Woods on South impresses

Chef Marvin Woods stood in the entrance of Woods on South Saturday night. People in suits and cocktail dresses mingled with others sporting jeans and T-shirts. A line snaked from the buffet table and servers offered samples of lamb, chicken
wings and pizza.

Woods watched it all, hugged well-wishers and welcomed friends to the restaurant. He worked in this space in the late ’90s when it was Southend Brewery, which closed earlier this year; now the celebrity chef hopes to restore luster to the once-popular location.

The first signs of change are obvious. There’s new designer lighting, stonework, live plants and warmer hues. An awning covers the outdoor patio and a new wall on the right side of the restaurant makes the big room more intimate. There are seven flat-panel TVs.

All of that is cool, but the real question is whether the food and service will be better at Woods on South than it was at Southend Brewery in recent years. Both were so bad that I stopped eating there a couple of years ago and only visited for promoter parties.

Woods and manager Dave Matters say Woods on South will be better. The food is fun, light and energetic, Woods said. The restaurant’s vibe will be as well. The new menu features food grown locally. The beer is local, too. Carolina Beer & Beverage will brew at the restaurant.

Entrees range from $12-$30 with dishes such as fancy fried chicken (marinated in buttermilk) and crab stuffed flounder. There’s also wood oven pizza, such as one with rotisserie chicken and regianno cheese, and dessert, such as a sweet potato creme brulee. Appetizers range from red pepper and eggplant dip to soul sushi, which includes a collard green leaf.
The appetizers can be ordered in smaller portions. There will be live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and the restaurant is non-smoking. As of now, there are no plans for happy-hour specials.

I give them three months before they start offering $5 appetizer plates and drink specials during happy hour. There’s too much competition in this area not to.

Did you go to the parties this weekend? What did you think about the place? Post your replies below.

Morton's takes a chill pill

Morton’s uptown is taking the stuffiness out of its bar. Instead of being simply a place for business men to smoke cigars and wait for their tables, the chain hopes to make their bar a place to hang out. It’s now called 1212 like the one at the Morton’s in SouthPark.

Except for the name change you might not notice much difference so here’s what they did: hardwood floors replaced the carpet and new light fixtures give the place a warmer feel. New bar menu includes jumbo lump crab, spinach and artichoke dip, prime cheeseburgers, blue cheese fries and fancy chicken strips.

At the reception last week, I tried the cheeseburgers along with the petite filet mignon sandwiches and shrimp cocktail, which were already available. All were delicious, but the shrimp scared me because they were so big.

The appetizers typically cost $8-$10 a plate, but they are only $4 Monday - Friday from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.?and 9:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

Will Comedy Zone bring better music?

The Comedy Zone, which closed its doors uptown earlier this year, is likely to re-open in NoDa.
That’s right - Observer business columnist Doug Smith reported last week that partners with the company will put a new Comedy Zone (among other things) in the 9,000-square-foot former dye house building at Highland Park Mill No. 3.

The plan calls for a 500-seat comedy club and a live-entertainment venue that will hold 1,000, said spokesman Craig Russing. The proposal also is slated to include a sports-bar-like eatery and a coffee shop catering to residents of the neighboring Highland Mill Apartments on North Davidson Street between Mallory and 33rd streets.

Although the Comedy Zone will retain its name, Russing said the partners are still working on a name for the complex itself, which probably won’t open until March.

The live-music venue will be direct competition for the Neighborhood Theatre, also in NoDa. The spot’s capacity, however, means it will also compete with Amos’ Southend, Tremont Music Hall, and whatever live-music club lands in the N.C. Music Factory.

I hope music fans will benefit. I hope we will start getting more of the acts that play at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill or the Orange Peel in Asheville, but don’t play here. I hope it also means we’ll get a wider variety of music in general.

Jill Scott show full

Jill Scott will perform at Amos' Southend on Nov. 1, but the free sign up for the concert filled up quickly Tuesdsay morning. No more seats are available for the show.

KRS-One brings real hip-hop

I’ve heard of getting a late start, but KRS-One didn’t take the stage until after 1 a.m. on Thursday at All Stars on Albemarle Road.
When he did grab the mike, he didn’t let go. Typically, KRS-One performs a few songs and then lets local rappers battle him or freestyle. His shows sometimes turn into a local talent showcase. It’s frustrating, because usually they're artists who we've already seen perform as openers.
But on Thursday, it was all about KRS-One. (At least, for the hour or so that I was there.) He performed all the hits fans have come to know and love, such as “Black Cop.” He did his signature call and response: “The real hip-hop is over here…”
A couple hundred people came out to see him perform for more than an hour at All Stars, a former buffet restaurant. The sound was terrible, but the crowd was hype and spilled out from the main stage area into the booths and other seats.
The funniest part of the evening was watching this dude near the stage who insisted he knew KRS-One. Security kept telling him to chill, and to stop trying to get on stage. When he finally did jump on stage, a burly guard tackled him like he was a running back and threw him off it.
Now I don’t care if I’m KRS-One’s momma -- if a security guard twice my size keeps telling me to chill and looks at me like he wants a reason to beat me down, the last thing I’m going to do is give him a reason.

Eating grits at Skyland

Last night was one of those nights where I planned to be home by 9 p.m., but found myself sitting at Skyland diner at 1 a.m. with Kitch, Larken, Letha and Nicholas.

The night started at Oceanaire. Kitch and I met Larken there for the SouthPark restaurant’s one-year anniversary party. The spread was incredible. They had a hot food section with crab-deviled eggs, steamed mussels, crab balls, and some kind of crab dip.

They also had a cold buffet with all kinds of oysters, shrimp and crab claws. A server sat a fresh plate of the crab claws in front of Kitch and Larken. I slurped down some oysters. Other servers walked around offering chocolate-covered strawberries and mini lemon meringue pies. Yum to the 10th power. For cocktails, the restaurant served complimentary well liquors, wine, champagne and mojitos.

I would’ve been content to go home after that, but Kitch and I decided to visit the new martini spot On the Roxx in Ballantyne. It’s intimate, with seating that allows you to see and be seen. We were the only two people in On the Roxx. We talked with a guy who said he was a co-owner. Boris Tomic, who did the Forum, designed it so you know it’s tastefully done. The guy said their best nights are Fridays and Saturdays. They have a DJ on Fridays.

Next, Kitch and I headed to Table for dessert. I had the chocolate cheesecake, which I wouldn’t order again. Kitch had the molten cake, which was good and gooey. Table is doing a bourbon pairing dinner on Oct. 26. It’s five courses with five bourbons for $55. That has to be the best deal in town if you like bourbon.

After a quick stop at Village Bistro, we drove to NoDa and met back up with Larken at Wine Up. He was there promoting his company’s Pink vodka. Nicholas and Letha, who’s campaigning to win some kind of fabulous at 40 contest for Essence magazine, were there too. We heard some of the regulars (and some people I'd never seen before) doing their poetry thing.

Carlton, of Creative Loafing, met us there for a quick drink. Next, Kitch, Carlton, Larken and I stopped by the Sunset Club for co-owner Jeff Tomascak’s birthday party. Tomascak had a large turnout, but the DJ inspired few people to dance consistently. We sat on the patio and Noah Lazes, of N.C. Music Factory, joined us. We got caught up on the latest happenings at his spot; I’ll get to those announcements in another blog.

After an hour or so, Carlton called it a night. I finished talking with Noah, Kitch, Larken and then headed to Skyland on South Boulevard. (Can we please get a 24-hour food spot uptown? Please!) Nicholas and Letha joined us there. If you haven’t been to Skyland, they have the best grits -- at 1:30 a.m.

Jill Scott is coming to Amos' Southend

The Soul Movement and Diageo, a liquor distribution company, are bringing singer-songwriter-poet Jill Scott to town on Nov. 1. The show is called "Baileys Get Together with Jill Scott." It's part of a Baileys promotion that Diageo is doing with Scott and singer John Legend.

It's a free concert, but you have to register online. Go to www.thesoulmovement.com and click on "Sign up now!"

Scott recently released her latest album, "The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3."

matchbox twenty on Kiss 95.1

Neither road construction nor food poisoning could stop matchbox twenty’s Rob Thomas and guitarist Paul Doucette from entertaining about 80 fans who filled the upstairs room at Galway Hooker pub. They performed there for Kiss 95.1’s superstar surprise concert on Thursday. (It airs 8-9 a.m. Friday on the Ace & TJ show.)

After arriving more than an hour late, they gave fans about 45 minutes worth of banter and music. Well there was way more banter than music, but fans were happy.

The lead singer and guitarist were promoting matchbox twenty’s new double-disc, “Exhile on Mainstream.” It features 11 hits and six new songs.

Between performing “If You’re Gone” and “3 A.M.,” Thomas and Doucette talked with the radio personalities.

Thomas said he got food poisoning in Raleigh and was sick in Greensboro. Responding to a question, Thomas said, if asked he would work with Britney Spears once got her act together. He called her a talented artist (I think he was being nice).

Doucette said the new songs on “Exhile” were influenced by a studio session in which they watched “Live AID” on DVD.

On the lighter side, not that working with Britney isn’t light, the two talked about celebrity encounters in the gym. Doucette said guitarist Dave Navarro dissed him after Doucette told him he played for matchbox twenty. Thomas said Billy Idol was once seen shadow boxing in front of a mirror in full leather (talk about sweating off pounds).

Thomas also said he was obsessed with “American Idol.”
“That’s human drama at it’s best. Watching all of those little kids getting their hopes smashed.”

Avett Brothers and other event announcements

Last year the Avett Brothers sold out their annual New Year’s Eve concert at Neighborhood Theatre in nine days. As a result the band is moving the party to the Belk Theater this year.

It’s going to be an odd fit. Promoter Dolph Ramseur says the band needs a bigger venue.
He says for the New Year’s Eve concert patrons will be able to take drinks into the theater. Beyond the drinks issue, I can’t imagine ushers allowing raucous Avett fans to party like they usually do.

In other announcements, De La Soul will perform at Amos’ Southend on Nov. 10. DJ Magic Mike will open.

And Chef Marvin Woods’ grand opening of Woods on South, formerly Southend Brewery, will be Oct. 19-20.

What has Michael Baisden done for Charlotte?

As I announced in Paid to Party: Humpday, radio personality Michael Baisden will be holding court at Grand Central on Saturday.

(Comedian George Wilborn and singer Howard Hewett will also perform. Grand Central. $25-$30; $50 for VIP. www.v1019.com.)

Baisden is one of the main people who brought attention to the Jena 6 case in Louisiana by talking about it on his radio program that airs during the afternoon on V101.9.

Baisden and Tom Joyner have used their radio shows to cover stories involving blacks that don’t get mainstream media attention. I’m glad they do, but my problem is with people who get rowdy about injustice in cities far, far away, but don’t care about what’s happening in Charlotte.

We had buses of people flocking to Jena, Louisiana, but how many of these bus riders fight for Charlotte youth? How many volunteer in their local schools or neighborhood groups? How many are as passionate about the treatment of young black youth in Charlotte as they are about kids hundreds of miles away?

Not enough.

Post your thoughts below.

R. Kelly coming to Bobcats Arena

I am begrudgingly announcing that singer R. Kelly will be performing at Bobcats Arena on Nov. 18.

Singers Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday will open.
I can’t believe Cole is performing with Kelly. Her music disses trifling men, but she’s teamed with an artist who’s built his career by degrading women. Yes, he’s a musical genius, but I still don’t like him.

Anyway, I’ve done my job and announced the show.
Get your tix at www.ticketmaster.com beginning Friday at 10 a.m.

New jazz singer in Charlotte

Kat Williams has spent the past 10 years making a name for herself as a jazzy singer in Asheville, but she hopes to carve out a niche in a city that doesn’t consistently support jazz. She performs at Petra’s in Plaza-Midwood on Friday (8 p.m., $10).

I saw her perform at a festival in Asheville a couple of years ago, and her show was amazing. She easily glided between jazz standards and Earth, Wind & Fire soul. She’s a big dawg in Asheville, and I was surprised to hear that she had moved here.

Here’s the scoop:
When did you move to Charlotte?
Four months ago.

Why?
I needed to be near a major airport. I’ve done every big gig I can do in Asheville; it’s time for me to spread out a little bit.

What venue would you most like to perform at here?
Blumenthal. I do a show that’s a tribute to women in jazz.

Aren’t you nervous about starting over?
I’m up for the challenge. It’s a bigger market. It has a lot more going on, a lot more to see.

Details: www.katwilliams.com

Key-key punks out at Oktoberfest

Big Sexy, Key-key and I had just finished eating after an hourlong tasting tour at Oktoberfest when Key-key punked out.

Key-key and Big Sexy are my best friends who come down from Maryland each year for Oktoberfest. I left the two them in the Creative Loafing’s Beer’lympic Village so I could go take pictures of the thousands of people sipping beers, playing chess or tossing bean bags.

My phone vibrated.

I opened it to see a picture of Key-key sleeping on the concrete floor. I returned to where I’d left the two to find Key-key was asleep and Big Sexy was sending pictures of her to our friends in Maryland. Oktoberfest partiers took pictures of Key-key as well. I know we’re mean, but she’s a lightweight and we had to clown her. That’s what friends are for.

This year, Oktoberfest had a new home, at Metrolina Expo. Despite being so far from uptown, it was easily accessible. We took a cab to Buckhead Saloon and rode the Loaf’s shuttle to Metrolina Expo. My roomie picked us up at Buckhead after the festival.

I prefer being outside, but since Memorial Stadium had so many restrictions on food and Oktoberfest outgrew NoDa, Metrolina Expo was good a choice. There were plenty of food vendors and bathrooms. The buildings provided shade, and the bay doors created an airy feel. The best part was whenever someone dropped a glass, everyone who heard it shatter yelled, “OOOHHH!”

The only drawback: There wasn’t as much room to move between beer vendors and lines, and the Johnny Cash cover band seemed to play forever.

My favorite beer was La Fin Du Monde, a Belgian ale. My favorite name was R.J. Rockers’ Fish Paralyzer. It tasted pretty good, too.

R&B singers fighting to be heard

At Del Frisco’s, sultry R&B singer Chrisette Michele wowed radio programmers, DJs and radio personalities on Friday.
Across town, less than an hour later, neo-soul singer Raheem DeVaughn wowed dozens of die-hard fans.
Both artists delivered smoky love songs and tunes about heartbreak and more. Michele is on the rise, getting attention with songs such as “Be Okay.” She performed for a packed crowd at Grand Central a few weeks ago and wowed them as well with several tracks off her solo debut, “I Am.” With a raspy voice and a seductive air that doesn’t rely on her shaking her hips, Michele is poised to separate herself from the female R&B pack.
DeVaughn is promoting his sophomore release “Love Behind the Melody.” His first album, “The Love Experience,” yielded the popular cut “Guess Who Loves You More.” On stage, DeVaughn is dynamic. He sweats, and isn’t shy about going into the audience and dancing on chairs or between tables. His voice reminds you of Marvin Gaye, and he tries to channel Gaye’s sensuality and sensibility.
He’s trying to establish himself in a genre that’s lost its luster in recent years, with John Legend being one of the few men to maintain national prominence. It’s a tough chore when artists such as Akon and T-Pain dominate the charts and radio with drivel about getting women drunk, or odes to strippers.

Q-Tip and Common rock Amos'

In an Aug. 20 blog entry, after I announced that Q-Tip would open for Common at Amos’ Southend, a reader commented that it should be the other way around.
During Thursday’s performance, Q-Tip made a strong case that he could be the headliner. The crowd, which stretched from the front of the stage past the sound booth to the rear bathroom, re-lived the glory years of rap as Q-Tip delivered both new and old tunes. (Hear my interview with Q-Tip on the Paid to Party Fo’ Yo’ Ear podcast on Wednesday afternoon.)
He opened with a funky tune reminiscent of a Parliament-style groove. Then he tested his chops singing on another number. By the midpoint of his 45-minute set, he and the crowd performed “Check the Rhyme,” “Bonita Applebum” and “Electric Relaxation.” He also performed his solo hits, “Vivrant Thing” and “Breathe and Stop.”
The best part of his set was “Scenario.” He invited two audience members on stage to rap lines from the song with him. Q-Tip started a verse, and each audience member had to finish it. The woman from the audience who joined him on stage got crazy love from the crowd. She rapped her parts correctly, confidently and then stopped. The guy who followed her mistook the concert for his own personal showcase. Along with rapping lines from “Scenario,” the guy freestyled and was quickly booed off stage. (Dawg, people paid to see Q-Tip and Common, not you.)
Common delivered a similar show to the one he did at Grand Central in May. He hyped the crowd, jumped around, and wooed a woman on stage. He performed more cuts off his new album, “Finding Forever,” such as the title track and “Break My Heart.” He gave fans a mix of old and new. The best part was “The Light.” It’s a song about love, and to hear nearly 1,000 people sing, “There is a light that shines…” was crazy-cool.
I was disappointed with Common’s treatment of “Misunderstood.” The track, on his new album, has a Nina Simone sample. It’s about people, such as a drug dealer and stripper, who make bad decisions trying to achieve their dream. The band slowed the song down so much that I barely recognized it. At the end, he gave shout-outs to all the people he says are misunderstood, such as Simone, 2Pac, Malcolm X and Michael Vick. Yes, Vick.
Yes, Vick made a bad decision, but throwing him in the same list as Malcolm X and even 2Pac is a stretch. They at least tried to uplift people with their words. Vick hasn’t -- yet. Maybe Common is just hoping Vick is misunderstood.

Gluttony at Cans

Speaking of Larken, I saw him and five others compete Saturday in a nacho-eating contest at Cans on West Fifth Street. For months, Larken has raved about his ability to devour an entire plate of nachos by himself. He convinced the folks at Cans to hold a contest so he could show off his gluttony.

But Eun Park, who doesn’t even like nachos, spanked Larken with a time of four minutes. Larken finished his plate a minute later. I give the biggest shout-out to the diminutive Maria Isenhour, the only woman in the contest. Way to hang with the big boys.

NASCAR 101 with Paw Paw

I don’t know much about NASCAR, so I was glad when Paw Paw Egleston, Larken Egleston’s dad and an avid racing fan, joined Larken and I for a tour of Michael Waltrip’s Raceworld in Cornelius last week.

I liked looking at giant tool boxes and springs and racecars and pictures, but Paw Paw Egleston totally dug it. He shared all kinds of tidbits about NASCAR with us.

Each bay at Raceworld contains a workshop. As we walked through the facility, Paw Paw Egleston explained the difference between the current car and the car of the future, which is supposed to be safer. He also gave us a play-by-play of Waltrip’s horrific crash at Bristol in the early ’90s. We got to sit in a driver’s seat and try on a helmet, but my favorite part was touring the plush RV. More info at www.raceworldusa.net.

Bringing some soul to Charlotte

As condos sprout uptown and plush new restaurants and spots open, Charlotte’s artsy, creative folks are talking about the soul of this city.

It’s a conversation that’s been going on for years over drinks at the bar or dinner at restaurants. Every now and then, that conversation gets public attention. Creative Loafing once wrote a cover story about the topic. I’ve written about it. A committee of young professionals did a study to see if we were cool, which is pretty darn close to asking if the city has a soul.

A night on the town here is often fun, but too often forgettable.

When is the last time you went to a performance, nightclub, or bar and had such a good experience that you talked about it for weeks? And I’m not talking about remembering the night because you were so hung over the next day that you’ll never drink again. I mean a genuinely good time with good people and good friends, an experience you couldn’t re-create even if you tried (and when you did try, it wasn’t the same).

For me ... let's see, off the top of my head: Celia Cruz at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center… Marques Wyatt at now-closed Tonic…Oktoberfest in NoDa…The Culinary Arts Experience two years ago…Chuck Brown at the uptown Hilton for CIAA two years ago.

A few Charlotte nightlife trendsetters have turned those complaints about soulless Charlotte into action.
(Read my Sept. 5 blog, "Info on club formerly known as Menage.") The Forum’s Andy Kastanas and local DJ James Fedele are working on a lounge/restaurant called Soul in Plaza-Midwood. (Read my Sept. 24 blog, "Soul is coming to Plaza-Midwood.")

The titles of each project give you an idea of what they’re about. Creating spaces that feed the spirit as well as the body. Both projects are supposed to be places for people who want to their nightlife to consist of more than getting sloppy drunk on cheap beer and Jager bombs, or dancing to the same songs they hear every hour on the radio.

The concepts will add variety to Charlotte’s nightlife. With the exception of live-music venues, our nightlife revolves so much around bad music and cheap drinks, or pricey martinis and pretentiousness.

So tell me, when was the last time you had an unforgettable experience partying in Charlotte? And do you think Charlotte has soul? Why or why not? Post your replies below.

Soul is coming to Plaza-Midwood

On Saturday night, I drove down 22nd street, wondering where the heck I was going. I was trying to find a party, but had never been in this area. Then I saw cars parked along the street and two police officers standing in the near the intersection of Brevard and directing people where to park and where to party.

Inside Center of the Earth Studio, basically a warehouse, people of all hues, ages, professions and sexuality grooved to the delicious beats of DJ Neil Aline, of New York. Art pieces lay scattered about, there were a few sofas near the entrance, and disco balls hung from ceiling beams. Bartenders mixed drinks among circular saws and other tools at a makeshift bar. There was one bathroom. To get to the smoking section you walked through some plastic sheeting to the outside of the building.

It was grimy and oh so lovely.

The party was called Foundation, and it was a launch party for Soul, a new concept by The Forum’s Andy Kastanas and local DJ James Fedele. Soul will be in Plaza-Midwood at the corner of Pecan and Central above Lotus. It’s where the Perch improv comedy club lived years ago. They plan to open in the next few months.

To call Soul a lounge wouldn’t do it justice. To call it a restaurant wouldn’t be fair either. It will be both. Most partiers recognize Kastanas for helping build this city’s house music and nightlife scenes in the ’90s, but he also has a culinary degree and loves to cook. He and Fedele plan to put as much emphasis on the food as the music and the vibe of Soul.

The menu will be tapas with cuisine from all of over the world. The music will be soulful house. Oh, and the cocktails recipes will be equally emphasized. There won’t be any full size entrees nor will there be a dance floor.

If you want to see the layout, go to Common Market or Central Records and see if they have any flyers from Saturday’s party. The design of the building is on the back of the flyer. Along with adding a kitchen to the building, Kastanas and Fedele will add a balcony along the Pecan Avenue side of the building. There will be seating around the DJ booth as well as lounge-style seats throughout.

The goal is for friends to go, grab a seat, nibble all night and hear good music. If you hung at Tonic and Tutto Mondo back in the early years or go to Prevue on Wednesday nights for Pop Life, then Soul will be your kind of spot.

At Saturday’s Foundation party, I ran into people I haven’t seen clubbing in ages and people I only see at certain types of parties. The true house heads were on the dance floor. Aline made me want to find his music and burn it. He spun the typical house tracks such as “Lonely People” as well as funked up cuts by Stevie Wonder.

Kastanas and Fedele want to bring the soul back to Charlotte. Kastanas bluntly says he is opening a club for he and his friends. Usually, that isn’t the smartest business plan, but I hope it works this time.

Oktoberfest sold out

Charlotte Oktoberfest is sold out.

I wondered if the move to Metrolina Expo would dampen enthusiasm for the popular event, but obviously it didn't. The last ticket was purchased at 10:46 p.m. Sunday, according to organizers.

If you didn't buy a ticket and want to go to Saturday's event, be sure to read Friday's E&T. We will be giving away three tickets.