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.