By Shawn D. Allison, II
Brothers and Sisters, we have made it to the weekend and there is a lot to do in these QC streets! So many festivals that it’ll make your heads spin, so much fun to indulge in, it’s going to be a weekend worth remembering! Yours truly, The Black Ferris Bueller will be on a serious trail of fun this weekend, and if you want to know all the trouble I’ll be getting into, just be sure to check out what I got in store on my “Hot List” just below, dig?
- THURSDAY – Live Soul & Funk with Jemini June at Albemarle Road Rec Center
- FRIDAY-SATURDAY – Art Of Cool Charlotte
- FRIDAY – Antidote #1 – Jazz & Poetry at Petra’s
- FRIDAY – Jazz at the Bechtler: Kind of Blue at The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art
- SATURDAY – 6th Annual Literary Festival of Charlotte at Little Rock Cultural Center
- SATURDAY – RELEASE! Classic & Soulful House Party at The Morehead Tavern
- SATURDAY – Robert Glasper Experiment feat. Dynamo & Kenneth Whalum at The Neighborhood Theater
- SUNDAY – The Get Well Podcast Brunch at The McColl Center for Art + Innovation
- SUNDAY – Classic Black Cinema Series screening of “The Flying Ace” at The Gantt Center
- SUNDAY – Diggers Delight Pop-Up Record Swap at Tip Top Daily Market
- MONDAY – Squad Up Slam Team Building Slam 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, OCTOBER 5——-
Dapper Street Productions invites you to start your weekend off with a serious bang as they proudly present Live Soul & Funk with Jemini June! If you have never been blessed with this fiercely talented queen, you are definitely in for a special treat! Jemini is definitely no amateur and she captivates you with every note she belts and every rhyme she spits, everything else becomes irrelevant once you experience her flyness! Admission is FREE to attend and there will be light refreshments available. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will be held at Albemarle Road Rec Center. 5027 Albemarle Rd.
Do you desire to get in shape but need a boost of encouragement while doing so? Join my friend Tamara Jackson aka Coach Tam at The Carole A. Hoefener Center this evening for the first installment of her Free Train With Tam Workout session! It is time you declare war on fat, life on medication, low energy, and long workout routines and live in the victory lane! Her sessions are short and sweet, energretic, inspiring and proven successful. Need a quick motivational boost for your health? This is the class for you! Admission is FREE to attend but please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-train-with-tam-workout-thurs-105-645-pm-tickets-38475518311. Class begins at 6:30 p.m. 615 E. 6th St. in Uptown. #265Point
Get your laugh on at The Morehead Tavern and come out for another edition of “Laff It Up Thursdays.” For tonight’s show, get ready to rock with comedian Shawn Harris (the nephew of the late, great Robin Harris) and the sultry song stylings of the stunning J. Elise! Also, be sure to stick around and boogie as Tab the Million Dolla DJ rocks the speakers with some of today’s and yesteryear’s hits! Tickets can be purchased here: https://tempocharlotte.primetix.com/Tickets/?perfid=1013. Doors open at 7 and the show will begin at 8 p.m. The Morehead Tavern is located at 300 E. Morehead St. in Uptown.
——-FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6——-
Everyone is invited down to First United Presbyterian Church as they present another season of their soul-stirring United In Jazz Concert Series. Enjoy a delicious dinner, good fellowship, and live jazz from The John Alexander Group with special guest Latin percussionist Lucas Torres! 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 film series. For tonight’s feature, come and view the 2011 film, “For Colored Girls.” 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 of themes and aesthetics 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, Mama’s Caribbean Grill & Bar is adding some suspenseful flavor to its menu as they proudly present, “Murder In Paradise….A Murder Mystery Dinner Experience!” Audience members will be along for the ride as someone is murdered in the midst of dinner. With numerous suspects, the audience will have to work together to solve the investigation and determine “Who dun it?” while enjoying an authentic four-course Caribbean meal. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.mrniceguymedia.com/events/murder-in-paradise-a-murder-mystery-dinner-experience. The event will begin at 7 p.m. Mama’s Caribbean Grill & Bar is located at 1504 Central Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District. #YesYesYes
The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art is back for the October edition of their first Friday jazz jam and tonight’s showcase is one of epic proportions—get ready to experience Jazz at the Bechtler: Kind of Blue! The Ziad Jazz Quartet plays the late, great Miles Davis’ most enduring work, the 1959 masterpiece “Kind of Blue.” Davis changed the language of jazz, influencing future artists from rock, to classical, and even hip-hop in the process and is almost universally thought of as not only one of jazz’s greatest albums, but one of the best albums ever recorded. Joining the in-house quartet this evening will be two very special guests—saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield and trumpeter Lynn Grissett. These two acclaimed musicians have an extensive resume, most notably being core members of Prince’s New Power Generation band. Trust me, you do not want to miss this! Tickets can be purchased here: https://30796a.blackbaudhosting.com/30796a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=9136fcf8-9746-47ba-8004-711340009e6f. There will be two shows this evening: 6 and 8:15 p.m. The Bechtler is located at 420 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
This evening, head down to ImaginOn for a meet and greet with young adult author Nicola Yoon! Ms. Yoon is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “Everything, Everything,” which is now a major motion picture, and “The Sun Is Also a Star.” She is also a National Book Award finalist, Michael L. Printz Honor Book and Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library will present a free reading and Q&A session with Ms. Yoon as part of the 2017 Community Read. Admission is FREE, but please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-young-adult-author-nicola-yoon-tickets-38175482897. The event will begin at 6 p.m. ImaginOn is located at 300 E. 7th St. in Uptown.
Experience art in a new scope as diverging styles, methods and individuals intersect through place to frame this evening at C3 Lab’s annual art exhibition entitled, “Intersection.” Personal styles, careers, and life don’t always function together in harmony, but when you intersect the common thread of the love of art throughout a creative space, with the true spirit of collaboration – an interesting collage emerges to tell a meaningful story. All of the artists with created work in tonight’s showcase are comprised of different faces in different stages. But all within the same space to passionately connect with what feeds their soul and drives their imagination to create artistic value to the community and beyond. Admission is FREE to attend and the event begins at 7 p.m. C3 Lab is located at 2525 Distribution St. in Historic South End.
The ladies of MagniFique Image invite you out to Chima Brazilian Steakhouse for “Adult Takeover Game Night!” Enjoy a Fun night of Spades, Uno, Taboo, Bingo, networking, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, mixing and mingling. The signature drink for the evening will be the “It’s All Fun & Games” for $6, each. Also, there will be prizes given for game winners and raffle giveaways. Admission is $3 each and can be purchased at the door or here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/adult-take-over-game-night-hosted-by-magnifique-image-tickets-38482779028. The fun starts at 7 p.m. Chima Brazilian Steakhouse is located at 139 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
The Arts & Science Council, Culture Blocks and Community School of the Arts proudly present an evening with The Sphinx Virtuosi at First Baptist Church West this evening. The Sphinx Virtuosi is one of the nation’s most dynamic professional chamber orchestras, comprised of 18 of the nation’s top Black and Latino classical soloists. These alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition come together each fall as cultural ambassadors to reach new audiences with varied repertoire, while working to advance diversity in classical music. Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome. The event begins at 7 p.m. First Baptist Church West is located at 1801 Oaklawn Ave.
Get ready for a weekend full of nonstop music, fun and fellowship as the Art of Cool Festival hits Charlotte! For tonight’s jump off event, slide down to the Morehead Tavern and experience Charlotte’s Hidden Gems! Get your fix of Hip Hop and Jazz fusion with Rapper Big Pooh and Harvey Cummings II and then be sure to stick around for a rousing soul-stirring performance from The Queen’s Guard feat. Blanche J.! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aoc-fest-charlotte-by-the-art-of-cool-project-sol-kitchen-tickets-36716650490. Doors open at 8 and the show starts at 9 p.m. The Morehead Tavern is located at 300 E. Morehead St. in Uptown.
Petra’s gets a dose of new flavor this evening as they proudly present the all-new interactive eclectic series, “Antidote – Jazz & Poetry.” Created by local jazz trio Ghost Trees and Amy Bagwell, this evening features alternating sets of jazz and poetry, real and live from the heart. Along with Ghost Trees, the featured acts for the evening are: poets Justin Evans and Nathaniel Mackey, trumpeter Jacob Wick and jazz trio Ballister. Admission is $8 per person. Doors open at 8 and the art flows at 9 p.m. Petra’s is located at 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
——-SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7——-
Congratulations, you’ve launched your website and people are visiting! So, what’s next? Join Tech Talent South at Advent Coworking for the Google Analytics Workshop this morning. There is so much more about your website visitors, content performance, visitor behavior, and effective calls to action. In this two-day workshop, you’ll learn how to use GA to track, analyze and report on site visits, marketing goals, and ad revenue generated from your site. You’ll also learn how to measure traffic, ad performance and ROI, and conversions and how people use and respond to your website. This course takes a hands-on approach with every step. Please be sure to apply here: https://www.techtalentsouth.com/apply-charlotte. Both sessions will begin at 9 a.m. Advent Coworking is located at 933 Louise Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
Parents, is your child’s imagination overflowing with characters and stories? Do they dream of visiting far off places? If so, come harness their creativity at The Gantt Center this morning and come out for the October installment of the Family First Series: Lights, Set, Action! For today’s session, local artistic muse and educator, the gorgeous Angie Cee will help channel your child’s creativity with rich adventures in this theater workshop tailored to beginners. This session is designed to give participants a greater understanding of theater while learning the intricacies of performing through fun, theatrical warm-ups, character-building activities and teamwork exercises. The session is FREE with museum admission, but please be sure to RSVP here: https://61686.blackbaudhosting.com/61686/October-Family-First-07Oct2017?_ga=2.132830541.237541220.1506536831-1822721702.1506536831. The session will begin at 11 a.m. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
Start your Saturday off in style and head down to Sports One Bar & Lounge as Moxie Society hosts another fun installment of the “I Still Love the 90s Brunch & Day Party!” Enjoy a sophisticated and scrumptious Southern-style brunch menu with all sorts of drink specials including $5 mimosas. For your throwback soundscapes, my man, DJ 06 will provide the hotness of 90s Hip Hop and R&B classics and Jimi Thompson aka “Dammit Wesley” will be doing his creative color scheme on a canvas! Admission is FREE to attend and the party starts at 11 a.m. Sports One is located at 521 N. College St. in Uptown. #MoxieSociety
The mighty men and youth of The Males Place have been working hard in their organic garden for some time now and today you’re invited out to their Ceremonial Blessing of the Harvest 2017! Come out for a midday adventure featuring a gardening tour, agricultural education, drumming and dance performances, healthy food preparation and demonstration, a lecture on Black farmers and lots more! Admission is FREE to attend but donations are always welcome. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. and will be held at Fred Alexander Park. 1909 McAllister Dr. #TheMalesPlace
Calling all families! Bring the entire tribe out to The Little Rock Cultural Center this afternoon for the 6th Annual Literary Festival of Charlotte. Enjoy a day of storytelling, rhythmic song, dance, drumming and enlightening author readings. The Charlotte Literary Festival is here to reignite the love of reading in our community, provide exposure to new literary voices, and promote a renaissance of engagement with the arts. The theme of this year’s festival is “Empowering Communities” Through Art and Literature. Also, a key benefit to this festival is giving the youth access to literacy experiences fosters imaginations, innovation, and positively affects their communities and families. Admission is FREE to attend and the event starts at 11 a.m. The Little Rock Cultural Center is located at 401 N. Myers St. in Uptown.
It’s time for the Unity Fall Festival of Charlotte! Everyone come and enjoy cultural showcases, musical and dance performances represented by a multitude of countries, ethnic vendors, booths, exciting raffle prizes and more! Admission is FREE and open to the public. 11 a.m. 700 E. Trade St. in Uptown.
Norsan Media invites everyone out to the sixth annual Hola Charlotte Hispanic Heritage Festival! This is the largest Hispanic Heritage event in the Carolinas highlighting the diversity and richness of Latin culture. The entire family is invited to come together to enjoy the heritage, food, music, dance and art of Latin culture. Hola Charlotte will feature nationally recognized entertainers and the popular Latin American Village highlighting the heritage and culture of 15 Latin countries. Admission is FREE. The festival will begin at 12 noon on the corner of Trade & Tryon in Uptown.
Head out to Park Road Park for the 2017 Southeast Crab Feast this afternoon! This grand “feast-ival” offers the Lowcountry coastal heritage of outdoor cooking of fresh seafood. This highly anticipated event will offer all you can eat fresh blue crabs, fish and chips, live music and more in this family-friendly environment. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/southeast-crab-feast-charlotte-part-2-tickets-34282173905. The feast begins at 12 noon. Park Road Park is located at 6220 Park Rd. in the South Park Area.
Art of Cool Festival Charlotte is ready to set your Saturday on fire off in style with a lineup of three smokin’ hot daytime jam sessions! First up, head out to The Evening Muse and feel the vibrant jazz energy of The Al Strong Quartet, fusion funksters Zoo Cru, the captivating vocal stylings of the alluring Chante Cann and DJ Mic Check droppin’ some hotness from the wheels of steel! The event will begin at 12 p.m. at The Evening Muse. 3227 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
Next up, head down to Heist Brewery and get your fix of the culturally-starved mix as Jasiatic hosts Su Casa – The Day Party! Get your groove on as Queen City staples DJ Justice and DJ Steel Wheel featuring Loot-Tenant Trax gives you an afternoon full of the best Afrobeat, House, Soul, Funk, Reggae, Soca, Calypso, R&B and Dancehall that your soul can stand! Also, be sure to stick around as local Rock/Soul band Blame The Youth takes the stage and fills your mind with their melodic musical medley! 2 p.m. Heist Brewery is located at 2909 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
Last, but certainly not least, beam over to The Blind Pig where the legendary DJ That Guy Smitty along with DJ Fannie Mae will give you a strong and necessary dose of “Earhole Goodness” featuring an eclectic concoction of Rock, Soul, Funk, House, Downtempo, R&B, Indie, Hip Hop and more! 2 p.m. The Blind Pig is located at 453 E. 36th St. in the NoDa District.
********ALL ART OF COOL CHARLOTTE DAY PARTY TICKETS/PASSES CAN BE PURCHASED HERE: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aoc-fest-charlotte-by-the-art-of-cool-project-sol-kitchen-tickets-36716650490.
Black Business Owners of Charlotte invite you out to Three Spirits Brewery for a special Business Owners & Professionals Networking Event this afternoon. Enjoy the company of some progressive Black professionals, small groups sessions, appetizers, drink specials, local vendors and more. Admission is only a $1 donation which will go towards their CBRW Charity Event. The event will begin at 5 p.m. Three Spirit Brewery is located at 5046 Old Pineville Rd.
Need a release with some hot music? Head on down to the Morehead Tavern and join the Deep House Providers as they present the October jump off of RELEASE! Classic & Soulful House Party! The fearless foursome (DJs Gary “Jackmaster” Wallace, Marcus Wade, Badala B, Tony Cutlass) are back to send your soul into the stratosphere with all of the best mixes of Soulful House, Deep House, Funk and Downtempo joints. Also, get ready to feel the heat from special guests DJ Speedtopia and DJ Kneeka on the 1s and 2s. Finally, this is a special night because you and the crew will be celebrating the birthdays of DHP member Badala B and longtime musical and cultural goddess, Brooklyn’s own, the sexy Stacie Smith! Admission is $10 all night long. The party starts at 9 p.m. Morehead Tavern is located at 300 E. Morehead St. in Uptown.
After you’ve finished all of your dancing, get ready for more the musical flyness finale as Art Of Cool Charlotte proudly hosts the Grammy Award-winning Robert Glasper Experiment this evening at The Neighborhood Theater! The name “experimental” may be exhibited in the band’s title, but classically-trained pianist Robert Glasper and his sound machine has mastered jazz, soul and fusion stylings in ways that is totally spellbinding! If you have never seen this band of Brothers perform before, you are definitely missing out on some true musical delight! Joining them this evening will be the infectious and eclectic musical stylings of Dynamo and Kenneth Whalum. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1560415?utm_source=fbTfly&utm_medium=ampOfficialEvent. Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 8 p.m. The Neighborhood Theater is located at 511 E. 36th St. in the NoDa District.
——-SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8——-
TMB Marketing Firm invites you out to ROC’s Jazz Bar this morning for a event entitled, “Chocolate For A Cure Brunch.” Come out with your friends and enjoy a delicious brunch menu, included with live jazz, local vendors, mimosas, gift bags, breast cancer awareness and of course, chocolate! Tickets purchases and donations can be made here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/chocolate-for-a-cure-brunch-edition-tickets-37957890071. The event will begin at 11 a.m. ROC’s Jazz Bar is located at 1000 NC Music Factory Blvd.
Join yoga enthusiasts, hairstylists and wonder women Kelley Carboni-Woods and Tinesha Matthews at The McColl Center for Art + Innovation this morning as they host “The Get Well Podcast Brunch Experience!” As friends and business partners for a multitude of years, these two beauties have jointed on a new venture into the world of podcasting presenting a new and organic brand of virtual therapy. They seek to fill a void addressing the needs of self-care and wellness for people of color. Join them along with a delectable mix of foods, libations, music and community discussion. Music will be provided by Harvey Cummings. Ticketsc can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-get-well-podcast-brunch-experience-tickets-38106983012. The event will begin at 11 a.m. The McColl Center is located at 721 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.
This afternoon, join Mr. Felix Curtis for another culturally cinematic afternoon with Classic Black Cinema Series! Today’s feature film is the 1926 film, “The Flying Ace.” This film features a veteran World War I fighter pilot who returns home a war hero and immediately regains his former job as a railroad company detective. His first case requires him to recover a stolen satchel filled with $25,000 of company payroll, locate a missing employee and capture a gang of railroad thieves. The film viewing is free with museum admission. 2 p.m. 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #CBCS
If you love music like I love music, spin yourselves over to Tip Top Daily Market for another rotation of the Diggers Delight Pop-Up Record Swap! Whether you’re fiending for some Funk, Jazz, Soul or some totally outer-worldly sonic frequencies, local cultural enthusiasts and activists Flock & UNTAMD are ready to rock the spot and deal out some dynamite dopeness! Also, be sure to check out the crates from Premium Sound with more musical madness for your minds and grab a bite to eat from a fresh batch of Pepperbox Doughnuts. Admission is FREE to attend and the event starts at 2 p.m. Tip Top Daily Market is located at 2902 The Plaza Rd. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
This afternoon, everyone head over to Friendship Missionary Baptist Church for the final session of the Civics 101: A Roadmap to Voter Empowerment Course. For several weeks, there have been lectures, lessons and films with several dignitaries in Charlotte giving you an insight to politics, law and other legislative elements which shape our society. This afternoon, join Professor Marcus Bass of UNC Wilmington as he hosts the final community discussion entitled, “Now Is the Time for Action (Modeling What You Have Learned).” Admission is FREE and the event will begin at 3:30 p.m. Friendship Missionary Baptist Church is located at 3400 Beatties Ford Rd.
——-MONDAY, OCTOBER 9——-
It’s a new season and local poet and cultural activist Jah Smalls invites you out Petra’s for the Squad Up Slam Team Building Slam! Get your words in order and ready to rhyme it out in a few rounds to see who will make the slam team for the new season! All poets will compete for a grand cash prize at the end of the night—winner takes all. There will be three rounds of competition with eliminations in each round. The final four poets will advance to the last round and compete for the prize winnings. Admission is $10 for the poets and $5 for general admission. Doors open at 7, the slam drawing will be at 7:20 p.m. and the event will begin at 8 p.m. Petra’s is located at 1919 Commonwealth Ave. in the Plaza-Midwood District. #SayWord
Ladies, grab your high heels and get ready to sweat as the radiant and ravishing Dina Badawy invites you out to MoveStudio Charlotte for the CLT Hip Hop in High Heels dance class! Whether you are an experienced dancer or just like to strut around town in confidence, Dina, who is also a local dancer and choreographer will show you some basic exercise and dance moves in your heels. Remember to bring a cute and comfortable pair of heels and some water. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.skillpop.com/classes/1005. The class begins at 8 p.m. MoveStudio Charlotte is located at 1111 Hawthorne Ln. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
COMING SOON…
10/13 – 10/15 – 2017 Breakin’ Convention CLT
10/14 – UNC Charlotte International Festival
10/15 – Open Streets 704
10/16 – 10/22 – Charlotte Black Restaurant Week
10/21 – Off The Wall: ATCQ/Native Tongues Posse Tribute Vol. 5
10/25 – Community Building Initiative: #OnTheTable
10/28 – 2017 Queen City Arts & Crafts Expo
10/29 – “Nights Like This” Masquerade Adult Prom
Everyone be sure to be active, be supportive, be peaceful and be kind to your neighbors this weekend! Love and light to you all!
Live. Laugh. Love. Learn. Listen. Give.
#WeekendWarrior #TheBlackFerrisBueller #CommunityFirst