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.

Fools shooting uptown

Some fools were shooting uptown early Saturday morning. A woman suffered an eye injury from broken glass as result of the incident, which occurred about 3:05 a.m. near Dixie's Tavern.

She was riding in a party bus that was struck by at least one bullet. A close friend of mine was on that bus and said a bullet hit his seat. He's shaken and not sure if he wants to come uptown tonight.

What makes it worse is that neither of us are surprised by the shooting. It seems like no matter how hard black people work to provide upscale events, i.e. no wanna-be gangsters, the little punks won’t stay away.

Now, I have a friend who’s worried about his safety uptown and there’s a woman nursing a wounded eye instead of having a good time.

Don't these idiots know they're the reason why so many white club and restaurant owners are reluctant to open their doors to black promoters? Incidents like this and the shooting at Crush a few weeks ago are the reason why we don't have a black-owned nightclub uptown. White people are scared of ignorant black people.

Guess what. Black people are scared of them too.

When I was working on the tournament party list, I went back and forth with a promoter about the language of his listing. He wanted me to write that it was open to all CIAA alumni. I told him non-CIAA alumni might think they couldn't attend. I suggested saying the party was for people ages 25 and up. He agreed, but then called me back later. He said only wanted people who were college graduates because he didn't want to deal with anyone who hadn't graduated from college coming in and acting like a fool in his party.

I know he's making a broad generalization, but I understand where he's coming from and it makes me sad. There is already a disconnect between the hip-hop generation and the Civil Rights generation. His comment, and the fact part of me agrees, makes me realize that we're facing a class disconnect within the hip-hop generation.

The CIAA tournament is a time to party and watch good basketball, but it also celebrates the legacy of historically black colleges. These schools give motivated black boys and girls hope for a better life. We have got to find a way to reach the black boys who have no hope because they are killing all of us, not just themselves

The Soul Train line outside of Blue

She looked so sexy sashaying through the Soul Train line on the sidewalk in front of Blue Restaurant about 3:45 p.m. on Saturday.

The men and women forming the line cheered as she walked past. She had her lips pursed in that “I know, I’m sexy,” way. Then she slipped and fell.

She sat sprawled on the concrete. The cheers from the men and women standing on the sidewalk and the ones sitting inside Blue’s open air patio area quickly turned into gut-busting laughter.

A guy rushed helped her up. Reginald Hester, Soul Train line instigator, snatched some fresh cut flowers out of a vase on one of the restaurant’s patio tables. He tried to hand them to her. She turned him down, and then walked the line again. Everyone cheered her on.

The Soul Train line was the best part of the Digital Diva’s Uptown Saturdays party at Blue Restaurant. It’s probably a scene the Digital Divas don’t even know about. Nearly as many were outside of Blue on the sidewalk as were inside the bar and restaurant. The speakers were propped in the patio’s windows. People passing by could hear the music. Frank Leggett and Hester created a Soul Train line and dance party with their friends and anyone else who gathered on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant.

I’m guessing the sidewalk gathering wasn’t what the Digital Divas organizers planned. Judging from the look on Blue owner Alex Myrick’s face, I don’t think he was too happy, but before the restaurant closed the patio windows and posted a no re-entry sign on the front door, the sidewalk was the place to be.

It wasn’t as crowded as the bar area, and people actually danced out there. Inside Blue there wasn’t enough room to dance plus the crowd seemed too cute to dance.

On the sidewalk, it was anything goes.
Hester hustled anyone through the line including a guy wearing a fur-ish coat and shorts. (Yes, he looked as crazy as it sounds.) An aspiring Lil’ Jon. A white willing to shake her thing with the ’bruhs. And an older white lady who almost made it through the line until one of the guys took her shoe off to reveal her purple furry socks.

A mini freak-nik on College Street

For several hours, College Street felt like a mini Freak-Nik on Saturday afternoon. CIAA partiers filled the sidewalks in front of Blue Restaurant, Buckhead Saloon and Mert’s.

Since it was such a nice day, some people chilled outside of the parties, many of which charged admission.

Inside Buckhead Saloon, Carson Rawls and Keona Williams kept the dance floor jumping at the 7th Annual SaturDAY party. By 3 p.m., the front area of the bar had a strong crowd. There were only two bartenders and people were stacked three deep waiting to order drinks.

Rawls danced with any and every woman he could entice onto the floor. And he got his boys out there too. He did everything from jackhammer style pelvis thrusts to ’80s dances. He wore an Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity shirt halfway on his body and a big grin on his face.

On the other side of the dance floor, Williams danced with her girlfriends. She shook her body so hard, she could give Beyonce some serious competition. She made me want to soak in Epson salt on her behalf.

The Original Hopewell Group Day Party drew an older, but equally enthusiastic crowd to the Breakfast Club. Well, no one shook like Beyonce, but they did dance. Partiers spread out among all three floors and outside on the patio. It was pleasantly full about 4 p.m. Thankfully, the Breakfast Club had four bartenders. That was good planning.

Down the street at Menage, Carlos Allen and Doug Wimble, both of D.C., got their go-go fix thanks to the DJ. The party was still going strong when I arrived about 5 p.m. All three levels were open, but people stayed on the first two levels.

EPMD at Amos' Southend

Keith Murray stage diving, Erick Sermon whining, Doug E. Fresh beat-boxing and DJ Scratch putting on a show that made DJ Kid Capri hug him.
The EPMD concert at Amos’ Southend was a classic hip-hop fans’ dream. For two hours, EPMD and friends had the crowd jumping, singing and rapping along to songs they grew up with.
Like many other places, there was a tiny crowd at the beginning of the show when the duo began about 11:45 p.m. Friday. By 1 a.m., the room was full from the stage back to the soundboard.
Kid Capri, who performed at the Ford Fan Experience Friday afternoon, made a surprise appearance and hung out with EPMD on stage. Fans got exactly what they wanted to hear and more during the show.
EPMD’s Sermon and Parrish Smith, who now lives in Charlotte, performed hits “You Gots to Chill,” “Unfinished Business,” “Crossover” and others. During the song “Crossover,” the duo gives a shout-out to Kid Capri. When EPMD got to that part of the sung, Capri stepped into the spotlight. Without a mike in his hand, he mouthed the words: ”Im strictly hip-hop, I'll stick to Kid Capri,
Funk mode, yea, kid, that's how the Squad rolls….”
Then Capri shook hands with fans from the stage and signed an autograph before returning to the back near the DJ booth.
As good as it was to see EPMD back on stage, the best parts of the show didn’t involve them. The duo gave DJ Scratch the spotlight and he killed it. He worked the turntables with his back turned them, he manipulated the mixing board with his nose, spun around while mixing and never missed a beat.
Rapper Keith Murray also made a surprise performance. He was crazy, bouncing around the stage and diving into the audience. He raised the energy level tenfold and fans loved it. All you could see was a sea of hands waving while he was onstage. Of course, he performed hit signature cut “The Most Beautifullest Thing.”
My only issue with EPMD performance was Sermon’s attitude. He spent too much time talking on the mike and complaining about bougie rappers and fans, today’s rappers and the small crowd. I have nothing but love for Parrish, who was humble and gracious with fans, but Sermon seems to have forgotten that the duo hasn’t had a hit in forever.
After EPMD, a dapper Doug E. Fresh took over the mike. He performed his hit, “The Show,” but he mostly acted as a hype man. He told the DJ what songs to play and kept the crowd pumped.

Be careful tonight

Do not ride dirty tonight. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police were pulling people over left and right on Friday and searching cars and trunks. Please do not drink and drive or ride with drugs. The police aren’t playing. Also, be careful where you park. Tow truck drivers were cruising around town looking for a reason to haul cars.

Party round up - Where did you go?

After EPMD performed, I swung by the Digital Divas’ Stogies & Stilettos at the Sunset Club about 1:30 a.m. It was crowded, but not overwhelming. Men and women danced, pockets of women danced and others stood and watched.

The parties I missed:

Chris Jenkins of Charlotte Vibe went to 1st Fridays at Southend Brewery. He said it was a nice size crowd, but not as packed as it has been in the past.

A Gem Am I’s Rhonda Mayo went to Dynasty 5’s Raheem DeVaughn show at the Charlotte Hilton uptown. She said the crowd started light, but by the time he performed at 12:30 a.m. it was packed. As usual, he put on a good show. She also stopped by the Big Chill for the Biz Markie party sponsored by Executive Entertainment. She didn’t arrive until about 1:45 a.m. and the party was winding down, but there were still a lot of people there.

Paid to Party’s Lady Love spent Friday night at Wine Up for the In the Lyfe party. It drew a smaller crowd than usual. Two poets and a singer performed.

Paid to Party’s Searchin’ was all VIP up in the invitation-only Wachovia party at The Westin. She said the party drew young and old folks. Men wore suits and women wore dresses. Anthony Hamilton was there and mingled with the crowd.

What party did you attend? And how was it? Post your replies below.

Allure wasn't ready

Allure’s concept was great, but its execution was frustratingly bad early Saturday morning.

Three friends and I arrived at the restaurant and lounge about 2:30 a.m. on Saturday for their late-night breakfast and after-party. It was one of the events I was most excited about this weekend. I loved the idea of continuing the party at a place where I could also eat and still get my dance on.

When we arrived there was a short line at the door, but the security guard quickly checked IDs and got people inside. That’s where the efficiency ended.

Since the breakfast started at 2 a.m., I figured people we would be able to order our food relatively quickly. I was wrong. After flagging down a waitress, I was told the restaurant needed an additional 20 minutes to finish getting the food ready.

I should have left then. That was my first mistake.

About 3 a.m. waitresses began handing out express menus. The choices were chicken and waffles or a southern breakfast with eggs, grits, bacon, turkey bacon and toast. The turkey bacon option was a nice touch and I assumed the simple menu would mean a quick turnaround. Wrong again.

At 3:15, no one had returned to collect our menus and when I tried to give them to a waitress she was already too overwhelmed.

After getting the run-around about a refund, I finally gave our orders to the bartender. He was cool. He served Red Bull, juice and water, took food orders and stayed calm.

Promoter Kenny J finally offered me a refund, but by then I had placed an order and figured I should wait for the food. That was my second mistake. We didn’t get our food until 4 a.m.

By then, I was cussing, fussing mad and vowing never to return to Allure. I’ve calmed down and I will probably try it again because I’ve heard they have a good jazz crowd. I won’t be back this weekend except to tip the bartender. (I was too irritated and forgot to do it when I left.)

During CIAA weekend, I expect to wait to eat, especially at a downtown establishment. I don’t expect restaurants to not be prepared. Since Allure is a new restaurant, it would have been smart to do a buffet. If they were worried about food portions, they could have had waitresses fixing the plates in the buffet line. With a buffet your kitchen can concentrate on cooking, not filling orders.

I hope Allure is better organized by tonight because Friday was only a taste of what’s about to hit them in 15 hours.

Tonight, I’m going to try my luck at the Omega Psi Phi breakfast after-party.

Ladies you're missing out

Models in purple dresses passed out cocktails with Crown Royal and cranberry juice. Stylists trimmed beards and arched eyebrows. A DJ spun and Doug E. Fresh took over the mike.

That was the scene at the Crown Royal happy hour at Emerson Joseph on Friday evening. The only problem was there weren't enough ladies there. I know Emerson Joseph is a men's salon, but ladies received free eyebrow arches, not that I'm into that sort of thing. The idea of someone cutting away my eyebrows is scary. Saturday is the last night of the Crown Royal happy hour. You have to RSVP 866-752-1345.

I'm not a Crown Royal fan, but I liked the Crown Reserve with a splash of ginger ale.

It's naptime and then the real partying begins. EPMD hits the stage at 11 p.m. at Amos.

E.U. versus Tanglewood

I’m chilling inside the Extravaganza Depot about 4:15 p.m. listening to E.U. crank out “Family Affair.”
I am in my element with a grin on my face and small plate of food in front of me. Then Power 98/V101.9 general manager Terri Avery presents me with a dilemma. We’re talking about how much we love go-go and how crazy the weekend is going to be when Avery tells me Tempo has about 1,000 people inside right now.
I look at the dance floor inside Extravaganza. My eyes begin to mist. I’m from Maryland and I love go-go. I’ve never heard E.U. live, but there are only a handful of people on the dance floor. The rest are standing in the corner or sitting at tables eating grilled hamburgers, hotdogs and baked beans. ( Speaking of E.U., Jonathan Tate, who said he's Sugarbear's manager, said the band will definitely be performing at the Grady Cole Center on Saturday.)
The band just got started and folks are slowly pouring inside. I can stay here, listen to E.U. and hope the party picks up. Or I can race across town during rush hour and catch the last of the Original Tanglewood Fish Fry at Tempo.
I wolf down my hotdog, grab a bottle of water and hop on the bike. By the time I arrive at Tempo about 15 minutes later (traffic is crazy), there’s still a line of people outside waiting to get in. The party started at noon and was scheduled to end at 5 p.m. Inside, couples dance to Slick Rick, Lil’ Wayne and Rich Boy. All of the tables are full, the bar area is nearly impassable and the patio is more than half full as well.
It’s Friday baby and the parties are on and poppin’.
I’m off to barhop uptown before I head over to the Crown Royal Reception at Emerson Joseph.

Steve Harvey: "I'm a Christian, but..."

You have to get up early to hang with Steve Harvey. A line of people snaked down the front of the Charlotte Convention Center early Friday morning to watch a live broadcast of "The Steve Harvey Morning Show." Harvey, whose show airs on Charlotte’s V101.9, has a top-rated morning radio show -- and on Friday, he showed fans why.

He started telling jokes at 6 a.m. and didn’t stop until after he walked out of the building five hours later. He opened and closed the show with inspirational words about spiritual faith and believing in yourself. Harvey mixes social commentary, such as the demise of today’s music, with his jokes.

Charlotte’s John P. Kee opened the show with a gospel song that got the crowd on its feet and dancing at 6:10 a.m. About an hour later, Ruben Studdard performed "Change Me," "Make You Feel Beautiful" and "Sorry 2004."
For the remaining hours, Harvey and his crew entertained audience members by reading from e-mails and conducting a talent show in which they skewered contestants.

This is Harvey’s second year performing at the Ford Fan Experience as part of the CIAA.
"I had such a good time last year," he said. "I asked them if I could come back."

My favorite lines of the morning:
*"Some of ya’ll got on evening wear. It’s a little early for sequins."
*"It’s a different mind-set coming from light-skinned people."
*"I’m 'a do me an album. Jamie Foxx got one."
*"I’m a Christian, too, but I use the forgiveness clause."

A crackhead at the Forum

Weaving through the dance floor at the Forum on Thursday, I spotted a man who I've watched push a grocery cart full of junk down the gritty streets of Baltimore every Sunday for four years. On Thursday night, Andre Royo had a drink in one hand and someone else's hand in the other.

Royo, who plays the crackhead "Bubbles" on HBO's "The Wire," stopped by the AKA party at the Forum on Thursday night. He, like co-star Corey Parker Robinson, is in Charlotte supporting N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company's efforts to educate the African-American community on building wealth through life insurance. Robinson, who plays Det. Leandor Sydnor, was at the AKA party, too.

At the Forum, Royo exchanged hugs, half-chest bumps and handshakes with partiers who recognized him. Fans of "The Wire" will notice that his wild mane is gone. He said he had to cut it because his tresses limited his acting opportunities to crackheads and characters going to jail or already in jail. He said he’ll be playing a businessman in some upcoming projects.

But be ready, "Wire" fans: Royo said the series finale is coming.

AKAs do it again

I'm trying to order drinks at the VIP bar at the AKA's party at the Forum on Thursday. On my right, a guy and his friend buy 10 bottles of Moet. There's one bartender who is opening all of these bottles and pouring the champagne. A line of people wait to order drinks. A bar-back starts pouring Moet so the lone bartender can help other customers. The guy next to me asks if he can buy a $600 bottle of Cristal for $400.

I look at him like he’s crazy, and so does the bartender. First, the bar is swamped and we don’t time for you to ask dumb questions and try to haggle. You’re not buying a used car. Second, if you can't afford to spend $600 on a bottle of champagne, I'm guessing you don't need to spend $400 either. Stop trying to prove you have more money than the next guy, order you a Heineken, and go sit down somewhere.

While we're talking about the dumb things guys do at the club, I must unleash my monthly lecture on rude male behavior in nightclubs. Guys, why do you grab on women? That's straight-up ignorant and inexcusable. I don't care how drunk you are. And why is it that if a woman forcefully removes your hand or tells you not to touch her, you get your feelings hurt and talk loud to prove your manhood? If you really want to be a man, stop acting like little boys, and be polite.

Back to the party.

After ordering drinks and walking through the club, my girl, several of her friends and I carve out a niche in front of the bar. The club is so crowded that the overhead ducts are sweating and dripping. Groups of Omegas bark. Pockets of guys stand around the bar buying shots for each other and jumping around. Couples take to the floor. Every now and then, a couple of fraternity members do a few steps. DJ Stacey Blackman plays a mix of old-school and top 40. When he puts on E.U.'s "Da Butt," the crowd goes crazy. Even guys are poking their rumps out and shaking it.

We dance in a circle. A girl who's tore-down drunk walks past, does a double-take and says "heeyyy!" She starts dancing with us. She drops to the floor, winds her pelvis, and you can imagine the rest. After a while, she moves on. We keep dancing. Polite guys ask if they can join. Rude ones try to jump in. A nutcase stares with his mouth open.

Gotta love the club.

Alpha happy hour

I was going to shave my legs on Thursday. Actually, I was going to let the Gillette shaver lady shave my legs. I was at the Ford Fan Experience at the Convention Center, where a woman was shaving and trimming men's beards for free at the Gillette booth.

I figured if Gillette really wanted to prove how good the Fusion razor is, they could give my legs a trim. I haven't shaved them since high school so the hair's long enough to cornrow. I sauntered over to the booth and offered the Gillette shaver lady this rare opportunity. She wrinkled up her nose in disgust, told me no, and gave me a coupon to buy a razor.

DJ Biz Markie

These JCSU students probably weren't even born when Biz Markie put out his big hit, "Just a Friend," but that didn't stop the two from grooving to Biz's DJ skills at the Ford Fan Experience on Thursday.

No love from Gillette

I was going to shave my legs on Thursday. Actually, I was going to let the Gillette shaver lady shave my legs. I was at the Ford Fan Experience at the Convention Center, where a woman was shaving and trimming men's beards for free at the Gillette booth.

I figured if Gillette really wanted to prove how good the Fusion razor is, they could give my legs a trim. I haven't shaved them since high school so the hair's long enough to cornrow. I sauntered over to the booth and offered the Gillette shaver lady this rare opportunity. She wrinkled up her nose in disgust, told me no, and gave me a coupon to buy a razor.

Anthony Hamilton at the Ford Fan Experience

Unfortunately, he didn't perform. He was just hanging out with his wife and his crew checking out opening day of the Ford Fan Experience.
While Hamilton walkled around pairs of people sat on sofas inside the Charlotte Convention Center, their eyes glued to TV screens. They mashed buttons furiously and let out groans when shots went awry.
Today was the first day of the Ford Fan Experience, and dozens of people spent their time playing video games in lounges set up throughout the exhibit hall.
Along with gaming, visitors lugged around heavy plastic bags full of freebies - I took home a backpack, T-shirt, duffel bag and sunglasses.
Once again recruiters for the armed services were there. Bank of America and Ford had booths as well. The Ford Fan Experience is a showcase for the CIAA tournament sponsors, so there aren’t many vendors there, but there are a ton of great free performances, such as DJ Kid Capri and Doug E. Fresh.
I caught the tail end of the Little Brother performance and watched rapper-DJ Biz Markie spin for a small but appreciative crowd. If you’re a Biz Markie, fan he’ll be at the Big Chill on Friday and Amos’ Southend on Saturday.

Where my ladies at?

This year’s Wednesday night was way better than last year for the CIAA tournament. Last year, my friends and I started at Fire & Ice, which had a light crowd, and finished at the Forum because all of the CIAA parties were dead.

Last night, the four parties we attended had decent crowds. The ones that drew the ghetto-fab partiers had the biggest turnout and the most energy. It’s something about that hardcore rap that makes people want to sweat and dance. You can’t be cute when songs with lines like “knuck if you buck” come on.

My other observation from last night is that men outnumbered women at nearly all of the parties. That’s unheard of unless you’re at a strip club.

Ladies, where were you?

Where did you party last night? Where are you going tonight? Post your replies below. Email your party photos: tjameson@charlotteobserver.com

A toast to good living

My only complaint about the party at Verona was that when we arrived at 1:30 a.m. there was only one guy behind the bar. He was excrutiatingly slow. A woman bartender was somewhere else and joined him later, but that’s not acceptable. Considering that alcohol sales stop at 2 a.m., the bar has to be staffed for the last-minute onslaught.

I noticed a guy standing in the corner of the bar who looked like he worked there. He turned out to be a manager or someone with enough clout to get me my drinks faster. To thank him, I bought a round of SoCo lime shots.

This was his toast:
To lyin, stealin’, cheatin’ and drinkin’.
Sounds bad right? There’s more.
It means: lying in arms of the one you love, stealing away from bad company, cheating death and drinking in the moments that take your breath away.

At 1:45 a.m. that sounded so deep.

What’s your favorite toast? Post your replies below.

Wednesday’s surprise

After leaving Menage, Kitch and I were headed to the Sunset Club on South Boulevard because he heard the 2nd Annual Kickoff Party had a nice crowd. I parked in front of Verona on Fifth Street so we stopped in the First Impressions Party, which was hosted by Ambience Entourage.

Side note: My boy Young Tank is part of Ambience. He used to be on Power 98’s street team, but now he works for rapper Ludacris. I first met him years ago when worked at Wing Zone near my crib. And I’ve followed his career since. When I saw him outside of Verona on Wednesday, I had to stop by and support his event.

Back to the party: Verona was my surprise of the night because judging from Ambience’s Web site, I expected an upscale clientele. The crowd was ghetto fab.

And baby, they danced, oh did they dance. The windows were foggy, the people were sweaty and the DJ did an excellent job of keeping the crowd from getting too crunk. My favorite dancers were a group of girls who jumped around harder than the boys. They were cute and petite so guys tried to push up on them, but they were content doing on their own thing.

To top it off, the DJ ended the night with slow music. For real, slow music. I can’t remember the last time I heard slow music at a hip-hop party. But you know what, people danced to Pretty Ricky too.

Where did you party last night? Where are you going tonight? Post your replies below. Email your party photos: tjameson@charlotteobserver.com

Menage will be crazy

Judging from the crowd at Menage on Wednesday night, the club is going to be crazy this weekend. We arrived about 1 a.m. and upstairs was packed. Downstairs wasn’t open. A few women danced on the stage area. A group of people was all the way upstairs partying on the balcony thingy that overlooks the dance floor.
In a phone conversation earlier Wednesday, I told promoter Frank Ratchford, who hosted the party with Adolph Shiver, that Menage would do well on Wednesday.
My theory was that the young hardcore rap crowd that wants to get sweaty, grimy and dance to songs that make you jump around has no place to go on Wednesdays in Charlotte.
The reason I say Menage will be crazy all weekend is that Wednesday’s party was crowded and the only celebrities promoted were Panther’s Thomas Davis and the Jaguars Deon Grant. We have NFL celebrity parties here nearly every week so that doesn’t impress me. But can you imagine how the club is going to be this weekend with Mims tonight, Tigger on Friday and Fat Joe on Saturday – whoa!
Where did you party last night? Where are you going tonight? Post your replies below. Email your party photos: tjameson@charlotteobserver.com

Celebrity sighting at Levine party

Kitch and I tipped out of The Lux party about 12:30 a.m. to stop by the 2007 CI Wednesday Night Explosion at the Levine Museum of the New South. DJ D.R. spun old school hip-hop. This party felt less crowded than the one at LaVecchia’s, but the people at the Levine came out to dance, not talk.
About a half dozen couples danced, pockets of women grooved together and a couple of guys danced alone. The Charlotte Chapter of the National Black MBA Association hosted this event, which drew the oldest crowd I saw on Wednesday night. My celebrity sighting of the evening occurred there. Actor Corey Parker Robinson, who plays detective Leander Sydnor on HBO’s “The Wire,” was chilling in a corner drinking a beer. He’s not a CIAA alum, but he was in town to support N.C. Mutual Life Insurance Company's efforts to educate the African- American community on building wealth through life insurance.
Where did you party last night? Where are you going tonight? Post your replies below. Email your party photos: tjameson@charlotteobserver.com

Lux at LaVecchia's

The Luxe party at LaVecchia’s on Sixth Street was the first place that Kitch and I stopped in our Wednesday night party hopping. The ladies of A Gem Am I and Vicious Entertainment, along with Raleigh-based Dynasty 5 hosted this event, which provided a low-key start to what turned out to be a ghetto-fab night.
Nearly a hundred people milled about the bar area of the seafood restaurant, talking and sipping martinis about midnight. DJ Chase spun top 40 hip-hop and R&B, but only a couple of people danced at any given time. At this party exchanging hugs, flirting and talking was more the norm than dancing. Most of the people there seemed to be from Charlotte so it was a chance to catch up with folks I hadn’t seen in a minute, such as Brian Springs who used to own Groove Merchants. I also met Allen Mason from Dynasty 5.
Where did you party last night? Where are you going tonight? Post your replies below. Email your party photos: tjameson@charlotteobserver.com

Let CIAA the parties begin

About a dozen AKAs started their CIAA weekend at Therapy, a martini bar on Tryon Street, on Wednesday. Last year, the AKAs had one of the best parties on Thursday night. This year they face more competition, but Kelly Eaves isn’t worried. She says they’ve already sold more than a 1,000 tickets to Thursday’s party at the Forum.

Tonight the big parties begin.

I will be stopping by Menage and the Levine Museum of the New South. Over the next few days, I plan to see E.U., EPMD, Backyard Band and Vivica Fox.

What parties are you most looking forward to, and why? Post your replies below. And don’t forget to e-mail me your party pictures. Include the location and date of the party. tjameson@charlotteobserver.com

Who does he think he is?

He's Mr. Goodstuff! Ooo ooo, ha.
Mr. Goodstuff doesn’t just hawk mix CDs at his booth inside Charlotte Bobcats Arena, he sings and dances too.
In the span of five minutes on Wednesday, I learned that there was actually a song called “Walking the Dog” and Rufus Thomas, not James Brown sang it.

Goodstuff played a mix CD featuring the tune for a customer, but he drew a bigger crowd when he started dancing as well. It’s not often you see guy with biceps bigger than my thighs dropping low to the floor and doing spins as well. A crowd gathered to watch Goodstuff’s steps.

At the CIAA tournament, the vendors lining the concourse are as much as part of the tradition as the fans themselves. They sell everything from CDs to sunglasses to art to Greek clothing and accessories and more.

The first men’s game was Wednesday afternoon and the arena was alive with activity. Some people strolled, but the best people watching occurred at the main entrance. There pockets of people hugged, shook hands and caught up with old friends.

Tamia CI kick off party

After Eden, I headed across town to another CIAA weekend kickoff party: the Tamia concert at Tempo nightclub on Wilkinson Boulevard.
I stopped by the club earlier that evening for a VIP reception. At 8 p.m., a line stretched into the parking lot. When I returned about 9:30 p.m., fans crowded the stage.
In a phone interview, Tamia promised to give fans a real R&B show, and she did on Sunday. Accompanied by a full band and background singers who doubled as dancers, Tamia gave fans a show packed with danceable tunes and pearl-clutching sad songs.
She sang her new tune “Too Grown,” as well as favorites “Can’t Get Enough,” “Spend My Life,” and “Stranger In My House."
Surprisingly, the woman who said in an interview that she was too old for the booty-shake music unleashed a booty-shake instrumental medley. She sang a bit of “SexyBack,” and she and band members did the motorcycle dance and walked it out. It lasted for a hot-minute and provided a nice break from her mellow grooves.

After the show, Tamia said she was genuinely surprised and thankful that so many audience members bought her independently released CD “Between Friends.” She said Charlotte’s crowd was one of the best – for real.
The Tamia show and the Exodus band were CIAA weekend warm-ups. Tonight, the big parties begin.

Exodus CI Sunday

The CIAA moment came sooner than I expected this week. Exodus – a typical Charlotte band that plays smooth-jazz covers of current and classic R&B songs – was wrapping up its set at a kickoff party at Eden when it happened.

It was about 8:30 p.m., and the party would be ending soon. Men and women sat at tables downstairs, and a handful watched from the balcony above. Two women danced on the floor. A group of women headed down the steps to leave.
And then Exodus’s horn player belted out the opening notes of Jay Z’s “Show Me What You Got.” The women on the steps stopped, threw their hands up in the air and started dancing. Leaving the club was no longer an option. One by one, every seat downstairs emptied as men and women flooded floor. I kid you not, every seat. Granted, the crowd was only 50 or so people strong, but those 50 people had enough energy to make Eden feel like the Forum on a good night.

It wasn’t that “get your freak on” dancing, it was let’s sweat and have fun. After the band finished, DJ Nate segued the jazz version into the real song. Then he played old-school hip-hop, Slick Rick, Run D.M.C and more. People were still grooving when I left at 9 p.m., which is when this party (held the fourth Sunday) typically ends.

Deborah Cox at Velocity

The men and women screamed, sang and showered Deborah Cox with love at Velocity on Friday.

Fantasia mystery solved

Apparently, it wasn't a scandalous disagreement that took Fantasia off the Jamie Foxx Unpredictable Tour, which stops here on March 23. According to Fantasia's management company she is no longer on the tour because she is currently in rehearsals for the role of Celie in the Broadway production of "The Color Purple."

According to www.colorpurple.com, Fantasia will begin appearing in the play on April 10. Kenita Miller currently plays that role. Fantasia will be on Oprah on Wednesday to announce her upcoming role. She previously announced it on "American Idol" last week.

This is huge news for Fantasia who was passed over for the role of Effie in "Dreamgirls." Jennifer Hudson won an Oscar for her role in the movie.

I'm excited for Fantasia, but bummed. I'm going to see the play the last weekend in March so I won't see Fantasia's Broadway debut. Hmm, sounds like I need to talk to the Observer's big dawgs to arrange a road trip. I'll keep you posted.

Until then, have you seen "The Color Purple" on Broadway? If so, do you think Fantasia will make a good Celie? Post your thoughts below.

Jamie Foxx and Fantasia - what's the deal?

Tickets are selling well for the Jamie Foxx concert at Bobcats Arena
next month, but if you’re expecting Fantasia to be on the "Unpredictable Tour," prepare to be disappointed.

Fantasia, who was on the first leg of the tour, is no longer rolling with Foxx. Instead, fans will get more comedy from opening comedian Speedy, and Foxx will do a 20-minute routine. There also will be a video montage of Foxx’s career.

Foxx’s handler’s say Fantasia couldn’t fit her type of show into the 30- to 40-minute opening slot, and that it was a hassle to change the stage setup for the other two acts. (Fantasia’s people aren’t saying anything; they didn’t return e-mail request for comments.)

This explanation sounds crazy to me. Yes, she puts on a good show, but 30 minutes is plenty of time for an opening act. And changing the stage between acts is part of the concert business. They pay people to make that go smoothly and quickly. Reviews of the show have been mostly favorable. Why change it up now?

Initially, I thought Fantasia -- who lives in Charlotte -- might have stolen the show from Foxx with her exuberant performance. Then I realized that, in the past six months,the two have had a couple of steamy public encounters. The most notable was the much-talked-about kiss during the BET awards last summer.

Now, I’m wondering if maybe there was a "personality" conflict. Whatever happened, I hope Fantasia gets back on the road soon. Post your thoughts below.

Partying at the Bartender's Ball

A woman and man wearing camouflage, a bar made of ice, a giant barrel that dispensed liquor and a man eating an English muffin while he was asleep, were only a few of the experiences at Sunday’s Bartender’s Ball.

The sixth annual event moved back uptown on Sunday, and partiers relished the move. (It was at Merchandise Mart last year.) In the span of five hours, we danced to “Throw Some D’s,” “Sweet Escape,” hard rock and electronica. We hustled in the breakfast buffet line for the Men’s Club only to realize they had run out of syrup for the French toast and their tasty Applewood bacon before 11 p.m. Some of my best memories occurred in the Men’s Club’s area.

I’m sitting at a table eating my French toast watching a drunk guy across the table from me nibble on an English muffin, fall asleep, then nibble some more. Then, he reaches across the table for my English muffin. I stop him, and hand over the bread. He was too drunk for me to get mad – besides, watching him eat and sleep was comical.

If you didn’t go, here are some scenes from the night.

Highlights: Meeting a 53-year-old woman who kept dropping it like it’s hot on my friend J-Dawg…. The hip-hop set before the DJ blew a fuse and the music stopped... Seeing Tempo nightclub participate. It’s the first year I can remember a black-owned establishment participating in the ball. Their theme was Bob Marley’s birthday…. Collecting more beads than my girl… BAR Charlotte’s Valentine’s Day theme. Seeing cupid run around in his underwear was too funny…. Buffalo Wild Wing’s honey barbecue wings. Yes, the Men’s Club’s roast beef and spinach dip were tasty, but Buffalo Wild Wing’s line was shorter, and sometimes you want greasy chicken wings to go with a night of drinking.


Lowlights: The women’s bathroom was a haven for lung cancer. Smoking wasn’t allowed in the main ballrooms, so many women lit up in the bathroom. It was horrible…Some folks were stupid drunk by the end of the night.

Top three bars were: Cans (Armed Services Day), Brick and Barrel (End of Prohibition) and the Irish bars (St. Patrick’s Day).

What you missed: The La Poire Grey Goose (pear-flavored) mixed with pomegranate juice at Loft’s booth…A peek at the Greek crew’s newest venture, Alley Cat… Spykes, a flavored caffeine, ginseng and guarana mix that you pour in beer.

Did you go the Bartender’s Ball? How did you like it? How did it compare to last year’s?

Shakespeare in yo' face

A large ramp extended down from the second tier to the promenade floor of the Duke Family Performance Hall inside Davidson’s Knobloch Campus Center. We sat on the side of the ramp Saturday, waiting for the start of Shakespeare’s “Pericles.”

I hadn’t planned to attend the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production, but co-worker Kathy Haight raved so much about seeing one of the productions last week that I wanted to see one for myself.

On Saturday, I understood why Kathy liked it so much. For slightly more than three hours, I felt as if I were in the play. Standing on the promenade, I never knew when a gun-toting thug, drag queen or king would come storming past me. My only complaint was the length. I don’t like sitting through two-hour movies, so a three-hour play is way too long.

“Pericles” isn’t “to be or not to be”-style Shakespeare. Although I did get lost sometimes when the griot was narrating the story, for the most part, “Pericles” was accessible to low-brow theater fans like me. It tells the story of a Pericles, the king of Tyre, who fled his country, found love and lost it, and thought his daughter was dead.

Instead of everything happening on one stage, the play unfolds throughout the promenade. Audience members standing in the promenade scooted around to see the action and to avoid getting in the actor’s way. There was fencing, a man being thrown ashore, a brothel and an angel descending from the sky. Actors pointed guns at us and at times spoke directly to us.

It was theater in a way that I've never experienced before, and can't wait to experience again. (If the play is shorter.)

Mardi Gras in Lake Norman

Purple, gold and green balloons formed an arch above the bar inside NV nightclub. The head of a giant jester hung from the

ceiling. A man wearing purple royal robes and purple face paint handed out beads.

On Saturday, NV made partiers feel as if they were on Bourbon Street. Beads dropped from the club’s balcony, music boomed, women and men wore masks, and people danced all over each other to top 40 hip-hop.

To make the experience even more authentic: a girl standing on the dance floor threw up, apologized, and went back to dancing. Surprisingly, the only thing I didn’t see was girls showing their breasts for beads.

My girl and I got into a contest to see who could get the most beads. We each started with three. On the way inside, she found a set on the ground. Once inside, the purple-face man gave me a set. Then a big sweetheart from Asheville gave me a handful. He said he’d recently ended an 11-year relationship with a woman who had a wild hair. He was visiting with his two brothers, and he wanted to give me a handful of beads because he liked us.

I was leading the bead pack, but my girl got inspired. She hustled one guy out of a nice set, and then the big Asheville guy gave her a handful. Before the end of the night, she’d earned 17 and I only had 10 -- but hey, Mardi Gras partying is just getting started.

On Tuesday, there are Fat Tuesday parties at Cans and Dixie’s Tavern. My girl is going down.

Who exactly cares about Anna Nicole?

At midnight on Valentine’s Day, the music stopped inside Club Onyx on Old Pineville Road. Ten dancers walked out onto the stage and gave each other perplexed looks.

The announcer explained: Last week, Anna Nicole Smith passed away, he began.

“And?” someone said.

The announcer continued, explaining that Smith used to dance at Rick’s Cabaret, which owns Club Onyx in Houston. (In fact, that’s where she met her late husband.) So at midnight, all of the Rick’s Cabarets around the country were saluting Smith. At each club, the dancers were expected to come out on stage at midnight and blow her a kiss.

In Charlotte, the dancers bowed their heads for a brief moment of silence. Then the music started, and the dancers marched off-stage indifferent to what had just happened.

Their nonchalance struck me as curious. It seemed like Smith’s rise to fame would appeal to the dancers, but it didn’t. I interviewed a few, who didn’t care much about her.

Nya had the most to say: “She’s a dancer. A lot of people have this misconception about her. Everybody has to eat somehow.”

The evening reminded me of a conversation I had earlier with Kitch. He said black people don’t care about Smith. I thought he was trippin’, and argued that blacks and whites were both interested. I said everyone wants to know what’s going to happen body, who’s the father of her child, and who would raise her kid. Kitch argued that if it was Lil’ Kim, blacks would pay more attention.

After going to Onyx on Wednesday, I wonder if he’s right. Is there a cultural difference in interest about Smith, and if so, why? Post your response below.

The gay agenda in Charlotte

Poetry flowed, bodies danced and women connected at the one-year anniversary party for In the Lyfe, a promotions company for lesbians of color that is building a following with its parties at Wine Up in NoDa.

At Wine Up last Friday, the evening started with a poetry open-mike. (Let me just say that I don’t understand why they continue to have open-mike poetry when the audience refuses to be quiet. They need to either start asking rude patrons to leave, or add a separate open-mike poetry night where talking won’t be tolerated.)

After the poetry, the dance floor opened and filled quickly. Some women danced, a few shot pool and others talked around the bar.

The In the Lyfe parties draw a mix of lesbians of all ages and styles, from baby butches(young lesbians who dress like teenage boys) to stylish ones rocking cool hats (not just me) to older ones content wearing jeans and sweaters. They remind me of when I used to party in my 20s at Club Myxx, Scorpios and a now-closed spot that used to be on Morehead Street near WBT studios.

The parties come at a time when Charlotte is struggling to find leaders in the gay and lesbian community. The Lesbian and Gay Community Center, which hasn’t reached out to homosexuals who aren’t middle-class and white, is in danger of closing. On Tuesday, the Center’s leadership held a town hall meeting to discuss the future of the Center.

On Sunday, Unity Fellowship Church is launching culture week at Spirit Square. It is trying to raise money to support a tutoring and career development program for at-risk high school students at UFC Charlotte's Freedom Center. Sunday’s event will feature “Black and Like Us Too,” a photo exhibit that looks at the lives of gay African-Americans through the lens of photographer Moye.

There will also see a play “WORDS: The Isms,” which tackles issues related to fear of people who are different. It's at 8 p.m. Sunday at Spirit Square, and tickets are $25; 704-567-5007 for details. The photo exhibit will also be at the Afro-American Cultural Center on Wednesday, and will be part of a discussion that evening beginning at 7 p.m. www.ufccharlotte.org.

In March, several black gays and lesbians will meet to develop ways for African American gays to take more active leadership roles in the politics and the happenings of this city. (At least, I hope that’s the overall goal of the meeting.) Assuming the Lesbian and Gay center remains open the meeting will be there.

Others are organizing as well. Next week, according to an e-mail I received Wednesday, several local church leaders will meet at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center from 7-9 p.m. Monday through Friday of next week for a lecture series to discuss the homosexual agenda (you know there is one gay agenda for the entire world).

These organizers have timed their meetings to protest the 12th annual Human Rights Campaign Gala “Equality is Forever,” which will be on Feb. 24 at the Charlotte Convention Center. I can’t imagine who wouldn’t want to protest equal rights for everyone, but I digress.

The annual fundraiser will feature singer Jennifer Holliday, but will also address serious issues facing gays and lesbians throughout the country. In Wednesday's Paid to Party: Hump Day column, I will run the list of HRC dinner pre-parties and after-parties. Until then, get info at www.hrccarolinas.org.

The city’s gays and lesbians face some challenging days ahead, and it’s encouraging to see that many are coming together to tackle the challenges.

What do you think are the biggest challenges facing gays and lesbians in Charlotte? Post your replies below.

Pre-Valentine's parties wrap-up

Men and women in jeans, button-downs and tight-fitting clothes huddled to keep warm as they waited to get inside Cans for the Fourth Annual Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash, the first stop on my round of parties Saturday.

Inside, people shouted over the music. Downstairs, pockets of people danced to a mix of ’80s rock and recent hip-hop hits.

Over in South End, men and women wearing all-black, liquid latex, electrical tape, jeans and T-shirts, dog collars (or barely nothing at all) waited to get inside Amos’ Southend for the Purgatory fetish party.

Inside, two shirtless men danced on stage. Near the rear of the club, a woman - her hands bound to her feet - hung from a swing suspended from the ceiling. A go-go dancer gyrated on a platform in front of the sound booth.

My final stop was at Southend Brewery for Six Figures Entertainment’s Valentine Heartbreak Ball. Six Figures is a new player in the urban party promotion world. Like many others, it promises an upscale atmosphere.

On Saturday, they drew a light, but fun crowd. They closed off the bar area with a white curtain and kept all of the partiers in the main dining area. When you walked inside, there was a VIP setup on the right. It featured a small buffet with pasta, chicken and salad. Each table also had a bottle of Moet. Nice touch.

Most of the men wore suits or nice jeans and button-downs, and the women wore tasteful dresses and slacks as well. Initially, all of the women were on the dance-floor side, while most of the men gathered in the bar area. The women didn’t wait on the men. They paired off and danced, or did the Electric Slide as a group. It felt like a high school prom. (Fellas, you looked real weak.)

Eventually, the promoters dragged a few men onto the dance floor. DJ L. Boogie’s mix of old school R&B - like Frankie Beverly and Maze - created an African American wedding reception/family reunion feel.

If Six Figures can keep the guys on the dance floor and continue to host parties like this, it might become the next big player in the urban party market here.