By Shawn D. Allison, II
Greetings Brothers and Sisters! I hope you all have had a wonderful week. But here we are, free at last – until Monday, at least. There’s lots
to do this weekend and as a special surprise, yours truly, The Black Ferris Bueller will be rockin’ the turntables this Sunday at Tip Top Daily Market! But before I hit you with some fly mixes, check out all the other hotness brewing up in the QC this weekend on my Hot List!
- THURSDAY – Play MARSports Co-Ed Kickball Summer 2019 Kickoff
- FRIDAY – Black Food Truck Friday Summer Music Tour at Recess Charlotte
- FRIDAY — BlaQue Folx Chill at Soul Liberation Holistic Wellness
- FRIDAY – Radio Rehab Carolinas and We Are Stereotypez presents HELLA COLLAB at Crown Station
- SATURDAY – CineOdyssey Film Festival Screening Social
- SATURDAY – Charlotte Caribbean Carinval
- SATURDAY – Carolina Style Hip Hop Fest
- SATURDAY — 3rd Annual East Side Block Music Festival
- SATURDAY – Radio Rehab Carolinas presents Justice 4 All at Crown Station
- SUNDAY – Scrambled Eggs w/ The Black Ferris Bueller & Cairo Black at Tip Top Daily Market
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 27——-
Sit back and enjoy an artistic vibe for a special Thursday evening coolout, Mosaic Live presents Bars & Beats! Join your lovely host, writer and poet Tiffany Brown as she curates this wondrous showcase of open mic talents adding an element of eclectic ease for your senses this evening. Whether you’re a visual artist, poet, vocalist, instrumentalist, drummer or whatever creative art that is within your soul, come and showcase it to the world! Also, be sure to stick around for a touch of sonic assurance and soulful adjusting from Guardians of the Groove performing LIVE! Admission is FREE to attend. Open mic sign up and the event will begin at 6 p.m. at Toucan Louie’s. 2753 Rozzelle’s Ferry Rd.
Join local giving circle, the New Generation of African American Philanthropists for a special dialogue this evening entitled “Just Community: A Decolonizing Wealth Conversation.” This local initiative is proud to join with Bank of America and YMCA of Greater Charlotte in bringing Edgar Villanueva, a North Carolina Lumbee Indian, to his home state and Charlotte to discuss his new book. Edgar Villanueva comes at a time when Charlotte—a city that emerged from Native American trading paths—has just marked its 250th anniversary and as our nation has begun to commemorate 400 years of documented Black life in America. In the book “Decolonizing Wealth: Indigenous Wisdom to Heal Divides and Restore Balance,” Edgar Villanueva weaves a provocative analysis of the dysfunctional racial and colonial dynamics at play in philanthropy and finance. Using his own personal experiences as a Native American grantmaker and foundation executive, he offers a prescription for restoring balance and healing our divides using the guidance of indigenous wisdom. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/just-community-decolonizing-wealth-conversation-w-author-edgar-villanueva-tickets-62263343336. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at One Bank of America. 150 N. College St. in Uptown.
Brothers & Sisters, get in shape and get active this Summer as Play MARSports invites you out for Swag N Turf-Coed Kickball and Swag N Turf-Women’s Kickball! Get in the game and enjoy some healthy competition as you relive a childhood classic with a variety of skilled, fun players in a league that promotes positivity as well as hi-octane action! If interested, please shoot an email to: info@playmarsports.com or visit http://www.playmarsports.com. If you want to play, please pay here: https://tshq.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx…. All games and activities will begin at 7:45 p.m. at OrthoCarolina Sportsplex. 13301 Dorman Rd. in Pineville.
——FRIDAY, JUNE 28——-
This weekend, head down to The Gantt Center for The Critical Consciousness Development Institute (CCDI). This program is a two-day intensive designed to introduce educators to foundational understandings of systemic racism, structural inequality, and broader social issues. Through facilitated activity, group dialogue, deep reflection, participants will co-investigate the socio-political context of education and think critically about how to utilize education as a practice of freedom. L ed by award-winning teacher and educational consultant James E. Ford of Filling the Gap Educational Consultants, LLC, in partnership with the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture, this workshop will be done in conjunction with the Gantt Center’s Initiative for Equity + Innovation. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-critical-consciousness-development-institute-ccdi-tickets-61356471859. The event will begin at 9 a.m. on both days. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
Bring your entire tribe down to The Gantt Center this afternoon for a very special creative arts workshop! Come and be part of the Fine Art Fridays Family-Friendly Workshops! You’ll get to explore the use of textiles in Black contemporary art from America and beyond in these family-friendly settings. Please be sure to purchase your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fine-art-fridays-textiles-family-friendly-workshops-tickets-61945943986. The sessions will begin at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
Put some funk in your Friday and head down to Recess Charlotte as Black Business Owners of Charlotte kicks off Summer 2019 with the Summer Music Tour Black Food Truck Fridays! Get ready for some more community fun as you bring all your friends and family out for an evening of community while you dine from some of the city’s finest and most delicious Chocolate culinary chariots! Also, be sure to scoop up some cool fashions and trinkets from local vendors, enter in raffles to win cool prizes and get down on the good foot to the sounds of DJ Steel Wheel with a special DC Go-Go, House Mix! Admission is FREE and the event will begin at 5 p.m. Recess Charlotte is located at 832 Seigle Ave. in the Belmont Neighborhood.
In this day of ever-changing identities, it’s important that we find common ground within ourselves but we are open to acceptance of others as well. For this Friday night, join Soul Liberation Holistic Wellness for a special cool-down mixer entitled BlaQue Folx Chill! This event is designed to be a safe space for Black LGBTQ “folx” to connect in conversation and community. It serves as an opportunity to break away from the upright world and bask in their Black queerness in a chill atmosphere of soft illumination, soothing aromatics and lo-fi Hip Hop. Admission is $10 per person. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. Soul Liberation Holistic Wellness is located at 4822 Albemarle Rd..
Get a taste of Mama Africa and join Hope for All Charlotte as they host the Congo Festival 2019 Welcome Party! Come and celebrate Congolese Independence Day with an authentic African fashion and hair show, live traditional Congolese music, food, culture and more! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/congo-festival-2019-welcome-pa…. The party starts at 8:30 p.m. The address of the event is 6581 Albemarle Rd.
Get your laugh on this evening as the Queen City Omegas present another hilarious round of Comedy Night! Bring your friends out and get ready for some side-splitting humor from headliner Meech Dog and funnyman Slow Ya Roll! Then, be sure to stick around as DJ 06 burns up the speakers with a hot mix of Hip Hop and R&B tunes. The host for the evening is Brother Tito. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queen-city-comedy-night-live-ft-comedians-meech-dog-and-slow-ya-roll-tickets-63103941588. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. The Omegas of Charlotte Fraternity House is located at 3301 Statesville Ave.
The coolest crew known as Radio Rehab Carolinas is back one mo’ gin in conjunction with our family We Are Stereotypez presenting another episode of the city’s hottest Hip Hop jam & networking session, Sounds N’ Sixteens presents HELLA COLLAB! Step into the zone and gear your ears to the stage as a collective of the QC’s hottest up-and-coming producers, MCs, beatsmiths and musicians collaborate in an evening of pure, unfiltered Hip Hop energy! Talents include: Lyric, Indigo JO, Reezie Roc, Master Kie and Gu$. Music will be provided by The Mighty DJ DR and will be hosted by Earl Grey and DJ SPK. Admission is $5 per person. The jump off is at 10 p.m. at Crown Station. 3629 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
——-SATURDAY, JUNE 29——-
Calling all fellow film buffs — head down to Camp North End for a special screening social presented by the CineOdyssey Film Festival! This is your chance to view some award-winning films that were featured in last year’s festival. Also, you’ll have a chance to get some insight for the upcoming 3rd Annual CineOdyssey Film Festival in about three weeks! Admission is $FREE.99 and the event will begin at 1 p.m. Camp North End is located at 1824 Statesville Ave.
Experience some West Indian flavor at the Charlotte Caribbean Carnival this afternoon! This festival will feature local artists, drummers, dancers and steel pan players. Attendees and onlookers will also enjoy a street parade featuring the best of Carnival inspired fashions, entertainment and arts, as well as witness the crowning of Charlotte’s first Carnival Queen. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/charlotte-caribbean-carnival-tickets-51819791391. The festivities will begin at 2 p.m. at 5741 Central Ave.
Queen City Hip Hop is on the rise and this afternoon, join Pabst Sound Society as they proudly present Carolina Style Hip Hop Fest! Come and celebrate Carolina culture including art, food and entertainment all wrapped into a summertime party in the NoDa Arts District! Permanent Vacation has curated some of their favorite regional Rappers, DJ’s and Artists as a love letter to the Carolinas. Artists include Elevator Jay, Deniro Farrar, Buddy Cuz, Spaceman Jones & The Motherships, 10cellphones, Diamond Miller, Erick Lottary with DJ sets from A-Huf and The Mighty DJ DR. Admission is FREE to attend. The jump off is at 5 p.m.
Bring the entire tribe out to Charlotte’s lower East Side as Dapper Street Productions, Inc. presents the 3rd Annual East Side Block Music Festival! This is a community celebration which will feature local talents, food trucks, merchandise vendors, a health fair, a kids’ zone, exhibitors much more! Your musical entertainment for the afternoon will be The Dapper Street Jazz Band and a few special guests! Admission is FREE to attend. The festival starts at 5 p.m. and will be held at Albemarle Road Rec Center. 5027 Idlewild Road North.
Get ready for a sword-style feast unlike any other as Serving The Culture proudly presents The Wu! Gather your friends and the 36 chambers of your stomach for this special Wu-Tang Clan inspired dinner event featuring a 9 course tasting menu paired with curated craft cocktails. Each course and cocktail inspired by the 9 original members of the Wu or a song from the classic Wu-Tang colllective and solo catalogs! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/serving-the-culture-presentsthe-wu-tickets-62334234373. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at Dupp & Swat located at Camp North End. 1824 Statesville Ave.
This evening, join the beautiful and wondrous Riziki Zafira as she hosts a special Shamanic Tantra Circle Workshop. In this intimate setting, you will learn about the basics of tantric methods and philosophy which will include modalities for multiple arenas of health, wellness and balance. Riziki is a noted, certified and insured instructor with years of practice and experience in Earth sciences and is one who strives to boldy advocate for the oneness of us as a people. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/shamanic-tantra-circle-tickets-62851501533. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at The Shakti Suite. 1200 E. Morehead St. near Uptown.
First 2 First, Ent. Is back with fresh kicks for your Saturday night mix as they invite you out for a special edition of Turntablist Saturdays – DJ Shakim Born Day Bash! Get into the zone and make yourselves at home as Superfriends/New Edition/BBD/RBRM official tour DJ Shakim rocks the house for another revolution around the sun! If you’ve never seen him spin before, get ready to be totally wowed as he pulls out a special bag of tricks, blends, mixes and much more musical flyness! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dj-shakim-birthday-bash-tickets-62408846540. The party starts at 9 p.m. at Press Box Bar & Grill. 9609 N. Tryon St. in the University Area.
For your Summertime steeze, gather your crew, comrades and cousins and get ready to turn up the heat with a special night of music that’ll give you the need to dance for joy and have a ball inside another special episode of Justice 4 All! Join your hosts, the coolest crew Radio Rehab Carolinas as we get down with the flyness in this night of exotic, enriching and mind-freeing musicality and dance guaranteed to take you away from the contemporary and into the world of extraordinary rhythm, culture and unity. And for your journey through sound, come and get down with QC’s best kept secret Soul Brother DJ Justice as he delivers the messages of the messengers in the form of Soul, House, Deep House, The Funk, Boogie, R&B, Rare Grooves, Garage, B-Sides, Album Cuts, Remixes and much more that’ll be sure to take you away! Admission is FREE before 11 p.m. with RSVP at http://www.J4all3.eventbrite.com. The get down starts at 10pm at Crown Station. 3629 N. Davidson St.
——-SUNDAY, JUNE 30——-
This afternoon, slide out to Tip Top Daily Market for a special sonic brunch entitled Scrambled Eggs! Come and relax as ½ of Diggers Delight, Bro. Cairo Black and yours truly, The Black Ferris Bueller sets the mood with a selection of avant-garde Dub, Reggae, Fusion, Soul and Jazz tunes from their own personal vinyl collections. Also, be sure to grab a tasty mimosa from the bar and be sure to grab some tasty brunch eats from Killer B’s food truck! Admission is FREE and the event will begin at 11 a.m. 2902 The Plaza Rd. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
Charlotte’s fastest growing brunch experience is back for some solstice action as The Culture Cooperative proudly presents Jerk Chicken N Waffles Brunch — Hello Summer 2019, Pt. 2! Join The Dynamic DJ Kato and friends for an afternoon of nonstop Afro-Caribbean flavor featuring the vibrant sounds of Soca, Reggae, House, Soul, Hip Hop, Afrobeats, R&B and much more! The kitchen will also be fired up with all sorts of delicious meal & drink specials. Please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jerk-chicken-n-waffles-brunch-hello-summer-vol2-tickets-63558340708. The jump off is at 11 a.m. at Mango’s Caribbean Restaurant. 3112 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
Bakadi Lounge and Africana Connections invites you to experience some more Afro-Caribbean culture as they proudly present international Afrobeats recording artist Ayo Jay performing LIVE! Ayo Jay is widely considered the first international Afrobeats cross-over artist to play on U.S. radio recently, with millions of streams on Spotify and YouTube. His mega-hit single “Your Number” went viral, posted by stars and influencers all over the world on Instagram, essentially proving Afrobeats is here to stay! The Dynamic DJ Kato and DJ Quee will also lend their talents giving you a special dose of Afro-Caribbean tunes to keep the energy up. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ayo-jay-performing-live-the-afro-caribbean-connection-tickets-63330424003. The party will start at 10 p.m. at Bakadi Lounge. 4205 Monroe Rd.
COMING SOON…
7/2 – Black Charlotte Official Launch Party
7/3 – ORBIT Dance Party
7/5 — Sweet Leaf Map Festival 2019
7/5 – Blow Your Head – July Edition
7/6 — Off the Wall “8 Year Anniversary” Edition
7/7 – Work, Mix & Chill – A Launch Party for the iNCubator
7/12 — King & Queen Social: Vision for Success
7/13 – Van Hunt 15th Anniversary Concert
7/14 – Single Fathers & Homelessness Forum
7/18—7/20 – 3rd Annual CineOdyssey Film Festival
7/20 — Face It: Anatomy & Figure Drawing 2-Day Workshop
Everyone have a wonderful weekend!
Live. Laugh. Love. Learn. Listen. Give.
#WeekendWarrior #TheBlackFerrisBueller #EarsToDaSkreets #CommunityFirst