LIFELINE: 10 COOL THINGS TO DO IN TWO WEEKS

RAYE ZARAGOZA Photo courtesy of Raye Zaragoza

9/09

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SCHULER KING

When they tell a comedian to kill ‘em or slay the audience, it’s just a gure of speech, but for Sumter, S.C. native Schuler King, the expression has added resonance. Graduating from the University of South Carolina with a degree in media arts, he went on to graduate from Gupton Jones Mortuary College with a degree in mortuary science. He’s likely the only comedian/funeral director on the comedy circuit. When he isn’t performing at comedy clubs, he works as a licensed funeral director and embalmer at his family’s funeral business in South Carolina. More: $25; Sept. 16–18, various times; Comedy Zone Charlotte, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd.; cltcomedyzone.com

MARIA HOWELL Photo by April Friedline

9/10

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RAYE ZARAGOZA THE BLACK CROWES

As a Japanese-American, Mexican, Indigenous woman, Zaragoza spent much of her early life trying to assimilate with the world around her — until she decided, “Fuck that shit.” A purveyor of feminist anthems and fearless protest folk music, Zaragoza has released Fight For You, a protestdriven debut in which the artist focuses on nding her voice as a woman of color. Anchored by brisk, compelling melodies, her songs celebrate the power of embracing your own identity, particularly in a society that often seems intent on erasing you. It’s a potent message from an incendiary artist. More: Free; Sept. 9, 6 p.m.; Camp North End; 300 Camp Road; camp.nc/events Before being derailed by COVID, The Black Crowes were supposed to stop o at PNC pavilion in July 2020. It was part of their reunion tour for that summer, marking the 30th anniversary of their debut album Shake Your Money Maker, featuring the Crowes’ biggest hit, a blistering cover of Otis Redding’s “Hard to Handle.” The rock and soul revivalist band launched in the mid-1980s by brothers Chris and Rich Robinson plan to play that album in its entirety, along with popular cuts like “Morning Song” and “Evergreen”. More: $11 and up; Sept. 10, 8 p.m.; PNC Pavilion, 707 Pavilion Blvd.; charlottemusicpavilion.com

MARIA HOWELL

“With every opportunity, [Howell is] using her craft to tell a story in the way that only Maria Howell can,” wrote Queen City Nerve contributor Greg Jarrell in our 2021 Music Issue. Howell, a gifted performer from Gastonia, may be the hardest-working woman in Charlotte showbiz. She acts on the side, appearing in movies like The Color Purple and Hidden Figures. An a cionado and master of the Great American Songbook, Howell joins pianist and frequent collaborator Noel Freidline, saxophonist Ziad Rabie, bassist Ron and drummer Alfred Sergel IV for the reopening of the Jazz at the Bechtler series. More: $20; Sept. 10, 6 p.m. & 8:15 p.m.; Bechtler Museum of Modern Art; 420 S. Tryon St.; bechtler.org

THE PHANTOM FRIENDS, OCEANIC, FAMILY VIDEO

Progressive alternative four-piece Phantom Friends has drawn comparisons to bands as disparate as The Allman Brothers and Foo Fighters. Their eclecticism was built-in from the band’s beginning in 2016. Put on a bill to play a Common Market South End showcase, Richie Gaiser enlisted close friends Matt Wilson, Dominic Birckbickler and Dave Wilson to throw together an ad hoc band that drew on in uences ranging from funk to ’80s hair metal. More: $10; Sept. 11, 10 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

SUN09_12

CLASSIC BLACK CINEMA SERIES: ‘GREASED LIGHTNING’

“Richard Pryor isn’t very funny in Greased Lightning,” The New York Times proclaimed upon the release of this 1977 Pryor vehicle. As a backhanded compliment, NYT goes on to praise Pryor’s dramatic performance. Pryor, an irreverent comic genius, plays it straight in the true story of Wendell Scott, America’s first AfricanAmerican NASCAR driver. In the 1950s-’60s period piece, Pryor gives a subtly dramatic performance of a man who hides his intelligence, a survival instinct amid the casual racism that surrounds him. More: Free ($9 for non-members); Sept. 12, 2 p.m.; Gantt Center; 551 S Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org

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CHARLOTTE’S HARDLY CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE

Boasting a star-studded lineup of five Charlotte Symphony Orchestra musicians, the ensemble presents a hardly classical sonic voyage consisting of pieces by an eclectic mix of living composers: Daniel Bernard Roumain, Caroline Shaw, Kronodigger, KinanAzmeh, Gabriella Frank, Missy Mazzoli and Jessie Montgomery. This showcase of unclassifiable instrumental music encompasses soaring solo violin, interlocking duets, stirring ostinato trios, lilting string quartets and bristling EDM soundtracks. More: $15; Sept. 15, 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com

SEXBRUISE?

“You should listen to us/Because we read a few things/On the internet/And that’s just as good/As a doctorate.” This paean to the death waltz between American exceptionalism and the Dunning-Kruger effect comes courtesy of Charleston’s Sexbruise? The satirical pop band combines improvisation, electronic music, killer hooks and audience participation in their high-energy shows. In the single and video “WDHTV,” the band employs impeccable musicianship to deliver a blistering takedown of all the idiots prolonging COVID with their irresponsible actions. More: $10; Sept. 19, 7 p.m.; Heist Brewery and Barrel Arts; 1030 Woodward Ave.; heistbrewery.com

J.I THE PRINCE OF NEW YORK

At the age of 14, Justin Rivera, performing as J.I the Prince of New York, competed on Lifetime’s 2016 music competition series The Rap Game. He didn’t win, but he learned to change his rapid-flow style to a sweet and melodic template on which he spins tales of young love and loss on the streets. Flash forward to 2019 when his outstanding single “Need Me” broke 100 million streams on Spotify. In December 2020, his EP Hood Life Crisis Vol. 3 became his first effort to hit the Billboard charts. More: $22.50; Sept. 19, 7 p.m.; Underground, 820 Hamilton St.; fillmorenc.com

‘GREASED LIGHTNING’ Still from film

9/12

WEEKEND

JOHN LESLIE BRECK: AMERICAN IMPRESSIONIST

Anchored by The Mint Museum’s 2016 acquisition of John Leslie Breck’s canvas, “Suzanne HoschedéMonet Sewing,” this exhibition includes approximately 70 of Breck’s finest works, drawn from public and private collections as well as the illustrious Terra Foundation collection. Many of the works in the exhibition have not been on public view in more than a century. More: Free; Sept. 18 & 19, 1 p.m.; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 South Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org