By: Shawn D. Allison, II

 

Happy Thursday everyone! The sun is out and it is time to shine all the way through! There’s lots to do this weekend to close the month of June and starting July off with a bang! While the fireworks won’t be on display until Wednesday, I’ve found some cool stuff that’ll definitely spark your interests for sure! If you want to know where I’ll be this weekend, just check out my “Hot List” and tag along with me!

 

  • THURSDAY — BLACK BLOODED: An Exploration of Black Life Through Art at Char-Meck Main Library Branch
  • THURSDAY – The After-Work Mixer feat. DJ That Guy Smitty at The Morehead Tavern
  • FRIDAY – Radio Rehab Carolinas presents “OutKast On A Quest” at Crown Station
  • FRIDAY – Feel Good Fridays feat. Willie Walker & Conversation Piece at ROC’s Jazz Bar
  • SATURDAY – Charlotte Black Owned Bar Crawl
  • SATURDAY – Litty In the City at Sydney’s Martini & Wine Bar
  • SATURDAY — SHOTS – Wine, Food & Photography at Dupp & Swat
  • SUNDAY – Soul Food Sunday Buffet at Cuzzo’s Cuisine
  • SUNDAY – Moxie Society presents “Sippin’ On Sundays – July Edition” at Firehouse Bar & Lounge
  • SUNDAY – WEPA! – The Su Casa Remix at Petra’s

 

If you would like your event to be listed in “The Rundown” please send a detailed e-mail to me at: sdallison85@yahoo.com

 

——-THURSDAY, JUNE 28——-

The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library invites you to an all-new exhibition entitled “BLACK BLOODED: An Exploration of Black Life Through Art” this evening. Built like a family photo album, this exhibition demonstrates the diversity and nuance within narratives of tradition, consanguinity, and origin. Through visual art, performances, written works, and memorabilia, BLACK BLOODED honors the prevalence of plurality in thought and perspective on complexities of identity, race, and representation by some of the most thoughtful, effective, and influential artists of the 21st century. Tonight’s showcased will be curated by Jessica Gaynelle Moss and will feature a public conversation with artists Stephanie J. Woods, Briana Robinson and Carmen Neely about their work, life, and education and how it all ties together with the exhibition. FREE admission. 6 p.m. The library is located at 310 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.

 

 

Everyone come and get all 360 degrees of your being filled with art at the June Uptown Crawl! All of Uptown Charlotte’s art treasures will be open for the general public this evening and you’ll get an opportunity to scour and scope art at Sage Salon & Studio, Mint Museum Uptown, New Gallery of Modern Art, Sozo Gallery, The McColl, UNCC Center City, and The Levine Museum of the New South. You’ll be able to begin the tour at any of the featured institutions, then travel freely between the stops by foot, trolley, or bike. Each stop on the tour will feature a special look at the art held within. Admission is FREE! All venues and museums are in the Uptown area and will begin at 6 p.m.

 

 

Need some cool grooves and vibes to jump start your weekend? Head over to The Morehead Tavern as Jazz N’ Soul Music proudly presents The AfterWork Mixer this evening! Sit down, take a chill, grab a bite to eat and get a glass filled with some delicious cocktails as the magnificent sounds of Charlotte’s own, DJ That Guy Smitty will be on the 1s and 2s giving you his signature #EarholeGoodness for your listening pleasure! Admission is FREE to attend. The electric relaxation starts at 6 p.m. 300 E. Morehead St. in Uptown.

 

 

Put some jazz in your life at the South End Jazz Jam at Not Just Coffee this evening! Come and enjoy some rousing renditions of jazz and funk classics from an all-star lineup featuring some of Charlotte’s baddest instrumentalists – rhythm master Tim Scott, Jr. on drums, Marcus Jones on saxophone, William Ledbetter on da’ bass and Howard McNair, Jr. tickling the 88 ivory keys. Also, if you are a musician, feel free to bring your instrument and jam on! Admission is $5 per person and the jump off is at 7 p.m. Not Just Coffee is located at Atherton Mills. 2000 South Blvd.

 

 

Moxie Society has paired up with C Squared Events to present a brand new monthly shindig entitled Elevated Thursdays at Loft & Cellar! Loosen those ties and replace those pumps with flats as you cool out with your crew and co-workers and enjoy some tasty cocktail specials as The Mighty DJ DR rocks out with a special accompanying soundtrack with a fly set of supersonic tunes. Admission is FREE but please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/elevated-thursdays-ft-the-mighty-dj-dr-tickets-46831297672. The event will begin at 8 p.m. Loft & Cellar is located at 305 W. 4th St. in Uptown.   #MoxieSociety #CSquaredEvents

 

 

Play MARSports continues to push the envelope of intramural sports in Charlotte and today, the admins invite you to come and be part of the historic and first-ever Turf Kickball Open Practice! While the season officially will start next Thursday, you will get a great chance to try your footing by playing on a fresh and new astro turf surface. You’ll have a chance to learn some drills, meet the admins and players and play in a couple of pickup games! If you are unable to make practice but would like more information on the league, please send an e-mail to: info@playmarsports.com. Practice begins at 8 p.m. at Charlotte Soccer Academy – Ortho Carolina Complex. 13301 Dorman Rd. in Pineville.   #MARS   #Funletics

——-FRIDAY, JUNE 29——-

Ladies, Summer is here and I know you’re desiring to get in shape – that’s why you should join OutenLove Events as they proudly present The Pregame: The Twerkout Block Party this evening! Are you tired of boring workouts and no results? If so, grab your girlfriends and come experience an intense and fun-filled workout with trainer Kurlee Kurves. Burn away those calories before your night out and then be sure to stick around to mingle and network while enjoying the complimentary smoothie bar. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-pregame-the-twerkout-block-party-tickets-46658839846. The event will begin at 7 p.m. 6150 Old Pineville Rd.   #OutenLoveEvents

 Relax at The Third Place this evening and get ready for the June installment of The Sound — Christian Open Mic! Calling all singers, MCs, instrumentalists, poets, comedians and artists of various avenues come out to showcase your talents for a family-friendly audience honoring The Most High! Admission is $5 per person. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. The Third Place is located at 1609 E. 5th St. in Uptown.

One of Charlotte’s coolest crews, Radio Rehab Carolinas is back for the Summer and to set things off, join us at Crown Station for Outkast on a Quest CLT! Come and bob your head as maestro, The Infamous DJ Boney B emerges back into the light spinning a stupid sonic mashup of hits, remixes, B-sides, samples, interpolations and album cuts from two of Hip Hop’s most beloved groups, OutKast and A Tribe Called Quest! Then, stick around for some funky instrumental covers of the two legendary groups from Quentin Talley & The Soul Providers! Your host for the evening is none other than the great Emmy Award-winning creative Bluz. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/outkast-on-a-quest-clt-tickets-46277569456. The jump off is at 9 p.m. Crown Station is located at 3629 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.   #RadioRehabCarolinas

Get your laugh on this evening as the Queen City Omegas present another raucous round of Comedy Night! Bring your friends out to get ready for some side-splitting humor from headlining funnyman, the hilarious Tony Tone and Bighorne! Then, be sure to stick around as DJ 06 burns up the speakers with a hot mix of Hip Hop and R&B tunes. The host for the evening is Brother Tito. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queen-city-omegas-comedy-night-tickets-46535895115. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. The Omegas of Charlotte Fraternity House is located at 3301 Statesville Ave.

The weekend has arrived and now it’s time to relax as Buck Long & Friends proudly presents Feel Good Fridays featuring Willie Walker & Conversation Piece! Come experience one of Charlotte’s finest instrumental collectives filled with rousing melodies and pulsating grooves guaranteed to make you feel good! There will be drink and meal specials available to enhance your experience. Admission is $10 per person. Doors open at 8:30 and the band strikes at 9 p.m. As a special promotion, all persons with June birthdays will admitted FREE before 9 p.m. The show will be held at ROC’s Jazz Bar. 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd. near Uptown.

Let loose at Petra’s this evening and take a musical journey into yesteryear with “Mirror Moves: The Free Alternative Dance Party!” DJ’s Cody Hare and Jason Herring will be dropping the best of 80s & 90s Pop, New Wave, Techno, House, Synth Pop, EDM and more! Admission is FREE to attend. The party starts at 9 p.m. Petra’s is located at 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.

——-SATURDAY, JUNE 30——-

Everyone rise, shine and move for a purpose at The Park Church 5K Domestic Violence Awareness Run/Walk this morning. Partnering with the Jamie Kimble Foundation, Safe Alliance and many other local/national organizations, The Park Church will once again host the 5K to help raise necessary funds and awareness about domestic violence. Tickets and registration can be purchased here: https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/NC/Charlotte/ThePark5KDomesticViolenceAwarenessRUNWALK. The Park Church continues to provide resources and counseling to those impacted. If you are in need of counseling or services please contact us at 704-392-1681. The event will begin at 7 a.m. at The Park Expo and Conference Center. 800 Briar Creek Rd.   

The curvy queens of rhythm known as 4Thirty-Two have been sashaying with class and sass for a full-figured two years and today they invite you to celebrate at their very special Werkout Cookout! This is a great opportunity to meet and greet with all of the dance troupes fine, fierce and fabulous ladies including a “break down” twerk dance session and then break some bread at a cookout following the dance workshop. Tickets can be purchased here:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4thirty-two-werkout-cookout-in-celebration-of-our-2-year-anniversary-tickets-46904019184. The event will begin at 10 a.m. at Freedom Park. 1900 East Blvd. in the Dilworth Neighborhood.   #4ThirtyTwo

Moxie Society is back to add some more spice to your Saturday presenting the I Still Love The 90’s Brunch Party – Black Owned Bar Crawl Edition! You know the flavor – get your grub on with a delicious Southern-inspired brunch with all sorts of cocktail specials including $5 mimosas, get your boogie on with some classic 90s Hip Hop, R&B, House and Soul tunes from DJ Shogun and DJ Tez and peep the fly colored canvassing from the beautiful Jasmine Bradley. Admission is FREE to attend and the event will begin at 11 a.m. at Sports One Bar & Lounge. 521 N. College St. in Uptown.

Charlotte was rocked to a pale standstill last year with Charlotte Black Restaurant Week and now this time around, our Chocolate chalices and cups will be overflowing with all sorts of tasty cocktails at the Charlotte Black-Owned Bar Crawl! Join host Craft House Agency as they keep things strictly for the culture as they have linked all the Black-owned bars, lounges and nightclubs to create a day full of good, clean, “sophistiratchet” fun! The sole purpose of this event is to patronize our businesses while aiming to generate over $100,000 to pour back into our community. Please note, there will also be several Black-owned businesses on display to support as well. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/this-is-charlotte-black-owned-bar-crawl-tickets-46196424750. The crawl will begin at 12 noon and a list of participating venues will be provided upon ticket purchase(s).

OutenLove Events and Urban Professionals Group is ready to kick the day party experience up a notch as they proudly present “Litty In the City” this afternoon! Call up your crew, co-workers and older cousins and get ready to party with some of the city’s finest and hungry young Black professionals with a bevy of cocktail specials, meal deals and some dope music provided by Charlotte’s own DJ Meddi Meddi. Admission is FREE but please be sure to RSVP here:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/litty-in-the-city-tickets-47517583371. The jump off is at 2 p.m. at Sydney’s Martini & Wine Bar. 401 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.   #OutenLoveEvents

 Join the fantabulous Jessica Macks of J Macks Entertainment as she adds some sizzle to your Saturday presenting “SHOTS – Wine, Food & Photography” this evening! Come and enjoy this multisensory social featuring a cornucopia of flavors from personal chef Melissa Toth, scope some fly visuals from professional photographer Louis Jones of Blugraphics and get down to the soulful sounds of DJ Silvio spinning a tapestry of Downtempo, Soul, House and Funk cuts. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shots-tickets-47137412269. The event will begin at 3 p.m. at Dupp & Swat. 2521 The Plaza Rd. in the Plaza-Midwood District.   #JMacksEnt #DuppAndSwat

This afternoon, head over to Petra’s as the Charlotte New Music Festival invites you to experience a special Computer Music Concert! Come explore new sounds and musical spaces with performances crafted for humans, laptops, and a variety of input devices and speaker arrays – it’s a technological twist unlike any other! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/computer-music-concert-charlotte-new-music-festival-tickets-44609222385. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. Petra’s is located at 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.

The good people of Jazz N’ Soul Music invites you out for a soulful evening at The Red Diamond Event Center as they proudly present The Showcase featuring Gena Chambers & Ken Gober! Come and feel relaxing and invigorating tunes put your ears at ease on this Friday night. Ms. Chambers’ voice is both soothing and powerful as she is able to intertwine in a variety of styles and deliver a phenomenal performance every time she sets foot on stage! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-jazz-n-soul-music-showcase-featuring-gena-chambers-ken-gober-and-an-all-star-band-tickets-46508512212.   Doors open at 8 p.m. The venue is located at 11021 Downs Rd. in Pineville.   #JazzNSoulMusic

 

——-SUNDAY, JULY 1——-

For some fly eats and cool treats, head down to Cuzzo’s Cuisine Food Truck for the Soul Food Sunday Buffet! Chef Andarrio Johnson and crew invite you to add some delicious and delectable delight to your day — whether you’re leaving church service, out for a stroll, exercising, leaving another event or just plain ol’ hungry, gather all of your friends and come on down and enjoy a meal that’ll sho’ nuff stick to your ribs! From Cajun fried chicken, collard greens, World Famous Lobster Mac & Cheese, turkey wings, rice pilaf and so many other choices your stomach will be more than satisfied! Other menu items include a wonderful dining experience, fellowship and lots of community love. The buffet will be open from 12 noon to 5p.m. Cuzzo’s Cuisine is located at 3418 Tuckaseegee Rd. #CuzzosCuisine

If you got the itch to be creative this afternoon, make your way over to C3 Lab as acclaimed local artist CHD:WCK! presents an interactive art class entitled “CUTTING UP!” Being creative is about having a good time using what’s readily around you because all you need to bring is yourself. Today, CHD:WHK! Will teach you how to make a collage. Collage is a method of creating art by gluing a variety of materials (often papers, cloth, and wood) in different forms and shapes to create a new composition. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chdwck-presents-cutting-up-july-2018-tickets-47023356124. Snacks will be provided and please bring a friend. The class will begin at 1 p.m. C3 Lab is located at 2525 Distribution St. in Historic South End.

The Blood Center of the Carolinas invites you to donate your time and blood at the Non-Profit Community Blood Center Drive this afternoon. Blood is in high demand for people across greater Charlotte and the BCC is calling upon you to be a vessel of life for those in need. If you choose to donate, please fill out your form here: http://www.cbcc.us. Today’s drive will begin at 1:30 p.m. at Starlight Cinema. 11240 N. Tryon St. in the University Area.

Look, I know it’s Sunday and you want to be lazy, right? How about you come out to Petra’s instead and experience Hazy Sunday! This afternoon cool down is a meeting for those who appreciate the finer things in music. Join sound selectors, my man DJ Ray Krol, Probably Will and Party Dad as they cultivate a carefully curated selection of vibes from jazzy instrumentals, Hip Hop, avant-garde frequencies, trippy Deep House music, and whatever else your purveyors of waves care to dig. Admission is FREE and the music starts at 3 p.m. Petra’s is located at 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.

Moxie Society invites you out to Firehouse Bar & Lounge as they resurrect one of their previous get-downs with an updated twist, “Sippin On Sundays – July Edition!” Relax in this fly Uptown QC venue with delicious food, drink specials, hookah, music from DJ Louie Vee and a patio to enjoy your fresh and fat-rolled stogies. Admission is FREE but if you’re interested in VIP seating, please register and pay here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sippin-on-sundays-july-2018-tickets-46804279861. The event begins at 4 p.m. Firehouse Bar & Lounge is located at 320 W. Carson St. in Uptown.

Do you need a calming option to center yourselves before the upcoming work week? Join Peace Filled Mama at Dupp & Swat for another relaxing session of the Weekend Wind Down. Host and yoga instructor Kelley Carboni-Woods as she guide you along a series of community-oriented breathing exercises and stretches to empower yourselves, achieve wellness, balance, affirmation, truth and light. All ages and levels are welcome. Admission is $5 per person. Please dress comfortably. The session will begin at 6:30 p.m. Dupp & Swat is located at 2521 The Plaza Rd.

This Sunday night, the creative wonder Jasiatic is back with some new Afrofuturistic flavor as she proudly presents the July session of WEPA! Fashioned as the Su Casa remix, join resident turntablist DJ Steel Wheel for a gumbo pot-flavored soundscape featuring the frequencies of Dancehall, Soca, Bachata, Afro-Swing, Afro-Trap, Gqom and more! Admission is $5 all night long. The party starts at 9 p.m. at Petra’s. 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.

COMING SOON…

7/6 — Mosaic Live presents 1st Fridays – July Edition Family Reunion

7/7 — Off the Wall “7 Year Anniversary” feat. J Scienide

7/7 — Speed Friending: Network & Meet New Girlfriends

7/7 — Jazz at the Bechtler: Maria Howell

7/10 — Movies At The Museum: Sing

7/12 – 7/14 — 2nd Annual CineOdyssey Film Festival

7/14 — Band Together Benefit for Behailu

7/14 – The Sol Kitchen presents “A King & A Prince”

7/21 – Legacy Theatre Productions’ “Blood Ties” Revised Stage Recital

7/29 — Hot Stuff Summer Pop-Up Market

 

Everyone enjoy your 4th of July holiday! One love.  

 

Live. Laugh. Love. Learn. Listen. Give.  

 

#WeekendWarrior #TheBlackFerrisBueller #EarsToDaSkreets #CommunityFirst