We’re kind of opening, kind of not, so not all of these are virtual events as we were highlighting at the beginning of the lockdown, but plenty are. COVID is still going strong, so party at your own risk. MICHELANGELO’S SISTINE CHAPEL
The immersive Van Gogh exhibit coming to Charlotte this summer has drawn focus from this mesmerizing Michelangelo show. Instead of going to Rome to see the ceiling’s frescoes 44 feet away from the Sistine Chapel floor below, patrons can see them up close. The paintings cemented Michelangelo’s reputation, but the sculptor never wanted the job in the first place, and insisted he was wrong for the task. In the 1560s, Pope Pius IV had the genitals of the artist’s nude figures painted over, but modern restorers stripped away the fig leaves. More: $13-$19.40; ongoing through July 31; Savona Mill, 401 S. Gardner Ave.; chapelsistinecharlotte.com/
THE OFFICE MURDER MYSTERY PARODY
This interactive and immersive parody performance starts at Spirit Square before taking audience members on a walking tour through Uptown with characters from NBC’s The Office. Through conversations and scenes, actors will reveal clues about the Scranton Strangler. No two performances are the same as the actors improvise with every interaction. We’ve solved one mystery already: Based on promo material, it’s safe to assume audiences join the American crew led by Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, not the British team guided by Ricky Gervais’ David Bren. More: $39.50 and up; May 20, 6 p.m.; runs through June 6; Spirit Square, 345 N. College St.; blumenthalarts.org
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FLOCK OF DIMES: TWO HEADS
Taking their name from a majestic 460-year-old tree that was finally felled by lightning in 2002, Baltimorebased Wye Oak make music that is sturdy and resilient, yet surprisingly vulnerable. That vulnerability moves to the forefront in co-founder and guitarist-vocalist Jenn Wasner’s synth-pop solo project Flock of Dimes. Wasner accentuates atmospheric and dreamy compositions which delve into desire and it’s frequent flipside, grief. With “Two Heads,” Flock of Dimes present two distinct livestream performances with different setlists on consecutive Thursdays. More: $15 each show, $25 both shows; May 20 & May 27, 9 p.m.; online; neighborhoodtheatre.com
CHARLOTTE SYMPHONY: EVENINGS AT THE PARK
The concert under the SouthPark bandshell spotlights African-American and Emmy Awardnominated composer Kathryn Bostic’s “Portrait of a Peaceful Warrior.” The piece, commissioned by the Chicago Sinfonietta, premiered in October 2020, and centers around the theme of finding common ground. Bostick, who has scored films, TV and Broadway shows, imbues her tone poem with surging rhythms and syncopation that harken to Aaron Copeland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” In a way, Bostick’s “Portrait” is the spiritual descendant of “Fanfare.” Mozart’s “Serenade No. 11” and Karel Husa’s “Divertimento for Brass & Percussion” complete the program. More: $25; May 21, 7 p.m.; Symphony Park, 4400 Sharon Road; charlottesymphony.org
PIP THE PANSY
After appearing on the Indie Fest Spring Series bill at Lenny Boy Brewing in April, Atlanta’s Pip the Pansy returns to Charlotte to an Uptown club that’s a better fit for her cool, intimate, and slightly detached dancefloor-friendly pop. Her voice is sultry and playful, and on tunes and accompanying videos like “Siren Song” and “White Line Fever,” she cuts a louche, pansexual figure going with the flow. Her music entwines pop, electronica and virtuosic flute to deliver polished tracks that scan like classical mythology filtered through a night on Ecstasy. More: $10; May 22, 7 p.m.; QC Social Lounge, 300 North College St. #105; qcslounge.com
‘OF EARTH AND SKY’ POETRY WORKSHOPS
Originally presented in England and conceptualized by artist Luke Jerram, “Of Earth and Sky” is a largescale installation project featuring pieces from local poets that will debut at Charlotte SHOUT! this fall. Poets interested in participating in the project can attend one of two workshops hosted by Emmy award-winning poet Boris “Bluz” Rogers and National Poetry Slam champions Jay Ward and Jordan Bailey. Poets can learn more about the “Of Earth and Sky” vision and receive writing prompts to help guide their work.
More: Free; May 22 & May 29, 12 p.m.; Middleton McMillan Gallery, Spirit Square, 345 N. College St.; blumenthalarts.org
BUFF FAYE’S “100% THAT B!@CH” DRAG BRUNCH
Buff Faye’s Drag Brunch has returned to Charlotte, and it is as fabulous as ever. Voted #1 Drag Brunch in Charlotte, Buff Faye and her divas are bringing entertainment back to Sunday. With a percentage of proceeds going to charity, it is not an event you want to miss. CDC guidelines will be strictly enforced at risk of forfeiting your admission. More: $35; May 23, 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.: Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, 911 E. Morehead St.; allbuff.com
VIRTUAL MODERNISM + FILM: ‘GATEWAYS TO NEW YORK’
Director Martin Witz’s documentary Gateways to New York: Othmar H. Ammann and His Bridges tells the story of the Swiss structural engineer Othmar H. Ammann, who emigrated to New York in 1904 and redefined the art of bridge building in America. In addition to the iconic George Washington Bridge, a beacon of modernity, Ammann designed structures leading to the Bronx; Bayonne, New Jersey; and spanning the Verrazano-Narrows connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn. His work reflects the dynamics of the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, world war, and suburbanization. More: Free; May 25, 7 p.m.; online; bechtler.org/
ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES
Maxx Music’s Cruise in Concert series in Rural Hill features gospel-soul revivalists St. Paul and the Broken Bones. With rollicking live shows centered on dynamic frontman Paul Janeway, The Broken Bones garnered an enthusiastic fanbase. Though their 2014 debut album Half a City is caught out of time in a good way, conjuring a sweat-soaked session at Muscle Shoals in the late 1960s, recent efforts like 2018’s Young Sick Camellia embrace post-disco guitars and hip-hop beats, separating the band from a crowded field of retro soul fetishists. More: $105-$135; May 25, 7 p.m.; Rural Hill, 4431 Neck Road, Huntersville; maxxmusic.com
MOVIES ON THE LAWN: ‘THE PRINCESS BRIDE’
No other movie except perhaps Casablanca is graced with so many good quotes. You practically trip over the lines: “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” “Inconceivable!” “You keep using that word, I don’t think you know what it means.” “As you wish.” The tale of young Westley/ Dread Pirate Roberts’s quest to rescue Princess Buttercup from the clutches of the odious Prince Humperdinck is a hilarious, nostalgic and touching fairy tale for all ages. More: Free; May 26, 5:30 p.m.; Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, 6500 S. New Hope Road, Belmont; dsbg.org
SUNSHONE STILL
The Muse is back baby! While shows featuring singer-songwriters Jason Eady and Adam Hood on May 19 and Hayden Lee on May 22 sold out quicker than a Charlotte gas pump, you can still get seating to experience Columbia-based troubadour Chris Smith, also known as Sunshone Still. With three full-length albums and a self-titled EP released last April, Smith crafts quiet slow-burning Americana that adds a whiplash curve of experimental, orchestral and cinematic shadings to dusky, amberhued reveries. More: $60; May 29, 7 p.m.; Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St.; eveningmuse.com
ALL-IN 1DER
Bewithus invites everyone to a backyard music and arts event featuring artists of different mediums such as Sweat Transfer, Claire Santos, Joshua Anthony, and Arthur Brothers. From music to meditation to collaborative art projects, grab a drink and unwind. Email askbewithus@gmail.com your phone number and full name to get the location. More: Free; May 29, 3 p.m. – 11 p.m.; tinyurl.com/AllIn1DerCLT
