The party's over until next year

I wrapped up the CIAA with my girl and Kitch at the Digital Divas Panache brunch at Blue restaurant this morning. After four days of partying and stopping long enough to do stuff for the paper and shower, it felt good to arrive somewhere and not feel rushed to go another event.

For more than an hour the three of us chilled and munched on omelets, waffles, shrimp, roast beef and more. A smooth jazz band played in the bar area. We sipped Bloody Marys and margaritas and recapped the weekend. We finished our brunch with a Royal Flush shot and toasted surviving another CIAA.

This year was better than last year. The day parties were hype and there were more parties in the heart of uptown. Several people, I interviewed said this year’s was better than last year’s as well. The one major complaint that I heard was that some hotels weren’t welcoming to people who weren’t guests at their hotels and that promoters were charging way too much money for their parties.

What do you think? Did you attend the CIAA tournament here last year? If so, how did 2007 compare? Was this your first time at the tournament? If so, how did Charlotte do?

Post your replies below.

Breakfast with the Omegas

The Omegas know how to throw a late night breakfast party.

After the Backyard Band show at Amos' we made a beeline to the Omega Psi Phi fraternity house for their late-night breakfast party. It was about 2:30 a.m. and I was starving. The Omegas were a model of efficiency. We walked in, paid $20, got a ticket and walked to the back. In the back, we gave a man our ticket, he handed us a plate and pointed us to the buffet.

I filled my plate up with grits, eggs, chicken wings, bacon and sausage, and then plopped into an oversized leather chair. I was the happiest person in the world. The grits were on point and so were the chicken wings. In all of my life of partying, I have never been fed that fast at a late-night food event. Had I gone to Waffle House, Coffee Cup, Mert's or IHOP, I would have waited forever to be seated and served.

After eating, we headed to the dance floor to shake it a couple of more hours before heading home about 4 a.m.

Next year, the Omegas are going to get tired of seeing my face.

Backyard Band at Amos' Southend

A guy wearing dark glasses and holding a cigarette between two fingers ducks low and weaves through the crowd to the rhythm of Backyard Bands cowbells and congas. He stops in front of his friends, jumps around with them and then weaves through the crowd again.

This is a go-go show baby, and if you’re standing still trying to look cool or cute, then you need to go home.
Inside Amos’ guys pump their hands in the air. Women dance with men or their girlfriends. The club is crowded from front to back, but there’s plenty of room to dance and Backyard gives fans plenty of reasons to dance.

In the world of go-go, I like Chuck Brown, Rare Essence and Junk Yard Band. After watching Backyard’s two-hour performance on Saturday, I’m adding them to my list. The band features Slim Charles, who played Avon Barksdale’s bodyguard on HBO’s “The Wire.” His scratchy voice complements the other talkers in the band.

They performed their own songs, but the crowd get even more hyped when they sing go-go versions of “Show Me What You Got” and “Throw Some D’s.” A guy stops me and tells me to write in my article that go-go is underrated in Charlotte. I dap him up and promise to do so.

And speaking of Charlotte’s under appreciation of go-go will someone please buy all of the Charlotte DJs some new go-go music? I’m so tired of hearing “Scenario” and “Water Dance” every time I go to a party. Those are not the only go-go songs out there, and they’re older than dirt.

Saturday party round up

Once again, CIAA partiers took over uptown Charlotte. One of my boys said it was a beautiful sight to see black people packing every bar, restaurant and club that they could on Saturday night. Since I spent Saturday night partying south of the Square, I missed the uptown action. Here's what I heard:

TOMMY FORD, who played Tommy on the TV comedy “Martin” stopped by the World’s Largest Finals Party at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday, according to Tammy Greene of the Jazz Café. At least 241 people watched the game, ate and caught up with old friends at the party, which was in the stadium’s north lounge. After the party, Ford hung out at the Jazz Café.

Speaking of the Jazz Café, Green said 400 people attended the VSU Alumni Meet and Greet day party on Friday. It was the biggest single-day event ever at the Jazz Café, and that includes shows featuring a national artist.

PAID TO PARTY SHOOTER E-DUBYA said the best party she went to this weekend was the So So Day Affair at Jillians. The party was a farewell to N.C. Central University, which will no longer be in the CIAA after this year. E-Dubya said the party was so hype and DJ Flemingo was on it. Everybody was just pumped, and the party was relaxed not stuffy. Partiers formed a "Soul Train" lane. E-Dubya said she went to the bathroom and when she came back partiers had formed a circle and people were breakdancing.

E-Dubya hit up the A-List’s CI 2007 Extravaganza at the Omni hotel on Saturday night. It was a madhouse. A lot of people who bought advance tickets were turned away because the party was so crowded. Inside, everyone was looking cute, and E-Dubya said it was more fun outside of the party than in the hotel.

At 3:30 a.m., E-Dubya found her way to Allure, which was also packed. She said they were serving food. Every time, E-Dubya was ready to go, DJ Flemingo played another cut that dragged her back to the dance floor. She didn’t leave until 5:45 a.m.


PAID TO PARTY SCOUT SEARCHIN’ said the Best of Both Worlds party, presented by the Coalition of Young Black Professionals and D&G Entertainment, started slow, but picked up as the night went on. The party was fun, and there was plenty of food. She said DJ Boney B played way too much Jay-Z, and he played the same songs repeatedly. Oh, and the emcee was annoying too.

PAID TO PARTY ROLL DAWG KITCH said the uppity vibe that surrounded Friday night at the Crown Royal Barbershop at Emerson Joseph was gone Saturday. Kitch said during the Saturday edition the DJ played dirty south rap. Women and men danced. Saturday’s happy hour had more of a dance party feel than Friday’s party.

Now, it's your turn. Where did you party Saturday night? How was it? Post your replies below.