In preparing for this week’s feature, I began to notice two pretty fabulous things making a strong appearance: a ton of local artists and bands, and half naked men. Now, I’m not sure which one is the best out of those two, but I have a feeling a lot of you can agree that they both sound pretty nice. (Wait – what if we can get some of these local bands to take off their shirts on stage? Any volunteers? No? Okay.)
Local Lil Skritt topless, photo by Kim Casanova
A plethora of genres are available Friday, January 29, in and around the Charlotte area. If you favor some local musical staples, consider paying a visit to Visulite Theatre for a lineup featuring The Business People, Jaggermouth, Hectorina and The Seduction or Snug Harbor for Professor Toon along with Figga 4, Defacto Thezpian, Will Wildfire and BlacKostume. Baseball player turned singer/songwriter, Mike Stud, brings the Back 2 You Tour to Amos’ Southend, while Jon Pardi and Brothers Osborne make a stop at The Fillmore. For those craving some punk rock to kick off the weekend, you’ve got the perfect set up over at The Milestone including 25 Minutes to Go, South Side Punx, Swell Friends and Suit City, while if you wouldn’t mind a more unidentifiable style ranging from blues to rock, you’ve got The Melons along with Rothschild at Double Door Inn. A garage rock duo with a love story similar to The White Stripes or The Killers, The Peach Kings bring an enthusiast approach to realistic inspiration to be experienced at The Evening Muse Friday evening while accompanied by Deaf Poets, which is a style blending ’80s punk energy with contrasting garage rock.
South Side Punx photo by Kevin McGee
Our pals in the Raleigh/Durham triangle start the weekend with Cradle of Filth‘s Inquisitional Tourture 2016 at The Ritz Raleigh, Grateful Dead replica Cosmic Charlie at Cat’s Cradle, and Carolina Theatre Films’ Nevermore Fundraiser on Friday evening. Continuing into the weekend on Saturday, January 30, are Jon Pardi and Brothers Osborne at The Ritz, Reverend Horton Heat at Cat’s Cradle along with Unknown Hinson, Nashville Pussy and Igor and the Red Elvises, and adorable comedic personality Kristin Chenoweth at Carolina Theatre.
Around the Queen City on Saturday, you can get a headstart on Mardi Gras at Neighborhood Theatre with Carolina Gator Gumbo and Zydeco Ya Ya, check out Joe Smothers and Four Days Gone at Double Door Inn, or enjoy some Grateful Dead courtesy of Cosmic Charlie at Visulite Theatre if you didn’t get to catch them in Durham on Friday. Also on Saturday, Ed Jurdi of Band of Heathens, Seth Walker and Edward David Anderson of Backyard Tire Fire bring their celebration and collection of musical work, The Circle of the Song, to The Evening Muse to share with the rest of us, Snug Harbor hosts Radok Fest, local rock groups and MCs No Anger Control, Poison Anthem, El Sporko, Aloha Broha, The Body Bags and MC Stealth gather at The Milestone, and Amos’ gives us another rock tribute with Guns N Roses cover band Appetite for Destruction and Metallica cover band Ride the Lightning. Also this weekend, the Chippendales bring their 2016 Break the Rules Tour to NC twice back to back, stopping in Charlotte at The Fillmore Saturday evening and then in Raleigh at The Ritz on Sunday, January 31.
No Anger Control photo by Lane Lovegrove
No Anger Control photo by Lane Lovegrove Elsewhere on Sunday around the QC, indie pop/rock stephaniesid teams up with Jon Stickley Trio at The Evening Musef, The Milestone collects some multi-faceted alternative and punk rock with Knowne Ghost, Those Manic Seas, Minnesota License Plate, Undesirable People and Mr. Gold, and Cradle of Filth makes a second NC stop at The Fillmore. Amos’ spends its Sunday holding Peace Love Rock & Soul featuring Coconut Groove Band and The Skate Money All Stars, while Double Door Inn hosts the Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats & Programs Benefit featuring Leadville Social Club, Truckstop Preachers, Sinners & Saints, The Waves, and The Custom Grass Revue, and Snug Harbor returns for another week of karaoke with their Sunday night ritual, Bone Snugs-N-Harmony.
Sinners and Saints
The new month kicks off on Monday, February 1, with Snug Harbor’s newest fixture, music trivia night Let’s Get Quizzical, Double Door Inn’s The Monday Night Allstars, and The Evening Muse’s weekly open mic night featuring this week the birthday boy, George Banda. Tuesday, February 2, has Double Door Inn’s jazz night, Bill Hanna Jazz Jam, while the NC Triangle rounds out the week in the area with Jonny Lang Tuesday night at Carolina Theatre, and the divergent group Low at Cat’s Cradle and Lily Tomlin at Carolina Theatre on Wednesday night, February 3.
Wednesday night in Charlotte features some hard rock at The Milestone courtesy of Bleak and Grim State, Snug Harbor’s February residency, Your Fuzzy Friends, accompanied this week by Saturos & Friends, Catriona Sturton and Lesley Demon, and Tosco House Party returns to The Evening Muse for another local talent showcase via its open mic platform. Wrapping up the week this week on Thursday night, February 4, is some traditional rock ‘n’ roll at Amos’ by Almost Kings, The Neil Jackson Band, Angwish, A Graceful Regret and Fifty Flies, a metal lineup at The Milestone with Warhead, Brain Dead, Nemesis and Old Scratch, Snug Harbor’s infamous SHIPROCKED!, and indie rock crew Mike Mains and The Branches with singer/songwriter project Zack Joseph and The Society at The Evening Muse.
Share your thoughts on the last of the shows for January and the shows that kick off February this week by leaving a comment here, using hashtag #Shutter16 or sending an email to info@shutter16.com using subject title “What’s New This Week.” Don’t forget to share the love while you’re out enjoying some of these fantastic people by using the hashtag #TWITFROMTHEPIT and end up in our gallery of live shots.