Shen Wei not for me

I went to see the Shen Wei Dance Arts group perform at Appalachain State’s Farthing Auditorium last weekend.

My girl’s a dancer, so I surprised her with tickets for her birthday. I didn’t know much about the company except for that it was imaginative and creative, and wouldn’t perform typical modern dance. The group sounded great on paper: It performed at Lincoln Center in New York, and at all kinds of famous festivals throughout the world.

I didn’t realize "imaginative and creative" meant watching dancers perform the same moves over and over. Imagine seeing someone do the “Matrix” move a hundred billion times -- that’s what it felt like watching the performers during their meditatively slow performance. At one point during “Folding,” a woman walked really quickly in a circle so many times she made me dizzy.
I wanted someone to jump in the air and do a split so bad, it wasn’t even funny.

I like to stretch myself with the arts, but Shen Wei drove me nuts. There was a mass exodus to the parking lot during intermission. A lady told me that folks in Boone are retired and conservative, and that Shen Wei was a bit too much for them. The best part of the night was when one of those retirees imitated the first performance during intermission.

My girl and I toughed it out. She liked the performance -- but not enough to see again. Next time, I’ll stick to scraping my nails down a chalkboard.

Rolling with a blonde at Alley Cat

All kinds of Harleys and custom bikes lined the area directly in front of Alley Cat on Tuesday.

It was the bar’s first Bike Night, and about 25 bikers came out early that evening to show off their rides and eat.

I had just polished off a fried bologna sandwich there and was headed to my flag football game when I got a call from Urban Vixen, who was still hanging out there.

Apparently, after I left, employees cleared away tables and created a path through the middle of the club. Then a guy with a cute blonde sitting on his lap drove through the club on a tricked-out, Harley-accessorized go-cart. They looped around the club while the small crowd cheered. A few minutes later, he made another lap with a different blonde. Playa, playa ...

College night at Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club is still building its fledgling College Night. On Tuesday, about 75 people hung out at the ’80s club dancing to top 40 music while the song’s video played on the screens. The club’s College Night draws a crowd comparable to the partiers you’d see at Bar Charlotte’s College Night.

Owner Jody Sullivan said Tuesday night was light compared to July 3, when the place was packed. They are having a Who Got Served breakdance party there for College Night on July 31.

Teens flood uptown on the Fourth

Cops on every corner. Cars pulled over along College and Tryon streets. Breathalyzers administered. Men in handcuffs. Swarms of teens pacing up and down Tryon.

That was the scene uptown last night about midnight. Clubs along Tryon Street were either closed or dead. Phil's Deli was the only place that was packed. (Considering Phil's only holds about 100 people, that's not saying much.)

The scene last night underscores two things about this city: 1) Officials are obsessed with protecting uptown (you could have been driving tore-down drunk anywhere else in the Charlotte and in no danger of being arrested), and 2) no one offers people under 21 decent nightlife options.

Co-worker Olivia Fortson has an idea I want you to consider. Since teens take over uptown on the Fourth of July, why not give them that night to party uptown? Clubs and bars along Tryon Street could hire DJs and extra security and admit only those under 21. The clubs could charge a cover and serve only non-alcoholic drinks (at increased prices).

What do bars and clubs along Tryon Street have to lose? Like I said, with the exception of Phil's, everything else was either closed or dead. As an adult, I had no desire to stay uptown and hang out with the cops and the kids.

What do you think? Could it work? Post your replies below.

A rap attack in Charlote (New shows added)

We haven’t gotten any huge rap shows at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena or Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre this year, but it plenty of major rappers are hitting the smaller venues.
This summer is starting to get exceptionally busy. Here’s a look at some upcoming shows.
One of the hip-hop shows biggest of the summer -- the Outta School Crunk Jump Off -- hits Cricket Arena on Saturday. Artists like DJ Unk (“2 Step”; “Walk it Out”), Baby Boy da Prince (“The Way I Live”), Jibbs (“Chain Hang Low”), Fabo and more will perform. 5 p.m. $20. All ages. www.cricketarenacharlotte.com.

*T-Pain, known for hits “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper) ” and “Buy U a Drank,” will perform at Crush on Sunday. 10 p.m. $20 and up.

*Lil Flip performs hits such as "Playa 4 Life" and more at this pre-Independence Day party on Tuesday. 9 p.m. NV lounge. www.nvlounge.net.

*Bone Thugs-N-Harmony -- whose new disc, “Strength & Loyalty,” features the tune “I Tried” -- will perform at NV lounge on July 13. $20. www.nvlounge.net.

*DMX performs at Amos’ Southend on July 18. The New York based rap-rock band Bazaar Royale, which is building underground buzz, will open. 8 p.m. $25. www.amossouthend.com.

Talib Kweli performs at the Neighbhorhood Theatre on Aug. 1.9 p.m. $25. www.neighbhorhoodtheatre.com


Power 98’s SummerFest which brings Lil Boosie, Lil Webbie, Crime Mob, Gorilla Zoe and Heizman Boyz to Cricket Arena on August 4. The first 1000 tickets are $10. The rest are $24. www.ticketmaster.com.

Pete Rock, Little Brother, Supastition, and DJ DR will perform at the Neighborhood Theatre on Aug. 5. The event will also include an art exhibit, indie film screening, breakdancers and vendors. 8:30 p.m. $18, $25. www.neighbhorhoodtheatre.com

Snug Harbor mystery

After I wrote about the new bar Snug Harbor, a reader asked if I knew the origins of the name of the Plaza-Midwood bar. The reader wondered if it pays any homage or respect to the famous jazz club Snug Harbor in New Orleans.

The folks at Snug Harbor said in an e-mail the idea actually came from the 1987 Mickey Rourke/Faye Dunaway film "Barfly" -- it's the name of a pub shown during the opening credits.

There are actually several Snug Harbors across the states. In addition to the Snug Harbor in New Orleans, there is a large cultural center on Staten Island's north shore bearing the same name.

Our Snug Harbor pays homage to all those that have come before it.

Chuck Brown at Amos' Southend

When Chuck Brown comes to town for the CIAA tournament, he always draws enough people to fill two hotel ballrooms.

But it wasn't clear whether the go-go legend could draw a large crowd without the CIAA -- until Saturday. That night, the crowd in Amos’ Southend danced and grooved to classics like “Bustin’ Loose,” “Moody’s Mood for Love” and “Run Joe,” and new cuts such as “Chuck Baby” and “Block Party.”

Go-go builds on a constant percussion groove while an artist sings. Artists make go-go versions of hit songs, as well as original tunes.

One of the best parts of Saturday’s show was when Brown stepped to the back and played guitar while Lil’ Benny took over. I was standing upstairs watching from the balcony as Benny led the crowd through the motorcycle dance. He’d point, and the sea of bodies would lean to the right, then to the left. I usually loathe group dances, but watching all the bodies moving together on this night was cool.

Anyway, I want to know: Do you think Charlotte can support go-go on a consistent basis? Do y’all want more go-go? Post your replies below.

Fall Out Boy even better live

I didn’t realize I knew so many songs by Fall Out Boy until I was sitting in the concert nodding my head to many of them.

The show at Verizon on Wednesday drew a smaller crowd than I anticipated. I expected the parking lot to be packed when I drove up but it wasn’t. While out there, I ran into Brandon and several co-workers from JHE, who were out tailgating. They’re a rowdy bunch with the feisty Maria (Brandon’s boo), the girl hunting Rook (adorably cute) and more subtle girl-magnet Kenneth. I joined them in the VIP section. It was my first time - wahoo! Thanks guys.

The crowd was smaller than I anticipated, but men and women stood and hooted throughout most of the show. Is Fall Out Boy the band for bodybuilders?

For some odd reason, I saw a lot of beefy guys there. Although, the band did have this weird fascination with testosterone. For example, during “The Steroid,” a man onstage did pushups throughout the song. Later in the show, a young girl put baseballs in a pitching machine that shot the balls at a man wearing a catcher’s mask.

When the band wasn’t filling the show with those types of antics, they cranked out expected hits such as “This Ain’t A Scene” and “Sugar We’re Going Down,” the band played a rocking version of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

I loved Patrick Stump’s noodling version of Akon’s “Don’t Matter.”
Best part was Stump didn’t hump a girl on stage or lob a teen into the audience.


Did you go to the concert? What did you think? Post your replies below.

Wentz didn't act sick on Wednesday

Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz was supposedly too sick to DJ at the Forum on Wednesday, but his “illness” didn’t stop him from jumping around the stage at Verizon.

Wentz was supposed to DJ an after-party at the Forum, but on Wednesday afternoon the club announced that Wentz’s management said he was ill. It sounded fishy from the git-go, but after seeing him perform, I believe the illness story even less.

What do you think happened? Post your replies below.

Folks at Steamers love this country

A city ordinance banning businesses from flying more than three flags might be the best thing that happened to Steamers, a cozy sportsbar off Albemarle Road.
I live near the bar, and have passed it numerous times, but I never bothered to stop until Saturday. The bar organized a Red, White & Blue party to show that the nine flags that flew atop the bar were to show patriotism, not draw business. Being forced to remove the flags gave owner Bill Nolan more publicity than the nine flags ever did. His dilemma became fodder for talk radio last week after an article ran in the Charlotte Observer.
On Saturday, I stopped by the bar. Every small pub calls itself a Cheers and this one is no different. Tracy Thomas is the den mother and seemed to know everybody there. Many regulars have gone there for more than a dozen years and friendly newcomers are immediately welcome.
Steamers doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside it's lined with plasma flat screen TVs that show sports. It’s a Panthers and Eagles bar, but I’ve been assured that even my Redskin-lovin’ booty would be welcome. They have karaoke on weekends. Pool tables, darts and foosball games are in the back. In anticipation of an eventual ban on smoking, there’s an enclosed outside patio with heat and fans.
Steamers serves the typical range of bar food, but get this: Burgers are served on wheat buns!
If you go, ask for Tracy and prepare to find a new place to hang.

Bread pudding war

For the last year, Kitch and I have debated about who has the best bread pudding in the city.
He liked the pudding at Copeland’s. I thought it was okay. He raved about Table’s, but it was petite and pretty. I loathe petite and pretty - give me food. I suggested Fenwick’s. He wasn’t impressed.
Last night, I finally got him to try the bread pudding at Hotel Charlotte at Sharon Amity and Providence. The restaurant gives you a heaping bowl and it’s sooo good.
When the bartender sat the bowl in front of us, Kitch raked his spoon across the top, ate a small piece and said it was good. When he ordered a shot of Grand Marnier, I knew I had won him over.
Our next mission is to find a place to go late night for dessert. I hate feeding a late-night sweet tooth with a McDonald’s sundae.
Who has good desserts and serves until at least 10 p.m.? And what’s your favorite spot for dessert? Post your replies below.

DJ Jazzy Jeff coming to Amos'

As long as I've known promoter Mike Kitchen, he's always raved about DJ Jazzy Jeff. I've always thought of Jazzy Jeff as the sidekick to rapper the Fresh Prince (a.k.a. Will Smith). I tried to see Jazzy Jeff spin at a boat party in Miami during the Winter Music Conference in March. But the organizers were full of crap, and me and hundreds of other partiers never made it onto the boat after standing in line for more than an hour. (Can you tell I'm still bitter?)

Anyway, I'll finally get to see Jazzy Jeff spin when he comes to Amos' Southend on July 21. Kitch has been trying to bring him here for two years, and he's giddy with excitement over the show. Like I said, I only know Jazzy Jeff through the Fresh Prince, but apparently he's one of the hottest DJs in the country. He's known for his mixing skills and deep stacks of classic and underground hip-hop. This is his first Carolina appearance. Raleigh's DJ BroRabb, who I love, will open.

Tickets will be available at www.amossouthend.com or www.charlottevibe.com. (Don't forget: Go-go's godfather Chuck Brown performs at Amos' on Saturday. Wind me up, Chuck!)

I'm curious to see if Jazzy Jeff lives up to Kitch's hype. I'm even more curious to see if Charlotte hip-hop heads will support the show and have fun. We don't get a lot of DJ shows at Amos'. Big-name DJs tend to go to dance clubs like the Forum, Eden or Velocity. I want to know: Will hip-hop fans head to Amos' for a night of dancing to some of the hottest beats? Will they go and simply nod their head, looking cool? Or will they go elsewhere? Am I the only person who didn't realize that Jazzy Jeff was such a popular DJ?

Post your thoughts below.

Taverna's happy hour needs work

I tried the Thursday happy hour at Taverna 100 on Tryon Street uptown, and I can tell you this: I won’t be a regular.
The portions were small, the dishes were just okay, and the service was slow.
Taverna calls its Thursday specials Banker’s Hours. On paper, it sounds great: half off appetizers, and half-price beer and fruity martinis.

The problem is that when we went, the only server was both tending bar and waiting on the tables in the bar area. She had to wait on the handful of people at the bar, a couple sitting in a booth, our party of six, and another party of six. As nice as she was, it took a while for her to make the rounds.

The bigger problem, however, was the portions. With the exception of the mussels, everything was itty-bitty. For example, the kabobs were tasty, but we only got two small sticks. That’s not going to cut it.

Half-price beer is awesome, but if Taverna wants to draw more patrons, they’re going to have to dish out more grub.

Real dancing at Grand Central

Couples twirled, dipped and danced to jazz and swing classics at Grand Central on Monday.
Monday nights at the Central Avenue club feature some of the best dance music in the city. Each week, Bill Hanna’s Vintage Dance Band -- which includes some of his CPCC students -- plays for a crowd of people mostly over age 50.

The vibe is relaxed, and the music is slamming -- if you dig Big Band-era music. Men lead the women onto the floor and show off their waltz, swing, foxtrot and jitterbug skills. There’s a cash bar, and a light appetizer and sandwich menu. (The potstickers were good, and the chicken wings are crispy.) Grand Central has a smoking lounge, so you're less likely to smell like smoke when you leave. In coming weeks, dance lessons will be offered.

The band plays from 8-11 p.m (although people were leaving by 10 the night we went). Details: 704-373-1699. If you can’t make the Monday night gatherings, try Swing Tuesday at Lynn’s on South Tryon Street near Tyvola Road, hosted by the Charlotte Jitterbugs. Details: denise@charlottejitterbugs.com.

Sorry nerds, I mean geeks

In my video report this week about ConCarolinas, I referred to attendees of the sci-fi and gaming convention as nerds. I was wrong.

They are geeks.

My mistake has sparked a discussion in the ConCarolinas online forum about the difference between nerds and geeks. Apparently, the guys in the Alltel commercial are nerds, but the folks who attend ConCarolinas are geeks.

Silly me.

My punishment is that I will not get to be a dungeon master (darn), and I will have to eat Klingon food (yuck).

$1,000 martini

Capital Grille bartender Paul shows me how to make a $1,000 martini.

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On Wednesday, I tried a $1,000 martini!

It’s called The Capital Grille’s Carolina Blue Charity Martini. The national chain has sold at least three here and more than 100
nationally.

It’s has Ciroc Vodka, Crème de Mure and fresh berries, and is adorned with a Blue Topaz and Diamond Caviar Rope Bracelet designed by Steven Lagos. If you like fruity drinks, then this martini is for you. Without the bracelet, it’ll cost you $10, but then you can’t tell all of your friends you drank a $1,000 martini.

You don't have to drink and drive

Hey partiers, now you have no excuse for drinking and driving.

Starting June 15, Red Fish Entertainment and Kount Down Entertainment will host the Charlotte Party Bus. Buses will club-hop to the hottest parties, then return you to your pickup point at the end of the night. The crawl costs $35 in advance, and $40 at the bus. Drinks on the bus are free. For an additional fee, you can use Two Guys and Ride, which is a company that drives you and your car home.

Pickup locations are the Wal-Marts on Mount Holly-Huntersville Road and in University, as well as Southend Brewery and Eastland Mall’s parking lots. The June 15 crawl itinerary hasn’t been finalized, but when it has, I will post it on the Paid to Party blog.

Seriously folks: Drinking and driving is no joke, and this is a great concept. I definitely plan to try it out. I hope you do as well. www.kountdownentertainment.com.

Coliseum implosion was cool

A toast to the good old days and new beginnings.


When I moved here, the Hornets were a fixture. As a Maryland native, my favorite NBA team was the Washington Bullets, or Wizards, or whatever they were called back then. Part of what turned me off about the Hornets was Alonzo Mourning, who I watched when he played for Georgetown -- I always thought he whined too much. (But I did like the gutsy Muggsy Bogues.)
My fondest memories of the Hive were concerts.

Last Sunday, I joined about 100 other people who watched the Coliseum crumble into rubble at Pope & Land’s implosion party. For me, watching the implosion wasn’t about nostalgia, but a chance to watch a building go down. I’ve always wanted to see one.

After interviewing Bogues and Calvin Easter, who pushed the button that set off the detonation, I began thinking about my favorite moments at the Coliseum.

*Janet Jackson perform in 2001: The crowd was so hype, it was incredible.
*The Tina Turner concert in 2000: I felt so fortunate to see someone of her stature.
*Cyndi Lauper’s opening performance for Cher in 1999: I didn’t realize how much I liked her.
*U2 in 2001: It’s U2. What more do I need to say? Plus, they had a heart-shaped stage, and fans stood both inside and outside of it. I still remember my editors going nuts trying to warn me about the deadly Who stampede.
*Neil Diamond in 2002: I can still smell the Ben-Gay.

Still, the best memory I will ever have about the Charlotte Coliseum was watching that baby implode. Awesome.
What was the best concert you ever saw at the Charlotte Coliseum? And did you watch the implosion? What did you think? Post your replies below.

McCoy's loves Harleys

Hanging at Mac's Speed Shop for their two-year anniversary on Thursday.





McCoy's on a Friday night.











I’ve been riding motorcycles for 10 years, but biker-bar-hopping the last couple of weeks made me feel like a real biker.

I was at Cans' Tuesday night Bike Night a few ago, but last week I hit two straight-up biker bars: Mac’s and McCoy’s.
Thursday, I joined dozens of other bikers celebrating Mac’s Speed Shop’s two-year anniversary. Simplified, a local band that is steadily improving, performed. Bikers and FOBs (Friends of Bikers) streamed outside the popular restaurant and bar.

If you’ve been to Mac’s, you know their food is ridiculous. They cook their chicken wings and other meats in a smoker. They also have a huge selection of craft brews, which is what first drew me to the place. And don't forget the deviled eggs.
Mac’s is my favorite yuppie biker bar, but McCoy’s -- which is around the corner from Mac's, at Woodlawn and Old Pineville Road -- is the place to go when I’m feeling like a roughneck.

Ryan Register, who managed the Men’s Club, followed his dream and opened the bar with his father Namon and brother Jimmy about six months ago. Register named it after his grandfather. Relatives say Register reminds them of his grandfather.

McCoy’s has a rougher vibe, a smaller selection of beer, and slammin’ food. They also smoke all of their meats. Their chicken wings were delicious, pulled pork melted on my fork, and they even had good macaroni and cheese (I rarely like mac 'n' cheese unless it comes from a soul-food restaurant.)

Most of his patrons last Friday were Harley-Davidson riders. When I pulled into the lot, the doorman directed me to put my Honda Shadow in the far parking lot. I wasn’t allowed to park my bike next to all the Harleys out front.
I screamed segregation. Register assured me that it wasn’t the bike, but the lack of available parking. (I still don’t believe you!)

When I walked in, several patrons looked me up and down, but the staff was friendly. By the end of the night, I exchanged goodbyes with a few patrons.

If you go, Register typically hires a Dyno machine or a burnout bike to set up in the parking lot on Fridays. The noise makes it difficult to hold a conversation on the patio, but both are fun to watch.

Hardcore partier leaving Charlotte

By the time you read this, Party Goers Anonymous founder Doug Hunnington will be heading to his new home in Fort Lauderdale. (His job was outsourced, so he’s moving Friday.)

The 41-year-old started PGA about six years ago. The group sponsored bar crawls and game nights, and Hunnington was a regular at all of the big events. I spoke with him recently about the city’s changing social scene.

Why start PGA?
It was actually something that just happened. I was sending out an e-mail to a few friends, letting them know whose name the happy hour was under that week. Everyone started giving me their e-mails to be included on "the list.” Then people would suggest doing other events.

In just a few months, the list had grown to over 50 names, and we were doing something almost each night. I did a naming contest, and one of the members came up with PGA: Party Goers Anonymous. The e-mail was named The PGA Tour.

How many members on your e-mail list?
617.

What was the social/nightlife scene like when you moved here in 1998?
There were not near as many bars. There were not many social groups. The biggest were CHOA.com (Charlotte Outdoor Adventure) and the Charlotte Skibees, a snow skiing and social club.

How has it changed?
There are grand openings going on around town almost every weekend. Neighborhood bars or restaurants are hosting social events and mixers to bring in business. And, of course, there are several social clubs and organizations in Charlotte.

In addition to the couple I already mentioned, there's Lazyday.com, famous for their nightlife photography and bar crawls; RockHouseEvents.Com, which throws some great party events you really have to attend; and several others. Lake Norman even has events now, and most are sponsored by LKNFun.com.

What are your favorite events?
The Bartender’s Ball, Queen’s Cup Steeplechase, Taste of the Nation and Center City After Five. I also like the formal dress-up Christmas charity events like Second String Santa and Toys for Tots. These are some of the things that will be bringing me back up for a visit.

What does Charlotte need to make nightlife better?
More friends who don’t let friends sit home bored on a Friday or Saturday night! Actually, I’d like to see more theme bars uptown. A club should have a theme other than just dancing or watering down your thirst! I like the new Alley Cat bar with the rock and roll music similar to the old Stray Cats band in the ’80s.
Oh, and I would like to see strict fines for towing companies and parking lot owners who tow vehicles of drunk people left over night. What do they want drivers to do? Drive home drunk?

Are you starting a PGA in Fort Lauderdale?
Yes. For now it will cover the Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, and Miami area. I am planning a bar crawl already in the Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk area. They are going to love it! My goal is to get them to visit some of the other cities. I understand folks in Boca won’t travel to Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Lauderdale won’t go down to Miami for events.

I also plan on continuing to lead trips that may include Charlotte folks as well, like the annual cruise in November and maybe Mardi Gras next year. We’ll have to see what the next phase of Party Goers has in store for everyone.

A waiter with adult A.D.D.

For my birthday on Saturday, I wanted to eat a good dinner and then barhop Hilton Head style. We settled on dinner at the Old Oyster Factory.

The wait for a table was 45 minutes on Saturday night so we sat in the bar area. Our waiter was a jittery guy named Chris. Love him.

You always knew what Chris liked. I asked him about the different oysters. He said he didn't have anything else to say that would add to the menu description. I asked about the Blue Point oysters. He excitedly detailed how big and juicy they were.

After we ordered, he moved us downstairs to a bigger table. I asked him about the night's dinner specials and he said "Oh yeah!" You could see the light bulb go off. He listed the specials. We asked him for more silverware. Chris dashed across the dining area so fast he flew into the glass window leading to the patio.

The Oyster Factory has steps leading from the bar area to the room where we sat. Chris jumped down the stairs like a little kid.


After dinner, I asked about desserts. Chris said, "We're not really known for dessert." (Luv him)

Our final Chris moment came at the end of the evening. My girl surprised me. The staff brought me a birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday." (I'm still embarrassed and plotting revenge.)

Chris offered to take our picture. We handed him a camera. He pointed it at us and said 1, 2, "s---." Yep, he snapped the picture too soon. We laughed our faces off.

Turns out this was Chris first night with his own section. We weren't surprised, but judging from his demeanor, I have a feeling he's always spastic.

If you go to Hilton Head this summer and eat at the Old Oyster Factory, and you're not pressed about having a polished server ask for Chris.

Hot mamas and fun guys in Hilton Head

After dinner we headed to the plaza just outside of Sea Pines Planatation to begin my birthday night of barhopping.

After peaking into the Lodge and Brew Pub, we settled on One Hot Mama. My girl and I were walking out of One Hot Mama into the crowded plaza when I saw the empty table in the corner. I wasn't the only one who saw it. A dude and his three friends saw it as well.

The outdoor plaza was the courtyard for three bars (One Hot Mama, The Lodge and The Brew Pub) in the plaza leading to Sea Pines plantation on Hilton Head Island. Sea Pines is the happening area on the resort island known more for golf and pristine beaches than raucous partying. It was 10:30 and the plaza was starting to get packed. Speakers blasted music outside and 20- and 30-somethings filtered in as the 40-year-olds drifted out.

I didn't sprint, but I started a fast stroll to the table. The dude did the same. We arrived together. The dude looked at me, and said something like, "We got here at the same time." I smiled, and said we could share. My girl looked at me like I was crazy. Baby, there's four of them, she said. The foursome looked at each other like WT-?

I sat down and pulled up a chair for my girl. The dude said okay, and sat down as well. His friends pulled over two more chairs, and we spent the night drinking and swapping stories with Patrick, Wade, Tiffany and Laina. Patrick and Laina (a couple) were from Tennessee. They were in Hilton Head for a physical therapy workshop. Wade and Patrick went to high school together and were fraternity brothers. Wade and Tiffany, who live in Jacksonville, had dated before and were hooking back up. They came down for the night to hang out with Patrick and Laina.

Wade regaled us with tales about the men's urinal inside One Hot Mama's bar and restaurant. Apparently, there was a one-way mirror behind the urinal that gave him a view of the bar. Wade spent a lot of time in the urinal. Patrick and Laina giggled about a woman whose store-bought breasts were obviously out of place on her petite frame.

We all laughed about the black guy with the contacts that made him look like a zombie. They were all-white and made his pupils look like black slits. (But more on him later. Let's just say he said he was from New York, and unless there's a New York in Georgia, dude was lying.)

Tiffany's company is based in High Point, and she loves Charlotte. She said she visited for New Year's Eve one year and loved it. She stayed at a Hilton uptown, and was surprised to see streets were pristine on New Year's Day. She promised to stay in touch and hopes to transfer to the High Point area for work.

Patrick wanted to know about the live music scene. I told him about the type of shows that come to the our venues. He was drawn to the type of shows at the Visulite, such as Derek Trucks and Victor Wooten. I gave him information on MerleFest and told him to stay in touch.

After buying a round of lemon drop shots and toasting my birthday, we headed to Monkey Business, a dance club about a block away.

Getting into some monkey business

My final stop on my birthday night of barhopping in Hilton Head was Monkey Business.

When I asked people where to find a raucous club, everyone suggested Monkey Business.

We arrived at Monkey Business Electric Piano about 11 p.m. Inside, a man played piano and sang, and a drunk older woman stood on her chair and sang loudly. I walked through a thicket of people who ranged from Baby Boomers to one-foot-in-the-grave and headed to the bathroom. After surveying the crowd, I decided it was going to be an early night.

I snapped a few pictures and turned to catch up with my girlfriend. A man old enough to be my grandfather had snagged her near the door and was begging her to go home with him. He told her if she went home with him, he'd have a great night. He must have had a pocket full of Viagra and a defibrillator under his bed.

I howled with laughter, and thought about all of the readers who angrily dissed me about my Richard Gere column.

Outside of that Monkey Business, we noticed another club on the right tucked into the corner. Rap music blasted from speakers. It was the Monkey Business. With the exception of Mr. Contacts (read about him in other blog posts), my girl and I, and a group of Asian guys, the club was predominately white. It was smokey from fog machines, and a DJ played top 40 hip-hop. It wasn't crowded, but the vibe was fun. Large groups of friends mostly danced together, and couples watched from tables near the bar.

The club's clientele reminded me of my visit to Soho East/Daisy Dukes in the University Area. After about a half-hour, I was ready to go. Monkey Business is fine for a resort like Hilton Head, but I preferred people-watching in the courtyard area better.

Hey black guy, don't try so hard

I don't have a problem with black men who date white women. Some of my closest male friends do. Heck, my brother lives with one. But I do have a problem with black guys who act stupid to get a white girl's attention. My friends and I call it the minstrel show.

A buddy of mine loves to describe the black guy surrounded by white girls and starts doing the snake and other '80s dances. Why? Why? Why?

On Saturday, I saw a whole new act in the minstrel show. It started in the courtyard outside One Hot Mamas. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I took a picture of a black guy wearing all-white contacts. He said he was from New York, and he liked to be different. Ugh. Then Mr. Contacts started doing the footwork dance that kids in middle school here did years ago. Grown men do not do footwork.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the last of his antics. We ran into Mr. Contacts again at Monkey Business, a dance club just outside of the Sea Pines plantation. At the club, he continued his footwork clinic and kept trying to freak on groups of women. Embarrassing.

I have countless examples of black guys behaving badly to get white girls. Do white guys do the same thing to get black women or women of other ethnicities? Post your replies below.

George funked up Noda

I almost made a huge mistake this weekend.

I was thinking about skipping the George Clinton show at the Neighborhood Theatre on Sunday. I’ve seen him three times. The first was memorable, but the other two were forgettable. He came out for a hot five minutes, mumbled into the mike “To the windows, to the wall...” and bounced.

But I wanted to support promoter Dana McKelvey’s return to the music scene. And my girl had never seen Clinton before.

Thankfully, Clinton and the fans at the Nabe gave my girl a show to remember. Parliament performed for more than three hours, and Clinton stayed on stage for about two. Clinton sang a few lines, scatted a few, did hand dancing, freaked a couple of girls on stage, and then repeated.

Parliament was an odd collection of musicians and singers. There was a trumpet player wide enough to be an offensive lineman, a shirtless guy with abs that would make a six-pack jealous who wore feather pants and a big top hat (think Andre 3000), and singer Belita Woods -- who sounded as if she's smoked one too many cigarettes. There was also a full-grown man wearing a towel fastened around his waist like it was a diaper. Yuck.

They performed all of the hits, such as “Flashlight” and “Atomic Dog.” My favorite was Woods singing “Sentimental Journey.” Her voice is so raggedy, and she took fans to that other world where only Clinton, Parliament and his fans can visit.

The best part of the night was when Clifton Homesley of Mooresville bolted onstage and started singing "ga ga goo ga...ga ga goo ga...ga ga goo ga ga" along with the band. I thought Homesley was part of the band because members came onstage and went off all night.

A bouncer ran Homesley off the stage. He joined his friends, beaming. He said he was a Parliament fan from way back. Now, he can say he sang with George Clinton.

City Range happy hour da' bomb-diggety

Next Wednesday, stop whatever you are doing at 4:30 p.m., jump in your car, and head down to CityRange Steakhouse Grill in Ballantyne.
I know: You’re thinking, Heck noooo -- Ballantyne is too far away! But I promise CityRange is worth the drive.

My friends and I met there yesterday as part of Tonya’s May Madness. Each week, my friends and I have met at a different restaurant to celebrate my birthday, which is May 26.
I’ve picked spots that I’ve either never been to or have only visited once.

This was my first time at CityRange, but its Wednesday happy hour is my newest fave. It’s $5 for a pork ribs and peel-n-eat shrimp buffet from 5-7 p.m. All draught beers are $2 and it's the good stuff, such as Bass Ale. The restaurant's microbrew -- City Brew -- isn’t bad either.
For me, those types of specials are enough to get me in the door.

But get this: They have a special-priced bar appetizer menu Monday through Friday from 4-7 p.m. Items range from fried calamari (yummy) to crab and onion souffle (OMG!) to grilled brie (delicious) for $4 or $5.

The serving sizes were respectable, and did I mention the food was yummy already?

Of course, all of these specials are only in the bar area, which has bistro tables and a lounge with sofas, chairs and coffee tables. There also are flat-screen TVs.

I have a few warnings if you go. Our server was a tad disorganized and slow. For example, he would bring a beer for one person in our group, but not the other. The manager, however, chipped in to speed things up.

And don’t do what Larken did, which is eat so much so fast that your tummy hurts. Poor baby.

No Limit and Terri Bennett are going down

Next year, it’s on and poppin’.

I’ll be gunning for Power 98's No Limit Larry and his crew in the media Pit Crew Challenge, a lead-up to tonight's official Nextel Pit Crew Challenge. Watch the video.

On Tuesday, No Limit’s team - which also had former Hornet Dell Curry, former Panther Brentson Buckner, and some guy named Steve - beat myself, Fox’s Kelli Bartik, WSOC’s Scott Wickersham and MetroNetworks Radio's Mike Markham by less than a second.

They changed two tires, fueled a car, jacked a car and pushed one in 21.80 seconds. Our team did it in 22.64. Call me a sore loser (I am), but I told No Limit that they only beat us because they had two former professional athletes. He claimed Buckner and Curry slowed him down.

Along with team competitions, we had individual winners as well.
Those were: Gasman Curry (4.8 seconds), tire changer Herman Towe (7.69 seconds) and jackman Buckner (4.54 seconds).

Hey Herman, I’m gunning for you and WCNC’s Terri Bennett next year as well. Towe beat me in the tire changer individual competition by like half a second, but I swear he practiced a hundred gazillion times. (I said I was a sore loser).

For real, Bennett is the tire changer to beat. Denny Hamlin’s pit crew could use her. On television she looks all nice and sweet, but put a pit gun (that thingy that pulls the lugnuts off) in her hand and Red Bull flows through her veins. She was a beast.

Her practice time was under six seconds. She couldn’t get it together for the actual timed competition, and kept scoring 10s. Don’t be surprised if you see her pointing to a low-pressure system with a pit gun in her hands tonight.

The Nextel folks should have never invited us out. It’s going to be a war next year. I’m hitting the gym even harder to get ready. (Dell, you might want to join me. I noticed quite a few gray hairs. No Limit might replace you with Emeka Okafor.) Speaking of the gym, be sure to read my blog about training with Walt Smith in preparation for Tuesday’s competition.

Yay! Walt Smith tried to kill me

I always envision that I can work out with any professional athlete and at least hold my own. Personal trainer Walt Smith slapped me back down to reality on Monday.

He works with the pit crews for Dale Earnhardt International, keeping them in top shape so they can jump the wall and change a tire in record time.

I decided a workout with Smith would get me ready for the media pit crew challenge on Tuesday. By the time I finished the hand-eye coordination and agility drills, I was just trying not to embarrass myself.

I lift weights 3-5 days a week and do some type of cardio at least three days a week. I figured, I would have to push Smith not to go easy on me.

We started with a 15-minute warmup on the treadmill. He used interval training, which means I would run with the treadmill set on 3 for a few minutes, then 4.7, then 3, then 6, etc. I alternated between walking, trotting and jogging.

Next we did a hand-eye drill. He tossed me a racquetball with one hand. At the same time, I had to catch his ball with my empty hand and toss him a ball. We spent a lot of time chasing balls that hit the floor.

The hand-eye drill bruised my ego. I thought I was coordinated. The agility drill kicked my rump. Smith bounced a racquetball to my left or right. I had catch the ball on the first bounce, toss it back and be ready to catch the next ball. I was panting after a few tosses. Once again, I chased a lot of balls that hit the floor.

My favorite workout was his leg circuit. We did resting squats, where you squat and hold the weights for five seconds and then explode up. After eight repetitions of that, I did jumping lunges, followed by a wall squat. For the wall squat, you squat with your back against the wall and your quads and buttocks are parallel to the floor.

After about 20 seconds, I was looking at my legs and trying to figure out if the fire burning in Florida had moved to DEI. I lasted for 38 seconds.

The other challenge was the exercise ball pushup. I placed an exercise ball on the floor and tried to do a pushup off the ball. Like I said, I tried. My bench press max is 135, and I couldn’t even do one pushup off the ball. Ugh.

I loved Smith’s abdominal workout. He had me perform a series of crunches in different positions for five minutes. The hardest was the reverse crunch. All of these years, I’ve been doing it wrong. I couldn’t even get my legs to go far enough back without him pulling my feet into the air.

I have so much work to do this summer. The Temple of Tonya (that’s what I called myself in my brief boxing days) will return.

Snug Harbor open in Plaza-Midwood

Ahoy, mates!

That’s the first thing that comes to mind when you enter Snug Harbor (formerly Fire & Ice Martini lounge) in Plaza-Midwood.
The bar, which opened a couple of weeks ago, is really into this pirate theme. The sign above the door has an anchor in it, and there is all kinds of boating memorabilia hanging from walls and sitting on shelves.

Snug Harbor is actually an alternative rock bar. If you like Dish and the Penguin, then you’ll fit right in at Snug Harbor. It has the kind of vibe that's probably good for chilling even if there isn’t a band performing. Plus, the beers aren’t expensive.

On Saturday, the Alternative Champs performed for more than 50 enthusiastic fans. I couldn’t decide whether the crowd, which ranged from Baby Boomers to people in their early 20s, was so diverse because of the bar or because of the band.

Adults worse than kids about Akon

Photos by E. Stubbs

When I saw two 14-year-old girls wearing T-shirts with the words “Smack That” written on them at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Saturday, I was sad to think about the world in which we’re raising kids.

But when I interviewed adults about Akon -- who was dropped by Verizon last week for humping a 14-year-old girl onstage during a performance in Trinidad -- my sadness turned to anger. Akon opened for Gwen Stefani on “The Sweet Escape Tour,” which till the controversy had been sponsored by Verizon.

The people I interviewed on Saturday who saw the video or heard of the controversy were unapologetic Akon supporters. Their rationale: the girl should not have been in the club, Akon can’t be blamed if he didn’t know she was underage; and if you go onstage be prepared for anything.

Did I mention that these were common responses from adults?

Like I said, it makes me worry about how we’re raising our children. On the lawn area, I watched young girls grind on each other and undulate their little bodies to “Smack That” and “I Wanna Love You.”
If I ever catch my young niece dancing like that, if I don’t kill her, my brother will. And walking out of the house wearing a T-shirt that says “Smack That?” I wish she would try it.

As I said before, a 14-year-old girl should not have been in that club in Trinidad. But teens try to get away with things they’re not supposed to do because that’s what most kids do. It’s our job as adults to protect them, not shrug our shoulders when they endanger themselves or get hurt.
Also -- and I've said this before, too -- it doesn’t matter if the girl was 14 or 21. I do not agree that if you go onstage you should be expect to be sexually assaulted.

Is it not unthinkable that a female fan can go onstage with a male artist and not be humiliated or humiliate herself?

Oh, for those of you who are waiting for Stefani to drop Akon from the tour, don’t hold your breath. During Saturday’s performance, he returned to the stage to sing the hook of “The Sweet Escape.” If she wanted to distance herself from him, she would not have brought him onstage. Her actions were disappointing as well. She sings girl-power pop, but embraces a man who obviously doesn't respect women.

Verizon dumps Akon

The war to clean up hip-hop has begun.

Verizon dropped its sponsorship of Gwen Stefani’s Sweet Escape tour because of opening act Akon. (The tour comes to Charlotte on Saturday.)

In a performance last month in Trinidad, Akon simulated sex while dancing with a 14-year-old girl during a performance. When video footage of the performance got back to Verizon, the top dogs pulled their money from Stefani’s tour, which wasn’t related to Akon’s Trinidad performance.
They’ve also pulled Akon’s ringtones and music from stores and handsets.

Talk about a wake-up call.
Verizon is doing what consumers won’t do: holding artists accountable for their product.

In my That’s Wassup! column about Don Imus and previous columns and blogs about hip-hop, I’ve written that consumers can dictate what artists create by choosing not to support rappers who sell sex and violence. Verizon’s decision shows that big companies might be the ones who dictate the future of hip-hop.

Akon is one of the hottest artists out there. Verizon pulling him is like the Lakers benching Kobe Bryant. The cell phone industry is a lucrative market for artists, and Verizon’s decision to pull Akon is going to reverberate through the industry.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press ran a story saying that Akon apologized and that he didn't know the girl was underage. Um, unless this child has been eating steroids instead of Wheaties it's hard to believe he couldn't tell a 14-year-old from an 18-year-old. If you watch the video on YouTube, you won't care if the girl is 14 or 18, the way he throws her around the floor and simulates sex could be a considered a sexual assualt for anyone.

What do you think? Did Verizon make the right decision by pulling sponsorship of the tour and refusing to sell Akon’s ringtones and music? Post your replies below.

Me'Shell N'dego has lost her mind

I’m officially finished with Me’Shell Ndegeocello’s concerts. She’s too deep for me. She’s too deep for music.

I was skeptical about attending her show at Amos’ Southend on Friday, but I wanted to give her another shot.

The last time I saw her was in 1999, when she opened for Sting at Ovens Auditorium. When she finally arrived on stage, after her band had played for an eternity (think Parliament and George Clinton), she acted as if she didn’t want to be there. She sang with her eyes closed, and it took her several songs to hit her stride.
I worried Friday would be the same.

However, Kitch (who promoted the show) assured me she was going to perform at 10:45 p.m. When he booked the show, the deal was that Me’Shell would open for W. Ellington Felton. Then Felton would perform a set, after which the two would perform together. It had the potential to be great.

When I arrived at Amos’ about 11 p.m., Me’Shell was already performing, and she seemed into it. Between songs, she talked about issues such as hunger and poverty, and wondered aloud why people such as the Rev. Al Sharpton were criticizing hip-hop instead of fixing real problems. She sang a few songs, but focused mostly on her instrumental cuts. She played her bass and jammed with the band on rock and trippy jazz tunes.

She acted like one of those artists who is too deep to play older material, such “"If That's Your Boyfriend” and “Dredloc.” Instead, she force-fed fans her newer jazzy music. Selfish, but not surprising.

The surprise came 45 minutes into the set. I was talking to some friends when I looked up a the stage and noticed that Me’Shell was gone. Fans were streaming out of the door. In what seemed like 10 minutes, Amos’ was nearly empty.

Apparently, sometime during the day, Me’Shell decided she wasn’t going to perform with Ellington. She didn’t perform an encore. She came out later to introduce Felton, and she talked about how she was a fan of his music.

If Me’Shell was really a fan of anyone but herself, she wouldn’t have acted the way she did on Friday.

Opening for Ellington was dumb. Fans want to see her perform. She knows good and well that as soon as she’s done, people are going to leave.

Plus, if she really wanted to support Ellington, she should have performed with him and slowly fazed herself out and left him onstage. Then fans who liked what they heard would have stayed for his set. Instead, the stage was empty for at least 10 minutes, and people left.

Me’Shell comes off as one of those artists who is deeper than deep and believes the rest of us simply don’t understand how deep she is. I don’t want to understand. I want to see a good show, and have a good time. She can save that deep stuff for her boo.

Apparently, considering what I’m hearing about her recent shows in Washington (someone got cussed out) and Atlanta (she passed out, cussed out the audience, performed and left), we got off easy.

It’s a shame. She’s alienating fans and wasting her talent. She used to use her music to make people talk and think about uncomfortable topics. Now she uses it to try to prove how deep she is.

Chuck Brown, Rich Boy and Lyfe coming

Get ready to see rap, neo-soul and go-go shows here in coming weeks.
Rapper Rich Boy (“Throw Some D’s) is performing at NV lounge on May 19. Tickets start at $20. www.nvlounge.net.
Soul singer Lyfe Jennings kicks off the Sol Kitchen’s Black Music Month series at Amos’ Southend on June 2. On June 16, go-go great Chuck Brown will perform at Amos’ as part of the series. Brown’s performances during the CIAA tournament are always one of the most popular parties. www.amossouthend.com.
This month, the Sol Kitchen is teaming with Creative Loafing to launch Pop Life. It’s a weekly Wednesday party at Prevue (formerly Gilda’s) in NoDa. Kitch and Creative Loafing editor Carlton Hargro are trying to bring Miami’s Winter Music Conference vibe to Charlotte.
The party features a DJ spinning soul, funk, afro-beat, acid jazz, house and more. It’s 6 p.m. every Wednesday May 16 through Aug. 29. Hit up Carlton.hargro@creativeloafing.com for info.

Ray Lewis and other celebs at Loft

Loft 1523 is becoming the place to rub elbows with celebrities.
In the last month, they’ve had cast members from the movie “Leatherheads,” and Baltimore Raven Ray Lewis.
On April 21, nearly all of the cast members from “Leatherheads,” except George Clooney and Rene Zellweger, hung out at Loft in Elizabeth.

Then, last Thursday, about 50-75 people (mostly women) attended Ray Lewis’ private party at Loft 1523. According to people who attended the party, Lewis was relatively approachable, especially for women.
Lewis threw the party to promote his new barbershop Kutt 52, which is in Eastridge Mall in Gastonia. Yeah, I’m also wondering why Lewis would open a barbershop in Gastonia.

Lewis' personal trainer used to live in Charlotte so Lewis knows people here. Along with the barbershop, he also owns a trucking company here. He plans to open other shops. I hope they’re not all in Gastonia. If he’s going to attach his name to a project, it would make sense to find a location in an area that has good buzz. I’m not hearing a lot of buzz out of Eastridge.

The real Wachovia master

If you want to watch a pro, stand near the putting green and watch David Parker snag autographs.
The 12-year-old stood near the gate where the players walk to the putting green. Holding a Wachovia Championship flag, he yelled "Hey Mister, can I have your autograph?"

Some golfers stopped, others didn't. The ones who did had to find a place to sign because Parker's flag, and his sun visor, were already covered with the signatures of Vijay Singh, John Daly, Sergio Garcia, Phil Mickelson and others. He also got Peyton Manning. And he got all of those signatures this week.

“You’ve got John Daly?” said a woman excitedly.
He proudly pointed to the signature.
Parker, 12, said the secret is that he calls them mister, and sometimes uses their last name. He also says "please" and "thank you." The best place to get signatures, he said, is at the 18th hole.

The one signature he wants most?
“I want to get Tiger. He wouldn’t sign it for me.”

The Wachovia hat trick

If you're going to the tourney. Rocking a fly hat is essential.

The golfers and their caddie's sported the best gear.

I'm loving the black lid that Jesper Parnevik is rocking as well as the railroad conductor cap worn by Robert Garrigus' caddie.

The dream Wachovia gig

Travis Pearsall has the dream volunteer gig.
For at least four hours, he gets to walk the greens at Quail Hollow carrying a five-pound sign with the last names of the three golfers that he’s following. He’s called the standard bearer.

This is Pearsall’s fifth year volunteering. He’s been a marshal and a scorer, but he likes carrying the sign the best - unless it’s windy.

“It blows you around like a sail,” he said.

Oh no, they're trapped

The ropes between the third and fourth green went up suddenly. An older lady was trapped in the middle. A little boy was separated from his father. The bewildered woman looked around, and the field marshal was bearing down on her. Quickly, she lifted a rope and passed underneath it. Safe.

The boy looked at his father. "Come on," the father said, urgently. "I can't," the boy replied. A river of green separated them. The boy looked to his left. The final rope hadn't gone up yet. He sprinted down the ropes to the opening, cut across the green and joined his father. Safe.

If you're going to the Wachovia, you do not want to get caught in the crosswalk when golfers are coming. Big no-no.

We want Jordan, we want Jordan

Bring back Tiger and Jordan. Bring back Peyton Manning. Quail Hollow Club was way too sedate as the Wachovia Championship tournament started on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday, Jordan joked with fans. Tiger tossed balls around on the green and Peyton was chilling, too. Today, the golfers were all about the game. Understandably, there was no banter with fans. The field marshals were real serious about that "Quiet Please" stuff, and fans doled out polite applause and obeyed the rules.

It's tourney time, and big money is on the line.

He ain't heavy, he's my brother

Mac Weller, Connell Maloney and Joe McLean, all ages 11, work to get a better view of Michael Jordan. They were really hoping to get autographs from Jordan, Tiger, Peyton Manning, um well, John Fox too.

Talking to Jordan

Tiger and Jordan doubled up with two other golfers on the 10th hole, and they had to wait their turn. Jordan stood near the rope talking with fans and putting. Cameras shot into the air as fans snapped pictures.

He talked about the game, and the Bobcats. He made funny quips, and fans responded with ones of their own. If you were one of the lucky fans who caught Jordan’s eye or ear, he responded to you personally.

In that moment, you were actually talking to Michael Jordan.

Whoa.

Jordan has the coolest golf bag

Talk about self-promotion, Jordan's golf bag is the bizomb.

Finally, found Tiger and Jordan

“Here comes Jordan,” said the man standing near me.

Applause rippled through the gallery at the ninth hole. Jordan ambled up wearing fresh pants and a white hat, while chomping on a cigar. Tiger walked up a few minutes later.

As Jordan worked on getting his ball in the ninth hole, Tiger walked around dropping golf balls onto the green and putting. Then he’d drop another ball on the green and putt some more. I was confused.

Later, Observer sportswriter David Scott explained that during the Pro-Am, the professionals take the first few strokes seriously, but after that, they practice for the big tourney. Tiger was practicing.

As Tiger and Jordan walked through the tunnel to the tenth hole, a fan yelled, “How much money are you going to take off Michael today?”

Jordan smiled.

Sign here baby!

It's gotta be the shoes. Zack Beck's brother wears a pair of Air Jordans.

Zack Beck stood in front of his chair at the ninth hole. Beside his foot were two footballs, and a plastic bag with baseballs and PGA flags.

He’s an avid autograph collector, and he was hoping to score Peyton Manning’s autographs on the footballs and Michael Jordan’s on the baseballs.

“He probably won’t sign,” the 18-year-old said, referring to Jordan.

He wasn’t worried though -- he already has Jordan’s autograph, a game-worn jersey signed by Vince Carter and other game-worn gear signed by Yao Ming and Baron Davis.

Tiger-Jordan hunt

I had big visions of arriving at the Wachovia Championship at 6 a.m., so I could be lined up at the first tee when Tiger and Jordan started at 7:30 a.m.

But yesterday was the start of May Madness, my monthlong celebration of my birthday on May 26. After four hours of kicking off my month at George Herman’s bar in Latta Arcade, I got a late start this morning.

When I arrived at Wachovia about 7:45 a.m., I had no clue where to find Tiger and Jordan. They were 15 minutes into their round. In my three years of covering the tournament, I never actually paid attention to the golfers and the schedule. Now, I didn’t know where to begin.

Luckily, I ran into freelance photographer Renaul Hill. Together, we set off on a Tiger hunt. At the fifth hole, we saw Peyton Manning working his way out of some sand, and Sergio Garcia rocking this funky Adidas outfit.

Renaul and I stopped an oh-so-helpful volunteer driving a golf cart. We asked him if he knew what hole Tiger and Jordan were on.
“He’s somewhere around here,” the guy said.

Like I said, he was oh-so-helpful.

Finally, a couple told us that they had just seen Tiger at the seventh hole. Renaul and I headed to the ninth to get a good spot.

Turtle soup, moonshine and chx wings

I was sitting around the Phisbins campfire on Saturday night, when

I witnessed a total guy moment.

One of the Phisbins put a huge skillet on a rack over the fire to cook hot dogs and beans. Craig joked about how the skillet hadn’t been washed in two or three days. That wasn’t the guy moment.

After everyone had their fill of hot dogs and beans, someone sat the skillet in the dirt because it smothered the fire.
Billy, who had been munching on a box of chicken wings, sat wing-filled Styrofoam on top of the remaining hot dogs and beans in the skillet on the ground. It was his way of sharing the wings.

Muz plucked a hotdog from the skillet. Using his finger, he scraped the beans off the hotdog into the communal skillet. Yuck is right.

Craig who had been playing guitar and singing at the campfire complained about the boxes of wings sitting on top of the
hotdogs which were in a skillet that was sitting in the dirt.

Good point.

Offended, Billy grabbed a sooty cook rack, placed it near the fire and carefully removed the wings from the Styrofoam. Then he placed them onto the rack.

Craig grabbed a handful.

It’s all about presentation, he said.


.

John Paul Jones and Uncle Earl

It must have been too early for MerleFest fans to be hype on Friday afternoon. At the main Watson stage, a sedate crowd watched the female band Uncle Earl perform their old-time music.
The group’s joke about Jim Lauderdale doing hot yoga in his hotel room fell flat and a fiddle tune only inspired a little girl to get up and dance near the front of the stage.

The group got its biggest response when John Paul Jones, who played keyboard for Led Zepplin fame, joined Uncle Earl, whom he produced, for the last song. They played a fast-paced ditty that got the crowd excited.

At home at MerleFest

I haven’t been to MerleFest in a few years, but when I pulled into Phisbins’ Circle at the Wilkesboro Fire Department’s campground, it felt like home. All of the guys who adopted me back in the early 2000s were still there. Well, all of the guys except Boomer, who passed away couple of years ago.

MerleFest is the huge Americana festival at Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro. This is their 20th anniversary. I went for two years straight, but stopped to cover CityFest, which is now defunct. When I used to go, I camped next to a group of guys from Pennsylvania, who called themselves the Phisbins. They’re lawyers, teachers and average working guys who drive down to MerleFest each year to camp. I’d say they want to listen to music, but I’m not sure they actually ever leave the campground. Why would they?

At campsite, turtle soup cooked on an open fire. The fellas took turns pouring beer from the keg, and freshly boiled shrimp sat on plates waiting to be eaten.

It’s good to be home.

Common returned hip-hop fans to their roots

No hype man, no dancers no party over here.

A hype Common, a banging DJ, a drummer and keyboardist was all it took at Grand Central on Central Avenue on Thursday. For about an hour, Common rapped and preached about hip-hop and God. The crowd filled the dance floor, singing and pumping their hands in the air.

The show, sponsored by Ciroc vodka, felt like a respite for fans who’ve seen their culture under attack in recent weeks in because of the Don Imus flap. Common talked about the importance of protecting hip-hop and recognizing its value as a form of expression for African-Americans.

Along with lectures, Common also gave fans the tunes they wanted to hear. Sporting an orange sweater over a long sleeve shirt, a signature hats and jeans, he performed “Be,” “Go,” “The Light,” “Testify” and other hits. Common’s albums sound mellow, but live he’s all energy. Sweat poured off the retro-smooth rapper as he jumped, sprinted and bounced around the stage.

The only low point of the show was his bump-and-grind segment. He brought a woman on stage and the DJ spun various slow songs while Common played the smooth talking brotha’ role and danced with the woman. He also did the obligatory medley of today’s hits and classic rap tracks, in which he and the crowd rapped together. Common improvised and tossed in names of Charlotte streets and clubs as he rapped to songs by Sean Combs, Rich Boy and others.

One of the biggest highlights of the night was DJ Dummy. While Common changed out of his sweltering sweater and shirt and into a fitted white T-shirt, Dummy made Rob Base, “It Takes Two” into an entirely new song. If you saw the DJ set during the EPMD show, this one was better. Dummy created a beat with the “It Takes Two” hook. He manipulated the records behind his back, with his nose, with his eyes closed and while hugging a girl and later pretending to be sexual with her.

In the song, Base sings, “1,2,3, get loose..” Dummy spun that and then made it sound as if Base was saying “3,2,1.” Oh, and he did “The Matrix” slow spin as well. Crazy. His set reminded hip-hop fans that deejaying is an art. It’s more than playing songs off your laptop and yelling into the mike every few minutes. Somebody has to bring him down here to DJ a party. He swears he never plays the same song twice in one night and his judging from the snipped we saw on Thursday, he could keep a party going all night.

For fans of hip-hop that moves your body and your spirit, Thursday night rejuvenated both.

Alley Cat will make other venues step-up

Alley Cat will make Charlotte’s live-music scene better.

I know co-owner Andy Kastanas, and I've heard the guys say they’re not a live-music venue and they’re not trying to compete with Visulite Theatre and Amos’ Southend. But whatever.

The club has a main stage, a sound system (that need more bass), and room to dance; they also have a smaller stage outside. More importantly, they serve food, and they’re in the heart of uptown. Plus, Savis -- who co-owned the Steeple -- is Alley Cat’s manager. He did a heck of a job booking acts at the Steeple, and he loves live music.

All of that spells trouble for Visulite, Amos’ and the Neighborhood Theatre when it comes to competing for acts that draw crowds of about 700 people or less.

Here’s what I envision: In the first six months, Alley Cat will build its fan base and focus on enticing people with cover bands on Saturdays. On Fridays, they’ve said they will book bands that play original music. I’m guessing they’ll start with local acts, which means those local acts won’t be available as much to play in the other venues. Eventually, I can see Alley Cat going after the same touring regional and national acts that go to Visulite, Amos’ and Neighborhood.

So they will be bringing the same ol'-same ol' acts uptown that already stop by the other venues? Why is that good? That’s exactly what I thought when I first heard about the concept.

But that means Visulite, Amos’ and Neighborhood will have to bring different acts to survive and flourish. I’m hoping these club owners are going to be more willing to book acts they wouldn’t have considered before, from hip-hop to Latin to country to rock genres I don’t even know about. Maybe we can get the same mix of shows that go to the Cats Cradle in Carrboro or the Orange Peel in Asheville.

Two questions: 1) Do you think Alley Cat will improve live music here? 2) What are some of the acts that you would like to see come here? Post your replies below.

Everyone came to Alley Cat's pre-party

If every night at Alley Cat could be like Wednesday night was, uptown’s newest club would be my favorite spot in the city.

At the club’s VIP party, the crowd from Dish and the Penguin mixed with the young professionals and frat-types that usually hang uptown. Oh, and I can’t forget the artsy folks. On the patio, men and women with pink hair and/or piercings and/or tattoos (and I mean full sleeves, not teeny-weeny tats) mingled with people wearing golf shirts, khakis and hair gel. Of course, there was also the who's who of uptown nightlife: Tommy from Tyber Creek, Jody from Breakfast Club, Adam from Loft, Noah from N.C. Music Factory, Big Ryan and Danny from Grand Central.

It was so awesome.

The Penguin Restaurant, which will serve food until 1 a.m. in Alley Cat's restaurant, was largely responsible for such a varied crowd. So many Penguin supporters came out that it felt as if someone had picked up Thomas Avenue and put it uptown. It felt great, and I hope the mix continues.

When I first heard about the Penguin teaming with Alley Cat, I figured it would be a great move for the restaurant to reach a new audience. After last night, I realize there is an even greater opportunity to change the face of College Street.

Here's my question: Do you think Alley Cat will continue drawing a wide array of patrons, or will it simply become another Cans and Buckhead Saloon? Post your replies below.

Another bus trip to see "The Color Purple"

Remember my bus trip to see "The Color Purple" on Broadway a few weeks ago? Since then, several people have asked about other bus trips to the see the musical. Well, Aboard w/Us Travel, which sponsored the last trip, is ready to do another one -- to see Fantasia play Celie in the musical.

The trip is Aug. 3-6, and costs $350.

As you may recall, mine was an eventful trip that left some people angry. (I wasn't one of them. You can read my blog to see why.) The organizers say they've learned from their mistakes. This time, they are hiring a different bus company, and will ensure that the drivers aren't clueless and are willing to take advice. Also, they plan to have the registration on the buses this time and won't be doing any pre-paid meals, which should cut down on the lengthy registration period prior to departure. I still think they should start registration earlier to avoid delays.

For more information about the trip, e-mail yolanda.bonaparte@cms.k12.nc.us or lynetta.houston@cms.k12.nc.us.

I’ll be camping on the north rim of the Grand Canyon that weekend, so I won't be making that NYC trek again. But if you're going, let me know how the trip went, and how you liked Fantasia. And please read my previous "Color Purple" bus trip blog entries, in which I offer helpful tips on how to plan ahead and have fun.

If you're wondering how Fantasia is doing in the play, I recently received this e-mail from an enthusiastic reader in Greenville, S.C.:

"I agreed with your hesitation and your final thoughts. I just returned from New York and I went specifically to see 'The Color Purple' on Broadway with Fantasia. I had previously seen it with LaChanze, but this time with Fantasia it was UNBELIEVABLE!!! She did an incredible job. Her own pain and personal story gave her the ammunition she needed to become Celie. She transitioned beautifully into "Miss Celie" and of course her singing lifted everyone there. The supporting cast was even better this time and they all seemed to gel better with Fantasia. It was so awesome; I saw it Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon! Tell everyone you know to hurry and see it with Fantasia. You forget who she is and embrace the story so much more."

Cans block party

Mini-Kiss has to be the most hysterical live show I’ve seen since I saw Renelvis perform live several years ago.

They are a band of little people who play Kiss songs. They sound great until the singing starts. Once they start singing, they sound so awful it’s funny. The band’s make-up is impeccable, and they are crazy-energetic. If you ever get a chance to see them, you have to go.

The band opened for Rob Base and E.Z. Rock at the Cans one-year anniversary block party last Saturday. The hip-hop act only has two songs, “Joy and Pain” and “It Takes Two,” so they spent their set performing contemporary hits and old-school rap hits. The crowd loved it all and sang along. The highlight was Base’s singer and hype man Kyle Riffken. He looks thugged out, but he can sing.

Cans, at Graham and Fifth streets, held the party in the parking lot across the street. Along with live music, they had a Red Bull lounge area with giant bean bags, one of those bop ’em air things (where friends beat each other up with giant air-filled batons) and Cornhole games. Partiers either played games, chilled at patio tables or mingled around the stage area.

If a block party seems extravagant for only one year, the folks at Cans have reason to celebrate: Apparently, the Charlotte location did better than expected and the owners may have other concepts in mind for this area. Right now, that’s all on the hush, hush.

Snug Harbor coming to Plaza-Midwood

Snug Harbor will be the newest addition to the Plaza-Midwood nightlife scene.

It’s a live-music bar at the corner of Central and Pecan avenues. It used to be Fire and Ice martini lounge. The spot is owned by Scott McCannell, a bartender at Dish, and Daylon Brumfield, who worked for concert powerhouse Live Nation.

Snug Harbor is scheduled to open the first weekend in May, and will feature national, regional and local rock, bluegrass and jazz bands. It’s not a big space, but McCannell is used to booking acts for small venues. He booked acts at Fat City in NoDa for a while in the mid-’90s. The bands at Snug Harbor will be acts that draw small but enthusiastic crowds.

McCannell said they rebuilt the bar, removed the couches and added some booths. The stage is larger, the sound system is new, and they have beefed up the DJ booth, he said. He hopes to eventually open the patio out back.

His goal is to have people hanging out there even if a band isn’t performing. Along with live music, Scott Weaver will DJ and have go-go dancers on Thursdays. On Sundays, Brad Presley (a.k.a. the Rev. of Soul) will spin old-school music.

McCannell said he’s been looking for a place in the area for the last couple of years. He wanted to be in Plaza-Midwood because, “Everybody in this neighborhood, I consider them family.”

Alley Cat opens uptown Friday

The wait is over.

Alley Cat, the newest venture by the crew who owns the Forum and Cosmos, opens Friday.

Alley Cat occupies the former home of the Hut and Have A Nice Day Cafe on College Street, between Sixth and Seventh streets.
The newest features are an outdoor patio on College Street that will feature small bands, and there’s a kitchen that will be operated by The Penguin restaurant.

Although live music will be a big attraction for the bar, co-owner Andy Kastanas wants the club to be a destination, which is why the kitchen is an important feature. People can go there and hang out even if there isn’t a band performing.

Kastanas said Alley Cat isn’t trying to compete with other uptown music venues, and won’t be going after big-time acts. Instead, it will feature a lot of local bands and cover bands.

Alley Cat will be open Wednesday through Saturday. The nightly themes are: country night on Wednesdays, college night on Thursdays, original music on Fridays and a house band on Saturdays.
At tonight's grand opening, there will be acoustic acts on the patio and a band on the main stage.

Common is coming to Charlotte

The rumors are true. Common is coming Thursday!

Did you get into the Roots show last year at Grand Central? If so, you remember how hype it was. Ciroc Vodka is back with another invitation-only performance featuring rapper Common. The show is Thursday at Grand Central on Central Avenue. Q92 radio personality Jaye Delai will host the event. You must be on the VIP list to get in. The show is free.
You can win tickets on Q92 or register at www.cirocvodkavip.com by the end of the day today.

Details: www.thesoulmovement.com.

According to the web site, registration is closed for the concert.