Celebrate Independence Day

If you don't have to work tonight and are looking for something to do, here are a few parties to help your start your Fourth of July Celebration.
*Open mic: Studio 74 on Independence Boulevard. 8:30 p.m. Free. Power 98's Tone X hosts.
*Pre-Independence Day Explosion: 10:30 p.m. Dilworth Neighborhood Grille on Morehead St. Free before 11 p.m. DJ Polo spinning.
*Monster Karaoke: Dixie's Tavern on Seventh Street. 9 p.m.
*Independence Day Celebration: 10 p.m. Crush on Stonewall St. Patron shots $5. Hosted by Power 98's No Limit Larry.
*NBA:NFL Celebrity Bash: Special guest Jeff McInnis, Antawn Jamison and Deon Grant. 10 p.m. Menage on Fifth St. Ladies free b4 11 p.m., men $5 'til 11 p.m. Then price varies.
*Independence Day pre-party: 10 a.m.-until, Creation Restaurant in Plaza-Midwood.
* Get it started: Inner Circle gets your July 4th festivities started. DJ Flemingo in the Forum, and Tomato Slice in Pravda lounge spinning old-school, house, R&B, soul, and more. The Forum. 10 p.m. $10 and up.

Fantasia parties with Youngbloodz

The scene at NV nightclub played out like a rap video on Saturday. A stage full of men wearing in baseball hats, shower caps and gripping microphones. They passed around bottles of Patron and other liquor and rapped about the good life: money, cars and women.

Fantasia shimmied and shook among them. Tasia celebrated her birthday with style. Wearing a short black dress and with her hair slicked down, Tasia partied so hard sweat glistened on her back.

The Youngbloodz performed their hits and sang along to other Dirty South rap hits, such as Yung Joc’s “It’s Goin’ Down.”

She turned the stage into a dance floor. Her family, friends, other rappers and fans she pulled onstage helped her celebrate. Tasia was her usual self, telling the security guards to ease up.
Tasia was the consummate host. She had fun and made sure fans did too. She danced from one side to the other pointing out fans who danced the hardest.
A couple of guys behind me were doing that hip-hop bounce. Across the bar, I saw two women standing on bar stools dancing. For every song, at least two women in front of the stage would start dancing real hard, like shaking their goods so hard Beyonce would be proud. People around the dancers would step away and watch the show, clearing an area like you would for breakdancers.
She pointed them out and gave them big smiles. The popular thing of the night was tossing out dollar bills into the audience. (Told you it was like a rap video. There were even people videotaping on stage)
Singer Calvin Richardson also stopped by and joined Fantasia on stage.
I was surprised by the turnout at NV. It was Tasia's second birthday party of the weekend. Her first was at the Big Chill on Friday. I figured that one would do well, but I wasn't sure how it would go at NV. Considering that the club is in Lake Norman and draws a predominately white crowd, I was curious whether Tasia could pull a hip-hop crowd out there.
She did.