Aug. 17, Nekeith will hit the Wells Fargo Stage for his third Charlotte Pride performance before going back to Atlanta, his literal second home, for the rest of 2019. Between performing on BET last summer, graduating from UNC Charlotte in December and cross-country concerts all throughout, it’s been a crazy year for Nekeith, who constantly expressed how thankful he is for the recent success and his Royalties, which is what he calls his fans. “I never thought it would really happen, but I’m so thankful and blessed that people are listening to what I have to say in my music,” he said. “I’m rockin’ with them, they rockin’ with me, I’m just so thankful that I’m able to perform and travel.” The experience is all the more humbling for Nekeith considering that all throughout his childhood, he felt he had to hide who he was. Nekeith said he’s known he was gay for as long as he can remember, but High Point wasn’t the type of place where he felt he could open up about it. Nekeith was in the closet, but still faced bullying from classmates over his feminine voice, flamboyant mannerisms and penchant for fashion design. “That was always tough growing up, but you always had to push through it,” he said. “Especially growing up in a small town, I always
felt like I had to wear a mask. I did not like that at all. I just wanted to try to be myself 100%. Even though it was tough — people will make fun of you behind your back — I just always tried to have tough skin, keep my head held up high and just keep on pushing.” Nekeith pushed through until he reached college. While studying theatre and film at UNC Charlotte, Nekeith said he connected with a community of peers who built his confidence and made him comfortable enough to come out of the closet publicly. The way he tells his coming-out story, it’s about as nonchalant as one can imagine. “That’s how it came out: ‘I’m just letting you know, I’mma just do me, if you love it, you love it, if you hate it, I’mma keep it pushing,’” he said. And just like that, his burden was lifted; Nekeith could fully express himself in his music. As one of the city’s first openly gay rappers, Nekeith does not shy away from his sexuality, but rather confronts it head on in songs like “Boyfriend” and “On Your Mind.” He said he’s faced minimal pushback as a gay rapper — mostly online harassment from the comments section — but as a whole the Charlotte community has welcomed him with open arms. “I still have people to this day that don’t like what I do,” Nekeith said, “but I also have people that love what I do and I love that I’ll be able to help another individual come up in the future or uplift people in the community to always be themselves and love themselves for who they are and to live their truth.” He’s not just waiting around for someone to hear his songs and feel inspired, however, he’s already taking real action. While still at UNC Charlotte in 2016, Nekeith founded D.O.P.E. (Dreams of Pursuing Entertainment), an organization that serves as an incubator for upand-coming talent on campus. Nekeith calls D.O.P.E. an artist development organization, in which he helps plan shows on and off campus for members. He sees it as a warm-up for his long-term goal: to own a record label. “I wanted to go ahead and provide a platform for my community and friends on campus, so if they have a passion for music,
VOICE OVER CASTING MIX SOUND DESIGN MUSIC WHISKEY
GROUNDCREWSTUDIOS.COM
art or dancing, they’ll have a platform to do so in the community and on campus,” he said. “So when they graduate they have a clear understanding of what they want to do and what to go for. So they’ll be ready to go.” As for Nekeith, it wasn’t long after he graduated that he got a more clear understanding of what he wanted to do, and not just musically. As he explained it, shortly after graduating, “I felt like it was a switch,” and he began to feel more comfortable expressing his feminine side. He began presenting as femme in public, wearing wigs and high heels. “I started loving myself for who I really am, so I threw on those six-inch heels and I started doing more with my hair, I started doing me.” The experience was like a second coming out for Nekeith, and quickly inspired the theme of his new project, Androgynous Queen. To be androgynous means to present the norms of both genders, as opposed to non-binary people, who do not identify as either gender. Though Nekeith identifies as a gay man, he
enjoys presenting as both genders. “I just wanted to talk about it throughout the album, so I talked about it on ‘ATL to LA’ and ‘Damn Daddy,’” he said, referring to the two singles he plans to drop back-to-back at the end of the month. “I just wanted to base it on my feminine side, just to be yourself, loving yourself for who you are and the aspect of being androgynous and being in the LGBT community.” Following his Pride performance, Nekeith will take the trip down I-85 to finish out the year playing shows in Atlanta and elsewhere around the country. However, with his family here in town, he promised not to leave behind the city that allowed him to blossom as a rapper. He’s in talks with Big Freedia’s management about possibly joining the bounce-music icon’s fall tour, and regardless of whether that comes to fruition, things are looking up. The only thing up for debate now is just how big a star he will be when he returns. RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM
SOUNDWAVE
AUGUST 14
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Willie Douglas Band (Smokey Joe’s) Charles Walker, Pullover, No Rope (The Milestone)
August Residency-A Family Affair: The Business People, North By North (Snug Harbor)
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Bad Luck, Paperback, Izar Estelle, No Rope (Skylark Social Club) Heart, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, Elle King (PNC Music Pavilion) Connor Kelly, Carson Hill (Evening Muse) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Josh Daniels, Jeremy Shaw (Smokey Joe’s)
AUGUST 15
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Humungus, Occultist, Axattack, Nemesis (The Milestone) America (Ovens Auditorium) Shana Blake (Smokey Joe’s) Wild Adriatic (USNWC) Mighty Mango (Comet Grill) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Georgia English, Courtney Lynn & Quinn (Petra’s) Laura Nicholson with Ryan Brooks (Evening Muse) Shawn James (Free Range Brewing) DJ/ELECTRONIC
Pg. 20 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Le Bang (Snug Harbor) Techno Syndicate 003: Julian Newman, Scanner Darkly, DjCkole (Skylark Social Club) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
21 Savage, Calboy, Young Nudy (CMCU Amphitheatre)
AUGUST 16
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Kevin Goodwin, The Rinaldis, Samuel Cohen (Petra’s) Vess, Solis, Thousand Dollar Movie (Evening Muse) The Brummies, Thirsty Curses (Evening Muse) Deep Shallow, Matone, Satchel Foot (Amos’ Southend)
Chely Wright (Neighborhood Theatre) Guthrie Brown (USNWC) Cody Webb (Coyote Joe’s) Courtney Lynn & Quinn (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
12th Planet (Underground)
AUGUST 17
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Death of August, Den of Wolves, Broken Testimony, Stellar Circuits (The Milestone) Bakalao Stars, Dorian Gris, Mofungo, Profugos (Neighborhood Theatre) Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Toad the Wet Sprocket (CMCU Amphitheatre) Breaking Benjamin, Chevelle, Three Days Grace, Diamante, Dorothy (PNC Music Pavilion) Sunset Grove Live (Repo Record) ISH (Smokey Joe’s) MadPark (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Into The Fog (Legion Brewing)
Follow our Spotify Playlist PREVIEW YOUR LOCAL CHARLOTTE SOUNDWAVE ARTISTS HERE
1. OPEN SPOTIFY ON YOUR SMARTPHONE 2. TAP THE SEARCH BAR 3. CLICK THE CAMERA ICON IN THE TOP RIGHT CORNER 4. POINT CAMERA AT THE CODE BELOW
RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B The Raconteurs (Fillmore) STR.DZE - Vibe City: Its Punkin, Dav Baynga, Gia Woods (Charlotte Pride Wells Fargo Stage) Royalcity LiF (Petra’s) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Colby Dobbs Band (Evening Muse) Kevin Daniel Band, Brit Drozda (Evening Muse) Maradeen (USNWC) Ashland Craft, Out of the Blue (Coyote Joe’s) Cosmic Reaper (Hattie’s Tap & Tavern) Mike Strauss Band (Comet Grill)
AUGUST 18
DJ/ELECTRONIC
Hazy Sunday (Petra’s) DJ SPK (Charlotte Pride Wells Fargo Stage) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Julie Dean, Kelly Hoppenjans (Evening Muse)
AUGUST 19
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Find Your Muse Open Mic: TGTG (Evening Muse) ROCK/PUNK/METAL Jamorah (Smokey Joe’s) Tucker Riggleman & The Cheap Dates, Self Made Open Mic Night: Keith Serpa (Legion Brewing) Monsters, The Fill Ins, Izar Estelle (The Milestone) ROOTS/BLUES/INTERNATIONAL Metal Church Sunday Service (The Milestone) The Iguanas (Neighborhood Theatre)
ONDAS do Brasil - August Edition: Jah Freedom (Petra’s)
AUGUST 20
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
God Module, Finite Automata, Absynthe of Faith, 30 Year Sick (The Milestone) Ramonda Hammer, Big Wave Small Wave, Surrounder (Snug Harbor) Portrayal of Guilt, Raw Hex (Skylark Social Club) The Smashing Pumpkins, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, AFI (PNC Music Pavilion) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Gary Clark Jr (CMCU Amphitheatre)
Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) DJ/ELECTRONIC
RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
Frothy #3: Seve Howerton, Charles Gatling, Melodious Funk, and Mikael Fritts (Crown Station)
Blacc Zacc, Stunna 4 Vegas (Fillmore) Hella Collab: Lyric, Indigo Jo, Rezzie Rock, The Mighty DJ DR, Master Kie, GU$ (Crown Station)
AUGUST 21
AUGUST 24
August Residency-A Family Affair: Poontanglers, Brut Beat, King Cackle (Snug Harbor)
Young Mister, Downhaul, Catholics (Snug Harbor) The Commonwealth, Over the Wire, The Flight Risks (Skylark Social Club) Red Dress Amy, Kaska Sun, Pelican Johnny (Evening Muse) Voodoo Visionary (USNWC) Smilin’ Dogs, Super Overdrive (Amos’ Southend) Cooper Alan (Tin Roof) Maddie Shuler, Slow Packer (Evening Muse) Living Temptation (Smokey Joe’s) Hustle Souls (Thomas Street Tavern) Striking Matches (Free Range Brewing)
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Josh Daniels, Jeremy Shaw (Smokey Joe’s) Steve Forbert (Stage Door Theater)
AUGUST 22
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Princess Possum, Erik Button (of Dollar Signs), Jordyn Zaino (of No Rope), Halloween Costume Contest (The Milestone) SWYW, Dorm Rooms, LunchBox Hero, Condado, The Word Around Town (Skylark Social Club) Open Mic Night (Tommy’s Pub) Brooks Hubbard Band, Grey Revell (Petra’s) Shana Blake (Smokey Joe’s Café) Trae Pierce & the T-Stones (USNWC) DJ/ELECTRONIC
Le Bang (Snug Harbor) Jump Off (Crown Station) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Junior Brown, Blue Cactus (Neighborhood Theatre) Over the Rhine, Leigh Nash (Visulite) Ross Newell, Oh Jeremiah (Evening Muse) Riley Byrnes (Comet Grill)
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Southside Watt, Sparekings (Visulite Theatre) Brad Paisley, Chris Lane, Riley Green (PNC Music Pavilion) Alan Jackson (Spectrum Center) Randy Franklin (Comet Grill) RAP/HIP-HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B
&More (Chill Moody & Donn T) (Neighborhood Theatre)
AUGUST 25
ROCK/PUNK/METAL
Pg. 21 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Beck, Cage the Elephant, Spoon, Sunflower Bean (PNC Music Pavilion) Back to School JAM 2019: Farewell Albatross, AUGUST 23 Trash Room, BitterHearts, Labia Minor (Petra’s) ROCK/PUNK/METAL Reflect//Refine, I,The Supplier, Winter’s Gate, Heft Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill) Metal Church Sunday Service (The Milestone) (The Milestone) Doctor Ocular, Box Era (Evening Muse) Refresh Records 4th Birthday: Junior Astronomers, Cuzco, Just Neighbors (Snug Harbor) Listen Local Series: Faithful Annie (Underground) Queen and Adam Lambert (Spectrum Center) Coughing Dove, Indigo Jo, Sportsmanship, Pretty Baby, The Wedding Cult (Petra’s) Joe Benjamin, Leffty (Evening Muse) Steady Flow (Heist Brewery) Bloodworth Project (Smokey Joe’s) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
Marcia Ball (Neighborhood Theatre) The Floorboard (USNWC)
ROOTS/BLUES/INTERNATIONAL
Open Bluegrass w/ Greg M. Clarke & Friends (Tommy’s Pub) JAZZ/CLASSICAL/ INSTRUMENTAL
Bill Hannah’s Jazz Session (Petra’s) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA
David Childers, Abe Partridge (Tommy’s Pub) Henry J. Murphy (Tin Roof)
For the full Soundwave, visit qcnerve.com.
DAYTIME DRAG
Drag culture moves from nightclubs to the brunch table BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK
Pg. 22 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
U
Buff Faye
PHOTO BY SCOTT CLINTON PHOTOGRAPHY
P UNTIL about a decade ago, you might have only seen drag queens performing around midnight at a few clubs here and there in Charlotte. Since that time, thanks in large part to the evergrowing LGBTQ+ rights movement, plus the launch and instant popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race and the spin-off shows that it’s birthed, society as a whole has become more accepting of drag culture, inviting it from the late-night stages of bars and clubs to that Sunday morning stage that has also rocketed in popularity in recent years: the brunch table. Ten years ago, Shane Windmeyer became a drag-brunch pioneer when he started performing as Buff Faye at the now-shuttered Hartigan’s Irish Pub on Sunday mornings. When the pub’s doors closed in 2014, Buff Faye bopped around Charlotte looking for a new home. Eventually, Windmeyer helped open Boulevard 1820, a small blip on Charlotte’s drag-dining historical map, nestled in the basement under Tupelo Honey. After just a year of operation, the restaurant closed in 2018, which led Windmeyer to finally find a permanent home at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. Now performing two shows a month, with each two seatings at each for early risers and late starters, Windmeyer has propped open a door for daytime drag shows in Charlotte. “All in all, the brunch has been an amazing opportunity that has really, I think, found its home in Charlotte,” Windmeyer said. While his high-camp drag shows are sure to make the audience split their sides howling, Windmeyer’s experience in drag is no laughing matter. As the most recent winner of Entertainer of the Year, his high-production value translates into themed shows with a meticulous eye for detail. Themes including Under the Sea, ’80s and Golden Girls encapsulate and highlight his talent for pageantry, showmanship and entertaining. When you go to a Buff Faye show, expect the best comedy and be prepared to eat, as the food is not to be overlooked, however hard it was to nail down a good menu. “[Drag] brunch is always something. You either have a great show or you have great food,”
Windmeyer explained, referencing past drag brunches he’s hosted or attended. “You can have both [but] it’s been hard to get there.” Being limited by the capabilities of the kitchen is a thing of the past since Buff Faye planted roots at Dilworth Neighborhood Grille. And the best part is there’s no need to worry about quantity; the restaurant serves up a brunch buffet, making this the perfect partnership. “The good news is that at Dilworth Grille, that’s what they do, they have a fabulous brunch and great menu items for brunches,” he said. “And it’s a buffet, all-you-can-eat, so it fits in well. Who couldn’t want that?” Items like eggs Benedict, hash browns, chocolate-covered strawberries and salmon have all graced the buffet table at a Buff Faye show. In the past, production has struggled with menu offerings that were delectable but left some showgoers hungry by the end of the performance. “Some people like to eat a nice-sized brunch, you know?” Windmeyer said. “So I like the fact that you can go back for seconds, and there’s always enough buffet to feed everyone.” The Vanity House Productions, founded by Nic Nichols and Chris Booher, launched their dragevent production company — which include brunches — almost two years ago. Armed with blow dryers and cosmetology licenses, the two have carved out their own space among the drag shows of the city, offering brunch and live shows. Now it’s a family operation, which means that Booher’s parents help out with setting up, ticketing and helping the performers with their costumes, makeup and last-minute touches. While The Vanity House doesn’t have a permanent home, per se, the production company rotates from a handful of restaurants, thus switching up the food menu. Recently, The Vanity House held a Sunday drag brunch at The Rosemont on South Boulevard in the heart of South End. The food ran the gamut of our region’s favorite brunch dishes. “We just try Southern favorites cooked by Rosemont: shrimp and grits, sausage, hashbrown, all your favorite brunch foods,” Nichols said. Along with a spread of fresh fruit, hashedbrown potatoes, eggs and pancakes, performers
“WE TRY TO KEEP OUR SHOW UNDER TWO HOURS BECAUSE THIS MUCH ALCOHOL IN THE MORNING, YOU REALLY START TO LOSE PEOPLE AROUND 2 P.M.”
Pg. 23 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Chris Booher, The Vanity House
Erica Chanel, Lily Frost, Tia Douglas, Valerie Rockwell and more were on the lineup for musical numbers. As I got my plate of arguably the best shrimp and grits that could come from a buffet or otherwise — I mean, they got the consistency of the grits and the sauce for the shrimp just right — I could already see some of the queens coming in with full faces of makeup and in “plain” clothes. It was a pleasant surprise that most of the performers had more intricate and exciting outfits planned for the audience, including a Julie Andrews tribute complete with a show of “My Favorite Things,” that rolled into “7 rings” by Ariana Grande. When everything was said and done — after the death drops, cartwheels, splits and beautiful wigs and outfits — the show clocked in at about two hours — a sweet spot that Nichols and Booher have landed on. “We try to keep our show under two hours because this much alcohol in the morning, you really start to lose people around 2 p.m.,” Booher explained. “So we try not to keep it going past two hours because we’ve noticed the longer you draw that out, [audience members] have a little too much fun. But that’s what they’re all here for.” In order to keep the energy high and the fun going, Windmeyer has enacted three rules for the drag brunch he puts on. “The first rule is that you drink some of the magic water, the mimosas, the bloody marys; the second rule is that you scream and holler, because the drag queens need to hear you yell,” Windmeyer said. “And the third rule is that we’re one step above the girls who work the streets out there and we’re drag queens and we need tips and appreciation. Please give your dollar bills and whatever.” When you do decide to finally head out to a drag brunch, make sure you follow those rules, especially when a portion of the ticket sales and some of the tips collected during Buff Faye’s shows go to charity. It’s all part of her personality as a drag queen.
QUEENS WHO BRUNCH Aug. 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; $35 and up; Ink n Ivy, 222 S. Church St.; thevanityhouseinc.com
“Buff Faye is a charity queen; she’s Southern, she’s kind of sassy, she likes to have fun. She likes to be over the top, some people call it extra. That’s fine,” Windmeyer said. “And she came from a very simple place of just wanting to have fun and dress up and raise money for a charity.” It’s not just Buff Faye’s public persona; Windmeyer is also the founder of a national nonprofit organization called Campus Pride, with which he travels around the country speaking to college-aged students about self-acceptance and creating safer, more inclusive communities. Windmeyer noted that he’s fortunate to have two avenues through which to spread positive messages, one as himself and the other as Buff Faye. “Shane is the professional educator, involved in the community. Buff Faye is involved in the community, but is able to educate in a different way,” he said. As Buff Faye, Windmeyer is able to use the drag brunch performances to help other people understand that self expression shouldn’t be shamed. “The whole goal for me with the drag brunch is to reach people who may not come to a club at 10 p.m., midnight on a Friday or Saturday, but who want to learn and be supportive of the LGBTQ community,” he added. “I think that’s the power of drag.” So while supporting the LGTBQ+ community during Charlotte’s Pride Month and beyond, swim responsibly in the flow of mimosas, eat some of the best food you’ll find in any buffet line and enjoy a performance with your meal. There’s no better reason to drag your ass out to brunch on a weekend morning. CMIHOCIK@QCNERVE.COM
PETRA’S PROUDLY SUPPORTS CHARLOTTE’S LGBTQ COMMUNITY petrasbar.com 1919 Commonwealth Ave
WE INVEST IN
CHARLOTTE • $544 million in loans to homeowners, small businesses and nonprofits • $15.5 million in revitalizing Charlotte neighborhoods • Fair and affordable financial services with competitive rates Deposits federally insured up to $250,000 Equal Opportunity Lender Ownership & Economic Opportunity for All
1065 Providence Road, Charlotte (704) 554-7201 • www.self-help.org
DILWORTH BAKERSFIELD
Monday: $3 Jack Daniels Tuesday: $3 Tres Generaciones, $10 Don Julio 1942 Wednesday: $3 Bulleit Bourbon Thursday: $3 Espolon Friday: $3 George Dickel No. 8 Saturday: $3 Lunazul Sunday: $3 Larceny Bourbon 300EAST
Monday: 1/2 off wines by the glass Tuesday: 1/2 off beer cans and glasses of Italian reds Thursday: $3.50 local drafts, $8.50 Matilda Wong cocktails Sunday: 1/2 off wine bottles, $5 mimosas & bloody marys, $6 Bellinis BAD DADDY’S BURGER BAR
Pg. 24 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Monday: 20-oz. draft for 16-oz. price Tuesday: $5 specialty cocktails Wednesday: $3.50 local drafts Saturday-Sunday: $5 mimosas & bloody marys
DILWORTH NEIGHBORHOOD GRILLE
Monday: $4 Crown & Down Tuesday: $4 drafts, $12 pitchers, $5 flights of North Carolina drafts Wednesday: 1/2 off wine bottles and martinis Thursday: $12 domestic buckets, $18 import buckets Friday: $3 craft drafts, $5 flavored vodka Saturday: $5 mason jar cocktails Sunday: $4 bloody marys SUMMIT ROOM
Tuesday: $4 drafts Wednesday: 1/2 off glasses of wine Thursday: $7 Summit cocktails
SOUTH END COMMON MARKET SOUTH END
Monday: 1/2 off select pints Tuesday: Free beer tasting 5-7 p.m. Wednesday: $2 off select pints, wine tasting 5-7 p.m.
UPTOWN
BIG BEN PUB
Monday: $6 beer cocktails, $2 off vodka Tuesday: $8 mules, 1/2 off gin Wednesday: $6 you-call-it, 1/2 off wine bottles Thursday: $4 wells, 1/2 off specialty cocktails Friday: $5.50 Guinness and Crispin, $6 vodka Red Bull Saturday-Sunday: $4 bloody marys and mimosas, $15 mimosa carafes
THE LOCAL
MAC’S SPEED SHOP
Monday: $3 pints, $5 Tito’s Tuesday: 1/2 price wine, $3 mystery draft Wednesday: $4 tall boys, $5 Lunazul Blanco Thursday: $3 mystery cans and bottles, $4 Jim Beam Friday: $1 off Lagunitas beers Saturday: $1 off North Carolina pints Sunday: $4 mimosas & bloody marys GIN MILL
Monday: $5 Tito’s and New Amsterdam Tuesday: 1/2 price wine Wednesday: $4 draft beer Thursday: $2.50 PBR, $5 Jack Daniels and Tito’s
Monday: $7 Casamigos, $2 Natty Boh and Miller High Life, $5 Jager Tuesday: $3 Modelo, $5 house margaritas, $5 Don Julio Wednesday: $5 Crown & Down, $3 Southern Tier Thursday: $5 Captain Morgan, $7 craft mules, $16 Bud Light buckets Friday: $3 Jell-O shots, $4 drafts, $5 wells Saturday: $3 PBR, $5 Jager Sunday: $7 loaded mimosa, $7 Grey Goose bloody mary, $16 Bud Light buckets THE DAILY TAVERN
Wednesday: $5 whiskey Thursday: $4 pint night Sunday: $4 Miller Lite, $6 bloody marys DANDELION MARKET
Monday: $3 select drafts Tuesday: $15 select bottles of wines Saturday-Sunday: Bloody mary bar
I REMEMBER MY FIRST TIME, DO YOU?
ROXBURY
Friday: $5 flavored vodka drinks, $5 fire shots, $3 bottles Saturday: $5 fire shots, $4 ZIMA, $3 bottles WORLD OF BEER
Monday: $2 off North Carolina drafts and spirits Tuesday: 25 percent off bottles and cans, $5 mules Wednesday: 1/2-priced wine, wheats and sangrias Thursday: $4 old school, $4 well, $4 signature shots Friday-Saturday: $3 shot of the week Sunday: $2 mimosas, $3 bloody marys & beermosas PROHIBITION
Tuesday: 1/2 off everything Wednesday: $3 drafts Thursday: $2 PBR, $4.50 wells, $6 vodka Red Bull Friday-Saturday: $4 call-its
NODA CABO FISH TACO
Monday: $5 El Cheapo margarita Tuesday: $3.50 Tecate and Tecate Light, $5 Altos silver tequila Wednesday: $7 Absolut Lime Moscow mule Thursday: $1 off neighborhood beers on draft Friday-Saturday: $8 margarita special Sunday: $5 mimosas, $6 Absolut Peppar bloody mary, $7 Absolut Lime Moscow mule JACKBEAGLE’S
Monday: $5 Cuervo margaritas Tuesday: $3 drafts, $5 vodka Red Bull Wednesday: $1 off whiskey Thursday: $6 Deep Eddy’s vodka Red Bull Friday: $5 Fun-Dip shots, $5 Crown Black Saturday: $5 Gummy Bear shots, $5 big mimosa, $6.50 double bloody mary Sunday: $5 big mimosa, $6.50 double bloody mary SANCTUARY PUB
Pg. 25 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Monday: $7 Bulleit and Bulleit Rye, $3 Yuengling and PBR APA
Tuesday: $6 Tuaca, $6 Tullamore Dew Wednesday: $3 Birdsong beers, $5 Sauza, Thursday: $2 Bartender Bottles, $6 Crown Royal Sunday: $3 Birdsong, $3 Tall or Call
Saturday: $4 mimosas $5 Brunch Punch, Sunday: $4 mimosas, $5 Brunch Punch, $5 Fireball, $10 champagne bottles
NODA 101
HATTIE’S TAP & TAVERN
Monday: $4 Ketel One Lemon Drop, $4 well liquor, $5 Camerena Tuesday: $6 seasonal cocktails, $6 Jameson, $4 Grape Gatorade Wednesday: $5 Green Tea Shot, $6 Blue Balls Thursday: $5 Jagermeister, $6 vodka Redbull, $6 Oxley Gin Cocktail Friday: $5 Fireball, $6 vodka Red Bull, $6 Jameson Saturday: $5 Fireball, $6 vodka Red Bull Sunday: $5 Deep Eddy Flavors, $1 off tequila, $5 White Gummy Bear shots BILLY JACK’S SHACK
Monday: $1 off moonshine, $3 domestics Tuesday: $1 off all drafts, $7 Jameson Wednesday: $1 off bottles and cans Thursday: $4.50 wells Friday: $5 Fireball, $1 off local bottles and cans
PLAZA MIDWOOD Monday: $6 Pabst & Paddy’s Tuesday: $5 Fireball Wednesday: $3 mystery craft beers Thursday: $6 margaritas Friday-Saturday: $5 well drinks Sunday: $10 domestic buckets INTERMEZZO
Monday: $4 Makers Mark, $2 domestic bottles Tuesday: $4 margaritas, $7 Tito’s mules, $3 Blanche de Bruxelles, $3 OMB Copper Wednesday: 1/2 price wine bottles, $2 off bourbon of the week Thursday: $6.50 Ketel One Botanical Series, $4 Stoli Friday: $4 20-oz. Birdsong LazyBird Brown Ale and Birdsong Jalapeño Ale Saturday: 1/2 price martinis Sunday: $3 drafts
Do you want your bar or restaurant featured in The Buzz? Contact Ryan Pitkin rpitkin@qcnerve.com
CAN’T KNOC IT
Going up on a Monday for a CLT classic
Pg. 26 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
BY AERIN SPRUILL
When I first started writing about nightlife in the Queen City, I had no idea how many colorful spaces, concepts, people and experiences I’d be introduced to. I’ll never forget one of the first being Knocturnal because my coworker at the time was Justin Aswell’s sister. If you’ve managed to go the last six years without hearing about Knocturnal, here’s the skinny. “Knocturnal is a weekly hip-hop-oriented event thrown every Monday night in the Queen City.” I know, I know, as if, “Going up on a Tuesday,” wasn’t a bad enough idea, all you need is a reason to go out Monday, too! Go ahead and sign up for a hangover because once you’ve paid your $5, FOMO will keep you from leaving before last call. Why? Not only will you miss out on the best people-watching of your life but you’ll miss the epic DJs and b-boys and -girls spinning inside and out. For years, Knocturnal’s home was Snug Harbor. The perfect venue, if you ask me, for the eclectic experience that is Knocturnal, Snug Harbor is a meeting place that has a way of putting those who seemingly exist in the margins on the center stage. That’s why I was disappointed to hear the news that Snug Harbor would no longer be the home of the popular Monday turn up. “We have some shocking and tough news to share. Without mincing words, Snug can no longer host Knocturnal Mondays, effective immediately. The party has grown increasingly popular over the years, which is a great problem to have, but unfortunately, it is a problem. We can’t increase the size of the building and so we can’t, with good conscience, keep hosting the party every week at Snug…” That was part of the Facebook announcement
posted by Snug Harbor on June 30. I sighed, regretting the fact that I hadn’t been as often as I should have and stood idly by without savoring as much of the Knocturnal flavor as possible. But before true disappointment could settle in, a friend of mine put my mind at ease: the Knocturnal show would go on at SERJ! Located a hop, skip and a quick Uber ride away from Snug on Central Avenue, I didn’t know until I pulled up at SERJ that I’d been thrust back into my swell stages of nightlife writing yet again. L4Lounge, now SERJ, used to be my jam! In fact, the first article I wrote about them used to hang on the wall right when you walked in the door. I lived for the Fuck It buckets, accordion door bathrooms and the patio parties. When they closed, I vowed to never give the venue a chance because I was terrified anything new wouldn’t do it justice. I was wrong. Granted, I haven’t been to SERJ — yet — outside of Knocturnal, but I fell in love with the venue all over again. The nostalgia of being in a familiar place to support an event that I thought was going away sold me on the idea of shedding my stubborn Taurus mindset and giving it the legit respect it deserves as a nightlife venue. I walked in, showed my ID and realized that for two reasons, SERJ felt like home. I soberly walked up to the bar I once stood at to order a mystery bucket and asked for an Angry Orchard, then walked outside to witness the b-boys and b-girls battle out on a wooden patio. Despite my trepidation (mainly because Snug’s accurate when they say Knocturnal can pack it out), I found comfort being able to watch the “show” from a patio chair on the edge underneath a cloud of cigarette smoke. Perplexed as to how any breakdancer could possibly perform on this stage without gathering a hundred splinters, I smiled at the fact that even though Knocturnal was happening in a foreign territory, nothing had changed. The same familiar faces passed by, the same strange meeting table was set and the same vibe was permeating throughout the space. The point is, if you’re trying to “go up” on a Monday, Knocturnal is where you need to be. What was just an event a few years ago has become a Charlotte experience that must live on. SERJ may not be the final resting place, so be on the lookout for the new place Knocturnal will be calling home in the near future. Have you been? Tell me your thoughts cause we need to keep the ball rolling! INFO@QCNERVE.COM
Pg. 27 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
74 Pindar verse 76 FBI action 77 Koko, e.g. 79 Vigoda and Fortas 81 Having a bill 83 Novelist Packer 84 Soccer star 86 Caution given by the poet who wrote “The Road Not Taken”? 88 Amount of groceries, say POETIC LICENSE 90 Busy as -92 Adriatic, e.g. ACROSS 93 Henri’s head 1 3.26 light-years 94 Off the mark 7 Smithies’ blocks 96 Compound with two or more amino acids 13 Mark with surface ridges 99 Food energy used by the poet who wrote 20 Wise goddess “To a Mouse”? 21 Baby sock 103 Toronto-to-D.C. dir. 22 Garden State capital 23 Money made by the poet who wrote “In a 104 -- Cruces 107 Irish Rose’s lover Station of the Metro”? 108 Pats’ goals 25 Lessees 109 Drink suffix 26 Port on the Danube 110 Enter 27 “Just playin’ with ya” 111 Noah’s boat 28 Singer DiFranco 112 Tennis hitting technique 29 Bad-mouth 114 Marinara cooked by the poet who wrote 30 Fuel brand in Canada “Aurora Leigh”? 31 Tirana is its cap. 117 Shifty 32 Hound doc 118 Fisher of fashion 33 Switchboard worker reached by the poet 119 Israel’s language who wrote “The Bridge”? 36 Grid of fine lines in an optical instrument’s 120 One of the 12 apostles 121 See 115-Down focus 122 Tromps (on) 38 Boxer Johansson 39 Aged, once DOWN 1 -- New Guinea 42 According to 2 Reef ring 43 Concerning 3 Any point of the compass 44 High-priority task 48 Holiday tree decoration hung by the poet 4 D.C. figure 5 Curly-leaved salad green who wrote “The Song of the Shirt”? 6 Funeral box 52 German car make 7 Sacked out 54 Cool, 1940s-style 8 Hide-hair link 55 Mix up 9 Old Plymouth 56 “No it --!” 10 1986 memoir by singer Turner 57 450, in old Rome 11 Bolshevik, e.g. 12 Line div. 58 Co. division 13 Skunk mark 59 Caesar of old TV 14 Hair-care brand 60 Horror film lab helper 15 Kylo -- (“Star Wars” villain) 62 Puente of mambo 16 Weeping 64 Promises 17 Trial blast 67 Business run by the poet who wrote “The 18 Bodily trunk Shooting of Dan McGrew”? 19 Painter James 71 Most ventilated 24 Venetian painter 72 Lovett of country rock 29 Carry out kind acts 73 Give a title to 33 Simoleons
34 M.D. type 35 Cuba’s Castro 36 Actor Foxx 37 Eau -39 Resistance units 40 Mardi Gras locale 41 Moving shakily 43 Like sun visors 45 2002 baseball-themed film 46 Reliant (on) 47 Decides 49 Drab shade 50 Denver university 51 Contest form 53 Town square 57 Bamboozle 58 Hwy. felony 61 In base eight 63 1990s cardio fad 65 Conga’s kin 66 Guide 68 Purge 69 Jai-alai cry 70 Shoe part 71 UAR part 75 Threshold
SOLUTION ON PAGE 30
78 June gems 80 Twisty paths 82 Cards’ cost 84 Witty bits 85 Optional course 86 Alternatives to Maseratis 87 Sherlock Holmes’ pal 89 Tactfulness 91 Scarer’s cry 95 Comedian Gilda 96 Runt 97 Apple computer webcam 98 More obtuse 99 Norman in “Psycho” 100 Curved fastening bar 101 Rend 102 Pop heroes 104 Singer Branigan 105 Curved 106 Distorts 110 Cotton seed removers 113 Fruit seed 114 TV’s Arthur 115 With 121-Across, company’s worth after liabilities 116 Japanese prime minister Shinzo
AUGUST 14 - AUGUST 20 ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Dealing with a difficult person can be the kind of challenge you Aries Lambs love. Or it could be an energy-draining exercise in futility. Be certain your goals are worth your efforts.
Pg. 28 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) The Divine Bovine might be seeing red at having your crisis-resolution efforts overlooked. But others know the truth, and they can be expected to step forward when the time comes.
AUGUST 21 - AUGUST 27
Is it what you really want, or one you feel pressured ARIES (March 21 to April 19) A chaotic atmosphere into making? Your answer should determine your taxes the patience of the Aries Lamb, who prefers to next move. deal with a more orderly environment. Best advice: Stay out of the situation until things settle. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Change is dominant, but so is caution: Proceed carefully, TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Tension runs high in checking each step along the way to avoid both personal and workplace relationships. This can encountering any unwelcome surprises that might make it difficult to get your message across. Best to be lurking along your path. wait until you have a more receptive audience.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) You should be well on your way to finally making that important decision. Having the support of loved ones will help when crunch time comes. Keep a positive attitude.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) It could be a mistake to rely on someone to keep his or her promise without checking out previous performances. What you learn now could save you from a painful lesson later.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) This is a good time to take a break from your busy schedule to plan for some well-deserved socializing. You could get news about an important personal matter by the week’s end.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Feeling uneasy about a move might not mean you’re having a case of Cancerian wavering. It could be your inner sense is warning you to reassess your situation before taking action.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) Taking a strong stand on an issue you feel is too important to ignore could inspire others to follow suit. The weekend is a good time to socialize with old friends and make new ones.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) An offer of help could come just when you seem to need it. But be careful about saying yes to anything that might have conditions attached that could cause problems down the line.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Your pride could get in the way of admitting you might have erred. Best to ‘fess up now before a small mistake turns into a big misunderstanding. Make the weekend a special family time.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Your sensitive nature gives you an insight into the problems of someone close to you. Your offer of support could be just what this person needs to start turning his or her life around.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) Sometimes a workplace colleague can’t be charmed into supporting the Lion’s position. That’s when it’s time to shift tactics and overwhelm the doubter with the facts.
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) Trying to please someone with a less-than-glowing opinion of something you value could be a waste of time. If you like it, stay with it. The week’s end brings an answer to an old mystery.
PISCES (February 19 to March 20) Financial matters continue to need even more careful analysis than usual. Use caution with investment possibilities. A personal relationship might take an unexpected turn by the week’s end.
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) There might be time to make a change. But be honest with yourself:
LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Don’t ask BORN THIS WEEK: You appreciate the wonders of the others if they think you’re up to a new responsibility. world and enjoy sharing your delight with others. Having faith in your own abilities is the key to
VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) You continue to earn respect for your efforts to help someone close to you stand up to a bully. But be careful that in pushing this matter you don’t start to do some bullying yourself.
dealing with a challenge. P.S.: That “private” matter needs your attention. SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) This is a good time to use that Scorpian creativity to come up with something special that will help get your derailed career plans back on track and headed in the right direction. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) While change is favored, it could be a good idea to carefully weigh the possible fallout as well as the benefits of any moves before you make them. CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) The Goat continues to create a stir by following his or her own path. Just be sure you keep your focus straight and avoid any distractions that could cause you to make a misstep. AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) A colleague’s demands seem out of line. But before reacting one way or another, talk things out and see how you might resolve the problem and avoid future misunderstandings. PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A personal matter appears to be making more demands on your time than you feel you’re ready to give. See if some compromise can be reached before things get too dicey. BORN THIS WEEK: You’re able to communicate feelings better than most people. Have you considered a career in the pulpit or in politics? 2018 KING FEATURES SYND., INC.
Pg. 29 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
SHRINKAGE
Is this normal? BY DAN SAVAGE
I’m an otherwise healthy male of 54. When I was a teen, my cock measured about six-anda-half inches. Not small, not huge, pretty average. I never kept track of the situation down south, but suddenly I find my junk reports in just over four inches. WTF? Is this normal? Do men lose size/girth as they age? I’m only 54! How much more do I have to lose before 60? And beyond? I’m single now and suddenly I’m afraid to be intimate with women I formerly would have embraced without a second thought out of embarrassment. My confidence is at an all-time low. I’m actually afraid to ask anyone out for fear of “exposing” the evidence. I assume there are no pills for this, but please tell me there are options.
Pg. 30 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
SHRINKING IN SEATTLE
“We have to make a distinction between observed penile length and actual penile length,” said Dr. Ashley Winter, a board-certified urologist in Portland, Oregon. “Penis length changes in real time based on a number of factors, factors that include level of arousal, stress and ambient temperature. For this reason, researchers like to limit variability by measuring the ‘stretched flaccid length’ in a warm room.” Needless to say, most men aren’t observing — much less measuring — their dicks when they’re soft. “We know that almost zero home dick measurements are done in the flaccid state,” said Dr. Winter. “But unless SIS jotted down the room temp or precise level of arousal when he measured his teenage penis, it’s unlikely he’s comparing apples to apples. Another issue — and a far less appreciated one — is that the penis is anchored to the undersurface of your pelvic bones, so nearly one-half of the average penis length is ‘hidden’ along the undersurface of the pelvis.”
There’s a very special tendon — the suspensory ligament — that runs from the base of your penis to your pelvis. In addition to providing you with some degree of control when you’re erect, SIS, the suspensory ligament also holds some of your dick up and inside the body. Men who want their cocks to look larger when they’re soft and who don’t mind if their hard cocks are harder to control or flop around during intercourse will sometimes have this suspensory ligament cut, which causes the penis to “drop.” Their cocks aren’t as useful for sex, it’s true, but there’s more “observable” cock for other men to admire in locker rooms and at urinals. “The most dramatic cause of lost ‘observed’ penile length with aging is weight gain,” said Dr. Winter. “As the average guy gains weight, more of his fixed penile length gets hidden, as the crucial sitbone-to-skin distance gets longer.” So your dick may not be any smaller than it was in your teens, SIS; it’s just that more of it may be hidden inside your now-middle-aged body thanks to weight gain and that damn ligament. But hey, let’s say you’re no thicker today than you were in your teens and that your arousal levels are constant and that you’ve kept your apartment at a constant temperature over the decades. Could something be causing your cock to actually shrink? “The main causes of actual penis shrinkage are having your prostate removed, Peyronie’s disease (plaque development that narrows or bends the penis), or the scarring of erectile tissue, something called corporal fibrosis. SIS would know if he’d had prostate surgery, and he would have a noticeable ‘lump’ or change in erection shape if he had Peyronie’s. So the main concern here is corporal fibrosis. It can be insidious and is usually associated with conditions that make blood vessels unhealthy — like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. SIS says he’s healthy, but the penis is often the first body part to manifest signs of the above conditions because it is so dynamic. Which means the penis, wonderfully and tragically, is often the ‘canary in the coal mine’ for cardiovascular health.” Let’s say your canary is shrinking, SIS. What can you do about it? “First and foremost, he should realize that far less women would care about his penis length than he does,” said SIS. “Studies including 52,000 individuals showed that 85% of women were satisfied with their partners’ penile length, while only 55% of men were satisfied with their own length.” And unlike you, SIS, the women you sleep with today aren’t going to be comparing the dick you’ve got now with the dick you had (or thought you had) then.
“But if SIS wants to maximize his ‘observed’ penile length, he should shed extra weight — if he’s overweight — and should also check in with his doc for a test of his cholesterol, blood pressure and a diabetes screen,” said Dr. Winter. “Regular erections do help keep the penis healthy, so if he has some ED, a Viagra (or similar med) can preserve length.” I am 66 years old and a gay man. After a very promiscuous youth, I have settled down a lot as far as sex and mostly just masturbate, with a trip to the baths every few months. I have a question about orgasms. I have noted, since I’ve gotten older, that my orgasm from masturbation is very intense and seems to last about five minutes after I ejaculate, during which I feel orgasmic feelings in my penis, legs and sometimes my whole body. I’ve never had this before. Is this normal? MR. SIXTY FUCKING SIX
“The question of normalcy in sexual function is hammered into us from the start — but it’s pejorative and irrelevant,” said Dr. Winter. “As a physician, the relevant question here is: ‘Does MSFS find this distressing or harmful?’ It doesn’t sound like five-minute total-body masturbationinduced orgasms are painful for MSFS, nor are they interfering with his day-to-day quality of life. So by definition they are ‘nothing to worry about.’ Furthermore, they are not the harbinger of any dangerous medical condition. As you like to say, Dan, this is more of a ‘YAHTZEE!’ than a problem.” Anecdotal evidence — my own, a huge pile of it, gathered over the years — indicates that
you’re something of an outlier, MSFS; most of the older men I hear from with questions about their orgasms are concerned about their slow and steady deterioration, MSFS, not their sudden improvement. But even if this isn’t a problem — even if this is a yahtzee — what might be going on? “That’s the far more interesting question: Why is this happening?” said Dr. Winter. “I don’t have a lot of quotable studies on that one, but I have a few thoughts. First off, this may have nothing to do with age and everything to do with his position. Contraction of the muscles in the pelvis, thighs (even calves!) and the muscles at the base of the penis (or clitoris) can contribute to strength of erection and intensity of orgasm, and certain positions may allow more effective muscle ‘recruitment.’ So differences in position or stance during partnered versus masturbatory activities may hold clues for MSFS.” Another possible explanation — and another definite “Yahtzee!” — is that you’re ever so suddenly multi-orgasmic. “While it is more common for women to be multi-orgasmic, there are men who can do this too,” said Dr. Winter. “Longer duration of arousal — common with porn watching — and certain medications that prevent prolactin surge in the brain and strong Kegels (those muscles again!) may lead to the ‘condensed multi-orgasm,’ a phenomenon that may fit the description MSFS is providing.” But finally and again, MSFS, so long as those powerful, long-lasting, all-body orgasms aren’t diminishing your quality of life, they’re nothing to worry about. Enjoy! Follow Dr. Ashley Winter on Twitter @AshleyGWinter. Dr. Winter cohosts The Full Release (thefullreleasepod. com), a terrific, funny and informative sex-andrelationship advice podcast.
Pg. 31 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
September September VIP 12PM-6pm 28 GA 1:30PM-6PM 28
NORFOLK HALL
TICKETS TICKETSON ON SALE SALENOW! NOW!
Pg. 32 Aug. 14 - Aug. 27, 2019 - QCNERVE.COM
Oktoberfest
30+ craft beer sampling from 30+ local and regional breweries live livemusic music ALL DAY early bird ticket prices: vip - $50 Ga - $35 *ticket prices increase September 9
THIS EVENT WILL BENEFIt