By Shawn D. Allison, II
Habari Gani Brothers and Sisters! Happy Kwanzaa to you all! Well, here we are—the last Rundown of 2018 and what a journey it has been! It’s been an honor and a privilege giving you all, the community, all the goods, deets and beats pulsating through these Queen City streets! I’ve got a lot to do this weekend to get my lax fixes of fun in for the history books, but if you want to know what the real moves to make, take a look at my Hot List just below, you dig?
- THURSDAY – MONDAY – Citywide Kwanzaa 2018 Celebrations
- THURSDAY – Meet The Director feat. Milik Kashad at Dupp & Swat
- THURSDAY – SUNDAY – Hip Hop Nutcracker
- FRIDAY – Friday Flow at The Legacy Center
- FRIDAY – Twerk & Whine Game Night at Recess CLT
- SATURDAY – Kwanzaa Celebration at The Gantt Center
- SATURDAY – The Art of Easing at Tip Top Daily Market
- SATURDAY – Dapper Street Productions presents Holiday Jazz & Soul feat. Gena Chambers
- SATURDAY – ORBIT at Snug Harbor
- SATURDAY – R&B vs. HIP HOP at Stats Restaurant & Bar
- SATURDAY – JUSTICE 4 ALL – “A Soulful Dance Experience” at Crown Station
- SUNDAY – Jerk Chicken N’ Waffles Sunday Brunch
- SUNDAY – The Sol Kitchen presents The Midnight Hour Tour feat Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge
- MONDAY — New Year’s Eve Coin Jam 3 at Abari Game Bar
- MONDAY — Welcome 2019: A New Year’s Eve Experience
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, DECEMBER 27——-
Come and sweat off the holiday stress and calories as Create Your Own Fitness, LLC invites you out to The DYF Close Out Workshop this evening! 2018 has been an exciting year for UCD with quite a few DYF events under our belt such as Sweet Heat, It’s a Dance Jam and Urban Kardio Dance Mash Up. 2019 will be no different. Hosted by your favorite fitness pro, C’Yo Brown, The DYF Close Out Workshop includes a 60 minute workout as well as a few announcements about exiting things happening in 2019. Don’t miss this! Admission is FREE but donations will be accepted. The event will begin at 7 p.m. at NoDa @ 28th Creative Arts Studios. 2424 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
This evening, treat yourselves to some visual reality at Dupp & Swat as they present Meet The Director with Milik Kashad! Award-Winning Filmmaker and Photographer Milik Kashad will host a screening of his film, “Challenging The Call.” This multi-award-winning documentary follows his journey on the search for self-worth and esteem, while redefining what it means to be an “athlete.” The screening will be followed by a Q&A. Admission is FREE to attend but donations can be made here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/dupp-and-swat-presents-meet-the-director-with-milik-kashad-tickets-53264749299. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. Dupp & Swat is located at 1824 Statesville Rd.
Come and experience a moment in shining time as Grannae’s Boyz invites you out to Apostrophe Lounge for The Spotlight this evening! Join host and acclaimed poet Jah Smalls for a great opportunity to scope out one of the city’s hottest poets and visual artists in an evening the poses to be a venture into the creative unknown opening your senses to new plateaus of creativity. Admission is FREE. The event will begin at 8 p.m. Apostrophe Lounge is located at 1440 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #SayWord
——-FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28——-
Still got a little bit of Christmas spirit in you? I’ve got just the thing for you! Everyone head out to the Knight Theater for a special remix of a Christmas staple–“The Hip-Hop Nutcracker!” The classic Tchaikovsky tale merged with some elements of hip hop culture takes stage with several dozen all-star dancers, DJ and violinist. Digital scenery transforms this timeless story of sugarplums into 1980s Brooklyn. The Hip Hop Nutcracker celebrates love, community and the magic of New Year’s Eve. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.blumenthalarts.org/events/detail/hip-hop-nutcracker-2. There will be five shows this weekend and they’re listed on the listed link as well. Tonight’s show begins at 7 p.m. The Knight Theater is located at 430 S. Tryon St. in Uptown.
On the third day of Kwanzaa, “Ujima”, the theme and principle for this day is “Collective Work & Responsibility”— “To build and maintain our community together and to make our Brother’s & Sister’s problems, our problems and to solve them together.” Kwanzaa Charlotte invites you out to Our Lady of Consolation Catholic Church this evening for another glorious evening of knowledge and exploration of the subjected principle and celebration of our people. The African marketplace will open at 6 and the event will begin at 7 p.m. The church is located at 2301 Statesville Ave. in the Double Oaks Community.
Get your taste buds ready and head down to Red Clay Ciderworks for a special Pie & Cider Pairing Social this evening! Red Clay Ciderworks is teaming up with A Smart Cookie to bring you an event that’s sure to satisfy your palate! Cider maker Jay Bradish and Baking Scientist Monica Nye, PhD, will walk you through four different pairings, each with their own unique flair. This is a casual, non-seated event, but space is limited, so don’t wait to purchase your ticket! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pie-cider-pairing-tickets-53100868126. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. Red Clay Ciderworks is located at 245 Clanton Rd. in Historic South End.
Back by popular demand, Gina Robinson stars in her musical production “Almost Broadway!” this weekend! Join Gina and her cast and sing along as she revisits her musical journey to discover the origins of her love for Broadway. Performing 30 plus songs back to back from some of Broadways’ greatest musicals, the cast will take you on a musical journey with songs from “Hamilton,” “The Sound of Music,” “Motown: The Musical,” “West Side Story,” “Jersey Boys”, “Waitress,” “Chicago,” “Momma Mia” and so many more! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.blumenthalarts.org/events-performances/coming-performances/detail/almost-broadway-2. There will be two performances this weekend: Friday (12/28) and Saturday (12/29) at 8 p.m. at the Duke Energy Theater at Spirit Square. 345 N. College St. in Uptown.
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 comedians J-Bliss and Meech Dawg! Then, be sure to stick around as DJ 06 burns of 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-53442538070. 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.
Step into a world where words waft across the landscape of your minds and willfully warp you through the essence of creativity at one of the QC’s newest cool outs – Friday Flow! Join the scintillating siren of stanzas, the one-n-only Kia Flow for an evening of rhymes, sounds and frequencies designated to help you flow into the weekend. This total art open mic showcase will feature a colorful cornucopia of creative voices from Fayetteville featuring the beautiful Dash, Ashlee and ProsperiSoul! Then, be sure to stick around for a round of classic R&B, Soul and Hip Hop grooves & jams from DJ Franchyze. Admission is only $5 per person — yes, only $5! Cop your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/friday-flow-tickets-51941999920. The jump off is at 9 p.m. at The Legacy Center. 4217 South Blvd.
OutenLove Events, Mr. 305 Events and High Society CLT is ready to turn up the heat this Friday with Twerk & Whine Game Night! Bring all of your crew out to Recess CLT for an evening full of nonstop partying with some “fiyah” Reggae, Soca, Hip Hop and Dancehall tunes provided by my man DJ Heff! Hookah, games and cocktail specials will be in effect all night long. RSVP’s can be made here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/twerk-whine-game-night-tickets-54095437911. The party starts at 10 p.m. Recess CLT is located at 832 Seigle Ave. in the Belmont Neighborhood.
——-SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29——-
Brothers and Sisters, get ready for a day of multisensory flavor as The Gantt Center invites you out to their Kwanzaa Celebration! Come out and experience some creative hands-on arts & crafts activities, witness live African dance performances, get engaged in community conversations as you celebrate the principles of Kwanzaa, shop from local vendors, sample Black-owned and locally-made sweets, partake in a special yoga session, tour the museum’s art exhibitions and much more! Admission is FREE and all ages are welcome. The festivities begin at 10 a.m. The Gantt Center is located at 551 S. Tryon St. In Uptown.
Moxie Society is back to add some more spice to your Saturday presenting the I Still Love The 90’s Brunch & Day Party! 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 the DJ Shaun Nyce aka “The Blend King!” 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. #MoxieSociety
This afternoon, bring the entire family out to Piedmont Middle School as the Kemetic Science Institute proudly presents their “Save the Babies” Lecture Series feat. Dr. Llaila Afrika. This lecture will allow all involved to discover what personal changes they can make to heal themselves and make the proper adjustments for the children of our future not to repeat our mistakes. Whether it is the food we eat, the way we educate, the vaccines/medications we ingest. Dr. Afrika along with guest speakers Adrian Sundiata, Maarifa Ukweli and Deryl Williams will provide realistic solutions for how to actively improve our wellbeing & the lives of our children. There will be a kids zone with arts & crafts activities, games, face painting, vendors and more. Tickets can be purchased here: https://kemeticscienceinstitute.com/collections/dr-llaila-afrika-lecture/products/dr-llaila-afrika-regular-admission. The event will begin at 2 p.m. Piedmont Middle School is located at 1241 E. 10th St. in the Belmont Neighborhood.
If you want to experience some heat in this chilly weather, head over to Tip Top Daily Market and plug yourselves into The Art of Easing! Join my good brothers ½ of Diggers Delight, Cairo Black and honorary birthday man 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 2 p.m. Tip Top Daily Market is located at 2902 The Plaza Rd. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
Dapper Street Productions is still determined to make spirits bright in this festive time of year presenting Holiday Jazz & Soul this afternoon! For today’s feature, come and relax as you enjoy the soothing velvet vocals of the vivacious Gena Chambers! Boasting power and grace, Ms. Chambers is able to intertwine a variety of styles and deliver a phenomenal performance every time she sets foot on stage! You don’t want to miss this! Admission is FREE to attend. The event will begin at 2 p.m. at the Char-Meck Hickory Grove Library Branch. 5935 Hickory Grove Rd.
Want to learn how to get your entrepreneurial juices flowing, join Sport E. Odie as he hosts The Art Of Entrepreneurship seminar this afternoon! This class gives an inside look at all the lessons Sport E. Odie learned the hard way, both good and bad. You’ll gain insight on creating a strategy, setting and completing short/long-term goals, branding, building an effective team, marketing and much more. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-art-of-entrepreneurship-tickets-53428182131. The event will begin at 2 p.m. The address of the venue is 5551 Monroe Rd.
Catch some classic Hip Hop flavor at Press Box and join Powered By GME for the Sadat X + OG Mike B Capricorn Birthday Bash this evening! It’s all things Golden Era as one Hip Hop’s most underrated MCs, Sadat X along with his brothers in rhyme, Brand Nubian and OG Mike B rock the stage performing all of their biggest hits, solo projects and more! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/sadat-x-og-mike-b-capricorn-birthday-bash-w-brand-nubian-performing-live-tickets-53144766427. The event will begin at 9 p.m. Press Box is located at 9609 N. Tryon St. in the University Area.
2019 is near and now it’s time to relax and celebrate as Jazz N’ Soul Music proudly presents A Year End Celebration feat. 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. And be sure to stick around as Charlotte staple DJ Stacey Blackman rocks the house on the 1s and 2s! 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.
Floyd Hodge, Mr. 305 Entertainment & OutenLove Events invites you to Stats Restaurant & Bar for a medley unlike any other as they proudly present, R&B vs. HIP HOP! This menagerie of music will feature the battle between the melodies of timeless and contemporary R&B tracks matched up against the hard-hittting street flavor of your favorite Hip Hop joints! DJ Shaun Nyce aka The Blend King and DJ C-Rob will be piloting this unforgettable night blending and mixing all the musical magic with some sonic surprises in between! This joint will be hosted by Big Mike Saunders. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/r-b-versus-hip-hop-tickets-53088518187. The party starts at 9 p.m. Stats is located at 3425 David Cox Rd. in the University Area.
It’s time to let yourselves loose, be free and join Funk-Shun as they take you on a cosmic ride with another spaced-out installment of ORBIT this evening! Dance the night away as a slew of Charlotte’s hottest underground mood setters provide all sorts of sonic juice from R&B, House, Funk and Disco for you to enjoy! Sound selectors include my brothers DJ Steel Wheel, Shaanti, Swan Tsu Mega, Oba Amitabha, Sweetestcape and the O.G. Vonfunkhauser droppin’ off some sho’ nuff goodness fo’ yo’ soul! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/o-r-b-i-t-with-vonfunkhauser-tickets-53687964146. Admission is $5 at the door. Blast off will begin at 9 p.m. at Snug Harbor. 1220 Gordon St. in the Plaza-Midwood District.
For your Saturday night steeze, Radio Rehab Carolinas and The Sol Kitchen invites you to please bring your faces and feet down to Crown Station and lift your hands in this musical altar call entitled “JUSTICE 4 ALL”! Gather your crew, colleagues, comrades, compadres, companions and older cousins and get ready for a night of conceptual dance designed to break the confines of seclusion and embrace the community of a multicultural camaraderie! Join my good friends and some of the QC’s best kept secrets Soul Brother DJ Justice, Jackmaster Gary Wallace and DJ That Guy Smitty as they gives a sermon in Soul music ranging in multiple flavors, flows and frequencies patterned with their trademarked and specially-crafted spins taking your mind, body and soul far beyond the reaches of your imagination and will transport you into a kaleidoscope of euphoria leaving you not speechless, but feeling free! Grab your tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/justice-4-all-a-soulful-dance-experience-tickets-53399486301. The get down starts promptly at 9 p.m. Crown Station is located at 3629 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District. #RadioRehabCarolinas #TheSolKitchen
——-SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30——-
Everyone, gather your crew and come experience some tropical heat in this cold weather as The Culture Cooperative is back in action one mo’ gin for the Jerk Chicken N’ Waffles Sunday Brunch – The 2018 Finale! Join sound masters The Dynamic DJ Kato and the gorgeous DJ Pahri as they spin an eclectic blend of House, Afrobeats, Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, Hip Hop, R&B and much more! There will be lots of delicious items on the new and updated menu, a fully stocked bar and a few surprise giveaways added to the mix! Please be sure to RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/jerk-chicken-n-waffles-sunday-brunch-the-2018-finale-tickets-53883191075. The celebration starts at 11 a.m. Mangos is located at 3112 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District. #WelcomeToTheTribe
When two of Hip-Hop’s most accomplished composers get together to make an album you know the results are going to be special. Tonight, join The Sol Kitchen as they proudly present The Midnight Hour Tour feat Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Adrian Younge! Ali Shaheed Muhammed (of A Tribe Called Quest) & Adrian Younge began their work together in 2013 on the critically acclaimed Souls of Mischief album There Is Only Now and their partnership cemented on their score work for Marvel’s Luke Cage. The Midnight Hour is Black excellence: an ode to the cultural sophistication that the Harlem Renaissance established for its people. Featuring a tight rhythm section and a full orchestra, it’s a sonic experience unlike any other! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1807088. There will be two shows at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Both shows will be held at The Evening Muse. 3227 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
End your weekend on a soulful note and join BRAVE Entertainment as they proudly present THE SESSION feat. Tweet this evening! This Sunday cool-down will bring the heat as the stage will be set on fire with opening acts and hometown heroes, The Queens’ Guard, To Be, Quentin Talley, DJ Fannie Mae and much more! Then be sure to stick around as the gorgeous multi-award-winning Tweet gives a live performance! You don’t want to miss this! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-session-tickets-53231142781. The event will begin at 8 p.m. at Heist Brewery. 2909 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
——-MONDAY, 12/31——-
If you want to bring in 2019 in a different way, head down to Abari Game Bar for New Year’s Eve Coin Jam 3! Enjoy Charlotte’s best arcade with your friends as you ring in the new year playing your favorite games from your youth, enjoy some fly grooves from DJ Blood Diamond, partake in a champagne toast at midnight, swag bag giveaways and much more! Admission is FREE with membership and only $1 to join the membership club. The party starts at 8 p.m. Abari Game Bar is located at 1721 N. Davidson St. in the NoDa District.
The good people of SociaLight and Platinum Plus Recording are proud to present to you Welcome 2019: A New Year’s Eve Experience! Ring in a new year with some hot tunes provided by DJ Unspok3n and a special guest lineup of national recording artists who have recorded at Platinum Plus Recording. The hosting venue will provide drink specials, hookah, food from J. Capri Gourmet and specially-priced champagne bottles. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/platinum-plus-recording-presentsthe-new-years-eve-experience-tickets-53222808854 or call Raenae at (704)-953-7087 for further details. The event will begin at 9 p.m. at Apostrophe Lounge is located at 1440 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #SociaLight
Head over to Bakadi Lounge and get ready for some tropical flavor at the 3rd Annual NYE Party! Live it up Mama Africa style as three guest DJs rock into 2019 with a super mix of Reggae, Dancehall, Soca, House, Afrobeats, R&B, Hip Hop and much more! Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/new-years-eve-party-tickets-53520498251. The party starts at 9:30 p.m. Bakadi Lounge is located at 4205 Monroe Rd.
The creative forces of Moxie Society, Eddietainment and NxLevel Charlotte team up to bring you “FOREVER YOUNG – NYE 2K19!” Bring your crew down in your grown and mature attire and get down DJ Freedom and DJ Buttafingaz bringing you the best grooves from multiple eras! There will also be complimentary gourmet pizzas for VIP guests and a champagne toast for everyone at midnight. Tickets can be purchased here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/-forever-young-new-years-eve-vapiano-uptown-mon-dec-31-1030p-tickets-53039238791. The event kicks off at 10 p.m. at Vapiano Charlotte. 201 S. Tryon St. in Uptown. #MoxieSociety #Eddietainment #NxLevelLifestyle
COMING SOON…
1/3 – HOUSE WORK 010
1/4 – Blow Your Head – For the 19’ & Beyond
1/4 – The Artist Activist Project
1/5 – Family First Workshop: Digital & Traditional Comic Book Creation
1/5 – Off The Wall: Best of the 80s V.16
1/7 – The Kid Chef In Training
1/7 – Revolt Comedy Show #3
1/12 – Nice & Smooth Performing LIVE
1/13 – Social Justice Ministry Lecture feat. Rev. Dr. William Barber
1/13 – Classic Black Cinema Series screening of “Odds Against Tomorrow”
1/19 — Upper Room Outreach 2019 Vision Board Party
1/21 – Gantt Center MLK Day Celebration
1/31-2/9 – BNS Productions’ presents August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running”
On behalf of the PRIDE Magazine staff, I wish you all a very happy and prosperous 2018! May The Lord continue to bless you all with great riches, health and peace.
Live. Laugh. Love. Learn. Listen. Give.
#WeekendWarrior #TheBlackFerrisBueller #EarsToDaSkreets #CommunityFirst