By: Shawn D. Allison, II
Greetings everyone! The weekend is here and it is time to play! There all sorts of colorful action going on this weekend and I know all of you will enjoy the deets of all the happenings in the streets! If you really want to know what’s poppin’, check out my “Hot List” just below!
- THURSDAY—A. Van Jordan at CPCC Sensoria Arts Festival
- THURSDAY—BreakOnEm’ Davis at The Morehead Tavern
- FRIDAY—Scenes of a Black Woman screening of “Poetic Justice” at Char-Meck Main Library
- FRIDAY—Jazz at the Bechtler at The Becthler Museum of Modern Art
- FRIDAY—Diasopora: April Edition at Apostrophe Lounge
- SATURDAY—Savory Saturdays at Mosaic Village
- SATURDAY– Champagne & Stilettos Happy Hour Concert Series at Mooney’s Lounge
- SUNDAY—Classic Black Cinema Series screening of “White Man’s Burden” at The Gantt Center
- SUNDAY—Digger’s Delight Pop-Up Record Swap at Tip Top Daily Market
- MONDAY—Respect Da’ Mic Slam Team Building at Apostrophe Lounge
- MONDAY– Regaining Our Power African History Course at Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church
——-THURSDAY, 4/6——-
Get ready to lose yourself in laughter at BluNotes this evening as they present to you, “Laff It Up Thursdays!” This first Thursday of every month comedy jam is full of nonstop humor with a list of comedians and comediennes ready to clear your heart’s cholesterol with laughter. The event will be hosted by none other than homegrown and legendary funnyman Tone-X. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $12 each. The event will begin at 5 p.m. BluNotes is located at 3425 David Cox Rd.
This evening, everyone come out to the Levine Museum of the New South for an important community discussion entitled, “Immigration & Enforcement in Charlotte.” Within the first 100 days of his administration, the rogue President Trump has issued a series of executive orders aimed to restrict immigration from a handful of predominantly Muslim countries and ramp up deportations of undocumented immigrants in the United States. This program will explore how communities in Charlotte have responded to these executive orders. Admission is FREE to attend but please be sure to RSVP here: https://38686.blackbaudhosting.com/38686/Immigration-and-Enforcement-in-Charlotte. The discussion starts at 6:30 p.m. The museum is located at 200 E. 7th St. in Uptown.
Superstar poet and a featured Sensoria literary presenter in 2008, A. Van Jordan returns to help mark the 25th year of the literary events of the CPCC Sensoria Arts Festival. Jordan is the author of four collections of poetry which all have been decorated with prestigious awards and acclaim. Tonight, Jordan will be reading a few selections from his book, “Quantum Lyrics.” Admission is FREE to attend and the event begins at 7:30 p.m. in Tate Hall. 1201 Elizabeth Ave. in Uptown.
Jazz N’ Soul Music invites you out to Ella’s Speakeasy at The Morehead Tavern for the special inaugural session of BreakOn’Em Davis! Spearheaded by one of Charlotte’s baddest rhythm masters, Mr. Ocie Davis, Jr., come and experience a night of progressive, straight-ahead jazz with a full band! If you dig The Roots, The Robert Glasper Experiment, Esperanza Spalding or anything with a Neo-Soul/Hip Hop groove, this is the jam session for you! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jazz-n-soul-music-the-ocie-davis-experience-breakonem-davis-tickets-33069354329. Showtime is at 8 p.m. 300 E. Morehead St. in Uptown.
——-FRIDAY, 4/7——-
Everyone is invited down to First United Presbyterian Church as they present another soul-stirring edition of their United In Jazz Concert Series. Enjoy a delicious dinner, good fellowship, and live jazz from the electrifying jazz band, 5th & York! Admission is $20 for the concert and dinner or just $10 for the concert. The event begins at 5 p.m. First United Presbyterian Church is located at 406 N. College St. in Uptown.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library invites you to the Main Branch this evening for a special screening of their “Scenes of a Black Woman” series. For tonight’s feature, come and view the 1993 classic from director John Singleton, “Poetic Justice” starring Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur. Scenes of a Black Woman is a series of films about Black women, created by Black filmmakers and a celebration of Black cinema! There will be a short discussion after the film. Admission is FREE to attend. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the film will start at 6 p.m. The screening will take place at the Main Library Branch. 310 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.
This evening at The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art, the in-house band, The Ziad Jazz Quartet invites you to experience a very special treat this evening! For this installment of “Jazz at the Bechtler”, these four talented gentleman along with acclaimed and fiery trumpeter Justin Ray will be paying homage to one of jazz’s most groundbreaking and quintessential albums—Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers’ “A Night at Birdland Recording Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.” There will be two shows this evening: 6 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Admission for Bechtler members is $8. Tickets for nonmembers can be purchased here: https://30796a.blackbaudhosting.com/30796a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=eeafc128-fcac-4d1b-a21f-9c9351e0f02c. The Bechtler is located at 420 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
Get those peepers ready for a new and exciting art exhibition at C3 Lab this Friday—come and experience the world of “Architectonic.” Through painting, sculpture, photography and installation, this thought-provoking show combines the similar perspectives and varying styles of Sharon Dowell, Matthew Steele and Chris Neyen as they’ve observed explosive commercial development in the Charlotte community. Also, special guest performer, Philip Fore, will provide some live sound collage abstractions for further inner-tainment. Admission is FREE and the event will begin at 7 p.m. C3 Lab is located at 2525 Distribution St. in Historic South End.
P.D. Eastman’s beloved children’s book, “Go, Dog. Go!” comes to life on stage with Charlotte Children’s Theatre in a zany, Vaudeville-inspired adventure. These dogs are busy going to and fro, riding scooters, driving cars and zooming around the world on their way to a special party. This madcap, musical escapade will have little ones dancing in their seats and cheering “Go, Dog. Go!” Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.ctcharlotte.org/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=shows-go-dog-go&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::context_id=. There will be 5 shows this weekend: Friday (4/7) at 7:30 p.m., Saturday (4/8) at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Sunday (4/9) at 2 and 4 p.m. All performances will be held at the McColl Family Theatre at ImaginOn. 300 E. 7th St. in Uptown.
Hey kids! Gather your parents and friends and head down to ImaginOn for a special stage adaption of the beloved story, “Bud, Not Buddy!” Presented by the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, come see the Newberry Medal and Coretta Scott King Award-winning novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. Set in Depression-era Michigan, Bud is 10 years old and is tired of living life as an orphan. He sets off on his own courageous journey to find the man believed to be his father, however the only evidence Bud has is a picture of a man on jazz concert ads his mom used to keep around the house before she died. Come along on this journey with Bud, as he finds the true meaning of family. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.ctcharlotte.org/Online/mapSelect.asp. There will be three shows this weekend: Friday (4/7) at 7:30 p.m., Saturday (4/8) at 3 p.m. and Sunday (4/9) at 2 p.m. ImaginOn is located at 300 E. 7th St. in Uptown.
CPCC Theatre is proud to present one of August Wilson’s most riveting stage productions, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” Set during a tense recording session in Chicago’s South Side, this award-winning play exposes the exploitation of African-American musicians and depicts the psychological consequences of their struggles for economic and artistic self-determination in the face of racism and a shifting marketplace. There will be four remaining shows this weekend: Thursday (4/6), Friday (4/7) and Saturday (4/8) all starting at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday (4/9) at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here: http://tix.cpcc.edu/events/august-wilsons-ma-raineys-black-bottom. All performances will be held at the Pease Auditorium at CPCC Main Campus. 1206 Elizabeth Ave. in Uptown.
GiGi Mack & The Gi Spot is ready to put some sass, soul and spice in your Friday night at BluNotes with “The Friday Release!” Get up and get down with some homegrown Detroit sounds in the QC as this vivacious vixen delivers some sweet vocals to your ears. Admission is $10 and be sure to ask about some great meal and drink specials. The performance begins at 8 p.m. BluNotes is located at 3425 David Cox Rd. in the Northlake Area.
Swing those hips down to The Mint Museum for a special Spring edition of “Mint to Move Cultural Dance Night!” Enjoy Afro-Cuban and Latin-American dance rhythms with a DJ and live musicians to celebrate ethnic and gender diversity, dance, visual and performing art. Admission is $8.50 for Mint members and $12 for non-members. The music starts at 8 p.m. The Mint Museum is located at 500 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
The good people of Jazz N’ Soul Music invite you out to The Morehead Tavern for another colorful editon of Ella’s Speakeasy. For tonight’s show, get ready to experience the heavy funk and smooth jazz melodies of The Groove Masters Band! These gentlemen have a rhythm section so powerful that you’ll want to get up and boogie—don’t miss this show! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-groovemasters-live-jazznsoul-music-first-friday-april-edition-ellas-speakeasy-tickets-33169557038. Showtime starts at 9 p.m. The Morehead Tavern is located at 300 E. Morehead St. in Uptown. #JazzNSoul
The Sol Kitchen is back to provide some electric relaxation this evening at ‘Stache House with another installment of #Thankgawdits1stfriday! Sound provider and Charlotte staple DJ Ngenius will spin the best of today’s and yesterday’s Hip Hop and R&B grooves. Admission is FREE. 10 p.m. ‘Stache House is located at 1520 South Blvd. in Historic South End. #TheSolKitchen
Africana Connections returns once again for one of Charlotte’s most colorful culture jams as they present the April edition of “Diasopora!” Join sound engineer The Dynamic DJ Kato and special guest J. Holder as they host a night full of nonstop dancing, positive energy and a fire soundtrack set to the tunes of Afrobeat, Soca, Caribbean, Reggae, Salsa, House and more! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/diasopora-april-edition-tickets-33140941448. The party starts at 10 p.m. at Apostrophe Lounge. 1440 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #AfricanaConnections
——-SATURDAY, 4/8——-
Rise and shine and head down to the Mosaic Village for “Savory Saturdays!” Enjoy a morning full of delicious eats, community greets and artistic treats from the Latibah Collard Green Museum. Participating mobile eateries will be The Coffee Priest, The Breakfast Food Truck and Two Chicks and a Truck. This event will be hosted by Historic West End Initiative. The event will begin at 8 a.m. The Mosaic Village is located at 1635 W. Trade St. on the outskirts of Uptown. #HistoricWestEnd #WestSideBestSide
Attention all my fellow writers—head over to the Charlotte Center for Literary Arts for the “Art of Dialogue Workshop” this morning. Your host, Kathryn Schwille will guide you about how to write effective dialogue, when to use it and what it can do — and not do. You’ll also look at how speech can reveal character and what more it can do. Then, you will see look at how a master delivers lines with more than one purpose. In the meantime, eavesdrop on your fellow humans and listen for the unsaid and for inspiration. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshop-the-art-of-dialogue-tickets-31827824881. The session begins at 10 a.m. Charlotte Center for Literary Arts is located at 1817 Central Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
Get down and get busy with Moxie Society late this morning at Sports One as they host another fly edition of “I Still Love the 90s Brunch & Day Party!” Enjoy a delicious Southern-style brunch with all sorts of drink specials including $5 mimosas. Your groove master for this event is none other than Charlotte’s own, DJ Shogun rockin’ nothing but the hotness of the 90s and the beautiful visual artist, Kim Daise painting her soul on the canvas! Admission is FREE to attend. The party starts at 11 a.m. Sports One is located at 521 N. College St. in Uptown. #MoxieSociety
If you’re in the travelling mood, head down to Columbia for the Hip Hop Family Day Festival! Love, Peace & Hip Hop, along with The City of Columbia and WellCare Healthy Connections brings the creative culture to the masses through hands-on art exhibits, educational activities, live music, dance performances and more. Also, headlining the festivities today is legendary Hip Hop duo, Kid N’ Play! Admission is FREE and families are encouraged to come out to witness the culture in full. The festivities begin at 11 a.m. and will be held at the corner of Main St. and Laurel St. in Downtown Columbia, SC. #LovePeaceAndHipHop
Ladies, do you want to know more about protecting your natural hair with the care of natural oils? Come and join award-winning stylist, Shanae Levine from Organic Hair Boutique at Tisun Beauty for the Natural Hair Care Cocktail Class. Mix it up with other ladies and some delicious cocktails as she teaches you how to properly care for your natural tresses. Admission is $15 which will include light refreshments and you leave with a swag bag filled with Natural Hair Care Essentials for you to try at home. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/natural-hair-care-cocktail-class-tickets-32190008181. The class begins at 2 p.m. Tisun Beauty is located at 9011 S. Tryon St.
Get your groove on at The Gantt Center this afternoon and come out for the first edition of “Moving Spirits: Intensive Dance Workshop.” Led by Gantt Center teaching artist and Assistant Professor of Dance at UNC Charlotte, Tamara Williams, she will demonstrate the importance of empowerment of the female form, explorations of spirituality, and ritual practices as they relate to movement of the body. By exploring global perspectives through dance, we create even more opportunities to share and celebrate Black heritage. Today’s session focuses on Samba Afro of Brazil hosted by accomplished and acclaimed dancer, choreographer and instructor, Vera Passos. The class is $5 for general admission and FREE for Gantt Center members. 2 p.m. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
Sexy Lifestyle Specialist invites you out to the all-new Mooney’ Lounge late this afternoon for the Champagne & Stilettos Happy Hour Concert Series! Gather your friends to come enjoy a variety of drink specials, sensual spoken word, lush R&B tunes, comedy and a dance party to conclude the evening! The event will be hosted by Iz-Real the Poet. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/champagne-stilletos-happy-hour-concert-series-tickets-32518577942. The event begins at 4 p.m. Mooney’s Lounge is located at 2525 N. Graham St.
Ladies, strut, swing and swerve your stacked statures over to “Curves & Couture” this evening! This is a social event bringing together women of all shape and sizes and celebrating body positives. There will be a runway show which will feature three local designers showcasing their plus-size line of garments and tons of networking! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curves-and-kouture-tickets-31573812122. The event begins at 6 p.m. and the address of the venue is 1900 Queen City Dr. #CurvesAndCouture
You want more soul? I got you some! This evening at BluNotes, come and get a full body experience at the all-new “Rare Soul Series!” Headlining tonight is the gorgeous and talented Gena Chambers! Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Show time is at 8 p.m. BluNotes is located at 3425 David Cox Rd. in the Northlake Area.
——-SUNDAY 4/9——-
Attention all Crate Diggers, Vinyl Enthusiasts and Music Lovers… Spin yourselves over to the Tip Top Daily Market for the Diggers Delight Pop-Up Record Swap this afternoon! Sift and scour through a healthy selection of Jazz, Funk, Soul, Hip Hop, R&B and Rock LPs for trade or purchase! Admission is FREE. The fun begins at 2 p.m. Tip Top Daily Market is located at 2902 The Plaza Rd. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
Join Mr. Felix Curtis at The Gantt Center this afternoon for another Sunday editon of Classic Black Cinema Series. Today’s screening is the 1995 film, “White Man’s Burden” starring Harry Belafonte, John Travolta and Margaret Avery. The suspenseful story of an alternative world where Blacks are the social elite and Whites are inner city inhabitants and a factory worker is catapulted in a dark hours of mistaken identity. Admission is FREE to attend and the film will start at 2 p.m. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #CBCS
Craving some food for your soul? This evening, slide over to The Third Place for the April edition of the Black Folks Dinner! This monthly potluck dinner is a gathering by and for Black folks. It is a space for Blackness that spans nations, nationalities, mediums and mindsets, which also serves as a place for us to build community and to just be comfortable with ourselves. Feel free to bring any dish you please. Admission is FREE to attend and it will begin at 7 p.m. The Third Place is located at 1609 E. 5th St. in Uptown.
——-MONDAY 4/10——-
Want to wind down with some witty wordplay? Join host Jst Jah of Respect Da’ Mic, Grannae’s Boyz and Guerilla Poets at Apostrophe Lounge for the RDM Slam Team Building this evening. It’s time to fill some new slots for the slam squad and if you feel you have the skills to give a crowd’s ears and minds some thrills, then this is the place for you! Admission is $5 to attend for slammers and crowdgoers. The words fly starting at 7 p.m. Apostrophe Lounge is located at 1440 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #RespectDaMic #SayWord
Brothers and sisters prepare your minds and head over to Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church this evening for the continuation of the Regaining Our Power African History Course. This weekly mini course is geared to help educate Black people about our powerful past which provides: knowledge of self, African cultural development and reconnection, economic wisdom, strategy and tactics for liberation, self-sufficiency in today’s climate, regaining power to self-determine, restoring our confidence and ambition and much more! The class is presented by the League of Intelligence and will begin at 7 p.m. Mayfield Memorial Baptist Church is located at 700 W. Sugar Creek Rd. in the Hidden Valley Neighborhood.
Rounding out your marvelous Monday, head out to Petra’s Bar for the “Second Monday Jazz Workshop & Improv.” Join host, instrumentalist and local jazz enthusiast, John Shaughnessy as he conducts a live jazz session in front of an intimate audience. All are welcome to join in! Whether you are a flautist, guitarist, funky drummer, vocalist, horn-blower, percussionist or ivory tickler, this is the workshop for you! FREE. The jam session begins at 8 p.m. Petra’s is located at 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
COMING SOON…
4/20—Gantt After Dark: Synaesthasia
4/22—Our Family Dinner: Charlotte
4/22—State of the Black Family Community Gathering
4/22—CAABJ Honor & Celebration of Steve Crump
4/29—Screening of “Wilmington on Fire”
4/28-30—BOOM Charlotte 2017
Have a great weekend everyone! Be healthy, be a friend, be love. Peace.
Live. Laugh. Love. Learn. Listen. Give.#TheBlackFerrisBueller #WeekendWarrior #CommunityFIrst