It’s tough to get pumped up this week after a disappointing Super Bowl. Our boys worked hard this season and it was a bummer not to see them take home that trophy. You can’t help but be proud no matter what, though; they accomplished a lot this year. Whether you like them or not, the Panthers are a Charlotte fixture. There’s plenty of Carolinians who aren’t even Panthers fans and that’s fine but you have to give credit where credit is due, and they earned their spot at that game Sunday night. We couldn’t be prouder of our Cats. As for those emotionally bruised this week following the loss it may be difficult to get into the swing of things, but let us give you something to get excited about or, at the very least, somewhere you can go and use as an excuse to drink the pain away.
Photo of Dangermuffin by Matthew Pock
Craving something nostalgically wonderful to take the bad taste left behind in your mouth from that kaleidoscope of crap last weekend? Get to Amos’ for the world famous Michael Jackson tribute, Who’s Bad, and the Stevie Wonder tribute, Natural Wonder, on Friday night and try to get the image of Beyonce almost busting her ass out of your head. You don’t necessarily have to hop in a time machine to recover musically this weekend. If you prefer something more up-to-date or just simply different, consider checking out some indie rock at The Milestone featuring Community Center, Joe Romeo and the Juliets, Farewell Albatross and Mercury Dimes; LOTUS at The Fillmore; Natural Causes with Big Eyes and fk mt. at Snug Harbor; or American roots rock band The Nighthawks at Double Door Inn. Also on Friday evening, Visulite Theatre has a lineup including Dangermuffin and The Josh Daniel/Mark Schimick Project and the Neighborhood Theatre hosts the 7th Annual Brazilian Carnaval, A Night In Rio. Folk/pop artist Lucy Kaplansky opens the night up at The Evening Muse followed up by NC-based rock band Holy Ghost Tent Revival and indie rock Texas trio Blue Healer.
Photo of Mutemath by Dianna Augustine
Further north of Charlotte, our friends in the Raleigh/Durham area start the weekend off Friday night with Carly Rae Jepsen at The Ritz Raleigh, and Mutemath and Nothing But Thieves at Cat’s Cradle. Check out the kickoff of the film festival, Nevermore, at Carolina Theatre with Scrawl on Friday night, 13 Cameras Saturday night and In the Dark Sunday night. Adding to the weekend in The Triangle are Kid Cudi Saturday night at The Ritz as well as the genre-blending crew Perpetual Groove at Cat’s Cradle. Down at the lower end of the Carolina spectrum in Columbia, SC this weekend, The Music Farm treats you to Zoogma & Turbo Suit Friday night and a Widespread Panic after party Saturday night featuring Bloodkin.
A few places get into the spirit of Cupid a bit early this weekend on Saturday, February 13, including Purgatory 68‘s Hellbound Hearts at Amos’ featuring DJ Triskyl, DJ CODEC, Djinn the NiteChylde and Sinister Suspensions, as well as the 24th Annual Johnson Valentine Bash being held at Snug Harbor, and Big Mama’s House of Burlesque’s Valentease Burlesque Show at Visulite Theatre. For the Byrds is joined by Friendship Commanders and Sheep at The Milestone for a collection of rock/pop on Saturday night; The Fillmore hosts a second stop for Carly Rae Jepsen; Double Door Inn gets a dose of vintage blues by The Bill Miller Band; and rock ‘n’ roll singer/songwriter Graham Nash brings his This Path Tonight Tour to Neighborhood Theatre. The Evening Muse also has a full plate Saturday evening featuring singer/songwriter Jennifer Daniels and folk singer Eliot Bronson at the top of the night, rounded out by the award-winning nostalgic rock style of Quincy Mumford and the Reason Why along with five-piece Baked Goods.
Photo of Wavves by Pete Troshak
If stars aren’t in your eyes Sunday, February 14, don’t worry– you aren’t the only one. Candy and flowers are great, but have you tried blues and karaoke?! The Charlotte Blues Society holds its monthly meeting at Double Door Inn Sunday evening featuring the blues quartet, The Instigators, and Snug Harbor hosts another night of karaoke with Bone Snugs-N-Harmony. Also that night, Kid Cudi makes night #2 in NC at The Fillmore. Variety show The Monday Night Allstars kick off another week for us Monday night, February 15, at Double Door Inn, while Waka Flocka Flame apparently double booked Charlotte at both The Fillmore and Neighborhood Theatre accompanied by Styles & Complete, DJ Whoo Kid, Southside and High Five Society. Also on Monday night, The Evening Muse’s Open Mic Night features one-man band The Whetherman, while the Raleigh/Durham area gets Robert Cray Band at Carolina Theatre and noise pop group Wavves with California rock band Best Coast and power pop crew Cherry Glazerr at Cat’s Cradle.
Photo of Hunter Valentine by Dane Abernathy
On Tuesday, February 16, you can check out Madeon – All Ages at The Fillmore and Double Door Inn’s resident Bill Hanna Jazz Jam. Get double the Bryson Tiller with a set at The Ritz in Raleigh Tuesday night followed by another set in Charlotte at The Fillmore Wednesday night, February 17. Elsewhere on Wednesday, you’ve got some power rock at The Milestone with Hunter Valentine, Dust and Ashes and Glaus; Snug Harbor’s February residency, Your Fuzzy Friends, joined this week by Monster Crux, No Mi Toques and Pleather; a singer/songwriter collaboration at Double Door Inn featuring David Ramirez and Lucette; and a buffet of rappers and MCs at Neighborhood Theatre including POUYA, The Buffet Boys & Suicide Boys, Biggie Whit, Lotta and BF3. Also, with a bit more variety, you can check out some comedy at The Evening Muse Wednesday night featuring self-proclaimed “do-it-yourself comedy” comedian Tim Northern, up-and-coming Charlotte comedian Spencer Taylor, sketch comedian Jake Steward and another Charlotte’s Nick Alexander.
Photo of Umphrey’s McGee by Brian BT Twitty
Wrapping up the week in our neighboring towns this week, The Ritz Raleigh has another unplugged visit from Breaking Benjamin Wednesday night, while Carolina Theatre features another Carolina Theatre Films event with Rhapsody & The Two Pidgeons. On Thursday, February 18, Big Head Todd & the Monsters will be at The Ritz and TAO’s Seventeen Samurai will be at Carolina Theatre. Also, Columbia’s Music Farm gets a visit by Umphrey’s McGee Thursday evening.
Charlotte rounds out its week with a nice array of instrumentalism, heavy metal, rock and more. You can check out Excision at The Fillmore Thursday night, as well as heavy metal pros Voivod, Vektor and Eight Bells at Neighborhood Theatre. Discover pop singer/songwriter Andrew Ripp with folk hybrid Swear and Shake and pop-punk outfit Act As If at The Evening Muse; Claudia Cohen with Subliminal Confession and guests at Amos’; Tauk with Groove Fetish at Visulite Theatre; multi-instrumentalist Zvi accompanied by Justin Aswell, Exponential Decay and Joules at The Milestone; and, of course, the local favorite SHIPROCKED! at Snug Harbor.
Photo of #twitfromthepit by Brain BT Twitty
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