J.D. Will Be O.K. After Power 98

Radio personality Janine "J.D." Davis announced on Power 98's No Limit Larry and the Morning Maddhouse show this morning that today was her last day at the station, after parent company CBS Radio decided not to renew her contract. Davis had served as producer and co-host of the morning show for the past decade, but now has succumbed to another unfortunate result of this recessed economy, which is hitting media outlets particularly hard.

J.D. with 50 Cent when the rap star stopped through Charlotte.

Comedian Tone-X, who was the third member of the morning show crew for several years, left in October and moved to Atlanta to work as a writer on BET’s The Mo’Nique Show, where he also now makes on-air appearances. This leaves No Limit Larry as the sole host. It'll be interesting to see how things develop since this was the only morning show in Charlotte's urban radio market that featured a local cast. The others--My92.7 and V101.9--feature Tom Joyner and Steve Harvey's syndicated morning shows.

But one thing that's for certain, Davis will do just fine in her post-radio career. She said she plans to devote more time to Girl Talk Foundation, the nonprofit organization she founded and is executive director of. And I'm sure some media outlet, whether it be radio or some other medium, will pick her up eventually, even if it's not in Charlotte, which would be our loss. I've admired Davis for not only her wit and sense of humor, but also for the fact that she's one of a small number of radio personalities today who actually have a journalism background.

While I've come to know her over the last few years (and actually talked to her last weekend), I also interviewed her for a profile in Who's Who In Black Charlotte in 2008, where she talked about her 20-year broadcasting career and Girl Talk.

Click on the image below to see the full-size article.

Good luck J.D.! You can keep up with what she's doing by visiting www.janinedavis.com.

Happy Birthday Anthony Hamilton; Good Luck at the Grammys!

R&B singer Anthony Hamilton is celebrating his birthday today and he has a lot to be thankful for. I sent A-Ham a text this morning wishing him a happy b-day and asking him how things are going.

"This is an amazing day for me," he replied. "It's my birthday and I'm in L.A. readying for my party tonight that Brand Jordan and Michael are throwing for me. God is great."

So not only is Michael Jordan throwing a party tonight for Hamilton, 39, but this is a busy week for the Charlotte native. This is Grammy Week, which means there are tons of celebrity and music industry events going on in Los Angeles leading up to Sunday's show (8 p.m., CBS).


Hamilton, who won his first ever Grammy last year after receiving several nominations over the years, is nominated for three Grammy Awards this year:

-Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "The Point Of It All," the title track from his latest album.

-Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for "Soul Music," the song he performed on the Soul Men Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

-Best R&B Album for The Point Of It All.

You can see a full list of Grammy categories and nominations by visiting www.grammy.com/nominees.

Gamecocks Upset #1 Wildcats; Now I'm too Excited to Go to Sleep

The Kentucky Wildcats got to enjoy being the number-one ranked team in the country for less than two days because the South Carolina Gamecocks (my alma mater) knocked them off tonight, 68-62, in Columbia. This is the first time the Gamecocks have ever defeated a number-one ranked team in basketball. But I'm going to act like we've been here before. I bet things are crazy tonight in Columbia--outside Colonial Life Arena, around the Russell House, in Five Points, and even in The Vista. Devan Downey (from Chester) outplayed John Wall as he and Brandis Raley-Ross (from Gastonia) helped seal the win in the final minutes.

Go Cocks!

Casting Call Today for 'The Good Life'

A new reality TV show is casting in Charlotte today. The Good Life is a planned TV show that's reported to be headed for a major network. The show's producers are searching for women only and the casting website says it's "searching for the most outrageous, over-the-top ladies who are living large! Maybe you were born with a silver spoon or maybe someone handed it to you — either way, you’re A-List, baby! And, it’s time everybody knows."

It goes on to state that ideal candidates will be those who have a closet full of designer clothes and shoes; whose job is an intense social calendar and hobby is shopping at Gucci; and is on the cutting edge of every trend. It even asks if you live in an amazing home with maids, a chef, a personal assistant, or a driver.


I'm not sure Charlotte has a large pool of that type of woman, but I'd suggest they focus their search in SouthPark and Lake Norman if they hope to have any luck. Open casting calls are also being held in Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, and New Jersey (fist pump!) over the next couple of weeks.

The Good Life Open Casting Call - Charlotte
Tuesday, January 26
1-4 p.m.
Sloan Boutique
1419 East Boulevard
704-338-1400

For more details, visit www.thegoodlifecasting.com or call 818-325-6904.

DeAngelo Williams Does 'Pants on the Ground'

Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl running back DeAngelo Williams has created his own rendition of "Pants on the Ground," the American Idol contestant-performed song that's sweeping the nation. Just as the original version is a joke, so is Williams's. He's accompanied by former Panthers wide receiver Ryne Robinson on drums. See the YouTube video below.

John Edwards Is a Trifling Baby Daddy but Haiti Needs Him

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards arrived in Haiti this week to aid in the earthquake relief. Sure, this is the same week when he finally admitted to being the father of the two-year-old girl he has denied, who was born out of the extramarital affair he confessed to last year after denying that also. Some critics are saying that Edwards is trying to get involved in Haiti to deflect the scandal surrounding him being Rielle Hunter's baby daddy. I think Edwards should tell the critics to kiss his arse.

One good thing, if there is one, to come out of the tragedy in Haiti is that it has shown us that a lot of the gossip, rumors, and nonsense that we allow ourselves to be consumed with on a daily basis is really petty. In the week and a half since the earthquake devastated that poor country, it has been the focus of nearly all news outlets, and once-nonstop items like Harry Reid's "negro dialect" remark and Tiger Woods's sex scandal have taken a backseat. Even John Edwards's admission, as big of a deal as it could be since people have suspected it for so long, isn't getting the attention today that it would have two weeks ago.

While the interest in Haiti continues to build, as evidenced by the two-hour "Help for Haiti Now" telethon that aired tonight on dozens of television networks and social media sites, the public's insatiable appetite for scandal will soon return and leapfrog their attention on Haiti. But for now, it's good to see priorities being where they should be. Haiti needs every person who can help to help. That includes fallen-from-grace figures ranging from John Edwards--who has years of experience aiding impoverished people and nations--to Kanye West, though it's been rumored that West was banned from participating in tonight's telethon. It's not so much for his Taylor Swift-mic-hijacking-antics as it is for his famous "George Bush doesn't care about black people" comment that aired live during a similar telethon to aid Hurricane Katrina relief nearly four and a half years ago. I wouldn't have blamed MTV, which hosted tonight's telethon, if they didn't want West to be a part of the star-studded affair, but a rep for the network reportedly said that they did "reach out to Kanye."

After watching the Haiti relief telethon tonight, I went on MTVNews.com because I knew they would have extended coverage. And while looking at the many Haiti-related stories that have been posted today, I saw "John Edwards Wants To Help Rebuild Haiti." Included in the story is a three-minute video interview with him by SuChin Pak. I was worried when I heard the first sentence come out of the MTV News anchor's mouth--"So Senator Edwards, we saw you come in and everybody's been sort of whispering around town or on base..."--but she was just acknowledging the elephant in the sand and quickly let him explain how he's helping the struggling country. See the video below.

Events for the Weekend: January 22-24

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. Use contact/website info listed to verify event details.

Charlotte Restaurant Week – January 22-31
This popular dining event will once again cover ten days, boasting 79 participating restaurants. Each of the restaurants, many of them upscale, are offering a prix fixe, three-course dinner for $30 per person (not including tax and gratuity). Participating restaurants include: Aquavina, Blue, Ruth’s Chris, Vivace, Sullivan’s, M5, Del Frisco’s, and dozens more. Visit website for complete list and menus. www.charlotterestaurantweek.com.

Friday, January 22

Seventh Annual Legacy of Women Film Showcase
The Deltas of Charlotte Foundation present this showcase, featuring award-winning short films by African-American women filmmakers. Event also includes a reception and opportunities to shop from local vendors. Reception starts 6:30 p.m.; films start 7:30 p.m. $20. Spirit Square, 130 N. Tryon St. www.deltasofcharlotte.org.

Jerry Seinfield
Take advantage of this rare opportunity to see this comedic genius perform his stand-up live. Two shows, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. $48-$78. Ovens Auditorium, 2700 East Independence Blvd. www.ovensauditorium.com.

2010 Leadership Awards
The Young Professionals Auxiliary of the Urban League of the Central Carolinas present their annual leadership awards. This year’s recipients are Okeatta D. Brown, vice president, Wells Fargo corporate supplier diversity; Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers linebacker and founder of the Defending Dreams Foundation; and Joachim Rogers, National Black MBA Association. The event will feature live performances by national recording artist Laura Izibor and award-winning poet True Life, and will be hosted by Power 98’s Janine Davis. Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. $35 in advance; $45 at the door. The Big Chill, 911 E. Morehead St. www.leadership.urbanleaguecc.org.

Kickin It on the Southside (weekly event)
Digital Divas presents this weekly Friday night event for those who live or want to party in south Charlotte. Enjoy a great crowd, drink specials, and a DJ spinning hip-hop and R&B. 10 p.m. Free. On the Roxx, 14021 Conlan Circle (Ballantyne). www.digitaldivasevents.com.

Saturday, January 23

Sprite Step Off Regional Finals
See college fraternities and sororities go head to head in what’s being called the largest national step competition in history. Hosted by Johnson C. Smith University. Live performances by The Dream and B.O.B. Doors open 6 p.m.; competition starts 7 p.m. $17. Grady Cole Center, 310 N. Kings Drive. www.spritestepoff.com.

Get Right for Haiti
100 percent of the proceeds from this event will go to the Red Cross to aid earthquake relief in Haiti. So enjoy one of Charlotte’s trendiest lounges during this good cause. Music by DJs Ahuf and Animate. 9 p.m. $5 minimum donation. Dharma Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 105 (entrance faces West Summit Ave.). www.dharmacharlotte.com.

TheVelvetNights.com Presents Risqué
It’s promising to be one wild night. Models will be wearing body paint and lingerie, naked sushi will be served (9-11 p.m.), and the first 100 people will receive a complementary gift bag from the Red Door. Guest appearance by Erin Tietsort from Sunset Tan. Hosted by TheVelvetNights.com, which is celebrating its one year anniversary. 9 p.m. Cost varies; ladies wearing lingerie admitted free. Halo, inside the N.C. Music Factory, 820 Hamilton St. www.thevelvetnights.com.

Addiction – Hosted by Vince Carter
Come party with the Orlando Magic star and other NBA players after the Charlotte Bobcats game. 10 p.m. Cost varies; members free before 11 p.m. Club 935, 935 S. Summit Ave. www.club935.com.

Sunday, January 24

Super Fresh Sundays
This party is for those who know how to get “fresh”—and want to party hard on a Sunday night. Music by DJ Magic. 10 p.m. Free before 11:30 p.m.. Kiss Lounge, 204 W. Woodlawn Rd. www.kisscharlotte.com.

Avett Brothers to Share Stage with Jay-Z

Well, The Avett Brothers won't technically be on stage with Jay-Z, but the folk-rock band from Concord will share a date with the greatest rapper of all time at this year's Coachella festival. Jay-Z is the headlining act on Friday, April 16 and The Avett Brothers will perform earlier in the day. Click here for the lineup of more than 130 musical acts performing over three days.


In other TAB news, the band recorded a cover of Tom T. Hall's "I Love" and it appears on Starbuck's just-released Valentine's Day compilation, Sweetheart 2010, which includes 14 artists performing their favorite love songs. Click here to order the CD off iTunes.

'Aluminum Show' Gets a Silver Star

I saw The Aluminum Show on Friday night at the Knight Theater. After reading it described as a combination of the Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, and Stomp, I figured it would be action packed but wondered if I'd actually enjoy it. I did.

Aluminum ducts (or materials resembling them) fill the stage and during their movement I found myself often wondering "Is somebody inside of those?" or "How did they do that?" The performance is a mixture of song, dance, humor, and acrobatics. It's not necessarily a show for the high-brow theater-goer, but it's entertaining. Plus, the cast keeps the audience involved by frequently jutting out into the seats and sending items to be bounced around. These seem to come at just the perfect time, right before the on-stage visuals are on the brink of becoming monotonous.

Photo from aluminum-show.com

The show is only about an hour and 10 minutes long and, with no intermission, it goes by rather quickly. The Aluminum Show plays through January 31 and it provides a great opportunity to check out the new Knight Theater, located at the Wells Fargo Cultural Campus in Uptown. Click here for more information about the show.

Photo by Tom Johnson

Wallace and Jackson are All-Stars; Iverson and McGrady Aren't

There's a great article posted today on USAToday.com that shows just how flawed voting has become in selecting the NBA All-Star team ("Curious picks, and a call to alter All-Star voting"). As it has been for years, fans vote in the starters for the East and West teams. But online voting and, for the first time this year, text-message voting has made it easier than ever. But the problem is that too many fans are voting for players who don't deserve to be starters. Case in point, as the article points out, Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady are currently among the leading vote getters, and if their spots hold up when voting ends tomorrow night, they'll both be starters. Iverson didn't play about half this season and was semi-retired. McGrady has only played six games this season.

Both of those guys are being voted in by their huge fan bases. And not only does their play this season not merit them starting in the All-Star game, they shouldn't even be on the team. NBA coaches vote in the reserves, which helps ensure deserving and sometimes overlooked players get in. But regardless, Iverson and McGrady are going to bump two people off because of the roster spots they'll hold. Iverson is in the Eastern Conference and McGrady is in the Western.


I'll tell you two players who need to be selected by the coaches for the East team or I'm going to cry foul: Charlotte Bobcats Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson. In their six-year history, the Bobcats have never had a current player make the NBA All-Star team. But with Wallace averaging 18 points and 11 rebounds per game this season, and Jackson putting up 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, it's hard to argue against these two being chosen as All-Stars.

Click here to vote for Wallace and Jackson on the NBA All-Star ballot, which you can do until 11:59 p.m. Monday night (Jackson appears on the Western Conference ballot because it was created before he was traded to Charlotte from Golden State).

Aria Tuscan Grill Opens in Uptown

I attended the grand opening of Aria Tuscan Grill last night. It's the latest venture from the successful Sonoma Restaurant Group, which also owns Sonoma, Press Wine/Food, and Pie Town--all in Uptown Charlotte.

Grand openings usually aren't the best times to do reviews, so I won't do it here. The place was packed, which says a lot because it's a huge space. The promise of complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres always ensures RSVPs, plus I'm sure most people know Sonoma's track record and figured this was an event they didn't want to miss. There was an army of servers working last night and they kept the passed trays coming and wine flowing. The hors d'oeuvres consisted of bruschetta, eggplant parmigiana, braised beef short rib, antipasto, salads, cheeses, and some kind of fried mozzarella balls that I had to pick up every time a tray filled with them passed my way.


The owners spared no expense with the decor, and for a two-level space of its size it was surprisingly warm and inviting. I like the glass-enclosed "open" kitchen, and I can see the bar becoming a popular after-work spot. You have to salute anyone who opens a new restaurant in this economy, but in this case it more than likely means that a previously existing restaurant in Uptown needs to worry.

Aria Tuscan Grill is located at 100 N. Tryon St. inside Bank of America Corporate Center. For more info, visit www.ariacharlotte.com.

Events for MLK Weekend: January 15-18

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.

Friday, January 15

Aluminum Show Aluminum Can Drive
The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center is holding a can food drive to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank. Anyone who brings five cans of food will receive a voucher for one free ticket to The Aluminum Show, which is playing at the Knight Theater until the end of the month. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wachovia Atrium, 401 S. Tryon St. www.blumenthalcenter.org.

MLK Memorial and Wreath Laying Celebration
This annual event commemorates the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Guest speakers will be on hand, and complimentary lunch will be provided by Bojangles’. 12-1 p.m. Free. MLK statue at Marshall Park, 800 E. Third St. Click here for more details.

SlamCharlotte Poetry Slam
Witness Charlotte’s own two-time defending national championship team of spoken word poets (2007 and 2008 winners) do what they do best at this monthly event. Show contains adult language and content. 8 p.m. $10. McGlohon Theatre, 345 North College St. www.blumenthalcenter.org.

Jesse Metcalfe at Suite
He played the gardener on Desperate Housewives that every guy wanted to be and every girl wanted to be with. See him in person as he hosts this party. 10 p.m. $10 and up. Suite, at the EpiCentre, 210 E. Trade St. www.suitecharlotte.com.

Kickin It on the Southside
Digital Divas presents this weekly Friday night event for those who live or want to party in south Charlotte. This week they’ll be celebrating Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority’s Founder’s Day. Enjoy drink specials and a DJ spinning hip-hop and R&B. 10 p.m. Free. On The Roxx, 14021 Conlan Circle (Ballantyne). www.digitaldivasevents.com.

Saturday, January 16

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade
Honoring the man, the memory, and the movement, this year’s parade features local and regional high school and university marching bands, steppers, social and community service organizations, as well as many local political, religious and community leaders. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Trade and Ninth to McDowell and Second streets. Click here for more details.

PlayDate Charlotte
Bring out the kid in you. Play card games, checkers, dominoes, Connect Four, Twister, Monopoly, old-school video games, and more while enjoying music and drinks. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Tyvola Marriott, 5700 Westpark Dr. www.playdatecharlotte.com.

Julius Peppers 30th Birthday
Come celebrate with the Carolina Panthers star. 10 p.m. Cost varies; members free before 11 p.m. Club 935, 935 S. Summit Ave. www.club935.com.

80s Blü Prom Party
Break out your shoulder pads and dress ruffles, and bring on your 1980s hair for Blü Magazine’s 80s Prom Party. Drink spiked punch and get your cheesy prom photo taken. Best dressed will be selected as Prom King and Queen. 10 p.m. RSVP to blu.parties@gmail.com to get in for free before 11 p.m.; $5 after that. Dharma Lounge, 1440 S. Tryon St., Suite 105 (entrance faces W. Summit Ave). www.dharmacharlotte.com.

Sunday, January 17

Cuttin’ Class Community Hair Cutting Day
No Grease! Barber Shop in collaboration with area celebrities will team up to sponsor haircuts for kids in the Charlotte area. Local celebrities will be on hand to sign autographs and take pictures, and food and drinks will be provided. 1-4 p.m. Free. No Grease! School of Tonsorial Arts, 4600 Holbrook Drive. www.nogrease.com.

Roc Da Runway
See the latest styles and trends at this hair and fashion show There will also be a networking social and after-party. Doors open at 6 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m. $15 and up. Baxterhood Center, 452 S. Anderson Rd., Rock Hill, SC. Click here for more details.

King Holiday Celebration
Celebrate having the next day off by partying at one of Charlotte’s hottest lunges. 9 p.m. Ladies $5; men $10. Presented by Exclusive Entertainment NC. Luna Lounge, 521 N. College St. www.exclusiveentertainmentnc.com.

Southern Hospitality
It’s sure to be a packed house at one of the most anticipated parties of this holiday weekend. Music by DJ Jaycee, Ludacris’s official DJ. Presented by BlueGoose and Sol Kitchen. 10 p.m. $10 in advance; more at the door. The Forum, 300 N. College St. www.thesolkitchen.com.

MAZ’s New Year’s Resolution
To compensate for the complications at its New Year’s Eve party, MAZ Entertainment is inviting everyone to party for free. 9:30 p.m. Latorre’s Nightclub, Fiji Sushi Bar and Lounge, and Kashmir Nightclub (three levels in the same building), 116 W. Fifth St. www.mazentertainment.net.

Monday, January 18

City of Charlotte MLK National Holiday Celebration
Lockwood Home Owner Association president Chris Dennis will be awarded the Keeper of the Dream Award, and Dr. David Jacobs, associate medical director for trauma services at Carolinas Medical Center, will be awarded the prestigious MLK Medallion Award. The CMS Arts and Writing Contest winners will also be recognized and awarded scholarships. Special guests include violinist Daniel Davis, recording artist Tunesha Crispell, and Leap of Faith Dance Company. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free. Halton Theatre, CPCC Uptown Campus, 1206 Elizabeth Ave. Click here for more details.

Mainstream Mondays: Therapy for Haiti
This installment of this weekly mixer is focusing on a good cause, for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Guests are encouraged to donate clothes and non-perishable items. HeadShell (headshellmanagement.com) will cover all shipping expenses to Haiti via Wyclef Jean’s Yele organization. Food and drink specials, and music by celebrity DJ Shogun. Presented by Eddietainment. 8 p.m.-midnight. Therapy Café, 401 N. Tryon St. www.eddietainment.com.

Bring the (Faux) Dancers Back!

FOX Charlotte just had to mess things up. Thanks to the story they aired Tuesday night on the shadow dancers that were being projected through a window at The Circle Apartments in South End, the property managers have apparently gotten nervous about the media scrutiny. The Circle had been using a projector and light show inside one of its empty units in an effort to draw attention that they hoped would attract new tenants. I think it was clever marketing that was also harmless entertainment. Plus, it provided a cool view from the light rail. There are hundreds of new apartment and condo units sitting vacant around South End and Uptown thanks to their untimely openings during this recession. If you have to pimp some of those units out, go for it!

See the news video below.

'Flirt Academy' Tonight

Here's an event I thought some of you ladies might be interested in, and according to its website there are only four spots remaining.

The Better Class is presenting "Flirt Academy" tonight at Therapy Cafe (401 N. Tryon St.), 7-9 p.m. The event is being conducted by Los Angeles relationship specialist and founder of "ManFixer" Shelli Stutz, along with Charlotte's Natalie Hymel.


A for-women-only event, the agenda is listed as:

•How to turn a first glance into a first date
•What to DO and when to DO it
•Body language - become fluent!
•7 actions to guarantee reactions
•How to use it so you won't lose it
•Turn it on...to turn him on!

Admission is $20 and there will be complimentary beer, wine, and flirtinis. Visit www.thebetterclass.com for more details.

Stephen Curry's Life on Display

Watching college basketball this season just isn't the same without Stephen Curry. I'm not actually a Davidson College fan--I barely knew anything about it before I moved to Charlotte--but for three years it was exciting to see what Curry was going to do on the court and which team Davidson was going to upset. Last April, of course, Curry announced that he would be skipping his senior season to enter the NBA Draft. In June, when he was selected by the Golden State Warriors as the No. 7 pick, one of the first things that came to my mind was that we, in Charlotte, weren't going to see him play much this season because Golden State games just aren't televised much for East Coast audiences.

I try to catch up with how he's doing by checking for him on ESPN or by visiting the stats on NBA.com, but it's also been great to follow him on GQ.com in his "My Rookie Season" blog. GQ Magazine chose Curry to chronicle his first NBA season online, and in it you get to experience what it's like for him, as a 21 year-old, to be thousands of miles away from his hometown, to be living in Oakland, California, to travel from city to city to play several NBA games per week (hanging at LeBron James's house when he played at Cleveland), and how he deals with his stardom.


Curry often makes comparisons to Charlotte, and sometimes reminisces about his Davidson days, understandably so since those things were going on in his life this time last year. He usually blogs on the GQ site at least twice a week, but today's post is his first in nearly four weeks. And in this post, it's evident that playing on a not-so-good team against so many great Western Conference opponents is starting to take its toll on him.

Visit www.gq.com/about/my-rookie-season to follow Curry, and I advise you to read several of the past posts, which is like peeking into his diary.

Rock-N-Roll Barbershop Opening in Uptown

I was in Uptown on Friday and as I was heading back to the parking garage at the 121 West Trade building, I saw a sign for The Cut Rock-N-Roll Barbershop that's scheduled to be opening there soon on the first floor. The windows were covered, so I couldn't see what it looked like on the inside, but a poster on one of the windows described the concept. Then I got more info by visiting its website, www.cutbarbershop.com. It's a cool concept, one that combines a lounging, social experience with getting your hair cut or styled. Plus, there's the rock-n-roll edge, which will be exemplified by the music and decor.


The Cut will join Emerson Joseph (Uptown and Ballantyne locations), Roosters Men's Grooming Center (SouthPark and Ballantyne), and No Grease Exclusive (Uptown in Time Warner Cable Arena) in a growing list of trendy and/or upscale barbershops in Charlotte. Hair cuts will start at $18 at The Cut (not bad) and beer will be served while you wait. According to its Facebook page, The Cut is scheduled to open February 12.

Read About it: Yn Wine Cafe

Because a lot of the places I write about (on this blog and for magazines) are in Charlotte, friends often come to me for suggestions. I talked to a friend today who was looking for a good place to have her birthday dinner. I recommended a few places. That led me to recall a place I recently wrote about for Charlotte magazine.

Photograph by Adam Whitlow for Charlotte magazine.

Yn opened in Dilworth about a year and a half ago, but I bet if you asked most people they'd say either they've never heard of it or they've never been. It's a small, cozy wine bar that is a great place to hang with a small group of (sophisticated) friends, particularly if they like wine, or an intimate after-dinner spot during a date. Sometimes you don't want to be in the biggest, loudest, and most crowded venue--at least I know I don't.

Click here to read about Yn in the January issue of Charlotte magazine.

I Wish I'd Gotten a Snuggie for Christmas

I read an article in The Charlotte Observer about three months ago that said Charlotte would experience one of the "coldest and snowiest winters in recent years." This was based on predictions by the chief meteorologist from Accu-Weather. Considering we're just a little more than two weeks into the official winter season and it's pretty much been cold every day since, I'm thinking about moving. Not really, but it would be nice to be one of those rich people who have homes in different parts of the country (or world), which allows them to choose their forecast.

But barring Tiger Woods inviting me to spend some time on his yacht (or in Africa where he's rumored to be), I'll be bundling up like the rest of you. Below is the weather forecast for this weekend.

Jessica Stroup Is 'Complex' and Grown Up

Okay, I'm a little late on this but Charlotte native Jessica Stroup is featured in the December/January issue of Complex Magazine. I've never seen the 90210 star photographed this edgy. Like her predecessors in the original Beverly Hills, 90210, I'm sure it's a challenge for Stroup, who's 23 years old, to play a high school character on TV but want to be viewed as an adult actress in real life. Photos like this will help you see past Silver, the teen-aged character she plays on the show. Click here for her gallery on Complex.com.


Stroup, coincidentally, is also profiled in the December/January issue of BlackBook Magazine, where she's labeled "The New Pin-Up."

Fantasia's Reality Show Premieres Jan. 11

I've been posting updates since it was announced last April that Fantasia Barrino was getting a reality TV show on VH1. The series, titled Fantasia For Real, premieres Monday, January 11 at 10 p.m. I think this will be one of the few reality shows that's actually real. Look for it to be more like Keyshia Cole's show (struggles with family life) and less like the Kardashians' (basically scripted shenanigans).


You can also expect to see a lot of Charlotte in the show, since Fantasia's house here is home base. This is how the series is described by VH1:

As the season begins, Fantasia is in the studio recording her hot new track, "Move On Me." And with six people living off her dwindling income, she needs a hit... now! Back at her sprawling North Carolina mansion is the entire Barrino clan. And when Fantasia and her manager, Brian, go on the road to test her new song, Fantasia hopes that her no-nonsense Aunt Bunny will keep the homefront in order. But when her under-employed, over-confident brother, Tiny, gets a brilliant idea to convert the pool house into a recording studio, all heck breaks loose.

See the 30-second clip below. And for more on Fantasia For Real, click here to visit the show's page on VH1.com.

Steve Smith in Slow-Mo

You know those “If you want the NFL, go to the NFL” commercials that have been running to promote the NFL brand (tickets, TV network, website, apparel)? Well, today during a commercial break during the Cowboys-Eagles game I saw the coolest one yet. It stars Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith, diving for a touchdown catch. But it's the way the clip is captured that makes this so appealing.


The Smith commercial is one of a series of ads that began running at the beginning of the season, featuring football players filmed with a Phantom HD digital video camera. Made by Vision Research, the camera shoots a thousand frames per second and creates high-resolution, slow-motion imagery that is 10 times as slow as any slow-motion video shot by most NFL cameras.