Eyes of the Elders Compete to Play Bonnaroo

Eyes of the Elders, the genre-blending rap/rock band from Charlotte, is currently competing in the Road to Roo online challenge. Two winning bands/artists will get to perform at the coveted Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival this year.

Charlotte's rap/rock band, Eyes of the Elders.

Here's how the competition works. More than 450 bands and artists from around the country signed onto the Road to Roo. Fans have been voting for their favorite band for weeks, and the top eight will move on to the next round when online voting ends April 15. Voting is in the form of downloading the band's song (the download is a free mp3). At the time that I'm typing this, Eyes of the Elders is sitting in tenth place. That's impressive in itself, considering they've moved above more than 400 other acts. So now they need you to help them advance at least two more spots in the rankings.

The top eight artists will move on to be reviewed by Bonnaroo's music supervisors, and from there two will be selected to play Bonnaroo when the festival takes place June 9-12 in Manchester, Tennessee. These two bands will receive $1,000 and get their name on the lineup of artists scheduled to perform, which includes Eminem, Arcade Fire, Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, Alison Krauss, My Morning Jacket, Wiz Khalifa, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, The Strokes, and dozens more.

Led by emcees Bearcat and Ricky Radar, Eyes of the Elders formed in Charlotte in 2004. Over the years, the group has evolved--lost and gained members--but since 2008, backing up Bearcat and Ricky Radar has been drummer Jacob Gresham, guitarist and vocalist Boss Jones, and bassist Jason Pentecost. Also known as EOE, they blend their Southern roots into rap and rock in a way that catches you off guard at first, but then you start to nod to the beat and realize the lyrics are quite clever and sometimes humorous. These dudes are more Southern (aka good ole boy) than what I typically encounter in this city of transplants. A couple of years ago they released a song titled "Spitcup," in which they compare spitting raps to chewing tobacco.

Now you can enjoy such songs as "A Powerful Thirst," which is featured on their page in the Road to Roo competition. And "American Man," as you can see in the music video below.

Click here to vote for Eyes of the Elders until April 15. And for more on the band, visit their website at www.eyesoftheelders.net or on Facebook at facebook.com/eyesoftheelders.

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Style Week Charlotte Kicks Off

Style Week Charlotte begins today and runs through next Saturday, April 16, highlighting the Queen City's ever-growing style and fashion scene. Charlotte Style Magazine and its publisher Bridgette West have created this nine-day celebration, inviting several businesses and event planners to participate, and elevating it from what was typically a one-day event. For the past few years, the magazine has crowned the 25 Most Stylish People in Charlotte with both an issue of the publication and a signature event. This red carpet affair takes place tomorrow at Mercedes Benz of South Charlotte.

There are plenty more events going on over the next week. It all kicks off this evening with Say Red: Cocktails and Conversations, 7-9 p.m. at BluPrint Restaurant, a new restaurant located at 227 W. Trade St. (in the same building as Morton's Steakhouse). This networking social is sure to draw Charlotte's fashionable community and will feature complimentary appetizers and giveaways. Admission is free, however a suggested donation of $5 is requested to go towards supporting Team Red Pump-Charlotte for the May 7 AIDS Walk.

Other notable events on the Style Week Charlotte schedule include the Tailored Tuesday mixer on April 12 at Chima Brazilian Steakhouse; a Spring Fashion Crawl and Wine Tasting on April 14 at Morrison Place; then it all culminates with a big event, Passport For Fashion, on April 16 at Reelworks Movie Studio at NC Music Factory.

For more details, ticket prices, and the full schedule of events, go to www.styleweekcharlotte.com.

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'Charlotte, Get Your Move On!' Friday and Saturday

"Charlotte, Get Your Move On!" is a youth-focused initiative dedicated to improving the overall health and quality of life for Charlotte adolescents by empowering them to make positive behavioral decisions. Led by Teen Health Connection, this Friday and Saturday, April 8 and 9, the organization is holding events for the community.

Friday's event is a Community Performance taking place 7:30 p.m. at Elevation at Blakeney (8835 Blakeney Professional Drive). The entire family is welcome to attend this event, which features a performance by InnerACTIONS, a teen educational outreach project from California that uses a blend of film and live performances to deliver positive messages and thought-provoking ideas about the pressures youth face today. Not only will you see the InnerACTIONS crew perform hip-hop dance, skits, and live music, but the event will also feature Charlotte-area youth dancers. Admission to this event is free, and it should be noted that mature themes will be presented (suicide, alcohol/drug use, and bullying) so it may not be appropriate for young children.

Click on flyer for larger view.

On Saturday, CGYMO presents a Youth Conference from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Northwest School of the Arts (1415 Beatties Ford Road). The conference will focus on "Prevention Thru Inspiration," and will feature a performance by InnerACTIONS. There will also be breakout sessions with professionals in fields such as music, fashion, journalism, auto mechanics, web design, photography, horticulture, and more. The goal of the sessions is to help attendees discover and explore inner passions, including youth leadership. The conference is free to all teens, but pre-registration is required (click here). Lunch as well as T-shirts and goodie bags will be provided.

Click on flyer for larger view.

For more details on Charlotte, Get Your Move On! and the upcoming events, visit www.teenhealthconnection.org.

Below is a video clip of InnerACTIONS performing.

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CIAA Tournament Drew Record Crowd in 2011; What Needs to Happen Next

I pretty much assumed this long before the official numbers were released today: last month's CIAA Tournament drew a colossal crowd. The Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority said today that it estimates attendance for official 2011 CIAA Tournament events exceeded 190,000 and provided an economic impact of $44.3 million to the local economy, a 19 percent increase from last year. Both numbers are records for the tournament, which took place February 28 through March 5. It's been held annually in Charlotte since 2006 and is contracted to be here through 2014.

The CRVA stated the attendance figures for "official" CIAA events, which primarily includes the six days of basketball games at Time Warner Cable Arena and the Fan Experience the CIAA puts on for three days at Charlotte Convention Center. But anyone who's ever visited Charlotte that last week in February/first week in March knows it's also the hundreds of unofficial events held during CIAA Week that draw large crowds--the parties, concerts, comedy shows, mixers, etc. In fact, the head of MAZ Entertainment, one of Charlotte's largest party promoters who holds several events during CIAA each year, posted the photo you see below to his Facebook page over the weekend. Thousands of people attended this party they threw at Founders Hall in Uptown on March 5. My guess is this was probably the largest party of CIAA Week, but there were literally hundreds more going on at bars, nightclubs, and hotel ballrooms.

MAZ's Founders Hall Finale was one of the largest parties during CIAA Week.

It's impossible to accurately count how many people actually visited Charlotte during CIAA Week. Even the CRVA's figures don't exclude duplications, meaning if you attended an official CIAA event on Thursday and Friday you would've been counted twice as a visitor. But that's fine because they don't have methods of including all the people who came to Charlotte that week just to go to parties. So the most important figure is the $44.3 million, which represents the money spent at Charlotte hotels, restaurants, and other businesses that week. This has become the economic boon the Queen City looks forward to each winter, which is typically a slow tourist season here. That money adds to tax revenue and helps create and sustain jobs.

As the CIAA Tournament continues to grow, as it has done each year in Charlotte, conference officials need to make more strides to draw visitors to official events, particularly the basketball games. There were dozens of games played over six days at the arena between the men and women's teams from the CIAA's 13 colleges and universities. Attendance at many of these games was meek, especially in comparison to the kind of crowds that were turning out for parties and concerts taking place at other venues. CIAA schools have enrollments that range from 750 to 7,000 students, so its tournament games will never draw the kind of attendance that the ACC Tournament, with its large schools, does. But CIAA officials can do a better job of selling the CIAA experience at its games and events, which differs from larger sports conferences.

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Lady Cats Compete in 2011 NBA Dance Team Contest

While the Charlotte Bobcats attempt a late-season push to make the NBA playoffs, the beautiful ladies who cheer them on are gearing up for competition as well. The Lady Cats are competing in the annual NBA Dance Team Contest, which begins Monday, April 4. They won the title last year, so this will be the first time they're entering as defending champions. The Lady Cats are a favorite again this go-round, as are the Heat Dancers of Miami, who've won the competition several times. But we're taking our talents to Trade Street!

Click here beginning Monday at 2 p.m. to vote for the Lady Cats, where you'll also see video of them performing a burlesque dance.

For some reason, just now the video for Drake's "Best I Ever Had" came to mind.

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