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.

Updated Valentine's parties for tonight

FUNNY CUPID: Comedians Tommy Davidson & Nessie and R&B singer Calvin Richardson headline Love and Laughter Show. 8 p.m. Big Chill. $15 and up. 704-503-4242.
CUPID ROCKS: Incognito Mosquito, Breaking Laces and others headline the Anti-Valentine's Masquerade. 8 p.m. Neighborhood Theatre. $8-$10. www.neighborhoodtheatre.com.
CUPID PUCKERS UP: Rumba in Kiss Alley. Danny Love’s the DJ. Best kiss contest. 10 p.m. Skandalos. $10. 704-777-6868.
I HEART CUPID: No Question and Just Woo Me present a romantic night with DJ Prince and R&B singer Fareed. 8 p.m. Wednesday. Fox & Hound. $10. 704-965-3434; www.noquestent.com.
ANGRY CUPID: The Takeover Friday guys celebrate lost and nonexistent love at their Bitter Party. 7 p.m. Tutto Mondo. Free. www.takeoverfriday.com for invitation.
HAPPY CUPID: Lovers & Friends party featuring the sounds of DJ Chase. Party presented by Funklabb. 8 p.m. Sunset Club. $10 and up. 704-819-3558, dre@thefunklabb.com
VIOLENT CUPID: Bring an item of your ex’s and throw it in the wood chipper outside of Buckhead for the Shred Your Ex. party. There will be prizes and drink specials. Live from Hot Sauce. .Buckhead Saloon. www.Myspace.com/BuckheadCharlotte

Please note: the NV item was removed. Their party was Saturday. They will be having a huge Mardi Gras party on Saturday.

Stank staff

I don’t know what’s up with Time Lounge, but some of its Tuesday night staff needed an attitude adjustment.

Outside the front door, a security guard dressed in black (including a Neoprene face mask, though it wasn’t that cold) looked as if he was itching for a fight. I tried to make small talk, but he just demanded my I.D. On the other hand, Mr. Tough Guy was totally friendly with the group of giggly girls behind me.

Service at the bar wasn’t much better. Though the club wasn't crowded, it took forever to get a drink; when I finally got one, the bartender acted as if it were a
chore.

I chatted with a couple of guys here from Boston who received the same treatment. They said bartenders in Boston are always rude, so they were used to the behavior.

I don’t always expect a Coke and a smile, but I also don't expect the staff to act stank -- especially when the place isn’t packed.

Have you been to any bars or clubs where the service has been less than pleasant? If so, what's your story? Post your reply below.

Super Bowl in Nashville

I watched the Super Bowl in Nashville, Tenn., at Road Dawg’s uncle’s
house. He’s been throwing a Super Bowl party for 12 years. You know what that means: Road trip!

The party was crazy. I figured since the house was a
mini-mansion, we’d be hanging with a bunch of pretentious buppies. I was wrong. It was as if someone had brought the regulars at Coyote Joe’s here.

After the game ended, the music started. One guy wanted to hear Bobby Womack-style slow songs all night. An older lady boogied to T.I.’s “Top Back.” That was funny. I caused a minor uproar when I told a touchy-feely girl to stop touching my head. She stomped out of the room yelling Jesus Christ. That was funny, too.

After the real bartenders left, I learned how to make a Buttery Nipple (Butterscotch schnapps and Bailey’s). I perfected my pomegranate martini. Oh, and I discovered that apple martini’s should be green,not clear.

It was my kind of party.

CIAA PARTIES 2007

Get ready to party for CIAA with Vivica Fox, Mims, EPMD and more.

Shooting in the clubs

By now, I’m sure you heard about the shooting inside Crush nightclub on Sunday night.

Apparently, two people suffered leg wounds.
When I first heard about it, I wasn’t surprised. Sundays at Crush draw what I call the white-T-shirt-gold-teeth crowd. It tends to be a young and rowdy crowd, sort of like the black equivalent to slam dancers.

I figured someone would eventually get shot at the popular Sunday night gathering.

Since the incident, I’ve learned that my assumption was incorrect. Yes, two people were injured. Yes, someone smuggled a gun into the club. But the shooting wasn’t the result of an altercation. Word on the street is that someone had a gun in his pants and he was jumping around while dancing. The gun went off.

I’m glad the shooting wasn’t intentional, but there are still some serious issues to address here.

First, I’m angry that a partier brought a gun into the club in the first place.

If Charlotte’s little wannabe-thugs would stop associating their manhood with violence, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. But time and time again, too many of the young men who wear oversized T-shirts and prefer rappers whose names start with “Lil’” act as if they go to the club to fight, not party. Guys, grow up.

Second, the club must improve security. They know who they draw on Sundays. I understand how shootings occur in club parking lots, but there’s no excuse for a gun to get inside a club.

I’m glad to know that since Sunday’s incident, the security guard in charge of pat-downs that night will no longer be used at Crush, and the club plans to start using metal detectors on Sundays as well (unfortunately, a measure that's overdue).

(BTW: I realize black clubgoers aren’t the only ones dealing with this. The same night the Crush incident happened, someone was killed at the Hispanic club El Vaquero in East Charlotte.)

What else can clubs do to improve security? What else can we do to get young knuckleheads to stop tripping in clubs?

Bobcats arena blackout over

The hip-hop and R&B blackout at Bobcats Arena is finally over. Jamie Foxx will bring his Unpredictable Tour there on March 23. Tickets go on sale Feb. 9. $59.75. www.charlottebobcatsarena.com; 1-800-495-2295.)

A couple of television news stations and some friends of mine have talked about the lack of hip-hop and R&B acts at the Arena since it opened. Some saw the lack of bookings among those types of artists as racist; I argue that there currently aren’t any good hip-hop and R&B tours to book at the arena.

I have absolutely, positively no desire to see Foxx, but I am glad he’s coming. He’s a good fit for the arena. His fans can afford the ticket price, and he’s popular enough to draw a decent crowd.

Right now, he’s all that hip-hop and R&B fans are going to get over there. Justin Timberlake is currently on tour. (He’s not black, but Michael Jackson isn’t either.) He and Christina Aguilera are the only acts currently touring in the U.S. who would draw hip-hop fans and do well in the Arena.

What do you think? Is the arena doing enough to get hip-hop and R&B acts? Who would you like to see perform there? Post your replies below.

Paella and salsa, life is good

I swung by the French restaurant Patou Bistro in Dilworth for a Latin party. I know that sounds weird, but it was the best stop I made Friday night.

When I walked in the door, men and women dipped and twirled to tango music. A DJ, set up in a corner, spun salsa, tango and Middle Eastern music. That’s what a call a mix. Do you know how refreshing it was to not hear one song that’s playing on the radio?

That wasn’t it, though. Before I could start snapping pictures of dancers who make me look like I have two right feet, I spied a gigantic wok thing.

My stomach pulled me to the left side of the restaurant in front of the bar, where a guy gently stirred the biggest skillet of paella (well, the only skillet of paella) that I’ve ever seen. He pushed around the layers of Spanish rice, peas, prawns and mussels. I wanted to stick my face in the skillet and bob for prawns, but I have home-training, so I didn’t.

I couldn’t wait for him to finish cooking. I migrated from the paella to the dance floor as couples and groups of women switched from salsa to tango to belly dancing and back to salsa. Other folks sat in booths talking.

The party drew was the coolest mix of Latin, Hispanic, black and white people (and those were Observer co-workers!) that I’ve seen in Charlotte in a few months. The Charlotte Tango Society and Charlotte Salsa hosted the debut event, which they called the World Mix Party. I can’t wait to attend the next one.

You know I’ll let you know when it happens, but if you want to get down with the group: www.charlottesalsadance.com

Mint Condition packs Amos'

Women whooped, men threw their hands in the air and everybody in a packed Amos’ Southend grooved to Mint Condition.

This was the band’s second visit to Charlotte in three years and the audience enthusiastically greeted their return. Fans were packed in Amos’s from the stage to the middle of the club and then it thinned out toward the back. The upstairs balcony was full as well.

Mint Condition is quietly becoming the Earth, Wind & Fire of ’90s R&B. Unlike most acts that had teenager girls back then; the members of Mint Condition are true musicians.

Along with the required favorites such as "(Breaking My Heart) Pretty Brown Eyes" and "What Kind of Man Would I Be,” the band unleashed a 15-minute instrumental set that traversed Latin grooves and rock. Lead singer Stokley Williams wailed on the drums and gave up the spotlight to his saxophone player.

Initially, I wondered if the show would do well because advance ticket prices started at $30. Charlotte’s urban audience is fickle. Mint Condition performed here a few years ago and they haven’t had a hit since the ’90s. The turnout surprised me. Considering that John Legend sold out in December, and now the Mint Condition concert went well, I wonder if it means Charlotte’s R&B fans will consistently support live music in nightclubs.

What do you think? Will R&B fans support more live music? Who else would you like to see perform in Charlotte. Post your replies below.

Gnarls Barkley dilemma

As I was saying in Wednesday's blog: I'm sitting two rows in front of Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley at the Red Hot Chili Peppers' concert. He's obviously trying to spend a little time with his family, but I'd love to get two minutes with him for a podcast interview.

Here's what I did:
I waited until the last song and approached him. I explained that I worked for the Charlotte Observer, and that I had interviewed him a few years ago at Studio 74 nightclub. I ask him for two minutes. He remembers me, and says he's getting ready to go because they're headed to D.C. He asks if he can call me. I give him my card.

I still haven't heard from him yet.

Mayor of Detroit partying in Charlotte

Sorry guys, I've been fighting a cold this week and I'm slipping on the blog.

Last weekend was absolutely nuts. On Friday, I partied at NV lounge for the Julius Peppers birthday party. Highlight of the evening? No. 90 bought up the bar at 12:30 a.m. That meant the bar tab was on him. Julius, I love my Redskins, but you're my new favorite player.

On Saturday, I hit the Digital Divas party at the Sunset Club. Guess who was in the house? None other than Kwame Kilpatrick, mayor of Detroit. Apparently, he was visiting some friends in Charlotte and came out to party. He wasn't uppity either. Kilpatrick was on the dance floor doing his thing thang.

Bullriding and big beats

Congrats to Charlotte-area band Sunny Ledfurd. The band's music is on the
Professional Bull Riders Web site. You will probably hear a few of its
tracks, such as “Buck, Buck, Buck,” at the Dale Jr. PBR Clash at
Bobcats Arena this weekend. www.pbrnow.com

Most overplayed songs

In honor of the Fray's performance at Ovens Auditorium on Monday, we held a features department survey at the Observer to determine the most overplayed songs in the history of mankind. The Fray sings "How to Save a Life." It’s that sappy song you hear on nearly every TV show and top 40 radio station. We published the results in Friday's E&T, and you can hear clips on the Paid to Party Podcast.

But now, it's your turn. What song do you think are the most overplayed songs ever? Post your replies below.

What would you do?

So I'm waiting for the Red Hot Chili Peppers to perform on Tuesday night at the Bobcats Arena, and Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley sits down two rows behind me with his family. His group's just opened for the Chili Peppers, and he is trying to spend some time with his folks.

I want to get two minutes with him for a quick interview, but I can tell he doesn't want to be bothered. He turns down the first person that asks him for a picture, explaining that if he poses for one then others will want shots as well. Midway through the RHCP concert, he relents and politely signs autographs for a couple of women, and poses for a few pictures with adoring fans. A little boy hangs on his arm and a woman (who acts like his girlfriend) hovers behind him.

Put yourself in my shoes. What do you do in this situation? You know artists who are on tour have little time to spend with their family. It's obvious Ceelo wants an hour to chill with his peeps and watch the show. Do you bug him for an interview or leave him alone?

Post your replies below. On Thursday, I'll tell you what I did.

Can you find love in a bar?

I’ve been reading the exchange on the “Who Needs a Husband” post. The comment by “Kevin” still gnaws at me. No, not the part about me hating men, blah, blah. That’s typical.

I’m talking about his comment criticizing me for talking to women at Fox & Hound. For some reason, I often hear people say you can’t meet anyone of substance in a club or bar. It makes it sound as if every person that hangs out or occasionally visits bars is not marrying material. At the same time, people often say single folks should meet a church-going girl or guy, as if people who go to church don’t go to clubs.

What do you think? Can you meet a person of substance at a nightclub? Post your replies below.

Frankie J Coming

Frankie J is performing at Amos’ Southend on Feb. 16. The pop-Latin sensation is riding the wave of hits such as “That Girl.” Tickets are available at www.amossouthend.com.

FYI: The weekend of Feb. 16 is going to be crazy. Frankie J will be that Friday at Amos’. Then on Feb. 17, NV nightclub will celebrate Mardi Gras with a huge spectacle of beads, Dixieland Jazz and masks. Wait, there’s more. On Feb. 18, Musiq Soulchild performs at Amos’ Southend, and on the same night, it’s the Bartender’s Ball at the Blake Hotel. I’m tired thinking about it already.

Who needs a husband?

A New York Times article reprinted in yesterday's Observer highlighted what many of my friends and I already knew: More American women are living without a husband than with one.
One of the factors the story cited was that women are marrying later or living with unmarried partners.

I think more women realize they don’t need to be hemmed up with a dude to be happy, and they’re also willing to wait for the right man before they get married.

An unscientific survey at Fox & Hound in Ballantyne last night confirmed my suspicion.

I talked to three women, all in their 20s, and all unmarried. Two said they couldn’t find a good guy, and that most of the guys they met were jerks. Another woman said she has no desire to get married now. She said when a boyfriend's hinted at marriage, she told him to slow down.

In this week's That’s Wassup! column, we will look at this topic some more, and I introduce you to three women who are unmarried and aren’t willing to lower their standards just to be married.
In the meantime, why do you think fewer women are married? Post your replies below.