Who's Bad is Bad

When Larken Egleston invited me to Elevate's "End of Summer Social," featuring a Michael Jackson tribute band, I was skeptical. He hyped the group. I'm a huge Michael Jackson fan, but I figured Who's Bad? (www.whosbadmusic.com/home.shtml) was going to be cheesy like Elvis impersonators. They weren't.

Not nearly enough people got to see that for themselves. On Thursday night, promoters Mike Kitchen and Thomas Washington, Sony records rep Tone Capone and I joined about 50 other people who showed up at Amos' Southend.

Those of us who were there had a great time. Men and women danced and sang along as the six-piece band, with Brandon Lee as Michael Jackson, cranked out "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough," "Human Nature," “Rock With You" and more. Lee wore high-water black pants, white tube socks, black loafers and a white T-shirt. He wasted no time doing signature Jackson steps -- the Moonwalk, the spins, the crotch-grab and the toe-stand. He also sounded like Jackson.

The band was bad, too. It had a horn section. A horn section! The group jammed and had fun on stage, doing dances as well. During one song the saxophone and the trumpet player joined Lee in the center to do a choreographed Jackson 5-style dance. (Remember the one where they stand in a line facing the side of the stage and they put their hands on each other shoulders and that camel-like motion with their neck?) During another, the trumpet player and Lee did the Kid 'N Play kick-hop one-leg dance.

If the group comes back again, you've got to see them. Next time, I hope the promoters do it up big with a Michael Jackson lookalike contest, a costume contest and a dance contest.

Amos' brings a lot of tribute bands, and I'll admit I rarely see any of them. What are some of your favorite tribute bands that have performed here? Post your replies below.

Slam dancing with the Rev.

Standing in the middle of the dancefloor at the Visulite Theater, the soles of black boots headed toward my face. I stepped back. Two drunk guys tried to lift another drunk guy in the air so he could body-surf over the dozens of people dancing in the Visulite’s pit during the Reverend Horton Heat’s performance on Thursday. They couldn’t get their friend into the air, so they put him on the floor. He stood up and resumed slamming into other dancers.
I’ve never been to a Reverend Horton Heat performance, and was surprised to see the several slam dancers I’ve encountered at the Milestone. I never thought of psychobilly (alternative rockabilly) music as a setting for a mosh pit.
Less exuberant, but enthusiastic fans, danced without hitting someone else. They thrust beers into the air or waved their empty hands and sang to all of the Rev.’s songs about drugs, cars and booze.

Hip-hop fans have more sex

Hip-hop haters, you'll love this:

Fans of hip-hop music are likely to have had more sexual partners in the last five years, while many of those who prefer classical strains will have tried cannabis, according to a new study.

Psychologist Adrian North from the University of Leicester surveyed 2,500 Britons to find out how their musical tastes related to their lifestyles and interests.

Almost 38 percent of hip-hop devotees and 29 percent of dance music fans were more likely to have had more than one sexual partner in the last five years, compared to just 1.5 percent of country music fans. However, they were also more likely to have broken the law, with more than 50 percent of both hip-hop and dance music lovers admitting committing a criminal act.

Meanwhile, a quarter of classical music fans have tried cannabis, while 12 percent of those who liked opera had experimented with magic mushrooms.

North wants to recruit 10,000 people for a wider study (details: www.musicaltastetest.com).

So, hip-hop haters, I'm sure this confirms all of your assumptions about the vileness of hip-hop music. But what’s up with the classical and opera fans smoking weed and eating 'shrooms?

What's up in Charlotte? Hip-hop fans -- have you really been that sexually active? Country fans -- are you really that conservative? Actually, is having more than one sexual partner in the last five years a bad thing?

The Wire - Week 2

Aw shucks! Omar is coming back to "The Wire." He is my favorite homothug ever!

Wasn't that so cute when Bubbles tried to register his young apprentice for high school? I loved the idea of Bubbles, an addict, trying to mentor a teenager and also trying to expand his pushcart business. He sells everything from white T-shirts to paint cans.

I'm curious to see what's going to become of Michael, the teenager who wouldn't take Marlo's money. Michael is fighting to be his own man in a neighborhood where fists, guns and money define manhood.

I really like this season's emphasis on the young kids. Although the show is fiction, it's loosely based on real events. It's an eye-opening reminder that the lock-'em-up mentality won't solve the drug or crime problems in Baltimore, Charlotte or elsewhere. And for some kids, No Child Left Behind is simply a slogan -- not their reality.

If you haven't seen "The Wire: Connected" and "The Wire: The Game," you should. They both give a behind-the-scenes look at the veracity of some of this season's storylines. They also feature interviews with various cast members, many of whom were as criminal in real life as they are on the show.

Charlie Murphy is funnier

Photo by: Danny Greene

If Charlie Murphy revamped the first half of his set,
he'd be great. At a nearly sold-out Comedy Zone on
Thursday, the "Chappelle's Show" star was much
improved over his last performance here, but he
started painfully slow.

He wasted the first 30 minutes telling airplane
security jokes with punchlines that fell flat and
stories that dragged on and on. He seemed to plow through
the material, and he never looked relaxed on stage or
willing to engage the audience. He acted as if he were
reading from a script.

The second half was better. He gave fans what they
wanted to hear, and something they can't get from other
comedians: his takes on life as Charlie Murphy, a
star of "Chappelle's Show." He relaxed as he talked
about being approached by fans of all ages who called
him "Darkness" or asked if they could jump on his couch
(references from the show).

His tales of hanging out with Rick James were
absolutely hysterical, and his impersonations of the
singer were dead-on.

Trying to recapture that in the blog wouldn't do it
justice, but here are a few of my favorites lines of
the night:

n"It's a shame how much I love my own name -- CHARLIE
MURRPPHHAY!"
n"I'm not tired of the s---. Let's not forget my name
was 'Eddie Murphy's brother' for the last (few) years."
n"The chicken flu -- I hope y'all don't think I don't
know who that's for. What's next, the Newport virus?"

For now, he should work on stretching the Charlie Murphy
and "Chappelle's Show" material out longer. If Murphy
insists on tackling current events, he needs to
freshen up the material. In recent weeks, we've had
"Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin's death, gas prices have
dropped, "Survivor" divided its tribes based on race,
and Whitney Houston filed for divorce from Bobby Brown.
Murphy didn't talk about any of that.

Murphy performs at the Comedy Zone through the weekend -- 8 p.m. and
10:15
tonight and
Saturday; 8 p.m. Sunday. www.thecomedyzone.net.

Random thoughts - The Wire

Today's posts aren't nightlife related. So, if you want to stop reading now, it's okay. That will save you the trouble of posting that this is supposed to be a nightlife blog. It is. But today I have some other things on my mind.

Hey, "The Wire" watchers, did you watch this week's season premiere? I miss Stringer already. And thanks to the deadly duo of Chris and Snoop, I'll never look at a nail gun the same again. Really, was Lex really that dumb to think his ex wanted to meet him in a playground after she watched him kill her man? No guy is that gullible, especially if he's supposed to be drug dealer.

So, "The Wire" fans, are you excited about this season? Why or why not? Post your replies below.

Random thoughts - Baby names

Did you read the article about bizarre baby names for celebrity kids? It struck me that when black parents give their kids ridiculous names its called “ethnic.” When celebrities, such as Tom Cruise, give their children ridiculous names it's called "creative."

Both sets of children will face challenges in life. The black kids will have a hard time getting jobs, and the celebrity kids will have a hard time in general. Life is so hard, when you're the child of spoiled, rich superstars.

What are your thoughts about parents naming their kids “creative” or “ethnic” names? Post your replies below.

Random thoughts - Just say no

Last random thought.

The other article that caught my attention was the increase in drug use among Baby Boomers ages 50 to 59. Apparently, this is the third consecutive year that this age groups has seen an increase in drug use.

It’s ironic. The same age group that lived it up in the ’60s with acid and weed, then jumped on the "Just Say No" campaign in the ’80s is now saying yes. Hmm. Could it be too much disposable income? Or maybe in the never-ending quest to be young some Baby Boomers are trying to relive their youth.

What are anti-drug crusaders going to do? Afterall, it’s no secret that drug use can lead to promiscuous sex. Will we one-day see an increase in HIV infection among Baby Boomers?

The anti-drug folks ought to act quickly before this gets of out hand. They should revamp their TV commercials. Maybe show adult children talking to their Baby Boomer parents about drugs? How about dusting off the "this is your brain on drugs" campaign? It could feature a suburban housewife in her McMansion.

What do you think? Why are more Baby Boomers are getting high and what can we do to save them? Post your replies below.

A bad combination

When I first heard that Ne-Yo and Chris Brown were coming to Charlotte, I encouraged my girl and another buddy of mine to let their teenage daughters attend the show.

Brown and Ne-Yo are the new young heartthrobs whose posters are plastered on the walls of thousands of teenage girls' bedrooms. They're the kind of artists who should be on the Scream Tour.

I was about to order tickets for my friend's kids when I started thinking about the supporting acts: Lil' Wayne, Dem Franchise Boyz and Juelz Santana.

I didn't order the tickets.

I like the rap acts on the tour, but they shouldn't be packaged with Brown and Ne-Yo. These rappers draw the gold-tooth, white T-shirt crowd. Too often they think women should be treated like the women in music videos - disrespectfully.


Let me see, teenage girls whose bodies are beginning to bud and whose hormones are on overdrive combined with amped grown men, some of whom will be drinking. And way too many of whom will be making inappropriate comments to women and girls.

It's a bad combination.

What do you think? Am I overreacting? Should I have let the girls go? Post your replies below.

Dave Attell ain't right

Listening to comedian Dave Attell is like spending an hour with your most obnoxious, insensitive friend. At his opening show at the Comedy Zone on Thursday, he insulted blacks, Jews, lesbians, women and Mexicans, among others.

Some of his jokes were incisive and others were downright mean, especially the ones about people with disabilities. He dipped into pop culture, current events and frat-boy humor.

A few of my favorites:

*"Smoking is evil now," he said, lighting a cigarette. "That's why you should do it on evil days like Scott Peterson's birthday."

*"There's a lot of hot women here tonight. If I were Flava Flav, I would give you all a clock and call you a derogatory name."

*About crocodile hunter Steve Irwin's death: "The crocs put a hit on him."

The funniest part of Attell's act is how he insulted the audience with compliments:

*"You're a great crowd. Nobody f------ laughs at the joke."

*"It's great when a girl laughs at a rape joke."

If your feelings get hurt easily, Attell's show isn't for you. But if you want a night of chuckles interspersed with some knee slaps, then head to the Comedy Zone. He's there at 8 and 10:15 tonight and Saturday, and 8 p.m. Sunday. www.thecomedyzone.net.

They all look the same

I was heading inside Amos’ Southend on Friday when a guy wearing an oversized polo shirt and jeans stopped me. He wanted to know if the 1st Fridays party was the only thing happening that night.

The line to get inside the club stretched down the sidewalk just after midnight.

I suggested Studio 74.

He looked at me as if I were stupid, and said he didn’t know what 74 was.

"We’re not from here," he said, pointing to five other guys standing against the building. "Can’t you tell? We’re from Philly."

I looked at his friends. Each wore oversized white T-shirts and jeans.

This time, I looked at him as if he were stupid. I laughed, and said, "You look like every other black man in Charlotte."

Why do grown men feel like it’s okay to dress exactly alike?

Wait, I know. Commercial hip-hop has turned many young blacks into followers, and made geographic regions indistinguishable.

For example, the finger-snap dance popularized in Atlanta’s Bankhead community is now done here, too. If Yung Joc’s "It’s Goin’ Down," plays in the club, watch how many people do the dance from the video. Gold teeth, which have been popular in the deep South forever, are now fashionable nationwide thanks to Nelly’s "Grillz."

Cmmercial hip-hop has turned countless young blacks into ghetto cloones, and there’s a guy from Philadelphia running around thinking he’s an individual.

Ignorance at the Big Chill

Up and coming comedian Kenneth McLaughlin was talking about AIDS at the Big Chill when I heard the most ignorant comment of the day on Wednesday. It outranked all the Bush hate mail I've received.

McLaughlin, who was competing to open for Steve Harvey at Ovens on Oct. 7, said his wife was in the audience. So, was his girlfriend. So, was his girlfriend's girlfriend. The audience laughed. Then he said something like AIDS was in their bed. The room fell silent.

McLaughlin talked about how black women make up more than 20 percent of new AIDS cases and black people make up 50 percent of all new cases.

Then I heard it.

"Whatever," said a woman behind me.

I whipped around to see who made the asinine statement.

McLaughlin used the stats to set up his punchline. He dates white women -- its safer.

The room erupted. I laughed too. The best comedians -- Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, to name a few -- educate while making us laugh. McLaughlin’s joke did that too.

But the "whatever" nagged me.

What is there to "whatever" about?

In case the woman who dismissed the comic reads this blog or has friends who do, I want to reinforce McLaughlin's message.

AIDS is killing black people.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, blacks account for half of all new cases of HIV. AIDS is the leading cause of death for black women between the ages of 25 to 34. It’s gotten so bad that in August, Jesse Jackson and NAACP Chairman Julian Bond called on blacks leaders to step up. I won’t even get into the failure of leaders such as Jackson and Bond to confront AIDS sooner.

So, if you are the one who said "whatever" on Wednesday, please get tested. Obviously, you don't have a clue that AIDS is killing black women just like you.

Reggae Sunsplash in Charlotte

On Sunday, I caught reggae artists Buju Banton at the Metrolina Expo for Carolina Caribbean One Love Festival. For a first time event, I was impressed by the diverse crowd getting irie together. Parents brought children and set up tents near the back of the stage area. Vendors sold the typical goods, hats, flags, bracelets and CDs.

New owners at 7-Ten

Will Carper never rests. At 7-Ten, he was behind the bar filling up glasses, then he was outside cleaning tables. If you think owning a bar or lounge is glamorous, it can be after you’ve made it big.
Carper hasn’t made it big yet, but he’s working on it. You might remember him from City Tavern and Liquid Lounge. Now, he co-owns 7-Ten with partner Michael Mark. The former face of 7-Ten, Whiskey, isn't there anymore. That's al I know on the record, so I'm leaving it at that.
Carper and Mark took over the small lounge in Gateway Village about a week ago, and they’re hoping to pick things up there.
"I’m pretty much sleeping here," he said Saturday, during a brief break.
He wants to draw an upscale crowd (who doesn’t?) at night and make it a neighborhood gathering spot during the day. He plans to have more speciality, invite-only parties and ramp up the kitchen.
Carper works hard and finally has a majority ownership in a place where he’s busting his bosom. Making 7-Ten prosper won’t be easy. The place is tiny so to make any kind of money is going to be tough. It’s a great spot for a chill evening with friends. You can sit outside on the patio or grab a sofa inside. On Saturday, a mix of people in flip-flops and shorts; and designer jeans and leather shoes hung out there.
DJ Levi spun chill house. Carper zipped around refilling glasses, cleaning tables and welcoming customers to his latest venture.
So, party people. What would it take to make 7-Ten work? What kind of theme nights would you like to see there? What kind of music? Post your replies below.

Roaring '20s

No, this blog isn't about reliving my reckless years. I swung by Great Gatsby 2006 in the Wachovia Atrium on Saturday. It was my first time. I decided to attend at the last minute so I wasn’t as GQ as I should’ve been. Don’t get me wrong, I looked good and wore a tight Dobb hat, but next year I’ll be ready.
As the song goes, "I've got to stay flyyyy, till I diee!"
A full band played on stage and couples of all ages twirled, whirled and whipped around the floor. I saw women tossed into the air or slide around partners' legs. Some couples looked like professional dancers, but I was equally impressed by the ones who couldn't swing dance, and got out there anyway.
The Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser drew a diverse crowd, and at least 80 percent of the partiers wore ’20s style outfits. It was good to see Charlotte's button-down professionals let loose.

Jungle love in the Attic

When we walked into the Attic on Tuesday, “Jungle Love” blared from the speakers. A young couple danced sloppily to the ’80s hit.
It was the second week of Old School Tuesdays and about 25 people milled about the bar. After Morris Day’s “Jungle Love,” DJ Wojo spun Abba’s “Dancing Queen.” I realized this wasn’t a typical oldies night.

Before we left the Attic, Wojo would play Tupac’s “Dear Mama,” A Tribe Called Quest’s “Award Tour” and Bon Jovi’s “Wanted Dead or Alive.”

I loved the mix. Typically, old school nights are stuck in one genre, but Wojo delved into pop, hip-hop, disco and rock catalogues.

The Attic is the right vibe for such a mix. You don’t mind looking silly dancing or singing. But you can also feel comfortable sitting and talking with friends.

Buggin' out in Sullivan's

I was about to spear a fried shrimp when J-boogie leapt across me and said, “Stop!” (Okay, it wasn’t that dramatic.)

It was Thursday night and we were hanging out Sullivan’s for their popular happy hour. It’s one of the city’s best, with live jazz and two bar menu items for $10. I went before at the request of the restaurant's general manager. They treated my friend and I like queens.

This time, I went incognito with a larger group of rowdy friends to see if we’d get the same good treatment. I arrived about 5:30 p.m. to reserve a table, which go quickly there. I joined other people sitting with large empty tables, reading books or magazines as we killed time waiting for our friends to arrive.

Once my friends arrive we ordered fried shrimp, the blue cheese chips, burgers, salad and salmon.

I’m sitting there with fork poised to grab a shrimp when J-boogie points to a itty-bitty white thing wiggling out of one shrimp. We froze. Let out a collective eeewww and passed the plate around. It was a live worm.

I’ve had a dead bug in a salad at Mama Ricottas years ago and hair in my food at numerous place. A live worm was new.

We called the manager. He ordered us a fresh plate and came back to explain how a live worm could’ve possibly ended up in our food. It was something about the jalapenos coming out of a jar. We stared at the freshly fried plate of shrimp. We acted like little kids saying, “No, you try it,” “No, you try it.”

I took the plunge. It was good and without the unwanted protein. The manager and staff were apologetic. They reduced our bill and gave us a platter of desserts to sample. (The bananas foster bread pudding was the bizomb! It's now my favorite bread pudding in Charlotte.)

We left still wondering how a live worm survived the frying process.
Everyone I’ve told this story too has a different way they would have handled. One friend said she would’ve left immediately and she would’ve wanted the entire meal comped. Another said she’d never go there again.

I’ll definitely go back. Bugs or hair in food isn’t that uncommon. What have you discovered in your food while eating out? And how did the situation get resolved?

What's playing in the clubs

Here’s what Starfleet Music Pool DJs are playing in this area's clubs and parties.
1. “Promiscuous”
2. “Get together (remix)/I love new york (remx)”
3 “ U & Dat”
4. “Get up”
5. “Shoulder Lean”
6. “Me & U (remx)”
7. “Crazy”
8. “Ain’t No Other Man (remixes)”
9. “Turn It Up”
10. “Déjà Vu”
For a complete list of what’s being played in area clubs: www.starfleetmusic.com

Nothing against Ray

Ever since a photographer asked me if I was attending a benefit for Ray Ducharme, I’ve been debating about whether to blog about benefits for the injured banker.

I don’t have anything against Ducharme, but neither the line-up of entertainment nor the cause are enough to get me to the Hearst Tower Plaza on Thursday or the Neighborhood Theatre on Saturday.

I can’t see donating money to a fund for a guy who was injured when he was thrown from a cow in a vaquilla, an event where people chase cows around a bull ring, pulling these animals ears and tails. Ducharme was in Spain for the annual running of the bulls in Pamplona.

I’m glad to hear that, according to pray4ray.com, Ducharme is getting better. Unfortunately, he continues to have a hard time swallowing and with one lung. His friends are amazing. They’ve set up a Web site to update his condition and organized benefits for Thursday (Hearst Tower) and Saturday (Neighborhood Theatre).

If something ever happens to me, I hope my friends will be that vigilant. I don’t, however, want any benefits if I get injured doing something crazy. I'm a thrill seeker: motorcycles, sky-diving, tree-hopping on zip lines. One day I want to run with the bulls.

I live my life this quote: "Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, champagne in one hand, strawberries in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, hair in a mess, and screaming: "WOO HOO - What a Ride!"

With that said, benefits are for people who aren’t that wild and who have no control over what happened to them, such as DJ Scott Beaty who was seriously injured in a car accident last year. The accident wasn’t his fault and he didn’t have health insurance. They’re for Renelvis who has to care for disabled daughter alone now that his wife has passed away. Of course, I’m down with anything benefiting cancer foundations and children.

Speaking of which, there’s a breast cancer benefit tonight at the Comedy Zone and a leukemia benefit on August 26 at the rooftop terrace at South Tryon.

I wish Ducharme luck for a speedy recovery. I hope he will be able to run with the bulls again one day if he chooses. I also hope that we remember there are a whole bunch of other people who are less fortunate and who don’t put themselves in harms way who need our donations too.

For details on the benefit and Ducharme’s recovery www.pray4ray.com
So, how do you choose what charities or benefits to support? Or are there so many that you’ve given up? Post your reply below.

Think you're as good as Taylor Hicks?

On August 27, you can prove at the "American Idol" auditions at Fox Charlotte studios.

You have to be between the ages of 16 and 28. Please, if you're older or younger stay home. When I judged a few years ago a lady obviously well past 28 stormed into the audition area and started singing. Security removed her. I was embarrassed for her.


Please do the judges a favor and sing something you think no one else is going to sing. If it's your favorite song, it's probably some 15 other people's favorite song to. I heard "His Eye is On the Sparrow" so many times, I wanted him to close his eye. Be yourself. Don't try to sing like Whitney Houston (before Bobby) or Mariah Carey. You can't. I was kidding about the Taylor Hicks thing. Don't do the blue-eyed soul thing. It worked for Michael McDonald and Hicks. It's not going to work again for "Idol" -- trust me.

CIAA time already?

Standing in the back of a Charlotte Convention Center conference room this morning, I had flashbacks. The last week of February into the first few days of March were a blur of day parties, night parties, early morning breakfast stops, celebrities, traffic jams and basketball.

Yep, it's time to start talking about the CIAA's return to Charlotte Feb. 25-March 3. Last year, was a good debut for the city. Next year should be even better.

This morning organizers unveiled the new logo and had a ra-ra session to get the city excited about the tournament's return. Starting Sept. 1 you can log on to www.ciaatournament.org to buy tickets.

Daniel Entertainment turns 5

I don't get to see many cover bands, but I met a slew of folks on Monday at Doug Daniel's five-year anniversary party for Daniel Entertainment Group. I've heard a lot about the variety band Too Much Sylvia, so it was nice to meet them. It's always good running into Scott McCloud of Hip Shack. Daniel Entertainment books bands and events for Panther parties, Food Lion Speed Street and other big time events. Doug is my go-kart tormenter and soon-to-be paintball victim. Congrats on making it five years!

Taylor Hicks at Coyote Joe's

Apparently, I missed a heck-of-a show at Coyote Joe’s on Wednesday morning.
I arrived about 10:15 p.m. and stayed until after midnight. I went to see if the latest “American Idol” winner Taylor Hicks was going to make a “surprise” appearance to support his former band LiMBO.
He did.
After the concert at Bobcats Arena, Taylor stopped by Coyote Joe’s about midnight Wednesday. (By the way, Taylor ate at Morton's uptown on Tuesday before the "Idol" concert.)
He walked to the side of the stage, snapped a few pictures of the band, shook hands with the sax player, waved to fans and left.
The band started playing again. Fans chanted “Taylor! Taylor!”
Finalist Ace Young showed up and was the perfect distraction. He posed for pictures with women and hugged whoever could reach him.
The crowd was a mix of Old Navy-moms, Aeropostle-twenty-somethings and Stetson-men. Everyone jockeyed for pictures with their digital cameras.
By the time Ace came out, I figured Taylor wasn’t coming back so I left. My bad.
Taylor, Ace, Elliott Yamin and others took the stage about 1:30 a.m. and performed for about 30 minutes, according to club owner Alan Presley. He called it “American Idol” at Coyote Joe’s.
I can only imagine.
By the way, Taylor's presence pulled the crowd out for LiMBO, but that band can stand on its own. They’re energetic and play boogie-woogie blues that makes you want to dance. If they play the Visulite Theatre or Double Door Inn, they’d be worth seeing.

Did you go to Coyote Joe's last night? What did you think?

MTV is getting old

Today we celebrate MTV's 25th anniversary. Like it or not, the network changed the landscape of pop culture when it debuted in 1981. It did some good stuff, such as challenging young people to care about news, politics, and starving children in other countries. Some MTV moments affected pop culture, but most fell in the line of "did you see (fill-in-the-blank) last night?"


In today's paper we looked at some of the incidents that made MTV a cultural button-pusher, from Madonna loving all over her body during the inaugural VMAs as she performed "Like A Virgin" to watching Mariah Carey self-destruct on "TRL."

My favorites were the 1983 debut of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and the VMAs in 1999.

I was a huge Michael Jackson fan. When "Thriller" aired, I sat in the family room with my parents and my brother to watch. It was a family event, and after that, we'd often catch Jackson's video premieres together. My parents would critique them afterward, and I would coo about how Jackson was so great and they just didn't understand.

My other most memorable moment was when Lil' Kim wore a pasty over one breast as she presented a video music award with Diana Ross. It wasn't the pasty I remember the most. It was Diana Ross jiggling the Queen B's breast on national TV. That still cracks me up. Ross seemed so fascinated with the outfit.

So, what's your favorite MTV moment. I don't care if it's the VMAs, a program, a video, whatever. Post your replies below.

Charlotte in the Top 25

That's right party people. According to Forbes magazines' sixth annual Best Cities for Singles, Charlotte ranked #25. We were No. 33 last year.The rankings were based on nightlife, culture, job growth, number of other singles, cost of living alone, online dating and coolness.

Heck, according to that criteria I see why we got good marks. Charlotte always looks good on paper, but let's be real. I know way too many singles who think Charlotte is better for families than swinging singles. BTW, Raleigh is No. 6 right below New York. Dag.

What do you think? Should we be No. 25? Should we be higher or lower? And what does Raleigh have that we don't - the Hurricanes?

Here's the full list: www.forbes.com/singles
Denver-Boulder
Boston
Phoenix
San Francisco- Oakland
New York
Raleigh-Durham
Seattle
Austin
Washington- Baltimore
Miami
Columbus
Philadelphia
Sacramento
Minneapolis-St Paul
New Orleans
Atlanta
Milwaukee
San Diego
Los Angeles
Providence
Las Vegas
Chicago
Nashville
Orlando
Charlotte
Cincinnati
Portland
Indianapolis
Dallas-Fort Worth
Kansas City
St Louis
Pittsburgh
Detroit
Houston
Tampa
Salt Lake City
Cleveland
San Antonio
Norfolk
Greensboro

A magical weekend

What's folks! I have so much to tell you about. I visited a magical placed called Mysteria this weekend where I saw so much self expression it was crazy. I'm talking people twirling fire, playing in hula hoops, painting canvas and each other, and dancing - oh how they danced. Big shouts to the Charlotte crew of Jungle Jim, the Barron, Jade and others who allowed me to stay in Big Puffy Yellow with other Charlotteans.

I spent Sunday night at a make-up show at the Forum. I always thought make up was lip gloss and eye shadow to hide our insecurities, but Awaken showed me there's so much more to make up. And on Sunday, I caught the tail end of black gay pride with the white party at the Breakfast Club. A light turnout, but hey it was Sunday night and the folks had fun. That's all that mattered.

I've got so much to write about, so the above pictures should get you started. Over the next few days, I'll update my blog, post a video from the make-up show and a picture slideshow from the festival. Keep checking' back.

Lyfe saved the show

The Lyfe Jennings performance at Tempo nightclub was nearly a disaster Monday. The show was supposed to start at 8:30 p.m. with opener Rudy Currence. When I arrived at 8:45 p.m. they had just begun letting people inside the club on Wilkinson Boulevard.

We were hustled outside to the back patio on a muggy night. Not good. Apparently, the club was prepared for an acoustic show, but the neo-soul singer brought a band. The club owners spent the day hustling to get all the sound equipment and they were still doing soundchecks when customers arrived.

We waited for at least an hour for doors to open. Lyfe was only scheduled to perform for 30 minutes. As much as I support club Tempo, this was turning into a bad night.

About 10 p.m. local fave Rudy took the stage. I've seen him numerous times, but this wasn't one of his better nights. I sat there trying to convince my friends that he was a really a good live performer.

Lyfe, however, saved the night. If you've never heard of him, he has a gravely soulful voice and sings about his life experience. His current single is "Sex," about girls coming into their sexuality.

Lyfe opened the show with Tupac's "Keep Ya' Head Up." Then he moved on to cuts from his upcoming album "Phoenix." It's an album about relationships. From what I heard Monday, the album mostly deals with relationships that ended. My favorite cut was set to Sam Cooke's "Change Gonna Come."

On stage, Lyfe connects well with his band. They're as charismatic as he is, but they don't try to steal the spotlight. Although most of his songs are slow they give the songs enough oomph to keep the show spirited.


After the show, the line stretched out the door for autographs and he patiently signed them all and posed for pictures.

Mary J. Blige was trippin'

Can't see the picture above well? That's because it's Mary J. Blige running off stage after a quick shout-out at the Big Chill on Sunday.

I was not a happy camper.

I was already irritated that the Mary J. Blige party moved from the Forum to the Big Chill. I'm not a fan of the Big Chill. They charge too much for drinks. I paid $6 for a Jack on the rocks at the White Affair at the Blumenthal Saturday. I paid $8 for the same drink at the Big Chill.

But I digress. MJB performed Sunday at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. I arrived shortly after midnight. It's a light crowd. As usual for artists, MJB hasn't made her entrance yet. About five minutes later, she walks onto the stage, says hello, thanks fans, tells them to have a good night and then leaves.

I kid you not. That was it. She didn't hang in the VIP. Nothing.

I heard she was disappointed more people didn't show up. That's fine, but don't punish the people who did come out. I've seen plenty of celebrities at parties, and many who are as big or bigger than MJB. They usually do the VIP thing and at least shake a few hands and pose for pictures.

MJB's behavior Sunday night, especially considering that she got pizzaid to be there, makes me think she hasn't grown as much as she thinks she has.

Do you go celebrity parties? What was your favorite? What was the worst?

Skydiving in Chester

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's Frenchie.

I'm standing in the doorway watching clouds zip below me. My tandem partner is connected behind me yelling instructions. Knees in. Back straight. Squat. She grabs my head and pulls up.

This is the moment when I'm wondering why the heck I decided to skydiving - again.

I'm the first jumper out of a group of four -- my girl, L-Boogie and Frenchie -- on Sunday at Sky Dive Carolina in Chester. The Charlotte Breezers, a black social and snow ski club, organized the outing.
My girl is terrified. L-Boogie is hype. Frenchie is slightly nervous. I'm faking stoic, but I went to the bathroom all morning long. (For the record, my girl is now hooked and wants to be aninstructor. And Frenchie and L-Boogie are glad they went.)

Now, I'm standing at the doorway wondering if I'm going to scream during the entire freefall like I did last time.

My tandem instructor, Heidi, launches us out of the plane. I scream. My heart races. Air rushes into my mouth. Suddenly, I get used to the feeling of falling, no it's more like flying and I stop screaming.

I take short breaths so my mouth doesn't dry out and hold my arms. I arch my back and plummet, mentally scream curses and know I'll definitely do it again.

Skydiving is the closest I'll ever get to flying like a eagle, and the seconds of terror are well worth that thrill.

What's the scariest thing you've ever done? Post your replies below.

Men can be groupies too

In yesterday’s blog, I ragged on women groupies. Last night, I saw the male version at the Little Brother show. No, the guys didn’t dance all over each other or start kissing.

Instead near the end of the set, one guy jumped on stage. He put his arm around Big Pooh and later Phonte and pounded their chests. At the same time, two other guys jumped on stage as well and started taking pictures of themselves.

I’m wondering. Whether you’re a male or female, when does a fan become a groupie? I say anytime, you go out of your way to be noticed by a celebrity, get a picture or get an autograph, you might as well tattoo a giant G on your chest. What do you think?

Little Brother killed it

Each time I see Little Brother, I like them more. The chemistry between the laid back Big Pooh and the charismatic Phonte makes for one of the hottest hip-hop acts ever. Phonte draws you in with his dancing -- he’s a big boy who can move -- and his expression. He’s always sticking out his tongue or doing fraternity style steps as he dances. He preens and poses on stage. Add tight beats and meaty rhymes about materialism, fatherhood and romantic relationships, and it’s easy to see why fans love them.

Little Brother headlined a benefit for Charlotte rapper Wolly Vinyl who was kicked out of his home when the Johnston Mills closed. More than a dozen artists from throughout the Carolinas came out to the Spot last night to support Wolly. Along with Little Brother, I caught the Others and the deadPOETS (DPS), but I missed the earlier acts. Several people were impressed by the level of talent among the unknown MCs.

When you stepped inside the Spot last night, it was so hot that even my sweat started sweating. Yet, there was no drama. Everyone was into the show. It felt like the vibe at the Room and I hope it’s something that will continue. We don’t have enough underground hip-hop venues in Charlotte where people can spit about more than money, cars and sexual conquests.

Tony Rock groupies

During his comedy set on Wednesday, Tony Rock mentioned that he gets plenty of women. I figured he was talking smack until I hung out with him and his crew after the show. It was Rock, two of his boys and about five women who tagged along after the show.

I knew it was going to be an interesting night when we were all sitting upstairs in Cosmos and Tony began ordering rounds of Red Headed Sluts, a Jagermeister-based shot. Jager makes you do crazy stuff. And it did on Wednesday.

At the bar, I asked Tony how many of the people in the entourage were his peeps. Only the two guys.
"I move fast," he said.

I had to give him his props. I've seen groupies before, but this little set took it to another level. First, I'm not convinced that I can call them Tony Rock groupies or just celebrity groupies. All I know is that by the time they finished knocking back at least three rounds of Red Headed Sluts the women were more than a little frisky. They danced all over each other, a couple of girls tongued each other down and two others made sure Tony's boys didn't feel left out.

My friends and I watched in amazement. Who knew a couple of pizzas and some shots of liquor could make women do all that.

Can somebody please explain the groupie mentality to me? What exactly do women or men get out of making a fool of themselves for pizza and free drinks?

Tony Rock is funny

After seeing Charlie Murphy at the Comedy Zone last year and being totally disappointed, I was skeptical about seeing another comedian's brother.

Still, I wanted to give Tony Rock a shot. I was stunned. He was hysterical.

Chris Rock wraps political and social commentary in comedy, Tony does that everyday “what’s up with” style humor. At a nearly sold out show at the Comedy Zone on Wednesday, he talked about going to a McDonalds in a white neighborhood versus a black one, legalizing marijuana and black people’s love of chicken.

“When the bird flu gets here we’re going to be immune.”

Tony Rock did have a few commentary moments. He told blacks to support Mexicans who come here to work and he skewered America’s obsession with fighting illegal immigration. He also ripped the stereotype that all black people act the same. Overall he stuck to comedy. He played off the audience, especially the chick in the sunglasses and the uptight guy in front.

He performs tonight, Friday and Saturday at the Comedy Zone, but tickets are going fast.

Oh, props to opener Scott Oseychik, a local comedian who was so funny I was worried he might overshadow the Rock.

Did you go to the show last night? What did you think?

Suprise b-day bash for Andy K

In all my years of partying here, I saw something on Tuesday night that I never thought I'd see -- Andy Kastanas dancing. Yep, he was actually shaking his groove thing on the dance floor last night in Pravda lounge.

Friends, family and industry folks turned out to surprise Kastanas for his birthday. And Andy said he was genuinely surprised. In fact, it took some arm-twisting from wife Lesa to get him to come out, but when she did it was worth it.

She created a sentimental slideshow biography of Andy from his years as a little boy in Greece on up through his DJ years in Charlotte to his current status as a proud pop. Since it was iPod night, some of Andy's closest friends brought their iPods and playlists created for him. Considering that he's a big house music fan, most of the music a range from funky house to gay club house.

Andy danced to it all and profusely thanked his friends for coming out. In the mix were his wife along with Carol Adams, Scooter, DJ Ronnie D and James Funderburk.

No more seafood

I'm on a seafood hiatus. My girl and I were in Savannah last weekend and we ate seafood for breakfast lunch and dinner. Boy was it good. I had a seafood omelet at Huey’s and one at Clary’s. I ate so much seafood at the Crab Shack, I thought I was going to grow a shell.

By Sunday I was seriously flirting with going to Wild Wing Cafe. I settled on pizza at Vinnie Van Go-Go.
I listed a bunch of lounges and clubs to visit, but I didn’t club hop like I planned. I did the beach bum thing. However, I do hate I missed the Haunted Pub Crawl. It’s supposed to be good, according to Jen of Jens and Friends. (More on her later).

We watched the World Cup final at Molly MacPherson’s, a Scottish pub in City Market. I had never been to a Scottish pub, and I wondered if it would be different from an Irish one. Other than the bartenders wearing kilts, it wasn’t. This pub served Belhaven and I don’t remember seeing Guinness on draft. The food was similar, from shepherd’s pie to fish and chips. They did have some kind of pork filled pastry that was supposed to be a traditional Scottish dish.
I also had another small-world-moment while in Savannah. On our way out of town we stopped at Jen and Friends for lunch. It’s a little cafe downtown. We met the owner Jen, who says she’s tight with J.D., who owns Bonterra. She almost considering moving here to work for him.

Small world.

With its historic and cultural district downtown and Tybee Island nearby, Savannah is becoming one of my favorite romantic getaway cities within a day's drive. What’s yours? And why?

Violence and fireworks uptown

I don’t know Dante Beattie, but he’s my kind of guy. This year, knuckleheads once again chose to act-a-fool after the uptown fireworks display. Fights broke out, police in riot gear controlled the crowd and at least one person was shot on North Tryon, according to an Observer story.

Still, Beattie told an Observer reporter that he’d return next year to see fireworks uptown.
Beattie took his daughters to the show and said it was “probably the best I’ve seen so far n this region.”

People like Beattie are the reason the city, sponsors and uptown leaders must not let knuckleheads prevent them from scheduling outdoor events in the center city. We can’t allow a bunch of punks to make us afraid to book large outdoor events uptown, or make law-abiding citizens afraid to go uptown.

Where did you watch the fireworks display this year? How was it?

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.

Diggin' Devaughn

Raheem Devaughn continues to impress. On his CD the most of the songs blend together and the tempo isn't varied enough. His live performances, however, are a must see. The diminutive singer's energy fills the stage. (And Amos' has a big stage). He's the sensual thug lover with his tattooed arms and cornrows. He's stepped up his show since I last saw him at Tonic. He has a four-piece band, two background singers and a painter. Yes a painter. It sounds too gimmicky, but it worked. He painted a piece with the Bobcats and Panthers logos.

Devaughn stretched and wound songs off "Love Experience" into more than an hour-long set. He didn't just stretch his songs into jams, but tossed in soul staples such as Marvin Gaye and Earth, Wind and Fire. He even threw in a go-go set and, of course, he got on the floor and danced with the ladies. After the show he signed autographs and posed for pictures for about an hour.

Thursday's show drew a who's who of the neo-soul scene: DJ Stacy Blackman, promoter Thomas Washington, Brian Springs of Groove Records, WBAV's Letha Taylor and Tempo's Juamane were a few of the folks in there.

Oh, I can’t forget J.C. He put it down as the MC and DJ D.R. gave fans a blazing' mixing of old school hip-hop, dancehall reggae and go-go.

The new Amos' Southend

Amos' Southend is the now the best live venue for big shows. I finally got a chance to see the remodeled space on Thursday night for the Raheem Devaughn show. Devaughn was as good as expected, but I was blown away by the changes at Amos'. It's hard to imagine it's the same space. The inside was completely gutted and to ceiling raised to show exposed wood beams. It's so high you could shoot basketball inside. The stage is twice as big and takes up one wall.

The dance floor or stage viewing area stretches from the front wall to the rear, and the upstairs is completely different. It consists of balconies on both sides that overlook the floor and stage. There's a bar upstairs on the far wall. The bar downstairs wraps down one wall and there's another bar on the far wall.

The capacity is like 1,500 so even if there's a line outside, there's plenty of room inside. For example, did you go to the matchbox twenty or the Roots concert at Tremont? Remember how stifling and packed it was? Those shows would fit comfortable in Amos' now.

Oh, there aren't any chairs yet, but owner John Ellison said he'll be getting some chairs and tables soon.

Bobby Brown getting down

After seeing Bobby Brown's various escapades on television, I wasn't sure what to expect live. On Saturday, he hosted Big O's Celebrity Birthday Bash at Studio 74. The crowd was lighter than I anticipated, and was lethargic until Bobby got on the mike.

He arrived about 12:45 a.m. and after chilling and eating in the VIP room, he joined the party. Bobby was a surprisingly fun host. He sang along to "My Prerogative" and "Every Little Step."

Since Bobby musical career was mostly in the '90s, the DJ spun a lot of '90s hip-hop. Bobby sang along with most of what the DJ spun, and he cajoled the crowd into dancing instead of standing around. He posed for pictures and the men were surprisingly as excited as the women. Okay, the guy didn’t scream, but I saw several guys doing old New Edition steps. By 1:30 a.m., Bobby joined the ladies on stage for some grind time.

I was impressed. Often celebrity hosts say a quick what's up and retreat to the VIP, but Bobby got down with everybody and turned what could have been a weak party into something memorable.

No, Whitney didn't show.

Time to eat

I originally went to Macleod's because I figured an Irish bar would have good fish and chips, but by the time I arrived the kitchen was closed. When I left World Grotto about 1 a.m., I was starving so I headed down to the Strip in search of Jimmy John's. The waitress at the Urban Bar and Corner Cafe said Jimmy John's had the best sandwiches and stayed open late.

I found the spot easily enough and was relieved that there wasn't a line. It's a sub shop with fancy names for typical sandwiches. For example, I ordered the Vito, an Italian sub. The food was decent and considering that I paid $3.75 for an eight-inch sub, I was ecstatic. Their giant sandwiches were only a $1 more. Heck, their Jimmy John's potato chips were only 75 cents and they were yummy too. If you're in Knoxville and doing the late night thing, I highly recommend Jimmy John's.

Oh, did I mention that clubs here stay open until 3 a.m. and the bars have a real happy hour, typically from 3-7 p.m. In North Carolina, drinks prices must remain fixed all day so happy hour is based on food specials. Oh, and gas is 20 cents cheaper per gallon here too.

Today, I'm headed to Soccer Taco to watch World Cup. Oh, and to the bike rally.

My kind of place

After Macleod's I headed up the block to World Grotto, and that was a whole other experience. See for yourself: www.worldgrotto.com

The concept is a little forced, but the energy was undeniable. World Grotto is a middle-Eastern themed nightclub, marketplace and gallery. On the first level it's a gallery with exhibits and downstairs is a spacious club with a dance floor, stage, bar, lounge and huge VIP lounge. I say the concept is forced because the downstairs is made of faux rocks to give you the feeling that you're in a cave. The furniture is cushioned benches covered in exotic fabrics and pillows. Still, it's something different and I like different.

While I wasn't feeling the whole incense-burning, fountain nightclub theme, I loved DJ Slink. Just when I was ready to leave he put on an electronica-backed mix of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" followed by Ol' Dirty Bastard's "Got Your Money" then Gorillaz's "Dare" followed by the Police's "Message In a Bottle."

No one in Charlotte spins like that. No one.

I would love to have Slink spin in Charlotte, but we'd need to transport the World Grotto partiers to Charlotte. They are what made World Grotto so eclectic. I saw spiked hair, peasant skirts, baggy cargo shorts and studded belts. A break from the khaki and button down or strapless and spandex uniform of Charlotte nightlife.

There were breakdancers, twirly-whirly jam-band girls and rising video vixen. Men and women danced together or by themselves, but they danced. The floor stayed busy, but if a particular song came on, someone would ultimately step into a clear area and groove. For example, a strutted onto the floor, spun around on his back a couple of times, two-stepped, spun some and then walked off the floor, like what!

Do you think a place like World Grotto would make it in Charlotte or is the city way too stiff? We have several colleges here but don't have that eclectic energy in our nightlife. College nights in Charlotte are meat-market, drunk fests. And most of the times, it's older men trying to pick up college-aged girls.

Crunk karaoke

After the concert ended, I walked around Market Square trying to decide where I wanted to eat. Earlier, I stopped by a brewery, but I wasn't feeling the crowd. It felt too much like Charlotte and I was in the mood for something different. I walked past Macleod's Restaurant & Pub and saw a packed house and a gaggle of people on stage doing karaoke. I stopped there.

Before I could get to the bar, two guys asked to touch my hair. We talked for a minute and I turned around and another guy wanted to stroke the hawk. I ended up hanging out with a guy named Terry Massey and his friends, and couple of guys from the Knoxville NBC affiliate TV station.

Karaoke annoys me because I loathe bad singing, but Macleod's was nuts. The only time I've seen karaoke this hype was black night at Wet Willies in Memphis, but this was even better. Groups of college-aged partiers got on stage and sang. The crowd danced and sang as if a DJ was spinning their favorite tunes. Most of the songs were country and rock. A cute old man hanging out to. He looked like somebody's grandaddy, but he was chilling on stage singing and flirting with the young girls. Go ahead daddy!

The vibe was so rowdy that I didn't mind the bad singing, and trust me some of it was real bad.

I've been to Yellow Rose at Touchstone in south Charlotte on a week night and Dixie's Tavern on a Monday, but I've never seen karaoke as hype as Macleod's. Where's the best karaoke bar in Charlotte? And what night should I go?

Getting' down in the Square

We walked toward the music and saw a throng of people stretching for at least two blocks. We were looking for a restaurant and stumbled on the Sun Down Concert Series, a free outdoor concert series on Thursdays.

I had to stop.

It's kind of like our Alive After Five, but way bigger. They've got big-time sponsors such as Regal Entertainment, the City of Knoxville, Pilot and of course Budweiser. Music ranges from lesser known acts such as Thursdays Rhett Miller and the Believers to such as their April kick off band Little Feat. See their lineup at www.sundowninthecity.com

The series starts in April and runs through June. It picks up again in September and it's called Autumn on the Square. The lineup for that includes Donna and the Buffalo, the Guards and Blues Traveler. www.concertwire.com/autumnonthesquare

Both events are in the Square's shopping and restaurant district in downtown Knoxville. Several restaurants had their doors open and let people sit on their patios. A few shops were open as well. At least a dozen vendors sold funnel cakes, beer and hotdogs. People trying to organize a skatepark were out as well soliciting donations.

What impressed me more than the size and quality of the acts were the people hanging out. Our outdoor concerts, okay most events in Charlotte, tend to draw the same yuppie young professionals, but Knoxville was more eclectic. Walking toward the stage I saw a punk crew and a guy with a Mohawk, I passed the skatepark people, a group of young men and women playing hackysack and young parents with kids. The wine and cheese folks sat in the restaurant patios watching the performance. I met a lady name Karol Hamilton who was dancing her head off and says she has a brother who lives in Charlotte and she travels to Charlotte to shop.

I didn't know anything about Rhett Miller and wasn't overly impressed with his music, but I Ioved crowd's energy was contagious so I hung out there before I discovered a karaoke bar...

Hoot it up

I would pick the hottest day of the year to ride down to Knoxville for the annual Honda Hoot motorcycle rally. By the time my buddy Anne and I arrived at our hotel, we were drenched and exhausted. This rally used to be in Asheville, but because of its increasing size and Anne says politics in Asheville, organizers moved it to Knoxville a few years ago. It's scheduled to be here until 2009.

Since we were tired when we arrived Thursday afternoon, we skipped the motorcycle events. We waited for the heat to abate and hit the streets. This is my first time in Knoxville. Since I'm an Alabama grad, I was anxious to see the home of the Crimson Tide's rival, University of Tennessee.

I love Alabama, but I have to admit going to college in the town the size of Knoxville would have been fun. The Strip gives you the college town feel, but places such as Old City and Market Square make it feel more like a real city. Tuscaloosa is a college town period. When I was at Alabama there was nothing to do but hang out on the strip or go to college parties.

Our first stop was Old City. It's a cool historic area that reminds me of the French Quarter, but not nearly as many interesting people. We had a couple of drinks at the Urban Bar and Corner Cafe. The place was huge with three rooms and a patio on the street. It had exposed brick and would've been a killer place to hang, but it was totally dead. So, we headed to Market Square a couple of miles away.

Have any of you all been to Knoxville? How does it compare to Charlotte? Although, it was dead I dig Old City area. Post your replies below.

We R Family

On Friday, we decided to find the gay nightlife. Quepos was surprisingly gay friendly. Hotel Casablanca had a big rainbow flag painted on the fence and the clerk gave us a guide to local gay establishments.

After dinner at El Avion, a restaurant with a giant plane in the middle of it, we stopped by the Bat Cave. It was a lounge carved out of rock in the La Mansion Inn. The place was cramped, but there was a narrow bar and a slightly more spacious lounge area in the back. Unfortunately, the Bat Cave was dead.

We heard the party was down the road in Manuel Antonio at the beach. We stopped by Coconuts on the beach, but that was a typical college crowd. We did run into our friend from Austin though.

We finished the night at Bar Tutu, the bar above our hotel restaurant. The place was cute. It was a rooftop club with a pool, spacious dance floor and the largest bar we’d seen all week. The music was techno, and as usual it was mostly guys.

Saturday morning we stumbled onto our favorite find. Latifah was fed up with the complimentary rice, beans and eggs for breakfast so we went out to eat. We ended up at Picasso Cafe.

The menu hooked us - eggs benedict, crepes, Belgian waffles and omelets. We also met the owner, a gay guy from Canada. He was another one of the folks who visited Costa Rica once, went home, packed his stuff and bounced.

We left his cafe with full bellies and bags of coffee, maple syrup from Quebec and wine.

Mas magaritas

After driving through winding narrow mountain roads in a foggy downpour, we arrived in Quepos Wednesday afternoon. I was ready to hit the nearest bar, and we wound up at Dos Locos.

I have to admit, I made a rookie partying mistake. I partied so hard on Wednesday night that it took my body three days to recuperate. I don’t want to see another margarita or bowl of guacamole anytime soon.

My night consisted of singing Johnny Cash with a duo in front the bar, jumping into the photo with two girls from Canada (I gave them some money and promised to e-mail them a cute shot I took of them), and buying college students from the University of Texas a pitcher of margaritas.

Me, Sass and Latifah met a Dallas Cowboys fan from Austin, Texas. He was vacationing with his wife and two sons. After the necessary trash-talking we hit it off well. We also met a guy from Rocky Mount, N.C. He visited Quepos once, loved it and moved there when he retired. We met a lot of people like that.

Before the night ended, Latifah ended up dancing with the most arrogant and annoying little guy. And Sass had a conversation in Thai with the little guy’s wingman. She didn’t really like him either.

I loved everybody.

Friends and hot boys

After mojitos at La Guagua, we caught a cab to Friends in El Pueblo, about 15 minutes away. The club was in a tourist district with souvenir shops and restaurants. The place was tiny, maybe half the size of Liquid Lounge. And they had the nerve run a fog machine.

When you walked in, there were bistro tables and a bar. Down a few steps were more tables, a DJ booth and a stage. Since it was ladies night we got $2 admission and a free rum and coke. We arrived about 9:30 p.m. and the place was kind of dead, but about an hour later it started to fill up. You know how people here buy bottles of champagne, well over there people bought bottles of liquor, which is more common in our VIP areas.

The partiers were a mix of tourists, we met a guy from New York and some college students, and locals. By 10:30 p.m. the hot boys came. It was two guys dressed in black who stood onstage and shook their bootys and hips. They were sexy though because they could actually dance and move their hips like salsa dancers compared to male exotic dancers here who just wind their pelvis.

By 11 p.m. we were pooped. We’d been going hard all day and Costa Rica is two hours behind Charlotte, so it felt like 1 a.m.

We headed back to the hotel and prepped for our next adventure -- road trip to Quepos.

Cigars and mojitos

While Latifah and I sipped our margaritas, Sass hungrily eyed the Cuban restaurant across the parking lot, La Guagua. She drooled at the thought of Cuban cigars. After we polished off our second margarita, we headed across the street.

At the bar, we met Dennis. He had a twinkle in his eye and a mojito in his hand. We ordered a round and joined him. He spoke about as much English as we spoke Spanish so we got along well.
If you've ever had mojitos made with mint from those Harris Teeter packages, you're wasting your time. Carlos, the bartender, pulled out a shoebox-size container of fresh mint leaves. I started grinning. When he mixed the mojitos, he ground the leaves in the glass. Oh my goodness. We sucked the first one down like it was water. He had our next round prepped and ready.

We peppered Dennis, who seemed to be a regular, Carlos and the other staffers with questions about where to hang. We cracked opened their humidor and bought cigars. It was a Tuesday night and we had the place to ourselves. A waiter asked me if I liked rap music. He said he liked .50 Cent and Tupac. I pulled out my iPod and let him listen to "It's Goin' Down" by Yung Joc and "Poppin' My Collar" by Three 6 Mafia. I didn't bring cables to run my iPod through their stereo, but the waiter turned off the Cuban music and put on some .50 and Bob Marley.

I sipped my mojito, smoked my cigar and knew it was going to be a good week.

Guess who we saw

After eating dinner at La Cocina de Lena in San Jose near our hotel, we headed to Plaza Itskatzu in Escazu. It has high-end shoppes and restaurants about 15 minutes away from the capital city of San Jose. Restaurants included Hooters and Outback Steakhouse. I know this sounds crazy, but by Saturday after a week of rice and beans, I was actually salivating over some Hooters chicken wings, but I'll save that story for later.

We stopped at Restuarante Mundo and ran into a dude from Charlotte. No lie. His name is Toby McGarry and you might remember him from his days at Phat Burrito when it first opened. Well, he's now a part-owner of Mundo. Think of Cosmos' vibe in a smaller space.

After leaving Charlotte, McGarry said he bounced around the world at different restaurants and then landed in Costa Rica. He still has a house with his sister in Charlotte. We arrived Tuesday, two days before the grand opening of Mundo. Since we were heading to Quepos the next day, we promised to return to Mundo later that week.

Next we headed to Mas Tikila. It was happy hour, which meant half-priced margaritas. That's what I'm talking about. We had a few drinks there and I met an American who used to play basketball in Costa Rica. He told us the place to party was Friends in El Pueblo, about 15 minutes away. It was ladies' night.

But first mojitos...

I'm addicted

My first real trip out of the country was Costa Rica last week. I went to Cozumel, Mexico, on a cruise, but one day in a tourist town doesn't count.

Costa Rica was the real deal - six days with an SUV, a full tank of gas and two friends who spoke little Spanish. Winding through the mountains, down neighborhood streets, past churches and strips of stores, we got lost more times than I can remember. We stopped every few miles to make sure we were going the right way. Sometimes we were. Often we weren't.

I can't wait to fumble my way through another city in a land far, far away. Interacting with the people gave me an even better appreciation for the challenges immigrants and tourists face here. Luckily, most Costa Ricans were patient with our horrible Spanish and taught us a few words as well. Borracha (drunk), goma (hung over) and pica flor (player pimp). (You'll learn why we needed to know those words in other blog entries.)

We visited San Jose, the capital, and Quepos and Manuel Antonio, about three hours south on the Pacific coast. We could barely drive through the mountains without pulling over and snapping pictures of the valleys below.

My friend Sass wanted to stop at every fruit stand. Latifah was in search of restaurants that served whole fish fried or grilled. I wanted to find the party. We did those things and more.

This trip will be my first of a lifetime of annual trips overseas. My goal is to do outdoor adventures and find the best parties.

Have you traveled internationally? If so, what's your favorite party city and what's the name of the bar?

Headed to the beach

I'm in Costa Rica until June 18 so I won't be blogging this week. I plan to return with lots of stories -- some appropriate for the newspaper and hopefully way more that aren't.

Holla'

R men with painted nails sexy?

I was at the Spot last week watching rapper Wolly Vinyl perform when I noticed he painted a couple of fingernails black. I'd never seen rapper with painted fingernails and I thought it was kinda cute. Vinyl is the second guy I know outside of the rock/goth world who paints one or two nails. The other is poet Maze Forever.

So, I'm wondering for the ladies, would you date a guy with painted nails and are there rules to men painting their nails? Can they only paint one or two nails and is it okay if the polish is chipped? Can they paint their nails any color or is black the only appropriate hue?