5 minute read
Lifeline: A dose of reality
‘THE PRINCESS BRIDE’ Still from film 2/23
FOOD & FLIX: ‘THE PRINCESS BRIDE’
The 1970s show The Kopycats did a skit where impressionists such as Rich Little and Frank Gorshin stripped down Casablanca to a string of famous quotes. This approach would work even better with The Princess Bride, a goldmine of unforgettable nuggets: “Inconceivable!” “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” “My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” The Independent Picture House teams with Alchemy @ C3 Lab for a dinner-and-a-movie combo that includes this timeless, clever and quotable romcom classic. More: $5; Feb. 23, 6 p.m.; Alchemy @ C3 Lab, 2517 Distribution St.; c3-lab.com
UNC Charlotte Department of Theatre alumna Tina Kelly directs this lyrical production of playwright Charly Evon Simpson’s Jump. The poetic, non-linear drama focuses on a young woman named Fay whose life and family are in transition. The story touches on memory and mortality as Fay and her sister Judy sift through their mother’s belongings, yet all is not what it seems as the boundary between the living and the dead blur. Simpson’s play, inspired by stories from survivors who attempted suicide by jumping from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, illustrates that still waters hide deeper currents. More: $8-$18; Feb. 24-27; Black Box Theater, Robinson Hall, 9201 University City Blvd.; coaa.charlotte.edu
This documentary by award-winning Black journalist and longtime WBTV reporter Steve Crump outlines the accomplishments and character of civil rights leader Julius Chambers. After graduating first in his class at the UNC Charlotte School of Law, Chambers opened the first integrated law practice in North Carolina in June 1964. After litigating landmark cases like Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education, Chambers’ house and law offices were bombed and his car was dynamited. He did not stand down, and his efforts curtailed racism and strengthened laws against segregation and discrimination. More: Free, RSVP required; Feb. 24, 6:30 p.m.; Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St.; ganttcenter.org
SAMMY RAY AND THE FRIENDS
Sammy Ray & the Friends’ ebullient blast of musical cheer is addictive. Fronted by Samantha Bowers, the octet crafts an irresistible mélange of funk, pop and jazz that celebrates connection, community and catharsis. With confident, punchy horn-driven arrangements, the band skirts the high-energy retro-soul corner while steering clear of overt slickness, opting instead for sincerity and a sense of play. It can be heard in the band’s slinky cover of Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” or in effervescent originals like “Follow Me Like the Moon.” More: $20 and up; Feb. 25, 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com
BARTI GRAS
Imagine our surprise when we discovered that Columbia, South Carolina, has had a Mardi Gras festival and parade, while Charlotte has nothing. In the meantime, several Queen City bars and breweries are hosting their own variations on a “Laissez les bons temps rouler.” We recommend Bart’s Mart’s Barti Gras, which features a king cake eating contest and a barkus dog costume contest. Bart’s Mart can boast some cool costumes at their events; last December’s Krampus celebration drew a stranger in full and convincing Krampus get-up, and to this day no one knows his real identity. More: Free; Feb. 26, 8 p.m.; Bart’s Mart, 3042 Eastway Drive; facebook.com/Bartsmart.clt
WEDNESDAY NIGHT LIVE: THE QC GARMINT DISTRICT
The Mint executes a confident runway strut when designers Megan Ilene, Gordon Holliday, Tara Davis, Gege Gilzene, and Brehon Williams present their couture creations in a live fashion show. The show highlights the Mint’s recognition of fashion designers’ work as art, while serving as a prelude to the December 2022 exhibition and catalog Fashion Reimagined, which celebrates 50 years of the Mint’s fashion collection. The event includes sounds by Dammit Wesley, a performance by B&C Ballroom and a pop-up market with 50 local designers and artists. More: Free; March 2, 5 p.m.; Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S. Tryon St.; mintmuseum.org
GOODIE MOB AT THE HEIGHT OF THEIR SUCCESS Publicity photo 3/6
Cryptids, or animals whose existence is unsubstantiated, are at the core of writer-director Dash Shaw’s delightfully trippy animated fantasy Cryptozoo. The plot revolves around a group of monster lovers who round up cyptids, rare beasts like griffins, gorgons and krakens, in order to protect them in a sanctuary for imaginary creatures. Unfortunately they’re competing with slimy opportunists who want to capture the creatures for military purposes. The psychedelic visuals are coupled with a moral message about protecting endangered species plus butt-loads of nudity, which hearkens back to another imaginary — and imaginative — creature, Ralph Bakshi’s Fritz the Cat . More: $10; March 2, 8 p.m.; VisArt Video, 3104 Eastway Dr.; visartvideo.org
CURTIS ELLER
Rock critic Griel Marcus used to wax poetic about “Old Weird America,” a forgotten nation where jug band stompers shook free of the Dust Bowl, apocalyptic blues evoked Jehovah’s wrath and antique field hollers echoed across the decades. I suspect Curtis Eller is inspired by this forgotten land. Eller’s website claims the banjoist and singer-songwriter’s tunes “describe a dreamlike vision of American history where all points in time have collapsed into one.” Eller started his career at the age of 7 as a juggler and acrobat, a suitably sideshow carnivalesque beginning for this mystical and ragged rock ‘n’ roller. More: $5; March 3, 8 p.m.; Petra’s, 1919 Commonwealth Ave.; petrasbar.com
I AM QUEEN CHARLOTTE
I am Queen Charlotte is the flagship event that kicks off Queen Charlotte Week, a city-wide celebration of Black female power and creativity. The live production features the stories, experiences and lives of Black women in Charlotte. The one-night-only performance boasts a casts of all Black women, plus music from The Charlotte Symphony and Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra. The performance is bolstered by virtual events such as the Aftershocks of A Queen community building initiative on March 7 and the Queen’s Cafe Conversation on March 8. Women of Words Poetry Slam takes place at Booth Playhouse on March 8. More: $20 and up; March 6, 7 p.m.; Belk Theater, 130 N Tryon St.; blumenthalarts.org
GOODIE MOB
When Goodie Mob dropped their debut album Soul Food in 1995, there wasn’t anything like it on the hip-hop scene. Over hard-hitting funk beats, slashing Stax-Volt guitar and mournful howls of blues harmonica, the group drew upon gospel fervor to rail against systemic racism. Within five years, the group had splintered and member CeeLo’s solo career skyrocketed with the 2006 Gnarls Barkley hit “Crazy.” A subsequent reunion didn’t stick for long. Today, catching Goodie Mob’s show seems akin to seeing The Rolling Stones. Both groups may be past their glory days, but there’s a reason they’re legends. More: $40-$50; March 6, 8 p.m.; Neighborhood Theatre, 511 E 36th St.; neighborhoodtheatre.com
