Berens's the 'Butt' of Jokes and News

CNN reporter Jeanne Moos is known for her humorous takes on news stories. And Charlotte swimmer Ricky Berens is the subject of her latest report, which I saw on air this morning.

Berens is one of three Charlotte swimmmers currently competing in the FINA World Championships in Rome. I blogged about their qualifying a couple of weeks ago ("3 Charlotte Swimmers to Compete In Rome"). On Sunday while preparing to swim in a qualifying heat of the 4x100-meter relay freestyle, Berens bent over and the back of his swimsuit tore. At the moment, he has the most famous butt in men's sports as news outlets and blogs have been running with the story--and running pics--of the incident.

Below is Moos's CNN recap of the event. Also, it should be noted that Berens's relay team qualified for the finals and won.

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Free Domino's Pizza for the Unemployed

If you've lost your job, as so many people have during this recession (Charlotte's unemployment rate is now at 12.4 percent), maybe some free pizza will help bring a smile to your face.

Domino's Pizza in Charlotte is giving away 270 free pizza gift cards and four tickets to American Idol Live. The pizza place invites those with unemployment letters or verification of unemployment to stop by one of the two selected Charlotte Domino's locations to receive a $15 gift card. Each Charlotte location will have 135 gift cards and the first 135 eligible people at each location will receive one.

In addition, Domino's will be giving away two free tickets at each location to American Idol Live, which is coming August 1 to Time Warner Cable Arena.

The two participating Charlotte Domino's locations are:
-16625 Lancaster Highway
-3233 The Plaza

The giveaway runs July 29 to August 5 while supplies last, and each location opens daily at 10:30 a.m. To be eligible to win, you must present verification of unemployment.

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Wayne and Jeezy Concert, Panthers Games

Tickets to two popular Charlotte events are going on sale.

The America's Most Wanted Music Festival is coming to Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Friday, September 4 (Labor Day weekend). The show stars Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy, Soulja Boy, Drake, and Jeremih. Tickets go on sale today at 10 a.m. at www.livenation.com and prices range from $29 to $79.


The other big ticket sales event takes place Saturday, August 1 at 10 a.m. That's when about 7,000 single-game tickets for each of the Carolina Panthers’ 2009 home games go on sale at www.ticketmaster.com. Scoring Panthers tickets is a big deal since most home games usually sell out. Last year four games sold out on the first day of single-game ticket sales. You'll be limited to buying a maximum of four tickets per game. Most of the available tickets will be upper-deck seats at $51 each, and there will be a few lower-level seats available at $90 each. The other 60,000-plus seats in the stadium have already been snatched up by season-ticket holders. The season opener is September 13 when the Philadelphia Eagles visit Bank of America Stadium.

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Events for the Week: July 20-26

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. This isn’t intended to be a complete list of everything that's going on, but instead are the events GPT recommends.

Wednesday, July 22

Pop Life (weekly event)
It’s the most popular social networking event on a Wednesday night. Starts after work but runs late. Varying types of people pop in and out throughout the night so you never know who you’ll run into. Music this week by DJ Technics. Presented by Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Free. Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St. www.apostrophelounge.com.

Thursday, July 23

Alive After Five at EpiCentre (weekly event)
This week’s featured bands are Blue Dogs performing on the rooftop stage, and Powerhouse Band playing on the courtyard stage. There will be plenty of drink tents scattered throughout. Wristbands also get you into Blackfinn, Whisky River, Suite, and StrikeCity. 5-9:30 p.m. Free. The EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.aliveafterfiveatepicentre.com.

Battle of the Bands Grand Finale
Utopia created this contest to find the best house band in Charlotte. The contestants have been battling for a six-month contract, a cash prize of $500.00, and an opportunity to play with a national recording artist. Bands Tropic Culture, Groove 8, and Elements of Jazz compete this week in the finals. The crowd will determine who wins. Proceeds raised will benefit Amped-4-A-Cure, a movement raising money to support cancer research through the universal language of music. 7 p.m. $10. Utopia SoundStage, 10210 Berkeley Place Dr. www.utopiasoundstagenc.com or www.amped4acure.org.

Rock the Bells Tour
This great hip-hop tour comes to Charlotte, featuring: Reflection Eternal (Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek with a full band), Slum Village, Supernatural, and Slaughterhouse (Joell Ortiz, Crooked I, Joe Budden, and Royce The 5'9). Hosted and DJ’d by Pete Rock. 8 p.m. $27.50 in advance. Amos’ Southend. 1423 S. Tryon St. www.amossouthend.com.

Anniversary Concert featuring Algebra
Tempo nightclub celebrates its fourth anniversary with a performance by the soul singer. 9 p.m. $15 and up. Tempo, 4809 Wilkinson Blvd. www.tempocharlotte.com.

Friday, July 24

Uptown Cool Down
Mingle with Uptown professionals while enjoying free appetizers and drink specials such at the Firefly Vodka Sno-Cone. 5 p.m. Free. LaVecchia’s Restaurant, 225 E. Sixth St. www.uptownclt.com.

Friday Afterwork Rendezvous (weekly event)
End your workweek on a high note at this networking party, held at a different venue each week. Enjoy drink and food specials while listening to live music. Presented by Talk of the Town. 6-11 p.m. Free. Blue Restaurant and Bar, 214 N. Tryon St. (corner of Fifth and College streets). www.bluecharlotte.com.

An Intimate Evening with Laura Izibor
The “From My Heart to Yours” singer performs live with a full band. Opening act is Soulganic. Presented by The Sol Kitchen. 8 p.m. $20 in advance. Utopia SoundStage, 10210 Berkeley Place Dr. www.thesolkitchen.com.

Saturday, July 25

Exotic Swimwear Show and Grand Opening of Oasis Pool and Cabana Bar
Enjoy a fashion show of swimwear while hanging at the Blake Hotel’s new pool and bar. Music by DJ Flemingo. Presented by Plitzs Fashion Marketing. 7:30 p.m. $10-$20. Blake Hotel, 555 S. McDowell St. www.ticketannex.com.

PlayDate Charlotte
Bring out the kid in you. Charlotte has joined the network of more than 30 cities that offer this alternative to typical partying and nightclubbing. Enjoy music and drinks while playing card games, checkers, dominoes, Connect Four, Twister, Monopoly, old-school video games, and more. 9 p.m. (8 p.m. for advance ticket holders) $10. Tyvola Marriott, 5700 Westpark Dr. www.playdatecharlotte.com.

Marquee Saturdays (weekly event)
It’s Charlotte’s newest and hottest Saturday night party at this newly revamped nightclub. Enjoy the large dance floor, plentiful seating, and large outdoor patio at this upscale party. VIP is available. Presented by Sleeping Giant Productions. 9 p.m. Cost varies. Halo, inside the N.C. Music Factory, 820 Hamilton St. www.haloclt.com.

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Is Elizabeth 'Falling Fast'?

Between going to a couple of networking events and a board meeting this week, there have been a few instances when this economic recession has been the subject of conversation. But that, unfortunately, has become as common as talking about the weather. The focus usually shifts from unemployment to budget cuts to the housing market. And it was the talks about the housing market that reminded me to post this link to an article I'd come across a few days ago.

Last week, Forbes.com published its list of "America's Fastest-Falling Neighborhoods," evaluating the 25 largest cities in the country to determine which neighborhoods experienced the biggest year-over-year price drops. To qualify for the list a neighborhood's median sales price had to be above $150,000 and have more than 10 sales.

Some of the neighborhoods that have been hit the hardest during the past year according to the list are: Greenwich Village in New York with a median price of $1.08 million, a 45 percent year-over-year decline; Glassell Park in Los Angeles with a median price of $225,000, a 50 percent decline; Greektown in Chicago with a median price of $212,000, also down 50 percent; and Penn's Landing in Philadelphia at $423,000 for a 51 percent decline.

Also making the list, which I found surprising, is Charlotte's Elizabeth neighborhood. According to Forbes.com, Elizabeth's median home value fell 37 percent during the past year to $272,000. It seems very odd that this neighborhood would've experienced such a sharp decline, but since the data is based on home values and sales from Trulia.com, it's likely that Elizabeth's data has been skewed by the decrease in condo prices.

This Victorian-style house in Elizabeth is representative of the character you'll find in the tree-lined neighborhood.

I just did a quick search on Trulia.com for Elizabeth and I found more condos for sale than single-family homes. Plus, many of the single-family homes were listed for well above $500,000 and are two or three times more than the $272,000 median price Forbes cites. Again, the Forbes position must likely be due to condos, which are the type of homes where prices had started to get out of hand in Charlotte.

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of talking about the economy and am ready to hear some good news about it. At my board meeting last evening, one of my colleagues, who'd just come back the night before from a summit in D.C. that dealt partly with the economy, stated that the number of job losses per month has started to decrease. That should've been good news, except my reply was that there are now fewer people working to even get laid off.

Click here for the article on Forbes.com.

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The Four Horsemen to Reunite in Charlotte

I grew up a wrestling fan, but started to lose interest around the age of 13. Still, this is pretty exciting news. The Four Horsemen are reuniting in Charlotte.

Led by superstar wrestler and Charlotte's favorite hometown celebrity, Ric Flair, the Four Horsemen will reunite for the NWA Wrestling Legends Fanfest Weekend, being held August 6-9 at the Hilton University Place Hotel. The original group of Flair, Ole Anderson, Arn Anderson, and Tully Blanchard, plus second-incarnation member Barry Windham and the group's legendary manager James J. Dillon are all scheduled to appear Friday, August 7 to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans.


Nearly 30 wrestling legends are confirmed for the four-day event. You can get all of the details by visiting www.nwalegends.com.

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Events for the Week: July 13-19

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. This isn’t intended to be a complete list of everything that's going on, but instead are the events GPT recommends.

Wednesday, July 15

Jazz on the Roof
The Charlotte Chamber’s Black Professionals Network (BPN) is hosting its annual Jazz on the Roof event, featuring special guest Warren Ballentine, CNN commentator and Radio One host. Ballentine, whose syndicated radio show airs weekdays on Q92.7, will sign copies of his new book. The event will also include networking, food, drinks, and live jazz from the band Uniq Blend. 5:30-8 p.m. $21 if purchased in advance online at www.ez-tixx.com, and $25 at the door. Pavilion at the EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.charlottechamber.com.

Pop Life (weekly event)
It’s the most popular social networking event on a Wednesday night. Starts after work but runs late. Varying types of people pop in and out throughout the night so you never know who you’ll run into. Music this week by the Mighty DR. Presented by Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Free. Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St. www.apostrophelounge.com.

Thursday, July 16

Alive After Five at EpiCentre (weekly event)
This week’s featured bands are Same As It Ever Was performing on the rooftop stage, and Party Nuts playing on the courtyard stage. There will be plenty of drink tents scattered throughout. Wristbands also get you into Blackfinn, Whisky River, Suite, and StrikeCity. 5-9:30 p.m. Free. The EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.aliveafterfiveatepicentre.com.

Cufflinks and Cocktails
Presented by Charlotte’s Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity alumni, this event is held at a different bar each month. Come mingle with a group of well-dressed professionals, from 20- to 40-somethings. Music by jazz ensemble Mama’s Shirt. Drink and appetizer specials will be served. 6-10 p.m. Free. Pie Town, 710 W. Trade St., inside Gateway Village. www.cufflinksandcocktails.com.

Friday, July 17

ABSOLUTely Heavenly
One of Charlotte’s most exclusive hotels has teamed up with ABSOLUT Vodka and Larken Egleston to host a summer cocktail party. The cost of admission gets you complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres, three drink tickets (good for beer, wine, or an ABSOLUT Vodka cocktail), gift bags, and a raffle ticket for prize giveaways. Music by DJ Kopasetic. 6-10 p.m. $25. Ember Grille patio at The Westin Hotel, 601 South College St. Contact Larken at LE46069@yahoo.com.

Friday Afterwork Rendezvous (weekly event)
End your workweek on a high note at this networking party, held at a different venue each week. Enjoy martini and appetizer specials. Music by DJ Flemingo. Presented by Talk of the Town. 6-11 p.m. Free. Utopia SoundStage, 10210 Berkeley Place Dr. www.utopiasoundstagenc.com.

Hysteria—Acoustic Rhythms
See live performances from jazz, blues, and go-go bands. Doors open 9:30 p.m.; show starts 10:30 p.m. Afterparty with DJ Flemingo. Cost varies. Décor 1202, 1202 Charlottetowne Ave. www.decor1202.com.

Drinks @ Kiss
This monthly “all night happy hour” attracts great crowds to one of the city’s trendiest lounges. Featuring a complimentary Nuvo tasting (10-11 p.m. with RSVP), and several other drinks specials. DJ Daddy D will be playing the best in R&B, hip-hop, and reggae. 10 p.m. Free before 11 p.m. with RSVP. $10 and up after. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.mingleberry.com/drinks.

Saturday, July 18

Jet Set Series: Day Dreams Part Deux
After a successful “day party” last month, they’re doing it again. Party with the sun out—and see beautiful people with clarity. Music by the Mighty DR. Presented by The A List - Charlotte and The Sol Kitchen. 3:30 p.m. $10 in advance. Pravda Bar and Roof Garden Patio at Forum, 300 N. College St. www.alistnc.com.

Marquee Saturdays
It’s the official kickoff of this new weekly event at the newly revamped nightclub. Enjoy the large dance floor, plentiful seating, and large outdoor patio at this upscale party. VIP is available. Presented by Sleeping Giant Productions. 9 p.m. Cost varies. Halo, inside the N.C. Music Factory, 820 Hamilton St. www.haloclt.com.

A Summertime Party with a Purpose
This fundraiser for the Urban League of Central Carolinas will attract many of Charlotte’s movers and shakers. Dress to impress. 10 p.m. Minimum $15 donation at the door. Zink, 201 N. Tryon St.

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Carolina Panthers Player Pimped His Ride Then It Was Stolen

The pimped-out, souped-up 1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic owned by Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis was stolen over the weekend from in front of his southeast Charlotte home. With the many customizations Davis had done to the car, the two-door convertible is valued at more than $135,000.

Owning expensive cars is something of a requirement for professional athletes. But I must also note that Davis isn't your typical, frivolous big baller. He also runs a great charity, of which I blogged about a couple of months ago ("Carolina Panther Hosting Events for Charity").

Also noteworthy is what I think has now become an unfortunate pattern for Carolina Panthers players. This is the third summer in a row in which something bad has happened to a Panther player's car (I previously blogged about the first two last year: "Panthers Rookies' Bad Luck With Cars"). In summer 2007, then-rookie Dwayne Jarrett had his BMW 645 coupe totaled when he was hit by a reckless driver on I-77. In summer 2008, then-rookie Jeff Otah's Cadillac Escalade was carjacked while his brother was driving it in Uptown. And this summer this has happened to Davis.

Here are photos of Davis's car that was stolen (photos courtesy of Fourtitude Forums). The thieves better keep it out of sight because it certainly wouldn't be hard to spot, particularly because of the large mural of Davis and a Panther that's painted on the trunk.

Click on photos for larger view.

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3 Charlotte Swimmers to Compete In Rome

Ricky Berens, Mark Gangloff, and Cullen Jones are among the male swimmers who will represent the U.S. at the FINA World Championships (2009 World Aquatics Championships), being held July 17 to August 2 in Rome. The swimmers qualified after competing in the USA Swimming National Championships in Indianapolis during the past week.

Berens is a Charlotte native who is a student and member of the swim team at the University of Texas. He grew up swimming for Charlotte-based swim club SwimMAC Carolinas. Gangloff and Jones are both professional swimmers who moved to Charlotte during the past couple of years to train at SwimMAC. Gangloff set an American record in the 100-meter breaststroke earlier this week. All three of the guys are Olympic gold medalists.

Ricky Berens, Mark Gangloff, and Cullen Jones will compete in the swimming world championships in Rome, which begin Friday.

In Rome, Berens will compete in the 400m and 800m freestyle relay, Gangloff in the 100m breaststroke, and Jones in the 50m freestyle. Among the 20 other swimmers on the USA men's team, they'll be joined by Michael Phelps, who qualified for the 100m, 200m fly, and 200m freestyle.

I've interviewed and written about Charlotte's great swimmers a few times during the past six months. You can read my articles online in the following publications:

-"Stroke of Genius" (profile of Cullen Jones in the July 09 issue of Charlotte magazine)

-"Michael Phelps Brings Attention to Charlotte Swim Club" (article in the May 13-19 edition of Creative Loafing)

-"Making a Splash" (in-depth look at SwimMAC in the February 09 issue of Charlotte magazine)

You can stay up to date with the competitions at www.swimnetwork.com.

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Charlotte Restaurant Week—and a Half

The third installment of the popular Charlotte Restaurant Week will run for 10 days, beginning Friday, July 10 and ending Sunday, July 19, which means it covers two full weekends. There's also a new high of 71 participating restaurants for this run, known as “Queen’s Feast: Summer 2009.”

During Charlotte Restaurant Week, restaurants--many of them upscale--offer a prix fixe, three-course dinner for $30 per person (not including tax and gratuity). This is a great opportunity for you to try many restaurants for the first time and do it at significant savings. Fellas: this could be a good time to treat your lady to some fine dining.

Basil Thai, which opened in March, is one of 71 restaurants participating in Charlotte Restaurant Week.

Popular returning restaurants include Sonoma Modern American, M5, LaVecchia's, Copper, Blue, Cajun Queen, Ruth's Chris, Carpe Diem, and Noble’s. New participants include Luce, Sole Spanish Grille, Basil Thai, Firenze, Morton’s, Passion8 Bistro in Fort Mill, T1 Tapas and Maddi's Southern Bistro at Birkdale, Old Stone Steakhouse in Belmont, and many others. For a complete list of restaurants and their menus, visit www.CharlotteRestaurantWeek.com.

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Make a 'Summer' Video, Win a Party

The U.S. National Whitewater Center has launched "The Endless Summer" video contest, encouraging you to submit videos and photos of your best adventures at the Whitewater Center. The grand prize winner will receive a private party on Saturday, August 29 at the center for him or her and 10 friends with food and refreshments. The party will also include AllSport passes for the winner and guests to enjoy the activities--kayaking, rafting, rock climbing, biking, zip lining--at the USWNC.


Videos or photos can be uploaded until August 13 at www.uswnc.org/party. The USNWC is looking for anything from edited masterpieces to rough-cuts. Everyone can vote for his or her favorite videos online. A weekly prize will be awarded throughout the summer to videos chosen at random. At the end of the contest, the five videos with the most overall votes will be entered into the finals. The grand prize winner will be selected on August 20.

The U.S. National Whitewater Center is located at 5000 Whitewater Center Parkway in northwest Charlotte, along the banks of the Catawba River. The center is open year round and hosts several special events and programs during the summer, including the popular Subaru River Jam each Thursday.

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Events for the Week: July 6-12

Your best weekly list for parties, nightlife, social, and cultural events in Charlotte. This isn’t intended to be a complete list of everything that's going on, but instead are the events GPT recommends.

Wednesday, July 8

Pop Life (weekly event)
It’s the most popular social networking event on a Wednesday night. Starts after work but runs past midnight. This week’s installment features “Mixed Media,” a special invite to members of the media and includes free hors d’oeuvres (6-9 p.m.). Music includes a listening party for Maxwell’s new CD. Presented by Creative Loafing and The Sol Kitchen. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Free. Apostrophe Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St. www.apostrophelounge.com.

Girls Night Out
Gather up the girls for a night out at the sweetest hotspot in town. Huntersville Vintage hosts a fashion show (9 p.m.). Featuring drink specials including all specialty martinis at half-price. 7 p.m. Free. Crave Dessert Bar, 500 W. Fifth St. www.cravedessertbar.com.

Thursday, July 9

Alive After Five at EpiCentre (weekly event)
This week’s event is “Thriller Thursday” in celebration of the late, great Michael Jackson. Music by Who’s Bad, one of the country’s top MJ tribute bands, playing on the rooftop stage. Big Ed’s Garage will play on the courtyard stage. Wristbands also get you into Blackfinn, Whisky River, Suite, and StrikeCity. 5-9:30 p.m. Free. The EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.aliveafterfiveatepicentre.com.

Democracy 2.0
What impact does gender, ethnicity, and age have on 21st century politics? Join GenerationEngage Charlotte and GenerationEngage Silicon Valley as you engage in a cross-community dialogue (via videoconference). Civic leaders in Charlotte include: Harvey Gantt, Charlotte’s first African-American mayor; Susan Burgess, Charlotte City Council member and mayor pro tem; Lenny McAllister, Fox Charlotte contributor and conservative political commentator; and Ella Scarborough, former Charlotte City Council member and mayoral candidate. 7:30 p.m. Free. Overcash Building Tate Auditorium, CPCC Central Campus, 1201 Elizabeth Ave. www.generationengage.org/state/chltt.

Friday, July 10

KRS One
See one of the pioneers of hip-hop perform his greatest hits live. Doors open 8:30 p.m. $20 in advance. Amos’ Southend. 1423 S. Tryon St. www.amossouthend.com.

I Love the QC—Summer Edition
Held at one of the city’s trendiest lounges, this monthly party celebrates all there is to love about Charlotte. And summertime means good times on the outdoor patio. Drink specials include $5 Jack Daniels all night. VIP tables are only $50 (contact tami@kisscharlotte.com); VIP beds are more. Music by DJ Hustle. 10 p.m. Cost varies; everyone free before 11 p.m. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.kisscharlotte.com.

Saturday, July 11

14th Annual Bike Fest and Dance
Experience one of the hottest outdoor motorcycle, music, and entertainment festivals on the East Coast, featuring racing, stunts, showcases, vending, and live bands playing reggae, R&B, jazz, and more. Bring your blankets and relax on the lawn. Gates open at 11 a.m. and event runs into the night. Cost varies. Mooresville Dragway, 8415 W. Hwy 152, Mooresville. www.leesperformance.com.

Carolina Wine Fest
This annual wine festival features wine tastings from many area vineyards such as Allison Oaks Vineyards, Childress Vineyards, Hinnant Family Vineyards, Woodmill Winery, and more. Food will be served by Old Stone Steakhouse, and live music will be provided by cover band Big Hand Dave. 1-7 p.m. $5 (includes all wine tastings). Copper's Wine Cellar, 134 N. Main St., Belmont.

Vanilla Ice
The Ice man cometh for the EpiCentre Summer Concert Series. Gates open at 6 p.m. Free. Pavilion at EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.pavilionatepicentre.com.

Sunday, July 12

Carolina Teen Idol Auditions
Young people, ages 13-19, get their chance at stardom. Win an opportunity to sing live in front of record label executives, get free professional voice coaching, free studio time, and perform live at the For Teens Only Expo to be held August 15 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Registration for auditions is required—visit website. 2-6 p.m. Free. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.forteensonly.net.

Special Blend @ PJ’s (weekly event)
Special Blend presents genres of artistry, music, visual, and humor in the spirit of good times and good people. Experience it while relaxing in a cozy lounge. Music by DJ Justice. 7-11 p.m. Free. PJ’s Coffee & Lounge, 210 E. Trade St. (inside the EpiCentre). www.pjscharlotte.com.

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He Was Doing The Naked Man

Federal authorities are trying to determine why a man took off all of his clothes on a flight from Charlotte to Los Angeles yesterday. The flight was diverted to New Mexico where the 50-year-old man was arrested. But they should've given the poor guy a break--he was simply doing "The Naked Man." I only recently learned what The Naked Man is from a hilarious episode of How I Met Your Mother that I saw last week.

Click here to learn more about The Naked Man. And watch the video below of a newscast about the naked guy on yesterday's flight.

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