Weekend Preview: jazz festival, BBQ cook off and comedy shows

This is going to be a great weekend! Great comedy, tasty food and fantastic music. Let's get this party started. See you in the streets. 

Tonight
Progressive Southern Comedy - We’ve been taking a lot of hits lately from comedians outside of the state thanks to HB 2. Tonight Gastonia native Clifton Cash and fellow comedians Tom Simmons and Steward Huff will offer Southern comics perspectives on the South Sick of Stupid Comedy Tour. Don’t expect Honey Boo Boo and Duck Dynasty stuff. These are progressive Southern comedians offering their take on politics and culture. 8 p.m., The Comedy Zone Charlotte, Suite B3 900 N.C. Music Factory Boulevard. $15. Tickets.

Beer Release Party - Be one of the first 50 people to try the limited edition of the Rail Trail brew by Sycamore Brewery and receive a free pint glass at today’s release party. 704 Shop will be there selling Rail Trail tees. 4 p.m. Sycamore Brewing Company, 2161 Hawkins St.



Thursday
Artsy Party - Herb & Felicia Gray's Happy Hour and the Charlotte Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi are teaming up for this edition of PNC Bank Presents Gantt After Dark. Features host Q. Talley, live music by the Harvey Cummings II Project and a DJ. Free with registration. There’s also Paint & Sip with Cathay Dawkins, which features guided painting and wine-tasting for $25. All Art supplies and a complimentary glass of wine are included. Limit 20 people.  Enjoy samples from Wingzza, winner of "Best Food Truck" in Charlotte and if that isn't enough, visit the Dessert Lounge with sweets by Creative Catering. 6 p.m. Gantt Center, 551 South Tryon St.
Parking: Duke Energy garage (101 W. Stonewall Street entrance) or The Green garage (435 S. Tryon Street) to receive special discounted parking.  Details.

Jazz Lovers - This is your weekend with dozens of live jazz events throughout the week ranging from lunch to late night jam sessions. Highlights include tonight’s Charlotte Jazz Festival First Night featuring Sammy Miller and the Congregation with special guest Wynton Marsalis, Friday’s Jazz in the Key of Life featuring Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Orchestra on Friday and a Creole Jazz Brunch on Saturday. Events range from free to ticketed. Various venues uptown. Schedule.

Friday

Happy Birthday - Join the EpiCentre as it celebrates Rooftop 210 Anniversary & Season Opener. VIP Happy Hour 8 p.m. Rooftop 210, 210 E. Trade St.

More Jazz - The monthly edition of New Frequencies returns with Trio Red Space. Charlotte duo Ghost Trees opens.  8 p.m. McColl Center, $10/$12. Details.

Concert Series - Another weekly concert series returns tonight with SouthPark Cocktails & Concerts each Friday featuring live music until May 6.  5 p.m. Piedmont Town Center, 4725 Piedmont Row Drive. Details.

Saturday
‘90s R&B - Need to hear some R&B to set off a romantic night? Don’t miss Jagged Edge.  Hits include “Promise,” “Gotta Be” and “Where the Party At?” They performed to a small, but enthusiastic crowd CIAA weekend, but it was a good show. Food will also be available. 10 p.m. The White House, 4808 Wilkinson Blvd. Details.




Jimmy Buffett Party Bus Events
 Rockhouse

Schedule:
1:00-2:00pm - Check-In (Tyber Creek Pub)
2:00 - Bus Departs for PNC Music Pavilion
7:00 - Concert Starts
*** Bus will depart 30 min. after the show

Elevate

Schedule:
2:00 pm - Meet at Hot Taco, 200 East Bland Street
5:30 pm - Bus leaves for the concert
$20 and fees. Tickets.


I’m Just A Bill - My brother and I always started Saturday mornings with cartoons and “School House Rocks!” I can’t wait, wait, wait for tonight’s "Schoolhouse Rocks Live!" Adult Night No kids allowed for this show. We adults get to join the mosh pit and rock to this childhood favorite. Pre-show reception at 6:30 p.m. with food, beer and wine from Mac’s Speedshop. 7:30 p.m., Children's Theatre of Charlotte, 300 E. 7th Street. $12 and up.

BBQ Competition - The 3rd annual Smoke Off BBQ Competition features 20 amateur teams making yummy food. Teams cook all day. $10 gets you unlimited samples till 5 p.m., which is when the voting begins. There’s also beer and live music. Benefits Purple Heart Homes. 1 p.m., The Unknown Brewing Company, 1327 S Mint St. Details.

Sunday
Righteous Comedy - Activist and comedian Dick Gregory unleashes his insight and wit on politics, pop culture, race relations and more. One night only. 6 p.m., The Comedy Zone, Suite B3 900 N.C. Music Factory Boulevard. $25. Tickets

Puppy Love - Show your support for our furry friends at the Mutts & Mimosas benefiting the Human Society. In addition to Atherton Market's current vendors, the event will feature other local artisans and mobile boutiques. 1 p.m. Atherton Market,  2140 South Blvd. Tickets.

Holla: Sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Review: Sklar Bros. deliver best McCrory joke at Comedy Zone

When I walked into the Comedy Zone, Jason Sklar (or maybe it was Randy) told me the comedic twins were looking forward to unveiling new Charlotte-specific material. I figured they would deliver the now mandatory jokes about HB 2.

"We're here, we're queer, the governor's not used it!"

That one was okay, but I loved, loved, loved the one about Governor Pat McCrory versus Mayor Pat McCrory. I don't want to spoil it. It's definitely one of the most creative takes on the HB2 debacle.

The Sklar Brothers didn't limit their local jokes to HB 2 nor did they simply name-drop Charlotte places, like most entertainers. They poked fun at everything from Price's Chicken Coop to the plethora of restaurants uptown.

My other favorite was their take on the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

"You get to see what it's like to have Tony Stewart try to kill you."

Or maybe it was the one about the NASCAR Racing Experience. It involved Elevation Church.

At least the first 15 minutes of the Sklar's performance consisted of jokes and observations about Charlotte and Raliegh - the confederate statue in the state capitol.

Then they launched into their more standard material about everything from the Kennedy assassinations to the Golden State Warriors to fatherhood - a daddy strip club. It was easy to tell why Jason and Randy Sklar have appeared on "@Midnight," "Entourage,"  and other shows. They are pop culture encyclopedias about current and past events.

Onstage they finish each others' jokes. Watching them onstage feels like you're listening to a couple of buddies at a bar, interrupting each other as they tell stories. It's a volley of words and laughter.

The Sklar Brothers perform Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. at the Comedy Zone.

Holla: Sipandplayclt@gmail.com

The Sklar Brothers, food truck lineups, live jazz and spoken word tonight

It's Friday! Get out for night of live jazz, good food and spoken word. See you in the streets!

 Food Truck Friday 

Matthews Food Truck Fridays

Friday Night Festival

A Bao Time, Maki Taco, Gyro Twins Truck, Bebo's Mac Shack, Hart's Soda Shop, All-Star Cafe, & Joe's Doughs!

Food Truck Fridays

Light Factory, Plaza Midwood

Other Events Tonight

Celebrity Comedians - Comedians and identical twins Jason and Randy Sklar, known as The Sklar Brothers, debut in Charlotte this weekend. They mix pop culture, sports and comedy. They are regulars on my fave “@Midnight,” and have also appeared on “Conan, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Entourage, Comedy Bang! Bang!,” “Grey's Anatomy” and more.  Various times tonight and Saturday.  The Comedy Zone, Suite B3, 900 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd. Tickets.
 

Cool Combo - The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra and The Jazz Room for The Jazz Room at the Symphony. The performance celebrates American jazz legends. They will perform Anthiel’s “A Jazz Symphony,” Gerswhin’s “Walking the Dog,” Schuller’s “Concertino for Jazz Quartet” and Ellington’s “Harlem.” Afterparty featuring live jazz from the Jazz Arts Initiative's All-Star Youth Jazz Ensemble and signature cocktails in the speakeasy lounge following the concert. The Jazz Arts Initiative presents a special pre-concert talk hosted by The Jazz Room's Curtis Davenport beginning on stage at 6:30 pm. Show: 7:30 p.m., Knight Theater, 430 S Tryon St. Tickets.
 

Adult Science - The monthly party Science on the Rocks returns with Geek Out, Freak Out. This month features comics, robotics, virtual reality and more. Capes and Spandex supersets are encouraged. There will be a prize for best superhero costume at the end of the night. 5 p.m. Discovery Place, 301 N Tryon St. $20.

Spoken Word - This a themed spoken-word event with performances focused on the state of the climate including crime, schools, music, domestic violence and climate change. G.O.O.D. Music’s Malik Yusef will host along with Mark Prophet. Charlotte’s J.C., Mason Parker and live bands Quent Young & The Free Will Project and Dee Dray will perform. There will also be live painting. 7 p.m. One-Five-O Studio Gallery, 4825 Ballantyne Village Way, Suite 150. $20 and up. Details.

 Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Charlotte Funny Bus tour wasn't funny or informative (Review)

I had high hopes for the Funny Bus tour this weekend. It sounded great. Spend 90 minutes riding a bus through Southend, Uptown, NC Music Factory and NoDa while a funny tour guide told us about the area. Plus, it was BYOB.

I did the Lazoom tour in Asheville a couple of weeks ago. It was great. Saturday's Charlotte Funny Bus tour was uncomfortable at times and not funny. Our tour guide needed way more training and knowledge about Charlotte. It was obvious, he hasn't lived here long if he lives here at all.

Since I've lived here for nearly 20 years, and was a news reporter for 15, I tried not to be an obnoxious know-it-all riders. However, our guide had too many missed opportunities to be ignored.

The tour started uptown.  He pointed out the Old Settler's Cemetary, Discovery Place, and Romare Beardon Park.  Cool, but it went downhill from there. At the EpiCentre, he incorrectly called Whiskey River, Whiskey River Run and slammed Wild Wings. He failed to mention the entertainment complex was the centerpiece of the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

In Southend, he only mentioned Price's Chicken Coop. He totally ignored the area where Food Truck Friday is hosted or how Southend is home to numerous local breweries.

He gave a decent history of NoDa's YMCA, mill homes and the Neighborhood Theater, which at one point was an X-rated theater.  He pointed out Cabo Fish Taco and Boudreaux, which aren't even local restaurants. He didn't offer any history on the transformation of the area from a declining mill village to an artist community to present day. And he kept referring to NoDa as hipster neighborhood. It's not. It's a cool yuppie neighborhood.

His tour of Plaza-Midwood was the worst. The street car information was good, but he repeatedly mispronounced Vanlandingham and erroneously referred to the Harris Teeter as the TajMaTeeter. That's the nickname for the store in SouthPark. He did mention that PM home to the first Harris Teeter, but he missed a chance to talk about the areas transformation or history. And out all of the locally-owned restaurants in the neighborhood, he pointed out Five Guys - Five Guys! Plaza-Midwood has built its reputation on being a haven for locally-owned restaurants and shops.
 
I fault the tour company for allowing someone with so little knowledge of the city to lead a tour. That's inexcusable.

Here's the thing. I understand that only so much information can be shared in a 90-minute tour. However, our guide spent more time telling really crass jokes, sharing too much information about himself and slamming restaurants and stuff he didn't like. He could've filled that time with useful information presented with humor. 

Our tour guide needs a lot of comedy training. It was supposed to be funny, but his jokes were insults to city staples. When pointing out BB&T stadium, he said no one likes baseball. He said he didn't understand why NASCAR was a sport when pointing out the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In reference to Big Ben's Pub, he said people with rotten teeth named Nigel could get a free beer. Wow.

Aside from insults, his other jokes were crass like the double etendre of Morehead Street. Pedophila is never funny. Nor is Black Lives Matter (and he was Black).

I really, really, like the idea of a comedy bus tour for Charlotte. I don't expect to learn alot since I've lived her for so long, but I do expect to be amused and learn a little something.  I strongly suggest the organizers of Charlotte's make a road trip to Asheville and experience LaZoom because if Saturday's tour is reflective of the all of the Funny Bus tours then the company will fail.

Shop local events, an R&B concert and parties

I love it! Southend is making Small Business Saturday a party, and I love a good party. Today is a great day for the family with a circus and a carshow. Of course, I've got your parties for tonight.  See you in the streets...

Shop Local - Southend has some special happenings for Small Business Saturday. The Vendor Village returns with more than 60 vendors inside a pop-up shop. Music, raffles, the Sugar Donut truck and craft beer. Triple C Brewing, 2900 Griffith St.

Unknown Brewing teams up with Wilson’s World for the second edition of Dudeapalooza. We've also teamed up with Wilson's World to bring a second rendition of Dudeapalooza.

Of course there will also be vendors at Atherton Mills. Chef Alyssa of Chef Alyssa's Kitchen will be holding a free cooking demo inside of her kitchen space at Atherton Market. Live music by The Thompson Brothers.

There will be two trolley's offering a free shuttle to each venue. A trolley stop will be every 15 minutes. All three locations will have food trucks all day.

Details.



Monthly Party - Don’t miss DJ Sun Cee, DJ Justice, DJ Steel Wheel and a live performance by Joi James at this month’s edition of Su Casa. Live painting by Dammit Wesley, photography, face-painting, film, vendors. $5, $10.

Oh! Oh! Oh! - In the mood for some fish-fry soul music? Head to An Evening Of Classic Soul: Lenny Williams & Ann Nesby. These classic soul artists will take it way back with hits such as Williams’ "Cause I Love You” and Nesby’s "I Believe.” This will be one of those shows in which the audience does most of the singing because every song is going to be somebody’s jam! 8 p.m. McGlohon Theater at Spirit Square, 345 N College St. Bring cash for parking onsite and in surface lots. 7th St. parking deck accepts credit cards. $25 - $45. Tickets.


All Black Everything - It’s time for another one of those color-themed parties. It’s the All Black Attire Affair. Beats by DJ Loui Vee. 10 p.m. Westin, 601 S. College St.
 Tickets.

I Wanna Do This! - Discover Uptown Charlotte and surrounding neighborhoods: NoDa, Plaza-Midwood, Southend and the NC Music Factory on the The Funny Bus. Bring your own beer and wine and enjoy comedians who will share history and stories of Charlotte on a 90-minute tour. Every Fri through Sunday. $25 tickets need to be purchased in advance. 8 p.m. Levine Museum of the New South. 200 E 7th St.

Family Fun With Cars - Bring your cool cars to Ray Evernham’s 3rd Annual AmeriCarna Live Car Show. The event benefits the IGNITE program operated by Autism Society of North Carolina. It’s open to all cars. 10 a.m., Ingersoll Rand's North American Corporate Headquarters, 800 Beatty St. Davidson. $5. Details.

Family Fun At The Circus - If you loved those #Thanksgivingwithblackfamilies memes then you can’t miss the last weekend of The UniverSoul Circus’ A Big Top Christmas. The usual acts are back, such as stilt walkers, and there’s some new ones as well. Don’t miss the figure skaters at the beginning and the infamous Soul Train line.  Various Times today and Sunday, Metrolina Expo, 7100 Statesville Rd. $15 and up. Details.

 

 Holla:sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Weekend Preview: comedy titans, jazz, and BBQ

Get ready to laugh as comedy veterans take over Time Warner Cable Arena this weekend, and the fun continues with a Latin dance party, adult games and more. See you in the streets. Let's get this party started...

Wednesday For Teens: Looking for something to do for your teen? Bring them to NexGen, a night at the museum for teenagers. 5-8 p.m. Mint Museum Uptown, 500 S Tryon St. Free for teens. Details. 

Friday

Last Chance - Experience Prison Zoo, a multimedia exhibition by artist Alix Lambert, and say goodbye to Summer 2015 artists Charles Williams, Caroline Rust, Erik Waterkotte, Endia Beal, Matt Horick, and Taproot. There will be live music, appetizers and a cash bar. 6–9 p.m. Free and we’ll have music, light hors-d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Details.

Dance Party - Love Mint to Move! Afro-Cuban and Latin-American music with DJ Carlos LeBron, Jerry Giraud, Angel Delgado, and Brandon Nater. This a fun, diverse dance event. Rumbao Latin Dance Company dance lessons starts at 8:45 p.m. 8 p.m. Mint Museum, 500 S Tryon St. Details.

House Music Party - House music fans come out tonight for House Wars, a FREE event featuring UK DJ Chris Sterio of Gravity. Other featured DJs are Sean McClellan and Chad McNeely. Stew Art will also be doing live painting throughout the course of the night! 9 p.m. Crown Station, 1425 Elizabeth Ave.

Saturday
Comedy Titans - National comedians Cedric The Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, DL Hughley, George Lopez, and Charlie Murphy will headline The Comedy Get Down. Their resumes ranges from talk show hosts to TV show characters and more. This evening will be gut-busting fun. 8 p.m., Time Warner Cable Arena, 333 East Trade St. Details.

Outdoor Jazz - Bring your blankets and chairs for an evening smooth jazz eating keyboardist Oli Silk and flutist Althea Renee at Jazz Under The Stars. Lake Norman. 6 p.m. Queens Landing, 1459 River Highway, Mooresville. Details.

Adult Games - Tired of the same ol’ bar scene? Enjoy playing over-sized Connect Four, Jenga and more at Play Clothes: Adult Fun, Games, and Drinks. 4 p.m. VBGB 920 Hamilton St.

Sunday

Que & Brew - Slow Food Charlotte and Birdsong Brewery partner to present Brew & Chew BBQ to benefit 10,000 Gardens in Africa. The food features local pork from A Way of Life Farm and local vegetables. 3 - 7 p.m., Birdsong Brewery, 1016 North Davidson St. $20. Details.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

Music, food and funk tonight

The NC Music Factory continues to set a new standard in concert series tonight. Plus Taste of Charlotte kicks off uptown. Is it 5 o'clock yet? See you in the streets. Let's get this party started.

George Hendricks Photography 

Comedic Melodrama - PaperHouse Theatre presents "A Woman of No Importance," Oscar Wilde’s take on the battle of the sexes. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 8 p.m., June 5-14, FROCK Shop, 901 Central Avenue. $30 includes complimentary sips and nibbles. Reservations: paperhousetheatre@gmail.com or 704-659-3638. Space is limited to 30 people per performance. Reservations are mandatory. #AWoNI #‎cltcrafttheatre‬ ‪#‎experiencelocaltheatre‬ ‪#‎cltarts‬

Celebrity Comedian - Bobby Lee has appeared on MadTV, "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."$20 various times Friday and Saturday. The Comedy Zone, 900 North Carolina Music Factory Blvd.




Friday Live: The N.C. Music Factory has the best lineup for it's Friday Live summer concert series. Tonight's headliner is Shovels & Rope, which music writer Courtney Devores says sold out two Charlotte venues and opened for the Avett Brothers a couple of years ago. Sounds like seeing them for $8 is a steal. 6 p.m., NC Music Factory Fountain Plaza, 900 NC Music Factory Blvd., $8.



Don't Forget

Family Fun - Sample a variety of Charlotte area restaurants, including a lot of chains, in one-spot at the three-day Taste of Charlotte. More than 100 restaurants, live music, children’s activities, street performers and more. 12 p.m. Friday - 6 p.m. Sunday. Center City, Tryon Street between Stonewall and Trade. Free, but you’ll need to purchase festival coins to sample food.  Details.
Updated info:  Don't miss the Race to the Taste, 5K and Cupcake Run/Walk on Saturday at 9 a.m. Starts at 4th Street near Church. Race through uptown to Southend. Enjoy live music. The Cupcake Run/Walk involves racers grabbing cupacakes along the route! Register here.

International Club DJ - Get ready to dance the night away as DJ Camillo takes over the N.C. Music Factory. POWER 98's DJ Phalse ID opens. 10 p.m. Label 900 NC Music Factory Blvd. $10.




The Mothership - Get funky with George Clinton. You know how this show will go. So bring your funky spirit and get ready for a trip you won’t forget. 8 p.m. Amos’ Southend, 1423 South Tryon Street, $35 and up.

LGBTQ Gala - If you applaud Caitlyn Jenner’s courage then the Platinum Gala: The Art of Expression is a great chance to support our local LGBTQ youth. The gala celebrates LGBTQ youth in the Carolinas. Molly Barker, Founder of Girls on the Run is the key note and Ben Thompson, Anchor WCNC, will be the Master of Ceremonies. 6:30 p.m. -10:30 p.m., The Mint Museum-Uptown, 500 S Tryon St. $100.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com

A night at the museum, comedy showcase and more fun

I kicked off my weekend at two brown-liquor events. The first was joining the Charlotte Bourbon Club at Ice Martini Bar. More on that Sunday. Last night, I got a lesson in Irish whiskey from Kilbeggan brand ambassador Mike Egan. More on that next week. The weekend is just getting started.

Headed to Discovery Place's Fire and Ice tonight. I had crazy-fun at the museum's Steampunk event last year. I'm sure Fire and Ice won't disappoint. Next up is  the Epic Chophouse in Cornelius for the Queen's Feast: Charlotte Restaurant Week.  See you in the streets...

Music Aspirations - Do you have dreams of getting into the music industry? Spend the today and Saturday at the Southeastern Music Conference. J-Stylz of Blackstreet will perform tonight at 9 p.m. Studio Movie Grill. the site of most conference activities.  

Night At The Museum - This is an adults-only event at the museum. Enjoy an indoor snowfall and Charlotte's only indoor snowball fight, a fire dance performance by Sataya, an Igloo Building Challenge and more at Science on the Rocks: Fire & Ice. 5 p.m. Discovery Place, 301 N. Tryon St.

Black Film Showcase - The Deltas of Charlotte Foundation presents 12th Annual Legacy Film Showcase: “Ruby and Pearls Collection.”  Terrance Bates of WCCB News Rising will host the event which features short films of local and national independent filmmakers. The evening begins with a reception 

and concludes with a Q&A. McGlohon Theater, Spirit Square, 345 North College St.

Mature Laughs - Enjoy adult company with the L.O.L. LORDS OF LAUGHTER COMEDY TOUR starring TK KIRKLAND, Ray Lipowski, Ed Lover, Rip Micheals, Chaunte Wayans, Rob Stapleton, Hamburger, K.Dubb with Your Host Joe Torry. 8 p.m. $35 and up.

EDM Grooves - If you like throbbing, high-energy beats, you'll love Paris Blohm. 10 p.m. Label, 900 NC Music Factory BLVD. Free with RSVP.

Holla: sipandplayclt@gmail.com