The Rundown of Things to Do: Thursday, Novemeber 7 – Sunday, November 10

Shawn Allison shares all the places you'll wanna be in the Queen City.

By: Shawn D. Allison, II

What’s the word family? Another week is in the books and another weekend is upon us! Now while it will be noticeably cooler in the QC, I’ve found lots of dope events that are beaming with cultural hotness! I will be busy in the streets of course and if you want to keep up with me, check out what I got lined up on my “Hot List” just below!

 

  • THURSDAY – Dapper Street Productions presents Color of Jazz – Nicci Canada sings Dinah Washington
  • THURSDAY – Liberate Your Palate’s Hands-On Cocktail Class: Fall Flavor
  • FRIDAY–SATURDAY – What The ….. Sammiches? at Seventh Street Public Market
  • FRIDAY – The Art of Easing at Tip Top Daily Market
  • FRIDAY – Charlotte DOES Motown at Heist Brewey & Barrel Arts
  • FRIDAY – PLAYER MADE at Snug Harbor
  • FRIDAY–SATURDAY — Bryan Anderson Project Soul Food Album Release Party
  • SATURDAY — Sol Afri All Things Natural Pop-Up/ International All Things Natural After Party
  • SATURDAY — Cuzzo’s Cuisine’s 3rd Anniversary Block Party
  • SATURDAY — Gospel & Jazz: Coming Together at Little Rock Cultural Center
  • SATURDAY — 2nd Annual Back to the 90s Party
  • SUNDAY — Jerk Chicken N’ Waffles Sunday Brunch — Veterans Day WKND Edition 2019
  • SUNDAY – Classic Black Cinema Series presents “Bright Road” at The Gantt Center

 

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, NOVEMBER 7——–

Dapper Street Productions, Inc. as they invite you out to Color of Jazz – Nicci Canada sings Dinah Washington! Come and experience one of the QC’s most alluring, charming and beautiful chanteuses for an evening of soothing and energetic vocal jazz as she channels a collective of classics from legendary pianist and vocalist Dinah Washington. Do not miss this show! Admission is FREE with RSVP: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/color-of-jazz-nicci-canada-sings-dinah-washington-tickets-67986612789. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Mallard Creek Rec Center. 2530 Johnston Oehler Rd.

Head down to The McColl Center for Art + Innovation for the November edition of their multisensory dialogue series entitled, Stimulus: Space, Place, and Body. Fall 2019 artists-in-residence Anna Garner and Pablo Rasgado and visiting artist Carolina Maki Kitagawa will discuss the use of sculpture as a medium to examine the movement of bodies in private and public space. Their work considers architecture, the presence of other bodies, and signs of power through spatial relations and visual symbols such as police cars or traffic signs. The artists, along with McColl Center visiting curator Laura Ritchie and UNC Charlotte College of Arts and Architecture Director of Galleries Adam Justice, will examine how performative staging and/or interactions with sculptural structures can reorient normative relations to material space, thus questioning ingrained power dynamics and perceptions of control over one’s own or another body. By activating and deactivating inanimate forms, space, place, and the body, each becomes malleable to envision new possibilities. Admission is FREE to attend but please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stimulus-space-place-and-body-tickets-77882499653. The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. The McColl Center is located at 721 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.

Stimulate your taste buds as Liberate Your Palate invites you out to Hands-On Cocktail Class: Fall Flavor this evening! Apples, figs, pears, sage, warming spices and maple syrup are all seasonal ingredients that make great cocktails. In this hands-on class you will learn how to incorporate flavors from the table using harvest ingredients that lead to rich spiced cocktails that are like autumn in a glass. Your ticket will include 3 full-sized cocktails, individual bar stations and a special take home recipe card. Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.liberateyourpalate.com/passbook/fallflavorscocktalclass. The session will begin at 7 p.m. at Bloc CLT. 2400 Park Rd., Suite “A”.

The sound of jazz strolls along this weekend at the all-new Middle C Jazz Club with a special performance from acclaimed trumpeter Matthew Postle! An accomplished and polished hornblower, Dr. Postle currently serves as a full time music instructor at CPCC. His style is vivid and colorful, but always manages to stay true to that classic sound of jazz. If you’ve never heard him before, you are definitely in for a special treat! There will be three performances this weekend: Thursday (11/7), Friday (11/8) and Saturday (11/9) all beginning promptly at 7:15 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here: https://middlecjazz.com/calendar/. Middle C Jazz is located at 300 S. Brevard St. in Uptown.

This weekend, get ready for a multisensory cultural experience unlike any other as Blumenthal Performing Arts proudly presents CONTRA-TIEMPO’s “joyUS justUS”! The Booth Playhouse will be transformed into an immersive 360-degree seating arena as Los Angeles-based dance troupe CONTRA-TIEMPO performs their piece “joyUS justUS.” Fusing Salsa, Afro-Cuban, hip-hop and contemporary dance with theater, compelling text and original music, the company brings physically intense and politically astute experiences to the concert stage. The piece will feature local university dance students as part of a community cast created specifically for the Charlotte Performances. Following each performance, the audience will be invited to participate in a post-show sabor – a community salsa dance party. A local Latin DJ will be spinning music rooted in the Latino & African diasporic soundscape to keep the energy going. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.carolinatix.org/events/detail/contratiempos-joyusjustus. There will be three performances this weekend: Thursday (11/7) at 7:30 p.m., Friday (11/8) and Saturday (11/9) at 8 p.m. The Booth Playhouse is located at 130 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.

This weekend, Three Bone Theatre invites you out for the world premiere of the gritty, raw play Protective Custody PRISONER 34042. Written by Charles LaBorde and based on the memoir of well-known Charlotte Holocaust survivor Dr. Susan Cernyak-Spatz, this intimate piece brings the audience on Susan’s personal experiences as a young woman in Europe during the rise of Nazism and her riveting survival of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camps. A universal story of survival and the strength of the human spirit in the most extreme circumstances, is told beautifully by a two-person cast as they bring Susan’s story to life and reflect on the current rise of antisemitism. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.carolinatix.org/events/detail/protective-custody-prisoner-34042. There will be three performances this weekend: Thursday (11/7), Friday (11/8) and Saturday (11/9) all beginning at 8 p.m. All performance will be held at the Duke Energy Theater at Spirit Square. 345 N. College St. in Uptown.

B-Boys, B-Girls and all true Hip Hop heads come down to Crown Station for another episode of The Jump Off this evening! Gather your crew and comrades and get down on the good foot as DJ A-Huf rocks out on the 1s and 2s giving you the best of Classic Hip Hop, Soul, Breakbeats, Funk, House, R&B and much more! Admission is FREE and the joint starts at 10 p.m. Crown Station is located at 3629 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District. #TheJumpOff

——–FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8——–

This weekend, get a taste of some delicious soul food as What The Fries CLT and The Yolk Uptown have joined recipes to proudly present an all-new interactive feast entitled, What The…..Sammiches? Chefs Jamie Barnes, Gregory Williams and Greg Collier have put their creative rationings to task to bring you a delectable selection of specially-crafted sandwiches paired with fresh-cut seasoned fries, some signature Bread Pudding Tots and lots of other vivacious vittles guaranteed to have your stomach smiling! Please visit: https://www.facebook.com/whatthefriesclt/ for a complete view of the menu. The serving times will be from 5-9 p.m. on Friday 11/8 and from 3-9 p.m. on Saturday, 11/9 at Seventh Street Public Market. 224 E. 7th St. in Uptown.

This weekend, the Chambers-McCain Foundation of Beta Delta Boulé and The Gantt Center have partnered with E&S Gallery to host the two-day National Fine Art Tour (NFAT)!. Fine art collectors and enthusiasts can expect to see more than 100 original and limited edition works of art by Post-Harlem Renaissance master artists Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, and Richard Mayhew along with today’s best-selling contemporary artists like Kevin A. Williams, Woodrow Nash, James Denmark, Twin, Charles Bibbs, and of course, Sherry Shine. There will be an opening reception on Friday (11/8) at 6 p.m. and a special exhibition on Saturday (11/9) beginning at 10 a.m. Tickets for each event can be purchased here: https://www.ganttcenter.org/calendar/. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.

Dapper Street Productions, Inc. wants to take you to the lower register of sound and rhythm as they proudly present Upright – A Tribute to Bass Players! Under the leadership of John Shaughnessy ll, this three month series will highlight bassists such as Ron Carter, Paul Chambers, and Charles Mingus featuring a variety of local talents. Admission is FREE to attend. The event will begin at 6 p.m. at The Hut. 413 Johnston Dr. in Pineville.

If you want to experience some extra coolness on this Friday night, head over to Tip Top Daily Market and plug yourselves into the November session of The Art of Easing! Join my good brothers ½ of Diggers Delight, Cairo Black and DJ Foundacetion as they purvey a bevy of funky frequencies ranging from Jazz to Neo-Soul, Classic Hip Hop, Rare Grooves and more surprises from their own personal vinyl collections! Admission is $FREE.99 and the tables start turning at 8 p.m. Tip Top Daily Market is located at 2902 The Plaza Rd. in the Plaza-Midwood District.

Experience a night of soulful tributes at Heist Brewery & Barrel Arts with Charlotte DOES Motown! This interactive music showcase will feature a variety of Charlotte’s finest musicians who’ll channel the incredible, timeless and legendary catalog of Motown Records! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/charlotte-does-motown-tickets-70163281263. The show will begin promptly at 8 p.m. 1030 Woodward Ave.

Everyone hop in your Chevy, Cadillac or Pontiac and head down to Snug Harbor for the November Southern-fried edition of PLAYER MADE! This is the jam session that celebrates Southern Hip Hop from all eras ranging from The Geto Boys, The Hot Boys, UGK, Nappy Roots, Little Brother, DJ Screw, T.I., The Dungeon Family and a lot more! Your host is local MC/DJ Elevator Jay along with DJs Jaboi B Rab and A-Huf giving you the funk! Admission is FREE for everyone 21+ and $5 for persons 18-20. Doors open at 9 p.m. Snug Harbor is located at 1228 Gordon St. in the Plaza-Midwood District.

Jazz N’ Soul Music is back in action in a new space at Middle C Jazz Club and this weekend they invite you to come out for The Bryan Anderson Project Soul Food Album Release Party! Bryan is a bassist, songwriter, and producer with eight solo projects to his credit. His unique sound of what he calls “groove music” blends smooth jazz, old school funk, Latin rhythms and a taste of island vibes. The bass lines of James Jamerson, Larry Graham, Gary King, and countless others influenced Bryan’s desire to play the bass. A natural entertainer, Bryan pulls you into his live performances. He takes you on a musical journey from high energy funk to laidback grooves and soothing ballads. Tickets for both shows can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bryan-anderson-soul-food-cd-release-party-and-concert-tickets-75243496323https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bryan-anderson-friends-cookin-up-the-groove-soul-food-highly-seasoned-tickets-77059574261. The show for Friday and Saturday will both begin at 9:30 p.m. 300 S. Brevard St. in Uptown.

 

——–SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9——–

This morning, come and celebrate the reason we live to eat as the Charlotte Regional Farmers Market hosts its World Vegan Month Market! Here’s your chance to explore some of the tasty and enriching vegan and vegetarian choices from local vendors. Also, there will be cooks who specialize in meals specifically for plant oriented customers stationed there to serve you with soulful, plant-based smile. The marketplace will open at 8 a.m. 1801 Yorkmont Rd.

Everyone rise, shine and head down to ImaginOn for EpicFest 2019! EpicFest is an extraordinary, FREE literary festival that brings children, teens and families together with authors, illustrators and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library. This year’s festival will feature appearances by award-winning authors and illustrators, activities that encourage a love of reading and learning, a musical performance by Eric Litwin, a teen writing workshop and a Young Adult’s author panel for teens and fans of YA literature. The festival will begin at 10 a.m. ImaginOn is located at 300 E. 7th St. in Uptown.

This afternoon, get your organic shop on Chocolate-style at the Sol Afri All Things Natural Pop-Up! Bring the entire tribe down to First Ward Creative Arts Academy to scope, scour through and scoop some natural and organic health and wellness essentials, home products, healthy eats and drinks, delectable desserts, clothing, jewelry, accessories, original artworks and much more! Please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sol-afri-presents-all-things-natural-tickets-74679553555. The marketplace will open at 12 noon. 715 N. Caldwell St. in Uptown.

Dear Soul Music Co. is ready to strike another chord as they proudly present their newest initiative, The Artist’s Way: Creative Clusters Meet Up Workshop! The ‘Artist’s Way Creative Clusters’ is a 12-week program based off of Julia Cameron’s best-selling book called, “The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity”. The Artist’s Way, originally written in 1992, is an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life. The Creative Clusters serve as a weekly gathering for blocked, aspiring, and emerging creatives of all mediums looking to explore their greatest creative potential and serves as a distillate of forty years of artistic practice. It is an experiential book intended to teach people to process and transform life through acts of creative action, as opposed to through theory. Artists of all creative mediums are welcome. Please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-artists-way-creative-clusters-meet-up-tickets-65277133664.   The event will begin at 1 p.m. at the Steele Creek Library Branch. 13620 Steel Creek Rd.

Get ready for another celebration of soul food this afternoon at Cuzzo’s Cuisine’s 3rd Anniversary Block Party! Come and show your love for one of Charlotte’s finest community culinary establishments with a day of nonstop food, games, music and much more! Admission is FREE and open to the public. The party starts at 1 p.m. Cuzzo’s Cuisine is located at 3418 Tuckaseegee Rd.

Get your taste buds ready this afternoon because it’s time for the 4th Annual CLT S’MACdown Macaroni N’ Cheese Competition & Craft Brew Tasting! Over a dozen and regional craft breweries and culinary institutions will compete in this all-you-can-eat competition filled with fun, fellowship and of course—food! Tickets can be purchased here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/clt-smacdown-mac-n-cheese-craft-beer-tasting-tickets-63308214574. The event begins at 1 p.m. and will be held at CUVC. 2530 Whitehall Park Dr.

This afternoon, class is out of session but a celebration is in order at Earl’s Grocery as they welcome you out to the Mixology with Bob Peters 5-Year Anniversary Party! Bring your 21+ friends and come have fun at this two-hour cocktail party celebrating the educational eclectics of one of Charlotte’s most acclaimed libation engineers, Mr. Bob Peters! Representatives from several top local, national, and international brands will be on hand for you to sample their wares and learn directly about their products in stores and a possible place in your home bar. FREE admission and the party begins at 2 p.m. Earl’s Grocery is located at 1609 Elizabeth Ave. in Uptown.

Experience some more culture and cuisine this weekend as The Discovery Place and Compare Foods invites you out to the Taste of Cuba Fiesta! What better way to celebrate the opening of the new exhibition ¡Cuba! than with a traditional Cuban fiesta? Cuban music and dancing represents the fiesta’s vital role in Cuban culture throughout time. Test your footwork out with some salsa lessons, witness breathtaking performances and even try your hand at a few instruments. The evening’s menu includes elena ruz, panque de jamaica, empanaditas de chorizo, pastelitos de guayaba, a plethora of Cuban desserts, cocktails, Cuban beers and more! Come be part of this festive evening you don’t want to miss out on! Tickets can be purchased here: https://15106a.blackbaudhosting.com/15106a/tickets?tab=2&txobjid=2a52f476-827a-4178-936a-c7b3067922c6&property=property&_ga=2.248303495.1880759244.1573073472-1248648376.1573073472. The party starts at 6 p.m. The Discovery Place is located at 301 N. Tryon St. in Uptown.

Experience some music for the soul this evening as Ancrum Strategic Advisors and SB & J Enterprises proudly presents Gospel & Jazz: Coming Together! Join the alluring violinist Kersten Stevens, sax man Gregory Groover, Jr. and the Lovell Bradford Trio as they take you on a musical journey bridging the creative gap of two our most heralded music flavors, Gospel and Jazz in an intimate and intricate display of musicianship, harmony and spiritual understanding. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gospel-jazz-coming-together-tickets-73747925029. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Little Rock Cultural Center. 400 N. Myers St. in Uptown.

Powered By GME is back for some more action this evening as they invite you out to Press Box Bar & Grill for Second Saturdays – 90s vs. 2000s Edition! Relax with your crew and chill, grab some cocktails to spill and get ready to be thrilled with DJ Eazy Ice and DJ Polo rockin’ the wheels of steel giving you the most legendary Hip Hop, R&B, Neo-Soul and Pop jams of the 90s and early 2000s! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-saturday-90s-vs-2000s-edition-tickets-76858195933. The party starts at 9 p.m. Press Box is located at 9609 N. Tryon St. in the University Area.

Catch some more classic throwback flavor this Saturday night at the 2nd Annual Back to the 90s Party! Grab your crew and come out in your flyest 90s gear as The Blend King DJ Shaun Nyce and DJ C-Rob rocks the spot giving you all of the hottest Hip Hop, R&B, Soul, Go-Go and House jams of one of the most definitive decades of music and culture! Tickets can be purchased here:   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-back-to-the-90s-party-tickets-74899974841. The jam starts at 9 p.m. at Stats Restaurant & Bar. 3425 David Cox Rd. in the University Area.

This Saturday night, get up and jam and lose yourself in a world of music at the Sol Afri International All Things Natural After Party! Join one of the QC’s hottest and most in-demand turntablists, DJ Steel Wheel for an evening of unparalleled tropical essence set to the soundtrack of Afrobeats, Soca, Reggae, Dancehall, House, Latin, Hip Hop, R&B, live drumming and much more! Sol Afri is a celebration of cultural synthesis of all music for all people. It’s more than just a party, it’s a trip around the African Diaspora! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sol-afri-clt-tickets-78210881853. The party starts at 10 p.m. at Apostrophe Lounge. 1440 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.

——–SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10——–

The Culture Cooperative is ready to add a dose of celebratory flavor in your holiday weekend as they invite you out to the Jerk Chicken N’ Waffles Sunday Brunch — Veterans Day WKND Edition 2019! Enjoy this tropical spin on your Sunday brunch as sound crafter, The Dynamic DJ Kato and friends blend a sonic cocktail of Afrobeats, Hip Hop, House, Soca, Reggae, Dancehall and much more! There will be a special Caribbean-inspired brunch menu with delicious mimosas and other drink specials to enhance your experience! Please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jerk-chicken-n-waffles-brunch-veterans-day-weekend-2019-tickets-79330286021. Admission is $5 per person at the door. The brunch will begin at 11 a.m. at Mango’s Caribbean Restaurant. 3112 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.

This afternoon, join Mr. Felix Curtis at The Gantt Center for the November installment of the Classic Black Cinema Series! Today’s feature is the 1953 classic “Bright Road” starring Dorothy Dandridge, Phillip Hepburn, Barbara Ann Sanders and Harry Belafonte. First-time teacher Jane Richards is troubled to learn that one of her students, C.T. Young, has a history of taking two years to complete each grade. Although everyone else has given up on him, Jane resolves to get him through the fourth grade on a normal schedule. Gradually, she makes some headway, only to watch C.T. backslide when a friend and fellow student suddenly dies. However, Jane refuses to give up. The screening is FREE with Gantt Center admission and will begin promptly at 2 p.m. 551 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.

 

 

Need some more House music in your life? Don’t worry, I got you! Bring all your friends and fellow House heads down to Crown Station for the Second Sunday Jam! Join Raw Substance DJs Steve Howerton and Charles Gatling, Mike Brown and Marion Dees as they power the place with a vibrant mix of House grooves ranging from Classic, Soulful, Afro-Latino, Deep and much more! Admission is FREE. 1 p.m. 3629 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.

Get ready for an evening of high-stepping harmonies and hi-octane cultural energy at the HBCU Culture Homecoming Band Showcase! Come cheer on the marching machines of NC A&T, Winston Salem State University, Benedict College, Virginia State, Fort Valley State and Talladega College as they stomp, shout and blare out the baddest marching band arrangements! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www1.ticketmaster.com/hbcu-culture-homecoming-band-showcase/event/2D005731DDEFA485. The showdown starts at 5 p.m. at The BOplex. 2700 E. Independence Blvd.

 

COMING SOON…

11/12—11/17 – Once On This Island

11/4 – VegFest Jr.

11/15 – The Meet Market: Singles Mixer

11/15 – Take One: The Gospel Truth feat. Gabby Moore

11/15 – Science On the Rocks: Sweet Carolina

11/16 – View The Right Thing Film & Discussion Series: Higher Learning

11/16 — Thuggishness: A Celebration of CLT Hip-Hop, Pt. II

11/16 – AfroPop Charlotte Vol. 37

11/19—11/24 – The Play That Goes Wrong

11/21 – JazzArts Charlotte presents The Jazz Room: Andy Page plays Django Reinhardt

11/22—11/23 – JazzArts Charlotte presents The Jazz Room: Vanessa Ferguson sings Nina Simone

11/23 – Media Maven Connect

11/23 – 13th Annual Queen City Awards

11/23 – Jazz N’ Soul Music presents Pieces of a Dream LIVE

11/24 – Hot Stuff Pop-Up Market Holiday Edition

11/29 – Brand Nubian LIVE

11/30 – Radio Rehab Carolinas presents JUSTICE 4 ALL

11/30 – Black Saturday Small Business Saturday

12/6 – An Evening With Kim & Kayla Waters

12/7 – Off The Wall: Wu Tang Forever V.7 feat. The JETA Team

 

“I like the sound of people’s voices, and I think what a man says can very well tell what he’s thinking, whether he’s lying or not.” –Ernest Gaines

 

Have a wonderful weekend family. Peace.

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

 

#WeekendWarrior   #TheBlackFerrisBueller   #EarsToDaSkreets   #CommunityFirst