Queen City Nerve Issue 2_2018

1 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

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

ADVERTISING

2 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

SALES DIRECTOR Aaron Stamey • astamey@qcnerve.com To place an ad, please call 704-524-9791 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 published by Nerve Media Productions LLC, based in Advent Coworking at 933 Louise Ave., Charlotte, NC, 28204. www.qcnerve.com. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/queencitynerve; on Twitter at @qc_nerve; on Instagram at @queencitynerve

NEWS & CULTURE 8 Gaming the System

New esports league arrives in Charlotte

6 Editor’s Note 7 The Scanner

New Year’s Guide 2019 ARTS 10

14 One Big Joke

Crown Station serves as an incubator for Charlotte’s underground comics

LIFELINE

16 How not to kill your social life

MUSIC

18 The Boys Are Back in Town Lucky Five Reunites for the holidays

19 Mic Check: Rel Mariano 20 Soundwave

FOOD & DRINK 22 Get Baked for a Good Cause

Lovin’ From the Oven continues to raise relief

24 The Buzz

NIGHTLIFE

26 Tips From Last Night 27 Horoscope 28 Savage Love 30 Crossword

3 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

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THE DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Another one bites the dust

w

BY RYAN PITKIN

4 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

hat can I say about 2018?

This year has been off-the-wall batshit crazy — I mean that personally, professionally, politically and presidentially.

As the country spirals into two divided states, storms continue to escalate in severity and journalists become the scapegoat for an entire segment of the population that’s been brainwashed by their cult leader of a president, I decided to wade into the waters and launch my own publication.

I’m Slim Pickens riding the bomb while he waves his cowboy hat in Dr. Strangelove.

I’m riding this thing out, baby, and I’m loving every minute of it.

By now, most folks know the story of how Queen City Nerve was born. At this point, even I’m sick of reading about myself in the local media. From radio interviews on WFAE to TV appearances on WCCB (see you again real soon, Edge fans) to being listed on multiple “People to Watch in 2019” lists, I’ve been more than humbled by all the attention and support over the last two weeks since we released our debut issue.

I’ve also been humbled in other ways.

After riding high on the wave of support that followed the announcement of our new publication, actually making it happen brought me back down to the sand. Rather, it smashed me into the coral.

I’ve never experienced a day quite like Dec. 5, which was our first print day two weeks ago. It seemed like everything that could have gone wrong did. New computers bought just weeks previously began to crash under the strain of everything that’s needed to put a paper out. Indentations mysteriously disappeared from each page, leaving square blocks of text. Entire rounds of copy edits apparently never got saved, leading to as cringeworthy a paper as I’ve ever been involved with in terms of typos and the like.

Despite all that, we got a paper out that I was proud of — albeit six hours past our print deadline (my apologies to the fine folks at the Winston-Salem Journal). What my team accomplished in just 35 days after all being fired without warning was nothing short of amazing. We made lots of mistakes and we learned from them, and continue to learn from our experiences every day.

And with that I present to you the second-ever issue of Queen City Nerve. I can’t promise you it’s mistake-free, but it’s a hell of a lot cleaner than the first one. There’s also some new content that I’m excited to share with the community.

My arts feature is one that I’ve been working on since before Queen City Nerve existed.

Some months ago, local comedian Brian O’Neill told me about Nonconsensual Comedy, a weekly open mic event held every Wednes-

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University

9010 Glenwater Drive 704-547-1199 day at Crown Station in NoDa. As I mention in the story, the idea of going to watch local up-and-coming comedians work out material sounded like an awful way to spend a night.

“We talkin’‘bout practice? Practice?!”

However, I was pleasantly surprised at the raw talent emanating from the stage on the very first Wednesday night I attended. And I knew I had come across one of those gems of a story.

More than story, I had come across an entire scene that I was previously unaware of. I’m familiar with a few local comedians in town, some of whom I consider friends, and I know they’re talented, but I was completely caught by surprise by this underground open mic where many of the folks in the crowd were comedians just trying to roughen out the edges on their new material and support one another. And like I said before, they were actually laugh-out-loud funny.

Two or three years ago, I began building networks within the local hip-hop scene, as it

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2100 North Davidson 704-688-7120 became clear that a certain momentum was building. Over the last year, I’ve focused heavily on getting to know visual artists, as there seems to be a similar groundswell happening among muralists, street artists and such.

To be clear, I am not taking credit for the amazing growth occurring in these scenes. I like to think some of my coverage of culture in the city in recent years may have helped folks find a wider audience, but that’s not my point.

My point is that, with or without me, maybe 2019 will be the year the local comedy scene blows up. I know I plan to be right there watching and writing as it happens.

Such are the things that excite me.

Moving forward, my team will continue to work out the kinks, similar to a comic on stage at Crown Station. We know we’ve got plenty of eyes on us, and so much support in this city, and we’re thankful for it.

Now all that’s left to do is follow through.

We got this.

RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

5 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

SCANNER later, someone had stolen her Mazda Protege. tools, a Louisville Slugger baseball bat and, inexplicably, a bunch of football cards. The NAMES & FACES Police recently raided window to the funeral home was broken, but a house in the Hidden Valley neighborhood nothing was listed as stolen. apparently targeting of a man who has been previously named in court records as BODY OF EVIDENCE A 27-yearan alleged leader of the Hidden Valley Kings old woman living in a trailer park in north gang that once controlled the neighborhood. Charlotte filed a police report last week after According to a police report, officers seized a someone stole her wallet, which contained loaded Glock 17 and a small amount of mar- $2,000. It’s going to be an awkward few days ijuana during the raid. They also took seven for the woman, however, as she told police cell phones from the residence and a letter “she thinks her roommate took her money … addressed to the suspect from his lawyer that but she has no proof,” according to the report. stated his government name, along with a DOUBLE JEOPARDY In another Halloween greeting card addressed to “My DON’T SLEEP A 36-year-old man also instance of someone helping themself, police Face,” a reference to the suspect’s nickname. fell victim to a theft from somebody within responded to a Quik Shoppe gas station on his living quarters, except he won’t be able to Eastway Drive after a man came back to the OLD FRIENDS A 63-year-old police scene of a crime to commit the same crime officer was enjoying a breakfast break at 7:30 again. A manager told officers that the a.m. in the Freedom Village shopping center suspect walked out of the store with a case of in west Charlotte on a recent morning when Corona beer at around 10:30 a.m., and that he got a visit from a resident who recogthe same man had walked out of the store nized him from some earlier confrontation. with a case of beer the previous day.

The officer later filed a non-criminal report stating that the subject approached him and SELF-MEDICATING A 20-year-old man “expressed displeasure in reference to an near Sheffield Park in east Charlotte called earlier contact, then acted suspiciously before police recently after some medication he took leaving the area.” It doesn’t list specifically had the opposite effect of what he was hopwhy the officer felt uncomfortable enough ing for. The man told officers that “he ingested to file the report, but it’s safe to say he’ll be a prescription, not prescribed to him, that ordering his breakfast elsewhere for the time made him feel weak and sick to his stomach.” being.

We suggest that you stick to the prescription drugs that, you know, you’ve been ordered to WAKANDA FOREVER Police caught take by a doctor. a man in the act as he tried to break into a funeral home in west Charlotte, and despite DISAPPEARING CAR It’s a great his disguise, they took him into custody. feeling to walk out of the barber or salon after According to the report, officers responded to getting a fresh cut, and there aren’t many the scene after receiving a breaking-and-enthings that can take that away from you — tering call and saw the suspect speeding but there are some. One 26-year-old Mint Hill away from the scene while still wearing a woman was humbled quickly after leaving her Black Panther mask. Listed on the report is salon last week. She later told police that she everything they seized from the man: the went inside the Sassy Salon on Independence outfit and mask that he was wearing, five Boulevard at about 11:30 a.m. to get her hair latex gloves, a steering wheel, multiple power cut, and when she came out just 45 minutes

BY RYAN PITKIN

6 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

LOOKING FOR HANDOUTS Many hotels offer free breakfast for guests, but not all of them. One man assumed there was free breakfast at a Four Points by Sheraton hotel in southwest Charlotte last week and ended up getting the cops called on him. Staff told officers the man ate breakfast at around 7:15 a.m. then refused to pay. For good measure, he went into the hotel gift shop and grabbed two Gatorades, a Kit Kat bar and a bag of peanuts that he also refused to pay for before leaving the hotel.

find the suspect as easily as the above victim.

The man called police and told them that he had been hanging out in his hotel room where he lives at an InTown Suites in University City with another man. He told officers that he fell asleep at around 1:30 a.m., and when he woke up, his so-called friend was gone. He started to realize there was a problem when he couldn’t find his car keys, and sure enough, when he went out to the parking lot he realized that his friend had taken off with his Honda Accord while he was snoozing.

Reports are pulled from the files of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty.

7 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

“WE’RE BREAKING THE STIGMA THAT VIDEO GAMES ARE JUST FOR LOSERS IN THEIR MOM’S BASEMENTS.”

PHOTO BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK

Josh Richardson (third from right) and the CLT Esports team hang out at Command Post.

Josh Richardson, CEO and founder, CLT Esports

GAMING THE SYSTEM

New esports league arrives in Charlotte

BY COURTNEY MIHOCIK

8 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

E

veryone’s memories of gaming are different, whether they involve playing Pac-Man and Galaga in an early-’80s arcade, going headto-head with a friend in Madden in the ’90s or talking shit to a kid across the globe during a multiplayer online free-for-all game of Call of Duty in the 21st century.

While that nostalgia is all well and good, today’s generation of gamers is all business.

Competitive gaming, aka esports, is quick-

ly growing into an industry worth close to $1 billion with an audience expected to reach 580 million people worldwide in 2021.

Charlotte used to have an esports team — a damn good one, too. Those in the local gaming community remember the hype and hope that came when Team EnVyUs grew from a single Call of Duty 4 roster to multiple teams that dominated in the virtual arenas of Overwatch, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, League of Legends and Gears of War.

When Team EnVyUs left Charlotte for Dallas, Texas, in 2017, Josh Richardson saw a void and decided to fill it.

In November of this year, he launched CLT Esports, a league that he said is here to stay.

“The reason I [called it] Charlotte Esports and not some name, some random noun, is because I wanted it to be Charlotte,” Richardson said. “I wanted it to grow in Charlotte.”

His vision is to grow the Queen City into an East Coast hub for esports and bring more jobs

and investment opportunities into the city by hosting large gaming events and tournaments here.

“It’s a win-win for everyone here,” Richardson exclaimed. “We’re bringing esports here which will generate more jobs, especially in the long run.”

Richardson and his growing team at CLT Esports also hope to create a new community within the city, with more networking options and participation by local businesses and

9 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

Esports, compared it to binge-watching or any number of hobbies that don’t carry the same generalizations that gaming does. “‘Oh, I can watch Netflix for eight hours but if you play your game for eight hours you’re wasting your time,’” he explained hypothetically. “You can invest all this time and money and throw stickers on your car, but if you buy a new gaming mouse, it’s like, ‘Oh, what are you doing?’ Where does that make sense?”

With the rising popularity of esports, that line of thinking is getting harder to justify.

Gaming has recently become a viable career PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL CORTES with the help of platforms like Twitch.

Daniel Cortes, aka Mexicutioner86, is a Twitch is an online platform where gamers Charlotte-area Twitch streamer. can stream live footage of their gameplay in single or multi-player games. Spectators can companies. subscribe to streams or donate to streamers to “If esports in Charlotte grow, not only would the community benefit from it greatly support their favorite players.

Well-known gamers are able to fully because you’re going to have local companies who want to be involved, and that are going support themselves financially through fans’ subscriptions to their channels and donations. to benefit just from the marketing to new people,” Richardson explained. “But you’re also Players can gain more income by signing contracts with prosperous teams that compete going to have a whole new group of teams in championship tournaments for monetary you can cheer for.”

Beyond marketing and sponsorships from prizes and bragging rights.

One of the most notoriously famous Charlotte-area businesses, the fan base that gamers in North America is Tyler Blevins, aka accompanies esports means a new way to forge connections and friendly rivalries found Ninja, who is on Team Luminosity. Through in other sports industries like basketball, base- streaming Fortnite, a multiplayer battle royale arena game, Blevins pulls in about $560,000 a ball and football. month, according to an interview earlier this It’s a comparison that’s hard for some to year with Forbes. That’s not accounting for take seriously, thanks to the stigma that accompanies gaming and the esports industry. income from his YouTube channel or donations and one-off streams on Twitch.

“The same people that say, ‘Oh, you’re It’s a rigorous job, Richardson explained. wasting money, you’re watching people play Teammates are required to practice and train video games,’ those are the same people that just like physical athletes do. Players concoct are going to basketball games or watching and execute strategies by studying opponents’ them on TV and buying their jerseys and strengths and weaknesses. buying their merch,” Richardson said.

Take for instance League of Legends, one of Some may look down on gaming culture, the most popular games in the world. Players believing that it consists of unemployed take on the role of a summoner who controls a teens or man-children mashing buttons on champion warrior in a battle arena. The object a controller. For so many, though, it’s much of the game is to work with your team of five more than that. to destroy the other team’s “nexus,” which is a “We’re breaking the stigma that video games are just for losers in their mom’s base- structure in the opponent’s base. Using spells, weapons and strategy, teams battle it out in ments,” Richardson said. different arenas.

Thai Nguyen, business analyst for CLT The effort and planning that goes into

team-based esports games are like something out of an Orson Scott Card novel. Teams study the gameplay and formations of opponents prior to tournaments while creating their own war designs amongst themselves.

Daniel Cortes is a gamer in the Charlotte area who has traveled extensively for competitions since his early 20s. He recently started a Twitch streaming channel under his gamertag, Mexicutioner86.

Cortes specializes in one-on-one fighting games like Soulcaliber VI, Street Fighter V and Tekken 7, all side-scroller video games in the style of Mortal Kombat.

While his new Twitch channel hasn’t garnered enough attention to justify quitting his day job to stream on the platform full-time, he’s focused on building his following through social media.

Cortes recently partnered with CLT Esports, which highlighted him as the organization’s Twitch streamer of the week.

He sees the potential that Richardson’s organization can bring to the city.

“There is a lot of esports going on in Charlotte,” Cortes explained. “You’ve got Fortnite, you’ve got Call of Duty. Those two games happen to be very popular in general and if the CLT Esports — Josh and them — give themselves a platform to put themselves out there I think it will grow tremendously.”

Although a potential training facility in Charlotte fell through with the exit of Team EnVyUs, there is an elite gaming center in the area.

Command Post, owned and operated by Tim Rochester, is outfitted with PlayStation 4 and XBox consoles connected to virtual reality headsets, and five high-tech gaming PCs with dedicated fiber optics to bring one of the best internet connections in the city. No lag here, folks.

Command Post is a community gathering epicenter for gamers and enthusiasts alike.

Business groups, parents with children and groups of friends are welcome to kick back, relax and play some games.

There’s a social aspect to the atmosphere at Command Post that serves as the antithesis of the stereotypical anti-social, unhygienic

outcasts who do nothing but stare at a screen all day.

“I’m amazed by who comes in here,” Rochester said. “We had a bachelor party come in one night while they were in town for a wedding ... It’s not just kids. It’s the whole community.”

Rochester recounted a tale of a father and son playing at Command Post and the father commented that it’s the first time he’s felt a connected with his son — and more importantly, it was fun for both.

That’s a familiar feeling for Richardson, who remembers bonding with his father over the Super Nintendo console — watching his dad play Super Mario Bros. after work, content to just spectate.

Building an esports league in Charlotte will mean new friendships forged at tournaments and networking among esports teams here in Charlotte.

On a recent Saturday afternoon, a group of gamers gathered at Command Post for the first tournament hosted by CLT Esports. Participants were given 45 minutes to make as many kills in a single-player arena battle on the popular online game, Fortnite. PLayers were glued to their screens, twitching their thumbs over the control sticks and trying to accrue as many kills as possible in the given timeframe.

Richardson was hopeful that throughout the day, more participants would filter in and out of tournament, trying their hand in the battle royale-style game. But it’s clear that CLT Esports is gaining traction among the esports enthusiasts of the city.

It’s a tremendous vision that Richardson has in front of him and the launch of CLT Esports is just the beginning. Although there’s a lot of work ahead until he and his team can reach the caliber of esports that lives in cities like Dallas and Las Vegas, Richardson is not discouraged.

“If you’re going hiking and you look at a mountain and you look at the top, you’re going to want to quit before you even start,” Richardson said. “So I’m just taking it one step at a time.”

CMIHOCIK@QCNERVE.COM

ONE BIG JOKE

Crown Station serves as an incubator for Charlotte’s underground comics

O

BY RYAN PITKIN

n a recent Wednesday night at around 10:30, Megan Cole came off stage after a seven-minute stand-up comedy set in which the laughs coming from the audience were few and far between. But at this open mic, that’s not always a problem.

10 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

For veterans of the Nonconsensual Comedy open mic night at Crown Station, laughs are great, but they’re not everything.

“What’s great about this place is you don’t know if you did well by the laughs in the room, because most of us are comedians,” Cole said after leaving the stage. “But then you come off stage and you get this incredible rousing support. I just had three people come

up to me at the bar to tell me they loved it. But when you’re up there and it’s mostly comedians in the crowd, it feels a little lonely.”

For more than 10 years now, comedians have been hitting Nonconsensual Comedy to work out material and keep up with peers on the local scene. The venue has changed — from SK Net Cafe in Elizabeth, to Crown Station when they took that space over, to the new Crown Station location in north NoDa — but the mission has remained the same: make somebody laugh.

There are anywhere from 30 to 50 standup comics who rotate in and out of Nonconsensual Comedy on any given Wednesday. For

Brian O’Neill, who’s been a regular on stage since March, the weekly event has become an incubator for a scene that’s quietly growing in momentum.

O’Neill has watched as other arts scenes in Charlotte have gotten attention — from hiphop to the visual arts — and he’s convinced that the underground comedy scene is up next.

“You can feel the energy, and it matches with Charlotte in general,” O’Neill said before a set at a recent Crown Station open mic. “It’s happening all over, and that’s why we’re trying not to get too ahead of

ourselves, but we’ll probably be like the next big thing — our comedy. Like Atlanta is, like Chicago, New York, people are going to start looking to come here. Just like the hip-hop and all the music and stuff.”

That sounds like a lofty goal, so I feel the need to jump in here and justify what he said. When O’Neill first reached out to me to ask that I come check out the Wednesday open mic, I agreed reluctantly. I try to

“EVERY WEDNESDAY THAT I GET UP THERE I’M LIKE, ‘THIS IS TERRIFYING, WHY THE FUCK DO YOU DO THIS?’” Megan Cole, comedian

11 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

support local comedy when I can — Blayr Nias, Carlos Valencia, Tania Kelly and the likes are amazing — but the idea of sitting in a bar while Charlotte’s up-and-coming comics tested out new jokes sounded like a brutal way to spend a Wednesday evening.

Looking back, that smug attitude almost held me back from finding what has since become one of my favorite weekly events in Charlotte. Nonconsensual Comedy is far from amateur hour. These folks are fucking funny.

According to Mimi Benfield, who’s been hosting the show since it resumed in the new Crown Station on North Davidson Street in November 2017, the number of comedians who show up regularly to the open mic has increased in recent years. More importantly, however, is the sense of community that’s grown seemingly out of nowhere.

Benfield said she’s watched the local scene grow into a community that didn’t exist just five years ago.

“I will say the scene is new — like, the family vibe to it [is new],” Benfield said. “I started six years ago and it was definitely not as friendly; most of the comics would go out and smoke until it was their turn. In the last two to three years, we’ve got a nice little family forming.”

That new sense of community is something Kaleigh Cutright noticed immediately when she returned to the scene in early December after taking a one-year hiatus from stand-up comedy.

“It seems like there is an overwhelmingly more supportive atmosphere than there was in the past,” Cutright said after her set on a recent Wednesday. “Within the past two years, something happened where it’s just more supportive. It was very cliquish, and when I came back it doesn’t seem that way at all, which is really refreshing. I think it’s one of the reasons that I wanted to come back.”

On Dec. 12, her first night back at Nonconsensual Comedy, Cutright faced some of her deepest insecurities head-on. She worked the crowd, shaking a few hands from the stage and turning it into an improvised bit.

When I complimented her on how well it played, she admitted that crowd work has never been a part of her repertoire, but it’s something she’s working on. She’s been trying

to bring her extrovert social self into the introverted stage persona she’s so often fed into.

“For a long time crowd work was something that was scary because I felt uncomfortable and I just didn’t do it,” she said. “But what I’m figuring out now is that if I were not on the microphone, I would be talking to everybody.

That’s the only mental block I have now is the microphone so I don’t want that to stand in my way. There’s no reason to be scared.”

In the end, however, there’s every reason to be scared. A fear of public speaking is considered one of the most prevalent phobias in America. Multiple studies have put the percentage of Americans who struggle with speech anxiety at about 75.

So if three out of four people are terrified of even speaking to a crowd of people, how many want to get up there and try to make them laugh?

According to Matt Corrao, a regular performer at Crown Station, it takes “a special kind of mental illness” to put yourself out there as a funny person and risk the potential that nobody is going to laugh.

About five years ago, Corrao started doing stand-up in Worcester, Massachusetts, where he lived at the time. The lack of a comedy community there led him to drop out of the scene, but when he moved to Charlotte about a year ago, he picked it back up. It had been around four years since he got on stage, and the fear came back.

“The first time I got back on stage after that long time, my legs were rubber and I couldn’t remember anything I wrote down,” Corrao recalled.

“I started making things up to stay on stage.”

Corrao said “the jitters” come back every once in a while, but he’s gotten back into the swing of things.

For many comedians, it’s not the fear of the crowd that makes their stomachs turn, it’s the fear of failure. Dre Copeland, another regular at Crown Station, said he’s never been scared to step on stage, but he does fear the idea that he can’t get his point across to the audience in the way that he wants.

Before a recent set at Crown Station, he explained why he defines bombing — the word most comedians give to not getting any laughs — differently than some of his peers.

“The whole purpose of what we do is to communicate,” Copeland said. “We’re all imagining, or we saw something that’s like, ‘Man, that’s crazy,’ and I have to describe to you what I saw. So if I bomb, that means I saw some wild stuff but I couldn’t get you to understand what I saw. That’s a bomb to me. Bombing to me doesn’t mean being booed, it means that I didn’t reach you.”

Another fear of Copeland’s is an issue that I reference near the top of this story: the fact that Crown Station’s crowd is often filled with fellow comedians.

The first time I attended a Crown Station open mic in November, I was amazed that when I walked up to the bar and looked to my left, it seemed like every person down the bar had a notebook in front of them. Most of them were writing in their respective notebook.

Copeland pointed out that there are pros and cons to speaking to a room full of comics.

He said that he has a joke about bombing that kills at Crown Station, but doesn’t get much reaction anywhere else.

“The danger in my opinion is if you try to make comedians laugh you can accidentally become a comic’s comic,” Copeland said. “I’ve had jokes that were funny in the comics’ room, but when I told a crowd of people, they don’t know.

It’s a good feeling to make these cats laugh at my jokes because they’re people too, but they’re looking at it more along the lines of nuance.”

Though Cole was right about the difficulty of getting laughs in a room full of comedians, there’s plenty of laughter to go around. On an average Wednesday night, the audience is made up of about 50 percent comedians, while the other half is just looking for a good laugh.

For those folks working out their material on stage, however, it’s important to keep the end goal in mind; an open mic is practice.

Cole’s set on that late November night was about millennials, and many of the folks in the crowd had heard the material before, as she had been working on it for weeks. On Dec. 12, however, she came back with a new set of material and got a better reaction.

But Cole has been around long enough to not be bothered by any crowd reaction. Like almost all the comedians I spoke to for this

story, she’s her own worst critic anyway.

“Every Wednesday that I get up there I’m like, ‘This is terrifying, why the fuck do you do this? This is a terrible idea. You’re not funny,’” Cole said. “I tell myself three things before I go on: Hair, up or down? Bra, on or off? And you’re not funny, don’t fucking do this. Those are the three things that go through my head before a set.”

The answers fluctuate for the former two questions, but as far as the latter goes, she and everyone who shows up each Wednesday at Crown Station can relate: she’s going to fucking do this.

RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

1516 E. 4th St., Charlotte, NC (704) 338-9778 www. the-bag-lady.biz

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12 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

Of Good Nature’s Rock ‘N Roll Disco What: Porch 40, The Business People, Rare Creatures and Of Good Nature will usher in the new year along with a funky inflatable disco ball drop at midnight.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Visulite Theatre, 1615 Elizabeth Ave. More: $20 or $25 at the door; visulite.com New Years Eve at Caswell Station What: Caswell Station’s open bar leads into a breakfast buffet at 1 a.m. to soak up all the alcohol you drank before midnight.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Caswell Station, 366 N. Caswell Rd. More: $45, tinyurl.com/CaswellNYE Paint Fumes/Sinners & Saints/Pullover What: Join the “now sound” of Paint Fumes after Sinners & Saints and Pullover kick off the New Year’s celebration. Also, DJ George Brazil will be rounding out the taproom all night.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave. More: RSVP; tinyurl.com/PaintFumesPetras

Pilot Brewing New Year’s Eve Party What: No gimmicks, no tickets, just $3 drafts beers all night, free snacks to munch on and free kombucha for designated drivers.

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Pilot Brewing, 1331 Central Ave. More: Free, tinyurl.com/FlyIntoNYE Knoc Year’s Eve What: Justin Aswell brings friends like Shadow, Dead Sea $crilla and Keyza Soulsay with all the b-boy fun that comes along with other Knocturnal events.

When: 10 p.m.

Where: Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St. More: $5; snugrock.com New Year’s Eve at Catawba What: If you don’t want to party hard but you don’t want to stay in, grab a draft prosecco at Catawba and snag a bite from one of two food trucks on site.

When: 3 p.m.

Where: Catawba Brewing Co., 933 Louise Ave. #115 More: Free; catawbabrewing.com NoDa New Year’s Eve Block Party What: Crepe Cellar, Haberdish and Growlers Pourhouse are tag-teaming NYE with cocktail

hour, a three-course meal at one of the three restaurants and an after-party at Growlers.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Crepe Cellar, 3116 N. Davidson St. More: $145 and up; charlottenewyearseveblockparty.com A Toast to a Wild Year What: End the year with a Swim in the Wild performance at JackBeagles, which boasts itself as “Charlotte’s wildest New Year’s celebration.”

When: 7 p.m.

Where: JackBeagles, 3213 N. Davidson St. More: Free; tinyurl.com/JackBeaglesSITW 8th Annual Blind Pig New Year’s Eve Party What: It’s the biggest night Blind Pig sees each year, so don’t miss out.

When: 5 p.m.

Where: The Blind Pig, 453 E. 36th St. More: Free; tinyurl.com/BlindNYE

EAST CHARLOTTE Avett Brothers What: The boys are back in town for their annual hometown New Year’s performance.

When: 8:30 p.m.

Where: Bojangles Coliseum, 2700 E. Independence Blvd.

More: $49.50-89.50; bojanglescoliseum.com Black & Gold Party What: It’s a live broadcast party hosted by Uptown Swagga Band.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Vibrations Club, 5237 Albemarle Rd. More: $15 and up; facebook.com/vibrationsclub

NORTH CHARLOTTE / UNIVERSITY Retro New Year’s Party What: Enjoy music of the past decades and some hits from today with an exclusive buffet while you dance the night away.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Press Box Bar & Grill, 9609 N. Tryon St. More: $25-50; tinyurl.com/PressBoxNYE NYE at Bar Louie What: Bar Louie has whipped up a specialty cocktail called Velvet 19 to ring in 2019 at this masquerade. .

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Bar Louie, 8760 JM Keynes Dr.

More: $10; tinyurl.com/BarLouieNYE Black Ice Charlotte NYE 2019 What: Dress code is “Grown & Sexy” so if you’re not either of those things, better head elsewhere.

When: 10 p.m.

Where: El Centenario, 5920 N. Tryon St. More: $10-20; tinyurl.com/ElCentenarioNYE

UPTOWN

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2019 New Year’s Eve Bash What: Rich and Bennett, the biggest names in Charlotte’s bar crawl scene, will be stationed at Flight for a blowout bash.

When: 8:30 p.m.

Where: Flight Beer Hall, 314 N. College St. More: $60 and up; richandbennett.com Harlem Nights Fundraising Gala What: Transport yourself to the Roaring ’20s and spend the night with hors d’oeuvres and philanthropy, as proceeds benefit the local Jack and Jill Foundation.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Levine Museum of the New South, 200 E. 7th St. More: $100; tinyurl.com/LevineHarlem

New Year’s Eve at 204 North What: Three courses and a glass of bubbly followed by a DJ dance party.

When: 6 p.m.

Where: 204 North, 204 N. Tryon St. More: $60 and up; 204north.com New Year’s Eve Masquerade What: Multiple rooms, DJs, drinks and confetti cannons at this bash. Masks are encouraged, but not required.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Blackfinn Ameripub, 210 E. Trade St. #120-B More: $20 and up; tinyurl.com/BlackfinnNYE NYE at Tin Roof What: Live music from 76 and Sunny, despite all our assurances that this will not be the forecast that night.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Tin Roof, 210 E. Trade St. #286 More: $40-780; tinyurl.com/DontPayThisMuchMoney Gold Rush: New Year’s Eve 2019 What: No sneakers, no athletic wear. This is bougie AF, so dress accordingly.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Omni Charlotte Hotel, 132 E. Trade St. More: $95 and up, tinyurl.com/OmniCharlotteNYE New Year’s Eve 2019 Extravaganza What: There’s an open bar, but only for the most exclusive VIP option available for this event.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Harvey B. Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St. More: $55 and up; tinyurl.com/GetLiveNYE19 New Year’s Eve with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra What: Maestro Christopher Warren-Green leads the CSO in Strauss waltzes and Gershwin tunes. After-party includes champagne, desserts and the Robyn Springer quartet.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St. More: $55 and up; charlottesymphony.org New Year’s Eve at Fin & Fino What: Read the mouthwatering menu and it’ll be worth shelling out the bucks for five courses.

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Fin & Fino, 135 Levine Avenue of the Arts More: $130, tinyurl.com/5CourseNYE Gatsby New Year’s Eve What: In your younger and more vulnerable years, Merchant & Trade are throwing a New Year’s Party that you’ll be turning over in your mind ever after.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Merchant & Trade, 303 S. Church St. More: $150-200; tinyurl.com/GatsbyNYE New Years Eve at Graham St. What: It might be worth it for a great view of the fireworks at Romare Bearden Park, alone.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Graham St. Pub & Patio, 400 S. Graham St. More: $50; tinyurl.com/GrahamStNYE TILTed New Year’s Eve What: Whether you pay the minimum or the maximum, you still get champagne and party favors.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: TILT, 127 W. Trade St. More: $10-60; tinyurl.com/TILTNYE

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Unwine the New Year What: No need to throw on a suit or tux.

Hang out while DJ Alan Ospina spins and enjoy the wine and drink specials in a low-key atmosphere.

When: 9:30 p.m.

Where: Corkscrew on 5th, 412 W. 5th St. More: Free; corkscrewwinepub.com

50 Shades of Gray What: Herb and Felicia Gray host this black tie masquerade. Broadcasting live on Power 98 until midnight.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: ClubONE, 950 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.

More: $50; tinyurl.com/FiftyShadesNYE

16th Annual Back to the Future Base What: Take it back to the late 20th century with premium party favors and two levels that contain a retro arcade, a great patio and multiple dance floors.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Roxbury Nightclub, 116 W. 5th St. More: $25; tinyurl.com/RoxburyNYE

New Year’s Eve with Collin Moulton What: Attendees are guaranteed to ring in the new year laughing when Collin Moulton brings his set right up to the midnight hour.

When: 10 p.m.

Where: Comedy Zone, 900 N.C. Music Factory Blvd.

More: $32-42.50; cltcomedyzone.com

MUSIC FACTORY

WEST CHARLOTTE

Chew Year’s Eve What: Chewy from 92.7 The Block wants to welcome you to the trap, which makes sense because we may never make it out of 2019.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Fillmore, 820 Hamilton St. More: $15; fillmorenc.com

Milestone New Year’s Eve What: Andy the Doorbum is back for just one night, so show up and show him love. Joining him are Late Bloomer, Emotron, Bitterheart and more.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: The Milestone, 3400 Tuckaseegee Road More: $5-10; themilestone.club

The Best New Year’s Eve Party in Charlotte What: Out of the Blues opens the celebrations for a night that will go on to include $1,500 in cash prizes. If you’re over 18, you’re welcome, but you don’t get that champagne toast unless you’re 21.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Coyote Joe’s, 4621 Wilkinson Blvd.

More: $12; coyote-joes.com

SOUTH END/DILWORTH Lenny Boy New Year’s Eve Party What: The crew at Lenny Boy will be releasing new brews and new kombucha flavors throughout the day, and the live music kicks off at 5 p.m.

When: 3 p.m.

Where: Lenny Boy Brewing Co., 3000 South Tryon St. More: Free; discoverlennyboy.com Laid Back New Year’s What: Just like, totally chill dude. New beer releases, live music and absolutely no dress code. (You still need to wear clothes, unfortunately.)

When: 4 p.m.

Where: Sycamore Brewing, 2161 Hawkins St. More: Free; sycamorebrew.com New Year’s Punchin’ Eve What: DJ Chase Morgan spins and a ticket includes a drink package, glow sticks, a midnight champagne toast, balloon drop and more.

When: 10 p.m.

Where: The Suffolk Punch, 2911 Griffith St. More: $35-75; tinyurl.com/PunchinEve Seoul Food’s Casino Royale What: Order a martini shaken, not stirred, and belly up to the blackjack, craps or roulette table. There’s also a photo booth, music and plenty of other games.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Seoul Food Meat Company, 1400 South Church St. More: $50; tinyurl.com/SeoulCasino Masquerade Rosemont New Year’s Eve Party What: Head to the ‘Mont for great drink specials, a DJ and what’s being billed as an “epic balloon drop.” We’re not sure what means but it’s intriguing.

When: 7 p.m.

Where: Rosemont Bar, 1714 South Blvd.

More: Free; tinyurl.com/RosemontNoCover

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Hoppin’ New Years Eve What: Better act quick on this one, as there’s only 250 spots being offered for $1 pints of beer or six-ounce wine glasses out of 62 taps, so hop on over.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Hoppin’, 1402 Winnifred St. More: $50; tinyurl.com/HoppinNYE Retro New Year’s Eve What: While everyone else moves forward in 2019, Queen Park Social Club is going back as DJ View Beats spins your favorite tunes from the disco era to yesterday.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Queen Park Social Club, 4125 Yancey Road More: $15-75; tinyurl.com/RetroQPSC Cirque Du Southend What: Performers from Aerial CLT will be doing their thing on hoops along with all the other amenities of your usual New Year’s party.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: All American Pub, 200 E. Bland St. More: $29 and up; tinyurl.com/CirqueDuSouthend

New Year’s Eve at The Union What: An all-inclusive party package includes hors d’oeuvres, party favors, a champagne toast and drinks.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Union, 222 E. Bland St. More: $61; tinyurl.com/TheUnionNYE Alternative New Year’s Eve Celebration What: Probably the only right way out of what’s been a crazy year. Enjoy snacks and beverages before learning an introduction of the Buddha of Compassion meditation practice that goes through midnight.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Kadampa Meditation Center, 528 East Blvd.

More: $30; meditationcharlotte.org

SOUTH CHARLOTTE New Year’s Eve Ball What: This party here’s for grown folk.

Dance the night away to a performance from Maria St. John and enjoy a buffet dinner with refreshments.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: The Ballroom at Quail Hollow, 8514 Park Road

More: $40; tinyurl.com/TBQHNYE Countdown to Noon What: Let the kiddos have a little fun, as they’ll countdown to noon, create some newyear themed crafts and cupcakes, then go off on a sugar rush and conk out later, leaving the adults to have their fun.

When: 11:30 a.m.

Where: SAS Cupcakes, 9941 Rea Road More: $6; tinyurl.com/KidCountdown NYE at The Crowne Plaza What: From the folks who brought you the Omni Pool Party and the Hilton Haunted Halloween Party, these folks have the hotel party game on lock.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Crowne Plaza Charlotte, 5700 Westpark Drive More: $40-60; tinyurl.com/CrownePlazaNYE Bollywood Dhadak What: Bollywood comes to Ballantyne. Ring in the year in style with DJ Dharak. It’s a cash bar but it’s free parking.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Dakshin Indian Grill, 16640 Hawfield Way Dr. More: $29-39; tinyurl.com/BallantyneBollywood

GREATER CHARLOTTE Lumberjack Jam What: Throw axes with Southern Axecents, then enjoy a bonfire with s’mores and other snacks.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Twenty Six Acres Brewing Company, 7285 Westwind Blvd. NW, Concord More: Free; tinyurl.com/AxeTheOldYear Seaboard Brewing Taproom and Wine Tasting What: One of Matthews’ only breweries also has an amazingly large wine selection. Enjoy both at the brewery’s third annual New Year’s Eve celebration.

When: 9 p.m.

Where: Seaboard Brewing, Taproom & Wine Bar, 213 N. Trade St., Matthews More: Free; tinyurl.com/SeaboardNYE New Year’s Eve at BIN 110 What: Billed as an upscale event, the featured band will be Tastes Like Chicken. We’re not sure how to consolidate those two facts.

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Bin 110, 19712 One Norman Blvd., Suite 110, Cornelius

WEDNESDAY, DEC.19TH

PEARL & THE CHARLOTTE HOLDING COMPANY

What: Don’t expect to see many cover bands on our Lifeline, but we’ll make an exception for Travis Laughlin, aka Pearl, who’s been performing as Janis Joplin for decades. Each week of this residency covers a different classic album, with The Eyebrows backing Pearl up.

More: $5; 9 p.m.; Snug Harbor, 1228 Gordon St.; snugrock.com

THURSDAY, DEC. 20TH HOWIE DAY

What: With hits like “She Says,” Day fits comfortably in the John Mayer singer-songwriter mold. His symphonic pop is fine, but Day shines when he explores his experimental folk roots. His looped and layered acoustic guitar takes listeners to magical realms.

More: $25-30; 7 p.m.; Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St.; eveningmuse.com

FRIDAY, DEC.21ST

LIFELINE

16 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

DEC. 19TH-DEC. 25TH

ILANA GLAZER

What: With her BFF Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer rose to fame as the Weed Queen with web-series-turned-Comedy-Central hit, Broad City. The duo pulls situations and stories from their real lives to spin into comedic tales on-screen, and that’s exactly what Glazer will do at Comedy Zone.

More: $30 and up; 7:30 p.m.; Comedy Zone, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd.; cltcomedyzone.com

SATURDAY, DEC.22ND A VERY FIREBALL CHRISTMAS

What: Do you like PBR? Do you like Christmas stuff? Do you like adult film star Mya Blair? Then you’ll love A Very Fireball Christmas at The Milestone, which also features a chance to win a free PBR and $50 prize for the best Christmas-and-PBR-themed picture on Facebook.

More: $10; 8 p.m.; The Milstone Club, 3400 Tuckaseegee Rd.; themilestone.club

SUNDAY, DEC.23RD TURN-ABOUT SHOW

What: Turn-about is fair play when Chasers’ patrons get to see their favorite entertainers and employees like they’ve never seen them before. What hidden talents will be revealed? The holiday extravaganza also boasts a bevy of go-go boys.

More: Free; 9 p.m.; Chasers, 3217 The Plaza; facebook.com/chasersnoda

MONDAY, DEC.24TH A BOOZY CHRISTMAS STORY

What: If you’re lonely on Christmas Eve or just tired of your parents asking you for the umpteenth time if you’ve found someone to bring home to meet them, then find some other naughty or nice singles for a mixer at Press Box. Just don’t show up too hungover for family Christmas the next day.

More: $5; 9 p.m.; The Press Box Bar & Grill, 9609 N. Tryon St.; tinyurl.com/BoozyChristmasStory

TUESDAY, DEC.25TH LOST CARGO: A TIKI XMAS

What: Who’s dreaming of a Hawaiian Christmas? Every fourth Tuesday, Petra’s taproom transforms into a Tiki destination while Bo White blasts partygoers into exotica. It’s all the more fun this month because it falls on our friend Chris’ birthday. Correction: His name is Christ.

More: Free; 8-11 p.m.; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; petrasbar.com

WEDNESDAY, DEC.26TH

HIP HOP NUTCRACKER

What: Instead of a European setting and a dream of a battle between the Nutcracker Prince and Mouse King, this hip-hop ballet takes place in 1980s Brooklyn. Hip-hop meets ballet on stage in a tale of community.

More: $19.99 and up; 7 p.m., performances run through Dec. 29; Knight Theater, 430 S. Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org

THURSDAY, DEC.27TH LUENELL

What: Her film career began 25 years ago with So I Married an Axe Murderer, and Luenell has averaged a movie every year since then. She plays bit parts mostly, but she steals the scene every time, and as she showed in Borat, she’s not afraid to get raunchy for a good laugh.

More: $20; Runs through Dec. 29, times vary; Comedy Zone, 1000 NC Music Factory, B14; cltcomedyzone.com

FRIDAY, DEC.28TH

LIFELINE

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DEC. 26TH-JAN . 1ST

BROOKLYN NETS AT CHARLOTTE HORNETS

What: By the time the Nets arrive in town, enough time will have passed since Christmas to avoid a guilt trip from your family for taking in a basketball game. The Hornets are seventh in the Eastern Conference and one of the best teams in the NBA at home.

More: $15 and up; 7 p.m.; Spectrum Center, 333 E. Trade St.; nba.com/hornets

SATURDAY, DEC.29TH MONTY MAK, TOMBSTONE BETTY

What: Monty Mak’s electric piano-driven tunes are moody and soulful, conjuring up late nights or a long haul on a lonesome highway. Tombstone Betty serves up swampy and ferocious blues rock with the fervor of Little Richard and Humble Pie. More: $5; 10 p.m.; Smokey Joe’s, 510 Briar Creek Road; smokeyjoescharlotte.com

SUNDAY, DEC.30TH

ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD & ADRIAN YOUNGE

What: Unwritten rule of Lifeline: When a member of A Tribe Called Quest comes to town, you go to that show.

Muhammad will be joined by Adrian Younge, with whom he collaborated for Souls of Mischief and co-produced the soundtrack of the Marvel TV series Luke Cage.

More: $20-25; 7 p.m.; Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St.; eveningmuse.com

MONDAY, DEC.31ST

DANCING WITH THE STARS LIVE

What: The popular reality show hits the road with a stop in Charlotte for a night of rivalry and routine. Spend your New Year’s Eve with a variety of dance styles that have been featured for more than the past two dozen seasons.

More: $59.50 and up; 8 p.m.; Ovens Auditorium, 2700 E. Independence Blvd; ovensauditorium.com

TUESDAY, JAN.1ST FREE SOUP DAY

What: Free Range Brewing kicks off the new year with free soup, full bellies and maybe even a little beer. A variety of soups from local chefs include hot and sour soup, kitchen sink seafood chowder and vegan options.

More: Free; 11 a.m.; Free Range Brewing, 2320 N. Davidson St.; freerangebrewing.com

THE BOYS ARE BACK IN TOWN

LOVIN’ FROM THE OVEN Free; December 22, Noon-4 p.m.; Free Range Brewing, 2320 North Davidson St.; tinyurl.com/OvenLovin

Lucky Five reunites for the holidays

W

BY PAT MORAN

hen Marques Nash lifts his sleeve to reveal the tattoo on his right forearm, it depicts a megaphone boldly broadcasting waves of

sound.

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Above the megaphone is the title of Lucky Five’s album, La Resistance. Released in 2010, the eight-song studio collection crackled with the electric intensity of the quintet’s live shows. Propelled by Shago Elizondo’s and Jonny Fung’s dynamic caroming guitars and Nash’s soulful impassioned vocals, La Resistance fused funk, soul and jazz into a swinging pop-rock package.

Lucky Five shows were a communal experience that went beyond mere performance, I tell Elizondo and Nash. I know because I was at one 10 years ago. It was a house party in east Charlotte that felt more like a family gathering with the band members as the youngest members of the clan. I remember that one of the Lucky Five was too young to drink.

“That was me,” Elizondo, now 27, says laughing. Playing parties and clubs, the band built upon the virtuosic playing and welcoming vibe of their sets, going from strength to strength.

They landed high-profile gigs at Time Warner Blues BBQ and Speed Street, and played a South

by Southwest showcase in Austin in 2012.

Just as they were building momentum, the band came to an end with little fanfare.

Band members moved away to raise families and get on with their lives. Nash, Elizondo and drummer Jesse Williams tried to keep the flame alive with a combo called Electric Cartel, but the passion had dimmed and the moment had passed. Plans to reunite never did come to fruition — until now. On Dec. 26, the original lineup of Nash, Elizondo, Williams, Fung and

PHOTO BY ARVIND BHANDARI PHOTOGRAPHY

(Left to right): Adrian Crutchfield, Jonny Fung, Jesse Williams, Marques Nash, Andy Morimoto and Shago Elizondo play the Neighborhood Theater .

bassist Andy Morimoto will play a reunion show at the Evening Muse.

That’s why Elizondo and Nash have agreed to talk about Lucky Five and the band’s special connection to its dedicated fan base. We’re at Sugar Creek Brewing, where Nash, now 31 years old, is on the management team. He shares his enthusiasm for working the other side of the music business; booking artists and acts he once shared stages with for the brewery. That’s when talk turns to Lucky Five’s debut — and so far only — album.

“That album is my heartbeat,” says Nash, who got his tattoo right after the release of La Resistance. He explains the importance of the megaphone as a symbol for communication.

“I felt I had a lot of things to say and people couldn’t hear me. I felt that if I played louder and spoke louder — if I made enough noise — then people would have to listen.”

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Nash start-

ed singing in church at age 10. In time, as his church songs grew edgier, rougher and louder, Nash realized that he just wanted to play rock ‘n’ roll.

Elizondo started playing guitar at 13, progressing from classic rock to progressive metal, before slowing it down to take in blues, jazz and soul. When he was 15, Elizondo met Nash, now 18, who had just moved to Charlotte. The pair sat down to play a John Mayer song, and they knew then and there that they clicked.

Elizondo credits Guitar Center for bringing other band members into the fold. It was there that he met Williams, Morimoto and Fung.

By 2008, the five-piece unit was complete, occasionally augmented by saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield. Two years later, Lucky Five started recording their album. “It took us a long time to do it,” Elizondo says. “We were recording

that album for a year-and-a-half to two years.”

The long time span was due to the band’s perfectionism, but also because Lucky Five got a lucky break. Elizondo had a friend, Jeremiah Small, who interned at Gat3 Studios in Charlotte. Studio owner Glenn Tabor liked the band and let them record after hours for a fraction of the normal rate.

“We would go in there until 5 a.m. and just bang out tunes and get everything perfect,” Elizondo remembers. In the meantime, the band’s manger Jim Jervis booked the band for an official South

by Southwest showcase. Lucky Five stayed in downtown Austin for free and scored a keyboard endorsement at a gear expo, but Nash’s favorite memories stem from the drive to and from Austin.

“You really get to know your bandmates trapped in a van for 21 hours,” Nash says laugh-

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ing. “You get to know their smells, their habits and their driving patterns.”

With so much going for them, it seems perplexing that Lucky Five called it quits in 2012.

“Life just happened,” Nash explains.

Morimoto went to college in Chicago to study political science, Elizondo says. Then Fung moved to New York so his wife could attend college, and began a producing career in the city. For the past three years, Elizondo has been a working musician, frequently touring with national acts. Nash is now the father of two daughters, 6-year-old Demi and 8-monthold Miles. Nash is approaching his one-year anniversary at Sugar Creek, a time he describes as one of the happiest years of his life.

“My priorities changed after Demi was born,” Nash remembers. “I wanted to be there for every step, every breath, everything she did.” Music continued to be important to him, Nash continues, but he’s glad he decided to focus on his family.

But this year, the stars have finally aligned.

All the (former) boys of Lucky Five will be back in town at Christmastime. Prior to the reunion gig, Nash and Elizondo revisited the old material and were surprised by how little had changed.

“We put the first song on and we were like, ‘Oh shit, this is not nearly as hard as we thought it was going to be,’” Elizondo says.

The material still seems fresh, Nash adds. He also feels that the eight-year-old songs’ messages of hope remain strong. Nash always wanted people to realize that they’re not alone.

“I felt alone a lot. I dealt with a lot of things growing up. I battled addiction and depression. [The songs were] a way that I could connect with people without having to tell my super long-ass story,” he explains.

Above all, the reunion show will be a celebration, Nash says.

“I love any time that the original boys are together,” he continues. “They’re my family.”

Nash maintains that the biggest thrill will be hanging out with those four friends. “We were always friends first and bandmates second, which is why we were so successful for so long. We never had big blow outs or fall outs, because we loved to hang out together.”

PMORAN@QCNERVE.COM

NEW NAME, SAME GAME

Rel Mariano reintroduces himself with new single

BY RYAN PITKIN

We at Queen City Nerve will be the first ones to tell you that sometimes you just need a new start.

That’s why we were excited to see Jerrel Dunlap, formerly known as Schlyer Chaise, drop his first song under his new moniker Rel Mariano on Dec. 7, just two days after the debut issue of Queen City Nerve hit the streets.

After putting out four projects as Schyler Chaise, Dunlap has spent the last three years perfecting a new sound that reflects his true persona.

While some friends and family were perplexed as to why he would cancel a name like Schyler Chaise — one he so successfully built up by collaborating with national acts like Rick Ross and fellow Forever FC member Lute — Dunlap says it was only right that he remained true to himself.

When I ask why the name change was necessary to roll out his new work, he explains that the name and work both better represent who he is.

“This is a completely new start,” Dunlap says. “It was more so a change in myself. I decided I wanted to be me. So Rel Mariano, that’s legit my name, it’s a shortened version of my first name, and my middle name is Mariano. I was like, ‘Hey, I’mma just be me.’”

The first glimpse of Dunlap being himself came in the form of “Marc Henry,” the single he released on Dec. 7. The song kicks off with a catchy hook that features Mariano calling bluff on his peers: “You ain’t ever been this fly, You ain’t ever been this high, You ain’t ever seen this life/ You ain’t ever felt these scars, you ain’t ever right these wrongs, you ain’t even built like that.”

The fast-paced hook leads into a verse in which he slows things down, speaking to the audience over a subtle Penacho-produced beat. The dual nature of the song is what convinced Dunlap to release it as Rel Mariano’s

Rel Mariano.

first impression to the world.

“I came up with the hook and I knew this is going to be a very catchy song,” Dunlap says. “But then I wanted to still be able to say something in my verses instead of just going with the catchiness. So I just felt like it was the catchiness of a radio single in the hook, but the verses are like, ‘This is real, he’s saying something serious.’”

Dunlap’s raps range from a braggadocious first verse that includes a shout out to local skate shop Black Sheep to a second verse in which he describes the changes he made in his life to beat the odds and not end up dead or in jail.

While Dunlap hand-picked “Marc Henry” as his reintroduction to fans who have been patiently awaiting his return, he says more

PHOTO BY SALOAN ROCHELLE

upcoming releases will put a spin on what’s expected of him.

“The next vibes are probably going to get really different because I like a lot of different styles of music,” he says. “My next song isn’t going to sound anything like this one.”

While he says he has more than 100 songs put together already, he’s in no rush to push out more content just because he can.

“We could put out an EP, we could put out a project, but I feel more so, the important thing is growing the fanbase, allowing people to grow with me,” Dunlap says. “I don’t want to just drop a project and next week everyone’s over it. I kind of want everyone to grow with me. It will happen at the right time.”

RPITKIN@QCNERVE.COM

SOUNDWAVE DECEMBER 20 POP

Musicians’ Open Mic (Crown Station Coffee House and Pub) Lovely World (Tin Roof) Lisa De Novo (Growler USA) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Jim Garrett Trio (Comet Grill) Howie Day, Alex2e (Evening Muse)

Tarquinn (Hattie’s) Ghost Trees, Polyorchard, James Gilmore Trio (Petra’s) Pluto for Planet (RiRa) RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Knocturnal presents CL SMOOTH (Snug Harbor) Soulful Noel (McGlohon Theater) DJ/ELECTRONIC

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

EMO Night Carolina Xmas with Shane Crump of Alesana (Skylark Social Club) RenElvis (Petra’s) The Shana Blake Band (Smokey Joe’s Café) Act 2 (RiRa)

Crown Ugly Sweater Christmas Party w/ DJ’s Billy Dail and Mikael Fritts (Crown Station Coffee House and Pub) DJ Apollo (Tin Roof) DJ Good (RiRa) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

DJ/ELECTRONIC

Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill)

DJ FWB (Tin Roof) Le Bang (Snug Harbor)

POP

DECEMBER 21 20 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL

The Ruach Shabbat Experience (Rabbit Hole) ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Sammies CD Release Bash, with Parker Gispert from The Whigs (Visulite) The Orange Constant, Noonday Sons (Evening Muse) New Local (Smokey Joe’s) Phillip Michael Parsons (Tin Roof) Christmas Karaoke (The Milestone) Alright EP release show w/ Petrov, Acne & Family Friend (The Milestone) Larkin Poe (Booth Playhouse)

Dane Page, Chip McGee, George Banda (Evening Muse)

DECEMBER 22 DJ/ELECTRONIC

The Passport: Global Riddims Day Party, Vol. 1.

(Crown Station Coffee House and Pub) ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Crackers & Snackmeat, Case Federal & The Agents, The Remarks (Rabbit Hole) Aqualads and It’s Snakes (Tommy’s Pub) A Very Fireball Christmas Party (The Milestone) Rat Poison (Evening Muse) Aarodynamics (Hattie’s) For the Love of She Vol. 2: Bleu From Indigo, Celeste Moonchild & Boomchild, Mara Robbin,

SOUNDWAVE Levi Darosa, Ludy Tee, DJ Gemynii (Snug Harbor) Moose Kick, Cooper Alan (Visulite) Glow Co. & DJ Apollo (Tin Roof) Omari & the Hellhounds (Comet Grill) Nita B and her Soiree (Smokey Joe’s) Moses Jones (Comet Grill) Pistol Town (RiRa) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Peter Rowan (Neighborhood Theatre) Cassidy Daniels (Tin Roof) Ashley Heath (Primal Brewery) Mad Crush CD Release, Admiral Radio (Evening Muse) Holiday Showcase featuring Lisa De Novo, Ellie Morgan, & Chelsea Locklear (Heist Brewery) ROOTS/INTERNATIONAL

Irish Ceili Brunch (Petra’s)

DECEMBER 23 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

21 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

Metal Church Sunday Service (The Milestone) RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Bone Snugs-N-Harmony (Snug Harbor) Japanese Maple, Mariah Van Kleef, JPH (Petra’s)

DECEMBER 24

JAZZ/INSTRUMENTAL

Jazz Jam Hosted by Occie Davids, Troy Conin, & Ron Brendle (Crown Station Coffee House and Pub) POP

Find Your Muse Open Mic (Evening Muse)

RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Le Bang (Snug Harbor)

Knocturnal (Snug Harbor)

DECEMBER 28

DECEMBER 25

Pat McGee, Ernie Halter (Neighborhood Theatre) James Brock (Smokey Joe’s) Pat McGee, Ernie Halter (Neighborhood Theatre) Wormholes, Jah Will, Sweat Transfer (Visulite) Moon Taxi, Luthi (Fillmore) Mr. Pink (RiRa) Trey Lewis(Tin Roof) Ol’ Sport with Charm, Bex & Halloween Costume Contest (The Milestone) Eliot Bronson, Sam Tayloe (Evening Muse)

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Open Jam with the Smokin’ Js (Smokey Joe’s) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

A Christmas Country Tuesday (Snug Harbor)

DECEMBER 26 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

Lucky Five Reunion (Evening Muse) December Residency: Pearl & The Charlotte Holding Company, RenElvis, DJ Marlon Young (Snug Harbor) Elliott Humphries (Primal Brewery) Quincey Blues (Smokey Joes’s)

DECEMBER 27 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

The Moon Unit, The Goodnight Brothers (Evening Muse) Coughing Dove, Problem Addict, Pretty Baby (Petra’s) Travers Brothership, Downtown Abby, The Echoes (Neighborhood Theatre) The Shana Blake Band (Smokey Joe’s Café) Matt Minchew (RiRa) Mighty Mango (Comet Grill) Musicians’ Open Mic (Crown Station Coffee House and Pub) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Lenny Federal Band (Comet Grill) DJ/ELECTRONIC

CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS WITH THE GLORIOUS SOUNDS OF

VINYL

ROCK/PUNK/METAL

RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Player Made (Snug Harbor) Boulevards w/ Boomchld, Fat Night (Snug Harbor)

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 825 CENTRAL AVE. CHARLOTTE, NC 704-331-0788

DJ/ELECTRONIC

Mirror Moves (Petra’s)

DECEMBER 29 ROCK/PUNK/METAL

#LocalOnly Saturday (The Milestone) Leebo & Friends (Comet Grill) Haunting Portraits w/ Joshua Creek, Launch & The Modern Condition (The Milestone) Hardcore Lounge, Mannish Boys, Lofidels (Petra’s) Grown Up Avenger Stuff, Bergenline (Evening Muse) COUNTRY/FOLK/AMERICANA

Cardfall (Tin Roof) Jacob Davis Martin (Primal Brewery) Courtney Lynn & Quinn (Hattie’s) Truckstop Preachers, Jason Moss & the Hosses, The Loose Lugnuts, Bill Noonan & the Hey Joes RAP/HIP HOP/SOUL/FUNK/R&B

Joyryde (Fillmore) Plies, DJ Envy (Fillmore) Midnight Hour Tour - Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge (Evening Muse)

LOVIN’ FROM THE OVEN Free; December 22, Noon-4 p.m.; Free Range Brewing, 2320 North Davidson St.; tinyurl.com/OvenLovin

two wondered what they could do to provide support to the people affected.

22 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

A HALF-BAKED IDEA

PHOTO BY LANEY JAHKEL-PARRISH.

GETTING BAKED FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Lovin’ From the Oven continues to raise relief

I

BY VANESSA INFANZON

n September, as Hurricane Florence bore down on the Carolinas, employees at the 300 East restaurant in Dilworth were scrambling to protect thousands of dollars’ worth of refrigerated products. They

were frantic that the old home they’re housed in would lose power and they took every precaution in case it did. Management closed the restaurant for the weekend, despite the loss of revenue.

And then Flo was a flop in Charlotte. The restaurant was fine, but pastry chef Ashley Boyd and pastry sous chef Laney Jahkel-Parrish watched as the hurricane devestated the eastern part of the state. Feeling helpless, the

Then, Boyd reached out to Jahkel-Parrish late one night. “I think we should do a bake sale,” she texted. In three weeks, they whipped up Lovin’ From The Oven — a large-scale fundraising event to benefit the eastern part of the state.

More than 20 pastry chefs including Ashley Anna Tuttle from Haymaker, Miranda Brown from The Asbury and Justin Burke-Samson from Kindred and Hello, Sailor donated baked goods at the first Lovin’ From The Oven in November.

“The thing about chef people is that whenever something goes wrong, they say, ‘What can we do? What can we bake? What can we donate?’” Jahkel-Parrish said. “We had people searching us out once they found out we were doing it.”

That event, held at Free Range Brewing, sold out in one hour. “It was the most serendipitous day,” Jahkel-Parrish said. “Everything worked out just as it should have.”

They raised $3,600, almost doubling their goal. The proceeds were split evenly between the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and Pender County Schools’ Hurricane Relief. Funds donated to the food bank are used to provide food, cleaning supplies, hygiene items and water to 27 affected counties.

THE SECOND BATCH

Shoppers asked for another round of Lovin’ From The Oven close to Christmas Day — some of them want to show up to the family holiday party with “their” homemade pie.

The upcoming holiday edition, to be held 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 22 at Free Range Brewing, won’t be much different from the last, with baked goods from more than 20 local chefs.

Shoppers can expect individual treats such as cookies and brownies, full pies, whole cakes, breads, edible host gifts, dog treats, coffee and a hot cocoa bar with homemade marshmallows (see sidebar), with prices ranging from $3-60.

Look for gluten-free options, too.

Bonterra pastry chef TJay Jones is returning with his famous cheesecakes. “In the culinary world, I think we have a unique opportunity to really help people with what we provide,” he said. “Chef Ashley (Boyd) is the greatest. Anything she asks, I’m there.”

Jason Alexander, co-founder of Free Range Brewing, jumped at the chance to host the event at his Villa Heights taproom.

“It’s exactly the type of event and cause we want to support,” he said.

Alexander grew up in the areas affected by the hurricane. He appreciates how an event like Lovin’ From The Oven can bring awareness to what’s still needed in eastern North Carolina.

Funds raised from the upcoming sale will be split between the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and NC FIELD Farmworker Emergency Fund.

“We’re shifting our focus a little bit with the beneficiaries,” Jahkel-Parrish said. “We’re going to pull in an element for our farmer friends. They were hugely impacted by the storm. Some of them lost all of their fall crops and haven’t been able to replant for their winter crop to get ready for spring. We still don’t know how bad it is.”

Beat the holidays with these delicious desserts at Lovin’ From The Oven Here’s a sampling of what’s available on Dec. 22. If you drool on the paper, don’t put it back on the rack.

— Come fully-baked to your parent’s house with one of Bonterra Chef TJay Jones’ butter pecan or strawberry cheesecakes.

— Surprise the neighbors with a few of Your Mom’s Donuts, since your real mom can’t bake.

— Score brownie points (or cake points) with the boss with Freshlist Chef Matt Martin’s roasted pumpkin cake and pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

23 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

— Bribe Santa with organic cacao bean chocolate bars from Potts Chocolate.

— Get on Santa’s naughty list with Bourbon Balls and Whiskey Marshmallows. They’re Laney Jahkel-Parrish’s answer to whiskey inspired treats.

— Treat grandma to decorated holiday sugar cookies from Sweet Spot Studio and Paige’s Designer Cookies.

— Toss the dog a bone or crunchy pumpkin cookies and soft pupcakes. Leave it to Kris Schmidt and Laney Jahkel-Parrish at 300 East to remember the pups at home.

— Impress holiday guests with dinner rolls, brioche rolls, potato herb rolls and potato pretzel rolls from Dukes Bread.

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 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

24 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

Monday: 20-oz. draft for 16 oz price

Tuesday: $5 specialty cocktails Wednesday: $3.50 local drafts Saturday & Sunday: $5 bloody marys & mimosas

DILWORTH NEIGHBORHOOD GRILLE Monday: $4 Crown & Down Tuesday: $4 drafts, $12 pitchers, $5 flights of North Carolina drafts Wednesday: 1/2 price 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

SOUTHEND & UPTOWN

BIG BEN PUB

Monday: $5.50 20-oz. NoDa craft beer, $2.00 off vodka ROXBURY NIGHTCLUB Friday: $5 flavor vodka drinks, $5 fire Shots, $3 Wednesday: $5.25 20-oz. Spaten, 1/2 price wine bottles beer bottles Fri: $5.50 20-oz. Crispin & Guinness, $5 Dale’s Saturday: $5 fire shots, $4 Zima, $3 beer Fireball shot bottles Sat: $5.50 20-oz. seasonal beers, $5 mimosas and bloody marys COMMON MARKET SOUTHEND Sun: $5.25 20-oz. Boddington, $5 mimosas Monday: 1/2 off select pints and bloody marys Tuesday: Free beer tasting 5-7 p.m.

Wednesday: $2 off select pints, wine tasting MAC’S SPEEDSHOP 5-7 p.m.

Monday: $3 pints, $5 Titos Tuesday: 1/2 price wine, $3 mystery draft Wednesday: $4 tall boys, $5 Lunazul Blanco DILWORTH TASTING ROOM Tuesday: free charcuterie board with purchase Thursday: $3 mystery cans & bottles, $4 Jim Beam of wine flight Friday: $1 off brewery of the month (Ballast Wednesday: 1/2 off Toki highball Point), $5 Fireball Thursday: 1/2 off Pinot Noir bottles Saturday: $1 off North Carolina pints, $6.50 Sunday: $8 Blue Panther cocktail when vodka Red Bull Panthers are winning

Do you want your bar or restaurant featured in The Buzz?

Contact Aaron Stamey astamey@qcnerve.com

Sunday: $4 bloody marys and mimosas

GIN MILL

& PBR APA Tuesday: $6 Tuaca, $6 Tullamore Dew Wednesday: $3 Birdsong, $5 Sauza, $6 Espolon Thursday: $2 Bartender Bottles, $6 Crown Royal Sunday: $3 Birdsong, $3 Tall or Call

BILLY JACK’S SHACK

Monday: $1.00 off moonshine & moonshine cocktails, $3 domestics Monday: $5 Titos & New Amsterdam, $4 craft Tuesday: $1 off all drafts, $7 Jameson beer Wednesday: $1 off bottles and cans Tuesday: 1/2 price wine Thursday: $4.50 wells Wednesday: $4 draft beer Friday: $5 Fireball, $1 off local bottles and cans Thursday: $2.50 PBR, $5 Jack Daniels & Titos NODA 101 Saturday: $4 mimosas $5 Brunch Punch, $5 Monday: $4 Ketel One Lemon Drop, $4 Wells, Fireball Sunday: $4 mimosas, $5 Brunch Punch, $5 $5 Camerena Tuesday: $6 Seasonal Cocktails, $6 Jameson, $4 Fireball, $10 champagne bottles JACKBEAGLES Grape Gatorade Monday: $5 Cuervo margaritas Wednesday: $1 off Whiskey, $5 Green Tea Shot, Tuesday: $3 drafts, $5 vodka Red Bull $6 Blue Balls Wednesday: $1 off whiskey Thursday: $5 Jagermeister, $6 vodka Redbull, Thursday: $6 Deep Eddy’s vodka Red Bull $6 Oxley Gin Cocktail Friday: $5 Fun-Dip Shots, $5 Crown Royal Black Friday: $5 Fireball, $6 vodka Red Bull, $6 WHISKEY WAREHOUSE Saturday: $5 Gummy Bear Shots, $5 Big MimoJameson Monday: $3.50 George Dickel Lemonade sa, $6.50 Double bloody mary Saturday: $6 Tito’s, $5 Fireball, $6 vodka Red Tuesday: $3 Michelob Ultra, $6 classic cocktails Sunday: $5 Big mimosa, $6.50 Double bloody Bull Wednesday: $4 drafts, $3 sparkling rosé mary Sunday: $5 Deep Eddy Flavors, $1 off tequila, Thursday: Half price wine, $3 Truly cans $5 White Gummy Bear Shots Friday: $5 remix classics, $4 Corona & Corona SANCTUARY PUB Light Monday: $7 Bulleit & Bulleit Rye, $3 Yuengling $4 Draft special everyday!

NODA

25 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

PLAZA MIDWOOD & ELIZABETH

Saturday: $2.50 Miller Lite bottles, $3 Dos Equis drafts Sunday: $2.50 Bud Light, $5 Tito’s Saturday-Sunday: $2 mimosas, bloody mary bar

HATTIE’S TAP & TAVERN 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

CASWELL STATION Monday: $2 domestics, $4 well drinks Tuesday: $3 pints, $5 Deep Eddy’s Vodka Wednesday: $3.50 NC Drafts, $5 Bulleit, 1/2 price bottles of wine Thursday: 1/2 price signature cocktails, $2 Tecate cans, $3 Dos Equis & Modelo Friday: $3 Yeungling drafts, $6 Crown Apple Saturday: $3.50 pub cans, $6 Jameson Sunday: $2 mimosas, $4 bloody marys, $10 domestic buckets

Do you want your bar or restaurant featured in The Buzz?

Contact Aaron Stamey astamey@qcnerve.com

LILLY SPA 704-392-8099 MON-SUN 9AM-11PM EXIT 37 OFF I-85

WE ACCEPT ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS

SOUTH ON BEATTIES FORD THEN FIRST RIGHT ON MONTANA DRIVE (LOCATED 1/2 MILE ON THE LEFT 714-G MONTANA DRIVE

THE COMPANY CHRISTMAS PARTY TRAP

workers as if they were standing 50 feet away that tomorrow he would be the topic of the day around the office water cooler chatter.

As the blubbering behemoth made his way to the bar to place a drink order that would Don’t get fired for having too good a time never be filled, he stepped lazily and took

BY JUSTIN ZALEWSKI three bar stools with him. Gravity, momentum and the 10 bourbons he apparently ran y name’s Justin Zalewski, ence for everyone involved. though at his company party were all fighting but most people know me I’ve often joked that, the same way you as Z. Bars and restaurants must get a license to drive when you turn 16 him, and the odds were not in his favor. have always been a part of As he gathered himself and attempted to years old, you should get a license to drink in my life. public at the age of 21. In these pages, I’ll be play it off, he commenced with his order. I had From a young age, I learned about the sharing some stories that will only go to prove already prepared him a triple water on the complexities of back-of-house catering oprocks. What happens next is where everything why I say that. erations at my family business. Through that As any bartender will tell you, every shift went wrong for the big fella. experience, I learned the foundations of hard “I will taaakkkeee a boouuuurrrbon on the brings the potential to witness tales that are work and the grit and patience it takes to work stranger than fiction, and I’ve seen plenty. rocks” he muttered to me, drooling. I simply in the hospitality business. replied, “Sir, how about a water?”

Hopefully you can get a chuckle at some Since leaving Western Michigan University of the stories I share and, most importantly, “Fuck you,” he replied. in 2007, service industry work has been my “No more drinks for you, friend-o.” I told have a better understanding of what it’s like main source of income. While in college I rehim, and with co-workers looking on in shock, to work in a bar and how to act when you are ceived invaluable, hands-on training on how a out enjoying cocktails. So let me tell you about the apparent man in charge stepped in and restaurant/bar is run at the highest level, from some shit I saw last night ... tried to guide him away from the bar, but both a business and customer service aspect.

Chumlee wouldn’t have it.

As business at the bar started picking up I have worked every aspect of the business. I This is when I stepped in and began to around 11 p.m., I noticed an incoming Christmas started as a bouncer, then became a barback, party at the entrance. These wild animals were escort him out of the bar, but then he took a line cook and finally a bartender. sloppy swing at my security. Again, gravity dressed in what could be described as a poor In early 2008, I took a position as head began to take effect, and as he spilled out attempt at following a Great Gatsby theme. bartender for one of BMG’s concepts: Blackfinn onto the pavement, he told me he was going Let’s just say that 50 people walked into American Saloon, which brought me to Charlotte the bar that night and 49 have a job today. to kick my ass. later that year. I’ve since tended bar at various That’s no problem, I hear it all the time, As I surveyed the clientele, I made a quick locations throughout the city, and currently work scan to be sure that everyone was still fit to but I worried as I walked back into the bar that as a bartender for the Blind Pig in NoDa. I would be greeted with a group of big man’s enjoy cocktails. Alas, my white whale apThese experiences have led to this column, peared. He was a mountain of a man standing angry co-workers. After all, I had no beef with which will serve as an outlet for myself and 6 feet tall and weiging in around 290 pounds. them and only aimed to make their party a other service industry workers across the city I could tell from the way he talked to co- more pleasant experience. to help create a more harmonious bar experiNot to worry, however, as I was instead

26 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

M

greeted with cheers and high fives. Apparently he was not the most popular professional on staff. With him gone, the team confided that they hoped his hangover would keep him from work the next day.

Keeping that man’s story in mind, here is some solid advice for the holiday cocktail season: Don’t get so fired up on booze at your company Christmas party that you end up unemployed by Christmas Day. Also, seeing as how this is the New Year’s Guide, a holiday that we in the service industry consider one of three major amateur nights for people getting drunk and showing their ass, here are a few more tips to get you through to 2019 unscathed.

Have your drink order when you approach the bar. This will save your bartender and everyone around you valuable time.

When the free champagne toast takes place at midnight, don’t be a hog and try and drink five. Have one and move on.

Pace yourself! You need to make it to midnight.

If you are with a group of friends, take turns buying rounds for each other. It will all even out at night’s end.

I understand that not everyone likes the same shot, but come to some sort of an agreement with your group on a shot everyone can enjoy. Nothing is worse for a bartender than to have to make one green tea, one royal flush, two lemon drops (never order lemon drops) and a cherry bomb.

All that being said, I look forward to seeing everyone out there having a good time. Let’s roll out of this crazy year in a dignified way.

investment. Wait until the holiday distractions are over. Then take a harder look at it. You might find that the “gold” is starting to flake off.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A former friend might be trying to heal the breach

between you by using a mutual friend as an intermediary. Best advice: Keep an open mind despite any lingering bad feelings.

BORN THIS WEEK: You have a way of saying the right thing at the right time. Your friendships are deep and lasting.

DECEMBER 26 -JANUARY 1 ARIES (March 21 to April 19) The arts are a strong part of the Arian aspect, with music becoming more dominant.

DECEMBER 19-25

CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Don’t allow a suddenly icy reaction from a friend or family member to continue without learning what caused it -- and what can be done to restore that once warm and caring relationship.

recent rift with a trusted colleague, but also might provide a chance to wipe the slate clean TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Surroundand make a fresh start in your friendship. ing yourself with beautiful things helps restore the Taurean soul. Enjoy an art exhibit, LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) A for example. Or redecorate your personal family member’s personal situation is, fortu- space with something truly splendid. nately, resolved in time for you to get back into your hectic round of holiday preparations.

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Some An old friend might bring a new friend into colleagues might try to talk you out of what your life. they insist is a risk, but which you consider an opportunity. As usual, follow your own good SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) sense when making your decision.

Pace yourself in meeting holiday pressures and workplace demands to avoid winding up CANCER (June 21 to July 22) A workwith a frayed temper and a Scorpian stingplace change you might have worried about er that lashes out at puzzled kith, kin and soon proves to be highly favorable for the colleagues. clever Crab who is ready to take advantage of new opportunities opening up.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) A financial matter requires LEO (July 23 to August 22) Congratuclose attention. Also, news from a trusted lations. Your Leonine pride is polished to a source provides the means to help sort out a dazzling new brilliance thanks to your success long-standing state of confusion and put it in winning support for your new project from into perspective. even the most doubtful of detractors.

LEO (July 23 to August 22) A relationship seems to be unraveling, mostly from a lack of attention. It might be a good idea to ease up on whatever else you’re doing so you can spend more time working to mend it.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) This is a good time to reinforce family ties. Make it a priority to assess and resolve all outstanding problems. Start the upcoming holiday season with a full measure of love.

ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Careful, Lamb. Don’t let your generous nature lead to some serious overspending as you contemplate your holiday gift-giving. Your social life kicks off into high gear by week’s end.

TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) A positive attitude helps you weather annoying but unavoidable changes in holiday plans. Aspects favor new friendships and reinforcement of existing relationships.

27 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Demands on your energy level could be much higher than usual as you prepare for the upcoming holidays. Be sure to pace yourself. Friends and family will be happy to help.

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) New facts emerge that not only help explain the

VIRGO (August 23 to September 22) An unsettling rumor about a colleague’s apparently regrettable behavior is soon proved groundless, allowing you to enjoy the upcoming end-of-year festivities in a happy mood.

vironment out of a chaotic situation earns you the admiration of someone who could become an important new presence in your life.

SCORPIO (October 23 to November 21) Your Scorpion’s sense of loyalty could find you leading a passionate defense of a loved one you feel is being unfairly treated. The week’s end brings long-awaited family news.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to December 21) Your keen instincts are once more on high alert as you find yourself being pressured to make a quick decision about a certain matter. More facts come to light by week’s end.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19) An unexpected workplace development could disrupt some family plans. A full explanation, however, averts domestic discord.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) Spend time away from distractions to reassess some recent moves that might not have worked out as you had hoped.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20) A recent act of kindness is a reminder of how important your friends are to you. You might want to show your appreciation by hosting a special pre-New Year’s party just for them.

BORN THIS WEEK: You always try to do your best, which sometimes causes you to AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18) LIBRA (September 23 to October 22) Your be critical of those who don’t live up to your Don’t be pressured into a so-called solid-gold success in helping to create a harmonious en- standards.

beautiful men — they’re both dancers — and I couldn’t help myself: I watched the videos, more than once, before deleting them. So how bad a person am I?

SICK AND WRONG

You’re a better person than the asshole ex who sent those videos to everyone your poor cousin knows, SAW, but a worse person than those who deleted the videos without wanking over them first.

BY DAN SAVAGE

I’m a kinky single woman who keeps attracting the wrong men for me — specifically, submissive guys into face-sitting. I’m submissive myself, and face-sitting is not a turn-on for me. But the vast majority of men who hit on me have this fetish. I think it’s a size-related issue — a my-size-related issue. I’m a full-figured/curvy woman with a big butt. Granted, it’s a fabulous butt, but my butt sends the wrong signals, apparently. I’ve tried several times to word my FetLife and other dating profiles so that I’ll attract dominant men, but the messages from submissive wannabe face-sittees pour in. Dating when you’re not thin is hard enough. Help, please.

BABY GOT BACK

28 Dec. 19- Jan. 1, 2019 WWW.QCNERVE.COM

You’ve worded your dating profiles to attract Doms, BGB, but it doesn’t sound like you’ve worded your profiles to repel — and crush the hopes of — submissive wannabe face-sittees. Let’s fix that: “I get a lot of messages from submissive guys into face-sitting.

I’ve got a great butt, I realize, but I’m a sub, I’m not into face-sitting, and I only want to hear from Dom guys.” Some submissive guys will message you anyway — guys who will be letting you know they have a hard time taking no for an answer, BGB, so not guys you’d ever want to meet up with IRL. Delete their messages and block their profiles.

While having sex one night with my

girlfriend, I pulled out a vibrator for the first time. She asked whether I (a guy) had used it with a previous partner (another woman). I conceded that I had.

She refused to let me use it on her on the grounds that it had already been inside someone else. I pointed out that since I am not a virgin, her objection did not seem principled: My penis has been in someone else and she lets me put that in her. Nevertheless, she remained adamant. Do you think she was being reasonable?

VERY INTERESTED BOYFRIEND ENQUIRES

Your life is a monstrous affront to God, and your life’s work, your ridiculous “advice” column, encourages people to act on their worst impulses. Advice column?

Take the “D” away! You write A VICE column! I was involved in the gay life once, Mr. Savage, but the love of Jesus delivered me from homosexual sin. Embrace Christ, and you too can be delivered. I pray for you every day. Someone has to.

left behind when Jesus raptured you out of homosexual sin aren’t gonna suck themselves, are they?

P.S. “Jesus is love,” my Catholic mother liked to say. If she was right, CESS, He surely finds the things going into my mouth less offensive than the shit coming out of yours.

CHRIST EVEN SAVES SAVAGES

P.S. I have read what you’ve written about your mother, who you claim to have loved. Your mother died relatively young. I’m not suggesting God punished you by cutting your mother’s life short.

No, your mother died of shame.

On the Lovecast, sex-toy expert Erika Moen discusses strap-ons for men: savagelovecast. com.; mail@savagelove.net; @fakedansavage on Twitter; ITMFA.org

You pray for me, CESS, and I’ll gay for I do not, VIBE, but since you don’t want to you — because all the delicious dick you stick your old vibrator in me — presumably — what I think is irrelevant. When it comes to who gets to stick what in our bodies, we’re alMulti-cultural Staff lowed to be arbitrary, inconsistent, capricious and even illogical. That’s why “But my dick has been in other women and you let me stick that in you!” isn’t quite the slam-dunk argument you think it is. So toss that old vibrator and get yourself a new one — but save the packaging so you can pass it off as new with your next girlfriend.

My cousin was a victim of revenge porn. A bitter ex-boyfriend of his sent several videos they’d made to everyone on my cousin’s contact list, including me.

I’m a straight woman who prefers gay male porn, and my cousin and his ex are

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1 Fistfight “souvenir” 7 Fish groups 14 Yasir of the Middle East 20 Actress Mumford 21 Fine-meshed nylon cap 22 Go to the polls again 23 Certain room decor adhesive 25 Gives a heads-up 26 Baseball’s “Georgia Peach” 27 Hindu mystic 29 Mobster’s gun 30 Spot’s sound 33 Ending for plug or play 34 It may be worn under a tennis shoe 38 Hitchcock film of 1940 41 Cliches 42 Trickster of Norse myth 43 Ramones’ debut single 45 In the -- of (during) 46 “-- So Shy” (1980 hit) 47 Bluish-black sour fruit 48 Check casher, say 51 -- boom 54 Hurt 55 Slimy pest in a flower bed 60 Does some needlework 62 Penniless people 64 Pop singer Turner 65 Fracas 66 Lead-in to mo or pitch 67 Blackjack call that’s apt for this puzzle’s theme?

68 “-- the ramparts ...”

70 Roker and Pacino 71 Nevada city 73 Trouser lines 75 Hand-held seizing tool 77 Sleeve feature with a link 79 Transaction in 71-Across 80 Wants badly, with “for” 81 Eddie -- (clothing chain) 82 Above

84 Luau bowlful 85 End in -- (go unresolved) 88 Innate sense of time 94 Pieces of pizza?

95 Actor Tatum 98 Acorn maker 99 Solar system component 101 He cried “I pity the fool!”

102 Little guy 103 Luau accessory 104 Perfect thing 105 Small river craft 108 Messing up 110 Ability to influence a campaign, perhaps 117 Loath (to) 118 Not in time 119 Come out 120 One hunting 121 Appalachian range 122 Get canines

DOWN

1 Handful of 2 Imitating 3 “My mama done -- me ...”

4 Buoyant tune 5 Kids’ guessing game 6 Tail-fanning birds 7 Brand of cat food 8 Low- -- meal 9 In vogue 10 Man-mouse middle 11 Put- -- (hoaxes) 12 Disclose accidentally 13 Plastered 14 Pal of Athos and Porthos 15 Antique 16 “-- Maria” 17 Permanently 18 Tears into 19 Aid in self-diagnosis 24 Like icecaps 28 Eroded

Solution on page 28 30 Hedge fund whiz 31 Roman Cath., e.g.

32 DOJ agcy.

34 Jason’s ship of myth 35 “It wasn’t meant --” 36 Managed care gp.

37 Most furtive 39 Set of values 40 Brno natives 41 Tolling thing 44 Sister and wife of Osiris 45 Guys 48 Lead-in to 52-Down 49 Clever 50 “Pro” replies 51 Neck wrap 52 Get via Amazon, e.g.

53 Not a single person 54 Pronto 55 Supporters of canines 56 Oafish sort 57 Fibbing sorts 58 Not aflame 59 Breathes in quickly 61 Yale of Yale University 62 Singer Edith 63 It spits out bills, briefly 67 Pajama-clad mag founder 69 Latch again, as a door 72 Like some safe runners 74 South, in Spanish

75 -- diagram (math image) 76 Remorse 78 Raven sound 79 Tennis champ Bjoern 82 Electric co., e.g.

83 Bottled (up) 84 Blood part 85 Funnel-shaped flowers 86 Merit 87 Career completer 88 Flowering 89 Hanoi-to-Beijing dir.

90 Major vessel 91 Moon, e.g.

92 Co. leader 93 B minor, e.g.

95 Coot 96 Go in haste 97 Makes fit 100 Light wash 101 Middle Ages weapons 105 Nosh 106 Highest point 107 “--’s Gold” (Peter Fonda film) 109 Bug a lot 111 Brit’s john 112 Sort 113 Mai -114 Leftover bit 115 “Blech!”

116 Informal shirt

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